(this is a long one bois. super dialogue heavy but it's all good. it's kind of soft. absolutely not edited. hope you like it. love y'all. -mags)

✧✧✧

FOR THE COFFEE pot incident to happen, a couple of things needed to first take place.

First, Marley needed to yell at Kirk in the middle of the diner. The man had come in with his tail between his legs, avoiding eye contact with her as he held out his hand. In his hand was a letter addressed to Marley in handwriting she knew all too well. Kirk apologized, then knocked over a table running out of the diner as she yelled behind him.

Second, Marley had to read the letter in its entirety, then had to hide it and the response she had started writing from her boss. Luke's sister (Marley had realized that this was Jess' mother at a speed of which she was way too embarrassed to even think about) had come into town on a whim and she didn't need him even more stressed than he already was. He didn't need to add seeing his nephew's handwriting on a letter for Marley to his stressor list.

Third, to hide the letter, Marley had to slide it beneath the counter. She did this as quickly as possible as she saw Luke exit the kitchen, earning a suspicious glance from him, but nothing more. To act even more normal, Marley grabbed the coffee pot and went to refill the mugs of an older couple sitting in the corner of the restaurant. She didn't notice that in her swift haste, she's blown the letter she'd been writing off the shelf under the counter and onto the floor.

To culminate the event, she had to finish her conversation with the couple, turn around to see a cop car flashing their lights outside the diner, return to the counter, and make eye contact with Jess Mariano after he'd been thrown out of that cop car. As soon as he saw her and his hardened expression softened immediately, it was like she had become paralyzed. She dropped the coffee pot, soaking the letter that had fallen.

Luke's shut his eyes as he looked from the scene to his employee standing completely frozen. Oh no. After a moment, he snapped her out of it. "Marley," he began. Marley turned to him slowly, looking as if she'd seen a ghost. "Get some paper towels and the mop. Be careful of the glass."

She nodded absentmindedly, eyes immediately finding Jess' once more. As Luke walked to the door to go outside, Jess sighed at her, which sent Marley a silent message that she recognized instantly. It is what it is. It wasn't his plan to be here. It is what it is.

Marley only moved from her spot when Luke had gone outside and had completely taken over. She glanced down at the coffee, grimacing as she saw she'd completely ruined her shoes. Good. This was good. This all was good. It was great, actually.

Marley wasn't sure why her hands were shaking when she went to reach for the mop in the back.

When she returned, her eyes immediately went to the window. She winced as she watched Jess and Luke argue outside, hands flying in the air in exasperation, scowls on both their faces. The diner was completely silent. Everyone left in the place had their eyes on the two, unsure of what they were watching unfold. Marley wasn't exactly sure what she was watching herself. Why was he here? If it wasn't his plan to drop in, what was?

Marley kicked a piece of glass into the pile she was accumulating. She could hear their voices getting louder and louder from behind the windows. She could feel her throat start to tighten.

She stopped what she was doing immediately. Was she crying? Why the fuck was she crying? Marley sniffled once, shaking her head quickly. No. There was absolutely no reason for her to be crying.

As she scolded herself for getting emotional, Marley heard the bell on top of the door ring harshly, followed by the slam of a door. That same harsh ring continued. She glanced up to see Luke with his eyes blazing. He rounded the counter, almost forgetting where he was until he saw Marley looking at him hesitantly.

Luke sighed, shoulders dropping down. He said nothing to her. The look he was giving her spoke a thousand words. Marley nodded, biting the inside of her cheek. She returned to her puddle of coffee and pile of broken glass and began to mop again.

After a couple of minutes, Luke broke the silence that the diner was in. "You mind closing up alone?" he asked. Marley only shook her head. She did mind. But she wasn't going to argue with him right now.

Luke nodded in thanks, waiting a second before marching up the stairs and into his apartment.

✧

Marley had finished closing the diner ten minutes ago, but she wasn't quite ready to go outside yet. She'd been staring at the same jar of pickles for five minutes in an attempt to avoid passing that terrible, beat up car.

Why was she so timid to approach him all of a sudden? It wasn't like they hadn't spoken since he'd left. Shit, Marley, he's your friend. What is wrong with you? You've never been scared of him in your life. What's different now?

Maybe it was seeing his face for the first time in months. Maybe it was the expression he wore, the frustrated one she'd gotten to know quite well. Maybe it was the way he'd looked at her when he realized she was there. That was different. He looked vulnerable. Completely stripped of any anger. Yeah. That was different. She didn't exactly understand it.

