Chapter 16

Adrien decided that night to give Marinette some space and time to sort out whatever it was that was bothering her. He didn't want to be a distraction to her. Besides, he felt he hadn't spent a lot of time with Plagg in a while, and the cat was starting to show its irritation with that.

"Good news, buddy," Adrien spoke with a wide grin, laying down beside the feline on his bed. Plagg let out an indignant sniff and turned stubbornly away, his tail flicking Adrien in the nose as he did so.

Despite the attitude, Adrien continued as if he wasn't just entirely brushed off.

"I don't have to go stealing anything tonight, and I'm giving Marinette some time to herself. So tonight you have me all to yourself, isn't that great?"

Plagg merely whipped his head around and gave an angry hiss before turning away again.

Adrien visibly drooped, prior to adopting a pleading expression. He wasn't going to give up on the stubborn, little furball.

"Come on, Plagg, I know I've been busy lately, but I haven't forgotten about you! Look, I have your favorite treat!"

At this, Adrien slyly held up the tiny bit of camembert he was able to smuggle from the fridge when Nathalie and chef weren't looking. While he knew that cats shouldn't eat cheese, for some reason Plagg was drawn to camembert and always pawed at the chef's legs when he would use the cheese for his recipes. As such, Adrien only allowed a small bit for Plagg to have at the rarest of times, and it seemed like tonight was going to be one of those times, given how the cat's head immediately turned in the direction of the camembert.

Plagg zeroed in on his target and dove for Adrien's hand, making him laugh as the cat gobbled up the treat and even took to licking his fingers clean in case a trace of the cheese was left on them.

"So," Adrien began, rubbing his hand along Plagg's back, the cat not taking long to arch into his touch, "how about we watch some classic Pokémon?"

…

The next day he felt that Marinette was avoiding him. Which honestly wasn't surprising, from their last encounter, but it still left him feeling horrible about it. He shouldn't have tried to pressure her about what was wrong, if she wanted to tell him she would've. He just wanted to talk and assure her that everything would be alright, whatever it was that she was worried about.

Apparently Nino and Alya noticed the shift in the air between them, because for once they weren't eating lunch together as a group of four. Instead, Nino coerced him into going to one café while Alya took Marinette to another.

"What's wrong, dude?" Nino asked before taking a sip of his soda. He must've noticed his friend's pensive mood. "You seem pretty out of it."

Adrien shook his head, for once pushing away thoughts of Marinette and their supposed relationship and answered him.

"Nothing, I'm fine. So, anything new in the world of music and moviemaking?"

That seemed to do the trick, for both of them. After Nino had sufficiently fanboy'd over the newest developments of the previously two mentioned subjects that Adrien spoke of, the two soon fell into a lull of casual conversation. Adrien eventually began to forget his girl and criminal troubles, and for once just simply enjoyed spending time with his best friend.

…

They were still chuckling and joking around when they came across Marinette and Alya on the school steps, who also looked to be laughing too. It seemed everyone was in good spirits today. Adrien was glad to see Marinette smiling and laughing so loudly, it was a lot better than seeing the contemplative frown that was etched on her face throughout the morning.

"Did we miss something?" Nino asked, an amused smirk pulling up the corners of his lips. Adrien tilted his head with a grin of his own, content to just sit back and watch.

"Just something amazing!" Alya crowed with more laughter. She took her phone from her pocket before tapping the screen a few times and presenting it to them. "Look!"

Adrien and Nino had to huddle closer to see the picture better. Coincidentally, Adrien ended up standing beside Marinette. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed her biting her lip, eliciting him to briefly frown prior to shifting his eyes back to the phone screen.

Did she hate being in such close proximity to him?

His sudden anxiety was just as quickly forgotten once he processed the picture he was looking at. It was of Kim, sitting in a café with his friends around him, with what looked to be a strawberry milkshake poured all over his head, with pink splotches left on his shoulders and the front of his shirt.

