Part 6 includes grocery shopping and maybe a little romance? Or maybe I'm a tease? It does involve grocery shopping though. Its also huge... geez I need to trim these down...=^-^=

Ch. 6 - Lady and the Chat


The next several days had been strangely painful for the new ravenette. To be fair it was his own fault. Their first full morning alone caught him by surprise when Marinette woke up early. She'd spotted him right when he left his room still sporting his morning condition. That entire day had been so awkward. He had to become more hyper aware to make sure it didn't happen again. The last thing he wanted was to make Marinette uncomfortable.

It was unfortunate that his hyper awareness came with a serious setback. He was now very aware of Marinette's presence. Even sitting on the couch with her watching TV was becoming hard with his thoughts shifting to her every few minutes or so. "Is there something on your mind, Aaron?" Marinette asked after noticing his distraction some time ago.

"Oh uh… Not really. I was just…" His stomach growled at that exact moment which both embarrassed and saved him. "Just thinking about dinner." He covered with a chuckle.

"Hmm? Well, anything in mind?" She sat back and thought about it. "Though, I guess we'll need to go to the store if you want anything besides leftovers."

"You mean the grocery store?" Adrien had had very little experience there. The most he did was go in with Nino sometimes to get something fast though the last time was over a year ago. Sometimes Sabine would need something for the bakery, but he was never picked to go though he did want to.

"You look excited, did you want to come with me?" She gave him a teasing smile.

"Oh uh, sure. It'll be faster if we both go, right?"

"Sure, let me make a list and we'll go." The designer got up and headed over to the kitchen while Aaron let out a breath of relief.

"You know, kid, it's perfectly normal to get all nervous around a pretty girl." Plagg teased from the back of the couch.

"Cut it out, Plagg. I'm not nervous because she's pretty. I just don't want to make her uncomfortable around me."

"Then you better chill out. Oh, and make sure you pick me up some cheese." He reminded while still sporting a smirk.

"You're not helping…" The young man grumbled back before standing up.


The grocery store really was an interesting place once he had time to really take a look. It had never really occurred to him where his meals came from let alone how much they cost. "Aaron, why don't you pick a few tomatoes?" He looked over to Marinette who had a clear bag and handed it to him. "I think two should be enough."

"Oh… Um… Okay." He held the bag open and looked over the bin of fruit. He could see some looked a little brown and so he reached for solid red ones.

Marinette was holding a head of lettuce when she saw him pick up his second tomato. "Did you check it?"

"Hmm? For bruises? Yeah."

"Yes, but firmness too." She reached for the bag. "These are a little soft, Aaron." She took them out and started picking through the bin herself going over a dozen or so before selecting ones she wanted. "See here? Feel them."

He grabbed the bag noting they were firmer than the ones he picked. "Oh… Sorry."

"It's okay, Aaron. If you're not sure just ask." She smiled at him and placed the produce in the cart. "How about you grab a few apples? I was thinking of making something sweet and those you can just check for bruises." She pointed over to the apple bin.

"I can do that." He knew what a good apple should look like. He rummaged the bin finding most of them a little worse for wear, but decided on a few with only little bruises.

"You did a good job picking these. You must've really dug into them." She mused with a smile. "Anyway, let's get moving. I want to see what meats they have for sale."

"Okay." Right, getting something on sale was crucial. He'd already run into that a few times such as with his phone.

She picked out some chicken and a small package of ground beef before they headed over to the dairy section. "Let's see…" She checked her list. "It's good we still have milk, but I do want some creamer."

"Is all this cheese?" Aaron pointed to a counter loaded with wheels and bags of sliced cheese. "Yeah, this store has a pretty amazing cheese selection actually." Adrien could feel Plagg shaking in excitement from his pocket. "If you want to buy a lot, just wait and we can go by a stall outside."

Adrien looked at the counter in contemplation. Plagg would want more than a little, and he couldn't run out and keep buying it every night. He felt bad taking it from Tom and Sabine even though they had a large stock for the bakery. "Sure, but why not here?"

