And That Makes Four Of Us

He loves me not, he loves me

Adrien and Marinette were in the car returning from the Grévin Wax Museum, both still feeling down from their previous awkward encounter. Marinette was so disappointed in herself, for not only listening to Tikki's advice and embarrassing herself, but for lying to Adrien afterwards; why couldn't she just tell him the truth... And Adrien, why did he let it go so far, he should have been honest with his friend... The car proceeded to make its way to the bakery.

"I'm sorry." They said simultaneously, breaking the silence.

"You go first." Marinette offered.

"No, please you."

With a wave of his hand Marinette complied. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kissed the statue, but if I had known it was you and if I had it wouldn't have been a prank because I-" Adrien cut her off, before she could confess.

"No, no, it's my fault... When you left the workshop, I was so worried that you were mad at me, it made me do this stupid prank..."

"Course I wasn't mad at you, I'm sorry that I made you believe that"

"Is that true? We're still friends, you and me?" Adrien leaned forward, eagerly awaiting her response.

"Of course, but to be safe, maybe we stop playing pranks on each other." Marinette's laughter broke the tension.

Adrien joined in the laughs, not realising his words would feel like daggers in her chest. "I know I'm not good with jokes, the girl I'm in love with doesn't like them either."

"The girl you're... you're... you're in love with?" She turned away, heartbroken, no longer able to look Adrien in the eye, knowing the girl of whom he spoke wasn't her.

"Are you okay Marinette?" Adrien was confused, unsure of what he had done or said, they had just sorted things, what could possibly be wrong?

"Yeah... yeah, I'm glad we're friends..." She sulked, as she withdrew further into her seat, clutching her seatbelt for comfort.

"Right, me too... Well most of Paris loves her too if that helps." He chuckled lightly, trying to bring the conversation back around.

"Huh?" Marinette turned back shocked. "I didn't know Kagami was that popular..."

"Kagami?! What no, I'm not on about her. I'm on about Ladybug, the saviour of Paris!" He waved his hand gesturing to the city. "I mean who doesn't love her, she's awesome." He smiled to himself, hoping the topic of the superheroes of Paris would help lighten the mood of the car.

"Ladybug? You love Ladybug?" Marinette stared.

"Yeah, it's kind of embarrassing though, I haven't told anyone actually... not even Nino." He sniggered, despite the girl across from him starting to freak him out.

Marinette broke from her trance. "Oh, it's okay I won't tell anyone," her cheeks beginning to redden. "But when do you tell m- her jokes?"

Adrien began to panic not quite thinking through his choice of words. "Oh, um I have conversations with her photo on my computer, I don't actually talk to her, I mean she's saved me a couple of times, but I just imagine what she would say in response. She is not amused!" He laughed, hoping Marinette would buy his excuse.

Her blue eyes were still focused too intently on Adrien, she couldn't quite comprehend that he said he loved her, her! It might not have been the her sat next to him, but she was still Ladybug for all intensive purposes. "So, you love the idea of Ladybug?" Marinette's enthusiasm was beginning to fade, as she quickly began to realise that he was in love with just the girl and the mask.

"No, I reckon I would love her if I got to know her better." Still trying to cover the fact he knew her better than he was letting on. "I remember the first time she saved Paris, she was strong and brave, I'm sure she was scared just like everyone else, but she didn't let it stop her. She never held back. Sounds like a pretty awesome girl if you ask me."

Marinette's cheeks began to blush again as she listened to Adrien speak highly of her. "But you have no idea who she really is."

"I don't think I have to, she's kind, caring, puts everyone else before her. She's what, our age Alya said? So, she has to have school, homework, her family, and everything else to worry about, it sure can't be easy being her having to run off and leave it all behind and put it on hold to save the members of Paris. She's got to be someone pretty special don't you think? There's a reason we celebrate her on Hero's Day!"

"We celebrate Char Noir too don't forget!" She spoke up, trying to focus the attention away from herself before she burst. "She couldn't do it without him!"

"He just gets in the way, causes her problems..."

"Well I think he's pretty cool, sure he's a flirt, but he has all those things to worry about too,"

"Not a family who cares though..." Adrien muttered under his breath.

Marinette didn't hear him and continued. "He's fearless, he helps to protect Ladybug all the time! He never thinks less of her, even when she messes things up, he always believes in her. That's pretty special too if you ask me."

"Thanks, Marinette." Adrien gave her an appreciative smile, a hint of pink to his cheeks.

"What for?" She said, puzzled.

"Just cheering me up, and not making fun of me about Ladybug." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You're welcome, and don't worry your secrets safe with me." She winked; she was definitely feeling better than when she first got in the car too. "I guess we're here though," she looked past Adrien to see her parent's bakery. "I better get going."

"I'll move it's fine, I don't want you getting out into the traffic." Adrien climbed out the car, allowing Marinette to shuffle along and out onto the path. "Thanks again for coming with me today Marinette, I'm glad we could give you a lift home where we could talk, and that we're okay now." Adrien beamed.

"More than okay!" she grinned back.

With a wave goodbye, Marinette ran through the bakery and up into her room and onto her bed. She squealed with excitement into her pillow.

"I know you're happy Marinette but you can't tell him it's you." Tikki floated out from her bag and perched on the railings of her bed.

"I know Tikki, I know... But it's a start." Marinette said with determination. "I'm sorry for being annoyed at you afterwards, I was just really embarrassed..."

"It's okay Marinette," She flew over to Marinette's cheek, giving her the biggest tiny hug possible. "But it kind of worked out okay though, at least he thinks we make an awesome duo." She giggled.

"I don't need him to tell me that! I already know we're awesome!" Marinette tickled the red kwami's stomach as she spoke.

"What are you going to do now?" Tikki said, softly.

Dumbfounded, Marinette sat there staring at her notice board. "I have no idea... But at least we know who that poem was really meant for, hey Tikki. Maybe we could go with that? I'm sure we'll figure it out." She yawned. "But for now, it's been a long day: babysitting Manon, the wax museum, Puppeteer and Hawkmoth, the whole Adrien fiasco... and I still have history homework to finish for Tuesday... Adrien was right, being a superhero is hard... I wonder if Chat has to deal with all this?"

"If only you knew Marinette." Tikki giggled to herself.

Marinette placed herself in the chair at her desk, and began to type.