Adrien wants to get Marinette to stop the faking in their "faking the feels" plan, but he ends up getting some... Undesired help from the others...
Song(s) Included, with/without Modifications:
Kiss the Girl - The Little Mermaid 1989
Ma Belle Evangeline - The Princess and the Frog
Never Knew I Needed - Ne-Yo, Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" soundtrack
Back at school...
"Adrien seriously punched that dipshit?!" Alya spoke.
"Yeah," Marinette said. "I'm sorry Zoé and I didn't tell you about any of this before."
"I don't blame you," Alya responded with an understanding shrug. "It explains so much about why you're so scared to tell Adrien your feelings. And why you were resistant to the idea of a fashion show."
Marinette gave a quiet nod before saying, "That's right."
"But Adrien almost beating the crap out of the prick that hurt you?" Alix questioned. "Are you sure we're talking about the same Adrien Agreste?"
"What do you mean?" Marinette asked, quirking a brow.
"Adrien's always been the nonviolent type," Sabrina spoke. "He's more likely to give someone a stern lecture."
"And even then, he tries to keep his cool." Zoé added.
"I certainly haven't seen him angry to the point of violence." Kagami confirmed.
"For real?" Marinette asked, surprised. "I'm the only one who's seen him lose his temper that way?"
"Apparently." Alya said, smiling.
Marinette's face grew a smile and a blush came upon her cheeks, and she hugged her arms.
"So, if he was willing to give someone the beatdown on your behalf, you know what that means, right?" Alya asked.
Marinette said, "He really loves me, then."
"He does!" The rest of the girls squealed.
"But Marinette, how do you feel?" Zoé asked. "Are you still going to keep your feelings to yourself?"
At that question, Marinette went quiet as she mentally reviewed her entire relationship with Adrien from the beginning. From their shitty first meeting, to their reconciliation during the escape room, to Marinette learning about Adrien's "condition," and everything in between. Her heart fluttered the same way it always did whenever she was near him, but unlike Ulises, she knew his heart was in the right place.
Marionette gave the girls a smile, silently telling them what they wanted to know.
With the boys...
"You went berserk and nearly beat the daylights out of that asshole?" Félix asked.
Adrien gave a nod. He'd taken a hot shower and changed his clothes. He was now in his room, sitting on the bed, his face propped up in his hand, which was holding his kissed cheek. His smile was lovesick, without a doubt.
"That's not like you." Félix stated.
"I know," Adrien said with a sigh, his smile and his hand falling, both his arms draping over his knees. "I let my feelings take over. There's no excuse for what I did, even if I felt like he deserved it."
"From what you've said, he did deserve it, dude," Nino laughed. "But Marinette's right: the trouble with an eye for an eye means everyone goes blind."
Adrien sighed and spoke, "But Marinette's worth it."
"That, dude, is a classic statement a guy in love would say," Nino chuckled. "So, what'cha gonna do?"
Adrien looked up at his friends.
"About telling her how I feel? That's... Gonna be tricky. I'm having trouble telling whether or not she's still pretending to have feelings for me," Adrien spoke, his hand once again up against his cheek. "She kissed my cheek, but how do I know that wasn't just from gratitude or if there was something more?"
"That's a good point." Nino agreed.
"Moreover, what if Marinette's too scared to take that step?" Adrien posed.
"Don't worry, dude, we've got you covered." Nino spoke up.
"What?" Adrien asked.
"What better way to get the romance going than to consult the classics, dude?" Nino said as he pulled up a list of romance movies. "And I think I know where to start."
'Oh, boy...' Adrien thought, not looking forward to whatever Nino had in mind.
That evening, the group had gone back out, this time to rent rowboats.
"Wow, this was a nice idea!" Marinette said as she looked at the water and saw all the boats.
"It sure was," Adrien agreed, but he didn't sound too thrilled. "It'll be good for us to get into nature."
"Yep," Marinette said, turning to look at him. She couldn't fight off a blush. "It will."
