#honestly whenever I doodle and have space left but no ideas I’m just gonna draw hare

[comical-icicle]

A bunch of doodles of my ocs (and dr. Hare).

[the-panwitch]

Heylo! I saw that you were asking for requests, and I have one if you want to write it! What if the reader is always drawing on the boards after school, and students don’t know who does it, and one day Peter catches her drawing? Idk, I kinda liked the idea! I love your writing hun!!🥰💕❤️

Peter Parker and The Dry Erase Board Artist

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A/N: And here it is! Almost a whole month after I said I would have it done! I am so so so sorry for how long this took and also sorry for how shitty it also is. I hope you enjoy this trash fire that I just spent almost 4 hours on and finished at 1 am. Oh, I also made this gender neutral using they/them pronouns. 

Warnings: uh language, slight death threat?, stupid teachers, numbers, fluff ig, idrk 

Word Count: 2279

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader

Summary: There’s a new mystery in Midtown, and it’s the creator of the dry erase board drawings. Peter is desperate to find out who it is even if it means losing sleep and missing assignments. What will it take to find out who this secret artist is?

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Peter knew all about mysteries. He used to stay up too late reading those mystery novels by flashlight when he should have been sleeping. He grew up loving them. The amount of times May would walk into the living room to see him once again binge watching Scooby Doo was uncountable. Even now, he prided himself on being one of the biggest mysteries in New York: Spider-Man. He had to hold back a grin whenever he heard people discuss who the masked hero could possibly be. The craziest one so far was that Spider-Man was actually an alien being used by the government. He wasn’t sure who came up with that one, but props to them for their creativity.

He just absolutely loved mysteries of all shapes and sizes, and now, he had a new one to solve: the drawings. He called it Operation Dry Erase Board, and yes, the name did need improvement. Both MJ and Ned made sure to tell him that every single time he brought it up. Ned had suggested The Search for the Hidden Artist, which MJ just said sounded even worse. 

It had started a couple weeks ago. He had walked into his first period calculus class to see everyone whispering and taking pictures of the board. His first reaction was panic － his teacher was prone to surprise pop quizzes － but it soon turned to awe as he stared at the array of color across the board. It was a beautifully detailed portrait of the sea. He gazed upon the scene of manta rays and fish and even the silhouette of a shark. There was coral and shells of every color, and the lines and swirls of blue captivated him.There was no signature. Nobody knew who had done it. 

At first, Peter just tried to brush it off. There was somebody in the school who was skilled with dry erase board markers and was very artistically gifted. Not the biggest deal, but good for them. It became a bigger deal when the next day a gorgeous rendition of Starry Night was covering the board of the biology classroom. Once again, no signature. That’s when Peter started to become invested. 

He questioned MJ first. She was one of the only artists he knew, but she just scoffed. “I’m good, but dry erase markers are shit for me to work with.” 

He started paying more attention in art class, looking for anyone with a similar style. Nothing. Everyone was your typical high school artist who was just there for the credits, meaning people like him. Don’t ask about how designing the first spidey suit went.

 The drawings just kept coming. He soon saw space, dinosaurs, a jungle, The Mona Lisa, even each of the Avengers all spread across the dry erase boards. Each one of these was so beautiful and so alluring that it made his eyes sting and shouts of protest to erupt from the students when the teachers had to erase them. Even if they didn’t erase them, they were gone the next day. Whether it was the Hidden Artist or the janitor, Peter didn’t know. It was just another part in the mystery.

A lot of the drawings weren’t done in any classrooms that Peter had, meaning he would have to take field trips during his lunch period to go and find them. Most of the time he already knew where he was going. There was now a whole Instagram page dedicated to the art. It was run by Daphne, who was in both Yearbook and the Art Club. He had asked her if it was her, but she had just giggled and said she was a fan. Honestly, Peter was too. 

He would stare at the art for as long as he could each time he saw it, and he stared at the pictures he took of them even longer. He was consumed by the art, by his love for it. He needed to find out who the artist was, but unfortunately for him it would have to wait. He was so preoccupied with being Spider-Man and now also being a shitty detective that he was falling behind on both his work and his sleep. He had now fallen asleep a total of five times over the course of a week and a half, and he was close to failing both AP Government and Spanish, simply because he wasn’t catching up on his workload. 

Now, he was passed out in AP Lang, the one class that everyone knew not to fall asleep in. He couldn’t help it. He was running on a total of 4 hours for the week, and it was a Thursday. Not even his spidey sense could have prepared him for the crash of a ruler against a metal trash can right next to his ear. After nearly falling out of his chair and almost decking his teacher, Peter was given two weeks’ worth of detentions. 

“Hopefully that’ll teach young Mr. Parker here to pay attention instead of dozing off in the middle of class. Maybe he’ll catch up on his missing assignments, too. Speaking of, would you like to tell the class which rhetorical devices you’ll be utilizing in your essay, Mr. Parker?” All Peter could do is stare back at his teacher, horror written over his face. 

————————

It was 3:30 on a Wednesday, and Peter was losing his mind. Each of his detentions were an hour and a half long, lasting from 3:15 to 4:45. He had managed to catch himself up on his work and raise his grades a bit, but that didn’t change his predicament. He couldn’t go home or skip detention, meaning he was stuck at school for another hour and fifteen minutes. When he asked if he could do something, he was told he could go help the janitor. With a sigh, he got up and went in search of the janitor’s closet. 

During the time spanning over his punishment, he had nearly forgotten about his obsession with the Hidden Artist. Of course he still saw and heard about the drawings and he would still stare when he saw them, but now with the need to focus on his assignments being drilled into his brain every day on top of trying to stop bad guys each night, he was forced to move on. He didn’t want to. God, if he had the chance he’d stare at those drawings for hours on end, but he didn’t have that chance. It fucking sucked. 

After a couple minutes of searching, he finally found the closet. He grabbed a broom and looked around, and to his left, there was a classroom with the door slightly open. With a heavy sigh, he walked towards the room and pushed the door open, only to stop dead. There, across the room, was a brand new drawing, and it was a drawing of him. Not him him, of course, but a drawing of Spider-Man. It was a drawing of an event he recognized from yesterday when he had walked a lost kid back to their parents. The drawing showed him crouched down in front of the kid who was crying, and he had his hand out as an offer for the child to take it. 

Upon closer inspection, the drawing seemed incomplete. There were too many white spaces which wasn’t the artist's style. As he stepped closer to it, he heard the door creak and a gasp behind him. He spun around, nearly falling over in the process, and looked up wildly. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw Y/n L/n, a student in his grade. They stared back at him with wide eyes. 

“Did...did you do this?” Peter asked slowly. Y/n hesitantly nodded. 

