CHAPTER 12
The next day, as Adrien waited at school, he could hardly contain his nerves.
He had been stressing all night, wondering if he had been too frank in his letter (which, by the way, had taken forever to compose). But he had only told the truth, so it was fine, right?
What would she say when she saw him? Would she even say anything? What if she hated him for being Chat Noir? What if, what if, what if-
"Dude, you like, super-stressed this morning or something? You've been shaking your legs so fast, it's a wonder they haven't fallen off," Nino's cheerful voice broke his train of thought, and he turned to him, grateful for the distraction.
"Well, actually," he paused, and then decided to take Nino into his confidence. "I'm waiting for Marinette to show up."
Just saying that name, knowing now who it belonged too, gave him chills.
"Dude! Since when have you been into Marinette?" Nino demanded.
"Uhh, since a long time back, but I kind of realized it only yesterday."
"I wouldn't be surprised at that. You, my dude, are the most oblivious person to ever walk this earth."
"Your words wound me, Nino. I thought we were best bros!"
The two of them laughed, and it helped distract Adrien from his relentless thoughts.
"So are you going to tell her today? That's why you're nervous?"
"Well, I kind of already told her yesterday, heh heh," he chuckled nervously at Nino's astounded gaze. "I wrote her a letter."
Nino was about to retort, but the classroom door opened, and Marinette entered.
Her eyes locked on his, and then she advanced towards the desk, shyly. Looking every bit as nervous as himself, she stopped, and waved awkwardly. Adrien rose automatically.
"H-Hi, Marinette."
"Hello, Adrien."
Oh, how the tables were turned now. For Marinette, knowing that her crush was her dorky, superhero partner, somehow made her feel more confident around him. Whereas for Adrien, knowing that the sweet, shy girl who sat behind him was the confident Ladybug, made him feel suddenly tongue-tied and nervous.
She smiled at him then, a smile that was so typically Marinette-y and Ladybug-esque at the same time, that his heart fluttered painfully and he could not stop the answering smile that graced his features.
"So," Marinette shyly said, looking down and playing with her fingers.
"So," Adrien prompted, heart clenching anxiously.
She's blushing, omigosh, my heart can't take this. So adorable!
This is Chat Noir, I repeat, Chat Noir! I shouldn't be nervous around him!
"Do you want to, you know, kind of, err, talk after school?"
"Yes, I can talk! Err, I meant, I'd love to have a chat with you."
Adrien mentally facepalmed. What was wrong with him?
Marinette only giggled, however, feeling a bit giddy at the prospect that Adrien could be reduced to a stuttering mess because of her.
"See you then."
Adrien only nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
The teacher entered the class just then, and the two returned to their seats, only to be pounced upon by their respective best friends.
"Dude! What was that?"
"Marinette, girl, explain now!"
Ah, a heroes' life is never easy.
After school, Marinette said good-bye to Alya in the classroom, while promising the aspiring journalist all the details later.
Sending a text to her mother, telling her she would be going out for a while, she skipped down the stairs giddily, slowing down her pace when she saw her crush-soon to be- boyfriend, hopefully- waiting outside the school.
He looked up as she advanced and smiled widely. 'Shall we go?"
She returned his smile with a shy one of her own."Is it fine? Have you told your bodyguard?"
"Yes, milady, you need not fear, I've informed Natalie," he assured her. "Where are we going, by the way?" He inquired curiously as they started walking away from the school.
"I thought we might go to the Trocadero. It's somewhere I always go for inspiration, and it'll also be quiet at this time of the day. If-if that's okay with you?"
"I'd go anywhere with you, my Lady." He looked at her as he said that, and his eyes were sincere and full of meaning. Marinette forced herself to reply.
"Oh, uhh, good to know," she said, rather lamely.
They both fell silent after that, and the rest of the walk was uneventful.
The setting sun bathed the two teenagers in an orange glow, as they watched the people of Paris go about their business. Adrien looked at Marinette, and thought to himself how she had never looked more beautiful than in that moment.
