Your friend has started her transition recently. You couldn't be happier for her. It makes so much sense to you, and you're eager to see her blossom into her true self. There's a problem though. Really, more of a confusion. You keep getting packages on your doorstep filled with her old things. Her clothes she wore to fit in, the cologne every guy around her wore, ties and suits and leather belts. But, you never asked her for this, you've never told her you were anything but a woman. Yet somehow it doesn't feel right to refuse this gift, and you can't bring yourself to question her over the phone. Maybe you'll see next time she comes over.
She shows up the next night on your doorstep with another bag. When you open the door though, she seems perplexed. "You're still in your old clothes." She trails off, running her fingers over your collar. "I know, this will help."
Maybe it's because she's so gorgeous, and only getting more gorgeous the more she accepts herself, maybe it's the warm bit firm grip she directs you with, but you find yourself bent over the bathroom sink. She strokes your hair, kisses the crown of your head as a sendoff, and as you're in a daze you suddenly find your head lighter, air whistling around your ears. She brushes off the stray hairs with a towel and admires her work in the mirror.
"Now get out of those." She gestures to your current clothes. You slide them off hesitantly while she leaves the bathroom, leaving you shivering in your underwear. You feel silly in them now, they're not even very comfortable. Why did you pick them out? She could've picked something better.
"Hm, these will have to go too." Before you have a chance to respond, she's unclasping and dragging until you're bare. Why aren't you fighting this? You're not sure. You never would've said you wanted it- you don't know what's really happening, but you're her
"Boytoy. Sweet Boytoy. We can get you a binder if you want. But every guy needs one of these" You lift up your arms wordlessly and she slips a basic white tank top over them. You've heard of binders before, you didn't know there were trans men who didn't wear them. Was she saying you could be her boy anyways? You don't know where these thoughts are coming from. "I think this will look better on you than it did on me. " She grins, buttoning up a paid shirt, leaving a few buttons open at the top.
She pulls out boxers and jeans next. You don't know if the boxers belonged to her. Somehow you don't even care. She's making you something you didn't have the courage to make yourself, something you couldn't say out loud. When you're all dressed and buckled up, you wonder what she sees. Was it all she imagined? What is she even looking for?
"There you go. I wondered why you weren't wearing my old clothes, but you just needed some help transforming. You had to see the man you are. I want that man, I want him to be mine. Do you think you can handle that, Boytoy?"
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...
Nathanielâs family home is not as large or ostentatious as the Agreste family manor, but that only means Adrien feels more at ease. The space is wide and open, but still feels like a home rather than a museum. And all his friends are here for a party, which makes it even better.Â
âDude! Youâre here!â Nino greets, holding out his hand.
âWouldnât miss it!â Adrien exclaims, clapping into Ninoâs open fist. He may have used a bit of Plaggâs aid to make it, but he knows from bitter experience that no one will miss him until morning, so why shouldnât he come?Â
Nino ushers him inside. Rose and Marinette are helping Nathaniel pour snacks into large plastic bowls. The rest of the class - minus Chloe and Sabrina, plus Marc - are circled around Kim and Ivan who are locked in an arm wrestling match.
âYay! Adrien! You made it!â Mylene says. Everyone else cheers in greeting. Adrien grins back.Â
âHey guys!â
Kim looks up then, and in that moment Ivan pounds Kimâs fist into the table. Kim throws a pout at Mylene.Â
âIs it surprising that Iâm here?â Adrien asks Nino quietly.Â
âIâm not gonna lie, dude. I didn't want to get my hopes up.â
Adrien sighs.
Nino offers him a dazzling smile and Adrien only feels warm. âBut Iâm always really glad to see you.â
âMe too!â Adrien agrees.
âCâmon Agreste! Welcome to the party!â Kim says, his arms draping over his shoulders. âWant to go up against Ivan in arm wrestling? No one can beat him.â
Adrien isnât sure thatâs a good idea. Some of his miraculous enhanced strength seems to carry over whenever heâs wearing the ring and Adrien doesnât want to accidentally hurt anyone.Â
âNo? Anyone up for a game of spin the bottle?â
âSpin the what?â Adrien asks.
âOh, Agreste. You are so deprived,â Alix says.Â
âSpin the bottle is a kissing game,â Max supplies.Â
A kissing game?Â
âI dunno, man,â Nino says, pinching his own shoulder. âI have a girlfriend. Not sure if I should be kissing anyone else.âÂ
Alya waves away his objection. âItâs a silly game! And Iâm right here watching.â Then she pauses and turns back to Nino. âAssuming youâre okay with it?âÂ
âUh⌠yeah, sure. Levels one and two?âÂ
She nods.Â
Adrien has no idea what theyâre talking about. How could there be levels to a kissing game?Â
âThen sure! Iâm down,â Nino agrees.
âWhatâs spin the bottle?â Adrien asks again.Â
Rose giggled, patting the space next to her on the floor. âWe sit in a circle with an empty bottle in the middle. Then we take turns spinning it, and then whoever it ends up pointing at weâre supposed to kiss!â She claps her hands together excitedly.
âYou game, dude?â Nino asks.
âYou ever been kissed?â Alya asks before Adrien can answer.Â
Heat blooms across his face. âI have,â he says. It wasnât technically a lie even though he didnât remember either of his kisses with Ladybug. They happened. They count, right?
Alya smirks. âGreat! We wonât go easy on you then.â
Adrien swallows down his nerves. Maybe he should have said he had never been kissed, but he has always wanted to know what a kiss felt like. Maybe this was an opportunity to find out. He takes a seat next to Nino.
The action earns him another cheer from his friends. Then everyone scrambles into motion to find a seat. Nathaniel places an empty soda bottle on the ground. Kim shoves it towards Adrien.Â
âAs the only spin the bottle virgin, you should go first, Agreste.âÂ
Adrien picks up the bottle awkwardly. âI just spin it?âÂ
Rose crawls forward. âLet me show you!â She lays the bottle on its side and twists it around the center, sending it into a spin. âLike this!â She stops it before it slows on its own and hands it back to him.Â
Adrien spins the bottle. He swallows his nerves, or tries to - but his stomach squirms as the bottleâs nose whips around the circle from classmate to classmate. Who will fate choose for him?Â
When the bottle cap comes to a stop dead center on Nino, Adrienâs both relieved and somehow more anxious.Â
His first kiss - not his actual first kiss, but still kinda his first kiss - the first kiss he will remember, will be with someone he deeply cares about.
But Adrien also cares what Nino thinks of him, so what if heâs a terrible kisser?
Nino offers him a reassuring smile, and he relaxes. Adrien glances at Alya for permission, and she just shoos him towards Nino.Â
Adrien turns to Nino, leaning closer. If his stomach had been squirming before, it now feels like a half dozen Kwamis have taken up residence in his gut. But Adrien doesnât hesitate. He blocks out the presence of all of his friends watching, and instead focuses on Nino - like Nino is a stage partner in a photoshoot.
Except kissing Nino is nothing like a photoshoot. Nino isnât some model Adrien barely knows. Ninoâs his best friend, one of his favorite people in the whole world with the possible exception of Ladybug, and even then, Adrienâs not sure. And Ninoâs lips are soft and warm. Then Nino gasps, and theyâre breathing the same air. What would it feel like to explore Ninoâs open mouth?
But the sudden whooping and whistles send Adrien scuttling backwards before the kiss can become anything more, frantically searching Ninoâs face.Â
âWoah there, Sunshine,â Alya says. âAt least buy him dinner first.âÂ
Adrienâs gaze darts back and forth between Nino and Alya. Ninoâs golden brown eyes are wide, but heâs noticeably not smiling. Alya looks like a wolf about to catch dinner and Adrienâs pretty sure heâs the prey.
âD-did I do something wrong?âÂ
âNo!â Alya immediately reassures, shaking her head. âYou just jumped straight to level three, which youâre totally allowed to do. Established couples do it all the time!âÂ
Adrienâs cheeks burn as he glances back at Nino who was pinching his own shoulder, suddenly not able to meet Adrienâs eyes.Â
Has he messed up? He and Nino are definitely not an established couple and Nino and Alya agreed to levels one and two only before the game started.Â
Adrien hopes not.
âWhatâs level one?â Adrien asks.Â
âUsually we start with a hand kiss, and then a cheek kiss if you get the same person again. And then on the lips for the third time,â Alya says, grinning at him.Â
âAny other rules I should know about?â
âDo you want to know what all the other levelsââ Max starts to ask.
âNope!â Alix interrupts. âThatâs it!â
Adrien turns back to the group, and very carefully does not look at Nino, who is sitting right next to him.Â
Mylene goes next. The bottle lands on Rose, and Mylene gives her the smallest of pecks on her cheek.
Adrienâs face burns hotter at how stupid he was, but he resists the urge to bury his face in his hands. He risks another glance at Nino who immediately looks away.Â
But Nino had clearly been looking at him. Adrien wishes he knew what that meant .Â
Did Nino like the kiss? Is he wondering what it would have felt like to let the kiss last longer or go deeper like Adrien is? Or is Nino feeling super awkward and weird that his idiot best friend kissed him on the lips instead of his hand?Â
Adrien knows what heâs hoping it means, which makes him doubt that could possibly be what Nino is thinking.Â
Alix goes next, and the bottle points to Marc. Alix approaches, and holds their hand like itâs a treasure. âMarc! Though Iâve loved you more than Iâve loved anyoneââ
Marc snorts.Â
ââI know when our romance is hopeless. Please forgive me! My heart is not strong enough to offer more than this small token.â And she dramatically kisses Marcâs hand to the giggles of everyone looking on before returning to her spot in the circle.
