[[AN: Thanks again, Nebs!]]
Adrien hadn't stopped by Marinette's – or, really, talked to her much at school either – since that night, and now, watching the display in front of him, he really, really wished he had kept up the pursuit. Whether it was via Chat Noir or Adrien, it didn't matter much at this point; Adrien knew for certain, now –especially in this particular, wonderful, awful moment – that he did, in fact, hold some sort of "romantic" feelings for Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
He had put himself in this position. He had only himself to blame for this. It was a ridiculous decision really; he knew she had already gone on a date with Luka, that she liked him, and that he – Adrien – had no right to any form of attraction for his "friend"…but knowing it and seeing it, to Adrien's quick realization and utter horror, were completely different things.
"Ok…so we have the Lourve location covered," one of Nightingale's secret assistant's (the singer herself still wasn't "legally" allowed to shoot a video there – utterly ridiculous) said, tapping her chin with a pencil and looking pensively at a clipboard in her hand. "It looks like we still need people for the Trocodero, the Seine – "
Adrien watched Alya nudge Marinette with her elbow, then lean in to whisper in her friend's ear.
"You know, I'm sure you and Luka would make a great pair, if you wanted to do this to-geth-er…"
Marinette's neck went red, to Adrien's annoyance. He tried to look away, to not listen, but…
But when Luka had openly volunteered to partner with Marinette by the Seine, and then whisper to her that they could just take a walk or something to his houseboat later…
Guess what Adrien did.
(Ha! No, just guess.)
Adrien fingered the Ladybug mask around his eyes, wondering why, for the love of Pete, he had thought that volunteering so they could have "an even three" (yes, he had really said that) for their group was a Good Idea™.
Because it wasn't. At all. Not as an idea, and now, definitely not as reality either.
Not when Marinette was silently practicing dance moves to the side wearing his mask.
Not when Marinette was humming to herself and sashaying while wearing his mask.
And, most of all, not when Luka, wearing His Lady's (he was ignoring what that meant in the moment) mask, was openly flirting, like Chat Noir, to Marinette wearing HIS MASK.
And then – then! – Luka had the nerve, the audacity, to pull into a bow, tug on Marinette's hand and kiss it, a "My Lady" leaving his mouth and leaving Adrien with a disgusting taste in his own.
"She really is amazing, isn't she, Adrien?" Luka sighed from beside him.
Oh.
Right.
And now, while the make-up team was doing final touches on Marinette's pouty bottom lip (not that Adrien was watching), Luka had joined Adrien to rub it in how many blushes he had won from the pretty, dark-haired girl (maybe not his exact words), and how he was hoping to get that kiss tonight, and how she really seemed to be getting over Adrien –
"She really is amazingly still in love with me."
Luka's head snapped toward Adrien. "What?"
"You know that, right?"
This is soooo wrrooooong… Adrien's mind screamed at him. Adrien only backhanded the little sucker, finally deciding to take matters into his own hands and heart, not his stupid head. Plagg shifted in his shirt, and Adrien knew he was reveling in the new heavy atmosphere his words had placed over the two…er…"friends".
Luka crossed his arms, standing a little taller. Adrien thanked his genes that he had grown true model-tall in the last few years; intimidation could be a powerful ally right now.
(And, honestly, probably his only ally; there was no way anything from this was going to end well. Like, at all.)
"I don't think I quite get what you're trying to say, Agreste," Luka finally responded, facial expression true to his words…though they came out sounding more like a dare than an inquiry.
"Well, I mean…" Adrien started, playing the "obviously fake innocence" card in tone and, as he lifted his hand to scratch at the back of his neck, in gestures as well. "I haven't wanted to say anything, especially not since our little talk last week, but…Marinette hasn't changed at all since then. Even after your little date."
Luka could see it – feel it – and Adrien knew he had crossed a line he couldn't go back from.
"Honestly, Adrien, it just sounds to me like you're a little jealous."
"Jealous?" Adrien laughed humorlessly, taking a step closer to the other boy and purposely looking him over. "Jealous of what, Luka?"
Heat flashed in Luka's eyes, and both boys' jaws tightened at the same time…only for them to jump apart a moment later when the girl they had been talking about (fighting over) came up to them suddenly.
