Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 12: Setting the Table
Tikki looked on with amusement as Marinette darted back and forth across her bedroom, making sure that every detail was just right for her Monday morning walk to school.
"You know, he's not going to be able to see half of the work you're doing," giggled Tikki, watching Marinette fix her hair and compare two bottles of foundation. "It's cold enough today that you're both going to be bundled up under your winter gear."
"I know, I know!" muttered Marinette, performing some quick touch-up work. "I don't even want to know what static electricity will do to my hair today. That's one reason that I wear it pulled back! But we'll be inside after that, and I'll be right next to him for a few hours..."
She stared at her reflection, weighing whether she liked what she saw, then sighed. "I'm not trying way too hard, am I, Tikki? I mean, this is mostly just my everyday look, not a prom dress or something fancy... but I seem to have his attention now, and I'd like to keep it."
"I'm teasing you, Marinette. Relax," Tikki smiled. "You look just fine. And I think a bomb could go off next to Adrien while he's walking with you today and he wouldn't even blink. The only distraction that might pull his eyes away would be Ladybug appearing, and somehow I think that won't happen unless you want it to."
"Yeah, I think Ladybug gets the day off unless an Akuma shows up," replied Marinette, happily. "After what he said to me last night, today's all about me."
She paused. "And I think I'm even believing it," she added.
Tom watched with a wide smile as his small talk with Adrien stopped abruptly, once Adrien heard light footsteps coming down the stairs from the main household; his eyes locked there with anticipation.
Young man, you are HOOKED, thought Tom, wryly. About time, too.
"Good morning, Marinette!" Tom called as she emerged, her grin widening at the sight of who was with him.
"Good morning, Dad," said Marinette, coming over for a quick hug. "Hello, Adrien!"
"Hello there," Adrien replied. "You look very nice today, Marinette!"
"You can tell under all this?" she quipped, gesturing to her heavy white winter coat and matching hat.
"Well, I can certainly guess the rest," Adrien answered her. "I like that coat; very stylish! Looks like Italian lines. Can I ask where you got it from?"
"This? My grandmother got it for me, this past Christmas. I don't know where she got it from, exactly," Marinette said. "But I had the hat already, and they seemed like a very good match for this kind of weather."
"I'm glad that you two don't have far to walk," Tom noted. "I can hear that wind whipping out there and just the sound is giving me chills. By the way, did I hear right that you might be joining us for supper tomorrow night, Adrien?"
"If you'll have me, I'd love to," he replied, a little bashfully.
"Then I have work to do in the kitchen," Tom grinned. "What's your favorite fruit flavor? Do you have a favorite dessert?"
"Um... I have a weakness for passionfruit, but that's not the easiest to find," Adrien mused. "Other than that, I'm easy to please; apple, cherry, raspberry, lemon, peach... I can't imagine that anything you could make wouldn't be delicious, Mr. Dupain."
"Don't go too far, Dad. I don't think dinner for four calls for a full croquembouche," Marinette added, lightly.
"What's a croquembouche?" asked Adrien.
"A tower of pastries that's half a meter high, that's what it is," she grinned at him, then turned back towards her father. "At least that. Something simple but delicious, okay?"
"Half a meter? Hmmph. My record was more than double that... but I'll behave, I promise," Tom laughed, watching the kids head towards the door together.
As they approached the door, Marinette asked Adrien, "Could you tie my scarf for me, please?"
"Certainly," beamed Adrien.
Tom watched as Adrien came in close and began looping it over and under, then under and over. Crafty, Marinette! he thought. That's one way to get him face-to-face. I bet he wishes he'd thought of leaving his own scarf undone!
As the pair trudged out into the cold morning, Marinette admired Adrien's handiwork. "I'm impressed that you knew this particular scarf knot, Adrien! It's more of a girl thing."
"When your family business is fashion, you pick up things along the way that you never thought you'd need to know," he chuckled.
"I like yours, too," noted Marinette, seeing something pale blue and very familiar wrapped around Adrien's neck. "That scarf really suits you."
"Thank you!" Adrien replied, brightly. "It's my favorite, actually. My father had someone make it for me for my birthday last year."
"Make it?" she asked, innocently. "It's not store-bought?"
"Definitely not. There were no tags on it, and the knitting is hand-done, by someone who knows exactly what they're doing," explained Adrien. "I really wish that I knew who or where it came from, so that I could commission a few more in other colors! Though, the more I think about it, this baby blue goes with so many outfits that one will certainly do for now. It's nice and warm, but not so much that I'm roasting while I have it on inside..."
He looked over at Marinette and got a sudden look of concern on his face. "Oh, Marinette, let's get you out of this cold! This freezing wind has your face bright red," he said to her, wrapping his arm around her and hustling the two of them towards the school.