Adrien sits up straighter when Marinette spins the bottle. He feels almost as nervous as he did when the bottle was spinning for him. Heâs not sure where he wants the bottle to stop, but when it points to Nathanielâs knee, Adrien feels strangely disappointed.Â
Marinette moves, but sheâs not even halfway across the circle, when Nathaniel holds up his hands.Â
âMarinette, I uh⌠given our umm⌠history, Iâd prefer if you were the one person who didnât kiss me.âÂ
Adrien opens his mouth to object. Was Nathaniel seriously rejecting the just idea of Marinette in front of all her friends? Anyone would be lucky toâ
But Marinette smiles at both Nathaniel and Marc whose hands are suddenly interlaced. âI understand completely. Iâll just spin again.âÂ
This time the bottle lands on Alya.Â
Adrien is still a little disappointed, but it doesnât twist his shoulders into knots the way it landing on Nathaniel had. He turns to watch the two girls with interest. Marinette and Alya exchange cheek kisses and then a peck on the lips with a playful âmwah!â before turning back to the group all smiles.Â
Adrien is jealous of how comfortable they both seem with each other. Nino still will barely look at him.
Alya spins and the bottle lands on Kim. Adrien tenses, feeling oddly protective, though Alya is quick to deposit a kiss on Kimâs hand and itâs over before Adrien can make sense of his feelings.
Heâs being ridiculous. Why would it matter if Alya kissed Kim anymore than it had that Adrien had kissed Nino? Like Alya said at the beginning, this is a game . And as Marinette just demoed, even during the game, boundaries would still be respected.Â
He wishes he thought to ask Nino first if he was welcome.Â
After they make it all around the circle, a second round starts.
Rose goes first this time. She literally squeals when the bottle lands on Juleka. Sheâs in Julekaâs lap immediately, her legs wrapping around Julekaâs waist. Their mouths are sliding against one another, revealing flashes of pink tongue between the tiny spaces between their lips. Then their hands . Roseâs fingers are tangled in Julekaâs hair, pulling her closer, while Julekaâs hands are squeezing into Roseâs thighs.
Adrien canât look away.
âOh my god!â Alix shouts, smacking the two with a pillow, which barely slows them down at all. âGet in the closet already!â
âThe closet?â Adrien echoes.Â
âLevel five is seven minutes in âheavenâ where you make out in the closet for seven minutes,â Max says.Â
Rose giggles as Juleka leads her away.Â
Then itâs Marinetteâs turn again. Her bottle lands on him. Adrien has to remind himself to breathe. This is what he wanted during her first turn, he realizes. For Marinette to kiss him. He licks his lips. What kind of kiss will Marinette choose for him?
His excitement lasts right up until he looks at her. Sheâs white as a ghost, staring at him with wide blue, very much panicked, eyes. âI umm⌠I have to go to the bathroom!âÂ
She launches herself to her feet and runs. Adrien watches her retreat.Â
âGirl!â Alya calls, running after her. âGet your cute butt back here!âÂ
The pleasant fluttering in his gut turns sour.
Sweet kind brave Marinette doesnât even want to kiss his hand.
Did she dislike him that much?Â
âŚ
Alya chases Marinette into the kitchen.
Sheâs never completely understood what it is about Adrien that turns Marinette into a nervous basket case.
And Nino too apparently! She hadnât missed how flustered Nino became after Adrienâs kiss.Â
Though she likes it when Nino turns into a flustered mess. Theyâd have to talk about it obviously, but Alya isnât even sure what she wants to say yet because she hadnât wanted that kiss to end so quickly.
She shoves the thought aside. The point is Adrien is as kind and as patient as they come, and starved for love and friendship, both. If thereâs anyone Marinette and Nino donât need to worry about disappointing or accidentally pushing away, itâs Adrien!Â
âEarth to Marinette,â Alya says when Marinetteâs gaze remains distant. âI thought you would want to kiss Adrien.âÂ
Marinetteâs forehead clunks against the refrigerator. âI do! Just not like that.âÂ
Alya arches an eyebrow.Â
âItâs just if heâs going to kiss me I donât want it to be because a bottle told him to. I want it to mean something! I want him to want to kiss me.âÂ
âMarinette, did you see his face?!â
Marinette turns to her with furrowed brows. âWhat do you mean?â
âHe lit up when that bottle landed on him. He definitely wanted you to kiss him.â Not to mention that he visibly deflated when Marinetteâs first turn landed on Nathaniel, but Marinette didnât need to know that.Â
âOr maybe he just figured out he likes being kissed,â Marinette said dryly.Â
Alya grins. âYou saw that, too?âÂ
âDoes it upset you that he and Nino both seemed so bothered by it?âÂ
âNo.â If anything she really really liked that they - especially Nino - were so bothered by it. She wanted to pounce on Nino right after. Itâs not as often that she can push him into that shy flustered state anymore. She really likes him like that.Â
âBut weâre not talking about me! Weâre talking about you and Adrien. How do you think running out like that made him feel?âÂ
Marinette buried her face in her hands. âI know! I know! He probably hates me.âÂ
Alya shook her head. âHe definitely does not hate you.âÂ
Marinette likes Adrien because heâs so kind and understanding. Alya wishes Marinette would trust that.
âI really think that things would be a lot easier for you if you would tell him how you feel, but right now Iâll settle for you going back in there and giving that sweet boy who thinks you donât like him , a tiny little kiss on the cheek.âÂ
Marinette shakes her head rapidly. âI want to! I know youâre right. But when Iâm there looking at his stupidly perfect face I turn into all panic. Iâm never going to be able to tell him! And because of that Iâm always gonna be a crappy awful friend.âÂ
God grant her patience!
Alya wants a lot of things, several of which she may have just realized in the last ten minutes. What she would give to watch her boyfriend and his best friend really make out? Or better yet, her boyfriend and her best friend!Â
Sadly, theyâll likely never go for that.
But more than any of that, Alya just wants all of them to be happy.Â
âMarinette, Adrien is not going anywhere. Heâs not that easy to scare away. Heâs definitely confused right now, and maybe a little hurt, but just as he apologized to you the day you met him, you can apologize to him and I promise you, he will be all smiles.â
âYou really think heâll forgive me?âÂ
âI know he will! And a cheek kiss wouldnât hurt.âÂ
Marinette smiles. âI can do that.âÂ
Alya smiles back. âI know you can!âÂ
And maybe if they kept playing, the bottle would grant a few of Alyaâs wishes.
The chances are low with so many of them playing. Alya knows that, but a girl can dream.Â
âŚÂ
Nino has never related so hard to a Marinette freakout. He is now painfully aware of how big a deal it is to kiss Adrien.Â
He traces his lower lip, a tiny part of him wishing he hadnât been so startled by Adrienâs actions so he could have savored it more.Â
Except he canât be thinking any of this! He has a girlfriend! He canât be thinking about what it would feel like to kiss his best friend.
Except that he is thinking about it. Heâs thinking about it a lot.
Heâs so fucked.Â
And when he glances over to see how Adrien is taking all this, his best friend is staring at the empty doorway, the personification of dejection. Everyone in the room is staring at Adrien with sympathetic frowns, which only causes Adrien to further cave in on himself.Â
Nino taps his shoulder. âCâmon dude, letâs take a breather.â
Nino hauls Adrien to his feet and juts his chin at Alix over Adrienâs shoulder, who takes a hint immediately. âMylene! Itâs your turn!âÂ
They donât go that far, Nathanielâs house does have a small outdoor terrace, so they can at least put a door between them and the group even if that door is made of glass.Â
âYou okay, mec?âÂ
Adrien shrugs. âYeah? If she doesnât want to kiss me, thatâs fine. I just⌠I just wish I knew what I did wrong.âÂ
âWhat makes you think you did anything wrong?âÂ
âNino! She literally ran away. She didnât even want to kiss my hand.âÂ
Thatâs not the problem. Marinette definitely wants to kiss Adrien.
But Nino canât say that.Â
âMaybe she has a reason.âÂ
âLike what?!â
Nino wishes he could explain. âYouâd have to ask her, mec.â
Adrien sighs. And then looks at him. âAre we okay?â
Nino swallows, and glances down into his hands, heat burning in his face. âOf course, weâre okay.â
More than okay. Except maybe Nino really wants Adrien to kiss him again, but he definitely canât act on that impulse.Â
Because he has a gorgeous and amazing girlfriend and he absolutely doesnât want to mess that up.
âDo you think weâre not okay?â Nino asks.Â
Adrien rubs the back of his neck. âI just- I hope I didnât make things weird. Iâm sorry. I should have asked if you were okay with me kissing you. I thought that was the game.âÂ
âIt is the game. The not explaining the rules fully thing is something every one of us has gone through the first time we played. Itâs always a question of will the person chicken out or go straight for it.â
âReally?â Adrien sounds so hopeful that Nino wants to laugh at himself. He really shouldnât have been surprised that Adrien kissed him. Adrien has always wanted to have the genuine party experience.Â
âReally! Just in our situation it usually goes the other way.âÂ
âOur situation?âÂ
âTwo dudes who are pretty solidly platonic?âÂ
Maybe not as platonic on his end as Nino had previously assumed, but that was a crisis for another day.Â
âWas it weird?â
Ninoâs ears and cheeks burn. âUmm⌠not to me. But Iâm uh⌠not straight.âÂ
He can feel Adrienâs eyes widen to the size of saucers, though he doesnât look up.Â
âOh. I uh⌠donât think I am either.â
Oh god. That made everything so much better.Â
And so much worse at the same time.
âThanks for telling me,â Nino says, because what else can he say?Â
Adrien nods. Alya and Marinette are already there sitting next to each other with their arms looped together, and their fingers interlaced.
Nino licks his lips at the sight. If Nino says Alya is allowed to kiss her best friend, would she grant him the same boon?Â
Gah! What is he thinking? Thatâs not how relationships worked.Â
Alya smiles at him, and something in Ninoâs chest loosens. He sits down and Adrien catches his gaze, and heâs smiling, and the warmth in Ninoâs chest only spreads.
Oh, heâs well and truly fucked.
âŚ
Marinetteâs vaguely aware that Mylene and Ivan are taking a turn in the closet and Marc is about ready to throw the bottle out the window for refusing to land on Nathaniel.Â
Alix is not even playing anymore, but whatever sheâs doing, she canât stop laughing.Â
But Marinetteâs attention is focused completely on the two boys outside. The fact that Nino and Adrien are outside, separate from everyone else, when Adrien had been so excited about just being at a party at all, is evidence enough that Alyaâs right. Adrien is hurt.Â
And itâs her fault. Sheâs the one that hurt him by running.
