Is it over or not |T.H|

The soft golden light of morning streamed through the cracks in the curtains, casting a warm glow over Lexi's living room. The house was still, the kind of quiet that only followed long, emotional nights.

Lexi stirred under the blanket, her eyelashes fluttering slightly before her brows furrowed. Her breathing hitched for a moment — the tail end of a dream she couldn't fully remember slipping away like mist.

When her eyes finally opened, it took her a second to process the weight of a presence beside her. She turned her head slowly to find Tom sitting on the edge of the bed, facing her, one hand loosely clasped in his lap and the other nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

He wasn't looking at his phone, or the floor, or the door. He was watching her. Like he'd been doing it for a while.

Lexi blinked. "Hey."

Tom straightened a little, offering a soft smile that didn't quite hide the tired concern in his eyes. "Hey... You okay?"

She swallowed, nodding slowly as she pushed herself upright. Her head felt heavy, but not as much as her chest.

"How long have you been here?"

Tom shrugged, still looking at her like she might disappear. "A while. Haz and your mum's gone out with the others. I stayed."

She looked down, her fingers bunching the edge of the blanket in her lap. "You didn't have to—"

"I wanted to," Tom cut in, gently. "I just... I didn't want you to wake up alone. Not after everything."

Lexi bit her lip, her eyes searching his face.

"Were you watching me sleep?" she asked, half-teasing, half-curious.

Tom let out a soft laugh, the kind that carried more weight than humor. "Yeah. You were peaceful. For once."

She smiled, faintly. "Guess I felt safe."

Tom's eyes met hers again, and something passed between them — unspoken but understood. His voice was softer this time. "You are safe."

A beat passed. She reached out without thinking, placing her hand over his.

"Thank you... for staying."

Tom turned his hand to hold hers. "Always."

Lexi smiled warmly, squeezing Tom's hand. The silence between them was soft, not awkward. It felt earned.

Without really thinking, caught in the intimacy of the moment and the gratitude swelling in her chest, she leaned forward to press a light kiss to his cheek — just a thank-you, a gesture of comfort.

But at the last second, Tom turned his head — maybe to say something, maybe from nerves — and her lips landed on his.

Both of them froze.

Lexi's eyes widened, pulling back just an inch as their lips parted. "Oh my god—"

"I'm so sorry," Tom said immediately, voice rushed and full of panic. "I didn't mean to— That was my fault—shit, I moved too fast, I wasn't trying to—Lex, are you okay?"

But Lexi didn't answer.

She was still looking at him — at the way his chest was rising with every nervous breath, how his eyes searched hers with guilt and fear and something else... something deeper.

She didn't think.

She just leaned forward again, cupped his face in both hands, and kissed him.

This time, there was nothing hesitant about it.

It was raw — every repressed feeling from the last three years poured into it. Her fingers tangled in his hair, his hands found her waist instinctively, like muscle memory. He let out a sound, soft and desperate, against her mouth, and deepened the kiss with everything he had been holding back.

They broke apart only to breathe — foreheads touching, eyes closed, still trembling.

Tom's voice was hoarse when he whispered, "Lexi..."

She pulled back just far enough to look at him, her voice barely there. "Don't apologize this time."

He didn't.

He kissed her again.