Fαтe нαѕ cнoѕeɴ, αɴd cαɴɴoт вe deɴιed.

      “The world is cruel, and the only morality in a cruel world is chance.”

      “The world is cruel, and the only morality in a cruel world is chance.”

      “The world is cruel, and the only morality in a cruel world is chance.”

“DIDN’T WHAT?  DIDN’T WHAT, HARVEY?”

“Didn’t mean to hit back?  Didn’t mean to point out I’m never going to be good enough for you?  OR AM I A PUNISHMENT?”  There was pointing, and he stepped forward, puffed up and enraged and ready to be violent.  “Or maybe you forgot?  I’ve drugged people, I’ve taken people apart and put them back together again!  I’ve killed people!  I kill people!  And I’ve never cared!  YOU CAN’T FIX ME, I’M IRREDEEMABLE, AND I’M NOT GOING TO GET BETTER!”

This was the part where he punched, but he didn’t.  There came thudding at his feet, rubbing against Tommy’s leg;  a rabbit that didn’t seem to mind the screaming because it found that, if anything, the small bunny was needed most when Tommy was emotional.  But this time, Tommy wasn’t sad - he was livid.  So he shrieked and cursed, incoherent and furious, and he stomped, and then he aimed a kick so erratic that, when swung, his shoulder knocked back against the wall.  It was just luck that Beauford skittered under the bed, now scared of his owner.

     What did you do? What did you do? He was happy, he was doing you a fucking favor, and look what you did to him - what did you do?

     “Tommy. Fuck, I’m so- I didn’t-” He was down on his knees beside him, hands extended but not yet daring to touch, vision going blurry with something he’d never admit might be tears as a chord of familiarity was struck - the sharp impact of flesh meeting flesh, screaming and then sobbing, just like Dad used to do to Mom, used to hit her when he was mad because he was too stupid and evil to talk it out, because he wanted to win. Used to hit her and leave her crying on the floor, and he’d sworn to himself that he’d never be like him, had become every other shitty goddamn thing a man could be, but had never, never raised a hand in anger to someone he-