AN: I'm not going to specifically mention age, but obviously they're old enough to drive, so...
~o~
It was a late spring day, coming up close on their lycée's spring break. Alya and Marinette sat on one of the school benches, their heads ducked down over Alya's phone, giggling to themselves as they planned a number of different activities on their upcoming trip to Brussels. "Ooh, and all that chocolate~" the designer said with a hum, "and the mussels!"
"Don't you mean muscles?" Alya giggled, playfully flexing a bicep.
"Alya~! We're not going to go pick up boys!" Marinette laughed, swatting a hand at her bestie's shoulder. "You better be nice to me for driving us all the way over there!"
"You're driving there on your own?"
Marinette wasn't quite sure when the blond bombshell inserted himself in hearing range, but she let out a small yelp out of habit. Her face was bright pink when she spun around to see Adrien, as stunning and handsome as ever as he grew into his taller, toned body. Of course, she wasn't quite as bumbling as she was years ago when they first met.
But she still wasn't immune either.
"Y-yup!" she declared, a warm blush spread over her cheeks as her long-time crush peered down at her with his summer green eyes. "I officially got my license! So we're celebrating." Granted, she'd been unofficially driving around since she was fifteen (cars, motorcycles, giant mecha robots, even a flying saucer once).
"Oh wow~" Adrien said, genuinely impressed. "That's great. You're lucky, Marinette."
...It honestly wasn't often she was accused of that (outside of her superhero capacity that is), so she cocked her head as she studied the blond. "Aren't you already of age? You could get your license now." Adrien would probably get some ridiculous fancy sports car to boot, courtesy of his father.
Apparently, she was proven wrong as Adrien let out a resigned sigh. "I doubt it. I've never driven before and my father doesn't want me to learn. He won't let me go to driving school or let Nathalie teach me. He'd rather my bodyguard drive me around the rest of my life." He turned a wistful smile in her direction. "I wish I had someone to teach me..."
Marinette felt her heart melt, caught up in the devastatingly sweet and lonesome look.
"Wait, Mari-" Alya started quickly, but she was immediately cut off.
"W-well, I'd be happy to!" the designer cried, popping up to her feet. "T-to give you lessons! I'd be honored!"
"Really?" Adrien said, his entire expression brightening as a smile lit up his features. He clasped Marinette's hands, exuding sunshine and happiness. "That's awesome! Thank you so much!"
"N-no problemo! Happy to do it!" Marinette replied just as cheerfully.
Still grinning wide, Adrien checked his phone and said, "Ah, we can chat about this later. Sorry, I have to head off for fencing. Thanks again!" With that, he took off towards the gym.
The raven haired designer let out a soft sigh of contentment. Oh she hated to say goodbye, but she sure liked watching him go. Her fantasy was rudely interrupted by her bestie, who cried, "I can't believe that you fell for that!"
"Huh, what?" she blinked, turning over to see Alya's flabbergasted face.
"That boy just played you, Mari! Nobody wants to teach him to drive!" the blogger huffed. "Haven't you heard the horror stories going around! He's terrible! And all he had to do was make goo-goo eyes at you and you got suckered into it!"
"Oh, you're just exaggerating!" Marinette scoffed, absolutely affronted. After all, Adrien was perfect. However, after a second's reflection, she asked, "...What horror stories?"
Alya leaned in, whispering in her ear, "You remember what happened to Nino's parents' car?"
...Oh.
...Oh shit.
~o~
Marinette was understandably a little... nervous when it finally came time for Adrien's first lesson. Not simply because she was going to be in an enclosed vehicle with her crush for extended periods of time. However, she had found it next to impossible to take back her promise. All Adrien had to do was smile at her and she found her courage failing.
So, she borrowed her mom's car and drove them out to a deserted parking lot on the edge of Paris. She took a suspicious look around the empty lot, as if to spot any obstacles that might jump out at them. M-maybe she was just psyching herself out too much about this. Adrien couldn't possibly be that bad.
"Something wrong?" Adrien asked, glancing over to her.
"Nope!" Marinette said hurriedly, before he got the funny idea that she didn't trust him.(Which she kind of didn't, but she still didn't want him to get that idea!) "Shall we switch sides?"
The blond nodded eagerly, hopping out of the car to take the driver's seat. Marinette took his spot, which was still warm from his body. ...She really shouldn't be getting excited over excess body heat. That didn't stop her mind from shrilling 'Oh my God! Adrien's so hot!'
"Okay, so-" Adrien started, tugging her mind out of the gutter, "I think I know a little bit about this. Seatbelts, adjust the seat and mirrors..."
"Yup, you got it!" Marinette chirped, clicking herself in. "Then when you're ready, put your foot on the brake and the clutch. Start the car and take the parking brake off. Then go into first gear." Nodding eagerly, Adrien did as he was bid, successfully rolling the car into a slow start without stalling. "Good job!" she said cheerfully. "Okay, now speed up a little, then push the clutch and go into second gear."
Here the car did stall, forcing it into a sudden stop. "Ah, oops, sorry," he said sheepishly.
