The world seemed to freeze. The air around them was filled with silence. Every second was the most beautiful agony Marinette had ever experienced. Her mind was whole but her heart was breaking. She couldn't do this. It wasn't fair. So, after years, hours, or maybe after no time at all, she stopped. She looked up at the boy in front of her, and didn't know what to think. Adrien's expression seemed to contain every different emotion possible. He opened is mouth to speak, a mouth now tainted by hers, but she spoke first,
"No. I shouldn't have done that. Adrien... I have loved you for so so long. But my heart isn't yours. It's... someone else's. It's funny; you really remind me of him... but I don't deserve either of you. I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry. I-I need to go. I never should have come. Goodbye Adrien."
With that, she picked up her bag and walked out the door, not looking back until she was outside the main gates. Then she turned around and stared up through Adrien's cell-like windows, but she couldn't see their prisoner. She stared up at the looming grey clouds floating across the darkened sky, and thought,
"At least it suits the occasion..."
Rain began to fall. She started to walk. Tikki was shouting from inside of her bag, demanding to be heard, but Marinette ignored her and walked on. She didn't deserve the comfort or advice. She deserved what was surely going to happen in school the next day; Adrien telling everyone he knew what had happened, that she had kissed him while dating someone else. Ohh, she could picture Chloé's face now, accusation and anger on the outside, thinly concealing utter delight. And Nino's; a look of complete betrayal, Alya's; unable to look at her at all. She kissed Adrien Agreste. Those four words felt sour in her mouth, whereas less than a week ago, they would have been the words she wanted to hear most in the world.
The rain seemed endless, heavy and unrelenting. The girl trudged onwards, her dark hair hanging limply around her face, her eyes focused on the pavement. The world was silent, except for the continuous splash of her boots in the many puddles on the ground. Her mind was so preoccupied with thoughts of what she had just done, that it took her a few minutes to realise she couldn't feel the rain anymore. She looked up. A big, green umbrella was blocking out the raindrops, and it's owner was walking beside her, his emerald eyes staring straight ahead. His expression was blank, but she could tell he knew what she wanted to say.
"How did you know where I was?"
"...I've been to your house before. I know the way."
Silence. Then, she avoided the obvious.
"What happens now?"
"Does anything have to happen?"
"...Something always does."
The girl sighed.
"Trouble likes following me around. It doesn't care who it has to knock over to stay right behind me. I should turn around more often, and see what I've caused."
".... Sometimes things like this can't be seen."
"Maybe you and I have different ways of looking."
Another silence. Then she stated the obvious.
"I'm sorry."
"I know. You shouldn't be though."
Marinette turned to him in shock.
"But, but, I can't be with both of you! It's just not fair on either of you. It's not ok."
"Mari, if I had gotten the chance to kiss Ladybug, do you think I would pass it up?"
A very long silence.
"So you like her too, Adrien."
He nodded. They walked on.
Marinette giggled a little, holding back her tears.
"I s-suppose that every boy I love can't love me b-back... You're both in love with Ladybug. Of course you are. With her around, why even look at a girl like me?"
She spat out the words as if they tasted rotten. Her tone was bitter, but resigned, as if she had expected nothing else. Adrien was silent. His cheeks were burning in shame. He had led her on, and for what? To work up the courage to ask out the girl he actually loved, and then discard Marinette like she was nothing? He felt his sins crawling up his back. Then he said,
"I'm sorry."
The girl sighed.
"It's ok. I'm used to it. Besides, you can't help it, and me moping will just make you feel bad."
"But I- I... You don't deserve this."
She shrugged.
"Well, what can you do?"
"I can... stop thinking of you as second best. You're not a substitute for Ladybug. You're your own person. An amazing person. I love you, Mari, and I'm sorry it's not in the way you want."
Marinette stopped dead in the street, staring at the puddle forming at her feet. Seconds later she turned to face him, her eyes wet with tears but her smile wide. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. Her words were muffled against Adrien's raincoat but he managed to make out what she was saying.
"Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me."
He felt himself blushing slightly and hugged her back, trying to give her some closure. He knew what she was going through. When she eventually let go, she seemed determined to change the subject.
"So, are you gonna confess to Ladybug then? Any plans, any ideas?"
A long pause. The patter of the dying rain and the splashes of their shoes on the pavement filled up the silent space. Then Adrien spoke,
"Well... I wrote a letter for her. Three years together. A long time. An incredible time."
The boy then realised what he had said, but it was too late.
"But... but Ladybug's not dating anyone. What do you mean together? The only other person who could be talking about "being together" with her would be—"
"DON'T!" The word cut into the still evening air like a chainsaw. Even the rain had stopped to listen to him. He continued, not bothering to wipe the tears that had started falling down his face.
"Please... If you don't say it, I don't have to lie to you."
"...If you don't say it, I'll just have to make you tell me the truth."
A ghost of a smile flickered across Adrien's face, and he replied,
"I know you will. I know you better than you think Mari."
"I think I know that now... And you never told anyone?"
"Just Nino. You're the only other person. You should be honoured", he said, trying to lighten the situation.
"If I had known... Well, not many people can say supermodel Adrien Agreste has seen their boo- I mean, shit uhhh, SHIT, uhhhh..."
Marinette's face was scarlet and she was mentally slapping herself. Supermodel Adrien Agreste, on the other hand, had put on a Chat Noir grin and said,
"Well, I told you you were honoured.." The girls eyes rolled and she sighed heavily. Here was Chat. And yet, she didn't mind. She quite liked their personalities together. Adrien seemed to as well, as he wouldn't stop talking,
"Hey, Mari, why don't we take the fast way home? Walking is so dull!"
"Wait... you, you mean that you're gonna—"
Marinette's sentence was cut short by a burst of green light, one that lit up the dark and dreary street around them. Adrien dropped the umbrella and Chat Noir picked it up, leather-clad and grinning.
"Princess."
