Chapter Text
They were in the water, just the two of them. Marinette floated on her back, arms and legs spread out like a starfish. Beside her, Adrien treaded water, bobbing up and down with each gentle roll of the sea.
Without warning, his hand skimmed across the surface, sending a wave of salty spray her way, and she righted herself with a gasp. ‘Hey!’
He grinned at her, eyes sparkling. She stuck out her tongue at him, then splashed him back and dove under the surface before he could retaliate. The water was cool on her hot cheeks, and she stayed where she was for a moment. Fully submerged, she peered up at Adrien’s wobbly, distorted shape. She could hear him laughing, the sound booming through the water around her.
When her chest grew tight, she pushed down with her arms, kicking to get back to the surface. But instead of rising...she started moving down.
Frowning, she tried again — and again — yet with every kick the light grew dimmer, the water cooler. Panic stole through her, pinching her lungs, and her movements grew more frantic – desperate.
Adrien’s face appeared in the water above her, his eyes wide. His lips were moving, forming words she could not hear. The water pressed in around her, and she fought harder, heart pounding against her ribcage, arm outstretched. Adrien! She needed to get to Adrien —!
His hand reached for her. Their fingers brushed, and for a moment, she thought he had her.
But she was still sinking, deeper and deeper...away....
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Marinette woke with a start. She was bathed in sweat, her top sticking to her skin, half riding up to expose her stomach. Above the bed, close to the centre of the room, a ceiling fan hummed softly.
The light was dim, suggesting it was early morning. Too early to be awake. On the bed to her left, Alya slept soundly, sheets tangled up around her legs.
Marinette let out a soft groan, lifting a hand to her damp forehead. She’d been having a dream...but already the details were slipping from her mind like sand through her fingers. She’d been...in the sea. With Adrien. Which didn’t exactly say much, considering she’d spent almost the entirety of the last four days with him. At the beach.
Images of his golden curls, bright green gaze and sun-kissed skin swam in her vision, and she rubbed at her eyes. God, there was no way she was going to be able to fall back asleep now. Even after over four years of knowing him — being his friend — loving him — her heart still gave a little flip at every thought of him…at every smile he sent her way.
She was no longer fourteen, concocting the wildest plans to spend time with him and embarrassing herself with every breath, every stammer. But the passage of time hadn’t softened or wilted her crush — it had only seemed to tend to it, watering and nurturing it into an even bigger, brighter flower.
And with the way her heart still pounded…she thought she had a pretty good idea of what the dream with Adrien might have involved, now.
With a sigh, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It was too hot to stay inside. She padded barefooted across timber floorboards and out of the bedroom, which opened up into a spacious living space with a kitchenette, still strewn with the remnants of last night’s takeaway. Opposite her was the door to Adrien and Nino’s room, and to her right — past two comfy couches, a coffee table, and a mounted TV — a sliding glass door led out onto a balcony.
As she’d hoped, it was cooler outside, a breeze soothing her flushed cheeks. Blinking in the sunlight, she went over to the railing, where she folded her arms and leaned forwards, breathing in the sweet, tropical air. At this hour, it was still a little fresh.
Tikki appeared suddenly, plonking herself down beside Marinette’s hand. Only years of living with her kwami had conditioned Marinette not to jump — or even so much as blink. Instead, she yawned. ‘Morning, Tikki....’
Tikki beamed at her. ‘You’re up early!’
‘Mhmm. Couldn’t get back to sleep.’
She stared out at the view of Achu. Their resort apartment was up on the third floor, giving a sweeping vista of the surrounding landscape. Below was the pool, the palm trees with their hammocks, and a few resort cottages. A little past that, peeking through more rows of palms, was the pale white sand of the beach and the sparkling aquamarine of the sea, stretching all the way to the horizon.
‘I still can’t believe we’re here, Tikki,’ she murmured. ‘I keep expecting the trip to be cancelled, or for something to go wrong, but...it’s been so wonderful.’
