His eyes swept the room and found his friends, his team, as he said, "I'm sorry I didn't come by sooner."

Smiling, pure relief on her face, Felicity was on her feet and running to him, as he said, "I just wanted to check in on Thea."

It'd have been easy to throw out his hand and stop her from crashing into him, but, no, instead of pushing her away he pulled her closer, finding that he needed the contract even if it was painful in more ways than one. Yes, he willingly absorbed her hurtful contact as she barrelled into him, jarring his still healing sword wound and setting his wound to instantly aching like a bad tooth.

But, no, he was unable to stop her, was unable to push her away, didn't want her to not make contact and for just an instant, he betrayed himself and allowed his hand to touch skin, to savor her warm skin, to feel the tickle of her silky ponytail against his unsteady hand.

Inhaling sharply, he breathed her sweet flowery scent in, knowing this was wrong, knowing he had no right. Yet, he couldn't stop from shutting his eyes, hoping to capture, hoping to record this tiny second of happiness, to burn it into his memory, so he could later replay the way she felt so right in his arms. So he could torture himself later with the texture, the feel, and the want to touch her.

Focusing, he promised that he'd remember everything about this second, as her arms banded around him like he was her lifeline and his chest tightened while his stomach plummeted. Squeezing tightly, she held him hard and then shuttered in his arms, and he forced his eyes open as he wondered which of them was going to pull away first. She gave a sharp breath and for a small instant he truly felt like he'd come home as he said quietly, "I'm okay."

But inside he was anything but, as she pulled away and broke the contact. No, he wasn't ever going to be okay again, and he knew it ,as she stepped away from him and he felt her loss knowing he was going to give up the thing he treasured most and that would be her.

And he breathed hard out his nose not knowing if he would survive this.