Chapter 7: Confessions Pt. 4
A/N: Hi, everyone! Hope you've been keeping track of this arc. So far, we're up to four confessions. In the previous chapter, Marinette confesses her dreams of the future while Adrien confesses of missing his mother. I'm very excited for you all to read this chapter, so let's get to it!
On another note, I had this final edited back in November and completely forgot to upload it… My bad! I'd spout some excuses about work, but I just clean forgot.
July, after la troisième (the fourth year of collège)
For Marinette's class, there was no better place to end their time together at Francois Dupont than Deauville, France. After a two-hour train ride from Paris, Marinette and her class arrived at the beach in Deauville, one of the three locations they had narrowed their choices down to for their end of collège summer trip. In September, they would move on to lycée, and even though they would all attend the same one, there was no guarantee that they would be in the same classes. Marinette felt grateful to have become friends and bonded with her fellow classmates – even Chloe. The mayor's daughter had mellowed out and learned the value of being nice to everyone, and even though she didn't always show it, there was a deeper and more sensitive person underneath her arrogant and snooty exterior.
Arriving at the beach, the class split up to do their own thing; they had decided that everyone could spend their day however they wanted (with at least one other person to keep each other safe), and then they would all meet up at the end of the day to catch the train back to Paris. Most of the group decided to settle in at the beach while Chloe and Sabrina wanted to check the boardwalk's shops. Adrien, Ivan, and Nino set up the portable beach umbrellas they had brought. At the same time, Marinette and Mylène laid out beach towels and made sure their bags and coolers were under the shade. Kim and Alix snagged an empty spot on the beach to set up a volleyball net and roped Rose and Nathanael into their game. Juleka, on the other hand, didn't want to become even sweatier than she already was and laid on one of the beach towels to sunbathe.
Marinette rifled through her bag and called out to Alya. "Alya, would you help me with the sunscreen? I can't reach my back." Marinette squeezed some into her hand and held out the bottle.
"You don't want Adrien to help you with this?" Alya smirked and sat behind her friend, slathering the sunscreen on her shoulders and back.
Marinette resisted the urge to swivel around and give her best friend a look of annoyance, so she continued to apply sunscreen to her arms, legs, and torso. "I bet it would look really funny to walk around on the beach with a rainbow-colored back, huh?"
"It would only be for a few minutes, anyway," Alya said. She knew how prone to sunburns Marinette was and made sure to cover every square centimeter of uncovered skin. "So, I'm putting this whole bottle on you, right? You're so pale – do you even go outside?"
Marinette held out her hand for Alya to squeeze more sunscreen into it. "And, no, Alya, I'm not that bad. But I am the palest and burn more easily than all of you. I'd rather not wake up tomorrow red and blistering, thank you very much."
Alya flipped the cap closed and tossed the bottle back into Marinette's tote bag. "Finally done! Let's head into the water!" She playfully slapped Marinette's shoulder, leaving a faint red handprint. "Meet you down there!" Alya grabbed Nino and dragged him towards the waves.
"Hey, wait up!" Marinette cried. She turned to Adrien, who occupied another towel and had just finished putting sunscreen on himself. "Adrien, let's go down to the water with Alya and Nino! I've been waiting for this all year long!"
Marinette stood up and stretched, relieving her body of the remnant of aches from sitting on the train for two hours. She held out her hand to Adrien expecting him to take it, but instead, Adrien glanced to the side nervously. "I think I'm going to take a page out of Juleka's book and relax in the shade. The — uh — sun is pretty bright out. You can go join them without me."
Marinette frowned. "Oh, no way! I'm not going to let you miss out on fun in the sun just because you might get a little darker. You've already put sunscreen on, so what's the problem? You didn't come all the way out here with the class to just sit in the shade, did you?"
Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous tick of his and a sure sign that she wouldn't like whatever answer he came up with. "Would you fault me if I said 'yes'?"
Marinette was confused and with furrowed brow stared down at Adrien. There was something he wasn't telling her, and she would get to the bottom of it. "You know what? I think I'll just hang here with you." She nodded to herself and plopped down right next to him. Adrien wasn't expecting her to agree so easily and startled a bit.
"Hey!" They turned their heads towards the call that came the shore. "Are you dudes coming?" Nino yelled and waved for them.
"Not right now!" Marinette answered back, waving them away. Nino shrugged and turned away to tackle Alya into the water.
Marinette laughed at how close those two were. She and Adrien were pretty close, but they couldn't pull off too much PDA without people wondering if they were anything more than soulmates who were good friends. With a happy sigh, Marinette leaned against Adrien's shoulder; she'll settle for this for now. Perhaps they could be more in the future.
"I told you that you can go down into the water with Alya and Nino, Marinette," Adrien said. He could see the way she was eyeing the cool water and felt a little bad that he was keeping her from it.
"I'll go sooner or later. But right now, I feel like you're not telling me something, Adrien. You know, you can always count on me to lend an ear or a shoulder…"
"Who's the one lending the other a shoulder?" Adrien laughed.
