Marinette could still taste him on her lips. They salty flavor of his soft skin and the way his warm hands felt as they ran down her sides. She'd never thought of him as anything more than a friend before that night –her goofy, flirtatious kitty –but now things had completely changed for the both of them.

Her phone buzzed on her desk and Marinette briefly glanced down to see a picture of Alya flashing across her screen. The picture was taken a couple days prior, with both girls smiling brightly into the screen, her thick-rimmed glasses reflecting the light of the flash.

"Hey, Alya, what's up?" Marinette chewed on her nails as she stared at the familiar wallpaper in front of her. Adrien's face was plastered everywhere with pink, drawn hearts encircling every portrait of his face.

She used to love staring at it –at him, but now the guilt of what she and Chat had done left her with guilt building at the pit of her stomach, wondering whether she had any right to have his pictures at all.

"Girl, where are you? Didn't you hear the news about Adrien's dad?" asked Alya, her voice high.

Marinette's eyes widened and suddenly her mind went blank. Hands shaking, she quickly laid the phone on her lap and tried to keep her eyes from wandering. "N –No, what happened," her voice softened, "Is Adrien okay?"

"I don't know. He won't speak reply to any of our messages. You need to get yourself over here right now," she replied.

From behind Alya's curvy silhouette she could see Nino walking towards the phone, peering over Alya's shoulder. His face was grim, lips pulled back into a taunt line and the sparkle absent from his eyes. Immediately all her guilt was replaced with fear. She didn't need to be told twice.

"I'm on my way." She ended the call and grabbed her bag off the back of her chair, racing toward the trapdoor above her bed. Tikki flew up from her desk, blue eyes wide. "Marinette, what is it?"

"I don't know, Tikki, but I'm worried about Adrien." She opened the hatch and pulled herself up onto her balcony, giving Tikki just enough time to slip through before I fell back shut. "We need to leave now."

"Do you think they know?" she asked. Marinette hesitated, her hands instinctively moving away from the balcony railing toward her chest. No. They couldn't know. No one could.

"Tikki, spots on!" she cried and in a flash of pink light she was Ladybug, soaring through the streets of Paris to comfort the boy she loved and desperately hoping he was okay.

Last night, before running into Hawk Moth, something had shifted between her and Chat Noir. She wasn't sure what it was, but she'd loved every second of it. Then it'd all gone to hell when they discover Hawk Moth was Gabriel Agreste.

Ladybug landed in an alleyway not too far from his mansion and transformed back into her civilian self, opening her purse enough for Tikki to slip inside. She ran across the street, barely dodging the passing cars as she made it to the sidewalk and sidestepped all the pedestrians with only Adrien in mind.

A large truck was parked just in front of the manor gates with people dressed in untidy uniforms moving between the two. The back was open, revealing a cluster of old, dusty furniture and Marinette's breath caught in her throat when she saw two men in overalls loading a piano into the vehicle.

Adrien's piano.

"Marinette!"

She snapped her head from the truck to see Alya rushing towards her. She could barely register Alya's hands on her shoulder, holding her firmly as though she could keep Marinette anchored in the present instead of the unbearable future.

"W –Where," she whispered, her chest aching and warm tears welling in her bluebell eyes. Alya didn't answer. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Marinette's slender frame and hugged her tightly. Her grip was strong and reassuring, but Marinette could already feel herself falling apart.

Nino walked up to them, his figure blurred through Marinette's tears. His hands were tucked away in his denim pockets and he shook his head as he spoke. "I just can't believe his old man is taking him from us –to England. This totally blows!"

"E –England?" whimpered Marinette. Tears slipped from her eyes, down her cheeks and onto Alya's back while Nino smiled painfully. It was all the confirmation she needed.

Adrien was leaving. He was leaving them. He was leaving her.

She caught sight of his blonde hair in the sunlight a few feet away, wearing the same white over-shirt as always with his head ducked down. Her heart pounded in her chest and she pushed passed Alya, rushing towards him.

Marinette didn't care if her eyes were red, if her face was flushed or even if her hands were shaking. Adrien was there, only a few feet away and this might be the last time she ever saw him. All that mattered was being with him and trying to keep him here with her for as long as possible.

"Adrien!" she cried. He frowned, glancing around before his eyes fell on her. The change was obvious. His eyes didn't glimmer like they usually had for the past three years instead they were blank, hollow and distant. They were void.

She stopped in front of him, her chest heaving and her breath ragged. Her voice broke as she spoke. "It can't be true. It can't –,"

"It's a good idea," he said. He turned his head away, looking awkward and surprisingly cold. "It's the best thing for us right now."

