Chapter 1: Have You Ever Considered…

(Notes: I was inspired by Shower by Becky G. Listen to it while reading this, or afterwards.)

TUESDAY

Ladybug swung onto the balcony, unveiling her detransformation in a flurry of sparkles. "Here you go Tikki." Marinette placed her kwami gently onto the platter of chocolate chip cookies, waiting on the table. Tikki smiled and took the plate down to the loft. Marinette followed her, landing on her bed and then climbing down the stairs.

Tonight's akuma was an especially easy one, done with in half an hour. Pied Piper, who controlled rats with her flute. She had been a tired old tune. Marinette giggled softly. She had been spending too much time around Chat. He was infecting her with his puns! She sat down in her rolling chair and quickly sketched out a design that had been rattling in her head since patrol. A simple v-line with strapped sleeves, a loose waist and a short narrow skirt, done in forest greens and browns. Finishing it up, Marinette leaned back in the chair, absentmindedly pushing it around.

At least she was able to get to a notebook in time. Her flashes of inspiration were getting quicker and quicker, sometimes she was only able to draw a skirt or shirt before it left. And that wasn't counting when they came during patrol or battles. Blinking, Marinette shook her head. Her gaze settled on her posters of Adrien and she smiled brightly. "He really is something, isn't he?"

Tikki flew down from the loft, a cookie still in their paws. They settled on their chosen's shoulder and hummed noncommittally, taking a bite. Marinette noticed immediately, turning her head to her kwami. "What?"

"What do you see in Adrien, Marinette?" They asked bluntly, chewing the cookie. Marinette raised her eyebrows and looked at Tikki like they were crazy.

"He's amazing! How could I not like him?" She got up, gesturing to the posters as if it would help illustrate her point. "He's so kind-hearted, putting up with Chloe, even though he doesn't have to, and really shouldn't. He's super hardworking, his grades are probably way better than mine. Especially in physics." Marinette grimaced at the mention of the subject. "And he's selfless and considerate, remember when he let me play instead of him in the Mecha Strike III tournament? Granted, I-uh, was originally trying to do it with him." Marinette grinned apologetically at Tikki's frown.

"Marinette…"

"And he's absolutely gorgeous." Marinette leaned against a bedpost, a lovestruck smile on her lips as she gazed at one of the posters. She turned back to Tikki, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "Plus, he's really kind. Do you remember when he gave me his umbrella? But, really, he's simply a really good person. I've never met anyone like him."

"….." Tikki gazed at their chosen. They needed to go about this the right way; Marinette didn't see what they did. Adrien was all those things, but he was so much more. But how could they get Marinette to see that? And would she even want to see it? And knowing who Adrien really was, as Chat Noir, would it be good if their chosen really saw him? "But is he really?"

"Is he really what, Tikki?"

How could they approach this? Just a nudge, maybe. "Adrien is all of those things Marinette. But doesn't he also seem, sad, to you? Lonely?" They hoped they got through to their chosen. Marinette did seem conflicted for a moment, brows furrowing at their words.

Then she swept her arm to the side, almost displacing her kwami. "Adrien isn't lonely, he has tons of friends! And sad?" Marinette scoffed. "Please." She smirked at Tikki. Kwami and chosen stared at each other. It broke when Marinette plucked the half-eaten cookie from Tikki's grasp and ate it, a little grin on her face.

Tikki sighed, a tired half-smile on their face. "How about you just watch him tomorrow? Then maybe you'll see differently." They flitted back up the loft. Marinette watched them go, her bravado gone. She bit her lip. Tikki's words poked at her thoughts. Did, had she read Adrien all wrong? Her eyes moved across the posters, begging them to prove her wrong. Her leg bounced to match her racing uncertainty. Did she really not know her crush? What did she not notice about him?

Adrien couldn't be lonely, he had tons of fans hanging off his arms every day! Well, she had only seen them at the beginning of the year. Now that Marinette thought about it, she only sees him with Nino, who was with Alya, who was with her. It was either them, or Chloe and Sabrina. Adrien seemed friendly with all her classmates, and hung out with everyone when the class was together like at Alix's and Kim's race, or the Mecha Strike III tournament. But outside of those, she hadn't seen Adrien interact with anyone. Marinette bit her lip. Did Adrien really not have any friends beside Nino, Alya, and her?

