The day after Marinette's and Adrien's attempt to foil Hawkmoth's plot, Marinette found herself surrounded by the prom couples. Chloe and Sabrina talking to Kim and Max about their dresses. Ivan and Mylene walking arm in arm down the hall. Rose skyping Prince Ali during lunch. Nino and Alya arguing about Alya wearing a dress that would match with Nino's headphones rather than the purple she had chosen.
"How are you doing my lady?"
Marinette turned away from her locker to see Adrien out of his normal attire, carrying his gym bag. Marinette giggled at the old nickname.
"Alright Chaton. I thought you had a photoshoot today."
"I did, but that doesn't excuse fencing practice."
"Figures." Marinette turned back to her locker, exchanging books for homework.
"How was school today? None of the teachers assigned any final projects for the year yet?"
"None, I think they are waiting until after Prom since they know no student would actually do it before."
"Hehe," Adrien scratched the back of his neck with his hand, "Right, prom."
Marinette looked over at Adrien, who was suddenly finding his shoes very interesting. Marinette sighed, closing her locker.
"Actually Marinette. I wanted to ask you something."
Marinette looked over at him, her body still facing her locker as she listened.
"I was wondering if you would like...to go to Bueno Nacho with me," Adrien's frowned turned into a nervous smile, the right side of his lip twitching momentarily.
Marinette raised an eyebrow, eyeing his fence gear in his gym bag. Adrien's eyes followed hers, remembering his gym bag.
"After practice I mean. We haven't really hung out just us two in a while."
"True, although I'm planning on working on Alya's dress tonight."
"Right, better get that done so you can work on yours."
"Right." Marinette nodded, glancing back at Adrien to see if he'd ask more about her dress, but he just smiled and patted her shoulder.
"Let me know when you're free then."
Adrien walked past her, heading to the bathrooms to change. Once he was gone, Marinette slumped against her locker.
Was Adrien trying to ask her to prom but got nervous? If so, did he want to go as friends, or as something more? And if as friends, then why was he nervous?
Marinette glanced down the stairs to see her father prepping dinner for that night.
"Papa, can we talk," she called out as she crawled out of her room, taking a momentary break from her sewing.
Tom looked up from what he was making, quickly wiping his hands on a nearby towel.
"Of course, what's the sitch," he asked with a wink, causing Marinette to giggle at her common phrase.
"It's about… boys."
Tom's face went flush, "Uh…".
"Boys and Dating," clarified Marinette.
"Um, hold that thought." Tom quickly ran out of the room and downstairs to the bakery. Marinette followed to the stairs to hear her parents talking.
"Sabine, Marinette wants to talk to you."
"I'm almost done closing up."
"I'll finish here, she's upstairs."
She heard her mother sigh, the door between the bakery and the stairwell shutting as soft footsteps made their way up the stairs.
Marinette ran back to her original spot near the kitchen as he mother arrived at the door, shutting it as she entered there home.
"What is it dear?"
"It's, just, gah…" Marinette began pacing around the living room, Sabine taking a seat on the sofa.
"Proms coming up and I don't have a date. And Chloe is all high on her horse because she got a date. And I think Adrien keeps trying to ask me, but he keeps getting interrupted or nervous or something. Or maybe I'm imagining things because I am desperate."
Marinette flopped onto the sofa so she was beside her mother.
"I'm not exactly sure what the problem is dear. Did Adrien ask you to the dance?"
"No. But I don't know if he even wants to go with me, and if he does, does he want to go as friends or as a date-date?"
"Did you ask him?"
"No, girls aren't supposed to ask guys to the prom."
"I meant if he wants to be friends or more of a date-date thing."
"No. He told me in January he just wanted to be friend."
"Honey," Sabine picked up her daughter's chin to look at her. "You both are very different people from January. You've been through some tough situations and have grown closer for it. It might be time for a reevaluation."
"And what if he just wants to be friends still?"
"Well do you want to be just friends still, or something more? Nothing is going to happen if one of you doesn't take a step forward."
Marinette frowned, contemplating her mother's words.
"Just give it some thought. I know you'll figure it out." Sabine kissed Marinette's forehead before going into the kitchen to see what Tom had been preparing. Marinette sat up, crossing her legs and arms to think.
"Hey Alya," Marinette greeted her friend as she ran up to the school.
"Girl, you're here early."
"Because I've made a decision, and I need your help."
The two girls started walking into the school.
"I'm going to ask Adrien to Prom."
Alya immediately grabbed Marinette arm and began giggling in excitement.
"Girl, I knew you could do it."
"I haven't done it yet. That's why I want your help. You've always been there for my crush on Adrien. And now I just need to figure out how to ask him, but let Adrien know he still has a choice to remain just friends or we go as a date."
