r.e.m

everything.

"I know you was made for me, think you was made with me
Shit feel like destiny
'Cause baby, it's the everything for me
This is such a different thing for me
Baby, it's the everything, no tryin'
You be shinin', my silver linin'."

Date: October 30th
Time: 5:32 AM
Location: Jasai's Apartment

It had barely been a few hours since we made it out, but the weight of everything still clung to me like smoke in my lungs. Jasai's apartment was packed, the air thick with voices, and the lingering tension none of us wanted to acknowledge. The second I stepped through the door, Gage was on me, his whole body vibrating with excitement, tail whipping fast enough to knock someone out. His barks filled the room, a sharp contrast to the heavy silence that had been following me since that night.

Before I could process anything, arms wrapped around me, pulling me into tight embraces, voices overlapping with relief. I barely had time to react before Rabbit yanked me up into a bear hug that lifted me off my feet. Jasai clapped me on the back, a rare softness in his expression, while Samiyah and Reese hovered close, their concern loud in the way they checked me over like they knew I wasn't okay. 

The energy in the room was buzzing, a desperate attempt at normalcy, but despite the warmth of my people, the love surrounding me, I felt detached, like I was floating just above it all. My body was here, but my mind? It was still trapped in the past few days, still hearing his voice, still feeling their hands, still running even though I had already made it home.

Across the room, Kaylee sat curled up in the corner, wrapped in a blanket like she was trying to disappear into it. She hadn't said much since we got out, hadn't moved from that spot since we got here. Unlike the others, she wasn't pretending. She wasn't trying to drown out what happened with drinks and conversation. She just sat there, staring at nothing, her presence a silent reminder of everything we were all trying so hard to forget.

Blaze had finally pulled himself together after everything—after damn near suffocating in that smoke-filled hellhole, after hacking up his lungs just to get us out. Fresh air and cold water had cleared most of the damage, but I knew that feeling—like something still sat heavy in your chest, even when you could breathe again. He was cleaned up now, posted on the couch like a sentry, his sharp eyes scanning the room like he still expected something to pop off. Even now, even safe, his body held that edge, like he wasn't letting his guard down until he was sure nothing was coming for me. For us.

And since I'd been back in his arms, I hadn't left. Because right now, they were the only place I felt safe.

His grip on me was tight, firm, like he needed to feel me, make sure I was still here. His body stayed tense, muscles coiled like he was ready to spring into action at any second, but every time I melted into him, he softened, his breath evening out just a little, his heartbeat steady against mine. Like my presence alone was the only thing keeping him from losing it completely.