Note: Seeing as how the show is moving right on along well after season one, I just wanting to mention that I have this story pretty much mapped out and planned to the very end, so anything that may or may not happen in the show moving forward will have no weighing on this story. ^^ I know Chloe had a redemption arc or something (I'm not caught up) but like I said, this is based on season one. Anyway, now back to your regularly scheduled program. Thanks for reading!
….
In which the author has never been to Paris so she made up the landscape to work for the story.
…
Also, in which everything is perfect, until it isn't.
….
Marinette still wasn't over her suspicion that Adrien had tried to kiss her, but the longer time went on, the more she began to think that perhaps she had imagined it. After the movie ended, she shot up with a quickness and excused herself to the bathroom. It was a busy night at the theater but she was lucky enough to find a hiding spot in the very last stall of the ladies room.
"I think Adrien tried to kiss me in there." She whispered down into her sweater.
"He did." Tikki replied. "I saw him leaning in."
A hot flash suddenly ran up the back of her neck and burned her ears. Her heart felt like a trapped bird fluttering in her ribcage and she needed to sit down. She allowed her body to fall back onto the wall and slide down slowly. Tikki floated out of her sweater and perched herself on her knee.
"He looked really embarrassed when he realized you weren't looking." Tikki giggled. "It was adorable."
A smile graced Marinette's lips but she said nothing. She had expected to feel something, anything, with the knowledge that her long time crush tried to kiss her. During the movie, there was a scene that scared her so much she practically jumped on him, and his reaction was to snicker and nuzzle his cheek on the top of her head.
Maybe it was all the mixture of emotions that she'd already felt in such a short period of time, but she felt numb. She felt completely overloaded to the point of shutdown. She was having a hard time conjuring any emotion at all, other than nervousness.
And something else.
She couldn't quite identify it, but…. Why now? Why was Adrien so interested now? Why, after everything that just happened the previous night with Chat Noir-
Chat.
Sadness. Betrayal. Guilt. That's what she felt. And frustration that Adrien was choosing now, after all this time, to finally show some interest. She had said earlier, at the beginning of the night, that she wasn't going to worry because she wasn't actually dating anyone. She wasn't being unfaithful so there was no reason to feel guilty.
That seemed easier said than done now. She missed Chat.
She exited the bathroom.
Adrien had her red peacoat in his arm when she finally found her friends. She'd made such a hasty retreat that she'd completely forgotten about it. Seeing him made the irregular pitter patter in her chest that much worse and she was grateful now, more than ever, to have the buffer of their friends. She took the coat from him with a demure thank you, which he answered with a shy smile.
"That was fun," Alya said, pulling Marinette into a hug. "Have a good night, guys!"
"Wait, wait, wait," Marinette protested at once. "Where are you going?"
The four of them had just left the theater and it seemed like Alya and Nino were already leaving them for the night. Alya gave Marinette a subtle wink before answering. "Nino and I have…. Other plans."
"But…" Marinette's voice came out sounding a bit more pitiful than she would've liked. "We always get food and talk about the plot after we see scary movies."
"Oh, well," Alya's eyes landed on Adrien and Marinette knew and dreaded what she'd say next. "I'm sure Adrien's hungry, aren't you?"
Adrien, who had been silent since exiting the theater, perked up at the sound of his name. "I am, actually."
"There you go!" Alya gave Adrien a quick hug as Nino hugged Marinette. The boys then fist bumped and before Marinette could protest, the two of them were locked arms and walking away. "Be safe now!" Alya called over her shoulder.
An awkward tension set in and Marinette had a hard time looking at Adrien. He fidgeted nervously as well. They stood only a few feet away from the benches where they sat earlier. It was nighttime now, the sky completely dark, but the fairy lights in the trees and the lights from the city night life gave the air a pleasant and exciting glow. The night was still young and there were plenty of things to do and places to go. If only Marinette could bring herself to make eye contact, that is.
"Are you hungry?" Adrien asked finally. He could tell her guard was up. He was beyond worried that his attempt to kiss her may have completely reset her comfort level with him. All the progress he made before the movie was wasted. He'd made a wrong move that she wasn't ready for and her walls had gone right back up. She wouldn't even look at him now.
At his question, however, she did look up. She said nothing, though, the words were stuck in her throat. She didn't know why, it had been a simple question requiring a simple answer. Yes, she was hungry. Say it. She couldn't though, because as soon as she made eye contact, she saw the man that had caused her so much emotional confusion, who she had loved so much for so long, and she imagined what if she had been facing him and what if he had kissed her. There was a sudden spike in the already nervous tension and she felt a strong desire to retreat.
Adrien sighed when she failed to answer, looking defeated. "I…. I'm sorry…"
He trailed off like he was going to say more, but he didn't. He didn't say why he apologized, and she knew the answer anyway.
No, this night would not be ruined. He was just as nervous as she was, and for whatever reason, she found that very comforting. She smiled finally, a genuine smile, and asked, "For what?"
His demeanor brightened up instantly. Even more so when she held out her hand to him and added, "C'mon, I'm hungry."
He took it, almost too eagerly, and gestured with his other hand. "After you, Mil-…" He caught himself before he could finish the word.
He saw the corner of her mouth curve upwards as she started off, gently pulling him along. "Any preferences?" She asked.
"What ever you want." He answered. "I don't really know of any places around here. I don't… really go out to eat that much."
The only time he ever went out was with friends, mainly Nino, or sometimes with a group. It was usually local places near the school. It was fun, casual, but rarely were they ever sit down and have table service type places.
Marinette glanced over at him. Her first inclination was to ask why his father never took him out to fancy places, being as wealthy as they were, but they'd had that particular conversation before. She wanted to ask him more about his home life, she wanted to understand him better, she wanted to know him…. but that could wait.
"Any cravings at all? To help me decide?"
"Hmmm…." He pondered, taking a few quick steps to walk alongside her. "Do you and Alya have a place you usually go to after movies?"
"Well…. Yeah, one of my favorites, but…" She glanced at him again and quickly looked away. "It's…. It's a hole-in-the-wall type place, really small-"
"Sounds good to me!" He said cheerfully.
She was almost embarrassed to bring him to her and Ayla's usual spot. It was a small Mom and Pop diner, the opposite of fancy, but they had the best food and cozy atmosphere. Her first immediate though was something along the lines of 'That place isn't good enough for him, he's used to such fancy dining," but she quickly realized that was a silly thing to think. Adrien would never think something wasn't good enough, and she knew he was probably grateful that someone was actually spending time with him. The place she was leading them to was a bit shabby, it was true. But he would see when he tried the food what a gem it was.
