Okay, chapter four is up and running! Here, Marinette is slowly getting used to the idea that she and Adrien are a couple now. Some insecurities of hers are still popping up, and the question of why Adrien loves her is still up in the air. And when she's invited to a photoshoot...
Later that week, Alya and Marinette were having a sleepover at the latter's house. They were up in Marinette's room, wearing their pajamas, and sitting on the floor, talking about Marinette's aquarium date.
"So you and Adrien are official?!" Alya asked.
"Y-Yeah." Marinette said, blushing.
"Girl, this is progress! You have a boyfriend now!" Alya spoke.
"I... I do. He's a complete dork, a gentleman, and..." Marinette began, her face falling to her lap a little. The orca she won at the aquarium was sitting there. "I think he gets a bit lonely. He's said he doesn't get out a lot, especially since his father packs his schedule to the brim with commitments. He even told me he wishes he had a group of friends who have his back the way I do, and how he envies people who don't live the way he does."
"Sounds like Kagami and Zoé," Alya commented. "An upper-class boy who wants to live a normal life."
"Right," Marinette agreed. "Though I still wonder what he sees in me."
"Don't be bemused, it's just the news!" Nadja Chamack's voice rang out as the news played on Marinette's computer monitor.
She and Alya turned to the screen to see Nadja on the news, and she was sitting on the couch for her talk show.
"Nadja Chamack here with popular teen model, Adrien Agreste!" She said as the camera panned out to reveal Adrien sitting across from Nadja. She turned to him. "Welcome to the show. Nice to see you again."
"Great to be back, Nadja." Adrien responded while waving to the camera in a formal manner.
"So, I know it's old news by now, but how are you holding up after that harrowing experience at the "Parisian Slice" fashion show?" Nadja asked.
"I'm fine. Better than fine, actually." Adrien said aloud, shoulders slacking a little bit, his face tinting, and affection written all over his face. But he caught himself and schooled his features back to his "model smile," righting up his posture.
Nadja teased, "Still thinking about the heroine who saved you?"
He gave a silent nod, his body language still inflexible, but he was still smiling with a beet-red face.
Marinette was also blushing, meanwhile Alya was watching the news feed with piqued interest.
Adrien gave a nod and with a wistful tone, he said, "Yeah. I can't stop thinking about her. She's incredible."
The audience went into an uproar, but Nadja put her hand up to stop their chatter.
"He's gonna talk about you, girl! You gotta pay attention to this!" Alya said, shaking her best friend by the shoulders.
Marinette looked at the screen and watched, anxiety gripping her stomach.
"So, I'm sure most people who are tuning in know how you first met, but let's roll the footage just in case." Nadja said before pointing out the monitor behind them.
The monitor turned on and played the video where Marinette looked up and saw the light falling. She gasped before shoving Adrien out of the way and landing on top of him as the light crashed. But once the crash ended, Marinette got up off of him and turned around. The video kept going until the camera caught sight of Adrien smiling at Marinette.
"Stop there!" Nadja called, and the the video was paused and the technicians zoomed in closer to Adrien's face in the recording. "I know that look. Something about her stuck with you, didn't it?"
Adrien sighed before saying, "And then some."
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, right?" Nadja asked, a sly smile on her face. "She's the one who won the fashion design contest, which is why she was there."
"Yeah, that's right. The hat she made was amazing, and she had the foresight to use fake feathers rather than real ones," He responded, his voice sounding dreamy. "I also looked over her social media and website before the show. She's got talent and a wide range of skills and aesthetics in her work."
Marinette's face began to match her pajamas, and her eyes blew wide. Adrien had looked at her website?! And her social media posts?! Was it hot in her room all of a sudden?! Alya took up a stray book and began fanning Marinette.
"That's fine, but there's gotta be more to it than that," Nadja pressed. "Having a cute girl fall onto you must have been quite the experience."
Adrien's cheeks bloomed with rosiness at that, the subtext dawning on him instantly. Seeing that, Marinette's face also went rosy-red.
"Alya, fan me faster!" Marinette said quietly, and Alya complied.
"W-Well, if she hadn't noticed the busted light, who knows what might have happened? She mentioned it before the show started, but it was her quick reflexes that saved me." Adrien mentioned, trying to will his blush off his face.
