Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Adrien Agreste’s schedule mon-fri

5:00 wake up

5:10 workout at home gym

        alternate days cardio and muscle

6:00 shower

6:20 breakfast

7:45 go to school

8:00 school

12:30 home for lunch

13:30 back to school

16:10 fencing practise/Chinese lessons

18:00 dinner

19:00 light workout/stretch

21:00 sleep

Note: On weekends Adrien Agreste’s time is dedicated to homework and modelling.
          NO time for friends!

1

‘Natalie, could you tell my father fencing practice is running longer than usual?’, Adrien asked, hearing her hum through the receiver. ‘He's making us work harder because there's a tournament coming up.’ That wasn't a lie, there was a tournament in the near future, but Adrien had other plans.

‘I will notify your father and ask the cook to make your dinner a little bigger to support your training.’

‘Thank you, Natalie.’

She ended the call, and a devilish grin overtook Adrien features. Fencing practice ended a few minutes ago, everyone taking off the gear and leaving. He was the fastest, jittery and excited. He never lied to Natalie or his father about his plans and whereabouts (well, aside from the whole Chat Noir thing) and the experience was thrilling.

He dumped all his belongings in his designated locker, leaving Plagg in a smelly sock as well. He'd be okay for another thirty minutes. Adrien fled the locker room, not bothering to say goodbye.

The courtyard was empty, the teacher back in his office. Quietly, he snuck upstairs, finding his way to the arts classroom. He knew he was nearby when he smelled the odour of spray paint.

‘Marinette?’

The girl looked up from the sewing machine, eyes brightening in delight at the sight of him. Adrien’s heart stuttered and dropped as he took in the beautiful girl with the beautiful smile and her goddamn beautiful eyes.

She leapt up from her chair, leaving the dress. He took a stride towards her as well, and they met halfway. Adrien smirked, slinging is arms around her waist as she toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck.

‘Hi,’ she whispered, nose scrunched.

‘Hey.’

‘How was practice?’, she asked conversationally.

He eyed her melodramatically. ‘Hard,’ he sighed, ‘I couldn't focus because I kept thinking about a certain girl.’

‘Who, Chloe? Or no, Kagami?’, Marinette asked, faux-confused. He chuckled, leaning in closer, his breath against her lips.

‘Wait, I got it: Lila.’

Adrien smiled, closing the space between them and kissing her lips. Mari stilled for a moment, before her hands dropped to his chest, clinging onto his sweater .

(She made it for his 16th birthday, a month before they started sneaking around. “Green, like you eyes,’ she had said with a brilliant smile. The urge to kiss her back then, with her in a pink dress standing in the park, was big.)

(He did kiss her three hours later when everyone started to leave. She’d hugged him goodbye but when she had tried to make space, he had cupped her face. He had been terrified, hoping he hadn’t been reading the signs wrong. He hadn’t.)

Adrien walked them to a table, pressing Mari against the side as she kept them chest to chest. He loved kissing her. He loved the way she took breaks to smile, the way she sometimes stood on her tippy toes to reach him better even though he leaned down. Adrien loved the smell of her, comforting and warm. He loved the feel of her long, black hair between his fingers. Or how she gasped when he kissed her neck.

He loved her.

She placed herself onto the table, careful to not push over any materials that a student had left. Adrien’s hands dropped to her thighs, squeezing them.

‘Do you think anyone knows yet?’, Mari mumbled, heavy lidded and lips swollen. She looked sexy, and it took a lot of power from Adrien to not give into the possessiveness he sometimes felt and give her a hickey. He knew she was her own person and that “marking” his territory was dumb and the epitome of being a dick, but he wanted the world to know that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was his . Only he was allowed to kiss her, touch her.

‘No,’ Adrien replied eventually, reigning in his thoughts, ‘My father actually thinks I’m being the most productive I’ve ever been.’ Mari laughed.