Alyaâs arm hand loops through her own, and some of the tension in Marinetteâs shoulders bleeds out, and she can breathe again.
She doesnât know what it is about Alya, but Alya grounds her in much the same way Chat Noir does. Marinette has a tendency to float away and spiral and lose herself, and Alya has a way of yanking her back to reality, but also of catching her so that the landing is always soft.Â
She grants Alya a beaming smile, hoping that some of her gratitude and appreciation shines through. Alya squeezes her hand.
The door slides open and Marinetteâs gaze whips to Adrien immediately. Heâs smiling and seems at ease. But when he sits down, he chooses the spot thatâs further from her, the spot that places Nino between them.Â
Which, fair.Â
But she canât stand it.Â
She scrambles around Nino, throws her arms around Adrienâs shoulders and kisses him on the cheek.Â
He presses a hand to his face where she kissed him, and turns to her with wide eyes.Â
âIâm sorry I ran,â she whispers. Itâs all she can manage before she retreats back to the safety of Alyaâs hold.Â
But Adrien is smiling again.Â
Unfortunately when itâs Alyaâs turn, she has to untangle herself from Marinette.Â
In some cruel or amazing twist of fate, the bottle lands on Adrien.Â
Alya shoots her a mischievous grin. Marinette knows that look, and itâs not good. Abort abort abort.Â
Nino is in no better shape than she is at this pairing, Marinette distantly notes, but she canât pay much attention to Nino, not when Alya is leaning so intimately into Adrienâs space, whispering something she canât hear into his ear.Â
Adrien nods.Â
Alya grins and then sheâs cradling Adrienâs face in her hands. Marinette forgets to breathe as Alya leans forward slowly, until thereâs no more space. Their lips slide against one anotherâ
Marinetteâs nails dig into her knee.
âparting ever so slightly. The contact lingers, like a perfect moment frozen in time.Â
Marinette bites down on her own lip.Â
Sheâs not jealous.Â
Sheâs insanely turned on. She likes watching Adrien and Alya kiss. She likes it waaay more than she should.Â
And she is jealous, she realizes. But sheâs jealous of Adrien.Â
She wants to be held so carefully in Alyaâs hands.Â
Alya pulls away slowly. Adrien though doesnât move. His eyes remain closed, totally blissed out. Alya grins, and turns triumphantly to Marinette.Â
Thatâs how itâs done, she seems to say. She made it look so easy.
Marinette wishes she had half her courage.Â
But Alyaâs gaze doesnât linger with Marinette. Instead, her attention turns to Nino who is also wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open. Marinette has never related to him more in her life. Alyaâs grin only grows. Adrien finally blinks his eyes open.Â
Alix cackles. âI think all four of you might benefit from a turn in the closet!âÂ
Marinetteâs face is on fire.Â
âW-what?â Adrien stammers.
Nino is still speechless.Â
But Alya, Alya hums in agreement.Â
Every inch of Marinetteâs body is tingling. She canât talk, but she canât sit still either. And so she runs.Â
Again.Â
This time Alya doesnât follow. Her friendâs laughter follows her though.Â
She retreats to the bathroom, breathing hard. She tries to take a breath to calm her racing heart. She splashes water on her face and it doesnât really help.Â
The door bursts open and itâs Nino standing in the doorway, looking just as startled as she feels.Â
âH-hey,â she says. âI⌠uhâŚâ and she turns back to the mirror, unable to look at him.
âIâm s-sorry,â he stammers, backing away.
âN-no, itâs fy mault.â And sheâs stuttering around Nino now.
She buries her fire-hot face in her hands. This is all Alixâs fault. She had Marinette thinking about kissing Nino now, as if Marinette needed a whole new person to be an absolute disaster around.
The problem is, itâs not hard to imagine. She had been overjoyed to know Nino was crushing on Alya all the way back at the zoo because she knew he was patient and just fun to be around even if she hadnât known him that well then.Â
She knew him better now, and that image doesnât bother her at all. The idea of all four of them?Â
She peaks through her fingers at him.Â
He bursts into laughter. And a second later she joins him. She laughs so hard she doubles over clutching at her sides. It feels a touch hysterical, but itâs helping.Â
Nino collapses down next to her a second later and sheâs laughing so hard it hurts. And heâs laughing so hard he almost tips over, but she manages to steady him.Â
Eventually their laughter subsides, and they sit beside each other on the bathroom floor.Â
âD-did you want to talk?â Marinette eventually asks.Â
He shakes his head. âNo, I just⌠I ran in here because I needed to be able to breathe.âÂ
âOh my god! I know! Theyâre both torturing us.âÂ
âAlyaâs doing it on purpose.â
Marinette groans, burying her face in her hands all over again. âWhich means sheâs not gonna stop.â
âDefinitely not.â
âHow are we gonna survive?âÂ
Nino barked a laugh. âWeâre not. Weâre fucked.â
âAt least weâre fucked together.âÂ
Nino laughed again and held out a fist. She met it easily, grinning.
She could think of worse than being tortured by Alya side by side with Nino and maybe hopefully Adrien too.Â
âŚÂ
Adrien stares at the bottle thatâs pointing at him, afraid to see Alyaâs reaction. He starts when she puts a hand on his shoulder, but when she catches his gaze sheâs smiling gently with so much patience.
She leans toward him. âIâm gonna kiss you for real,â she whispers. âYou okay with that?âÂ
He nods dumbly just relieved that sheâs still there - that she wants to kiss him.Â
And kissing Alya is a very different experience than kissing Nino. Her hands on his face are warm and gentle. Sheâs the one who leans forward, the one who presses her lips to his. Sheâs softer, but more confident. Her lips part, and instead of pulling away as he had with Nino, he reciprocates. Her tongue slides across his lower lip, and electricity shoots down his spine to his toes.
When she pulls away, he doesnât move. Heâs dizzy, and he doesnât want the sensation to end.Â
Was every kiss this mind blowing?Â
He pulls away staring at Alya in shock, but her attention is on Nino who is definitely staring at them both in slack jawed astonishment.Â
And Adrienâs gut twists again, not sure where he stands with either of them at the moment, and nervous about how his kisses with each might be impacting their relationship.Â
And then Marinette runs again. Nino lasts only thirty seconds longer, and Adrien fights to keep breathing. He had wanted to come to this party so bad, and now it feels like heâs messing everything up. His eyes are burning.Â
But this time, Alya squeezes his hand and he relaxes.Â
âItâs not what you think,â she tells him. âTheyâre just being stupid.âÂ
âTheyâre not stupid,â he defends. Marinette is brilliant and inspiring. He could watch her for days and never get bored. And Nino is just solid, grounding in a way that always makes Adrien feel like he is always enough.Â
She laughs. She definitely does not agree with him, but she also doesnât argue.Â
Spin the Bottle seems to be a bust at this point. With Marinette and Nino gone, the group breaks apart. Nathaniel and Marc soon have their heads together over a notebook. Rose and Juleka are still making out in the corner. Mylene is on Ivanâs lap on a couch. Alix and Max are talking excitedly about something on his computer. Kim is nowhere to be seen.Â
He and Alya are effectively alone in the sense that no one is really paying attention to them, though theyâre the only ones who havenât moved from the original circle.Â
âWhy did you kiss me like that?â he asks.
She grins. âI had lots of reasons.â
âCare to share?âÂ
âNot yet, but I hope soon.â
He sighs. He tries so hard to respect other peopleâs boundaries, but heâs so tired of being in the dark all of the time. He does appreciate that Alya is direct about it though. She doesnât try to evade or dance around the fact that sheâs holding information back from him. And he believes her when she says she wants to tell him, so he doesnât push.Â
âAre you okay that I kissed Nino earlier?â he asks instead.
âIâd be a total hypocrite if I wasnât.â
Adrien frowns. âThat doesnât answer the question.â
She grins again. âLetâs just say I was a lot more okay with it than I thought I would be, and maybe thatâs part of why I wanted to kiss you too.â
âPlease donât use me as a way to get revenge on my best friend,â he pleads.
She laughs again. âI promise you I was not trying to hurt him. And I donât think I did, but youâre right. He and I should probably talk. Are you okay if I go find him?âÂ
He nods, though itâs not completely true. He doesnât feel like heâs on the verge of panic anymore, so he doesnât need Alya to stay.Â
But when sheâs gone, heâs alone with his thoughts. Thoughts he very much doesnât know what to do with.Â
Heâs in love with Ladybug! Heâs certain of it, but this crazy game is making him realize that he has other feelings as well.
Feelings for his friends that heâs not supposed to have.
He wanted Marinette to kiss him. Hell, he still wants Marinette to kiss him, but heâs not always sure she even sees him as a friend, let alone something more. So trying something there doesnât seem worth the risk. But he wants it anyway even though he now realizes he has feelings for Nino and Alya as well.Â
But heâs not allowed to have feelings for his best friend and heâs definitely not allowed to have feelings for his best friendâs girlfriend.
What is wrong with him?Â
...
Ninoâs not sure what shifted, but Marinette seems calmer now. Sheâs smiling and he canât help but mirror the expression. He always liked her smile.Â
A soft tap on the door stops his thoughts in their tracks, and Alya pokes her head around the door.Â
âThere you both are!âÂ
Marinetteâs hands cover her face again, but Nino can still see the blush blooming under her hands.
