#mari x reader

it started the night before everything began.  the night before you left for nationals.

you and mari had ditched the bonfire party early on, mari claiming "this looks like a scene out of can't hardly wait, minus anyone fuckable."  instead, the two of you walked down the lonely, dark neighborhood roads, music fading out of earshot and hands brushing with each step.

mari filled the silence by making fun of everyone's outfits that night just to hear you laugh.  you filled the space by leaning into her side and finally grabbing her hand, which left mari's heart thumping against her rib cage.  until you both stumbled across wiskayok's only 7/11.

sure it was cramped and old and smelled like weed, but the way mari opened the door for you and drawled "after you, milady," made it seem like the fanciest place in town.  you laughed all the way to the slurpee machine, mari guiding you with a hand on the small of your back, where you both reached for big gulp cups.

"half cherry, half coke," you say, filling your cup to the brim.  "just like god intended."

mari scrunches up her nose in disgust, but it's more cute than anything.

"no, no, no.  see, you gotta get blue raspberry like a real adult," mari says as if she's enlightening you.

"yeah, right."  you roll your eyes, but your smile speaks volumes.

she grabs a few crumpled dollar bills from the back pocket of her jeans and throws them down on the counter like it's not even a question that she's paying for you.  then she tugs you by the hand out the door and finds a nice spot on the curb illuminated by the overhead streetlight.

she outstretches her legs and lazily leans back on one hand, the other bringing the straw to her lips.  she moans dramatically after taking her first sip.

"enjoying that?" you ask, glancing over at her with a raised eyebrow.

"oh yeah," she says, grinning back.  "a thousand calories and enough artificial sweetener to kill a horse.  nationals here we come!"

you laugh, the sound mari's come to love so much, before taking a sip of your own.

there's a beat of silence.  it's something mari used to hate, but has come to understand since meeting you.  she actually finds herself enjoying the quiet when it's shared with you.  still she's always one to break it.

"isn't this so much better than getting puked on by randy walsh?" 

you look over at her and grin.  because yeah, that had actually happened last year and she would spend the rest of her years teasing you about it.  but you also smiled because there was no one else you'd rather be with.

"yeah, it really is," you say, breathlessly and genuinely.

when mari turns and sees the way you're looking at her, full of love and everything she doesn't think she deserves, she feels like her heart might as well jump out of her chest and into your hands. because mari, whose first language is sarcasm and shit talking, somehow harbors a soft spot in the shape of you.

"don't look at me like that," she says, but her words lack the bite they usually have.  her eyes flicker down to the asphalt, a similar smile spreading across her face.

you lean in closer, lowering your face so she's forced to meet your eyes.  mari's the opposite of shy, so you can't help but take advantage of moments like this, when she's nervous to show how much she really cares.

"like what?" you ask, a teasing edge to your voice.  like you already know what she's going to say.

"like you love me or something," she says, trying and failing to sound casual.  she looks back up at you, leaning back on her hand with that easy smirk.

"but i do," you say, resting your cheek against your knee, still smiling up at her.

"obviously, you dork."

a breathy chuckle pushes past your lips before you cup her face in your free hand.  your lips meet hers halfway in a strong, sure kiss.  it's not perfect by normal standards --both of your lips are freezing and taste like artificial sweetener and you can hear boys shouting on the other side of the parking lot.  but in that moment, it feels perfect to the both of you.

when mari pulls back she grins like she's just won the lottery.

"i love you too," she says, the words rolling off her tongue more naturally than her own name.

you smile, reaching down and interlacing your fingers with hers on the pavement.  you don't have the guts to say it, but a part of you is thinking it: maybe this could be forever.

if you had known that was going to be your last taste of normal, you would have stayed there even longer, would've bought mari another slurpee, would've kissed her one more time under the neon sign of the store.  instead, you walked her home an hour or two later, kissing her cheek at the door and whispering how beautiful of a night it had been with her.

the next time you think about slurpees, you're a thousand miles deep in the canadian wilderness.  you're starving, borderline freezing to death, and you've just watched your closest friends die.

you're tucked under as many blankets as you could find, legs tangled with mari's beneath them as you try to keep out the cold of the approaching winter.  your faces are so close that you can feel her warm breath fanning against your nose, a welcome reminder that she's still there.  she can feel your hand trembling as it holds onto her arm and the way you stiffen each time a strong gust of wind enters the hut, as if you're waiting for something bad to happen.

you think she might be asleep until you feel her fingers start to trace your cheekbone.  her touch is so gentle you have to question if it's really there or if you're just imagining it.

