September challenge: Danny and Violet

[jholloway.livejournal.com]

Sharpening the axe when she comes, looking at the etched lettering over and over.

“Do justice on the field and on the block.” Plus or minus a few extra e's.

We'll see, won't we?

She says it's safer; says Deke's not around, says … words. She says she can't lie. She can. She just can't say nothing, and this shows. Words that have nothing to do with what she's saying.

“You gonna tell me what that was all about the other day?” He can still taste her lips if he thinks. “Last time you walked outta here like that I didn't see you for over a month.” What is it that tastes different about a goodbye kiss? Never know these things.

She talks and leads him in a gentle circle and he sharpens and listens and waits until he can say “I notice you're not denying anything.”

“Everything should be fine.”

“God damn sometimes I wish you were better at lying to me.”

“Yeah … me too.”

“You're scared.”

“Petrified.”

Knuckles tight around the axe -- the world already looks like crosshairs just waiting for some bastard's face in them.

“I'm not in any danger.”

“But you might have to go away.”

“Well, there is the whole prison thing … but no.”

“Then you're planning on leaving me.”

This room is a sick joke, and all around him the walls are curving inward like a church ceiling, like a wave of two thousand years of royal blood ready to crash down and wash him away. Ani's cruel laughter is beautiful.

“Danny, I love you...”.

“I don't hear a 'no'”. Looks down at the axe, and it's totally steady. So proud. Thank God she can't tell – shaking from fear, or from the urge to take her head off. He can't either.

“When?”

“Wax or Zararov?”

She figures it out first.

“Danny. I love you. I don't think we should see each other any more.” Play along.

“You fucking bitch, you broke my heart! I never want to see your Haunt ass again.”

“Haunt arse--?” He almost smiles. It's adorable when she swears with her accent. Want to hold her. No. “I don't even know why we even thought this would work out. We're too different.”

Flower scent rising off her hair in the rain. White skin rising from the black, black water. Pushing him back in the little booth with the music thundering around them. The sick shock when they knew: DC, Charlie, Takashi, Michael. After all I've done for you, after all we've been through.

“You're gooddamn right we are. For instance, I didn't stake our relationship on some twisted bet with that asshole Wax.” She flinches a little, and he sees it: explain/apologise/come back swinging and he chooses along with her as the anger rises, to let himself hit back for once. A tenth part of the rage and the sick, empty hate that wells up at these times, but it's enough.

“So, you think it was a convincing enough breakup?”

“Convinced me.”

God damn it, we're going to be here all night, aren't we?

More. Too hard to think about, too hard to remember.

“You should have told me, Red.”

So beautiful when she laughs. “When was I supposed to tell you that?”

The fight to safe ground takes an hour. The long talk about the future another. No sign of dawn, but the drag is there, huddled in each other's arms as cold sleep takes them.

And when night falls, he puts on his armour and readies his weapons, hesitates for a second before kissing her cold lips, and leaves.