Marinette began shuffling her feet, looking between Adrien and the boat. Running footsteps were heard, and Marinette felt herself get shoved/knocked over by someone and she was starting to fall over.
But before she hit the ground, she felt someone's arms around her. Knowing that familiar touch, she looked up and saw Adrien had saved her from the fall, and he was looking at her with serious eyes.
"Marinette, are you okay?" Adrien asked, his tone urgent, yet calm.
Marinette, blushing and feeling her heart go a little cuckoo, gave him an awkward smile and said, "Y-Yes, I am."
Marinette let Adrien pull her back up, and he let her rest in his embrace for a few seconds. Marinette put her cheek against his chest, his presence and heartbeat once again calming her down.
'Just being with him puts me at ease,' Marinette thought. 'If only we could stay this way forever...'
'Just being with her makes me feel free,' Adrien thought, also smiling. 'If only we could stay this way forever.'
For a moment, they were at peace, their surroundings fading away. The rest of the group looked at them with knowing smiles/grins.
"Hey, you two, less hugging, more boating?" Alya teased.
The pair looked at each other in surprise. They blushed before moving away from each other, looking away. Adrien had his hand clutched in his hair, Marinette was rubbing her arms.
While in line for the boats, the two of them kept giving each other furtive glances, pink in the face and shuffling their bodies. Once they got to their boat, Adrien stepped in first.
He turned around and held his hand out.
Marinette, blushing, put a shaky hand into his own, and she gently put one foot into the boat. But a not-so-unintentional shove from Alya caused her to misstep and she ended up falling face-first, and once again, Adrien had to catch her.
They landed in the boat, causing it to rock.
"Have fun!" Alya laughed with a wave as she and Nino went over to another boat.
Marinette scrambled away from Adrien, saying, "I-I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Adrien said, also pink-faced, as he sat on his side of the boat and took up the oars. "Let's just enjoy the boat ride."
Marinette, sitting on her side, tried to calm herself down. She decided to distract by looking at the surroundings. The sun was all but below the horizon now, and the darkness covering the city did nothing to dull its beauty. Though dark, Marinette could see the stars and moon reflected in the water.
When she looked up, she saw a two-way bluetooth speaker sitting between them, on the floor of the boat.
"Why the speaker?" Marinette asked, confused at the sight.
"I, um... Thought some music would be nice," Adrien said, lying. "Something calming and quiet."
"Really?" Marinette questioned, tilting her head in amusement.
"Y-Yeah," Adrien chuckled as he stopped rowing and turned the speaker on. "So..."
Static-y noises were heard, indicating the speaker was on and connected. A few moments of silence, but...
"Okay, on three," One voice, Nino, spoke. "One, two, three..."
A familiar song started playing, with the sound of bongos, strings and flutes in the background.
"There, you see her, sitting there across the way..." Nino sang.
'Oh, great...' Adrien thought, a sarcastic grimace on his face.
Marinette just had a confused expression, thinking, 'What IS this, The Little Mermaid?!'
As she looked around, she did notice the surroundings were similar to that scene. Even the dark of night and sparkling of the stars matched it.
"She don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her. And you don't know why, but you're dying to try, you wanna kiss the girl." Nino continued.
Marinette blushed at this, as did Adrien, but his was much darker.
"Yes, you want her," Nino crooned, with the others singing backup. "Look at her, you know you do."
The twosome just looked at each other, listening to the singing and music. Marinette's fists were balled and in her lap, but she was still fidgeting. Adrien was also rubbing his neck in his usual nervous tick, while gazing at Marinette.
"Possible she wants you too, there is one way to ask her. It don't take a word, not a single word, go on and-"
"KISS THE GIRL!" Kim sang, but not only was he off-key, his voice sounded like instruments were being tortured - Marinette and Adrien had to cover their ears.
"Sha-la-la-la-" Kim sang - or rather, screeched - until the sound of someone hitting him in the head cut into the music, causing Kim to stop.
