19. Beginnings and How to Break a Heart

"Find her, for me."

The words rang through Marinette's head as she rushed the streets of Paris. She had been searching for hours and this was her fourth time switching back from Ladybug, to Marinette.

It seemed like the two of you were continuously moving in opposite directions, as always.

Marinette sighed as she wiped the tear that began to fall from her eye. She was approaching the bakery again—she had still yet to find you.

She couldn't figure out why Luka was convinced that talking to you would be a good idea. She understood how important family was, but she had never allowed you to comfort her when you so desperately wanted too. Why would you now that the tables have turned?

She walked inside, luckily dodging your parents, and made her way upstairs. She was about to go up to her room when she stopped at the railing, peering at your closed door.

With a gulp, she walked over and opened it slightly.

It was a mess—like always.

You had been like that for as long as she could remember, and it made her smile to see that you hadn't changed.

Marinette stepped in and closed the door behind her. She took a seat on your bed, the clearest space in the room, and waited. She was careful not to touch anything as she waited.

And waited.

**

You had been running for what felt like hours.

Your mind refused to stop racing—which left you kicking a couple of trees out of frustration. Your tears had yet to stop spilling from your eyes, and the despair in your chest only continued to grow.

You made it onto the bridge that Andre typically sets up his ice cream stand. There was a bench near the gated off edge and you sighed as you leaned on it, your arms crossed over the top.

You laid your face in between your crossed arms as you continued crying.

The cries had been quiet for hours, but now that you were alone on the pier your sobs were the only sound in the space surrounding you.

"Luka." You whispered with a broken voice.

"Luka...Luka...Luka." You hated how his name came out in an almost shriek as your whole body broke for the loss of him. The loss of what you believed the two of you were growing. The loss of what you could have had.

It was all gone now.

You sounded so desperate and pitiful—you hated that too.

You thought back to all the days you had spent falling in love with him these past few months. The two of you spent so much time together as you wrote your song.

Your song...

It was in the final stages of work as of earlier that day. You needed the last few lyrics and it would be finished. To think that all the work you put in would go to waste...only furthered your broken heart.

"He told me...it would get better." You spoke to yourself. "I would have never guessed he would be the one to break everything all over again."

There was a quiet padding of feet approaching, and you simply titled your head.

"Adrien?" You were shaking.

"Ladybug called." His whisper mimicked your own. He took a seat on the bench next to you and pulled you against his chest.

"How does she know?" You groaned as you cried into his chest as your hand clutched his torso tightly.

"She ran into—Luka." He sighed as he stroked your hair softly.

What he wasn't mentioning was he saw when the two of you first kissed in your room. You had forgotten, but you sent him a message immediately after you left the barge to let him know how frustrating the day was for you. He hurried over as soon as he could as Chat Noir, ready with a gift and hours of jokes to tell to cheer you up.

But as he held onto his staff outside of your window, he saw you pressed up against your door.

He didn't stay long after that.

He wasn't lying when he said Ladybug called him. She claimed to have been searching for you the entire night, after someone filed you were missing.

He knew he would be able to find you, he always was able.

"You're always saving me, Huh?" You looked up at him and smiled softly.

He simply caressed your cheek with his large hand and used his thumb to wipe away the stray tears falling off your cheek.

"I'll always save you Y/n." He whispered as he leaned in close and kissed your forehead.

"I know, thank you." You felt a sudden rush of comfort being in the arms of the boy you cared so deeply for. You felt almost certain that you weren't in love with him anymore, just plain love. Though to be fair, your heart was so shattered you didn't even know how to start to love someone again.

Adrien gulped hard as he looked down at your small form. You were still clutching to him, and he shivered as his heart raced in defiance.

"Aren't you cold?" His question was a whisper as he tugged at your thin sweater.

"Yeah, but I needed an escape." You responded simply as you shifted and leaned further into him to capture his warmth.

"Where did you go?"

"Everywhere." Your smile was small.

"Thats a very Y/n response."

"Well, duh." You snorted.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" He asked with a gentle voice after a few moments of silence.

"Not really." You responded groggily.

Adrien frowned as he watched you watch the water. You were right there but you felt so out of reach. He couldn't help but wonder if he had been reading things between you and him wrong the entire time, he was always good at that.

You were always a mystery to everyone, but he felt like he understood you.

"Adrien." You whispered as you sat up straight and he released his hold on you.

"Yes?" He spoke hesitantly.

"You...are one of the relationships I cherish most." You looked up at him and flashed a broken smile after you spoke the words he said to you almost two years ago.

Adrien gulped hard as his heart pounded rapidly against his chest . He felt as if he had this revelation a while ago, but the look in your eyes simply solidified how he was feeling.

"I love you."

Your entire body stiffened with those three words.

"You...?"

"I love you Y/n. I do." He took in a deep and shaky breath. "I'm so sorry, I know now must've been the worst time to tell you." He stood with his face clutched tightly in his hands.

You watched as he stood and paced in front of you, nervousness taking over him entirely. You reached up and felt the warm tears falling from your eyes, another piece of you broken that night, because for you and Adrien—