Adrien knew that it was cold when even his coat and jeans were not enough and he could see his breath. He came up the stairs to school seeing Nino was holding Alya's hand talking to Marinette.
"Can you just shut up?" Marinette yelled, Adrien stopped in his step seeing the anger in her posture and eyes.
"Marinette please we just want to help you." Alya told her trying to grab Marinette's hand.
"Just shut up." Marinette walked away with anger radiating all over her. Adrien walked towards them again once Marinette was out of sight and ear shot.
"Is everything okay?" Adrien asked breathing out a sigh of relief that the anger has dissipated from the air.
"She looked tired and we suggested she go to the nurses dude. Then she just blew up." Nino said looking worried.
"I've never seen her like this." Alya spoke softly. "Should we tell him?"
"Tell me what?" Adrien asked crossing his arms, it had been 2 years since Adrien had gotten Plagg his kwami and became Chat Noir as well as became partners with Ladybug but it seemed over the 2 years he's been partnered with her, that she's changed drastically.
"Nothing forget I said anything. Let's go Nino." Alya grabbed his hand, dragging him off to class. Adrien tilted his head, he then shrugged and headed to his own class. He stopped as he realized Marinette was sitting on the ground next to the door to the classroom.
"Hey Marinette, you okay?" Adrien came up to her as he noticed she had her head in her knees.
"Ugh not you too." Marinette looked at him with eyes full of anger. "It's funny here I was for 2 stinkin years crushing on you the supermodel and not once did you seem to notice. I'm done, done with everyone here and done with being friends with you." Marinette was too angry to realize she had confessed to Adrien. She stomped passed him, running down the stairs and out of the school. Adrien was frozen in his spot, hearing her confession confused him, for one he saw her as a friend and loved Ladybug but now realizing that Ladybug may never like him back started making him question stuff. He looked to where she had run off, wondering what he should do but knowing he had to go into class for the day. After class he rushed to his bodyguards car, telling him to stop at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery on the way home. On the way over it started snowing, Adrien loved the snow and the feel of it but what mattered more was to help Marinette through her pain despite the fact that he was the one who caused it. When the car parked Adrien looked up at the bakery, breathing in then out he got out of the car and into the store.
"Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng I'd like to talk to your daughter." Adrien stated in a serious tone.
"And why should we let you?" Tom was very protective over his daughter especially when she came home crying and running to her room.
"Tom dear let him speak." Sabine told her husband, while she was protective like her husband she thought it would be wise to let everyone have a chance to explain themselves.
"Please, I didn't know your daughter liked me in that way. I guess I was too dense to notice. But I don't want to lose your daughter in anyway shape or form." Adrien explained, Tom sighed while Sabine smiled.
"If you want to talk to her head up the stairs all the way." Sabine told him, Adrien nodded, bowed and headed through the back of the bakery to the stairs that led up to Marinette's room. As soon he got to her room he knocked, he closed his eyes tight praying that he won't get hurt by Marinette's wrath.
"Marinette it's me, Adrien. I want to talk to you about earlier." Adrien spoke with some confidence in his voice.
"Go away please, you shouldn't even be here Adrien." Marinette said behind her door, it was very clear to Adrien that she had been crying since he could hear her sniffle.
"Marinette I want to help you and honestly apologize." Adrien spoke with truth behind his voice, he could hear footsteps and then the door opened.
"Fine speak." Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, her shirt was different which meant she changed it when she got home.
"Look Marinette I didn't mean to hurt you in anyway and yes I was too dense to realize you had liked me that way but can I be honest. I don't see how you can like me, I was home schooled up until 2 years ago, I had no friends and no social skills. I still get yelled at by my dad if I do something he doesn't like." Adrien looked away from her, his eyes showing pain and sadness.
"I don't know why I like you either but ever since you handed me the umbrella 2 years ago I've just thought of you as an amazing person and I've liked you or I was attracted to you." Marinette sighed looking at her feet.
"Then let's try a test." Adrien suggested, Marinette looked up, her eyes showing go on. "I kiss you and if I feel a spark or you feel a spark we have to tell each other. If no spark then we move on." Marinette seemed to think about it then nodded agreeing with it.
"Wait but what if you don't feel a spark but I do." Marinette spoke wondering what he would say.
"Then we will talk about it like adults. We almost are so we can have a casual conversation." He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her chin, he could hear her swallow, he could hear her breath hitch from the contact, and he could hear her heartbeat for some reason as it was beating fast. "You ready?" He asked looking into her eyes, she nodded softly and he leaned close, closing his eyes as she did the same. He felt his lips touch hers, an instant feel of electricity had flowed through his body but he didn't know if she felt it too. However he did feel her wrap her arms around his neck wanting to deepen the kiss which he didn't argue, instead he kissed deeper as well. When he pulled away slowly he could hear both of their breathing being fast and heavy.
"I felt a spark." Marinette blushed burying her face in his right shoulder trying to hide her blush.
"So did I." Adrien admitted, when he said this she lifted her head up from his shoulder and he could hear her swallow. His phone rang, anger coming into his eyes since this person was interrupting what they were doing. He could hear Marinette giggle softly at his anger as it was just a phone call. Adrien answered, his face showed it all going from anger to fear and Marinette knew it had to either be his father or his father's assistant Natalie. He hung up not sure if he wanted to tell her what the phone call was about or just keep it to himself.
"If you need to go, you can go. We can talk about this later." Marinette told him smiling softly, he was glad that she was back to her cheerful self but upset that he had to leave her like this.
