E is for "Everday, I love you"

***

20 days after the masquerade...

[Adrien's POV]

Believe me, I tried not to stare at Marinette. I really did.

What happened to me?

I used to not care about her. Hell, I even hated her, at first I was really going to kick her out of the company. Felix on the other hand, that idiot just wouldn't let me because he was unto her.

So what happened to me?

I'm pretty sure it all started when she shared that umbrella with me, that pang of nostalgic feeling gushing like the wind, somehow she suddenly just managed to sneak in, and just like that, stole my heart. I've done a lot of bad things and said a lot of bad words to her, but I just couldn't understand why she fell in love with me. I mean, sure, I'm Adrien Agreste but...she's also Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the innocent girl who's got nothing to do with a freaked up man like me and who also deserves the world.

I don't deserve her.

Heck, I never even thought of settling down or being in a serious relationship my whole life.

Well, for now I'm thankful that she didn't said yes to me. Other girl would have just said yes right there and then, only to find out that they're after either my money or my good looks. Oh come on, everybody knows I got hell of a charm, but I didn't seem to mind nor boast it to anyone, it's not like I chose to have this face or body.

Marinette on the other hand is different, she knows what my weaknesses are and what broke me, she knows what fixed me, she just...knows without even me telling her anything.

You know that feeling that you just found someone who'll be there for you no matter how freaked up you are?

She's not after my money, nor my good looks, I'm sure of it. I could really tell that she simply cares for me, and is willing to understand me no matter what.

But on my case, I got issues.

I don't want to hurt her.

I know I should stay away as far as possible from her, give her a chance to be happy, because with me, I'm not sure if she's going to be happy, I'll probably only end up hurting her, plus, I'm dragging her nowhere but to another freaked up family composed of a cold dad, a twin brother who doesn't remember the dark past of the family, and the other twin who got blamed by everything even though he was just a kid and didn't do anything.

But a part of me also don't want to stay away from her, but instead to try, try and risk things becase who knows that it'll be worth it in the end. A part of me just doesn't wanna stay away because I couldn't get enough of her, I'm not glued but I'm stuck on her, like she was the light to my dark world and without her, I'm nothing but a broken man in the dark.

My thoughts have suddenly crumpled, jumping a bit when the telephone on my desk rings, I shook my head before picking up, cursing whoever called for the interruption. "Hello?" I tried to hide the annoyance from my voice.

"Whoa there, did you eat your lunch or something? I could hear your grumpiness from 50 miles away." I rolled my eyes when I heard my twin's voice over the phone.

"What do you want?" I asked.

Felix sighed. "Really? Even through the phone, will you ever stop asking that question?"

"Felix, you NEVER call this phone number." I replied. "So I'm gonna keep asking this question unless I could not detect any strange behavior that says you want something from me."

"Fine, fine. I'm just gonna ask how you're doing."

"Really now?"

"How you and Marinette are doing." He specified...and yet I couldn't answer, he must've noticed that I was quiet for a couple of seconds because I headd him scoff a bit. "You still haven't talked to her, have you?"

"No."

"Dude, don't wait for me to return or I'll really snatch her away from you that you'll never see her again. I didn't make this sacrifice just for you to ignore her."

"I'm not ignoring her, I'm just..." I sighed. "I don't know."

"You don't know? Who are you and what have you done to my brother?"

"Really?" I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Again with that question?"

"Can you blame me? Ever since you said you're in love with Marinette you've become superweird I don't even know you anymore! I mean, what even happened to the overconfident Adrien Agreste who gets everything he wants? Heck, you can grab a lady with just a wink of your stupid green eyes and now you can't even say 'hi' to Marinette? Dude, what is wrong with you?"

"Marinette isn't like any other girls, Felix." I replied. "She doesn't just fall for me with a wink, she fell for who I was...a monster."

"You're not a monster, I object. Otherwise, I'd be a monster as well. Sure you're coldhearted and all but dude, it wasn't your fault that mom got sick and died."

Uhh...what? "Why did you brought mom into this?" I asked confusingly.

"I'm not dumb, Adrien. And the past was as clear as day for me when mom died. It started everything, dad's coldness towards you and your coldness towards everyone. Like, mom was literally the sun that stopped shinning and after that you both just turned into Antarctica." It's not as clear as day, Felix. You just don't remember what happened. "And besides, Marinette isn't rejecting you. Why don't you try again? I'm pretty sure it's not that bad. If you can risk some business related deals, what makes Marinette different?"

I blinked. "Y-yeah."

***

"You're here." I stood up, looking at her surprisingly as she approached me. I told her to meet me up on the same spot she gave me her umbrella on that rainy day. I don't know why I was surprised in the first place.

"Yeah, you told me to be here." She replied and sat beside me. "Why?"

"I just..." I looked at her beautiful bluebell eyes and suddenly I have forgotten how to speak. "I...uhh...sorry about...everything."

"What do you mean?" She confusingly asked.

"I mean..." I licked my lips when I felt it drying up. "I love you, Marinette. I really do but...I..."

"You're giving up?" I blinked a couple of times, surprised. But when I looked at her there no negative emotions visible in her face, just curious, and was willing to understand me any time.

"You deserve to be happy, Marinette. And you deserve to be with someone better than m--"

"What am I gonna do with someone better if it's not you?" She cut me off but then she slightly gasped and looked away. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that after making you wait."

"It's okay." I smiled slightly. "I just...did lot of things to you and..."

"It doesn't matter anymore." She put a hand on my shoulder. "I understand, Adrien."

"I want you to know that I want to try, Marinette. Because I know that you're worth it...but at the same time, the chances of me hurting you is very high." I said and looked at her apologetically. "I don't want that."

I heard her sighed a bit but she smiled at me patiently. "I know. And...we're also in different worlds, Adrien. You're from a rich family, you have everything you want, people look up to you--and well, there's me who's...no one."

"You're not no one, Marinette." I lifted her chin up so our eyes met. "You're special." I smiled a bit before grabbing my phone with other hand from my pocket. She raised her eyebrows confusingly as I started to scan through my playlist. "How about a moment together?"

She chuckled a bit as I stood up and offered my hand. "What?"

"Come on, it's not everyday we can do this." I replied and smiled. She accepted my hand and stood up as I clicked a certain song and it immediately starts playing. "Second dance." She shook her head but she was smiling at me as I placed her left hand on my shoulder. I also placed my hand on her waist as I held her right hand, we stared at each other's eyes, blue and green met.

I don't know but I believe

That some things were meant to be

And that you'll make a better me

Everyday I love you

I never thought that dreams came true

But you showed me that they do

You know that I learn something new

"Marinette," I started and she looked at me expectantly. "Everyday, I love you."