Chapter Text
Marcus and Ginny stood flush against the shower wall, listening intently. Max had just left, her footsteps faded away to nothing. But Georgia was still there, small sounds of ruffling clothes announcing her presence. Ginny looked to her left at Marcus, who met her gaze evenly as he leaned against the wall, the need for silence holding onto them oppressively while they waited for Georgia to leave the change rooms.
As she stared into his serious eyes, it crossed Ginny’s mind that they needn’t really have kept silent when Georgia and Max had first entered and accidentally intruded on their intimate moment. But now their reveal would seem suspicious. So they kept silent anyway.
The moments ticked away slowly and Ginny began to falter under Marcus’ gaze. His serious face was not something she could look at comfortably for too long, not in close quarters like this, not when moments ago he’d been about to kiss her. And she about to kiss him back. She glanced down at her hands, ears concentrating, but Georgia hadn’t moved yet.
Georgia made a small sigh from around the corner, and there was a fabric noise like the sound of sleeves being pushed up. And then the rustling of something else. Paper? Ginny didn’t dwell on it for too long, as Marcus had silently reached out a hand across her body and touched her waist. She naturally turned her body to face him directly. If they weren’t already silent, wary of Georgia’s judgement, his expression would have silenced her anyway. His eyes bored into hers; Ginny swallowed as an oddly pleasant plummeting sensation gripped her. Marcus rubbed his thumb on her skin and he leaned a little closer, a lock of hair falling forward as he tilted his head towards her. Ginny glanced at his lips.
Georgia cleared her throat.
They both jerked their heads back, almost ricocheting off each other like bullets, and Marcus’ hand was back by his own side in an instant. Ginny whipped her head around, but Georgia was not actually looking down at Ginny like a bird of prey, talons extended ready to grab a small animal that dared leave its home. No, she was still around the corner, unaware her daughter was not out on the dance floor still. Georgia rustled a little more, and then her footsteps retreated from the room. Ginny held her breath as the sounds quietened, and then finally released it as the door squeaked shut.
She turned back to face Marcus, and their eyes met again. Ginny felt her pulse in her head for a brief moment.
And then they connected.
He grabbed her almost roughly by the waist, and she grabbed his neck with both hands. They met in the middle, lips melding and hearts racing. He tasted like marijuana and smelled so familiar. He pushed her back against the wall, the cold tile sending a thrill up her spine. Ginny reached her arms up across his shoulders, and their torsos pushed together. So close together. Marcus pressed his hips against her. He leaned down and grabbed Ginny by her thighs, lifting her suddenly. Ginny’s legs extended around Marcus’ waist naturally, and she gasped as she was pinned between the wall and Marcus.
Ginny lifted her head back. She needed a moment; her brain swirled and frenzied as she struggled to see through eyelids that wanted only to close and pull herself back to Marcus. Marcus stopped too, breathing through his open mouth, his eyes wild and fixated on her. Ginny became aware that she was trembling a little, as though every nerve in her body had come alive with sudden electricity.
‘Um…’ Ginny began, taking a forceful breath.
‘Yeah,’ Marcus said back. He trained his eyes back on her lips, and Ginny’s stomach clenched excitedly.
Ginny kissed him again and Marcus returned eagerly, but then his earlier words popped back into her head. “I don’t really do girlfriends”, he’d said. And she remembered the odd humiliation following when first he’d clambered through her bedroom window, and the anger of the second. It didn’t matter that her body felt on fire, that his lips ignited her passion, or that save for a few scraps of fabric he could be inside her again. The warmth from their surprisingly intimate conversation snapped away, and the affection she felt vanished.
Ginny’s brain was abruptly altogether cold.
She dropped her legs from around his waist and extricated herself awkwardly. She walked over to where she’d dropped her shirt in the shower. She’d been embarrassed when she’d first walked in, taking off her shirt without a care, the blue material hiding Marcus’ surprised form as she waltzed in and inadvertently performed a brief and uninspiring strip tease. She fetched it now from the floor, her cheeks flushed again with self-consciousness, and pulled it quickly over her head.
‘Did...did I do something?’ Marcus asked to her back, eyebrows drawn in confusion and rejection. She stood up straight and turned matter-of-factly to face him.
‘You don’t do girlfriends,’ she reminded him, and his expression withdrew, leaving behind nothing but static. ‘Plus, you’re not-girlfriending with Padma. And I’m doing something - I don’t know what - with Hunter.’
They stared at one another in silence.
‘So, I’m gonna go,’ Ginny stated and she strode away from the showers.
She was halfway to the door.
‘Wait,’ Marcus said quietly.
She waited automatically. She cursed her legs, and inhaled a little dramatically.
‘Yes?’ He can talk to her back, Ginny thought with mild satisfaction.
‘I don’t do girlfriends,’ he conceded, and she could hear him approaching behind her. ‘But I don’t have to keep hanging out with Padma.’
Ginny turned to face him.
‘Why?’ She looked at him intently, reading his expression. Confusion, hesitation, need...she saw these flit across his features.
‘I...want to be able to hang out with you.’
‘What, so we can have sex again? You’re the one who asked me to keep it on the DL.’ Ginny crossed her arms.
‘I did, that’s true,’ he nodded, and his hands went to his pockets. Anxiety drew his shoulders up and he looked at her imploringly, his demeanour mirroring his first visit to her bedroom while he confessed his thoughts of her. In spite of herself, Ginny’s emotional spikes softened. Just a smidge.
‘What are you trying to say, Marcus?’
‘I don’t know. I’d just rather hang out with you than Padma.’
