Up in Flames
Burn
Daylight found its way through the small gap in the dusty, tan curtains and danced gently across his face. He stirred slightly, his eyes opening in a squint. He felt the familiar weight of her arm across his chest; her breath tickled his left ear as she exhaled through her mouth.
Shifting ever so slightly, he kissed her forehead, sighing as he felt her arm tighten against him.
"Don't go." The two words came out as more of a squeak than a true vocalization, her voice was thick and foggy with sleep.
I never left you.
Rolling onto his side, he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close, resting his chin on her head and focusing on the feeling of her body breathing against him.
"Don't."
He kissed her hair, lingering, revelling in the familiar honey scent he had never been able to get enough of. Her body began to shake against him and his hand went automatically to her hair, threading through the smooth, dark brown locks as her tears started to fall.
"I'm right here. Don't worry about a thing."
He held her to him as he drifted back to sleep, sheltering her body with his until the flames came to claim her, her shrieks of agony jolting him from peace.
"I can't do this. Fuck, it burns. Shizuo!" All she could do was repeat, over and over, as her body burned away, bit by agonizing bit. Her brain didn't know any other words, her body could barely register his touch over the flames.
He gritted his teeth and sat up, lifting her onto his lap. Her face curled into his chest in an attempt to hide her expression, but not before he caught a glimpse.
Her lips were chapped, eyes bloodshot, her nose was gone. As the fire worked its way along her body, he held her to him, whispering to her and stroking her cheek.
I want to be stronger.
"Hey, it's going to be okay. This will all be over soon. I promise."
_____
Ringing, ringing. What the hell is with that damn ringing?
Sitting straight up in bed, his left hand flew immediately to his forehead as his right felt along the bed beside him for his cell phone.
By the time he finally retrieved it, the ringing had stopped. He sat in silence for a moment, massaging his forehead, willing the constant, dull ache deep inside to go away.
Turns out force of will doesn't work that way.
Groaning, he flipped open his phone, glaring at the screen as he scrolled through message after pointless message, not really reading so much as checking to make sure that there was nothing important in there.
Tossing the phone to the floor, he leaned over to retrieve his cigarettes, lighter, and a small ashtray out of his bedside table. Normally he didn't smoke in the apartment, but after last night, he had to make an exception.
"This shit just keeps getting worse and worse." His head rolled back to rest against the wall as he took in a long drag.
Crossing his legs, he turned to the window, staring out at the buildings around him through the gap in the curtain, trying to make sense of things.
But nothing made sense, no matter how many times he turned it over in his mind.
_____
I couldn't see you for myself, until now.
I don't believe in superstition, but somehow...
Shifting ever so slightly, he kissed her forehead, sighing as he felt her arm tighten against him.
"Don't go." The two words came out as more of a squeak than a true vocalization, her voice was thick and foggy with sleep.
I never left you.
Rolling onto his side, he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close, resting his chin on her head and focusing on the feeling of her body breathing against him.
"Don't."
He kissed her hair, lingering, revelling in the familiar honey scent he had never been able to get enough of. Her body began to shake against him and his hand went automatically to her hair, threading through the smooth, dark brown locks as her tears started to fall.
"I'm right here. Don't worry about a thing."
He held her to him as he drifted back to sleep, sheltering her body with his until the flames came to claim her, her shrieks of agony jolting him from peace.
"I can't do this. Fuck, it burns. Shizuo!" All she could do was repeat, over and over, as her body burned away, bit by agonizing bit. Her brain didn't know any other words, her body could barely register his touch over the flames.
He gritted his teeth and sat up, lifting her onto his lap. Her face curled into his chest in an attempt to hide her expression, but not before he caught a glimpse.
Her lips were chapped, eyes bloodshot, her nose was gone. As the fire worked its way along her body, he held her to him, whispering to her and stroking her cheek.
I want to be stronger.
"Hey, it's going to be okay. This will all be over soon. I promise."
_____
Ringing, ringing. What the hell is with that damn ringing?
Sitting straight up in bed, his left hand flew immediately to his forehead as his right felt along the bed beside him for his cell phone.
By the time he finally retrieved it, the ringing had stopped. He sat in silence for a moment, massaging his forehead, willing the constant, dull ache deep inside to go away.
Turns out force of will doesn't work that way.
Groaning, he flipped open his phone, glaring at the screen as he scrolled through message after pointless message, not really reading so much as checking to make sure that there was nothing important in there.
Tossing the phone to the floor, he leaned over to retrieve his cigarettes, lighter, and a small ashtray out of his bedside table. Normally he didn't smoke in the apartment, but after last night, he had to make an exception.
"This shit just keeps getting worse and worse." His head rolled back to rest against the wall as he took in a long drag.
Crossing his legs, he turned to the window, staring out at the buildings around him through the gap in the curtain, trying to make sense of things.
But nothing made sense, no matter how many times he turned it over in his mind.
_____
I couldn't see you for myself, until now.
I don't believe in superstition, but somehow...