M-a-r-i-o-n-e-t-t-e


Summary: The battle ended in a tie. N told her to become his princess. She gave him the finger and told him to get lost. After going home, she came to a realization: Her every move was being controlled by N. She was his puppet, and he was her master. Who will win? N's desire? Or her heart?


~String 9~

It's noon when I wake up again. The feeling of something heavy weighs down on me, and I almost yelp when I realize it is N. His body is partially on top of mine as he sleeps peacefully. Puffs of air blow my bangs from side to side like a dance as he lies there. I feel frozen as he just carries on resting.

What the hell do I do now!?

I try to squirm out of his weighing embrace, but it's futile. That's also because as soon as I manage to get half my body out of his hold, a hand shoots out, snakes around my wrist, and drags me back down into the warmth of the bedsheets.

"SHIT!" I yelp in alarmed shock, and glance over to see N's face about an inch from mine; his expression is dusted in a look of playfulness.

"Morning Touko," he says, pulling me into a firm hug….and doesn't let go.

My muffled voice doesn't carry very far as he curls up against me, like how a married couple would.

But we're not a married couple.

I somehow manage to shove N away, and gasp for breath as he props himself up on his elbow and smirks at me.

Putting a hand to my chest, I take in big gulps of air and give him an incredulous look. "Are you trying to kill me!?" I snap, eying him with a look of disdain.

"And after all that trouble I went to to get you here…" he murmurs, a light smile playing on his lips.

"Trouble?" I frown, shaking my head. "You didn't do anything."

N just blinks at me.

"Unless you did…" I scratch my head, trying to think of what he could've done. But...the more I try to touch on what could be a hint, it's as if someone steals the thought away, and I'm left with just...blankness.

N chuckles at my concentrating face, and reaches over to brush my bangs to the side; I blink and turn to look up at him as he sits up and pushes himself off the bed. "Time for me to go," he says, and is about to head to the door when my arm shoots out and I grasp the back of his shirt...for some reason, not wanting him to go.

He stops, and looks over his shoulder. "Yes?"

I feel my face heat up, and unclench my hand before staring at the floor. "..Nothing…" Since when did I reach out to N the King of Team Plasma? That's just...bizarre. But I...don't want him to leave for some reason...and for once, I know these feelings are definitely my own..I just don't want to accept them-the fact that I want him here.

Turning, N bends down, wraps his arms around my middle and rests his head which is tilted to the side against my chest, giving me a gentle hug. I feel my heart hammering as a blush explodes on my face.

"Don't worry, Touko," he murmurs. "I'll be back...I won't leave you alone for so long…"

"Y-you don't have to worry about that," I state, embarrassed. "I was fine."

N looks up at me with extreme depth in his eyes. "At first I thought you wanted me to stay away because you were angry...so I did...but now I know that was a mistake..and I'm not going to leave you alone."

I look away; that sentence could be taken a different way…

With that, N rises up, his form towering over me until he walks towards the door and gives me a faint smile before leaving.

I run a hand through my unruly hair, and stare at the ground in turmoil. Shiiiiiiiit. I have no idea what N meant by that….does that mean…?

Shaking my head at the stupid thoughts that plague me, I push myself off the bed and run to the bathroom to fix my hair into a ponytail like I usually do.

Time to face the day!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I'm heading towards the cafeteria when I run into him. And when I say 'him', I'm referring to the pompous, arrogant, jerk-face Ghetsis.

I freeze when he appears before me, and glare, holding up my fists. "I'm not afraid to fight you," I spit at him, but that's when I actually get a good look at him. His face is drawn, and tired. I've never seen him look like this before. It's as if...he isn't paying attention to anything...including me.

"Hello?" I say, my eyebrows knitting together.

He blinks, and looks up at me. "...Hello….Princess…." he says, his voice hollow and empty. I stare at him, shocked by his drastic personality change.

The more I look at him, the more I realize that something has happened. He's not who he used to be, he is a shadow of the man he once was-a sneering, power hungry sadist. Now he just seems...meek. Pathetic. Powerless.

Ghetsis gives me a simple bow, his green hair faded and thin before he walks by me with a tipsy stride.

Perhaps he's just drunk.

But I don't smell the grotesque scent of alcohol on his robes...so that can't be it either.

Frowning, I cross my arms and head into the cafeteria for lunch. I know it's about noon...or a little after..and my stomach is growling since all I did today thus far was go upstairs, then sleep with N in my room.

Shit, that sounded wrong.

I facepalm, and mutter under my breath at how idiotic I can be before heading over to the lunch line where a kind looking older man hands me a freshly made vegetable pie, and a piece of frosted chocolate cake.

Walking over to a long table, I sit down, and begin dipping my spoon into the pie before shoveling it into my mouth as if I hadn't eaten all day. In which...I haven't.

I lick the remains of the pie off my spoon before putting the utensil in the aluminum pan and pulling the cake plate over to myself. I pause, and look around, wondering if I'm going to be kept from my dessert like last time. I glare at my surroundings, and put a protective hand around my cake. It's MINE.

When nothing happens after I stick my fork into the side of the cake. I'm bringing it up to my mouth for a bite when I feel it.

It's as if a finger has trailed up my back to the nape of my neck in a feather-light touch. My spine tingles, and I let out a surprised yelp, my hand slapping the spot.

"Eeep!" I glance around to make sure no one heard me, my hand still on my neck, but the cafeteria is too full of people who are conversing and eating to notice. I make a sour face, and keep turning my head around to make sure no one is there.

Once I'm sure there was no one close enough to touch me, I focus on my cake, and return the fork to my hand.

I feel the firm touch against my lips long before my fork is anywhere nearby. It feels like...someone is kissing me...not that I've been kissed before. What's with that!?

But that's not important now!

"EEEEEP!"


~Misty/Ms. Ketchum