unexpected feelings | marichat

chapter twenty-five

adrien's pov
   "oh my god i totally interrupted something, didn't i? i'm so sorry! i didn't mean to come in so suddenly," marinette said, frowning and covering her face with both hands. i laughed at her sweet embarrassment.
   "kagami already told you not to worry about it, marinette. besides," i said, slinging an arm around her shoulder casually. she peeked through her fingers. "i needed to thank you anyway. i probably wouldn't have won without my marinette lucky charm."
   i lifted my free arm, revealing the colorful charm which i had wrapped around my wrist as a bracelet. she finally uncovered her face, a bashful smile gracing it.
   "do you really wear this every time you have a match?"
   "duh. how else would i win?"
"ummm, mad fencing skills?"
i laughed, and she giggled. "well, i guess those help too. anyway, where are you going after this?"
"i'm just gonna walk home and maybe play some video games, it looks like it's gonna rain," she remarked. oh? maybe chat noir could pay her a visit, then.
"awesome, i'll walk you!" i led her towards the entrance of the locker room.
"adrien, my house is across the street from here. you really don't have to, i don't want to bother you."
"are you kidding? you'd be saving me if you let me walk you home. i'd much rather spend time with you than go to my photoshoot." her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink, and she gave in.
"well, if you insist... but don't blame me when you're late to that grotoshoot!"
"you mean photoshoot??"
"oh, yeah," she smiled. i grabbed the door for her to pass through, which was surprisingly hard when i was holding my fencing bag, school bag, sword and marinette's arm all at once, but i'm a gentleman, dang it. (a/n: if u get the reference ily)
we enjoyed the short walk to the bakery, talking and joking the whole way to her door. we arrived and marinette grabbed the door handle but then stopped, looking back at me then back down at the ground. she spoke quickly, as if her words would disappear if she didn't say them now.
"adrien...i don't know if i've just been blind forever or i'm actually right, but lately you've seemed so... relaxed. at least to what i've seen, not that i'm completely right! i could be wrong you know as one is but, ugh i'm already messing this up aren't i? basically, what i'm trying to say is... i like seeing you like this. this side of you is, i really enjoy it," she finished, her cheeks tinted a crimson red. i smiled, feeling like my cheeks were probably a similar shade. she liked it when i was trying to be myself. not the perfect version of me, not the model me, but the one that had flaws, the one that didn't know how to shut up at the right times.
"thank you for being one of the only people i can trust to be myself around," i said, pulling her in for a hug. she stood stiffly for a few seconds, probably not expecting it in the slightest. her confusion was brief, though, and she finally began to hug me back, the tight, warm squeeze of her arms feeling infinitely safe.
i'd never noticed what a great hugger marinette was. she held you in such a gentle way, it felt like you were being wrapped in a warm blanket of love.
we released each other after a few seconds, and she waved as she entered her house. as soon as she was no longer in sight, i walked back to the school, awaiting my bodyguard. plagg fluttered out of my bag, smirking.
"so, casanova, who are you gonna choose? the fencer, the baker, or the ladybug?"
i rolled my eyes. "come on, shouldn't the answer be obvious? you saw kagami and i kiss earlier."
"yeah, and i also saw how you were completely out of it the whole time. oh, and how you practically melted into marinette's arms. also how your eyes still glaze over whenever you see ladybug."
i sighed as the car pulled in, plagg's cue to hide again. yeah, the answer should be obvious, so why was it so hard to figure out?