I loved the comments from last chapter. I knew mentioning the arrival of Luka would get reaction out of you guys. I hope you all enjoy this one too.
Adrien's POV
A few weeks have passed since Ladybug had talked to me about the guy she likes and I'm still kicking myself for telling her not to give up on him. It would have been so easy to tell her to just give up on him and hope that she'd fall for me, and I still don't know why I didn't do that.
I keep asking myself if I should try to get over Ladybug now that she might get this guy to show interest in her too, but I can't see that happening. I just can't get her out of my mind long enough to consider changing targets.
But how could I change targets if I still believe there's a chance for me?
"Adrien, you're doing it again."
I snapped out of my thoughts to realize that I had the tip of an epee pressed against my chest. I looked down at the point and followed the bend in the sword to the person holding it.
"I'm sorry." I said, and I could feel my cheeks blush in my embarrassment. "I just... I have a lot on my mind."
"Understandable. I mean we do have that big fencing tournament coming up."
That may be true, but that's the last thing on my mind. "Right." I said.
I heard a small chuckle as the fencing mask came off, revealing the dark haired girl. "Maybe we should take a break." She said after shaking her head to get the hair out of her face.
I nodded in agreement and I lifted my mask to reveal my face. "That sounds like a good idea." I said with a smile. "Thanks, Kagami."
She smiled at me in amusement as she started to stretch out her arms. "All the way off, Agreste." She told me. "We are taking a break, not a short rest."
~/_mazelwi_~
I rolled my eyes playfully but took off my fencing mask. "Fine." I said as I put it on the ground next to hers. "Happy?"
"Very." She said teasingly before lightly punching my arm. "Now come on. You can tell me what's really on your mind."
I looked at her. "It's just that tournament." I lied smoothly. I hate lying, but I've gotten good at it because of my alter ego. "Don't worry about it."
"If it is the tournament, I will worry about it." Kagami told me as she lowered her arms, showing that she was finished stretching them. "I don't want you to be worried or nervous about it because then you won't do as well."
I opened my mouth to protest but she wasn't finished.
"And don't you tell me that you're the best fencer here." She said. "It might be true, but we're going up against others who are just as good of fencers as you and I. Collège Françoise Dupont's fencing team can't afford to have you slacking."
"Brutal honesty right there." I commented when she finished.
"So you agree." She said arrogantly. "You know I'm right."
"Yes, you're right." I said. If only it really was this competition that was getting inside my head, but there's no way I'd tell Kagami what's really troubling me. I picked up my mask again, hoping to distract myself from thinking of Ladybug by fencing. "Shall we?"
"En-garde." She replied with a smile as she picked up her mask. Soon the two of us were back to practicing.
***
Marinette's POV
"Alya!" I groaned. "What am I supposed to do?!"
I heard snickering as her response. "First of all you need to realize that Adrien isn't as perfect as you make him out to be."
"But he is!" I exclaimed as I threw myself back on my bed, my hands on my forehead. "He's so kind, and sweet, and caring, and funny, and cute, and- HE'S TOO PERFECT!"
I could hear the quiet laughter from Alya continue. "You focus too much on his good qualities." She said. "Haven't you noticed any of his flaws?"
"Like he has any." I muttered sarcastically. "So no, I have not. Please, O Great Observer of Adrien, do tell."
I felt Alya lightly hit my arm and I looked at her in amusement. She rolled her eyes as she let out small breaths of laughter. "Very funny."
I took my hands off my forehead and grinned at her. "I'm hilarious, I know." I said teasingly. "But seriously. Adrien is flawless."
"Of course the boy has flaws." Alya said with another eye roll. "For one, that boy is totally clueless."
"What makes you say that?" I asked her. "He is very smart."
"That may be true, but that doesn't mean he is the most aware of what's going on." She pointed out. "I mean, you've been trying to tell him how you feel for a few weeks now and he hasn't noticed."
I didn't answer as I frowned slightly. "That's my fault not his." I said. "If I could just get the right words out, or not act like a complete dorkasaurus around him, he'd know by now."
"Blondie just can't take a hint, Marinette." Alya told me, and I could tell she was trying to make me feel better about it. "Anyone would know that you like the guy, he's just oblivious."
As she spoke my eyes widened in panic and I started blushing. "Anyone would know?!" I demanded. "You mean anyone and everyone who's noticed how I act around him knows that I like him?!"
"Well..." Alya hesitated, her own cheeks turning a faint red color, revealing her embarrassment. "I wouldn't say 'everyone'..."
"Alya!" I said as I sat up on my bed, my face only burning more. "How many people know that I like Adrien?!"
"Just the other girls in our class..." Alya said, and by the guilty look she still had on her face I could tell there was something she wasn't telling me.
"And?" I prompted. "Who else knows?"
She hesitated a moment longer. "Nino...?" She said as a question, and I knew she was questioning whether or not I'd be angry about it.
I took a deep breath as I felt my emotions rising. Worry, stress, fear, anger, I don't know what I felt. I just knew I wasn't happy. "And how did Nino find out?"
