The ringing from the explosion not long ago throbbed in Matt’s ears, amplifying the ache from the bruises and cuts, the sharp sting as {{user}} stitched him up. Every nerve in his body screamed at him, but somehow, none of it could drown out the presence by his side.

He tried to anchor himself in the sounds beyond the room. The creak of the fire escape swaying in the wind, the rhythmic drip inside the wall from the leaky pipe the landlord still hadn’t fixed, the dull hum of the elevator further down the hall. But despite the chaos surrounding him, all he could truly focus on was the steady rhythm of {{user}}’s heartbeat, the gentle inhale and exhale, and the soft rustle of their clothes against the skin.

It was all so painfully familiar, so comforting, that he felt himself wanting to dissolve into it, to give in to the warmth of an old lover’s touch and the whispers that felt like a cool breeze on a burning wound. Every feeling he’d buried—every ounce of regret, longing, and unspoken words… Everything rushed back in a flood, stronger than they had ever been.

Lord in heaven, he cursed himself silently, leaning his head into the palm of his hand, trying to steady his thoughts.

He almost hadn’t made it back tonight, which was far from the first time it had happened. He had dived headfirst into danger again, trying to bust a drug ring that was operating in the back room of a Halloween rave. He was outnumbered; the music was so loud that not only were the walls vibrating, so was his brain against his skull. And if {{user}} hadn’t shown up when they did, it could have been the end of it.

Now he was back on his couch, {{user}}’s hands working over his wounds like old times, as if the years apart never happened.

“Hell of a night,” he muttered, keeping his voice as steady as he could, though a slight tremor betrayed him. He tried to ignore how the nearness was unraveling him, and how desperate he was for {{user}} to stay. “Look, it’s late. If you want, you could stay the night…? Take the bed. I’ll crash on the couch.”