(𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛) ❤︎𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚖 𝙾𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚜❤︎

Marianne X Reader- One day at a time (Request)

Art by @jivke on Twitter 💖

Request: @Mahdytepig
Warnings: None
Word count: 845
Gender: Male
Additional info: Marianne X Shy! Reader

I got COVID so I'm stuck at home... Yay... Except for schoolwork and drawing, I don't have much else to do, so here I am!!
Enjoy!

It was around diner time when Marianne left church. Everyone seemed to have left already, leaving her alone. She liked it this way. Praying alone was better. Less people to bother and a more intimate call to the Goddess.

As soon as she left church, Marianne heard a screeching noise nearby, someone screeching at the top of their lungs.

When she turned around, she noticed a dark shadow curled up in a corner, shaking. In front of it was a dog. Marianne was a little worried and concerned, so she approached the individual quietly.

"I-Is everything alright...?" She meekly asked.

"M-Marianne?"

The individual awkwardly straightened up, relieved to see Marianne, one of his classmates. It was (Y/N).

"Marianne? Oh, Marianne, I'm so glad you're here..."

He rushed over to hide behind the confused girl.

"(Y/N)? Hum... Are you alright?"

"A... A dog!"

"A... dog?" Marianne looked back at him, even more confused and even a little concerned, "Did he bite you? I-I'll try to get help right away-"

Marianne immediately tried to get some help but (Y/N) was quick to make her stay.

"No! Hum! But he sure could! Marianne, please... Protect me and lets leave this place..." He muttered, helpless.

"But it's just a dog... And it seems so sweet-"

"I'M LEAVING-!"

(Y/N) slipped away, rushing inside, while Marianne stood there, perplex, wondering why he got so worked up over a dog, which was just as confused.

~~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~~

Marianne asked some of (Y/N)'s childhood friends about what she had just seen. All of them left her with the same reply.

"Oh, that? Don't worry about it. He's always like this. He's been scared of animals since... forever, I guess. Especially horses. Wouldn't be able to tell you why, though."

Marianne wondered why this was the case. This was all so confusing.

"I can understand that some animals might frighten him... But dogs! Horses! They're such kind and loving creatures... I'm sure that if he wasn't so scared of them, he would grow to love them! It must be quite the fear for him to shout and run away like that... Maybe if I try to make him talk about it, I'll finally understand why he's being so reluctant to being so close to animals..."

~~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~~

"Marianne!"

As Marianne was heading to the stables, she noticed (Y/N) running towards her. It had been a while since she had seen him.

"Oh, (Y/N)..."

"I-I wanted to apologize for last time. That was so uncalled for..."

"There's nothing to apologize for. I understand."

His face lit up, "You do?"

"Well, not your fear of animals in particular but I do understand that some fears can really affect some people's daily lives.."

"Who... Who told you about my fear?"

Marianne blushed and looked down, a little ashamed, "I asked your friends about it. You worried me last time."

(Y/N) was too stunned to speak.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"I'm sorry... I probably shouldn't have-"
* "N-No... It's fine. This is fine. Just- Don't go around telling everyone, alright? This is really embarrassing and I don't anyone teasing me about it."

"O-Of course I wouldn't! I would never..."

Both of them stood quiet, before Marianne finally spoke up again.

"Hum... (Y/N)?"

"Y... Yeah?"

"Is there a particular reason..."

He immediately went beet red.

"No! I mean- Yeah. Y-Yeah... There definitely is..." He muttered under his breath.

"Maybe you could..." Marianne looked back at him awkwardly, growing silent. 'Tell me' her eyes were telling.

(Y/N) sighed. He looked around to make sure that no one was close by then bent close to Marianne's ear.

"It's, hum... Don't tell anyone, but... W-When I was younger, my brother got bit by a horse- Yeah. So hard that his arm almost got cut off. Right in front of him. I've been scared of horses- Of any animal, since... Yeah..."

"Oh! I'm so sorry...! And his arm...?"

(Y/N) awkwardly laughed it off, "Oh, his arm is fine now... But it was still very scary."

"(Y/N)..."

Marianne awkwardly took his hand and began walking, with him following from behind.

"I-I need to show you something..."

"Marianne, huh... Where, exactly?"

"The stables."

"The... THE STABLES? MARIANNE, I JUST TOLD YOU THAT-"

Marianne slightly frowned, "We won't get close, I promise, but please look..."

She finally stopped in from today a stall to show him Dorte, her favorite horse.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Her face lit up when she saw him.

Marianne approached the horse to stroke his mane.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, I promise.. See? He doesn't hurt anyone. He's a very sweet horse.." She smiled softly. Her smile was beautiful.

"D-Do I really need to approach him...?" He nervously asked, taking a small step back.

He was shaking on the spot.

"We'll take things slowly. First, you'll stay a couple of meters away from the horse. Then you'll get closer and closer before standing right next to him... One day at a time."