"Kim, seriously! Have you never sung before?! You sound like a dying animal!" Nathaniel shouted.
"I'm only trying to help!" Kim insisted, his voice sounding muffled.
"Can't you just let the rest of us do the singing here?!" Nino asked, sounding annoyed.
"You're ruining the moment with this argument, guys!" Marc cut in.
Adrien and Marinette just listened to their friends' ranting in awkward silence, the discomfort palpable on their faces. They gave each other pointed looks.
"Ugh, let's just take it from the top," Alya yelled as she restarted the music. "And Kim, stay silent for this!"
Marinette shook her head and groaned before shutting off the speaker. The both of them gave loud sighs.
"Were they trying to get us to kiss or something?" Marinette asked as she propped her face up in her hand, heavy sarcasm in her tone.
"I guess," Adrien moaned, covering his face with his hand to hide his embarrassment. "But..."
"But...?" Marinette asked, taking her hand down and looking at him.
"I... Um..." Adrien began.
Marinette noticed he hadn't moved his hand away and he was still slouched over.
"Is everything alright?" Marinette asked, a bubble of panic rising. "Are you gonna transform?!"
"No, no, I'm good on that," Adrien said, taking a deep breath, his hand falling. "I'm fine, I just..."
Marinette gave him a patient nod before she felt Adrien take her hands into his.
"I'm more worried about you," Adrien spoke, looking her in the eye. "Encountering Ulises today dug up painful memories, right?"
Marinette scoffed, saying, "No kidding."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Adrien asked her. "If you need to offload your emotions, I'm here."
"Yes, I'm fine," Marinette told him, insistent but smiling. "You came to my defense, and like I said before, I'm grateful. Knowing that you care about me makes me feel a lot better. Just makes it clear transferring to Miracle Lyçée was the right decision."
"I am glad you transferred to Miracle," Adrien responded with a chuckle. "It's hard to imagine you not being here."
Marinette laughed at this, saying, "Hard to imagine not attending, now."
"Marinette..." Adrien began, his grip on her hands getting a bit tighter.
"Yes?" Marinette asked, sounding like she was desperate for an answer. Adrien pulled her hand closer, and he started to lean in. Her heart started going faster at this.
"Marinette, I wa-" Adrien began, only for a timer to go off.
"Oh, looks like our time's up. We'd better get back." Marinette said, taking her hand away.
Adrien let out a quiet, frustrated grumble before taking the oars and rowing back to the docks, thinking, 'Like the black cat I turn into, luck is never on my side!'
'I wonder what he was about to say?' Marinette thought, looking at Adrien to see the upset expression on his face.
When they reached the docks, everyone else was there, looking a combination of annoyed and confused.
Adrien stepped out of the boat and onto the pier, and turned around to help Marinette get out. He held her hand in his own and yanked her up, but again, she fell into his arms for a third time, once again knocking them over.
"That's the third time..." Marinette chuckled awkwardly. "If only I wasn't such a klutz."
Adrien only laughed as he stood up and helped Marinette up to her feet, too. They looked at each other with smiles and blushes.
Marinette pulled her hand away before saying, "Well, since it's dark out, shall we head back to campus?"
She began walking ahead, spinning on the balls of her feet, humming, and giggling.
But she was still wondering, 'What did Adrien want to tell me? It seemed important...'
She didn't see Adrien was watching her with a sad, longing look on his face...
About two days later, Marinette was in her dorm room with Alya, working on some of her assignments for her classes.
"Okay, so put that on the bodice..." Marinette murmured as she sewed an appliqué on the bodice of one of her pieces.
Alya was watching the whole thing, a smile on her face.
"Done," Marinette said as she cut the thread to the appliqué. She pushed herself away from the mannequin and went back to her desk. "Now, what's next on the list..."
"Hey, Marinette," Alya said, getting the girl's attention. "Adrien, the girls and I were talking, and we had this idea."
