"So," Alya sat down on Marinette's chaise lounge, "if Chat Noir and Ladybug weren't together..."
"Alya!" Marinette protested, "Nothing says they are together!"
"Who in our class do you think would end up dating Ladybug?" she continued as if she hadn't heard Marinette's interruption. They were getting together to "study", but since it was Friday night it really meant having fun and if homework got done? Bonus.
"What?" Marinette's face turned red and her eyes opened wide. "What kind of a question is that to ask?" She picked up her box of nail polish and started rummaging through it, but Alya grabbed the container to get Mari's focus back on the task at hand.
"It's just something I was thinking about today," Alya said with a shrug of her shoulders. She picked a color for herself then handed the rest back. "Wouldn't it be amazing if someone we know was with Ladybug?" She gave a little sigh. "If it was one of our friends then maybe we could hang out with her. Wouldn't that just be so cool?"
"Uh, yeah. I guess that would be kind of awesome," Marinette agreed. "What do you think she'd be doing right now if we were with her?" she asked trying to change the topic.
Inside she was struggling between being mortified that Alya would be setting up her alter ego with anyone they knew and being intrigued with who she thought would be a good match. Eventually the curiosity got to her.
"So who were you thinking of hooking her up with?" she tried to ask as casually as possible as she struggled to open the bottle.
Alya took the polish from her and easily opened it. "I guess that would depend on knowing if she's only into guys or if girls are also on her preferred list," Alya said thoughtfully distracted handing the bottle back.
Marinette went very still, was there some reason Alya thought that? Had she done or said something as Ladybug to give that impression?
"Wh-wh-what makes you think she's into anyone at all?"she stammered. When Alya raised an eyebrow in her direction she continued, "I mean we don't even know if she actually like likes anyone that way. I know you think she likes Chat Noir," Alya smirked and nodded her head, "but there isn't any real proof for that."
Alya continued to pointedly stare.
"Or what if she can only be attracted to someone that she knows really well and totally trusts?" Mari asked quietly.
Alya thought for a moment. She grabbed the remover and some cotton balls as she thought. "Okay, for the purposes of this experiment we are going to assume that Ladybug knows everyone in the class really, really well. So that wouldn't be a problem." She started taking off what remained of last week's color. "Also, we're assuming that the people in class actually know her, so it's not like they are just using Ladybug to be famous, or infamous if you will."
Marinette nodded in agreement. She doused a new cotton ball in the stinking liquid and started on her other hand. "That sounds ... good?" When Alya looked up she just smiled. "We wouldn't want just anybody trying to score Ladybug as their girlfriend if they didn't actually know her."
"So, who do you think would be the perfect match for Ladybug," Alya asked again with more enthusiasm, really getting into it.
Marinette started to paint a stripe of pale pink onto her nails. "Well," she appeared to be lost in intense concentration which didn't fool Alya at all. They both knew whose name would come up.
"If we're finding someone that's sweet, kind, thoughtful, and handsome then obviously it should be Adrien," she said knowing that Ladybug would not object to that suggestion in the least.
"No fair Mari!" Alya said, a scowl crossing her face, "Adrien is completely off the list. He's my future brother-in-law, and I will not have him breaking Ladybug's heart to be with you." Marinette rolled her eyes while Alya continued, "i love you, so I'm saying this to you right now. I don't even want you to say his name tonight. Choose again."
Marinette thought carefully as she painted a few more nails then tentatively asked, "Um, is Nino off the list, too?"
Alya considered the suggestion as she waved her hand to dry the nails faster. "No, he can be on there. But why would you pair him and Ladybug?"
"Well...he's nice to almost anyone, and a really good friend to Adri...to all of us," she hurriedly corrected since the near mention of Adrien's name had Alya giving her one of her patented don't-even-think-about-saying-it looks. "He's also got great taste in music, and he makes us laugh so that's got to be a bonus. And he's got a deep sense for what's right and what's wrong so Ladybug would totally be on board for that. And he's not bad looking..."
She glanced over at her friend. Maybe mentioning all the good qualities of her best friend's boyfriend wasn't the best idea. Especially since they both knew that Nino had once had a bit of a crush on her.
"Who were you thinking about?" she hastily asked as she rushed to start painting her right hand. When Alya didn't immediately begin talking she prompted her by saying, "You did say you had thought about this today. Right?"
"Right," Alya gave herself a little shake then started going over her list with Marinette. "Well first I thought that Kim would probably be the best match for her of all the boys."
Marinette almost choked but turned it into a small cough. She'd ruined the paint on that finger though. "What? Why him?" She had her head down totally focusing on fixing the nail and not at all interested in finding out why Kim would be her next best match, because Adrien was totally still at the top of her list.
"Well, if anyone is going to be able to keep up with her it would be Kim," Alya said with a one shoulder shrug. She had finished covering her fingers in a rich red color and had started working on her toes. "He's tall and athletic, and always up for a challenge."
"But he can be so rude when he's trying to get a competition going," Mari protested.
"There is that," Alya agreed. "And he can be a little hot-headed, too. We need to think about this more."
Both girls painted in silence for a few moments.
"So, not Kim then," Marinette said to break the growing tension.
