After a few minutes had passed of staring at each other awkwardly (their faces inches apart in the tiny cupboard), Marinette spoke

"Look, we need to find a way out of here."

"You just now figured that out?" Adrien face was dimly lit in the low lighting

"Oh, shut up. Are there any windows?"

"Well judging by the fact I can barely see my hand in front of my face, I would say no"

"For once would you stop being a jerk and actually help?" Marinette cried angrily "Or do you want to be stuck in here together until someone opens this door?"

Adrien actually seemed to be weighing up his options.

"You know what, nevermind." Marinette started feeling the door next to her, trying to twist around to face it "I'll find a way out myself. You can just stay and rot here for all I care."

"Hey! And stop moving so much, or you're going to make both of us fal-"

His words were cut off by Mari tripping over her own feet, making them both tumble to the ground.

"Do you like being in constant contact with the floor?" Adrien remarked dryly from beneath her.

"Shut. Up." Carefully, Marinette started to lever herself upwards, trying to ignore the fact that her face was burning from lying on Adrien's chest. At least it was dark.

"You gonna get up any time soon?"

"Working on it!"

But then Adrien shifted slightly, causing Marinette to fall again.

Only this time in a much more compromising position .

Wasn't the whole 'fall on someone and you accidentally kiss' thing supposed to be saved for rom-coms?

Marinette strongly felt that this should be saved for rom-coms.

Turning her head to the side, Mari's face heated up even more.

"S-sorry. I…..fell."

"You know, if you wanted to kiss me, all you had to do was ask."

"Save it. Like I would ever want to kiss YOU."

Adrien's response was halted by a voice outside the door.

"This isn't supposed to be locked….."

The lock clicked, and the door swung open.

Revealing a blue-tipped haired boy, staring into the closet with his mouth open.

"LUKA?" Marinette screeched

Then she realised the compromising position she was in.

"T-t-this was an accident I-I-I swear, Alya and Nino locked us i-in here, and w-we were trying to get out, a-and…"

Luka blinked.

"Wait…what?"

Quickly, Marinette scrambled out of the door, and started speaking to Luka rapidly. The two started making their way up the corridor as Marinette valiantly tried to prove to Luka that she absolutely HADN'T been doing anything with Adrien, and it really was a misunderstanding.

"Don't sweat it." Luka said when Marinette had finished, stretching his arms up "I believe you. Though…" He glanced backwards "I can't believe Nino locked you in there with him."

Like Marinette, Luka was a strong believer in setting things right. It was probably because of this, that he also disliked Adrien.

"Believe me, I'm going to kill Alya."

"I thought it was Nino?"

"I know it was Alya's plan. She distracted us before Nino grabbed us. And it sounds like the type of thing she'd do."

"It really does, doesn't it?" Luka looked upwards for a minute, before glancing back at Marinette, his expression darkening "While you were in there…did Adrien do anything?"

Blushing, Marinette averted her eyes.

"No. Nothing."

"Good." Luka's usual infectious smile spread over his face "So…Have you heard Jagged Stone's new single?"

"Have I ever!"

…

As Marinette and the blue porcupine head walked away, Adrien was left sitting in the closet, sulking like an angry kitten.

He was so close to asking Mari out! Just a few more minutes!

At least…Adrien touched his lips.

At least there had been that. Marinette wasn't disgusted at the prospect of kissing him! That was a plus!

Getting up, Adrien strolled off to go and find Nino. Usually he would be annoyed that Nino messed around in his business, but this time he'd let it slide.

He may just have to ask Nino where he got his pointers.

Although…The blue porcupine head. Did Marinette like him? She seemed pretty close to him when he walked in on them.

Suddenly, his phone started ringing, jerking Adrien out of his thoughts.

He picked up.

"Hello?"

"Adrien." A cold voice on the phone spoke "You must leave school immediately. You have a photo shoot booked, and as far as I have checked, you are late. Do not allow these photographers to think that Agreste Fashion is below par."

"Yes….father."

"I will send your body guard to collect you. Do not make me regret giving you the chance to go to public school."

His father hung up.

Sighing, Adrien pocketed his phone, and started walking toward the exit.

This? This right here was why Adrien was the way he was. Ever since his mother disappeared, his father became a closed off shell of a human being. So, Adrien decided to be the complete opposite. In Nino's words:

"Dude, you totally hide yourself in that leather jacket to make sure that people leave you alone."

But Marinette? Marinette was like a breath of fresh air. That first day, when all he had for companionship was Chloe, she burst in as a flurry of anger and raw emotion.

She hadn't changed at all.

Smiling slightly, Adrien left the school, and got into the silver car waiting for him.

….

Marinette. Was. Livid.

After cornering Alya after her last lesson (which luckily, Adrien skipped), the ombre haired girl had admitted to everything.

Picking up her phone, Marinette sighed. If it was any other situation, she would call Alya. Now however?

Scrolling down, she called a different contact.

"Hey Mari…You know it's the middle of the night here in Australia, right?" Tikki asked sleepily on the other side of the line.

"I am aware."

"Cool, just checking. One second, let me get my cookies… Okay, continue!"

"Why do you have cookies in the middle of the night?"

"That's not relevant. What were you saying?"

Although Marinette might not speak to Tikki much (she lived in Australia for crying out loud), the two were actually pretty close. She somehow always knew what to do.

After she explained her situation, she waited for Tikki to stop munching on coookies and reply.

"…Are you sure Adrien doesn't like you?"

"That's not what we're talking about!"

"Fine, fine. Long story short, make up with Alya, and stop being dense. Goodnight!"

The line went dead.

Honestly.

That's Tikki for you.

Hugging a pillow, Marinette stared out of the window.

She needed to make up with Alya.

But why couldn't she get that god-dam kiss out of her mind?