"Well, buying it in here is best for small amounts. Maybe a block or slices. Considering how much you go through, however, I think it'll be more cost effective to buy in bulk."

"Will they have camembert?" Plagg had been grumbling for that cheese ever since he ran out a few weeks ago.

"Camembert? You like that kind?"

He blushed at the question. "Yeah, it's my favorite." Actually it tasted like an old shoe, but he couldn't tell her that.

"Well, you do have a pretty well developed palate so I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Aaron would eat anything he was given even if it was something he didn't know of. Her mother had already stuffed him with half her family recipes. Even Marinette was a little put off by one or two of them.

"I do?"

"Relax, I just mean you're open to eating anything. I can't imagine the things you ate back home." She then turned back to the cooler and pulled out a small bottle of creamer.

By the end of their trip the cart had about 16 or 17 items, and Aaron had helped very little. Marinette had to explain coupons and seasonal things along with why it was sometimes cheaper to wait even if you needed something. "Grocery shopping is way more complicated than I thought."

The designer raised a brow. "I guess it is? Hmm, I've never really thought about it." Her mother had been bringing her to the store since before she could read. "Anyway, it's still summer so there should be some cheese venders in the market." The market she was referring to was a few blocks down and partially covered with a few other stalls providing their own protection from the rain.

"So they have these outside too?" He wondered aloud making Marinette even more curious. Did he never go shopping before?

"Yeah, but it's mostly a summer thing. Over there." She pointed to a handful of cheese vendors and Aaron dashed over with the bulk of their groceries in hand.

"Wow, you weren't kidding."

"Nope."

"Can I help you?" An older bearded man asked spying interest in his wares.

"Yes." Aaron responded as he looked over all of the cheeses. "Do you have camembert?"

He smiled as he rubbed his hands together. "Oh, a real refined customer I see. Yes I do." He moved to the back of his table and pulled out a wheel that looked about one pound. "I have this, and of course, some smaller ones as well." He lifted a basket of wheels that could fit in one's palm. "These here are 3 euros a piece, and this large one is 7." Aaron found the price interesting as he thought it over.

Marinette furrowed her brow and looked between the two men. "Aaron…" She called with a whisper.

He turned to her. "Yeah?"

"Are you really going to pay that much?"

"Well… is it a lot?" He had yet to pay for camembert at this point, but he knew it was expensive. The only cheese he'd bought himself without thinking of the price were those prepackaged cheese cubes he found at convenience stores.

"Yeah, I think you should check with another vendor before you buy it."

He nodded knowing she was way more experienced. "Thank you sir, I'll keep it in mind."

The salesman didn't look particularly happy but he hid it behind a forced smile. "Of course, sir. I await your return."

"Ah, Aaron! And little Marinette!"

They both turned to see a very familiar face. "Richard?"

"Yes, are you surprised? I only saw you the other day you know?" He countered at their surprise.

"Well, yes, but it's always surprising running into someone unexpected." The designer shot back with a smile.

"Out shopping then? And with Aaron to carry the bags?" He assumed since the taller ravenette was holding the bigger of the brown bags.

"I wasn't much help inside so I insisted." He informed with a sheepish smile.

"No? I'm sure Marinette will teach you well. Now, what brings you to this market?"

Marinette pointed to Aaron. "He wants camembert, but in more bulk amounts."

"Camembert?" Richard repeated looking at the young man. "You're just full of surprises, Aaron. I rarely see someone so young have an appreciation for it." He praised as he pointed behind him. "If you want to get a good price, buy from my friend Jerome over there. Tell him I sent you, eh?"

"Thank you, Richard. That last place we went to was really pricy. I know Camembert is expensive, but his prices felt like double."

Richard raised a brow and looked to Aaron. "He could probably tell Aaron here was an easy mark. Sorry, my friend, but your lack of experience in the market is pretty obvious. Marinette, keep your eye on him." He instructed before waving and dashing back to another stall where a woman was calling him.

"An easy mark? Seriously?" The man repeated in insult.

