When You Switch Upon a Star

Chapter 15

"Thank you for paying," Marinette said gratefully, "I'll pay you back tomo一"

"No need," Adrien interrupted, "Just spending time with you was enough."

Marinette shot her eyes to the dark concrete underneath her feet. Even in the frostiness of the night, a delicate heat managed to creep its way onto her cheeks. Her teeth clamped down around her bottom lip as she nervously ran her left hand up and down her right arm in a continuous motion.

"A-Are you sure?" Marinette asked, "I feel bad."

Woah, did she just stutter for a split second there?

"Trust me, it's okay," Adrien smiled reassuringly, "Come on, I'll drive you back home."

Adrien had no idea how he said those words with such ease, but he wished Nino was here to watch him. Adrien assumed he had already gone home for the night. It was getting late after all.

Adrien's thumb double clicked the button on his car keys, summoning a series of high pitched staccato beeps from his car. Pulling the car door open, Adrien slid into the driver's seat while Marinette settled down in the front seat.

"So I just go straight for a couple miles, take a right turn into Collège Françoise Dupont, and continue going straight from there until I reach your mansion," Adrien said, "Right?"

Marinette nodded, "How do you know this?"

Adrien stiffened at her question, "I... Have my ways."

He definitely sounded like a stalker there. Good job, Adrien.

"Anyways," Adrien inserted his key into the keyhole, "Let's get you home."

Adrien twisted the key, allowing the engine to roar to life as the car vibrated underneath their seats for a brief second. With his headlights lighting up the road ahead, Adrien lowered the parking brake and took off. With her cheek resting in her hand, Marinette's eyes roamed outside the window, watching the varicolored city lights pass by in radiant blurs.

"So, did you enjoy the night?" Marinette asked, not taking her eyes off the window.

"Aside from the amount of times you've tried to make a food pun, it was great," Adrien laughed, "I never knew you were into that kind of humor, though."

Marinette laughed, too, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure the boy I'm in love with doesn't really like puns either. I sometimes try to use them to flirt, but it doesn't go so well."

Adrien looked at Marinette from the corner of his eye, his chest sinking down to his stomach at the sound of her words.

"The boy you're in love with?" Adrien muttered under his breath.

Thankfully, the car's interior was dark enough to hide the frown on his face. Dead silence fell between the two of them as Adrien's eyes locked themselves back onto the road.

Marinette's ears twitched at the sudden shift in tone. Scrunching her eyebrows in concern, she drew her eyes away from the window and looked at the concentrating teenage driver right next to her.

"Are you okay, Adrien?"

"Of course. I'm glad we're friends."

The rest of the car ride felt like an entire two-hour movie full of silence. Adrien parked his car in front of the ginormous Dupain-Cheng mansion, not sneaking even a glance at his crush as she stepped out of the car.

"See you tomorrow," Marinette said.

"Yeah," Adrien mumbled.

The door closed shut with a crisp thud. Finally, Adrien looked out the window at her, watching as she approached the gates. Tikki perched herself on his shoulder in the sense of her absence. Adrien exhaled a long sigh as he leaned against the back of his seat.