Jealous Kiss
Words: 2331

Marinette kept her gaze on her open notebook with her hands between her legs when the teacher dismissed the class. The pages were blank and she felt numb, but she didn't want to lift her eyes. She didn't want to see Adrien's back, walking away. She just wanted for him to leave the classroom so she could wait a few minutes and then walk to her house.

She doesn't want to have to walk in front of him to leave the room, because it hurt. It hurt so much that she could feel her soul bleeding. They haven't talk to each other in three weeks. Three agonizing weeks, and she can barely look at him when they are fighting the forces of evil. Three weeks since they… realize it.

All Alya and Nino knew were that neither of them were handling the break up well. They didn't understand because one day after school they were just as lovey-dovey as they always were and then the next day they were heartbroken.

Marinette remembers all the tears and the pain and the apologies they both shared. She said she was sorry, he said he was sorry. He said he forgave her, she said she forgave him. But it wasn't that easy. They knew the trust was damaged, even if it was because they were so madly in love that they have fallen for each other twice.

They have decided, of course, to take some time, but as the nights with insomnia came one after another and another, she started to think that maybe it wasn't a good idea. Maybe Adrien would decide that he couldn't forgive her after all. Maybe she didn't deserve him. Maybe she didn't deserve this. Maybe she had to move on, even if it meant leaving her heart shattered behind.

"Marinette" Alya called softly. They were the only two left ones in the room, and she finally looked up, without seeing anything really.

Alya always saw Adrien's longing stare at her friend before he left, but she didn't think it was a good idea to tell Marinette. She was hurting badly enough.

"Sorry" her friend responded. "Let's go home."

They stopped to talk a little by the lockers. Some other students were around, but neither Nino nor Adrien were on sight, probably already gone so they took their time.

"How are you feeling? Better?" Alya asked her.

Marinette loved her because she didn't ask questions that she had to respond with a lie. She loved her even more because she didn't ask questions she already knew the answer for. She was not okay.

"Better" Marinette confirmed, closing her locker with the same tired, emotionless expression she had worn the past week.

"You want me to come over to your house again?"

"No," Marinette shook her head "I know you have things to do too." She gave her a small smile "I'm…" she bit back the lie "better, remember?"

Alya smiled at her effort and bravery.

"Right."

"Hey, Marinette" said a third voice. The girls looked up. "Uh-um, hi" It was Nathaniel.

"Hi" she responded, faking a smile in his direction.

He handed her a wrapped box.

"Here, the class noticed you were kind of sad, so we make this for you. They asked me to give it to you. We hope you like it."

Marinette looked at the box then at him. Her smile turned genuine. Behind Nathaniel, on the other line of lockers were some of her classmates, smiling at her. She waved, touched.

"Thanks" she said, taking it "I'm sure I will."

Alya leaned against the lockers, a happy smile on her lips. Nathaniel looked at her and she nodded nonchalantly.

"And, uh, I also wanted to ask you something." He said nervously.

"What is it?"

"I was wondering, if you were free, maybe we could go out on Saturday? I have never gone on a guided visit to the Palais Garnier, and I was hoping you would want to come with me? If you'd like…"

Marinette blinked, he had caught her unguarded. Nathaniel was so sweet, but she didn't think she could manage a date right now. She opened her mouth to talk, but a locker door slammed shut at the other end of the hall and everyone jumped, then turned to the sound.

"She's not." Adrien said matter-of-factly.

Everyone had been paying attention at their gift being delivered that they didn't notice Adrien and Nino walking into the locker room.

The blonde walked to them, a stoic expression painted on his face.

"She's not free."

Nino bit his lip, knowing that Adrien tended to be kind of impulsive when he was exalted. And right now, he was clearly not in control of his jealousy. But almost everyone else let their jaws drop, not accustomed to have Adrien angry.

She didn't look at him, and his expression sank. Their eyes only met for a fraction of second when he was walking to her. He feared to have gone too far, but it was too late to step back.

Nathaniel looked at him confused, then at Marinette, expecting a reply from her still. Alya did the same, ready to intervene if her friend chickened out. But Marinette was rarely intimidated when it came to stand up for herself.

"I…" her voice sounded a little shaky so she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, Nathaniel but I am busy. Maybe next time." She looked at him and gave him an apologetic smile. He sighed and stepped back.

"Sure, no problem."

It was like a cue for everyone to run. No one was naïve enough to not feel the heavy atmosphere that suddenly invaded the room. Nino and Alya stayed, but since neither of their friends moved, they left too after exchanging a glance.

Marinette decided that if she kept staring at her shoes, she was gonna combust, and not in a god way. She finally faced him, and held her breath. He was close enough to touch and yet not for her to touch. He was looking at her intensely and she realized she was not the only one scared, nor the only one who didn't know what to say.

He wanted to apologize, but at the same time didn't want to have only apologizes between them anymore.

"Sorry about that," he said anyways, because he didn't know what else to offer, "I got carried away."

Marinette shrugged and hugged herself, not finding her voice but giving him a calm expression so he knew she was not mad. She might have been in other occasion, but he let her space to confirm or deny his statement, so she let it pass.

