Soul Eater's Curse(BeyondPoetry X Mikanu)

[Mikanu]

Elijah could hear something through the cackle, through the noise of his own enraged screams, but he didn't stop to pay it any mind. He felt someone behind him, his arms getting tugged, and soon enough he stopped bringing his fists forward. He was exhausted from the smashing and the anger and needed time to catch his breath. Eli gave the mirror a triumphant look, satisfied when he noticed the shattered pieces of it scattered all over the floor. It had gotten what it deserved, he wouldn't get bugged by the stranger that had stared back at him anytime soon. He had done well, or at least that's what he thought.


He looked down at his hands when he unclenched them and saw the blood on his knuckles. His body stopped being so tense as he relaxed. He remembered when another person had had bloody knuckles like these. "Val," he whispered when he heard her voice. Eli remembered the comforting calm of just holding her after he had found her back at the gym, the way his headache had ebbed so suddenly. She was the calm in this storm now raging through him.


"Val, I... I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to do that. I don't know what got into me..." He felt her behind him, her head resting on his back, and hung his head as if he were ashamed. He couldn't help but wonder what she thought of him now after this fine episode. "It's still me. I'm not going anywhere, I just... lost control of my emotions there, for a moment. Don't worry about it. Everything's fine, Val, everything's fine."

 

[Poe]

“Shhhh,” Val murmured into his back, not letting up on her hold but instead relaxing her muscles, “I know, Eli. I know. We’re going to figure this out, you’re going to be fine.”


Her heart sank at the thought of what had just transpired. Stein was right; something was wrong – seriously wrong. Sure, she was able to reach through to him this time but what would happen if the rage-filled attacks happened more frequently? What if, next time, she couldn’t bring him back? No, she thought. She was never going to let go of him, she was never going to give up on him – no matter what it took. No matter what she had to endure, she would be there until her own heart stopped beating.


Eli had never given up on her and she wasn’t about to give up on him.


“Come here,” she whispered, gently, as she pulled him to sit down on the lid of the toilet. Valerie took his hands in hers and turned them over a few times, watching the way he winced under the raw tenderness of the broken skin. “Look,” she said, turning one of her hands over to reveal her own raw knuckles, “We match.”


With a gentle touch, she began to wipe away the blood with a warm cloth, plucking out the shards of glass as she found them. For someone who had just demolished a mirror, there wasn’t must collateral damage and his wounds were pretty clean, so she finished up and wrapped them tightly in bandages.


“You’re right,” she smiled slightly, her eyes still on his hands, “It’s still you, Eli. I know it’s still you. You know how I know that? I know better than anyone how anger eats away at you, if you let it.”


She stood, pressing a chaste kiss on the top of his head before starting back towards her own room. “I’ll clean this up later, I’ve got to go see Stein for my side. You should get some rest. I’ll be home soon, promise.”


Valerie didn’t even grab her jacket as she made her way out of the apartment building, her walk turning into a run and her run turning into a sprint. When she finally managed to burst through the doors of the infirmary, the wound on her side having reopened slightly, she immediately saw Stein perched at his desk. She slammed the door behind her and looked up at him, her expression a mixture of rage, pain and fear.


“You tell me how to help him right now,” she choked out, “Or I swear I will die trying to find a way myself.”

 

[Mikanu]

We're going to figure this out. Is that what Valerie had said? Elijah was stuck on those words at the moment, his head spinning. There was nothing to figure out. He was fine, wasn't he? It was all okay, it had just been a brief moment where he had lost control of his emotions, that's all. That was all it is, there was NOTHING to figure out. He was sure out that.


Eli let himself be pulled to sit on the seat of the toilet, looking at his partner as her eyes examined his injuries. She was still here. She didn't look at his as if he were a monster, didn't just walk away. He opened his mouth to tell her how much he appreciated her being here, but closed it after wincing. He could feel the pain now, the glass had really injured his knuckles. Elijah looked at her own knuckles that had been bloody before like his own were now. He could remember the memory, he was reminded of the comforting smell of Val's hair, of the relief he had felt, of actually feeling like he wasn't alone in the world. She was his first partner, his only partner. There had been no one more right for him. There never would be, and he had found he liked it that way.


He hissed lightly as she began to clean the broken skin, hating the way it hurt. He had never shattered glass like that, ever, not even on accident. So, the glass in his skin was a new feeling. A painful new feeling. He was so grateful to her for doing this for him, yet he couldn't even get out the words he wanted to say. It would have been a nerve-wracking feeling, but she made him feel calm so he wasn't worrying about it too much.


