You hold me to life
Author note: Hi to everyone! A lot of Marichat and Adrinette will be in the first part of the story and more Ladynoir and still Adrinette in the second. All ship of the square are involved, also AlyaxNino.
My main language is not English but Italian, so please be patient with me ^^"
I accept very gladly constructive criticism! But no flames!^^
I will be slow to post since I'm pretty busy with my life and with this fanfict I have not just to write it but also translate it and I want to make it good! This story will contain a lot of things, from school project to big travels, from escapes to fights and a lot of love and drama. I will put a lot of angst because i love stories that give important messages and i will do my best!
So thank you to everyone!
CHAPTER 1: ILLUSIONS OF A GIRL WITH NORMAL LIFE
The scent of freshly baked bread spread through the Dupain-Cheng bakery and reached the upper levels where the owners lived. In the shop there weren't a lot of customers that day, but Sabine seemed busy anyway, just like Tom was frosting some cupcakes in the kitchen.
In the bedroom on the top floor a girl rested peacefully, sleeping like she had been deprived of sleep for days.
"Marinette come on! You're running out of time! I'm sure you don't want to be late again now that you've started going to school in time, right!? "The black-spotted kwami floated around the Parisian's face and started pulling a lock of her hair.
To be honest, Marinette was kind of right to be tired, for days she had no more than a couple of hours for sleep; the whole previous week school managed to make her crazy with assignments and homework, not to forget Hawk Moth who decided to release at least 2 akumas every day. She was starting to become crazy.
She had to sneak off during entire lessons and only by a miracle nothing like a warning for her unjustified absences arrived to her parents. But homework were still a big problem and Mothy, like her partner started calling him, wasn't really someone who liked to rest. Weekends were even more full of akumas.
For precautions Ladybug and Chat Noir decided to do patrols every night, even if it was really stressful and for the two. She was certain that her partner was being exhausted as much as she was and to their despair Rena Rouge, Queen B and Carapace weren't available for patrols. They were needed just for really extremely dangerous akumas, patrols weren't their job.
"Marinette please, I know you're tired and you have every right to want time to recover energies, but you can't be late, otherwise it will be the unlucky time that your school calls your parents… and you know what happened last time"
The girl lifted her head and curled up sitting on her bed, her eyes almost shut and hair messy. All her energies were missing and she just wanted to lie down again to cuddle her beloved pillow "I know Tikki, you're right. I can't ask mom and dad to let me stay at home, I'm not sick and eve if I can seems so I'd need a fever to convince them"
Tikki nodded, leaning on her chosen shoulder "Unfortunately, superheroes life also entails this"
"Mom, dad, I need to stay home and sleep because I spent all the nights and days of last week jumping over rooftops and defeating akumas because I have a superheroine double life" she imitated an hypothetical confession to her parents "I would put them in danger or they would believe I'm crazy"
She slumped back in her bed again, looking impassive to Tikki's moans. The little flying creature snorted and floated through the passage that led to the balcony above Marinette's bed. She grabbed a green tube and placed it on the edge of the entrance. Then she flew near the tap and turned the knob.
"TIKKI!" she heard her chosen screaming from inside.
Tikki chuckled and closed the knob, coming back inside. Her face just became surprised and worried, perhaps she had exaggerated. The bed was completely wet and so was Marinette, who certainly was quite awake "Ops, I thought the water was less"
"A glass of water was enough! I'm soaking Tikki, now I will not have time to dry my hair and finish preparing in time!" She jumped up and began to change herself.
"Try searching for the bright side of it, now you are sure that you will not fall asleep again and I've already helped you washing yourself!" She paused for a moment looking for another excuse to fix the hair matter "... And today you could keep your hair down like this, no pigtails! They are stretched and it would be the right opportunity for a new look! You said a lot of times that your pigtails were starting to grow too much and it was the time to change hairstyle!"
"Yes but…"
"You could amaze Adrieeeeen!" The clever kwami added as a guarantee.
This was enough and nothing more was needed to add.
...
"Plagg, one day I will strangle you with your Camembert!"
"With opportunity to have more of my beloved? Thanks, Adrien!"
"Ugh..." the blond put his fingers on his nose and stuck it in disgust. Plagg's breakfast time was the moment when his kwami would moan for cheese and it was impossible not to wake up. Sometimes he managed to find it himself but those were the days Adrien had to woke up for the terrible smell.
Fortunately, all this was common to happen before Nathalie would come up to his room to make sure he was awake.
"Why don't you ask your father to get rid of your schedule for a day and let you rest?" Plagg complained "I need rest too, with all the power I give you! I need time to eat my Camembert in peace!" He declared, hurling a piece of cheese into his mouth and swallowing it in one bite.
