NOVPUBNate's heart was still pounding from everything Jack had just shown him, the ancient truths about humanity, the heart of the universe, the endless, silent ticking of a cosmic clock.
But when he opened his eyes again, it was all gone —
He was back in Madison's kitchen, like nothing had changed.
Except everything inside him had changed.
The kitchen was quiet, the muffled thump of music and laughter bleeding in from the living room where Madison's birthday party was still in full swing. Balloons floated lazily along the ceiling, the smell of frosting and cake heavy in the air.
And then—
Madison.
She burst into his world like a star colliding with the earth.
He barely had time to register the wild gleam in her eyes before she leapt up onto the kitchen table in one graceful motion, her knees sliding apart just enough to frame him.
Before Nate could even react, Madison leaned in, grabbed the front of his shirt, and pulled him closer with a force that was both desperate and unstoppable.
Her legs locked around his waist, ankles crossing behind him, trapping him against her warm body.
Then her lips crashed onto his.
The kiss was messy, urgent, full of two years of bottled-up hunger and ache. Nate groaned low in his throat, his hands instinctively grabbing Madison's thighs, feeling the firmness of her muscles under her short party dress. She tasted sweet, like strawberries and something deeper, something entirely her.
Madison moaned into his mouth, grinding her hips against him just enough to make Nate's mind short-circuit.
His hands slid up from her thighs to her hips, squeezing as he pulled her closer, letting her feel exactly what she was doing to him.
"You're real," Madison whispered against his lips between kisses, her breath shaky, "You're really back... I'm not dreaming, right?"
Nate kissed her harder, nipping at her lower lip before pulling back just slightly to murmur, "You're not dreaming, Maddy... I'm here."
Madison whimpered and tugged at the hem of his shirt, yanking it up to expose his stomach. She pressed her hands against his skin, her palms sliding up his toned chest, feeling every muscle, every scar.
Her touch was fire and Nate could hardly breathe.
"You got stronger," she said with a shaky laugh, her forehead pressed against his, their breaths mixing.
"So did you," Nate rasped, his voice thick and rough as he trailed his hands under her dress, finding the bare skin of her thighs and sliding upward. Madison shivered at his touch, biting her lip.
"I waited for you," Madison whispered again, voice cracking with emotion. "I waited... two whole years..."
Nate's throat tightened. He leaned in, kissing along her jaw, down her neck, where he felt her pulse flutter like a trapped butterfly.
"You have no idea," he murmured, "how much I missed you."
Madison tilted her head back to give him more access, her fingers curling into his hair as she tugged him closer, their bodies pressing together so tightly there was no space between them anymore.
Her hips shifted, grinding against him with slow, desperate movements that made Nate see stars.
"You're mine," Madison breathed out, her voice raw. "You've always been mine."
"Always," Nate agreed, his voice a low growl.
One of his hands slid up further, tracing the side of her waist, feeling every inch of her burning skin, until his thumb brushed the underside of her breast. Madison gasped into his mouth and deepened the kiss, her fingers digging into his shoulders. 𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
The table creaked under their weight but neither cared.
Madison wrapped her arms around Nate's neck and locked her legs tighter, grinding harder now, seeking more friction.
"I should... stop you..." Nate muttered, even as he pressed harder against her, his self-control fraying fast.
"Don't," Madison whispered fiercely, pulling him down into another searing kiss. "Don't you dare stop."
Nate groaned, pushing her down flat onto the table, hovering over her. Madison arched up against him, her dress riding dangerously high up her thighs, exposing more skin, tempting him beyond reason.
He kissed down her neck, biting gently at the spot between her shoulder and collarbone that made her moan softly.
"I'm going to lose my mind," Nate growled into her skin.
"Then lose it," Madison panted, her nails raking down his back under his shirt. "Lose it for me."
He kissed her again, slower now, deeper, savoring her. Their bodies rocked together in a rhythm older than memory, a dance made only for them.
Madison whimpered into the kiss, her hands running wildly across his body, tugging him closer, wanting to feel every inch of him.
Nate let his hand slide up her thigh again, brushing the hem of her underwear. Madison gasped into his mouth, her hips jerking upward instinctively.
"God, Maddy," Nate whispered brokenly.
He wanted her so badly it hurt.
Two years of separation, of dreams, of lonely nights — it all came flooding back, demanding release.
Their kisses grew hungrier, more desperate. Madison grabbed Nate's hand and dragged it higher under her dress, encouraging him. Nate could feel how warm and ready she was through the thin fabric and it made his head spin.
"Tell me you want this," Nate said, his voice hoarse, needing to hear it.
"I need you," Madison whispered fiercely. "I need you, Nate. I've needed you for so long—"
He kissed her again to shut her up, pouring all his love, longing, and hunger into the kiss. Madison responded with equal fire, her body arching up to meet him, her hands roaming greedily.
The tension snapped between them like a whip.
It wasn't just kisses anymore.
It was grinding, gasping, soft moans, desperate clutching.
It was Nate sliding the strap of Madison's dress down her shoulder, exposing more smooth skin he couldn't resist kissing.
It was Madison tugging at Nate's belt, fingers frantic.
"Nate..." she moaned into his ear, and he shuddered.
His hand slid fully under her dress now, tracing slow, teasing circles on the inside of her thigh, making her writhe and whimper.
She was so close to begging and he hadn't even touched her properly yet.
