Moon and Stars

fourty seven

The two stared at each other for what felt like centuries, with the moonlight illuminating their features like a spotlight. Fred's mouth hung open slightly at the sight of her, and she nervously gripped her bag close to her body.

"Aurora..." He breathed out, releasing the door and taking a step forward. Aurora dropped her bag to the ground as Fred's arms snaked around her waist, and she allowed hers to move around his neck.

His hands gripped onto her shirt tightly, and she pulled him close, going onto her toes to cut off some distance. She pressed the side of her face to his chest, and for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, his heartbeat resonated through her, and she relaxed into his arms.

The feeling of his warm skin against her face felt like sitting in front of a fireplace on a snowy night. Having his strong arms wrapped around her once more made her feel more safe than she's felt in weeks, and for a moment, all the cares in the world left her mind.

He took a deep inhale, smelling the scent of her hair, something he hadn't gotten to do in weeks. Tears brimmed her eyes, and she felt her body shake slightly as they slipped down her cheeks, but this time, she didn't fight it, and she let them fall, because for the first time in so long, they were tears of happiness.

Happiness brought from being back in Fred's arms, back in the home they shared, and smelling his familiar scent, and listening to his heartbeat and the sounds of him breathing.

She felt Fred shiver as a gust of cold winter air blew, and she disconnected from the hug, bending down to pick up her bag, and once again they were stuck in a stare off. Fred took a few steps back into the apartment, and he opened the door wider, allowing Aurora to enter.

She inhaled through her nose, and let her eyes fall shut, happy to be back in a familiar environment. She felt Fred staring at her, and opened her eyes to see him planted where he was previously, nervously chewing on his bottom lip.

"Fred... should we talk?" She asks hesitantly, and he slowly shakes his head, looking down towards the floor.

"Not tonight, Aurora," He says quietly, looking back up to meet her gaze, "Tonight I just want to go to bed with you in my arms. Please." He whispered, and she nodded at him, walking forward to give him another hug.

He was hesitant to pull her into his arms, but once he felt her against his skin, he relaxed into her embrace. A hand came up to cup the back of her head, and the other rested on her lower back, as she draped her arms around his torso.

The second hug was just as emotional as the first, and the remained wrapped in each other's arms for what felt like forever. The two of them standing in the middle of a dark room, with only the moonlight to light the way, and the sounds of Fred's heartbeat and breathing in her ear—it felt like a scene from a romance movie.

He slowly released his grip on her, and the two of them disconnected. Fred looked down at Aurora for a moment before turning to head down the hallway, walking towards their shared bedroom. She let out a quiet sigh as she followed, wrapping her arms around her waist.

The two of them entered the shared bedroom, and Fred crawled back under the bedsheets, which were disheveled from where he was sleeping before Aurora arrived. She stood at the end of the bed for a moment, before heading towards the bathroom.

"I'm just going to take a quick shower and get ready for bed, and I'll be right there." She whispered, and he nodded at her.

Aurora quietly shut the door behind her and closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply through her nose. She expected for there to be tension between her and Fred, but he only seems tired. He seemed not physically tired, though it was late at night, but emotionally tired, and it saddened her a bit.