Ever since Hawkmoth first began terrorizing Paris, running for your life, hiding, and crying as the person your close to either got hit by the Akuma's powers or is the Akuma has become a pretty common thing to do in the city. It's sad, but that's what happens. People cry until they can't anymore over their significant others becoming brainwashed, trapped in the middle of battles, and even worse.
So, Nathaniel bursting into tears while hugging his confused boyfriend wouldn't be an odd thing to see, especially during this particular Akuma attack.
Here's what happened,
It started off as a pleasant date one fine Saturday. Marc and Nathaniel planned on going to go see a movie with Alix, but she was at a family reunion, meaning it'd just be the two of them today. Not that either minded. They were about a minute away from the movie theater when the Akuma appeared, flying on some sort of disk and carrying a staff.
The villain's main colors are deep purple, black, and some traces of silver. They wore a purple-to-black gradient cloak that covered their face with silver trim on the sleeves and hood. The disk they flew on is dark blue and seemed to be sparkling and the staff in their hand is black with a purple gem floating at the top. They introduced themself as Brainwash, which had a few people running as they gave their monologue. Because with that sort of name, who knows what powers Hawkmoth gave them?
When Brainwash began blasting everyone in sight with their staff at random, the boyfriends ran and tried to get to safety but the Akuma spotted them and gave chase.
"You two seem close," they crooned. "I wonder how long you've been together. Weeks, months, a year?" Brainwash laughed wistfully before scowling. "Well, soon you'll forget all of it! Every single tender moment you've spent together will be nothing!" Brainwash points the staff and blasts the noirette in the back of the head, making him stumble and fall to the ground on his hands and knees.
"MARC!" Nathaniel cried and went to help his boyfriend up. His eyes widened in horror when he sees something glowing and film-strip-like circling around Marc and going into Brainwash's staff. Upon closer inspection, Nathaniel could see moments in Marc's life, spending time with his moms, his classmates... Him. When the strips were all gone, Brainwash took off on their glider, cackling.
Nathaniel approached his boyfriend, feeling nothing but dread over what happened.
"Rainbow? Are you alright?" He asked softly.
Marc slowly lifted his head up, blinking a few times to readjust his vision. A slight look of confusion crossed his face for a moment. "Um... Y-yeah. I-is that my name?"
Any hope Nathaniel felt disappeared. "... What?" He lightly chuckled, hoping Marc was kidding. "N-no, your name's Marc..." There was no familiarity in Marc's eyes. He takes his hand and feels a tear about to escape when Marc flinches. "Remember?"
"No," he whispered, almost sounding guilty. "Um... Who are you?"
Immediately, Nathaniel's whole world came crashing down at those three words. "Wh-what? Marc, come on, you know me," he tried. "I'm Nathaniel, your boyfriend." Marc's face became a scarlet red, which, Nathaniel would have found adorable if not under these circumstances. "You really don't remember me, your friends, your family? None of it?"
"No, I-I'm sorry-"
Nathaniel shook his head. "It's fine. It's not your fault. An Akuma-"
"A what?"
"Nevermind," Nathaniel said with a light chuckle as he helped Marc up off the ground. "Why don't I take you home? I really don't think it's safe for you to be going around not knowing who anyone is."
"I don't know you," Marc pointed out, looking at the redhead with some skepticism until Nathaniel shows him a photo on his phone, one of the two of them taking a selfie at some sort of park. They look so happy together, holding hands, sitting close to each other and both with this blissful look in their eyes. "... That's us?"
The redhead slowly holds out his hand. "So?..."
Glancing back at the picture then to his supposed boyfriend, Marc took Nathaniel's hand and allowed him to take him wherever.
"Anything look familiar?" Nathaniel asked once they walked into the Anciel's home. Penny and Alyssa were out for a while, so they had the house to themselves.
Marc had hesitated to step inside at first, still not used to his surroundings until he saw a picture frame on a dresser in what appeared to be a living room. The picture showed him and two women, one brunette and one with black hair like him. "Are they my moms?"
"Yeah, Penny and Alyssa." He smiled. "They love you to pieces."
Unsure how to respond, Marc just said, "Oh. So, if I live here, where's my room?" ... Nathaniel holds his hand out again. This time, Marc doesn't hesitate to take the soft hand into his. Nathaniel leads him up the stairs and into a short hallway until they reach the last door that's slightly ajar.
"Here's your room."
Marc honestly expected something different based on the way he's dressed. A choker, leather boots, fingerless gloves, and ripped jeans? That just screamed 'punk.' Instead of some band posters on the walls, there were dozens of photos of himself with people he didn't recognize and a rainbow flag hanging over his bed. A white desk sat in front of a window with dozens of journals stacked neatly on top and a pencil cup sitting in the corner.
"... Do I write a lot?" He asked while pointing to the desk.
Nathaniel smiled. "You love it. It's what brought us together, actually."
"Oh." Marc blushed. He keeps forgetting they're dating. "How did that..."
As his boyfriend trailed off, Nathaniel explains, "Well, your cousin, Marinette, she encouraged you to show me your writing since I like to draw and we could work on a comic book together." His smile began to falter, but returned as quickly as it disappeared, worrying Marc. "It, um... I didn't turn out well at first- It was my fault," he added. Memories of that day flashed through his mind, how callous he had been, quick to jump to conclusions and hurting the feelings and causing the Akumatization of a boy he's now dating who can barely remember his name right now.
Those intruding thoughts left when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked to Marc, now knowing there are tears in his eyes right now until Marc wipes one away with his thumb.
"It's okay. We're dating, right?"
"... Of course, Rainbow." He chokes back a sob. "And I love every second we spend together."
Marc couldn't help but smile. This boy is just so sweet, open, and... Kind of cute. It's weird, he barely even knows the guy but feels he could trust him with his life. Without thinking, Marc takes Nathaniel's hands and interlocks their fingers, eyes widening a bit by how well they fit together. Not a second later, and Marc finds himself moving closer to the redhead and then leaning in. Nathaniel does the same.
Just as their lips are merely an inch apart, a swarm of Ladybugs circle around them and out the window. Marc blinked, wondering what he was doing in Nathaniel's room and why it looks like Nathaniel had been crying earlier.
"Nath, are you alright? What happened?" Immediately, he pulls his boyfriend into his arms.
"Y-you remember me?"
Marc looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. "Of course I do. Why-" He's cut off by the slightly shorter boy pulling him in by the collar of his shirt for a kiss. It takes a second, but Marc wraps his arms around Nathaniel's neck and kisses him back.
When they pull away for air, Nathaniel nuzzles his head into the crook of Marc's neck and takes in the scent of his vanilla-scented lotion. "... I love you, Rainbow."
Marc hummed. "I love you, too, Nath."