There were so many nicer places that were alot closer, but the diner was still in walking distance. It was located in a less busy part of the city, a few quieter blocks over from the hustle and bustle main streets that were alive and crowded with people. It was a scenic walk, and they kept up a light chatter on the way. It was far too loud to have a real conversation, and more than once they had to maneuver through crowds of people. As should be expected for a Saturday night in Paris, they reasoned.
People were looking at them.
They were nearing the city center, where most of the truly fine dining was. Their destination was not here, of course, but they were close. Marinette hadn't stopped smiling and laughing at his stupid jokes and Adrien took great pride in that. He thought she was regaining the same comfort level she'd had earlier before the movie, but the truth was she was actually trying very hard to appear comfortable. She was very aware of the attention they were receiving. They were in a high class part of town, and even if they hadn't been, Adrien was a famous supermodel. Of course people would recognize him on the street. They were staring at them, pointing, whispering to each other. She wasn't used to this much attention without her mask. She couldn't help but feel judged by the way everyone was looking at her. Whether they actually were or not, she didn't like it.
She had never before thought about whether or not she was good enough for someone like Adrien, but she suddenly found herself very insecure. It was her nerves getting to her, she knew, but the people around them were so polished and dressed up and they were beautiful and the area was beautiful and Adrien was beautiful and she….
She was insecure and suddenly very embarrassed by her choice of restaurant. She knew that Adrien would never think this way, but… they did come from different worlds. Could they really make each other happy? Could she make him happy?
Why did she like him?
The thought hit her like a ton of bricks. Why did she really like Adrien? What had caused her to fall for him in the first place? What did they really have in common? What did she even really know about him? Who was he?
She'd fallen for him for very shallow reasons, she realized. He was attractive and he was charming and mysterious. True, he was a good person, and they were getting to know each other now, but in the beginning, her feelings stemmed from an image of a guy who she didn't really know anything about. She'd fallen for him hard and fast. She'd liked him for years, and tonight was the first time they had ever really talked to each other and gotten closer. Tonight was the first time they had gotten closer and they were already holding hands. Maybe this was all going a bit fast….
"Marinette?" She looked over at him and saw a curious expression on his gorgeous face. She realized she'd zoned out and hadn't been listening to whatever he had said. "You okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine." She said with a small smile. "Just… thinking about something."
"What about?"
She wouldn't tell him, of course. Now she had to think up a lie. "I'll tell you went we get there. Too loud out here." That should buy her some time.
He accepted her answer with a smile of his own. This was working, she was opening up to him. He hadn't ruined his chances after all. He felt on top of the world. They were still holding hands, on a romantic walk through the City of Love, on their way to dinner, and he felt himself swell with pride at the attention they were receiving. He wanted to show her off, he wanted to say, Yeah, that's right, she's with me! He was practically buzzing with how happy he was.
And then it crashed.
Like a bucket of ice water being poured over his head, he heard a shrill voice calling out to him and Marinette yanked her hand out of his grasp.
"Oh, Adrikiiins!"
Before he even realized what had happened, he was practically tackled by an ever enthusiastic Chloe. She had come up behind him, thrown her arms around his shoulders and started showering his face with kisses. He was so focused on not falling over, he could hardly pay attention to much else. When she seemed to be done with that, she maneuvered herself to latch onto his side, knocking Marinette out of the way as she did so. "Adrien, darling, what brings you out on such a lovely evening?"
"O-oh, um…." He wasn't expecting to run into Chloe. He was caught off guard and completely frazzled. She clung to his arm, as she had done many times before, and he foresaw the night going downhill fast. "Marinette and I were on our way to dinner."
Chloe turned to look at Marinette with a sour expression. She sneered, turned back to him and said, "Ew. Why? Did you lose a bet or something?" He was about to say something, but she looked to Marinette again and continued. "You must be lost but don't worry, there are dumpsters around the back of the buildings, I'm sure you'd feel right at home there." She made a little shooing motion with her hand.
Marinette said nothing, but her expression was very tight. She'd been dealing with this kind of treatment from Chloe for a very long time, and usually she'd say something back. But the insecurities she'd felt were coming back so she bit her tongue. Adrien and Chloe were childhood friends. They were polar opposites as far as personalities go, but they had alot more in common than she'd like to admit. They were from the same world, they both had powerful fathers with lavished upbringings, they both had absent mothers….. they could relate to each other.
Marinette was probably one of the only few in Paris who wasn't intimidated by Chloe, so why did she suddenly feel so overshadowed?
Chloe completely turned her back to Marinette to bat her eyelashes at Adrien. "You're lucky I found you, Daddy and I have dinner reservations! Very exclusive, only the finest of course. Come join us!"
"Uh, well…" She had started trying to push him in whatever direction she had come from, keeping herself firmly between him and Marinette. He had to plant his feet and strain to see her. Marinette didn't usually go quiet when it came to Chloe. It made him nervous.
He had a soft spot for Chloe, it was true. Most of the way he dealt with her stemmed from a desire to not hurt her feelings, which was based on the fact that when they were young, and even still to this day, she could be somewhat of a cry baby. He had very fond memories of the two of them growing up together. He wasn't too crazy about the person she had grown into or some of the habits she had developed, because he knew she was capable of treating others better, but she was still his friend. He knew she had a thing for him, and he tried to make it as clear as day without hurting her feelings that he didn't feel the same.
It took him longer than it perhaps should have to realize that her intentions were more than friendly. When they were little, they would play house, Mommy and Daddy, and games like that. So for a long time, he thought it was still just a game when she would flirt and make advances. The thing that served as his ice cold wake up call was when, a few years prior in the middle of the night, they were texting. Nothing note worthy, just two friends having a light conversation because neither of them could sleep. She asked if she could show him something and he said yes. He'd expected maybe she wanted to show him some new gadget or decoration she'd gotten.
What he got were naked pictures. He had a really hard time coming up with a way of telling her to never do that again without offending her.
Things were a bit tense between them for a while after that. But soon enough, she'd gotten over it and was right back to her usually overbearing self. She got on his nerves sometimes….. She had developed a mean spirit as they got older, and he made it no secret that he disapproved, but he felt he owed it to her, as a friend, to not give up on her as many others had.
