Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous Ladybug, neither Love o2o and the novel.

Memory and reminiscence

*Patisserie: pastry shop

"So Marinette is madly in love with Adrien Agreste... this is going to be a problem." Colette is hiding behind the trees in the Informatics garden, spying on the conversation between Théo and Marinette. She had gone to the library to return some books from Lila and was surprised to see Marinette leaving the place. It wasn't the fact that she was studying until so late that surprised her, Marinette was known for how applied she was in her studies (something that also bothered her); what surprised her was that instead of heading down the shortest path to the girls' dorms, a detour was taken along another path. If her memory is correct, the Informatics Department was on that path and the curiosity didn't let her contain herself in going to follow her. When she reached the faculty, she was surprised a second time to see Théo from Journalism waiting for her with some gifts. Not to be seen, she hid behind the nearest tree with her back glued to it. In this way she couldn't see anything, but if she was discovered she could run and not face them. She didn't need to see, she just had to listen carefully to the boy's obvious statement.

What would she answer? Yes? No? If she accepted, she wouldn't have to worry about the matter between Adrien and Lila, and Marinette was a friend of the brunette with glasses... Alya? That was her name. Colette had noticed the looks Nino was throwing every time he saw her pass. She searched at the university forum and found no information, but it was obvious that Nino had a certain affection for her... She didn't know exactly what it was, but she didn't want the two of them to start talking, or even worse, dating. She had seen him first, she loved him since her year of General Studies and was not going to allow another girl to steal him. It's true that two years had passed, but all his time was consumed by Lila's errands. That spoiled princess, if it weren't for the surname Rossi she wouldn't have to endure it and impersonate being her friend. Surely she could be Nino's girlfriend by now!

Before her imagination kept flying, she heard Marinette's negative response. She is not that surprised, with all the photos scandal. Maybe she shouldn't have encouraged Théo to upload those photos...

She was about to leave so she wouldn't get into trouble when she heard the blue-haired declare her love for Adrien Agreste with a strange tone. Was she nervous? The girl began to praise the prince and with every comment her voice became sharper. It wasn't good that she rejected him, but she likes Adrien too? She had never shown any signs of that. In any case Colette needed to tell Lila now...

She waited for Marinette to say goodbye and get away enough to get out of her hiding spot. After a few minutes of total silence, she turned back to see if anyone else was left. All she saw was Théo with the bouquet of flowers in his hands and with his eyes on the ground, as if he had seen a ghost. To annoy him a little, she approached him with small leaps and let out a few laughs. Theo upon realizing her presence, looked away and began to pick up the balloons ignoring her.

"Hehehe, I had never heard of any of the Barbot family being rejected..." Colette laughs again at the young man's misfortune.

"Get out of my way Colette, were you spying on us?"

Colette pretends she didn't heard the question and comments again: "You were rejected by Marinette Dupain and worse, by Adrien Agreste! Although you don't think it's better that way? I don't know what you see in her, she's nothing special."

Although it was dark and they only had the low illumination of the lampposts on the road, you could see that Théo's face was completely red because of the shame and annoyance that the girl was causing him. This time with more authority, he raised his voice as a warning.

"Colette, leave me alone. Don't even think about commenting about this in the forum, because if not, you will see what I can do, and I don't think your family would be happy to hear that their daughter is in bad terms with the Barbots, right?" with that, Théo picks up the last balloon, throws everything into the nearest trash container and walks away leaving the brunette rumbling. She also decides to return to her bedroom when she sees that she will not get anything and decides to call Lila before it gets late.

"Hello Colette? Did you return the books I asked for? "

"Lila! You won't believe what I just saw!"Colette returned to her best friend act.

"What did you see?"

"Well, I was returning from the library when…"

Colette began telling her what she had heard, while on the other side of the phone Lila was relieved that she had removed Marinette from her uncle's job candidates. Marinette had the advantage to be in the same faculty/department of Adrien, but that wasn't enough. Marinette's family was not poor, in fact they had a large chain of the best patisseries* in the country, but she was a Rossi, a family recognized worldwide for its great technology advances. There was no way she will lose to her.

"For now we have to find a way to sink Marinette..."

"ADRIEN AGRESTE HEARD YOU?!"

"Yes! But now the whole building will find out if you keep screaming!" Marinette reproached her friends in whispers. "It's so humiliating! I don't want everyone to know…"

"Well, who told you that you had to shout it? You just had to tell him that you liked Adrien so that Théo would get away from you, not yelling at the top of your lungs the reasons why you 'wanted him'." Chloè tells her with a laugh.

"I was nervous! You know I don't like to lie for these kinds of reasons… I just hope nobody finds out."

"This kind of situation didn't happened to you since we finished high school." Rose tells her when she calms down.

