Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
he actually had no idea when her birthday was.
after his.. love left them to live a life filled with luxury and privilege, shamir had fallen into a pit of darkness. he had gotten sad, incredibly sad for being left alone. he also, couldn't find it in his heart to blame her either, for leaving them to rot in this place; he supposed it trumped living a life where you'd die from hunger, whippings or torture.
"khadijah," his knuckles, which were harshly torn and scarred, lightly -lovingly- ran across her sweaty forehead. "our lord was graceful enough to lend us some medicine." his seven year old daughter had fallen ill on the anniversary of her mother's depature, her eyes screwed shut in pain as she panted on their bed made of straw and sand, thrown over some wooden planks.
he had neglected his daughter for six months before he came to his senses, avoiding his broken heart and mind to live on for his beautiful child.
"women sell their bodies for that medicine," alicia weakly glared at the old man, panting softly as she used her elbows to prop herself up. "don't tell me you did the same."
his eyes widened, noticing a glimmer of guilt in the eyes that resembled his own. the fire of fury that lightened up her pupils were dulled, quenched by the fever that was holding her back. but, instead of answering her question, shamir had grown happy--khadijah had shown a new emotion.
her eyes fluttered close, raising her dirty and bloodied shirt over her mouth before coughing. she almost wanted to scream a stream of curses, but taking pity on the man who looked like he wanted to die with every cough she let out, alicia simply huffed in annoyance, laying back down. the last time she had gotten sick was when she was shot in the leg by some backstabbing shithead.
"how'd you get sick, baby?" he quickly crushed the leaves with his hands, picking up the clay cup beside their campfire -their only source of light and heat- before making khadijah quickly swallow and eat the medicine he stole. "even though you've been this little ball of fire, you've never gotten sick before."
"must be the dirty ass air." she ignored the way his eyes lightened up at her sarcasm, ignored how he softly smiled. "i stayed up late last night making this."
he watched her with worried eyes, raising his hands in surrender when khadijah sent him a half-hearted glare. "for me?"
"no, for the spider that catches insects for us."
"oh."
she lightly smiled at his expression, shivering before quickly removing a wooden plank hiding a hole in their wall. it was boarded on both sides, which thankfully meant no one had been able to steal her present for the old man who's been feeding her and keeping her alive the past seven years.