‘Alya doesn’t have a clue either. They’re probably convinced I still don’t have the guts to tell you how I feel.’

‘And how do you feel?’, he teased.

She took one hand from her thigh and placed it against her chest. ‘You know I love you,’ she whispered, eyes soft and fond and fuck he loved her as well. ‘A lot,’ she added, sparkle in her eye.

Adrien kissed her tenderly, nose touching hers. His heart was so full and he didn’t think he ever felt happier in his life.

Ever since he realised Marinette was it for him, his crush on Ladybug seemed childish. Adrien figured what he felt was the thrill of the chase of something unattainable. He knew he’d never be able to be with Ladybug, due to their duties, so he kept trying. But once he stopped, he understood it was never love he felt. Rather admiration. (And perhaps the yearning of a true companion after years of social isolation. But that was a whole other thing to unpack.)

Now that he let the notion go he loved Ladybug, their partnership was at an all time high. The polka dotted hero had noticed as well, and she had expressed her appreciation. They were in a great place.

‘We still have twenty minutes. Wanna make out or…?’

Marinette grinned, pecking his lips before jumping from the table. She laughed, patting his chest when he pouted. Adrien couldn’t help himself, he just yearned her intimacy.

‘I want to show you what I’m making,’ she walked back to the sewing machine, sitting down, ‘So that dress there is for the benefit performance you invited the class to. I was inspired by the costumes ballerina’s wear, so I found this adorable tulle fabric that works perfectly with the bodice I had been working on. Also-’

Adrien zoned out a little, enchanted by her passionate ramblings and shining eyes. It wasn’t like he never listened to her, but it was like times like these when they bathed in the warm afternoon light and in each other’s embrace, that he couldn’t focus.

‘What are your thoughts on an indigo turtleneck sweater?’

Adrien snapped out of his daydream. ‘Huh?’

She narrowed her eyes at him, amused. Before she could quip, her phone rang.

‘Alya,’ she said and picked up. ‘Hey Alya!’, she chirped. A pause. ‘I’m still at school, finishing a design. You know, that dress for Adrien’s benefit performance?’ Another pause. Marinette rolled her eyes at him.
‘I know right! Maybe it will impress him!’

Adrien smirked. Interesting. He had never witnessed girl talk before.    

‘No, you don’t have to - Ah!’ Adrien picked her up from her chair, setting her down on his lap. She slapped his arm. He chuckled.

‘That was nothing!’, she shrieked in her phone. ‘No, that was - I’m watching a video on my tablet, Alya, there’s no boy here. Can you imagine?! Me, alone with a boy .’

Adrien kissed her neck. She swatted him away.

‘Anyway, what are you calling for?’, she placed her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. Adrien’s heart soared as he embraced her. He loved this.

‘Girl’s night? Now might not be a good time. What about Saturday?’

Adrien inhaled deeply, ignoring the conversation. he has dreamed of this. Due to his busy schedule, he hadn’t found an excuse to sleepover at a friend’s house. Hell, it took him a year to convince his father that Nino wouldn’t be a nuisance if he slept over. This, with Mari cuddling against him in the lulling warmth of the classroom, was the closest thing to sleeping over. He hadn’t even thought about sex (Well, he has , but he knew he wasn’t ready for that), he just wanted this .

‘Okay! Bye! Love you!’, she hung up, nuzzling her face in his neck.

‘Can we stay here?,’ Mari asked, lips moving against his skin. Adrien grinned. ‘I was thinking the same thing.’

‘Don’t you think it’s weird how synchronised we are? Like pas de deux partners.’

He had lingered on that, but tried not to dwell on it. It was weird though how he knew exactly where she in a space in relation to his. He knew her like the back of his hand, even though their relationship was still young.

‘We just fit.’

‘You’re cheesy.’

‘ Brie mine, Marinette.’  

‘I want to break up.’

‘Oh please, you love it.’

