CHAPTER 2. (14 years old) A teeny-tiny crush

Adrien Agreste didn't have much experience in the friendship department. Besides Chloé, who almost treated him like a trophy or a servant most of the time, he had never really been friends with anyone. And any other child model he encountered during photoshoots ended up either scared off by his father or shamelessly using him for fame.

There was never someone there for him when he needed to. No one to confide in, no one to laugh with, no one that made him feel safe and comfortable. He was bored, and sad, even if his bedroom was filled with games and his time was carefully planned from dawn to sunset.

He was simply... lonely.

No mom, no loving father, no real friends.

What was a real friendship anyways? Adrien usually wondered pessimistically. There was only so much he could learn with those few books his father allowed him to read when he was young.

(An Agreste does not waste time on such useless things, Gabriel Agreste used to tell him.)

He dreamed of having a group of friends, sharing his insanely large repertoire of cat related puns and finally being able to just… be himself. Because being silly, imperfect Adrien wasn't allowed to him in his well-kept birdcage. He was supposed to be the epitome of perfection, a walking advertisement of his father's business, a being out of reach for the mortals. It was never just Adrien, but the Agreste child.

That's why being able to be Chat Noir was the best thing that ever happened in his life, although just a little bit over finally being allowed to attend school.

Suddenly, he was free. He was no longer Adrien Agreste, but himself. Just… him. And that being that had finally seen the light of the day was named Chat Noir. Ironically, under the mask he was for the first time shedding the other one he had bared his entire life.

At the same time, he was able to meet the most wonderful person he had ever met. Ladybug taught him what a real friend was, even if she wasn't aware of it. She was the first person to trust him unconditionally and be there for him regardless of his mistakes. It wasn't a conditional, contractual-like relationship. He didn't need to be perfect for her to respect him and care for him.

But their friendship was tied up with a heavy responsibility. As much as they trusted each other with their lives, Chat understood the risks of knowing her identity. And as Miraculous holders and superheroes, Paris' safety was meant to be their top priority.

They couldn't be swept away with their emotions.

That's why Adrien surrendered to the harsh reality. Meeting his precious friend outside of the mask wasn't a possibility in the meantime, even if he missed her comforting presence at all moments. But he was stubbornly patient and hopeful, so he was sure that one day they would be able to tear down that last barrier between them. He was willing to wait an entire life if he needed to. Ladybug, and however was behind that mask, was worth the wait.

In the meantime, he was happy with his new life. Slowly but surely, Adrien was getting more confident in himself to channel his inner Chat Noir into his daily life. He had friends and he was allowed to meet them once in a while, which didn't sound like much but it was definitely an improvement compared to his first fourteen years alive.

And one of those friends inevitably caught his attention more than any else.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was a force to be reckoned with. Everywhere she went chaos ensued with her impressive ability to run or trip into anything. That, or she would be the center of attention with her never ending repertoire of abilities. A talented artist, self-made designer, videogame champion, incredible baker, and a natural leader. It was never boring around her and her quirky personality.

Even with her chaotic life, everyone loved her. Marinette was good at slipping past people's walls with her lovely smile and caring nature.

Adrien was no exception to this.

At school, he found himself constantly aware of her. His eyes easily found her presence in a crowd, her laugh distracted him from any conversation. His attention always shifted towards her whenever there was an opportunity. He couldn't explain why, but Marinette was… magnetic.

Apparently his interest had been quite obvious, because soon enough Nino noticed. And although Adrien tried to explain that there was nothing more to it, he was suddenly aware of how it all may have been seen from an outsider's perspective and couldn't help the redness in his cheeks. "You've got a crush on Marinette, dude. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone's gone through it," he told him like it wasn't a big deal.

Which absolutely couldn't be true. At all.

He loved his lady, Adrien was one hundred percent certain that Ladybug was the love of his life.

But after a while, Adrien couldn't keep denying it to himself. He loved Ladybug, that was for certain, but somehow Marinette had managed to slip into his heart.

He had a teeny-tiny crush on Marinette.

It was almost impossible not to, he reasoned with himself countless times. She was the very definition of his opposite. Had everything he wanted. An interesting, free-willed life. It was like showing one of those videos of people eating tons of food off to a starving man. Marinette was the type of person he wanted in his life. He craved her friendship.

And somehow, he was the only person in the entire world who she had no interest in. She would stutter, avoid him and run away from him constantly, while everyone else got the sweet Marinette he knew she was. She still treated him nicely, but there was noticeably a change of attitude whenever he was around.

Marinette was clearly uncomfortable around him, but being the nice person that she was, tried to keep it to a minimum to not alienate him.

So Adrien decided that he'd swallow up those feelings and never let it come between him and his goal to be Marinette's friend. And he was happy with that decision, as long as he could stay by her side.

After all, he'd always be just a friend.