"You know how great Marinette is Nino. She's talented, beautiful, and she is so kind. I've always known those things about her, but I never started really looking at her until yesterday. The first thing I noticed was that she was able to tell how upset I was almost immediately when I came to school yesterday. And she looks so cute with her hair down. And she's so brave, like how she saved that kitten without even thinking twice about it. And the scarf… Nino she made this scarf, and didn't tell me because all she wanted was for me to be happy. I don't know if I love her or not, but I know I definitely have feelings for her. She's always been right there for me." ' I was just always too caught up in Ladybug to notice', Adrien thought while scratching at the back of his neck and looked down at the floor.

"…Dude, you got it bad. Why don't you just ask her out?" Nino leaned back up against the bathroom door and straightened his legs out while watching Adrien blush from head to toe and furiously shake his head.

"No way! I don't even know if she likes me back!" Nino sat there for a moment then clutched his stomach has he laughed loudly. Adrien looked at him with a confused expression that soon turned into a frustrated one.

"It's not funny!" Nino finally calmed down and looked up.

"I know I know, it's just. How can you be so oblivious!" He started laughing uncontrollably once again and nearly fell onto the floor.

"Ninoooo!"

"Adrien, she's crushing on you so hard man. How can you not see that?"

"…What? There's no way."

"Seriously? She can't even get a sentence out around you and she's always complimenting you!"

"So? That doesn't mean she likes me."

"…Are you for reals right now?" Nino stared at Adrien with a straight face.

"Don't look at me like that! I'm used to people acting that way around me because I'm famous or whatever."

"Marinette isn't that type of person though, she even yelled at you the first time she met you! Remember that?" Adrien sat thinking for a few moments before turning beet red and laughing lightly.

"Marinette likes me….she likes me…NINO, Mari likes me!" He looked at his friend with a huge smile and stood up with excitement while Nino laughed and got up as well. He grabbed his friends shoulder and pushed him out the door and headed to class.

"Glad you finally figured it out, now what?"

"…I have no idea. Should I just ask her out?" Adrien stopped and hid his face in his hands. "How would a date with her even go? She can't even speak to me." Nino patted him on the back and pushed him into the classroom.

"Looks like you'll have to talk to her more then." Adrien felt himself freeze up when Marinette's eyes met his and he tried to get himself to say hello but he barely waved at her. 'God…is this how she feels all the time?' He relaxed a bit when she waved back and smiled when he noticed her blushing. The teacher beside him cleared her throat loudly and he quickly snapped out of it and turned around to apologize.

"I-I'm so sorry! I was having a personal issue and Nino was trying to help me through it."

"It's alright, just next time do it during lunch."

"Yes ma'am." Both boys said before heading to their seats. Before sitting down, Adrien bravely winked at Marinette and turned around before he saw her face go completely red. Alya gave Nino a look that said, 'Boy you are telling me everything later or I swear to God' while he just quickly looked away and sat down.

After a few hours of classes the lunch bell rang loudly, pulling Adrien out of his daydream as he quickly dragged Nino out of the classroom faster than Alya can say Ladybug.

"Hey!" Alya called out and Nino just turned around to her, shrugged his shoulders, and left as quickly as he could. She sighed and turned to Marinette.

"There is something going on here and I am not resting until I figure it out!" Alya packed her bag and walked out after them. Marinette laughed before grabbing her things and decided to just head to the library for lunch.

"Adrien this isn't good." Nino said still following Adrien at a fast pace.

"What isn't good?" Adrien stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"Did you not see Alya? She knows something is up man!"

"So? Just avoid her." Adrien continued walking to the park bench outside before sitting down.

"You say that like it's easy." Nino sat down next to him and they pulled out their lunches.

"C'mon Nino. All you have to say is that it's a secret you aren't allowed to talk about. Then she'll just come interrogate me and I'll be able to handle the rest."

"…You obviously haven't been 'interrogated' by her yet have you?"

"Nope. Why? Is it that bad?"

"Man, she'll make you tell her things she wasn't even asking about." He took a big bite out of his sandwich and opened his soda. Adrien chuckled before leaning back on the bench. 'If I can handle an akuma, I can definitely handle Alya.' After a few minutes of silence he sat back up and put his head in his hands.

"What am I going to do about Marinette?"

"Easy, we all just start hanging out together as a group, so you'll both become more comfortable around each other, then ask her to the movies. Done. I mean, you already know she likes you, so the hardest part is over." Adrien blushed again once Nino said that and chuckled quietly.

"I still can't believe you like Marinette dude. Like I do, but it kind of came out of nowhere you know?"

"Yeah, I was too busy focusing on someone else honestly to really think about Marinette in that way honestly."

"To busy with who?" Nino looked over at him and Adrien froze. 'If I say Ladybug he'll think I'm so stupid. But he's my best friend so he'll only make fun of me for like…the rest of my life.' He sighed and lifted his head.

"Promise you won't make fun of me?"

"Promise."

"I kind of have a thing for Ladybug. Well not just a thing. I adore her really."

"Who doesn't?" Nino and Adrien jumped and turned around to see Alya standing over them smiling.

