From the Cosmos. [gxg]

xvii. you're gentle in the dark.

 Colette stepped out of the steamy bathroom, wearing her pajama shorts and a tank top. She glanced at the dresser, where a plate with some slices of pizza rested. Marisol, however, was nowhere to be seen. Colette wrapped her hair up in a towel and grabbed the plate, sitting down on the bed. As she took a bite of her food, she took out her phone and opened Twitter.

Colette groaned. She didn't know why everyone wanted her to date Jackson. She had gotten enough hate mail about being too close to him, but once filming had stopped, everyone got mad at her for not dating him. She took another bite of pizza and kept scrolling.

Colette swiped to the explore page and groaned. She was trending. She was #11 worldwide. She shook her head. People began to see the resemblance between herself and the video, and while they weren't wrong, she wished that the connection hadn't been made. She wrinkled her nose and put her phone down. She wouldn't allow herself to panic, not right now. It wouldn't do her any good.

Colette worked on finishing her pizza. She wanted her mind to circle back to her training session with Mr. Schultz, that seemed appropriate, but what really got to her was Marisol. Colette considered herself good at reading others' emotions. It came with having such a high profile. She also knew when somebody stared for just a little too long, and she couldn't help but think that Marisol's glances were lingering.

The witch shook her head. The other possibility was that Colette was just seeing what she wanted to happen. Colette could feel heat rush up to her cheeks. She couldn't even entertain romance right now, not with everything going on. These thoughts of her new friend and fellow criminals needed to dissipate.

The doorknob turned with a click. "Colette?"

Speak of the devil, Colette thought, or angel.

The door was only cracked open, and Marisol peered through the sliver into the room. She must have determined that Colette was fully clothed and walked in. She was shorter than Colette, looking small as she passed through the door frame.

"Do you feel better?" Marisol asked, standing in front of the bed.

"I think so," Colette said, setting aside her empty plate, "I think it's time for me to go to sleep now, though."

Marisol picked up the plate from the bed. "I'll go bring this back to the kitchen, and then I'll be back up," she said, "Don't worry about waiting for me to go to bed though, just leave some room for me."

Marisol had walked out with the plate in hand before Colette had time to respond.

Colette shuffled to the bathroom and quickly brushed her teeth before burying herself in the blanket and sinking into the bed. She made sure to stick to the left side of the bed, leaving Marisol enough space should she come in.

Colette didn't consider herself a light sleeper, but she awoke 5 minutes into her slumber when she felt a dip in the mattress. There was some movement, and then it was still, the figure next to her no longer moving. Colette felt her stomach lurch for a moment as she listened to the breathing beside her. It slowly became even, and Colette felt herself calm down. She had slept in the same bed as Marisol before, but something felt different this time. Tense.

Despite her better judgement, Colette turned towards the center of the bed, doing her best to make as little movement as possible. She was just going to look at Marisol, affirm that it really was the other young woman and not some random monster sleeping next to her. Yet when she turned, she was met with Marisol's brown eyes, open and staring.

Colette's stomach did a front handspring, and the only sound she could manage to get out was a whispered 'oh.' Colette's eyes were adjusted to the darkness fine, yet even so, she didn't think that she should have been able to see Marisol's face so clearly. The smaller woman's expression was something hard to identify. Eyes crystal clear, face set, eyebrows furrowed. The closest descriptor Colette could think of was determined, though it wasn't quite that either.

"Marisol, are you okay?" Colette asked, "I can go to the couch if you need — "

Colette was cut short, her words muffled. Marisol's eyes were shut. Marisol's face was somehow even closer. Marisol was kissing her. It didn't feel quite right - maybe because Colette wasn't moving, or maybe because she was mid sentence when Marisol made the move. Either way, Colette hadn't even blinked before it ended.

Everything in Colette's system was short circuiting though one thought pushed through:

Again.

Colette shut her eyes and cupped Marisol's face, pulling the girl across from her back in. This time, Colette moved, pushing forward, feeling how Marisol's jaw moved as they kissed. Marisol's hands came up to Colette's shoulders and pushed, Colette's back falling flat onto the mattress. Marisol was then above her, straddling her lap, breaking the kiss only to dive back in.

Soon Marisol was kissing down Colette's jaw and neck. Heat flushed through the French woman's veins and she tipped her head back. Marisol's small hands were hot as they creeped under Colette's shirt. Marisol nipped at her neck. Colette groaned.

"Marisol, ma cherie," Colette breathed out, "C'est bon."

Speaking French must have pushed Marisol over, because she paused her ministrations to look at Colette.

Marisol's chest rose and fell as she breathed. She tugged at the hem of Colette's shirt. "Do you want—"

"Yes." Colette interrupted.

Marisol stirred back into motion, pulling Colette's shirt off. It was clumsy, Colette desperately trying to get her arms up as Marisol forced it up and away.

Colette moved according to Marisol's lead, letting the younger woman run the night. Sleep was forgotten, and so was doubt, as Marisol gently pressed their lips together once more.