"You can still eat it with peace, I'm the one walking and doing everything"
"You often don't want me to eat it in your bag because you say it makes you smelling bad"
"You do it anyway even If I'm not okay at all, so there's no point to insist. Thought, you can understand it's not that nice stand with my friends smelling like cheese. They would avoid me and it would be like going back homeschooling!"
Plagg shook his head yawning "You worry about too many problems, they should just appreciate it. By now you're used to having excuses, I know the real problem behind the divine smell of my cheese"
"Real problem? What do you mean? It would bother everyone, that's the real problem" he continued, brushing his hair quickly.
"You're just afraid that your princess smells you and runs off with another knight... the designer sitting behind you and that you keep visiting wasting my energy at night without even repaying my effort with Camembert" He pointed out with a twist.
Adrien lost his grip around the brush that fell to the ground in a lonely thump "W-What are you talking about!? You keep saying that but I don't have those kind of feeling for Marinette!"
"Yes, of course... and I don't like cheese"
"Oh it would be so good if you wouldn't!" He exclaimed. He was sure to be right about his feelings and if Plagg would keep his words then he would be free for the constant cheese around him. But that wasn't likely to happen.
Plagg shook his head in a pained moan. Why could not his chosen accept his love for cheese? If only he knew that his lady was the same girl he claimed to be just a friend "Thinking that I'll have to endure this till death take you... all this with you and your future kittens"
Adrien assumed a dreamy expression "My kittens with Ladybug?" He rolled his eyes, feeling the usual warmth in his heart when he imagined a future with her.
"You're hopeless…"
...
Alya waited impatiently at the entrance to the school the arrival of her friend who still had to appear yet. All the students were entering the school but the blogger was left behind with Nino. Both waiting for Marinette and Adrien.
The two were known because they were used to come late at school, sometimes the model had real justifications, but mostly he was very questionable. In the last month both were looking like zombies and both tried to avoid questions with excuses and commitments to which they appealed. "Adrien was a model" and so on, like "Marinette and her drawings" and just all like that.
"If we wait more we'll be late!"
"Alya I think it would be appropriate to go on. The bell will ring soon" he tried to calm her down.
A noise of a car stopping arrived to their ears and turning around Alya and Nino took notice of Agreste's limousine arrive. At least one of the two latecomers showed up. The girl and the boy ran towards their friend, probably already aware of the umpteenth excuse of the boy.
"Another photo shoot?"
"No, I overslept..." he admitted this time shrugging his shoulders. He was feeling so tired lately, just as much as his Lady who probably could not stand to her feet anymore. He wondered how he could get up without Plagg moans or the stinking cheese method.
Nino was surprised for the admission. He put the hat on and started pulling his friend towards the entrance, followed by Alya "You amaze me for this confession! Now only Marinette is still missing and when she arrive we are complete!"
"She isn't arrived yet?" Adrien looked around for the black-haired girl, hoping to see her right away, lately their relationship was improved, thanks to the two friends who had combined them in unpredictable situations and organized a lot of "hanging out together" days.
"You know her dude, Marinette is... Marinette! She has homework, her role as representative and helping her parents in the bakery! All this lead her to design and make clothes at night. You two are so similar!"
Adrien recognized the truth into his words. He had visited his "Princess" in the role of Chat Noir more than just a few times and had seen that she give all herself to finish something important, more than admirable. Thinking about it, the fault was partly his also. He kept visiting her because she was one of the only friends he had like Chat Noir, but this way he often kept her awake or delayed what she was doing.
"Alya!" the girl heard her name called from afar. The brunette came back outside on the street, disappearing from the view of the two boys, who were waiting for her and Marinette
"Oh my gosh, what's with your hair?!" She pointed the finger against Marinette's new hairstyle. She loved it but seeing Marinette without pigtails was a rare and unique event, which only happened a few nights when they did sleepovers.
"Well... this morning I had an... accident?" She giggled nervously, playing with a lock of hair.
Alya showed a conscious grin and gave her a slight nudge "Mari, I know you too much… like my socks..."
"Socks…?"
"...You can play along all you want, but I know you just did it to attract Adrien!" She teased, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and guiding her towards the entrance "You're smarter than a fox!"
"You'd like to know" Marinette smiled "Here between the real fox is you" she thought without speaking aloud. Alya could not know that she was aware of her identity as Rena Rouge. Otherwise questions would rise and she wasn't sure it was okay to let her identity be known.
