[Marinette had, at first, been horrified that Nino knew about her crush on Adrien. Alya spilling everything to him was forgotten almost the second she knew her best friend hadn't been able to keep the secret, but that didn't mean Marinette knew how to handle the added stress of yet someone else that wanted to help her get Adrien's attention.
They didn't seem satisfied with her contentment in just watching him afar, and now that Alya had an accomplice they didn't seem capable of leaving it alone.
Which is why they're here, together, all four of them, at the zoo where the whole thing started. Alya had sworn up and down it wouldn't become a double date, but it had taken them all of ten minutes to suggest splitting up and now Marinette is alone with Adrien and she'd like to tell him that the monkey they're looking at is cute, but all that's come out is the typical Marinette babble and at this point she's just hoping for another stampede.
She should say something. Anything is better than just standing next to him trying not to make eye contact and she's gotten better since he'd helped her with her uncle. She can hear Tikki's voice in the back of her head cheering her on, and that helps her courage more than anything else.]
[Adrien remains largely oblivious to their friends' sneaky subterfuge. He just assumes the couple want some time alone together, after all, the zoo is where they got together. Memories, and all that. Besides, he still has Marinette, whom he absolutely enjoys spending time with.
He's even got used to her occasional babbling. It's just part of being her, he guesses. It's endearing, really. He smiles when she speaks, turning to look at her. ]
They do, they work really well together. I'm glad that they're happy, they deserve it.
[This would be much easier if Adrien would look at her less, because now Marinette is staring up at him and she's forgotten entirely what she was going to say.
How are his eyes so green? How can one boy be so perfect? Why can't Chat Noir be more like Adrien?
Why is she thinking of Chat Noir at a time like this? Blinking, Marinette shakes her head to clear it and tries to find something appropriate to say.]
[At the mention of Ladybug, Adrien's demeanour changes somewhat. The pleasant mask he is so used to wearing all the time shifts. A touch of surprise comes through, before he smiles again - it's different this time. It's not just a polite smile, it's real and genuine soft...with something else lingering beneath it all.]
Really? I didn't know she had matching making in her repertoire.
[Just another of her talents. She really can do anything. ]
[Of course, Marinette doesn't catch that look. She can't look at Adrien for too long, she's learning quickly, without turning into a complete mess. It's like looking at the sun but instead of seeing spots, the filter between her mouth and her brain explodes into the most embarrassing word salad in the world.
If she avoids looking at him too much, though, things seem to work out better.]
I don't, um, think it's something she does often. And they probably did most of the work, she just got them stuck alone together.
[He remembers that day well, it's etched into his brain as the time he almost lost her. He feels his stomach twist, as the image of Animan chomping down on her rises up, unbidden. In that split second, his world had crumbled. It was fine, of course, Ladybug can get out of anything, but it was closer than he was comfortable with that time.
He doesn't show it, the mask of politeness is back. Smile. Be perfect.
But he doesn't have to try that hard with Marinette. She's his friend, an actual, real friend. He can let the façade down a little with her. He doesn't have to be perfect with her. As such, he chuckles a little, leaning on the barrier keeping the public away from the cage. ]
You know, Nino came to the zoo wanting to ask you out on a date. He was just too nervous to say anything to you. I had to hide in the bushes feeding him lines and everything.
[Nino will probably murder him for that but whatever bro, you got a girlfriend now.]
[There's probably a normal reaction to this information, something a normal girl would say or do to laugh off how strange and awkward that must have been for him.
But Marinette is Marinette.]
What?!
[Her shout is loud enough to send the flock of pigeons that had been hopefully milling around them for food flying off in a panic and even the monkeys shoot her a glare. Once she realizes her voice was just... gosh, that was way too loud, oh god people are staring at her, she laughs a little nervously and quiets herself down.
Adrien was there? He was thinking up ways to tell her he liked her so that Nino could do it? Her little fangirl heart might explode.]
U-u-uh, I mean, that's, well-
[Yes, this is very Marinette, I'm sorry for your life Adrien.]
That's just funny because Alya was telling me what to say too!
[But she's not thinking about that very closely because why would Alya be telling her what to say when they were all supposed to meet there? Oops.]
[The pigeons raise into the air and their death feathers float on through the air like allergy snipers. A moment of brief panic crosses Adrien's face, before his body gives up and lets loose with a sneezing fit.
It's okay. He'll be back in a second. Or he'll die. Either or.]
[Luckily he doesn't die, and as the feathers are blown away, his sinuses let up on trying to murder him. He takes a rather snotty inhale (he is beauty, he is grace) and exhales. ]
Excuse me.
[Manners are still important. He'll just breeze past this, breezily. ]
Really? What was Alya coaching you for? Did you already figure out our ruse? And I thouht I was being sneaky about it.
[Well that sneezing fit strikes her as immediately familiar, but try as she might Marinette can't put her finger on it. Someone else sneezes like that when they're around birds... someone who makes her feel a little annoyed and happy at the same time, but who?
