And That Makes Four Of Us

More than just a friend

Okay just as a disclaimer, as this is kind of an AU but still linked into the main story line I might mess up at points as in what order some events happen in etc. I do try and make sure its at least semi accurate, but I might just assume there are other battles in between the main episodes just so it kind of fits with what I want to do… but I’m trying so don’t hate it please. Also, I’m really sorry for being out for so long but I had a big project for my dad’s birthday, then things got a bit hectic with work, then I got out of the swing of things so I like lost track/motivation and wasn’t sure how to put all my ideas into order (I still don’t) so it might be a bit of a mess the next couple of chapters but I’m hoping to be back and finally tick off my list of what I want to happen and actually finish a story! So, thank you all for your patience and I hope you enjoy!
Also just bear with this chapter, it’ll make sense in the end. And sorry not sorry 😉
(Is the format okay? Can you tell when there's a new line of speech it all seems bunched on my phone that's all)
Remember to vote and comment! 😁

~~~

“Oh, beautiful statue of Adrien. Your wax is so soft. Your yak hair is silky. Your eyes are so green. Oh, shall I be a statue too? Everything would be so much easier. Why haven’t we been moulded together in the plaster of destiny? Marble to marble. Wax lips against wax lips. Entwined for eternity.” With her hand gently placed upon his cheek, poised on her tiptoes, she gently brushed Adrien’s lips with hers. Marinette drops back down and laughs. “You’re right Tikki, I just had to pretend! Thank you for the pep talk. Come on let’s go back upstairs.” Continuing to smile with her newfound sense of confidence, she skipped towards the elevator and waited for the ding.
Adrien didn’t dare move until he heard the doors close. “Plagg, what just happened?” He still wasn’t sure what to do with himself, and awkwardly paced back and forth.
“You just got a kiss of the baker girl.”
“She likes me?” Adrien was dumbfounded, how had he been so oblivious all this time.
“You’re really slow sometimes kid…”
“Shut up Plagg, this is a lot to process!”
“What’s to process she likes you, you either like her back or you don’t simple as that. Although you should go for it, baker girl must have access to all sorts of cheese…” Plagg licked his lips thinking about some baked camembert; he wasn’t fussed about the bread.
“Simple as that?! It’s not as simple as that! I love Ladybug not Mari… But she’s my best friend I don’t want to hurt her… Can you stop thinking about cheese for 5 seconds and help me here!” Adrien threw his arms up in the air, annoyed at his kwami for his lack of help.
“Fine. If you don’t like baker girl-”
“Marinette.” Adrien interrupted. “She has a name Plagg.” He crossed his arms.
“Okay, if you don’t like Marinette, why did you let her kiss you?”
“I… I don’t know… it was a prank and…”
“Yeah, but you could have quite easily pulled back and said something. Except now she’s gone back upstairs to find you, and you’re not going to be there are you?” Adrien froze. “If you ask me kid, I’d say you like her too.”
“But Ladybug!”
“But, but, but. But nothing Adrien. Wake up and smell the camembert! She just gave you all you needed to know! Ugh I’ll never understand human love.” It was Plagg’s turn to throw his arms in frustration.
“Everything I needed to know?” A confused look came across the boy’s face. He shakes his head in dismissal. “I need to go back upstairs and talk to her…”
“She said the one thing you needed, and you can’t remember.” Plagg mumbled under his breath. “Let’s go.”
~~~
“Hi Mari.” Adrien waved as the elevator doors opened.
Marinette jumped and spun around. “Oh, you were downstairs? I thought you were still up here.”
“Erm, no the timer went, and I thought I had done something to upset you, so I went downstairs to find you and talk and…” He coyly rubbed the back of his neck, unsure how to approach the subject.
“To find me… Wait, you thought I was upset with you why?”
“I know you’re not, it’s okay, I was just worried. But everything makes sense now.”
“Of course, I’m not upset with you you’re my best friend Adrien. The four musketeers remember!” She smiled widely.
“I’m not just a best friend to you, though am I?” Marinette froze, the smile gone. He was onto her.
“What, of course you are, what else would you be, like that’s crazy!” She rambled.