“If you tell anyone about this, Parker, you’re dead.” 

He was slightly taken aback by this. Not the death threat, necessarily, he got those all the time, but it was a bit of a surprise coming from Y/n.

“I won’t. I promise,” he said softly. 

Y/n nodded slightly before striding towards the board and taking out a marker, beginning to fill in all of the white spaces Peter had noticed earlier. 

After a moment, Peter asked, “How do you do it?”

Y/n turned towards him, black marker clutched in their hand. “What?”

“The drawings. They’re so beautiful...I didn’t even know you could draw like that.”

“Everyone has their secrets, Parker. I’m sure you have yours.” 

Peter almost laughed at that, because yeah, he did, and Y/n was drawing it across the Physics dry erase board. But he didn’t laugh. He just smiled a little and kept watching, forgetting all about the broom that was now leaning against a desk.

“So...Spider-Man huh?” 

Y/n sighed and turned to him. “Why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be sweeping or something?” 

Peter shrugged. “Or something. Look, this is probably gonna sound super weird, but I’ve been trying to figure out who you were for weeks. Your art is super amazing and cool and I just wanted to know so badly who was talented enough to pull it off. And now I know.”

“Are you disappointed?” It wasn’t a question out of fear, but more out of curiosity. Y/n sat themselves on a desk and waited for the answer. 

“I don’t think so,” Peter said. “This was just unexpected, I guess. I didn’t even consider you for a suspect.” Y/n chuckled at this. 

“Nobody suspects me. That’s the fun part of all of this, actually. Did you know people actually thought that it was Ms. Rosemary for a while?”

“The crazy teacher’s aid?”

“Yup. The theory, I think, was that she was so crazy that art became like her therapy or escape or whatever. I mean, it can be like therapy, but I think Rosemary needs a little more than some doodles in order to help her.”

“These aren’t just ‘some doodles,’ Y/n. They’re-”

“Beautiful. Yeah, you’ve said.” They shrugged. “It’s just scribbles on a board, Parker. Scribbles that, for whatever reason, make our brains happy.”

Peter didn’t really have a response to that, so instead he just watched as Y/n went back to work. 

————————

That was how he would spend his detentions. He would offer to go help the janitor, and then he would run around the school trying to find Y/n. Eventually, on the days where the drawings took less time to create, Y/n started to try to teach him how to draw. Basic things at first, like flowers or trying to break things down into their simpler shapes. He could barely do either of those things, but he enjoyed trying anyways. On other days, Peter would just sit and watch in silence as they drew. It was mesmerizing, and only he got to witness it. 

It became their thing. Even after detentions ended, Peter would stay after school for an hour or so just to go hang out with Y/n. They would have snacks and play music and have a good time. Peter learned that Y/n stayed after school since their parents were never home until the late evenings, so they stayed back just for the hell of it. He also learned that they were good friends with the janitor and that his name was Roger. He was the reason that they were even able to stay for as long as they did. It was pretty cool. 

It was a Friday, and Peter was spinning around in the teacher’s chair while Y/n drew a forest scene. Peter watched them for a while, a small smile on his face. They were also so concentrated when they worked, their eyes narrowing and jaw tightening as they drew the different lines and curves that made up the masterpiece. Unbeknownst to Y/n, Peter had a surprise for them. 

“Hey, N/n?” Peter asked. All he got was a hum in response. He rolled his eyes. “Come here.”

Y/n sighed and got off of the stool that they had been sitting on. “What do you want, Pete?” they asked as they strolled over, leaning over the desk when they got close enough. In response, Peter held up a small, wrapped up bundle. Y/n’s eyebrows furrowed as they picked it up. 

“What-”

“Shhhh!” Peter said with a soft giggle. “Just open it.”

Y/n narrowed their eyes at him before slowly tearing the paper away. They smiled softly as they stared at the multipack of dry erase markers, enough colors to make practically any drawing that happened to cross their mind. 

“Why?”

“A simple thank you would have sufficed. It’s an appreciation gift for all of your art. I figured by now you’ve probably killed most of the markers in the school, so I got you some new ones.”

Y/n chuckled a little and looked at him. “Thank you.”

“Of course. You deserve it.”

“I literally just make colored lines one a board.”

“And I appreciate those colored lines! They give me serotonin as do you.”

“I give you serotonin?”

“Yes.”

Y/n blinked in surprise. “Alright then...you also give me serotonin.”

“Really? Awesome.”

They both laughed for a moment, Y/n glancing back down at the markers as Peter continued to look at them.  

“Hey, Pete?” Y/n asked as they looked back up at him. “What?”

“Would you...would you like to continue to provide me with serotonin and go out with me?”

Peter’s eyes widened in surprise, but soon it was his smile that was widening instead. 

“Absolutely.”

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Tagging:  @tommysparker @bebbeb @stixnstripesworld @orowit @dreamerinthesun @ididntseeurbag @bruhelpimgay @yikes-n-bikes @becausewhatiam-iswhatimnot @thespydersargon @in-a-lot-of-fandoms-tbh @th0ttie4tommy

[creepercraftguy]

Kazukoi ship meme

I think I’m going to enjoy this one. Kazukoi is a ship I only really got into within the last few months, so it’s gonna be one that I’ll have to think about for a bit.

Who confessed first?

The way I see their relationship starting is Mahiru plays a big role in helping Kazuichi get over Sonia and stop being such a simp, but by the time that mission is over, she realises just how fond she is of him really, and she confesses and they get together.

Who initiated the first kiss?

Also Mahiru.

Who asks the other out on dates?

Kazuichi mostly. He likes finding random ways to kill time, and going out with his girlfriend is a good way of doing that.

Who is the bigger cuddler?

Mahiru needs hugs to recharge.

Who initiates holding hands more often?

Mahiru usually grabs Kazuichi’s hand and drags him around when he’s spacing out.

Who remembers anniversaries?

Mahiru. Kazuichi forgets these dates pretty easily.

Who is more possessive?

Mahiru is usually a little busy, so Kazuichi is pretty possessive of her whenever she’s not.

Who gets more jealous?

They both get about as equally jealous of each other. Kazuichi is jealous of how Mahiru is such a straightforward, honest and devoted person, while Mahiru is jealous of how Kazuichi is always pretty laid back, while also being really skilled in engineering and technology.

Who is the most protective?

Kazuichi. He is pretty defensive of Mahiru, since she actually breaks down pretty easily when under immense pressure.

Who initiates sexy time the most?

I want to say Kazuichi, but I think after being with Mahiru long enough, he’d easily be able to tell where he is and isn’t allowed to step in their relationship. While I don’t deny this may have been the case in his mind, none of Kazuichi’s fantasies about Sonia that he expressed to everyone around him were straight up perverted, so I don’t think he’d have constant dirty thoughts about Mahiru all the time.

