Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
𝐌arlowe's cast in crimson, bathed in a rosy gold.
The pink light of the early morning lasts for only a few minutes, and she savors it. She's been awake for an hour already, witnessing the sky going from green and blue, to an orange and red ombré.
They'd returned to the Château rather late. And, regarding their equal longing for somebody's company — and the fear of being left alone with their own thoughts — they'd both fallen asleep on the bed in the guest room. The feeling of safety embraced them both as they shared the warmth of the cover.
But, Marlowe's challenges hadn't fully faded simply due to her best friend's presence. That heartbroken sensation deep down had clutched her gut in the midst of the night, refusing to grant her the sweet relief of sleep.
So, she'd gotten out of bed a few hours later, afraid her turning and tossing would wake the peaceful blond.
As the electricity is running again, she'd had the chance to finally brew some long-awaited black coffee. And much to her luck, she easily located a bag of coffee beans in the cabinet.
Third cup.
She's on her third cup of coffee as the sun finally wakes. Still, the undersides of her eyelids scrape like sandpaper against her eyes, indicating her sufficient sleep deprivation. She's exhausted but physically can't sleep.
JJ finds himself gradually waking from his much-needed slumber. A content hum sounds somewhere in his throat as he buries his face into the pillow, protecting his eyes from the golden hour of the sunrise.
After a while he turns over, expecting to find Marlowe asleep beside him. Wanting to find her beside him. But that side of the bed is empty. He frowns a tired frown, a faint one. Then, the homey smell of newly brewed coffee hits him, and it makes him hum again, this time accompanied by a small smile.
However, the smile immediately drops as he remembers—
"Shit, shit, shit..."
Marlowe's sitting by the dining table. One leg is brought up to the seat, and she hugs the mug of coffee with a gentle touch.
"Morning...?" the girl croaks. She gives him a puzzled look, eyes tracing his movements as he goes about collecting his things. "Why the rush?"
JJ halts in his step, rubbing his face the same way a child would after a heavy nap. He groans to himself, dragging both hands through his hair. "I got work," he offers her a bitter smile, eyes closed due to their heaviness.
The girl stands up, trekking toward the fatigued boy. "Really? When?"
After giving the location of his phone a moment of thought, he eventually slanders back into the bedroom.
"In, like, fifty minutes," she hears him complain from the neighboring room.
Marlowe winces in sympathy while pouring another mug of coffee. She offers it to him as he retreats from the bedroom, and he wordlessly accepts it, still in a daze after waking up so abruptly.
