Big Salmon Lake I got used to living without you

This was the second time Fennec had saved him from suffocating, and perversely, it was also the second time she'd let herself open up like this. Compared to last time, she'd essentially screwed the top off of her heart and dumped the entire damn thing at his feet.

And, intentional or not, he'd nearly drowned himself in a lake.

When he began to cough, Fennec turned away and collapsed to sitting with her back to him. She listened to him, reassuring herself with every heaving breath, while she just shook. Part of it was shock, part of it was anger, and part of it was shame. She was an idiot for thinking she could ever force him to do a damn thing. Nothing was ever going to go right for them.

Cursed, Kukutux had called her. She'd laughed it off then, but for the first time, the words came back to her and she wasn't amused. Fucking explain a lot, wouldn't it? Then the laugh started, coming out somehow wrong, and before she knew it she couldn't stop. She was in full hysterics, shaking with it even harder, though thankfully her laughter had always been mostly silent. This variety was more choked than usual and she was wheezing by the time she managed to get it somewhat under control.

Fucking cursed. That was all she managed to get out. She didn't have anything else to say, and at the point, she didn't know if she was going to keep laughing or burst into tears again. Flip a damn coin, universe.