Self-Indulgent Angst and Fluff.
They say that a part of growing up is coming to doubt things you thought you knew.
Adrien never thought he'd doubt how he perceived love.
But here he was, the day after a...sort of breakup. He had finally bit the bullet with Kagami and admitted he didn't love her, so he couldn't date her. She had taken rather well, knowing that he was telling the truth. And then confessed her own truth, that she hadn't loved him in the first place. She felt kinship and attraction to him, but it wasn't love.
His father, on the other hand, had not taken it well. Not at all.
The conversation, or lecture rather, had been rolling around in Adrien's head all morning. Try as he might, he couldn't shake it.
How could you just brush off something so awful? So world shattering?
—
Today was the day! Marinette was certain of it. Maybe her Miraculous melded with her finally and gave her the courage. Or maybe it was the nostalgia of the rain pattering on the sidewalk. But today it was going to happen.
She was going to confess to Adrien.
She was a little late, still on time for school, but last to arrive to class. Everyone else was already seated and talking among themselves. Miss Bustier was even in, preparing for the lesson.
Marinette entered the room, eyes on target.
He looked tired, or bored, or maybe even sad. She wasn't sure. But she couldn't dwell on it. She just had to do it. Do it and say it and get it out!
"Good morning, Adrien!" She smiled, her grin large and genuine and portraying the love she felt for him.
"Oh," he blinked, his own smile coming in slowly, and dimly. "Good morning, Marinette."
She could have forced a conversation, or just made small talk, but the truth just bubbled out of her.
"I'm in love with you." She said, still smiling.
The room fell quiet, and everyone simultaneously heard her confession.
Adrien stared at her, wide-eyed and...scared? "What?"
"I love you, Adrien." She should have been nervous, but she wasn't. She should have backtracked, and weaseled her way out of it. But she just gave a little shrug. "Just thought I should tell you, finally."
He wasn't saying anything, anything at all. He just stared at her.
Everyone stared at her. Chloe, Lila, Alya, Miss Bustier, everyone.
Silence ticked by as her adrenaline gave way to embarrassment.
She just clapped her hands together. "Um, you don't have to say it back of course. Just Uh...it's something I had been meaning to say, and I just...decided to get it off my chest. So...okay..." and she awkwardly walked passed him and sat down, her face growing warmer with each step.
"Girl!" Alya whispered harshly. "What was that?!"
"My confession. I've held it long enough, so I'm finally coming clean."
"Why now? Why like that? Why all of a sudden out of nowhere?"
Marinette shrugged. "Just woke up with the courage."
Adrien, for his part, didn't dare turn around. He kept his eyes laser focused forward, unseeing.
The room broke into whispers. Complete disbelief, which was understandable.
But the clock struck the hour, and class was supposed to start. Despite the absolute bomb that had just gone off in the classroom, Miss Bustier got up and started the lesson.
Marinette wasn't paying attention to the lesson of course. Horrible thoughts started to roll around in her head, worst case scenarios. He was sort of with Kagami, right? Crap, she had forgotten about that! Ugh, this was all messed up now! He probably hated her guts and he'd get his father to blacklist her from the industry and—
"Adrien, are you alright?" Miss Bustier asked, cutting through Marinette's turmoil.
Adrien's shoulders were hunched, his hands in fists at his side as he trembled.
He sniffled, and Nino reached out a hand to him.
Oh god, it was worse than she thought! She made him cry!
Adrien stood swiftly. "I need to be excused!" He shouted, leaving everything behind, before bolting out of the room and slamming the door shut behind him.
Marinette stared in shock, guilt coiling in her gut.
"What did you do?" Asked Alya.
"I...I have no idea..." Marinette whispered back, tears in her eyes.
"I'll go check on him," Lila said, voice full of convincing concern. She stood and left quickly.
Of course, Marinette didn't want Lila getting anywhere near him while he was so vulnerable, but was she any better? She was probably the last person he wanted to see.
But she should at least apologize, for whatever she did.
There was just something nagging in her Ladybug brain. What would cause someone to cry after hearing someone loved them?
