11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"The party was great, Marinette. I still can't believe Ladybug came," Nathaniel said as he let her into his apartment building.

"Yeah." Her voice lacked its usual chipperness. She was going to break up with him and just thinking about it made her stomach twist into knots. They climbed the stairs together, and he reached out to grab her hand. Pretending to not notice, she clenched her purse, and asked, "How are you feeling today?"

"Great, actually," he answered. "I'm glad Adrien told me you said I was your boyfriend."

She tripped on a step, and he caught her from falling on her face. "He said that?" she asked.

He nodded, not letting go of her arm. "I thought he might've been jealous of me, but he made it clear he wasn't."

She was careful to not let her disappointment show. The kiss had definitely not meant anything then. They went inside his flat, and he closed the door behind them. Taking advantage of her freedom, she stepped away.

"He even said he'd go out with us later," Nathaniel added once he turned to face her.

"He did?" she squeaked and corrected her voice. "Like today?"

"Yeah. Are you busy?"

"Um, well, it's just that—"

"It's okay if you can't." He took a breath, then looked her in the eyes. "I want you to know that I'm not going to rush this. At first I thought you weren't interested in me more than a friend, but then Adrien made me realize that you're just shy. And that's okay. We can take it slow."

"Oh." Say it, Marinette. Break it off before it gets too far. She shifted on her feet.

"And that includes anything physical. I can't help but notice how nervous you get when we're close." He lifted his open hands as if in surrender. "You're in control here."

Why did he have to be so nice? There was no way she could hurt him after that speech. "Okay."

oOoOo

Adrien considered staying in his room the rest of his life. She undoubtedly remembered the kiss. She'd drank some but not enough to make her forget.

He mentally berated himself for the hundredth time. He'd said he would be the perfect gentleman around her and then he had gone and smooshed his face to hers.

But it had been amazing. Her lips had melded perfectly to his, her soft floral scent had enveloped him, and when he'd pulled her tight against him, it felt so right.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

It didn't help that Plagg sat on his desk, eating Camembert and making kissing sounds.

"Shut it, Plagg."

The kwami snickered.

Adrien stepped outside his room and noticed her bedroom door was open. She wasn't inside. He checked downstairs but the apartment was empty too.

All that stress for nothing.

Putting the apartment back in order, he placed the small table in the entryway. The front door unlocked with a click and he barely avoided the door as it swung open.

Marinette walked right into him. He flinched from the contact, not because it was upsetting. No, he wanted more. He wanted to feel her against him and it took all of his control to keep his hands to himself.

"Oh, sorry," she said and moved to the side just as he stepped there to let her pass.

"Oops." She tittered and looked up at him.

He stared down into her crystalline eyes. He should move but she smelled so good and her warmth penetrated his marrow.

A soft blush swept across her cheeks.

Was she thinking about the kiss?

Play it cool, Adrien.

He laughed and gestured for her to move first. "I think the party was a success."

Stepping into the living room, she looked at the space, now completely back to normal. "You didn't have to do this by yourself. I would've helped."

"It's okay. It felt good to be up and moving."

"Yeah. It's why I went out." She placed her purse on the coffee table and watched him carefully. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit off," he fibbed. "Next time, don't let me drink so much. I can barely remember the latter half of the night." He chuckled and straightened the painting next to him on the wall, waiting to see how she would respond.

"You definitely didn't seem quite yourself."

"Oh? I didn't do anything stupid, did I?"

She shook her head, biting her lower lip. He wanted it in his mouth.

Jerking from the unexpected thought, he nearly knocked over the painting. He quickly righted it, and said, "Good."

She sat on the couch and pulled down the sleeve hiding her bruise. He hadn't noticed anymore on her. Granted, she kept herself pretty well covered these days, so he couldn't know for certain.

"Nathaniel mentioned that you agreed to meet up later," she said.

"I did?" Adrien hadn't thought he meant the very next day.

"Don't tell me you don't remember that too?"

"Too?" he asked innocently. She definitely remembered, but she didn't seem to hate him. That was a good sign.

Waving away his question, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. "It's okay. I'll tell him you can't."

"No, no. I can." He hated his life. "I'm getting hungry, so how about dinner?"

She peered at him. "Are you sure? 'Cause you don't have to."

"I am. It'll be good to get to know him better. Especially if he's going to be around more often." He looked at her in question.

"Okay. Dinner, then."

He sighed. Guess this meant he now had to get a whip for self-flagellation. Maybe he could find one with little metal barbs on the end. Or maybe he should just hand her a knife and tell her to stab him through the heart and be done with it.

When had he become so melodramatic?

oOoOo

"Oh god, Tikki," Marinette said as she sat at her vanity, getting ready. "What am I going to do?"

"Eat and drink."

