Slipping in my faith until I fall
Marcus had expected impact. He had braced for it. Braced for the full force of her momentum knocking into him, leaves and petals exploding between them like a startled flock. Instead she caught herself at the last second, and the collision that followed was softer, closer. Closer than he had prepared for. The breath left his lungs in a quiet huff as Nova bumped against him, arms still half-raised around her shoulders. Leaves brushed against his jacket and throat, damp and cool. A few slid down between them, catching briefly on the front of his coat before drifting toward the ground.
For a moment he didn’t to move. He just stayed, holding her to keep her off the loamy forest floor. Then, Marcus cleared his throat quietly. His hands shifted back a few inches, hovering uncertainly before dropping to his sides as she steadied herself. Heat crept up the back of his neck, and he suddenly found himself very interested in the pattern of bark over her shoulder. “You—“ he started, then stopped as she leaned back to inspect the pile in her arms. Her panic over the flowers arrived faster than anything he could say. “Oh, yeah, it’s okay.” He said quickly, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck again. “Some of them still look okay.” Marcus blinked down at them too, following her gaze as if the crushed petals were the most serious problem in the world.
For a moment he didn’t to move. He just stayed, holding her to keep her off the loamy forest floor. Then, Marcus cleared his throat quietly. His hands shifted back a few inches, hovering uncertainly before dropping to his sides as she steadied herself. Heat crept up the back of his neck, and he suddenly found himself very interested in the pattern of bark over her shoulder. “You—“ he started, then stopped as she leaned back to inspect the pile in her arms. Her panic over the flowers arrived faster than anything he could say. “Oh, yeah, it’s okay.” He said quickly, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck again. “Some of them still look okay.” Marcus blinked down at them too, following her gaze as if the crushed petals were the most serious problem in the world.
Marcus
He never returned that call
