A/N: Let me just apologize in advance.

Chapter 43

~Adrien's POV~

I couldn't believe that all it took was for me to be alone with Marinette for me to return to normal again. Well, almost alone. Nino and Alya were there, but it was easy to forget they were. Kim, Ivan, and Max weren't around anymore to tease me about my obvious crush on Marinette, and I felt like I could really be myself around her without becoming too embarrassed by anything stupid I might do or say.

Except for this scene that we had to film together. Zachary was supposed to be uncomfortable knowing that he liked Marilee and that she most likely liked him too. I had to put myself more in his shoes to sell the act, but I found it wasn't as easy this time.

"You guys are too happy." Alya told us with an amused tone after she stopped us in the middle of our scene for the fourth time.

"Sorry, Alya." Marinette giggled with an apologetic smile.

"Marilee and Zachary are both nervous about their relationship budding." Alya continued. "Marinette, Marilee is still in school and wasn't wanting a relationship until she graduated and opened up her own practice. Adrien, Zachary always believed that love wasn't for him and that he'd rather live his life as a bachelor. Now that they're developing feelings for each other, and they're both nervous and a little uncomfortable around each other since they're unsure about how they feel."

"I know." I said with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Alya. We'll get it."

"Yeah, in fifty more takes." Alya muttered sarcastically as she turned to Nino.

"Guys, just try to really put yourselves in their shoes." Nino added. "That's always seemed to be easy enough for you."

"That's true." Marinette agreed and gave me a smile before taking a deep breath. "Alright. I think I got it now."

I nodded slowly as I looked at Alya. "Let's try again. We'll get it soon."

It took a few more takes, but slowly it seemed that Marinette and I were getting more into character. But of course that meant I had to get inside my own head. At first I just imagined myself as Zachary, feeling uneasy by the thought that Marinette liked me back, but it proved not to work because it wasn't making me feel uncomfortable. Then a new thought crossed my mind.

What if she doesn't really like me as more than a friend?

I was happy knowing that I liked Marinette, and I was happy when I thought about the possibility of her liking me too. But the more I thought about it the more nervous I became when I thought of telling her how I felt. What if she didn't really like me? What if I was just convincing myself that she liked me because of my feelings for her?

The more I thought about the possibility of Marinette not liking me as more as a friend, the more nervous I became when I thought about trying to tell her how I felt about her. What if I was only a friend to her and telling her that I like her just made things weird between us? What if I lose my friendship with her because it's so awkward between us?

I glanced at her and realized that the thought was very unlikely. There was really no way for my friendship with Marinette to be ruined. Even though things between us might get awkward, especially if it turns out that she doesn't really like me, I know that she'd never want to stop being my friend over something like this.

Knowing that made me feel a little better, but suddenly I was very aware about how nervous and uncomfortable I was when I thought about telling Marinette how I felt. I really didn't want to make things awkward between us, or hear her tell me that she only wants to be friends.

Even though at first I convinced myself that everything would be okay and that she probably liked me too, I was afraid because there was still a chance that she didn't like me. I couldn't take that chance. I couldn't tell her I liked her because I didn't want to make things weird. And knowing Marinette, she'd feel terrible for having to tell me she didn't feel the same way.

The more I thought about it the surer I was that this was the case. How could I really think that Marinette saw me as more than a friend? Us spending more time together has been very recent, within the last couple weeks. What if she and I were only building a stronger friendship and nothing more?

I hadn't realized I had started to do more frowning than smiling, but I noticed Alya nodding towards us approvingly. "There you go." She said. "Now you guys are more in character. Only took five more takes, but I'm sure this one will be it."

Sure enough when I looked at Marinette I saw that she seemed to be nervous, maybe even a little worried, when she looked at me. We looked at each other for a moment longer before we heard Nino tell us to get back to our original places. My eyes lowered to the bread on the table that was already partially sliced, and I picked up the bread knife. I waited for another moment before Alya called action.