Who dislikes PDA (Public Display of Affection)?

Mahiru is easily flustered, and doesn’t like PDA.

Who kills the spider?

Kazuichi isn’t exactly arachnophobic, but usually the task of killing the big spiders is left to Mahiru.

Who asks the other to marry them?

Kazuichi probably. I see Mahiru swooning over the sudden question.

Who buys the other gifts?

Neither of them buy each other gifts. Instead, Kazuichi often makes little weird toys or dolls for her, which always makes her laugh. Though she doesn’t always express a specific fondness of them, she actually keeps all of them in her bedside drawer, like it’s some kind of collection.

Who would first bring up the idea of having kids?

I think Kazuichi would mention the idea of starting a family, but in a completely unrelated conversation. Like, he’d see a family walking down the street, a husband, wife and their kids, and then say something to Mahiru, but not really have any sort of drive or meaning behind it. Mahiru though, would take these words in and consider them for a while, and then go to Kazuichi with her thoughts on maybe making that idea a reality.

Who is more nervous to meet the others parents?

Honestly, this is the question that I’m the most controversial about. One of the things that Mahiru and Kazuichi have in common is that their parents...aren’t the greatest. Mahiru’s mother is barely ever around and her father is unemployed and does nothing for the house, leaving it all to Mahiru. Kazuichi’s dad isn’t much better. He’s not as apathetic, but he’s nowhere near as good at being a mechanic as his son, or as good a human being at that. If I had to pick between the two, I’d have to say Kazuichi would be more nervous to meet Mahiru’s parents, the reason being he knows he’d probably be unable to contain his frustration about Mahiru’s dad. Also, he doesn’t exactly look like the most polite person either, with the shark teeth and pink hair and all.

Who sleeps on the sofa/couch when the other is angry?

Usually Kazuichi does.

Who tries to make up first after arguments?

They actually usually apologise at the same time. Most of the time they argue is a result of both Kazuichi’s incompetence and Mahiru’s strictness and overreactions. They both realise that it takes two people to start an argument, and that they’re both to blame, so they usually get together to make up.

Who tells the other they love them more often?

Kazuichi.

Who accidentally pushes a door instead of pulling it or vice versa?

Not Mahiru that’s for sure. Kazuichi seems like he’d do this a lot.

Who doodles little hearts over the desk with their initials inside?

Kazuichi. Mahiru gets really flustered by it, because Ibuki loves to tease her about it.

Who starts the tickle fights?

Kazuichi, but the win to lose ratio with Kazuichi to Mahiru is 3:16, when put in simple terms.

Who starts the pillow fights?

Mahiru actually usually starts the pillow fights, and in a weird twist of fate, contrary to the tickle fights, Kazuichi usually tires her out first.

Who is the last to fall asleep while watching the other with a warm smile?

I actually think Kazuichi would stay awake just to see Mahiru’s sleeping face. Not in a creepy way, more of an endearing “I love my strawberry haired waifu” way.

Who kisses the other awake in the morning?

Mahiru. Kazuichi is the type to sleep in often.

Who mistakes salt for sugar?

Kazuichi, definitely.

Who let’s the microwave play the loud beeping sound at 1am in the morning?

Kazuichi.

Who comes up with the cheesy pickup lines?

Kazuichi’s pickup lines are dumb and cheesy, but at the same time, while Mahiru’s pickup lines are smooth, she can’t ever say them without stammering, turning into a blushing mess, or both.

Who rearranges the books in Alphabetical Order?

Mahiru.

Who licks the spoon when baking?

Mahiru.

Who buys candles for dinner, even when there’s no special occasion?

Mahiru (again)

Who draws little tattoos on one another with a pen?

Kazuichi likes to draw on Mahiru. He once tried to turn her freckles into wiskers.

Who comes home with a souvenir/fridge magnet whenever they go on holiday?

Kazuichi.

Who convinces the other to fill out those couple surveys that you usually find on the back of magazines?

I think Kazuichi would enjoy doing them, and Mahiru would probably see them as entertaining too. I think it depends on who reads the magazine.

Who has the other as their phone background?

Kazuichi has Mahiru. I immediately think of this picture.

Who leaves notes written in fog on the bathroom mirror?

Kazuichi will draw a little heart when he comes in to give Mahiru towels.

Who asks if they can join the other in the shower?

Mahiru is a little anxious to be seen naked by anyone really, not just Kazuichi. Kazuichi respects this and only goes into the shower while she’s in it to give her a towel. However, sometimes she asks him to scrub her back for her.

Who loudly proclaims their love while drunk?

I think they both would. It would be pretty funny if Mahiru and Kazuichi were both loud drunks.

[sunshinetrappedinourhearts]

Nathmarc month day 28 (free space): Pacific Rim AU

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16491026/chapters/39392038 Yo, so-  I’ve chosen to write a Pacific Rim AU on the free space day, but it took me 2 days to finish it, oops. But I’m happy with it, so yay! I hope people actually like/know Pacific Rim. xD If you don’t, I guess it’s still pretty easy to follow, as I give some small explanations during the story. Anyways, enjoy! @nathmarcnovember

Nathaniel lowered his weapon, wiping some of the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Sometimes he wondered if everything was even worth the effort. Their teachers were hardly paying attention and honestly, by now, wouldn’t they have gotten an idea at least about who was compatible with each other?

He stared at his friend Alix, a few feet away from him, she had been his sparring partner for the last hour. Training with her was always fun, but Nathaniel already knew they weren’t compatible, no matter how good friends they were.

The only thing he really wanted…

His gaze was stolen by a pretty girl, just a little bit taller than him, with silky dark hair, tied together in two ponytails, a carefree smile on her face.

He breathed.

If only… If only he could pilot a Jaeger with Marinette…

Marinette was sweet, she was kind, pretty and smart…

He’d give everything to be able to link with her.

But…

The only time he’d been in the simulator with her, their minds had repelled each other before they’d even been able to start drifting.

Surely it had been a mistake…

Surely if they’d give him another chance, he’ll…

‘You okay, Nath?’ Alix was in front of him, grinning as she took her helmet off. ‘You seem a bit out of it.’

Alix always noticed whenever something was on his mind. They’d been friends ever since both of them joined the training cadets, which was now 4 years ago already, when they were both 13 years old.

‘Just wondering if we’ll ever get out of here,’ he sighed.

‘Well, we will once we find a compatible partner. Meaning we’ll start training with actual Jaegers, preparing for the next Kaiju attack,’ she drank a bit water from the bottle she was carrying. ‘Since you joined the cadets you must have been prepared for that, right? Giving your life to fight Kaiju and stuff?’

