muses.

   “Try not to look too surprised. I’m pretty sure stranger things have happened before,” he added when Val caught sight of the slight look of surprise when Marley stepped outside of the restaurant. Work had been light all day, barely finding anything that could keep him occupied or paid enough that would help them with their current living situation. There had been one option, a painful one, but Marley had made it clear that they were doing this together rather than he sell off his bike so they could find an apartment quicker. “You want company?” He gestured towards the direction of the motel.

-

She’d been fiddling with the takeout box on her way out the door when she’d first felt, rather than seen, his presence. Caught redhanded, french fry dangling from between her teeth, face twisted in a look of surprise as her eyes lifted to meet Valentine’s own--surely, it must’ve been a sight. He definitely was, leaned up against a bike rack that studded the sidewalk, his attention completely and utterly on her. This she was used to. Never being sure when he would make an appearance. The difference was what awaited for them back at the motel: the knowledge that she could fall asleep to and wake up with him still in bed, every inch pressed against her. It’d been weeks and Marley still wasn’t used to it, but couldn’t wait for the day that she was.

―

Valentine leaned against the locked, trying not to grin when she was smiling in his direction after not being able to get enough of it the weekend beforehand. He glanced over his shoulder, back towards the direction of their class that they shared together on top of the detention where they often ended up together themselves. “I don’t really think that anyone would miss me in that class,” he admitted, or any class if he was being perfectly honest. The only people in his life that would miss him were the MC, his brother, and the girl standing before him as he turned back to grin at her. “I know that they didn’t in the ones I already missed this morning.” 

Still, he made the attempt to finish off school for the sake of the MC that required it of him before they’d let him even so much as be considered a member one day. And it kept Solomon off his back in the same breath if he could fake it until graduation but Marley made it all the more difficult to give a shit about class when she was right there. The weekend before, it played over in his mind more than whatever a teacher was going to fucking tell him as he nodded. “That’s what I was hoping you would say ‘cause I wasn’t looking forward to having detention again today unless you were there.” But being alone with her sounded better than sitting close and unable to touch, or even speak.

--

In the moment, Marley found herself wondering if there was anybody out there who would even miss Valentine at all. I would, her mind responded fiercely. I would. He would be the only person in the world that she did. She would miss him like a limb.

Though, none of this was spoken. Instead, Marley merely grinned, raising her eyebrows at his admission to skipping class that morning, as if it’d previously been a secret. “Oh, but what about your education, Mr. Miller?” She feigned concern, the facade flimsy when they both knew damn well that he’d be receiving a special kind of it if he were to run off with her. She hadn’t felt this way, after having sex for the first time. The burning, uncontrollable desire to do it again. She hadn’t allowed herself to think about it much after it’d even happened, out of the discomfort and disappointment she’d felt during and after. But it hadn’t been like that, with Valentine. While Marley didn’t believe in the bullshit emphasis on only having sex with the person you love (did she love Valentine?), she could see then how it could make a difference. 

“Last I checked, skipping school in the middle of the day should give us at least...three more detentions together?” She squinted, as if doing the calculations in her head. “Which sounds more than worth it to me.” Closing her locker, Marley took a few steps back from Valentine, hand held out to him. A silent question.

―

Val knew that deep down, he would have spent the entire day by her side and with her in his arms if it had not been for the phone call that stole him away from her. And the news that had sent shockwaves through him. He had never planned to have a kid. He’d actually gone out of his way to ensure that it never happened, because he knew that he was never meant to be a father. Or saddle anyone with the responsibility of taking care of him when his shit went bad. But Marley had always been different, which he could tell even now with the slight smile that was real and warm, both more than he deserved with the type of work that he did with his bare hands. Or the countless jobs that took him away and placed him in another headspace entirely. Solomon understood, only because Val did what the other could not - Marley knew, enough. So much so that he knew it wasn’t fear that he felt radiating off her, but nervousness to learn his reaction or thoughts. He picked at his food, letting it settle for a moment while he watched her out of the corner of her eye. “You say that like you expected it a lot sooner,” he replied around her lips, stealing another quick kiss before they pulled apart with the heaviness of their situation resting firmly on his shoulders. “I ― tell me how you feel about this first.” He wanted to know the truth from her lips before he settled any of his fears on her. Every dark thought that he carried inside of him, Valentine always planned for it to stay there where it would only hurt those that deserved it. Not Marley. Never Marley. “If I had the choice, know that I wouldn’t have left this morning. But when the MC calls, it’s better to listen rather than invite them back here.”

