The afternoon light slipped through the curtains, scattering gentle rays across the bed. Aurelia stayed curled against Dragan, her head resting on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart.
Aurelia stirred lightly. She shifted closer to Dragan, her fingers brushing his arm as if searching for warmth. The room was dim, lit only by the gentle blue glow from the control panels on her wall.
Dragan opened his eyes slowly. For a moment, he didn't move. He could feel Aurelia's breathing next to him, calm and steady. A faint warmth spread through his chest as he realized she hadn't pushed him away, hadn't screamed, hadn't run.
He shifted slightly, and she looked up, her breath catching when she saw his eyes flutter open.
At first, he looked confused, like he was trying to pull himself back from a deep dream. His gaze landed on her, soft and searching.
"Aurelia…?" His voice came out low and rough, like a note played on a distant piano.
She pressed her lips together, her fingers lightly grazing his arm.
"Hi," she whispered, her voice trembling.
For a moment, neither of them moved. His eyes studied her face, her hair falling messily around her shoulders, the warmth still lingering where she had been lying.
"You stayed," he finally said.
Aurelia nodded, looking away for a second before meeting his eyes again. "I did. I wanted to… I needed to."
He opened his mouth to speak but paused, almost afraid to break the fragile quiet between them.
"I thought you might leave," he said finally, his voice softer than she'd ever heard it. "I thought you'd run away again."
Aurelia's throat tightened. "I almost did," she admitted. "But something inside me… pulled me back."
She shifted closer, her hair brushing lightly against his cheek. She took a slow breath, gathering words that had been locked in her heart for too long.
"I remembered," she whispered. "The kitchen… the juice… the way you looked at me like I wasn't just another patient, or another girl." Her voice cracked slightly. "I was scared, but… not of you. Scared of myself. Of what I felt."
Dragan swallowed hard, his hand rising hesitantly to touch her face. His thumb hovered near her cheek, unsure, trembling slightly.
"You don't have to be scared," he said. "Not of me… not of this."
Aurelia's eyes glistened. She leaned into his touch, her forehead resting lightly against his.
"I blamed you," she whispered. "I called you things… I watched them drag you away. And all this time, it was me who was lost."
Dragan shook his head, his fingers finally settling on her cheek. "It doesn't matter now," he said. "You're here. Right here."
She closed her eyes as his words settled deep inside her chest. Her fingers tightened around the edge of his shirt.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I'm so sorry."
His forehead pressed against hers more firmly now. "Don't be," he breathed. "You came back to me. That's enough."
Aurelia let out a shaky laugh, her tears slipping down silently. He caught one with his thumb, tracing it gently as if memorizing every drop.
Their breaths mingled, each one feeding the other, weaving a delicate thread of warmth between them.
She shifted her hand to his jawline, feeling the slight stubble there, the roughness contrasting with the softness of the moment.
"Dragan…" she whispered, her voice a thread of light.
He looked at her, eyes wide and open, as if seeing her for the very first time. "Yeah," he replied softly, almost reverently.
Then she closed the small space between them, pressing her lips to his in a kiss that felt more like a question than an answer. Gentle at first, testing, then slowly deepening as her hands slid to the sides of his neck.
He answered her, not with words but with warmth, his hands finally resting at her waist, pulling her closer.
When they parted, she stayed close, breathing against his lips. "We shouldn't," she whispered shakily. "But I can't help it."
He nodded, resting his forehead against hers again. "Then don't," he whispered back. "Not right now."
They stayed like that, wrapped in each other, as the afternoon light dipped lower, turning the room into a soft, golden cocoon.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew danger was near ;her mother's questions, the Unit, the truth waiting outside that door.
But in that moment, there was only them.
Only their breaths. Only their hearts.
And finally, after so long, only each other.
....
Meanwhile, just across the hallway, Mrs. Emerin felt puzzled after checking Dragan's room and finding it empty.
She had stepped inside the high-tech room, which had opened after scanning her face and matching her genetic data. But it was completely empty. The bed was untouched, the lights dim, and everything was perfectly in place.
Shehad stepped back out, closed the door quietly, and went into her own room. Sitting on the edge of her bed,
...And then..
After a moment, Dr. Emerin's calm face appeared on the screen again, he gave a call.
"Is everything alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, but he's still not around"
Dr. Emerin started "After a problem he encountered earlier, I sent him home to rest. It's been a long time since then, and even his watch location shows he's home. So I'm sure he's there somewhere."
Mrs. Emerin sighed softly. "Okay… maybe he's just in a spot I don't know about. Then I'll just rest."
"Good idea," Dr. Emerin replied with a small smile. "Get some sleep."
She nodded, ending the call. She set her watch aside, lay back on the bed, and slowly closed her eyes, letting herself drift into rest.