{{Unedited}} “What do you want for breakfast, darling?” Marielle asked. “Maybe you let me make it, today?” Austin replied with a smile. “I thought you didn’t cook.” “It’s kind of hard to screw up some eggs and toast,” he chuckled. She flushed. “Okay, I’ll allow it if that’s what you want.” “I want to take …

{{Unedited}} After Marielle and Austin ate, and cleared dinner from the table, they both washed the dishes side by side. Then they wandered back to the living room where he aimlessly went to his piano and sat down. He played a song that she vaguely knew with sadness in his eyes, and tone. Let’s Hurt …

{{Un-edited}} Marielle helped Sabine pick out a dress, which felt utterly surreal and in truth, they didn’t say much to one another. When Sabine tried on a black wedding gown that seemed too demure and frilly, and stood on the pedestal in front of the mirror practically frowning, she turned back to Han and Marielle. …

{{Un-edited}} “Vinnnnnnceeeeennnnnt!!!” The voice was so sing-song that it put knots in Vincent’s stomach. It wasn’t long after that the assailant began to sing… in Italian. It echoed eerily down the dark halls on the second floor at Valorant. Vincent took off running, and scurried around a corner, and into the lab. He glanced around …

{{Unedited}}   After waiting for their bags, Austin and Marielle walked out into the brisk New York air. It pricked Marielle’s skin and nose as they moved across the street to the car rental place. “That ain’t no ninety-degree weather,” he chuckled, both remembering how hot it had been even three weeks ago. “Yeah, I …

{{Unedited}}   Out of the shower, after towel drying her hair and dressing into fresh clothes, she went into Austin’s room to find him sitting on the bed writing in a journal. She cocked her head at him, curiously. He smiled at her, snapped it shut, and slipped it onto the bookshelf. It hadn’t been …

{{Unedited}}   Sometime in the night, she woke up again and he was still out. His breathing was low and deep and his thoughts were distant and foggy. He might be on the verge of a dream. She quietly peeled the red journal from the bookshelf, feeling giddy and opening it. It was true that …

{{Unedited}}   Marielle stood in the middle of the bedroom; her hands clasped nervously to her chest. The fingers on her right hand were wrapped around a single pearl that hung around her neck. Vincent had only given it to her a few days before. However, this was the first time that she’d ever used …

{{Unedited}}   Marielle was brushing her teeth when Austin rested his temple on the doorframe, he stood watching her for a moment in adoration. She spit, rinsed, and looked back at him. “What?” “Okay, so no tricks, but I didn’t know that this was happening.” He left that hanging in the air. “What?” Marielle glowered …

{{Unedited}}   Marielle stirred and looked up, realizing that she’d dozed off. The room was warm and cozy and the fire had died down a little. She was still wrapped in the blanket. At the end of the couch, Austin was leaning into the corner piece, temple in his palm, watching her. “You’re gorgeous when …