--

His eyes were telling. They’d always been Marley’s favorite part about him, though she had lots of them. Valentine was a handsome man--the hair and his lips and general facial features, a well toned body--but his eyes were what had gotten her from the start. He was terrified. It was right there in the gaze that he turned upon her, blue eyes locked on brown as they chewed their food in tense silence. Not angry, or hurt. Sheer and utter terror. He’d have looked less afraid if Marley had grown a second head. But he leaned across the table and he kissed her anyways, teased her, anyways. “What’s life without a good ol’ pregnancy scare?” She teased right back. Though, this was certainly more than a scare, and very much real. The three peed on pregnancy tests sitting in their bathroom waste basket could certainly attest to it. “I...you know how I grew up.” Knew that her adolescent years were spent taking more care of her mother than her mother had cared for her. She’d never known the cliched warmth of a mother’s soothing touch, or what it was like to go to bed feeling safe, loved. The latter didn’t come until she’d met him. “I know nothing about how to be a mother.” But hung silently off the end of her sentence. “...but I know how to not be one, too.” Would know better than to make the mistakes that her own mother hadn’t awarded her the luxury of being spared from. Maybe that could be enough.

His own explanation was answered with a shake of her head, hand reaching for his, bringing their intertwined fingers to her lap. “Come on, baby, you think you gotta explain that to me?” His knuckles were raised to her lips, ghosting over their bruised skin. “As if you’d ever want to leave a warm bed with me in it.”

There was plenty that Valentine kept to himself, both thoughts and feelings to the point where there were plenty around him that believed he didn’t have any of either but that wasn’t the case with Marley. He felt everything when he was around, so much so that he couldn’t keep it all to himself even as he leaned there and watched the way that her smile came as a surprise to his words. It was a nice feeling, one that he could settle in for as long as time allowed even with class wanting to cut things short between them.

He shrugged. “I didn’t see the point in going,” he told her with a crooked smile, not needing to comment that she wasn’t in that class so it was pointless to waste the time to sit through it before being able to see her again. The hours since he’d dropped her off at her house were too long in seeing her again, or being able to be alone with her and they still had to get through the day before he could get a moment in private. Not unless he skipped another few classes. “And I doubt anyone missed me in there.”

He’d shared a big part of himself with her that weekend. A bigger part than the obvious--something she hadn’t expected to be revealed. His involvement with a local MC. You didn’t live where they did without being aware of their presence, or that some of their recruits started young and as lackies...but the thought had never even crossed her mind considering Valentine. It sure made sense, though. How sometimes he disappeared for days. How he could afford a hotel room Marley was sure cost more than her house. He didn’t walk around as if he were untouchable, but he certainly gave off the sense that he was daring you to try. The information had gone largely unprocessed by Marley until then, their attention having been elsewhere when the revelation was made, making her own confession seem small in comparison. While it’d become increasingly clear that their time that weekend had been Valentine’s first time ever, she’d felt compelled to inform him that it wasn’t exactly true of her. She had half a mind to think he would be upset, would call the whole thing off, but immediately felt silly for thinking so. Especially after the way he’d kissed her. Pulled her closer. Didn’t seem to bat an eye, or care. Funny how that showed how much he did about her.

“Oh, but this class that we share together...you see the point in that?” Her eyebrow raised, curiously, as if she were truly trying to make the connection, as if it weren’t blatantly clear. Her smile gave her away, unable to disappear from her lips. “...bein’ missed’s overrated, anyways.” Marley doesn’t think anybody’s missed her a day in her life. “So how ‘bout you and I get outta here?”

Part of him considered keeping some distance after having dropped Marley back off at her house the night before, barely able to sleep when all his thoughts were about her and the weekend they’d spent together. His brother didn’t say a word, but knew where he’d been along with most of the club that had pitched in help him not completely fail at impressing her. But the rest of him, couldn’t keep his distance or interest off his face when he came in late to school to only be able to stop by her locker and wait for her. She was already there, hidden only by the locker door as he waited patiently and tried to remain calm and collected as he glanced around until she was done. 

