Chapter Text
It had been a week since Lauren and Kieran had spoken, or even looked directly into each other's eyes. They avoided each other as much as possible at work, their interactions did not extend beyond a good morning, and they did everything in their power not to be left alone in the same room.
This morning had not been the exception.
Kieran had offered everyone coffee as usual, passing place by place handing out cups of dark liquid with a polite smile. Since the moment he walked through the door, Lauren looked down at her paperwork as if it contained the secrets of the universe, internally wishing she could blend into the furniture or become invisible. She knew she had to face reality like the adult that she was, but the truth was that she didn't know how to do it.
When he held the cup out to her, their gazes collided inadvertently. The tension in the air was palpable in a matter of seconds, they both looked away and he hurried out the door with stiff movements.
Kym had questioned Lauren more than once about it, asking if they had fought or had a problem, but she had denied it. And she wasn't lying to Kym, the truth is that they hadn't argued. On the contrary, things between them had become ... warm.
Maybe a little too much.
Okay, things had burst into flames between the two of them, and they had allowed themselves to be burned to the bone.
Neither of them knew how they got into each other's arms that night, exactly a week ago. They had finished an infiltration mission to a bar, where some members of the Scythe were secretly meeting. Lune were happy, they had obtained the essential pieces to overthrow them in the following months, and they had returned to the cave to discuss their next plans. The next thing they knew was that they were on top of each other, the dam of feelings that they had been containing within themselves had ended up bursting, and now they did not know how to deal with their... situation.
Lauren could still feel the ghost of his lips on hers, the pressure of his hands on every inch of skin. And Kieran ... well, the marks on his neck spoke for themselves. Even though he had tried to hide them, she knew exactly where she had placed each one. She could guess what his back had looked like the next morning, and it made her want to jump into a hole and die. How is it that they got to that situation?
Kieran, on the other hand, was no better than her. He believed that after having been through so much in his life, dealing with his thoughts would be a simple thing, but life proved once again that he was wrong.
Their gazes had collided for only a second, and it had been enough for the memories to rain down around him. He had looked into those same eyes as he gave her his soul, and she had held his gaze with equal intensity. He had held her in his arms until they had both fallen asleep, only to wake up the next morning and find himself alone. And here he was now, pretending to be a human with a heart in his chest, as if he hadn't completely given it to Lauren that night.
He knew they had to talk at some point, they couldn't escape forever. Lune could not break away now that victory was almost in their grasp. And the truth ... he missed her. If she regretted what had happened between the two of them, he would understand her. He would go so far as to say that he would bury his feelings until they eventually died, if it ensured that she did not leave his life. Whether as a friend, partner, or acquaintance, he needed her by his side.
He had to tell her.
He would do it that night.
Oh, if a broken heart had color, Kieran could swear it would be golden like her eyes.