I should tell him, thought Marinette in the lobby, watching Adrien looking at her curiously. I should tell him. I _need_ to tell him. That was the scarf I made him for his birthday last year, and I forgot to sign the gift, and then somehow the signed Post-It I attached to it afterwards disappeared!
But...
He was so happy when he thought it was a gift from his father, she told herself. That's why I didn't tell him then; it was so nice to see him happy about _anything_ involving his father. This whole thing between us recently started because Adrien's father was mistreating him, and they're just now starting to get back on the same page! If I tell him now, that could start bad feelings between them again, and...
No. I just can't, even now! He's happy with who he thinks that it was from, and that's what matters. I can tell him sometime that maybe I can make one _like_ it...
"Are you okay, Marinette?" asked Adrien, jarring her out of her pondering. "You got very quiet all of a sudden."
"Oh! Oh, yes, I'm fine, Adrien. Thank you for asking," she smiled. "I was just... um... lost in thought for a second there. Brrrrrr! Let's get away from the front door!"
Once further inside, they paused for a few moments before separating to go to their respective lockers.
"So, um, about what we talked about last night..." Adrien began, as they unzipped their coats and began de-layering.
"...Yeah?" asked Marinette, her face snapping to attention towards his.
"Did I visit your dreams last night?" he asked her, trying to keep an innocent expression on his face.
Hmmm, thought Marinette. I could answer honestly, or I could deny it, or I could just die right here.
"Maaaaaaybe," she replied, with a big enough grin to signal her real answer.
"Good. That way, we match," he grinned, with his own face reddening.
"Really?" Marinette asked, wide-eyed, then returned his grin with increasing confidence after thinking about it for a second. "And just what was I doing in them, Adrien?"
"I asked you first," Adrien answered.
"No, you didn't! You asked me if you were in my dreams, and I answered that. I was the first one to ask for more details," she giggled.
"Hmmm. This could be a problem. A gentleman's not supposed to kiss and tell..." pondered Adrien, overdramatically.
"He is when the lady wants to know what she did!" protested Marinette. "Or should I assume the worst of a teenage boy's imagination?"
"Nothing that you couldn't tell your parents about," Adrien insisted, then added, "...Someday," with a sly smile.
"Well!" exclaimed Marinette with mock outrage. "Maybe I shouldn't leave you alone at night!"
"Maybe you shouldn't," said Adrien. "But can I ask you something before you pronounce final judgment?"
"And that is?" she said.
"What was I doing in your dreams?"
Marinette stared at Adrien nervously, Adrien stared back... and then they both broke up laughing.
"We're hopeless, aren't we?" asked Marinette, still laughing.
"Uh-huh," Adrien agreed, as the two of them calmed back down.
When she met his gaze again, her facial expression was soft and her eyes were shining. "We're really going to try this, aren't we?" she asked him, in a quiet voice.
In response, his right hand slipped into her left, holding it gently. Hers clasped his, without her even thinking about it. "I really think that we need to," he replied, "and I know that I want to. The whole ride, remember?"
"The whole ride," Marinette agreed, softly. "Good."
People were walking around them steadily by this point, including several classmates, which they completely failed to notice. They didn't register a wide-eyed Alya being tugged along by Nino, Kim giving an approving nod and a low "...All RIGHT!" as he walked by, and Chloé clearly mouthing What the HECK is going on here? despite Sabrina's best efforts to distract her.
The first bell let them know that time was running short to get to class, shaking them back a bit closer to reality. "You know, Ladybug did tell me one thing that I hadn't shared with you yet..." Adrien added, a little nervously.
"Oh?" Marinette asked, genuinely curious.
"She said that you might be an amazing kisser, and that it was up to me if I wanted to try and find that out," Adrien purred. "Now, if I may submit certain dreams as evidence..."
"Do I even want to know about those dreams?" asked Marinette, her free hand on her hip.
"You did just a minute ago, if I recall correctly..."
"All right, you got me there," Marinette laughed. "But how would Ladybug know if I'm a good kisser? I'm pretty sure that I'd remember it if I'd ever kissed her. That hasn't happened."
"That... is a good question. She said it more like 'maybe she is,' not 'I know she is,'" wondered Adrien, wide-eyed at the concept. "Is there something she knows that I don't know yet?"
"Let me put it this way, Adrien," said Marinette, leaning in noticeably closer, her voice becoming a little bit huskier. "You got a free sample that day at the picnic. Did you like that one?"
"D-definitely!" stammered Adrien, watching Marinette's mischievous expression carefully. "But I was too surprised when it happened to fully process it."
"Well, then, if you play your cards right... I know something that you don't yet," she continued, reaching out with her free hand and placing it over his shoulder.
"What's that?" Adrien asked, not much above a whisper.
"When you'll find that out."
Marinette turned, with a giggle, and headed for her locker. "We've only got a minute or two before we'll be late, so we'd better hurry!" she called to Adrien.
