Just a friend: "Marinette is just a friend!"

"I'm just a friend Tikki." Marinette sighed, rolling in her chaise. The red kwami nuzzled her cheek, no words of comfort coming off her small mouth after months of repeating and excuses. Today felt like the bluenette reached a dead end. Slowly but admiringly she took the posters down; her favorite blond looked at her with a model smile as she put him away in a small box.

Two years had passed since she met Adrien Agreste. She had been more than obvious about her crush both intentionally and unintentionally. Alya, and then Nino, sighed repeatedly at her attempts and at the blonde's obliviousness. Now starting her last year Marinette felt like dropping the towel. It was emotionally exhausting, not only did she felt friend-zoned like a boss, she was dead guilty every time she rejected Chat (as Ladybug) in hope of ever having her feeling returned by Adrien.

She changed her hairstyle multiple times, but it was finally the time to let it loose. It was pretty long now, her pigtails as Ladybug were sometimes wild and distracting but as Marinette, sometimes it was a real nightmare. Her style was still hers, she didn't change much, pink was still her favorite color, so no surprise there. She got out, climbed to her balcony, and breathed the chilly night breeze. Something inside her felt relieved, but she was not sure what it was.

Not far away from Marinette's house, a blonde boy was exited and overflowing positive energy, something Plagg dreaded so late at night. "Listen here kid, calm the hell down before I puke camembert in all your wardrobe" Adrien rolled his eyes and after tucking his pajamas on, he plopped in his bed. He grabbed his phone and opened a notification:

#This happened a year ago# When he pressed on it, a shower of pictures flowed down the screen. He smiled unconsciously, looking at his memories from last summer. He went to a theme park with Alya, Nino and Marinette. He had several pictures and videos, he even was enchanted, as he remembered, with how Marinette was all scared at first until she got in the first rollercoaster. Plagg was curious on whatever he was seeing, as the blonde's grin became bigger and bigger.

The kwami was unamused when he found the bluenette's face flushed and exited about every ride, and felt extremely irritated when she made a pun (a really good one actually) and Adrien smiled wider and chuckled!

"You got that stupid grin in your face." Plagg commented looking at the video drawn by the bluenette who made an important glow up during the show months, not that she wasn't cute before, but according to Plagg Marinette became hotter.

"Which stupid grin?" He asked, feeling his cheeks a little stiff.

"The one you have when you think of Ladybug. Seems like Marinette causes the same effect on you as your Lady" in a unison the little god's mind screamed "cause they are the sAME GIRL!"

"What are you talking about Plagg? Marinette's just a friend." He smiled cheekily. He continued to feel nostalgic and slid the memoirs with great fondness. He couldn't wait to start his last year tomorrow.