2

‘Walk faster, everyone!,’ Madame Bustier ushered, trying to keep her class of twenty students in tow. Nathaniel and Marc were trudging in the back with their noses in a comic book, Alix and Kim were pushing each other into walls (and people), Chloe was talking to her father on the phone about a problem whilst Sabrina was carrying their bags. Lila was blabbing on to Max about her exotic lifestyle whilst Mylène and Ivan were sneaking kisses, Rose flirting with Juleka. Both couples were unbothered by the flustered teacher that was having a near breakdown in the metro station.

It was the day of the benefit performance. Ballet de l'Opéra national de Paris was performing Swan Lake, and all the money went to children’s education in third world countries, hosted by the Emilie Agreste Foundation. Adrien’s mother wasn’t just an actress and model, she was an activist too. He fondly remembered times when she was in heated discussions with his father about the horrors climate change is causing, when she’d reach momentum and the spark in her eye was one of pure determination and fury. Adrien loved his maman.

After she died, her foundation lived on. The vice president, Amélie Lorraine, became the president and held up the prestigious status of the company. Him and his father hardly had anything to do with it, but their presence was needed.

Adrien felt bad for madame Bustier, so he turned around and called for Nathaniel and Marc to hurry up. The matinee wasn’t waiting!

He turned back to his friends, Alya and Nino walking in front of them with each one earphone in as they listened to one of Nino’s newest tracks. He started getting into rapping and he was pretty good.

Next to him was Marinette, simply following Bustier’s orders and keeping up the pace. She wasn’t wearing the dress she had been making in the arts class a week ago, and was still in her street clothes. She looked cute anyway.

(“I wouldn’t do the dress justice,” she had said last night over Skype. “Right now it belongs in my portfolio until I can convince Thylane Blondeau to be my model. Or, like, Clara Nightingale.”)     

‘You look really pretty, by the way,’ he whispered in her ear. She perked up, surprised. Cute.

‘Thank you,’ she whispered back, looking behind her. The two boys weren’t paying attention to them.

‘Hurry, kids!’, Bustier yelled again.

Marinette took two big leaps to keep up with the group. Cute.

‘You look good too.’

‘Thank you. It’s the beanie you knitted.’

‘I know,’ Marinette said, leaning in to peck his cheek before stopping herself. In one awkward movement, she patted his shoulder, and he laughed.
‘Merde,’ she mumbled, tugging at her Dutch braids.

‘I get it, you just can’t get enough of me.’

‘Shut. Up.’

‘All get in the metro! We won’t wait for you if you miss it!’

In the throngs of people smushed together in one tiny vehicle, Adrien’s fingers found Mari’s, linking them together. Out of his peripheral vision he saw her smile, cheeks tinted pink. He bit his lip, smiling ahead of him.

They made it to the theatre just in time, most of the seats already filled in. Adrien, as he was Emilie’s son, was able to get them great seats. Their class had gotten two middle rows to themselves fairly in the front, of which most were very grateful for.

A few, like Ivan, Max and Alix, weren’t particularly interested in ballet, but even they had excited smiles on their faces as the energy of the room and the orchestra below made them dumbfounded.

The class got to their assigned seats, the second row ending with Nino, Alya, Marinette and then Adrien, an aisle seat.

‘I’ve never been to a ballet before!’, Marinette whispered excitedly. ‘I mean, I did it when I was six for a year but I never went to an actual performance. Have you?’

Adrien nodded, ‘My maman loved the ballet, and she often brought me along. She wanted to place me in ballet class, but my father had refused,’ he stared at the stage, nostalgia filling his veins. His mother used to consume his every thought, but over the years she had faded. He remembered her face and smell, but her voice was lost. Adrien wasn’t sad over her death anymore, simply melancholic. But sometimes, like now, the realisation hit him like a rock.
His maman was dead , and he would never see her again.     

‘I wonder what would’ve happened if they let me.’

