Gemma leans into Flick’s warmth almost instinctively, her body relaxing against her best friend’s side. It’s a comfort she hasn’t felt in ages, a fleeting moment of familiarity amidst the chaos that has become their reality. Her chest tightens at Flick’s words—about hallucinations, cults, and only the two of them being real—and she lets out a soft, humorless laugh.
"Well, if this is a shitty joint hallucination, I’d like to have a word with whoever gave us such crap imaginations,” she murmurs, her voice catching slightly. “We couldn’t even dream up a beach or, I don’t know, a spa weekend?”
She tries for levity, but it doesn’t quite land. Her gaze drifts out the window, where the faint glint of movement makes her stomach churn. When Flick wipes at the tears Gemma didn’t even realize were threatening to fall from her eyes, her breath hitches. She closes her eyes briefly, leaning into the touch, the tenderness of it unraveling something inside her.
“This adventure sucks,” Gemma mutters after a beat, her voice thick with emotion she tries to suppress. “The stakes are too high, the monsters are too real, and... I’m not sure I’d survive this one without you.” The words come out softer than she intended, almost a whisper.
Her eyes flicker open when Flick mentions the wine, and for the first time in what feels like hours, Gemma lets out a small, genuine laugh. It’s weak, but it’s there. “Of course you brought a bottle of wine,” she says, nudging Flick back gently. The mischief in Flick’s eyes, that glimmer of rebellion and comfort all rolled into one, makes Gemma feel sixteen again, as though they’re sneaking contraband into a sleepover. “You know - this is why I love you.”
Gemma squeezes Flick’s hand, their fingers still intertwined, and lets out a long exhale. “Alright,” she says, her voice steadier now. “Pour me a glass—just a small one. And then you’re stuck holding my hand all night, deal?”
Her lips twitch into a faint smile, one that doesn’t quite reach her eyes but is genuine nonetheless. It’s enough, for now, to feel this close again, to have this moment of shared rebellion and nostalgia, even as the world outside their window feels like it’s closing in.