Coming to Agreement

Elorae's lips tingled.

She couldn't stop herself from leaning closer, from pressing into Joey, from savouring the warmth of him. His mouth was soft, hesitant, but when she guided it with hers, he responded, and every tiny movement felt like treasure.

The glade spun around her in a haze of golden green. Somewhere she knew Steve lingered, and the other girls—Indira, Juniper, Serena—all of them watching. She should have cared. She should have thought about dignity, about the crisis. But no. Her heart was thundering because she was kissing Joey.

Her Joey.

She could feel it in her very bones: Joey didn't have to obey her. If she wanted him, she had to earn him. Be sweet, be careful, be clever enough to keep up with the other women who adored him so effortlessly. That knowledge felt like honey poured into her chest, warm and thick, filling her with the most delicious urgency.

She broke the kiss only long enough to breathe before seeking him again, greedy.

And then his hands came to her shoulders. Gently, but firmly, Joey pushed her back.

Looking up at him, into his eyes, Elorae nearly drowned. They were serious, searching, his brow furrowed as if trying to puzzle her out. She wanted to smooth the crease with her thumb, to kiss it away. Instead, she stood frozen, trembling.

"I want to talk to you," he said softly, "privately."

Heat jolted down her spine. Privately. Oh stars above. He wanted her. He wanted her in the woods, away from the others, just him and her. She had to bite her lip to keep from squealing aloud.

"Of course," she whispered, almost breathless, and let him lead her away beneath the trees.

The hush of the forest closed in. Leaves whispered overhead, and the air smelled of earth and pine, rich and heavy. She clung to every second, imagining him pressing her against a tree, his hands fumbling—

But he stopped, turned to face her, and his tone was nothing like what she expected.

"Elorae," he said, serious now, "something happened when I… when I got mad at you. My power—it didn't just change what you thought. It changed… everything."

Her smile wavered. "What do you mean?"

He gestured at her—at her hair, her clothes, her body. "You didn't look like this before. You didn't act like this before. Reality itself shifted. And everyone thinks it's always been that way, except me. I remember."

For a heartbeat, she resisted the idea. No, she was herself. Wasn't she? But then a faint memory brushed against her mind—herself as smaller, dimmer, less radiant, less certain. That was real, too, wasn't it? And now she felt fuller, brighter, happier.

Her lips parted. "Oh," she breathed.

Excitement swelled like a wave breaking over her. He had done it. His power had grown. Not just words—creation. Reality. This was what she needed. What the worlds needed.

She dropped to her knees before him, clutching at his thighs, pawing at the fabric of his jeans like a supplicant at an altar.

"Joey," she begged, voice raw. "It worked. Your power, your ability, it grew, just like we hoped. Please, you have to come with me. You can save them—you can save us all. I'll do anything, be anything. Just come. Please."

She pressed her forehead to him, hands trembling as they slid up his legs. "I'm sorry for before. I should never have demanded. You're the boss. I’ll follow you. But I can't do it alone. I need you."

For a moment Elorae wondered if she had gone too far. Or not far enough. From her place on the dirt she could easily reach Joey's crotch. Maybe if she showed him how far she was willing to go for him, how much she could please him, he would agree. But it didn't come to that. After a few seconds, he caught her hand, pulling her gently upright. Her breath came fast, heart hammering. Quickly, she stole a kiss, ****, before she could stop herself.

"To tell you the truth, I'm afraid," he admitted after her lips finally left his. His voice was low, strained. "My life hasn't been great. I had a few friends, but no love life to speak of. Even my parents didn't really like me. I've never had anything to lose. But now… now it feels like I have everything to lose."

Her chest ached. She understood. So much more than he knew. This man that she had crossed worlds to find, the man she would never have discovered had she not been so foolish with her power, who she had thought would just be a tool to use to fix her world was beyond anything she could have dreamed. Joey, the man of her dreams, the man she felt that she had been created for, only to know that their lives were universes apart. If they were successful in their endeavours, he would return to his world and Elorae to her own, and she would lose the one man that she knew gave her meaning. She bowed her head in silence.

Then his words cut her open: "I'm sorry for changing you. I didn't mean it."

She blinked up at him. Sorry? "Joey," she whispered, shaking her head, "don't be sorry. I love who I am. Whoever I was before, I can barely remember her, but she was less. She wasn't happy. You've made me better. You've made me yours."

Her voice softened, reverent. "You did me a favor. I can't wait to repay you."

He sighed, eyes searching hers. For a long, taut moment, she thought he might kiss her again.

Instead he said, almost to himself: "Okay. What do I need to do?"

And her heart soared, because he had said yes.