This is the second part to "Dance with me" the Adrienette au two-shot. Hope you enjoy it!

* 🔞 + for language, kissing, sexual implications. *

Read at your own risk.

Nino persuades his best friend to attend their senior prom, even though Adrien really doesn't want to go. The music is too loud, the food is disgusting... and the girl he wanted to go with already has a date.

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Marinette stood unmoving as she watched Adrien retreat to the nearest exit. She almost reached out for his hand, hoping that her touch would somehow convince him to stay and hear what she had to say. What she needed to tell him.

But... then she hesitated.

Because the sudden wave of reality hit her like lighting, reminding her that she was in a public place. Which meant, if another student—or even Nathaniel himself—saw the exchange occur, there would be too much drama to handle on the night that she was meant to be having fun on. But then again...  she wasn't having much fun to begin with, was she? As she watched Adrien disappear through the double doors of the gym, Marinette tried to recollect her thoughts. She reached for the punch that she had set on the table with trembling hands, downing it in a single shot as if she was consuming alcohol. She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut as the disgusting liquid burned her throat—the taste being almost unbearable. But, she forced herself to accept the disgust. To accept the reality of this situation.

Adrien Agreste was not someone in her league.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng wasn't an idiot. She knew that her status quo came with severe consequences. Being the lead cheerleader on the cheerleading team wasn't exactly the best position to be in. With all eyes constantly on her, Marinette was expected to be paired with a guy whom people considered to be her prefect match.

And Nathaniel Kurtzberg just so happened to be their candidate.

Marinette couldn't deny that Nathaniel was attractive. Yes, they had been good friends throughout most of their high-school years—and Marinette wouldn't deny the silly crush she once had on him back in sophomore year—but Nathaniel wasn't her type anymore. As a matter of fact, she wasn't even sure if he had ever been her type. It was a silly crush, after all.

And people also change.

Though Nathaniel's looks had improved over the years, his attitude necessarily hadn't. As they grew older, he became someone she hardly recognized anymore. Nathaniel's ego and self-pride took over the best of him as his popularity grew amongst his peers.

It became tiring after a while. Their relationship became more of a task that they were forced to complete every single day. An image that she was for some reason obligated to keep up.

Since when did other people get to choose who made her happy?

Well... Marinette had been happy with Nathaniel once. She had wanted to be in a relationship with him. But as the years went on, Marinette found herself being unhappy with their relationship.

Nathaniel wasn't as endearing as everyone made him out to be. He was more into the intimate part of their relationship—he always had been—and that is what bothered her the most. It was almost as if Nathaniel's only mindset seemed to be waning to have sex with her, and it made her feel like that was the only thing about their relationship that mattered to him. And maybe she was right. Maybe this entire time, all Nathaniel had ever wanted was to get inside her pants.

She felt stupid for even giving it to him in the first place. A lot of time when she was around him, she felt violated. Maybe it was because he didn't respect her boundaries, he didn't respect her opinions, and he certainly didn't respect her body.

Marinette was unhappy. She had been for years. But despite what she felt, she decided to put up with it.

Until she met Adrien Agreste for the first time.

It was their first day of Junior year, and Marinette remembered it as if it was yesterday. The moment Adrien Agreste had stepped into homeroom, smiling widely as he introduced himself to a few other students, she had fallen in love with him. It was basically love at first sight, one might say.

But Adrien was a closed off person, and he wasn't very sociable. Throughout the year, neither of them interacted with one another, and she had been too afraid to approach him due to the reaction she might have received from her jealous boyfriend. Marinette was somewhat disappointed when he didn't come to talk to her, and she watched how quickly he befriended Alya and Nino—two intelligent delinquents who she sometimes paid to do her chem homework for her. They became a very close trio of friends, and the sight of them all happy and together had her longing for their kind of friendship.

Sure, Marinette had friends. She was one of the most popular girls in school. And yet, she felt none of her friendships were like the bond that those three had formed together.

Marinette knew all the blame could not be placed on Adrien. She blamed herself too for why they had never become friends. They had always been nothing more but simple acquaintances.

The only person she had rightly to blame for that was herself.

But... that was something she would have to live with the rest of her life, she supposed. Especially if Adrien was unwilling to let her explain. He would forever be one of the many things she would never be able to have.

