Chapter Text
Oh no.
His eyes held her gaze and Marinette’s breath hitched. Oh no, Oh no, Oh. No. All the pieces were falling into place, and Marinette really wasn’t sure she was ready to face what it meant. No, scratch that, she was definitely not ready to face what that meant.
Was it normal to hear your own heartbeat in your head? Because that a thing that was happening to Marinette right now.
It was pretty surprising that she hadn’t started screaming the moment the pieces started falling into place. But then again, that just might have been because her brain had pretty much just stopped working from the sheer shock of the whole situation.
Marinette was pretty sure that her brain was almost a hundred percent engaged in keeping her breathing and in an upright position.
Because, how could Adrien be Chat Noir? It didn’t make any sense to her, because in what world could sweet, shy, kind, smart and gorgeous Adrien Agreste be Chat Noir? This was because Chat was an absolute flirt, with a terrible sense of humor. Granted, he’d made her laugh plenty of times, and he was always a perfect gentleman, but still… puns and silly jokes. Sure, Marinette might be at fault, since she gave him a book to support his little pun habit, but that was not important right now.
But really, how could Adrien be Chat? Because they were definitely not alike! Sure, Chat was bright and smart, so sweet and kind; characteristics she was now beginning to realize, she’d used to describe Adrien as well. Hmm. Clearly Marinette was not as bright as she’d like to think she was. Because she should have only taken one look at his smile and figured it out right away. How had she missed it? His smile was all Chat when he was joking around, like he was just now; the perfect mix of charm and playfulness. And now, the worried look on his stupidly pretty green eyes was the same Chat got when she got hurt, or he was concerned about anything.
How did she miss it? He wasn’t always Chat; but now that the pieces were beginning to fall into place, she could definitely see it. Some glimpses here and there, small subdued gestures that helped blend the lines.
Marinette remembered now, how Alya had showed her the crude photo edit of Adrien as Chat Noir, and just how much she’d laughed at the idea. Marinette had dismissed it right away, because it was just a completely outlandish idea to think of Chat and Adrien as the same person. Well, if Alya knew just how right she got it, she’d find the whole situation completely hilarious.
She just couldn’t stop thinking about it. And it was terrible, because right now, this new knowledge meant that she was switching around every memory. Every little night talk, every little moment, was switched around to fit around the revelation.
She had been making out with Adrien Agreste all this time.
Marinette made a sound that could only be described as a meep, as the idea settled into her head, She had been making out with Adrien. Repeatedly. On her rooftop balcony. Ooh; she had actually tackled him just a couple of days ago.
Oh no. Just yesterday, they’d had a little moment on the lounge chair in her room. Marinette made a sound that could only be described as a squeak,once another realization hit. Adrien Agreste had given her a hickey!Willingly. A hickey she was currently trying to hide. And even more, had Alya not arrived when she did, she might have given Cha… Adrien one.
To tell the truth, Marinette wasn’t exactly sure just how long she’d been quiet. Or whether Alya was still talking to her, which was something that should have worried way more than it was right now. But Marinette was currently channeling her energy into not screaming.
It took Alya to snap her fingers in front of her face for Marinette to come back to reality. “Are you okay?” the girl asked, a concerned look on her face.
“I… uh. I just spaced out a little.” She said, feeling that her voice was somewhat higher than it should have been. “I… I’m going to go to the bathroom, be right back!” she exclaimed, running away before Alya had been able to say anything.
She’d walked with as much calm and dignity as she could muster, but once she was sure that no one was going to see her, she hurried up as much as humanly possible and slammed the door closed behind her.
The bathroom was empty, which was just about the best thing that had happened to her today, and Marinette leaned against the closed door, her eyes closed as she tried to catch her breath.
Alright. To sum things up. Adrien was Chat. Chat was Adrien. Marinette had been making out with both.
“Marinette?” Tikki’s voice interrupted her little moment, and safe on the knowledge that they were alone, the little kwami emerged from the purse that housed her all day. “Are you okay?”
“Tikki, is this happening right now or am I just going crazy?” Marinette questioned, fully aware of what the answer was.
The small creature shrugged her little shoulders, clearly not sure on how to proceed. “It’s happening and… you’re right. It is him.” she said, with enough certainty to make Marinette begin pacing again.