Valerie's smile would not go unnoticed, and Eli was flooded with relief when he heard her words. She knew it was still him. And, it was still him. Really. It had to be. He wasn't a stranger, he hadn't changed. He was still Elijah. He nodded to what she said, staring blankly at the glass when Val left. He hadn't said another word the whole time, yet things still hadn't felt awkward.


---


Stein sighed when Valerie slammed the door. He already knew who it was, or at least he had an accurate guess. He didn't turn around, not even when she spoke. He knew it would have been about Elijah. Of course. As a Meister who had to take care of a cursed Weapon, the girl was about to have a whole lot on her hands. Especially with that Eli being the cursed one. By her words, she already had a whole plateful. Now didn't that sound like fun? He wondered what it was like, knowing there was nothing you could do for your partner. It looked like Valerie would get that experience tonight.


"Valerie, I'm going to tell you something right now that'll save you a lot trouble: Don't waste your time." The Professor wondered if it was wise starting out cruel, but if that was what it took to make the girl see that there was nothing she could do then so be it. "There is no cure. The curse runs rampant, leaves its mark, and all you can do is stand by and watch. Trying to do something will end up turning into a disaster. Meisters have tried it before. They have tried everything they could, but there is simply nothing that can be done. Can you understand that? Everybody at the DWMA, including Death, has tried. No one has succeeded, so don't believe you miraculously will." He could barely believe he was doing this to her, speaking about it like that, but Stein had to make sure she didn't pursue the idea. He also had to get Elijah under observation as soon as possible. His death would be a waste, but he wasn't about to let Valerie go down with her Weapon. She was too good a Meister. He was sure he could find her some other Weapon to work with. Until then, he had to keep her away from hopes of finding a cure.

 

[Poe]

“You don’t get it, Stein,” Valerie growled, “This is not optional. I don’t care if the entire world has tried it and failed. This isn’t the world, this isn’t Death, and this isn’t just some weapon. This is Eli we’re talking about – he was, is, and will always be the only reason I ever agreed to stay here.”


“And I don’t want a damn miracle. I don’t need hope, Stein. I don’t need any of that crap. What I need is for you to stop dancing between coddling me and scaring me to tell me what you know,” she pleaded, her teeth gritting together before she let out a tired sigh, “This has never been about him being my weapon. He is my best friend and the only real family I have left, Stein. No, I don’t know how to help him or if I even can, but you need to understand how I cannot stand idly by and be destroyed by something so far out of his control.”


Uncharacteristically, she felt her voice quiver in her throat before she spoke again, “If I lose him, I lose myself. There’s nothing for me here without him. There’s nowhere for me to go. I can’t go home and I can’t stay here – and it’s stupid and selfish but I will not lose the only truly good thing I’ve had in my life.”


“I won’t leave him. So if you want to do your observations, fine. But you will have to pry him from my cold dead hands if you expect me to let him go through this alone,” her voice finally regained its bite.


+x+x+x+


When Valerie made it back home later that night, her side newly bandaged, she didn’t even hesitate when she walked through the door. Her keys fell to the floor and she made her way into Eli’s room. When she saw him, she simply walked forward with her gaze unwavering.


In one swift movement, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close in an urgent embrace. Valerie merely buried her face in his neck and they stood there for a moment.


He wouldn’t do this alone. She wouldn’t let him.


She was his meister.


She was his friend.

 

[Mikanu]

Stein patiently listened to Valerie as he sat slumped on his chair, mainly staring at the wall. What she was saying was so very alike to what countless other Meisters had said in the past. And yet... It was different. He wasn't hearing the same old thing, the pleading and whining and crying. To hear her say she didn't need any hope was the most different thing he had ever heard out of it all. Most of the Meisters functioned on hope. Hope that there would be a miracle, that their Weapon would come out of it, that it was nothing big. When that hope was lost, they sunk all the way to the bottom. Even the ones that tried to find a cure usually quit after many many failures, after they lost the hope they fed on. He was actually thinking of doing something, anything, to help this particular Meister now.


She was quite remarkable. Not afraid to be honest, even when it did make her look selfish. Then again, all humans were selfish when it came down to it. He then heard her say she'd leave if she lost Eli. That would certainly not be good. She was such a talented Meister. She belonged here. He sighed just like he had when she had come in. He would have to make an urgent call after this.


