#* henry.

          ❝     hey.      ❞         her voice is quiet,      subdued.          ❝     um,      levi’s already asleep.      how was work ?      ❞         

" honey, huh ? " elia watches him stuff three jars into his backpack. she notices that the honey has solidified after months stuck on the shelves. it'll melt just fine with a little heat. she has missed the taste of it, sugary, flowery sweet on her tongue, sticking to her lips like a gloss. she used to wear it in just about everything too. her shampoo, that french perfume she had, a body oil, balms... it reminded her of those warm summer eves, sharing a chardonnay with friends with the windows propped open because none of them could afford an apartment with a balcony, picnics in the park with ants crawling everywhere. a past life.

henry recounts some story, but she's too busy staring at him to really pay attention. every now and then he'll look over his shoulder, making sure levi is still there. she watches his lips, the light furrow of his brow that he has whenever he's reminiscing, the dimple that appears whenever he smiles. she wonders if they ever would have talked if they had met before, when he was a lawyer and she just a waitress, if their paths would have crossed at all. it seems strange to thank her lucky stars for this fucked-up world.

it's a cold night.   reem can see her own breath,   a white mist in the blue.   even so,   she feels little discomfort.    it’s been a long time since she felt this safe.    this normal.   her voice is no lunger husky but honeyed,   and oh,  how sweet do words taste on her tongue !   she delights in hearing little levi laugh,    seeing henry smile with him,   to drink in the sound and sight of human beings without having to fear for her life.    she’s not sure they trust her yet,   especially not henry,   but they will.    they will once they see she’s not a threat.

as if on cue,    reem hears henry stir,   then the sound of dirt crunching under footsteps.   before she can turn to face him,    she feels something heavy draped over her shoulders.    hands explore the woolen blanket with wonder before pulling it tighter around her frame.    the sudden warmth makes her shiver.       ❝   thank you,   ❞     she whispers,    careful not to wake levi up.    doe eyes meet his gaze and she feels a flutter in her chest.       ❝   can’t sleep either,  huh ?   ❞

@ichorimbrued

he’s always so gentle with her.      there’s something behind his touch   ;   not hesitance,      per say,     but rather a thoughtfulness that makes his movements slow.     reem’s heart skips a beat when,      rather than touch her cheek or nose as he usually playfully does,     his fingers hover under her chin.     forehead comes to press against hers.

he smells like the pines outside,     like the dirt they slept on,     the mist that covered them like a blanket.       her eyes close as fingers softly,     briefly,     caress,     touch just light enough to lift her chin.     she finds herself leaning in closer,     breath soft   &.   hitched.     god,     it’s been long since someone touched her this way.

this is more than friendship,     she knows.      a line has been crossed,     but she’s beyond giving a damn.     she needs this.      they both do,     in a world this cold,     a world this hopeless.          

❝.     henry,      ❞.         she sighs.     eyes open,      only to find that he’s studying her the same way she is studying him.       her mouth goes dry.          ❝.     i...      ❞          she stops.       words will only ruin the moment.     a deep breath,     and she closes the distance,     lips soft and sweet against his.

soft sentence starters.     @ichorimbrued.

she looks into his big,    earnest eyes   &.   the promise there is holy.     she can’t help but smile.    he means it with all his heart,     even if it isn’t the full truth.     there are only so many things that henry can protect her from,      especially with little levi in tow.     but she’s as safe with him as anyone could hope to be in this time and age.     henry would never lay a finger on her      /     never even slight her feelings if he could help it.     somehow,     through some small miracle,     she’s managed to gain his trust these past few months,     &.    he’s been nothing but kind and sweet and altruistic since.

❝      i know,      ❞         she says,     voice soft and honeyed.     thumb flicks playfully over his nose.          ❝      you’re a good man,     henry.     i thank whatever force is out there every day for letting me find you.     i don’t know what would have become of me if i hadn’t.     i’m grateful for you.     and levi.      you make this life better   –  worth living,     worth enjoying.     just weeks ago,     i wasn’t sure i could smile again,     yet here we are.     it’s not that i don’t grieve for him,     or that i don’t feel sad anymore,     but hardly a day goes by that i don’t laugh.     i know I’m safe with you,      because i trust you.     i trust you with my life,     henry.      ❞