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Prompt: nightmares
5.
What Marinette thought to be her worst nightmare turned out to be even worse. Sabine kissed her cheek and told her that Tom and her were going to a wine-tasting event, leaving Marinette alone in the shop with her visitors. The girl next to Adrien wasn't a girl. She was a young woman dressed in a navy blue pleated skirt and a matching striped blouse. Her long hair was dark brown, nearly black. She was staring at Adrien with an adoring look, as if he'd just turned her world around.
"Hi, Marinette!" he greeted her with a smile. The bluenette didn't see it. She avoided looking at her, checking her phone once again, as she muttered a soft hello back.
"This is Amélie Ferreira," he introduced his companion. "She works at the CDG."
Marinette wondered if she was the girl he'd spoken to Nino about, when two long arms wrapped around her in a warm hug. Dark haired brushed against her nose. Amélie smelled like flowers. It was a strange thing to notice and Marinette looked around, looking for help. Her eyes met Adrien's for a moment. Her face flushed, as he shrugged helplessly, unsure of how to get the female model to stop.
Thankfully, Amélie released her from the hug on her own.
"You're Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" she declared victoriously. "It's so nice to meet you! I've heard so much about you!"
Adrien gave Marinette a sheepish grin that almost stopped her heart. In an attempt to compensate for that, the heart in question started pumping blood faster, coloring the girl's cheeks a lovely shade of pink.
"Y-you told her ab-about m-me?" she stuttered, looking as embarrassed as Adrien felt.
"Only good things!" Amélie assured her, holding onto Marinette's hands. They were rough and a little calloused from all the needlework and baking she did. Amélie's hands were soft and gentle and for a moment, Marinette envied her for that. "Like that you're class president! And that you make the best croissants in town. And gosh, your jacket is so cute. Did you make it yourself? I bet you did. I love the colors. They suit you so well! You should be a model. Don't you think so, Adrien?" She glanced at the blonde boy who watched them with worry evident on his face.
"I do?" he agreed without any idea what she was talking about. Amélie had lost him at class president. Marinette felt her face get even warmer and she struggled to breathe. Adrien thought she was pretty enough to be a model!
"Amélie, I think you're overwhelming her," he said innocently. To him, it looked like Amélie had taken Marinette by storm just like he sometimes did, sneakily creeping close to her until she jumped when she noticed his proximity.
Amélie shot him a glare, unhappy to be interrupted. Then she turned her attention back to Marinette: "You're even cuter in real life! Is it true? Are you really not dating Chat Noir?"
Adrien choked on the cookie he'd taken out of one of the display jars, unable to contain his sweet tooth for much longer. Dupain-Chengs usually offered all of Marinette's friends the treats, but currently, the only Dupain-Cheng in the room was Marinette and she was busy with Amélie. Dating Chat Noir? Why would Amélie think that?
"Err… he's just a friend?" Marinette answered, filling Adrien's chest with warmth. She considered Chat Noir a friend, even though they'd only met a handful of times!
"So that means you're single, right?" Amélie continued her interrogation. Adrien found himself listening more carefully to hear the answer. As far as he knew, Marinette wasn't interested in any boys in their class, but that didn't immediately mean she had no one outside of the school. He was curious.
"I guess? But there's someone I like?" She paled a little before turning red again. She avoided looking at Adrien to see his reaction.
Amélie slumped, letting go of her hands. "Aww. That sucks. My grandma was so sure when you said Chat Noir's not your boyfriend. Like, he's so hot. And he clearly has hots for you." Adrien choked again. Marinette shot her a worried glance, but he waved it off, telling her wordlessly that it was okay. "So I thought I had a chance."
"Oh, Chat doesn't mean it like that. Those photos are his way of venting or something, I guess," Marinette explained kindly. Adrien nodded along, happy that they were on the same page about it. "He only has hots for himself."
"No, I… I thought he had hots for Ladybug?" Adrien almost revealed his secret identity to the two girls, but saved it quite elegantly. "I mean, he flirts with her all the time?"
"He's just kitten around." Marinette didn't look at Adrien whose eyes widened at the pun. Amélie giggled.
"I didn't think you liked puns, Marinette," was the boy in awe. The bluenette shrugged.
"I don't. But Chat's a good friend and I think he'd appreciate it, even if he never hears it."
Adrien's heart filled with warmth once again. He looked at her fondly. Amélie stared at her, too, sighing dreamily: "You're so amazing, Marinette!"