"So, now that the game of hide and seek is over, want to tell me what's going on here?" She walked around to be standing in front of them and looked pointedly at Nino, who quickly hung is head and played on his phone. So, she looked at Adrien. The second they made eye contact Adrien knew, there was no way he could handle Alya. 'I was wrong. So wrong. Please let an akuma come and save me.' Then he heard the lunch bell rang out loudly. 'Close enough.' He thought before quickly grabbing his bag and booking it to class. Nino ran after him while calling out to Alya.

"Sorry! It's a secret!"

"Secret or no secret, if it has something to do with Marinette. I'm figuring it out." She headed back towards the classroom while scheming a plan in her head.

Adrien walked into the classroom a bit before Nino and realized that he was the first one back. Well, actually the second. Marinette's head was laying on her desk, barely visible, and she looked like she was asleep.

He quietly placed his bag down next to his desk and tip-toed over to her. He stood for a few seconds, trying to memorize how peaceful she looked. He's never seen her so calm before. He brushed away some hair that had fell into her face and placed it behind her ear. Adrien's finger brushed her earring accidentally, and the coldness shocked him. He peered closer to try and see what the pattern was on them, but was interrupted before he could take a better look.

"Dude, I get that you like her, but staring is a bit creepy." Nino sat at his seat and laughed and Adrien's red face.

"I wasn't staring! I swear!" He had quickly moved away from her and towards his seat while he held his hands up in a defensive position.

Marinette sat up groggily and stared forward for a few seconds before fully waking up. She rubbed her eyes and as her vision cleared she saw Adrien standing in front of her. It took her a few moments for her to realize what was going on, and once she did, she blushed a bit before quickly fixing her hair.

"Ah- sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's okay Marinette. No need to apologize." Adrien smiled at her and turned around to sit as the rest of the students began entering the room.

Alya took her seat as the teacher began taking roll and quickly passed Marinette a note.

'Hey girl! Let's invite the boys over to yours again! Then we can see if Adrien actually does like you :P'

'Alyaaaa you know he doesn't! But sure! :) It would be nice to spend more time with Adrien.'

Alya smiled before rewriting another note, crumpling it into a ball, and hitting Nino right in the back of his head.

"Ah!" Nino let out a surprised gasp and the teacher turned to look at him.

"Sorry, I just made a mistake is all." She turned back around and Adrien watched as Nino read the note Alya gave him. Nino smiled, wrote something down, and then turned around to look at Alya and hit her square in the face. He quickly turned around trying to hold his laughter, and slid a note over to Adrien.

'You better cancel whatever plans you have, we are heading to Mari's after school'. Adrien only nodded in return but he turned around to Marinette to give her a small smile to let her know he was going. She smiled shyly in return while blushing slightly, which caused Adrien to blush again and quickly turned back to the front. Unfortunately for him though Alya noticed it before he turned around, and her plan was already coming along perfectly.

Adrien happily leaned over to Nino while they were packing their bags to leave for the day and didn't even try to hide is excitement.

"I'm so lucky! Nathalie had messaged me earlier saying everything was cancelled because she had to fly with my dad on some business trip and she would be unable to escort me. I'm free for the rest of the week!"

"Dude REALLY?! I can't remember the last time you had the day off." Adrien happily turned around to the girls with a huge grin on his face.

"Did you hear that?" Marinette smiled fondly at him and Alya laughed.

"Thank God. I was beginning to worry about you and that crazy work schedule. If anybody deserves a break its you." They all left the class room and just as they were about to exit the school doors Chloe made her way to the front of their group and stopped them.

"Adrikins! A little birdy told me you're free for the rest of the week! We should totally hang out!" Adrien awkwardly stepped a few steps back until he was next to Marinette and replied back.

"Ah um I'm sorry Chloe but I already promised my friends I would spend time with them."

Chloe simply glared at Marinette who slowly inched her way behind Alya and Chloe smiled back at Adrien.

"Aw, that's my Adrien always keeping his promises! Text me when you get bored!" She bounded down the steps to her ride and quickly drove off. Nino laughed and they all headed down the stairs.

"Thank God you got out of that." Nino sympathetically patted Adrien on the back.

"Come on, she's not that bad." Adrien said.

"Not that bad?!" Alya spoke up. "You're joking right?"

"I've known her since forever Alya. Trust me, she's a good person on the inside."

Alya watched as Marinette walked a bit slower until she was once again behind Alya.

"Adrien. Chloe has made fun of Marinette for about five years now, for no reason. She's not a good person, she's a bully." Adrien stopped in his tracks and turned to face Marinette.

"She did what?" Marinette finally looked up at Adrien, but she didn't know how to reply. Alya was the only person she has really talked to about it. Nino cleared his throat and placed his arm around Adrien's shoulders.

"Hey man, today is going to be a fun day! C'mon girls, we can leave the deep talks after we've had some grub. You're dad better be stocked up on those brownies Mari." He turned Adrien around and continued their walk. Alya grabbed Marinette's hand in reassurance and pulled her along.

"I can't make any promises, but we can always make more." Marinette let out a small giggle as they made their way to the bakery.

Note: I'm really sorry for not posting an update sooner. I always hate when I see a story that's been written but not completed and I never intended to be that person. I've been going through a lot in my personal life but I wanted to thank you all for following and writing so many great reviews. It makes me feel better knowing that you guys are enjoying this story and I'll start to do better for you. Thank you 3 Lots of Love