Fake Dating

14 - In the maze

Marinette stopped at the first crossroads in the maze and turned around to Adrien. She reached for her phone and instructed him to do the same.

"Rules are simple." she said. "I'm sending you a question that can be answered 'yes' or 'no'. If you answer 'yes' you'll go in the right. Otherwise you'll go to the left."

"How will I know that I was right?"

"I'll follow you, if your answer is correct."

"It's too easy. I'll get known after two steps that I was right."

"Not at all. I'll follow you when you've reached the next crossroads. If I don't, you'll have to come back."

"Interesting... OK. Let's go!"

"OK... Be prepared..." she whispered and wrote something on her phone.

Adrien checked the notification. 'Do I like animals?' Seriously? She was asking him about something so obvious? Of course she liked animals! Yesterday she had been looking for an animal nickname for him. He would even dare say that her favourite pets were... Cats... He smiled under his breath and went to the right. Nino followed him instantly, and when he was passing Marinette, he glanced at her amused.

The girl was observing their walk, then she sighed and joined them. That was easy. For a good start.

"Next question, please!" Adrien grinned.

"Uh-uh!" Marinette shook her head. "Not talking!"

"Aha! You're upset because I've guessed?"

"Shhh..." she whispered and put her finger on his lips.

When he was trying to control astonishment and typhoon of emotions, she wrote him another question: 'Am I scared of thunderstorms?'

Thunderstorms? She was asking him about it at such a moment?! She'd just touched his lips and now she was asking about thunderstorms?! 'It's only fake dating' sounded in his head. He regained his composure and focused on the game. He went to the right with his bodyguard, and when they walked away enough, Marinette sighed with relief, because she also realised what she had done. She called herself to order immediately, because Adrien had just reached the next crossroads and looked at her expectantly. She raised her eyebrow and shook her head. He had to turn back.

"Really?" he asked, and she shushed him again. Yet this time she didn't touch his mouth – her hand hung in the air between them. They exchanged embarrassed glances and without a word they moved to the left.

'Is pink my favourite colour?'

Adrien hesitated. He'd been seeing her the third day in a row and she'd never worn pink clothes. Yet she chose that colour to ask him about her favourite one. A trick or a hint? He wasn't sure. He risked with a right way. And he had to turn back.

'Green?' – at the next crossroads was an obvious provocation, so he went to the left immediately. When she followed him, he smiled triumphantly. It seemed to him that he managed to work her out.

'Golden?'

That could be true. Girls like glimmer. But not this particular one. He backtracked again.

'You're right, too garish. Silver?'

Yes, silver was more likely her. He went in the right. And back to her – again. Marinette giggled.

'Have you had enough?' – she asked at the next crossroads. He laughed and turned left. She followed him immediately, not waiting for the end of the corridor.

'How many colours do you have on your list?' – he wrote while they were walking.

'A few. Red?'

He took an opportunity to think about it for a moment. She said she had more colours on her list, so red probably wasn't her favourite. On the other hand she could try to trick him again. Finally, red suited her perfectly. She was LadyBug after all.

He turned right, and she followed him.

'Am I spontaneous?'

Of course, she was! He went to the right and to his surprise – he had to turn back. That was unexpected. Why? She'd been participating in that crazy Plagg's plan, she'd agreed to trips to the great unknown, she'd suggested this game in the maze... How the heck she wasn't spontaneous?!

'Do I like horrors?' – she didn't let him wonder about the last question for too long.

No, she didn't look like a person who liked horrors. Yet, he had already assumed before that she was scared of thunderstorms. Adrien felt totally misled. He discovered she was good at bluffing. Nevertheless he trusted his intuition and went to the right.

'Do I cry on movies?'

For sure! He chose the right way instantly.

"So obvious?" she laughed as soon as she joined him.

"Shhh..." this time he put his finger on her lips.

'Has anyone ever confessed me they love me?' – Adrien read after a moment and supressed a gasp.

To the right? To the left? She was beautiful, smart and famous. She had to have crowds of admirers! So, he went to the right. She didn't follow him. When he came back to her and glanced at her in surprise, she only shrugged.

'Have I ever been in love?'

Oh, God! He wanted to talk to her right away! To get known why she'd chosen those questions. What she wanted to tell him through them. He still remembered Nino's 'It's only fake dating' but he began to believe that maybe...

Which way he should choose? What if it was the right one? Would that mean someone from her past, or maybe...? Maybe him? He glanced helpless at her, but she looked away immediately. She didn't help him at all, so he turned to the left. Do or die. Besides, they'd known each other for only three days...

He didn't have to look back to know that she followed him. She stopped next to him, and he felt such a strong heartache, that he barely controlled it. She had never been in love. Neither in the past, nor now...

"Your turn, Kitty..." she whispered.

"Prepare for running, M'Lady..." he grinned to cover his disappointment that was completely irrational.