"Well… You do come off as someone who doesn't shop very much. Salesmen will take advantage of that especially if they know you really need something." Adrien felt his irritation from his 300 euro dye job coming back. She could tell he was an easy mark too. "But don't worry, Aaron, you'll pick it up easy. The more you do something, the more natural it is." She led him to the other cheese vendor and Adrien was able to procure three pounds of it for 9 euros. Had he got the same amount at the first place he would have spent 21 euros. It was something he needed to work on. Marinette would not always be there to help him work out good prices.


Adrien was fresh out of his shower when his phone rang. "Yo, dude, you up for some fun tomorrow night?"

"Nino?" He asked to clarify due to how over excited he sounded.

"Yeah, dude, and I'm gonna play my first prime time gig at the Club Castle. The usual guy just called out sick and they picked me to take his place. I want you to be here, man."

Adrien checked the date on his phone calendar to make sure he didn't mark anything. "Okay, sure. Sounds like fun."

"Awesome, by the way, I'm inviting some of the other guys, but just guys. Don't invite Marinette, okay?"

"Just guys?"

"Yeah, bro bonding time and I want to introduce my new best bro Aaron to some of my school friends." The DJ emphasized.

"Oh, then that's fine." So he basically wanted Adrien to feel like a member of their group again.

"Okay, dude, see you at 7 tomorrow. Remember, no Marinette." He repeated before ending the call.

"Guys only, huh? Sounds like fun."

"What sounds like fun?"

Adrien jumped at the question. "Marinette?" He let out a breath. "You surprised me."

"Sorry, wasn't trying too." She apologized with a sheepish grin.

"Sure, but maybe someone should put a bell on you?" The man joked and completely missed the look of bewilderment that dominated the girl's face for a few short seconds. Aaron set away his phone. "But to answer your question, that was Nino. He was inviting me to come listen to him play tomorrow night. Apparently he got a prime time spot?"

"He did? Wow, that's amazing. Alya said he'd been getting attention lately."

"Hmm? So, this is a really big deal?"

"Well, yeah. A club only wants their best DJs when the most people come in. Otherwise they'd lose customers. It's like if my dad didn't work the back during our morning rushes."

That had the boy's attention since Tom was the fastest at everything and even Richard needed help at those times. "I guess it'll be a party then?" Though his experience with clubs has never been very great especially with how things worked out last time.

"Yup, and I bet Alya's excited to go."

"Actually, Marinette, Nino said it was supposed to be a guy only thing."

That had her frowning in disappointment. "Oh… Well, I guess I'll just call her later to talk about it then."

"You're not mad are you?" She didn't look very mad, but he wasn't sure.

"Not really? I mean you deserve to hang out with other guys, right? Besides, I wouldn't have been able to go anyway. I have a commission to finish and then I want to start the kitchen inventory this weekend." She certainly had a busy life at times.

"Okay, as long as you're fine."

"Speaking of a commission, you think I could borrow you? You're around the right height for my customer and I want to make sure the length looks right."

Aaron raised a brow. "You want me to model something for you?"

"Well, sort of? Not really model, but just put on a jacket so I can have a better idea of where it will sit around his waist?"

The man shrugged and smiled. "Sure, sounds easy enough. I'm just not big on posing for pictures."

"Well, maybe we can take a silly one, then?" She proposed with a tease before heading upstairs. "Just come up here when you're done drying your hair." Adrien chuckled and did so.

"Hey, kid, this would be the perfect time to start putting the moves on her." The destruction kwami encouraged from the drawer of Aaron's nightstand.

"Seriously, Plagg, you remember how I feel about Ladybug."

"Kid, I'm sorry to break this to you, but Ladybug is an ideal you've put on a pedestal. She's your partner, plus she's never going to let you two reveal yourselves so long as Hawkmoth is still out there. The only possible way you could end up with her at this point would be to run into her civilian self and date her that way."

The ravenette glared at his kwami for bringing up that sore subject. "I'll take my chances, Plagg."