She hugged herself, but not because of the temperature, even if it was kind of chilly. She was wearing the sweater he once commented she looked especially cute in, and she felt her cheeks starting to heat up under his gaze.

He gripped his bag tightly. It was implicit that they had to talk, but he decided to let her make the decision.

"Do you…" she started, "Let's…" she cleared her throat. "Do you have time?" she ended up asking, because he always had a million places to be. "You think we could… we could, go… somewhere?"

It was like she was back to square one, when she stuttered every time they talked. She felt silly and wanted to disappear. But Adrien nodded, and he seemed relived.

"Yes." He said firmly.

He turned off his phone, because even if he had free the afternoon, he didn't want someone calling him with a stupid "emergency" when he's with her. Even less when they need to talk without interruptions.

And so they walked by the sidewalk. Marinette was still holding herself and he wished he could do it for her. He wished he could still hold her hand, that he could still plant a kiss on her temple while they walked. How much he wished he could still call her his.

The true is that they have talked several times before, but there were always something that got in the way and didn't let them do what they really wanted, what they ached to do, or what they considered would be better. Guiltiness, selfishness, a mixture of both.

They have already exposed what they felt, and why they couldn't stop what was happening, so there were few words that remained unsaid. Now, she was struggling with the realization that even if Adrien was still reluctant to be with her, he couldn't stand the thought of her with someone else. And when she tried to think of some other girl walking by his side, she knew she would die of jealousy if he started dating another person. The thought alone made her chest ache and her throat close.

They stopped by La Seine, not far from the bridge, under a tree. The day was cloudy and humid, so there were not a lot of people around, and the ones that were wandering, were on the bridge, so they had some space.

She looked at him and tried to forget the fact that he was using the scarf she made for him and he still didn't know that wasn't from his father. She would make him more scarfs if he were still hers.

"What are we going to do?" she asked before the silence became a constant, but it wasn't a question that expected to be answered. It was just a frustration being freed.

He didn't know what to tell her. He wanted to just kiss her until she forgot they had broken up almost a month ago.

He raised a hand to touch her cheek, and when she didn't pull away he stepped closer and hold her face taking in greedily the texture of her skin. She sighed closing her eyes. They hadn't touched in so long. Sure they have grabbed each other once or twice while fighting, but it was not the same. Definitely poor when their suits deprived them from nude touch.

"What do you want to do?"

"I want for you to not let me go, ever." She screamed in her mind, but instead she bit her lip.

He thought of those lips being kissed for someone who was not him and felt his blood boil. His eyes changed a little. Determination grew in them so he swallowed his fears and dragged her gently to him, close to his face so she could stare directly into his green orbs. He noticed she held her breath.

"Marinette, tell me what do you want to do." He said softly but firmly. "Whatever it is, just tell me."

She swallowed. She knew he was asking to stop dancing with the situation. Whatever she decided he would yield. If she told him to go away he was going to do it. But she didn't want him to go away. She wanted to keep like this forever. She wanted to be in his arms and stare at his irises forever. She wanted to be wrapped with his presence and taste his mouth every single day of her life.

"I want you. " She mumbled, "Both of you."

She moved her arms to hug him, to keep him close, and never be apart again.

"I want Adrien to be with me forever, I want Chat Noir to be with me always." She swallowed once again, because her throat was sore with tears "I want you."

He kept staring at her for a few seconds, waiting for a "but", expecting a "but". It didn't come.

It was like his heart started beating again just then. He pulled her into him and squeezed her tightly. He could feel her heart jumping inside her ribcage and he smiled, relieved and happy. Maybe she was just starting to be able to breath too. He was sure she could feel his heartbeat as well, and savored the sensation of those two thumps together.

He remember one of the few things that have been left unsaid, and decided that it was the only one that shouldn't remain like that.

"I love you," he swore. "I want you too."

"I love you too" she responded fervently.

He breathed her in and she smiled, feeling lightheaded. Adrien started kissing his way up to her face until he reached her lips and her heart leaped. It hadn't leaped with excitement because of his kisses in so long, when she stopped feeling the butterflies in her stomach when they started dating.

He kissed her sweetly. He kissed her possessively. He kissed her like it was their first kiss and their last kiss at the same time. In a way it was like a first kiss.

She tasted like the best dessert he was ever gonna lay his hands on, and he tasted like the stars she didn't knew she could touch. It was fresh air to have him back, and it was a warm welcome to have her back. He was never going to let her get away again. He didn't want to have to snatch her from somebody else's claws. Only his claws could hold her.

He delighted on the fact that he could finally get drunk in her again, "Mine, mine, mine." He repeated in his head over and over again, pressing her against him avariciously. She broke with a giggle and he realized he said it that out loud between kisses. He blushed. He usually kept his most possessive side to himself, except maybe on a few occasions when he was Chat Noir, but it was always playfully.

Still, her eyes gleamed like the sea when she grabbed the collar of his jacket with both hands and pulled him down to her again.

"Silly kitty" she breathed into his lips "You are mine too."

And before they could kiss again, they took a moment to read into each other eyes, and they understood.

They were going to be ok.