Long hair spread out over the water. He exhaled and the bubbles rose up to pop under his nose. It was peaceful. He liked it. Slowly, he slipped fully into the lake. The moon was so nice tonight. Such a pretty night. He would like to remember it.
He sat like a panther in the trees. He slid down a branch so close to the surface it rippled when he breathed. He threw a small stone, shattering the quiet.
Jezebel shied like a butterfly away from the disturbance. He stood up and looked right where he knew his nightly stalker would be. The soft pearl kimono he was so fond of shone blue in the moonlight.
"Stop following me." His voice had no sense of an order about it, nor a request. It sounded tired.
"No." Cassian sprang from the tree like a frog and landed beside the other man with a large splash and a bit of pain. He'd forgotten how shallow the water was now. He stood up easily in it, letting the droplets fall from his hair and clothes.
Jezebel did not look too happy about being splashed, although he was underwater moments earlier, so Cassian of course splashed him again. "Stop it."
"Come with me." He tugged at the younger man's hand, pulling him towards the shore.
"Why?"
"Lake's pretty. We can see it good from up there." He gestured to the weeping willow he'd been climbing. He scaled the lower branches with ease and pulled Jezebel up to sit beside him.
The doctor sighed, a tired, almost musical sound. "Why do you do this?"
"Do what?" Of course he knew, but to hear it...
"I know you hate me."
"Never."
"You should. I'm no good for you." A pause. "Why won't you just let me die?"
Cassian looked at him with pity and love. He wasn't sure which he hated more. "Because you deserve better than that. And even if you don't, I can't let you leave me. It might be selfish, but it's the truth." Maybe he should, but to not stop him when it was clearly in his power to do so would feel like betrayal to both of them.
And so, he kissed Jezebel to show that he was there, he was not leaving, no matter how much of a nuisance he became and how much the doctor pretended he didn't want to.
Wrong or not, he would show that he cared, because he did. In every way.