"Where's Ladybug when I need her most?" Chat sighed as he sat on the Eiffel Tower. He really needed advice, because two of his close friends probably, no. Definitely hated him by then. And he couldn't comfirm if Nino also hated him. If only he had not been so complacent. Had he been a little more thoughtful, Marinette wouldn't be in the hospital. She'd be the usual bubbly self she always was.
"She's not picking up either..." Chat sighed once again as he tried dialling Ladybug with is communicator. Sagging his shoulders in defeat, Chat returned home. Still. With that big. Hard. Stone of guilt in his heart.
"Kid...You just have to apologise. I'm sure Marinette will understand..."
"I stood her up, Plagg! A-And it wasn't by accident either! I even said that she could talk to me the next day, and I didn't tell her to go home! H-Had I not done that, she would not be in the hospital right now!" Adrien snapped.
"Just because of my selfishness, just because I wanted to analyse the letter, I broke her heart! A-And she's even in the hospital because of me, okay?!"
"Kid!"
Adrien had finally been silenced as he hung his head low, tears started to build up in his eyes from the guilt he felt.
"I'm sure she'll accept an apology. J-Just say that you're sorry and make it up to her..." Plagg said.
As Plagg turned around, he realised that Adrien had already fallen asleep.
"Stuid kid," he said with a weak smile as he pulled a blanket on Adrien.
"And she can leave today?" Marinette heard the sound of voices echoing.
"Yes. She has recovered very quickly. Most people would usually take two weeks, while she has taken just a few days and with a forty degrees fever. She recovers miraculously, in fact, I have never seen such a case."
"Really? Thank you! Thank you, Doctor!" Marinette lifted her eyelids as she saw her parents talking to the doctor.
Healing...Miraculously?
Marinette closed the curtains around her bed as she held Tikki in her hands.
"Is this just a coincidence, or-"
"Your miraculous did it," Tikki beamed.
"How?" Marinette asked, eyes widened.
"The power of the miraculous's magic!"
"Miraculous's magic?" Marinette asked.
"Miraculous holders recover or heal from colds, fevers, injuries and etc four times faster than normal humans," Tikki said as Marinette nodded.
"Mari?" Marinette had almost jumped out of her skin as she heard her mother's voice.
"Hide, Tikki!" Marinette whispered to Tikki.
"Hey, Maman," Marinette chirped.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Good as new!" she replied.
"Go get changed, you're getting discharged today, and you're safe to go back to school!"
Marinette faked a smile, but loathed the thought of going back to school. Of seeing Adrien.
"Welcome back, Marinette! I hope you are feeling better," Ms Bustier greeted.
"O-Oh, thank you! I am feeling better, Ms Bustier," replied Marinette.
"Since you've missed quite a few lessons, Adrien can help you catch up, if that's okay with you two?" Ms Bustier asked.
"U-Um actually...I could help her, too! With Nino," Alya interrupted.
"No, Alya. Yoh must focus on your journalism competition coming up, and Nino has a competition, too. Adrien seems to have no plans for today, as I have checked."
"I-I don't mind..." Adrien said, trying to capture the chance to apologise to Marinette. Marinette looked down as she sighed in defeat.
"Okay, then. Marinette, please take care of your health, and be sure to drink lots of water."
"Marinette!" Adrien called out to her after classes. Marinette looked back as she hastened her pace.
"I-I'm sorry for that day... C-Can you please...Forgive me? I'm really sorry...It's all my fault.."
"O-Of course! Let's go back to how we used to be, okay?" the girl faked an appealing smile, before turning away and walking.
"I don't think she meant it..."
After Riposte
"U-Um...Yeah! Marinette's a really good friend!" Marinette overheard Adrien saying. A really good friend. She was just that to him, after all. She felt it like a knife had just been stabbed through the center of her heart. Bleeding. Painful. Broken. No wonder he'd stand her up so easily. Yet enough with the 'she can talk to me tomorrow' which Alya had heard and told her.
She was nothing to him.
It wasn't even a friendzone. If he even counted her as a friend, he would have showed up. She wiped away the suspicion that Adrien could be Adri. Adri would never do that to her. Moreover hurt her so much.
The tears flowed down her cheeks like they were little raindrops falling from the sky.
She had finally shed the tears she held back. Even so, Adrien probably believed her when she said that she wanted to be like the way they were before again. She ran home without hesitation, before she knew it.
Adrien's eyes widened as he turned around after talking to Kagami. He saw someone. She was crying. And running. It ought to be Marinette. However, he didn't have the guts of talking to her as Adrien. The only way was-
Knock knock knock.
No answer.
Knock knock knock.
"Leave me alone, Mom!" Marinette screamed.
"M-Mari..." Tikki whispered as she stared at the blonde boy at Marinette's window from behind Marinette.
"Princess? Is there anything wrong?"
"C-Chat..." Marinette said, before wiping away her tears as she turned away, shocked.
"Nope, I'm purrfectly fine, Kitty!" she beamed, faking a smile.
"You're not," Marinette's jaw dropped as the leather-clad boy put his arms on her shoulders.
"W-What makes you think that?"
"You were crying."
"W-Was not..." Marinette said.
"You were!"
The blue-pigtailed girl had finally been silenced.
"Y-You're...You're right..."
"W-What's wrong with me?!" she said, burying her head in her knees.
"N-Nothings wrong with you, Marinette! U-Um...C'mon, let's go out and talk..." Chat said, pointing to her balcony as she nodded.
"Tell me what's wrong."
"I-It's just this boy...I-I've actually liked him for the longest time...H-He hasn't even noticed me...That day..." she said.
"I asked him to meet me at the school courtyard...I...Actually mustered up the courage to confess to him, but he didn't show up...And Alya overheard him saying that I could tell him whatever I had to the next day!" she cried as Chat's face drained of colour. How did Alya hear that?!
"I-It rained...And I stayed there waiting...The next day...I was admitted to the hospital..."
"This afternoon...I overheard his conversation with this girl...W-Who he probably likes...He said that I was nothing more than a friend," she laughed bitterly. Adrien pondered at that thought for a moment...He had really said that...
"W-Well...Yoh deserve better..." Chat said.
"I-I feel better letting everything out, Chat. Thanks..." said Marinette as she turned away. Just then, Chat's hand grabbed hers.
"Goodnight, Purrincess," he said, pressing a kiss on her cheek as her face reddened and blushed furiously. Chat could immediately feel his face heating up.
"G-Goodnight."