TDA Meets TLH

10: Cristina

I woke up in the middle night, to a door closing. I know, how could that wake me up? I was a really light sleeper. Jaime and Diego had always told me that it was freaky. I sighed out loud, at Diego's name. I had kissed him, and I shouldn't have. Sure, I still was in love with him a bit, but I couldn't kiss him. The shock of seeing him for the first time, with Emma, was too much. I had felt so many emotions at once, it had been horrible.

I was still heartbroken over what he had done to me, and I couldn't forget it that easily. Ever since our kiss, I had been avoiding him. I also had noticed that Mark had been avoiding me. I didn't know what I had done. I sighed, and got out of bed. I threw on my robe, and silently left my room. I quietly padded down the hallway, and walked into the kitchen. Except there was someone already there.

Mark. He was standing by the sink, facing sink, wearing pyjama pants and no shirt. My eyes studied his chest, blushing. He had buffed up a bit, since he had come back to his family. He actually looked like a Shadowhunter, again. I tore my eyes away from his body, and looked up at him. I walked towards him, and grabbed a glass of water.

"What are you doing up?" I asked him, facing him, taking a sip of my water.

"Had a nightmare." He grumbled.

I set my cup down. "What about?"

"My earliest days in the Hunt." Mark whispered, not looking at me.

I felt sadness rise up in me, for him. They had tortured him so bad in the Wild Hunt. He didn't deserve it. No one did.

"What was it?" I asked softly.

"They were whipping me, again. And then suddenly my family appeared, and they were whipping them." Mark spoke bitterly. "Just like what Kieran did to Emma and Jules."

He then laughed without any humour. "Kieran. I loved him, and look what he did to me, to the people I loved. He loved me too, but that wasn't love. That wasn't love."

There was so much pain in his gold and blue eyes, and my heart broke for him.

"He came to help us when Malcolm took Tavvy." I replied gently. "He told us everything he knew. That. That was love, Mark."

"More like him trying to beg for forgiveness." Mark said quietly. "But yet, I cannot stop thinking about him."

I sighed. "It was like that for me, with Diego."

"But you two are dating now, so it all worked out." Mark sounded bitter.

I looked confused. "No, we're not."

"But you kissed him." He was looking me dead in the eyes. "I saw you, I--" He broke off.

I blushed. "That was a mistake. I still haven't forgiven him for he did. He and Jaime."

"You love him, though."' Mark said, expressionlessly.

"I do, but--but something keeps holding me back from loving him fully, again, and it isn't what he's done to me." I blushed, knowing fully why.

It was Mark. There was something about him, that held me back from Diego. I was in love Mark, though I would never admit to anyone. I was good at hiding it. But I knew couldn't love him. He was a Faerie. If the Clave ever found out, we both would be stripped of our marks.

Mark looked down at me, the moonlight illuminating his face. "What is it?"

I looked away from him, blushing.

"Is--is it me?" He stuttered.

I looked back up at him, and my eyes locked with his. Suddenly, Mark was leaning in and so was I. Our lips touched, and I felt fireworks go off inside of me. We kissed for a seconds, and then Mark held my waist, and my hands went around his neck, our bodies pressed together. I had never felt anything like this, before. Not even when Diego had kissed me.

The kiss became deeper and Mark lifted me up onto the counter and stood in between my legs and kissed me. I pulled on his hair, slightly, and he kissed me harder. He then moved to kiss my neck and I dug my nails into his back, gasping a bit. He kissed me again, hard.

"Mark." I gasped against his lips. "We can't."

"Cristina." He whispered, and kissed me again.

I pulled away from him, panting. "Mark, we can't. You know what will happen. The Clave--"

"Screw the Clave, I want to be with you, I--" He broke off.

"You what?" I asked slowly.

"I--I'm in love with you." Mark blushed, looking away from me.

My heart dropped. What? He was in love with me?

"What about Kieran?" I whispered. "Don't you love him?"

"Kieran was my past, but you--you're my future." He whispered.

I felt tears well in my eyes at his words. "Mark, we--we can't."

"Yes we can, Tina, we can. Do you love me?" He asked.

"Yes." I whispered.

Mark looked shocked, but then composed himself. "Then I know we can."

Every part of me told that this was a horrible idea. But I loved him.

"Okay." I whispered. "Okay."

He seemed surprised by my agreeing, and grinned at me. He kissed me again, and I kissed him back, happily. His kisses became rougher, and he kissed and sucked my neck, and I moaned quietly. I ached for him, I couldn't get enough of his touch. I suddenly hopped off the counter, and Mark grabbed my hand and we practically ran to his room. He closed the door behind us, and in a second I was in his arms again.

We fell back into his bed, and Mark laid on top of me, kissing me, my hands roaming his chest. He took off my robe, and then my shirt was off, and then my shorts. He leaned down and gave me a hickey on my neck, and I moaned his name. My underwear and bra were then, off and then Mark sat up and looked down at me.

"Beautiful." He whispered. "You are so beautiful."

I blushed and pulled him back down to kiss me.

"You are everything that is good and beautiful, under the stars, Cristina Rosales." Mark whispered against my lips.

I smiled against his lips, and then soon we were both naked. Mark looked at me, the question in his eyes, and I nodded my head. I felt the pain a moment later, and tears welled in my eyes.

"Cristina I can stop, just tell me." He sounded worried.

"No. Don't stop." I shook my head.

A few minutes later, the pain disappeared and Mark started to move in and out of me. He buried his face in my neck, saying my name over and over. I dug my nails into his back, and panted his name. Soon, it all became too much, and I was thrown over the edge. I cried out his name, and grabbed his bedsheets. Seeing me, made Mark come undone, groaning my name. We laid there, him on top of me, catching our breathes and saying I love you to each other over and over.

Mark then rolled off me, and held me in his arms. He said something, but I didn't hear. I was already asleep.