doing something

[unbr8kable]

Who: some kids
Where: the dead zone
When: Day 335, after graduation

[After many a tiny finger food and many more tiny glasses of wine and one overblown and completely not sad at all!!! graduation ceremony, what better place to go than the dead zone? What better thing to do than climb up the giant, golden chain up to the crack in the sky? Sure it burns to the touch, but what's a little more pain on the pile--that's the point of all those tiny glasses of wine, right?

So never mind the slight sizzling sound, nor the uncomfortably familiar odor of burning flesh all the way up. There's a goal at the end; one that--in theory--will make this all worthwhile]

Comments

[crossmyheartandhope]

...dunno.

[unbr8kable]

...Guess there's one way to find out.

[crossmyheartandhope]

What, like - you ain't gonna try?

Or...?

[unbr8kable]

...Dude, chill out. Why don't you show me how it's done, then?

[crossmyheartandhope]

...we ain't going together?

[unbr8kable]

We are together.

[Her thumb strokes over his, gentle]

[crossmyheartandhope]

I mean - in, I mean.

[unbr8kable]

Was gonna spot you...but sure, whatever you want.

[crossmyheartandhope]

It's about what you want, too, y'know.

[unbr8kable]

I wanna fix what I fucked up. So.

[She gestures forward]

[crossmyheartandhope]

...dude, I was there, remember?

Pretty sure that was on me.

[unbr8kable]

I was the one talking to him and I was the one who flipped out and used knives and got everybody there stabbed and everybody electrocuted 'cause I couldn't keep myself in check.

Not stopping me from fucking you up and getting you killed ain't your fault.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Dude, I literally gave the go-ahead for the whole thing in the first place.

By the time we got there, it wasn't gonna go any other way. We coulda tapped out way before then, and we didn't. There was no way he was ever gonna just let us go.

[unbr8kable]

That's so far ahead. That's like saying it was our parents' fault for having us.

We all knew it was something that'd get us in trouble--we weren't gonna beat the boss of Hell first day. Didn't mean it had to've gone down like that.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Wasn't any other way it was gonna go, not after we got that far. He wasn't planning on pulling punches, whether you hit first or we did. So -

[He hesitates, then reaches out to take her hand]

For real, okay? It ain't on you.

[unbr8kable]

I heard you yell when the blades that I controlled hit you. I heard you, and King and Yugi and Intensity and Marceline even though she was already dead. And then again, when the magic lightning sent 20 million volts through all those new metal rods I skewered everybody with. It is absolutely and entirely on me and now this is the only chance left to maybe start to make it right, so--

[Her voice breaks at this last part, then]

...Please.

[crossmyheartandhope]

...hey. Hey.

[He tugs her in, a little unsteady - tries to get an arm around her in a loose embrace]

It ain't. Okay? It ain't.

Were you the one that wanted to stab us? Were you the one who decided to go nuts on the lightning? He was gonna screw us over anyway. If it wasn't that, it woulda been something else.

He did that. You didn't.

[unbr8kable]

[She begins to speak, then breaks off--sags forward a little, head bowing for a few beats.]

...If I didn't, you sure didn't. Okay? Give us some credit.

[crossmyheartandhope]

...yeah. I guess so.

[He rests his hand on the back of her neck, gentle]

'Sides, it's all water under the bridge by now, yeah? Mehniel got out safe, and we're - well, we came through it, anyways. We're still kicking.

[unbr8kable]

Just us, now.

[The words come out soft, before she can stop them. And after they're out she only leans against him for a long few breaths]

But...yeah. We're still here.

So...let's go together?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Oh]




[Oh]

[It really is just them, now]

[He opens his mouth, like he means to reply; closes it, not trusting his voice]

[He nods instead, eyes suspiciously overbright, the line of his lips a little wobbly]

[unbr8kable]

[She takes a little longer to pull away, and keeps tight hold of his hand when she finally does.

She squeezes at his hand, and takes a step forward]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He keeps hold of hers just as tight - swallows against the ache in his throat and steps up beside her]

[unbr8kable]

[She nods, then steps forward again, into the water.

The water doesn't start burning until it's up over her boots, the blaze of dark heat barely muted by the rest of her clothing. She sucks in a breath--squeezes his hand harder at the unexpected burn of it, hesitating as they take the next step in, to their waists]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He steps in beside her - remembers the burn well enough, the way it sinks in to your bones and deeper, to the very center of you]

[It doesn't make it any easier, but it means he doesn't waver on that second step, though his hand clutches tighter to hers]