Sorry this is late. Today got away from me and I forgot it was a posting day.

*Spoilers for season 5 episode 'Determination.'

Adrinette April 2023

Day #14: Grevin Museum

When Luka hit the security button just outside the Heroes Room, it dropped two heavy metal doors down over both the exits, trapping Marinette in there with all of the wax super heroes and Adrien.

Panicked, she went over to one of the doors and tried to lift it up from the floor. "I can't get it to open!" she exclaimed. After finally deciding that there was no way she was going to be able to lift it, she stopped and pulled out her phone. If she couldn't get the door open, maybe she could call for help. Even if it was just to Luka and/or Kagami to beg them to let them out. Sadly, when she looked at her screen, her phone did not have any wifi or bars. "No signal! What are we going to do?!" she cried.

"Everything's okay, Marinette. I'm here," Adrien said to her calmly while approaching her.

Marinette quickly turned back to him. "Exactly! You're here. That's the problem!"

Adrien's face fell. "I-I'm the problem?" he asked sadly.

"No, no, no. You're not the problem. I'm the problem!" she quickly corrected herself. "Every time I get close to you, I-" Marinette paused, looking over Adrien's shoulder to the statue of Ladybug behind him. "Agh! I make a mess of things. I cause disasters!"

"Of course not. Kissing me while you thought I was a statue was not disastrous at all, believe me," he reassured her.

Marinette sighed and looked away. "I just can't tell you anything."

Adrien, however, stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look back at him. "You can tell me everything," he told her, smiling. Marinette blushed and bit her lip. She looked him in the eyes for a long time, searching for the words to tell him what was on her mind. But she looked away, not sure where to begin. "Okay. How about I start," Adrien said patiently. If Marinette said she had a hard time talking to him, maybe if he got the ball rolling, it'd be easier for her. Adrien removed his hand and took a breath, prepping to start. "Ever since that day, the last time we were here together, my feelings for you have been changing. And now I think they've changed enough to the point where I don't see you as just a friend anymore."

Marinette's blush deepened. "R-really?" she stuttered.

That's what Adrien meant by his feelings were changing? His feelings for her?

"Yes. That's why I wanted you to come here with me."

"You mean…after I basically threw myself at you? Or…you, while I thought you were a statue?" It was hard for her to believe that that weird display of affection hadn't made him run for the hills, but actually kick-started his growing feelings for her.

Adrien grinned. "So that was real? You weren't pretending? You were really declaring your feelings for me?" He had a hunch but he also knew that Marinette did a lot of weird things, so when she said that she was just fooling around, he believed her. But also, he figured that if she really did feel that way about him, she'd just tell him. Especially if she accidently said all of that in front of him anyway. Meek and still blushing, Marinette nodded. Which was a relief but also confused Adrien still. "Why didn't you say something then instead of making up that thing about 'pretending to be in love with the statue'?" he asked. Maybe if she had, both of their feelings for each other could have come out sooner.

Marinette looked away for a moment and sighed. "I tried to," she finally admitted. She looked back at Adrien who had her undivided attention. "Later on, while we were in your bodyguard's car, on the way back to my house. I was going to tell you but-" she paused. "Then you started talking about 'the girl you're in love with' and-" she stopped again, not sure how to finish the sentence.

Adrien looked at her with a raised brow. "The girl I'm in love with?" he repeated.

Marinette hesitated for another moment before continuing. "I suggested that we don't pull pranks on each other anymore, then you agreed, and mention that the girl you're in love with doesn't like your jokes either," she said. In an instant, Adrien remembered that conversation. He also remembered how quiet and upset Marinette became after that, despite her reassuring him that she was glad that they were friends. "I chose not to tell you after that because I knew you'd reject my feelings if you were already in love with someone else," she told him. She hugged herself and looked away, awaiting his response, whatever it may be.

Adrien could smack himself. Why would he say that to her?! If she had feeling for him, of course she'd close up and not say anything if she thought that his heart was already taken.

