A Loving Light || T. Oliver

1 | Broken Spell: Part One

"Tommy," Eve calls out for her boyfriend of almost 2 years now. She steps into their living room, a tight feeling inside her that's urging her to do something to unfurl it. Tommy looks up from the paper of a student he's reading and trying to grade. His eyes immediately take in the anxious expression on her face and the panic in her eyes. It's time. And they both know it.

Tommy quickly stands from the couch, putting down the paper and moving to Eve's side. Their arms wrap around each other with little hesitation. They both need the comfort because they know she has to leave after so long together without leaving each others' sides. Both of them have mentioned to each other how they think they aren't able to sleep with the other next to them. And after being dependent on the presence of their love for over a year, they just know it'll be hard with the other.

"I'm sorry" Eve mumbles against his shirt. Tommy threads his fingers through her hair, tightening his hold around her body.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Eve. This is what you feel you should do and I respect that." He insists as he speaks quietly into her ear.

"I love you so much" her whispers are muffled in his shirt and if he wasn't so close to her, he wouldn't have been able to hear.

"I love you too" he responds just as softly. Eve reluctantly pulls back, wiping away any evidence of possible tears from her face.

"Have you packed?" He asks, cringing lightly at the question. Eve smiles gently at Tommy. She reaches up and rubs her thumbs over the little creases in his skin causes by the cringe. He relaxes into her touch. He may respect her decision, but he sure as hell doesn't want her to go.

"Yeah, I did it before I came down to tell you. Couldn't help myself" she adds as a little joke. Tommy hums, a small smile curling the corner of his lips. "I might've also taken a few things of yours'... For a little safe keeping and comfort"

Tommy's smile grows wider, but it's still not as bright as she wishes.

"I wouldn't expect anything less, princess" he says. Eve lets out a little laugh, the soft sound shooting arrows through Tommy's heart. His gaze, just as soft as when they first got together, focuses on her and only her.

"Do you think you should leave soon?" He asks. Eve firmly nods, bringing the mood back down to the shallow waters of sorrow.

"I feel like if I leave any later I'll be too late for something. I think I've been subconsciously pushing this feeling aside just to have more time with you" Eve admits. Tommy nods, lightly.

"I noticed. You were... a little more clingy than usual last night" Tommy comments on his observation. A light blush sprouts in Eve's face and she smiles sadly.

"I don't wanna go" she whispers. Tommy strokes the side of her face, bringing her eyes back at him.

"You won't be gone forever. You'll come back home. And we'll talk as much as we can over the phone." Tommy says, the tone of his sentences sounding like a recitation of what he's been telling himself the whole time. Eve firmly nods once more.

"I won't be gone forever. I'll come back home. And we'll talk as much as we can over the phone" she parrots his words. Her grip on him tightens as he smiles down at her, his eyes becoming sad. Eve pulls him down into one last passionate kiss for who knows how long. They certainly don't. Neither of them knows how long Eve will be gone, but they'll be damned if they don't see each other again because they will. Tommy will have his princess back in his arms and Eve will snuggle up in her prince's bed in no time. They'll see.

━:∙∙⚜∙∙:━

Eve enters the small town of Briarwood in the gold jeep that Conner had gifted her as a joke a couple years back. She was exasperated to say the least when he and Ethan dragged her out of the house-Trent snickering behind her-with a blindfold on and revealed the car to her for her birthday right before college started for the former Dino Thunder rangers who would be going. She was one of them and the boys, i.e Conner, thought it'd be a good idea for Eve to have a car better for traveling all the way across Reefside to get to Reefside's community college. Not that she minded really, as annoyed as she acted that day when they showed her the gold jeep, she's become rather fond of it.