"Urg! What? Pigtails not good enough?"

"Of course she is, Plagg, but I've only known her a few weeks."

"You only knew Ladybug one day!" The kwami countered with a solid glare.

Adrien let out a sigh and folded his towel. "Just leave it alone, Plagg." He placed his towel over a little hook on his door and closed it behind. Plagg was so obsessed with getting him with other girls. He remembered this one from college… What was her name? He thought over that as he headed up to the designer's room. So far he'd only peeked his head in a few times, and yet the room felt strangely familiar once he was completely inside.

"Oh, good. I just finished checking the stitching." Marinette noticed he arrived and pulled out a leather jacket. There were short spikes and a design like a punk Eiffel Tower on the back.

"That's a cool jacket. Who ordered it?" He took it to admire the design.

"A secret customer who may or may not be wearing it for his next tour." She placed a finger over her lips. "But don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Sure but… Who?" It must've been someone famous who goes on tour- "No way, Jagged Stone?"

She nodded with a smirk. "Yeah, but remember to keep it a secret. Jagged likes to surprise his fans."

"That's awesome, Marinette."

"Thanks, but put it on." He quickly slipped his arms into the sleeves and let it hang loosely a moment before pulling it together. He was going to zip it before noting an odd snugness. "Well, you don't have to zip it, but I kind of want to see it zipped just to make sure." She noted while looking around the man's waist.

"Um…" Aaron trailed off afraid to continue. He'd run into this particular feeling before. It was a feeling that, should he choose the wrong action, may result in a very angry designer.

"Something wrong?" She stood up to look and noticed his nervous expression. He glanced at the shoulder which clued her into what he was trying to get across. "Oh my gosh… I didn't think it would be this snug. Thank you for not zipping it up." She pressed a hand and slid it from his shoulder to part of his chest.

"Y-yeah, I think I'm a little big."

Big might have been an understatement actually. Just from what Marinette could tell, had he actually succeeded in zipping it, one move of either arm would have caused irreparable damage. "I completely forgot to take into account your muscle tone…" Her face turned red as soon as she realized what she'd said.

"Oh um… Yeah." He blushed back recalling that day when she walked in on him. Spending a few years as a roof leaping super hero would do that to you, but it had made some improvement recently too. Adrien liked to credit his better diet to that since his dietician planned his meals without knowing about all the extra exercise.

"W-well… I'll just double check my seams, and then apply some final touches… If you could… um…" She gestured to the jacket.

"R-right… No problem." He began to gently peel it off relieved with the topic change. It wasn't to say he didn't like his body, but he didn't like making Marinette feel awkward. Was he secretly hoping she liked his physical assets? Yes, maybe a little, but it wasn't worth the risk to their current relationship. That, and he still held some hope for Ladybug. Only she knew the real him after all, and he only just met Marinette.

While Marinette set the jacket on her mannequin, Aaron decided to take a little look around. He might as well since he doubted he'd really have another reason to go to her room again. The first thing that really caught his interest wasn't exactly a good thing. Pictures. Quite a few actually, of him modeling clothes. She appeared to have a sort of collage of magazine clippings by her bed… Wait, were those all him? He took a few steps and leaned slightly on her bed since it was right at his shoulders from his position. "These are all… me…" He muttered quietly before feeling his fingers ghost over a pointed edge. His hands were gripped between her box spring and mattress. Curiosity had him pulling out a picture that was hidden under it and it too was a picture of him, Adrien Agreste. Further inspection showed another and when he put his hand between the bed layers he felt several more. He had a dozen in his hands by the end and wouldn't be surprised if there were more further in. "All these pictures?"

"Gha!" He turned to see Marinette staring at him in horrified surprise. "Um th-those are... um…. Reference pictures?"

Her fierce blush coupled with her obvious fluster had him not buying that. "Really?"

She face palmed and groaned at her own stupid excuse. "I-I mean… They're… um…" It was about a minute before she quit trying to make up a new excuse and surrendered. She let out a sigh and sat back on her chaise. "No…" Her blush was darker as she glanced to him and then back away. "Um… Okay, please don't laugh?"

