BlackLynx17: I'm sick right now and it sucks, so badly. I can't myself able to do anything but lay down in bed and be lazy. I don't even know how I'm updating this right now, but I saw the latest episode of Lady Bug and got the inspiration to do it. Hope you enjoy; wink.


Scratching The Surface.

Chapter 4.


"Marinette get a hold of yourself! Adrien's waiting for you right now! What are you thinking?" Tiki asks.

"I don't know, I'm feeling sick. I don't think I can go." Marinette mumbles holding onto her stomach.

"You've done harder things than this, saving the town from Hawk Moth, helping your parents out at the bakery, facing Chloe every day, taking finals and tests! You can do this Marinette, just remember what Alya said to think of this as."

Marinette takes a small breath and sighs out, "think of this like a dream."

"Come on, he's waiting. Let's go before he thinks you've stood him up."

"Oh no! How long have I been in here?!" She screams running out of the bathroom.

Tiki slips back into her bag as she runs, wishing her friend good luck on this date. Marinette runs down the stairs and nearly trips, but catches herself right at the last step. She hears a snort and turns her head, seeing Adrien, her Adrien, with his head down and a hand covering his mouth.

"Nice entrance," he chuckles.

Marinette turns red from head to toe and straightens herself out. This is a dream, this is a dream, she mumbles to herself.

"Hi Adrien! I hope I didn't keep you waiting long," she asks him.

"Not at all, I was getting a bit worried though. How was class?"

A dream, this is all simply a dream. Marinette takes a deep breath and sighs out, standing up straight. Adrien blinks at her change of attitude around her. For the first time in... ever he thinks she seems calm around him. He wonders how long that is going to last.

"It was peaceful. We had a free period so I just sketched a couple of outfits for my journal."

"That's cool; I hope all that drawing made you hungry."

"Yeah, I'm famished. You really don't have to do this for me though."

WHAT IS SHE SAYING RIGHT NOW?! IS SHE TRYING TO DITCH HER FIRST OFFICIAL DATE WITH ADRIEN?! Marinette turns red and waves her hands in front of her.

"What I mean to say is that if you're forcing yourself, you shouldn't be! Like I said earlier, I wasn't expecting anything back for you! I'm not saying you owe me one! I just- I just- I know how busy you are-"

"Marinette, it's alright. You're probably worrying about my work or after school classes, but please you don't have to. I am completely free today and I became free because I wanted to take you out."

Yeah, this has to be a dream, because Adrien has never been this straight forward with her like this... ever.

"Okay," she whispers lightly completely calmly.

Adrien smiles and nods his head, "good. So I have the car waiting for us ready to take you wherever you want to eat if you have a preference, if you don't though I can choose something."

Marinette thinks about it for a minute. Every date she's ever had with Adrien in her dreams has been at the Eiffel Tower, usually involving a ring and fireworks with classical music playing in the background. She's even done research around that area at restaurants looking for the perfect one she'd want to be proposed to. Since this is a dream it should be alright to name one of those, that sane voice inside of her though reminds her softly that this might actually be a reality and keeps her from saying it out loud and pushes another idea in her mind instead.

"Yeah, I have some place in mind."

"Great, I was worrying a bit that I'd take you to someplace you wouldn't like."

"I'd like any place you'd take me to Adrien," she responds back like second nature.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" She squeaks covering her mouth.

Adrien chuckles, "you're funny Marinette. Are you ready to go?"

She doesn't trust herself to not say something stupid, so instead she nods her head and follows after him to the long white limo waiting in front of their school. Out the corner she notices Alya giving her a thumbs up and she grins weakly back before tripping at the last step.

"Wha-"

"Whoa, watch it there." Adrien says catching her arm.

Marinette looks up and sees his green eyes staring wide at her, so bright and clear. She sees an image of someone else, someone wearing all black with green eyes just like those staring at her filled with so much- no, she doesn't have time to think about it.

"I guess I can also add clumsy to funny as well, you okay?" Adrien asks picking her up.

"Yeah, thanks Adrien."

"Not a problem, after you first," he acts like a gentlemen holding the door open.

Marinette blushes brightly and slides in; the minute the door closes for those few seconds it takes Adrien to walk around the car she squeals to herself and fist pumps the air. Adrien touched her! Not only touched, but caught her and picked her back up! He even held the door open for her! The second she hears him opening the door she is calm again, blush still on face as she fastens her seat belt.

"You can give Hank up there our directions." Adrien says.