Had Adrien loved her once, and given her up? Were these words too late and too bitter now?
She just couldn't understand. But guilt and heartache for doing this to the man she loved wracked her with pain.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Adrien's voice echoed through the courtyard, stalling Miss Bustier's lesson.
Chloe took out her phone and started frantically texting.
Marinette waited in anxiety.
A moment later, Lila returned, tears on her cheeks. "He hit me!" She cried. "I don't know why! I was just trying to offer him comfort! I know it must be hard for him to get love confessions from crazed fans all the time—"
"I'm going to talk to him," Marinette decided. She couldn't stand another minute. Not another minute of Adrien suffering. She couldn't allow it.
"That might not be a good idea..." Miss Bustier began.
But Marinette scooted around her and out of the room.
In the courtyard, she could hear him sniveling.
She hurried down the steps, scanning the room for any sign of him.
And there he was. Hunched over against the wall. Knees brought up, head resting against them. It was a pose she had never seen him in.
She didn't want him to yell at her too. She didn't know if her heart could take it.
But she couldn't help him if she didn't try. So she stepped closer, making sure he could hear her steps so she didn't frighten him.
"Adrien?" She asked softly.
He whipped his head up, his teeth pulled into a snarl. "I said—!" But then he stopped, seeing her there instead. "Oh, Marinette..."
It was then that she noticed the scarf on the ground. The one she had made him, that he believed was from his father.
It was ruined. It had been torn apart, like someone had dug their fingers between the weaves and pulled.
She crouched and picked it up.
"It's garbage." Adrien clarified. "I don't want it. I can't even look at it."
She trembled, and tried not to cry. Her confession sent him into tears. Her scarf was subjected to his anger.
What had she done? Where had she wronged him? And what could she do to fix it?
"I-I'm sorry," she started. "I meant to tell you earlier, but you seemed so happy thinking it was from your father. I didn't mean to lie..."
He frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"The...scarf? This scarf? I thought—I made this for you, for your birthday. I signed it and everything, but it must have fallen off or—"
"You made that for me?" His voice was incredibly small as he pushed off the wall and stood on shaking legs.
"I thought you found out...isn't that why you ruined it? I made you cry..."
He violently shook his head no, before crushing her into a hug.
He nuzzled his face into her neck, and dug his fingers into her jacket, almost painfully. "Marinette..." he whimpered. "Sweet Marinette."
She stood in shock. So he wasn't mad at her? She returned the hug, squeezing him tightly and playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.
"Can you fix it?" He whispered.
"What?"
"The scarf…" he touched the unraveling thread. "If I had known, I wouldn't have—I would have treasured it more. Please Marinette."
It was ruined. No doubt about it. Some of the yarn was frayed and snapped completely.
"I'll make you a new one," she promised, "one without any doubt of who it's from." She tied a few of the broken threads together and looped the scarf around his neck. It would do for now.
He sniffed and rubbed at his face. "Thank you…thank you…"
She had never seen him so…undone. Just like the scarf, he was falling to pieces, and she had no idea how to react to it.
"I know you want to be alone," she began. "But I don't want you…to be akumatized."
"You're the only person I want around right now. I trust you and..." he started crying again. Fat tears running down his cheeks, before he tried to hide it with his hand. "I'm sorry...this is really pathetic."
"No...no no Adrien, you're not pathetic..." Summoning every ounce of courage she had, she held his cheek and swiped his tears. "Obviously something happened. You don't usually cry like this. At least as far as I've seen."
"I think I've been holding it in," he chuckled lamely. "Kept thinking that my heartaches weren't worth crying over...but it caught up to me. I'm sorry if I scared you."
"It's okay, Adrien. I guess my confession was the straw that broke the camel's back, huh?"
He held her hand to his cheek and closed his eyes with a sigh. "Something like that."
Marinette gave him a little smile, though he wouldn't see it, before reaching down and taking hold of his hand. "Let's get out of here for a while, huh? We're good students, we can handle it."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure as hell not leaving you alone. Besides, I know somewhere peaceful we can talk. Let me just grab my umbrella."
