If the librarian didn't check her, Marinette would never notice the closing time.

She buried herself with books about fashion and designs to distract herself from Alya's missed calls, and somehow succeeded for the last few hours. It might be pure luck that her best friend didn't raid the whole school facilities to find her alone in the Arts section. Or maybe she did went to the library, but failed to see her.

She looked at the raindrops outside the window sill. The sky was fairly gray since morning, and the weather didn't gave her the sunset view she usually expect after class. It reminded her about an umbrella, that she was supposed to bring one but didn't because she went out before rain showers.

To make the story short, she forgot it.

She collected her things and carefully settled Tikki inside her bag. She didn't want to disturb the cookie-loving kwami from her slumber. Snickering, she left the premise.

Good thing that her house was a five-minute walk, so there wasn't an issue with her in terms of travel. She'd just run in the rain. And if a problem occurred, she'd transform into Ladybug.

The halls were empty, and so was the locker area. And since Alya stopped calling her two hours ago, Marinette knew her that all of her classmates went home already.

Which was why she didn't expect to see a familiar figure waiting outside.

A handsome model leaning on a pillar with a rainy weather as a backdrop was a sight, and for Marinette it was perfect picture of solitude. On his hand was a closed black umbrella, with its pointed edge tapped on the floor.

Adrien felt her presence, and looked towards a beautiful girl in twin tails, with large blue eyes complementing her doll-like face. She was alone, with her dark hair blended among the shadows, and her petite figure was wrapped by soft illumination that came from the hallway's lamp.

The two youngsters stared each other for a whole minute, unable to tear their attentions away, until the loud, crackling noise of a thunderstorm cut it.

Marinette jolted, as well as Adrien who blushed and moved his head away.

The designer walked towards the entrance shyly, then stopped a meter away from the model. She didn't want to let the cat get her tongue, and proved it by striking a conversation.

"No-not a nice weather today, huh?"

He was surprised, but happy that his Lady finally talked. "Yo-you're right. Not a nice weather. Totally."

"Waiting for someone?"

"Yeah." he answered. "You."

Now that made the cat got her tongue.

Her silence was painful for Adrien to bear, and even though he wanted to break it, he couldn't think of words to say.

He spent hours thinking about Ladybug and Marinette, and realized how little he knew about these two persona. That he was a dense idiot for not connecting the dots, and his biased feelings blinded him from identifying his true love. How many sleepless nights had he suffered because he fell in love with his Lady and Princess at the same time?

Marinette could feel the tension in the atmosphere, and knew that she caused it. Fidgeting, she looked around for a topic, and noticed the item on his hand.

"Tom gave this to me when we checked you out today. It was Alya's idea, not mine." he explained.

He respected her territorial boundaries, controlling the Chat in him to visit her room or sniff all over Paris for her answer. But he was also a teenage boy that has a streak of impatience.

"What gave you the hint that I'm still here?"

He didn't detect any anger or irritation on her voice. "Just a hunch, actually. Plagg can sense his fellow kwamis and told me that Tikki was somewhere around the vicinity, and since you're a type of person who doesn't hide in obvious places, school was the top on my list."

"So you fetched me an umbrella." she stated. "With a wild guess that I'm here?"

"Let's just say, I fetched my umbrella." he answered with a grin. She kept it, and the thought warmed him. "And even I can't read your heart, I can still read your mind. We're partners, right?"

The way he opened the umbrella and let the rain bounced on its top was nostalgic, and both felt a déjà vu when he handed it to her. Something similar happened in the past, and while they were strangers back then, they also got into a sticky situation that required some clarifications.

Her eyes grew large on his gesture, like a deep blue ocean drowning his sense of reality. He wanted to hug her, take her, and claim her as his, but scared that the ocean might not be as shallow as it seem. That it was dangerous for his emotions to be indulged on that short fantasy.

She reached for the silver handle, then hesitantly withdrew her hand. But his hand grabbed hers, and wrapped it for her to take the umbrella. The action was very symbolic, and Marinette couldn't help but shed a tear.

Adrien panicked "My Lady, did I -"

"No. And I'm sorry." she interjected while shaking her head. "But...can I make a confession?"

She took his raised brow as a yes.

"When I first got the Miraculous, I..was hesitant. I refused to accept that I was chosen to have some powers and save Paris from Hawkmoth's control. An ordinary girl that's plain and clumsy?"

You're not, he wanted to say but didn't. He kept silent and let her continue.

"Tikki somehow convinced me that I can, but when I first saw the akuma, I got scared. Then there's this hyperactive boy in a kitty costume running around, foolishly hitting the enemy without thinking at all."

"But you fell. On him." he interrupted, then chuckled when he saw the Ladybug-like glares. With or without the mask, he still finds it adorable.

"Yeah. Literally. But that was clumsy on my part. At least we didn't end up as enemies." she sighed. "Without you, I'll not be able to use my Lucky Charm. Without you, I might not get that resolution to accept my destiny even though Stoneheart's mess was my fault. Without you, I...Ladybug will not exist."

Her words touched his heart, like a needle pricking it continuously. It was swelled with love and happiness that he was the reason behind her actions. That somehow, he influenced Marinette's life without him knowing.

