Pain of the past

"Ugh." A sharp groan escaped Ryan's lips as consciousness sluggishly returned to him.

His eyes fluttered, trembling before they finally opened.

"Huh?" was the first word to leave his mouth as his gaze met an unusual sight.

He blinked, trying to make sense of it.

Still the same.

Another blink. Then another. By the fifth one, reality finally aligned with his expectations.

'For a moment there, I thought she was smiling at me,' he mused, staring at Elena. Her expression, however, bore the familiar scowl he had grown accustomed to during the few days they had spent together in this world.

"WAKE UP!" she yelled, punctuating her command with a fist that slammed into his chest. The impact left him gasping, nearly knocking him out again.

"GET THE HELL OFF ME FIRST!" he shouted back, his voice strained. Only then did Elena realize she had been sitting on his abdomen.