âHey girl, do you mind if I steal your spot to talk to Nino alone for a moment?âÂ
Marinetteâs head bobs up and down with far too much enthusiasm. And as she disappears, Nino wonders if he should envy how easily she escaped Alyaâs gaze.Â
But the second the door is closed, Alya pounces on him. He barely catches her. Her mouth is on his, hot and urgent, her tongue demanding entrance, and heâs only too happy to grant her request.Â
But heâs confused. He thought she would be upset. Not that heâs complaining.Â
Her lips travel to his ear, and his neck. Oh yeah, heâs definitely not complaining.Â
But heâs still very confused.Â
âBabe! What the hell?â
âIâve literally been wanting to jump you,â she tells him between kisses, âsince Adrien kissed you.âÂ
For some reason this upsets him, and he pushes her off him. âThis isnât some game, Alya.âÂ
She frowns, settling backwards on her heels, but her hands stay on his shoulders. âI didnât say it was?â
He takes off his glasses and rubs at his eyes. âI just⌠Iâm kinda messed up right now because I think I like him, like him. And I donât want to mess this,â He gestured between the two of them, âup. And I donât want to mess him and I up either, but I canât stop thinking about it now. And now, you treating that kiss like itâs just some kind of turn on or toy thing for you to get me all riled up.âÂ
Her hold on him loosens, but she doesnât let go. Instead sheâs rubbing soothing patterns on his shoulders.Â
âNino, itâs okay. Adrien is super sweet, and totally hot. And you care about each other immensely. Of course, you have feelings!â
Ninoâs brows pinch together. âAnd you donât have a problem with that?â
âI personally think itâs totally normal to have a bit of a gay crush on your best friend,â she says.
His eyes blow open. âHoly shit! You have a thing for Marinette!â
She clamps a hand over his mouth, as she glances frantically towards the closed door. âShh! Nino! Sheâs not ready to hear that!âÂ
âI thought this was about you riling me up, but this is about her too, isnât it?â
Alya doesnât say anything.Â
âHow long have you felt this way?â he asks.
She bites her lip. âA long time. Longer than us.â
âI see.âÂ
âNino! Itâs not like that! I donât have a favorite. Iâve known I was poly for a long time, but I didnât think that you were and Marinette was never interested, and I thought I had made peace with all of that.â
But today apparently had been testing all of their limits.Â
âBabe, why did you kiss Adrien like that?â he asks, but he thinks he already knows the answer.Â
âYou kissed him first!âÂ
âHe kissed me! And that didnât answer the question.âÂ
She looks up at him. âBecause I wanted you to know what it felt like to watch two people you love, love each other.âÂ
Heâs not sure he really got to appreciate that feeling in the moment. He had been too busy freaking out about his feelings for Adrien and if Alya would be upset.
âYouâve never told Marinette how you feel.âÂ
âSheâs not remotely interested. Sheâs always had tunnel vision for Adrien.âÂ
Having watched her melt down after Alya kissed Adrien firsthand, heâs not so sure of that now.Â
âYouâre a hypocrite.â
She scowls. âWhat do you mean?âÂ
âYou tell Marinette to confess every day. Youâve told me that you wish she would just be honest about her feelings and even if Adrien is somehow an idiot and turns her down sheâll still be freer. All of that applies to you. So why havenât you confessed?âÂ
âWell one, Iâm dating you.âÂ
It was a cop out. âThatâs not in the way anymore.â
âNino! Itâs different when youâre best friends. Her friendship is precious and amazing and not less than romance. I donât want to ruin that. â
He nods. âYeah. Totally. Makes complete sense. But I think that what you tell Marinette all the time is still true. That you will be freer if you are honest with her about your feelings.â
Alya suddenly grins. âTell you what. I will confess to Marinette if you confess to Adrien.â
âFuck. I walked into that one.âÂ
Alya laughs. âYeah, you did.âÂ
He loves her laugh. Itâs loud and real just like she is. Sheâs never as gorgeous as she is when sheâs laughing her head off. He pulls her back into his arms and kisses her hard.
She breaks away, giggling. âWhat was that for?âÂ
He shakes his head in amusement. She tackled him first. He was just following through.Â
âFor luck,â he tells her. He doesnât know for sure which way Marinette swings, but he knows that Alya doesnât need any luck.Â
But he might.Â
âŚ
Alya follows Nino out of the bathroom, and sure enough, Marinette is in the kitchen having never made it all the way back to the main living area. Nino nods at her and winks at Marinette before he leaves them both without a word.
Alya faces Marinette who is not meeting her eyes.Â
Had Marinette overheard her conversation with Nino? Does it matter if sheâs planning on telling her right now anyway?
âHey,â Alya greets softly, looping her arm through Marinetteâs exactly as she had earlier during the game. âAre we okay?â Â
Marinetteâs head shoots up. âWhy wouldnât we be okay?âÂ
âWell, I thought you might be upset that I kissed Adrien. I feel like maybe I should have checked with you first?â
Marinette blushes. âI figured you were just trying to inspire me.âÂ
âDid it work?âÂ
âUmm⌠it was definitely inspiring.â Marinetteâs cheeks are red as she looks down into her hands.
Alyaâs heart flips in her chest. Dare she hope this isnât as hopeless as she fears? She licks her lips.Â
Marinette frowns and grabs her hand. âDid you think I would be mad?âÂ
Maybe she had thought that was a possibility beforehand, but Alya knew afterwards that she wasnât. âNo⌠IâŚâ and she trails off.Â
âAlya?â Marinetteâs voice trembles.
Alya shakes herself. She needs to pull herself together. This is Marinette . Marinette will never hold this against her.
âI never understood why you have such a hard time talking to Adrien. I mean, I knew that it was hard. Obviously in that you struggled with it, but I didnât understand why you were so afraid . Adrienâs the nicest person on the planet, so even if he wasnât somehow interested, which for the record, I think he isââ
Marinette shakes her head and Alya wants to shake her.Â
ââhe would never ever be mean about it. But I think I get it now because thereâs something that Iâve never told you because I was afraid.âÂ
âYou donât have to tell me anything,â Marinette says, squeezing her hands. âBest friends donât always have to tell each other everything.â
âNino said I was a hypocrite for not telling you this and heâs right.âÂ
âOh no! Did you and Nino fight?âÂ
âNo! Nino and I are fine. I never told you this because I am absolutely terrified you wonât want me in your life anymore.â
Marinette laughs. âAlya, thereâs nothing on this earth that you could do, be or say that would make me wish you gone.â
Alya forces herself to smile. She knows that, she believes it. And yet, sheâs still scared her feelings could make things weird. She wants Marinette to come to her, to gush about boys, and ask for advice.Â
Will she still do that, if she knows Alya loves her too?Â
âWhat is it?â Marinette asks.Â
âIâm in love with you, Marinette.âÂ
âŚ
When Nino walks back into the main room, Adrien is in the corner with Max, Alix, and Kim. Max and Adrien are playing the latest version of his fighting game, which is inconvenient because Nino really wants to talk to him now while he still has Alyaâs encouragement in his head. But heâs so nervous that interrupting seems impossible, and heâs hovering to the side of the group like an idiot. Even Alix and Kim are throwing him funny looks.Â
Maybe he just canât do this.Â
But then Adrien glances at him out of the corner of his eyes, smiles that blinding smile, and Ninoâs stomach drops in a fluttering mess. He has to do this because Alya is right. However Adrien responds, Nino needs to get this out or it will drive him slowly insane.Â
Max groans, signaling the end of the match. Kim claps him consolingly on the shoulder and Alix cheers, clearly having just won a bet.Â
âThat was super close though,â Adrien says graciously. âI think youâll get me soon.â
Max nods. âWeâre definitely more closely matched. I appreciate you not going easy on me.âÂ
âWouldnât want to diminish your accomplishment in any way.â Then he turns his attention to Nino and holds out the controller. âYou want a turn?âÂ
Nino shakes his head, stuffing his hands into his pockets so he canât fidget. âCan I actually talk to you?â He points behind them with his thumb. âMaybe out on the balcony again?âÂ
Adrien smiles, but Nino can see the sudden tension in his shoulders. âOf course.âÂ
Kim makes a weird kissy face at Nino over Maxâs shoulder. And Nino tries not to react, but he tucks his head into his shoulders like a turtle trying to hide in his shell. His neck and face are hot. Kim laughs, but at least it cuts off abruptly when Alix punches him in the arm.Â
âHey!â Kim complains, rubbing his arm.
âLeave them alone!â she hisses.
Nino is relieved when the sliding glass door closes, so he canât hear the interaction. But that lasts all of two seconds because now Adrien is looking at him, waiting for whatever Nino wants to say, and Nino knows Adrien well enough to guess that Adrienâs bracing himself for the worst news ever.Â
Which means Nino needs to buck up and be brave.Â
âSo you know how I said I wasnât straight?â Nino blurts out.
Adrien lifts his head up and Nino can breathe just a bit easier. âYeah?âÂ
âWell, that kiss, mec.â Nino adjusts his hat and risks a glance at his best friend. âI think it awakened some things. And if youâre game, I would k-kinda like to see where that could go?â His voice is pitched too high, and Nino wants to hide, but the hard part is done, and so he makes himself sit still.Â
Well, mostly still. Nino doesnât know how to be completely still.Â
âWhat about Alya?âÂ
Nino relaxes at that objection. Adrien isnât saying that heâs not interested. âSheâs on board. In fact, if youâre into it, I suspect sheâd date you as well, but we didnât talk about that.âÂ
âAnd thatâs allowed?â Adrien asks. His brows are furrowed so tight and itâs cute.Â
âI mean, if you and I are okay with it and sheâs okay with it, does it matter what anyone else says?âÂ
âI uh⌠guess not.âÂ
âBut thereâs no pressure here either!â Nino backpedals. âMy having feelings doesnât mean anything has to change. Just because Alya and I are poly, doesnât mean that you have to be. And you donât have to date us both, though if you dated her and not me, Iâm not gonna lie, Iâd be super jealous.â
âNino?âÂ
âYeah?âÂ
âCan we slow down please?âÂ
âŚ
âYouâre in love with me?â Marinette echoes. She heard it, but she canât believe it.Â
Alya has coached her through the most ridiculous anxious spirals, has seen her in her bathrobe rambling with her hair in nets at her most insane, and has chastised her when she was beyond petty.Â
Alya has seen her at her worst.Â
And Alya loves her?Â
Itâs so crazy her brain refuses to accept it.Â
Alya nods. âHave been for a long time. And I want you to know Iâm not at all sure where you would like to go from here if anywhere, but I wanted you to know. I donât want to keep things from you.â
But if it is true, Itâs the most amazing precious thing! She woke up this morning expecting a treat, and woke up with a whole cake!Â
âNino?â she squeaks.
