#mostly fluffy

Rose giggled, patting the space next to her on the floor. “We 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 we’re supposed to kiss!” She claps her hands together excitedly.

“You game, dude?” Nino asks.

“You ever been kissed?” Alya asks before Adrien can answer. 

Heat blooms across his face. “I have,” he says. It wasn’t technically a lie even though he didn’t remember either of his kisses with Ladybug. They happened. They count, right?

Alya smirks. “Great! We won’t go easy on you then.”

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. 

“As the only spin the bottle virgin, you should go first, Agreste.” 

Adrien picks up the bottle awkwardly. “I just spin it?” 

Rose crawls forward. “Let me show you!” She lays the bottle on its side and twists it around the center, sending it into a spin. “Like this!” She stops it before it slows on its own and hands it back to him. 

Adrien spins the bottle. He swallows his nerves, or tries to - but his stomach squirms as the bottle’s nose whips around the circle from classmate to classmate. Who will fate choose for him? 

When the bottle cap comes to a stop dead center on Nino, Adrien’s both relieved and somehow more anxious. 

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 he’s 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. 

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 doesn’t 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 isn’t some model Adrien barely knows. Nino’s his best friend, one of his favorite people in the whole world with the possible exception of Ladybug, and even then, Adrien’s not sure. And Nino’s lips are soft and warm. Then Nino gasps, and they’re breathing the same air. What would it feel like to explore Nino’s open mouth?

But the sudden whooping and whistles send Adrien scuttling backwards before the kiss can become anything more, frantically searching Nino’s face. 

“Woah there, Sunshine,” Alya says. “At least buy him dinner first.” 

Adrien’s gaze darts back and forth between Nino and Alya. Nino’s golden brown eyes are wide, but he’s noticeably not smiling. Alya looks like a wolf about to catch dinner and Adrien’s pretty sure he’s the prey.

“D-did I do something wrong?” 

“No!” Alya immediately reassures, shaking her head. “You just jumped straight to level three, which you’re totally allowed to do. Established couples do it all the time!” 

Adrien’s cheeks burn as he glances back at Nino who was pinching his own shoulder, suddenly not able to meet Adrien’s eyes. 

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. 

Adrien hopes not.

“What’s level one?” Adrien asks. 

“Usually 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,” Alya says, grinning at him. 

“Any other rules I should know about?”

“Do you want to know what all the other levels—“ Max starts to ask.

“Nope!” Alix interrupts. “That’s it!”

Adrien turns back to the group, and very carefully does not look at Nino, who is sitting right next to him. 

Mylene goes next. The bottle lands on Rose, and Mylene gives her the smallest of pecks on her cheek.

Adrien’s 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. 

But Nino had clearly been looking at him. Adrien wishes he knew what that meant . 

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? 

Adrien knows what he’s hoping it means, which makes him doubt that could possibly be what Nino is thinking. 

Alix goes next, and the bottle points to Marc. Alix approaches, and holds their hand like it’s a treasure. “Marc! Though I’ve loved you more than I’ve loved anyone—“

Marc snorts. 

“—I know when our romance is hopeless. Please forgive me! My heart is not strong enough to offer more than this small token.” And she dramatically kisses Marc’s 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. He’s not sure where he wants the bottle to stop, but when it points to Nathaniel’s knee, Adrien feels strangely disappointed. 

Marinette moves, but she’s not even halfway across the circle, when Nathaniel holds up his hands. 

“Marinette, I uh… given our umm… history, I’d prefer if you were the one person who didn’t kiss me.” 

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 to—

But Marinette smiles at both Nathaniel and Marc whose hands are suddenly interlaced. “I understand completely. I’ll just spin again.” 

This time the bottle lands on Alya. 

Adrien is still a little disappointed, but it doesn’t 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 “mwah!” before turning back to the group all smiles. 

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 Kim’s hand and it’s over before Adrien can make sense of his feelings.

He’s 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. 

He wishes he thought to ask Nino first if he was welcome. 

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. She’s in Juleka’s lap immediately, her legs wrapping around Juleka’s waist. Their mouths are sliding against one another, revealing flashes of pink tongue between the tiny spaces between their lips. Then their hands . Rose’s fingers are tangled in Juleka’s hair, pulling her closer, while Juleka’s hands are squeezing into Rose’s thighs.

Adrien can’t look away.

“Oh my god!” Alix shouts, smacking the two with a pillow, which barely slows them down at all.  “Get in the closet already!”

“The closet?” Adrien echoes. 

“Level five is seven minutes in ‘heaven’ where you make out in the closet for seven minutes,” Max says. 

Rose giggles as Juleka leads her away. 

Then it’s Marinette’s 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. She’s white as a ghost, staring at him with wide blue, very much panicked, eyes. “I umm… I have to go to the bathroom!” 

She launches herself to her feet and runs. Adrien watches her retreat. 

“Girl!” Alya calls, running after her. “Get your cute butt back here!” 

The pleasant fluttering in his gut turns sour.

