So so so so so so so so sorry! I was busy yesterday and tried to get the chapter done but, by the end of the day, I fell asleep without completing it! But, I did finish it and that's what matters!
I hope you all enjoy!
Now, are y'all ready? :)
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Out of the many reactions Adrien imagined Ladybug to compose, whether it is shock, excitement, or stunned, it was all expected.
Yet, there was one outcome that was...unexpected.
His shaky fingers latched onto either side of the black coverage. He didn't dare close his eyes to see Ladybug's reaction to his true identity. He didn't want to miss a single second. Yet, he is also terrified all the same.
He dreaded and hoped for her reaction to be a good one but not over the top. Adrien wanted Ladybug to treat him like any other person—like the friend he's grown to know through their letters. He prayed the bluenette wouldn't judge him for his reputation (or his father's), thinking he's another snobby rich kid.
This one moment will decide all of that if she is a genuine friend, someone that hates his guts, or just another fangirl. If the scale is at hundred and divided among the three choices, a genuine friend would be sitting at ten. With his luck, the odds are stacked against him. While the chances of success are lower than dirt, the running risk of failure skyrocketed.
He is going to go out on a limb with that ten for the reward.
Adrien removed the mask from his head, having a hard time keeping his gaze locked onto Ladybug's face. Adrien needs to decipher what type of emotions are swimming inside those light blue eyes. Yet, it is hard to tell when Ladybug kept a straight face and is scanning his face, trying to figure out something.
"Wait..." Ladybug said before gasping in realization, "I know who you are!"
Adrien flinched, feeling his very soul compacted into a ball and fall into the pits of his stomach, making his body sage in despair—disappointment. His hope dispersed into thin air.
"She's just another fangirl," he thought, about to place his other mask on his face—his facade—and smile like nothing is wrong. Like he isn't humanly hurt but happy to play someone else's role.
"You're the boy from the costume store."
Suddenly, the blonde's gut-wrenching sadness swiftly changed into mind-boggling surprise. His eyes widened and nearly gaped in disbelief. The blonde is having a hard time comprehending the words Ladybug spoke.
"She...she doesn't recognize me...or maybe...she doesn't even know me at all!" Adrien spoke inside his head. Adrien was expecting many dumps with the way his thought's directions turned to. Yet, he is pleasantly gifted with a smooth layout.
Whatever the situation of the matter is, he's just so glad that it happened.
"You're the one that paid the dollar for my mask," Ladybug explained, thinking Chat didn't understand. In actuality, he is merely blown away by how things are going. Yet, the blonde is able to snap out of his shocked stupor to tilt his head in confusion.
The bluenette took off her red mask, revealing the girl's true identity. Adrien tried to recall the memory before taking a moment to analyze her features. Then, it clicked. He did remember seeing her at that Miraculous Costumes store, unable to pay for the very mask within her grasp.
"Wow," Adrien said, astonished, "What are the odds? This is either a small world or a very strange coincidence at play here."
"It's definitely crazy," Marinette agreed, "Two strangers meeting at a costume store to—I assume you did too—buy a mask for a dance they would later meet up at. Plus, they've been sending letters to each other for over a year."
The blonde nodded before asking, "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"
"Marinette," the bluenette answered, "What's yours?"
Taking a deep breath in, he smiled down at Marinette and answered, "My name is Adrien."
Marinette's face brightened with glee, finally able to meet her actual pen pal. Yet, a strange feeling lingered within the girl...a feeling of familiarity.
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"Wait, your dad is the baker over there?" Adrien questioned, pointing over to the very man offering some chocolate chip cookies to Mylene and Ivan. Marinette looked in the direction Adrien pointed before confirming his questioning with a nod.
The two had returned to their table and continued their never-ending conversation about many different subjects. School, Jagged Stone, fencing, fashion (though, seeing the uncomfortableness on Adrien's face, Marinette moved on to a different topic), and much more.
"Yeah," the bluenette said, "It's awesome that the school offered him to cater the dance. That just shows how talented he is at baking."
Marinette thought over what she said before sheepishly adding, "Not to brag or anything. Oh, gosh! It totally did sound like it, didn't it? I'm so lame!"
The bluenette hit herself in the head, embarrassed for opening her mouth. Adrien chuckled and shook his head.
"Honestly, it's refreshing to see how proud you are of your father's work. As a recent fan of his sweets, I would be ranting about how good his simplest cookies are, like they're the best thing ever, even if you eat them off the road," the blonde responded, taking a sip from his water bottle.
