A/N : Hey guys,

Sorry for the hiatus period there. I know I'm like three weeks late (omg I'm really sorry QxQ) but all is good. Had a bit of a writer's block there since these characters really want to hash it out but Marinette's so shy and she really wanted to run away.

As a bonus, I'm adding a little playlist you can hear while reading this chapter. (Might be repeated later, I just love these songs, hehe)

JUMP - DROELOE, Nevve

Level Up- Ciara

Be Careful - Cardi B

Wait - NoMBe (Goes more with Adrien's POV, but meh)

Chapter 4 : Confusion

Marinette

Marinette's heart raced to an alarmingly fast pace. She wasn't sure how to respond in light to the new information. In fact, she felt like passing out. Perhaps even vomit. Better yet, both.

Her lips still tingled from the brief touch of their lips, and she questioned it so hard. His eyes softened as she continued to stare right into them. They were melting into her own and causing her body to explode with fire.

This was some next level shit.

And it was with….

No.

No, Marinette wanted to hide in a hole somewhere but she didn't have the option. Adrien looked at her now with full blown concern.

"I-I… Ineedtogo." she squeaked. But her body couldn't move for a solid minute.

Adrien reached for her in her moment of hesitation, "I… Sorry. Uhm," he rubbed the back of his neck nervously and then impaled her with his glance, "It was good talking with you. I'll text you later okay?"

Marinette visibly relaxed, and she sighed and smiled at him. Her head was still swimming, and she knew she needed her best friend. Right. Now.

Juleka called out to her again and both their heads snapped in her direction. Adrien bid her adieu, and walked away, with a mischievous smirk lurking under his lip.

"Wow, Marinette, what was that about?" She smiled at her, but Marinette could only make small parts of her face move.

"Ah… N-Nothing. H-He's a f-friend."

"No kidding. A very good friend, by the looks of it." She was teasing her. Was their relationship going to be a teasing kind? Was that level even possible right now? Juleka stared at her for a moment with a scientist's eye, keeping her smile.

"I guess I can understand. So that guy you were talking to, just now. You like him?"

Like an arrow in the center. Marinette's blush only deepened as all of her thoughts flooded her mind again.

Juleka laughed, "Oh Marinette. That's so cute. You should ask him out."

"N-NO! Oh my goodness Juleka, I can't possibly do that!"

"Take it from someone that waited a long time for the person they love. It might seem completely impossible now, but who knows. It might already be fate." She smiled at her and Marinette really didn't know how to take Juleka's advice. More like, if she should be taking her advice.

Marinette quickly pulled out her phone and texted Alya for further help. Alya quickly responded with a confirmation and a place that they could converge at. Marinette quickly agreed.

She turned back to Juleka, "Thank you, Juleka. I'll take your advice seriously. Are you going to be in Madam Bustier's Fashion History and Culture class?" She pointed to the classroom next to them.

"Yeah, actually I am. Why?"

Marinette waved her phone, "I have an emergency to attend to. May I copy off your notes later?"

"Sure, no problem." Juleka smiled again, pulling out her own phone and giving Marinette her number.

"Thank you so much Juleka. I officially owe you one." Marinette smiled, leaving Juleka and the campus behind her.

Adrien

Adrien felt as if his body was on fire. It wasn't just the sheer joy and excitement coursing through his blood, but also her reaction. Something about staring each other in the eyes made their connection that much stronger and he didn't know what to think about it. He wanted to delve into it, but he knew it wasn't the place. It surely as fuck wasn't the right time. But yet his body still burned deliciously.

He had just kissed Marinette, and he craved to do it again. Like a man craving water in the desert.

She had looked at him with her eyes ping-ponging through a slew of emotions that he couldn't tell what she was feeling deep down. But it was interesting. It was like they changed color with each emotion.

Adrien walked away from the campus in search of the perfect coffee shop for this afternoon. He had an hour to look for a place. They would still have lunch, right? Despite the supreme awkwardness of what had just happened. Actually, should he call it awkward? Or a gift from the Gods?

His mind started to wander into darker thoughts, and he could feel his mind unravel at the thought of kissing her, and seeing her skin flush. Her lips curl into a smile and form sweet sounds.

Oh god, WHAT AM I THINKING?! Adrien gasped, stopping mid-stride a couple of feet away from the entrance.

It was in that instant he turned to the front of the school, and saw a disheveled Marinette exit the building and get on a bus. His heart thumped painfully, as she ran inside, looking around as if she was escaping a prison compound. He was trying to put out the bitter feeling forming in his chest by saying she hadn't exclusively expressed that she'd not be able to…

Ding!

Adrien gasped, taking his phone out faster than his heart beat. He quickly opened the message thread between him and Marinette, which is where the new message came from.

Marinette: Hey Adrien! I hope it's not too soon, but I actually won't be able to make lunch, something came up with a friend. Rain check?

He sighed, slumping a little from the stress this girl was going to give him for sure. He quickly texted her back a response, praying that she wasn't too affected from the kiss. He might be able to reassure her if anything.

Adrien: No worries Marinette, I understand. Maybe tomorrow while you're in the office I can give you my notes.

Ding!

Marinette: Sounds like a plan. Thank you Adrien, I'll see you tomorrow then.

Adrien smiled, shaking his head knowing deep down what exactly was going to happen.

She was going to avoid him.

Marinette

"What do you think Alya? What do you think about that?" Marinette stressed, taking sips of her coffee and staring at Alya as if she were about to go crazy.

Alya sipped from her own cup, breathed out and looked at Marinette sharply, "So you really believe Adrien is Chat?"

