He has a moment, before it all slips away, to think about Fio one last time. The news of this man's, this Avilio's- this Angelo's- true identity and true motives are a shock, but Vanno does not dwell on them because what does it matter? He'll be dead in seconds and no one will know his last thoughts, so he might as well spend them on whatever he wishes.
He's letting her down, he knows, because he will not be able to protect her anymore, and if anything happens with her husband, he won't be there for her. But hasn't he already let her down? It could have been him, but he never pursued her, never spoke up, and then it was too late, and there was somebody else and something that he couldn't get in the way of- not that it stopped him from doing what he could, though Nero wasn't much help at all.
They were supposed to be childhood sweethearts, but he screwed that one up. Even as kids, she mostly just laughed at him, thought he was funny when he tried to look after her, and growing up, she grew more and more distant from him until she was entirely out of his reach. And rather than going to her father about it or being more direct when talking to Nero about her, or, hell, even coming out and telling her how he felt, he hesitated and he hesitated and now she's married to someone else and he is nearly dead.
Vanno has a lot of regrets, like any man would, and he says a quick prayer in his mind, hoping it's enough to earn his forgiveness, but most of all, he prays for her, for her health and happiness, and for someone else to look after her, should her husband fail her. He thinks of her face, her smile, the last time he ever truly saw it, and then that fades, along with everything else.
YOU ARE READING
Unrelated 91 Days Oneshots
Hayran KurguContrary to the title, most of these are actually short drabbles. Sometimes NSFW, but always appropriately marked.
