Kai

The door clicks shut behind me, but the silence feels louder than anything we faced out there. I close my eyes, leaning back against the door, feeling the weight of everything finally settle into my bones. We made it. We're safe. Alex is here.

I force myself to open my eyes, looking over at Alex. He's in the middle of the room, taking a breath, probably letting it all sink in too. But as I watch him, I feel the surge of emotions I've been holding back crash over me like a wave. I'd almost lost him. The thought of it still twists something raw inside my chest.

"Alex," I say, my voice sounding rough even to me.

He turns, his eyes softening when they meet mine, and suddenly, I'm moving before I realize it, crossing the distance between us in a few strides. I reach for his hand, squeezing it a little too tight, grounding myself in the feel of his warmth, his presence. Safe. Here.

I swallow, feeling a strange thickness in my throat, like words are bubbling up that I'm not used to saying. "I was... I was scared," I admit, each word an admission that makes my chest feel both heavier and lighter. "I was terrified of losing you."

Alex's hand slips from mine, but only so he can reach up, his fingers threading gently through my hair. His gaze is steady, patient, as if he's willing me to say everything I've been keeping inside. And so I do.

"It all happened so fast," I continue, voice barely a whisper now. "I just... I can't imagine—"

His other hand cups my cheek, thumb brushing over my skin with a tenderness that sends a shiver down my spine. "You don't have to," Alex murmurs, leaning in closer. "We're both here."

It's enough to make me close the distance, pressing my forehead to his. For a long moment, we just breathe together, our breaths mingling, and all I can feel is the steady beat of his heart close to mine. I don't know how long we stay like that, but eventually, I feel his lips brush against mine, soft and reassuring, like he's sealing a promise between us.

One kiss becomes two, then three, and before I know it, we're wrapped up in each other, the space between us disappearing entirely. Each kiss feels like it's telling me, over and over, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere.

I tighten my arms around him, a quiet determination settling into me. "I won't let anything happen to you," I whisper against his lips, a promise I mean with everything in me.

And for tonight, wrapped up in each other's warmth, we're safe