Chapter 15
-Marinette-
She looked over at Adrien as he smiled at the peaceful scene he'd set out, he turned to her with an excited smile, but Marinette felt her nerves go on high. She was going to have to tell him. She accepted Adrien's hand, and he walked down the bridge with her until they stood in front of the bench. Adrien reaches down and picked up the rose that sat on the bench. He held it out to Marinette with his hopeful smile and Marinette knew what she had to do. "For you, Marinette." He was telling her, and just as she'd felt when he'd confessed to her, she hated having to tell this painful truth.
"Adrien, I don't want to lead you on like this." She said, trying to be as calm as possible. His face fell and it hurt her too. "I'm in love with someone else."' She stammered and Adrien's look softened. "It's okay, Marinette. I guess I understand. Will you at least sit and watch the sunset with me then?" He asked hopefully. She relented and they sat together, watching the sun dip down below the river, a masterpiece of color erupting in its wake. Marinette wanted to paint it, to paint this moment and it's gorgeousness to remember it. But it would only bring her pain. Because she would remember crushing Adrien's heart.
"What's he like?" Adrien asked, not tearing his dad eyes away from the view. "He's always cared about me. He's protective and kind. He makes way too many jokes, but he's always there for me. He doesn't always see me as I am," she chose her words carefully to protect her identity, "But when he does, I never want to be anywhere else." Adrien didn't speak for a minute or two. "He sounds really great, do I know him?" He asked almost wistfully, but Marinette knew that withholding the answer would only make everything worse. "Yes. It's Chat Noir."
-Adrien-
Hearing his alter ego's name escape Marinette's mouth nearly made him pass out. Hiding his shock and renewed hope, he turned to Marinette, "he's definitely a lucky cat." He said, looking for a tint of humor to lighten the mood. She gave a faint smile, but he could tell there was something bothering her still. "Is everything okay?" He asked. She met his eyes as she answered and Adrien could read all the pain the radiated from her, "I'm not sure he'll love me for me." She answered and Adrien's heart hurt for her. It was the very same thing he was afraid of. "Marinette, if he doesn't love you for you, there is something seriously wrong with him. You're sweet and beautiful and perfect, and there's not one little thing wrong with you. If he can't love you for that. . . I could." He finished and he saw that there were tears in her eyes too. She didn't seem to know what to do, so she reached forward and hugged him. "Thank you, Adrien." She said, whispering in his ear.
He held Marinette for the longest time, just feeling her heartbeat against his, each best reaffirming to him that he'd found his lady. She just didn't know she'd found him, but now was not the time to drop that bomb. If he told her now, he would lose her, and she was too precious to lose. He could not let his lady feel alone again. He kissed her right on her forehead and she slowly she started to relax until she was able to draw away. "I'm sorry I had to tell you like this Adrien," she apologized, "I don't want to hurt you." He smiled back at Marinette, "Don't worry Mari. You could never hurt me."
-Marinette
The rest of the date was quiet and the Gorilla brought out a tray of dinner on a fancy silver platter. Marinette and Adrien thanked him, and he just grunted in reply, leaving them to eat alone on the bench. As night fell and it began to get cold, the Gorilla appeared again to deliver two warm blankets and collected their dishes. For a while they just looked up at the stars as they appeared and more and more, Marinette was reminded of being with her kitty so very recently. As she glanced over at Adrien, he was staring up at the stars with his beautiful eyes. But there was no sorrow in them. Only hope.
Marinette reflected on being here with Chat. The experience she'd had here had helped her choose him, and know that it was with Chat Noir, her match that she truly belonged. She felt a similar, very close feeling with Adrien, but she knew, just knew she had to be true to what she knew was right. Just as being with Luka had felt amazing, it hadn't measured up to the completeness she felt with Chat. He was her other half.
-Adrien-
He couldn't bring himself to say it. Looking into her eyes, he saw way too much pain. He would have to visit her again tonight, but as Chat. Right now she was still wrapped in a blanket, looking up at the stars. He loved seeing her hair down, and he longed to run his fingers through it. Adrien couldn't help himself, he reached over and gently touched her hair, feeling its silkiness for the first time. She barely seemed to notice, her bluebell eyes stared straight up at the stars, she was deep in thought. They'd been silent for so long that Adrien saw Gorilla striding over with a tray that was probably dessert. He set it down on the ground in front of them, and when Adrien bent over to look at it, he saw two mugs of hot chocolate.
He held one out to Marinette and she quietly thanked him and took it in her hands sipping it silently. She still seemed unable to speak, and Adrien didn't want to push her. With a look at his watch, he discovered it was already 8 o'clock. He had no idea what to do. "Are you okay?" He asked her gently. "I'm fine," she said, "Just a little tired." She answered mildly. Adrien didn't want her to feel awkward, and he knew this date had been a little harder on both of them than he'd originally intended. "Do you want me to take you home?" he asked, and she hesitated a minute before she answered, "That might be best. I'm really sorry about this Adrien." He stood up and helped her to her feet. "Don't be sorry for telling me how you really feel, Marinette. We're both going to be happy." He said as he walked her back down the bridge toward where Gorilla was waiting. The car ride was short and quiet, but Adrien walked her to the door. "Thanks for spending some time with me, Marinette. I'll be here if anything goes wrong."
-Marinette
She still felt awful as she walked up to her room, stepping out onto the balcony, still finding solace in the stars. Tiki zoomed out of her clutch, and the little kwami looked as though she might just burst. "Marinette! Do you realized what just happened?" She asked, exasperated with her holder. "Yeah, Adrien found out that I chose Chat and he's trying to be happy for me, because he does care about me, and I feel like a terrible human being!" She answered, trying to keep herself from bursting into tears. The little kwami face palmed. "Adrien took you on a date. . where?" She asked. Marinette didn't get where Tiki was going, "He took me to the bridge where Chat and I went a couple days ago." Tiki kept trying, "And I wonder who else likes that place and looks at the stars the same way. . ." she said. Marinette stared at Tiki, not believing what the kwami was trying to tell her. "Are you saying that you think Adrien brought me there because HE is Chat Noir?" Tiki nodded firmly, and Marinette wanted to slap herself.
How had she not noticed. Her leather-clad kitty had been in front of her all the time, but as Adrien. He'd taken her to the same spot. . .and looked at her the same way, and that explained the pain in both of their eyes. But was it really true? Was her true love also her old crush? Marinette just couldn't be sure.
***All right. The ball is rolling. . .and so begins another kind of square. It gets better. Tomorrow will probably be one of my last regular updates, because I go back to school on Tuesday, but I'll still try to give pretty regular updates. Thanks for all the suggestions!