Alya bounced her leg with annoyance as she scrolled through Google. After school had finished, the reporter had bounded straight to her apartment and jumped on the computer, poor Nino did not see her for dust. Each of the answers she had received when typing into the search engine had disputed pretty much every single claim that liar had ever made. With each answer came a shake of her head.
'That daughter of a dick!" She thought bitterly with clenched teeth.
Alya was mad.
Alya was fuming.
Mostly though, Alya was disappointed in herself.
How could she, as a self proclaimed truth finder, have been duped so easily!
The Ladyblogger was also annoyed because she had missed the battle which had happened earlier that day. Understandably, Marinette's and Adrien had not returned to school that afternoon, and she was glad that she has time to collect her thoughts.
She spun around on her computer chair in her room, flinging her hands up in frustration. Once she had settled back to look directly at her computer, the aspiring journalist made a list of every tale she could remember the Italian spouting.
Not too fully expose her, no.
However, having all the facts on hand, and the internet at her fingertips would surely make an entertaining scenario in future situations. Proving just enough doubt in the minds of her peers, to cause the lying brunette to never be believed again, even if she would actually tell the truth. Although Alya found that to be maybe a stretch too far from the evidence she found.
She decided to keep this new found information close to her chest for the time being. To be reputable in her early career as an investigative journalist, she would need to bide her time and be certain, before fully exposing the truth about Lila.
Marinette and Adrien sat on the sofa in his room. They were both rather tired after their emotional ordeal that afternoon which was followed by the nerve racking confrontation with Gabriel. A comfortable silence fell between them as they sat waiting for their food to be brought up to them. Adrien kept glancing to the door that Nathalie had come up and insisted they keep open, while Marinette picked out a DVD from the pile on his table he had brought down.
The secret hero had his suspicions that someone was right outside his room, listening to them intently and watching their interactions. It was preventing him from feeling able to drop some hints about his identity and seeing how Marinette responded.
Marinette picked out a film her and her mum had enjoyed countless times. She was rather surprised to see it as one of the ones Adrien had offered, but was focused more on how tense the model seemed to be. The bluenette looked over her shoulder to see Adrien looking at the open door and smiled with understanding. Lounging back into the corner of his sofa, he appeared to be relaxed with his arm resting on the back cushion. One foot bouncing as it rested on his other knee and his disheveled hair however, showed just how on edge he was.
"Relax Adrien," she soothed kindly.
The blonde stilled his bouncing foot but his eyes stayed fixated on the door. Adrien cleared his throat and spoke quietly. "I keep thinking that we're being watched."
"We probably are," she chuckled softly, and his head snapped to look at her amused features. "A young man and a young woman...alone...in a bedroom…"
Adrien blushed and his eyes went wide.
"We know that's not gonna happen," she bashfully smiled down at the DVD in her hand, "but you know how concerned about appearance your father is." Adrien nodded and visibly relaxed his shoulders, Marinette continued with a teasing lilt in her tone. "He wasn't impressed with 'the daughter of a baker'," she imitated Gabriel's icy tone and smirked knowingly at Adrien. "He probably wants to make sure we don't put any buns in the oven!" The bluenette laughed at the blonde's deeper blush reaching his ears.
Adrien reached nervously to his nape letting out a sheepish chuckle, "yeah," he cleared his throat, "I guess you've got a point there." Adrien looked down thoughtfully and his brow furrowed slightly, "your parents did not insist on your door being open though."
"Ah," she grimaced slightly, feeling her own blush radiating over her cheeks. The bluenette pursed her lips with embarrassment before she explained. "That might be because my parents really really like you," Marinette spoke quickly before she failed to explain fully, "and maybe they want something to be going on between us-"
Adrien snorted in surprise and amusement at her explanation. "Well, I guess they'll be over the moon with this news then!" He smiled a big toothy grin and pumped his eyebrows teasingly.
Marinette rolled her eyes at his playful antics before nudging him and saying quietly, "yeah, and they'll be gutted when they find out we've broken up."
His heart sank a little with her reminder that it was all a facade. He had already started to see his lady as one in the same with Marinette, but gathered that with her words, she had either not put two and two together, or knew who her love was.