"Aw," Alya squeezed Marinette's arm in a hug, "My little girl is growing up."
The girls continued inside the school, missing as Adrien's car was about to pull up the curb, but a motorcycle cut them off.
"Here's fine," Adrien assured his driver as he stepped out of the vehicle.
The motorcyclist parked his vehicle in front of Adrien's car, Adrien turning back to see his frustrated driver. Adrien took a deep breath and walked up to the cyclist.
"Um, hi, are you going to school here," Adrien asked, the cyclist turning to him. The person lifted their visor, revealing the brown eyes of a guy.
"Yeah, its actually my first day."
"Oh, cool. Um, just so you know, student parking is behind the school."
"Oh really," the man turned to see the angry glare of Adrien's driver. "Can you show me where that is actually. I don't know the campus too well yet."
"Sure," Adrien agreed as the man turned on his motorcycle, following Adrien around to the student parking lot.
"I'm Adrien, by the way." Adrien extended his hand as the cyclist put his bike in park. He listed of the helmet to reveal tan skin and dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.
"I'm Theo." Theo accepted Adrien's hand shake, then proceeded to get off the bike.
"This is the cafeteria," Adrien introduced, showing Theo where the clean trays were stacked.
"I normally bring lunch from home, but some of the kids around here can vouch for the food being edible. Their words, not mine."
Adrien was about to follow Theo down the food line, when the new student stopped short.
"Who's that?"
Adrien looked over to where Theo was looking.
"That's the cafeteria lady, she's apparently a grandmother of one of the seniors."
"No, the girl," Theo nodded his head in the direction of the cafeteria lady, Adrien noticing the lady had been talking to Marinette.
"Oh, that's Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
"Interesting name." Theo kept watching as Marinette took a seat next to Alya and Nino, Adrien nudging Theo along to get his own food.
"She's more commonly known as teen hero Ladybug internationally. Saves the world, I help."
"So you know her?"
"Yeah, we're tight." Adrien grinned to himself, Theo noticing out of the corner of his eye as some food was served on his tray.
"Hooked up?"
Adrien turned bright red at that. "What? No, me and Marinette, I, uh, eh, um…" Adrien struggled for words, trying to find the right one for his and Marinette's relationship.
"Just friends," asked Theo?
Adrien looked over at Marinette, who was laughing at something Alya said.
"Yeah, just friends," he relented.
Theo nodded as the cafeteria lady finished adding the final touches to his lunch. Both boys turned about and walked into the seating area.
"Adrien!" Marinette waved him over, noticing the cute new boy walking behind him.
"So this is where we normally sit," began Adrien, Theo quickly sliding into the seat beside Marinette.
"Um, and that's normally my seat," Adrien looked between Marinette and Theo, confused as to why Theo was staring at her like he was in love, and why Marinette's cheeks were turning pink. He looked over to Alya who looked just as confused as he felt. Nino was too busy on his laptop to even notice what was going on.
Alya tapped Marinette's shoulder, "Um, Marinette?"
"Oh, what?" Marinette sat up, slightly startled, briefly hitting Theo's tray. "Sorry."
"No worries. I'm Theo," He introduced with a dazzling smile Adrien knew should only be used for photo shoots.
"Marinette." Marinette looked away, briefly glancing at Theo out of the corner of her eye to see him still lovingly staring at her.
Adrien looked again to Alya, Alya gesturing for him to get between Marinette and Theo. Adrien looked back at the two in front of him to find they had somehow gotten closer. Adrien bent down to see if he could stick one leg between theirs, seeing any room to do so would invade Theo's personal space or put him in Marinette's lap. Neither option which Adrien was comfortable with.
So Adrien resigned to sit next to Theo. He looked over to Marinette and Theo who had transitioned from romantic stares to actual talking. Glancing over at Alya, she was angrily eating her food.
Adrien spent the rest of the day third-wheeling Theo and Marinette, Alya having left a long time ago to check on Nino. Theo and Marinette walked to class together, went to the lockers together, even went to Bueno Nacho together. Theo even gave Marinette a ride on his motorcycle.
Adrien was at a lost to why he still hung around.
This persisted for a couple days, Theo and Marinette getting closer, Alya getting frustrated, and Adrien being left out.
He originally planned to go home one night when Alya insisted he join her, Marinette and Theo over at Marinette's house for dinner and dress alterations. The only reason he said yes is because Nino promised to take a break from his project and join them for dinner.
Adrien was sitting on the sofa, absentmindedly playing Ultimate Mecha Strike 3 with Tom, loosing terribly as his ears kept wandering to Theo and Marinette's conversation near the family photos.
"And another victory," Tom cheered, Adrien halfheartedly smiling. They both turned at the sound of Marinette's bedroom door opening, Alya changed back into her normal clothes.
