Miraculous LadyBug & Chat Noir Random Shots

Adrien's Competition Part 10

Marinette shifted uncomfortably in front of Adrien. He smiled and waited patiently for her to gather herself. Of course he knew what this was about but she'd told Chat, not him and he needed to let her do this.

"Marinette." Adrien finally spoke "whatever it is, we're friends." He said. Marinette took a breath and raised her eyes to him, her shoulders a hunched forward, her hands fiddling with her bag, Adrien didn't see that Marinette had a finger poked into the side and Tikki was holding it for moral support.

"D-do you remember when um..." she took a second to gather herself. "When you lost your phone?"

Tikki squeezed her finger.

"Yeah..." Adrien kept smiling at her.

"well... you didn't lose it." Marinette said "I-I took it."

Adrien watched her struggle to talk, her face red and her hands fidgeting with her purse.

"but why?" he asked, "that's not like you."

Marinette took another breath and tried to remember what she had practiced with Chat Noir.

"I had called you and I got your voicemail and I left the voicemail I wanted to leave but I thought I hung up and I... I said some stuff and it wasn't the way I wanted to say it and I was afraid you'd think of me differently if you heard it and I panicked." The words just poured out of Marinette. It was like the a wall finally broke and everything was just falling out and spilling everywhere. She waited for him to get angry, or upset or anything but the silent way he was staring at her.

"A-Adrien..." she chanced.

"Well..." he sighed "did you go through anything else?"

"NO!" she exclaimed too loudly. "I would never I just didn't want you to hear that voicemail I didn't mean to invade your privacy...I-I swear, I didn't look at anything else. I just looked for the voicemail with my number and I deleted that one and then I put your phone in your bag. I didn't touch or look at anything else." Marinette's whole body shook as stood there waiting or Adrien to hate her.

"I believe you." He offered a smile "but I wish you would have trusted me." he scratched the back of his head. "We're friends, Marinette, I'm not going to change my mind about you over one thing you say."

"You didn't hear it" Marinette mumbled. Adrien sighed.

"well... I'm not exactly happy about you stealing my phone."

Marinette dipped her head.

"but, you're my friend and I know you didn't mean for things to happen like they did." Adrien rested a hand on her shoulder. "but please trust me next time."

Marinette finally smiled and she nodded "I will." She threw her arms around him and he laughed and returned her hug.

"I'm really really sorry." She repeated squeezing him to happy to care how nervous he made her.

"It's okay, Marinette." Adrien smiled at the girl everyone else knew so much about.

"but we trust each other from now on, okay?" He looked Marinette in the eye and Marinette nodded "I do trust you Adrien."

"Good." He smiled a bit slyly at her. "so... is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"Hmm..." Marinette's face turned red all over again oh my gosh... he knows. She could come clean right now an tell him, ask him out even...

"I..." but it doesn't feel right, not now, not with everything going on. "yes." She finally said Adrien looked at her expectantly "but not right now, with Ethan still around, I don't want you to think you have to answer a certain way."

Adrien nodded "I understand but you'll tell me soon... right?"

Marinette examined Adrien, sweet and caring and angelic. A smile she thought she'd never smile again crawled over her lips and she nodded.

"Yeah, as soon as everything goes back to normal." Marinette made a mental note, as soon as everything went back to normal she'd ask him out. On a real date.

"I can't wait." Adrien's and Marinette's phone beeped at that moment and Marinette's smile fell. The anxiety was back.

"here." Adrien held his hand out "do you want me to look first?"

Marinette nodded and handed him her phone. Her knuckles were white from clenching them so hard.

Adrien expected more texts from Ethan but it wasn't Ethan, it was his father. Adrien brightened and pulled Marinette into another hug.

"You got it." He cheered "my father got you the protection order!"

"He did!" Marinette exclaimed trying to match his excitement but she had a feeling a piece of paper was not going to stop Ethan.