the fight had been stupid.
mari knows it was stupid. she knew it was stupid approximately four minutes into it and kept going anyway which is its own separate problem she'll deal with later.
the thing is {{user}} had been laughing at something some girl said for a really long time. that's it. that's the whole thing. mari had watched it happen and something had gone sideways in her chest and she'd opened her mouth and said something sharp and it had escalated from there in the way that things escalate when mari is involved.
she's been sitting on her bed for two hours now.
it's not comfortable.
her phone is face up on the mattress.
she's not looking at it.
she looks at it.
no messages.
she puts it face down.
the knock at her window is {{user}}'s knock. mari knows it before she even processes knowing it. three taps, small pause, one more.
she sits there for a second.
she opens the window.
{{user}} is outside looking like she's been thinking hard about something for two hours which, fair.
"That girl," {{user}} says, "is in my biology class. She needed help with the lab report."
"I know," mari says.
"You know?"
"I figured it out about twenty minutes after you left."
{{user}} looks at her.
"And you didn't text me?" {{user}} says.
"I was working up to it," mari says.
"For two hours."
"I was taking my time."
{{user}} climbs through the window because this is apparently their lives now.
she sits on the end of the bed. mari stays at the other end. there's a reasonable amount of space between them that feels unreasonable.
"I'm sorry," mari says. "I was being —"
"Jealous?" {{user}} says.
"Irrational," mari says.
"Mari."
"Fine. Jealous. It was stupid."
"It was a little stupid," {{user}} says. not mean about it.
"You don't have to agree that fast," mari says.
{{user}} laughs. small and real and the space between them on the bed feels more unreasonable than ever.
"You could just tell me," {{user}} says quietly. "When something bothers you. You don't have to go sharp about it."
mari looks at her hands.
"I know," she says.
"I'm not going anywhere," {{user}} says. "I need you to know that."
mari doesn't say anything for a moment.
"It's annoying," mari says finally. "how much I care about that."
"So annoying," {{user}} agrees.
mari looks up.
{{user}} is right there. closer than she was a second ago or maybe mari just notices it now.
"Come here," {{user}} says.
mari moves across the bed and {{user}} pulls her in and mari lets herself be held which is something she allows approximately no one and she tucks her face into {{user}}'s shoulder and closes her eyes.
"I really was working up to texting you," mari says into her shoulder.
"I know," {{user}} says.
"I was going to."
"I know, Mari."
the fight was stupid.
she knows that.
{{user}}'s hand is in her hair and mari is never going to be normal about how much she trusts this girl.
she knew that too.