TW: MCD, Blood, Gun Shots, Angst

Song: Kiss It All Better by He Is We

It wasn't the shot that killed him.

No, that wasn't it. Rythian looked at the killer, blood flowing from his wounds. He shook off the fact that he was probably going to jail for committing this murder, but he didn't feel the guilt.

Instead he was cradling Zoeya, her blood on his hands as her heart slowed with each beat.

"Stay with me Zoey." He whispered, they were supposed to be happy right now. Rythian finally found it within in him to propose to the love of his life. She said yes, they were happy. They were finally at the point in their lives where they were ready for something that scared them both. Now, it had been torn away from Rythian, something that he would never forget.

Zoey looked at him, she could feel herself fading with each beat. Everything felt heavy, all she wanted to do was close her eyes and make the pain go away. She wanted Rythian to take away her pain, to make sure that everything was safe and okay. But somewhere she knew that the pain wasn't leaving. And she knew her time was shortening.

"I don't want to go Ryth." She whispered, tears falling down her face. Rythian squeezed her hand and shook his head.

"You aren't going Zoey. I won't let you." He promised, knowing that he was going to fail to keep it. Zoey tried to smile but failed, she saw the blood on his hands. She knew she was going. Rythian looked at Zoey his eyes filling with his own tears. He could feel her getting colder as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"It's not your fault Ryth." She whispered, the effort itself to actually speak tore a strangled sob from Rythian. He shook his head and Zoeya closed her eyes, her beating stopped and her body laid still.

Rythian shook his head, failing to understand what's happened as he was surrounded by two people who had died that night.

"Zoey." He whispered, shaking her body slightly. He saw no reaction from the girl and he began to shake, the tears falling freely as his sobs shacked his body.

"ZOEY!" He screamed till his throat was raw, his arms tightened around her lifeless body and rested his head on hers.

"Don't leave me." He whispered, hearing the sirens in the distance.

-

Rythian laid awake in his cell, the memory of the gun shot would always haunt his dreams. He would always remember Zoey falling into his arms as the blood soaked into her shirt. He would remember the numbness as he killed another man. Most of all he would remember holding Zoeya in his arms as she died.

It's not your fault Ryth. The words repeated in his head repeatedly. He knew he could have tried to prevent it, that he could have taken the shot for her. That he should have taken the shot for her.

He sighed and closed his eyes, the memory of her staring at him with tears forever burned there.

"I don't want to go Ryth" His eyes snapped open and shook his head. He sat up and held his head in his hands. He didn't want her to go. He never wanted her to go.

The only real piece of her he had left was the engagement ring they allowed him to keep. That was the only thing left of her, and he treasured it everyday. He normally hoped it would keep the nightmares away but it was a long shot. Considering his nightmares were just a repeat of that night.

Other members thought Rythian was crazy. Many of them couldn't blame him. From their knowledge of the events that happened, he killed a man in cold blood in revenge of the love of his life. He had to deal with the guilt of two deaths and serve out the rest of his life in jail. So many of them left the man alone, leaving him some nights when he screamed for the girl called Zoey to come back to him, for the pain to go away. They let him mourn in peace.

–

There was a certain night that Rythian

It wasn't the shot that killed him.

No, that wasn't it. Rythian looked at the killer, blood flowing from his wounds. He shook off the fact that he was probably going to jail for committing this murder, but he didn't feel the guilt.

Instead he was cradling Zoeya, her blood on his hands as her heart slowed with each beat.

"Stay with me Zoey." He whispered, they were supposed to be happy right now. Rythian finally found it within in him to propose to the love of his life. She said yes, they were happy. They were finally at the point in their lives where they were ready for something that scared them both. Now, it had been torn away from Rythian, something that he would never forget.

Zoey looked at him, she could feel herself fading with each beat. Everything felt heavy, all she wanted to do was close her eyes and make the pain go away. She wanted Rythian to take away her pain, to make sure that everything was safe and okay. But somewhere she knew that the pain wasn't leaving. And she knew her time was shortening.

"I don't want to go Ryth." She whispered, tears falling down her face. Rythian squeezed her hand and shook his head.

