stop reading, start doing push ups

Studying. That's what Marcus had to do. The library didn't help him as there were far too many students in there, and too many students meant there was a lot of whispering and talking. Honestly, Marcus enjoyed talking to other students but when it came to studying, he needed the complete silence. It was an odd thing for him to recognize considering he loved to hear something in the background so that his mind wouldn't go berserk.

He had found the Come and Go room and seeing as it provided what he needed the most - silence - he stayed there. He looked up at the clock that was across the room as he shifted himself into a new, more comfortable position in the couch. He had been there for a couple of hours and all this studying made him drowsy which put the slightest of frowns on his face. Yawning, he closed the book as he placed his head on the arm rest with his eyes closed. Marcus wasn't asleep but his sensed dulled slightly.

Ninette's heals clicked along the floor as she walked towards her destination. It was her Birthday today, not that she let anyone know. She was sure the Angel's probably knew, but from years of experience they knew not to bother her about it, not on the day.

On the day, Nine liked to be by herself.

She'd throw a party later, she was good at that, but today - she just wanted to...

She swallowed and pushed through the door to the only room she could usually make people keep out of without her usual effort - she didn't want to be that Nine on her birthday either... that Ninette was... flawed, broken - not the girl he'd remember.

And her birthday had always been their day.

She only got a few steps though when she stopped and saw a form lying on the couch. She sighed and was about to conjure up normal Nine to yell for the boy to get the hell out when she noticed a familiar head of blonde hair.

Her heart jumped a little and she ignored it completely. Smirking slightly she walked over, and proptly sat herself down on top of the boy.

"Wakey, Wakey Casanova," she drawled slightly, "Don't make me have to kiss you to get up."

Feeling a sudden weight on his stomach area, Marcus quickly tried to sit up but his head collided on someone's shoulder. He let out a small groan and wasn't able to hear the last part of the sentence. If he would have, his cheeks would have turned red from embarrassed.

"What the-" he stopped mid-sentence as is right hand reached for his forehead and looked up. "Nine," he said simply as he relaxed and laid back down. Marcus wasn't really bothered by her sitting on top of him... it almost felt normal to him as he saw her there. His head returned to the arm rest as he messed with his hair and cocked his head to the left, "What brings your behind to sit on my stomach?" He yawned during the middle of the sentence which made him chuckle a little.

Ninette frowned as he wacked his head right into her shoulder, rubbing her shoulder slightly she smirked down at him.

"You might want to watch what you do with you're head," her eyes danced. "Yeah might injure someone... or yourself."

Her smirk widened as she was recognized, and then treated as if this was perfectly normal. She leaned against the back of the couch, as her hand began to play absentmindely with the hem of his shirt.

"Oh, well, you know - this seemed to be as good as place as any to sit, don't you think?"

Chuckling tiredly at her comment, he rubbed his forehead before he placed it behind his head to rest on and looked at her carefully, almost as if he blinked, she wouldn't be there anymore. "I'm pretty sure I'd help who ever I injured and they'd be very lucky," he joked. "Besides, maybe if I injure my head a little more, I might higher my grade in Creative Arts, seeing as I only got an O," he added, mumbling.

He watched her hands find their way to the end of his shirt. The feeling was indescribable to the boy but he did feel the blood rush to his cheeks, assuring him that he was at least blushing from her actions. He didn't move though or tell her to stop or do anything in particular in telling her not to do that. Trying to play it off, he looked away, quire sure his red cheeks were still there, "Well, I've been sat on in worse places."

"Pfft, who needs Creative Arts anyways," Ninette rolled her eyes. "I mean, can you really grade that stuff anyways? I say its waste of time - most of this is a waste of time."

A look of confusion crossed her face as she saw his turning red. She honestly had no idea... she looked down to where her hand was and her eyes widened with realization.

Then she smirked.

"Have you now?" she tilted her head, her eyes dancing as she shuffled herself a little closer. "Well thats too bad."

"I need it if I want to pass," he said with a cheeky smile. "You know, unless you want me to fail and live on the streets. Or are you going to take me in and feed me until I'm old and dead? But please tell me how you believe it's a waste of time? Besides, I wouldn't know what other class to take."

