#buddies...

Actor AU sketch

"I know what you do."

Jacket felt cold sweat create a thin film over every inch of him. His stomach was in knots, his hands were trembling as they tensed and strained against their bindings.

He had been babbling, stammering over and over about how much bad he brought to the world, how much blood he had on his hands, how much of a mess he was inside to keep doing it and justify it to himself, how she didn't deserve to be around such filth.

Of course she knew. How could she forget him lifting her up in his arms and wading with her through a sea of corpses? God, he probably repulsed her. She probably thought he was a monster, and had only been playing along with him while she waited for a chance to escape...

His vision was white as his eyes darted around the room, completely unfocused. So many words were fighting to be on his tongue that he couldn't speak any, as usual. He was a useless communicator. A useless person. He sensed her getting closer, and fuck, he wanted to die.

"I know what you do and I don't care."

Her hands were firmly gripping his, holding them up to her lips so she could give them little kisses. A fog lifted almost instantly and he was able to see her, in all her glory, all her radiance, caressing and comforting him.

His knees gave out and sent him downwards, but she was ready to catch him and bring him close to her.

"Baby, you saved me. You saved my life! You didn't just pull me out of that hell, you gave me reason to live. Every day with you, every day is like me being born again."

He began to cry quietly as she spoke, which pushed him to hide his face against her shoulder. She ran her fingers through his hair, but she didn't shush him.

"You make me wanna keep living, you know? You make me feel something I haven't felt in years."

She was crying too, he could hear it in her voice. Had he done this? Had he made her cry? No... This wasn't the kind of crying that required blame. This was the good kind of crying. The caring kind.

"You make me feel safe."

He would be wailing if he could. His embrace was tight but his chest felt light, free of the weight that very nearly pinned him to the floor. That was all he wanted; to ensure her safety, to help her heal from a world that had hurt her, like she had helped him heal from his own pain.