Shifting (Trans Marinette)

Fantastic (4)

Nino was blabbing again. He often goes on and on and on about something that Adrien has no knowledge of whatsoever. Usually he did it during lunch or somewhere that's no class, but for some reason he can't shut up during physics. It got to the point where the teacher warned him twice to be quite. Still, that boy proceeded to yak on and on. It was driving Adrien insane listening to his theories and thoughts about a game he's never even heard of. Nino might be his best friend, but sometimes it's too much.

"Nino! This is the last time! Stop talking!" The teacher shouted. Nino appeared un-phased by the teachers outburst and merely continued to chat to an unresponsive Adrien who was covering his ears.

"Switch seats with Alya, now!" She ordered.

Nino finally stopped talking and sighed before standing up. Alya groaned, but it sounded so fake that Adrien instantly became suspicious. She sat down next to him and the teacher continued talking. Adrien sighed, happy to get a break from Nino's relentless chattering. He laid his chin down in his arms as he kept his gaze on the board when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned his head and gave an annoyed look to the girl next to him.

"What?" He asked.

"Did you see Mar today? Smokin' right?" She questioned.

Adrien looked over his shoulder at Marinette. Her hair was definitely starting to grow out to the point that she had to tuck it behind her ears to get anything done. It was incredibly endearing, but not as endearing as the dainty jewelry hanging from her neck. It was a silver ladybug strung on a white silver chain, the metal glistening in the sunlight that streamed through the window. Her eyes were as big and doe-like as ever, and he could even make out a thin line of brown feathered right at her lashes.

"I guess," he responded looking away with a pink face.

"Mar is like so cute, she's just so pretty all the time and like her hair is so soft," Alya continued. Adrien was surprised to hear Alya refer to Marinette with her correct pronouns. Mostly because according to them Adrien Agreste had no idea Marinette was trans.

"Really? I've never felt it," he murmured, trying to stay quiet and keeping his eyes o the board.

"It's soooo soft, you have to feel it. I'll make sure you do because it's just soooooo soft."

"Mh-hmm."

"And like, her eyes are so big with mascara. Because she always complained before that she has tiny Asian eyes, by like she's only half Chinese so they're honestly not that small and the makeup makes them look so much bigger. She's honestly like the cutest thing I've ever seen-"

"Are you gay for her?" He interrupted, not interested in Alya telling him things he already knew. Alya turned bright red, but then blinked as she remembered he wasn't supposed to know she was trans.

"W-what?" She stuttered. He turned to make eye contact with her.

"Are you gay for Marinette?" He repeated. Alya's eyes widened. She was certain he didn't know her real name.

"H-how did you-"

"Not you too, Alya!" The teacher whined.

"Marque! Switch places with Alya, please!" The teacher begged. Adrien whipped his head back to see a pink faced Marinette start to stand up and trade places with Alya. Alya kept a stern stare on him as she walked around the desk and in to Marinette's spot.

"Thank you. Now, back to the lesson..."

Adrien watched as Marinette settled in to the seat next to his, her face a cute shade of pink as he caught a glimpse of her outfit for the day. She wore a tee shirt as usual but lacked her blazer. Instead of jeans she wore a pair of printed tights under a pair of shorts. It took him a moment to distinguish the pattern on her legs, and his eyes widened as he realized it was a cat pattern. Her hair was held back with a pair of black pins so you could only tell it was pinned up close, but a piece still hung in her face. Adrien was no longer concerned with physics.

He was 100% focused on her. The thought of last night made him crave her affections again. Her warm body snuggled close against his side as he ran his fingers through her hair. He couldn't properly feel the softness due to his gloves, but he so desperately wanted to. It was hard to remember how he started to like Marinette, but it was easy to completely fall head over heels for her when he suspected that she was BeetleBug with him as Chat Noir. Once he suspected the pieces merely fell in to place. It explained her courage and strength and charisma, but it also explained her insecurity. Being known as "BeetleBug" when you're actually a girl must be hard to deal with. Her suit more resembled a ladybug, but because it had the word 'lady' the media labeled her as BeetleBug.

It didn't take long for him to realize she knew he was staring at her. Her body was stiff and she looked like she wanted to run away and escape his gaze. He tore his gaze away from her and tried to keep it away, but it was rather difficult considering he could smell her sweet scent of vanilla. It was probably from the bakery considering how natural and faint it smelled. He wanted to bury his face in her hair just to be consumed by the heavenly scent. As he kept his gaze off of her he found himself intensely staring at a spot on his desk instead. He probably looked insane just glaring an invisible spot on his desk, but Marinette's comfort matter more than his gratification from her appearance. Last night was still gnawing at the back of his mind.

Marinette was freaking out on the inside. Adrien Agreste had been staring at her for the first five minutes she was sitting next to him. Now he was staring at his desk like a mad man. She couldn't resist sneaking a couple peeks at him, and the second time she did he looked at her too and her heart skipped a beat as they made eye contact. She instantly snapped her attention to the board, her heart racing in her chest while he continued to blatantly stare at her. Her eyes skipped over to him once for a split second and then allowed them to linger the second time. He smiled at her and she smiled back nervously.

Adrien quickly eyed the teacher who was talking loudly and clearly while paying complete attention to the board. He ripped out a piece of paper from his notebook and scrawled a fast note before discreetly passing it over to Marinette. She cautiously accepted the note and read the words in front of her.

A: Alya talks a lot about you

Marinette frowned and glared back at her best friend. Alya was confused and shrugged at her expression. The heroine sighed and turned back to the note. She quickly scribbled her reply and slid the paper back to Adrien.

M: She can get that way. Sorry if she bored you to death :P

Adrien silently chuckled at the cute emoticon face and eagerly replied. He passed it back and watched her read and react.

A: It's okay. She wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know

Confusion struck Marinette's face as she replied.

M: What did she tell you?

A: Mostly about how pretty and cute you are. She talked about your hair and your eyes a little, and I'll admit I didn't know your hair was so soft

The girl instantly turned beat red as she read the information Adrien had given her. When she looked over at him he was smiling and patiently waiting for her response. She then looked over at Alya who was napping instead of paying attention. Of course...

M: You already knew that?

Her handwriting was shaky. Mostly because of how nervous she was from him potentially telling her she's pretty and cute. Adrien's smile widened as he read the page, and it made her even more anxious.

A: Of course. A girl as cute as you is undeniable

Marinette's stomach flipped when she read the treacherous words. She looked at him with worried eyes and he simply smiled, as if to say it was okay.

"H-how did you know?" She whispered. Adrien's smile turned sympathetic from the tone of her voice.

"Lucky guess...I could just tell," he replied quietly. She gnawed nervously on the inside of her cheek.

"So...i-it's not weird or anything?" She asked. Adrien shook his head.

"Of course not," he assured her. She smiled in response and he took back the paper to write another note to her.

A: you're fantastic