Miraculous: Men in Black

A realisation

It might seem like I'm dragging this on I KNOW but it's for good reason don't worry.
*Thoughts in italic*

Adriens POV:
2:00pm, lunch break.
I've been dreading this. Marinette went to her next class an hour ago, something to do with self defence- Nino told me.
I think Nino really likes Marinette, probably more than I do. Which is good- any friend of Nino's is a friend of mine.

I rush out into the corridors, pushing my way through the crowds of officers to go into the dining hall. When I get there, I find myself an empty table- awaiting my fate.
I look at the woody pattern in the table and trace my finger over the grooves, wondering how I'm going to tell her about what the Chief said.
I'm so lost in thought that I didn't even see Nino sitting in front of me, waving to get my attention.
"Dude you are one thoughtful guy." he laughed.
I look up, startled. "Nino! Could you help me? Please?" 
Nino sat still. He looked around, his hand stroking his chin in confusion. When Nino had finally stopped thinking he blurted out: "Marinette told me the Chief was acting weird before and that you wanted to tell her something. Is that what it's about?"
Adrien's eyes widened with shock.
"Wow Nino, you're like some sort of psychic."
He chuckled. "What can I say? So out with it, man. What did the Chief say?"

I gulped. "He doesn't want Marinette doing patrol with us on Friday. Or any other day for that matter. She'd 'make the police look less intimidating' apparently." He made pretend quotation marks with his fingers, mocking the Chief.

"She isn't allowed to patrol with us?" Nino shouted, his mouth agape in shock.
"Be quiet Nino!" I hiss, and then turn to smile at the staring officers around me.
They turned away again.
"Don't tell Marinette!" I snap.
"Don't tell Marinette what?" A female voice echoed from behind me.
Oh no, Marinette!
"H-Hi Marinette!" I managed to squeal.
I look up to Nino for help. His eyes dart around the room, looking for some sort of excuse.
"The cheese sandwiches!" Nino spluttered, his eyes set on the lunch queue.
"Cheese sandwiches?" Marinette asked, raising an eyebrow.
All I can do is close my eyes and shake my head.
Way to go Nino.
He must've saw how disappointed I was in him, because suddenly he gasped- looking up, I watch as he forms an excuse right in front of Marinette.
"You mean you haven't heard about the cheese sandwich sale on today?" Nino starts, "It only comes once a year, and you only get a sandwich half price if you are- uh, in on the code! Thats why Adrien wanted to talk with you. To give you the code. Now sit down and chill Mari! I mean come on, who wouldn't want to know about the cheese sandwich sale?" Nino's eyes are set on me as he nods, urging me to nod with him in approval of his blatant lie.

"Oh uh yes! Marinette! That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about." I nod in agreement.
Both of us turn to Marinette.
Marinette looks at Nino and then me.
She giggles, "You guys are really something. I mean, I thought cops were supposed to be intimidating, Officer Agreste."
Nino turns to me, obviously thinking about what the Chief said to me.
I shoot him a glare and awkwardly smile at Marinette "Please, call me Adrien."

The rest of the day dragged and I didn't see Marinette after that at all. When I checked the clock on my computer and realised it was home time, I grabbed my stuff and sped out of the door.
Only to clash into someone.

"Officer Agreste. I'm so sorry! I should've looked where I was going a-and I-" Marinette stammered.
"Call me Adrien. Everyone else does." I smile at her.
"Adrien." She finishes, a sweet smile washing over her freckled cheeks.
Her face looked so innocent, but the uniform told a different story.

Suddenly, a door bangs open, causing Marinette to jump. A stocky officer with curly hair emerges and takes a good look at Marinette.
"Whit woo" he whistled as he walked past her.
She looked at the floor, obviously uncomfortable.
"Oh grow up, have you never seen a woman before?" I snarled at him.
He looked at me in shock before leaving.
"Thanks...Adrien. But I can-" she started.
"Handle it yourself? I know, I am fully aware. Hey, you did a good job today. Keep it up, Mari- I'll see you tomorrow." I finished, smiling at her as I turned to walk away.
"B-bye."