“I can’t do this right now!” She exclaimed, “Tikki, you know what’s been happening!” Marinette exclaimed, blue eyes wide as she motioned around her scarf, “I can’t face him, not yet!”
Tikki clearly did not approve of this plan, “But Marinette!” the kwami began, “he needs to know too!”
“He’s always known it’s me!” Marinette hissed, pacing around in the bathroom, double and triple checking for anyone hearing. “And I just found out!”
“And you’ve always know that you’re… you know.” Tikki said, “And that’s something he might want to know as well!”
Marinette stopped in her tracks, and Tikki knew that she’d gotten at least somewhere with her. “You’re right,” She breathed, blue eyes widened in a panic. “But I really can’t face him now.”
Tikki exhaled loudly, “you have to go back to class soon, you know,”
The first answer from Marinette was a sharp intake of breath and a quick glance at the screen on her cellphone. Their next class was about to start soon, so if she didn’t think of something, she was going to have to go back and face a lot of questions she was not ready to answer just yet.
“Oh no.” She mumbled, squirming in place as she plotted out her next move. “What if…” she looked around, hands flailing about as she searched for inspiration. Suddenly, inspiration struck… “Girl problems.” She whispered, her face brightening once the idea began taking form in her mind.
Tikki was absolutely confused. “What?”
“I’m having girl problems.” Marinette began tapping away on her phone to find Alya’s contact information.
“But… you’re not!” Tikki pointed out, a frown on her tiny face.
“I know that, but… I’m just buying time until I know what to say to him.”
“Marinette…” Tikki began, and Marinette could have shrunk in place at the sheer disappointment on the kwami’s voice.
But she’d already sent the message, and she had left was flee home and hope she’d be able to fool the adults she needed to, for this to work. “I’ll fix this, Tikki. I promise!”
The look on Tikki’s face clearly told Marinette that she had yet to hear the end of this.
And what was Marinette to do when the magical creature you partnered with, who gave you magical powers to battle evil, and who usually was very, very proud and supportive of everything she did, was clearly disappointed with the way she had handled discovering that her partner in battling crime was also the boy she’d had a crush on for ages?
Delay. Delay the inevitable.
Which was how Marinette had ended up texting Alya during the afternoon, and had set up a little slumber party for the two of them. And so she left her parents home, carrying her pajamas, and an offer of some pastries from the shop and snack food to last them through the night.
The good thing about this particular plan, was that Alya’s house was loud.Very loud, which made sense, considering the fact that Alya had younger and very energetic siblings, but to tell the truth, Marinette welcomed the change.
Marinette’s home life was quiet, with her being an only daughter, which was usually fine, since it meant that she had peace and quietness in her room. But right now, quietness would lead thinking and that wasn’t something she wanted to deal with right now.
Granted, Alya had been a little bit surprised at Marinette’s idea, but she’d agreed to it quickly. With being Ladybug, and well, Chat’s little visits… She felt like she had abandoned her best friend duties. Because sure, they still talked and texted, but they didn’t spend as much time together. But with the excuse of class president things to review, Marinette and Alya were set for a sleepover.
Besides, she had acted a little bit crazy today at school. And she knew that Alya was going to be curious for answers; and knowing her best friend, it was best to offer them to her than to wait for Alya to find things out on her own. The balance she’d constructed in her double life was hanging by a thread, and she needed to be careful.
The evening had started with video games with Alya’s little siblings, but after Alya’s mom told them all to go to bed, the two friends had set up camp in Alya’s room, carrying enough snacks to last them through the night.
Alya tugged out the pull out bed under her own, clearing her throat before speaking, “So,” she began, and Marinette cringed, just knowing what was about to happen. “What was with the spaz out today?”
“Uh…” Marinette began, holding a bowl filled with cheesy snacks and some soft drinks, fully aware that she was not leaving this house without at least answering some of the questions she’d avoided so far. In a way, she sort of welcomed the chance to get some things off of her chest, even if she had to be extremely careful of what she said, to make sure that she didn’t give out any more information than what she needed to.
