Chat Noir had kissed her.
The handsome thief, whom Marinette had harbored a crush on for ten years, had actually kissed her. And it hadn't been a dream.
The hopeful designer let out a dreamy sigh as she sat at her desk the following Monday, her mind on anything but school. She absently placed a finger on her lips as memories of the previous night filled her mind. She could still remember the passion from their kiss, and the warmth of his lips against her own...Her cheeks burned just at the memory. Never in a million years would she imagine that he would return her feelings, but he did. It was so surreal that she felt as though she was floating on a cloud.
She glanced down at her notebook, blushing a bright crimson when she noticed that she had doodled a countless number of Chat Noir's symbols on the page. She squeaked and flipped to the next page at lightning speed, hoping that no one had noticed her drawings. Whether it was for the better or for the worse, Alya hadn't arrived at school yet, which meant that she was safe from her all-knowing friend's pestering, at least for now. But that didn't mean she was spared from her other classmates' curious looks.
As she mulled over her dilemma in her mind, she sucked in a breath when her gaze locked with Chloe's. The other girl had just walked into the classroom, and she was staring at Marinette with an unreadable expression on her face. The designer swallowed nervously. Had she seen anything? She couldn't have, right? Marinette managed a small smile in an attempt to convince the mayor's daughter that everything was alright, and said girl snorted before turning away.
She breathed a sigh of relief and slapped her cheeks to wake herself from her daydream. Stop thinking about the kiss, Mari! You've got more important things to be worrying about, namely the plan!
That's right. Today was the day that Chat Noir was setting his plan in motion. After school, Marinette would convince Sabrina's father to listen to her recording, which Chat Noir hoped would nudge the police in the direction of the true culprit behind Copycat's death. But this was easier said than done...
How on earth would the designer convince the glasses-wearing girl to let her speak directly to Mr. Raincomprix when she didn't have any connections with the police? Maybe she could offer to design a new dress for her...but that would be something Chloe would do, bribing others to get what she wanted. She rolled her eyes with a sigh. She'd have to ponder the details more later...
"Oh my god, Mari! You won't believe what's happening!" Alya practically ran into the classroom just then, skidding to a halt by their shared desk and breaking Marinette out of her reverie.
"Slow down, Alya! What's happening?" Marinette tried to calm Alya by patting her on her shoulder. At least her friend could act as a distraction and prevent her from thinking too much about a certain thief...
Alya was practically bursting with energy as she leaned conspiringly towards the pigtailed girl. In the back of her mind, Marinette had to admit that she was a little jealous that Alya could possess so much energy despite it being so early in the morning. The designer made a mental note to ask her what kind of coffee she preferred to drink in the mornings that would wake her up so well. Considering Marinette's current predicament (also known as partaking in a questionable plan to overthrow an evil thief), she might need to get her hands on some of the magical brew...
"Guess who I just saw outside our classroom!?" Alya squealed just then, making the other girl look up at her with a frown.
"Who?" Marinette asked, tipping her head to one side in confusion. Everyone from their class were already there, so they shouldn't have any other visitors at this time of day...
"You won't believe this, girl! I just saw Adrien!" Alya revealed, putting her hands on Marinette's shoulders and shaking her fervently as she spoke.
Marinette rolled her eyes with amusement at her best friend's behavior. "Calm down, girl! Anyone would think that you're the one who has a crush on him!" she teased, poking the other girl in the side. Sometimes Alya was too bubbly for her own good.
"You know I'm only interested in Nino," Alya objected quickly, pushing her glasses up her nose as she spoke. "And I was merely passing you the information. Didn't a certain someone admit that you liked him?" the brunette reminded her with a triumphant sparkle in her hazel-colored eyes, just as Madame Bustier walked into the classroom with Adrien and Nino in tow.
Marinette did a double take at the unexpected appearance of the model. Her best friend really hadn't been joking that Adrien was here!
The designer's mouth dropped open in surprise as she studied him. She couldn't help but stare at his signature black t-shirt and button-down shirt - after all, he had donned in a disguise more often than not during the times he had hung out with her. She found it rather refreshing to see him in his casual clothes, but at the same time, she thought that it really wasn't fair that he could look so good no matter what outfit he was wearing.
