#alffie

If there was one thing Alabaster was determined to remember tonight, it was the pink tulips and the lines in he had learned. Pink Tulips, he would never forget that. She had told him the first day they had met and he tried to bring her fresh flowers as often as possible. 

As he stood in front of her house, with flowers in hand, he was starting to rethink his romantic gesture. He was grateful to the lattice that would be easy to climb, the height didn’t bother him. It was the thought of stuffing it up. He pulled out his phone and sent her a text telling her to look out of her bedroom window. 

He saw her appear and he smiled and waved her out onto the balcony.

"Al - what are you doing down there? Do you want to come in?" she called down to him. She truly embodied the angelic qualities that the play spoke about. 

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun!  Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief  That thou her maid art far more fair than she. Be not her maid, since she is envious; Her vestal livery is but sick and green,  And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off. It is my lady, O, it is my love!  O that she knew she were! She speaks, yet she says nothing; what of that? Her eye discourses, I will answer it.  I am too bold: ‘tis not to me she speaks. Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, Having some business, do entreat her eyes To twinkle in their spheres till they return. What if her eyes were there, they in her head?  The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, As daylight doth a lamp. Her eyes in heaven  Would through the airy region stream so bright That birds would sing and think it were not night. See how she leans her cheek upon her hand  O that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek!”

He felt like a complete ponce. Why did he take Jameson’s advice? This was the dumbest idea ever.

"Uh? Alabaster, what are you doing?" 

He wanted to just quit there but he was no quitter. He was going to stick through this plan until the end.

"She speaks. O, speak again, bright angel, for thou art As glorious to this night, being o’er my head, As is a winged messenger of heaven”

Alabaster made a move to the lattice on the side of Effie’s house. The climbing was going to be the easy bit, he hoped. He tucked the tulips under his arm and found a good foot hold and started to climb.

He heard a giggle from above him before Effie’s voice rang out.

"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou, Romeo?”

Alabaster grinned, happy that Effie was playing along with his plan. As he climbed he tried to remember the other words but he was too focused on his hands and feet. 

"Fuck, this is harder than it looks in the movies." he admitted, stopping to take a breath. He reached the top and handed the pink tulips to Effie before climbing over the edge.

"Let’s skip to the end…" he said, leaning into to kiss her but she turned her head and he last second and his lips landed on her cheek.

"O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?" he asked, with mock hurt.

"What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?" Effie quirked her eyebrow at Alabaster, bringing her flowers up to sniff. He may not have remembered the rest of the speeches but he remembered the part he wanted to get to.

"The exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine." he stared simply. He leaned in again and this time, their lips did meet in the softest of kisses.

It had been dumb, they had heard through the communications that the aeriel attack was coming. They barely had enough time to make it out of the large tin shed when the bombs had fallen. His commander hadn’t been expecting fire bombs, they weren’t even like firebombs. They spread quickly, engulfing the entire area and turning the tin shed into liquid. No one had been expecting for it to move so quickly. Alabaster was quickly over taken by the flames and while he told the platoon to leave him there, Kolton wouldn’t leave him. 

The trip back to the district had been agony, the pain was white hot and blinding. Alabaster thought himself lucky when he finally blacked out. When he woke the sounds of yelling and fighting with the flesh of a cheek echoed in Alabaster’s head. The room was too white even with his blurry vision but he recognised the voice. He could never be able to forget her beautiful voice even when it was full of anger and broken by sobs. The doctors were trying to keep her from the room but they had already told him there was no hope for him now. The burns were covering eighty percent of his body and the flesh had been melted away from his back and both his legs. All they could do now was make him comfortable and while the morphling helped, it couldn’t blur out the searing pain he felt. It was as though he was being pricked over and over again by thousands of needles.

Finally Effie pushed through the doctors and nurses and rushed to his side. Alabaster tried his best to smile at her, although he was sure it came out as grimace from the pain. As her fingers brushed over the clear skin on his face, Alabaster raised his hand to clutch at her wrist. She was real and she was safe, that mattered more than Alabaster’s life. “Let her stay.” He barked out at the doctor who approached. Apparently Alabaster’s dire state was enough to convince the doctor to let them be. 

Her green eyes sparkled with unshed tears and he hated himself. He had promised he would come back to her. That he would be okay but he wasn’t. "I broke my promise… I’m sorry, beautiful." He wanted to continue talking but his lungs ached with the effort. The smoke he had inhaled had burned a path down his esophagus and stuck to the inside of his lungs. His chest felt heavy and the effort it took to breathe. It was obvious to him that he wouldn’t be able to keep breathing forever so he needed to get out everything he needed to say and he needed to do it now.

