Chapter Twenty-Two.

"Home

A place where I can go

To take this off my shoulders

Someone take me home…"

The lyrics floated softly through the speakers, filling the dimly lit bedroom with a bittersweet kind of warmth. Sage sat cross-legged on the bed, absentmindedly flipping through one of Harlow's sketchbooks, while Harlow lay beside her, fingers gently tracing patterns along the back of Sage's hand.

"That song hits different, doesn't it?" Harlow murmured, turning her head to look at her girlfriend.

Sage let out a small scoff. "More like punches me in the gut." She shut the sketchbook and sighed. "Home. A place where I can go. Funny how I never had that until now."

Harlow squeezed her hand. "You do now. This is your home."

Sage hesitated, staring down at their intertwined fingers. "It still feels unreal. Like any second, it's gonna be ripped away from me."

Harlow sat up, shifting so she could look Sage in the eyes. "That's not gonna happen. You're safe here. You don't have to fight to exist anymore."

Sage let the words sink in, feeling them wrap around the wounds she tried so hard to ignore. "I don't even know what to do with myself when I'm not constantly bracing for the worst."

Harlow smiled softly. "I'll tell you what you do. You let yourself breathe. You let yourself be happy. And you let me love you."

Sage let out a shaky laugh, leaning her forehead against Harlow's. "You really are a simp, huh?"

Harlow smirked. "And you love it."

"Yeah," Sage admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "I do."

For a moment, they sat there, forehead to forehead, existing in the quiet safety of each other. Then, Sage cleared her throat and pulled back. "Alright, before I get any sappier, let's go heat up that chicken. I'm starving."

Harlow giggled. "You're always starving."

"Demon metabolism, babe. It's a curse."

They made their way to the kitchen, pulling out the leftovers from the fridge and tossing them into the microwave. As they waited, Harlow scrolled through the TV apps on the big living room screen. "You're gonna watch Euphoria with me."

Sage raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. "The show about pretty people making bad life choices?"

Harlow shot her a look. "It's deeper than that. It's… raw. It's kind of a comfort show for me, in a weird way."

Sage tilted her head. "How is a show about addiction, trauma, and self-destruction comforting?"

Harlow sighed, glancing down at her hands. "Because I see parts of myself in it. My past, at least. Rue's addiction? The way she spirals? I get it. I lived it."

Sage's teasing expression softened instantly. She reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Harlow's face. "You're not her, though. You made it out."

"I know," Harlow said, offering a small, grateful smile. "But watching it… it makes me feel less alone. Like someone out there gets it."

Sage nodded, understanding now. "Then let's watch it."

They curled up on the couch, plates balanced in their laps, as the first episode played. Sage absentmindedly ran her fingers through Harlow's hair, listening as she explained different characters and their stories.

Halfway through the second episode, Theresa walked in, grabbing her phone from the charging port on the table. She paused when she saw them curled up together, her lips twitching into a small smile.

"You two are disgustingly adorable," she mused, shaking her head.

Harlow laughed. "Thanks, Mom."

Theresa sat down on the arm of the couch, staring at the TV for a moment before sighing. "God, this reminds me of when your dad and I used to have our shows."

Harlow's face softened. "What was your favorite?"

Theresa chuckled. "We had a bunch, but we always made time for The X-Files. He was obsessed with aliens. Thought the government was hiding way more than they let on."

Harlow grinned. "He wasn't wrong."

Theresa let out a wistful sigh. "We would've been married thirty years soon." She shook her head, her eyes glassy. "Time flies."

Harlow reached out, placing a gentle hand on her mother's. "I hope I get to spend the next thirty years with Sage."

Theresa gave a watery smile. "You better." Then she pointed at Sage. "But you two better come visit."

Sage smirked. "Wouldn't dream of depriving you of our presence."

Theresa rolled her eyes, chuckling as she stood. "Alright, I'm heading to bed before you two traumatize me with your cutesy bullshit."

As she left, Harlow and Sage snuggled back up, but their focus on the show quickly faded as Harlow turned to look at Sage.

"You okay?" Harlow murmured, tucking a piece of hair behind Sage's ear.

Sage nodded. "Yeah. Just thinking about how lucky I am."

Harlow smiled, leaning in to kiss her. What started as a soft, slow kiss quickly grew more heated, Harlow's fingers tangling in Sage's hair as Sage pulled her onto her lap.

"I think," Sage murmured against her lips, "we should take this to our room."

Harlow's breath hitched as Sage ran a teasing hand down her spine. "Lead the way, demon girl."

Back in their room, Sage wasted no time pushing Harlow against the bed, hovering over her with a smirk. "You love teasing me," she murmured, fingers ghosting over Harlow's collarbone. "But I think it's my turn now."

Harlow shivered, her breath coming quicker. "I think I might be in trouble."

Sage leaned down, her lips brushing against Harlow's ear.

"Oh, you definitely are."