"do you remember our last night?" she whispers.

you open your eyes, and from the way the moonlight reflects off of them, mari knows you do.

"i think about it all the time," she confesses.  "when i can't sleep, i just try to remember you that night.  how pretty you looked under the streetlight and how stupid i was for not telling you then."

your lips curl into a weak, sad smile.

"and how you threw your head back and laughed at everything i said, even when it wasn't funny.  and-and how everything felt perfect when you held my hand."

"mari..." you whisper, leaning forward so your forehead rests against hers.

"and how happy you were to just be there with me.  i'm scared i'll never see you like that again."

you squeeze your eyes shut, feeling the tears start to swell.  you haven't cried in a while, but as every sight, sound, and taste from that night comes rushing back to you, you suddenly realize how much you've lost.

"i'm scared too, mar," you say, hand moving from her arm to her cheek.  "and i don't know what to say to make it better."

mari exhales, shaky and slow, like she's trying to keep it together for you.

"you don't have to say anything.  it's just...my favorite memory.  you're my favorite memory.  even if you do get that disgusting cherry coke mix that tastes like battery acid."

"shut up," you laugh quietly, pushing her shoulder.  it's a small, broken laugh that catches on the edge of a sob.  "it's so good and you know it."

"yeah, whatever," she says, smiling wider than you've seen in a while.

"i think i'd cut off my left arm just to have another one of those," you sigh.

"what?  slurpee?"

"yeah, that.  but also just...another night with you."  your hand's cradling her neck now, holding her like she's the only thing you've got left.

"tell you what," she starts, voice nearly breaking.  her fingers brush your hair out of your face.  "first thing i do if we get rescued, i'm taking you back to that place.  i'm getting you your battery acid slurpee.  we'll sit on the curb and you'll hold my hand and i'll kiss you so hard our tongues turn purple.  we'll rewrite the memory.  i promise."

a loose tear trickles down your cheek as you nod your head. 

"deal," you whisper.  then mari leans forward and kisses the tear away.

"i love you."

"i love you more," you say, wrapping your arm around her as she buries her face in your neck.

you close your eyes and you see that image of mari: laughing, carefree, straw between her lips.  and for the first time, you let yourself imagine what it will be like after you're rescued, when you get to see that version of mari again.  and it's the first time you have a semblance of good night's sleep since the plane crash.

and then it finally happens.  rescue comes even though a part of you had given up on it entirely.  and mari's there, holding your hand through it all.  from the hospital, to the anxious plane ride home, to seeing wiskayok for the first time in almost two years.

and then, just like she promised, you're sitting the passenger seat of mari's car as she drives you back to that 7/11.  it's a quiet drive, one where you're staring out the window and taking in the sights and sounds of the town that hasn't changed a bit since you last saw it.  and mari's fingers are tapping anxiously against the steering wheel while her other hand rests in yours over the center console like a lifeline, grounding you when everything feels like too much.

when she finally pulls into the parking lot and puts the car in park, you both just sit there.  it looks exactly the same way it did on that night: neon sign outside, too-bright fluorescent lights inside, and the kids with their bikes loitering around the entrance.  it was as if time had frozen that night, and the store had been awaiting your return all these months later.

mari exhales a heavy breath from beside you.

"you good?" you murmur, eyes never leaving the store.  this feels like a dream.  one you thought you'd never get to fulfill.

"yeah, it's just...a lot," mari says.

it shouldn't be a lot.  it should just be a random 7/11 in some random boring town.  but to you and mari, it's everything.

"i know," you say, squeezing her hand.  "we don't have to if-"

"no, i want to.  i've been waiting to.  it's all i've been thinking about for two years and now it's here."  she looks over at you and smiles.  "come on, let's go."

she gets to the door first and holds it open for you.

"after you, milady," she says, just like last time, except her voice is softer and more careful now.  it's a small but sharp reminder that you'll never get back the innocence you once had.

you don't throw your head back in laughter this time, you just smile, hand still in hers, tugging her inside after you.  the smell of weed hits you like a freight train, but for once, you don't mind.  you lead mari to the slurpee machine that's still in the same spot and you sigh when you see the flavors are exactly the same: cherry, blue raspberry, coke, and that weird sugar free green one that nobody gets.

"god, mar, i might cry," you say.  you expect her to tease you like usual, something about how much of a sap you are, but instead she releases your hand and holds your waist instead.

"me too," she says, resting her chin on your shoulder.  you spare her a smile over your shoulder before reaching for two of the largest cups.

"coke and cherry?" she asks.

