The next morning in class was much more quiet with a uncomfortable silence hovered between the students. Everyone had of course seen the latest news footage and akuma update on the Ladyblog. Everyone was on edge with a reemergence of akumas in Paris after the peaceful lull since Hawkmoth had been apprehended. Now a new mystery Butterfly weilder has the city of Paris back on high alert. Marinette ran in late...which seemed like the only normal thing the class at Françoise Dupont could count on.
It was a surprise though when only a couple minutes after Marinette had raced in, in strolled Adrien Agreste. He calmly passed over his late note to their teacher with a cocky smile.
He sauntered over to his desk, and winked at Alya and Marinette behind him. "Morning Ladies!" he casually addressed, and took his seat.
"Dude!" Nino slid his seat over to Adrien. "You're hardly ever late! Is everything okay?"
"Oh yeah, fine," Adrien smiled smoothly. "So fine," he emphasized the adjective, and Marinette couldn't help herself. Her face pricked with the hit of a blush she was trying to keep down. She knew for a fact exactly what had kept them both late!
"Don't worry Marrinette," Alya tapped her distracted friend's elbow. "Everyone was wrong for jumping to conclusions yesterday, sorry you had to go through all that. I just can't believe what Chat Noir did though! Just leaving you there!"
"it was pretty scary. but I'm glad it it over now. At least no one thinks I'm trying to steal Ladybugs partner," Marinette sighed.
"I can't believe everyone thought Marinette could take Ladybug's place," Chloe rolled her eyes, then caught herself when everyone stared, and hastily added, "No offence Dupain-Cheng...It's just everyone knows Ladybug and Chat Noir are made for each other."
"Yeah, I guess they are aren't they," Marinette tried to sound disappointed, and keep her smile bottled up inside at Chloe's comment.
"I heard Pegasus saved you!" Rose commented enthusiastically, clearly eavesdropping. "Maybe he is your one true love!"
"Uh Marinette is a steller individual with commendable attributes, not to mention major gaming skills," Max piped up uncomfortably, "but we shouldn't all jump to conclusions again without concrete data."
"Max is right," Liela drawled in a bored voice from the back. "Marinette's got no one...poor Marrinette Mal Aime!"
"You don't have to rub it in!" Alex crossed her arms and shot Liela a look.
"That's not what I..." Max tried to interject.
"Oh I'm sorry! I'm trying to only tell the truth now! Am I wrong?! Did I hurt your feelings?!" Liela responded in a condescending baby voice.
Suddenly to nearly everyone's surprise Marinette broke into sobs, and wailed out dramatically. "No one will ever love me! I
will forever be alone with nothing but my hamster...and I will call him Lonliness!" With that she threw her head onto her desk.
"Hamster?!" Liela asked in genuine surprise. She had always got a surge of satisfaction driving someone to tears, but it was somewhat a shock to see her rival Marinette fall to pieces at the drop of a hat. She took some inner credit that she had finally pushed goody two shoes Marrinette over the line. It was all too good to be true, until Liela's giddiness was cut short by the grinding of Adrien's chair as he pushed it back.
"Oh Marinette!" Adrien stood up as if right on cue. "I know what it feels like to be alone!" Adrien rushed to her side wrapping a arm around her.
Nino and Alya exchanged a surprised glance at this change in events.
Other classmates too held their breath at the drama unfolding before them.
Liela looked like she had just got a whiff of Princess fragrence's perfume.
"Don't worry Mari! I'm here for you!" Adrien drew Marinette up. "You've already been through so much! Why don't you let me walk you home? I'm sure your parents would agree you should have a day to recover."
"Oh Adrien, I don't want to be a bother," Marinette protested, but her hands against his shirt sent a different message.
"Not at all! I will even stay with you to make sure you're okay!" Adrien offered with a glint of Chat-like mix of gallantry and mischievousness.
