Chapter Four
Adrien closed his eyes and counted to five. Was he that obvious? How on earth had Marinette picked up on him so quickly? A deep sigh escaped him. How could he explain this? No doubt he was sending mixed messages. Opening his green eyes, he cautiously turned the chair to face Marinette, her whole body tensed as their knees brushed together. Damn, he must have really upset her.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a lopsided smile as he tried to put her at ease. "There is one girl whose undivided attention I would like. But it's become pretty obvious to me that she doesn't think of me the same way. I guess, I was just hoping for an honest opinion." Adrien dropped his head to study the floor, propping his elbows on his thighs.
Marinette was quiet for a while. So long in fact, that the model raised his head to peer at her though his blonde bangs. Her knuckles were white as she held the hem of her jacket, running her thumbs absently along the stitching. "D-do I know this girl?"
A sense of déjà vu hit Adrien and a coy smile touched his lips. "It's not Kagami. We've already had that conversation."
His friend visibly relaxed and her blue eyes finally met his, however his chest constricted at the fragile hope in her eyes. But what was she hoping for? Marinette ducked her head and swallowed. Her respiration was rapid enough for him to notice the increased rise and fall of her chest. A chest he really shouldn't be looking at. The moment he met her eyes he realised she'd caught the direction of his gaze and he blushed.
To Adrien's surprise, Marinette asked another question, undeterred by his inappropriate glance. "What does she look like?"
Blonde eyebrows drew together as he considered his answer. He couldn't exactly say it was Ladybug. Marinette would probably laugh at him the way Nino and Alya did. Instead he found himself describing his lady, unaware of his fervent expression as he spoke. "She's got porcelain skin, a pert button nose and eyes as blue as the ocean on a calm day. She also has midnight hair she wears in twin pigtails and she's just the right height where I could rest my chin on her head if I hugged her."
Adrien was so lost in his description that he didn't notice the way Marinette's eyes lit up nor did he notice her manic smile. It was only when her warm hand came to rest on the knee that he was broken out of his reverie of Ladybug. Within seconds he realised how his description could be interpreted, given that he'd practically described the girl sitting opposite him.
Marinette's cheeks were flushed and when she shifted closer to him, he realised he needed to say something. He needed to clarify that he wasn't describing her. Yet as he sat there he mentally visualised her with Ladybug's mask and his heart began to pound. All those attributes were certainly held by Marinette too and for a maddening moment he wondered if she could be his lady.
As he continued to stare at her, he failed to notice she was closing the distance between them. Her blue eyes shone with an ardent flare he'd yearned to see from Ladybug. Impulse had him leaning towards her in return, but as her head cocked slightly to the side his brain registered what was about to happen and he snapped back. Adrien's swift retreat resulted in the aversion of his gaze, meaning he missed seeing Marinette with her lips puckered in eager anticipation.
It was only when she lost her balance to tumble headlong towards his lap with a wave of frantic arms that he discerned her new predicament. Reflex had him reaching out to catch her before she faceplanted on his crotch. Yet in typical Marinette fashion, the pair managed to bump heads. In unison they cried out, "Ouch!" Then their eyes met and they both let out an embarrassed laugh.
Adrien was considering himself foolish in even thinking there was a remote chance of Marinette being his lady. She wasn't exactly graceful like his partner. And as much as he hated to admit it, Marinette was a bit of a klutz. Still, there was something niggling at him that he couldn't ignore. Again, he began studying her for some sign he'd missed.
Marinette's cheeks remained flushed as she gazed at him in return. She cleared her throat and he sat back as she rasped, "So, can you tell me who it is?"
The model glanced away and rubbed at his nape nervously. "I, um…" His friend murmured something incoherent in response and he cocked an eyebrow. "Sorry, what was that?"
"Nothing," she said as she shook her head and threw him an overly bright smile.
She was certainly acting weird. Then a sneaking suspicion entered Adrien's head as his eyes roamed her walls. His own image looked back at him from many different places. Marinette claimed she was a fan but maybe, just maybe, she was attracted to him. Straightening in his chair, the model hadn't really considered it before. If she was into him it would be cruel to ask her on a date, yet he was oddly tempted to do just that. Maybe to prove there wasn't any real chemistry between them… or was there?
Confused, Adrien swivelled his chair to face the desk and picked up his controller. Marinette did the same and gave him an anxious smile as they began the game. They chose their respective characters and began as a team. Like always, Marinette manipulated her character with seamless ease while he was on the verge of thumping the keys into oblivion. As they won the first round he couldn't help but admire her prowess in the game. "Well done, Marinette."
She beamed at his praise and returned the compliment. As they began the next round, Adrien decided to try a little experiment. As he twisted the controller in his hands to launch an attack, he shifted his knee beneath the desk to gently nudge Marinette's. Her response was immediate, meaning her onscreen character took a hit she'd normally dodge.
Blonde eyebrows arose in shock. Surely her lapse wasn't due to his proximity. Adrien glanced at Marinette, who now had her elbows on the desk and wore a look of deep concentration as she stared at the screen.
Adrien mimicked her pose and made sure his elbow touched hers. The moment his skin brushed hers, he felt a zing he didn't know how to interpret. Apparently, Marinette had the same reaction as her character took some heavy damage.
"Sorry," he uttered, "I didn't mean to distract you."
A nervous giggle was her response and he noticed she didn't move away from him. Instead Marinette took her bottom lip between her teeth and fought with a determination that had him reeling. The berserker moves from her character allowed them to win by the minimalist of margins.
To say he was impressed was an understatement. "Great come back."
"Thanks, I usually save those move for harder levels."
As she ducked her head, the hair at her temples dropped forward and Adrien's attention was drawn to her earrings. Round earrings just like Ladybug's. And they were plain, just like his ring. Reaching out, he tucked her hair behind her ear and his pulse skyrocketed at the contact. His fingers remained curled at her hairline as he stared.
Marinette turned to face him and he relaxed his fingers, unintentionally stroking her cheek as she moved. Blue eyes locked onto green. Eyes so utterly familiar that he raised his opposite hand to cradled her face, becoming lost in her sapphire depths. Adrien's lips parted as he tried to speak, to ask the question he was longing to have answered. His lips quivered as he tried to say milady, "M-m-"
For once Marinette's voice was crisp and firm. "Yes."
At no point did Adrien consider that Marinette's name started with the same letter as milady. Instead his heart threatened to burst. As far as he was concerned, Marinette just confirmed she was Ladybug. Startling as that revolution was, the model craned his head towards hers while pulling her face closer with his hands. All distance between them vanished in a crescendo of lips brushing together and Adrien knew he was right. This had to be his lady because the mere touch of their mouths set him aflame.
It could be so easy from here, a sudden reveal and tada! It's all resolved, but nah. Where's the fun in that? See what complicated web is about to be weaved, next chapter.
Now then, the review box below told me it's lonely. Please write some words in it, as it will be much appreciated ;)
