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ac&mdc
Marinette traces the constellations with her eyes as Nino’s beat-up truck rolls through the French countryside. The windows are down and the night breeze ruffles her newly cropped hair, too short now to tie up into her old pigtails.
Adrien, in the passenger’s seat in front of her, keeps his right arm extended out the window, letting the wind trail between his fingers. Alya, to her left, is leaned forward to wrap an arm around Nino’s chest. And Nino, in the driver’s seat, has one hand on the wheel, the other holding onto Alya.
It’s quiet, other than the slow pop song coming from the radio and the low rumbling of the truck. Marinette thinks she could stay here forever, moving under the stars with her three best friends.
Someone places their hand over hers and she looks over just as Alya leans back in her seat.
“How are you?” Alya murmurs, just loud enough that only Marinette can hear.
“I’m happy,” Marinette answers with a smile. “Sad, but also really happy right now.”
“It's crazy that we're all leaving tomorrow," Alya marvels, absentmindedly running her thumb across Marinette's knuckles.
"To different parts of the world," Marinette agrees.
She's suddenly hit with a wave of sadness. In less than ten hours, the four of them will be in separate places in the world: Alya to New York City, Adrien to Oxford, Nino to Brussels — and Marinette, the only one left in Paris.
Alya must see the grim expression wash over her best friend's face because she squeezes her hand reassuringly. "Hey, don't be sad. We're all here together now, so let's enjoy it, okay?"
Marinette sniffles and nods.
"It's never goodbye for us," Alya continues, though her voice has grown much softer. "Best friends are the kinds that stay forever, you know."
Marinette gives a teary chuckle and nods again, wiping a stray tear, just as the car slows to a halt and Nino calls out, "We're here!"
Alya gives Marinette's hand one last squeeze before she opens her door and jumps out. Marinette thinks it's a little like their lives right now: Alya jumping head-first into the world, leaving Marinette behind in her smaller, sheltered space. She's not sure if she's ready for that.
Then Alya turns around and urges an almost exasperated "Let's go!" and Marinette relaxes a little. Alya’s right. This doesn't feel like a goodbye. More like an I love you, see you later.
She can handle a see you later.
Marinette unbuckles her seatbelt and opens her own door. "Okay, okay, I'm coming!"
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Adrien jumps out quietly, avoiding eye contact as he walks by her to help Nino in the trunk. A sharp pang in her heart interrupts the happiness and relief she'd felt just moments ago.
Alya frowns. "Everything okay with you and Adrien?"
Marinette sighs and tilts her head up to look at the stars. "We got into a fight today so I'm not really sure.”
A pair of arms wrap around her shoulders and she looks back down just as Alya pulls her into hug. “Everything will be okay, Mari. That boy’s crazy about you.”
Marinette closes her eyes and wraps her own arms around her best friend. “I know. Thanks.”
“Are you guys gonna spend all day hugging or will you help us unload this stuff?” Nino suddenly calls from the back of the truck.
“Sorry, my hands are a little full right now,” Alya quips back, but pulls away anyway.
Nino shuffles by with two folding lawn chairs and pauses next to the girls. “They’re not too full to grab one of the other chairs.”
“What do I look like to you, some kind of chair attendant?”
Nino plants a sloppy kiss on her cheek. “A sexy chair attendant.”
“You disgust me,” Alya scoffs, but she’s smiling and already making her way to the back of the truck.
Nino smirks at Marinette. “She loves me.”
Marinette laughs in response and grabs one of the chairs from Nino to help him set up in their spot. It’s a nice clearing in a large meadow of tall grass, just large enough for the four of them to gather together. Marinette still remembers the first time Nino brought them all out here, how beautiful she’d thought the night sky was. And it still is now during what will probably be the last time.
“I’m going to miss this place so much,” she laments as she unfolds her chair.
“You’re still in Paris. You can go here all the time,” he reminds her, unfolding his own.
Marinette shrugs and plops down in her chair. “But it’s not the same. Going out here is our thing, the four us. If I come by myself, it’s just… lonely.”
Maybe that’s what she’s most afraid of. While her best friends are exploring the world, chasing their dreams, she’ll still be in Paris, chasing her own dream as she has her entire life, but doing so without them by her side. This time, when she visits the fabric store or passes by the Fashion District, it won’t be with Alya chattering next to her or Adrien taking her to all the shops. It’ll just be her. Alone.
“Hey, no tears, little lady,” Nino interrupts her thoughts, ruffling up her hair.
