In just his undergarments, Adrien slowly descended into the river water, chills running up his spine when the cold met his warm skin. Marinette had already dipped her head under the water and was floating on her back beside him, her arms and legs outstretched and her eyes closed as she basked under the warm sun.

They had both stripped out of their royal garments to better clean the paint off their skin and to cool down from the rising heat. However, being in only his undergarments next to his betrothed (who was also only in her undergarments) was surely something that a man and a woman were not supposed to do until they were married.

His father would skin him alive (as would hers) if either of them were to hear about this.

Adrien avoided looking in her direction. He felt a bit uncomfortable, he had to admit. He never got this undressed unless it was with Kagami.

"I can tell you have never swam in a river before."

"Am I that obvious?" Adrien chuckled nervously as he kept his back facing her. He scrubbed at his arms, watching in relief as the paint started to wash away.

"Very. Is your father against swimming in rivers too?"

His father would surely be against him swimming in a river. It wasn't usually something a royal from his country did, not unless the king was on a journey to battle or to visit some other distant land, and a river was the only source of water to scrub himself clean.

"More like he would prefer if I drew a bath." Adrien chuckled.

"That sounds rather boring."

"At least there is warm water." Adrien shrugged, smiling to himself.

The sloshing of water behind him indicated that Marinette had ceased her peaceful floating. Adrien instantly tensed and feared that she might draw near him. He didn't dare turn around to see what she was plotting, though.

"The cold water is good for your skin." Marinette said playfully from behind him. "Soak in it more often and you might just have better skin, Your Highness."

Adrien feigned offense and gasped. "I will have you know that my skin is flawless."

"Is the mirror in your chambers cloudy?"

With a shake of his head, Adrien chuckled softly. Even facing away from her, he couldn't contain his smile. Talking to Marinette was so refreshing. In fact, he found that the more they talked and the closer they grew, the more he smiled. It felt good to smile this much again.

He continued to scrub his arms beneath the surface, preoccupied with his thoughts. He was so focused on his thoughts that he hardly realized Marinette had swam around to float in front of him. When he realized she was there, his eyes went wide and he jerked back, mortified that he was now getting a view of what she looked like in just her undergarments.

Marinette didn't seem to care though. She laughed. "I knew you were purposely avoiding eye contact. You know it is not a crime for us to look at each other while we swim, right?"

Adrien quickly raised a hand to block his eyesight. Marinette's continuous giggling had him frowning. "We are not in the appropriate attire to even be in each other's company. I am sure you can agree that this predicament is extremely inappropriate."

"Adrien, we are both still fully clothed." Marinette's voice sounded humorous.

"In our undergarments!"

Marinette's soft laughter seemed to echo around them. He found himself unable to deny the temptation to sneak a peak at her through his fingers. When their gazes clashed, Marinette was already watching him with a very amused expression.

"Clothes are clothes to me," Marinette said, her smile soft. "You cannot see anything you are not meant to see, so you have nothing to worry about."

Slowly, Adrien removed his hand from his eyes, but he was skeptical. To assure him that her words were true, Marinette did a spin in the water. The water reached her mid-waist when she stood, but as he watched her spin, he realized she was right. Despite her wearing undergarments and them being wet, he couldn't see anything intimate.

However, for some reason, he felt like them doing this together was still intimate—

"Feel better?" Marinette broke him from his thoughts again with concern, her eyebrows only furrowed slightly. "If you still feel uneasy, I suppose I could retrieve my royal garments to make you feel more comfortable—"

"That will not be necessary." Adrien interrupted her. With a nod of approval, he relaxed. "You were right. I am not really sure why I freaked out over it."

"I understand why you did," Marinette said. "I am certain your father has taught you all your life about the dos and do nots when it concerns the correct adequate between a man and a woman just like my father has."

"Yes." Adrien nodded, his eyes snapping back up to hers. "I suppose he tended to exaggerate in some areas."

Marinette raised an eyebrow in interest. "Care to elaborate?"

Adrien shot her a knowing smile. "I am not sure if this is even appropriate to say, but I suppose we have crossed all the so-called 'boundaries' of proper adequate, so I do not see why I should hold back now." Marinette laughed at that, which had his smile involuntarily widening. "Before my father realized my mind was no longer innocent, he made a habit of warning me about the alluring ways of a woman."

"Ah, I see." Marinette's smile widened until it turned into a grin. "So we are talking about sex. That is a rather personal topic of discussion. I suppose talking about this would make us friends now, does it not?"