‘Then you would’ve probably been a principal dancer by age eighteen. Or at least a soloist. But…,’ she leaned in, whispering in his ear, ‘you probably wouldn’t have met me. Not saying I’m better than ballet, but still.’

He grinned. ‘You’re cute.’

‘Who’s cute?’, Alya asked, eyebrows quirked up in surprise and a hint of amusement. Nino looked eager.

‘Marinette,’ Adrien said smoothly, hoping that the adoration for her has evaded from his eyes. Probably not. ‘She’s getting really excited about the ballet.’

‘Right,’ Alya drawled, eyeing her best friend. Marinette blushed. Nino mouthed the word “Dude” at him, and Adrien simply shrugged.

Although he’d rather shout it from the rooftops that Mari was his girlfriend, sneaking around was pretty fun.

‘Shh! It’s starting!’, Bustier hushed them as the lights faded. In the darkness, Marinette’s hand found his as Siegfried and Odette dance a romantic pas de deux.  

3

‘Maman, is it okay if Adrien worked on homework here? He has to catch up and he asked me for help. He’ll be gone by dinner!’, Marinette said as she stormed down the stairs into their living area. Her father was currently in the bakery, her mum having a moment for herself. The woman nipped at her green tea.

‘Of course. It’s nice of you to help a friend.’

Marinette smiled, pulling her long hair up in a ponytail. Sabine tilted her head, intrigued.

‘Your smile is different.’ Marinette froze.

‘What do you mean?’, she eventually said, sitting down next to her mum.

‘It’s different,’ maman shrugged, eyes glittering. ‘A good different. Has something happened between you and Adrien?’

Marinette flushed red. Of course her maman would figure it out first. ‘No! I mean, we’ve become great friends, but it’s still... uh, dormant. Very dormant.’

Sabine smiled, stroking Marinette’s hair like she did when Mari was younger. She tucked a strand behind her ear. ‘I will keep your secret, Marinette. Not even papa has to know,’ maman winked at the latter. Marinette sputtered, turning a deeper shade of red.

‘Mothers know and see everything, ma belle.’

Except her biggest secret… right? Oh my God, did her maman know she was Ladybug? Marinette tried not to fret on it for now. That was a spiral of doubt for another time.

‘Thank you, maman,’ Mari said, earnest. She hugged her, and went back up to her room, waiting on Adrien.

He arrived ten minutes, head popping through the trap door. ‘Hey!’

‘Hi!’, she rolled away from her computer, pecking him on the lips. ‘How did you convince your father to do homework here?’  

Adrien smiled, ‘Pure luck. My Chinese tutor is sick, so I don’t have to be back until six for dinner. He’d rather have me go to a productive study group, aka you, then play video games in my room.’

‘Understandable,’ Mari agreed. Adrien closed the trap door and his smile dropped. Mari’s heart sank. ‘What?’

‘Your mom gave me a weird look.’

‘Oh,’ she said, relieved, ‘Yeah, she knows.’

Adrien rose a brow.

‘Mothers know all, apparently.’

He chuckled, embracing her. ‘Let’s cuddle.’

‘Didn’t you actually have a problem with biology?’

‘Eh. I’ll just stamp it in my head.’

Mari giggled, taking his hand and leading him up to her bed. He dropped onto it first, spreading his arms. Marinette’s heart swelled with fondness. They’ve been waiting for this for months. Finally together with no disturbances! They wouldn’t do anything like that (she reminded herself they had to have that talk soon) but God she’d lie if she said she hadn’t yearned this. Marinette had moments she still couldn’t believe Adrien liked her back. Her! Admittedly, she stopped stuttering by the end of their first year at school together, but that didn’t mean a coup de foudre would happen!   

(Luckily, it did.)

‘When are we going to tell the world about this?’, Adrien asked after a moment of silence. They’d been entranced by the embrace and touch of each other. The way one inhaled as the other exhaled. The way, as they touched each other’s chest, their hearts synched.

