Chapter Text
Adrien never got jealous. In fact, he had no reason to be. He was from a well-off family, was charming, exceeded in sports and other extra-curricular activities, had a great sense of humor, and not to mention he was the model that many girls desired- the list could stretch on. Adrien Agreste was practically perfect, if not so- there was no way he could be jealous, absolutely no reason at all.
So why did seeing Nathanael and Marinette together bother him so much? They were friends- just friends- the same situation he and Marinette had. And its not like he ever talked to her that much, anyway. Sure, they’re friendly with each other and have exchanged a few sentences here and there, but the last time that Adrien could recall ever spending time with Marinette was when they practiced together for the school’s video game tournament, which they never competed in together, anyway.
He smiles at the thought of the moments they had spent together up in Marinette’s room. He remembered how her family had been so warm and inviting, how fragments of light would break in through her bedroom window and fall upon the hair that framed her rosy cheeks. Flecks of lost glitter from either her makeup or her crafts (one could never be sure which was the cause) would be exposed from their hiding the second the light touched them, and he remembered how angelic she had looked with that halo of light that seemed to surround her, only her. And her hands when they touched by accident, how soft they had been. Such small and delicate fingers, fingers he wanted to interlace with his own, soft hands he wanted to hold onto for dear life and never let go of.
“Dude,” Nino snaps his fingers repeatedly in front of his best friend’s face, not at all trying to hide his amusement. “You’re staring. A little bit creepy.”
Adrien feels his face grow hot and peels his eyes away from the red head and his- not mine, he reminds himself- Marinette, but not before he sees Naethanael lean in to whisper something into her ear, pushing a strand of raven hair out of his way. Adrien swallows the knot gathering in his throat.
“Just friends, huh?” Nino teases.
“Oh, stop it. Marinette is our friend. I just don’t want to see her get hurt.”
Nino tilts to the side to see behind Adrien. Marinette is now laughing at whatever it is Nathanael has said and he gives a sheepish smile, his face turning as red as his hair.
“More like you don’t want to see her fall for someone other than you,” Nino points out.
“It’s not like that!” Adrien cries out, following his friend’s gaze. “She doesn’t even like me.”
He turns back to his friend in time to see the dead-pan expression resting onhis face.
“You really are clueless, aren’t you?” Nino shakes his head and grins, mostly to himself. “Man, it’s a good thing you’ve got me for your wingman, otherwise you’d be screwed.”
“Nino, you better not be planning anything.”
“Well if you won’t, I will.”
“Nino!”
“What?” He brushes off Adrien’s glare, motioning to the direction of his not-crush. “You’re telling me you’re just going to sit here- Adrien Agreste, Son of the one and only Gabriel Agreste, Mr. Model- and you’re going to let Nathanael swoop the girl of your dreams from right under your nose?”
“Yes?”
“Hah! So you admit that you’re in love with her!”
“What?! No! Quit putting words in my mouth.”
“Well you didn’t deny that she’s the ‘girl of your dreams.’”
Adrien sighs, accepting defeat.
“Okay, okay. Fine.” He surveys his surroundings then leans in close to his best friend, voice lowered and steady to make sure no one else can hear what he has to say.
“Yes, I like her just a little bit, okay? But we don’t need the whole school to know, so maybe you should talk a little quieter.”
That cheesy grin returns to Nino’s face and he shakes his head rapidly. Adrien can already see the plans formulating in Nino’s head, and he knows he’s going to regret saying anything later.
But that becomes the least of his problems when he decides to look back over at the girl he had complicated feelings for and sees Nathanael place the fastest and most delicate kiss on her cheek, making her eyes go wide and her face flush as Nathanael sputters out what appears to be apologies, his face mirroring Marinette’s.
Adrien clenches his jaw and reminds himself to breathe before he turns on his heels and does his best model walk out of the room, leaving Nino to figure out for himself what had just happened.
So maybe he was a little bit jealous.