The show had ended a few hours ago, and Patrick's house still vibrated with the echoes of guitars, laughter and muffled voices of the band. The night sweat was dry on his skin, but his heart beat out of step - not because of the presentation, but because of the way he looked at her.

You leaned against the door of his room, arms crossed, a crooked smile playing on your lips.

"I bet you didn't think I would come" - you provoked.

Patrick laughed, that hoarse laugh, almost incredulous. He ran his hand through his disheveled hair and dropped his jacket on the floor.

"I thought so. I just didn't think I would have the courage to enter my room again."

The air got heavy. In that teenage mess, where her forgotten socks at the foot of the bed used to stay, like a memory left on purpose. He noticed. You too.

"Funny how some things never change" - you murmured, approaching, looking at his. - "We try to move on, but we always end up coming back here."

He swallowed dryly, his eyes walking over your skin, by the way you were more confident than years ago, but still the same.

"I was seventeen when we tried the first time..." - his voice came out low, almost broken. - "You were the first person to make me feel something real."

You got closer, the electrical voltage slapping between the two. He took the wrist of his hand, turning it up, and his gaze fell on the tattoo they carried one with the other's nickname, marked as a youthful promise.

"And look..." - Patrick passed his thumb over the paint, his eyes fixed on his own. - "We really did what we said we would do."

You smiled from the corner, remembering the rush, the madness, the silly courage that you only have when you love for the first time.

"Maybe we just need to stop running away from it, Feely."

He didn't wait for an answer. His mouth met yours, an urgent kiss, full of memory and accumulated desire. It was as if every year had collapsed until that exact moment, where you were back to being just the two of you - reckless, marked by loud music, tattoos and the insane promise that they would make it work, at all costs.

And for the first time in a long time, it seemed that they were ready to try again.