It Takes Time

Chapter 9

"So, why am I here?" Alyn crossed his arms curiously, raising a brow as he watched the boy frantically go through his closet. He was clearly stressed out but he wasn't saying anything, which worried Alyn. He just wanted to know what he was so stressed about, and "Alyn, I need your help, come over immediately!" was not very informative, but it was all he had to work with at the moment. 

Marin held up two shirts. He looked between the two. They were almost identical aside from the color. One was green and the other was red. "Because. Which one do you think Adrienne would like better?" He asked, glancing down at the shirts, then at Alyn.

"Well, I mean the-- Wait, why do you ask what Adrienne would think? Are you trying to impress her? But why would you need to impress her unless-" Alyn gasped. shooting up from his seated position in Marin's desk chair. "You have a date with Adrienne!"

Alyn had said this loud enough for Marin's parents, who were currently downstairs in the kitchen, to hear. Before Marin could even come up with an excuse, his parents came up through the trapdoor. "Marin, you have a date? I thought you were going to the carnival with Alyn?" His father asked in a sweet tone. "You're going with Adrienne? She's a sweet girl. Does that mean you two are dating?"

"Dad, please. No, we're not dating. She's just a friend. We're going as friends. We're not dating." He repeated the last sentence for emphasis. As much as he wished that they were dating, it just wasn't the case. They had kissed, but that didn't mean that they were dating. The first time, it was just to save Chat from the influence of an akumatized villain, and the second time, it was purely heat of the moment. He doubted that Adrienne thought anything of it.

"If you say so. Is she going to come over after?" Marin's father asked, then smiled at his son's unamused face. "Fine, fine, I'm going. Tell me all about your date when you get home." He left the room.

Alyn grinned, punching Marin's arm. "So, what are you two gonna do at the carnival? Hold hands? Kiss? Make out? Maybe go home with--"

"Alyn, no!" Marin cut off his best friend with a disappointed look. "You are here to help me find something to wear, not suggest that I do things with Adrienne. She's far too pure for that." He crossed his arms. Even though he had said that, he had to take into consideration that her Chat side was not nearly as innocent as her Adrienne side. It still confused him. How someone like Adrienne could be someone like Chat? They were polar opposites. Regardless, it was not the time to think about that, even if it was the biggest thing in his mind. She always had a way of making her presence prominent in his mind. 

"Fine, Mr. Fashion Designer Who Can't Pick an Outfit." Alyn walked towards the closet. "Let me work my magic."

~~~

Anxiety was coursing through his veins. Was it anxiety, adrenaline, or excitement? Marin couldn't tell, maybe a mix of all three. He was walking beside Adrienne, but they were not touching. He wanted to take her hand. He wanted to just do it. But he couldn't find the courage to simply grab her hand and hold it. He took a deep breath. Just do it, Marin. You've kissed her twice, carried her multiple times, had her land on top of you, and she's flirted with you intentionally, what's so hard about holding her hand? He reached over and took her hand in his, making her glance up at him with a smile. "F-For safety precautions." He gave an excuse.

Adrienne was thrilled to see that he wanted to hold her hand, that was until he said that it was simply for safety precautions. At first, she thought it was because he had actually wanted to hold her hand in a romantic way, but no, he was just being Ladybeetle. This was what she was afraid of. She was afraid that him finding out that she was Chat was going to be bad. She figured that he wouldn't feel the same about her anymore. She knew that he wouldn't have the same feelings. She knew things would change too much. She had hoped that maybe everything would work out perfectly, but it was definitely not.