Hugs & Blows

Freeway.

They get into the car Ethan rented, it's late in the evening. and the weather is crisply cold and the sky is dark, lit only by sporadic stars and streetlights. Odette is wearing a cardigan from her collection of sweaters she's stolen from Ethan, Ethan is wearing the blue sweater from that infamous night.

Ethan enjoyed Odette's family well enough. He loved watching her cook and wrapping his arms around her from behind as she stirred various pots. He felt like Odette would be an amazing mother, due to her capacity for caring. Moments like that reminded him of his parents, he always wanted a family with a marriage like his parents.

Odette likes this band, that he doesn't exceptionally care for. The frontman's voice is too obnoxiously feminine in his opinion, but they have one song he loves. The song that he feels they are singing about the two of them. The lyrics are something about not promising things won't break, but vowing that he won't leave, how all he wants is forever with the girl he wrote the song for.

That is exactly how he feels about, completely in love. Devoured by need, the need to her the tinkling of her laughter like crystals and broken glass. To be able to touch her whenever he needs it. To hold her, be held by her. He adores her so much that he wonders how he can breathe, like his heart is so swollen with love that there is no place for his lungs to go when they try to expand when filled with oxygen.

Ethan is driving on the unfamiliar highway and Odette is folded in the passenger seat. Her knees are tucked under her chin and her thin arms twined around her calves. She's singing along with the radio,

" All the blood that I will bleed

I don't know where I belong

I don't know where I went wrong But I can write a song"

the song is slow with a great bassline. These lyrics also resonate with Ethan, he glances at her and sings along meaningfully.

" I belong with you,

you belong with me

You're my sweetheart I belong with you, you belong with me You're my sweet"

She smiles and untangles are thin limbs, leaning over to kiss his soft cheek landing on the corner of edge of his lips.