Marinette's mind managed to rejoin her body sometime around halfway through their first period, and the remainder of her classes went by without a hitch. There was a lot of chatter and gossiping about Ladybug and Chat Noir, and whether they were actually working together or if it was some sort of elaborate publicity stunt. Conspiracy theories abounded, but for the most part it was merely curious conjecture. Ladybug had always worked alone, so what would this mean for the city? Would she finally defeat Hawkmoth now that she was no longer outnumbered?

Alya, of course, was utterly buzzing with excitement about these recent developments. Marinette wasn't quite sure she'd be able to stand all her wild speculations and hypothetical questions; so it was both a shame and a relief that they only had two classes together this school year.

Despite the mental toll that hearing all these conjectures took on her, Marinette was still in high spirits by her last class of the day.

Or so she'd thought, until her absolute favorite classmate made her way over to her desk, giving her a sickly saccharine smile that would put high fructose corn syrup to shame.

"Hi, Marinette," she lilted in a hollow sing-song voice.

Marinette brought out her phone and pretended to look busy. "Hello, Lila."

"Did you have a nice summer?" Lila asked.

As if you care, she thought. "It was peachy," Marinette replied curtly.

Lila pouted. "You don't sound too happy. I don't suppose you've already heard?"

Marinette sighed. Might as well play along. "Heard what, Lila?"

Lila leaned into her personal space, which made unpleasant goosebumps rise on the back of Marinette's neck. "Well, I don't suppose you and Adrien are close enough friends that he's told you all about his secret girlfriend, right?" she said more quietly.

Marinette's brain screeched to a halt, but she forced herself to keep typing into her phone. "And I suppose he's told you?"

Lila giggled coyly. "Oh, well, I'm not one to blab secrets around, but the poor dear's just not very good at hiding those hickeys. A scarf and concealer can only do so much, you know."

Marinette felt sick to her stomach, but she refused to indulge Lila into thinking that she actually believed her.

"Go away, Lila," she hissed through gritted teeth.

"Don't believe me? I can prove it-" she replied, with that false cheerfulness that always carried a secret smugness to it. "-as soon as he walks through the door. He's told me his schedule, you know... We really are very good friends, he and I." She lifted her head to look around. "Ah, there he is."

Adrien walked into the classroom with Kim, joking and laughing together.

Lila waved them over, and Adrien smiled as they both walked towards them.

"Adrien, I was just talking to Marinette about our plans for the school year. What does your modeling schedule look like?" she asked, as she thumbed the fabric of his scarf. "This is the year before we graduate. Is your father going to ease up on the photo shoots? I do so remember how very busy you were last year," she lamented with another fake pout.

Adrien replied, his voice harboring a tinge of nervousness as she ran her hands up and down the length of his scarf, "Uh, actually, I won't be- uh, modeling. This year. To... prepare for university exams and whatnot."

"No modeling gigs, you say? That's awfully kind of him," she replied sweetly, as she slowly pulled back and forth on the two sides of the scarf like a seesaw. "Letting you focus on your studies and whatnot."

Before he could reply, Lila tripped sideways with a dainty yelp, yanking the scarf along with her, and she fell towards him. Adrien caught her and she wrapped her arms around his neck securely, the scarf falling onto the ground, forgotten by all.

All except for Marinette, of course.

"Lila, are you alright?" Kim cried, and Adrien weakly echoed the question.

"Oh... clumsy me... I'm still getting used to these new shoes. I haven't quite broken them in yet, you see," she remarked as he helped her up. "I mostly wore combat boots over the summer while helping build schools in Bali for impoverished children, so I guess you could say I've gotten out of the habit of wearing heels."

Marinette got out of her seat to retrieve the fallen blue scarf. The scarf that she had made for him almost four years ago for his birthday. Lila's tugging had rubbed the fabric against Adrien's neck, and the center was stained with make-up the same tone as his skin. She gulped heavily, then looked up at him.

And there they were, peppered all over his neck: various small bruises below the sides of his jawline, barely noticeable, but still visible if you looked closely.

"Umm, here," Marinette said numbly as she handed him back the scarf. His hesitant eyes met hers, and he looked guilty, as if all his secrets had been laid bare for her to see.

"Thank you," he said, almost too soft for her to hear.

"Why, Adrien!" Lila said, feigning secrecy but still speaking louder than she should have been, had that been the case. "I know you said you didn't have to model anymore, but you really ought to tell your girlfriend to take it easy when you guys make out."

Adrien sounded genuinely puzzled. "Wait... Girlfriend? What are you talking about?"

Kim's features scrunched up in confusion. His eyes traveled towards where Lila was looking, then his face lit up with excitement. "Dude, you got a girlfriend?? That's amazing, congrats! When were you gonna tell us??"

"Huh? I don't have–" Adrien tried to interject.

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry Adrien," Lila pretended to realize she'd said too much. "I didn't know you wanted to keep it a secret. How silly of me! Surely your father would take away your extra free time if he knew you were spending it with a girl instead of studying."

Kim pumped his arms excitedly. "Don't worry, bro! We can totally keep a secret! Right, Marinette?"

Marinette smiled weakly, trying her best to look cooperative, and nodded.

"So, tell us about her, Adrien! Tell us about this girl you love so much," Lila prodded.

Adrien's cheeks turned bright red. "W-well, she's not actually my girlfriend, b-but–"

Kim waggled his eyebrows. "But does she want to be?" he asked playfully.

Adrien laughed, voice high and skittish, "Uhh, I-I don't know... Umm– w-we'll see what happens. I-I want to take things slow."

"Do you like her?"

Adrien's head whipped around. It was Marinette who'd asked the question, her voice soft and curious.

Her eyes searched his, sincerely seeking the knowledge she both yearned and dreaded to hear. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest, knowing that his answer could change everything.

And yet, she needed to know.

Adrien's face softened, the corners of his mouth crinkling with the ghost of a smile, and his cheeks gained a more subdued shade of pink, which contrasted with the embarrassed shade of red he'd worn earlier.

"A lot," he replied breathily, like a wistful sigh, like he'd rather be with his loved one than anywhere else in the world.

Marinette swallowed heavily, and she forced herself to smile. "I'm happy for you," she said as earnestly as she could manage.

After all, Adrien's happiness was always paramount. No matter the source.

Their conversation was cut short by the sound of the bell, and the group scattered into the surrounding seats. Lila gave Marinette one last self-satisfied smile before walking away; not that Marinette even noticed. Her body felt too numb, too limp, too weary to see or care. All she could see in her mind's eye was the way Adrien's eyes lit up when he talked about the person he cared for. It had been brief, but it had been enough. She'd seen it. She knew now.

Adrien Agreste was in love.