Like many before her, Marinette was skilled in the art of playing it cool. Unless it came to Adrien. As she and her friend Alya approached the blond heartthrob of her pink-bubbled dreams, Marinette was propelled into the cliche world of intensified feminine clumsiness.
It was girl meets floor.
Picking herself up and dusting herself off, Marinette straightened and flashed an embarrassed smile. Beside her, Alya shook her head endearingly with a chuckle. "Very smooth," she teased.
"Thanks," Marinette answered sarcastically.
"Don't worry," said Alya, an encouraging fist in the air. "You can do it!"
Marinette returned the gesture, her spirit with resolve and confidence. Yes, she can do it. She will ask Adrien out. Right now! Just need to get over there.
One step. Two steps. Three. Almost there. Baby steps.
When she was just a few steps behind him, Marinette cleared her throat. "Adrien?"
Turning, Adrien stopped in mid-conversation with none other than Chloe Bourgeois, the prized student of making-others-get-akumatised school. She glared at Marinette, blue eyes as cold as those of ice zombies. But how could Marinette notice those daggers for eyes when she was being given the attention of her one and only beloved Adrien?
She gulped and cleared her throat again. She looked up at Adrien and found herself unable to speak. Thankfully, it was Adrien who broke the silence.
"Hi Marinette," he said warmly.
Marinette looked down at her feet, feeling shy and flustered and tingly. "Hi," she replied shyly.
"What's up?"
"I... I was wondering..."
"Oh speak up, will you!" Chloe chimed from behind Adrien. He turned towards her, startled. Then, he broke into a smile and calmly said, "Chloe, I'd love to hear all about your weekend with your mum. Fill me in tomorrow?"
Chloe looked up at Adrien with sparkling eyes. "Ok, Adrikins!"
"Bye," he said, waving and accepting a hug from her. Chloe didn't even bother giving Marinette the stink eye as she walked off - she was over the moon at the prospect of having a friend to share her happy memories with.
Marinette smiled, looking at Chloe's retreating back. As terrible as she is, Marinette believed that Chloe was a good person deep down. Deep, deep down. And it was Adrien who made her see that.
"You always see the good in everyone, Adrien," she said softly.
Adrien looked taken aback, a blush creeping up on his embarrassed face. He laughed nervously. "Everyone has good in them," he said, shrugging.
"Yea," Marinette smiled. She wanted to say more. She wanted to tell him how she admired him for believing in everyone, and for not giving up on them even when things go bad. She wanted to tell him that he's amazing.
Marinette took a deep breath and looked up into Adrien's eyes. But, something seemed off. Though he was smiling, he seemed... sad. Marinette's nervousness dissipated and was immediately replaced with concern.
"Adrien," she began. "Are you alright?"
Adrien looked shocked again. Recovering quickly, he smiled and laughed. "I am," he said, not meeting her eyes.
Marinette looked at him sadly. She reached out and gently placed her hand on Adrien's arm. Sighing, Adrien dropped his practiced smile and looked down. "It's silly," he began. "Chloe is going to tell me about her weekend with her mum, right? When we were talking just now, she was saying how their relationship is slowly getting better. And I... I wished it were true for me and my father, too."
"I'm so sorry."
"If only there was something I could do."
"Oh!" Marinette exclaimed. "Father's Day is coming up, right?"
"Yes, every year I buy a gift for him. I get advice from his assistant and my bodyguard on what to get. But he never seems to be impressed," Adrien sighed.
Marinette's shoulders slumped. Her heart was breaking at knowing that Adrien was in so much pain. "Wish fixing things would just be piece of cake," muttered Adrien.
"Cake!"
"Cake?"
"You could get him cake!"
Adrien considered this. "I suppose that would be nice. Everybody loves cake."
"And it would mean so much more if you made it!"
"Me?"
"You."
"I can't bake."
"Oh."
"But you can."
"I can? I can!"
"Could you teach me?"
Marinette blinked. "S-sure!"
Adrien beamed at her. Taking her hand in his, he squeezed them tightly and smiled through tears. "Thank you. This year is going to be different, I know it. Because I have you."
If it were not for Adrien holding onto her hands, Marinette would have tripped over nothing and fallen face flat on the school grounds. After arranging a baking session tomorrow, Adrien thanked Marinette again and headed off for his Chinese class.
Marinette remained where he had left her, frozen from the whirlwind of everything that suddenly and somehow happened. Alya, who had been watching from a distance, ran up to Marinette.
"Looked like it went really well! Got yourself a date?" she asked, beaming.
Marinette gave her a sheepish smile. "Kind of?"
"What do you mean?" Alya asked, eyebrow raised.
Marinette scratched the back of her head, embarrassed. "I'm helping him bake a cake for Father's Day."
Upon hearing that, Alya looked stunned for a moment before laughing. "You know what, I'll take it. Well done, girl."
"Heh heh," Marinette chuckled. "Well done."