Work Text:
Adrien groans as he shuts the door behind him. He feels awful and is tempted to jump into the nearest void to escape the world.
Unfortunately, that's not an option, so collapsing on the couch suffices. For now.
(Maybe he could bribe Plagg with some cheese.)
"Adrien? What's wrong?" Marinette calls out as she walks into the living room.
“Nothing,” he says with a sigh. “Just another rough day.”
It’s a silly reason to be worked up about, anyways, Adrien thinks as he stares at the floor. The last thing he needs to do is tell Marinette about it. after all, she’s bound to think it’s silly, too—
Adrien suddenly feels the weight of the couch shift as Marinette sits down beside him. He looks up to meet her worried gaze.
“It's not nothing,” she says. “I can see whatever this is bothering you. What’s wrong?”
"I- just some fans, is all. Really, don't worry about it." He waves his hand and tosses a smile her way to reassure her.
Marinette's frown deepens as she takes his hand into hers. "What happened?"
"It's not anything that matters. It's silly and-"
"Adrien." she squeezes his hand. "It's not silly if it's making you feel bad."
He hesitates for a second, looking up to see the sincerity laced in her smile and the kindness that glows in her gaze. Marinette very clearly was trying to tell him, you can talk to me.
“It’s….” Adrien suddenly looks away again, embarrassed. “It’s just some comments I overheard from fans,” he mumbles.
Marinette stiffens. “Comments? What kinds of comments? Do you mean hate? Because if it’s hate, you know I will—“
“No, no, it’s not hate.”
She frowns. “Then what else is upsetting you?”
He looks away before mumbling, "They keep saying they love me."
Marinette shifts to wrap an arm around his shoulder, letting him bury his face in her neck.
"And it's not that it's unflattering , I guess. But they don't really know me, they see a portrayal of me, and I hate how they just openly claim to love me because I've never even met them, y'know? They don't love me in the way you could."
Adrien swallows, and suddenly the words he wants to say are caught in his throat. He should be grateful for his fans, should he not? They're the reason everyone sees him as successful, the reason why he's where he's at today. He shouldn't be feeling upset about this; this is normal . This is supposed to be okay .
His father's words ring in his mind; they’re the words Gabriel never fails to say whenever he sees Adrien grimacing about over-the-top praise. Whenever Adrien winces when people cling to him and refuse to leave him alone, or when there's a camera everywhere he looks, watching his every move.
Without his fans, he'd be nothing .
So why does he feel this way whenever they say they love him?
“Minou, that’s not silly at all.”
“But-“
“You want to be loved for who you really are. That’s perfectly normal,” she reassures. “They don’t know you. They’re the ones missing out if they can’t stop to think about who you are when the cameras aren’t clicking.”
He lifts his head to see her looking at him so fondly . What did he ever do to deserve her affection?
“Are you really asking me that, Adrien? Because I’ll tell you.”
"You're more than what the public sees. They see a pretty face, and maybe I do too, but do you know what else I see?" She smiles at him. "I see you ."
Marinette takes their intertwined hands and gently positions them so Adrien's hands cup his face with hers on top of them. Their gazes meet.
"Your hands are warm. You always hold me gently and with care," Marinette says as she squeezes his hands softly, before her eyes drift up to meet his. "And your eyes are soft and kind. You always look at me with affection in a way I've never felt before." She removes one of her hands to brush a strand of hair behind Adrien's ear.
Adrien’s breath catches in his throat as he watches her, unmoving. He hasn’t quite yet processed exactly what she’s saying. Does she really… feel this way about him?
"Your ears are always available to listen to my struggles,” she continues. Her stare drifts down to his lips. "And your lips always whisper the exact words I need to hear when we're in trouble. Your lips curl into the most vibrant smile I've seen when you tell jokes that make me laugh."
Marinette leans over and gently presses a kiss to his cheek, before pulling back and looking at him. her cheeks are pink as she whispers, "Maybe they'll never see any of that. Maybe they won't care to try to see it, but to me? You're all of that and so much more, Adrien. And that's why I treasure you."
"Marinette..." he murmurs. "I- thank you ." He leans forward and rests his head on her shoulder. She rubs his back soothingly as her words truly settle in.
Hearing all of that from her made his eyes water. Marinette has a way of making him feel like this. the way she looks at him with those gentle eyes, the way she caresses him with incredibly soft hands, the way she speaks as if he really means so much, it makes him feel...
"Of course, Adrien. I love you."
Loved.
She loves him.
"I love you too, Buginette. You're the best."
And maybe, if he's lucky, there's a chance she might love him the way he loves her, too.