Summary for a fic I'd write if I were a writer:
Marinette and Chat Noir have a nebulous "let's just be emotionally vulnerable with each other, kiss sometimes, and not put a label on it because we're both in love with other people" thing going on but for Adrien the lines begin to blur. He starts offering to carry Marinette's bag, is always trying to give her a ride home, and other boyfriend-ly things, TO MARINETTE'S EXTREME CONFUSION.
One night she finally loses it and tells Chat that Buttercup is driving her crazy; he's there every time she turns around, and she keeps making a fool of herself! Of course she believes he's just trying to be a Good Friend and she's reading into it too much because of her feelings for him, but Chat is suspicious (and not a little jealous), leading to a situation where Adrien becomes single-mindedly determined to catch Buttercup in the act.
I’m sure this isn’t what you asked for, but it’s what I’ve got.
Adrien was looking at her again. Not so much as staring but attempting to stare into her soul. Which, if he had been doing this a few months ago, it would have been the most magical thing ever but now it was just creepy. And kind of sad.
Sad for her. Made her sad. Because she didn’t want him doing this anymore. Because she had gone so far out of her way to try to get over him BY KISSING CHAT NOIR and he’s doing this now!?
Really!?!
He held out his hand. She eeped, grinning widely. Too widely probably but his eyes were doing the attempted soul piercing so it was fine. They were looking at each other like lunatics, it was fine.
Fine?
Yes. Right. Adrien said something. Hand/eyes/smile-
She eeped again. Dumping her bag into his waiting hands. Right. He’d started doing this. Wanting to hold her bag. He slung it over his shoulder in the most attractive model shoulder swoop imaginable and looked down at her again with an almost Chat-like smirk.
But Chat pulled it off so much better. Not that she was paying attention to that. No. That would add to her dumpster fire of a love life.
She stared down at their feet, watching as she strolled away with her bag. She followed. How did it get here? She remembered vaguely of the time when her love life had been simple; loving Adrien, not getting Adrien, kissing Chat because they were both heartbroken and knew this was a bad idea but it was nice feeling needed.
Her stomach churned. She tried not to think how she was breaking Chat’s heart and kissing him at the same time.
No, my love life has always been a dumpster fire.
She felt shoulders brush. Nudge. She eeped, looking up. And up.
When did Adrien get so tall? And why was he oozing petrol onto her love life with that smile?
“Are you ok, Marinette.”
“Dumpsters! I mean!” She wanted to explode. In many different ways. “I mean!” She looked around frantically. “I think I saw a cat! Jump into that dumpster!” It was a trash can. And far too far away for anyone without binoculars to be able to see a cat.
He looked over, squinting. Suddenly he shook his head, laughing as if she told the most hilarious joke. “You’re so funny, Marinette!”
That would have made her slip into a pile a mush before. Now it was weird. And a weird part of her mind thought if this was Chat-
She stopped that train of thought dead in it’s tracks.
III
Marinette was distracted. And not by him.
That. That was a problem. This is what they were supposed to be doing right? Distracting each other? Chat pulled away. Marinette’s lips chased his and as much as he wanted to resume their bi-weekly makeout/heavy petting session, he placed a soft hand on her shoulder.
“What’s wrong?”
Her eyes widened, her mouth gaping. He wanted to close that mouth with his, but this was far more important than his hormones or desperateneedtobelovedbutthisisn’twhatthisis. This was Marinette.
And…she was crying now.
“Sorry!” She laughed, wiping a tear away. “I-I…it’s Buttercup.”
Chat Noir froze. “Buttercup?” Her face reddened as she looked away. For a sickening second, Chat thought Marinette was not-breaking up with him (they weren’t dating. They aren’t) for the loser Buttercup. But before he could ask, Marinette’s face became redder and redder until she exploded.
“I just don’t know what his deal is!? He’s driving me crazy! There! Always there! Looking. Eyes. Watching.” She squinted, looking around. Chat wasn’t sure if he should let go of her or old her close as her words jumbled and as much as the tone of her voice. “He told me he didn’t love me. Loved someone else! But does he?” Chat was afraid if he wasn’t a superhero he wouldn’t be able to keep up. “Yesterday he knocked his friend out of the way to run to hold the door for me. Laughs too much as my lame jokes and tells me how beautiful I am in my outfits.”
She looked away, biting her lip. Despite himself, he licked his, watching. “He told me he likes someone else, but he’s not acting like it.” She whispered. His eyes snapped back to hers. “I don’t know if I’m being toyed with, or if this is some big joke or I’m thinking too deep into it.” She shrugged, her hand on his knee. “I typically do when it comes to him. Overthink.”
Anger rose in Chat. He leaned in and kissed her, pressing his lips to hers hard. She let up a small ‘mrmph!’ sound but he didn’t care. She didn’t deserve this jerk playing her like this. She didn’t deserve anyone (else). He pulled away and her face was flush, she was breathing heavy.
“You’re amazing Marinette.” She stiledl at his words. “And you deserve the world.” His body relaxed at her flush. “Don’t let this guy walk all over you! He told you how he felt and now he needs to deal with the consequences of turning you down.” He ignored where his mind said “consequences of turning down the greatest girl in the world.” He’d deal with that alone in the mirror. He cupped her cheek. “Do you want me to talk to him?” He smirked in a way he knew she like. “Cataclysm him?”