"I'll try, but no promises." He teased knowing she must be some crazy fan. He'd met plenty of those, but at least Marinette hadn't been outright insane. He would remember if he'd seen her chasing him on the streets.

"Ug… Fine. Y-you know who that is, right?"

"Adrien Agreste, famous model." Aaron informed with a knowing smirk.

"W-well, um… I kind of… had a crush on him back in college." She admitted.

Adrien was only a little surprised. It wasn't uncommon for his fans to have 'crushes' after all. "You did? Well, I can see why. He is pretty hot, and I'm secure enough in my own masculinity to admit that." He pointed to a pic of him from just last year in his hand.

Marinette blushed harder and looked down at her feet. "Like he was chiseled from marble…"

That one had Adrien blushing himself. Did Marinette actually see him that way? "S-so… What happened? Do you still have that crush?" He forced out while hiding his own burning cheeks.

Marinette let out a sigh and sat back. "Well… That's the thing about crushes. Sometimes you get crushed." Her eyes looked so sad all of a sudden that Adrien had to actively resist reaching out to comfort her.

"Oh… um, well, I mean he's a celebrity and lots of people have crushes on them so…" His comfort didn't appear to be doing any good.

"A celebrity crush… Sure…" Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes.

"I-I mean… Wasn't it?"

She shrugged weakly. "Maybe? I… I thought…" She took a deep breath to try and calm herself down. "I suppose I diluted myself thinking I knew him. He was so kind, and sweet, always trying to see people from the best light." Like when he insisted Lila was only lying to make friends because she was worried they wouldn't like her. "I know what you're thinking," She chuckled dryly without looking at him. "Aren't famous models stuck up?" She smiled. "Adrien wasn't. Even with a cold home life, he was warm, like a living ray of sunshine." Aaron couldn't fathom the expression she currently wore. No one had ever looked at him like that aside from Ladybug on the rare occasion. How could he have ever missed her all those years ago? "You know… Looking back on it now, I guess it was a celebrity crush. I did some crazy things." She chuckled and wiped her eyes. "I even used to make him this passion fruit macaron every week. Just one. My parents thought I was crazy, and I never even got to give him one…"

"Why not?" He asked as he desperately took in every detail of her face hoping to fill in this gap he suddenly felt.

"Oh I tried, trust me. It's just… when I tried something always happened. Most of the time I just couldn't get it out. Heck, I couldn't string a sentence together around him. My brain just sabotaged every attempt." Her amused tone still held a little sadness at the admission.

He did this to her. How could he have known and not even remembered her? What the hell was wrong with him!? "Marinette." He called as he sat down beside her. Her eyes met his and there was something strange about them. "I'm sorry…" He trailed off as he reached for her cheek.

"Aaro-" He leaned in to kiss her before she could even finish his name. Her first instinct to push away was immediately over ruled by the sheer pleasure of the kiss. It was like how she dreamed her first kiss with Adrien would be in how it had her feeling like she'd gone to a whole other world. Thinking wasn't even on the table as she slowly leaned back to the armrest while Aaron used his free hand to keep himself up as he hovered over her. She couldn't remember a kiss ever being this good; though she hadn't kissed very many either. Was that his tongue? When did he do that? She could feel a tightness in her chest. What was that? Wait, didn't she need to breathe? Aaron finally pulled away and they were both panting to try and take in some much needed oxygen. Their faces were still close enough to feel the heat rising between them, and Marinette didn't hesitate to instigate the kiss in round two. She grabbed for his hair to keep him close and this time he wasn't subtle about deepening the kiss. Her tongue stood no chance against his. Even when she felt his hand roam to her chest, it never crossed her mind to stop him. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for hearing her phone suddenly go off, she wasn't sure just how far they would have gotten.

"M-marinette… I uh… I'm…" He sat up red as a tomato once the shock snapped him out of it.

Marinette reached for her phone only partly grateful for the interruption. "Its umm… I…" She could feel the blush down to her chest.

