Miraculous Moments [Miraculous LadyBug Fanfic]

Blushes and Glares

Nathanaël had been watching her from a distance for a while. No. That sounded creepy. He had taken notice in her for quite a while now. No, no. That made him sound cocky and as though she was never valuable to him until recently. How could he put it?

Oh, he just really, really wanted Marinette to look at him. He wanted her eyes to shine on him. He wanted her face to brighten up around him, from simply knowing he was there and she could count on him. He wanted her to smile, with him like he did with her. He wanted her to get giddy from just think about him, like he got when thinking of her.

But that was impossible. She never looked at him. She was always looking at someone else. Adrien.

It angered Nathanaël. It wasn't like when he turned into an Akuma. He was simply jealous. Being aware of the emotion didn't exactly make anything any better. But he couldn't fill the pit in his stomach every time Marinette giggle with Adrien and didn't look up once in a day.

All the build up was the worst. Therefore, when the teacher called Adrien's name to be paired with anyone besides Marinette, it lifted so much from his shoulders.

He got even more exited when Marinette's and his name were called together for the class project.

She had came up to him and smile. He blushed just at the sight of her beautiful hair and eyes. So blue. "Hey there, Nathanaël." He stuttered her name in greeting. He thought he sounded like an idiot, but she giggled. He smiled with her. She sat down and they began to work on the project.

•••

They became good friends since then. They talked for hours about their art and sketches. He'd smile at hers and she marveled at his. They both felt a connection. Nathanaël wanted to make it stronger. He wanted her to laugh and smile and hug him all the time.

He began to talk and get friendly with her before and after classes. He enjoyed all the things they talked about. She was wonderful and smart. So talented and loving. So amazing and beautiful. He loved every part of her... Except one.

She was always scared to talk to Adrien. Not the he-intimidates-me scared. The I'm-scared-I-might-embarrass-myself-in-front-of-him-because-I-like-him scared. She would blush heavily whenever he spoke to her. She stuttered a lot when talking to him herself. She got nervous, clumsy, and exaggerated around him. It was cute. She liked him. But not Nathanaël. She was never like that with Nathanaël.

She liked, was in love with, Adrien. And it hurt. Bad.

Adrien ever noticed how she acts around him. He always brushed her off. He always simply accepted her like it was normal. But it wasn't.  She wasn't normally like that and he just let it go. She blushed and stuttered and smiled at him. And he never took notice to her. He was an idiot. He wasn't worth her time. Nathanaël was.

But all Adrien's ignorance and stupidity didn't stop Marinette. She loved him despite that. She loved him and wanted him to notice her, even in the smallest way. She truly loved him no matter what. And even though nothing was ever said, she couldn't, or wouldn't let herself, love him in the same way.

No matter how much time she spent with him, or how much she said to him, even if she spoke and walked and was with Nathanaël more, her heart was captured by an idiot that couldn't take a hint.

Sadly, the redhead had to accept it. He wanted her so much. He wanted to be more than friends so badly, but no matter what he tried, she only saw him as a friend. She'd stop him from doing anything too intimate. She'd slow things down even further. She didn't want to miss a small chance with Adrien by taking a big chance with him.

And Nathanaël accepted that. He had to, or else he'd only hurt himself more.

It had been months since the project made them friends, since he finally was able to befriend her. Now he was in class watching Marinette talk to Alya and Nino speaking to Adrien.

Nathanaël sighed as the classes dragged on and on and on. He drew in his sketch book throughout class. He would have gotten in trouble if the class was other than history. He was good at memorizing fact about people and such. Marinette was proof of that.

"Hey Nathan," the black haired girl greeted after class. She smiled apologetically. They hadn't spoken much the week. She was busy fawning over Adrien. He only smiled and greeted her back. "You nearly got in trouble. What were you sketching that was so important?"

He blushed and his hand instinctively covered his sketchbook. "N-nothing!" He answered quickly.

She giggled before smirking mischievously. Before he knew it, she had stolen his sketches from under his arm. She always managed to. He didn't know how, she always had slippery arms and quick grabs. She flipped through to his recent page and stopped.

She blushed heavily. As it was a drawing of her on the bus from a school trip. And not just any trip. It was the trip from yesterday, when she was partners with Adrien and they fell asleep next to each other because of the none stop walking around museums. The drawing was a sketched of her and Adrien sleeping. Her head was on his shoulder, his head was on her own. She was relaxed in her sleep, but somehow, Nathanaël managed to draw Adrien's body tense as though he was awake, and smiling in a fake sleep.

She stared back at the young boy she took the drawing from. She turned and gave it back with a stuttered apology. "I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to-to look f-for so long! I-I just . Um."

Nathanaël chuckled a bit. "It's okay, Mari." He had just stared calling her that name. He got up and brushed her bangs from her eyes. He grinned tightly as he took the sketchbook back. "It isn't a problem." He opened the book and took the page out.

"N-Nathanaël! You don't have to do that," she protested.

He shook his head and handed her the paper. "It's no trouble at all. Besides," he leaned closer and kissed her cheek. She blushed again. He smiled at his accomplishment. He finally got her to react the was she would around Adrien. "Anything for a friend."

She smiled widely and hugged him tightly. He was shocked but amazed and elated all the same. He had gotten what he wanted. It wasn't how he wanted it, being all because he was basically encouraging her behavior towards Adrien, but he got her to blush, stutter, and hug him in one go because of the oblivious idiot.

That was good enough.

"Thank you so much!" she squealed. She quickly kissed him on the cheek him he did to her a moment ago. She didn't feel his hands slip to her hips, and he smiled nervously as she rested her arms on his shoulders. Did she realize with both of them blushing it was like the kissed properly. "I know you don't like taking pages out of your sketchbook, so this means a whole lot."

"Anything for you." He laughed playfully as he said it, to cover how he really meant it. She laughed with him, fooled. He got another kiss on the cheek before getting a stuttered goodbye. He sighed in relief as she left. He felt so complete now.

•••

Adrien had watched the interaction and walked with Marinette as she left the classroom. He watched her intently. They had just started getting closer and he was genuinely excited. That was until he saw just how close she was with Nathanaël. She kissed him. On the cheek, sure, but it happened three times! Well, actually they each did it once, so twice, but they hugged and the redhead was so close to actually kissing her when he brushed her bangs.

It was unfair how close she got to him in a few months. Even more so for how it took him four years to just get Marinette to start talking normally. What was special about Adrien that it took so long when she could get Nino and Alya and everyone to talk with her in a few day, but take years to face him.

Was he that scary?

•••

I really like Nathanaël and he's just so fun to write as for a chance in perspective. I really got interested in his relationship with Marinette and I just had to have this love triangle.

I also think he would be the one to end it because let's face it, Adrien is as dense as a rock and Nathanaël is clearly the mature one who'll care enough for Marinette to just let her be happy and let her choose, knowing fully well what her answer will be.

Shows need strong and matured(maturing) like him.