Keep Me Warm

Trouble

Chapter Three

Marinette couldn't focus at all during school. Madame Bustier had already caught her daydreaming twice in the mere span of 30 minutes.

The third time, she was finally scolded.

"Marinette. Marinette! Did you hear what I said?" Her emerald eyes pierced through Marinette, who, upon hearing her name being called, snapped out of her daze and quickly sat up tall.

"Um... um..." she squeezed her eyes shut, a wave of embarrassment crashing down on her shoulders and a vibrant red color springing to her cheeks. With a resigned sigh, her teacher gave Marinette a firm look. "Pull yourself together or I'll have to send you to the principle." She turned back to the board and continued the lesson. With the attention directed elsewhere, Marinette let her shoulders droop and head hang in defeat.

Her best friend, Alya, placed a consoling arm on her shoulder. "Girl, what's with you? You're normally pretty cookoo but today you're especially out of it." Marinette bit her lip, a blush lighting up her face as she recalled last night. All she had been thinking about was the kiss and Chat Noir and the way his lips felt on hers and how breathless and dizzy she had felt afterwards and how her heart was beating out of control and Chat.

She slapped herself mentally. Get a grip, Marinette. There's NO way on earth you can tell ANYONE what happened. Not even Alya. Even though she has been your best friend since the start of high school. Even though she has protected you from Chloe from the start. Even though she has been the best friend anyone could hope for....

Her stomach churning with guilt, Marinette lied to her friend like she had done countless times before.
"I was just up late working on some designs, and am having trouble keeping my eyes open."

Her mouth pursed, Alya accepted Marinette's explanation hesitantly. "If you say so."

Meanwhile, a certain blonde haired boy seated in front of Marinette could barely hide the grin spreading across his face.

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Marinette was a mystery. Adrien couldn't understand why every time they spoke (which was not too often, to be honest), it had always ended in her stuttering out a few words before making a hasty retreat. Yet for some reason she acted completely normally when he approached her as Chat. Not just normal, she was confident.

Confident and sassy, speaking to him in a way only as though she was completely at ease with the masked superhero.

Adrien was really very curious.

It was her behavior towards Chat that first drew the boy to her. The way she spoke - bluebell eyes sparkling with humor and her tone assertive - pulled him in like bait on a fishing rod. He just couldn't resist this petite girl. And having now become her best friend and closest confidant (other than Alya of course) he had discovered a whole new side to Marinette that Adrien couldn't have ever imagined. He had learned so much about the young girl during their late night rendezvous. 

But Adrien couldn't help it. Being close to her as Chat wasn't enough; he wanted to know Marinette when he was Adrien and he wanted her to know him as well. And so he decided, the day after having kissed young Marinette, to begin his mission. When the bell rang for lunch, he packed up his things lingering a bit longer than usual in order to wait for the subject of his curiosity. Nico cleared his through impatiently, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "So dude, are you coming or you what?"