Just as some of you requested (in which I intended to do as well) here's Part 2! This time, it's Marinette in the limelight of this story's performance.

(Listen to Joshua Bell's rendition of this! His high notes are so crystal sweet)

I do not own the characters! If I did, there would be even more sin in the show. :P

I hope you'll like it! (This fanfic was fueled by Le Cygne, caffeine, and a tad bit of insanity)

Enjoy!

- นักดนตรีวาดศิลปะของพวกเขาในความนิ่งเงียบ –

Adrien was here! Adrien came to the concert! Adrien!

Marinette felt her cheeks heat up as she paced back and forth in the dressing room. Suddenly, she stopped, and the redness in her cheek turned into ashen gray.

What if she messed up?!

What if she stumbled?! Drop her bow?! Play in the wrong key?! Even worse, what if her violin detunes in the middle of the performance?!

"I'm gonna mess up! I will mess up and then I will die in embarrassment!" Marinette shrieked.

Tikki flew up to her face and said, "Relax Marinette. You've practiced this piece more than a hundred times already; you basically sing it when you sleep. Everything is going to be fine."

Marinette let her kwami's words sink in. She was going to do fine. Adrien would smile at her and she would smile back and then she'd miss the beat of when to come in and play behind the orchestra!

The young girl groaned as she resumed her pacing. "I can't do it! I can't do it!"

"You can do it!" Tikki said firmly. "Just think, who are you playing this for?"

"Who am I playing it for…?" Marinette looked at herself in the mirror and a sad smile grew on her face. "I'm playing it for him."

"Marinette," One of the staff opened the door and peeped inside. "It's almost time for your performance."

Marinette nodded in acknowledgement as she picked up her instrument. As she tightened the hair of the bow and tuned her violin, she could feel her heart racing.

It'll be fine.

~NS268~

Marinette wiped her slick palms on her dress as she waited for the 12th movement to end. The beating of her heart was even worse than before. There was a deep pit in her stomach gnawing her insides, her fingers were cold, and she felt hollow. As the movement ended, the conductor glanced at her and gave a nod.

Taking a deep breath, Marinette stepped out of the shadows and into the brightness of the stage. Bowing slightly to the conductor, Marinette turned to the concertmaster and began to tune her violin.

Facing back to the audience, her breath hitched as the sea of eyes stared at her. She could feel her hands shaking.

She was terrified. Very much so.

Akuma attacks, well, they pose a threat to Paris and put Ladybug in harm's way. But she had Chat Noir and her yo-yo with her. She had a strong defense.

But on stage, there was no battle.

On stage, it was a sacrifice.

You put yourself, body and soul, out in the open for all to see and hear.

But the best part?

She was the one who would pierce their hearts with her music and take their breath away.

Marinette looked around and met a very familiar pair of emerald green eyes. He winked at her, and she blushed. Just from that small action, she could feel a warm tingling feeling grow inside her. It would be okay. Everything would be alright.

She closed her eyes as the orchestra started the first measure with the solid bass notes of the cellos, and then the harp came in in twinkling melody.

1…2…3…

Marinette tucked her violin under her chin.

"Who are you playing it for?"

4...5…6…

She lifted her bow.

"I'm playing it for him."

Andante Grazioso

~NS268~

Adrien…

I loved you. I love you. I will always love you.

I love your kindness. How you treat everyone equally, always polite, your never-ending offers to help those in need.

I love your smile. Seeing you happy makes me happy. I love how when you smile, your eyes brighten, cheeks flush, your smile so wide, it stretches across your face.

I love your sadness. How your eyes turn down, your mouth forming a slight frown, the usual lightness in your steps turning heavy. It makes me want to know what's wrong. How can I fix it? What will make a smile come back to your face?

I don't care about your riches, I don't care about your modeling career, and I don't care about the material things.

What I care about is you.

You're everything I ever wanted.

Marinette wants Adrien.

But Ladybug needs Chat Noir.

I didn't like you. I might like you. I love you.

Chat…

When did you ever crawl in my heart? The touch of your lips burned me and left an imprint of a cat's paw on my heart. Your green glowing eyes were like a light in the darkness. The flicker of your tail tugged on my heartstrings and your little grin…it leaves me a little bit more breathless. And your puns, they're awful, but I would never want you to stop. That's who you are.

You're a friend to Marinette and an anchor to Ladybug.

You were always there. You will always be there. And I wouldn't want it any other way.

I thought I would never have the heart to love you as strongly as I loved Adrien.

But you proved me wrong.

I had the heart to love you as strongly as I loved Adrien. Nay, it seems like I had the heart to love you even more.

And it scares me.

Not because I don't want to love you, but because I can't love you.

You mean too much to me.

If you were Adrien behind the mask, that would be like a dream come true.

But fate is cruel.

Because if you were him, it would be a nightmare. Beautiful, but a nightmare nonetheless.

Adrien, you captivated my heart.

Chat Noir, you stole it.

And if I lose you, my heart would shatter in pieces. Because when I fell in love twice, the pain in losing you, as Adrien and as Chat Noir, would be twice as much.

That's why…

I'm sorry.