âI love him, too. Iâm poly. And I know youâre in love with Adrien. You know Iâve been rooting for the two of you since forever. Like I said, I just wanted you to know. And I guess I wanted to show you that even if you donât get the answer youâre hoping for after a confession, that things can still be okay.âÂ
Marinetteâs grabs Alyaâs arm that is already looped through hers. Alya thought she was going to say no!Â
But itâs too amazing. Marinette doesnât want to say no.
âNo,â Marinette says.Â
âNo?â Alya echoes, stiffening under Marinetteâs arm.Â
Marinette grip tightens around Alya. âNo! No! I donât mean no!! I meanâ Alyaaaa!â she whines, burying her face against Alyaâs arm.
Alya laughs. âI must be doing pretty well if youâve lost the power of speech!âÂ
Marinette nods.Â
And Alya untangles herself and holds Marinette by both her elbows, and suddenly Alyaâs dark eyes are filling up Marinetteâs entire field of vision.Â
âMarinette, may I kiss you?âÂ
Marinette nods again. And now Alyaâs hands ride up her arms to either side of her face, and Marinette basks in the feeling of being held in Alyaâs embrace.
And then Alyaâs lips are on hers, and Marinette forgets how to breathe. Sheâs kissed Chat before under battlefield conditions. Hell! Sheâs kissed Alya before! But it was never like this. Never with Alya pouring all of herself into it.Â
Alya is warmth and safety. And sheâs fire and courage. And Marinette never wants the moment to end.Â
Alya pulls away first.Â
Marinette doesnât want to move. This was how Adrien felt earlier. She knows it. This is what it means to be blissed out. She canât imagine anything better.Â
âNow, I just want you to know, I donât want you settling. Iâm not kissing you again until youâve confessed to Adrien.âÂ
Marinetteâs eyes blink open.
âBut Alyaaaaa!â
âŚ
âCan we slow down please?â Adrien asks.
âYeah, mec! Of course! Iâll just shut up now! And you can say whatever you need to.âÂ
Adrien laughs. Every inch of his body is buzzing. Like, heâs floating so high that his feet may never touch ground again. He has no idea what to say, but he knows he needs to say something.
âI think Iâm game.âÂ
âYou think?â Nino echoes. âYou donât have to tell me what you think I want to hear.â
âAnd Iâm not! I justâ Nino, that was effectively my first kiss,â Adrien admits.Â
âWhat?! But you saidââ
âI know! And I have, but it was under an akumaâs influence and I donât remember it.â
âYou could have said something.âÂ
Adrien rubs the back of his neck. Heâs not good at speaking up. Not like Nino, Alya, or Marinette. âI just⌠when it landed on you I felt so relieved because I knew that my first kiss was going to be with someone that I cared about and who cared about me.â
And should have that alone told him something?Â
Ninoâs smile softens. âIâm glad.â
âAnd I definitely felt something, too. I wanted more, but everyone was watching. And I wasnât sure if all kisses were like that? Because when Alya kissed meââ Â
âOh my god! I know!âÂ
ââI saw stars. But youâre saying sheâs interested too? So maybe not all kisses are like that, and Iâm just really lucky that the first two people I remember kissing are people that I have feelings for.âÂ
Adrien knows heâs the one rambling, but Nino only listens.Â
âSo umm⌠yeah. Iâm game.â Adrien holds out his hand.Â
Nino stares at it. âYeah?â Ninoâs voice cracks on the word, and he has to clear his throat.Â
âYeah,â Adrien says again.Â
Nino takes his hand, their fingers interlace and itâs wild how natural it feels, how comforting the warmth of Ninoâs hand is in his own.
âI want to do what you said,â Adrien says, âexplore where we could go. And itâs not just because I want to make-out! Though that sounds amazing, too!âÂ
Nino laughs.Â
âBut a relationship with you? That sounds like a dream. How could I ever turn that down?â
Ninoâs gaze drops. âDude! Iââ His voice cracks again.Â
Adrien squeezes his hand reassuringly.
But Nino stands suddenly, and yanks Adrien a meter to the side, where theyâre not standing in front of a glass door.
Their second kiss is even better than the first. It leaves Adrien wanting more.
Good thing Nino is his boyfriend now and there will hopefully be so many more opportunities for more. Â
âŚÂ
The party continues like Marinette whole world hasnât been thrown out of orbit. The pizza arrives, her friends eat and play Just Dance and Mecha Strike. And Marinetteâs losing.Â
Badly.Â
She just canât sit still, and she canât think long enough to finish a slice of pizza, let alone pull off the complicated combos needed to send Alixâs avatar into next week.Â
Marinetteâs just so happy and so nervous, and her face has to be permanently stained red at this point. Everytime Alya touches her, everytime Nino laughs, everytime Adrienâs delighted smile meets her gaze, she explodes from her seat.Â
She grabs another slice of pizza even though she hasnât finished the first just to have an excuse to be out of her seat, and pours a cup of soda. She backs up and bumps into a solid warm body immediately.Â
âWoah there!â Adrien says, his hands hovering over her arms obviously ready to catch her should she stumble.Â
She only sees green. The green of spring grass and emeralds.
âMarinette?â he asks, his brows furrowed in concern. âAre you okay?âÂ
Her cheeks burn hotter. âY-youâre fine! I mean, me! Iâm fine!âÂ
He grins back at her and she feels warm. âIâm glad.âÂ
âA-Adrien?âÂ
âYeah?âÂ
âAbout earlier, when I ran away?â
âWhich time?âÂ
And god, sheâs run from him twice today! Could she be more of a disaster?Â
âI⌠umm⌠the first time.â She pushes a errant lock of hair behind her ear and licks her lips. âI wanted to explain.âÂ
âItâs okay, Marinette. Youâre allowed to not want to kiss me, you know.âÂ
âBut thatâs not it at all!âÂ
âThen what is it?â
She swallows. Sheâs going to do this even if she messes up every word because Alya believed in her â because of Alya could risk everything to go after what she wanted, Marinette will too. And Alya if Alya can love her at her worst, maybe Adrien can love her at her most bizarre.Â
âIâve wanted to kiss you since the day we met. I just⌠I also wanted it to be special, you know?â
Her teeth press down into her lower lip, and she risks a glance up at him.Â
And suddenly she canât breathe.
âŚ
Adrien isnât sure he heard her right.Â
Sheâs wanted to kiss him, wanted it to be special?Â
For that long?Â
He always thought he was doing something wrong, but she had just been nervous? Because she liked him?!Â
A laugh bubbles out of him.Â
Clearly the stars have aligned today.
Or at least he hopes so.Â
âMarinette, what do you think of the idea of loving more than one person?â he asks.
âI⌠I donât totally know,â she says, biting down on her lip. âFrom where Iâm sitting, I really really want it to be a thing.â
Oh, this day cannot get any better.Â
He reaches for her hand, which she takes. âIs it special enough if I kiss you now?âÂ
Her cheeks turn a delightful shade of pink. She nods, but heâs too lost in her eyes that are shining like stars to move.Â
She moves first.Â
And he learns that heâs been wrong on several counts.Â
One, from his rapidly growing experience every kiss can be life changingly mind blowing.Â
And this particular day can and will keep getting better.Â
âŚ
The party isnât even close to over, but Alya asks if they want to bail early and they all agree. She lives only a few blocks away, and they probably need to spend some time, just the four of them together.Â
Today has been a lot.Â
But definitely the best kind of a lot, she thinks as they all four walk side by side. Adrien and Marinette are in the middle, their fingers just barely touching, but still interlaced. Nino is on Adrienâs other side, and her boyfriend cannot stop smiling.Â
Alya has seen Nino excited and giddy when listening to a song. Sheâs seen him silly and flustered after she kissed him for the first time, but sheâs never seen him quite like this, beaming like he just won the lottery.Â
Sheâs never seen Marinette so calm and relaxed. Sheâs so glad that Marientte finally managed to confess, and sheâs beyond touched that it was her own confession that finally goaded Marinette into action.
And sheâs never seen Adrien so real. Heâs joking and being silly, and just laughing. Itâs a gorgeous sound.Â
And sheâs so happy for herself, too. That she doesnât have to fantasize and wonder, she doesnât have to settle.Â
She gets to have all of this. All of them.Â
She thought a day like this could never happen.Â
âAlya! Whatâs wrong?â
Alya shakes her head, dabbing at her eyes.Â
âIâm just happy.âÂ
Marinette beams at her.Â
âI know! I donât think Iâve ever felt so⌠loved.âÂ
Nino laughs. âIt looks good on you.âÂ
It looked good on all of them.Â
Because itâs perfect.
Right up until Alya has to let go of Marinetteâs hand to unlock the front door. And instead of cuddling right back up to Marinette like she wants to, she ducks into the apartment trying to see if anyone is home.Â
While she has no intention of keeping her unconventional relationship a secret, she prefers the chance to talk to all her partners for at least one whole conversation before she has to explain it to anyone else.Â
Luckily, the whole place is dark.Â
âLooks like we have the place to ourselves! Make yourselves at home! Iâll get drinks! Adrien, want to help me?âÂ
âOf course!â he agrees, his and Marinetteâs hands slowly untangling, until they canât reach as they part ways.Â
âWhy Adrien?â Marinette pouts. Â
Alya laughs. âBecause I need to talk to him! Weâll be out in two minutes.âÂ
He follows her into the kitchen. âWhatâs up?âÂ
âI just wanted to tell you all the reasons I kissed you today now that Iâm not revealing any secrets.âÂ
He grins. âPlease go on.âÂ
She hands him two cans of soda from the fridge.Â
âOne, I wanted to drive Nino nuts, but I swear in a good way.âÂ
Adrien laughs.Â
âTwo, I wanted to show Marinette that it wasnât that hard. And that things could still be okay after the fact.âÂ
âBetter than okay!â he adds.Â
âThree, you are hot and Iâm not blind.â She grabs another two cans of soda.Â
He laughs again, and Alya really likes the sound. She looks right up at him.Â
âAnd last, you were hurting earlier when Marinette ran, and I donât know⌠I wanted you to know what it was like to be wanted.âÂ
âIâŚâ he visibly swallows. âI donât know what to say. Thank you.âÂ
She grins. âYou're welcome! Now, come on!â
Alya freezes in the threshold.Â
Nino has a hand on Marinetteâs shoulder. He throws a silly grin at her and she sucks in a breath. He knows exactly what heâs doing.Â
âSo I donât know how you feel about me compared to them,â Nino says to Marinette.Â
Marinette blushes, and glances toward Alya who is staring at them both, still unmoving.
