Chapter One: Boy Loves Girl
Adrien Agreste could sum up the worst thing that had happened to him and the best thing that had happened to him in a singular day, and not many people could say that.
The worst? Hands down after they lowered his mother into that hole in the ground and started piling dirt on top of it, sealing the earth between them. To say he had a tantrum was an understatement. There were tears and snot streaming down his face. His bloodshot eyes were wild and wide, and his fitted suit was rumpled from where his father's office security guard held him back roughly. He screamed and grunted and kicked, caring very little for the display he was making if it meant that he could break free and crawl down in that hole with his mother forever. The twelve-year-old hated the world in the four days since she had died. How could he take any more of it?
The best? After he was dragged back to the limousine and locked inside for the rest of the service, he heard a quiet voice asking to be let in because she was a friend. Then, Marinette Dupain-Cheng crawled in the seat, locking the door behind her. She crawled over to him in her poofy black dress and wordlessly hugged him to her chest, not caring that his snot was getting all over her velvety bodice. She did the only thing for him that she could think of, which was to sing the song his mother had every night of his life before bed except the last four. She could hardly realize that it was just what he needed to hear. He clung to her through the whole song, and at the end of it, he looked up at her and knew without a shadow of a doubt that he loved her as more than just his best friend.
Though Adrien had lived on his street his entire life, his story with Marinette began when she was five, and her parents moved to their neighborhood. After waiting the courteous day for their boxes to all disappear inside, Emma Agreste insisted on visiting the new arrivals with monkey bread and Adrien, who had been forced into non-muddy clothes for the venture.
Emma was embarrassed to discover that the Dupain-Chengs were, in fact, bakers, but they delighted in the gift and kept expressing how much they enjoyed it, insisting that Emma sit down with them at the dining room table so they could get to know each other.
It was there, standing shyly behind Emma's chair, that Adrien saw Marinette Dupain-Cheng for the first time. She came bursting into the dining room in a watermelon pink and white checked sundress and white leggings with a matching headband tucking back her short black hair. She was missing one of her front feet and both of her shoes, revealing her clumsily painted red toenails.
Seeing Emma, the broadest smile broke across her face as she promptly planted both hands on her hips, stuck her chin out, and said, "Hi, I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and I am going to do something unbelievable today."
Emma could hardly contain the little laugh that bubbled up in her throat. "Well, hello, Marinette. My name is Mrs. Agreste. And this is…" she said, gently scooting her resistant son around the chair. Leaning down, she whispered, "Introduce yourself."
He was sure his whole face went beet red as she turned her quizzical bright blue eyes on him. His gaze dropped to his feet as he muttered, "Adrien," very quietly.
"Marinette," her mother Sabine addressed her. "Why don't you show Adrien around the house? I'm sure he'd like to explore with you."
The girl nodded, looking at Adrien. "Follow me," she said, padding off without another word.
With another nudge from his mother, he set off reluctantly after the girl, who quickly wove through the house until she reached the living room, which was devoid of anything but unpacked boxes and a leather sectional sofa. She stopped, appraising the the beige-carpeted floor. He sulked silently in the corner, thinking she had forgotten he was there.
"Have you ever done a cartwheel?" she asked suddenly.
"H-huh?"
"A cartwheel," Marinette repeated patiently, her curious eyes on him again. "You know, where your whole body turns in a circle and you launch from your feet and-"
"I know what a cartwheel is!" he cut in, his brow furrowed. "I'm in gymnastics."
"Really?" she asked, her eyes going saucer-wide.
"Yes," he replied, shifting from foot to foot and glancing up and then quickly away from her.
"Can you show me?" she asked, a huge smile growing on her face.
"Yeah, sure," he shrugged, concentrating on the floor a moment before lurching forward. Hand, hand, foot, foot. He landed perfectly, extending his arms upward as his instructor had taught. He looked back at Marinette with a smirk.
"That was… amazing!" she squeaked, jumping up to him excitedly. He took a step back. "Can you show me how?"
"Um, maybe. Why?"
"Well, I said I wanted to do something unbelievable," she said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "And I think a cartwheel is a good place to start."
