Marcnath One-Shots

One Last Night

Well, to be fair, that isn't entirely true, either. It's not like they're going to be attending different lycées or anything, but they aren't taking the same courses and the chance they'll actually be in the same class for any of them is pretty low. What Marc's really most afraid of, even though he's never going to ever admit to anyone in a million, bajillion years (and yes that is totally a word), is that Nath is inevitably going to end up in a much bigger fish pond than this small collège. And bigger means more people. And if someone new meets him and discovers how amazing Nathaniel really is and then start to feel towards him like Marc does- it makes his stomach twist that this thought has even occurred to him at all, and even moreso that Nathaniel really isn't his and he has no right to feel possessive of him like this. Being able to even just be his collaboration partner, be producing the scripts to the comics whose concept art he's only ever admired from afar, having his literal name on the literal front page of the comic books for all to see, he feels guilty for wanting more in spite of it all. Isn't that human nature, to only ever crave more and yearn and hunger, never to be truly fulfilled? It's not a nice feeling, but he's wanted Nath for so, so long, and if he has a chance and loses it he doesn't know what he'd do with himself.

And of course, the cherry on top of his anxiety, does Nath even feel the same way?

Marc doesn't even notice himself absentmindedly picking at his nail polish, redone by Luka himself just for tonight, until Luka waves his hand in front of Marc's face and asks him if he's okay.

"You seem kind of out of it," Luka says, and Marc whips his stare away from the either oblivious or now-self-conscious redhead on the opposite end of the room.

"I'm fine," Marc assures him quickly, cheeks warming.

"Hey Luka, mind if I steal Marc for a second?" Marinette's innocent voice comes out of nowhere and Marinette herself suddenly materializes next to Marc.

"Go right ahead," Luka tells her, winking, and she giggles softly before dragging Marc away. Marc's mind only strays from Nathaniel to briefly wonder what's up between Marinette and Luka, but he doesn't dwell on it for long at all, not when there are far more pressing matters to be addressed. Thankfully his mind zips back to the moment just in time to catch Marinette before she goes too far.

"Stop it right there," he stops her, and she complies. "I know exactly what you're doing and I'm not going to let you go any further."

She looks at him in half-hearted exasperation and frustration.

"If I don't help you get from Point A to Point B, who is?" she points out.

"I can do it myself," he says hastily, and she raises an eyebrow that most obviously says "oh, really?"

"I can!" he repeats defensively, and Marinette laughs.

"I'm just teasing, you know that, of course. But really, are you sure you can?" she challenges, and he swallows. "See, told you! Trust me, I can help you, and I know just what to do," she winks.

If anything, that makes him less at ease.

"No," he refuses flatly. "I can do it myself and I'll prove it," he decides, reasoning that anything is better than another one of Marinette's failed ploys.

Marinette, bless her heart, may be well-intending, but she was not very good at wingwomaning.

Which was how he ended up here, staring at the floor, heart sinking like he was walking to his own execution, breathing shallow, his mind ceasing to function but his mouth managing to move just enough to whisper words of encouragement to his pitiful self.

"Just put one...foot...in front...of another..." he mutters softly. It works. Too well, apparently, because he ends up in front of Nathaniel a lot sooner than he'd have ideally liked to.

Nathaniel looks up in surprise.

"Oh, hi, M-" But he doesn't get to finish because Marc knows that if he doesn't do this now, he never will again.

"Will you dance with me," he says, voice just above a breath.

"S-sorry?" Nathaniel asks, eyes widening. Marc sets his resolve even more solid and takes a deep breath.

"Will you dance with me?" he repeats, fully aware that the mix is transitioning to the last couples song on the track. It's now or never.

"Y-yes?" Nathaniel manages to stutter out, and Marc feels himself deflate and soar up with relief at the same time.

They're both a little shaky walking up to the dance floor. Even more awkward trying to figure out how to go about this. Nath ultimately takes the lead, placing one of Marc's hands on his own, Marc placing the other on the redhead's shoulder himself. The first steps are uncomfortable as heck , but they make do, avoiding looking at each other at all cost. At some point, Nathaniel feels a sudden surge of adrenaline and breaks their hold on either to tilt Marc's chin up, looking him right in the eye.

Their steps become smoother, almost fluid, as their bodies move without thinking, without sensing, practically floating on a fluffy cotton cloud of bliss. They're lost in each other's gaze for heavens knows how long, and when the song finally slows to a finale, it feels like it's been forever in a blink. They jerk back to reality, staggering off the dance floor, nothing short of euphoria in the air. Alix is applauding, and Marinette, and Adrien and Rose and Juleka too. The others don't seem to have noticed anything, but the world has flipped almost upside down for Marc and Nathaniel.

"So, I guess it's a little late to ask this, but, uh...you want to be my boyfriend?" Nathaniel asks shyly, cheeks flushed with happiness.

Marc doesn't even bother giving him a reply, instead tackling him in an embrace, kissing him on the cheek for the sake of holding back. Someday there'll be a day for a real first kiss, but today isn't it, and Marc doesn't care at this point.

They're boyfriends. They're happy. And collège is finally over. The only reasonable thing to do tonight is celebrate the heck out of this evening. The first few lyrics of Panic! at the Disco's Victorious float over from Nino's DJ Booth, and party the night away they do indeed.