Adrien finds out who His Lady is behind the mask, and figures she will never fall for boring Adrien when she clearly struggles to even talk to him. But he still desperately wants her attention and focus, so when he remembers how great she is at sewing and how willing she is to help everyone, he starts deliberately tearing his clothes at school just so he can spend time with her while she's fixing them.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Word Count: 1,939
Rating: T
Pairing: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Summary:
Alya has always considered herself a ride or die Adrienette stan. But when the boy only started to bombard Marinette with soft looks after he started to date none other than Ladybug… Well, Alya would recognize a two-timer if she ever saw one.
Luckily though, Ladybug was very much capable of taking the matter into her own hands.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 2/?
Word Count: 4,787
Rating: T
Pairing: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Summary:
Marinette knew one thing. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this! She was supposed to be soulmates with Adrien, who she — okay, who Ladybug — dated. She was not supposed to be Chat Noir’s soulmate!
Fortunately, she and Chat (who was about as pleased with the situation as the girl) both lived by the everlasting principle of making lemonades out of lemons. Faking to be each other’s soulmate while keeping up their initial relationships couldn’t be that complicated, could it?
Before you ever comment again about how Luka is ruining the love-square, read this.
Tell me one single reason why Luka is bad, no, "ruining your ship" doesn't count. Nothing? Exactly. He is not a bad guy, actually, he is attent with marinette (I mean, in "Captain Hardrock" after helping Marinette to escape, when Ladybug arrives he's not like "Oh, Thank you so much Ladybug! You're so amazing!" he INMEDIATELY asks about Marinette and if she's fine. (HE CARES ABOUT MARINETTE GODDAMMIT).
In "Frozer" we see one of the biggest differences between his way to love Marinette and Chat Noir's way to love Ladybug. Luka loves her but when he finds out she already loves somebody else he lets her go because he wants her to be happy even if that means it is another guy who makes her happy, while Adrien/Chat Noir keeps trying to get Ladybug's love even when she already told him she's in love with somebody else (a lot of times). Their both choices are bassed on a single phrase: "If you love someone, let them go" . I know saying that let go someone when you say you love them doesn't sound like a real love but it is and there's another side of the coin: THE POSSESION, when you are so love-blinded that you can't ever imagine them with anyone else because they are yours (and not like a lover, but a thing they own). This last one can drive into the called "toxic-love" , when someone might be in love but is not doing the right things to their couple. We all know Adrien will never do something like that (not consciously at least), but love is like a flower, give it too much water and you will drown it, give it none and it'll die; it won't bloom in one day but with time. Adrien doesn't know this and needs to know it before it's too late. Also the poor guy is just a tool to make Adrien notice his own feelings for Marinette.
If you are a love-square blinded fanatic (and probably not older of 14 years) you must be thinking: "But how is he gonna make Adrien notice that?! Stolen his girl?!" PRECISELY. Look I'm a hardcore marichat shipper and I would do ANYTHING get my ship to be real, but there's one problem: Adrien/Chat Noir is in love with Marinette but he doesn't realize it yet. And, you know what they said "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE UNTIL YOU LOSE IT". If Marinette suddenly starts to spend more time with another guy than with Adrien he'll start missing to have her with him. He might even start to wish it was him who was with Marinette until he finally realizes he likes her more than just a friend (yeah that goddammit phrase we all hate of him)
Luka was literally made to fall in love with a girl and eventually get rejected by her. He was created to make the love-square move forward, both he and Kagami (but Kagami is a witch, I can't deny it). Otherwise it might stay the same forever. Also, it is dumb to say that Luka is really ruining something, after all, Marinette and Adrien are made for each other.
Summary: The Guardian is responsible for her heroes. So, it's practically in her job description to know their identities, isn't it? But when it turns out, Adrien Agreste was behind the black mask all along, things get a little complicated.
Not like Marinette planned to fall back in love with her old crush all over again. Certainly not when they're both in two separate, functioning relationships. But things like that happen, even with the best of us.
However, there is nothing Paris’ red-spotted superheroine couldn’t handle, may it be breakups, confessions, hard decisions or fighting her arch enemy.
Chapter 11: It's time to make amends! The weather is clearing, it's finally safe to sail!
