She reached for him, stopping just short of touching. "It’s killing too."
He looked at her hand, then at her face. "I don’t know how to fight a man you love," he said. "I don’t know how to compete with a ghost that already lives in your heart."
She shook her head desperately. "You’re not competing, Azrael. You’re..."
"What?" he asked. "Tell what I am, then."
Her lips parted. No words ca. She regretted ever ntioning her feelings.
Azrael let out a slow, broken breath. "I love you," he said simply. "And right now, that feels like the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done."
She took another step toward him, desperation spilling into her voice. "Azrael, please, just let explain. I’m trying. I swear I’m trying to make sense of it too."
He lifted a hand sharply, stopping her mid-step.
"No," he snapped.
She froze.
"I can’t hear explanations right now," he continued, pacing once, fingers digging into his damp hair. "Every word you say feels like you’re trying to soften a blade that’s already in my chest."
"That’s not what I’m—"
"I know," he cut in, finally turning on her, eyes burning. "And that’s the problem. You’re not doing this to hurt . You’re just... being honest. And honesty doesn’t make it hurt less."
Her throat closed. "I don’t want to lose you."
He scoffed, a humorless sound. "You already are. Maybe not completely. But pieces of ? Yeah. They’re gone."
She stepped closer again, voice shaking. "I love you. That has to count for sothing."
"It does," he snapped. "That’s why this is unbearable."
He ran both hands over his face, then dropped them, shoulders tense. "I can’t stand here and listen to you tell how you love while loving soone else too. I can’t be noble about that. I’m not built that way."
Tears stread down her face faster."I am sorry."
"What are you asking for?" he demanded. "Patience? Understanding? For to just accept that your heart has... room for soone else... for other people?"
She opened her mouth, but no words ca out. She just shook her head with tears in her eyes. Azrael laughed bitterly. "See? That’s exactly why I can’t listen."
He turned away from her, back rigid. "If I stay right now, I’ll say sothing I can’t take back. Or I’ll break in a way I don’t recognize."
Her voice ca out small. "So what do we do?"
He didn’t look at her. "I don’t know," he said honestly. "But whatever you’re about to explain... save it. Because if I hear it now, I won’t survive it."
With that, he stord out of the bathroom, the door slamd loudly.
Athena flinched. The mont his footsteps faded, her knees finally gave out. She slid down the wall and collapsed onto the cold tiles, curling into herself like she was trying to disappear into the floor.
Her sob broke out of her chest, raw and ugly.
She pressed her fist to her mouth, but it didn’t help. The sound tore out anyway, shaking her shoulders, wracking her whole body. Her chest burned like she couldn’t get enough air, like every breath was scraping her lungs raw.
"Fuck, I’m such a fool." she choked into the empty room. "I didn’t an to hurt you..."
She hugged her knees tighter, forehead dropping against them as tears soaked her cheeks, her legs.
She didn’t want to lose Azrael, she would go crazy. Her heart felt like it might rip away anyti soon.
Athena wondered painfully, if loving them was going to cost her everything.
=============================
The next day.
Athena woke up in the bathroom. She had slept off in the bathroom after crying to destruction.
She stood up and walked out of the bathroom into the walk-in closet and into the bedroom, but the bed was nearly made and there was no sign of Azrael.
She walked out of the room downstairs, but he was nowhere to be found. She checked every single corner of the house, but he was nowhere to be found. She checked outside and realized his car was gone.
She ran inside to find her phone. She dialed his number after finding it, but it wasn’t reachable. She grabbed her hair as tears gathered in her eyes.
She tried it several tis, but it wasn’t reachable.
She quickly dialed Theo’s number and he picked up on the first ring.
"Theo." She dragged his na as sobs built up in her throat.
"Hey! What’s wrong... why are you crying?" Theo’s voice was sharp with concern, instantly alert.
"He’s gone... Azrael... he’s gone," she whispered, her voice trembling violently. "His car... it’s gone. I’ve checked everywhere... and he’s not answering my calls. I... I don’t know where he is."
"There was a pause on the other end of the line for a while.
"Hey," Theo cut in softly. "Hey. Breathe for , yeah?"
Athena pressed her palm to her chest, trying to obey, but panic had already wrapped its hands around her throat.
"He left last night," she whispered. "We fought. I—I said things I shouldn’t have said. He was hurt, Theo. I’ve never seen him like that."
Theo exhaled slowly, like he was choosing every word with care. "Okay. Okay. Listen to . Azrael doesn’t disappear forever. He runs when he’s hurting, but he always cools off."
"It’s not..." Athena gasped, the words breaking apart in her throat. "It’s not the sa this ti, Theo."
She tried to explain. She really did, but every words tumbled out ssy and uneven. "last night... the bathroom... I... he left..." She tried to explain but nothing ca out right.
The more she spoke, the harder she cried, until the sentences dissolved into sobs she couldn’t control.
"Theo, I—I think I broke him," she whispered, voice shaking. "I think this ti I really did."
"Hey," Theo said firmly, but gently. "Stop. Breathe."
She tried to calm herself but couldn’t.
"Athena, listen to ," he continued, his voice grounding, steady. "You didn’t break Azrael. He’s hurting, yeah, but he’s not gone. Not like that."
Silence stretched between them, filled only by her shaky breathing.
"Where are you right now?" Theo asked.
"At... at Azrael’s," she managed. "I’m in the house."
"Good," Theo said imdiately. "Stay there. I’m coming."
Her grip tightened on the phone. "Okay," she whispered. "Please don’t take too long." She added desperately.
"I won’t," Theo promised. "I’m on my way."
After what felt like an eternity, Theo finally arrived.
He found Athena in the sitting room, sitting on the floor like she’d simply folded in on herself.
Her white hair was wild and tangled, her eyes swollen and red, her face wrecked by tears she’d clearly cried until there was nothing left to give.
Sothing in him snapped..A sharp, ugly anger boiled up his spine.."I’m going to kill Azrael," he muttered under his breath, jaw tight.
The mont Athena saw him, whatever fragile control she’d been holding onto shattered. She burst into tears, scrambling to her feet and throwing herself into his arms like he was the only solid thing left in the world.
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