Adrien was still nowhere near capable of movement. She said 'when'... not 'if!', he realized. "When will that be?" he called back.
"Oh, you'll know," she winked, and was gone.
Ms. Bustier greeted the class as usual, setting up her lesson plan and belongings while noting the undercurrent running through the students. Rumblings in the peanut gallery, she thought, and everyone seems to be looking towards Marinette and Adrien? How very _unusual_ lately. She smiled to herself, amused, as she allowed the class a moment to settle.
Adrien and Nino engaged in light conversation, while Marinette found herself with Alya focused completely on her. "What?" Marinette whispered, lightly.
"What do you mean, what? I know what I saw this morning! You and Adrien-"
"Keep your voice down, he's right there!" chided Marinette, trying not to draw Ms. Bustier's attention.
"You and Adrien," Alya whispered more quietly, "standing in the hallway, holding hands, making eyes at each other, I thought you were going to kiss him right then and there! Were you? Did you?"
"Sure, I did. You were there, that day at the picnic!" Marinette reminded her.
"You're killing me here," Alya whimpered. "This morning!"
"Don't be silly, Alya. The picnic wasn't this morning," giggled Marinette.
She relented once she saw that Alya was trying to glare a hole through her forehead. "Alya, I promise you, there haven't been any big changes since I talked with you yesterday! Adrien and I like each other. We're going to figure out just how much, and take our time doing it," she whispered. "Can we talk about it over lunch?"
"Do you think that you could avoid that?" grinned Alya.
"I'm not trying to, Alya," Marinette assured her. "But class is about to start..."
More than that has started, Marinette, Alya thought to herself. She looked down at Nino and Adrien, talking amongst themselves with occasional glances up at her and Marinette. A quick look around showed about three-quarters of the class watching Adrien and Marinette without trying to be too obvious about it. All this about 'we're playing wait-and-see' and 'we're still figuring things out...'
I think everybody knows that it's happening but them!
Lunchtime arrived, and as Marinette expected, she faced a set of eager faces as soon as she sat down with her tray.
"We are soooooooo ready for your good news!" began Juleka, with one hand holding Rose down onto her chair. "What happened? We saw you two this morning..."
"Looking awfully cozy together," grinned Alix. "After he walked you to school again today. It's looking like somebody had a big weekend... or cracked the code as to how to get romantic in detention."
"Oh, that's right!" Marinette realized. "None of you were around when we got out of detention on Friday."
"Correct," smiled Mylène. "And none of us got the kind of breathless update we would've expected if Adrien had left you breathless... but that was not just a friendly hallway meeting this morning, either! So..."
"And since even her loyal partner-in-crime didn't get any kind of update until yesterday..." Alya added, with mock indignation. "Spill, already!"
"I didn't shout it from the rooftops because we're still figuring a lot of it out," Marinette replied. "But..."
She left a pause in the air until she suspected pouncing was imminent, then giggled, "...someone asked me out on a date!"
A round of cheers filled the air around the table, to which Marinette motioned caution. "Time out! We're not a couple yet, officially. We're going on some dates to see how well it works... if it's meant to be."
"If, she says," said Alix, rolling her eyes. "I've seen how he's been looking at you. Did you kiss him yet?"
"Only back at the picnic," admitted Marinette. "We talked on the phone this weekend, but we didn't get together again until this morning."
"All right, back up! I don't want to miss any of this!" squealed Rose. "Start with what happened in detention!"
"Okay. Well, first, I had my notepads out and ready..."
The girls absorbed Marinette's story excitedly, though a little disappointed that the two of them were taking things at a measured pace.
"So... yes, there's another girl. But do not bug Adrien about her, all right? She's not someone in our class, or even our school, so there will be no covert operations exposing her identity. Right?" declared Marinette.
"I hear you, I hear you," muttered Alya, good-naturedly.
"Seriously. Whoever you're thinking of, it's not her. It's not Kagami, the fencer girl, either," she added, stopping Juleka in mid-thought before she could vocalize it. "And I'm not going to obsess over who she is..."
"Do you know who she is?" asked Rose.
"I do. He's asked me not to say, and I'm respecting that," Marinette replied. Which is the best way I have of defusing _that_ question, she thought. "And I'm not going to obsess over her, because I don't want to become one of those girls who gets jealous of every other girl he knows. He's going to have close friends who are girls if we do get serious. I'll still be one of those if he gets serious with her, or with someone completely different."
"I think that's a smart approach," Mylène said. "It's not all-or-nothing. You've wanted to be closer to him emotionally, and now you are and you don't want to risk that."
"Exactly," smiled Marinette. "And I think that I can win his heart without making it into some kind of full-blown competition."
"I still say," retorted Alix, her eyes gleaming with mischief, "that you could kiss Adrien one time - one kiss full on the lips, throwing everything you feel into it - and he would melt like an ice cream cone."
