{+}{+}{+}
Adrien paused in his curse when seeing a strange look on Alya's face. He wasn't sure what to make out of it but didn't want to test the waters.
"-oot. Oh, shoot," he played it off, timidly eyeing his feisty friend. Beads of sweat uncomfortably stuck to his forehead.
"Did I really just say that?" Adrien thought, "Why did I say that?! I don't like Marinette like that! Do I? What am I even thinking?! What's Alya thinking?"
Alya'sjaw is currently dropped in shock.
"Is that the "I'm going to murder you" look or "I'm going to torture you with teasing" look," Adrien wondered in his head. He couldn't tell. He would try to find a way to escape if his mind wasn't occupied with other things at the moment.
Suddenly, Alya shrieks. A giant smile is plastered on her face. Adrien jumps in surprise, not expecting that reaction. He was expecting some sort of threat or something sacrificial. Not this. She actually looks more happy and excited than anything.
Then, Alya starts jumping and hitting him on the arm.
"Ow! What's up with you and Marinette and your joyous hitting?" the blonde questioned, moving out of Alya's reach.
"Sorry!" She apologized (but Adrien couldn't tell if it was genuine or not), "I'm just so happy and relieved that one of you numbskulls finally figured out your feelings! Seriously, you both are like two peas in the same oblivious pod!"
Adrien can feel a blush forming on his heating cheeks, really lost at the moment, "Wh-What?"
"Is that why you practically begged my girl to be her fake suitor?" The ombré-haired girl teased, causing the already embarrassed blonde to groan in humiliation. He hid his face in his hands.
"H-How?" was all Adrien could sputter out. Alya rolled her eyes, "I'm her best friend. She tells me pretty much everything. Although, I don't think she actually understands the real reason why you really wanted to play the role so badly, Romeo. I think she thinks you're doing it all for friendly reasons and nothing more."
"You can't tell her!" Adrien frantically said, practically begging, "Please don't tell her!"
He just figured out his feelings. He doesn't need any of Alya's chaotic, she-demon antics.
"Relax, your secrets safe with me," Alya promised, earning a breath of relief from Adrien, "with occasional teasing and poking fun at you, of course."
Adrien gave his co-worker the stink eye.
"Sorry, but that'll be coming out of your paycheck to get a new one," Alya explained, taking the ruined game controller, "This was not cheap but you'll live a longer life, at least."
The blonde sighed, "That's alright. I deserve it for not paying better attention."
Alya patted her friend's shoulder reassuringly before walking away. Adrien was left alone with his many thoughts as he continued working until his shift ended. He wasn't able to sleep very well that night, turning and twisting around in bed.
In the morning, he was practically a zombie walking into the kitchen.
Nathalie curiously watched the tired teen from where she sat while nursing a cup of coffee and tablet. The two of them have recently grown closer without any hurtful words or lashing out at each other. They still struggled somewhat with this new, strange bond they have but it was slowly progressing to be better.
"Is everything okay, Adrien?" Nathalie asked. The teen stiffened in front of the open fridge, the cold air helping him wake up a little more. But not enough to think clearly.
He shot his attention over to Nathalie, heart wildly racing. He suddenly becomes nervous, thinking Nathalie is onto him (or maybe not, assuming the worst due to his tired state).
"Yeah, of course! Everything is dandy!" Adrien anxiously lied to his stepmother, a gigantic smile smearing half of his face, "It has nothing to do with me, in fact! Or, heck, even Mari! Wh-What? Who said anything about me and Marinette? That's utterly ridiculous! Since I said it has nothing to do with either of us or...other stuff!"
The boy chuckled, leaning weirdly on the refrigerator door and failing to act in his normally chill state. Nathalie's wide eyes blinked, eyebrow raised after witnessing the crazy display presented to her. She silently stared at Adrien, trying to puzzle what all just came out of his mouth.
Then, she returns to her calm stature along with a small smile. Her gaze landed back on the tablet's screen and returned to scrolling through some articles.
"So, you have a crush on a girl," Nathalie figured it out, earning a groan from Adrien for his stupidity.
"Was it that obvious?" he asked.
Nathalie shook her head and rolled her eyes, the smile not leaving her face, "Just a little bit."
He sighed, shutting the fridge before joining his stepmother at the table. He combed his fingers through his locks with a look of distress embroidered on his features. Nathalie's smile falls when noticing Adrien's state. She's only ever seen Adrien this out of it once. That was nearly half a year ago.
"Is there something wrong with that? You seemed to have no difficulty dating girls in the past," Nathalie questioned, taking a sip of her coffee.