"Remember when Ladybug shut me up with Nino at the zoo when my dad was akumatized?" She asked, and I could tell she was reluctant to tell me. She continued when I nodded. "Yeah... I sort of told him."
"What?!" I couldn't believe it. "Why did you tell Nino?! Of all people?! He's Adrien's best friend!" I was mad at her, yes, but I was more worried than anything else. "What if he told Adrien?! What if Adrien knows that I like him, and he's weirded out by it?! What if Adrien never wants to talk to me again because he's so uncomfortable around me?!"
I couldn't stop the rest from spilling out of me. "If Adrien never talks to me again, then I won't be able to finally work up the courage to properly talk to him! And if I never am able to properly talk to him, we'll never get to go to the movies together and fall in love! If we don't go to the movies, we'll never end up getting married and having our three kids: Emma, Louis, and Hugo, or our hamster! Alya, this is a disaster!"
It was only when I finished that I realized Alya was laughing about what I said. "Girl, you are unbelievable." She finally managed to get out as she tried to breath. "There's no way all that would happen because of Nino knowing that you like Adrien."
"And why not?" I demanded, crossing my arms with what I hoped was a menacing glare.
"Because I made Nino promise me that he would tell no one." Alya said. "And I trust him to keep the secret. That's why I felt like I'd be able to tell him."
"Why...?" I asked with a frown. "Why'd you think about telling him in the first place?"
Alya shrugged. "He was telling me about Adrien's crush."
"What?!" I practically shouted. "Who is it?!"
Alya gave me an amused look. "Why would it be fair for me to tell you that when Nino doesn't get to tell Adrien about yours?"
My face turned bright red. "T-that means..." I said, processing everything. "Adrien likes me?!"
"What makes you think that?!" Alya asked with a panicked look on her face.
"It's obvious that Nino can't tell Adrien who I like because I like him." I said, still processing. "So, if I can't know who Adrien likes, wouldn't it be for the same reason? That he likes me?"
"No." Alya said, shaking her head slowly. "I'm sorry, girl, but it's not you. I'm only telling you that so that you won't get your hopes to high."
I felt my heart drop like a ton of rocks. "Oh." Was all I could say. I wasn't too surprised, but it was disappointing. "If... if it's not me who he likes, why can't I know who it is?"
"Remember what happened with Lila?" Alya asked skeptically. "I'd hate for you to act against the girl out of jealousy."
"That won't happen." I promised. Depending on who she is. "Will you please just tell me?"
Alya gave a sigh of defeat. "I guess he'd tell you anyway if you asked."
I looked at her curiously as she hesitated to tell me. I still felt a little sad, but my curiosity was getting the best of me.
"Ladybug."
I felt frozen as I looked at Alya with disbelief. "What?"
"Ladybug is the girl he likes." She said, looking back at me. "And from what Nino has told me, it's no celebrity crush. Adrien's completely smitten by her."
"What?" I repeated, my face growing hot again.
"Now, Marinette, you don't need to get mad over it." Alya said gently. "There's no point in trying to sabotage her. There's nothing much you can do."
I didn't answer. My breathing was fast and my heart pounded. Was she serious? Did Adrien really like me? She said he was smitten by me!
"Marinette...?" Alya asked cautiously.
"Is all that true?" I asked hopefully.
"What?"
"Is Adrien really smitten by... Ladybug?" I asked, staring into Alya's eyes. I desperately needed to know the truth.
"Completely." Alya said, holding up her hands in defense. "I swear it's the truth. Adrien's in love with Ladybug, but really, who could blame him? She's so amazing! She's-"
And it was this point that I tuned her out. Adrien likes me. Adrien likes me! He might like Ladybug, but I am Ladybug! I just need to show him that Marinette is Ladybug. Maybe then he'll fall for me as completely as I've fallen for him.
"I'm surprised with you, Marinette." Alya said, and I could tell from her tone that she was confused. "How are you taking this so well?"
"I don't know." I shrugged, trying to hide the fact that I was beyond thrilled by what she's told me. "I guess that... if Adrien's happy with liking Ladybug, maybe I should be happy for him?" I hoped that sounded convincing.
Alya beamed at me. "I'm proud of you, girl!" She said happily. "It's great that you aren't angry with Ladybug! I'd hate to want to talk to you about her for my blog if you did."
"Of course I don't hate Ladybug." I said, amused by her worry. "There's no way that I could."
I am Ladybug after all, and I definitely wouldn't hate myself.
But what should I do? I can't tell him that I'm Ladybug! Maybe I could try to get him to fall for me, Marinette, instead? He doesn't know that Ladybug and I are the same person. Would it hurt him though in the process?
I frowned at the thought. And what about Chat? I know that he really likes me, the Ladybug me, and I definitely don't want to hurt him. I can't ignore the slight feelings I've felt around him recently because I know that they hold me back from wanting to even risk hurting him.
Chat Noir is my partner, and I'd dare say, my best friend. I can't lose that bond that I have with him.
I won't say that I've fallen for him, but that charm of his has really gotten me to realize that I've started feeling differently about him than I have in the past.
All that doesn't matter though. Adrien likes me,and I want to find a way to be with him, but the bottom line is, I refuse to do anything that could hurt Chat in the process.