Winter walked out of the examination with the tension that had been inside her, burning like it had been for weeks, all slowly melt away as she exhaled with each breathe she took, slowly letting out the deep breathe in which she'd sustained herself since she began.

Everything came out onto that paper, stuffed into the last bit of effort in that final examination. Her feet took her aimlessly through the corridors, but the feeling of freedom began to settle into her bones. She hardly knew which way she was going, but somehow she found herself climbing up that familiar stairway to the rooftop.

That winter pushed the door open slowly and stepped out onto the rooftop, ambling over toward the edge with her eyes cast down to the campus below. She was surveying the grounds where students lay strewn upon it, some racing off in such a hurry to get home, others laughing and carefree, running about relieved of the burden of exams now.

Though finals had been done, thoughts began to flood into her mind now, everything she'd tried to keep from her head, everything she'd pushed away just to make it through those last couple of weeks.

A slow breath, though the chest beneath felt constricted, pounding with the flood of emotions rising, threatening to spill over.

It was silent and motionless, yet somehow weighted in a way she couldn't grasp. She inhaled again, letting her thoughts slide out into the emptiness when the noise of movement broke the stillness from behind her.

Winter's eyes snapped to the side, turning sharply, and she froze for an instant.

Karina.

As if she had gotten herself into some sort of trouble. Her eyes fell away and would not meet Winter's gaze. Maybe Karina had just been already there on the roof when Winter came in, and the way she looked up at the door, she must have been standing there a few minutes before she left to herself when Winter opened it.

Winter swallowed hard.

"Hi," she managed to get out, her voice low and tentative.

It was soft, too, more like an almost-whispered hello. "Hi..."

The air between them had grown thick with something; the other just seemed not to know how to break the tension. Karina looked different-not that she hadn't seemed that same confident, composed person for what felt like an eternity.

One could hardly say why, but winter cannot help but notice the traces of exhaustion on Karina's face, something masked behind dark eyes. Meanwhile, Karina was taking in Winter's healed wounds, though some deep scars still marked her face.

Karina's chest throbbed as she studied Winter's eyes in return, cold gaze for icy gaze that had him coming to her so instinctively. Her eyes were full of coldness and desire, all wrapped up with emotions that made her think she knew everything but couldn't possibly fully digest it all.

It came all at once-pain and heartache and need-all churned inside her chest tight, like it hurt to breathe the air.

Then too much.

Karina felt herself move, legs shifting, run-kick instincts to boogie on out. Get out. Get out of here.

She had to get out; it was going to overwhelm her. She moved to take a deep breath and stepped, already on her heel, prepared to bolt.

"President," Winter said softly, saying the word she heard, stopping Karina in her tracks.

She froze at the sound of Winter's voice-one word was enough. Karina could hear the footsteps behind her; it was creeping closer now as Winter walked toward her, fists balled at her sides, frustration and desire awkwardly combining together.

She wanted nothing to get in the way of anything. She buried it, locked it all up for so long that somehow, somehow, Winter unlocked it all with just that one word, that one look.

Karina hated it. Hated that Winter still had that kind of power over her.

And yet, she couldn't move. Couldn't run.

Karina spun around to face Winter, her glare razor-sharp and slicing before Winter could say a word.

"I am not the president anymore," Karina spat, her voice thick with anger, her eyes blazing into Winter.

Winter didn't even bat an eyelid. She only looked at Karina with eyes that seemed granite hard and impossibly deep, leaving Karina feel vulnerable and bare, as if Winter could see all the way through her.

"How are you?" she very softly inquired of her, the voice almost shuddering but restrainedly, as if she didn't quite know even whether that was the appropriate thing to say.

This question sparks a sensitive cord in Karina's veins. Frustration with anger added a clenched fist she had developed in this young girl. She stretched out a fistful of her hair, out of frustration.

"You left me when I need you the most, and now you're asking me how I'm doing?" she almost shouted, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice cracking with the pain of strain in holding everything inside for so long.

"Really, Winter?"

Winter's lips cracked open, a smile spreading slowly. Her eyes welling up with her tears. She hastily shifted them back from Winter so she could blink them away.

"I miss you," she finally whispered in voice that shook.

Frustration spilled over like a mounting tidal wave, Karina's chest heaving under its weight. Her tears started blurring her vision and scuffling was stifling.

"You can't do this to me, Winter!" Karina shrieked out in a voice rough with the effort of holding her breath back as finally the tears she had held in for so long broke free.

"You were not there for me when I needed you most. You can't just throw me away and then come crawling back around when it suits you."

Tears started to run like rivers in Winter. Her head was shaking; her voice was barely above a whisper.

"It was for both of us. We needed the space."

Karina couldn't take it anymore. Shaking her head, she drew herself towards the door, stomped forward to get out of there. But before Karina could move another step forward, Winter ran after her and clasped her arms around Karina from behind and held her tight with a back hug.

Karina thrashed, sobbing, but Winter's grip only tightened around her.

"I love you," Winter whispered desperately, her voice shaking with the power of those three words, how naked and honest that it stopped Karina in the middle of her frantic rush.

Karina froze, did not move an inch as Winter's words came to her mind. She clutched at her heart in sorrow; the fight seeped out of her body, the sobs racked her frame. The three words she wished to hear from months ago but now it hurts her.

Slowly, Karina turned within Winter's arms and let the tears spill out as she pulled her into a deep, shaking embrace.

Karina clung to Winter, to the scent of lavender, so familiar, so comforting. Karina rested her face on her shoulder, sniffing deep into her warmth-the closeness-this was everything she had missed and needed-and, for a moment, they clung there, as if holding onto each other is something to be afraid of letting go of.

The love, and longing and had even shed tears from them freely. They remained in that state, arms open to hug each other and wailing aloud about the separation for months and pain over everything which remained unsaid. Together finally, at least for a few seconds, of how much they missed each other.