"Adrien," Marinette said softly, "You... You heard that, didn't you?"
Adrien clasped his bottom lip between his teeth. His head nodded once as his hands clenched into tight fists by his side.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Adrien asked under his breath as he avoided eye contact.
"I'm sorry," Marinette looked down, "I planned on telling you eventually, but I..."
Marinette's tears brimmed along her eyelids, blurring her vision like an old camera. Her bottom lip quivered, making her voice appear shaky.
"I didn't know how," she said in a whispily, "You have every right to be mad at me"
Finally, Adrien looked up at her. Tears were, once again, running down her cheeks as her breaths came in and out rapidly. Frowning, Adrien stepped into the light, stopping directly in front of her. Alya stepped out from under the streetlight to give them the space they needed, where she was met by Nino. Without another word, her and Nino turned their backs to Adrien and Marinette.
"Marinette," Adrien said quietly, "I'm not mad. I just..."
Adrien took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly and allowing his chest to sink as the air exited his lungs.
"I just wish you told me sooner"
"I'm sorry, Adrien," Marinette said again, "I一"
Without warning, Adrien threw his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to his warm chest. Marinette's bloodshot eyes widened, her eyebrows lifting in surprise from this unexpected embrace. Her arms fell loosely at her sides, dangling like vines while her brain tried to process what was happening. Adrien only hugged her tighter, digging his face into her silky midnight hair.
"It's okay," he reassured her, "Until then, I'll make sure you live the remainder of your life to the fullest"
This only caused more tears to fall from her eyes. She hiccupped through her tears and wrapped her arms around his waist. Adrien's hand gently ran up and down her back in comfort. Her tears bled into his shirt, leaving warm patches in their wake. He remained silent and allowed her to cry as he held her so tightly that his arms trembled.
He held her as if he would lose her tomorrow.
03:03:23
Now that Adrien knows the truth about the timer, Marinette had gotten one thing off her chest. However, she still had another secret, and this one would be even harder to confess than the one about the timer.
Marinette pressed her forehead against the cold glass window of the bus, watching as all the trees and buildings rolled by with her music blaring from her earbuds. Now that she knew what little time she had left, she needed to go back home and visit her family.
Her phone vibrated inside her pocket, signaling a new text message. With the music still playing in her ears, Marinette unpocketed her phone. Adrien's name had lit up the small screen.
Text me when you get home!
Marinette smiled and texted him back. She placed her phone back in her pocket, glancing back to the window to continue on with her daydream.
~
After the bus ride, Marinette opened the door to her bakery. Her parents' faces lit up with their usual kind smiles as they greeted their daughter. Marinette smiled and returned their greetings.
"Did you bring Adrien this time?" Tom asked.
Marinette shook her head, "He's teaching piano right now. He said he'll stop by later, though"
"That's great!" Sabine exclaimed, "Tell him to stay for dinner!"
"By the way," Tom placed his massive hand on Marinette's petite shoulder, "How are things going with him?"
Tom gave his daughter a wink. Marinette's cheeks clouded with a light shade of rosy pink at his question. Sabine raised her eyebrows as she looked at her daughter with curiosity written on her face.
"Oh yes, tell us"
"Umm," At that moment, Marinette's face darkened from pink to red, "I... Guess we're good?"
Marinette sighed, "But the thing is, I only have a limited time left. Three months to be specific"
Tom and Sabine's smiles faded immediately upon hearing this, like all their excitement from seeing their daughter had disappeared.
"Adrien knows, but what he doesn't know about is... Is my disease"
Marinette fought back the burning tears in her eyes, puffing up her nostrils and clenching her jaw in the process. She did not want to break down in front of her parents like she did in front of her friends.
"I know it won't be long until I have to be sitting in a hospital bed all day," Marinette whimpered, "That's why I came here while I can still walk"
Tom and Sabine stepped up to their daughter and brought her in for a hug. They had no words at the moment, but the least they could do was offer their comfort to her.
They were not ready to lose their only daughter. They were not ready to lose the light of their lives.
~
"Careful not to lose the rhythm when you shift positions," Adrien said, pushing his glasses up his nose, "Let's slow it down a little bit. And keep your hands relaxed"
Adrien began snapping his fingers at a slow and steady beat, filling the room with soft clicks much like a metronome. The young girl tapped her foot to the same beat. She placed her small hands on the piano with her eyes on the sheet music in front of her.
Before she could play a single beat, a short series of knocks sounded from the front door. Adrien's snapping came to a cease. Curiously, the piano teacher rose to his feet.
"I think that's my mom," His student said and copied his actions.
The young musician followed Adrien to the front door, where a middle-aged woman stood on the other side of the doorway. Adrien greeted the woman as the little girl ran to her mother's side.
"So, how's her playing?" The lady asked.
Adrien smiled, "She plays really well. She's improving a lot on G- and F- positions. I can tell she enjoys it"
"That's great to hear," The lady reached into her purse and handed him her payment for the month, "I'll see you next week then. Thank you, Adrien"
"Thank you for coming"
Adrien closed the front door and removed his glasses. His hand reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, where a text message from Marinette lit up the screen. He sucked in a quick gasp the second he read it. Moving at the speed of light, Adrien ran to the bathroom. He switched on the sink, allowing the icy cold water to pool into his hands. Closing his eyes shut, Adrien leaned over the sink and splashed the chilly water on his face, his hands tense from the coldness they had just collected. Using his comb, Adrien proceeded to run a quick swipe through his hair.
Once satisfied, Adrien ran back to the living room. His fingers reached for his car keys before dashing out the door.
~
Adrien and Marinette sat down on the couch, watching a movie in the living room. Onscreen, a romantic scene played underneath a starlit sky. The couple featured in the movie had shared a kiss under the stars, just before the camera faded out into a pitch black screen. Marinette smiled softly, watching the thousands of words from the credits roll onscreen.
"That was always one of my favorite movies," she said, "I've always wondered what it's like to have such a romantic moment like that"
Marinette sighed, "But, it's hard to see stars in this city. There's way too much light pollution. I wish we can shut it all off just for one night and admire the galaxy"
A mere second of silence filled the room, accompanied by music from the TV playing in the background. Adrien stared blankly at the screen, a small smile tugging his lips upwards ever so slightly.
"Yeah," he hummed, "That would be nice"