Marinette's response was cut short by a voice behind her. "While the jury's still out on that," he said, "it might be an interesting experiment."
To her credit, the "Eeep!" that Marinette emitted was both brief and as much of a laugh as a shriek.
Without turning around, Marinette quipped, "Just for the record, I've never kissed Alix, so she is completely guessing what that would be like."
That got a hearty laugh from the table as she turned to face Adrien. "Hello, stranger," she beamed in his direction. "What can I do for you?"
Adrien held back the impulse to say "Test out that kissing theory." Instead, he gestured to the empty table space next to Marinette. "Is this seat taken?" he asked, pleasantly.
Marinette blinked, then nudged the chair out with her foot. "It is now," she smiled. "This is a pleasant surprise. The guys didn't kick you out, did they? Or were your ears burning just now?"
"No, and maybe?" Adrien replied. "People seem awfully curious about you and I lately, for some odd reason."
"Funny, isn't it?" agreed Marinette. "I was just telling them all about how detention on Friday went, and how I'll have a dinner guest tomorrow night, and you'll have one on Thursday. If that invitation is still open, of course..."
"Of course it is!" said Adrien, very quickly, with a genuine smile on his face. "I know we were going to talk about that this morning, but we got sidetracked onto... um..."
"...Other topics?" answered Marinette, and then both started laughing.
Seeing the raised eyebrows around the table, Marinette continued, "And I was just telling them that you and I aren't exclusive yet, and that we're still figuring things out. So no one is to pressure you about anything, or follow you around with a cameraphone trying to figure out who any other girl in your life may or may not be, or anything like that."
"Jeez! I heard you the first time!" Alya exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "It's like I have a reputation, or something."
"I really hope that it does work out," Rose blurted out, her enthusiasm taking over. "You two would be so good together, and Marinette has been... uh..."
"Marinette has been a lot of things... I understand that so much better now. And she's made a huge difference in my life lately! Whatever we decide together, I'm really happy how much closer we've become."
Adrien leaned over and rested his head against Marinette's shoulder, just for a moment. Marinette closed her eyes, drinking it in with a huge smile, as their audience tried not to gape in astonishment and delight.
"So. Who else had an interesting weekend?" breathed Marinette, reopening her eyes.
"Oh, hey! There you are," said another voice. Nino appeared on the other side of the table, taking the empty seat across from Adrien and next to Alya. "Are we sitting over here?" he asked.
"It's a free country," smiled Alya. "Not hanging out with the boys today?"
"Ehh, Kim's trying to break his record for how many baby carrots he can keep in his mouth at once. I know better than to watch what happens next," Nino explained. "Plus, the scenery is so much better over here."
"Good answer," Alya smirked.
"You two aren't the only ones playing Musical Chairs today, by the way," noted Mylène. "Don't look behind you, Adrien, but Chloé's changed seats at least four times trying to get a better look at what's going on over here."
"Hmmph!" chuckled Adrien, without turning. "She'll get over it."
The lunch period continued with lots of chatter, more than a little shared laughter, and one young woman in particular feeling gloriously happy.
A couple of hours later, Marinette strolled through the front door of the bakery with a broad smile. Her mother was watching over the store, waving to her as she entered.
"Hi there! Everything still good with your honey?" she called over to Marinette.
"Absolutely!" Marinette grinned back. "I just walked him to his car again; he said that he had some things he had to get done this afternoon, and that we'd talk later. And did I mention just how perfectly his hand fits in mine?"
"Somehow I hadn't expected any problems there," Sabine laughed. "Before I run to the store later, any last-minute requests for what I should make tomorrow night?"
"He keeps saying 'anything is fine, whatever you would normally eat if I wasn't there,'" Marinette replied. "He doesn't want us to make a fuss over him. Though he should know me better than to think that I ever won't."
"You were devoted to him before he noticed you. I can only imagine what you'll be like now that he has," grinned Sabine. "That sounds good to me, though; I'll run over there in a little while and see what looks good to make. I have a couple of ideas already. Go see what your father's putting together for dessert!"
"Uh-oh," Marinette giggled. "It'll fit through the door, right?"
"I told him not to let his enthusiasm run away with him too much. I think you'll like it, and so will Adrien."
Marinette stepped into the kitchen at the rear of the bakery, walking over and kissing her father lightly on the cheek. "Hi, Daddy," she grinned. "I hear that you've got something that I should see?"
"Voila," Tom gestured, displaying his handiwork through the glass door of a refrigerated case.
"Ooooh! Is that what I think it is?" cooed Marinette.
"Uh-huh. Right flavor, too. I'm still fiddling with the top layer."
"That looks perfect," she beamed. "Thank you so much!"
"My pleasure. I only get to cater my daughter's first supper date once," he replied.
