Marinette stood in front of the mirror. she never cared about her appearance much, but Adrien has been on her mind lately, and she'd do anything for Adrien to say she looked amazing again.

The winter dance was coming up and Marinette was anxious. Though being only in their freshman year, she felt as if high school is almost over. she wore a chat noir sweater over her jeans with a light scarf loosely fitted around her neck. instead of her natural pigtails, she has her hair in a French braid, the remanding length over her shoulder. she never wore make up, so why should she now?

On her way to school, she spots Adriens car and her heart starts to beat faster.

she didn't get much sleep due to the incident with chat noir last night, she had many questions running through her head.

why was he under my bed?

why did he decide to visit me?

why did he leave so suddenly?

and why was he acting so strangely?

Before she knew it she was at school. Her friends, including Adrien, standing outside the school in an array of laughter.

She felt slightly left out, but brushed that thought aside as it was silly and irrelevant.

She looked down but the moment she looked up she swears she saw Adrien looking at her.

There was a slight pink growing on his cheeks, but she blamed it on the winter breezes and ignored the thought in the back of her head, telling her he was blushing.

She was still staring at Adrien, wearing a red flannel with skinny jeans on, and he looked amazing. wait..

she noticed something that almost made her heart leap with happiness and joy.

he was wearing the scarf she made for him a while back for his birthday, which he first had mistaken it as his fathers gift. he still doesn't know Marinette made it as a gift for him, for she didn't wanna ruin his happiness. it made her feel good he liked the scarf.

She was interrupted in her thoughts with a tap on her shoulder.

"Hey Mari,"

Alya looked at her with a casual smile.

"Do you wanna head in?"

She nodded and took one last glance at Adrian. He trailed behind us, Nino as his side. they were talking about something, that made adriens face turn red, and She desperately wanted to know. but she brushed off the nagging of her brain and enhanced in a conversation with Alya.

Classes went by, and she caught Adrien looking at her once or twice.

Sometimes she thought he thought she was pretty, other times she felt super insecure about what he might be thinking.

At the end of the day, she and Adrien talked a casual conversation and waved their goodbyes. but before Adrien headed down the steps, he turned to her with a smile.

"Hey.. uh. Mari, do you mind if I come over after school to work on the project?"

"Huh?"

there wasn't a project.

Adrien smirked and leaned closer to her ear.

which made her think of chat..

her thoughts were interrupted with a whisper in her ear.

"You know.. the chemistry one."

Marinette got his pun and blushed profusely.

"Y-yea of course."

This whisper sounded exactly like that from chat.

Mari blushed harder at the thought of Chat.

Why did she suddenly feel this way?

Adriens povvvv.

Realizing what he just did, Adrien was shocked at his own words. he walked toward his car with gorilla driving like usual. Nathalie noticed the astonished look on his face and asked how his day was.

All Adrien could say, was

"Amusing."

Nathalie hesitantly nodded and faced back toward her clipboard.

back in Adriens room, a million thoughts raced through his head.

Why'd he do that? He loves ladybug. Well.. at least he though he did..

"Snap out of it Adrien!"

he said it audibly, enough for plagg to come out of his coat pocket.

The kwami had his green eyes narrowed.

"Really Adrien? could you keep your thoughts to yourself?"

Adrien rolled his eyes at the kwamis ignorance.

"Sure."

He had enough courage to walk to Marinettes house, and straighten things out.

As Adrien walked into the bakery's door, he's greeted by her parents, Tom and Sabine. Sabine was a small figure,

while tom had a large frame.

but Adrien could see Marinette in both of them.

"Oh! you must be Adrien." Sabine welcomed him with a warm smile.

"Our Mari has talked about you a lot!"

he could feel a blush creeping up his neck.

but before it got there, he heard a door open.

He's guessing Mari heard her name mentioned, so she quickly stopped the conversation before it could continue.

"Okay mom!" She laughed nervously, grabbing his wrist. The blush that stopped at his neck Made his way to his cheeks. as he was holding her hand, he felt like they're hands were meant to be together.

He snapped himself out of it and let go of her hand as soon as he reached her bedroom.

Obviously he's been here before, just not As Adrien. He remembers the posters that were once on her wall, and turns to see they've disappeared.

maybe he was just imagining them.

Marinette looked at me with hope in her eyes.

"So about what you said earlier.."

Adriens eyes widened and he bit his lip, mentally preparing himself to tell Marinette the truth.

"Actual-"

Martinette cut him off, with her mouth slightly curved downward.

He could see the hope from her eyes vanish, almost as she already knew what was going on.

"Adrien.."

She only looked at me at this time, and I couldn't help but stare at her blue eyes.

"It's time I told you."

"Huh?"

Adrien was confused. A million of thoughts raced through his head.

"Adrien.. I-i-l-li-"

ring ring ring

Adrien sighed, as he watched Marinette direct her attention toward the ringing phone. "Hey Alya."

"what's wrong?"

Marinette paused with widened eyes.

"You know who the real chat noir is?"

Adrien gasped.

"who?"

...

"Alya?"

...

"Aly-"

"oh."

Marinette laughed, her cute genuine laugh.

i can't believe myself.. I love her.

I thought ladybug was the one for me.

Thinking about ladybug, and how many times she rejected him, he realized..

if Marinette loves me, why wait around for ladybug when she obviously isn't coming around.

Adriens thoughts were interuppted by Marinettes voice.

"He-he... my phone died."

She turned To him and smiled, but then realized what she was going to say to him.

Maris Pov.

Marinette was in such a good mood, until she decided to tell Adrien how she felt.

"Adrien."

She turned toward him swiftly, in a stiff pose.

"Adrien, I really li-"

She paused.

what about chat noir..

I realized..

I was in love with that stupid cat..

"Uhh. Mari?"

Lost in thought, she turns toward Adrien.. my crush.. my...

friend.

just.. a friend.

if Adrien didn't like me, then what's the point in liking him.

"Oh nothing, ha.. I really like.."

she looked around her room for something in place of the supermodels name.

"I really like.. Ladybugs!"

Really Marinette?

Realizing what she just said,

she turns to look at Adrien.

He musters an awkward smile .

"Me too."

Adriens Pov.

"I knew she was gonna say something."

He says to his kwami, as he got home later that night.

He then realized something.

Marinette acts so comfortable around chat.

"Plagg! Claws out!"

The confused kwami hesitated.

"Wai-!"

Chats Pov, (fp.)

Jumping on every rooftop, i reach the bakery.

I tap on her window.

I saw her turn toward it. she was wearing really short shorts..

snap out of it chat.

she had a huge smile on her face. she was happy to see me.

I felt warmth in my heart.

She opens the window and hugs me. I quickly return the movement.

she sits on her bed, patting the spot next to her.

I turn to her with a smirk.

"I missed you, kitty."