That wasn’t… fully true, but…

Flashes of his parents, words, screaming, slamming doors.

Letters, admissions.

Which he didn’t remember applying for.

Quickly, he shook his head, as if that would make the memories disappear.

They did, but only for a very short while, never for good.

Absently, he let his gaze wander back to Marinette, who was talking to her best friend Alya.

He sighed. ‘Do you think they’ll let me try linking with Marinette again…?’

Alix suddenly pushed him with his shoulder, snorting. ‘Really, now? After that disaster from last time? You and her are just not compatible, Nath. But that’s alright, it doesn’t mean that you can’t be her friend or whatever you wanna be to her.’

He looked at her, furrowing his eyebrows as he rubbed his shoulder. The girl always had way more strength than she looked like. ‘Yeah, that’s probably not gonna happen, either. She only ever look at that new kid, Adrien.’

‘Pffft, he’s not new, Nath. He’s been here for over a year.’

‘Eh, whatever. Just… you know.. doing drifting training together… It would at least give me more opportunities to talk to her…’

Alix grinned. ‘Come on, don’t be like that. If you wanna talk to her, you just talk to her.’

Nathaniel furrowed his eyebrows. Alix always thought so easily of everything, she was never afraid to speak her mind or take action. He was not like that, so he wouldn’t-

His train of thought was cut off by their trainer calling them over.

‘Alright, gather up, cadets! We have a new member joining us today, I’ll be introducing him to you all, be nice and help him settle down!’

A new member? At this time? It didn’t happen often that cadets joined at such a late age, most started around 12 to 14 years old, but… at 17…? It was just… kinda strange. Unless he was transferred from another group, but their trainer would probably have mentioned that.

Nathaniel followed Alix towards the middle of the room, where everyone was already gathered.

Next to their trainer, a boy their age stood, he was of average height and posture, his hair black and half tied up in a messy bun. He had big bright green eyes, averted from the group a bit. He was fumbling with his hands, seemingly shy. He looked very out of place, and Nathaniel absently wondered why on earth he had joined the cadets.

Then again… the same could be said for him, of course.

‘This is Marc Anciel, everyone. As we’ve finished training, I want one of you to show him around and teach him the basic things about his place. Tomorrow, he’ll start training with you guys.’

He gave Marc a small push, who seemed to jump a bit at the touch and opened his mouth, letting his eyes flash nervously over the group, but closing it again.

‘Ridiculous,’ sounded from the group and Nathaniel didn’t even have to look up to find out to whom the voice belonged.

‘How will such a nervous wimp like him ever be able to fight a Kaiju?’ Chloé declared as she observed her nails.

Chloé was the daughter of one of the most successful female Jaeger pilots, whom everyone looked up to. She knew that however, and used her mother’s prestige as she pleased, that however, did not make people like her. Nor did it make her compatible to anyone in the group.

‘Do not judge a book by its cover, Chloé,’ their trainer stated.

Marc however, averted his eyes, fumbling with his gloves awkwardly.

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, wondering if the boy would be able to survive even the training cadets.

A long time ago, he had been as shy and jumpy as he was, an easy target for bullies. But not anymore. Never again.

‘I’ll show Marc around, sir!’

Nathaniel’s heart skipped a beat as a familiar voice called out. Marinette. Alarmed, he looked up to see her raising her hand, smiling at Marc.

Who looked the other way, blushing a bit.

‘Well, that’s settled then,’ their trainer said. ‘Marinette, I’ll leave Marc to you, then.’

A sting of jealousy shot through Nathaniel’s heart, but he quickly reminded himself of the fact that this just happened because Marinette was so kind.

She was so sweet, so considerate…

Of course she would offer to help a new cadet, especially if that person was just targeted by Chloé, whom she despised a lot.

Yes, nothing to worry about.

Still, there was a weird, uncomfortable sense of foreboding in his chest.

***

It lingered right into the next training day. Marc hadn’t said a word when he had returned from his walk with Marinette, nor during dinner, nor the entire evening. He’d just been sitting on his bunk bed, writing in some kind of notebook.

Nino had tried to talk to him for a bit, and he had replied politely, sharing a few words, but nothing more. The other guys had left him alone. Nathaniel had been keeping an eye on him, because there was something about him… He couldn’t quite put his finger on it…

The next day, right of the bat, he was partnered against Marc.

Right now he was standing a few feet away from him, staring into the other boy’s eyes as he prepared, finding his most comfortable fighting stance.

He wondered if he should go easy on him or-

Suddenly, Marc was in front of him, Nathaniel hadn’t been able to follow his movements.

Quickly, he blocked his attack, dancing around him. Marc followed, suddenly an intense look in his bright green eyes, every sprinkle of insecurity, faded to nothing.

He was fast-

Extremely so-

His body was starting to feel heavy-

Tired-

Hard to keep up-

He tasted blood suddenly, and vaguely registered he had probably bitten his lip just a bit too hard.

Marc’s gaze was fierce, and Nathaniel didn’t dare look away from him.

The ground was gone suddenly-

Under his right foot-

And he tripped.

Falling to the ground.

The feeling of defeat and humiliation washing over him.

He felt a dozen of eyes on him as he sat on the floor, slightly confused about what had just happened.

And indeed, the whole group had been watching their fight.

His heart was beating loudly and he felt small suddenly, as his fellow cadets towered over him like the Kaiju they were supposed to fight.

In front of him, Marc offered him his hand, blinking.

…really?

After humiliating him like that?

Making fun of him?

Hiding his true strength under such a shy posture?

Making him get the wrong impression and dropping him to the ground as soon as-

Nathaniel furrowed his eyebrows, slapping his hand away before getting up by himself, not taking his eyes off him for a second.

There, it was back, the insecurity in those deep green eyes. Good.

But he wouldn’t be fooled.

Not anymore.

Never again.

***

Later that day, Marc tried to approach him. Nathaniel was in the shared boy’s dormitory, doodling in his sketchbook to get his mind off things when he heard footsteps coming in his direction, and a soft voice calling out.

‘Uhm… Nathaniel… right?’

He looked up, found nervous eyes staring at him, and he went back to drawing.

His mind was protesting, he did not want to talk to this guy, but he also didn’t want to make a scene.

Yet the humiliation… Of today… And on top of that Marc had spoken to Marinette again today. While it took him so much effort to speak to her, spending days and days to gather up courage, he just casually spoke to her… it was bizarre.

‘I… I am sorry about this morning…’

What?

‘I… I can see I made you upset, clearly…’

You’re not making it better.

‘I… what can I do to make it up to you…?’

Nathaniel violently pushed his sketchbook aside, locking their eyes together.

