Prompt: A, B, and C go out for a night of fun. B has the biggest crush on A but doesn't have the guts to admit it. Someone starts hitting on A and A is obviously uncomfortable. C tries to convince B to go pretend be their boyfriend/girlfriend but B is too nervous, so C goes and saves A from the creepy flirt and B is uncharacteristically grumpy for the rest of the night.

Title: Green-Eyed Monster

Number in Collection: One

Title of Collection: Miraculous Slice-of-Life

Summary: Adrien is not jealous. He's really not. His hand isn't holding the glass too tightly. He isn't grinding his teeth together. His eyes aren't fixed on their retreating figures, and he's not jealous. He's sure he'll be able to tell if he was. OR the time they go out to a club and Marinette gets hit on.

Notes: Can be read as a standalone. Set years after Hawkmoth has been defeated. Post-reveal, but pre-relationship.

THEY'D REVEALED THEIR IDENTITY YEARS AGO, AFTER HAWKMOTH WAS DEFEATED.

Ladybug is Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Chat Noir is Adrien Agreste.

Sometimes, Adrien still can't believe it. He would catch the challenging glint in Marinette's eyes and think, Wow, she really reminded me of Ladybug just then, and then he would have to resist the urge to smack himself because Well, duh, she is Ladybug, you fool.

He doesn't know about her, but he can remember that night like it was yesterday. No, scratch that. He remembers the night even better than last night. In fact, he isn't quite sure what he ate for lunch this morning much less last night but whatever.

Anyway, it's the thought that counts, right?

They're at a club – Adrien isn't sure which one, but it's definitely a club – for a night of fun. Exams are over, internships have been accepted, jobs have been offered, and Nino is the one to present the idea of a night of just completely drinking themselves into the ground. And Adrien knows – he really knows – that he'll regret this tomorrow when he wakes up with a raging hangover, but he's outvoted.

So really, him as DD is really the best he could hope for.

Well, is it really still called DD if no one is really doing any driving tonight and he's nursing a beer or two and his job is really just making sure none of his friends make any stupid decisions?

Unsurprisingly, it's Alya, who first comes back with the round of shots and drags them out to dance. The lights are messing with his admittedly limited night vision that leaked in from all the time spent as Chat Noir, but he can't really find it in himself to care when tonight is their night off.

Okay, so he might have spent ten minutes of the ride here pondering why exactly he was going to a club when he could spend a night just lounging around in his dorm, lazing around like the cat he is and stop thinking about this or you'll change your mind again.

Marinette is dancing in front of him with Alya – a shot or two doing wonders for her self-esteem. She laughs, spinning around and jumping and just generally having so much fun that Adrien wants to join her so badly, but Nino is drooling over the club's DJ system and Adrien can't keep an eye on him when he's dancing in the middle of sweaty bodies.

And then it happens.

Marinette glances at him from across the room – and how in the world did she manage that? – blue eyes flashing under pulsing lights, and Adrien is abruptly reminded of another time in the dark, the same blue eyes holding his own steadily.

Their pants echo through the night as they stare across at each other, neither of them wanting to speak first. So he takes the first step – the plunge – and falls first – just like he did so many years ago. "So, that happened," he offers tentatively.

And is rewarded when she snorts, a hand covering her smile. "That's one way of putting it, Chaton."

He grins back, shooting her a wounded look. "My lady, you wound me." He places a hand over his heart. "What has this cat ever done except to stay by your side?" he teases.

But she doesn't joke back, instead falling silent as a thoughtful look enters her eyes. "You have, haven't you?"

"Have what?"

She looks at him – really looks at him – and he has to resist the urge to swallow nervously. "You've always been at my side. Both my sides. Even in civilian form."

And then he's scrambling through his memories because he's met Ladybug's civilian form he's met Ladybug's civilian form more than once he's met Ladybug's civilian form and hadn't recognized her what kind of partner did he call himself?

"I know you?" he asks instead because, well, what else can he do?

"Perhaps better than some," she offers back cryptically. "I'm not the same without the mask, Chaton."

"But you said I spent time with you," he says, and then realizes the only person he's really spent time around with as Chat Noir is …. Marinette. "Princess?"

She smiles at him softly. "I guess the cat's out of the bag, huh?" Then she places gloved hands on his cheeks. "You found me, Chaton."

"Marinette," he whispers into the air between them.

She detransforms, and suddenly, she's not Ladybug anymore, but Marinette, sweet Marinette who sits behind him in class. And yet, he can see the Ladybug in her now – in her stance, in her eyes, in her everything and he wonders how he could have possibly missed it before because Marinette and Ladybug were one and the same. And he's relieved because he was having an internal crisis about falling for both of them and now they're the same person.

She rubs her arms self-consciously. "Are – are you disappointed?"

"No," he says without hesitation and detransforms himself. "Are you?"

"Adrien?" she breathes out, blinking.

He nods, even though it really should have been obvious. Marinette smiles brightly. "No," she declares firmly. "How could you ever think I could be disappointed in you? You're my Chat."

My Chat.

MyChat.

He breaks out into a blinding grin, and there they are – two teenagers on a rooftop at night, all tension dissolved, just chatting with each other.

That night is spent cuddling up to each other, learning things about the other they never knew and sharing secrets. And hours pass by until dawn is breaking on the horizon, and they're really more sleepy than awake, but neither of them want to leave each other's company.

She's the first one to stand up, offering him a hand. "Friends, Chaton?"

