"Kiss me" Marissa murmured rolling over to look at the clock. When she rolled back Alex clearly heard the order, and launched into a passionate kiss. Marissa's tanned skin contrasted nicely with the brilliant white sheets. This caused Alex to smile.

" I don't want to move," grinned Marissa.

"It's Sunday babe, you don't have too" she pondered the word babe, and did a small inward laugh.

"Yay" she said in a childish voice.

"So what do you want to do today?" There was a definite Sunday vibe around the whole situation, tired eyes, pure relaxation, and a beautiful girl by her side.

"Can I stay here for a long time?"

"If that's what you want"

"Well what did you want to do?"

"Only what we've done already…twice." She smiled. Marissa rolled over and kissed her. She closed her eyes sleepily. "Nuh-uh babe, you are so not falling asleep," she laughed again at herself saying babe, she wasn't sure whether it made her sound sexy, or foolish. She decided she didn't want to risk it again and refrain from using the word babe for a while.

"I don't want to sleep. I don't want to think, I just want to enjoy today"

"Fair enough" she smiled. The rain still battered down hard on the windows, when it rained in Orange County, it poured. It was also insanely cold. Marissa wrapped the covers around her tighter. Alex slowly got out and stood up in front of the window. The light shone from behind her, showing Marissa no more than a silhouette.

"Where are you going?" said Marissa, sitting up partially to look in the general direction of the womanly shape.

"I'm thirsty," she whispered. And walked out of the room.

She meandered into the lounge; she picked up hers and Marissa's clothes. She put on her pants, and bra. And wandered to the sink and poured herself a glass, being careful not to over think, and spill this time.

Reacting to the cold, she went back over to the couch and reached out and picked up Marissa's oversized hooded sweatshirt she always sat in when she was cold. She put it on and smiled, it was warm despite being on the cold apartment floor, and it smelled of Marissa. She didn't have a definite smell, it didn't smell of a perfume she wore, it didn't smell of her washing powder, It smelled of her. It was mild and almost neutral, and her skin smelled the same. It calmed Alex instantly. Filled her with a sense of home, something Alex wasn't all too familiar with on her own. A smile spread across her face, from the smile itself to the twinkle in her eye. She padded around barefoot, sipping her water. She took a step toward the bedroom but stopped herself. Her mind told her not to go there, warned her that something was wrong with the whole situation. A whole deck of scenarios span through her head like a reel of film. What if she had been used? To get back at Julie, maybe even Ryan. What if she didn't like her? What if the sexuality was an issue and she's laying in their hating her for rushing into things? What if she was just another challenge to Marissa, a phase? Her body was telling her to go, go be with Marissa, and lay down in the warm bed, instead of being stood in the freezing lounge in very little clothing. However the "what-ifs" made her weak. She clenched the side of the couch and sat. She merely stared, she started to question herself, whether she was even ready, she wasn't joking when she thought about leaving, and if she did leave, did she leave Marissa there? Whether she was ready for a relationship at all after the undeniable hurt of Jodie. She felt so suffocated and trapped, that wherever her thoughts turned she didn't feel she could be happy. She was too indecisive about anything. However she decided to at least try to sort things out, be a Good friend and girlfriend, and see how things went with her.

She sighed. Wearily resting her head on the arm of the couch she slowly drifted to sleep.

Marissa walked in. presuming the worst, white sheets wrapped around her in a makeshift toga, which, on Marissa, looked far more like an evening gown.

"Alex wake up!" she said wandering past prodding Alex in the head.

"Huh?" she questioned her current location and how cold she was. Marissa went and sat on her knee.

"You're cold," she said concerned, rubbing her hands over Alex's thighs quickly to cause friction. She grinned at her and threw her into a hug.

"What was that for?" Alex said, a little more defensive than needed.

"Umm I wanted to hug you," said Marissa. Looking defeated. She stood up "fine!" she announced and went back in the room. Alex sighed and followed reluctantly.

"Are you ok?" Alex asked. She rolled over. Away from her. "Marissa…just please..." she rolled over to face her.

"What's up with you Alex?"

"I was just waking up…you know I'm a grouch"

"There was no need to sleep on the couch"

"I didn't even realise! I swear!" She climbed in with Marissa and kissed her very gently on the mouth. She didn't want to anger the situation, so approached it with care. Gently stroking her neck, she smiled at her. "Sorry" she said calming Marissa's breath, which was racing from the slight aggravation. They lay there for a while, their breath's slowly synchronising, and calming to an almost sleepy level. Marissa wouldn't permit herself to rest, she was swimming in thoughts. An endless sea of restlessness. She was scared. Terrified that she had fallen in love. Love equalled disaster in the world of Marissa cooper. Love as a rule in Newport, was a bad thing, and could naturally; only end in disaster.

The symptoms were all there, the unwillingness to move once in her arms, the way the world seemed lighter now, the smile that intruded on her face. Whether or not she wished it too was out of the question. That was it. Marissa knew, the uninvited smile had put the final nail in her coffin of doubt; she was in love. After all love was nothing more than a series of involuntary events, love acted regardless of all sense, and other human emotions. It always prevailed over hate and negligence. But it wasn't pretty; love was never the Gaussian blurred utopia, the movies painted it to be. Something Marissa understood clearly. A warm feeling interrupted her bitterly cold thoughts, it was the overwhelming feeling of Alex's eyes boring into her, surveying every inch of visible skin. She knew she couldn't allow herself to fall in love, but she also knew she was weak to it; it was a sore point that she needed to be needed. And thus, stood no chance against this beautiful girl. If love was a death sentence she was sat on death row now, Alex toying her finger over the switch for the chair. Marissa opened her eyes. Sure enough Alex's were meeting hers square in the middle.

"I love you," murmured Marissa.

Alex froze.