i cannot stop thinking about a massive, end-all-be-all fight where marinette has to gather up her whole team to fight against it. something within her plan requires marc’s (rooster bold’s) power for an extended period of time, holding a sublimation power for hours and pushing through the fail safe of his miraculous. near the end of it, he’s so drained that he has to transform back before the fight is truly over.
ladybug has him and nathaniel (caprikid) in a secluded alleyway, and she’s telling him “you have to, you have to, you’re too drained, you’ll hurt yourself and your kwami permanently if you don’t,” all while he insists he can keep going, he needs to keep going, to help fight.
but when caprikid points out the potential damage to his kwami rather than him, the holder, rooster bold finally caves. ladybug tells caprikid to stay with him, makes him swear not to tell anybody rooster’s identity and assures rooster bold that it will be kept secret. caprikid promises, though he looks a little anxious with the new secret to keep.
the “secret” of it all becomes the least of his worries when ladybug leaves to rejoin the fight and he watches rooster bold detransform into none other than his best friend in the entire world. His best friend, the boy he’s been in love with for two years, bleeding from the nose from the exertion and looking almost embarrassed as he cradles his tired kwami in his palms and avoids eye contact.
nathaniel is practically frozen. he watches marc fish a small bag of dried corn feed from his pocket and start feeding orikko, swiping at his bloody nose with flushed knuckles. marc grimaces, his other hand petting over orikko’s feathers as the kwami eats.
“i promise i’m not usually this much of a let down as hero,” he says, almost self-chastising. “I’m pretty lame outside of all of it, but most times i’m more useful than this.”
he looks ashamed, like using his power until he’s bleeding and exhausted was some humiliating failure to prove himself. nathaniel aches at the thought.
marc is rambling now, it seems. he does that sometimes.
“i’m gonna work on it, i’m sure i could train myself to go longer than this. this is the last time you’ll have to babysit, i swear. i’m so sorry i’m keeping you from everything-“
nathaniel doesn’t let him go on any longer. his gloved hands come up, albeit a little shaky, and he watches himself cup one of marc’s cheeks, blood smear and all, and then the other. marc’s words die in is throat, and he sits there, breathing quietly as the flush of his face burns brighter.
“it’s not babysitting,” caprikid tells him. “you can’t-“ his voice breaks, and he swallows, finding his footing again. “you can’t push yourself so far that you’re hurting yourself, marc.”
he sees the flash of shock in those green eyes, the recognition that this is someone who knows his name. someone who knows him in some capacity. he can deal with that later.
“you’re too important to be doing that, you’re-“ he pauses, his thumb swiping over marc’s cheekbone tenderly as he studies his face. the confusion written in it, the parted lips.
he leans closer, resolute. “you matter more than the rest of this. i can’t… i can’t see you doing this to yourself. please, please, don’t push it too far. you’re doing great. you always do. don’t be in a rush to be what you think is better when the best is already there. don’t hurt yourself trying to prove that you’re capable. we see that in you already.”
marc might be making a wordsmith out of him yet.
he watches those green eyes rim with tears, and he almost starts apologizing, but then marc is hugging him, his arms wrapped around his shoulders and his hands lost in the fur of caprikid’s collar. “okay,” the writer whispers. “okay. thank you.” it’s a croaked, teary thing, and nathaniel hugs him back like he’s something precious, something to hold close to his heart.
in the days after the fight, marc keeps thinking about caprikid, and nathaniel clings to his side like someone is going to take him away. if anyone notices the way nathaniel becomes increasingly, gently protective, they don’t say anything.
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