"Miraculous, ladybug!"
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The magic of the ladybugs erased the damage caused by the akumatized person which the two heroes had just released from Hawkmoth's control.
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"Well done, my lady!" said Cat Noir as he presented his fist to his partner. Ladybug smiled at him and bumped her fist against his.
"Thank you for being a feline shield for me, chaton." she said.
"I'm happy you think that I was purrfect, dear Ladybug! I would never let a villain touch a single one of your spots." cooed the cat.
"Stop your nonsense, Cat Noir."
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Their miraculouses beeped at the same time. They waved at each other and left. Ladybug landed in a deserted alley and detransform. She looked at the time on her phone.
"Oh no, I'm going to be late again!" shouted Marinette. "Lunchtime ends in less than 10 minutes!"
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She ran as fast as she could until she reached the school, where she rushed inside. She did not see Adrien standing near the entrance and she hit him head-on. The two teenagers fell over in a shower of papers.
"I'm really sorry!" blurted Marinette. "I didn't see you... A-Adrien?!"
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The girl blushed brightly.
"Oh, my God! I hope I didn't hurt you!" she cried, still sitting on the floor.
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Adrien, who was already on his feet, reached out to her. She grabbed his hand and he helped her up.
"Don't worry, Marinette. It's all right. Are you okay?" asked the boy.
"Y-yes! Hold on, I'll pick up our stuff!" she replied, picking up the mess caused by her clumsiness.
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"Good timing, it just so happens that I wanted to talk to you." continued the young man, who nervously passed a hand behind his neck. "Nathalie just told me that my photo shoot tonight was postponed and... I was wondering if... well, if you agree... I wanted to know if your invitation for dinner still stands..."
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Marinette froze and looked at her friend.
"Um, yes, of course!" she said. "But I just have to check in with my parents. I'll call them during break."
"Perfect, I'll be waiting to hear from you."
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They went to their class. Marinette was not paying attention at all, eager to call her parents. Having Adrien over for dinner at home tonight! She couldn't have hoped for more. The bell finally rang for the break. The girl spoke to her mother who accepted without hesitation.
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Marinette caught up with Adrien.
"It'll be okay for tonight! Do you want to walk home together or will you join us later?" she asked.
"I'm free right after school. We could take a detour through the park before we go to your place, if you'd like." he replied.
"Y-yes, awesome!"
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The rest of the afternoon seemed far to long. Marinette had her head in the clouds. Alya even had to elbow her, after Mrs. Bustier asked her a question twice without her hearing it.
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When the bell finally rang at the end of the day, Adrien met up with Marinette at her locker. She jumped when she saw him as she closed the door. They took the path towards the park and discussed this and that. The sun was shining and the weather was nice. At one point, their arms accidentally brushed against each other. She shivered when she felt this and hoped that her friend didn't notice anything.
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They arrived at the girl's house and sat at the table with her parents. Adrien felt almost like a member of the Dupain-Cheng family as Marinette's parents were so warm to him. It was lively around the table, between the dishes that were passed around and the conversations that were going well. The young man's face was lit with a huge smile.
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After the meal, they went up to the girl's room. They decided to sit on the balcony to study. They had to study for a test the next day so they took turns asking questions. They finished pretty quickly.
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Marinette had placed several cushions in a covered corner of the balcony. They decided to sit there. Adrien was feeling nervous. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he felt more than friendship for her. He felt so good by her side! He thought that his heart belonged only to Ladybug, but he was no longer so sure. Also, his lady had made it clear to him that she was interested in someone else...
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The young man didn't know if he should talk about what was going on inside him... After all, the young lady hadn't left his thoughts since that famous photo shoot. Even last night, he had dreamt that he was kissing her and when he woke up, he found himself disappointed that it wasn't real.
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He was pulled from his thoughts by Marinette.
"You're very quiet... Is everything all right?" asked the girl.
"Y-yes... I... I've been easily distracted for some time, that's all..." he replied.
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The young man's heart pounded as he turned towards his friend. Their eyes met. Marinette blushed brightly.
"Marinette..." Adrien briefly closed his eyes to give himself courage. "I wanted to tell you that... with you... I really feel... good. I... I..."
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The girl wondered if she was dreaming. Her heart was beating so fast that she feared her friend would hear it. She saw in his green eyes, a deep glow, like she had never seen before.
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Adrien leaned towards Marinette very slowly, never looking away. It was as if an invisible force was drawing him to her. Should he...? Was it the right thing to do? His eyes glanced at the girl's red lips, before diving back into the ocean of blue in her eyes. If he did, he'd know if that's really what he wanted... wouldn't he?
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When the blond man's face was only a few centimetres from hers, Marinette thought she was about to faint. Was he going to... She couldn't finish her thought because warm lips met hers. They were both surprised and backed away slightly, blushing.
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Then Adrien timidly put his arms around the girl's waist, gently drawing her towards him. He kissed her again, certain that this was what they both wanted. She put her arms around his neck and deepened their kiss, her fingers getting tangled in his blond hair.
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After a moment, they looked at each other and laughed nervously. Marinette rested her head on the young man's shoulder and closed her eyes. He sighed happily, his face lit with a sweet smile. They stood like this, without speaking, seizing the moment in each other's arms, as if time had stopped.