#he just ate a whole person and you’re expecting him NOT to chat and fidget????

[thefanciestborrower]

what do you think of pred!peter? I was thinking in a more 'the tables have turned' situation because he would never sit still and the poor sap in his belly would likely want waterproof earplugs by the end of it all, with the kid's endless chattering and moving

Ohhh my gosh you’re so right he absolutely would not shut up. While I mostly see him as a chaotic prey lad he ABSOLUTELY has played pred on a few occasions. Mostly I can see that happening with either MJ and Ned or Banner, and both options are equally hilarious to me. He wouldn’t even be going on about anything relevant to the situation either. You’d think he’d be asking all sorts of questions about what he’s like inside but really he just won’t shut up about this one episode of Star Trek he just saw, and while Ned finds it entertaining, MJ would really like some earplugs please. Tho if it were Banner he’d eaten Peter would really just be geeking out the whole time about some rapid fire science nonsense and pretty much no one can understand what he’s going on about. 

Also I feel like he’d forget that whatever he does affects his insides so he’d just, try and swing or climb up something and immediately get kicked at for making gravity go all wonky for his ‘passengers’. He also is incapable of keeping his hands away from his stomach while he’s got someone in there so you’re just gonna have to put up with being squished and prodded the entire time 

[chrisevansjellybeans]

Happier | Part One

A/N: Once again Tumblr decides to not have my work show up on the tags. But here is part one of a multi-fic! 

Summary: Reader is Chris’s best freind who has been harboring feelings for him for a while. When they are finally reunited after he’s been gone for filming she’s shocked to find out that he’s coming back with a little more than just himself. 

Word Count: 1479

Warnings: swearing, slightly angsty

You wiped your palms against the fabric of your dress as you watched the front door of the fancy restaurant that Chris had picked out. He was finally back from filming in Canada where he had been for the last six months and you had missed him like crazy. 

You had met Chris when you first moved to Boston. You had decided to check out your new neighborhood and you had always believed that nothing gave you more insight on the neighborhood than its local dive bar. The Dirty Robber just screamed classic Boston dive bar and when you walked in your suspicions were confirmed. He had been sitting at the bar and you just a couple stools down. Before you knew it you were talking until bar close and a friendship blossomed from there. 

You had obviously known who he was and you weren’t going to lie, were starstruck when he took off his hat that first night in the bar. But after many coffee and lunch get-togethers you realized that he was more than the movie star you had known him to be. 

That was five years ago. And of course you had to fall victim to the cliche of “I’m the best friend of the super hot guy who has no idea I feel that way and doesn’t see me as any more than a friend or worse a little sister.” So you did what you did best. You suppressed the feelings and put on a brave face and didn’t say anything to him. 

And now here you were, waiting in a fancy restaurant, wearing a hot red dress in hopes that in his time away your best friend realized that just maybe he had feelings for you too. 

“Can I get you another water?” You broke out of your trance and turned to the waitress who was smiling down at you. 

“Um yeah, that would be great. Thank you.” She nodded and you turned your attention back to the door. 

You felt your heart flutter as Chris walked through the double doors. He ran his fingers through his hair as he paused at the door and looked around the restaurant, looking for you. You felt your body stand as you went to raise your hand to get his attention. But then you froze. It was like ice had gone through your veins and stopped all motion. 

A beautiful woman walked up behind Chris and lovingly wrapped her arms around his torso. Her blonde hair perfectly curled and rested down her back. She had a smile, like Chris, that lit up the whole room. Her dress was a beautiful emerald green that fit perfectly to her curves. 

You lowered yourself into your seat as you felt your heart start to shatter. You watched with glossy eyes as Chris finally spotted you and his smile grew. He grabbed the woman’s hand and led her towards you. You willed your tears to dry as they got closer and you put on your best smile. 

“Hey stranger.” Chris sighed as he pulled you into a bone crushing hug. You closed your eyes and took in his scent. Something that you missed for the last half year. “I’ve missed you, sweetheart.” 

Your heart pounded at the nickname. It was so mundane and so universally used but Chris had been calling you that for as long as you’ve known him and when it left his lips it just hit differently. 

“I’ve missed you too, buddy.” You looked past him to the blonde woman who was waiting patiently. You cleared your throat and moved past Chris. “Hi, I’m Y/N.” 

“Oh I know. Chris has told me so much about you, I feel like we are already friends.” She smiled genuinely.

Wish I could say the same. 

“Sweetheart, this is Carissa.” Chris put an arm around her, smiling down at her. “My girlfriend.” 

And there it was. The dagger that pierced your heart. 

“Wow.” You forced out. Chris raised his eyebrow at your lackluster excitement. His eyes asking you that silent question you didn’t want to answer. You cleared your throat and put on a bigger smile. “Wow! Go to Canada for a job and come back with a girlfriend? Way to go, Evans.” 

Carissa laughed and looked up at Chris with the same adoration you had for him. 

“Isn’t it crazy? We met on set and it was love at first sight.” Carissa’s voice was like music. Was there nothing wrong with this girl? 

“Love at first sight? Wow.” You smiled at her. The words were forced and your expression wasn’t genuine but she would never know. You had years of masking your emotions in your pocket. 

But Chris knew you. He knew when you genuinely smiled your eyes sparkled. And when you were excited your voice raised slightly by an octave. He had heard it many times. He knew that you weren’t being as genuine as you thought you were portraying. He watched you closely as you and Carissa continued chatting and you tried not to be affected by his stare. 

As you all ate and talked you felt your heart sink further as you soon realized that Carissa was in fact one of the nicest people on the planet. A true and caring person who clearly adored Chris as much as you did. She was everything that you wished you could be. Because clearly that was what Chris wanted. 

As the three of you stood outside the restaurant waiting for the valet to bring up the cars you wrapped your shawl tightly around yourself. Mentally slapping yourself for not thinking to bring a jacket. Usually Chris would wrap his arms around you, pulling you close to his chest and would rest his chin on your head. He was like your own personal blanket. But now he was doing it with her. Your body trembled as you looked anywhere but where the happy couple was standing. 

“You should come to the house soon. We can have a girls night.” Carissa had moved away from Chris and was now standing by you. Her fingers lightly holding your arm. “You just mean so much to Chris and I really want us to be friends.” 

You glanced over at Chris who was animatedly talking to another valet. He looked over at the both of you quickly and shot you a wink which made you turn away immediately. 

“Um yeah, that would be fun. How long are you in town for?” 

“Until further notice. Chris hasn’t officially asked but he’s basically moving all of my stuff from Canada here.” She giggled. “So whenever you are free I would love to do something. Chris can go over by his mom’s.” 

“What are you ladies plotting over here?” You tensed as Chris’s hands playfully rubbed your shoulders before pulling Carissa to his side. 

“Just a girls night.” She reached up and pecked him on the cheek. “No boys allowed.” 

Chris raised his hands in defense, a smile taking over his whole face. “Hey, I’ll be out of your hair whenever that happens.” 

You opened your mouth to say something but the cars pulled up. You made your way to your car but stopped when you felt a familiar hand grip your upper arm. 

“Babe, wait for me in the car. I’ll just be a second.”

Your eyes were closed as you steadied your breathing. Slowly you turned around to face your best friend. 

“What’s up?” You folded your arms. 

“Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing.” Chris rested his hands on his hips. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine, Chris.” 

“No you’re not. What is it? Do you not like her?” 

You bit the inside of your cheek as you watched your best friend fidget nervously. He wanted you to like her so much. This was so real for him. And here you were acting jealous when you really had no reason to. It’s not his fault that you were too scared to tell him how you really felt. And now it was too late. 

“She’s amazing, Chris. She’s everything and more than what I expected you to end up with.” You gently patted his chest and you felt his heartbeat start to slow. “Seriously. You seem...happier.” 

If only it had been because of you. 

Chris ran his fingers through his hair before pulling you in for a quick hug. “I love you, Y/N. Your approval means everything.” 

You nodded and pulled away from him, trying to put as much distance between the two of you as you could. 

“I’ll see you later, Chris. Welcome home.” You didn’t wait for him to respond before you got into your car and drove off. The tears you had been holding back all night finally falling.

[private-snippers]

A Fog of Green

Soulmate September Day 4 - There is a trail of colour only you can see that marks out where your soulmate has been.

