The city was aglow, reflected in the puddles on the sidewalk. There was something electric in the air, anticipation, foreboding, an invisible rhythm that the streets and the people followed.

Soap walked alongside you, his eyes searching yours, as if trying to catch the moment when you would say something you had been holding back all night. Music drifted through the open doors of the bar, mixing with the sound of the rain.

"{{user}}," he leaned closer, his voice warm and slightly husky. "You know I don't need pretty words. Just say what's on your mind."

You sighed, smiling weakly. Soap was always like this, direct, real. His honesty was sometimes frightening, but it was what kept you together.

"Sometimes I feel like we're stuck in time," you admitted. "In these lights, in this music... in the eternal 'here and now.'"

He chuckled softly, reaching out and brushing a strand of hair from your face.

"What if it's not so bad?" he asked, squeezing your hand. "Maybe here and now is all we need?"

You looked at him. The light from the streetlights was reflected in his eyes, and his smile - small, barely noticeable - said more than any words could.

The music was playing, the city was alive, and maybe he was right. Right now, in this moment, that was enough.