She shot her kwami a look through the mirror. "I know that, but how am I supposed to talk to Adrien with Nathaniel there?"

"Maybe pretend like whoever you're talking to is the only person there. You're certainly doing better around Adrien."

"I'll try." She breathed out and grabbed her brush. "I can do this. And tomorrow I'll break it off with Nathaniel."

"Sure you will," Tikki said dubiously.

"I will."

"Uh huh."

"I will," she said, brushing her hair with too much force. She just had to find the right time.

The doorbell rang and she bolted off her stool, sprinted downstairs, practically flying down the steps, and slid to a stop in front of the door.

Adrien was halfway off the couch when she realized he was there. He lifted a brow at her and stood up straight. "Excited?"

She ignored the fierce blush warming her cheeks and said, "I thought you were in your room, and I didn't want to make him wait."

"He's waiting right now."

"Oh, yeah." She turned to the door and grabbed the handle.

"Marinette?" Adrien asked.

"Yes?" She glanced at him over her shoulder.

"You look lovely."

Smiling, she thanked him and returned the compliment. But he always looked gorgeous.

After greeting Nathaniel, keeping it short and sweet, they walked to the restaurant with her sandwiched between them. She figured if they ordered and ate quickly, the night would be over early and she would be free of the awkwardness.

"I asked if he wanted to do a double date," Nathaniel explained as they were ushered to their table.

"You did?" She nearly stopped right in the aisle and looked at Adrien. "Why didn't you bring someone?"

"Because I'm not dating anyone."

"But Chloe?"

"We're not together. I tried telling you that last night."

Oh. She flushed and turned away. She shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. Especially with her complicated situation as proof that things were not always as they seemed.

When they approached their table, the two men reached for her chair at the same time. Adrien realized his mistake with a chuckle and let Nathaniel pull it out for her to sit.

"Maybe next time he'll bring someone," the redhead said while settling in his own chair. "I'm sure being Adrien Agreste, you can have any girl you want."

"You'd be surprised to know that's not true."

He'd glanced at Marinette as he spoke. She flinched, gaze shooting to Nathaniel, but thankfully he was busy perusing the wine list.

What had that glance meant? He'd probably just done it because she'd been looking at him and that was the conversational thing to do. Right? Was she reading too much into everything or was she correct? She wanted to scream.

"I'm certain you're exaggerating," Nathaniel said from behind the paper. "How about a merlot?"

They agreed and, after a long bout of silence where she avoided their gazes, they each held a glass in front of them. She needed to start up a conversation. Something. Anything.

"How about that party?" she asked. "Lots of surprises."

Adrien's eyes bored holes in her head.

Oh, shoot. She hadn't meant his kiss. Don't look at him. Don't look at him.

Staring at her glass of wine, she took another drink.

"Yeah," Nathaniel agreed, then chuckled. "Do you think Ladybug visits all of her fans on special occasions?"

"Of course not," she answered. "I mean, I think she doesn't. Because, you know, there'd be no time for keeping the peace." She took a gulp of her wine.

"True," Nathaniel agreed. "Has Alya stopped talking about Ladybug?"

She shook her head. "She'll probably tell her great grandchildren about it. I'm happy for her, though."

"Too bad you missed it."

"I had to get ice. It wasn't like I orchestrated it." Oh god! Her nervousness was going to give herself away. She swallowed more of her wine.

To spur them to start looking at the menu, she picked up hers.

Adrien touched her elbow from below the table and looked at her with concern.

She smiled.

Based off his lifted brow, it didn't reassure him. She probably looked like she was about to crack.

She totally was.

"I'm thinking about having the filet," she said. "What about you two?"

They finally picked up their menus. With their attention off her, she took a long, deep breath.

oOoOo

Adrien was miserable. Nathaniel watched Marinette with a twinkle in his eye that made his blood boil, and she twitched and stammered every time one of them looked at her.

He did this to her. She'd been completely—well, mostly comfortable before he'd kissed her. He thought acting like he'd forgotten would make things okay, but that clearly wasn't the case.

This dinner needed to end early.

"Will you excuse me?" he asked her.

She nodded and he stood. On his way to the bathroom, he pulled out his phone and texted his father the code for the akuma, along with their location. He'd make sure Marinette was safe during the attack.

By the time he got back to his table, she was no longer there. "Where'd she go?" he asked Nathaniel.

"To the restroom." He leaned forward. "Do you know what's wrong with her? She's acting a little strange."

Adrien shrugged and hoped she'd return soon. His father didn't mess around. Timing was crucial with their work, and he'd added 'ASAP' to the text.

Someone in the back of the restaurant, where the restrooms were located, screamed. He shot to his feet, knocking his chair over. Marinette?

Before he could make his way toward the sound, a woman in a black and white waitress-styled catsuit walked out. "I'm so tired of dealing with customers. Always complaining. Always so demanding. Well, here's your order."