No, stop that thought right there! You shouldn't be thinking about other guys, especially now that you and Chat Noir have - ! Marinette scolded herself, groaning inwardly at her own indecisiveness. And why was she acting this way when she was already in love with the cat burglar, anyway? She didn't dare say the truth out loud because it would only hurt even more, but it felt like she was cheating on Chat Noir before their relationship had barely even started. And that made her a terrible, terrible person...
And the question that was still nagging in the back of her mind was...Why did she still have a crush on Adrien? It really wasn't natural for her to be drawn to two guys at once. She had half hoped that her silly crush would subside since she was now finally with Chat Noir, but it hadn't. Somehow, it was as though she couldn't stop her heart from feeling this way towards the dashing model...
She swallowed, trying to push the turmoil out of her mind. She shook her head in an attempt to get rid of the terrible thoughts.
Ugh, why was her love life so complicated?
It was then that she realized that she had been ogling at Adrien for too long, and she quickly tried to duck behind Alya in an attempt to hide herself from the visitors. But too late, Adrien had noticed her. She involuntarily blushed as his lips curved upward into a grin, as if he knew that he was the one occupying her thoughts.
Just then, everyone in the class turned to stare at the newcomers. Girls had hearts in their eyes as they gushed over the popular model and his friend. Marinette took the opportunity to turn her head away to hide her blush from Adrien.
"Bonjour, class!" Madame Bustier greeted warmly, making the students settle down with a clap of her hands. "I have some exciting news to share with you today. Adrien will be participating in a school-themed photoshoot, and he asked if he could come sit in on a class this morning to help him get a feel of being in a classroom again. I hope you'll give him the warmest welcome while he's here!"
"I'll welcome him anytime!" Marinette heard Chloe whisper loudly to Sabrina. The hopeful designer snorted at how ridiculous the other girl sounded before turning her attention back to their teacher.
"Let's see...as for your seats..." Madame Bustier swept her gaze around the class in an attempt to locate empty seats for the two guests. Girls, mostly just Chloe, began waving their hands wildly in hopes of inviting Adrien to sit next to them.
Alya, who was sitting next to Marinette, rubbed her hands together as a wicked smile spread across her face. Marinette had a feeling that whatever the journalist was planning wasn't good.
With that thought in mind, Alya got up and quickly approached Madame Bustier so she could whisper into their teacher's ear. "I have an idea, Madame Bustier! Why don't we ask Adrien and Nino where they used to sit in the class? It would be cool if they sat in the same seats they had as students!"
"That's a great idea, Alya! Would you two like to share that with us, if you don't mind?" Madame Bustier turned to Adrien and Nino to ask for their opinions.
Adrien nodded with a smile, looking relieved at the thought that he wouldn't have to sit next to some random fangirls. "That would be cool! We both sat in the front row there!" He pointed to where Marinette was sitting. Her eyes widened as realization dawned upon her. This meant that Adrien was going to sit next to her, right? What was she going to do? How could she survive an entire class period with the Adrien Agreste sitting next to her...?
"Ah, but those seats are now occupied, I'm afraid. Usually only two students sit at a desk, but we'll make an exception this time and make room for you two! Would you and Marinette be okay with that, Alya?" Madame Bustier asked, turning to the brunette.
Alya was only too eager to accept, and soon Adrien and Nino were making their way over to the girls' desk. Because Alya claimed the seat next to Nino, Marinette found herself sitting next to Adrien.
"Hi, Marinette!" the cheerful model greeted her, his bright personality making her smile despite her squirming insides.
"H-Hi, Adrien! I-I didn't expect to see you here!" she stuttered, mentally kicking herself for stumbling over her words again. She was a horrible person for liking two guys at once...She buried her face in her hands as her blush deepened.
"Sorry I couldn't tell you earlier! I wanted it to be a surprise," he told her with another wink that would make all the girls' hearts melt.