"just like god intended," you say, pulling on the cherry lever.  mari watches you, no longer bothering to hide the fondness in her eyes.

she eventually heads for blue raspberry, telling you, "somethings never change."

"and i never want them to," you say.

"me neither," she says, looping an arm through yours and guiding you toward the unbothered cashier.

mari tries to pay but you're quicker this time.

"nope, i've had this debt for two years.  time to repay it," you say, sliding a couple crumpled bills of your own onto the counter.  you had been sure to grab them before you left the house just for this very occasion, so that, for once, you could be the one to take care of mari.

"it's two dollars, you idiot," mari teases before dragging you outside to the same spot on the curb under the same flickering streetlight.

the two of you wordlessly sit, knees brushing.  for once, the night air is warm and the sounds of wiskayok hum in the background and there's no weight on either of your shoulders, no fear.

"we're really here," mari says, leaning back on her hand like muscle memory.

"just like you promised."

"i didn't even know if we were going to make it out when i told you that," mari admits.

"i know," you say, elbows resting on your knees.  "but that didn't matter.  just thinking about it made everything a little less bad.  and now, being here, with you, it's better than i could've ever imagined."

she recognizes the way you're looking at her, like she hung the stars in your sky.  it's the same look you gave her that night, the one that made her heart jump and scared her a little.  except now she doesn't shy away. she melts right into it.

she lifts her cup in the air like it's something sacred.

"to making new memories," she says. 

you tap the rim of your cup against hers, making a plastic clinking sound.

"to us," you add. 

because that's what it's been all along, the two of you. and after everything, you know that's how it's going to stay: the two of you tethered, two halves of a whole.

you hold eye contact as you both take your first sips, until the slush hits her tongue and mari's eyes roll back in her head.

"oh my god, that's the best thing i've ever tasted," mari groans, dramatically throwing her head back in true mari fashion.

you can't even respond, you're chugging it so fast.  but then reality hits

"fuck!" you curse, squeezing your eyes shut and pressing your palm against your forehead.

mari turns to you, smirking as if watching you suffer is her favorite comedy.

"brain freeze?"

"yep," you wince.  "battery acid's never tasted so good."

mari laughs, setting her cup down on the pavement.  then she turns her body fully toward yours, like she's about to say something immensely serious.  but there's still that mischievous glint in her eye that tells you she's got something up her sleeve.

"now, time to fulfill the prophecy."

you blink at her and the sudden tone shift.

"what?" you ask, giving her a concerned look.  "are you going all lottie on me?"

"no, dummy, purple tongues," she says like it's the most obvious thing ever.  "i gotta keep my promise, don't i?"

a breathless, free laugh escapes your lips.  it's been so long since mari's heard it, she thinks she might cry.

"you're so stupid," you say, though you're already leaning in.

she grabs your face with both hands, still cold from holding the cup, and pulls you into a kiss.  it's not stolen like it was before.  now it's slow and timeless, but still certain.  she kisses you like she wants to steal back every moment she thought she'd never get with you.  and you're more than willing to let her.

"love you," you whisper against her lips, her hands holding you firmly and not letting you escape her.

"love you too," she whispers back before kissing you so hard you get dizzy.

How she so wishes she could shoot back with your name or shove the sweet polaroid she keeps you the two of you in their faces. But instead she just groans a what-ever, laces up her cleats tight and plays a little too hard. (So what if she barreled over a freshman? They need to get tough.)

She’s found that the faster she moves, passes, destroys the other team, the faster she can get back to you. Her rapid improvement is putting her in contention for a varsity spot, she’s heard, but all that work comes from a desire to see you. The harder she practices, the less time she has to think about how much longer there is, the faster practice goes. She’s got it down to a science.

Her desperation to see you isn’t truly unfounded. She barely sees you at all during the day, just for English—where she can barely even cough without the teacher writing her up—and lunch—loud, oppressive lunch that always makes you hole up like a turtle. A cute turtle, but still a turtle. It’s hard to get conversation when all her friends crowd, so she settles for half-an-hour of hand-holding and daydreaming about after practice.

So as soon as practice ends she’s out. Her excuse, the one she started long before you started dating, is that her parents are super strict. No one would expect the stern-faced Mr. Ibarra to be an absolute teddy bear—especially for his daughter—so it works out. She doesn’t even bother to shower, just hops in her car and peels off towards your house.

She always, always comes through your window. Even though she has a key to your front door she’s insistent on climbing up the tree like some kind of Romeo. You worry about her falling and spraining an ankle, but leave the window unlocked regardless.

