#AdrinetteApril

[aalissy]

Boyfriend and Girlfriend

Whoohoo!! We are done with chapter 24! I really hope you like it <3. If you do, lemme know what you think!

AO3

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was his girlfriend. He was her boyfriend. Even just that thought had a thrill running up Adrien’s spine. 

It had been a whirlwind of emotions when he realized his feelings for her. Suddenly, he had begun sneaking quick, shy glances back at her from his seat in front of her in class, wondering if it was still possible for her to feel the same. Eventually, though, with his heart pounding Adrien confessed just how much he adored her that fateful day in her room. And, though he had been terrified at her initial rejection, they managed to figure out that they both did have feelings for the other and began dating. 

And, now, as they walked hand in hand through the bustling streets of Paris, Adrien couldn’t help but to squeeze Marinette’s hand, who was practically glowing with happiness. She looked absolutely gorgeous and not for the first time did he end up wondering how it could have possibly taken him as long as it did to realize his true feelings for her.

They had planned a picnic in the park, a simple yet meaningful date to celebrate their newfound relationship. Marinette had packed some of their favorite sandwiches and pastries from the bakery, knowing his love for all of the sweet, delicious baked goods her family made. As they settled on a cozy blanket under a blooming cherry blossom tree, Adrien couldn't contain his excitement.

"Marinette," he began, his voice filled with warmth and affection, "I never knew that being with you could make every moment feel like magic."

Marinette blushed, her eyes sparkling with love. "Adrien, you make even the simplest things feel extraordinary," she replied, reaching for his hand.

They spent the afternoon laughing, sharing stories, and stealing sweet kisses under the pink petals that danced in the breeze. Adrien couldn't help but feel grateful for every twist of fate that had led him to Marinette. She was not just his girlfriend; she was his soulmate in laughter, in dreams, and in love.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the city, Adrien knew that this moment would be etched in his heart forever. With a smile that mirrored the setting sun, he whispered, "I love you, Marinette."

And in that moment, surrounded by the beauty of Paris and the warmth of their love, Marinette whispered back, "I love you too, Adrien. Always and forever."

They both giggled, their eyes sparkling at each other. Slowly, their laughter subsided into a comfortable silence as they watched the sun's descent, painting the sky pretty shades of orange and pink. Adrien leaned closer to Marinette, his heart beating in sync with hers. He could feel the warmth of her presence, the softness of her breath mingling with his.

"Adrien," Marinette whispered, her voice barely audible over the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze.

Adrien turned to her, their eyes meeting in a moment that felt suspended in time. Without a word, he cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing lightly against her cheeks. Marinette's eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into his touch, a contented sigh escaping her lips.

And then, as if drawn by an invisible force, their lips met in a tender kiss. It was a kiss filled with all the love, passion, and longing that they had both kept hidden for so long. Adrien felt as if the world around them had faded away, leaving only Marinette and the overwhelming sensation of feeling completely and utterly in love.

The cherry blossoms above them seemed to whisper secrets of romance, their petals falling like confetti as they scattered around them. Adrien deepened the kiss, his heart overflowing with joy and gratitude as he tilted his head.

When they finally parted, their eyes met once again, conveying everything they couldn't put into words. Marinette's cheeks were flushed with a rosy hue, her gaze filled with unspoken affection.

"I never want this moment to end," Adrien confessed, his voice soft yet full of conviction.

"Me neither," Marinette replied, her fingers intertwining with his. "Being with you feels like a dream."

As they watched the sun disappear beyond the horizon, Adrien knew that their love was as timeless as the city of Paris itself. Hand in hand, they stayed embraced in each other's warmth, knowing that they had found something truly special in each other's hearts.

[mysticraven20]

Chapter Ten: Villains

@adrinetteapril

Excerpt:

Many things had happened to Adrien over the course of his life. He’d been a superhero, his father had been his arch nemesis, he’d been Chris Hemsworth’s butt…however, he’d never been run out on, by anyone other than Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

“Well, that could have gone better,” Plagg snorted, throwing a triangle of cheese in the air and swallowing it whole.

“I know she doesn’t like me that way, but to run out on me without taking anything with her? I’m just a little…confused.”

Tikki circled around him, after watching out the window. “She’s running towards the river. How far do you think she’ll go before noticing she hasn’t got me or her phone?”

Adrien shrugged, perplexed by, well…everything. “She didn’t listen to a word I said, did she?”

Plagg shook his head. “Couldn't have. I thought she would have threatened you, or called you a stupid cat or something. This was most definitely different.”

“Should I go after her?”

Tikki looked between them and the window, and back again. “Maybe? I suppose it wouldn’t do any harm if you did.”

With a sigh, Adrien grabbed her bag from where she’d left it dumped on his sofa, and opened it, allowing both kwamis to make their way in. Speedily heading to the staircase and making his way down, he checked inside Marinette’s bag, making sure Plagg and Tikki were okay and her phone was in there. Her phone which once again was lighting up more than a Disney firework display.

“Should I transform?” he asked, pulling his baseball cap down a little further and praying he could get to her without the continued chaos of what had happened at the university.

“It might save some time,” Tikki agreed.

“Where do you think she’s going?” Plagg asked curiously.

Continue reading here

Or start reading here

[beatrice1979a]

Boyfriend and Girlfriend

Re-Verse Adrinette

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

"Ok, fleabag. Let's show them how it's done."

Re-Verse Marinette is very competitive.

Part of 2024 @adrinetteapril

original sketch:

[rosie-b]

Follow the Red Wooly String

A soulmate story written for day 6 of @adrinetteapril, "Red String" (with art!!!)

The art is a commission from the talented @sinkdraws! Her commissions are still open, so consider getting some of her art for yourself, and reblog the non-png version of this image from her, too!!

Without further ado, you can read the fic on AO3 or just below! I hope you enjoy :D

The first time Marinette saw the strings, she thought she was hallucinating.

Everyone knew about the Seers, the few people capable of seeing soul-binding strings, but it was exceptionally rare to meet one, let alone develop the Seers’ ability oneself. And, well, Marinette knew herself well enough to know she couldn’t fully trust herself after pulling an anxiety-and-ADHD-fueled all-nighter. Last time it’d happened, she’d been fully convinced that Nino had grown his hair out into a mohawk and loudly complimented him on it several times before passing out in the middle of class. In the aftermath, Nino had sworn to never wear a new hat without telling Marinette about it first again.

So, Marinette had been more dubious than shocked when she closed her eyes for a second too long on her walk to class in the morning and opened them to see a mess of red, white, black, and yellow strings tangling and shifting around on the pavement in front of her. It was a cool hallucination, she knew it was, but Marinette wasn’t about to celebrate having a new power that she’d most likely daydreamed up.

