hey. am bacc. ik I keep saying I'll try not to go on a long hiatus, but apparently I'm a promise breaker. so I'll try making this chap longer. :D please enjoy then.. and thanks for reading btw! can't forget to thank every single one of u. even u, who's thinking no one cares about u, I do :) u r a cool person and u have to keep being cool by living a happy life! okay, without further Ado... here's chap 6!
My parents look at me in awe and mild confusion. I can only imagine the many thoughts racing in their heads as I casually walked down the stairs from my room and sat on a chair in the dining area.
"Hey mum, dad," I greet with a two-fingered salute before downing the whole jug of coffee. Understandably, they're mouths open and stay like that for a while. It's dad who's eager to break the silence.
"Lady...bug?"
"Yes dad—just call me Marinette from now. Nothing huge."
"Sabine, Ladybug is in our house and she's calling us mum and dad—"
"Because you are my mum and dad." I feel like laughing but I suppress it in hopes of actually making them believe me. "Anyway, I won't be going to school today. There'll be an akuma so I'll just keep my costume on in preparation."
I, again, casually walk to the door with nothing on my back, of course, since my routine has changed. In no time, I'm already at the zebra crossing where the line of school kids usually are standing, waiting to cross the road.
"Ladybug!" one of them screams and I smile at them.
"There's no car on the street, just cross it!" I yell which seems to attract all of Paris' attention including the police officer managing traffic up ahead. As a repeat day, or dream, or whatever this is, going to jail as my superhero alter ego would be such a waste of my time, so I swing my yoyo off in a distance and flip along the rooftops towards school.
Alya and Nino are there by the stairs, talking, like they always did in my dream, so I swing towards them and pose for, like, the bajillionth time today. Pfft, today's the only day I've actually acknowledged that I am an actual superhero. The other days usually felt like responsibility this and responsibility that. I'm a freaking superhero, with powers! Of course I should take the time to enjoy the praise, shouldn't I?
Alya gives me weird look through the mask as Nino exclaims, "Oh shit! It's Ladybug!"
"In the flesh." I pose again.
"Yeah, woohoo! Ladybug!" Alya says, I guess she wants to seem more surprised than confused now to see me, Marinette—no, Ladybug—at school. She pulls me to the side then with a hard tug. It's so hard I feel like my stomach has been displaced in its place. "What are you doing here?!"
"This is where I go to school, is it not?"
"Mari—" she sighs. "Ladybug... this is so not you."
"Maybe I've changed?"
"Since when?"
"Since the universe decided to play tricks on me!" Then everyone is suddenly staring at me but I, on the other hand, stare at the road as I recall that Adrien's about to join our conversation soon.
"Girl, is this superhero thing taking a toll on you? Need some help?" Alya manages to say even after my wild mild tantrum but I ignore her when I hear Adrien's ride pull up at the bottom of the stairs. Usually it's Nino who notices Adrien's arrival, but this time, it's me.
I remain silent as I look at him exit the car and our eyes suddenly meet from a distance and lock. Everything is quiet until Nino shouts, "Adrien! You're back!"
Adrien takes a second to respond and he responds with a slow nod as he still stares at me. I'm expecting him to say my name the way he says it these days, Mari, but he doesn't.
"Ladybug?"
Shoot! Yeah, right, I'm not Marinette to him now, am I? "Oh! Adrien Agreste!" I exclaim sheepishly.
"You remember my name?" he asks as he runs enthusiastically through the crowd that's gathered between us. I forget we've met before, when I've been Ladybug, but it would be weird for me to just remember his name, huh. So I come up with a good-enough excuse.
"Yeah! Of course I do! You're on every billboard in Paris!"
His mouth remains agape and I feel like laughing so hard at his expression. I never knew he was such a big fan of me, well, Ladybug. If I make it through this damn day, maybe I can taunt him with that little fact.
"What's with the commotion!?" yells Chloe as she exits the school. Everyone disperses as she approaches leaving only Adrien and I along with Sabrina, her minion who's following her. Chloe's eyes rapidly goes from Adrien's to mine and she shrieks like a giddy little toddler after getting a PS5 for Christmas.
"Adrikins! Ladybug!" she races through the air, practically flying towards us and hugs us both together which forces Adrien and I to reach our hands across her shoulders as well and awkwardly just touch each other. I wouldn't imagine in a million years hugging Chloe Bourgeois herself but here we are, a million years later, apparently.
Chloe pulls away and I find myself feeling warm as I let go of Adrien's hand too. This wasn't what I had in mind when I said 'prank the universe back'. Now how am I supposed to just tell Adrien I like him as Ladybug?