She pushes open the glass, crawls through. Flops on you, all sweaty and gross and dirty from the field, right onto your clean sheets.

“Gross, Mar.” You scoff, half-asleep and barely conscious at her routine arrival. It makes her pout, hard.

“You’re not even happy that I’m here? You’re terrible.” She pokes your cheek until you peek open an eye, and then tips her head.

You groan and shift as she wants you to, letting her sweaty ass bundle you to her chest. You curl easily into her, nose nuzzling at her damp collar.

“Asshole.” You murmur.

“Princess.” She retorts.

Rolling your eyes, you go quiet. You’re not sure how to breach the subject—the discussion about going public. Mari’s never expressed the desire, but she’s never kept you much of a secret anyway, even with your pleas to keep it under wraps.

You sigh, and then speak.

“Mar.”

“Princess.” She scoffs, half-amused.

“Be serious!” Laughing now, you hit her on the shoulder, bringing a faux wince and another pout. “I… well. I think it would be good if we went a bit more public.”

Mari goes silent, before a wide grin spreads. It’s spells trouble—big trouble—for you, and anyone else she intends to direct it at.

"Can we fuck with them, at least?"

So you help her do just that. You press lipstick-coated kisses (whether or not you wear it) just low enough so that when she changes into her jersey they'll be visible—bright red and prettily defined. She lets you (begs you) to press hickeys there as well, the skin of her collarbone molted purple and green.

Everyone starts asking who the fuck she got to agree to do that, and all she responds, smug grin splitting her face, is "oh, just my girlfriend,” met with many eye rolls.

At this point you’re getting restless—you’d already waited so long to build up the courage to ask her, and now she’s dragging it out because she wants her friends to suffer.

So, in a show of reckless bravery (though your hands still shake), you kiss her in the lunchroom. She’s unaware of you coming up behind her, even less aware of how her teammates’ gazes stray towards you.

The entire table goes silent as you shut her up yourself, tilting her head back to seal a kiss over the thin seam of her mouth. She smiles, all teeth, as she pulls back.

“Hey, princess.” She murmurs, soft as she scoots so you can sit next to her.

1. APERTURE — PROFESSOR!JACKETS X READER.

2. AMERICAN GIRLS — POPSTARS!JACKETS X READER.

3. READY, STEADY, GO! — STREAMER/GAMER!JACKETS X READER.

4. ARE YOU LISTENING YET? — APOCALYPSE AU. SHAUNA SHIPMAN X READER.

5. TASTE BACK — EX!SHAUNA SHIPMAN X READER.

6. THE WAITING GAME — SHAUNA SHIPMAN X JACKIE’S LITTLE SISTER!READER.

7. SEASON 2 WEIGHT LOSS — TMASC!JACKETS X READER.

8. COMING UP ROSES — MARRIED TO YELLOWJACKETS AU.

9. POP — FRATBOY!LOTTIE MATTHEWS X READER. FAKE MARRIAGE AU.

10. DANCE NO MORE — [FILE NOT FOUND YET]

11. PAINT BY NUMBERS — POST CRASH. MEETING SHAUNA IN HOSPITAL.

The cold air had a way of seeping into your bones each and every night, despite the fact that you had grown accustomed to sleeping in these conditions weeks ago. Some nights, you found yourself lingering by the fireplace in the hopes that it would keep you just a bit warmer, while others you decided to sleep closer to Mari, your closest friend and the person who you loved more than anything else.

Tonight was no different in regard to the weather, but the feeling deep in your gut was nothing more than a black hole, begging to consume you with grief and guilt. Each and every moment, you felt the need to remind yourself that what had happened to Javi today was done for the purpose of survival. Someone needed to die because everyone needed to eat in order to survive. It was just as clear to you as it was to everyone else, but it wasn’t the only thing eating away at you.

Everyone had drawn cards, and you had never felt as petrified as you did while you waited for Mari to reveal what she had gotten. It wasn’t just that she was your best friend, that you loved her. It was how you loved her that made it more difficult for you, and the fact that she didn’t know. She knew that you cared about her, obviously. She knew that you considered her your closest friend, that you would stick by her side no matter what happened. But she didn’t know what your feelings went deeper than that, and in that moment, you weren’t just terrified to lose her - but terrified that you would never get a chance to tell her.

But the cards chose Natalie, and the frozen over lake decided to crack underneath Javi with nobody deciding to save him. In all of that grief, that guilt of seeing a child die and doing nothing to stop it, you knew that the guilt of not just telling Mari the truth was one of the things causing you strife. You should have told her hours ago, but that fear that she couldn’t or wouldn’t feel the same way was preventing you from being honest with yourself. Even beyond that, the fear that she could still die or some reason or another was bringing you more fear than you knew how to explain.

