[The thing is - in a way - he does expect to die. Soon. This is the Druids. This is Haggar. And this is personal. But he doesn't hold any delusions about it. He knows he's been beyond lucky so far, that escaping with scars is still escaping and its been two dozen times, three, that he's only survived something that should have killed him through luck.
And nothing lasts forever. He might be dead in a year's time.
He doesn't - think so. He doesn't expect so. But he's aware of it.
But more, he's aware that she might move on. That the world is full of young men, good young men, young men that love Earth and living on it, that will never make her decide between her life here and the stars. Not soon, not any time soon at all, and she'd never do it to hurt him but -
the world is full of good young men. Ones who won't ask her to leave Earth behind.
It doesn't mean he'll ever stop loving her. Or she'll ever stop loving him. But he understands.
But she's crying, he can hear it in her determined voice, in the shakes of her hand, her breathing. And it breaks his heart because if he could make this easy for her, he would. He'd give up his own heart in a beat if he could make this gentle and easy for her. His other hand comes up and he tilts her face toward him, leans in and kisses her, soft and long and slow, tasting the salt of her tears against the sweetness of her lips. He won't hold her to a promise like that. Her life is here. It may never leave for his stars. His lips leave hers - and then come crashing back again, hard and hot and desperate. He aches for her. He is going to ache for her for the rest of his life and if he had another year, he would never be able to kiss her long enough or hard enough to stand against that ache.
But he'll try. God damn, but he'll try in these last few minutes.]
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And nothing lasts forever. He might be dead in a year's time.
He doesn't - think so. He doesn't expect so. But he's aware of it.
But more, he's aware that she might move on. That the world is full of young men, good young men, young men that love Earth and living on it, that will never make her decide between her life here and the stars. Not soon, not any time soon at all, and she'd never do it to hurt him but -
the world is full of good young men. Ones who won't ask her to leave Earth behind.
It doesn't mean he'll ever stop loving her. Or she'll ever stop loving him. But he understands.
But she's crying, he can hear it in her determined voice, in the shakes of her hand, her breathing. And it breaks his heart because if he could make this easy for her, he would. He'd give up his own heart in a beat if he could make this gentle and easy for her. His other hand comes up and he tilts her face toward him, leans in and kisses her, soft and long and slow, tasting the salt of her tears against the sweetness of her lips. He won't hold her to a promise like that. Her life is here. It may never leave for his stars. His lips leave hers - and then come crashing back again, hard and hot and desperate. He aches for her. He is going to ache for her for the rest of his life and if he had another year, he would never be able to kiss her long enough or hard enough to stand against that ache.
But he'll try. God damn, but he'll try in these last few minutes.]