He felt he was pretty good about checking Chloe when he felt she'd gone too far, in a nice way so as to not hurt her feelings, but in that moment, he was still so surprised that she was there at all, he didn't know what to do. Dealing with her took some level of mental preparation, and he was so put on the spot, he couldn't think. He looked to Marinette and tried to plead for help with his eyes, but her expression had gone completely blank, like she was waiting to see what he would do.
They could take down super villains as a team without any verbal communication because they were so in sync as Ladybug and Chat Noir. Why were Marinette and Adrien so different?
"C'mon, Adrikins, it's this way." Chloe had an edge to her voice. She was starting to get impatient. She was still trying to push him away from Marinette.
"Actually, I…" He tried to gently shake her off. He didn't have the heart to throw her off all at once, and he was scrambling for a solution that wouldn't start a fight. "We already had a place in mind."
"Oh yeah? And where is that?"
"Marinette was going to show me one of her favorite-"
Chloe cut him off with a shrill laugh and he saw Marinette's eyebrow twitch. "Oh, Adrien, that's so funny. I promise you, anywhere these common people would want to go is roughly the equivalent of scrapping the scum off the bottom of a boat and eating it. Save yourself a stomach ache and come with us! It will be no problem to add another seat to our reservation."
She was being way more aggressive than usual. She spoke almost threateningly, masked with fake welcoming. She would often cling, hang on, and hug him, but her hold on his arm tightened to the point of being almost painful as she continued to try and push him away from Marinette. The hostility between the two was definitely stronger on Chloe's side, and Marinette was not the type of person to let herself be walked all over. He desperately wanted a solution that wouldn't result in a fight.
"Um, Marinette?" He physically had to move Chloe to the side so he could see her, though she stubbornly resisted. "W-would you like to maybe go there instead? It is a nice place and reservations are pretty hard to get." He ignored the offended look Chloe was giving him and continued to address Marinette. "If you want, I mean."
He knew she wouldn't want to go, he didn't want to go either, but it was the only thing he could come up with. Ideally, she would show even just a hint of hesitation and he would play off that and politely decline Chloe's invite. That was his impromptu plan, anyway.
Marinette was mad. She was mad and she was hurt. She was used to the verbal abuse from Chloe, but Adrien didn't say anything about it. They had been holding hands not two minutes ago, and that aside, they were supposed to be friends. He didn't say a single word in her defense.
The two blondes were both looking at her, Chloe with distain, and she couldn't really interpret Adrien's expression. She stood a few paces away from them, as Chloe had tried to push Adrien away and she hadn't followed. She felt outed. She felt unwanted and unwelcome. She felt like the two rich people were staring at her, wondering why she was still there. She didn't want to think that about Adrien, but after all that, he was seriously asking if they could join Chloe at whatever the hell fancy pants restaurant she was going to.
She had been right to be insecure. After the night had been going so well, she was going to lose him to Chloe just like that.
Her chest felt tight, there was a prickling behind her eyes, and she wanted to either lash out or get away.
She gave him a look that Marinette had never given Adrien, but Ladybug sure had given Chat Noir. She looked at him like he was an idiot. "I don't think I'm invited."
"No, you're not!" Chloe harshly confirmed. "Why are you even still here, you little twerp?! Run along home to the struggling bakery." She made another shooing motion before turning back to Adrien. "C'mon, Adrien!" She demanded.
He felt Plagg kicking him from inside his jacket and he could almost hear the kwami yelling Do something, idiot! It was enough to snap him out of his shock.
"No, Chloe." He said, voice uncharacteristically firm. He saw what was happening. He knew it was Chloe's intention to make Marinette feel unwanted, and he could tell by her face that it had worked. He saw her guard go up. She had gone stiff, expression mostly blank, save for traces of hurt and resignation. She honestly felt like she wasn't wanted there.
And most of that, he realized, was probably his fault.
"Excuse me?" Chloe asked in a tone akin to a mother whose child had just disrespected her.
"I said no." He restated. He firmly but gently tried to pry her hands off his arm, but she wasn't having it. She sunk her fingers into his flesh.
"Adrikins…" She spoke quietly through clenched teeth and tried to force a smile. "Stop being difficult, let's go! My father, the Mayor, is waiting for us."
"Well, tell your father thank you for the invitation, but-"
"It's okay, Adrien."
They both turned to look at Marinette. Before, she had worn an expression of hurt. But her face had since steeled into something more aggressive. Her voice had been calm, friendly even. But her featured were etched with irritation, like she was trying her very hardest not to lose her cool.
"W-what?"
"It's okay." She offered a tight smile that looked painfully forced. "You can go. I'm sure where Chloe's going is much nicer than where I was taking us."
"Marinette, no-"
"No, no, don't worry, it's fine. If you want to go, then go." She assured him, but he saw a look in her eyes that nearly broke his heart.
He was trying to handle the situation in such a way to not hurt Chloe's feelings, he'd actually hurt Marinette's feelings instead.
"See, the peasant knows she doesn't belong here, so let's go already!" Chloe demanded and continued pulling him by the arm. He planted his feet and jerked his arm away from her.
"No, Chloe, stop it! Marinette… " He turned to her and his words got stuck in his throat. He was starting to panic and he had no idea how to fix it the situation, especially with Chloe showing no mercy and continuing to try and grab him and pull him away.
"It's okay." She repeated, the forced friendly tone was fading now into something softer, sadder, but resentful. "I'm sure you'll have a great time. I'll just…" She took a step backwards.
With a stubborn huff, she said before turning to leave, "I'll just go fuck myself."
She said it under her breath, but they both heard it. Chloe snickered. "Aww, because no one else will." No longer feeling threatened, her grip on Adrien's arm loosened into a more pleasant hold. "C'mon now, Adrikins."
In a knee jerk reaction, he turned fully towards Chloe and gripped her shoulders. "Chloe, you are one of my oldest friends…" He spoke genuinely.
His actions took her by surprise and her cheeks flushed. "What are you…?"
"Growing up, we only ever had each other. You remember that, don't you?" He rubbed circles in her shoulders with his thumbs. "You were my only friend and I'd do anything for you."
He was trying to charm her. He knew this was the only way to get her to listen to him, and even though what he said was true, the flustered look on her face told him that she was expecting something other than what he was planning to do.
"A-Adrien…" There was a dreaminess in her voice and she tried to lean into him, but he kept her at arms length.
"Chloe, I need you to do something for me now."
"Anything, Adrikins." She cooed.