There was an ember within him, one that had been sparked by no-one else than the innocent boy in front of him.

But Nathaniel, he wouldn’t be fooled. For Marc was far from the innocent teenager the presented himself as. He was a monster. One he didn’t want anything to do with.

He reminded him of someone, a little bit too much.

But Nathaniel didn’t want to remember, so he pushed the memories away.

Instead, he spoke to Marc.

‘You can stay far, far away from me. That’ll be all. Thank you.’

He went back to drawing, and didn’t look up again.

At some point, Marc disappeared.

***

Fate decided otherwise, for apparently his trainer found if funny to let them spar against each other the next few days, and the days after as well. Every single time, Nathaniel did not speak to him, instead focussed on improving to be able to beat him. But Marc was too strong.

Something deep inside of him was glad the boy hadn’t decided to go easy on him. Because that was the one thing he’d hate.

After two weeks, Nathaniel finally felt like he was doing a little better.

As they danced around each other, he was able to predict most of Marc’s moves, dodging them, striking back, but the other boy was able to avoid his attacks in turn as well.

It took a long twenty minutes until Marc finally landed an attack and Nathaniel lost, again.

But as he was on the ground, he felt a small smile teasing his lips, and he was confused about where it came from.

When Marc offered him his hand, he almost took it, just in time remembering his pride.

***

‘Your drawings… I have wondered for a while, but… Do you… post them online…?’

Nathaniel blinked, looking up from his sketchbook to find Marc staring at him. Quickly, he shielded his sketch from him.

‘Why do you ask?’

‘I… they make me think of certain artist I used to follow on the net for a while… But he stopped posting a few years ago.’

Nathaniel opened his mouth, closed it again. His heart was pounding just a little painfully against his chest, and he chewed on the inside of his cheek, his hand trembling slightly.

Did he…?

No, it couldn’t be…

Marc blinked. ‘Ah, I’m sorry if I asked a strange question… You don’t have to answer… I… I just wanted to say they’re very beautiful.’

‘You looked.’

‘S-sorry…?’

‘I… find it uncomfortable if people look at my drawings.’

‘I’m sorry. It’s just… fascinating to see you draw…’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Then what are you doing in your own book over there? Because I’ve seen you scribble as well. Are you also an artist?’

Marc’s cheeks colored pink. ‘Ah, no, I… write…’

‘Write what?’

He shrugged a bit, backing off. Clearly uncomfortable, and Nathaniel found something uneasy gnawing on him, and he wondered if maybe, just maybe, he felt a little guilty for pushing.

‘N-nothing special, actually… Nothing special at all.’

Nathaniel breathed. Breathed again. ‘Ah, okay.’

Marc’s eyes flashed from left to right and then he turned around to walk away.

‘I posted my drawings online for a while, but I’ve stopped,’ he blurted out, and Nathaniel couldn’t stop the words from spilling out. ‘I had a nickname on the internet, the Mighty Illustrator. A bit lame, huh? Anyway, there’s your answer.’

It was silent for a moment, and Nathaniel aggressively scratched more lines in his sketchbook with his pencil to not go crazy.

Then, Marc spoke. Very softly. Before walking away. ‘I…’ve always been a fan of you.’

***

Three weeks later, Nathaniel floored Marc during sparring, and he blinked as the other boy lay on the ground, blinking as well.

First, he was confused. He tried searching through the flashes of their fight coming back to him, but everything had gone the same as always.

Dancing around each other for minutes long, searching, dodging, waiting, staring, moving…

And suddenly, he had been faster, and the other boy was on the floor.

It was too easy-

It couldn’t have happened-

He must have-

He must have not-

Taken him seriously-

The fire started again and Nathaniel stared at him, his body shivering.

‘Why did you do that.’

‘D-do what…?’

Marc got up slowly, pushing himself in a sitting position. Nathaniel was still hovering over him, a few feet away.

‘Loose on purpose!’ he hissed.

‘B-but I didn’t-’

‘You did!’ he snapped back.

The green eyes widened, and at that moment, Nathaniel wanted them gone. Forever and ever and ever. So he turned around and walked away, no longer listening to whatever the other boy said.

***

‘Don’t you think you overreacted a bit?’

Alix was sitting next to him in the corridor against the wall, staring at him intently. Nathaniel was hugging his knees, his mind still spinning from the match earlier. The fire had calmed down, but the thoughts hadn’t.

‘Did I…?’

‘I think you did. Marc is not the type of person to go easy on someone. Have you seen his other sparring matches?’

He had. For some reason, his feet had just dragged him there, observing the other boy’s moves, wanting to get better, learn from him.

Ah, maybe… that was why…

No, but… so soon?

It just couldn’t be…

‘I saw the match, Nath. You were on the upper hand for a while before you floored him. He was really struggling. I think you just got a lot better because you sparred with him a lot.’

Nathaniel furrowed his eyebrows, thinking. To him, it hadn’t seemed like Marc had been losing, it had just felt the same to him as always, but… Alix was no liar…

‘Maybe you should just talk to him, Nath.’

He sighed, closing his eyes. Because he didn’t want to. But because it was probably the best idea.

‘Alright… Thanks, Alix…’

His friend grinned.

***

Approaching him was kind of hard. Because before, it had always been the other way around. Because Nathaniel didn’t like admitting his mistakes. Because he was a hothead sometimes. He sighed, putting his sketchbook away. Just sitting there would not make anything better. At all.

So he climbed down the bed and searched for Marc in the hallways.

He found him in a corner, leaning against the wall, writing.

Like that, he looked so soft, so calm, so different from when he was fighting. His gaze was focused, yet gentle, his green eyes bright and cheerful. His hand moving from the left to right as he was scribbling, the notebook resting against his knees.

It was a peaceful sight, and somehow, Nathaniel didn’t really want to disturb him, but…

‘Erm… Marc…?’ he felt his cheeks heat up and he slapped them quickly, before calling out to the other boy again.

This time, he reacted, blinking before putting his notebook away.

‘…yes…?’ he jumped a bit as their eyes met. ‘…N-Nathaniel…?’

‘Yes…’ Nathaniel walked a little closer, lowering his eyes. ‘I… I wanted to apologize… for what I said this afternoon. I was… very confused and… jumped to conclusions. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry.’

He looked up carefully, searching for his expression.

Marc looked confused for a second, until a smile appeared around his lips as he let their gazes meet.

‘Apology accepted.’

***

‘I want you two to try drifting together.’

So casually, the words had fallen. And Nathaniel should’ve known the moment their trainer had called the both of them over. He should’ve known. Yet the words came as a surprise.

He felt Marc’s eyes on him, and Nathaniel didn’t know how to feel. There was a strange tingle in his chest, but he was unsure how to identify it.

