Turning Tables: Origins - Prelude (A Miraculous AU )

"Couldn't. Past tense."

Adrien stared at her with wide eyes.

"I said it, okay? Do I really have to say it again?" Marinette hid her face in her hands.

"Me? I'm Buttercup? Seriously?!" He pouted. "So, all this time..."

"I've been turning you down because I was in love with another boy." Marinette looked back at him. "Who was YOU."

"Wow." Adrien glanced behind her. She'd removed some pictures before he came over, but he'd seen her walls before. "So, I'm guessing the photos of me on your walls weren't just for fashion purposes?"

"Oh my gosh. Shut up!" She glared at him.

"I'm just teasing you!" He laughed. "To be fair, I have definitely pretended our action figures have kissed on more than one occasion and I'm constantly checking the Ladyblog for new pictures of you."

"What a dork!" She said. The reality was she was jealous of the way he openly confessed to her while she could never manage to do the same to him. "But I can't say I'm surprised. At least you were honest with me about your feelings. I can't even talk to you."

"I'm sorry I made you nervous." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to, Marinette."

"Seriously?! It wasn't your fault. I just got really into my own head about the whole thing." She groaned. "Alya was right. I've been overdoing things to compensate for not telling you!"

"What do you mean overdoing things?"

"Just overcomplicated plans to try to confess to you and..." Marinette let out a nervous laugh. "You know what, we don't have to dive into all of that right now. Do we?"

Adrien lifted an eyebrow and shared a look with Plagg. "Um. I guess not? But that's why you acted so different around me? Am I really that intimidating? You should know you can always talk to me about things Marinette. Even when I didn't know you were Ladybug, I've always wanted to be a good friend to you."

Hearing the hint of sadness in his voice hurt her. They could have been closer friends a long time ago if her heart hadn't caused her mind to spiral into chaos every time he was around.

"I was so stupid. I'm sorry. It doesn't make any sense. It's just sometimes my mind goes into these negative spirals or overcomplicates simple things." She grabbed a pillow and contemplated screaming into it. "All I had to do was talk to you. Even if you weren't interested in me in that way, we could have just been past that. We could have been better friends. I don't know what I was thinking. I realize you wouldn't have been cruel to me if I confessed and you weren't interested in me that way. I just let myself get so nervous and kept thinking of how everything could go wrong. Ugh."

"You tend to shy away from simple solutions in the spots as well, m'lady." He smiled at her.

"Isn't it strange that you're usually the one to pull me out of those moments when I panic? I mean, as Chat Noir." She traced her hands along the seams of the pillow. "Yet, I was panicking over you? I even asked you to help me with your confession to you?! This is mortifying!"

"To be fair, that overcomplicated thinking has been a positive thing for you as a hero on multiple occassions. It helps you understand your Lucky Charm. It has it's pros and cons, but it's definitely not entirely a bad thing. As far as the confession, it was really beautiful." Adrien said sincerely. "I mean, the genuine one not the whole 'two suns' thing. That one was a little over complicated."

"Shut up!" Marinette threw the pillow at him. To her annoyance, he just caught it midair. "I wanted it to be good and I wanted to practice, since I can't even really TALK to you!"

He laughed at her and she scowled at him in confusion.

"Couldn't." He said simply.

"What?"

"Couldn't. Past tense." He shot her a wide grin and chuckled. "You are absolutely not allowed to say you can't talk to me. What exactly is it you think we're doing right now?"

Marinette gasped.

Tikki looked at her holder fondly. "He makes a good point."

"I can talk to you!" She made her way down from the loft to stand in front of him. "I'm not even tripping over my words! You mean to tell me we could have just had regular conversations this whole time!?"

"I guess?" Adrien tilted his head and shrugged. "I'm honestly just glad you don't hate me. I used to wonder sometimes."

"I definitely don't hate you and I'm sorry the way I acted ever made you think that might be the case."

"We could both apologize all day." Adrien realized. "Our situation wasn't one we chose and It made everything too complicated."

"Are you two going to kiss?" Roarr asked suddenly, reminding the duo of the other kwamis in the room.

