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Marinette had been acting differently for the past few weeks. And Alya didn’t know why. Although she had a pretty good guess.
It wasn’t by any means a bad difference. On the contrary, Marinette hadn’t been this happy and genuinely cheerful in quite a while.
Honestly, Alya was a little sad her friend hadn’t talked to her about whatever was making her so happy. But she understood that Marinette was entitled to her privacy.
So when the noirette was asked why she seemed so joyful and she responded with how she’d just felt happier, Alya didn’t push it. If the designer had wanted to talk about it, she would.
That didn’t stop Alya from worrying when Marinette came to class looking so dejected she could cry.
The reporter decided to finally confront the girl about it. So she suggested they go to a new cafe for lunch, just the two of them.
When they got there and were comfortably situated at a table outside, Alya gently nudged the girl’s leg with her foot. Marinette, who had been absentmindedly toying with her hoodie string, looked up at her.
She didn’t want to overwhelm Marinette, so she decided to approach the subject slowly.
“You know, you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take,” Alya prompted.
“Yeah, well, sometimes it hurts less to hold back than to actually shoot and miss. Speaking from experience. I’d rather not go through that again.” She looked down, not meeting Alya’s eyes.
“Girl, did you ever stop to consider that last time, you missed because you took a bit too long to take your shot? I know it hurt, I was there. But we both know now, looking back, it’s probably better you missed.
I’m not saying the pain you went through was for the best or saying that you shouldn’t be affected by it. I’m saying you and Adrien have an amazing friendship.
And although I know you could’ve both been happy being more than just friends, I also know both of you prefer each other as friends. Or at least you do now.”
“But Alya, with Adrien it was a childish crush. And even then, it was more admiration and became more of an obsession and a goal to achieve as opposed to me actually having romantic feelings for him.
This? This is different. When I’m with them, I don’t see them as my crush. I see them as this amazing and talented and adorable person that makes me happy and who I love being around.
And that makes it so much harder because if they say no it’s gonna hurt so much more than it did last time.” Marinette had unshed tears pooling in her sapphire eyes. But she looked so sure of herself that Alya knew she was being truthful.
“I know,” the ombre-haired girl whispered. She reached across the table and outstretched her hand. Marinette gladly held onto it. Alya gave a gentle and reassuring squeeze.
“Mari, I don’t know this person. I don’t know how you two interact. So I’m sorry to say I can’t assure you they’ll say yes. But even if they don’t, know that I’ll be here for you.
You have family and friends who are here for you, and who care about you so much. So if they say no, and you’re hurting, we’ll be here to help, in any way we can.
And if that way is to kick their ass, I know every one of us would happily help. Even though we know you’re very capable of doing that yourself,” Alya joked.
Marinette smiled at her. Their food had arrived while they were talking.
“Thank you, Alya. I mean it. We should probably eat though, lunch ends soon.”
With that, the two girls ate and chatted about some less emotional things before heading back to school.
And if Marinette ended up introducing her friends to her new significant other later that week, and Alya ended up getting a very beautiful, original, and handmade fox-themed jacket as a thank you, well then that certainly would be miraculous.