"I'm sure he's going to be amazed" she gave some pats to her friend to reassure her "Try not to drool when he see it!"
"Alya..."
The two arrived at the entrance, finding Nino and Adrien busy talking about something. The DJ immediately with the corner of the eye noticed Marinette and immediately blinked his eyes.
Adrien saw the look of the best friend, he imitated him and certainly did not expect to be in front of a pigtails-less Marinette. Certainly it was the last thing he expected and for a moment it made him fall into catalepsy longer than expected.
Their gazes met and a very high level of ambiguity rose between the two. The only thing that Adrien could think was: "Geez, darn cute..." but it wasn't too much strange, Marinette often reminded him of Ladybug... and Ladybug was the love of his life, the girl who left him speechless with her wonderfulness.
Alya and Nino exchanged glances. Although it was an appreciated moment they were going to arrive late, so they decided to speed up. Nino adjusted his cap again "Pfffiuuuu!" He whistled a little behind Adrien, who stiffened.
"H-Hi..." Marinette stammered timidly.
Adrien decided to behave and just shook his head "Hello Marinette, I see you've made a change..."
"E-Eh yes..."
"Well you look great!" He complimented "It suits you a lot!"
"I've been trying to convince her for weeks! Alya always wins!" The blogger raised a victorious fist. In response, Marinette rolled her eyes. She thought of it and probably it would have happened but not right away. The real intention was to let her hair grow a little more before this, but Tikki made it sooner.
"Thank you! But never g-great like you! I mean, you're always stunning but t-today more than yesterday... no, I mean… you look like yourself! "She said trying not to explode with embarrassment. You look like yourself? Ok, she could do better. Normally she would be able to talk to him thanks to a lot of practice, but the first phrases of the day she addressed to him were always like that. Like a reset.
Fortunately, Alya and Nino came to her rescue, urging them to continue. A punishment due to arriving late wasn't exactly part their plans for the afternoon.
The luck thought was kind with them, the teacher had problems with her car as advised the principal that she wouldn't make it in time for the first half of the first lesson. This allowed the students of her class to chat waiting for her arrival.
"Sooooo... me and Marinette today are going to eat at the park, would you like to join us? It's a nice day and certainly would be much better eat together than staying at home alone!" The invitation was more incisive to convince Adrien, even though they knew that unfortunately the boy did not have the freedom to choose by himself most of the time .
"Mari's mother cooked the food?" Nino asked, turning around, interested. It was not the first time they went out to eat together and he knew what he had the urge to ask.
"Mr. Lahiffe, do you mean that if it wasn't her mum who cooked you wouldn't come with us?" Alya raised her right eyebrow with a hint of threat.
Nino shook his head "Absolutely! It's obvious that I would hang out with you, but I think it's right to know what's on the menu, especially if it can make this day even more memorable and help me to forget the three hours of physics that school has in store for us today"
"I like physics" Adrien tried to complain, defending his favorite subject.
"Your opinion does not count in this case. You're the only one genetically weird enough to be able to love something that can compress the brain like maximum gravity"
"Ahah!" The blond pointed his finger "But you just applied it!"
"Unavoidable that this stuff doesn't stick in my head after all the suffering we have to bear"
"This is discrimination against a poor misunderstood science"
"You're the one I can't understand dude..."
Marinette interrupted them just to calm Nino's doubts "The picnic will be kindly offered by my mother, so yes Nino, you can celebrate with your stomach"
"Alright!" The DJ celebrated waving a fist, and then turning to his classmate "Adrien you absolutely have to come!"
Adrien knew his plans were not that busying that day. He did not have photo shoots until the following morning before school, so relaxing with his friends couldn't be a big deal. Not that his father would notice his absence "Of course, today I have no particular commitments. No photo shoots and my piano lesson was moved because my private teacher got sick, so I willingly accept it!" He pulled out the phone and started typing a message "I just have to warn Nathalie so she won't make a big deal for this"
"At least you are not going to spend your lunch alone at home as always"
"My father is more and more busy lately..." Adrien murmured to himself, even though his words had been audible even for his friends.
Nino put a hand on his shoulder and tried to comfort him "Well, we know that your father is not the type to spend time with you, but you can be positive. If he's too busy with his job to look after your schedule… you have more free time to hang out with us and have fun!"
Alya nodded, finding herself perfectly in agreement. After all, Adrien was also her friend "You work too much Adrien. Remember we are fifteen"
The boy shrugged. They were right but he couldn't do much against his father, trying to convince him that he didn't want to be his puppet anymore and that he wanted to find his way alone was not possible at the moment.
