He Saved Me

Chapter Seven

"First you say you're deeply in love with Ladybug. Then, you ditch her to go after Marinette!" Plagg complained once Adrien got home from Marinette's house.

"What are you talking about?" Adrien asked confusingly.

"You were having a really nice conversation with Ladybug. Cat-ching up, if you will. Then the minute she mentions Marinette, you leave her."

"I was worried about her, it's my job", Adrien explained, playing basketball in his room. 

"Why ARE you so worried about her?" Plagg smirked.

Adrien stopped playing basketball. "What are you getting at?"

"Oh, nothingggg", Plagg smirked, turning his back on Adrien so he wouldn't see his smile.

Adrien shook his head and rolled his eyes, turning his attention back towards basketball. "Well, whatever you're getting at, just know that Marinette and I are friends. And that's all we'll ever be."

"Mmmm, no, you won't", Plagg said flatly. "Here's how this is going, Adrien. You're now telling me how the best of friends you and Marinette are! But, oh wait, she's hurt and needs your CONSTANT attention. Maybe you should just get up at sunrise and go over to share the moment with her. Oh, but you're just friends! But wait, there's this little feeling inside of you that makes you think you're possibly more than just friends. But, you ignore it because you have 'devoted' yourself to Ladybug, who, may I mention, doesn't even want you. Then, you'll hopefully stop ignoring the fact that you're also into Marinette. Maybe even one day, you'll both cut the rubbish and admit that there's a budding romance between the two of you. I don't know, though, just my thoughts."

Adrien had sat on the couch during the whole speech, taking in what all Plagg had just said to him. "What do you mean this 'budding romance'? There's nothing between Marinette and I."

"How about that time you pulled her into your arms after you were worried that she was gone? Or how she got really upset that you wanted to leave during the sunrise? Or how you left Ladybug at the mention of Marinette's name? Or-"

"Plagg", Adrien cut him off to get him to stop talking. "None of those were romantic gestures. They were just us being friends, that's all."

"Really?" Plagg asked.

"Yes", Adrien confirmed annoyingly.

"Then how come your eyes are diluted so much right now?" Plagg stuffed cheese in his mouth, knowing he just left Adrien speechless.

Adrien just sat in silence, having no comeback for Plagg's comment. "Anyways, what do you mean 'both of us cut the rubbish'? Are you saying Marinette-"

"Geez, kid, are you that hollow in the head? Of course she does. Both of you do", Plagg rolled his eyes, searching through the cheese cabinet.

"No, it's not true. I'm in love with Ladybug and she has a thing with Luka", Adrien played it off, almost seeming like he was trying to convince himself more than Plagg.

"When was the last time Luka visited her?" Plagg gave him a look as if he already knew the answer.

"Maybe he visited when I wasn't there?" Adrien thought for a moment. "I don't know, maybe she's done with Luka. But even if her and Luka were over, she still only sees me as a friend."

Plagg flew over to Adrien and sat down at a nearby spot. "Listen, kid, let me just explain this to you as lightly as possible. She's into you, like, big time. Although, I'm not sure she's fully aware of it. I mean all that time spent with you and all the nice things you do for her probably made her fall for you. Same with you. You spend all this time with her, protecting and caring for her, probably made you want to do it more, right? Right. I've made my point."

Adrien sighed roughly, knowing that there was nothing he could say or do that would convince Plagg that he's not into Marinette. What would Plagg know? He was just a little creature that grants the power of destruction...

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"I don't know, Tikki. Maybe I'm just thinking there's a possibility that he likes me just because that's what I'm looking for", Marinette paced her room.

"He left Ladybug at the mention of your name", Tikki reminded her.

Marinette sighed. "Yeah, but....ugh, I don't know. It's all so confusing!"

"Not really, I mean, I think it's pretty obvious of his feelings for you. You just deny it."

"I'm being reasonable", Marinette reminded. "Besides, there's no way he spent all that time in love with Ladybug just to switch up once we start spending more time together in my citizen form."

"Why not? Maybe he just needed someone to help him let go of Ladybug. You make the perfect person, you know, considering you're the closest option to Ladybug."

Marinette sighed roughly. "Tikki, it's been 3 weeks since we started trying to get Chat Noir to fall in love with me."

"I think we've made progress!"

"No, I don't agree. I've tried everything. I tried joking around with him, being intelligent around him, I even accidentally worried him. I don't know what else to do", she stressed, her hands on her head in anxiousness.

Tikki was silent for a moment. "Here's the last resort, and there's a reason it's the last resort."

Marinette met Tikki's eyes. "What?"

"Make him jealous."

Marinette laughed. "Jealous? How? I'm still on bedrest."

"Your doctor appointment is tomorrow", Tikki reminded her.

Marinette gasped. "Wait, seriously?"

Tikki sighed. "You're telling me that you have an entire memorized schedule for Adrien, but you can't keep track of yours?"

Marinette giggled in shame. "That's why I have you", Marinette smiled. "Anyways, how are you planning on helping me making him jealous?"

"Lukaaa", Tikki smiled. 

Marinette laughed. "Luka? Absolutely not. There's no way he's going to agree with that. Besides, wouldn't I be using him?"

"It doesn't have to be anything romantic. You can just ask for the two of you to hang out as friends. But, it doesn't have to look like a "just a friend" thing to Chat Noir", Tikki smirked.

"So, you're saying that I meet up with Luka as friends, making sure that Chat Noir sees it. Luka and I both know it's just as friends, but Chat Noir thinks more of it?"

"Exactly. Don't hang out with Luka just to make Chat Noir jealous, though. I want you to actually want to see him."

"I do want to see him, actually. I'll give him a call."