Miraculous Endgame

Lunchtime

By the time the Akuma attack was over and everyone made it back to school, they had missed all of fourth period and it was now lunch time. Alya and Marinette met Adrien and Nino outside the school. With Gorilla following the group from a comfortable distance, they walked toward the park, passing Marinette's bakery but noticed the sky turning a dark shade of grey.
"Hey, Mari- do you think your parents would mind if we had lunch at yours, I don't wanna risk getting wet and it looks like the heavens are about to open" Alya asked.
"uhh yeah sure, let's go" she said, forgetting Adrien usually wasn't allowed round friends houses- only Nino's.
"Guys-" Adrien said with an embarrassed look on his face. "I won't be allowed"
"Dude you're almost 16 your father can't control you forever" Nino said, placing a comforting hand on Adrien's shoulder. The girls glanced over at each other with a worried look on their faces. "why don't we ask your bodyguard?" Nino suggested.
"That's a good idea!"

Adrien's face lit up at Marinette's encouraging words and he walked over to the tall man.
"hey, do you think we can go to Marinette's, it's about to rain and I'd hate to have to go to my shoot after school with my hair all messed up" Adrien smiled at the man. His bodyguard always let him do what he wanted within reason- Adrien knew he had to give him a legit reason for everything so that if he ever got questioned by Gabriel he wouldn't lose his job. Gorilla, like Natalie had grown fond of the boy and often helped him 'live a little'. Adrien couldn't thank them enough for that.

They arrived at the bakery and Adrien's bodyguard's car pulled up outside. Marinette told her parents they'd be eating in her room and there was no reason they needed to come up- knowing her parents would jump at the chance to be nosey. Marinette and Alya had planned for this moment, they knew what to do- Alya would distract Adrien with food from the bakery while Marinette and Nino went up into her room to quickly stash away her photos of Adrien. And the two did just that. Working like clockwork, Nino flung the last photo under Marinette's sofa bed as the hatch opened to reveal a cautious Alya, waiting for the all clear to come in
"Enjoy the food?" Marinette asked, that was the code for 'it's all hidden, you can come in'.
"Yeah it was great, thank you Marinette" Adrien replied, closing the hatch to her room gently.

Marinette sat on her chair near her desk while Nino and Adrien perched on her sofa bed. Alya was sat on Marinette's steps which lead up to her bed while searching through the  footage she got of the akuma fight to find a scoop for her Ladyblog.
"hey Nino, wanna help me find a scoop in all this footage?" Alya asked, making her way up the steps towards Marinette's bed.
"Not really- i'm in the middle of a killer sandw-" Nino was cut off by a sharp look from Alya, he didn't have a choice either way.
"yeh sure babe i'll be right up" Nino sighs.
Up on Marinette'd bed the two had more privacy, but it also let Marinette and Adrien get a moment alone.
"so what was that about earlier?" Alya whispered to Nino. Nino went on to tell he everything Adrien had said about maybe liking Marinette and she was so over the moon. Alya peered over the side of the bed.

While Nino was explaining everything Adrien had made a move on Marinette. He had walked over to where she was sat. 'i need to bring out the Chat in me' he thought to himself. But how? He opted for a sassy comment. He leaned against Marinette's desk, arms folded, and Marinette swung her chair round in-front of him,
"so uh- Marinette, where have all the pictures of me gone?" he asked with a grin.
"uhh hahah w-what pictures. i don't have pictures of you. it's not like i'm obsessed with you hahah w- uhm w-why'd you ask?" Marinette made herself shut up- she felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment.
"not interested in fashion anymore?" he queried looking over to Marinette's sewing machine.
"oh right! no. i mean yes! ha.. i just look for inspiration elsewhere?" she said almost as a question.
"i'm not inspirational?" he teased. Marinette swung her chair to face her sewing machine and let out a quiet comment
"of course you are- i just, have other sources of it now". Adrien grew worried, was she losing interest in their conversation? think Adrien, what would Chat do?

Adrien moved to behind Marinette's chair and swung it round, she was now sat in front of him, looking up at him with wide eyes. Adrien kept one hand on the chair and lent down, his face inches from Marinette's. He blushed remembering the last time they were this close when he was Chat.
"are you blushing?" Marinette asked. He could've sworn he was Chat in that moment. Marinette flicked Adrien's chain which was around his neck instinctively, just as she would with Chat's bell. They were both in shock, 'did Marinette know he was Chat noir? She would do this with Chat all  the time- she was flirting. But with me, as Adrien! He knew she was in love with a boy- could it be him?' he thought.

This was when Alya looked over the side of the bed. Eyes wide with excitement she grabbed Nino's shirt and pulled him to look over the side. Marinette caught the two looking down on them,
"Alya! find any cool footage!" Marinette tried to change the current situation she was in. Had she really just flirted with Adrien the same way she would with Chat? She actually managed to flirt without stuttering, something about Adrien in that moment seemed so familier to her. Was he flirting with her? He was acting like Chat- and Chat flirts 24/7 so he must've been.

Her mind races and she realises Adrien had moved back from her and Alya and Nino were down from Marinette's bed.
"not yet, i'll look after school- but we gotta go lovebirds or we will be late for school" Alya finally replied. Adrien and Marinette both looked at each other, blushing and Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. On their way back to school Nino and Alya walked ahead and the pair walked in a nervous silence before heading back into school for last period.

The school day ended as the group wen their separate ways. Marinette got home and immediately went to her room to talk to Tikki.
"so much happened today Tikki, I found our Chat loves both versions of me- and Adrien started flirting. And i actually managed to flirt back. Right here, in this chair" Marinette said, sitting down at her desk like she had done a few hours before.
"i know Marinette- isn't it so exciting?" Tikki asks
"yeah- it is, i'm just worried about Chat, at least i get to talk to him tonight" Marinette smiled and went about her evening.

After Adrien's photo shoot he ran into his room and flopped onto his bed.
"Can you believe it Plagg- it's working, Marinette flirted with me!" Plagg sighed,
"What about Ladybug, why do you want to talk to her tonight?" he asked, flying into the cupboard to grab some camembert cheese.
"i have something planned, i need to ask her opinion"
"is it about Marinette?" Plagg asked, knowing something Adrien didn't.
"yeah actually, it is". Plagg grinned and turned from Adrien who was daydreaming,
"be careful- you don't want to ruin a surprise" he chuckled
"huh?" Adrien asked
"haha i said give her camembert it'll make a good surprise". Adrien rolled his eyes- he knew that's not what the Kwami had said but he was too busy thinking about tonight and what he'd say to Ladybug to fight him on it.
"oh my gosh Plagg, i've been so caught up in Marinette- i completely forgot that Ladybug confessed she was in love with me today when i ran into the room!"
Adrien sat up straight in his bed- realising that maybe he had a shot with her after all. He was the boy she's been in love with all these years.
"Adrien this is getting fishy, you know you two can't be together- what if you" Plagg gets cut off.
"but Plagg, she's loved me all these years- and-"
"what about Marinette?" Plagg asked. He knew the dangers of Adrien getting too close to Ladybug, if he stayed focused on Marinette, he could be with the love of his life (not that'd he'd know) and keep being Chat noir.
"i know- I need to talk to Ladybug..."