"You are ruining my date."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Marinette stop dead in her tracks. All the passion vanished from Chloe's face and her skin went pale.
"What?" She asked flatly.
"Chloe, I really like this girl and I don't want to screw this up. This night was going really well up until now, so please let go of my arm and stop talking to Marinette like that." He pat her shoulder in a very affection, albeit friendly manner. She looked about three seconds away from snapping, and he wanted to be gone before that happened. "So like I was saying, tell your father thank you for the invite, but we already had plans."
He smiled and turned on his heel to leave, but Chloe grabbed the back of his jacket. "Adrikins, no!" She sounded angry, as he kind of expected. She forced a nervous chuckle, trying to seem as if they were both in on some joke. "You're not on a… date… with her, right? I mean, that's ridiculous!" She chuckled again. "Utterly ridiculous. This is a joke, you're just kidding, right?"
He sighed and turned back to her, prying her hand off his jacket and holding it with both of his. "It's not a joke, Chloe. We are on a date, and I would like to get back to that. Now if you would be so kind, please stop grabbing me."
He kept his voice light and pleasant at first, but his last sentence came out a bit harsher than he meant for it to. His stern tone took Chloe by surprise and she retracted her hand. She had a hurt look in her eyes, and he was starting to feel a little guilty. But she had to learn one way or another. He would apologize later, but he would also have to have a talk with her about the way she treated other people, because this was ridiculous. It was getting out of hand, and it needed to be addressed. That could wait though.
Marinette was standing a few paces away, looking out over the city. She looked uncomfortable, and he couldn't blame her. He felt terrible. He realized he should've spoken up when Chloe was saying those things about her, and the fact that he didn't… really didn't reflect well on him. But he was determined to not let this night be ruined. He knew she heard him say they were on a date.
He jogged up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him and he saw her mascara was smudged under her left eye ever so slightly. Her eyes were dry now, but she had shed a tear, and that killed him.
"Sorry about that." He said.
She didn't respond. She didn't smile. She looked at him and then looked away. For the second time that night, she was overwhelmed with emotions to the point of feeling numb.
She had been hurt and angry, and she wanted to either scream or cry. A few tears had escaped when she turned away from them, but she stubbornly rubbed under her eyes. The last thing she wanted was for Chloe to see that she had gotten to her. If it had just been Chloe, she wouldn't have cared, she had thick skin. The thing that hurt the most was Adrien letting it happen. To put it bluntly, she felt a little betrayed.
And then he said they were on a date.
He told Chloe that he really liked her and to not talk to her like that, and a whole new whirlwind of feelings flooded her. What had once been anger, melted into excitement. Where there was hurt, there was now joy. Her heart sputtered erratically and her face felt hot and the feeling was so intense she couldn't even begin to process it.
The desire to cry was still ever present, but not for the same reason.
The overwhelming sensations in her chest required all of her attention to suppress, lest they manifest as tears. If she looked at him, she'd would cry. If she tried to speak, her voice would break. It took great effort to control her breathing, and Adrien noticed this.
He gently took hold of her and pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly about her. She hid her face in his shoulder, because the sudden affection broke the flood gates and tears were already flowing.
"I'm sorry." He said softly. "I'm really really sorry. I shouldn't have let her talk to you like that. I didn't expect her to be here and I was trying to be civil and not hurt her feelings, but… that shouldn't have come at the expense of your feelings, Marinette."
He spoke directly in her ear, his voice was low and warm and like velvet. One hand found it's way to the back of her neck and traced shapes at the base of her skull, fingers weaving in and out of the baby hair below her braid. His other arm was wound tightly around her waist. She felt weak in the knees and without his body to support her, she would've fallen.
She snuck her arms inside his jacket and wound them around his waist in return. He moved to pull away so he could look at her, but she nuzzled her face insistently onto his shoulder. He chuckled at the notion and continued to hold her, placing a delicate kiss onto her temple.
Her intension had been to keep Adrien from seeing her tears, but now she was stuck and she was sure that shoving her face into his shoulder would no doubt smear her eyeliner even more and once she pulled away, it's be impossible to hide. Suddenly, she felt silly. She worried that getting that upset was maybe an overreaction, even though in her head, she knew she was justified to some extent. Her feelings had been hurt, but she didn't want to admit that. She didn't want him to think her too sensitive. She was embarrassed.
He said he liked her.
She breathed him in. He smelled like… expensive. She couldn't quite place the fragrance, but it smelled expensive and delicious. A warm, almost spicy scent that reminded her of the holidays when her parents baked pumpkin pies and cinnamon rolls and ginger bread cookies. He smelled like an expensive, designer version of fall time. She wanted to fall asleep and wake up to that scent.
This was a development she had not planned for, and now here she was once again feeling very insecure, but not for the same reason. Knowing that he was looking at her with some level of affection made her super aware of the fact that she wasn't looking her best with smears on her face.
She awkwardly retracted one hand from inside his jacket and propped her chin on his shoulder so he still couldn't see her. Using her sleeve, she wiped away the dampness on her face and did her best to get under her eyes. She knew it wouldn't be perfect, but hopefully it would be good enough until they got to the diner and she could properly fix herself. She slowly pulled away from him.
She stared at the ground for a moment before working up the courage to meet his gaze. She wanted to say something, break the tension somehow, but she couldn't. Adrien smiled so sweetly and it made her choke up again. He chuckled and brought his hand up to his lips. She watched as the tip of his tongue darted out and grazed over the pad of his thumb.
"Hold still." He whispered. He brought his dampened thumb and ran it under her eye, starting with one and then moving to the next. Her eyes fluttered at the unexpected gesture. It was strange and felt like something a mother would do, but brought with it a feeling of comfort none the less. Comfort, and much embarrassment. Her cheeks lit up in scarlet again, and he chuckled. When he'd finished, his hands did not retreat.
He lightly brushed away a few stray hairs from her eyes with the back of his knuckles, the tips of his fingers lightly trailing down the side of her face. Similar to earlier that night, her already red cheeks deepened in color at his touch.
His smile slowly fell from his lips, not morphing into a frown, but a look of focus. Lips parted slightly, a small gasp escaped her and she was powerless to do anything except stare. The energy between them was charged again, the air sparked to life with an unspoken feeling of desire. They both became very aware that something seemed to be happening here, the anticipation of what was to come hung thick in the small space between them, and was only fueled by Adrien's determination not to back down.
