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"There's this...boy..."Her words echoed in his brain. Her words being the only thing bouncing off the walls in the emptiness of his brain. Her words being the only thing occupying his entire being at the moment.Her words...How could three small words make his heart feel like it had been ripped from his body? It sent his mind into a frenzy at the thought of Ladybug liking another guy, even though it had been a couple weeks since she told him that she was interested in someone else.He had been able to keep his mind off that fateful night when Hawkmoth decided to turn half of Paris into Akumas all at once. He shuddered inwardly at the thought of just him and Ladybug having to fight off so many villains at once, as well as coming face to face with Scarlet Moth. Or rather Hawkmoth, but super powered.But now that it was all over and done with, Adrien was once again left alone with his thoughts to remember the night that changed his heart. And, unfortunately, not for the better.He shook his head, smacking his cheeks, as if the actions were going to stop him from thinking about the words his Lady spoke that night. He remembered how she sounded, as if she was unsure she should even be telling him, knowing that it would cause him pain. But he needed to hear it, she knew. And he knew that she knew. He shouldn't be as upset or heartbroken as he is. She is free to love anyone she desires. He knew that. Doesn't mean it still didn't hurt though...He had to do something to distract himself. Just dwelling on the past will only make things worse in the long run. He looked towards the window, knowing the perfect remedy to help temporarily mend his torn heart."I just need to get some fresh air. That's it!" He reassured himself. "Come on Plagg, time for a late night run.""Ugh, but Adrieeeen." His little kwami whined. "It's midnight. And I'm tiiiired."The blonde scoffed and shook his head at his companion. "Stop being such a baby. Plagg, Claws Out!" Adrien yelled out as he leapt through the window. A flash of green instantly replacing the young model with the crime fighting superhero, Chat Noir. He vaulted from rooftop to rooftop with his baton, not really knowing where he was going, but not really caring either. The crisp Spring air tingling at his cheeks, the chilliness and clouds signaling that Winter wasn't quite ready to leave yet. He could still make out the moon above, blending with the city lights of his home city.After what seemed like forever, he stopped on a simple narrow white roof with tubed railing to catch his breath. The cold air feeling like splinters in his lungs as he swallowed lungfuls of air to get his heart back to a steady rate.Chat was still sore from what happened on Hero's Day. All those Akumas really gave him a beating. He finally sat up from his hunched over position while catching his breath, to see where he landed. It wasn't until he saw some dried up rose petals drifting ever so slowly in the night air, that he realized he was standing on the same roof as that fateful night that Ladybug had shut him down. He sighed heavily in annoyance at himself. Of all the places to stop and catch a breather, it had to be here."Traitor." He said to his body, running his hands through his hair in frustration. Chat started pacing back and forth, wondering if he should continue running around Paris until he got too tired, or if he should just give up on his endeavor and head home to see if maybe his dreams will help take his mind off his current thoughts of the spotted heroine.Choosing the latter, the black clad boy turned to the railing, having every intent of heading back home when a softly lit balcony caught his attention.The fairy lights carefully weaved and danced through the railing of the balcony. The bulbed lights strung from the triangular awning adding soft hues of red, blue, green, and yellow to the scenery of the various flower pots surround the small area. He'd only been there a handful of times, but the balcony of his classmate always had a warm and inviting feeling to it. The complete opposite of the cold emptiness of his own dwelling.He glanced to the left of the balcony. What normally had roses in the planter, was now empty. "That's odd." He spoke aloud to himself. Did she not like roses? Or maybe the flowers died?He didn't have to wait much longer for his answer, as he heard the latch to the skylight unlock and pop open, signalling that someone was coming out onto the balcony.First he saw a pot of flowers being placed in front of the skylight by small hands, then he saw the blue hair of his shy classmate pop out with a smile on her face so bright it could rival that of the sun. It was so infectious that he too could feel himself smiling in turn.Marinette picked up the flowers she brought up with her, skipping to the empty planter, almost tripping in the process, but caught herself at the last second. Chat could hear himself and her sigh with relief at the same time at the last minute save. The flowers unharmed."Huh, lilies. An interesting choice." The blonde said to himself. They were a soft pink and white color with darker pink speckling on the petals. It was a nice change from the roses people seemed to have on every windowsill or balcony in Paris.Chat Noir watched on as Marinette cheerfully placed the lilies in their new home on her balcony, humming to a tune he recognized from her birthday party. Must be one of her favorites.He hummed along with her in the distance, her happiness unknowingly washing away and mending the tears in his heart. She seemed to have that effect on people. Marinette was... To put it simply... She was warmth personified. She always seemed to be in a cheerfully good mood. She was determined and brave, especially when it came to Chloe. That also tied together with how she always tried to do everything humanly possible to help her friends and family. He'd catch glimpses of her helping out her parents in the bakery as he was driving home from his fencing lessons. Not to mention she had amazing designing talent. Chat remembered the hat she made for the contest. Thank goodness she changed out the real feather for a fake one. He would have been a sneezing mess if he had to walking down the runway with a real pigeon feather on her hat.He heard a tiny squeak that brought him out of his thoughts, and suddenly it dawned on him. Marinette was wide eyed, staring straight at him. It was then that he realized he was staring at her the entire time he was lost in his thoughts.Oh