You were sitting in front of the window, staring out at the snow in the hopes that the rhythmic motion of it falling from the sky would bring you some sort of serenity. But with each moment, all you could think about was Mari being in Javi’s place - Mari falling, Mari being the one that never came back. You were so enthralled with your own pain, that you didn’t notice someone beside you until there was an arm around your shoulder.

“Have you slept?” Mari asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she accompanied the window sill beside you. It was a tight squeeze to fit two people, but neither of you ever had any regard for personal space before.

“I’m not tired.” You responded, trying to put on your best poker-face as you turned your head to look at her. Even now, she looked more beautiful than anyone you had ever known before. It made your heart ache, just wishing beyond anything else that she would some day be yours - that you could both go home. Be together, safe.

“Don’t bullshit me, of course you’re tired.”

“Not tired enough to sleep.”

“Is it about… what we did?” She asked, her free hand motioning to the fireplace where they had all feasted upon Javi earlier in the evening. It needed to happen, or they were all going to starve. It wasn’t the first time that they had eaten someone, and you knew that it was for survival. Even so, it wasn’t the main thing that was keeping you up.

“I’m just scared.” You replied, sighing as you felt her tugging you closer into her arms. You gave into the feeling of her affection, leaning your head against her shoulder and letting her rest her chin on top of your head. It was too intimate for friends, you knew that. But you also felt too weak to tell her that you liked being more intimate than friends usually were with her.

“Of it being you?”

“No,” Your response came out almost too fast, but not fast enough that it came out in a higher tone than intended. This conversation wasn’t waking anyone up. “I’m scared of it being you.”

“It won’t be.”

“It could be.”

“It won’t.” Her voice was too self-assured, and as she moved so she could hold your cheeks in her hands and force you to look her in the eyes while she spoke, you almost believed her. “It won’t be me, it could be spring soon, and we won’t have to eat anyone.”

“Yeah, and when winter comes again?” Your voice was strained, tears threatening to spill as you looked at her. “I can’t watch you die, I’d rather it be me.”

Mari’s eyebrows knitted together as she looked at you, and for a brief moment you were pretty sure she knew why you were so petrified of it being her - you were almost positive that she was accurately reading you as she rested her forehead against your own. Your eyes fluttered shut as you finally let tears slip from your eyes, her thumbs quickly wiping away the wetness that was dripping onto them.

“Mari, I-”

She stopped you from speaking as her lips pressed against hers, your body tensing for a moment before you relaxed into it. For just a brief period of time, you felt comfortable and at ease as she kissed you. Every bit of worries that were etched into your mind were forgotten about for just that moment, your lips moving against hers like you were petrified that you were going to lose her the very next day. Every nightmare that you’d had about her dying, every worry that existed within you that someone was going to force you to consume the love of your life was gone. And that relief, however small it was, was enough to make you feel at ease.

As she pulled back, your forehead remained against hers as you opened your eyes to look at her. She had always been your best friend, and you had always been in love with her. But now she knew, she knew and she felt it too. Even if it was going to be difficult, even if you were fighting an uphill battle trying to keep each other safe, you knew that it was worth it in that moment.

“I can’t ever let it be you, Mari.”

“If it ever is, we’lll worry about it then. Let’s just go to bed.”

There was a part of you that knew that it wasn’t beneficial to live in constant fear of something terrible happening. Something terrible had already happened, you were stuck here with dead teammates and friends lingering in your mind every step of the way. It didn’t serve you to worry about a future that might not even happen, a future that thus far only existed in your nightmares. But from the way that she spoke, from her tone, you knew that both of you were living with the exact same fear - the exact same nightmares plaguing your thoughts. You wanted - no, needed - to keep each other safe.

“I love you, Mar.”

“I love you, too.” Her voice was quieter before, like the idea of the others hearing her saying something so vulnerable disturbed her - and it probably did. But you didn’t mind, because there were some things that you would prefer the other’s to not pry into, too.

After a moment, you let her take you away from the window. You followed her to where she had been sleeping, grabbing your own blanket and moving it toward where she was. Sleeping in Mari’s arms - although it lasted only a few hours before everyone was scrambling out of the cabin - was the most relaxed that you had ever felt in a long time. No nightmares, no worries about a future that may never come to pass, only a comfortable warmth that you hadn’t felt since fall brought colder weather.

