"I finally understand why those hallmark rom-coms and sappy love letters compare kisses to fireworks." Adrien gushed, reveling in the kiss he had just shared with Ladybug. "I mean that kiss… It felt like magic! And not your every day - pulling rabbits out of hats - magic, but the fairytale ending, sunset wedding, growing old together kind of magic."
As the boy jabbered on with his love-induced rant, Plagg scrambled to find enough Camembert to effectively plug his ears and drown him out.
"Ladybug is perfect! He continued. "She's brave, but she isn't reckless. Unlike a knight in shining armor, she's a dark horse that strikes when least expected. She's also smart. Even though she doesn't don wide framed glasses or carry a dictionary in her back-pocket, she always has a plan up her sleeve. Honest and strong also fit her to a tee, but the most impressive thing about her is her unwavering commitment to protect the citizens of Paris. It's almost like she never runs out of kindness." He finishes as the Kwami had just given up on suffocating the sound.
Taking advantage of the pause in Adrien's speech, he quickly came up with a counter statement. "You always say that Ladybug is the only love of your life, but when you were with her the only girl you could talk about was the baker's daughter." He pointed out with a twitch of his whiskers.
A blush spread across his cheeks akin to the color of his lady's red jumpsuit.
"Marinette is a friend Plagg. A friend that has stuck by my side ever since that stupid accident. A friend that has brought me assignments taught me makeup lessons, baked me confections and cheered me up - puns included." He added with a grin. "She's been more invested in my well-being this last week than my father ever has in my lifetime. I'm more grateful for that than she'll ever know." He trails off with a hint of disappointment.
"If she's "just a friend" then why are we still talking about her?" Plagg asked with a knowing smirk.
"Because I want to text her about the good news my doctor gave me at my last appointment," Adrien answered on the spot.
Grabbing at his phone he opened up his messages and shot her a quick text
Adrien: Hey Mari! You'll never guess what happened at my doctor's appointment today. ^^
The model didn't have to wait long for a response
Marinette: What?! You weren't diagnosed with terminal cancer, were you? T-T
Adrien chuckled at the imaginative response. Only Marinette could envision something like that.
Adrien: It's nothing like that Mari. My doctor told me that I could go back to school Monday! He even told me I could run as long as I don't strain myself.
Marinette: Really! That's awesome! Now I'll get to see you outside of your smelly room :DD
A slight blush crept across his features at the girl's reply.
She really does care.
Adrien: Mari, I just wanted to thank you for all of your help. Without you, I don't think I would've survived this past week. It's just that sometimes, outside of the glamour of the fashion world, I feel like no one cares about me. My fans may idolize me, but they don't care about me, y'know? Unlike them, I've learned that you truly do care - that your feelings are genuine. I thank you for that too. I'm glad I have you as a friend. :))
As Adrien re-read his own text, he couldn't keep the blush from fighting back. He'd just poured his heart out to his friend, something he rarely did if at all. In an effort to hide his embarrassment, he put away his phone and buried his head in the nearest pillow he could find.
Hopefully, Mari wouldn't read too much into the text. Maybe her phone died, so she couldn't see it. Maybe she dropped it somewhere and broke it. Maybe she fed it to a stray animal… That didn't seem likely.
With these scenarios racing in his mind, Adrien drifted off into a light slumber.
Waking up with a smile, Adrien dashed out of bed to prepare for school.
"This is it Plagg! After a grueling week and a half on bed-rest, I finally get to see my friends, take my classes and catch up on my homework again. Everything's finally going back to normal." He sighed.
"Well, as normal as a teen model's life can be." He added with a grin.
"I can't believe you're looking forward to going back there. Don't tell me you're excited for the next pop quiz or book report." The Kwami gaped with disbelief.
"Well…" Adrien averted his gaze. "I know it may seem weird to you, but I love school. It's the only place that I can be Adrien: Average teenage guy, rather than Adrien: Average model with a fragrance." He muttered with disdain.
Plagg just rolled his eyes.
Scrambling to get dressed, the model tidied up his hair, smoothed out his shirt and applied a touch of cologne (his brand-name scent at that) before scurrying downstairs.
"Adrien! You best, be more careful running amongst the halls so recklessly. You surely don't want to injure yourself once more." Nathalie barked with a surprising bite.