“It was ― “ Better than nice. More than okay. It was everything and more and Val knew it, but he didn’t know entirely if she felt the same way that he did despite everything they did and shared together. “The best weekend of my life,” he admitted honestly, voice low enough as he leaned against the row of lockers that he only spoke for her and rarely paid attention to anyone else. “You have a good one?” @tabithasmuses​

His answer came as a surprise to her. The candidness of it. The honesty. Her astonishment must have been clear on her face, for a moment, eyes widening and smile falling lopsided as she processed just what it was he’d admitted to. Best weekend of my life. With her? Because of her? It didn’t matter. Softness overtook her features then, though her grin returned in full effect, hopes of playing it cool thrown out the window now that he’d played his hand. There was no hiding how his confession made her feel.

“...good doesn’t even begin to describe it.” She murmured back, matching his honesty with her own. It didn’t come as much of a surprise to Marley to find that it just might’ve been the greatest weekend of her life, too. Her hand itched to reach and brush the curls away from his forehead, the way she’d been able to so easily the last few days, but in the crowded hallway, she managed to curb that desire, hand remaining at her side. “You’re late, you know.” First period had come and gone. She was the last one to preach to him about attendance policies, her record spotty, at best, but teasing him for anything was the one thing she didn’t have to hold back from when it wasn’t just the two of them around. “Get lost?”

Valentine shook his head but it didn’t detract from the slight grin that she brought to his features, often finding a way there whether he realized it or not. “It’s always about the food,” he mused thoughtfully with a slight wink even when they pulled apart but never fully far enough to not be within her warmth. It was the way that she often carried herself with a smile and a knowing look that once terrified him to be underneath it. But things had grown between them to the point where he knew that she wasn’t afraid of anything that he was capable of, even if he was the one that was often afraid of what he could do to someone. “But it is nice to be able to share it with you rather than grab something on the road.” An honest answer, because there was nothing like being home and around her with the soft touches and the warming thoughts that eased everything else off his shoulders that would plague his thoughts if he let them. All the guilt became too much sometimes, but it was crazy how much it didn’t weigh as much when it came to being around her. “Good thing it might be both then.”  He followed where she lead, grabbing the wine glass as she set down the plates on either side to the small table that barely gave them enough room to not be knocking knees and elbows when they were constantly leaning into each other’s touch. “I felt like it might have been a good way to apologize for this morning. The last thing I wanted to do was leave here and have you thinking that I wanted to go.”

“Oh, always.” Marley’s hand patted patronizingly against Valentine’s chest, their last point of contact before taking the steps away from him that were needed to get their dinner in order. Neither remained far, however, the minimal space of the kitchen not allowing it. The table was no better, knees knocking against one another’s as soon as they both sat, but neither minded. She always felt better with some part of him pressed against her--be it knees or hips or shoulders. It was a physical reminder that he was there, with her, for however long he could spare to be. Something so simple, but something Marley had learned not to take for granted in loving a man who could be pulled away from her at any moment. “S’not the only thing you’ll get to share with me.” She pointed out, practically feeling the warmth of their bed calling her name, their shared time in it this morning having been interrupted by the call from the MC. After how they’d left things then, being able to relax with his arms around her was necessary, bridging the gap that had been left by the bomb dropped. Marley busied herself with her plate, beginning to eat, though eyes lifting to Valentine while she chewed, hearing the apology from his lips. She was quick to sigh, head shaking as she swallowed in order to get the words out. “...you don’t have anythin’ to be sorry for.” Her hand went to his knee. “I didn’t think that. I never do.” But now that the elephant in the room had been addressed...“I know that this wasn’t in either of our plans. You’re allowed to be scared, shocked.” Small smile tugging at her lips, Marley attempted to make light, “though, is it really a surprise you’ve managed to knock me up?” The two couldn’t keep their hands off of each other. To prove a point, her hand moved further up his thigh, bracing herself for when she leaned over to meet Valentine’s eyes and gently peck his lips. 