"Nino said he should be a half hour at most. Just running some final tests," she assured the group.
"That's good, haven't seen him around in a while," commented Tom as Alya passed by him to sit on the sofa near Adrien.
"He got hired on to work on some top secret project. Same people that did the speed shoes. He wants to save for more professional dj and camera equipment."
"Of course," Tom chuckled. Alya and Marinette glanced to Adrien, who was watching Marinette show off a picture of her when she was really little, her hair up in higher pigtails. Theo chuckled at her adorableness. Tom looked to Alya, then stood up.
"I'm going to see if Sabine needs any help."
Alya scooted closer to Adrien.
"Dude, stop staring, you are worse than Theo," scold Alya in a whisper.
Adrien snapped his neck around to look at Alya.
"What," he whispered back.
"The staring. If you like her, go claim her."
"Claim her?"
"Ask her to Prom already. Before he does."
"I tried. Many times. And fail every time."
"Maybe then stop trying to ask her to prom and as he the real questions then."
Adrien furrowed his eyebrows, not exactly sure what Alya meant by real questions.
"Dinner's ready. Are we still waiting for Nino," called out Sabine from the kitchen.
Alya glanced at her phone.
"He shouldn't be too long, but he did say we could start without him."
"Alright."
Nino sat alone in a lab, most of the equipment turned off for the night except a tablet, and his microscope, Nino rolling his chair between the two.
"Come on little dude," Nino encouraged as he put his eyes up to the microscope. "We need see some cybertronic replication."
The small bit of technology was shaking his viewfinder, eventually growing twice its original size.
"Oh! Outstanding! The Hephaestus Project is a go!" He glanced back over at the tablet before rolling back in the chair. "Who's the man?"
The chair was suddenly turned, Nino coming face to face with a giant sumo Ninja. The ninja stepped aside, revealing a man in the shadows.
"I'm the man." The figure stepped out, revealing himself to be Hawkmoth. "The man who wants the Hephaestus Project!"
Adrien glanced over at Theo and Marinette for the umpteenth time that evening. Marinette was slurping up some noodles, the end of the noodle hitting her in the nose, which Theo chuckled at. Adrien would have chuckled too, if Theo wasn't around. He really regretted introducing those two, even if it was an accident.
Alya seemed to regret it too based on her face. Or maybe she was upset Nino still hadn't shown up.
"Any word from Nino," asked Tom as he helped himself to another serving of noodles.
"Nothing Mr. Dupain. It's really not like Nino to call."
"Maybe we can bring him leftovers," offered Adrien, "he probably isn't thinking too much about food, working on a project."
"True, Marinette almost forgets to each when she's inspired," teased Sabine.
"Mom," Marinette whispered to her mother, glancing between Sabine and Theo who just laughed.
"I think it's cute. And amazing to be so dedicated."
Marinette's cheeks turned pink at the comment. Alya scowled, while Adrien went back to looking at his food.
"You're right Adrien, Nino probably forgot about dinner. Can we take some to go and bring it to him?"
"Of course dear." Sabine and Alya stood up and went to the kitchen to grab some Tupperware to put away the food.
Adrien glanced over at Marinette, who was wrapped up in Theo's company.
"I'll go with Alya, it would be ungentlemanly of me if she didn't go alone," announced Adrien as he stood up, Alya coming beside him to dish some food out for Nino.
"How sweet of you Adrien. Isn't Adrien such a gentleman."
The two teens looked at Marinette, who was still talking to Theo. They both collectively sighed.
"Thanks for the dinner Mrs. Cheng, Mr. Dupain," commented Adrien and Alya as they finished filling up the Tupperware with food for Nino.
"Bye," Alya waved as they headed towards the door.
"Bye Marinette," Adrien followed Alya.
"Later!"
"Later, jinx, you owe me a soda," teased Marinette.
"Again," playfully groaned Theo.
Adrien sighed, shutting the door behind them.
"Ladybug's not afraid of you, so why should I be," challenged Nino as he started Hawkmoth in the face, for the first time in a while referencing Marinette by her hero name.
"It's tradition. The captive-captor relationship is one of intimidation, not snarky teenagers giving lip," whined Hawkmoth as he paced about the lab.
"If I could interrupt your rant to point out that I'm not telling you anything about the project." Nino sat back in his seat, feeling quite smug.
Hawkmoth turned around, wearing a maniacal grin, "Oh, I anticipated that. You know what they say. If you want to make an omelet, you've gotta break a few eggheads."
Nino heard knuckles cracking, looking up to see the sumo ninja behind him, cracking his fingers. His smug grin immediately turned to a nervous frown.
"Ok, ok, just chill dude." Nino turned in his seat back to the tablet, picking up the stylus he was previously using to press a couple icons.
