Hey! Nice to see you guys again so soon. We've got a very conflicted Adrien and a very dorky Adrienette scene in the cards today - what else can we expect from our sunshine boy? If there are any minor mistakes, it's because I wrote almost this entire chapter in the notes of my phone while I was on an 8 hour road trip. I forgot my laptop, but I wanted to write it so badly and I have no self control. (Also, I love writing these things… feels like I'm almost actually talking to you guys.) Okay, I won't bore you any longer...
As Adrien dropped his transformation, he felt his whole body go rigid. He tried to move to his bed, his couch, anywhere, but his legs felt like they were glued to the floor, his mind moving far too quickly for any other maneuvers. He felt his brow furrow and his eyes darted around the room, not sure about what he was supposed to say or do.
"Are you gonna say something? I really feel like you should say something." Plagg darted around Adrien's face, breaking him out of his trance.
Adrien shook his head in disbelief. "I would, if I had the words."
"Wow. Marinette, huh? Impressive. She's a challenge."
"Shut up, Plagg." Adrien muttered quietly as he flopped face first on his bed.
"What? She is. You should feel proud of yourself, kid. I mean, you've known the girl for what, three years? And the only guy who's ever caught her attention was that older musician guy. What was his name again? Ah - not important." Plagg shrugged as he shoved a piece of camembert in his mouth. "And that only lasted a couple months. She doesn't get distracted easily. She's the student body president, a straight A student… didn't you say she's the president of, like, three clubs at school too? Impressive. And she's the daughter of the best bakers in Paris, which would bode well for both of us. Just imagine the kinds of bread I could have with my cheese!"
Adrien groaned. "Plagg, stop. You know I'm in love with Ladybug." He meant it to sound as a rebuttal to all of the very good points Plagg had made, but it came out sounding dull and lifeless, like he was reading it from a script.
Plagg sighed. Adrien, of course, had no idea why he was trying to convince him of all of Marinette's admirable traits, but he still felt bad for the kid.
"Are you sure about that… as of recently?" Plagg suggested, landing next to him on the pillow. "She hasn't even talked to you in days."
"I know Plagg. I fucked up, I never should have kissed her. It was a mistake."
Adrien stood up and began to pace around his room. He had a lot more energy than he thought he should have had at this time of day. He had gone to Marinette's hoping that she could cheer him up - it was only one of her many talents.
She had ended up doing that and more.
The kiss felt like a dream. It was right out of a movie, with the sunset fading beautifully behind them, her addicting scent encasing all his senses, coconut and vanilla and god knows what else… he wasn't exactly paying attention. The way her fingers dug into his hair, pulling him as close to her as possible, and the way their lips molded together like they were meant to be just like that, forever.
And god, he wanted to do it again.
Adrien had been trying to repress the feelings of giddiness in his brain, pushing them down with the waves of guilt that formed every time he thought about the kiss. Which was every second.
He knew the bitter truth - he and Ladybug were not together. Nor did she have any sort of romantic feelings for him whatsoever. So really, he shouldn't feel guilty, not at all.
But surprisingly, he found himself only using this 'guilt' as an excuse to not think about Marinette. Because god, she made it hard. She always had.
She was beautiful, of course, she always had been. Breathtaking, even, which is enough to coax any guy. But it wasn't just that.
Her kindness, and the way she cared about others. She was so selfless and never expected anything in return. She was compassionate in a way he had only ever seen in…. Ladybug, now that he thought about it. She was passionate and driven towards her goals and towards those she cared about. She carried herself in a way that was so graceful yet so confident and so Marinette, it was practically intoxicating.
Yet he had always ignored it. Pushed it down. Because no matter what, there was Ladybug. There was always Ladybug.
But did that really matter? It was hard to tell after that kiss. Because now all he could think about was kissing her again, touching her again, feeling her body against his.
