Chapter 4: Heart lesson

Another day, another morning. It's amazing how every beautiful day gets ruined from the word go simply because it has to start with a morning. Days would be so much better if they started around noon when things slowed down. Mornings were always a rush, having to get up and start moving quickly enough to be ready for what society decided should be the start of the day.

Living at a bakery, you'd expect Marinette to get used to early mornings. With her parents up and baking hours before the sun came up, it should have come naturally for her to join their routine. Wake up early and achieve a multitude of tasks before the sane people of the city left their beds. Alas, that was not to be. Marinette found it excruciatingly difficult to pull herself out of the comfort of her bed.

Routine helps to get through it all. Get up, wash face, brush teeth, stand in front of the mirror trying out different outfits she's made, put on the same clothes as always, have a quick breakfast, throw a few chocolate-chip cookies into her purse, kiss mom, hug dad and out the door to school.

Art was always Marinette's favorite lesson. She had the freedom to let herself explore, work with different mediums, and try her hands with various art forms. At home she concentrated on her primary passion - fashion designs. At school, she dove into every assignment and experience it to the fullest. Lately, it was painting. Painting still life, painting landscapes, and today they were painting Mia. A gangly pretty girl with long blonde hair, stretched out legs, and elongated dark eyelashes. Marinette was convinced she got her long body from being tortured on "the rack", even if Nath insisted 'it hasn't been done in centuries'. True or not, Mia was far from professional, giggling often when setting up the pose and moving too much during the session. She was not there for the art, she was enjoying a get-out-of-class-free card by posing for them three times a week. A few of the guys muttered this would be much more interesting if they were painting a nude. Marinette thought this would be much more interesting if they swap the model for another blond one. He was a professional model, afterall. And it could still be a nude painting.

At that thought, Marinette froze and turned bright red. She stood there with the brush in the air, her eyes wide open and her heart beating fast.

"Mari, are you ok?"

Marinette jolted, her hand jerking up over her head, sending paint up only to come down on her face.

"What? Oh? Yah, I'm fine. Why would I be otherwise? We are just standing here painting Mia, not someone else, with his clothes on, I mean her clothes." She turned to Nathaniel, her face burning so hot she could smell the smoke coming out her ears.

"Ok, you just looked distracted." Nathaniel looked worried. Although, Marinette distracted was not a rare occurrence.

"How is your painting going?" Marinette pushed the attention away from herself.

"Not too bad, although nothing I'm proud of. I wish Mia would stop changing positions."

"What are you talking about?" Marinette said, peeking over to check out Nathaniel's painting. "This is amazing. She looks better in your painting than in real life."

"That's because I didn't capture her personality."

"Nath!" Marinette giggled, "don't be nasty."

Marinette tried hard to concentrate on her painting for the rest of the lesson. She struggled to look at Mia without blushing and was sure that her painting looked more masculine than it should. She stayed in during the break to complete the painting.

She managed a better job with no one in the room. Then the silence broke by the door swinging open and rapidly shut. She could hear the heavy breathing of whoever had just rushed into the room. Peering around her painting, she found Nino leaning against the door, his head resting on the door with his eyes closed.

"Nino?"

"Who! What… Marinette! What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you that. This is the Art room. I do art. You do not."

"Oh, yeah." Nino's face changed from startled to embarrassed. "So, em, what you're doing?" He walked around to stand next to Marinette. "Wow. This is really good. You... em... really captured the essence of this person. It is, like, em, you know, really artistic." He looked at her with a lopsided grin. "So, Mari. How have you been doing?"

Marinette let it slide.

"I've been better. I'm struggling to get this painting right, since what you're seeing is not the essence of this person." Nino looked sheepish at those words. "I'm about to fail Physics as I am not following anything in class. I'm exhausted, getting headaches and waking up feeling I haven't slept a wink. Enough about me, ok? Spill. What are you doing here?" She suspected she knew. "It looks like you are running away and hiding from someone."

"Hiding? Me?" Nino would not meet her eyes. Marinette was sure Nino was blushing, but she could not see it on his dark skin.

