The price is his freedom. None of these people were their own anymore. They're tied to a being that they rely on. The taste of power, the physical manifestation of that power becomes a part of them. It digs so deep that they learn they can’t live without it.

He wouldn’t be hers anymore.

The price is too steep.

We’re not

He steps away, leaving her colder than before without his touch. An emptiness grows and she fills it with rage, as she learned to do. Her brows furrow and her muscles tighten. A narrowed gaze burns into his cheek since he refuses to look at her, “Bull shit, Killian. I was stupid, naïve, lost, I made mistakes – that’s why we’re in this mess. But I’ve grown past that. We’ve grown,” Closer, stronger, deeper in love. And they’re still growing stronger.

Killian Decker

"Yeah..."

From his peripheral, he can see her staring. Feel the heat that turned her amber eyes into lasers that seared a hole into his cheek.

"But we've grown inside a cage."

He's trying to break them free of it.

Alexandra Briarwood

She won’t deny they’ve grown inside a cage. It’s what they try to break free from, why they hunt for strength and power. It’s ultimately for each other. She hunts to protect him; he hunts to protect her.

“You’ll go from one cage to another if you sell your soul to that thing.”

She spits it out like the bitter taste of an apricorn. Lex has been trapped in a cage too long, always someone’s puppet. She has no intention of letting Kilian live that kind of life, all because of her.

Killian Decker

"What?"

Baffled, he looked back to her.

"That's what this is about?"

Maybe if he weren't so damn tired, he'd have seen it sooner. Of course, Lex would be worried about something like that. But she's wrong - that's not what's going to happen.

"You're worried for nothing. I'm not going to let something else control me. I'm stronger than that."

Alexandra Briarwood

Easier said than done. No one seeks to be controlled, it just kind of. . . happens. It sits wrong in her stomach. It twists and turns, the thought of it alone making her nauseous. It makes her shift uncomfortably. To her, the risk does not outweigh the reward.

“Exactly,” she says abruptly, pointing a finger at him, “You are stronger than that, you don’t need it,” Point made, “I don’t want that for you – for us. If this is all to protect me, listen to me . . . To what I want . . . please,” There’s an undertone of desperation to her voice. He’s stubborn, she knows that and fears there’s little she can do to change his mind.

Killian Decker

She's so sure that this is going to backfire in his face. That alone irritated him. Anyone else, and he'd have dropped this conversation minutes into it. Only because he loved her did Killian listen. But if he heard the desperation, it goes ignored.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping to squeeze stress out from his nostrils.

"Don't use my words against me." it's dirty, and she knew it.

"I'm not strong enough to stop Lugia or Darkrai." Or a meteor hurtling toward them at a million miles an hour. "Neither are you." That's why he needed Deoxys. Without it, without something to give them an edge - they're going to be powerless.

Stuck.

"But fine, I'll slow down."

Alexandra Briarwood

Of course it’s dirty, she knows that. She’s running out of way to try and get him to understand. So, she’s desperate, reaching for whatever she can.

The expression in her features harden, stone cold in defense of the growing pit in her stomach. She knows he is right. He can’t stop them; she can’t stop them. Together they stand a chance. Maybe. After feeling the wrath of one it’s quite hard to imagine ever being strong enough to defy it. She’ll never admit that out loud, she has to cling to something that doesn’t jeopardize their freedom more so than it already is.

“We can be,” she finally says, letting a silence fill the void before he speaks again.

Ultimately, he entertains her with what is sure to be a lie. With a heavy sigh she sinks back into the stool beside the countertop, “Ok . . . Thank you,” she taps her finger against the coffee mug once more, casting him a curious sideways glance, “So that means you’ll go take a nap now, right?” the corner of her cherry lips tug into a small smirk, attempting to lighten the mood.

Killian Decker

Can they be? The way Lex's face is as solid as a brick wall and how her eyes burn with a confident flame. It's almost enough to convince him they can. Them against the world sounds so pleasant. A blissful dream instead of the nightmare he's been living in.

"Yeah..." Killian yawned, "Anything for you, Dove."

Anything but stopping, Killian couldn't do that. Not if it meant keeping her safe and protected. She'd hate him for it now, but when this all worked out, she'd see.

She'd have to see.

He blinked at the mention of a nap, eyes darting back to the freshly poured cup of coffee. What a waste of something so precious.

A weary smile laced his lips as he looked back to her. "I dunno," stepping over to the stool, he slid his hands up her thighs and leaned forward, "Maybe if you'll join me." lids closed, he planted a kiss. Never mind the taste of pumpkin spice on her lips.

Alexandra Briarwood

Anything. She knows he doesn’t mean it, not truly. He wouldn’t stop, but she could try to slow him down, give them more time to get stronger, more time to convince him that it wasn’t worth it. She wouldn’t stop either.

Although she had not woken up too long ago from a good night’s sleep, she entertains the idea with a soft smile. If it meant him actually getting some rest, she’d pretend to sleep all day. Her hand leaves the coffee mug, warmth radiating from it as it cups his cheek gently. She returns the kiss and pulls back with the same soft smile, “Of course . . . but you’re actually sleeping, Killian,” No funny business . . . until later.

Killian Decker

"Yeah, yeah." he backed away, waving off her words "I'll go right to sleep." another tired smile parted his lips. Honestly, he probably would pass out once his back hit the bed. The damn thing was so comfortable.

Without another word, he took Lex by the hand and made his way upstairs.

To sleep, as he promised.

Alexandra Briarwood