Sweet kind brave Marinette doesn’t even want to kiss his hand.

Did she dislike him that much? 

…

Alya chases Marinette into the kitchen.

She’s never completely understood what it is about Adrien that turns Marinette into a nervous basket case.

And Nino too apparently! She hadn’t missed how flustered Nino became after Adrien’s kiss. 

Though she likes it when Nino turns into a flustered mess. They’d have to talk about it obviously, but Alya isn’t even sure what she wants to say yet because she hadn’t 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 there’s anyone Marinette and Nino don’t need to worry about disappointing or accidentally pushing away, it’s Adrien! 

“Earth to Marinette,” Alya says when Marinette’s gaze remains distant. “I thought you would want to kiss Adrien.” 

Marinette’s forehead clunks against the refrigerator. “I do! Just not like that.” 

Alya arches an eyebrow. 

“It’s just if he’s going to kiss me I don’t want it to be because a bottle told him to. I want it to mean something! I want him to want to kiss me.” 

“Marinette, did you see his face?!”

Marinette turns to her with furrowed brows. “What do you mean?”

“He lit up when that bottle landed on him. He definitely wanted you to kiss him.” Not to mention that he visibly deflated when Marinette’s first turn landed on Nathaniel, but Marinette didn’t need to know that. 

“Or maybe he just figured out he likes being kissed,” Marinette said dryly. 

Alya grins. “You saw that, too?” 

“Does it upset you that he and Nino both seemed so bothered by it?” 

“No.” If anything she really really liked that they - especially Nino - were so bothered by it. She wanted to pounce on Nino right after. It’s not as often that she can push him into that shy flustered state anymore. She really likes him like that. 

“But we’re not talking about me! We’re talking about you and Adrien. How do you think running out like that made him feel?” 

Marinette buried her face in her hands. “I know! I know! He probably hates me.” 

Alya shook her head. “He definitely does not hate you.” 

Marinette likes Adrien because he’s so kind and understanding. Alya wishes Marinette would trust that.

“I really think that things would be a lot easier for you if you would tell him how you feel, but right now I’ll settle for you going back in there and giving that sweet boy who thinks you don’t like him , a tiny little kiss on the cheek.” 

Marinette shakes her head rapidly. “I want to! I know you’re right. But when I’m there looking at his stupidly perfect face I turn into all panic. I’m never going to be able to tell him! And because of that I’m always gonna be a crappy awful friend.” 

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! 

Sadly, they’ll likely never go for that.

But more than any of that, Alya just wants all of them to be happy. 

“Marinette, Adrien is not going anywhere. He’s not that easy to scare away. He’s 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.”

“You really think he’ll forgive me?” 

“I know he will! And a cheek kiss wouldn’t hurt.” 

Marinette smiles. “I can do that.” 

Alya smiles back. “I know you can!” 

And maybe if they kept playing, the bottle would grant a few of Alya’s wishes.

The chances are low with so many of them playing. Alya knows that, but a girl can dream. 

… 

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. 

He traces his lower lip, a tiny part of him wishing he hadn’t been so startled by Adrien’s actions so he could have savored it more. 

Except he can’t be thinking any of this! He has a girlfriend! He can’t be thinking about what it would feel like to kiss his best friend.

Except that he is thinking about it. He’s thinking about it a lot.

He’s so fucked. 

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. 

Nino taps his shoulder. “C’mon dude, let’s take a breather.”

Nino hauls Adrien to his feet and juts his chin at Alix over Adrien’s shoulder, who takes a hint immediately. “Mylene! It’s your turn!” 

They don’t go that far, Nathaniel’s 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. 

“You okay, mec?” 

Adrien shrugs. “Yeah? If she doesn’t want to kiss me, that’s fine. I just… I just wish I knew what I did wrong.” 

“What makes you think you did anything wrong?” 

“Nino! She literally ran away. She didn’t even want to kiss my hand.” 

That’s not the problem. Marinette definitely wants to kiss Adrien.

But Nino can’t say that. 

“Maybe she has a reason.” 

“Like what?!”

Nino wishes he could explain. “You’d have to ask her, mec.”

Adrien sighs. And then looks at him. “Are we okay?”

Nino swallows, and glances down into his hands, heat burning in his face. “Of course, we’re okay.”

More than okay. Except maybe Nino really wants Adrien to kiss him again, but he definitely can’t act on that impulse. 

Because he has a gorgeous and amazing girlfriend and he absolutely doesn’t want to mess that up.

“Do you think we’re not okay?” Nino asks. 

Adrien rubs the back of his neck. “I just- I hope I didn’t make things weird. I’m sorry. I should have asked if you were okay with me kissing you. I thought that was the game.” 

“It is the game. The not explaining the rules fully thing is something every one of us has gone through the first time we played. It’s always a question of will the person chicken out or go straight for it.”

“Really?” Adrien sounds so hopeful that Nino wants to laugh at himself. He really shouldn’t have been surprised that Adrien kissed him. Adrien has always wanted to have the genuine party experience. 