"There is a Weapon who lives far far away from here. No one knows where he resides, not even I. It's almost impossible to find him, some have but he travels constantly so these people have never been useful. He used to be a student here, at the DWMA, when he was struck with the curse. One of the first Weapons ever to get infected by it. I am not sure of the state of his mental health, but it seems that people who have seen him are alive to tell their stories so I'd assume he must be at least doing alright." Stein turned to face Valerie, a serious look on his face. "Why am I telling you this? He's your best bet to even get close to finding a cure. There's no guarantee that you can find him at all, no guarantee that he isn't a complete lunatic. However, if you can find him then it just might give you the cure."


"Think about it, Valerie. Think hard. If you say yes, you leave as soon as you're fully healed." Stein rolled over to the girl and made her sit on one of the beds. "Now, let's take a look at that side. I see it bleeding through, I'm not blind." He slowly examined her wound and then redressed it, working efficiently and soon getting done with it. "Leave now. Send Elijah over here in the morning, I really need to take a look at him when he's awake. I'll expect your answer then as well. Don't strain the side, Valerie. It needs time to heal."


When Valerie went home that night, Stein grinned and rolled to the telephone. He really needed to make that call.


---


Elijah had moved from the bathroom to his bedroom. He had cleaned up beforehand when he had stopped being so shook up, not wanting Valerie to do the work herself. What if she injured herself on the glass? He couldn't bear the thought, so he had done it himself. Eli had been proud of his work. Then, he had slowly removed the mirror and had thrown it into the trash. That was where it deserved to be now. He never wanted to take another look at it ever again.


He was reading when Valerie entered his room. The words swam all over the page, though when he blinked they went back to where they had originally been. It made reading somewhat frustrating. He put the book down and stood up, looking concerned as his eyes went to her side. "Is your side okay now? I was worried, I should have gone-"


Eli trailed off completely when Valerie pulled him close, very surprised. He hugged her back, however, glad that she was alright. He didn't realize how much he had needed this until she was actually hugging him now. Tough times always made things difficult, but this helped more than Val could begin to know. Especially now, when he knew he was fighting some demons in his mind. This made Elijah feel like he wasn't alone. He really wasn't alone, his partner would always be by his side. He knew that. He was glad to be reminded of it.

 

[Poe]

“I’m fine, Eli,” Valerie said, her face still buried in the crook of his neck, “Stein just said he needs to see me tomorrow morning for a check up and I just want him to check up on your shoulder, okay? We’ve been through enough lately. Don’t you think?”


“And don’t apologize,” she pulled away from him slowly, her hands still wrapped around his neck, “You can make it up to me by easing my mind and coming tomorrow. It’ll make me feel better about the whole thing to know I didn’t screw up your shoulder anymore…and to have someone there to keep an eye on Stein so he doesn’t dissect me like a frog.”


The moment she let go of Eli, it was like the events of the past couple hours came barreling at her like a whirlwind of fatigue. She was exhausted, both emotionally and physically – her trip to Stein not helping the frustration and fear that pounded out from her temples as if her brain were screaming, COME ON, VALERIE. All she wanted to do was cook Eli a good meal and sit with him, but she couldn’t. Her body was so heavy and her eyes were so weary. All she could think about was sleeping.


And the fact that, right now, Eli just looked so innocent.


This was not the boy who had shattered the mirror. This was the boy who had stood by her side through everything. She owed it to him and to herself to stick this out and be by his side. That’s exactly what she was going to do – no tears, no false hope – just stand by him and fight alongside him. He was a weapon and she was his meister. It was her job.


“I-I’m,” her voice wavered for a moment but she quickly recovered, “I’m going to go to bed, I can hardly stay on my feet. If you need me, you come get me okay? I’ll leave my door open – just come right on in if you need anything. And don’t break anymore glass, but thank you for cleaning it up.”


She pulled him back into one more quick hug before starting out of the room and towards her own, her body screaming for sleep. She had a big decision to make and wasn’t sure exactly how she was going to make it. But by the time her head hit the pillow, she was out cold.

 

[Mikanu]

"Yeah. We have been, but things will get better. They always do." Elijah gave Valerie a reassuring squeeze. "I'll come with you to the Infirmary tomorrow, I promise." He had mostly promised this to be there when his partner's side was checked. He could honestly care less about his shoulder. Eli wanted to know that she was okay, to really be sure. It wasn't that he didn't trust her; he just wanted to see it with his own eyes. It would give him some much-needed relief. All he could recall was cleaning up the shards of mirror and worrying about Valerie. The worry was always there, insistent. It was there so much more than usual.