"So, you wouldn't believe this," Chloe begins on her exaggerated storytelling. "Daddy took me out for the weekend and we went skydiving, isn't that right Sabrina?!"
Sabrina nods immediately and cowers in silence when Chloe turns to face her. The scene seems so comical to me though and eventually, I end up laughing when Chloe turns back to Adrien and I with a serious look on her face.
"OMG! Ladybug laughed at something I said!" she squeals, which makes me laugh all the more.
"You can't skydive!" I finally say after three whole days of hearing that repetitive lie. "You can barely even use an elevator on your own, Sabrina has to do it for you." I laugh again but no one's laughing back. Adrien's looking at me with a 'don't make her mad' look while Chloe herself gives me her 'you're making me mad' look. Sabrina continues to cower as she cowardly offers to carry Chloe's stuff to class.
"Are you calling me a liar?" says Chloe and I could've sworn I saw her ears remove a bit of steam. I can feel heat just radiate off of her nostrils as her back arches like an angry cat.
"Yeah." is my only response. Just a casual, non-triggering 'yeah'. It gives off the same energy as someone replying 'K' to a long heartfelt message.
"Okay Chloe!" Adrien interrupts before Chloe could shit herself in anger. No, seriously, she had that face that seems like she's just about to fart but she's trying to hold it in desperately. Trust me, it's hilarious. Unfortunately, Adrien had to defend me. "Ladybug was just joking!"
"I don't think I was," I say nonchalantly even when I'm clearly so eager to laugh. Maybe this repeat day thing is a blessing. I can just keep annoying Chloe over and over. Sadly, Adrien doesn't seem to like my sense of humour so far.
"This isn't like you Ladybug," he tells me quietly as he grabs me by the hand and leads me down the stairs away from Chloe. I can feel my heart beat faster as I look at my hand in his but then I remember he likes someone else. We're meant to just be friends and this instantly annoys me.
"How would you know that?" I snatch my hand out of his. "How would you know that this is not like me? Huh?"
"Because I—" he suddenly shuts his mouth. "You just seem to be a lot nicer since you're a superhero and all."
"But Chloe's always mean to people."
"You don't have to stoop to her level." He sighs. "I know you're nice. And I know she's nice. She's just had it bad since her childhood. No one gets her, okay?" Adrien looks at her and keeps his eyes on her. It's a clear look of admiration. "She's been there for me since we were little, and I for her. Ever since her mum left for America, she copes through this angry mean persona she puts up. It's as if she doesn't want people to get too close just to leave her again." He looks at me and I can see the passion in his eyes. "She helped me through stuff after my mum passed away so I know she's really not that mean." Then his hand suddenly wraps around mine. "and neither are you."
His smile makes me want to slap him for always being so reasonable then again, it reminds me why I like him in the first place. He's always so genuine about everything.
I smile at him and look back up at a rabid Chloe who's tapping her feet on the ground as if she's dancing to some quiet tune she's made up in her head.
"So, she's the girl you told me you like, huh?"
Adrien chokes and coughs viciously all of a sudden. "What?!" a cough. "I told you?!" another cough. "No! I don't like her." cough cough. "I appreciate her friendship but I don't like her in that way! Jeez!" coughity cough. "And when did I tell you I liked a girl?" His voice cracks, I'm guessing either from all the coughing or because he's nervous. But why would he be nervous?
Oh right, he's a fan of Ladybug.
"Don't worry about that then," I say. "It's just some other alternate universe where I told you I liked you and you told me you liked someone else."
"Wait, did you say you like me?"
"I mean, I told you that in an alternate universe so I'm not sure how that was the only thing you took out of whatever I said." I start laughing. "Besides, you like someone else—"
I pause when I feel his hand squeeze mine. The squeeze reminds me he was still holding it so I'm obviously confused and bewildered that he would do that.
"You're the person I actually like, Ladybug," he goes and I'd have assumed it was a joke if he hadn't stepped forward and tried to kiss me. I would kiss him back, trust me, there's nothing I would like more than to do just that, but I'm Ladybug. Again, he doesn't know me. Even if he's a fan of mine, he doesn't like me the way he thinks he does, right? It's all an illusion cause I'm a superhero. If I was me, Marinette, he wouldn't have considered doing this, would he?
"Adrien, please stop."
He backs away as soon as I say that. "I did something wrong, huh? Too forward?"
"No. Adrien, you're a civilian, I'm a superhero."
