"H-Hey, Adrien! I w-was wondering…I mean, do I want to – I mean! – would you want to g-go to a m-movie or something with me? L-Like a d-d-d-PAH! Together. Go. To movies. Together." Marinette breathed in deeply. "With me?"
"Gosh, Mari…I really like you, but it's just as a friend. I'm really sorry."
qpqpqpqpqp
It was wrong.
It was pent-up tension that was exacerbated by the recent physical and emotion exertion of an Akuma beattle and then dealing with Chat Noir. Her brain was taut like a wound string on a seemingly well-tuned violin. The peg continued to twist, the pitch of the string rising as she was wound tighter, and tighter, and tighter…
When she saw Adrien on the park bench, when he looked up at her with emotive eyes, something pleading, she felt the physical snap of every reasonable thought dislodge from her brain.
qpqpqpqpqp
"Ladybug, can I be serious with you for a moment?"
Oh, she wished he wouldn't.
"I…Well, I love you, Ladybug. I always have. These past two years have been the best of my life. And it's because you have been a part of my life."
"I love you too, Chaton..."
"But?"
"I love you like a brother, Minou. And it will never be more than that."
qpqpqpqpqp
She had landed in the park directly afterward, called here because she couldn't fight her explosive thoughts any longer, and there was no mask convincing enough to bar questions and stares from her parents or Tikki at the moment.
That's when Ladybug had heard the sniffling, followed by the sharp intake of breath when she locked eyes on the source.
Adrien was sitting on a bench under a tree, the darker shade throwing his entire form into a nighttime shadow. The moon filtered in through the gaps in the leaves, lit-up spots appearing all over his clothes and hidden features. Just like her own Ladybug suit. At the sound of her feet when she took a tentative step in his direction, Adrien lifted his eyes to see who was approaching, gasping a bit when he met her eyes.
His own green eyes were raw and swollen, giant tears reminiscent of a baby's still leaking pitifully. Ladybug couldn't stop herself. She rushed over to him. He hardly flinched at her quick approach. Instead, when she knelt in front of his bent-over frame with hands on the side of his face, he caved, wrapping himself around her and sobbing like a child. Her gloved hands could do little more than massage his hair and lightly nuzzle her face into his blond locks. There were no words of comfort she could offer; goodness knows she didn't have any to comfort herself, let alone anyone else.
When he pulled back finally, Ladybug really looked at him, sweeping the tears with her thumbs from under his wide eyes.
She hesitated at the last moment, merely ghosting a kiss across his lips as she scooted closer to him on her knees. There were tears stinging at her own closed eyes, but she didn't care.
"I'm so sorry, Adrien. Whatever happened…I'm so, so sorry."
Before she could do more herself, she felt him shift on the other side of her closed eyes. A gasp rushed from her own throat when his lips brushed against hers again. Gentle once, twice…but the third time, he had already tested the water, and he seemed to feel safe enough to dive completely in. And Ladybug wholeheartedly let him.
It was wrong. It was using Ladybug to get something Marinette so desperately desired.
But the feeling Adrien was pouring into that third kiss, that fourth kiss…it didn't matter to Ladybug anymore.
It may have been wrong. But in that moment, it felt so right.
Fin!
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