Eli looked at her when she pulled away, nodding. He would also make sure about Stein not doing that to her, of course. He remembered what Stein had said back when he had run off and shivered slightly. That guy was not to be trusted, this he knew for certain. "You didn't screw it up Val, it feels fine." Weird would have been the correct way to say it, rather, but he didn't want to worry his Meister.


His mind urged him to hug Valerie again when she let go, but he didn't dare and just stood there looking at her. She really looked tired, if it wasn't for that he would have asked her to stay with him for a little while. Eli couldn't remember the events of yesterday night but he knew that he had definitely not slept well. Having Valerie with him always made him feel better. He ended up letting her go to bed without another word out of his mouth and promised himself not to bug her unless the situation turned out to be dire.


He hugged her back and then watched as she made her way out of his room. Elijah sat on his bed with his back against the wall, starting to read again. He certainly did not feel tired, he had slept most of the day away. So he sat there with his book in hand and was glad that his mind was left in peace tonight. Tomorrow was another day, things would be better. They just had to be.

 

[Poe]

“I knew I’d see you back here eventually,” the voice called out, shaking Valerie from her thoughts, “Figured you’d be ready by now, glad to see I’m not wrong.”


Valerie looked up to see the other Valerie sitting in her chair backwards, her legs splayed out on either side and her arms crossed over the back of the chair. There was a thickness to the air – a terrifying density that made it hard to breathe. There were so many things left unsaid between the two versions of herself.


Valerie eyed her, “Why am I back here?”


“Curiosity, I guess,” she shrugged, “Something in your subconscious had something you wanted to ask me. I’d hurry up too, you don’t seem to be sleeping too well.”


Valerie racked her brain for a moment and then realized that she was right. In all this chaos with Eli, she had one question that was constantly swimming around in her brain. A question she didn’t want to ask – and a question that she already knew the answer to.


Her mirror image smirked at her, sadness behind her eyes, “Yes, you can live without Eli. Stein’s right.”


Valerie felt her heart break.


“But,” the other Valerie sighed, “You won’t. There is no version of this where you two come out separately. It’s all or nothing. If you’re in this until the end, so am I.”


“It’s decided then,” Valerie nodded, “We’re going.”


“Good,” she smirked, “I love a good adventure.”


Valerie awoke with a start, her body drenched in sweat and her side stinging against the moisture pooling beneath her bandages. Eli had promised her that he’d go with her to Stein today – and though she wanted to be honest with him about why they were going, she knew that she couldn’t be. She couldn’t risk setting him off. She couldn’t risk him hurting himself anymore than he already was.


In seconds, she was out of bed and pulling on a tank top and ripped jeans. She would need mobility today, even if Stein had sworn her off leaving until her side healed. She’d need to train. Legs, arms, anything she could manage without re-injuring her side. If she was going to save Eli, Valerie knew she’d have to be willing to do anything to save him.


“Eli!” she called out, grabbing her keys and masking her slight limp as she made her way into the kitchen, “We’ve gotta head out to Stein. I’d like to get there sometime before next week, hurry up!”

 

[Mikanu]

Elijah had stayed up reading until 3 in the morning. He didn't feel tired at all, having slept most of the day away, though he stopped reading when his knuckles began to hurt. Slowly he put the book down and examined his hands carefully, his random outburst a single flashback in his head. Eli peeled off the bandages, one by one, until they lay in a heap next to him. He touched his raw knuckles and winced, then slowly dug one of his fingernails into the wound. He hissed, unsure of what he was doing as the wound started to bleed. The Weapon stared at the blood that came out, then wiped it away and got up. It was a strange thing he had done right then.


There was a new feeling inside that scared him. Eli shivered and got up, heading to the bathroom. He looked at the place where the mirror had used to be and wished it was still there. He sauntered to the garbage can and reached inside, taking out a glass shard. Slowly he peeled the bandage off of his shoulder, wanting to examine the teeth marks. Elijah held up the shard of glass in order to examine his shoulder and looked into it. His mind raced excitedly upon seeing the pain inflicted.


It was an ugly wound. It had been treated neatly, sure, and properly, though it looked far from clean. The teeth marks seemed to have dug in deep. Eli lightly touched the wound, his finger trailing over the marks. He knew for certain that one sharp tug from the Evil Human's teeth would have taken off his entire shoulder. The skin surrounding the marks looked as if it had been severely burned and, stranger still, there was another mark. One that hadn't been made by the Evil Human.


Eli didn't realize how ragged his breathing was until he felt his hand sting. He was dragged back into reality and now noticed that he was gripping the shard so fiercely that he was bleeding. "Crap," he whispered as he threw the glass back into the garbage. He stared at his hand for a long moment, forcing himself to look away as he went back into his room and wrapped a bandage around his hand. How stupid was he to inflict yet another wound onto himself?