And then he distracts her by asking a question she has no idea how to answer, so any comparisons to cats is immediately forgotten.]
What? Oh, well, you see, it was, uh- [Think Marinette you should be better at coming up with lies by now!!] A school project!
[They go to the same school. They're in the same class.]
I mean, it was going to be, but then Alya decided she wanted to use the earpiece to get more information for her blog!
He kind of stares at her for a moment while her story takes a weird turn, then...turns a bit weirder. He's some to expect some off-cut strangeness when it comes to Marinette. He finds it a little odd she's this way towards him, but not Chat. Perhaps he does something to set her off? He's not sure.
He stares a moment longer, trying to make sense of...all that, eventually settling for something that might work? Maybe?? ]
I guess she got tipped off that Ladybug was in the zoo? Wanted to do a little undercover work? With...you and Nino.
[Yeah that sounds super sketchy but he is stupidly trusting so he'll buy it. Lucky save, Marinette. ]
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no subject
They didn't seem satisfied with her contentment in just watching him afar, and now that Alya had an accomplice they didn't seem capable of leaving it alone.
Which is why they're here, together, all four of them, at the zoo where the whole thing started. Alya had sworn up and down it wouldn't become a double date, but it had taken them all of ten minutes to suggest splitting up and now Marinette is alone with Adrien and she'd like to tell him that the monkey they're looking at is cute, but all that's come out is the typical Marinette babble and at this point she's just hoping for another stampede.
She should say something. Anything is better than just standing next to him trying not to make eye contact and she's gotten better since he'd helped her with her uncle. She can hear Tikki's voice in the back of her head cheering her on, and that helps her courage more than anything else.]
Nino and Alya seem happy, don't they?
no subject
He's even got used to her occasional babbling. It's just part of being her, he guesses. It's endearing, really. He smiles when she speaks, turning to look at her. ]
They do, they work really well together. I'm glad that they're happy, they deserve it.
no subject
How are his eyes so green? How can one boy be so perfect? Why can't Chat Noir be more like Adrien?
Why is she thinking of Chat Noir at a time like this? Blinking, Marinette shakes her head to clear it and tries to find something appropriate to say.]
A-Alya says they have Ladybug to thank.
no subject
Really? I didn't know she had matching making in her repertoire.
[Just another of her talents. She really can do anything. ]
no subject
If she avoids looking at him too much, though, things seem to work out better.]
I don't, um, think it's something she does often. And they probably did most of the work, she just got them stuck alone together.
no subject
He doesn't show it, the mask of politeness is back. Smile. Be perfect.
But he doesn't have to try that hard with Marinette. She's his friend, an actual, real friend. He can let the façade down a little with her. He doesn't have to be perfect with her. As such, he chuckles a little, leaning on the barrier keeping the public away from the cage. ]
You know, Nino came to the zoo wanting to ask you out on a date. He was just too nervous to say anything to you. I had to hide in the bushes feeding him lines and everything.
[Nino will probably murder him for that but whatever bro, you got a girlfriend now.]
no subject
But Marinette is Marinette.]
What?!
[Her shout is loud enough to send the flock of pigeons that had been hopefully milling around them for food flying off in a panic and even the monkeys shoot her a glare. Once she realizes her voice was just... gosh, that was way too loud, oh god people are staring at her, she laughs a little nervously and quiets herself down.
Adrien was there? He was thinking up ways to tell her he liked her so that Nino could do it? Her little fangirl heart might explode.]
U-u-uh, I mean, that's, well-
[Yes, this is very Marinette, I'm sorry for your life Adrien.]
That's just funny because Alya was telling me what to say too!
[But she's not thinking about that very closely because why would Alya be telling her what to say when they were all supposed to meet there? Oops.]
1/2
It's okay. He'll be back in a second. Or he'll die. Either or.]
2/2
Excuse me.
[Manners are still important. He'll just breeze past this, breezily. ]
Really? What was Alya coaching you for? Did you already figure out our ruse? And I thouht I was being sneaky about it.
laughs forever
And then he distracts her by asking a question she has no idea how to answer, so any comparisons to cats is immediately forgotten.]
What? Oh, well, you see, it was, uh- [Think Marinette you should be better at coming up with lies by now!!] A school project!
[They go to the same school. They're in the same class.]
I mean, it was going to be, but then Alya decided she wanted to use the earpiece to get more information for her blog!
[Okay that's better. Saved. Phew.]
no subject
He kind of stares at her for a moment while her story takes a weird turn, then...turns a bit weirder. He's some to expect some off-cut strangeness when it comes to Marinette. He finds it a little odd she's this way towards him, but not Chat. Perhaps he does something to set her off? He's not sure.
He stares a moment longer, trying to make sense of...all that, eventually settling for something that might work? Maybe?? ]
I guess she got tipped off that Ladybug was in the zoo? Wanted to do a little undercover work? With...you and Nino.
[Yeah that sounds super sketchy but he is stupidly trusting so he'll buy it. Lucky save, Marinette. ]