MiraculElse #30: No Gift Receipt Required
by DFC
(Timeline: Season 4-ish, not important. December, and not their first.)
A smile can mean many different things, depending on whom it's from, and what they mean by it.
Perhaps Marinette Dupain-Cheng's favorite smile of all belonged to a certain blond classmate. It was something that he never seemed to have far away; no matter what the situation, he'd bring a little ray of sunshine in without even trying. He shared it with everyone he met, even when (in Marinette's barely-disguised opinion) they didn't deserve it in the slightest. And whenever he turned it in her direction, specifically...
...ohhhh.
It always made her feel as if all of her defenses were melting away, leaving her helpless and often speechless.
In her pursuit of his affections, Marinette knew that she'd become one of the planet's foremost experts on Adrien Agreste. She'd memorized his schedule, she'd catalogued his habits, and she'd stopped just short (she had, she was sure of it, honest) of crossing the line between studying him and stalking him. She'd even found herself writing down things that he had said to her in her journal, so as to pore over them later for potentially hidden meanings and messages.
Part of her knew that she did cross lines at times, her feelings for Adrien overwhelming her better judgment and her rational thought processes. Surely, he could tell what was behind her erratic behavior, why he made her shake in her shoes sometimes? He'd asked her twice if she saw him in a more-than-friendly light - did he even POSSIBLY want me to say yes? she'd wondered a hundred times since - but her nervousness and fears had kept her from confessing, instead making her blurt out denials and cover stories.
And if he'd wanted her to say yes... why did he stop asking? As aggravating as he could be sometimes, it was also a little flattering to Marinette (in a odd way) that Chat Noir remained focused on Ladybug romantically. It's at least nice to be wanted, a part of her had to admit, even if that's not the right thing for either of us.
Despite everything that she knew about Adrien, there were still mysteries deep down within him. What truly does make him tick? she'd sometimes wonder. What can I do to make him happier?
What does his heart want most?
And how do I figure that out?
As the Christmas season kicked into high gear around them, as friends and family grew excited and puzzled over the perfect gift and made holiday plans, Marinette remained curious about all of those questions. But her careful eye could tell certain things...
...like when what brought joy to Adrien was clearly absent from his life...
...and when his perfect smile was being forced.
I am not SPYING on Adrien, Marinette told herself, as she edged just a liiiiiittle closer to two familiar figures on the school's front steps. I am not invading their privacy... come on, Nino! You two can talk a little louder than THAT.
The few conversation fragments that she could pick up were disappointingly mundane... schoolwork, a bit about music, some idle chatter.
One half-step closer... then another...
...until a hand on her shoulder and a voice in her ear nearly made her jump.
"You can just go talk to them," hissed Alya. "To him. I thought that the two of you were past that now!"
Embarrassed, Marinette turned around to face her friend. "We are. I am. Mostly," she allowed, in a quiet voice. "He and I can just... you know... spend time together without my brain going all blah! But when I'm nervous, I still get this way sometimes."
They watched as Adrien's car pulled up, causing him to disengage from his conversation. He glanced back on the way down the stairs, seeing Marinette and making sure that she saw his little wave in her direction, which she returned with a smile.
"And why are you still so nervous about him?" Alya persisted, as Nino walked over to join the two of them. "Clearly, he just can't stand to be near you," she quipped, sarcastically.
"This isn't about me... you know, crushing on him," insisted Marinette. She pondered for a moment whether or not she should've said that in front of Nino, then grudgingly mumbled towards him, "Oh, as if you didn't know by now."
"I'm well aware, and I'm cheering you on," Nino smiled back. "What's up?"
"Something is really bothering Adrien lately," Marinette declared. "Something deep down, something that he's trying to hide from everyone. He's putting up a false front and trying to look normal, but I'm just sure that I'm right."
"I think you are," Nino agreed.
"So what is it?" wondered Marinette. "It seems like it's something about this time of year. Last Christmastime, he seemed upset like this, too. This year's just as bad, maybe worse."
"You're right, Marinette," mused Alya. "We'd talked about that back then."
