Interesting (AfterDeath)

Chapter 50

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Error P.O.V

"Wh-Why are you here...?" I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself, holding myself back from running to him, running to Ink, when all I really wanted to do was to hold him, to have him hold me, to be in his arms once again.

A thought struck me, and my eyes widened, my body turning shaky.

"H-have you come to take me i-into custody..?"  I asked fearfully, glancing around nervously. 

Then I thought of Gradient.

'I can't leave him alone here.'

"...Oh god, Ink, please... P-Please, don't hurt Gray, please Ink, I'm begging you, please, I swear, I'll do anything, let you do anything to me, just please, please don't hurt him, please," I begged, my legs turning weak as I pleaded with him, tears falling down my face, my breathing quick.  "Ink, please, p-please, don't, I'll do anything you want me to do, please...."

'I need to protect him.  He has to be safe.'

"Error...  Error, I c-could never h-hurt Gray," Ink said brokenly, his body and voice shaking.  "And I d-didn't c-come to take y-you into custody, I..."

I relaxed slightly, then tensed slightly.

"Wh-why did you c-come, then?  What a-about your w-work..?" I asked shakily, tilting my head to the side slightly, tears still falling. 

'What happened? He would never take time away from work for me... I'm not important enough.'

Ink hesitated, and fear started to work it's way back through me.

'Oh god, he has come to arrest me, hasn't he?'

Just as I was about to have a panic attack, Ink spoke again.

"...I quit," he revealed quietly, making my breath hitch with my surprise.

'He quit..?  Why...?'

"You... You quit...?" I whispered in disbelief, staring at him.  He nodded, not looking at me, his tears falling to the ground beneath him.

"Yea...." he said softly, then swaying suddenly.  I dove forward to catch him instinctively, my arms going around his waist, snatching him to my chest before he could hit the ground.  He clutched onto me immediately with the same primal urge, sinking into my chest, shivering.

"Why?" I demanded, crying shakily, my voice broken and trembling.  Ink stared at me, shaking more, tears falling down his face.  "Why...  Wh-why would you do that?"

Ink just seemed shocked that I had caught him, that I had stopped him from falling, staring at me, his jaw slack, his eyes glazed over with confusion and guilt.

"I-I..."

Now that the initial shock had worn off, I was just angry.

It took him five years.

"Ink, why the fuck would you quit your job? And if it was for us, why the fuck did it take you five fucking years?" I shouted, glaring at him, forcing myself to let go of him, then feeling a stab of guilt when he collapsed to the ground, his legs seemingly unable to support his weight.

My eyes widened slightly when I noticed the streaks of blood on his clothing, the way that his left pant leg was soaked in red.

He's hurt.