"Hank?" Marinette repeats looking forward.

She sees the window that is normally closed in limos between the driver and passenger all the way down, this driver called Hank holding a hand over his mouth; Marinette notices his shoulders moving like crazy and completely turns red from head to toe, nearly screaming out in embarrassment and frustration from acting like that in front of someone.

If this were a dream it is turning out to be a nightmare right now.


"Wow, I've never heard of this place." Adrien says tilting his head at the sign.

Marinette plays with her fingers, "I'm sorry, if you want to go someplace else-"

"No, no! This is my treat to you and honestly I'm curious about this place. I've never been before. Hank, you can come back in an hour to pick us up. Thanks for the lift," Adrien says to the window.

Their chance at changing their destination leaves along with the limo leaving the young couple standing in the middle of the sidewalk, a great view of the Effie Tower behind them. Marinette gulps and takes the first steps in, heading over to the door. Adrien quickly follows after her and holds the door open, nodding his head at her thanks. His eyes wander around taking in the place as Marinette orders them a table, wanting to do a little happy dance to herself when their waiter seats them right at the front window in perfect view of the tower.

"This place is really nice and cozy; what is it known for?" Adrien asks looking over at Marinette.

She chokes on her water a little and wipes her mouth off with a napkin, trying to act like she hadn't just done that, "the bread and cheese. There food is good here, but this place is more known for their bakery goods; their cheesy buns is the one thing that always has me coming back."

"Cheesy buns? Sounds... cheesy," Adrien chuckles at his own joke, "doesn't your family own a bakery?"

"Yeah, that's right!" Marinette cheers for him; he knows she has a bakery, he knows a little about her. It's both exciting and... horrible. "Please don't tell my parents I go here! I mean, they don't mind me going to other bakeries, but if they heard me saying that I prefer these cheese buns to theirs it'll break my father's heart."

"Don't worry Marinette, your secret is safe with me." He winks.

Her heart flutters, "thanks Adrien."

He's completely at a lost when their waiter comes back with the menu, this place completely out of his usual places. He leaves all the decision making to Marinette, not being able to decide on anything for himself, repeating her order of cheesy buns and grape soda.

"You know you can order a lot more than that; I wasn't kidding about treating you." Adrien tells her.

"If I order anything else it'll all go to waste. Trust me on this Adrien, after eating two you'll be so stuffed you'll hardly be able to move."

"Really? Nino took me to this one pizza joint once and we ordered a- a triple decker meaty stuffed with extra cheese? I don't know what it was, but after a single slice I was ready to pass out honestly. I couldn't believe how he ate three pieces and still had room for more."

He's laughing right across from her, smiling and talking, telling her stories, and all she can do is stare at his beautiful face and think... this is all a dream. This has to be all a dream because Adrien never did these things, he never did any of these things with her. It wasn't because he didn't like her though, no Marinette knew they were passing by friends, but more because... she never... she never took the step forward to make them more than that. She never made that first move and here he is, making that first move for her. He's talking to her, expecting her to talk back, expecting them to have a friendly date together. She can't blow this, she shouldn't blow this. Talk to him Marinette, talk to him.

"Really? That sounds delicious! Maybe we should all go together one day, you, me, Alya, and Nino." Marinette suggests.

"Yeah, that sounds like a fun day. On my next day off I'll see what everyone else is doing."

Go Marinette, go Marinette! GO MARINETTE!

"Um, would you like my number? So when you find out your day off I can make sure I have nothing going on that day. I can also give you Alya's number as well! Not just mine!"

"Sure, I don't think I have your number." Adrien says digging in his bag.

He spies Plagg lying in there staring up at him.

"Adrien, I'm hungry," he mumbles.

"What was that Adrien?" Marinette asks looking at him.

"Nothing! I'm hungry," he laughs covering up Plagg mouth.

He pulls out his phone and closes his bag again, pulling up a new contact list.

"What is it?"

It worked! It worked! Marinette tries not to stutter as she repeats her number, smiling warmly at the text he sends her even though she already, secretly, has his number. Still, owning it with his permission actually gives her a reason to text him out of the blue now without him wondering how she has his number.

"Thanks, I got it." Marinette smiles.

"Good, Marinette. I never new how much of a mouthful your name was until I spelled it, hahaha, hopefully correctly."

"Mouthful?" Marinette repeats, her heart falling.

"No- I mean, a mouthful, but it's very pretty. Marinette, it's a beautiful name!"

