It's time for another flash fiction! Because I'm a sucker for pain: I'm going to give y'all another one of the backstory flash fictions for A Deal of Knives. Enjoy :)

Hysterical laughter ripples through the air. Luc spins back in time to see Annie spinning, her arms spread wide, her broad pink skirt billowing. The corset on her rib cage draws her waist in, making her look tiny. Fragile. Delicate. 

Luc knows, better than anyone, perhaps, that she isn’t delicate. 

Annie leaps into a puddle with both feet. The rain running down her face looks like tears, but the twist of her smile just makes her look insane. She’s getting there. He knows that.

He’s known that since the day he met her, and he really just wants to keep her smiling for what little time she has with sanity.

“The rain, the rain,” she sings, and brushes her skirt down. “Are you doing alright, Luc?” Her smile is still bright.

The streets are empty this time of night. Luc looks around at the pudldes and the gas lamps reflecting into them, lighting up the streets like tiny candles in the bricks. A glance back at Annie shows him that she’s dancing again, water spraying around her feet.

He leaps into the street with her and grasps her hands. She lets out a little gasp of excitement, but they’re dancing together now, hands clasped, arms around each other, cheeks pressed together.

Luc’s never been sure whether Annie understands romance, or if she’s aware that he’s in love with her and not just interested in friendship. But as long as he can stay with her, he will. He doesn’t need to push her. He loves her. That means her specific situations.

He spins her around and around, her hands in his. She throws herself into his arms, leaning her head against his shoulder. His dark suit is drenched and so is her bright pink dress.

“I’m starting a new job,” she says, her voice sing-song as she wraps both arms around his waist. “I got hired to dance in a circus.”

He freezes. “A real job?” She’s floated from place to place before, never leaving the burnt-over Nightmare District. She stays alive in ways he’s not sure he wants to know, very different from his current position as a clerk at the drugstore.

“A real job. I think I’ll take over someday. Dance forever, sweetie.” She drags a hand over his face. “If anything ever happens to you, I’ll hurt someone.” Her voice has gone dead serious.

His heart drops an inch. Annie is never serious. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, sweetie,” she whispers. “I promise.”

The mood shift has occurred so fast he’s not sure if he has a good response to this. He swallows and stops dancing with her, choosing instead to cup her face with one hand. “That’s very good. I’m so glad to hear that. But no one will hurt me.”

She shakes her head. “Someone could. Someone might.” She grips ahold of his arms, and her strength startles him. “I promise I won’t let anyone get you.”

He sighs. “No one can.” He could turn his heart to stone with a single thought, saving his life from any potential attack. Anything he willed would become stone. His power is an easy escape from any potential danger.

“You never know.” Annie sighs and then giggles, her serious mood vanishing as quickly as it came. He doesn’t love when she does this. “Do you like dancing?”

“We’ve been dancing,” he says, as gently as he can.

She grips his hands. “Keep dancing with me,” she whispers. 

This cannot last, he thinks as they spin in the street. This relationship is going to die. In fact, it’s not even born yet, but even if it was, it would be born only to die. He’s going to lose her, one way or another.

He isn’t sure how this works, but after a moment he leans in and kisses her softly. Rain pours down, running down their faces. Annie’s eyes are still closed when he pulls back. Now the rain really does look like tears.

“You silly boy,” she whispers, and opens her eyes. There’s a trace of sorrow in the furrow of her forehead. “You should’ve done that a long time ago.”

“Oh, I know,” he whispers, wrapping both arms around her, and he kisses her again.

If this leads to heartbreak, he’ll see her on the other side of the gates someday.