Val attempted to change his gaze on her, but it was hard to do when there was a lot that he didn’t fully understand between what was going on with them. It was unexpected and definitely not something that he ever saw in his future, but if there was anyone that he saw – it was Marley. He couldn’t help the way it made him feel as he questioned everything that he thought he knew that he was capable of that now was supposed to take care of a family. “It wasn’t you that I was looking at, it was all the food that I won’t be enjoying now that you’re already in it,” he admitted the white lie with a bit of a smirk that fell ever so slightly as he moved around so that he could give her space while cleaning up the trash as she made them plates. “All yours for as long as I can make it last.” The club would eventually have him out on a job, even if it was one for Solomon instead of him but for the time being meant that he wasn’t going anywhere as he moved to stand near her. “Or someone was really hungry,” he quipped back as he leaned back in for another kiss even before she could pull too far away. “Or both.”

“Oh, because sharin’ food with me s’where you draw the line?” Marley’s eyebrows raised curiously, as if truly expecting an answer, but the grin could not be kept from her lips as her head shook as their ridiculousness. He wasn’t in this mood often--matching her quips with ones of his own, so the times where the personality buried underneath layers and layers of his hard exterior shone through would always be times Marley appreciated. Rose balked at her when swearing there was a sense of humor he possessed that could make her stomach hurt from laughing so hard, but Marley was okay with being the only one who got to experience it firsthand. “We’ll have to make the most of it, then.” They always did--knowing that at any moment the club could need him, successfully drawing him out of the bed they shared and into the world he tried his damndest to keep her out of. Attempting to draw out of his arms in order to serve the food he’d brought home, a breath of laughter passed Marley’s lips as she was pulled back against his own, no fight put up against him as his mouth covered hers, mumbled words punctuating the kiss. She let it linger a bit longer before responding herself, free hand resting gently at his hip, losing herself in their proximity, head dizzy with it. “I like the sound of both.” She murmured back after a moment, eyes still shut even as her head began to nod, eventually pulling back and letting his handsome face flood her senses. The spell broke enough for her to remember the piece of food in her hands, happily popping the remains between her teeth and turning back to the task at hand. Both plates were portioned with the various goodies he’d brought back, brought over to the kitchen table. Her wine now his to consume, Marley instead grabbed a water before ultimately sitting herself down across from him. “Thank you for dinner, baby.”

Valentine had a feeling that things would feel different, maybe off between them after the news dropped that morning when he hadn’t been able to stick around for much longer afterwards before the club would come looking for him. He didn’t want them to be brought into the fold of what they had between them, but it didn’t make it any easier to figure it out himself as he took the glass of wine and stepped aside back into the shadow of the night when she went through the window and back into the apartment. “Quiet,” he replied as he followed behind, leaving the glass on the counter as he watched her with careful eyes instead. “Quiet enough that no one is moving within the next week or so.” A meaning that he wanted her to take to heart that neither one of them would be going anywhere, any time soon as they went through this together. “I got your favorite. And I didn’t know if you would want that, so I got some extra.”

She could feel it, though what it was, exactly, she couldn’t place. Tension wasn’t the right word, implying that there was some sort of distance between them. In fact, Marley wasn’t sure she’d ever felt closer to Valentine, knowing that she was carrying a child that was half his. It filled her with a love for him that she hadn’t thought possible, one expanding from the kind she already carried. But with that love came fear. Not of him, for them, but for the first time, of the unknown. Of a future that she hadn’t quite planned for, and knew he certainly hadn’t. Small comfort came from the followed thought that neither had exactly planned for each other, either. “Now, you don’t gotta go lookin’ at me like that.” Like she was fragile. Marley could feel the weight of his gaze on her, heavier than usual, but her eyes met his with a smile below them, no bite beneath her words. She would never actually wish for him to stop watching her. As she busied herself with the rummaging of the cabinets for dishes and silverware, the meaning of his words were not lost on her. “Meanin’ I get you all to myself, hm?” She couldn’t deny the relief that came from that reassurance, the anxiety of him leaving town with the weight of their news on his shoulders not having sat well with Marley. Two plates set out, she began to unpackage the bags contents, pleased to find the familiar logo of their usual Chinese takeout smiling back at her. “I am eatin’ for two now.” She teased with a small smile, sneaking an impatient hand into the bag of crab puffs and happily taking a bite while the rest of the cartons were laid out on the countertop. Unsure of how her quip would land, she was quick to remedy by making her way over to him, lips meeting Valentine’s in a small peck. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say someone must really love me...”

“Hey.” She greeted, fighting to keep the grin from tugging at her lips. “...you have a good weekend?”