Marinette bit her lip, the conversation was taking a sad note and she didn't like at all the view of Adrien with that fake smile. When he laughed along with them and was happy he was so beautiful, ok he always was but loving him for her meant wanting him happy. The reason she said nothing about the scarf she gave him to his last birthday "W-Well, lets' forget about bad things! Today must be a good day for everyone! Adrien is free, we can all be together and there is his favorite subject... unfortunately for us "
"Awww... Mari have you allied against physics too?"
"I'm sorry for you but yes" even though she was able to talk more with the boy, she couldn't stop stutter once in a while "But to seeing you happy is more important, three hours of formulas and logic are bearable if you smile"
She froze when she took note of what she said. She blushed suddenly and looked at the boy who was slightly open-mouthed. Sure her speech looked honeycombed or strange to him.
However, Adrien smiled candidly, showing himself softened in front of the comment "Thanks Mari... you're really a friend"
Gosh, that look so sweet and his beautiful face. Marinette was feeling better, even if she felt a slight hint of friendzone in that statement. Was she really destined to remain in the fatal circle of friendship? Yes, that obviously was possible. She knew that if she ever found the courage to confess her love to Adrien she woud be rejected, but never she could give up on the boy and his friendship. It was too important to her and she hoped the same from him. He needed his friends and that was pretty obvious.
The chatter was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Madame Bustier who apologized for the delay. The lessons began and the four friends had to wait for hours before their lunch.
"Come on! Physics today was not so bad!"
"I was going to die!" Nino exclaimed dramatically.
"Luckily you didn't die or the stink of a dead body would certainly come to me and Marinette as well, since we are right behind you in class!" Alya interjected, refusing to move her almost official boyfriend's body.
Marinette shook her head, returning to look at the street to see if it was possible to cross. Program for today: go home to take food, go to the park, eat and rest, try to hold a discussion with Adrien without looking like a drooling dog, go back to school and hope for the absence of akuma to the patrol with Chat Noir that night.
A few minutes later the four were free to rest on the grass, with their lunch on the blanket Sabine gave them. Marinette's parents were always happy to feed the group with all sorts of dishes, from sweet to savory.
"I made it right to choose you as my best friend!" Alya filled her mouth with a bite of pizza. The advantages of being the best friend of a baker's daughter were very welcome.
"Don't abuse our friendship to empty my parents' shop! "Marinette joked knowing that their friendship was much more solid for other reasons.
Alya raised her finger, pointing to Adrien, who seemed to enjoy each bite like heaven "Me? No. Him? Yes!" Adrien turned to the girls with an innocent expression, so dangerously adorable for Marinette.
Nino nodded, patting Adrien's shoulders. He was Adrien's best friend since a lot, he knew that food was a fairly rigid subject. "Of course, Adrien's model diet is terrifying, both in quantity and variety! It's normal that when he can eat without someone to hold him back he looks like a child with a mountain of sweets!" He moved some of his macarons to his best friend plate. "Honestly I do not know how he stand up"
The model shrugged, in fact, he didn't know either. He knew that in addition to the diet he also had basketball and fencing, things that obviously influenced his rigidly controlled and exaggerated diet. Adding superhero activity, however, was making him burn a huge amount of calories. Obviously he couldn't tell his friends that the biggest cause of losing weight was his secret superhero job.
"Why don't you try talking to your father?" Alya asked, biting another poor croissant.
Absolutely not, it was out of question, even worse than talking to his friends. His father, through Nathalie, kept under control all his extracurricular activities and through medical visits he would immediately notice something wrong. He would likely end up revealing his double identity, with the possibility of renouncing it or even worse. The diet was already exaggerated, even before becoming a superhero... but now it was even worse and the only thing he could do was try to eat more the moments he would get rid of Nathalie and the Gorilla, as he called him. "It's useless, he thinks that being a model I have to keep a figure. Same to keep doing sports"
"This way you could get really sick, it's a serious issue and not to be taken like nothing" Marinette said in a low voice with discouragement and concern.
Adrien gave her a comforting smile "Don't worry so much about me Marinette, I'm fine"
"Of course I'm worried about you! I care about you wellbeing and I don't want anything bad to happen to you!" she blushed suddenly thinking back to what she said. Alya and Nino showed smug smiles, while Adrien stared at her friend shocked, not expecting that.
"I-I... well for this reason when you want you can come to my house! Mom and dad love to cook for my friends, you all are like family! Also I can bring to school sweets more often, lately I'm helping dad and I always have extra leftovers... " she fiddled with the indexes, uniting and separating them continuously. Her cheeks flushed and her fringe barely covered her downward gaze.
