Hi everybody and welcome to my newest story on Miraculous Ladybug, I really cannot get enough of this show! I've had this idea milling around my mind for a while now but I only recently got it down because I wanted to write a story with Nathanaël in it. He's become one of my favourites in the show and I hope that we are going to see more of him in the next season (#NeedMoreNathanaël). Anyway, please enjoy and leave a review!

Marinette couldn't wait to be in school that morning. She was so excited, she had almost burst into the room the moment the doors had been opened and now she sat lightly bouncing in her seat as she could barely contain herself. Around her, the rest of the chairs began to fill up and the air was busy with lively chatter but she stared straight ahead, the grin on her face steadily growing until her cheeks couldn't stretch any further. That grin was the first thing Alya saw when she walked into the classroom a few moments later and she smiled endearingly at her friend as she parked herself next to her.

"Wow, you really are excited for this project." She said as Marinette squeaked in agreement, sounding like a tiny eager mouse. "I've never seen you like this for school before."

"Alya this isn't just any school project," Marinette enthused, her eyes sparkling with the joy that was fizzing through her veins like the sweetest of sugar highs. "This is an amazing opportunity for me! We get to submit an outfit into our own school fashion show and a whole panel of designers, including Gabriel Agreste, are going to see it and judge a winner! I've been waiting for this all year Alya, this could be my chance to get noticed! Wouldn't that be amazing? Look, I even have some designs ready, they're just ideas but they could be good…" She took out a thin folder and opened it proudly, showing off all the sketches that were inside like a proud mother.

"Um-hum." Alya went with a knowing smile on her face. "Are you sure you're not also excited about potentially being partnered with a certain boy who may or may not sit in front of us?"

Marinette's face went pink and her sapphire eyes darted around the room as she tried to look anywhere but at her best friend. "Well…I have thought about it," She said, not daring to admit it had been on her mind practically every waking moment since the project dates were revealed last week. "It would be amazing to be paired with him. He looks good in pretty much everything but I really want to put him in some sort of bright colour, like a green or something… Do…do you think we'd make a good team?"

"Really? The aspiring fashion designer and the part-time model? How could you not?" Alya replied and she watched her brighten up instantly. "Seriously, you'd be a match made in Heaven."

"You really think so?!" Marinette beamed and Alya chuckled.

"Girl, I know so!" She smiled. "I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that it'll happen. Think of all the time you'll spend together…"

"I know!" Marinette squealed in a tone that sounded both delighted and completely petrified at the same time. "I'm so nervous…what if I get partnered with him and he thinks I'm a total dork? What if he gets partnered with another girl and he decides he likes her more? What if it's…Chloe?!"

"Chloe?" Alya snorted. "Marinette, Adrien may be oblivious to a lot of things but he isn't blind. You've been a lot more confident around him recently too. Last time, you were talking to him in full sentences! And you didn't stumble! It'll be fine, you just need to calm yourself." She put her hands on her shoulders and hugged her, feeling how her friend took a breath and relaxed. "Still, I do pity whoever does get partnered with her…that would be enough to make me stab myself with the dressmaker's scissors."

Marinette giggled as Alya mimed it, greatly exaggerating the scissors plunging into her stomach, but she stopped and fell silent when the door swung open and the boy they had just been discussing casually strolled into the room. He was then followed by Chloe, who grabbed at his arm as he politely tried to fend her off. He turned to the two of them and gave them a wave and Marinette felt herself freeze in place. She gulped and felt her cheeks go red as Alya hoisted up her hand and made her wave back. Adrien smiled at them as he sat down and Alya dropped Marinette's hand with a sigh.

"Marinette, you really need to get yourself together." She said good-humouredly as the pouting blonde continued to pester Adrien, buzzing around his desk like an irritating bee at a picnic.

"Oh Adrien, I can't wait for us to be partners in this project!" She gushed as she fluttered her eyelashes at him and clasped her hands under her chin. "I know we're going to be so perfect together, I've already got so many ideas on how to dress you…"

"It's nice to see your enthusiasm Chloe but we don't even know if we're going to be partners yet." Adrien said, looking relieved as he was distracted by the arrival of Nino. The DJ greeted him with a hi-five as he plonked himself down in his seat but a little growl from Chloe forced him to turn back to her. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"Hmph." Chloe huffed, crossing her arms and tossing her head so her ponytail flapped like the wing of a demented bird. "Well, it will be a crime if we aren't paired together Adrikins. We'd make such a great team together."

She lingered on the last word, making her voice go breathy as she leaned in close to him. He quickly leaned back and put his hands on her shoulders to gently hold her back, trying hard not to let how uncomfortable he was show on his face.

"I think we'll let the teachers be the judge of that." Alya dropped into the conversation suddenly, causing Chloe to drag her eyes away from Adrien and scowl in her direction. "They did say they would be trying to pair people who haven't interacted much this year so we could end up with anyone."

"Yeah, she's right Chloe." Adrien jumped on Alya's words relieved. "We just can't be certain. I'm sure it will still be a fun project though, whoever we're with."

Chloe snarled as she stared at Alya and Marinette darkly, her eyes flashing with anger. Alya steadily returned her gaze with a little smug smile and Marinette did the same. At least now she knew that even if Adrien did end up with Chloe, she would be the only one happy with the pairing.

The door opened and their teacher Madame Bustier entered the room. "Good morning class," She addressed them all with a kind smile as they all rushed to their seats and stared at her expectantly. They were all eager to discover who their partners would be and it felt like the list of names she was holding in her hands would spell out the whole fates of their project. "As you all know, today you will be starting your final project this year which will be to create an outfit to be shown in our school fashion show that will be judged by a prestigious panel of experts. You will be put into pairs and one of you will be modelling the outfit. It can be for either gender and you have two weeks." The level of excitement in the room was slowly building as people looked around at their friends, hoping against hope that they would be partnered. Marinette dared to sneak a glance at Adrien and saw he had a calm expression on his face but his hands were twitching. "Now before I tell you who your partners are, I need to tell you all the theme of the fashion show. This year it will be ballroom glamour so girls, you will be wearing ball gowns and boys, you will be in the smartest and most elaborate suits you can make. For this theme, nothing is too over the top!"