I sliced through the bread as Marinette started to slice strawberries again. There was a cantaloupe between our cutting boards that was sliced in half as well as a bowl of strawberries. I kept my eyes on the bread as I knew she glanced up at me briefly since we'd done the scene so many times now.

"You didn't come home until really late last night." She commented then looked at me again, pausing from cutting the strawberries. I turned my head and looked at her, also pausing from slicing the bread. She looked very concerned as she grabbed another strawberry and spoke her concern with, "Is everything okay at work?"

I looked down again, as did she, and we continued to slice the food. "Yeah I do that sometimes just to kinda go with the flow." I said then glanced at her. "Blow where the wind takes me."

Marinette glanced at me too by the time I had looked down at the bread again and continued to slice it, then looked down again at the strawberries. "So I guess things are permanent now." She said with a slight smile. "You have a family."

I instantly stopped my actions with the knife halfway through the bread and looked at her. "What?" I asked, alarm and confusion in my tone. "I have a what—what do you mean?"

Marinette looked up at me and gave me an amused smile. "You and Ambrose." She clarified. "You're not looking for a home for him anymore? He's your family."

"Oh yeah." I said, breathing a slight sigh of relief as she laughed lightly. "I guess so."

As I looked back at the bread and finished cutting that partial slice, then sliced another, Marinette had turned her attention to me. I still felt a bit worried about how things between she and I would work out, and I was glad that everyone else could mistake me for really being in character.

Marinette stopped slicing the strawberries and watched me for a moment. It was like she could tell that something was bothering me. "Are you okay?" I looked up at her. "Is something wrong?"

I slowly looked away again, wearing a confused expression, then looked at her again. "No." I answered. "No, I'm fine. I'm good."

As I looked down again, Marinette put down her knife on her cutting board and stepped away from me, facing away from me and looking out the window above her sink. "There's this uh… thing I have to do tonight."

My smile instantly fell, and I let my discomfort show on my face. "Yeah, what's that?" I asked but still made my tone sound light.

"It's nothing really." She answered, glancing over her shoulder at me as she washed her hands. "It's just this party that my sister and her husband invited me to. I can bring someone if I want."

In the middle of her line I stopped slicing the bread again and listened to her. I could hear the slight hope in her voice along with the nervousness. I was quiet for a moment before I responded. "You want me to meet your family?"

Marinette turned around, wiping her hands on a dishtowel, her eyes wide in alarm before she smiled naturally, her eyes not as wide anymore. "Yeah, I just thought it would be something fun to do. You'd really like my sister and brother-in-law. They're great."

I turned my head and looked at her for a moment before I answered with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry but I can't."

"Oh, yeah." Marinette instantly responded as I looked back down at the bread. "Of course. I mean it's—it's totally last minute and everything."

I looked at her again and could see that she looked a little uncomfortable. "No, it's just that I have this work thing that I have to do." I said. "I would like to, but I just can't."

As I looked down again, Marinette seemed to grow more uncomfortable. "I thought you were off tonight."

"I was, but it got changed." I responded, looking at her again, then looked down again. "So…" Marinette just pursed her lips and nodded to herself while I looked down at the wristwatch I was wearing.

"Man, it's later than I thought." I said, putting down the bread knife. "I actually have to get to work. Uh, I'll see you when I get back." I continued, looking at her again. "If you're here. Otherwise, I'll see you when I see you."

"Okay." She answered quietly, and I gave her a smile as I repeated her line back to her. I turned and started to walk away while she was fidgeting with that dishtowel.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" She called after me, her voice giving away how worried she was.

I turned around in the doorway and looked at her, still smiling. "Yeah, everything's fine." I hesitated for a moment before raising a hand slightly to give her a slight wave. "Bye."

After I turned and walked down the hall, I stopped to wait out the rest of the scene. It lasted for a few more seconds during which I knew Marinette was staring in the doorway anxiously where I left. When I heard Alya say, "Finally!" I walked back into the kitchen.

"This had to have been the most takes you two have ever had to make for one scene." She said with a laugh as she reached into her bag and handed us each more papers. "Here you go; the last five scenes left in the movie."

