A simple call

Chapter 6: Call #2

Abby woke up in the middle of the night, completely uncharacteristic of her usual sleeping habits. She was so used to being kept unconscious by his easy breathing and steady heartbeat. Instead of being curled up against Marcus, she found herself sprawled out a decent distance from her cuddling daughters, yes daughters. She could hear the crashing of the waves from the open patio door. Marcus. She pads softly across the wooden floor. He's laying out on one of the deck chairs with his eyes closed, but not asleep. Abby knocks softly on the glass of the door, trying to get his attention without startling him. His eyes flutter open slowly adjusting to the bright moonlight. "Couldn't sleep?" she asks leaning her back against the patio railing. "Too much going on up here," he says tapping his temple. "What about you?" She shrugs her shoulders, turning around to stare up at the star-streaked sky. Every cloud has cleared out, leaving a silky blackness adorned with millions of tiny lights. She hears him moving behind her, already knowing he's going to wrap his arms around her from behind. It's a common gesture between them, one they both relished. She turns around in his embrace, burying her her in the crook of his neck. Enjoying just being held. She feels his hand leave her back, confusing her. Until his finger is tilting her head up towards his. His eyes lock onto hers for what seems like an eternity, until it happens. Her eyes fall shut, and her heart takes over. This kiss is nothing like before, the last one was almost platonic. This one is everything. Starting off slow, sweet and tentative. Looking for silent confirmation. Her hands tangle in his dark hair, the only confirmation he needs. The kiss grows heated quickly, then turning even faster from a kiss to kisses, then to kissing. Eventually, it gets to the point where Marcus could cross 'Making out with best friend' off his bucket list if that was on his bucket list, which it totally isn't by the way. When they break apart she can see the fire behind his eyes, he definitely wasn't her big brother. From the smirk she left on his lips she knows the same fire rests in her eyes. His forehead comes to rest on hers, and hands return to their previous positions. He's still breathing heavily when he speaks, and she's proud of the state she's put him in. "You .... have no idea... how long ... I've wanted to do that." She smirks while planting another chaste kiss to his lips, murmuring "And how long would that be?" into them. "I'd rather not embarrass myself." She laughs and plants another kiss on his lips which he returns eagerly. "I'll tell you how long if you tell me first." His lips tug upwards in a contemplative smile. "Ok, but you have to promise not to laugh at me, or punch me." She messes up his hair even further. "Ok ok... You remember the dance we talked about yesterday? Back in middle school?" Well then. "Remember how Cartwig said I was looking at you, well it was exactly the way she described it. Because..... that's when I realized I was in love with you." The air she was breathing gets thicker, making it hard to take in. "W-why didn't you tell me?" He pulls her down to lie back on the reclining chair with him. "Because when I finally got the courage to tell you, you were already with Jake." She's astounded and ashamed for not seeing the signs. "Marcus, I didn't go out with Jake until our third year of high school. That dance was in the seventh grade. That's-"

"Four years, I know. Pathetic right?" She shakes her head, entwining their fingers. "Not at all. It makes me sad I didn't see it. I loved you too, I just thought you wanted more of a brother-sister type relationship." He brings their joined hands up to his mouth, dropping a light kiss on her knuckles. "I guess I was really good at hiding it." He laughs as he says it, but it's hollow and raw with emotions that are anything but amusement. "Why did you hide it?"

"I made a promise to myself to always make sure you were safe and had someone to love you, even if it wasn't me. If I told you I was in love with you, your life would've gotten complicated fast. I would be breaking my promise. I wasn't going to do that to you." She can feel the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. "You watched me being happy all those years, being in love, marrying someone else, having a family with someone else. How?" His thumbs caress her cheeks, effectively wiping away her pain along with her tears. "I stayed with you until I thought you were going to be safe and happy, that's why I went off and started the academy after Jake came back. I only let my guard down because I felt I could trust him. Guess I was wrong the whole time, and you ended up getting hurt anyway." Tears stain both their faces, but with each new droplet, a little bit more weight is relieved from their shoulders. Eventually, the absence of the California sun and its heat gets to them, forcing them back into the room. They fall asleep instantly, wrapped up in each other, not as friends, but partners.