If Marinette had been asked two days ago if she wanted to kiss Adrien, she would've said yes with no hesitation. But if she'd learned anything in the last 24 hours, it was that there was a big difference between saying you wanted something, and then actually getting it. And as Adrien's threaded his fingers into her hair, gaze flickering from her eyes to her lips, his intentions were clear and she panicked.
She broke eye contact, turning her head to the side as he had started to lean forward. She wasn't ready for this. "W-we should…." She cleared her throat. "We should get going. It's cold out here."
Too many things had happened in too short a time. A part of her still wanted to be mad about the fact that he didn't defend her to Chloe, even though he apologized. Another, much smaller part of her wanted to confront him about saying this was a date. But more than anything, she was still in emotional overload and couldn't handle any more. She needed to get out of this damn cold and get something to eat.
"Yeah," Adrien said back quietly. "Yeah, let's go."
…..
"This is it."
They stood outside a very unassuming little diner. Definitely not the type of place Adrien would usually look twice at, but then again, he never really came to this part of the city in the first place. It was small, humble, not super busy like alot of the places they had passed to get there.
"It looks nice!" Adrien was doing his best not to portray the anxiety he was feeling on the inside. Marinette had barely spoken two words since their encounter with Chloe. He had tried to take her hand again but she had shoved it in her pocket before he could.
And his attempt to kiss her had failed for the second time that night, except this time, she had been fully aware of what he was trying to do.
He wished he knew what she was thinking. He knew he had made a mistake with letting Chloe talk to her like that and not intervening right away, but he didn't know what else he could do to fix it. He had been so determined to not let the night be ruined, but now he feared that it might be too late. Marinette's walls had gone right on up and he didn't know what to do.
He grabbed her arm as she started to head inside, causing her to tense in surprise and finally look at him with wide eyes.
"Hey, before we go in here, I just…" There was an edge to his voice that even he didn't expect. "I just, I really am sorry about earlier. The thing with Chloe, and-"
"It's- It's fine, Adrien." She said, though her voice was quiet and unconvincing, like she wanted to avoid the topic. "Really, it's-"
"No, it's….. Are you okay? You… you haven't said anything, and.…" His eyes darted to the side and he rubbed the back of his neck. "About… about earlier, what I did after…"
"No, don't-" She was now the one with an edge to her voice, but she quickly cleared her throat and spoke more smoothly. "I'm fine, it's okay, you don't need to-"
"Marinette, please." He took hold of her hand and held it up to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on it. "Maybe I'm just in my own little world because I was having a really good time, and I thought you were too. And then that thing with Chloe happened and I shouldn't have let it happen, but now you've gone quiet and you didn't want to hold my hand after that and I'm worried that I screwed up royally, and I don't know what you're thinking or how you f-feel."
He stopped, realizing how much he had said. He lowered her hand away from his face, he had been holding it up near his chin as he spoke, but he did not release it. Marinette looked to him with wide eyes. She opened her mouth like she wanted to speak, but said nothing. He sighed, figuring that he'd already said as much, he might as well continue.
"I… I meant what I said. I do really like you and I don't want this night to be ruined because of Chloe."
"I'm not upset because of Chloe." She said finally.
"Then, why?"
His voice was soft and sweet and made her not want to talk about why she was upset. The truth was, she had done nothing but stew in her thoughts since the incident with Chloe and now she was upset but couldn't even put name to face as to why. She knew why, she could give a reason if asked, but not to Adrien. She was torn between knowing that she had a good reason, and feeling like she was just pouting and being too sensitive. She wanted to talk about it, to just put the whole thing to bed and move on so that they could enjoy the night, but more than that, she wanted to just pretend it didn't happen, not ever speak of it again, and forget it.
She knew damn well that would only make it worse, but she had a hard time looking Adrien in the eye, let alone talk about her feelings on "the first date". She had been so overwhelmingly happy when he said he liked her, but that feeling was now clashing with the insecurities she had felt earlier. The conflicting emotions were almost too much for her and a part of her just wanted to go home.
But Adrien was here now, and he seemed to be really distraught thinking that he was the cause of her sadness. He really was so sweet, she wished she could just forget everything and just enjoy the night with him, but there were now too many questions that had no answers. Everything was moving so fast. She had imagined that they would just have a pleasant meal together and get to know each other alittle more, an innocent first date. But instead, the incident with Chloe had forced them right along past that, and now Adrien wanted to talk about feelings.
When she didn't answer, Adrien squeezed her hand. "Marinette, please, talk to me."
She looked up at him and sighed, squeezing his hand in return. "I… I just…" She huffed, already frustrated. "I don't know. I'm just kind of…. overwhelmed, I guess. A lot of things were said in a really short period of time, and I- I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around all of them."
He looked down at his feet, ashamed. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault."
"Can we talk about this?"
"We can talk about this if we do it inside, it's freezing out here." A shiver ran up her body as she spoke and he instantly reached out to push the door open for her.
Once inside, they were seated at a small booth near the back of the diner. The interior was just as unassuming as the outside, but it was cozy and warm. They shed their coats and settled in, both mentally preparing for what was most likely going to be an uncomfortable, if not awkward conversation. The waiter came and took their drink orders very promptly, as it was not a very busy night.
Marinette ran her finger around the rim of her mug, avoiding eye contact but also thinking about how she should word her thoughts. She wanted to be honest with him, she owed him that much at least.
Adrien was first to speak. "We're inside now." He was also avoiding eye contact, facing her but keeping his gaze tilted down like he was reading the menu in front of him.
"We are." She confirmed, finally taking a sip of her hot cocoa.
"It's much warmer in here." He risked a glance before looking down at the menu again.
"It is."
"You going to tell me why you are upset?"
"I'm not…" She stopped. She was upset, and they should talk about it. She didn't want to, but she knew that if they didn't, it would never be solved. She drew in a deep breath through her nose and released it.
"I am upset." She started softly. Her eyes remained glued to her hands, in which she held her mug, but she could see Adrien looking up at her in her peripheral vision. She continued. "Or maybe 'frustrated' is a better term."
"What are you frustrated about?"
She paused, finally looking up at him. "I know you already apologized, I acknowledge that you said you know you should've done something, but let me just get this off my chest…"
"Okay." He braced himself.
She inhaled deeply and released it through her mouth. She didn't even know where to begin. She traced the handle of her mug with her middle finger. She knew if she didn't say anything, she'd regret it later. The unspoken words would eat away at her and a resent could form and she didn't want that.