‘Well, I’m not just going to be your sex friend,’ said Ginny firmly. Not again. She held on again to her anger tightly, though Marcus’ gentle expression loosened her grip.
‘That’s not what I want,’ Marcus said quietly. He looked down at his shoes now, taking a deep breath. ‘I still think about you. I think I like you.’ He looked back up at Ginny, eyes wide and vulnerable, searching her for requital.
‘You barely know me,’ countered Ginny, but her traitorous heart throbbed. Marcus stepped closer, looming over her.
‘And yet,’ he said, and he leaned down cautiously.
Ginny begged herself not to look at his lips, but the eyes weren’t any easier. He waited for her, head bent, eyes locked on her, waiting for her to come back to him.
She did.
His kisses filled her with a sense of brightness and light in her heart, but heaviness and warm, rolling, pulsating thunder in her body. It was overwhelming.
She pulled back, placing her hands on his shoulders to prevent him from leaning towards her again. She breathed hard.
‘I kissed Hunter tonight,’ she admitted, surprised when hurt jerked across Marcus’ face. He recovered quickly.
‘So don’t kiss him again.’
‘Are you going to kiss Padma again?’
‘Not anymore.’
She believed him, she realised. Or hoped. His face held not a lick of jest. Ginny’s arms dropped from his shoulders, and she crossed them.
‘Okay, so…’ Ginny wasn’t sure where to go from here.
‘So I won’t see Padma...and you won’t see Hunter…?’ Marcus’ cautious gaze met hers, eyebrows raised in question.
Ginny nodded shyly. Marcus smiled brightly at her. Excited nerves erupted in Ginny’s stomach and she smiled back.
‘I better get back,’ Ginny said slowly, glancing reluctantly at the door. ‘We were meant to be taking a photo...’
‘Yeah.’
Marcus lifted his arm and saluted her, smiling conspiratorially. Ginny laughed and stepped back. Marcus began to retreat to the shower. Longing rushed over Ginny, and she quickly reached out to Marcus’ hand and pulled him back. She kissed him briefly, firmly, intoxicatingly.
Ginny turned and left, eyes bright and face fevered.
*
The morning came, and Max effused her sadness over Riley. Ginny rubbed her back and shoulder.
‘I’m really sorry,’ Ginny said sadly.
They were interrupted by Press and Hunter.
‘That didn’t totally suck,’ Press said.
‘Are you kidding? That was lit. Best night ever,’ Hunter grinned.
‘Yeah! The best,’ Maxine tried, but was clearly not enthused. Her eyes clapped on Hunter’s hand. ‘Is that a burrito? Yeah, I’ll take it.’
Norah walked past, supporting a visibly unstable Abby, her words slurred and playful.
‘Whoa, Abby, are you okay?’ Max walked after the awkward couple, taking her stolen delicious bounty and Press followed.
‘That was for you,’ Hunter said lightly, amused.
‘She needed it more,’ Ginny grinned.
‘I had a good time tonight. I think you’re awesome,’ Hunter stated directly.
‘Uh yeah, me too,’ Ginny agreed. ‘I mean you, not me,’ she added after the fact.
They laughed a little, but Ginny felt discomfort rise up. Marcus came to her mind. She needed to end things with Hunter.
‘Cool ... ’cause I wanted to ask you something.’
Ginny’s stomach dropped. Oh no.
‘You’re smart, and obviously beautiful,’ Hunter continued. Ginny’s smile faded. ‘... And I was wondering if you wanna maybe...be my girlfriend?’
Ginny blinked. She took a deep breath. She wished her friends weren’t only a few feet away, watching the drama unfold. Max was going to be so disappointed.
‘Hunter,’ she began, looking at him. His eyes changed immediately, recognising the apprehension in her voice, and Ginny stumbled. ‘I-I like you, I do.’
Hunter pursed his lips slightly, waiting for the hammer to drop.
‘I just...I think you’re so nice, and you’re obviously beautiful and smart too,’ she took a shaky breath. ‘But, uh, I don’t really feel that way...about you...I’m sorry.’
It was then than a thrill of panic set in Ginny. Would MANG still want to be MANG if she made their group awkward by not being with Hunter? Would she cause a divide, and her being the newest addition naturally be sidled back on out? Would she lose Hunter as a friend altogether? She bit her lip and looked down.
‘Uh…’ Hunter started. She could see him put his hands in his pockets, and she looked back up to his face. She owed him that much. He was pulling his expression back together, but she read the rejection on it before it was gone. She looked at him sadly. ‘That’s okay…’ he said finally. He attempted a winning smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
‘I hope we can be friends though. But I understand if you don’t want to…’
Hunter chuckled.
‘Of course we can. I think you’re great. Of course I want you as a friend.’ He smiled at her, his eyes starting to shine. ‘Uh, I’m gonna head off. I’ll see you Monday.’ He cleared his throat, and Ginny pretended she couldn’t hear how his voice thickened, only nodding.
Ginny watched Hunter leave to the path on the right, and she caught Marcus watching her, leaning against a wooden post. So he’d caught the show. There was a small, but lingering up-lift in his lips. Conscious of her friends having witnessed this all as well, Ginny looked away from Marcus’ magnetic eyes and sat next to Max.
Max rounded on her, flabbergasted and temporarily distracted from her pain over Riley, her voice squeaky with surprise.
Ginny tried to shake her head clear and address Max’s many questions. But her mind fogged with worry, and she ached to get home.
Ginny had kept up her end of the bargain, at great risk.
Would Marcus?