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Tonight could be the most important day in Marc Anciel’s life. This may sound dramatic, but he really thought of it like that.
This was the day of the end of the year ball, organised by Marinette and Zoé on top of Eiffel Tower. That wasn't the main reason he deemed this night important though.
The older class would finish the current stage of education and move on to the next, and Marc wasn't in that class so he didn't stress too much about it. What he did worry about was that Nathaniel was in the oldest class.
Nathaniel Kurtzberg. The guy who was his comic partner, who took the role of the illustrator of them. The guy who was his friend, one of the first people he let this close. The guy he was madly in love with.
He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment this happened, but at some point in their relationship he started looking at Nathaniel differently. He enjoyed everything they did together but he wanted to be allowed to look at it in a... different light. He didn't even want more, he was satisfied with their time spent together and their outings, but he wished he could call them dates. That would be enough for him. And if some more couple-typical stuff happened randomly, he wouldn't be opposed to them, obviously.
Right now though he was pacing around in circles as much as he could in the small space of the elevator, slowly going to the top floor. He thought about this night for so long, considering this to be the perfect occasion for love confession. The Eiffel Tower was the ideal place where you can fully see the famous city of love. He knew from Zoé’s messages that the decorations were also creating an amazing atmosphere.
The location easily played a big part in Marc's plan, but he still was responsible for actually bringing it to life.
When he stepped into the main area he immediately started scanning the floor, searching for Nathaniel. He wanted to confess as soon as he could, he'd get too stressed if he waited for longer and would probably chicken out.
When he noticed the signature red hair, although a little faded, he was already walking towards his friend-slash-crush.
He didn't get far when a loud “Marc!” accompanied by a tight hug stopped him in place.
“Zoé! Hey!” He greeted his friend, not wanting to come off as impolite. With the same thought in mind he also stayed with her for a few minutes trying to maintain a coherent small talk.
She soon excused herself as she needed to find Marinette for something he didn't pay attention to anymore, as he saw that Nathaniel was now walking up to him.
“Hey, Marc! How are you feeling?” He asked, knowing fully well that the other isn't the most sociable person and can get overwhelmed by bigger crowds. He was always paying attention and remembered details, which made Marc love him even more.
He nodded before speaking up, not wanting to waste any time “Nathaniel, there's something I want to—”
“Yo, Nathaniel, you can't just run away from me in the middle of— oh, hey Marc!” Alix’s face lit up when she saw her friend, realising he was the reason the redhead left her side.
“I didn't run away, Al, you were the one who left me first to go and talk with Juleka and Rose, so I just went to find a better conversation partner.” The redhead retorted with a dramatic roll of his eyes.
“Now don't twist the truth…” she lightly punched him on the arm as they banter continued.
Marc didn't pay attention to any of their words as he felt a little down with how he was interrupted, even if he knew this wasn't intentional.
He tried to swallow this feeling down, sure that in just a matter of minutes he'll be able to actually confess his feeling.
×××
It didn't happen in the next few minutes.
It's been three hours since he showed up to the party, trying to get some alone time with Nathaniel so he could finally tell him what he feels. Yet suddenly everyone wanted to talk with one or both of them, take some photos together, dance through the night or have them taste some sweet snack.
Marc tried to act polite towards everyone, not wanting to cause a scene either by confessing in front of others or bash anyone for interrupting the small moments they had all alone. But it was getting harder and harder with each interaction.
Finally, he and Nathaniel were left alone, standing by one of the metal pillars after another round of tasting someone's new recipe.
It was now or never. Marc turned towards Nathaniel, who was staring at the city below them, and tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.
Marc took a deep breath as he lowered his head, sure that if he looked Nathaniel in the face he'd lose it completely.
“Nath I—” he couldn't even finish his sentence as the music got louder, completely drowning anything he was saying. Only now did he notice they were standing so close to one of the speakers.
Marc felt like exploding. The universe really hates him. He just wanted to have this one thing but everything had to go against him.
Nathaniel probably noticed his distress, as he put his arm over the other and gently nudged him away from the speakers, towards a quieter, more secluded area. He probably thought Marc got overwhelmed by the party and he wouldn't be entirely wrong but he'd still miss on a key detail and—
Marc could feel Nathaniel taking his hands in each of his own. It was obviously in a friendly manner, to bring him to earth and remind him that he's not alone. Still, Marc wanted to believe it was a sign that he could continue his confession.
