"You always smile like you're about to cry."

He turned his head ever so slightly to meet his gaze with mine. In his eyes I saw permission to break through the barriers that protected him and look deep within him- a privilege not to be taken for granted.

I thanked him silently, and sucked in a breath as I prepared to unlock the secrets within him. I was afraid of what I might find.

Pain was the first thing I saw. It screamed its raw, painful shriek, begging to be heard. My heart broke as the shrieks grew louder, and I couldn't help but take his hand. Pain seemed to calm, as though it sensed my touch, and relished it. 'More,' it asked. 'I need more.'

I promised to give it more, and delved in deeper. The haze grew stronger, and I struggled to clear it- only to find Depression.

It smiled at me, a slow, cold, nasty smile. It knew it was a killer, and it knew that that it had control over him. I held my ground against the enemy. He would no longer harm this human. I would make sure of that.

Depression glared at me and hissed a challenge- which I gladly accepted, head held high. I could tell that it had strength in others' cowardice- and sure enough, it backed hastily as I refused to bow down to its crown.
I grinned as it ran from me, and I plowed on, determined to reach the end.

Scenes from his life poured into my head as he spoke, voice brittle but unbroken. His mother, throwing insult after insult as he begged her to stop sleeping with all these men, to settle down. His so called 'friends' backstabbing him and snickering about it, calling him a freak. One of her mother's men drunkenly beating him with an empty beer bottle while she just sat back and laughed.

At the end of these, was Hope. It smiled at me like Depression had, but this was no sardonic smile.

It was filled with warmth and felt strangely familiar... Because it was my smile.

Hope pulsated with a dying glow, a star about to go supernova, a reminder that even Hope didn't last forever. It fixed its stare on me, steadying the thoughts in my mind and bringing me clarity. Hope could be resurrected.

Cutting him off, I touched his face, bringing my lips to his. His were cold, but they needed me, they begged for me, as he gasped and grabbed the collar of my shirt, pulling me closer.

We didn't break the kiss for a long time.

When we did, however, his eyes sparked with a new light in them. Pain was receding, its cries finally answered. Depression was wailing its final, melancholy tune before fading.

The memories of the past were replaced with those of the present- those of us.

And Hope beamed, filled with life and joy. It was alive, I was alive, we were alive. And it was a beautiful feeling. I met his gaze again, and he smiled at me. And finally, he said softly,

"I will always smile like I'm about to laugh, with you."