The blonde boy took this chance to explain to Marinette why they were in the first place.
"Amélie saw the design on the photo you posted and decided she really wants you to make it. She got my number from Nathalie, when she realized we were classmates. I'm sorry if it's too much trouble…"
Marinette made the mistake of looking at him. He looked so apologetic and sweet, so she spoke before she could think it through: "I'll do it!"
"You will?" Green eyes met blue and he smiled at her.
"Yes! For you! You ask! Anything!" Word vomit fell from her lips and her eyes widened at what she was saying. "I mean, I'd be happy to help out."
Adrien smiled kindly at her. Amélie's face brightened and she engulfed the poor girl in an another bone-crushing hug. When she released her, Marinette was out of breath and still dazed from the boy's smile.
"Let me take a picture and post it on Instagram." Amélie got out her phone, ready to take a photo. Marinette's eyes widened. If Amélie, a model from CDG shared her face, it would be even worse than Chat Noir sharing her face. However, the other girl wasn't going to take a no for an answer.
"Adrien, you too. Get here and scoot closer to Marinette, so we can all fit in," she instructed the boy who did what he was told, smiling apologetically to his friend. "Perfect. Thanks!"
Amélie stepped away from Marinette's immediately, but Adrien didn't. Marinette's hair smelled like the cookies he had just devoured and he got lost in his head, wondering if she had made them. In the end, it was Marinette who stepped away from him.
"Give me your number," Amélie requested sweetly, "and we'll be on our way. I'm sorry we came over so late, but I really wanted to meet you. And I think it got Adrien out of his Chinese? Or was it fencing? I don't know."
"A photoshoot, actually," Adrien smiled. "Thanks for that."
Marinette didn't respond although she had heard every word. As long as she focused on Amélie's phone, everything was going to be OK.
When the doors closed after her two visitors, Marinette leaned against the shop counter, feeling weak. Her knees went weak and she clutched her heart, a wide smile on her face, melting into a puddle on the floor.
She had to call Alya. As soon as she came to her senses, she grabbed her phone and dialed her best friend. Alya picked up after a ring.
"Girl, what's up?"
"Alya! Adrien was here! In the bakery!" squealed Marinette, not even bothering to see if anyone had heard her. "With a model! But she isn't his girlfriend. And he said that I'm pretty enough to be a model!"
"Did he really?" Somehow, Alya doubted that.
"I… I think so?" Marinette faltered. "And the model was so nice! She wants me to make the dress I finished designing today… She… OHMYGOD, Alya, she wants my dress! What do I do?!"
"Knowing you, you probably already agreed, so get her measurements, the fabric and get to it?" Alya suggested, amused.
"Alya, what do I do?!" moaned the girl on the other side. "I should have done it immediately! Adrien probably thinks I'm a freak!"
"You know he wouldn't. Sunshine boy is oblivious. He probably never ever noticed."
Marinette contemplated on it for a moment. "And that's a good thing, right?"
Alya laughed. "Absolutely."
The two friends talked on the phone for a while. Marinette told her all about the supermodel visit and Alya filled her in on the Chat Noir front. When she finally went back to her room, Marinette was happy and relaxed. It had been a pretty good day.
Her room was dark. In the darkness, two eyes stared back at her.
"Boo."
Marinette yelped as she bumped into her chaise. There was a quiet click and the lamp on her desk turned on, revealing a grinning Chat Noir.
"Hi, Purrincess." He stared at Marinette who had stilled when she saw the superhero in her room.
"Chat Noir!" She smacked him with a pillow. "Don't. Ever. Scare. Me. Like. That." Each word was accompanied by a hit.
"I boo-lieve I called ahead." He caught the pillow and pulled it into a hug.
"I forgot." Marinette admitted honestly. "I had some guests. Besides, how did you even get in?"
Chat pointed to the open skylight door above her bed. A bed on which there was a small bouquet of flowers. Surprised, she went over and picked them up.
"I wanted to say thank you," Chat spoke quietly. "And sorry. I know all this attention can be… uncomfurtable."
Marinette looked at him. "Then why'd you do it?"'
Adrien had prepared a gazillion answers for that question: because I want to be your friend, because you seem more comfortable with Chat than with Adrien, because he could be himself, because it was fun, amusing, a million things more. Eventually, he settled for the closest thing to truth: "Because I want the world to see your designs."