Pairings: Intrulogical, very minor anxceit (it’s mentioned in like two paragraphs at the very end

Warnings: blink and you’ll miss it self deprecation, talk of blood, gore, death (generally just Remus being Remus)

Notes: you can read Intrulogical as romantic or queer-platonic. I like to think of them as QPP’s, but there is talk of proposing at the end and I’m not sure if QPP’s get married?

ao3

Logan sighed, checking his watch for what must have been the seventh time in the past minute. If Patton has been in his position, he may have said Logan was checking his watch for the thousandth time, but he wasn’t, and Logan was not one for hyperboles.

Logan’s shift had started nearly 10 minutes ago, and they had been fidgeting endlessly ever since. He had been expecting a calm shift, looking at the fish and perhaps informing customers of a few facts. With this new disturbance, however, they thought it best that the customers simply inform themselves using the plaques attached to the walls nearby the tanks. The constantly fading trail of green smoke had their full attention.

It flowed in from the jellyfish exhibit, through the hall Logan was stationed in, and out past into the amphibians and beyond. Logan had come into the hall through the reptile exhibit, only passing the entrance to the amphibians, too engrossed in his thoughts to notice the green smoke. Even if he had noticed, however, he would have had to wait, as he did now, for the end of his shift. It was only his second day at the job, he could not afford to be flagged for missing his shift.

Instead, Logan spent their time pacing the hall, thinking of their soulmate and praying to the stars and the constellations among them that their soulmate would still be in their general vicinity when their shift finished.

Luckily for him, there was no need to wait.

Logan heard several pounding footsteps come in from the reptile exhibit, along with a few muffled apologies. His head snapped up, but not quick enough to dodge before he caught a flash of green out of the corner of his eye and someone slammed directly into him.

“Oh, fuck! Sorry! I’m looking for my–” they paused, looking at the air around Logan, “for you, apparently! Shit, that was a bad first impression. I’m Remus, she/her right now!”

“Logan, he/they. I presume that you are the source of all this green smoke everywhere?”

“So long as you’re the blue! Wait, I'm green? Please tell me I’m a good green!”

Logan laughed, “Well I certainly believe you to be. My apologies for not finding you sooner, I was planning to finish my shift before searching for my soulmate”

Soulmates. That’s what they were. Remus took a good, long look at the person standing in front of her– her Soulmate!–and grinned.

“I was too caught up in the exhibit’s to notice the smoke! They redid the reptile tanks after the last time I was here so I was reading all the new signs they put up!”

“You enjoy learning? Excellent. I am pursuing a degree in Astrophysics, with a minor in astronomy.”

“Ooh, fun! I’m gonna be a marine biologist, I’m writing a research thing on turtles! Did you know that alligator snapping turtles are a thing! They’re like alligator-turtle hybrids and they are insane! Nature is fucked! I wonder what it’d look like if they tore off someone’s head! Would it be like one clean snap, or maybe just a big, gushing tear–”

“Well I do not believe that an alligator snapping turtle would enjoy a human,” Logan interrupted, “it would certainly be interesting to research what effect their jaws and teeth have on their prey. Perhaps we could research it together over dinner?”

Remus looked up in astonishment, “You want to have dinner with me?”

“Why, of course. You are my soulmate, after all, and I do not believe that I would be given a soulmate I would dislike conversing with. The majority of soulmates develop a relationship together, do they not?”

“Well, yes, but– never mind. I’ll talk to Emile–my therapist,” Remus said after a questioning look from Logan, “about it next week.”

“If you are certain.” After a nod from Remus, Logan continued. “Why don’t you tell me more about Alligator snapping turtles? They sound intriguing, and you certainly seem to know a lot about them.”