After piano practice and supper, Plagg watched Adrien carefully. Something seemed... just a little off.
"Hey," he called, flying over to where Adrien was stretched out on his bed. "For someone who has an adorable new almost-girlfriend who's clearly ga-ga over him, you've looked happier."
"Oh, no complaints there," replied Adrien, staring up at his ceiling. "I just have a bunch of things on my mind right now. Doing some thinking."
"Let me guess," smirked Plagg. "A red-and-black thing?"
"She's part of it," allowed Adrien. "I'm kind of focused on Marinette right now, but I'm sure not going to just forget the other night! But Ladybug's kind of on my mental back burner for the moment."
"So what's bugging you more, then? Anything that I can help with?"
Adrien gave Plagg a you-asked-for-it smile. "The other thing wears black, with a tail and a little golden bell."
"Come again?" Plagg asked, looking confused.
"If I'm going to get serious with Marinette... there's a Chat Noir-shaped elephant in the room. I need to think about this before I take the plunge," Adrien continued. "Whether I should tell her that I'm Chat. Whether I can tell her. How to tell her. How to keep her safe if I do. How to keep her guessing if I don't. And how to not screw up the friendship I have with Marinette either way!"
Plagg stared back, blankly, his head buzzing. "Oh. Those things."
"Any bright ideas, buddy-of-mine?" asked Adrien, evenly.
Oh, I've got a few, thought Plagg, but they're not the kinds of ideas in my head that'll make this easier. Like how the girl you're talking about has her own secret identity, and she's romancing you in THAT, too! And how she's secretly the girl you've been in love with for months, but you don't know that. And how she doesn't know you're the guy she's been turning down all those months. And how the two of you are going to need new pants once the secrets come out!
And what is Master FU going to do when he finds out?
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking. This might be above my pay grade," muttered Plagg. "You're right, it's complicated."
"I know that I'm supposed to keep things secret, but is that more of an absolute rule or a really good idea most of the time?" Adrien asked. "Even Superman had his Lois Lane eventually. You've met Marinette enough times; do you think that she's trustworthy?"
"Trusting Marinette, I'm not worried about; she's a gem, but that's beside the point. We've had identity disclosures over the centuries... sometimes it worked out okay. Sometimes it really didn't," worried Plagg.
"How about this, then?" Adrien ventured. "I'm not going to tell her yet... but I think that someone else she trusts ought to talk with her about the concept, at least. You up for a little trip tonight?"
"Is there cheese in the fridge when we get back?"
"Of course there is," Adrien assured him. "Claws out!"
In the early evening, Marinette sat at her desk in her room, idly browsing on the Internet...
*TH-BMMP!*
Well, THERE'S a sound I hadn't heard in a while! she thought, looking up hopefully. "Chat, is that you?" she called quietly, as she ascended the ladder to her bed and opened the hatch to her balcony.
"I hope so, I'm wearing his underwear," a familiar voice quipped.
"Hey! Long time no see!" beamed Marinette. "Get in here before you freeze, you!"
The blonde hero descended down into Marinette's room, and was a little surprised to be wrapped up immediately in a friendly hug... but not complaining.
"Hey, yourself! I'm sorry that I haven't been around lately... I've been dealing with some things on the home front, we haven't had a lot of Akumas lately, and it's kind of cold out to go patrolling the city... most of the crooks and villains know enough to stay inside when it's like this," Chat apologized.
"Unlike you, obviously," Marinette giggled. "You've been doing okay?"
"Pretty good. Very good in some ways, actually," he smiled. "And look at you... you look fantastic! You're positively glowing, Marinette, and I have a hunch as to why."
"Oh?" she asked, a little surprised. "Who have you been talking to, Ladybug?"
"No, but you're not too far off. The last time I talked with Ladybug, she asked me to keep an eye on a guy we both know, Adrien Agreste. So I checked on him a couple of times, and from what he's told me..."
Chat grinned from ear to ear as Marinette turned scarlet. "And from what your blush is telling me, he's telling the truth," he chuckled. "I think I finally know who your Mystery Crush has been all this time!"
"Yeah... it's true," Marinette admitted, still glowing. "Adrien's always been the one. And things have been going really well lately with him!"
"It sure sounded like it. And if it does go places, he's one lucky guy."
Marinette melted in mid-thought. "No, I'm the lucky one... But that is so sweet of you to say," she managed. After a moment of thought, she frowned slightly. "Did Adrien... tell you who else he's been hanging out with lately?"
Chat's smile was reassuring. "He did. And I'm fine with that."
"You're sure?" asked Marinette, with visible concern. "I know how deep your feelings run that way."
"If Adrien ends up dating Ladybug... I'm okay with that, I really am. I know that Ladybug cares for me, but she doesn't want to date me, and I want her to be happy," said Chat, sitting down cross-legged on the floor across from Marinette's chair.