"WOAH!" Marinette jumped back to give Adrien more space. "Roarr! You can't just say stuff like that! What if he finds me super unattractive now that he knows who I am and I was too much of a coward to even confess to him and—"

"Stop!" Adrien's voice cut her off. "I do NOT think less of you, Marinette. I want to make that crystal clear. I've had a crush on you as Ladybug for a long time, that is true. But I've admired Marinette you for just as long. You are so creative and amazing. My feelings are complicated right now, but you are beautiful and an incredible person. We have a lot to sort out. Heck, if a relationship like that is something you'd like to try I wouldn't be opposed to it. If that's something you'd even want. I mean, I know Chat Noir isn't exactly your type."

"My gosh, we are so annoying." Marinette huffed.

"Huh?"

"You being Chat Noir doesn't make me want to date you any less, silly cat! Well, aside from the whole possibility of Chat Blanc happening." She cringed for bringing it back up. "Outside of that I just know the person I was crushing on also happens to be my incredible partner. You're already one of my best friends. Of course I'm still willing to try but—"

Suddenly she paced back and forth. "But what if we date and we break up dramatically and hate each other and that's what caused Chat Blanc!"

"You're going to call me reckless for what I'm about to say."

"And what is that exactly?"

"Honestly, this whole Chat Blanc thing makes me want to try the dating thing even more."

"You're right." She gave him a deadpan stare. "That does sound reckless."

"I'm serious. I don't want our lives to be dictated by Shadowmoth and fear of what he might do. If we want to date, we should date. Not be so afraid of what might happen that we never know how it would have worked out. I mean what I said earlier. I don't think Chat Blanc gave you the whole story, I don't think he could. You admitted there must have been more." Adrien folded his arms in front of him. "And now that I know Chat Blanc is a possibility I know that I have to be more aware of things that could cause me to be akumatized. But after all that we've been through together, I have enough faith in us to believe even if we argue, even if we breakup, that we will still be friends when all is said and done."

Marinette turned her back to him and looked at Tikki with tearful eyes. "He's right isn't he? We can get through anything together? If it doesn't work out it won't be the end of the world right?"

"You are two of the best holders we've ever had." Tikki replied. "That timeline happened back when Shadowmoth was still Hawkmoth. Obviously, a lot of things are different now. You are both stronger. You know each other's identities. You know the stakes if you let Shadowmoth get to you."

"You've also learned the importance of actually talking to each other!" Plagg sneered.

"Plagg!" Adrien scolded the kwami.

"It was a compliment!" Plagg rolled his eyes.

"Was the 'actually' part really necessary?" The blonde sighed.

"Adrien, it's okay. I don't blame him." Marinette turned back around and reached out to scratch between Plagg's ears. "He cares a lot about you. I'm glad you two have each other. But obviously I've learned my lesson or we wouldn't be having this conversation. Now would we?"

"It's some good progress, Pigtails." Plagg smiled at her. "Tikki is right. Don't get too mushy about it but I think you two are suited to handle just about anything together."

"Aww, he can be sweet when he wants to be." Tikki hugged him.

"Yeah, yeah." Plagg reluctantly accepted the hug.

"Well, I refuse to let Shadowmoth, or the fear of what he might do, control my life. We should be able to date if we want to or be friends or whatever life has for us without worrying about what he's going to do. If we let him stop us from living our lives, that sounds like a win for him and a loss for us. My life is controlled enough as it is. I don't want that from my father AND a supervillain. I don't think it's reckless for us to try to live our lives or for us to make our own choices. Whatever happens we can handle it together. It's you and me against the world right?" Adrien paused. "But what do you think?"

Neither of them noticed the knock at the trap door.

Neither of them realized that the kwamis had suddenly dropped to the floor and froze like Andy's toys in Toy Story.

"You know what?" Marinette poked her finger at Adrien's chest. "You're right. I'm not going to live in fear. Adrien Agreste, I think you should be my boyfriend."

"Well, I think that sounds like a great idea." Adrien smiled determinedly.

A gasp from the now open trap door brought their attention away from each other.

They turned to the noise, both of them blushing as they realized that they'd just become a couple and someone else was there to witness it.

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