The Wednesday after Valentines Day, Ella found herself at school- despite it being an off day. Her Literature class was participating in the Parisian Student Short Film Festival and she had gotten dragged into writing a song for it. The group had met up in the classroom at eight that morning, and Ella had already finished the sheet music... so she was currently asleep at her desk, one headphone in to block out the noise of the shoot.
Adrien sighed. The shoot was halted again- and they were still on the first scene! He had an interview at four, but at the rate it was going, the film was still gonna be going when he had to leave.
Taking the offered juice from Rose, Adrien maneuvered around the group and moved to slide into the seat by Ella. Said girl was asleep, the film sheet music finished to her left. Holding his head up with his arm on the desk, Adrien couldn't help but watch the girl's sleeping face, her soft breathing causing some of her stray hairs to sway in the air.
The words from the letter he got on Valentines Day danced across his memories, making him blush. He was ninety-nine percent positive Ella had written it, and he badly wanted to ask her about it. Plagg had teased him the rest of the night about the note and how much Adrien was torn between the two girls who captured his heart- saying he might as well go with the one whom he didn't have to hide an identity from. Which, after Adrien pointed out, was both of them either way.
"Hey Adrien- you might as well wake Ella up and tell her to get going on recording the music. Let that, at this rate, be the only thing that gets done today." Nino came up to the desk, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I know you wanna spend time with her," Nino winked at his friends blush, "and I wish I could let you go with her-"
"Nino!"
"Chill out, lover boy." Nino chuckled, Adrien glaring at him while his cheeks and ears remained red. Ignoring any other jabs Nino decided to dish out before he walked back down to the group, Adrien turned his attention back to Ella. His crush had shifted in her sleep, her headphone falling out and resting on the open pages of her journal/pillow.
Curiosity perking up, Adrien leaned over, his eyes managing to read some of the words beyond the noirette's hair.
" 'We'll take our scars and make them stars, let them shine up in the sky...' " He whispered, smiling at the words.
Ella had to hold in the smile as she opened her eyes. Nino's appearance had woken her up and she had waited to at least let Adrien know she was awake.
She was surprised honestly. She had felt as if someone was watching her, but the feeling didn't send her into a panic this time-rather... the girl had been comforted by the presence. It had gently pulled her from her nap, opening one eye as she shifted. Adrien was sitting beside her, his face red as Nino kept talking. The teen scolded his friend, Ella closing her eye again as Adrien looked back down at her. A few seconds later, she could feel Adrien moving closer and reading some of the lyrics from her journal beneath her arms.
"You do know curiosity killed the cat, right?" She whispered, opening her eyes. Adrien's own gaze went wide and he sat straight, stammering about not meaning to pry. Ella giggled, sitting up and stretching.
"You're okay, Adrien. No worries. What did Nino want?"
"Oh- umm- he- uh- since the music is done, he um- he said you could go record it, if you wanted." Ella nodded, collecting her stuff.
"And you have to stay here to film?"
"Yeah..."
"If I get done before your interview, I'll go get something to eat okay?" Adrien chuckled, standing.
"I'm gonna owe you multiple outings after all this."
"I'm sure you can make it up to me somehow." Ella smiled, hefting her backpack onto her shoulder before sliding out of the row. She waved to the blond before exiting the classroom for the music room across the way.
Adrien watched her vanish, a goofy smile settling on his face. Plagg poked his head out of the jacket, smirking at his user.
"You are so whipped by her~"
"Shut up, Plagg..."
"Why not take her on a date to make it up to her?"
"Shut up, Plagg!"
Shutting the music room door, Ella placed the sheet music on the piano stand and put on the connected headphone from the electric keyboard. Using that one would allow her to get everything right before moving to the recording studio's grand piano. Clicking on the metronome to the speed she's aiming for, Ella begins playing, all her attention flowing into the music.
