The Camp is a mess. People coming in and out of medical. The nights filled with the screams of the tormented. His people aren't used to this amount of psychical and mental pain, the ark had been calm, peaceful… stable.
So, Marcus finds his peace in the early hours of the night, when the camp falls asleep but before the nightmares start. On rainy nights, he hides out at a remote spot of the camp under a small tin roof. Listens to the rainfall for a few hours. Tries to forget the things that haunt him.
But memories flood his mind, as they often do these days. Her screams - louder every time, sometimes screaming his name, sometimes so quiet it's deafening.
"Marcus Kane, what is it with you and the rain," her soft voice follows her approaching footsteps.
He turns around, "Abby, what are you doing out here?" until now these quiet hours had been his secret.
"Nightmares," her answer is blunt, but she looks away, "so, the rain?" she joins him under the roof but keeps a little distance.
"The rain and I speak
In the same tongue,
We both understand
The art of falling,"
He smiles a little at her surprised expression, answers her questioning frown, "poetry, I read some of it back on the ark, it's more beautiful than I imagined, though".
She lets out a small laugh that warms his heart. The moonlight reflects off the raindrops on her face and he wants to take her hand, kiss her soft lips, and forget everything, just know she's safe now, but he doesn't.
"You should get back inside, the rain's getting heavier," he's still looking at her face - drawn, captivated.
"Mhh, yes, so should you Marcus," she walks up to him and for a moment, just a second, he closes his eyes and he can almost feel her skin against his.
"You're not the only one enjoying the rain," she looks towards the wall of trees surrounding the camp, "brings in the smell of the woods, reminds me of Clarke".
He doesn't answer, just takes her hand and draws circles on her skin with his thumb.
"I miss you, Marcus," her voice is a low whisper, barely audible, but he hears.
"I can't get your screams out of my head, Abby," his voice breaks as he lets go of her hands.
Her dark eyes catch his before he can look away, "Marcus," there's confusion in her voice, "you don't blame yourself for this, do you?" she forces him to keep the eye contact.
"I don't know…" he does know, he knows he would do anything to protect this woman, and the fact that he couldn't kills him, "the things I've done, Abby…" he lets the sentences fade when he feels her palm against his, her fingers slowly intertwining with his.
"I forgive you Marcus, the things you did you did to protect your people, I understand, and I forgive you, you don't need to keep looking for salvation. Things change, people too. Just stay with me, okay? Stop disappearing," she raises her eyebrows, waiting for an answer, but all he can do is lean in and do what he's wanted to do for so long. His lips find hers as a wordless promise. And he falls, not as eloquently and painlessly as the rain, he stumbles, fumbles in the darkness for solid ground. But, eventually he lets go.
He falls for Abby Griffin like he's never fallen for anyone.
When their lips part he gently takes her head in his hands and kisses her forehead, "we should get back". The sound of the heavy rain against the tin roof almost drowns his words, but she nods so he puts his jacket around her shoulders before they head back to the alpha station.