The model slowed down. Ever since he'd fallen, she seemed to keep tabs on him more than ever. He figured that his antics, sprinkled in with his father's constant breathing down her neck, must be eating at her.
"I'm sorry Nathalie. I'll be more careful from now on." He apologized sincerely.
She nodded. Handing him his lunch, she motioned him towards the door where stood at attention.
"Make sure you don't strain yourself today. If you feel any inkling of discomfort don't hesitate to call." She nagged once more.
Adrien figured she cared too.
"I will. Bye Nathalie." He waved and hopped in the car.
By the time the model had arrived at school, he itched to break through the car door, barricading him from normalcy.
With greater force than necessary, he barged through the car and gravitated towards the cluster of students towards the main entrance.
Bustling through the crowd, he high-fived a few friends, shook their hands and exchanged greetings, but he secretly wanted to seek out Marinette. He needed to talk to her outside of his so-called smelly room.
Catching the enchanting glint of midnight blue hair, the model spotted Marinette and Alya in the locker bay. Making his way towards her, he waved with a small smile.
"Guess who's back?" He joked.
"A-Adrien! G-good morning. Isn't it such a lovely day? It's funny, but it isn't overbearingly hot. Heh, heh…" Marinette trailed off stumbling over every word.
"I'm just gonna go enjoy the weather from over here." Alya piped up, making the shy girl's cheeks flare crimson.
Adrien just laughed.
Even though it had only been two days, he'd miss the sound of Mari's voice. Even her stutter, which he actually found super cute.
Wait. Super cute? Missed the sound of her voice? Surely most friends miss each other's voices when they're apart too, right?
"So… how does it feel to stretch your legs? I bet it's a hundred times better than being locked in your room." Marinette asked, with a genuine look of concern.
"I've never been better," Adrien responded truthfully.
At this moment, talking with Marinette, he felt more alive than battling akumas as Chat Noir.
"Adrikins!" A shrill voice cut through the air, breaking their moment with a resounding crack.
None other than Chloe threw herself at the boy without a care in the world.
"Hi, Chloe." He greeted with a nervous chuckle. The teen tried to pry her hands off from across his torso, but it seemed useless.
"I missed you so much. This week has been unbearable without you here to talk to me." She whined, still attached at the hip.
"Well, you could've come over to visit. Marinette did. She even brought me treats!" He pointed out, fully aware that she would've dropped by if he had room in her "busy" schedule.
Chloe glared at said girl with a look of disgust. "Why are you still associating yourself with her? She's just a lost cause. She couldn't even tie her shoe without tripping over it." She snickered.
Marinette looked downcast.
"Stop right there Chloe! I won't let you attack Mari like you do everyone. Marinette has been an amazing friend this past week. She's baked, talked, listened and laughed with me, no matter how bitter or dejected I was. That's more than you've ever done for me our whole lives."
Chloe recoiled as if she'd been shocked by lightning. All she could do was gape like a fish out of water. Adrien had never shouted at her. In public, no less. Unable to respond, she hightailed it out of the locker bay with a slam of the front door behind her.
Lifting her chin, Adrien forced Marinette's gaze to settle on him.
"Are you okay Mari? Chloe should have never said anything like that to you."
Marinette blushed. "I-I'm okay. I don't let her get to me. It wouldn't do me any good."
Adrien gazed fondly in her eyes. Marinette had always been so strong in the face of confrontation. Even at the lowest of blows, she took everything in stride. And without fail, she never stooped to their level, no matter how tempting. She was a hero.
"Just know, that you'll never be a lost cause in my eyes. You're perfect just the way you are Mari."
Before he could register his actions, he found his lips a mere few inches from her own. The scent of cinnamon buns and powdered sugar filled his senses. The warmth of her rosy cheeks heated his palms. The soft material of her jacket brushed again his vest.
But, as he leaned to close the gap, the final bell rang wrenching them apart.
A/N: Gosh guys, I'm so sorry I took this long to update. I had a super busy week at school trying to manage my class load and extracurriculars. I'm taking two AP courses, two of the toughest ones, and have just been blown away by the rigor and pacing thus far. Hopefully, I'll adjust to it in the following weeks, but I know for a fact that I won't be able to update as fast as before. Thank you for sticking with me! Love you 3
