"Marinette!" Alya shouted from the top of the steps. Her best friend was being especially slow with getting inside for some reason, which just meant that Alya was waiting longer. "Hurry up, you slow poke!"

Marinette giggled as she made her way up beside Alya. It'd been quite a long night, and she had been thrown around quite a bit by the akuma with super-strength, so moving was difficult. Nino and Adrien stood with Alya, not that Marinette had the energy to really notice or care. "I'm here…" Marinette breathed out, resting her head on Alya's shoulder.

Alya laughed and petted Marinette's head, "Jeez, looks like Chipmunk is really out of it."

Marinette groaned and banged her head repeatedly against Alya's shoulder.

"Chipmunk?" Adrien questioned with a bit of a snicker.

"Just a nickname," Alya explained. "You haven't ever seen this girl do the chubby bunny challenge with cookies – it's impressive!"

"Marinette," Nino started, poking the sleeping girl's arm. Adrien turned to look at her and couldn't help but laugh. Marinette's arm dangled off the desk, so Nino was swatting at it to hopefully wake up the girl. "Earth to Mari," Nino teased.

"Unghhh," Marinette groaned, retracting her hand and turning her head. Where was Alya when she needed her?

"C'mon, Ballerina, it's time for lunch. We can't keep Alya waiting!" Nino tried. Adrien furrowed his brow, looking to his best friend for the nickname origins. "She's danced around basically everywhere she goes since she was little," Nino explained. He rarely used Marinette's old nickname, but when he did it was usually because she was asleep and wouldn't remember it.

Adrien nodded in understanding at the nickname, since Marinette was known for twirling around as she walked when she was happy. Strange, though, that Nino had a nickname for her…

Adrien sat beside Marinette as the two worked on their class assignment, glad that the teacher had paired them up. He'd been trying to get closer to Marinette for weeks, but she always seemed so closed-off to him. Maybe she was just closer to Alya and Nino, evident by their little nicknames for her.

Those came about from the amount of time spent with her, it made sense.

"How's the Strawberry Shortcake?" Kim's voice suddenly came from behind. Both teens turned to face him, Marinette already giggling.

"Very funny, Kim," she said, punching his shin. "How long's it been? Two years?"

Adrien was quite confused. Why would he call her Strawberry Shortcake? Yeah, she was kind of short, but her hair was blue? Her pants weren't red; they were pink? What was the story here?

"It's not every day you see a girl put away an entire cake by herself," Kim reasoned, laughing when Marinette aimed for his shins again. Her face flushed in embarrassment, and Adrien was very, very confused. Since when did Kim and Marinette spend so much time together that he would have been there to see her put away that entire cake?

It'd been very hot for the past three weeks. So sunny and warm, it was too difficult to stay inside. So, Marinette came into one day absolutely covered in freckles. Her face, arms, legs, heck even her neck were taken over by the small dots.

Adrien thought they were cute. He liked the normal sprinkling she always kept, and while most people would find the number of freckles she had then too many, he was in love.

"Well, looks like Galaxy Face is back," Nathanaël commented when Marinette walked into the classroom.

Galaxy Face? Adrien questioned internally. He'd been hesitant since the Evillustrator to trust Nathanaël, so why was it that he had a nickname for Marinette?! And why was she giggling?!

"It's not my fault, Nathy," Marinette snickered, tossing a balled-up piece of paper at the redheaded boy.

Nathy?

Marinette was talking with Mylene, the two giggling and fussing over something on the desk. Adrien had been watching and listening intently for several minutes, and from what he gathered, they were cooing over puppies and kittens. The kittens part made him snicker.

"Oh, Mylene, look at this little one!" Marinette squealed. "He looks like he's wearing a tux!"

"It's so cute!" Mylene commented.

Alix looked to what the two were looking at and couldn't help but laugh. "Looks like Pug and Persian are back at it!"

That one caught Adrien offguard. Did all of their friends have a nickname for Marinette? And which one of those was supposed to be Marinette?

You know, for most people, it would be an absolute dream to be on a first-name basis with their favorite rock star. They would just be overjoyed that said musician even knew their name and allowed them to refer to them by just their first name, and not the full thing.

And then there's Marinette.

She and Adrien were supposed to be delivering a new stage outfit to Jagged Stone. It had been designed by their class, and was to be worn in the rock star's next Paris concert.

