NEW  TAG  DROP  PART  2 !!  ( bc i hate myself.  )

it was my turn to save him.

^{@faithguided ┊because we  h a t e  each other & love to cry over sethkate, here’s your hallucinating seth starter.}

---

^{Look at you. You look like a goddamn mess, you fucking coward. No wonder your mother left us & left me with your pathetic ass and your good for nothing brother. And this little girl  ?  She’s just as STUPID as you, thinking you’re some good guy but you’re keeping her as a fucking hostage because you’re too weak to handle this shit alone. USELESS. You’re USELESS, just like Richard. You’re a DISGRACE. A FUCKING DISGRACE, SETH, Y’ HEAR ME  ?   And your little bitch should pay for your mistakes because let’s face it, Seth. You can never keep a woman because you’re a god for nothing FLUNKIE. You couldn’t keep Vanessa so here you are, running away with a fucking child.} 

               ^{&&  before SETH could say anything, BOOM !! there she was —— suffering before him, bleeding to near death all because of his fucking father.. the same person that haunted him every single day of his pathetic life. his voice always echoing in the back of his head over and over and over again until it drove him insane.} 

               ^{he woke in a COLD sweat screaming her name, eyes frantically searching for her with trembling hands moving aimlessly around the bed he found himself in,    ❛    KATE .. KATE .. wh — where are you ?? where are you ??    ❜   he could feel his heart breaking through his chest with each beat, nearly ripping through each bone that held it in place. blood rushed throughout his body  &  gave him a newfound strength  &  his vision was blurry .. colors blending within each other until he saw her silhouette at the opposite end of the bed. it was her. it had to be her. her pale skin and brown hair stood out from the rest, leaving him breathless as if seeing her alive was a fucking miracle. she was dead. she was dying in front of him .. yet here she was sitting besides him. ALIVE.}  

               ^{❛   KATE .. i’m sorry .. i’m so sorry .. wh- you were dead & i couldn’t help you .. i-i couldn’t save you,   ❜   he pleaded hysterically as he reach over for her with shaky hands cradling her face. it had to be the drugs that made his mind go insane but he couldn’t shake the vision out of his head. her dead? it was a nightmare .. it was a fucking nightmare he couldn’t get  a w a y  from ..} 

                      _{she  had  never  meant  to  fall  asleep.  normally ,   she  couldn’t  even  stomach  being  in  the  same  room  with  him  while  he  rode  out  his  trip.  it  was  his  habit.  and  while  she  played  a   HELPING   HAND ,   she  only  did  so  to  keep  him  from  going  too  far.  today ,   EXHAUSTION   had  just  made  too  heavy  a  home  within  her.  she  had  stayed  her  few  minutes  by  his  side ,   carefully  watching  to  make  sure  he  was  breathing   &   positioned  in  a  safe  way.  then  before  she  knew  it ,   she  had  lulled  off  to  sleep  right  next  to  him.   A   PEACEFUL   SLEEP ,   SURPRISINGLY.   until  he  started  shouting  her  name and  his  sweaty  palms  found  her  cheeks.}

                      _{it  took  a  second  —  maybe  a  few  of  them  —  for  her  world  to  click  into  place ;   for  his  words  to  somewhat  register.  dead ?  what  was  he  ————  oh.  she  let  his  words  fully  process ,   settle  beneath  her  skin.  skin  that  now  ran  cold  at  the   IDEA   of  what  he might  have  seen.  small  fingers  wrapped  ( as  best  they  could )  around  his  wrists ,   soft  hushing  sounds  falling  from  her  lips.      ❝  i-it’s   okay.   hey ,   shhhh.  ❞      sounds  meant  more  for  comfort  than  anything  else ,   she  was  aware  of  how  little  they  actually  did  in  a  situation  like  this.  and  this ?  this   ENTIRE   EPISODE   was  just  another  reason  to  add  to  the  list  of  why  him  shooting  up  made  her  uncomfortable.  because  kate  had  NEVER   ( in  the  last  three  months )  seen  him  so  frantic.}