Her heart still did a happy, nervous dance when she saw the deep red string that had just appeared on her finger, though, and Marinette really didn’t want to quash the hope that her vision was coaxing to new life in her chest! She’d wanted to know who her soulmate was for so long, before becoming Ladybug and meeting Master Fu, anyway. What if she finally had a chance to find them?

On the other hand, though, it was probably safer for her not to find out who they were.

Chat Noir had always believed that they were soulmates. He’d asked Master Fu, the day they’d been invited to his home and the turtle kwami had revealed that Master Fu was a Seer, if he’d chosen them because he could tell their strings were connected. 

Master Fu had only chuckled and said that he’d chosen them because he knew they would work well with Plagg and Tikki, not for any other reason. Besides, if Ladybug and Chat Noir really were soulmates, and if Master Fu told them that now, he’d claimed, that would add to the risk of another Seer seeing the string while they were detransformed and telling them each about it, thus revealing their secret identities.

They both knew what that meant— they’d have to give up their Miraculous, even if they were platonic, not romantic, soulmates. Their secret identities were crucial in the fight against Hawk Moth. So, Chat Noir had given up his hope of confirming their bond, and Ladybug had reluctantly given up her dream of finding her own soulmate (or soulmates). After all, if a Seer did take an interest in finding out whose string connected to hers, wasn’t there a risk that the same Seer might find out Ladybug’s identity, or at least who Ladybug’s soulmate was? 

She didn’t want to put herself or her soulmate in danger like that, so she’d suppressed her childhood dream of being brought to her soulmate by a kind Seer and a little red string.

But sometimes, Marinette couldn’t help but stare at Adrien’s pinky finger during class and imagine a scarlet red string there, connecting his soul to hers. Love was a foolish thing, but Marinette wished she could afford its risk for the sake of being with Adrien. As Ladybug, though, she’d never be able to, so even after Master Fu handed over the Guardianship to her, she ignored her dream of being connected to Adrien as much as she could. Because she loved him, she didn’t want to put him in danger with her foolish hopes.

Today, though, as she approached Ms. Bustier’s classroom (only five minutes late!) and watched as the string trailing down from her finger seemed to grow taught, Marinette couldn’t help but hope that maybe, the universe was making an exception for her. Maybe, if she really was becoming a Seer, that meant she could finally find her soulmate without needing to worry about her secret identity!

Maybe this was a sign… if it wasn’t just an exhaustion-fueled hallucination, that was.

Marinette slid into her seat with a quiet apology to her teacher, who sighed but didn’t act surprised, since this kind of behavior wasn’t really that uncommon for Marinette. As Ms. Bustier resumed her lecture, Marinette found herself staring down at the string on her finger again.

It’s still there. What if it is real? She wondered.

Marinette looked around quickly, to make sure no one was watching her, and then gently poked the place where the string seemed to be. If the stories were true, only Seers could physically touch the strings. Everyone else phased through them or avoided them, as though by instinct, but the Seers could follow a string to its owner by sight and touch, and they were even capable of untying the string, releasing the bond between soulmates. That only happened rarely, Marinette remembered as she grasped the thick, red string tied around her little finger.

As it turned out, her string was soft, like it was made with fluffy wool. She touched it again, marveling at the texture under her fingertips. It felt so real! 

In front of her, Adrien shivered.

“You okay, dude? Classroom too chilly for you today?” Nino’s whisper barely reached Marinette’s ears.

Adrien hesitated and then shook his head in response as Ms. Bustier shot Nino a meaningful look. There was no escaping the teacher’s attention for students in the front row.

Marinette turned her attention back to the string for another moment before leaving it alone to at least pretend to take notes. In her sleep-deprived state, her notes usually left something to be desired (legibility, for one), and she shot a nervous glance at Alya, who caught her gaze and offered a smile and nod in return.

“I got you, girl,” she mouthed, and Marinette smiled and mouthed a sincere thank you back.

Class moved on, and Marinette lost herself in trying to pay attention, and then in the way the light from outside fell on Adrien’s hair, and then in several doodles serious notes until lunch. At that point, she decided it would be okay to sneak another peek at her soul-string, if it was still there.

It was, trailing down from her finger to a small, coiled pile on the floor between her and Adrien. Marinette traced it with her eyes as she slowly began to pack up.

Then, Adrien got up to leave, saying something to Nino about lunch at the mansion today, and the pile of Marinette’s soul-string began to unwind itself. Some of it began to follow Adrien, and Marinette jumped up in a panic. 

Her heart rate spiked as she worried about what this could mean; was this part of the hallucination? Was the universe telling her that Adrien was taking her heart away for good? That she’d never have him, but never be able to move on from him? No! She couldn’t accept that!

Marinette knew there was only one thing to do: she had to get her string back from Adrien before he stole it all away!

Alya, who was giving Marinette a concerned look, snapped in front of her face. “Girl, are you okay?” she asked, sounding worried. “What is it?”

Marinette gave Alya a serious, determined look.

“He’s taking my string away,” she declared with a frown, and Alya’s face pinched. 

“Who’s doing what? Sorry, Marinette, but what do you mean?”

Marinette began speed-walking out of the door, leaving her things at the bench. “My string is following him, but I’m not gonna let him steal it from me!” she exclaimed, and hurried off in the direction of her string. She stared intently at the ground, watching as the string tangled and weaved through a mess of other ones. She couldn’t let it escape her sight!

Alya sighed and stayed behind. “Oh, no, don’t worry. I’ll get your stuff for you, Marinette!” she called. “And then you’re taking a nice long nap,” she muttered. Marinette ignored her as she hurried along until she caught up with the culprit, the thief of her treasured string.

Stopping in front of him, Marinette posed dramatically, sticking her hand out and demanding, “Adrien, give me my string back!”

The students in the hallway muttered to each other as Adrien stared at her with a completely perplexed look on his face.

“Give you what? Marinette, what’s going on?” he asked, sounding concerned. “Is everything okay?”

Marinette frowned, and her face went red in the usual fashion even as she stuttered out her defense. She couldn’t let herself be distracted by a pretty face, even if it was Adrien’s!

“String, you keep, uh, thief, uh, give it back!”  She launched herself toward the string, grabbing it and pulling until she reached some invisible knot near Adrien’s finger. He flinched in response, looking hurt and surprised.

Nino, who was standing beside Adrien, looking confused, suddenly lit up. He reached out, stopping Marinette before she could untie the string and take it back.

“Marinette, wait! You said Adrien has your string?”

Marinette paused, looking at Nino suspiciously.

“Yes,” she said slowly. “He’s stealing it; I saw it follow him when he left class!”

Nino nodded, furrowing his brows as he came up with a response. “So, is the string still attached to your finger, too?”

Marinette blinked. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of checking!