Marinette's POV:
"B-bye." I stuttered.

Woah, where did this stutter come from? I guess it's just nerves. I mean Adrien is pretty high up in this department, wouldn't wanna get on his wrong side. 

I watch as his golden hair fades into the night. He must live close since he's walking.
*Beep beep*
"Argh!" I yelp, startled, I turn to see Nino chuckling from his car.
"Ready to go?" He smirks as he sees me look towards Adrien.
"Uh, yeah!" I reply, opening his car door to get in.

I sit down and relax, staring out the car window. The car was silent for a minute until Nino started to laugh.
"What're you laughing at?" I question.

"I can't believe you've only been here for a day and you're already crushing. I mean come on dudette! Even I don't start crushing that fast." Nino answered as he started the engine and drove.
"Shut up I don't like Adr-anyone. I don't like anyone." I insist, but his emerald eyes stay fixed in my mind.
"Whatever." Nino laughed.
The car ride was fun, Nino blasted music and we sang together. We told each other about life before our jobs, university and how long we studied for.
Suddenly a buzzing from my phone got my attention, a notification bar revealed a message:
'Hey Mari, I'm outside yours! Hope you had a good day today, See u in a bit -Alya x'

A smile seeped across my face as I read the message. Even through text messages, Alya's positive energy shows.
I was so caught up in reading the text I didn't even hear Nino rambling.
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Haha, no sorry. My friend messaged me." I stay looking at my phone.
"Whatever, we're here Mari. I'll see you tomor-" Nino was cut off by the brunette clasping her hands against the car window to look in, her cheeks forming dimples as she giggles at the sight of Marinette.
"Hey Alya!" Marinette says giddily as she opens the door to hug her friend.
The two girls stand talking outside the car as Nino's eyes stay fixated on Alya.

Narrators POV:

Alya turns her head to inside the car.
"Hey uh, do you want a picture?" She laughs at Nino.
"Yes. I- I mean NO! I mean, what do you mean?" Nino stutters.
"I mean you keep staring at me." Alya looks over her glasses at him, awaiting an answer.
"Well- I er.." he stumbles on his words.

"I think you're making him uncomfortable Alya." Marinette adds, chuckling. "Come on let's go inside, see you tomorrow Nino." She pushes Alya in her house whilst she goes back to the car.
"Whose the one crushing too quickly now?" Marinette laughs as she throws a piece of paper at Nino. Before he could say anything, she'd disappeared into her house.

Nino sits in his car alone staring at the note. 'What's this?' He wonders as he opens the folded paper.
His eyes light up when he reads it.
'Call me! -Alya.' with a number scribbled underneath.
He smiles to himself.
'Thanks Marinette.'

*Meanwhile inside Marinette's house*

"YOU GAVE NINO MY WHAT?" Alya shrieks, whilst Marinette rolls about on her bed in stitches.
"Hey, he's like, the male version of you" Marinette says defensively after she gathers herself.
"You'll love him."
Alya paces up and down Marinette's bedroom angrily, until she stops; inspecting the wall above her friends bed. A single magazine clipping remains from when she redecorated a few years ago. She reads it.
"Heyyy, isn't that the teen model you used to have a crazy crush on, Mari?" Alya laughs sarcastically.
Marinette freezes, her eyes widening.
"Give me that." She says as she snatches the clipping off of her friend.
After skimming through the text her heart sunk. It read:
"Adrien Agreste to model his fathers clothing line."
Her eyes darted to the bottom of the page, where an image of a golden haired boy remained. He was dressed in a black hoodie and posed in the lamppost lit street.
Marinette however, could only focus on one thing.
The emerald eyes.

'So that's where I'd seen them before.'