All I Ask Of You

"She's asleep... Finally," I sighed and sat down on the bed next to Skye. Alice was a handful. Being a child of the cold aside, she was like any other kid - full if way too much energy. It had been about a week since Roy showed up and left Alice with us. I hadn't talked to him much, but he had looked horrible. I didn't mind taking Alice in at all. Except...

"I'm sorry Tori, you probably didn't want to spend your day off like this..." Skye mumbled. 

"I don't mind, really," I smiled slightly and bent down to take off my socks. "Besides, I like having people in the house. It reminds me that I'm not alone..."

I heard Skye move around and ten felt him timidly massaging my shoulders. He had gotten more comfortable with physical contact since we started dating, but he was adverse to accidentally going over any lines. "Yeah but you're tense... And I know you haven't been sleeping well."

I turned around to see that be was giving me a pointed - albeit worried - look. "I never sleep well," I shrugged and leaned forward, trying to see his eyes better. "What's this about?"

"Well... I... T-the thing I-is...." He mumbled, avoiding my eyes. 

My stomach sank. "Do you not want Alice in the house?" I asked him quietly, eyes and voice never wavering. He shook is head no. "What is it then?"

"I-I can't keep p-putting this much stress on you. You were so busy before with your job and missions and now you have to take care if her too and you're gonna burn yourself out because you're too stubborn to admit that you're past the point of what you can handle!" 

Silence. His eyes were churning with upset, sadness, and guilt. Mine were steel doors, crashing shut. 

"Obviously you would not have brought this topic up unless you had a suggestion," I stared at him, eyes and voice cold and emotionless. This was my wall. Shut down so you don't lash out.

"I think... that it would be best if I left for a while..."

I stared at him. I couldn't form a response. A part of me wanted to yell at him to leave, leave like everyone else did, leave before he died too. Another part of me wanted to cling onto him, beg him to stay, to not leave me.

I chose a third option.

"Whatever you think is best," I shrugged, voice monotone. I laid down under the covers and turned away from him. "I can't believe I let myself think that you gave a damn about me anyway..."

Suddenly the covers were ripped off of me and I was pinned on my back. I looked up coolly at Skye, who had tears starting to from. "Don't you dare think that I don't care about you!" He pressed me more firmly into the mattress and my eyes widened. "I'm only thinking about this because you run yourself ragged! You never ask for help and you never wanna lean on me or anyone because you're too used to being alone! You're not alone so just let me in because I love you and I'll never stop loving you!"

"..." I opened my mouth, but no sounds came out. His emotions had spilled over, and the drops were hitting my cheeks.

I'll be the first to admit that my being bad with words has led me to doing some stupid shit. But what I did next? No regrets at all.

I leaned up in his now-slackened grip and lightly pecked him on the lips. "Then don't leave me," I whispered. My voice sounded broken and tired and shocked, but that's because I was. I moved back to see that his lips held a shaky smile.

"I won't." Gently, he laid down beside me and drew me into him. I held on to him contentedly, humming a song.

"What are you humming?" he asked quietly as he rubbed circled into my back. I told him and he gave a small laugh, shaking his head. We fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. We know that things won't be prefect, but at least we have each other...

Love me, that's all I ask of you