I love you.

I'm sorry.

I can't love you.

I'm sorry.

~NS268~

Marinette opened her eyes as her bow left the string, the last note ringing in the air.

The hall was in stunned silence. Marinette touched her cheek and realized that there were tears on her fingertips. She had been crying.

It started slowly, but turned into a deafening roar as the audience stood up and gave her a standing ovation.

Marinette was touched. A standing ovation was one of the best things a musician could receive. As she bowed, she snuck a glance at Adrien and a gasp escaped from her.

He was looking at her.

She knew that look.

Adrien looked at Marinette like how Chat Noir looked at Ladybug and like how Marinette looked at Adrien. And maybe…how Ladybug and Marinette looked at Chat Noir.

She didn't know if she should be happy or sad. But there was one thing for sure.

It hurt.

Giving him a small smile, Marinette bowed once more to the audience and left the stage.

~NS268~

"Princess?"

Adrien silently cursed himself as the nickname slipped out of his tongue. He was here to visit as Adrien, not Chat Noir!

"Chat? You were here?" a watery voice called out from inside the dark dressing room.

Adrien peeked inside, surprised to see Marinette hunching on the table in front of the mirror. From the light behind his back, he was just a silhouette. Adrien slipped inside and closed the door, cutting off the light and plunging the room into darkness once more. Adrien asked, "Why are you crying princess?"

"I don't know." Marinette said quietly. It pained him to see her so…fragile. Marinette was not fragile. Marinette was never fragile.

Until now that is.

He walked across the room and enveloped her into a hug. Marinette choked back a sob as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"I'm sorry for hurting you."

"You never hurt me."

"I love you."

Adrien froze. Did she just say what he thought she said? His heart leaped up to his throat but was crushed by her next words.

"I'm sorry."

"Marinette?"

"I'm sorry for loving you."

Adrien sank down and cupped the sides of her face in his hands. "Princess, don't say that."

He felt her shake her head. "I love you. But I love Adrien too. But I have to choose and I don't…I can't…"

"You don't have to choose." Adrien breathed. "You can have both."

Marinette drew away from him. "How! They're not the same person! Chat Noir is Chat Noir! Adrien is Adrien! Two polar opposites! Two different people! Just like how Marinette is Marinette! Like how Marinette will never be Ladybug! Marinette will never be like Ladybug! Ladybug will always be Ladybug! Even if she is played by Marinette!"

"What are you talking about?" Adrien frowned. Was she…it couldn't be…maybe…he reached for her hand, and when he found it, he asked tentatively, "My lady?"

He heard her breath hitch. That was all the answer he needed. He let her hand go and started to back away.

"Chat?" Marinette called out, her voice breaking. "Chat, I'm sorry. I know you're disappointed but please…don't go."

"I'm not going anywhere."

And with that, Adrien flicked on the light.

Marinette's eyes widened like Adrien's grin as she perceived the young lad standing before her. "Adrien!" She squeaked.

Marinette jumped up from her chair, her arms waving around in panic. "Omigosh I thought you were Chat Noir and now I've spilled my secrets and now you know I'm Ladybug and and and please FORGET EVERYTHING I SAID!"

If his grin could get any wider, it would. Adrien walked towards her and put his hands on her shoulders. Looking in her blue eyes, he said gently, "I will never forget anything that you said, Marinette."

"But-"

"I'm glad Ladybug is you."

Marinette blushed deeply.

What about Chat Noir?

Marinette blurted out. "But Chat Noir-"

"Choose both." Adrien said, trailing his hands down her arms, sending shivers up her spine, and took a hold of her wrist. Lifting her hand up, he kissed her palm, looking softly at her. "You can have both."

Marinette stared wide eyed at him. "Adrien."

"Yes, Princess."

"Chat."

"I'm here, My Lady."

Adrien watched with fondness as the corners of her mouth lifted up and mirrored his. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "You can have both."

"Then...I'll have you both." She said softly.

His hold tightened. "I finally found you, Marinette."

He felt her chuckle. "You could say…"

Both of them grinned.

"The cat's out of the bag."

Sometimes, the things you see in front of you are never what it seems.

And sometimes, it is and even more.

So look.

Look at what's in front, and look at what's beyond.

And listen.

Listen to the sound, listen to the silence.

Because the silence is as important as the sound.

~NS268~

Fin.

Argh! Why is this angsty fluff! Why does everything I type turn to angsty fluff?! Sorry if the ending's a bit wonky. I didn't know how to finish it after the performance.

Anyway, I hope you guys didn't get confused with the style in the POV. I tried to make it like a letter so…yeah. Adrienette, Marichat, you can take it any way you like. It's open ended. She could say sorry to Adrien, or to Chat, THEY'RE THE SAME GUY (oh this show is killing me)

Joshua Bell gives me goosebumps with this piece, I'm telling you. Ugh, my heart…

Thank you all for reading! Thank you for the reviews and for the favorites and for the follows! You guys make me cry! You're all so nice! Thank you all so much!

I hope you liked it!

See ya'll next time!

- นักดนตรีวาดศิลปะของพวกเขาในความนิ่งเงียบ -