Adrien followed her to the locker room, hand firmly in hers, and not eager to let go anytime soon.
They walked in silence, as Adrien occasionally sniffed and wiped his cheeks.
Even though Marinette, the nicest girl he knew, was here now, loving him, his tears still would not stop.
She took him to the bakery.
"Marinette!" Sabine scolded. "Why aren't you at school?!"
Marinette gave her mother a sheepish look. "Adrien needed some fresh air. I volunteered to escort him."
It was then that Sabine took in his face, and her expression softened immediately. "Oh...did...you want snacks?"
"Not if it's a burden, Mrs. Cheng." Adrien damn near whispered.
"It's not, dear. Not in the least. Let's see...Marinette says you like almonds, and passionfruit macarons, oh and we have pain au chocolat fresh from the oven!" She quickly made up a bag of goodies and handed them over.
"Thanks mom! You're the best!"
"Yes, thank you Madam Cheng!"
Sabine gave him an affectionate and painless pinch on the cheek. "Of course, sweetie. You're welcome here anytime!"
Adrien's eyes welled up with tears again, as he tried his damndest not to let them fall. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice drowning with emotion.
Marinette took his hand once again, and led him out of the bakery, back into the rain.
As they paused under the awning, Adrien recognized the umbrella she was opening.
"Hey, is that...the one I gave you?"
"Sure is!" She popped it open and placed it over their heads. "Well, in the spirit of full disclosure, I think you should know...that was when I fell in love with you."
"All the way back then? And you never told me?" He thought back to all the clues he had, but all the times she declared, firmly, that they were just friends. Even his entire sorta relationship with Kagami, she was just cheering him on.
"I don't know," she shrugged. "I was scared. I had a feeling you loved someone else. So I just let it be. But today, something told me you needed to hear it. That I needed to stop denying everything."
He squeezed her hand. "I wish you had told me sooner, but today was a great day to tell me."
She blushed, but pulled him away from the door and out into the lightly sprinkling rain. "So what happened? Well, you don't need to tell me about it, but if you want to—"
"I want to. I should just be telling a therapist, but...I don't have one. Let me know if it gets to be too much. Okay?"
"Let me have it."
"So...Kagami and I broke up."
Marinette exhaled sadly, resting her head on his shoulder, since her hand was occupied.
"It wasn't that bad, honestly," he continued. "I knew that I didn't love her, and I felt that—well I thought that I loved someone else. So I told her. She admitted that she hadn't loved me in the first place. She cared about me, but she hadn't realized that what she was feeling wasn't love. It was just friendship. I felt better knowing I hadn't broken her heart."
Marinette steered them in an unfamiliar direction, off the beaten path. It was a winding alleyway that made little sense as steps ascended and turned corners. It was a narrow fit, one they had to take one at a time, before they reached the end.
It was a little garden. There were rose bushes in the corners, and a little fountain with a cherub. A wooden swing with an awning took up a corner, and welcomed anyone that could find the little haven.
"Wow...Marinette this is so cool. How did you find this place?"
She shrugged noncommittally and led him to the swing. "I have my ways."
They settled, and she tucked the umbrella away. Then silence reigned for a little bit, only broken by the pattering of the rain and the creak of the swing.
"So?" Marinette finally asked. "If the break up was so mutual, what has you so upset?"
Adrien sighed, and leaned his head back. "My father's reaction to the break up. He wasn't...thrilled."
"No offense to the man, but I didn't think he cared about your love life."
"He doesn't. But he had some contract with her mom that I ruined, apparently. He wasted his time, he said."
Marinette swallowed, watching as Adrien stared dead ahead at the fountain.
"I told him we broke up amicably. And that I did it because I didn't love her." He bit his lip and clenched his eyes shut. "'How could you know what love is, when no one even loves you?' That's what he said, Marinette. My own father told me he and my mother, and everyone else...no one loved me. Kagami didn't and neither does-'' he sobbed. "Until this morning, I thought I was completely unlovable. But you...you know what love is. Your family loves you. So if you say you do, I believe you."