Late-afternoon summer sun beats down from overhead as you dust grass trimmings from your t-shirt—which doesn't do much to hide the fact it's stained green, but at least you look a little more presentable.

"Hey, loser," a voice calls from behind you. "You look like a loser."

You turn around to see Mari standing directly behind you, duffel bag slung over her shoulders, dumb grin on her face, and looking equally as green as you. You two had spent the day with the rest of the varsity team and a few other people from school kicking around a soccer ball, playing makeshift scrimmages and showing off tricks. It had been a fun day, but also a very sweaty one.

"Says the one who got her ass kicked," you shoot back with a matching grin, standing up from where you were kneeling in the turf. "You got zero assists or goals all game. Hope you enjoyed watching me score, 'cause you sure as hell weren't stopping it."

Mari scoffs. "The sun was in my eyes." She points to the setting sun, as if that proves her point. "And I'm not saying that's why I lost, but I am saying I couldn't see. Imagine being proud of barely beating me at my worst. Get good." She juts her hip out and rests a hand on it, attempting a mean-girl pose that doesn't work when you remember Danny Mears dumped her. 

For his own cousin. 

"Loser," she adds, like it's the icing on the cake.

"Sorry—what was that? You were just telling me that I'm the best soccer player on this side of the Hudson?" You throw your hair over your shoulder, smirk still plastered on your face. "I know, thank you. But it's great to hear it from my number one fan."

"More like number one hater." She slings an arm over your shoulder, leading away from the pitch and towards the street as everyone else lingers behind or heads off separately. "Whatever. We're going to get Slurpees. I'm sweaty as fuck. Water is for losers, and I don't lose."

You scoff at that, taking a long sip from your water bottle. "Hmm. That's funny. I won, and I'm drinking water."

"Yeah, you're a metaphorical loser. Doesn't change just 'cause you won a—stupid scrimmage."

You pull from her grasp immediately, throwing your head back in victorious laughter. "You admitted it! Just admitted I won! I knew I'd get you to slip up! HAHAHAHAH—"

A hard SMACK to the back of your head causes you to pause for half a moment—clearly intended to make you stop altogether—but all it does is make you laugh harder once the shock wears off. Your cheeks burn from the smile on your face, your abdomen aches from more than just running around for hours, and you have to rein yourself in once tears start forming in your eyes. 

Mari, on her part, just keeps walking with her arms crossed like a toddler who didn't get the toy they wanted. 

"Oh, c'mon, Mar. You can dish it out, but you can't take it?" You catch back up to her between laughs, throwing your arm around her shoulders in a show of sportsmanship. "What is it you say all the time? 'You're acting bitchless'?"

A beat.

You bust out laughing again.

"You're so fucking annoying," she murmurs under her breath, arms still pointedly crossed despite the fact her scowl is starting to twitch into a reluctant smile.  "Don't know why I even bother putting up with your delusional ass. I get endless amounts of bitches."

"I'm delusional? You're the one who just said you get endless bitches. If anything, it seems like that just proves my point." You start counting with your free hand, mumbling something incomprehensible as you do. After you run out of fingers, you let out a massive sigh and drop it to your side dramatically. "My bad, I was trying to count all the hoes you get—hard to do when you have none, though."

Mari shoves you away as the 7-Eleven comes into view, trying to brush off the very obvious flush that's deepened the colour of her cheeks. "Get a hobby," she mutters, not looking at you. "Like, one that doesn't involve obsessing over my dating life. You sound… like… pressed."

Despite her attempts to sound and appear upset at your constant teasing, you know she's loving it. Maybe her love language is teasing, maybe because she's flustered, maybe both—either way, she's down bad, and you both know it.

You open the door to the convenience store with a dramatic flourish, topping it off with a brief "m'lady," which earns you an over-the-top groan, but she walks in regardless of her faux-protests. 

It's relatively busy—which tracks, considering it's sweltering out and this is a family-centric neighbourhood—but Mari weaves through the crowd like it's second-nature, not even batting an eye when some kid nearly spills nacho cheese all over her.

There's no surprise when she grabs a Double Gulp cup instead of a Slurpee cup—always a menace, but you knew that already—what is surprising is how she also passes you one rather than making you fend for yourself. You take the cup and raise it to her in lieu of saying thanks, and she just shrugs like it's the most natural thing in the world.

You're boring with your Slurpee—only getting a single flavour—whereas Mari makes sure that all eight flavours (yes, even Pepsi and Coke, the heathen) are in her cup.