She peered down at her own hand, stepping back from Adrien as she did so, and noticed a familiar red string still tied around her finger.

“Yes,” she answered as the gears in her head began spinning, “Yes, it is.”

Adrien choked, and Nino nodded, relaxing. “Cool. So, dude, it sounds like Adrien’s not stealing it, then, right? Since it’s tying you two together,” he said, elbowing Adrien with a small grin.

Adrien’s face turned bright pink. “Nino,” he hissed, looking embarrassed. Nino kept going, though.

“And if it’s your string, and it’s still attached to you, and it’s attached to Adrien, then that sounds like a soul-string to me. This must mean you guys are soulmates!”

Marinette stared at Nino, then at Adrien, and then at the red string still connecting her finger to Adrien’s.

“Oh, no,” she whimpered, the horror of what she’d almost done hitting her. She’d almost untied the string binding her soul to Adrien’s! What kind of half-rate, half-witted Seer was she? “Oh, no, Adrien, I’m so sorry! I—” 

Just then, Alya came out of the classroom, walking up behind Marinette and offering her the backpack she’d forgotten inside. 

“Girl, you are a mess today! Are you sure you— wait. What’s going on?”

Alya looked around at the huddle of students in the hall, who were still staring at Marinette, Nino, and Adrien.

It was all a little too much for Marinette, who’d had a very long day for someone who hadn’t gotten any sleep that past night.

She reached out and grabbed the bag from Alya. “Thanks-see-you-later-bye!”

Before anyone could say anything (before she could embarrass herself further), Marinette took off running towards her home.

It was, without a doubt, the worst morning of her life.

__*__*__*__*__

Finding out who her soulmate was by trying to untie the string binding them together was possibly the most embarrassing thing that had happened to her, Marinette reflected. It hadn’t even been the weirdest thing she’d done — jumping into a dinosaur’s mouth was definitely higher on that list — but she knew the morning’s events would be featuring in her nightmares for years.

She’d almost rejected Adrien, her true love, as her soulmate— by accident, but still! It was hard to fathom a more awkward situation.

Still, after a short lunch and a semi-refreshing nap, she shouldered her backpack and headed back to afternoon class, full of resolve. She couldn’t run away from the mess she’d made! She had to make sure Adrien knew she wasn’t upset that they were soulmates, and that she hadn’t meant to hurt him earlier.

She’d only tell him the color of their string if he wanted her to, though. After all, just finding your soulmate was a big enough occurrence; being told whether the soul bond was romantic or platonic might be too much to find out in one day, especially considering how the reveal had happened.

Marinette hoped Adrien hadn’t decided to stay home to avoid her after what she’d done. He’d seemed pretty overwhelmed by her sudden attack on the soul-string earlier, but not unhappy when Nino had figured out that Marinette and Adrien were soulmates, so maybe that was a good sign. He had seemed really embarrassed, though, about as much as she’d been, herself, so maybe he’d choose to stay home, after all. Goodness knew his father would be only too happy to keep him there.

She didn’t have to worry, though; as she walked onto the school campus, Marinette could already see Adrien standing by the stairs. He looked nervous, she noticed as she walked closer, and if she concentrated, she could feel a kind of tension in their soul-string. She swallowed, mustered up a smile, and waved somewhat awkwardly as she approached him.

Marinette paused there, not quite sure what to do or say, and her eyes flitted over to Nino, who was standing beside his friend again, in hopes of some hint or encouragement. Before Nino could react, though, Adrien stepped forward. He opened his mouth, but hesitated, flushing, and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.

Then Marinette felt a slight push at her side from inside her purse. Tikki had encouraged her to tell the truth earlier, at home, and she knew the little kwami was counting on her to set things right.

So, Marinette mustered up all her courage and reached out for Adrien’s hand, the one with the string attached to it. Adrien looked up sharply, nervous and hopeful at the same time, if the emotions Marinette could lightly sense through their soul-string were correct.

“Hi, Adrien,” she said, smiling lightly as she shook his hand as if to introduce herself. “I’m Marinette, and it’s nice to finally meet you, soulmate.”

A brilliant smile broke out on Adrien’s face, and he pulled her into a hug as their classmates cheered around them. Marinette felt her face heat up, but the butterflies she felt in her stomach were happy ones, for once. After a long moment, Adrien finally stepped back, and Marinette noticed that his face was a bit pink, and it looked like he was crying. A spike of alarm shot through her, and she gripped his hands tightly.

“Are you okay?” she asked, feeling worried.

He squeezed her hands back, and Marinette felt a powerful thrum run through their soul-string. 

“I’m more than okay, Marinette,” he told her, “I’m just so happy! You’re not upset you’re my soulmate?”

Marinette’s face hardened. “Never,” she vowed. “I could never be upset about that, Adrien! I’m glad you’re my soulmate.”

Adrien wiped a tear away from his eye, smiling. “This is the best day of my life,” he choked out.

Nino grinned and clapped his back. “I’m really happy for you, dude,” he said, and Alya, who’d come to stand by him and was holding her phone suspiciously like she did to take pictures of the heroes, nodded in excited agreement.

“I feel like a proud mother duck watching my babies swim for the first time,” she joked. “We need a better picture. Pick a pose, sunshines!”

Adrien’s eyes widened, and he hastily dried the rest of his tears away. “A picture? I can’t even think of any poses right now, I’m too excited!”

Alya hummed. “The model can’t think of any poses? Well, that’s fine, I can! How about you dance with him, Marinette? Use up that excited energy before you have to sit still in class!”

Marinette flushed, looking up at Adrien. “A-are you sure, Alya? I can’t even dance, not really, I’m so clumsy!”

“You weren’t clumsy at Chloe’s party, Marinette,” Adrien said shyly. “I thought you were perfect.”

He offered his hands to her, smiling shyly, and she slowly reached out to take them. Nino pressed a button on his phone, and the two of them began swaying to the gentle beat of the music that started to play.

Alya exclaimed and cooed over them, and as the final minutes before class ticked away, Marinette relaxed as she and Adrien began dancing more naturally. She fell into the lead almost by accident, and Adrien grinned up at her as she dipped him while the music swelled. 

“Got your perfect picture, Alya?” she asked with a cocky smile as she spun Adrien around one more time.

“I think I do,” Alya confirmed, grinning at the two soulmates. “Should we head into class? I’m sure Nino can trade Marinette seats so you lovebirds can sit together.”

Adrien blushed and Marinette stuttered, but in the end, they slid into the first row together happily, smiling so brightly that even Ms. Mendeleiev seemed affected by the adorable scene, not mentioning the fact that they were a few seconds late to class the way she usually would. 

