Polka dots

Polka Dots

"Hey Adrien, what's that?"

"What?" He mumbled.

"That pair of panties that's just chilling on your bed."

Adrien sat up from his bed and looked at his roommate, who had a huge grin on his face. It was 9:15 PM and Adrien was exhausted. He had just returned from his three-hour Business Analysis lecture, and now all he wanted to do was lie in his bed and get some shut-eye. His roommate Nino was patiently waiting for an answer. His headphones were off and his music lowered. Adrien frowned. If Nino wasn't blasting music in the room, then he wasn't joking... It took him a moment to register that what Nino was looking at was not made up. A small pair of red panties with black polka dots was on his bed.

He let out a yelp causing him to fall out of bed. His hands touched the floor before he slammed his face head first.

He could not see it, but Adrien could hear that his roommate was trying to stifle a laugh, which was gradually growing louder.

"Nino, that… is not mine."His voice was hoarse.

"Well, I didn't think that. I mean if you like wearing girl's underwear I wouldn't judge, you do you," Nino chuckled, "I assumed it belonged to someone else. Like, I don't know, your girlfriend?" He winked at Adrien, "I don't mind if you bring her over, just remember the sock on the door rule so I don't have to walk in on-

"What? No no no, Nino, we haven't done anything!" Adrien was now standing up, a blush spread across his cheeks up to the tip of his ears.

He looked around his room, flustered. He and Marinette had been dating for a couple of weeks now. They were both very new to this, it was a mutual decision to take it slow. So there was no way they were doing what Nino assumed they were doing. But where did the underwear come from? Was it even hers?

His laundry bag was still on his bed, a trail of freshly clean clothes spilling out. One by one, without a word, he put away every piece of clothing he owned back in the armoire. The panties remained where where he left it, on his bed spread across the very pillow he laid his head on. "Of all places," he thought. The cherry red colored fabric stood out on the grey comforter. The black printed polka-dots immediately made him think of ladybugs. His mouth went dry when he started to imagine Marinette wearing it.

What happened earlier that day? Adrien tried to remember. He only ran into Marinette once, and that was in the laundry room on their floor. She didn't see him walk in because she was running out of the room, probably forgotten something. He didn't mind, though. They lived on the same floor so he would see her again soon.

"She must have left it in the dryer before I used it…" Adrien said aloud. Yeah, that sounded like a logical explanation. Nino took off his headphones, grinning.

"You guys are doing laundry together, is that like some new code or-

"No, Nino! She left it in the dryer!"

Nino shrugged, "Alright, I get it. I'm only pulling your leg," Adrien sat on his bed simmering, "Wait... plot hole. How do you know it's Marinette's?"

Adrien gulped, "Because I used the same dryer as she did…"

Well that, he honestly wasn't sure about. He recalled seeing Marinette in the laundry room, but he wasn't sure which dryer she used. For all he knew, the garment could belong to another girl in this floor.

"You don't sound very sure of yourself," Nino said.

"Well, one way to find out."

The hallways of the dormitory never felt longer as Adrien took the walk down to the laundry room. He felt very uncomfortable holding the red cotton fabric in his hand. Well the article of clothing was washed, and went through the dryer twice. Yet holding it was like holding hot coal, and it was burning his hands. He resorted to stuffing it in his sweatshirt pocket instead. It stopped his hands from sweating, but soon after, knots began to form in his stomach. He entered the common area which, was the center of the 3rd floor Residence Hall.

The building was a co-ed residence. The girls' rooms were located on the left side, and boy's rooms were on the right. In order to enter either side, a person had to use a swipe key to enter. The girl's swipe key only accessed the girl's side, and the boy's swipe keys only accessed the guy's side. The main common space was the buffer zone. He texted Marinette earlier to come outside. Hopefully she wasn't asleep yet. Adrien tried to avoid the people who were hanging around the common area, but they recognized him immediately a girl with bright pink hair wearing a snapback.

"Hey Adrien, wanna join in on this game of Jenga?"

"No thanks Alix, I'm just passing through," He answered.

"Tell Marinette we said hi!" Alix called.

One of the boy's behind her whistled, and another cheered. Adrien politely smiled back. Recently he discovered that everyone was rooting for them to be together since the beginning of the semester. How oblivious the two of them must of have been, he thought to himself.

Marinette soon appeared from the door. She was already wearing pajamas, a pink night shirt with a bunny printed on it and candy striped pants. Her hair was down instead of the usual pigtails he was used to seeing.

He smiled, and upon seeing him, Marinette gave him a hug.

"Hey, what's up?" She asked.

"I-uh I know it's late, but there's something I need give back to you," He took a step forward to cover himself and pulled out the panties. He lowered his voice so no one else but them could hear, "I found this earlier in my laundry, I think it's yours."

Marinette's eyes widened, and her face started to match the garment's color. She covered her mouth quickly as if trying to prevent herself from screaming.

"Oh my gosh, oh my um- well" She stuttered.

Without a word, she snatched it back from his sweaty hands and placed it behind her back. Adrien wasn't sure what to say next, so he was relieved when Marinette continued to speak.

"T-thank you. I was actually wondering where these were," she responded, staring directly at the ground.

She was just as embarrassed as he was when he stumbled upon them. This was an opportunity open for Adrien, and he was going to regret it if he did not take it.

"Well, they were actually under there," he said, and pointed across the room.

"Under where?"

There was a complete silence as Adrien watched Marinette turned to stare back at him with horror. Adrien was laughing now with tears in his eyes. He planned that out perfectly, and she fell for it.

"That was all you, Madame," he said with a wide grin.

"I c-can't believe you, Adrien Agreste, tricked me into saying a pun!" She punched his arm, but she was smiling again.

She seemed comfortable around him, and Adrien liked that, because it put him at ease too

~A couple weeks later~

"Hey Marinette, why's your bra in our room?" Nino asked.

Marinette jaw dropped. Her friend and Nino's girlfriend, Alya, smirked knowingly and looked at her. They were outside the guy's hall waiting to go to the dining hall for dinner together. Nino was know to sprung the weirdest conversation starters but this one took the cake.

Marinette looked straight at the ground "What? How do you know it's mine?"

"It's red and has black polka dots, like your underwear," Nino said.

"How do you know that, Nino?" Marinette squeaked.

"Well, a couple a weeks ago someone mixed her laundry up with her boyfriend's, remember?" Alya nudged the dark haired girl, who was blushing.

"O-Oh right." She said laughing nervously.

"Good thing it was Adrien than some creep. You might have never seen that pair of underwear again."

Adrien walked out into the main hall jacket in hand. He looked at Nino and then glanced at Marinette who was sweating bullets.

"Huh, we must have mixed our laundry up again. Sorry about that, Marinette. I'll give it back to you later," Adrien replied. He responded very calmly and gave her a wink. Her heart was in a fit of flutters.

Nino and Alya exchanged a look. They weren't convinced. Alya took a step behind Marinette and slowly wrapped her arms around for a back hug.

"Marinette, what is this? Could it be you are not even wearing a-"

"Okay, I'm ready time for dinner let's go!"