"I know this may not be my place but... a Penny for your thoughts? I've got a lot of the little things so I can pay per word if you'd like?"

Marinette's head shot up and in the direction of Adrien as they walked through the crowds hand in hand. He obviously knew where he was going and she was more than willing to follow his lead, her heart betraying her once again as it began to beat heavily for the blond haired (ex) model.

"Oh, it's nothing...I'm just a little overwhelmed."

She hadn't seen Adrien in five years, she wasn't exactly sure he'd appreciate the recent reunion to be burdened with the worries of someone she hadn't seen for the equal amount of time. Someone he didn't even know.

"That's understandable," he laughed, releasing her hand and placing it on her lower back as he directed her into the elevator first. "These events are like a day out at the zoo, if you ask me."

She let out a little laugh, looking down at the floor as a smile genuinely swept across her face. Once inside, and safely in the compounds of the elevator, she looked up at her friend. He looked so good, not just in bone structure and skin tone, but in himself. He looked healthy and exactly how she wished to have seen him back in their early collège days. It seemed Gabriel Agreste had finally allowed his son to eat — Nino would be thrilled.

"What animal would I be then?"

He stretched past her bare shoulder to press the button for the top floor. The light fluff of his hair lightly grazed her cheek, suddenly spiking her nerves and sending her hairs on edge.

"Simple really, something cute and furry. Maybe a meerkat?"

"Gee, thanks." She giggled, "Nothing like the nosest furball in the animal kingdom."

"They're cute though."

And there was that smile again, the smile that could melt her bones into nothing more than liquid, ending with her in a Marinette puddle on the ground.

"What about you then? Let me guess, the king of the pridelands? There's no way you'd not be in control."

Not with that build and strength, she thought, thinking back to his earlier conversation with the model.

Over the years it seems Adrien had built on his power both physically and mentally, and even with his impending size, she felt safe in his vicinity. Everything about him telling her she was protected and cared for; an amazing reaction for someone she hadn't seen in years.

He laughed. "Oh yes, definitely a lion for me, but the people closest to me know I'm nothing more than a pussy cat." He dropped her a wink which caused her face to turn a shade darker than her dress.

What was it that Adrien did to her? He was like pure dopamine injected directly into her veins and helped her body to, once again, function. The dark cloud which had been balanced firmly over her head was wobbling and breaking. Her guard dropping down along with the walls blocking any access to her heart.

She moved to the back of the elevator, situating herself in front of the mirror and leaned back against the bar; grabbing hold of it near her sides; a sigh exited her mouth.

"That sigh tells me there's something on your mind, Marinette."

Considering her options, being here with Adrien felt like a safe space. A space for her to unload and for the first time in what felt like forever, feel. Adrien wouldn't judge her, he never did; plus they only had two floors left to travel, she couldn't drop herself in it too much. She hadn't had this conversation with anyone apart from Tikki. She had thought about confining in Alya, but she knew her friend would have too much to say about the subject and right now she just needed someone's ears.

But this was Adrien. She'd never been able to talk to him, and she doubted that would change.

...That was until he pressed the stop button and the elevator stalled.

"Now, if we were still at François DuPont I'd move on with the conversation. I'd take your word for it and continue on with this crappy small talk. But we're not 14 anymore and unhappiness is radiating off you so much, I was going to pack it up and send it to a witch doctor."

"I don't think–"

"When Marinette Dupain-Cheng walks into someone and doesn't apologise, you know something's wrong."

She groaned and placed both her hands over her face. "That was you?"

"Of course it was. There's not many people you continuously trip and fall into, unless someone has taken my job of catching you."

Closing her eyes, a small smile stretched her lips to one side. "You still hold the record, don't worry." Civilian-wise at least. The memories of Chat Noir catching her and pulling her out of the depths of darkness caused the cloud to reappear over her head, the walls rebuilding around her heart one brick at a time. She'd never felt so lost or confused. He made her whole, he made her who she was. Her heart begging for the missing piece to finally be filled and allowing her to live life to it's full once more.

Faking a cheer, Adrien punched both his hands in the air finishing with the most dork-like dance he could muster up. Did Adrien Agreste just floss in a three piece suit? What would his father say?

She smiled slightly, half genuine and half fake. If he didn't look too hard maybe she could fool him...but then again maybe not.

"Spill," he demanded, leaning back against the wall with his arms folded and one foot up.

Marinette tilted her head to one side and studied him, trying to wipe any signs of amusement from her face. She fanned one hand towards him as she spoke. "Is this autumn or winter? Because if you're going for the latter you need to drop your chin just a little like this."

She dropped her chin down towards her chest and attempted a world class smoulder at him. His eyes widened in shock as he looked at his position, coughed and pushed away from the wall.