Which is how Adrien Agreste, the street's shyest kid, known for hardly speaking a word, became Marinette Dupain-Cheng's first gymnastics instructor. They practiced the whole afternoon as their parents sat in the kitchen talking. Adrien had to talk her down from initially starting with a cartwheel and down to a somersault, but after she had perfected that, they moved up the list. She had her bumps and falls, but she never stopped smiling.
There was something so incredibly optimistic about her, that even Adrien was smiling and laughing with her. Finally, nearly four hours later, Marinette took off. Hand, hand, foot, foot. She landed perfectly, extending her arms up. She looked quickly back at Adrien. "Well?"
"Perfect," he smiled, holding a hand up to high five her.
She giggled and shook her head, launching herself into his arms and squeezing tightly. "Thank you," she said. After a shocked second, he hugged back just as tight.
"Well, well, what have we here?" Marinette's father, Tom, rumbled from the doorway.
Adrien sprang away from Marinette to see his mother and her parents standing there, having apparently watched the last few minutes or so. Emma was positively beaming.
"Mom!" Marinette said, launching herself towards her. "Can I join gymnastics? Adrien's been teaching me, and it's really cool!"
Sabine laughed. "Of course, darling," she said, glancing over at Emma. "I don't suppose you could give me the information on Adrien's gym?"
"I'd be delighted!" Emma grinned.
"Did you two have fun today?" Tom asked, a knowing twinkle in his eye.
Marinette answered for them, nodding firmly and taking Adrien's hand. "He's my new best friend!" she announced.
When Marinette said something, she made it happen. That's why that day, whether he liked it or not, Adrien had a best friend. To be certain, though, he liked it.
From that day on, he didn't have to worry about introducing himself very much. Marinette was the one to do it. "Hi, my name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. This is my best friend, Adrien Agreste, and we're going to do something unbelievable today."
After that, everything fell right into place. They were the next door neighbors who did everything together, and though Gabriel Agreste's work schedule hardly allowed him time to spend with the neighborhood, Marinette and Adrien spent every waking second together, often with Emma and/or the Dupain-Cheng's in tow.
Two years melted by as they started school in the same class. Marinette worked harder in Language Arts to join the advanced spelling list with Adrien, and he worked harder in Mathematics to be on the same timed test level with her. This was by no means unwelcome for their parents. Two afternoons during the school week and once on the weekend, they carpooled together to the local gym for gymnastics. Though Adrien was two levels ahead of Marinette, she worked hard to close the gap, and he refused to move on until she was caught up.
It was one of these days after practice and dinner that Marinette dashed into her yard, running to the fence between their homes and pulling the loose board she discovered ages ago aside as she shimmied into the Agrestes' yard just as Adrien burst from the back door, feet pounding the dry dirt as he charged for the climbing tree. Marinette leapt onto a second before he did and tore up it with all the dexterity of a squirrel until she reached their branch, panting in triumph.
"I win!" she beamed, breathing heavily as he joined her.
He stuck his tongue out, scowling and looking away.
"Isn't seven a bit old to be a sore loser?" she asked.
"Older than you," he muttered, crossing his arms, still looking away.
"Hey," she said, the excitement falling out of her voice. "Are you mad at me?"
He huffed. "No."
"Then what's wrong?"
Adrien was quiet for a moment. "Max called you Mari today."
"So?"
"So… I thought I was the only one who got to call you that."
"Lots of people call me Mari," she pointed out.
"Well, then lots of people are your best friend?" he asked, glowering at her.
Her face softened a bit as her mouth screwed up in a smile. "Nope. I just have you."
He was quiet, still angry.
"I know!" she said suddenly. "How about we come up with a secret handshake? That will just be for you and me?"
"So?"
"So, whenever you want to know if I'm still your best friend, you do the handshake, and if I do it back, that means yes. But only the two of us know it, and no one else in in the world."
"Okay," he said, turning to her. "What should it be?"
"Here," she said, sticking out her hand, which he took. She stuck her thumb in the place between their hands. It was barely perceptible visually, but he felt it.