           “Hey. What are you doing out here?” It wasn’t often that Val came back to Marley’s place and found her missing in action, slipped out on the fire escape when it was often the other way around. But with the news that had dropped earlier in the morning before he had to go to the club, Valentine didn’t know what he would find. Or if she was okay. “I left some food inside. You want me to go back in and get it for us?” If she was ready to spend time out here, then he’d be there with her. @tabithasmuses​ @tabithamuses​

She’d already poured the wine before realizing the mistake she’d made. Staring at the red liquid through the crystal of the glass, it occurred to Marley that there were more than one of her vices she would have to give up in the nine months to follow, the thought prompting a brief glance at her hidden stomach, buried beneath the fabric of her sweater to combat the cool night air drifting past the balcony. Lost in thought, she’d missed the entering of her favorite vice, the one she fortunately knew she would not have to part from--but then again, even if she had been paying attention, he’d always had a way of sneaking up on her. Marley didn’t startle, however, at the sound of his voice. Not when it was the one that brought her comfort when she needed it most. Instead, she turned towards the sound of it, a gentle smile tugging at her lips at the sight of him. “No, no, I was just comin’ inside, anyways.” A lie, but one that brought her to her feet anyways, wordlessly handing the untouched glass of wine Valentine’s way for his consumption. “Just wanted some air.” Her lips grazed his own in greeting, hand brushing his hair from his eyes before ducking back through the window into the apartment. “How was the club?” She asked after a moment, locating the food plopped on the countertop, and allowing her curiosity to lead the way in rummaging through it.

The imagery of Vic’s version of the pizzadilla forced a snort out of June before she knew what was happening. But hey, it was a known fact that she was a lover of tiny things and little bitty quesadillas on a full cheese pizza absolutely scratched that itch for her. “If it’s not that, I hereby pledge the rest of my life to making your creation a reality,” she insisted as she fit the box into the assortment of lunches and snacks in their cart. God help their diet - or lack thereof - but the supermarket was a breeding ground for distraction and June was a prime target for the traps they laid. It was rare she purposely picked something that would sustain them. “I don’t think we can let your moms see anything we eat. Definitely especially this, but I hope to god they have a better opinion of me than the pizzadilla.”

Rather than turn back around to collect the things they’d actually need to make it through the week, she held onto the cart and stayed facing her roommate. It was hard to concentrate with him in her sightline lately, but what was she going to do, look away from that grin? The least she could do was pretend to look at the freezer aisles as they passed them. Even that seemed impossible, Vic’s mop of curls bringing her back to him every time she tried to look away. “I, uh- Should we get another board game for family game night?”

She was ridiculous. They were ridiculous, and it’s exactly what made them work. It’d felt like he’d known her his entire life, and not just the year and a half that they’d been roommates. June was just so...June. Her name was fitting because when Victor was with her, it felt like Summer. Not just because he always seemed to get a little sweaty, but because of her warmth, and her smile. It felt like flowers were blooming in his stomach (or, would that make her feel like spring? He decided it didn’t matter). It wasn’t a secret to him that he liked her beyond the fact that her name on the lease meant he could afford a place to live. That sometimes, he found himself caught up in how beautiful she was. Even in the morning, with massive bedhead, nothing on but a ratty oversized shirt he was pretty sure she was stealing from his laundry but didn’t care because it looked so much better on her--

“Huh?” Quickly, he tuned back into the conversation, shaking his head and forcing a sheepish smile on his lips. “Oh, yeah, definitely not. Unless we want them coming over and cooking for us every night.” He pretended to think about it. “Even though...” As if it diidn’t sound like too bad of an option. Laughing, his eyes scanned the freezer aisles, looking for anything else that may have caught his interest. Preferably something that wouldn’t make his mom’s keel over at the sight of it in their freezer. He’d been going to reach for some tater tots when she spoke, dropping the bag into their cart and raising his eyebrows. “Yeah, yeah, if you want. Though I think we may be in the wrong aisle...”

It was all moving too fast, or maybe it wasn’t moving fast enough - Valentine didn’t know how this went, which left him second guessing everything and took the safe route which was to give them some air with the menu as a decent distraction so that she couldn’t see the boner in his jeans. He pressed down with the palm of his hand, trying alleviate some of the pressure that’d built up by lying down on the bed with nothing on his mind but continuing to kiss and touch her until he’d kissed every inch of her skin. Oh fuck, he thought with a shake of his head because it was going to be harder than he thought to keep his thoughts off sex when he didn’t know what she thought or expected from him.