"I'll let you… You know, phone call…" He pointed to the trap door and back stepped out hoping he didn't trip on the way.

The designer took a calming breath before picking up. "Hey, Alya."

"Hey, girl! I wanted to tell you about this super awesome thing with Nino."

Oh, she remembered Aaron mentioning this. "He got a prime spot at the club?"

"Damn, Aaron told you didn't he? Nino said he invited him."

She heard a sigh. "Yeah, sorry."

"Nah, I'm not that disappointed. I am a little miffed he's taking time from what you two could be spending together."

"W-what do you mean?" The ravenette asked with obvious fluster in her tone.

"Girl, after watching you pine for Adrien all those years, I know what your puppy love face looks like. I know the stages. You look at him like you did Adrien those first few weeks."

"I-I do...?"

"Yes, you do. Trust me. And I was hoping all this time together without your parents and living under the same roof would result in some progress. At least first base before your parents got home." She heard another sigh. "Anyway, how are things between you two going?"

Marinette could practically see the teasing grin on her best friend's face. "Um… Good…"

"Define good."

"Um… Well… Before you called… We were… I suppose I should ask how you define first base?" She asked sheepishly with a blush reaching down her neck again.

"No way! You were making out before I called!? And I interrupted it didn't I!? Shit! I am the worst friend ever!"

"Hold on, Alya…"

"Please tell me I didn't just jump the gun."

"Uh… Well, you didn't. We were, but-"

"Then I totally ruined it! God, I'll have to make sure I text you before calling from now on, and make sure you use the do not disturb feature on your phone, Mari."

Marinette let out a sigh knowing she wouldn't be able to change her mind. "Okay, Alya, but don't feel bad this time around… I think it was a good thing…" At least her head did. The hot feeling between her legs was protesting immensely. "The situation… I don't think it was right." She had been emotional, and she still wasn't sure why Aaron suddenly kissed her. He didn't seem like the type to want to take advantage of a girl, and he was quick to stop once the initial shock hit with the phone. It seemed he wasn't completely sure based on that reaction.

"Girl, don't you be making excuses now. He's hot, single, and Nino is positive he's totally in to you."

"Well I can't just-…. Wait, Nino thinks he's in to me?"

"Yup. Said he would guarantee and swear by his favorite playlist."

That had the designer blushing nearly as much as when they were kissing. "Then… I…"

"Okay, girl, I'm going to hang up. You're going to take a few minutes to restart your brain, and then you're going to go talk to him. I'll call back in the morning… Actually, I'll make it noon, just in case." She finished with a tease before Marinette could protest.

"Alya!" She groaned dropping her phone and covering her face. "Damn it…"


"Shit, Plagg! What the hell did I just do!?"

The kwami grinned from his sock bed. "I don't know. Maybe you should ask pigtails?"

Adrien only panicked more and fell face first onto the bed. "She probably hates me… I just… I took advantage of her!" He yelled though it was muffled. Why did he kiss her? He was having a hard time pinning down what exactly was going through his mind. Maybe it wasn't anything to do with his brain if the strain in his pants was any indication. Then again… Did she try to stop him? Was she into it? She was the one to kiss him after, right? So… She liked it? He knew he certainly did. It felt like how he always dreamed kissing Ladybug would feel. Shit! Ladybug! How the hell could he say he truly loved Ladybug when he's off kissing another girl? "How am I ever gonna face Ladybug now?" He groaned into the mattress.

"Kid, seriously? Ladybug doesn't know who you are, and you don't know who she is." He knew enough about Ladybug to know his feelings weren't wrong… At least not completely. Ladybug was wonderful, strong, confident, kind, and well, a lot of things. The man turned his head to breathe better and Plagg scowled. "Perfect, you have that stupid serious love look." He sighed and sat down right beside him. "Look, kid, I hate dealing with my chosen's romance. It drives me crazy! Especially when they get this 'it's meant to be' idea in their heads." He crossed his paws. "Just think about it, if it was really meant to be, you'd have won her heart by now, right? You've been plenty patient, and done everything you could considering the circumstances. Starting right now, I need you to toss Ladybug from your mind."