Her question caused Adrien to pause, his smile slipping from his lips ever-so-slightly. Not necessarily because he was opposed to the idea, but because her question had completely taken him off guard. But in truth, he couldn't even deny her words. He enjoyed his time spent with Marinette. He rather liked her as a person. Her personality was unique. Her outlook on life was inspiring. With everything they now knew about each other thus far, plus all of the time they spent together, he couldn't exactly say they were still acquaintances.

So... did that make them friends?

He matched her growing smile. "Yes. I suppose it does."

Her smile turned soft once more. "I am glad we can say we are friends now."

He was glad too, truthfully. Why had it taken him so long to admit it?

"Me too." He said.

Perhaps he had been afraid to admit it—to admit that he could want to be friends with a woman who was supposed to be an enemy. It made him sound traitorous even though they were meant to be wed. If they were alive today, his ancestors would probably spit on his name for wanting a friendship with her, let alone being betrothed to her.

But Adrien was starting to realize that times were changing. Even though he wanted all of his actions to be a part of his façade, he realized that this was real. To be her friend was something he truly wanted. He couldn't even pretend anymore.

And that made him happy.

"So, tell me." Marinette broke the silence again, a mischievous grin pulling at her lips. "How many times did your father give you the 'talk?'"

Adrien threw his head back and groaned in embarrassment. "Stop, please. Do you know how embarrassing it was having to sit through those lectures with him?"

"Aww indulge me, please! My father was never vulgar. He thought it to be too inappropriate to tell me like it is simply because I am a lady."

"So, what, you mean to tell me you know nothing?"

"That would be foolish." She smirked. "Of course I do."

Adrien raised a brow at that, a smirk pulling at his lips. "I suppose you are not as innocent as your father believes."

"If I was anything like my father believes, my lips would still be a virgin." Marinette snickered as she lowered herself back into the river, the water reaching the crook of her neck.

Adrien decided to copy her. Now, it was just their heads that poked above the surface. He smirked. "Now you must indulge my curiosity. With whom and where did you have your first kiss?"

Marinette considered his question with an airy laugh. "I do not even remember the boy's name, but he was from our village. I snuck out to the village once and met him. We spent the whole day together before we found a secluded place and kissed. I was not dressed in my royal attire then, so he never knew who I was. I never saw him after that."

"Wow." Adrien couldn't help but grin for all the wrong reasons. His first thought was that it hadn't been with her knight, Luka, and that made him all the more relieved. Secondly, he hadn't expected the story of Marinette's first kiss to be so scandalous. "I am willing to bet you broke the poor boy's heart."

She snickered at that. "Oh, I am certain he is still wallowing to this day."

Adrien burst out laughing at that. He honestly felt bad for the poor lad despite never knowing him, but the way she so nonchalantly said that is what made the entire thing so funny.

"What about you?" Marinette raised a teasing brow. "When did you have your first kiss?"

Adrien found himself smiling fondly as he recalled the first time Kagami had ever kissed him. He'd been young and inexperienced. However, he vividly remembered the first time he had ever tasted her lips; the way she hadn't cared that he hadn't known what he was doing. The way she had guided him and touched him, loving him in a way he had only dreamed of being loved.

He knew it was risky to even tell Marinette anything about his relationship with Kagami, but something inside of him wanted to. He wanted Marinette to know about his silly first kiss, even if he couldn't go into details like she could.

He chuckled as a blush slowly rose to his cheeks. "I was twelve. I..I suppose I had not really considered romance then, but then a girl surprised me and just kissed me. Shocked as I was, it took me a moment to even register what had happened before I responded."

Marinette didn't point out his flushed cheeks, even though he was certain they were as clear as day. She didn't even press him for a name. Instead, she just smiled. "I can imagine twelve-year-old you all flustered and stuttering after that kiss."

Adrien covered his face with his hands, embarrassed, despite the fact that he was laughing. "You would imagine right."

"No need to be embarrassed," Marinette said cheekily. "Although I cannot say I ever got flustered due to my first kiss."

"All right, all right. Rub it in."

Her response to his sarcasm was a series of giggles. Then she did something he should've anticipated coming. The back of her fingers swept across the surface as she flung water at him, a stream of chilliness hitting him straight in the face. Unprepared for the sudden douse, Adrien's eyes squinted closed and he jerked back, pouting when he heard her giggles grow higher.

Adrien ran a hand over his face and opened his eyes, smirking when he caught sight of her playful gaze. "Oh, you are so on."

Marinette's fingers flexed as she beckoned him forward. "Come get me, sunshine."

Adrien lunged through the water, and Marinette's squeals followed as she tried to swim away from him. He dove under the water and grabbed her ankles, pulling her underneath with him. As their gazes met underneath the water, she stuck out her tongue at him. He tried to reach out and grab her again, but Marinette twisted her body and evaded him, heading for the surface.

