The first time anything awkward happened, she barely even noticed, much less said anything.
Her uncovered eye opened blearily and as she rubbed at it, a pale figure passed across her field of vision. Marie took her hand from her face and saw Stein, his face contorted into a yawn and his hand scratching the back of his head.
It wasn't until he'd shut the door to his bedroom that she'd realised he'd come from the bathroom.
It wasn't until she'd realised this that she realised he didn't have any clothes on.
She would have made more of a fuss about it. But, it was six in the morning. Odds were, neither of them would remember the occasion, and Marie was far too tired to analyse it in the least.
It had been a couple of weeks since his weapon partner had moved into the laboratory. He'd welcomed her in the only way he knew how – by not openly lamenting her presence.
But it was just courtesy to make toilet trips swift in a single-bathroom dwelling. She'd been in there for a good twenty minutes, and so long as he was in polite company, nature was calling, loud and unrelentingly.
He took a sharp breath in and walked over to the door, knocking on it quickly before stepping back.
"… Yeah?" Marie asked, her voice echoing from the small room.
"I hate to be pushy, but-"
"Stein, you're my meister, right? And superficial personal things wouldn't affect that, right?" Marie asked. Stein raised an eyebrow. He, and moreover, his bladder, didn't have time for these superfluous questions.
"No. Of course not." he replied.
"Good. I need a tampon."
Stein blinked. His brain knew what the question was about, and yes, simultaneously, it never expected to need to utilise that knowledge.
"… Sorry?" he asked.
"The box is by my bedside table. Please?" she asked, and Stein blinked again.
"Uh… okay." he turned around and walked quickly to the spare bedroom, glancing at the small table adorned with an eyepatch, Marie's mobile phone, a necklace, various personal effects and the required product. Walking swiftly to the table, Stein was all ready and confident to help his weapon when three different boxes stared back at him.
Wonderful.
Taking each of the boxes, Stein quickly made his way back to the door. Squeezing his eyes shut tightly and opening the door, he thrust his hand in.
"I didn't know which ones to get, so… here." he said, trying to keep the medical professional guise up, at least until she'd taken the boxes. She did so, and he quickly removed his hand and shut the door.
"Thanks, Stein." she said, slightly sheepishly. He cleared his throat.
"Fine, fine." he said, trying to keep himself from shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. After a minute, Stein heard the toilet flush and the door open. As soon as Marie was out of the way, Stein rushed past and slammed the door.
It was a month after she had moved in that Marie had brought the lovely pieces of décor into the laboratory.
It was a month after he had allowed her to move into the laboratory that Stein stood, staring at the the enormous purple monstrosities that sat in the middle of his living room.
"Aren't they great?" Marie beamed.
"Well, they're… purple." Stein put his hands into his pockets and Marie glanced at him, her expression dropping.
"You don't like them." Marie sighed.
"Well, they're certainly an improvement on the last couches." Stein remarked.
"There weren't any." Marie crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. Stein looked at him.
"Exactly." he remarked.
For that one, Stein earned a punch from The Pulveriser.
"I feel awful…" Marie was curled up on the couch, her hands wrapped around her midsection, her face pale. Stein knelt down beside her, glancing on near-sympathetically as a shiver ran through her body.
"Still nauseous?" Stein asked. Marie nodded, squeezing her eyes shut. Stein pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. She didn't really have a temperature – nothing that couldn't be contributed to the summer weather. Stein looked at Marie, about to posit an awkward suggestion.
"Could you be pregnant?" he looked at her, and her uncovered eye bolted open, a frown instantly on her face.
"You have to have sex to get pregnant." she hissed. Stein shrugged in agreement when Marie's expression changed. She swung her legs over the side of the couch and shoved Stein out of the way, forcefully. She ran to the bathroom, and Stein clambered to his feet to follow her.
Marie's head hung over the toilet bowl, and she could sense Stein behind her.
"You don't have to look after me." she remarked. He sighed – he'd never admit that he wanted to.
"But I do." he filled up a cup of water and handed it to her as she sat on the bathroom floor, her hair hanging limp around her face.
"Thanks." she took the water and took a sip, shutting her eyes.
"It's probably just a virus. It'll pass." Stein remarked. His theory was proven just three days later when he was sat up on the same couch as Marie had been. His hair was stuck to his face with sweat and he had a bucket held close to his chest, despite the fact that his stomach had long since been emptied.
Marie walked over to Stein, glancing at the sick doctor. She sat down beside his and pushed his hair out of his face, and he glanced at her.
"Could you be pregnant?" Marie's attempts to lighten the mood were rewarded by an albeit small smile, and Stein raised an eyebrow.
"You have to have sex to get pregnant." he replied. Marie smirked and laughed.
"You also need to be a woman, Franken." she replied. Stein shrugged.
"Ah, specifics. I was never one for specifics." he replied. Marie smiled and leant against Stein.
Despite his usual distaste for human contact, on this occasion, he profoundly did not care about Marie leaning on him.
In fact, he quite liked it.
Marie always left cute little sticky notes around the laboratory for Stein, and seeing as Spirit had virtually demanded that Stein make himself and Marie 'official,' he saw no more fitting way to do it.
However, despite his spidery handwriting, sticky notes were still small.
Nevertheless, Stein continued on, determined to complete this romantic feat for his weapon.
Marie walked into the spare bedroom after her day of teaching to see seven sticky notes adorning her wardrobe door. She raised an eyebrow and read the first note.
Marie. Please don't unstick the notes. They're all in order. Is that cleared up? Okay.
Marie raised an eyebrow but kept reading.
Marie, I have come to be quite fond of the growing closeness between the two of us.
A small smile and blush appeared as she read the final six notes.
I presume, though cannot know for sure, that you feel similarly about the bond.
I think we can come to agree that it is far more than just weapon and meister –
that it is something affectionate, something that I have never been able to comprehend.
However, with you, I think I'm beginning to. So, long story short –
Would you consider entering into a monogamous romantic relationship with me?
By the time she had finished reading, Marie's smile had grown into a grin, and she quickly walked out into the living room where Stein was on his computer.
She grasped the back of Stein's chair and spun him around, much to Stein's shock – he always forgot about her strength.
She placed her hands on Stein's cheeks and pulled his lips to hers, much to his pleasant surprise. She pulled away and smiled at the silver-haired doctor.
"Yes. Of course I will enter into a monogamous romantic relationship with you." she smiled.
Stein was pleased.
Marie walked away with a smile on her face and a spring in her step.
She'd never expected that being roommates would lead to something like this.
A/N: Yes, one-shots are back :)