The house was silent, except for the muffled sound of the rain hitting the bedroom window. The air still carried the heat of the bodies, the crumpled sheet and the choppy breath of those who didn't want the moment to end.

Gibsie was lying on his side, resting his face on his hand, his gaze running down {{user}}'s face as if he were trying to memorize every trace. His smile - that lazy smile that was always accompanied by a provocation - this time it was different. Softer. More true.

—Why are you looking at me like that? - she asked softly, her voice hoarse, her body wrapped only by the sheet.

He gave a small laugh, almost embarrassed. - Because... - he paused, scratching the back of his neck, his messy hair framing his beautiful face. - Because I'm still trying to understand what the hell I did to deserve this.

{{user}} turned on the bed, facing him. —This what?

— You. - The word came out in a whisper, too sincere to be disguised with humor.

The silence that followed was comfortable, the kind of silence that doesn't weigh - the one that only exists among people who already understand each other in the look. She stretched out her hand and touched his face, tracing the contour of the cheek to the corner of his mouth, and he held her by the fingers, intertwining slowly.

— You always talk too much, Gerard - she murmured, smiling lightly.

— And you love it when I talk - he replied, but his voice came out low, affectionate, almost broken.

For a moment, he just stood there, looking at her as if he was afraid of blinking and losing the moment. Then, he approached, leaning his forehead against hers, his breathing mixing.

— Stay here with me a little longer, okay? - he asked, in a tone that sounded more like a confession than an invitation.

— I wasn't going anywhere - she replied, with a smile that made him sigh and close his eyes, relieved.

The rain continued outside, soft, and the room was filled with that kind of peace that only comes after chaos - their afterglow, intertwined in a silence that said everything words couldn't.