Todd sits at the table and sips at his coffee. Dawn is sitting across from him doing the same. It would look like the perfect picture of domesticity if not for the frosty silence between them. Only a few minutes before, Todd had shown up after having been gone all night. He had been out clubbing and had lost track of time. That’s a regular occurrence but the hickey on Todd’s neck is not. One of the major rules in their relationship is no marks from other people. It’s a common courtesy so they don’t have to explain things to anyone who might see them. Never mind that the other doesn’t have to look at them and wonder who gave them and why. Todd had been too into what he was doing with some random guy to explain that to him though. The hickey on his neck isn’t the only mark either. Todd is glad that Dawn can’t see the others. She seems pissed off enough about the one she can see. Her fingers tap against the table as she narrows her eyes at it.<br /><br />“Who gave you it?”<br /><br />“I thought we agreed that we weren’t going to discuss other people with each other,” Todd says cautiously.<br /><br />“We also agreed we wouldn’t let the others mark us, but since that’s out…”<br /><br />There’s more than anger in her voice, there’s hurt too. It makes Todd close his eyes for a second. For not the first time, he wonders why he married this woman when all he seems to do is hurt her. <br /><br />“This guy. Just this random guy.”<br /><br />“Was it worth it?”<br /><br />Todd’s eyes snap open. He’s not sure how to answer that. He’s never been sure what to do in the face of confrontation with Dawn. <br /><br />“Was it good?”<br /><br />“Dee Dee…”<br /><br />“Don’t call me that,” she snaps as she shoves her coffee mug away and gets up from the table.<br /><br />Todd stands up and moves to follow after her. “Dawn, c’mon, it’s not like you’re not out doing the same thing with—“<br /><br />Dawn spins on her heel to face Todd. “It’s not the same thing.”<br /><br />“How is it not the same thing?” Todd asks as he resists the urge to throw up his hands.<br /><br />“I don’t fall in love with them.”<br /><br />“I—“<br /><br />“Don’t you even fucking dare lie to me, Todd.”<br /><br />“But, I—“<br /><br />“You think I haven’t noticed all the time you’re spending talking to Raine fucking Maida? You think I’m stupid?”<br /><br />Todd feels like he’s frozen in place. His mouth opens to protest her words but then instantly closes. Is he in love with Raine? Is that what he’s doing? Before he can really think about it, Dawn is reaching up to slap him. He doesn’t bother to defend himself. He’s too lost in a fog of memories to do that. So he just lets Dawn push and shove and pull at him until he’s flat on his back on the floor and she’s riding him while her fingernails dig into his chest hard enough to draw blood. He doesn’t even feel the pain. His eyes are open and locked on Dawn’s, but he isn’t seeing her. He’s seeing Raine. Raine is crying out “I love you” over and over again as his fingers dig into Todd’s chest. And when they reach his heart, that’s when Todd comes hard, barely holding back Raine’s name. <br /><br />His eyes refocus and he sees Dawn once again. Her fingers still dug into his chest and her eyes filled with possession and tears. He reaches up for her with shaking hands and pulls her down against him and just holds her there without saying anything. Sorry isn’t enough for this.</div>