A/N: Many months later...

Part 3

"Plagg move it, I can't see a thing!" Adrien grumbled, moving his binoculars to chase the devious kwami away.

"Why can't you? They're literally three meters away!" he hissed irritably, causing his Chosen to give him a glare for a reward for his sassy attitude.

Nonetheless, Adrien put away his binoculars to carefully pull away some branches from the bush in front of him to look at Marinette and Jacque, who were currently sitting on a park bench with books in their laps. They smiled and laughed as they studied together, looking like just the common pair of friends.

But that didn't matter to Adrien. In his mind, this was the start of a budding romance fit for one of the greatest love stories ever told. Sure, it started as an innocent study date. But then it would escalate to love letters, and then to moonlit serenades under the balcony, and then to romantic dinner dates, and then they would get married and have cute little babies leaving Chat Noir all alone in the dust.

"I know that look in your eyes," Plagg drawled lazily beside his charge's ear. "And I can tell that your mind has concocted some insane, over-exaggerated idea. Relax, they're just studying."

"Yeah, that's what they're doing now," Adrien replied, narrowing his eyes at his unsuspecting classmates. "But this is only the beginning. Soon they're going to be writing love notes to each other, and then he'll serenade her under her balcony, and then-"

He was halted from telling the rest of his nightmarish-fantasy by Plagg's huff of exasperation. "You're an idiot. Can't you tell she has no feelings for him? She clearly-" He was about to add something else, but scoffed instead. "You know what? I'm not getting involved anymore."

And with one last sigh of annoyance, the kwami ducked back in the inside pocket of Adrien's shirt. He didn't mind a bit, because at least now he can spy on Marinette and Jacque in peace.

What did Marinette even see in him anyway? Sure, he guessed the guy was good-looking, like she kept going on about the night before when he visited her, but he was a freaking model for God's sake! He was way better-looking than Jacque, in his opinion.

He was Chat Noir, part of the greatest (and only) superhero duo in Paris! Wait, did that count, since Marinette didn't know that? Hmm…

Ah! He was also smart! He didn't need any help studying, not like Jacque did. That should be him sitting with Marinette on that bench, helping her with her homework, not that girlfriend-stealer.

His green eyes widened when he saw Jacque lean down closer to the ravenette, his finger pointing at something on the book page with his head partially hidden by her hair. He better not-he better not be trying to-

In Adrien's haste to get a closer look, he ended up losing his balance like the unlucky cat he really was and fell face-forward with a startled yelp, right out of the bush and into the open. His cheeks stained red as he glanced up and saw Marinette and Jacque standing from their bench, books laying forgotten on the grass as they gazed at him with surprise written clear in their features.

"A-Adrien?!" Marinette squeaked, finally coming out of her shocked stupor. "What are you doing here?!"

"Yeah, what the hell, Agreste?" Jacque questioned, his voice higher in his astonishment.

Adrien could feel the inside pocket of his shirt vibrate, his kwami's muffled cackles not failing to reach his ears. With an indignant grunt, he stood and began to brush off his jeans of the dirt and grass, but only not forgetting about his shirt. He made sure to pat the area where Plagg rested with extra force than necessary.

"Uh, hey guys!" he replied with a wide, toothy smile. He rubbed the back of his neck, an unconscious habit of his when he was nervous. "I was just-uh-hanging out behind that bush!" He jabbed his thumb behind him to point at it. "And I fell. Sorry for-um-interrupting you two!"

"Were you seriously spying on us?" Jacque asked, levelling a glare at the model while crossing his arms in front of his chest. "That's just weird, man."

"Hey!" Marinette spoke up, just as Adrien was about to fire back an equally-rude response. "Adrien wouldn't spy on anyone. Maybe he was really just hanging out behind the bush," her voice faltered near the end, her confidence wavering, but she was determined to salvage the reputation of the love of her life with her dying breath.

Adrien felt proud of her for sticking up for him like that, yet that was largely overshadowed by the guilt now pooling in his stomach because he was most definitely spying, and it was totally weird as Jacque had said, but Marinette defended him anyway.

"Are you actually going to buy that crap?" Jacque asked, completely surprised by this new turn of events.

"Adrien's my friend, I'll always believe him," Marinette amended, crossing her arms together. She made sure to give the boy a look that dared for him to say anything more.

The boy spluttered, trying to string a sentence together, and failed miserably. He shook his head in defeat, settling for picking up his books off the ground along with his backpack.

"I'll see you later, Marinette," he bid, shaking his head once again. "You too, Agreste."

Adrien simply stared after him with a smug grin, all the while missing how the girl in front of him raised an eyebrow and turned her inquisitive cerulean eyes to him.

Once their classmate was gone, she spoke.

"Alright, now I know you weren't just 'hanging out behind that bush'. Care to explain?"

On the outside, Marinette looked as cool ice. Stubborn, determined, and not willing to take any more bullshit lies. But in reality, she was internally screaming in panic and fear because holy hell I'm talking to Adrien without stuttering and now I'm realizing it so I'm probably going to be stuttering and blushing again damn him why does this happen to me why did he have to be here oh my God I'm gonne die-

"U-Uh, I was-" Adrien in the meantime stammered, oblivious to his crush's currently rampaging inner panic attack. "I-"

He sighed dejectedly. He knew there was no reason to just hide behind a bush without actually spying on anyone. Well, no viable but creepy reason, anyway. So, why not just come out with the truth? He knows that she hates liars, he doesn't want her to hate him.

"Okay, I was spying on you and Jacque. But, Marinette, well-"

Suddenly, his eyebrows scrunched together as he straightened, distracting Marinette from her inner panic for the moment.

Ah, screw it.

"I was spying on you because I don't get why you even like him! Who cares if he has hair that could rival coal, and if his eyes are a sea blue, and if he has a nice smile? That doesn't matter! You shouldn't like him, you should…like…" His voice dropped to low murmur, the bravado he had before quickly slipping away from his grasp. "…me."

Marinette blinked, absolutely stunned by the new revelation. Adrien liked her? Adrien Agreste, the boy she's been crushing on since he handed her his umbrella all that time ago, actually liked her? It was almost too good to be true!

She opened her mouth, ready to tell him that she does like him and how could he ever think otherwise, when she stopped, remembering his whole speech. Including the details she used to describe her 'crush' to Chat Noir the previous night.

"Wait, how did you know about that?" she asked instead.

Adrien froze.

Shit.

A/N: So, yeah, insert typical reveal here. I didn't want to continue the ending with the reveal, because it honestly would've been cliché as hell. You know they're going to get together anyway xD

p.s. The 'guy' whom Marinette was describing was actually Prince Eric from Disney's The Little Mermaid xD