How to win a girl in 10 dates

Alone

Adrien melted into the lips pressed against his. He'd only been kissed by two other people; Ladybug and Kagami, and neither of them made him feel this way. He was floating in the softness of her skin, and becoming more and more addicted to her flavour as he tilted his head to take more. This was romance, and this was passion, and he wanted to live in it for the rest of his life. He placed his hands on her delicate hips and pulled her in closer, enjoying the contact of their bodies together. Minutes seemed to pass by as they kissed each other, completely absorbed in the other's passion.

Marinette wrapped her hands around his neck, and began to play with the small strands of hair at his nape. As though he was transformed, he could feel the urge to purr and paw at this tantalising woman locked in a tight embrace with her. As far as he was concerned the world could stop spinning and he would die a happy man, happy in the love of a beautiful, amazing woman who, after only a few short weeks, had become a warm feature in his cold and dreary life. But he knew she was not his to keep, that the bad luck of the black cat would strike any moment.

A sudden picture of Kagami flashed behind his closed eyelids, causing them to open in shock. He shouldn't be doing this, no matter how much he wanted it, he shouldn't be doing it. He was getting engaged tomorrow for crying out loud, and as much as he wanted to be with Marinette he couldn't.

Pulling back from her lips, his eyes begin to tear up, only to be mirrored by the glistening of her own. He hated himself so much, and it was breaking his heart knowing exactly what he needed to do next, thinking about what he would give up to not have to do it. He never wanted to hurt her. He would die a thousand painful deaths just to make her happy, but that wasn't his job. He had no right.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, his hand coming up to his lips, hoping to embed the feel of her and the taste of her forever.

She nodded her head allowing the tears that she'd been collecting to fall. He felt so low and so small. He hated himself.

"I - I can't. I'm getting married." He added on.

He watched as Marinette intertwined her fingers in front of her body and looked down, her head nodding in understanding. Even with the sorrow lacing her features she still looked like the most beautiful woman in the world, and his whole body begged him to forget his deal with Kagami and Chloé. To take this incredible woman and run off into the sunset, living their very own happily ever after.

"I just -," she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, allowing tears to continue leaving their marks on her otherwise flawless skin. "I'm being selfish, and a truly horrible person, but I just wanted to kiss you, just once more, just so I could remember what it would feel like. To kiss someone I liked so much. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have come on to you. It's my fault."

He was dying to tell her the truth, to tell her everything. He wanted her to know no one and he meant no one had ever made him feel the way she does. He wanted to tell her how she had become a source of light in his otherwise depressive and dark life. How her friendship had become his most important, his most fun and his favourite. He loved spending time with her so much, he loved being around her crazily contagious personality. He loved her eyes and her hair, her fashion sense. Her creativity, her loyalty, her smile. He loved her.

He loved her.

"Marinette, I -" he went to speak, to tell her, but nothing came out of his mouth, as the two young adults simply stared at each other. She'd began to retreat towards his front door, and without thinking his feet were already chasing after her.

"Adrien, please don't. This hurts bad enough, I don't need your pity added on top. I should have known this wouldn't - I should have known you wouldn't -" she could let herself finish any of the sentences. Just leaving them to linger unspoken in the air. She sighed and looked down at her hands. "I'll leave you to it."