"It's family-related, I think. That's the one thing that he and I don't talk about very much, and he hasn't mentioned anything else bothering him," replied Nino. "He knows that his dad can't stand me for some reason, so he tries to spare me from hearing about him. And if he ran down every little thing his dad does that drives him nuts, that's all we'd ever talk about! I mean... I've told him that he can, that I'm here to listen. But he kinda holds back."
"And he really doesn't have anyone else to talk to there, does he?" Marinette agreed. "His mother's... well... gone? His cousin's a real jerk, and he's not around much, anyway. That secretary of his father's seems like a cold fish, and the big guy..."
"Adrien likes his bodyguard a lot," Nino confirmed. "But they don't talk much. That guy doesn't say much to anybody."
"Marinette... you could just say to Adrien, 'Hey, if you ever want to talk about anything, I'd like to listen,' and see what he does," suggested Alya. "Coming from you, he might go for it."
"You think so?"
Marinette looked uncertain at that. "I mean, you and Adrien are very close," she continued, directed at Nino. "And if he's not comfortable talking about it with you... I don't know if he'd want to open up with me..."
Nino simply glanced at his girlfriend, who smiled back at him. A silent message of Someday she'll figure this out passed between them.
"Give it a shot," he suggested to Marinette. "What have you got to lose?"
"I m-might," she replied. "But there is... uh... one other thing I think I'll want to try first."
I really should not be doing this.
Blue eyes stared through a window, one that she had fantasized many times about slipping through in the dead of night for amorous reasons. This was decidedly not the dead of night; it was more mid-evening, and her object of adoration was most certainly still awake.
I'm going to get caught.
At present, he was seated at his piano... but even a relative novice such as Ladybug could tell that his playing was more halfhearted noodling than serious practice. From her windowsill perch, she had heard him engage in dazzling displays of talent with classical pieces, songs that she couldn't identify on her own but which were clearly intricate and far beyond a novice. But on this night, there was a little of that, then what sounded roughly like a theme song from a television sitcom, then a bit of "Chopsticks"... and then silence.
He is going to turn this way and see me, and I'm going to turn as red as my costume.
As Adrien stood up, Ladybug slid her crouched position over to the side, doing her best to remain undetected. He walked over to his computer and began doing something on that, though seemingly without much more enthusiasm. A short while later, he got up once more, walked over to his bed and flopped down on it, face-in-pillow.
That is NOT the buttercup I know and love, Ladybug told herself. Something IS really bothering him.
Now, I COULD step through the window and see if he'd like a visitor... and probably scare him out of a year's growth by just showing up like that, she reasoned.
Or...
Coming to a decision, she hopped back up onto the railing, then let herself drop down to the grass one floor below. "Spots off," she whispered.
Tikki floated in front of Marinette's face, post-transformation. "What are you doing?" she hissed.
"It's not what I'm doing. It's what I need you to do for me," Marinette countered. "Go up there and find out what you can about Adrien's mood while he's not paying attention, okay? See if there are any clues as to what's bothering him. Something he wrote, something on his computer, a picture, anything that'd hint at what's on his mind."
Tikki stared back. "You're serious," she deadpanned.
"I'm serious. If I go in there as Ladybug and ask him directly what's bothering him, and then I approach him about it at school, that'll draw a straight line between Ladybug and me, right?" argued Marinette. "Stay out of sight, of course. If he does catch you, fly back to me and I'll transform, since he'll know that something strange is going on. Then I'll have to go in."
"Uh-huh."
"Tikki... listen to me," Marinette pleaded. "I know that this is crazy, and I'm probably being childish just being here like this..."
"No, you're not," Tikki soothed her. "You're not. You are trying to help your good friend, who's been in emotional pain. That's who you are, that's what you do; you help others just because you can. I find that to be remarkably mature, not childish."
The Kwami grinned and added, "I may not agree with this particular method... but I think I know a way to make it work. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Now, stay out of sight."
Marinette crept over by a nearby bush, while Tikki flew up to Adrien's window once more.
Up in Adrien's room, Tikki did what seemed best to her in the situation. Keeping a safe distance from Adrien, who seemed oblivious to the world around him, she refrained from rummaging through his belongings and, instead... simply fluttered about a bit. It only took about a minute.
"...Sugarcube?" Plagg gasped as he approached her. "What are you doing here? Alone? Did something bad happen?"
