"Told you," Jesse sing-songed, bumping shoulders with Toni. It forced him to fold his arms across his chest and nod softly.

"Day three since she left."

"I noticed," Jesse smiled as they slowly walked into the gates of Allegiant, and Toni smirked shaking his head at the thoughts running wild in their minds. 

"You know where he goes at night now?"

"I took a guess," Jesse winked because she found out the hard way when she had gone looking for him that his presence was nowhere on the base.

She scrounged through the system, finding that he turned off his tracking, and the last known pinged location had been Sea-tac, as though it had been an afterthought of anyone knowing where he went. 

The next night, however, he turned it off before he left home. Both facts were as surprising as the other, and he kept it to himself.  That he had followed Eko wherever she went.

"Anywhoo..." Toni offered, "she's at Sea-tac, and that doesn't happen in our world. Your words, not mine."

Jesse frowned, "you take my words literally" her eyes then rolled; she was obviously annoyed now.

"You're the one that keeps hounding at that old saying."

"It's all complicated," she muttered, infuriated that he brought it back up. Weren't they discussing their leader and his sudden sense of monogamy with a servant that wasn't even there with them.

"You said it doesn't happen in our world."

"That was a year ago, Toni."

"So you've changed your mind?"

"Bloody hell, I don't know, man," Jesse exhaled, "I'm a damaged person; we all are. Can we really afford to love?"

Toni stopped briefly, "you just refuse to."

"Can you not start this psycho-babble bullshit? Teddy is the one with the accreditation, not you." Jesse pointed her finger towards him as she halted in his words.

"All I'm saying is, why can't we afford to love?"

Eyes softened at the sentimental man, the softer one of the four of them.

"Toni, it doesn't mean anything if we're dead." With that, she strode past him.

"When will you let that fear go and stop being like this? We're damaged, so what? It shouldn't stop you – you need to find a way to accept it and move on," he called out.

She turned as she continued walking backward. "Doesn't happen in our world. Matthew said that, not me."

Toni smirked as his feet followed the red-haired woman in front, watching as she turned back around and continued onwards.

He, however, knew better with that last statement of hers. Jesse also always followed Matthew in what he did or didn't do. An older brother that she protected. Toni didn't understand it at first- but she was attached to him in a way only a family could be.

Jesse had loved Toni, though, just as she had Richie- he knew Jesse had, but she idolized the man who protected them—placing him on some hypothetical pedestal with her trauma.

If he was damaged in her mind, she could use the excuse not to become attached; she could say she was broken and run with that.

Except Toni knew Matthew wasn't broken – he had dealt with their past more constructively than any of them had. Often he was the one counseling and repairing their damaged lives.

The man wanted to believe in better, so because of that- not many things affected him; the deaths don't affect him, the feelings associated. He just vowed to them that now they had the crystals- they were in charge of their lives.

They controlled their feelings and how they wanted their lives to run.

Matthew was the strongest person, mentally and physically, that Toni knew; he kept them together and whole since the war.

Even when he had lost both his parents, he was their rock, a steady presence that never let anything affect him, and he wouldn't allow it, not during this war.

Often telling them that there was far too much good to be consumed by evil. Toni supposed that's why Allegiant followed Matthew, and Cid needed him. It's why Isadora was so very protected and safe with him. Why their worlds thrived in the only way they could.

His best mate was somehow the face behind it all, driving the people that he needed to do what was good and whole in this life. On the other hand, Jesse refused to become too attached, truly attached to someone, whether it was her still reeling from their lives or because she feared she would lose it all.

Toni had no idea, but this had been them since they were children.

Just as Jesse sought refuge in her affection for Matthew as an older brother, Toni couldn't limit his perception of her to that of a younger sister. Despite his persistent attempts to comprehend the complex bond, it eluded his understanding. Nevertheless, he felt a connection with her that transcended mere familial ties, an attachment only someone deeply in love with her could grasp.

