She awoke to the faint sound of passing cars below and sunshine streaming in through her window. She lay there for a while appreciating the way the dust sparkled and floated in the sunlight. Her bed and blankets were abnormally comfortable today. She stretched and flipped around to face her wall. She breathed deeply and then opened her eyes again. Her eyes fell on the many pictures of Adrian pinned to her bulletin board and she smiled. After a second she shot straight up in terror as the events from last night came rushing back. Had it all been some elaborate dream she made up? She grabbed her phone to check the date. It was Saturday, which meant that the dance had, in fact, happened.
She fell back onto her bed with a thump. Everything was different now, not just between her and Adrian, but her and Chloé too. Chloé had never opened up to her in that way, and though Marinette was certain that she did it just to make her feel bad she still felt it was an important milestone. The week that they had to spend together might not be awful. Adrien…Adrien was a different matter altogether.
Her phone buzzed at that exact moment. She turned on her phone and saw the message icon notification. She unlocked her phone and scrolled down on the menu to see who it was from. She nearly threw her phone across the room when she saw who it was.
"Adrien?!" She tried to scream but her voice was still too harsh from sleep. Tikki flew up to Marinette's bed and looked at the screen.
"Oooo he-" Tikki began to say but Marinette cut her off.
"Don't tell me what he said!" Marinette shrieked before tossing her blanket over her head.
"Why not? He seems interested in you. Aren't you happy?" Tikki asked appearing under the pink duvet.
"I am, but it's all happening so fast. I never imagined that any of this would be happening. I feel like I might throw up and I haven't even had breakfast yet." She said and Tikki sighed.
"Take it one step at a time Marinette. He's just a boy!" Tikki laughed.
Marinette knew she was being silly, but she couldn't help it. This was the first boy she had ever loved. She didn't know how any of it was supposed to work, and after her conversation with Chloé she didn't even know why she loved him to begin with, but she would find out!
She threw the covers off her head and grabbed her phone before she could lose her nerve. She opened the message and read: Hey, Marinette! I hope you slept well. I was wondering if you would maybe want to go to lunch with me today? My day is free after 11, so we wouldn't need to rush around or anything. I just thought it would be nice to spend some time with you… let me know… no pressure.
Marinette laughed, he was so formal and yet, so awkward. Did she have anything to do? She thought about homework, but she finished all of that during the week. Had she promised to do anything with her mom? Kitty Section? Alya? No, no, and no. Her day was free. Her heart was beating so hard she could barely breathe.
She typed: Yeah, I would love to!
Was "love" too much? Just before she hit the back arrow Tikki appeared in front of her and hit send.
"Tikki! Why would you do that?!" Marinette yelled.
"You were overthinking." Tikki shrugged.
"You-" Marinette began but then she saw the "seen" icon appear underneath her message. "AH! He saw it!"
Marinette and Tikki stared intensely at the phone screen waiting for him to respond. The three dots appeared, and they waited longer.
"Is he writing a novel?!" Tikki said in exasperation.
"I think I'm going to have a heart attack! What if he decided he didn't want to? What if I responded too late and he asked someone else? What if he got freaked out because I used the word love?! That's definitely it! This is your fault!" Marinette said, turning on Tikki.
"My fault?!" Tikki exclaimed.
"If you had let me reword it before sending the message, I wouldn't have made him uncomfortable." She said.
"Your being ridicu- he replied!" Marinette's head whipped back to the screen, and she saw his message.
He said: Awesome! I'll head over to your house at 12. Is that ok?
Marinette's eyes darted up at the clock on her phone it was 10 am. She had just woken up and he had probably been up for at least a few hours. Marinette briefly considered what she could get done if she woke up earlier but then decided she did enough already.
"What are you doing? Say something! He's waiting!" Tikki said and Marinette brought her attention back.
"All right, how about this, 'That sounds good. I'll see you then.'" She said and Tikki nodded as she typed out the message. Her thumb hovered over the send button for a moment. Once she pressed send there was no backing out. She would be spending the day with Adrien. She hit send. "There! Now, I think I deserve some breakfast. I'll bring something up for you, Tikki."
