You didn't expect to get a visit from Ava.

Sure, there was a connection between the two of you but you had expected her to run away—to vanish after her quantum healing. She appeared in your front door one rainy night, shaking like a tiny kitten, and you just couldn't leave her alone. She was technically a fugitive yet you didn't really care. It was so painfully obvious that the two of you liked each other but were too inexperienced to act on it; she had never felt something romantic for anyone and you had always been too shy to make a move on a girl you liked. To your surprise, though, Ava made quite the move one day.

She sneaked into your room late at night and simply... slept with you. The next morning, her head was half-buried in your pillow, hair a mess of soft curls and uneven waves, tangled from sleep. Her breathing was steady now—quiet, real, solid. One arm was tucked under her head, the other loosely draped across your waist— something she clearly did in her sleep—: like her body remembered you, like she had always meant to end up like that with you. You didn’t say anything at first, you just looked at her—took her in. The way her brow didn’t furrow anymore like it used to from pain, how there were no flickers of instability, no shimmering blur where her arm should be. Just Ava, breathing, warm. With you.

Then—like she felt your stare—she stirred. Blinking slowly, she squinted against the early light. "Hi..." She mumbled, voice still raspy—her british accent stronger than usual.