Yo Bro
Dorcas slammed the door of the dingy, dented locker she's occupied for the past three and a half years. It rattled and it took all of her grip strength to force the shitty lock closed. She turned to leave and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Marlene leaning casually against the wall.
As always, she looked like a four course fucking meal. Dorcas' self-control was forced to work overtime in order to ensure she would not drag Marlene to one of the single, all gender bathrooms and make an absolute mess of her shaggy hair and dramatic eyeliner. A pair of red Doc Martens peaked out beneath her cargo pants, which were sinched at the waist with a think black belt. Layered under a red flannel was a tight cropped shirt reading, "I out pizza'd the Hut and now the CIA is trying to assassinate me." A guitar pick, among several other necklaces, hung from her neck and a small enamel pin of the lesbian flag was fastened to one of her belt lops. The outward display of pride had Dorcas' mouth quirking up. "Aren't you supposed to be in English?"
Marlene grinned around a sucker - cherry flavoured, if Dorcas had to guess - and shrugged. "Maybe."
Dorcas rolled her eyes. "You're going to fucking fail."
"Nah. Its just words, right? Easy peasy."
"Its more than just words and you know it. I'm not going to help you when you come crying to me in January when you realize you've got a 30%."
"No?" Marlene asked, raising a brow. She leaned in tantalizingly close and lowered her voice to something husky and downright sinful. "Not even if I beg?"
A breath punched out of Dorcas' chest and she tried not to show just how much of an effect those five little words had on her. "You, Marlene McKinnon, are going to be the death of me."
Marlene laughed and twirled the sucker stick in her mouth. "We can't have that, now, can we?"
Dorcas shrugged. "I'm not complaining."
Marlene shook her head with a smile. "Where are you heading off to?"
"Tims. I didn't wake up early enough to make caffeine this morning."
"Aren't spares supposed to be used for studying and shit?"
"You're skipping English, you don't get to judge."
She hummed. "Fair. Mind if I tag along?"
"Not at all but you're buying your own drink. I'm too broke to pay for both of us."
"Sounds good to me."
For the first bit of the walk, Marlene was completely silent. She simply stared down at her boots, avoiding the cracks in the sidewalk and watching the withering leaves crunch under their feet. Her hands were buried in her pockets and her brows were furrowed, lips pursed in deep thought.
Dorcas frowned. Marlene wasn't quiet. She wasn't a 'chill' person. She was chaotic, loud, bright and the type of person you should never leave alone with Barty or else the building will be on fire, your booze will be gone and all of your valuables will be smashed to smithereens. Her presence, as Dorcas learned the hard way, was impossible to ignore. She was a vivid flame and everybody around her were moths, helplessly drawn to her magnificence. Seeing her subdued like this, drawn back like James had been earlier this week when Regulus was avoiding him(he was still off but more like the James Potter Dorcas had gotten used to over the years, slightly improving since Regulus smartened the fuck up and they got their shit together) was worrying.
Dorcas nudged her in the side. "You okay?"
"Huh?" Marlene glanced up, met her gaze for a moment with a brief smile before looking back down, kicking a rock in their path harder than strictly necessary. "Oh, yeah, just thinking."
"Don't pull something."
Marlene cracked a more genuine smile, shaking her head with a breathy chuckle and shoving Dorcas with her shoulder. "Shut the fuck up, asshole."
Dorcas shoved her back harder, grinning. "Never. You'd miss my voice too much."
Marlene retaliated with even more force. "You wish."
"I don't have to. You know it's true!"
This time, when Dorcas pushed Marlene, it was strong enough to send her tumbling towards some random person's lawn. She shrieked in surprise, clinging onto Dorcas' wrist with an unbelievable amount of strength and dragging her down with her. They fell towards the grass, Marlene landing flat on her back and Dorcas on top of her, just barely avoiding crushing her with a hand planted beside her head.
Time slowed. Marlene's chest heaved around stuttering breaths and Dorcas didn't think it was because of the fall. Her eyes were wide, skittering all over Dorcas' face, hungrily taking in every feature from this proximity(which, fair, because Dorcas was just as guilty). Her hand drifted up to clasp around Dorcas' bicep and squeeze. Dorcas let out a breath and Marlene shivered.
