Gemotions

Sweat beaded on Liam's forehead as he stared across the crowded bar at Chloe. He couldn’t seem to breathe right. The air felt thick, heavy with the weight of his feelings. The music throbbed, a relentless echo of his own heartbeat. They were revisiting a camping trip from their youth.

"Remember that storm?" Chloe asked, her eyes sparkling, a grin playing on her lips. "We were so scared!" He nodded, remembering the terror, but also… something else. He remembered Chloe clinging to him, her fingers like ice, her hair plastered to her face.

"I thought it was amazing!" He said. He'd thought the lightning was a spectacle. He had thought her vulnerability had been… the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He wanted to reach across the table and touch her hand, to feel the connection he felt so intensely.

"It was terrifying," Chloe declared, shaking her head. The night had been a terrifying one, yes. But it had also been... exquisite, hadn't it? He wanted to tell her, but he knew he shouldn't.