Adrien had always thought Marinette's abject nervousness around him was a by-product of their first meeting. Something he, personally, had to work on. Earn her trust, and suchlike. So when she speaks, he turns to shine his megawatt smile down upon her.
"Hey, Marinette," he gives a little wave. "And...nope, no supervillains today. It's nice to enjoy the quiet for a change."
Though honestly, supervillains give him an excuse to go outside, be himself, and all the good stuff, so a tiny part of him selfishly kind of wishes one would turn up.
She managed to not faint on the spot when he turned on that smile. Her own smile was probably a little too wide, but she was nervous. She wasn't used to talking to Adrien this long without Alya by her side helping her along.
"Enjoying the quiet," she agreed. "Yeah, that... that's really nice. I like doing that at the park. I mean, it's not really that quiet, but it feels peaceful, and I always get good ideas for designs because people... go to the park."
Marinette was forming sentences, but the worst kind: babbling. And Adrien probably didn't really want to hear about fashion design, either. Marinette mentally fumbled around.
"Do you... like the park?" Maybe she could still save this.
"People watching," he nods. "I can see how that would work out for you. Giving some real design sparks, huh?"
He chuckles softly, the babbling, concerned as he is that's it's kind of his fault, is rather endearing.
"I do! It's a nice place to go when I want some quiet and alone time," he pauses, glances off into the distance where the shape of Gorilla was lurking. "...As alone as I get, anyway."
She really felt like she was getting a handle on this talking-to-Adrien thing, but then she too glanced in the distance. "Ahhh. You know, I just... remembered that I need to go... watch people over there." She pointed off to somewhere in the distance. "Yep. Over there. That's where the ideas are! I should... go do that."
She never-- NEVER-- thought she would have to talk her way out of time alone with Adrien.
It comes out a little quicker and desperate than he intended. He doesn't like being alone, and Gorilla tends to put strangers off from going near him. At least the man tolerates Adrien's friends speaking to him.
He clears his throat, blushing a little for the sudden outburst. Come on, be cooler than that.
"Sorry. I - um, if you need to go, that's fine. I'd love some company though. If you have time."
Adrien was hard to read. Either that or Marinette was getting in her own way by assuming the worst. It was probably the second one. Because now she heard him clearly saying he wanted company-- her company. A squeal escaped and she quickly clamped her mouth shut.
"S-sorry, I... I twisted my heel the wrong way!" Whew, nice save. And she was clumsy enough to make that believable. "I better sit down." It would keep her from trembling too much. "I could... show you my design sketches?"
"Oh, no, I-- I'm okay." She let out a nervous little laugh. "I'll just sit down and it'll be better." She wanted to assure him that she did this sort of thing all the time, but maybe that would just make him worry more. Even if it did thrill her a little that he would worry.
He relaxes a little, offering a small smile. So long as she was okay. He's not completely convinced, but he's not about to push her, either. Marinette's too skittish for that.
"If you're sure," he leans over a little, to look at the book. "So, you were talking about designs?"
She smiled, keeping her squeal on the inside this time. Adrien was right next to her-- very close. Marinette was so thrilled she almost forgot what they were doing.
"Oh! Yeah! The designs! Uhh...." Marinette opened her sketchbook praying there was actually something there. Luckily, she'd been musing over a few things that she could point to.
"Well, you know how Ladybug and Chat Noir are really popular now, right? I thought I could design some stuff around them, you know? Red and black spot themes or black and green." Not that she was focusing on Chat's intense green eyes a LOT or anything.
At the mention of Chat, Adrien's' smile becomes somewhat fixed. He always worries that one of his friends will work out the secret one day. That they'll manage to work it out...somehow.
"Oh," he relaxes a little. "That sounds...pretty neat! I mean, the people of Paris do love them, they'd love something like that."
He notices the focus, he does, and a please smile crosses his lips.
"Well..." She considered for a minute. "He is a pretty good partner to Ladybug. I mean, when they show the two of them on TV, it looks like he's helpful." Yeah, that didn't sound like she knew from experience. "And I guess his puns are a little funny," she admitted, "when he's not trying too hard."
Adrien might be grinning a little too much here. He looks very pleased, almost as if he's been praised himself. Crazy, right?
"You think so? I think they're pretty pawsome, too."
He shouldn't really do that in public, but he's feeling daring. This would be a good reason to worry why your friends will figure it out, Adrien. This right here.
"Those are really nice designs, Marinette. I can tell you'll go far, one day."
If Chat had said that, she probably would've just rolled her eyes. But it was so unexpected from Adrien that Marinette couldn't help laughing. "Did you just make a cat pun? Not purrfect, but meowby you have some talent." Oh, no, why was she doing it, too?