                      _{❝  seth ,   i’m   right   here.   it   was   a   dream ,   okay ?   a   really ,   REALLY   BAD   dream   that’s   not   gonna   come   true.  ❞      her  hands  moved ;   up   &   down  the  length  of  his  arm ,   to  his  elbow.  she  repeated  the  action ,   falling  into  a  steady  rhythm  as  she  tried  to  offer  any  kind  of  support  or  comfort  she  could.  nightmares  were  something  she  knew  enough  about.  first  hand  experience  had  left  her  scarred.  a  common  thing  among  their  motel  rooms ,   now  it  seemed  to  be  coming  for   BOTH   OF   THEM.      ❝  i’m   alive.   i’m   safe.   a-and..   you   did.   you   saved   me.  ❞      hesitantly ,   she  pulled  his  hands  away  from  her  face.  but  before  he  had  a  chance  to   OBJECT   TO   HER   ACTIONS ,   her  fingers  rested  against  the  back  of  his  neck  and  pulled  him  into  her.  the  hug  she  offered  was   TIGHT,   BUT   FREE   enough  that  he  could  pull  away  if  he  really  wanted.  she  just  needed  him  to  know  ——  she  was  okay.      ❝  it   was   just   a   dream.  ❞      @guapogecko}

do we pretend these feelings don’t exist at all, or do we fall?

                                                          ^{let  her  go.  just  let  her  go.} 

                    ^{words  of  doubt   SCREAMED   within  the  dark  abyss  of  his  mind  but  he  was   too   weak  to  let  go.  her  words  held  him  captive.  he  was  a  skeptical  to  her  words.  something  like  a  non  believer  of   GOD   finding  light  at  the  end  of  the  tunnel,  just  to  find  her  at  the  end,  waiting  for  him;   bloody   &   smiling.   as  much  as  he  wanted  to  push  her  away   &   never  look  back,  he  cared.  he  cared  for  her  as  much  as  he  did  for  richie   (   even  if  he  didn’t  want  to  admit  it  in  front  of  her   ).   if  he  never  cared  for  her ,  she  would’ve  never  had  the  upper  hand  in  this  situation.  leaving  him  to  believe  for  a  split  second  that  they  were  better   TOGETHER   as  she  said  back  at  the  temple.  but  now  they  were  here  —  in  the  middle  of  a  dirt  road,  confessing  feelings   (   from  her  at  least   )   &   falling  victim  to  her  lips  locking  with  his  regardless  of  how  sickening  his  mind  was,  full  of  doubt.} 

                    ^{but  he  didn’t  pull  away  because  he   needed   her.  he   needed   her  to  silence  the  voices  in  his  mind.   &   dammit,  he   needed   her  to  save  him  from  himself.   &   for  a  moment,  he  allowed  that  to  flow  out  of  him  through  his  lips.  pressing  them  against  hers,   DESPERATELY.   and  he  knew  there  was  no  turning  back;  every   fear   he  ever  had  melted  away  from  his  trembling  hands  only  to  be  replaced  with  a  sliver  of   CONFIDENCE   as  he  deepened  their  kiss  of   unspoken words.   his  hand  slid  off  of  her  cheek,  catching  the  feeling  of  her  own  following  his  until  warm  tips  wrapped  around  her  neck.  he   needed   her  closer  until  they  were  as  close  as  two  damaged   SOULS   could  be.  not  until  they  were  combined  as  one.   in unison.}

                       _{prayers  that  should  have  rested  silent  on  her  tongue  still  screamed  up  to  the  sky  above  them.  a  thank  you  to  god  that ,   FOR   ONCE ,   he  wasn’t  running  away  from  her.  she’d  been  expecting  it.  as  calm  as  the  air  might  have  seemed  between  them…  this  had  to  be  the  calm  before  the  storm ,   right ?  that  was  how  they  worked.  she  tried  to  break  through  to  him ;   help  him  see  that  there  was  still   GOOD   IN   HIS   HEART.   the  good  he  was  always  so  set  on  ignoring.  and  he  continued  to  do  everything  in  his  power  to  send  her  running  when  all  she  wanted  was  to   STAY   BY   HIS   SIDE.   but  his  fingers  against  her  neck  made  her  jump.  it  set  fire  to  her  skin  and  pulled  her  even  closer  to  him ,   hovering  on  the  edge  of  her  seat.   every  second  that  ticked  by ,   she  found  herself   DROWNING   IN   HIM.} 