And the most remarkable thing, the thing he noticed the most, was that at that moment, he hadn't thought about Ladybug once. All he cared about was the girl who was there in front of him, pouring her heart out to him. The girl who talked to him for nights on end about anything and everything. The girl who sat behind him in class for 3 years.
And so, maybe it didn't matter at all.
"God… I really need to sleep. Thinking like this isn't good for me." Adrien said, shaking his head. He walked over to his closet, looking for clothes to change into.
"You're right. Actually, you're probably better off not thinking at all." Plagg snickered beside him. "But seriously, you should. You've had a hard weekend, and you need to wake up early for school tomorrow."
School.
Shit.
He had forgotten that he would have to see Marinette again so soon, and even though she would have no clue that it was him she had kissed, the thought still made his heart beat faster than he would like to admit.
He was fucked, wasn't he?
As it turns out, sleeping wasn't so easy.
Not when there was a certain raven-haired girl not too far away, who was probably sleeping soundly without a care in the world while he sat restless in his bed.
She wouldn't leave his mind.
Everything was fine, really. Perfectly normal. Until she got this look in her eyes like he was… everything and more. Everything she wanted. He couldn't explain it, really. Not in words. Which was the exact same reason she had kissed him.
Some things are far too meaningful to ever be able to explain with words.
And then her lips were on his and he went into such a deep state of shock he was surprised he could even remember the details. Her pulling him down to her face, kissing him like it was the last thing she'd ever do. He had pulled her into his lap, just wanting to be as close to her as possible, and then-
And then it was over. It had ended just as fast as it had begun.
God, Marinette. She knew exactly what she was doing.
But Adrien didn't. He didn't even know where these bewildered thoughts came from. I mean, a pretty girl kisses him one time and he's suddenly second guessing everything he's known for the past three years?
Get a grip, Agreste…
Adrien groaned. He wasn't getting any sleep tonight.
Adrien entered class just a few minutes before the bell rang. He was severely fatigued and didn't get a wink of sleep. He was slightly disappointed in himself - was he really going to let some silly kiss mess with him like this?
And then he saw Marinette and all doubts he previously had about her were out the window.
She sat listening to whatever Alya was ranting about, her chin perched up on her hand. Her blue eyes floated dreamily around the room; she clearly wasn't that invested in the conversation. Her hair cascaded prettily down her shoulders in waves - had she curled it? Adrien wondered. He took note of the little features he had never took note of; the small freckles that dotted her nose, her high cheekbones, the curve of her lips -
Oh god Adrien, do not think about her lips right now…
"Dude." Nino's voice broke him out of his trance. "Are you gonna sit down?"
Adrien blinked and glanced over at his best friend. "Yeah. Right. Sorry, I got distracted…"
Adrien walked over to his seat cautiously. Just before he was going to sit down, his gaze locked with Marinette's, her blue eyes glistening.
She smiled slightly. "Good morning, Adrien."
Adrien felt his face heat slightly. "Good morning, Marinette." He says down quickly, suddenly grateful that she couldn't see his face from her seat.
Nino leaned towards him. "Dude, you were totally checking out Marinette when you walked in."
Adrien felt his jaw drop. "What? What are you talking about?"
Nino chuckled. "I'm not an idiot. It was obvious." He shrugged.
Adrien shook his head. "I was just distracted. Didn't sleep well, that's all."
The bell rang and Mrs. Bustier walked into the classroom, holding a stack of papers.
"Good morning, students." She smiled. "Let's get right into today's agenda, there's no time to waste. If you recall, this week we are starting our class projects on Siddhartha."
The entire class collectively groaned, which Mrs. Bustier decided to ignore.
"Now, we are at the beginning of the academic year. Don't get disheartened so soon." She teased. "Just be happy it's your final year of school."
"Thank god…" He heard Marinette murmur behind him, under her breath, and Adrien tried his best to hide the small smile on his face.
Mrs. Bustier cleared her throat. "Since this is an honors literature class, this is only the first of many novels we will be reading. For each book we read, you will be creating both a presentation to share in class and a written research report for me to grade. Each of these will be done with a partner."
