Sprace: Nero

[perfectpower]

Comments

[perfectpower]

Because it ain't right. I already told you what your punishment is, and it's not "linger sadly until you die". Do you really think that's gonna make up for everyone who died?

[His heart feels like it's going to rip right out of his chest. This would be so much easier if he wasn't in love with this stupid Eastern wizard.]

[perfectdistance]

[ Nero, who is an eastern wizard, and one of their worst flaws is simply never letting anything go looks at Bradley and thinks- "Why is it so much easier for you to accept me than for me to accept myself?" ]

I'll let you kill me when the time comes. You already knew that.

[perfectpower]

Yes. I'm gonna kill you when the time comes.

[He steps forward to place his hands on Nero's shoulders.]

But you promised to not run away, and that means your life is mine. So until that day when I decide to kill ya, you're gonna live the best fucking life you can.

[perfectdistance]

I'm still alive, ain't I?

[You can lead an East to a good life, but god can you not make them live it.]

[perfectpower]

Yer alive, but you ain't livin'.

[perfectdistance]

[ Alive is about as good as you're gonna get in these circumstances. ]

That's how it is.

[perfectpower]

...fine. You can just be 'alive' for now.

But when we get home from this, we're gonna start livin'. You and I, together. You're gonna live a good life, and then you'll be able to die satisfied.

[Nero promised to not run away, so no running away from this. He has to stay, or lose his magic.]

's what you gotta do, to make it up to everyone. Live well, because they couldn't.

[perfectdistance]

[ He won't run away. Nero's spent so much of his life running away, and this time he finally has an ending. This time, it's something he can accept. No more watching Bradley crawling home almost dead.

Nero's finally getting his peace. ]

You'll kill me once everything's finished?

[ He doesn't need Bradley to promise him in return, but he wants him to at least say it. ]

[perfectpower]

Yeah. Once we're home, once we handle the calamity, once you've lived for the others, then I'll kill you.

[He's agreeing to this now, but he's hoping that, in time, Nero will find reasons to live.]

[perfectdistance]

[ Bradley has hope for him, where Nero simply doesn't.

There's a small sigh, the slightest bit of relief- Nero drops his head on Bradley's shoulder.

It might not be anytime soon, but Bradley deserves to kill him. ]