Jenna smiled, Matt's words sending a flush of warmth through her veins. 'Thank you.' She said. 'I can't agree with all of that-' She held up a hand as he began to protest- 'But I appreciate it. I really do. It means a lot to me that you're here for me.'

She watched a slow grin tug on the corners of his mouth; watched as one hand pulled free from hers to run through his shorn hair. She studied intently as his eyelashes lowered as he looked down; savoured the feeling of his hand wrapping back around hers.

She didn't want to think about what it all meant. She didn't want to get hurt. She knew that if she thought about it, really thought about it, let herself admit it, then all that would happen was that she would be let down. She knew Matt didn't feel anything for her, anyway.

'Do you want to know what happened?'

His voice broke into her thoughts and she looked up, confused. 'What do you mean?'

'You know...last night.'

Her mind cleared as she realised what he was talking about.

'Yes.' She said. 'I would.' Would I?

Matt cleared his throat, fidgeted. Cleared his throat again. It wasn't like him to be so nervous.

'Okay. So you remember going to the bar, right?' He asked. 'And drinking?'

'I remember drinking shots, yes. It starts getting a little blurry after that.'

'I was far too drunk to drive us back home. You called a taxi and we went back to yours. I think you broke a vase, or something. There's a pile of broken glass in your living room.'

'Oh! I vaguely remember that.' She said. 'I need to clean it up, really.'

'We were sitting on the sofa.' Matt continued. 'You...were talking.'

Jenna blinked in surprise as his voice cracked.

'You said you were very sad. And that you make yourself numb. You said that I made you happy;' a fleeting smile crossed his face- 'but that I made you feel again. And when I left, you'd hurt again.' The smile dropped. His eyes were dark. Jenna cursed herself at how much she'd revealed.

'You said some stuff, I'm not sure what you were talking about. About...understanding. And you said, "that's love, isn't it?" I never knew what you meant. And then you said you liked my hair.' He smirked a little.

A flash of light ran through Jenna's mind; a feeling of realisation. Of an awakening.

'You said you liked it because it was a part of me.'

'You always do that to me.' She said, looking at the way her hand rested against his face.

Her other hand came up, too, touched his hair. 'I remember thinking, when you cut it, that I wouldn't like it.' She told him. 'But I did. And do you know why? Because it was part of you. I like you, too.'

Her heart sped up in her chest. Matt was still talking.

'You said, "I like you, too". And then-'

'And then I kissed you.' Jenna finished.

She remembered, now. The memories rushed in, tearing at her. She remembered how embarrassed she'd felt. How stupid. She remembered how much she'd hurt.

She wished she could forget again.

'I remember-' She whispered. 'Matt, I remember-'

She felt his hands tighten around hers.

'Oh my god.' She breathed. 'I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking.'

She remembered something else, too;

She'd realised, at last, just how much Matt meant to her.

She'd thought that she'd been keeping herself numb, keeping the pain at bay.

She realised now that he'd been the one holding her together the whole time.

She'd admitted it to herself, then. Admitted what she'd been hiding from herself for the longest time; that she was in love with Matt.

The realisation hit her all over again and she winced, cringed, at how terribly desperate she'd acted. She tore her hands away from Matt's steady grip, brought them up to cover her face.

She stood roughly, turning away. Shame coloured her face pink and she pulled her hair forwards.

She heard the bed creak as Matt stood as well. She turned to look at him as he pulled her into a hug. 'Don't be ashamed.' He told her. 'You were very drunk. It's nothing unusual.'

She laughed bitterly. 'I threw myself at you like a fool and then got upset when you rejected me. That's plenty to be ashamed of.'

Matt sighed. 'You shouldn't look at it like that. You were too drunk for me to let you do anything like that. I wouldn't take it as a rejection, really. Plus, you didn't "throw yourself at me like a fool". I know people like to say, "you can't blame it all on the drink" but in this case I think we certainly can. I know you'd never do anything like that if you were sober.'

Jenna was about to retort when she took in what he'd said.