                       _{the  confined  space  of  the  car  wasn’t  exactly  comfortable ,   but  the   LAST   THING   she  was  going  to  do  was  complain.  instead  her  fingers  found  the  fabric  of  his  shirt ,   balling  into  small  fists  as  she  returned  his  desire  to  close  more  the  space  between  them.  kissing  him  had  never  been  in  her  plan.  it  had  been   SO   FAR   FROM   THE   PLAN ,   she  hadn’t  even  known  it  was  an  option.  but  somehow  his  lips  moving  with  hers  felt  like  home.  and  she  never  wanted  it  to  end.  hesitant  actions  followed  his  lead ;   trying  to  deepen  the  kiss  and  test  the  waters.  but  when  she  felt  like  her  lungs  were  ready  to   CAVE   IN   &   COLLAPSE   from  lack  of  air ,   she  pulled  her  lips  away.  her  forehead  rested  with  his  as  she  panted  softly ,   unaware  that   ONE   KISS   leave  her  so  breathless  ( and  almost  lightheaded ).  the   INEXPERIENCED   PART   of  her  brain  kicked  in ,   asking  her  to  be  the  one  to  fill  the  space  with  words  and  end  the  silence.  but  she  couldn’t.  she  didn’t  know  what  to  say  without   RUINING   THE   MOMENT.  @guapogecko}

                       _{❝  no ,   no.   i   CLEARLY   REMEMBER   you   saying ;   kate ,   if   you   let   me   watch   this   movie ,   you   can   pick   the   next   one.   and   i   won’t   complain.  ❞      she  settled  down  into  the  spot  next  to  him.  the  bed  wasn’t   EXACTLY   HUGE ,   but  it  was  big  enough  for  them  to  co-exist  for  an  hour  or  two.  ( this  definitely was  one  of  the  nicer  motels  they’d  stayed  at  recently. )  they  each  had  their  space.   NO   LINES   WERE   CROSSED.    although  half  way  through ,   she  somehow  always  ended  up  curled  up  into  his  side.  usually   SOUND   ASLEEP.       ❝  don’t   worry ,   i’m   not   gonna   make   you   watch   the   notebook   or   somethin’.   okay ?   i   was   thinkin’   a   comedy.   ——   i   promise   it   won’t   kill   you   to   watch   somethin’   that   came   out   THIS   DECADE.  ❞      @guapogecko} 

she wanted to be the light that guided his way.

                    ^{HIS   HEAD   WAS   POUNDING.   and  as  much  as  he  wished  he  could  go  back  to  sleep  or  another  high,  he  knew  that  would’ve  been  unreachable   (   even  if  he  tried   ).   ❛   listen,   KATE   ——   ❜   all  he  wanted  to  do  was  leave.  start  anew,  get  all  the  money  he  needed   &   just  fall  off  the  face  of  the  fuckin’  earth   /  TO  EL  REY   but  for  some  reason,  he  felt   GUILTY   ?   but  he  knew  before  anything  else,  he  needed  to  protect  her  rather  than  himself.  that  was  just  how  things  went  between  them   (   even  if  he  was  still  under  the  influence   ).    ❛   you  staying  here  isn’t  a  good  idea,  alright   ?   ❜   whispered  words  fell  off  his  numb  tongue,  his  head  spinning  the  longer  he  sat  up.     ❛   that’s  why  i  left  you  with  the  money  and  the  car.   ❜   just  keep  pushing  her  away,  maybe  she’ll  eventually  leave  ..     ❛   i  was  …  i  was  protectin’  you.   ❜   half  lidded  eyes  glanced  towards  her,  corners  of  his  lips  tugging  down  slightly  to  form  a  frown  for  a  second  before  he  laid  himself  back  down.  his  world  was  spinning   at  a  hundred  miles  a  minute,  but  this  wasn’t  anything  she  wasn’t   ALREADY   USED   TO.}         

                       _{it  felt  like  his  words  echoed  in  the  very   FABRIC   OF   HER   SOUL.   she  let  him  have  his  moment ;   listening  carefully  as  he  explained  his  actions  as  best  he  could  in  his  state.  she  wasn’t  going  to  argue  with  him.  what  would  she  really  accomplish  by  telling  him  that  leaving  her  in  the  middle  of  some  dirt  road  ( even  with  the  money   &   the  car )  with  a   FAKE   PASSPORT   was  really  doing  more  damage ?  what  if  she  got  caught  going  across  the  border ;   if  they  picked  up  on  the  fact  that  it  was  a  fake ?  she  wouldn’t  throw  that  in  his  face.  not  now ,   NOT   EVER   if  she  could  help  it.  because  she  could  see  it  in  his  eyes  —  he  really  was  just  trying  to  do  the  right  thing.  in  his  own  way.      ❝  leaving   isn’t   a   good   idea   either.   y-you   need   someone   to   take   care   of   you ,   seth.   a-and   even   if   you   hate   the   idea ,   YOU   NEED   A   PARTNER.  ❞      a  sigh  worked  through  her  lips.  she  stood  from  the  bed ,   and  moved  into  the  bathroom  without  explanation ,   returning  a  minute  later  with  a  warm  washcloth.  kate  sat  herself  next  to  him ,   one  leg  curled  under  her  as  she  began  to  press  the  cloth  against  his  forehead.  taking  care  of  him  was  nothing  new.  but  it   BROKE   HER   HEART   each   &   every  time.      ❝  stop   pushin’   me   away   because   it’s..   it’s   not   gonna   work.   i’m   not   gonna   leave   you.  ❞}