"Nothing bad. Relax. Come over here in the corner and keep quiet," she instructed him. "My host is downstairs, hiding for the moment."
"She finally came over to ravish her partner in the dead of night?" wondered Plagg. "Good. He could use a bit of that right now."
"N-no, that's not it at all," chuckled Tikki, holding back an audible laugh. "She's down at ground level and she sent me in to gather information. And, no, she still has no idea that he's her partner."
"Still doesn't rule out ravishing... but now, I'm confused."
"Let me put it this way," Tikki sighed. "Your host is feeling really down lately, and he's hiding it. My host noticed that anyway, and she's really worried about him. What's going on with him lately?"
"Yeah, that makes more sense," Plagg agreed. "And she's not at all wrong... though I'm not sure how she can help."
Picking some leaves and a bramble or two out of her hair, Marinette considered her choices that had led her to this position.
Maybe I didn't think this all the way through, she shivered. I need the information that I hope Tikki's getting for me right now... but I didn't think to put on a coat before I transformed. It is COLD out tonight, I have mud stains on my jeans, and this was NOT the best bush for me to hide underneath...
Tikki'll think of that, right? She'll just ask Adrien, "Can I borrow a jacket of yours, and maybe that nice blue scarf your father gave you? No reason."
The sound of a dog barking in the distance, perhaps not all that far away, broke that train of thought for her.
The Agrestes don't have... GUARD DOGS, do they? she worried. I've never seen them here - I've only been here a handful of times - Adrien's never mentioned anything like that - Mr. Agreste could've just gotten them recently - if one of them comes and finds me, I can't even run, not that it would matter much if - AHH!
A sudden nearby movement made Marinette jump and suppress a yelp of fear.
"Goodness, Marinette. It's only me," Tikki giggled.
"Of course it is," she mumbled back. "Did you find out anything useful?"
"As a matter of fact, I did," answered Tikki. "And I suggest that you get us out of here and back to your room, and then I'll tell you what I know."
"G-gladly," smiled Marinette. "Spots on!"
Well... I had to ask, thought Marinette, tucked beneath her covers in a somber mood. She was much warmer than she'd been two hours before... but something in her mind was still making her shiver, just a little bit.
Tikki had sat her down and explained that she'd "figured out a few things" from what she'd found in his room. "Kwami's intuition. Piecing a few clues together. You know."
Marinette hadn't challenged her on that, being more interested in what she'd found out than how.
"Nino was right. What's bothering Adrien the most is family-related, it appears. But, for once, it's not all about his father," Tikki explained. "Adrien was very close with his mother, before what happened to her. This is his second Christmas without her. The first year, I think that he still had quite a bit of hope that some kind of miracle could happen, that she could return to them. But two years later? That hope's beginning to wear pretty thin."
"Ohhhh," Marinette sighed. "So he's seeing Christmas decorations and trees and presents and carolers and everything about the season, and it's making him dwell on the family that he used to have. And with his father being so difficult, so distant towards him..."
"Exactly. He's got a huge gap in his life right now. He's reaching out for family, he needs a close connection with the people in his life... and he's just not finding it."
"He has his friends from school, at least," argued Marinette. "He has Nino in particular."
"Nino is a very good friend to Adrien," parried Tikki. "But sometimes boys have... difficulty talking about their emotions with other boys. It's just not a topic that tends to jump right at them, you know?"
"I'm not sure that I do, entirely."
"Would you say that your relationship with Adrien, even while it's still just friendly, is the same as his and Nino's?" asked Tikki, which made Marinette look thoughtful as she pondered that. "I think that he needs someone close to him who's more... full of compassion. Who has empathy for how he feels, how he hurts, how he can heal. With whom he can express himself, without fear or shyness. A more feminine perspective, you might say," she continued, hinting so hard that she felt like she should just hold up a GO GET HIM AND HOLD HIM ALREADY sign.
"I... need to think about this," Marinette offered, weakly.
"It's not all on you," Tikki replied. "You're right; he does have good friends, including you. He values you all very much; it's so obvious. He thinks the world of you, and deep down, you know that. So if he's hurting, don't even begin to think that it's somehow your fault. You're doing lots of things to help him already."
