Two Sides

Chapter 14 - One Night

"Tomorrow?" Ezekiel repeated your statement, his voice thick with sadness and worry.

You could only nod. The day had to come and that it was tomorrow didn't really change anything, it just shortened your reprieve. But then again, hopefully, it meant that you'd soon be free... free to live here with Ezekiel. It was dangerous and the Saviors wouldn't hesitate to kill, but you had gone through so much. This wouldn't be the end. You just knew it.

Ezekiel sighed and sat down on the bed. "I didn't think soon would mean this soon."

"Me neither, but it's probably for the best." You sat down next to him, the soft mattress dipping under your weight. "The sooner we fight, the sooner I'll be back."

You could tell that he had the same thoughts as you... the sooner you fought, the sooner you might get hurt. Or even worse. Soon wasn't a good thing in this case.

"So, we have one night," he said. "One night until I have to let you go."

"Just imagine I go on vacation," you joked, trying to lift the mood.

Ezekiel took your hand in his, his thumb softly caressing your skin. "Well, I can't say that I like your destination."

You were glad that he reacted at least somewhat somberly, although you knew this was hard on him, too. His love for you was present in every word he spoke to you, every small gesture or touch. You didn't doubt it, it was one of the things you would be fighting for. One of the things worth living for in a world where life was something so precious and fragile.

"I love you," you mumbled. "No matter what happens, I want you to know that."

"Don't say it like it'll be the last time you do," he replied, shaking his head. "Say it like it's the only thing that matters."

You smiled. "I love you, Ezekiel. So badly."

He smiled back at you, his hand letting go of yours to cup your face and pull you closer. In that moment, you tried to take in as much as possible, to burn it into your memory – the way his lips felt on yours, how his beard tickled your sensitive skin, the way his thumbs moved over your cheeks. You had no idea when you'd be able to feel it again, so you wanted to cherish every moment of this night. You wanted to kiss every inch of his skin, to let your hands roam every curve of his body and show him just how important he was to you. So he'd never forget you.

"I love you, too," he said in between kisses, his voice deeper than ever, as if it was hard for him to talk at all. You felt the same way. Words weren't what you were craving right now anyway.

He slowly started to remove your clothes, but there was just no space in between you for it to happen quickly. It felt as though, maybe, if he just held you tight enough, you wouldn't leave. And for the moment, you wanted to believe in that because it felt so easy to never let go of him again.

* * *

That night, you didn't sleep and neither did Ezekiel. Every second was precious and you didn't want to waste any time you had left with him. He was still holding you tight, but you were facing each other, your eyes never really leaving his while your traced the lines of his face, his lips. Occasionally he'd press a kiss to your hand and you'd do the same with his, letting your lips stay on his soft, dark skin. That would be just one of the many things you'd miss about him, the kisses.

"Before you go," he said then, his voice low as though not to destroy the moment, "I need to know that we're okay. In all aspects."

"Of course we are," you replied without any hesitation.

"You're not angry anymore because I didn't tell you about the Saviors?"

You shook your head. It was true, you weren't.

"No doubts, no regrets?" he continued.

"Coming here was the best thing that could have happened to me," you confessed. "You make my life so much better every day. How could I ever regret that?"

"I feel the same way." Ezekiel smiled. "You probably wouldn't have liked me if we'd met when your group came here."

You chuckled. "Maybe I would have, considering how fast and hard I've fallen for you."

The love in his smile that followed was enough to make you tear up again. You had fought the urge to cry all night, unsuccessfully, but you just didn't want to make it any harder for the both of you. When he looked at you like this, though, you just couldn't contain yourself. There were too many emotions inside you – love, fear, worry, uncertainty.

Ezekiel kissed your tears away as always and sighed as if he had the same struggle. You felt his breath on your wet cheeks, a very calming sensation, and then kissed him on the lips again, ready to stop talking about what might happen and instead enjoy what you had right now.

* * *

The next morning was torture. You had to hurry to meet Daryl at the gate but you also didn't want to leave Ezekiel. It was early, and you had already packed your backpack, put on your clothes and boots. Not to mention that you were pretty tired. You had dozed off at some point, but that wasn't nearly enough sleep for the distance you had to walk today.

Ezekiel was up as well, helping you and making sure you had everything – water, food, a knife.

"Shall I come with you?" he asked. "To the gate?"

You shook your head. "No, that'll only make it harder for me. And you."

With a nod, he wrapped his arms around your waist, you both knew it was time to say goodbye now. "Be safe, don't ever forget how strong you are, and how much I love you."

"I won't," you assured him. "And you give Shiva a kiss from me."

"I will." He smiled sadly. "Before I forget... I got something for you."

You looked at his hand that was just pulling something out of his pocket. It was one of the wooden necklaces he always wore. You smiled and let him put it around your neck. The wooden beads were warm on your skin and not just your skin. The gesture warmed your heart. Now you had something that belonged to him with you

You looked back up to him. "I'll see you soon, my king."

Ezekiel nodded. "And I'll see you soon, my queen. Be safe."

You fought back the tears when he kissed you one last time, a kiss that carried a wild mixture of emotions. You immediately missed his lips when you pulled away after a while and when he removed his hands from your body, you felt a sudden cold that gave you goosebumps. Before you'd really start to cry, you gave him a small smile and then turned around, walking out of the door without looking back, so you wouldn't be tempted.

* * *

With a heaviness that made it hard to walk, you arrived at the gate where Daryl was waiting for you. He didn't say a word, as if he'd sense that you needed to be left alone for a while. So you just walked past the walls, leaving the Kingdom, your new home, behind. Not just the Kingdom, but your whole new life. You knew it would be worth it, that was what kept you moving. You'd fight for the people you loved, for Abraham, for the freedom of all the people that were suffering.

And in the end, when you'd beaten the Saviors, you had the chance to make the world a little bit better.