Dreams of You

Chapter 6

Marinette

"Just so we're clear, I'm doing this solely for you, and only this once." Marinette put her bag by a chair, placing four cups of coffee and a box of pastries from her parents' bakery on a table. "Next time, find an excuse to see your boyfriend outside of classes without involving me."

"He's not my boyfriend. Yet." Alya plopped in a nearby chair. "And to see if I want him to be one, I need to get to know him better. Preferably in a subtle, no-strings-attached situation. Dates bear too much pressure. Teaming up for a school's project is perfect."

"Stringing me along for this isn't."

"You'd better team up with someone you don't know? We would still need to do this, you know that, right?"

"We don't really know them either." And Marinette wasn't eager to fix that. Falling in love with someone who so obviously had feelings for another wasn't on her Bucket List, nor would it ever be. And should she get to know Adrien better, falling in love with him would be exactly what would happen. She was already halfway there.

"We know they are not entitled, spoiled pricks. And we know they are funny, smart, and hot. Guys like them don't come our way every day, M, and before you'll give me another excuse for why you shouldn't be here, nothing will happen to you if you spend a few hours with Adrien in the same room. I thought you two worked your issues out?"

"We did," Marinette grumbled, reaching for her coffee cup. She hadn't told Alya about their little non-spying, not-a-fake-date yet, and if Marinette would have her way, she never would. "He explained everything and apologized. So did I. And after I give him his umbrella back, it'll be the end of it."

"The end?" Alya smirked, reaching for her coffee. "The end of the beginning I hope? You aren't fooling me, girl. Someone was unusually distracted and daydreaming more than usual lately. Doubt you—"

"I was just brainstorming ideas for your wedding dress." Marinette slyly grinned before Alya could elaborate any further. "Alya Lahiffe. Sounds nice, isn't it?"

Alya almost choked on her drink. "Whoa! Hold your horses, girl. I'm just getting to know the guy. Don't marry me off already."

"Don't sell me off to the first guy I take a double glance at."

"Ah, so you admit it." Alya grinned. "You like him."

Marinette huffed and looked away, her voice quiet as she replied, "What does it matter? He likes someone else."

The arch of Alya's eyebrow was nothing but curiosity itself. "Oh? And how do you know that? He told you?"

Marinette shrugged, an uncomfortable feeling gripping at her chest. "He claims she's just a friend. But you should've seen the way he lights up every time he talks about her. She's anything but just a friend to him. Believe me."

The clock on a wall beat its rhyme as Alya watched her friend intently. "You know, I'm not an expert on Mister Sunshine, nor have I spent much time with him to deny or confirm anything, but from what Nino had told me, Adrien's quite smitten with you. Have you considered he wasn't lying when he said that that girl was just a friend?"

"I know what I saw, Alya—"

The crick of the opening door silenced her as the two remaining members of their group entered the room.

"Good morning, ladies." Nino waved, his smile brightening the room the moment his eyes landed on Alya.

"Hey there, handsome." The object of his affection stood up to greet him, sparing a fleeting glance to the person beside him. "Hello, Adrien."