“I’ve got something for you,” Dorcas murmured upon pulling away, reviving that soft smile. Marlene’s cheeks flushed a delicate pink.
“You really didn’t have to,” she said.
“I wanted to,” Dorcas replied, bending down to unbuckle her satchel. “Besides, this isn’t the proper present. Just a little something.”
The knot of guilt in Marlene’s throat unravelled slightly, replaced by sheer devotion as Dorcas handed her a small, neatly wrapped parcel.
“You’ve actually gone and wrapped it, Meadowes? God, you must really fancy me.”
“Piss off,” Dorcas said, though a fond smile gave her away.
Marlene unwrapped the small box to reveal a pocket lighter crafted from what looked like solid gold.
“I thought you absolutely loathed how much I smoke,” Marlene said, unable to wipe the grin from her face. It was beautiful, made of a polished, golden metal that Marlene preferred not to identify, purely out of fear that it might cost as much as her family home. She tried to flick the wheel with her thumb, but she couldn’t quite manage it. Dorcas gently took it back from her hands and struck it with a fluid, practiced motion, producing a perfect, steady flame.
“My father had a similar one. I watched him light it thousands of times,” Dorcas said softly, offering it back to her. Marlene tried a second time, mimicking the exact angle of Dorcas’s thumb, and a brilliant flame flared to life. As it caught the dying amber rays of the sunset, Marlene noticed a delicate engraving etched into the back of the casing: two sweeping, elegant letters. MM.
“Your initials,” Dorcas said quietly. “Or both our surnames, depending on how you prefer to look at it. This isn’t the proper present, mind you, but the rest will have to wait until june.”
Marlene looked up at her, a profound emotion stirring in her chest that she could not quite find the words to name. There was a raw, striking vulnerability in Dorcas’s face that made Marlene’s eyes prickle with sudden tears. She leaned in to kiss her again, and Dorcas welcomed the touch, yielding completely.
“You’re the absolute best,” Marlene whispered against her lips.
Dorcas looked at her, her expression dead serious. “Promise me you’ll keep it safe. Don’t go losing it.”
“I’m not that much of a disaster.”
“I’m being serious, Marlene,” Dorcas said, her sudden sternness catching Marlene off guard. “Promise me you’ll keep it on you. Always.”
Marlene softened, offering a reassuring smile. “I promise, alright? Chill out. I don’t break my promises ever.”
- chapter 45 of my dorlene longfic, Wild Is The Wind on ao3 (link in the reblogs/bio).
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