Marissonshipping Week day 3: Hug

A/N: While we got a couple of cute moments post TF arc, I still needed to see some _actual_ interaction between Mairin and Alain after everything was over. There was so much they should have talked about, but I’m probably covering only a small part of it in this fic. And the hug. The damn hug I needed and never got (well. At least act 3 exists and no one can take that away from me). I’m keeping this rather platonic as this is happening right after Kalos has been saved.


Everything was calm and quiet. The people who had been a part of the events of that day had started to return to their respective residences, and those who weren’t able to leave immediately for one reason or another, stayed at Hotel Anistar for the night. It was located near the Sundial that was shining brightly and calmingly in the moonlight.

Mairin couldn’t sleep. Too much had just happened, a lot of it she couldn’t even understand. Why had Lysandre been like that? What exactly had happened to him? Had he died? Had he survived? Why had Chespie been absorbed by the megalith? The young girl didn’t know answers to these questions. Add that to the adrenaline rush that had been caused by the scary events, and it was impossible to fall asleep.

She soon became frustrated and didn’t want to continue rolling around in her bed, so she got up and decided to go for a walk outside the hotel. She quickly pulled her pants and her cloak over her nightgown and left the room.

When she stepped into the fresh night air, she wasn’t expecting to see the familiar black haired boy staring at the sundial on a bench in front of it. But there he was, looking absent minded, as if he had actually been in some different universe. Mairin didn’t want to interrupt him at first, but since she wasn’t looking at her feet, she accidentally stepped on a big rock… and fell. That caused enough noise for Alain to wake up from his trance, and he turned to see Mairin.

“Are… you OK?”

“I guess I’m quite used to this at this point,” she sighed, and approached him.

“Hmmm…” Alain hummed in understanding, and turned his gaze to the Sundial again.

“Can I sit with you?” Mairin asked cautiously, worried that Alain might not be in mood for talking right now.

“Yeah. Go ahead,” he answered to Mairin’s relief.

“Thanks,” she said as she sat down on the bench, keeping some distance between them.

“Listen, Mairin…” the boy suddenly broke the silence.

“Yeah?”

“I know I said it once, already, but I really am sorry. About everything.”

“Alain… You don’t have to be. I don’t care. I’m just glad you are OK,” she said softly and shook her head.

“But…” Alain tried to object.

“I KNOW you didn’t do any of it on purpose. I know you never wanted to be a part of Lysandre’s real plans. And when you found out, what did you do? You helped everyone to defeat Lysandre!” Mairin’s tone was now angry. How could Alain think so lowly of himself? She hated seeing her friend like that.

“Actually, it wasn’t until Ash snapped me ou…”

“What does it matter how it happened? You saved Chespie. You helped to save us all. You probably think I’m just a childish little girl – and maybe sometimes I am – but I’m not stupid. You are not a bad person, no matter how I look at it. I learned to know you during our journey, and you were always good to us. Maybe sometimes angry when we didn’t obey you, or did something stupid, but I understand now that you were only trying to protect us.”

“I was…” was all Alain managed to say in between Mairin’s pep talk.

“Actually…” Mairin’s voice got softer as she continued, “I’m the one who should apologize. While I was with Chespie… I had a lot of time to think. And I understood I should have believed you when you said you wanted to be alone.”

“No, it’s OK,” Alain sighed, thinking that Mairin’s annoying habits felt really small compared to the latest big issues…

“The thing is that… you were really fascinating. This broody guy with an awesome Charizard, who seemed like he could teach me a lot. There’s still so much I don’t know. Will you teach me…? Once you feel like it, of course. I know you must have a lot in your mind right now…”

“Yeah, maybe one day,” he agreed. “But shouldn’t you be sleeping? Why are you here, anyway?” Alain realized it was not usual for Mairin to be up at this time. He had traveled with her for several months, after all.

“I couldn’t sleep. My thoughts just kept spinning and spinning…”

“Same…”

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but… how are you really feeling? He was your director, after all…”

“I don’t know. It feels weird to think he’s… gone… But everything is OK now.”

“But are you OK?” Mairin asked worriedly.

“No,” Alain shook his head. He was not going to lie to her. “But maybe it will be better. I’m going to have to solve a few things with Professor Sycamore, and then figure out what to do next…”

“I’m staying with you,” Mairin insisted.

“You had planned a journey with Chespie, and were really excited about it!” Alain reminded her, not wanting to be the reason why she wouldn’t go.

“Yes, but we can go and travel whenever we want to. But you and I, we are friends, right? And friends stick together, particularly when they need each other, right?”

“Right,” Alain finally admitted. He couldn’t believe this girl was still so persistent about sticking with him, even though he had done awful things. But somehow, her words made his heart feel lighter.

“Mairin, thank you.”

“For what?” the girl asked, puzzled.

“For being you, I guess.”

Mairin couldn’t help but smile a little, but then she let out a huge yawn, and said:

“Alain…”

“Yes?”

“Let’s go to sleep.”

“Fine.”

When they were about to separate to their respective hotel rooms, Mairin suddenly closed the gap between them, and wrapped her arms around him. Even though neither admitted it, they both really needed the hug, and it took a while until the red head finally let go, and said a quiet “good night”.

“Good night, Mairin.”

Somehow, just talking with a friend had cleared their minds, and they both fell asleep pretty soon.