The golden boy didn't know why he felt suddenly stiff and hot, he only knew that he was extremely happy. He really had some special friends and nothing could make him replace them.
The DJ approached him and began hitting him lightly with his, encouraging him "Accept dude! She is offering a free pass to the Dupain-Cheng kitchen! You could realize the dream of an entire city!"
"Nino... I don't think..." Adrien looked from Nino to Marinette, looking at the thoughtful gaze of the girl "I'd prefer not to bother..."
"Not at all! As I said it would only please me... "
Adrien smiled, rubbing his arm with a little hint of shyness. He didn't mean to be a burden or give a bad impression to his friends. It was obvious and he knew that Marinette did not see him just like someone to pity, she wanted to give him help like she was used with everyone. He couldn't be more grateful "T-Thanks Marinette, but I don't really want to disturb you so much. I'll just pass by your parents' bakery for a little snack" but still he was to selfless to let her do all this for him.
A hint of disappointment was audible in the designer's sigh, she found the courage to invite Adrien to stay with her but not in the right way. Her proposal must have seemed a desperate desire to help him.
"However, if there are really some leftovers from the bakery, I'll gladly help finishing them!" He admitted, not disregarding the idea.
"Obviously for me and Alya too, right Nette?" Nino's question was more a prayer. In their group they had to share every delicacy. Probably Alya would have killed him later for ruining a shielding moment between Adrien and Marinette, but it was worth.
"Sure Nino!" Marinette confirmed with a wink, while behind her Alya threatened with the gesture of strangling him to death.
...
They went back to school as soon as it was time to start afternoon lessons, Madame Bustier sat on the desk and explained to her students some slides about Romeo and Juliet. Time passed quickly enough and the end of another school day approached.
The teacher stood up in front of her students "The lesson is not over yet, until the bell ring don't put your stuff away" she focused in particular on Alix and Kim, who were already ready to go.
"Excuse me, Madame, but what are those sheets?" Rose asked, pointing to the papers in her hand.
"I was about to explain it to you all! We are near schools competitions and one of the themes of this year is the modern age… actuality"
"But this is a very large field, do not you think miss?" Max raised his hand expressing his opinion. It was not the only one to think so, it was possible to talk about anything and sometimes too much material was worse than the lack of it.
Bustier shook his head and understood the doubts of her students "For this reason the competition focus on doing something special and link it to a topic from the past. To explain better; you will have to take an history of the past literature and modify it to make it more modern, perhaps attributing to the protagonists and the other characters the characteristics that remember our days"
"So we can choose whatever we want?" Ivan asked.
"I'd rather you to choose Romeo and Juliet, but you can also go for different stories, as long as they're in the program of this school year!"
It was Marinette who talked later, hoping with all her might to work in a large group. With her work as a superheroine lately she has so free time as Gabriel Agreste. She wouldn't be able to split up to meet with her project partner and working alone would be too much to bear "How are we going to do it? Individually, in pairs, groups or all together?"
"Pairs, after all the competition is among all the students of the institute. We are not the only school attending. The winning couple in each class will represent it and the one which receives the best judgment is going to win a surprise prize, which teachers don't know much about" she lifted the sheets in front of everyone, then put them in front of her eyes "Thought, I already decided myself the couples, to make them balanced and give us more chances to win. I want it to be also an occasion to improve your teamwork but also have a chance to win"
"I'll be with Adrien, that's sure!" settles a certain blond and rich girl sitting in the front row. The other classmates rolled their eyes, surely Chloe thought she had special treatments because she was the mayor's daughter. Lately, however, she behaved better than expected, but more changes were unexpected.
"So... let's start: Alya and Nino"
The two involved gave each other a high five. Putting apart their new relationship, they understood each other very well and worked fine together. Of course, sometimes they had disputes like for the film competition they had lost, but in the other projects that had taken really high grades. At this point Marinette hoped to be with everyone less Chloe, who had improved thanks to her new heroine occasional job, but wasn't still the best study teammate.
"Rose and Juleka, Kim and Alix, Nathaniel and Myléne, Ivan and Max ..."
Marinette swallowed nervously "Please let it be Adrien… Adrien... Adrien..." she hoped into her head, repeating the name madly.
"Next ones... Marinette and..."
Alya ran her hand over Marinette's shoulder, praying for her that fate was kind for once. She already ended up with Sabrina and Chloe once, another project important like that with them would be pure misfortune.
"Chat have pity on me with your misfortune... and don't transfer it to me..." she cried out in her thoughts while Alya squeezed her shoulder one more time.
Madame Bustier looked up at the class and then spoke:
"...Adrien"