Maybe it was the fact that Marley couldn't stand the idea that California may have returned him to his old ways. If his conversation with Luke was any indication as to how her conversation with him would go, Marley didn't know if she would be able to deal with it as easily as she had in the past. She didn't want to revert back to their old ways. Dear God, she couldn't let that happen.

Marley tore her eyes away from the pickles, taking a deep breath as she did so. Don't be such a coward. Go. Go talk to your friend.

Shutting off the light in the back room, Marley clocked out, grabbing her backpack from the doorway of the kitchen. She grabbed the key Luke had left on the counter for her to give to Jess (Luke was livid at him, but there was no way he was letting him sleep in his car in the middle of January) and stared outside timidly. No. No time to overthink this. Go.

And that's exactly what Marley did. She sighed, put her coat on, slung her bag over her shoulder, opened the door (rattling the bells a little harder than she probably should have), and walked out to the car on the other side of the street. She could see the windows icing over already. He had to be freezing.

Marley used the backs of her two fingers to knock softly on the window, awaking Jess. He didn't get up. He only snapped a firm, "Go away."

"Mariano," she said, voice shaking slightly despite how loud it was. She blamed the cold.

He sat up almost immediately. He turned to her, brow furrowed, confusion gracing his features. Jess moved to the window, cranking it down so he could speak to her. "The hell are you doing out here?"

She held up the key. "Luke wanted me to tell you that he's at Nicole's."

His expression didn't change. "Okay?"

"That's Luke code for get the hell out of this hunk of shit and go sleep in a place with heat. Unless hypothermia is on your agenda for the week."

Jess rolled his eyes. "I'm fine."

"Don't be an idiot," Marley replied. "Go inside."

"No."

"This isn't a choice. You're not sleeping out here."

Jess glared at her. "Well, I'm not sleeping in there."

The two of them just stared at each other for a moment, one waiting for the other to back down. Neither of them did. This was going great.

Realizing she was way too cold for Jess' bullshit, Marley shut her eyes and dug her fingers into her palms, ignoring the smirk that came over his lips as he saw he'd won. Marley unclenched her fists and brought her hands to her mouth, blowing into them, mind spinning. She wasn't going to let him be stubborn enough to freeze out here.

"You're being ridiculous," she muttered.

"Glad to see things haven't changed, huh?" His voice was sarcastic and cold. Marley didn't like it.

It was then that Marley had an idea. As her gears turned, she glanced at Jess. "You're in a shit mood and it's not fair for you to take it out on me when I'm just trying to help you. I thought we agreed that you weren't going to do that anymore?" She thought she was dreaming when she saw Jess' sour expression turn apologetic. Marley didn't let him talk. "And I'd leave you out here for that if it weren't negative-eight. But it is." Marley nodded her head in the other direction. "So, c'mon."

Jess' brow drew together again. "What?"

"Let's go."

"Sorry. Wrong word. Where?"

Marley rolled her eyes, hugging her arms to her chest. "We're going to my house." When Jess went to protest, Marley scowled at him. "I'm freezing my ass off out here. Please don't argue with me."

Jess seemed to contemplate this for a second. He looked at Marley, then at the interior of his car then back to her. A heavy sigh escaped him before he began to crank the window back up and opened his door. When he was out of his car, he couldn't seem to meet Marley's eyes. He simply stuffed his hands in his pockets and stood beside her.

"Good choice," she said, beginning to walk to where she'd parked in front of Luke's.

"Wasn't like I had much of one," he muttered.

A smile spread across her face at that. "No, you didn't."

She thought she heard Jess chuckle under his breath, but she couldn't have been sure.

Marley unlocked her car, immediately turning it on to get some sort of heat. She could see her breath when she sighed as she felt the warm air on her face. She could have laughed at Jess huddled near the vents if she weren't so nervous. Instead, she pulled out of her parking space and drove down the road en route to her house.

They didn't speak the rest of the way home.

✧

JESS WAS FREAKED out, but he wasn't sure why.

He sat on the Acosta's couch in front of the TV that was playing some infomercial for a product that a blonde model was saying would change his life. There was something ironic about that that almost made him laugh.

He got up from the couch and wander over to her kitchen, eyes scanning the pictures that littered the fridge. They varied in age, some of both Marley and Jacob when they were younger, some in high school. One of Jacob in his UConn uniform. There was a picture of Marley holding a large trophy, absolutely beaming at the camera. When Jess looked closer, he noticed that the trophy was for a science fair she'd won as a freshman. His lips twitched upward.

