The blond couldn’t help but cover his mouth, embarrassed by how he’d rambled. To be honest, telling Kiki such an intimate detail of his past had helped him feel better--and the human was right. Garridan had adored Viktor with every fiber of his being, and without the vampire near, the blond couldn’t help but feel lost in a cruel, unyielding world.
At Kiki’s question, Garridan set his satchel aside and leaned against the headstone behind him, closing his eyes. Unconsciously, he took in a breath--a breath that halted significantly. Perhaps telling her what had happened could help him cope with the grief he still dealt with years later, but...
“...he met the final death.” His voice was a mere whisper, and his throat clenched with an overwhelming sorrow, of misery. Immediately, Garridan buried his face in his hands, his chest and abdomen convulsing as he began to weep. Why was he still crying, years later? Why now of all times? Kiki didn’t deserve this, but for a few minutes, all Garridan could do was sob into his hands.
Once he’d managed to calm down, he hurriedly began to wipe his eyes with his sleeve. “I--I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Kiki...” Bloody tears continued to fall. His hands were stained with crimson droplets, smeared all over the pale flesh, even staining his cheeks.
“I...I miss him terribly.” The blond sniffled, continuing to use his sleeves--now stained with patches of blood.
“I ache to hear his voice...feel his hand in mine...feel his lips upon my own...I...w-without Viktor, I feel as though I...” Garridan retreated into himself, resting his arms on his knees, staring blankly ahead. He sniffled once again, hugging onto himself tightly. “I feel as though I died w-with him. Others may think I’m weak, mourning him after so long...a love such as that is irreplaceable. He was the only man I’ve ever truly loved...the only man that I can love.”
“He...he told me; ‘Garridan, as your maker, I release you.’ I had...I had to leave, otherwise...otherwise the Hunters...I...” At that point, Garridan seemed to be losing track of his words, of his focus. Tears continued to pool in his eyes, rolling down his cheek, dripping from his jaw, landing onto his clothing and the grass beneath him.
She could feel the change of mood, from something fond to something tragic. “Garridan...” her voice was soft as she crawled over to the grave that her friend was slumped against. She reached up and cupped his cheeks using her thumbs to brush away the bloody tears. She then pulled him into her embrace and rubbed his back, she understood that he needed to let it out who knows how long he’s been holding all of this in. Kiki could only imagine how traumatic it must have been to have someone you thought you’d spend eternity with snatched away from hateful people within moments. For just a moment she felt angry at her own kind, she knew things were different now but it made her upset knowing how humans had treated those who were different then and those who still do. “I’m sorry...I’m so sorry how people are so hateful towards those who are different....I wish there was a way to bring him back”