And sad? He wasn't sad. Was he? Marinette turned her gaze to the walls. Posters of Adrien in every pose and style of clothing hung from them, but one thing was the same in all of them; his smile. Sure, some of them he was smiling joyfully, but all were small and sad, never reaching his eyes. A façade, just for the cameras. "But, this doesn't necessarily means he's sad all the time! Right?" The claim sounded weak to her own ears. "Right?" No answer came from high.

She turned back to her sketchbook and opened a new page. Picking up a pencil, Marinette hesitated. Then she dove right in. She just started drawing. A curve here, poof out the hair, underline the eyes, widen the mouth. In minutes, Marinette had sketched Adrien laughing, a full body one. The only time she could remember him laughing that hard was at the beginning of the school year, when that stupid umbrella had snapped shut over her. She grimaced.

Marinette hurried downstairs and took out a cookbook, turning it to the right page. Chocolate chip cookies. Simple, easy, perfect to bring tomorrow. And thank goodness her parents were used to her sneaking downstairs for midnight snacks. Marinette preheated the oven, recalling how Adrien had reached for them when her dad had offered some at their practice for the Mecha Strike III competition. "Stupid!" She huffed, lightly smacking herself, "Why didn't you just let him have some?"

Marinette stirred the butter and sugar angrily. At least cooking helped calm her down. She went through the steps in a daze, going through all the things she had missed about her crush. Adrien was so polite, never overstepping people's bounds or shoving Chloe off of him. Yet how much of that had become ingrained in him? And his diligence to his grades, was probably because of how awful his father is. Or at least that's what she heard from Nino, and saw for herself as Ladybug…

"Face it," Marinette muttered, putting cookie spoonfuls on pans. She shoved the pans into the oven and set a timer. Tossing dirty bowls and utensils in the sink and turning on the water, she started scrubbing. "You don't know him at all."

Marinette set the cookies out to cool, absentmindedly grabbing bags to pack them in. Just thinking about Adrien made her remember another blond, green-eyed boy in her life. She smiled; Chat was sort of similar to Adrien. He was kind as well, and selfless. Even if it was at the cost of taking a hit for her. Marinette slowly frowned. Now that she thought about it, Adrien sometimes made the same motions as Chat. She could even remember him punning sometimes…In Darkblade, "I got transformed into a knight." "So did I! What a knight-mare!" And just yesterday, "You matter. Unless you multiply yourself by light, then you energy." Marinett didn't really get that one, physics had never been her strong suit. But judging from Nino's muffled groans and Adrien's delighted snickers at the time, Marinette could guess it was hilarious.

So they were both selfless, Chat in a more self-destructive way; kind and caring, both punners… Was it possible? Could…no. No, she-Marinette was just wishing that her crush and her partner could be. Marinette packed up the cookies in a plastic bag, twisting the top closed. Turning all the lights off, she walked back upstairs, and set the cookies gently inside her backpack. She climbed into the loft and crawled underneath the covers. Marinette smiled softly at the little Tikki-shaped ball curled up on her pillow. Then her gaze lifted up to the posters of Adrien on her wall adjacent. Her sharp eyes traced the lines in his hair, the curves of his body, the small smile and glazed eyes.

Tikki had given her a lot to think about tonight.

WEDNESDAY

Marinette bit her lip. She had come in just fifteen minutes earlier to be able to do this! Getting strange looks from classmates, but that was beside the point. She could do this! She was Ladybug, for heaven's sake, she can give her crush cookies!

Her best friend just smiled. "You can do it girl! Just go up there and talk to him! In actual sentences though." Marinette took a deep breath, clutching the bag of cookies. She can do this. Really, she didn't need to speak, she could just hand the bag to him. Yeah, yeah!

"I can do it!" Marinette walked up the steps, a tentative smile curving her lips. Alya walked behind her, giving her moral support. Marinette waited until a break in Adrien and Nino's conversation before speaking, both boys turning to her with kind smiles.

"Hey Marinette." Adrien smiled happily. Marinette analyzed it. This was a real smile, stretched from cheek to cheek and curiosity in his eyes. She felt herself gain courage from it. "Do you need something?"

