From the Cosmos. [gxg]

xviii. when it snows.

When Marisol had woken up, it was clinging to something big and warm. A few seconds was all she needed to remember what happened the night before, as well as figure out exactly what she was holding.

Marisol detached herself from Colette with all the care she could, doing her best not to wake the sleeping woman. Once she had completely broken contact, she stood from the bed. A chill hit her, and it was then that she realized that she was in nothing but in a too-big tank top. She grabbed her phone and shuffled to the bathroom.

The bright white light of the bathroom blinded her and she squinted, waiting for her aching eyes to adjust to the light. She glanced at her phone.

"6:30..." She muttered, "Too early."

She had half a thought to go back to bed, but nervousness made its way to her stomach at the thought. It's not that she hadn't enjoyed herself last night, it was actually quite the opposite. Marisol was rarely impulsive, but last night she had been. She slept with Colette without confessing any of her feelings nor thinking about the situation they were in.

Even without the current situation, Marisol having a relationship with Colette had many problems. Colette was an internationally known celebrity, and Marisol's presence would likely cause Colette lots of trouble and unwanted public attention. Additionally, Marisol lived in New York with no intention of moving, while Colette had to travel the world for her acting career. Marisol wasn't sure of the policy of fraternizing with Queenly's celebrity guests, but she knew that she could certainly get fired.

Marisol looked at herself in the mirror, her messy hair and bare face staring back at her.

"Shit," she said.

She flicked on the faucet and splashed her face with water, letting the cold liquid drip down her face before grabbing a towel and patting herself dry. She had to get out of the house for a bit, just to clear her head, before she made any more irrational decisions. She was worried if Colette woke up, their unlikely friendship might be ruined. Even worse, Marisol worried that if Colette wanted a reckless repeat of last night, that she wouldn't be able to resist.

Marisol removed herself of all evidence of the night prior by 6:45. She hadn't showered, (she was worried it might wake Colette,) but she had brushed her teeth, changed, and washed her face. That was enough for now, especially because the outing she had chosen would likely result in some grime build up anyway. She grabbed her camera bag and her metal water bottle. Nothing like photography to clear her head.

Marisol was half expecting one of Nevada's parents to be in the kitchen when she walked downstairs, but there was nobody. She swiped a couple granola bars from the kitchen and made her way outside.

The morning sky was pale, the sun having just made it past the horizon. It was chilly as well, tiny gusts of wind rolling through the air. Marisol pulled her beanie down a little lower to cover the tips of her ears and glanced around.

Marisol liked to photograph people, though today she didn't have a subject. Instead, she was limited to the forest around her. She hadn't taken pictures of trees since she was in middle school, and today, she was relapsing. She took her camera out of her bag and looked through the viewfinder. With a click and the sound of shutters, her journey began.

The clear area around her quickly became dense with foliage as she walked further away from the house. The forest smelled damp, and it reminded her of the scent just after a storm. She suspected it was due to the waterfall that the ground around her was saturated with water. She stopped at the sight of a small bird's nest in a tree. She pulled her camera up and snapped a picture.

It's not a masterpiece, Marisol thought, but it doesn't need to be. She trekked further in. Leaves crunched under her feet. Much of the forest still had foliage, thanks to the many evergreens, but there were some trees just days away from being barren, the chill of winter setting over them.

Marisol didn't pay much attention to the time. She could have taken 5 pictures or 500, her current process being mindless. It's like her brain knew exactly what to do and pushed all thoughts out. It was when she tried to take a particularly big step over a fallen tree that her leg ached and brought her back to her senses.

She was used to walking. Skateboarding had always been a secondary method of getting to work when she was in a hurry. 90 percent of the time, she navigated New York on her feet. Her legs finally telling her to stop was alarming. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, the screen lighting up.

It was 12 PM. She had been out for five hours. She sat down on the fallen tree and heaved a deep breath. She had no idea where she was or how far she walked, but the area around her seemed wild. There were no worn paths from walking, and the only trampled plants were from her own steps. She opened her GPS app, only to be met with a notification telling her that she had no connection.

She glanced around. The best she could do was go back in the direction she remembered coming from. She stood up, only for her stomach to join her legs in complaining.

"Right," she muttered, "Granola bar first, walking second."

——

Colette woke up to an empty bed and knocking at her door. She barely managed to throw a shirt on before hobbling over to the door and opening it.

"Hey, it's time for breakfast..." Nevada trailed off, looking Colette up and down. "You look like you got railed."

Colette could feel the heat rise to her cheeks. And despite her dark complexion, it seemed that Nevada saw it.

"Oh my god, that's exactly what happened!" They grinned and pushed themselves past Colette into the room. "Is Marisol in the bathroom?"

Colette turned around. "No, it seems like she left."

Nevada looked back at Colette, examining her face. "She's not the type to hit it and run," Nevada said, "I'm sure she's just taking some time for herself."

Colette's voice was hoarse when she spoke. "Yes, I'm sure you're right. I'll probably see her in a little bit."

Nevada, despite their short stature, put a hand on Colette's shoulder. "Don't be too upset, it looks like you had a great night." They winked. "There's waffles and bacon downstairs. After that, my dad wants to start training for the day."

Colette could only nod in response as Nevada left, door shutting behind them. She walked into the bathroom, trying to ignore how cold it was around her as she looked in the mirror. Nevada was absolutely right in saying that she looked like she got railed. Her long hair was disheveled and messy, and there was a certain tiredness to her face that wasn't from lack of sleep. Her eyes trailed down, to where her shirt collar halfway covered a small blotchy patch of skin. Her face began to get hot.

Splashing water on her face was enough to cool back down. Rationalize, Colette, she thought. She combed through her hair and brushed her teeth, but it didn't make her feel any better when she looked in the mirror. A nervous pit manifested itself in her stomach. Why did Marisol leave?

There wasn't time to dwell on it, and she knew Marisol would come back anyway. There was nowhere for either of them to go. Colette got dressed in a sweater and some pants, enough to fight off the cold that permeated the house. Some fluffy socks now separated her feet from the freezing floor.

Waiting for her downstairs was a plate on the dining room table, on top was a waffle and a few strips of bacon. Mrs. Shultz was visible from the kitchen and smiled as Colette sat down.

"Did you sleep well?" Mrs. Shultz asked, smiling.

"Yes ma'am, thank you." Colette responded. Despite the tiredness she felt, she somehow felt well rested. She slept like a rock.

Mrs. Schultz didn't respond, seemingly satisfied with the young celebrity's answer, and continued bustling around the kitchen. Colette dug into her breakfast.

The food was good, though it wasn't savored by Colette's mood. As she chewed chunks of waffle and bacon, all she could think about was Marisol. Colette didn't regret a thing. She had realized her feelings for Marisol were something more than just friendship a while ago, though she couldn't place the exact moment. Despite knowing one another for less than a month, Colette trusted Marisol more than she trusted anybody else.