Confused? He was, because they’d only known each other for a few months and usually, people who were able to mental link knew one another for years.

Disappointed? A little, because he wanted another try on linking with Marinette, not with… with Marc…

Frustrated? Maybe… Since Marc was still a lot stronger than he was.

Not to mention his fighting style still remembered him of…

Someone he didn’t want to think about.

It was a little bit of all of those things, but there was more, and he didn’t quite get it.

‘So soon?’ he then asked, not knowing what else to say.

Their trainer nodded. ‘I’ve consulted the other cadet trainers, and just like me, they see how in synch your fights are. It can never hurt to try drifting.’

‘But. I don’t even really know Marc.’

‘You know perfectly well that drifting compatibility doesn’t have anything to do with knowing each other, Nathaniel,’ their trainer said, smiling softly.

Maybe that was true, but… What if they succeeded…? Nathaniel wasn’t sure if he wanted to share his memories so easily.

‘You don’t want to try…?’ Marc’s voice sounded and Nathaniel looked next to him, Marc’s expression soft, but there was a hint of hurt hidden within his eyes.

Quickly, Nathaniel looked away. ‘…Alright…’

*** The moment they stepped into the simulator, Nathaniel felt a little nervous. He hadn’t been in there for a long time, yet the cramped space and warm area of it felt familiar. Every time he had tried drifting with someone, their minds had repelled from the moment they started. Also with Marinette. He wondered what would happen if this time, he’d actually succeed.

But there was no way… was there?

Nathaniel sat down, he on the left side, Marc on the right, taking the leader position. His trainer had wanted it that way, and Nathaniel didn’t really care. He had never been a leader type anyways. Although he wasn’t sure Marc was, either. Sure, he was strong and fast, but still, he had a nervous and insecure side to him.

For a moment, he looked next to him, and found the other boy’s gaze. Marc smiled at him softly.

There was a sting in his heart, because if only… If only Marinette would have been there…

But quickly, he shook the thought away, because it was misplaced, and he had to focus. So he smiled back, stretching out his hand.

Marc’s eyes widened for a bit, and then he took his hand, shaking it before they parted.

‘Let’s do our best,’ Nathaniel said.

Marc nodded, and then closed his eyes.

Nathaniel followed his example.

For a while, there was nothing.

Only silence.

Nathaniel emptied his mind, searching for Marc.

For a while, it was hard to find him.

But then, there he was.

Nathaniel moved towards him, and Marc did, as well.

They reached out to each other.

And-

Flashes of memories, scattered everywhere.

Marc as a small child, cheerful and happy. A woman, a man, his parents, probably. Both smiling as well.

Marc looked like his mom.

A birthday, five candles. His parents were there, various other people.

Then, a goodbye. His father leaving, his mother a worried expression on her face. Marc, crying.

Reunion, his father was back, his arm in a sling, but he was fine. Happy faces. Smiling. Nathaniel felt warm and fuzzy.

Eating out, celebrating.

Another birthday, 10 candles.

Then, father leaving, mother leaving.

A letter.

Crying. Pain.

Unfamiliar faces, a cold, desolate place.

Fighting, sparring.

With the same man.

Every day.

Exhaustion.

More fighting.

Marc, a simulator.

Alone.

All alone.

Pain.

Exhaustion.

Blackout.

Serious faces. Scolding, maybe.

Darkness.

Pain.

More fighting.

More sparring.

Simulator.

Fighting.

Simulator.

Scolding.

Pain.

Screaming.

Blood.

Another birthday. 14 candles.

An emergency.

Red lights.

A jaeger.

Marc.

All alone.

Piloting.

Pain.

Exhaustion.

Crying.

But no choice-

Fighting-

The Kaiju-

Pressure.

Chaos.

Lost.

Darkness.

Then.

Intense pain.

Screaming.

Nathaniel moved closer.

Scared.

Pain.

His heart was aching.

And it was Marc’s-

He knew it was Marc’s-

The Kaiju came closer, attacking the Jaeger, and it fell-

Screaming.

And it suddenly sounded way too real for a memory.

Nathaniel opened his eyes, taking off the helmet and looked next to him, his hands trembling. Marc was screaming, crying, his eyes closed, his body shaking violently.

Where was their trainer-

Frustrated, he got up, his mind spinning with unknown memories, but it was unimportant-

He kneeled in front of Marc, carefully putting his hands on his shoulders, trying to keep him in place.

But the boy was still shaking and Nathaniel didn’t know what to do-

‘Marc,’ he said, his voice trembling, too soft, too unsure.

He tried again. ‘Marc!’ it sounded better now. ‘Marc, snap out of it! We’re here! I’m with you!’

He squeezed a bit, and Marc looked so lost, so terribly lost-

So Nathaniel rubbed his shoulders softly, holding him tight, saying some things he couldn’t remember, like ‘I’m here’, or, ‘Open your eyes’, or anything he could think of.

Eventually, Marc’s limbs responded, and his eyes shot open, he snatched off the helmet and breathed, sweat everywhere, his eyes like those of an attacked animal.

Nathaniel’s mind was spinning with questions, unable to understand the train of emotions he had been dumped into earlier. But with a great need to know.

But later-

It had to come later.

Once more, he squeezed his shoulders softly. ‘Marc. Are you with me?’

The boy found his eyes, and they softened, a little.

‘Nathaniel…’

‘Yeah. I’m here. You’re not alone. Alright?’

‘…y-yeah…’

He felt Marc relax slightly against his hands, but his body didn’t stop trembling.

Nathaniel got up, offering him his hand.

‘Let’s get out of here, you need some rest.’

‘D-did we… fail…?’

Nathaniel opened his mouth. Closed it again. ‘I… don’t know…’

And he didn’t. He only knew Marc had to get out of there, and he had to rest.

Marc took his hand.

***

Hours later, they were sitting on Marc’s bed, both holding a hot cup of coffee.

Their trainer had been enthusiastic, showering the two of them with compliments. They hadn’t been able to link, yet, but the drifting had gone amazingly well for a first time, apparently, and he was sure with some training, they’d be able to succeed.

Nathaniel had only half-heard it, still focused on the flashes of memories he had seen in the simulator. Clearly, Marc hadn’t had a normal childhood. At all.

Now that he had calmed down, Nathaniel wanted to ask him about it. But he didn’t know how. So for a while, they were just sitting side by side, sipping their coffee.

Eventually, it was Marc who spoke first.

‘You must have a lot of questions. You saw all of them… didn’t you?’

Nathaniel felt Marc’s eyes on him and he averted his gaze. The other boy sounded broken still, and he didn’t know how to deal with it.