She waited for him to finish before enveloping him in the tightest hug she could manage. It was in an effort to squeeze the sadness right out of him. And it seemed to work, as the sobs came like a downpour. He dug his fingers into her, holding on for dear life.
So much sorrow. So much heartbreak. Marinette swore one day that Gabriel Agreste would pay. How could the man not love his son? Someone as spectacular as Adrien? Who couldn't love him?
"Marinette!" Tikki's voice cut through the emotional moment. She wouldn't have spoken unless...
Marinette let go of Adrien and unfortunately pushed him away, then she scanned the garden hideaway.
There, just past the alley entrance, dodging raindrops and heading towards Adrien at full speed, was an Akuma.
"No! Not him!" Marinette clung to Adrien, this time with desperation and fear. She couldn't fight him. She wouldn't fight him. Even if she went back on her own rules, even if she ruined everything...
She kissed him. Right on the mouth. Even if he didn't love her back, she wanted him to feel good. If she could distract him from his sorrow for just a moment, long enough for the akuma to leave.
A horrible chill rushed over her body, before she was pushed gently away by the shoulders.
He had succumbed.
He was all white. His hair, his skin, even his eyes had turned to porcelain. Cold and hard to the touch, but oh so fragile. The scarf around his neck turned into lacy wings that sprouted from his back.
"Adrien..." Marinette breathed his name.
"Lovelace now, I'm afraid." But he was so gentle with her. He helped her to her feet, and touched her cheek with his stony hand. "Thank you for trying to help, Marinette. But I've accepted Hawkmoth's help this time. He's given me the power to make people love me."
"Is it really love then?" She asked.
He frowned. "It's better than them hating me. I'll start with Ladybug first."
She gasped, not expecting to be the first target. She would have expected him to want to get to his father.
"She'll never love me otherwise. No matter how hard I tried, how I reasoned with her, how many chances I begged for, she will never ever love me!" A crack formed under his eye. "But I can make her. And once she loves me, she won't need her miraculous. And then I can make all of Paris love me!"
"Adrien...this isn't you. Please fight it!" She cried for him.
He wiped the tear away ever so gently. That gentleness that was so characteristic of him, but such a difference from where he was now. "Oh, poor sweet Marinette. There will be a place for you when the time comes. You, who loved me without powers. My gratitude is beyond measure. But for now, I suggest you go home and stay out of my way." His voice took a hard edge at the end, that gave her goosebumps up her spine. She wouldn't be able to help him as Marinette anymore. Now it was Ladybug's turn.
"Okay..." she agreed, and hurried down the alley. Her heart broke with each step.
Finally, she had run far enough and away to a secluded place to transform.
"I'm ready, Marinette! Let's save Adrien!"
But Marinette had gone back in time, earlier in the conversation. Something nagged at her.
"Marinette?"
"He said he was going after Ladybug first."
"All akumas do."
"But he said it was because I would never love him. No matter how many attempts he made. But Adrien never..." she choked, new tears coming to her eyes.
"Now I know what you might be thinking..." Tikki warned.
"Adrien is Chat Noir."
"And...what's the point of even trying to hide it?" Tikki muttered to herself.
"Oh my poor Chat...we'll find a way!" She snapped her fingers. "And I have a plan! Tikki, spots on!"
—
Precious minutes later, Ladybug burst into Miss Bustier's class. "Madam, I need to borrow Nino Lahiffe!"
Nino's eyes went wide. "But I thought—"
"Special exception! Now move it!"
Nino leapt to his feet and followed her outside. Once they were away from prying eyes, she handed him the small compact that held his old bracelet.
"But Hawkmoth knows who I am."
"It doesn't matter this time. Your friend, Adrien Agreste has been akumatized."
Nino looked like he had been shot. "Marinette, girl what did you do...?"
"On the contrary! Marinette tried very valiantly to keep him from turning. His power is to make people love him. I figured you loved him a lot already, so you'll probably be immune to his powers."
"Hey! That's genius! The guy is like my brother. Of course I love him! And I'm going to kick his butt for thinking that no one does!" He put on the bracelet and called for the transformation.
