Work Text:
"Wow, you look ten roads of bad," Alya said, opening the door for Kim as he slouched against the frame. "Hey, Mari, Kim's here, and he looks bad."
Marinette stepped around the corner and into the hallway, her expression growing concerned. "Oh, no, she didn't, did she? You really liked her, too. Come on in. I have just the pick-me-up for you."
She didn't give him the chance to protest, striding forward and gripping his wrist. With a powerful tug, she dragged him inside and pointed him toward her sofa. While he trudged toward it and dropped onto the cushions, she moved around the kitchen, pulling open drawers and cabinets. A soft humming sound floated toward him, wrapping him in a comforting hug that only she could ever do. He hadn't known how beautiful her voice was, not in school anyway.
He'd gotten the privilege when they'd started hanging after university, having overheard her in the supermarket when they'd run into each other again. To say she captivated him was an understatement, his heart doing a little flip at the sweet notes coming out of her from an aisle over.
"What's that look about?" Marinette asked, settling next to him and holding out a plate of baked sweets for him. "You had an almost-smile, which is quite weird to see on someone who's just been dumped. What's going on with you?"
That was the question of the century, he thought to himself as he took a bite out of a croissant. Staring at the treat in his hands, he found himself contemplating how much truth he could really give her and still keep her as a friend. Something told him she wouldn't push him away if he told her he liked her and wanted to take her out on a real date. No, it was pure fear of losing their friendship that kept him quiet, not Marinette and her sweet self. After all, she remained friends with at least half a dozen people who've confessed their feelings for her at one time or another, including her greatest crush during their college days.
Her fingers tapped against his hair. "Hello? Kim? You in there?"
When he met her gaze, she smiled at him, encouraging him to confide in her. She was a fixer and would do everything she could to make it better for him. Hadn't she done that since their younger days when they'd first met? Heck, she'd been there when he'd lost his ridiculous bets against Alix or had his heart broken by Chloe and Ondine. Not in the big way he might've wanted and craved, but she'd been there all the same, keeping to the periphery as she often did for her friends.
"Okay, you're really beginning to scare me. You're never this quiet, so I know it can't be good." She leaned closer and cupped his cheeks, keeping him still as she pressed her forehead against his. She'd never done that before and he quite liked it, enjoying the simple presence and pressure she offered in the same sweet act. "You'll be okay, Kim. I know you will. You're a fighter and a good guy. So, she wasn't your soulmate or anything. Big deal. I'm sure you'll find the right one when the time comes."
Maybe I'm looking at her right now, he thought.
Her cheeks tinged pink, and she stared at him as though he'd grown two heads. Shock had taken her eyes and blown them wide.
Oh, crap, he'd said the words aloud without meaning to. He had to fix this before she demanded he leave right then and there. How? How could he fix this without coming off like a jerk or some pathetic guy with a lovesick heart?
"You like me? I mean, you like me in a romantic sense?"
The words came out so soft, he had to strain to hear them.
To his great shame, he didn't try and deny the truth, his head nodding even as his eyes snapped shut. Might as well kill me now, he thought, waiting for her to kick him out or shove him to the ground.
Her hands pressed into his cheeks until he opened his eyes and caught the look she wore, one he didn't dare read as something too good to be true.
"Marinette, I --" He gulped, unsure what he could even say or do at that point to make it better.
She did though, pulling him closer and pressing a soft kiss to his lips before murmuring, "I like you, too."