unexpected feelings | marichat

chapter twenty-four

adrien's pov
   "plagg! it reeks in here," i said, scrunching my nose up at the mess in my locker as i changed out of my fencing uniform. he sat covered in camembert crumbs, watching videos on my phone.
   "you wanna tell me you smell any better when you're sweating like that?" i opened my mouth to say something, but someone entered the locker room. plagg scurried into my duffel bag and i sprayed cologne into my locker, praying they wouldn't notice the stench.
   the sound of lockers clanging and things rustling echoed in the large room, and eventually kagami made her way into my aisle, holding her bag in her hands.
   "you know, i would say good job, but i think you definitely cheated," she said, sitting on the bench before me.
   "oh yeah? if i cheated, how is it that i also beat you all the time during practice?"
   "easy: you also cheat then!! don't worry though, i forgive you," she said, the tease in her voice fading slightly as she stood to meet my eyes. "it's hard not to, with someone as perfect as you." 
perfect? "kagami... you think i'm perfect?" she smiled shyly, grabbing my hands.
"well, of course. everything about you is just perfect, adrien. you're perfect," she leaned into me, her warm breath on my face. before i knew it, her lips were on mine, and i was too shocked to pull away.
i couldn't take my mind off what she had said. my instinct was to immediately object. i wasn't perfect. i was far, far from it. why did people think i was?
but then i saw why. everything i did in public was done so people kept thinking of me that way. so the agreste brand wasn't ruined. everyone thought i was perfect because that's what they expected me to be, and i didn't break their expectations. i was forced to follow them. even if at times i felt like suffocating.
it was why i reveled so much in the freedom being chat noir gave me. it was why, every day, i couldn't wait for the next patrol with ladybug, or the next time i'd visit marinette in costume. how else could i truly be myself without a tarnish to my 'reputation'?
kagami pulled away, a pleased expression on her face as she placed her arm on my chest gently. i hoped she couldn't notice that throughout our whole kiss, i was busy thinking about something completely different. i'm no expert on love, but i don't think that's how kisses are supposed to be.
not that it was a bad one necessarily, i think, but... should i have been distracted the whole time? suddenly, the locker door swung open, revealing a slightly frazzled marinette.
   "kagami! where could she be i- oh," she caught sight of us and frowned for a second. "shoot, um, did you, i mean did we, I MEAN am i interrupting something?"
   i couldn't help but feel slightly guilty, even if we'd done nothing wrong. something about marinette seeing us like this felt... off.
   "don't worry, marinette," kagami giggled, and i internally thanked her. i probably wouldn't have been able to form words if i'd tried. marinette gave a nervous laugh in return. "what were you going to tell me?"
   "oh, um, your car! it's been outside for a few minutes and i was uh, sent to get you. if you want i could totally go and tell it to... wait? not that it'd really listen, since its a car.." she rambled, gesticulating wildly with her hands. i smiled at her.
   "that won't be necessary, marinette. i was just about to head out anyway," kagami grabbed her bags and began to head out, gently patting marinette's shoulder on the way.
   "good job, by the way!"
   "thanks, but you should probably congratulate the man of the hour too. i'll see you both soon!" kagami looked back at me shyly once more before closing the door, leaving marinette and i by ourselves.

(a/n: heheh)
also pls pls no kagami hate here !! shes just a teen whos going after the boy she likes, im not forcing u to like her but dont berate her for wanting adrien , thxxx <3