Author’s Note: A short little angsty piece that I’ve had on my mind this week. I should be working on fluffy fic Requests, but apparently I’m in a mood. (Also, angst is not my first language, so bear with my drama this week.) And for my fellow Naomi stans, I’m sorry. 😢 But I promise it will all be okay.
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Marin stared up into the sky, the vast expanse of glittering stars twinkling above her, … but she didn’t see them. Her mind was blank except for one thought, repeating over and over in her mind until she was numb. What am I doing here?
Her mind wandered back to the events earlier this evening, trying to determine where things went wrong … where she lost her way. Accompanying Flynn to Shipwreck Sally’s in order to interrogate Nikolai had seemed like the natural thing to do, given their joint investigation to clear Kate‘s name. And of course she enjoyed Flynn’s company, his snarky responses and blunt tongue had been a welcome change from the yuppie crowd in Birchport. He was not one to beat around the bush, and he had made it no secret that he had his eye on Marin since they met. She couldn’t deny the attraction between them, the familiar lure that drew her to him. With those piercing baby blues and the mysterious bad boy ink, she had feared it was only a matter of time before she would give in.
Yet during her time in Birchport, she felt the tug on her heartstrings to someone else. A woman, the fierce yet gentle Naomi. Marin was still trying to sort through the unexpected feelings, the contentment and warmth she felt in Naomi’s presence. She didn’t want to stay away from her, and she missed her company every time they were apart. The other night when Marin let her guard down, when her lips met Naomi’s under the fireworks, she felt a satisfaction and a yearning she had never experienced before. A desire more subtle and comforting, but powerful nonetheless. And when Marin had finally confessed her confusion about the new attraction, Naomi had been nothing but patient and kind with her. She had merely taken her hand in her own and smiled reassuringly.
But all it had taken was a glass of vodka and the stereotypical invite to ‘check out’ his place to get her alone with Flynn. Marin could have stopped him. She could have told Flynn that her heart belonged to someone else when he kissed her. When he said he wanted her, she could have been honest and confessed she craved another besides him. And before he undressed her, before he trailed kisses down her body and made her cry out in ecstasy, she could have told him – no, she should have told him – he was not the one she was thinking of.
But she didn’t.
Marin turned to look at Flynn sleeping peacefully beside her, softly snoring as the wind ruffled his dark hair. What am I doing here? Her heart ached a little as she stared at him, knowing that her actions tonight had betrayed two people. She wasn’t sure how she would explain what happened to either of them, but she knew she had to make this right.
Cautiously sliding out from under the blanket, Marin tip-toed across the deck to retrieve the articles of her clothing that had been tossed aside earlier. She dressed quickly and began climbing the stairs down to the first deck, careful to go slowly and quietly. She gave one last remorseful look over her shoulder to the man who would wake up alone in the morning … and then she left.
END