I should not be doing this.

Oh well! Shout out to CacciaFulmini, who I am betareading for and is putting up with my slowness. Almost done, Caccia!

This is basically an AU of Evillustrator if Mylene's bag hadn't tripped Nathaniel.

Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous. :'(

"Oh, Super-Nathan, you're amazing!" Marinette said, hugging me.

"It was nothing," I reply, relieved as I hugged her back. I was just glad that Marinette was alright.

"Nathaniel!" Mme. Mendeleiev yelled from the front of the room. Startled, I dropped my pencil and looked up from my comic. "What are you drawing? Clearly, these artistic endeavors are the reason you're failing Science." I opened my mouth to interject, but Mme. Mendeleiev keeps going. "Take that chicken-scratch to the principal and tell him what happened."

I stood up, embarrassed and frustrated, and walked out of the room.

"I should be able to draw whenever I want! Why should Mme. Mendeleiev care?" I grumbled, walking to Prof. Damocles' office. Suddenly, I saw a purple-tinted butterfly fluttering towards me. An akuma!

I cringed, and then braced myself. No! What would Marinette do? I stood up, not to be intimidated by the akuma. I thought of her, her beautiful face, her sunny personality, and soon enough the akuma had flown away. I turned around, triumphant, and I saw Marinette, slackjawed, staring at me.

With the akuma flying straight at her.

Time seemed to slow down as I watched the butterfly fly closer and closer. Then, I did the only thing that came to mind: I jumped between her and the akuma.

The akuma struck the drawing in my hand, and I could instantly feel Hawkmoth's influence. "I am Hawkmoth," I heard him say.

No! Get out of my head!

"Why are you fighting my help? I only want to show your teacher that you need artistic freedom. You have been punished unfairly, and-"

MARINETTE!

"...What?"

MARINETTE IS KIND AND SWEET AND CARING AND WOULD NEVER FALL TO YOU! I felt Hawkmoth's influence fade. AND I WILL BE LIKE HER! I thought of all the people in my life that I loved: my mom, my grandparents, my many siblings, and Rose and Juleka. With each person I felt Hawkmoth leave me even more.

Finally, Marinette.

Even though my eyes were squeezed shut, I could hear the akuma flutter away.

"Time to de-evilize!"

The next thing I knew, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me tightly. "Oh, Nathaniel, you're amazing!" I blushed, realizing who it was.

"I-it was nothing," I stammered, hugging back. I was just glad that Marinette was alright.

Blushing, she stepped away. Curious about why she had the akuma after her, I asked.

"Oh, well, when you walked out, I told Mme. Mendeleiev that she was being unfair to you," she responded.

"Hey, a 79 is not failing," I said in a mock indignant tone.

Marinette laughed, a bubbly, sweet laugh.

"And then Mme. Mendeleiev suggested that I go with you to help explain your predicament, since I thought you were right, and I stomped out, mad at her for being so unfair, and next thing I know, you save me from an akuma." She blushed as she said the last bit.

As we walked in silence, a thought came to my mind and I blushed, but I asked her anyways.

"Hey, it's my birthday today, and I was wondering if I could... maybe... takeyououtonadate?" I blushed, the red creeping almost down to my neck.

She paused, internally arguing with herself. I braced my self for rejection. To my surprise, she let out a small sigh and said, "Sure."

"Really?" She nodded. "Yesss! Thank you so much!" I was positively beaming.

"Now let's go explain your case to the principal," she said, taking my hand and my heart along with it.

What did Marinette think that made her agree to go on the date with Nathaniel? Leave a review and tell me!