Read on AO3
Safe
Adrien was good at denying his feelings. He practiced it so often, he mastered the art of ignoring the details that didn’t comply with his actual world view. Adrien was however, not good at realizing his feelings and sorting them out. This was the reason why he paced his room restlessly while Plagg mustered him from his desk.
“What do I do now?” He popped the question at last, stopping in his tracks, spreading his arms in a cry for help.
“Overthinking that you could finally be together with Pigtails?” the kwami supplied unhelpfully.
“Argh, you’re not helping!” Adrien huffed before resuming to marching his room back and forth.
“Alright, I’m going to go ahead and solve all of your problems. But be aware, my honorarium is two wheels of camembert per hour,” Plagg warned him before abandoning his clown costume and asking. “What do you know now?”
Adrien stopped again and frowned his brows as he eyed his friend suspiciously. “What do you mean, what do I know?”
“Just list it.”
“Uh, I mean… I know for sure that Marinette is Ladybug,” Adrien said, running his fingers through his hair with a puzzled look. He sat down on the edge of the couch, ready to jump back up again any minute. “And I know that she likes me. Or rather that only she likes me, not two separate people,” he clarified, his look trailing off to the ceiling.
“What else?”
“That Kagami didn’t want to be my girlfriend as much as I thought she did. And that... after all, this may not be such a bad thing, as I first thought,” he admitted reluctantly, his feet drumming restlessly on the floor.
“And?”
“And that I was a horrible boyfriend, who wasn’t even in love with her! Hell, I started dating her to replace Ladybug!” he burst out, vaulting from his sitting position. “And when it became clear that my heart wasn’t in the right place, I just pushed and pushed, not even asking her what she wanted! I guess it’s only fair she didn’t ask me whether I wanted to break up or not.” The laughter bubbling out of his throat could have been called many things, bitter or self-deprecating for instance but joyful surely wasn’t one of those descriptors. “Oh, and the best part is: I didn’t even realize on my own that I was in love with Marinette! Kagami did!” he exclaimed with an additional manic laugh before looking at Plagg, eyes wide in panic and desperation. “How could have I done this to her?!”
He fell back onto the couch, burying his face into his palms and let the waves of guilt wash over him. He couldn’t believe how could he deceive both of them so spectacularly, without any intention to do so. He cringed from only thinking about it. However, denial didn’t lead anywhere, as he started to figure it out. He needed to be truthful with himself, even when- especially when he wanted to hide that truth in the bottom of the ocean.
He didn’t notice that Plagg left his previous place, only when his pawn started to pat his head awkwardly. “There, there. It’s alright, kid.” He channelled all the wisdom and expertise in consolation that he picked up during his endless lifespan.
His uncharacteristic behaviour was enough to shake Adrien to his core and make him realize, there was only one thing left to be done. He had to try his best, just like Plagg did in this time of need. He had to come to terms with his actions and feelings to progress forward. It felt inevitable as it was the only way to set things right with Ladybug. Marinette. Which he needed-, had to-, yearned to do. Yes, he could do this for her. He could make everything alright again, to earn the happy ending he always imagined was waiting for them at the end of the line. All he needed was determination and time.
***
Marinette felt restless. The only way she could stop her feet from lifting her up on her tiptoes in her nervous anticipation was by walking back and forth on the corridor in front of her classroom. So walking she did.
It was surprisingly early, meaning that on any other day at this time she would have just woken up and would have been trying to bribe Tikki into giving her only five extra minutes to sleep. Instead of that, today she was eagerly waiting for a blonde mop of hair to show up at the bottom of the stairs.
Since her disastrous identity reveal yesterday, she couldn’t stop thinking about how majorly she messed it up — again. She was so happy because of Adrien’s assumed feelings towards her that she didn’t notice the signs that obviously let her know, the timing couldn’t have been worse. She really should have stopped speculating instead of communicating and ask the boy, how his break-up really went down, rather than jump on him, thinking she knew the truth from Kagami. In hindsight, she could also see how she didn’t give him a real choice about getting to know Ladybug’s identity. She rushed forward with the information to spare him the headache, which resulted in only turning it into more.