Marinette looked down with a timid smile while Alya gave a sly, knowing expression to her bestie.
"You sound absolutely smitten, Adrien," Nadja commented. "Have you talked to her since the show?"
"I have. I found her charm bracelet lying around, and I wanted to get it back to her. I used the information on her contest application to track her down." He explained.
"Sounds like Cinderella to me." Nadja laughed.
Adrien laughed with Nadja, slapping his knee, before saying, "Yep. Meeting a girl, she disappears and drops something that belongs to her, and I try to find her to return her missing item."
"Now that he mentions it, it does sound like what happened in Cinderella, doesn't it, Marinette?" Alya giggled.
"It does," Marinette agreed, her face going from pink to red. "But in my case, no wicked stepfamily bothering me, or fairy godmother needed. I got that opportunity all on my own."
She and Alya laughed before facing the monitor again.
"At least you didn't have to go on a wild goose chase to find her," Nadja giggled and she leaned in. "For you to return her bracelet in person instead of mailing it out to her, you must really appreciate her helping you."
Adrien's face melted into a lovesick smile, and he sighed.
"I am. I could've been seriously hurt or killed if she hadn't pushed me out of the way," Adrien commented. "And I'm glad she didn't get hurt, either."
"Yeah, I'm glad she's safe, too - same goes for everyone else at the show," Nadja mentioned before giving an inquisitive expression to Adrien. "But I'm sure there's more to it than that."
"Like you said, she hasn't left my mind since the show," Adrien confessed as he slouched forward, putting his hand against his cheek. "It's hard to explain. I don't know what it is, but she draws me in. When she shoved me out of the way and landed on me, our eyes met, and something in my heart just clicked."
Cue a big, fat, "Aw!" from the audience. When it died down, Nadja kept the conversation going.
"You being so popular with the girls and some boys here in Paris, I'm sure you won't have any problem winning her over." Nadja commented.
Marinette moaned in embarrassment, meanwhile Alya looked at her friend in worry before focusing back to the computer.
"It's not that simple," Adrien confessed, sounding cautious. "I'm still trying to get to know her better."
"Oh? Does that mean you two are an item already?" Nadja questioned, hoping to reel Adrien in.
Marinette ducked her head and clutched it, nervous. Her brain was repeating one thing in her mind.
If Adrien said that they were an official couple, who knows what would happen? Would her social media be flooded with hate-filled comments just because Adrien wasn't single anymore? The commissions on her websites were slowing down a little, but if Adrien said something stupid...
"No comment," Adrien chuckled. "Shall we move on, then?"
Marinette heaved a loud sigh and put the computer on mute as the conversation switched topics.
"Well, that confirms it: he's absolutely in love with you." Alya said.
"But he denied a relationship in front of Nadja." Marinette confessed, sounding both disappointed and relieved at the same time.
"Being a journalist, I know that high-profile people need to be careful what they say and do in public or on social media. Things can easily be misconstrued and there are consequences. But I'm sure if he was just a normal guy, he'd climb a mountain and scream out, "I'm in love with my awesome girlfriend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng!""
Marinette laughed in response, feeling better. She looked back to the screen to see Adrien still talking with Nadja. Since she couldn't hear what he was saying, Marinette was focusing on his body language.
'He's a lot more rigid compared to earlier,' Marinette thought, her face tinting pink. 'But it still doesn't answer the question about why he feels this way about me.'
She kept watching her boyfriend handle the rest of the interview like a pro.
When it was time for the girls to fall asleep, Marinette was about to turn her phone on "Do Not Disturb Sleep," when she got a phone call.
"Adrien?" Marinette asked as she quickly picked up the call. "Adrien? What's up? I was just about to get to sleep."
Alya sat up to listen.
"Sorry, Marinette," Adrien apologized. "I just wanted to ask if you saw the interview?"
"I did," Marinette said. "I... I wasn't expecting you to talk about me like that."
"Yeah, sorry about that," Adrien spoke. "I was SO tempted to declare to everyone that we're dating, but since we didn't talk about it beforehand..."
"I understand. You were trying to make sure I was spared from all the public scrutiny." Marinette responded.
