Status: completed ❀

A Love Like War

1 of 1.

They’d fought the night before he was due on his flight to Cincinnati. It was over something so insignificant that neither of them would remember about it in the morning; but they were both as stubborn as each other, and anger was something they both surrendered to a little too easily.

He would yell, she would swear, he would slam his hand onto the table and it would scare the dog. She would storm off without another glance in his direction, and for the rest of the night, they would avoid each other and sleep in separate beds.

Sometimes, it was the smallest of distances that were the hardest to come to terms with. He struggled to get to sleep without her presence next to him, and meanwhile, in the next room, she blinked away tears, longing to feel the warmth of his chest against her back. Not that any of them would admit it out loud, but the simple fact was, they needed each other.

When the light of the dawn seeped in through the curtains; she rubbed the sleep away from her eyes and wondered if he was still asleep, or if he’d already gone, using the hours of the early morning to disguise his swift exit. Using her hand to push her dishevelled hair from her face, she debated with herself for a moment before her common sense pummelled the last of her anger into the ground — checking was probably a good idea.

Treading slowly down the hallway, the sound of gentle footsteps patting against the linoleum was so foreign in the early hours. She was usually tangled within his limbs, the sound of his breathing lulling her back to sleep. The silence could be overwhelming; in their waking hours, he was usually filming videos for his YouTube channel in the computer room, but even with his feeble attempt to soundproof the place, his voice still carried down the hall when something startled or excited him, but the thing she loved the most was the laughter that usually accompanied it.

His laughter was the most wonderful sound, and the world couldn’t help but to laugh along with him, and that was one of the many things that she had fallen in love with.

Approaching the master bedroom, she softly tapped her knuckles against the door, three times. She waited for a moment, ducking her head to focus her attention onto the other side, and all she was greeted with was silence. He must of left for the airport already, and the fact he’d left without a kiss on the cheek stung a little more than she knew he intended.

Pushing open the door, she paused as her toes sunk into plush carpet, in the colour of cream, one that she had chosen when they first moved in and truly made the house their own.

Exhaling the breath she didn’t realise she was holding, she stepped further into the bedroom, smiling as their Golden Retriever, Chica, came into view, curled up at the foot of the bed — the usual spot of rest. When the dog’s tail thumped against the comforter happily, she decided she couldn’t ignore the gesture of love, and promptly moved to tickle the loyal pooch behind the ear. “Good girl,” she spoke softly, Chica leaning into the touch, grateful to receive the attention.

Smoothing out the comforter of any wrinkles, allowing Chica the pleasure of staying in her spot, the woman’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she caught sight of a folded up piece of paper on her usual pillow — a letter, she figured, probably explaining his early absence. Unfolding the piece, her eyes scanned over his handwriting. She’d always teased him about it, how it looked so rushed and uncared for, like chicken scratch. Still, it was a piece of him, and she couldn’t help but smile at the sight of it.

Tessa,

I shouldn’t of spoken to you that way, I’m sorry. Flight lands Friday morning — I’ll see you in three days.

I love you, always.
Mark.


Smiling to herself, Tessa folded the paper neatly and left it on her pillow. When Mark was away, she would allow herself the comfort of sleeping on his side of the bed, anyway.

“Your Daddy is such a goofy guy.” She exhaled, sitting on the edge of the bed. Turning her attention to Chica, still wagging her tail furiously, Tessa smiled. “Come on, let’s go and get some breakfast. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

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It never usually rained in Los Angeles, and yet, that’s what Mark touched down to. His visit to Cincinnati had been long overdue, but still, he felt three days was long enough. California had become a home to him, much to his surprise. After all, it had brought Tessa into his life, and wherever she was, Mark knew that’s where his heart rested.

He’d hoped, more than anything, that Tessa had seen his note. He hated leaving without a goodbye, or their usual kiss on the cheek, hell, he hated leaving at all. He’d considered himself lucky on more than one occasion that Tessa understood, and always waited patiently for him to return from whatever adventure he’d decided to pursue, whether it was a YouTube convention, or simply just returning home for a flying visit. He still missed her though, and he was never ashamed to tell her, tell the whole damn world if he had to, just how much she meant to him.

The argument was stupid, he knew that. He couldn’t even remember what it had been about, and he knew, sometimes, he let that stubborn streak within get the better of him, and he struggled with backing down in situations where the adrenaline raced through him. It had been blown out of proportion, and the one thing Mark had thought about consistently over the past three days was different ways he could apologise.

He’d decided on a bouquet of flowers and a promise of a couple of days to themselves to just enjoy being in each other’s arms. Their whole relationship was built around simplicity, anniversaries and birthdays didn’t deserve such fanfares, instead, they opted for a fast food delivery and a good movie with Chica curled up at their feet, and it was those moments that Mark cherished the most.