Marinette smiled weakly back at him, dazzled by his smile. "Well, I-I was definitely surprised! And oh, look! I-I think class is about to start!" she exclaimed, then quickly turned her attention to the blackboard in the front of the classroom. She breathed a sigh in relief when Adrien did the same.
Even so, she felt as though she was dying on the inside. How was she going to focus on school with the handsome model sitting next to her!?
Class somehow passed faster with Adrien sitting next to Marinette. And that was a good thing, too, because she didn't know how much more her heart could take his proximity.
Finally, it was time for the class's usual break. Girls immediately tried to approach Adrien, eager for a chance to talk to the popular model, but Alya and Marinette managed to sneak Adrien and Nino away from their prying eyes before the situation got out of hand.
"Phew, that was close!" Adrien remarked in relief as the four friends squatted underneath the school's main staircase, which just so happened to be a popular spot to hide or eavesdrop on others. He nudged Marinette with his shoulder as she squeezed into the space next to him. "Good thinking, Marinette!"
Said girl felt her cheeks flush despite herself. She was hating herself more and more for her embarrassing reactions to his words. "N-No problem at all!"
"Speaking of which, you've been acting weird today, Marinette," Alya observed, raising an eyebrow at her.
"W-Weird? I don't know what you mean!" Marinette defended herself, her cheeks heating at what her friend was suggesting. Of course Alya would be the first to notice, considering how sharp her eyes were.
"That's what I mean!" Alya insisted, pointing a finger triumphantly at the designer. She winked at Adrien and Nino, who were watching the two with matching amused expressions on their faces. "It's like she's been daydreaming about a certain guy all day!"
"I have not!" Marinette protested, but she knew that when she was up against Alya, everything she did was to no avail. She sighed in defeat. But, even so...there was no way she could confess that she had been daydreaming about kissing Chat Noir, could she? And then there was the matter with Adrien...
Alya's eyes sparkled triumphantly. "See, you're blushing again!"
Marinette groaned inwardly and hid her cheeks behind her hands. "Y-You're just imagining it!"
"I am not, girl! I can tell these things, you know. You could call it...a woman's intuition. Now tell me, did someone kiss you?" Alya demanded, not batting an eye. Her best friend's intuition could be particularly on the mark sometimes...
"N-No! It was nothing of the sort!" Marinette denied at once, acutely aware of Adrien's amused gaze resting on her back. She wondered what he was thinking, then quickly pushed the thought away. If she acted like she was interested in Adrien, Alya would notice right away. She had to act normally to prevent the other girl from getting too suspicious. "Anyway, is it just me, or is it hot in here!? A-Anyone want some water?" she stammered, changing the subject.
Adrien and Nino exchanged a glance at each other and nodded. "Sure, water would be great!" the blonde accepted her offer gratefully, no doubt in an attempt to spare her from further teasing.
"I'll get some for you, then!" Breathing silent thanks to whomever was watching her from the heavens above, Marinette quickly ran off into the cafeteria at record speed to fetch water for the two boys. She pretended not to notice the accusing looks that Alya was shooting her as she rushed off.
It didn't take long for the designer to fill two plastic cups with water from the cafeteria's water fountain. When she had finished her task, she returned to where her friends were waiting. She could only hope that they had changed the subject while she had been gone...
"I'm back - !" The words had barely left her mouth before she let out a squeak of surprise. In her eagerness to rejoin everyone, she accidentally tripped and stumbled straight into the person closest to her...
And that person just so happened to be Adrien.
Her heart sunk as the cups she had been holding carefully flew out of her grasp, splashing their contents all over him. She looked up nervously, feeling so guilty that she was unable to meet his gaze. But to her surprise, his piercing green eyes were filled with concern, and it was all directed at her.
"You alright, Marinette?" Adrien asked, putting his hands on her shoulders to steady her. She was touched that he was more worried about her than the fact that he was now dripping wet.
"Yes, I am, but what about you?! Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" she apologized profusely, her hands flailing in front of her as she tried to think of something, anything that she could do to help him. She groaned inwardly; of all the times she had to be clumsy, why did it have to be now!?