Adrien saw her hesitation. He didn't know what else to do, so he kept talking. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot. I know I should have said something, I should have stopped her from talking to you like that-"
"Yeah, you should have." She said suddenly, staring down at her mug. Her voice was sterner than before. The flood gates opened up and she continued. "I understand that you know you should've done something and you apologized, but still, I….. It's bad enough that we are supposed to be friends and you let her talk to me like that, but then you want to turn around and say this is a date? If this is a date, then that makes you letting her say all those things ten times worse."
She paused, but only long enough to calm her breathing. "Look, I don't need you to protect me from Chloe, I'm not intimidated by Chloe. She's a self-centered, mean person who has insulted, belittle and antagonized me as long as I can remember. I'm used to it, it doesn't bother me. But then for you to not only not stick up for me, but ask me if I wanted for us to join her, are you kidding me?"
Adrien had been stunned silent but he shook it off. "No, I knew you wouldn't want to, I didn't want to either, so I was going to use that as an excuse-"
"You could've just said no."
In hindsight, she was right and he knew that. "I should have, you're right, but…" He sighed. "In the moment, I just didn't want to hurt her feelings. I thought she would make a scene if I didn't… I've known her for a long time, she'll pout and whine and cry, so I needed an excuse…"
Marinette's eyes rolled so far back in her head that he almost couldn't see her irises and she bit down on the inside of her cheek.
Adrien stopped. "What?"
She shook her head, eyes cutting to one side. "… nothing."
"Marinette, you're biting you tongue, I can tell. You want to say something, what is it? Tell me, we're being honest."
"Man the fuck up."
She said it so quietly, he almost couldn't hear it. He sat back in his chair, genuinely shocked.
She continued, voice still barely above a whisper. "You are your own person. You really should learn to just say no without feeling the need to explain yourself. No is a complete sentence. You aren't being rude by asserting your own boundaries. Stop letting other people have power over you." She looked into his eyes. "For God's sake, you're not a door mat."
Before anything else could be said, a waitress with a friendly smile approached the table. "Are we ready to order or do you need another minute?"
Marinette was grateful for the interruption. She hadn't meant to say all that. She ordered her favorite dish and Adrien skimmed the menu quickly, asked the waitress a few questions and picked something. The waitress left and a heavy tension fell over them. Reading Adrien's face was impossible. He stared down at his drink and didn't speak. She immediately thought that she had offended him.
"Adrien, I'm sorry-"
"No," he said suddenly. "No, you're right. I've never thought about it before but you're right. I don't know how to just say no."
He continued to stare down at his cup. His whole life, he'd been told what to do, where to go, who he could or couldn't hang out with, how to act, what was expected of him, and that's just the way it was. Saying no was something he never did. He never objected to anything, even if it was something he didn't like or didn't want, he just accepted that it was something he had to do it. In his formative years, the two people that influenced him the most were his father, who dictated everything he did, and Chloe, who was his only friend. He never dare say no to his father, and Chloe never accept no anyway. He tried to think of an instance when he had put his foot down and said no, surely there had been a time, but he couldn't think of anything. He had gotten better about wearing his annoyance on his sleeve, but actually putting his foot down…
He had always thought that he was just a very agreeable person, he never really got angry or cross about anything in his civilian or professional life, but maybe she was right, that he had mistaken weakness for kindness. He got alot of pent up aggression out of his system by being Chat Noir, so Adrien was content to just smile and nod.
The waitress returned with some appetizer soups. He continued to avoid Marinette's eye as he absentmindedly stirred his.
"I guess I just…" He started. "I thought I was being that person that's cool with everything. Because of my father, I've always had to portray a certain image. You know, poised, clean cut, straight edge, polite… 'You're the face of the brand, Adrien, you can't let anything taint your reputation, you have to make us look good.' I mean, even my relationship with my dad has always been kind of… formal." He looked up and found she was listening faithfully. "I guess what I'm getting at is, I just wanted to please him, I wanted to be a good son, so I just went along with everything. I never said no to anything, and that translated over to how I deal with everyone. I just wanted to be a kind person and make people happy. I didn't even realize that I… I do let people walk on me sometimes."
"Adrien…" She extended her hand and placed it on the table, reaching out to him in a way.
He looked down at his soup and chuckled before looking back up at her. "Am I emotionally stunted?"
She laughed in response. "No, honey."
He smiled and took a bite of his soup. "Well, at least there's that. Wow, this is good-"
"You're socially stunted."
He almost spit the soup out from the laugh that rose in his throat. He put his hand on his chest in fake offense. "Ouch!" He said.
She laughed earnestly. She took a bite of her soup as well before speaking again. "I understand wanting to make other people happy, but that's not always the same thing as being nice. I make a point to let my friends know that they can always come to me if they need someone. But at the end of the day, it's not my job to fix their problems. Of course, I'll try my best to do what I can, but not at my own personal expense. You shouldn't have to light yourself on fire to keep someone else warm. Most people just want to know that someone is there for them, but there will always be people that will try to take advantage of someone who is so willing give. That's where you need to be careful, Adrien. It's not a selfish thing to put yourself first. It's necessary. You can't pour from an empty cup."
She decided to stop there. This was starting to sound like a lecture and the last thing she wanted was for him to think her a nag. Besides, she was sure she'd made her point well enough. She'd never actually thought those things until tonight, but she did firmly believe everything she said. She didn't want him to go through life, thinking he just had to accept whatever came at him even if he didn't like it. What a horrible way to live.
"Marinette…" He started to say, and trailed off. He was staring at the table again and she could see a touch of sadness behind his eyes.
"Adrien, I'm sorry, I don't mean to come at you like that. I… "
"No, I…" He smiled and looked up at her. "I needed that. That's what I like about you." His eyes darted down as a red tint rose in his cheeks. He took another bite of his soup, his tongue darting out to retrieve a drop that sat at the corner of his mouth. "This really is good soup."
She was staring at him with wide eyes and listening ears. Her cheeks dust pink, she wanted to know what else he would say, he could tell. Her words had hit home for him, but it was true, it was something he needed to hear. His affection for her grew exponentially knowing that she was being completely honest with him, even if it was hard for him to hear.
