A Bump In the Plan

Marinette's head swiveled in all directions as she made her way across the beach. Each unfamiliar face made her heart skip, wondering if they could somehow see through her towel. Every gust of wind threatened to expose her, making her grip the fabric even tighter. She was so focused on scanning her surroundings that she didn't notice the figure directly in her path until it was too late.

"Oof!" she collided with something solid yet warm.

"Whoa!" Strong hands steadied her shoulders as she stumbled backward. "Careful there, Marinette."

Her heart plummeted. Of all people on this beach, it had to be him. Adrien Agreste stood before her, golden hair slightly tousled, wearing blue swim trunks that complemented his eyes perfectly. Eyes that were now focused entirely on her.

"A-Adrien!" Marinette squeaked, one hand clutching her towel even tighter while the other awkwardly hovered between them. "I didn't see you there! I mean, obviously I didn't see you there because I bumped into you, which I wouldn't have done if I saw you. Unless I wanted to bump into you, which I didn’t! Not that I wouldn’t want to bump into you normally. Um, I'm really sorry about that by the way, not that I'm not happy to see you because I am, very happy, extremely happy actually, it's just that I was distracted and—" She clamped her mouth shut, mortified at her rambling.

He laughed, the sound warm and genuine. "It's great to see you too. I wasn't sure I'd make it today. Father almost canceled at the last minute, but Nathalie convinced him the fresh air would be good for me."

"That's... that's great!" Marinette managed, hyper-aware of how little separated her bare skin from the world. Her mind screamed a constant reminder: You're naked under this towel! He's talking to you and you're NAKED!

"So," Adrien continued, seemingly oblivious to her internal panic, "Nathalie called me, and I told Nino to go on ahead without me and I’d catch up. But I don’t actually know where everyone is. Have you seen them?"

"I was just... um... heading that way," she pointed vaguely, trying to ignore the strange tingle that had begun between her legs. Was it the adrenaline? The embarrassment? Or simply Adrien's proximity while she was in such a **** state?

His eyes drifted down to her towel, and she felt her face heat up even more.

"Hey, that's a Ladybug towel!" His face lit up with excitement. "I have the exact same one at home. Limited edition from the Ladybug merchandise line, right?"

"Y-you do?" Marinette stammered, wondering if he'd somehow notice it had appeared literally out of thin air moments ago. Then she added, “Y-yes it is. I’m a bit of a Ladybug fan…” She desperately tried to focus on his words and not on the fact that this thin piece of magical fabric was all the separated her naked body from his gaze.

"That's so cool! I’m a Ladybug fan, too” he admitted with a slight blush. "But why are you wearing it over your swimsuit? Did something happen?”

Marinette's heart thundered in her chest, and a distinct warmth grew between her legs as his eyes swept over her. The realization of what that warmth was only made her blush harder. "Oh! I, uh... I'm just... shy! About my swimsuit. Very shy. Nervous, even. It's my first time wearing it, and I'm not sure if it looks good, so..." She trailed off, hoping he'd buy her explanation. She shifted her weight, pressing her thighs together to try to quell the unexpected tingling.

"Oh, that's the swimsuit Alya was telling me about, right? The one you made yourself?" His eyes lit up with interest. "I bet it looks amazing. Your designs are always great, Marinette."

"You think so?" she asked, momentarily forgetting her predicament in the glow of his compliment.

"Definitely! If you’d be willing to show me, I'd love to see it."

For one wild, delirious moment, a fantasy flashed through Marinette's mind so vividly it made her breath catch. Her standing before Adrien on the beach, slowly unwrapping her towel, revealing every inch of her naked body to his eyes and his eyes alone, a little secret between them. “Do you like what you see, Adrien?” She’d ask confidently, seductively even, as his eyes widened. His gaze would linger on her breasts, burning the image into his memory, before it traveled lower, his face face flushing with desire as she gave him the honor of being the first to ever see her this way. His mouth would drop open in surprise, for once him being the jumbled mess around her as his words fail him while he drinks in her visage.

The warmth between her legs intensified to an almost unbearable degree. Marinette shook her head violently, banishing the inappropriate fantasy before her imagined Adrien could respond. "I-I'm not ready for that yet," she stammered, clutching the towel even tighter. "Maybe later?"

"No pressure," Adrien said kindly, offering her an innocent smile. "Come on, let's go find the others. They’re probably wondering where we are."

He continued chatting as they made their way in the direction she pointed. About the photoshoot, about how Nino had waited for him, something about the weather forecast being wrong. Marinette nodded mechanically, but her brain had short-circuited, not really processing any of it. Instead fixating on how she was walking naked next to Adrien on the beach.

As they approached their friends' spot on the beach, several heads turned in their direction.

"There you are, girl! We were about to send out a search party," Alya called out. "And you found Adrien! But—" her eyes narrowed playfully at the towel "—where's this amazing swimsuit I've been hyping up to everyone?"

"Ooh, are you planning a grand unveiling of your swimsuit?" Rose asked excitedly, clapping her hands together. “Like a fashion reveal?”

"N-no, nothing like that," Marinette insisted, stepping slightly behind Adrien for protection. "I'm just... not ready to show it yet."

Alya approached with a mischievous grin, tugging playfully at the edge of the towel. "Come on, girl, don’t be shy! Let's see this masterpiece!"

"No!" Marinette yelped, jumping backward. "Please don't pull on it, Alya! I'm... I'm just not ready for everyone to see what's under the towel yet."

Something in her tone must have convinced Alya, who backed off with raised hands. "Okay, okay. No pressure. Whenever you're ready."

"So what should we do now that everyone's here?" Mylene asked, mercifully changing the subject. "Swim? Sunbathe? Volleyball?"

As the group debated activities, Marinette's mind reeled with the potential disasters each option presented.