Rosefort Rehabilitation Centre.

But he didn't like deserving it.

Luke, 2013.

Luke had had a bad couple of days. For some reason, his brain grape had been acting up. It was July 7th and he hadn’t seen Margot for 17 hours. This was precisely one thousand and forty minutes too long to go without her. He’d snapped during dinner the day before, and had punched, admittedly foolishly, Ashton in the face. Earning him an even harsher punch back, square on the jaw, making the lights go out. Ashton had one hell of a right hook.

Tentatively, he pressed his fingertips to the spot on the older boys fist had connected. The skin was still sore, and he had undoubtedly bruised badly. He deserved it, and he knew that. But he didn’t like deserving it. Not one bit. He often watched the others, jealous that they didn’t have the same affliction as him.

He just wanted someone who understood what it was like, feeling perfectly normal one minute and then, after the headache, was a completely different person. He’d read up on mental health issues that had the same effects on personalities, but he had found only one that affected the temper like his brain grape did. Unfortunately for him, not a single resident at Rosefort had that particular issue.

Sometimes Luke didn’t understand. He didn’t understand why it was him, and not either of his brothers, that had been unfortunate enough to receive a brain grape. The day he was told it was inoperable was the worst day of his life. This… thing… in his head, that he neither wanted nor needed, was inevitably going to kill him. There was no time-line with it either. He could wake up one day, and then two hours later be gone from this world with no warning whatsoever. Honestly, he gave zero fucks about himself, it was Margot he was worried about.

Despite her being the most stubborn, irritating (at times) and annoying person he’d ever known in his life, she was also the fucking love of his life. The only person he thought would care if he died. He needed to protect her. But the only way he could really do that was to stay away from her. Unfortunately for her, he couldn’t do that. Not because he didn’t care if she broke, but because he cared far too much for her. She was his entire life. She was literally the only thing he woke up for in the mornings. If it wasn’t for her, he would’ve given up and let his brain grape destroy him many, many moons ago.

He feared for himself also, however, if Margot was to die. He knew he’d immediately give up. He needed to be with her to be happy, to be normal. He saw no reason why he would ever think any differently.

She was his only light in the abyss of the world.

She would be his wife.

If either of them got that far.

For her, he would never give up.

For her, he would fight.

Always.