"Are you sure you wish to delete file Hephaestus," asked the tablet.
"NO!" screamed Hawkmoth.
"Yes," Nino answered in the affirmative.
"Nino Lahiffe voice print acknowledged." The screen on the tablet went black.
"You deleted it! Are you mad," yelled Hawkmoth.
"No worries," Nino turned back to face the mad scientist, "I've got it all up here." Nino tapped his head, his smug grin returning. Now he was at least physically safe from Hawkmoth.
"Well, good news then, because I have a brain-tap machine and I've been just dying to use it."
Alya and Adrien sat at Bueno Nacho, Adrien watching Alya inhale a burrito.
"Did you not eat enough at the Dupain-Chengs," he asked, slightly confused why Alya would have them detour here.
"I lost my appetite watching Marinette and Theo making goo-goo eyes at each other."
Adrien shrugged, remembering his dinner was also cute short by both leaving early and how many times he glanced over at Marinette.
"Can I have a bite of that?"
Alya smiled, handing him the burrito. Rather than ruin the burrito for Alya in some way, Adrien set the item back on the tray, using the provided cutlery to cut a piece off.
"I swear your old man has you trained too well," remarked Alya as she continued eating her burrito.
"Hola, do you need anything else this evening," a kid their age, maybe older, approached them. He was wearing the Bueno Nacho uniform, coke bottle glasses, and his voice had a nasal pitch to it.
"Do you have anymore diablo sauce."
"Si, let me get that for you." The kid ran off back the counter.
Adrien looked at the kid, then at the other man working the counter, who also wore the Bueno Nacho uniform, but also wore a clip-on tie with the colors of the Mexican flag. He was well built, probably worked out in his free time, Adrien assumed.
"Didn't the kid use to wear the tie," asked Adrien.
"Yeah, apparently along with going global, there's been a lot of structure changes. Rumor even has it they are doing kiddie meals. American reports say a playground might be installed. But that's just theory." Alya shrugged nonchalantly as she finished her burrito. Leave to Alya to know the details, both facts and rumors. They both jumped as Adrien's watch rang with a call from Marinette.
"Leave it," stated Alya, going for now the nachos as the worker kid brought over the Diablo sauce.
"But what if it's important. Like Hawkmoth or something."
"If it's Hawkmoth, Nino would have called. Plus Marinette's been ignoring us the past couple days."
Adrien frowned, not willing to argue Alya's logic, but not willing to agree to it either.
But before he could answer, the called dropped.
He pulled out his phone and was about to text when Marinette texted him first.
"Hawkmoth has Nino."
Marinette and Adrien found Hawkmoth's new layer deep within the snowy mountain. Despite it being so large, it was utterly abandoned.
"I don't like this. It feels too…" Marinette struggled to come up with the right word as they tiptoed down the halls.
"Trappish," added Adrien.
"Not exactly a word, but yeah."
As they took another step, the floor opened beneath them, sending them down a tunnel. As they fell into a room, Marinette launched her yoyo, which clung to the wall, grabbing a hold of Adrien, they fell to the group, Marinette putting away her yoyo while Adrien readied his baton.
"Ladybug and Chat Noir!"
The duo turned at Hawkmoth's voice to see him standing on a platform. Marinette jumped at him, only to phase through his hologram image.
"Ladybug, you would do well to save your energy. Your friend is in quite a pickle." Hawkmoth's hologram gestured to behind Marinette, where sat a tank with tentacles sticking out, Nino hanging above it.
"Nino!" Marinette and Adrien both exclaimed, the duo both racing towards Nino. As they charged, they didn't notice the machinery moving behind them, firing a laser at Marinette.
"LB!" Adrien jumped on Marinette, pulling out of the way.
"I must warn you," taunted Hawkmoth, "my latest death ray is killer."
"Isn't that redundant," asked Adrien.
The floor opened up behind him, a humanoid figure rising out.
Marinette quickly jumped over Adrien, knocking back the humanoid, only for several more to emerge from holes in the floor.
"I wish I could be there but I'm busy settling into my new lair, the lair from which I shall take over the world. Farewell, Ladybug and Chat Noir!"
The hologram of Hawkmoth disappeared, leaving Marinette and Adrien alone with the humanoid beings, the death ray, and the mutant octopus. Oh, and Nino, who was still hanging.
Marinette and Adrien positioned themselves to fight off the humanoids.
The death ray fired at them, splitting up the duo.
One of the humanoids lumbered forward, Marinette jumping to meet it.
Adrien ran over to the box where the octopus was awaiting Nino to drop into the water, the creature successful in taking a shoe.
Marinette jumped in front of one humanoid, then a second, then on top of a third; the death ray firing at the beings. Their suits opened up, syntho goo pouring out of the holes as they deflated.
