Misunderstandings (Miraculous Ladybug)

Chapter 3

Over the next couple of weeks Alya hadn't been able to look at her friend the same way as before. Every time Marinette excitedly exclaimed that Adrien would be coming over that afternoon Alya would just try to congratulate her and not think about what they would be doing. However, Alya was also growing increasingly worried about her friend. Marinette seemed to be obsessed with her little get togethers with Adrien, and upon further research, Alya had discovered that this was in fact an addiction that some people suffered from.

So it was that Sunday afternoon, when she hoped Marinette would be without Adrien's company, when she decided to call and have a serious conversation with her friend. The phone only rung a couple times before being picked up, and she heard Marinette's happy voice on the other side of the line.

"Hey Alya!"

"Hi Mari, what are you up to right now?" She asked uncertainly.

Marinette let out a little giggle and Alya felt her heart sink, she knew what that more than happy giggle meant.

"Adrien's over right now."

"Oh," Alya couldn't think of much else to say. "He's been coming over a lot recently, hasn't he?"

"Mh-hm!" Marinette replied, then lowered her voice probably so Adrien wouldn't hear. "I feel that ever since he started coming over I've been getting a lot more comfortable around him. There was only so much we could do together when I was too shy, but now that I'm opening up to him we can try so many more new things."

Alya grumbled something about how most people would already have to be comfortable with each other in order to do what they were doing, but then raised her voice and spoke to her friend in a serious tone.

"Marinette, you have to listen to me, I really think that all of this is getting out of hand. Look long and hard at yourself, is this really what you want to be doing. I think this is becoming an addict-"

She never got to finish what she was saying as a voice piqued up in the background, a voice she recognized all too well.

"Is that Alya? Can I talk to her?"

The blood drained from her face as Marinette passed the phone to the other person. In that moment there was only one name on her mind.

"Nino..."

"Hey Alya, what's up!" He said sounding more cheerful than she would have liked.

"What are you doing there Nino...?" She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the answer but forced herself to ask anyway. She could hear the smile in his voice as he replied.

"Adrien asked me if I wanted to come over and join him and Marinette."

Alya's heart sped up anxiously. "Did you go over just thinking you were going to hang out or did Adrien actually...explain...what it was that you would be doing? Nino, do you know what you're getting yourself into?"

He only laughed. "Of course he did and I'm totally psyched! I can't wait until we start!"

Alya didn't know how to respond. She was still coming to terms with the fact that Adrien and Marinette were into that kind of stuff, but Nino too! She opened her mouth but never got the chance to reply. Marinette's voice rang out in the background.

"Nino, are you ready?"

"Oh, I've gotta go, we're starting. Feel free to stop on by if you want to join us."

With that she heard the phone clatter to the table, but instead of the sound of the dial tone cutting her off, she continued to hear their conversation, concluding that Nino probably missed the hang up button. Alya knew she should have just hung up the phone right then and there, that she should have walked away and tried to forget about everything, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to lower the phone from her ear. She listened on as Marinette started with her explanation to Nino.