"An idea? What kind?" Marinette asked, looking at Alya out of her peripheral.
"We're all in agreement that even though you've had a bad experience, you should put on a fashion show." Alya stated.
Marinette went stiff as Alya approached her. Marinette took a deep breath to relax, saying, "I see where you're coming from, but after what happened last time..."
"Don't give me any of that, girl," Alya spoke, turning the chair around to get Marinette to face her. "I get it, you don't want a repeat performance, but it won't happen."
"How can you be so sure?" Marinette asked, sounding sad.
"Because you've got us to help prevent that repeat performance," Alya assured, pointing at Marinette's chest in a scolding manner. "You're not alone. I've got your back - we all do. It won't happen again!"
Hearing that, Marinette gave Alya a smile and she said, "Thanks. You're right, things are different now. I know I'm putting my trust in the right people this time. Let's give this fashion show another shot!"
"That's the spirit, Marinette!" Alya said, and the girls shared a high-five. "So, now that that's settled, got any ideas for designs for it?"
"Well-" Marinette began, taking out her sketchbook to show Alya.
"And don't use the ones from the last show," Alya interrupted. "Use this as a chance to showcase all the new stuff you've learned here at Miracle Lyçée."
Marinette grew a clever smile at this, saying, "Got it. And I already have something in mind for you. I also have some designs that are a step up from what I made for Zoé."
"Show me! And maybe Adrien should take a look at it, too." Alya suggested.
Marinette gave a smile, with a big blush, and she said, "Okay!"
The afternoon had come upon them, the sun was beginning to get lower in the sky, and the boys were working on something outside in the school courtyard. But Adrien was despondent, his mind elsewhere as he was sweeping.
"Hey, cousin," Félix spoke as he approached Adrien. "Are you okay?"
"I've been better," Adrien sighed. "I haven't been able to tell Marinette how I feel for days. At least she's gotten on board with the fashion show idea."
"That's progress," Félix stated. "Kagami's been getting impatient for you two to hurry up and become an item. Not just her, but everyone."
"...Think anyone suspects that we've been faking it?" Adrien asked, quietly.
"Hey, if anyone was deceiving anyone, it was yourselves," Félix snorted. "It was your idea to start the fake-love-story schtick to cover up your little "cat problem," wasn't it?"
Adrien gave a nod.
"I figured that it was only a matter of time before you two fell in love for real." Félix commented.
"I should've thought of that, but... At the same time I'm not surprised," Adrien began, his face turning pink while gripping the broom a bit tighter. "Marinette's an incredible girl. She deserves the world."
"Hopefully this time around, you'll be able pour your heart out to her." Félix muttered.
Adrien's face didn't change, though he felt his heart beating a bit more.
"This next plan should set the mood right," Nino commented as he came over with some lights. "And this time, we won't have Kim's painful squawking ruining it."
"Are you sure about this?" Adrien asked.
"I am," Nino said as he set the lights up. "If consulting The Little Mermaid was a bust, let's try The Princess and the Frog - that's one of Alya's favorites!"
"I guess a dance is more realistic than a magic carpet ride." Félix commented off-handedly, with Adrien giving an agreeing nod.
Later that night, the sun had just set over the horizon and everyone in the group was out in the courtyard, all but having a party.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Marinette asked as she walked around the group, holding two cups of juice - with recycled/compostable paper cups. "What if Principal Fu catches us?"
"He's a reasonable man," Zoé commented as Marinette gave her one of the cups. "He usually lets us do whatever we want, so long as it's compliant with conduct rules - for example, we wouldn't be doing this out here in the courtyard if there was sports training on schedule."
"I don't know any details, but apparently he had to take on a huge responsibility when he was younger than we were, so he understands the need for breaks and fun, because he never got any of that." Alya added.
"That's very generous of him," Marinette said, a smile of gratitude. "Much better than Doormat Damocles."
The girls laughed at that.
Nearby, Adrien was watching Marinette, a smile and blush on his face, a cup of juice in hand, and leaning against the wall.