"I broke- my promise. I wanted you to be free from the Capitol. You still will be. I just won’t be by your side and I’m so sorry." He curled his fingers over hers, grateful that his right hand was unscathed so he could feel her soft skin against his fingertips. It took all of his strength to bring her fingers to his lips. It was the last kiss he would share with her. 

Fear struck him then and regret. The life he had promised her was shattered. He would never get to show her District Seven. He would never see his father fall in love with her and tell her he was too good for someone like Alabaster. Their outdoor wedding would never happen. The vision of Effie in a white dress, walking towards him with a large smile on her face was blurred out and replaced with blackness. There would be no beauty, blonde haired, sassy girl that would rule his world. Alabaster would have none of that now. Tears prickled at the corner of his eyes and he hated that he was too weak to brush them away. 

"No! You can’t, Al. You promised me. You promised me." Effie’s voice sounded as broken as Alabaster felt.  To see his beautiful fiancee with tears streaking her face broke his heart, knowing that he was the one causing it made him hate himself. Alabaster pushed the rattled breaths out, forcing himself to stay alive just a little bit longer for her.

He tightened his fingers around her hand. “You can’t let this… get married Effie. Be happy. Be loved. You - you deserve the world. I’m sorry I couldn’t give it to you. I love you so much and I’m so sorry.” 

It had been dumb, they had heard through the communications that the aeriel attack was coming. They barely had enough time to make it out of the large tin shed when the bombs had fallen. His commander hadn't been expecting fire bombs, they weren't even like firebombs. They spread quickly, engulfing the entire area and turning the tin shed into liquid. No one had been expecting for it to move so quickly. Alabaster was quickly over taken by the flames and while he told the platoon to leave him there, Kolton wouldn't leave him. 

The trip back to the district had been agony, the pain was white hot and blinding. Alabaster thought himself lucky when he finally blacked out. When he woke the sounds of yelling and fighting with the flesh of a cheek echoed in Alabaster's head. The room was too white even with his blurry vision but he recognised the voice. He could never be able to forget her beautiful voice even when it was full of anger and broken by sobs. The doctors were trying to keep her from the room but they had already told him there was no hope for him now. The burns were covering eighty percent of his body and the flesh had been melted away from his back and both his legs. All they could do now was make him comfortable and while the morphling helped, it couldn't blur out the searing pain he felt. It was as though he was being pricked over and over again by thousands of needles.

Finally Effie pushed through the doctors and nurses and rushed to his side. Alabaster tried his best to smile at her, although he was sure it came out as grimace from the pain. As her fingers brushed over the clear skin on his face, Alabaster raised his hand to clutch at her wrist. She was real and she was safe, that mattered more than Alabaster's life. "Let her stay." He barked out at the doctor who approached. Apparently Alabaster's dire state was enough to convince the doctor to let them be. 

Her green eyes sparkled with unshed tears and he hated himself. He had promised he would come back to her. That he would be okay but he wasn't. "I broke my promise... I'm sorry, beautiful." He wanted to continue talking but his lungs ached with the effort. The smoke he had inhaled had burned a path down his esophagus and stuck to the inside of his lungs. His chest felt heavy and the effort it took to breathe. It was obvious to him that he wouldn't be able to keep breathing forever so he needed to get out everything he needed to say and he needed to do it now.

"I broke- my promise. I wanted you to be free from the Capitol. You still will be. I just won't be by your side and I'm so sorry." He curled his fingers over hers, grateful that his right hand was unscathed so he could feel her soft skin against his fingertips. It took all of his strength to bring her fingers to his lips. It was the last kiss he would share with her. 

Fear struck him then and regret. The life he had promised her was shattered. He would never get to show her District Seven. He would never see his father fall in love with her and tell her he was too good for someone like Alabaster. Their outdoor wedding would never happen. The vision of Effie in a white dress, walking towards him with a large smile on her face was blurred out and replaced with blackness. There would be no beauty, blonde haired, sassy girl that would rule his world. Alabaster would have none of that now. Tears prickled at the corner of his eyes and he hated that he was too weak to brush them away. 

"No! You can't, Al. You promised me. You promised me." Effie's voice sounded as broken as Alabaster felt.  To see his beautiful fiancee with tears streaking her face broke his heart, knowing that he was the one causing it made him hate himself. Alabaster pushed the rattled breaths out, forcing himself to stay alive just a little bit longer for her.

He tightened his fingers around her hand. "You can't let this... get married Effie. Be happy. Be loved. You - you deserve the world. I'm sorry I couldn't give it to you. I love you so much and I'm so sorry."