She tossed a paper from her notepad at a table of people. One of the girls turned into a chicken. Two turned into cows, breaking the chairs they'd been sitting in. The lone guy turned into a salmon.

Adrien darted toward the group, slid under a table, and jumped over a chair to toss the wide-eyed fish in the large fish tank near the entrance. Then he picked up the chicken before the cow stepped on it.

He spun and found two more tables turned to animals...and a vegetable? There was a large head of cabbage resting on a chair.

Livestock bleated and mooed, adding to the cacophony of the fleeing customers, screaming in terror.

What if she'd already gotten to Marinette?

He made his way back to the restrooms and burst through the girl's door. No one was in there. Maybe she'd escaped. Then again, maybe she hadn't. His breath turned to lead in his throat.

This was all his fault. He thought he would be saving the day, and now Marinette was probably a goat. Where was Ladybug?

After changing into Chat Noir, he charged into the dining room and swatted the akumatized woman away from the front door. She was about to leave, but he needed her contained so Ladybug could quickly transform everyone back.

The woman collided into a wall with a loud thud. Pictures fell from their hooks and shattered against the ground. She looked at him in confusion. "You're supposed to be helping me."

His father was definitely going to make him pay for this infraction. "Did you change my friend?"

"I have no idea who your friend is."

"She's tall and slender, black hair with bangs. She wore a loose pink top and jeans."

Her gaze drifted to the side in thought as a chicken walked by, clucking.

Ladybug barreled through the front door, yo-yo swinging, then stumbled to a stop upon seeing his offensive stance against the akumatized woman.

"Chat?" she asked.

The woman reached for her notepad and Chat knocked it from her hand with his staff, then slammed his weapon down on it.

The black and purple butterfly floated out, but Ladybug just stood there, watching him.

"The akuma," he reminded her.

She nodded and captured it with her yo-yo.

As he turned to run away, she yelled for him to stop. "Why are you helping?"

"I think she turned a friend. De-evilize it, so I can find her."

"Her?" She blocked the chicken from trying to escape the restaurant without taking her eyes off him.

He considered not telling her. It was better if people didn't know who he was close to, but she wouldn't hurt her. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You just showed up to her friend's party."

Ladybug's lips soundlessly formed Marinette's name in surprise. "How did you know I—"

"It's on the Ladyblog. Hurry. She could be a fish stuck in open air for all I know." Remembering one of the victims, he added, "Oh, yeah. There's a guy in the fish tank."

She nodded. "Thanks."

"This isn't a truce. I still need your earrings."

Then he was out the door and leaping over the building. He de-transformed as Ladybug's magic spread around the area, righting what was wrong. After running back to the restaurant, he looked for Marinette. Instead, he found Nathaniel huddled with some of the other patrons on the curb.

"Have you seen her?" Adrien asked Nathaniel.

He shook his head, staring at him with...awe? Adrien suddenly felt uncomfortable. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You ran into danger. You saved people. You were like an actor in a movie."

"What happened?" Marinette asked from behind Adrien.

He turned and wrapped her in a tight hug, then pushed her back to get a better look at her. "You're okay?" Of course, she was. Ladybug's magic fixed everything. "Did you get turned?"

It took a moment for her to respond. Was she still stunned from the attack? "Yeah, I was." She looked around him at Nathaniel. "What were you saying?"

"Adrien swooped in and saved people." He demonstrated with his hands. "It was phenomenal, like a stuntman, like a super—"

Adrien barked a laugh. "He's exaggerating." Then he lowered his voice and added, "Probably shock."

"No." Nathaniel got to his feet and stepped to them. "I know what I saw. And you deserve the praise. That fish-guy might not have lived long enough for Ladybug to do her thing if you hadn't—"

"Thank you, Nathaniel, but I don't deserve anything." He stared the redhead down. "Anyone would've done what I did. It wasn't special." The last thing he needed was the media on his ass. Besides, he was the reason for the attack, he didn't want admiration.

"You're still a hero in my book."

Adrien grumbled and then caught Marinette looking from her boyfriend to him. It seemed she was trying to put pieces of a puzzle together, but they wouldn't snap into place.

He waved them onward. "Let's just grab a quick bite to eat. I'm hungry."

"I think I'm going to do a comic about you," Nathaniel continued as they walked down the street. "Adrien the Brave. No, Mr. Valiant. Or..."

Marinette snickered and Adrien glared at her, though his heart somersaulted in his chest just having her at his side, safe and sound.

AN - guys, I'm flabbergasted by all the amazing reviews. They literally made me teary eyed. As with most writers, I have serious self-doubt issues, and all of the comments just mean so much to me. Thank you!

My sister loves my work, of course, but she's biased. Lol! And I love her all the more for it!

Update: edited!