The two continued to chat for the rest of Logan’s shift, prattling on about alligator snapping turtles, various other reptiles, and certain aspects of space that may or may not have involved explosions and flames.

~~~

It was a few weeks after the two had met, and their relationship was progressing nicely. They were texting or calling daily and meeting regularly as well. A few days ago, Remus had said that their brother wanted to meet Logan. Logan had agreed, as they saw no reason to wait any longer to meet, and as such had arranged to meet today.

Logan and Remus were standing in front of Roman’s door, a small two-bedroom apartment on the third floor of a building in the middle of downtown. Logan was nervously clasping and unclasping his fist, as he often did when he was anxious.

Remus grabbed their hand, squeezing it before whispering to them. “It’s alright, Lo, Roman’s great! Don’t tell him I said this but,” Xe lowered xir voice a bit, “he’s really helped me with, well, everything, and he’s a great brother.” Xe gave Logan’s hand one last squeeze before turning and knocking erratically on the door. “He’s gonna love you.”

There was a quick and sudden tapping of feet behind the door before it swung open to reveal Roman. “Remus!” He said, double-checking xir bracelet colour–a vibrant green almost identical to Remus’s smoke colour, much to Logan’s surprise and Remus’s delight. “And–Logan? You're my brother’s soulmate?”

“Wait, you guys know each other? What the hell?”

“Yes,” Logan said, “We were project partners a couple of months ago. Roman must have moved, as I did not recognize his apartment. Wait–You were the cause of the green smoke!” He said incredulously, turning to Remus.

“I–Yes?” Remus asked. “Were you not aware of my smoke colour which only you can see?”

“No,” Logan replied, a little frustrated, “When I came over for the project, I saw a faint green smoke drifting around the kitchen and sitting room. I asked Roman whether anyone had been in the house in the past few hours, and he said no. I assumed it had been a mirage of some sort, but you were there!”

“You snuck into my apartment?” Roman said, faking outrage. “Why?”

“I wanted cookies!” Xe turned to Logan. “Ro-bro has the best chocolate chip cookie recipe! You need to have some.”

“Actually, I’m all out. You ate them all yesterday, remember?”

“You had a whole day! And this is Logan, My Soulmate, remember?” Remus said.

“I was helping Janus plan for his date? With Virgil? He’s gonna propose?”

“Oooh, yeah! How’d the planning go?” Remus bounced around the hall as he spoke, mind running a mile a minute. “Is he gonna fly a giant banner with Virgil’s face on it across the sky? Ooh, no what about fireworks that say ‘Marry me, Virgil,” except they look like blood splatters and shit! Or or or! What about painting a portrait of Virgil in fake, or real, blood and then on the back it says “Marry me!” Yes, I’m a genius!”

Roman just shook his head. “I’ll tell you inside, c’mon!”

And if years later Logan uses one or more of those exact suggestions to propose to Remus, no one said anything.

[whisker-biscuit]

Home Is Where The Hedgehog Is

Fandom: Sonic Movie (2020)

Rating: G

Summary: Living with Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady is super fun, even if there are dumb rules he has to follow sometimes. Sonic is going to hold onto it with everything he has.

The first in a one-shot collection of a hyperactive hedgehog trying his best to fit in with his newfound family, and two humans who want him to know he doesn't need to try at all.

MAJOR spoilers for the Sonic Movie!

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Living in a house was much different than living in a cave.

For starters, the draft wasn’t nearly as bad, even when Sonic forgot to close the attic window at night. And now he had an actual, honest-to-goodness bed to burrow into when it really was that cold. Came with a blanket and pillow too, deluxe model!

The other thing that was different was the company, Tom and Maddie and Tom’s so-called “best friend”. Maybe he should have mentioned that one first, but hey, a hedgehog could only focus on so many new changes at one time.

Speaking of changes, a personal alarm clock wasn’t something he was expecting this morning.

“Good morning, Sonic!” Maddie’s head poked up past the attic trapdoor.

“Mmph…” The teen mumbled, curling into a tighter ball under the covers like it would make him invisible.

The woman hoisted herself up from the ladder and made her way to his side. “Come on, you promised you’d go to bed early tonight, so you can’t be complaining now. It’s time for breakfast, up and at ‘em.”

“Food?” A pair of ears perked out from the quill ball. Sonic’s head popped up soon after. “What kind of food?”

“Guess you’ll have to get up to find out, won’t you?” She winked at him and ruffled the fur on his forehead, then started heading back to the ladder.

There was a whoosh of wind and the pitter-patter of impossibly fast feet against the wooden floor, and suddenly Maddie was all alone in the attic.

“Come on slowpoke, I’m hungry!” Sonic called up to her from the hallway before he zoomed into the kitchen, sliding to a halt just in time to avoid crashing into the kitchen island. Tom was busy loading up three plates with eggs and bacon. He didn’t even flinch at the boy’s arrival.

“Morning, Sonic. What took you so long?” The man raised an eyebrow with a bit of a smirk as his comment made the hedgehog pout.

“It’s not my fault, you guys didn’t even wake me up! Ooh, is that my plate?”

“Ah, not yet,” Tom grabbed the offending plate and held it up out of Sonic’s reach. “Go wash your hands first.”

“But Tooooom…”

“You heard me the first time.”

“Ugh, fine. Why you hafta be such a stickler for rules? You were more fun on the road trip.”

“That’s because –” the man blinked and the teen was no longer there. He sighed good-naturedly as Maddie arrived looking just as frazzled.

“Day one,” she said with a smile and a slight giggle. Her arms found their way around his waist as he scraped grease off the skillet. “This might take some getting used to.”

“You’re telling me.” He tilted his head back to sneak a quick kiss to her cheek. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Me neither.” The woman hummed against him. A breeze picked up.

“Hey, if you wanted to do lovey-dovey couple things you coulda just said that.” Sonic sat at the table with his arms folded, kicking his legs out and giving them a scrunched up look like he couldn’t decide whether to be grossed out or resigned.

Maddie laughed and gave her husband another kiss, then released him from her hold to help carry their food. Tom shook his head, giving the boy a look. His response was a smirk and eyes too large to be innocent.

“Okay smart aleck, I expect to see that plate clean before you even think of excusing yourself from this table.”

By the way Sonic was eyeing the food laid out in front of him, it didn’t seem like a hard task.

Through breakfast, the three of them ate and chatted together like they had been doing it for years. There were a few mishaps – Sonic had a very bad habit of talking with his mouth full, and accidentally ratted Tom out when the man tried to sneak some bacon to the dog – but the energy didn’t wane at all. It wasn’t until Maddie pulled Sonic over to help her with the dishes that things started to quiet down. Tom, having made breakfast this time and contractually not required to help this time, went to change into his uniform.

The woman was making small talk as she washed the food off and handed each item to the teen to place in the dishwasher, and he’d occasionally interject with comments or questions. Just as they finished, however, Maddie noticed as she dried off her hands that Sonic had stopped talking entirely and was just staring at the hand towel she’d given him.

“Something on your mind?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, I mean no, it’s fine.” He was quick to toss the towel on the counter and rubbed the back of his head. “I just realized that I’ve never done this before.”

“Washing dishes?”

“That too but…all of it, I guess. It’s kinda weird. You guys have this whole routine thing going on and that’s cool, but for me it feels…. I dunno, more important? It’s dumb.”

He was starting to fidget in place, obviously wanting to say or do something else but not sure how to bring it up. Maddie frowned a little in thought and crouched so she was at the hedgehog’s level.

“Do you mean eating breakfast? Or – ah.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “You know, having company in everyday things is nice. I used to take it for granted.”

Sonic looked at her sharply. “What do you mean?”

“Well, Tom and I married not long before I started vet school. We had been so used to being around each other for every little thing that it felt like they weren’t ‘special’ anymore. I think that’s how it can get for a lot of people, honestly. But when I started school, we didn’t see each other nearly as often. I was gone all day for classes, and he had to pick up a second job to help make ends meet, which usually meant evening shifts. We barely had the chance to even sit down for a decent meal together, most days.”

The teen’s expression was opening up into something more vulnerable. “Was it hard?”

“Very hard. We still loved each other, so not being able to just be together without work or school in the way made it hard sometimes. But it was because we loved each other that those times we could just sit back and relax became so much more precious. It’s been a while since those days, but I try not to forget the feeling.”

She reached out and took his hand, making sure to keep steady eye contact. He was stock-still.

“It’s alright to find joy in doing things with people, even if they’re simple things like eating breakfast or doing chores. No one’s going to think it’s strange that you’re loving it. Especially not me or Tom. Okay?”

Sonic was staring at their connected hands. There was a barrier around his emotions in that moment that looked very close to crumbling. With a quiet sniff and a nod, he gave her a huge grin.

“Okay.”

Tom’s voice from the other room broke the moment.

“Why’d it get quiet all of a sudden? You two aren’t planning my untimely demise right now, are you?”

“You bet your badge we are!” The hedgehog called back, already settling into his more common mischievous persona. He made a motion to zip away, then stopped to give Maddie a tight hug first. She almost lost her balance from the impact but returned it anyway.

“Thanks, Maddie.”

“Always, kiddo.”

A blur, a whoosh, and he was gone.

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A/N: I'm back on my Sonic kick from forever ago, and there's no obvious end in sight. I love the found family trope, I love that it happened in the movie, and I love that Sonic is allowed to express real negative emotions (screw you Sega, do our blue boy justice). Have no idea how many of these I'm going to do nor how long they might get, nor do I know if they’ll all stay rated G. We’ll see.

[porkchop-ao3]

A Thrill I’ve Never Known (Chapter 8)

Daisy Chains

Not much to say about this one besides some quiet little conversation around the campfire!

