By Hayden Davidson

It was 3am and most ciztens of the darkened city of Chicago was fast asleep. Well most of them anyway, there was a mouse awake in a apartment not far from the Last Chance Garage. A fact which several annoyed a certain blonde that had just rolled over to find him gone.

"What in the world are you doing out here, Rim?" Hayden asked groggily rubbing her eyes as she padded out to the kitchen were the said tan furred mouse sat in a kitchen chair, staring into the darkness.

"I needed a drink, go back to bed." Came the weary reply as metal caught the light from the hall as he brought the beer bottle up to his lips.

"Its 3am Rimfire, why are you even awake to need a beer?" Hayden asked, starting to get more than exasperated with his consent need to have a beer and strange behavior. She knew he had and was going through a lot, after what happened to him. But still she was only human and it was hard to try to be there for someone when they pushed you away.

If I need some other love
give me more than I can stand
and when my smile gets old and faded
wait around I'll smile again

"I just needed one! Its none of your damn business why I needed one." Rimfire growled his hand clenched the bottle in away the made the fitted metal plates scrape against the bottle with a horrid sound.

"Rimmy..I'm just worried about you. I love you, you know." Came the quite reply, as a gently hand touched the fur cover arm.

Without warning the beer bottle feel to the floor shattering, causing Hayden to cry out as pieces cut her feet, but before she could move away Rimfire was griping her arm with his metal hand, his face buried in her nightshirt as he's shoulder shook slightly.

Shouldn't be so complicated
just hold me and then
just hold me again

Hayden wrapped a arm around him, stroking his hair as he held her tightly. Though the metal of his hand bit into her arm, she ignored it. If he could live through the pain of having the pulktain rip off that hand…then she could stand the pain the metal one caused her.

can you help me I'm bent
I'm so scared that I'll never
get put back together
you're breaking me in
and this is how we will end
with you and me bent

"H-how...how can you even touch me?" he whispered hoarsely. "How can you stand to be around me?" he's whole body shook has he spoke.

"Rimfire I love you, this.." She touched the skin right above the metal hand. "…doesn't change anything."

Rimfire looked up at her, disbelief clouding his eyes. "I'm not him anymore…"

If I couldn't sleep could you sleep
could you paint me better off
could you sympathize with my needs
I know you think I need a lot

"Listen to me Rimfire…they didn't change you. You are still the mouse I fell in love with." Hayden told him softly cupping his face in her hands.

"No I'm not.." Rimfire said softly pushing her away. "That mouse is dead and you'd be better off getting that through you head."

Hayden stumbled backwards a bit, crying out as her feet were cut by broken bits of the beer bottle. "Rimfire.."

I started out clean but I'm jaded
just phoning it in
just breaking the skin

"Just get it through your damn head…"Rimfire's voice dropped almost as if he wasn't even talking to her as he stood up stalking to the fridge. Pulling out another beer he used his metal hand to take of the top, taking a long swig before storming from the room.

Hayden sat down in a chair, gingerly picking glass from her foot, as she listened to Rimfire crash around in the bedroom. Wincing a bit at some of his curses, she started at the broken beer bottle wondering if he was right. She really didn't know this mouse anymore.

"Are you gonna get into bed or just stand there?" Rimfire asked, a half-snarl looking over his shoulder at her when she finally game into the bed room.

Hayden didn't answer him staring a the pillow that was now in the middle of the bed, effectively dividing the bed.

Rimfire glared at her flipping off the light turning his back to her. Grumbling under his breath.

Sliding into bed next to him, she laid staring at his back in the darkness. "Rimfire?" she touched his back hesitantly. "This isn't like you…"

Rimfire sat up and grabbed her arm yanking her up to his eye level. "When is going to get through that thick skull of yours!" he yelled shaking her. "That mouse is DEAD! That naïve trusting, carefree mouse you adored so much is GONE! So get used to it."

With that he pushed her back, laying back down with his back to her. His fists clenched and his entire body shaking. The in the silence he heard something soft. Soft little shaking gasps of air.

Rimfire closed his brown eyes in guilt and shame when he realized what it was. She was crying. He'd made her cry. The girl he'd promised he'd never hurt was crying because of him.

"Haydy…"Rimfire whispered hoarsely reaching for her. "Hayden…Mars…" Her body shook as he pulled her into his arms, cradling her against his chest.

"I'm trying to understand…I really am.." she sobbed softly, clinging to his embrace.

Rimfire rocked her gently, stroking her hair awkwardly with his metal hand. "Shhhhh…I…I'm sorry baby…I…" Tear filled Rimfire eyes, as he thought of how cruel he'd been to the one person trying to save his sanity, and he clutched her tighter.

There was no sound in the room beside the soft crying of the two as the clung to each other, desperately wanting to pretend that everything was at it had been.

But it wasn't.

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