“Really! Just in our situation it usually goes the other way.” 

“Our situation?” 

“Two dudes who are pretty solidly platonic?” 

Maybe not as platonic on his end as Nino had previously assumed, but that was a crisis for another day. 

“Was it weird?”

Nino’s ears and cheeks burn. “Umm… not to me. But I’m uh… not straight.” 

He can feel Adrien’s eyes widen to the size of saucers, though he doesn’t look up. 

“Oh. I uh… don’t think I am either.”

Oh god. That made everything so much better. 

And so much worse at the same time.

“Thanks for telling me,” Nino says, because what else can he say? 

“Yeah, you too.” 

“You feeling better, mec?” Nino shoulder bumps him. 

Adrien smiles. “Yeah, I am. Thanks.” 

“Ready to head back inside?” 

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? 

Gah! What is he thinking? That’s not how relationships worked. 

Alya smiles at him, and something in Nino’s chest loosens. He sits down and Adrien catches his gaze, and he’s smiling, and the warmth in Nino’s chest only spreads.

Oh, he’s well and truly fucked.

…

Marinette’s 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. 

Alix is not even playing anymore, but whatever she’s doing, she can’t stop laughing. 

But Marinette’s 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 Alya’s right. Adrien is hurt. 

And it’s her fault. She’s the one that hurt him by running.

Alya’s arm hand loops through her own, and some of the tension in Marinette’s shoulders bleeds out, and she can breathe again.

She doesn’t 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. 

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 Marinette’s gaze whips to Adrien immediately. He’s smiling and seems at ease. But when he sits down, he chooses the spot that’s further from her, the spot that places Nino between them. 

Which, fair. 

But she can’t stand it. 

She scrambles around Nino, throws her arms around Adrien’s shoulders and kisses him on the cheek. 

He presses a hand to his face where she kissed him, and turns to her with wide eyes. 

“I’m sorry I ran,” she whispers. It’s all she can manage before she retreats back to the safety of Alya’s hold. 

But Adrien is smiling again. 

Unfortunately when it’s Alya’s turn, she has to untangle herself from Marinette. 

In some cruel or amazing twist of fate, the bottle lands on Adrien. 

Alya shoots her a mischievous grin. Marinette knows that look, and it’s not good. Abort abort abort. 

Nino is in no better shape than she is at this pairing, Marinette distantly notes, but she can’t pay much attention to Nino, not when Alya is leaning so intimately into Adrien’s space, whispering something she can’t hear into his ear. 

Adrien nods. 

Alya grins and then she’s cradling Adrien’s face in her hands. Marinette forgets to breathe as Alya leans forward slowly, until there’s no more space. Their lips slide against one another—

Marinette’s nails dig into her knee.

—parting ever so slightly. The contact lingers, like a perfect moment frozen in time. 

Marinette bites down on her own lip. 

She’s not jealous. 

She’s insanely turned on. She likes watching Adrien and Alya kiss. She likes it waaay more than she should. 

And she is jealous, she realizes. But she’s jealous of Adrien. 

She wants to be held so carefully in Alya’s hands. 

Alya pulls away slowly. Adrien though doesn’t move. His eyes remain closed, totally blissed out. Alya grins, and turns triumphantly to Marinette. 

That’s how it’s done, she seems to say. She made it look so easy.

Marinette wishes she had half her courage. 

But Alya’s gaze doesn’t 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. Alya’s grin only grows. Adrien finally blinks his eyes open. 

Alix cackles. “I think all four of you might benefit from a turn in the closet!” 

Marinette’s face is on fire. 

“W-what?” Adrien stammers.

Nino is still speechless. 

But Alya, Alya hums in agreement. 

Every inch of Marinette’s body is tingling. She can’t talk, but she can’t sit still either. And so she runs. 

Again. 

This time Alya doesn’t follow. Her friend’s laughter follows her though. 

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 doesn’t really help. 

The door bursts open and it’s Nino standing in the doorway, looking just as startled as she feels. 

“H-hey,” she says. “I… uh…” and she turns back to the mirror, unable to look at him.

“I’m s-sorry,” he stammers, backing away.

“N-no, it’s fy mault.” And she’s stuttering around Nino now.

She buries her fire-hot face in her hands. This is all Alix’s 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, it’s 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 hadn’t known him that well then. 

She knew him better now, and that image doesn’t bother her at all. The idea of all four of them? 

She peaks through her fingers at him. 

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 it’s helping. 

Nino collapses down next to her a second later and she’s laughing so hard it hurts. And he’s laughing so hard he almost tips over, but she manages to steady him. 

Eventually their laughter subsides, and they sit beside each other on the bathroom floor. 

“D-did you want to talk?” Marinette eventually asks. 

He shakes his head. “No, I just… I ran in here because I needed to be able to breathe.” 

“Oh my god! I know! They’re both torturing us.” 

“Alya’s doing it on purpose.”

