That sounded like- That wasn't possible. He's supposed to be on his way to Paris right now.
"A-Ad-Adrien?" She managed to stutter out as her heart raced against her ribcage. If someone had told her he was coming, she would've changed!
That's why everyone left wasn't it? They were still trying to get Adrien and her together!
Nonononononononono!
The blond stood next to her unsure of how to proceed. A small bouquet in his hand. "I, um, I wanted to give you these."
Turning to face him, Marinette saw the roses he was holding. "I- Th- Thanks. They're beautiful." Ivory, yellow, peach, and pink were in the mix. "Perfection, joy, gratitude, and happiness." She felt her face turn red as she took them from him.
He was never like this before! Why was Adrien so nervous? This was just Marinette. She was one of his closest friends and someone he could trust. "Y-You know what the colors represent?"
It was Marinette's turn to blush. "A-A friend of mine likes roses and he- they've told me about their their feelings. I mean meanings! They've told me about the meanings of differenf colored roses."I have to keep it to keep it together! I don't want to hint at Chat.
"Oh... I just wanted to say that things wouldn't be the same without you. I know I said it before, but thank you. It does mean a lot to me that you're always trying to find ways to make sure I can come to everything. You don't have to- What's wrong?" Adrien's face filled with worry.
Marinette couldn't help but cry. She thought she'd be ready to face him, but she couldn't. She knew it was going to hurt, but it still stung. "N-Nothing. I'm- I'm fine."
She turned away from him. She wasn't going to cry anymore over him. She had to learn how to stop.
"Mari…" Adrien gently turned her to face him. Her eyes were closed and her head was down like before. "Whatever I did, you can tell me the truth."
She shook her head as she sniffled. "You did-didn't do anything. It's j-just me. I have to learn how to let go. I- I just need some time Adrien. T-Trying to be just your friend has taken a lot of time to get used to."
She was talking about-Oh…Taking the flowers and putting them down, he sat down and pulled Marinette down to hold her.
That's what friends do, right?
"N-Not like this. I can't. Th-This doesn't help Adrien."
He tried to apologize. "I-I'm so-"
'It's not your fault, It's never been your fault. You didn't know. You never knew how I felt. Don't blame yourself. Kagami was right. If I had been straightforward back then, I probably wouldn't be like this now."
"Kagami? What does she have to do with us?"
Did he not realize what he just said,Us.Notmeoryou.Us. "The last time the Bourgeoises were akumatized, remember how I hung out with you and Kagami?"
"Yeah. That day was a lot of fun."
"Kagami talked with me. She gave me a chance to tell you how I felt," Marinette had to close her eyes again as she recounted the moment she made her decision. "I saw how much you enjoyed being with Kagami so- so I let you share André's ice cream with her. I-I knew you liked her and-and I didn't want to get in the way. You've always seen me as j-just a fr-friend so I figured I would never say it out loud. You never noticed and I didn't want to lose you as a friend so-so…"
Adrien's heart was hurting so much. He had caused her this pain? Even though he didn't realize it, he still felt guilty about it. He held her. She didn't fight him as he rested her head against his shirt. He didn't care if the clothing got wet from the tears. His Princess, his everyday Ladybug needed him. "Kagami is strong and knows what she wants once she sets her mind to it. But she's not- She's not you, Mar. You're selfless, thoughtful, funny, strong, and caring. You can do anything you set your mind to. You're an amazing designer and baker. I know you're going to be an amazing one when we finish our studies. You're always doing what you can to take care of the people you care about. Even when you're running late or are tired, you brighten my day."
She was a mess. A big mess crying into Adrien's shirt. She was pretty sure she was sitting on his lap.
He can't do this.
He can't do this or say what he just said and expect her tonotfall for him more. She absolutely hated this.
Marinette clutched onto him as if her life depended on it. This felt wrong but at the same time she felt like she was at home. "B-but you're d-dating Kagami."
"I wouldn't exactly say we're dating."
"We-We've all seen the way you hold hands and how she ki-kisses you." What was up with her word vomit?
"I never asked her out…" It was Adrien's turn to blush.
She lifted her face to look at him. He was doing that thing where he scratched the back of his neck when he was nervous or embarrassed.
"What?!"
"She- Kagami's trying to help me forget about the girl I lo-liked," he admitted. "And I haven't kissed her. She's kissed my cheek, but that's as far as I let her. I-I don't love her."
The revelation was a bombshell. It was both good news and bad news at the same time. He wasn't in love with Kagami, but he liked another girl… "Oh… Everyone just assumed that you two were together."
"That's my fault for not clearing the confusion. The other girl- I'm just a friend to her. I've already accepted it."
"Are you happy?"
"What?"
