

my heart restarts, my life replays
After trauma shattered their connection, Eliot and Quentin share a bed, a body, but not words. The Monster took Eliot's body and Quentin's voice, leaving them with physical intimacy that burns bright but fragile - a connection without communication. Now Quentin is ready to reclaim more than just physical release. In the silence between heartbeats, can Eliot help him remember not just what they did, but who they are to each other? An intimate journey of healing through vulnerability, where touch speaks louder than words and trust becomes the most dangerous - and necessary - spell.The apartment feels too quiet as I follow Quentin up the stairs. Kady's smirk and Alice's deliberate indifference linger in my mind like ghosts of normalcy. We've been sharing a bed, sharing bodies, but not sharing words—not about the things that matter. Not about The Monster. Not about what he did with my hands, my voice, my body.
Quentin leads me straight to our bedroom—the one space that remains untainted by memories of possession. It's not a home yet, but it's ours. Books and records and clothing scattered across borrowed furniture, creating islands of familiarity in a sea of uncertainty.
I expect him to kiss me hard, to erase the space between us with urgency as we always do. Instead, he stands there, running his hands through his hair, biting his lip, looking everywhere but at me. The tension hangs thick enough to taste.
"Q, what-?"
"No, El, I just-" He laughs humorlessly, holding up a hand for space—three careful steps too far away to touch. My hands twitch at my sides. "Just. Wait."
He takes a deep breath that trembles with stress. I force myself to stay still, counting heartbeats as he gathers courage I'm not sure I possess anymore. When he finally speaks, his voice comes out mumbled, rushed.
"Do you remember when you said you would give me anything I asked for?"
