Chapter Text
Marinette could pinpoint the moment she fell in love with Adrien Agreste down to the exact second.
It was way back when— an evening in the rain, a black umbrella, a smile that could outshine even the brightest stars in the sky.
Marinette could remember the rain on her skin like it was still pouring down, how the hairs on her arms raised at the chill, the water making her shiver. It darkened the sky, bubbling them together in a strange kind of intimate space.
“Hey!” How hopeful he’d sounded, with his bright eyes and his awkward wave.
She’d ignored him, turned away, and whenever she looked back on it, her heart would clench at how close she came to a life without knowing him, without getting to know him. It was a reality she was glad to never have lived in, and the thought was too cold to dwell on.
She remembered his sad sigh, his hand dropping, and thinking that he must have given up. He’d opened his umbrella, turned away as if to leave, but then… he stopped, just a step away. His eyes darted back and forth, unsure. While his expression was vulnerable, he spoke like honesty was the only flavour he knew.
“I just wanted you to know, I was only trying to take the chewing gum off your seat.” He’d said. “I swear. I’ve never been to school before. I’ve never had friends. It’s all sort of… new to me.” His voice hid none of his nervousness.
Then. It was then he’d offered her his umbrella.
The little smile he gave her had her heart stop still and Marinette could for an agonising moment do nothing but stare. His expression had been so earnest, so sweet. When his eyes softened her anger melted like mist, any words she’d tried to say caught in her throat before they could even reach her tongue. Those eyes of his were hypnotising.
And it was there, exactly there, when it started.
Tentatively, she’d reached out and grasped the handle like a peace offering or a promise, falling, falling for him hard. His laughter when it’d closed on her rang inside her head like a lullaby— gentle, innocent, pure. Marinette could only consider it her favourite sound.
She never wanted to stop hearing it, seeing him, loving him. It was a special kind of connection she’d felt. Something that would last past that one special moment, a feeling that could reverberate inside her heart a million times over without her missing a single beat.
She’d hoped that he’d felt it too.
Marinette could pinpoint the moment yellow-blond flowers started falling from her lips down to the exact second.
“Marinette? She’s just a friend.”