âBut I have it on good authority that if we kissed, it would drive Alya wild,â Nino stage whispers.Â
Adrien chokes on a laugh from behind her.Â
Marinette nods enthusiastically. âShe would deserve it after knowingly torturing us all day!âÂ
They turn towards each other. Marinette has to stand on her toes, and Nino leans down, and their lips meet.Â
Alyaâs throat feels dry.Â
Adrien whistles in clear approval, and then the three of them dissolve into giggles.Â
But Alya has to swallow several times before she finds her voice. âNot gonna lie. I have thought about this before and I didnât think it would ever happen.â
Marinette holds her hand out, and Alya lets herself be pulled into their embrace. Adrien is only a few seconds behind.Â
âDoes it live up to your fantasies?â Marinette asks.Â
âItâs even better. All thanks to Spin the Bottle! Weâre gonna have to thank Kim for pushing it.âÂ
âAnd to think, Marinette didnât think a Spin the Bottle kiss could be special,â Adrien teases.
âShut up!â she protests, her cheeks turning pink. Alya kisses the closest one.
âSpin the Bottle kisses can obviously be life changing,â Nino says, his fingers threading through hers.Â
âDid Marinette just tell Adrien to shut up?â Alya asks.
âMaybe?â Marinette squeaks.
Alya grins. âIâm so proud.âÂ
âŚ
Bonus:
Adrienâs never been this comfortable in his whole life. Itâs almost overwhelming. Marinetteâs head lay in his lap, while he leaned on Ninoâs shoulder with Alya on Ninoâs other side. Heâs not sure how they got here all together like this, but heâs never going to let go now.Â
âSo are we exclusive?â Marinette asks, her fingers tracing patterns on the back of his hand.
âWhy do you ask?â Alya grins, clearly amused.Â
âI just kinda wanted to see if I could add Chat Noir.â
Adrien chokes. âCh-Chat Noir?â he splutters.
âWhat? Is that crazy?â Marinette asks.Â
âHe does look hot in that catsuit.â Nino comments and Adrienâs ears burn.Â
âIâm down for Chat Noir, Ladybug, and Carapace,â Alya interjects.Â
Marinette glares at her. âI think youâre forgetting someone.âÂ
âWho?âÂ
âRena Rouge!âÂ
âOh! Yeah, sure,â she agrees readily.Â
They all turn to him expectantly, and Adrien doesnât know what to say. It sounds amazing and it sounds like way too much, and it also seems impossible. âWhat are the chances all four of them would be down for that?âÂ
Marinette glances at Alya and Nino before her gaze flips back to him. âHigher than you might think.âÂ
For the incredible @sucksinlosers, who requested a little pre-spice steam for her OC Lysa and Gale Dekarios - thank you for your patience, you're a star!
Stay
The Weave pulsed in the air all around, caressing skin and mind and soul with tender sweetness and the barest scent of rose petals, teasing Lysa to surrender herself to the magic within and without all over again. No matter how often she did this, it never lost its wonder to her, this unknown dimension of magic she might never have known about, were it not for the wizard that drew her every step of the way.
Galeâs hands lay sure on her own, his chest pressed to her back as he guided every gesture to its proper place, peppering the golden sway of her hair with the suggestion of kisses she was pretty sure he thought she could not discern in the Weaveâs tactile embrace of them. His voice lulled her with tales of the magic he had wrought in the past, and his hopes to weave still more wonders with her when their time was once again their own.Â
In these moments, gathered close into his arms and enveloped by the Weave, it was possible to forget for just a little while that the lands in which they camped were poisoned with shadow and death. That only the light they held about themselves kept the tormented creatures that roamed here at bay. Here, enclosed in the flimsy walls of Galeâs tent, Lysa could forget that there was anything in the world but herself and her wizard, enthralled by the magic that bound them together, her mind and soul just barely brushing his as they shared everything but their physicality together.Â
âDo you hear that?â His breath warmed her neck as he crowded closer to her back, sending a flood of shimmering tingles to play over her skin and awaken parts of her she had been trying very hard to ignore recently. âJust on the edge of the Weave ...â
âWhat?â Her voice was barely more than a breath, her ears straining to hear what it was he had caught as they lingered together. âWhat is it?â
âShh ...â His lips brushed the curve of her ear, and she felt a squeak try to erupt from her throat, swallowing it ruthlessly even as she squirmed in his embrace. He had to know what he was doing to her, right? He couldnât be so focused on the magic that he had forgotten the loving, willing, eager woman right there in his arms. Could he? âJust listen ...â
Fighting the urge to turn in his arms and demand the kiss that her lips were aching for, Lysa obediently closed her eyes, hoping this might make it easier for her to find the echo of whatever it was he had heard. But, alas, her hearing was not the only one of her senses to flicker into deeper intensity the moment her sight went dark.Â
On her tongue, the darkly rich metallic chocolate of the Weave tasted thicker, more intoxicating. Her nose twitched at the notes that mingled with the rose petal fragrance of her own magic, of the sandalwood musk of Galeâs skin, the faint waft of lavender from the oils he used on his beard and hair, the complement of the bitter cling of smoke from the campfire clinging to his clothes. In the darkness behind her eyelids, she saw herself in his arms, imagining this night the way she had hoped it might go, with a merging of more than just minds and magic and an abandonment he seemed so shy to share with her.Â
Too late, she remembered that each thought she conjured of sharing anything with Gale was shared in moments like these, when they were as close as could be without fully giving way to their desires. She felt his intake of breath against her ear, the momentary tightening of his hands on her own; the unconscious tilt of his hips betraying that he was not so unaffected as he might at first seem.Â
âLysa ...â
âStay with me -â
âShhh.â
It was such a gentle sound, designed to shush her and calm her and succeeding with both, even as his hands retreated from her own, the warmth of his body easing away. She couldnât help the soft whimper that escaped her lips, saddened by the loss of his proximity due to her own careless thoughts. She could almost see the gentle smile on his face as he spoke, her body unconsciously leaning toward his even as he circled to stand before her once more.
âYou have done nothing wrong,â he murmured. âGods above, you never could. Look at me, Lysa. Feel me.â
Her eyes snapped open, a flicker of diamond reflected in the grey as she focused on Gale, standing barely two feet from her, his own eyes intense with a heat she had only seen a few times, more often banked and controlled than allowed to burn. His lips quirked into a knowing, almost teasing smile, watching as she drew in a slow breath to calm herself amid the rippling of desire as it worked its way through their little corner of the Weave.Â
Feel him? What did he mean? How could she feel him when he was out of her reach? Had he done something to the Weave that she hadnât noticed? Was she disappointing him by not knowing straight away what he meant, what he desired from her?
Her questions fell away even before she could give them voice as he raised his hands once again, each motion sending a ripple of its own through the sparkling Weave to brush pure magic against her skin. His palms curled to the air an inch from her cheeks, thumbs stroking nothing but air, and yet she felt the echo of that touch as though some ghost-like part of him was truly touching her.Â
âYou are so beautiful, Lysa,â he whispered, his eyes burning into hers, daring her without words to hold that connection. Do not look away. âNot only in your face and form, which are magnificent indeed, but in the heart and soul kept close within. You have saved me in ways I could not even begin to describe, given me your trust when I scarcely even began to earn it. How can I ever hope to repay such kindness?â
As he spoke, his hands moved, slowly descending to trace the curve of her neck and shoulders, never once truly touching her yet every movement followed by that ghost-like caress that set her skin aflame with the same shimmering tingle she had felt from his breath on her neck. From the rounded rest of her shoulders, down the supple line of her arms and back up, teasing fingertip touches along her clavicle and finally further downward, making a delectable mockery of cupping the air to see her gasp and sway toward him as a devilish smile took its place on his handsome face.Â
âTo know you are so responsive to even the suggestion of my touch ...â Gale breathed out, and this time she could hear the stagger in his breath, her own quickening at the realisation that he was not as unaffected as he seemed to pretend. âI will not deny that I think of you, dream of you, long for you in each hour of the day and night. I cannot stop myself from hoping ...â
He stepped just a little closer, his hands falling away with the last brush of that ghostly touch skimming her hips to tease her more.Â
âMy sweetling, my dearest Lysa ... will you forgive me my reticence in the Grove, and allow me this night to show you how very much of myself is entirely yours?â
She swallowed against a dry throat, her eyes blinking slowly as lust warred with logic in her mind. There was no doubt in her of her own reasons, her own desires, her own yearning, yet he had been so clear when the tieflings had come to celebrate with them. He had been so sure that to go this far or beyond would doom them all and yet ... here and now, all she heard was him asking her for what he had already denied them once.Â
âI-if youâre sure,â she whispered, her voice growing in strength as she found courage in her desire. âIf I am what you want, Gale ...â Her own lips curved into a winsome smile, all invitation and warmth of her own. âI think this is the part where you kiss me.â
This time there was no hesitation, no second-guessing, no excuses. Hands clutched, lips met, and the Weave and the world could well have exploded for all she cared. Her senses were filled with Gale, her heart and mind and soul tangling with his through the magic he had shown her so much of. Whatever the consequences, here and now, this was her choice, their choice.Â
Trigger Warning: Mostly reunion and romance. Mentions of separation.
---------
Dahlia heard her door open. She got up and looked behind her. Her breath leaves her mouth when she sees Gaster. Time had completely stopped for her.
"Gaster..." Dahlia's voice shook. "You're here..." Dahlia's voice shook more as tears built up. She moved her hand, but before she could react she was pulled into an embrace.