Her face flushed again. He couldn’t help himself - He kissed her chastely. And then again deeper. She relaxed under him as her hands found his hair again. He let her deepen the kiss, the thoughts of Buttercup leaving his brain.
For now.
III
Adrien studied himself in the mirror, ignoring Plagg as he swirled around him.
“Just let it go, already. You’re going to end up just chasing your tail. Literally and metaphorically.” The Kwamii muttered.
Marinette had brought him up again.
Buttercup.
“I just need to figure out who he is so he leaves her alone.” He justified. He wasn’t sure if it was to himself or Plagg. “I’m with her all the time, it shouldn’t be that hard to figure out.” Right?
“Why not just tell her that you do like her. As Adrien? As Chat…”
Adrien sent Plagg a dirty look. “I’m doing this as her friend.”
Plagg laughed. “Friends? Is that what the kids are calling this now?” Plagg only laughed harder at his look. “You could practically taste what she had for lunch!” Adrien tried to swat him out of the air. “Adrien!” Plagg wiped his eyes. “Trust me, let it go. Enjoy your ‘friendship’ with Marinette. Don’t worry about Buttercream.”
“Buttercup.”
“Same person!” He swooped down and found another slice of camembert. “Or just tell her how madly in love with her you are.”
“But I’m in love with Ladybug.”
“Who are you trying to convince here?” Plagg said through a mouth of cheese.
Adrien said nothing.
III
Chat watched as Marinette burst through her skylight door dramatically, heaving a large breath. Chat went to slip down her chimney but paused at Alya’s voice.
“Girl, you should have confessed to him years ago!” Marinette moved up onto the roof and Alya followed behind. “Maybe you all would be married with that hamster by now.”
Marinette screamed into the Parisian afternoon, a croissant in hand. She exhaled and chomped the pastry. “Just a little breathing room would be nice.” She squawked as the croissant went flying. Alya caughted it with a practiced hand.
“He has gotten worse it seems.” She handed the roll back to Marinette.
Chat furrowed his brow, looking at the brick chimney he was grasping. That’s impossible. He looked back down. Besides him and Nino, none of the guys in their school talked to her today. And he had walked her halfway home before Natalie found him. She had only left her alone for maybe fifteen minutes at the most.
Had she run into after he left?
“He wasn’t this bad when he found out about me and Luka.” Chat huffed at the musicians name. “He…he did turn me down…right? I’m not-I didn’t-”
“He did.” Alya’s voice had a tone of reassurance. “Thoroughly. Unequivocally.”
“And he’s acting…” Marinette’s hands went wild. Alya dodged, nodding.
“Smothering? Like a hypocrite? Like he’s in love with you? Like he didn’t totally tell you he loved someone else in front of half the class?”
Chat’s eyes widened. When had this happened? He wracked his brain, trying to remember when someone would have done that to Marinette. It must have been when Father pulled him out of school early for a photoshoot.
So it was someone who went to their school. But who?
III
Marinette shoved Chat against the brick of her rooftop balcony, her lips seared to his in a crushing, bruising, mind altering way. He quickly found himself and returned the kiss with as much fire as she had started it, placing his hands on her waist as he allowed her to kiss him senseless.
She quickly shoved him off. She turned and screamed.
Chat looked down at his hands and back to her. “Uh? Marinette?”
She turned, scowling. “Boys!” She pointed a hand at him accusingly. He pressed against the wall. “You know that thing, boys do?!” She seethed, breathing heavy. She looked around and kicked a chair towards him.
It stopped a few inches from him. “Where they-” She stomped up to the chair, jumping into the seat. She was a head taller than him as her face morphed from whatever emotion this was to a sultry smirk and leaned against the wall, her arm above his head. Chat’s breath caught in his throat as she looked down at him. “Do this?” She whispered.
He nodded stupidly, trying to figure out how to breathe again. “Why, Chat? Why do boys do that?”
His brain was trying to restart. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times, before giving up.
“You do that when you like someone.” She jumped down and kicked the chair away. Now that she was Marinette size again, he could breathe. “Not! Not!” She groaned, grabbing her hair.
Chat paused. He pointed to himself. “But I did that today.” He had done it to Marinette after she had dropped her pencil.
“Drop this?” He remembered asking as she tripped into the wall behind her. He had leaned in close, he had been ready to tell her something witty, a pun maybe about pencils being as heavy as led, but he had paused at how wide her eyes got. They were beautiful. He had told her that. He remembered smiling at her flush and then walked away.
Marinette paused. “What?”
“I was talking to a classmate.” He explained, pressing against the wall as she moved back towards him.
“Girl?” He nodded. “And do you like her?!”
“She’s not Ladybug.” Something told him that was a stupid response. And by Marinette’s reaction he’d say she agreed. “You’re part of the problem!”
She was in his face. He really wanted her to kiss him again. Or yell at him some more.
Both?
She just pointed behind her. “Leave.”
He did as she instructed. But he didn’t go far, jumping back to her roof as she went back inside to look out for purple butterflies. He ignored the screams of frustration and then the tears as he cataclysmed one out of existence.
