| no quarter : part one | | The Endless Forest

edit: made a little change, with regards to the characters' belief of what gender the child is.

"I don't want you anymore."

From opposite sides of the room, they stared at eachother, male to female, day to night, light to dark. His auburn eyes burned at her, filled with tears that he was ashamed to shed. Her cerulean orbs stared calmly back at him, blank.

"You can't...you can't."

"Watch me."

"Please--please, Ven, my child, my child..."

"You don't deserve her."

A choked, rattled sob. A weathered hand covered the man's mouth, and now he was staring brokenly not at her, but at her rounded stomach.

"Please, please, please, don't, we'll sort it out, I'll--anything, please--"

"You had your chance."

When she turned away from him, heading towards the door, he lunged forwards desperately and tried to grab her wrist. Reflex kicked in and she whipped it away from him, stared at him for a split second, and then stepped outside.

"Don't try and follow. You wouldn't survive."

"Please--"

"I don't want you. She doesn't want you. Do us all a favour and stay away from my child."

"Our child, he--she--is our child!"

"You're no father."

The man moved forwards, but did not take a step outside the door, staring after her desperately.

"I could be, please, Ven, give me a chance, give me a chance I--anything, I promise you--"

"You had your chance."

"What did I do?! Ven--Ven--let's talk about it, please just come back inside--"

Slowly, she turned to him, smiling coldly.

"Why don't you come outside, baby? When 'your' little girl grows up, she's going to want to play outside, isn't she? So why don't you come outside and talk to me?"

"...You know I can't."

With a short, sharp laugh, she turned away from him again, and started walking, triumphant.

Still inside the building, he closed the door, sank onto the couch with his head in his hands, and broke down.