"I, um, wanted to-OW!" Marinette was shoved to the side. She winced at a small squeak from her purse. "Sorry Tikki." Lying on her stomach, she gave a long-suffering sigh.

"ADRIKINS!" Chloe screeched, latching onto Adrien with an unbreakable hold. She threw a vengeful smirk at Marinette and marched Adrien inside, Sabrina trailing the two blondes. "I swear, why do you keep talking to those bottomfeeders? Anyways…"

"Chloe." Alya growled. She held out a hand to Marinette and grimaced at the back of the disappearing blondes. "One of these days she's gonna get it… Are your cookies okay?"

"Yeah." Marinette accepted the hand gratefully and the two started walking into the courtyard. "Guess I'll have to wait to give them to him later though. At least I didn't completely fumble a sentence around him this time."

"Well that's progress! Now hurry up girl, or else we'll be late for history."

Why did Chloe decide today was "Cling to Adrien Every Class" day? Every single class they had together, Chloe stuck onto him like a leech. It was a miracle that he hadn't told her no. But, Marinette noticed, he never looked happy about it. He only ever had that model smile on.

And she had been looking all day. Marinette frowned. He did only hang out with Chloe and Sabrina, or Nino, Alya, and her. Sure, he spoke to a few classmates, but it was obviously just small talk, coupled with how Chloe almost seemed to hiss at anyone who came to close to him. Tikki was right, he was lonely. But, maybe she could change that?

The last class bell rang, and Marinette and Alya were swept up in the post-school crowd. She could just glimpse the top of Adrien's carefully brushed hair, and Chloe's ever-present ponytail. Marinette gritted her teeth; usually they both left immediately after school. That wasn't gong to happen today, not on her watch!

Summoning just a bit of that Ladybug confidence, Marinette tugged her best friend faster. "C'mon Alya! We gotta catch them!" Alya quickly fell in step with a grin. Marinette was finally going to make a move! Not the one Alya was hoping for, but one step forward at least. The stream of traffic lessened, and dumped the two girls at the doors.

Marinette grinned. Luck was with her; Chloe was nowhere to be found but Adrien was still here! Here was her chance! "You go girl!" Alya pushed Marinette towards him. She flashed her an awkward smile, mentally steeling herself. Just, don't say gibberish. She could feel Tikki give her little pats through her purse. Alya melted into the background and grabbed Nino. Marinette perched on the second to last step of the school, teetering back and forth. She can do it, it was just cookies!

"Um, h-hi Adrien." Don't stutter! Adrien turned around and smiled a model smile again. It killed her to see it.

"Hi Marinette." He eyed the bag curiously, "What's in the bag?"

"I, um-ImadeyoucookiesIhopeyoulikethem." Marinette had meant to give it to him, nice and quick, not stumbling over her words. However, fate had other plans. Marinette shrieked as she fell forward, having taken a miscalculated step forward. She shut her eyes, tensing up, expecting to meet her old friend yet again. Yet, her face didn't meet the concrete. Strong, warm hands held her forearms.

"Whoa, are you okay?" The warm, curious voice of her crush asked. Marinette took a deep breath, trying to fight the rapidly rising heat crawling up her throat. She nodded mutely and straightened up. She shoved the bag into his chest, deliberately not looking at him.

"Chocolate chip? Wait, this is for me?" She nodded again. "Thank you so much!" Marinette looked up to see a megawatt smile light up his face as he got into his ride. "See you tomorrow!"

She mirrored it. "You're welcome!" That smile was so familiar on another green-eyed boy she knew…

"I did it!" Marinette danced in place, eyes squeezed shut and grinning hard. "I did it! I did-WHOA!" She slipped backwards. THUNK! Marinette groaned. That was going to leave a bruise. As Ladybug, she was sure-footed and quick-witted. As Marinette, well, her luck always abandoned her. She glared at the offending showerhead above her.

Her head throbbed. That was enough dancing for today. Grumbling, she turned the faucet off and got out, wrapping a towel around herself. She squeezed out her hair, staring at herself in the fogged up mirror. She was able to give her crush cookies, without fumbling her sentences too much! "I did it.