Marinette climbed down her stairs and made her way to the hatch door. "Okay! Don't be too long. I want to know what he says." Tikki exclaimed. Marinette giggled and nodded that she wouldn't take very long.
As she climbed down the stairs, she could smell the buttery scent of Croissants wafting through the air. She saw her mom sitting at the breakfast bar cutting the tops off strawberries while waiting for the croissants to come out of the oven.
"Good morning!" She said as she approached the kitchen area.
"Good morning, Marinette. Did you sleep well?" Sabine said as she passed her daughter on the way to take the croissants out of the oven. Marinette took a seat at the breakfast bar and watched as her mom took the sheet of freshly puffed croissants out of the oven.
"I did. Those look really good!" She said. She could feel her mouth watering at the sight of them.
"Thank you! Your father was too busy baking for the store to make any spare treats for us, so I decided to do it myself. We have more than one baker in the family." Sabine said with a wink and Marinette giggled.
With that, both women sat down to eat their breakfast. The croissants were just the thing she needed. While she sat with her mom, they chatted about different things that had been going on at school and personal projects that Marinette was planning. They were always so busy there never seemed like any time to talk with her mom and that thought made her feel a twinge of sadness. She and her mom used to be so close and now she could tell they were drifting apart.
"So…" Marinette said when the conversation had quieted.
"So?" Sabine mimicked while looking at her with an arched eyebrow.
"I'm going to spend the day with my friend. He's going to come to the house at 12 o'clock. Is that ok?" She asked, trying to seem nonchalant about it.
"Oh? You're asking my permission for something? You usually just go wherever you want whenever you want these days." Sabine said while sipping from her coffee cup.
"Oh…that's…sorry." Marinette trailed off. She didn't know what else to say. It's not like she could just ask to go defeat supervillains.
"Of course, it's okay, Marinette. Is it the boy you like? What was his name? Adrien?" Sabine said and Marinette felt her face go red.
"Uh yeah. That one. I like all of my friends, Mom." She said while taking two more croissants.
"Of course, you do. Me and your father will be busy with the bakery all day, so just stay out as long as you want." Sabine said and Marinette nodded.
"Okay well, I better go get ready," Marinette said darting up and taking her plate of croissants with her.
"You should just finish eating here before you go to your room. You have time." Sabine said checking her watch.
"Oh, ha-ha right. Well, um…I just want to take it with me." Marinette said unable to come up with a good enough excuse. Sabine just smiled and shook her head, so the girl ran up the stairs before she decided to ask more questions. Marinette propped open her bedroom door as she climbed into the room. She looked around for Tikki but the kwami didn't appear until the room door was shut again.
"Is that a croissant?" Tikki asked excitedly.
"Two croissants. You better eat both of them too because my mom thinks I'm a food hoarder." Marinette said and set down the plate on her coffee table.
"Yes, Ma'am," Tikki said and began to munch away on the pastry.
Marinette took her phone out of her pocket realizing suddenly that she had never checked to see what Adrian had said. She looked over at Tikki to make sure she was occupied before she opened the message.
He said: Can't wait!
She smiled at the message and began to sift through her clothing. She couldn't seem to find anything worthy of the outing. Everything either seemed too laid back or too extreme. I should just show up in my pajamas. Marinette thought and then shook her head. No, that wouldn't be happening. She eventually settled on light blue jeans which she tucked a frilly red blouse into. She remembered buying the top thinking that she should experiment with bolder colors, but then she received her miraculous and she thought that wearing red would make her look too much like Ladybug in public. She put on her usual pink shoes but switched out the laces for a red ribbon, so they could match the red in her shirt a little bit more. She looked at herself in the mirror and wondered if she should change. She looked nice but once again she couldn't help but make the Ladybug comparison in her head. She began to look through her shirts once again but then her phone began to ring. Her heart leapt into her chest.
Adrien's face glowed on her screen. She answered the call. "Hello?" She said and then quickly scrolled down on her phone to check the time. It was already 5 minutes until 12!
"Hey, Marinette I know that it's a little bit early, but I'm outside your house." Adrien said on the other end of the phone.
"Oh uh." She looked at herself in the mirror and then around her room in horror. Should she change or not? She had no time!