'Seeing her laugh like that... She's so cute.' Adrien thought, a quiet sigh leaving his lips. To him, Marinette's hair and eyes were twinkling in the lights, and her smile was a sight to behold.
Seeing his best friend gazing at his crush, Nino smiled and nodded, ready to get the ball rolling.
"Hey, Alya! I need you up here!" Nino called.
"Coming, Nino!" Alya said as she put her cup down before running up to the bandstand, where Nino was.
"You have your flute?" Nino asked once his girlfriend made it over.
Alya's answer was her taking an instrument case out from under the DJ stand, and she opened it to reveal a flute.
Nino smiled and said, "Perfect. Let's get the mood going."
He turned to some of the others, and he gave a hand cue. Félix, who was nearby, gave Nino a thumb's up before turning the lights down. Nino turned a song on as some of the others began playing their own instruments - sans Alya.
Marinette and Adrien paused when the first phrase of the song came out.
'Wait, I know this song...' Marinette thought.
"Look how she lights up my life," Nino sang while Adrien was watching Marinette. "Ma belle, ma chère lady."
"Isn't this a bit too palpa-" Rose began, but Juleka hushed her to stop.
Adrien kept looking at Marinette, who had a pensive smile on her face, and hugging her arms in her normal nervous tick. Adrien himself smiled, thinking her body language adorable.
"So out of my league, yet I..." Nino sang, his singing giving voice to Adrien's thoughts and feelings. "Hope her heart belongs to only me."
Adrien's smile fell and he turned his face, as if his confidence took a hit for a second.
"J'tadore, j'taime, ma chère lady." Nino sang again.
Adrien's eyes were still glued to Marinette, with a facial expression typical of a young man who fell in love at first sight.
"My princess of the night. So sweet, so bright." Nino continued.
Adrien put his juice down before making a bee-line for Marinette, who was still listening and standing on the sidelines, watching the others dance.
"That someone as beautiful as she..." Nino continued.
Marinette didn't notice Adrien until he tapped her shoulder. She turned to face him, asking, "Yes?"
Adrien, smiling, only took her juice cup out of her hand, put it down, and he took her hand. To her surprise, he put her hand on his hip and got them into a position for a slow dance. Marinette's eyes widened and she went stiff, her face pink and her heart beating.
"Could love someone like me..." Nino kept going.
"Whoa, Adrien, I've got two left feet, trust me," Marinette said, backing away from him and waving her hands in refusal, her face still tinted. "You might wanna ask someone else to dance."
"No." Adrien said while shaking his head, undeterred.
"Love always finds a way, it's true." Nino sang as Adrien tried to get Marinette into position again.
But before he could put her hand on his hip, Marinette pulled away, pivoted on her heel, and ran off the dance floor. When she stopped, her back was to him, and she was hugging her arms again.
Confused - and a touch hurt - Adrien slowly walked after Marinette. When he approached, he stood right behind her, but he didn't say anything.
"...Last time I tried dancing, I only embarrassed myself in front of my classmates. As usual, Chloé added insult to injury." Marinette confessed, answering Adrien's unvoiced question.
"And I love you, ma chère lady." Nino sang.
Adrien only smiled, took her hand and brought her back to the dance floor. Marinette tried to protest, but Adrien only put her in a waltz stance with him.
"If I can make accessories, you can dance." Adrien sang as he started leading Marinette in a slow dance.
The music kept playing, but it was accompanied by Alya's flute-playing. She and Nino were giving each other flirty looks as they kept watching Marinette and Adrien dancing.
Nino looked over to Marc and Nathaniel, who gave nods and started working with the lights. Every so often, the lights' colors would change to set a romantic mood.
Marinette, dancing as if she'd been doing it for years, started laughing. Adrien was chuckling, too. They were traveling on the dance floor, with everyone having stopped to watch the pair on the move. Marinette and Adrien seemed to be in their own world, smiles and blushes all the while.