Marinette groans, burying her face in her hands all over again. “Which means she’s not gonna stop.”

“Definitely not.”

“How are we gonna survive?” 

Nino barked a laugh. “We’re not. We’re fucked.”

“At least we’re fucked together.” 

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. 

… 

Adrien stares at the bottle that’s pointing at him, afraid to see Alya’s reaction. He starts when she puts a hand on his shoulder, but when she catches his gaze she’s smiling gently with so much patience.

She leans toward him. “I’m gonna kiss you for real,” she whispers. “You okay with that?” 

He nods dumbly just relieved that she’s still there - that she wants to kiss him. 

And kissing Alya is a very different experience than kissing Nino. Her hands on his face are warm and gentle. She’s the one who leans forward, the one who presses her lips to his. She’s 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 doesn’t move. He’s dizzy, and he doesn’t want the sensation to end. 

Was every kiss this mind blowing? 

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. 

And Adrien’s 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. 

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 he’s messing everything up. His eyes are burning. 

But this time, Alya squeezes his hand and he relaxes. 

“It’s not what you think,” she tells him. “They’re just being stupid.” 

“They’re not stupid,” 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. 

She laughs. She definitely does not agree with him, but she also doesn’t argue. 

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 Ivan’s lap on a couch. Alix and Max are talking excitedly about something on his computer. Kim is nowhere to be seen. 

He and Alya are effectively alone in the sense that no one is really paying attention to them, though they’re the only ones who haven’t moved from the original circle. 

“Why did you kiss me like that?” he asks.

She grins. “I had lots of reasons.”

“Care to share?” 

“Not yet, but I hope soon.”

He sighs. He tries so hard to respect other people’s boundaries, but he’s so tired of being in the dark all of the time. He does appreciate that Alya is direct about it though. She doesn’t try to evade or dance around the fact that she’s holding information back from him. And he believes her when she says she wants to tell him, so he doesn’t push. 

“Are you okay that I kissed Nino earlier?” he asks instead.

“I’d be a total hypocrite if I wasn’t.”

Adrien frowns. “That doesn’t answer the question.”

She grins again. “Let’s just say I was a lot more okay with it than I thought I would be, and maybe that’s part of why I wanted to kiss you too.”

“Please don’t use me as a way to get revenge on my best friend,” he pleads.

She laughs again. “I promise you I was not trying to hurt him. And I don’t think I did, but you’re right. He and I should probably talk. Are you okay if I go find him?” 

He nods, though it’s not completely true. He doesn’t feel like he’s on the verge of panic anymore, so he doesn’t need Alya to stay. 

But when she’s gone, he’s alone with his thoughts. Thoughts he very much doesn’t know what to do with. 

He’s in love with Ladybug! He’s certain of it, but this crazy game is making him realize that he has other feelings as well.

Feelings for his friends that he’s not supposed to have.

He wanted Marinette to kiss him. Hell, he still wants Marinette to kiss him, but he’s not always sure she even sees him as a friend, let alone something more. So trying something there doesn’t seem worth the risk. But he wants it anyway even though he now realizes he has feelings for Nino and Alya as well. 

But he’s not allowed to have feelings for his best friend and he’s definitely not allowed to have feelings for his best friend’s girlfriend.

What is wrong with him? 

...

Nino’s not sure what shifted, but Marinette seems calmer now. She’s smiling and he can’t help but mirror the expression. He always liked her smile. 

A soft tap on the door stops his thoughts in their tracks, and Alya pokes her head around the door. 

“There you both are!” 

Marinette’s hands cover her face again, but Nino can still see the blush blooming under her hands.

“Hey girl, do you mind if I steal your spot to talk to Nino alone for a moment?” 

Marinette’s head bobs up and down with far too much enthusiasm. And as she disappears, Nino wonders if he should envy how easily she escaped Alya’s gaze. 

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 he’s only too happy to grant her request. 

But he’s confused. He thought she would be upset. Not that he’s complaining. 

Her lips travel to his ear, and his neck. Oh yeah, he’s definitely not complaining. 

But he’s still very confused. 

“Babe! What the hell?”

“I’ve literally been wanting to jump you,” she tells him between kisses, “since Adrien kissed you.” 

For some reason this upsets him, and he pushes her off him. “This isn’t some game, Alya.” 

She frowns, settling backwards on her heels, but her hands stay on his shoulders. “I didn’t say it was?”

He takes off his glasses and rubs at his eyes. “I just… I’m kinda messed up right now because I think I like him, like him. And I don’t want to mess this,” He gestured between the two of them, “up. And I don’t want to mess him and I up either, but I can’t stop thinking about it now. And now, you treating that kiss like it’s just some kind of turn on or toy thing for you to get me all riled up.” 

Her hold on him loosens, but she doesn’t let go. Instead she’s rubbing soothing patterns on his shoulders. 

“Nino, it’s okay. Adrien is super sweet, and totally hot. And you care about each other immensely. Of course, you have feelings!”