‘This? Us?’

‘Yeah.’

‘I don’t know,’ Mari replied, sincere. She placed her head on her hand. The girl was obviously not embarrassed by him, but what would his father say? What would his millions of fangirls say? Her face would be in the picture, plastered on social media. What if someone analysed her face long enough to realise the similarities between her and a certain spotted superhero? What if they found our Mari was Ladybug? Would Adrien be mad she kept this secret from him? Marinette stilled.

Could she ever tell him? She’d have to ask Master Fu about this.

‘Mari?’

‘Sorry, I spaced out for a second. Um, what would your father say?’

Adrien rolled his eyes in annoyance, placing one arm behind his head. Marinette couldn’t help but admire his arms for a second. Those morning workouts truly did wonders for his physique.

‘Something overly pretentious and rude. Trust me, he doesn’t hate you, but I don’t think he’d like it I dated someone “below” our status.’

Marinette scrunched her nose, not taking offense but simply being astounded by the ridiculousness. ‘Didn’t he come from “nothing”.’

Adrien pursed his lips, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger absentmindedly. ‘He did. I guess he doesn’t want to fall back. No offense.’

Marinette took a deep breath. Was she ready to say this? Was it too soon when a relationship was just six months old? ‘Adrien? Can I…’, she would say it, ‘Can I make a statement?’

Adrien’s finger stilled, intrigued. He tucked the strand behind her ear. ‘Sure.’

This would either scare him away or bring him even closer. She assumed the latter, but there was no certainty. Her heart was just so full of him, she couldn’t think anyone else could ever fill it. ‘I think… you’re it . There won’t be anyone else,’ she met his green gaze through her lashes. He looked starstruck. ‘So if you think I’m um, also it for you, your father will just have to accept it. Just like Chloe and Lila and all your Instagram followers.’

‘My Instagram followers?’

‘Is that all you got from that?’

He smiled, soft. ‘No,’ he whispered. ‘You’re it for me too, Mari.’ He moved closer to her, his lips finding hers and giving her a languid kiss. She smiled, her heart soaring. Marinette knew they were just seventeen, young and inexperienced and whatever. But nothing ever felt as right as this. Not even donning her Ladybug suit. There were never doubts, never pricks of envy. They loved each other, and that was the only thing that mattered.

‘But what about my Instagram?’

‘Oh my God! Adrien! You’re the most desired European teen model heartthrob!’, Marinette whined, wanting to slap the grin from his face. The devilish glint in his eye was strangely familiar. ‘Ugh, don’t act like you don’t know!’

‘I didn’t!’

Marinette puffed.

‘What if we post a photo together? A picture is worth more than a thousand words, right?’, anxiety swam in his eyes, but his words were determined. Marinette gulped.

Could she afford to take the leap of faith?

She grabbed his hand. ‘No matter what happens afterwards, you have my back, right?’

Adrien frowned. ‘Of course. Is something wrong?’

‘No,’ she dismissed it. She definitely had to talk with Master Fu. ‘I just - It’s just a little scary. I’m not scared of Chloe but she will decapitate me.’   

Adrien laughed, throwing his head back. Marinette giggled, enamoured.

‘I can’t wait to see Chloe’s face.’

‘Okay.’

‘Okay?’

‘Okay,’ Marinette repeated, heart beating so loud she hardly heard herself. ‘Let’s post a photo for you six million followers to see.’

