Even Death Can't Do Us Apart- 3 (Complete)

(Flashback 3)

The first sliver of dawn crept through the gap in the heavy curtains. It painted a soft stroke across Tyla's cheek, the warmth of a silent invitation to stir.

For a moment, she remained nestled against Evander, her breath a quiet rhythm against his chest. He tightened his arm around her, the feel of her body a familiar comfort, a perfect fit against his.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, her eyelashes fluttered. Those sleepy, half-opened eyes, still hazy with dreams, met his. A soft smile touched her lips, a secret, intimate greeting that chased away the last vestiges of night. She shifted closer, burying her face in the curve of his neck, and he inhaled the lingering scent of her hair, a fragrance that always felt like home.

"Morning," Tyla murmured, the word a soft rumble against his skin.

"Morning, my love," Evander whispered back, his fingers tracing the delicate curve of her spine beneath the soft cotton of her suspender night suit. The silence that followed wasn't empty, but filled with the unspoken language of shared intimacy, the comfortable quiet of two souls intertwined.

She stretched languidly, a slow, graceful movement that made his heart throb with tenderness.

"What time is it?" she asked, her voice laced with sleepiness.

He reached for his phone on the bedside table, the cool glass a stark contrast to the warmth of her body beside him. "Just after six."

She sighed contentedly. "Too early to face the world."

"Then don't" he murmured, pulling her closer again. She snuggled in, her head resting on his shoulder and her hand finding his, beneath the covers. Their fingers intertwined, a silent promise for the day ahead.

They lay there for a while longer, listening to the quiet sounds of the morning.

Evander brushed a stray strand of hair from Tyla's forehead, his thumb lingering on the softness of her skin. Her eyes, now fully open, gazed up at him, filled with warmth.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, the words heartfelt and true.

A blush crept up her cheeks, a delicate pink that only made her more so.

"You're still sleepy," she teased, but her smile betrayed her pleasure.

"Maybe," he conceded, "but I know what I see."

She shifted again, propping herself up on an elbow, her gaze searching mine. "What do you see?"

"I see everything," he said, his voice low and earnest. "I see my best friend, my lover, my whole world, waking up beside me. And it's the most beautiful sight there is."

She leaned down, her lips brushing against his in a soft, lingering kiss. It was a gentle awakening.

****************

(Flashback Ends)

Everywhere there was smoke and fire, with debris lying around. They were covered in blood and wounds.

Evander's face was smeared with grime and blood, a dark gash bleeding sluggishly above his temple. Her own body screamed in protest with every shallow breath.

“Ven, are you…?” she couldn’t finish the question, the fear constricting her throat.

He squeezed her hand, a small, reassuring pressure. “Hurts, love. Hurts bad.”

Tears welled in her eyes, hot tracks carving through the soot on her cheeks. “Me too.”

They tried to move, but their limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. A sharp, searing pain shot through Tyla's leg, and she cried out. Evander's breath hitched again, a wet, rattling sound that sent a fresh wave of terror through her.

“Don’t try,” he whispered, his voice fading. “Just… just stay here with me.”

She nodded, her vision blurring. The edges of the world seemed to be closing in, a suffocating darkness creeping from the periphery. She tightened her grip on his hand, clinging to the last vestige of warmth and life.

“Remember that trip to the coast?” she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. “The one where the waves were so high?”

A faint smile touched his bloodied lips. “And you were terrified.”

“But you held my hand,” she continued, her voice trembling. “Just like now.”

He coughed, a painful, rattling sound. More blood trickled from his mouth. “Always… always will.”

"Ven...looks like...ugh....we can't live...the peaceful....uhmm....life..... we wanted....." I looked at him, my eyes dropping as life was slowly slipping away.

"It's okay....we'll...do that...in our..... next....life....." he smiled despite his pain.

The heat was still intense, the air growing heavy with the smell of burning. Tyla felt a strange sense of detachment, as if she were watching this unfold from a distance. The pain was still there, a dull, throbbing ache, but it was fading, being replaced by a growing numbness.

She looked at Evander, his eyes losing their focus, the light within them dimming. “I love you, Ven,” she whispered, the words a desperate plea against the encroaching darkness. “I love you so much.”

His fingers tightened around hers one last time, a final, precious connection. “Love you… more…”

His grip slackened. His eyes closed. The shallow rise and fall of his chest ceased.

Tyla's heart shattered, a silent, agonizing break within her own failing body. Tears streamed down her face, mingling with the grime and blood. The world around her seemed to fade, the roar of the explosion replaced by a profound, echoing silence.

She lay there, amidst the destruction, holding his lifeless hand. The flames danced around them, casting flickering shadows on their still forms. The sky above, still choked with smoke, offered no comfort, no solace. Only the cold, hard reality of their shared end, a tragic, final embrace in the heart of the inferno. And in the fading light, a single, unspoken truth hung heavy in the air: they had died together, their love a connection that cannot be extinguished by the brutal hand of chaos.