Nino’s brows pinch together. “And you don’t have a problem with that?”

“I personally think it’s totally normal to have a bit of a gay crush on your best friend,” she says.

His eyes blow open. “Holy shit! You have a thing for Marinette!”

She clamps a hand over his mouth, as she glances frantically towards the closed door. “Shh! Nino! She’s not ready to hear that!” 

“I thought this was about you riling me up, but this is about her too, isn’t it?”

Alya doesn’t say anything. 

“How long have you felt this way?” he asks.

She bites her lip. “A long time. Longer than us.”

“I see.” 

“Nino! It’s not like that! I don’t have a favorite. I’ve known I was poly for a long time, but I didn’t think that you were and Marinette was never interested, and I thought I had made peace with all of that.”

But today apparently had been testing all of their limits. 

“Babe, why did you kiss Adrien like that?” he asks, but he thinks he already knows the answer. 

“You kissed him first!” 

“He kissed me! And that didn’t answer the question.” 

She looks up at him. “Because I wanted you to know what it felt like to watch two people you love, love each other.” 

He’s 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.

“You’ve never told Marinette how you feel.” 

“She’s not remotely interested. She’s always had tunnel vision for Adrien.” 

Having watched her melt down after Alya kissed Adrien firsthand, he’s not so sure of that now. 

“You’re a hypocrite.”

She scowls. “What do you mean?” 

“You tell Marinette to confess every day. You’ve 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 she’ll still be freer. All of that applies to you. So why haven’t you confessed?” 

“Well one, I’m dating you.” 

It was a cop out. “That’s not in the way anymore.”

“Nino! It’s different when you’re best friends. Her friendship is precious and amazing and not less than romance. I don’t want to ruin that. ”

He nods. “Yeah. 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.”

Alya suddenly grins. “Tell you what. I will confess to Marinette if you confess to Adrien.”

“Fuck. I walked into that one.” 

Alya laughs. “Yeah, you did.” 

He loves her laugh. It’s loud and real just like she is. She’s never as gorgeous as she is when she’s laughing her head off. He pulls her back into his arms and kisses her hard.

She breaks away, giggling. “What was that for?” 

He shakes his head in amusement. She tackled him first. He was just following through. 

“For luck,” he tells her. He doesn’t know for sure which way Marinette swings, but he knows that Alya doesn’t need any luck. 

But he might. 

…

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. 

Had Marinette overheard her conversation with Nino? Does it matter if she’s planning on telling her right now anyway?

“Hey,” Alya greets softly, looping her arm through Marinette’s exactly as she had earlier during the game. “Are we okay?”  

Marinette’s head shoots up. “Why wouldn’t we be okay?” 

“Well, I thought you might be upset that I kissed Adrien. I feel like maybe I should have checked with you first?”

Marinette blushes. “I figured you were just trying to inspire me.” 

“Did it work?” 

“Umm… it was definitely inspiring.” Marinette’s cheeks are red as she looks down into her hands.

Alya’s heart flips in her chest. Dare she hope this isn’t as hopeless as she fears? She licks her lips. 

Marinette frowns and grabs her hand. “Did you think I would be mad?” 

Maybe she had thought that was a possibility beforehand, but Alya knew afterwards that she wasn’t. “No… I…” and she trails off. 

“Alya?” Marinette’s voice trembles.

Alya shakes herself. She needs to pull herself together. This is Marinette . Marinette will never hold this against her.

“I 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 didn’t understand why you were so afraid . Adrien’s the nicest person on the planet, so even if he wasn’t somehow interested, which for the record, I think he is—“

Marinette shakes her head and Alya wants to shake her. 

“—he would never ever be mean about it. But I think I get it now because there’s something that I’ve never told you because I was afraid.” 

“You don’t have to tell me anything,” Marinette says, squeezing her hands. “Best friends don’t always have to tell each other everything.”

“Nino said I was a hypocrite for not telling you this and he’s right.” 

“Oh no! Did you and Nino fight?” 

“No! Nino and I are fine. I never told you this because I am absolutely terrified you won’t want me in your life anymore.”

Marinette laughs. “Alya, there’s nothing on this earth that you could do, be or say that would make me wish you gone.”

Alya forces herself to smile. She knows that, she believes it. And yet, she’s still scared her feelings could make things weird. She wants Marinette to come to her, to gush about boys, and ask for advice. 

Will she still do that, if she knows Alya loves her too? 

“What is it?” Marinette asks. 

“I’m in love with you, Marinette.” 

…

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 Alya’s encouragement in his head. But he’s so nervous that interrupting seems impossible, and he’s hovering to the side of the group like an idiot. Even Alix and Kim are throwing him funny looks. 

Maybe he just can’t do this. 

But then Adrien glances at him out of the corner of his eyes, smiles that blinding smile, and Nino’s 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. 

Max groans, signaling the end of the match. Kim claps him consolingly on the shoulder and Alix cheers, clearly having just won a bet. 