The whole class cheered with excitement, but it was interrupted by Mrs. Bustier's next statement.
"…that will be assigned."
The class groaned in unison, but Mrs. Bustier just moved on with a smile.
"Now, the presentations and reports will be due two weeks from today. Class time every day will be designated for working on such, but you can also work with your partner outside of class if you would like. Remember, these projects will account for a large part of your grade in the course, so work diligently. I have a lot of papers to grade during class today…" she gestured to the large stack of papers she was holding. "So I trust your class president can be responsible for announcing the partners to the class?"
Marinette cleared her throat. "Sure thing, Mrs. Bustier."
Marinette walked past him and delicately grabbed a piece of paper off of Mrs. Bustier's desk, presumably where the partners were written. She studied it for a second, her nose scrunching up a bit.
Adrien took a second to appreciate Marinette's outfit; she definitely had the best style out of any of the girls in their class, probably because she made most of her clothes herself. She wore a cropped brown sweater that stopped right at the hem of her brown and beige plaid mini skirt. His eyes traveled down her legs (which he tried to keep his thoughts as far away from as possible) to where she wore Dr. Martens 1461's with cream leg warmers. She was fiddling with the pearl necklace that was dangling from her neck.
God, she was really pretty. So pretty it hurt.
"Okay." She said as she made her way from behind the desk to the front of the class, paper in hand.
"We have Rose and Kim, Alix and Juleka, Mylene and Chloe, Alya and Nathanaël, Sabrina and Nino, Ivan and Max…" her voice trailed off while she stared wide eyed at the paper, just for a second. "And lastly, Adrien and I. Everyone got that?"
Oh god. He was going to be working with Marinette? For two weeks?
He still didn't have the slightest clue on where he stood regarding Ladybug, and this was definitely not going to help his Marinette predicament.
And by predicament, he meant his ever-growing feelings for her.
At least he could admit it to himself now.
The class nodded at her, except for Chloe, who was too busy complaining about her 'utterly ridiculous' partner.
"Great. There's laptops to work on in the library, so you can either work in there or bring the computers in here. As long as you all come back to class five minutes before it ends, we should be good." She smiled. "There's a stack of papers on the end of Mrs. Bustier's desk that explains what we're supposed to be researching in depth, and what kind of evidence we should be taking from the novel. Sort of like a guide. All good?"
The class nodded again. Marinette simply smiled and walked off to her seat, signaling that she was done.
"Wow girl, you're a natural born leader. I'm impressed." Adrien turned to where Alya was speaking to her best friend, a glint of knowingness in her eyes.
Nino laughed. "Babe, Marinette has been doing this whole class rep thing since we were freshmen. I don't know why you're surprised."
"What can I say? She manages to blow my mind every time." Alya said in an amused tone, and Marinette gave her a sideways glare.
"I'm just used to it, that's all." Marinette shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal. "Now you guys should go find your partners. We only have two weeks to do this."
"Fine." Alya's gaze strayed to Adrien and back to Marinette a few times before she raised a speculating eyebrow. "You gonna be okay?"
Marinette's eyes widened threateningly at Alya's question. "What do you mean? Of course I'm gonna be okay. Now go."
Alya and Nino both nodded and walked off, giving each other a knowing glance.
Adrien turned his head to Marinette, who was leaning forward in her seat towards him.
"Hey partner." She smiled and Adrien felt his stomach somersault, but also… Why did that sound so familiar?
"Hey."
"So, do you wanna work in the library? It's quieter."
"Umm… sure."
Adrien mentally slapped himself for being so nervous. This was just Marinette!
Then he reminded himself that he really didn't know her all that well. Not as Adrien, at least.
He also reminded himself that he had made out with her less than 24 hours ago.
Needless to say, neither of those reminders helped him in this situation. So instead, he followed her wordlessly to Mrs. Bustier's desk, where she grabbed two papers and handed him one. Her hand brushed his as she pulled away and the feather-light touch had his brain whirling.