"If this is because of the whole identity thing, I can tell you—"
"No! Whatever you tell me doesn't matter! You'll just like the superhero version of me, not the real me. And this day isn't even real! It's all a hallucination! No matter how good this day is, I'll always mess up at telling you how I feel, I'll always mess up at saving Chat! It will always just repeat itself! There's no use giving me any hope!"
I don't even realize the tears flow out of my eyes as I say any of that and I sure don't want Adrien to see me like this so I swing off to the rooftops leaving him behind along with any hopes to save Chat. If the day just repeats itself again, I should just not bother leaving my bed anyways.
I find a silent spot and sit there as I observe the city. Doing this makes me realize Chat was always right about just sitting down to enjoy the city instead of always protecting it. Sitting here alone reminds me of the times I'd catch Chat on my balcony all alone and we'd talk as we look out at the Eiffel tower together, like last night.
Pfft! Last night feels like three days ago now.
"Ladybug?"
I wince as I hear my alter ego's name echo through the air. I look towards the unknown voice even when I know good and well whose voice it is.
"Hey Chat."
He looks at me and I know he can tell I've been crying but he doesn't bother asking why. Instead, he sits silently beside me and we both look at the sky.
"How did you know I was here?"
I hear him sigh. "I don't think telling you how or why I'm here would cheer you up."
"Yeah right." I attempt a smile but it may have turned out to be a lopsided grin instead.
"I'm trying to be serious here, LB. And I want you to know that whoever you are behind that mask, you're still the lady I fell in love with, okay? I didn't fall in love with you because you're a superhero, it's because you're you, whoever 'you' is."
I sniff as I feel a streak of snot roll down my nose. "Where's all this coming from Chat?"
He gives out a low chuckle first then responds. "If I tell you now, it would feel like I'm just trying to butt in and it's selfish to just tell you now after you just said you li—no. You should figure it out on your own, just like how I want to figure who you are out on my own too." He holds out a hand. "Deal?"
I look at his face, at his smile and his green eyes yet all I see is Adrien freaking Agreste under that damn mask.
This isn't like you...
So that's how he knew, huh? Because we've been partners for two whole years. Figures. As if there's a dozen other guys I know with green eyes, blonde hair and that signature Agreste smile.
"What?" he asks suddenly.
"Huh?"
"Why are you smiling all of a sudden."
I stand up and shrug. "No reason. Just remembered yesterday was our two-year anniversary as Ladybug and Chat Noir—"
Then a couple of fireballs just fly across the air interrupting me and colliding instantly with Chat and I.
How could I forget there's supposed to be an akuma today!
The fireballs burn through the building we're on and we end up falling through the newly formed cracks all the way down to the ground where there, luckily, were no civilians.
My whole right arm is trapped under a huge clamp of building and I know it should hurt but I'm not that bothered with any of this.
"Ladybug!" Chat's voice echoes through the rabble. "Where are you?!"
"Here Chat! I'm kind of in a pickle."
Chat races towards me from around a corner of huge boulders around us. He finds me and immediately tries to help me out of my predicament.
"Well, your arm's stuck."
Chat struggles again but this time, he's trying to get the boulder off my arm. He uses his baton as a makeshift lever to try to get it off but it still doesn't budge.
"Shit. Now what?"
"It's fine Chat—"
"You're fucking arm is crushed to a pulp! It's not fine!
His face twists into an unrecognizable look I've never seen, not even on his Adrien face.
"Just relax Chat. I'm the one who should be worrying anyways." I roll my eyes as I wait anxiously for something to happen but nothing does. The fact that I'm still not feeling any pain despite my arm being a whole toothpaste tube now should mean I'm still dreaming after all...
Then a ball of light just appears behind him, almost blinding me immediately.
"Adrien!" I yell without thinking, but the fireball's already obliterated both of us this time, making me wake up into the beginning of the day, once again, drenched in sweat.
Seeing Tikki look at me makes me feel relieved after everything that happened but I still can't just sit in bed and waste any more time. Now that I'm more aware of this dumb loop, maybe I can finally end it.
"Marinette!" Tikki yells as I grab nothing but her and my backpack from the floor. I race down the stairs, say bye to my parents without even consuming any breakfast then transform and swing myself back up to my bedroom's balcony.
Once I've successfully detransformed, I grab a few pens and a notebook to write everything down.
"What's going on, Marinette? You're not going to school?" Tikki asks as she races back and forth after me.
"No Tikki," I answer," today, I'm saving Chat's life."
woah! yeah. that's right. I finally kept my promise to write a longer chap. and guess what? this one is longer than all the other chaps I've ever written on here. hope y'all enjoy it. I'll try not to go on a big hiatus this time lol. anyways, byebye :D