By the time recess rolled around, word had already spread that there was a cute new boy in school.

The boy in question was, of course, Marino.

"Uhh, no, sorry Madeleine, I kinda have plans after school today. Maybe another time?" The girl drooped at his words, but brightened up again at his request and nodded.

As she ran back, he heard her friend group looking at her in awe. "How does he know your name?"

There was a light tap on his shoulder. "H-hey,"

Marino turned. "Hmm?" No one was there. Then he looked down. A cute girl held out a box of pastries to him. Marino was starting to grow fond of his new height.

"T-these are for y-you," she said, looking away, face becoming as red as the cookies she was offering.

"Oh! Are you sure? Thank you so much, Charlene!" She ran away blushing. Marino stared after her with a wry smile. If he remembered correctly, she was the daughter of the owner of his family's rival bakery. How ironic.

Alya watched in amusement as Marino slowly made his way towards her, gently brushing aside waves of excited girls. 'Like making his way through a sea of rolling, wiggling bunnies' Alya mused.

When he finally reached her, Alya whistled long and low before he could get a word in. "Dang, I always knew you'd be a ladykiller."

Marino groaned. "Alya, please."

"My girl's doing such a fine job of being a ladies man."

"Alya."

"Alright, alright." She plopped down onto a wooden bench and spread out, sunning like a salamander, and Marino followed suit soon after. Digging into his backpack, he pulled out two croissants and handed one to Alya.

"Thanks." She took a large bite, crumbs landing in her hair and on her chin. "Mmm, so good. Jokes aside, what are you going to do during Physical Education?"

"What do you mean?"

"Um, hello? Has becoming male addled your brain? Are you still okay in there?" She reached out to tap his head and he swatted her away.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, except for the fact that you seem perfectly fine about the prospect of seeing Adrien shirtless."

The word echoed several times in his brain. Shirtless…shirtless…shirtless…

"Shirtless…" he echoed, face blank. Alya waited. "Shirtless…" he said again.

Alya let out a hearty laugh. "That's my girl!" she said, pounding Marino on the back. "I thought I lost you for a second there. I gotta say, I had my doubts about your thing for Adrien, being male and all, but I guess your love transcends all gender boundaries, eh?"

Marino slowly turned towards Alya, face blank. "I'm going to be changing…in the boy's locker room?"

"Uh, yeah? Trust me, with a bod like that, you wouldn't want to be in the girl's room. Who knows what they'll do to my poor, innocent Mari?" she bemoaned, sweeping her hand onto her forehead.

"No Alya, you misunderstand." Alya paused her dramatics and glanced over at Marino. His eyes had a slightly crazed gleam in them. "This will be such a great opportunity."

Alya blinked. The she silently prayed for small sunshine Adrien, hoping his innocence would still be intact after Marino was done with him.

This was not such a great opportunity.

It. Stank. So bad.

Though Marino was a guy, he's technically never been inside a boy's locker room before. At least, never when actual people were changing. After all, he was simply a construct of Akuma magic.

The moment he closed the door behind him, he came face-to, er, chest, with a classmate's pecs. With a rather embarrassing eep, he darted away before even glancing at the face of the owner of said pecs.

Fortunately, (or unfortunately, depends on who you're asking), his fleeing positioned him face to face with a shirtless Adrien.

"Oh!" Adrien blurted out suddenly, a bit startled. His cheeks had just the faintest dusting of pink on them. "You're here"

"I am," Marino leered, trapping Adrien by bracing his arm against the locker walls, "and so are you."

Adrien blinked. What? "Uh, yes."

"I feel like I'm watching a really weird animal mating ritual," Nino commented offhandedly from the side. Adrien blustered and was about to make some excuse (for what, he wasn't quite sure of) but Marino cut in smoothly.

"Oh, I can be an animal for you whenever you'd like, Adrien." Marino all but purred, voice dropping an octave.

Adrien gaped and he just stood there, red all over.

Marino leaned forwards, "I'd like to see just how far down that blush spreads." he whispered into Adrien's ear.

Adrien made a high-pitched noise, then grabbed his shirt and probably broke a new personal best for fastest outfit change. "I'm just gonnagonowbye," he babbled, then zoomed out the door.

Nino cracked up beside Marino, "Oh man, this is gonna be good!"

(Author's note)

Heyyyyyyy

So it's been a while...*smiles sheepishly*

didn't actually work in the country I was in so I had to wait until I left to post the new chapter? (also college is stressful?)

IM SORRYYYYYY

tbh, I was putting it off until I saw all the reviews y'all left and was suddenly SUPER MOTIVATED TO FINISH THIS

im def finishing this fic (even if it takes a thousand years) *ducks flying tomatoes*

love y'all