"Right," Adrien said, sounding relieved. "I care about you. I have too much appreciation for you to throw you to the wolves that way. Guy's gotta respect a girl's boundaries, right?"
Marinette blushed with a smile before saying, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Marinette," Adrien responded. "Now, let me let you go so you can get your beauty sleep."
Marinette giggled and said, "Thank you. See you again?"
"I will." He promised before hanging up.
But when the call disconnected, Marinette heaved a sigh.
"Appreciation, huh?" Marinette murmured. Alya gave Marinette a worried look.
"What's the problem, girl?" Alya asked.
"I'm just wondering if Adrien is confusing gratitude with love," Marinette confessed. "I'm worried that he has this ideal of me in his mind. I mean, talking about me on Nadja's show, all but saying we're dating? Then calling me up and saying how much he appreciates me?"
"Is his behavior making you uncomfortable?" Alya questioned.
"...A little..." Marinette admitted.
"Just tell him how you're feeling, ask him to dial it back a bit, and let him know about what happened last year." Alya advised.
Marinette gave a nod.
"Now, shall we get some rest?" Alya asked. "It is a school night."
Marinette agreed before climbing up into her bed, plugging her phone in, and putting it on "Sleep" mode. She laid her head down on her pillow. Her dreams were riddled with blonde hair and green eyes.
At school the following day, Marinette was working in her sketchbook when a shadow came over her.
Marinette looked up and saw Chloé standing there, sneering down at her. Marinette rolled her eyes before taking out her phone and putting on her flashlight to get some light to sketch.
"Don't you dare ignore me, you loser!" Chloé spat. "I don't know what you did to make Adritraitor fall for you, but now that he's lowered himself to your level-"
"Save it," Marinette cut in, continuing to sketch. "I'm working on something for Kim and Ondine. Their "Swimaversary" is coming up."
Chloé kicked Marinette's book out of her hand.
"Hey!" Marinette shouted.
"I don't understand what happened that made him want to roll in the mud with you!" Chloé spat.
Marinette looked up at Chloé and said, "Did you even watch the interview last night? You didn't even watch the fashion show or the news."
Chloé looked at Marinette as if she burned her blonde hair all the way down to the root.
"What's the matter? If you care about him, you should be grateful he's safe. But then again..." Marinette said as stood. "The only person you've ever cared about is yourself. No wonder Sabrina ditched you."
"Sabrina ditched me because of YOU, insolent little baker girl!" Chloé snarled as she grabbed Marinette's shoulder, digging her nails in.
"Hey, ouch!" Marinette snapped before slapping Chloé's hand off. "I don't know what your problem is with me!"
"My problem is that my toy isn't any fun anymore!" Chloé spat.
"Then stop bothering me if I'm not any fun anymore." Marinette stated as she gathered her sketchbook up and began walking away (sorely tempted to flip the bird at Chloé).
"Great job back there, Marinette!" Alya said as she and the rest of their friends came to surround her.
"Yeah, that was amazing." Zoé commented.
"You handled that with panache, Marinette," Kagami added. "Well done."
"Thanks." Marinette said.
"And nice dig, pointing out how she didn't keep up with the news, so she had no right to talk." Alix added.
"And how thanks to you encouraging Sabrina in soccer, she's free from Chloé and slowly, but surely becoming our friend." Rose agreed.
"Thanks, girls," Marinette laughed as she took up her sketchbook. "Now, I gotta go find Kim. His "Swimaversary" with Ondine is on its way! I'd better get to it!"
Marinette ran up the stairs to find said jock.
"Marinette's becoming a superstar in her own right." Juleka mumbled.
"No kidding," Nino said as he came up to the girls and put his hand around Alya's waist. He kissed her cheek. "I saw the interview last night. She's garnering attention for all the right reasons, dude."
"Yeah, but she is a little worried," Alya commented. "She told me that she's wondering if Adrien is getting love and gratitude confused, even if it's palpable that Adrien is smitten with a capital "s.""
"I think the proverb is "once bitten, twice shy."" Myléne added.
Everyone gave sad, worried looks.
When school let out for the day, Marinette had her backpack on
But her phone started ringing, and Marinette picked the device up out of her pocket.