The smile was swept off his face as Marley entered the room once more. He turned to face her, seeing that she had a pillow and two blankets in her hand. She was wearing the same sweatshirt she'd been wearing the night he said goodbye. She looked at him briefly before placing the pillow and blankets on the couch. She pointed to them, walking away slowly.

"You can, uh, let me know if you need more blankets or another pillow," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or anything else. We have a whole closet of stuff. My mom's obsessed with blankets. Speaking of, she's not going to be back until like, after seven AM. She got stuck with a night shift tonight. I called her at work, so she knows you're here, so don't feel weird about that. She said you can stay as long as you need to. I just--"

"Marley," Jess said, effectively cutting her off. Marley shut her mouth and sighed. "This is good. I'm fine."

"O-okay," she replied. "Good."

The quiet met them again. Neither of them could explain the sudden awkwardness that lingered. Whatever reason it was for, Marley didn't want to be a part of it anymore.

"I'm gonna head to bed," she told him, a little too quickly for either of their liking. She started backing away from him. "I've got work tomorrow, and--"

"It wasn't my plan to be here."

Oh. Marley stopped dead in her tracks, releasing a shuddering breath. "Then why are you?" she asked quietly.

"Liz called me to say my car was still here," he said. "I need a car for the work I'm doing."

"What exactly is that?"

Jess shook his head. "Nothing big. Just doing messaging and whatnot."

"Messaging and whatnot?"

"Yeah."

Marley narrowed her eyes and nodded at him slowly. "You can just say you're dealing drugs, it's okay."

Jess let out a surprised laugh but rolled his eyes anyway. "I'm not dealing drugs."

"Sounds like something a drug dealer would say."

"Oh, dear God."

"It's okay. You can admit it. I'm not wired or anything."

Jess put his face in his hands, chuckling tiredly into them. "I'm not dealing drugs. I'm just doing some messaging jobs for a company. I swear."

Marley hummed. "Mmhmm. Whatever you say, Narcos."

"You didn't get any less irritating while I was gone, huh?"

Marley let herself grin for the first time all night. It was wide, it was clear, it was real. "Who would I be if I weren't?"

"Normal?"

"You wish."

Jess shook his head, stuffing his hands in his jacket pocket. His voice was soft. "No, I don't."

Marley didn't know how to respond to that. She averted her eyes, hugging her arms to her chest. The hush between them didn't help the way she felt. The only thing she could seem to focus on was the infomercial playing on the TV.

She broke the silence with the first thing that came into her head. "I got waitlisted at Penn."

Jess nearly got whiplash from how hard he turned to face her. "What?"

Marley shrugged it off, picking at the loose string on her sweatshirt sleeve. "It's fine," she began, like she'd said this a million times. "I wasn't really expecting to get in, anyway. It was always just a goal. It's fine." She shrugged again, brow furrowing as she spoke. "And it's not like I was rejected, either. I'm just waitlisted. I might get off."

"Acosta--"

"And it's not like we could afford it anyway. Even with the amount of money we have saved, it's still a lot. I applied to a couple of other schools too. Really good ones. Wesleyan's on top right now. Jacob wants me to apply to UConn. So does Will. I've always kind of wanted to stay local to see my family anyway. I think it'd be--"

"Marley." Jess' voice was firm and hard and Marley could feel her words get stuck in her throat. She shut her eyes.

Jess could see right through her. She should have known better than to do the whole spiel.

She smiled joylessly, eyes wandering to the ceiling. She huffed a laugh. "I just..." Marley continued to pick at the string. "I really, really wanted this. Like, more than anything."

"I know."

"And I feel bad even complaining about it because I'm not even rejected yet. There are so many people who wanted this just as bad as I did and aren't even being considered anymore."

"It's not about them, though," Jess said. "This is about you and how you feel. You're allowed to be selfish once and a while."

His words earned him a ghost of a smile. "I know," she whispered. She balled her hands in her sleeves. "I just... never ask for anything, y'know? That's not something I do. And I think I thought in some backwards way, by not asking for anything and doing everything right and perfect that somehow, I'd get this one thing."

"And you might still get it."

"And if I don't?"

Jess shrugged. "You adjust. A school doesn't dictate your life. You're gonna be great no matter where you go."

"How do you know that?" Marley asked. She wanted to shake this sudden feeling of insecurity so badly, but for some reason, she couldn't seem to do that. She hated it.

