somewhere else, some other day

Adam

You took notes on what you had to do
To get the piece of the pie that belonged to you

Maybe it's a softer world, a kinder one; maybe it's the same but things just go right this once. Maybe there was some conversation that had to happen three years in the past on a Tuesday to change their fate that hadn't taken place in their actual lives...whatever it was, there is a universe where the day Adam and Amalia meet again goes better.

It's the same up until he kisses her. The same confession, in the swamp they'd been whipped to by some unknown magic, the same giddy apprehension. Maybe not the same circumstances, though; maybe Adam isn't married, maybe Amalia never found her faith quite so devoutly. Things could be just different enough to let them go right, as Adam's thumb strokes over Amalias and his lips gently part away as he looks her up and down, carefully, asking silently if that had been okay. If this was the start of anything or if it was going to be forgotten about forever.

As far as he was concerned, he could kiss her again and again and not get tired of it, but Amalia had always had more reservations. Hand still on her cheek, his dark eyes found hers. "...How's that for an answer?"

You've been waiting for this ever since you were young
Be careful not to choke on your tongue

we can't change what stays and what fades away

Somewhere else, another age ago, the world is kinder and a war doesn't loom and love stands more of a chance.

It's the same until they kiss each other, because this time it isn't cold. This time Amalia's eyes fly open before fluttering shut, her hand coming up to rest gently on Adam's chest without pushing away. She leans into the kiss with a shy eagerness, and when he breaks away her cheeks are flushed not with anger, but delight.

"That was good." Too giddy for wit, Amalia gazes up at Adam with a goofy smile on her angled face. The hand on his chest presses flatter and clenches, clinging to his shirt as though afraid he might attempt to run. Playful challenge enters her vulnerable voice, an invitation in the tease as well as a way out: "I bet you say that to all the girls, though."

Amalia

Adam

You took notes on what you had to do
To get the piece of the pie that belonged to you

The expression on Amalia's face made Adam laugh, but quietly, softly; the atmosphere was suddenly all around tender, quite markedly different from their usual near-constant banter. He raised a hand to cover hers on his chest, pushing his thumb under her palm so he could hold her fingers; he wasn't going anywhere, not without her.

"Okay, well, how about this: Ama, I think you're one of the coolest fucking people I've ever known and I've wanted to kiss ya for ages." He raised an eyebrow to see what she thought of that, his spare hand lightly resting on her waist and keeping her close. Adam's cold heart was flipping over and over again as he kept his eyes on her face; he'd spent a lot of time with her looking and yearning and believing he'd never get the chance to talk to her like this. It felt almost impossible to be here. "How about, Amalia, I'm fucking crazy about you?"

You've been waiting for this ever since you were young
Be careful not to choke on your tongue