EUPHORIA * Five Hargreeves * TUA

9

"Something is troubling you."

Five keeps quiet and she sits next to him on the bed, arm brushing his own. He looks down at their hands just millimeters apart on top of the covers.

"Your thoughts are loud." She continues.

He turns to lock eyes with her and her breath hitches; his nose is a centimeter away from hers and his breath fans across her cheek. Evangeline doesnt pull away.

"You can talk to me."

"Maybe I dont want to talk right now." He says quietly.

She raises an eyebrow.
She did not miss the way his eyes flickered to her lips mid sentence.

"Then what is it you want, Five?" She speaks softly.

And despite already knowing she gets her answer when he hesitantly closes the gap between them, softly pressing his lips to hers.

She responds immediately and his hesitation and thoughts of self doubt disappear, his hands go to cup the sides of her face and deepens the kiss. Evangeline found that the breath was stolen from her lungs and all she wanted was to pull him closer and never let go. Lips like a fine wine; she would have gladly gotten drunk of off the intoxicating taste.

It had been years since she felt him in her arms and the hollow space in her chest slowly began to fill, along with the lump in her throat as she desperately moved her lips against his.

His fingers grazed her jaw and slid into her hair as they pulled away to catch their breath, and he didnt let her go, physically couldnt bring himself to. His forehead rested against hers and they closed their eyes, just savouring the fact that they were together again.

She felt his warm breath against her cheek and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I missed you." She muttered barely audible.

They stayed like that, just breathing in eachothers company, afraid that if they opened their eyes the other would disappear; be a figment of their imagination, a cruel trick. That none of this would be real and it would be like waking up from a dream.

His hands slid down to the sides of her neck and she snaked her arms around his, nuzzling her face against the crook of his shoulder. He reacted immediately and practically buried his face in her hair, holding her in a desperate embrace.

He didnt want to open his eyes; he desperately wanted this to be real and was still afraid this was some illusion, a dream. That she wasnt actually there in his arms.

Her hands balled into fists, gripping the back of his blazer tightly and she fought back the trembling of her lips.

Unbeknownst to her, Five was struggling just as she was and fought to keep his emotions at bay.

Evangeline vowed to herself that she would not let him go this time.

No matter what happened, who they went up against and why, she would keep him safe and with her. She wasnt letting him out of her sight.

The two clung to eachother, barely holding on to the dam that urged to break, minds only on one thing.

Eachother.

He felt warm and familiar. He felt like something solid to lean against. She wanted to cling to him and never let go.

She smelled like home, like lavender and old books. Her hands were a familiar cold through his clothes yet safe all at once, and he did not wish to be anywhere else at that moment.

The weight of unshed tears crushed them - the only thing holding them together being eachothers arms wrapped around their bodies.

At that single moment, everything just felt right.

And it had been so long since the two had felt that feeling.