He takes a sip of coffee, frowning at the bitterness. "Where's the sugar...?"
He hears a slight laugh, and looks up to see a woman, sitting at a table with a computer, blue eyes sparkling. "Not a fan of the bitter stuff, I take it?"
"Nope, I'm a sugar addict," he shrugs, pulling out the seat across from the woman. "I just really, really need the caffeine, and there isn't much else with that and sugar on this menu."
"Did you try a mocha?"
"Coffee and chocolate?" he wrinkles his nose. "No thanks."
"Well aren't you picky?" she smirks, tilting her head. "If you really need sugar, they have some at the counter."
He looks over his shoulder, and blushes at the sight of the canister, clearly marked, "SUGAR" in pink block letters. "Oh. That's there."
"Yes, it really is," she snickers at him, and it should not be that cute but wow it really is. "Don't worry, you can still sit with me, no matter how oblivious to your surroundings you are."
He laughs, grabbing the sugar and pouring it into his cup. Her eyes widen. "What?"
"You like sugar. You really, really like sugar."
"Yeah, got a problem with it?"
She giggles. "It's adorable."
...
"Hey! Sugar boy!"
He glances around the coffeeshop, and sees the girl with the laptop waving him over. "Adrien, actually," he corrects her, as he sits down.
"Adrien?" she smiles. "Marinette." She extends her hand. "I can't believe we didn't exchange names last time."
"I think we got a bit caught up once the topic of anime was brought up."
She rolls her eyes. "I can't believe you never saw Pokémon, everyone saw Pokémon!"
"Says the girl who never watched a single episode of Sailor Moon." Her eyes sparkle as she laughs, ponytails bouncing. Marinette, huh? He grins across the table. "We should exchange numbers this time, too."
"Hmm... alright, Adrien." She pulls a pen out f her bag, scribbling her number on a napkin. "Text me."
...
It's been two weeks, and every lunch hour, they meet at the coffeeshop. They text almost constantly, and he's decided that he loves her. Sure, they're only sixteen, but she's adorable, and sweet, and incredibly cocky. She likes cartoons and superheroes, she designs clothing, and takes her coffee black and bitter, as opposed to his sugar. Her parents are bakers, so she gets more than enough sugar at home.
"That explains how sweet you are!"
"Oh, shut up, Adrien." It was said with a smile.
He walks into the Miraculous Coffee House, and sits at their table, waiting for her. She comes in a few minutes late, and smiles, sitting across from him. "Hey, sorry, I had to talk to a teacher after class... so, you said there was something you absolutely had to tell me?" she raises an eyebrow, folding her hands. "I'm listening."
"Marinette... well, we've been talking for a few weeks now, and I wanted to say, I really, really-"
He was cut off by the door slamming open, as a maniac waved a gun around the store. "Where is Chloé Bourgeois?" he demanded, eyes flashing. "Where is she? She eats here, I know it! Where are you hiding her?"
The store went very quiet. Adrien gripped Marinette's hand very tightly, trying to convey to her that it'd all be fine, they'd be okay...
"WHERE IS SHE?" the gunman shouted, suddenly turning the gun on the customers, each in turn. "If nobody tells me, I'll just start shooting!"
Nobody moves a muscle. Nobody's heard of a Chloé Bourgeois...
"Alright then!" he laughs. "Fine! I'll take out the other pretty blonde!"
Adrien's eyes widen as the gun is pointed at his chest, and he hears a scream, "No!"
The gun goes off, and the next thing he knows, Marinette's arms are around him, and she's bleeding, oh god, she's bleeding-!
"A-adrien," she gasps out. "I... I love... you..."
She goes limp, and he panics, checking her pulse, she has to still have a pulse, oh please...
"Now, anyone else want to spare blondie's life? Tell me where she is, or I'll shoot him too."
"We don't know!" Adrien shouts. "We have no clue who Chloé Bourgeois is! You psychotic murderer, get out!"
"Don't talk to me like that!"
The gun is aimed at his head, and everything goes black.
...
The Miraculous Coffee House is closed for business.
After one teenager was killed, and another severely injured by a deranged gunman, they had to shut down.
The one kid, the one who survived, is looking up at the sign, eyes dull. It was a sweet romance. So innocent. They were innocent, but not everything ends happily. He never even said he loved her.