"Dahlia..." Gaster called and Dahlia felt her heart flutter. She longer to hear his voice call her name. "You're here... You're here and you're okay..." Gaster's voice shook. He felt her slowly hug him back. He didn't want to let go. He couldn't let go, not again, not after last time.
"Gaster..." Dahlia whimpered as she hugged him back tightly. Her voice shaking and she softly began to cry. She missed his touch. He was so much more gentle then her husband. He didn't hurt her and he never would.
"I met her, Dahlia. Our little girl, Georgia... She's... She's perfect." Gaster whispered as he cupped her face. She looks down and then up.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you..." Dahlia's voice shook as she remembered her first few days in pregnancy. She wanted to tell him, but her husband and mother forbade it at the threat of his life. She wanted to leave with her, but she knew what could happen.
"It's alright..." Gaster reassured as he leaned down. She leaned up and they kissed. Dahlia pressed her hands to his chest and he gripper her waist. Before she knew it, he broke the kiss and kissed her knuckles. "We're leaving, Dahlia. I'm never letting you go again." Gaster swore in his words as she leaned her head against his chest.
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âI love the sound of your smile,â that KILLED me, ugh so cute. I was so excited to read this part. And I loved it (obviously). Thank you for writing it, it made me very happy. *hugs you*
Thank you so, so much! *hugs back tightly*
Hereâs the last part!Â
Full fic
âHello?â
âItâs Harry.â
Draco grinned stupidly at the phone in his hand. âI know who it is, silly.â
âSilly? Oh. Caller ID.â
âYep.â
Harry groaned over the phone and Draco laughed.
âAre your parents cool if we hang today?â
Draco glanced over at his parents who were sitting in their respective chairs with their backs rigidly straight against the hard wooden chairs and their faces cool as they spoke quietly. Draco leaned back into the excessively spacious kitchen and hopped up onto the counter, holding his phone between his shoulder and cheek.
âItâs nine in the morning. I thought we were going to do something tonight.â
Draco heard Harry sigh through the phone, and then the abrupt clanging of knocking pans in the background.
âYou didnât sound too excited about staying home, so I thought Iâd ask if you would just want to chill for the whole day. We donât have to, of course, I just thought Iâd offer. Iâm not busy today so-â
âBreathe, Harry,â Draco said into the phone quietly. âI would love to. Iâll tell my parents-â
âTell us what?â Narcissa said, sweeping into the kitchen.
Draco snapped his phone away from his face and hung up on Harry. He took the plate out of his motherâs hand and begin rinsing it before she could push him to the side. His father liked to insist that the woman of the house should do all the chores and housework, but Draco found that chores around the house kept him properly busy over having to do other things such as going to fancy tennis brunch events with his father or some whiskey-tasting walk around one of his fatherâs friendâs gardens.
âI have to run some errands today,â Draco said quickly, setting the dish in the side rack to dry. âIs that alright?â
âWhen will you be back?â Narcissa checked her waving reflection in the shiny refrigerator and then turned back to face Draco.
âIâll probably be out for the day. Iâll come back to check in, and then Iâm going to spend time with a friend this evening.â
âFine. But donât wake Lucius up when you come home.â
Draco nodded and kissed his mother on the cheek before rushing out he door, slinging his coat over his arm as a second thought. He called Harry back immediately.
âIâm walking to the corner of my street. Can you come get me?â
âBe right there.â
Harry came to pick him up in less than a minute after Draco called him with a wide grin.
âHey,â Harry threw his car back into drive as soon as Draco closed the door. âWhat do you want to do today?â
âAnything,â Draco said, taking in Harry. His profile was highlighted against the morning sun, outlining the straight of his nose and his wild mass of dark hair. His lips were turned up happily and his hands were relaxed and curved over the steering wheel. His voice was warm, and his laugh exactly the way Draco remembered it. âAbsolutely anything.â
The day passed in a blur of laughter and blushing. They went to the local library so Draco could drag Harry around and pile books on top of him to check out. They went to lunch and Harry giggled like a little boy when he got ketchup on his nose, and Draco blushed so hard he was convinced his knees turned red. Harry showed him how to drive his truck, and Draco nearly ran through a coffee shop. Draco thought he was going to explode of happiness.
Every moment Draco would say something or Harry would crack a joke, and he would laugh a little. And then Harry would turn towards him with a surprised smile, and every time, Draco would have to pause to try and catch his breath.
This couldnât be real. This didnât happen to Draco in real life: hanging out with a handsome boy, and falling in love, and being treated like he was someone worth talking to. Except it was real, and it was happening, and Harry was leaning on Draco and laughing so hard he was snorting, and Draco just held onto him and laughed.
They went to the party later that night, and the music was so, so loud.
Draco hadnât had anything to drink, but he felt drunk and reckless. He hadnât had anything to drink, but heâd felt giddy and free the whole day. He never wanted to go back home, back to the place that had taught him love never lasted, love wasnât real. Draco was head over heels in love, he was sure of it. He didnât know where Harryâs exchange student girlfriend was, or whether they were still together even. But he knew that Harryâs smile made his stomach turn around in loops, and he knew that laughing with Harry felt better than anything in the world, and he knew by the way Harryâs presence made his heart calm that this was going to be for forever.
Later, after the party, Harry set his hand over Dracoâs. It was in the front of seat of his car, in Dracoâs driveway.
âDraco,â Harry said, and something about his voice was different.
âHm?â Draco said sleepily. He had dozed off on the drive home.
âI just want you to know that Ginny and I broke up when she went back to England.â
Dracoâs eyes flicked open. âOkay?â
And then Draco turned to look at Harry, and he didnât know how it had happened, but Harryâs face was too close to his. And then they were kissing.
Draco had only pecked a girlâs lips once when he was thirteen, but heâd never kissed anybody like this. He didnât know if he was doing it terribly, but it felt wonderful.
Harryâs hair was tickling his face and his hands were cupping Dracoâs jaw. Draco sighed against his mouth and Harry pushed his face further into Dracoâs. It was exactly right. It was perfect. Draco wanted it to last forever.
Okay but what about established poly!Queen where one of the boys has a thing for dressing up (lingerie/feminization) but doesnât want the others to find out because they think itâs too weird, so they do it alone until one day the others find him in a compromising situation...
Roger had a secret. It wasnât really a big secret, all things considered, but the extent to which Rogerâs proclivities extended were not really known by his boyfriends. Roger had been planning on keeping it that way. But sometimes plans didnât always work out.
See, he had experimented a little with his boyfriends. Freddie had gotten them all some nice pairs of womenâs underwear as a gag gift one memorable weekend. Roger had happily slid the beautiful red knickers on over his thighs, admiring the way his boyfriends looked wrapped in silk and lace. He decided not to tell the others about his hidden collection of knickers tucked away where no one would ever find them.
It wasnât just knickers, either. Roger had dresses and skirts, tight blouses and a few lovely little bras. And hidden away from the cluster of make up they all shared for concerts, Roger had his own collection of pink lipsticks and light eyeshadows that helped finish the effect.
The strange thing was, Roger knew that he didnât have to hide it. He had been with his boyfriends long enough to know they wouldnât judge him, wouldnât think he was weird or kick him out of the flat. Not with the way Freddie loved to put on make up and paint his nails. Not with the complicated relationship Brian had with gender that he had whispered to them all about one dark night when they couldnât sleep. Even John, who might throw around an offensive comment or two in a bad mood, wouldnât actually care. They might even find it hot if the underwear incidents were anything to go off of.
But Roger still couldnât tell them.
Roger knew why, too, even if he didnât want to admit it to himself. It was years and years of being mistaken as a woman every single time he went out to a pub, being groped by men, being made fun of for his higher pitched voice. The number of times he had cried, had held the scissors to his long locks, ready to cut them off, had screamed and raged and wished he could be more masculine. The idea of telling others how much he enjoyed dressing up as a woman, no matter how much of a man he knew he really was, had to be one of the most terrifying thoughts in the world.
Yet Roger didnât stop. He didnât want to. For as much as he didnât want the others to know, he also wasnât ashamed. So the next time he was able to convince the others to leave him alone at the flat while they all went out for a little trip to Johnâs mumâs house, Roger pretended to be sick. It took a bit to convince the others he would be able to take care of himself, but eventually they left after a few soft kisses.
As soon as they were out the door, Roger was preparing. He couldnât dress up right away, but he could make sure the door was locked, see that everything he would need was accessible, and set the mood a little. He stole a few of Freddieâs candles and lit them on his dresser. He also stole the long mirror from the bathroom and set it in front of his bed.
Because not only did Roger enjoy the feeling of dressing up as a woman, he sometimes got off on it as well.
The towels, the bottles of water, the lube, and his big purple vibrator were all set out nicely by the bed, all within arms reach for when Roger was breathless and contorted into interesting positions to get the best view. After waiting to make sure the others were well and truly gone, Roger began pulling out the clothes.
Skirts and dresses were Rogerâs favorite when he did this. He liked the way they felt on his skin, the way they brushed against the bare skin of his legs, the way he could inch them up slowly, higher and higher until the edges of his lacy panties could be seen. There was nothing that turned him on more when he imagined his boys pulling up his skirt and fucking him until he couldnât see straight. He decided on his little red dress fairly quickly, pairing it with a sexy, see-through black bra and matching knickers.Â
The clothes were donned quickly, and it didnât take long for him to brush out his hair so it fell down over his shoulders nicely. It took longer to do his make up, finding one of his few tubes of red lipstick to match the striking color of the dress, some mascara and eyeliner. He kept it simple but bold, looking somewhere between an elegant lady and a prostitute. Exactly what he was going for.Â
Once the record was spinning, and soft music was filling the room, Roger was ready.Â
He stood between the bed and the mirror for a moment, swaying slowly back and forth to the music. Then he closed his eyes, letting his hands roam over the smooth fabric of the dress, imagining one of his boys coming up behind him and wrapping their arms around him. Maybe Brian, with his calloused fingers catching now and then on the fabric before coming up to touch lightly at Rogerâs exposed collarbone. Then Freddie would come to Rogerâs side, mouthing along Rogerâs shoulder, and slipping off one of the dresses straps. John, of course, would be the one to stand in front of Roger and kiss him fiercely before pushing him back onto the bed.
