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Marinette drops into the seat next to Alya. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for death.”
Alya coos and pats Marinette’s head. “Poor baby, has to spend all day doing what she loves.”
Marinette sticks her tongue out at Alya. “I never want to see glitter again.”
“Manon will be disappointed.”
She huffs. “I swear to god, if I see anyone eating in costume, I’ll lose it.”
“Oo!” Alya’s eyes widen in the familiar plotting way Marinette knows all too well. “You know that thing where you mail someone glitter? That. Do that."
Marinette scoffs. “I’m sure that’d go over well with Chloé.”
Nino hops over the row of seats and lands in the chair next to Alya. “What about Chloé? And where is she? She wanted me to fix her lighting in scene two but she never told me what she meant. Not that she can do that, ‘cause I’m in charge of lighting and tech. Not her.” He slumps down against his seat. “What did she do now?”
Alya pats his arm. “What hasn’t she done? We’ve all got problems with our Queen Bee. I for one will shove her onstage if she’s going to miss her cue. But anyway, Mari had to do another costume change for her.”
Nino sits up straighter. “I thought you were done with costumes?”
Marinette shrugs. “She thought that the pink dress was too plain. I mean, I thought her character wasn’t really one for frills? But whatever she thinks is best,” she grumbles.
“At least Adrien was easy, right?” Nino asks.
Marinette sighs and rests her chin in her hands. “His costumes were easy, but it was…weird? Like he didn’t have much feedback, he just said ‘whatever you think is best, I’m sure it’ll look great!’ So…”
“Because everything you make is great,” Alya insists. “And he isn’t blind to that fact like some people .” She directs her glare to where Chloé is standing center stage.
Marinette waves her hand. “It’s not that. Everyone had suggestions or little things they wanted to change. Everyone . I went through each piece and asked if everything was okay, but Adrien just nodded along. Like, I sort of figured he’d have some sort of feedback with his fashion background but I guess…?”
Nino rests his arm on the back of Alya’s chair. “Mar, Adrien’s a model, not a designer. He’s not there to critique fashion, or even there to care about fashion. He’s there to wear the clothes and look pretty.” He points finger guns at Adrien as Adrien passes their row. “And boy does he look pretty.”
“You’re prettier,” Adrien says automatically, returning the finger guns.
Nino presses a hand to his chest. “Aw, bro. This is why I love you.”
Adrien laughs and sits down in the seat next to Marinette. She tries to keep a blank face when their knee brush. “What are we talking about?”
“You,” Nino says with a wink, “and how good you look in your costumes.”
“All Marinette.” Adrien smiles brightly at her and she feels her insides turn to mush.
Alya raises an eyebrow, reaching over Marinette to ruffle Adrien’s hair. “Give Mari credit, yeah, but you can't deny that you've got looks boy.”
“Speaking of costumes,” Marinette says as Adrien bats Alya’s hand away, “I’m doing some costume alterations, so if you want anything changed…” She trails off, hoping he’ll have something to add.
Adrien furrows his eyebrows. “I thought you were done and just working on final touches and some props?”
Marinette blinks quickly. “A-a designer’s work is never done until it’s pried away and thrown on the runway,” she stutters. “And even then I’d still be trying to fix it. Really, if there’s anything you want changed or anything it’s no big deal, I’m doing everyone else’s.”
Alya rolls her eyes and mutters under her breath, “If by everyone you mean Chloé.”
“What’d you say, Al?” Adrien asks. He leans over to hear her over the music, and Marinette tries really hard not to think about how close he is.
Alya waves her hand. “Just that Mari works too hard and needs to sleep.” She eyes Marinette. “Don’t fight me, Mari, sleep is necessary for survival.”
Nino shrugs. “Nah, I think I’m okay without it.”
Alya shakes her head. “What am I going to do with all of you? What are you going to do during tech week? Die?”
“That’s what caffeine is for,” Nino insists.
“Speaking of tech week,” Marinette interrupts. “Costumes?” She turns to look at Adrien, and he's a little closer than she remembers him being. Her heartbeat stumbles.
“They’re perfect,” he promises. “I’ll let you know if anything needs to be altered.”
Not what she meant, but better than nothing. She’ll take it for now.