Oh
A deep red blush took over his face as he realized that maybe he'd been staring a little too long. Wh-what should he do in this situation?Run?Hide?Pretend he was going down to say hi?"Uuuuhh... " He managed to stutter out before grabbing his baton and fleeing for the hills, launching himself out of her view.All Marinette could do was stand there, staring in shock as Chat Noir was gazing at her with a dopey grin on his face. How long had he been there? What was he doing there? And staring at her, no less? Was there an Akuma attack? Why was he smiling at her all goofy like that? Did he see Tikki?The questions were racing through her mind a mile a minute. And that's when he apparently found out he was, indeed, staring at her. He opened his mouth, and closed it. Opened it again, only to close it again, turning around and vaulting out into the night of the city in the opposite direction of her home."Tikki?" She asked, her kwami floating up beside her in response to her name. "What just happened? I need confirmation this isn't a weird dream."Tikki chirped, "You're not dreaming. He'd been standing there all starry eyed for the past ten minutes or so with that goofy grin of his. I think you catching him staring scarred him away.""I scarred him?! Why didn't you tell me he was there?! And why was he there in the first place?"The little god shrugged at her Chosen, "I couldn't tell you without giving myself away. As for why he was there, I honestly don't know Marinette. Maybe he liked the new flowers?" Tikki gave a half-baked excuse. She knew who Chat Noir really was and how his home life was like from the times she would hang out with Plagg during school hours. But she would never tell Marinette that of course.All the bluenette could do was shake her head at the strange behavior or her partner. She went back to watering her lilies that were now in the planter on the balcony railing. "Remind me to thank Alta for these flowers. She really is a great friend. Other than you, of course." She giggled as she kissed Tikki on her forehead."Aww thanks, Marinette. You're a great friend, too. Now, hurry up. You have to get enough sleep for that Physics test tomorrow."Marinette's eyes widened for the second time that night. "Oh my god, Tikki!! I completely forgot about the test! I'm going to fail it for sure and Adrien will laugh at me because he would never date a failure, and my life will be ruined because ill never get a chance to marry him and have our three kids with a hamster named-""Marinette!" Tikki flew up in front of her face, a mixture of annoyance and gentleness in her eyes. She sighed softly, "It's going to be ok. If you're up for staying awake, I'll help you study, alright? You can do it, Marinette! You've got this!"Marinette calmed down from her exaggerated panic attack and smiled at her kwami, "Thank you, Tikki. You always know what to say to get me thinking straight. You're the best." She brought Tikki up to her face for a gentle hug. "Alright, let's do this." She proclaimed as they both headed back down into her room to begin their study session, knowing that it was going to be a long night.Adrien made it back to his room where he promptly let his transformation fall while making his way to the bathroom with his snickering kwami right on his tail."Well, that was embarrassing." Plagg laughed as Adrien tried to swat at him, flying just out of reach of his Chosen's range."Shut up, Plagg. I'll just have to make sure she doesn't spot me next time." He paused trying to shoo away a snickering Plagg to think to himself.Wait... Next time? Would there be a next time? Does he want there to be a next time?All he knew was that in those minutes he was on the roof across from her, smiling and humming to a song only he knew they were singing to together as she unknowingly shared her warmth with an audience of one, he forgot about his heartbreak.He smiled softly as the heat slowly rose back to his cheeks, speaking only to himself, "Next time."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Adrien didn't get much sleep last night. Marinette occupied his mind but, unfortunately, not in the way you're thinking. Even on his drive to school, he couldn't get her off his mind. "I bet she hates Chat now, Plagg." Adrien's leg was twitching involuntarily. One if his first friends, and he ruined it. Well, with Chat at least. But he couldn't face her now. It would make him feel too embarrassed. "You're overreacting, kid. I bet she totally forgot about the whole ordeal of you making goo-goo eyes at her." "I was not making goo-goo eyes!" Adrien huffed at his kwami, crossing his arms. He had to apologize to her somehow. He had to salvage what friendship him and his Princess had, if there was one. He hoped so. Flowers? Nah, too clichè. They'd probably get ruined on the trip to her place. Chocolates? No, too romantic. They'd probably melt by the time he got there. Maybe a card? That might work. He could just leave it by her skylight for her to see it when she wakes up in the morning. Yeah, that'll be perfect! That way he wouldn't have to deal with the awkwardness of having to apologize face to face. Adrien didn't really have to do this, but he felt he needed to redeem himself to his Princess. But... What should I write without sounding awkward?
