Never Too Late

For the Sake of His Beloved

Mastace slept. Visiting hours had long since been over, but the nurses told him that he could stay with his mate overnight. There wasn't any doubt that this was against protocol, but neither of them objected. Instead, they relished in the extra time they had been graciously allowed to have. They talked softly in each other's ears for a few hours, giggling and snuggling as carefully as possible so that Briggan didn't put any more stress on his ribs. But now, Mastace had passed out and Briggan was left staring at the ceiling once again. 

Memories of the fight still burned fresh in his mind, Don's words cutting through his thoughts like a hot knife through butter. So, you're the unlucky bastard that has to be purged alongside this filth... I can't wait to string your guts all over these halls... When I'm done with you, you're boyfriend's next.

"I don't think so, Don." Briggan muttered. "I'll make sure you're never finished with me." He turned to the sleeping Mastace, his lupine features softening as the fire in his soul raged on deep within. "For him."

The several weeks that followed seemed like literal Hell. The pain was insufferable. Briggan found that more often than not, he wished that he hadn't survived the fight. At least in death, there was a subtle warmth, thereby making it seem much more comfortable in comparison to the grievous torture that he now endured. As the days dragged on, he drew nearer and nearer to just begging for release from it all. Just as he was about to, however, something just... clicked. This wasn't him at all. This wasn't the person that he worked so hard to shape and forge into being. This was his former, weaker self starting to creep back into his life and take over. This was the wolf that Mastace had worked so hard to help him remove over the last four months or so.

Mastace.

The name shot through his body like a flame-tipped spear. This wasn't the wolf that Mastace had seen inside and fallen in love with. This was the wolf that would destroy everything he loved if Briggan allowed this to continue. He refused. He had a reason to fight all along, and he let himself lose sight of that. It was right in front of him, through it all, and he lost sight of why he needed to keep on keeping on, if not simply to live; and if not for the simple reason to keep on living, Briggan would hold on when it seemed like all he had left were the dead remnants of the fabric of what was once his life and he was going to use this new resolve to anchor him in the sea of chaos that was the world he now lived in, a world where he appeared not to fit in and where he went against the design all other things made like him, for the sake of his beloved. There was no denying that he was different, but he couldn't help wondering what about it made his choices wrong.

Briggan buttoned up his coat all the way, making it as tight as possible in an attempt to keep out the December air. It didn't work. Briggan loathed the cold entirely, especially when it felt much more intense than it really was. At least he had Mastace with him, else the walk to school would have been absolutely miserable.

The lion took notice of Briggan's discomfort and decided to reach out, hugging Briggan with one arm to bring him in closer. Briggan welcomed the gesture, leaning his head on Mastace as they walked. "Thank you," Briggan said.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. Ready for your first day back?"

"Not particularly," Briggan confessed. He wasn't very fond of the idea that he would have to cross paths with Don again, but it had to happen sooner or later. Briggan only wished he could have waited until after Christmas break to put life and limb on the line again instead of a week before.

"You'll be fine, I promise." Mastace hugged a little tighter, smiling.

"I wish I shared your confidence. How did you talk me into coming back early again?"

"I talked to you about it when you very first woke up. That's when you're most malleable." The smile Mastace wore gained a bit of a smug aura, with a hint of mischief added.

"I hate it when you do that," Briggan sighed, and Mastace laughed.

"At least I waited until you could speak coherent sentences, or else who knows what you might have said."

"True. In any case, I probably would've sounded like a drunken Yoda." Both laughed at this comment until their sides hurt and tears rolled down their cheeks.