warning/s: LANGUAGE! as usual. btwww this is a short chapter but don't worry, the next chapter will be interesting and full of... 

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You admired the pictures plastered on the bulletin board in front of you. All of them looked amazing with the smiles on their faces. You were busily skimming through the photos until you stopped on one certain polaroid. You grimaced when the picture was you running across the finish line with your wild hair, and your signature bloody nose. Looking to the left then right, you hastily took the pins holding the paper off of the board. 

After hiding the photo in your pocket, another certain photo caught your eye. It was Adrien with his captivating smile and his wonderful posture. Seeing this picture was such a blessing that your heart may or may not jumped out of your chest. Sneakily glancing on either side of you, you took your chance and began to unpin the picture. 

"Y/N?"

You jumped, and your heartbeat escalated greatly to 102, 103. You quickly placed your hand over the loosened tacks and pressed it hard. You patted it and gave him a somewhat reassuring smile. "I'm just... fixing the pins..." 

Adrien chuckled shortly, before giving you an awkward smile. "...Do you have plans this weekend?"

"Huh?" Your eyes widened at his inquiry.

He only gave you a soft laugh in response as he scratched the side of his head. "Um, because..."

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Nathaniel was in his own little bubble (specifically his desk) when all of a sudden, the phone in his pocket vibrated. He fished it out and read the contact. Your name was written on it. He could faintly remember when the two of you switched numbers after he had dinner with your family and he smiled slightly at the memory. Nathaniel shook his head and didn't waste time to answer it. 

"Hello?" He said. His eyebrows furrowed for a split second then broke into a look of shock, "What?!" 

Upon hearing your words , he disregarded his things and left the classroom, heading for the locker room you told him to go to. He stopped in his tracks, and stood by the entrance when he saw you sulking in front of lockers. He tooks steps towards you. "Y/N..." He called carefully. 

At the sound of his voice, you turned to him slowly. You opened your mouth then closed it, as if you were struggling to use your voice. "A... A-drien asked me out this weekend..." You said it so calmly. 

Nathaniel looked at you, bewildered. But instead of commenting, he waited. 

Not long after, you panicked. "Just the two of us!"

Matched with your girly screams were the constant beeping of your watch. You smacked the lockers in front of you repeatedly, unable to control your high emotions. You were unaware of the sparks flying out of your palms as you continued to slap and beat the crap out of those poor metal lockers. 

He looked at the fangirling mess (that is you) in both amusement and nervousness. "Adrien's balls are toast."   

You stopped and only noticed your lit up hands against the lockers and leaned back. You looked back at Nathanael with the same expression "Shit."

The next day (before weekend), the red-haired boy had come over and wanted to help you with your 'situation'. It just so happened that your dad had requested for you to charge the batteries again, so here you are, running on the treadmill, with wires sticked to a brace and attached to your arm. 

"If he makes you excited, problems could arise," Nathaniel began. "But this time, you can touch him with this clothed glove. It's an insulator, so... you can touch whoever, whatever, whenever."

"You seriously want me to wear this while running with him? I'll look stupid!" You quickly rejected his offer. He feigned a defeated look, also having the same thought. 

But still he tried to be positive. He took the glove from you and rummaged inside his bag. "Well, if you don't want to wear gloves, then you can change sticks?" He showed you a stick similar to the ones you used in the relay. You didn't pay him no heed, but Nathaniel just leaned forward and let the baton clone touch your arm as you were still running on the treadmill.

You looked down at your contact with the stick and you glowed in surprise. "Oh!" You took the grey stick from him and looked at it closely. Your smile fell when you noticed something. "PVC coating, eh?" You showed him a small smirk. "I'm sorry, but everyone will notice that it's plastic. We can't use plastic."

Nathaniel sighed forlornly. "Sport rules are so damn complex," he grumbled. You laughed shortly as your legs were getting tired from all the running. Nathaniel then reached for something in the bottom of the bag. "Then, to make you less excited--" He outstretched his arms towards you for you to take the thing in his fingers. "--try this." 