The problem was, that there was something absolutely nerve wracking about confessing something as important as this; and while Marinette did want to tell Alya at least some of it, there was a streak of nervousness that prompted her to deflect, and delay the inevitable (she’d done that all day, just ask Tikki). “What do you mean?” She’d confess! Really! But could anyone blame her for wanting to be at least settled in comfortable before they broached such difficult topics?
Besides, Alya needed to work on her timing, honestly. Marinette looked away, as she placed the snacks on a safe surface and crawled on top of the bed.
The look on Alya’s face told her exactly what she thought of her very flimsy attempt to deflect. “Mhmm.” She hummed, but helped with the blankets nonetheless. They fell into a quiet spell for a while, as Alya set up the little do-it-yourself projector she’d built based on a YouTube tutorial. The cardboard box, along some small speakers gave the two girls enough of a screen to project their favorite movies in a bigger screen than their computers or available TV screens would allow.
Alya pressed play on a video from youtube and turned back to Marinette, “Well, as to what I meant. There are a bunch of things that come to mind,” Alya said, crawling on top of her bed, as Marinette did the same on the lower bed. “I could start with The Amazing M&M Waterfall,” Alya began, holding up her fingers as she listed the issues, “then… whatever happened with Adrien today at recess,” another finger went up, “And you fled the school.” Alya nodded, taking notice of the bashful look on her best friend’s face but, she’d asked. “I mean, there’s the surprise slumber party; but I’m okay with that, but to tell you the truth we usually plan ahead a little more.”
Marinette cringed a little, hoping that Alya’s uncanny ability to read her was the reason for the detailed list, and not because Marinette had been as obvious as it sounded she’d been. “It wasn’t that bad, was it?”
Alya’s right eyebrow raised before she answered, “Girl, you squeaked several times before fleeing the scene. It was bad.” she told Marinette, her voice amused but slightly sympathetic.
Marinette wrinkled her nose, “But no one noti…”
“They did.” Alya interrupted her, her voice gentler, “But since you left, they thought you were actually sick. So I guess that was a good move.”
It was a little relief for Marinette, but that this moment she’d take it.
“So,” Alya pressed, “What was all that today? And does have anything to do with that hickey you’re hiding?”
A strangled squeak left Marinette’s lips, and she fidgeted with the scarf she still had on.
“Mari, I saw it back at school, you’re really not as careful with that as you think you are.” Alya rolled her eyes, even if a small amused smile played on her face when Marinette meeped, “Now take that off before you strangle yourself in your sleep.”
Marinette sighed and removed the scarf, cringing when Alya’s eyes widened, brown eyes clearly focused on the mark on her neck. “Don’t stare!” she whined, placing her hands on her neck. She had yet more reasons to murder that cat when she saw him.
“Well… that was some good neckin’,” Alya laughed, excitement bubbling out of every word. Alya rolled on her stomach, propping her chin up with her hands as she looked down at her friend, an excited grin on her face. “And I don’t think you understand the amount of questions I have about this.” Marinette looked downright resigned to her fate, which was all the agreement Alya needed to continue, before holding up one finger, “One.When did this happen?”
Marinette didn’t answer at first. Mainly because she wasn’t sure just how much information she could give out to Alya without betraying either her or Adrien’s secret. “Yesterday.” Marinette replied, her voice barely above a whisper as she braced herself for Alya’s reaction.
Alya nodded, processing the information for a couple of seconds, before a surprised look took over her face. “OH MY GOD!” she exclaimed, before lowering her voice, “Was that why you closed the door on me?” She asked, and the guilty nod on Marinette’s face told her everything she needed to know. Alya sat up on the bed, making a disbelieving noise as her arms flailed wildly. “He was in your room?”
Marinette wasn’t able to answer, instead covering her face with her hands before nodding weakly. This was a mistake. Alya was not going to let it go, she just knew it.
“Wow…” Alya breathed, “Alright, second question, was it Adrien?”
This was rather complicated to explain, because Marinette was still coming to terms with the fact that Adrien was Chat, and therefore it was the model, she’d gotten acquainted with. “Mhmm,” Marinette hummed in response, nodding her head as she waited for Alya’s reaction.