(All chapters tagged with #ATINK and also posted on Ao3, username PorkChop)

-

All was quiet for a while around the campfire, though we could hear laughter and chit chat from the other side of the camp. I looked at Arthur who was away with the fairies, staring at the fire, his beer bottle pressed to his bottom lip, whistling quietly with his breath.

“You okay, Arthur?” I asked and he blinked, snapping out of it and looking at me.

“Oh I'm fine, jus’ lost in thought,” he told me, eyes ghosting over me, taking in my appearance. “You look real nice, with the new clothes and the hair, I saw Mary-Beth did that for you.”

“Thanks,” I grinned. “She's good with hair, ain't she? Said maybe she'd teach me sometime.”

“That's nice of her. I'm glad you're getting along well with the others.”

“Yeah, you folk have all been very kind, I hope I can make it up somehow,” I said. He nodded, keeping his eyes on me for a long while before letting out a breath.

“Can I ask you something?” He said, his voice going up a bit with curiosity.

“Sure.”

“That letter… the one you and John picked up for me today. That was from someone that, uhh, that meant a lot to me, at one point. Still does, I suppose. But I ain't seen them in so long I was starting to feel okay with that, about them being all a part of my past,” he explained to me, his brow creased a little.

“But now they wanna see me again, and I ain't sure that's a good idea,” he continued, glancing away. “You ever loved somebody? I mean that ain't your kin.”

“Me?” I balked, not being prepared for such a question. “No, I uh, can't say I have.”

“No, I suppose you're too young for that,” he mumbled.

“I wouldn't say it's that. My family kept to ourselves, I never got the chance to meet anyone and become familiar enough to fall in love. Then of course, it's been the last thing on my mind in more recent years,” I said, frowning to myself. I wasn't sure Arthur really knew how old I was. “But anyway, is that all you wanted to ask me?”

“I guess I was just gonna ask you what you'd do," he met my eyes again.

“Would I go and meet this person?” I wondered aloud, and Arthur nodded. “I'm guessing you're afraid of being hurt, that's understandable. I'm not the best at advice but, I think it depends. Do you care about them enough to risk it?”

“I think I do. I feel maybe I owe it to her, not to ignore her letter. But I just don't… I don't wanna get sucked into anything, 'cause that's when I turn into a fool.”

“Maybe you should go then, even if it's just to tell her what you just told me; that you don't think keeping in contact like this is a good idea,” I suggested. Arthur nodded and sat quietly in thought for a while.

The whole time I'd been speaking to him my heart had been in my mouth. I didn't know anything about his situation and I could only do my best in advising him, I just didn't want him to get hurt over something I'd suggested. But he was a grown man at the end of the day, he could make his own choices.

“How about you come with me?”

“What?” My eyes widened.

“I think if I had someone there, I might be able to keep my head. I have a tendency to drop everything for this person and I know I can't do that right now, not with all that's happened to the gang recently.”

“I understand, but me? Why me? Wouldn't that look bad?”

“I ain't about to bring one of the boys with me, they'd give me no end of crap! Bunch o’ children. Not only that, everyone here has some sort of opinion on her. But you ain't met Mary before, you ain't got any ideas about her and you won't be whispering in my ear, tellin’ me what you think of her. That's why I asked you about this in the first place.”

“Alright. I guess I see your point. I'm just thinking of how it's gonna look if you turn up with some other woman she ain't met before on the back of your horse,” I said awkwardly, averting my gaze. I could feel Arthur's eyes on me as he considered my words. In the end he sat forward, adjusting his hat and taking a swig of beer.

“If she makes assumptions then maybe that wouldn't be so bad,” he admitted quietly. “Might even make it easier.”

I opened my mouth, but didn't know what to say, so I closed it again and fidgeted in my seat.

“That is of course, if you can stand for anyone to think you've settled for someone like me,” he added.

“Settled?” I spat with a little too much disbelief. I reined myself in. “I'm sorry, Arthur. You shouldn't think that of yourself, settling ain't what someone would do for you. You're a fine man.”

“Ya’ barely know me,” he chuckled.

“What I do know is all good; you’re a gentleman. You're kind, polite, helpful, not to mention extremely handsome,” I said without thinking, stopping abruptly and drinking some beer so that I had a reason to shut up. My thoughts turned back to the conversation I had with the girls earlier that evening and I felt incredibly embarrassed. If they'd heard that…

A glance from the corner of my eye showed Arthur with his head tilted down, unmistakable amusement on his face; badly hidden. I cleared my throat and made to stand up.

“Excuse me,” I mumbled, getting out of there as quickly as I could.

He was laughing at me. What a fool I'd been to say something like that – again, and mostly sober! – no wonder he found it funny, coming from me. Just a silly girl too young to have ever loved, can't even make herself look pretty; has to ask someone else to do it for her, always getting saved by men because she can't look after herself. Of course he didn't want to hear that from me.

I walked to the edge of camp and sat myself down on the cliff, feet hanging down off the edge. I took a breath and looked out over the view; it was dark now, just the moon providing a little light. I thought back to the first night I'd meet Arthur, and the fact that he'd been in my dreams. He'd held me, kissed me, made me a woman, made me feel desirable and loved. It'd all been a figment of my imagination, my intimacy starved subconscious, and as I thought about it I felt ashamed. Who was I to think of him in such a way, even if it was beyond my control in my dreams?

And here we were, crossing paths again; and I was still acting just as foolish as I had that night. How humiliating.

I finished my beer, the last one of the night; I'd already loosened up more than enough. I heard footsteps in the grass behind me, but didn't look back, half hoping that whoever it was would just leave me alone. I'd been surrounded by far too many people and I felt exhausted from it.

“You should be careful, what if you fall off the edge?” The voice that came was the absolute last I expected to hear. I turned around and saw little Jack standing there with a half eaten chocolate bar in his hand.

I scooted back, bringing my legs up and sitting further away from the edge.

“Thanks, Jack. You're right,” I smiled at him and he came closer to me, staying further back from the edge than I was.

“Mama warned me about going too close,” he told me.

“Well she's a clever woman, you should listen to her,” I nodded. He bit into his chocolate and was quiet for a while as he ate.

“Do your eyes hurt?” He asked after swallowing and I chuckled a little.

“They did, but they aren't so bad anymore,” I said, then gestured to him. “Your daddy helped me after I got hurt, you know that?”

Jack nodded, looking back over his shoulder towards camp. John was with Abigail, and though I couldn't hear them I could tell they were arguing.

“Hey,” I said, distracting him from his parents. “You ever made a daisy chain?”

“Sure! I know how to make those,” he gave me a big smile and sat down, crossing his legs. I twisted around to face him, plucking a flower from the grass.

“You wanna help me make one?” I asked. He nodded eagerly.

“Who's it for?” He asked. I thought for a moment, not really having anyone in mind, only suggesting it to stop him from seeing his parents fight.

“Mary-Beth, as a thank you for doing my hair tonight,” I decided, smiling at him as he gathered flowers from around the spot he sat in.

I watched him as he made the chain, and my job became handing him the flowers one by one for him to link onto the rest. It was sweet, just watching him have fun and be creative, and I wondered what sort of games he played with no other kids around, and without even a fixed home.

“Do you like it here, Jack?” I asked him, handing him another flower.

“Sure. It's okay, sometimes I miss the old place, though,” he shrugged, as unfazed as any kid could be, his world was small and I suspected as long as he had his parents and the other familiar faces around him, he'd be okay. “Do you like it here?” He asked.

His question took me by surprise. He was just a child, I was under no pressure to give him a well thought-out answer, a simple yes would've satisfied him. But it made me think. I was on the fence about it, I liked the security I felt when I was here but I couldn't fight the feeling of not quite belonging, of intruding and outstaying my welcome. It was why I was trying to be as helpful as possible.

“Sure, you folk are all very kind,” I told him in the end. “I want to make sure I thank you all properly.”

“You need me to help make more daisy chains?” He asked and I laughed, his purity endearing.

“No, you're alright. You're doing a great job with this one, I couldn't possibly expect you to do any more for me,” I assured him. He held up the completed daisy chain, grinning. “That looks beautiful, Jack.”

“Will Mary-Beth like it?”

“I'm certain she will, shall we go give it to her?” I asked and he hopped up to his feet before I could blink. I stood up too, about to follow him back into camp when Abigail appeared in front of us.

“There you are, Jack. It's bedtime, come on,” she waved him over.

“We made this for Mary-Beth!” He ran over to her, showing her the chain.

“Well that's lovely, you can give it to her in the morning, say goodnight to your new friend,” she gestured to me and placed a hand on his shoulder, turning him to face me.

“You can give it to her,” he said to me, offering me the daisy chain. I smiled and took it from him.

“Thanks for your help, Jack.”

“You're welcome, it was fun! Goodnight,” he said letting his mother guide him away from me. Abigail addressed me with a polite nod, but she didn't return the smile I gave her. My stomach knotted. If Karen had gotten ideas about John and I, I dreaded to think what Abigail thought.

I let out a quiet groan, looking down at the daisy chain in my hand. I wanted to leave, I didn't want to stay any longer and cause any problems, I didn't want to make myself look any sillier in front of Arthur, I didn't want to take up any more of the camps resources. If I could, I'd have walked right out of camp there and then, but I knew that it'd be suicide going out there without any weapons, food, or shelter. I was trapped.

I swallowed thickly and walked back into camp, sitting down in the spot I'd been sleeping the last few nights next to Mary-Beth. Her book was sitting there and I slipped the daisy chain under the front cover and left it there, not feeling like finding her and handing it over. I curled up on my side and tried to sleep.