Seeing her smirk made him squirm a little as his cheeks flushed a brighter red when she shuffled herself closer to him. "I-I, uh, ye-yeah," the boy stuttered. "My, uh, my cous-cousin Andy sat on my head one day and ye-yeah, that wasn't much fun. You know, he-he could have done damage to my head more or something."

"So, I heard something interesting about today," Marcus bravely said after he cleared his throat. "I, um, I heard it was your birthday so I, uhm, got you something. And I mean, I also heard you don't like celebrating today but I just... I just thought you might want a present?" He shrugged with an embarrassed smile as he looked away. "I could give it to you another day if you want, it doesn't have to be today."

Ninette smirked, "Well I seemed to have taken Rousseau in, so I suppose I could become the boarding house for the lost and lonely; its my caring heart you know."

She gave a short laugh, and looked down at him again.

"Well I suppose that would be worse," she drawled slowly. She shuffled a bit more, about to move when...

She paused and blinked for a moment.

"Hmm, it seems like a littel birdie has been talking a lot," she muttered for a moment. Rousseau seeemed to have a lot of talking - she doubted any of the girls would be talking. "But since you're here, and I haven't kicked you out anyway.. might as well take a gift, huh."

"So my life has been decided then," Marcus laughed in a child like manner. "I shall drop out of school to become a hobo that will then lead for me to become a resident in your home. Sounds like quite a dashing career. I'm sure many will be impressed!" The blonde boy poked her side which he found easy considering she was on top of him and in arms length, "Caring heart, I hear?" He chuckled.

Marcus's face was heating up and his head began to go through many ways how this could end but his mind halted when she stopped moving closer to her.

"As long as you don't kill this birdie, I think you'll get your present," he grinned as Marcus propped himself up with his elbows. Grabbing his wand from the floor, he casted the accio spell for Nine's presents and both flew in, landing neatly in between the whatever space left between the two. Both presents were neatly wrapped. One was a long tube looking present and the other was a smaller box like one.

"Well, those are your presents, the tube looking one is autographed and... real." He grinned, "and I'm glad you didn't kick me out."

tube present | small box

"Oh yes, haven't you heard? Ninette Fontaine has the biggest heart in the world," she snorted and rolled her eyes - she coudln't take herself seriously saying that.

Ninette raised her eyebrow picking up each package slowly, looking at them before smirking, "If they're good I suppose I won't have to do any birdie killing."

Glancing up at the boy almost shyly - though she hopped he would notice - she began to slowly unwrap the gifts. She started with the small box, already having a slight supcion of what might be in there.

"Marcus," she said eyes genuinely lighting up as she held up the necklace, "You've got decent taste in jewls. Do I need to be worried about you?" She wiggled her eyebrows teasingly before moving on to the second gift, tearing at the paper much fast for this time she was genuinely curious. She had no idea...

"Marcus..." this time her voice was much more stunned as she blinked at the picture at the... "Is that... you said that - but-but how? She's-she's.... how?"

The young Angelique frowned as he watched Nine scoff and shook his head, "I'm sure you have a big heart there somewhere Miss Fontaine. Maybe you just don't see it like others."

Marcus laughed at her comment of not killing Julian and nodded, "I hope you don't. He's a pretty nice guy." His eyes twinkling a little as he kept looking at her intently as she watched every unwrap the presents he had given her. Shaking his head with an embarrassed look when he saw her in a way he had never seen her - shy. He smiled at her, feeling a more secure about himself around her.

"No, no need to worried," he grinned. "But I have a sister who likes to wear jewelry and she might or might not have helped me out in choosing it. So I guess you could give her half of the credit."

His eyes brightened more as he had made her speechless but he didn't mention it. Besides, she was sitting on top of him and if she took it the wrong way, she could do some damaged to him. Not that he was too scared of her completely now.

"Well that same little birdie might have also mentioned that you like muggle movies and shows and my Mom is a huge Audrey Hepburn fan so when she heard there was an action years ago, she was one of those who bought like ten things that were either autographed by her or they used to belong to her," he explained with a bright grin. "So I simply asked her if I could buy it - she said no - but will cost me the entire summer chores for me, my sister and for her. So I'm guessing you liked it?"

Ninette blinked at the present for another moment longer, barely hearing as Marcus spoke, "That little birdie seems to know a lot." A lot more than Nine gave him credit for anyway. She really had thought that she kept... more to herself but this...