Marinette hastily swipes at her eyes, not noticing they had welled up with tears. She looks up at Nino and smiles sadly. “I’m really going to miss you, Nino.”
Of her three closest friends, Nino might be the least close to her, but he has the biggest heart she knows. She doesn’t think she’ll ever find someone who loves more than he does.
“Aww,” Nino coos, cradling her head to his stomach. “I’m going to miss you too.”
This feels like another I love you, see you later and Marinette smiles.
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Adrien pauses in his unloading of the cooler from the trunk to glance over at Marinette and Nino hugging. Something twists unpleasantly in his stomach and he returns his attention to the cooler again.
“What’s the holdup, pretty boy?” Alya asks as she approaches the trunk.
Adrien shakes his head. “Sorry, just got distracted. Can you give me a hand?”
She opens her mouth to say something but instead hops up onto the bed of the truck to push the cooler towards Adrien. He moves it to the ground with a grunt. “Thanks.”
Alya takes a seat on the edge of the bed, fixing her gaze on him. “Adrien… you guys need to talk.”
He pretends he doesn’t hear her as he grabs a soda from the cooler. “I heard you and Nino are going for it. Long distance.”
She purses her lips in disapproval but decides to humor him anyway. “Yeah, well, the label’s letting him travel a lot so we figured it’d be worth a shot.” She pauses, decides to bring up his relationship again. “Marinette told me about you guys.”
Adrien sighs, realizing she won’t let this go. If there’s one thing about Alya, it’s that she’s persistent. So he pulls himself up beside her. “I told her we could do it. England isn’t that far away.”
Alya hums thoughtfully, gazing over the open meadow. “I think she’s just scared. She loves you so much, Adrien. She doesn’t want to lose you.”
“But doesn’t breaking up just guarantee that?” The frustration is clear in his voice and in the way he runs a hand through his hair. It’s the first bout of emotion she’s seen from him all night.
“You have to see it the way she does,” Alya reasons. “If you break up now, it’ll be on good terms and you guys can even stay friends. But if you stay together, the distance will probably tear you guys apart and it’ll get ugly.”
“You’re doing long distance. How come you’re not worried about that?” he asks.
“It’s different for Nino and me. Our schedules won’t be as hectic, especially because he won’t be going to school,” she explains. “You and Mari, you guys are gonna be full-time students in intense programs at elite schools. Keeping a long-distance relationship on top of that is tough.”
Adrien frowns and looks down at the soda can in his hands. “I guess….”
“Just talk to her,” Alya urges. “It’s really been bringing her down.”
“Okay, I will.” Adrien nods and then smiles at Alya, slinging an arm over her shoulders. “Thanks, Alya. What am I gonna do without you?”
She grins. “Honestly, I don’t know how you’ll survive.”
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Both Marinette and Nino are lounging in their chairs by the time Adrien wheels out the cooler and Alya lugs the two remaining folding chairs to their spot.
“Thank you so much for helping us, you two,” Alya snarks, dropping the chairs by her feet.
Nino waves a hand dismissively above his head. “You’re welcome.”
It’s probably the wrong thing to do because his girlfriend marches over and practically shoves him off his seat. She sits in his place and grins innocently. “Great, then you won’t mind helping Adrien set up the other chairs.”
Nino grumbles, lifting himself up off the ground. “Fine. Let’s go, Adrien. We don’t need to be around bullies.” He shoots a look over his shoulder and Alya sticks her tongue out at him.
Adrien chuckles but doesn’t say anything else as he picks up a chair and starts unfolding it. It doesn’t go unnoticed by anyone that he decides to do so right beside Marinette. What does go unnoticed is the way she tenses up just slightly at his close proximity.
She suddenly springs to her feet. “Alya!” It comes out louder than intended so she murmurs the next part. “Um. Can you… come with me to the truck? I think I forgot something.”
Alya frowns in confusion. “Yeah… sure. I guess we’ll be right back, guys.”
Adrien sighs as he watches them walk away. He should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy talking to Marinette, especially after giving her the cold shoulder all night. Knowing her, she’d been thrown off-guard by his sudden change in mood so she bolted. Adrien smiles a little at the thought. Typical Marinette.
A hand clamps down on his shoulder and he looks over to his left as Nino stands beside him. “Hey, man, you and Marinette okay?”
Adrien nods. “I hope so. We got into a fight and I was kind of a dick after so I just wanna talk to her now.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Nino reassures, squeezing his shoulder. “You guys are crazy about each other.”