"Thanks." he answered, controlling the lump on his throat. "But...can I also make a confession?"

She beamed at him like a sunshine. "We're being honest today, huh?"

"Blame the rain." he responded, then waited a few second of silence. "Did you know that I used my Miraculous as an escape to reality?"

There was a hitch on her voice, but didn't stop him to continue. "All my life I've been shackled by Agreste's name, and more when my mother was gone. Every move I was monitored, and my friends were limited. I have to show an image of a perfect son, not only to the public but to my father as well, with a hope that I might win his attention. When I became Chat Noir, I didn't care about the consequence...until I met Ladybug. She made me realized the quote 'with great power comes a great responsibility'. She gave me an importance not only as a partner but as a friend, that I have this weird side that exist. It exist, but I didn't acknowledge it. Then there's this classmate named Marinette, who hated me at first, but still showed me a different side of my reality. She made me enjoy school, met new friends, and discover a life of a normal human being. Too bad she won't talk normally to me."

"Ah. That's. Uh." she gaped, and it made him laugh. She also laughed.

"So, you're not disappointed that I'm Ladybug?" she asked which earned an incredulous stare.

"Of course not. Not because Ladybug's not Chloe, but because it was you." he answered, then frowned. "Are you disappointed that I'm Chat Noir?"

She gave him the same incredulous stare. "Of course not. In fact, I'm happy he's not a ten-year old kid or a sixty-year old gigolo."

"That's mean." he frowned on her pursed smile, the snorted. "So..nothing will change, right?"

"Yeah. Everything will stay the same."

Then they realized that they've been holding hands for quite a long time. Flustered, they both released their grasp, as well as their grip on the handle.

"Adrien, I - "

"Marinette, I - "

Their mistake made the umbrella dropped on their heads, and since Adrien was a bit taller, he crouched a little on the impact. His bad luck kicked in when the umbrella shut and pressed their heads together. Or probably it was Marinette's luck because his lips touched hers.

It felt like a lighting had struck them, piercing their insides as their senses filled each other. They swore mentally that they heard their kwamis' voices outside the sheet with a 'Pound it!' cheer, and bet that they did a fist bump as well.

Her lips was soft, like a sweet strawberry that he could crave everyday. It was a strange feeling, but pleasant enough to make his mind crazy. He breathed her, and it was amazing.

The umbrella fell on the wet ground, and cued her to move away. It took them seconds to register what happened, and with a beet-red face, she apologized first.

"Oh my gosh, I - I'm sorry. It was an accident -"

Suddenly, Adrien grabbed her and pressed her lips back to his again. She blinked, then closed her eyes when his passion ate her. Wholeheartedly. Her mind went blank, and succumbed to her desires by fisting his blonde hair with her hand while the other was holding his back.

He snaked his hand on her waist, then the other on her face, caressing it as he explored her. She opened up, then followed his lead as their tongues intertwined. Their bodies were hot, like they were on fire, but the raindrops cooled them enough to enjoy its comfort. Their clothes were already drenched before it became a heavy downpour, but they didn't mind it.

When he gasped for air, she attacked him. Teeth were clashed, Lips were nibbled. It was her payback, with a very sweet revenge since both felt gooey and lost.

The release was unsatisfying, but they had to or they'll both die due to oxygen deprivation.

"Wow." she uttered, then looked at the disheveled boy with unruly, wet hair but with a glint on his eye.

"Now that's...not an accident" he supplied with a loop sided grin. He was holding a drenched girl with a ruined hairstyle and a plumped lips he happily made.

"You looked like a wet kitten."

"And I made you wet."

He snickered when she rolled her eyes and stumped his feet. When he gave a pained look, she giggled. God, how he adored her!

"I take it back."

"Take back what?"

"When I asked that nothing will change." he said. "I take it back."

Her head tilted with a question and answered by a warm embrace.

"Marinette, I love you."

She froze on his grasp, and felt the warm tears rolled on his shoulder. He felt the quivering of her mouth against his chest, muttering words he couldn't form, but her actions were loud enough to make him cry. Loving the girl behind the mask was his happiness, and never imagined that it'll be reciprocated.

"Things will never remain the same after this, right?" she whispered.

"Some things will, but some just improved for the better."

"Adrien?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you too."

He cradled her face and saw her smug expression. "Then I think we've established that you and I were made for each other."

Two hopelessly-in-love teenagers laughed as they shared another passionate kiss under the rain.

.

.

.

.

Next day came, and Ms. Bustier announced that Adrien and Marinette were be absent due to flu.

"I can't believe she went home soaking wet yesterday." Alya told Nino, who was now sitting beside her. "Call me her friend, but she really deserved that 38-degrees temperature."

"Try to ask my man, who went overboard these past few days till he ended up sick." Nino said while showing his girlfriend a message log.

"Wow, I never though Adrien was a wordy person."

"He normally isn't, but today's different. Which means he's not okay."

"Both our best friends were not here." she pondered. "Do you think they passed their sickness to each other?"

"A wishful thinking, and miraculous if it's true."

"Hey, miracles do happen."

He eyed her with a raised brow. "Are we betting some bucks here?"

"Same rules, same amount." she smirked, folding a Euro on the desk. "Let's see who's going to admit the relationship first."

- END -