Never Meant To Hurt You

He held onto her tightly for as long as he could because the moment when she left his arms, perhaps forever, drew more near with every breath. She decided that he could not have her, even though he would have always been content with just his own special piece of her heart. Maybe he would always have that, but it felt so wrong to let her go again. She’d been captured and taken the last time he left her side. He couldn’t live with himself if something happened to her again.

She lay with him, both a balm to his sorrow and the heart of it. He’d let himself fall for her, but he couldn’t have ever helped it. Haiku loved her. He loved her so hard it hurt and he didn’t know how he was going to let her go and wake up the next morning just to pretend he was okay, because he wouldn’t be. None of this was okay.

He held her to his chest, praying this moment wouldn’t end but he knew that all too soon it would be over. He’d let her go home to Artorias and he would be alone. She gave him an out, she knew, at least partially, how hard this was for him. He didn’t tell her what he wanted to, and maybe that fact would haunt him for the rest of his life. He couldn’t ask her to stay, he couldn't try and convince her out of this. No matter how deeply he felt he couldn’t change her emotions for him or for Artorias. Fate didn’t care how he felt.

Bowen went on, she apologized. He was losing her, he lost his father, he was losing himself. Or a very large part of it was gone. "There’s nothing you could do.” He whispered back. Her heart would do as it would, and no one could have known his father would be taken. "I love you, Bowen.” He reminded her softly, while he could because he didn’t know if he really would see her again. "Just.. Don’t forget.” She had his heart and he didn’t think he’d ever get it back from her.

"Bowen & Haiku"