Knock it off Adrien…
Marinette led the way to the library, walking quickly, with a purpose. Adrien wondered if she was always like that, always living with intent. He marveled about what it would feel like to live that way; his father dictating every move he made didn't leave a lot of room for individuality.
He was so busy thinking about her that he barely noticed when they reached a quiet, secluded table in the library. There were two laptops already waiting for them; now they just had to do the work.
Adrien sat down hesitantly as Marinette situated herself in the seat across from him. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and toyed with her earring subconsciously. She looked almost… nervous?
Marinette blinked suddenly, as if breaking out of some type of trance, and straightened up.
"Okay… so I think the focus of our project is supposed to be the recurring theme of fate within the story." She said, meeting his gaze. "Like how every choice you make is leading you in the direction of your destiny, sort of thing."
Adrien tried his best to focus on this project instead of her intense gaze. "Like the idea of the string?"
Marinette stared at him for a second. "Sorry, what?"
"You know. The saying 'the string that ties you to your fate'?"
"Right. Yeah, like that. For example… Siddhartha travels to many places and meets many people, looking for enlightenment. And he's given up on it by the time he meets Kamala, since he thinks he can't be taught anything else. He becomes selfish and entitled… but letting himself have flaws is eventually what led him to finding enlightenment. So his entire journey was leading him towards that inner peace, even when he had given up on it. Even in times of despair, he was still connected to his fate. So kind of like the string idea." Marinette sighed. "Sorry, I was rambling."
"Don't be sorry. You're absolutely right." Adrien couldn't help the smile that crept up on his face. "You might be the smartest girl I know, Marinette."
Marinette flushed. "Thank you, Adrien."
"Of course."
They sat there gazing at each other for just a few seconds, and Adrien could feel his face getting hotter by the second. How was he supposed to do this for two weeks?
Marinette cleared her throat awkwardly. "Okay… so I think one of us should focus on the research aspect, and the other focuses on direct quotes from the novel. We're gonna need to keep in touch about this, because our sources and our evidence need to make sense together. We should probably write the report first, so that we can just simplify it for the presentation."
Marinette glanced up from her computer screen and gave him a small smile. "I'll do the research, if that's okay. I hate having to go through a book I've already read."
Adrien nodded. "That's fine, I don't mind." His brain felt like jelly; whether that was from lack of sleep or Marinette's presence, he wasn't sure.
Marinette continued on about what key storylines could fit the theme, where they should start and a million other details he wasn't exactly sure of. What he was sure of, though, was that he could listen to Marinette talk all day. There was something so special in the way she spoke about everything so passionately, like she couldn't get the words out fast enough.
When she had finally slowed down and was focused on the screen in front of her, Adrien stared at her hand, which was placed delicately on top of the desk on the side of her laptop.
"Hey, Marinette?"
"Hmm?" She glanced up from her screen, her features softening when she met his gaze.
Adrien reached out and placed his hand over hers, and after a second, laced his fingers in hers.
"I'm really glad that we're partners."
Marinette glanced down at their hands, eyes wide.
Slowly, she opened her mouth to speak when suddenly, Adrien heard the very last thing he wanted to hear at that moment.
Piercing screams coming from the courtyard, so loud that the whole of Paris could probably hear them.
He could practically feel his heart sink. There was only one thing that could mean.
An akuma.
Goes without saying that I love the idea of Marinette having the absolute best outfits in another universe. Along with writing and reading, fashion is one of my favorite things ever. Here's the picture that inspired Marinette's outfit: /3WodPlN
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's more difficult to write from Adrien's perspective, I'll admit. Also, in the next chapter I have to write a battle scene… which I kind of hate. And I'm terrible at coming up with concepts for supervillains, so if you guys have any ideas on that front, let me know. Until then, I hope you're having an amazing morning/afternoon/evening, and I'll see you next time! 3