Alya and Nino ran up from behind her and she felt her best friend's hand entwine with hers. "How can this be the best thing?" asked Alya, her voice laced with anger, "Don't act like you actually want this!"

"This is your home, Bro. We –," Nino's voice grew low, "We need you."

Adrien smiled, but it was so bitter and pained that Marinette had to close her eyes. "You don't need me," he replied, "You never did." Everyone went silent, anxious for him to answer them. "My father needs to get away from Paris and I...I think I need to as well."

"But why?" asked Alya, her grip tightening on Marinette's hand. "We can see something happened, Adrien. Just talk to us, please."

They didn't know what was happening, but Marinette did. The look in his emerald eyes was haunted and Marinette knew right then and there that Adrien knew what had happened the night before –that his father was Hawk Moth.

And this was all her fault.

"Okay," mumbled Marinette. Fresh tears dripped from her chin onto the stone paving and she wiped at them angrily. It wasn't fair. None of this was. "I understand."

"What? Marinette –,"

"Just promise to call us," she said, brushing off Alya's concerned expression. For a moment, if only a moment, she could see the real Adrien behind his mask. He smiled –a real, genuine and good hearted smile. Then he reached out for her hand.

His skin felt frigid against hers like the warmth inside him had been extinguished and all she wanted in that moment was to warm him, to shower him with love and affection to make up for all the neglect his father had given to him.

"Thank you, Marinette." And before she could even register it, Adrien had pulled her forward and embraced her. His arms were solid, crushing her against his chest and she returned the hug, clutching to the back of his shirt as she buried her face into his chest.

"I'm going to miss you," she whispered, her voice breaking. Adrien's grip on her tightened and she was consumed by the scent of his cologne.

"I'm going to miss you too, Marinette."

It ended all too soon for her. He withdrew himself, prompting Marinette to do the same and her heart felt heavy in her chest as he hands fell away from him. He gave Alya and Nino the same goodbye, holding onto them just as tightly and Marinette felt sick with the realization this might be her last moments with him.

A shadowed towered over them and she looked behind her to see Gabriel staring at them with Natalie by his side. She hadn't believed it at first, but now all she could see was Hawk Moth, standing over her and Chat Noir, vowing to take away everything they loved for standing in his way.

"Have you said your goodbye's son?" His voice was clipped and sharp, but there was an underlying tone Marinette couldn't read.

"Yes, Father," he replied.

He didn't even look at her, his usually stoic face giving way to fatigue. "What about miss Bourgeois? Is she here?"

Adrien shook his head, "She was too upset to see me."

"That's disappointing," he muttered. Glancing over his shoulder to Natalie he asked, "Is everything in order?"

"Yes, Mr Agreste. Everything is going according to schedule and the plane should be leaving soon. We need to leave now if want to make it in time for your flight."

Gabriel nodded and walked passed them towards the car parked in front of the moving truck. "Come along, Adrien."

"Yes, Father." Adrien spared one last glance at Alya, Marinette and Nino, his eyes lingering on each of their faces as if committing them to memory. "I'm really going to miss you guys."

"We know," replied Alya. Nino reached out to wrap his arm around her shoulders, hugging her and Adrien turned back to Marinette.

"I really hope I get to model your designs one day. You're really talented." Tears gathered in his eyes and he turned his back to them. "I'm really lucky to have had real friends like you."

Marinette's feet felt like weights beneath her body, pinning her to the ground. She wanted to follow him, to reach out and bury herself in his arms. She didn't want to let go of him. She wasn't strong enough.

"Wait –," Adrien stepped inside the car, closing the door behind him and Gorilla pulled the car out into the street. Marinette stepped forward, her pace increasing the further away the car drove. "Adrien, wait!"

She sprinted after them, her tears blurring her vision, and reached out for him. "Please!" She had to tell him. She had to let him know.

"Adrien I love you!" she screamed.

But he couldn't hear her. The car turned around a corner in the Parisian street and the strength was suddenly sucked from her limbs. Marinette fell to her knees on the sidewalk, indifferent to the various faces staring at her.

Her chest heaved as painful sobs tore through her body, ripping deeper into her heart.

Adrien was gone.

And she didn't even get the chance to tell him she loved him.

Please don't forget to vote or comment if you enjoyed the prologue. It was kinda tricky finding the right scene, especially with all the emotions I had to write, but I think it turned out pretty well.

Next update will be on Friday. Have a great weekend everyone!