Back to Back

Emotion

Class had already started. Walking in late, Adrien had to make up an excuse for his tardiness. "I'm sorry Ms Bustier. I was running behind at home, and when the akuma attack started my father wanted me to stay there until it was over."

"It's no problem," the teacher told him. "Please sit down so we can continue with the lesson."

With a nod he turned toward his seat, but he had to stop when he saw her.

There was Marinette, looking just as beautiful as ever.

After a moment of staring, Adrien forced himself to keep walking and take his seat. Then he turned his body so he was completely facing the front of the classroom. He didn't want any chance of catching a glance of the girl sitting behind him.

But out of sight didn't mean out of mind. It was like his senses were heightened all of a sudden.

Every time she sighed, or drummed her fingers on the desk, or laughed at something that Alya whispered to her, the noise was amplified and directed straight to Adrien's ears. He tried to block it out, but it was like he had Chat Noir's supersonic hearing. Every single move that she made was heard by the boy in front of her.

And it wasn't just that he could hear her. The scent of freshly baked bread was suddenly the only thing that he could smell.

When Ms Bustier handed him some papers to pass backwards, he didn't dare turn around. So instead he stretched his arm up and over his shoulder and held it out behind him. Since she had to reach forward so far to grab the papers, Marinette ended up brushing her hand against his. And with his skin tingling from her touch, he suddenly had the urge to grab that hand and kiss the back of it.

Then of course he felt horrible. That's what he did with Ladybug; he kissed her hand. Well, the fabric covering it. When they started dating though, he would kiss her real hand.

Yes, Ladybug was the one. He just had to remember that.

So Adrien was getting relentlessly tormented through the whole lesson. When it was finally over, he quickly got up and started making his way to the door.

"Adrien?" a voice called out, stopping him in his tracks.

Knowing exactly who it was, he hesitantly turned around.

Marinette walked up to him before holding out his school bag. "You almost forgot this."

He stared at her. How could he almost forget his bag? It had Ladybug's present for him inside. "Th... thank y... you," he sputtered, not making any attempt to take it from her.

"You're welcome," she replied with a smile.

There was a pang as he kept staring. Then he glanced at the bag, then at Marinette, then the bag, and Marinette again.

Not sure what was happening, she extended her arm out farther. "Here," she said.

More glancing back and forth before Adrien slowly reached his hand toward the bag. It was agonizingly slow, so much so that Marinette felt awkward. So she stepped forward and pressed it into his hand. "Well," she continued once it was finally in his grasp. "I'm going to get to chemistry now." And she walked around him to the door and left the classroom.

Left behind, Adrien felt horrible. Ladybug's present was the right decision, but knowing that wasn't helping anything. After hugging the bag to his chest, he slung it over his shoulder and went to his next class.

************************************

The rest of the school day wasn't any better. After getting home, he did his school work and ate all alone at dinner. Then things got even worse when he found someone waiting for him in his bedroom after the meal.