"I don't think that... I wouldn't... um... yeah," she sighed, with a sad smile. "I feel like I should have seen how bad it was before I did. I should've understood it better."
"Start with this. He is in pain, inside... and you saw that before almost anyone else did. You've got a headstart on being there for him. How you want to do that is up to you."
Marinette took a deep breath. "Thank you, Tikki," she smiled. "You have such a good perspective on things."
"One of many reasons that I'm here," Tikki smiled back.
And so, sleep and answers struggled for dominance over Marinette's mind... leaving her staring at her ceiling, with neither sleep nor answers within her current reach.
So many things make more sense to me now.
From the day that I met him, reasoned Marinette, Adrien was reaching out to everyone he met, trying to hard to make friends. To the point where he even managed to coexist with CHLOÉ for years, in ways that I will never understand.
But it wasn't just friendship that he wanted. He wasn't that far out from losing his mother, was he? He wanted... he needed people to BOND with. Who could help him process what his life had become... and help him feel something deeper.
Like me. That's why he tried to hard to make amends that day, even though I'd misjudged him. He'd hoped that I could be someone like that for him.
And we are... kind of close now? I think so. Much more than we once were, when I could barely say ten words to him without babbling. But...
Marinette bit her lip gently.
...But I could have been so much more for him than that, if I hadn't let my hormones and my crush get in the way. I could have been the kind of person that he needed most. His confidant. Better emotional support, instead of confusing him so many times.
A REAL friend..
And I think that I still could.
She rolled over onto her side, frowning a bit.
I still don't know quite what to make of his mother, she wondered. I mean... she's dead, or at least the rest of the world thinks so. They had a funeral and everything!
But Adrien seems to think that there's something else at work there, that she's... gone, not dead? And that she could come back. And he's hinted that his FATHER's hinted the same thing.
What can that even... mean?
I mean... if she IS in the ground, there's nothing to be done about that, and Adrien's just clinging to a false hope... and I have no idea how to help him let go of that gracefully. Not a clue in the world.
He's never talked much about her with me. Or with Ladybug, either. I might... I might have to ask him about her, one way or the other. Maybe he knows something important about her that I don't!
But in the meantime...
If the only woman in his life is that stonefaced assistant of his father's... Tikki may be right. He really doesn't have anyone female to connect with any more.
Now, I can't be a mother figure for him...
I know that I can't replace his mother in his life. And, good lord, I would never want to! If Adrien ever looked at me and said, "Marinette, you're like a mother to me," I think that I'd scream and soil myself and die right there.
I don't want to just... complicate things, either, by throwing myself at him. If he's all tied up inside, the last thing he'd need now is me babbling on about love and romance and dating and that stuff. It'd be so inappropriate... and I'd make a fool of myself.
So what's left for me to do?
Marinette's anxieties rallied for one more push, trying to drive everything else out of her mind... but her compassion proved to be an immovable object, and this time, one which would prevail.
If I am brave enough... I know a way that I could approach him.
I'm not sure if he could ever look at me as a potential girlfriend, if I do this... it's kind of hammering "I'm your REALLY GOOD FRIEND" into the ground like a tent stake.
...But that might be what he needs more.
On the next-to-last school day before Christmas, Marinette entered Ms. Bustier's classroom with a tingle running down her spine. Most of her friends were already in their seats, and the usual greetings took place. Adrien's smile towards her seemed genuine, and there was a hint of his usual warmth behind his eyes... but only briefly.
She paused, gathering her willpower... then placed a small, folded-up note in front of him, gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile rather than a goony grin, and took her seat above him with as little fanfare as possible.
"What was that?" Alya nudged her, quietly. "That isn't... what I think it is, is it?"
"No," Marinette emphasized, in a barely audible whisper. "If I ever have the nerve to do a big confession, I wouldn't just put it in a note."
"Then... what?"
"Shhh," Marinette hushed her. "There's something that I need to talk to him about. And..."
They watched as Adrien finished reading the note, turned around and gave Marinette a small nod.
"...and I'll let you know later how it went," she whispered to Alya, as she smiled at Adrien's acceptance and he turned back to face their teacher. "For once, I know what I'm doing."
