Heartrate One-Shots

Colors

Alix really hated school. Even more so since akumas became a thing. There were only a few people who hadn't been akumatized at this point, and a fair number of them had happened at school.
After all, high school was hell. Anyone who said different was delusional.
"Yo, Breaker!" Kim called as she entered the locker room, "Bet I can beat you in the hundred-meter sprint!"
Alix slapped his shoulder as she passed, "Don't count on it, Cupid! I might be small, but so are peregrine falcons!"
"Our usual spot, after school," Kim challenged, "Loser buys coffee."
"You're on."
As she opened her locker, Alya smirked at her.
"What?" Alix asked.
"Is it me, or do you and Kim have a thing?" Alya asked mischievously.
"It's you, WiFi," Alix assured her, "It's definitely you."
"Nah, I see it, too," Nino said, "You two definitely have a rhythm."
"We're friends," Alix retorted, "It's not like that."
"Not yet, anyway," Alya teased.
"The only chemistry between us is that chemistry project we got assigned to together," Alix said firmly, "But I hope the two of you will be there this afternoon to watch me beat his sorry ass."
"Oh, we'll be there," Nino assured her, snickering.
...
As Kim sat down in the classroom, Max sat down next to him on one side, and Adrien on the other, with Marinette in front of them.
That was weird. Though there weren't assigned seats, everyone usually sat in the same places, and people got twitchy whenever their seats were stolen.
"When Chloe gets here," Kim said finally, "She's going to be pissed that you stole her seat, Juliet."
"Well, I'll be gone by the time she gets here," Marinette said cheerfully, "So, just a random thought. Do you ever think about that myth about soulmates?"
"Colors?" Kim asked, "You believe that, Mari?"
"Why not?" Adrien asked, "It worked for us."
The two had been dating for about a week, and Marinette was still a blushing mess.
"You've got to be kidding me, Romeo," Kim said, glaring, "Really? Gamer, don't tell me you're on the myth train, too."
"Statistically," Max said, "Too many people have claimed to see colors after touching their soulmates for the first time for it not to be true."
"And what?" Kim asked, "You three idiots think  you know who my soulmate is?"
"You know us so well, Cupid," Marinette said with a smile.
"Well, I'm dying to hear this. Who?"
"Who else has dyed hair, a competitive attitude, and a dramatic streak?" Adrien asked.
"What?" Kim asked, "Alix? Keep dreaming! We're friends. That's. It."
"I think that's not true," Adrien said, "Come on, Cupid. Admit it. Everyone knows you two have been flirting lately."
"Everyone except the two of them, apparently," Max put in.
"I don't have a crush on Breaker," Kim insisted, "And I've touched her before; I don't see color."
"I didn't see color immediately when I first touched Marinette," Adrien pointed out, "It happens when the two of you realize you're meant for each other."
Kim snorted, "Keep dreaming. And don't look now, but Antibug's here."
Chloe walked up to Marinette. Lately, she'd been being better. She was learning to be a good person. She and Marinette had actually gone from bitter enemies to uneasy friends.
Chloe simply just pointed towards Marinette's seat, "Out."
Marinette smiled and gave Kim a wink before going to her seat. Adrien and Max followed her example and left.
Kim didn't like Alix. Not in that way, at least. He was in love with Chloe, right?
But then he thought about the way Alix's eyes sparked as she took a dare, or challenged him to one, and he wasn't sure. She was brave, funny, and the one girl in the class who could match wits with him in the occasional sass-battle, besides Marinette who was a) taken, and b) like a little sister to him.
No. He could not get a crush on his rival.
Also, how did those three get into his head so easily?
...
The more Alix thought about it, the more she hated Alya and Nino.
Had they gassed her or something? Ever since that conversation, all she could think of was all the times Kim was nice to her when she needed him. He was competitive, sure, but whenever Alix was actually having a bad day, he was there for her. And he wasn't that bad-looking of a guy, she guessed, but she'd never thought of him in that way.