"Thanks, but… they're really not that great. I'm still learning." Marinette frowned. She whispered in awe, more to herself than to Chat Noir: "I can't believe this gorgeous model wants to wear my dress."
"What gorgeous model? The boy in your class?" Chat laughed at his own joke. "What was his name? Alphonse? Antoine?"
"Adrien," sighed Marinette dreamily. "His name is Adrien Agreste." His face appeared in her mind, killing all traces of coherent thought. She snapped out of it surprisingly fast. "And no, not him. A girl. They came over today and gosh, it's a nightmare."
"A nightmare?" Chat didn't think the visit had gone so badly. He jumped up from his chair and got down on his knee. "Purrincess, who should this knight maim for this bad dream?"
"Me." Marinette wasn't amused. "I have no one else to blame."
Chat Noir gasped in shock. "I could never harm mew!"
"What a knight you are!" she teased. "What next? Should I dig my own grave, too?" She fell dramatically to her chaise, letting go of her troubles.
"Never!" Chat grabbed her hand. Marinette let him hold it. The strange sensation of his claws on her bare skin was creepy-crawly, but she didn't pull away. "I shall purrtect you, so you'll never die and never even need a grave."
Marinette chuckled. "I'll hold you onto that promise." She pulled her hand away. "Well, you've said your thank yous, so you should probably go." She checked her phone for time. It was almost nine. "I still have to finish my homework and you probably have a patrol with Ladybug or something."
"Nope!" Chat slithered into his chair. "No patrol. Nothing to do. Wanna take selfies with me?" He wiggled his eyebrows at the girl. "People want more!"
"No, Chat. Absolutely not!" Chat didn't listen to her. "I will kick you out, cat boy."
"You wouldn't dare!" He said with a grin, snapping a photo with her.
"Delete it. Right now!" she demanded, propping her arms on hips. "Or we have a serious problem."
Chat had never seen Marinette look this serious. There was a hint of anger in her eyes, but it didn't seem like she was going to yell at him like she yelled at Chloé or how Ladybug yelled at him. If anything, she looked incredibly regal.
"Purrincess…" he breathed in a daze.
"Delete it," she repeated.
"As you wish." He deleted the photo and showed her that it was gone.
"Thank you."
They sat in awkward silence for a moment.
"Well…" he started just as she begun with "So…"
"You first," she said confidently and he grinned.
"You wanted dirt on me, right? Well," he scratched the back of his head. "I don't have that many friends, inside or outside of suit. Not many people know this. I've only ever told Ladybug."
And now you're telling her twice, she thought to herself. "I suspected."
"So… thank you for being my friend." He looked at her so earnestly that Marinette's lips curved into a small smile. "Now, your turn!"
"I was going to say that it's time for you to go home," she said honestly, "but would you like a snack? I'm pretty sure we have some croissants left over…" Chat didn't need to answer. Marinette saw his light up like a Christmas tree at the mention of pastries, so she stood up with a giggle. "Wait here then."
When she returned a couple of minutes later, she found Chat Noir looking out of a window, leaning on his baton. It was weird to see it out inside the room and she should have immediately assumed he was up to something. It never crossed her mind though. She walked over, tapped him on the shoulder and offered him the small plate. He took it with a loud "thank you!"
As he munched on a croissant, he remembered something else. "By the way, Marinette…" he leaned forward into her personal space. "What kind of guys do you like?"
Marinette's face turned red in seconds. "Out, kitty-cat!" She suddenly ushered him towards the window. "Time for you to go. Bye-bye!"
"Come on!" he whined, not yet wanting to leave. Marinette pushed him up the stairs and towards the bed, so he could get out the skylight door. Chat Noir laughed. "You should have told me I'm your type, Purrincess!"
"You're not!" She quipped, unfazed. "I'm just helping you to the door. Bye!"
Chat climbed out on his own, saving Marinette from an awkward and embarrassing attempt of getting him to leave. Once he was out, she locked the entryway, determined to keep it shut from now on. Who knows what the cat would drag in next?
Marinette got to her homework, when it was already late enough to go to sleep. Unbeknownst to her, a new photo of her and Chat was already moving around on the internet. On that photo, Marinette was standing behind the superhero whose expression was somewhere between fondness and love – something that many of his followers felt the need to discuss. It was a side of him that no one had ever seen before. There was a plate of croissants in one of Marinette's hands and she was leaning forward to tap him on the shoulder with the other.
It was sweet and swoon-worthy and almost definitely, the beginning of a beautiful nightmare.
