Requested by @Leiladragon.
This takes place in Glass Sword, an alternate situation, but I'll try to stay as closely within character as possible.
The blade pierces her before she can register the situation.
Right. A blade sticks to her back.
As she collapses, her mind runs at an unbelievably quick pace, shifting from memory to memory.
Finding Kilorn. Her brothers conscripted. Her father when he came back from the war. The trouble she got in. Maven. Cal. The earrings.
Dimly, she apologizes to everyone. They didn't deserve to be in the situation they were in now, she did. She deserved to die.
There is chaos in the background. Gunfire, barking, and darkness along with warm arms engulfing her into an uneasy sleep.
...
He should feel angry with her. It was not in her place to murder innocent soldiers following orders.
He should feel better now that she finally got what she deserved.
But what can he say other than that it felt like a piece of his heart was ripped from its place and chucked into the abyss where Mare was at the moment.
As crazy as it sounded, he, a Silver, was in love with a Red.
And that love blinded him.
Made him think emotionally rather than with reason. Made him choose by rage and heart other than logic.
"Cal! We need your head in the game, and keep the plane upright! We're going back to the Notch!"
...
Like the last time, she wakes up groggy, waiting for her focus to steady a bit.
Much unlike it, however, was the fact that many surrounded her. The children were practically in her face, commenting about her breath and how shallow it was.
She expected nothing less from them.
"Give her some space," Nanny chides and pulls the kids away into another room.
The remaining people included Farley, Shade, Cal, Kilorn, and a very weary Sara and Julian.
They give her a few moments to collect herself. "How long was it this time?"
Shade speaks this time. "Two days. From what I heard, it's record for you."
No one lets out as much as a chuckle but for the two of them.
Mare's faint laugh then turns into tears. Ugly tears. "I'm sorry," she chokes out. No one says anything, since they don't know what to do to comfort her. It gets worse when she coughs blood and blacks out again.
...
He's helpless.
He's quite literally clinging to her hand as if it were a lifeline.
Ironic.
A few are decided to stay at the Notch while the rest—with Silvers and Newbloods who choose not to fight—are flown back to Tuck Island with Elara's dead body (nobody really knew how it happened).
He takes care of Mare the best way possible with Sara. Wrapping and rewrapping bandages, settling her into a more comfortable position, mainly trying to keep her and himself alive without madness consuming him.
He's also taken to sleeping beside her again, but not before finding Mare's stash of notes and hiding them. Can't have her more tortured than she already is.
Two weeks pass when she starts speaking again, when work was done for the day. "I'm sorry, Cal. This is my fault."
His lips form a tight line. "It's okay, Mare."
She feebly shakes her head. "No, it isn't. I should have listened. I should have told you."
He stills. "I know. It's okay." He wraps his arms around Mare, trying not to hurt her.
She pulls back. "Cal, did you know? He murdered. He murdered just to make me come back to him. He left me notes, he—" she's crying now, curling herself into a ball.
Cal loops his arms around her small form and presses a kiss to her shoulder.
They both stiffen. This was new ground—they hadn't had any touches considered remotely affectionate since her injury.
He flusters. "Sorry."
Mare doesn't say a word, in which Cal mistakes it as a form of rejection and begins to shrink back. Mare, however, straightens a bit and rolls over to face him. She presses close to his side and gently catches his chin, leaning in to give him a chaste kiss on his lips.
Color floods both of their cheeks, and Cal moves to kiss her again.
They don't say "I love you".
They don't say anything, really, but they both know in their hearts that whatever it was that they have is worth it, and sleep comes blissfully without dreams.
I have done this in about two hours. I should have been sleeping since it is now 4:11 in the morning and my parents are awake. But I had a story to write.
I hope I've done to your satisfaction, faithful reader.
This is the third writer typing, and have a good day🙂