It was odd. Despite the camp being alive with noise from the party, I still slept more soundly than I ever did out there in my tent alone.

[frostedpuffs]

A Simple Suggestion - Ch.5

A Simple Suggestion Summary: Breaks from patrol often allow time for Ladybug and Chat Noir to talk and be themselves. But when a silly joke starts to seem all that…well, not silly, the two find themselves considering something neither of them had ever before: moving in together. The tricky part is still keeping their identities a secret. Rated: T+ Pairing(s): Ladybug/Chat Noir, Adrien/Marinette

Chapter 5 - A Deal Word count: 6,192 Also read on: ao3

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Finding out that the beautiful apartment she'd had her hopes set on had been taken was disappointing, to say the least.

With a sigh, Marinette flopped down onto her bed and frowned deeply into her pillow. She couldn't believe it. She and Chat had been so ready to move, and they had been sure that apartment had been the one for them...but they had acted too late.

Someone else—whoever that person, or people, may be—had beaten them to the punch.

She and Chat Noir really should have sealed the deal sooner. While they both were still so new to the whole apartment-hunting business, Marinette really hadn't expected their apartment to go to soon.

(Well, it wasn't "theirs." It never really had been.)

Chat Noir had done his best to comfort her. She was still sad, though. It really had been perfect.

The apartment was large with a homey feel, had a beautiful garden terrace and two bedrooms big enough to keep her sewing supplies and a queen-sized bed, as well as being in a safe location with a view overlooking the Seine. All of those were nice qualities, of course, but her favorite attribute of the apartment was its spacious living room with floor-to-ceiling windows. She could imagine herself sitting on the couch, sketching and listening to her favorite music as sunlight streamed in like golden wisps of warmth onto the hardwood floor...

She daydreamed about it extensively. What it would be like to live there, to wake up in the morning and open the burgundy curtains to a view of the sunrise over the city. She would make a pot of coffee for her and Chat Noir. Maybe she'd even pick up breakfast at her parent's bakery and bring it home for them to share because they made the best pastries. Perhaps she'd do some yoga in the living room—there was certainly enough space—and after she could take a shower in one of the two pristine bathrooms before spending the day relaxing on the terrace.

Continue reading on ao3 or under the cut! ↓

Marinette's heart sunk as she remembered that she wouldn't be able to live those fantasies in that perfect apartment. It was gone; taken; occupied. Not theirs. A whimper of disappointment rose in her throat and slipped from her lips before she could suppress it.

(Marinette wouldn't admit it to Chat Noir, but she had cried on the way home. Just a little bit.)

"I'm so mad," she muttered to nobody in particular. "How could we be so—so stupid?"

"What do you mean?" Flitting over to rest on her shoulder, Tikki's tiny mouth turned downward, paw stroking the top of Marinette's head. Her indigo eyes softened at the sight of her Ladybug in distress.

Marinette turned on her back to stare at the ceiling. "The apartment. The one that was so perfect. We should have just taken it the moment we saw it. Now somebody else owns it and… and I'm still here!"

"Marinette, it's okay," Tikki told her. "You and Chat Noir will find another place just as special. And, if it doesn't seem special at first, you two can make it that way."

"You're sweet, Tikki."

"Besides," Tikki continued. "Wasn't that apartment over budget? I know you weren't happy with the idea of Chat Noir paying more per month than you."

Marinette hummed in thought, chewing on her bottom lip as she mulled over her reply. "You're right," she said. "I'd forgotten about that. I would have ended up feeling so guilty."

Even if Chat Noir insisted that he didn't mind paying more, Marinette did. She didn't want to live in a place where he fronted most of the money. She'd feel like a freeloader.

"It was farther away from your parents' house, too." With a stretch of her legs, Tikki curled up into a ball on Marinette's pillow and nestled into a more comfortable position. "I know it was beautiful, Marinette, but I think it was a good thing you didn't get that one. In the end, things would have been harder for you."

Tikki had a point. Although the apartment had seemingly been the best choice, perhaps, Marinette thought, she had been blinded by its appearance. The rent was horrendously expensive compared to her monthly earnings, and the distance between her work and back would have been difficult due to the fact that she was yet to own a car, and using Ladybug as a transportation method wasn't something she liked to do often.

Besides, she didn't want to rush into things. She and Chat still had a lot to figure out, and signing a lease on the first apartment they came across was a little risky. There would be others, and Marinette definitely wanted to have the opportunity to tour and look around them before they made a final decision. How she and Chat Noir would do that, she wasn't sure yet, but…

Well, they'd find a way. They always did.

"Thanks for the advice, Tikki," Marinette said, tickling under her companion's chin. Tikki giggled in response.

With a smile on her face that was much more relaxed than it had been an hour prior, Marinette sat up and stretched her arms high above her head. It was late; after she and Chat had discovered their apartment was occupied, patrol had resumed. It went on for a lot longer than Marinette had expected, but she blamed the bad news for her sluggish behavior. Now, it was nearing midnight, and she had an eight A.M. class in the morning.

(She wanted to be annoyed at Chat Noir for being so nice and fun to spend time with, but she couldn't find the will to be. He made her feel like she never wanted their patrols to end.)

She hauled herself out of bed with an apology to Tikki for stirring her. Changing into a pair of pajamas and speeding through her nightly routine of teeth brushing and face washing, Marinette slipped right back under her duvet just as the clock struck twelve, the comfort of her bed familiar and welcoming. As she nuzzled her face into her pillow, she sighed. Tomorrow was another day.

"I hope we find something that'll be nice to live in," Marinette said, thinking out loud.

Tikki lifted her head from Marinette's pillow and smiled encouragingly. "Wasn't there a smaller apartment? I remember there being another that was your second choice."

With an intense yawn that made the corners of Marinette's eyes prick with tears, she nodded in recollection, eyes widening and heart skipping a beat from excitement. "Right!" she exclaimed. "I'd forgotten about that, Tikki. It was small, but… nice. There was definitely enough room for the both of us if we squeezed. Only one bathroom, though…"

"You can take turns," Tikki offered.

"The kitchen was super tiny," Marinette continued. "But that's okay because Chat's told me before that he has no idea how to cook, so I'll really be the only one using it on a daily basis. It didn't have a washer or dryer, but I think there's a laundromat around the corner…"

Tikki's voice became quieter as she began to drift off to sleep. "That's good, Marinette."

"...it did seem really cozy. Comfortable, almost."

"So you like it?"

After a moment of deliberation, Marinette nodded. "Yeah," she said, fluffing up one of her pillows and turning onto her side, head resting on her forearm. "Yeah. It's only twelve minutes away, too, and in a nice part of town right next to a park. I could take walks there. It's close to my work, too, and rent would be cheaper." A grin split her face as she closed her eyes, images of a small apartment adorned by homey decorations and warm lighting filling her head. "I'm sure it'll be just fine."

Tikki mumbled a sleepy reply, but Marinette didn't quite catch it. She was too busy fidgeting with excitement, because tomorrow—tomorrow, she would tell Chat Noir about the other apartment, and they'd make it theirs if he was willing.

Theirs. The word echoed in her head over and over again.

They would own their own place. A home where she could live with the one person she trusted more than anyone else in the world. They could stay up late watching movies on weekends, eat ice cream straight from the tub, or play their favorite video games together. They could even build blanket forts or- or make dinner together as best friends. Heck, they could even sit in their pajamas all day without a care in the world. It would be like a never-ending sleepover with Chat Noir.

Part of Marinette was nervous about being around him nearly twenty-four-seven when they didn't know each other's identities, but she urged herself not to worry so much. She trusted Chat Noir, after all, and he'd never purposefully infringe on her privacy. Things would be okay. They were close friends; everything would work out just fine.

As she felt herself slipping into peaceful dreams, Marinette was positively beaming.

It was a rough day.

Nearly missing her first class that morning because her alarm hadn't gone off, Marinette had sat through her classes unable to focus due to thoughts of her and Chat Noir's apartment on the mind. She'd completely blanked during a quiz, found her stomach rumbling loudly during a lecture because she'd forgotten to eat, and had accidentally left her notes on the history of fashion at home when they were absolutely necessary for the day's assignment.

It was safe to say her morning had started out unpleasant, but she was determined not to let it get to her. Thoughts of meeting up with her partner later that night to tell him about her findings urged her to keep moving through the day with her head held high.

Marinette gave a brief glance at her phone to check the time as she walked down the street. It was one in the afternoon, past the usual time she ate lunch. With the added hunger from a breakfast forgotten, her stomach was growling up a hungry storm, and she couldn't wait to step inside the downstairs of the bakery to get a whiff of fresh bread and make some food for herself before she had to rush off to work.

The air was starting to get warmer. Marinette relished in the ability to wear skirts again after such a cold winter, and she was thankful the chilly weather had subsided for the season. Smiling up at the sunshine, she took in a long, deep breath and sighed, enjoying the way the rays of light warmed her skin. It was a beautiful day, really—the clouds were so puffy and white that Marinette wanted to transform just to get closer to them. If she tried hard enough, maybe she could even touch one.

The sky was so blue today. So blue and bright and dotted with white clouds. One in particular caught her eye and she grinned up at it, thinking it looked exactly like a ca—

"Woah!"

Stumbling into a broad chest, Marinette's arms flailed and her legs wobbled before she fell back towards the sidewalk. Blurs of light from staring at the sky filled her vision, and as an arm connected with the small of her back, she was left feeling weightless and dazed.