All in all, Marinette felt ashamed of her behaviour yesterday while finding it spectacular, how she could always mess up her life while having only the best intentions.
She kept going over the things she needed to say, when her partner appeared on the stairs. Arriving to the floor he turned into the corridor leading to their classroom, only to find himself face to face with the unsettled Marinette.
“Hey, Adrien!” she addressed him anxiously, her heart pounding in her throat. “Can we talk?”
“Yes, I think we should,” he nodded seriously, following the girl to a more secluded area before turning to her in anticipation.
“I want to apologize for yesterday,” Marinette started, fidgeting with the band of her purse. “After talking with Kagami I jumped into conclusions when I should have just talked with you instead. I got so carried away, I didn’t notice how bad my timing was. I didn’t mean to appear insensitive or impatient, I was just trying to help. I’m really sorry, Adrien!” she said, her constantly monitoring eyes glued to the boy.
“Thanks, Marinette! I can see how you didn’t mean any harm but… I can’t do this right now,” Adrien said with a softened expression but not apologetically.
“I understand perfectly!” she rushed forward with her answer, to get rid of even the shadow of a doubt that she expected anything else from him. “I had no intention to rush you, I understand that you need time before making any kind of decision. Breakups are rough as they are and I... wasn’t making it any easier on you, despite what I thought,” Marinette admitted, taking hold of her left elbow before continuing uncertainly. “I’d like to offer my support as a friend but... I can respect if you’d rather keep your distance. I’m just…” She took a deep breath before blurting out. “You’re really important to me! I’ll do whatever you need, just let me know what it is, please!”
“Thanks but I don’t think you can help me now. I have to settle this for myself, so what I need is space. I promise, I will settle it but until then...” Adrien didn’t finish his sentence. There was no need.
“Okay,” Marinette nodded, fighting back a desperate whimper escaping her mouth. “See you at patrol then!”
“See you!” he mustered the tiniest smile before warily heading to the classroom’s door. From halfway, he turned back. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready!”
Marinette watched with clenched heart as he disappeared in the room. Collecting herself she reluctantly followed him, evaluating the situation. She wanted to help Adrien so badly — like he did when everything seemed to slip out of her hands — but she had to respect his wishes. If he wanted space and time, she had to give him just that. No devious plans to get near him or solve his problems. Only standing by until he reached a conclusion of any kind.
And how long would that be? That was the most troublesome part. Because ‘when I’m ready’ could mean two days or never just as well. But Marinette had to wait it out. There was nothing else for her to do.
***
The days of the week have passed. Neither unnoticably nor blissfully but passed.
Adrien started to acclimate to the situation. Marinette — Ladybug — sitting behind him in class, having lunch with her as part of the group while indulging in skin-deep conversation. In the afternoons, they were training the rest of their class to become part-time heroes, while at night they were patrolling the Parisian streets, mostly silently. The emptiness that the lack of banter and light conversation left was heavy, although he wouldn’t have called the time they spent together outright awkward. True, it was nowhere near to the familiar ease they usually interacted with, but it wasn’t so bad. Her silent presence was definitely better than the complete lack of it.
During the time spent together, he could see the constant spark of worry in her eyes but she didn’t bring up their matter, for which Adrien was really grateful for. He was glad that she respected his wishes. It was easier to sort through his emotions like this, even if part of him wished she wasn't so good at complying with his request and keeping her distance. Because quite frankly, part of him missed her dearly, both in and out of the costume. He missed their friendship and missed the opportunity to show up at her balcony in the middle of the night without any particular reason, just to escape reality and spend time with his favourite civilian. He missed the ease with which he used to send a funny picture to Ladybug that reminded him of her. (Of course, now he could have sent those same pictures to Marinette, but he never did. He tried it once. He just opened up the messaging app to send the meme, when two girls pictures popped up at his most frequent contacts. Kagami’s face was the second on the list. Adrien threw the phone across the room with a loud groan.)
So, even if his need for space wasn’t about Marinette, but himself and coming to terms with his own actions and emotions, the bigger part of him — the part that still felt guilty for everything that he did to Kagami — was grateful that the girl didn’t push his boundaries.
