STILL SANE ━ twd

02 ━ born to die

❚ CHAPTER TWO ❚
◜ 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒆 ◞

THE GAUNTY GIRL was a blazing flame, and if he got any closer, she would set him alight.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ Leo kept his distance, never getting too close and never making any sudden moves. Every lift of his hand and movement of his body had her shooting scorching daggers at him. He found it nearly humorous; he was the one lending her help, and somehow, she was the wary one, the one who threatened to slit his throat if he moved an inch. He wouldn't say it, but he doubted she could do much of anything at the moment. She could scarcely move her left wrist, and her breathing was ragged, like every inhale was a shard of glass grating her throat. She took the gauze from his hands, careful in avoiding skin-on-skin contact with him. Then, she took the alcohol he'd slid her way and closed her hands around it. She pressed the opening of the bottle against a tattered piece of cloth and tilted it so it discharged liquid onto it. It nearly slipped from her shaking palms.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ He watched her the entire time-not that he had much of a choice in the matter. She was defenseless and debilitated, but it didn't stop her onslaught of feral threats. He took each one with a wry smile, fingers rapping against the tiled floors. The girl was clearly capable of defending herself without the injured wrist; the dead body down the aisle proved just that. She didn't find amusement in the situation-clearly-but it was absurd. He wasn't sure if she realized that if he'd had any intentions of harming her, he would've done so already. All it would've taken was a lodged bullet between her eyes, but Leo didn't mind the company, though he would never admit that. It'd been months since he'd last been in the presence of another human that hadn't tried to kill him, even after the first try.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ Leo wondered if the girl would've insisted on killing him had he not deflected. He could almost be sure she would've, but she hadn't tried after that. He thanked some mighty being for it, though nothing assured him that she wouldn't slit his throat as soon as she finished tending to her wounds. Leo understood the reluctance and hostility, and he knew it was foolish of him to be so trusting and benignant-especially when this stranger had tried to kill him without any bargaining beforehand, but for once he felt like he was living rather than hanging on frayed threads.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ A flash of lightning followed by a crack of thunder broke his trance. The girl applied the cloth to her oozing wound and hissed out a breath as it made contact with her rendered flesh. She screwed her eyes shut and formed tight fists, knuckles growing white. She only looked up at him to slide the items back his way. That fiery resolve still lit the irises of her eyes. She kept the knife on her lap, the present implication of her threat. Then she leaned against the wall near the door, the breaths escaping from her lips ragged. Her eyes fluttered.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"You're welcome," Leo said, a smug smile teasing his lips as her eyes found his, and she glared.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"I didn't say thank you." She stiffened.