Silently harboring his feelings, Toni was prepared to follow Jesse wherever life took her. Unfazed by the circumstances or her words, he found himself hopelessly enamored with someone he knew he shouldn't be in love with.

--- ----

There's a moment between a glance and a kiss where the world stops.

For the briefest of times.

And the only thing between them was the anticipation of his lips on her own.

A moment so intense hands are in the air as it pulled them closer.

A moment so perfect, then when it comes to an end, they realise that maybe it's only just beginning.

---- ---

"A shower at this time?" Matthew discovered Eko in the communal bathroom, realizing she was absent from the dormitories when he arrived searching for her.

Wrapped in a towel, Eko sought out a shower to rid the dirt, soot, and the vile blood of the monsters that clung to her skin after the night's battles. The warriors' presence always managed to stir her emotions, but it was heightened now, especially after their so-called leader allowed Lara to escape back to Ezra.

Frustration welled up within her, and thoughts of revenge against the leader consumed her mind. The image of torturing him for the countless migraines he had caused her flashed before her eyes. Lost in these musings, she was brought back to reality by a familiar voice.

Turning, she found Matthew, just as freshly showered. The mere sight of him washed away her negative thoughts, and a genuine smile lit up her face. Unbeknownst to Matthew, he was momentarily speechless, captivated by the radiant smile that graced her features.

In a surprising turn of events, Eko ran towards him, leaping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist. "Are you bored, darling?" she teased with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Impatient," Matthew chuckled, his laughter mingling with the kisses she showered upon him.

"For me?" Eko's teasing question hung in the air as she kissed him again.

Of course, for her, his mind mused, and it was his cue to kiss her now.

Matthew entwined his fingers in her hair, securing them around her neck. A firm grip, just enough to feel her pulse, a subtle beat, beat, beating beneath his touch. With confident steps, he moved across the tiled bathroom floor, settling Eko onto the vanity. She sensed him removing the towel from her body, and soon, his hands explored her skin, his lips trailing kisses along her throat, neck, and finally, capturing hers once more.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer, and felt his hands on her thighs before he swiftly unzipped his fly. He freed himself and moved quickly and sharply, filling her. Eko tried to muffle her moans against his lips, feeling his fingers dig into her back, pressing into the soft flesh. The initial pace was slow, a steady rhythm that she loved, and then it accelerated, becoming faster and faster.

Tilting her head back, Eko focused on the electrifying sensation coursing through her body. Unexpectedly, she felt his mouth on her breast, every touch setting off a cascade of sensations, making her entire body sing in sweet agony.

"Don't stop," she panted, and he reveled in her vulnerability.

His teeth tugged harder at her nipple, maintaining the intense pleasure that consumed her senses that late night. She convulsed, breaking into a thousand pieces, his mouth returning to hers, his tongue exploring her throat, absorbing her cries.

Eko continued to match his movements through her orgasm, thrust for thrust, until it abruptly ended too soon. He thrust into her one final time before stilling, finding release, the sound of his hissing breath filling the air. He relaxed momentarily, and she felt his entire, satisfying weight on her.

She was so not ready to let him go.

Matthew pulled back, his warm breath mingling with hers, and it was her cue to pull him closer. Her fingers trailed down his strong back, urging him to remain within her reach. She then placed a gentle thumb on his bottom lip, her eyes searching his with an intensity that spoke of a dangerous request.

"Stay," she whispered.

"Leaving was never on my mind," he replied, his voice a gentle, comforting murmur. A charismatic smile graced his lips, a disarming expression capable of dissolving any fears that Eko might hold. The warmth that spread through her was undeniable, and she marveled at how he had the power to make everyone feel this way, to keep her world steady on its axis. It truly was a wonder how anyone could resist the enchantment he effortlessly cast upon those around him.

YOU NEEDDDD TO VOTE ON THAT SHITT ... come on! lol