Fragile

He stood beside the window; silent, pensive. His blue gaze was intense, burning through the window to the street so far below. But looking at him, she could see that his beauty brought with it a fragility she had never noticed before. She knew it now; he was just a brittle frame; a delicate, translucent frame meant to protect her and not himself. She hovered behind him, nervous that she might shatter him further.   
"You never told me why." She whispered. They both flinched at the sound of her voice, broken in the aftermath of so many tears. And both of them waited for the other to speak.
"I don't understand. How can you want it?"
Again, she waited. He wasn't finished.
"When you asked me that, I walked away from you. I couldn't bear to see you hurt like that again. I left so you wouldn't have to leave instead." He clenched his fist, digging his nails into his palm. His veins stood out on his hand, blue as his eyes. Silently, she examined his face, wondering how something that beautiful could hold so much pain, "I left you to protect you from the pain I felt."
She stepped forwards, lifting one slender hand to hold his face in her cupped palm. He turned, looking down on her. His agony burned him.
"I only hurt because you did." She whispered.   
He flinched, moving back into the shadows cast by the sullen night. A tiny teardrop, white as a new pearl, trickled out of the corner of his eye. He turned away to hide it; crying was a mistake he was determined not to make again.
For a second, she lost sight of what he was; who he was. His soul vanished, replaced by the sunken, shattered angel she knew he was inside. Her heart fluttered in panic as she felt herself losing her grasp on him. She had to hold on.
"You owe me." She whispered.   
His entire body grew stiff with fear. Fear of her hatred, her anger, but even more fear of her love. She knew he was poised for the worst; for rejection, for murder. She could not help but smile as she reached up again to touch his face.
"You owe me your soul…" She whispered. His eyes widened as she stretched up, bringing her face nearer to his, "You owe me your soul for taking it away…"  
His angelic features twisted in agony, and her heart began to pound. It wasn't right; that such beauty should know such pain. She stretched up and kissed him, determined to remove the torture from his blue eyes.
She felt his shock as she touched her lips to his, felt his entire body grow stiff beneath her hands. And then he relaxed, accepting her embrace, welcoming it. His arms came up around her, and they held each other.
She would never know how long they stood there; never know how much more snow fell on the world beyond while they stood connected. All she knew was that, when they finally pulled apart, he would never leave her again.
"Will you always be here?" She whispered, drawing back and leaning into his strong chest.
"As long as you wish it is so." He replied, breathing into her hair.
"I will want you here always."
His hand found her chin, lifting her face to his. He examined her carefully, his eyes gently stroking across her starlit features. For the first time since his return, she saw his gentle half-moon smile.
"Then I will always be with you."
She, too, smiled as she leaned forwards into his chest. She felt his breath rush out with the relief of forgiveness. He knew all too well that he was the one who had ripped her open; but he was also the one who had mended the wound.