Adrien winced at the memories of all the girls he's dated in the past. Girls he never necessarily cared about in any romantic way (some he didn't care for at all) and left a trail of broken hearts behind him. He can't say he's proud of it now for how many hearts he's played and ripped apart.
But this feeling is different. What Marinette makes him feel is different from all those girls. She isn't after his looks or reputation. She genuinely wanted to be with him...but only as a friend. From what Adrien could tell, Marinette has shown no sign of having the same mutual feelings.
"I don't think she thinks of me as anything more than just a friend and if I bring up how I feel about her, it might ruin everything. It'll make things weird between us and...she might not want to be around me anymore," Adrien explained, staring down at the table's surface.
This crushing weight terrified him. If he confessed, will he be as strong as Hercules or as wimpy as a Magikarp to lift the weight off of his shoulders? This feeling of unknowing is awful and scary. He knew the worst she'll do is say "no" but rejection is rejection. It hurts.
Especially when said crush is on one of his closest friends. Will she even continue being his friend afterwards or will things be too awkward that it pushes her away? The raven-haired teen can be pretty skittish, considering she's still learning how to be a normal kid.
Leave it to the blonde to have his first real crush be on someone who is still learning how to be a teenager.
Will Marinette even believe him or think he's playing her heart just like every other girl he's dated?
Maybe, he's just being paranoid and overthinking for nothing. Some advice would be nice to have right now.
"Well, you'll never know unless you talk with her," Nathalie said, setting her tablet aside for the time being.
"But...I don't want to mess anything up. Even if she doesn't feel the same way about me, I don't want to lose her," Adrien spoke in a melancholy voice.
It's already hard enough to deal with the fact that Marinette might be sent back to China and marry some random rich guy. Yet, it'll hurt more knowing he would lose their tight-knit bond (even if it's just friendship).
Never seeing her again would only puncture another hole in his heart just as deep as his mother's did.
"Adrien," Nathalie cut the blonde's thoughts off, "If she really is your friend, I highly doubt something you can't help feeling is going to break you two apart."
"But-"
"No more excuses," Nathalie cut Adrien off again. Her features softened in a reassuring way (and a bit of teasing), "She really must be special to you if you're having this much difficulty with a girl."
"Yeah..." Adrien trailed off in agreement. He probably would have acted this way if his past turned out differently. Although, he wouldn't change a thing with the way his present life turned out so far.
"Thanks, Nathalie. I'll...see what I can do," Adrien said with his gratitude showing. He stood up and started to head back to his bedroom.
"Oh, and Adrien?" Nathalie spoke up, causing the blonde to halt in his tracks. Her smile turned into a mocking grin, "I washed your lucky pair of underwear, in case you want to use it."
"NATHALIE! NOT HELPING!"
{+}{+}{+}
"DIE YOU INFURIATING WALKING CORPSES! DIE!"
"Uh...Princess? How exactly is this training for me to be a perfect gentleman? I thought your grandparents hated fun?" Adrien asked, somewhat weary of his crazed-looking crush.
They had texted each other and decided to rendezvous at the arcade. Yet, he thought that it was only a meeting place and they weren't going to play video games. He was wrong.
Once the game ended, the screen blinked "winners." Marinette placed her fake gun into the machine's holster before turning to Adrien. Her lady-like composure returned from the brute psycho blasting zombie heads.
"We are going to do so, Mister Agreste," Marinette assured, "I just needed a stress reliever. Once my grandparents arrive, I will not be able to play video games while they are here...or maybe I will never be able to again."
Adrien frowned in remorse for his female companion. This isn't fair. Video games are Marinette's pride and joy. Yet, she has to stop doing something she loves playing because it isn't approving. That's like saying her grandparents despise a piece of what makes Marinette who she is.
Adrien was starting to see how bad these two old raisins have affected Marinette. He hasn't even met them yet and was already thinking very lowly of them.
"Let us begin our lessons, Mister Agreste," Marinette said. She made her way over to the prize counter with Adrien following behind her. Alya was at the counter and cleaning its surface. She noticed her two friends walking up and couldn't help the sly smirk that spread on her lips.
"Well...if it isn't the two lovebirds," the ombré-haired teen teased, wiggling her eyebrows, "When's the wedding?"
Adrien's cheeks went scarlet in an instant and glared at Alya. Marinette raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"What are you talking about? There is no wedding or "lovebirds" involved in any of this?" the bluenette explained, not understanding what her best friend was talking about. Alya held back the urge to hit her forehead and continued to smile. At least, she got a priceless reaction out of Adrien
"Oh yeah. Sure," Alya agreed, nodding before continuing with her mockery, "So, when are you guys planning on making me an aunt?"