"So I guess I'll be your meat shield? Take the hits so you and Chat don't go Gaga?"
"Chat is out with a family crisis." Not a lie! "And...I will also probably be immune to his powers."
Nino went wide-eyed. "Wait what?! Really?!"
"Shut up, and don't tell anyone. Especially Alya."
"Mums the word!"
"Good, now here's the plan..."
—
Lovelace had garnered an army of adoring fans in the twenty minutes Ladybug had taken to get Nino.
The Akuma himself was sitting on a bench, and waited, while dozens of fans scurried about.
"I brought you water, Adrien!"
"Here, I have an umbrella, we can't have you catching a cold, Adrien."
"Let me dry off that bench for you, Adrien!"
"What can I do for you?"
"Would you like a shoulder rub?"
Adrien didn't answer to his victims. He just watched them all with a quiet fascination.
This wasn't as fulfilling as he had hoped for. Maybe it would be different with Ladybug and his father.
"There you are, dude!" Carapace called out to him. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"
Lovelace's eyes widened and he raised a hand. "Carapace! You will fight for me now!"
Without even flinching, Carapace took the hit. It just tingled, but had no effect.
"Aw, come on man. Surely you know I already loved you? You're my bro, dawg! But I am fighting for you. For your freedom from akumatization!"
Lovelace gaped in shock. "No! You're supposed to do what I want!"
"Sometimes what you want and what you need aren't the same thing. I am on your side, Adrien. That's why I want to help you."
Lovelace pointed to Carapace and told the crowd around him, "subdue him!"
The fans all dropped what they were doing and ran at Carapace.
Luckily, Ladybug caught him around the waist with her yo-yo and pulled him away.
"You were right, Bug. I'm immune!"
"Glad to hear it. Looks like these folks weren't though."
"Get Ladybug! Bring her to me!" Lovelace shouted, before firing at more people.
"We better wrap this up before things get out of control."
The name of the game was subtlety. Carapace and Ladybug both knew she was immune, but Lovelace didn't. He shot over and over, begging her to stand still.
"Just love me, Ladybug!"
Ladybug allowed herself a misstep, and for the beam to strike her.
"No!" Shouted Carapace.
Lovelace opened his arms, beckoning her forward. "Come to me, My Lady!"
Ladybug held her cheeks, eyes glittering like a rabid fangirl. "Adrien! Oh my sweet, handsome Adrien!" She skipped to him, twirling and giggling like a girl who was completely and totally smitten. "My love!" When she reached him, she took his hands in hers, and kissed his knuckles (so he couldn't grab her earrings). "You've finally caught me, My Prince. I'm all yours!"
"My Lady..." Adrien breathed, another crack forming under his eye.
"Don't be sad, my love! I'm here!" She leaned in, and kissed his porcelain lips.
One of these days, she was going to enjoy a kiss with Adrien, but it seemed like today was not that day.
He stood still, holding her waist and indulging her kiss.
It lasted only long enough for her to wrap her arms around his neck, and yank the scarf free.
"No!" Adrien shouted, as she danced away from him.
"Sorry Adrien, but this is for your own good!"
"You mean...you already...?"
She winked at him, before she ripped the scarf up, and allowed the Akuma to be freed.
After purifying, Adrien Agreste sat on the ground, bewildered, but only for a moment. It didn't take long for his last memories to catch up to him and he put the pieces together.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so so sorry Ladybug! And Carapace!"
Nino hugged him, giving him a tight squeeze and then pulled away to hold his shoulders. "Dude, if you ever feel like no one loves you, you just come talk to me, and I'll convince you otherwise. Got it?"
Ladybug picked up the now-repaired scarf and placed it securely around Adrien's neck. Then she lifted him into her arms, like a princess. "Let's go for a stroll, hmm?"
Adrien clung to her, shocked and embarrassed.
The three went to the alleyway Adrien was akumatized in, and Nino immediately detransformed, offering up his Miraculous. "Here you are, Ladybug. Thanks for giving me the chance to help my bro."
"Thank you for your help!" She beamed.
"I got to get back to class. You gonna be okay, dude?"
