The Gunslinger & the Salaryman: A Love Story for the Ages

Chapter 12: Hospital Room Confession

     "Revy," he grunted out. "Are... are you ok?"
     Rock had woken up from his coma, he was surprised to Revy there, crying and holding his hand.
     "Am I ok?" Revy asked rhetorically. "Am I fuckin' ok? I'm not the one that got fuckin' shot! You forget that or something, dumbass!?"
     "No, I didn't forget," Rock chuckled, wincing in pain as a result. "But, you're the one crying."
     "How the hell did you expect me to react?" exclaimed Revy. "My partner got fuckin' shot! You've never been shot before! I'm not as heartless as you think!"
     "I never said you were," he said, giving a little smile. "I just never saw you cry before. So, I guess we're both surprised today."
     "Guess so," she chuckled.

     "Hey, Revy?"
     "What is it, Rock?"
     "My hand's getting pretty sweaty," he  motioned to his hand, which Revy was still holding. She turned bright red and quickly pulled it away. "You were more worried about me than I thought."
     "Just because you took some bullets for me, doesn't mean ya get to fuckin' make fun of me!" she snapped.
     "I'm not making fun of you, Revy," he replied. "I'm actually very flattered."
     "Bed ridden and you're still bein' all fuckin' sweet to me," Revy groaned. "Why the fuck did you do that?"
     "Seems like the right thing," he said. "Comforting a friend."
     "Not that, dipshit," she began, standing up from her chair. "Back in the warehouse! Why the fuck did you run in the way of that shooter!? I could've dodged that!"
     "I'm sorry," Rock simply replied. "I wasn't really thinking about that."
     "No shit you weren't fuckin' thinking!" Revy exclaimed. "Shit like that you gotta think, dumbass!"
     "It's not always easy to think," Rock began. "When the person you love looks like they're about to get shot."
     "I don't wanna hear your fuckin' excuses, Rock!" she shouted. "That was a stupid thing to do and... wait... the fuck did you just say to me?"
     "It's not always easy to think..." he began.
     "Not that shit," she interrupted. "The other shit."
     "I think you heard me," he smiled nervously.
     "Fuckin' say it again then," she commanded.
     "I said," he groaned a little, shifting his body some. "I love you, Revy."

     Neither were certain how much time had passed after he said that.
     "Don't you fuck with me, Rock," she finally spoke. "Not you!"
     "What?" he said confused. "I'm... I'm not, Revy. I'm being completely serious."
     "This isn't fuckin' funny, Rock!" she exclaimed, her voice getting louder.
     "Revy!" he shouted, which sent a surge of pain all over. "I'm not joking! I jumped in the way of that shooter because I love you and I didn't want you to get hurt!"

     Revy looked into Rock's eyes, looking for any hint of bullshit. Nobody had ever said those words to her, nothing even remotely close. Maybe her mother, but she died long before she had any real memories of her. But, all she could see while looking into his eyes was total sincerity.
     "Are you out of your fuckin' mind!?" she exclaimed.
     "Excuse me?" he asked, once again confused.
     "How can you be in love with me!?" she continued, still yelling. "What kind of fuckin' idiot shithead would be in love with someone like me!?"
     "Apparently, this fucking idiot shithead," he said in a deadpan manner.
     "Seriously!" she yelled more. "How! You know who I am!"
     "Yes," he answered.
     "You've know what I've done!" she continued to shout. "The amount of fuckin' people I've killed!"
     "Yeah, I'm aware of that," he answered. "None of this is news to me, Revy."
     "Then how can you fuckin' be in love with me?" she still shouted, a look of utter confusion on her face.
     "I just am," he simply replied.
     "Are you fuckin' kidding me?" she asked, not yelling as loud now. "That's the only fuckin' answer you have? You just are?"
     "I mean, yeah," he answered matter of fact. "I have been for a while now. I can't fully explain it. Not sure if most people can explain their feelings. But, I know that's how I feel."
     "And what?" Revy began. "Do you expect me to say it back? And then all the shit will just go away? And we'll live happily god damned after!?"
     "I never said any of that," Rock replied.
     "Then why would you say that shit?" she asked.
     "Because, it's how I feel," he said, in a confused tone.
     "Nobody says shit like that without expecting something!" she sniped. "What the fuck do you want from me!?"
     "I don't want anything from you, Revy," he said defensively. "I mean, besides you."
     "Me!?" she shouted. "Some fucked up bitch with the moral compass of a fuckin' badger!"
     "A badger?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.
     "You want damaged goods!?" she went on. "A worthless piece of shit!"
     "Stop it," he started off quietly.
     "A stupid fuckin' whore!" she continued, tears forming again.

     "Stop it!" he shouted, then attempted to stand out of bed only for his legs to give way from lack of use.
     "Shit!"
     He began to fall to the ground and Revy grabbed him. He winced in pain, she'd no doubt touched some of his stitches. The two shared a bit of a chuckle once she got him back onto his bed.
     "You dumbass!" she chuckled. "Trying to use your legs after being bed ridden for two fuckin' weeks!"
     "I couldn't stand hearing you say those things about yourself," Rock admitted.
     The two sat there in silence for a moment before Revy started talking again.
     "There's shit you don't know about me, Rock," she said solemnly.
     "I know, Revy," he said.
     "If I told you about my life before Roanapur," she began. "There's no way you'd still love me."
     She was surprised by Rock putting his arms around her, and even more surprised when he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
     "Nothing you say would make me stop loving you, Revy," he said in a soft tone.
     "So, what? You don't care about my past?" she asked.
     "No," he answered. "I care a lot. If you want to tell me about it, then you can. But, if you don't want to, that's none of my business. But if you decide to tell me, I'm here, I got your back. Hopefully I won't need to block it with my actual back again."
     "You asshole," she chuckled.
     "Point is," he went on. "I'm not leaving you, Revy. I will never leave you. You're the most important thing to me in this whole fucked up world. I can't guarantee your absolute safety, not in this place, but I can promise to be there for you to the best of my abilities. How does that sound?"
     "Still sounds like you're the dumbest mother fucker on the planet," she chuckled. "And also, the sweetest mother fucker on the planet."

     "So," Rock began. "This make you my girlfriend?"
     "You better not fuckin' tell anyone," Revy chuckled. They sat there for a moment, both smiling wide.
      "Should we contact the doctors?" he asked. Revy leaned in to give Rock a kiss.
     "Not yet," she said with unusual softness in her voice. "I want to enjoy this moment for a bit longer.
     "Sounds good to me," Rock replied, wrapping his arms more around his new girlfriend.