"Do I really have to do this Alya?" Marinette grumbled as her friend pushed her back into the school building, making a beeline for the stairs.
"Nino requested you. He wants to make sure all the class presidents are seen in at least one clip," insisted Alya, turning around to shove Marinette up the stairs.
Nino, as the school's unofficial film department, was making a promotional video for their school, and had asked Marinette to be in it, pretending to be doing an experiment in the lab. If it had been anywhere else in the school, Marinette might have been ok. But Nino had to pick the most haphazardous place to film her. There might not be a school left once they were done filming.
"Plus Adrien will be there," teased Alya.
The new information caused Marinette to straighten up. Even after three years of having a crush on the boy, an identity reveal that caused her to love him even more, but had also kept her from confessing her feelings to him due to valuing their friendship on either side of the mask, Marinette could say Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir was one of her favorite people.
"You should have started off with that," Marinette playfully scolded as she took the steps two at a time, nearly falling as she over shot the last step. She was saved at the last moment by Alya.
"Easy there." Alya righted Marinette, both girls giggling at Marinette's clumsiness before marching arm and arm to the science lab.
Adrien and Nino were waiting inside, Nino putting up black poster board against the windows to prevent whiting out his shot, while Adrien was examining the beakers along with two bottle of flavored sports drinks.
"And here is your female star, Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng," introduced Alya, Adrien clapping humorously while Nino offered a brief nod while still taping the boards.
"Great, Marinette go by Adrien. Alya can you tape these up?"
Alya and Marinette split up, Marinette looking curiously at the two bottles of green and red sports drink as she approached.
"Science," she pointed at the two drinks, looking up at Adrien.
"Even though I'm the Chem TA, Ms. Mendeleiev wouldn't let me bring anything potentially flammable out. Nino thought colorful drinks should make it look believable enough." Adrien held up one of the beakers.
"Considering its a short clip, I guess so."
"Alright, nice." Both teens looked up to see Nino was filming, smiling at the display on his camera.
"You didn't get the drinks in shot," asked Adrien in a panic, Marinette looking up at Adrien.
"Naw, I just got Marinette's chest up. We're good."
Adrien sighed, relief evident. As if he could sense Marinette watching him, he turned and gave her a model smile. Marinette smiled back, but looked back towards Nino. Something was up between those two. Adrien was never that nervous about Nino's filming.
"Can you both pour drinks into the smaller beakers, and keep the big beaker between you dudes," instructed Nino as Adrien passed Marinette the red drink, pouring the green into his own beaker.
"Fitting," Marinette murmured so Adrien could hear, as she pour the drink.
"What is?"
"The colors, like Ladybug and Chat Noir." Marinette glanced over at Adrien, who was blushing.
"I'm sure Nino picked those for Alya."
No pun? No my lady comment? This was an Adrien Marinette hadn't seen in a while.
"I'll take those." Alya passed by, taking the partially emptied drinks away.
"Alright great. We're going to start with Adrien pouring part of his beaker into the larger one, and Marinette, you're going to be watching closely," instructed Nino, the duo getting into position.
"Action," Nino called out, Adrien bringing the beakers to his eye level.
"Can you lower it please," requested Marinette.
"Sure bugaboo," Adrien teased as he lowered the beakers closer to her. Marinette smiled. Of course he would tease while they were filming.
With an ever steady hand, Adrien poured the drink into the beaker.
"And stop." Marinette briefly glanced to Nino scooting away from a close up of the beakers.
Adrien stopped.
"Now set it down, make sure everything is fine."
Adrien set down the beaker, both him and Marinette stooping to the level of the table, checking to make sure everything was "fine".
"Looks purfect, what do you think my lady?"
"For once, I would have to agree with you," commented Marinette as she stood back up, Adrien copying her motion.
"You know, I'd think we would make good chemistry," he teased, rolling his eyebrows in a very Chat-like manner. Marinette chuckled, bopping him on the nose.
"Let's see if we make it out of the science room alive after this, then we'll talk about our bond." They both chuckled at the joke, not noticing the devious grins of their two friends.
"Alright, now Marinette, pour your drink into the large beaker," instructed Nino.
