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Marinette wiped her eyes and yawned. She pushed he body back, wanting to feel the warmth of Adrien's body, but he was gone once more, much to her amazement. She stood up and looked around, sighing, only to discover the room was empty. Marinette felt hurt. Adrien had managed to put some distance between them once more.

The bluenette was perplexed at this moment. Adrien had confessed his love for her, hadn't he? Then why did he keep fleeing from her, and why did it sting so much?

Marinette couldn't explain it, but knowing that Adrien was going to extreme lengths to stay away from her, was extremely painful. Why was Adrien doing this? 

Marinette knew what she did last night was terrible, so why did she feel compelled to repeat it? Why didn't she feel bad about it? And why did she want him to hold her so tightly every night, as he had done before?

Marinette looked perplexed. A week ago, she would have sworn she was over Adrien, but why was she feeling this way now? Why did she feel like she was 14 all over again? Marinette groaned, realizing that she was beginning to suspect that she wasn't over Adrien as she previously believed. What was she supposed to do now, and what did this mean for her and Luka? 

Marinette sat in her bed, dissatisfied with herself.  How could she have gone so long without noticing Adrien's feelings? The indicators were all there. They'd been right in front of her eyes the entire time.

How could she have not seen them? It was all there: the over-protectiveness when other guys were around, the nicknames, the mood swings whenever she mentioned Luka. Marinette wished she had seen it earlier. Maybe if she had, she wouldn't have tried to get over him. Maybe, she wouldn't have decided to date Luka in the first place. Or perhaps everything would remain the same. Even then, Marinette wished she had seen it sooner.

Marinette's thoughts immediately turned to Adrien's reaction from the night before. He had stopped her from speaking, opted to sleep on the couch instead, and finally, when she went to him, he chose to leave the room.

Marinette had no idea what was going on. She thought that he would have been content with the fact that she still desired to be around him. That's what he said to wanted. Right? Did he have any regrets about confessing? Do you think he realized he'd made a mistake and didn't truly love her? 

Marinette's chest ached at the thought. It pained her to think Adrien could look at his confession as a mistake, but why?

The door to the room swung open at that exact moment, interrupting Marinette's train of thinking and forcing her to look up.

"Good morning, Princess. I brought you some breakfast, "Adrien smiled as he called out. His smile was as lovely as it had always been. The bluenette blushed and felt butterflies in her stomach. She gave him a brief smile, but it rapidly disappeared when she remembered waking up in an empty room.

"Thank you," she said faintly, which Adrien picked up on right away. "Is there a problem, M'Lady?" He inquired, a little cautiously. He was hoping she wouldn't mention his confession. He had a sense she'd say goodbye the moment she did. He needed more time to persuade her to change her mind, and he wasn't ready yet.

'Yes, you abandoned me!' You left when I needed your comfort when I needed you to hug me,' Marinette reflected. That was what she wanted to say, and it was ready to come out of her mouth, but she knew she couldn't.

Marinette realized that saying things like that would send him mixed signals, not that she hadn't already, but the bluenette didn't want to give him false hope. Especially since she did not know what she was feeling just now, but that didn't stop her from being curious about why he'd gone. It was he who didn't want things to change between them, was he not? Then why did he persist in placing distance between them?

"Is this how it's going to be from now on? Like are you going to keep putting distance between us? It feels like you are trying to push me away. Is that what you want?" Marinette didn't mean to sound so hurt, but the truth was that she was.  His acts had caused her pain.

Marinette only wanted to know why he was acting in this manner. Why was he doing this to her now? If she remembered correctly, only a day before, it was he who didn't want her to push him away because of her and Luka's relationship? Did he honestly believe that his confession would cause them to lose their friendship?

Adrien stammered, "W-what?" He was perplexed. Part of him was relieved that she didn't bring up the confession, but he couldn't understand where she was coming from? What did she mean? 

Marinette let out a sigh. She couldn't stop now that she'd started. "I know you don't want to talk about it yet, and honestly, I'm still processing everything myself," Marinette said sadly. "But I couldn't help but notice that even after you said you wanted things to stay the same between us, you're distancing yourself from me. Is that how it's going to be from now on? Is that what I need to accept now?" Marinette asked quietly, hurt lacing through her voice. The bluenette kept her eyes on her breakfast, attempting to avoid eye contact with the blonde.

