The Bug Bites

6-Unconditionally

They were trying to make it work. Not with their relationship, since that obviously backfired. They were friends before anything, though, so it only made sense for them to try and make it as normal as possible. They had a small friend group! Causing a rift like that would only end badly. It was just...hard. 

Ever since his and Marinette's breakup, Adrien hadn't known what to do with himself. They had been together for three months, and it was going spectacular. In his mind, at least. That was,until his identity and his duties called for an exemplary large wall between them. He didn't want this role as Chat Noir to affect their relationship. Sadly, it did. Marinette couldn't take the stress and suspense of not knowing where he was running off to.

He didn't quite understand, since she was doing her own fair bit of disappearing at odd times.Even when there wasn't an akuma attack! She claimed she had something to do at home and that it was a huge project. It was always the same excuse. Each and every time without fail. That was what convinced him she most definitely was not Ladybug covering her identity. Marinette was just flaky on him. He steered himself into the light of "she doesn't love me anymore and is likely seeing someone else." 

That was probably why she left him. She left before he could leave her. Adrien would never pin Marinette for a cheater! He wouldn't! She was too kind and loving, there was just no way.However, there was also no giant lit up sign pointing toward a billboard that said "she's not a cheater, she's just casually and awkwardly disappearing and making faces like she's hiding something and that she's ashamed of it, kiddo!"

So, yeah. Messy breakup. Even messier tension. Alya didn't shoot Adrien down like a kicked puppy when her best friend had apparently been heartbroken over the breakup, thankfully. Nino hadn't been biased, either. The two had opted to stay out of business that wasn't theirs. After all,they were all friends. The tension was only present between Marinette and Adrien, and no one else contributed to it. It was their fault, and no one else's. 

Dating inside of friend groups was hard. Really, really hard. But, they were making it work.They were. 

It was just really hard for Adrien to be around Marinette and not want to kiss her senseless and apologize for not being around, and to tell her how much he missed her. Don't get him wrong, he expected apologies, too, but God. How could he not miss dancing with her on her balcony? How could he not miss the feeling of her hands gently raking through his tresses? The sound of her steady breathing as she fell asleep atop him on movie night?

How could he not miss her?

 It was even harder for Adrien to mumble out his reply to Nino."Yeah, I'll go." God, God, what was he doing? He shouldn't go. He shouldn't say yes. He shouldn't accept in hopes that she'd show up and take his breath away even after all this time. He shouldn't. He really, really shouldn't. 

"Really? Wow, alright, cool man! You're sure it's okay?" Nino asked, adjusting his glasses warily on the phone screen. Adrien was used to the late-night video chats he often got from his friend. The plans that their friend group made were frequently scheduled on pretty late notice. 

"Yes, it's fine, I'm totally down," he assured, picking the skin by his thumb. His left eye totally didn't twitch. His grin was not lopsided and shaky. Nope. No siree. Not him. 

"Marinette will be in a bathing suit," Nino deadpanned.

 "Please, I beg you, do not remind me, I physically can not take the damage it will do to my soul." Nino snorted and leaned back in his chair, fixing Adrien with a knowing look.

"It's been four months, man," his voice was hardly above a whisper. "You still want her back?"Adrien pinched the space between his brows, sighing deeply as he carefully mulled over the many words scrambling around in his head. There was nothing to describe how much he wanted her. Sohe gave Nino the only answer he knew would get his point fully across.