"No, not Kim." Alya capped the bottle and sat with her hands and feet carefully not touching anything.
"What about...Max?" Marinette offered tentatively. She had never actually considered if she'd want to go out with Max before.
"Well, he is really smart, so that's something he and Ladybug have in common."
"But Max is super smart! Like super duper smart. He really likes technology and," Mari shuddered, "math. Like, Advanced Mathematics, not just regular math." She groaned because while she used things like addition, multiplication, and division all the time, when the alphabet became involved she and math weren't always on speaking terms.
Alya patted Mari gingerly on the head. "Not everyone has a hate/hate relationship with math Marinette. I bet Ladybug is really good at it, and that would be a point in his favor."
"No one really likes math Alya, and anyone that says they do is selling something!" Mari declared.
Alya giggled while Marinette put the box of nail polish away while keeping out the clear coat. This was her favorite part of doing nails with Mari. She watched as Marinette pulled out her acrylic paints and her smallest brushes. Marinette gets to be creative and Alya ends up with some killer nail art. She put her right hand in Marinette's waiting work area.
"Wait, what about..." Alya started laughing at her idea. "No, it'd never work."
Marinette paused in adding some white swirls to Alya's thumb. "What about who? Come on Alya, spill!"
Alya had a big grin on her face, "What about Ivan?"
"Ivan and Ladybug?" Mari began to smile. "He'd probably get akumatized every time Ladybug had to battle because he wouldn't want them picking on her. And then she'd have to fight him, too."
They both laughed at the thought of big, tough Ivan trying to both protect and attack Ladybug.
"Nah, he really likes Mylene and they are just so cute together," Mari said once their giggles had died down. She loaded one side of a tiny flat brush and proceeded to paint miniature white orchid petals to create tiny blossoms on each nail.
"I guess that means Mylene is also off the list," Alya said, watching with rapt attention as a few white dots added emphasis to the swirls.
"Yes, I think she and Rose and Juleka are all off the list. I don't think any of them would be totally happy with Ladybug over the people the care for right now."
A few tiny dots of gold paint for the flower centers and a protective cover of clear varnish made the art on Alya's nails pop.
"Well if we're going to be considering girls to match up with Ladybug, then how about Alix?"
Marinette considered then nodded. "She's strong and tough. And she never backs down from any of Kim's challenges. She might make a good match for Ladybug."
"And she's self-confident just like the Lady," Alya added.
She watched as Marinette started to decorate her own nails with tiger stripes of black and neon green over the pale pink. There was silence as she worked.
"But Alix can hold a grudge," Alya pointed out as if just spotting a problem. "How would that be for Ladybug to always be in trouble for having to cancel on her? She would permanently be in the doghouse."
"Probably not the the best choice for Paris' hero then," Mari agreed. When she got to the ring finger Mari made one large oval of black with four smaller ovals above it, then gave them green highlights. A nice nod toward Chat Noir that she hoped wasn't too obvious.
Suddenly Mari's face went pale as a thought struck her full force. She dropped her paint brush and looked at Alya with wide horror struck eyes.
"Oh no," she moaned. "No, no, no, no! That would be disastrous."
Alya looked her friend over. It was obvious that Mari was in real distress. "Mari, are you okay?"
There was no answer. Marinette sat rocking a little back and forth just staring at the far wall.
"Mari?" Alya was frowning. She waved a hand in front of her friend's face, but there was no reaction. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng you talk to me right now!"
Marinette closed her eyes and whispered a single word, "Chloe."
It took a few seconds for Alya to process what Marinette had said but when she did she burst out laughing. Great, bone shaking belly laughs burst out of the girl. Marinette stared at her friend in horror and growing resentment, Alya was almost rolling on the floor in mirth.
"Just think of it," she wheezed trying to get her breath back. "Chloe already has a matching costume and yo-yo!"
Mari was staring in disbelief at Alya.
"And Ladybug is the only person that can sometimes make Chloe be nice."
Alya sat up wiping the tears that had rolled down her cheeks. A small smile began to turn one corner of Mari's mouth toward the ceiling
"And Chloe actually adores Ladybug. She'd probably get her father to outlaw akumas if they were too much for her girlfriend!"
Marinette had a full smile on her face.
"And poor Chat Noir would have to deal with two bickering Ladybugs trying to be the one in charge."
A giggle slipped past Mari's pursed lips. The image of a confused Chat trying to get his Lady's attention over Chloe's rants was, she had to admit, slightly funny.
"And to top it off she'd get Sabrina as a backup girlfriend!" Alya crowed and fell back to laughing.
Marinette joined her laughing on the chaise. The picture of Ladybug and Chloe trying to battle an akuma with Sabrina being told to do the Chloebug's part of the work while Chat stands scratching his head in confusion was just too much.
Much later, after the laughter had subsided, and they could look at each other and not break into giggles, Mari had one final suggestion.
"You know Alya, if Ladybug couldn't be with Adri… well you know who."
"Voldemort? Never she needs a man with a nose."
Mari rolled her eyes and tried again. "If Ladybug really wanted someone to be with then I'd have to say the perfect match for her would actually be you."
Alya smiled. "Well if Chat Noir and Nino don't mind sharing…"