“Time to shine, Prince Charming,” Alya says, standing. “Up up up!” She tugs Adrien to his feet. “Get your butt backstage and make sure Chloé doesn't upstage you during the scene. Do not be afraid to step away or in front of her. If she gives you a problem I’m on it, but she is totally blocking you right now.”
“Yes, mom,” Adrien says. “Anything else? List of chores to do after rehearsal? Do homework and clean my room?”
Alya rolls her eyes. “I do not need your attitude, young man.”
“Actually yeah,” Nino says, lifting a hand. “Talk a little slower before the song. I know you’re rushing to fit it in with the recording, but it’s a little hard to understand. We’ll ask them to play slower or something when we’ve actually got the pit. Slow down, space your words, we’ll stop the music to let you finish if we’ve got to..”
“Project!” Alya adds suddenly. “You’ll be fine with mics but it’s good to practice and Chloé is singing over you right now, the little—”
“Remember your choreography,” Nino interrupts as Alya’s voice gets louder.
“And have fun!” Alya chimes like she's sending Adrien off to school.
Adrien meets Marinette’s eyes and shakes his head. She smiles weakly and sinks back into her seat as he runs down the aisle and jumps up onto the stage.
“I’m so proud,” Alya says, wiping a fake tear.
Marinette laughs.
Nino groans as his phone starts vibrating. “It’s my mom. I told her rehearsal was long today, but she probably totally forgot.” He sighs. “I should take this. Come get me if they need me.” He stands up. “Be right back, babe. Mari.” He answers the phone as he walks away. “Hey. … Yeah, rehearsal. … I told you!”
Marinette turns to Alya with raised eyebrows. “Babe?”
Alya shrugs.
“Don’t shrug at me!” Marinette grabs Alya’s arm. “When did this happen?! What happened?”
Alya shrugs again. “We made out in the light booth.”
“ What ?!” Marinette hisses. She grabs Alya tighter. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Alya pulls her arm away. “I didn’t know if anything was going to happen!”
“He called you babe , Alya. I think something is happening!”
Alya pushes her glasses up her nose. “It was like a week ago, Mari. He hasn’t said anything about it. ‘Babe’ doesn’t really mean anything.”
“You haven’t talked about it?” Marinette shakes her head. “I don’t know, making out in a light booth seems like something you should talk about! Why don’t you bring it up?”
“I was waiting for him to bring it up.”
Marinette rolls her eyes. “Did it ever occur to you that he’s waiting for you to bring it up?”
Alya slouches in her seat. “Did it ever occur to you to just ask Adrien out?”
Marinette glances to where Adrien stands onstage, hand in hand with Chloé. She sighs. “Okay, point taken,” she murmurs.
Alya pulls out her phone and starts typing rapidly, murmuring notes to herself. “Someone has to tell Chloé that’s not the line.”
“Okay, but we’re not done talking about this,” Marinette insists. “Nino likes you, trust me! You’ve got a chance with him! A good one!”
“And you don’t with Adrien?”
Marinette looks away. “You really don’t want to talk about it at all, do you?”
“I should be watching the scene,” Alya says pointedly.
Marinette crosses her arms. “Fine.”
Marinette steps away from Adrien, putting down the blush brush. “I want to make sure I got your features right. Make this face?” She puckers her lips and sucks in her cheeks, closing her eyes.
“I actually know a better face for this,” Adrien says. She opens her eyes to see him with his cheeks puffed out and eyes crossed.
Marinette stares at him for a second before bursting out laughing.
“Master technique, am I right?” Adrien asks with a laugh.
She snorts. “No no, this one is masterful.” She pulls another face.
Adrien doubles over laughing. He sits up straight to make another ridiculous face.
Marinette collapses into the seat next to him giggling. Each time they make eye contact, one of them makes a face and they dissolve into laughter again.
“Hey, Adrien, you done with—”
Marinette and Adrien turn to look at Alya in the doorway before laughing again.
“I take that as a no?” Alya asks.
“One second,” Adrien says breathlessly. “We just… Have to…”
Alya raises an eyebrow. “Do you guys need something or?”
Marinette covers her mouth with her hand. “S-sorry, we—” She looks at Adrien and snorts.