“That was super close though,” Adrien says graciously. “I think you’ll get me soon.”

Max nods. “We’re definitely more closely matched. I appreciate you not going easy on me.” 

“Wouldn’t want to diminish your accomplishment in any way.” Then he turns his attention to Nino and holds out the controller. “You want a turn?” 

Nino shakes his head, stuffing his hands into his pockets so he can’t fidget. “Can I actually talk to you?” He points behind them with his thumb. “Maybe out on the balcony again?” 

Adrien smiles, but Nino can see the sudden tension in his shoulders. “Of course.” 

Kim makes a weird kissy face at Nino over Max’s 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. 

“Hey!” Kim complains, rubbing his arm.

“Leave them alone!” she hisses.

Nino is relieved when the sliding glass door closes, so he can’t 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 Adrien’s bracing himself for the worst news ever. 

Which means Nino needs to buck up and be brave. 

“So you know how I said I wasn’t straight?” Nino blurts out.

Adrien lifts his head up and Nino can breathe just a bit easier. “Yeah?” 

“Well, that kiss, mec.” Nino adjusts his hat and risks a glance at his best friend. “I think it awakened some things. And if you’re game, I would k-kinda like to see where that could go?” His voice is pitched too high, and Nino wants to hide, but the hard part is done, and so he makes himself sit still. 

Well, mostly still. Nino doesn’t know how to be completely still. 

“What about Alya?” 

Nino relaxes at that objection. Adrien isn’t saying that he’s not interested. “She’s on board. In fact, if you’re into it, I suspect she’d date you as well, but we didn’t talk about that.” 

“And that’s allowed?” Adrien asks. His brows are furrowed so tight and it’s cute. 

“I mean, if you and I are okay with it and she’s okay with it, does it matter what anyone else says?” 

“I uh… guess not.” 

“But there’s no pressure here either!” Nino backpedals. “My having feelings doesn’t mean anything has to change. Just because Alya and I are poly, doesn’t mean that you have to be. And you don’t have to date us both, though if you dated her and not me, I’m not gonna lie, I’d be super jealous.”

“Nino?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Can we slow down please?” 

…

“You’re in love with me?” Marinette echoes. She heard it, but she can’t believe it. 

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. 

Alya has seen her at her worst. 

And Alya loves her? 

It’s so crazy her brain refuses to accept it. 

Alya nods. “Have been for a long time. And I want you to know I’m not at all sure where you would like to go from here if anywhere, but I wanted you to know. I don’t want to keep things from you.”

But if it is true, It’s the most amazing precious thing! She woke up this morning expecting a treat, and woke up with a whole cake! 

“Nino?” she squeaks.

“I love him, too. I’m poly. And I know you’re in love with Adrien. You know I’ve 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 don’t get the answer you’re hoping for after a confession, that things can still be okay.” 

Marinette’s grabs Alya’s arm that is already looped through hers. Alya thought she was going to say no! 

But it’s too amazing. Marinette doesn’t want to say no.

“No,” Marinette says. 

“No?” Alya echoes, stiffening under Marinette’s arm. 

Marinette grip tightens around Alya. “No! No! I don’t mean no!! I mean– Alyaaaa!” she whines, burying her face against Alya’s arm.

Alya laughs. “I must be doing pretty well if you’ve lost the power of speech!” 

Marinette nods. 

And Alya untangles herself and holds Marinette by both her elbows, and suddenly Alya’s dark eyes are filling up Marinette’s entire field of vision. 

“Marinette, may I kiss you?” 

Marinette nods again. And now Alya’s hands ride up her arms to either side of her face, and Marinette basks in the feeling of being held in Alya’s embrace.

And then Alya’s lips are on hers, and Marinette forgets how to breathe. She’s kissed Chat before under battlefield conditions. Hell! She’s kissed Alya before! But it was never like this. Never with Alya pouring all of herself into it. 

Alya is warmth and safety. And she’s fire and courage. And Marinette never wants the moment to end. 

Alya pulls away first. 

Marinette doesn’t want to move. This was how Adrien felt earlier. She knows it. This is what it means to be blissed out. She can’t imagine anything better. 

“Now, I just want you to know, I don’t want you settling. I’m not kissing you again until you’ve confessed to Adrien.” 

Marinette’s eyes blink open.

“But Alyaaaaa!”

…

“Can we slow down please?” Adrien asks.

“Yeah, mec! Of course! I’ll just shut up now! And you can say whatever you need to.” 

Adrien laughs. Every inch of his body is buzzing. Like, he’s 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.

“I think I’m game.” 

“You think?” Nino echoes. “You don’t have to tell me what you think I want to hear.”

“And I’m not! I just— Nino, that was effectively my first kiss,” Adrien admits. 

“What?! But you said–”

“I know! And I have, but it was under an akuma’s influence and I don’t remember it.”

“You could have said something.” 

Adrien rubs the back of his neck. He’s not good at speaking up. Not like Nino, Alya, or Marinette. “I 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.”

And should have that alone told him something? 

