First Light

44 sunshine

She texts Georgina so she knows where we've gone while we walk to the big Tesco. There's something so nice about going here while it's night.

The heavens open a couple minutes after we get out of the shop. In just a few seconds, what was drizzle becomes hard, icy raindrops that are being blown into my eyes from the wind.

The only warmth is coming from Faye and her hand, who tugs me into the woods for some shelter from the trees. Only there isn't much, what with most of the winter trees being bare of leaves.

I find a more-sheltered area and we stand under it. I lay both my hands out flat, middle fingers touching, to form a sort of bridge above Faye's hair, in an attempt to stop the rain from ruining her makeup. It only somewhat works, but she laughs at this.

"You should've checked the weather before we left, Faye," I say, tutting.

Eye-roll that for some reason is more attractive than it usually is. "Shut up."

Of course I lean down to kiss her, how could I not. My hands cupping her face and her's against my chest, pulling me closer until there's practically no space between us. Skin cold from the wind and the rain but she feels like sunshine, warming me from the inside out.

We stay standing under the shelter for a good 10 minutes, trying to see if the rain will ease up a bit. It doesn't.

"We might as well just go through it. It's not like we're dry at all." I say to Faye.

Her lipstick is smudged from the kisses but she's given up caring about it. I do reach out to wipe the mascara that's currently running down her face, though.

"Are you sure? I don't mind waiting." She replies.

"Yeah, and the food is just getting cold, anyway. We can go back to mine to shower and get changed, if you want. Before we go back to the party, I mean. I have stuff for you to wear temporarily, just til you get back to your room."

She seems to find this funny, but she tugs me into walking anyway. "As if anything you own will fit me, Marlo."

Faye:

My hair is damp against the emerald-green jumper of Marlo's after the shower in his room. It is comedically big on me, but that is nothing compared to the black joggers he leant me. The drawstrings don't help the amount of trailing that the ends are doing on the floor, even with my shoes on.

It's comforting though, because it's like wearing a full-size blanket. A blanket that smells like Marlo.

He let me shower first, of course he did, but now that he's out of the shower himself, I realise he's left the bathroom door open slightly.

I try not to look, I really do. But I give in, leaning forward slightly and involuntarily gasp at the sight. He's not wearing a top.

His back muscles flex, making the tattoo there move as he ties the draw-string on his joggers, and he catches my eye in the mirror and smirks before turning and walking into the room. I have to physically close my mouth as my eyes wander down his chest, to the spider tattoo on his abs, still wet, and then to the boxer waistband that's peeking out of his joggers.

I swallow hard. I am incapable of coming up with any words to say. I'm certain that if I tried to speak right now all that would come out are unintelligible noises.

"You comfy in them?" He asks. He's talking to me like it's completely normal he's shirtless.

All I can offer is a nod, eyes flicking down to see his third tattoo, the one on his arm, that I've only seen a portion of. It runs from the length of his wrist up to the side of his shoulder.

He seems to revel in his ability to make me embarrass myself like this.

"Do you like the tattoos?" He turns so I can see the back tattoo again. My mouth couldn't be drier.

"Yeah, they're really nice." I answer. Thank god the words came out sounding how they should sound.

Marlo turns back to me and smirks. He knows they're nice.

I struggle for something to say, to try and prove to him that he doesn't have this much of a hold over me. "Did they hurt?"

"Yeah, but not as much as you'd expect. I wanna get more."

"Oh, really? Like what?" I'm overly aware that he's moving towards me as we're talking. My heart is going so fast I wouldn't be surprised if it burst out of my ribcage.

He shrugs a little, something so small that he makes so attractive, and he's so close I can feel his breath against my face as he answers. "I don't know. You can pick."

A shiver works its way from the base of my spine all the way up to my neck where his fingers touch me so gently. Before I can answer, he kisses me and it's like a drop of heat slides down my throat and into my chest and spreads through my entire body, making all the nervousness dissipate.

His skin is like warm cinnamon against my hands, smoother than I expected. My cold hands against his warm chest and his warm shoulders and his warm face. I can feel the heat of his hands on my waist through the jumper, pulling me closer against him.

We're both smiling when we pull apart. I'm sure that I'm bright red right now.

He kisses my forehead before he goes to put on a jumper, much to my dismay, and we head back to my flat, eating the barely-warm food on the way. I change quickly into my own clothes, but by the time the party finishes and Marlo's hugged me good-bye, we've both forgotten about the clothes he's leant me.

I put them back on and fall asleep smelling of him.