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Marc was going on a date.
He tries to hide the smile creeping up his face every time he checks under his school desk at Nath's reply. He was going on a date with Nath this evening.
It's the anniversary of their first date, the day they first got together, so Marc wants to make sure the moment won't be wasted. He's got precious few hours to plan.
"We're getting an Akuma alert," Miss Mendeleiev says, regrettably interrupting her own lecture. "Everyone evacuate calmly but as soon as possible. I'll email you the homework to make up for lost class time."
Marc shoves his phone in his pocket and starts half-jogging for the door, the others in his class doing the same. He had to hurry.
Marc was going on a date and he only has so much time to prepare.
~oOo~
Where to have their date?
Marc walks briskly down the sidewalk, lost in thought. He wanted to surprise Nath with something special. Maybe he could treat the artist to dinner at one of the nice restaurants around the city?
"Oh god, run!" A man with a suit dashes past, checking him in the shoulder as he flees.
Marc furrows his brow. The man's suit looked expensive. Many of the restaurants prided themselves on being high-end and fancy, but maybe Nath didn't want that. His boyfriend enjoyed being treated well, sure, but he also wasn't fond of super rich establishments that made people feel less about themselves for dressing in anything less than a suit with a 4-figure price tag. That would put a hefty blow on his wallet, too.
Maybe something more casual. A movie night?
Marc sidesteps a crack in the sidewalk, splitting and forming into an endless gorge that led to darkness below. He'd gone on plenty of movie nights with Nath before. That wasn't really special. He wanted to make an effort for his boyfriend, something especially romantic.
Chunks of the earth begin to levitate, rising high into the sky like reverse meteors. Marc crosses the street as a tree from one of those chunks of earth comes free, slamming into the earth with a crash, bark splitting into deadly projectiles just a few feet behind the writer.
Marc blinks, turning to look at the tree. His eyes widen with realization.
The park! Of course! A quick check of the weather, scrolling past the blaring red Akuma Alert, showed that tonight would be a clear, starry night with optimal weather. Marc could imagine it now, sitting with Nath on a picnic blanket, cuddling together and watching the sun set in its beautiful rays of orange and gold.
A date in the park, then. Marc straightens his shoulders and heads towards the supermarket.
~oOo~
"Flooding in aisle 5, I repeat, flooding in aisle 5. The Darkness is returning and we are all helpless to its cruel whims. Have a nice day!"
The intercom stops with a crackle of static and a bone-chilling howl. Marc browses the aisles of the supermarket. What were Nath's favorite snacks? He didn't like spicy foods. He liked strawberries. Ooo, chocolate-covered strawberries would be a good dessert.
What if he made a charcuterie board? Nath liked those. Well, he liked organizing all the cheeses and meats to look aesthetically pleasing, but he liked eating it, too.
"Do you guys sell pre-made charcuterie boards?" He asks one of the employees. The employee gives him a long stare with jet-black eyes, then flips backwards and starts crawling on all fours away. Marc follows nervously behind. It was always nerve-wracking, asking things from strangers.
The employee leads him to a little refrigerated display showing a small assortment of packaged charcuterie boards. "Life is meaningless!" The employee howls. "Tremble in despair and beg for the mercy of the unending cosmos!"
"Thank you so much," Marc says, dipping his head respectfully to the employee as they scramble up the walls. There were some beautiful trays here. Nath would appreciate the organization and craftsmanship. He picks one that's arranged to look like a flower.
He should get Nath flowers, too. There's a little area in the back that sells bouquets.
Did Nath have a favorite flower? Marc looks over the arrangements with a frown. Nath hadn't mentioned a favorite flower-at least, he couldn't recall if Nath did. There were many different kinds of flower arrangements, each with their own uniqueness. One of the carnations was crawling away from its shattered pot, crying in the disgust of its newly gained sentience. Another pot had tulips in a bunch of pretty rainbow colors.
Maybe he could ask someone for help. Marc gets out his phone and texts Alix.
Marc: Hey do you know what flowers Nath likes best
Alix: brb fighting an undead alien that crawled out of the drain
Marc checks the price tags on the flowers. Not too expensive. That's good. He grabs the strawberries and some chocolate while he waits until his phone buzzes again.
Alix: he's a basic bitch get him roses
Marc: ok thx
There's no line at the counter, which Marc appreciates. He'll need some time to melt the chocolate and dip the strawberries before their date, and that'll take a few hours for the chocolate to freeze. He's sure Nath will love it, though. In no time at all his items are scanned and paid for.
"Have a nice day," Marc says to the cashier.
The cashier doesn't answer, his body puppeteering itself while the head floats three feet above him, face contorted in screaming agony.
Marc rushes home, checking the time. Just a few more things to do.