Hey, Princess. Sorry for ogling you on your balcony like a creeper, daydreaming about how kind, amazing, talented, sweet, selfless, brave, pretty...
Wait... Pretty? I mean, sure, she was good looking. But when had he actually gotten a good enough look at her to determine if she was pretty or not? She always seemed to hide behind her hands or other objects, or her her head was always downcast around him. But he saw her last night in all her confident glory. Her smile making her whole self glow. The way she looked so tenderly at the flowers she was planting... A small blush started creeping across his face at the sudden realization. Now that he really thought about it, she truly was stunning! How did he not notice this before? Well, I mean, he had noticed it before he guesses. But now, he really noticed it. Oh gosh, how was he going to keep from turning around and looking at her face now, waiting to smile that certain smile that could brighten even the darkest of days. "Ugh. Today is going to be a long day, Plagg."---"Ugh! Today is going to be a long day, Tikki." Marinette complained to her kwami. Tikki popped her head out through her Chosen's purse, "Don't worry, Marinette. I'll be here to keep you company! And I'm sure Alya will too!" The two both yawned at the same time from lack of sleep. Marinette giggled, rubbing her eyes as she continued her walk to school, "Maybe we stayed up a little too late."Tikki stifled another yawn, "That's what you get for waiting until the last minute to study.""Hey...At least I did study."
Adrien was already at his seat when he saw her walk in. The first thing he noticed was her lack of smile and brightness. She looked exhausted. She had bags under her eyes. Her hair was pulled up haphazardly into a loose bun, stray hairs framing her flushed face. Marinette walked slowly, dragging her feet as she went until she finally reached her desk. She let her body fall into her seat, her body sprawled out on her side of the desk with a loud thud. Ouch, that had to hurt. Did he really spook her so much that it caused her a sleepless night? Maybe he should bring her some chocolates after all then. Girls liked chocolate, right? Alya sat beside her best friend rubbing her hand in small circles on her back, "Girl, what happened to you? You look like death!"Marinette grumbled in a muffled tone, "Thank you, Alya, for your lovely compliment. I stayed up all night studying for the test today. I had completely forgotten about it until last night."The red head shook her head, chuckling at Marinette, "Well, for your sake, I hope all that cramming pays off. Speaking of which, you can have this. You obviously need it more than me." Alya slid over her cup of peppermint mocha coffee. Marinette rolled her her to the side to peer over at what her friend gave her. Her eyes immediately lit up and snatched the caffeinated beverage from the table, "Thanks Alya! You're a godsend!" She took a sip of the hot drink and hummed happily, "Caffeine make Marinette happy. Oh, I almost forgot. Thank you for the lilies, Alya! They're absolutely gorgeous."Alya looked over at her best friend and smiled, "No problem, girl! Those kind are called 'Stargazers'. I figured they suited you perfectly, miss space cadet." She giggled, nudging Marinette with her elbow.
Before Marinette could retort, the bell rang, signalling the start of class.
Even with an almost full cup of coffee in her system, Marinette still continued to doze off throughout her classes. She was barely able to finish the test she stayed up all night studying for. Adrien would sneak glances at her as she napped, catching himself multiple times either smiling or chuckling at the girl behind him. He hoped Nino and Alya didn't catch him. If they did, they didn't say anything. Soon, school was over for the day, and Marinette trudged home so she can do her homework and hopefully take a nap. She immediately threw on her comfortable pyjamas, grabbing a pink knitted blanket and sketchbook, heading up to her little private terrace to draw in peace. She was mindlessly drawing scribbles in her sketchbook, before her eyes began to blink slower and slower. Her eyelids becoming heavier with each blink, it wasn't before long until they slid closed, and stayed closed. Pen sliding off her book and dropping to the ground, she was out like a light.
