🔥 FISSURE HEARTS — CHAPTER 14 🔥

They found an empty room. It wasn't much—just a small, dusty space with flickering lights and a single cot in the corner. But it was private. It was quiet. It was theirs. "This is ridiculous," Ikari said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We should be looking for a way out. We should be—" "We've been looking for a way out for thirteen chapters," Akira said. "I think we deserve a break." "A break." "A break." She stared at him. He stared back. The air between them was thick. Heavy. Electric. "You're looking at me weird," she said. "I'm looking at you the way I always look at you." "That's the problem. You always look at me like—" "Like what?" "Like you want to—" She stopped. He didn't move. "Like I want to what?" he asked, his voice low. "Like you want to—" She swallowed. "Like you want to..." "Ikari." "What?" "I'm going to say something. And you're going to stop me if you don't want to hear it." "Okay." "I've wanted you since I first saw you." She blinked. "I've wanted you since we were arguing in the courtyard. I've wanted you since you punched that guy for looking at me wrong. I've wanted you since you told me to go to sleep and I couldn't because all I could think about was you." "Akira..." "I know it's stupid. I know it's messy. I know we're not—" She kissed him. It was hard. It was desperate. It was exactly what he needed. She pulled back, her breathing uneven. "You talk too much." "That's not the first time I've heard that." "It won't be the last." "Are you going to stop me?" "No," she said. "I'm not." And then she kissed him again. ••• His hands found her waist. She arched into him. They stumbled toward the cot. It was old. It was creaky. It was perfect. "This is going to be uncomfortable," she said. "I don't care." "You don't care about anything." "I care about you." She stopped moving. He was looking at her. Really looking. His eyes were dark, tired, but there was something there. Something she'd been trying to ignore. Something she'd been running from. "Say that again," she said. "I care about you." "Again." "I care about you, Ikari. I've cared about you for months. Maybe longer. I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to be this. But I—" She kissed him. This time, it wasn't quick. It wasn't just a press of lips and a breath of need. It was deeper. Slower. A confession spoken in a language neither of them knew how to speak. His hands slid beneath her shirt. She gasped. "Cold," she muttered. "Liar." "Cold." "Your skin is burning up." "That's—that's just my body temperature. It's—" "Ikari." "What?" "Stop talking." "I don't know how to stop talking." "Then do it anyway." She laughed. It was a broken, breathless sound—the first genuine laugh he'd heard from her in what felt like forever. "I hate you," she said. "I know." "I really hate you." "I know." "I—" She couldn't finish the sentence. Because he was kissing her neck. Slow. Deliberate. Pulling sounds from her she didn't know she could make. "Akira—" "I know," he said. "I—I'm trying to say—" "I know." "Do you actually know?" "I know you don't hate me." She stopped breathing. "I know you want this as much as I do," he continued, his voice barely a whisper. "I know you're scared. I'm scared too. I don't know how to do this—this... thing. I don't know how to care about someone without it consuming me. But I'm trying. I'm trying so hard." She stared at him. "Akira," she said. "Yeah?" "I—" She kissed him. It was enough. ••• The cot protested. They didn't care. His hands were everywhere. Her hands were everywhere. It was messy. It was awkward. It was perfect. "I—I haven't—" she started. "Neither have I." "You haven't?" "I've never wanted to. Not like this." "Akira—" "I've been waiting my whole life for you," he said. "I just didn't know it." She kissed him. And then there were no more words. ••• His fingers traced her body like she was something sacred. She hated the way it made her feel. Or maybe she loved it. She couldn't decide. Her heart was pounding too loud to think straight. "Tell me what you want," he said. "I don't know." "Yes you do." "I—" "Tell me." "I want—" She swallowed. "I want you to touch me." "Where?" "Everywhere." He smiled. It was small. It was tired. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. "I can do that," he said. And he did. ••• Their clothes disappeared. She didn't remember taking them off. Or maybe she did. It was a blur of hands and teeth and need. "You're so beautiful," he said. "I'm not—" "You are. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen." "Akira—" "You're beautiful when you're angry. You're beautiful when you're fighting. You're beautiful when you're exhausted. You're beautiful when you're sleeping. You're beautiful when you're—" "Stop." "No." "Akira." "I won't stop. I've spent months—years—not telling you this. Not telling anyone this. I'm going to tell you now. I'm going to tell you every day if I have to." "Why?" "Because you deserve to know." She kissed him. It was soft, this time. Slow. A conversation in a language that existed only in the space between them. "I love you," she said. The words hung in the air. He froze. "What?" "I love you," she said again. "I've loved you since—I don't know. Since you argued with me about the stupidest thing and looked at me like I was the only person in the room. Since you showed up at 3 AM with coffee and an apology you didn't have to give. Since you—" She stopped. He was looking at her. His eyes were wet. "Akira—" "I love you too," he said. "I've loved you since I can't remember not loving you. Since before I knew what it meant. Since the first time I saw you and thought, 'she's going to be the death of me.'" "That's morbid." "It's true." "You're impossible." "I'm yours." She kissed him. And then there were no more words. ••• Later, they lay together on the creaky cot, tangled in each other. His fingers traced patterns on her skin. She rested her head on his chest. "We should get out of here," she said. "Eventually." "Akira." "I know. I know. We need to find a way out. We need to find the others. We need to—" "I know." "We can stay here a little longer." "I know." "Just a little longer." "I know." She looked up at him. He was looking at her. The world outside could wait. ~ End of Chapter 14 ~