He took another deep breath which came more ragged than he'd wish for it. He was ready ready to say the thing, and as he opened his mouth a white blur flashed in the corner of his eye.
“Marinette?” Marc exclaimed, startled by the sudden appearance of the girl, ignoring the fact that he was once again interrupted when he saw the state she was in.
“Oh, sorry! Did you see him? Adrien... he was right there!” She looked around as if searching for the guy she pinned over for so long. How could she forget that he was in London though?
Nathaniel looked at her confused, seemingly thinking the same thing as his friend. “Adrien? But—”
“Marinette, are you crying?” Marc didn't let the redhead finish, noticing her ruined mascara and shaky hands, holding tightly onto the bouquet. She quickly brought it closer to her face, covering most of it.
“Who, me? Of course not!” She mumbles, not wanting to worry her friends more before running off again, with Adrien's name on her mouth.
All Marc could do after that was state at Marinette’s back as she ran off after Adrien. At least he wasn't the only one struggling with love tonight…
Nathaniel's quiet laugh brought him back to reality as he looked at the redhead's face which had a big grin plastered all over. He was probably used to Marinette's antics and chaotic personality, so he didn't think much about this interaction.
“So,” he spoke up, trying to stop his light chuckles “you seemed like you wanted to tell me something all night.” He noticed. “What was it? You have my full attention now, I won't get distracted anymore, I promise.”
Marc practised this moment for so long — wrote countless scenarios covering every way he could get to Nathaniel, read them aloud to make sure they don't sound overdone, and remembered every word of those that seemed acceptable and natural enough. But now, when he looked into the other’s eyes, all of them evaporated from his head, like they never existed there at all.
So he had to do what he hated the most. Improvise. Shouldn't be too hard if you're telling the truth about your feelings, right?
“I— uh…” Okay, this will be harder than expected. Thankfully, Nathaniel was always understanding when it came to Marc's stuttering, but he still felt the need to explain his trouble with speech in any way, even if stumbling over his words even more. “Oh God, uh, it's hard, sorry…”
“Then make it simple. You say that yourself all the time ‘If the story is too complicated you simplify it’. For better understanding and stuff.”
Make it simple. Such a… well, simple solution. Don't overcomplicate what you say, maybe then you will be able to express it.
“I like being around you, Nath. It's… easier. You know I tend to be on edge all the time but when I'm with you I finally feel like I can actually relax.” His grip on the other’s hands slightly tightened before he continued. “And when I think about you leaving, I can't help but feel awful. Like something that brings me peace, some part of me even, would go missing.”
Nathaniel looked back into Marc's eyes, mouth slightly parted and he gently stroked his hand with his thumb as he assured “You know that even when I leave I won't forget you or anything? You'll still be my friend.”
“But that's not what I want.” Marc blurted out before he could stop himself. It took him a bit to recollect himself so he could continue properly. “I like you, Nathaniel. I want us to be boyfriends, not just friends.”
Silence fell between them, only broken by the distant music which seemed quieter now as well. Marc lowered his head a little again, not daring to meet Nathaniel’s face, suddenly regretting everything.
But before he could spiral into his thoughts, he felt the other’s hands slip away from his and instead gently grab his face, prompting him to look up.
“I thought you'd never say it.” A faint smile appeared on Nathaniel's face and Marc couldn't look away from his expression.
“W-wha… do you mean that…”
“Yes. Marc, I'd love to be your boyfriend. I waited so long for you to say it first.” He couldn't be serious, there was no way…
“Then why didn't you say anything?!” Marc shouted, not really mad judging by the way he was smiling and trying to cover up his laugh.
“Uh, let's say I was a coward… I didn't know how to do it and just hoped you'd confess first. Sorry…” His gaze darted away, a slight blush creeping up his face.
In response Marc just placed his own hands on Nathaniel's that were still resting on his cheeks, making the artist look at him again.
This scene lasted for a few seconds, the two teens finally left alone with no interruptions, other than Nathaniel’s quiet “can I kiss you?”
Marc didn't trust his voice after that, so all he could do was slightly lean in, hoping the other takes it as a ‘yes’.
