Ten PM--kind of late--but Lina'd been struggling with herself the entire day, and only now she'd made up her mind. Lina sighed in front of Zell's door right before she forced herself to knock. She had spent the day mentally preparing herself for what she was about to do. Zell opened the door and immediately a smile lit onto his face. "Hey Zell," Lina said; her smile was weak and he could sense something was up. He ushered her in and closed the door, but she only took a few steps.
Standing there in the middle of his room, in the middle of all the memories--their first kiss shared right there on his bed, all those nights they spent cuddled up beneath a blanket, and the happiness, the laughter and conversations--she realized that no amount of mental preparation could have prepared her for this. "What's up?" he asked, but she didn't respond for a little bit.
"Zell..." Lina said slowly, not exactly knowing what to say first. "I realize that...well, we've made it through a lot together...but...I mean..." Lina sighed and Zell began to catch a glimpse of what was going on and of the pain Lina was struggling through with what she was saying. "I'm a sorceress, Zell. You get hurt on my behalf, but trouble will always follow me." Lina reached for his wounded arm and ran her fingers down to her hand. Lina looked into his eyes. Damn it. She loved him--his misty blue-eyed gaze, his spiked blond hair, and that tattoo on the left side of his face. She thought about those times, they'd fallen asleep curled up on the couch, and in the morning, when she woke up first, she'd secretly trace her finger along that tattoo until he woke up and catch her hand in his.
"What are you trying to say, Lina?" he held his voice as firm as he could. Lina turned her gaze to his arm, but let go of him.
"I...I think I should leave," the words came out quietly, obviously forced. "I think I should travel." Lina breathed deeply. Zell looked at her, but couldn't get her to make eye contact.
"No, Lina..." Zell protested. "But...what if you get hurt?"
"Zell, I'm a big girl...not to mention a sorceress," she tried to joke, but there wasn't anything funny about it. In fact, it was that she was the sorceress she was that was forcing her to make this painful decision.
"Yeah...but..." he wanted to say--what a stupid idea. Lina, you know better than that. What are you thinking? But, he controlled himself--he remained as calm as he could and listened to what she had to say even though he damn well didn't like it.
"I would come back."
"Lina..."
"I think we should break up," Lina looked up at him finally, tears in her eyes and running down her cheeks. Zell grabbed her rather forcefully, eyes wide in horror, but couldn't speak--just shook his head in absolute horror. "Zell, I love you. I love you more than anything, so I have to. I have to. I don't want you getting hurt anymore!" Zell wanted to yell, scream, whatever, anything that would make her change her mind. With a handful of pain in his chest, he wrapped his arms fully around her and kissed her tenderly again and again--until Lina thought she would die. Tears fought their way out of his eyes.
"Come back soon."