"Speak of the devil." Marinette muttered as she saw Adrien was calling.
She answered the call, put it on speaker, and said, "Hi, Adrien."
"Hi, Marinette," He greeted. "I've missed you."
Marinette blushed before saying, "It's nice to hear from you."
"Listen, I have this photoshoot coming up. I was thinking I could sneak out early to see you?" He suggested.
"What? NO!" Marinette said, surprised. "Please don't do that!"
"What? Why not? I want to see you." He said.
"You've said that your father is super strict! What if he found out you snuck out just to spend time with me? He'd kill you," Marinette responded. "And he'd blame me for it, calling me a bad influence!"
"In that case, why don't you come to the shoot itself?" Adrien responded.
"What? Me, come to the photoshoot? But I-" Marinette began.
"If my father has a problem with it, I'll just remind him that you're the reason I'm still able to model for him," He assured. "Besides, you DO have plans to become a fashion designer, don't you? Think of this as a chance to see how a real photoshoot works!"
Marinette paused, looked at her group, and saw everyone was giving her smiles.
"This is a rare opportunity!" Alya spoke.
"Yeah, Marinette! Go take a look! Maybe get some insight so Juleka can learn how to model better!" Rose agreed.
"But what about our girls' afternoon out?" Marinette asked.
"I'm sorry. Had I known you had plans with your friends..." Adrien apologized.
"Don't worry about it. We can have our girls' afternoon out tomorrow, especially since it'll be a Friday night." Myléne reassured, talking to both Marinette and Adrien.
Marinette sighed before telling Adrien, "Okay, I'll come, but I'm staying quiet and out of sight."
"Great! It's on the Île aux Cygnes. See you there!" He said, sounding happy. He hung up.
"Well, I guess that's that." Marinette giggled.
"Go and have fun, Marinette," Zoé spoke. "We'll see you tomorrow!"
Marinette shrugged before running across the street to her parked (repaired) scooter. She mounted it and put her helmet on before zooming off to the location.
When she got to the location for the shoot, she saw that staff from Gabriel and the hired workers (makeup artists, photographers) were working on setting up. There was a trailer on site, too, and she assumed Adrien was in there.
'To think, I may be doing this some day with my own designs and my own company!' Marinette thought in awe as she approached the scene.
"Mlle. Marinette?" A familiar voice said. Marinette looked up and saw Nathalie was standing there with a tablet in hand, surprised to see her.
"Mlle. Sancoeur!" Marinette greeted. "Good to see you again!"
"Likewise, but I must ask, what are you doing here?" Nathalie questioned, sounding worried.
"I called her and asked her to come," Adrien said as he came forward, wearing his casual clothes. "I wanted her to see how a photoshoot works."
"Is that true?" Nathalie asked, her voice skeptical.
"It is," Adrien responded as he pulled up his phone's call history. "See?"
Nathalie looked it over and sighed before saying, "Okay. But your father might not like having a guest here."
"Even if that guest is the one who saved my life?" Adrien asked, crossing his arms and giving Nathalie a knowing look.
Marinette grimaced a little. Adrien had to play that card, didn't he?
'Better throw him a life raft.' Marinette thought before saying, "I'll just stay on the sidelines and watch. No bothering the staff or asking too many questions, promise."
"Understood. Take a seat near the set, then." Nathalie sighed, but she seemed relieved.
"Che disastro!" A voice shouted. Everyone looked to where it came from. Near the set's scene, the photographer, an Italian redheaded man with his camera, was pacing around, worried.
"Is that the photographer?" Marinette asked.
"Right. That's Vincent, one of our regular photographers," Adrien confirmed with a nod. "Let's go check it out."
They approached the camera-wielding man.
"Vincent, what's the matter?" Nathalie asked him.
"Signorina Sancoeur, we've a'got un grosso problema! UN GROSSO PROBLEMA, I tell you!" He cried, burying his fingers in his hair. "The a'lady model we a'hired for this shoot, she's a'unprofessional! Non professionale!"
"What happened?" Marinette asked.
"She a'got a'food poisoning! Fever, diarrhea, nausea, you a'name it!" He shouted. "She had to call in a'sick!"