"Psh." She leaned more of her weight onto him, and Adrien stuck a hand into the sand to keep from toppling over. After a minute of playfully pushing each other back and forth, they settled down and continued watching their classmates.
"I just don't like the ocean," Adrien whispered. "Bad memories better off forgetting."
"Will you tell me?" Marinette asked, her voice equally hushed. All around them, people were going about their own business, yelling and laughing and talking. But at this moment, with just the two of them, it seemed right to speak softly, lest they disturb their own bubble they created.
Marinette waited patiently; if he decided not to say anything, she wouldn't fault him for that. But they had confessed private things before, and Adrien always seemed to open up during moments like this.
"I was really young. We have a summer house — not too far from here, actually — and every year, we'd go down to the beach and play in the sand and water. My mother and I were out on the rocks one morning, and they were really slippery. She warned me not to let go of her hand, but I saw something in the water and let go of her hand for a second." He slowed down, and his breath shook as he continued.
"I didn't see it, but a huge wave crashed over the rocks and took me with it." Adrien shuddered at the memory. "I didn't know what to do or which way was up.
"I was paralyzed with fear."
Adrien squeezed his eyes shut and took another shuddering breath. His back shook with each inhale and became shallower and quicker. Marinette reached around and hugged him tight. "You don't have to continue if you don't want to. You've already told me so much," Marinette said. She trailed her fingers up and down his back, tracing rainbow patterns and doing her best to calm him down and slow his breathing.
Slowly, his breathing became regular, and Adrien opened his eyes again. "Thank you, Marinette, for always being here for me." He cracked a smile – the first smile she had seen on him since they arrived at the beach. "Well, the story just ends with my mother fishing me out of the water, but since then, I haven't been around the ocean."
Marinette nodded. "I understand now, and I'm glad I can be someone you can confess your fears to. You're that person for me, you know. Anyway, I won't force you to go down into the water with us; we can have plenty of fun staying on the sand!
"How does a game of volleyball sound?"
Adrien took a deep breath of salty air and let it fill his lungs. When their class had first planned out this summer trip, he was hesitant to agree going to the beach. He thought about making up an excuse to get out of it, but knowing Marinette, she would postpone the trip until he had a free day. Since meeting her, Marinette had been a cheerful support he could lean on, a friend through thick and thin, and a shining light when he was at his lowest.
Adrien turned to look into expecting eyes. So blue, so clear. Like the ocean, but he wouldn't mind drowning in that sea of blue. "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea, Marinette. Let's go!"
hr/hr
Marinette shifted the bag of snacks from one shoulder to the other as she walked back to her friends. Kim had shoved a handful of bills into her hands and pushed Marinette off towards the boardwalk; she had lost a blindfolded race against him, so her punishment was to go for a snack run. Nathanael offered to go with her to help carry back the food, but she emptied out her tote bag and said that she could handle it herself. Marinette was starting to regret not taking Nathanael's offer; while most of the snacks were chips, several soda cans weighed down the bag, and her shoulder was starting to ache.
"What's a pretty girl like you carrying a bag that heavy? Let me help you." A voice to her side called out and Marinette turned towards it. A guy around her age walked towards her. His brown hair was left wavy from the salt water, and he had a beach towel slung over a shoulder.
Already, Marinette was feeling a sense of annoyance fill her chest, and she tried to keep a displeased expression off her face. It had been awhile since someone had tried flirting with her. In Paris, she was recognizable enough, and for fear of upsetting someone close to a celebrity, Marinette was left alone. Outside of Paris, though, she didn't have that same safety net. "I'm alright, but thank you for the offer. I can handle this myself. My friends are actually expecting me back with these, so if you don't mind…" Marinette shuffled around the guy, but he slid back in front of her, blocking the way.
"Don't be like that, I'm more than happy to accompany you," the guy said. "By the way, I'm James. What can I call you by?"
"I'd rather you not call me anything; I really need to get going, James," she stressed his name exasperatedly. Could he not take a hint? But still James was dogged in his pursuit.
"You know, you kind of look like the girl I've been dreaming about – my soulmate! I bet if we touched, there'd be rainbow trails!" James exclaimed. He reached out before she could evade him, and he grabbed her wrist. Of course, there were no rainbow trails, but still, James was not dissuaded. "Pity. But there are plenty of people who date and marry who aren't soulmates. You think you can give me a chance to prove that we have a connection despite not being soulmates?"
Throughout his talking, Marinette was steadily growing angrier and angrier, and she finally had enough when he had the gall to ask her out. She wrenched her arm out of her grasp and in one quick motion twisted his arm behind his back. This attracted quite the scene when James began yelping in pain. "Listen, James, I have had enough of your shameless flirting. Take a hint – no means no! I'll let you go if you say you'll leave this beach and stop bothering random girls."
