Title: The Difference between Leaving and Leaving Behind
Author: MistressKitty Short vignette
Rating: G; Category: Angst
Notes: Thanks to Spanish class and WhiteShadow for urging me on. Thanks to Lo for the beta. These characters are not mine. Feedback is always appreciated, often begged for. Archive anywhere with author's nod.
The Difference between Leaving and Leaving Behind
He kept saying that he was going to leave, that he needed to move around to be happy. And then he'd kind of half-heartedly growl at some unseen agitation and he'd let his bare hand brush her shoulder and say that maybe cage fighting wasn't as profitable this time of year. He would look out of the window, sniffling the faraway scent of snow, of cold.
Her face never darkened when he mentioned leaving, and she just kind of stood there when he assured her that he'd stay. She would look out the window, imagining that she smelled the snow as well. At times, she would shiver, but never from the illusive cold. She wouldn't run to meet him when he entered the room, but if he sat down next to her, she would hold his hand and lean into his side. It couldn't be rushed. She never smiled except when he called her Marie.
He kept saying that he was going to leave, but she never really listened anymore, and he had stopped calling her Marie long ago. Touches and smiles grew fewer and farther between and then one day when he said he was going to leave, he packed his bag and swung a leg over Scott's motorcycle.
She waited until she could no longer see him from the window in his room to crawl into his bed, now cold, and wonder at the foreign feel of warm tears on her face.