Her best friend didn’t disappoint, “I knew it!” Alya exploded, “there was a reason he’s been looking at you like he has!” The bespectacled girl wiggled in excitement, “Well, now…” Alya’s “Are you secretly dating Adrien? And youdidn’t tell me?!”
“What?!” Marinette exclaimed, “I am not dating him!”
Alya gasped, clearly shocked at this particular turn of events, “Ooooh, Juicy!” she grinned at Marinette’s embarrassment, before frowning… this had clearly not gone the path Alya had expected, “wait. Why aren’t you dating?”
“Uh…” There was no good way for Marinette to explain this. “It’s really complicated.”
“You do know he seems pretty okay with that idea, right?” Alya explained, “He looked like a lost puppy when I told him you were sick and had to go.”
Marinette figured that he was more like a lost kitten, but that was neither here nor there.
Alya cringed, clearly concluding that the silence and horrified expression on her best friend’s face as a concession. “Oh no! Is he a bad kisser?” She gave her best friend a sympathetic look, before pausing and pointing at Marinette’s neck. “Although, that, doesn’t suggest bad kissing though. You clearly enjoyed yourself long enough to let him bite you.”
“Oh my God!” Marinette took the pillow from under her head and covered her face, feeling her face heat up so badly that she might just spontaneously combust from all the embarrassment. “I’m going home.” She said, her voice muffled under the pillow
“No, you’re not,” Alya laughed, propping her head on her hands as she looked down at her friend. “I can’t believe this!” she exclaimed before gasping, and going right back into her interview mode, “Do your parents know?”
Marinette shook her head.
“How does he sneak into…”
Marinate made a loud noise, successfully interrupting Alya. She sat up on the bed, crossing her legs under her as she hid behind a pillow. There was just no way of explaining the way Chat snuck into her house without completely giving up both their secrets. “Please don’t ask me that.”
Alya paused, her curiosity clearly not satisfied just yet, but Marinette looked awkward enough that she was willing to ease up a little. “I can’t believe you kept this a secret!”
Well, Marinette couldn’t quite believe it either, but the circumstances were really, really tough to explain. “I know. I’m really sorry,” she told Alya, her voice slightly muffled by the pillow.
Big blue eyes were blinking up at Alya, contrition evident in them.
Alya sighed, she was always a softie when it came to her best friend, “Pfft.” Alya said, rolling her eyes at Marinette. “Well, then… why aren’t you dating him?”
It was far more complicated than Marinette could even begin to explain. “The thing is…” Marinette began, hoping that the fact that she was clearly making this up as she spoke wasn’t too noticeable; “I’m just really overwhelmed with everything… you know, he’s just so famous and there are so many things that I need to take into consideration…” Marinette could kick herself, this felt like giving out a presentation she had not studied for. “He has fangirls Alya, real fangirls. I’m just a normal person… I don’t know if I’m equipped to deal with that.”
Alya did not look impressed. “That’s it?”
Marinette blinked repeatedly. For a second there, she thought she hadnailed it. But the look on Alya’s face told her that she had clearly failed in convincing her best friend as to why she wasn’t dating the boy of her dreams. “It’s not something small!” She insisted.
“Well, no.” Alya said, “But if that’s all that’s stopping you… did you actually really like him?”
Well, that was a punch right on the feelings. Because Marinette knew that she liked him, after all that was the main issue here. She liked Chat and she liked Adrien. It was the shock of finding out that both of them were the same person that threw her off. Marinette was just trying to find a way to deal with the needed to find a way to deal with the knowledge she’d just acquired. “It’s not that!”
“Well,” Alya began, “you like him, he likes you… I really don’t see the big deal here! You clearly get along on some level, judging by the evidence he left on you,” She pushed up her glasses, before tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Is that all there is?” Alya asked, worried brown eyes glancing down at her defeated best friend. “Because I know that Adrien kind of brings out your crazy, but this is a bit too much even for you.”
“I know,” Marinette answered, hunching a little as she hugged the pillow she’d been hiding behind, “And it’s more than that…” Marinette explained, “If that was all there was, it would be so much easier,” Marinette sighed, rubbing her temples, “I’m working through things, Alya; I’m getting there.”