"Urk – no need to get – ack – physical there!" James gritted his teeth through the pain when Marinette applied more pressure. "Fine, I'll leave!"
Marinette let go of his arm, and James rounded on her. He had been humiliated by this girl in front of so many people and from further away, he could hear his buddies laugh and holler at him. James snarled, "No one – and I mean absolutely NO ONE – makes fun of me like this. You are going to get what's coming to you – "
"Marinette!"
Marinette and James looked up to see who had interrupted her. Her heart started beating faster when she saw Adrien shouldering his way through the crowd that had gathered. Marinette was partially relieved to see him - only partially because she actually really wanted to teach this guy a lesson in front of everyone. "Is this guy bothering you?"
"Oh, does this guy think he can be a hero and pretend to save her? Listen buddy, this isn't any of your business, and if you're just pretending to know her, it's best if you turn around and leave."
Adrien smirked. "Turn around and leave? Isn't that what she told you to do? And as for knowing her, why don't we be the judge of that?" Adrien offered his hand to Marinette, but she wanted to make a point. Instead of clasping his hand, she hooked her arm around his and leaned onto his shoulder. From his shoulder to wrist and from her cheek to elbow, rainbow patches lit their skin. The iridescent sheen sparkled in the bright summer sun, and around them, people gasped.
Someone had the smarts to ask out loud, "Isn't that Adrien Agreste?" and James blanched at hearing it. Though not from Paris, everyone in France knew the name, and if this guy really was him, he made a BIG mistake in messing with Adrien's soulmate.
"Whoops, looks like the cat's out of the bag," Adrien said. Marinette tsked him, and he turned back to James. "Now, are we going to have a problem, or are you and your friends going to leave? I know what I would do if I was you."
Turning red with embarrassment, James quickly pushed his way through the crowd, leaving with a, "Bah, who wants a daddy's boy's soulmate, anyway?" Adrien bristled at the remark and made to go after him, but Marinette held him back.
"He's not worth it, Adrien."
"But you are, Marinette."
She blushed at that, another compliment that made her heart jump in her chest. It was happening more frequently, and she couldn't deny what it meant anymore.
"Uh, wow, um. Th-thank you. For the compliment and for coming to my rescue," Marinette stuttered out.
"I'm your soulmate; I've always got your back. You should be treated like the princess you are. Jerks like him have no right to even look in your direction," Adrien said. Gently, he tugged her back down the boardwalk towards their friends. Adrien relieved Marinette of her heavy bag, but never let go of her arm. He waved to some people who stuck around after that argument but declined to talk to anyone or sign autographs. "Sorry, this is a vacation for me," he replied.
"This is definitely going to be picked up by the paparazzi, isn't it?" Marinette asked.
"Probably. But it's another story of the handsome gentleman saving his lady." Adrien smiled and bumped his head against hers.
"Oh, am I your lady now?" She asked coyly. Marinette tried to be smooth, but her cheeks still flared red at what he was insinuating.
Now Adrien was the one to start stuttering, and he had equally rosy cheeks. "I mean – I – yeah? If you want, that is – you don't have to!"
"If you're asking if I'll be your girlfriend, my answer is yes," Marinette answered. She really hoped that was what he was asking her.
"Yes? Yes! Oh, thank goodness!" Adrien exclaimed. In his excitement, he swooped down and placed a kiss on her cheek. Marinette felt his happiness, too, and before her courage failed her, she stopped them for a second to stand on her toes and kiss him in the same spot on his cheek.
They resumed their walk back down to the beach, and their wide grins highlighted the rainbow imprint of a kiss on their cheeks. In their heads, they had the exact same thought.
I'm in love with this boy.
I'm in love with this girl.
A/N: There we go! That was my 5+1 story arc! How was it? Here are the confessions again:
1. Marinette to Adrien: Used to be afraid of heights. (Ch. 4)
2. Adrien to Marinette: Can't keep plants alive. (Ch. 5)
3. Marinette to Adrien: Plans for the future (house, pet(s), and kids' names) (Ch. 6)
4. Adrien to Marinette: Still misses his mother. (Ch. 6)
5. Adrien to Marinette: Afraid of the water (Ch. 7)
+1: To themselves: I love this boy/girl. (Ch. 7)
Which part was your favorite? Mine was writing the whole Eiffel Tower scene, but I also loved the confessions to themselves, because I get to write Marinette and Adrien showing up that jerk. And so ends the second arc of this story! When I first started writing this AU, I never planned to go so in depth with their growing relationship; this arc was never supposed to happen! But I was never satisfied with how sudden the next part of the story went; there was no details about how they grew to love each other and whatnot. Using this format, 5+1, along with a timeline to plan out the time skips really helped me develop this story, and I'm really proud of myself. This whole arc was 6k words long and was planned to be uploaded all together, but my beta convinced me that each part was fine separated, too.
I'm glad to see everyone's support, so I hope you'll all continue to show your love for this story! See you next time!