"Haha, you guys look so cute in those Ladybug masks!" Marinette giggled, rosy-cheeked and bright-eyed from excitement and exertion. Adrien felt his own face heat up when she turned to look at him with a wide smile and humor in her eyes.
He bristled at the wink she gave Luka.
"What I meant to say, My Beetlebugs, is you guys really look like the cat's meow!"
Marinette winked again, laughing. She turned around, an arm linked through Luka's, the pair heading off for the shoot site and giggling between them. The scene was enough to make Adrien sick.
That is, if he had been paying attention. Fortunately, Adrien was completely oblivious to the display in front of him.
Unfortunately, his ignorance came from – ironically enough – the realization that he suddenly knew too much.
Adrien stood, frozen in time, his mind forcibly yanked back in time years previously, when a younger Ladybug had held up a cosplay Chat Noir mask she'd picked up at a street booth the night before their joint patrol.
"And just who are you supposed to be?" Chat had laughed when she had perched quite catlike on the ledge next to him, the black mask strapped around her own red one.
"I'm La Chaton Noire, The Black Kitten!" Ladybug – er, "La Chaton Noire" – had responded, and in a flirty, giggly tone, no less.
Chat snorted, a weird mix of humor-filled attraction making his heart beat a little faster.
(He could only hope to snap a picture of her wearing his colors as proof this wasn't some type of messed-up illusion.)
"Alright, 'La Chaton Noire,'" Chat purred, playing along with her (adorably cute) little game. "If you have the black cat Miraculous, who – eeruuuhhh?
Ladybug Noire had suddenly gotten up from her kitten-esque crouch and, after pulling something from behind her, reached forward to put the object around Chat's head. When she leaned back, she looked incredibly pleased at the sight in front of her. Before Chat could even think, Ladybug took out her compact and snapped a picture of him, then turned it around so he could see it. Staring back at him was an (embarrassingly) addled Chat Noir with a Ladybug mask on his face.
"You," Ladybug said, through her giggles. "Are now…um…my Beetlebug! And, my, my, Beetlebug, you really look like the cat's meow!"
He had laughed then, but Adrien wasn't laughing now. Now, he was only hoping his lunch stayed in his stomach.
She couldn't…be her…right?
Warily, Adrien started forward toward the stilled couple waiting by the Seine. He eyed the girl – stared appraisingly at her – and…well, he couldn't tell if he was excited by this new development…or absolutely terrified.
He'd had some suspicions, if he was honest with himself, but nothing conclusive enough to cohesively blend the two girls into one wonderful woman. To even think that Marinette could be Ladybug would to be to say that Ladybug could be Marinette, and if that were the case, then…
Then he was even more stuffed than he had previously believed, and that was really saying something.
…oh my gosh I rejected Ladybug.
"HA!" Adrien blurted out, his abrupt presence beside Luka and Marinette causing the two to jump at the outburst. Adrien ignored their reactions, opting instead to move right into Marinette's personal space and wrap a snug arm around Marinette's shoulders. He pulled her in close to him, looking her so dead in the eye they were practically nose-to-nose.
"That was great Marinette," he murmured, grinning stupidly (he could feel it). "You really seem to have a handle on just how Chat Noir would act." He pulled her back a little to openly assess her look, though not loosening the hold he had on her in the slightest. Goaded on by her shocked but flushed face, Adrien pulled her into him again. This time, however, he came in too close for the action to be considered anywhere near gentlemanly or platonic. She shuddered when he nosed her ear; the sensation of it – of her – pulsed through him with a sudden heat. Their closeness and her hair were the only things keeping his Chat-like grin hidden.
"I have to say, though," Adrien continued, his voice no more than a breathy whisper on her ear in hopes to keep his words just between the two of them. "I find you much more attractive in that mask than you would think, M-Marinette."
The "My Lady" barely stayed on the tip of Adrien's tongue. To try to hide his little flub, Adrien placed a ghost of a kiss on her temple, then disentangled himself and walked away, suddenly too flustered – and too darned pleased with himself – to be able to look back at either Marinette's or Luka's reaction.
"Ok, people!" their director called out. "Let's get started!"
[[AN: Thanks for all the awesome favorites, follows, and reviews! Y'all are so AWESOME!]]
