Me without you-MLB

Confession, confusion, rejection, and mistakes

"Adrien, I like you!" Marinette blurted out before she could back out. This was certainly not the way she wanted to tell him, but she knew that if she tried to ease him to it and say it gently, she would end up backing out before she told him the truth. But now it was too late, she had said it, and it was out there. Now there was no way she could back out.

Adrien's eyes widened as she stood frozen in his spot. He felt his heart skip and stomach twist. Not being able to comprehend what he was seeing or hearing, his hand flew to his mouth as he tried to cover a gasp. He was sure his mind had just played a trick on him, but it felt so real. He felt time slow down, and everything around him blurred. Thoughts soon invaded his mind, and his stomach felt as if it had been invaded by butterflies.

*Did she say She likes me? No, surely, I heard wrong. Marinette couldn't possibly have feelings for someone like me. But then why does the thought of her liking me fills me with joy?* Adrien tried shaking his thoughts before trying to speak.

"W-what?" Adrien asked. He wanted to say more, but at the time, the word "what" was the only word that managed to come out of his mouth. Adrien still couldn't believe she said she liked him. He felt like he was losing his mind. All night, thinking of her, messed with his head. There was no way he could be that lucky. Upon his reaction, Marinette regretted ever saying anything. She wanted to take it all back and run away, but it was too late, and now she had to continue.

"I s-said I like you, Adrien. As more than just friends." She repeated quietly, looking towards the ground. Marinette didn't want to look up at him, but she knew she had to see his reaction to get ready for what would most likely happen. She looked up to see Adrien's eyes were wide open, and his shoulders were slumped. Her heart broke. She knew it. I mean, why would someone as amazing as Adrien would ever want a clumsy, stuttering mess of a girl.

As the words had left her mouth, Adrien's thoughts became wild. *Oh my god, she said it! She actually said it. I didn't misunderstand anything. Marinette likes me! My princess actually likes me! What do I do? What do I say? I am so confused right now. Half of my heart still belongs to M'Lady, but then, why do I want to run to her and kiss her? But she doesn't deserve someone whose heart is split Marinette deserves the world, but I want this! What do I do?* Adrien internally panicked.

Marinette stared at Adrien as he looked like he was having an internal war. She knew he was probably looking for a way to let her down easily, and it hurt a lot, but she had to hear it. She couldn't just run. Since Adrien was not speaking, she decided to continue and let every single feeling out so that he would at least know the truth and she could feel free from hiding it for so long.

"It's funny, really, because I have liked you for the longest time now. Ever since you gave me the umbrella on that rainy day, to be exact. I loved the way you were kind and caring. Even after I was so rude to you, and had judged you wrongfully. I loved the way you defended everyone, even Chloe, and always stood for what was right. I guess after all that, I couldn't help but fall for you." Marinette paused, and once again looked towards the ground, wondering if she should continue or just stop before it got even more painful.

Adrien was not sure how to feel. He was tore in two. Half of him wanted to jump for joy and pull Marinette into a hug and kiss her till there was no more air in his lungs, but the other half of him felt like he still couldn't betray his lady. He didn't want to give Marinette hope and then break her heart. The last thing he would ever want is to lose Marinette's friendship. He still couldn't believe Marinette liked him. All this time he thought she hated him or was intimidated by him, but it wasn't like that. Everything made sense now. How could he have been that stupid?

Adrien didn't know what to do. His lady still had his heart, but his pigtailed princess was definitely taking over. At that very moment, Adrien realized he too liked the baker's daughter. Adrien Agreste had feelings for the clumsy Marinette Dupain Cheng. *Oh my god, I like Marinette! I have feelings for Marinette. I should have known she was never just a friend to me. I always felt things for her that I didn't feel for anyone else, but I kept pushing it away for Ladybug.* Adrien kept trying to sort his feelings out. His lady didn't want him. She rejected his love time and time again, and Marinette, she did. She made him feel happy, cared for, and loved. But it was also unfair for him to give her only half of his heart when she gave him everything. Marinette deserved all of him, but he was a broken boy. Who loved two girls at once. But what if they could be happy together? Marinette was truly amazing, and he was sure they could have a future together.

As Marinette stared at his reactions, for a second, she could have sworn she saw a smile on his face. She was about to smile when she saw his smile turn into a frown and a look of sadness flashed in his eyes. At that moment, her heart shattered.

Adrien has smiled, getting ready to confess he likes her too, and he wanted a chance to make her happy when his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Plagg's voice in his head. "Hey, genius, you aren't thinking of doing what I think you are about to do, are you? Did you forget you have a girlfriend?" Adrien's smile faded as he felt an undeniable pain in his chest. His world crashed down by a simple word. "Girlfriend." How could he have forgotten? What has wrong with him? He was dating Kagami. Why would he think that for once, his life would be simple and he could be happy? But Maybe if he told her the truth, she would understand, right?

Marinette felt tears begin to build in her eyes, but she had to stop them. She had to be strong. From the look on his face, she was aware the rejection was coming, but she needed to force herself to listen to it, and maybe she could finally move on.

"Marinette, I- I am sorry, but I can't accept your feelings," Adrien spoke sadly, his heartbreaking as he forced himself to say the words. Marinette was about ready to run. She didn't think her heart would handle so much. Tears were threatening to fall, but she wouldn't let them. She refused to cry in front of him. If she held her tears with Chloe's and Lila's words and lies, even though they were painful, she could certainly do it now.

"You are such an amazing friend, and I--" Marinette couldn't hear the rest. "Friend!" there it was, the same damn word she always heard. The word that could tear her up in an instant and the only thing she would ever be to him. A Friend!

"I don't want to lose you. You mean more to me than you know, b-but I have a girlfriend." She heard him finish.

Marinette felt her blood freeze. Right when she thought there was nothing more painful he could say to her, he says that. "G-girlfriend?" she mumbled out, but he heard her. *So, I was right. All this time, he had been dating Kagami, hadn't he? He had lied to her! When they went to the ice rink that day, he had said she was only a friend, but that maybe, in the future, she could be more, but he had lied he had already been dating her? But what about New York? Did he play me?* Marinette thought, anger filling her veins.

Marinette felt tears spill as she could no longer hold them in. Adrien's heart shattered even more at the sight of her tears. He realized he had said the wrong thing. Trying to explain quickly, he called out, "Marinette I-" "Don't," she interrupted him. He felt his entire world come crashing down at the sound of her voice. The pain and anger were evident in her voice. Adrien took a deep breath finding himself also trying to hold back tears.

"Just, don't. It's okay, Adrien, I- I understand. It was dumb of me to think you could ever feel the same for someone like me. I should have known Kagami held your heart." She tried to speak as friendly as she could, but her voice still sounded cold and robotic. There was no way she could hide the pain and feeling of betrayal in her voice.

"No, Marinette, it's not like that I d-" he tried to reach for her as he began to speak but stopped speaking as he watched her back away from his touch. His heart hurt. The look on her face was clear, sending chills down his spine. He was going to lose her. No, he couldn't lose her. Anyone else, everyone else, but not her, please.

"Marinette, please I-" he watched as she held her hand up to silence him. The look in her eyes went from pain to anger and back to pain. "No! Don't, " she spoke up, "It's okay, Adrien, as I said, it's my fault, not yours, so don't worry," she spoke, backing away from him like he was some sort of plague. Adrien felt tears build in his eyes. Marinette hated him, that much was obvious. "I- tell Alya I wasn't feeling well, please. I- I gotta go," she added, turning her back towards him and running away. She has to leave right now. She couldn't handle seeing him. What was she thinking?

"Marinette, stop, please!!!"