"Har-har! What happened to my cute, stuttering classmate? She never used to insult me." She could tell he was enjoying himself, the smile of his face brighter than Times Square. "And at the end of the day," he pointed to her dress, "I'm not the one that looks like a world class model. You really do look stunning tonight, like a Princess."

The words stabbed her in the heart making sure every letter and every syllable left a wound inside her. Her face dropped and turned the atmosphere uncomfortable. She wrapped her arms around herself; protection, defence, and as a bandage for the wound.

Adrien began to rummage around in his pockets, finally presenting her with a shiny, bronze penny. "For your thoughts." He handed it to her, her own hand reaching forwards and taking it as a means of something to mess with and keep her hands from shaking.

Marinette twisted it between her fingers, watching it travel from one space to the next. "He should be here with me." The statement was so simple and so true, he – Chat Noir – should be here with her.

"Who? Your boyfriend?"

"No, my –'" Marinette froze. What the hell did she call him? Partner, friend, best friend, soul mate, hero, saviour, guardian Angel? So many words could cover Chat Noir but none of them felt right. No, that's not true. One word did.

"My everything," she whispered, her heart finally allowing her emotions to run free. "He was my everything, and I let him go." She pitched the bridge of her nose willing herself to stop and not ruin her make-up for the second time that evening.

"Oh, Marinette." Adrien was beside her in an instant, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he allowed her to talk. Her made up face pressed into the side of his suit and left a slight foundation stain in its wake.

"Have you ever been in a situation, when you were younger, where you thought you were right? That you had the correct control on a situation, but instead you were just being an idiot; letting fear and stupid, unfair rules guide your life."

"You've never been an idiot. You've always done what you thought was best."

"I pushed him away, Adrien. The one person who saw me, I pushed away." She clung tighter onto her bag, stroking down the side where she knew Chat's ring was resting. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't–"

Adrien grabbed her hands in his tightly, pulling them into his chest and lowering his body down to maintain eye contact with her.

"You can feel, Marinette. It is allowed. Just because you're in the fashion world now you don't need to be as cold arsed as my father."

"I think you'll find it's cold hearted, Adrien," she said with a little snort.

"Whatever; Potato, potarto!"

She pulled her hands from his grasp and wrapped them around his waist. "I just wish I could see him again, you know, just to let him know. There's so much I need to say to him, that he deserves to hear it."

"What would you tell him? If he was here right now, what would you say?"

Marinette pulled away, using the side of her finger to press under her eyelids catching some of the tears threatening to spill and, hopefully, saving her make-up whilst at it.

"I'd tell him I was sorry for messing this up so badly. For not trusting him, or loving him the way he deserved because, damn, he deserved so much Adrien. He deserved the world. He's the most caring, kind, compassionate man I've ever met, and I know it's been five years and we're not kids anymore, but I can't see that changing." She sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest attempting to keep herself together. "I'd tell him I miss him and that I love him, and I want to be with him for the rest of our lives. I want to annoy him, and listen to his ridiculous puns. I want to have a family with him, and do everything with him. It just kills me to know that we could have had it all but now we won't even have a chance," she sighed. "It was all planned, you know. I was going to tell him in an overly dramatic way, which, of course, he would have loved. But fate's cruel. It's such a cruel, cruel thing."

"Would you race him in your little motorised scooters when you get old?" Adrien threw in, Marinette breaking into a small laugh. "There's that smile." He continued.

"Shush you, I'm having a moment."

"Seriously, what happened to my shy, stuttering Marinette?"

Marinette went back to leaning against the handrail and looked at Adrien, a sad smile possessing her lips. He closed the gap, walking towards her his own smile a reflection of hers. He reached up, stroking down the hair framing her face as his eyes studied her lips.

"She grew up," Marinette whispered, her lips gravitating towards him, eyes flickering from his own to his lips and back as he repeated the action on her. They remained silent for a while, Marinette contemplating what to say or do next, when Adrien was the one to break the silence.

"Marinette–"

"He probably wouldn't want anything to do with me now," she said, shaking her head and looking down. "It's been five years, he's probably famous and married, he's probably father to 10 wonderful children, with a stunningly attractive wife who I'd love and hate at the same time." Her voice was meek and small, only at a volume the two of them could hear.

She brought her eyes back up and in line with Adrien's, their noses almost brushing against one another.

"Marinette, there's something important I need to tell you. I'm getting –"

"Is everything okay in there?" A voice boomed through the intercom causing the two to separate from the close contact they'd found themselves in.

Adrien moved over to the intercom and pressed the buzz to speak back. He coughed to clear his voice. "Yes, sorry, carry on."

A couple of clinks and a whirring noise later, they were moving again. The atmosphere was lost and her lips suddenly felt lonely. She'd been so close to kissing him whilst talking about another guy, this was more messed up than before.

The elevator suddenly stopped, the noise bringing their attention to the destination as the doors opened and Marinette looked out over the brightly lit New York skyline.