Jess got that same look he had when he saw her at the diner. "Because I know you, Acosta. We know each other," he said. "It's what we do, remember?"

Marley finally looked at him. As soon as they met eyes, she felt like crying. She bit her lip, feeling her eyes start to burn. She didn't have anything to say to that.

She knew deep down that she was going to be fine. She wasn't completely worried about that. However, something about Jess saying it to her made her feel like it was true, as if it were a fact.

Unable to reply to that, Marley stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Jess' middle, hugging him tight to her. Jess went rigid, frozen by the action. He hadn't been expecting that and she knew it.

After a moment, she felt him reciprocate the action, slowly, slightly uncertain. The action alone made Marley smile.

"You left right when we became friends," Marley told him. "I like to hug my friends. You'll need to get used to this."

She felt his chest rumble as he laughed at her words. His arms got tighter around her, surer this time. "Not sure I'm a fan."

"Too bad. Friends make sacrifices for each other."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. And you can't take back the friend thing. You said it first."

Jess scoffed. "I did not."

Marley pulled away, squinting up at him. "Yes, you did."

"Kyle's party. I walked your drunk ass home. Put you on your side so you wouldn't die if you threw up. You started talking about your 'friend Jess'." When he saw Marley's perplexed expression, he smirked. "Nice try."

"I said that?"

"I thought you remembered everything when you were drunk."

Marley pointed at him, heading for the kitchen. "I told you I was lying. I remember a lot. Not everything. I was also going through a lot that night."

"Excuses."

She frowned at him, pulling open the fridge to get a bowl of grapes. "Whatever. The rule still stands. You can't back out now."

Jess moved toward the counter she was at. "Ever?"

"Unless I, like, do something so unforgivable that I ruin your life forever, then no."

"Great," Jess said sarcastically.

"Hey. There are worse things in the world."

"Than being your friend? Like what?"

"Well, death, for one."

Jess sucked his teeth. "Not sure about that one."

Marley threw a grape at his forehead. "Asshole."

He laughed but said nothing to argue. Marley watched him as he popped the grape she'd thrown at him in his mouth. This silence they were sharing was different. It was friendlier. It was nicer. Marley didn't know if she could stand another second of whatever tension was going on between them before.

She'd missed this. She wasn't afraid to say it anymore. She liked spending time with Jess.

"Kirk had the last letter you sent to me for three months," Marley said after a minute. "He decided he wanted to give mail carrying another go."

Jess nodded. "I was wondering where your response was. I thought something had happened."

"Same here," Marley replied. "I thought you'd gone off the grid again. What did you do during that time, anyway? You know, besides sending me an ABBA postcard?"

"Nothing you'd want to ever experience," Jess said. Marley scowled at his vague answer. "I was barely surviving."

"Is that why you look like you haven't cut your hair in years?"

"My hair looks fine."

"I think you and I have different definitions of fine."

"Don't worry about my hair," he mumbled, swiping at it, trying to pat it down. "Can't you wait to torture your boyfriend with this kind of shit?"

Jess watched the way Marley's eyes lit up at the mere mention of her boyfriend. "Oh, I do. But you're right here. And you've been away from my bullshit for a while. Can't save all of it for Will."

"How is... Will?" Jess asked.

Marley's teasing grin turned fond. "He's good. He's finishing applying to schools. Jacob showed him around UConn the other day. They were on the same basketball team. Jacob likes him a lot."

"And do you?" When Marley raised her brows, Jess expanded. "Like him a lot?"

Jess could see Marley's cheeks turn pink through the dim light of the house. "I do," she said shyly. "He's good to me. Protective. Sometimes a little too much for my taste, but it's nice that he cares. It's more than I can say about Ryan."

"That's impressive. There's a lot of things to say about Ryan."

"Tell me about it," Marley muttered through a mouthful of grapes. "Did I tell you he's trying to go after Courtney's freshman sister?"

Jess' nose scrunched up. "Gross."

"Even more so when you know that her sister is falling for his bullshit. She's young, though. She'll figure it out." Marley snorted. "At least she won't be in my position as a junior." When Jess gave her a look, Marley rolled her eyes. "That was a joke. Self-deprecating jokes are funny, Mariano."

"How's Courtney taking it?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. She's threatened his life on multiple occasions. Dragged him away from her sister by his ear once. Rachel screamed at her the entire drive home. I was in the car." Marley glanced at him. "She'll want to know you're here, by the way. She's got some questions about California."