He’d tell her when he was ready, he kept telling himself. Even if as of yet, he had no idea how. Every scenario his brain could come up for such a situation felt ridiculous, but Adrien brushed off his doubts. He’d have to get to the part where he’d have to have that conversation in the first place; there was no use stressing over it beforehand. So he gritted his teeth and pulled through, trying his best to flip back his life to its normal routine, just as he promised himself he would.
It was one of his attempts for this at the end of the week, that resulted in him standing in front of his opponent with his sword drawn, while saying, “I want to apologise, for everything my behaviour caused. There is no excuse for what I did to you, and I understand if you’re mad at me-”
“Adrien, I have told you already,” Kagami intersected, sighing, lowering her weapon. “I’m not mad at you. I understand that you had no intention of hurting anyone. And you didn’t. It was nothing but an unfortunate turn of events. Now you just go, ask Marinette out and all of these shenanigans end. It’s that easy,” she assured him with a serious expression before lowering her visor and jumping back into a fighting stance. “Now enough of this nonsense, defend yourself!”
Adrien complied but was defeated single-handedly each time they drew their weapons. His mind was elsewhere, churning over how Kagami thought moving on and forgiving himself would be that easy. Of course, he was naturally a forgiving person but this skill never before has had to be aimed at himself. It was an entirely different matter than forgiving others, so much so that he had very little idea, where to start.
***
Adrien’s next weekend wasn’t uneventful, like he anticipated it would be. Obviously, he thought long and hard about the situation he got himself into and tried to make the most of it with Plagg’s help, but this wasn’t the part of his weekend that provoked his smile while sharing it with his friends on Monday. He felt his delight creep into his words as he announced the surprising news at the lunch table. His friends just stared back at him dumbfoundedly, their mouths practically hanging open in astonishment.
Finally Alya was the one who broke the silence. “Your dad wants what now?” she asked, her eyebrows raised startlingly high.
“He wants to host a sleepover for the whole class on Friday,” Adrien repeated what he said earlier, eyes shining bright.
To tell the truth, when his father proposed the idea he was just as flabbergasted as his friends seemed now. Maybe suspicious even, as what could have caused such a drastic change in his father’s approach to parenting, but he willingly decided to get over his initial shock and embrace the change. If his father wanted to be a decent parent for once, he wasn’t going to sabotage his attempts.
“Are you sure you didn’t misinterpret what he said? This doesn’t really sound like him,” Marinette vocalized the obvious concern cautiously.
“He thought it would help, after what happened with Kagami. It was most likely Nathalie’s idea but he gave his permission, so I’m not complaining,” Adrien shrugged. “This is the coolest thing he had done for me, like ever,” he added excitedly. “So are you coming?”
“Dude, this will be the party of the year! Wouldn’t miss it for the world! Worry not, I’ll make the raddest playlist for the thing!” Nino enthused, getting over the first shock, and Alya was nodding eagerly too.
“Can’t wait to hear it,” Adrien smiled at the couple who weren’t paying him attention anymore, as they were busy discussing the potential musical themes of the event. Adrien turned to the one friend who was still looking at him doubtfully. “Marinette, can I count on you, too?”
“Do you want me to go?” she asked back in surprise, seemingly anticipating a rejective answer.
“Of course! All of my friends are invited, you can’t miss it!” he beamed.
Adrien decided long ago that his stupid self-deprecation wasn’t going to stop him from having a good time with his friends on his very first, very own sleepover. Anyway, how long were you supposed to blame yourself for something that happened two weeks ago and everyone else has already forgiven you? So the conclusion followed, Marinette had to come. She was his partner. His best friend. His favourite person, goddammit. Her place was there. Right next to him.
“Then I’ll be there!” she said with a genuine smile on her lips that made the butterflies in Adrien’s stomach flutter at the oh-so-familiar intensity.
***
The heroes of Paris were sitting facing each other on a secluded rooftop in their civilian attire — to let their kwamis bond after their long separation. Their legs were crossed as they hunched over a notebook, where a list started to form in Marinette’s neat handwriting, detailing the supplies that needed to be purchased for the upcoming party.
Adrien had to acknowledge, it was nice to hang out with her like this. Just the two of them, finally without the burden of secret identities, indulging in a real conversation. It almost felt like their friendship was fully back on track; like their dynamic wasn’t turned on it’s head by reveals, confessions and the itching feeling deep inside him that urged him to kiss his very good friend.
