That Day

03 - Shipping

"As I can see you survived it." Alya said, joining Adrien and Marinette.

"Hi, Alya!" they greeted her at once and all the three laughed.

"Your harmony is very suspicious." Alya commented. "If I didn't know what exactly happened yesterday, I would think that those rumours are true."

As for the command, they both blushed. Did Alya do it on purpose?

"Stop shipping..." Marinette murmured indistinctly.

"Shipping?" Adrien spotted.

"Yeah, shipping." Marinette repeated, a bit embarrassed. "Matching people. Into pairs. Alya is a shipping freak."

"Unsuccessful shipping freak." Alya corrected her friend.

"I told you that you shouldn't have started with a lost cause." Marinette muttered.

"You're right. Ladybug and Cat Noir was a mistake."

"Why?" Adrien asked.

"Oh, come on! It's so obvious that Cat Noir is attracted with you, Marinette. And Ladybug is attracted with Adrien." Alya rolled her eyes.

"What?!" they both exclaimed, flushed terribly.

"Like kids..." Alya sighed and took a deep breath before explaining: "Remember, Marinette your last birthday. How much did Cat Noir risk to save you from you grandma? Or, when he had protected you on your date with Nathaniel!"

"Evillustrator..." Marinette whispered automatically.

"Whatever..." Alya shrugged. "And Ladybug... Come on! Remember Adrien's fall! How she caught him! I had chills. You didn't?" suddenly she restrained herself and added quickly: "Sorry..."

If it was possible to burn out of shame, there would be two piles of ash in front of Alya. Adrien was trying to absorb information – especially that about his affection to Marinette. Did it really look like that from the side? As if he... was attracted with her? And that news about Ladybug's crush on him? Yesterday, Plagg had said practically the same before he began withdrawing from all he had said.

"You're so lucky..." Alya tried to ease tension. "Two of our superheroes are attracted with you. I wish a superhero fell in love with me."

"I'll pretend I haven't hear that." Nino just joined their group and heard Alya's confession.

Alya blushed, but turned it into a joke by saying:

"I could talk about you!"

"First I need to get that little thing... How it's called? Miraculous, or something like that..."

"You don't need miraculous to be super." Alya denied.

"Nice try." Nino muttered, embracing his girlfriend. "But it won't be so easy, Alya."

"How long will this punishment last?"

"It depends on your guilt." Nino muttered in her ear.

"Don't you have a feeling that we're the fifth wheel here?" Adrien whispered to Marinette, and she jumped up, just like minutes ago when he had surprised her in front of school.

"Wait a sec." Nino stopped flirting with his girlfriend and turned to his best friend: "So, are you a couple or not?"

"They're not." Alya answered before Adrien managed to open his mouth.

"I don't get it in that case." Nino shrugged.

"It's not the first time when virtual fiction is ahead of the real life." Adrien said. And when he heard Alya and Marinette's gasps he realised what he had just said. He blushed to the roots of his hair and added quickly: "I mean... I wanted to say..."

At that moment the school bell rang. Adrien couldn't decide if it was his salvation or rather troubles because he had no chance to correct his blunder – even though he had no idea how he could explain that. When he heard Alya whispering "Freudian mistake" to Nino, he was sure that the bell caused troubles. Why he said such a stupid thing in front of his friends?