Still , it made things so awkward that she couldn't meet those gray eyes on the way to her seat.
After school, Alix headed to the place where she always raced Kim, and put up an effort to make it seem like everything was normal. Not that the entire class being there made it any easier.
"Ready to lose, Cupid?" She asked.
"I won't be the one who needs to be prepared to lose," He retorted, "And you won't have your rollerblades this time."
"I don't need them to beat you."
Alix sat down to take off her rollerblades, and noticed Kim giving her a weird little side-eye.
Was he going to tie her shoelaces together or something..?
But when she turned to glare at him, she noticed how he was having as much trouble meeting her eyes as she was his.
She caught her friends exchanging triumphant glances.
Those little shits... they must have messed with his head the same as they messed with hers!
As they lined up at the starting line, Alix's heart did a little flutter, as Kim was right next to her. As in, inches away.
In an effort to retain normality, Alix bumped him lightly with her shoulder, "Scared, Cupid?"
"You wish, Breaker."
As they raced around the track, Alix pumped her legs as hard as she could—but fell short. This was hardly a fair race; Kim's legs were a lot longer. As hard as Alix tried, she could barely keep up, let alone pass him.
He crossed the finish line first, and started celebrating the way he always did whenever he won something. Alix, however, tripped over her own feet and ended up on the asphalt on her butt, staring up at this annoying (but kind of cute) boy who was gloating above her.
Alix tried to ignore the way he always wore a shirt that was a size too small.
"Yeah!" He cheered, "I won! Looks like coffee's on you, Breaker!"
Alix huffed and held up her hand, "Help me up,  jackass."
As their hands touched, Alix's world exploded into color. For the first time, she could see why everyone made such a big deal when they first touched their soulmate.
Alix stared at the world, now so much more beautiful than before.
And she glanced up and Kim, who was now in color, too. He looked different. But then he looked down at her and she could see that even if he was now in color, his gray eyes had stayed the same.One link to the old world, and now she knew the world would never be the same. Somehow, it was comforting.
"Do you..?"
"I see it," he confirmed, "I guess I owe Max a box of macaroons from Marinette's place."
"Same," she admitted, "Does that mean we're..?"
They let go of their hands pretty quickly.
...
Kim could barely keep his eyes off Alix. Sure, there were a lot of beautiful things now that the world was in color, but she... she was something else. When he looked into her eyes for what might as well be the first time, he didn't understand how something could be so blue.
But now she seemed very uncomfortable, and he was, too.
Their classmates seemed to be holding their breath, because knowing those little shits, they'd been shipping this for months, trying to get them together.
Kim wanted to punch every single one of them, but he didn't.
"Um," he said, "I don't want things to be awkward. I mean, you're still my best friend, it's just—."
In one swift motion, Alix grabbed his shirt, pulled him down to her level, and kissed him on the cheek.
Kim was pretty sure his brain stopped working for a good five seconds.
"Yeah," she agreed, like nothing had even happened, "You're my best friend."
"You just— why did—um—why would you..."
Alix laughed softly, "It just felt right. I guess... somehow I've always known, you know?"
"Yeah," He said. Somehow, he did know what she meant. As in, he had never felt this way about anyone, girl or boy.
"Just kiss already!" Marinette yelled.
They both glared at her.
"Coffee and pastries are on me if you do!" Adrien added.
Alix shook her head, "WiFi has her phone out. It's so not worth it."
"I'll do both of your homework for a week!" Sabrina offered.
"Tempting," Kim admitted.
Alix glared at him before nodding at Chloe, "Throw in those test answers I saw you steal this morning and it's a deal."
Chloe smirked, "Done!"
Kim looked down at her, "Wait, are you sure?"
Alix grabbed the front of his shirt again, but this time when she pulled him down to her level, she kissed him on the lips. It lasted barely a second, but both of them flushed red afterwards.
"Yup," she said with a smirk that could have been either competitive or flirtatious.
The whole class cheered.