Wait," Alya collected her thoughts as she tried to comprehend what Marinette had told her. "Kagami called you, to say that she thinks Adrien likes you more than a friend." She asked slowly.

Kagami had actually said 'love', but part of Marinette was still skeptical about that detail, so instead she settled for 'likes more than a friend' when briefing Alya on the events so far.

Leaning against the wall of the bathroom, they were keeping their voices low in case anyone decided to snoop on their conversation. Marinette had already been required to stop in her tracks on several occasions due to other students wanting to use the restroom. With the start of classes looming however, they were unlikely to be disturbed again.

"Yes."

"And you didn't go because you like someone else… this mystery man of yours." The reporter quizzed with confusion.

Marinette simply hummed with a slight nod to affirm Alya's words.

"But it's not Luka?"

"Correct." Marinette answered blankly.

"And you can't tell me who that person is."

"Nope."

"Mari," Alya pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head, "I don't think I understand."

"It doesn't matter now," Marinette stated dejectedly, "he likes someone else."

Marinette felt numb.

She had already cried too much that day over the prospect of losing her partner, she did not want to think about it anymore. Even though she had been so emotional, the secret hero had managed to keep the tears at bay on her walk to school. However, they had come cascading out when Luka had asked her out with hope in his eyes. Marinette hated that she was hurting him the way she was hurting, but she could not find herself able to love him in the way he deserved without another taking precedence over him in her heart. She knew it was not fair to him.

Alya was evidently skeptical at Marinette's reasoning for not returning the blonde's possible feelings after pining after him for so long. The fact that she could not tell Alya about Chat for obvious reasons, was not helping matters, and the reporter was itching to find out the truth. By divulging that there was another candidate for her heart, Marinette knew she had already said too much. The calculating gaze indicated the reporter's gut was telling her something was off with the whole situation.

"Do I know him?" Alya questioned with a deep crease in her forehead.

"No."

Alya sighed and assessed the raven haired young lady in front of her. "Are you sure you're not just, y'know," she shrugged, "trying to find a reason to not put yourself out there?"

Marinette looked questioningly at Alya, so the bespectacled brunette elaborated:

"Well," she started all knowingly, "with you having a crush on the lad for such a long time, maybe you just got used to the idea that it would never happen." She pointedly looked at Marinette who was thinking over Alya's words with a nod to show she understood so far. "However," Alya started to pace, "now that Sunshine has possibly returned your romantic feelings for him, you've panicked and created a way that will prevent you from ever having to actually find out. Thus," Alya thrusted a finger in the air, "allowing you another way to sabotage yourself out of being happy."

Marinette notably mulled over what Alya was saying with a furrowed brow and thoughtful rub of her chin, giving Alya chance to explain her theory in further detail:

"Having an unattainable goal, such as this unnamed person who likes someone else, would allow you to subconsciously protect yourself from hurt if things happened to go tits up." The pacing girl continued using her hands to talk, "therefore, keeping you in the state in which you are used to and never having to move forward and embark upon the unknown." She shot a look at a tight lipped Marinette, "all your attempts have gone wrong in one way or another, I'm just wondering if you've done it without realising to protect yourself."

Alya brought out her fingers to count each point she was using as evidence. "You didn't put your name on the scarf you made him, you just had to help someone out and put operation secret garden in jeopardy, you have failed countless times to speak an actual sentence around him-"

"But I've gotten better at that!" Marinette defended her inability to speak coherently around Adrien.

"Yes," Alya acknowledged, "but only since he has been working on starting a relationship with someone else." Her point had a final tone to it, causing Marinette's shoulders to slump.

The secret hero pondered her choices. She knew that Chat remaining unnamed would cast the doubt that existed in her friend's mind. Especially after she had given a good argument as to why Marinette could have possibly done as she suggested. Had she decided to finally acknowledge her feelings for Chat, only to prevent her from having to put herself forward to Adrien? She was certain that Chat would reciprocate her feelings, although that certainty proved to be incorrect. The mess that she had become was evidence of how broken she was at the thought of losing him.

Was all this to try and prevent her from feeling how she had done when Chat told her about this other person? She needed to speak to Tikki, the tiny red being was the only one who knew every single detail of the situation. Marinette was confused by what Alya had put to her and was not exactly thinking straight.

"I need to go." The troubled teenager made straight for the door, with an eye rolling Alya calling out to her.

"You can't keep running girl." Alya decided to give Marinette the space she needed to have a think about what had been said. Hoping that her best friend would be able to come to some sort of conclusion, she made her way to class, wondering if Marinette would be back for the afternoon lessons.

"Mr Lahiffe, Mr Agreste," the lads turned quickly on their heels to find a scowling Ms Mendeleiev peering at them through her spectacles. Arms crossed, she assessed their sheepish glances to each other. "Class is about to begin, you are going in the wrong direction."

"Uh, we were just, uh-"

"Putting our bags in our lockers." Adrien recovered for them under her scrutinising squint.

Ms Mendeleive pursed her lips in annoyance, "you don't have time to do that now," she chided, "get to class and do what you need to do when class finishes."

Without giving them the opportunity to argue, the stern teacher ushered them to their correct room, giving Adrien more time to think things through.

He entered the classroom and paid little attention to anything around him, one thing he did notice however, was the absence of a certain bluenette who usually sat behind him. Alya came into class just after them however, and although he did not hear much of Nino and his girlfriend's conversation, he did pick up on the fact that she had gone home however.

Adrien would most probably need to wait until lunch, but if he had a chance to duck out sooner he was going to take it. The blonde was determined to make sure he got to speak to Marinette as soon as the moment presented itself, and all he had to do, was wait for the perfect moment to transform, and make his way to her balcony. His thoughts were somewhat in order, and he planned on giving her all the information, just as Kagami had suggested.

Thank you for reading! I hope you have enjoyed the story so far, please let me know your thoughts =).

Cheers for all the reviews, follows and faves.

Take it easy!

Lady Rhi X