...I hope, she thought.
Marinette sat at a table in the back of the school library, trying to appear nonchalant and comfortable, not a worry in the world, a breezy smile on her face...
...though as Adrien stepped through the library's front door and saw her, she felt as if her face was glowing like Rudolph's fabled nose, but persevered nonetheless. No going back now, she told herself as Adrien approached, keeping her smile intact.
"H-hi," Adrien greeted her, taking his seat next to her at the table. "I hope that I'm not late."
"Not at all," said Marinette. "This isn't going to take up our whole lunch period... or at least it shouldn't. I don't think so."
"Ever since I read your note, I've been wondering what was on your mind," Adrien noted, concern in his expression. "Is everything okay with you, Marinette?"
"Yes, it is. Don't look so worried," she assured him. "This is... actually, I'm more worried about you. But-"
"You are?"
"I am," she continued. "That's why I asked you here today... I was hoping that we could talk about it for a little while. If you're okay with that."
"S-sure," Adrien agreed, a little uncertainly. "I'd be happy to talk."
"Adrien... I think that I might know how hard things are for you right now," Marinette began. "I don't know all of the details; I couldn't. I don't get to see what it's like for you... at home," she sighed. "But I remember last Christmastime being very hard on you, so I've been keeping an eye on you this year... and you just don't seem anything like your normal self. It's really dragging on you, and..."
She watched, crestfallen, as his face and mood fell abruptly. "...I'd like to help," she trailed off.
Adrien was silent for a long moment. Finally, he managed, "...Is it that obvious?"
"For most people? Probably not," Marinette allowed. "I'm not the only friend of yours who's noticed it a little bit. You are very good at bottling things up and hiding them away and keeping a smile on your face, Adrien..."
"But I can't hide much at all from you, huh?"
"M-maybe not," she agreed, a little startled by that... though reassured that his tone remained warm. "Adrien... there's, um... something that I want you to have this Christmas."
"Ah!" Adrien jumped. "I don't... I do have something to give to you, but I wasn't planning on bringing it in until tomorrow-!"
"Oh?" Marinette interrupted. "Yeah, I... have something else for you, too..."
"I'm not quite finished working on it," apologized Adrien, "I was going to put the finishing touches on it tonight..."
"Adrien... wait," she told him. "This isn't... it's not about a gift exchange between us. Not the kind that you can unwrap, anyway." Feeling her face reddening further, she dove in...
"There's something that I want you to know that you have this Christmas. Something that's just for you. I hope that it'll help brighten your spirits and lighten your dark times. As long as you have it, you'll know that there's someone that you can always lean on, and... um... I truly hope that you'll want to keep it by you all year long."
"Really?" Adrien marvels. "What is it?"
Are you really going to do this? one part of Marinette's brain shrieked at her.
This is what you came here to do. Look at his face right now. He's hanging on your every word, another part counseled. It's now or never!
Before she could change her mind... Marinette reached down into her bag, pulled out a small red ribbon bow, and stuck it to the side of her forehead.
"It's m-me," she stammered.
Adrien's facial expression was absolutely astounding to Marinette.
This wasn't just a case of him grinning with joy, or exhibiting pop-eyed surprise, or struggling to find the right words to form his response. He wasn't visibly happy, sad or horrified. No... this was a full-on system crash. This was three pink elephants falling into the room and doing a festive dance for his enjoyment. This was an entire universe being rotated ninety degrees within his head.
"C-can I explain what I mean by that?" she murmured.
He remained silent.
"...Adrien?"
His mouth opened, but nothing came out at first. When it did, it wasn't much above a whisper:
"...Please."
"I want... I need to be someone whom you can always talk to, Adrien. About anything at all," Marinette breathed. "Someone that you never need to be afraid that she'll judge you, or laugh at you, or tell you that you're wrong to feel what you feel. I mean, if you tell a joke or something, of course I'll laugh, why wouldn't I laugh? But..."
As his eyes regained focus and his expression went from shocked blankness to wonder, Marinette gained a little confidence. "In good times and in bad. We've had our share of both since we met; this last year-and-a-half has been insane, hasn't it? Akumas and supervillains and evacuations and a trip to New York and a trip to outer space, and we've never known quite what to expect next. But, somehow... I've always felt safe when I've been with you, Adrien. And I want to be that kind of safe space for you."