Against her better judgement, Dorcas' eyes flickered down, watching Marlene's tongue peak out to wet her lips. She wanted to bite it. She wouldn't. She wouldn't kiss Marlene, either, no matter how much she wanted to. Marlene said she wasn't ready and Dorcas could and would respect that. She cared about this stupid, annoying, role-stealing, blonde-haired, blue-eyed mess far too much to throw away all chances and trust simply because she was a little impatient. She meant it when she said she'd wait until they were on their death beds(she really hoped it wouldn't take that long but, as terrifying as it was, she meant every word) to have their happy ending in the Afterlife, if that was what Marlene needed. She could wait. She would wait.
Dorcas moved to get off of her with heavy reluctance, muttering small apologies, when Marlene shifted her hand up, gripped the back of Dorcas' neck firmly and tugged her down. Their lips met and Dorcas' pathetic amount of fantasies didn't do the feeling justice. Ironically, it felt like she could finally breath. Marlene was that first inhale of oxygen after being underwater, the aroma of your comfort food clinging to the walls of your childhood home, the first read-through of your favourite book, the applause of a crowd after opening night, that feeling you get when something turns out to be exactly as you had imagined it- relieving, comforting, perfect. Marlene's lips were chapped and the little gasp she let out was addicting. Dorcas felt like she was soaring, reaching a high she'd never before experienced(and she's been known to dabble in...substances, at the occasional party). Dorcas could die right then and there and she'd feel accomplished. She'd kissed Marlene McKinnon, she's reached the height of life. Nothing else she could ever do would live up to this moment.
Unfortunately, human beings require to do this very vital thing called breathing so, after however long, Dorcas forced them to part. Marlene whined through chest-heaving pants, desperately trying to drag her back down. Dorcas chuckled breathlessly and compromised, tucking her face into the curve of Marlene's shoulder, pressing gentle kisses into the skin she could reach.
"Cassie," Marlene murmured, scratching lightly at the back of Dorcas' neck. "That was- fuck. Again?"
Dorcas smirked and nipped behind her ear, extracting a choked whine from the woman beneath her. "Accurate summary. Maybe somewhere else, lover, when I am able to do much more without facing the risk of a public indecency charge."
Marlene shivered. "Yes, please."
Dorcas hummed. "So sweet."
The loud thump of a rickety wooden door slamming open was the only hint of a warning they got before an older gentleman was stumbling out onto his front porch and shouting, "Get off my fucking lawn!" at a truely impressive volume.
Dorcas scrambled up to her feet, accepting Marlene's request for assistance and nearly launching her into the street in an attempt to get her up faster. Dorcas practically dragged Marlene down the sidewalk the next hundred metres before allowing them to slow to a socially acceptable pace. They took one glance at each other before bursting into laughter.
"Oh my fucking god," Marlene said, hunching over to rest her hands on her knees. "I thought he was going to start shouting slurs!"
Dorcas cackled behind her hand. "I can't believe we were caught by an old man of all people! We weren't really doing anything but come on. Out of every possible person it had to be the fucking seventy-year-old? "
"No, no, he had to have been at least ninety."
"Y'think he's got a personal nurse?"
"Oh, definitely. Some young hot chick he keeps trying to bone."
"And she keeps having to turn him down with a sigh before tucking him in for nap time."
They disolved into a new fit of laughter.
It took them a considerable amount of time to calm down because every time they got close to settling, one of them would make a joke that would start the cycle all over again. Sometimes, they didn't even have to drag a new punchline into it, a sole look between them could set them off.
When they had finally managed to sober up and were started back towards the school(as they had spent far too much time laughing on the side of the road like fools to go get coffee and Dorcas hasn't the faintest idea how long they were down on the grass for), she hesitantly reached for Marlene's hand, gently brushing their knuckles together in offering. Marlene glanced over and broke out into a beaming smile that did wild things to Dorcas' heart(no, seriously, she was going to need Marlene to stop immediately or she was going to have a heart attack- that being said, if Marlene did stop, Dorcas would do absolutely everything in her power to bring that smile back) before entangling their fingers. Was Dorcas probably clinging too hard? Most likely, yes, but she doesn't give a shit. She has Marlene McKinnon in the palm of her hand(literally) and she sure as hell wasn't letting go.