"I'm not staying for long," Jess said. "And what questions?"

"She's going to Pepperdine in the fall," Marley answered.

"Religious."

"Her parents are. The only way she was going to college was if she could go to a Christian school. Pepperdine was absolutely the best option for her."

He seemed to consider this. "I could see her in Malibu."

"Exactly," she said. Marley paused to put another grape in her mouth. "So, you're not staying for long?"

Jess sighed. "I'm getting my car fixed--"

"Can you even call that thing a car--"

"I'm getting my car fixed, and then I'm out of here," he told her. "I've got a job on Monday. It wasn't my plan to come here, anyway."

"I know," Marley said. She tapped her fingers against the counter, avoiding eye contact with him. "I'm still glad you're here. It was a surprise. A nice one, though."

"Tell that to the coffee pot you broke."

Marley gaped at him. "You show up after almost seven months, in a cop car nonetheless, and you expect me not to be a little freaked out?"

"I would have called or something if I'd known it was going to turn into this."

"You never call."

Jess shrugged, a little too forced to be nonchalant. "I could," he said, quickly adding, "if you want me to."

Marley's eyebrows shot to her forehead. "Seriously?"

"If you want."

Marley smiled, eyes on the counter once more as she slowly nodded. "Yeah," she agreed. "That'd be cool."

Jess nodded back at her in agreement. "Cool."

"Are you going to invite me to your place in New York next?"

"Oh, my god."

"It felt like the conversation was going there."

"It absolutely wasn't. The last place you want to be is my apartment."

"Why? Your drug ring there?"

Jess put his head on the counter. "You're exhausting."

Marley snickered. "You're just figuring this out now?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. He popped another grape in his mouth. "I just forgot."

Marley glanced at the clock on the stove, grimacing as she saw the time. "Luke has me working a double tomorrow."

"What'd you do?" Jess asked, looking slightly appalled.

"Lost a bet. I said the Bruins were going to lose the game yesterday. And he's got shit to do with Nicole tomorrow night. I need the money anyways." Marley released a yawn she'd meant to keep in. "Sorry," she said, sending an apologetic glance to him. "I'm exhausted."

"At least you're admitting it now," Jess said under his breath. Marley gave him another scowl. He shooed her. "Go to bed. I can set up out here."

Marley nodded, putting the grapes back in the fridge. "Help yourself to anything in here. I know you're probably hungry. Don't be freaked out if my mom walks in in the morning." She paused to turn around and look at him. "Make sure you say goodbye tomorrow."

Jess raised his hands in surrender. "I will."

"Good," she said. "Night."

"Night."

Before she left the room, she stopped. Marley spun on her heel, moving to lean on the wall. "Jess?" she said. His head turned to look at her. "Seriously. I'm really glad to see you."

And, for the first time since he'd returned, a real, broad grin came to his lips. That vulnerability she'd seen earlier returned. "It's good to see you too," he said.

Marley returned the smile and retreated to her room, feeling lighter on her feet than she had all day.

Jess continued to make up the couch, taking off his shoes and throwing the blankets over himself. He grabbed the remote and turned the volume down, flicking through the channels, trying to find something other than an infomercial to watch.

He couldn't help but laugh as he found some old movie channel playing Encino Man.

✧

WHEN MARLEY AWOKE the next morning, Jess was gone. She met her mother in the kitchen, greeting her with a hug and a distracted smile.

"He was gone when I got back," her mom said, nodding to the folded up blankets on the couch. She pointed at a folded up piece of paper on the counter. "I'm pretty sure that's for you."

Marley sighed but smiled despite herself. "I'm gonna kill him," she said under her breath, unfolding the note.

She folded the note back up and ran back to her room. She grabbed her work bag and threw the note in the box that held the others. Marley kissed her mother on the cheek on the way out. The lightness in her from last night still lived.

It only got better for her as she drove past Jess Mariano riding down Main Street with someone pushing the back of his car. He glanced over to see her practically cackling from inside her car, rolling his eyes with a small smile as she did so.

She'd be getting a call about that when he got back to New York.

✧✧✧

author's note: hello this chapter took a bit longer than expected but it's all good we're fine i'm fine i'm not stressed with finals it's fine i'm good we're fine

hope y'all are good! hope my marvel stans are recovering from endgame. i legit cried for the entire last hour and wouldn't stop. it was bad. anyway love y'all 3000

jk that's not my brand love you all tons!
-mags