Her red, puffy and swollen bluebell eyes looked straight into his green ones. "If you moved on from the other girl, and you aren't dating Kagami, are you happy with your current relationship with Kagami?"
That caught him off guard. Happy with his relationship with Kagami? They weren't in a romantic relationship but from Kagami's perspective they weren't just friends. Was he looking for an equal? Someone he could trust and depend on just like his partnership with Ladybug? He looked back at Marinette's eyes. Something was telling him that he wouldn't be able to lie to her. If he did, he would truly be hurting her. "No… I guess not."
"If you're not, you shouldn't force yourself. You should be in a relationship with whoever makes you happy." Marinette sniffled as she focused her attention on his shirt to avoid his gaze. "It doesn't have to happen right away. Sometimes our relationships with our friends are just the happiness we need in our lives… Sometimes friendships evolve into something more. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes friendships end because things don't work out for various reasons. It's not always easy to move past friendships that end with heartbreak, but I like to think that those friendships are the ones that teach us about what kind of person we want to be with."
His Princess was leaving him with a lot to think about. When they got back to Paris he was going to have to talk to Kagami. He just hoped that she'd understand his decision. "Marinette?"
"Ye-Yeah?'
"I know this probably isn't the right time, but when we get back to Paris, there's something else I want to talk to you about."
"Huh?"
"Do you trust me?"
The way he looked at her, Marinette wasn't sure what he was thinking. "Yes."
"I need to clear up some things, but when that's done. I'll explain. Is that alright with you?"
Her heart began racing. What could Adrien want to talk to her about back home? "Sure. I-I'll wait for whatever."I'll wait a lifetime if I have to. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but Adrien looked like he was happy as he mentioned talking with her back in Paris.
"Adrien? Thank you."
"For what?"
"For being here." Why did she have to keep crying? Sure these were happy tears, but damn it she was going to look horrible tomorrow because of her swollen face. "I-I'm sorry if you got in trouble with your dad. I know he isn't exactly fair…" She turned her face away. She hated crying in front of him. It's all she's been doing!
"It's nothing bad. Sure I won't get to hang out with everyone for a while during my freetime, but I'll still be able to go to school." Much like the day before in the rain, the model held Marinete's face in his hands as he wiped away her tears.
"Th-That's great!"
"I'll still be able to have lunch with you." He brought her face closer to his. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't felt the weird feelings in his stomach again. It'd been like that since the day before. It was only with Marinette. The feeling was…. warm? He couldn't exactly describe it.
"Lunch?" Marinette's brain and heart were duking it out on the inside. Adrien was giving off some confusing signals. Did he realize he was doing it again?
But she couldn't (and wouldn't) stop him.
She didn't want him to.
"Uh huh. After what's happened… I don't want to hurt you, even if it's by accident. I want to see you smile every day."
Was he trying to kill her with that smile of his? The same one he'd given whenever he was happy?
"I- I'll have the p-passionfruit macarons ready for you," she managed to squeak out.
"I can't wait," he said as she could hear the happiness in his voice.
Theirforeheadswere touching! Why hadn't she fainted yet?! Just a little more and…
"A-Adrien?" Marinette had closed her eyes as she whispered. She was trying to fight the urge to lean in and kiss him.
"Hm?"
"A-Are you sure?"
"Sure about what?"
"About… this." She didn't want to break the magic, but she was close to betraying the trust he had in her. "Th-This isn't something… This isn't exactly what friends do."
"I know." She could practically hear him laughing from his tone.
"Promise me this isn't a joke?" Her eyes were still closed. She was too scared to do anything else. "I-I won't- I don't think I'll be able to handle all of this if this is your way of cheering me up." Word vomit or not, at least she was being honest and was having a proper conversation with him. The class would kill him if he was messing with her, but at least she could say that her last conversation with Adrien Agreste was one in which she didn't make a fool of herself.
"I swear. I gave you my word that I wasn't going to hurt you. I intend to do my best to keep it."
His nose brushed hers! She almost flinched away from surprise but her eyes opened.
Bad idea! Bad idea!She was lost in the green again. She wasn't sure what to do, but Adrien brushed some of her back behind her ear as he tilted his head…
How was she supposed to- None of her friends told her Adrien-
Adrien just followed his instincts? He was still new to the whole romance thing. Sure he had been pining for Ladybug for almost 3 years before he gave up, but Kagami didn't make him feel warm and fuzzy like Ladybug and Marinette. Ladybug was long gone. Marinette felt right.
Mari hadn't stopped him, but he also didn't want to scare her. "Mari?"
"Hm?"
He couldn't help stare at her eyes even though their faces were close. "Is it okay if I-"
"Uh huh."
The subtle nod confirming her response was just enough for him to close the small gap between them.