The last thing he wanted was to take advantage of the entire night that was just the two of them as he grinned back over his shoulder at her with a sharp shove of his hand against the front of his jeans where she couldn’t see him. “Anything you want. It’s all taken care of that we can order anything on the menu and I think even some things off,” he told her, because that’s what he’d been told too despite the condoms in his bag and knowing that the room was more than he could have possibly imagined. “Like you know how these fancy rooms go, like you take all the robes and slippers and towels because you don’t have to think twice about the bill. That’s how I want you to feel tonight.” He grinned again.

“You okay there?” Marley could’ve pretended to not notice, kept her eyes trained on the menu and not towards his hand in his lap, but she didn’t see where the fun in that was. A grin pulled at her lips (and maybe a light blush heated the skin of her cheeks), though she ultimately looked back at the menu, giving Valentine the time and space he needed to alleviate his problem. There was immense satisfaction that came with knowing that just the touch of her lips to his had been enough to derive such a reaction, though if she knew anything about teenage boys, it wasn’t as if it took much. She wondered, briefly, what he was thinking about. If it was of her.

Her eyebrows raised. The surprises just kept coming. Marley seriously didn’t understand how he’d gotten them in here, how he’d afforded it. Shaking her head, she placed the menu down on the bed, crawling back over to Valentine and settling herself right in his lap, the progress he’d been making in calming himself down rendered useless. Her arms wrapped loosely around his neck. “You gonna tell me how you can afford all this?” She asked, hand pulling back to trace her fingertips over his grin, unable to keep one of her own off her lips. That’s how I want you to feel tonight. Who was this boy? “You rob a bank or somethin’? Steal some hot shot’s credit card?” But it was clear that she didn’t care the true answer, the way her lips happily pressed against his own, laughing against them. “...nobody’s ever done somethin’ like this for me before.” She murmured.

But he knew there were plenty of reasons to be afraid of him, when so many that knew him were exactly that except for his own brother. And now Marley, never wanting to be the one that hurt her in any capacity despite the warning bells that were going off all throughout his head that he was going to end up hurting someone that he loved. Her. And there was nothing that he could do about it, when the fact that she was pregnant meant that there was another going to be caught up into the world that they found themselves. Even as she kissed and calmed the nerves, Valentine couldn’t help the worry in the back of his head if he was going to ruin this child just by being the father. “You didn’t tell me for a reason and if it’s because you think that I’m going anywhere,” he told her as he raised his eyes to meet her own, pulling their intertwined hands free to cradle either side of her face before he kissed her softly. “I’m not going anywhere.” Even if the thought of a child terrified him to the core, he wasn’t going anywhere. “And I’ll be here no matter what.”

How could he possibly think that? After everything they’d been through together, after all the work it’d taken to get them to this place, how could he possibly think that Marley had any doubt about him at all? “Val--” She sighed, already shaking her head in protest, though the rest of his name was swallowed by his lips pressing to her own. Marley didn’t keep from kissing back, free hands moving to rest against his sides, and hold him closer to her, their lips parting only briefly to allow him to continue speaking his assurance against them, before they were kissing once more. She admittedly found herself lost in it, the feel of his lips to her own, knowing that he would have to leave her, at least for a few days, and that she would have to savor the taste and the memory until he returned to her. But she couldn’t let him leave thinking she was afraid he’d never come back. “You would never.” Her lips slid against his, just for a moment, before she pulled back. When she did so, there were tears in her eyes, though she was quick to laugh, wiping at them. “It’s just...I never imagined this life, s’all.” A man she loved. A place to call home. A family. “I never thought I would...want it, this much.” Her hands reached for his, squeezing tightly. “But I do. I want it with you.” She just wanted him, really. Marley leaned down once more.

