(A/N: I do not own Paw Patrol, enjoy!)
One day, Everest woke up from her nap in Marshall's bed. Everest smiled as Marshall was still dozing beside her. I can't believe I get to wake up next to him Everest thought happily to herself. It had only been a few days since they confessed how they felt after Everest had been released from the hospital. Cinder was out playing with the other pups while they had napped.
Everest took the opportunity to look around Marshall's pup house. It had all the same standard things that her pup house had, but what caught her eye was a wooden bookcase on the back wall. Several of the shelves had books, others had pictures, but her eye was drawn to a particular shelf with three pictures. On the left side was a picture of Marshall and Chase with a paw around each other in front of Ryder who had his arms around them. Based on how young they all looked, it looked like the picture had been taken the day that the three of them had founded the Paw Patrol. Everest smiled at the youthful enthusiasm that was practically bubbling out of their faces in the picture. What was even more impressive was how all of them still retained that exuberance, especially Marshall. In the center was a picture they had taken of the whole team a couple years ago, not too long after Tracker had joined the team, in front of the lookout. And on the far right, was a picture taken at a camp site from the day that Everest had joined. Everest saw herself in the center, with Jake directly behind her. To her right, with her paw around her leg, was her best friend Skye. The two had quickly become close friends; even then they had been pressed up against each other. To Everest's other side was Marshall, who was almost pressed against her back. Marshall had been the first one to make her feel welcome and as Everest looked harder at the picture, she noticed he was closer to her than any of the other pups to each other with the exception of her and Skye. It was a subtle indication of how he had cared, even then having barely met her.
Everest was about to lay her head back down on Marshall when something else on that shelf caught her eye. It looked like there might be something else hidden behind the far right picture. Curious, but also cautious not to hurt herself as she was still in a fair amount of pain and not allowed to walk, Everest scooted herself over to the bookshelf. Gently sitting up, Everest's eyes' were at the same level as the shelf. Looking hard Everest could barely make out the shape of a notebook behind the picture. Everest carefully reached behind the picture and started scooting the notebook out, but she accidentally dropped the notebook on her paw and let out a yelp.
Marshall was beside her in an instant. "Are you ok Everest? What hurts?" Marshall asked, his voice full of concern as he ran his paws quickly over her pelvis checking for a new injury.
"I'm fine Marshall" Everest said quietly, "I just dropped this notebook on my paw." Everest gestured with her paw to the notebook that had fallen.
Marshall looked down and froze. "Oh, you found that?" Marshall asked softly after a moment.
"I'm sorry Marshall," Everest apologized, "I saw it behind the picture and I was curious what it was. I'm sorry I was being nosey."
"It's alright Everest" Marshall said gently, giving her a comforting lick on the cheek. "Did you read it at all?"
"No" Everest replied softly.
"Would you like to?" Marshall asked with a playful gleam in his eye.
"If you are ok with showing me, yes" Everest replied, her curiosity taking over again.
Marshall smiled as he scooped Everest onto his back and brought her back to the bed. Laying down next to her, Marshall laid the notebook across her front paws and opened the cover. On the back side of the cover was a picture Everest immediately recognized, she had the same one hidden in her pup house next to a red and yellow beanie. The picture was of the two of them in their snowboarding gear, paws around each other's shoulders, tounges hanging out with happy smiles on their faces. It had been a wonderful day of shredding the slopes and Jake had snapped the picture right before they came in for lunch. On the opposite page were the words "Ask Everest Out Plans" stacked vertically.
"How many plans are in this notebook?" Everest asked curiously.
"A lot, it is well past half way full" Marshall replied. "I promised myself that I would pick one once the book was full; each plan is one page."
Everest glanced at the notebook again. "Marshall, this is a 500 page notebook, if each plan is one page, that would mean you would have come up with 499 plans by that point."
"Good thing you didn't have to wait for me to get to that point" Marshall laughed as he turned to the page to his very first plan:
Just Ask Her - 50
The Saturday morning dawned like any other. Chase and Marshall were in their normal spot near the cliff, watching the sun rise and chit chatting.
"You know what, I'm just going to do it" Marshall said determinedly.
"You are going to do what?" Chase asked, curious as to the change in topic.
"Ask Everest out" Marshall said with determination.
"Are you now?" Chase teased.
"Watch me" Marshall said as he stood up and started walking back. It was time to wake the others.
Chase let out a little laugh as he followed his brother. The two of them reached the driveway together. "Ruff, megaphone!" Chase barked. "Rise and shine pups, time to feel the burn!"
All the pups got up and started walking over. Tracker pulled up too and hopped out. The only one missing was Everest. Then the familiar growl of her snowcat coming up the driveway was heard.
Everest parked her snowcat and hopped out. "Good morning everyone!" She barked happily.
