Concealment

Chapter Nine

Lunch with Friends

POV: Marinette

The note did it's job. Marinette was blushing a brilliant tomato red. Adrien wanting to talk with her? Maybe get to know her better… Maybe learn if she liked him? She could faint! But still… she couldn't come up with a single guy she could think of that might be Chat Noir…

Setting Chat Noir's identity aside for the time being Marinette did her best to focus on class – which failed miserably since all her brain could think of was lunch with Adrien.

This could be the start of the rest of our lives together, she thought dreamily as the minutes till lunch ticked away.

When the bell rang out, everyone rose from their tables and chatter began breaking out.

"Adrikins, eat lunch with me! Not them," Chloe voice turned from sugar to venom at the end of her statement.

"You know Chloe, maybe I'd want to hang out with you if you learned to be nice and respectful everyone else." Adrien said, a hard look in his eyes as he looked at Chloe. "You could have seriously hurt Marinette earlier. And I'm not sure I can be friends with someone as self-centered at you are." Adrien had turned to look at Marinette when he mentioned her.

Marinette could see the pain in his eyes as he told his first friend that their friendship was over. She couldn't say she was shocked by it though. Back when Kung Food appeared Adrien had told her off then also; just not so directly. Adrien turned to his three real friends.

"Lunch in the park guys? The sun is shining too brightly to ignore," the blond-haired model suggested.

"You know it dude! Let's go!" Nino shouted, grabbing his items in a hurry and headed towards the door.

Stumbling a little – because she is Marinette after all – Marinette gathered her bags and followed them out.

POV: Adrien

Adrien glanced at Marinette as he walked with them to the park. He wanted to offer to carry her bag but his own body needed rest too – and the offer might be a bit too out of the blue for her to handle yet. He couldn't say he wasn't disappointed that she had stuttered when he greeted her this morning; but she had lost her stutter when talking about Ladybug and Chat Noir. Hopefully with more conversations, she will lose her nervousness around me, he thought.

"Let's sit under the big oak here," Nino suggested, heading towards the tree in question.

"Oh… I was hoping to sit in the sun… It's such a nice day after all… It just makes me want to stretch out and soak up all the sunshine!" Adrien said.

"You sound like a cat," Alya burst out laughing at his statement.

Blushing a little Adrien had to admit his comment sounded weird but it was more for Marinette's benefit. He couldn't deny that he was hoping to help her figure out Chat's identity – or at least make her suspicious before he came out of the blue with the announcement. Whenever they could meet up again.

"Fine, you can sit in the sun, but I'm sitting in the shade," Nino said, plopping down at the edge of the tree's shadow.

Adrien was happy to drop his bag – his back and shoulders screaming – and he didn't fail to notice Marinette's wince as she set her own bag down. He was happy to notice that she chose to sit in the sun light with him. Alya took a spot beside Nino in the shade. Adrien couldn't lie, the sun did feel good on his aching muscles.

"Yeah! Lunch with Adrien!" Nino shouted to the sky as he pulled out a homemade lunch. Alya giggled and gave Marinette a knowing look. This caused Adrien to glance at Marinette which made the girl blush. Have I always had this effect on her? How did I not notice it before? Was it maybe the concealment or was I just blind? Adrien smiled at her, making her blush even more.

The four settled into their lunches, idle gossip starting up about classmates, parents and the latest akuma battle. As the lunch time passed Adrien watched Marinette as closely as he dared and he couldn't help but wonder how he ever missed Marinette's Ladybug qualities. Looks aside – because that was just too painful to think about – everything about her – when she got talking – was Ladybug.

She spoke with confidence – until she looked at Adrien.

She pointed out details they had missed – particularly about Chat Noir.

She even started groaning after Adrien's third cat pun. (He internally fist pumped 'YES!') – if anything screamed Ladybug it was her groaning at a pun!

They talked about the akuma from the day before, about Ivan and Mylene as a couple – reminiscing about the first akuma attack, about Mylene's akumatized form and Ladybugs band singing 'Smelly wolf'. Adrien succeeded at making Marinette turn redder then her suit when he complimented Ladybug's voice.

"How do you know that Adrien?" Alya asked. "You were in a goo pod."

"Huh? Oh, we could still hear you all; not perfectly but from what I could tell it was good…" he said nervously. "Right Marinette?"

The girl in red flushed even worse but nodded absently, Adrien laughed.

"I bet Chat can't sing – he only yowls," Adrien punned. It succeeded in breaking Marinette out of her state of shock, even if only to have her lips thin in distaste.

"Dude, what's with the cat puns!" Nino said laughing. He proceeded to punch Adrien on the arm. Unfortunately, Adrien was not prepared for the hit, and what was meant to be a friendly hit had him trying and unable to stifle a gasp of pain, which ended in a groan as he clasped the offended area with his hand.

"Ow…," he mumbled, eyes shut as the pain subsided.

"Wow dude, sorry, are you hurt or something?" Nino asked.

"Just a bit sore… this last fencing competition was a bit too demanding yesterday…," he fabricated.

"Sad, sorry dude. If I'd have known…," Nino said, a worried and apologetic look on his face.

"No worries, I should have mentioned it. I'll recover in a few days," Adrien mentioned, turning away from Nino to give Marinette a smile. If the girl suspected anything he couldn't tell. Surely, she out of any of them would know he did not have fencing yesterday… (with her calendar and all) but she simply looked worried before she blushed and turned away as she caught his gaze.

In the distance, the bell signaling the end of the lunch hour sounded which made Nino groaned. "Over already," he sighed.

"How bout we come back after school? I had Natalie reschedule my photoshoot because of the fencing competition," and my scratched-up nails… Adrien finished to himself.

"Yea dude! You girls game?" Nino asked. Alya agreed right away.

"We'll be there, right Marinette?" Alya smiled smugly at her.

Turning red she glanced at Adrien, who gave her an encouraging smile.

"Yea… yea of course," she stuttered.

"Great!" Adrien said. He slowly and stiffly climbed to his feet. Smiling he held a hand out to Marinette. He watched her hesitate a moment before grasping his hand and allowing him to pull her up.

"Th-thanks…" she stuttered.

She took her bag from him after he had also picked it up from the ground. It was the best he could do, he reasoned, still wishing he could help her out more. Even still, it made her blush and he saw Alya giving her a sly smirk. This made Adrien smile.

He would absolutely be having lunch with them more often.

A/N: sorry for the ten day wait, I didn't realize it had been so long. Well the Hy-Vee cake competition is over for me so now I'm free and can relax! :)

Only three chapters left after this! Wow! In the home stretch. I do want to write more after this, maybe a Danny Phantom or something would be fun :)

I have an infusion on Monday which means three hours stuck in a chair with an IV and internet! Maybe that means chapter ten? hm... :) Until next time, bye bye!

And please feel free to leave a review! They keep me smiling!

8/17/17