"Uh yeah. Just...Marinette?"
"She's safe, don't worry." Ladybug gave him a pat. "I'll take you to her, if you'd like."
"That'd be great. I should really talk to her..."
"Kay dudes, I'll check you later!" Nino waved.
Then Adrien and Ladybug were alone.
"I'm really sorry again, Ladybug. I'm usually very level headed...at least I think I am."
"Adrien," she stopped him with a hand in his shoulder. "People get akumatized because they got the wrong topping on their sandwich. I'm really not judging you. You were...a walk in the park to fight."
"Thats...that's good, right? What did I do?"
"You made people love you. Kind of like...Befona, or Zombizu."
"How did you beat me?"
She gestured to the swing, and sat down beside him. "Well, I knew I would be immune to your attack, so I pretended like I came under your spell...and I kissed you. When you were distracted, I took the scarf away."
He blushed all shades of red. "Oh. Wait, you knew you would be immune? How?"
"Easy. I couldn't love you anymore if I tried, Kitty."
"Kitt—" he choked. "You...you know."
"Yeah. You told me. When you were freshly akumatized, you said you were going after Ladybug first, since she would 'never love you' no matter how hard you tried, or how many times you asked...Chat Noir is the only one who has asked me more than once."
The dots were still a little too far apart in his mind. "And I didn't fight you?"
"Spots off."
Adrien watched in shock as the love of his life turned into his beloved friend who had tried so hard to heal his battered heart.
His eyes were wide and sparking with tears. Drops rolled down his cheeks, and he kept sniffing.
But he was smiling, oh so brightly.
"My Lady? You're My Lady?" He whispered.
"Hi Chaton." She smiled.
"You love me..." he whispered again, clenching his eyes shut as more tears came. "You love me, even if it's just a part. Even if you don't love Chat..." his eyebrows drew together. "But now it's all ruined. Because you're going to change your mind."
"No!" She practically leapt on him, scrambling to sit in his lap and tucking under his chin.
Adrien gathered Marinette close, burying his nose in her hair, and letting his fingers play with the hem of her shirt.
"Adrien, finding out you're Chat Noir is literally the best thing that could have ever happened. I adore Chat, and I turned down your advances because of you, Adrien. It hurt to keep telling you no. But you deserved to have someone love you with their whole heart." She pulled back and sat up, so that she was face to face with him. She leaned in, and rested her forehead against his. "And that can be me now, if you'll have me."
"Marinette," he sobbed. "You really love me?"
She covered his face in little kisses. "And I'm not the only one. Ask Plagg."
As if on cue, Plagg emerged and stuck out his tongue at Adrien. "Yeah, Fartface. How dare you think no one loves you. No one is a bigger fan than me!"
"You're a fan, and you're calling me Fartface?" Adrien chuckled.
Plagg rubbed against his cheek, affectionately. "Only you."
"And Nino and Alya love you. I've heard Nino call you his brother, and Alya doesn't have nicknames for anybody else in the class."
This seemed to brighten him as he smiled genuinely. "Yeah...you're right."
"And Chloe loves you. I'm sure if I called her and told her where we were, she'd be over in a second, and ready to crush you."
He laughed. "Yeah, she would."
"And my parents, and your fans, I bet your bodyguard loves you too." She kissed his cheek, just because she could. "And I know your mom loved you. Your dad can try to retroactively say she didn't, but she did. I bet that your father even loves you, but he was so angry, he just wanted to hurt you."
"I don't really care about his feelings anymore." Adrien lamented. "I finally realized that all the effort I went through to please him and get his approval was a waste."
"Well, he doesn't deserve your effort. Give it to people who will cherish it."
"Like you?"
She chuckled. "Yes Kitty. Like me. I'll cherish every moment with you. I promise."
"You're going to make me cry again."
"I won't judge."
He looked to her, shyly, very much aware of how close they were. "My Lady, can I—"
"Yes." She interrupted.
"But I didn't get to finish asking."
"True. But you've had a lot of no's lately. I wanted to say yes."