Alya motions to the door. “I’m going to leave, if you—”
Adrien stands. “It’s okay! I’m okay.” He takes a breath and runs his hand through his hair. “Makeup is good,” he says with a smile. “Costumes?”
“On it,” Alya says with a knowing smile. “Juleka needed some help, Mari. Something about the zipper?”
Marinette’s eyes widen. “The zipper?!” She jumps out of the chair and pushes past Alya. “Why didn’t you get me before?”
She hears Adrien start laughing again as Alya says, “I hate dress rehearsals.”
Alya screams and pulls Nino and Marinette into a hug. “We did it! We did it we did it we did it!”
Nino laughs. “Now we just have to do it again tomorrow.”
Alya just squeals and hugs them harder.
“It wasn’t a trainwreck!” Kim shouts, his costume half off. “WHOO!”
“PIZZA TIME!” Alix screams at the top of her lungs.
“DO NOT GO IN YOUR COSTUMES!” Marinette shrieks, shoving Alya and Nino away to grab for Alix. “Neatly, neatly !”
“Careful with the mics,” Nino shouts out as Ivan struggles with his costume. “If you break it, you buy it.”
Marinette’s foot catches on the handle of someone’s bag.
“Whoa!” Adrien catches her before she face plants. “You okay?”
Her cheeks heat up. “Y-yeah!” She stands up straight, trying not to think about how he’s still holding her arms. “G-great job tonight. You did incredible.”
Adrien lights up. “Thanks! Are you coming with us for pizza?”
“Not a question,” Alya says, looping her arms through one of Marinette’s. “You’re coming.”
“Or I could go home and sleep,” Marinette offers.
“We all know you won’t sleep,” Nino points out. “Let me get that, dude.” He helps Adrien take off his microphone. “Mari, in all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never gone to bed at a normal hour.”
Alya pulls Marinette away from Adrien and wraps her arm around Marinette’s shoulders. “We can sleep on Sunday night, after the last show and set breakdown. Right now, pizza .”
“The faster we break, the sooner we can eat,” Alya says, nudging Nino.
“Rose is napping,” Nino says, dropping his arm over his eyes. “I wanna nap too.”
Alya lifts his arm. “Nap later.”
“Chloé isn’t helping, go yell at her.”
“Adrien is handling Chloé, she is not my problem.”
“And I am?”
Alya drops his arm as she turns bright red.
Marinette hides her smile in the crook of her arm.
“No luck,” Adrien says, climbing up onstage. “She doesn’t want to— …Not that it matters, I guess.” He glances around at everyone laying down.
Alya groans. “You’re all the worst. Can we please just breakdown the set?”
Nino reaches up and grabs Alya’s arm, tugging her down next to her. “Nap now, break later.”
“But the set—”
Nino wraps his arms around Alya. Alya stiffens. “Laaaattteeeeeerrrr,” Nino drawls.
“I—”
He fake snores loudly.
Adrien laughs. “I think we can have a little break before breaking, Al. And anyway, I think you’ve lost.”
Alya grumbles, but relaxes in Nino’s arms.
“Finally,” Adrien says, sitting down next to Marinette. He leans back against the set. “Maybe now something will actually happen with those two.”
Marinette nods sleepily. “I thought I was going to have to listen to them talk about each other for the rest of time.”
“No more late night texts..” Adrien rests his chin on his hand. He watches them with a small smile. “Okay, none about how they don’t know if the other likes them.”
Marinette hums. “I-I didn’t get to say it after the show today, but you did really good.”
“Thanks, you did too.”
Marinette stutters. “M-me?! I didn’t— I wasn’t in the show, I just—”
“Designed incredible costumes for the entire cast? And helped with sets and makeup? And generally kept this from falling apart?” Adrien bumps his shoulder against hers. “You did more than I ever did.”
“S-says the lead!” Marinette shoots back. “There wouldn’t have been a show without you!”
“Or you,” he counters.
Sh shakes her head. “Whatever you say,” she says through a yawn.
Adrien nudges her again. “Nap.”
“I’m not tired,” Marinette murmurs.
He chuckles. “Sure you aren’t. Everyone else is asleep, no one will mind.”
She glances around the room. He’s right. “I’m not going to fall asleep.”
“Of course you aren’t.”