His flight from Cincinnati had landed an hour earlier than intended, and he knew there was a big chance that Tessa would still be sleeping. With half an hour drive from the airport back to the home they shared, it would be no later than seven thirty. Tessa and Mark, during their usual routine, didn’t even consider that a real time.

Smiling at the thought of Tessa, in her plaid pyjamas, blonde hair tied carelessly into a bun, sleeping soundly with barely audible breaths and Chica curled at her feet, Mark couldn’t deny that he was excited to return to her, the whole thought of her, in general, igniting his heart to a warmth only a lit fireplace in winter time could match up to.

Thanking the Uber driver as he exited the vehicle, Mark tightened his grip on the bouquet of daisies and sunflowers, knowing that the latter were a personal favourite of Tessa’s. She’d always expressed her adoration for them, remembering her childhood in rural Wyoming, before her family had dug up their roots and moved to California.

Searching for the spare key they kept hidden underneath their welcome mat, a place Mark had joked was too obvious for any burglars to search, earning a playful punch in the arm from Tessa, he felt his excitement grow as he grabbed hold of it, straightening himself out and unlocking the front door, pushing it open as silently as he could so he wouldn’t alarm Chica and risk blowing his surprise with her over excited barking.

Stepping in with light footsteps, Mark couldn’t help the relief that washed over him as he took in the familiar surroundings — rooms he could maneuver his way around with his eyes closed. Gently placing the bouquet into the kitchen sink, filling quarter of the way with water to ensure their longevity, Mark kicked off his shoes and shrugged off his jacket, leaving them sprawled across the floor as he started his ascent of the stairs.

Silence was something rare within the walls of their home, but in this moment, Mark couldn’t help but appreciate it. No videos to make, no chores to be done, just silence. Roughing up his hair to relax himself, Mark made his way to the master bedroom, the door left open enough for Chica to exit and re-enter as much as she pleased in the hours of the night.

Peeking his head through the gap, Mark smiled as he saw her, ethereal as always. The weather must have been better than what Mark came home to, Tessa was asleep on top of the comforter, on her side, legs curled slightly for further comfort. She truly was something special, a sight to behold in the morning. She was a natural beauty, and despite her eagerness to deny it, Mark would always remind her.

Chica lay, as expected, at Tessa’s feet, although as she noticed Mark’s presence, her head lifted and her tail began to thump against the comforter, less enthusiastic than usual, still a little sleepy. Mark quickly made his way over to the retriever, wanting to stop her from disturbing Tessa. Kissing Chica at the end of her snout, Mark moved away, murmuring a quiet word of reassurance to the dog.

Climbing onto the bed, Mark tried to distribute his weight as evenly as he could, and although Tessa stirred, her grip on the comforter tightening as she momentarily adjusted herself, Mark was certain she was still asleep. He paused for a moment, studying Tessa’s features. It had only been three days, but it had felt like three months since he’d last seen her, and the old saying was true: absence really did make the heart grow fonder.

Shifting closer, Mark wrapped his arm around Tessa’s middle, his thumb running over the skin exposed from her tossing and turning during her slumber. Unable to stop himself, he inched closer again, his chest almost against hers, her forehead level with his nose. Mark smiled to himself, letting every muscle in his body relax as he closed his eyes.

Tessa opened one eye, ensuring that Mark had made himself comfortable, before she made her state of awareness known. “What’re you doing home early?” She murmured, her voice still heavy with exhaustion as she closed the gap between them, wrapping an arm around Mark, her fingers curling into the material of the oversized t-shirt Mark always used for travelling.

“Flight was early, couldn’t resist.” Mark replied softly, pressing his lips to her forehead fondly. “Missed you, is all.”

“Missed you too.” Tessa reassured her boyfriend of three years. “I’m sorry about the other —”

Quickly cutting her off with a light chuckle, Mark’s smile became more obvious as he spoke. “It’s alright, it’s done.” Mark promised. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Tessa mumbled into the material of Mark’s t-shirt, inhaling the faint scent of his cologne. “But don’t think that you’re out of the woods. I noticed how you tightened every lid of every jar.” She frowned playfully.

Mark chuckled to himself, a low sound, but Tessa could feel the vibration in his chest, and it brought her more joy than she could ever express verbally.

“That’s okay though, I just reset your saved game on Until Dawn.”

There was a moment of silence as Mark processed her words, and Tessa smirked, mentally counting down the seconds until the words registered in his brain.

“Wait — what?!
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yes, not mentioning any names until the note was found was intentional! this one shot has been two weeks in the making, but I'm happy with how it turned out. recommendations and comments are very appreciated. thank you for reading!