Liela nearly choked, but before she could figure out how her perfect morning had been suddenly sidetracked, Adrien had Marinette by the arm, and was guiding her out through the door. Once the two had gone down the hall rippled cheers erupted from the rest of the classmates and more that a couple pairs exchanged money from bets they had taken. Nino and Alya exchanged a wink and a fist bump. Maybe this would finally be the day their two beloved, but clueless friends got together!
Little did they know Adrien and Marinette were already laughing all the way to the bakery together.
Rather than sitting in a stuffy classroom all day, they now had a well deserved break together snuggled up on Marinette's couch watching comedies, and binging on jelly tarts and sugar cookies.
"You don't think I went a little over the top with the whole 'hamster thing?" Marrinette giggled.
"Are you kidding! That was the best part!" Adrien laughed back.
"Did you see her face?!" Marinette giggled.
Adrien made a face of utter shock, puffing out his cheeks, and somehow capturing the steam coming out of Liela's ears. Marrinette rolled back laughing harder. "Oh my gosh that was totally it!"
"I wonder what they think we're doing," Adrien glanced over smiling at Marrinette to find the laughter had dried up on her lips, and she sat frozen on the edge of the couch with a cookie midway to her mouth. "Ah Mar? You okay?" Adrien raised an eyebrow, but watched her with concern. She seemed really to either pass out or bolt.
"Yeah! Doing...I'm doing...we're...you...I mean..." Marinette broke out of her daze in a flurry of wild milling arms that sent the tray of baking shooting up into the air and then cascading down on them. They both sprang up to retrieve the spilled desserts at the same time, making their heads collide and sent them both falling backward onto the ground.
"Marrinette, you know it doesn't matter what anyone thinks! All I care about is you!" Adrien said rubbing his head.
"I'm such a disaster!" Marinette whispered in a small voice, "don't you miss the mysterious Ladybug fassade?"
Adrien slid himself on the floor over to her, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close. "Actually I always found you a bit more mysterious at Marinette!"
"Wait what?! Me?" Marrinette gasped.
"Well sure! As Ladybug you alway seemed to tell me exactly what you were thinking, but I always felt there was a lot more beneath the surface to you Marrinette Dupain-Cheng!"
"So have you figured me out yet?" Marrinette giggled.
"Not even close," Adrien smiled moving in closer.,"but I'm eager to keep working at it!"
"You're certainly more Chat than I ever realized," Marinette bopped his nose.
"In a good way?" Adrien asked hopefully.
"In a very good way," she assured him, nuzzling her head onto his shoulder, and wrapping her arms securely around his waist. She breathed in pure happiness laced with Adrien's cologne.
Up above them Tiki peaked over Marinette's bed and sighed. "They are so cute!" she gushed to Plagg.
Plagg was laid out like a starfish in a sunbeam, and only opened one eye in protest to the disruption. "I've been trying to get that kid to skip school for years! One day with your girl and he has no problem playing hooky for the day!"
"Marrinette is not a bad influence!" Tiki defended. "They've been going nonstop! They needed a break."
"Naw...you've got me all wrong!" Plagg patted a paw in the air, closing his eye again. "I fully endorse this type of behaviour!"
"OOff-eow!" Plagg let out a muffled yell as Tiki tossed a cushion at him. "Hey!" He smoothed his tail, and glared at Tiki. Then Plagg looked thoughtful, and glanced over to Tiki. "While you're tossing things sugar-cube, you wouldn't mind tossing some cheese over would you?!"
"There is none," Tiki rolled her eyes at him.
"No wonder I'm listless! The neglect I face with my chosen all twitter pated and distracted with a girl!" Plagg moaned.
"You ate three entire wheels of Chamenbet he packed you as soon as you got here...plus another two from marrinette!" Tiki narrowed her eyes. "If anything you are practically in a cheese coma!"
"Cheese coma! If only!" Plagg lamented.
Tiki just shook her head.
Ember emerged out of hiding, and flapped his wings to join his fellow kwami.
"What do you think?" Tiki asked Ember. "Will they be ready for this next phase?"
Ember glanced down at the two young weilders, and ruffled his fiery wings. "The timing is perfect! Trinidad and Tobago trials could not come soon enough!"