An Unlikely Intern | Miraculous Ladybug

Chapter 8 - A Silence Filled With Love

"Truce! Truce!" Adrien laughed as Marinette threw one more handful of flour at him. The two teenagers looked around at the mess they had made and they fell to the ground laughing together. Marinette got out a mop and Adrien wiped down the surfaces with a rag. The whole time they cleaned they stole glances at each other and started laughing all over again.

Once everything was clean, Marinette yelled to Adrien, "Would you please set the table?" Adrien smiled and set up two plates, two glasses, and two sets of utensils. She finished cooking their countryside chicken and they sat down to eat. Adrien's mouth watered as he took his first bite. The dinner night was spent laughing and occasionally tossing a small piece of broccoli at each other. Once dinner was finished and eaten, and heavily complimented by Adrien, the two stood next to each other as they cleaned the dishes. Adrien occasionally leaned over and gently nudged his blushing counterpart.

Marinette felt her face flush as she nudged Adrien back, surprised at how much confidence she had gained when she was around him. She felt like she could talk to him, like she could trust him, and she loved being around him. She enjoyed being able to get to know him better without stammering through everything and being so awkward all the time. When they had finished with the dishes they rock-paper-scissored to decide who would shower first. Marinette won with a rock over Adrien's scissors and she hopped off into the bathroom, relieved to finally be free of all the flour from their play fight.

When she stepped out of the hotel's huge shower, she quickly threw on a red nightgown with black spots and small bows, which rested just above her knees and hosted a sweetheart neckline. She quickly towel dried her hair and threw it up in a loose ponytail using a ribbon. She then wandered out of the bathroom to alert Adrien that it was his turn to shower. He nodded quickly, taking a second to admire Marinette. Even in her pajamas, she was beautiful.

While she waited for Adrien to finish with his shower, Marinette went to the large windows only to discover that they were actually french sliding doors leading out onto the balcony. She held her hand out to feel the fast-falling, yet gentle, rain before stepping out into it. She leaned over the railing and watched the reflections of the sky dance on the small puddles of the streets. She took in a large breath of fresh, rainy air as she thought about the day's events, particularly the pictures that Alya had shown her. She wished that she hadn't shown so much emotion, and she wished that she hadn't felt so much either, about the pictures, but she couldn't help but feel heartbroken on letting go of Chat. She felt that it was the right thing to do, she still loved Adrien, but he was so much fun to be around. He was kind and caring, he was easy to talk to and he was so romantic.

Adrien left the shower and threw on a plain black T-shirt and white shorts after drying his hair. He opened the bathroom door and noticed that Marinette wasn't in the room. He stepped out and looked around before noticing her out on the balcony in the rain and she looked lost in thought. She looked as if she was glowing as the rain gently fell on her. Adrien slowly walked over to her and put a hand around her waist as he joined beside her in the rain. She jumped at his sudden touch and blinked rapidly.

"Sorry, Adrien, I didn't see you there," She apologized. He let out a small laugh.

"It's fine, Mari. It looked like you were lost in your own head, there."

She blushed and smiled.

"Yeah,"

It was silent for a long time as they both stood in the rain, watching it fall, before Marinette silently spoke.

"Adrien?"

"Yes, Mari?"

"I-" She paused, "Have you ever felt things for two people at once? Like you had loved one person for so long but then someone else swoops into the picture and steals half of your heart?"