"Thanks," Marinette said, genuinely glad her pen pal didn't take any offense to it, "So, what does your dad do?"
Adrien wasn't expecting the question. The water bottle slipped out of his hand, drenching his clothes and nearly choked on the water still in his mouth. The blonde coughed into his arm, trying to refill his lungs with air. Marinette jumped in her seat by the sudden turn of events, worried for the boy across from her.
"Are you alright, Adrien?" Marinette asked, concern laced in her voice. Once Adrien was finally able to catch his breath, he cleared his throat and nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a little bit of water," the blonde quickly reassured, thankful that the question was avoided and grabbed his napkin off the table to clean up a bit. Marinette took this moment to really look at Adrien, trying to figure out why he looks so familiar.
"I swear, I've seen him somewhere before..." she thought, narrowing her eyes as if it would help her figure it out better. She just couldn't put her finger on it. Yes, she has seen him at the costume store. Yet, she feels she has seen him somewhere else before then.
Adrien sighed, setting the napkin aside and knowing he'll have to let the water dry out. He took off Nino's blazer and hung it on the back of the chair. Luckily, his undershirt isn't too bad and manageable to wear. The blonde looked up at Marinette and raised an eyebrow at the face she is making.
"Is there something wrong?" Adrien asked.
"I don't know. I have this feeling..." the bluenette trailed off, unsure, "Do I know you from somewhere else?"
An icy wave washed over Adrien's skin and his stomach painfully twist. Suddenly, the dampness of his shirt isn't the thing making him really uncomfortable anymore. The urge to put his mask back on surfaced, wanting to hide back in the only thing keeping his identity safe but it didn't matter anymore. Marinette already saw his face and knew his name.
It would just be easier to tell her in private than her figuring it out and freak out in front of everyone.
"Can we go to the locker room?" The blonde asked, earning a skeptical look from Marinette.
"Why?" She asked, her imagination kicking into paranoid overdrive.
"I...I need to tell you something..." Adrien spoke, truthfully, "...but not in front of other people." Marinette could tell he has something important to say, seeing the serious look on his face. Her anxiety ramped up a bit, wondering what's wrong with Adrien. Nonetheless, Marinette wouldn't get answers if she keeps searching the blonde's face as if the answer would write itself out on his forehead.
"...Okay."
Adrien and Marinette stood from the table, both anxiously walking to the locker room. Marinette once again tried to scope out Adrien, only left futile and worried about what he has to say. Adrien is just as nervous, hoping Marinette will see him for him and not the cover page model.
So far, the bluenette has been wonderful company and lets Adrien's walls fall down, able to be his whole self as both Adrien and Chat Noir. There are many things Adrien adores about Marinette.
She's high-spirited, optimistic, and caring. She's a bit shy but confident when needed. She's clumsy but he couldn't help to find it an endearing trait.
Marinette isn't trying to be perfect or flawless, just herself and that's perfection to Adrien. He hopes Marinette can see him the same way he sees her.
The blonde opened the door like the gentleman he is, letting Marinette walk into the locker room before he followed her inside. Gravity pulled the door shut, leaving the teens in silence (besides the muffled music on the other side of the wall).
Marinette sat down on the bench and patted the empty space beside her. Adrien took the offer and sat down, hunching over a bit in thought. Green orbs locked onto the floor below while bluebell carefully observed every action. Marinette didn't know what to expect from the blonde but she decided to talk.
"It's kinda funny how we already consider each other friends, even though we just met a couple of hours ago," Marinette began, staring straight ahead, "Honestly, I didn't know what to expect of you since our only communication is through paper and pencil. Either one of us could've faked being something we're not but we didn't."
The bluenette turned back to Adrien, who looked up at her with a straight face. Marinette's vision glossed with something bright as she looked at Adrien.
Marinette knowingly smirked, continuing, "I think I finally figured you out, Agreste."
All the stress, nerves, and worry Adrien felt before burst into a guffaw. His contagious laughter echoed off the walls, causing Marinette to catch it.
She finally put all the pieces together, feeling silly for not recognizing Adrien Agreste earlier. To be fair though, it was hard to recognize him with his hair wildly out of place when it's usually nicely kept. Yet, his looks weren't the only thing that helped her figure it out. Their letters did as well, recalling the one time he didn't reply is the very day...his father was discovered.