Just as he placed the small thing in your palm, it bounced off and sparks flew. He only realized that the thing was made out of metal. The both of you yelped in surprise and the thing was now on the ground. "Why didn't you make it plastic?!" You asked, clearly exasperated and getting exhausted second by second. 

He didn't answer. He just kept on looking inside the bag's content. 

You watched him suddenly smiling awkwardly. "What?"

 "Well, if you do happen to shock him..." Nathaniel nervously showed you an electric fly swatter. "... just tell him that this was what shocked him." He tried to smile. 

You only huffed in annoyance and slowly turn to a stop. You pressed the button in your treadmill and the machine slowed down until it stopped. You went to get fresh air by opening the doors to your balcony and walking outside. Nathaniel followed you. "I am not so sure about this," you trailed off, leaning on the ledge. 

"C'mon, there must be a way." He stayed positive. "Why don't you--"

"This isn't about electrocuting..." you said, and suddenly you were trying to beat around the bushes, hesitating whether you should tell him or not. You didn't notice Nathaniel trying to swat a mosquito away. "I... I don't know how to do makeup that well."

He felt like he could just fall into unconsciousness right then and there. He gulped and tried not to laugh at your supposed pettiness. "Do you really need to wear makeup when running together?"

You ignored him and continued your word vomit. "Do you think he'd say I'm fat?" He didn't say anything but just scoffed at you and he shook his head. You narrowed your eyes and began sprinting right in front of him at a moderate speed. Nathaniel looked at you weirdly. "Do I look ugly while running?"

He let a small smile paint his lips. "Uh..." he tried to get a good look. "Try running faster." You did what he said. "Faster!" 

Faster you did.

"Quicker! Go!" 

You did. Your heart rate was escalating. 

"Like you are running the fastest!" You did but you couldn't catch your breath and you felt exhaustion. Nathaniel snickered and nodded. "Yeah, now you look ugly." 

"Really?" You halted. 

His brows furrowed. "Adrien wouldn't even notice any of these things." 

"Really?" 

"Just smile, and be you. You're cute enough as it is."

You froze and stared up at him. Nathaniel had caught up and realized what his words has meant. He couldn't move as your gaze was drawing him in. He swallowed in nervousness as he watched you taking a step towards him. He wanted to watch your every move, but he was only focused in your mesmerising, doe eyes. 

You carefully lifted your right arm and straightened your pointer, aiming at the target in his nose, and touched it, effectively killing the mosquito. Nathaniel only blinked in surprise. "Cuteness can't beat this special power." You beamed up at him. 

"Uhm, yeah. Yeah, you should know that." He spoke, noticing that his body is getting feverish. He was grateful that you didn't saw through him, or you just chose to ignore it. 

Your grin turned into a confused line. "Oh, of course."

It was silence after that. Nathaniel only stared at something other than your beautiful face.

F u c k. 

"I should go home bye Y/N see you whenever good luck with your date tomorrow um bye yeah okay." 

He sprinted off without another word. He didn't even wait for your answer and just went ahead, taking the battery with him and headed off downstairs. "I love Marinette, I love Marinette, I love Marinette--" he muttered to himself on the way to the kitchen. He saw your father, lounging with a newspaper on his hands. Nathaniel automatically placed the battery on the table and thanked the old man shortly. 

"I love Marinette, I love Marinette, I love Marinette." 

He muttered the phrase as he walked outside the shop, on the road, and on the way home. 

He recited it like it was a vow. 

"I love Marinette. I love Marinette. I love Marinette. I love Marinette."

Inside his room, he walked to the picture he drew of her, still stating the fact.

"I love Marinette. I love Marinette. I love Marinette. I love Marinette."

He placed his hands on the either side of the pasted drawing on his wall. 

He closed his eyes and chanted it like a prayer,

"I love Marinette. I love Marinette. I love Marinette."

His fingers were shaking, his heart was rapidly beating and his mind only thought of one girl. 

"I LOVE MARINETTE!" 

Does he?

end of chapter eight

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what an exciting turn of events ~

lemme know what you think!!!

KimmiePines