As she sat in class, Marinette reflected on her crazy day. She’d gone to school after pulling an all-nighter, discovered her soulmate, almost untied their soul-string, and gone back to school and made it up to him. And her soulmate really was Adrien! Her day could hardly get any better, and now she realized that maybe the universe had been sending her a sign, after all.

If another Seer was going to find out her identity because of the soul-strings, it had probably happened by now. She was no more at risk than she’d ever been, and she’d have to get used to the new feeling of freedom and fear that knowledge brought.

But it was a good feeling overall, a really good one. Maybe she’d even offer to find Chat Noir’s soulmate for him and spread the joy she felt over to him, too! Marinette smiled at the thought of her partner gushing about his new-found soulmate to her. He’d be so happy when he found out about hers, too!

For now, though, she was happy just sitting next to her soulmate, holding hands under the table and taking pride in the happiness radiating from his end of the string. Today had been a good day, after all! 

[peonyfanart]

Adrinette as Amour and Psyche🌸

A redrawing of Antonio Canova's sculpture "Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss"🕊

@adrinetteapril Fantasy AU

[blendedmangobreeze]

@adrinetteapril ‘s Adrientte Month prompt #6! I haven’t been drawing a lot lately so this was a nice little piece to do ^^

[koheiri-neko]

Day 5: School Project ✏️

Adrien, Marinette, Alya and Nino worked on a school project at Alya's house and then stayed overnight. The guys all lay down on the floor together... And in the end, Adrien and Marinette slept in an embrace 🥰

I had to work on the work of the neural network in Photoshop, but I really liked the final version 😇

@adrinetteapril

[adrienagresteminou]

Prompt 20: Best Friends having an Ice Cream Day

Submission for @adrinetteapril

[beezonia]

Silly red string.

Day 6 for @adrinetteapril

No warnings just goofs being goofs also this is post reveal!

“Do you ever think we, we were like made for each other?”

Adrien spits out his drink at that, sure Marinette could say some pretty out of pocket stuff, but god, this took the cake!

“No? I feel like that would be kinda weird if we were. After all, we got here because of our own actions my lady.”

She giggles at that, which is good. She’s not offended.

Adrien hated making Marinette sad.

“I only say that because, I was thinking about the red string. It could have lead us to each other and we didn’t even know till now!”

Ahh the red string, the idea that you were destined to meet someone and have a strong connection with them.

Maybe she was right, Marinette had been a positive inpact in his life. Maybe she had been on the other side of his red string.

Like she said, they might not have known till now, now that they were finally together.

No more lies and secrets.

Yeah Adrien could get used to the idea of whatever god put that string on his finger, leading him to the lovely girl that was Marinette.

Also ladybug, who he loved and adored so much.

“You know what? I like the sound of that Mari.”

Her smile is bright, much like the skyline they were staring up at.

“Me too kitty, me too.”

———

[fandomofone]

Today's the day! My newest Reverse kids fic is live!!

You know there are always two sides to every story...

If you're familiar with my previous Reverse fic, 'A New Beginning,' this is Marinette's POV of that encounter. After returning home, Marinette's not in a great place, mentally- this story is less hopeful, less lovesick, a bit darker in tone than Adrien's.

Getting it in just in time to be part of Adrinette April, yay! @adrinetteapril Hopefully this qualifies as prompt #12 Reverse crush, even if things are looking a little bleak right now. ❤

'No End In Sight'

What happens after Marinette & Adrien return to their dimension after the events of the Paris Special? (The Tales of Shadybug and Claw Noir) They’ve got to start somewhere… the dark street, right outside the bakery, in the freezing cold, seems as good a place as any.

Nobody ever said that returning to life on the other side of the portal would be easy. For Marinette, things are looking worse than ever. An ominous summons from the Supreme immediately upon their return leaves Marinette shaken and angry with herself, questioning every decision she’s ever made. Will an unexpected visitor help the situation… or just make things worse?

[aalissy]

Reverse Crush

Anddd here is today's second chapter :). I hope you like it! I am forever tormented by how little reverse crush we got in the show. I always want more haha. Lemme know what you think <3

AO3

Adrien sighed quietly, leaning on his fist as he craned his neck back to stare blatantly at Marinette. It was study hall so he could finally get away with just focusing on her. Not for the first time that day, though did he wish he sat behind her. That way, he’d be able to peek up at her periodically through the day rather than having to crane his head back awkwardly to look at her.

She looked adorable. Just like she did every day. Her tongue was stuck out of the side of her mouth as she concentrated on whatever it was she was drawing. 

Cute.

Clearing his throat, Adrien leaned forward, tapping her desk to get her attention. She looked up, her pretty blue eyes wide with shock. 

“What are you drawing, Marinette?” he asked, hopeful to hear her soft voice as she directed her attention to him alone.

Her surprise at his sudden question melted into a warm smile, and Adrien couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement.

"I was actually just sketching some of my ideas down for fashion. It helps for inspiration when I’m creating." Marinette replied.

Adrien leaned in a bit closer, intrigued by her creative process. "Can I see?" he asked eagerly, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Marinette hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. She turned her notebook towards Adrien, revealing a series of intricate designs that showcased her talent and unique style.

The first page held numerous sketches of her and her friends in beautiful gowns. They all looked amazing. When he looked at the next page, however, his mouth dried. It was him. Or, well, Chat Noir, in a few different designs from Marinette. 

Suddenly, Adrien was struck by the urge to commission her. He’d wear those designs every day. He bit it back, however. As much as he might want to, he couldn’t reveal his secret identity. Not even to someone as perfect as Marinette.

"These are beautiful, Marinette!" Adrien exclaimed, genuinely impressed. "You're so talented. I especially liked the way that you drew Chat Noir." He winked up at her.

An adorable red blush lit up her face at the compliment, and she smiled gratefully. He needed to figure out how to get her to do that more often. She looked so cute with a flush on her cheeks. "Thank you, Adrien. That means a lot coming from you, being the son of a famous designer and all."

Encouraged by her positive reaction, he couldn't resist teasing her playfully. "You know, if you ever need a model for your designs, I'd be happy to volunteer."

Marinette's eyes widened in surprise, and then she burst into giggles, her laughter like music to his ears. "Sure, Adrien. I'll keep that in mind. If ever I make one of these frilly dresses, I’ll make sure that you’re the first one I call." She winked.

His heart quickened at her reaction, feeling dizzy with giddiness.

Wink! She winked at him. How was he meant to mentally function after that?

Adrien’s grin must have looked completely ridiculous as he couldn’t stop it from stretching wide across his cheeks. “I’ll be looking forward to it,” he replied, his voice filled with genuine excitement.

As the bell signaling the end of study hall rang, Adrien reluctantly tore his gaze away from Marinette who was laughing softly at his words. He made a mental note to find a way to bring up the topic of her designs again soon, maybe during their next study hall. 

