Disclamer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or any of the characters in it.


They were there.

It hadn't been long, yet it'd felt like an eternity as she sat on the bus.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was finally away from the too loud shouts of her fellow classmates. She found herself loving the open breeze from the ocean, the sound of the waves crashing against waves, washing up almost silently upon the sandy shore.

She was very much ready for this trip.

Her whole class, not just her classmates, but all in her year were allowed on the trip. Even the troublemakers and the previously akumatized. It had become a problem, the Akuma, but it seemed that those previously under its effects were allowed a relief from their grief.

Marinette was glad the school had allowed those people that privilege.

A tanned arm slid over her shoulders, pulling her close. She didn't even hunch over or feel the slightest tinge of surprise. Alya was always very physical and never gave a warning when it came to anything much really. Spare for when she was tracking Ladybug or Chat Noir or both.

Looking to hazel eyes, Marinette wore a bright smile.

"Oh my gosh, Marinette look at that!" Alya grinned, pointing toward beach. Yet, instead of Marinette seeing the beach, she saw two very familiar, very masculine figures. Although she found her eyes drawn to the pale boy with blonde hair and dazzling green eyes. Including a smile that radiated kindness and a sort of naivety she'd come to love. "Isn't it amazing?" Alya's voice was distant to the bluenette, sounding hazy and far away.

"Yeah, he is." She smiled, her pale blue eyes shimmering in the light of the sun.

He was helping someone up, wearing that small smile that apologized before he could. His eyes bright as they accepted his apology, continuing to thank them for the acceptance. He was always so humble and kind and generous and gorgeous and so… so Adrien she'd really loved it. She loved his kindness that showed through his eyes. His naivety when it came to sweets and parties was charming. She loved that she was allowed to help show him the world.

She loved his kindness. His sugary sweet, not too sweet, personality. Like he always wanted to help, and he did, he just had to be discreet at times. She loved that he was so passionate about something so simple as attending school, and that he was just so... Adrien. It was so him. Helping people up, talking in his kind voice. Always worried for his friends whenever an Akuma was loose, and always striving to do his best.

Marinette wanted to show him so much. If only she could get over her self consciousness and anxieties that seemed to come over her only when Adrien was near.

"-inette. Earth to Marinette!" Alya's voice shocked her awake before she could bring herself to think much more about the too kind, too sheltered model named Adrien Agreste. It did help to stop her with a tanned hand waving in front of her face, black frame coming into view.

Marinette blinked again, her cheeks already flushed a pale red against pale skin. Skin that'd need sunscreen. "H-Huh? Oh, sorry Alya. I didn't mean to zone out. I was just..." Don't say looking at Adrien! Don't say looking at Adrien! Maybe... the sea! Yeah, that'd work. "...looking! Yeah. I was looking at-"

"Adrien." Alya nodded, her glasses sliding down somewhat with her movements. Marinette pushed them up for Alya out of habit, ignoring how the beachfront seemed to grow warmer around Marinette. Sadly, she didn't have enough time to protest against Alya, who'd already begun continuing with her words about Adrien. "I know. He's perfect and attractive and kind and amazing." She laughed as Marinette felt it get warmer and warmer until she was sure she couldn't produce of conduct any more heat.

"I-I… I didn't say that!" She squeaked, turging her head away from the taller girl, her eyes resting in the ocean's waves. The scent of the ocean, its water and salt potent in the breeze, finding its way to her. She tried to fall into the sound, yet Alya's voice still cut through.

"Not today, but you were thinking it." She grinned, laughing at the smaller, who began to sputter in protest, embarrassed to have been caught. "I'm teasing, I'm teasing." She managed, patting the smaller girl's head with another mirth filled laugh. "C'mon. Let's get ready to have some fun! Or do you wanna stare at Adrien before you change?" She raised an eyebrow.

Marinette rolled her eyes, despite the obvious answer being yes, she couldn't find herself to say it. Instead, she began toward the bus, where everyone's material possessions had been stored. "Let's get changed." She managed, wearing a smile that felt genuine and made her laugh a bit. "I wanna kick your butt at volleyball." Her eyes shone with determination as she grabbed her bag, which rested with her small purse next to her bathing suit.

At Marinette's challenge, Alya's eyes lit up in anticipation. She was never one to back down. "We'll see about that, Mari." She smirked to the bluenette with a laugh, quick to grab her bag as well.

It was just another day on the beach.

~ o _ o ~

Marinette was weary to say in the least. Even as she smiled, raising her forearms to meet the volleyball, she was self conscious of her swimsuit. It wasn't revealing, not compared to the others that wore a bikini or a much more revealing monokini, but she was still keenly aware of the patches of her skin still bore very visible scars. Scars that were out of her swimsuit's reach. At least it wasn't revealing of her stomach or back. She knew that Alya would absolutely freak out if she saw all the scars. She'd tell off Marinette to the next few galaxies and back before she began to grow tired or before her worry was beginning to be expressed.

Marinette wore a very modest monokini. It wasn't too much - to her, at the very least - covering her chest, back, and stomach comfortably. It didn't cover her arms, like she'd been looking to do in a way that didn't cause her to overheat in the summer sun, but it stopped about mid-thigh. It was much better than nothing, but she would much rather have found a suit. Too bad that she knew itd look weird, since they weren't swimming with dolphins or sharks.