Snorkelling...sunbathing...delicious buffets of fresh fruit and curries.... The past few days still felt like a dream. It was hard to believe this was the view she got to wake up to every day. Their accommodation was perfect — just the right size, luxurious without being over the top, with the pool, the spa, massage sessions, and even a games room that had played host to a riveting air hockey match between Adrien and Nino two nights earlier.
‘See?’ Tikki said. ‘I told you everything would be fine!’
Marinette smiled. ‘Yeah, yeah, you were right. And it totally wasn’t because you were desperate to try Achu’s traditional fruit cake, right?’
‘Absolutely not. But oooh, it was so good....’
Marinette giggled. Her initial nerves at the prospect of leaving Paris for a week — especially when Chat Noir had coincidentally been going on holiday at the same time — seemed so silly now. She’d spent hours going over each possibility with Tikki, and with Chat, but in the end, she hadn’t been able to convince herself not to go on the trip. With the ability to create a portal and return to Paris within seconds, any risk was so minimal it was practically non-existent. Monarch, perhaps finally growing old and tired, had slowed down significantly over the years, and akumas had dropped to only one or two a week. There’d even been a few blissful weeks the previous summer with no attacks at all.
Besides...after four long years of saving Paris, she deserved a holiday.
‘You’ve been able to spend so much time with Adrien, too,’ Tikki said. ‘At the beach...in the pool....’
Marinette sighed dreamily. ‘Mhmm....’
From behind her came the sound of the door sliding open, sending her heart leaping and Tikki darting out of sight. Without turning to look, she knew it was him. Instinct, you could call it. Maybe she’d learnt to recognise the subtleties of his breaths, his steps even when quiet. Maybe she could simply feel his presence radiating out towards her, warmer than the sun.
‘Hey, Marinette.’ Adrien joined her at the railing a moment later, his voice rough with sleep. He was in his pyjamas — a t-shirt and shorts — and his curls stuck up all over the place behind his ears. He gave her a bright smile. ‘I wasn’t expecting you to be up yet.’
She stared at him, her cheeks warm. Then realised he’d sort of asked her a question and she should probably respond. ‘Oh! Y-yeah. I...woke up from a dream and couldn’t fall back asleep.’
A dream about you.
He smiled at her. Even after all these years, he still had no idea of the effect he had on her. Still had no idea how much she longed to cup his cheeks, pull him close until their hips were touching, and press her mouth to his. Sometimes the desire was more than she could physically stand, and she had to step away for a few moments before she cracked and did something drastic.
But...this trip was her chance. It had to be. In less than a month, they’d all be going off to university — different universities. Adrien would probably meet another girl, and fall in love, and she would never forgive herself for not being honest sooner. She had to tell him. Even if he didn’t feel the same way about her. Even if he just saw her as a friend. A very good friend.
She could do it. Right now. She could say it.
I love you, Adrien. I’ve been in love with you since we were thirteen.
But —
No. It was too early. And her mouth was dry. And she hadn’t brushed her teeth, and — oh, Adrien was speaking.
‘...the beach?’
‘Huh?’
He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘I was just wondering if you’d like to go down to the beach for a quick swim. Before Nino and Alya wake up. We could be back before breakfast.’
Go down to the beach for a swim? Alone with Adrien? ‘S-sure! That sounds….’
‘Great! I’ll go get changed and…meet you out front?’
She gave him a thumbs up, inwardly cursing herself.
Mindful of the fact that their friends were still asleep, they stayed silent as they crept back inside and went into their respective rooms to grab their things. In the bathroom she was sharing with Alya, Marinette changed into her bikini top and shorts and rubbed on some sunscreen.
Before she could open the door and head back out, Tikki appeared again. ‘Have fun together!’
She gave her a knowing grin, and Marinette blushed. ‘Tikki! We’re just — we’re just going to the beach....’