"Ahahah, sorry, I guess it's contagious." She cleared her throat and focused back on her sketchbook.
"Oh, well, I don't know when I'd see him," she said with a nervous little smile. "He and Ladybug are always so busy saving Paris." And she for sure wasn't going to make cat puns while she was Ladybug. No need to encourage him. "They probably like these days off better than us," she went on thoughtfully.
It was nice just sitting and talking with Adrien without some akumatized person forcing her away. Though Marinette worried she was jinxing it by giving it focus.
"You never know when he might be passing by your rooftop."
He is so going to pass by her rooftop that night. He is gonna do it.
"I'm sure they do. It has to be hard work, right? Dealing with all those akuma victims all the time? I know I'd love a day off from something like that."
Not that he ever gets one, not really. It won't be long before he's whisked off to another photoshoot.
"I guess that's true," she agreed. Though it was rare for her to run into Chat as herself. Just like it was rare for her to run into Adrien while she was Ladybug. That was good, though, since it meant none of their loved ones were victims of akumas.
There was always a relief to that, at least. He sits back at her question, seeming to genuinely mull it over.
"I... what do people are age usually do on a day off?"
He's getting better- at being a normal teenager, but sometimes, he's honestly flummoxed by it all. At yet, honestly, it's what he wants, needs, desperately.
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"Hey, Marinette," he gives a little wave. "And...nope, no supervillains today. It's nice to enjoy the quiet for a change."
Though honestly, supervillains give him an excuse to go outside, be himself, and all the good stuff, so a tiny part of him selfishly kind of wishes one would turn up.
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"Enjoying the quiet," she agreed. "Yeah, that... that's really nice. I like doing that at the park. I mean, it's not really that quiet, but it feels peaceful, and I always get good ideas for designs because people... go to the park."
Marinette was forming sentences, but the worst kind: babbling. And Adrien probably didn't really want to hear about fashion design, either. Marinette mentally fumbled around.
"Do you... like the park?" Maybe she could still save this.
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He chuckles softly, the babbling, concerned as he is that's it's kind of his fault, is rather endearing.
"I do! It's a nice place to go when I want some quiet and alone time," he pauses, glances off into the distance where the shape of Gorilla was lurking. "...As alone as I get, anyway."
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She never-- NEVER-- thought she would have to talk her way out of time alone with Adrien.
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It comes out a little quicker and desperate than he intended. He doesn't like being alone, and Gorilla tends to put strangers off from going near him. At least the man tolerates Adrien's friends speaking to him.
He clears his throat, blushing a little for the sudden outburst. Come on, be cooler than that.
"Sorry. I - um, if you need to go, that's fine. I'd love some company though. If you have time."
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"S-sorry, I... I twisted my heel the wrong way!" Whew, nice save. And she was clumsy enough to make that believable. "I better sit down." It would keep her from trembling too much. "I could... show you my design sketches?"
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"Are you okay? I can get you some ice or a doctor if you need one?"
He'll focus on the designs soon, he promises, but his friends well being will always be Priority A,
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"If you're sure," he leans over a little, to look at the book. "So, you were talking about designs?"
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"Oh! Yeah! The designs! Uhh...." Marinette opened her sketchbook praying there was actually something there. Luckily, she'd been musing over a few things that she could point to.
"Well, you know how Ladybug and Chat Noir are really popular now, right? I thought I could design some stuff around them, you know? Red and black spot themes or black and green." Not that she was focusing on Chat's intense green eyes a LOT or anything.
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"Oh," he relaxes a little. "That sounds...pretty neat! I mean, the people of Paris do love them, they'd love something like that."
He notices the focus, he does, and a please smile crosses his lips.
"So you really do think Chat is cool, huh?"
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"You think so? I think they're pretty pawsome, too."
He shouldn't really do that in public, but he's feeling daring. This would be a good reason to worry why your friends will figure it out, Adrien. This right here.
"Those are really nice designs, Marinette. I can tell you'll go far, one day."
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"Ahahah, sorry, I guess it's contagious." She cleared her throat and focused back on her sketchbook.
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"Those were really good," he says. "You should tell him some when you next see him. I'm sure he'd like them."
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It was nice just sitting and talking with Adrien without some akumatized person forcing her away. Though Marinette worried she was jinxing it by giving it focus.
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He is so going to pass by her rooftop that night. He is gonna do it.
"I'm sure they do. It has to be hard work, right? Dealing with all those akuma victims all the time? I know I'd love a day off from something like that."
Not that he ever gets one, not really. It won't be long before he's whisked off to another photoshoot.
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"What would you do... on a day off?"
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"I... what do people are age usually do on a day off?"
He's getting better- at being a normal teenager, but sometimes, he's honestly flummoxed by it all. At yet, honestly, it's what he wants, needs, desperately.