Chapter Text
Marilyn slowly padded her way through the small corridor towards the bathroom. The sunlight was seeping in through the window and she rubbed her bleary eyes to get adjusted to the brightness of the new day.
As she stumbled into the darkness of the bathroom, she fumbled for the lightswitch and made her way towards the sink.
The image she saw in the mirror was a woman, whose glow had faded with the passing of time. Maybe it never had been there, the only thing Marilyn knew was that the visual manifestation of what she felt inside grew uglier day by day. Her focus was mainly on what she perceived as flaws. She remembered how much she hated mirrors, as they never lie. There is no hiding from the harsh reality reflected in it. And yet it became a morning ritual. Waking up before anyone else to hide her scars as best as she could. To reflect on what had happened 20 years ago and what she could’ve done to not end up like this. To not be disfigured and blinded in one eye by the wolf’s attack.
She shuddered at the sight of her face, seeing the furrowed scars, going from her forehead down to the pulse point of her neck. She traced the dark line beneath her cheekbone resembling somewhat of a Z shape. Even after 20 years she wished that she would wake up one day without them. The milkiness of her blind eye would be gone, revealing the deep brown color of her iris, and her skin would be as smooth as it was before. Like she was just trapped in a bad dream.
Suddenly, her blood went cold as she felt a hand creeping onto her shoulder. A disadvantage of only having one working eye, you don’t see who’s lurking. She jumped, but relaxed instantly when she heard a familiar voice beside her left ear.
“Sorry,” Larissa said softly as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Good morning to you too,” Marilyn breathed, leaning back into her. “Why are you up so early?”
“I could ask you the same thing… and the bed is way too cold without you.” Larissa’s grip around her shoulders tightened as she buried her face into the crook of Marilyn’s neck.
“Sorry, love.” She smiled, holding Larissa’s hands. “My uh… scars are a little itchy today.”
“Oh.”
A silence fell over them and Marilyn could feel Larissa’s expression shift against her skin. It always filled her with dread, because there was still this one question pending between them. What happened there, in the woods, 20 years ago? But Marilyn wasn’t ready. Not yet.
“Come on, let’s go back to bed,” Marilyn sighed, patting Larissa’s wrist gently.
“Okay.” But Larissa didn’t move. Instead she looked at Marilyn through the mirror with a little smile and placed a soft kiss onto her temple. “You’re so beautiful.”
“I was,” Marilyn whispered, turning in Larissa’s arms and away from the mirror.
“What?” Larissa mumbled, gently taking Marilyn's hand, intertwining their fingers.
Marilyn gestured towards her face.
“Love…” Larissa sighed.
“Don’t, it’s true… how could anyone love this?”
“I do,” Larissa’s brows furrowed. “I thought you knew that.”
Marilyn chuckled, placing a kiss onto Larissa’s knuckles. “I know you love me, but-”
“Marilyn,” Larissa sighed and shifted a little closer, gently cupping Marilyn’s chin between her thumb and her index finger. “There are no buts about it. I love you with all my heart, and those scars are a part of you.” Larissa placed her other hand onto her cheek, tracing her Z shaped scar with her thumb. “So why should I love them any less?”
“I mean-”
“Nuh uh uh,” Larissa interrupted. “Rhetorical questions aren’t meant to be answered, my love.”
Their lips met in a long, soft kiss, and if love had a taste, this was definitely it. Marilyn melted into Larissa, threading her hands through her short hair. Larissa put her arm around her waist, dipping her hand beneath the fabric of her shirt to caress the soft skin of her lower back. In response, Marilyn’s nails scraped gently against her neck. It didn’t make her insecurities evaporate into thin air, but knowing that Larissa loved her so dearly made her feel safe, a privilege she didn’t have for a long time.