Indirect Friendship😸Complete😸

Chapter 2

Adrien got out of the car and walked towards the entrance. Marinette and Alya were walking in.

"Oh! I left my phone on that bench!" Alya freaked out and ran towards the park.

"A-Alya!" Marinette called futilely, as her friend dashed off. She waited by the entrance. Adrien walked towards her.

"Good morning, Marinette. Is everything alright?" he asked. Good start. Let's see how it goes.

She jolted a little. Her face reddened and she looked at her feet. "H-Hi. Uh y-yeah, Alya just left her, um, phone on a, uh, park bench that we had been sitting on a-and stuff..." Adrien bit his lip.

"Oh, I see." he responded lamely. He groaned internally. Really? Really? If you want to talk to her you have to actually make conversation!

"A-Anyway! I'm going to wait for her in class...bye!" She rushed off.

Adrien slapped his forehead. So close, yet so far away.

At the end of the school day, Adrien picked up his stuff. He walked to his locker, then began walking towards the front to exit with Nino.

"Adrien!" He turned to see Alya and Marinette approaching. "Are you and Nino busy? There's a band performing in the park today."

Nino sighed. "I wish I could come, but I have stuff going on. Maybe another time!" He walked off. Adrien pursed his lips. Nino was always busy.

"Hm, maybe I can come." Adrien said. He glanced at Marinette, who just kept staring at her feet. Let's not miss this opportunity.

Out of nowhere, he felt someone approach him. "Adrien! There's a concert in the park! Let's go!" Chloe Bourgeois grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door. He tried to protest, to no avail. When he glanced back, he saw Alya fuming and Marinette sighing.

He groaned for what seemed like the millionth time that week. So close, yet so far away.

Chat Noir was waiting by Marinette's family's bakery. He knew she would be here soon, so he waited on a ledge.

Sure enough, Marinette was walking down the sidewalk with a sort of angry look. She furiously tapped on her phone. Chat jumped down and approached her.

"Oof!" Not looking where she was looking, she slammed straight into him. She recoiled. "Chat Noir! Oh, sorry. I wasn't...paying attention."

He raised an eyebrow. "No kidding? Are you okay?"

"Yes, just...wait, what are you even doing here?"

"This is your bakery right? I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh, the Nathaneal incident...right...er, sure. I guess I have some time. Not like I would be able to focus on homework or baking or anything..." she pursed her lips. Chat tilted his head in confusion. She shrugged in response. He picked her up and ran up to the rooftop of her bakery, then set her down.

"We could've gone inside the normal way." Marinette said, giving him a look. "No one is home. Either way, my parents are fans of yours and wouldn't mind."

Chat smirked. "Ah yes, but carrying the princess up is so much more fun." he teased. Marinette crossed her arms. "Ah yes, not the time...why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

She sat down with a sigh, then sprawled out on the roof. "My crush...I wanted to ask him to ask him out today. Not even as a date or anything...maybe just spend some time with him. But of course, that irritating girl pulled him away! Alya is trying to cheer me up. I appreciate her being kind, but it's not helping."

Chat sat down. He was becoming curious as to whom exactly this crush was. "Well if he chose her over you, I'm sure he can't be that amazing."

"That's just the thing! He is that amazing. And I have this feeling he hasn't chosen her over anyone yet...that he's just being polite to her because their fathers have been acquainted. Maybe he does like her instead though..."

Chat sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that, princess, really."

"It's just...so frustrating!" She curled up on her side, bringing her knees to her chest. "Just...why can't Adrien like me?" She sighed.

Chat stared at her.

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

He continued to stare, body slack.

Did she just say...wait a second here...

She sat up. "Chat, are you okay?"

He could do nothing but stare. Her confused look, eyebrows furrowed. Her cheeks red with what seemed to be her frustration she had been venting. Mouth parted slightly, head tilted.

Marinette...likes...me. Adrien.

"Chat, seriously. When are you going to stop staring? Did I say something weird?" He dropped his gaze to his feet, a giant blush spreading across his cheeks. Well then.

"Chat. You're acting strangely. You won't answer me and you look like someone just told the world your secret identity. What is going on?" She turned his face to look him in the eye. He glanced around, flustered. He grabbed his staff and quickly brought it to his ear.

"Oh, that's Ladybug. Gotta run!" He jumped off the roof, leaving behind a very confused Marinette.

After all, he didn't know it, but she was Ladybug. And she had most definitely not been calling him.

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Adrien stared out the car window.

"Mr. Agreste? You are aware we've reached your school, correct?"

Adrien flushed slightly before getting out of the car. He walked towards the entrance when he heard Alya talking.

"It's so disappointing! It's been forever since an akuma attack."

"First of all, it's only been a few days." Adrien stopped, frozen. "Second of all, as much as Ladybug is...great...and all, you shouldn't wish for an akuma attack or for people to get hurt. That's not right."

"But Marinette..."

They were getting closer. Adrien couldn't seem to move. "Oh, good morning Adrien. Are you okay?" Alya asked, as they approached him. He turned around quickly, looking at Marinette. She had taken to looking pointedly at a street lamp, sporting a light blush.

"Ah yes, just thinking...about...stuff...um, I'm going to go." Adrien turned back around and hurried inside, leaving a very confused Alya and Marinette outside.

Smooth, you idiot. Adrien pinched the bridge of his nose as he walked towards his locker.

Chat Noir roamed the rooftops. It had been a few days after the...incident. He hadn't talked to Marinette since then, as Chat Noir nor as Adrien. He was embarrassed, really, for not noticing that she liked him. That she was venting about him.

He had never met a girl who liked him genuinely before, as a person rather than a model, and he was very unsure of how to act.

He glanced downwards and saw her, walking with Alya, towards her home. She was smiling as Alya was going on about the last fight she had seen Ladybug in. Yesterday evening, they had fought an akuma-infested businessman who had lost his job. It had been an easy fight, but it was always nice to fight beside his Lady.

Then he flushed. They probably could've ended the battle early, but he had gotten distracted thinking of Marinette and accidentally let the guy get away. Ladybug had scolded him about getting distracted, but he didn't even care.

He was in love with Ladybug, but he couldn't help but think of Marinette.