"So…. How are things with Cheriss?" Nino's surprised look was so funny that Marinette had to suppress a giggle.

"Cheriss? Why... em… they are great. Why do you ask?" Nino absently moved his fingers around in her paints, playing it cool and disinterested.

She took his hand away and used a tissue to wipe his blue finger.

"So tell me. Why are you hiding from Cheriss? I thought you guys were doing well. It sure looks that way. You're together all the time. I worried your lips will fall off with all that kissing."

Now she was sure he was blushing and could not stop herself from laughing.

"Stop it!" Nino said with indignation. "We are doing just fine. I just want some time to myself, that's all. She tends to be… em… how shall I say it…"

"Clingy?" Marinette offered.

"Well…" Nino seemed uncomfortable.

"Needy?" she tried again.

"Ah…" definitely uncomfortable.

"Insecure?"

"I guess...well... Yes."

"Which one?" she asked with a straight face.

"All, I guess," he deflated, his body losing its strength. He wavered a little and put his hand on her painting for support.

"I'm sorry," Marinette felt guilty, but honestly, she was getting back at him, a little bit, for Alya.

"Don't get me wrong, she's great and I enjoy spending time with her."

"I'm sure you do," she puckered her lips as if for a kiss.

"Go away and leave me alone!" Nino whined.

"I'm sorry" Marinette apologized again. She wasn't sure what got into her, she wasn't usually like this. "But Nino, why hide from her. Just let her know you need some space."

Nino was quiet for some time. He looked up and studied Marinette's face, worry etched on his. She let her concern for Nino show on her face. She might not like Cheriss but she did like Nino and she wanted him to be happy, even if it was not with who she wanted. Would she be able to want Adrien to be happy with someone who wasn't her? Now was not the time to think on that. Now was about Nino and Alya. No, just about Nino.

Nino was still looking at her. With all her mixed thoughts, she was no longer sure what was showing on her face.

"I don't think she could take it," he said at last. "If I tell her 'I need some space' she will believe I am breaking up with her. If I go somewhere and not take her with me, she believes I don't want to be with her. If I talk to," he paused and looked away for a few seconds. "If I talk to Alya, then she's convinced that I am cheating on her and leaving her for Alya."

"Nino," Marinette chose her words carefully, "if Cheriss were to give you some space and not monopolize your time, would you stay with her or would you drift away?"

"I would stay with her, I'm not looking to run away. I want to be with her, she is fun. I just want time to do my thing, like hang out with Adrien, without her. They don't really get along."

She could help him. Should she help him? What about Alya?

"Do you think it would be a good idea for me to talk to her? I'm not a threat to her, but she knows Alya is my best friend."

"It might be, I'm not sure. Cheriss might be insecure about our relationship, but she isn't stupid. Are you sure you want to do that? I do not want Alya to be upset with you. She might feel betrayed. I don't want that."

He didn't want Alya upset with her or he didn't want Alya upset? Could she help Nino? Would that be helping Cheriss instead of Alya? This whole thing was giving her a headache.

"I will speak to Alya first, to make sure we're cool."

"Dude, you're the best." Nino's smile relieved Marinette of most of her headache. "I've missed you this past year. I know it has been awkward. We must spend time as friends again. Me, you, Alya and Adrien. I know he would be happy to. He misses you too"

The warning bell for the next lesson distracted Nino, so he missed how Marinette froze, her eyes wide open with her lips parted in a silent "Oh".

He missed her? What does that mean? How could he miss her when he seems to have forgotten she exists? Why did he miss her? There was nothing about her to be missed. They used to be friends, so they had something. Did he miss that? Whatever that was? She missed Adrien too.

I miss him too. Come on, tell him I miss him too. Please tell him I really really miss him.

Before she could form the words, Nino slipped out the room with a quick "see ya". He stuck his head out and glanced in both directions, sent a sheepish smile to Marinette, and was gone. With that, Adrien would not know she missed him.

A/N Next Chapter: "Missed Opportunity"