Suspicions and an Agreement

"Girl, I can't believe you've been holding out on me like this!" Alya sits next to Marinette on the chaise and latches onto her shoulders. "You have to tell me everything! When did you start dating? Wait, do you know who he is under the mask? How—"

Marinette leans back, holding her hands up in a warding gesture. "Alya, you've got it all—"

There's a tap from the window. Marinette freezes. Chat Noir is outside, waving. Her eyes go wide. Wider than wide. They are golf balls about to pop from her head. Alya looks from Chat to Marinette with the hugest of delighted grins on her face. Then an elbow pokes Marinette in the stomach—several times.

"It's your boyfriend." Poke, poke, poke. "So, he comes to visit you often, does he?"

"Uh …"

"Damn, girl, you really have been holding out. How did Adrien even find out about this?" Her brow furrows. "You didn't tell him over me, did you?"

"No, but—"

"Ah, never mind that right now. My best friend is dating a super hero! How did it start? Did he save you? Did you meet when he wasn't suited up?" She claps her hands. "Oh, do you think you can both do an interview for the Ladyblog? I mean, the fans will be disappointed, but this is news. You're dating Chat Noir, and—"

"Alya."

Alya closes her mouth (though her arms are still in the air from all her excitable movement).

"I really need to talk to Chat. Alone."

"Aww, you call him Chat."

"Alya!"

Alya lowers her arms. "Right, right. Got it. I'm already leaving. No one will accuse me of third wheeling your date."

Marinette casts a glance at Chat Noir, who is now pointing up as if to say he'll meet her on the balcony. Yeah, this is so not a date. It's the milk splattered on the floor that adages tell her not to cry about.

"But, girl, you've gotta tell me everything later, okay? I have so many questions! I mean I totally thought you were still hot for Adrien."

"Alya!" Marinette stands up, her whole face burning. "Can we please not do this right now?"

"Right. Leaving." Alya backs for the loft hatch, unsubtle grin printed all over her face, and even does finger guns. "Call me later!"

Marinette groans and covers her face with her hands. The moment the hatch clicks shut, she casts a glance towards the computer where Tikki is hiding and then dashes up the ladder to the balcony. Chat is leaning against the railing, all swagger and smiles. Marinette pauses. The suspicions that have been prickling her spine since Adrien ran off to the non-existent photoshoot (she is good at keeping track of those) falters.

Is this really Adrien Agreste? He just seems so … not.

"Hi," he says with a wave.

"Hi …"

"So, I heard about what happened in your school today. You know, with Lila and the whole"—a wink—"you and me dating thing."

"How?"

He blinks.

"How did you find out?" She folds her arms. She is not going to make this easy for him. (Especially because this idiot cat she cherishes as her partner and friend might also be the love of her life. Her heart stutters and flutters at the thought.)

"Adrien told me."

Now it's her turn to blink.

He smiles widely, confidently, as if he has nothing to worry about. "You could say he's a really … close friend."

Another blink. "Um, what?"

"We're close." He shrugs. "But he's not that great under pressure. Sorry about today. He panicked. He does that."

"You're … close?"

This is the thing she is stuck on. Chat Noir and Adrien are close. Not the same person. Close friends.

What on earth does that mean?

A spike of jealousy flares and settles like a lumpy, ugly rock in the pit of her stomach. Oh no, are they dating?

"How close?" she demands, stepping forward and grabbing his arms.

His eyes widen. "Um—"

"I thought you like Ladybug!"

"I do?"

"Then you're just being greedy! You can't have both. It's not fair to Adrien." A frown. "Or Ladybug for that matter."

Or so she says. Mostly, she just can't believe the boy she loves is dating this stupid cat. She thought Kagami was her only competition, but it's her own partner! The same who flirts with her every odd second when she's transformed as Ladybug. The betrayal!

There is confusion in his eyes. Then his mouth forms a small O and he starts laughing. "Wait, you think … you think I'm …"

More laughter. He's laughing and shaking so hard that he has to lean on her for support. Marinette doesn't push him off, but she does frown and pout, tapping her foot. (Her feelings are not to be mocked.)

He straightens and wipes stray tears from his eyes. "Marinette, I'm not dating Adrien."

"You're not?"

"Definitely not. He's more like family."

"Ohhhh."

Well, now she feels like an idiot.

He squeezes her shoulder, smiling with that rare sweetness he sometimes shows. "But I'm sure Adrien and Ladybug would be happy to know you're concerned about their feelings."

Warmth spreads over her cheeks. "Right."

She needs a hole to go crawl in. A really deep one. It's winter. Winter is hibernation time. She could go hibernate for the next few months. Maybe the next few years.

"There is something I wanted to ask you," he says.

She blinks and glances up at him. "Hrm?"

He bites his lip, and for the first time he looks uncertain. "Um, the lie that we're dating …"

"What about it?"

"Could we … would you mind … playing along with it still?"

Her expression goes dead. A plank of wood would have more life. "What?"

"It's just … I've been getting a lot of, uh, awkward attention from fans of late." He rubs the base of his neck and looks the other way. "Unfortunately, no matter how many times I say my heart belongs to Ladybug, they still keep …"

"Oh, Chat." She touches his arm. "I'm sorry. I had no idea."

He forces a weak laugh. "Part of the parcel of being famous, right?" A sigh, and his next words are soft and spoken more for himself. "Probably deserve it after complaining girls were giving all their attention to Adrien."

"Is it really that bad?"

"Let's just say I'd appreciate a break."

Marinette considers him. Now that she thinks about it, ever since he got a little taller and fuller in the muscle department, the fans have been directing their attention a lot more to him. Poor kitty. He's a terrible flirt, but he's a good boy at heart. Maybe she could help him out for a bit. It'll be awkward, but at least it'll stop Lila from spreading more lies about Chat. That's a bonus.

"Okay," she says. "I'll pretend to be your girlfriend."

"You will?"

A nod.

He smiles like sunshine and scoops her up into his arms. Her feet dangle, but she laughs and lets him hug her. It's easy to be close to him like this.

"Thanks, Marinette! You're the best!"

Next up: the rules of fake dating, and Alya gets her much-prized interview.