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“Alya, I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Marinette grumbled, walking next to her best friend as they entered the elevator to the Le Grand Paris Hotel.
“You look good, girl, and who knows? Maybe you’ll finally turn Adrien’s head. You just never know,” Alya said with such satisfaction that Marinette couldn’t help the groan escaping her.
“Adrien and I are just friends. I’ve come to terms with that a long time ago. Why do you think I stopped stuttering around him so much? Besides, he’s got his sights set on Ladybug. Like I could ever compete with the likes of her.” Marinette hid her smirk as she told the white lie to Alya, knowing she had to keep up pretenses or else risk the safety of those she cared about.
The elevator doors prepared to close when a familiar hand shot through and stopped them.
“Hey, dudettes, you’re looking amazing,” Nino said, whistling appreciatively at his girlfriend’s bikini and smiling knowingly at Marinette. “Wait until Adrien sees you, Mari.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?”
The elevator ascended to the rooftop where the pool party Chloe had planned was taking place. While Marinette loved swimming and tried to make time for it in her ever-busy schedule, she couldn’t help the surprise she’d felt when Chloe, her longtime nemesis, had actually invited her to the party at her father’s hotel. When she’d confronted Chloe, she’d been surprised to learn Chloe wanted Marinette to come so they could try and make peace since Chloe was trying to be nicer to people. Marinette wondered about this need for change, but she was willing to give Chloe the benefit of the doubt.
Soon, the doors opened and the small group stepped out.
“Oh, Marinette, there you are. I’m so glad you could make it,” Chloe enthused as she walked up to the trio and pulled Marinette to the side. “Thank you for this. I knew no one would come if you didn’t. I really appreciate this. Now, go and have some fun. Make sure you say hello to Adrien, too.”
Marinette raised her brow at this, but she kept her mouth shut, unsure what Chloe’s angle was in pushing Marinette towards Adrien, something she’d been vehemently against in the past.
She thanked Chloe and quickly rejoined Alya by the poolside bar, ordering herself a soft drink and perusing the crowd gathered near and in the pool.
It didn’t take long for her eyes to locate Adrien as he sat near the edge with his feet dangling in the water. She wondered why he wasn’t diving in like the rest of the guys from their senior class, but then, she caught his eye and nearly forgot how to breathe.
“Oh, girl, he’s looking right at you. Take off your cover-up and give him a show.” Alya didn’t wait for permission but removed Marinette’s purse from her shoulder and proceeded to remove Marinette’s cover-up.
Not wanting Alya to embarrass her more, she turned with a huff to sit her drink on the bar and removed it the rest of the way, not quite meeting Adrien’s gaze as she did. While she’d told Alya she considered him a good friend, she couldn’t deny the feelings she still carried for her long-time crush. She just wished he could see her the way she saw him as they complemented each other, much the same as Ladybug and Cat Noir.
When she turned around, she discovered Adrien missing from his perch near the pool. Pushing aside her disappointment, she turned back for her drink and nearly collided with a solid chest.
“Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry. I’m such a klutz and I wasn’t looking. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Her eyes refused to meet the stranger’s as she spoke, but they quickly looked up when she heard a familiar laugh come from the chest in front of her.
“It’s okay, Mari. I hadn’t meant to sneak up on you. I guess I have cat-like tendencies,” Adrien said as he looked down at his petite friend. He grew quiet as he took in her blue eyes before drifting down to the bikini Alya insisted she wear to the pool party that day. “Wow, you look great.”
A blush rose to her cheeks as she thanked him, taking a sip of her drink and hoping her cheeks would cool soon.
After a few moments of silence, Marinette ventured with the question burning most in her mind. “How come you aren’t in the pool with the others?”
He looked at their classmates enjoying themselves with a rousing game of chicken. He could tell they were enjoying themselves, but he hadn’t wanted to join in, preferring to wait until Nino and possibly Marinette arrived before venturing into the pool.
“Can I tell you a secret?” He leaned closer to her so he wouldn’t be overheard.
She nodded, leaning closer until his lips were touching the shell of her ear.
“I’m not the best swimmer. I tend to sink rather than float.”
She looked over at him in shock, but his teasing smile proved too much as she playfully booped his nose and shook her head in mock disapproval.
“You’re something else, you know?”
“Is that a bad thing?”
She looked him over before she shook her head, smiling at him.
What a great smile, he thought. He wished she smiled like that more, especially with him. It caused a funny, flurry sensation in the pit of his stomach. He liked the feeling and hoped she’d give him more, not having felt this way since Ladybug.
They continued to stand near the bar for another half-hour before Alya and Nino dragged them into the pool, begging for them to play chicken with the rest of their class.
Marinette shook her head at them, not about to ask Adrien to be her partner, but she shrieked in surprise when he lifted her easily onto his shoulders.
“Put me down, Adrien. I’m too heavy.”
“Nonsense. You’re light as a feather, Mari. Now, come on. Let’s show these other guys what a great team we make.”
She didn’t need any further coaxing as her competitive nature came out as they squared off against their first opponents: Nino and Alya. Soon, they had proven themselves more than worthy adversaries as they toppled couple after couple, including Alix and Kim.
“Okay, I give,” Marinette shouted, laughing as she shook her arms from Alix’s mean grip and tapped Adrien on the head to put her down.
While he did as she asked, he didn’t stray far from her for the duration of the party. In fact, he wouldn’t be able to recall much about the party aside from the time he spent with Marinette after the fact, something he found both disturbing and wildly pleasing.
When the party finally began to wind down, Adrien asked Marinette if he could escort her home, hoping for the chance to spend a little more time with her. His heart skipped a beat as she consented to him playing escort.
They had almost reached the bakery when he announced, “I think your freckles have multiplied since this morning.”
“Yeah, they do that when I’ve been in the sun too long. Do they look bad?”
“No, not at all. They’re actually really sweet. Almost like small constellations running across your nose and cheeks.”
The blush came back, hiding the smaller freckles, as she kept her gaze facing forward lest she trip and embarrass herself.
“Well, here we are. I’m glad I got to spend the day with you, Mari. Maybe we could do something together again soon?” His hand crept up to rub the back of his neck as his gaze danced around her though never quite met hers.
She smiled at his nervousness and whispered, “I’d really like that, Adrien.”
Before she could talk herself out of it, she leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and dashed inside with a small wave and beet-red cheeks.
Adrien remained rooted to the sidewalk for a solid eight minutes with his hand resting against his cheek and a sappy smile on his face. He didn’t regain awareness until he felt Plagg pushing against his chest from the interior pocket of his shirt.
He couldn’t wait to see her again.