she won’t force him into salvation, but she will offer a helping hand.

          ^{a  low  groan  fell  from  his  lips  as  he  pushed  himself  to  sit  upright,  his  vision  coming  off  blurry.  moments  passed  until  he  managed  to  gain  some  conscience  as  he  looked  around  the  room.  nothing  changed   —   they  were  still  in  the  same  shitty,  tight  MOTEL  ROOM  that  smelled  like  old  mexican  burritos  and  her  perfume.    ❛   how  can  you  do  that,  hm  ?  watching  me  be  a  fuckin’  failure  as  always  as  i  shoot  up,  kate  ?  just  save  yourself.  ❜   she  didn’t  deserve  to  look  after  a  grown  ass  man,  let  alone  come  back  to  what  he  knew  she  must’ve   despised  more  than  anything.  WASTING  TIME  when  they  could’ve  been  trying  to  get  more  money   or   attempt  to..  or  save  her  brother.} 

                       _{hesitant  fingers  hovered  in  the  air  around  his  frame ;   as  if  she  could  offer   ANY   KIND   of  physical  support.  if  he  lost  his  balance ,   he  would  hit  the  floor  before  she  could  even  hope  to  catch  him.      ❝  y-you’re…   you’re   not..  ❞      she  wanted  to   SCREAM   AT   HIM.   he  was  not  a  failure.  not  in  her  eyes.  but ,   she  couldn’t  stand  there  and   CONDONE   his  drug  habit.  she  had  already  played  enough  of  a  part  in  it.      ❝  you’re   not   a   failure ,   seth.   you’re   just…   you’re   not   makin’   the   best   decisions.   b-but…   that’s   okay.   not   everything   is   life   can   be   perfect   all   the   time.  ❞      SHE   WAS   PREACHING.   she  could  taste  the  difference  in  her  tongue ,   and  she  hated  it.  she  hated  it  when  her  father  did  it.  and  to  hear  it  in  her  own  voice ?   it  made  her  flinch.      ❝  and   i’m   not   here   to   save   you.   th-the   only   person   that   can   save   you…   is   you.   but   i   can   help.   i   wanna   help.  ❞}

@guapogecko

          ^{his brows raised at their highest, still in DISBELIEF at her comeback & how low she decided to go with it all. every day she seemed to learn how to throw deadly comebacks at him, nearly leaving him breathless. but he was the professional shit talker here, not some little religious girl who just so happened to be leaning a little too close to a damned criminal. she loved tip toeing around fire, did she not? it seemed as if they were two magnets. two opposites & damn it, was it getting harder and harder to resist to attraction.} 

          ^{tan fingertips rested comfortably under his stubble, amused eyes dancing along the contours of her face, already wishing that he wasn’t so damned close to her at this moment. how much space was left between them? three inches & he could still feel the warmth of her breath brushing against his lips. it was a wicked fucking game, alright —— & from the looks of it, he was losing horribly.} 

          ^{❛ fine. ❜ he whispered softly, lips already curling into that charming smirk of his, head tilting slightly as he reached for his beer nearby. he took a quick sip and licked his lips of any excess, never once leaving his eyes from hers. if she wanted to tease, he decided to do the same fucking thing. ❛ go ahead, little lady. i’ll put some trust in you & we’ll see if you can handle yourself. ❜ over and over again, digits grazed along his chin while he looked between her eyes & her lips. he was torn between the two. but he knew he should’ve ended the conversation there. just let her win, you asshole.  but that was impossible. nearly I M P O S S I B L E.}