The kind model accepted her apology with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry about it, Marinette! As long as you're okay, that's all that matters!"
As he spoke, he used one hand to wring out the water from his wet t-shirt. Marinette's eyes were drawn to his movements, and her cheeks instantly burned as he lifted his shirt, revealing a toned stomach underneath. But that wasn't what had captured the designer's attention.
Instead, it was a particularly nasty scar, running up from one side of his stomach to the other, that made her breath hitch in surprise.
Marinette froze as her mind drifted back in time to a long night ten years ago, when her younger self had stitched Chat Noir's wound together. She knew of only one person who could have a scar in that particular spot. So why would kind, smiling Adrien have such a scar there? Besides, what were the chances that two completely unrelated people would have practically identical scars in the same location?
Unless...
No way...It couldn't be possible...could it?
Her eyes grew rounder than the moon as she began to put the pieces together in her head. Now that she thought about it, Adrien and Chat Noir were both around the same age and had the same build. Not to mention that they both shared the same soft, blond hair and piercing green eyes that could make her heart somersault wildly with just one look.
The similarities didn't simply stop there. There were other little weird coincidences she noted, too, like how they both loved passion fruit flavored macarons, and how, that one time right after Chat Noir disappeared from her rooftop, Plagg had showed up with a note from Adrien...
At that time, she had wondered how Adrien had slipped the note into Plagg's collar without even approaching the kitten. If Chat Noir had been the one who had placed it there, then everything made a lot of sense. And now that she thought about it, Plagg hadn't been afraid of Chat Noir, either, when the thief had entered her room. It was almost as though he had recognized Chat Noir as his previous caretaker...
No matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, the resemblance between them was too uncanny to merely be a coincidence.
Which meant that...Adrien and Chat Noir...or rather, Chat Noir and Adrien...
She stopped thinking before things grew even worse. She couldn't even comprehend what the implications of that dangerous thought would be. And the most important question on her mind was...was she ready to accept the truth? Did she even want to acknowledge that Adrien and Chat Noir could possibly be the same person?
She was in love with Chat Noir, but she couldn't help but have a small crush on Adrien. She had felt guilty for liking two guys at once, but if...just if...they actually were the same person, that would definitely explain the attraction she harbored towards them both. But that was almost...too easy...wasn't it? What if she was just hoping that they were the same person? Maybe this was all just her wishful thinking in an attempt to make herself feel better. She shook her head, not knowing what to think anymore. The best course of action would be for her to ask Adrien directly.
But there was no way she could confront him about that now, not when her friends were within earshot. And there was a part of her that couldn't help but think that if she did ask him about the truth, then he would end up leaving her all alone all over again. There must have been a reason why Chat Noir had kept his identity a secret all these years. If the truth was something that she was better off not knowing, then she would accept his wishes just so she could stay by his side for just a little while longer.
Yes. It would be for the better that she didn't know...She would do anything to maintain the status quo.
Making up her mind, she swallowed and averted her eyes, pretending that she hadn't noticed anything. She just had to act normal. But it was easier said than done!
"Mari - ? Marinette?"
She slowly blinked once, then twice, as Adrien called her name. She leapt backward, startled, as his face appeared only inches away from her own. He was close. Too close. But...what if he really was the thief? If Chat Noir was this close to her, she wouldn't mind one bit...
No, she was daydreaming again. She had to snap out of it!
"Oh, s-sorry! I was just thinking...actually, I'm going to the bathroom!"
Unable to bear the thought of staying by his side for a second longer, she dashed away before he could call her back. She didn't notice the frown on Adrien's face as he watched her escape.
A/N: I apologize for the delay, but thank you all for your patience and continued support of this story! (I'm still studying for a test, and updates will be slow for a while, but I haven't forgotten the story, don't worry!) Happy new year and here's to another year of Marichat moments! hehe.
A macaron for your thoughts? :P I truly appreciate everyone for all your love and reviews for the story so far!
Next chapter preview - Marinette found out the truth! What will happen next? Ohohoho.