Time

1 - Prologue

January 9

"Marinette?" Adrien asked, reaching for the girl.

She seemed to shrink back in fear before grabbing her things and rushing off. Adrien released a sigh, Nino offering a questioning look. "Dude, are you going to tell me what happened?" He asked, shoving a loose paper in his bag.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Adrien replied, brow furrowed as he packed up to leave.

September 2, two years later

He wouldn't do it.

He would not call out to Marinette after exactly thirty months and twenty-two days since last speaking with her.

Thirty-two and one day since they spoke comfortably.

Not that Adrien was counting.

"Marinette!" Adrien called, unable to hold in the name any longer.

Marinette turned around as Adrien jogged up to her. "Marinette-"

"Adrien." Marinette replied simply, an uneasiness crossing her face.

A moment of silence passed, Adrien forcing his tongue to work. "What happened?" He asked.

Marinette's eyes flickered, recalling a time when she'd go so far as to say she loved the boy in front of her.

"I..." She began, knowing that no apology could fix what she'd done.

"You?" Adrien asked.

He wasn't sure what he'd expected. For them to snap back into friends? For Marinette to not be wrong? "Well... I fucked up." Marinette said.

Her choice in words sent Adrien barreling back to New Years, standing on the bridge as rain fell, the weather taking on a completely different meaning. For a minute, he tried to form a coherent sentence, mouth opening and closing. He gave up when he realized it was no use, and the girl before him turned concerned, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

As though shocked, Adrien jerked away. "Sorry!" Marinette rushed quickly, withdrawing her hand.

"You promised." Adrien began slowly.

Marinette's brow furrowed. Adrien continued. "You promised you wouldn't be disappointed."

The pair stared dead straight into each other's eyes. Marinette's eyebrows shot up and she finally offered up her explanation. "I wasn't-! You thought I was disappointed?" Marinette asked, incredulous.

Adrien's eyes tightened. "I loved you, Adrien. I worshiped your every step." Marinette said softly.

"You... did?" Adrien asked stupidly.

"Yeah. Imagine finding out the person you spent almost every day obsessing over was the person you were, well, in a relationship with? No matter the fact that it was a platonic relationship instigated by a game?" Marinette said brow furrowing again.

Adrien's face relaxed sadly. "I miss you, Marinette. Ladybug, whoever." He confided.

Marinette gave a tight smile, knuckles turning white around the books she was tightly clutching in her arms. She moved all at once then, clutching Adrien's neck with one arm in a hug. "I missed you, too." Marinette said softly, burying her head in Adrien's neck.

Hesitantly, Adrien hugged Marinette back, resisting the urge to jolt away. Not from disgust, not from shock, but because it was so odd to feel such a familiar warmth again. "Don't do that." Adrien said, pushing Marinette back jokingly.

"What?" Marinette asked, arms returning to her book.

"Hurt my feelings and run away." Adrien said, trying to keep his tone light.

He failed spectacularly, sounding on the edge of tears. "Hey, I never meant to. It's just... it's just how I am." Marinette said, shrugging.

"No, you're not like that. We all make mistakes. Sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up. Let's go to class." Adrien suggested, slinging an arm around Marinette's shoulders.

So perhaps Adrien was correct; the two did snap back into friends. The nervous and awkward dance of avoiding each other while having every single class together would be forgotten in moments, and life with each other would resume.

As friends.

"Friends is good."