Run: 2026-02-19-01KHSZ0XNAMYCRAHB7PGY013KH

The door swung open before she could finish turning the last deadbolt. Eva stood there, her dark curls wild as if she’d been running her hands through them all night, her usual sharp gaze softened by something Rory couldn’t place—surprise, maybe, or the ghost of an old argument. "Rory." Eva’s voice was rough, like she hadn’t spoken in hours. "You’re early." Rory held up the plastic bag of takeout. "Yu-Fei said you called in an order. Figured I’d kill two birds." Eva didn’t move. The scent of turmeric and cumin from the curry house downstairs curled between them, thick as the silence. Ptolemy wound around Eva’s ankles, tail flicking, but even the cat’s usual indifference felt charged. "You didn’t have to." "I know." Rory stepped forward, forcing Eva to either back up or let her in. The doorframe brushed her shoulder as she slipped past, the heat of the flat wrapping around her like a too-tight embrace. Books teetered on every surface, scrolls unfurled across the coffee table, their edges curling from neglect. A half-empty mug of tea sat cold beside a stack of yellowed papers. Eva shut the door, the deadbolts clicking into place one by one. The sound was too loud, too final. Rory set the bag on the counter, the plastic crinkling. "You look like hell." Eva’s laugh was sharp, humorless. "Charming as ever." "Just stating facts." Rory pulled out the containers, the steam rising in lazy tendrils. "You called in an order at midnight. Either you’re working on something big, or you’re avoiding sleep." Eva’s fingers drummed against the counter. "Both." Rory slid a fork across the surface. "Talk to me." "I don’t—" Eva cut herself off, jaw tightening. She turned away, plucking a book from the nearest stack. The spine cracked as she opened it, her shoulders rigid. "It’s nothing you need to worry about." Rory leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "That’s not how this works." Eva’s knuckles whitened around the book. "We’re not—we don’t do this anymore, Rory. You made that clear." The words hung between them, heavier than the scent of spices. Rory exhaled through her nose, slow and controlled. "I’m here. With food. That’s not nothing." Eva’s amber eyes flicked to hers, sharp and assessing. "Why are you really here?" Rory could’ve lied. Could’ve said she was just doing her job, that Yu-Fei had asked her to drop off the order. But Eva would see through it, same as she always had. "Because you called," Rory said. "And I wanted to see you." Eva’s breath hitched. The book slipped from her fingers, thudding onto the counter. "Don’t." "Don’t what?" "Don’t do this." Eva’s voice was low, dangerous. "Don’t stand there like nothing happened. Like you didn’t walk out the last time I needed you." Rory’s chest tightened. "That’s not fair." "Fair?" Eva’s laugh was a blade. "You want to talk about fair? You left, Rory. You left, and you didn’t look back." The air between them crackled, charged with something older than anger. Rory stepped closer, close enough to see the flecks of gold in Eva’s eyes, the way her pulse jumped in her throat. "I had to." Eva’s hands balled into fists. "Bullshit." Rory reached out, her fingers brushing Eva’s wrist. The contact was electric, sending a jolt up her arm. Eva flinched but didn’t pull away. "You know why I left," Rory said, voice low. Eva’s gaze dropped to Rory’s mouth. "I know you chose him over me." Rory’s thumb traced the inside of Eva’s wrist, slow and deliberate. "I chose survival." Eva’s breath came faster. "That’s not—" Rory cut her off with a kiss. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t soft. It was teeth and heat and the taste of old coffee and something darker, something that had been simmering between them for years. Eva gasped against her mouth, her hands flying to Rory’s hips, pulling her closer. The counter dug into Rory’s back, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was the way Eva’s body arched into hers, the way her fingers tangled in Rory’s hair, the way she made that low, desperate sound in the back of her throat. Rory pulled back just enough to speak, her lips brushing Eva’s. "I’m not leaving again." Eva’s eyes were dark, her pupils blown wide. "You can’t promise that." Rory kissed her again, slower this time, savoring the way Eva melted against her. "Watch me." Eva’s hands slid under Rory’s shirt, her touch searing. "You’re an idiot." Rory grinned against her mouth. "Yeah. But I’m your idiot." Eva’s laugh was breathless, disbelieving. "God help me." Rory kissed her again, deeper this time, until the world narrowed to just the two of them, to the heat between their bodies and the way Eva’s hands gripped her like she was afraid Rory would disappear. The takeout would get cold. The books could wait. None of it mattered as much as this.