“Thanks for helping me Marinette! I wasn’t exactly sure what we would need, but I didn’t want to push the whole party planning onto Nathalie either. She has plenty on her plate already,” he explained, thinking about all the extra hours Nathalie had to spend in the mansion, arranging who knows what for his father.
“Of course, I’m happy to help,” Marinette smiled. “We could prepare party games, if you want to. A game of Uno, juice-pong or an eating competition. I’m sure Kim and Alix would be more than happy to try to beat everyone.” However, seemingly startled by Adrien’s prolonged silence she swiftly added, “but of course, we don’t have to! We could just hang around without anything planned and have a good time.”
“I like the idea of games! Mom used to play Uno with me sometimes,” he said with a nostalgic glint in his eyes.
“You don’t talk much about her,” Marinette said softly.
“No. There isn’t much to say. It’s been almost three years now since she died. I’ve accepted that she’s gone but...” he shrugged, staring at the rooftop intently. “The house is so big without her, it can get really lonely sometimes. It rarely feels like home.”
Was it foolish to hope this could still change? That his father’s uncharacteristic encouragement to hold a party for his friends meant, he was ready to move on at last and reconnect with the people who were still there for him? Not to say Gabriel would have been the father of the year before, but at least he was present in his son’s life. Calm dinners and reluctant smiles were better than an indeterminate presence, lost somewhere deep in the silent house.
Ever since the death of Emilie, it was as if for his father Adrien stopped existing outside of his role as the Agreste brand’s face, a mere tool to advertise with, to send out to public events as a representative. Adrien, the son of Gabriel Agreste ceased to exist along with his wife. But that was fine, Adrien kept telling himself. Lately he wasn’t really bothered by it. He got used to the situation, so much so that it rarely crossed his mind that things could be different. That he could have an actual connection, even a loving one, with the only parent that he got left.
This was although, one of those rare occasions. Could this opportunity be the silver lining for his long-forgotten daydream to come true? The sudden, inexplicable change in his father’s behaviour? Who knew, maybe this event marked the ending of his old life, introducing him to something new and exciting, a second chance for his family. Of course, this hope of Adrien could have turned out just as well to be nothing but a fever dream, but the spark of hope still made the upcoming gathering appear as a potentially life-changing event in his eyes.
Adrien shook off these burdensome thoughts of himself and looked up, only to see Marinette’s worried expression and her tentatively outstretched arm in the air between the two of them. “I’m so sorry, Adrien.”
“It’s alright, my Lady,” he said with a half smile, taking her hand and squeezing it.
It’s going to be. I’m not alone anymore.
***
Marinette was on her way to the sleepover with a sleeping bag tucked under her arm. Her maroon knee-length red dress kept twirling around her legs as she hurried on the pavement, sweeping out the stray locks of her untied hair of her face.
Truth be told, she was a little nervous because of the occasion but also looked forward to it. She presumed that this was just the way people were, after having a two-week long relationship of uncertain nature with their superhero partner. Because Marinette had no idea where her relationship with Adrien stood and frankly, she was too afraid to ask. She promised him space and her unwearing support with anything he needed, and she stood by this promise firmly. Still, the unsteadiness of the situation that constantly floated in the air between the two of them made Marinette anxious. What if he decided that in spite of — or what was worse, because of — everything that they went through, he didn’t want her anymore?
Then you’re going to thank your lucky star that he still stayed your partner and friend, and help him live his life to the fullest, without bringing up the whole fiasco ever again. That’s what you’re going to do, she scolded herself mentally, while stopping at the gate of Adrien's house and pressing the bell. As the gate started to open, she slipped through the gap, hurrying up to the entrance, where she was greeted by Nathalie.
“Welcome, Miss Dupain-Cheng!” The woman looked her through with a profound stare, giving a particularly appreciative look to her earrings. “The party’s on the first floor, dinner will be served at seven.”
“Thank you!” Marinette smiled up at her before heading in the said direction.
