Főnix

Phoenix

Part 66: Spoken Desires

The camp had grown quiet, only the last sparks of the fire flickering faintly.

Phoenix stood up from the tree stump to smooth the embers, though her mind was still swirling from the fall earlier that day.

Albatross stepped up behind her, soundless.

ALBATROSS:
“You shouldn’t be moving around so much.”

Phoenix sighed.

PHOENIX:
“My brain works. My legs too. I don’t need supervision.”

Albatross tilted his head, a playful smile touching his lips.

ALBATROSS:
“Of course. I noticed.”

Phoenix turned to respond—
but suddenly the world tilted.

Albatross caught her on instinct, his arm closing around her waist.

ALBATROSS (softly):
“Hey. Slow down.”

Phoenix stiffened, but had no choice except to grip his shoulder.

PHOENIX:
“I just… moved at a bad angle.”

ALBATROSS:
“The ground attacking again?”
—or are you pretending so you can stay in my arms?”

PHOENIX (indignant):
“Don’t call this pretending!”

Albatross leaned closer.

ALBATROSS:
“Then don’t wander too far.”

The air between them tightened.

Phoenix tried to pull away, but Albatross’s hand still held her—carefully, as if he were afraid to let go.

PHOENIX (whispering):
“Let me go.”

Albatross didn’t move.

He stepped even closer—so close there was nowhere left to escape.

ALBATROSS:
“If I let go… you’d just step back anyway.”

Phoenix would have protested, but their eyes locked—
the same look they’d shared during the kiss in the forest.

Words ran out.

Time stopped.

Albatross slowly bent down—
no questions, no explanations.

He kissed her.

This time longer. Surer.
Not hesitantly—
as if this had always been where they belonged.

At first Phoenix forgot how to breathe, then she gave in.

Her hand rose on its own to Albatross’s chest before she kissed him back.

There were no words.
No negotiations.

The kiss itself was the decision—
the moment when, instead of speaking, they finally found each other.

When they pulled apart, only a few centimeters remained between them.

A soft smile crossed Phoenix’s face, as if something inside her had finally settled.

Albatross gently rested his forehead against hers.

He didn’t say anything.
He just stayed.

Phoenix did too.

Because there was nothing left to say—
they had already chosen.

The sounds of the camp slowly returned, but around them everything felt muted,
as if the world itself knew a new chapter had begun—
without anyone needing to say it out loud.

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