"You sure?" He asked as he headed to the door but he stopped, turned around and kissed her deeply. He could tell he caught her by surprise because it took her a bit to kiss back. The spark hit him again only this time it was more of a wanting more type of spark. He pulled away smiling softly, "I will come back promise."
"And I'll be waiting." She told him as he left the room to head to his home.
"Kid that was dangerous." Plagg told him as Adrien left the bakery to get into the car.
"Plagg it was a kiss besides I felt something there and I've made up my mind." Adrien got into the car, buckled up his seatbelt then looked out the window to the bakery. Adrien knew that Ladybug could never love him back so it was hard for him to let her go but when he kissed Marinette it seemed the world made more sense. He did care about Marinette, so much so that he never stopped to consider what was wrong with loving her not Ladybug but as the drive to his place took a bit he soon realized that maybe he loved Marinette deep down but just didn't want to ruin the friendship between them. The bodyguard stopped the car in front of the Agreste mansion then opened the door for Adrien, he knew the mouthful he was going to get for skipping the last class today but Adrien didn't care. He didn't want to lose Marinette, the one person that meant so much more to him then he thought 2 years ago. As he walked into the mansion, his father standing at the top of the stairwell looking angry as usual.
"Adrien you left the school without my permission, on top of which you missed fencing practice." Gabriel stated with an angry tone behind his voice.
"So what?" For once Adrien felt more confident standing up to his dad then kissing Marinette. "I was about to lose a friend and frankly your schedule for me is stupid and pointless. I don't like any of the stuff you have put out for me as well as I don't like not being able to have freedom." Adrien stood his ground, his phone vibrated but he wanted to make sure that he was heard by his dad before getting distracted.
"Adrien how dare you use that tone towards me." Gabriel yelled this looking more pissed off then earlier.
"You know what no, I'm done taking crap from you." Adrien went to his room, his mind clear on what he wanted to do. He packed up a bunch of clothes along with a bag full of camembert.
"Kid wait...what are you doing?" Plagg asked watching him pack his favorite food.
"I'm tired of him and his rules." Adrien left his room, passed his father who was fuming without saying anything, as soon as Adrien left the gate of the mansion he breathed in then dialed Nino's number.
"Yeah." Nino answered sounding tired.
"You okay man?" Adrien asked worried about the fact that Nino sounded tired more so then his new found freedom from his prison that was his father.
"Yeah just babysitting is exhausting dude. So what's up, what you need?" Nino asked, his voice sounding more awake now that Adrien was talking to him.
"I need a place to stay." Adrien didn't know if Nino would allow him to stay, to be honest his parents had to say yes before Nino could say yes.
"Uh hold on let me ask my parents." Nino told him, it sounded like he put the phone down then Adrien heard distant yelling. Adrien sighed as he walked to the park that he loved so much, by the time Adrien sat down on the bench Nino had come back and picked up the phone. "So I talked to my parents and they told me yes. They also said you can stay as long as you need to."
"Thanks man you're the best, I'll be there in 20 minutes. First I have to stop at Marinette's for a bit." He smiled softly, her name sounding so amazing coming off of his tongue now.
"No worries dude take your time." Nino hung up the phone then Adrien stretched on the bench. He breathed in then out, he got up then ran over to the bakery. He came into the store, this time Marinette was in the bakery helping her parents with the last minute sales of the day.
"Hey Marinette." Adrien told her, she looked at him, ran up to him and hugged him.
"Glad your okay." Marinette sounded worried. "That call scared me so much, thought you were getting chewed out by your dad." Only now did she notice the duffel bag stuffed. She looked at him worried even more grabbing his hand and dragging him up to her room.
"Well technically I did but I had enough. I'm going to be living with Nino now." Adrien spoke once they got to her room, he looked around and noticed the wall full of pictures of him. "You were not kidding." Marinette's cheeks grew dark red then she looked down embarrassed.
"Mm I'm so embarrassed you had to see that." She sat down beside him, her head still down but was soon lifted up, moved and held while looking into his eyes.
"Marinette don't be." He rubbed her chin with his thumb. "We need to talk don't we. That's why I came over here." Her eyes saddened showing a little fear of what the worst answer he could have. "Relax all I was going to say was that I felt the spark between us and I was going to ask if you want to be my girlfriend." To be honest Adrien wanted to date her the moment he kissed her but his father called him interrupting him. Her eyes widen, she pulled away then slapped her cheeks.
"Tell me I'm dreaming." Marinette got up then started pacing the room wondering if it really was a dream. Adrien got up, grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a kiss, when he pulled away she smiled and blushed softly.
"Your not dreaming, I'll ask again will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend." He asked in a serious tone.
"Yes of course." Marinette replied to his question and this time she surprised him with a deep kiss on his lips. Adrien held her hips kissing back feeling her arms wrap around his neck. When they separated from each other he smirked.
"I have to go now but I will see you tomorrow correct?" He asked looking sad that he had to leave but he did promise Nino he'd be there in 5 minutes. He'd have to transform to Chat Noir since Nino lived on the other side of town.
"I will be waiting for you with Alya." She told him, he nodded then left the bakery to an alleyway he knew was safe. After transforming to Chat Noir he hopped over roof after roof to get to Nino's. Once he got there he went into the alleyway next to the house and de transformed. He handed plagg a piece of cheese to thank him for letting him get there quicker. He came up to the door to Nino's, knocked and waited for Nino to answer.