The Big Reveal

19 - Everybody knows

They both looked up and saw Alya standing by them. Adrien hid the sketchbook behind, just in case. Then he took Marinette's hand and they stood up with a guilty look like someone caught red-handed.

"Oh, Alya..." Marinette laughed nervously. "I didn't notice you."

"I can see that." Her friend answered wryly. "Should I figure it out by myself, or you'll tell me?"

"Well... Do you need any explanation?" Adrien asked, smiling innocently.

"Ha-ha. Nope." Alya grinned. „Because I've already known everything. But I wanted to see your face, Adrien. Believe me, it was worth to see it."

"But..." Adrien stammered. "How?"

"Oh, it's obvious! Marinette called me on Saturday morning and told me everything!"

"Everything?" Adrien repeated and looked at Marinette with a silent question in his eyes.

"Well... Almost everything..." Marinette whispered in an apologetic tone.

"You haven't mentioned anything about that..." Adrien muttered and looked at her in a disapproval. "You've started departing from the truth lately."

"Oh, Adrien! We had more important things on our hands." Marinette tried to explain.

"I'm sure you did!" Alya laughed meaningfully.

"No, nothing like that..." Marinette stammered, but gave up. Alya would understand that wrong anyway.

"There you are!" Nino interrupted, finally finding them in the corner. "There are some gossips... O-oh... I can see they're not so baseless..." he added, seeing Marinette and Adrien clutching their hands. He looked at Alya.

"It turns out that someone finally saw the light and someone else finally confessed something to someone." Alya summed up.

"Alya!" Marinette exclaimed, embarrassed.

"I thought you're over that, if you allow him to kiss you in front of everybody..."

"I... I forgot about those people..." Marinette whispered.

"Me too..." Adrien added also blushed.

"Well, it's a bit too late now..." Alya muttered. "You'll be the news of the day. Chloe must have her first heart attack, I guess."

"She's calling her daddy." Nino said with a smile. "I have no idea what she wants to gain. Expulsion of Marinette from Paris?" he joked.

"She had to find out someday." Adrien murmured. "What bothers me more is that my father will get known from someone before I talk to him."

"You haven't told him yet?" Marinette sighed with reproach.

"I haven't seen him since Friday. I told you yesterday that he had left in business. I'm not sure if he's already come back home. But I'd like to talk to my dad before Chloe's father talks to him. Otherwise I'll be dead before afternoon..." Adrien said with fear in his eyes.

"Don't panic, dude!" Nino patted him on the back. "By the way, congrats. Alya and I thought that you would never get together."

"It was a bit more complicated..." Adrien paused, ruffling his hair. "Actually, I'm glad that... how did you call it, Alya? That I finally saw the light."

"Something like that..." Alya murmured, winking to Marinette.

Suddenly, the bell rang for the lesson. All students moved toward their classrooms. When Chloe was passing the corner, she looked at Marinette with narrowed eyes and pursed her lips.

"Don't think that you'll get away with it, Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" she drawled. "And you, Adriekins... I'll never ever forgive you!"

"Oh, Chloe... Such envy? It's so unlike you!" Alya commented loudly, causing peals of laughter of most of students around.

"U-uh!" Chloe shouted irritably and moved away stamping her feet.

Alya and Nino followed her to separate her from Adrien and Marinette, just in case. Marinette waited till more people passed them to create longer distance to Chloe and she was just to follow her colleagues when Adrien stopped her clenching her hand.

"What's up?" she asked. "We really have to go to the class."

"It won't be the first time we're late." He smiled.

"But it will be the first time it's our fault." She replied but didn't move waiting for the reason they stayed.

"Will you tell me what you said to Alya on Saturday?" he asked, pulling her closer.

"You don't mind?" she asked quietly and gazed into his eyes. "I had to tell her. She wouldn't forgive me if Chloe got known before her! She had been so supportive to me for the whole year! And besides, I was so happy... I needed to share it with her!"

"The whole year?" he was surprised. "I'm wondering how I couldn't notice that? I must have been blind."

"It's good you're not anymore." Marinette smiled and hugged him. "Now, let's go for the classes. If your dad comes back, we'll have problem with akumatised Chloe. And more lessons to catch up."

"Very funny, Marinette. Very funny..." he kissed her cheek and followed her to the classroom.