Stepping foot on the stairs she could hear the melody of a song from Nino’s carefully selected playlist, letting her know that the DJ was already in the house. She scaled the stairs, arriving at a huge hall that had entrances on every wall, except the one opposite of her, that — just like in Adrien’s room — was fully covered by windows. The lobby was furnished with a huge couch, a coffee table, a TV and several temporarily set up desks, conveying the impression of a rarely used living room. Some of the classmates who have already arrived, namely Mylén, Ivan and Alix, were standing around the coffee table that was stuffed with snacks, and chatted.
Marinette greeted them with a friendly wave, and a few words were exchanged while she placed her backpack and sleeping bag next to the others’ at the wall. She fished out the box of macarons that her parents sent from the bag, and placed the open box alongside the other sweets on the table.
The casual conversation was disturbed by Alya, who upon seeing her best friend fell upon her neck. “Girl, you have to check out Adrien’s room! It’s awesome!” she enthused, dragging her along immediately in the direction of the door opening from the room’s left wall.
Looking around on the corridor leading to Adrien’s room Marinette noticed several security cameras staring back at her from the walls. No wonder he doesn’t feel like this would be his home, this is a fortress, she grumbled in herself.
Marinette was prepared to pretend to be astonished by the enormous room with the climbing wall and everything, which she wouldn’t have known about if not for being Ladybug or sneaking into Adrien’s previous party — two things her best friend was left in the dark about. However, stepping into the room her breath legitimately hitched as her eyes fell onto Adrien. If she wouldn’t have been already madly and irrevocably in love with him, she’d have fallen for him again now.
He was wearing his usual jeans with a white button-up shirt, which apart from being uncommon on him really suited him. However, the icing on the cake wasn’t his semi-elegant attire or his soft, golden hair that he wore somewhere between his usual Adrien and Chat Noir look. No, the accessory that caused Marinette to choke on thin air was the blue scarf she hasn’t seen him wear for a long time.
“Hi Marinette!” he greeted the newcomer with a vibrant smile.
“I’ve brought macaroons!” she blurted out, just to say something. “I mean macarons! Because, you know, they are very different things. I mean, of course, both of them are cookies but they are very different kinds of cookies, so it isn’t negligible which one one means. Just imagine, if I’d think we’re making macarons while you’d think we’re making macaroons, and we wouldn’t realize the misunderstanding and we’d want to-”
“I’m happy to see you, too!” the grinning Adrien silenced her by pulling her in for a tight embrace.
For a moment Marinette just stood there stock-still, before hugging him back, and burying her crimson cheeks into the curve of his neck. “Oh, please, kill me,” she muttered barely audibly.
“Not a chance, Bugaboo,” Adrien whispered back for only her ears to hear, a smirk evident in his voice.
Marinette didn’t know for how long they would have been standing there like that, if Alya didn’t clear her throat in an indication that they weren’t, in fact, alone in the room. When to the gentle nudge they broke apart, Marinette acknowledged with a smirk of her own that Adrien’s cheeks were also a slightly pinker than normal.
“Khm, let me show you around,” he offered with a polite smile after clearing his throat.
The “room tour” didn’t last long but by the end of it Nino was at the football table, inviting them for a game. He chose Marinette as his fighting partner, probably hoping that she was a natural at any game she put her mind to. However, after losing to Adrien’s and Alya’s duo for a second time, he had to admit, even Marinette couldn’t excel at everything.
While they were busy with the game the rest of the class had also arrived and lively chatter filled the otherwise quiet mansion. Marinette went out of her way to talk with every one of her friends and not just hang around Adrien for the whole night, which wasn’t that hard, considering that the boy was occupied with the host’s responsibilities. Still, Marinette could sense his ever present sight on her wherever she went.
After a while, Adrien announced the start of the juice-pong championship, which as predicted, fevered ones while being indifferent to others. Juleka and Rose tried out the game that was set up on the temporary tables of the living room, only to fall out early, although they kept being interested in cheering for the others. Even Chloé gave the game a shot before, upon failing for the first time, declaring it utterly ridiculous and marching off with Sabrina in her heels. The boys lasted longer but slowly fell out one by one, alternating from competing to rooting for Kim to outdo Alix’s previous score. Alya was recording and commenting on the events vigorously, making Marinette, who was standing beside her, burst out in giggles from time to time.