Adrien walked closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Do you remember why we’re here?” She nodded slowly, unsure of his point. “My wax statue is getting fixed… It’s missing a hand… It’s not on display…”
Marinette’s eyes were ready to pop out of her head, before she slammed her hands into her face and turned around. She had realised what she had done. “That was... Adrien I…”
“Hey.” He took another step towards her and gave her a gentle hug from behind. He could feel her tense slightly as his touch before relaxing into his embrace. “Mari, it’s okay I understand. Everything’s fine. I just wish you had told me. I now know you were never mad at me, or upset with me, you didn’t hate me. You were just a little awkward because you liked me, right?” He could feel her hair brush his cheek as she nodded.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered, barely audible.
Adrien spun her around to face him. “You have nothing to be sorry for Mari! If anything, I should be sorry… I should have said something, I shouldn’t have played that prank on you, I don’t know why I didn’t move I just…” He still wasn’t sure why he hadn’t pulled back, maybe Plagg was right maybe he did like her as more than a friend. But he loved Ladybug. His head fell with a sigh. His hands were still on her shoulders, and he could feel her bluebell eyes looking up at him still. Just as he went to look back up and face her, he noticed her satchel. The very same satchel he saw her talk to before she left. Tikki. Is that what Plagg meant, when he said he missed a vital clue?
“Um, Adrien? Are you okay?” His grip on her shoulders had tightened slightly, not enough to hurt her, but enough for it to be getting uncomfortable.
Her words were enough to break Adrien’s trance, and he removed his hands. “Oh, uh, yeah… Mari? I have a question. And I want you to be honest with me, is that okay?” She nodded. “Who’s Tikki?”
“Tikki? What’s a Tikki? I have no idea what you’re on about.” She could feel her cheeks betraying her.
“I just want you to be honest Mari.”
Marinette let out a sigh. She had been caught. She could feel a lump in the back of her throat, knowing the potential consequences of someone knowing her identity. But maybe Master Fu would let her keep Tikki. “You already know don’t you…”
“Yes, but I need to hear you say it.”
“My kwami.” Her heart sank.
Adrien gave her another embrace. “Thank you.” Plagg was right. Marinette was more than just a friend. He loved her, because he loved Ladybug. And Ladybug was Marinette!
“Wait! What? Don’t you want to know what a kwami is or something?”
Adrien pulled back. “As a matter of fact, I already know what one is.” He winked.
“What? How? PLAGG?!” She pointed at the kwami that flew out of Adrien’s shirt. She didn’t know what to do with herself. “Chat?”
“Hi baker girl! Err Marinette.” Plagg gave her a small wave and floated down to her satchel. “Hi Sugar Cube!”
“But, but, but, but, but…”
“Shh Milady, it’s okay.”
“But you’re…”
He held up his ring to confirm it for her. “Your secret is safe with me. I promise. We’re in this together.” His smile broke Marinette from malfunctioning further.
“Okay kitty.” She smiled warmly back at him. It was her turn to hug him. She nestled herself comfortably into his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She would never have guessed that her Adrien was also her partner.
The elevator behind them began to beep, they quickly released each other, not ready for the torment that was Alya. But the doors didn’t open. The elevator continued to beep. Adrien turned back to Marinette, with a quizzical look on his face. Except he was no longer stood next to her. “Marinette?” He was frantically looking around the room from where he stood, unable to move his feet. The beeping continued. “Marinette!” He cried out, sitting up bolt upright in his bed. It took Adrien a few seconds to get his bearings. His alarm continued to sound beside him. He reached over and turned it off.
“Marinette hey?” Plagg floated out from his cupboard ready to wind up the boy. “You dreaming about the baker girl now are ya?”
“She kissed me…”
“Ooooooh” He nudged Adrien’s arm playfully. He was becoming as bad as Alya
“And she was Ladybug…”
“Ooo- Oh well it was just a dream kid.” Plagg tried to cover it up.
Adrien wasn’t sure what to think. “I mean I know it was definitely a dream, but it felt so real Plagg… She was my Bugaboo… Everything made sense, everything fit into place… Why she’s awkward around me, how she felt in my arms… Everything was just…perfect.”
“You’re going to make me puke. And I would rather keep my camembert where it’s meant to be. In my tummy!” He rubbed his belly with glee.
“Okay, okay, lets get ready for school.” He pulled back the covers and started to get ready. He wasn’t sure how he was going to face his friend after a dream like that. He had this nagging thought that maybe the Plagg in the dream was right, maybe she was something more to him. But awake Plagg was right, it was just a dream, Marinette couldn’t really be Ladybug. Right?