When she spins around to pass you a lid, she scoffs and rolls her eyes at your apparent lack of whimsy when selecting flavours. "Dude. You're so lame. Seriously? You're only getting…" She pauses, appraising the cup in your hand for a moment. "What is that? Cherry? Everyone knows blue is better. Never beating the—the loser allegations."

You roll your eyes, letting a grin stretch across your face. "Talk to me when you come up with some new insults, Mar." You nod towards the candy aisle when you pass it, a silent question as to whether she wants anything. 

She debates momentarily, glancing down at the chocolate bars, then heads into the aisle with a hum.

You're close behind—clearly expecting her to select the most expensive candy she can see—when she suddenly stops in front of a lower shelf and sets her Slurpee down. Then, without warning, she pulls her phone from her hoodie pocket, props it up against a pack of Skittles and grabs you by the shoulder with a death grip.

"Smile," she says, voice the perfect facade of innocence, and yanks you into her side.

You barely have time to register what's happening before the shutter sound goes off. She's already pulling away, checking the screen with a smug grin as you stand there blinking like you've just been jump-scared in a convenience store. 

Well. At least a thumbs-up is better than your usual peace sign. It could be worse. Maybe.

"You look so ugly in this," she snorts, not even trying to hide her delight. "I look amazing. Poster-worthy, even."

You sigh. "Please tell me that's not going anywhere."

She doesn't respond to that. Just grabs her slush from the shelf and heads off towards the lineup.

"Did you see how Shauna was eyeballing Jackie earlier?" She makes a gagging sound as she shoves the straw into the hellish mixture she's created, completely ignoring the hostage selfie she took seconds ago. "And she has the audacity to act dumb when I call her gaywad."

You snort at that, following suit and shoving your straw into your slush. "You're no better. Every time you see me in just my bra, I think you start frothing at the mouth. Like a rabid dog." You dig into your pocket and pull out a five-dollar bill as the two of you approach the counter, the attendant looking like they've had a day.

While you're placing your Slurpees down on the counter, you eye one of those bags of gummies they keep next to the till, humming in debate for a second before tossing it beside your drinks. You shrug when Mari cocks an eyebrow at you, murmuring something about 'electrolytes' as an answer. 

When you slap your five on the counter to pay for the mini-haul, Mari—who you know actually loves to be doted on—makes a brief protest, patting her bag like she was going to pay for it, but doesn't bother actually pulling her wallet or phone out. The clerk goes through the transaction with a sigh, only speaking once to tell you what your total is and ask if you have the rewards app. Mari steals your change (unsurprisingly), and you let her (also unsurprisingly). 

The day isn't as hot once you get outside and slush is in your system. You're probably still smelly from dicking around on the turf all afternoon, definitely still stained green… and you forget the point you were trying to make.

When you glance up at Mari, you almost trip over your own two feet. 

Despite all the things that should make her unattractive in this light, you can't help but smile like a schoolkid with a crush. She's three steps ahead of you, sun making her black hair shimmer faintly, and fiddling around on her phone. 

You'd get lost in those thoughts. In fact, you fully plan on letting your mind wander—but those plans are cut short when Mari suddenly holds her phone up and makes a dramatic show of posting that selfie you had taken inside the store.

"Jesus, Mar," you laugh, flustered. "Oh, God. Please don't tell me you're posting—"

"Already posted!" she cuts you off with a laugh, spinning around on her heel to face you and waving her phone to show off the story—or post? it's hard to tell with the sun reflecting off the screen of her phone—until she tilts it just enough for you to see the cursed selfie: you, looking like you were held at gunpoint, and Mari, grinning like a smug bastard—tongue out, arm slung around your shoulder.

"Mari," you groan.

"You're welcome," she says, like she's just gifted the world. 

The walk is… oddly peaceful after that. Mari puts her phone away, and you fall into step alongside her, your hands brushing each other's as though you're still nervous to hold hands despite the fact you two are dating and everyone knows you're dating. 

After a solid thirty seconds of that—just awkwardly brushing each other's hands like you're two blushing kids on a first date—Mari takes the plunge and intertwines your fingers together, thumb loosely brushing over your knuckles in a soft manner that reminds you something of the way you'd hug after winning a game.

She leans against you somewhere between the store and your house, resting her head on your shoulder at a stoplight. 

"Don't tell anyone I said this, but I like hanging out with you."

It's said so quietly you almost think that you imagined it. Something secretive rather than a truth so loud you could hear it from miles away. 

But when you look at her—lips stained blue, eyes anywhere but yours—you know it wasn't nothing.