Nino’s smile softens. “I’m glad.”

“And I definitely felt something, too. I wanted more, but everyone was watching. And I wasn’t sure if all kisses were like that? Because when Alya kissed me–”  

“Oh my god! I know!” 

“–I saw stars. But you’re saying she’s interested too? So maybe not all kisses are like that, and I’m just really lucky that the first two people I remember kissing are people that I have feelings for.” 

Adrien knows he’s the one rambling, but Nino only listens. 

“So umm… yeah. I’m game.” Adrien holds out his hand. 

Nino stares at it. “Yeah?” Nino’s voice cracks on the word, and he has to clear his throat. 

“Yeah,” Adrien says again. 

Nino takes his hand, their fingers interlace and it’s wild how natural it feels, how comforting the warmth of Nino’s hand is in his own.

“I want to do what you said,” Adrien says, “explore where we could go. And it’s not just because I want to make-out! Though that sounds amazing, too!” 

Nino laughs. 

“But a relationship with you? That sounds like a dream. How could I ever turn that down?”

Nino’s gaze drops. “Dude! I—“ His voice cracks again. 

Adrien squeezes his hand reassuringly.

But Nino stands suddenly, and yanks Adrien a meter to the side, where they’re 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.  

… 

The party continues like Marinette whole world hasn’t been thrown out of orbit. The pizza arrives, her friends eat and play Just Dance and Mecha Strike. And Marinette’s losing. 

Badly. 

She just can’t sit still, and she can’t think long enough to finish a slice of pizza, let alone pull off the complicated combos needed to send Alix’s avatar into next week. 

Marinette’s 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 Adrien’s delighted smile meets her gaze, she explodes from her seat. 

She grabs another slice of pizza even though she hasn’t 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. 

“Woah there!” Adrien says, his hands hovering over her arms obviously ready to catch her should she stumble. 

She only sees green. The green of spring grass and emeralds.

“Marinette?” he asks, his brows furrowed in concern. “Are you okay?” 

Her cheeks burn hotter. “Y-you’re fine! I mean, me! I’m fine!” 

He grins back at her and she feels warm. “I’m glad.” 

“A-Adrien?” 

“Yeah?” 

“About earlier, when I ran away?”

“Which time?” 

And god, she’s run from him twice today! Could she be more of a disaster? 

“I… umm… the first time.” She pushes a errant lock of hair behind her ear and licks her lips. “I wanted to explain.” 

“It’s okay, Marinette. You’re allowed to not want to kiss me, you know.” 

“But that’s not it at all!” 

“Then what is it?”

She swallows. She’s going to do this even if she messes up every word because Alya believed in her — 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. 

“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the day we met. I just… I also wanted it to be special, you know?”

Her teeth press down into her lower lip, and she risks a glance up at him. 

And suddenly she can’t breathe.

…

Adrien isn’t sure he heard her right. 

She’s wanted to kiss him, wanted it to be special? 

For that long? 

He always thought he was doing something wrong, but she had just been nervous? Because she liked him?! 

A laugh bubbles out of him. 

Clearly the stars have aligned today.

Or at least he hopes so. 

“Marinette, what do you think of the idea of loving more than one person?” he asks.

“I… I don’t totally know,” she says, biting down on her lip. “From where I’m sitting, I really really want it to be a thing.”

Oh, this day cannot get any better. 

He reaches for her hand, which she takes. “Is it special enough if I kiss you now?” 

Her cheeks turn a delightful shade of pink. She nods, but he’s too lost in her eyes that are shining like stars to move. 

She moves first. 

And he learns that he’s been wrong on several counts. 

One, from his rapidly growing experience every kiss can be life changingly mind blowing. 

And this particular day can and will keep getting better. 

…

The party isn’t 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. 

Today has been a lot. 

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 Adrien’s other side, and her boyfriend cannot stop smiling. 

Alya has seen Nino excited and giddy when listening to a song. She’s seen him silly and flustered after she kissed him for the first time, but she’s never seen him quite like this, beaming like he just won the lottery. 

She’s never seen Marinette so calm and relaxed. She’s so glad that Marientte finally managed to confess, and she’s beyond touched that it was her own confession that finally goaded Marinette into action.

And she’s never seen Adrien so real. He’s joking and being silly, and just laughing. It’s a gorgeous sound. 

And she’s so happy for herself, too. That she doesn’t have to fantasize and wonder, she doesn’t have to settle. 

She gets to have all of this. All of them. 

She thought a day like this could never happen. 

“Alya! What’s wrong?”

Alya shakes her head, dabbing at her eyes. 

“I’m just happy.” 

Marinette beams at her. 

“I know! I don’t think I’ve ever felt so… loved.” 

Nino laughs. “It looks good on you.” 

It looked good on all of them. 

Because it’s perfect.

Right up until Alya has to let go of Marinette’s 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. 

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. 

Luckily, the whole place is dark. 

“Looks like we have the place to ourselves! Make yourselves at home! I’ll get drinks! Adrien, want to help me?” 

