”When we look back at it all as I know we will
You and me, wide eyed
I wonder…
Will we really remember how it feels to be this alive?”

It’s the first light of the day and Shane feels an unsoppressible urge to see Carmen’s eyes.
“Carmen…”, she whispers, brushing her forehead.
Eyes still closed tanned skin intoxicating scent.
Shane kisses the nape of her neck.
“Carm…”.
Slowly, Carmen blinks her eyelids are stares at the orange sunrise outside the window.
She doesn’t turn around to face her but it doesn’t matter.
The world could break in pieces right now and Shane wouldn’t even notice it.
She’s is so absorbed in the turmoil of feelings hammering soundlessly in her soul, like thousands of whirlwinds.
Carmen’s bare skin agains her own bare skin.
The sheets’ perfume of sex and love and
Forgiveness?
Hope?
Everything so familiar, and so new at the same time.
“Honey…”.
Shane’s voice is as light as a feather.
Wordlessly, Carmen turns around and nestles against Shane.
Her face is hidden, her lips slowly kissing Shane’s neck, Shane’s chin.
Shane’s lips.
Turmoil, again. Turmoil and surprise.
Shane pictures Hephaestus in her mind. The imperfect God of fire and metals.
Hephaestus duelling with flames, Hephaestus lapped by fire and dominating it.
Hephaestus shaping metals like her hands are now shaping Carmen’s faultless body.

”And I know we have to go
I realize we only get to stay so long
Always have to go back to real lives
Where we belong
Where we belong
Where we belong”

Eyes closed and mouths looking for each other, now.
Again.
Like the night isn’t over.
Shane is already breathing heavily, in a mixture of arousal and pain and overwhelming love.
She knows she loved Carmen.
But now, she is sure she’s never stopped loving her and she’s never loved her this way.
Maybe three years ago she wasn’t ready to accept all this.
But now, she is.
The mere idea of leaving this bed, this room, this hotel, this city
– the mere idea of leaving Carmen –
makes her feel like dying inside.
Too bad she is unable to understand if Carmen feels the same way.
They kiss and everything around them disappear.
Words are useless, now, it’s true.
Sheets rustling and here they go again.
Whispers.
Sighs.
Soft moans.
Fingers across hair, lips resting on bare skin, heart pounding, pleasure coming in waves, waves, waves.
Pleasure like thousands whirlwinds.
Shane thinks
I’ve never made love this way.
We’ve always been rough and passionate and wild and primal and instinctive. Scratching biting shouting shaking sweating fucking.
It’s like we’re covered with rose petals now.
It’s like she doesn’t wanna risk to be hurt in any ways.
“I don’t wanna hurt you…”, Shane murmurs, her eyes just inches away from Carmen’s.
Sinking into those deep brown eyes so unreadable and true.
Carmen’s finger closing her mouth.
Her eyes say
Don’t talk.
Don’t say anything.