—«·»—
A light flashes and Marinette squeezes her eyes shut tighter and nuzzles into whatever she’s currently using as a pillow. “Alya please,” she grumbles.
“Wakey wakey, Mari,” Nino says, shaking her shoulder.
“Really?” Adrien murmurs.
Adrien?!
Marinette sits up, jerking away from Adrien. She’d been cuddling Adrien. She’d fallen asleep on Adrien . Oh no .
“Less sleeping, more breaking,” Alya says, clapping her hands loudly.
Rose sighs and closes her eyes again, snuggling up closer to Juleka.
Adrien rubs his eyes. “You were asleep too, Al.”
“A moment of weakness,” Alya says, waving a hand as her cheeks turn pink.
Marinette groans.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Nino says, pulling her to her feet. “Then we can crash on actual beds. Or the couch by the music room.”
“We lost half an hour, so we have to work fast,” Alya says. She yanks Nathanael up from the ground. “Come on people! This set isn’t going to break itself!”
—«·»—
“I’m dead,” Nino announces, dropping onto Marinette’s couch.
“You did like nothing,” Alya says crossing her arms.
“I was there to look pretty,” Nino insists.
Alya scoffs and sits down next to him. “That’s Adrien’s job.”
Nino wraps his arm around her. “But I’m just as pretty as him, aren’t I?”
Alya blushes furiously as Adrien gives them a thumbs up.
Marinette rolls her eyes. “Do you want this back or not, Nino?” she asks, holding up his sweatshirt. “That is why you came over here, not just because you wanted food, right?”
“I would never come over just for the food, Mari,” Nino says, pressing a hand to his chest. “You are my best friend, I can’t believe you’d think that.”
“Tell that to your eight year old self,” Marinette muses. She throws the sweatshirt at him.
“It’s over,” Alya says softly.
“Uh oh,” Adrien says. He sits next to her and wraps his own arm around her, squishing her between him and Nino. “It’s going to be okay, Al.”
“What?” Marinette asks.
“Post show depression,” Alya says with a forced laugh. “If you’re lucky, it won’t hit you.” She rests her head on Adrien’s shoulder. “But give it a few days and it might.”
“When it does, call us up for cuddle time,” Nino says.
“Or just join in now,” Adrien says, holding out a hand to Marinette.
She stares at his hand. “I— I don’t have post show depression right—”
“Join the cuddle pile, Mari,” Alya interrupts.
“R-right.” Marinette takes Adrien’s hand and he pulls her down next to him. Her brain starts to melt as he pulls her closer.
“Night,” Nino says, pulling his legs up onto the couch.
“We do have school tomorrow,” Alya reminds him.
“Who cares? I’m not moving, and neither are you.”
Alya groans. “ Mari —”
“My parents won’t object,” Marinette admits. “But I don’t know if you want to go to class tomorrow like you are now.”
“I’m going to miss hanging out with you guys after school,” Adrien says softly.
“Okay, we’re definitely not moving,” Nino says.
“Adrien, you’re the worst,” Alya says. She sighs. “I’m going to miss it too.”
Marinette finds herself leaning more on Adrien. “You’re giving me post show depression.”
Nino laughs. “Good thing you’re already in the cuddle pile.”
“There’s next year,” Marinette reminds them. “It’s not like this is our last show.”
“That’s still a year away,” Alya says.
Adrien shrugs. “Start the countdown?”
“This is getting depressing,” Nino grumbles.
Alya rolls her eyes. “It’s post show depression for a reason.”
“If any of you starts playing the soundtrack, I’m kicking you out,” Marinette says.
“I’ll save that for when I’m at home in my room, so I can cry,” Alya says dramatically.
“Aw, babe, don’t cry.” Nino kisses the side of Alya’s head.
Adrien raises his eyebrows at Marinette with a smile.
—«·»—
“I guess they aren’t going home,” Marinette whispers as she looks over to see Alya and Nino fast asleep.
“I guess not,” Adrien says.
“I should let their parents know,” Marinette says regrettably. She’s comfortable where she is, and doesn’t want to move out from under Adrien’s arm. “I’ll be right back.”
“I won’t go anywhere,” Adrien promises.
Marinette calls Nino and Alya’s parents, both who have no problem with them staying the night despite it being a school night, before ducking back into the living room. “You can go home if you’d like,” she says to Adrien.