Either way, it still didn't cover the pale lines along her legs of the ones the crossed her arms. Marinette could only hope Alya didn't notice. Luckily, for her, her swimsuit was a bright and very energetic red with black dots scattered across the surface. It was very distracting. As long as people were drawn to the suit and not looking too hard at her arms or legs, she'd be fine. Alya said that she should've worn red and black more often, so Alya took her shopping and bought it for Marinette, despite her protests.

She didn't mind it too much, she just found it to be too close to her Ladybug suit. She was worried that someone would think that she was Ladybug and call her out, revealing her identity. She was so preoccupied with her worried thoughts, she didn't see the pale ball that flew through the air. It ended up hitting her face, directly on and against her small nose.

She stumbled, falling to the ground with a wince. Her hand raised itself to cover her nose, rubbing it to soothe the already fading 'pain'. It was a shock to her system, yes, but it hadn't really hurt like she'd think it would.

She sighed, looking in the mirror that she thanked Alya for providing her with. She winced, feeling a spark of irritation from the minor, very minor, injury. Her nose was red, and somewhat swollen. It was more bulbous than her usually small, pointed nose. She tapped it, feeling next to nothing. Merely a dull throb. She pressed on it just a little bit, feeling heat and the dull throbs increased into something just a bit more before fading to nearly nothing, again. Sometimes it was good that she was Ladybug. It made small things like those felt like nothing.

"I'm fine." Marinette sighed again, handing Alya back her mirror as she rubbed her eyes. "It feels only a bit like a dull throb, if it feels like anything at all." She smiled, a hand resting on her nose. It's be going down after so long. She was just hoping that the other girls were reassured by her words. Completely honest, of course.

"Marinette, I didn't notice!"

Of course, they were still apologetic. She couldn't stop that from happening, even if she truly wanted.

Juleka had bowed her head down apologetically, her dark hair falling over her shoulder as she bowed down. "I'm so sorry, I should've been paying attention I-"

"No, no Juleka, that was me." Marinette stood, wearing a small smile as she tried to bring the attention off of her. "I wasn't paying attention." She laughed, rubbing the nape of her neck. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you guys, but I'm fine, now." She smiled, removing her hand from her nose. "See? It's already shrinking." And losing it's too red color. She felt fine, so it probably meant that it was okay.

Since it obviously wasn't a serious injury. Those were tricky to identify at times.

Luckily, the others had already begun accepting her insistence when it came to the fact that she was fine. Besides, she hadn't even cried, it couldn't have been much coming from Marinette, who most have come to know as a pretty strong designer. Although some didn't entirely see her as strong.

That's why she had to hide her scars and distract everyone.

Because people always assumed the worst.

People that weren't seen as strong were said to do things that were weak. She was weak, but she wasn't a danger to herself. Merely those who posed a threat to her. Ladybug had to have something on the bad guys.

"You sure that you're alright, Marinette?" Adrien's voice pierced through Marinette's thoughts like a blade, causing her to jump as her hand hid her nose in her defensive stance.

She paused, forcing herself to breathe as she faced the model she was crushing on. Not just for his looks, like the other girls would, but for his personality. Ever since the day he'd given her his umbrella in the rain, she couldn't help but see a sweet, sweet boy that was too kind and generous for the world.

He took her breath away every time she heard his voice. Too sweet.

"Fine. I-I mean, fine I am. I mean, I'm fine. Hehe!" The heat in her cheeks made her want to die. It was so embarrassing. A too big nose, big and red, in a monokini that showed her muscle and frame… She couldn't be more embarrassed or flustered. In front of Adrien, nonetheless. "I'm fine, really, it was just a volleyball to my nose. The redness is already fading." She couldn't stop herself from looking everywhere but Adrien's eyes, the heat in her cheeks rising higher and higher. Even the tips of her ears felt red. "Besides it's not like I started bleeding or anything, I just got hit and wasn't paying attention which was my fault because I was too busy thinking about-"

"Adrikins!" Sugar, spice, and far too much ice cut Marinette's tangent off into nothing. Blonde the same color as the beach's sand bounced in a high ponytail as skin barely tanner than Marinette's jumped over small mounds of sand. Bare of makeup and wearing a black and yellow monokini that wrapped around her waist and upper torso revealed clear skin decorated with grains of sand from the ocean waters. Waters that weren't quite as blue as the blonde's deep blue eyes.

Chloe Bourgeois was stealing Adrien Agreste away before anyone could notice, dragging him toward the ice cream parlor. One she claimed to be cheap, yet didn't taste horrible. To some, it was the first compliment they'd ever heard out of the young Bourgeois.

It was when Chloe pressed herself flat against Adrien's arm that Marinette finally snapped out of her daze. She hadn't even realized that Adrien had fully disappeared, her eyes only on his form as she smiled at him sheepishly.

She was fuming. Mentally, of course.

Marinette sighed, turning away from the sight of the Bourgeois against the Agreste boy she felt that she'd fallen in love with. Marinetter needed to clear her head. I need to have a bit of fun, she decidjed. Alya would help with that, she always did. Alya always tried to keep Marinette in high spirits especially when it came to Chloe draping herself over Adrien. Or simply Chloe and Adrien in general. So Marinette went off in search of the blogger, deciding that she needed to forget Adrien and the fact that her body hosted too many scars.


Author's Note: I am a relatively new writer, at least when it comes to posting things, and I just want to say, "Hi." If anyone reads this, please consider leaving a review or anything of the sort telling me what I can improve. I love to write and have a lot of fandoms I want to explore in this way. I don't know how much I may update or upload, but I want to just have fun writing.