"No, no problem! I did that all the time," Marinette replied, "Just turn off the car and we'll start again." Now more than ever, she was convinced that people were just exaggerating. Sure, Adrien wasn't an expert, but stalling once in a while was not the worst thing in the world.
Adrien did as he was bid... with surprising adroitness, going from first to second to third gear in a matter of seconds. Suddenly, they were going 50 kph. In a parking lot. "Um!" Marinette said shrilly, her hand tightly grasping the door handle for support. "Adrien, this is a little quick!"
"Oh oops!" the model said, looking down at what he'd done. "Sorry. It's easier for me if I don't think about it."
"Th-that's fine! C-can you go back down to second, please!" Marinette said as Adrien swerved around a flood light.
"Sure!" he said. Then just as adroitly, kicked it up to fourth gear.
"A-ADRIEN, SLOW DOWN!"
By some miracle, the car came out of the lesson in one piece. Marinette wasn't sure she was quite as lucky. She was pinned back in her seat, hair disheveled, her heart hammering like a jackhammer.
Adrien smiled brightly at her. "Thanks, Marinette! That was awesome! You make a great teacher."
Marinette let out a strained laugh. "Ah..haha... G-glad you think so." She declawed from her handholds, which had deep impressions from her fingers. "So, uh, m-maybe I'll just take it from here. Get us home."
"Oh really?" the blond said, "I was just getting the hang of it. I could drive us back."
"NO! I mean, no, I think you might need a couple" (million) "more lessons before you get on the freeway," Marinette said, already unbuckling herself. "Here, it's been a long day. How about I drop you off?"
"Oh, I was hoping to treat you to dinner," Adrien said, his smile falling. "You know, as a thank you for teaching me." Marinette froze at that. Dinner? With Adrien? Alone? Sure, she felt like she might hurl right now, but she might be up for it. However, before she could say anything to that effect, the model brightened, "Well, I guess we can do it after our next lesson!"
...Next lesson?
Marinette stared at him. The blond smiled back, with an expression full of innocence and sunshine.
...Goddammit.
~o~
Marinette had become particularly twitchy nowadays. Sudden movements made her jump. While loud noises made her freeze up like a rabbit. She constantly looked on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
It got around that she had managed to survive through five driving lessons with Adrien Agreste. Some rumors even said seven. One said ten, but that was dismissed off-hand as a gross exaggeration.
In truth, she had no less than fifteen lessons with the blond model.
She could only attribute her endurance on the fact that she'd spent the last few years in much more dangerous situations as Ladybug, but even she was reaching her breaking point.
Adrien did not know the meaning of the word 'slow'. Then, when he thought she wasn't looking, he'd get this oddly manic grin when he pushed the envelope. (One that reminded her eerily of someone else.) Then he turned around with that devastatingly charming smile of his and she'd melt and agree to another lesson.
Alya was right. She was being played.
She was being played so damn hard.
Problem was that she still couldn't figure out how to say no. She was weak, weak, damn it.
Such as it was, Marinette jumped nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a screech tear through the sky as she walked home. One that sounded too much like tires skidding across tar. Then she relaxed when the accompanying evil laughter boomed overhead. Oh good, it was just an akuma. Something normal. She could handle that.
Marinette jogged into the patisserie. A moment later, Ladybug swung out into the street, taking off after the white streak in the blue sky. As soon as she got near, the rocket streak would turn and hurtle off in a different direction, sending her backtracking or going around in circles. She let out a loud growl of frustration as she watched the streak turn again. There was no way for her to keep up!
Suddenly, a flashy, neon green Lamborghini skid to a stop right in her path. A familiar blond mop of hair popped out of the driver's side of the vehicle, a bright grin stretched across his face. "Need a lift, Milady?" Chat Noir asked, gallantly sweeping a hand over to the open door.
Ladybug twitched. She hadn't had the best experience with blonds in cars lately. Unfortunately, there wasn't time to argue. "Where on earth did you get this?" she demanded, coming over to the passenger's side.
"Oh, what's a little grand theft auto in the name of justice?" Chat smiled wickedly. At her dubious look, he said, "Relax~ Buginette. The keys were in when I found it. And I've been taking lessons." He barely waited until she was strapped in before tearing off after the new villain at mach speed.
Ladybug's hands immediately clasped onto safe handholds, going white as her life flashed before her eyes. Chat never braked so much as skid, speeding around corners in hot pursuit of their prey with the occasional little bump against another car. He grinned viciously, a manic glint to his eye, as he ratcheted through gears while the dial on the speedometer climbed up to terrifying levels. Ladybug couldn't even see their target. Her eyes were only on the concrete barricade hurtling towards them.
"DAMN IT, ADRIEN. SLOW THE F-"
Chat slammed on the brakes. The car skid, sliding across the paved streets in several loops before it bumped up harmlessly against a street post. His head snapped to Ladybug's direction, his green eyes as wide as saucers. "M-Marinette?" he stammered.
Ladybug, however, was too distracted to fully appreciate the revelation. "I think I'm gonna be sick," she gagged, her complexion going a sick green color as she held onto her stomach. Chat's jaw dropped in horror.
"No, not in the car! It's suede!"