Adrien paced back and forth in his room, fumbling around with a card being careful enough not to crinkle or tear it. He stopped, staring at it as if it held the world's greatest secrets. Should he give it to her? Should he not and just hope she forgets about the whole ordeal? "You humans make things way more complicated than it needs to be. So you made goo-goo eyes at someone other than Ladybug. Big deal." Plagg said as he munched on some Camembert.The blonde whipped his head in the direction of his kwami, "For the last time, they were not goo-goo eyes! I was thinking about something and just so happened to be staring in her general direction! Ugh, why do I even try to convince you when I know you won't believe me." Adrien dragged his hand down his face in frustration. "Just go and give pigtails the dang card so I can stop hearing you whine about it. You're making me lose my appetite. Almost." Plagg swallowed a whole slice of cheese whole. "Ok. Ok. I can do this. Plagg, claws out!"A flash of green light enveloped his room, and out sprang Chat Noir through the window. Even with nerves racking his body, he always relished the nights he could be Chat. He loved the freedom of being in the city, rather than being cooped up inside his room. He was a superhero of Paris, and he lived for moments like these. Being so caught up in the moment, Chat almost ended up passing right by the bakery. He hopped silently to the adjacent building overlooking the bakery. The sweet smells of baked bread still hung in the air. Movement from the balcony caught his eye so he quickly hid behind a chimney from the roof he was perched on. After a few seconds of him trying to calm his pounding heart, he peaked around from behind the chimney to see what the movement was from. Lying on her lounge chair all bundled up, was a sleeping Marinette. Exhaling a breath of relief at not being spotted, he quietly vaulted over to her balcony. The only noises being made were the small clicks of his steel toed boots against the flooring. He froze mid step as Marinette stirred in her slumber. Once she stilled, he tiptoed as quietly as possible toward her. Chat gazed upon the sleeping Princess, tilting his head in curiosity as to why she would want to sleep on her balcony. Surely, her bed was much more comfortable and warmer. Noticing the open sketchbook on her lap, he leaned down to see what she was working on. Marinette always did make some amazing designs. Peering down at the sketchbook, he noticed it seemed to be some sort of dress. At the top was a grecian neckline. In the middle where the small of the fabric met with the corset of the dress, was a small lily in the center. Where the corset met the skirt, was scrunched and ruffled to add poof, as well as flare, to the dress. It was a high low dress, with the front being short just above the knees. It gradually got longer towards the back. Lilies speckled across the skirt of the dress. He made a soft chuckle, knowing what inspired her to make this design. Little notes pointing to specific pieces if the dress, signified it as embroidered, backless, and what type of fabric was going to be used for what parts of the dress. He knew that it was going to be an amazing piece, and wondered if he could maybe spot her working on it in class so he can talk to her about it. Hopefully she'd be willing to talk to him about it. Marinette had a bad habit of stuttering in general, but even more so around him. He never could figure out why. Was she intimidated by him because her was a model? No, that doesn't sound right. They've hung out plenty of times before with Alya and Nino. Was she still mad at him for the gum? That didn't fit either. If she was mad, she would treat him the same way she treats Chloe. Was she scared of him then? Why would she be though? Was it because his father was her favorite fashion designer? Or maybe... Did she still feel bad for jumping to conclusions with the gum? He'll have to make a mental note to reassure her that all was forgiven. Hopefully Marinette still considered him a friend, with how little they seem to interact. Chat snapped himself out of his deep thoughts, looking around her little balcony to find a spot to place the card. Someplace that she'll be able to spot it easily. His cat-like eyes darted around once more before the glint of the moonlight reflecting on the skylight caught his attention. "Purr-fect." He purred to himself quietly, tiptoeing to the glass hatch that led to Marinette's bedroom. He kneeled down next to the hatch, taping the card to the middle of the glass pane. He stood up, nodding in agreement to himself that she would definitely be able to see it. Chat walked quietly back over to his sleeping classmate, looking down fondly at her sleeping figure. This girl could fall asleep anywhere. Her steady, shallow breaths and relaxed features seemed to have a calming effect on the blonde. Soon, he found himself breathing at the same pace, a small smile gracing his lips. The moon light's soft white hue danced across the surface of Marinette's face. Leaning down, he gently brushed some stray hairs from in front of her eyes. Did she always have those freckles speckling her nose and cheeks? They were kind of cute.Faces nearly centimeters away now, Chat could feel Marinette's warm breath contrast against his cold cheeks from the chilly night air. And whether his face was warming up from her breath on his cheeks, or from the blush making it's way from his neck to the top of his head, he didn't know. He'd never gotten this close to anyone physically, except Chloe. Though that was involuntary. Marinette's light snoring brought him out of his thoughts. He chuckled softly at the sight of some drool dripping out of her mouth. The blonde placed a small kiss to the bluenette's forehead, "Goodnight, Princess."Chat stood back up and walked over to the edge of Marinette's balcony, his fingers grazing the small fairy lights that weaved in, out, and around the railing. He stepped up onto the railing, unlatching his baton from his back. Even though he didn't want to go back to his cold, lonely home, he had school the next day. As he vaulted off of Marinette's balcony into the chilly night of Paris, he almost didn't hear Marinette's sleeping voice give a reply. "Goodnight, my Prince."