"Syntho-drones, gross," groaned Marinette.
Adrien pole vaulted onto the rope Nino was holding onto, unfortunately breaking the one thing that held them above water. Adrien chucked Nino to the side before he fell in.
Marinette kept jumping, moving the drones into place as the death ray shot at them.
Nino managed to stand up, searching for something to help release the ropes.
"Nino!"
He looked up to see Chat peering over the ledge of the tank.
"What?"
Before he knew it, he was grabbed by a tentacle of the octopus, being smacked around on the ground.
"Look out," warned Adrien before he was pulled back into the water.
"Nino stop messing around," yelled Marinette, momentarily realizing it was Nino on the outside of the tank, no Chat Noir in sight. She looked around, noticing Chat's baton next to where they were first blasted. She tossed into into the water, before dodging another laser.
Chat reached for the baton while being held underwater. Pressing a button, his baton fully extended, punching the octopus in the gut while lifting him out of the tank.
Marinette pulled out of her pocket a compact, stopping momentarily to aim the small mirror at the death ray. The death ray fired, the compact reflecting the blast and destroying the death ray.
Adrien tipped himself out of the tank, landing beside a recently released Nino due to Adrien's stabbing of the octopus.
Marinette ran over and quickly untied Nino.
"Are you alright," She asked.
"Yes, at least I think so." Nino adjusted his cap back to its proper place.
"What did Hawkmoth exactly do to you?" asked Adrien, placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.
"I...I have no idea," Nino's eyes widened in realization.
"He kidnapped you at the tech lab, right," asked Marinette.
"Did he? I don't remember. I remember telling Alya I would be over at your place in half an hour." As realization sunk in, Nino grabbed Marinette's wrist to look at her watch.
"Which I am totally late for!"
"It's alright, Alya and I brought you leftovers, they're at Alya's house."
Nino breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thanks dude. I feel bad for missing out on dinner with the Dupain-Chengs though."
Marinette and Adrien began leading Nino out of the building.
"It's fine, other than the fresh food, you didn't miss much. Let's just get you back to Alya."
Nino nodded, following after Adrien, who took the lead, Marinette following behind with a frown.
"I'm so sorry," Marinette apologized for the 50th time since she had called Alya the day after saving Nino. Marinette, along with apologizing, asked Alya to help her pick out her dress fabric along with pick up some more of Alya's fabric to make a headpiece and Nino's tie..
"It's fine girl, just don't let you new beau come between us again," responded Alya as she went inside the fabric store, with Marinette following behind her.
"It's not fine. I ignored you and Adrien."
"To be fair, Nino was ignoring everyone too."
"But he was working, I was, I don't know?"
"Being romanced by a transfer student?"
Marinette giggled at the thought. It sounded like some cheesy anime Adrien would like.
"Yeah."
Marinette directed them down an aisle that had warmer colored fabrics, Marinette stopping between the pinks and reds. On one hand, pink was her color, but she also looked good in red. At least, Adrien thought she did.
"So, did Theo ask you to Prom, or are you still going to ask Adrien," asked Alya as she leaned against the opposite rack of fabrics.
"I don't know. On one hand, Theo seems really interested in me, but…"
"You still like Adrien?"
"Yeah? How terrible am I for always liking two guys at the same time."
"You don't always like two guys at the same time. You like one guy but let other guys interfere when he doesn't pull the moves."
Marinette sighed, ruffling through the bolts of fabric. She knew Rose was going with a hot pink, so she would have to avoid that. Maybe a lighter pink.
"Not that one," commented Alya when Marinette stopped at a baby pink.
"It might work."
Alya shook her head no. So Marinette kept perusing.
"Any idea why Hawkmoth would kidnap Nino?"
"To play me, I guess. Something's off the road, here, though. Usually, I can crack Hawkmoth's sicko plots no prob. This time, it's all so random."
Marinette moved over to the red, finding a nice dark shade.
"Isn't that a little too dark for prom?"
"Your going in Byzantium purple," argued Marinette. Alya shrugged, stepping forward from the fabrics to browse the pinks.
"Wait, pull that on out," Marinette shoved the red fabric back in and dashed to where Alya held a pink fabric. As Marinette studied the fabric, she pulled out the red one, holding them side by side.
"That actually goes nice together," commented Alya.
Marinette nodded.
Just then, her phone rang, revealing a call from Theo.
"Hey Theo," Marinette answered.
"Hey, wanted to see if you wanted to grab food later?"
"We'll see, I'm hanging with Alya today."
"No sweat, whatcha girls doing?"
"Fabric shopping for my prom dress."
"Nice, you should totally go with pink."
"I should?"
"Yeah, it's your color right?"
"Right," Marinette put the red fabric back on the stand, clutching the pink fabric under her free arm.