Adrien had to cover his mouth with his fist to keep from laughing aloud. It was immensely satisfying to see some sort of revenge enacted on Kim, and public humiliation was one of the finest forms. Although, personally, he would've gone with a more…violent approach. But dumping a strawberry milkshake on him was fine too.

"Oh my God!" Nino howled, not even trying to muffle his own chortles. "What the hell happened?"

"Let's just say Kim made a big mistake, and it was high time he paid for it," Alya answered with a cryptic grin.

Adrien couldn't agree more, but kept that thought to himself. 'Adrien' had no idea what Kim had done to deserve Alya's wrath.

"Well, looks like you got him good," Nino observed with another snicker. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he bent down to plant a chaste kiss on her cheek.

Adrien's gaze drew towards Marinette, who looked at the couple with fondness. A corner of his mouth arched; hopefully that could be them one day. Meeting in secret at night still felt amazing, not to mention he kept thanking his lucky stars for the opportunity to be with her. However, it still left him yearning during the daytime, when he couldn't hold her hand or kiss her without raising some eyebrows and questions.

He trusted her wholly…maybe it was time to see what she would do with it.

…

After school let out Adrien waved to Nino in farewell before walking to his waiting limo. As per usual, the Gorilla dutifully stood there, ready to take him home in preparation for the photoshoot that would start in about an hour.

The Gorilla noticed him approaching and opened the door for him. Adrien tossed his bag in and was about to follow after, but noticed a blur of red out of the corner of his eye. Curious, he inclined his head back to see Nathanael walking to Marinette's bakery. He paused outside of the main door and visibly took a deep breath, seemingly to steel himself. Shakily, he reached out a hand and opened the door before disappearing inside.

The soft tinkling of the bell barely reached Adrien's ears, who now paused in mid-step.

Nathanael's crush on Marinette was obvious. He sometimes saw him sketching her a few times in the mornings before classes would start, or whenever else they had free time. Adrien didn't really think too much into it; Nathanael had never made a move thus far and Marinette had not once showed any signs of harboring feelings for the aspiring artist. He figured he had nothing to worry about.

His gaze turned pensive as he studied the seemingly-innocent pâtisserie. From the angle he was at, it was impossible to tell what was happening inside.

"I'll be right back," he stated slowly, not giving the Gorilla a glance as he shut the limo door. The bodyguard grunted, prompting Adrien to peer up at him to see whether or not he would try to stop him.

"Bring something back," he muttered so lowly that Adrien almost didn't hear. Without another word the Gorilla walked around the limo and got in on the driver's side. Adrien balked for a few seconds in disbelief; he didn't think the Gorilla would actually let him stray off his schedule, not even for a few minutes. Not to mention he was going in a bakery, something his personal dietician would have a conniption about if she knew.

Maybe he was allowed to go because Nathalie wasn't accompanying his bodyguard. Either way, Adrien wasn't about to take this opportunity for granted. He turned and speed-walked to the bakery, not looking back as he opened the door.

The bell jingled, signaling his arrival. As the heavenly aroma of freshly-baked sweets invaded his senses, his eyes immediately found Marinette, who was behind the counter with her back to him. Nathanael turned around briefly, his own eyes widening once he recognized who came in.

Huh. He actually looked a bit afraid, there. Maybe he wasn't as oblivious as the teachers thought and he did take careful notice of his surroundings. Maybe he noticed Adrien's admiration of the girl currently behind the counter, however subtle he was. Maybe he was nervous that Adrien was about to do something about it.

He smirked as he took a few more steps deeper inside.

"I'll be right with you!" Marinette chimed, still not looking to see who had come in.

He noticed her fiddling around with something, something that he couldn't see since her body was in the way. Not that he was complaining, by any means. He allowed himself a quick perusal before staring innocently at one of the display cases. He still considered himself a gentleman.

Well, besides the fact that he stole stuff. Besides that, he was a gentleman through and through.

