That feeling of stepping back into a house you consider home after being gone for so long is unlike anything else.

  It's a strange mix of relief, comfort, and disbelief all at once, like part of you is still expecting it to disappear if you blink.

  As soon as I stepped through the rge front doors, I paused for a moment and took a deep breath. The familiar scent of the house filled my lungs—clean air mixed with the faint smell of polished wood and something warm from the kitchen far away.

  My eyes immediately drifted to the rge paintings of Scarface hanging on the walls, exactly where they had always been. The same frame, the same spot. Nothing looked different.

  Everything felt frozen in time.

  The furniture hadn't moved, the hallway looked untouched, even the lighting felt the same as I remembered it. It was like the house had been waiting for me to come back.

  "I'm so gd I'm here once more..." I said softly, the words slipping out before I even realized it.

  A smile spread across my face as a rush of excitement suddenly hit me. Before I could stop myself, I hurried toward the staircase and started running up the steps two at a time, my hand brushing along the railing as I climbed.

  All I wanted in that moment was to see my room again.

  As soon as I reached the second floor, I saw her again.

  She stood in the exact same pce in the hallway where I remembered seeing her countless times before.

  Le faced the rge window in the hallway, looking out toward the city beyond the property walls.

  Her posture was straight and disciplined, her hands csped tightly behind her back while her rifle rested securely against the front of her vest.

  For a moment she didn't even notice me.

  "Hi Le!!" I called out cheerfully as I ran past her.

  My sudden voice broke the quiet of the hallway.

  Behind me I heard her let out a small, confused sound as she quickly turned around, clearly caught off guard by the burst of energy.

  Her eyes followed me as I rushed down the hall like someone who had been away for years instead of weeks.

  I didn't slow down until I reached the door to my room.

  Without hesitation I pushed it open.

  The familiar sight hit me instantly.

  I stepped inside and looked around carefully, taking in every little detail. The room looked exactly the way I remembered it.

  The bed was neatly made, the bnkets perfectly arranged like no one had touched them since the st time I was here. The furniture sat exactly where it always had, the desk clean, the shelves organized.

  It didn't even look like someone had slept there.

  Everything had been cleaned up from that night a month ago, leaving no sign that anything had ever happened at all.

  I stood there quietly for a moment, just taking it all in.

  "My god... I'm home... I'm finally home..." I said quietly as I stood by the window.

  The view outside stretched far into the distance, the massive green mountains rising one after another, their slopes thick with trees that swayed gently in the wind. Sunlight spilled across them, making the leaves shimmer in soft waves of green.

  It was the same view I had stared at countless times before, yet now it felt almost unreal seeing it again.

  "Yes you are..."

  Car's voice came softly from behind me.

  Before I could turn around, I felt her arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me gently against her.

  Her chin rested comfortably on the top of my head, and her hold tightened slightly like she was savoring the simple fact that I was standing there.

  I slowly turned around within her arms, lifting my head to meet her eyes.

  She was already looking down at me, her gaze warm and steady, carrying that familiar intensity she always had whenever she looked at me like I was the only person in the world.

  For a second neither of us said anything.

  Then she leaned down.

  Her lips met mine, closing around them in a slow, deep kiss. The warmth of it rushed through me instantly, the familiar taste of her completely overwhelming my senses.

  It felt grounding, comforting, like every piece of the world had finally clicked back into pce where it belonged.

  For that moment, nothing else mattered.

  I was home.

  We kept kissing, neither of us wanting to pull away. Every time her lips met mine it felt like something inside me was slowly putting itself back together again.

  The warmth of her touch spread through my chest, chasing away the cold, empty feeling that had clung to me during those past few weeks.

  Being this close to her felt different now.

  Safer. Real.

  I could still remember the fear, the pain, the uncertainty of those days when I wasn't sure if I'd ever see her again. But right now, with her arms around me and her lips pressed against mine, all of that felt far away.

  Eventually we stumbled back toward the bed, still tangled together in the moment. The backs of my legs bumped against the mattress and we both fell onto it, the soft sheets shifting beneath us.

  Car's hands moved to mine, guiding them gently above my head as she held them there, leaning over me while we continued kissing.

  Her hair fell forward slightly, brushing against my face as she hovered over me, the warmth of her body close against mine.

  For a while neither of us spoke.

  We just stayed there, lost in each other, letting the quiet of the room and the familiar comfort of being together wash over us.

  ——

  I'm too zy to attach this to next chapter so short chappy today.

  Also posting will be a bit inconsistent for a bit, one day I'll post one then maybe another day I'll post two—just going through some stuff currently.