Marinette blushes brightly from head to toe while Adrien clears his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. There's an awkward silence between the two of them which their waiter saves by bringing over their food; a steamy plate of cheesy buns and two cups filled with soda.

"Does grape soda actually taste like grapes?" Adrien asks lifting up the glass.

"You've never drank it before?" She asks taking a sip of her own.

"Soda isn't really allowed in a model's diet, but every now and then I'll have a can. Can't say I've ever tasted grape though."

"It's my favorite, so I hope you'll like it." Marinette smiles at him.

Her blue eyes are hypnotic, but for the wrong reasons. They remind him of her, but honestly there's a different. Marinette's eyes are more bright and clear, a lighter blue like the sky; Lady Bug's are more dark and mysterious, a night sky. Both eyes are beautiful, he should stop trying to compare the two of them. He's been lucky that nothing has ever happened where the two of them would have to fight off akumas, but his luck is sure to wear out soon. Hopefully this peace can continue on though. Adrien needs to focus more on his real life than his secret one, more on his real friends and family.

"Hmm, wow, this is good." Adrien hums after taking a sip.

"Hehehe, I'm glad you like it. Now be prepared to have your taste buds blown away! It's a bit hot, so be careful on the first bite." Marinette says pushing the plate over to him.

Adrien wiggles his fingers and picks one of them up, feeling Plagg move around in his bag. He must be smelling the cheese right now. He'll sneak him one when she isn't looking, but for now he takes a bite and moans out pulling it away, a cheesy strand following out. Marinette resists the urge so hard not to take his picture right now, her phone in hand ready to do so. Instead she tries to always remember this picture in her mind, of Adrien's cute face.

"Oh my God, I can't believe how good this is." He moans.

"Yes! Two for two, I'm happy you like it. I was worried that you wouldn't." Marinette giggles.

"Yeah, I can't believe this place. Best cheese bun I've ever tasted." Adrien agrees slipping the bun underneath the table.

He stuffs it in his bag while Marinette reaches for one herself, watching her face light up into a warm smile as she takes that first bite. It's... that smile on her face is surprising. She licks her lips and wipes her mouth off with a napkin, giggling as she stares back at him.

"Wow, you ate that quickly. Did you not eat anything at all today?"

"Huh? Oh- yeah, no I didn't. It's also because these things are so good I can't help but eat it that fast."

"Well there's plenty of them, go ahead and have your fill."

"I should be saying that to you Marinette; I'm suppose to be treating you after all."

"Oh no! You don't have to! I mean, I brought money-"

"Hahaha, the whole point of me inviting you out Marinette is so that I could re-PAY you back for yesterday. I can't have you buy."

"I wasn't thinking about paying the full meal, just split the check in half."

"Out of the question. Just let me do this Marinette, and if you're so against it, next time we go out together we'll split the check. Alright?"

"There's going to be a second date?"

This whole day she's been mumbling, but for the first time Adrien hears her clearly. He spat out his drink back into his cup and starts coughing like crazy, hitting his chest. Marinette's eyes widen realizing her mistake and shakes her head.

"I didn't mean- I didn't- I wasn't- I- I- I-" she didn't know what to say.

A date. She said a date. A date right now. She thinks this is a date, isn't this a date? He did ask her out, he is paying for her, they are here alone together right in front of the most romantic view in the city. All the signs point for this being a date, Adrien isn't that naive, but he just... this whole time thought this was just a friendly outing. It is a friendly outing, he's just repaying her. Calling this a date would mean he's over Lady Bug and... and... isn't that what he wants to do? Wants to be? Over her? Over Lady Bug? He hardly knows anything about Marinette though and he's never been interested in before... because he was interested in Lady Bug. Now that that dreams been shot down and burned to the ground does that give him permission to recover?

She is beautiful and sweet, a little awkward and weird, but at least that means she's different from the rest. He's thinking about this too fast, he just got rejected, but he doesn't have to completely push it out of his mind.

"Oh," Marinette groans dropping her head on the table.

"Hey, Marinette?"

She blinks and lifts her head back up.

"Um... I'll think about it." He tells her, because honestly he is going to be thinking about it.

"I rather you forget it," she says before she drowns in embarrassment.

Adrien chuckles, "alright, I'll forget it. Have another cheesy bun."

He's so nice, so very, very nice. I love you Adrien, she wishes she can say to him. I love you, I love you, I love you. She repeats it over in her mind again and again hoping he can hear her. Adrien just smiles though and starts talking about something else, never mentioning her love confession.