Work Text:
“Stop it,” Giggles says, beating on Splendid's chest with her closed fist, an angry, broken sob breaking through her screams. “Stop it.”
Splendid stares at Giggles, looking agonized, looking tortured. “Stop what? Stop doing what? What do you want me to stop doing?”
“Stop worrying about me,” Giggles screams as Splendid just stands there and doesn't stop her. “Stop worrying about me so much that you're hurting yourself trying to save me.”
“Stop worrying about you?” Splendid shouts back, covering his ears with his palms. When he pulls his hands away from his ears, Giggles has stopped screaming and has been reduced to tears. “Stop worrying about you?! How can I do that? I can barely stop thinking of you!”
“Splendid?” Giggles says, quieter this time, her breath hitching. “What did you just say?”
“I like you,” Splendid says, seething through his teeth. “I like you. I hate it when you get hurt. I blame myself when you get hurt.”
Giggles looks up at Splendid then, her eyes big and wide and blue and innocent. “I didn't know you felt that way,” she says. Her bruises have all but faded completely because he'd nursed her back to health. “I like you, too.”