After all, she had winked and laughed at him! That had to mean something... right? He wracked his brain, trying to remember if he had ever seen Marinette wink at anyone else. He couldn’t think of any which was a very pleasant thought.

As he walked to his next class, Adrien couldn’t shake off the image of Marinette’s sketches, especially the ones featuring Chat Noir. It was both thrilling and nerve-wracking to see himself depicted in her designs, knowing that she had no idea of his secret identity.

Maybe... maybe he could sneak over to her room one night, just to commission one of those designs. After all, if Adrien was able to take a peek at her designs, he figured she’d certainly let Chat Noir, a superhero, see them as well. With that plan in mind, Adrien’s grin stayed on his face for the rest of the day.

[mysticraven20]

Chapter 24: First Kiss

@adrinetteapril

Artwork by the amazing @verabraun-art

Marinette watched as Adrien rounded the corner, leaving her life once again. She had wanted to take it slow, but everything about this evening had proven he most certainly did not — he was doing this for her. The kind, caring boy she’d grown up loving had once again pushed his own feelings aside and allowed her to take the lead.

But it was about time she took the lead herself, and going for what she wanted!

Her heart started a rhythmic command to get moving, to go find him and stop this stupid game once and for all.

She hastily seized the nearest pair of shoes, her father’s cherished boots, slipping her feet into them despite their vast size. Ignoring the discomfort, her heart pounded with urgency as she rushed out into the street, desperate to find Adrien. She couldn’t bear the thought of him leaving again. After New York and then London (twice), she was determined to make him stay this time. He belonged with his family, his friends, and most of all, with her—the love of his life.

Yet, doubts gnawed at her insides. What if their love wasn’t enough to anchor him here?

But she pushed those thoughts aside, clinging to hope as she sprinted down the familiar streets, her heart racing with both anticipation and fear. Catching up with him, she saw him turn to face her, a questioning smile on his perfect, kissable lips.

“Marinette?” he questioned. His eyes glistened and glowed underneath the moonlight. Or was it the lamppost? This was the exact spot he’d proposed to her a couple of weeks ago. A proposal that, regardless of its validity, she’d accepted.

She stared up at him, summoning the courage to speak. “I know they say if you love someone, you should let them go. Well, I did that once and, believe me, there’s no way I’m strong enough to do it again.”

His eyes flickered across her face. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, I don’t want to take this slow. Not anymore.”

His mouth opened, before closing again, his eyes burning into hers.

They stood bathed in the soft glow of the light, accentuating every imperfection and detail as they locked eyes. His velvety, green gaze delved into her deep oceans of blue. Silence enveloped them, each absorbed in the weight of what this moment could signify for their relationship.

Amidst the quiet tension, she felt a surge of readiness and determination. She wanted this, despite the uncertainty. Her heart swelled with love for him, and in that intense gaze, she found the courage to embrace whatever changes lay ahead. She bit down on her bottom lip and his gaze moved to focus on her mouth.

“Do you love me?” she asked with all the confidence she didn’t know she possessed.

Her pulse quickened as she locked eyes with him again, feeling the searing heat radiating from his intense, emerald gaze.

They stood motionless, the weight of the unspoken answer heavy in the air. Her heart threatened to burst from her chest, each beat echoing in her ears. Goosebumps raced across her skin, every nerve alive with tingling anticipation, as their eyes remained fixed on each other, conveying a torrent of unspoken emotions.

“Do you love me?” Her voice trembled, as the raw emotion broke through. Why wasn’t he answering?

Her heart raced in anticipation of his answer, breath caught in her chest. With deliberate steps, he moved closer, closing the distance between them, his hand rising to tenderly cup her cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed instinctively, savouring the intimacy of his touch and surrendering to the tender caress.

She watched him wet his lips with a nervous flick, before leaning in to whisper the words she had been yearning for. “Yes…I love you!” The breath of his voice against her ear sent a shiver down her spine, his warm breath mingling with her own, creating an intimate moment filled with longing and desire.

Her throat tightened as she watched him retreat, his eyes searching hers with a silent invitation to reconsider. He had an uncanny ability to read her thoughts.

As her eyes met his, she was mesmerised by the intensity of his gaze. It had turned to molten heat, a fire that burned only for her. And in that moment, she felt like the most cherished person in the world – not some distant ideal of beauty, but Marinette Dupain-Cheng, baker’s daughter and retired superhero.

His eyes bore into hers with an insatiable hunger, as though she were the sole craving of his existence. It was a look that conveyed a depth of longing and desire that superseded any other want or need.

She no longer allowed her doubts to resurface. She didn’t stop to question it, to question him or to question herself.

Marinette allowed her instincts to guide her, her hands reaching out and grabbing him by the shirt, twisting the fabric in her grip as she closed the distance between them. Lifting her head, she watched him bite his lower lip, his eyes continuing to blaze in the same way her core was. He kept his eyes trained on her, darkened, his pupils dilating into the green of his irises in a way that made her gulp for breath.

The tension between them was like a tightly wound band on the brink of snapping, the impending release promising a cataclysmic explosion of emotion, reminiscent of a supernova.

“Hey,” he greeted, his voice deep and gravelly.

As if on cue, the tension that had been holding them apart released its grip, and Marinette felt herself drawn irresistibly closer to him. Their lips met in a long-awaited kiss that spoke volumes of unspoken desire and heartfelt connection. She could feel the weight of anticipation lift, replaced by the warmth of his touch and sweetness of their lips.

At that moment, he was everything.

The kiss started slow and controlled, slightly tentative, and Marinette could sense the underlying tension and desire building between them. She felt his possessive growl reverberate in the back of his throat, a primal sound that stirred something deep within her.

As the kiss intensified, she sensed his urgency, the fiery passion igniting between them, a mutual need for more, for deeper connection and exploration. In that moment, amidst the heat of their embrace, her thoughts raced with longing and anticipation, her heart pounding with the realisation that this was just the beginning of something electric and profound.

His hands slid up her arms, fingertips skating across her collarbones and along her throat before cupping around her face almost desperately.

She felt something ignite in her body, and her hands moved up to grab his hair. A match lit inside her, and she was teetering on the edge of an inferno.

She suddenly remembered a quote from a book, where the character asked another what drowning felt like. The response was…not everything feels like something else.

Like falling in love.

Like having your heart broken.

Like kissing Adrien Agreste.

She could never have felt anything as jubilant as this. It wasn’t a tentative first kiss like when they were 14, breaking spells and defeating Akumas. This was a full kiss where she finally knew what Adrien tasted like — a flavour she’d desired for over a decade.