Alya had to bite down on her lip, holding in the urge to laugh. Adrien looked like he was about to freak out and choke at the same time. Marinette looked at Alya flabbergasted. Her whole face grew pink and her wide eyes practically popped out of their sockets.
"Miss Cesaire! This has nothing to do with intimate mating rituals!" Marinette scoffed, finally breaking Alya's laughter resistance. Adrien kept silent, trying to hide his burning face in his hands.
"Can you just please hand me my bag?" Marinette grumbled. Alya was still laughing to the point of having a hard time breathing while handing Marinette her bag. Alya kept an eye on it for a few minutes to let Marinette relieve some stress through video gaming.
Although, Alya had suggested another way that is much dirtier and involved a certain blonde boy.
Yet, it went right over Marinette's head and she said something about "not wanting to be involved in something unsanitary."
Unfortunately, Adrien wasn't at the arcade during that conversation.
Marinette grumpily turned and walked away from a cackling Alya, grabbing Adrien's wrist in the process. The blonde stumbled, not expecting Marinette to grab and practically drag him over to a booth.
Adrien's heart leaped in his chest when looking down at Marinette's hand holding his wrist. Her hand felt like a perfect mixture of rough and soft. The warmth radiating from her gentle hold sends waves of electricity up his arm.
"I wonder...what she would think if I did something similar like this to her. Would she feel this way? Does she feel this burst of giddiness and a rush of excitement right now?" I thought.
"Mister Agreste, are you listening?"
Adrien snapped out of dreamland and returned to the real world.
"Yep! I'm all ears, Milady! Both left and right! My fullest attention...directly on you..." he trailed off. He decided to stop continuing in making himself look more ridiculous than he already was.
Marinette narrowed her eyes at her blonde companion, earning a gulp from the said male. The two arrived at the booth but did not yet sit down. Marinette let go of Adrien's wrist, much to his disappointment and placed her hands on her hips.
"Really? Then relay what I had just said," she bluntly said.
"Really," he answered without hesitation, giving her a big, cheeky grin.
Marinette felt the edge of her lip twitch up but held her smile down in a frown. This is no time for jokes. Her grandparents are going to be in Paris within a few days.
Unfortunately, Adrien won't have enough time to go through everything. It would take months of teaching and practice. The only thing they would be able to accomplish is a few basic things.
"No more tomfoolery, Mister Agreste. This is serious business. We have many things to do within such little time," Marinette explained, sounding almost desperate, "I can only teach you basic etiquette, make you look presentable, and boost your courage."
"Relax, I've got this," Adrien said with full confidence.
{+}{+}{+}
"Which one is the salad fork, Mister Agreste," Marinette repeated for what felt like the tenth time. It didn't show on her face, but Adrien could hear Marinette's agitation growing over the boiling point. He stared down at the three forks on the left, another on the far right and one above the plate.
He began to break out into a nervous sweat. Out of habit, he began to slouch and rested an elbow on the table, supporting his head in his hand.
"No slouching! No elbows on the table!" Marinette barked like a drill sergeant. Adrien immediately fixed his improperness, sitting straighter and removed his elbow.
"Y-Yes, ma'am! I-I mean—Marinette!" Adrien stuttered, somewhat terrified by his friend. She frowned and let out a long sigh.
"This is not working," she mumbled under her breath.
"What?" Adrien exclaimed, "What do you mean this isn't working?"
"Mister Agreste, we have been reviewing tableware for over an hour and you still are unable to locate the salad fork," Marinette explained, picking up the very utensil.
Adrien's face scrunched up. Studying and learning were never his strong suit. He has had difficulty with it since he started to care less about school (aside from his singular friend). But if he focused on a task hard enough, he could be an expert on the subject. He just needed some time...which they don't have.
The blonde knew he would have to shift into the next gear.
He grabbed the few sheets Marinette had for him to review over from knowing silverware to proper manners. He would study as if his life depended on it if it meant Marinette gets to stay.
"What are you doing?" the bluebell-eyed girl questioned.
"I'm taking these home to study," Adrien answered. He was determined and once he was, he wouldn't stop until his task was fully successful.
Marinette blinked in surprise. Never in her entire life did she ever think she would hear Adrien say that. She supposed Adrien has grown better at doing his schoolwork.
Still, she was a bit skeptical.
"I do not know, Mister Agreste..." Marinette trailed off. She didn't want him to do something just for her sake. This is her problem. She already hated the fact that she had accepted her best friend's assistance and went through all this trouble just to keep her here in Paris.
