Adrien

They both looked out onto the New York City skyline and Adrien knew exactly what he needed to do. Whatever this animosity was that Marinette held against him, he needed to sort it; he just had to figure out what it was first.

"Let's start from the beginning."

He turned his head, catching her reflection in the moonlight and almost dropping to his knees to rub his cheek against her leg. The sudden thought almost had him falling over the ledge. What did he think he was? A cat? Maybe too many years with Plagg, wrapping himself up in magic, had caused him some sort of underlying Miraculous-based issues.

"Adrien we don't need to —"

"Marinette. Let me speak, please."

Doing some sort of Queen's wave, Marinette mimed for him to carry on. Adrien twisted to lean his hip into the wall and face her. Marvelling in the effect of the twinkling lights on her eyes.

"As I was saying... the beginning. On that first day at collége –"

"Where you and Chloe played a practical joke on me?"

Adrien wanted to place his fist into his mouth and scream. If she kept interrupting him, they weren't going to get anywhere.

"For the love of God, Marinette, stop interrupting me."

"I'm not interrupting!" she exclaimed.

"Then let me speak, woman."

She huffed and turned to face away from him. A low growl emitted from his throat as he attempted to keep his patience and start the story once again. How could one tiny, little person be so annoying?

"As I was saying –" He studied her face, eyebrow raised, and waited for her to interrupt him again. She rolled her eyes and swung her hand around. Good, she was listening. "On that first day when you walked into the classroom, I wasn't putting the gum on your chair, I was trying to take it —"

Sighing, Marinette shook her head. "I was there and I saw Chloé —"

"Okay, that's it! From now on you can only use your hands to communicate. Right hand for yes, left for no. Do you understand?"

"Ye—"

Adrien glared at her and she pretended to zip up her mouth, lock it and throw away the key before sarcastically raising her right hand.

"Good." He praised her like a small child before taking a deep breath and started again. "I didn't put the gum on your seat. Chloé did. I was just trying to get it off. She made it out like you were some kind of big bang meany, not a little pocket rocket. I did realise what type of person Chloé was when she was around other people, and to be honest, I was embarrassed by her actions. Do you believe me?"

"Why would –"

Glaring at her, she stopped talking and held up her left hand. He sighed and rubbed his own over his eyes. Turning around, Adrien positioned his back against the ledge, arms crossed and face looking out across the rooftop.

"I just don't know what to do to make you believe me, Marinette. That afternoon, when I gave you my umbrella, I thought we'd made amends, that you saw my olive branch and accepted it."

"It closed on me, Adrien."

"And you laughed, I thought we were sharing a moment."

The memory played in his head. He had always seen it as a moment of their joint understanding. A moment where they agreed to move on from the morning's events and the acceptance of the umbrella being an acceptance of his apology. It seemed every moment with her was not what he'd originally thought, and he couldn't help feeling the brick fall in his stomach at the thought.

"If I ask you yes or no questions, please will you answer honestly?"

She raised her right hand in agreement, and his heart almost exploded out of his chest. At least she wanted to carry on and talk about this.

"Okay, okay." He stalked up and down the rooftop, a hand rubbing over his mouth as he thought about where he should start.

"Did you see the umbrella as an apology?"

She raised her left hand, Adrien stopping and looking over to her.

"Okay, so I thought you'd... I – um – okay let's move on."

Adrien began his walk again; forwards and backwards over the rooftop. "Lila!" he announced. "I was the reason Lila retracted her statement. You know, the one that had you expelled. She'd completely made it all up, I know she had. So, I told her we would only be friends if she went to speak to Mr Damocles. Did you know that?"

Stopping in front of her, he noticed her eyes widened. She didn't know this. Nobody knew this because he hadn't told anyone. Damn it! He'd managed to keep this to himself for almost 10 years. It wasn't an act to get her on his side, it was an act for justice – one he didn't need the glory for. She slowly raised her left hand, her mouth agape as it made its ascent.

