Between Lies and Love

Chapter 4

The night was still, the sound of distant traffic barely audible from Y/N's apartment. Lizzy and Y/N sat on the couch, the soft glow of a single lamp casting long shadows across the room. The remains of their dinner sat on the coffee table, untouched for the last half hour. They had been talking about random things—work, books, plans for the weekend—but something about Y/N seemed different tonight. Quieter. More introspective.

Lizzy noticed the temperature shift again, the air slowly growing warmer. It wasn't the first time she'd felt it, and by now, she could practically predict it. Y/N was thinking about something—something heavy. She could feel it in the way the air thickened with heat, just like how Y/N's emotions tended to fill the room.

Finally, Y/N let out a long sigh, leaning back against the cushions. "Can I tell you something?" they asked, their voice soft, almost hesitant.

Lizzy turned to face them, nodding. "Of course. You can tell me anything."

For a moment, Y/N didn't say anything, just stared at the ceiling as if gathering the courage to speak. Then, with a deep breath, they began.

"You've probably noticed... the temperature thing," Y/N said, their gaze flickering toward Lizzy before quickly looking away. "It's not exactly subtle."

Lizzy kept her expression neutral, though her heart raced slightly. "I've noticed," she replied carefully. "I thought maybe it had something to do with... you."

Y/N gave a small, humorless laugh. "Yeah. It's me." They ran a hand through their hair, visibly tense. "It's something I've been dealing with for a long time. I don't always have control over it. Sometimes, when I get emotional—angry, sad, even really happy—it just... happens."

Lizzy leaned in slightly, her voice gentle. "Does anyone else know?"

Y/N shook their head. "Not here. Not in this town. But back where I used to live... let's just say people found out. It didn't end well."

Lizzy's chest tightened at the thought. She could imagine how terrifying it must have been for Y/N, struggling with something they didn't fully understand while trying to keep it hidden from everyone around them. It was a feeling Lizzy knew all too well.

Y/N continued, their voice quieter now. "It started when I was a kid. I'd get upset, and the room would heat up or cool down. My parents thought I was just imagining things at first. But as I got older, it got harder to hide. Sometimes, when I got really mad, it felt like the whole house was going to catch fire."

Lizzy watched as Y/N's hands trembled slightly, their fingers brushing against each other as they spoke.

"I didn't know how to control it," Y/N admitted, their voice tinged with frustration. "And when people started noticing, I... well, I had to leave. Things got complicated. People get scared of things they don't understand."

There was a long pause, the silence between them heavy with unspoken emotion. Lizzy didn't know what to say, so she stayed quiet, letting Y/N take their time.

"I thought moving here would give me a fresh start," Y/N said finally, their voice almost a whisper. "But I can't shake it. It's part of me, and I can't control it all the time. That's why I don't let people get too close. I don't want them to find out and leave, or worse..."

Lizzy's heart clenched. She understood that fear—the fear of being seen, of being known, and of being abandoned because of it. Her own secret felt like a weight in her chest, begging to be released, but she couldn't. Not yet. Not when Y/N had just bared their soul.

Y/N looked at Lizzy, their expression raw with vulnerability. "I don't want to scare you off," they said, their voice barely audible.

Lizzy felt the heat in the room intensify, the air growing thick with warmth as Y/N's emotions flared. Without thinking, Lizzy reached out, gently placing her hand over Y/N's.

"You're not scaring me off," Lizzy said softly, her thumb brushing against Y/N's hand in a soothing gesture. "I'm not going anywhere."

For a moment, they sat there in silence, Lizzy's words hanging between them. She could see the tension in Y/N's shoulders begin to relax, the heat in the room slowly dissipating as Y/N calmed. Lizzy's heart ached with how much she wanted to share her own secret—to tell Y/N that they weren't alone in this, that she understood the burden of having powers and the fear of being found out. But she couldn't.

Not yet.

They continued talking late into the night. Y/N shared more about their past—the loneliness of keeping their powers hidden, the fear that one day they'd lose control, and the reason they had left the last place they called home.

"There was this one time," Y/N began, a bitter edge to their voice. "I was in an argument with a friend. It was stupid, really, but I was so angry. I didn't even realize it, but the temperature in the room kept rising. My friend... they freaked out. They thought something was wrong with the heating, but I knew. I knew it was me."

Lizzy's breath caught in her throat as Y/N continued.

"Eventually, they put it together. They confronted me, asked if it was me making the room feel like a furnace. I didn't know how to lie, so I told the truth. That was the last time I ever saw them. I packed up and left a week later."

Lizzy's stomach churned with the weight of Y/N's confession. She understood now—why Y/N was so guarded, why they brushed off the temperature changes with casual excuses. They had been burned before, not by their powers, but by the people they trusted.

Y/N's powers weren't just an odd quirk—they were a source of pain, of isolation. Lizzy felt a pang of guilt. Here Y/N was, being completely honest, and Lizzy was still hiding. She wanted to open up, to tell Y/N that they weren't alone, but fear held her back. She wasn't ready to expose herself yet.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Lizzy said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "No one should have to go through that."

Y/N gave a small nod, though the sadness in their eyes remained. "It's hard. Sometimes I just want to be normal, you know? To not worry about what's going to happen if I get too emotional or lose control."

Lizzy squeezed Y/N's hand. "I can't imagine how hard that must be. But I want you to know... you don't have to hide around me."

Y/N looked at her, surprise flickering across their face. "You really don't mind?"

"I don't mind," Lizzy said with conviction. "Not at all."

In that moment, the room felt warmer again, but this time it wasn't uncomfortable. It was comforting, like being wrapped in a soft blanket. Lizzy realized it wasn't just Y/N's power affecting the room—it was the connection they were building. Y/N's warmth, both literal and emotional, was something Lizzy found herself craving more of, despite the danger of her own secrets.

As the evening drew to a close, Lizzy knew she was walking a fine line. She had opened the door to a deeper connection with Y/N, but it came with the weight of her unspoken truth. Y/N had trusted her with something so personal, so painful, and yet Lizzy hadn't returned the favor.

They said their goodbyes, Lizzy's heart heavy as she walked back to her apartment. She thought about everything Y/N had shared, the raw vulnerability they had shown. And all Lizzy had done was offer comfort while keeping her own secrets buried.

She knew it couldn't last forever. One day, Y/N would learn the truth—about her past, her powers, and her real identity. And when that day came, would Y/N still look at her the way they did now, with trust and warmth?

Lizzy wasn't sure. But for now, she would hold onto this fragile connection, even if it was built on a foundation of half-truths.