A/N: Another chapter? This quickly? I simply can't stop writing. It's a short one, but I thought I'd go ahead and post. Enjoy :)

Adrien was no stranger to pain.

The pricks of needles during fittings as a young model, muscles stiff from hours of maintaining the same position.

Accepting that his father would never be the warm, gentle parent that he yearned for, no matter how hard he tried.

Losing his mother as a child, even as he sobbed and prayed and begged for her to be well, knowing that he wasn't ready to live without her.

He knew pain. He had grown from it. At this point, they were old friends.

But heartbreak… heartbreak was a beast he wasn't prepared for.

There hadn't been other girls. Not really. Aside from unreciprocated flirtations from fans and a brief, three-week relationship in high school that swiftly ended after he and Kagami had both realized they were more friends than anything else, Adrien had no experience in the field of love.

Enter Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Perfect, sweet, deceptive Marinette.

He was a blind fool. And he hated himself for it.

Sprawled out on the couch, still wearing the same clothes from the night before- the last night he would ever spend with her, he realized, his heart seizing in his chest- Adrien allowed himself to be consumed by the pitiful voices of self-loathing that teemed in his head.

How had he missed all the signs? How had he been so convinced that she enjoyed his company, that she was genuine when she said she cared, that she had possibly even loved him the way he so desperately loved her…

And still did.

Adrien laughed bitterly, bringing his hands to his face. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes so firmly that he saw dark, swirling patterns on his eyelids. Fresh tears slipped down his cheeks. He didn't know how there could possibly be any moisture left in his eyes after the past 24 hours.

He loved her. Maybe it was a false idea of her, expertly crafted to fool his tender heart that yearned nothing more than to love and be loved in return, but it was true. He wanted to be furious with her, to loathe her entirely and wish for nothing more than to never see her again, but he couldn't bring himself to hate her.

Because she was… she was Marinette. Bright, brilliant, clumsy, confusing. His heart stuttered at her smile and shattered at her cold glare. He was hers. She didn't want him, was maybe even repulsed by him, but he was hers.

Adrien shook his head, removing his hands and glowering at the ceiling.

It's not true, the desperate part of his brain pleaded. The voice had been growing fainter and fainter over time. You do know her. She does love you. She lied. I don't know why, but she lied.

"Shut up," he grumbled, his voice cracking. "Shut. Up."

How shocking was it, really, that it had all been a facade? He should have known it was all too good to be true. He had been too… happy.

It was unrealistic. Naive.

She was right about him. He needed to grow up.

Adrien lazily glanced over to his phone. It was already 9:15 AM. He hadn't slept all night. He couldn't even bring himself to lay in his own bed, terrified that it might still smell like her.

After she had revealed herself to him, shamelessly throwing his love for her in his face (was he so transparent? Fool, Adrien, you're a fool), he staggered back to his apartment like a zombie. He had hardly moved from his crumpled position on his couch. He hadn't showered, brushed his teeth, eaten…

Adrien's stomach growled, a painful reminder that he was thoroughly neglecting himself.

Sighing, he glanced at the time again. He had already missed his morning class, but if he dragged himself up now, he could leave in time to make his 10:30. No use spending another 24 hours agonizing over someone who had ripped out his heart and torn it to shreds.

Ignoring the handful of missed texts and calls from his father and Nino he turned off his phone, putting it on airplane mode for the time being. He didn't feel like talking to anyone right now- forcing himself to go to class felt like accomplishment enough.

Even as he finally brought himself to his feet, shuffling over to the bathroom for a much-needed shower, he cringed at the thought of leaving his apartment. What if he ran into her? Would she find him even more pathetic if he waved, tried to strike up a conversation?

Just move on, already. And don't talk to me anymore, she had said, her voice cold.

Adrien's eyes closed as the words rang in his head, their sting not yet dulled by time. No, he wouldn't talk to her. He'd pretend like he never knew her, walk right past her as if they were strangers. That's what she wanted, after all.

And who was he to deny the lady what she wanted?