"Plagg, just-"

"No! I mean it. You're so caught up on Ladybug, that you refuse to see the girl right in front of you. She literally lives in the same building!" He waved his paws in irritation.

"How could I do that to Ladybug?"

Plagg rolled his eyes. "She can't get mad at you if she keeps rejecting you! You are still single, and unless you get your act together, you always will be. Just think about it, will you, kid? You kissed her didn't you? Why would you do that if you didn't like her at least a little?" Adrien blushed at his deduction. "Thought so! Now you're going to leave Ladybug out of the picture when you're out of the suit. She has a life and so do you." He then smirked. "And think about this, if you two are truly destined to be together, then dating pigtails won't hurt."

Not a bad point, though it wasn't like he really believed in the power of destiny either. He knew from the first day that he loved her and they were somehow fated to meet, but destiny didn't really mean anything was set in stone. Maybe… Plagg had a point? Maybe he should at least try and love someone else, and Marinette… She was really nice, and kind and gorgeous. He would never deny that fact. From the very first time he saw her he knew and was glad she didn't hold that spectacular screw up against him. Strangely enough she had already liked him as Adrien, and now she seemed to like him as Aaron? This was a chance. A chance he didn't have as Adrien Agreste. It was hard to really be himself as Adrien, but Aaron? No one held Aaron under ridiculous standards, and no one expected him to be perfect. Tom and Sabine certainly didn't, and they just help him fix any mistakes he makes. Marinette too, he'd never thought of being anything but himself around her so far. It was comfortable. He could do this.

A knock at the door instantly drew his attention. "Aaron? Um… Can we talk?"

The ravenette was about to let her in before remembering he was at half mast, and it was very obvious. "J-just… give me a few minutes to um… fix something, okay?"


Marinette waited in the living room on the couch. She didn't want to wait in her room since that might make things more awkward, plus the living room may be more neutral ground. She needed to talk to him as calmly as possible without devolving into another emotional mess or make out. She did like him, but a relationship that starts overly physical like that just… didn't feel right somehow. If she really wanted to move past Adrien, then she needed a real relationship with a solid foundation. On the other hand if she avoided this conversation, and decided to move on to Aaron, she was pretty sure she'd end up just as socially crippled around him as she was Adrien. "You got this, Marinette." Tikki whispered in encouragement.

"Thank you, Tikki." She pat her kwami, before a door creak had her dashing out of sight.

"Marinette?" Aaron called from down the hall.

"I'm on the couch." She waved him over when she saw him and he rubbed the back of his head as he sat down though he left much more space between them than usual.

"Um… Before anything, I want to apologize if what I did hurt you in anyway-" He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see her looking him in the eyes with a soft expression.

"No, it was… fine. I never told you to stop and I even… kissed you back." Her blush intensified. "So… Don't feel bad at all about it, okay?"

He nodded. "O-okay then… Um… next I want to tell you something about me? You know, since you told me about your celebrity crush?" He started and got a curious yet confused expression. "I sort of have one too."

"You really don't have to, Aaron."

"But I'm going to. I think it's only fair, and I want you to know more about me." He glanced towards her and then to the coffee table. "Well… I've had a huge crush on Ladybug for years." When she was silent it had him worried. He looked at her and found her expression… odd? He couldn't tell if it was surprise or confusion, or maybe curiosity? It may have been a few things. "I'm not joking, and I used to have this huge collection of digital pictures, a set of PJs, and even a body pillow…" He admitted further though her reaction was still unreadable. "Okay… Are you going to laugh?" She shook her head with the first indication she was still listening. "Then… What?"

"I-I… Well… Why did you like her so long?" She was fairly certain she'd never met him before he started working at the bakery.

"Oh um… Well, what's not to love, really? She's a Paris hero, confident, smart in how she always comes up with a plan, she's kind and beautiful." For whatever reason, Marinette's blush looked darker after he said that.