He shivered and went back to his room after applying the bandage back onto his shoulder. Elijah passed Valerie's room without a single glance inside, not being able to handle being awake anymore. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit his pillow.


---


Morning. Elijah groaned and put a pillow over his face when he heard Valerie. "Five more minutes", he was tempted to say, though he jumped out of bed after remembering why they were going to Stein. He wanted to make sure her side was alright, going to him would be a good thing. He put on his usual outfit, khakis with a nice green shirt and a jacket.


"I'm up," he said while rubbing his eyes and walking to the kitchen. He yawned and stretched lightly, ready for the day. He wondered what Stein would see when he uncovered his shoulder. Hopefully it wasn't too bad? Well, all you could really do was hope. "Val, aren't we gonna eat some breakfast before we go?" he sleepily asked, glancing at the toaster. "At least some toast, or a sandwich or something. We didn't eat much last night, remember? It would be a good way to get our strength up for the day."

 

[Poe]

Valerie froze where she stood for a moment. She had been so mentally ready to combat the “cursed” Eli that she forgot about this boy. The kindhearted face with an iron stomach. Of course he’d be hungry. She let out of a soft laugh and tossed her leather jacket onto the back of the chair. She reached for the apron and gingerly wrapped it around and tied the back loosely.


“Sorry, I must be dreading this Stein visit more than I thought,” she shook her head and turned back towards the stove, cabinet and refrigerator. Biting her lip she pondered for a moment, “I’m thinking a little more than toast. How about we get you a real breakfast?”


In one fell swoop (though she moved slower than she would have liked due to her injuries) she grabbed some flour, eggs, milk, sugar, apples, cinnamon and butter. Within moments she had a bowl of creamy white mix whisked to perfection. She pulled out a frying pain, pouring a slight bit of oil in it, and poured some batter onto the pan. Circling the pan expertly in her hand, she flipped the crepe and turned to start another pan of diced apples, butter, cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg. When the crepes were finished, she flipped the thin pancake out of the pan and rolled a generous helping of the cinnamon glazed apple filling into the center.


“I haven’t made crepes since I moved out here,” she smiled, sliding a few finished crepes onto a plate with a little extra powdered sugar on top, “Mom used to make them every single morning and I haven’t craved them in a long time.”


She slid the plate in front of Eli with a tall glass of milk and smiled at the excited look on his face. If this was going to be the last real sit-down breakfast they ate together in this apartment, it was going to be good. It was going to be one that he would love and remember. They had a long and difficult journey in front of them, but watching Eli consume the food in front of her like a madman made her smile wider than she had smiled in a long time. He was the same boy, deep down.


Deep down, Eli would always be there – and that’s why she couldn’t let go.


“Take your time,” she turned back to the stove with a wave of her hand, “I’ve got plenty more where that came from. We’ll get to Stein when we get to him – but we need to build up our strength. So keep eating.”

 

[Mikanu]

Elijah's lips pulled back into a grin when Valerie laughed. It felt good to hear that laugh of hers again, considering just how much things had seemed to change. He was glad that the change hadn't been permanent. They were still a team. He watched his partner, his sleepiness melting away as if it had never been there to begin with.


"It's alright Val, though you don't have to worry about it. I'm sure everything's fine." Eli sat down in his chair, expecting her to just pop some toast into the toaster. That wouldn't take up too much time, they'd arrive at Stein's soon enough if that was all they ate. He was surprised when Valerie instead went to cooking. "Well... If you're sure Val!" The weapon wasn't about to argue, especially when his stomach grumbled to tell him it was in need of food. He laughed lightly, patting his stomach in an attempt to calm it.


Eli remembered the last time he had tasted Val's cooking. The taste of that chicken was still on his tongue. Although, there was another memory attached to that one. After he had eaten, he had... passed out. He frowned at the table as he remembered just collapsing onto the floor. He had done that after eating what Val had cooked for him.


'She's out to get you. It's all her fault. All her fault, all her fault! All this pain, she had planned it from the beginning. IT'S ALL HER FAULT!!'


He watched his partner as she cooked now, his eyes carefully followed her every movement. She wasn't putting anything into his food, was she? Valerie wouldn't do that. Besides, it smelled delicious. Excitement replaced the confusion and disbelief in his eyes as she placed a plate in front of him. He said nothing to her, however, complicated emotions swirling inside him. Tired. I was tired. How could I even for one second think that Valerie would want to do anything to me? She's been helping me from the start. She's my partner! So shut up and let me eat.