Her thoughts flew further, imagining what he would sound like as his hands moved over her body, adding in her own whimpers for more as he touched her. Her fantasies could never fully capture the unadulterated bliss of this moment, the sounds of his pulse quickening, or his breath catching as he finally relaxed and relinquished control to her.

They couldn’t go back to their normal dynamic now. This kiss was more than she ever could have imagined and everywhere he touched it felt like an electrical storm cracking.

He was more than just looks and a name to her. He was her Kitty, her Adrien. And as she remained in Adrien’s arms, breathless and not nearly satisfied, she understood how a simple kiss could bring two grown people to their knees, her own legs barely keeping her standing.

“Nice boots,” he said before stroking his thumbs over her cheek bones and moving forward again, this kiss just as heated and intense as the last one.

She wanted to experience everything with him because she loved him and she was sure now that he loved her. She never had to do anything to make him see her, because this kiss told her he’d been watching for a long, long time.

If this was what drowning felt like, she would be happy to drown forever.

Read the whole story here

[beatrice1979a]

Virtual Reality (The Multiverse)

part 1 - part 2 - part 3

Alya: Yes! Finally!

Nino: Wow! Awesome, Dude. That's my man.

Marinette: What a bunch of dorks!

Max: We are currently experiencing some disruption in the transmission from the selected universe.

Marinette: Max! Fix this crap. Are these two going to do the reveal or not?

Gabriel: Hey, kids. Anyone knows if the other Me is doing well?

Nino: Ok, Max, who's going to break the news to the boss. You or me?

Max: Me? 0% chance

**

@adrinetteapril Day 3: Virtual Reality

*Max hacked again the security cameras of the Agreste Mansion.

Re-Verse Gabriel will remain oblivious of S5 finale for the time being.

The Re-Verse kids are still waiting for the S6 premiere.

[rosie-b]

Your Lies (Tell the Truth)

Written for day 8 of @adrinetteapril - Soulmate Markers

Every child knew the legend. Many adults were lucky enough to have experienced the reality of soulmate marks for themselves. Even Alya and Nino had figured their bond out! This seemed like an open and shut case.

But as Marinette stopped to look closer at the black ink she didn’t remember putting on her skin, her mind raced as she tried to determine what else it could be, other than a soulmate mark. Because it just couldn’t be, right? She’d been the only one to confess her love. Adrien had rejected her.

(I promise it's not too angsty; there's some crack and fluff as well!)

You can read the fic below or on AO3!

It was here.

Marinette had spent months both dreaming of and fearing this moment; she’d tried both to finally reach and forever avoid it, but the time had finally come— today was the day she’d finally worked up the courage to tell Adrien she loved him. 

She’d imagined all the best outcomes, the ones where Adrien smiled and said he loved her too, where they went out to get ice cream and then started dating and got married and had two or three or four kids (and a hamster). She’d spent hours trapped in nightmares of the worst ways it could go, where Adrien laughed at her and had his father ban her from ever working in fashion or talking to his son again and Chloe found out and then Lila, and Alya and her parents, and….

Suffice it to say that she’d imagined a variety of ways this moment could have gone.

But now that it was here, none of those scenarios matched what was happening in the moment. None of them had captured the pain like heartbreak in Adrien’s eyes that followed the shock of her confession. None of them had prepared her for the unsure, gentle way he tried to turn her down.

She didn’t know how to react to it. What do you do when you tell the nicest boy in the world that you love him, and all he can do is say no, he has to say no, and the ground doesn’t even have the decency to swallow you up with your shame?

“I’m sorry, Marinette,” Adrien had finally said, his sad, green eyes hardly daring to meet hers, “I just don’t feel the same way. It wouldn’t be fair of me to date you while I’m still trying to move o— er, I don’t want to hurt you the way I hurt Kagami,” he stuttered out. “You’re an amazing girl, Marinette, and I like you a lot, but I don’t trust myself to be the partner you deserve to have. I don’t want to play with your feelings, or make you feel like a second choice. Besides,” he continued, rubbing the back of his neck, and looking at her tentatively, “Weren’t you and Luka…?”

Marinette tried to answer when Adrien’s voice trailed off, but she found that her throat had closed in on itself. She couldn’t speak through the lump sitting there. She just shook her head, looking up at Adrien bravely while she held back her tears. She’d known this was going to happen! She shouldn’t have bothered trying.

Adrien’s eyes widened as the silence grew longer. “Oh, no, please don’t cry, Marinette! I’m sorry, I didn’t want to hurt you, really, but I did, and I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay,” she rasped out, hating how feeble, how broken her voice sounded. “You can’t help how you feel. I get it, Adrien. I, I’ll be—” I’ll be fine, she tried to say. But the words wouldn’t come out, and all she could do was be grateful she’d waited until the end of the school day for her confession. This way, she could offer Adrien a pitiful smile and wave and walk away from the scene of her heartbreak. This way, she could suffer in peace until she managed to put the shattered pieces of her heart back together. 

It’s okay, she told herself as she waved to her friends (only friends) and barely managed to not run, but walk to her home. You’ll be fine. So he doesn’t like you back. So what? You’ll be fine. You’re a big girl; you’re Ladybug; you’ve got this. 

She had trouble believing her own encouragement. And she still felt like something in her had died the moment Adrien’s smile had slipped off his face, the moment she knew he’d be turning her down.

Marinette started walking a bit faster.

__*__*__*__*__

Adrien watched Marinette turn away, feeling useless and helpless and more miserable than he could remember having been ever before. 

Why did I have to turn her down? Why couldn’t I have just said yes and gone on a few pleasant dates and then accepted the breakup when she eventually realized what I’m like and dumped me?

Adrien wondered if he could still do something to salvage the situation; if he could run after Marinette and beg her to come back, to not hate him, to give him a new chance.

Before he could do anything, though, Alya grabbed his arm and yanked on it, pulling him closer to her before he could leave. “You better not be serious right now, Agreste! What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t,” he responded, wincing at the tight grip Alya had on him but knowing that he deserved this pain. 

“Yes, you were. That response you gave her sounded practiced. Now, what was your reason for doing it?”

Adrien’s eyes widened. “I, uh, it’s Marinette; I didn’t want to, but I didn’t want to hurt her, either, and— I’m in love with someone else, right now. She's just a friend. That’s all it is, honest!” 

Alya frowned. “Okay, then, tell me who the lucky one is. Make me understand this faulty brain of yours. Who could you possibly prefer over Marinette?”

Adrien’s mind went blank as he tried to think of what to say. “Ladybug,” he blurted out, and slapped his free hand over his mouth as his heart tried to beat its way out of his chest. 

Not the truth, not the truth, anything but the truth! Why didn’t I just lie?

Alya’s eyes narrowed. “You turned down Marinette for Ladybug?? Oh, no, sunshine, absolutely not. With an excuse like that, you’d better be Chat Noir,” she fumed. Her eyes, blazing red-hot with fury, added the silent warning, or else.

