Mysterious Rose by Summer Cheng

Chapter 21 The Balcony Surprise?

          Marinette sits down at the table. She has cookies and croissants ready on a plate. She also has a few glasses of milk beside them. She falls asleep while she waits for him to arrive.

        Adrien feels nervous. He considers not going to see her but remembers his promises to her. He cannot stand her up like this, so he runs to her place. He climbs the trellis. He sees she is asleep and smiles.

He longs to confess, yet he waits for her to awaken. He puts a single, purple rose on the table. He stares at her while she rests.

Marinette wakes up. She sobs because she thinks he has forgotten her.

      Adrien hears her tears, and gently reaches up to wipe them away. He wishes to kiss her.  He hears her gasp as she looks at him.

     Marinette sees the purple rose and blushes. She looks at him in confusion.    

   "Marinette, I came to tell you something important," Adrien remarks.
   

    "A-Adrien, why are you here?  Where is he?"  Marinette says in confusion.

      Adrien laughs, he sees her scowl. He leans in and gently touches her lips with his thumb once more.

     Marinette blushes in confusion. She cannot understand it all.

      Adrien stares into her eyes.  He hears her sigh as he kisses her slowly. He feels her relax, so he deepens the kiss. He wishes she could see she means so much to him.

      Marinette closes her eyes while he kisses her. She feels tears form in her eyes again because she does not understand why he kisses her now.    

    "Marinette,  does this mean you want it to be another boy?"  Adrien says when he pulls away from her.

      Marinette tries to answer him but finds she cannot. She knows she does not want anyone else. She is afraid to speak. 

      "Mari, please do not be afraid to be with me. I promise I will never let you down again. I never meant to make you sad. I swear, there was nothing I could do about it. I did not want to leave you when you mean so much to me.  It is just my father made me leave town for some photoshoot and I could not be back in time for the funeral."  Adrien blurts out.

      "Adrien, you did not know.  It is alright because I forgive you." Marinette says. 

      Adrien smiles in relief. He picks up a cookie and bites into it. 

    Marinette eats a croissant and still she does not quite get it.

    "Mari, I shall never forgive myself if I fail to explain it to you,"  Adrien says. He looks nervous now.

      Marinette stares at him without a word.

      "Marinette, I sent the flowers, gifts and love letters. " Adrien says sadly. He thinks, so this is what rejection feels like. He stands up and turns to go. 

      Marinette sees him about to go. She runs toward him. She wraps her arms around him. 

      Adrien turns around in surprise. His jaw drops in shock. 

     "Adrien, I love you!" Marinette confesses.

     "Marinette, I love you, too!" Adrien confesses. He kisses her again. He sighs a sigh of relief that she returns his love.

       Marinette's POV:
      She is happy because it turns out that Adrien is her secret admirer. She feels him kiss her and knows his love his real.  She believes it to be better than she thought possible. She is glad she listened to Tikki.

     She returns the kiss. She can see his tears. She wipes them away with a handkerchief. 

      Adrien's  POV:
    As we kiss, all feels right with the world. She kisses me back and she loves me.

    He groans. He releases her. 

      Marinette blinks twice.  

    "Thank you for the r-rose A-Adrien,"  Marinette says.

    Adrien sees she wears the bracelet, necklace and ears he sent her in the past. He grins as he believes she is even prettier tonight in the moonlight.

    "How did you discover purple roses are my favorites?"  Marinette wants to know.

    "Look, we have been friends for a long time, so I recall that you told Alya it was your favorite before her death." Adrien answers.

    "It was sweet to give the roses and other stuff to me," Marinette says with no stutters this time. She does blush though.

   "Marinette, I would go to the depths of the earth and back, if I knew it would make you happy," Adrien tells her.

    Marinette nods her head. She wonders what this night means for them. She does not say anything that might spoil it.

    Adrien asks, "Marinette, will you be my girlfriend and maybe someday my wife?"

   Marinette answers, "Yes, I will happy to date you."
   

   Adrien kisses his girlfriend. He laughs at his silly notion that she should reject him.  It turns out his worries for nothing as she loves him as much as he loves her.

   Marinette giggles, she thinks there first date to be a rather dull one.  It is not like the balcony is that romantic of a place for it.  She supposes it will have to do for now.

   This story continues in the  Epilogue part 1 Romantic!