And that's what he did. Eli began to wolf down the food, happily eating. He brushed his suspicious thoughts out of the way, though they didn't feel like his own. His own were the ones that were screaming at him. He slowed down considerably when Valerie turned away, a battle raging inside of his head.


A sharp pain then, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Eli jerked up from his chair so suddenly that he flipped his plate over. The food went all over the table, though he wasn't concerned about that. He was holding his head, bent over, his eyes shut tight. "Ow," was the only thing he could say in a strangled voice, though talking seemed to make it hurt more. He went to the wall, heavily leaning against it, trying to catch his breath. Slowly sliding down, he ended up on the floor, curled up tightly as the pain continued. Elijah remembered Valerie and looked at her through half-closed eyes filled with pain. "Stay back! Don't come near!" His panicked screaming filled the apartment over and over again.

 

[Poe]

Everything had seemed fine while Eli shoveled his food down his throat like a garbage disposal. There was an eerie calm in the apartment and Valerie felt a violent shiver creep up her spine. Something was wrong – though she wasn’t sure what. Only then did she hear the shattering of the glass plate against the floor and the screech of Eli’s chair being pushed out. Valerie’s heart leapt into her throat and she watched intently as Eli doubled over against the wall, his body curled up on the floor as he cried out for her to stay awake from him.


It broke her heart to just stand there, but she wasn’t sure what to do.


Between trying to will away the pain and wishing he were never cursed in the first place, she just stood there with her hand over her mouth to calm her ragged breathing. She did not want him to see the fear in her eyes – after all, she wasn’t scared of him. No, she’d never in her life be afraid of Eli, but she was scared of what this curse was capable of doing to him.


With a leap of faith, Valerie pulled her hand away from her face and stepped towards Eli slowly. She didn’t want to scare him or set him off more, but she needed to get him to Stein – or get Stein here. Or something. His outburst only solidified her resolve to go and find this guy who could be the key to the cure – come hell or high water – she was going to save Eli or die trying.


“Eli,” she said his name softly with a short laugh, “You know, if you didn’t like the crepes you could have just told me. No need to shatter plates.”


She crouched down in front of him, the fear and pain evident in his eyes, and before she could register her own thoughts she pulled him into her arms and held on for dear life. Face the bull regardless of the horns, and she needed to show him she wasn’t going anywhere. Not without him.


He had to know that.

 

[Mikanu]

Elijah sat there, his knees pulled tight against his chest, breathing hard as he continued to scream at Valerie. "Stay away! I swear, stay away!" His eyes held an immense amount of panic and fear as they stayed glued to the girl in front of him. He wouldn't let her out of his sight, he needed to keep his eyes on her. He needed to keep watching her. His head felt like it had shattered into a billion pieces and he continued to hold it, cradling it to try and ease the pain.


'See? I told you. All her fault. She's the devil in disguise. She's out to get you, Eli. You might as well run, who knows what she'd try next? Get away from her. Get away!'


He began hyperventilating when she stepped closer, his breaths now short and panicked. Eli was feeling light-headed, wanting the pain to go away, wanting to take a deep breath again. He growled at her like a cornered animal, then, as she approached, his teeth bared. All his eyes showed was fear.


"I t-told... you to get a-away," he gasped out as quickly as he could. The hyperventilation wasn't helping him at all right now, and neither was Valerie. His thoughts were right. They were all right. They're not your thoughts, stupid! They're NOT!


When Eli's eyes met Valerie's, he knew it couldn't be. All the memories... All the things they had gone through... She wouldn't just throw it all away, would she? Even now, when he was probably acting like a complete psycho, she was still here. Nonetheless, he struggled in her arms. There was still a part of him that was so scared. He struggled until he didn't have the strength to anymore, last night taking a bit of a toll on him.


Now he just sat there, breathing hard in order to regain his breath. His head slowly stopped spinning, slowly stopped aching. He was unimaginably thankful that it was over. He closed his eyes, resting his head on Valerie's shoulder, just knowing he was feeling tired. Mentally tired, so tired. He didn't know what to say to her so he remained quiet. Tried to, at least, but a weak "I'm sorry" slipped past his lips. And he was. He really was sorry. Sorry for being such a burden.

 

[Poe]

When his teeth bore at her, she felt rage bubble up inside of her. Not at Eli, but at the curse that was causing him to be anything but the man she knew he wanted to be. They’d gone through too much, seen too many things, and spend too many nights picking each other up when the other fell for this curse to drive them apart now. It was almost as if he were split in two. It pained her to watch.


