She does, actually. She gives him more peace and love than he even remembers feeling, a shelter from all the bad things that every so often still well up inside him like a brewing storm. She's that calm in the dead center, and when he's with her, everything is peaceful and still.

Sometimes, he feels almost like he has nothing at all inside him. No poisoned blood, no roaring monster. Just a heart full of her.

"No matter what... I'll still love you."

And he knows she will too, even if he would never ask her to stay, if she didn't want to. If she just wanted to walk away someday.