          ^{❛ and actually, i didn’t wish that you kissed me over richie because let’s face it, ❜ heated breath caressed against her mouth like a million kisses tingling along her porcelain skin as a single finger reached over her lower lip, tracing the shape of it softly before pushing aside a loose strand of her hair from her cheek. ❛ you made your choice. so now, you’re gonna stick with it. ❜ and with that being said, he moved back down to his seat and grabbed his beer, that charming smirk still hanging off his lips.. though his eyes were still hovering over her lips. shamelessly.} 

                      _{three  months  had  taught  her  enough  to  know  –——   HE   WAS   A   DICK.   a  tease ,   at  best ,   that  had  no  problem  flirting  when  it  suited  him.  only  to  flip  the  switch  within  a  blink ,   suddenly  ice  cold.  that  was  supposed  to  be  her  secret  weapon ;   knowing  his  game  plan  before  he  made  a  single  move.   SHE   was  going  to  shock   HIM   by  being  prepared  for  it.  laughing  in  his  face.  and  having  a  comeback  ready   &   waiting.   WRONG.   the  combination  of  his  breath  and  his  fingers  against  her  skin ,   HER   LIPS ,   proved  to  be  too  much.  she  froze.  the  first  sign  that  she  had  definitely  lost  their  little  game.}

                       _{seconds  ticked  passed.  even  when  he’d  pulled  back  from  her ,   all  she  could  do  was   STARE   at  him.  her  heart  hammered  in  her  chest.  she   TRIED   ( and  failed )  to  count  the  beats  —  one ,   two ,   four ,   seven ?  on  and  on  it  went  to  the  point  that  she  almost   WORRIED   he  could  hear  it’s  impact.  or  at  the  very  least ,   see  the  way  it  rattled  her  ribcage.  it  was  well  over  a  minute  before  she  could  blink ,   a  breath  passing  between  her  lips.  and  god ,   SHE   HATED   HIM.}

                       _{❝  t-ten   bucks…   ten   bucks   says   the   first   time   a   guy   looks   at   me   cross   eyed ,   you   jump   in.  ❞      she’d  meant  to  sound   SO   MUCH   STRONGER   than  that.  but  she  still  trembled  as  she  leaned  back  in  her  seat.  she  needed  to  get  away  from  him.  from  this  entire  conversation.  it  was  toeing  that  line  they  constantly  danced  around.  she  pushed  her  chair  back ,   it’s  legs  scrapping  against  the  pavement  before  she  stood  up.  hands  collected  the  remains  of  their  meal ,   the  napkins ,   anything.  because  what  better  excuse  to  walk  away  than  to  throw  out  their  garbage.      ❝  you’re   right ,   i   made   my   choice.  ❞      she  spoke  softly ,   a  shrug  accompanying  her  words.  each  syllable   LACED   WITH   her  defeat.}

                       _{another  breath  passed  between  her  lips ,   a  sigh  that  went  hand  in  hand  with  the  shrug  she’d  given ,   as  she  moved  around  the  table.  it  was  only  when  her  body  stood  next  to  his  that  she  paused.  teeth  sunk  into  her  bottom  lip.  and  she  could   ONLY   PRAY   that  he  didn’t  see  her  shake.  she  leaned  down ,   just  enough  that  her  lips  could  hover  above  his  ear.      ❝  b-but…   i’m   sure   i   picked   the   better   kisser   anyways.  ❞      words  were  delivered  in  a   LOW   WHISPER.   taunting ,   c h a l l e n g i n g.   DANGEROUS ,   DANGEROUS   TERRITORY.   another  shrug  of  her  shoulders  and  she  stood  back  up  straight.  her  feet  beginning  to  carry  her  away  from  him.}

his broken pieces were like a work of art.

          ^{❛   kate,  you’ve  gotta  take  care  of  yourself.  i-i’m  fine.  don’t  worry  about  me.   ❜}

          _{❝    you   are   not   fine.   so…   take   your   own   advice.   don’t   worry   about   me.   let   me   take   care   of   you..   ❞} 

a mess. ❜

                  ^{❛  ——  with  me  ?  n-no,  kate ..  you’re  supposed  to  be  back   HOME;  safe   &   sound.  ❜}

           _{❝    i’m   safe   and   sound   here.   ——   someone’s   gotta   take   care   of   you.   ❞} 

seth. ❜

          ^{IT TOOK EVERYTHING IN HIM    not to throw the closest thing against the furthest wall. that’s all he could do to try & calm his nerves — to try and ease away his anger at the countless amount of times that they’ve gotten on each other’s nerves. screaming matches that turned into crying fests that only ended in him nearly overdosing with his    OWN VENOM    ( according to her words ). it was something that he needed to cope with the rest of his days; failing over & over with his horrible jobs. and he felt like a goddamn failure and surely he could only imagine his father agreeing within the depths of his mind. he was a ‘ piece of shit & good for nothing excuse of a fucking criminal ‘.}