She emerged with a gasp, and he followed shortly after her. He only gave her a few seconds to regain her breath before he was flinging water her way.

Their laughter remained trapped between the trees, the winds having no intention of carrying the sound out to unwanted ears. At that moment, it was just them. Adrien and Marinette. It was a moment Adrien realized he would never forget. It was so simple too—just two people who didn't have to worry about the crown right then and there, splashing each other with cold river water, and simply having fun.

This was the kind of fun Marinette was talking about. The kind of fun that he was allowed to have. The kind of fun he only seemed to have with her.

This wasn't something Adrien did. The only one who would have ever coaxed him into doing something like this would've been his mother. She was the kind of woman who knew how to be professional, yet never failed to cease a moment of joy when it was presented to her.

Oddly enough, Marinette seemed to be the exact same way.

He wasn't sure why that was. He wasn't sure if it was just a coincidence. Perhaps the universe simply knew that he needed a woman like this at his side. Someone like Marinette.

Adrien frowned slightly at that thought. But... what about Kagami?

He was instantly broken from his thoughts when Marinette used both hands to send a wave of water his way. It left him completely soaked, and then his frown was gone, and he was grinning, lunging at her once again. This time, unlike she had underwater, Marinette wasn't able to escape him. His arms came around her to hold her arms down at her sides. Marinette laughed joyously as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but she wasn't able to break free from his stronghold.

Seeming to accept her fate, Marinette relented and leaned back, her head resting on his collarbone. Against his will, Adrien's breath hitched, but Marinette didn't seem to notice when she let out an exhausted sigh. "All right. I accept my defeat. You win."

Breathlessly, he chuckled, and he found that the tension in his body was already starting to vanish. His hold around her didn't even loosen. In fact, it tightened. "I cannot say I have ever had a competition to see who can splash the other more."

"I call horse-shit. You certainly had practice."

Adrien snorted loudly, unprepared for such a curse word to slip past her lips. "You have such a foul mouth, Marinette. Imagine if your father heard you speak like that."

Marinette scoffed playfully. "Imagine if yours did."

"I could picture it now." He said teasingly. In fact, he really could picture it. It was possible his father might completely change his mind about this union if he ever heard Marinette talking like that.

Adrien suddenly had a very strong urge to make sure that his father never heard such words leave her mouth.

"He would surely have a fit." A fit was putting it mildly. A better word for his father's reaction might be rage. "He believes it is only appropriate for a man to speak like that."

Marinette hummed thoughtfully at that. "And do you agree?"

"No." Adrien answered without a hint of hesitation. He actually found Marinette's vulgar and bold tongue to be refreshing. She wasn't like other women in the sense that she was coached to speak a certain way. She spoke her mind, which was something he actually really admired about her.

"Good." He could hear the approval in her tone. "Because I do not plan to ever speak any differently."

"I would not expect anything less." Adrien laughed softly, and his smile widened at the sight of her own beaming smile.

They fell into a comfortable silence and remained in each other's arms, neither seemingly having any interest in pulling away from the other. Adrien was the one who held her there, and he was very aware that Marinette was not quite embracing him back. But he could see her smile, and her head was still resting on his shoulder. She wasn't uncomfortable.

And that made him really happy.

"This is nice." Adrien sighed happily, breaking the silence once again. "I never would have thought something like this could be fun. I find it shocking that I even admit this, but I am rather glad you push me to try new things."

Before, Adrien hadn't been a fan of change. He liked things to be the same, which meant trying something new had always been far from his mind, especially after his mother's passing. She had been his light—the one to encourage him to step out of his comfort zone. Now that she was gone, his life had been mediocre at best. It went on with less color, and he just seemed to just accept that.

Life for him and his father hadn't been the same... and perhaps it never would be.

But maybe that was okay.

Maybe things didn't need to be the same for once. Maybe what Adrien really needed was change. Maybe it was possible for someone else to bring back that light his mother had so brightly shone.

Marinette leaned her head back further to smile up at him. "I am glad you are willing to try new things."

Her words were so ironic that he chuckled. She had no idea that before she had even stepped into the picture, he had been quite the opposite. "I have not always been that way."

"And that is okay." The water gently sloshed as Marinette's hands rose. Her hands held onto his arms which were still firmly wrapped around her middle. His eyes widened at the contact. "Being able to change is what makes life so true."