And there's a slight pang in his heart – the part of him that want to be something more, but everything is so new now and really, what was he thinking? But he musters up a grin easily, taking the offered hand. "Of course, my lady. Always."

"See you in school?"

"Bright and punchatal."

She sends him an unamused look, but there's a trace of laughter in her eyes. "I'm going to have to endure puns at school now too, aren't I?"

"My lady, what do you take me for?" he exclaims, before adding, "Of course."

"Good bye, Chaton."

And then Adrien is reminded just why he can't stalk across the room and kiss her right there and then because, well, they're just friends, and she hasn't said or done anything to counter that in all the years they've known each other's identities.

"Isn't she hot?" Alya says abruptly next to him, flagging down the bartender for a shot.

Adrien nearly falls off the stool at her voice, glaring at her when he catches himself. "I don't know what you're talking about," he states firmly, ordering a non-alcoholic drink for himself.

Alya shoots him a look that says she isn't falling for his lies. "Marinette. You know the girl you've been staring at for the past five minutes?"

"I wasn't—"

"Then where is she right now?"

"With Nino next to the—gosh darn it."

Alya pats his back faux comfortingly. "It's all right. It's nothing I've ever seen before. You forget I was there when Marinette had the biggest crush on you—"

"Marinette had a crush on me?" he cuts in.

Alya stares at him incredulously. "You didn't know?" He shakes his head frantically. "You didn't know," she repeats before burying her face in her arms. "How in the world did I manage to find the two most oblivious people on earth?"

"Alya!" He grabs her by the shoulders and turns her to face him. "Alya, this is important. When did she have a crush on me? Why haven't I heard of this? Wh—"

"Hush," Alya interrupts. "Here, take this." She pushes a shot into his hand. "And ask your questions slowly."

He does, downing the shot robotically. "I – what? Marinette had a crush on me?"

"Oh yeah, back in collège. You really didn't notice? She was always stuttering around you, blushing, and being a general mess, really, and hey, you all right?"

"She had a crush on me," Adrien repeats dumbly.

Had.

Past tense.

What a wasted opportunity.

"She doesn't have one anymore?" Adrien tries, hopes, really.

Alya sends him a sympathetic look. "She claims she doesn't. And she isn't stuttering around you anymore, so I'd say yeah to that question. But it looks like you've got bit by the love bug now, huh?"

More like a ladybug. And I was under her spell a long time ago.

"You could say that."

The two lapse back into a comfortable silence until Alya nudges him suddenly. "Hey, look." She points towards a section of the room.

Adrien gives her an acknowledging hum, eyes tracking her finger to see Marinette being cornered by a random guy. His eyes narrow as the dude invades Marinette's personal space, Marinette obviously uncomfortable with the whole interaction. He's off his seat before he realizes it, Alya letting out a whoop that is drowned by the crowd.

"There you go! Seize your chance. Show that guy just who Marinette belongs to!" she cheers.

Adrien turns to her frantically. "Alya," he hisses. "I—I can't just do that."

Alya crosses her arms. "And why not?"

"Why—B—because!" he splutters. "And besides, Marinette doesn't belong to anyone."

"Urgh, you're too nice, sunshine child," Alya complains. "Now look. You've missed your chance. Nino's got her now."

Adrien looks over to see that Nino has indeed intervened, a hand on Marinette's lower back as he speaks to the creepy flirt. "You and I both know that if Nino has anyone, it's you."

"Maybe so, but now he has to pretend to be her boyfriend for the rest of the night," Alya says. "You know, to keep the creepy flirts away."

"What, does this make you my girlfriend then?" Adrien shoots back. He ignores the sting of jealousy that appears with Alya's words.

"You wish." She takes a swig of the beer on the counter. "Hey, look, the new couple is heading our way."

Sure enough, Marinette and Nino are walking towards them, close together and joking with each other. Marinette's eyes shine as she collapses on a stool next to him, groaning. "That guy did not know how to take a hint." She accepts the half-empty beer from Alya. "Thanks for the assist, Nino."

"Anything for my friends," Nino replies easily. "Besides, I got myself a girlfriend for the night."

Marinette gasps. "But what would Alya say?"

"I'm sure she'll understand in time," Nino jokes back. "Even if she doesn't, I swear to you that nothing will stop my love for you."

"So romantic!" Marinette gushes and Adrien is feeling that ugly twinge again. Then she giggles. "But you haven't seen the force that is Alya on a rampage."

"Hey, I resent that!"

The three laugh, but Adrien can't find it in himself to join in. Instead, he swirls his drink glumly. A hand falls on his shoulder, and a pair of bluebell eyes greets him. "Hey, you all right?"

"Yeah." Adrien shakes his head. "Just fine."

Marinette looks at him unsurely, and he shoots her a smile. "Well, if you say so."

"I do," he declares firmly, pushing her towards to dance floor. "Now go back out there and have the time of your life."

"If you insist." She laughs, snatching Nino's hand. "Let's show these losers how to party, Nino."

Adrien is not jealous. He's really not. His hand isn't holding the glass too tightly. He isn't grinding his teeth together. His eyes aren't fixed on their retreating figures, and he's not jealous. He's sure he'll be able to tell if he was.

Alya's eyes find his, and she raises a brow knowingly.

"I'm not jealous," he voices just because.

Alya sighs into her drink. "Oh, you have it bad."

And he does. He really does.

Okay, maybe he's a little jealous.