10 Years *(older) Ib x Garry*

Glass Heart

"Yes, of corse. Just-tell me what happened.."

Garry sat me over to a bench and looked me in the eyes. He let out a sigh, whipped a few remaining tears from his eyes and started talking.

"You and I were walking on the path to the bridge. You were happy-at least I thought. We just got back from eating macaroons, our favorite since the beginning." He smiled and let out a soft chuckle. Then his face became serious, "We were talking..and I moved to the subject of the past events of the...art museum. You suddenly became cold and froze up. I just wanted to see where we were on that subject, to see that it's now the past and we can forget about it, but something clicked--something caught a string and pulled it tight when it was brought up." He let out a shaky sigh and looked down at his hands. "I-you let go of my hand, by that time we were half way across the bridge, but you started walking closer to the edge. I started to call out to you, but you ignored me completely. Closer you got the more I got worried until.."

I leaned in closer to him, prompting him to go on.

"Until you decided to quickly climb over the railing and jump. You were gone before I could grab you. I was screaming, no one was around us, it was like fate was unlucky..but I managed to fish you out and revive you, thank goodness!" He looked on the verge of tears again, trembling. "You looked like something possessed you or something like that--before you jumped that is. It was like you weren't aware of your actions.." Now Garry wasn't into the supernatural, but after the whole 'the paintings are alive and going to kill you!' incident, anything is possible. I frowned, something wasn't right it just wasn't right. This..this must be a dream or a trick...yes one of the paintings tricks!

As Garry tried to bring me into his hug, I got up and backed away from him. He looked at me funny, "Ib..?" Closer he got, further I went back. "Ib?" His voice cracking, hand reaching out. "Ib please..not again. I can't lose you again..." I stopped for a moment and thought, just what if I was wrong and I really did go crazy and black out, the whole time while I was jumping to my doom I was experiencing a dream sequence of what I thought would be the future. But-no I couldn't. That's what they wanted, doubt. I wouldn't let them have it, I wouldn't let them come and take it. I didn't realize until Garry grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into one of his death hugs. 'But this isn't him..' I thought. It can't be. I pushed him back, gaining my distance. What broke me was this look-this look of agony and anguish mixed together, his pain seeping through. Garry had a glass heart, I knew this, but I never realized until now how broken his heart could get. It was like I could hear the echo of glass crunching under someone's weight. Slowly stepping, making sure that it gets every piece left breakable became unbreakable.

I started shaking, pounding my fists against my head shaking. No, they couldn't toy with me like this. Garry was too innocent, too pure for this. No-NO! I bolted, I couldn't look at him, I couldn't be by him. His very existence sickened me to no end. I had to stop it. I had to stop the pain, this agony, this glass.

I collapse. I lost Garry. But...It's everywhere now..The glass. It's my fault. Maybe I was right to try to end my pathetic life. Maybe it was better that way.

And at that, I left to the bridge once more.

(Update! Thank you all who are patient and sticking with this. I finally had some inspiration.)