“No one will miss me,” he says. “But I’ll text Nathalie and let her know.”
Her heart drops. Someone should miss Adrien at home. “Okay. I’m going to go grab blankets for them.”
“I’ll help.” Adrien untangles himself from the pile of limbs.
“You don’t—”
“I’d be happy to.”
Marinette leads him up to her room. She walks over to her closet where she keeps all of her extra blankets and sheets.
“Wow. That’s a lot of blankets,” he says when she pulls open the door.
“I get cold,” Marinette says sheepishly. “And the first thing I learned to make was blankets so…”
Adrien smirks. “You know what the only thing to do with this many blanket is?”
“What?” she asks hesitantly.
“A blanket fort!”
They toss a blanket over Alya and Nino. Adrien actually seems to know what he’s doing, while Marinette just follows his instructions. They duck into the finished fort with just their phones for light.
“Perfect,” Adrien says with a smile. “A perfect blanket fort.”
“You sure?” Marinette asks.
“Yeah!” He looks up at the blankets above them. “I’ve made a lot of blanket forts. The best ones are the ones that stay up and have what you like in them.”
Marinette blinks. “What you like?”
Adrien nods. “Sure. Books, games, stuffed animals, people…” He smiles nervously at her before ducking his head.
Her heart races. This feels like stage fright. “P-people?”
“Uh, yeah. People I like. Like…you.” The lights from their phones isn’t bright enough for Marinette to know if she’s imaging Adrien blushing or not.
“Like me?” She’s starting to feel like Echo. “I-I like you too!” She prepares herself to blurt out ‘as a friend!’ if she has to.
“So Nino and Alya keep trying to tell me,” Adrien says, looking away. She’s pretty sure he’s blushing now. If how hot her cheeks feel is any indicator, she’s blushing just as much if not more.
“Same here,” Marinette admits. “So…”
Adrien’s eyes widen. “Um… Do you…maybe want to go out sometime? Because now that we don’t have play I do have a little bit more time on my hands, but we don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he says quickly, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Really?” Marinette asks in surprise.
“Y-yes! Of course!” Adrien laughs nervously. “If you want, that is.”
Her mind goes blank. The only thing she can say is, “Sure.”
It’s Adrien’s turn to be surprised. “Really?”
“I’d love to,” Marinette says softly. It feels like if she says it too loud it’ll all turn out to be some kind of joke.
“Can I kiss you?” he asks suddenly. He jerks back. “I- I mean—!”
Marinette bites her lip. “I-if you really want to, yeah. You can k-kiss me.”
“Oh. Okay.” He laughs a little. “I honestly didn’t think I’d get past telling you I like you.” He leans forward until their noses bump. “You’re sure?”
Marinette smiles and closes the space between them. Whatever she dreamed her first kiss with Adrien might be like, it wasn’t half as good as the real thing. She can feeling him smiling against her lips and when she pulls away his eyes stay closed for a second before fluttering open. “Y-you still have makeup on,” she murmurs.
“Couldn’t get it all off,” he says with a crooked smile. “How bad does it look?”
“It doesn’t,” she says quickly. “It looks good.”
Adrien presses another quick kiss to Marinette’s lips. “You’re only saying that because you did it.”
“N-not true,” she says. “And it’s not like you need makeup.”
“Kiss up,” Adrien murmurs.
“Says the one doing the kissing.”
“I’ll kiss you again,” he threatens.
“What a disaster,” she muses.
Adrien presses his nose to hers. “Such a disaster.”
“Better than making out in the light booth?” Marinette teases.
Adrien leans back. “Making out in the light booth?”
Marinette raises her eyebrows. “You didn’t know?”
He shakes his head. “They made out in the light booth ? When did that happen?”
“Sometime before tech week?”
“And they still aren’t officially together?” Adrien stares at the blanket wall closest to the couch.
“I thought you knew,” Marinette says.
Adrien shakes his head again. “No, this is way worse than I thought. I can’t believe we got together first when they literally made out in the light booth .”
Marinette laughs. “Tell them that.”
“Mm…maybe later. Because I’m pretty sure that making out in a blanket fort beats making out in the light booth,” he says against her lips.
“Definitely,” Marinette says with a smile before leaning into the kiss.