Still, she said nothing, waiting for him continue. He chuckled again and smiled at her. "I like the fact that you are real with me. You make me feel like a real person. A real, flawed, imperfect person. Nobody else makes me feel like that. When you look at me…"
He trailed off again. They locked eyes and he lost his train of thought. He was suddenly slapped in the face with the fact that Marinette was Ladybug. He'd almost forgotten, but she was looking at him now with Ladybug's eye. The intense stare, like she was looking into his soul. She saw all of him. He could hide nothing from her, and he didn't want to anyway. He wanted to share everything with her, he wanted there to be no secrets. Even as honest and open as they had been with each other tonight, there was alot that she didn't know. Or rather, she just didn't know that she did know. She thought she was getting to know him, she already knew him. If he revealed his secret right now, told her he was Chat Noir, everything would fall into place. Everything she had said about Chat, how he craved affection and tried so hard to please, it was because Adrien hadn't had a hug from his father since his sixteenth birthday. There was no need for them to 'get to know each other', there was nothing about him she didn't know, it was just a matter of what face she knew it from.
"When you look at me…" He continued. "I feel like you actually see me. Like, the real me. Not the guy on the cover of the magazine. You… you make me feel… cared for. No one… no one else really makes me feel like that."
She made him feel loved. She made him feel like he was worthy of being loved. But he thought saying that to her would be too much too soon. She blushed and had to look away, trying to suppress the smile that had broken out. It was at this moment that their food arrived. They thanked the waitress and she left with a smile. The food smelled and looked amazing. As Adrien proceeded to dig in, Marinette spoke.
"You are cared for. Surely, I'm not the only one…" She avoided eye contact, but her smile seemed almost smug.
"You are." He said, his own smile reaching his eyes. "And don't call me Shirley."
She laughed, almost dropping the fork she had lifted to her lips. She had to set the utensil down as her laughter continued. He watched her with a wide smile, his heart filling with joy that he could get a genuine laugh from her. As Chat Noir, he'd been trying to make her laugh like that for years. It almost made him emotional. That wasn't even his best joke, in his opinion. He got it from a movie.
As her giggles passed, she caught her breath and said, "Doesn't Nino make you feel like he cares?"
Adrien closed his eyes and smiled, and Marinette couldn't help but to admire how handsome he was, even in the dim lighting. When he opened his eyes again, she almost lost her breath. "I love Nino dearly," he said, flashing a very feline grin. "But I'm not into dudes."
Heat rushed to her face, his implication very clear. She had to look away. She had to. The smoulder in his eyes was too much, she'd melt if she kept looking. His hand was suddenly laying atop hers on the table and her eyes snapped back to him. She didn't know that one could mix smoulder and sweet like that, but he wore it genuinely, like that was just his regular face. "Marinette, I am really sorry for everything, and thank you for telling me what I needed to hear. Only a true… only someone who truly cared would be that truly honest. I hope you can forgive me for everything else."
He almost called her a friend again. He almost said 'only a true friend'. He was proud of himself that he caught it.
"Of course, I forgive you." She said softly. Head tilted down, she looked up at him through thick eyelashes and gave him a sweet smile.
As they ate, they carried on like they had never been arguing. They exchanged stories, jokes, and Adrien sang the praises of the diner, saying he definitely wanted to return. They laughed and smiled and grew closer and more comfortable, but although she didn't well to hide it, there was a pit in Marinette's stomach that had nothing to do with the delicious food she was eating.
Leftovers boxed up, Adrien refused to let her pay for her food, handing over his credit card before the waitress could even drop the bill. He tipped generously, and they left. It had only gotten colder the later it got and they could see their breath in the air.
Adrien had offered her his arm again and she took it, albeit a bit hesitantly. Her heart felt like a caged bird, thrashing against her ribs. She only hoped he couldn't hear it. The cold wind in her ears made hearing anything except her heart almost impossible.
All she could think about was Chat Noir.
She knew she had told herself that it was okay to go with the flow and see what happened, she wasn't dating anyone, but after everything the Adrien said…. After the whole night really, her thoughts were in tangles and her heart felt torn. She was angry with herself.
Who was she to think she could just choose between them like they were just options? They both deserved so much better than that. After spending time with each of them, she realized they made her feel almost exactly the same way. How could such a thing even be possible?
She cared so much for each of them.
But more than that, she didn't want to hurt either of them. She was less concerned about who she would choose, than who she didn't. The thought of breaking either of their hearts killed her. She couldn't bare it. She was consumed in her thoughts that she didn't even realize they had made it to her home until they came to a stop.
She was a bit disappointed that she had essentially missed the scenic walk, one of her favorite things about living in Paris. The time had flown by so quickly and now she would have to say goodnight to Adrien. Perhaps she was wasting precious time by worrying. It took up too much space in her thoughts and left her unable to appreciate what was happening here and now. Adrien was here, now. He deserved for her to pay attention to him. And she really wasn't accomplishing anything by stressing herself out anyway.
"I had a great time tonight." He said. "The night was… nearly perfect."
She looked up at him and was once again taken aback by how handsome he was. The streetlamp behind him provided an exquisite backlight that gave a certain halo effect to his golden locks. The stars reflected in his eyes and he looked nothing short of heavenly.
"It was alright I guess." She teased with a fake eye roll. A chuckle escaped through her nose and caused him to smirk in return.
"That bad, was it?" His brows knit together in fake offense again, and pouted. "I thought it went really well."
She giggled at his expression. "I'm kidding, it was…" She ducked her chin down into her coat, blushing once more. "It was nice."
She peaked up at him and saw the pout lift off his face like a veil, revealing once again the sweet, smoulder look in his eyes. They were so green, they could've been glowing and she wouldn't have noticed the difference. There was a warmth in his smile and for split second, she considered asking him if he'd like to come inside.
A strong gust of wind blew between them, sending a shiver up their spines and a chill into their bones. "Geez, it's getting cold." Adrien said as he rubbed his hands together.
Invite him inside.
"I read that it's supposed to get really cold tonight."
Ask if he'd like to come up for a bit.
"It is getting pretty late."
What if he says yes? Never mind, don't do it.
They were standing about a foot apart. Their breath mingled together between them. Marinette felt like she should say something. They were standing outside in the freezing cold, either the night was over or it wasn't. Either way, they shouldn't just be standing there freezing their noses off. She didn't want to say goodbye yet.
In the midst of her thoughts, he extended his arms towards her for a hug. It surprised her alittle, though she didn't know why. She effortlessly fell to his chest, like there was a magnet pulling her there. Her arms encircled his waist, and his draped around her back, effectively pinning her arms to her sides. Without a second thought, she buried her face into the crook of his neck, breathing deeply his expensive scent. The chill couldn't enter here. He was so warm, she was content to stay there.
