He didn't let go of my hand once. His fingers were intertwined so tightly, his hand engulfing mine so fiercely it had long since gone numb, but I was as aware of it as I was to the wind on my legs, blowing against thin denier and up my skirt.
At one point I'd looked at him.
He hadn't noticed.
The hole in the ground at our feet had seemed to swallow him entirely.
He didn't make a sound until we were treading slowly back through the grass among the tombstones, and the broken noise that tore out his mouth was so heart-breakingly visceral, I had to take a breath.
'Nick…'
He swallowed, painfully, but kept walking. 'I thought–'
'I know what you thought,' I said. I slowed, coming gradually to a stop and bringing him around to face me. 'I'm here.'
He had been absent. A part of him had been left in those hallways, with the coin that landed the wrong side up, and his fear had loomed above him ever since. He could have lost me.
I could have lost him.
He needed to hear me say it as much as I needed reminding of it myself.
'Look at me.' My hand went up to his face, cupping his cheek to pull his attention off the weeds in the grass and to me. 'We're still here,' I told him.
He ghosted my waist, fingers slipping across my ribcage before they settled just above my hip, his thumb stretched across my stomach.
He leant in, pressed his lips to mine and I kissed him, sweetly, just resting there like I was passing him strength.
'Cutter.'
He pulled back with a breathless groan, eyes still shut, and head still drooped.
I looked back at Lester over my shoulder.
'Call from the A.R.C, new anomaly. Better get going.' I nodded at him. 'Sorry,' he offered genuinely. 'Bad timing.'
I looked back at Nick, free hand slipping down to wrap around his wrist as I shut my eyes, and leant up on my tiptoes to press my forehead against his. 'Are we going?'
I felt his breath as he exhaled the tinges of amusement. 'Sure.'