Graduation.
They've all been waiting for this day for years, and yet now that it's finally come, none of them really know how to feel about it. A strange mix of relief, regret, apprehension, and nostalgia hangs in the atmosphere, but a party is a party and they're not going to waste their last day together as the graduating class of Collège Françoise Dupont. Tonight is the night for one last stab at making memories, before it's all compressed, packed into a box, and shoved away to make headspace for lycée.
And making the most of it seems to be what everyone is determined to do tonight. Chloe, still on her awkward way to redemption, reserved the most luxurious hall at Le Grand Paris hotel, the effort into decoration and venue for this final night together is obvious. Nino has a mix ready for just this occasion, a playlist to highlight the interesting mixture of emotions that everyone's going through at this point. Adrien and Marinette, the ever-iconic couple, have already initiated the couples dances, and Ivan and Mylene don't take long to join them. Rose and Juleka are slightly more hesitant, then Kim runs to the floor with Ondine in one hand and Max in the other.
All while Nathaniel Kurtzberg and his fabulously aromantic best friend hang around by the snack bar, awkwardly watching the pairs (or, in Kim's case, trio) dance it up on the center floor.
This is the last night, this is the last night, just one last night, Nathaniel repeats it over and over to himself under his breath, but his legs won't move and his body is too stubborn to ask them to. They've been collaboration partners for goodness knows how long by now, but the exact dynamic of their relationship hangs in mid-air, not quite certain in any direction. He is an amazing friend, that part is certain, but is he more? And if he is, how much more? Nathaniel stares at the other side of the room, where the subject of his suppressed dilemma is currently engaged in conversation with Juleka's older brother.
Marc, Nathaniel softly says his name out loud. That's who his eyes are on tonight, and as uncertain as he's convinced himself he is right now, the decisive voice in the back of his head is growing louder and he can't keep denying it for much longer. No, he knows exactly what he wants tonight, what he's been subconsciously wanting and hoping and dreaming and wishing for for months, now, but for all he is, he can't find the right words. To be fair, he never could, not even after a childhood of growing up on comic books, he couldn't word them himself. That's what Marc was good at, wasn't it? Too bad the one time he really, desperately needed Marc's help with words was the one time he couldn't.
Alix isn't helping. At all. He glances over at her for support probably the umpteenth time tonight, but she's resolutely ignoring him and instead occupying herself with taking a video of Kim's antics on the dance floor. He already knows what she'd say even if he hadn't driven her up a wall already with his panicked lament. She'd look him straight in the eye, draw herself up to full height, and, with a completely deadpan expression, say, "Just. Do it. " And he would go off blabbering about how badly he wanted to but just couldn't and, well, yeah he really can't blame Alix for resorting to giving him the cold shoulder at this point.
So he's alone. He takes a slow sip of his shocking purple punch and cautiously chances another glance at Marc. Nathaniel sighs. Last night, last chance, final call...
***
Marc casually glances away from Luka for 0.1 seconds and immediately snaps his gaze back to the guitarist. He couldn't be imagining it at this point, Nathaniel has definitely been watching him for the last how long had it even been now? He nods along to whatever Luka was saying, smiling with interest, but not really processing any of it. How could he, when his mind has been monopolized by someone else for at least the entirety of today. It's his last chance to confess, last time he'll probably ever have to tell Nath how he's really felt towards him for the past year or so- it makes him scrunch up and hide his head in his hands just from the thought of it.
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.