That Night

Chapter 12

Adrien's face was scrunched in concentration as his classmates streamed into their room before class started. They all walked passed him and gave him strange looks, noticing his odd behavior, but he was too deep in thought to even notice, let alone care about what they were thinking about him. He was busy daydreaming about Ladybug and his baby that she was carrying. He was contemplating how he could become a part of his life with all the complications of both of his parents having two identities.

But his thoughts quickly strayed to something new when Marinette walked into the classroom looking radiant in a flowy, floral maxi-dress that showed off her beautiful, bulging belly. With not even enough time for him to take a breath to prepare, his thoughts flew to Marinette's baby.

Who was the father? Everyone was always talking about Marinette and her baby, but in all that talk he had not heard one single mention of who the father was. What kind of vagrant was he, to leave Marinette to grow and raise this baby on her own? His thought flashed to Ladybug having a similar situation, but the thought left as quickly as it came.

He was shaken from his thoughts when Nino had to literally shake him so that he could answer the roll and confirm that he was in fact there. Everyone laughed at Adrien's distractedness, but he was only partially listening to what was going on around him. Thoughts were still rolling around energetically in his mind regarding Marinette. He was so overwhelmed by these thoughts that he was starting to feel a headache forming.

Once the first class was over Adrien slipped out of his seat behind Alya and Marinette. He followed behind them until they all made it into the hall, where he stopped to speak halfheartedly to Nino about some new game that Nino had gotten. Just feet from them, Marinette and Alya stopped to start a conversation with Ivan and Myléne.

Adrien was trying his hardest to remain involved in his conversation, but his half of the discussion abruptly stopped when he heard Marinette tell the couple she was talking to about her baby. "I went to my doctor last week for an ultrasound and it was the most special moment," she gushed. Adrien tuned in to her conversation, completely ignoring his best friend without even thinking.

Marinette continued to tell her story, but Adrien was transported away from everything else and back to his thoughts. He had talked to Marinette countless times since last week, yet she hadn't told him about her appointment, she hadn't told him.... He was brought back to earth when he heard Marinette announce, "it's a boy."

Without thinking Adrien swiveled on the spot to face his classmate, awe on his face. Marinette looked at him with a shy smile, acknowledging his presence. "A boy..." Adrien muttered under his breath in amazement as he turned back to Nino.

But he still wasn't paying attention. "Adrien?... Adrien?" Nino poked his best friend, trying to get him back to the real world. Suddenly Adrien jerked to attention and looked and his friend questioningly. "Dude, you were in another world," Nino drawled.

"Sorry man," he apologized. Adrien was genuinely sorry, but he was still distracted. Could Ivan be the father? No, there's no way; Ivan was with Myléne and they were so serious and so in love that it was distractingly disgusting sometimes.

Why hadn't she told Adrien about finding out the gender of her baby. He thought that they were close friends. She had gotten over her shyness eventually and they had opened up to each other, so why was it that he was finding out the gender of one of his best friend's baby secondhand? Did he upset her somehow, or was there another reason that she left Adrien out of that news?

He sighed and looked back up at his friend. "I'm sorry I'm so distracted." He shook his head remorsefully. "Let's head to our next class." Nino slapped his shoulder in agreement, and they made their way down the hall for the next period.

- - -

Marinette tilted her head in confusion as her and Alya headed to their next class. What was up with Adrien? She looked up at her best friend. "Did you see Adrien's reaction when I was telling Myléne and Ivan about the baby's gender?"

Alya shrugged, "sure."

"Didn't you find it odd?" Alya just lifted an eyebrow at her. "Whatever," Marinette muttered. But she was still thinking about Adrien. He had seemed so surprised, hadn't she already told him? Oh no, had she told him? No wonder he had seemed upset.

- - -

Adrien made it through several more classes paying just close enough attention to take sparse notes that he could study later. He was still thinking about Marinette and why she hadn't told him the gender of the baby.

He was walking to his last class of the day and made his way past the art room. He was right past the door when he heard Marinette speaking inside the room and paused. She was talking to Nathanael. Adrien's teeth began to clench and grind.

He heard her telling him about a new design that she was working on. Then Nathanael told her about a collection of drawing that he wanted to start working on. They were just having a friendly conversation, but it made Adrien angry and he didn't know why.

That redheaded geek didn't deserve to talk to his Princess! He cringed as he realized what he had just thought. Marinette wasn't Adrien's princess for one, but also, he really did like Nathan, so why was he thinking such mean things about him? He shook his head, disappointed in himself, and continued on to his class.

He sat in his seat but didn't even bother to take out his tablet to take notes, he just continued thinking. If any one of the guys in his class was the father of Marinette's baby Nathanael was the most likely. They got along so well, it wouldn't surprise Adrien if they spent time together outside of class.

But Adrien didn't want Nathanael to be the father. He thought to himself even I could be a better father than him. He thought about all the guys his age that both he and Marinette knew, but he couldn't think of a single one that was any better. This kid needed a father, but Adrien felt that there was no one qualified to do it, unless.... Wait, he thought, I'll do it, then the baby will have a.... he trailed off in his mind as he realized what he was thinking. He couldn't be the baby's father; he and Marinette were just friends and she apparently didn't even trust him enough to tell him the gender of his baby.

He sighed and fell back into thinking of how to get the baby taken care and completely missing what his teacher was saying.