Chapter Text
The room felt small, almost suffocating, as I carried the box inside. It wasn’t actually cramped. Just a normal university dorm, filled with the usual blank walls, cheap wood furniture, and the smell of fresh paint. Outside the window, Paris was buzzing with the late morning rush. scooters weaving through traffic, the city going about its day. Normal. Everything looked painfully normal.
Meanwhile, my entire mind was stuck on Marinette.
She stood nearby, adjusting a rack of clothes. The scent of strawberry soap and bakery vanilla lingered in the air. I could still feel the warmth of our skin brushing against each other in the hallway. A strange, heavy tightness settled low in my chest. It had been there all morning, and every time she looked at me, it tightened enough to hurt.
I couldn’t stop replaying stupid moments in my mind. it wasn’t even about finally being adults and starting fresh. Just the way her hair looked. She had it in a low, messy bun, completely focused on whatever she was doing. she was so pretty that it made me dizzy. That was the problem. Nobody made me feel like this. Only she could light up a room just by being there.
"Is this the last of the boxes, Marinette?" I asked. My voice sounded too forced. I hated that.
"Yes!… wait, no!, don’t drop that one!"
She practically sprinted out of the closet. she moved so quickly that the hair tie holding her bun snapped, and her dark hair fell over her shoulders in soft, messy waves. She lunged to grab the box I was holding , and her fingers brushed against my knuckles.
A jolt of heat shot up my arm. I froze, staring at her hands on mine. For a moment, neither of us moved. The music playing from the speaker grew louder in the background, making the space between us feel impossibly small. The air thickened, and i saw her breathing rapidly. I could feel how warm her skin was. Up close, I noticed the tiny freckles on her nose. She was just stunning, and it stole the breath from my lungs.
Marinette pulled her hand back fast, her face turning a deep red as she tried to brush her loose hair out of her eyes. "Sorry! i just didn’t want the fabric to get ruined. It's really nice lace and I…"
"It’s fine. Really. I’ve got it."
My voice already sounded too low. thick. measured. I set the box down slowly, trying to steady myself before my hands started shaking.
God, I wanted to lean in. I wanted it so badly it hurt. I wanted to close the gap between us, wrap my arms around her waist, and see what she would do if I finally stopped pretending to be “just a friend”. But a harsh reminder played in my head: my father’s rules. We were older now, and the school year was just beginning. A whole new chapter was ahead of us. My father might not be around to control my every move anymore, but that stupid thought never left my mind, it drove me crazy: You cannot be seen with anyone. You are legally required to appear single. Stick to the contract. I kept wondering if I could even allow myself to want her, or if breaking the rules would ruin her life. Even as it tore me apart inside.
That thought always felt like a total chokehold. Silence in my father’s corporate world always felt dangerous. A single photo of me kissing a girl could trigger a massive lawsuit because of the huge contract my lawyers were still trying to unravel. I was stuck being "just friends" with the only person who actually made me happy. Axiety clawed at my throat. If I let one feeling slip, everything would fall apart. I felt trapped by my own name. The contract and my family's expectations held me back, even as I wished I could just be normal with her.
"You look like you're a million miles away," Marinette said.
She walked over to me, leaving her clothes half unpacked. Her blue eyes looked up at me with so much genuine concern that my defences crumbled. She always cared so much.
"Is everything okay?" she whispered. "You look really tired Adrien."
My eyes accidentally dropped to her lips. They were slightly parted, and my chest tightened.
"Just thinking about some business stuff," I lied, forcing a smile. I hated lying to her. I hated putting up these stupid walls. "My managers just want to make sure I’m focusing on classes and not getting... distracted."
Her eyes glanced at my mouth for a brief moment before looking back up. "Right. Distracted. We wouldn't want that."
The whole room felt electric. The air was thick, making it hard to breathe. I couldn't handle it anymore. The contracts, the paparazzi, the lawsuits. None of it mattered next to her. I didn't want to be perfect or untouchable. I just wanted her.
I stepped closer, completely closing the gap between us. My spine straightened, but not from fear this time. It was pure instinct. Marinette let out a small gasp as I reached out and gently, but firmly, grabbed her shoulders. I didn't kiss her… not yet. Instead, I pulled her into a tight, desperate hug.
I buried my face in her neck, breathing in her scent. My chest was pressed against hers, and my heart was beating so loud I knew she could feel it. Marinette froze in surprise for a second before her arms wrapped tightly around my waist. She squeezed tightly just as hard, burying her face in my chest.
We just held each other in the middle of the messy room, letting the music play. The hug lasted way too long to be casual. It was filled with everything we were too scared to say out loud. Knowing we had a whole school year ahead of us, and me living just down the hall from her, it was going to be pure torture.