MUSE: Kit Taylor

PAIRING: Marley Callahan

The entirety of Kit’s concentration was placed upon the intrepid search of a certain song in the jukebox, one that had been stuck in his head for hours already that day. In the background he could hear his two friends using the last of their braincells trying to crack banter with the waitress who was attempting to do her job in taking their drinks order. What, Marley as in Bob Marley? Even Kit groaned aloud in pain at his friend’s poor attempt at a joke but it only took Kit a matter of seconds to identify the melodic voice that followed. His shoes felt stuck to the ground as his hands started to shake and his heart started to race. What was she doing back here? Despite being from the same town, Kit thought Marley would still be halfway across the world, probably somewhere exotic and rich in culture. Every bone in his body was telling Kit to run, but how was he going to explain that to his friends? And how much longer was he hoping to avoid her for? No… He had to bite the bullet now and deal with whatever consequences it came with. After all, there was nothing like the speed at which rumours could spread in a small town and his reputation was already dented enough. He stepped forwards, gently clearing his throat to announce his presence. “Sorry uh… About my friend there, he unfortunately only has two braincells left to work with so his jokes are fuckin’ awful.”

She’d vowed to never come back here. The town in which she’d spent her whole life hating, due to it’s smallness, both in size and in people. There’d been a time where she thought that nothing could possibly bring her back, and then her mom died. The resentment she’d carried towards the woman should have been enough to keep her away--Marley always thought it would--and yet, she’d received that call, and within forty eight hours, there she was, back in Edens. Of course, twenty four hours past that, she was selling all of her mother’s shit out of their house, but it’s the thought that counted, right? Helen Callahan had never been sentimental, and that was the one thing she’d passed on to Marley (other than her commitment issues). Though she wasn’t planning on sticking around long, she figured she’d need the money, thus how she found herself waitressing at her mother’s old haunt. She didn’t get the appeal, nor had the people of Edens gotten any less annoying. As she gave the duo at the tabletop her name, introduced herself as their waitress, for the third time that night, she was asked that stupid question. She forced a smile, sharp retort on her tongue, when a third person entered her line of sight. Marley paused upon seeing him. Of course. Of course he was here, too. Despite herself, a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Oh, that was supposed to be a two braincell level joke?”

There was an essence of peaceful stillness in those first few moments of the eyes just opening after a heavy nights sleep, of them blinking thickly to become accustomed to the level of sunlight seeping in through the sheer curtains. It must have been mid-morning, perhaps even later considering the soft headache that was settling in by the second, suggesting that he and Marley had slept in a little longer than usual. Marley… Passionate moments from the night before flashed in front of Kit’s eyes and a sweet smirk appeared upon his lips in fondness of them. Turning over, his arm draped across the bed as he absent-mindedly searched for the warmth of her body only to be met by a dissatisfying thud as his arm fell upon the mattress. He grumbled to himself as he noted her absence beside him, his body immediately wanting to close the distance between them but his eyes fluttered shut as he fell into peaceful slumber.

But Kit was abruptly awoken by a sudden presence hovering over him and pressing down upon his hips, causing his eyes to forcibly open to find who the culprit was. He beamed up at Marley with a tired smile, his hands moving to grip upon her waist to shift their bodies to be facing each other on their sides. “I already have my snack right here.” Kit teased, murmuring his words against her lips as he pressed a hot kiss against hers. “Good morning beautiful.” he pulled away yet his hands remained upon her skin, his blues eyes smiling into her own.

The kicker was that he’d been in her home town the whole time. Who possibly could’ve thought? Her mind briefly trailed to Finn, who she, once upon a time, had also found it hard to believe had been in Edens, but the difference between the two was that Finn hadn’t been from there. Kit had, and the fact that she liked somebody from the place she hated so much came as a surprise to Marley, because she did like him. He was fun to drink with, to explore with, to have sex with. While she’d had no qualms doing any of these things alone, Kit might have just made them better. It wasn’t a new feeling for her, but it was certainly different, even if she had no doubt about how it would end. That didn’t deter her from enjoying it while she could, however. 

She let out a breath as her body hit the mattress, turned on her side to better get a look at him. His hair was mused and his eyes were droopy with sleep, but he was still incredibly handsome. Marley shifted a leg over his hip, bodies flush against one another’s, one clothed and the other bare. “Snack?” She laughed against his lips, though she fell into the kiss before continuing. “Baby, I’m a whole damn meal.” But she pulled back with a grin, leaning over his body to grab the breakfast she’d grabbed for them from the table, leaning down for one brief kiss before dropping the croissant on his chest. “You’re welcome.”

