In the Morning

Chapter Four: A New Happiness

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Morning comes too quickly, but today I jump out of bed. I am not going to be down today! I made my resolve last night. I will try to just be normal with Ladybug, make it seem like nothing has changed between us. And while doing that maybe Ladybug will change her feelings. But I'm not going to waste my time anymore, I'm going to try and focus on Marinette. I really do feel like that won't be too hard to do, for some reason lately my thoughts have drifted to her anyway. I dress in my normal attire and head down for breakfast. Plagg is still sleeping so I softly slip him in my school bag as I grab it.

I stop dead in my tracks once I enter the dining room. At the end of the table, opposite of where I sit, is my father, papers in hand and a plate of food before him. I know it is feet away from me because the table is rather large, but I pause and try and set a plan of action.

I am about to move when my father speaks, "Well, sit down Adrien." He eloquently motions across the table to my seat.

"Right!" I dart to the chair and start picking at my food. Things are quiet but they are a good quiet. I can't remember the last time we had breakfast in the same room.

"I okayed your cancellation yesterday but now today you have two photo shoots, school, and fencing. Can you handle that today?" he says, his eyes not leaving his papers until the ending question when he meets my eyes.

My mouth is hanging a gap, fork half way there. 'Did my father actually just ask if I could handle a busy day?' I turn toward Nathalie, she must have told him how I seemed off yesterday. She looks straight ahead, not even blinking as I look at her. "Yes, I can handle it Father. Thank you for asking." I smile to him. I notice his lips quickly flick to a smile, before he pulls his eyes away from mine and the smile is gone. My heart feels so warm right now.

"Good, now eat your breakfast. You've got a full day."

"Well, you really do seem much better today." Plagg pops his head out of my bag.

"I am. Like I told you, I know what I'm going to do." I whisper to him as I walk into the classroom. I step into the room and instantly make eye contact with Marinette. I see a light blush dust her face as I wave to her before I take my seat.

"Glad to see you looking more like you," Nino fist bumps my shoulder, "You kinda scared me yesterday." He laughs.

I chuckle, "I kind of scared me yesterday too. Yesterday was just an off day. But today is going to be much better," We chat a bit more before class starts, I tell him about my father this morning and he tells me about his newest remix. I'm glad to feel so normal again. The whole while though I am acutely aware of a pair of blue eyes on the back of my head.

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"I know right? He looks totally fine today." Alya agrees with me as we sit on a park bench during our lunch break. Across the park we can see Adrien modeling for a photo shoot.

"Yeah, but, Alya. Did you see him this morning?" I question, my eyes not leaving the blonde in the distance.

"When he waved at you? Yeah."

"No." I blink a few time, refreshing the memory in my mind, "When he walked right in the door, our eyes met instantly. It was like something told us to look for each other…" I feel a twinge in my heart, telling me something I don't understand.

"Marinette, you always wait for him to walk in, today he just happened to make eye contact with you, sooooo?"

I finally turn my gaze to my best friend, "It wasn't just chance. I know it wasn't. My whole body is telling me it was more than that."

Alya laughs, "Okay girl, okay. Man, you have it so bad!"

I laugh awkwardly, "That I do…" I look back to the modeling boy, the only thing is he is no longer modeling. He is taking a drink of water and looking directly at me. I spin around looking to see if there was someone he was looking at behind me. No one, I gasp and quickly act like I am looking for something around me or in my bag. "Alya…" I mumble nervously as I fumble with my things.

Alya, having been watching the whole scene glances to Adrien and then back to me before she grabs my hand and pulls me back toward the school, "Okay, so maybe you are right. Something about that was definitely different!"

Before I know it the day is over again and I am packing my books into my bag. I grab my history book and it slides out of my hand landing right between a pair of orange shoes. "Here Marinette," Adrien hands me my book after picking it up. "So, um, I have about 20 minutes of free time, want to go get a drink at a café?"

I know he is saying words but my brain stalls. After about 15 seconds of trying to form a real word I respond, "Yeah! Sure! You're awesome! I- I mean, that'd be awesome!" I mentally face palm myself.

"Sweet," he smiles, "Let's go." He takes my hands, which just placed my book into my bag and leads me out of the classroom. As we walk, his hand guiding me to a café a few shops down from the bakery. I feel so giddy inside having Adrien holding my hand, but I cannot shake the feeling that he has held my hand and lead me around before.

"Adrien?" I ask, looking over my café au lait,I have my hands wrapped tightly around my mug. There is a slight brisk breeze today as the weather starts to change, but we are sitting outside enjoy the sun.

Adrien places his chocolat á l'ancienne down and smile at the mug, as he does so I smile at him. 'He really does love his sweets.' "I know this is pretty random Marinette, but I really wanted to thank you, for yesterday." His breath taking green eyes meet my blue ones.

"Well of course! We are friends after all. You seemed very, ah, off?" I didn't mean for the last part to sound like a question but it did. I sip my drink and eye him through my lashes.

He takes another drink, "Yeah," He places his drink down and reaches behind his head and scratches it, "I had some I guess, relationship problems. But I'll be okay." I try to not let my face show my reaction to his words. The ping of jealous that rips through my heart is hard to ignore though. I bite my lip but try my smile at him. "Ah, don't worry Marinette, it wasn't that type of relationship. She doesn't think of me like that. She likes someone else." I hear the change in his tone, then my brain processes how he started and I blush furiously.

"What!? Oh, why would think it would bother me? That's great if you like someone! I mean, liking someone is great! She must be stupid to not like you. You are so wonder and awesome an-"

"I like you Marinette." I snap my eyes to his, "You are so real, funny and sweet." Adrien's words echo in my ears. I am about to form my question when his phone starts to buzz on the table, "Ah, got to go! Until next time." He nods his head slightly and smiles to me before he turns and walks away.

"T-Tikki… did…" I can't even finish my sentence before I am up and running to find Alya.

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"Finally home." I sigh as I fall onto my bed, catching the sunset in the corner of my vision from my windows.

"Okay, so I'm confused." Plagg zips out into my view, "I thought you were just going to get to know Marinette a bit first. It seems to me you are ready to jump into a full on relationship with her. I mean, you told her you like her! Last I knew you only liked Ladybug. I know I told you to go for a thing with Marinette, but I'm a little confused." Plagg's puzzled face inquires answers from me.

"Well, I did, but Marinette makes me kind of think of Ladybug, but she doesn't. She may not be as confident as her but she is sweet, and pretty, and charming like her. Plus, she likes me." I smile, " So I don't see the problem with trying to make things move a little quicker."

"So you knew she liked you before now?"

"Yeah, the pictures in her room. Plus she is so stammer and cute around me." I smile even larger, 'It's pretty adorable.'

"Well, that's good. I think you two will work really well together." The kwami yawns, "Well, I think I'm going to go get some camembert." I stare after him with my eyebrows pulled together. 'Work well together? What does that mean?' I feel my phone buzz in my pocket, I pull it out and look at it.

Alya posted something on the Ladyblog. I look at the picture of Ladybug and myself, as Chat Noir, from yesterday. It is us before my whole scene took place, sitting on the edge of the building, and of course that is what the article is about. I scan it over, not really wanting to read it at the moment. I lay my phone on the nightstand beside me then tuck my arms under my head and close my eyes. Thoughts of Ladybug roll in.

'I'm never going to be able to stop loving you My Lady. Never. But, I can't keep waiting, it hurts too much. So, I'm going to find my own happiness for now. And maybe someday we can be happy together, but for now, I'm going to explore a new happiness. The happiness I feel with Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

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