Salara's POV:
seeing Darien breaking down infront of me was breaking my heart in two. He kept repeating the same words over and over again. i'm sorry.
Almost as if he were trying to apologize for everything hes' ever done. i moved to his side and knelt before him, my mind racing, trying to find a way to bring Darien back.
Before i got the chance to say something first, Darien whispered. "i don't deserve to live" his voice sounding hopeless and wothdrawn. Without even thinking i grabbed a hold of his face, turning him slightly so he could look me in the eyes. "yes you do" I said firmly.
"You may not see what i see Darien, but you do deserve to live. You do. you aren't a monster you aren't your fa-"
"you don't know what its like!" he muttered, taking my hands in his own. "i see their faces... all of them. all of the people i've killed. all of the people i've hurt. " he choked, his eyes filling with tears again, his face filling with self loathing.
"If you were such a monster than why did you save me?" i questioned, challenging him to say something. "you call this saving you?" he retorted, his voice mocking as he motioned to his bedroom. "i may have removed the noose from around your neck but i put an even larger target on your back because what i've done.
"I took you away from your life, Salara. I took away any chance of you settling down. and for what? bec-"
"Because you aren't heartless!" i snapped, glaring at Darien. "you're right. I'm just a cruel man with a human heart" he retorted.
"If you were cruel you would have left me to die out there in that ocean. You could have left me to die when they came for me. But you didn't. You came back for me. you could have dropped me off in some homeless shelter and been done with me. instead you brought me here, to your home."
"that doesn't change what i've done." Darien whispered, looking down at our hands. I so wanted to say something that would change his mind but for the first time i was unable to tell darien differently.
"i'm not leaving you." I settled for instead. "you're a good man Darien. you just can't see it. I'm willing to spend...the rest of my life trying to show you just that." i stated, knowing that after being with him and seeing what really was underneath all that cold withdrawn exterior, that if even everything blew over and i was allowed to leave, i wouldn't.
Darien looked me in the eye, a small glint of hope burning with in their depths. "you don't know what you're saying Sal-" before he could even finish what he was saying i leaned forward and pressed my lips to his.
When i pulled away, Darien's eyes were filled with slight wonderment. Like he was in a state of awe. "let's get you cleaned up." i encouraged, keeping my mind off the fact that Darien had probably mutilated someone only a few moments ago.