“Thanks, Nino.”
Nino gives him a pleased nod. “Anytime.”
They stand there in silence for a few seconds before Adrien breaks it. “Hey, Nino. You know, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
It’s a bit sudden, but between all this talk about long-distance relationships, it hasn’t hit Adrien until now how much he’s going to miss his best friend.
“Aw, dude, don’t make me cry right now,” Nino teases, moving his arm to wrap around his friend’s shoulders. “Besides, I already knew that.”
Adrien grins. “Just thought I should remind you.”
Nino’s smile is genuine this time as he pulls Adrien into an actual hug. “I love you, man,” he says sincerely.
“I love you, too,” Adrien replies, patting Nino on the back before pulling away when he sees Marinette approaching them.
She fidgets with the sleeve of her sweater, keeping her gaze toward the ground. “Hey… can we talk?”
Nino gives him an encouraging nudge as he makes his way to Alya. That seems to be all Adrien needs because he offers her his hand. She smiles, relieved, and places her hand in his.
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“Think they’ll be okay?” Nino asks as he places his hands on Alya’s waist and tugs her closer.
Alya rolls her eyes. “Oh, please. Those two are so disgustingly in love. There’s no way they won’t be okay.”
Nino rests his forehead on hers. “And us?”
Her gaze softens and she leans further into him. “We’ll be just fine.”
aa&mdc
They’ve walked just far enough to be out of hearing distance but not out of sight. Marinette revels in the familiar warmth between the pads of their fingers and the slight playfulness in the swinging of their arms as they walked. Although her guard is still up in anticipation of their conversation, this might be the most relaxed she’s been all night. Even now, just his presence is enough to calm her.
Adrien reaches for her other hand so that they face each other, fingers intertwined. He’s so beautiful with the stars behind him and the moonlight casting shadows on his face that she wants to cry. He’s standing right in front of her and she already misses him.
“I’m sorry,” they say at the same time, then laugh.
“You first,” he insists, smiling.
“I’m sorry for being so stubborn,” she continues, rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand. “I should at least hear you out before making decisions about us.”
Adrien shakes his head. “No, you were right. I think it’s best that—” He cuts off with a gulp, then clears his throat. “—that we break up.”
Marinette stares at him with parted lips. “Really?”
“It’s not exactly what I prefer,” he admits, shrugging. “But if that’s what you want and what you think is best for us, for you, I’m not going to stop it.”
She lets go of his hands to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. When he pulls her even closer to him, her tears fall.
“I love you so much, Adrien Agreste,” she whispers fiercely. “Don’t you ever forget that.”
He closes his eyes and buries his face into her shoulder. “I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”
Marinette pulls back just enough for them to look at each other, both with tear-stained cheeks. Adrien brings a hand up to wipe away her tears and then gently guides her face closer to his to kiss her. Once. Twice. Again and again, until they both pull away, panting and out of breath, foreheads still touching.
Marinette never knew a heart could soar and break at the same time until this moment.
She can feel his heartbeat and breathing slow against her own, but she doesn’t let go. Adrien doesn’t either. It’s easy to forget that this is their last night together in what will likely be a long time when he has her wrapped up in his arms like he’s done so many times before.
Marinette doesn’t want to let go. She doesn’t want to leave the safety of his arms or the warmth of his eyes. She doesn’t want to leave him. But she knows, if she doesn’t let go now, she probably never will.
So she takes a deep breath and finally steps away out of his embrace, wiping away her tears. It’s the hardest thing she’s ever had to do and one look at his sad expression is almost enough to make her run into his arms again. Almost.
“So this is it, huh?” Adrien asks, resignation sunken deep in his voice.
She smiles sadly, wrapping her arms around her middle. “This is it.”
“We can still be friends, right?” He sounds so hopeful that she wants to cry again.
“Of course. Always.”
Adrien exhales slowly. “Good… good.”
“And,” she hesitates. “Maybe… someday… we’ll have our chance again.”
Adrien grins brightly at her and she’s pretty convinced right then that she will never love anyone as much as she loves him. “Someday, then.”
He offers her his hand again and she allows herself to take it, to be selfish with his touch one last time.
When they walk back toward Alya and Nino, Marinette reminds herself that this isn’t a goodbye — for any of them. She squeezes Adrien’s hand before finally letting go, taking a seat beside Alya. When he sits down as well, their eyes meet. They share a smile.
I love you, Marinette thinks. See you later.