“Good.” Alya said, “I don’t think Nino and I can deal with mutual pining and no resolution. That just makes for a bad movie.” she affectionately ruffled the top of Marinette’s hair, causing her best friend to swat at her hand like a tiny angry kitten. “Really, we’re in the same class with Chloé, meaning that we spend almost every day, all day with her… and it’s fangirls that spook you out?”
When Alya said it that way, Marinette could definitely understand the reaction. “I know…” Marinette sighed, flopping back on the bed, her eyes looking up at the ceiling.
Alya looked satisfied for now. “Now, I’ll pick the movie, and since you’re a bad friend who keeps important secrets from me… you lose veto power.”
The movie chosen was about superheroes, a genre Alya was quite invested in, which came as no surprise for Marinette, but she wasn’t really paying that much attention to the plot, but considering that Alya’s phone kept on buzzing with texts messages… Marinette did not feel bad at all.
"What are you doing?” she finally asked, once the phone buzzed for… she’d lost count what time it was.
Alya’s reply was short and painfully obvious. “Texting.”
“… figured that much,” Marinette said, rolling her eyes.
“It’s Nino.” Alya said, giving her friend a sly look as she tapped something on the screen.
“Oh.” Marinette perked up, “You’re texting now?” she inquired, “Is it about something for the Ladyblog or something else?”
An odd look crossed Alya’s face. “…Something else…Yes. Completely unrelated.”
Maybe it was the fact that they’d dimmed the lights for the movie, but Marinette completely missed the look on Alya’s face, “That’s good, right?” Marinette said, her voice excited at the prospect, “you two texting…”
“Oh, definitely,” Alya nodded, turning off the screen after replying to the last text. “But I’m telling him now that I’m watching a movie with you, so we should turn back to the movie” Alya said, before the phone buzzed again. “He says hi and for us to have fun.”
“Oh, that’s sweet of him,” Marinette said, before turning back to the movie. “Tell him I said hi too.”
“Will do!” Alya said, glad that her friend was looking at the projected movie, as an awkward look flashed on her face. Once the final text went out, she turned her attention back to the movie, and Alya finally did so too.
Little more than an hour later, the movie was over, and given the large consumption of sugared drinks, they were still awake. “So,” Alya began, her voice sweet and innocent, “You know what we haven’t done this year yet?”
“What?”
“Ice skating!” Alya grinned, clearly excited about the prospect, “All that ice in the movie reminded me of that. So… what are you doing tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” Marinette began, shrugging her shoulders as she thought … other than homework, there was really nothing else she had planned. “I don’t know…”
“They just set it up,” Alya pushed, looking giddy at the prospect, “so if you don’t have plans with Prince Charming… then we could go!”
The look on Marinette’s face was thoughtful, even if she blushed just a little at the mention of Prince Charming, “I don’t have plans, to tell the truth,” She began, beginning to catch her friend’s excitement over the idea. “Which rink should we go to?”
“hmmm, either Eiffel or Trocadero?” Alya offered, “We could go get some hot chocolate or something to eat afterwards?”
Marinette smiled, and huddled under the covers of her bed. “That sounds like a good idea,”
“Then, it’s settled.” Alya said, “Did you bring clothes for tomorrow? We can go straight from here!”
“I didn’t bring anything good for skating,” Marinette answered, frowning a little, “But we can stop at my house and I can change really fast.”
“Deal!”
Adrien was absolutely disheartened as he came back home, releasing his transformation the minute his feet touched the floor in his room. Marinette hadn’t been home; and after the look on her face at school, he knew that something was terribly wrong.
Plagg stretched his tiny limbs as he floated to rest on Adrien’s desk, watching the boy pace around his room. “Kid, you okay?”
“No.” Adrien answered, “Nothing worked out tonight, Plagg. Nothing.” He had meant to talk to Ladybug, and then go meet Marinette and hopefully fix everything before it really spired out of control.
But since he really didn’t have luck on his side, not only was he not able to find Ladybug, but Marinette wasn’t home. He’d tapped on the glass trapdoor above her bed, and he’d even opened it, after having no response. But after peeking inside, he realized that she was just not there, and probably hadn’t been there in hours.
“Relax!” Plagg’s voice was slightly exasperated, but Adrien stopped pacing nonetheless, “Alright. Plan A didn’t work, so what can we do now?”