How long had he been at the bar? That was a question he couldn’t answer, but he knew it had been more than he had intended. The worst thing was that he wasn’t even drunk, he was just staring at his drink and thinking about other stuff. Aaron finished the rest of his drink and was ready to set off when the bartender came with a glass of whiskey. The man left to tend other orders before he could ask him who had sent it. It didn’t take long for his answer to arrive and just like every interaction between them, Aaron could feel his heart sank to his stomach. It was impossible to escape his past when she lived in the same tiny town.

For a second he thought about saying something mean or bitter, but they were past that point and truth to be told, he missed being friendly with her, so he smiled. “Lucky me, huh?” Aaron turned to look at her, a genuine half-smile forming on his lips. “I knew that big guy over there was checking me out, I just didn’t think he would have the guts,” he said, jokingly before taking a sip from the drink. Whether it was cheap or not, he wouldn’t know. His taste buds didn’t know the difference but to him, it tasted good. “I was actually about to leave but if you need some company, I guess I can stay.”

Despite the apology that’d already been given, Marley had half a mind to wonder if he’d turn her away. It’d been so long since they’d been together, and while most would consider that enough time to heal, she wouldn’t have blamed him for still harboring resentment and hurt feelings. What she done had been awful. She’d been a child then, but it wasn’t excuse, and she knew it. She’d known exactly what it was she was doing, the hurt it would inflict on him, but she’d done it anyways, and it’d stuck with her all those years, just as it had him.

“It’s always the big ones that are shy.” She teased, her own smile pulling at her lips, though it was awkward. Forced. Maybe she’d made a mistake. Taking a sip of her own drink, she almost had half a mind to skip out herself, though when he offered his company, she settled. “Oh, you don’t have to do that, Aaron.” Her head shook. “Don’t let me keep you.”

@tabithamuses​

At three in the morning, most of the lights were off in the Bentleys’ house, except for the light in the last room next to the garden. However, Aaron had fallen asleep on the desk over an hour ago, not even two cups of coffee managed to keep him awake and with enough energy to finish the essay that was due in just a few hours. Just a few years ago, he wouldn’t have been in this position. That essay would have been ready days before the deadline, and he’d be more concerned about the next assignment. But that was when he had different plans, one that left him with no choice but to make every assignment and make it perfect in order to get a good grade and then get into a good college. After meeting Marley that plan changed, he still needed to graduate but the grades and school overall became his second priority. What was the point of worrying about college when he and Marley already had plans? Sure, there were moments he questioned those plans but it only took one look at Marley to dissipate those doubts.

A noise that came from the garden woke him up, he rubbed his eyes and looked at the time. If he hadn’t had the same experience before, he would have been concerned about who could be outside, but he knew very well who it was and the mere thought brought a smile to his lips before he opened the window. “What are you doing here?” he whispered as he helped her up the window. He didn’t really care about the answer to that question, regardless of her reasons he was happy that she was there. “I can’t have any distractions right now, I have to write an essay,” he said in a serious tone but the way his lips curled into a smile told another story. He didn’t mind the distraction, in fact, he wanted it.

She used to hate Jerome with everything in her. Had from the moment she’d been able to grasp the feeling, really. She hated it’s smallness, both the size of the town and the people in it. She hated that it was nothing but a tourist trap, luring people in with it’s gimmicks. She hated that it was where her father had abandoned her with her mother, who Marley hated for being there but never being there. Marley’s life had been so filled with hate, hate, hate for as long as she could remember...and then she met him, met Aaron, and that hatefulness had resigned, just a little bit. He was the first people she felt that she could never hate. Wouldn’t know how to, even if she tried--and she had, initially. If only to get him to keep his distance. Her mother had fallen into a similar trap, falling for someone she thought wouldn’t be good for her. It was how she’d ended up with Marley, and she’d be damned if she’d make the same mistake. And yet, there she was, sneaking through his garden to see him, a trek she’d made many times over their three years together.

He was cute, she’d give him that. Before her fists knocked gently against his window, she’d caught the sight of him, hunched over his desk, asleep. Part of her felt bad for waking him, but the part with the tear streaked face needed his comfort. She smiled at the sight of his smile, no hesitation in reaching up for him to help her through. His question was initially ignored in favor of wrapping her arms around him, head tilted back to stare up at his handsome face. “You writin’ it behind your eyelids?” She teased, referencing his unconsciousness just moments before. It was good that he didn’t mind the distraction, though, as that’s exactly what Marley had come for. Her hands slowly dipped beneath his shirt. “But if you want me to go...”