𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐄 | 𝐌.𝐌.

Chapter 12

Khrys had woken up first. Of course, she did, she was an absolute early bird. Just a tad bit of light was coming in through the curtains so she took a minute to look around. She only remembered that Marshall was still in bed when she suddenly felt a weight on one of her breasts. She looked down and saw Marshall with his head on her chest and his arms around her waist and he also happened to be still very much fast asleep.

Khrys also noted that he looked so peaceful, so much so that instead of moving, she stayed put. She reached up to place one of her hands on his head and used the other to gently caress his back. He did appear to be tired when he came to get her. She figured she was the one to blame, considering she had been giving him a hard time for the last month. But she had assumed that he'd forget all about her and move on to someone else. Just like she did.

What she didn't know, was that Marshall was already in too deep with her. He had spent every day and night for the last 30 days worrying about her, what she was doing, where she was at, and whether or not she had been thinking the same about him. He was sure he had lost her forever. And while it wasn't under the ideal set of circumstances, she was back in his grasp and he was more than thankful. He wasn't stupid, he knew damn well he was in love with her. He just wondered if she had caught on yet.

Marshall moved a little but for the most part, he was in the same spot. Regardless of that, she continued to nurture him in his slumber. The silence in the air was welcoming. It wasn't quiet like this is New York. Khrys could hear the wind blowing against the house and the birds chirping, celebrating another sunrise upon the city. There were even a few honking horns, but nothing too extremely loud. It was a chorus of nature and she'd enjoyed every bit of it.

The sun was beaming and the few rays that had shone through, bathed into Marshall's skin, giving it a particularly enchanting glow. It was one of those times of the year where his skin was a bit more tan. That was most likely from him running back and forth to California, catching all the vitamin D it had to offer. Now she found herself tracing over his tattoos. Some of the detail on one of them was new. She had never really gotten a chance to study them, but now while he was sleeping soundly on top of her, she could see them up close and personal.

Khrys was also thinking about all the times she wondered what it'd be like to wake up to him. Now that she had a piece of that, she wished she could do it, every day. She didn't even mind that she woke up first. Just being in his arms was enough for her to be happy. She felt safe, loved, and at peace. But then she shook her head of all those thoughts. This was supposed to Jenna. But unfortunately, she was somewhere doing "more important" things.

However, Khrys realized she appreciated small things about Marshall that she really hadn't paid attention to with anyone else. Like his voice, his cute little urban accent. The small freckles spread across his face. The way his thumbs stood up when he flipped people off. His cute ears, which he felt self-conscious about but she absolutely adored. She didn't think they were too big but he insisted that they were "satellite dishes". She always laughed when he said this but she felt bad because he always pointed out his flaws and never any of his best features. She very much preferred cocky Marshall over insecure Marshall because he was the finest piece of ass she'd ever seen.

She moved the hand she was using to cradle his head, down onto his cheek, and let her finger slip into the dip on his chin. He stirred around and she could feel his arms moving underneath her. He stretched them out on his sides and yawned. He also opened his eyes but quickly closed one of them as soon as the sun hit them.

"Fuck." he mumbled.

He made eye contact with Khrys, well...with the one that was still open.