Marinette could see her partner in Adrien, but she needed to keep up the pretence just in case it was not him, and it was all wishful thinking on her part. 'He has not punned once, and didn't even seem to pick up on mine!' The thought was sobering, and she once again had to remind herself that he had a girlfriend elsewhere.
"Anyway~," she toyed with the copy of 'The Wizard of Oz', and handed it to the troubled blonde. "How about this one?"
His smile was back while he looked at the cover fondly, "I love that you chose this one."
The blonde stood up and inserted the disc into the tray on his television, turning to find a pleasant but inquisitive smile on her face. He smiled wistfully to her, "my mum used to sing over the rainbow to me before she vanished," he shrugged and spoke with a soft sadness, "it reminds me of her."
Marinette's heart broke at the sight before her, of the vulnerability he was showing and the look of deep sadness which rested on his face.
"Adrien-" Marinette started, but the sound of heels walking into his room announced Nathalie's arrival, followed by a trolley being wheeled closely behind her.
The person wheeling the trolley left quickly as Nathalie addressed the two teenagers. The stern looking woman had obviously interrupted a moment, as her assessing gaze travelled from Marinette sitting on the sofa, and a downcast Adrien standing by his television. She pursed her lips and spoke in her usual monotone, "once you have eaten, Miss Dupain-Cheng will be taken home."
The secretary turned quickly on her heel, and Adrien almost did not ask.
"Nathalie wait," he looked pleadingly at his father's assistant, glancing briefly to Marinette, "can we at least, watch a film together please?" Adrien faltered and averted his gaze to the floor when she turned to face him with a look of indifference.
"Your father has made it perfectly clear how he feels about this, pairing." The look of annoyance shot at Marinette did not go unnoticed. Nathalie straightened her blazer with a small tug before tucking her hands together at her navel. "Perhaps," her eyebrows raised with a pointed look at a sheepish Adrien, "if you do not keep any more secrets from your father, I can allow for you to watch a film together."
Adrien nodded guiltily, keeping his gaze to the floor. Marinette found herself unnerved by the exchange, 'why is she so cold towards him?'
With a final calculating glance between Adrien and Marinette, Nathalie turned on her heel calling out as she made her exit, "keep the door open, and do not turn off the lights."
Marinette chewed on her lip as she looked up to a profusely blushing, wide eyed and currently speechless Adrien. Struggling to hide her annoyance at how Adrien was spoken to, she decided to play devil's advocate and stood up with a plan in mind.
Adrien was brought out of his stunned embarrassment when he noticed the lights were dimming, "what are you-"
Marinette flashed him a smile, a determined twinkle in her eyes, "I'm lowering the lights so we can watch the movie." The astonished look he shot at her only caused her to smile wider in response. Deliberately, she picked up his red and black polka dotted comforter from the end of the bed and placed it next to where she had been sitting. "A bit cold isn't it." His crooked smile and look of awe followed her as she picked up the plates off the trolley and placed them on the table. "Do you want to get the drinks or~?"
Adrien snapped into action, grabbing the tumblers and jug of iced water from the trolley, placing them carefully on the table before sitting cautiously next to Marinette. 'She had that Ladybug look again…'
His heart was beating furiously in his chest, his breath caught in his throat. While Marinette ate from her plate of Niçoise salad, completely nonchalant in their surroundings, his eyes drifted over to her clutch. 'She goes everywhere with that, perfect size for a phone, purse, Kwami…' he pursed his lips, slowly bringing his own food to his mouth. 'I'm sure it's her.'
"Sorry," Marinette nudged him, and Adrien looked back to her shy form. His brow creased with obvious confusion so she continued: "for turning the lights down." Her voice was quiet, in case anyone heard her, "I didn't like how your father spoke to you, or how Nathalie was with you then." Marinette sighed and put her fork down on her almost empty plate, not looking at him, she brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
'Black studs that I have only once seen her without,' he remembered back to when he ended up as Mister Bug, 'when both me and ladybug weren't wearing our Miraculous…'
"I just, wanted to, I don't know-"
"Play them at their own game?" Adrien offered quietly, to which Marinette winced slightly.