Once again, her words touched his soul. Adrien couldn't help but hum in agreement. Sometimes, he found that when Marinette spoke, her words were laced with a type of wisdom he wished he had. He supposed, that as he spent more time with her, perhaps some of that wisdom might rub off on him.

Marinette sighed contently and tapped his arm. "We should probably get out and head back to the palace. We do not want anyone worrying over our absence."

Adrien released her from his grasp, despite the fact that he didn't want to let go. But Marinette was right. They were without a chaperone, in the middle of the woods, in quite a compromising predicament lest they were spotted. The last thing he needed was for someone to worry about their absence and send a search party, or to be scolded by his father again.

But in truth, that wasn't even Adrien's primary concern. All he could really think about was how angry Kagami would be as he got out of the water.

_______________

The rest of Adrien's day had gone swimmingly... get it... 'cause.. heh. He was in a much better mood despite the encounter he'd had with his father in the art room and the fact that he'd had an episode because of it. But even though those things had happened, Adrien couldn't help but smile. Because even through those humiliating instances, Marinette had been at his side. She'd been there to comfort him and keep him steady, never once judging him for his moments of weakness.

Marinette was... Marinette was wonderful. He was truly proud to say she was his friend.

As Adrien walked alone down the corridors to his chambers for the evening, he rubbed his fingers over the ones on his other hand, feeling the wrinkles that had formed on his skin from being submerged in the water. He smiled down at his hands, recalling the fun afternoon he and Marinette had had together. Recalling the absolute joy he had felt just splashing water at each other. Recalling how at peace he had felt just holding her in his arms.

He chuckled to himself. He hadn't even known Marinette for that long. In two days, it would be the one week mark of her stay here. He'd only known her for a week and yet...

...he felt like he'd known her longer than that.

Adrien never thought in a million years that the princess from his neighboring kingdom, who was supposed to be his enemy, would become his friend. He also never thought he could have grown so close to someone in such little time. It was hard to even fathom how he and Marinette were already so close. He felt like he could tell her anything.

Anything except for the fact that he was with Kagami.

He felt his mood sour at the thought of her. Kagami, the woman who was supposed to be the love of his life, and whom he wanted to marry, seemed to radiate negativity as of late. He knew it was because she was jealous, but regardless of how jealous she felt, it had been her idea for him to write to Marinette as if he had truly wanted her.

Now, Kagami hated Marinette for reasons that were out of Marinette's control. He didn't want Kagami to hate Marinette. Marinette didn't deserve that. If Kagami absolutely needed someone to hate, he wanted it to be him. He wanted her to blame him; to take it out on him.

But... she didn't.

Lately, he found himself arguing with Kagami more than he was making love to her. It was becoming hard, he realized, to bed her when their sessions were not done out of love. He could feel the way Kagami had shifted. Everything she did with him was an act of claim. Even if no one else could see it, she claimed him.

Adrien loved Kagami, but he was starting to dread spending the nights with her. It was almost as if their lovemaking had turned into a routine. It didn't seem to be about love anymore.

His stomach tightened at that thought, and he realized, it wasn't just because of Kagami. It was also because, despite his undeniable love for Kagami, Adrien's heart had fluttered several times around Marinette at the river.

That didn't mean anything though. It couldn't possibly mean anything because he loved Kagami. He was simply elated to have a friend like Marinette.

So... then... why did he feel guilty?

He turned a corner, the happiness long gone from his face. He found Kagami standing perfectly still in front of his chambers as she waited for him. She stepped aside to grant him access to the door when he approached.

"Where have you been?" She asked sternly from behind him as he toggled with the handle. He left her question unanswered as he stepped inside. She quickly followed him, shutting the door behind her somewhat harshly. "You have been missing for hours. You are lucky your father did not take notice."

He was tempted to make a sarcastic comment about how truly 'lucky' he was that his father hadn't even known his own son had been missing for hours, but he decided to hold his tongue. That would only raise an argument, and that was the last thing he wanted to do with her.

But it seemed Kagami had different intentions. She pressed on stubbornly. "I demand to know where you were, Adrien. It is imperative that I know."

Adrien scoffed, his back still facing her. "You 'demand?' You are in no position to make any demands."

"Stop being stubborn and just tell me where you were."

"Why?" Adrien turned around to face her, his expression sullen. "So that you can deny me your body again because I decided to spend the day with the princess?"

Kagami folded her arms across her chest. "You know the issue does not lie with you spending the day with her. It lies with the fact that you do so alone."

"Why does that matter if we have no feelings for each other? We are just two friends doing what friends do. We hang out. We talk. That is it."

"'Friends?'" Kagami's eyes narrowed by the second, and he realized all too late that he had slipped up by calling Marinette his friend in front of Kagami. "She is your friend now? It seems my concern is justified considering just a week ago you were calling her your enemy."

