Blood and Florals

"I want you to sing."

It came bursting out of him, like it had been lying in wait for an eon, like it was a racing dog set free from its starting point. The hurricane inside of him was threatening to break free. He'd kept it down for so long, kept it quiet and away from anyone it might disturb, but he'd miscalculated; as he got stronger, so did the storm. It screamed at him the way he imagined she would, wild and untethered, furious and hateful, sent to hurt him from every inch of himself that he allowed her to see. But also demanding his honesty, his authenticity, his real self. He was so scared. He was in so much pain and he was sure any more would cause his body to shatter, leaving him stranded in the ether, powerless and helpless. No. He had worked way too goddamn hard to give up and go there now.

Her eyes widened slightly, and then pinched into confusion. Her frozen lips twitched, struggling to find words as she thought.

"Sing?"