"Okay, that'll be-"

Marinette's voice prompted him to look up, and as he did he found himself staring right into the blue eyes that frequented his dreams at night. Snapping himself out of his stupor, he smiled and waved, the perfect picture of a friend casually greeting another.

"Uh…t-that'll be…" she stuttered, seemingly not able to take her eyes off of him. He tilted his head, his smile beginning to morph into a grin.

Marinette momentarily closed her eyes and took a breath before telling the price of whatever Nathanael wanted.

"Thank you, Marinette," he heard Nathanael say, and with it the tips of his ears turn pink. Adrien's lips thinned to a line, already wanting the redhead out of the bakery.

"You're welcome," she replied cheerily, and Adrien thought that would be the end of the interaction. Instead, he heard Nathanael ask about a ring.

A ring? Adrien looked back just in time to see Marinette shove the ring on her necklace back inside the front of her shirt.

So she was still wearing it, huh? The knowledge brought a smug smirk to his face.

"Uh-ah-no! I-I mean yes!" she stuttered, clearly torn as for what to say. Adrien couldn't help but find the situation amusing, and at least a little satisfying. She was wearing his ring, after all.

He saw her eyes flicker toward him briefly before shifting back to Nathanael.

"It's just a ring I designed," she answered. "I think it turned out well!"

If Adrien didn't already know the truth, he might've believed her.

"So, a boy didn't give it to you?" Nathanael asked quietly, shyly.

Adrien's jaw tightened as his arms folded together. What kind of a question was that?

"Nope!"

Adrien's mood darkened even more by her refusal. In hindsight, it wouldn't have been good for her to admit that yes, a boy did give the ring to her, which would then lead her to explain who that boy was. But it still didn't feel particularly good, being practically dismissed like that.

"M-Marinette? I-I…so you don't have anyone special in your life?" Nathanael spoke, hardly able to get the words out.

Adrien's nails pressed into closed fists as it took all of his inner restraint not to hiss at his fellow classmate. Yes, she did have someone special in her life: him!

But he couldn't do anything. He was Adrien, not Chat Noir. There wasn't a damn thing he could do, and it only served to infuriate him even more.

"Umm," Marinette mumbled, his inner rage temporarily cooling at the sight of her biting her lip and staring down at the counter. "Not really, at the moment."

His anger shifted into concern for her; she was rather in a tight spot with Nathanael not easing up on the personal questions. Now all he wanted was to drag Nathanael out by his shirt collar for virtually backing her into a corner like that.

"Marinette," Nathanael spoke, all traces of nervousness gone. "I was wondering-"

Adrien's eyebrows furrowed when he guessed how that question was likely to end.

"Some of us have other things to do," he interrupted, perhaps a bit too harshly, but frankly he didn't really care anymore. He just wanted Nathanael gone at this point.

Nathanael turned around, appearing surprised by his outburst. Adrien didn't relent on the glare aimed on him, conveying the hidden warning to not finish his request.

Understanding seemed to dawn on his face as a brief flicker of fear flashed in his eyes. He quickly turned back around, slammed some money on the counter and hastily took the box.

"Um, I'll see you in class tomorrow," he bid prior to running out of the bakery.

Adrien felt a bit bad, but it was vastly overshadowed by the feeling of satisfaction of having his temporary rival gone. His head had turned to see Nathanael running out, and so was prompted to look back to Marinette once she started talking.

"I-I'm sorry you were left waiting so long. I didn't think, and you must have a photoshoot-"

Her cheeks were flushed as she stuttered out the apology, her fingers twisting together and damn was it not one of the cutest things he's ever seen.

A warn, easy grin naturally curled his lips.

"It's alright. Sorry if I got a little impatient back there, it's a horrible flaw." He chuckled, hoping it would further lighten the mood. "I just couldn't wait to try one of these pastries, they all smell so good."

That wasn't a lie; he was hit with the sweet, sugary scents as soon as he walked through the door.