"We are not enemies." Adrien found himself seething. "How many times must I repeat that? How many times must I repeat that we have no ill will for one another? How many times must I repeat that her goal, which is now mine, has always been for peace?"

"Maybe until it starts to sound believable," Kagami said. "Because I cannot be the only one who thinks it odd that in a little less than a week, you two have become incredibly close."

"No one else thinks it odd but you," Adrien argued. "Everyone else seems content that everything seems to be playing out according to plan. Everyone else seems truly content knowing that soon, our kingdoms will be joined and at peace with one another. Even my father has smiled at the prospect of it. Only you continue to grasp at my throat."

"Can you possibly blame me?" Surprisingly, he saw a bit of desperation in her eyes. "Adrien, you are the love of my life. Watching you spend all your time with another woman has been difficult."

"You knew this was to happen." Adrien pointed a finger at her, truly appalled by the fact that she knew all of this and yet she wasn't taking any responsibility for the reason why they kept butting heads. "Why are you giving me so much grief for something that we both know is inevitable? What good does arguing about it with me do?"

"I do not wish to argue with you, Adrien," Kagami said in a chillingly calm manner. "But I need you to reassure me here. I need you to stop wandering off with the princess unsupervised."

"Why do I need to assure you of anything? Are you saying you do not trust me?" Adrien frowned as he folded his arms across his chest, almost as if he were guarding his heart from her.

"Of course I trust you. This has nothing to do with trust—"

"Does it not?" Adrien cut her off sharply. "You are so concerned about me being alone with the princess. Why would that be a concern of yours if you did trust me?"

Kagami blankly stared at him. It was in moments like these when he loathed how well she masked every single emotion was she potentially feeling behind an empty expression. Adrien wished she would open up to him; he wished she would allow every emotion she was feeling to rise to the surface.

Instead, Kagami sighed through her nose. "I show concern on this matter because I worry what might happen if your father discovers you have been spending time with the princess without a chaperone."

"What a load of horse shit." Adrien spat. He knew that wasn't the true reason.

"You know how strict your father believes a chaperone to be present in instances such as this—"

"Stop talking." Adrien raised a hand to silence her. He was in no mood to listen to her further lies. "While that may be true about my father, I know the real reason why you continue to pester me with this. It is because you are jealous. Well, I am tired of dealing with your jealousy, Kagami."

In truth, they had already been over this. Her jealousy had been addressed the moment he noticed it, and Kagami had actually apologized for it. He thought it was behind them now, but apparently it wasn't, because it seemed she was still jealous, and this time, she had no intention of admitting or apologizing for it.

Kagami's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. "I am concerned, not... jealous."

"Well, whatever you are, it is childish, and I am tired of arguing because of it."

"Then let us stop arguing and do what we do best." Kagami took a step forward, and he cursed himself for not automatically taking a step back. Her hands came up to rest on his clothed chest. "Let us kiss and make up."

Kagami wasn't one to ever make jokes, let alone tease him. He would have laughed at her attempt at humor too, had he not been in such a sour mood.

Sighing impatiently through his nose, Adrien took ahold of her wrists and pulled them away from his chest. "I am not in the mood to have sex with you right now, Kagami."

"Come now, Adrien." Kagami arched an unconvinced brow at him. "Since when are you not in the mood?"

Adrien rolled his eyes. "I have no desire to make love to you when I am annoyed with you."

"Who said anything about 'making love?'" If Kagami cared to show him emotion on that pretty face of hers, he was certain she would be smirking up at him right about now. "We can have the best kind of sex. Angry sex."

"That is all our sex seems to be these days," Adrien replied, deadpanned.

Kagami didn't seem to care whether that was true or not. Instead, she found a way to lean in even closer, her lips finding the junction of his neck. Her lips fluttered near his ear, and Adrien's breath hitched. His grip around her wrists slightly loosened against his will.

He felt her smile against his skin as if she had won, and that bothered him. Yet, he closed his eyes and involuntarily tilted his head back, granting her more access. He couldn't even tell her to stop, despite that a part of him wished she would. But the other part of him—the part of him that wished to be loved and to feel that spark when they connected was stronger than the part of him that didn't want this.

And so, he allowed her to break his resolve as he fell back into his bed with her on top.

_______________________________

Are things starting to come together... or is it all falling apart? 👀

Been feeling a little under the weather all week... apparently covid is spiking back up? It's possible I could have it. Either way, I've just been resting, drinking a lot of liquids.... and writing ofc.

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! See you again next week!

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