"Hey, I know I've only gone to Francois Dupont for like five minutes, but, about this prom…"
"You got a lot of work to do on your dress, so talk to you later Theo, Bye," Alya yelled into the receiver of Marinette's phone, quickly hanging it up before Theo could continue. Marinette stood speechless for a moment before turning to glare at Alya.
"You just want your ship together, don't you?"
Alya shrugged as she meandered over to the aisle that had her purple, "Can't blame a shipper for trying."
Marinette shook her head, pocketing her phone. She glanced at the pink fabric then back at the red. Looking down, she saw the same color of red but with a different fabric type. She pulled it out and held it next to the pink. Nodding to herself, she tucked both under her arms.
"Anything you remember about what happened with Hawkmoth," asked Adrien as he led Nino over to Bueno Nacho. The girls had gone fabric shopping for Marinette's dress and some accessories for Alya.
"Nothing dude, that night is totally blank in my head."
Adrien sighed, the whole plot with Hawkmoth getting thicker and weirder. Plus there was Marinette. She had called and apologized about ignoring him for the past few days while she was hanging with Theo. She offered to hang out with him later, play some ultimate mecha strike.
"So, did you finally ask Marinette to prom?"
Adrien huffed, "no, all previous plans botched, and Theo has been around Marinette too much for me to ask her."
"Bummer, maybe tonight when you hang out with her later."
"But you see the way she looks at Theo. What if she wants him to ask her instead?"
Nino shrugged, "Never know unless you ask. Worked for me and Alya."
The boys turned the corner, above the Bueno Nacho sign advertisement for their kids meal toy, Little Diablo. Parents and whiny children were lined up outside the fast food joint.
Adrien and Nino looked at each other with panicked expressions.
Marinette and Alya were walking back to Marinette's house when they received the text from Nino, with a picture of the new mascot of Bueno Nacho.
"Girl, we have to go and get some for my sisters," insisted Alya.
"I don't know Alya, I need to finish my dress plus the accessories for Prom. Plus I'm meeting up with Adrien later."
"Fine, but only because you are spending time with Adrien later."
The girls quickly hugged before Alya dashed off to Bueno Nacho, Marinette continuing the walk to her house.
Adrien sat moping in his room, watching as Plagg ate the nachos he ordered to go. Nino had gotten a kids meal for his brother, but unfortunately the diner was too full to eat in, so they did to go. Only for Alya to ask for Nino's help getting a second Diablo for her sisters. Leaving Adrien to head home on his own.
He hadn't heard anything from Marinette though. Not since her morning call. Maybe she was working on her prom dress. Or maybe she was hanging out with Theo and forgot.
He slumped further on his sofa, turning off the TV. Maybe he should just get ready for bed.
His thought process was interrupted by a knock at his window. He jolted up to see Marinette hanging outside his wing by the string of her yoyo. Adrien jumped up, running to the window to open it for her.
"You know you could use the front door," he teased as he helped her inside his room.
"I didn't want to bother Nathalie or the house staff."
He looked down at the hand he held, nothing the taped up fingers. Marinette quickly snapped her hand away.
"Sorry, was working on my dress, and lost track of time."
Adrien chuckled, "Well, your mom said you were prone to lose track of time while designing."
Marinette giggled, sitting down on the sofa.
"How have you been," she started, patting the seat beside her.
"You don't want to play Mecha Strike," asked Adrien as he took the seat.
"Like you said, we haven't hung out in a while, just me and you. I want to catch up."
Adrien smiled. These were the times with Marinette that he loved. Just talking to her, or being in her presence.
"Father started talking about universities. He hopes I will stay local because we've been getting closer. Don't know what major yet though."
"Maybe we can go to the same school then? With Alya and Nino too of course."
"If Nino isn't hired full time by the tech company before he graduates."
They both chuckled.
"And how is current Adrien doing?"
"Fine," Adrien looked to the side, drawing circles on the couch with his finger.
"You sure? You're not still upset about me and Theo hanging out all the time."
"Theo?" Adrien's posture straightened at the man's name, scratching his neck as he did. "No! Why would I have a problem with Theo? No! I'm down with Theo." Adrien avoided all eye contact while wheezing out those sentences.
He felt a small hand on his arm.
"Nothing's ever going to change between us Adrien. Your my partner, no what some other guy feels."
Adrien smiled, his hand reaching to grab the one Marinette placed on him.
"Thanks my lady."
"No problem Chaton."
Adrien squeezed her hand at the nickname. It had been so long since she called him that. Before other boys decided to try and come between them and their… he couldn't find the right word for the type of relationship he wanted with Marinette then.
"Marinette, actually, there has been one thing I've been meaning to talk to you about." He removed her hand from his arm, capturing it with both of his hands.