*

adrienagreste_officiel posted a new picture!

adrienagreste_officiel uhh, surprise? Love you, @marinettedc

          gabriel_fr we need to talk
          marinettedc love you too sunshine
                 shawnmendesisbae2004 OMG I HAVE FOUND A NEW OTP
          lila_rossi i wasn't surprised, I knew all along! Adrien is a rlly good friend of mine :)
          ladyblog_fr MARINETTE CALL ME RIGHT THE FUCK NOW
          ninolahiffe2001 @marinettedc please call alya she's losing it
          chloe_bourgeois ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME????
          andré_icecream_fr MY ICECREAM IS NEVER WRONG HOORAY
          vogue_fr Would you consider doing an interview for us, Adrien and Marinette?
          seventeen OMG goals!
          zendaya um they're the cutest @jimmyfallon put them on your show
                  jimmyfallon noted

Chapter Text

Music boomed through the speakers once his father left the park, and once he did, Adrien felt like he could breathe again. No more pretending, just him being him. It was his sixteenth birthday, and although it was quite American to throw a big party, he decided to do it anyway. Many had already arrived, but a few quite important people were still missing. The inevitable sinking gut feeling boiled in his body, but right at that moment a familiar brunette screamed.     

‘Happy birthday!’, Ayla yelled, jumping up and down as she passed the gate to grab Adrien’s attention. Next to her, Nino and Marinette were laughing, trying to calm their excited friend. Alya hooked arms with Nino, skipping towards him.

‘Happy birthday, my white asparagus,’ Alya said, kissing his cheek.

Adrien chuckled, ‘Thanks Alya.’ Nino gave him a hug, which left Marinette at last, shyly waving at him. In her other hand was a pink paper bag.

‘Hi, Adrien. Happy birthday.’

‘Thanks Mari,’ he smiled, taking the bag. His eyes followed as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, feeling his heart flutter.

Things have been weird with Mari for a while. Near the end of last school year, she stopped stuttering and became genuine friends with him, not just listening along behind Alya’s shoulder. She was the friend he mostly hung out with all summer long, and perhaps it was the heat and the sleepovers and the overdose of sugary treats from her bakery, but somewhere along the way he had developed a teensy tiny… crush.

(He realised it when school started again and she had jokingly jumped on his back to greet him. ‘Hi,’ she had said in his ear, giggling. Vanilla had enraptured him as she had thrown her arms around his neck. Adrien had laughed, setting Mari on the ground.

‘About our discussion,’ she had crossed her arms, ‘“My Hero Academia” is overrated and you should accept that. Please, please, please give “Paranoia Agent” a chance!’

Adrien had chuckled at her begging stature, and had slung an arm around her shoulder as he led them into the school. ‘I told you, I will. But you’re still wrong. MHA is not overrated, it’s perfectly rated.’

She had thrown her hands up in the air, groaning, ‘You’re impossible!’

‘Apparently not, because you are still here,’ he had winked, squeezing her shoulder before letting go as the bell rang. This year they were placed in a different class, as there was much tension between students in the previous year. The school had then decided it would be best to create new classes. He had been upset first, but there was no harm meeting new people!

She’d stuck her tongue out, red plaid skirt swishing as she turned around.

‘Ice cream after school?!’, he called after her, grinning.

Mari had spun back and gasped, faux-shocked, ‘Ice cream? What a rebel!’

‘ Ha ha .’

She had smiled back sweetly, nodding. Her eyes had been shining. ‘Sure. See you at lunch, Adrien.’

He had watched her go, with her long black hair and swishing red skirt. And that’s when he knew. He knew he had wanted to call after her again. Hold her hand. He had wondered what if would be like to caress her, to kiss her.

‘M-Mari?!’, he had blurted out, cheeks flushed. She had look over her shoulder, surprised. She had gazed back at him questioningly.

‘You look pretty today.’

Mari had turned red, staring down at her shoes. ‘Thanks, Adrien. Uh, I like your um- ears. I mean, shoes! I mean - bye!’ She had dashed of, leaving Adrien with his fumbled emotions and hammering heart.)     

‘Sorry we’re late,’ she said, clasping her hands together and nodding at the pair that has left to talk to Ivan and Mylène. ‘Ayla had drama with her sister because there was miscommunication on who would babysit the twins and-’

‘Don’t worry, it’s fine. You’re fine,’ Adrien reassured, leading them to the rest of the group. She looked pretty, in that pink dress . She always looked pretty.

