~~~~~~~~~~~
"You're leaving me?" Cleon asked, his voice breaking along with his heart.
Kel looked up at him, her face steeled. She hated doing this, he was a friend and she cared about him. "Yes, Cleon."
Tears were forming in his eyes, threatening to spill, "Why?"
"Why, Cleon? Why? I think you of all people should know the answer to that. You have to marry an heiress for the good of your home."
"I can talk mother around. Please," he begged, "let me try."
"No, Cleon," she said sharply. "I won't let you ruin your life over me." Her voice had a hopeless tone as she added, "Besides, you've been promising to talk her around for years; you kept promising and promising but never actually asking. I'm tired of lies, I'm tired of hiding us from my friends; from our friends. I'm tired of hiding altogether."
~*~*~*~
Baby listen to meI've got something to say
I have finally realized
That I'm wasting my life away
You've made so many promises
That's all you ever do
So now tonight I'm leaving
And I won't come back to you
Well, it doesn't really matter
What you have to say
Cuz' you know it won't bring us back
Won't bring back yesterday
~*~*~*~
He looked at her closely; even after only a few months of being knighted, she looked tired. He could see that she was under stress. He brought a gentle hand to her cheek. "Why don't you cry?" He asked quietly. "You can't always keep your emotions in, you know."
That shattered her last defense. She couldn't hold her emotionless Yamani mask in place any longer, and the tears that stung her eyes were hot as they coursed down her cheeks. Cleon wrapped her in his arms, rocking her back and forth slowly to try and comfort her.
Both had tears falling and they stood for mere moments before she pulled back. "No," she whispered in a rasp pitch, "I can't do this; I have to go."
She turned to leave but he ensnared her in his arms again. "Why? Just stay with me." He pleaded, refusing to admit to himself that she would walk out of his life.
She struggled and turned to him, "Let me go." There was a half-hearted glare in her red, swollen eyes. It was her only weak point, the rest of her features set stubbornly in and impassive void. He was sure that she was keeping something from him.
~*~*~*~
Cuz' I'm not crying for youNo, no, no
I'm not crying for you tonight
So please listen when I say
That there's no way that I will stay
And know that
I'm not crying for you
~*~*~*~
"No," Cleon told her, "not until you tell me what this is really about. This isn't about some stupid heiress and you know it." His mouth was a grim line, and his fingers tightened desperately on her shoulders.
"I should have listened to Neal," she spat; her anger was rising, deep and furious within her chest.
"What do you mean?" he shook her. "What did Neal say?"
"Your duty-- your duty to Kennan. How you couldn't possibly care for me because you knew all along that you would have to marry someone else. We had no chance to marry, to be together, but you strung my heart along anyway." She was torn now, torn between crying again or hitting him.
"Do you really think I would do that to you? On purpose?" Cleon was hurt, how could she even think that of him?
"It doesn't matter, your marriage is arranged." Her voice sounded dead. "It doesn't matter anymore." She looked away from his gaze
~*~*~*~
Should've known thatThings would have turned out this way
Should've listened
To all the things that my friends would say
How could you say you loved me?
Well, I know that wasn't true
You were never thinking of me
Cuz' you were too much in love with you
Well, it doesn't really matter
What I say
Cuz' you know it won't bring us back
Won't bring back yesterday
~*~*~*~
New tears coursed from Kel's eyes, and Cleon hugged her again, whispering to her hoarsely, "Of course it matters. We still have time. There is still time for us." He tried to wipe the tears from her eyes but she moved back.
"Don't you understand!?" she yelled, "It's over, we had our chance! There's nothing we can do!" She was shaking her head, her hair flying and clinging to her wet face. "Just give up, Cleon. You led me along until I thought that I—" she wavered for an instant, but she continued, her voice harsher than before, "--that I loved you, and you betrayed me! Just stop lying to me!"
~*~*~*~
Cuz' I'm not crying for youNo, no, no
I'm not crying for you tonight
So please listen when I say
That there's no way that I will stay
And know that
I'm not crying for you
Making empty promises is all you do
You say that you will change
But it's just not true
So please listen when I say
That I must find a better way
There's no need for me to stay
Here with you another day
So just stop all of the lyin'
Cuz' tonight I won't be cryin' for you
No, no, no
~*~*~*~
Cleon grabbed her roughly and kissed her, and she flailed madly, trying to get a hand free. Once she had succeeded, she slapped him with all her strength. The force was enough to turn his head and make him let go.
He staggered back. "I never lied to you, I meant everything. I never meant to hurt you." He leaned his weight against the wall. "Never you."
"I know...but you did anyway." She turned her back to him, and let a final tear fall for Cleon of Kennan. "Goodbye."
Fresh tears fell from his eyes and he forced back the sob that was forming in his throat as he reluctantly accepted his fate. "Goodbye, Kel." His tall form crumpled to the ground, crying silently, as he watched his first love walk away and didn't even try to stop her.
~*~*~*~
And I'm not crying for youNo, no, no
I'm not crying for you tonight
So please listen when I say
That there's no way that I will stay
And know that
I'm not crying for you
~*~*~*~
