𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞| 𝗆𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗎𝗌 𝖻𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗋

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

( 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿 , 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝖻𝗈𝖽𝗒 𝖾𝗅𝗌𝖾 )

GWEN WAS AT the table when Anne walked in, looking nice. "Where you going?" She asked with her mouth filled with cereal.

"Meeting with my sponsor" Anne said as she searched for her keys. "Where are my—"

"They're in your hand" Gwen said as she spooned another spoonful of cereal in your mouth. Anne looked at her and then at her hands where her keys lied.

"Thanks, okay, uh, you're gonna be okay with me being gone for a few right?" Anne asked as if this was the first time Gwen had been home alone.

Gwen nodded "Yeah, I'll be fine, I survived with you being gone for a week"

"Ugh" Anne groaned. "Don't remind me, weirdest week of my life, she made me hunt"

"Hunt? Like animals?" Gwen questions and Anne nodded her head. Gwen remained confused.

"Yeah"

Gwen shifted in her seat. "Yeah, that, that is weird"

"Yeah, well I have to go, let me know if you want something to eat, okay?" Anne said as she walked closer to the door.

"Okay"

"Love you, and tell Marcus I say hi" Anne said as she walked out of the house, rather in a rush, as if she wanted nothing, but to be out of the house.

"I will, love you too—" Gwen paused as she realized what Anne said. "What?!"

A few minutes later Marcus knocked on the door and Gwen opened it. "You're back!" Gwen said as she jumped up into his arms and he lifted her up.

Her legs wrapped around his waist as he closed the door with his leg, walking further into the house. "Missed you"

"You we're gone a few days" Gwen reminded him and Marcus shook his head.

"Few days too long" Marcus said as he sat down on the couch with Gwen on his lap. "How was your Christmas?"

"Very merry, yeah, my mom made this huge breakfast and we opened presents, speaking of, yours was top two—"

"Who was number one?" Marcus questioned.

"Abby's" Gwen said and Marcus understood.

"Of course, but continue"

Gwen began speaking about her Christmas with Anne. "And then uh she made picadas which I've missed for a while and yeah, oh! We also watched Candy Candy"

"Candy Candy?" Marcus asked and Gwen nodded with a smile. "What the fuck is Candy Candy?"

"It's an anime, one my dad watched when he was a kid and then made my mom watch and now we're watching it together, it's actually really cute" Gwen explained. "But what about you? How were your grandparents?"

"It's was fine, a lot of uno, lot of cheer" Marcus said, but Gwen eyed him. She narrowed her eyes at him, questioning him about his grandparents.

"You sound not so cheerful, what's going on?" Gwen asked and Marcus quickly shook his head.

"Nothing important" He said softly. Gwen didn't accept that answer.

Gwen shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Marcus, you okay?" She asked as her hand gently rubbed at his cheek. Marcus looked up at her, he didn't want to add more to her plate, he meant what he said. He wanted to keep her safe from everything bad in the world, even himself and his own demons.