"Yeah?" She scooched forward in her seat.
"About Prom, I was wondering…"
"Marinette?"
The two teens glanced to the open window, Adrien frowning at the familiar voice. Adrien glance to Marinette, seeing her look conflicted between staying or going outside to Theo. Adrien wanted Marinette to stay. He want to close the window, and close off Theo from his Marinette. But looking back at Marinette twitching in her seat, looking between Adrien and the window weakened his resolve.
"You probably should go. Don't want Theo chucking rocks to try and get your attention," he jested half-heartedly.
"You sure. I promised I would hang out with tonight."
"Which you did. We can hang out another time."
Marinette gave a half-hearted smile, squeezing his hands that still hers before she took it back and walked to the window.
"See you in school." Marinette jumped on the ledge, rappelling down the side of his house before meeting up with Theo on the other side of the Agreste's wall.
Adrien sighed, walking over to the window to shut it only to hear Theo and Marinette's conversation.
"You wanna know what my mission is," Theo asked, stroking back a loose tendril of Marinette's hair. Marinette's back was to Adrien, so he couldn't see her reaction to that gesture.
"Okay, what?"
"To take you to the prom."
"O...kay…"
Hearing enough, Adrien shut the window.
The following week, while Marinette made good on her promise not to ignore her friends, Adrien kept his distance. Marinette had told Alya and Nino over the weekend about Theo taking her to the Prom, so on Monday, he had already received pitying looks from his two friends.
"It's not like she hasn't dated guys before," He argued with Plagg as he tried to tie his tie the evening of prom.
"I mean, well only Nathanael. I think. As long as I've known her she only dated Nathanael. I didn't have a problem with him. But why do I now?" Adrien turned around to look at his cats. Plagg and Buginette looked up from their cleaning, giving Adrien "You are in denial" look.
Adrien sighed, "Maybe I did have a problem with it then. It's just I liked Ladybug for so long, finding out she was Marinette was unreal. And getting to know her..."
Adrien sighed as he flopped onto his bed.
"I thought that crush left when I was happy enough to have Marinette accept me as a friend, completely as Adrien and Chat. I think it just made it grow into something more real than crush."
Plagg yawned in response, jumping off the sofa for another part of the room to sleep in.
Adrien turned to look at the remaining cat.
"What do you think Buginette?"
Buginette jumped onto Adrien's stomach and began pawing at his tie. His red Ladybug tie. He didn't know what color Marinette would wear tonight, but hopefully she would have gotten the message by him wearing her color.
"I should tell her how I feel," he clarified, the cat meowing in response.
"But doing that would be awkward because she's with Theo, and what if she really likes him. Like wants to date, like him? And if I barge in with my feelings, it would make everything awkward. And…"
Buginette stopped her pawing to listen to her master.
"What if she only wants to be friends? I know I'm the one who first said, but what if Marinette only wants to be friends?"
Adrien threw off his tie in frustration, loosening the collar as he did. Buginette jumped off him and chased after the tie.
He glanced over at the cats, one occupied with his discard tie, the other napping in front of the TV.
"Lucky cats, don't have to deal with feelings."
The doorbell to the Dupain-Cheng residence rang, Tom and Sabine opening it to see Theo standing behind it, dressed in black slacks, white button down, white jacket, and black tie.
"Marinette, there's a very handsome man here to see you," teased Sabine as she called up to her daughter. As Sabine looked up the steps to where her daughter would appear, Tom approached the man.
"Let's get a few things clear right up front."
"Oh, you read my mind, sir," began Theo, "Now, Marinette explained that her normal curfew is 10 o'clock but on special occasions and rescue missions, you extend that to 11. I'd feel better if we stick with 10."
Tom's mouth hung agape in surprise before turning into a pleased smile.
"Really? This young man has got it goin' on!"
Sabine giggled at her husband's attempt to be cool, "Why don't you get the camera, hon?"
"Okie-doke." Tom headed back into the living room just as Marinette's hatch opened.
First came down the white high heels Marinette had bought, followed by her pink dress, the skirt poofed out to seem fuller while the bodice stopped a sweetheart neckline. Adorning her neck was a red Chinese Lucky pendant. Her face had minimal make up, with the exception of her eyeshadow a little darker than normal. Finally, her dark hair was pulled up into a bun with a red and pink fabric flower resting on the side of it.
Theo's jaw dropped in wonder as she descended the stairs, quick to take her hand when she was close. Tom immediately took a picture when they were close.
"You look… amazing."
Marinette could feel her cheeks warm at the compliment.
Tom quickly pushed them together so they were side by side.
"Aren't your folks gonna stop by, you know, get a few shots," he asked as he readied the camera.
"It's just my dad and he's always at work, like right now, he's in the middle of some big-time project."
