I own nothing.
I'm more partial to MariChat, so I apologize in advance.

This one takes place after Volpina. There's no Ladybug. Just Adrien gushing about how perf she is to Mari. And he might drop a casual hint or two that Chat is super, totally cool. And since I totally arrived late to the party, I may have sneaked another prompt in there.

Small-ish

When Gorilla dropped him off at school, Adrien was not surprised to see Nino holding back a practically rabid Alya. Groaning, he exited the car and slammed the door. He never showed back at school after the fight yesterday and no doubt had caused Alya to miss her scoop. The press had been held off at his own home and they had never followed him to school before. Alya, on the other hand, would not let up until he gave her something to go by.

As he approached his friends, Nino shot him an apologetic look. "I tried to warn you, dude."

Adrien waved him off. "My phone died last night," he lied. Really, he had turned the thing off because he knew they would be blowing it up. He had sent damage control texts first, however.

Alya grinned as she waved her phone; her ladybug charm danced around the sleek plastic. "Mine's not. Fully charged, actually. Even have a portable charger with me."

"Oh," Adrien was unsure of what to say. "That's…thoughtful."

She advanced like a panther. He very much felt like rabbit in rabbit season. "I want—"

"Alya," the soft voice of Marinette called from the foot of the entryway staircase. Adrien felt himself blush as she walked up behind him. "Let's get to class first," she reasoned. As he turned to thank her, he noticed how very pointedly she was not looking at him.

The blogger sighed and relented. "Fine. Besides, the road isn't the best background for my exclusive interview with Adrien Agreste." Marinette smiled and the two girls linked arms, but not before Alya pointed to her eyes with two fingers and then pointed them towards Adrien.

The boys were left at the doors as the girls headed away. Adrien mentally noted to thank Marinette later. Nino bumped his fist into Adrien's shoulder gently and the blonde directed his attention to him. "So, I heard that Lila transferred schools."
One of the tensions on his shoulders eased off. "I kinda feel sorry for her," Adrien admitted. "What about the stuff on the Ladyblog?"

Nino shrugged. "Alya deleted it off, but stuff on the internet is forever. It could resurface later. But, Alya flat out refused to delete the stuff about Volpina. A possible third hero? She's digging it."

"But she was a fake?" Adrien reminded his friend. They were cut short when the warning bell sounded. With a shrug, Nino told him to take it up with Alya later during her exclusive interview. An exclusive interview that Adrien needed to worm his way out of doing.

XXX

When they got to class, he noticed Marinette drawing in her portfolio while Alya rattled off the questions she was surely dying to ask him. Her vulture eyes latched onto him the moment he dropped his bag to the floor. The soft grunt from Plagg caused a smile to quirk his lips.

"Nuh-uh. Don't think you can charm me, mister!" Alya mistook his grin. "I'm getting my interview." She slung an arm around Marinette's shoulders and pulled the girl closer. Marinette's pencil darted across the page and ruined the design she was working on. But, Alya didn't apologize or seem to notice. "And my girl Mari is totes gonna be there."
Green eyes went to the designer. She was? Despite her save earlier, he thought she didn't like him.

Marinette blinked once slowly. "Adrien probably doesn't have time, Alya," she gently reminded her friend. "He probably has a shoot or lessons or—"

"I'll be there," he blurted. The three teens looked at him with as much shock as he felt. He did have a shoot and a Chinese lesson, but would his father say no to free publicity? Mentally, he winced at the thought of that. "Ok, maybe after six?"

Alya whooped and fist bumped the air. "Alright, we'll meet up at Mari's house!"

Adrien could not stop the grin as Marinette's stutter came back. "But I've not roomed my clean. Wet cat smell!"

The blogger grinned slyly, "Chill out, girl. I'll be there before hand to help clean. Maybe even help redecorate." Adrien did not understand Alya's sly wink.

Marinette turned back to her design. "Actually…I was redecorating last night. And, I've got plans this afternoon." She rushed the last part. Adrien was immediately intrigued. Despite being friends with this girl for a year, he didn't actually know much about her. What did she do in her spare time? "I'm meeting someone," she answered the unspoken question before Alya could even voice it.

Shyly, she chewed her bottom lip and glanced at Adrien through her bangs. "I do, um, have one small-ish question. If that's ok, that is. I mean, if it's not that's fine. I can just ask you later or have Alya do it tonight or-"

Adrien's laugh cut her off. At her hurt expression he quickly stopped. "I'm sorry. I promise I'm not laughing at you. It's just..." She was just so cute when she did that. "It's nothing," he declared. "Uh, go ahead. Ask your...small-ish question."

Her blush deepened. "W-what...What was she like? Was she brave? Confident? Probably..." She looked away forlornly. "Probably not clumsy at all."

The model grinned. He could totally gush about his Lady and no one would judge him at all because he had been saved by her. Well, sorta. But, details were unimportant. "Oh man, she's so perfect. She's brave, confident, and totally not clumsy," he paused for a moment when Marinette flinched. What was up with that? "Ladybug is God's greatest gift to mankind. I wish I could be half as cool as her. You know, she nearly risked her life for me?" He grinned cheekily. Because even though he had never really been in any danger, it made his insides tingle. His Lady was willing to give up her Miraculous. His Lady cared for him that deeply. Maybe he stood a chance. Maybe if he had stepped out of the bathroom last night and confessed-

"She what?" Marinette deadpanned.

Adrien blinked in confusion. "She, uh, almost let Hawkmoth win." Her blank stare unnerved him for some reason. Had he said something wrong? He glanced at Nino. Nope. Nothing there on his face but awe. His glance at Ayla rattled his nerves yet again.

"Not another word, Agreste!" She shrieked loud enough for the entire class to direct their attention to them.

He smirked. "But, I've not got to the best part! Chat was so cool. He's the-"

The pencil in Marinette's hand snapped. "Not another word about that mangy cat," she growled.