On Friday, @suchatinyinfinity tagged me to share something I’ve been working on. Since I don’t have Photoshop open at the moment, I decided to go with... something I’m writing. Thanks for motivating me to try and bang out the visuals that have been living in my head for actual months now (seriously, thank you). And thanks to anyone who does decide to read this peek into my OCs.
Nothing really happens here, because it’s setup for what’s to come, but...
(Under the cut; proceed at your own risk.)
“I didn’t think I’d be asleep that long,” Eva said, wincing against the insistent pressure. She brought one hand up, pressing her fingers against the top left side of her nose bridge, where the pain felt the most intense now. With the other, she popped open the glove and got the Excedrin, opening it fast. “Didn’t think I’d sleep.” Gently, she shook the bottle until two pills tumbled out into her palm, white as chalk, and it was only then she realized the dryness in her throat, constricting and painful. Suddenly, two small pain relievers looked like horse pills, and the sight of them made something turn in her stomach. Some small part of her wanted to roll her eyes at the hesitation, while another instead wondered if that wouldn’t hurt too much.
She slapped the pills into her mouth and downed them with half the bottle of water she found in the cupholder inside the door, looking up in time to catch the profile of Mark’s smile, soft and warm. Even though he couldn’t look, she still returned it with one of her own, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Sorry, I’m a shit copilot.”
“No, you needed it. And it’s only been an hour,” he said. “Got about twenty minutes left ‘til we get there.” His smile got a little bigger, she noticed, and it made her smile again, too. “Should close your eyes again, rest some more.”
“Hmm, maybe.” She tried to drink away the bitterness of swallowing pills on an empty stomach with more water, then screwed the cap back on and put the bottle down beside her. “Kinda feels like I can’t wake up, but I’m trying,” she whispered, sniffling before she slowly exhaled. She leaned her head back, resting it against the seat and, after that, didn’t need more convincing; heavy as they were, her eyes practically fell closed. No sleep, though. Even if she wanted to, now, she couldn’t. Turning her head toward the passenger side window, she enjoyed the comfortable silence for a while, listening to the hum of the engine, the wind, the tires on the road. Sunlight bathed her face, but it wasn’t completely warm; that weirdly deceptive, not-quite-spring kind of heat that made her wish the last traces of winter would just hurry up and leave. Not yet, but soon. … I hope.
After a few more minutes, she sat up a bit straighter and swept one hand along the side of her face, brushing back the mess of her bangs. The headache was still there, but now it was bearable, and she opened her eyes again. “You know, you still haven’t said where you’re taking me,” she murmured, picking at a loose thread in the knee of her leggings. Mark’s hand reached over, gently brushing hers aside so that he could cup her knee, her crossed legs allowing his fingers to settle behind it as he reached a little further. The tip of his thumb drew circles against the skin there in an idle rhythm, tickling just enough to make her laugh, her hand circling his wrist. “Mark!”
“If I promise it’s worth it, will you let me keep it a surprise?”
tagging @markcampbells @afterthenovels @pheedraws, because I want to know what they’re up to; and re-tagging @something-tofightfor @the-blind-assassin-12 @suchatinyinfinity; because I’m greedy, and I want to see more.
28. Who lets the microwave play the loud beeping sound at 1 a.m.? -- NEITHER OF THEM. Oh no. Eva never let's the sound play unless she's home alone; Mark would never let it go off at that hour if Eva was asleep because he would feel terrible if it woke her (it wouldn't).
33. How do they eat ice cream? What’s their favorite flavors? -- Often and in big bowls. Eva likes waffle cones and drumsticks; she likes fun flavors like the kinds that Ben & Jerry's offer, but her absolute favorite ice cream is soft serve vanilla. Second to that would be strawberry, topped with crushed waffle cone pieces. Mark's favorite is pistachio, especially when Eva makes it from scratch.
43. What is the first thing that changes when they realize they have feelings for the other? -- This is an interesting question in terms of them, and I feel like I could give so many answers, honestly. In the original canon, they came together in a really quiet way. They weren't friends first who decided to pursue something more and needed to deal with the fallout or the transition; they met, they went out, and things just sort of happened from there. Eva knew that she liked Mark right away, but as far as deeper feelings, love, I think the first thing that changed for her was that being with Mark made her realize she actually wanted to open up her life to someone and let them into it in a real way. He's not her first relationship, but it's the first time she feels like it could be a forever sort of thing.
