Chapter Eight-
Alex sat on the soft mattress, watching the emotions play across Marissa's face as she slept. She always thought Marissa looked amazing when she slept, her face was completely relaxed, no fear, no pain, no teenage horrors, just that simple Marissa smile that Alex loved so much, and peace, she looked younger, 17 and not mid 20s like she did in her waking hours. The sight made Alex smile.
Even though Marissa always denied it, Alex always thought she looked perfect even without make-up; Marissa Cooper was naturally beautiful, one of the only traits she inherited from her stunning mother.
Smiling to herself, Alex put down the mug of coffee she had been holding and leant over, closer to Marissa
Their kiss the night before had awoken things in Alex that she thought were long gone. When she first saw Marissa the day before, she'd seen her the way she'd always seen her before, amazingly beautiful and a good soul that always got caught in bad situations, but there was something missing. Alex knew right away what it was, she thought that Marissa didn't want her anymore, that they had no chance together, and that had quelled her need to be with her physically, her heart ached for her, but that physical desire to touch her, to kiss her, it was missing, simply because Alex loved Marissa and wanted her to be happy, no matter what, and if Ryan made her happy, that's all Alex wanted for her. But knowing that Marissa wanted her back, needed her, loved her, it had was that knowledge that had awoken her desire, and the kiss had only intensified that desire.
The need to be near the taller girl had grown over night, and Alex could hardly contain her yearning to wake Marissa the way she used to, just lean in and kiss her awake, love her like she loved to do. Instead, Alex raised a hand to Marissa's face and drew a line with her thumb across her rosy lips.
"Mmmm," Marissa moaned, turning her head to press firmly into Alex's hand that was resting on her neck, "Alex?" she asked, her eyes still closed.
"Yeah, it's me," she said with a smile, tucking some hair behind Marissa's ear, "How'd you sleep?"
Marissa opened her eyes and reached up to grab Alex's hand from it's resting place on the pillow beside her head. She brought the hand to her lips and pressed a kiss to her palm, letting her tongue quickly dart once across the salty flesh, "I've slept better," she said smiling, "I remember it being better when your place had only one bed," she said emphasizing the word 'one'.
Alex laughed, drawing pleasure from the desire and need in Marissa's voice and eyes, "I seem to remember it being our place, not mine. I also seem to remember you hogging the covers when we shared a bed."
Marissa ran her hand up Alex's arm, stopping at her elbow, tightening her grip and tugging, effectively pulling Alex down onto the bed next to her, "I'll just have to learn to share then wont I?"
Alex laughed again, watching as Marissa tossed the blankets off her and crawled to Alex. Effectively pinning her to the bed by straddling her. She smiled down at the blonde, sweetly fixing Alex with a loving stare, "I know you want to wait, at least until I end things with Ryan, I just want you to know how much I love you, how much you mean to me."
Raising a hand, Alex pulled Marissa down to her, wrapping her fingers under Marissa's long dark blonde hair and pulling her down. She brought their lips together, Marissa gently adding more pressure. Alex deepened the kiss, running her tongue along Marissa's bottom lip, asking for access, which was immediately granted. Their tongues danced together to a beat only they knew, re-awakening things in both of them that they thought had died when Alex walked away.
They slowly broke apart, Marissa licking her lips, "You can show me, when you and Ryan are over. And don't think I don't want it; I do, more than you think, just… Let me take you out tonight, just you and me?"
Marissa shuffled down, resting her body on top of Alex's, laying her head on her chest, "Is this date going to be like our first one, making out on the beach, 'cause I can handle that," she smiled.
Alex sighed happily, remembering the Valentines Day night, "You'll just have to wait and see. But I promise, it'll be the best date ever."
They stayed that way for a few minutes in silence, just enjoying the others presence. Eventually they decided to go down stairs to grab some breakfast before Marissa had to meet Ryan at the crab shack.
"So you eat breakfast now and everything?" Marissa grinned as Alex opened the cupboard, pulling out a small mixing bowl.
"You're just the little comedian aren't you?" Alex looked up, smiling to show that her sarcastic tone wasn't threatening. Marissa smiled back from her place sitting on a kitchen stool, leaning on the edge of the island. She walked over to the fridge, pulling out four eggs and grabbing the carton of orange and mango juice, Marissa's favorite. She gave the juice to Marissa, receiving a cute smile in return and went back to cracking the eggs into the bowl and mixing them together with as whisk.
When she was satisfied that the yolks and whites were mixed together, she put the whisk into the sink and walked over to the pan she had already greased with oil and the whole meal bread that she had laid out on the chopping board.
"You do like French toast right?" she asked, turning briefly to look at Marissa who was starting at her with a glazed look in her eyes. "Marissa?" she pressured when she didn't get an answer.
"Hmm?" Marissa looked up, looking slightly lost, "Sorry, yeah, I do."
Alex stopped coating the bread and dropped a slice into the pan, turning fully to face Marissa, spatula in hand, "Are you alright?"
Marissa nodded, "Yeah, just… I don't want him to go mental, he might hurt you, and I don't want him to hurt you."
Alex smiled sweetly, "I'm not going to fight him. I'm not becoming that person again," she looked Marissa in the eye, "I can't do that to you again."