Adrien gulped. “I, no! I’m not Chat Noir! Why would you think that? I mean, no, I didn’t, I’m actually in love with–”

Alya scowled and let go of Adrien’s arm. “Forget it, Agreste. You have the evening to get this figured out. Don’t walk into school tomorrow unless you’re going to do it with a real excuse. I understand having celebrity crushes, but I can’t excuse turning down a real chance with a girl as sweet as Marinette for a woman who’s about a thousand percent unavailable! Get your act together, now.”

She stormed off, grabbing Nino’s hand and tugging him along after her as she went. Nino turned his head over his shoulder to shoot Adrien a glance, but he couldn’t tell if it was a sympathetic one or not. Adrien was pretty sure Nino didn’t know which type it was, either. But he, at least, was still willing to look at Adrien despite the rather large mistake he’d just made, and Adrien was very grateful for that. He wasn’t used to even that much affection.

Maybe that’s why he’d made his big mistake.

__*__*__*__*__

Marinette had never been more grateful for the comforting magic of warm showers. She let the water run hot, stepped into a cloud of warm steam, and let the water run over her face, washing away the last of the salty tears she’d cried into her pillow under Tikki’s watchful, caring gaze. She huddled under the shower head, shivered once as her body adjusted to the new temperature, and took a moment to just breathe and feel a little more alive.

After a while, Marinette moved on to the real part of the shower. As she reached out to grab the shampoo bottle, though, she noticed a large black squiggle on her forearm, and her heart stopped. Was it a spider?

No, it wasn’t. But it looked like writing… and Marinette knew she hadn’t gotten a tattoo or written on herself with a pen recently.

There was only one other explanation she could think of…

On the day when all bonded soulmates have confessed their love to each other, the lies they tell will show on the other’s body for twenty-four hours after the last confession.

Every child knew the legend. Many adults were lucky enough to have experienced the reality of soulmate marks for themselves. Even Alya and Nino had figured their bond out! This seemed like an open and shut case. 

But as Marinette stopped to look closer at the black ink she didn’t remember putting on her skin, her mind raced as she tried to determine what else it could be, other than a soulmate mark. Because it just couldn’t be, right? She’d been the only one to confess her love. Adrien had rejected her.

And yet, her skin must not have gotten the message, because there, in thick black letters on her left wrist, was the sentence “I just don’t feel the same way.”

Suddenly, the warm shower didn’t feel so magical anymore. The afternoon’s messy confrontation had followed her inside the pure white stall, and she didn’t feel safe there anymore. But even though there was a pit in her stomach, she knew that if this was truly Adrien’s soulmark on her, then she still had a chance.

There was more black ink twisting around Marinette’s elbow. Hesitant, broken, and hopeful despite the rejection, she read it out loud. 

“It wouldn’t be fair of me to date you…”

Marinette felt like either screaming or crying again. Maybe both. She and Adrien were soulmates, then? But how had his marks shown up on her skin, when she’d heard a rejection, not a confirmation of his love? Had he somehow confessed his love to her before today, and she’d either missed it or misheard it? Had he been disappointed and moved on and now, when she’d finally confessed, he wasn’t even in love with her anymore? 

Or worse, were they the kind of soulmates where one person loved the other romantically but the other person held a platonic kind of love, instead? Had his oh-so friendly rejection been enough to trigger their soulbond, like some twisted blessing-turned-curse?

Marinette didn’t know how she’d survive that. She couldn’t handle knowing she’d made a fool out of herself by confessing to an unrequited love; she couldn’t fathom ever falling out of love with Adrien Agreste, either. Was she doomed to a one-sided love forever?

There were three last lines of ink, with the first two being on her right forearm. Marinette turned it over to read them apprehensively. 

“She's just a friend." Ouch. "And... I’m in love with someone else, right now,” she mumbled aloud. Huh. She didn’t remember him saying that. It must have come out after she left. Okay, well his loving some other, more perfect girl was understandable, but it still stung. 

But wait! If this was something Adrien had said today, and it was on her skin in his writing, it was a soulmark. And if it was a soulmark, then it was a lie, because the only things you can say that will appear on your soulmate’s skin are lies! So, Adrien didn’t love someone else!

“I must be dreaming,” Marinette muttered to herself. “Tikki!” she called as loudly as she dared, stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around herself as she did so. “Tikki! Come look at this; help me out!”

Tikki zoomed over at high speed. “Marinette! What is it?”

“Tikki, look, look at the marks! We’re soulmates; Adrien and I are soulmates! How are we soulmates?? He said he doesn’t love me, but he was lying, but he still turned me down! So why are the marks here; how is this possible? Did he confess his love while I was walking away? Or why else do I have soulmarks now? I don’t remember him ever confessing to me in the past!”

Tikki stared at the marks for a moment while her holder panicked, and a slow grin spread across her face.

“Marinette, this is amazing! But I can’t actually tell you why your soulmarks showed up today,” she added with a twinkle in her eye.

Marinette paused. “Wait, but you do know why they’re there, then?”

Tikki nodded, unashamed and still smiling. “Yes, but telling you the reason would be a serious breach of Adrien’s privacy. The only way I can tell you is after you’ve figured it out, yourself.”

Marinette frowned. “Fine. But, hold on, there was one more soulmark I haven’t read yet.”

Tikki’s eyes widened. “Oh? Where is it?”

Marinette twisted her arm around, straining to see the mark. “It’s just past my right elbow. Here! Look, it says, ‘I’m not Cha….’”

Tikki and Marinette both stared at the soulmark for a minute and then slowly turned and stared at each other, instead.

“I’m not Chat Noir,” they said in unison.

Marinette fell backwards, catching herself on the wall just in time. She propped herself as her mind raced, piecing together black skintight suits and white overshirts; sly smirks and kind smiles. They all belonged to the same boy, the quiet one in her class and the boisterous one always proclaiming his undying love.

“Well, that explains it, then,” she said dazedly, as memories of a candlelit picnic lovingly set up on a rooftop surfaced in her mind. They really were soulmates! Now, the soulmarks’ sudden appearance made sense.

Even if the first soulmate confesses years before the last, once they have all confessed, the marks of their bond shall appear as proof of their love for one another. 

__*__*__*__*__

The next day, Adrien walked into school feeling more timid than a mouse and about as innocent as a flea during the Black Plague. Or maybe a certain cheese-loving cat.

His plan was to sneak into school, because Nathalie had given him a Look when he’d tentatively suggested that he was possibly not feeling all that well and asked what Father would think if he stayed home earlier that morning. So, he had to go to school, despite Alya’s warning yesterday. He’d sneak past Alya, sit in the back of the class, and only say something during roll call before falling silent for the rest of the day, so that Marinette (and Alya) could forget he existed. 