"Yes! How could we forget? Mari found ways to embarrass herself in ways no one could… Do you remember when she tripped over the desk leg and fell into the lap of the physics teacher?" Alya began to retell them of embarrassing moments from her best friend.

"The teacher had his arms raised in surprise and Marinette had been so shocked! Do you remember that time she accidentally entered the boys' locker room in P.E?" Rose joined the gossip.

"Or that time she fell down the stairs at the entrance of the school?

"And this time when the dogs started chasing her because one urinated in her shoe?"

"And when she fell asleep in class and when the teacher woke her up she said she had to save the city from evil butterflies?

"Or that time when-"

"STOOOOOP!" Marinette was completely flushed. She worked hard to leave that clumsiness behind. These years in the university she had managed to live like any other student, now it turns out that this happens in front of Adrien Agreste. "Let me die here right now."

Her friends calm her laughter slowly and this time try to cheer her up.

"Don't worry so much, you said he was with his friends, did you recognize any?"

Marinette tried to remember. "There were three boys, one of them was Nino. But I couldn't see them much."

"Then I don't think they will find problems or misunderstandings."

They all turn to see Alya with the question "Why?" Drawn on their faces.

"Nino knows that Théo was trying to get your attention and that we were discussing some ways to reject him. I didn't tell him in detail, but I think he knows enough that Adrien and his group don't need to theorize much."

"Well that calms me a little bit..." Marinette gives up and throws herself on Rose's legs. "Speaking of Nino, how are you two doing?" Marinette throws a mischievous smile at her friend.

"Yes! Since that time we saw him we don't know how you have been." Rose gets excited when they mention Alya's relationship.

This time it's the brunette who blushes. "Fine I guess... I don't have much to tell."

Chloè gives her a look. "Not much, you say. Yesterday when I returned you were on the cell phone with you know who, talking for about thirty minutes smiling like a dork. You didn't even notice my presence, something very difficult by the way. Who will know how long ago they had been speaking."

With the three pairs of eyes on her, Alya had no choice but to speak a little more. "It's true that not much has changed. It's nothing negative, but with all this keeping it a secret, it doesn't let us spend much time together on campus. The dates have to be outside and with our schedules it is a bit difficult. That's why we make long calls. I want Adrien to be taken so we don't need to hide anymore..." This time jokingly Alya addresses Marinette. "Don't you want to fall in love with Adrien, make him fall at your feet and start dating to help me?"

Marinette laughs sarcastically and throws a pillow at her. "So funny."

"Oh, but it would be perfect! Both have good grades and from the same department, you would be a powerful couple..." Rose began to daydream "People could make a book, no, a movie about you in the future!"

Marinette rolls her eyes upon hearing her friend's fantasy. "Who would go see that video...?"

In Marinette's head an idea appeared with the mention of video. And it wasn't a bad idea...

[Private Chat - ClanNoir]

[Ladybug]: Hey!

[Ladybug]: It's good that you are logged

[Ladybug]: I had an idea but I need your help for this.

[DarkCupid]: oh!

[DarkCupid]: sister-in-law!

[DarkCupid]: You can tell us, there is nothing we can't do!

[DJCarapace]: Even if we couldn't, I bet you that your husband would do the impossible.

[Plagg&Cheese]: yes yes

[Plagg&Cheese]: this guy takes virtual marriage very seriously…

[ChatNoir]: You don't need to speak for me

[ChatNoir]: Let her talk, children.

Marinette laughs watching the screen. It is true that they tend to behave like children, even Chat lets his inner child escape sometimes.

[Ladybug]: I thought of making a video

[TheSilencer]: for the competition?

[Ladybug]: yes

[Ladybug]: Since the couples' competition hasn't started yet, I wanted to make a video and I already have an idea of what to do.

[ChatNoir]: are you sure?

[Ladybug]: Yep!

[Ladybug]: My idea was about a man and a woman with alter egos fighting together against crimes

[Ladybug]: and they are known throughout the city because of the good team they make

[Ladybug]: But they don't know their true identities, so that prevents them from starting a relationship.

[TheSilencer]: wow

[TheSilencer]: not a bad idea

[TheSilencer]: I like it

[DJCarapace]: me too! I'm in!

[DarkCupid]: me too!

[DarkCupid]: But can they be super heroes?

[DarkCupid]: so we can explain the special movements with our weapons.

[Plagg&Cheese]: that would make more sense

[Plagg&Cheese]: we could play as the villains

[Plagg&Cheese]: I want to be the last boss!

[ChatNoir]: You have a good base

[ChatNoir]: Have you done any script?

[Ladybug]: I'm finishing the introduction

[Ladybug]: Is it okay if I send it to you in a few minutes for you to check it?