"You're playing with fire," Madison whispered, voice trembling.
"I'm not afraid of burning," Nate growled, dragging his lips along the shell of her ear, making her shudder violently.
Madison grabbed his hand, guiding him higher —
— when suddenly the kitchen door burst open.
Both froze like deer caught in headlights.
Alice stood in the doorway, holding a tray of empty cups. Her mouth fell open in pure horror as she took in the scene: Madison sprawled on the table, dress hiked up dangerously high, Nate standing between her legs, flushed, wild-eyed, and definitely aroused.
The tray clattered to the floor with a loud crash, cups bouncing everywhere.
"I— WHAT THE HELL—" Alice screamed, covering her eyes with her hands like it would erase the image.
Madison groaned, hiding her face in Nate's chest.
Nate just chuckled breathlessly, leaning his forehead against Madison's.
"Perfect timing as always, Alice," Nate muttered dryly.
"You could've warned me!" Alice wailed, turning around and fleeing back into the living room, her shrieks echoing.
The spell between them broke, but the aftershocks lingered.
Madison's breathing was still ragged, her body still trembling slightly under Nate's hands.
She peeked up at him, cheeks flaming, but her eyes sparkled mischievously.
"This isn't over," she whispered, dragging her fingers down his chest slowly before slipping off the table, smoothing her dress down.
Nate caught her hand before she could walk away, pulling her back for one last deep, lingering kiss that left them both breathless again.
"No," Nate murmured against her lips. "It's just beginning."
And with one last heated look, Madison pulled away, sauntering back toward the party with a sway of her hips that promised so much more later.
Nate leaned back against the table, running a hand through his messy hair, grinning like an idiot.
He was home.
And he wasn't planning on leaving again.
Nate stepped back into the buzzing, colorful chaos of the party.
Music thumped from the speakers, the scent of sugary frosting and pizza lingering heavy in the air. Laughter echoed from every corner, bodies moved and danced, and the flashing lights gave everything a surreal glow.
He paused near the door, scanning the crowd automatically for Madison.
Nothing.
She wasn't at the snack table, wasn't dancing in the middle of the crowd, wasn't lounging on the couches by the fireplace.
A tiny frown tugged at Nate's brow. After everything that just happened between them in the kitchen... he kind of thought she'd be clinging to him.
Maybe she needed a moment.
Maybe she went upstairs to catch her breath.
Nate shook his head with a slight smile. Madison was probably just cooling down before she did something reckless again — and honestly, he wasn't far from joining her if she tempted him too much.
Shrugging it off, Nate turned and made his way through the crowd, dodging a group of laughing teenagers with party hats and a girl trying (and failing) to balance a plate of cupcakes.
His eyes caught Ryder standing near the window, a cup in one hand, a lazy grin on his face as he talked with a couple of the older guys.
Ryder's armor was gone tonight — he wore simple jeans and a black shirt that still hugged his muscular frame like a second skin. He looked so normal like this, almost like just another dude at the party, if you ignored the aura of quiet strength that clung to him.
Nate smiled and made his way over.
Ryder noticed him instantly. His grin widened and he pushed off the wall, greeting Nate with a solid, friendly punch to the shoulder.
"There he is!" Ryder said, his voice carrying easily over the music. "The man of the hour."
Nate chuckled and bumped fists with him.
"Pretty sure it's Madison's night," Nate said, glancing around again out of habit.
"Yeah, well, you coming back kinda stole the show," Ryder said, laughing. "Nobody was expecting that." He shook his head with mock exasperation. "Jack kept it way too secret."
Nate smirked. "Wouldn't be Jack if he didn't pull some mysterious crap."
Ryder laughed harder, slapping Nate on the back. "No kidding. You have no idea how much has changed since you've been gone, man."
"Yeah?" Nate leaned casually against the window frame, crossing his arms. "Catch me up."
Ryder took a sip from his cup before answering. "Well, for starters... Bella started bossing everybody around even more than before. Jack's somehow even smarter than last year — seriously, the kid is terrifying now. Amara set the training grounds on fire last week. Again."
Nate laughed, shaking his head.
"Sounds about right."
"And me?" Ryder said, grinning. "I've been doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Literally. Ray's been making these crazy weighted training suits — trying to push our limits."
"Still the muscle of the group, huh?" Nate teased.
"Damn straight," Ryder said proudly, flexing his bicep with a grin.
They both laughed.
It felt good.
It felt normal.
For a minute, the weight of what Jack had shown him — the ancient history, the heart of the universe — faded into the background.
For a minute, Nate was just a guy at a party, catching up with his brother-in-arms.
"You look different," Ryder said after a moment, his tone dropping slightly, more serious.
Nate arched a brow. "That a good thing?"
Ryder chuckled. "Depends. You look... stronger. Sharper. Like you've been through hell and came back swinging."
Nate shrugged, a small, wry smile tugging at his lips. "You're not wrong."
Ryder nodded slowly, respecting the unspoken heaviness in Nate's voice. He didn't press for details.
He didn't need to.
They stood there for a moment, just soaking it in — the music, the laughter, the sense of belonging that had been missing from Nate's life for too long.
"You planning on sticking around this time?" Ryder asked casually, though there was a note of real hope hidden in his voice.
Nate met his eyes.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said firmly.
Ryder's grin widened, genuine and bright.
"Good," he said, clinking his cup against Nate's in a mock toast. "Wouldn't be the same without you, man."
