Override (Glitch)

felt it even stronger: I thought—here is a soul that calls out to my soul.”
    I felt a deep, singing happiness at his words. He slipped behind me and tucked his hands around my waist, pulling my back into his chest. His chin nuzzled my neck as we looked out together. The colors shifted as each minute passed and, right when I’d think it couldn’t get any more beautiful, another shaft of light would break through and light up the earth with a new color. I was so swept up in the color and sharing it with Adrien that the moment felt magical. Unearthly. Incredibly fiery purple-gold rays shone from the edge of the horizon right as the sun finally dipped down behind the mountains.
    “What changed?” I turned to look up at Adrien. I bit my lip hesitantly. I didn’t want to ruin the moment, but I couldn’t help asking. “You seem different now. Did you have a new vision? Something good?”
    “I have had some visions,” he said slowly. “They don’t always make sense. Some visions seem to contradict others.” He stared out at the dimming light. “Then there are things I’ve seen that have to happen if there’s any hope for us at all, even if they’re bad. I used to worry about it constantly, trying to follow the threads that connect the whole chain of events together. I spent countless sleepless nights trying to understand which visions I might be able to change and which ones I shouldn’t and which ones I would make happen by trying to stop them. It was making me sick.” He was quiet a moment. “But I had some long talks with the Professor and he’s helped remind me of some things I’d lost sight of.”
    I swallowed. “Like what?”
    “Like that the world is far bigger than just me.” His face was barely visible in the twilight, his strong cheekbones cutting a sharp shadow. “And I think I’m finally getting it in my head that having visions doesn’t make me personally responsible for everything that happens. I’ll still try to change what I can, and make happen the visions that need to come true. But I can see that I was spending so much time worrying about the future, I was losing out on the moments I have now.”
    He looked at me, his voice soft. “Time is more precious than ever. And I want to spend every moment I have with the people I love. I want to spend it with you.” He pulled me close, wrapping his arms tightly around me and burying his face at the nape of my neck. “All I want is you,” he whispered. His body was so warm against mine, like he’d soaked up the sun and was reflecting it back to me. “All I want is you.” He repeated, his voice a low rasp.
    Darkness fell around us, and it suddenly wasn’t enough to feel the pressure of his arms around me. I wanted to be able to touch him.
    As if reading my mind, he pulled away and laced his fingers through mine. He tugged me back through the transport bay to the elevator. We didn’t say anything during the ride down. His words— All I want is you —kept pinging around my head. A flush crept up my neck. When I glanced up at him, he was watching me with a heart-thumping intensity. Something in the air had shifted. We were still just holding hands, but even through my glove, the touch felt electric.
    The elevator pinged as we arrived back at the Foundation level. Adrien stepped out and gestured to the wash-down rooms. “You go first.” His voice was a little higher pitched than normal.
    After moving quickly through the wash-down chambers, I hurried into the changing rooms and pulled on a fresh tunic set. I toweled off my hair and let it hang long and damp down my back.
    Adrien emerged from the shower right as I came out of the changing room. He’d wrapped a towel around his waist. His chest was sturdy and wide, with the lightest tufting of hair.
    He paused, watching me watch him.
    The temperature of the room seemed to burn ten degrees hotter. He crossed the space between us and dipped his lips roughly to mine. He cupped my jaw and pulled me in closer.
    I became aware of how little cloth was between us. I kissed him deeper and felt the buzzing explode in my ears, but I managed to keep the power inside me. I felt another burst of heat as I realized what that meant. With my newfound control, my power wasn’t a barrier between us anymore. We could finally get as close as we wanted to, with nothing to stop us.
    I pulled my tunic over my head, leaving only a thin camisole beneath. Adrien paused, eyes widening for a moment before