"What? Of course not, princess," the model responded, grabbing onto one of her hands. "Princess, you know distance is the last thing I want," he continued as his free hand caressed her cheek, but his actions didn't ease the upset bluenette.

"So, why didn't you go to bed? Why did you exit the room when I approached you on the couch?" She inquired, her displeasure palpable in her tone. Adrien reacted softly by lowering his gaze. "After what occurred, I figured you might need some distance. H -However, I didn't get off the couch. I mean, I did, but it was simply to get started on breakfast. I was about to wake you up, but you looked so peacefully sleeping that I decided to let you sleep. Sorry."

Marinette felt a surge of joy go over her. She couldn't understand it, but knowing Adrien wasn't avoiding her or walking out on her on purpose brought her an enormous sense of peace. "Does this imply you'll be coming to bed tonight?" Her tone was timid but hopeful.

Adrien gave a kind smile. His heart was pounding a million times per minute. He couldn't help but believe that Alya was correct, that Marinette had feelings for him. His heart swelled with joy at the prospect. "Are you certain that's what you want, princess?" Adrien inquired, his thumb rubbing against her knuckles. Marinette blushed and responded with a nod. He flirted, laying a kiss on her hand, "Then what M'lady wants is what she shall get."

________________________________________________________

The four teenagers cheerfully strolled inside the amusement park's gates. Marinette gasped as she noticed how enormous the park was. She was amazed at the beauty and uniqueness it held. It was her first visit to a theme park. It was not that she didn't want to go, but she couldn't afford it, and when she could, she was usually quite busy. Adrien's offer to pay for the tickets was the reason she was here today.

Adrien grinned at her delight. She was a stunning woman. He was overjoyed that he was able to bring her here. He wanted to make it special for her because it was her first time here, and he had already made it special for himself by being able to share another first with her. Adrien grinned at the prospect of creating a new memory with her.

While Marinette was admiring the rides, Alya signaled Adrien that the plan had begun.

"I'm ecstatic to be here with all of you. I love you guys and have missed you so much. I'm happy that we chose to come for the weekend" Alya expressed the truth. "But be ready to cry," she added, grinning at the males, "because my boyfriend here will make sure to make you look bad by winning me all the most gorgeous prizes." Marinette guffawed at her friend's competitiveness.

"Yeah, model boy. My girl here is correct, which is going to suck for you since it will simply demonstrate to Mari that you can't treat her like the princess you claim she is," Nino added, following his girlfriend's lead. 

Their strategy was to give Adrien a motive to win the bluenette prizes. To fool her into the most romantic rides, make her feel cherished, and remind her of why she fell in love with Adrien in the first place. Today would undoubtedly be a day to remember. It was now up to Adrien to finish the job.

"Oh, is that so?"  Adrien inquired, posing as a competitor while following their path. I hate to break it to you, but if anyone is receiving the most beautiful prizes, it will be my princess. After all, we do create a perfect team.  Isn't that right, M'lady?"  Adrien went on, wrapping his arm around Marinette's shoulders.

Marinette blushed furiously. She loved it when Adrien's competitive side got the best of him. He was always so confident and made sure to show off his talent and skills. "That's right, Kitty. Now enough with the chit-chat, and let's get my rewards," Marinette called out, yanking him into the first booth on the right. And just like that, Marinette was trapped.

Marinette couldn't help but smile as she looked at her treasures. Adrien had already won her a ladybug and black cat plushie, an enormous teddy bear, heart-shaped sunglasses, and a princess crown in less than an hour. Marinette laughed as she remembered him stating how now everyone would know she was his princess. Adrien was astonishing.

"He is a real prince charming, isn't he?" Alya asked from being her startling the bluenette. She then proceeded to sit beside her as the two girls waited for the guys to come back from the nearby gift shop. "Y-yeah, I guess," Marinette stated thoughtfully. The bluenette was finding herself question her feelings for Adrien more and more with each passing second. "Have you guys discussed what happened last night?" Alya inquired. Of course, she already knew the answer, but she was curious to hear her best friend's response. Alya hoped she would open up and share her feelings and thoughts with her.

