Yep. AND AN ANGST ONE JUST FOR FUNZIES-
No.
No, no, no, this wasn't supposed to happen.
This had to be a dream—it had to be. If it wasn't, the villain might well be dead.
It wasn't supposed to turn out like this.
Anything but this.
"Hey," they choked out, clutching the hero's hand—it was so cold—against their chest, their eyebrows furrowed and their lips turned down into a frown. Their voice cracked, a hint of panic seeping into their tone. The villain's eyes were wild.
"Hey, hey, stay with me here," they croaked again, letting go of the hero's cold hand to shake them gently by their shoulders. The hero gave only a small, gentle, tired smile in return as they met the villain's gaze.
How could this happen?
They'd never told them to kill the hero. In fact, they'd told them not to touch them. This was their game, their field; they'd wounded each other, sure, but never to the point that it would be fatal.
"You should..." The hero heaved for breath, voice slurring. "Stop frowning... So much." They were so pale. So pale and cold. The villain's mind was like a tornado; spinning, spinning, spinning. "You'll get wrinkles... You know?" The hero let loose a bittersweet chuckle.
They looked so, so tired.
"Stop talking," the villain snapped, tears filling their eyes; tears they refused to let fall. "Stop talking and keep your eyes open and stay with me." Because the villain could see them slipping, and they weren't ready to see them go.
"I told them," they half-growled, half-sobbed. "I told them not to kill you."
The hero chuckled bitterly. "Had a feeling... That it... Would have happened... anyway..."
"I'll kill them." They'd never felt so sure of anything in their lives—
"Hey, hey." the hero shook their head. "Wasn't... Their fault. Would have happened—" a pained gasp "—anyway..." They were repeating themselves.
I don't care, because they're going to suffer for what they did to you.
"Pocket!" The hero exclaimed suddenly, then grimaced as pain clouded their features. So pale. So cold.
Stay with me.
"What?"
"My pocket. On right... Paper. Take it."
"No." Because then you'll leave me and I don't want you to leave because oh my god please baby please stay with me just stay with me stay with me stay with me—
"Please."
"Why?"
Stay with me.
"Trust me."
Stay with me.
The villain found the piece of paper. The hero cupped their hands around the villain's fist and gave them a warm smile.
Then they sighed.
And then...
And then they were gone.
————
Those broken eyes,
That tired smile;
I loved you at your worst
Before I'd seen you at your best.
The villain had never cried so much in their life.
Stay with me, baby.
They kept the paper in their pocket; the world would pay for what it had done.
When I'm done—
I'll stay with you.
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