"It's ok if your still getting ready. I can wait." He politely offered.
"No! Uh…I'll be right down. You can come into the bakery if you want." She said slinging her purse onto her shoulder and gesturing for Tikki to go in.
"I already am. Your dad gave me a cookie!" Adrien chimed and Marinette held in her laugh. He seemed so happy about the cookie.
"Ok, well I'm heading downstairs now." She said as she opened her bedroom door.
"Ok, see you!" He said.
"See you!" She said and quickly hung up the phone. She was so concerned with her clothes that she hadn't had time to panic, and now it was all rushing back. Was this a date? She had never been on a date. No. It was just an outing between friends to get to know each other better. So…kind of a date?
She got to the bottom of the stairs and took a few deep breaths. Her body was shaking, and her breaths were short and fast. The only time she had felt this nervous was when she first received her miraculous, and just like back then she felt like she didn't belong in the position she was taking.
She peeked around the corner through the glass doors, and she caught a glimpse of him. He was talking to her mother politely and her father was making him laugh. Her breath slowed and she smiled. What was she scared of? Looking at his golden hair and hearing the faint echo of his laugh through the doors gave her confidence. He wasn't the scary crush she always envisioned in her head. He was Adrien. The nice boy who sat in front of her in class. Though she was still nervous for what they day might bring it was more excitement than anxiety now.
She walked over to the door and pushed it open. Her parents and Adrien turned to look at her and her mom was the first to compliment her outfit. She could feel Adrien looking at her but when she turned to look at him as soon as they made eye contact, he looked away.
"Hi." She said waving at him.
"Hey." He said back and they both looked away awkwardly.
"We'll be leaving now." Marinette said hugging her parents.
"You be safe honey." Tom said to her as she walked to the door.
"I will. Bye." She said and both her parents waved goodbye. Adrien waved goodbye as well before he held the door open for her. That act alone made her feel self-conscious but also happy.
The two began walking down the sidewalk in silence. When they were a comfortable distance from the bakery Adrien began to speak.
"I was thinking we could go to a café. I've always wanted to go to one not far from here, but Father has never wanted to take me." He said and Marinette frowned. His father always treated him so poorly. He also seemed like an elitist piece of-
"Yeah, I would love to go." She said cutting off her internal dialogue. It wasn't good to think of people that way about his father. She barely knew the man, but then again Adrien also seemed to barely know him.
They walked along side each other but they didn't speak. Marinette wasn't sure how close she should walk so she kept stumbling and falling behind in order to maintain a safe distance. She knew she was making a fool of herself but what else was new? She snuck a peek at him when they got to a cross and had to wait for the light to turn. She was surprised to see that he was already looking at her. Both of their eyes widened, and they looked away.
"Was there something in my hair?" Marinette asked mostly to break the tension but also unsure if there was something wrong with her appearance that would warrant so much staring.
"Oh! No, sorry. It's just-you look really nice today. You should wear red more often." He said and she turned to see him rubbing the back of his neck and smiling. He looked nice too. She hadn't let herself think about it in the bakery because she might explode from the embarrassment in front of her parents.
"Thank you… You look really nice too. You don't usually wear pink." She said and he laughed a little too loudly. He was wearing a black t-shirt under a light pink button up shirt. He usually only wore white or black, so this was an unexpected change.
"Oh yeah uh. Oh, the light changed." He said and they crossed the street. "Actually, I wore pink because it seems to be your favorite color. It wasn't really intentional but since I was thinking about you all morning, I guess I just naturally chose your color." He said and she was surprised at how up front he was about what led to his shirt decision. Most people would just say they wanted to try something new or that they had nothing else to wear but here he was casually saying he was thinking about her all morning. "Is that weird?" He asked suddenly. His face looked concerned but sad at the same time.
"No! I just wasn't expecting you to say all of that. I'm flattered that you thought of me." She said and he gave her a big smile.
"I'm glad! But you know… you kind of ruined it." He said.
"Ruined what?" She sputtered.
"You wore red today. You wear pink every day, but today you chose not to. We could have matched but you ruined it." He said shooting a mischievous look at her.
