ADRIEN X READER

Alya and Nino

        Part of me wishes that I went with Nathanaël to meet up with some of his friends, but I did have work to do later after all.

        No photo shoot at the park today.

        However, I did spot a weird sort of specimen hiding behind a trash can, snapping a picture at me. She was wearing a flannel, and had exclusively luscious hair that went from dark brown to red in an ombre fashion. 

        I think the girl spotted me staring at her, while she was staring at me, because she nervously smiled and started walking up to me. 

        I raised a brow.

        She laughed a bit and pushed up her glasses. "Hey, I'm Alya. Sorry for taking pictures of you, it's for the blog I run." Alya pulled up her phone, and showed me her website. "I call it the Ladyblog, I'm trying to find out who the real Ladybug is, so I'm literally conducting research on everyone. Sorry if I spooked you a bit."

        "No worries," I shrugged. If this girl was trying to find Ladybug, then she'd be a problem. I'd have to avoid her as much as possible. But at the same time, Alya looked very familiar, like I had seen her somewhere before. If she was an amateur reporter, maybe I saw her on the news? But I've only been in Paris for a bit, so that notion was highly unlikely.

        "Say," she leaned towards me. "You really haven't denied being Ladybug. It makes perfect sense! You're trying to keep your identity secret, so that's the only reason I haven't seen you up until now!"

         I gently pushed her and her phone away, "by you haven't seen my till today, you mean I just got in Paris yesterday then yep. That's me."

        "Oh. I see now," Alya only looked a little disappointed. She pressed the frame of her glasses up on the bridge of her nose, analyzing me. "Well that means you're Marinette's replacement."

        Great deduction skills.

        "Well, I wouldn't say replacement..."

        Alya did not look happy. It's not like I was the reason Marinette went away to China.

        Instantly, she changed tones. "Sorry," she told me, and flashed a smile. "That was a little harsh."

        I couldn't tell if she would be a better actress, or news reporter. It was kind of a bummer that we got off on the wrong foot. It'd be like Tikki all over again. 

      "Well, I'll see you later, got to go find the real Ladybug."

        Alya actually didn't leave though, because Adrien and a really tanned boy wearing headphones were walking towards us.

        "Hey Alya! (Y/n)!" Adrien called to us.

        Adrien's smile was a ray of sunshine.

        "Oh! Hey Nino!" Alya called to the boy next to Adrien. Surprisingly, Nino didn't really smell like cheese like I had thought earlier.

        "So Alya," Adrien grinned, "I see you've met (y/n) already?"

        "Uhh yeah. We just met."

        I stared longingly into his eyes, "Yep, for some reason, I keep magically running into people around my age. So far, at least."

        For some reason, Adrien seemed to be especially giddy.

        "So guys. I have good news." Nino nodded as soon as he said the words. I guess Adrien already told his best bud what that was. "My dad's away on a business trip today, so we can chill out at my place."

       "Actually, bro," Nino interjected, "Alya and I were planning to hang out later..."

        "Oh. OHHH. So they're dating!" I thought.

        "But you guys are totally welcome to come along, you know."

       "Don't worry about it Nino. It's fine. Really."

       "I'm really sorry Adrien," I also added, "but I've got to get back to work soon too. Maybe afterwards? I'll be done pretty late though."

       "I can't" he shrugged. "I'm really busy afterwards."

        At night? What could Adrien Agreste be busy with, at night?

       "Well. This is kind of awkward bros," Nino interrupted the silence by saying. "I'll catch you later dude?" He finger gunned to Adrien.

        "See you later Nino. You too Alya. And (y/n)," he pulled out a slip of paper, "here's my cell number. You can call me whenever. I'll see you soon- hopefully." 

       I looked up from the grass on the ground which I didn't realize that I was staring at during the awkward affair. "Even tonight?"

        We both looked around, kind of avoiding eye contact. "Well, maybe not tonight."

       By the time we left each other, speechless, Alya and Nino were long gone.

        After work, when I was in my new room, getting ready to transform, I saw a picture of Marinette and Alya together. That explained why I thought she looked so familiar to me earlier. But if Marinette could keep such a secret from her best friend, then I could too.

        "Tikki, you know Alya right?"

        "Yep. You ready? Just say the words."

        I nodded.

        "Tikki, spots on!"

        I examine myself in the mirror after my transformation. I looked nice as Ladybug, I felt like I belonged as Ladybug. I wished Adrien could see me like this. What would he think?  It's not like I could have skipped out on patrol anyway to hang out with him, Tikki wouldn't have liked that.

       But I couldn't get caught up with Adrien, at least, not then. 

        There was a black kitty waiting for me in the darkness of the night.