《 ※ 》 THIS WASN’T WHAT HE WANTED, none of this. What was supposed to be a warning, an expression, turned out in the worst possible scenario that he could ever imagine. She wanted him out. She wanted him to leave. His intentions were to just warn her, to tell her that they won’t be seeing each other anymore. That he couldn’t bring himself to see her anymore. That this was the final time, their final good-bye. Their final embrace. It started off so sweetly. She welcomed him in as she usually would, offered him a sanctuary away from his own. She was the home away from home. The warmest home that he could ever find himself in. And now– now he had to cut ties with her. Because he couldn’t bring himself to watch her slowly wither away from him, to slip from his grasp and never return. This was his way to make the pain less severe, for the both of them. His hand extends out to try to reach her, but he stops. It just hangs there, hovering, watching as her figure distance herself even further away than he had wanted. He could see death hanging over her, the image so vivid and clear. And he couldn’t do anything about it. Once again, he couldn’t stop what was written to be unwritten. He couldn’t turn the dials of time and go back to the pleasant times they’ve had together, to relive those moments over and over again in a time loop. That’s not how life worked. That’s not how life was ever going to work. So he turns on his heels, walking out the door and closing it behind him. However― He can’t bring himself to leave. All of his weight is pressed against the frame of her door. A shaking palm reaches up to cover the pain that’s etched on his face. He’s sliding, falling down against the door until he reaches solid ground. Sitting there, his chest heaves. Silent sobs part from his lips and tears trickle down his cheeks. It felt cold. He had failed her yet again. Time and time again he had always failed her. He was selfish. Thinking that if he separated himself, he’d be doing it for her sake, but in reality this was for him. This was so he wouldn’t have to suffer through the rest of his life knowing the people he loved and cared about walked out of it, leaving it while he stayed back incapable of doing anything to stop them. ❝ I’m sorry, Ian, ❞ he mutters through hushed whimpers. I’m so fucking sorry. How could he save anyone, when he couldn’t even save himself.