"Can we do this again sometime?" He asked quietly and she could feel his hot breath on her ear, the action setting her whole face on fire.
"Sure." She whispered. "I'd like that."
He pulled back enough so that they might look at each other, but did not release his hold. Their chests still pressed together, another chill went up her spine as she realized how close they were, this time having nothing to do with the cold.
"Would you maybe want to watch the original of that movie we saw today? I'd like to see it, but I definitely can't watch scary movies alone."
She smiled, amused at the thought of him being scared of a movie. "That's sound like fun. But it won't be that scary compared to-"
Suddenly her senses were overwhelmed to the point of shut down as he ducked his head down and lay a gentle kiss upon her lips.
It wasn't intense or passionate. It was gentle and sweet. He didn't move, or even stay for very long. The simplest kiss, just a peck. His lips were pressed fully against hers for no more than a few seconds, barely long enough for her to realize what had happened, before he pulled away.
Her breath escaped in choppy gasps, her chest quivering against his. He lay his forehead against hers and she could feel his eyelashes tickle her own. As she stared ahead, wide eyed and stunned, his eyes stayed on her lips, his mouth parted slightly, looking almost as if even he couldn't believe what he'd done.
How curious that something so small, that was here and gone so quickly, could cause her entire body to react. She'd read about first kisses, how your knees shake and your palms sweat. What she'd never read about was the fire that was suddenly lit in her belly, causing her skin to go aflame and her fingers and toes to go numb. Her thoughts had all but stopped. There was no critically thinking, no reaction that could be put into words. Only feelings. She didn't wonder why, she didn't ponder if she should be happy or not. It was her body that told her, what a raw, electric feeling it was. Her arms began to shake and her breathing was deep and deliberate. She could've shouted when he started to pull back.
"I… I'm so sorry-" Was all he was able to whisper before she clawed her hands into his back and stood on tiptoe so that their lips would meet once again.
This time was different. Adrien wasted no time and tilted his head, deepening the kiss, as he trailed his hands down to grab her by the waist. Her hands found their way to the back of his neck, where they carded through his hair and traced the line from his jaw to his throat. The action released a deep rumble from his chest which made Marinette gasp. He used the opportunity to test his luck, and the tip of his tongue carefully slipped out to run along her lower lip. She retreated for a mere moment and he worried that he'd gone too far, but she was only parted long enough to shyly lick his tongue with her own, and their mouths resumed their dance.
Marinette had always hated the sound of lips smacking when people kissed. But the sound of her own lips playing with Adrien's was like symphony to her ears. It wasn't until Adrien pulled her hips firmly onto his and risked a nibble to her lips and the most enticing moan that he'd ever heard escaped her, that she immediately pulled away and untangled herself from him. He let her go without protest, seeing on her face how embarrassed she was. He himself couldn't believe what had just transpired.
"I.. I… I…" Marinette tried to speak, her fingers resting on her lips, rosy cheeked and wide eyed. She couldn't meet his eyes. "I have to go."
Trying to move quickly but shaking too much to be swift, she stumbled to the door of the bakery and was about to disappear through it, but she stopped. Her back to him, he saw her take a few deep breaths to steady herself before she hesitantly turned to face him.
"T-text me that you made it home safe." With that, she practically leapt through the door and it flew shut behind her.
As soon as she was sure she was safe, that is, out of view, she collapsed against the front counter of the bakery. The business long since closed for the night was dark inside, lit only by the bulbs in some of the display cases. Holding herself up by her elbows, she began to hyperventilate and Tikki made her appearance.
"Marinette!" The kwami exclaimed. "It's okay, it's okay, breath!"
"I'm not gonna cry." Marinette asserted, but she sounded more like she was trying to convince herself. "I'm not gonna cry."
"Breath, Marinette, breath."
"I'm not gonna cry…" Marinette looked up at her kwami's concerned face and her lip began to tremble. "I'm definitely gonna cry…"
As the first few tears escaped her eyes, Tikki zipped forward to nuzzle her chosen's forehead. "It's okay to cry, let it out if you need to." She used her little paws to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Let's get you upstairs into some warm pajamas."
"O…ok..ay." She sobbed as she followed the sprite up the stairs.
She wasn't crying because it was a bad kiss, or even because she was upset that it happened. She was just so emotionally overwhelmed that she couldn't take it. It wasn't the kiss that did it, it was the combination of the entire day, the highs and lows. She couldn't even wrap her head around it all, and even if she could, she had a massive headache coming on and all she wanted was to curl up in bed.
She went to the laundry room to fetch her favorite sweat pants and sweater. Even inside, her attic bedroom could become very cold on nights like tonight, which meant it was a perfect 'curl up under the blanket' kind of night.
She next went to the bathroom to change and watch her face, brush her teeth, and everything else to prepare for bed. She knew her parents would be asleep and she knew they weren't worried for her to be out late tonight because they thought she'd spent the whole night with Alya.
Boy, did she have some tea for Alya.
She grabbed a pumpkin pie scented candle from the kitchen before heading upstairs. Nothing made it smell more like fall time than pumpkin pie, and she knew the scent would help lull her to sleep. She pushed the hatch open and padded up the stairs to her bedroom.
She nearly dropped the candle when she saw Chat Noir stretched out on her lounger. He looked up and met her wide eyed gaze before offering her a smile. "Hi."
She couldn't respond. Her heart dropped to her stomach. How long had he been here? How much did he know?
"W-when did y-you-" She started.
"I just got here… not too long ago…" He said quietly. "I'm sorry, I knew I shouldn't have just…" He trailed off. He gave her a look like he knew something.
There was a tension in the air, an awkwardness that Marinette had no idea how to fix. Tears prickled behind her eyes again. Chat wore a smile, so maybe he didn't see any of that. He seemed almost smug, like the tension was completely one sided. That meant that he probably didn't see anything.
"So…" He said, swinging his legs over the side of the lounger. His smile was playful, which was completely contradictory to the anxiety she was feeling. He looked at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Adrien Agreste, huh?"
….
Heyyyyy soooo it's been like, what, two years? XP
Alright, so what had happened was, remember when there was all the drama over the release of season two? And it kept getting pushed back and pushed back? During that time, I completely lost interest in the show. Even now, I'm not caught up. I've watched a handful of episodes, but not consistently.
Anyway, I've had the first half of this chapter written since two years ago and I just came back to finish it this week. You may notice a disconnect and alot of word vomit, but I just really wanted to get this out.