"I wouldn't refer to calling in sick because of food poisoning "unprofessional," Vincent." Nathalie spoke, trying to calm him down, but she sounded frustrated.
"Nathalie's right," Adrien agreed. "Food poisoning is nothing to give people grief over. People can and have died from it."
Marinette gave a nod in agreement. She knew how seriously her parents took food safety.
"That may be a'so, but that a'means we're down a model for this shoot! It's supposed to have a'two models - male and female - for the aesthetics we're going for!" Vincent griped.
"Are there any other Gabriel models available?" Marinette asked.
"No! Not a'one! This is going to be a-" Vincent began, but once he got a good look at Marinette, he paused and stared at her.
A few beats later, he started examining her from every angle, including using his hands as a frame and even getting in her space to look at her face and hair.
He backed off before pointing at her and asking, "You! Have you a'modeled before?"
Marinette blinked before tensely asking, "What? Me, model? No, I'm aspiring to be a fashion designer."
"Listen, we're in a tight'a spot! We need a girl for this shoot, immediatamente!" Vincent said before slamming his hands on Marinette's shoulders. "And you, singnorina, are perfetto for this!"
"Wait, you're asking Marinette to stand in for the model?" Nathalie asked.
"WHAT?!" Marinette asked, all but screaming.
"Assolutamente! It is an emergency, after all!" Vincent said before snapping his fingers to call for some of the other staff members. "Get this young lady to wardrobe and makeup, pronto!"
"HEY!" Marinette shouted as Vincent started dragging her to the trailer. She snatched her wrist away. "You can't just push me into the spotlight like this! What if I don't want to model?! I mean, wasn't the model chosen for this shoot for a specific reason?"
"True, but according to the storyboards, none of the shots show the model's face. Just shots of her hands, wrists, and bust area to show off the jewelry. We specifically wanted a girl with dark hair for it to offset the tones of the jewelry." Nathalie added.
"But I-" Marinette continued to protest.
"Marinette, please," Adrien begged as he took her hands into his own. "You'd be doing us a huge favor. And selfishly..."
He turned red in the face and his eyes met hers.
"I... I'd actually like it if you'd step in. Having you as my partner for this would make it more fun." Adrien confessed.
"...No joke?" Marinette asked.
"No joke," Adrien responded. "You've helped me once, and I need your help again. So, what do you say?"
Marinette looked at Adrien, who was bashful and pleading, then to Vincent, who looked desperate, and to Nathalie, who seemed resigned.
Marinette heaved a sigh before saying, "...Okay, I'll do it. BUT, I don't want my name or face shown in any of the final drafts, is that clear?"
"Deal." Vincent agreed.
"Yes!" Adrien said, giving the "cha-ching" hand gesture before giving her a hug. "Merci beaucoup, Marinette."
He kissed her cheek, causing Marinette's heart to thump and her face to burn red.
"Now, to wardrobe and hair and makeup with you!" Vincent said before clapping his hands.
The next thing Marinette knew, she was standing in the designated girls' trailer in front of the full-length mirror. She was in a simple, pink dress with pearlescent white accents to it, white flat shoes, her hair was down and it had been straightened, and since her face wasn't going to be shown, they didn't bother with makeup.
Marinette was looking over the storyboards, and she got the general idea. The storyline was an archetypical case of a young man giving jewelry to a girl in a chivalrous, knight-like manner. The color scheme of the entire shoot was grey-white-black while her clothes and jewelry would be pink and white to contrast and stand out. Like a splash of color in a grayscale scene.
'I hope I can do this.' Marinette thought, nervous.
There was a knock on the trailer door.
"We're ready for you on set." Nathalie spoke.
"Coming!" Marinette said as she stepped out of the trailer. She looked to the scene and saw Adrien standing there, fiddling with his cufflinks.
"Ready?" Nathalie asked. Marinette gave an anxious nod.
Nathalie guided her to the set, where the jewelry for the shoot was waiting for her.
She and Adrien made eye contact and she started blushing. Adrien's face also went red at the sight of Marinette in her clothes.
"You're absolutely stunning." He murmured, his voice above a whisper.
"Thank you." Marinette said before being brought in front of the camera.