"Okay...then, I'll just..." he slowly closed his eyes and leaned in, fully prepared for her to push him away by the nose. 'I didn't mean that' she would say.
But that didn't happen. Instead, her mouth meshed with his, full and wanting. Her arms twined around his neck, and fingers dove into his hair, sending goosebumps down his spine.
She was delicious. Warm, inviting, soft, and oh so sexy. Her thin frame arched forward, doing everything to be close to him, and he drank it in.
His Lady. His love. His light.
He kissed her sweetly, and he kissed her hotly. Tender pecks, and raunchy open mouthed caresses. Their tongues met shyly, passing against each other with tentative grazes.
And then Adrien pulled away, his chest heaving from the rush of it all. The rush of kissing his lady.
"Wow," he whispered.
"Wow indeed," she smirked back. She pressed a kiss to his lips, perfectly delicate in contrast to the passion of seconds ago. "You're amazing."
He grasped her shoulders. "I'm amazing?! You're amazing! I love you! You're the most perfect girl in the world!"
"I thought I was trying to hype you up?" She giggled.
"I can't help it. Every minute I'm with you, I'm enchanted."
"Cheesy, but I love you anyways." She kissed him. "And I might have a hard time stopping kissing you, now that I know how wonderful it is."
"Then we can kiss whenever you want. Before school, during class, on patrol, instead of a fistbump."
"Yes to all," she giggled. "I want everyone to see how loved you are."
He leaned against her chest with a content sigh. "Thank you Marinette. I was so devastated. I didn't know what I was going to do. I had already fought off several Akuma last night. I thought Hawkmoth had given up, but...I couldn't bear to hurt you."
"You didn't. Honest." She smooched him.
He leaned back on the swing, his hand brushing a paper bag. "Our pastries!"
"See! The day is saved!"
—
An hour of dancing and kissing in the rain later, two soaked teens wound up at Marinette's house to change, and then back to school for the second half of the day.
Nino greeted him with a big hug, and so did Alya.
"I'm glad to see you're feeling happier, Adrien," Said Miss Bustier. "Now I think you owe Lila an apology."
He suppressed an eye roll. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Lila."
"And for hitting me?" She egged on.
"No...I'm pretty sure I just yelled at you." He frowned.
Marinette placed a hand on his arm, and it was just enough of a push. He straightened his spine and glared at her. "And I'm pretty sure you deserved it, after you came down and antagonized me. What was it you said? 'Your father wishes I was his child instead of a sensitive little baby like you'? 'At least I get stuff done'? You know what, I'm not sorry for yelling at you." This felt good. Way way too good to just vent. No one interrupted, so he just kept going. "And you know what? I don't care if you try to manipulate everyone else here and try to turn them on me like you turned them on Marinette! I know I'm loved, and I don't need the approval of every person I meet. I'm not going to try to please everyone anymore. Especially you, Lila. You are a waste of effort, just like my father. And if he wants a brat liar like you for a kid, then he can adopt you. That's fine with me! The minute I turn 18, I'm getting married and becoming Mr. Dupain-Cheng! And since you're so chummy with my father that he told you about our private conversation, then you can tell him all about this too!"
The class just stared in stunned silence, looking between Lila and Adrien, genuinely confused.
"Kitty?" Marinette whispered, touching his back.
"Wow that felt good. I feel empowered! Come here, you!"
The stunned silence of the classroom was quickly replaced with cheers, as Adrien pulled his new girlfriend up and into his arms, as they kissed like they had been apart for weeks.
—
Gabriel Agreste would receive a phone call later that afternoon, from Lila Rossi.
"Mr. Agreste, you will not believe what your son said to me today!"
"I don't want to hear it." He hung up.
The last thing he wanted to think about was his son. Adrien's akumatization, which was going to be his greatest masterpiece yet, had been a complete and utter failure. Chat Noir never showed up, and Ladybug didn't even need a lucky charm. All Hawkmoth got out of it was the worst experience of second hand tonsil hockey between two teenagers. Twice.
Well. Adrien certainly knew what love was now. Gabriel took the folder that held all the designs and plans for this Akuma...and promptly shredded it.