CHOOSE (Adrienette AU) [Completed]

Deception

ADRIEN

I've been checking the army's open-trucks for the past hours. I think I'm leading myself to the path of paranoia.

I have more than double-checked everything with the truck and what's in them. From the state of the engines, to the durability of their tires. To the number of sacks of sand and canned food for the journey later.

General Hugo gave me a lecture on the safety of our comrades and with all my remaining respect for him, I listened and did not utter any snide comments.

It was either because I was too tired to even argue with him again or my mind was thinking of other things. I guess it would be the latter.

I throw the list on the front seat of one of the trucks, then lean my head on its side mirror. I close my eyes and heave a long sigh.

"It's nice to see you take a break for once."

I turn my head and open my eyes at the direction where the voice came from. Marinette, in her combat uniform, stands smirking at me with her arms folded.

"You haven't slept, Adrien." She continues.

"As a matter of fact, I don't sleep before deployment." I say, grabbing the list again I walk past her and wipe another truck's side mirror with the sleeve of my uniform. "If you've asked the others you would have known that by now."

"I didn't ask that, but what they told me was that you don't talk to anyone when it comes to times like this."

"Yeah, I don't." I drop my hand and look at her with a smile, "But I'll make an exception for you."

She scoffs and faces away from me. I know she's doing that to hide her flushing cheeks.

"And what are you doing here at five in the morning? Shouldn't you be starting your morning jog?" I ask. "Or do you just miss me?" I cheekily add. She laughs and inserts her hands inside her pockets. She walks toward me.

"Are you really like this without sleep?" She stops to stand in front of me.

"No. Only when you're around." I answer quietly.

She shrugs, "I'll take that as a compliment." She pauses for a while and looks at my list. "I'm just...I can't sleep too." She starts in a soft voice.

"You're nervous?"

"Actually, anxious." She replies, breathless.

"Hey," I utter softly. I drop my list and place my hands on each of her arms. I rub them softly as she brings her hands out of her pockets and wraps her arms around me. "One of the rebel bases that we are heading to later knows that we are part of the mutiny." I assure her, "We are not going to hurt them and they are not going to hurt us."

"But that's not going to matter, Adrien." She whispers leaving me confused.

"Of course, it will matter. We are going there and we are expected to fight them. What...what do you mean by what you just said?" I stammer trying to clarify things with her.

She gently pushes me away and I let go of my hold on her. I sigh heavily and just watch her walk away from me.

"Here we go again with your antics, Mari..." I say. She wraps her arms around herself and she looks troubled. "I try to calm you down but you won't even listen to me." I throw a hand out as I talk to her.