"What if... Chat, I don't mean to pry, and you don't have to answer this. But if I end up dating Adrien, that means that Ladybug won't be. What would you do then?" wondered Marinette. This could get complicated in a hurry, now that I'm thinking about it!
Again, Chat surprised her with a calm and easygoing response. "Still be her partner, and leave it at that?" he replied. "I can keep pushing and pushing, but I've gotten the idea that she really doesn't care for that. So I'll be me, and she'll be her, and if she ever does decide that I'm date material, I'll let her make that move."
And since Adrien would be off the market, that means that Chat would be, too... but you wouldn't know that!
He grinned, shyly. "Besides... I might be seeing someone else very soon."
Marinette's jaw dropped. "Really?" she bubbled. "That's wonderful, Chat! I'm so happy for you. With your mask on or off?"
"Off, actually," Chat replied. I need to be careful with this, obviously... but I definitely could use her opinions on this.
"Is she anyone that I would know? Or can you not tell me that?" asked Marinette, excitedly. "Oh, I just want to pry every detail out of you, but I know that I can't!"
"You might know her... but I can't say for sure," he said. "Can I ask you something that kind of ties into that?"
"Sure. I'm always here for you," Marinette said, listening carefully.
He paused, considering his phrasing before continuing. "This girl is... not one of the other heroes. She's not Ladybug, obviously. I mean, I don't know who Ladybug is unmasked, but... nah, I think that's a pretty safe assumption," Chat noted. "I'm also very sure that she's not Rena Rouge, and as for Queen Bee..."
"Yurgh!" Marinette replied, sticking her tongue out with a disgusted expression. "I know you better than that."
"Right. She's a normal person, outside of all this hero craziness I'm involved in. So here's my question... should I tell this new girl that I'm secretly Chat Noir?"
He noted her wide-eyed expression. "Let me explain where I'm coming from. I don't want to, like, just blurt it out... there aren't many secrets bigger than this one. But if I get serious with her, I'll have to explain away a lot of disappearances, I'll want to keep her safe from harm, I'll need to balance both of my relationships with her..."
"You know her as yourself and as Chat Noir?" asked Marinette.
"I do," he replied.
"That could be quite the juggling act," mused Marinette. A very familiar juggling act.
"It wouldn't be easy... but it might be necessary. Or it might be easier to have one confidant I can trust and who can help me cover for things," argued Chat. "I'm still wrapping my head around this. So, Marinette... If you were dating someone who had this kind of secret, would you want him to tell you?"
"Oh, wow," Marinette answered him, looking a little overwhelmed. "You don't start with the easy questions, do you?"
"I know, it's a complicated situation. But you might be the most honest and clear-thinking person I know, Marinette. What's your gut reaction?"
My gut reaction is that I REALLY NEED TO THINK THIS THROUGH, she thought, because I'm in the EXACT SAME SITUATION!
"Well... okay, let me talk this out with you and see if we can figure it out," managed Marinette. "I know that you've told me that Ladybug really doesn't want to know your secret or have you know hers. But this isn't Ladybug you're talking about, it's some other girl."
"Right. So there are still reasons to keep my secret... but it's not as dangerous as if Ladybug and I knew each other's identities," Chat agreed.
"This new girl, she's someone that you feel like you can trust completely? It's not just infatuation talking?" Marinette wondered, pointedly.
"I can promise you that," said Chat, in a voice with no uncertainty behind it. "This is someone that I've known for some time now, and these feelings kind of snuck up on me when I wasn't expecting them. But the girl in question, if we do go through with this... I'd trust her with my life if I had to."
Marinette stared at him, reading his body language and expression... He's dead serious, she thought. This must be some special girl, especially if she nudged _Ladybug_ out of his romantic cross-hairs!
"Hmmm. The person, or people, or whoever gave you that Miraculous must have an opinion on this. What do they think?" asked Marinette.
"My... mentor, I guess you could say? I haven't asked yet," admitted Chat. "I'm debating whether or not I should. Maybe I'm afraid of what I'd hear! I have another... friend who's related to my Miraculous, and he's not sure yet either. He can see pluses and minuses on both sides."
"This is a tough one," she pondered. "It's smart that you're taking it this seriously. I'd like to think that in a strong relationship, both sides can share anything... but that's an awfully big responsibility, too. I know that you don't just share it with anyone, or you'd have blurted it out to me a long time ago. Or you'd have left a trail of clues that a blind girl could follow."
"Hey!" he protested, as Marinette broke into giggles.
Chat got a funny look on his face. "I will say this, Marinette... if I was going to trust anyone else with my secret, you're the first one I'd want to tell. I've come close to doing it a few times."
"Wait, what?" Marinette said, reacting with surprise.