          ^{and he could only imagine, she’d feel the same way about him but she was a forgiving character. that’s how she was. she may had fallen from grace or followed him into his    dark ways    but he knew she didn’t deserve to follow him around or deal with his shit. she deserved to be back home, living the rest of her life like a normal teenager. not hiding behind locked motel doors because the cops were looking for    HIM.    and it seemed as if no matter how many times he told her this, she still fucking pushed the idea away. how blind could she be   ??   how    STUBBORN    could she be   ??} 

          ^{but her words caught him in a dead end; giving him no other choice but to face what was handed to him. to accept the fact that .. she wasn’t going anywhere. she was practically here to stay .. by his side whether he wanted her to or not. but he could dare keep her    HOSTAGE    another day —— it left an ache in his bones, knowing day in & day out she was sacrificing her    TEEN YEARS    .. and her possibility of living a    SAFE LIFE    to be with him ?}

          ^{❛    KATE,    h-how    NAIVE    can you be   ?    ❜     calling her that — the little names made his skin crawl but he needed to get through to her that he was no good for her.    ❛    you had an    OPPORTUNITY    to leave. to go back home and you decided to stick around and    FOLLOW    a criminal,    KATE.    you’re following a    CRIMINAL    around mexico. we’re both   lost.   we    BOTH    don’t know what the fuck we’re doing and now you’re telling me this   ? after the hundreds of time where we’ve nearly gotten caught by the    COPS    .. you’re telling me i make you feel    SAFE    ?    ❜    he was pushing away every feeling that came to the surface & in the worst way.. he was trying to push her away. the one & only person that made him feel .. sane ?}

             _{she   HATED   when  he  did  that.  he  brushed  off  everything  she  said  and  used  the  excuse  that  she  was  being  naive.  that  was   STILL   how  he  looked  at  her.  a  child  that  didn’t  know  any  better.  a  teenager  that  thought  this  was  some  kind  of  game.  she  was   MORE  THAN  THAT.   while  other  girls  her  age  were  worrying  about  homecoming  and  prom ,   kate  was  fighting  to  survive  —  to  keep  him  away  from  the  cops.  and  praying  every  day  that  he  didn’t  kill  himself  with  his   NASTY   drug  habit.  she  had  been  forced  to  grow  up  a  lot  faster  than  most.}

             _{❝   ———   and   how   NAIVE   are   you ?   ❞   she  knew  she  was  toeing  that  line  again.  fighting  back   &   challenging  him  never  went  well  in  that  moment.  it  was  when  things  had  calmed  down ,   that  she  noticed  the  change  in  the  way  he  looked  at  her ;   like  he  was  proud  of  her  sharp  tongue   &   ever  growing  wit.   ❝   go   home   to   what ,   seth ?   a-an   empty   house ?   make  up   some   story   about   why   my   dad   and   brother   didn’t   come   home   with   me ?   y-you   make   it   sound   like   i   could’ve   just…   picked   up   where   i   left   off !   ❞}   

             _{there  it  was ,   she  recoiled  into  herself.  arms  folded  across  her  chest  just  as  her  gaze  dipped  away  from  his.  it  wasn’t  like  kate  was  a  stranger  to  fighting  with  him.  the  last   THREE  MONTHS   had  been  filled  with  fight  after  fight.  they  were  both  too  stubborn.  they  disagreed  more  often  than  not.  but ,   at  the  end  of  the  day..  he  did  make  her  feel  safe.  she  wasn’t  going  to  let  this  conversation  completely  change  course  so  he  could  ignore  that.   ❝   yeah.   and   h-how   many   times   have   you   protected   me ?   you   ALWAYS   put   yourself   in   the   line   of   fire   a-and   act   like   it’s   nothing.   it’s   not   nothing ;   not   to   me.   ———   i   don’t   know   if   we’re   ever   gonna   get   out   of   here   but..   at   least   i   know   i’m   not   alone.   i-i   know   that   if   things   don’t   go   as   planned ,   you’re   gonna   look   out   for   me.   because   that’s   what   we   do.   we   take   care   of   each   other.   ❞}