"It's your turn, Nino," Alya said, still miffed Adrien wouldn't tell her he knew Ladybug.
"All right, uh... My Uncle's famous, I'm managing the school radio station again next year, and I have a... I have a crush on Rose," Nino said. Alya stiffened a little bit, but Marinette and Adrien spoke in unison, "You don't have a crush on Rose."
Nino smiled nervously. "You got me," he said.
"What now?" Marinette asked, the curiosity from Adrien's answer not forgotten.
"Another game?" Nino suggested,
"How about Truth or Dare?" Marinette said, hoping she could get some answers out of it.
"That sounds awesome! Good idea, girl!" Alya replied, ecstatic at the suggestion.
"Can I go first?" Nino questioned. He got a nod in response.
"Okay... Marinette, truth or dare?" Marinette grinned. "Dare." Nino paused. "I dare you to lick a bar of soap."
Marinette grimaced but reached behind her. She ruffled through her duffel bag and pulled one out. As she licked it, the group burst into laughter at the disgust on her face.
"It's not funny" Marinette huffed, annoyed. Adrien put a friendly hand on her back, laughing a bit but not howling like the others.
"Sorry, Marinette, but the face you made was priceless! It was a little funny!"
Marinette went red.
"It's your turn, girl!" Alya said.
"Alright, Alya, truth or dare?"
"Dare!"
"I dare you to sleep alone in the other room with Nino when we go to bed" Marinette said, smirking internally. She knew Alya would never admit to her crush on Nino, but it was as painfully obvious as a sign that says "Road may be wet when it's raining". Now it was Alya's turn to redden.
"O-okay. Nino, you alright with that?" Alya said, flustered for once,
"Yeah! I-I mean yeah!" Nino seemed excited but he tried his best to hide it. It was a plan.
"O-okay. My turn," Alya said, "Adrien, truth or dare?"
"Truth" Adrien said.
"How long have you known Ladybug, exactly?" Alya smirked. Marinette listened intently.
"Uh... it's hard to say. A year, maybe?" Alya gasped. Marinette's brows furrowed in confusion. The Simon Says attack had been pretty recent, only a couple months beforehand.
"Adrien! I can't believe you!" Alya cried, a yawn muffling her anger. Nino chuckled at the yawn-yell, but cleared his throat when Alya shot him a glare.
"Yeah, it is pretty hard to believe" Marinette mumbled under her breath.
It had been a couple hours of gaming, and the friends were exhausted. Marinette and Adrien helped Nino and Alya lug their sleeping bags into the other room (they weren't gonna let that dare go unfulfilled) and Marinette was still contemplating what Adrien meant. She'd have to ask him where he knew her alter ego from. Well, she couldn't tell him it was her alter ego, of course. Oh, and it was just dawning on her that she was sleeping in a room with Adrien. Alone. With Adrien. Adrien Agreste. The model. It took all her willpower not to let out a very loud and mouse-like sound.
Marinette and Adrien sat on the sleeping bags across from each other. Marinette was staring at Adrien and he shifted uncomfortably.
"Marinette? Is there something you wanna..." Marinette snapped out of her stupor.
"Oh... yeah. I just, I uh..." Marinette said, "I was just wondering, how do you know Ladybug?"
Adrien visibly tensed. He responded "Oh, I've just. Seen her around."
Marinette raised her eyebrow. Why was Adrien avoiding her question, and now, her gaze?
"Around?" She asked,
"Around." He confirmed. There was another awkward pause.
"I uh..." Adrien continued, and Marinette perked up, "can I tell you a secret?"
Marinette nodded vigorously.
"I have a huge crush on Ladybug. I don't really know her all that well, but I like to think I do. Y'know? I know she's brave, and selfless, and loyal. And I know she's beautiful and perfect and... you get the idea" Adrien looked somewhere behind Marinette, a dreamy look in his eyes. Marinette didn't know whether her heart was soaring or being trampled by elephants. Adrien liked her. Adrien liked... her. But not her, not really. He liked the idealized, perfect Ladybug, not common Marinette. Marinette was nothing special. Adrien saw her face fall at the realization, and paused.