[ChatNoir]: Sure.

Outside the game, Adrien was playing a small duel against one of MV's monsters on the laptop in his parents' living room. He had an apartment for him alone but he had promised to visit them from time to time. Besides, it wasn't bad to have company sometimes. If it wasn't for the mess of his friends...

"Hey, are you busy?" Adrien turns to see his father, Gabriel Agreste, with a small smile. Adrien really liked seeing him like that. When he was thirteen, his mother was involved in the disappearance of one of her expeditions abroad and his father was severely affected. He distanced himself from him, but placed many restrictions on his son and didn't let him leave after school. Maybe if it wasn't for him, his father would have boarded the first plane and would go find his wife without having to leave it to the authorities. Over the years it got worse: they no longer spent time together, only at dinner time; Gabriel spent his time working and hired more people to take care of Adrien. He even wanted to convince Adrien to quit video games and start studying something serious. Although Adrien didn't agree with many of his father's decisions, he didn't tell him much because he knew he was only worried about the possibility of losing him. He knew that his mother's absence had affected both of them.

It was when Adrien was seventeen when they found his mother in the depths of the jungle. Apparently they had an accident and nearby tribes had welcomed the survivors. The problem had been that Emilie suffered from amnesia and couldn't remember anything until years later. When they found her and took her back home, the two men cried like no other day. Emilie was welcomed and the family's loose ties were united again. It was a slow process, but they got it over time. Father and son started talking more often and Emilie convinced his father to give him more freedom. "He is your son. He is already big and can make his own decisions. If he makes a mistake, he will have to learn to solve it and it is our duty to support him." Really, Emilie was the heart of the small family.

"No I'm not busy. Did you want to talk?" Adrien replies by pausing the game on the computer.

Gabriel smiles at him again. "Do you want to play a game of chess?"

The two men sit at the table in front of each other and start the game. It may look boring, but Adrien enjoys these little moments when small conversations arise with his father. Although this time, he is almost sure what they are going to talk about. Before that, Emilie approaches during her father's turn, brings them some cups of tea and sits next to her husband. Since he had been concentrated, his father hadn't noticed her presence and was surprised to turn around and see her so close.

"Aish... you scared me." Gabriel says after sighing, but Adrien doesn't miss the almost-no-visible smile on his face. "Stop looking at me, I get nervous when they see me play."

Mrs. Agreste by her side laughs and rolls her eyes. "How picky. You just want me to go because you don't want to be seen when you lose against your son."

Adrien was smiling at the scene. The two had begun to whisper and exchange discreet smiles. Adrien was more than happy, now if Marinette were here it could be even better...

"You haven't even seen much of the game, how do you know I'm going to lose?"

"Why else would you bother being seen? You get that way when you know you're going to lose." With another laugh and a small pat on Adrien's shoulder, Emilie leaves the room.

"Look, she's only been here for a second and says I'm going to lose. This woman..."

Adrien laughs again and ends his play. "Well she hasn't told any lies..."

The two laugh together and the atmosphere looks much cozier. Yes, she was there for a second but managed to completely change the environment with a couple of comments.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about something more serious." His father says as he finishes his move. "I know that you have always known what you want to do and have always achieved what you set out… and I'm not worried about that. You are very talented, but you use that talent for online games, wouldn't it be better to use it for something else?"

Adrien listens to him while he moves one of the pieces on the board. "Father, why do you write architecture and design books?"

"Well, to share my knowledge, share information and ideas so that others can use it and continue to learn." His father finishes his play.

"I also want to do that when I create games. I want to share my ideas and concepts with others and represent them in a world that I can create. I want to help in the growth in one of my passions which not only can help in online games, but in some future, those ideas may be applied in our reality." Adrien ends his turn.

His father closes his eyes for a moment and when he opens them he smiles by moving another chess piece. "I give up on this topic... your turn."

"Anyway, this game is not the only thing I want to do, our company will look for a new goal later." Adrien ends his turn.

Gabriel sighs and keeps playing. "Well, your plans don't sound bad. Okay, I will support you."

Adrien thanks him enthusiastically. It is satisfying to get approval from your family.

"By the way, next week I will go to your design elective class."

"What are you going for?" His father mocks "Isn't it enough for you to read what is posted on the course page?"

Adrien smiles at him, it's true. "I heard that your course attendance is low, I will help raise the percentage." Adrien moves a final piece "Checkmate."

His father, listening to the absurd comment and noticing his defeat, begins to laugh.

Author notes:

Well, a memories chapter, I hope you like it. Thank you for all your comments, I'm glad that you are liking the story and don't be content to ask me questions if you have them. Thanks for reading!

Twitter: Little_Rain0048

-LR