Marinette smiled wider as her cheeks darkened into a more distinct red.

"Thank you, I'll tell my parents you said that."

"You're welcome," he replied easily and began to browse the all the different treats on display in the cases. Everything looked delicious, he wished he was able to come in here sooner.

After a few more seconds of awkward silence, he felt compelled to speak.

"I was able to convince the Gorilla to let me stop by here before my photoshoot," he started conversationally with a small chuckle. He knew she thought it was amusing whenever he referred to his bodyguard/driver by that nickname.

And Marinette didn't disappoint, soon after the tinkling sound of her giggling began to fill the air. He paused in his perusing of the sweets to look at her out of the corner of his eye, grinning smugly.

"So," she spoke, calming down and clearing her throat before continuing. "Anything in particular you're looking for?"

"Not really." He shrugged. The Gorilla wasn't specific on what to bring him back. He turned back to her, smiling. "What do you recommend?"

An attractive hue of pink shone on her cheeks.

"We-well macarons are a classic, and not that fattening." Suddenly her eyes widened and she gasped, and for a moment Adrien didn't understand what was wrong, until she continued talking. "N-not that you're fat! You're not fat at all! You're in good shape, great shape! You have nice muscles and-"

And he didn't get to hear any more of her opinions on his looks, because it was then that she pressed her lips together and stayed absolutely silent.

She thought she offended him at first, which she didn't, so she felt she had to make it up by somehow backtracking and complimenting him in the process.

So she thought he was in great shape and had nice muscles, huh?

A smirk slowly etched its way on his face, curling deeper by the rapid rate of Marinette's face delving into a deeper red.

"I'm so sorry!" she squeaked. Honestly, it looked like she wanted nothing more than a hole to swallow her up.

He decided to relent on any possible teasing in favor of just agreeing to get macarons, in a nice, friendly way that gave no indication of him hearing her rambling from only seconds before. He did feel a bit bad on her behalf and didn't want her to feel any worse.

"I-I'll get them for you then! H-how many?"

"Five will be good. Oh, and with buttercream filling, please."

In the rare times he had macarons, he remembered that they were always buttercream-filled.

"S-sure! O-of course!"

While she was getting his order ready, he couldn't resist in making at least one little flirtation. He leaned an elbow on the counter, in a typical model pose, and used his hand to make sure his hair was perfectly tamed without a strand out of place.

When she turned to hand over the box he saw her pause, her gaze moving from his eyes, to his elbow currently against the counter, back to his face again. She fumbled for words, but was soon enough ready to tell him the price.

With a grin, he reached into his pants pocket to retrieve the money from his wallet. After getting more than what was necessary, he carefully deposited it into her hand, making sure to brush his fingertips against her palm as he brought his hand back.

Her mouth parted as she stared unblinkingly at him for a few seconds. She seemed to snap out of it a few moments later when she moved to get his change. However, he stopped her by lightly touching her wrist holding the money.

If it was possible, her skin flushed even more.

"Keep the change," he said, accompanied with a wink. He picked up the box and strolled out of the bakery, fighting against himself to not turn around and give her one last departing look. He wanted to appear unaffected by what happened, even though it was totally the opposite. He was sure his heart was about to burst out of his chest.

Good thing he had all those years of modelling experience so his true feelings didn't show when he didn't want them to.

The Gorilla was sitting in the driver's seat of the limo when Adrien went back for him. He slipped inside in the back and opened the box, picking out a light blue macaron and holding it out for his bodyguard.

"Thanks for letting me go," he spoke, feeling truly grateful for the usually unwavering man.

The Gorilla nodded, the ghost of a smile on his lips as he took the offered pastry.

A low hum emanated from his throat after he took the first bite. Eating the rest in another, he started the limo and drove back to the mansion so his charge could prepare for the photoshoot.

I'm sorry it took me so long to write this, I'm honestly not really motivated about this story anymore. But I will finish it, I promise!