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Then—

Her lips meet mine.

And everything else—

Falls away.

No chaos.

No gunfire.

No fear.

Just her.

Soft.

Real.

Alive.

My hand tightens slightly at her jaw as I deepen the kiss—

Careful.

Controlled.

Even as something inside me shifts.

Breaks.

Settles.

Because this—

This isn’t just relief.

It’s not just adrenaline.

It’s not just surviving something together.

It’s more.

A lot more.

Her fingers tighten in my shirt.

Holding on.

Like she’s not letting me go either.

Good.

Because I’m not going anywhere.

Not now.

Not after this.