Marina curled her fingers at Jenny’s back and rode the ridges of her spine, too comfortable to move.  She felt her heart in her throat, caged and singing.  Jenny sighed, looked up.  Marina firmly held, pierced her with those eyes.  Those eyes.  God, she was lost.

***

Sometime during the night, they moved to the bed.  Neither had any idea how they ended up there, and it didn’t matter, not really.  Marina was on her back, Jenny on her side.  Marina’s fingers were in the smaller woman’s hair, rolling a few stray locks across her knuckles.  Jenny watched her through clumped lashes.

“I was right,” Marina said quietly.

Jenny straightened her knee, stretching her toes against the sheets. “Right about what?” she asked, her chin resting on her propped-up hand.

“That dress wore you tonight,” Marina spoke softly. “I knew it would.”

Jenny smiled shyly, her blue eyes glittering a dirty cornflower as she brushed her bangs to the side.  Marina’s fingers took to tracing a pattern against the back of her hand.  Jenny closed her eyes.

“When I was younger, I constantly wore dresses,” she shrugged. “I ran through fields that were peppered with rocks, always falling.  Here I was in a pretty yellow dress with these ugly scars on my knees. I loved it.” 

Marina’s lips quirked.  She didn’t quite know what to say to that.  It was just meant to be heard, not dissected, she thought.  Into the silence, Jenny drew circles on her hip. Marina’s gaze deepened.  Something shined in her eyes, but she didn’t know what.  Marina waited until Jenny noticed her stare.  When she did, Jenny instantly came to her.  The candle was snuffed.  Whatever she was planning to say disappeared.

***

A thin, gauze-like curtain was loosely pulled over the long window, waving in the breeze.  The sun blazed through the room, smacking her body with heat.  Jenny flopped over onto her side, her arm flung over her face.  She remained like that for a long time, eyes closed, until her mind began to wander on the events of the previous night.  A smile bent the corner of her mouth.  Doing so caused her swollen lips to hurt in the most delicious way.  She wore them like a badge.  Proudly.