Marinette responded with a shake of her head. "I wanted to, but as you may have heard, he says he isn't ready yet. Look at him; he's not just avoiding the subject, but he's nearly pretending it never happened. I was on the verge of believing it was all a dream. But, in a way, it's fine because I have no idea what I'm feeling right now. I can't say his confession didn't make me happy because we both know that would be a lie, but I'm with Luka now, and I can't hurt him."

Alya sighed as she heard her best friend's reply. "Look, I love you and will always be there for you, no matter who you choose to be with, but as your best friend, I have to tell you the truth. That's how well I know you, girl. I know you still love and will always adore that blonde goofball. You know, the ones trying his hardest to prove you are his princess, the one who is currently in that gift shop. Luka is a lovely guy, and I'm sure he'll try his hardest to make you happy, but sadly he'll fail since your heart was never his in the first place. Marinette, I know that no matter what you say, the truth is you love Adrien. You always have and always will. I also know how much he loves you. Just take a look at him."

Alya pointed with her head in the direction where the blonde stood. Marinette's gaze was drawn to the gift shop window, where she discovered a pair of stunning green eyes staring back at her.

"You see what I'm talking about, girl. Even when there are a million people around, his eyes discover you. Are you curious as to why?" Alya inquired of her companion, who responded with a modest nod.

"Because when you truly love someone, your heart will lead you in the right direction. Even if there are others nearby, if they are lost, or if there is a storm, following your heart will lead you to them. Adrien's gaze is continuously fixed on you. Mari, you are his entire universe, and he wants to make sure you are secure while appreciating your beauty. Now my only question is can Luka give you that type of love? Can his eyes find you anywhere like Adrien's can? Just think about it, okay?" Alya added, bringing her friend in for a reassuring hug. 

When the guys arrived, the two girls sat in silence. "Hey, babe," Nino said as he yanked his girl from her seat and drew her in for an embrace. Adrien flinched in his head, not because of the affection but because of the phrase. Babe? Call him traditional, but the love of your life should never be referred to as babe or even baby. Instead, they should be referred to as my love, m'lady, darling, or even princess.

Marinette grinned when she saw her friend's affectionate gesture. They were an incredible couple. Adrien, meanwhile, was enamored with his princess's gorgeous smile. Their gazes collided once more, sending them both into a flushing frenzy.

Hey, M'lady.  I- I've got something for you, "Adrien stumbled and anxiously stroked the back of his neck. "Wow, there's more? This is all too much, Adrien," Marinette expressed her surprise. "I have to disagree with you. This will never be enough for you; you are deserving of the entire globe," Adrien flirtatiously remarked. Adrien was so engrossed in his princess gaze that he didn't realize what he'd spoken. That is, until Alya and Nino awed, shattering the spell and ruining the moment.

"I- I mean, it's something small, but I saw it, and I couldn't help myself," Adrien stated, embarrassed from his previous statement. He then handed her the small box in his hands.

As she opened the little box, Marinette bit her lower lip. Marinette covered her mouth with her hand and gasped as she saw what was within. A lovely yin sign necklace and the most beautiful golden charm bracelet were on display.

Adrien reached for his neck and pulled out a matching necklace with the yang sign as she glanced at him. "I figured they'd serve as a reminder that no matter what happens in the future, we'll always be here for each other," Adrien explained nervously. "As for the bracelet? That's something I've been meaning to give to you. I added a charm for each significant event in our lives," He went on, anxiously fiddling with his chain.

Marinette kept her emotions at bay. She couldn't cry in front of everyone.  Adrien had always been so considerate of others. Another reason she had fallen in love with him was because of this. Marinette leaped into Adrien's arms, unable to contain her emotions. "Thank you so much. I love them," Marinette spoke in hushed tones towards his ear.

Marinette recognized right then and there that Alya had been correct. She was still in love with Adrien Agreste.