Chapter 16: Morning Light*
Edd awoke slowly, blinking against the soft morning light filtering through his curtains. The warmth of his blanket was comforting, but it was the weight of someone next to him that made his heart skip a beat. He glanced down, his breath catching in his throat.
Marie was nestled in his arms, her head resting on his chest, her body tucked against his like she belonged there. Her dark hair spilled across the pillow, and her face, usually hardened and alert, was soft, peaceful, as if all the worries of the world had momentarily disappeared.
For a long moment, Edd just lay there, not moving, afraid to disturb the rare serenity of the moment. His heart thudded in his chest, both from the intimacy of their closeness and the realization of how much he had come to care about her. He had always admired Marie from a distance, intrigued by her toughness, her independence, but this was something else entirely.
He could feel her steady breathing against him, her warmth seeping into him, and a quiet sense of protectiveness washed over him. Edd wasn't one for rash emotions—he liked things to be orderly, logical, but nothing about the way he felt about Marie made sense. She was fire where he was calm, strength where he was restraint. And yet, in this moment, everything felt right.
His thoughts drifted to the night before, to the nightmare she had endured and the way she had let him comfort her. The memory tugged at his heart. He wanted to be there for her, not just because he admired her, but because… well, because he cared. More than he'd realized.
But before he could dwell too long on his feelings, a voice broke through his thoughts, teasing and warm.
"How long are you going to stare at me, Double D?"
Edd's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. Marie's eyes were half-open, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. She hadn't even moved, just lay there, watching him with a kind of lazy amusement.
"I—I wasn't staring," he stammered, his cheeks flushing red. He tried to pull away slightly, but she stayed close, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Oh really?" she teased, her voice still husky with sleep. "Because it sure looked like you were admiring something."
Edd's face turned an even deeper shade of crimson. "I wasn't—I mean, I was just—"
Marie chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Relax, Double D, you can stare at me anytime you want."
Despite the teasing, there was something warm and genuine in her tone. She didn't pull away, didn't retreat back into her guarded self like she normally did. Instead, she lingered there in the moment, her body still close to his, like maybe she wasn't quite ready to leave the safety of his arms either.
"Thank you," she said softly after a moment, her teasing tone fading. "For last night. I don't usually… let people in like that."
Edd's heart swelled, his embarrassment fading as he looked at her, this time with a soft smile. "You don't have to thank me, Marie. I just—" He hesitated, unsure how to say what he was feeling. "I just want you to know that you don't have to go through everything alone."
Marie looked at him for a long moment, something flickering in her eyes that he couldn't quite read. Then she smiled, just a little. "You're a good guy, Double D."
Before the moment could get too heavy, she sat up, stretching her arms above her head, the blankets falling away as she moved. "Now, let's go make some breakfast. I'm starving."
--
In the kitchen, Ed was already bustling about, humming a tune as he flipped pancakes in a pan like a professional. Eddy leaned against the counter, sipping coffee and smirking at Ed's antics.
"Morning, lovebirds!" Eddy called out when he saw Edd and Marie enter the kitchen together. His grin was as wide as ever, and there was a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "How was your sleepover?"
Marie raised an eyebrow, giving Eddy a playful glare. "Careful, squirt, or you'll be wearing those pancakes."
Eddy threw his hands up in mock surrender. "Whoa, just kidding! Sheesh. No need to get violent before breakfast."
Edd, for his part, was still slightly flustered, but he quickly found his place in the kitchen, helping Ed prepare the food. As they worked, the mood was light, filled with the familiar banter that always made the apartment feel like home. Even Marie seemed more relaxed than usual, throwing in sarcastic comments between bites of the pancakes Ed expertly flipped onto their plates.
As they ate, the conversation shifted back and forth, mostly harmless teasing and lighthearted talk about their next podcast episode. But there was a quiet undercurrent between Marie and Edd, a kind of unspoken understanding that something had changed between them. Neither of them addressed it directly, but the occasional glance, the brush of a hand when passing a plate, said enough.
--
After breakfast, Marie checked her phone and realized it was time to meet Officer Green. She reluctantly stood, gathering her things. "I've got to head out. Meeting Green to go over some leads."
Edd glanced up from his plate. "Anything new?"
"Maybe. We'll see if he's picked up any clues at Kevin's other properties," she said. "But I'll let you know if we find anything solid."
As she grabbed her jacket, Edd followed her to the door, a look of quiet concern on his face. "Be careful," he said softly, his hand brushing hers as she reached for the doorknob. "You know where to find me if you need anything."
Marie looked at him for a long moment, something soft in her expression. "I'll be fine, Double D," she said, though her voice wasn't as tough as usual. "But… thanks."
And with that, she was gone, leaving Edd standing in the doorway, his mind still reeling from the night before and the electric tension that had grown between them.
--
Later that morning, Marie arrived at the coffee shop where she had agreed to meet Officer Green. He was already there, sitting at a booth in the back, nursing a cup of coffee and flipping through some papers. He looked up when she slid into the seat across from him, giving her a tired nod.
"Any luck on your end?" Marie asked, grabbing the menu and pretending to be interested in it.
Green shook his head, sighing. "Not much. I've been driving by a couple of the properties you gave me, but I haven't seen anything suspicious. You?"
Marie frowned. "Same. But I have a gut feeling something's happening at one of them. We just haven't figured out which one yet."
They went over a few more details, comparing notes, and as the conversation went on, Marie's mind wandered back to Kevin's shell companies. The deeper they dug, the more convinced she became that Kevin was involved in something bigger than anyone realized. And if he was running something like an underground fight ring, there had to be more evidence hidden away.
The conversation with Green was productive, but it didn't ease the growing tension Marie felt in her gut. She was getting closer to something, and she knew it. But she also knew that getting closer meant more danger—for her, and for the people she cared about.
Finishing her coffee, Marie made a mental note to keep her guard up. If someone had already sent goons after her, it meant she was making waves. And waves, she knew, had a way of crashing down hard.
But at least now, she wasn't in this alone.