And when he struggled in her arms, it only made her hold tighter. Valerie had never known how to be warm or gentle like her mother – she often didn’t find use in it – but there was tenderness in the way she held him. Her arms were wound tightly, but her face was nestled in the crook of his neck and her eyes squeezed shut to combat the pain of her side as he jerked against her. She shushed his cries, her hands gripping into his shirt as if he were acting as her lifeline, not the other way around.


Soon enough, the thrashing stopped and Valerie silently thanked whatever power pulled him back. His breathing was ragged and short, his head resting on her shoulder as they just sat there holding each other. A soft sorry escaped his lips. Instead of saying anything, Valerie merely hugged tighter trying to curb her own emotions. Flashes of what could be cycled through her head and she wondered if the voice in her dream had been right. She couldn’t imagine a life without Eli. He was her savior – pulled her from the darkness (albeit, unknowingly) more than once. He was the only constant in her life and she was not and would never be willing to lose that.


She allowed her hand to come up and cup the back of his head; his thumb rubbing soothing circles in his hair. She knew they had to go see Stein and her side was burning something fierce every time she breathed, but she wasn’t about to abandon him or push him. If they were going to survive this, it was going to be on their own terms.


“I’m not going anywhere, Eli,” she promised, her voice soft against the bare skin of his neck, “When are you going to realize that?”

 

[Mikanu]

Elijah felt Valerie holding him tighter when he began to struggle in her arms, fear and panic continuing to rise inside him. His head was still aching, more so from confusion than from the strange pain he had felt in his head before, but she was making things better. Valerie could always make things better. The caring way she held him made him relax considerably. Fatigue traveled through his body as a result of the battle in his mind, in addition, and so he cut it out.


He closed his eyes as his partner hugged him tighter. She hadn't said anything in reply to his apology, though it wasn't like she had to. Just the hug let him see that she had already planned to forgive him. He hugged back and was happy to simply stay like that with them holding each other, the silence not an uncomfortable one.


Valerie's touch on the back of his head was comforting. He closed himself off to any angry or scared thoughts and just focused on the one comforting feeling, letting out a little sigh as he kept his eyes closed. The day was already getting exhausting and it had just begun. He hoped he wouldn't do anything else to worry his meister, but it was a long shot. Already he had freaked out on her. He shut his eyes a little tighter to forget, not wanting to ruin the moment of peace.


The promise made him feel better. Eli felt so blessed to have such an amazing meister. His eyes opened as he hugged her a bit tighter, careful to avoid hurting her side. Her side... Her side! His head shot up off of her shoulder, his eyes widening. "Val... Is your side okay?" He tilted his head in order to look, slowly getting up and helping her up as well. "We were supposed to go to Stein... Oh Val, I'm so sorry. Did I... Did I hurt you?" Pain was in his eyes as he examined her side, hoping it wasn't hurt too much. "You're supposed to take it easy with that side. What I did didn't help." He looked guilty as he carefully touched it.


Eli walked Valerie to the chair she had thrown her coat over and helped her put it on. "Are you okay with walking? You can lean on me Val. We have to get to Stein. He needs to take a look at that side." He looked up, into her eyes. "I don't want you to hurt..."

 

[Poe]

Valerie silent thanked whatever power had pulled Eli from his hysterics. Her side was burning under the jerked movements and thrashing. She didn’t say anything, of course, because Eli needed her support right now – not the other way around. Her side was supposed to be a rouse to get him to visit Stein, but after what had happened, it looked like she needed the trip more. It was very possible that she’d reopened a few of the wounds that littered the skin on her side.


“I’m fine, Eli,” she let out a dry laugh, the pain radiating, “Nothing I can’t handle, I’d just prefer it if we went to Stein sooner than later – while I can still walk, of course.”


The humor in her voice was clearly lost on him as she caught the pained look on his face. Even with the terrible timing of his outbursts, she couldn’t bring herself to feel anything less than worried for him. It didn’t matter what happened to her – he didn’t deserve this…whatever was happening to him. And when he gushed about how afraid he was that she was hurt and helped her up, sliding on her jacket for her…she couldn’t help but be completely sure that her decision was the right one. Valerie would bring the old Eli back, no matter what. This…curse…would not get the best of him. It would not take him from her.


Over her dead body.


The concern in his voice tugged at her heartstrings and for once, she was inclined to let him help for his own peace of mind. So she slung her good arm around his shoulder and allowed him to help her out of the apartment and towards Stein’s. “You’re too good to me sometimes, you know that?” she smiled at him, trying to lighten the air between them, “You’ve always got my back,” she grunted as she pulled her side, “Or…well, side. I guess.”