‘When you… told me you were there with me… I think that’s… what I really needed…’

Nathaniel looked up, and Marc was staring at his coffee, moving his thumb over the mug, his cheeks slightly pink.

Their eyes met suddenly, and he jumped, a strange tingle of nervousness shooting from his stomach all the way to his face.

Marc smiled a little. ‘I… have been trained to become a single pilot… As an experiment, kind of… to see if it possible with today’s technology… It was illegal, however… Authorities found me two years ago… Arrested the organization… didn’t know what to do with me, though… I lived in a foster home for a while, just receiving normal education… those kind of stuff… Then… at some point… they brought me here… Something about wasted potential…’

Through the story, Nathaniel found himself staring at the other boy, to try and identify the expression hidden within his bright green eyes, and for a moment, he thought he understood.

It was loneliness.

Unconsciously, he moved a little closer.

‘In here… you don’t have to be alone,’ he smiled softly.

‘I… realized that today…’ Marc answered, a small smile playing with his lips, his cheeks slightly red.

‘I never tried drifting with someone before, so… I’m sorry. It’s probably my fault… I got stuck in that one memory…’

‘It apparently happens a lot with first-timers,’ Nathaniel said, then looked at him carefully, unsure if he could ask the one thing he wanted to know. ‘What… happened there…?’

Marc lowered his eyes. ‘It was just before they found me… An emergency Kaiju attack… My boss panicked, wanted me to fight them. On the one hand because the Kaiju was very dangerous, and they needed all the help. On the other hand to show the world the evolution of the Jaegers, and that I was able to pilot on my own… It backfired, though…’ he chuckled a bit, but Nathaniel found nothing funny about it. Marc probably didn’t either. ‘Because well… I couldn’t… I couldn’t handle the emotional load of piloting by myself… The exact reason why the co-piloting system is a thing. So I just… panicked… Couldn’t see anything… Couldn’t do anything… Apparently my Jaeger went berserk, too… And well… the other Jaegers had to hold me back, while they were fighting the Kaiju, too. In the end they managed to restrain me and got me out. Then they arrested my boss and took me to a foster home. They never blamed me, I was a victim.’

Nathaniel felt nauseous. He couldn’t imagine fighting a Kaiju, let alone all by himself. At such a young age.

‘How did you… get adopted by that organization…?’

Marc sighed. ‘The boss was a friend of my parents… He adopted me when… when they died… They were both Jaeger pilots as well, in the same system… But they got into a fight during the attack and, well… it turned into their demise… That’s why… the boss was able to persuade me into joining him… he made me believe piloting alone was better…’

He looked so small, so fragile, and finally, Nathaniel understood why he switched so easily between the insecure, awkward boy and the fierce soldier during their fights. There was no true or false Marc. He was both. And Nathaniel felt like he wanted to support both of them. So he reached out his hand and put it on his shoulder, squeezing softly.

Marc looked up, and his eyes were trembling.

Nathaniel chewed on his cheek, his mind was a mess. ‘D-do you erm, want a hug…?’ he blurted out, and he wanted to hit himself in the face afterwards, his cheeks burning.

But Marc blinked, then chuckled softly. Halfway, he started crying.

Nathaniel leaned in and wrapped his arms around him.

***

They tried drifting two more times, and it was going better little by little, though they hadn’t succeeded in establishing a mental link yet.

In the meantime, they sparred more, the outcome of their fights almost fifty-fifty, although Marc won just a little more.

From time to time, they spent their evenings together in silence, Nathaniel drawing, Marc writing. They never showed each other their work, but the presence of the other was comfortable.

One night, when he was staring at the ceiling in bed, unable to fall asleep, Nathaniel absently wondered when the last time was that he had been looking at Marinette, but he couldn’t remember. He also hadn’t drawn her for weeks now.

The next day, there was a prominent amount of deep apple green in his drawing, and confused, he closed his sketchbook before he started thinking too much about it.

***

Loud sirens started screaming, accompanied by red lights lighting up the training room. Nathaniel almost tripped over his own feet in reaction, the sirens invading his ears with a loud beep.

His eyes widened, everything in front of him was a blur, mixing into the alarm lights. His heart pounding painfully loud, he knew.

He knew perfectly well what that alarm meant.

Kaiju.

People were screaming, someone was in front of him, saying things he couldn’t hear.

Then, his teacher, roughly grabbing him by the shoulder. He snapped out of it, and everything became clear again. Marc was already by his side, averting his gaze.

Nathaniel blinked, looking back at their teacher, and he already understood what was going to happen.

He exhaled-

‘Marc, Nathaniel. They need you out there. They don’t have enough Jaegers. Come with me.’

It was not a question, not a request. It was an order.

Meaning they had no choice.

But Nathaniel wasn’t ready-

They hadn’t even succeeded in establishing a mental link yet-

The Kaiju were very much real-

Big, scary, dangerous. Destroyers. Monsters.

And Nathaniel, he wasn’t even fit to be a pilot.

He didn’t realize he was shaking his head until a warm hand grabbed his own and squeezed.

Marc.

‘We can do it, Nathaniel. If there’s anyone I trust in there, it’s you.’

Nathaniel swallowed. Because he too, trusted him. He too, had faith in him.

But he was scared.

‘Hurry up!’ their trainer pushed and suddenly they were walking.

Flashes. Faces. His father. His mother.

They were vague and blurry. For too long, he hadn’t seen them.

Hadn’t wanted to see them.

And neither had they.

Angry faces, ugly words.

‘Why can’t you be more like him?’

‘You have to follow in his footsteps, Nathaniel. Follow the road he couldn’t finish. Only then will he find rest.’

‘You have to do it.’

‘Or never set foot in this family again.’

Another face. One he did not want to see.

Nathaniel bit on his lip, hard.

And it was gone.

Suddenly, they were inside the Jaeger, and Marc squeezed his hand.

‘Are you alright…?’

Had they already started drifting…? Had he seen…?

No they hadn’t, as Marc was just putting his helmet on. And he followed his example.

‘Don’t get lost. Focus on my memories, and I’ll focus on yours,’ Marc then said, determination in his deep green eyes. They were beautiful. And made him calm down as he slowly inhaled and exhaled.

Nathaniel nodded. ‘Alright…’

He closed his eyes, and the drift started.

Flashes.

They had become familiar by now.

Marc’s life dashed in front of his eyes.

His emotions were calm, focused and Nathaniel breathed, reaching out to them.

They were a bit far, and he groaned as frustration almost took a hold of him.

But then, they moved a little closer and Nathaniel embraced them, inhaling and exhaling, his breathing focused, his body calm. And he opened his eyes.

They were one.

Carefully, he looked next to him. Marc was panting a little, a few drops of sweat dripping down his face. But their eyes locked, and he nodded reassuringly, a small smile on his lips.