"You actually said that?" Her voice was timid, almost mouse-like.

Rubbing harshly at the back of his neck, Adrien looked towards her. "I - um - yeah! I just... it was unfair Marinette," he said passionately. "How everyone else didn't see the lies really made me angry! There was no reason why people should have believed what she was saying. They know you. Well, at least I thought they did."

"I don't know what to say?" Marinette replied, turning to face him properly, her eyebrows creasing as they looked at each other.

"You don't need to say anything Marinette, it was years ago. Lila's long gone, and..." He shrugged, there wasn't really anything else to say but 'that's what you do for friends'. A comment he wouldn't use with someone he now knew had never seen him as a friend.

"I didn't know. I'm – thank you! When Lila was at school, it was one of the worst times of my life. To have you defend me like that, when even when my other friends didn't believe me, it... it really means a lot Adrien. Thank you." Her voice was the softest he'd ever heard her speak, a hidden emotion behind each word caused a lump to restrict his throat. This was genuine. This was finally an olive branch.

A smile took over his face. "You're welcome, Marinette. But you shouldn't have to thank anyone for doing the right thing."

Her hands came to her face as she turned it down and began to shake it from side to side. "I can't believe all this time you thought we were friends and I hated you. Like properly hated you, Adrien. I used to get posters of you and draw moustaches on them. You looked great with a goatee."

Adrien couldn't control the bark of laughter leaving his mouth. "A goatee? Really? I always saw myself with a moustache like Gomez Addams."

Marinette scrunched her lips and tilted her head side to side, before raising her left hand. Adrien gasped, moving forwards and digging his fingers into her ribs, tickling her. She squealed and moved away, her body preparing to take flight and his own ready to chase after.

"Run, run as far as you can... you can't catch me..." Marinette turned swiftly and began to run in the opposite direction, Adrien chasing after her letting out wild laughter. He watched as she ducked and dived around the different pieces of garden furniture, both laughing like young teens — not adults reaching their mid twenties.

"You're as tiny as the Gingerbread Man!" Adrien said, stopping to survey the area.

"And as quick." Before he knew what was happening, Marinette leaped behind him and started her own tickle attack. Digging her fingers into his ribs, he twisted and squirmed ending in a rather intricate tangle of legs. He began to fall over, grabbing hold of Marinette's hands and taking her with him.

"Not forgetting — delicious!" She said, as they tumbled forward. Adrien pushed himself to take a couple of steps, ending up on the sofa — Marinette on his back.

The impact of the drop caused them both to create a rather loud 'oomph' as they hit the base of the sofa. Marinette clinging onto him like a baby koala.

"If you cared about our friendship so much. Why did you call me a chaotic mess with major issues?" The innocence of her voice hit his ear and caused everything in his body to freeze.

When the hell had he said that? Attempting to turn around and face her, he moved himself. Rotating around, he came eye to eye with Marinette as she sat straddling his lap. She looked lost. She looked as if his answer to this was everything. How could he not recall this at all?

Lifting onto his elbows, he tried to move them into a position which was more comfortable. Seeing the way she was hopelessly gazing down at him made him realise why she was asking now? He was one in the vulnerable position. He had no escape and she held all the power; a power he would gladly give to him.

"What?" he asked.

Pushing off him, Marinette began to move away. "Of course." Her voice held indignation, his body quivering in response.

Before she could get too far away, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back down onto his lap, holding her tightly in position.

"No, you're not leaving now. When did I say that Marinette? I have no recollection."

"Pfft, of course you don't. Why would you?" She wiggled around in his lap as she tried to break away.

"Marinette! I have no idea what you're on about. I have never called you 'a chaotic mess with major issues'. I don't think I've ever called anyone a chaotic mess with major issues. I wouldn't."

A quick look into her eyes and he could tell maybe she was starting to waiver on whether her memory was right or not. "B-b-but you did! I heard you!"