A low âoomphâ escaped Rogerâs lips as he fell back onto the bed, opening his eyes and moving around to make sure he still had a good view in the mirror. His hands trailed slowly up his legs, teasing himself, not letting his fingers go any further than where the bottom of his dress was now pulled dangerously high.
Somewhere between the music and Rogerâs breathless pants that filled the room, Roger didnât hear the front door open. Didnât hear his boys tiptoeing quietly into the flat, not wanting to wake their sick boyfriend. Didnât even hear the quiet rap on his bedroom door before Freddie opened it just wide enough to peek inside.Â
Roger did, however, hear the gasp and the sound of something falling and thumping onto the floor. He heard the questioning sound from Brian, and footsteps coming closer behind where Freddie stood. John and Brian opened the door wider to investigate as well, and Roger could only stare at them with wide eyes.
Their eyes raked over his body, taking in the dress, the makeup, and Rogerâs hard cock tenting the tight red fabric. Freddie noticed the vibrator sitting near the bed first. It was quite obvious what Roger was doing.
âYou donât seem very sick,â John said, his voice sounding mean and sarcastic, but luckily Roger knew him well enough to see the lack of judgement in his face, the beginnings of lust in his eyes. âUnless this is an interesting new remedy I missed in last monthâs home journal.â
âI⌠umâŚâ Roger tried to hide the blush on his face, finally shaking out of his shock and pulling down his dress as best he could. He looked down shamefully at his legs, letting his hair form a barrier between him and his boyfriends.
But of course they werenât having that. Within seconds Rogerâs boys were on him, Brian and Freddie wrapping their arms around him from either side and John bending in front of Roger to hold his face gently in his hands so that their eyes could meet. So similar to Rogerâs fantasy, yet so different.
âWe can leave if you like, if you want this to be just a you thing, sweetheart,â John whispered. Freddie held Roger tighter, as if he didnât like that idea much. âBut we are more than happy to join you. We love you so much, Roger.â
And just like that, Rogerâs little quirk was accepted. So simple, after years of hiding it.
It made the decision easy, really. âI would love it if you joined me,â Roger purred, squeezing himself between Freddie and Brian so that he could lay himself out seductively on the bed.Â
1.5k words of ... f-fluff? Not angst?? Whatâs going on???
That last little ficlet from @icequeenoriginal was too cute, not even my cold space heart could resist. For @sugarglider9603 âs Mario AU
Logan could tell that it was an off-day for Patton. He had yet to figure out exactly what triggered Patton exactly, but every so often the prince would slip into states of melancholy and nostalgia. As soon as Logan stepped into the castle, he was hit with a smell that instantly reminded him of the large blanket Logan would wrap around himself and Virgil when the younger twin had a nightmare after their parents ... Logan blinked the memory away. Pattonâs nostalgia was contagious, it seemed.
A helpful Talyn told Logan that Patton was in his room and Logan followed the familiar path to the princeâs bedroom. He knocked on the heavy oak door and waited for the muffled âCome in!â before entering.Â
Prince Patton was sitting on the edge of his large, soft bed, wrapped in an old-looking quilt and holding a scrapbook in his lap. âHi, sweetie,â Patton greeted. He smiled and his voice sounded cheerful, but it didnât completely reach his eyes. Logan gently sat next to him on the bed.
âThatâs a nice quilt,â Logan said. Heâd learned that the best strategy when Patton was in one of these moods was to let Patton talk about the issue on his own. Just jumping right in and asking what was wrong wouldnât work. Patton rubbed the fraying edges lightly.
âMy mother made it,â Patton explained softly. Logan nodded, but didnât break the growing silence between them, just let Patton continue the motion and think to himself for a moment. Without a word, Patton grabbed the edge of the quilt and extended it towards Logan. Logan draped it over his shoulders and moved closer to Patton. He snaked his arm around Pattonâs waist and lightly rubbed his hip, gently reminding the monarch that he was there. In response, Patton moved the scrapbook so it was resting across both their laps. It was open to pictures of Patton and Roman, both around seven or eight years old. Roman was posing with a wooden sword and Patton was missing one of his front teeth. Logan chuckled at some of the pictures of the two together. âOur mothers would bring us over for playdates and sleepovers all the time,â he explained. âWeâd play DragonWitch and make pillowforts and we said that every time we slept over weâd make an even bigger and better one than the time before. Weâd talk about the kind of kings we wanted to be.â
Patton sighed and rested his head on Loganâs shoulder. Logan responded by squeezing Pattonâs waist in a silent encouragement to continue. âI donât know,â Patton sighed, nuzzling further into Loganâs shoulder. âSometimes I just wonder if Iâm living up to who I wanted to be? I mean, Roman always said he would protect his kingdom from bad guys and I ...â he trailed off and laughed a bit. âI wanted all my subjects to be happy all the time, and I said I would marry someone who could make rainbows in the sky every day. I know thatâs not realistic, but still ... sometimes I wonder if I am who I wanted to be.â
Logan put his forehead against Pattonâs and made them lock eyes. âI know who you are,â Logan said confidently. Pattonâs eyes sparkled with hope and Logan smiled broadly at how beautiful they get when theyâre like that. âYou are the kindest person I know. You care about each and every creature in your kingdom, and while youâre right, itâs unrealistic for anyone to be happy all the time, I assure you that everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom is happy to live here. This kingdom and your rule will never be the source of someoneâs unhappiness. You try your best to be a fair and honest ruler and thatâs enough. You are more than enough.â
Patton threw his arms around Logan and the plumber felt tears leak onto his shirt. He adjusted his hold on Patton and pulled him closer, the scrapbook falling out of the laps and the quilt sliding off their shoulders. Logan rocked them both gently, softly murmuring reassurances to the prince. After some time, Patton pulled back and smiled brightly at Logan, tears still in his eyes. âI love you,â he said, simply and strongly, no doubt in his words. Loganâs mouth ticked up in a smile involuntarily at the proclamation as it always did.Â
âAnd I, you,â Logan answered and kissed the prince softly, gears turning in his head.
*~*~*
Patton sighed happily, walking through the gardens in the back of his castle. It had been a little more than a week since his âepisodeâ and thankfully there hadnât been a repeat. Logan was working on something but made time every day to visit Patton and see how he was doing. Although every time Patton asked what exactly Logan was working on, the hero would simply smile and change the subject. Strange.
That day, however, Logan sent a message with a Talyn and Thomas, requesting Pattonâs presence in his own garden. The two who carried the message both had wide grins and wouldnât tell him anything more than what the note said, just escorted him along the path.
Soon enough they came to Logan pacing in front of a tall pipe in the ground. âLogi-bear?â Patton asked curiously, startling him out of his thoughts. Logan was wearing his nice overalls and a clean shirt. His hair was brushed underneath his signature hat. Patton always thought Logan looked handsome but he was especially dashing that day.Â
Logan thanked Talyn and Thomas and the pair rushed off, giggling excitedly. âWhatâs going on, Logan?â Patton asked again. He took Loganâs hands, noting how clammy they seemed to be, even shaking a little like he was nervous. But Logan never gets nervous! He takes down Bowceit without blinking an eye, he jumps over pits of lava without breaking a sweat! Why would he be nervous?
Logan cleared his throat. âI, uh, have been thinking about this for a while. That is to say, I got this specific idea last week, but Iâve wanted to do this for much longer. Well, not this specifically, or rather, yes this specifically but not with this delivery system in mind -â
Patton silenced his rambling boyfriend with a chaste kiss. âBreathe,â he commanded gently. He pulled back slowly and saw Logan following his instructions and gathering his thoughts. After a moment, Logan smiled at him, relaxed and easy.
âI have a surprise for you,â Logan finally said. Patton perked up and tilted his head. Loganâs smile grew wider. âI just need you to stand here,â he put his hands on Pattonâs shoulders and shuffled him a couple steps to the right. Patton giggled at the plumberâs antics as Logan spun him around and tilted his head up saying âand face that way and look here.â Patton dutifully stayed in the position Logan indicated. He heard Logan take a couple steps backward, like an artist examining their portrait, then come back to Patton. âAnd youâll need this,â he said. Patton heard the sound of an umbrella opening and Logan placed it in his hand. Logan angled it so the top and back of Pattonâs head were fully protected and Patton was able to see that this was one of his favorites. His heart warmed pleasantly at the thought that Logan knew this and picked that umbrella specifically for that reason. He was confused though. It was warm and sunny without a cloud in the sky. Why would Logan give him an umbrella rather than one of his parasols? âAre you ready?â Logan asked.
Patton hummed his affirmation and wiggled in place, so excited for what Logan could be showing him. He heard Logan walk away from him, back to the large pipe. Metal squeaked and water rushed. He could hear it traveling up, up the pipe where it sprayed out the top in a fine mist. Most of the mist missed (ha!) Patton and anything that didnât landed on the umbrella. Patton looked up at the sky and his heart soared as he realized what Logan wanted him to see: the water vapor was catching the sunlight and making a rainbow arc over his head. Patton giggled happily and turned around to thank Logan ... and promptly dropped his umbrella.
Logan was down on one knee, holding open a box with a simple glittering ring in the center. Patton covered his mouth, speechless. Logan licked his lips nervously and began speaking. âI canât promise this will be every day, as it would be an irresponsible use of water, especially considering the Desert Zone is in its dry season currently. But perhaps on special occasions like holidays ... or our wedding day? If you-â
âYES!â Patton yelled, lunging forward and tackling Logan in a hug, taking his face and peppering it with kisses, repeating âyes, yes, yes!â over and over. He pulled back and smiled at Loganâs dazed look.
âSo is that a yes?â Logan asked. Patton laughed and kissed Logan deeply. After some time, they separated enough for Logan to slip the ring on his finger (a silver band with a diamond flanked by a small pink gem and blue gem on either side) and Patton nuzzled himself against Logan, his heart bursting with more joy and love than he thought possible.