Adrien frowned as the water ran, slowly steaming his bathroom as it climbed in temperature. But for a moment there… for a moment he could have sworn he saw a flash of hesitation in her eyes when he had taken her hand. She was holding something back from him. She almost looked… afraid.

Stupid. You're being stupid.

Unless you're not.

Adrien groaned, scrubbing his face with his hands and peering at his reflection. He looked sleep-deprived and tear-stained. Perfect. Looks like he was sitting in the back of the classroom today.

As he showered, he tried to turn off his brain, to no avail.

Why didn't she try to meet my father sooner if that was one of her main goals all along? Why wait for him to just show up at my apartment?

Why reveal the truth at all if that threatens her possibility of having an internship with him?

Did she tell the truth out of guilt, or did someone catch her in her lie?

Why create this horrifying melodrama surrounding a fake stalker when she could have just asked for a key, knowing I would have willingly given it in a heartbeat?

When did she realize I loved her?

How many times has she laughed about my feelings for her?

Does she hate me?

Could she have ever loved me?

Answers he would never receive. Questions that would slowly drive him insane.

As he mechanically pulled on his clothes, Adrien made a mental note to speak to Nino about Alya. Her friend could be innocent in all of this, but if Alya was as ruthless as Marinette and just using Nino for interviews to further her own career, he needed to warn him sooner rather than later. He could at least spare his friend his same fate.

"I need a distraction," Adrien murmured tiredly, forcing himself to eat an apple. Going to class and losing himself in equations sounded really good at the moment.

When he slung his bag over his shoulder and faced his front door, he braced himself with a deep breath. He knew Marinette should be sleeping in, preparing for a late shift at her internship- a benefit of having memorized her schedule. But, of course, he had no idea what was real and what was made up at this point. For all he knew, she spent her mornings gallivanting around Paris in a latex suit, fighting crime with magical powers.

He pushed the door open.

The hallway was clear.

Letting out a shaky exhale, he marched towards the stairwell as if his life depended on it. He'd avoid the elevator for now.

Should he just move out?

He was getting ahead of himself. Maybe he'd get over her quickly.

Adrien chuckled drily. That was a good joke.

He checked his watch as he made his way down the stairs. He had a few minutes to spare. Might as well grab his mail. Look at me, doing productive human things. Gold star for Adrien.

Cruising into the lobby with another wary glance (no Marinette, thank the stars), he made his way over to the mailboxes. Instinctively, he grabbed his stack of mail, slid it into his bag, then made his way over to Marinette's mailbox, grabbed her stack of mail-

He froze, eyeing the envelopes like they were blocks of cocaine he had pulled out in a crowded police station. What am I doing?

Adrien had to force down another wave of emotion as he gingerly set her mail back in its cubby, eyes stinging. One of many habits that he had picked up these past months was grabbing her mail whenever he came down She always had done the same for him as well.

Why inconvenience herself if she didn't care about you?

She did it to further deceive you. It was all a lie. And the sooner you accept that the sooner you can move on.

Adrien stood there for a moment, gritting his teeth, waiting for the internal debate to die down. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

Unconsciously, his gaze slipped back to her mail.

Maintenance request reminder, the top envelope read.

He frowned. That didn't make sense. She hadn't mentioned anything that had been broken, and he was just in her apartment yesterday-

Stop. Stop this. It doesn't matter. Her life is not your concern.

He turned to leave, then hesitated. The faint, niggling voice in the back of his head continued to whisper to him. Something was wrong, here. Things right now weren't as they seemed.

He had so many questions. So many doubts. And as forcefully as she insisted for him to believe her, he didn't want to.

Ignoring his head, he gave in to his gut instinct, quickly grabbing the letter and shoving it down his front pants pocket. He felt infinitely foolish the minute his fingers touched the envelope. Still, he glanced around to see if anyone had noticed, and he quickly fled the scene.

Striding outside, he whipped it out for a closer look.

It was a copy of a maintenance request submitted by Marinette, and attached was a scrawled note by the landlord's nephew, who had been taking over for the past few weeks while their landlord cared for their sick mother.

