Peacock inhaled, and smoke tickled the back of her throat. For a minute, she sat still and stared at the stars above her, then turned her eyes and looked to the girl sitting beside her.
"You're a bit too young to be smoking, Peacock. Those things are bad for your lungs." Marie paused, meeting Peacock's eyes. "Wait a little while before growing up, okay?"
Peacock laughed. Smoke flew from her mouth, as if she were a mighty dragon from a fairy tale rather than a simple girl. Wrapping her metal fingers around her cigar, she pulled it from her mouth.
"What's making you feel so worried for me? I've fought way worse and you haven't said a peep."
"I was always there to fight alongside you."
She truly had. Even when Peacock and Marie had been ripped from her home, they had still been together. When Peacock had suggested attacking the slavers and making their escape, a young and slightly nervous, yet always dependable Marie, fought alongside her. They had been on the road ever since, playing heroes, playing villains, and everything in between. It was a good thing that Peacock had Marie with her, as one fight a few years back had gotten Peacock so hurt that she nearly died. It was only because of Marie (and prosthetic limbs that worked better than her previous fleshy arms had) that Peacock had lived. To that day, Marie still had yet to explain how she had gotten connections with Lab Zero; perhaps one day she would tell, or perhaps it would remain her own little secret forever.
"You do have a point." Peacock dropped the cigar to the ground before quickly standing up and crushing it underneath her foot.
"That isn't much better." Marie looked towards the ground. "That's littering, which hurts the earth."
"I'll pick it up before we go," Peacock replied. She looked back towards Marie. A small smile was spread across her pale face. The moonlight reflected off of her hair, making it shine, and made shadows dance upon her face.
"Good," she replied.
Their eyes returned once more to the sky, to the stars that continued to shine no matter what happened. Maybe that's what they were in their own ways.
"Still worried about me?" Peacock smirked.
"Someone has to," Marie replied.
"Why you?"
"Because I love you," she replied. Her words had flowed naturally near the beginning, but by the end came out in a rush. Her cheeks flushed red, her smile turned to a frown, and she averted her eyes to her lap.
The two were silent for a few moments.
"I never knew," Peacock finally said. It had seemed as if Marie would never pick up the conversation, forcing Peacock to do it herself.
"I tried not to be obvious about it." Marie's voice was low, and she had yet to look up from her lap.
"I'm glad that you told me; I never would have guessed myself." Peacock wrapped an arm around Marie's waist, pulling her closer to her side.
"Peacock," the other girl said, looking up from her lap. Her face was still red, but she looked to be smiling again.
"Yes?" She raised an eyebrow.
"You're okay with it?"
Peacock laughed. "Of course I do! I love you too, Marie."
"Really?" Marie's eyes widened. Peacock could see her own face reflected back in the other girl's eyes.
"Really," she replied. "I guess that means that I'll just have to start worrying about you too."
"I suppose so."