A/N: TY for all your comments and follows! Hope you enjoy the next chapter.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, and students scrambled to pack up their bags and leave the classroom. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, however, remained seated, her hands curled tightly around her pencil case, her gaze locked on her desk. She'd been restless all day, distracted by the events of the night before. It was becoming harder to ignore the growing feelings she had forhim—for Cat Noir—and the fact that those feelings had somehow started bleeding into her thoughts about Adrien.
She caught a glimpse of him as he passed by her desk, his golden hair catching the light, and for a brief moment, her heart skipped a beat. Marinette quickly looked away, feeling the familiar flush of embarrassment creep up her neck.No, not now,she thought.Focus, Marinette. You're in school, not fighting an akuma.
Adrien Agreste, seemingly oblivious to her inner turmoil, gave her a smile as he reached the door. "See you later, Marinette!" His voice was warm and genuine, and he waved as he left the classroom with a group of friends.
Marinette blinked rapidly, trying to shake herself from the haze of her own thoughts.Get it together, Marinette!she scolded herself.You can't just keep fantasizing about him like this. He'sAdrien, and I'mLadybug!
But despite her best efforts, her mind wandered back to the night before. The way Cat Noir had looked at her... the words he had said. The way he seemed to understand that something was wrong, even if he didn't know exactly what it was. Marinette couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, he felt the same pull toward her that she felt for him.
But then, as soon as she thought that, another wave of doubt washed over her. What if he didn't? What if he only saw her as his partner—Ladybug, the perfect superhero—and nothing more? She couldn't risk ruining their partnership, their bond. Not for a fleeting moment of weakness.
As Marinette gathered her things, Alya appeared beside her, looking at her with a knowing grin.
"You're acting allweirdtoday, girl," Alya said with a playful nudge. "What's going on? You've barely spoken to Adrien, and you're all quiet like a mouse. What, you still getting all starstruck by him or something?"
Marinette nearly dropped her books, her face turning beet red. "I—I'm not starstruck!" she protested, a little too loudly.
Alya raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Uh-huh, sure. Keep telling yourself that." She leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Listen, I know you, Marinette. You've gotfeelingsfor him, don't you?"
Marinette froze. "W-What? No!" She could feel the heat in her cheeks rise again, and she quickly adjusted her backpack, trying to hide her flustered expression. "I mean, he's nice and all, but—"
Alya wasn't having it. "Oh,come on. I know when you're hiding something. It's obvious, Marinette! Every time he's around, you get all shy and can't look him in the eye. And don't even get me started on how you act when hesmilesat you. It's like your brain shuts down completely."
Marinette could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Alya wasn't wrong. She had spent enough time around her best friend to know when she was hiding something, and Alya's sharp instincts had picked up on it right away. But Marinette couldn't admit it—not yet. Not when she was still figuring out how to handle being Ladybug and the constant pressure of keeping her secret.
"I... I don't know, Alya," she mumbled, avoiding eye contact. "I just... I don't know how to talk to him. He'sAdrien. He's perfect. He doesn't even notice me like that."
Alya grinned, clearly not buying her excuse. "Perfect, huh? That's funny, because from where I'm standing, it looks like Adrien isalwayslooking at you. It's subtle, but I've seen it. You think he doesn't notice you? Girl, he totally does."
Marinette felt her stomach flutter nervously.Could Alya be right? Could Adrien—She quickly shook the thought away, unwilling to entertain the idea for fear of getting her hopes up. "Alya, please. Let's just drop it, okay?" She forced a smile, hoping to steer the conversation elsewhere.
Alya rolled her eyes but didn't press any further. Instead, she gave Marinette a friendly pat on the back. "Fine, fine. I'm just saying, if you ever need advice on how to handle the 'Adrien thing,' I'm here for you. You know that, right?"
Marinette nodded, though her mind was elsewhere.The Adrien thing... She wasn't sure if she could ever figure out what that was. After all, she had no idea how to navigate these emotions—especially when she still hadn't fully figured out how to handle being Ladybug and Cat Noir's partner.
The following day at school, things felt... off. Marinette kept sneaking glances at Adrien, trying not to make it obvious, but she could feel his presence, almost like an electric current that made her feel both alive and terrified at the same time.
During class, she found herself doodling on the margins of her notebook—nothing unusual, just a few random sketches to distract herself. But then, without realizing it, she started drawinghim.
Cat Noir.
Her fingers froze as she traced the familiar lines of his silhouette—the lean figure, the playful yet intense eyes, the distinctive ears that always made her heart race. She couldn't help it; she was drawn to him—both the superhero and the boy she now realized she was growing closer to.
As she stared at her own drawing, a voice startled her. "Whoa, that looks just likeme!"
Marinette's eyes snapped up, and her heart nearly leapt out of her chest when she saw Adrien standing right next to her desk. He was peering at the drawing with genuine interest, his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Uh...!" Marinette blurted, flustered beyond belief. "No! I mean, it's not—it's just a sketch! Just, uh, doodles!"
Adrien chuckled, clearly amused by her panic. "I don't know, it kind of looks like me," he said, pointing to the ears and the sly grin she had drawn. "You've got my good side down."
Marinette's face burned with embarrassment. "I... I didn't mean—"
"I'm just messing with you, Marinette," he said, his tone light and teasing. "But seriously, you're a good artist. This is pretty impressive."
Marinette blinked in surprise, her nerves slowly starting to settle. "You... think so?"
Adrien nodded, still smiling. "Definitely. You should show me some of your other stuff sometime."
Marinette's heart skipped. She wanted to sayyes—to take this as an opportunity to be closer to him, to have a reason to spend time with him—but her mind went blank. "Uh... maybe sometime..."
Adrien smiled, giving her a friendly wave. "Well, I've gotta get going, but... I'll see you around, okay?"
Marinette nodded mutely, watching him walk away. The moment he left, she let out a long breath, her hand clutching her chest.What is wrong with me?she thought, unable to stop the way her heart fluttered in her chest.
As she sat there, still processing the encounter, one thing was clear: Adrien Agreste—her classmate, her friend—was starting to mean more to her than she'd ever expected. And the line between Adrien and Cat Noir was blurring more and more every day.