Had she tripped over something…?

"You might want to watch where you're going," a cheerful voice laughed, obvious mirth in the stranger's tone. "You're going to hurt yourself like that, Marinette."

Blinking to rid the circles from her gaze, Marinette swiveled her head up to stare at the figure as he brought her to her feet. It took her a moment to come to terms with where she was and who she was talking to, and as her eyes adjusted to the sight of tall, blond and handsome, her heart practically leaped out of her chest.

It was Adrien. Adrien Agreste; the boy she hadn't seen since Christmas and hadn't spoken to since their slightly-drunken conversation by the punch bowl.

"Adrien?" she asked, unable to suppress the surprise in her voice. Oh, god, she probably looked like the same old maladroit girl she was back in collége and lycée, staring at the sky and bumping right into him without a shred of awareness. Her cheeks reddened just from the sheer embarrassment of the situation.

Adrien beamed at her, his smile as bright as the sun that had temporarily blinded her. "Hey, Marinette. Long time no see, huh?"

His hand was still on her bicep. The contact felt nicer than she'd liked to admit.

(The small, touch-starved part of her didn't want him to ever let go.)

After a moment of staring Marinette figured it would be polite of her to answer, so she offered her hand in a wave. "Adrien! H-hi- hey! It's been forever! What are…" Oh god, she thought, his eyes are even greener than I remember. "...what are you doing on this side of town?"

It was odd for Adrien to be so close to the bakery. He was usually in different parts of the city during the day, sometimes even out of it completely for his modeling—that's what Nino said, anyways—so… what was he doing here?

Adrien went to play with the hairs on the nape of his neck. It was a tell-tale old habit of his that Marinette had picked up on years ago. "Ah, well," he said with a high-pitched laugh. "I was actually on my way to see you. You see, I have a silly favor to ask."

Marinette blinked. "A favor?"

What kind of favor would Adrien possibly need from her? They hadn't even spoken in five months. The only way she'd kept up with what he was doing was through Nino!

Somewhere deep inside of her, Marinette wanted to be annoyed that he just turned up out of nowhere to ask her for something, but he was just too damn cute to turn away. Besides, Adrien was the sweetest person she'd ever met in her life, and he'd never asked her for a favor before. If he was coming to her after they hadn't spoken in what felt like forever, well, it had to be something important, right?

Adrien opened his mouth to speak but promptly closed it as Marinette's stomach let out a plea for food. The sound had her blush deepening to a crimson, and she self-consciously placed a hand on her belly. It didn't seem to phase Adrien, though—he simply smiled and pointed a thumb towards the bakery doors. "You want to go inside?"

Marinette hadn't even noticed she'd made it home. With a nod, she led him around to the back door that led up to the apartment rather than taking him through the front. "Let's go this way. My parents would probably attack you with love and free pastries if they saw you."

Adrien laughed, and it was a gorgeous sound. "Is that such a bad thing?"

"Yes." Fishing her keys out of her pocket and unlocking the door, Marinette threw him a smile over her shoulder. "They'd fatten you up until you're rolling out the door and down the street. Too much of a good thing, you know?" The door opened, and Marinette found herself feeling light on her feet as Adrien held it for her. He was still such a gentleman after all the years they had known each other.

"Aw, there's no harm in that," Adrien countered, shutting the door behind him and following her up the stairs. "I could stand to gain a little pastry weight."

Your dad would kill you though, she thought bitterly. Just for that, she'd take out some cookies for him to eat upstairs. Maybe shove some in a bag for him to slip home for later.

"I'll sneak you some," Marinette said with a grin. "On the house."

Adrien touched a hand to his chest as they made it upstairs, his lips twitching into a grin. "How sweet."

Marinette paused in the middle of the doorway to look over her shoulder with a cocked brow. "Adrien, was that a pun?"

Adrien merely smirked, a chuckle causing his voice to waver as he said, "Maybe."

Marinette gave a playful roll of her eyes in response.

Things were quiet as she made her lunch. Adrien sat on the couch with one of his legs propped over the other, leisurely fiddling with his phone while Marinette did what she needed. She only had an hour before she had to leave for work, and she was thankful she could at least spend time with an old friend while she ate. Usually, she sat alone upstairs while her parents worked down below, passing the time by watching YouTube videos or chatting with Tikki. Adrien visiting was a nice way to mix things up—even if it was a tad awkward.

"So…" Marinette said as she sat next to him on the couch, a little farther away than what she would normally consider a friendly distance. "You had a favor to ask?"

Adrien looked up from his phone and pocketed it, hand retreating to the back of his neck as his eyes averted her own. It was like a switch had been flicked—he'd gone from relaxing on her couch in one moment to an anxious teenager the next. Marinette crossed her legs and placed a hand on her elbow (a habit she'd never grown out of), cocking her head to the side as she watched her friend mull over something that was obviously eating at him. It was like he was afraid to say whatever was on his mind; as if she would get upset at him or something like that.

"Adrien?" she asked after a silence that had been a little too long to be comfortable. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he said, but it was an obvious lie by the way his voice cracked. He cleared his throat before continuing. "I'm okay. I'm sorry, I just realized how rude of me it is to pop back into your life after not speaking to you for a while only to ask something from you. I didn't even think about that until now." His shoulders wilted and he looked positively deflated as Marinette gazed over him.

The sight caused her to want to reach out to him, and her fingers twitched from anticipated contact, but she refrained. He was right—it was a tad rude of him to do so, especially after they hadn't seen each other in months, but it was clear that hadn't been his intention. He was in need of something; whatever it was, Marinette wanted to help him. So what if it had been five months? They were still friends whether or not they were close anymore. She'd be willing to do anything for him so long as it was within reason.

Shaking her head, Marinette laid her hands on her lap to keep them from touching him. "Nonsense," she said. "It's okay, Adrien. It's nice to see you again and I don't mind giving you help if you need it. What is it?"

He was quiet. His eyes flickered to meet hers for a fleeting moment before they glanced away again, and he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his white hoodie in a motion that seemed self-conscious. Resting both feet on the floor, Adrien murmured, "I kind of messed up, and said something I shouldn't have, and now I'm in trouble."

Marinette's eyes widened and her voice caught in her throat. "Wh-what? Trouble?"

Adrien shook his head. "No, that's not right. I'm sorry, I worded that wrong." Leaning forward, he clasped his hands together and tapped his thumbs against themselves, thinking. "So, I'm moving out in a few weeks, right? And I go to tell my dad about it last night. The only problem is I'm moving out with someone I can't let him know about, so I sort of told him I was living with a friend of mine that he knows and likes. Which is good and all, because he believed it, but… Now he wants to meet her. But he can't do that because… Well." He squinted in thought, eyes pausing on her own. "Well, she has her reasons."

All Marinette could offer him was a confused stare. What on Earth was he talking about?

Seeming to catch on to her perplexity, Adrien sighed. "To put it simply, I'm moving out with a person my dad can't meet. So… I need someone to help me convince him I'm moving in with someone he can trust."

A bubble of anxiety began to stir within Marinette's chest. She was beginning to get a vague idea of where this was going and wasn't entirely sure how she felt about the whole idea just yet. "I'm sorry," she said, voice soft. "I don't want to sound rude, Adrien, but what does this have to do with me?"

Adrien visibly cringed. "About that," he said, shoulders hunching. "I… I panicked. I panicked and spat out the first name that came to my mind when my father asked who my roommate was going to be, and I…" As if to hide his face, he buried his face in his hands and groaned. "I said I was moving in with you. But I'm obviously not, so I-"

Marinette's eyes widened to the size of a dinner plate. "With me?" She felt speechless. While flattered she was the first person he thought of, her tongue fumbled to form words and her mind was reeling with the thought of how ironic this whole situation was. Adrien was moving out with someone his father couldn't meet, and she was doing the exact same thing—moving in with her partner whose identity had to remain a secret. It certainly made the whole "meeting the parents" thing difficult. Living with Chat Noir was something she'd been looking forward to, but she hadn't exactly thought out how she'd allow her parents to meet her roommate (if they would at all.)

"I know, I'm sorry," Adrien said, deflated. "I really screwed up and I understand if you're mad at me. I'm really sorry for coming over here, actually." Sitting up, Adrien combed his fingers through his hair and shot a quick glance at the door—a sign Marinette could interpret as his desire to leave. "It was so stupid of me to turn up here to ask this of you, and I'm really realizing that the more I talk about this. Fuck, Mari, I'm sorry-"

Marinette had missed that nickname.

As Adrien rambled on about how sorry he was, Marinette contemplated the idea. It wasn't a bad one, per se, just something she hadn't expected. She wasn't sure who the girl Adrien was moving out with was or why she needed to be kept a secret from his dad, but that wasn't any of her business. Truthfully, if she played along with Adrien's plan, it might end up working out in her favor as well. Surely if she pretended to be Adrien's roommate for the sake of his father, he could do the same for her?

"Adrien," she said, scooting closer to lay a hand on his arm. "Relax. It's not a big deal."

Adrien's viridian eyes sparkled with relief. "It's not?"

"No," Marinette laughed. It was kind of silly, actually. "Don't beat yourself up over it. It is a little crappy that you just sprung this on me out of nowhere, but I don't mind helping you out. Actually, I'm kind of in a similar situation. I'm also moving out soon."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," Adrien winced. But at the mention of her moving out, he perked up and asked, "Wait… Really? You excited?"