He must have really upset her when he said that. Discouraged her from continuing to love him.

As much as he still loved Ladybug, his feelings for Marinette were love as well. But he knew he couldn't be with Ladybug. Not in the way he thought of before. And Marinette…she was always there for him. He could smack himself again for not seeing that before as well. Sure, she wasn't perfect but that just made her more amazing. He loved her, flaws and all.

While thinking of how to tell her all of this, Adrien turned around, spotting the wax statue of the spotted heroine in the middle of the room.

The girl he used to love.

If Marinette's feelings were outed by confessing to—what she thought was—a statue of him, then it was only fair that he do the same.

He highly doubted that this was the real Ladybug pretending to be a statue but that didn't matter. Ladybug wasn't the one who needed to hear this after all.

Determined, Adrien marched over to the middle of the room. Marinette watched in confusion as the blondie former-model stepped up onto the low pedestal. There was just enough space on the pedestal for him to stand there in front of the Ladybug statue.

Adrien took another deep breath. He could be as cheesy as he pleased—he didn't care if he sounded foolish, since Marinette felt the same after her confession—but at the same time, he wanted Marinette to know that he was being sincere.

"Ladybug. Such a beautiful statue the artists of the Grevin Museum have crafted in your honor. They have captured your beauty flawlessly. Your smooth, pale skin, your silky midnight bluenette hair, and not to mention your stunning, bluebell eyes," he gushed to the lifeless statue, touching its fisted hands and caressing its wax cheek. He gazed into the statue's eyes tenderly before sighing and looking away. Then he took his hands away from it all together and just stood there. Speaking to the statue without looking at it, nor at Marinette. "Sadly, this is as close to you as I may ever be able to be. The real you is a stranger. For I am but a fan. A fan who went as far as to fall deeply in love with you, despite the fact that I hardly knew you. Perhaps it was because I did not know what love really was. The kind that does not come from admiration, but from really knowing a person. Their flaws, their fears, their dreams, and things that might be embarrassing, but you don't see them as negative qualities. Instead, they only help you to see who that person truly is on the inside. And only then, can you truly fall in love with them." Adrien paused, looking back at the statue and smiled. "Being in love with you has helped me realize this. And then getting to be Marinette's friend has as well. Because now I know, in my heart, that what I feel for Marinette is love." Adrien placed both his hands on his chest. "So, thank you, Ladybug. Thank you, for helping me see the different kinds of love surrounding me that I've not been able to decipher for so long. And for guiding my heart towards the girl I'm truly in love with."

With his declaration to the statue done, Adrien looked back at Marinette to see her reaction. But when he looked at her, he was startled to see her hands cupping her mouth, her face red, and staring at him with tears in her eyes.

Marinette was stunned.

Was he playing another prank on her?

Did Adrien just do what she thought he just did?

He was in love with Ladybug? And he just confessed his feelings for her by confessing them to the statue? But he also confessed his feelings for her—the real her—right in front of her?!

Adrien really felt that way about Ladybug, but now he didn't, because he had fallen in love with Marinette.

He had fallen in love with her twice.

He truly loved her. Both sides of her.

As Adrien stepped down from the pedestal, Marinette lowered her hands, releasing a sob before bolting toward him.

When she crashed into him, Adrien instinctively kept himself steady as he caught her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Shhh. Marinette, please don't cry. I'm here. I've got you," he tried to comfort her as she cried into his chest. He didn't understand why she was upset again.

"I…I love you too!" Marinette wept. Now Adrien was the one who was stunned. "I love you so much, Adrien."

He continued to hold Marinette close, and he smiled, letting himself melt into their embrace.

So she wasn't upset. These were happy tears. And she finally was able to admit her feelings for him, clear as day.

His feeling for her began to change since the last time they were at the Grevin Museum together, and now they had changed again.

Still no sign of the Marichat May prompt calendar. 2 weeks into April! Really starting to worry!

Next one well be posted tomorrow ;D