Love by Design - Adrienette

All Choked Up

Gabriel's rigorous schedule dictated that he not be able to make the show itself, but he was sure to be waiting when the teens exited the theater. He had considered giving himself perhaps half an hour more to devote to other matters by sending Nathalie and having her video call him on her tablet, but this was a delicate matter and he could afford no mistakes.

Heads turned as the elusive celebrity stepped out of his limo and placed himself in the path of the group who had just departed the theater. "A word." He beckoned toward a small cafe on the corner. At first only Adrien followed him, causing Gabriel to shoot a sharp glance back at the others. "You too!" Marinette jogged a little to catch up; Nino and Alya trailed behind curiously, uncertain if the summons applied to them as well.

The server on duty dropped his jaw when he saw exactly who had just entered the humble establishment, but was paid no heed by the wealthy designer. The iconic man selected a table and indicated that his younger companions should sit. Adrien and Marinette did so, Alya coming and standing close enough to be sure she was in earshot. Only Nino lingered back by the doorway. "You're being rude," Gabriel informed the Martiniquais girl. "Either go away or sit down."

Not about to miss whatever drama was about to unfold, Alya sat down with her friends. "Don't abandon us!" she called out to Nino. Acting like he didn't care much one way or another, Nino made his way back to the group.

Gabriel snapped his fingers at the waiter. "Five waters and a platter of frites to share." The meal was served with record promptness, no doubt taking into account who it was that had placed the order. Everyone took a drink as well as a few of the fried potato treats, dipping them in their special savory sauce.

"Now that that's out of the way, Adrien and Marinette, I'll be blunt. I have plans for the two of you to get married."

Adrien spit out his sip of water, but his reaction was mild by comparison. Marinette managed to get a piece of food lodged in her throat and began to choke on it, badly enough that those around her started fearing for her health. Luckily, Alya cured her with a good sharp whack to the back. After all, she was used to doing that when Marinette choked on words. Marinette rose from her seat and stood there panting, recovering from the moment's trauma. Finally, she regained her breath. "This isn't how it is supposed to happen!"

Adrien crashed his fist into the table top, his face red from anger and embarrassment. "How can you say that?! Just like that?! No, you can't do this!" No one had taught him to yell at his father, but suddenly he knew how.

"Now, if you just listen," Gabriel disregarded his son's reaction, "you will see why this is the best decision. Upon inspection of her sketchbook, I've determined Marinette has an uncultured talent that could prove great benefit to the Agreste company. We can offer her the training to ripen her ability to its fullest, and in general give her a higher standard of living than she is currently accustomed to. A marriage is the ideal way to seal the agreement. You understand, don't you?"

Adrien got up and left.

"Adrien? Where do you think you are going?"

"Wow, dude, so uncool," Nino told his friend's tyrannical father.

Meanwhile, Alya had her own dilemma. 'I've had the perfect scoop dropped in my lap, but if I write it up, my best friend is going to hate me. If I don't write it up, someone else is going to steal it from me.'

A/n - Okay, I feel the need to address Marinette's and Adrien's oblivion to each other in canon. Halfway using context clues from the show and halfway for my own sanity, I choose to believe that while they aren't certain - they do each strongly suspect who the other is. They choose to play dumb because they aren't ready to fall in love yet and it is safer to like someone who "doesn't like them back". Meanwhile, they do know that the other will be there when they are ready.

So many times I have seen the argument "How can Adrien recognize Nino is the Bubbler, they look nothing alike! Yet he can't recognize that Marinette is Ladybug!" Easy. Adrien didn't recognize Nino by looks; he knew who it was because Bubbler was complaining about the same things that had come out of Nino's mouth that same morning. In contrast, Marinette is more careful not to say anything that would implicate herself. While we are on the track of them identifying their best friends, let's look at Lady Wi-Fi: Unlike Nino, Alya still looks like herself in akumatized form; yet that is still not how Marinette identified her. The screen clearly zooms in on Alya's phone accessory when Marinette yells, "Oh no, Alya!"

The reason that they require external clues for identification is revealed later that same episode. When Lady Wi-Fi questions why she can't pull off Ladybug's mask, Ladybug responds "It's magic." There, we have conformation that the masks are indeed magic - so I don't think it is too farfetched to say that they also mess with a person's perception. Someone can go as far as Alya's observation in The Pharaoh that Adrien "looks kind of like Chat Noir", but the magic prevents an otherwise intelligent person from connecting those details.

There are reasons other than the obvious for Adrien and Marinette to suspect each other's identity. They both have numerous bits of circumstantial evidence that could be explained away, but are suspicious nonetheless. The one time Ladybug said she couldn't be at the fight, she sent him to guard Marinette - there is a clue for Adrien. She even displayed more knowledge of the functions of his staff than she rightly should have known as a civilian. She received a clue when first Chat Noir and then Adrien told her - within hours of each other - that he was allergic to feathers. It's plenty possible for more than one boy her age in her vicinity to be allergic to feathers, but those little details pile up to something that should be giving her a pretty good clue.

Both of them had a pretty good indication in Horrificator. They were observant enough to notice that all but two of the "kidnappings" involved slime, but the most undeniable evidence comes from Kung Food.

In Kung Food they were in a building with each other, Marinette's great uncle, Mayor Bourgeois, Chloe, Alec, Jagged Stone, and Alya's mother. Then the exits were all blocked off. Adrien and Marinette started investigating while they were yet in their civilian forms, acting suspiciously calm while the others there were hiding like normal people. After transforming, they were shocked to see each other, having known that the exits were blocked. They identified the akuma as Wang Cheng, Chloe was a hostage, and all the adult judges had been mind controlled, but Adrien and Marinette were nowhere to be found. The more I think about it, I consider Kung Food to be a low-key reveal.

I have no solid evidence that they know, but I like to think that they are each loyal enough to their respective crush that they wouldn't flirt with someone else. I didn't want to believe it when others claimed that the two had flirted in canon in the Marichat combo, but when I rewatched the scene I realized that I couldn't rightly deny it. I must also acknowledge her participation in a couple of Ladynoir moments as well as his in Adrinette moments. While her words don't seem to carry much weight, tone and body posture tell a different story when they are watching Chloe cosplay as Ladybug. She definitely seemed to flirt with Chat. In a more passive acknowledgement of affection, in Reflekta she makes no move to avoid him kissing her hand - an act I am almost certain she knew was coming.

Meanwhile, when the two of them are alone together in her room in Gamer, he seems almost as flustered as she is. Feelings or not, I would expect any teen to be mildly flustered at the realization of being alone in the room of a member of the opposite gender - but his nervousness seems to sligtly surpass that threshhold. Also, he seems rather ecstatic to get her autograph in Guitar Villain. What do you think? Is my argument compelling, or did I overlook something major? Please share your opinion!