Fake It ('Til you make it)

Starlight (Adrien)

Adrien stepped out onto Marinette's balcony, the cool night air brushing against his skin as he gazed up at the starlit sky. His heart felt heavy with the weight of his feelings for Marinette. The events of the evening only served to intensify his conflicting emotions. When she'd agreed to the fake engagement it had seemed like a good idea, one that seemed like it could benefit the both of them. But now, as he stood under the vast expanse of the night sky, doubts began to creep in.

"Fake engagement," he murmured to himself, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. How could he pretend to be engaged to Marinette when all he wanted was for her to see him, to want to be with him. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake his feelings for her which, most certainly, ran deeper than friendship.

Plagg flew from his resting spot in Adrien's shirt and came to hover beside him. "You okay, Kid?"

Adrien nodded, his eyes trailing over into the distance at the iron monument which held both the best memories of his life...and some of the less desirable.

He sighed, resting his arms on the balcony railings as he watched his friends leave the bakery, chasing each other down the street, looping arms around each other and just basking in being in each other's presence once again. The night had been filled with so much genuine love, he was starting to blur the line between what was real and what was not.

Tom had been incredible. From the moment he'd approached the big guy asking for a quick word at five that morning, Tom had been straight up supportive of everything. No, he hadn't told Tom the real truth, just his truth. That Marinette was the most important person in his life and he couldn't be without her a moment long. A truth that would remain hidden. He hated lying to them, and he was most certainly dreading the end of the relationship. Tom and Sabine had been there through everything, treating him like one of the family. He hated that he was, ultimately, going to disappoint.

Alya hadn't killed him either, like he'd expected her to. She knew it was fake - not surprising, really - but then she'd given him a little hope. Marinette wasn't going on all these dates to find a boyfriend, but more to find a reason to get over someone...someone he hoped was him. She didn't need to get over him...maybe under—

Nope, not opening that baggage. She was his friend...his friend!

Lost in his thoughts, Adrien didn't notice Marinette stepping out onto the balcony behind him until she spoke, her voice breaking through the silence like a gentle breeze.

"Don't jump! It's not that bad!"

The sight of her took his breath away even as his heart ached with longing. In that moment, with the stars shining down on them, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe their fake engagement was a chance for him to finally reveal his true feelings to her one last time. But as he looked into her eyes, so full of warmth and kindness, he knew that whatever happened next, he would always cherish their friendship above all else.

Why the hell was this all so hard!

"Come here." He beckoned her to him. If he was going to play the doting fiancé for the time being, he was definitely going to make the most of it — even when they were alone.

She strolled over to him, Tikki releasing and flying to Plagg as Adrien looped an arm around Marinette's shoulders and pulled her into him. His body almost self-combusted as her head positioned itself on his chest and her arms wrapped around his waist. He prayed she couldn't feel the erratic beating of his heart.

They stood in silence for a while, looking out at the twinkling of stars before Marinette finally broke the silence. "I thought you were following me home."