“I really should let Ladybug know before I talk to Marinette.”
“Uuuh.” Plagg began, his voice flat and matter-of-fact, “I think that ship has sailed.” He floated off the desk to hover right in front of Adrien’s face, “did you not see the look on the girl’s face? She definitely knows.”
“but…”
“Kid, you’re going to end up with one angry heroine and minus one girlfriend. I’m thinking you need to adjust the plan to lower those odds tojust the angry heroine.” Plagg seemed quite convinced of his plans and added. “You know what I say… better to say sorry than to ask for permission…”
Exasperated green eyes focused on the kwami, “That’s pretty much your motto.” Adrien grumbled.
Plagg didn’t even try to look ashamed, instead focusing his attention on his right paw, “That’s because it works.” he told him, before looking up, “trust me, I’ve been around for thousands of years. I know what I’m doing.”
Somehow, he wasn’t sure of that, but as of right now, Plagg was his best choice for guidance. Adrien sighed loudly and sat down on his bed, fingers massaging his temples, “So, you say I should just talk to Marinette?”
“I’m saying that you need to start adjusting your plans from time to time.” Plagg said, “Besides, if she knows… you have to find out how you’re going to handle this. Secret identity and all that… you know.”
“She wouldn’t say anything…”
“Better to make sure!” Plagg insisted, “you can’t wait until Ladybug is around! You have to make sure that your little girlfriend will play along with the secret!”
Adrien sighed, dropping on his back on the mattress, covering his face with his hands, “I will…”
The smartphone he’d left on his desk buzzed and Adrien perked up. “Who is it?” He asked Plagg, knowing the kwami would glance at it out of sheer curiosity.
Plagg looked at the lit up screen, “Nino.”
Adrien pushed up and off the bed and reached for the phone. It was kind of late for Nino to be texting. Best to find out what his best friend needed.
There was something enchanting about Paris in the winter, especially around the holidays. Sure, it was a bit crowded with tourists, but Marinette loved it The two girls walked between the different stands, most of which were already done and set up for the season, but some of them were still closed and getting ready for when the real influx of tourist started. The good news was that their favorite stands for hot beverages and snacks seemed to be open, which settled their plans for after skating.
Gliding through the ice was just what Marinette needed, just a moment of thoughtless fun, and not worrying. Alya had snapped a few pictures of them before returning to her usual mission of trying to conquer a jumping turn.
Marinette cheered her on from a distance, she wasn’t too interested in mastering the acrobatics in ice skating, being more content with just gliding around easily and making wide turns. Besides, after the sixth time Alya tumbled on the ground, the whole thing kind of lost its appeal.
But the good thing, was that this solo skating had given Marinette enough time to think things through. She was going to talk to Adrien. It was the only thing that made sense, given everything that had happened… she couldn’t avoid him! She went to school with him and she was his partner… it was the right thing to do.
They could figure things out together, once it was all out in the open.
“Okay. I’m done.” Alya’s voice startled her, and she looked up to see her friend skate towards her, a playful grin lighting up her flushed face. “I’ve fallen on my ass way too many times already.”
“You did almost get it that one time,” Marinette offered, “I’d say that’s the closest I’ve seen.”
“I know!” Alya said, as the two friends began skating towards the exit. “I’m actually proud of myself, I’m just stopping because I think my ass is halfway frozen and that’s just not okay with me.”
Marinette snorted as they reached the exit and carefully waddled towards an empty bench. “This is why I try to keep away from elaborate tricks I havenever practiced for.” Her fingers began tugging at the laces, freeing her feet from the skates.
“It would make my success even more amazing,” Alya said, “I can be an Ice Skating Prodigy.”
“Prodigy? Really?” Marinette laughed as she finally pulled the skates off her feet and got her own shoes back on.
Alya laughed, “Shut it.” she began, “don’t kill my dreams.”
“Sorry.” she apologized, but the grin on Marinette’s was absolutely unapologetic.
Alya stood up, stretching her sore limbs before speaking, “Alright. So… I’ll return the rentals and get our deposit back, and then I have to go to the ladies room.” Alya looked around, before asking, “would you mind going to get us some hot chocolate while I do that?”