Mari sighed, relieved. ‘Good. Will you open the present? I’m kind of really excited for you to see it!’
His eyes gazed down to the bag, shaking it.

‘Ah, I think I’ll wa-’

She punched his shoulder. ‘Idiot.’
He laughed, placing the bag on a snack-filled table.

‘Okay, so you once said you secretly don’t like your father’s sweaters because they’re scratchy but you’re not allowed to buy from another brand so…,’ Marinette made jazz hands, beaming. ‘Ta da!’

From the bag, he pulled out a soft, knitted sweater. It looked immaculate.

‘Green, like your eyes,’ she said with a brilliant smile.

Mari, I need to kiss you.

Adrien pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek, ‘Thanks, Mari, I love it. I would wear it right now but...’

She rolled her eyes, ‘It’s 20 degrees Celsius,’ she prodded her finger into his t-shirt, ‘I expect you to wear it when it gets colder though!’

Adrien swatted her finger away, ‘Trust me, I will.’

(Later, when he was inspecting the sweater, he noticed that on the inside where usually the tag was sewn in, her initials were threaded. MDC . The same initials that he had found on his blue scarf a few days ago.)

The party went on, with all his friends and a few model colleagues (much to Chloé’s pleasure) dancing the night away. He opened a few other presents, which mostly consisted of manga, and sliced the very healthy, vegan cake. Just because his father wasn’t there still meant he had a hold on the situation. Adrien didn’t mind, although he would’ve rather had a big chocolate cake from the Dupain-Cheng’s. When he turned eighteen, he’d get one.

Slowly, the sun switched places with the moon, and people have started to huddle in their own little groups, sitting on the grass or around picnic tables. Last time he checked, Alya and Nino were stargazing. The party wasn’t his anymore, but he preferred it that way. No need to keep him the center of attention if this brought joy to others.

His eyes found Marinette.

Another thing he began doing with Marinette last year was taking walks. They loved going to the park during lunchtime for it; It was nice. There were times they couldn’t shut up about a recent event, yet had moments of blissful silence as well. Their way to escape high school hysteria. Together.      

(‘Have your parents protested with the gilets jaunes?’, he had asked, shoulder to shoulder. She had drummed her fingers on her bottle of water.

‘My papa has,’ Mari had admitted, ‘maman’s a little scared to do it. Since they’re so… intense. I’m just interested in what Macron will do about all of it. Or mayor Bourgeois. Like, Ladybug and Chat Noir must be tired of fighting the same kind of akuma every Sunday.’

‘Yeah, probably,’ Adrien had replied non-committal. He always felt on edge when they talked about the Parisian superheroes, as if she could see right through him. (She didn’t. He reckoned.) ‘Hey, look!’, he had grabbed her hand, instinctively, and dragged her to the playground. Chalk drawings were sketched onto the asphalt, such as hopscotch. Marinette had giggled as she noticed. ‘Really? I thought I only had to take Manon here.’

‘Hey!’, Adrien had exclaimed, faux-undignified, ‘I’ve never done this so I think I have a free pass here!’

Mari’s face had fallen for a moment, before she plastered a smile on her face again. He had known it was fake though. Ever since they’d taken a walk in the park where he had opened up about his family life, surrounded by autumn leaves, he was able to read her so well. Every twitch of eye, every pull of the lips, he knew what it meant. He found it crazy how in sync he had gotten with her in such a short period of time. It reminded him of how he was with his Lady, but Marinette was… well, Marinette.

‘Don’t worry about it, Mari.’

‘How can I not? I… I care about you, Adrien.’

He had ignored the rising blush on her and his cheeks and the thudding in his heart. ‘Will you do me the honour and play this game with me?’

Mari had grinned, intertwining their fingers. ‘I’d love to.’)       

