“...I have never seen him smile like that—it’s intoxicating, especially because I never thought he would smile like that at me.”

“He can still taste you on his lips, smell your scent in his memory, remember when you smiled just for him, and the thought of never having that again is...harrowing. So, he's willing to hurt you because he's focusing on the pain to try to kill everything that you were to him... so that he can survive it.”

“...you have to get rid of my wings!" I plead"But, I like your wings," he says, smiling sweetly while stroking them again.I swear, if he keeps doing that I might purr like a kitten”

“I wil never fight you,” she replies in a stern tone, like I have said somethin’ completely ridiculous.“Why not? You thought I was gonna hurt ya, why not fight back?” I retort, rememberin’ how she cringed like I was gonna hit her and the shame of what I just did is back ful force.“You’re my best friend,” she says, like that is an explanation.“Yes, but ya thought I was gonna hurt ya so I’d say, at that point, al bets should be off,” I state clearly.point, al bets should be off,” I state clearly.“No. I won’t fight you for real. Ever. We can practice together, but I can’t look at you like you’re my enemy. It’s impossible for me,” she says firmly.“So y’al would let me hurt you, rather than defend yerself?” I ask, like she has lost her mind.“Yes,” she says.“Why?” I ask again, ‘cuz I have to understand her reasons before I tel her how stupid I think she is for havin’ them.“Because you’re my soul mate and I love you,” she says like I’m dense.”

“I don’t want you going there without me, ever…do you understand what I am saying?” he asks me, searching my face, probably looking for any sign of dissention.“Let me get this straight, what if I got a craving for…I don’t know…Twinkies in the wee hours of the morning and all that was open was the Seven-Eleven. You’re saying I should wake you up, even if you’re crashed out, just so that you can go with me on a treat run?” I ask skeptically, trying to gauge his level of commitment to this course of action.“Genevieve, Twinkies are really bad for you, but if you had to have one, then yes, that’s what I’m saying,” he smiles at my scenario. “Do you really like those things?”“I’m not going to tell you if you’re going to tease me, but I will say that it’s suspiciously inhuman not to enjoy a Hostess snack from time to time,” I reply coyly. “I’ll buy you one. You’ll love it, I promise.”And I’ll be doing the world a favor at the same time, I think, remembering him without his shirt on.”

“To ache from the knowledge that I may never hold you again - to count the moments, like grains of sand, while we were parted only to escape the sky and find that you still only know me as a boy from school...”

“May what lies ahead of this warrior or behind him never take from me what is inside of him, for it is mine.”