Marinette shrugged, “sounds fine by me.” Her hands were feeling a bit coldish, so the idea of getting away from the ice sounded kind of good. Besides, the faster she got in line, the sooner they’d get their treat. Marinette adjusted her pink beanie on her head, making sure the tips of her ears were properly covered from the outside cold, “We’ll meet there then.” she told Alya, who was ready to leave as well.
“Deal! I’ll be there in like… five minutes. Tops.” Alya grinned and swiftly picked up the skates before flouncing away towards the rental place.
“Okay!” Marinette called out to her friend, before turning away and heading towards the stands. This particular stand was a regular in the festival, and it usually sold several kinds of coffee, tea based drinks, and what brought them today. An extensive menu of hot chocolate, ranging from the simple to the extremely gourmet.
Marinette walked towards the familiar spot, before she realized sonething, Oh, crap. Alya hadn’t told her what she wanted. Marinette turned around, a frown on her face as she looked for her best friend, but she was nowhere to be seen. She reached for her phone, checking if Alya had sent her anything via texts, but there were no notifications. She quickly texted Alya, asking for any particular preferences, but the line was short enough by now that she got through before Alya replied.
“Um… melted hot chocolate with sea salt whipped cream and one…” she paused, mentally choosing among Alya’s usual favorites, ” cardamom hot chocolate.” Marinette paid the order and the vendor handed her a little chip with a number and informed her that she would be called once her order was up.
“Thank you!” She said, turning around and ran smack into someone. “Oh, I’m so so…” she said, taking a clumsy step back to apologize properly but the rest of her apology died on her lips, the air whooshing out of her lips as Marinette found herself inches from the one person she’d been freaking out about.
Adrien. Of course it had to be Adrien. There was no reason her day should go any other way!
“Don’t wor…” he said, before he glanced down at her, his eyes widening almost comically once he saw her, lips parted slightly as the rest of his words died suddenly.
Crap.
“Hi!” Marinette broke the silence first, her fingers fidgeting with the chip from the stand.
“Hi…” Adrien’s voice was tight, and his whole demeanor was stiff, something she had never quite seen before. “You’re feeling better now?”
Better? The look on Marinette’s face was pure confusion, until she remembered that she had supposedly been sick. “Right!” She answered, her voice higher than what she wanted it to be right now, her nervousness betraying her in every possible way. “Yeah, I’m feeling better. Thank you for asking.”
They fell into an awkward silence, which was something that Marinette just couldn’t deal with right now, so she began rambling, “I’m getting hot chocolate for me and Alya.” she blurted out, holding up the little chip nervously. Sure, she had decided that she would talk to him, but she would have preferred to have a little time to give herself a pep talk first.
“I was going to do the same. With Nino. Who was here just now…” he said, looking nervously around for his quickly disappearing friend.
Marinette bit her lower lip nervously, before catching his gaze wander towards the gesture, making a furious blush appear on her face before she looked away. It was then when she caught a glimpse of a red cap and Alya’s teal colored beanie slip away between the crowds.
“They ran.” Marinette stated, her answer making Adrien turn around swiftly, and helping him catch his friend in the act, as he fled the scene with Alya.
They’d been ambushed.
They were both able to deduce this much, because the look of sheer awkward horror that they saw on each other’s face mirrored just what they were feeling. Marinette was going to murder Nino and Alya when she saw them, and she was sure that it was the reason they’d ran away as far as they had so fast.
Marinette fidgeted with the ends of the scarf wrapped around her neck, not really knowing how to start the conversation that was pending between the two of them.
Thankfully, Adrien decided that he needed to know and after a few more agonizing seconds of silence, he spoke, “You know, don’t you?” he finally asked, feeling his chest tighten as he waited for her answer
Marinette nodded, “I… yes.” she kept her gaze down, focused on both their shoes, as she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stand the expression on his face.
On the other side, Adrien just wanted to see her face and try to read just how she was feeling about this whole mess they were in, “What gave it away?”
She chuckled, not really sure how else to handle just how nervous she was, “You used the same joke on Nino that you used on me.”