A slamming door echoed through the music room. Adrien panted, still exhausted from the Horrificator fight. It hadn't helped that he had been worried sick for Ella the whole time, especially when they got to the boiler room and she hadn't answered when he and Ladybug called out.
Not seeing her in the immediate area, he ran to the recording room, yanking the door open.
"Ella!" Said girl jumped nearly a foot in the air off the piano stool, the metronome hitting the ground.
'Crap!' Adrien cursed himself, knowing he'd regret that later as Ella pinned herself again the wall opposite, her breathing erratic and eyes wide.
"I'm so sorry Ella, it's me, Adrien. You're at school in the music room. It's okay." He spoke, but his tone wasn't as calm as he wanted it to be, despite being relieved to see her safe. Adrien approached slowly, reaching out a hand for her to take. After a minute or so, Ella responded, gripping his hand tight.
"You okay?" He asked after another moment.
"Yeah... sorry..."
"Don't be. I shouldn't have slammed the door like that. I was worried about you, though."
"Why?"
"You didn't hear the fight outside? Myléne got akumatized."
Ella's eyes went wide as she shook her head.
"No, I had my headphones in for a while and then I moved to here- it's pretty well soundproofed in here."
Adrien sighed. She was safe. His body acting faster than his mind, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. Ella startled, freezing for a second, before she relaxed against him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I was worried about you..." Adrien stated again, pressing his nose against Ella's neck.
"I'm alright, I'm right here..."
The pair stayed like that, unaware of the time passing or the three friends looking in the window. Only when Adrien's phone rang did they separate.
"It's Nathalie... she's probably here to pick me up..."
"You have your interview soon. You should go."
"Come with me?" Adrien couldn't help but ask. He didn't know why this akuma attack made him so freaked out for her- maybe with the villain feeding off fear? And she's hiding so many things, including what makes her so jumpy and scared of people... He just needed reassurance that she was okay...
"Is that okay? I mean- I don't want you to get in trouble or anything..."
"I promise it'll be fine. Please?" Adrien pleaded. Ella watched him, silent, before she nodded. The boy smiled wide, pulling her tight into one more hug. Ella giggled into his shoulder, as his phone rang again.
"Hey Nathalie. Yeah, I'm on my way out. A friend's coming with me too. No, my father doesn't need to know, it'll be fine Nathalie, I promise. I'll be out in a minute." Adrien hung up, as Ella collected her bag.
"I'll email the music file to Nino, so it can be added to the film." Ella spoke, her phone in her hand.
"Okay. You ready to go?" Adrien offered his hand, smiling at the blush he drew.
"Mhm!" Ella smiled, placing her hand in his.
Marinette, Alya and Nino panicked and ran from the window, disappearing around the corner as the music room door slid open. The three peeked their heads around, watching Adrien and Ella exit the room hand in hand. They watched the pair head down to the courtyard and out the door, following before they got out of sight.
"Why her...?" Marinette whispered as her and the other two watched Adrien open the car door for Ella, the two vanishing from sight as the car drove off. Alya frowned, upset for her best friend.
"Keep trying, Mari. Don't give up- that's the best thing about you! You always give one hundred percent in everything! If you give up on Adrien now, you'll never know if something could happen!" The redhead encouraged, hoping to cheer up the blunette.
"Yeah... yeah! You're right, Alya! I'll never give up on Adrien! I'll tell him my true feelings and keep going!" Marinette declared, back to her normal self. Alya smiled before sending Nino a look at his questioning gaze.
"What?" She mumbled, watching Marinette head off for the locker room.
"You know Adrien's crushing hard on Ella right?"
"Yeah."
"And you just saw them together, right?"
"I know, Nino! But Mari told me she's never had a crush on anyone really! And for her to give up so soon? Totally heart-breaking!"
"Dude- she's gonna get heartbroken when Adrien and Ella end up together."
"There's no guarantee they will. You never know what's gonna happen. It's not like someone can see their fate, right?"