"Maybe we could sneak off into one of the classrooms or something." The memory of Nathaniel's hot breath against her ear as they swayed back and forth with each other on the dance floor disgusted her in more ways than she cared to let show. Marinette had realized that right then and there—as her boyfriend's erection rutted against her—that she needed a way out this relationship. Marinette was tired of feeling like she was only needed to satisfy his sexual desires.

Tapping his chest lightly, she forced him to lift his head from her shoulder and meet her eyes. "Let me just get a drink first."

Nathaniel has been reluctant to let her go at the time. He groaned in disapproval, holding her close until he finally relented. But he didn't let her leave quite yet—not before pressing a soft kiss to her temple. Marinette couldn't help but smile whenever he did something like this. Sometimes, the little gestures like that had her forgetting about the negatives in their relationship. But his sentiments would always be short lived because something inappropriate was always bound to follow—like a smack to her butt, which had Marinette gaping at him the moment he'd done it.

Nathaniel didn't seem at all apologetic for his actions though, instead smirking sinisterly. "Hurry back soon, love."

Marinette never gave him a reply. The moment of slight regret for wanting out of a relationship with him vanished the moment he'd done what he did. Instead, she had rushed to the table filled with nourishments—the one place where she had last seen Adrien standing. Thankfully, he was still standing there, refilling yet another cup of punch for himself. Then he closed his eyes as he stood there, almost as if he had vanished into his own little world. He was alone and without a date, she realized.

Marinette felt somewhat giddy for being able to approach him unnoticed. She wouldn't deny that she had been distracted throughout most the evening knowing that Adrien's eyes had been on her most of the night.

Maybe there was hope for them to be together.

Maybe he did like her as much as she adored him.

As she inhaled a few breath, Marinette tapped him on the shoulder—a bit too harshly, she realized, when he jolted in surprise and almost spilled his drink all over himself.

He'd been irritated. She loosened him up a bit.

Their conversation had been going well, until she decided to say something she would forever regret.

Adrien had stepped away from her faster than she could blink. Before she could even fully process what had happened, he had already out the door and had created the longest bit of distance between them. She downed the rest of whatever was left in her cup, and after taking a new breath of courage, she rushed after him and headed for the doors.

She found him again the moment she stepped outside, his towering figure leaned up against of what she assumed was his car. Marinette approached him without hesitation this time, barely giving him the time to register it was her approaching him until it was too late for him to escape into his car.

Though it was dark outside, she didn't miss the way his frown deepened at the sight of her in front of him. She took in another deep breath before she sighed and took a step closer to him. "Can we please just talk for a minute?"

Adrien's arms were still folded protectively over his chest as he frowned. "There's nothing for us to talk about."

"Please, Adrien." She begged him, her eyes longing for him to listen to her; to understand her. She needed to tell him this and she needed him to listen to her. "I-I... as crazy as this sounds, I've been wanting to be friends ever since I first met you back in Junior year. It... it wasn't really as easy as it sounds—"

Adrien scoffed at that. "Oh really? That sounds almost too good to be true... considering we've been attending the same school for a whole year now and haven't made a bit of progress. We were even partners for a chem project at one point, and you never once talked to me as more than just an acquaintance."

Marinette's eyebrows came together as she listened to him, a look of regret clouding her features. As much as she wanted to deny the truth behind his words, Adrien was right. Whenever she did approach him, it was only with the intensions of keeping an acquaintance relationship between them—but if only he knew the real reason behind that. If only he knew that it was because of Nathaniel and his jealousy. She had been afraid for not only herself, but for Adrien as well.

And she was still afraid.

But god, she was tired of living in fear.

It was time to live.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen." She tried to explain lamely. "I wanted to be your friend. Really, I did. But—"

Again, he scoffed. And this time, she watched as he rolled his eyes in disbelief.

"—but there are so many reasons why we can't. Having a friendship with me could ruin you."

Adrien shook his head and pushed himself up and away from his car, now stuffing his hands into his pockets. "The only way anything can ruin our friendship is if we let it, Marinette. I mean seriously, are you even listening to yourself right now? Are you saying that no one can be your friend then? Or are you that selfish that you don't even realize the damage you cause in keeping your distance from me? Or maybe you did notice and you just chose not to care. You did make it perfectly clear that you already knew about my feelings for you."