"Pfft. Well excuse me! I wasn't aware we were trying to look like a couple." She said and instantly regretted it. She wasn't trying to suggest that they were a couple or that being a couple would be horrible. She felt herself blush and wondered if he would take it the wrong way.
He leaned closer to her and looked at her concerned. "Don't you know?" He asked and she shook her head.
"Know what?" She asked. He looked around to see if anyone was hearing and then put his hand up as if to whisper to her.
"You're a girl out with Adrien Agreste. You're basically my wife." He faux whispered. Marinette burst out laughing and Adrien fell into laughter right after.
"You're dumb." She said and he just smiled at her.
She was relieved that she didn't insult him. From their they talked about school and upcoming assignments. The sounds of the city seemed to fall away, and they soon reached the café that Adrien had spotted. It was one that Marinette had never been to either. Come to think of it even though she had passed this street so many times she had never seen it.
He let her walk in first and they both stood for a moment admiring the interior. Everything was wooden and the lights glowed a warm yellow color that made everything fell as if you were sitting by a fire reading a book. There were also fake veins hanging from the rafters in the ceiling. There were only a few other people in the café, so the place was filled with low chatter and the clinking of porcelain. The two quickly found a table for two in a far corner and sat down. As soon as they had seated themselves a waitress hurried over to take their order. They both ordered a sandwich and soup and then continued to talk.
The atmosphere in the café made everything feel much more intimate. Marinette became bolder as they spoke which in her case meant being able to look him in the eyes when she spoke. She loved his eyes. She loved how even though they were sharp and wide they still looked kind. He noticed that he tended to look around when he spoke but whenever she spoke, he looked at her so intently that she felt like she was the only person in the world.
They ate their food in relative silence. Marinette thought the meals were simple but good. Adrien on the other hand had never had anything like it before, so he thought it was incredible.
"Have you never had a sandwich?" Marinette smiled at the boy.
"Not like this one. We eat all kinds of crazy foods at my house, so I don't usually get to eat anything like this. The bread is so soft, and the fillings are…comforting? I don't know. I must sound so weird right now." He said. He set down his sandwich and began eating his soup as well.
"I don't think it's weird. My mom even says that food tastes better when you have good company." Marinette said and Adrian smiled.
"That must be why I like it so much." He said and she blushed. She saw the smile slide off of his face and he looked away. "I usually eat by myself. Father is always busy. Natalie does her best, but she usually eats at different times of the day than me, so she just sits with me until I'm done." His confession made her chest tighten and her throat choke up. He was always alone. Then he smiled and looked back at her. "That's why I'm so grateful I get to be here with you." He said and it took everything in her to keep her tears back.
She forced herself to smile and chuckle. "I'm glad to be here with you too. We never get to talk like this. I guess that's to be expected when you're popular." She said trying to bring back the lighthearted atmosphere. He smirked and leaned in setting his elbows on the table.
"And when you're always busy." He countered.
"touché." She said and they both laughed. She was shocked at how natural all of this felt. Though she was still testing the waters she felt like they had already been friends for a long time. She had known him for a year now and yet never spoke to him. The big question came back to her once again. How much did she actually like him?
She took a sip of her juice as she listened to him talk about his favorite photoshoot. How was it that she knew so much and yet so little about him? Chloé, for all her flaws was right in one regard. She was more worthy of his love because she wasn't afraid to learn about and be close to him.
Marinette studied the way his hair bounced when he spoke. How his mouth seemed to be pressed into a permanent smile. The way his eyes shined even in such a dim setting. The way his shoulders hunched when he tried to explain something with his hands. These were all things she had noticed from afar. Anyone could notice these things, but what had she noticed since talking to him? He loved to invade personal space and any excuse he could find to touch you he would. That action had always sent shock waves through her system but now she thought it must be how he made up for the lack of affection at home, and every time she jumped away, he must have felt rejected. She liked how open and honest he was. There weren't many people who could tell the truth so wholly. She also decided she liked when his mischievous and playful side came out. He was always so serious and perfect that his teasing made him feel more human. There. Those were the things she loved about him so far.