"O-oh… Um... Okay." There was a beat of silence.

"What you said about crushes? I understand it, okay?"

She felt like he really did, but no logic in her head could tell her why. She didn't remember him at all. "It's a pretty painful feeling, isn't it?" He nodded and another beat of silence followed. "So um… Can I ask you why?"

"Why I like Ladybug?" He thought he'd made that obvious.

"N-no… Why did you kiss me before?"

His cheeks burned harder at the question and he glanced away. "Um… I don't really know completely, I just… I felt like I had to, you know? Not like it was just to make you feel better or anything, but…" He let out a sigh. "When I saw your expression and heard what you were saying about crushes I just… I felt like I had to kiss you. It's hard to describe…" He relented knowing it sounded weird. "But," He began and looked back and held her gaze. "That whole time? Ladybug never crossed my mind. All I could think about was you, and that's never happened before." She looked like she was going to say something but stopped. He couldn't quite grasp that feeling her eyes were giving him, but it wasn't bad. It was probably a little confusion, but the rest was understanding. She understood what he meant at the very least.

"I…" She finally started and shook her head. "Ugh, I'm not good at this… Just listen now before I lose my nerve." She took a breath and closed her eyes. "I like you, Aaron, more than just some guy who works for my parents. I think you're kind and sweet and such a dork, but not in a bad way even though you and my dad are way too into puns, and you're serious about working hard, and fun to be around, and I feel like I can just be myself!" She let out and took a breath. "Plus I think you're so damn hot that I went to the kitchen to splash cold water on my face after I saw you that one time without your shirt!"

Adrien could see red all down her neck and for a brief moment wondered how far down it went. The rest of his mind was spinning over the bold admission she just made. She really did like him? She used to like Adrien, and now she honestly liked Aaron. They were both him, so what were the odds this was some sort of fluke? Marinette never struck him as the type to have a frivolous crush to begin with and even if it was, he couldn't find himself disappointed. Hearing her admit to liking him was actually a little exciting, and the way she ended it was honestly hilarious. As he thought about it, the chuckle coming up his throat was irresistible. "D-don't laugh!" She countered in near mortification at his response. It was everything she had to get all of that out!

"No, I'm not making fun of you, Marinette, I just… I'm glad you think I'm attractive. I suppose I should tell you that seeing you fresh out of a shower makes me want to take a cold one right after." He admitted with a cocky expression that was nearly ruined with his obvious blush.

Marinette couldn't stay mortified with that admission, though it was hard to laugh at what he was insinuating either. "I-is that so…"

He chuckled and reached for her hand while scooting closer. "Yup, so… Do you mind?" Was he asking to kiss her again!? So soon? Could she? No!

"Um… Maybe we should take this a little slower since we only just now talked and it's not like we've known each other very long and…"

"It's okay." He lifted the hand and kissed the back. "But, how about we get to know each other better?" If Plagg was right about anything it was that he hadn't really given any other girls a real chance. Marinette, of anyone, deserved that chance especially if she liked him as both himself and his reserved Adrien self.

"I would… Yes. I'd really like that." She responded while the gesture he just did raised a flag in her head. "Um..."

"How about a movie? I think I remember we had popcorn right?"

"Yes!" She jumped up and started to the kitchen. "Y-you pick one, and I'll get some popcorn ready." The flag fell to the back of her mind with the subject change. She wanted to be more confident and not a stuttering mess around Aaron. She could do this!


And the romance begins! I know you all were waiting for this so here! Two confused teenagers who are inexplicably attracted to each other, served hot with popcorn and a movie! I suppose I'll let them get a bit closer before I throw drama into the fire?=^-^=

BTW, I know it may have seemed sudden but I like to assume Adrien did like Marinette back then and just never realized it. I'll couple that with teenager hormones and viola! Sudden make out. I guess its really hard to describe, but it felt right when I wrote it.=^-^=

Hope you all enjoyed. Comments are appreciated!=^-^=