‘Daydreaming? Or well, I mean, nightdreaming? Or is that just dreaming?’, Marinette rambled, suddenly standing it front of him and simultaneously snapping him out of his reverie. He must’ve been staring.

‘What?’

‘Never mind,’ Mari grimaced, ‘would you like to go on a walk?’

He placed his hand on his chest, ‘It’s like you’re reading my mind, Mari.’

She motioned to follow her and he matched her step.

‘What did you want to talk about?’, he whispered after a moment. The buzz of the party withered behind them.    

Mari shrugged, ‘Nothing. I just wanted to… be here.’

He caught her gaze, big blue eyes staring back at him. Mari was truly a sight to behold. Long black hair, pouty pink lips, periwinkle eyes and a smattering of freckles. She was gorgeous. When he stepped into a room, he wanted her to be in it because she made everything lighter, better. She was like the thrill of the ascend of a rollercoaster, like jumping from a high diving board into a pool.

Whenever he was with Marinette, he felt like everything was okay. He was completely, utterly himself and he loved it.

There was no leather suit or Model Smile. Just him.

He smiled, genuine, ‘Me too.’

Why was he still dancing around the obvious fact that he was in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng?

‘Oh! Important! I made this dress that’s the exact same shade as your green sweater so maybe tell me beforehand so we don’t look like we decided to match because that’s, you know, weird, and we’re not like a couple or anything so-’

‘Marinette.'

Her lips slammed shut, flustered.

Adrien took a deep breath. He could do this. He knew Mari liked him, and perhaps there was a chance she saw him as more than just a friend. There were lingering moments where their hands brushed as they walked, or where green met blue and was unable to let go. He had a chance.

He took a half turn, facing her. Mari, still stunned, stared up at him silently.

She grinned, shaky, ‘Why’re you...?’

‘Mari…’, slowly, he placed his hands at the nape of her neck.

Her eyes flickered across his face, softly grabbing his t-shirt.

His mind was going a mile a minute, yet every breath and movement felt like it was going in slow motion.  

‘Can I kiss you?’, he whispered. Barely noticeable, she nodded.

When their lips touched, the first thing he experienced was a jolt of bliss coursing through his body. Her lips were soft and tasted like the vegan lemon cake.

What he felt was… inexplicable.    

Mari descended from her tippy toes, eyes closed and lips parted. A small smile quirked upon her features. Adrien could feel his smile split his face as he leaned his forehead against hers.

‘Oh my God,’ he heard her whisper.

He puffed, ‘What?’

‘Did we just…?’

‘Yeah,’ Adrien laughed.

Startled, Marinette stared at the ground. ‘Oh wow. Will this be like um - a regular thing? Like will this - are we - what are we -’

Adrien cut her stuttering of, ‘Only if you want it to be a regular thing.’

Her gaze snapped back to his as his heart sank to his feet. She seemed to enjoy it at first, but he knew she was starting to doubt it. He fucked up. Merde. Merde, merde, merde, me-

Her lips captured his again, throwing her arms over his shoulders. Adrien smiled into the kiss, pulling her closer by the waist.

(Even later that same night, when Adrien was laying in bed, he replayed the moment over and over in his head. He kissed Mari. Mari kissed him. They kissed a lot. On the lips, on the cheeks, on the jaw. All hidden behind a large oak tree. The grin on his face hadn’t left, even when Plagg groaned and told him to “stop the creepy shit”. The grin wouldn’t leave until the next morning, when Natalie would step inside his bedroom to give him his schedule of the day. She’d say he looked will rested, even though he hadn’t slept at all. He would text her, calling her beautiful, and she’d tell him he was handsome. And then she’d ask to keep what they had quiet for a while. Adrien would agree, excited. They’d call at the end of the day, and fall asleep at the sound of their voice. Both wouldn’t know then this was it .

They would be it for each other, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.)