~oOo~
Normally he would be more careful with his clothes, but there's no time as Marc pulls assorted shirts and jackets and accessories from his closet and throws them on his bed, looking over the choices.
What should he wear? Something cute? Something flirty?
"Maybe something green to match with his red?" Marc considers aloud.
"Reality is ending," a voice whispers in his ear, fingers caressing the back of his skull. "Weep, children of the light."
Oh, a punk style would be cool. Marc picks a leather jacket, shivering at the temperature drop in his room. He steps over the long, spindly handy reaching for his ankles from under the bed and selects his usual ripped jeans and a nice green shirt, for contrast.
Most importantly, he needed good accessories.
He picks up the other clothes and turns to his closet, which has folded in on itself and turned into a portal that threatens to blind him if he looks too long into its ever-expanding self. He tosses the clothes in. Maybe it's irresponsible to do so. His mother would be disappointed if she saw he was putting unfolded clothes in his closet.
There's a special pair of earrings in his drawer. Earrings that Nath had given to him for his birthday. They're beautiful opal stones set in a silver frame. Marc looks in the mirror, pushing his hair back to put the earrings in. With his fingerless gloves, he'll look stunning. He double-checks his outfit, his hair, the ominous shadowy figure with eight pupils in each eye staring into his nebular form, the cute choker he put on-he forgot his boots!
The alarm on his phone goes off. Marc checks it. It's an image of his own face, sobbing and pounding at the screen, begging to let him free. He swipes past it. There it is, his alarm telling him that it's time for the date.
Marc smiles, feeling his heart thud in his chest. He's ready. Hopefully all his planning will pay off. He texts Nath, telling him to meet up in the park and gets ready to leave.
~oOo~
Marc clutches his bags as he boards the bus, flashing his student ID at the driver. There is no driver. He grabs one of the handrails and waits as the bus begins to move again, crawling on its many, many legs down the street.
His phone dings with a new text message.
Ļ ϰ ℘ ∰ ∵: WE ARE EVER WATCHING
Nath: hey I'm here
Oh! Marc brightens, texting back.
Marc: I'll be there soon
His foot taps impatiently against the ground, waiting for the park to come into view. He's eager to see his boyfriend, to go on a date and spend a few hours enjoying each other's company in a scenic place. Slowly, the bus crawls to a stop and the doors open. Marc's heart beats in anticipation, squeezing the bundle of items in his arms.
"Lose yourself," a whisper behind him drawls, itching into his brain. "Become one with the nothingness." A long, beastly claw trails against the back of his neck.
"Excuse you, I have a boyfriend," Marc scowls, stepping off the bus.
It's a gorgeous day outside. Marc breathes deep, enjoying the smell of nature and the cool wind across his face. And there, sitting on a bench, is his wonderful boyfriend.
"Nath!" He calls, beaming wide.
His boyfriend stands, jogging to his side. "You look beautiful! What's all this you're holding?"
"I thought we could have a picnic," Marc says, leaning in to give Nath as best a hug as he can with his arms full. "Here, let me set these down."
They roll out the picnic blanket, setting it up under the bough of a beautiful tree. It has wide shade, a thousand birds all in different stages of life trapped in the branches, and the trunk is angled comfortably for them to lean up against and cuddle together.
"These flowers are so nice," Nath says, holding the roses to his chest. "Is that a charcuterie board? And chocolate-dipped strawberries?"
"Only the best for you," Marc says, leaning against Nath's shoulder.
The artist laughs, turning to give him a peck on the cheek and sling an arm around his shoulder. " You know me too well. I was gushing about this date to Alix all morning and she said I was so much of a simp for you that I wouldn't notice if the world was ending."
Marc laughs with him. That's a funny thought.
Nath grins. "Could you blame me, though? On a day this special, how could I think about anything else? Happy anniversary, Marc."
"Happy anniversary," Marc replies, snuggling into his boyfriend's warm hug.
They laugh and cuddle and eat cheese and crackers and strawberries, watching the orange rays of light streak over the sky as all the universe's stars coalesce into a single burning rocket, hurtling towards earth. Marc kisses the chocolate from Nath's lips. Nath laughs and buries his face into Marc's punk jacket.
Eventually the wind blows cold, and the food's all eaten, and a swarm of akuma-fixing ladybugs swirl across the sky, and stars twinkle bright overhead.
"Love you," Marc whispers, the encompassing darkness of night keeping his words soft and encapsulated, for only the artist to hear.
"Love you too," Nath replies. "This was a wonderful date."
Marc relaxes, holding his boyfriend close, an insignificant moment compared to the vastness of the stars above but precious to the two of them.
The stars twinkle. Nath's eyes begin to droop. A little white butterfly flutters off into the distance. Marc notes the little things and smiles.