"Oh, we know that story," he elbowed his wife teasingly before resuming his position with the camera. "Hey, I know, I'll get double prints."
"Cool."
Theo pulled Marinette closer as Tom took the picture.
Francois Dupont was lively with music, Clara Nightingale already performing as the teenagers danced in the decorated school.
Marinette and Theo were in the certain, moving to the beat, sometimes Theo taking her hand to draw her closer, or spin her around, the skirt of her dress lifting a little as he did.
Nino and Alya were dancing near the edge, closer to the stage so Nino could look at the DJ equipment. From their spot they could see Chloe pouting in a chair, while Kim was dancing with his friends on the dance floor. Even Sabrina was rocking out.
Looking around the room though, Alya couldn't find their golden haired boy.
"I thought Adrien was coming," asked Alya, turning to Nino, who only shrugged.
Rather than staying home for the night, Adrien snuck out to Bueno Nacho, bringing Plagg along since he seemed to like the nachos.
Practically dragging his feet across the floor, he approached the counter to see the coke-bottle glasses kid at the register. His name tag read, "Ned."
"Welcome to Bueno Nacho, may I take your order," he asked, his voice still nasally.
Adrien glanced up at the menu, not really in the mood to care about his diet.
"Let's see. Two chimiritos, grande sized. Three orders of nachos and a grande-sized soda."
Adrien glanced around the fast food joint to find it vacant.
"For here."
"Si."
The worker punched in the order into the register.
"You ok?"
Adrien glanced up, realizing the worker was talking to him.
"Yeah, just," Adrien shrugged, "Missed chances I guess."
"Sorry to hear."
"Hey!" The loud voice jolted Adrien and Ned to stand up straight as the assistant manager approached them.
"Ned, you worthless slug. Did you ask our favorite customer if he would like Diablo sauce with that?" The man slapped a packet of the sauce into Ned's hands.
"I did not, sir. Diablo?" Ned held up the packet.
"Yeah sure," answered Adrien.
Ned pulled out the tray as the assistant manager went to retrieve the food.
"I hope you get your chances back," the guy wish before the assistant manager came over and set the food on the tray.
"And here it is, nice and hot. Gracias."
The assistant manager elbowed Ned non too kindly in the ribs.
"And have a muy bueno day," the kid added.
Adrien took the tray over to a booth, pulling out Plagg from his backpack. He set a plate of nachos in front of the cat, and proceeded to open his straw. He examined the item closely, noticing something was different.
"NO!" He screamed, rushing over to the counter with the straw in hand.
"This is the last straw."
"I beg your pardon," asked the assistant manager.
"This is the last straw!"
"No sir, we have more in the back!"
"You took away the bendy straws," He yelled in frustration.
Once the assistant manager understood, he chuckled.
"You're complaining about bendy straw."
"Look dude, this has not been my best week. The girl of my dreams is out with some other dude, so I am stuck here. All I wanted was some food without children winning for your stupid toys and a bendy straw to enjoy my drink. Not specifically that though, but because it is gone, now specifically that," Adrien vented.
"You kid have officially lost it."
"I'm telling on you."
"Telling who?"
"Your boss!"
Adrien didn't quite know why he blew up at the assistant manager. True it had been a long week watching Marinette and Theo all happy together, and now realizing he may never have a chance with Marinette at this rate, it just all blew up. He liked the bendy straws and thought it ridiculous if the Bueno Nacho Corporation was cutting costs by not having the bendy straws, favoring instead their new toy.
Adrien stood outside the Bueno Nacho so as not to be interrupted by the assistant manager.
He called Nino.
"Dude where are you? The prom started over an hour ago."
"Not now Nino. I need to speak the Bueno Nacho."
"Ok, I can patch you through to their 800 number."
"No way, I want to go right to the top. Gonna have words with the head honcho. Some serious complaints must be made."
"Are you ok Adrien," asked Alya.
"I'm fine, just have Nino patch me through."
"I don't know, Adrien. Getting through to a CEO is not easy. This guy's private line is probably super top secret," Nino mumbled to himself more than Adrien, his voice distant. "Got it. You're in."
The phone started ringing, followed by the sound of the phone being picked up.
"Hola! El Presidente speaking," came the voice on the other line, Adrien recognizing that voice anywhere.
Hawkmoth?
I took out the whole Hawkmoth not remember Adrien/Chat's name because I don't think that was ever an issue during the episodes I wrote.
Ned is from the original KP series. I find his obnoxious voice hilarious.
And reason why I went with Theo over Luka (Luka was highly requested).
1.) Luka is Juleka's brother. I could make it not so but...
2.) I actually like Luka, he's a decent, chill character. Theo though is perfect for the slimy Erik replacement. Pun intended.