8The ink, as black as Adrien's current mood, seeped from his fancy pen onto the refined paper he chose specifically with this task in mind. Adrien tried to pour every ounce of grace he possessed into his handwriting, as if the elegant loops could woo the girl of his dreams more effectively than years of flirting and risking his life for her.
"My Dear Ladybug~"
No. That wasn't right. And it would probably freak her out.
"My Dear Marinette~"
No. This was no better. Marinette wasn't his.
And whose fault is that? His inner Plagg snickered.
Mine. Adrien hung his head. He'd been beating himself up for his mistake for ages, or at least for the time that had passed since he'd found out. It was only a week, but it seemed like a whole lifetime ago.
Be careful what you wish for, because you might actually get it, he thought bitterly, going back down memory lane to all those times he wanted to know the girl under the mask and for her to return his feelings. The love of his life, who not only had been hiding in plain sight, right under his metaphorical nose and behind his literal back, but whom he had turned down when she confessed her love to him.
Oh, the cruel irony. He had gotten it all and he felt more miserable than ever.
Hmmm, how about this…?
"My Dear Friend~"
'Pffffft,' Plagg sprayed cheese crumbs all over Adrien's desk. 'Nope.'
The kwami butted in, even though Adrien had threatened he would never speak to him again. Plagg had been having so much fun at his expense! Teasing, alluding, taunting Adrien about his crush. And the sprite even had the audacity to claim that he'd been actually trying to help since miraculous magic effectively prevented him from spilling the beans.
Hah, that was another bitter thought. Adrien was no longer sure if having a miraculous was such a fantastic deal after all. The sacrifices he had to make, things and people he had to put up with, the time he'd lost. Maybe there were better ways to get out from under his father's strict care than donning a magical suit and fighting supervillains?
He shook his head. Dwelling on those gloomy thoughts would get him nowhere. Writing this letter might get him- what? Absolution? Forgiveness? Love?
Anything, Adrien thought. Anything would be better than this hellhole he had dug for himself. Things could not get worse than now, could they?
He gave Plagg a sideways glance. The little glutton had parked his tailed butt on the desk and was ploughing his way through a third wheel of camembert. His size should make it impossible, yet time after time he somehow cheated the laws of physics, managing to stomach even more cheese. Then again, everything about kwamis and miraculouses spat physics in the eye. By now it was quite obvious to Adrien that when a miraculous was involved, logic gave up and handed in her resignation letter.
Maybe there was a chance in that? Maybe that was the loophole that would allow Adrien to salvage his dignity and his feelings, that would save his future and his heart?
' 'Ere,' Plagg pointed to the elegant paper, generously sprinkling the desk with a fountain of crumbs, ' ur goin' abo't ith ze wrong wah.' A mouthful of camembert clearly was no obstacle for the black cat. He flew to one of the drawers, didn't even bother with opening it, just phased through the front. The drawer sprang open on his way out. Plagg dragged out a huge heart shaped Valentine, one Adrien had gotten in the first year of his vigilante career. With a sickening gulp the kwami swallowed the contents of his mouth and sighed in contentment. He threw the card onto Adrien's lap. 'This should help,' he announced. 'Now that you know who exactly this is from.'
The boy reverently brought the Valentine closer to his eyes. The poem had long been etched into his memory, but now when his surmise, or rather both of his surmises as to the card's origins turned out to be true, it was even more dear to him.
...Together for eternity
My heart belongs to you.
The words struck a forgotten chord in his soul. Maybe that was a good start. Adrien grabbed his pen and returned to writing with a new vigor.
Marinette stared at the envelope in silence. It lay on the glass of her roof window, surrounded by a halo of sunlight, directly above her head. There was only one person in Paris who had easy access to rooftops and knew her address. Unless… a new akuma was looking for pen pals.
Upon taking a closer look she recognized the handwriting. A hundred scenarios rushed through her head.
Had Adrien been akumatized? He certainly had the manners to become a very polite, epistolary akuma.
Had Adrien been kidnapped by an akuma who made him write a letter? "Will exchange for one miraculous". That kinda made sense, at least as much as any akuma's plan. But why would they deliver it to Marinette?
Or maybe wind swept the letter from Adrien's hands and - a one in a million chance - it landed on her roof? Nah, this had her name on it. Wind didn't deliver mail, as far as she knew.
The whole situation was deeply disturbing. Something had happened, Marinette could feel it in her gut. The sensation definitely had no part in the fantasies she had spun about Adrien finally noticing her and vowing his undying love to her.
Who was she kidding? This was probably a heads up that he wouldn't be speaking to her again, a conclusion he had come to after her epic disaster of a confession. She still remembered his sad eyes, when he had turned her down because of the mysterious other girl. She still remembered the anxious excitement giving way to agonizing embarrassment and heartbreak. Maybe it would be for the better?
Hands shaking, she slowly ripped through the envelope and pulled out the stationery that, contrary to its elegant form, faintly smelled of cheese. She felt a little pressure on her shoulder, where Tikki settled to give her an encouraging pat. Marinette trusted her not to peek at the letter. It was Plagg, her kwami's counterpart who was the curious cat. Tikki knew about boundaries and respect.
Marinette took a deep breath and started to read. Then she read it again. And again. Her hand went to her lips to contain the gasp as she finally believed her eyes. Suddenly the smell of cheese was no longer a mystery, together with a few other things. Marinette folded the piece of paper, her fingers lingering on the smooth surface a bit longer than strictly necessary. Then she carefully placed it under the cover of her diary and closed the magical box that held all her secrets. It might as well hold some more.
'Tikki, we're going out,' she announced.
Adrien sat on the terrace of Tour Montparnasse, a little bit away from the tourists who were coming and going. This was, of course, his favorite spot, the highest point of the neighborhood, allowing him to watch everyone from up high. Wind swept the hair out of his forehead, and ruffled the strands giving him a bit of a wild look. It nicely matched the pace of his heart.
He drummed his fingers on his thighs, fidgeting on the bench as if a thousand ants marched over his back. He waited and waited, but she wasn't coming. She must have read the letter by now. Maybe she decided he wasn't worth the trouble? Maybe he'd destroyed their relationship beyond repair? Maybe some things could not have been forgiven?
He almost jumped out of his skin when a hand touched his shoulder, sending an electric shock through his system. He knew it was her even before he turned around. Either in or out of the suit, at this point he'd recognize her presence anytime. No longer in the dark, he finally understood about her aura, strong and bright, calling to him, beckoning him.
Slowly Adrien pulled himself up.
Marinette sent him a tentative smile. He searched her face for any signs of anger or disappointment, but he found none, only the familiar bubbly warmth, the inviting sparkle in her eyes.
He sighed in relief as all the tension dropped from his shoulders. He reached out for her hand and placed it over his heart. The gesture elicited a soft gasp from her. She stepped closer, taking his hand and pulling it to her face. Instinctively Adrien caressed her cheek, running his fingers over where the edge of Ladybug's mask would be. He felt Marinette's hand clutching the fabric of his shirt.
He couldn't take his eyes off her, already lost in the tender blue gaze. Ultimately no essays, letters or even words were required. In her look he saw everything he needed to know.
Author's Note: This is a gift for Shamelesslyromantic, who took part in my Who's Who pt 2 giveaway on tumblr. Once again thank you for participating in that event, and for taking a guess! I hope you like this post reveal Adrinette piece.
This stays a one-shot, in case you're wondering. Please leave a review if you can. They make my day. Check out my other stories for more miraculous content.
Many thanks to Remasa for her help with this drabble!
Visit me on my tumblr blog (perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com) where I post my stories and art.
