The sun soaks down, drenching her in sweat, the black shirt doing nothing more than attracting more heat to weigh down on her. The humidity of the day making the air sticky, like she's treading through water to get from one place to another. While the end of summer was nearing for most of the country, here it lingered way past its welcome. And she was feeling it today.
Removing her helmet, she reaches up to flatten any stray pieces of hair that have escaped under duress all day. Her forearm lingering up to wipe away at her forehead, coming back wet and sticky.
Her gait still with its hop, the long day having only renewed her belief that they were doing something worthwhile, especially as she glances behind her.
He's not far behind, a stubbled smile cast her way, and she quickly ducks her head back to the front.
When she saw him step out of that white van, she thought she had made him up, some sort of hallucination of sorts.
Throughout the day she'd found herself looking for him, just for a second, as if assuring herself that hadn't fled, he was really here.
But there he remained. Every single time.
She can hear the light hustle of his feet as he jogs to catch up with her. The exhaustion of the day meaning very little to him whenever he was determined.
"Hey," he says, the smile having not dropped from his lips even after reaching her.
"Hi," she says, angling herself towards him, and then quickly snapping back, front and center.
"So what are you doing later, because—" He starts, which only serves to stop her.
"T," she interrupts him. And then he's in front of her, the dust from the dirt swirling up around them with every step they took. The drought of the summer just another restriction, a reminder of where they were, how far they'd come. "What are we doing?" She asks, exhausted, her head shaking with question. The relief from earlier only serving to confuse her, unaccustomed to him actually being there.
"We're uhh, walking back to the van," he says in a smart ass voice that has her cocking her head to the side, begging for something with a little more substance.
"You're here," she reiterates, prompting him, a tilt to her head, her green eyes looking almost translucent in the sun.
"I am," he says with a half nod and a grin, taking a step towards her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders.
"And are you…" she all but whispers, her question lost in the contact his hands make with her neck, his thumb gently moving back and forth along her jawline.
"Staying?" He finishes for her, his grin never slipping, as he leans down, pressing his lips against her's in a kiss that had been long overdue. Jordan freezes, unsure of what's happening, before choosing to respond in kind, the pent up frustration only mirrored in the pressure one another.
The last kiss she'd had from him, one of sadness, but even after the breakup, she never believed it to be the last. Somehow always finding their way back to each other. Just as they are now, standing in a barren field, filled with upturned cars, an obstacle course of training designed to test them.
And as they stood there, dust swirling around them, before settling to the ground with the lack of movement, she couldn't help but finally feel planted here, as he TC hesitantly pulled away, but only just so, his nose still touching her's, until her eyes flutter open, her hand moving up to settle on his stubbled cheek.
She stares up at him, the question still on the tip of her tongue, despite his actions. Her eyes pleading for the words, the vocal confirmation that he'd begun earlier that morning.
"I'm staying, Jordan," he says, sensing what she needs, his words sinking into her with a warm smile.
"You two coming?" They hear echoing out to them, the van waiting to bring them back to the hospital.
Her cheeks tint with a bit of a blush that she'll later blame on the heat. But as they make their way back to the van, together, she can't help be filled with a hope that this time, it would stick.
"So about tonight…," he starts again, throwing his sweaty arm around her, perfectly content to add some more heat to the day.