"Hepburn is just soo," Nine shook her head, "I could only ever dream of having grace, talent, anything like that - she was, is..."

She shook her head again and turned to look at the boy. He was... she blinked a couple times surprised to see she didn't see Simon when she looked at that face but...

Ninette turned slightly, switching her legs so she was stratling him rather than just sitting, easier to see his face. Grabbing onto his shirt lightly but firm, she pulled him closer to her leaning down a bit herself to meet him halfway.

She froze a few hairlengths away, her gaze locked on his for the moment, "I love it."

And then her lips were covering his.

A dark red blush lit up on his cheeks as Nine startled and toward over him. His thoughts raced over what she was going to do. Marcus was sure as hell he didn't know what to do. Well, that was if Nine was going to kiss him. The blonde boy had never kissed a girl and much like any boy his age, he had dreamed of it. He just never thought it would have been Nine, the girl he liked, would be making the first move.

Sure, he wasn't from a traditional family but he'd always thought about going on a date first. Marcus decided. He was going to ask her on a date.

But he did't even have a moment to ask before Nine's lips were covering his. His eyes widened at the the sudden contact. He didn't respond first, feeling insecure about it. Marcus didn't know but he let his mind clear and slowly but surly, returned the kiss. Slowly, his hands found their way on her hips and layed them lightly there as he returned the kiss firmly.

He was the first to pull back, with one the brightest smiles he had ever had on his face yet his cheeks were still red.

"Is... Is this a bad time to ask you out on a date?" He whispered as he chuckled slowly

Ninette smirked at the look on his face, even as she felt an odd little twinge in her stomach reason. She liked that look, so... so...

She kissed his cheek, smirking at him again.

"A Date? Like... dinner and a movie?" She wasn't sure she'd ever actually been on a date before.

He smiled, still blushing at the event as he finally sat upright, so that that they were finally at eye level.

"Well, I -I mean it doesn't have to be a dinner and movie," he shrugged nervously as his eyes trailed off to her presents... to anything other than Nine. There was a small smile on his lips, glad that he had gotten the correct gifs for her.

He was scared though, really nervous actually considering the girl in front of him hadn't accepted his request.

"I mean, it could be something else you want," Marcus stuttered out. "Anything you'd like to do... wherever."

Ninette settled herself more comfortable onto the boys lap as he sat up, wraping her arms securly around his neck so she wouldn't have to move so far away.

"I'd like," she said slowly, unable to stop herself, she leaned closer to kiss him again, lingering as she spoke the next words, "to do whatever you'd like to do."

She smiled slightly, surprising herself in the sencerity in those words. She honestly didn't care what they did - just so long... just so long as he was there.

And that thought was starting to scare her.

He'd never felt more of an idiot as he stuttered and mumbled with his words. Marcus's blush never faded as she wrapped the arms around his neck.

Returning to the kiss but still lingering for more when she pulled back, he smiled at her response.

"Meaning if I wanted to go to a heavy metal concert and sit in the first row, you'd want to go with me," he joked, laughing at his own joke. "Because I don't think you'd want to go to that."

"You're blush's cute," she whispered into his ear, smirking slightly as she kissed his jaw line just below it, figuring it would make him blush even more, "You know that right?"

She gave a little shrug, still smirked, "I'm sure I'd manage... after all, I'll try anything once, don't you know."

"I don't have a blush!" He instantly denied as he looked away, the blush on his face had decided not to leave, especially when the girl in front of him had decided to kiss his jaw line, "And even if I did - not that I am agreeing that I have one - it would defiantly not be cute."

Marcus knew of his blush. He just didn't want to admit it. Especially not to anyone as beautiful as Nine, he thought. It'd be embarrassing! She'd probably laugh at my face if I agreed!

"Well noted," he smiled as he took a brave decision and leaned forward to kiss her lips once more. He liked the feeling of her soft ones against his. Pulling away, the smile was still on his face, "Uhm, should I know about something you're allergic to?"

It was Nine's turn to blush - ever so slightly - as a look of surprise crossed her face as he leaned up and kissed her. She had done it before, it wasn't like it was their first kiss. Had she not just been tormenting him moments before?

However, there was just something...

He had kissed her.

And something about that fact seemed to rock her confidence for a moment.

She took a deep breath and pulled her smirk back on her face, thought it was a little more shakey than it was before.

"Not that I'm aware of."