"Love is beautiful. Love is wonderful," Nino kept singing as Adrien kept leading Marinette in their dance. "Love is everything!"
Adrien put his hands on Marinette's hips and lifted her up. She laughed at this, smiling at Adrien.
"Do you agree? Mais oui!" Nino sang while Adrien brought Marinette down and settled her feet on the floor.
The lights dimmed, Adrien did an underarm turn with Marinette, and then he dipped her down, while her hands were on his shoulders.
"Look how she lights up my life." Nino sang.
The two of them looked at each other - they could both see the stars twinkling in the other's eyes. Marinette's face tinted, and Adrien's look softened, a tender, loving expression in his eyes. Both felt their hearts pounding, and smiles grew on their faces.
"I love you, ma chère lady." Nino sang, once again giving voice to Adrien's feelings for Marinette.
Adrien slowly wrapped his arms around Marinette's waist and began to bring her back up, just as the music stopped playing. As if on instinct, their eyes closed and they began pursing their lips.
But Marinette opened her eyes in the nick of time. Laughing, she leaned away a bit, patting her hands on his chest. Adrien's eyes opened, and he gave an awkward chuckle.
Marinette, her cheeks still red, giggled, and said, "That was fun!"
"It was. You really sold yourself short." Adrien laughed in response.
"I did?" Marinette asked as she moved to take his hands off of her.
"You sure did," He said. He looked in her eyes, which were still twinkling from the lights and stars. "Marinette..."
"Yes?" Marinette asked him, her heart stilling at the serious look on his face.
He swallowed an anxious lump in his throat.
"We-" Adrien began, but Marinette's phone started ringing.
Marinette took her phone out of her back pocket.
"Sorry, it's my dad. I gotta take this." Marinette said as she walked away from Adrien.
As she went to get somewhere quiet, she kept thinking, 'Adrien's a great dancer. But again, it seemed like he wanted to talk to me about something... And...'
Remembering how his lips were puckered up just seconds ago, she thought, 'I could swear he wanted to kiss me...'
Adrien gave a sad sigh while he watched her leave, thinking, 'Another attempt to tell her, another interruption.'
Seeing this, Nino put the DJ on auto mix before stepping off the stand. He filled a glass with iced lemonade from one of the dispensers before bringing it over to Adrien.
"Hey, buddy," Nino said as he put a hand on Adrien's shoulder before handing him the lemonade. "You two looked hot out there."
Nino gave Adrien a wink.
"Thanks," Adrien said as he took the lemonade and chased it down in a few gulps. "I failed again..."
"Dude, let's just come up with another plan." Nino suggested.
"No," Adrien said, looking at his best friend. "I appreciate your help, but I'm not sure it is helping."
Nino had a look that could be described as "an epiphany" and he said, "Gotcha. Go get her, dude."
Adrien gave a smile. He threw the empty cup into the recycling bin before going after Marinette.
Marinette was leaning against a wall, a good ways away from the dancing, and she was just wrapping up her phone call.
"I'm sorry that I forgot about dinner, dad," Marinette pleaded. "I was having too much fun with my friends."
Hearing this, Tom chortled and said, "Don't worry, sweetie. You're enjoying yourself, and that's what counts. Just remember to call in advance if you're not gonna make it next time."
"Thanks, dad," Marinette said, giggling. "I'll see you next week."
"Have fun." Tom said before hanging up.
Marinette took a deep breath as she put her phone on "Do Not Disturb" and put it in her back pocket. Away from the noise, Marinette looked up in the sky, reveling in the peace and quiet.
She heard footsteps, and she turned to see Adrien was approaching.
"What's up? You look serious." Marinette asked once Adrien reached her.
He took Marinette's hand, and asked, "Walk with me?"
Marinette, feeling her heart fluttering at Adrien's touch, gave a quiet nod as she and Adrien started walking along, getting further away from their friends. A few moments of silence before Adrien decided to break it.