'What do you mean, "I wouldn't take it as a rejection"?' She asked.

Matt stiffened, his hands loosening from around her waist. 'Did I say that?' He said. 'I just meant, you know. The way I left so quickly was very harsh and abrupt. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.' His arms dropped completely before his fingers touched her hands.

Jenna held in a sigh. She hated the way her heart had skipped a beat at his slip-up. She'd thought he might have meant that he felt something more; just for a split-second of hopefulness.

She needed to stop getting her hopes up. Only then would she stop getting hurt.

'It's okay.' She said. 'I understand now.'

He smiled at her, relief colouring his face. 'Good.' He said. 'I don't want to be the one to hurt you.'

'Tea?' She asked abruptly, attempting to change the subject.

'No,' Matt said. 'Thank you though.'

His hands tightened around hers in tiny increments and Jenna found she didn't have the will to pull them away. They stared at each other and Jenna could feel the tension rising.

She searched his face in the silence that followed; he swallowed and shifted on his feet nervously.

'Anyway.' He said. 'Can I...can I use your bathroom?'

Jenna nodded hastily and looked away. 'Yes, of course.' She muttered, blushing as she untangled their hands. Matt walked out of the door and as soon as he was out of sight she sank down onto the sofa, heart pounding.

She felt hot and uncomfortable as she fidgeted anxiously. The strange moment had left her chewing on her lip and tapping her fingers on her knees impatiently; she was filled with a sort of restless anticipation.

She heard the toilet flush and Matt came back, quicker than she'd expected. She wondered if he'd only gone as an excuse to get out of the tense atmosphere.

'I really ought to get going.' He said. The words fell flatly in the quiet apartment and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

'Sure.' Jenna said. 'I'll call you, or something.'

'Yeah. That sounds good.'

She followed him out to the hall as he opened the door. He faced her and then smiled. He pulled her into a hug, cradling her tightly.

'I'll see you soon, okay?' He said.

'Yes.' Jenna whispered, burying her head in his chest. She breathed in his scent; let the warm smell leave her feeling intoxicated. His arms tightened around her before sliding away. He raised one hand as if to touch her face and then let it fall. His eyes met hers for a moment before he turned around. She leant against the door, a strange longing in her chest as she watched him walk away slowly. He reached the stairs; changed his mind and went back to the elevator.

Jenna couldn't bring herself to close the door.

He pressed the button and tapped his foot impatiently. The silence screamed in Jenna's ears. The air felt thick.

And then he turned back to face her-

Took a hesitant step towards her-

And then he was striding back, fast, covering the ground with an intense, burning look in his eyes that made her shiver.

She couldn't feel the cold of the door she leant against when one hand slipped around her waist; couldn't feel the draught swirl around her ankles as the other wound into her hair.

He paused, looking into her eyes.

She reached up and her fingertips traced his jawline.

'I'm not drunk any more.' She whispered.

That was all the reassurance he needed; their lips collided and Jenna stumbled back, her hands meeting behind his neck.

She let him draw her forwards and she pressed herself against him eagerly, gripping the back of his head softly. His lips moved across her, soft and warm, and she knew she'd never felt more at peace.

They moved without breaking the kiss, moving until they heard her apartment door click shut behind them. Outside, the elevator waited, doors open, forgotten.

Jenna was drowning in his kiss; her heart was bursting and she knew his was, too – knew it in the way his fingers curled around her hips, and in the way his eyes were closed tight when she dared to open hers for a moment.

Pausing for a moment to catch her breath, she broke away and looked up at him, chest rising and falling rapidly.

His hand freed itself from her hair and cupped her face instead, thumb rubbing her cheek.

'You're perfect.' He murmured, and his voice was low and raspy, his eyes full of something she couldn't quite explain. The green of his irises was dark and misty and if she didn't know him better, she'd say he was about to cry.

Her breath caught as she opened her mouth to reply.

She couldn't find words beautiful enough to tell him what she felt, so she told him in another breathless kiss.

She melted back into him, stars exploding in her heart;

a supernova of love.