The first scene was Adrien slipping the white gold bracelet onto her wrist and giving her hand a kiss, making sure the bracelet's charm (a pink rose with a white stem) was in plain view. Marinette looked at him and saw how red his face was, how tender his kiss on her hand was. When he broke it, he gave a big smile and looked up at her. Marinette's heart soared.
The next scene had Marinette's back to the camera, and Adrien was hugging her. He was holding up a necklace that matched the bracelet, but his eyes were focused on Marinette, not the camera. The lighting was deliberately shining on the necklace instead.
"Bellisimo, BELLISIMO!" Vincent said as he kept snapping pictures from every angle that would highlight the jewelry while avoiding Marinette's face.
The camera's lights were flashing every few seconds, and Marinette was getting a little more fluid in her movements with each shot.
"Wonderful! Signor Adrien, you must bring this young lady to EVERY photoshoot from a'now own! She clearly motivates you!" Vincent said as he was looking over the photos he'd gotten. "And you, signorina, should a'seriously consider a modeling career! You and Adrien could be the Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire of a'your generation!"
Marinette blushed, while she heard Adrien snicker under his breath.
"Vincent, didn't she say that she didn't want her face shown? I'm not sure being a model is what she wants in life." Adrien spoke up.
"Oh, but Juleka is interested in modeling and wants to be one! Maybe I can bring her along next time so she can see this!" Marinette suggested, remembering what Juleka wanted.
"With the results that your presence has a'given, I haven't got a'problem with that!" Vincent agreed.
Marinette blushed a little.
Once the shoot was over, the afternoon was upon them. Adrien asked Marinette to stay with him for a little bit, to talk and just spend time with each other.
They were walking along the Seine under the light of the sunset, its orange, red, and golden tones bathing them.
Adrien was belly-laughing at something Marinette said. As he calmed down, he looked at Marinette and said, "A "swimaversary?" What a hoot!"
"Yeah, it is pretty funny," Marinette giggled. "They're both incredible swimmers and the pool is where Kim asked Ondine out."
"That's a story I gotta hear." Adrien said, eager to hear more.
"Apparently they were at the pool, playing a game that Ondine invented. Write a message and put it in their bracelet capsule, you throw it in the pool, and the other person has to dive in and get it to get the message out. Kim's message to Ondine was an invitation to the movies! The rest is history." Marinette explained.
"Perfect fit!" Adrien laughed, as did Marinette.
Once he calmed down, a feeling of peace came over them. Marinette looked at him before turning away and looking at the sunset-painted Seine. Her face fell a little and she stopped walking to look at the scene.
Seeing she'd stopped, Adrien turned around. Looking at her dusk-colored profile, Adrien's heart pounded and he blushed hard.
"I... It's a lovely sunset, isn't it?" Adrien questioned as he walked over to her.
Marinette gave a nod and a hum.
"Marinette, is something bothering you?" Adrien asked, sounding concerned.
"...Why do you love me?" Marinette asked, her voice quiet.
"Huh?" Adrien asked. "I didn't quite hear you."
"Why do you love me?" Marinette repeated in a louder voice, looking at Adrien in worry. "Are you sure you're not getting love and gratitude mixed up? How do you know you're really in love with me, and not just taking your gratitude too far?"
She looked down and away, making the upmost effort to hide the tears that were about to burst forth.
"I can't just take this at face value..." Marinette choked.
A few moments of silence, but she felt Adrien tug her closer to him.
"Look at me, Marinette." Adrien said, his tone gentle, yet leaving no room for argument.
Marinette looked up, allowing a stray tear to fall from her eyes.
She saw Adrien's serious expression, combined with his red cheeks. He wiped her tear away from her face with his finger.
"I would've just returned your bracelet via mail and left it at that if it was only gratitude," He said to her before looking her in the eyes. "But I know this is love. When I'm with you, I feel free, and I have so much fun. You see me as I truly am, and not just "Adrien Agreste, teen model for Gabriel." Every time we have to separate, it hurts. You're in my dreams at night, and I think about you all the time during the day. Every time I feel you're in a tight spot, I want to drop everything and rush to your side. Your smile causes my heart to race."
"In that case, then why? What do you see in me?!" Marinette asked, tears coming up again.