"Marinette," Adrien started, earning the bluebell-eyed girl's attention, "I already told you I want to do this. So don't go having doubts or second thoughts about anything. Chin up, Princess. We've got this in the bag."
"We've got this in the bag?" Adrien thought, mentally berating his uncool concluding sentence. He wanted to hit himself in the head, not paying attention to his processing crush.
Marinette was astonished before a smile took over. Adrien wanted to do this from the get-go, constantly assisting to play the role of her suitor. He is bound and determined to help her. That's what drives him to try his best at reaching his goals.
She needs to have more faith and trust in him. They've been in sticky situations before and have slipped out. They can do it again.
Her overflowing optimism returned to life. As if Adrien's commitment was like a sickness Marinette couldn't help catching.
"Alright," she agreed, "I would like us to meet back here tomorrow after school. I shall test you again but if you have not succeeded in your studies..."
"That won't happen. I've got this!" Adrien assured.
Marinette tenderly smiled at him, "I know."
{+}{+}{+}
Nathalie gently rapped her knuckle on Adrien's door. She was going to get a snack from the kitchen when noticing a light streaming out from under Adrien's door. She wondered why her stepson was still up at two in the morning. She decided to check on him, hoping he wasn't up playing video games again.
The door slightly budged open, having not been fully closed. Nathalie pushed it open enough to poke her head inside.
She raised an eyebrow at the sleeping teenager with drool running down his chin and emitting soft snores. He was sitting on the floor with his back against the bed and open books surrounding him.
Nathalie quietly entered the room and picked up one of the books out of curiosity. She thought it might be some outrageous test a teacher assigned. But after inspecting the book's contents closer, she was proven wrong.
"Proper Etiquette for a Dwindling Idiot?" she whispered the book's title in confusion before picking up another one, "Got Tea?"
Adrien began to make some noises, startling Nathalie from her investigation. She watched him stir around but did not wake up.
"I would li...one of Mari...in tea...please. No, Bratman...that's my...my cookie. Hey...who invited...Dark Voider to...my T-Rex party..." Adrien mumbled in his sleep. The woman covered her mouth to not laugh.
She supposed she should wake up the blonde and let him lay in his bed. The way he's sleeping now didn't look too comfy. He would feel really achy in the morning if she didn't get him to move.
Nathalie knelt near the teen and reached out to shake Adrien awake. Yet, she paused when seeing the distress starting to wrinkle on his face.
"No...Mari...nette...don't-don't leave..."
Nathalie's expression turned to one of surprise. Was he having a nightmare? From what she could tell, it probably had something to do with the girl he liked abandoning him.
Nathalie's face melted into a downcast look and an empathetic feeling washed over her. She knew all too well what that was like and hoped it wouldn't happen to Adrien.
For as much as he is doing for this girl, she must be something very special in Adrien's heart. It would be difficult not to admire Adrien's everlasting determination.
Nathalie scanned the books and papers, raising an eyebrow.
Although, she wasn't quite sure what he was doing. The woman assumed this was for the girl he liked. Adrien would absolutely never study these kinds of things otherwise. Not even for a school project.
"You really have changed," she thought.
Nathalie tenderly combed her fingers through Adrien's hair. He leaned into her warm touch subconsciously. She smiled softly before cleaning up the books and papers, placing them on her stepson's desk in a neat pile.
She returned to Adrien's side and gently shook him awake.
"Adrien," she coaxed him awake, "Come on. You should probably sleep on your bed instead of the floor."
The teen groaned in a bit of annoyance from being awoken. His hazy, green eyes fluttered open. He let out a yawn while getting off the floor. He crawled into bed and immediately fell back asleep within a minute.
"He must be really tired," Nathalie said in her head, tucking the teenager in. With one last look, Nathalie decided to leave the room to quest for her late-night snack.
{+}{+}{+}
"Since the dance's theme is cloud nine, we should get white balloons and decorate them to look like clouds for table decorations," Mylene suggested.
The student council decided to have a meeting during lunch to come up with the dance's design. While they ate, they discussed ideas.
Marinette hummed in agreement. She could already picture the image in her mind.
"That is a wonderful idea, Miss Haprèle," the class president complimented. Alix, the vice president, was writing down the ideas on a piece of paper.
"I can build a fog machine to shoot out the perfect amount of fog to create the setting but will not make it hard to breathe," Max offered his idea, readjusting his glasses.
"Extraordinary!" Marinette beamed, loving every idea spouting throughout the room, "I absolutely adore all these suggestions! This will be a splendid dance!"
