Wings | ✓

25. a death

"hav, are you sure you're okay?" i asked, worry lines appearing on my forehead and i held his unsteady body weakly. he coughed, sounding as if he was trying to force out his sickness, and nodded his head.  

"i'm...fine," he managed to choke out. "don't worry about me, ava."

"you're shivering," i said quietly, tightening my arms around him. i felt almost helpless as he continued to choke and heave and tremble in my arms, and i dared say that i thought he...he was dying.

"i'm okay, i'm okay," he muttered under his breath. "ava, ava, ava, i--"

"calm down, hav," i said, rubbing his arm to try to provide some warmth.

"i love you, ava. oh god, i love you, ava."

"hav...," i began, eyebrows furrowing together with worry.

"you always want me around," he muttered, ignoring me completely. "you understand. we're...meant to be, aren't we? there's no other explanation, right? ava, do you love me too?"

"i do," i said softly, feeling tears gather in my eyes. those three words were meant to spark happiness, to bring a new chapter into your life. but it didn't feel like a beginning of love. it almost felt like the end of it. "i love you too, hav."

"why must they try to take me away from you?" he cried, burying his face into my shoulder. "you're all i have. it's not fair."

"they're not taking you away," i said, stroking his face gently. my heart felt like it was going to burst. "i'm not going anywhere."

"i'm dying, ava," hav finally said, and i felt icy cold droplets of water drip onto my hand. it took me a second to realise that the liquid was his tears. "and you're getting better."

my breath got stuck in my throat. there was nothing i could say or do to possibly make him feel any better. because i didn't know how to. i wish my story books had taught me something about comforting someone.

"d-d-don't you want me to recover?" i asked, frowning in confusion. i felt his head shift.

"no," he whispered. "i don't. you're leaving me."

"i'm not," i insisted. "shouldn't you be happy for me, hav? it's not like i want you to die but i can't help that i'm getting better."

"you're killing me here, ava," he suddenly said, barking out a short, sharp laugh. "i see how it is. lies. this home of ours is just a house of lies. everyone here fucking hates me. all of you are always just scheming against me, aren't you?"

"wha--"

"shut up! shut up! shut up!" he hissed, his hand suddenly shooting up and wrapping around my throat with surprising strength. "you're just another stupid lie they made up to hurt me."

"hav, please," i cried, my breaths getting shorter and shorter as he squeezed my neck. he raised his head, his purple eyes glowing like an uncontrollable fire.

"shut the fuck up," hav screamed, squeezing tighter. black spots began to dance around in front of me, making me gasp. "you just want me dead! you're a liar! you just want me dead!"

i let out a cry, raising my hands and trying to push him off of me. "get off me!"

"so this is how it is now, is it? you don't want me anymore?" he seethed. another feral scream escaped from my lips and he covered my mouth with his free hand.

"havoc, please!"

and the spots in my eyes suddenly covered my entire vision, and i felt myself fall through black oblivion.