Finally, she turned to him, and with a smile, held out her hand. Adrien looked at her, clearly puzzled.
"Hello, Adrien, it's nice to meet you. I am Marinette Dupain-Cheng, otherwise also known as Ladybug."
The model's face broke out into a smile as he shook her hand, then followed her example.
"Hello, Marinette-slash-Ladybug, it's a pleasure to meet you too. I'm Adrien Agreste, your friendly neighbourhood superhero, Chat Noir."
They both giggled, and it seemed that the ice had finally broken between them. Adrien could not resist the pun that escaped him.
"My Lady-" A huge grin, so Chat Noir-ish, lit up his face. Marinette knew that look.
"Adrien, no."
"-looks like the cat's out of the bag."
She groaned in fake annoyance, but she couldn't remain annoyed for long, fake or otherwise, as he threw up his head, and laughed joyously. The same laugh that had made her fall in love with him, only a year ago.
And, just like that, the lines which she had drawn between Adrien and Chat Noir fell apart, and they both merged to form a new person- a person who was not Adrien, nor Chat Noir, but him.
And Marinette accepted that person, wholeheartedly, as the boy who had claimed her heart, not just once but twice.
Adrien had still got her hand, and she squeezed his as she asked, with a smile on her face, how did he find out it was her.
Adrien explained the whole thing, and the two laughed and wondered over the irony of their situation. Incidents, realizations, actions, words, all flashed through their minds, only solidifying the reality that they had recently discovered.
Plagg and Tikki materialized at that moment, and both the kwamis had a joyful reunion, before introducing themselves to their Chosen's partner.
Then Tikki dragged Plagg away somewhere, leaving Adrien and Marinette to fend for themselves.
"Thank you for your letter." Marinette said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "You have a way of expressing yourself really well. I couldn't quite believe that you were Chat Noir at first. You should have seen the way I freaked out!
"I didn't freak out as much as I hated myself for being so blind. I felt like kicking myself."
She paused, looking up at some stars that were already out. "I feel like I know you, yet I don't know you, at the same time. How weird is that?" she gigled.
Adrien laughed. "I know exactly what you mean."
"Did you know, I couldn't sleep last night, wondering whether you'd hate me for being Chat Noir."
Marinette turned to him, amazed. "Why would I ever hate you for that? Sure, I was surprised, but you're my partner and my best friend, in and out of the mask. I could never be disappointed in you."
"And besides," she said, softly, looking at him with a fierce intensity in her blue eyes, which was so reminiscent of Ladybug that he swallowed thickly.
"How could I be angry at the boy I love?" She looked up at him and smiled, her beautiful eyes shining with love, and suddenly, Adrien couldn't resist it any longer.
Never breaking eye contact, he gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She shuddered and blushed at the contact, but didn't reject him.
He cupped her face, watching her eyes close, and the world seemed to come to a stop as they both leaned in.
Their kiss was sweet, shy and hesitant, but it was everything what they had been longing for. It communicated their feelings in a way that words never could have.
They pulled apart and stared at each other, feeling ecstatic, light-headed, shy and overwhelmed, all at once.
"I love you, Marinette, my Lady." He had always called her 'my Lady,' but she had never been more his than in that moment. And she will always be mine now.
"I love you too, my kitty, my Adrien." It felt so good to call him hers, something that she had always dreamed of, but which was far, far better in reality. He's really and truly mine now.
It felt so right to say those words, after holding them in for so long.
After a few more kisses and reminiscing, they decided to head back home. Adrien got to his feet, and offered his Lady-now his girlfriend- a hand.
"I know we're both young, Marinette," he said, quietly. Marinette's hand paused mid-way as she regarded him curiously. "But I'd like to give you the world, if you'll let me."
Marinette smiled at her longtime crush, now her boyfriend.
"Silly kitty," she took his hand and got up, placing a kiss on his cheek.
"You already are my world.
~~~.Finish.~~~
