The Bug Bites

24- Touch Down

It was supposed to be America's favourite pastime. At least, that's what Alya reassured her as they sat watching fully grown men tackle each other for no good reason. Then they had to set up... just to do it again.

It was tedious. It was boring.

Marinette really just wanted to leave, but Adrien had got them the most amazing seats, and it would be rude for her to just go. So there she stayed.

Adrien and Nino were animatedly discussing the last play. Alya was joining in when she could. She nudged Marinette on occasion so she could add in a comment that sounded excited.

Then the halftime show began. The routines themselves were great, but Marinette had grown to have a distaste for the 'slutty cowgirl' outfits the moment the cheerleaders had taken to the field. The fluorescent blue and yellow outfits covered in glitter were a bit much with the dozens of tassels hanging off them. The cowgirl hats didn't help the image. Whoever the designer was deserved to be fired.

She started designing better ones in her head. Deeper blues, warmer yellows. Tassels artfully placed at the hips rather than hanging from the woman's chest. Glitter, used sparingly, rather than looking like a glitter explosion.

"Marinette, look!" she heard Alya say. She looked where Alya was pointing. She was on the big screen, with a giant heart around her and the guy seated next to her, who had been blissfully silent the whole time, rather than the man in front of her who kept getting up and yelling. Now that she actually looked at him, the guy on the screen was glaring at it. He didn't look thrilled to be up on the monitors. She registered his dark hair and somewhat middle eastern features. He was cute, despite the angry look.

What was going on?

She had just read the words 'Kiss Cam' when Alya pushed her shoulder so that she twisted in order to face the guy, rather than the screen. She caught a quick glace of surprised green eyes before the words on the screen suddenly made sense.

~~~~

Damian did not want to spend his afternoon 'bonding' with his brothers. Spending the time at a football game was worse than he could have thought it would be when Richard had dragged him out to the car. He would rather have gone to Cass's ballet rehearsal than sit and watch the tedious game.

Drake looked half-dead on his feet. It was likely he had not slept last night. Not that any of them got decent amounts of sleep in order to maintain their civilian lives. His father averaged three hours per night. Damian himself averaged five hours. Todd had unusually joined in the excitement once they realised where they were going. He had bought popcorn and hot dogs, while Richard had gone and purchased idiotic foam fingers for them all to wear, along with bright yellow towels which they were supposed to swing around if the team scored.

Damian just wanted to go back to bed, or spend the day with Titus. The food was terrible. He couldn't be bothered to watch the game. He pulled out his phone, and started reading the latest shoujo manga he had started, Fruits Basket. He had just reached the part where a new character, Momiji, was introduced, when the halftime show began.

The show itself was adequate, but excessively flashy to make up for the lack of more difficult moves. When it was done, the monitors started playing a video. It displayed previous spectators kissing. A Kiss Cam. Ugh. Then he saw the monitors searching around the stadium for new targets. A lovey-dovey couple on the other side of the stadium got excessively enthusiastic, such that the camera finally switched targets. A family, where the parents gave their son a kiss on the cheek each. Coos and 'awww's could be heard throughout the stadium. Then the camera focused on him.

Him. And the girl beside him, who was clearly unaware of the situation. She was objectively gorgeous – bright blue eyes that could be seen even from the big screen. Dark hair that shone blue in the sun. He glared at the monitor and the camera immediately below it, daring them with his eyes to choose someone else. He was not going to kiss a stranger.

He was not going to do it, and no amount of peer pressure would force him.

And then Todd shoved him from behind, and he plummeted forward onto the girl. He managed to brace himself on the armrest between the girl they had chosen for him to kiss and the girl beside her before he smacked straight into her. Her hand had shot out and blocked him from falling further by grabbing onto the bottom of the collar of his shirt.

She was so close. She smelled amazing. She was even more beautiful than she had seemed on the monitors. Suddenly a kiss with her didn't seem so bad. His eyes met hers, before quickly darting to her lips. Did she want this? He wouldn't kiss her against her will... He glanced back up, but saw no disagreement in them, so he pushed forward on the armrest underneath him, and tentatively kissed her.

He was not prepared to feel the breath leave his lungs, or the feeling of dizziness that overcame him. One tentative kiss turned into a tug on his collar and he gave in willingly, deepening the kiss. Their lips moved against one another. Damian started to feel lightheaded. Were kisses supposed to be this... this intense? He didn't even know her name, but it felt right. Perfect even.

He gave her one more gentle kiss, their lips sticking together as they slowly separated. His hand that had been bracing him had moved to her hair at the base of her neck at some point. The other had slid down the armrest, encaging her almost in an embrace.

Then he became very aware of the people around him... The screens were still showing the two of them. Her friends were all staring in shock, though the girl beside her was screaming and jumping up and down. He looked behind him briefly to see his brothers. Richard and Drake were gawking at him. Todd had clearly started out laughing at him, but had slowly turned to pure shock. The crowds had gone from stunned silence, to a deafening roar of cheers.

They didn't keep his attention long. The girl was looking at him, her cheeks bright red.

"Hi – I'm Damian," he finally blurted out after a moment. He probably should have introduced himself first.

"M-M-Marinette!" She sent him a blinding smile, despite her clear nervousness all of a sudden. He heard her mumble very quietly, "Oh mon Dieu! Je l'ai embrassé!" (Oh my God! I kissed him!)

"Enchanté, Marinette," he said calmly, despite feeling anything but calm himself. Since he had already kissed her, he kissed her cheek for a bisé, using the French custom of greeting, rather than an American one.

He smirked as her face lit up to an even brighter red. "Voudrais-tu te joindre à moi pour dîner?" (Would you like to join me for dinner?) Looked like watching his father and Richard try to gain dates with women for years was finally paying off in something other than embarrassment.

She nodded, handing her phone to him to get his number. "Can I get your number?" she asked him in English as he entered his digits.

Behind him, the big screen started flashing, "DAMIAN WAYNE SCORES!"