‘To swim... just the two of you....’
‘He doesn’t — you know he doesn’t feel the same way.’
‘Maybe he does.’
Marinette shook her head, ignoring the way her heart leaped at the idea. ‘If he did...he — he would’ve said so by now. Adrien’s not like me. He’s always so honest and open with his feelings. Or...his lack of feelings.’ She sighed. ‘Anyway...aren’t you coming?’
Tikki shook her head, and gave a tiny yawn. ‘I think I’ll go back to bed.’
‘Well, okay. We won’t be long!’
Tikki lifted her brow in a way that clearly said, are you sure about that? and Marinette hurried out of the bathroom before she could get any redder and be mistaken for her kwami.
Adrien was waiting for her just outside the front door, standing in just his swim shorts, with his towel draped over one shoulder. A sight she would never get tired of seeing, even after so many days.
He beamed at her. ‘Ready to go?’
She nodded, unable to speak.
They started walking, and less than a minute later, they were stepping onto the fine, silky sand of the beach. Marinette slid off her sandals, carrying them as they neared the water’s edge, where they dumped their towels. Save for a few locals in the distance, near a cluster of rocks, they had this section of the beach — and the sea — to themselves.
With grins, they raced down to the water, splashing all the way in up to their waists. Already the sun was hot on her skin, and she glanced at Adrien, at the droplets glistening on his tanned shoulders. God, if only. All she ever did was burn.
‘It’s so calm,’ he said, moving slowly, watching the water ripple around him. Tiny silver fish darted away from his legs.
He was right — the water was flat, serene. ‘It’ll be perfect for tonight,’ she mused. They’d booked a sunset cruise for the afternoon, with live music and dinner on board.
Adrien grinned at her. ‘Yeah, and we won’t have to worry about you getting seasick.’
She gasped in mock offence. ‘Hey! I bought those tablets yesterday, remember? I’ll be fine.’
On their first day, they’d gone out on a snorkelling tour, and despite there being hardly any waves, she’d still found herself hunched over a fishing bucket, face ashen. Which was just absurd. She spent hours each week somersaulting across rooftops and flinging herself from buildings and hanging upside down, yet she couldn’t handle an hour on a boat? Ridiculous.
They waded in a little further and treaded water for a bit, enjoying the peace and quiet. There were no screaming or splashing children like when they went to the beach in the middle of the day. Hardly any traffic noises from vehicles on the shore. No wind.
Tell him now, a little voice in her mind whispered. While it’s just you and him.
It was true. Alya and Nino would join them soon, and then the four of them would spend the whole day together. Who knew when she’d be alone with Adrien again? This might be her last chance before they returned to Paris.
Just four simple words. It would be so easy. Adrien, I love you. Or I love you, Adrien. Or maybe even I LOVE YOU! shouted at the top of her lungs. Maybe —
‘It’s still early,’ Adrien said, lifting his wrist out of the water enough to check his watch. ‘We could head over to the market, maybe grab a smoothie?’
Too late. She couldn’t just blurt it out now. Once again, she’d missed her chance. Why, why did she have to be such a coward?
‘...Marinette?’
‘What? Yes! Sorry, I’m — I was just thinking about how much I want mango.’
He laughed. ‘Passionfruit for me.’
They exited the water. As they were heading up the sand towards their things, Marinette stumbled, pitching forwards. Strong hands grabbed her shoulders, holding her steady, and all the breath left her lungs, her face flaming.
‘You okay?’
‘Fine! Just fine!’ No longer fourteen, my ass. Some things never changed. ‘Th-thanks.’
After drying themselves off and slipping on their shoes, Adrien hung his towel across his shoulders again, and she tied hers around her waist. Together, they walked along the beach towards an opening in the palm trees, where a dirt road would take them past the row of resorts, to the centre of town.
The market. I have to tell him at the market. As soon as we get our smoothies, I’ll tell him....