Marinette nodded. "Mhm." She crossed her legs and leaned back into the cushions of her couch, eyes resting comfortably on the ceiling. "Believe it or not, the person I'm moving out with is someone I have to keep secret from my parents, too. Not because they'd get mad or anything, but… Well, he has his reasons."

Adrien laughed as she tossed him a wink.

"Anyways," she continued. "I can't stand liars or being one myself, but I'll make you a deal: I'll convince your dad that I'm the person you're moving out with if you pretend to be the person that I'm moving out with. So then there'll be no questions and both our parents will think we're living together when we're really not. Sound good?"

Adrien merely nodded, taken aback by her response.

While the thought of lying to her parents (or anyone, really) was absolutely grating, Marinette knew she didn't really have much of a choice when her identity was at stake. Revealing herself to her parents was against the rules and incredibly dangerous; it wasn't worth getting upset over a little white lie when putting her parents jeopardy was far worse of an outcome.

"So?" Marinette held out a hand, pink-painted nails contrasting against Adrien's tanned skin. "We have a deal?"

"Yes!" Adrien exclaimed, his voice high-pitched and eyes bright. He grasped her hand firmly and gave it a shake so forceful that Marinette's whole arm was taken into the movement. "Yes, oh my goodness, thank you so much, Marinette. I promise I'll pay you back somehow. Y-you want to go to lunch or have me cover your rent for a month or something?"

"There's no need for that," Marinette said, lips curling upward into a smile. "You're already paying me back by telling a lie for me."

Adrien's grin reached his eyes, and the dimples on his cheeks became prominent as he teased, "Now there's a thought. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, telling a lie?"

Her expression flattened at his joke and she wanted to look displeased, but she couldn't find it within herself to suppress the grin that stretched across her face. "Keep making cracks like that, Agreste, and the deal's off."

"You'd do that to me?" he asked in mock offense. "But we're friends, Marinette. That hurts."

"Yeah, yeah." Marinette waved him off with a giggle—that was probably full of a little too much delight—and stood from her spot on the couch to sit at the dinner table, where her lunch sat on a plate. "So, when am I convincing your dad that I'm your new roommate?"

Adrien joined her at the table, sitting backwards on one of the chairs. "Not sure just yet. I'll probably have Nathalie set up a night where we can have dinner and allow you guys to get acquainted. It might not be for a while yet, but I'll try to get him to free up some time soon. I'm trying to get out as quickly as I can."

"In a big hurry?" Marinette asked. She took a bite of her food and her mood was immediately improved just from the taste alone; she hadn't realized how hungry she was until now.

"Sort of."

She swallowed her food before asking, "Why's that?"

Adrien offered a shrug, his expression hardening. "Ol' Père isn't any more fun to live with than he was when I was a kid. Guess I'm just so excited to finally have my own place with someone I love rather than spend my days alone at the manor."

With someone he- he loves?

That thought took Marinette by surprise. Though, she supposed it shouldn't have. Adrien was twenty, devilishly handsome with the soul of an angel—it was no shocker that he was in a relationship. She wanted to be jealous and a small part of her was, but she had to remind herself that she had no reason to be. Adrien deserved someone who made him happy. She would find someone someday who made her happy, too.

"It's nice that you're moving in with someone you care about," Marinette said, resting her sandwich back on the plate. "I'm excited that I finally get to move out too. Even though I've always loved living with my parents, they're so nosey! It's one of the reasons why I'm glad I'm getting my own place, especially with someone I trust more than anybody. It's a nice feeling, knowing you can live with somebody and not worry. A safe feeling."

Adrien nodded, voice breathy. "Yeah, I know what you mean. The girl I'm moving in with, she's like… My everything. And I'm so happy we're going to share a place together. It's all I've ever wanted, really." His cheeks heated to a light shade of red, and the corners of his eyes crinkled from how wide his smile grew. He was so happy, so excited; the joy to be living with someone he loved was clear on his face.

Marinette felt the joy radiating from him. It made her smile stretch across her face. All his life Adrien had done things for others without question, and now he was finally doing something for himself. His girlfriend—at least, that's who Marinette assumed she was—sounded like she made his life a wonderful experience, and he appeared absolutely radiant in that moment. Marinette's heart warmed at the thought of how much happier Adrien must be.

While she was a little sad they hadn't kept up with each other, she was glad they were getting to talk and catch up now. It was so nice just to hear his voice again.

"I'm glad you and your girlfriend get to have a place together," Marinette said sweetly. "It must be such a great feeling to be able to look forward to waking up next to the person you love every day. I'm so happy for you, Adrien."

Adrien let out a soft laugh. "Oh," he said, gaze lowering to the table as his cheeks became crimson. "That's sweet of you, Marinette, but we're not dating. Just really good friends. Thank you though."

"Oh!" Marinette blinked in surprise. Huh, funny… With the way he talked about her, it was like they'd been in love for years. Unless…

"Ohhhh," she said slyly, the truth dawning on her. "You like her, though."

The tips of his ears darkening, Adrien tried to scoff but whatever noise came out sounded weak and unconvincing. "Wha- no! No, I don't… I meant love as in, like, friendship-"

She gave him a flat stare, and Adrien submitted.

"Okay, okay, you got me," he sighed, holding his hands up in defeat. "But she doesn't know and I don't think I'll ever work up the guts to tell her."

"Why not?" With how dopey his smile got whenever he mentioned her, Marinette was sure there was no way in hell he would be able to keep that information private for long.

Clicking his teeth, Adrien shrugged, offering nothing more than a shake of his head.

"Adrien…" Marinette rested her cheek on her palm, smile knowing. Oh man, she didn't even need an answer. She could clearly remember how tongue-tied she used to get around him back in lycée when she was head-over-heels for his kind soul. "If you really love her, you gotta tell her."

Well, now you're just being a hypocrite, she thought to herself. Here she was giving Adrien advice she had never followed herself. For a brief second she wondered what things would have been like if she had confessed, but there was no use dwelling on the what-ifs. She didn't like him like that anymore, and that was okay.

Adrien gave another shake of his head. "Mm, I would, but… She doesn't like me that way."

"No?" Marinette asked. "How can you tell?"

"Well, we joke a lot," Adrien said. "I'm pretty sure I've dug myself a hole of 'flirting so much she thinks I'm joking' so deep that it's impossible for me to climb out of it at this point."

"You? Flirting?" Marinette laughed at the thought. She didn't think she'd ever seen Adrien flirt a day in her life. "I don't think I believe you, Adrien."

Adrien raised a brow with a quirk of the corner of his lips. "Well you see, Marinette, I'm very different around her. She knows me like nobody else."

Marinette could say the same for herself about Chat Noir. While she didn't love him romantically, she did love him as a best friend, and the way she acted around him was unlike the way she acted around anyone else. She was excited to live in the same space as him and to share her life with him—the most she could behind a mask, anyways.

"I understand that," Marinette said. "I'm like that with the guy I'm going to be living with. It's nice to have someone you can completely be yourself around."

Nodding, Adrien gazed at her with a warm smile on his face, and Marinette was about to offer to get him the pastries she'd promised when his phone buzzed.

"Shoot," he said as he read over whatever text was sent his way. "I'm sorry Mari, but I've gotta run. Got to meet a photographer in thirty minutes. I'll give you a call when I can get my dad to come for a dinner, though."

As he stood from his seat, Marinette nodded, standing with him. "Sounds good. You still have my number?"

With a quick flip through his contacts, Adrien held his phone up for her to see. "Yep. What nights are you usually free?"

"I always have Fridays off," she said. "Except for late Friday nights, because I usually meet Ch-" She clapped a hand to her mouth. Fuck, don't tell him you meet Chat Noir for patrols, stupid! "...meet up with a friend to hang out."

If Adrien noticed her slip-up, he didn't mention it. "Alright. I'll schedule it for one of the upcoming Fridays then." His phone buzzed once more and he glared down at it before shoving it in his pocket. "I'll see you around?"

"Definitely. Keep in touch, okay? I-" Marinette's face softened as she glanced away, pink dusting the edges of her cheeks. "I've missed you."

There was a pause. Adrien turned, irides glowing like a ray of sunshine and dimples showing as his grin grew three times its previous size. He stood still for a moment, and Marinette was sure he was going to return the sentiment before walking out, but instead he reached out and-

-and he hugged her.

He hugged her and it felt so nice that Marinette wanted to bury herself within his warmth. With his arms around her back and his body leaning forward because he was nearly a foot taller than her at this point, she swore that she'd never felt so light in her life. Clouds—she was on clouds. He smelled like heaven and she was on clouds.

(She wasn't sure why she was feeling so weird just from being hugged by him. Weird in a good way, but still weird.

She didn't like him like that anymore. She'd stopped ages ago when they drifted apart…

She didn't. She didn't, she didn't, she…

Oh, who was she kidding.)

As Adrien pulled away from the hug, he flashed her one of his smiles that she had grown to love so much over the years and patted her shoulder, his large hand encompassing it completely. Marinette's legs felt like jello.

"I'll text you, okay?" he said, turning the knob on the door. "I promise I'll do better at keeping in contact this time. We're going to need to if we're both helping each other out in this sticky situation."

Marinette nodded, letting out a faint, "Yeah."

"It was good to see you again, Mari." With a final squeeze of her hand, Adrien turned and walked out the door, calling over his shoulder, "I'll see you later!"

"Yeah," Marinette breathed. Her feet were glued to the floor.

Yeah.

When she watched him walk down the street from the upstairs window, she kicked herself for forgetting to give him the pastries she'd promised.

