I'm late, I know. I'm working on getting caught up. Anyway, enjoy a new chapter!

Day 4 – Hand Touches

"Why do you think Adrien looked so red this morning, Tikki?" Marinette asked Tikki in a hushed voice as she walked down the hallway. She knew she was going to be late to her next class, but she really needed to talk to her friend.

"Maybe he's not feeling well?" The kwami offered.

Marinette frowned. "Maybe," she said, but she wasn't convinced. Adrien had been acting strange ever since the prank she helped pull together at the beginning of the month. Marinette stopped in her tracks. "Oh no, Tikki! Do you think he's mad at me for the prank?"

"Of course not. Why would he be mad at you Marinette?"

Marinette stared at the brick wall beside her, lost in her thoughts. "He's totally mad at me for the stupid prank. Ugh! Why did I let myself be talked into that nonsense in the first place? He probably thinks I was trying to make fun of him! Or," Marinette gulped as a terrible thought found it's home at the forefront of her mind. "Or he realized I like him because I was the one wearing his clothes."

Tikki raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Think about it," Marinette started, waving her hands around as her thoughts formed around her. "Alya was dressed as Nino which is obvious because Alya and Nino are dating, right? Well I was sitting right next to Alya dressed as Adrien. Of course he would think that I like him after seeing me dressed up as him! This is a disaster!"

Marinette looked desperately at her bewildered kwami. "But Marinette," Tikki said carefully. "You do like him."

"I know, Tikki! But what if Adrien doesn't like me back and he's acting weird around me because he doesn't feel the same way?"

Tikki smiled softly and Marinette found herself so grateful for the kwami's patience. "Oh, Marinette. You won't ever know until you talk to him. Maybe you could take this as an opportunity to ask if he's feeling well. Open up a conversation! You don't have to ask him directly, but showing him you care will help you both in the long run. It'll be ok, Marinette. I promise!"

Marinette pondered her words for a moment, lost in thought. Tikki sat in her palm tracing small, soothing circles into her skin.

Of course these scenarios she had been imagining could be true, but Tikki was right. Talking to him was the only way to know for sure.

Marinette closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Ok, Tikki, you're right. I'm gonna—"

The kwami flew quickly to her charges' purse as the door next to Marinette swung open abruptly. Marinette barely held back a scream as she tried to discern who exactly opened the door she hadn't even realized was there.

"M-Marinette? What are you doing out here? I thought everyone was already in class."

Marinette blinked. What was Adrien Agreste doing in a janitors closet?

"I was, uh," Oh crap, had she said that out loud? Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, his face beet red. "I was looking for a broom to clean up something I spilled! Yeah, that's what I was doing."

Marinette glanced down at his empty hands. "A broom?"

Adrien's eyes went wide. He turned and rumaged through the closet. "Uh, yeah. I was sure I saw one in here."

Marinette frowned. Adrien was never like this. Maybe Tikki was right and Adrien doesn't feel good.

"Hey, Adrien? Are you—"

"Aha!"

Marinette reached for the door handle just as Adrien reached to close the door having found his trophy. She felt sparks eminate from where their hands grazed each other and she heard him suck in a breath before he pulled away.

"I found the broom," He said quietly, staring intently at the floor. He didn't make a move to walk away, but it didn't seem like he wanted a conversation either.

Marinette hesitated for moment before stealing herself. "Adrien, are you feeling ok?"

Adrien finally met her eyes. "What do you mean?"

There was the out. She could say 'nevermind' and walk away and never have to have this conversation. Never have to have him possibly reject her. Open up a conversation! She heard her voice of reason, AKA Tikki, say in her mind. Ok, Tikki. She thought. Please be proud of me.

"You just seem off recently and I was hoping you weren't getting sick."

The corner of his lips pulled into a small smile. "No, I don't think so. There's just been," He paused as if to find the right words to say. "There's been a lot on my mind recently. I'm sorry if I made you worry."

"No, no!" She held her hands up. "Don't be sorry! I worry about everything!" Did I just say that? "Uh, I mean, not everything. I just worry about my friends is all."

"Your friends?" If Marinette wasn't in shock that she was having a normal conversation with the love of her life, she would've noticed the hopeful expression on his face.

"Yeah! I always want to help out anyone I can, so if you need to talk to someone, I'm here!" Marinette smiled.

Adrien smiled so genuinely that Marinette thought she was going to turn into a puddle right there on the floor. "You really are our everyday Ladybug."

Marinette giggled at the irony. "Thank you."

Adrien broke her gaze to look at his phone. "Aw, man. We're really late to class."

"Yeah," Marinette agreed after checking her own. "We should go."

The couple walk down the hallway in comfortable silence, Marinette still reeling from the fact that she had a real conversation with Adrien. And he doesn't seem to be mad at her either!

Adrien cleared his throat. "Um, by the way, I like the hair."

"Huh?" Was Adrien blushing? No, that can't be.

"The hair," He cupped his hands over his head mimicking her buns. "It's a good look on you."

"You think so?" She was sure the color of her cheeks rivaled her Ladybug costume.

"Yeah," He chuckled. "They look like little mouse ears."

Marinette paled. He couldn't possibly know she got the idea from her Multimouse transformation. Chat was the only one who even knew Multimouse existed.

Adrien winked at her as if they shared some kind of private inside joke. "Anyway, I might take you up on your offer. To talk, I mean. If that's still ok?"

"Yeah, of course!"

Adrien looked relieved. "You're amazing, Marinette," She heard him say under his breath as he opened the door to the classroom. "Ladies first," he said with a bow.

Marinette found her seat and pulled out her notebook. She was very grateful Mme. Bustier didn't say anything as they walked in late together.

She could feel Alya's questioning eyes on her, but she couldn't bring herself to turn her head, her mind still reeling from what just happened.

Well, whatever it was, she was content to daydream the rest of class.

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