Marinette nodded, looking at Alya suspiciously.

Alya sighed and crossed her legs, "I don't know Marinette, what other proof do you have that he is?"

Marinette thought for a second, "He made me feel the same way Chat did at the party. It was the same tingle Alya. I mean, you can't feel that way for two separate people right? Like, it's impossible. And then the color of his eyes. They were exceptionally bright. That same field-green of Chat's."

"Marinette, sweety, you do realize he's not the only guy in France with green eyes right? And yeah, it possible to feel that way about two separate guys, especially if you guys haven't even reached the intimacy stage. I mean, think about it. He's probably just your type. Tall, handsome, dangerous, and green-eyed."

"I'm sorry, dangerous? What makes Adrien dangerous?"

Alya chuckled, her eyes darkened, "He's your boss' son. Can you imagine how unbelievably fucking sexy dangerous that is? He could take you in his office if he wanted to."

"ALYA, I REALLY DON'T THINK THIS IS WHERE THE CONVERSATION SHOULD BE HEADING." Marinette blushed such a deep red, Alya thought her head would explode with how much extra blood had traveled to her head. Marinette didn't need to have that lurking in her brain when she went to the office tomorrow, especially. She might let him.

"Okay, okay. Sorry bestie. But you have to admit it's something to think about. Besides, didn't Chat have black hair?"

"DYED black hair. Alya, do you even listen to me?" Marinette felt exasperated with the conversation already and was beginning to think her best friend was creating doubt for fun.

"Right," Alya sighed, "Well okay. Let's think about that for a moment then. We don't know his true hair color, we only know that it's lighter than black, right? And like, much lighter, correct?"

Marinette nodded her head twice as Alya went along.

"Okay, I'll give it to you. Adrien might be Chat. But he can't be the sole candidate."

"Just who else Alya? Who else from Dupont had green eyes and light colored hair?"

"What if it was a joke, the whole light-colored hair? Cause I can tell you who else had green eyes in Dupont."

Marinette looked at her confused, and irritable at this point.

Alya tsked at her and proceeded to say, "Marc Anciel. He had the green eyes and the dark hair. How do we know maybe he wasn't your Chat?"

Marinette had completely forgotten about that classmate. Guilt attached itself to her heart as she realized that she had forgotten to pay mind to an old friend. Marc, her and Nathaniel were part of a project once, and she felt horrible forgetting about him, but she also knew deep down that it wasn't him.

"I don't know, Alya. It just doesn't seem to make sense like that. Besides, I'm not entirely sure Marc ever liked anyone besides …" It hit her in that moment. She remembered he had showed a lot of interest in her back then. She had played it off as him being nice, but if she thought about it could have been like a little crush. But then again he also really liked Nathaniel, as per how much they ended up hanging out afterwards.

Alya was not helping.

"You know what. I really don't think it's Marc. His are like radiation-green eyes and Adrien is more field-green. Know what I mean?"

"Hmmm," Alya sipped her coffee again, "Okay, I guess I can give you that. And Marc doesn't really scream dangerous, if you know what I mean."

"I have a feeling you just want to create doubt in me." Marinette groaned, taking a bite out of her coffee cake.

Alya chuckled and Marinette shot her a warning glare, "Relax bitch. I guess I sort of am, but you have to remember. You spent a solid week going crazy with who it could be, and not once did you mention Adrien. In fact, it's like the boy was literally the last person you could think of. You even guessed Nino, and his eyes are as hazel as my own. I'm just making sure you're not going to go bat-shit crazy again. Cause, you went bat-shit crazy."

Marinette rolled her eyes, and grind her teeth. Alya had a point, and she hated it. She had practically guessed every other student, regardless of eye color, and she had basically been unraveling.

"Look. I think you and Adrien can be super cute together. Maybe even a-fucking-dorable. But don't make him into Chat when he just clearly isn't. Forget Chat. Get to know Adrien. Don't get confused."

Marinette sighed, sipping her coffee again, "You're right Al. You're… you're absolutely right."

Adrien

Adrien arrived home from his day emotionally exhausted. He felt a little pain from knowing that tomorrow was going to a game between him and Marinette dancing around each other. He'd seen enough movies, talked to enough girls, and understood enough about human society to know that she was going to try and flip around him tomorrow. Heck. She didn't even wait till the next day.

He loathed to think that he had already lost his chance when it quite literally hasn't started.

He got up, and got dressed to work out in the gym his father had installed for him during his teen years. It at least served the purpose to relieve stress.

After two hours he left that space and decided to take a relaxing bath. It was like every minute he was only getting more and more nervous about seeing Mari again. She flooded his mind and he couldn't find the stop button.

He was in serious danger of becoming obsessed with her. Even that could be an understatement.

Ding!

Adrien jumped out of the tub so quickly he actually had the misfortune of slipping out roughly and hitting the ground hard. Groaning, he grabbed his towel from the rack and his phone along with it. He opened the message.

Nino: Hey man! Hope I'm not catching you at a bad time. Alya just let me know that they're doing a party this Saturday to celebrate the first week of college. Can you believe this woman? I swear I'm marrying her someday. Anyway, she wanted me to ask you if you'd be willing to come. Mari will be there.

Adrien smiled brightly, and thought, What better way to get to know her more than a dance or two?

He quickly replied yes, and confirmed time and location.

It was time Marinette got to know him as Adrien, and for Chat Noir to fade in the background.

I hope ya'll enjoyed it. Please leave feedback, I really welcome it. (Thank you for all the comments so far, you guys are awesome)

I promise to update earlier than three weeks.

Until next time!

~PurpleMoonMonster