[attr="class","matias"]beads of sweat roll down as recognition hits. matias blinks, clearly caught off guard.

"sage?"

a myriad of emotions run through him: confusion, denial, but ultimately, acceptance —

he reaches out, embracing her.

thank you for being alive.

[attr="class","noodles"]sagira mosse

[attr="class","matias"]it's difficult to let go — he had done it once before under very different circumstances, but even now, in the relative safety of his own home, pulling away is the last thing he wants to do.

"it has."

he exhales, holding her tighter.

her presence is unexpected and so the next question is only natural:

"are you okay?"

[attr="class","noodles"]sagira mosse

[attr="class","matias"]exhaling, he pulls away slightly to peer down into her eyes. he nods, a gentle smile breaking on his expression.

"i'm okay."

better than he had been, that's for sure.

cool air flows past them, almost inviting. he reaches a hand up to hers, then gestures behind him.

"would you like to come in?"

[attr="class","noodles"]sagira mosse

[attr="class","matias"]perhaps too caught up in the moment, he misses the tells that might've spared them both. instead, their fingers intertwine as he leads her into his home.

"you don't look half bad either, sage."

she looks the same as when he last saw her: beautiful, rested, as if somehow unaffected by the past. that's more than he can say for others.

he stops by the counter in the kitchen for a remote, and after a push of a button, the music from above stops blaring.

"kitchen, living room, beach right outside. there's also a gym upstairs."

he points across the space that once looked bare but has since become more lived in for one reason only. his hand slips away as he approaches the fridge.

"you thirsty?"

[attr="class","noodles"]sagira mosse

[attr="class","matias"]"yeah it's a little too large at times. makes the place feel empty, you know?"

he reaches into one of the cupboards for two glasses, placing them on the counter before pouring them water out of a jug from the fridge. he slides one over to her, smiling as he leans against the cool marble, still calming down from his workout.

"it's good to see you, sage. i mean it."

but why is she here?

[attr="class","noodles"]sagira mosse

[attr="class","matias"]it is really nice — after a quick glance around the space, he nods, agreeing. he has it much better than he probably deserves, or at least that's what he believes.

he raises the glass to sip, lowering it back to the counter after.

after all they've been through, assuming her words to be anything but a joke would've been misplaced. naive, even. but there is genuineness in her eyes; he sees it. he always has.

so his expression falters for a moment, allowing remnants of confusion, hope, and guilt to slip through as he mutters:

"you did?"

why?

[attr="class","noodles"]sagira mosse