"Marinette, we need to talk," Adrien said with a resigned sigh. "About our whole... dynamic."
Marinette, hearing this, steeled her nerves and gave a nod.
"Yeah, I guess we do," Marinette spoke, sighing. "...I know this was all built on a lie. We're only doing this because you need someone to help you."
"I know," Adrien spoke before turning his face to look at her. "But..."
Her breath caught when she saw the look in his eyes - he had something heavy on his mind, and it was choking him.
'Better rip the band-aid off.' Marinette thought.
"Adrien, please be honest with me," Marinette asked him. "Is this about your cat troubles?"
He looked askance, a bit uncomfortable. Marinette gave him a suspicious look. But he looked back at Marinette, right in her eyes.
"No, it's not," Adrien confessed. "It's something else. I..."
Adrien seemed to pause, like he was mentally prepping himself for the worst. His grip on Marinette's hand was tighter than before.
'Adrien, please tell me what you're thinking...' Marinette thought, almost hoping she could telepathically tell him to spit it out. 'Is it what I hope it is...?'
"I'm done," Adrien said with a big huff. "Done with the faking. I can't keep lying to myself, or to you."
"W-What do you mean?!" Marinette asked, about to panic.
'He's done faking?! He can't keep lying to himself?!' Marinette thought, feeling like she'd been on the receiving end of the ice water.
Hearing this, she couldn't help but default to her Ulises PTSD, worried she was being strung along. But this time, Marinette had the mental strength to pull herself out of that. She took a deep breath before looking at Adrien.
Marinette kept her eyes on him, ready for whatever he had to say.
'Tell me, Adrien,' Marinette thought, her heart pounding in anticipation. 'Do you really love me, or am I just imagining it?'
"I..." Adrien started, but Marinette heard an audible gulp.
'Come on, speak up!' Marinette thought, about to have a panic attack.
He took a few deep breaths to steady himself. He looked at Marinette out of his peripheral.
"For the way you changed my plans," He started singing. "For being the perfect distraction."
He turned his body around to face Marinette, his eyes meeting hers.
"For the way you took the idea that I had of everything that I wanted to have, and made me see there was something missing. Oh yeah." Adrien sang to her.
Marinette looked at him in confusion, but she kept listening.
"For the ending of my first begin (ooh, yeah yeah, ooh, yeah yeah)," Adrien sang, his voice quiet. "And for the rare and unexpected friend (Ooh, yeah yeah, ooh, yeah yeah)."
They kept walking, with Adrien leading the way. Marinette kept looking at Adrien, but she was still silent.
"And for the way, you're something that I'd never choose," Adrien sang before turning his head around and giving Marinette a big smile, with grateful eyes. "But at the same time, something I don't wanna lose, and never wanna be without ever again!"
Marinette felt her breath hitch as Adrien turned his body around and took both of her hands into his own.
"You're the best thing I never knew I needed," He sang, his smile now accompanied by a blush. "So when you were here, I had no idea. You're the best thing I never knew I needed!"
Marinette's shocked expression grew into a timid smile, her face still pink.
"So now it's so clear, I need you here always." He crooned, and Marinette's heart pounded.
He took Marinette by the shoulder and they began walking again.
"My accidental happily (ever after)," Adrien sang, meanwhile Marinette leaned her head against his shoulder. "The way you smile and how you comfort me (with your laughter)."
Marinette gave a laughing snort at this and she turned to Adrien, sparkling eyes. She saw his tender smile, and he took his arm away from her shoulders. He took her hands into his own before making sure they were standing right opposite each other.
"I must admit, you were not a part of my book, but now if you open it up and take a look, you're the beginning and the end of every chapter!" Adrien said to her in song.
Marinette's breath was taken away by this, and she couldn't stop looking at Adrien, and how he seemed to be focused on her and her alone.
"You're the best thing I never knew I needed, oh," Adrien sang, and he was still smiling and blushing. "So when you were here, I had no idea. You're the best thing I never knew I needed (that I needed), oh. So now it's so clear, I need you here always."