But, as soon as he opened up his door, his face lit up. "Ah, if it isn't the little Designer Dragon Girl," he teased when he spotted Marinette. She didn't seem phased by the name, but it had completely taken Adrien aback. Jagged Stone had a nickname for Marinette?! Jagged freaking Stone?! Come on!

"This is for your next concert, Mr. Stone!" Adrien explained quickly, wanting ever so badly to get out of there.

"Wow, you kids are super talented!" Jagged laughed, taking the outfit graciously. With that, Adrien took Marinette's hand and dragged the girl toward the elevator to leave.

He wasn't sure why this whole nicknames thing had him so upset. Most everyone had known Marinette longer than him, so it made sense! Duh! So, why did it upset him so much?

It seemed everyone called the girl something different. Even Chat Noir had a nickname for her! But, Adrien couldn't exactly go around calling Marinette 'Princess' unless he wanted to raise suspicions and freak the girl out. If he didn't figure out what he, Adrien, could call her, and soon, he was going to lose his freaking mind.

That was all he could think about on the elevator ride down to the main floor. They made their way silently across the hotel, then paused when they looked out the door.

"Jeez, it's raining really hard out there…" Marinette commented, placing a hand against the cool glass door.

Outside, the rain poured heavily. It made Adrien cringe, seeing as how rain wasn't exactly his favorite thing. Neither of them had brought an umbrella, so they were stuck with getting soaked, which was the last thing Adrien wanted to do.

"Maybe if we run?" Adrien suggested. Marinette laughed and shook her head.

"I don't think that'll work, Adrien," Marinette said.

"Well, we can try!" Adrien snickered. Before Marinette could protest, he snatched her hand and dragged her out the door. They ran, squealing and laughing, all the way to the bakery. Once inside the warm store, Adrien realized how ridiculous of a situation he'd put them both in.

"Ah, we're soaked!" Marinette fussed, wiping at her clammy skin. She couldn't hold in her laughter, even though she wanted to be mad at Adrien for dragged her into the storm.

Adrien shook out his hair like a dog, wetting Marinette even further. She fussed at him, then forced the boy out of his shoes and socks before they went to find her parents.

"Mama, Papa!" Marinette called into the house.

Her mother came around the corner, meeting the teens in the living room. "Goodness, look at you two!" She instantly fluttered into a mothering mode, fetching dry clothes for Adrien to change in to and sending Marinette into her room. Soon, the two children were on the sofa with a plate of sweets each. Adrien was very much so enjoying his cookies, but the baggy gray t-shirt and flannel pajama pants were less than desirable. Comfy, yes. But, not attractive.

Marinette sat in clothes much the same, so at least it was even. Her hair was down as she brushed through it, wincing at the tangles. "You caused all these tangles, by the way," she commented when Adrien cringed. "I should be making you do this," she joked.

"Want me to?" Adrien asked with a laugh. It wasn't serious, and they both knew it, but he kind of wished she would have said 'yes'.

Instead, Adrien just kept stuffing cookies in his face. He had collected about five blankets around his shoulders and three in his lap, which made Marinette laugh. "I get cold easy!" Adrien defended, kicking the girl's thigh.

"Well, give me at least one of those!" Marinette said, "I get cold, too!"

"You'll have to take them from my cold, dead hands," Adrien threatened, readying himself to flee.

"With pleasure!" Marinette flung herself toward the boy, sending cookies flying. "Give me a blanket!"

"Never!" Adrien kicked and flailed to protect his covers. "You don't need one!"

"Yes I do!" Marinette fussed. She finally peeled one off of Adrien, glaring at the boy as she wrapped it around her head and folded in on the fleece covering. "You're such a cat," Marinette commented.

"How so?" Adrien snickered.

"Hogging the blankets, not liking the rain, and you're clingy," Marinette explained, a smirk playing on her lips. Their legs were touching, and it seemed Adrien had ensured they would be. Not to mention how many times he grabbed her hand, or stood closer than most would consider normal. He was clingy, and Marinette thought it was the cutest thing. "But, even kittens have to share my blankets!"

"Oh, so now I'm a kitten?"

"Yes, yes you are, Kitten," Marinette snickered.

Adrien's eyes widened, and a blush took over his face. He was supposed to be the one nicknaming her! But…if Marinette was comfortable enough to nickname him, didn't that mean they were closer? Was that even what mattered?

Lame way to end it, yes, but I ran out of ideas and words.

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