She lay in her soft bed four-poster bed, a warm comforter tucked around her like a coiled snake, in an attempt to guard herself from the abysmal cold of the night. Peculiarly enough the large window was wide open, the light curtains undulating in the breeze like apparitions. Her brow furrowed as she struggled in her sleep, her mind plagued with unpleasant dreams filled with images, words, and people she had pushed to the back of her mind. In her unconscious state, they could not be suppressed. Instead they awoke the moment she fell asleep and tormented her until her own waking.

He watched her closely from the chair with mixed emotions as he did on so many times before. It was only during these late nights that he could think with clarity. His active mind would never permit him to sleep and he often found himself awake at ungodly hours, pondering, scheming, agonizing over what could have been - what should have been. It all came down to choices. The choices people make, the reasons they make them. Indecision was for the weak - for those too afraid to risk it all. For someone who had nothing to lose, his moment of weakness came and went - and it tormented him ever since.

Choice. It is the only real freedom anyone has - and it was fortunate that he was not too late, or so he hoped. He inched his way toward the bed, taking small steps. She stretched, her arms flailing about as whatever nightmare permeated her very soul. The bedsprings depressed as he sat beside her, a warm hand sliding across her tender cheek. Her eyelids fluttered open as she caught gaze of her company. She moved to speak as if in shock, seeing him there until she noticed the open window. She lay there, waiting for an explanation.

He swallowed, before taking in a deep laboured breath to gathering his wits, but in the end not a sound left his lips. Their stares locked, their pupils dilating in the moonlight. His eyes glazed over and shook ever so slightly. She sat up, taking his hands in hers, their fingers interlocking perfectly like two halves of a whole. Her lips trembled, her mouth turned dry. His hand tucked a stray lock behind her ear and he leaned in closer. Their cheeks touched, her warm breath sending a shiver down his spine. His big brown vulnerable eyes said everything she needed hear. It's always been you. She pulled him down with her and closed her eyelids shut, a smile spreading across her face. His arms tenderly encircled her waste firmly. For the first time in weeks, they both had a good night's sleep.