Never Meant To Hurt You

He steeled himself the best that he could as he told her to go on. He looked up into the sky as she curled tighter into him and he held her closer. Everything was changing between them. He’d had the best year of his life, but it was never meant to last. She never belonged to him.

Bowen spoke to him quietly, telling him this wasn’t their last meeting. It would be like when he left her all that time ago. He said goodbye and left her, and then she was abducted. Haiku’s whole body trembled with the thought. He was going to have to trust someone else to keep her safe. He was supposed to be her hero, but he wouldn’t be there for her. At this point, he needed her to be there for him. He was so weak… He held her tighter, she mentioned messages and meeting in the middle, but he knew it wouldn’t be the same. She offered to stay away from him and he thought she might as well rip his heart from his chest. He thought he would have to say goodbye to her once before, but he couldn’t really bear the thought of it.

Haiku hated this, hated that he had to let her go and leave her side, hated that he couldn’t be enough, that he wasn’t the one that was made for her. That they didn’t belong together like he had let himself believe. Mostly he was disappointed in himself, that he let himself feel so deeply for her, and he’d let himself get to this point. So hurt, but unable to release her. If they could go through all of this trouble, why did he have to leave her side? Because he wasn’t good enough.

"I know.” He returned softly. They would send their ravens back and forth, they could visit, they could meet… He knew it wouldn’t be the same though. "Best friends. I’ll be your hero.” Haiku ignored the part of him that knew breaking things off completely would be the only way to heal. He just couldn’t bring himself to release her. Haiku loved her, she had his heart and there was no taking it back.

She went on. Haiku’s tricolored gaze lifted to her verdant gaze, he held her eyes for a long moment before she spoke. This was what he wanted. Her laying on his chest, him holding her tightly against his chest. Knowing this was going to end… He swallowed the lump in his throat as she went on. Bowen wanted him to be the father of her children. It was the one thing he had that Artorias did not. The only thing he could offer her. "Yes.” He told her without hesitation. "Yes, I would, Bowen.” He whispered to her softly as he held her closer to his chest, and said his vow. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for the sweet woman in his arms.

"Bowen & Haiku"