Letting one hand go, he began leading Marinette along in their walk. Marinette giggled again, smiling and walking along with Adrien.
"Who knew that I could be (who knew that I could be) so unexpectedly (so unexpectedly) undeniably happier," He sang as he brought Marinette to a nearby bench and sat her down. "Sitting with you right here, right here next to me! Girl, you're the best!"
Marinette's smile grew as Adrien put her hands on the bench and put his hands over hers, singing, "You're the best thing I never knew I needed (said I needed). So when you were here, I had no idea. You're the best thing I never knew I needed. So now it's so clear, I need you here always."
Marinette's heart filled with love, and she grew a huge smile on her face. At that, he put his hands around Marinette's waist and pulled her onto his lap. He then wrapped his arms around her shoulders to hold her close.
He sang, his voice tender like a lullaby, "Now it's so clear. I need you here always."
They sat like that for a while, holding each other in a tight embrace. Marinette felt the usual comforting blanket-like feeling she got whenever he hugged her that way. She nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. She reveled in his warmth.
"I care about you, Marinette. A lot," Adrien confessed. "You're so precious to me, you make me happy, and I can't imagine life without you in it anymore. No more faking the feelings, Marinette. I want everything between us to be real."
Hearing this, Marinette's felt her heart stop dead in its tracks.
'He... He wants this to be real?!' Marinette thought. 'I... I...'
Her heart's floodgates burst open, all her love, joy, and relief spilling. She started crying, sobbing into his chest.
"Marinette? What's wrong?" Adrien asked, moving himself so he could look Marinette in the eyes. "Do you not feel the same way?"
"That's not it." Marinette sobbed as she lifted her face out of her hands and looked at Adrien.
She had the biggest smile on her face, paired with wet cheeks and red eyes. To Adrien, the stars and moon were reflected in her tears.
"You've just made me the happiest girl in Paris! Maybe the whole world!" Marinette wailed before throwing her arms around him again. "I've been lying to myself, trying to ignore my feelings for you, all to protect myself after Ulises hurt me. But you just... made your way into my heart and now I don't want you to leave it!"
"So, does that mean...?" Adrien asked, sounding like his voice was breaking, yet it was happy.
"Yes! I feel the same way! I want this to be real, too!" Marinette sobbed, once again kissing Adrien's cheek.
That did it. Adrien once again wrapped his arms around Marinette, holding her tight - as if he felt she would fly away like a bird if he so much as loosened one finger. He put his hand into her hair, and he kissed her forehead.
Stars streaked across the sky, and the moonlight bathed the de-facto couple.
Alright, that's it for this chapter! The next chapter may be the last one or two. A few loose ends to tie up. Coming up, everyone's helping Marinette get ready for her second attempt at a fashion show. But even though their feelings are out in the open, Adrien's still transforming. WHY?!
After reading up on "Miraculous: London" and seeing a few clips, I'm both nervous and anxious, especially about what can/will happen if/when Adrien finds out what really happened with his father. If "Cat Blanc" is any indication of how bad the fallout could be, then I am NOT looking forward to seeing what does happen. Not sure how he'll look at Ladybug/Marinette after that. THAT'S what worries me. And it looks like there's gonna be another 5 seasons of this show. I may not watch the new episodes, but rather read up on them just to stay up to date, all to keep myself sane, LOL 😅
Now that Cerise/Lila has the Butterfly Miraculous and is using it for revenge on Ladybug, I have to wonder: the Shadybug and Claw Noir special established that if an underage user of the Miraculous is using it for evil, it slowly kills them as a price to pay for repeated use of their power. Doesn't that mean over the course of the rest of the series, Cerise will be slowly killing herself? And I'll bet she'll blame it on Ladybug because she won't let Nooroo tell her any different. HOPEFULLY by the end of the series, they DO get Nooroo and his Miraculous back, then give it to someone who WILL use it for the RIGHT reasons.