“Of course!” he agrees, his and Marinette’s hands slowly untangling, until they can’t reach as they part ways. 

“Why Adrien?” Marinette pouts.  

Alya laughs. “Because I need to talk to him! We’ll be out in two minutes.” 

He follows her into the kitchen. “What’s up?” 

“I just wanted to tell you all the reasons I kissed you today now that I’m not revealing any secrets.” 

He grins. “Please go on.” 

She hands him two cans of soda from the fridge. 

“One, I wanted to drive Nino nuts, but I swear in a good way.” 

Adrien laughs. 

“Two, I wanted to show Marinette that it wasn’t that hard. And that things could still be okay after the fact.” 

“Better than okay!” he adds. 

“Three, you are hot and I’m not blind.” She grabs another two cans of soda. 

He laughs again, and Alya really likes the sound. She looks right up at him. 

“And last, you were hurting earlier when Marinette ran, and I don’t know… I wanted you to know what it was like to be wanted.” 

“I…” he visibly swallows. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you.” 

She grins. “You're welcome! Now, come on!”

Alya freezes in the threshold. 

Nino has a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. He throws a silly grin at her and she sucks in a breath. He knows exactly what he’s doing. 

“So I don’t know how you feel about me compared to them,” Nino says to Marinette. 

Marinette blushes, and glances toward Alya who is staring at them both, still unmoving.

“But I have it on good authority that if we kissed, it would drive Alya wild,” Nino stage whispers. 

Adrien chokes on a laugh from behind her. 

Marinette nods enthusiastically. “She would deserve it after knowingly torturing us all day!” 

They turn towards each other. Marinette has to stand on her toes, and Nino leans down, and their lips meet. 

Alya’s throat feels dry. 

Adrien whistles in clear approval, and then the three of them dissolve into giggles. 

But Alya has to swallow several times before she finds her voice. “Not gonna lie. I have thought about this before and I didn’t think it would ever happen.”

Marinette holds her hand out, and Alya lets herself be pulled into their embrace. Adrien is only a few seconds behind. 

“Does it live up to your fantasies?” Marinette asks. 

“It’s even better. All thanks to Spin the Bottle! We’re gonna have to thank Kim for pushing it.” 

“And to think, Marinette didn’t think a Spin the Bottle kiss could be special,” Adrien teases.

“Shut up!” she protests, her cheeks turning pink. Alya kisses the closest one.

“Spin the Bottle kisses can obviously be life changing,” Nino says, his fingers threading through hers. 

“Did Marinette just tell Adrien to shut up?” Alya asks. “Maybe?” Marinette squeaks.

Alya grins. “I’m so proud.” 

…

Bonus:

Adrien’s never been this comfortable in his whole life. It’s almost overwhelming. Marinette’s head lay in his lap, while he leaned on Nino’s shoulder with Alya on Nino’s other side. He’s not sure how they got here all together like this, but he’s never going to let go now. 

“So are we exclusive?” Marinette asks, her fingers tracing patterns on the back of his hand.

“Why do you ask?” Alya grins, clearly amused. 

“I just kinda wanted to see if I could add Chat Noir.”

Adrien chokes. “Ch-Chat Noir?” he splutters.

“What? Is that crazy?” Marinette asks. 

“He does look hot in that catsuit.” Nino comments and Adrien’s ears burn. 

“I’m down for Chat Noir, Ladybug, and Carapace,” Alya interjects. 

Marinette glares at her. “I think you’re forgetting someone.” 

“Who?” 

“Rena Rouge!” 

“Oh! Yeah, sure,” she agrees readily. 

They all turn to him expectantly, and Adrien doesn’t know what to say. It sounds amazing and it sounds like way too much, and it also seems impossible. “What are the chances all four of them would be down for that?” 

Marinette glances at Alya and Nino before her gaze flips back to him. “Higher than you might think.” 

“What?” Her voice was barely more than a breath, her ears straining to hear what it was he had caught as they lingered together. “What is it?”

“Shh ...” 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 couldn’t be so focused on the magic that he had forgotten the loving, willing, eager woman right there in his arms. Could he? “Just listen ...”

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. 

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 Gale’s 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. 

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. 

“Lysa ...”

“Stay with me -”

“Shhh.”

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 couldn’t 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.

“You have done nothing wrong,” he murmured. “Gods above, you never could. Look at me, Lysa. Feel me.”

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. 

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 hadn’t 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. 

“You are so beautiful, Lysa,” he whispered, his eyes burning into hers, daring her without words to hold that connection. Do not look away. “Not 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?”

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. 

“To know you are so responsive to even the suggestion of my touch ...” 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. “I 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 ...”

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. 

“My 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?”

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. 

“I-if you’re sure,” she whispered, her voice growing in strength as she found courage in her desire. “If I am what you want, Gale ...” Her own lips curved into a winsome smile, all invitation and warmth of her own. “I think this is the part where you kiss me.”

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.