"You're brave. You're honest. You're my best friend besides Ladybug with my mask on. I feel like I could trust you with anything, Marinette," Chat smiled, with warm eyes. "But, like you said, it would be a huge responsibility and I wouldn't just drop that on you."
"Let's... just keep you masked for now around me, okay?" Marinette stammered. "I am... really touched by what you just said! I'm being completely honest about that. But let me give some thought as to whether I'm ready for that! As far as your new girlfriend goes, though..."
Chat looked thoughtful. "The more I think about it, I'll hold back for now. It's a pretty heavy secret. Maybe I will talk with my mentor first, or with Ladybug."
That gives me my answer for now, he thought. If she wants to know, she'll ask. Though if I do get involved with Marinette, that's going to make hanging out with her as Chat a lot more interesting! he chuckled to himself.
Or I could see if she'd want to date me as Chat, too!
...Nah. How crazy could THAT get really fast?
The conversation went on for another half-hour before Chat said that he needed to head home.
"All right, Chat. But don't stay away so long this time!" Marinette insisted, hugging him again. "I worry about you out there, you know, and not just because of supervillains! There's a sweet boy under that mask, and I'm so glad to know him. And I know that you and your new girl will be exactly what each other needs."
"You don't know how lucky I feel to know you, Marinette," Chat replied, more sincerely than she could imagine. "That means so much to me."
"You ought to set up an anonymous email, or a burner phone, or something like that so that I can reach you when you're not around," suggested Marinette. "That way, if you're tied up with things or just want to talk, you can use that."
"That's actually a really good idea," mused Chat. "I've heard that Ladybug has something like that. I'll let you know if I do, okay?"
"I'll be watching," she grinned.
Once Chat climbed back up and shut the balcony hatch, Marinette slumped down on her bed, new worries buzzing in her brain. Wow, she thought. I am really happy for Chat; he's such a sweetheart, and he deserves some girl with whom he can share all of himself and be truly happy.
Some days, a little part of me wishes that girl could be me. But it can't, for so many reasons.
Now to do some thinking about how to handle my other identity with Adrien...
Tikki popped out of hiding, ready if Marinette needed advice on that particular topic. For the moment, Marinette kept her thoughts private. It's not like we hadn't just talked about identity things, Tikki thought. I'll be here if she needs me.
If things work out tonight... _could_ I tell Adrien? wondered Marinette. Chat made some good points about the pros and the cons, and it's not like I haven't weighed some of those myself.
Of course, there's the added complication that I've _already_ been romancing him both ways, she smiled. If I do tell him, would he react with relief that the two girls he's into are actually one? Or would he be horrified that I didn't tell him before now? Or some of each?
She peeked over at Tikki, who gave her a noncommittal smile from across the room. Tikki would _freak_ if I told him, I'll bet, she reasoned. I don't want to chance anything that might stop me from being Ladybug.
But... would it? pondered Marinette. Tikki's said repeatedly that I shouldn't share my identity, but if someone found it out by accident, or if someone I trusted completely shared that secret... that wouldn't be the end of the world, would it? Wouldn't it be nice to have a confidant, someone else that I can lean on as Ladybug?
It _would_ be one more opportunity for it to leak out to the world at large, and put me, my friends, or my family in danger. I don't like that thought at all, she frowned. My instinct all along has been to keep it secret, and that's worked for me. I could continue being Adrien's good friend as Ladybug and leave it at that.
I'll give it some more thought, she concluded. Wishful thinking aside, I think I still have some time to figure this out before decisions get made. Neither of us seems to be in a hurry to dive into the deep end.
Monday night rolled into Tuesday morning, with Marinette's new normal routine - And could I have ever imagined walking with Adrien and holding his hand every morning would become _routine_?, she giggled to herself - continuing as usual.
On the way out of Ms. Bustier's class, when their schedules diverged, Marinette stopped Adrien for a moment. "Do you need to stop at home before you come over tonight?" she asked.
"I can walk over with you and spend the afternoon, if that's all right," Adrien said. "I texted the Gorilla to let him know that I had that in mind, and he can pick me up afterwards. Does that work for you?"
"Absolutely," beamed Marinette. "I was hoping you'd say that! I can give you the grand tour of the bakery, then just hang out until supper's ready. I could throw in a movie, or there's a new online co-op mode for Mecha Strike V Turbo Edition; we could team up and destroy all comers..."
"Or you could destroy all comers while I hang on for dear life," laughed Adrien. "If you're anywhere near as good at Mecha Strike V as you are at III, they'd need to play ten-on-two instead of two-on-two just to make it fair."
"Oh, I'm still learning some different characters in this new version. You might even stand a chance against me," smiled Marinette, feigning innocence. "Maybe a few one-on-one games with some stakes attached?"
"The phrase 'sucker bet' comes to mind," Adrien replied, making Marinette giggle in response. He leaned forward and hugged her before turning to head to his next class...