"Where does this leave us?" Doracs asked after a heavy moment of comfortable silence. Marlene tilted her head, urging her to continue. "Relationship wise, lover. Are we going the friends with benifits route and easing into a relationship, just diving right the fuck in or are you wanting to wait some more...?"
Marlene was silent for a moment, tapping an anxious rhythm on her thigh with her free hand. "My parents aren't the most accepting people."
"I wasn't asking for an explination, lover," Dorcas cut in quickly. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to."
Marlene smiled, so fucking soft, and squeezed her hand. "I want to, Cassie, but thank you."
Dorcas returned the gestures and waited patiently for her to continue.
Marlene sighed, shaking stray blades of grass from her hair, before repeating, "My parents aren't the most accepting people. They're church every Sunday, grace before every meal, picture-perfect white picket fence people. They despise how I am, all mud, dirt and grass stains, a little rough around the edges. They wanted a girly girl, one who liked frilly pink dresses and was obsessed with looking perfect and they got me instead. I know how they are around Pride Month, avoiding businesses who have pride collections and such, even if they're just using it as a marketing campaign, avoiding all possible pride events if they're not protesting. I think one year they even stole people's pride flags and burned them. They're terrible people, is what I'm getting at. I know if they knew I was a lesbian, I'd never see the light of day again. They'd probably force me into an arranged marriage or some shit- yeah, it fucking sucks. Well, I took their opinions to heart and wouldn't fully accept myself. I had a hard time believing that Dorcas Meadowes, of all magnificent creatures, wanted me."
Dorcas should never, ever meet Marlene's parents. She'd walk out of that house with two homicides under her belt and a couple of corpses in her trunk. She'd use one of the many torture methods Pandora has taught their friend group about(she's made several concerningly long PowerPoint presentations) and Regulus' help to dispose of the bodies(don't ask how he knows how to do that). Well, not before letting Evan steal a couple pieces for whatever fucked up experiments happen in his attic and giving their clothes/accessories to Barty to burn. Maybe they'd have a bonfire and let Xenophilius share his, quite frankly, horrifying stories that come with his innocent-looking art pieces. Hell, maybe they'd invite the whole cast, make a night and a party out of it because no one, absolutely fucking no one, treats Marlene McKinnon like shit and gets away with it.
Dorcas stopped them in the middle of the sidewalk, tucking a finger under Marlene's finger and tilting her head up, forcing their gazes to meet. "Listen to me, lover. You are the reason I'm able to drag myself out of bed every morning, why I take the effort into actually taking care of myself. You helped me realize what I want to do with my life all because you stole one stupid role in eighth grade. You are the air I breath, the blood in my veins, the love in my heart. You are the stars and the sun and the light and the darkness. You make my world spin and you give life purpose. You are everything to me, understand?"
Marlene's eyes glazed over and she let out a wet laugh, pulling away to catch any stray tears with the corner of her already-stained flannel. "Stop. I'm going to fucking cry and make-up ain't cheep."
"No. I'll buy you more."
"Didn’t you say you were broke?"
Dorcas hesitated. "I'll make Regulus buy you more."
Marlene laughed and Dorcas wanted to bottle the sound.
"I still haven't gotten an answer, lover."
Marlene grasped both of Dorcas' hands. "I understand. I really, really do. Took me awhile but I got there eventually."
Dorcas smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Good. Does this mean...?"
"Relationship time? Abso-fucking-lutely. I can't believe James and Regulus got together before we did."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Dorcas murmured, drawing Marlene under her arm and urging her to continue walking. "Do you want to tell people? Or wait a bit?"
"Nah," Marlene said. "Mary and Lils know me too well, they'd see something's up. Besides, I wanna take bets on reactions. James'll probably cry."
Dorcas grinned. "Whoever guesses the most right gets one item of their choice off the Tims menu?"
Marlene's gaze took on a competitive glint. "You're on."