"You aren't going Zoey. I won't let you." He promised, knowing that he was going to fail to keep it. Zoey tried to smile but failed, she saw the blood on his hands. She knew she was going. Rythian looked at Zoey his eyes filling with his own tears. He could feel her getting colder as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"It's not your fault Ryth." She whispered, the effort itself to actually speak tore a strangled sob from Rythian. He shook his head and Zoeya closed her eyes, her beating stopped and her body laid still.

Rythian shook his head, failing to understand what's happened as he was surrounded by two people who had died that night.

"Zoey." He whispered, shaking her body slightly. He saw no reaction from the girl and he began to shake, the tears falling freely as his sobs shacked his body.

"ZOEY!" He screamed till his throat was raw, his arms tightened around her lifeless body and rested his head on hers.

"Don't leave me." He whispered, hearing the sirens in the distance.

-

Rythian laid awake in his cell, the memory of the gun shot would always haunt his dreams. He would always remember Zoey falling into his arms as the blood soaked into her shirt. He would remember the numbness as he killed another man. Most of all he would remember holding Zoeya in his arms as she died.

It's not your fault Ryth. The words repeated in his head repeatedly. He knew he could have tried to prevent it, that he could have taken the shot for her. That he should have taken the shot for her.

He sighed and closed his eyes, the memory of her staring at him with tears forever burned there.

"I don't want to go Ryth" His eyes snapped open and shook his head. He sat up and held his head in his hands. He didn't want her to go. He never wanted her to go.

The only real piece of her he had left was the engagement ring they allowed him to keep. That was the only thing left of her, and he treasured it everyday. He normally hoped it would keep the nightmares away but it was a long shot. Considering his nightmares were just a repeat of that night.

Other members thought Rythian was crazy. Many of them couldn't blame him. From their knowledge of the events that happened, he killed a man in cold blood in revenge of the love of his life. He had to deal with the guilt of two deaths and serve out the rest of his life in jail. So many of them left the man alone, leaving him some nights when he screamed for the girl called Zoey to come back to him, for the pain to go away. They let him mourn in peace.

–

There was a certain night that Rythian wouldn't forget. He remembered laying in his cell, ten years after the deaths, the memories still attacking him daily. He was clutching to the ring as he tried to sleep.

He thought he was hallucinating at first, after opening his eyes to see her. It was the same outfit she wore that night, the stain of blood still on her shirt.

"Zoeya?" He whispered, she smiled slightly and took his hand.

"You didn't know. Let it go Ryth." She whispered, Rythian looked at her, his eyes searching hers. He was sure this had to be a weird dream and shook his head.

"I could have saved you, I could have -"

"No. Let it go. I wasn't ready to go Ryth, but it isn't your fault. You tried. I'm sure if you knew things would have played out differently. But they didn't. Let it go and go to sleep Rythian." She whispered, kneeling down to his level and squeezed his hand. Rythian looked at her with tears in his eyes.

"Stay with me?" He whispered. Zoeya nodded and watched as he fell asleep. He passed away that night, rejoining Zoey once more.

forget. He remembered laying in his cell, ten years after the deaths, the memories still attacking him daily. He was clutching to the ring as he tried to sleep.

He thought he was hallucinating at first, after opening his eyes to see her. It was the same outfit she wore that night, the stain of blood still on her shirt.

"Zoeya?" He whispered, she smiled slightly and took his hand.

"You didn't know. Let it go Ryth." She whispered, Rythian looked at her, his eyes searching hers. He was sure this had to be a weird dream and shook his head.

"I could have saved you, I could have -"

"No. Let it go. I wasn't ready to go Ryth, but it isn't your fault. You tried. I'm sure if you knew things would have played out differently. But they didn't. Let it go and go to sleep Rythian." She whispered, kneeling down to his level and squeezed his hand. Rythian looked at her with tears in his eyes.

"Stay with me?" He whispered. Zoeya nodded and watched as he fell asleep. He passed away that night, rejoining Zoey once more.

Credit to YogscastLove on Ao3