Our Tale As Old As Time

Chapter 19

         After their moment, Adrien helped Marinette to her feet and together decided to head inside to get out of the cold air and chat. Her room was nice and homely, the perfect vibe that matched with Marinette. Adrien felt his arms shiver and wrapped his arms around his chest. How long had he been outside? Marinette must have been feeling as cold as he was because Adrien watched as she yanked the comforter off her bed and sat down beside him on the chase, making sure to wrap it around them both. The room settled into an awkward silence. Why was this so awkward!? They had literally just shared a kiss on the balcony, so they should be able to handle sitting side by side. Marinette cleared her throat as she turned toward him and then laid her head on his shoulder, pulling the blanket tighter over herself. Okay, maybe she was comfortable with him. It wasn't like he was uncomfortable with her, he just didn't want to screw his chances with her.

"Are you okay that it was me behind the mask?" She asked her voice soft. With her having made the first move in this moment, Adrien relaxed and laid his cheek against the top of her head as he formulated his reply.

"I mean yeah. That's why I rushed over as soon as I saw the video. It turns out that the girl I have a crush on is also one of my best friends. Who I may or may not have been developing a crush on as well." His hand brushed across her back before grabbing onto her waist as he spoke. With a light tug, he pulled her closer, causing her to shift against him. The silence fell again briefly, before Adrien spoke up again. "Are you okay with me also being Chat Noir?" She took a moment to respond, his anxiety very slowly starting to build the longer it took for her to state her reply. He sat up to look at her. She must have noticed that he was getting anxious because she raised her head to look at him too. For a moment, their eyes met, but Marinette broke their gaze and laid her head back down on his shoulder. That was a good sign, right? Naturally, Adrien rested his cheek on the top of her head again as she let out a thoughtful sigh.

"It'll take some getting used to. That's for sure, but yeah. I'm totally okay with this." Mari said finally as she snuggled up against him. Adrien felt a huge wave of relief pass over him. He had a chance. At least he thought he did anyway.

"If I asked you to be my girlfriend, would you?" The words slipped through his mouth without a thought. Yet, somehow he didn't freak out about it, he remained oddly calm. Confidence maybe? They had kissed already, so was it really too absurd to ask that question? Marinette remained silent, but Adrien was willing to wait for the answer. She didn't need to answer it right away, besides he was satisfied with how things were right now. The room was comfortingly quiet, excluding their breathing. It was so peaceful, that Adrien was sure he would end up falling asleep and before he knew it, he realized that Marinette had already fallen asleep. If he didn't leave soon, the sun would come up before he got home, and his father would be furious. Since Mari was asleep and he knew he would see her later at school, Adrien picked her up in his arms and carried her over to her bed. After making sure to tuck her in, Adrien transformed and made the trek home. By morning, he had hardly gotten a wink of shut eye, but nonetheless rolled out of bed with an anticipation to see Marinette at school. When his bodyguard finally pulled up in front of the school, Adrien made a mad dash inside in search of his princess. It took him a minute, but he at least located Alya and Nino.

"Hey guys!" Adrien called out as he jogged over to them.

"Hey dude." Nino replied delightfully surprised.

"Is Marinette here yet?" Adrien questioned, adjusting the strap on his bag.

"I don't know. She's usually late." Nino responded with a curious look on his face as he took Alya's hand.

"Why? What do you need?" Alya chimed in.

"We just have something to discuss. It's important." He wasn't sure if that was the answer he should have given, but he had to be weary of Alya's reporting, and he was pretty sure Marinette wouldn't want this to get out to their friends. At least not yet. When the bell rang, the three students made their way to the classroom. Everyone was accounted for, except Marinette.