What Nightmares are Made of (10)

Butterflies

Making it to one of Ash's safe houses you all regroup, redress wounds, and Shorter allows for Sonny to head back to Los Angeles. Shorter is topless resting on an old twin bed looking at you doing tricks flawlessly with your butterfly knife that was a gift from Blanca. The only light in the room was a lit candle that is matching your heated mood now that you're alone with the man that tried everything in his power to push you away. Blade dancing with your butterfly knife was the only thing keeping you from attacking Shorter out of anger. You needed to have a talk with him, but didn't really know where to start so you just stare outside the window.

"It's not like you to give me the Silent Treatment, Lotus. " Shorter gets up to stand behind to you at the window keeping a little gap between you as he is worried of what you're going to do with the knife in your hand.

"You fuck me, drug me where I'm forced to move to the west coast, and have your brother lie to me about your death..." you turn and arm your butterfly knife and place it near his abdomen, "I should fuckin' kill you myself."

Shorter guides your hand to aim the knife at his heart and tells you, "If you're gonna set me free do it properly; don't be some punk takin' cheap shots at me."

He starts to press the tip of the blade into his chest; the blade pierces his skin and small drops of blood start to trickle down his body as you hear his slight sighs of discomfort. You didn't think he would take it this far; tears start to swell from your eyes as you look at the knife claiming Shorter's lifeline every second he keeps pressing the blade further into his chest, then you look at his face which is looking at yours in the same vacant expression as before. At this point Shorter has everything to lose and is willing to fight to keep what's his; the thing he's fighting to keep at this moment is your love for him. He knows what he did was unforgivable. He didn't expect you to come back; he knows the questions that have been avoided for so long now needed to be answered face to face.

Shorter feels you try to let go of the knife as you didn't want him to hurt himself any further. He hyper extends your arm so you let go of the knife completely, takes the knife in such a way that he doesn't cut himself in the process of re-arming it towards you, pushes you up against the wall, and places the knife at your neck. You've caused enough trouble with this knife so he is just making sure you don't do anything else foolish which disappoints him to see you so mad at him enough to bring him any harm.

Shorter says in a low, sullen voice, "I only wanted to protect you."

"From what, Shorter?"

Shorter was afraid to tell the truth about him and his internal demons so he hesitates, but he eventually whispers, "From me...from this...from everything. I thought what I wanted was for us to go on about our own lives knowing what we had was a happy memory. So when I die I would at least know that my Lotus is still thinking of me wherever she is out there and would never forget her Purple Dragon."

"You think about your death when you think of me?"

"Living the life of a gangster you learn that most things are not long-term. They can take away just about anything even my life, but my street smarts, my loyalty, and my memories I will keep until my last breath. I would rather you love me from afar than you die in my arms, Lotus; that's a fate worse than death for me. I know I don't deserve you, but...I'm fuckin' crazy about you. I missed you so much, and it hurt me to push you away. I love you."

You let the tears flow from your eyes, "I did what I had to in order to come back and to tell you that I love you too, Shorter Wong. I don't want to be just a memory. If you want me to stay, I'll be right by your side."

Shorter starts to back the knife away from your neck, but you stop him, "Waitaminute, Dragon...I'm feeling some type of way right now."

Shorter chuckles to lighten the mood and devilishly smiles, "Adrenaline got you that fucked up, huh?"