"You're a considerate person," He said to her. "You made sure our first time out together was in a place where we wouldn't be likely to be bothered. When you pushed me out of the way of the light, your first concern was my safety."
Marinette blushed and blinked away her tears, continuing to listen.
"You're always talking about your family and friends. And when you do, you brighten up in a way that's natural. You know their strengths and weaknesses so well. Listening to you, it's like I've known them forever." Adrien admitted.
Marinette's smile began to grow.
"You're a generous spirit, not afraid to help others at your own expense," He spoke. "Babysitting your friends' siblings, helping Marc and Nathaniel with drawing clothes for their comics, designing outfits and accessories for your friends' birthdays, just for the hell of it. And standing in during the shoot today. But that's just the beginning."
Marinette giggled before hiccuping in embarrassment.
"Excuse me." Marinette said, blushing. She covered her mouth and thought, 'Oh, CRAP! I can't believe I did that!'
She heard Adrien give a laugh again.
"Your imperfections are endearing, just like now. When you called me out as a "privileged rich kid" at the smoothie shop..." Adrien added.
"I'm surprised you weren't offended by that!" Marinette confessed. "...Or were you?"
"No way! You were on the nose!" He dissented with a laugh.
"A... Anything else?" Marinette asked, curious about what else Adrien saw in her.
"The way you can trip on thin air, is an opportunity for me to catch you in my arms." He spoke, winking at her.
He put his hand on her cheek and moved her face to look at him.
"You're absolutely adorable, but... If true beauty lies within, then you're the most gorgeous, beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life." He murmured.
Marinette's heart pounded, her face tinted red, and she felt her face and body temperature rise. Seeing this, Adrien gave an amused snort as he wrapped his arms around Marinette's waist.
"I... I..." Adrien began, leaning in closer and pursing his lips.
Marinette's face turned darker red and her brain started rapid-firing off confusing signals. She squeaked before saying, "Not yet!"
She gently pushed him away, blushing hard and looking down.
'This is crazy! Will he be disappointed I just pushed him away after a confession like that?!" Marinette thought, realizing her mistake.
"...Take your time," Adrien spoke, gentle. "I can tell you're trying your best, but you're shy. We'll take it a day at a time, if it makes you more comfortable."
Marinette looked up at him and saw his patient, sweet smile, before saying, "Yes."
She leaned her head into his chest and he gave her a tender hug in response.
Okay, that's that for this chapter! Keep the comments and kudos coming!
Feeling heavily inspired after watching the latest of the Season 5 episodes. SPOILERS BELOW!
Glad karma did its job regarding Chloé and Gabriel. Good on Sabrina, cutting ties with Chloé and helping Marinette expose her and Lila! But I wonder how Luka met up with Su-Han while he was out of Paris to avoid Monarch trouble?
The fact that Adrien didn't found out about his father being Monarch? I think that actually was the best outcome. Adrien doesn't need the added emotional/mental baggage of his abusive prick of a father being a Miraculous-powered terrorist. Bad for his sanity. And now that he has his parents' wedding rings, he can finally take control of himself and his own life!
But I'm disappointed that Ladybug and Cat Noir didn't reveal themselves to each other! I was looking forward to that! Maybe in the actual series finale?
And I can't help but find the dynamic between Kagami and Félix cute.
That said, I'm worried about Season 6 and 7 where Lila is concerned. Looks like she's gonna be back in Marinette's life again and I'm worried it's gonna be a repeat performance of before. And now that she has the Butterfly Miraculous, her hatred and desire for revenge against Marinette/Ladybug is going to be even trickier to deal with. And for all we know, Lila might have some knowledge of who's who on the team! She's probably gonna try wrecking things between Adrien and Marinette again, too (and try ruining all of Marinette's friendships again). And what if Chloé comes back? At least she won't have her dad's weight to throw around anymore. And what about Tomoe? What is she going to do now?
Hopefully everyone's learned their lesson about trusting their "Everyday Ladybug's" word when it comes to her judge of character. Especially since everyone has their Miraculous permanently now, including Félix and Sabrina!
Okay, spiel over! If any information about Season 6 is out, NO SPOILERS PLEASE!
Coming up in this story, Adrien keeps using his free time to be with Marinette and meet the rest of her friends in the flesh! But...