I looked down at the papers then back up at Alya. I felt relieved that it would be over, but also rather disappointed. I really liked spending this time acting with Marinette. "That means there's eight more to film."

Alya nodded in response before looking at Marinette. "Nino and I can't stay much longer. I have to babysit, and Nino's agreed to help me out. We'll be gone as soon as we pack up the camera."

Marinette nodded in response as I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. After pulling it out, I saw that I had a message from Natalie telling me that the moment we were finished with the scene I had to go. "I need to head out too." I said, already turning to head to the door. "I'll see you all later."

I walked out the door of their apartment to head down to where I knew my chauffeur would be waiting and took a few steps before I heard Marinette call out to me. When I turned I saw that she was standing in the doorway. "Can we talk?" She asked. I hesitated before I gave her a small nod then turned and took a step towards her as she shut the door behind her, leaving both of us standing together in the hallway.

We were both quiet for a moment and I felt the awkward tension rising. It made me uncomfortable, and it seemed like it made her uncomfortable too. I decided to speak up first to break the silence. "What's up?"

She hesitated for a moment as she looked down then lifted her eyes to meet mine. "Why did you do it?"

The question was vague and reluctant, but I knew what she was referring to. Still, I wanted to be sure. "Do what?"

Marinette looked away from me, biting her bottom lip awkwardly. "You know…" She said, lowering her voice slightly. "Kiss me."

"There was mistletoe." I instantly responded, my hands slipping into my pockets. I felt rather nervous and uncomfortable talking about this, though I knew it needed to be done. I just didn't want to reveal anything until I was sure what she thought about it.

"That kiss wasn't in the script." She pointed out to me and I was very aware of how nervous she, even a little uncomfortable. I had no idea her thoughts about it yet, so I needed to play it safe and avoid saying exactly how I felt about the kiss or her.

"I know." I replied, my right hand raising to rub the back of my neck awkwardly. "I know it wasn't. I just thought that ending the scene that way would make better for the movie. And before when Alya was giving me the revised scene she told me to do whatever I thought Zachary would do."

"And you thought that in that moment he'd kiss Marilee?" She prompted.

I shrugged at first before nodding. "I mean, he has recently realized he had developed feelings for her, and he seems to at least have a decent idea that she likes him too."

"Look, that kiss didn't necessarily mean anything." I added quickly when she went quiet and I took it for her feeling more uncomfortable. "I kissed you because it was a scene with mistletoe, and it felt right to end the scene like that."

"The kiss didn't mean anything?" She asked me after being quiet for a few seconds and looked at me with eyes that told me that she wanted a certain answer, but I didn't know which answer it was she wanted.

I don't want to say 'no' because that would be lying! But I also really don't want to say 'yes' in case it makes things awkward!

I went with what seemed like the better option in my mind. I simply shrugged and shook my head slightly.

"Not really." I said, though I knew it was probably one of the biggest lies I would ever tell her. That kiss meant a lot more to me than being just for the sake of the film, but assuming that she didn't want it to mean anything, I lied in hopes this lie wouldn't make her uncomfortable.

But really the lie only upset her.

I could see the hurt in her eyes even when she looked down quickly. "I see…" She said quietly. Instantly I knew I had given her the answer that she didn't want to hear. But before I could tell her that it was a lie, and that I really didn't mean it and I was sorry for lying, she had turned away from me and walked back inside her home, leaving me standing alone in the hallway outside her apartment.

Marinette wanted me to say that the kiss had meant something, and I didn't only do it for the sake of the movie. That meant that the kiss would have meant something to her. And that would suggest that she liked me.

I didn't even have the ability to feel happy at the realization that Marinette liked me too. I had lied to her in hopes of giving her an answer she wanted and to avoid possible awkwardness between us if the kiss didn't mean something to her. But instead of preserving our friendship, it seemed as if I pushed her away.

I made a huge mistake, possibly the largest in my life. What worried me the most was wondering how on earth I'd be able to fix what I'd messed up.

Marinette, I'm so sorry… I'll find a way to make it up to you. I promise.