Adrien had had an absolutely miserable night and made no progress on finding a cover for why he’d turned down Marinette, but he was sure that however bad he was feeling, she’d be feeling ten times worse. The least he could do to help was stay out of her hair.

But that turned out to be unnecessary. When he saw Marinette waiting by the top of the stairs at the main entrance, bouncing on her heels and barely suppressing what seemed to be a huge grin, Adrien wondered if he’d somehow teleported to a different universe. Was Marinette… happy? Not that she couldn’t be happy, of course! It was only that he’d expected her to be much less bubbly and much more stutter-y and shy and, well, sad.

It was cool that she’d moved on so easily, he admitted! But for some reason, the thought of it made his chest ache. He should be happy for her, so why was he feeling hurt by her smile?

“Adrien!” Marinette called as soon as she saw him. Every nearby student heard her voice and fell silent or muttered quietly to each other in response to it. Had they all heard about what had happened yesterday? Was everyone in on what was going on now? Was this part of an elaborate plan by Marinette to get revenge? 

Was that why she was happy? Because she knew soon, she could get back at Adrien for breaking her heart?

That just couldn’t be it, though. Adrien might be stupid sometimes, but he knew Marinette well enough to know she’d never do something so cruel to him, or anyone else, for that matter.

He walked up to her, shyly raising one hand in a wave. “Hello, Marinette,” he said. “You look happy! Um, are you feeling better? I’m so sorry about yesterday, I don’t know what I was thinking! I was so rude and I hurt you and I understand if you never forgive me but—”

“It’s okay,” Marinette said, flippantly waving one hand in a dismissive gesture.Then she stepped forward, her eyes glinting determinedly as she spoke to  him in a very serious, confident manner. “I don’t love you. I’m in love with someone else right now. And one more thing: I’m not Ladybug,” she added, by now having stepped close enough that she whispered the last part into his ear while standing on her tip-toes.

Adrien’s heart plummeted all the way to the second circle of hell.

“What?” he gasped out, feeling unreasonably hurt, crushed, even, by the words Marinette had dropped on him like a heavy building he couldn’t crawl out from under. Was he this unloveable, that she’d moved on so easily? 

Then again, if he was going to be alone forever, maybe he deserved it after what he’d done to her.

“I don’t love you,” Marinette repeated, smirking, and he flinched. Then her gaze softened, and a smile took the place of her cruel smirk. “Give me your arm,” she told him.

Adrien stared at her. “Why?” he asked in a cracking voice, feeling fearful and a little bit trapped. “What are you going to do with it?”

Marinette giggled. “I need to show you something, before it’s too late,” she said. “It’s probably under your shirt.”

“Under my—?” Adrien hadn’t finished his sentence before someone was pushing him forward, right into Marinette’s arms, and she reached down for his shirt sleeve and folded it up past his elbow.

“Look here,” she said authoritatively, presenting him with his own forearm.

What? Adrien thought, and he slowly processed what the sudden appearance of Marinette’s hurtful words on his arm in black ink meant.

“I don’t love you,” Marinette repeated, and the words appeared on his arm as she spoke them. “And I’m not Ladybug,” she whispered again, giving him just enough time to see the new words appear before she folded his sleeve down again to cover them.

“I— you— Marinette,” Adrien gasped out, feeling stunned and relieved and more than a little awestruck by this wonderful person that he already loved, who still returned his affection somehow, and who— “Oh, my goodness,” he breathed. “Marinette, we’re soulmates!”

Marinette grinned and nodded, doing her little wiggle-dance she always did when she was happy.

“Yes!” she agreed, cheering.

“Yes!” Adrien cheered right back, and picked her up and spun her around. “I love you! No, wait, I want to see your marks, too. I don’t love you,” he tried, and black ink peeked out of Marinette’s shirt and sprawled onto her wrist. “I don’t love you,” he repeated, and more ink appeared at her neck.

He knew what it meant, and Marinette knew, too, and that knowledge was temporarily theirs to play with. So they smiled at each other and stood marveling over the beautiful lies stamped on their skin.

“I don’t love you, either,” Marinette said with a giggle, and Adrien held his hand up in awe as more ink appeared there.

“I don’t love you,” he said one more time, loud and happy, and an ominous thud came from behind him.

“Adrien Agreste!” Alya boomed. “I told you not to come to school if you couldn’t do it without hurting Marinette!”

Marinette smirked. “It’s okay, Alya,” she said, holding up her left wrist, bare except for Adrien’s words. “I don’t love him.”

Adrien searched and searched for the words until Marinette pointed them out on his forehead.

Alya stared at the two of them, relieved and yet still visibly taught with nerves. “Well, I wasn’t expecting that,” she remarked, putting one hand on her hip. “Nino and I never did this. We just lied about favorite colors and future dreams. Like normal people. But, this is cute, too, once you get past how weird it is, I guess. You figured it out, then?” she asked, looking at Adrien.

He nodded, feeling one last guilty twinge that was wiped away by the black writing he could still see from the corner of his eye. “I’m sorry it took me this long. Wait,” she didn’t mean ‘did you find out each other’s identities,’ did she? “Wait, which part were you asking about?”

Alya smirked. “Well, the whole school knew you were in love with Marinette before you did, apparently. How does it feel to be the last to know?”

Marinette slipped her hand into his as Nino’s stifled laughs sounded from somewhere nearby. How long had he been watching them for?

“Be nice, Alya,” Marinette chided playfully. “It just took a while to get through his thick skull. I swear, his mind is a bag full of cats sometimes!”

Adrien stared down at Marinette with pink cheeks, feeling happily surprised by her pun.

“I love you so much,” he said seriously, and she giggled and leaned against his side.

“I love you, too,” she responded, and Alya nodded, smiling.

“Now that’s the way it’s done,” she said in a satisfied tone. “Agreste, you’re on my good side again. So, if you’ll let me do the honors, you may kiss the bride!”

Marinette shrieked as Alya grinned evilly and Nino laughed and cheered Adrien on.

So, he pulled Marinette into a quick, soft kiss. It wasn’t their first, he knew, but he was glad he’d finally be able to remember this one, so he dedicated the gentle brush of Marinette’s lips to his memory and grinned in what he knew was a dopey manner as he pulled away.

Then Marinette was yanking him back down for another kiss, and he could only imagine that this was the definition of bliss. Who cared about being on time to class? He had the best soulmate in the world, and he was content to just stay in her arms.

[simfictionshorts]

Submission for @adrinetteapril

[purrincess-chat]

@adrinetteapril Day 1: Secret Admirer

“Ugh! Well, anyone who writes as sickeningly sweet as you must be your soulmate.”