If there was one thing Marinette loved most about being the class president, it was planning fun school events. She was especially ecstatic discussing what could possibly be done to design the area. Whether it was painting a scenery or setting up cute table centerpieces, she felt a rush of joy.
She remembered helping in creating the theater student's costumes. Aside from video games, she also loved to sew as another hobby of hers. She had a blast sewing the clothes and went all out with the looks. She received many praises for her fine work.
Marinette hopes to do just as excellently as the project she was given before each time. She will always give her best to make everything perfect!
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.
"Alright, that will be it for now. You all did a great job," Marinette said while everyone packed up their supplies. Marinette was the last one to leave the room and spotted Alya making her way over.
"Hey, girl! How did your meeting go?" Alya asked.
"It went tremendously well! I cannot wait for the dance! It will be the first school dance I ever get to attend...hopefully," Marinette said in excitement only to shift into a bit of a damper mood.
If the circumstances with her grandparents go astray, she would be back in China relearning her lady lessons before the dance began. She prays that everything goes smoothly in the upcoming week.
Alya placed a reassuring hand on Marinette's shoulder, "Don't worry. Even though I've only known Agreste for a few months, I know he'll pull off being a perfect gentleman to fool your old folks."
"You sound very sure he can do this," Marinette indicated.
"Of course, I do," Alya said, very sure of herself. The ombré-haired teen frowned with worry, questioning, "You don't believe he can do this?"
"No, it is not that. Well, it slightly is," Marinette replied, "If he even shows the slightest flaw, my grandmother will make sure that I am completely cut off from Mister Agreste forever."
"That's going a bit far," Alya commented but I could see the sympathy swimming in her eyes.
"Trust me...they have done worse," the class president grimly muttered.
"Well, I still believe Adrien can do this. He'll do everything in his power to keep you here in Paris with us. Trust me on this," Alya said with confidence.
Marinette smiled at her best friend's optimism, "How are you so sure? I know he is capable of doing great things. I have seen it but I am curious about what has made you so sure."
Alya pursed her lips before cracking a sinister grin that not even the Grinch could pull.
"Because he loves to help his dear friend, Marinette. He's practically head over heels with doing this plan. It's his deepest desire," Alya emphasized with mischievousness. It took all her willpower to hold in her laughter, watching all the hints soar right over Marinette's head.
Marinette hummed in acknowledgment before realizing something, "Speaking of Mister Agreste, where is he? I have yet to see him today."
Alya hummed in thought and retraced her memories of today.
"Now that you say that, I haven't seen him at all either," she commented, looking around to see if she could spot a mop of blonde hair.
Adrien had been showing up to school more often after his change of heart. The only time he missed anymore was if there was a reason.
"Maybe, Nino knows where he's at," Alya added. She pointed over at her boyfriend chatting away with a few of his friends. The two girls walked over to the said male.
"Hey, babe! Sup, dudette!" Nino greeted them and slung an arm around Alya's shoulder, bringing her into a side hug.
"We were wondering if you knew the whereabouts of Mister Agreste," Marinette questioned. Nino and his friends looked at each other to see if any of the others knew. Yet, it came down to one agreement.
"Sorry, Mari. We don't know," Nino answered with a shrug.
"It is alright. Thank you," Marinette politely said, "Now if you would all excuse me, I need to get to class."
With that, the midnight-haired teen rushed off to class though she still had five extra minutes to talk.
Alya and Nino watched their close friend walk away. Marinette would usually stay to talk during the extra minutes. But ever since the news of her grandparent's soon-to-be visit, she had made it apparent to get to class early every day.
Yet, that was only the worrisome part of the their mind. There was another that made itself evident in the couple's mind too.
"Wow, she really has the hots for Adrien," Nino commented.
"Oh, she has it bad," Alya agreed, "But she is completely oblivious to both his and her own feelings. It's pretty adorable how much she yearns for him after he misses just one day though."
"I don't blame her. After all, I know how it feels. I yearn for you every single moment on a daily basis," Nino shamelessly flirts with his girlfriend.
Alya smirks seeing this as a challenge.
She pulled the collar of Nino's shirt down so that his ear was level with her mouth. The ombré-haired teen began to whisper into Nino's ear.
After just a few seconds, Nino's face started to burn to the point steam could have been coming out of his ears. His stomach began to perform acrobatics. His eyes practically bulged out of their sockets.
Once Alya was done, she placed a kiss on his cheek before walking away with a giant smirk. Nino was left standing in his frozen state, forgetting how to function properly.
"D-Dear God," Nino started his prayer after a few minutes, "thank you for making me the luckiest guy in the world."
The bell rang, making Nino jump. He soon realized that he was late for class and ran off.
{+}{+}{+}