"If it's three in the morning and you have a bad dream and you want to talk it out, I'll be listening," she continued. "If you have a rough day, or week, or month, I want to help you any way I can. If something makes you want to cry... these should be two arms that can hold you, where you can let it out. I want to k-k..."
I want to kiss your tears away, Marinette sighed to herself. Every single one of them. But saying that is going too far.
"I want to keep you as happy as you make me," she corrected herself. "As best I can. If you'd want that. Or if I've gone too far, if I sound like I'm crazy right now, that's okay, too. Just let me know..."
"M-Marinette..." breathed Adrien, shaking slightly.
"...Yeah?"
And without saying another word, he lunged forward and was next to her, on his knees, hugging her seated form tightly. She wrapped her own arms around him and held him close, and wouldn't let go.
It took a couple of minutes for the emotional storm to partially clear.
When Adrien leaned back, gazing up at her with utter adoration in his eyes, wild horses could not have made Marinette look away.
"...I hope this means that you liked your gift," she said, a little shyly. "And that I didn't just scare you off by being-"
"Marinette," he interrupted her, with enough subtext in the word to stop an army, which was more than sufficient to quiet her for the moment.
"...Uh-huh?"
"I need you to know... how much you astound me," Adrien began, as she held her breath. "I have never met anyone like you, Marinette. I don't think that I've ever dared to dream of someone like you. And every time I think that I've got you figured out, that I understand what to expect next... you never fail to surprise me."
"Y-you're not the easiest person to figure out, either," managed Marinette. "I'm just saying."
"What you just said to me... no one's ever said anything like that to me before. Nothing so beautiful. Ever," he continued. "I-I'm struggling for words."
He leaned closer... and she did, too.
Closer yet.
An overwhelming feeling took over Marinette's soul, a belief that the miracle was about to happen, that it was happening...
...and as if catching himself overstepping, Adrien pulled back, very slightly. His eyes still had stars in them, but his brief hesitation spoke louder to her, and she leaned back as well.
As I expected, part of her sighed, resignedly. But that doesn't matter. Look at him right now! You've found just what he needed... and that's what you wanted today, right?
And with that, her smile remained.
"As for my 'gift,'" Adrien added, "I'm... I'm overwhelmed."
"That... was a lot coming out of my mouth all at once," admitted Marinette. "You don't have to-"
"The good kind of overwhelmed," he insisted. "The I-can't-believe-someone-cares-that-much-about-me kind of overwhelmed."
"Well... I do," she replied, simply. "And I meant what I said."
Adrien's mouth closed for a moment, unable to do more than stare at her in awe. And when he spoke...
"I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng," he declared. "And I mean that."
Startled out of her wits... Marinette felt as if she'd spontaneously combusted.
There it is! He said the words! Maybe not quite how I'd imagined them, but...! floated through her head, making Marinette take a few seconds before answering.
"I l-love you, too, Adrien. I do. I have f-for a long time now."
A rush of excitement filled the air between them... but there was still air between them, a little buffer zone of awkwardness still present that neither seemed to dare to test fully. Seeing Marinette's slight hesitation and sudden burst of emotions, Adrien's concern returned.
"It... it doesn't have to be a romantic kind of love. Necessarily. Unless... well...", he stammered.
"Ha-ha! Yeah! Right," she mumbled in return. "That'd be silly of us to even think about that, I guess. Us! In a romance! Because..."
"Because," echoed Adrien.
"...you wouldn't want that," the two said in unison.
...followed by a look of complete surprise on Adrien's face.
"M-Marinette?" he asked, in a shaken tone. "When... when did I ever say that I wouldn't want that?"
Suddenly, it was Marinette's turn for everything she thought she knew about her world to turn out to be wrong.
"You... we... um... just now!" she declared, stumbling over her words. "I thought... I really thought that, just a minute ago... you were leaning over and you were about to... kiss me?" she explained. "But then you stopped yourself."
"I... I stopped myself because I didn't think that you'd want me to," Adrien emphasized, looking and sounding more and more nervous.