A chorus of "Good morning Everest!" answered her.
"Hi Everest!" Marshall yipped, his tail wagging excitedly.
"Hi Marshall!" Everest yipped back. "You look particularly happy to see me" she added.
"I am" Marshall replied, "I have a question for you before we get started."
"Oh, what might that be?" Everest asked, curiosity creeping into her voice.
"After breakfast, do you want to go out on a date with me?" Marshall asked confidently.
Every single pups' jaw dropped in perfect unison at the question.
"Wait, that's it?" Everest asked incredulously. "You planned out how to ask me out but didn't think about what I might say?"
"Sort of" Marshall nodded "I thought about it for each plan and guessed at the probability of you saying yes." Marshall pointed to the number "50" written next to the plan name at the top. "I gave this plan a 50/50% chance of you saying yes."
"Interesting" Everest said as a sly smile crept onto her face. "Want me to tell you how it would have ended?"
Marshall's eyes lit up. "That would be cool to know if I was right or not, and fun to hear too!"
"Well…" Everest said with a smile…
Everest was frozen with her jaw on the floor. He asked me, he actually asked me! Oh My Goodness he actually asked me! This is the BESTEST DAY EVER! Why is he just staring at me? Can't he see how happy I am? Oh wait, I should probably actually respond…
Marshall was getting slightly nervous, Everest was frozen looking at him with her jaw hanging open in shock. The only movement was her tail wagging which had not frozen with the rest of her body. Marshall thought he saw her tail start to wag faster. Does that mean she likes me? Marshall wondered. Any further wonderings were cut off.
Everest let out a happy howl as she leaped at Marshall, surprising the Dalmatian. The two tumbled, with Marshall landing on his back with Everest on top of him, licking his face like a pup possessed. "Yes, Yes, ABSOLUTELY YES!" Everest managed to say between licks.
"I guess that answers that question?" Skye giggled as she watched her best friend assault her crush with licks. "Did you know he was going to do that?" Skye asked Chase.
"He said he was going to" Chase said, dumbfounded. "I didn't think he was actually going to just come out and say it like that though."
"Well, he did" Skye replied with a smirk. "Does that mean it is your turn now?"
"Huh?" Chase said spinning to face the cockapoo. No! How can she possibly know that I have a crush on her? I hide it so well, only Marshall knows. And I don't remember making any sort of deal where I had to confess if he did…
"Oh Chase" Skye said with a knowing smile. "You think you are so good at hiding how you feel but you aren't. But, since you apparently aren't going to take this opportunity while everyone else is distracted with them to do the same, I guess it is my turn…"
Chase's eyes expanded impossibly large as Skye leaned up and give him a quick peck of a kiss on his lips. "Want to go on a date with me after breakfast while Marshall and Everest are preoccupied?" Skye asked in a quiet, seductive, whisper.
This was too much for the poor shepherd. Chase fainted in shock.
Skye giggled as she trotted over to Chase's megaphone which was still extended out of his pup pack. "Ok you two love pups, break it up! We have a morning workout to do before breakfast and your date!" Skye turned the megaphone so it was pointing directly at Chase's ear. "That means you too Chase, we can't go on our date if you lay here all morning!"
Everyone laughed as Chase picked himself up, a blush just barely visible through his brown fur. Marshall, however, was very obviously blushing as Everest helped him to stand up and they started walking over to their spots in the formation.
"I expect to feel your eyes on me the whole time…" Everest whispered huskily to Marshall as she swished her tail under Marshall's nose as she turned around and got in position.
"Whoa, I did not predict such a positive response" Marshall said as Everest finished.
Everest leaned up and gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. "What can I say? Your confidence inspires me; it is one of the things I love about you" Everest said happily.
"But Everest, I'm never that confident; if I was, I would have done this long before now." Marshall said, confused.
"And that is where you are mistaken my dear" Everest confided. "You are confident when you are fighting fires, saving people with your medical skills, when you are playing with everyone; the only time you aren't confident is when you think about it and doubt yourself. But don't worry, I never doubt that you have it in you." Everest tilted Marshall's head slightly with her paw before giving him a long loving kiss.
(A/N: Hello readers! I hope you enjoyed this quick entry into this project. Time to explore the myriad of ways for Marshall to ask Everest out! Each chapter will be a one-shot and will follow the same general format: Marshall lays out his plan and then Everest tells him how she would have responded. Here is where I need your help. Put your ideas in a review or shoot me a PM if you have any idea about how Marshall would ask Everest out! Future chapters will not have the same long intro (setting for Marshall and Everest flipping through the notebook and talking in his pup house) and focus more on the plan/story. No promises on update frequency, I'll just be posting one when I finish it between this and other writing projects. I can't wait to see what ideas you share with me!)