"Yeah," her shoulders slumped, "if you want to turn the lights back up so you won't get into trou-"
"They're not off," he smiled broadly with a tilt of his head, "and the door's still open," he shrugged and nudged her reassuringly, "I don't see the problem with it."
The two teenagers finished off their food and Adrien turned on the film, relaxing back into the corner of his sofa, while Marinette sat with a noticeable gap between them. She was keeping to their rules, and he admired her for it, at the same time however, he wished to know if she really was his love. Wanting so much to be closer to her.
'How ironic,' he pondered to himself in amusement, as the opening scenes played on the screen, 'if she is my Bug, it would have been me she was turning me down for!' Adrien let out an amused breath at the thought.
Marinette watched the scene playing on the screen. The song he mentioned earlier was coming up and she was wondering if it would be inappropriate to give him a cuddle. She grabbed the comforter from where she had placed it, "come on," the bluenette gestured as she deftly draped the fabric over them both. "If we're being watched," she said quietly, scooting closer to the blonde, "we'd better make it look convincing."
While she smoothed out the fabric over her knee, she leant into his awaiting arms and lifted her feet up beside her.
Adrien smiled at her with adoration, "I'm not going to say no at this part," he welcomed her presence against his chest gladly.
"I thought this would make you feel better." Her words were softly spoken, and Adrien rested his head on the top of hers while his arms encased her small form. "Adrien," he hummed in response, "if you ever want to talk about your mother…"
Adrien closed his eyes, tears threatening to spill from the corners . "Thank you," he whispered against her hair, "and thank you for saying all those lovely things about me before."
Marinette twisted her neck to look up at him, she bit her lip before smiling up to him. "I was telling the truth," she fiddled with her fingers in her lap, "he doesn't give you the credit you deserve." Her head turned back to watch the screen as the music started, introducing the beautiful song which reminded him of his mother. "Thank you for saying lovely things about me too Adrien."
Adrien was too choked up to answer. The emotions brought on by the song, and the feelings stirring inside him caused him to not risk talking. He gently gave her a squeeze in quiet thanks, hoping she understood, which she showed him she did by nuzzling further into the crook of his neck.
Their fingers laced with a need for comfort between them, while they watched the rest of the film in an enjoyable silence. Simply making the most of the closeness and ability to do what they had not been able to do with their masked partners. Both Adrien and Marinette relished the normality of what other couples would take for granted. With their respective relationships not having the ability to spend time together in their own homes, they both wondered if they should reveal themselves and deal with any consequences later.
"How long do you think it will be before they finally kiss outside of the masks?"
"Urgh! Sugarcube! You're making my cheese taste funny!" Plagg moaned at Tikki's lovelorn musings.
Tikki looked to her counterpart with annoyance, "your cheese always tastes funny!"
Plagg scoffed as he chomped down on a particularly ripe chunk of Camembert. From their secluded spot in Adrien's loft, they were watching as their chosen fell into place outside of the mask as well as in it. Tikki swooned.
"I'm so happy it has happened this way."
Plagg swallowed the rest of his snack, "I can tell you now, he's already putting the pieces into place." The black Kwami stretched out lazily, looking at Tikki from the corner of his eye. "I just hope this ends soon," he drawled, "then they can finally connect completely."
Tikki smiled fondly at Plagg, "I knew you cared Plagg!"
"Yeah," he replied in his usual nasally manner, "I think she'll be the turning point for his and that douchebag's relationship." He chuckled while Tikki halfheartedly chastised him with a playful nudge.
The two Kwami watched their holders snuggle together and enjoyed their time of togetherness. All four occupants of Adrien's room, completely unaware of the amount of messages and phone calls trying to connect with Marinette's phone as it lay without battery in her back pocket.
Been a while I'm sorry! Hopefully you feel it has been worth the wait =).
Why do you think people are trying to get in touch with Marinette so desperately? (I'll give you a hint, it's not her parents!)
Thank you for the reviews, follows and faves, and for taking the time to read this fan fic! If you're enjoying this one, please take a look at the others which are on my page =).
Take it easy!
Lady Rhi X