Thea Hargreeves had already experienced loss in her short life, but her family was something she was determined to keep together and close to her heart. No matter what.
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"Worlds are turning and we're just hanging on, facing our fear and standing out there alone. A yearning, and it's real to me."
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The celebrations had naturally died down, as each member of the household, one by one, came to the conclusion that now they no longer faced imminent death, they had rather important matters to consider.
Luther had left the room first; a smile on his face but a secretive shine in his eyes. Sloane had followed not long afterwards once she'd stopped dancing long enough to realise Luther was nowhere in sight. Nobody thought to call them back, believing that it was best to allow them some alone time after such a tumultuous day.
They had just saved the world, after all. Surely heroes deserved a little me-time.
Allison had also disappeared long ago, retreating further into the house without a backward glance. Thea had wanted to go after her sister, follow her and make sure things were alright. It didn't matter what the other had done, however reprehensible, because Thea could recognise the fractures in her psyche easily. She had plenty practice with herself, after all.
But, surprisingly, it had been Lila who had stopped her from following.
In an uncharacteristic display of maturity, the other girl had shaken her head and pulled Thea close, whispering in her ear that what Allison needed the most right now was space. Because the worst thing you could do to somebody who was very likely feeling claustrophobic and embarrassed by their psychotic outburst, was to crowd them.
Pulling back, Lila had smiled ruefully. "I should know best, munchkin."
And so Thea had remained. Sitting on the leather sofa with the rapidly depleting plastic tub of cheeseballs.
Not long afterwards, Viktor had left, too, and Thea wasn't surprised when Five murmured that he was going to go after him. The blonde had encouraged it, knowing that the two got along surprisingly well, despite their contrasting personalities. Viktor was quiet, and Five enjoyed that in a confidant.
How he puts up with me is beyond rationale, she mused.
Even Diego and Lila had swapped the liveliness of downstairs to sequester themselves on the upper floors, where they could catch some alone time. Everybody seemed to be in a talkative mood, despite the celebratory atmosphere.
It must be the shock. Or the sudden realisation that life will go on.
It wasn't uncommon for people to realise that they had so many unspoken secrets and desires after life-threatening scenarios. It was only expected that many of her siblings felt the need to hash things out now that they knew they had the time. Now that their futures depended on it.
