Sorry this took so long even after receiving lovely comments! It's almost break and I'll try and make it up to you during it! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

After thinking about it really really really hard. Adrien had come up with nothing. Maybe he should just ask his Lady where she goes to school? That would be so much less stressful... and she might even just tell him her identity. She recently seemed like she wanted to say something really badly. She kept stopping herself for some reason.

There has been a few days since the last akuma (which was pretty suspicious if you ask Adrien) but it also meant that he could look into Marinette more. By some weird coincidence, he kept looking over at her just as she looked over at him. They both looked at each other too often, it was very awkward. Was she weirded out by his sudden interest in her? He thought he was being discrete with his investigation.

He had always thought of Marinette as a friend, but he was a little awkward and didn't really know how to talk to people. Even though that was the case, she was really fun to be around. If she really was Ladybug, he would be happy that it was her. He could play videogames with his Lady and work on school with her. He could just be around her, and she would be someone he already knew and thought highly of.

"Dude? You've been like out of it lately. What's up?" Nino waved a hand in front of Adrien.

"Oh… I… stuff?" Adrien thought desperately on what he'd actually say to that. Oh nothing, I just have been saving Paris behind your back as Chat because ya know, I couldn't even tell you even though you're my best friend. Not only that, I've been in love with my lady since we had first met and neglected to say a single word about it. "A girl."

"What!? Bro! What girl?" Oh well Nino looked happy and Adrien felt himself start to blush, mostly because Marinette and Ayla were right behind Nino. He was thinking about a girl yes, but he didn't know if that girl was the one he liked… and she was standing right behind Nino with her best friend.

"Ooooh what's this I hear about a girl?" Ayla asked loudly as she wrapped her arm around Nino.

"Oh uh that one girl... the one on TV" Adrien stuttered out while scratching the back of his head.

"Oh haha yeah, that girl" Marinette laughed awkwardly.

"Yeah that girl" Adrien laughed awkwardly.

"Hey Nino do you know what they are talking about?" Ayla said, elbowing Nino lightly in the side while not taking her eyes off the increasingly awkward scene.

"No clue babe" Nino replied.

"Any plans for today!?" Ayla yelled between them all to get them to stop, "Nino and I have a date"

"Oh really? Have fun you two!" Marinette turned her attention to her best friend and smiled, she was happy that it worked out between Nino and Ayla. Her cheeks were still a little pink though, and Adrien thought it was adorable.

The scene was resolved with everyone saying their goodbyes and walking off in different directions (except Ayla and Nino who walked off together). That was almost a mess, but it's not like he could have said the truth to them. If she was Ladybug, he doubted that Marinette would be very happy about being exposed. If she wasn't Ladybug, he could have risked being found out by three unrelated people. People he cared about yes, but they still shouldn't know his identity for their sakes.

Not knowing who Ladybug was frustrated him. He was so close to her, yet so far away. He was himself around her but she didn't know who he was. There was a disconnect in their relationship and the only way he could think of fixing that was knowing her face. He knew her sarcastic quips and he knew she was amazingly smart and resourceful, but he didn't know the little silly things you'd normally know about a friend. He didn't know the things that friends talked about with each other and it felt wrong.

Above all, he just loves her. He didn't really care who she is. He just wants to know her.