Quest 50 | ONC 2024 HONORABLE MENTION ✨️✨️

Six:

The night after the boss had to have been the best sleep I had in a while. Dreamless, peaceful, and comforting sleep.

I wanted to believe that the lasting adrenaline from the fight lulled me to sleep, but when the reality of the morning seeped through my bedroom, I knew it was the meds that helped. I hadn't had the chance to receive treatment in months, so the painful body relapse lasted longer than it should've. With just a day's worth of steroids, the inflammation in my muscles and bones faded away. And after I took the day's dose, I crossed the yards to Damon's house.

The streets were quiet as I stepped on his front lawn. I eyed the abandoned cars and birds that hopped over the hood, onto the asphalt. I thought I'd see someone else, a fellow player, and congratulate them on surviving the boss fight, but it felt empty. Eerie, like a horror movie. Yet, it was early morning so they might have stayed inside. The only reason why I left my house was because Damon offered food.

In bed.

And gave me the option to choose.

I hadn't snuck into Damon's house since high school and the teenage nostalgia felt romantic.

The front door of his light blue house was left ajar. I slowly approached, eyeing the crack that exposed his living room. I made out the cream couch, the brown rug, and the tall lamp in the corner. I placed my hand on the doorknob, pushed the white-painted wooden door wide open, and stepped inside. But once on the rug, the door closed, and large, strong hands wrapped around my waist.

I tensed and held my breath.

Soft lips pressed against my neck. "So, you chose my place, huh?" Damon whispered against my skin.

I trembled and closed my eyes. My hands reached for his and I linked our fingers. Inhaling quietly, I leaned my head back against his chest. "When you didn't come to my place like you always do, I had to make a choice."

He kissed me on the ear as he freed one hand to cup my neck. My eyes fluttered open and I stared into his living room. Still, with the same furniture his parents had, it was homely and wonderful. There were many days in our teenage years where we played around in here, falling onto the couch with a flurry of excited giggles. Moments I'd never forget, no matter how long we'd been apart.

It was awful to know that the alien invasion brought us back together, but when one looks death in the face, it's natural to run back to the person that felt the safest, the happiest—in Damon's arms, I selfishly took what I wanted. As Damon turned me around and pulled my chin so we met in a kiss, I knew he did the same.

He looked at me with hooded eyes. His thumb brushed over my bottom lip. "I'm glad you chose to come over."

I chewed on the insides of my cheeks as I looked into his beautiful, bright brown eyes. "Was that why you didn't come? You coaxed me to come here."

His hands dropped to me waist. Slowly, he moved forward. Unlike me, Damon was in his socks. I felt his toes bump into the tips of my shoes. But as he stepped forward, I walked back. My heel hit the side of the couch. And when my thighs met the arm of it, he sat me down. I giggled as he smirked. "I want to take the credit for that, but I honestly was cooking to take you food."

"Oh?" My brows lifted as I looked behind me. There was a hallway that led past a bathroom and into the kitchen. I hadn't realized that the smell of bacon and eggs wafted through the air. With a happy sigh, I sniffed. "Please say there's syrup."

"There is," he said, softly holding my chin so I'd look at him again. "There isn't much. It's not like I can go shopping these days."

"No, I know." I bit my bottom lip. I didn't know how much food he had left nor how much he made. If his cupboards were as empty as mine, I worried, but if we shared the food, it wouldn't be so bad. Who knew how much time we had left. "Either way, it smells delicious, and I thank you so much."