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He was gone.
His side of the room was devoid of his unique smell and warmth. His clothes emptied from the drawers. The only thing left of their lover was a sloppily written note left behind on the bedroom's end table.
\\If only there could be another way to do this//
It was the only answer to what might have gone wrong between the three of them, the only explanation to why their lover had packed away and separated everything that was his from what they'd slowly made theirs over the last three years… and ran away in the dead of night.
We'd never have a happy ending, the note read, now you two might have one now that I'm gone.
Mal crumpled the note, hoping the rustling of paper against his fist would calm his nerves as Alina sobbed quietly in the background.
But it didn't. He was never going to be calm about losing the third of his soul; their protector. Nothing was ever going to be the same again.
Aleksander had left them… hoping his absence would give Mal and Alina their fairytale ending.
Fucking dick!
\\I know I always said that I could never hurt you//
"What are we going to do without him!?" Alina cried, heartbroken and frightened. "Should we go out there and find him… bring him back?"
Mal pulled out his zippo and flipped the lid open. "You don't have to stay." He answered her question with instead, flicking the flint wheel as he put the flame to paper. "You don't have to love me… without him here with us, but I'm not going after him."
He dropped the note into an ashtray, closing his lighter as he watched the page–and his love for Aleksander–burn to ash.
Alina shook her head in protest. "I'm not leaving you alone. It's us against the world…"
"As it's always been…"
\\Well, this is the very, very last time I'm ever going to//
"As it's always been…" Alina repeated their motto. Their affirmation. What were they going to do without Aleksander by their side? Go forward, move on, and never look back.
It was them against the world again. Alone together at last, just Mal Oretsev and Alina Starkov… without Aleksander Morozova by their side.
She hugged him tightly, leaning in... seeking comfort and support as she cried into his shirt. Mal kissed her shoulder blade.
"I still love him." She whispered. "I'm sorry, but I do."
Mal closed his eyes, stopping the flow of his tears from falling down his cheek. He took her shaky hand and kissed it.
"I know." He said.
I do too.
He left the words unsaid as the silence and uncertainty stretched out between them.
I do too.
\\But I know that I'll be happier
And I know you will too//
Fin.