Dearly Despised, (I love you)

Frightningale

A/N: oh did you guys want Frozer? HAHAHA TOO BAD

-

Adrien took the 'public relationship' act a little too seriously when they were working on their collaborative physics report. But to be fair, she had challenged that he wouldn't do exactly that, and getting caught in their lie would ruin both of their reputations.

Physics wasn't her best subject, but it was by no means her worst like A-plus-asshole-Adrien made it out to be while he spoke in that condescending, this-is-so-obvious voice reserved only for her –the only person he didn't mind displaying the deepness of his unlikability to. Although their little 'secret' had somewhat trailed around the school, it didn't stop the hoard of fangirls from younger grades occasionally asking her fake-boyfriend for his autograph, right in front of her! If only they knew, Marinette would think, that the sunshine poster child for Gabriel was no model for good behaviour and may as well be related to Hawk Moth.

Between seemingly challenging each other in silence to see whose portion of the Physic experiment analysis could be done the quickest, someone from their class would brush past the library shelves, and as smooth silk Adrien's firm arm would slip under her hair, across her shoulders, and he'd carry on writing as her face heated up.

So when Alya came and picked her up for lunch, she leant over the table and kissed his jaw, which tensed up under her lingering lips, then falsely promised him that she'd see him later.

If they didn't do well on the project, Miss Bustier would initiate couples' therapy again. She didn't want to work on the project with him, but she also didn't want to audition for Ladybug in Clara Nightingale's music video, but the girls dragged her to that anyway. She could blame her and Adrien's 'semi-public' relationship all she wanted, but they probably would've managed to drag her there even without the whole "supporting your boyfriend" thing.

"I knew it," Alix said slimily.

Marinette raised a brow. It took her a second. She blanched. "No, no, we still hated each other. You weren't right about any of it."

"You were so in love. That kiss. I knew it."

"Alix, we're not—weren't in love then."

"I knew you didn't hate him!"

Marinette huffed and hate seared her senses. "No! He sucks! He—"

But she cut herself off that time. Who spoke about their own boyfriend like that?

"Man," Alix clicked her tongue, letting an awkward beat pass as Marinette covered her own mouth "trouble in paradise?"

The plastic in her sudden smile glittered. "Of course not! No, I love Adrien. He's so nice, and attractive, and, uh," she struggled to conjure any ideas of good qualities for him, "um, he's– he's always around. For me! He's always there. Somehow. Wherever I go. Yeah."

Alix pulled a face. "Pfft, no wonder you're always skipping class together. Gross."

The sudden cringe that set deep into Marinette's features agreed.

Adrien being handed Chat Noir's roll in the music video on a silver platter was blasphemous and insulting. It'd be less of an embarrassment if literally anyone else in Paris got the roll. Adrien didn't know it, and technically neither did Chat, but Chat Noir did not like Adrien. If he knew that the guy whose ass he threatened to cataclysm because he'd disrespected Ladybug in her civilian form was cast as him, he'd probably crash the music video and take care of Adrien himself. But maybe even Chat Noir wasn't that attractively reckless.

Speaking of reckless, how unthinking do you have to be to help Clara Nightingale after she trips, and then get casted as yourself for a music video?