"I wouldn't?"
"You... you've told me twice now that you just don't see me that way," he continued. "That you were just a big fan of fashion, that you didn't mean anything by... certain things you've said and done. When I heard those wonderful things that you told me just now, and you even said that you love me too... I thought for a moment that you might've changed your mind. But I didn't want to take that chance and push myself at you, unless..."
"But... you... see me that way," Marinette replied, trying to believe it even as she said it.
Adrien wavered for a moment, but gathered his will. "Only if... only if you would want me to... but... but of course I do, Marinette. Of course I do!"
A strange sensation came over her...
When Marinette's vision cleared, she found herself floating alongside the table... somehow... looking down at Adrien and... herself? It seemed as if time itself had paused for the two of them.
Ah, she reasoned. I'm having an out-of-body experience. I've at least read about those, but this is a first for me!
Ghost-like, she fluttered down towards the tender moment in progress, examining it from all angles. Her face was flushed, her eyes were huge, and her facial expression was somewhere in between disbelief and utter rapture.
Checks out, I suppose, thought Marinette's spirit. I maintained bladder control, at least. If I was any redder right now, I could rent myself out as a fire truck, but I guess I can't blame myself much for that, huh?
Adrien's kneeling form seemed far more interesting to her in the moment. In any moment, really, but especially right now.
Oh, my gosh. He's... he's practically GLOWING!
The way that he's looking at me right now... those eyes of his! As soft as I've ever seen them...
The most kissable lips in the world, right there in front of me...
...and he just said that he didn't kiss me only because he thought I wouldn't want that! As if anyone would ever... wait!
He WANTS to kiss me!
He told me that he LOVES me!
All that I have to do is...
is...
...is to GET BACK IN THERE!
Quickly, Marinette's spirit dove back into her physical form and gave it the proper instructions. There was, of course, only one reasonable course of action that could come next.
"Here she comes..."
At Juleka's words, multiple heads turned towards the main entrance to the school cafeteria.
Alya had updated the Girl Squad on the basics of the situation; something was going on with Adrien, Marinette slipped him a note, she didn't want to say what she had up her sleeve, neither of them showed up for lunch, and it was the sacred duty of Marinette's close friends to pry every last detail out of her once she arrived. It was a moral imperative to help their friend however they could (and listen to all the potentially juicy bits), Alya had declared, to which there was general agreement among the group.
"Hmmph. She looks... kind of dazed," noted Alix.
"I think she looks happy!" Rose opined.
"She looks like she got hit by a truck," Alya quipped. "And somehow enjoyed the experience."
"Shhh! She'll hear you," Juleka cautioned them with a smile.
Marinette took her seat, conscious of her center-of-attention status. "Hello, everyone," she began, already reddening a bit.
"Hey! We've been waiting for you," Alya replied. "What's the story?"
"Are you all right, Marinette?" Juleka asked. "You look like you've just been through something... intense?"
"I'm definitely all right. Very, very all right," mumbled Marinette. "No complaints. I did what I set out to do."
She provided a quick rundown of what she'd surmised about Adrien, why she had suspected that he was hurting inside... and what she'd tried to do to help him.
"Ohhhhh," gasped Rose. "That was... I can't... I can believe that you did that, because it's you. But that took a lot of courage to approach him like that!"
"I was shaking inside. I won't deny that," admitted Marinette. "So we talked for a long while, and then, um..."
As she fell silent, the group leaned in with concern.
"Is there anything that we can help you with, Marinette?" asked Juleka.
"There... is one little thing," she replied, with a little smile. "I have a book report due next week, and I wanted to work on it soon, but, I, um... can't."
"Why not?" wondered Alix.
"I kind of got banned from the library for a week."
That got stares in return. "You what?" Alya blurted out.
"Well, it went something like this..." Marinette deadpanned. She shifted her voice into an imitation of the elderly librarian's:
"All right, you two! Stop that tomfoolery this instant! This is a school library... not MAKEOUT POINT!"
The eruption that followed was a valuable learning experience for the girls. As it turned out... while the cafeteria monitor was not quite as strict as the librarian was about such matters, the dining area also had excessive noise policies that all present were required to honor.
~fin~