Marinette went to work that night feeling weightless and distracted. She had picked up a shift from her coworker at the local fabric shop she'd come to adore over the years, and was thankful it wasn't a long one—only five hours—so she could immediately transform the moment she clocked out.

She wasn't feeling like herself. Growing up with ADHD made her used to dealing with constant distraction, and by now she wasn't phased by the inability to focus at times, but this… This was different. This was very, very different.

She sorted fabric at a slow pace, hummed to herself as she cleaned the bathrooms (forgetting where she was in the middle of the task), and even managed to snag herself when she was cutting a strip of wool for a customer. She didn't notice the pain, though, and the blood that dripped from her fingertips was lazily cleaned ten minutes after the initial incision.

Her boss asked if everything was alright, and Marinette wasn't sure what to say. She didn't even know the answer to that question herself.

Alya had always told her that she fell in love too easily.

She had never expected herself to fall back in love just as quickly, though.

[booksmel]

Alone, Together

There are a lot of ways to create a fulfilling life. People get their self-worth from a lot of places. Mine has always come from the feeling I get when I achieve goals. I rely heavily on the satisfaction that comes from a job well done – the way it makes me feel when I can say with confidence “Yes, I did that” carries me and makes me soar. It backfires sometimes when I fail and I beat myself up (which happens a lot), but the feeling I get when I’m successful at something makes up for it. I’m sure some psychoanalyst could come up with reasons why I need this feeling and why it drives me so much (and in fact I once had a boss at an old job try to do just that), but the reasons why are less important at this point in my life than just embracing it and trying to make it work for me. In many ways, I think this is why I am drawn to the marathon distance in running. It’s about setting a goal, executing on a plan, and pushing yourself to your absolute limits. And the feeling of achievement that comes along with that is second to none. I travel a lot for work, I’ve traveled a bunch for leisure, and I’ve traveled a little for races. I am a great solo traveler – I like the feeling of being alone among many for a short while. But all of the times I’ve traveled alone, it’s been for work. My destination always waited for me, full of people I could spend time with and socialize with and talk to for a few days before going home to my family. I’ve never traveled alone for personal reasons, and I’ve never once run a race where I didn’t have anyone at the finish line waiting for me. All that changed with this trip. I flew to Chicago by myself, with the intention of running the marathon alone. I had friends in the city, several fellow runners who were in town for the same reason, so I knew I would see a couple of people here and there. But for all intents and purposes, I was on my own for this one. I was originally supposed to have friends with me but it ended up not working out, and I felt compelled to go by myself anyway. I did it this way mostly because I wanted to see if I could. I have no problem spending time by myself and in fact I love it most of the time. But can I do it for 2 whole days, and can I throw the hardest race distance in there with virtually no moral support in person? Can I do this truly on my own? This, to me, was the biggest challenge of all. To go through the city doing the hardest thing possible to my body, and to not have a single familiar face through any of it. I would have to rely on my own grit and determination to be able to power through. When you’re alone at a race, a couple of interesting things happen. You see things from a different angle, almost as an outside observer to someone else’s human moments. At the expo, I walked around watching people try on shoes or get samples of energy gels, and saw people talking to each other about how excited they were. I was excited as well, but I silently walked and absorbed the energy of other people. In addition, sometimes you end up having those human moments yourself, with perfect strangers. One of the traditions for many people at a race expo is to have your picture taken with your bib number in front of the sign saying what race you’re running the next day. But if you’re alone, you need someone to do that for you. In my case, as I waited in line to do just that, I ended up chatting with a woman behind me. I asked her to take my photo, and she said of course. It turned out she was alone too, so I took her photo and we talked for a few minutes while we waited our turns. We shared a couple of brief stories, introduced each other, and then each left as we walked into the sea of people separately, alone once again surrounded by thousands. It happened on race day as well. I woke up early and ate breakfast and dressed alone before the sun came up, trying to harness the nervous energy I was feeling. I was able to put all the lights on and play music, since I didn’t have to worry about waking anyone up. But I also didn’t have anyone to wish me good luck in person and give me a hug before I left, which was a little hard though I did get a few early morning text messages from friends and family that helped. But in the elevator, I met a man who was also running and though his wife would be on the course, he was running alone. We walked the mile to the entrance together, shared a few stories, and generally kept each other distracted as the tension built on the walk over. We said goodbye, wished each other a good race, and parted as I ducked into Starbucks to get the coffee I so desperately needed that morning. As I waited in my wave at the starting line, I was fidgeting with my fuel pack and accidentally kept elbowing the girl next to me. I finally apologized after doing it three times, and we ended up having a great conversation. We were both from Boston, and had both run the Boston Marathon as charity runners for Team Eye and Ear, but in different years. I traveled halfway across the country to find someone just like me, in a perfect stranger at the startling line. We wished each other a good race, and after we crossed the starting line we separated. I never saw any of these people again after the small exchange I had with each of them. I hope they all had a great race day, and though they don’t know it, they each played a role in how my day went so I really appreciate that. The race itself was a bit of a blur. It was too warm of a day to have good race conditions, so I ended up having to change my expectations. And as it turns out, the chaos of the layered Chicago street system means GPS doesn’t really work well. So I didn’t really have a working knowledge of the data I needed at any given time. Throughout the whole race I was doing math in my head based on my current times and trying to figure out my estimated finishing time, and wondering if it was possible to meet my time goal. Despite that challenge, I ran by feel and generally felt fantastic up to the halfway mark and was on track. The spectators in Chicago are some of the best I’ve ever seen, with amazingly clever signs and the loudest cheering; I took my headphones out at mile 19 so I could just take it all in during the last hour or so. I saw at least a dozen “I’m proud of you, complete stranger!” signs, which I thought was so kind. I don’t know if those people know how much it means to those complete strangers, but I hope they do. The second half of the race was much harder than the first, which is to be expected. Generally I was feeling ok, even though I was running a little slower than I would have hoped. But once we hit the 20 mile mark, the sun was high in the sky and not a single cloud was blocking it. There’s also virtually no shade in the last 10k, so the heat had more of an impact than it might have otherwise. I ended up having to walk a bunch in the last 3-4 miles. At that point I knew my time goals were out of reach, but I also knew that I was guaranteed a significant personal best time regardless. Every time I stopped to walk (maybe 4-5 times total in the last 4 miles, the only time during the race that I had to walk), I checked in with myself to make sure I really needed to. If I walk right now, is it worth missing the time goal? If I keep running, will I even make it there Ultimately I finished with about a 5:04 time, which was not my “aggressive” goal or even my “realistic” goal. But it was a 25 minute increase over my previous best time, so I hit my “worst case” goal, which was to PR. And the fact that I was able to improve so much in a year is its own accomplishment so I’m proud of the fact that I was able to do that. That is a product of 16 weeks of training 6 days a week, and the product of a family at home that is endlessly supportive of me following my dreams. I’m still chasing a sub-5 hour marathon, and also one that doesn’t have some sort of weather issue hurting my potential. But the mantra is “run your own race” – I absolutely ran my own race that day and I left every single thing I had in my body, mind and soul on the streets of Chicago. I always tell my son that the most important thing is to be brave when doing something new and to try his best in all things, and if he does that I’ll be proud of him. The outcome isn’t as important as the attempt. I feel confident that I have embodied this and I am proud of the example I’ve set for him in this journey. I went to Chicago to run a marathon by myself to prove that I could do it alone. In the end, I was never truly alone. I did end up seeing a couple of friends, including one who ran her first marathon ever, which gave me so much joy to see her achieve that. And those one-off, brief conversations with strangers made my soul lighter for a moment. I was able to phone and FaceTime many of my friends and family before and after the race, which reminded me that though I didn’t have anyone there with me that day, I had dozens of people all over the place who were thinking of me and hoping I succeeded. It can be hard to not have anyone there in person, but knowing that someone is thinking of you and is proud of you is an amazing feeling. A PR, some great food, and a few small human connections in a world of avoiding eye contact with strangers, and I was reminded of all the things that make us all great together. The marathon to me is a manifestation of our ability to put everything aside and just focus on one thing; to challenge our limits and push ourselves to the brink. It’s beyond just the day of the race; it’s the months of training where we talk about nothing but training or obsess over fuel or skip parties because we have to prioritize and be a little selfish sometimes and our friends and family are kind even though they want to roll their eyes when we bore them. It’s creating a situation where we can look at the medal hanging on the wall and think to ourselves “I did that, so I know I can do ANYTHING the world throws at me.”   I can’t wait to do it again next year.