"Are there going to be any troubles...now that you know who I am?" Adrien asked, calming down and anticipating the bluenette's answer.
"Honestly, I would've definitely reacted differently and freaked out if I didn't know you were Chat Noir or sending each other letters. Now, it's different. I don't really see you as just teen model, Adrien Agreste, but also as Chat Noir too," Marinette explained, getting a relieved breathe from the said ex-model.
"I'm glad to hear that," Adrien said, relaxing and straightening his posture.
"You really believe me?" Marinette asked, "I could be lying to you for all you know."
"I don't know myself," Adrien admitted, "You...just seem like a person that wouldn't lie unless it's for something really important."
Marinette didn't know how to reply, so she did the next best thing she could think of. She stood up from the bench and held out her hand to the curious blonde boy.
"Come on, let's go enjoy the rest of the dance while we still can," she said.
Adrien glanced between her face and hand. He smiled up at her and took the offered hand.
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The dance ended.
Students began to slowly flood out of the school to return home or continue the fun night. The DJ began to pack his things with the help of Nino. Alya patiently waited, writing on her blog about the recent events of Akuma. Alix secretly stuffed her pockets with whatever snacks were left and swiftly headed for the exit.
Marinette and Adrien helped Tom clean up the snack table, carrying platters, throwing away the table cloth, and folding the tables.
"Thank you both so much for helping," the baker genuinely spoke.
"No problem, dad," Marinette said, earning a nod of agreement from Adrien. Tom gave them a hearty smile, appreciating everything the two did to help him with the snacks.
"You know what, Marinette, I'm giving you one freebie from working in the bakery and will still pay you the same amount," he said before turning to Adrien, "And, you can order one thing off the menu for free."
Before the two could argue, Adrien's phone went off. He pulled the device out from his pocket to see Nathalie texted him that she is parked right outside.
"I've got to go," Adrien told Marinette, "but I had a lot of fun tonight. We should hang out sometime."
"Yeah, that'll be great," the bluenette replied. With one final wave, Adrien headed towards the exit. Marinette's face flushed a little as she watched him go and disappear around the corner.
"Um...did you even get his phone number?" The baker questioned, making Marinette freeze up in panic.
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"Ugh! I'm an idiot!" Marinette wailed, crossing the street, "Why didn't I give him my phone number before he left? I'm so lame!"
Her dad let her return home for the night while he stayed and cleaned the last of the dishes. Marinette agreed after almost sleepily walking into a wall with a stack of breakable dishes.
The bluenette sighed, entering the bakery's side door and taking off her shoes. Her feet ached, her face felt grungy, her eyes fluttering tiredly, her adrenaline ran empty and of course, forgot to give Adrien her number.
One way or another, she didn't feel all too bad. Really, Marinette is soaring on delight and will forever treasure this night. Even with its downs, the ups made it better like covering up a scratch with a bandaid. Marinette never would have predicted a lot of the events that occurred at the dance. Now, she can head to her room and get some shut-eye.
Marinette yawned, rubbing her eyes while carefully making her way up the steps to the apartment. She felt proud of herself for successfully not tripping halfway up the stairwell but still had halfway to go. Plus, the stairs up to her bedroom...
"Maybe I'll sleep on the couch instea-"
Marinette's thoughts are cut off and nearly jumped back in fright (which would result in her falling down the stairs but managed to catch herself). Bluebell eyes narrowed a bit, trying to make out what is on the floor. Marinette grabbed her phone and turned on flashlight mode.
She blinked in shock, "Tikki?"
There on the floor, Tikki fast asleep with tear tracks staining her cheeks and shaky breathing. The little girl is clutching a doll and a maroon blanket covered her small body.
Marinette felt her heart clench within her chest at the sight of her cousin's state. She quickly turned off flashlight mode and turned to the top of the stairwell. The door sat to the side, a light stretching out from underneath.
Suddenly, the bluenette's good mood turned into boiling fury. Should could practically feel steam release from her ears and teeth tightly clenched together.
"I swear...if Tikki sleeping out here on the stairwell floor is because those two are fighting again..." Marinette's mind trailed off, feeling more awake. She stomped up the steps until standing in front of the door. She could hear people talking on the other side but couldn't make out any of the muffled words.
She clutched the doorknob and twisted it.
"I know Marinette's not my daughter, but I'll always treat her as if she were my own!"
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