"Come on! Let's take a walk." Adrien gave his best wide, warm smile.

"It's raining, Agreste." Alya gave him a flat look. "We don't have an umbrella. You may be a sunshine child, but I would rather not get wet."

"It's barely even drizzling." Adrien said, pouting.

"Nuh-uh dude." Nino said as he slung his shoulder around his girlfriend. "I think we'll just have to call a cab."

"But it's only a few blocks away!" Adrien pouted some more. "I gave my driver a day off, and this is one of the only times I get to walk to places."

"Sorry, man." Nino said apologetically. "But I'm still recovering from the flu and I don't want to get sick again."

Sighing, Adrien nodded in resignation.

"I'll walk with you." A soft shy voice chirped up.

Adrien looked at the girl with bright eyes. A blush was spread across her cheeks, and she tried to hide her eyes with her bangs.

"Really, Marinette?" he exclaimed happily.

Slightly dazed by his ecstatic green eyes, Marinette tried to keep her nervous stutter out of her sentences. "Su-sure. But can we just stop by my house for a moment?"

"No problem!" Adrien said, practically bouncing from one foot to the other. His excitement was so overwhelming that he wasn't able to catch Alya discreetly wink at Marinette. Marinette, however, blushed to her ears.

"Alright, we'll see you at the café!" Alya called out as she and Nino headed out to find a cab.

"See you!" Adrien waved them goodbye, and beckoned for Marinette.

…..

The walk to her house was quiet- just the passing noises of the cars and the light patter of the rain. But for Marinette, she couldn't hear any of it. All she heard was the mantra that she kept repeating in her head.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I'm going to tell Adrien how I feel.

With that she opened her mouth to finally tell him, but before she could get any words out, Adrien spoke.

"You know, I've always loved the rain." Adrien said wistfully.

Marinette stared at the sad yet dreamy look on his face. "Why is that?"

"Because my mother once did too." He said softly.

A comfortable moment of silence passed before Adrien took in a gentle breath and continued. "She would tell me stories whenever it rained. And when the weather wasn't too bad, we'd take and umbrella and go for stroll down the road, maybe stop by at a nearby bakery to get hot chocolate."

Adrien glanced at the girl beside him, and gave her a small smile.

"You remind me of her sometimes."

Marinette cocked her head to the side. "How so?"

"I don't really know." Adrien paused for a moment, "I think it is because you both are kind, and sweet and gentle. But somehow, also strong, compassionate and determined."

He let out a shaky laugh as he remembered his mother. "She used to be so clumsy too."

"She sounds lovely." Marinette smiled, melting at his soft look.

"She was." Adrien beamed genuinely. It was moments like this that he could remember his mom in peace- his memories somehow bringing happiness instead of pain.

He reached out a gave Mari's hand a squeeze. "Thank you, Mari."

She gave it a small squeeze back. "Tell me a story."

He offered her a grateful smile. "I can't really remember much of the stories she told me. I can give you an abridged version though."

Mari nodded in understanding.

"My mother was trying to explain to me the water cycle once, and she came up with the story. She told me that the rain water comes from the sea. The goddess that lived there couldn't choose who she loved more, the god of the land or the god of the sky. Every few days the sky calls to her- the god would send down his winds to whisk the goddess away to his home. The sky god was cocky and confident, he tried to woo the sea through his muscles and charms. He was genuine though, but the sea probably never really realized it, and as much as the sea loved him, she was still torn."

"After a while, she'd fall back into the land god's arms- literally. She'd be so happy to see him, she's practically kissing the ground he walks on as she slowly descends down from heaven. The land god was sweet and gentle. He probably never noticed just how much the sea loved him. He loved her though, he just couldn't tell her. And maybe that was part of the reason why the goddess couldn't choose."

Adrien let out a sad sigh. "The cycle went on and on. The goddess couldn't decide, and so the gods couldn't tell her. They wanted to, they really truly did. But there were rules, and so they could never tell her. She'd have to find out for herself."

"Tell her what?" Marinette asked entrancedly.

Adrien gave a soft chuckle. "That they were the same person."

With that, Marinette also chuckled. Oh the irony. If only Adrien would realize that Ladybug and I are the same person.

If only Ladybug would realize that Chat and I are the same person. Adrien thought dreamily.

"That sounds romantic." Marinette whispered.

"And a bit angsty." Adrien replied as they finally stopped in front of the Dupain-Cheng's bakery.

Shifting a bit awkwardly, Marinette asked Adrien to wait in front of the shop as she quickly ducked in. When she came out, she was clutching an umbrella and two cups of hot chocolate.

"I got us some hot chocolate. And I've been meaning to give this back." She opened the umbrella and offered it to Adrien. "Here."

Adrien stared at the amazing girl, who without even trying, managed to get him to share a memory he never shared with anyone. The girl that he had just realized was always there for him, always ready to help him (or anyone). The girl that was both strong and caring. A sweet and gentle girl- her bright blue eyes stared at him with so much light. Her smile was enough to warm him up.

An amazing girl, who reminded him so much of his mother- and now he knew why.

Her smile. You have her smile.

Only one other girl had made him feel this way.

With a shocked look, he took the umbrella. A distant thunder clap startled Adrien, enough so that he managed to press a wrong button and sent the umbrella flapping down on him.

Adrien blushed under the cover of darkness, cringing at his awkwardness until he heard her. A loud, unashamed laugh. She was laughing at him! He peered at her from under the umbrella, and let out a small chuckle of his own.

He looked at her and he could finally see her behind her shy disguise.

And she was so- she was so…..

Irresistible.

I'm pretty new here, so I'd appreciate some constructive criticism. I'm more active on tumblr: