Chapter Text
For some time now, Adrien has been receiving anonymous love letters, always from the same person, who simply signs them with a little heart marked “ardent flame.” At first, he thinks it is probably a joke, but when he starts receiving them regularly, he understands that someone is really writing to him because they have feelings for him. He has absolutely no idea who it could be, but he tells himself that this person must necessarily know him very well. After all, no one knows both the location of his locker at school and his home, which means that his secret admirer must probably be someone from his close circle. Despite everything, Adrien does not really feel like investigating with Nino, preferring to wait to discover her identity naturally rather than turn something so romantic into a real investigation.
He actually finds the principle of anonymous letters particularly romantic. He likes the idea that someone takes the time to think about what they want to write to him, choose their words and discreetly leave the letter somewhere he will be able to find it. Even when he does not understand certain declarations or wonders why his admirer prefers to remain hidden, he carefully keeps every letter he receives. He puts them in a little box so that he can reread them whenever he wants, finding it rather amusing to possess an entire collection of love declarations from someone whose identity he still completely ignores.
To be honest, there is also a second clue that is not insignificant: his secret admirer smells like lemon. Adrien begins to notice that a slight scent of lemon regularly remains on the letters when he opens them. It is not strong enough to allow him to identify someone directly, but it is present enough for him to eventually consider it a serious clue. He therefore starts paying attention to the people around him who use a perfume, cream or even shampoo with that smell, without actively trying to solve the mystery. He finds it almost amusing to possess such an obvious clue without being able to put a name to it.
Adrien even eventually tells himself that, no matter who it is, he would probably agree to date this person when she decides to reveal her identity to him. After all, he already appreciates her way of writing to him enough to want to discover who is hiding behind “ardent flame.” He obviously does not yet know whether they will be compatible once they are face to face, but he assumes that someone capable of writing so many letters and showing so much romanticism must necessarily be an interesting person. He therefore prefers not to ask himself too many questions and simply enjoys every new letter like a little surprise.
Having to wait several more months, Adrien nevertheless eventually accidentally discovers that it is Marinette. He immediately recognizes her handwriting when he catches sight of a letter that seems to be the next one she intended to give him, left between two notebooks on a table in the cafeteria. He does not even touch the letter, but quickly understands what he has just discovered when he sees the little heart bearing the words “ardent flame.” He remains completely motionless for a few seconds, absolutely unable to believe that it is really Marinette who has been writing to him all this time.
The revelation surprises him all the more because he had never imagined that she could have feelings for him. He likes her enormously, of course, and already considers her a very good friend, but he had never thought that she could be his secret admirer. Thinking back to the letters he has received over the past few months, however, he begins to notice certain details that perhaps should have given him a clue. He especially understands that the lemon scent corresponds perfectly to Marinette and wonders how he could never have made the connection sooner.
Rather than immediately telling her that he has discovered her secret, Adrien decides to invite her to his home. He simply sends her a message to suggest that she come and spend a little time with him, without explaining why he wants to see her. Marinette, who is not particularly trying to find out the reason for this invitation, accepts fairly quickly, even though she still asks him whether she should bring something when she comes. Adrien assures her that he already has everything he needs and that her presence is the only thing necessary. He carefully avoids giving her the slightest additional clue, preferring to tell her directly when she is in front of him.
Half an hour later, Marinette therefore arrives at his home. Adrien welcomes her with hot tea and biscuits that have just come out of the oven, which immediately makes her feel comfortable. She settles down quietly, probably thinking that they are simply going to spend some time together like two friends, until Adrien finally decides to bring up the real subject of this invitation. He does not try to beat around the bush and explains to her that he knows about the letters, having discovered that she is the person who has been writing them to him for several months.
Marinette immediately turns red when she understands that he has discovered her secret, but Adrien quickly reassures her by telling her that he did not take the situation badly at all. On the contrary, he explains to her that he found her letters adorable and that he was genuinely happy when he realized that his secret admirer was her. Marinette no longer really knows where to put herself, especially because she had imagined many possible reactions to the discovery of her identity, but certainly not that Adrien would calmly tell her that he would like to date her.
Adrien then clearly confesses to her that he would be in favor of trying a relationship with her. He does not pretend to have been in love with her for years simply because she is the author of the letters, but he acknowledges that he already likes her enormously and that discovering her feelings makes him want to see what their relationship could become. Marinette, still just as red, therefore understands that it was not simply to spend some friendly time together that he had asked her to come. Even though the situation is terribly embarrassing for her, she cannot deny that it makes her happy to see that all her efforts ultimately had a positive result.
After a few minutes spent discussing what they really want to do, they therefore decide to officially become a couple. The strangest thing is that once the decision is made, neither of them really knows what to do. They simply look at each other in silence, as though they had just crossed an important step without receiving the slightest instruction manual for what comes next. Marinette eventually laughs nervously, Adrien does the same, and after several minutes of hesitating about how they should behave from now on, they finally timidly kiss.
This first kiss ultimately allows them to realize that their new situation may not be as strange as they thought. They continue talking for a long time, this time knowing that they can officially consider their relationship to be a couple. Marinette is obviously still very embarrassed when she thinks back to the number of letters Adrien has kept, especially when he confesses to her that he has all of them in a box. She is nevertheless also happy to know that he genuinely appreciated them and never considered her declarations to be something ridiculous.
Even after they get together, Marinette still takes just as much pleasure in writing him love letters from time to time. The difference is that she no longer tries to hide her identity. She continues leaving certain letters in his locker or on his desk, simply because she still loves this way of showing him her feelings just as much. The only thing that changes is the signature. The little heart marked “ardent flame” gradually disappears to make way for something much simpler: “your little girlfriend.” And Adrien, far from regretting the disappearance of his secret admirer, carefully keeps these new letters together with all the old ones.