It read as follows: New guy coming to look at kichen lite 9:45 he will have key thanks.

Adrien resisted the urge to roll his eyes. While their landlord was great, his nephew was positively incompetent. Rumor had it he was wiping security footage so he had more storage on the computer for World of Warcraft. Not that he was in the office much, anyway.

Scanning the letter again, shame warmed the back of his neck. The gravity of what he had just done weighed down on him. He had gone through Marinette's mail against her will, just a day after she told him, in no uncertain terms, to leave him alone. Nothing looked amiss, here. He was a total creep for no reason. What the hell was she going to think of him after this?

Between silently cursing at himself and trying to quickly think of a way to make it look like he hadn't been tampering with his neighbor's mail, Adrien happened to take closer notice of the original maintenance request.

It was a copy of a handwritten request.

But that wasn't Marinette's handwriting.

Eyebrows furrowed, he looked even closer. The request was made a few days ago, describing a kitchen light that wouldn't turn on. But yesterday in her apartment, the light in her kitchen was working fine. He knew that for a fact- the image of her calling him naive, effectively shattering his heart into a million pieces, would forever be burned in his memory.

And in that image, the kitchen light was on.

Heart rate quickening, he looked again at the nephew's note. New guy. What new maintenance guy? Having lived in this apartment complex for over a year now, Adrien knew the landlord only worked with a select few trusted handymen. As far as he knew he hadn't hired anyone new. He was a man of routine. And the nephew was way too lazy and didn't care enough to bother seeking out additional workers for hire.

This didn't make sense. It just didn't make any sense.

Unless…

Adrien's eyes widened, his heartbeat thundering even faster as the fragmented pieces began to align into a horrifying, sickening image.

Yesterday, Marinette pulls a sudden 180, shutting him out of her life.

A maintenance request is forged by someone other than her, conveniently during a time when the apartment building has weakened security thanks to the landlord's shitty nephew.

A "new maintenance guy" shows up and is given a key to access Marinette's apartment.

The time of arrival is 9:45 on a Monday when Adrien is usually out at school, most others in the complex are at their jobs or other commitments, and when Marinette is usually alone in her apartment, sleeping in before a late shift at her internship.

A perfect opportunity to invade. No one was around to witness it. No one was around to protect her.

Before he had fully comprehended what he had discovered, Adrien was already back in the building, flying towards the elevator at a speed he didn't know he possessed. He started mashing on the button like a madman, feverishly surveying the lobby for any signs of life.

It was completely empty. The person either wasn't here yet, or he was already in Marinette's apartment.

The thought sent a fresh wave of fear crashing down onto him. With a strangled cry of frustration, Adrien changed course, bolting into the stairwell. He took the stairs three at a time, glancing at his watch between ragged breaths. 9:40. If the man wasn't already there, he had five minutes to convince her to run.

Was there a chance he was wrong, that he'd be breaking into her place for absolutely no reason and would likely have the police called on him? Yes, absolutely. But the fact remained that there was a chance, however small, that Marinette had, for reasons he had yet to understand, lied to him yesterday. Which would mean she did have a stalker, and they had been given access to a key to her apartment-

Adrien paled, rounding the corner with an ungodly burst of speed and slamming the door open, spilling into the hallway.

He had a key.

When did he get the key?

Just because the appointment was scheduled for 9:45 didn't mean he couldn't have shown up earlier, have already-

"Marinette!" He was in front of her door in an instant, fumbling for his keys with shaking hands. "Shit, shit! Mari, are you in there?"

The three longest seconds of his life passed in complete silence as he tried to unlock her door with the key he had, thank the heavens above, forgotten to return yesterday. He hoped, prayed, God please-

The door clicked and he shoved it open, stumbling straight into her living room. "Marinette? Marinette!" He scanned the room wildly, bolting into the kitchen next. No sign of her. "Marinette! Answer me!"

When he flung open her bedroom door, he was met with a gun in his face.