 

[Mikanu]

"You sure, Val?" The pain on Eli's face slightly eased when Valerie assured him that she was fine, but he couldn't help but fret about it. "We'll get you to Stein, I promise. It's not that long a walk, you'll be alright. Stein will patch you up." He was mostly saying this to ease his own self, the guilt gnawing at him from the back of his mind. He wondered if she was bleeding, wondered how badly he had hurt her. It was giving him another headache. As he looked into Val's eyes, his mouth opened again. "I... I didn't mean to." The same thing he had said after having shattered the mirror. "It's still me..." A repeat of words, with the same pleading tone. It was as if he was begging her to believe him. He was doubting that he himself believed these words anymore.


Then just like that, his eyes broke contact with hers. He didn't want to see her expression after telling her the same words he had used before. He carefully helped Valerie with pulling on her jacket and willingly accepted her arm over his shoulders. He supported her like that as he opened the door and slowly squeezed them through, heading to Stein's. He glanced at Valerie and hoped that she wasn't in too much pain, the guilt still nestled in his head. He was silently hating himself for what he had done.


Eli looked at her when she spoke again, then lowered his eyes to look at his shoes. 'Too good for her? I'd say too BAD for her, wouldn't you? You're much too problematic for her, wouldn't you agree? Much too childish, foolish, idiotic. Wouldn't you agree, Elijah? Wouldn't you agree?' His head shot up, but he turned his head away from Valerie to cover up his shock. It had felt like his thoughts were talking to him, there at the end. As if that thought had been a whisper in his ear. It sent shivers up his spine.


"I've got your back, Val, and I'll always be on your side. How's that?" He gave her a grin, pushing away his eerie feeling. It felt so good to see her smile. He knew they were rare, and in these times it was really what he needed to see. He slowly pulled her closer to him, careful of her side, and continued walking.


---


As usual, Stein was sitting on his chair facing towards the wall. He was on the telephone, not so usual, twirling a finger round and round the cord of the phone. "I'll call you again with updates." He paused slightly, to listen. "I know it's not much to report, but I thought it important to tell you." Another pause, ending with a sigh from him. "Yes, I know that you know. The cu-"


"Ahem." Stein practically jumped out of his chair when Elijah cleared his throat. He turned to look at his visitors, seeming bewildered. "I'll... call you later. With important updates this time, yes." Professor Stein hung up and cleared his throat. "Er... Sorry about that." He leaned back in his chair and looked at the two of them, an eyebrow raised. "Eli, why are you supporting your partner?"


"Her side hurts," Eli replied as he lead Valerie to one of the beds. He got her up to sit on it. "I need you to check it out. Now." Stein looked slightly amused at the tone of Eli's voice. He looked at the weapon, studying him intensely, searching for a sign. It looked like it wasn't affecting his outer being. Not yet anyway. He simply looked quite tired. Stein went to Valerie and sighed as he lifted the bandages, already knowing what he would see. "What happened this time, Valerie?"

 

[Poe]

Valerie couldn’t even look at Eli as they walked. There was too much pain on his face. She couldn’t look at him without her heart breaking because she couldn’t do a damn thing about the voices in his head, the crippling self-doubt he was experiencing. All she could do was hold him while he thrashed and then disappoint him when she disregarded her own health, again.


But if it meant saving him, she’d let Eli kill her a hundred times over.


“I like the sound of that,” Val smiled at Eli’s words, allowing herself to pretended, for a moment, that they were just normal and that he could always have her back, “You’ve got my back, I’ve got yours. Coolest partners ever, right?”


When he pulled her closer, she felt her heart constrict but slowly relaxed into his hold. She wasn’t sure how many more of these moments they would have – at least for the foreseeable future. So she basked in the warmth that emanated from his body and let a genuine smile rest on her lips. They were so close to Stein now that the moment would be ruined, so she committed it to memory. These were the moments she’d look back on when it got tough, when she was afraid of losing Eli. These would keep her going.


As to be expected, Stein was not happy when they arrived. Though, she assumed he never felt genuine happiness unless he was dissecting something. Eli’s curt tone took her by surprise and of course Stein had to ask the one question she didn’t want to answer. What happened this time?


“You know me,” Valerie gritted at Stein prodded at her side, letting out an audible grunt, “Was never really great at the whole bed rest thing. Or the taking-it-easy thing. Or the following-doctors-orders thing.”