He grinned. "And if I do it back," he said, sticking his thumb with hers, "it means I'm your best friend, too."
"Come on, come on, come on," Marinette muttered under her breath, her fingers flying furiously over the controls.
Adrien stuck his tongue out slightly, his brow furrowing as his fingers began to move even faster. "Almost, almost, almost," he echoed her.
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion from the screen as his avatar exploded, and he sat back with a groan as Marinette cheered, running around the room with her control hooting. "I'm number one! I'm number one!"
"Aw, shut up, Mari," he grumbled, throwing his arms above him on the beanbag chair in her living room where they had cartwheeled all those years ago.
She suddenly appeared, standing above him so his face was mere inches from his own. "Isn't sixteen a little bit old to be a sore loser?"
His mouth would normally twist up at the familiar words, but he was a little too fixated on how close she was and how the air suddenly smelled like her lemon shampoo and how the light poured across her face, highlighting her freckles and making her blue eyes look slightly golden. He turned his face away as he felt his face get hot. "Older than you are," he growled in response.
She laughed, pulling him to his feet. "You haven't ever been able to beat me at SuperBots; I doubt the five month head start meant anything."
He rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at her. She had been taller for most of their life, but he'd shot up when they entered high school and now had a good four and a half inches on her, much to her annoyance. He was about to make a witty retort when the smell of Tom's delicious baking reached his nose again, and his stomach growled loudly.
Marinette laughed as he blushed even further. "I know what that means. Come on," she said, leading the way to the kitchen.
He followed hopelessly behind her like an eager puppy into the kitchen, where Tom was drawing a fresh batch of cookies out of the oven. When he saw Adrien, he lovably rolled his eyes. "Should have known that bloodhound nose of yours would make you come running," he grumbled amicably. "Leave some for the rest of us, would you, Adrien?"
The boy nodded as Tom placed the cookie sheet on top of the stove. "Have you told him yet?" he asked his daughter.
Adrien, who had be drooling at the sight of the cookies, snapped to attention at these words. "Told me what?"
Marinette sighed, her eyes sliding over to the window, where outside it had decided to snow as a treat for their last day of break before the new semester started. "Not yet. I was just about to," she said, giving her father a pointed glance.
Tom held up his hands in surrender and left the two of them sitting at the kitchen island as Adrien turned to Marinette intently, concern wrinkling his face. "Tell me what?" he repeated.
She sighed. "I didn't know if it was the right time, but I guess since school starts tomorrow…"
A million thoughts raced through Adrien's head. Did she have a secret boyfriend? Was she quitting gymnastics? Was she engaged to her secret boyfriend? Did she have cancer? What if she was already married to her secret boyfriend?!
"I'm not going to Françoise Dupont anymore."
Her words hung heavy in the air as Adrien blinked. She wasn't… going to their school anymore? The thought hadn't even occurred to him. He hadn't gone a day without seeing Mari since he was five… not even when one of them was sick or on vacation. Not even when his mother first went to the hospital.
"You're…?" he trailed off.
"I'm going to that prep school on the North side," she said. "The one with the plaid uniforms? Mom and Dad tried to enroll me at the beginning of the year, but there weren't any spots. Somebody dropped out, and I was the next on the list. It has really good academics, and they wanted me to go so…" her face scrunched up as her lower lip dropped. "I really wanted to tell you," she continued quickly as she scanned his astounded face. "But I didn't want to ruin Christmas or New Year's and then… I'm sorry," she finished in a whisper.
He wasn't able to say anything. Typical. In the five years since he realized that he was in love with her, he hadn't be able to muster the courage to tell her. Why would that start now?
"Adrien?" she asked, her hand snaking out to grab his. "Are you angry?"
Shoving the hurt deep inside of him, he managed to smile a bit. "No… never."
She smiled, placing her thumb in between their hands where they grasped each other. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he did the same.
A/N: Ahhhhhhh okay, so here's chapter one, and I'm trying something a little new and different for me but still the same lovable Miraculous AU. I'mma do my absolute best to update at least once a week. Please please please with the feedback to let me know if I'm going in the right direction. :3