Mark is a totally different story, because a lot changed for him when he realized that his feelings for Eva were true. He had to ask himself a lot of difficult questions and bear in mind that they could be, and probably were, at very different stages in their lives, while at the same time recognizing a lot of things about himself. He always knew he would have to come to terms with his marriage to Kelsey and the truth behind it and who she was as a person, but being with Eva is what makes him really confront that head on. That's the biggest thing--and could be considered the first, too. But I would say the actual first change was that he opened up to her about his heart condition--because he knew that he had to, if they were ever going to have the chance at something real. That changed a lot for Eva, too, of course, but not the way she felt about him.
27. Who cooks at 2 in the morning? -- Starting me off with an obvious one; I like it. Eva. At two in the morning, "cooking" is most likely throwing together a sandwich or heating up leftovers, but if she is actually, full on pots and pans, cooking, she's either testing a new recipe or making comfort food in the way of some kind of pasta dish. Probably a super quick mac & cheese, or cavatappi with pesto. It's quickest, and easiest, too, because there wouldn't be much clean up after.
42. What is their favorite feature of their partner? -- Mark's favorite feature of Eva? He would say her heart, and mean it. But physically, he loves her legs and her eyes and her hair. And no, he can't pick just one of those. Eva's favorite feature of Mark would be his arms, because he keeps in shape. But she also loves his eyes--especially when the light hits them and they kind of change color from dark brown to almost amber.
6. Who falls asleep last, watching the other with a small affectionate smile? -- I could see them both doing this, but I think Mark might do it more? When they first move in together and he's getting used to Eva's place now being theirs, I think he'd sort of revel in that feeling. After his heart attack, though, it would be Eva's turn. She would be relieved that he's still there with her, that he's able to relax enough to sleep at all.
“This isn’t going to come as a surprise to you, but, for me, you’re not the guy with the heart condition. You’re Mark. My Mark...”
“That office of yours is waiting for us, remember?”
“Mark and I talk about a lot of things. Everything, really, and if I had to guess, I’d say that he would like to marry me, someday, but… I would marry him tonight, if he asked me. Put on a dress, go down to City Hall. I’d marry him wearing jeans and a t-shirt, or in a huge church with all of our friends and family there—him wearing a tux, me wearing this ridiculous white dress. I would marry him however, whenever, wherever, so we could get a big house, with a big kitchen and a dog, just like we’ve talked about…but I would also be happy with things staying the way they are. As long as I got to spend the rest of my life with him, I’d be happy, whether we were married or not.So, no, I don’t know what he wants, and it’s something that we have to talk about, but I think it’s too soon for that. He’s still dealing with Kelsey, in some ways. He blames himself for their marriage ending—himself and his condition, and I don’t—he told me he loved me enough to let me go, the night that he finally did tell me about his heart. And he wanted me to know that he wasn’t going to hold me to…a promise that I’d made, unknowingly. He needs to let go of that. Of the fear that I’m going to leave him, like Kelsey did; of the fear that I’m in this for any other reason except loving him, before we can talk about marriage.I want everything with him, and he knows that—has even said the same to me—and that fear, doubt, isn’t a constant thing, when we’re together, but I sense it, sometimes. In the way that he looks at me, or kisses me, or holds me, and that’s okay, but…but there has to be a way that I can really show him that I mean it, you know? There has to be a way, whether we get married or not, that he can leave all of that behind.”
“I trust you enough to order for the both of us. I’ll be waiting, so don’t be long.”
“A dealbreaker? Not in the slightest. We haven’t talked much about it because it’s still too early, but I told him that whatever we decide on, together, I’d be happy with. He knows I’m open to other options, and to not having them, as well. If that’s what he decides on, ultimately, I’ll be fine with it.I want kids, Delia, I do. You’ve always known that I’ve wanted them since I was a little girl, but…Mark is special, he’s amazing, and I’d gladly give up kids, if it meant that I could be with him, forever. I can handle this, and a lot more than I look capable of. He’s already…he’s been left, once before, and I promised him that I would never walk out on him, no matter what happens. So, do I want kids? Yeah, but, at the end of the day? I just want him.”