The hurt shining in her eyes made him want to beg for her forgiveness, the only issue was, he didn't know what he was begging for. He had zero idea what she was talking about.

"When, Marinette? When and where did you hear this?"

"At the Grevin Museum! I – the – when – you know?"

Completely stumped, Adrien shook his head in response. "I actually don't. All I can remember from the Grevin Museum was when you came and insulted my statue calling me an obnoxious twat."

Her hands covered her eyes as she squealed.

"Marinette, just tell me. What did you hear?"

Reaching up, Adrien gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist, moving her hands from her eyes and looking into the most beautiful blue he'd ever seen. One thing he always noticed about Marinette was the size of her eyes. They were large and perfect. He could look into them for hours, the only other pair to challenge them being Ladybug's.

"You were walking with Nino in front of me, Alya and Manon and I heard you say... 'she's like a chaotic mess with major issues.'"

Adrien replayed the time at the museum. He remembered them all turning up there, he remembered that he'd attempted to play a 'fun' practical joke on Marinette only for it to backfire and kick him hard in the ass. There was an argument between the two of them when he moved and scared her, and the akuma. But calling her chaotic mess? He just couldn't remember.

When they'd arrived there, Adrien had carried on inside with Nino but what were they talking about? Or even more, what was he talking about? The day replayed in his head completely blank of any of this. What the hell had he said?

"I - I took you home that day. I thought we were fine."

"Just forget it, Adrien. It just proves that you didn't even care what you were saying, I'm just a small fish in your big sea." She pushed herself off his lap and stood up, the shock of the conversation adding to the strength in his arms. His mouth opened and closed as he tried to remember what this conversation was about. This had hurt her and she had no idea. There was just no recollection of talking about Marinette in that way, he wouldn't!

Sifting through his memories, he remembered walking with Nino. They were talking about the girls and the fact they wanted to join the trip. They started up a backwards and forwards conversation about Marinette, the girl seemingly uncomfortable to be there and Nino attempting to defend her actions. Adrien quizzed Nino, and Nino's answers just confused him even more, so much so that he laughed and said... "You're making her sound like a chaotic mess with major issues."

"See!" She wrapped her arms around herself unaware of the movement behind her as Adrien launched forward and spun her around.

"I didn't say it in the way you think, Marinette. Nino said it was you who wanted to come, and then he said you didn't want to spend time with me, then he changed the story again and I said, 'You're making her sound...'"

"Like a chaotic mess with major issues." They finished together.

"Shit!" she said.

"Yeah," Adrien laughed in response. "If you don't believe me, please call or message Alya or Nino, they'll tell you the truth. I didn't say it to offend you, Marinette, I swear. It was a joke with Nino, not an attack on you. I am so sorry you've thought, for all these years, that's how I see you because it most certainly is not."

Shaking her head, he watched as one of her eyebrows raised and a huff left her nose. "No wonder everyone's been telling me to talk to you."

They both moved back to the sofa and sat down in perfect synchronisation, the cushions giving way to a puff of air as they collapsed. They both laughed, Marinette hitting her shoulder into Adrien's and causing him to rock slightly sideways, before she shuffled in closer. Adrien couldn't help the grin stretching his lips. This tiny act of a second chance had his body burning, and he knew, without a doubt, they were tethering on a slippery slope, and for once he didn't care.

"I can't believe you thought I was just teasing you when I called you an obnoxious twat," Marinette laughed, her head coming to rest on his shoulder.

He tilted his head to look at her. "You've called me worse."

"I'm sorry," she said softly, humour lacing her words.

Batting it off with a hand, Adrien laughed. "Don't worry about it. I grew up with Chloé Bourgeois, remember."

"True."

A bitter coldness hit his shoulder as she moved away from him, his body moving with her to try and keep connected with her warmth.

She smiled, offering a hand out. "Hi, it's nice to meet you. I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Taking hold of her petite hand in his, Adrien moved it up and down. "Hello, Marinette. I'm Adrien Agreste. I'm sure we're going to get along great."