His eyes widened, even if he’d pretty much figured just where he’d slipped, but actually hearing it coming from her was still a bit of a surprise. A self-conscious chuckle left his lips. “Really?” It was just his luck that it’d be something really stupid that would give him away.
She chanced a glance up to his face, finding the blush that tinged his cheeks absolutely endearing. “After that… It kind of made sense.” That and the fact that Adrien looked like he clearly knew just what she was hiding underneath that scarf, but she preferred not to mention that little bit of information out loud. Because everything about this conversation, especially the fact that they were having it in public, in the middle of a crowded market… it was just a bit too much to handle.
He exhaled loudly, shifting his weight nervously from one leg to the other, looking absolutely remorseful. It was his fault, really. He knew that Marinette was very smart. He’d spent so much time talking to her and just sharing with her that he should have expected this outcome much sooner. But the last time he’d visited her, he’d been just so giddy when he realized that she liked him, and the only reason for her to put the brakes into what was happening between them was the fact that she liked him, with and without the mask. After that, he’d just gotten too set on what his perfect plan was supposed to be and he’d missed what had been a very good opportunity.
He really should have tried to tell her right away, but it was just always easier to know what the right choices was after everything had happened.
“I really didn’t want you to find out like this.” He explained, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “I…” he started, but her hand on her arm interrupted him.
“This… Is a really bad place to have this conversation,” She whispered, teeth worrying her lower lip as she glanced around nervously.
“I know.” He said, “I’m just…”
“I know.” Marinette began, taking a deep breath, as she tried to gather the courage to say what she knew she had to tell him. She took a deep breath, “First… I believe you.”
This seemed to appease him a little, but Adrien was nowhere near close to relaxed, “I meant everything I said.” he interrupted her, “everything. But I’m not going to push…” his voice trailed off, and he glanced around, trying to find any place where they could be alone to talk.
Because baring your feelings to someone without a mask was not very easy when tourist were walking around you.
Her mouth opened and closed several times, but she wasn’t able to find the right word to begin what needed to say. Honestly, she was going to murder Alya. Now, she knew that her best friend was only trying to help her, and as usual, she had only the best intentions; but there was a matter of location and timing that needed to be factored into this particular conversation and, well… this little ambush was not conductive to let them talk about what they needed to discuss!
Because it was just really hard to have the conversation they needed to have when they were purposefully trying to be as vague as they could be. Somehow saying something like ‘So. I’m okay with you being Chat Noir because I’m Ladybug’, wasn’t really easy to blurt out.
Adrien was growing increasingly anxious about everything, even if the fact that she had yet to leave him alone somewhat helped. “I guess you’re probably upset…” He sighed, his voice soft and quiet, “I promise, this is not what I wanted to happen,” Adrien reiterated, a grimace on his handsome face “but I have to ask… did you tell anyone?”
Her eyes widened, and she made a small sound in the back of her throat, “What?” She looked absolutely floored by the question, “w… no, of coursenot!” Marinette held her hands up; granted, Alya knew, but she only knew half of the situation, just enough for Alya to plan this harebrained plot to get her to talk to him, and of course, dragging Nino along, “Adrien, I really…” The sound of people screaming interrupted her, and made both of them perk up, focusing their glances towards the disturbance almost automatically.
An Akuma. Of course. Because their day just couldn’t get any better.
Marinette wondered just what was up with her luck lately, and whether this was Tikki’s way of punishing her for not handling things correctly right away.
Adrien’s eyes quickly narrowed as he realized that he needed to transform. His hand closed around Marinette’s and pulled her away, eager to find a spot to transform and to get her as away from the danger as he could, considering that he didn’t have the powers that his suit gave him.
“But Adrien!” she began, eager to tell him that he really, really didn’t need to save her, but he was relentless.
He spotted an empty stand, one that was clearly still being worked around and not quite ready for business. It was their best choice. “Just trust me, okay?” he told her, “I have to keep you safe.”
It was that particular phrase the one that absolutely disarmed her. This was why she’d fallen for the stupid cat, and somehow, seeing this display of protective determination on Adrien was just too much for her to deal with right now.
The girl sighed, and began running along, “fine.” she said, and Adrien relaxed, though he was almost positive that he heard her mutter something about stupid stubborn cats.