Alya, Rose, Juleka, Alix, and Mylène are having a girl's night at Marinette's, and the topic of conversation eventually turns to boys.
[From: Phineas and Ferb]
In hindsight, she really should have seen it coming.
When Marinette first invited Alya for a girl's night, it was supposed to be only the two of them. Then Alix butted in and more or less invited herself. Rose overheard and asked if she and Juleka would come as well. Then, because Marinette couldn't find it in her heart to leave the timid girl out, asked Mylène if she wanted to join them. They avoided asking or even talking to Chloé and Sabrina about it for very obvious reasons.
When she got home after school, she notified her parents and her mother got to work on ordering pizzas for them all while her father set to work on making macarons and cookies.
She made sure Tikki was well supplied with enough chocolate chip cookies under her bed as she took down her Adrien shrine since she didn't want to be interrogated in her own room.
Alya arrived first with her night bag and toiletries. She was giggling about some song Jagged Stone had released based on his experiences as Guitar Villain, something Marinette was keen to listen to soon.
Juleka and Rose arrived together, the former giving a small smile and wave to her parents and the latter talking excitedly and asking if it was okay that her perfume was masking the scent of the cookies.
Mylène arrived next, her hair, for once, free from the bandanna but still in its dreadlocks. It made her hair look fuller and a little wild. Alix got there a second after she did, for once without her cap and still in her rollerblades.
Once they ate the pizza, they ate cookies as they talked. They talked about Marinette's designs, about school, about how much they all hate Chloé, about Ladybug and Cat Noir. And soon, they were all talking about–"
"Boys!" Alix cried out in exasperation. "They just have to make a competition out of everything!"
"I know what you mean," Alya agreed. "I mean, Kim is a prime example, obviously. Max is a serious gamer. Even quiet Nathanaël was a little harsh when he was akumatised."
"Didn't you think Chloé was Ladybug and tried to 'unmask' her when you were Lady Wifi?" Mylène pointed out.
"Well, we all know who's the least competitive out of anyone in our class," Rose put in. "Adrien!"
"She's right," Juleka agreed in a small voice. "Adrien's really humble, but I think he's too nice to refuse a competition against someone."
"Let me tell you all a story, little ones," Marinette said, sitting up from her position against her bed that Alya was lying on her stomach on. "Remember when Cat Noir had to protect me against the Evillustrator? He was all competitive too! He even called me 'Princess' and kissed my hand."
Alix gave a short cackle. "Oh man, that's a hilarious!"
Alya was quiet for a moment before she said, "Say, Marinette what are your thoughts on Adrien?"
Marinette felt her face heat up. "U-um, what?"
Rose lit up. "Oh yes, Marinette, do tell us! Are you and Adrien officially a couple yet?"
"W-wait, I don't–"
"Of course they aren't!" Alix rebuked. "They'd be snogging each other senseless in the mornings if they were."
Marinette frowned. "I-I don't understand. What are you guys talking about?"
Alya elbowed her best friend's shoulder. "We're talking about your crush on Adrien! Girl, you need to at least ask him to the movies!"
"Don't you remember the last time I tried that?" Marinette bemoaned.
"Ooh, I think I smell something juicy!" Alix said. "Please, do tel us more, Alya!"
Alya went to open her mouth, but not before Marinette clapped her hand over it. This sent the blogger into a fit of giggles. She wasn't the only one; the rest of the girls caught on that something happened, and whatever it was, Marinette was embarrassed by it. It couldn't have been rejection, otherwise she'd be in a depressed state. No, it was more along the lines of she tried to and couldn't get the words out.
So, the same old thing, then.
"Can we talk about something else, now?" Marinette squeaked.
Juleka gave a small chuckle. "You really need to ask Adrien out. It's so obvious you're into him."
"Really obvious," Alix agreed. "It's painful to watch. Cringe worthy. It makes me want to put you two in a closet to sort yourselves out. Dark Cupid's arrows wouldn't stop you."
"Are you done?" Marinette pleaded.
The skater only smirked. "For now."
"Am I really that obvious?"
["Jump Right to It"]
"Girl, you really need to just ask him out," Alya said, standing from the bed. "It's painful to watch! You better jump right to it, tell that boy how you feel. Just get out there and do it, it's not such a big deal."
"You've been waitin' all school year, now it's time to reveal!" Rose joined in, following Alta's giddy movements. "You better jump, jump, jump right to it!"
"You've gotta step right up, you know he thinks that you're cute," Alya put in, if Marinette's clothes and designs were any indicator. "C'mon and bounce right up. Get off your patoot. This isn't the time to be shy, coy, or cute. You better jump, jump, jump right to it!"
"Why you waiting, Marinette, huh?" Juleka put in, giving a small grin at the designer's reddening face. "Why hesitating? He could be your fella. It's been your predilection to move in the direction. Away from the romantic and into the semantic. So it makes us somewhat frantic."
Alix put an arm around Marinette's neck, poking her shoulder in a teasing manner. "Go on and get it, 'cause you're a real catch. Hold your head high, you're both the great match."
Mylène offered a sheepish smile. "All school year long, you sing the same tired song. You better jump, jump, jump right to it!"
"You better jump, jump, jump right to it!" Alya lay on the bed again, using her arms to hug Marinette from behind, her chin placed on the crook of her neck. "Don't you get it, girl? All you need is a leap of faith!"
"That's easy for you to say," Marinette argued. "All you and Nino had to do was get pushed into a panther cage by Ladybug. That was pretty rude of her, though, wasn't it?" She tried to sound nonchalant as she said this.
"Maybe, but that's not what we're talking about. We're talking you and your obsession with Adrien."
Marinette sputtered. "What—I—that's... It's not an obsession!"