Ballroom glamour? Marinette felt almost giddy and she had to grip Alya's arm tightly to stop herself falling off her seat in pure happiness. This theme is perfect! She thought as she took another look at the back of Adrien's head. I could do anything with that theme, so many things would look so perfect on him…

"Now for the pairings," Madame Bustier's voice rang out and she sat bolt upright in her seat, still clinging to Alya's arm like it was a life raft anchoring her to reality. "OK the first pairing is… Chloe and Alix!"

"What?!" The tiny pink-haired girl shot up from her seat and stared in furious horror at the open-mouthed blonde who had also stood up. The rest of the class looked at her sympathetically but silently sighed with relief.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Chloe exploded. "You cannot expect me to work with somebody like her! I should be with Adrien, I don't want her as a partner!"

"What makes you think I want to work with a brat like you?!" Alix shouted and Chloe whipped around in anger.

"How dare you, you little half-pint! Take that back!"

"Not on your life, you snooty-"

"Both of you sit back down!" Madame Bustier barked and they both fell back into their seats, stunned at the sight of their most mellow teacher so angry. "I don't want to hear any more about this! Nobody is allowed to swap partners so you will both just have to make the best of it! Do you both hear me?"

"Yes Madame." Both girls echoed as they frowned at each other before deliberately looking away. Alix looked over at Kim and they both looked at each other disappointed as the names keep being read out.

"Nino and Sabrina!"

"Kim and Rose!"

"Max and Ivan!"

"Mylene and Juleka!"

Marinette felt her stomach flipped with each new pairing, her hopes rising with every name called. They were now down to only a handful of students and neither her name nor Adrien's had been called. She was only a step away…

"Adrien and…Alya!"

Both girl's eyes went wide as they gave each other a shocked look. Adrien turned around and gave Alya a small smile and a thumbs up and she returned it with a quick one of her own whilst Marinette looked on in dismay. So close, she had been so close…

"Sorry," Alya whispered to her, feeling guilty about the whole thing. "I guess I was crossing my fingers too hard."

"It's OK, it's not your fault, you didn't make the pairings." Marinette whispered back as Madame Bustier read out the last two names.

"And that leaves us with Marinette and Nathanaël!"

Marinette turned her head around to look at the back of the classroom where the redheaded boy was sitting. He angled his head and saw her looking and a deep bush suddenly took over his face, making it go almost the colour of his hair. Everyone else started to shuffle around the room to sit by their new partners, some more grudgingly than others, and Marinette made to stand up, Alya giving her an apologetic look.

"At least you're with Nathanaël, that's not too bad, right?" She said, her smile a little strained. Everyone knew that Nathanaël had previously had a crush on Marinette, leading him to get akumaised and go after Chloe when she made fun of him, and the two hadn't spoken much since, the awkwardness being too overbearing. That's probably why we were put together, she thought and she bit her lip. "And don't worry, I'll drop your name into the conversation as much as I can."

Marinette smiled at that. Out of all the people in the room, she was glad it was Alya who was paired with Adrien; she knew she would have her back. "Thanks Alya, you're the best." She winked at her and she winked back before Marinette gathered her books and walked to the back of the classroom. Nathanaël had bowed his head so his messy hair was covering his face but she could still feel his turquoise eyes on her and it made her feel flustered. She didn't know how he felt about her now and if he still held feelings deep down, this could be the most awkward project ever.

"Hey Nat." She said, her voice trying to sound cheerful but it came out a little flat. "You excited for this?"

"H-hey Marinette." Nathanaël stammered out, his words nearly swallowed up by the hum of chatter that had engulfed the class. Marinette had to sit down next to him and lean in just to hear his words but that only seemed to make him worse. "Y-yeah, I'm really excited, I've been l-looking forwards to this all year."

"Really?" Marinette replied. "So have I!" She smiled at him and this caused him to look up at her. He returned her dazzling smile with a small one of his own and some of the tension in the air seemed to dissipate. "I have some ideas here but we don't have to use any of them if you don't want to…"

"These look really good!" Nathanaël said as his eyes poured over the designs she placed in front of him. "Honestly, we could use any one of these and it would be great! I made some too but they aren't as good…" He hesitantly held out his sketchbook and she gently took it and watched her anxiously as she leafed through the pages. "I mean, yours are better, they have fabrics on them… I just sort of drew without thinking of the practicalities."

"Are you kidding me? These are amazing!" Marinette beamed as she gazed in awe at the drawings in front of her. "You've really brought these to life, I could just see them on the runway! You know, I think if we put our heads together, we could come up with something truly spectacular. With your artistic vision and my knowledge of fabrics, we could ace this thing!"

"You really think so?" Nathanaël was grinning from ear to ear as his stomach felt like it was filled with butterflies. He was going to spend all this time with Marinette…it was a dream come true.

"I know so!" Marinette smiled and her old excitement came flooding back as she looked into his pleased face. "Now we should start brainstorming."

"Agreed." Nathanaël smiled at her again and something in it made her grin back. We must both look like grinning fools, she thought as they put their heads down and lost themselves in their work. As they got under way she paused to look over at him and found he was already looking at her, a dreamy glaze over his eyes. They both blushed deep red as they caught each other's eyes and shot their heads back down but it made Marinette give a little private smile. Maybe this project wouldn't be so bad after all.