As The Footsteps Fade Away ((62))

[victoriousscarf]

It was past four in the morning by the time Macavity managed to get everything gathered. He hadn't slept since Coricopat had stopped by technically the day before to tell him the verdict, but he was used to going longer with little or no sleep.

But the police force was exhausted, and it was the time of night when the nightwatch was starting to drop off, and the rescue went off without a hitch. Having gotten away, he finally slowed the car enough to glance over at Brachen, allowing himself that for the first time since seeing the other in the cell. He'd been too focused since then to say much other than a "hello."

[qualapec]

Brachen sat in the passenger's seat, staring at the road in front of them. It was hard to find the right words, mostly since he still wasn't sure it wasn't a dream. "You saved me."

[victoriousscarf]

Macavity couldn't help but grin at that. "Of course I saved you," he said, glancing over and pulling over to the side of the road.

[qualapec]

"I thought it was over, no third chances." He'd already blown his second chance, after all. He smiled. "You're too good to a ghost, Mac."

[victoriousscarf]

That got a blink out of Mac. "I wasn't aware we were on chance three," he said mildly, turning the car off so he didn't have to worry about Brachen and the road. "And you're hardly a ghost, not even close, especially now."

[qualapec]

Brachen purred, reached for Mac's paw. "We're not, I am." He blinked. "Or maybe it's chance four, if you count the train wreck? Or the times I got lucky when marks were a little more prepared for me than I thought? Maybe I've got nine lives, eh? I don't really know."

[victoriousscarf]

Macavity hesitated again, looking at Brachen sideways for a moment before turning fully around to look at his face. "What are you goin' on about?" He shook his head slightly. "Nevermind. We 'ot you out, that's what matters. Might have ta 'et you out of town though..."

[qualapec]

Brachen ignored him, looked straight ahead and gripped Mac's paw tighter in his own. "Thank you for this, Mac."

[victoriousscarf]

"Of course," he replied softly, squeezing the paw back. "What else was I goin' ta do?"

[qualapec]

"You're noble like that, too good for your lot," Brachen said quietly. "Mac, I don't want to leave town. I'm tired of running - I've spent too much of my life being the predator to be the quarry."

[victoriousscarf]

Macavity tilted his head. "Well, if you don't leave town, it's goin' ta be hard ta hole you up but should manage it if it's what you'd prefer..."

[qualapec]

Brachen was quiet for a long time. "...I'm not going to do that either, Mac." Everything in him was tired, sagging against the chair. He had freedom, but his body - his mind, was his prison now. "It's hard to remember what I was, Mac, and think about what I am today. I was the terror of the underworld, Mac. I feel all of that slipping away and there's nothing I can do about it."

[victoriousscarf]

There was a long pause on Macavity's end. "What are you sayin'?"

[qualapec]

"You're a link to what I was." Brachen leaned over, pulled himself closer to the driver's side. Slowly, he leaned inwards and pressed his lips to Mac's. "I love you."

He tilted his mouth towards Mac's ear, and whispered, "I want you to kill me."

[victoriousscarf]

There was a moment when Macavity froze, halfway between the first phrase Brachen said and the kiss, and he remained frozen at Brachen's last words. Finally, his paws moved up, cupping Brachen's cheeks and tilting his head up. "What?" he asked, voice broken.