"Am I hallucinating?" a shrill voice exclaimed.
The pair turned to see Chloé staring at them, hand on her hip and a disgusted expression on her face. "I mean, seriously, Adriekins, it's sweet of you to be charitable to our unfortunates sometimes... but what in the world do you call that?" she sneered.
Marinette glared at her, genuinely offended. She was about to snap back at Chloé when Adrien beat her to it.
"It's called a 'hug,' Chloé. You give them to people whom you genuinely care for. So I'm not too surprised that you haven't heard of it."
"I know what a hug is, Adrien!" she snapped, watching Marinette suppress a loud laugh. "I'm trying to figure out the why."
Adrien didn't skip a beat. "Mostly because I was working up the nerve to do this," he explained.
He leaned forward... and Marinette felt a soft peck on her left cheek. Her eyes went huge, and it took every bit of will she could summon to keep from dropping the notebook in her hands.
"I'll see you tonight, okay, Marinette?" Adrien told Marinette, loud enough for Chloé to hear... and shot Marinette a knowing wink.
"You sure will," she managed, giving Adrien a little hand-squeeze as he turned and headed down the hallway to his next class.
Marinette blinked twice, then looked over at Chloé, who was frozen in place with her jaw hanging down. A sudden, firm hand against Marinette's lower back steadied her own shaky legs.
"We've got History next, right?" said Alya's voice, from just behind her.
"Y-yeah, we do. Let's go," smiled Marinette, and the pair headed down an adjacent hallway.
About twenty steps later, out of Chloé's earshot, Alya giggled, "You won that round."
"You think?" Marinette managed. "That just happened, right?"
"Witnesses and everything," agreed Alya. "I think Chloé will be frozen in place like that until someone has her bronzed."
As Marinette settled into her seat in her History class, her phone buzzed with an incoming text. Quickly, she snuck a peek at it...
[Adrien] Just checking. Is it all right that I just did that? I figured that you'd enjoy the look on her face, but...
With a big grin, she replied:
[Marinette] Maybe? Come over here and do it again so I can be sure.
Right before the teacher started his lesson and Marinette had to silence her phone and put it away, she saw Adrien's response:
[Adrien] Be careful what you wish for... ;)
Marinette left her last class with a tingle running all through her. This is it! she thought, heading for the front door at a rapid pace, just short of actual running.
"Not excited or anything, are you?" giggled Tikki, from within Marinette's purse.
"Just a bit!" she whispered back, feeling giddy.
Marinette took a seat off to the side of the steps and waited as patiently as she could manage. She waved to her girlfriends as they passed by; Rose mouthed "Good luck!" at her as she passed by, and Mylène gave her a thumbs-up and said "You've got this!"
A third voice chimed in...
"I have no idea what you told Adrien earlier to make him act like that," snarled Chloé, with Sabrina standing behind her looking as if she'd rather be anywhere else just then. "He has been acting really strangely this last week. I hope you don't think that he'll be into you once he gets back to normal!"
Marinette sighed, "Chloé... we're really not going to do this right now, are we? Preferably, not at all?"
"Oh, we don't have to have a fight or anything, because we both know the truth," Chloé smirked. "Whatever you've got him thinking right now, he's meant for bigger things than someone like you could ever give him. His father knows it, I know it, and he knows it."
Chloé stared down at Marinette, expecting her to either cry or snap back angrily. Instead... she looked on, puzzled, as Marinette began laughing steadily. "Oh, you think I'm wrong?" Chloé demanded.
"Chloé, there are a million things that you don't know," Marinette smiled back. "But there's one thing in particular that you don't know, and that means that you just can't spoil my mood."
"And that is?" challenged Chloé.
"What he's wanting."
Marinette turned to her right, her smile unchanged, and asked, "What do you think, Adrien?"
Chloé turned in his direction, a bit startled by his presence, and by his glaring at her unhappily. "Okay... so he heard me say that," she mumbled to herself, then regained her confidence. "So what if you heard that? You know that everything I said is true," she declared.
"What I know, Chloé..." Very deliberately, he walked over to Marinette as he spoke, and extended his hand to her to help her up. "...is that I have a date tonight. Are you ready, Marinette?"
"Definitely," she beamed, standing up and not letting go of his hand.
"A date?" barked Chloé. "Wait, with who?"
Marinette and Adrien left her standing there, hearing her shouting various phrases involving the word 'ridiculous' to no one in particular, as they walked arm-in-arm over to the Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie.
Next time:
* "Are those pictures... still hanging up?"
* It's in a father's DNA.
* Marinette and her parents learn much more about Adrien over dinner... and about Emilie.
* "I _so_ wish that I knew what to do next."
* Tikki asks a favor of Plagg, with her mouth full.
* One sentence, spoken aloud, can change so many things...