You nudge her shoulder with yours as the symbol changes to walk, matching strides as you move across the pavement. "Yeah, well, don't tell anyone, but I also like hanging out with you, even if you are the most annoying person I've ever met."

Mari laughs warmly, tilting her head back and squeezing your hand three times in a display of softness you don't see all that often. "Whatever. You're just as big a gaywad as Shauna is. Like… actually… even worse. Such a gaywad, you probably threw the first brick at Stonewall."

"Can't be soft for ten seconds, can you?" you laugh in return, taking a sip from the slush that's quickly turning to liquid in the late-day sun. "Surprised you even know what Stonewall is, since I'm pretty sure you're failing AP History—which I don't even know how you got into, by the way."

"Uh, excuse you, loser. I'll have you know I'm very smart and acing all my classes. Colleges are actively fiending over me. I've got offers from NYU, Yale, Stanford, USC, Juilliard, and the Paris Institute of Like… Global Hotness. Also Harvard. I'm just that good."

"Please. You'd be lucky if any of those schools even looked at your application," you shoot back, letting go of Mari's hand to wrap that arm around her shoulders, pulling her flush against your body with a sigh. "You'd be better off going to Brickhurst. They're barely a D3—I think your skills would match the talent they're looking for."

Mari gasps, elbowing your side with the dramatic offense of someone who definitely doesn't know what D3 means. "You're just mad because your little… gaywad heart can't handle how hot I look playing midfield."

You bark out a laugh as she wraps her arm around your waist, forcing herself even closer to you. Slurpee still in hand, sun still painting everything in gold, neither of you moving away. 

You kiss her temple.

She hums, not fighting the display of affection, and rests her head on your shoulder as you walk down a path leading to your house. It feels like it's just the two of you in the world right now, and you bask in the moment for as long as possible (or, well, until one of you inevitably breaks it with a shitty joke or pun).

You're just starting to feel like the world might actually be quiet for once when Mari mutters, "Still can't believe you got cherry," and you snort loud enough to scare a bird out of a tree.

So much for peace. 

But, then again—this is better. 

(drawn by @eddieripps go check him out frfr.... bro is the absolute GOAT of all time)

Spring in the wilderness wasn’t kind, but it was much less harsh than winter. The snow had receded, leaving behind a landscape of mud and rot. The cold still bit in the mornings, but the air smelled of damp earth instead of frozen death. It should’ve felt like a relief. Instead, it just reminded you of how much time had passed since you and the girls crashed.

Inside one of the tents, Mari sat at the edge of the makeshift bed, her injured hand resting limply in her lap. The fire crackled low outside, the flickering light reflecting against the outer rim of the teepee. From this light, her features looked sharper, like the Mari you used to know—sharp-tongued, quick to snap, always keeping her walls high. But after catching sight of you, her shoulders slumped, and she just looked tired.

You knelt beside her, carefully taking her hand in yours. The bite mark was swollen, the edges pink and angry. You winced. “She really went for you, huh?”

Mari scoffed, but there was no real malice behind it. “Yeah, well. Shauna’s a fucking lunatic.”

You dipped a spare rag into the pot of warmed water, wringing it out before pressing it gently against the patch of bruised skin. She flinched but didn’t pull away.

“Hey,” you murmured, glancing up. “You okay?”

Mari rolled her eyes. “Oh, totally. Getting mauled is the highlight of my week.” You huffed a laugh. “You should’ve kept your hands to yourself.”

“Oh, screw you,” she grumbled, but there was no bite to it. “It’s not like I was trying to feed her.” You smirked, dabbing at the wound with careful strokes. “Well, I don’t know, Mar. You do love to run your mouth. Maybe she just wanted to shut you up.”

Mari narrowed her eyes. “You’re lucky I’m too weak to push you right now.”

You grinned but kept your touch gentle, wrapping her hand in the spare clean cloth. When you finished wrapping her hand, you let your fingers linger over hers, tracing the rough edges of her knuckles. Mari’s breath hitched, barely noticeable, but you felt it.

“Thanks,” she muttered, barely above a whisper.

You looked up, surprised by the lack of sarcasm. “For what?”

Mari sighed, shifting slightly. “For… this. For not making a big deal out of it.” Her eyes flicked to yours, searching, hesitant. “For staying.”

Your chest tightened. Mari wasn’t the type to get sentimental, but this place had stripped them all raw from the inside out. You squeezed her non-bruised hand gently, offering warmth in the only way you could.

“Always,” you whispered.

Mari’s lips twitched, like she wanted to smile, but instead, she just squeezed back.

For now, that was enough.