The only one who didn’t seem to indulge in the party game was Lila, who was sitting in a corner alone, rolling her eyes at her excited classmates and checking her watch minute by minute. For Marinette it was an inexplicable concept on its own why Adrien invited her in the first place, but it was just as baffling why she bothered to come, if all she wanted to do was to get as far away from all the fun as possible. However, Marinette learned that as long as Lila stayed put, she was better off ignoring her existence altogether. She wasn’t someone worth ruining her night over.
When the first round of the championship ended Alix was announced the winner, but all she won was a cocky expression from Kim and a demand for a rematch after dinner, which she gladly accepted. With rumbling stomachs and loud chatter, the class marched to the dining room to have the promised dinner, which turned out to be homemade hamburgers by the personal chef of the mansion.
The huge dining table made it possible for all of them to sit down at the same time and consume the delicious, and most likely healthy, servings of burgers. The banter and conversation didn’t die down, filling the enormous place with life. Taking a single side-glance at Adrien was enough for Marinette to realize, how desperately he craved the return of this light mood to his home. His eyes were shining bright as he joked with Nino and Nathaniel on the end of the table, throwing back his head with laughter.
After all of the food was gone, the gang — minus Lila, who mumbled something about feeling unwell and laying down in the guest room downstairs — returned to the upper floor. The girls saw fit to continue the party by moving around their body aimlessly, an act most people politely call dancing, so Marinette joined them, jumping around and swinging her hips to the beat joyfully.
She was dancing with Alya’s hands in hers when the girl’s phone launched a notification attack, buzzing and beeping unconditionally. With one hand Alya pulled out the device from her pocket frowning and studied the messages before she winced and let go of Marinette’s other hand too.
“I need to take this!” she said dryly as she hurried out of Adrien’s room, not even glancing up to her surprised friend.
“What got into her?” Adrien asked, stepping next to Marinette with his brows furrowed. “Do you think it’s an akuma?”
“No, she would have let us know that,” Marinette deemed. This didn’t mean she had a good feeling about Alya’s departure though.
“I guess we can ask if there’s anything wrong when she arrives back. Until then,” Adrien offered his hand to her, bowing but still looking at her with a mischievous smirk. “Shall we dance, milady?”
“We shall,” Marinette took his hand beaming but only held onto it like she did with Alya’s. This was a purely platonic gesture towards her purely platonic partner, who she was desperately in love with.
They were goofing around on the dance floor, spinning and having fun to the point Marinette quite frankly forgot about the existence of everyone else in the room. How could anyone else matter when she was so close to Adrien, holding his hand, following his lead, basking in his undivided attention. Marinette’s heart fluttered to the gentle touch of his fingers, his genuine laugh, the brilliant emerald eyes that followed her wherever she twirled.
Marinette only noticed that her classmates did indeed evaporate from the room, leaving them on their own, when they came to a halt as the music changed and a slow, romantic song started playing. Marinette blushed and tried to let go of Adrien’s hand to be anywhere but in this situation but she couldn’t. The boy’s grip on her was firm as he gently pulled her closer, placing his hands on the small of her back, the constant smile on his face never fading.
Marinette smiled back at him automatically and rested her hands on his shoulders, slowly easing into his embrace. They took a few more unhurried steps while silently gazing into each other's eyes.
“God, you’re beautiful!” Adrien whispered, seemingly surprising even himself with the declaration. However, his amazed expression rapidly transformed into one of affection and certainty.
“Adrien...” Marinette breathed, gazing up at him with wide eyes, her pulse speeding up instantly.
“Do you remember what I promised you?” he asked, pulling her closer until their faces were only inches apart.
Marinette remembered his promise quite vividly. Two weeks ago, in front of their classroom Adrien vowed to settle things for himself and notify her when it’s all sorted through. However, with her heart throbbing in her throat, Marinette didn’t trust herself to say any of this. Instead, she nodded.
“It’s settled. I’m ready.”
“What does that mean?” she whispered the question, fighting for air and for keeping her sanity despite the nonexistent distance between their bodies. She could practically feel Adrien’s rapid heartbeat against her chest, throbbing with her, ever in sync.