Nathaniel smiled back.

‘Let’s go,’ Marc breathed.

And they went.

Their Jaeger moved perfectly in sync, searching through the city for the location of the Kaiju. It wasn’t hard to find, for it had destroyed a ton of buildings on its way.

‘I hope we’re still in time…’

Nathaniel blinked, unsure if Marc had spoken in his mind or out loud.

‘Ah… did you hear that…?’

‘I did… Guess we can communicate like this once we’re linked?’ Nathaniel thought. He felt strange thinking of a precise sentence, and concentrating in such a way that it would get through to Marc. But apparently, it worked.

‘Y-yeah… Anyway… we should be careful. How are you feeling?’

Scared. Tense.

Through the eyes of their Jaeger, Nathaniel could see the way the buildings were destroyed, and far in front of them, another one collapsed. His heart jumped, and he knew, that was where the Kaiju was.

The Jaeger almost tripped and Nathaniel quickly recovered himself, pulling the Jaeger back on his feet, biting his lip in order to focus. His hands had been trembling, but he should keep them perfectly still, for if he fell, it wouldn’t just be him, it would be Marc, as well.

‘Nathaniel, listen to me… I can feel that you’re scared… I… I can understand… But right now… with you by my side… I am not. Not anymore. Not like I was when I was piloting alone. I… can feel you by my side… And if we stay together… as one… I feel like… we can do it… So… trust me… okay…?’

‘We’ll fail…’

He hadn’t meant to send that thought to Marc, but it was there. Carefully, he looked at the boy next to him, who met his eyes, and shook his head.

‘Have faith. We can do this.’

‘…what if we… die…?’

‘We won’t.’

Nathaniel groaned. It wasn’t that easy! They were going to fight a Kaiju! Humanity’s greatest enemy! And they didn’t even know how many Jaegers were still standing! Maybe they’d be the only ones! And they were rookies! If the professionals had failed, then how on Earth were they able to succeed?

But Marc’s eyes were strong and determined, and Nathaniel knew he had no choice but to trust him. So he did.

And they moved again.

A loud growl suddenly echoed through the air, and there it was. The Kaiju. Just a few feet in front of them, slamming down a building. It was gigantic, even bigger than their Jaeger. It had a terrifyingly large mouth, and teeth everywhere. He had several horns adorning his big head, and his body was like one of a dinosaur; he was walking on two large hind legs, while he fought with his two front legs.

Several Jagers were surrounding it, fighting it, but he seemed able to fend them off easily.

It growled, and the air shuddered. Nathaniel held his breath.

‘Let’s move!’ Marc called.

And Nathaniel’s heart pounded violently, his head protested, but he yelled loudly, his throat burning, and moved.

They moved.

One moment, they were just walking, the other, they were fighting the Kaiju, moving in sync, dodging, and searching for an opening.

One of the Jaegers had instructed them to distract the Kaiju with two other Jaegers, while he and some other would attack from behind, cornering the monster.

As they danced around the Kaiju, Nathaniel imagined their fights, and how smoothly Marc moved. Yet this time, they were not trying to floor each other. This time, they were part of each other.

And Nathaniel felt Marc there, within his mind, moving together with him.

Nathaniel breathed.

And he wasn’t afraid anymore.

Marc was not his brother.

And he, he wasn’t his brother either.

They were just two soldiers piloting a Jaeger.

Together. As one.

The Kaiju was following them and the two other Jaegers, the plan going smoothly as the other group prepared to trap the monster.

It was growling at them, frustrated, moving his front legs to attack them, but they danced around it smoothly, their Jaeger small enough to be have lots of speed.

Then, a large cry, and they watched in horror as the Kaiju suddenly lashed out at the building beside them, destroying it completely, and the bricks were coming towards them at an amazing speed.

‘Move!’ someone called, and Nathaniel wasn’t sure if it had been him or Marc.

They moved, but just a little bit too late, as one boulder came rushing towards them and with one bang, everything went dark.

***

One moment, Nathaniel was alone in a blurry darkness, trying to find his way out.

The other, he was back in his seat in the Jaeger, but everything was silent.

He blinked, trying to clear his vision. It worked. And Marc was in front of him. Saying a lot of things, looking scared, but then, relieved, a few tears falling down, but he wiped them away.

Nathaniel groaned. Trying to move his body, but everything felt so heavy.

He wanted to remove his helmet-

Marc did it for him, and he could hear.

‘Nathaniel… Thank god…’ There were still a few tears, but most of Marc’s expression was happiness.

Nathaniel found that he liked that, better.

‘Marc…’

‘I’ll help you get out, come.’

His partner helped him out of the seat, his body feeling strange and numb, but slowly, steadily, his senses were returning. They exited the Jaeger, which Nathaniel now noticed was half-destroyed. Just like the entire city around them.

‘We succeeded, you know,’ Marc whispered.

‘Hm?’

‘The Kaiju, they managed to trap it. It dug its own grave when he destroyed that building, trapping himself between the rubble and the four Jaegers coming for him. They destroyed him.’

There was a small smile around Marc’s lips.

‘Apparently it’s because we frustrated it to such a great length.’

‘It almost killed us, though,’ Nathaniel furrowed his eyebrows.

Marc bit his lip. ‘Almost. We survived. But we… we synced very well… you know that…?’

He knew. He remembered being in there, their minds one and the same, the same goal, the same ideas, the same emotions. It had been… strangely intimate, yet not uncomfortable.

‘I never wanted to be a pilot,’ Nathaniel confessed. ‘My parents made me join… To follow in the footsteps…’

‘Of your brother?’ Marc said, scratching his head awkwardly when Nathaniel looked at him confused. ‘I know. I’ve… seen your memories maybe as much as you’ve seen mine… But listen, you… You are not your brother… And your brother, he…’

‘He died. His mental link with his partner suddenly failed when the Kaiju killed them.’

Coldness enveloped him as he said those words. Because he never liked his brother. But because he never deserved that, either. But because this had been the entire reason why he was now in this situation, forced to be a pilot. Because he was scared to die the same death.

But then, Marc grabbed his hand, and the coldness disappeared.

‘With you, I feel safe,’ he said.

And Nathaniel’s cheeks were burning. ‘Me, too… I think… together… I’ll be able to do this… If it’s… with you… you give me courage…’

Marc squeezed his hand, and Nathaniel knew he felt the same without him needing to say the words.

They watched the sun set from a broken city of rubble.

And that was how Nathaniel had found his piloting partner. It was not the pretty girl he had hoped for, but he didn’t mind anymore. It was one he would’ve never imagined. But one he would now protect with his life. Because he knew the other would always do the same.