"Are you okay, Marinette?" Adrien asked, concerned.
"Yeah! I'm totally okay because I 100% get what you're saying hahaha isn't that insane Adrien?" Marinette started to ramble. "And you know I know exactly how you feel because I like yo-Chat Noir that's right I like Chat Noir just the same way as you like Ladybug hahaha crazy right?" An indecipherable expression appeared on Adrien's face. Was it confidence? Slyness? Mischievousness? Marinette couldn't tell, and none of those options made sense.
"You like Chat Noir?" Adrien marvelled,
"Yeah! Totally! I mean, who wouldn't like a superhero! They're just idealized versions of people. I bet Chat Noir is totally different under the mask, but his confidence and heroics make him the perfect guy. I bet it's the same with Ladybug. I bet if you met her in real life you wouldn't even like her anymore." There was a certain coldness to her tone, and Adrien couldn't help but go on the defensive.
"Ladybug is perfect with or without the mask, because nothing could change her heart." Adrien said firmly, "And Chat Noir is probably the one different under the mask. His puns and flirting? Fake bravado. You probably wouldn't like him either if you met him without the mask." It was Marinette's turn to defend Chat.
"Well, sure, but the loyalty and kindness he has can't be faked! I bet Chat Noir is amazing, inside and out of the mask. He never leaves Ladybug's side and would follow her to the ends of the earth if it meant keeping her safe," she sighed. Marinette's yelling reminded Adrien of someone. Who was it? Alya? Then he looked into her eyes, and he realized: Marinette sounded exactly like Ladybug.
Adrien paused, entertaining the notion. Could Marinette be his lady?
"Do-do you really have a crush on Chat Noir?" He whispered,
"Yeah... sure!" Marinette responded hastily. What was the alternative? "No, Adrien, I don't like Chat. He's obviously a playboy and won't stop those godawful puns. I just said that to hide the fact that I'm totally, hopelessly in love with you, Adrien. Oh, and FYI, I'm Ladybug." Hell no.
Adrien paused at her response. He obviously was a victim of wishful thinking; Marinette couldn't be Ladybug! Ladybug would ever have a crush on Chat, and you'd think Adrien would notice if the love of his life was so close.
There was a crash outside and the sound of a scream.
Marinette looked up quickly, on alert. "What was that?" she asked,
"I don't know. I'll go check it out," responded Adrien.
"No, I'll do it" Marinette insisted, standing up,
"Fine, let's both go," said Adrien with a twinge of exasperation. What if he needed to transform quickly? What if it was an Akuma and Marinette was in danger? Little did he know that Marinette was thinking the same thing about him.
"Fine," Marinette responded. Again, Adrien was reminded of his lady. What was this new side of Marinette? Whatever it was, he liked it.
The duo went outside and leaned over the balcony. Marinette pointed at a black figure who was quickly departing.
"See, it's just Chat Noir on patrol. No big deal," she said. Odd, she thought Chat had agreed not to patrol that night, since both of them had civilian duties. Adrien knew even better that something was up.
"That's not Chat Noir," he said firmly.
"How do you know?" Marinette asked,
"I just do. Hold on, I gotta go to the bathroom," Adrien said. Marinette furrowed her brow as he ran to the bathroom and slammed the door shut and locked. She knocked on it.
"Adrien? What the hell?"
"I'm uh... taking a shower!" a nervous Adrien replied. Marinette raised an eyebrow.
"A shower?" she questioned, "Right now?"
Adrien chuckled nervously as he spoke. "Yeah! I always shower when I'm stressed. Don't worry about me, I'll be a minute." He turned on the shower head, transformed, and climbed out the window. Wanting to check on Marinette to make sure she stayed there safe while he went off, he peered into her window.
He didn't expect to see a red flash, followed by the unmistakable transformation of his Lady.