And he did.
Neither of them was sure how to approach this, the situation new to them both. But it didn't take away the magic of the moment.
Marc spent months imagining how this could go, thinking about Nathaniel's lips on his own. But even that much mental preparation wasn't enough, as his mind was filled with multiple thoughts, not sure which one to focus on.
When they eventually broke the kiss, none of them knew what to say. All they could do was look in the other’s eyes, then switch to staring at their lips before averting their gaze altogether.
“That was… great.” Nathaniel whispered, wanting to break the silence, earning a soft laugh from Marc and a slight mockery at his reaction.
×××
Soon enough they went back to the main part of the party. Although they didn't say a thing to anyone, they knew what changed when they were finally left alone.
Now both of them were standing by the small snack bar, enjoying the treats prepared for the occasion. Between the casual comments about the taste of them, Marc focused on a different topic.
“You know, your graduation was what prompted me to actually confess.” Upon hearing that, Nathaniel lowered the cupcake on the table and turned his whole body towards his frie— boyfriend. That's a new term they'll need to get used to. “I wanted to tell you everything I felt before you left for good. Yeah, I know we'll stay in touch, but I couldn't let you go like that. Like a friend.”
“You still seem rather sad about that…” Nathaniel pointed out, noticing that the confession didn't take the worry from Marc's shoulders like he thought it would.
“Kind of. I think I got too focused on this and didn't even pay attention to the fact that it doesn't change much. You're still leaving.”
“I mean, I could fail a subject or two in order to repeat the year…”
“Nathaniel, no! Don't think about it! Focus on your future, I'll manage to get through that one year alone.” Marc quickly reassured, not letting his boyfriend even joke about staying back and wasting a year when he could… What exactly?
“Hey, Nath. What are you even going to do after school?” He asked, unable to remember any plans the other had, besides continuing their comic and still pursuing art.
“Uh, something with art probably. Comics with you, maybe commissions would be possible. I don't have anything specific in my mind though.” Nathaniel admitted, looking slightly embarrassed by that, even though it wasn't necessary.
“Hey, don't worry about that. You still have time to figure it out, no need to rush.” Marc wanted to comfort the other, even if both of them knew that it wasn't the truth. The system didn't really allow students to think more about their career choices, rushing them through different stages of it.
Just as if they were spied on, Mrs. Bustier gathered the attention of the students, mainly speaking towards the higher grade. She suggested that those who were unsure what they want to do after school should wait a few weeks before deciding on anything, promising that they won't regret it. No one knew what she meant by that, but after all those years they had enough trust in her to do as told.
×××
“In this new school, there will be no classes or struggling to get good grades. Children of all ages will be able to intermix and freely access all kinds of activities. They'll be able to try their hands at everything, learn at their own pace, and help each other until they've figured out what they want to do later in life.” Mrs. Bustier, now holding the title of mayor of Paris, finished her speech on the news, revealing another one of her reforms.
Ever since gaining the role of leading the city, she poured her heart into every suggested change in the system, consulting each idea with Parisians.
This specific change supported development of the youngest, allowing them to figure themselves out at their own pace instead of being rushed through different stages.
×××
Students gathered in the courtyard, reuniting with friends who also stayed longer than the previous system allowed them to, as well as forming entirely new bonds with those who just joined.
Marc stood on top of the stairs while scanning the yard below him, searching for his boyfriend. They were both so happy to hear the news. This way they could spend more time together and Nathaniel could experiment with other things before making any choice regarding his career. That was the most important thing, obviously.
Suddenly, Marc noticed a wave of bright red hair, probably freshly dyed, and practically ran down the stairs towards them.
“Nath!” Was all he could say before being crushed in a tight hug by his boyfriend. Nathaniel couldn't contain his excitement, smiling big as ever, already leaning slightly towards Marc, who lightly pushed him away with a laugh.
“Not here, come with me.” He simply said and dragged the other boy towards the stairs again, this time both of them ducking under it.
“You picked a lovely place.” The redhead teased, as he felt his boyfriend's hands make their way towards the back of his head.
“Don't complain.” He chuckled before pulling Nathaniel closer, bringing their lips together for the hundredth time since the ball. Neither of them could grow tired of those kisses, though.