Marinette frowned ever so slightly. "I didn't mean it like that—"

"Then what did you mean it by?"

"I knew about your feelings for me but what was I supposed to do with them? I was keeping my distance for the best."

Adrien's frown returned deeper than ever. "Do you even realize that us actually pretending the other doesn't exist ruins me more? You're just using that as an excuse to justify your actions."

"Maybe I am, but it's still the truth." Marinette insisted nonetheless, even as he cast his eyes away from hers, seeming to be in thought as he processed her words.

But then he suddenly laughed, the chilling tone in his voice almost frightening as he turned to look at her again, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're unbelievable, Marinette. You're only interested in what's best for you."

Marinette frowned at him. "That's not true!"

"It is!" He shot back. For some reason, despite his frustration, he took step forward towards her. The space in between them became non-existent. Adrien's breath hitched in the back of his throat as she decided to let her hands move to his chest, letting her fingers brush the fabric of his suit delicately. She could feel his intense stare on her as her hands wandered on their own higher up his chest. Marinette knew that she shouldn't have put her hands on him, but she found it impossible to move away as her hands glided over his shoulders and settled around the back of his neck. She wasn't even sure what she was even trying to accomplish, but Marinette began to play with the little hairs that tickled the back of his neck. She heard him gasp, and she couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corners of her lips.

Marinette watched his Adam Apple bob as he swallowed, "I...I still don't believe you."

She decided not to respond to that. Instead, Marinette only pressed forward. Her fingers wandered higher to where his locks were longer, and she tangled her fingers in his blonde hair, suddenly tugging him forward. He barely had any time to react when his head was suddenly yanked forward, his lips only inches away from hers. Marinette watched his eyes intensely, smiling softly when he whimpered at their close proximity. Their lips were only inches apart. All she had to do was lean up and close the distance between them. There was nothing else she wanted to do more in that moment.

But she held him back by his hair. First, she needed to tell him some things first. Marinette exhaled slowly and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. She looked up at him and offered him a sad smile. "Don't you get it?" She whispered, her lips still dangerously close to touching his. "I like you a lot, Adrien. I want to be with you. Everything Nathaniel and I have is fake."

"F-Fake?" Adrien stuttered out, almost as if he couldn't believe it for himself, and Marinette nodded to confirm that it was true.

"Yes," She said as pressed herself even closer into him. Marinette's eyes averted from his for a moment, now focused on the the closeness in between them, feeling ashamed that she had waited this long to admit her true feelings for him. "I don't even like Nathaniel. Our relationship has always been just an image. He doesn't exactly... respect me."

Marinette felt somewhat ashamed for even sharing something so personal with Adrien. Only because she had wasted so much time trying to please Nathaniel—telling herself for two whole years that that was how a relationship was meant to be.

But then, her shame slowly began to fade away when Adrien decided to respond. Not verbally—but his once hesitant hands begin to move, circling around her waist in a light embrace. Marinette looked up at him again, finding that his gaze had wandered out into the parking lot, as if he was lost in thought. She could feel his hands as they began to rub slow circles into her spine, and she couldn't help but smile. It's a start, but Marinette was happy for the contact nonetheless.

"What an ass." Adrien muttered, more to himself she realized, as his attention is still focused off into the distance.

Marinette leaned her head against his chest and nodded mutely. Yes, that was the perfect word to describe Nathaniel Kurtzberg. If only everyone else could see the real him.

"Marinette," Adrien whispered, and she lifted her head from his chest to meet his eyes again. "What do you say we just get out of here? I don't know about you... but so far my senior prom has been lame, and I personally love picturing Nathaniel being abandoned by his date in the middle of the dance floor."

Marinette giggled and wrapped her arms back around his neck. "Yeah. Let's get out of here."

Adrien offered her a genuine smile—one that Marinette knew she would never get tired of seeing. She was so thrilled and overwhelmed, that she didn't even bother to hold herself back as she reached up to connect her lips with his. Adrien squeaked against her mouth, clearly unprepared for the connection, and Marinette couldn't help but smile against his lips.

Oh god, he really was such a dork.

But he was her dork.

And that was all that mattered now.

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*swoons* honestly I wish Adrien and Marinette would be a couple already. I can't wait for the actual episode when that happens.

Also, I almost wasn't able to publish this today... but I pushed myself to get it out. Bless this beautiful two-shot.

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