Alya raised an eyebrow. "Girl, you literally have his schedule above you." To prove her point, she pulled on the cord of the map that listed all of Adrien's meetings, weekly photo shoots, and fencing and Chinese lessons after school.
"Oo-ooh!" both Rose and Alix teased, giggling at Marinette's tomato-red face.
"It's just like Ladybug told Ivan," Mylène said, taking pity in all of the teasing. "There's nothing wrong with telling someone you love them."
"Ladybug said that?" Juleka said with a look of surprise on her usually tranquil face.
Mylène nodded. "Oh yes! She said that to him after he became Stoneheart the first time."
"See?" Alya said, waving her hand for emphasis. "All you need to do is tell him! Ask him to the movies, for a smoothie, video-games, Chinese tutoring, anything! Just jump for it!"
"I-I don't know..." Marinette said uncertainly. "Look, can we talk about something else now?"
"Oh, alright," Alix relented. "Don't think we're dropping the subject!"
The conversation diverted until late in the night. The weekend was the next day and they all decided to go and see a new movie, just the girls, the next afternoon. They all slept on the floor of Marinette's room, Rose taking the bed since she found it difficult to sleep without a soft place to rest her body on.
Marinette was the only one awake at one in the morning, thinking hard. She was interrupted when she saw a lie of green orbs looking into her window. She sat up and the green orbs disappeared from view. Was that...?
She quietly made her way over to the stairs leading to the balcony, opening the hatch and letting the cool air of Paris hit her. "What are you doing here?" she said in a quiet whisper.
"Couldn't sleep," Cat Noir said, perched like a cat on the railing. "So I decided to go on a patrol. I was nearby and decided to check out if everyone was asleep."
"By peeking into their bedroom?" she accused.
He only shrugged. "I'd never peek at anyone, I'm too much of a gentlecat for that."
Marinette rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure you are."
Cat Noir only smiled before he frowned. "What are doing up, Princess?"
She shook her head. "Ah, it's nothing. I'm just having a sleep over with some of the girls from my school and we were talking about... stuff."
He moved from the railings to sit by Marinette by the hatch, where she rested her elbow on. "What about?"
Marinette looked at him and sighed. "There's this boy," she said, "that I've had this huge crush on for a while. They tried to talk me into asking him out, but I can't even speak to him without sounding like an idiot."
Cat Noir hummed as he talked his chin with his claw. "Purr-haps you should think of him as any other person, just as an everyday guy."
Marinette chuckled. "Are you giving me dating advice?"
"Well, Princess, a cat of my caliber can only strive to reach for the best. Why do you think I tail so much after Ladybug?"
She felt herself heat up a little at that. "But you don't know who she really is."
"So?" Cat Noir said, shrugging. "She's a person who wants to help everyone with or without the mask, I know that at least. She can be clumsier than you, but I don't care. And don't tell anyone this, but I've actually been thinking about revealing myself to her."
"Wh-what?" Marinette looked up. "Why?"
"Because I want to show her the real me," he said. "I have little control over my own nine lives, and being Cat Noir gives me a sense of freedom. And if she doesn't want to tell me who she is, I'm not gonna fur-ce her. But enough about me. Who's this guy? He'd had to be a complete idiot to not see you like him, all that stuttering must make it obvious."
"Yeah, no kidding," Marinette agreed. "But Adrien remains oblivious. And I'm too chicken to talk to him."
"A-Adrien? Adrien Agreste?"
She only smiled. "Yeah, I figured you might have heard about him. He's a famous model and all, but he's so much more. He's sweet, he's handsome, he's smart. But I don't know, he probably doesn't even like me like that."
"W-well... he might." Cat Noir cleared his throat before he continued. "I mean, what's not to like? You make clothes, and that bowler hat he had a while back was made by you, wasn't it? You bake, and your clumsiness is kinda... cute?"
Marinette giggled. "Oh kitty, that's sweet of you to say. But I don't know."
"How about this then?" Cat Noir turned to look at her blue eyes. "You're going to see him again at your school on Monday, aren't you? Promise me you'll ask him out then, no hesitations! Ask him to a movie, I hear he likes movies."
"Are you kidding me?" Marinette looked at him. "Didn't you hear the part where I said I speak like an idiot in front of him?"
Cat Noir winked. "Just ask, Princess. I think you'll be surprised." He stood up. "And as much as I'd like to stay, I'm feline a little tired, so I'd better get home. Keep your promise?"
She sighed. "How can I reject the request of a superhero no matter how odd he is?"
"Meow-ch, Princess! You're absolutely clawful, you know that?"
Marinette stood and smiled into her hand. "And yet I'm not the one peeking into people's bedroom." She stood on her toes and placed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, kitty cat. I'll ask Adrien out on Monday. I will. I promise!"
Cat Noir only smiled. Looking forward to it, he thought to himself. "Until next time, Princess." He gave a deep bow that made Marinette giggle again before he vaulted over and away from the bakery. Once he was a safe distance, he looked back in the direction he came from and smiled. "Looking forward to it," he said out loud to himself this time.
ImperialOtaku: I've listened to your requested song and I'm sorry to say I can't think of a way to incorporate it into my fanfic. I still hope you stay to read and listen to the songs I've already selected in advance!
FicsFromAnAnbiNin: They're supposed to be a series of oneshots, but upon going over my drafts I've discovered that some of them actually can fit in the same timeline. But over all, no, it's not a big story, just ordinary and unordinary moments fit into song.
Special thanks to DragonShana, Scarlet guard101, ShadedRose82, and Temboi for favoriting/following for story, as well as the reviews mentioned above for leaving praise and request(s).
Word Count: 2738
~Corona Crown~