Rather than lift up the beaker like Adrien did, Marinette carefully lifted her little beaker over the larger one, carefully pouring it's contents into the larger beaker. Marinette watched as Nino scooted in closer, focusing his camera on her pouring.
"And stop, that should be good."
Marinette, Adrien, and Nino both stood up from their bent over positions.
"Hey Nino, shouldn't you get some shots of us examining the beakers before we pour them in?"
Nino looked slightly confused, Marinette looking between him and Adrien who was making a pleading expression with his face.
"Let's do it. Doesn't hurt to get more footage. I'll just refill the beakers a little."
Alya swooped in, pouring the sports drinks into the two beakers. Adrien took the larger beaker and emptied the greenish-reddish-brownish mixture in a trashcan. Everything was properly reset, Marinette and Adrien back in their positions.
"So examine the beakers, and action," announced Nino as he brought the camera up to Adrien. Adrien held up the beaker and was looking at its contents, as if is held some potential chemical. Nino then switched to Marinette, who tried to mirror Adrien's movements, but leaving her beaker on the counter. She didn't want to count on her Ladybug luck too much with these beakers.
"And cut. Thanks you guys for doing this."
"No problem, when do you think the video will be up," asked Marinette, Adrien gathering the beakers.
"Probably a couple weeks. It'll be up on the school blog."
"I'll send you the link," offered Alya as she led Marinette out of the classroom. Marinette turned to wave, both boys returning the gesture. She hoped the video turned out good.
Two Weeks Later…
Marinette made a mad dash back into the school, slightly wondering why Adrien had insisted on taking a different path than normal today. An akuma popped out during lunch, taking up two of her afternoon classes. Marinette would have skipped her physics class, but Adrien had reminded her about the teacher going over the study guide for a test later that week.
So that is why Marinette quickly ran up to the lab, jumping into her seat just as the class bell rang.
"Cutting it close," Alya teased. Marinette nodded, out of breath as she scanned the room for Adrien, who was nowhere in sight.
"What'd I miss?"
"Other than some sweet Ladybug footage? Kim asked Ondine to prom."
Marinette groaned. Right, prom was coming up. The entire junior and senior classes had been in a frenzy over the dance. Marinette would have almost forgotten about it, if not for being on the committee for planning it. And the constant promposals in every other class.
"Alright everyone, take you seats," announced Ms. Mendeleiev, Marinette noticing Nino taking his seat, but still no Adrien. He would never miss physics.
"Before we begin today's review, we have a quick video to watch." Ms. Mendeleiev clicked something on her computer before quickly moving off to the side.
The black image on the board behind her desk, turned into a shot of the classroom, with some interesting music. The video then cut to a shot of Marinette and Adrien, talking as Adrien held up the beaker.
Marinette could feel her face warm up as all eyes zeroed in on her.
Text appeared on the lower part of the screen while Marinette and Adrien examined the contents of their beakers.
"After three long years..."
"Is that juice?" Marinette could hear Kim whisper to Max.
Adrien picked up the largest beaker, pouring his contents inside.
"We've learned to make good chemistry."
Marinette could hear a couple sniggers from the Chat worthy joke, certain one of them was the feline himself.
Adrien set down the beaker, him and Marinette examining the contents before nodding in approval, chuckling at the joke Adrien said, although the rest of the class couldn't hear it.
"After all that we've been through…"
Marinette picked up her beaker and poured its contents into the largest beaker.
"I was thinking we should try something…"
The video then changed to an outdoor shot of the lab. All of a sudden, an explosion came out of the lab window, Marinette hoping that was a visual effect from Nino and not video from one of the times the lab was blown up from an akuma attack.
The screen then faded to black.
"A little less destructive." This earned several chuckles from the class, Marinette smiling to herself, at the double meaning of the word destructive.
"Prom?"
Everyone in the class clapped as Adrien appeared beside her, holding in his hand a bouquet of pink and red roses, and wearing the most Chat Noir grin she had seen. Marinette quickly jumped into his arms, wrapping each other in a hug while the class continued cheering.
"Of course Mon Chaton."
Based on true events from my life. Yes, I was oblivious as Marinette, I have been my entire relationship. My dude and I though met in Chemistry class, not with chewing gum on seats.
I felt this story was very pun worthy of Chat.