Chapter Two
Three days later, Chat Noir sat opposite Alya while he toyed with a loose thread on the chair arm. Nervous didn't even begin to describe his current mood. After the discussion in the school yard as his alter ego, he was wary of what Alya might ask him. But of course, he had to act ignorant. There should be no way that he was aware of her conversation days earlier. But that was because she didn't know Adrien Agreste was also the male component of Paris' superhero duo.
If the budding reporter noticed his unease, she didn't mention it. She was busy setting up her phone, readying to film. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Chat Noir had to ask. "What prompted this solo interview?"
Alya's hands stilled as she stared at the phone before looking up to meet his eyes. "Direct, aren't you?" she said with a forced smile which didn't detract from the edginess in her eyes. "I guess I should be frank. I want to help you win over Ladybug."
A masked eyebrow cocked in curiosity. "Why?"
Feminine fingers curled away from the phone and Alya laced them together in her lap. Her gaze darted between them and Chat Noir. "I have a dual purpose. Firstly, I think the majority of your fans ship you and Ladybug. I don't understand why she seems so determined to keep you at arm's length but I want to help you around that hurdle."
"She claims to love another guy. Believe me, it's the bane of our relationship. At least for me." He admitted.
Chestnut eyebrows shot above the rim of her glasses. "Do you know who it is she claims to love?"
Chat Noir shook his head. "No, she almost admitted it once but it's a secret she holds close. I don't know if she's actually dating him or not though."
"Yet you still want to be with her," Alya probed and he noticed that it wasn't phrased as a question.
"As you pointed out, my feelings towards Ladybug are transparent. It probably sounds mean but I continue to hope that things will fizzle between her and this mystery guy."
Alya tapped her finger against her chin as she contemplated something. The girl's mind was far too sharp and he was wondering what on earth she was pondering. As her eyes settled on his, she gave voice to those thoughts. "You've always been available to Ladybug, if you're suddenly not then she might reconsider what you mean to her."
Chat Noir shot her a sceptical look. "This is Ladybug. She'd probably rejoice at me leaving her alone. The whole jealousy angle wouldn't work because she doesn't care about me that way. Besides, she'd know if I was lying."
A frown settled on Alya's face but lifted as she studied him. "You'd only need to go on one date to make it the truth. Plus, it'd be easiest if you did so as your alter ego. Once it's done, you could at least gauge her reaction and see if there's any change in her feelings."
"I'm not one to play games with emotions. Honesty is important in our partnership. It's why I told her how I feel."
"And how'd that work out for you?"
Chat Noir's tail flicked angrily at his ankles and his kitty ears swivelled back. "I think that's obvious. Why are you rubbing it in?"
"All I'm saying is that it won't hurt to try another angle. People want what they can't have, case in point being your own desire for Ladybug."
A growl resonated from deep in Chat Noir's throat. "Are you saying that I only want her because she's forbidden fruit?"
Alya shook her head and cupped her forehead as she massaged her temples. "No, I'm just saying that you've tried the whole 'in your face' romancing. Perhaps it's time for a change in tactic."
That caught his interest and his cat ears rotated forward. "What are you proposing?"
"Be less available. Go out on the single date with someone else, prove that you're desirable to other girls and that you won't wait for her forever. Give Ladybug a wakeup call that she didn't know she needed."
Chat Noir sat back in the chair and considered Alya's idea. While it held many potential flaws, it wasn't an angle he'd considered before. To him, it had always been imperative to prove how faithful he was to his lady. But did that really matter when it wasn't important to her, because she didn't view him in that light? Against his better judgement, Chat Noir leant his elbows on his knees and cradled his jaw in his hands. "Alright, you've got my attention. Tell me what to do."
Adrien was sitting in class, giving the impression that he was concentrating hard on the teacher's words. In actual fact, he was mulling over Alya's suggestion to him as Chat Noir. While he was still uncertain, there was definite merit to her plan. The problem was, who should he take on a date?
Being in the front row of the classroom meant it wasn't easy for him to sneak looks at his classmates. Sure, it was simple enough to glance over to Chloe and Sabrina, but neither of them seemed like good choices. Chloe would get the wrong impression and think he was actually attracted to her. While Sabrina wouldn't do because Chloe was likely to crucify her so-called best friend if he even showed an inkling of interest.
Directly behind them sat Alex and Mylene. He had very little to do with Alex and wouldn't know where to even start in asking her on a date. Mylene was already in a relationship with Ivan, so that immediately ruled her out. At the back sat Juleka and Rose who seemed more interested in each other than the male population at the school.
That left the two girls sitting behind him, Marinette and Alya. The latter was immediately out of the question because she was dating his best friend. Not to mention she was far too close to his current endeavour as Chat Noir. The idea of asking Marinette out on a date has his cheeks warming. She was one of his best friends and he wondered how she'd respond to such a request. Should he be upfront and let her know it was only a test run, not an actual date?
The model sifted his fingers through his hair as he let out a shaky breath. She'd supported him on his date with Kagami. He supposed he could ask his fencing peer out again, but he didn't want to get her hopes up. The girl was formidable when she set her mind on something and he didn't want to be the object of her relentless focus. His heart began to pound and he licked his suddenly dry lips. Marinette was the obvious choice.
As the teacher turned to write something on the board, Adrien rotated his head slowly to glance sideways at Marinette. She was busy scribbling something down with her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth. There was something adorably sweet about that and a lopsided smile tugged at his lips.
Apparently, he was staring too long. Marinette's head lifted and blue eyes met with green. He caught the sharp intake of her breath and the way she sucked in her bottom lip as she gazed back. He could practically hear the pounding of her heart and he wondered for the millionth time what it was that made her so nervous around him. Maybe she wasn't the right girl to pick.
Swinging around in his seat. Adrien picked up his stylus and began taking down the notes written on the board. His bag was leaning on his thigh and he felt the vibration of his phone. With a deftness honed from years of practice in avoiding his father's wrath, the model opened his hand and Plagg deposited his phone into it. Glancing down he realised it was a reminder for that afternoon. He was meeting up with Marinette for the gaming session she'd invited him to. Perhaps it was a sign that his friend was indeed the perfect girl to ask out.
The gaming session has the potential to make Marinette a very happy girl, or a flustered mess. Which way do you think she'll go?
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