"Should we head out?" He asked and she drained her cup before nodding with full cheeks. Adrien couldn't help but notice the things he loved about her too, and that became a new one.
Adrien paid for the meal with some protest from Marinette, but he eventually convinced her that part of the joy of going out was treating her to a meal. They stepped out onto the busy street and Marinette felt overwhelmed by all of the sudden sounds and the brightness of the sun. It was as if they had been in a world cut off from reality. Now that they were in it again, they felt exposed and uncomfortable. Marinette was also sad that their time together was coming to a close.
"Where do you want to go now?" Adrien asked and Marinette blinked at him. She wasn't expecting they would go anywhere else. She supposed he did say his days was free.
"Oh um… the park?" She said and he smiled and led her in the direction of the park. When they got to the park, they found a shady tree to sit under. They sat in silence appreciating the slight breeze. It was a beautiful day. There were lots of families playing together and different couples having picnics on the grass.
Marinette began to shift so that she could lay down. She faced her feet towards the tree. Adrien looked at her with confusion and concern written on his face.
"What are you doing…?" he asked.
"Cloud watching. Come lay with me." She said and tried to ignore how suggestive the request sounded.
"But our clothes will get dirty." He said.
"That is my laundry machines exist." She said not moving from her position. Eventually Adrien reluctantly laid next to her.
"Wow…" He said as soon as he did. "The sky looks different like this. It feels so big." He said and she smiled.
"Now tell me what shapes you see. Over there I see a bird." She said pointing to a cloud that looked like a bird. Adrien squinted at the sky, but he didn't see a bird.
"That looks more like a fish to me, but do you know what that looks like?" He said pointing at a big cloud. Marinette found the cloud and saw what he saw instantly. They turned to look at each other and chimed in unison.
"Mr. Pigeon!" They both dissolved into laughter at the accuracy of the cloud. It looked like a man holding up a pigeon in his hand. When they finished laughing, they looked at each other. There was something about the way that he looked into her eyes that made her want to look away, but she didn't. His eyes shifted to her lips the same way they had on the night of the school dance.
"Marinette?" He asked meeting her gaze again.
She could barely breathe but she maintained the eye contact. "Yes?" She breathed. She had meant for the words to come out clearer, but her voice was too weak. There was a moment when he didn't speak, and she wondered if he could hear her heart beating out of her chest.
"I like spending time with you." He said at last, and she waited for him to say more, but he didn't.
"I like spending time with you too. I keep learning new things about you and I just want to learn more." She said in a low voice only meant for him. She saw a light pink rise to his face, and he smiled.
"I feel the same. I'm not sure what it is, but I just feel drawn to you. I feel like I've known you for so long already and that make me want to…" He trailed off and looked down at the floor. His face turned an even deeper shade of red.
"Want to what?" She asked. She flipped onto her side to better look at him and he did the same.
"I find myself wanting to treat you like you're already my girlfriend. I keep wanting to…kiss you. I've never felt that before." He said and then flipped onto his back and crossed his arms over his face in embarrassment.
Marinette felt all of the blood in her body rush to her face and her eyes go wide. She covered her face with her hands. What was happening?! Did he really just say that?! She didn't know what to say. What do you say to something like that?!
"Don't worry I won't. I still want you to figure out how you feel. I just keep feeling this way and I'm confused." He said. Marinette peaked through her fingers at him, and he was now looking at her apologetically. "I made you uncomfortable, didn't I?" He asked.
"No! I just- I don't know. The thought of kissing you is… too much. Not in a bad way! You know." She said and he smiled at her and nodded. The understanding that crossed his face made her feel reassured. They were in the same boat. They both felt connected to each other even though they didn't really know each other. They didn't know what it all meant but they knew that this was something special between them that no one else would understand.
Adrien spoke up once again, "Don't ignore me in class anymore, okay?" He said. Marinette felt hurt by the thought that she had made him feel ignored.
She looked at him with determination in her eyes. "I promise." She said with all the conviction in her heart. Adrien looked shocked for a second but then smiled.
"You have to lock that." He said raising his pinky up. She laughed but offered her pinky to his. They locked their pinkies forging the promise of friendship and trust between them. They then laid back to look at the sky once more.