“It means that we were idiots running circles around each other for way too long. It’s time to make amends.”
His smile was to die for as he cupped her face with his left hand, and leaned in even closer. Marinette felt the euphoria rush in her veins as she carefully lifted herself up on her tiptoes to close the distance between the two of them. At first, her lips met his tentatively, barely brushing each other. But in the next second, as if her consent would have been the only cue he was waiting for, Adrien pulled her to him with longing, deepening the kiss. His lips moved softly but firmly against hers, taking her breath, that she willingly gave, away.
If heaven was a feeling, this must have been it, Marinette decided.
Finally Adrien was the one to pull away slightly, repositioning his hands on her waist but still holding her close. Marinette found with a victorious smirk that his cheeks seemed just as flushes as hers felt, his eyes gleaming with the same sparkle she imagined lit up her face. She intervened her fingers at the back of his neck with the intention of never letting go.
“If by making amends you meant this… Yes, we should definitely make it more often,” she said with a grin.
“I’d like that very much,” he answered sincerely before a shit-eating grin appeared on his face. “But I don’t want to do it with Ladybug.”
As his words registered, the smile froze on Marinette’s rapidly paling face. She looked up at him with panic in her eyes, searching for sufficient words but they all died on her tongue.
“I’d like to do it with my girlfriend, Marinette,” he went on, pressing a featherlight kiss to the girl’s forehead.
“You stupid cat! You gave me a heart attack,” she pouted indignantly, smacking him lightly on the chest that he answered with a laugh.
“You have nothing to worry about, Bugaboo. I have never truly wanted anyone other than you,” he soothed her, placing a finger under her chin to tilt it in a way that their gazes met. “And I never will.”
“I guess you’re in luck, because I feel the same way about you,” she tried to grumble but her insuppressible grin broke through her feigned demeanour. “So, Adrien Agreste, would you make me the happiest girl on Earth and go on a date with me?”
“Only if I don’t have to wear a mask around you,” he smiled at her but his eyes shone with a deeper, more somber sentiment.
“Never. Never again, I promise!” Marinette vowed, catching his word’s double meaning. He wanted no more pretending, no more secrets, no more walls between them. Fortunately, this was the deepest desire of the girl’s heart too.
However, there was an other layer of meaning left to address. “Actually, I’d prefer to keep Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s relationship professional for a while longer. It would be dangerous if Hawkmoth found out about us, not to mention the suspicion it would draw if they started dating at the same time Adrien and Marinette did,” she reasoned.
“If I can date you even in one scenario out of the four possibilities, I’m perfectly content with that. Besides, I wouldn’t expect any less from our responsible and strategic Guardian. A secret it is, Bugaboo!” he winked at her.
“Says the real keeper of the Miracle Box,” she smiled and rolled her eyes playfully at the same time.
“It’s only temporary. I’m just filling in for you,” he shrugged, as if saying ‘don’t be ridiculous, I’m not doing anything worthy of recognition’.
“You say that like you’d think I could do this without you. Because let me assure you Mister, there is no way! You are not, and never were replaceable!” the girl declared in a tone intolerant of opposition.
“Thanks, Marinette,” Adrien smiled weakly before rapidly changing the topic. “So, do you think we should search for the others?”
“As much as I enjoy having you all to myself, I guess that would be the modest thing to do. You’re the host after all,” Marinette sighed resignedly.
Adrien chuckled and didn’t miss out on the opportunity to intervene their fingers as they headed to the living room to check on their loud classmates, who judging by the cheers, were most likely back at playing juice-pong.
The couple joined Nino and Max who were heavily discussing something practically standing in the doorway.
“Have you not seen Alya either?” Nino asked them worriedly. “She disappeared for a while now and no one knows anything about her. She doesn’t even answer my messages.”
Marinette was about to recall how Alya stormed out of the dance floor after taking an ominous look at her phone but Max cut in, pointing in the direction of the room’s main entrance, that led to the grand staircase. “There she is!”
The others both glanced in the said direction, only to have the same baffled looks appear on their faces. Marinette couldn’t stifle a shriek fast enough not to call everyone’s attention in the room to herself. From there, they followed her gaze until the whole class was staring at the figure in the door in interest.
