Nothing could prepare her for this. Nothing. There she stood, outside of the large gate that trapped him inside. On Valentine's Day, no less.

She held the small pink box closer to her chest and took several deep breaths. She adjusted her pink earmuffs and reached for the small button of the gate. Her arm stopped when her finger was almost close enough to ring it. She let out a frustrated sigh and lowered her hand.

"What am I thinking?" She said to herself, "I can't do this!" She turned away from the gate, "I mean, who am I kidding, Tikki? There's no way I can do this!"

"Of course you can, Marinette!" Tikki said, popping her head out of Marinette's puffy pink jacket.

"Even if I could, what would I say to him?"

"Simple! Say, 'Hi, Adrien! It's me, Marinette, you know, the girl who is so hopelessly in love you that she foams at the mouth anytime she sees you! Here have a gift!'"

"Haha, very funny." Marinette replied, "Seriously though, all I want to do is make up for last year's mess up!"

"You mean not signing your poem of love?"

"Yeah, exactly." Marinette sighed as she stared down at the present. "I don't even know if he'll like them…"

"He will, Marinette! He liked the scarf you made him for his birthday!"

"Yeah, but that was because he thought it was from his father. What will he think if he knows they're from-"

"Marinette?" The voice caught her off guard and she quickly turned around to see a certain blond haired boy, all bundled up in a long black coat between the iron bars of the gate.

"A-A-Adrien!" Marinette exclaimed, "H-hi!" She gave him a small, awkward wave. "Wha-what are you, uh, you doing here?"

"Uh…" Adrien glanced back to his large house. "I'm pretty sure I live here."

"O-oh, right!" Marinette laughed awkwardly.

"So, I guess the question is… what are you doing here, Marinette?"

"W-w-well I-I uh… Uh…" She hid the pink package behind her back. Adrien noticed this.

"What's that?" He questioned.

"N-n-nothing! I-i-it's nothing!" He raised an eyebrow at her response. He then looked over to the side of the gate. He pressed something and the gate swung open. Marinette quickly jumped backward. "W-where are go to-I mean- offing! I mean off to?"

"I'm headed to a cafe to meet up with Nino. Do you want to come?" Adrien replied.

"Oh- uh. No! No, thank you! I-I have plans with Alya."

"I see." Adrien said. "Well, then why are you here?"

"W-w-well, I was uh, in the neighborhood and uh, I-I mean- I uh- I-" Marinette stopped and sighed. She quickly pulled out the present and shoved it into his chest. " Th-this is for you!"

Adrien looked down to the package then to Marinette. "What's this for?"

"Day- Valentine's… I-I mean Valentine's Day. I-It's Valentine's Day today...A-and I wanted t-to make up for last year!"

"Last year…?" Adrien asked. Marinette quickly nodded her head, looking down to the floor.

"Th-the poem… I forgot to sign it…"

"You wrote that poem?!" Adrien exclaimed. Marinette flinched at his sudden reaction.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry!" Marinette quickly backed away and ran off.

"Wait! Marinette!" Adrien reached out to her. Adrien watched her turn the corner. He looked down to the pink wrapped box in his hands.

Marinette suddenly reappeared from the corner, walking in the opposite direction.

"M-my house is this way…" She muttered, walking passed Adrien.

"Marinette." Marinette shook her head and began to pick her pace. Adrien just watched her, then looked back down to the package. He turned back toward his house and went inside.

Adrien ran up to his room and closed the door behind him. He placed the package onto his computer desk and opened one of the drawers. Adrien pulled out a pink heart shaped card with a hand written poem on the inside.

"'Your hair is golden, your eyes green iridescent, when I look at you, I would like to share your dreams and thoughts. Yes, I want to be your Valentine, we'll be good together, I love you forever, my heart is yours.'" Adrien read the poem aloud and sat on his bed. "I thought this was sent by Ladybug." He sounded slightly disappointed.

"Oh, please, " Plagg said, suddenly appearing from Adrien's coat. "Does it matter who sent it? I said it before, if she writes something that sappy, she has to be your soulmate!"

"Yes, but that poem was specifically for Ladybug! I wonder why Marinette thought it was about her…" Adrien thought about this for quite sometime, trying to remember the words of his own poem. "Your hair is jet black… your eyes as blue as the heavens." Adrien suddenly realized something. "Plagg." Adrien muttered staring at the poem. "Marinette has jet black hair… like Ladybug."

"So?" Plagg replied.

"She also has the same blue eyes as Ladybug."

"And?"

"She's the same height, she has the same build, the same figure."

"Okay… what's your point?"

"Plagg, Marinette is-"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm telling you, Alya! It was the worst! I fumbled with my words so much that I didn't know if I was speaking or just making noise!" Marinette exclaimed, as she and Alya walked up to the school.

"So, yesterday was no different that any other time you're around him?" Alya laughed.

"Alya!" Marinette yelled, "It's not funny! I've never been so embarrassed my life!"

"Oh, come on! I'm sure you've been just as embarrassed plenty of times before!"

"That doesn't make me feel any better…"

"Hey, Marinette!" It was Adrien's voice. Marinette froze in place. Alya smirked and continued to walk into the school. Marinette hesitantly turned her head to see Adrien running up to her. He was dressed in the same black coat as yesterday, but had a black hat and matching mittens on. Marinette smiled at this.

"A-Adrien! Hi!" Marinette said, as he drew closer. "What do you n-need?"

"I wanted to thank you for the hat and mittens, I really needed them!"

"O-oh! It was nothing really!" Marinette turned to leave.

"Wait, Marinette." Adrien started to fish for something in his pocket.

"W-what are you doing?"

"You got me something for Valentine's Day, and I felt bad so I got you something."

"N-no! That's fine! You didn't have to! I-I just-."

"Marinette." Adrien said sternly. Marinette looked up to him.

"Your hair is jet black, your eyes as blue as the heavens," Marinette felt her cheeks suddenly burn, " I wanted to ask who you were behind that mysterious mask. Every day I see you, and I hoped you would give me a sign. I shall love you 'til the end of my days. And, suddenly you asked me to be your Valentine. I'll agree, But on one condition," Adrien leaned in closer to her as he gently forced something into her hand. He whispered, "Will you be mine?" Adrien pulled away, leaving Marinette confused and speechless. "I'll see you in class, Marinette." And with that, he turned and walked into the school.

Marinette stared at his back until he was gone. She looked down to her hand to see a small velvet box. Curiously, she opened the box to see a silver bracelet with a single charm on it. The charm was nothing other than a ladybug. Marinette's eyes widened as she felt her blush spread to her ears. She looked back over to the entrance, but Adrien was now long gone. Marinette smiled to herself, closed the box, and placed it over her heart.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Marinette quickly placed the box into her backpack and ran into the school.