Hi everyone! This is going to be a continuation of my other fic, "Not too Late to Change". So you might want to read that first so it makes sense.
It was about five in the morning and Marinette was awake, something which was usually a bad sign. At least it was today. Marinette had to face one of the hardest things she had ever done as Marinette. She wasn't going to count anything Ladybug related, that just wasn't fair, it was like comparing Cat Noir to Adrien.
Both similar, yet completely different.
As Ladybug she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, the safety of everyone who depended on her. But as Marinette, she had to deal with the troubles of her day-to-day life, social life...love life. Just because she wasn't saving Paris from an over-obsessive villain doesn't mean she wasn't completely terrified.
Yes, she knew what was going to happen, she was going to be rejected for another girl and it was going to HURT. But anything after that she couldn't predict and that was what terrified her.
That's why she woke up early, her body simply wouldn't let her sleep. She had time to contemplate her future relationship with Adrien and the rest of her classmates...yay.
Please by all means note the sarcasm.
"Tikki what am I going to do? I know I said I'd be ok but I'm starting to think otherwise. What if Adrien thinks I'm crazy, what if he never what's to talk to me again? What if the class still believes Lila?! My school life is over" The girl twirled around and fell over her love seat, engulfing herself in pillows and plushies.
"I'm sure that won't happen Marinette, it's Adrien. No matter what he'll still see you as the amazing friend you always have been. Have faith!" Marinette felt the small weight of Tikki landing on her head, brushing her hair. Tikki always knew what to say.
"Thank you Tikki, I needed that. I shouldn't be scared of today, today is the mark of a new day, a new ME! So...I think I should make a few changes" Now having a new attitude and pep in her step picked up her Kwami and placed her near her computer with Sass and Bark and rushed over to her bathroom with a smallish and suspicious-looking pink bag.
"What do you mean Marinette?" At this point, the other Kwamis, that had been paying attention at least, shared her curiosity. Marinette simply smiled and shook her head.
"You'll find out soon, give me an hour or so. Love you Tikki"
About fourth minutes later Marinette stood in the mirror and smiled at her good work. She had cut her hair just below her shoulders with added layers. She had braided it to one side and tied a small ponytail with a small black and white ribbon. She also had a small pink flower clip tying up some of her bangs to the side of her head.
"Perfect!" Marinette rushed and grabbed her things and dashed out of the bathroom door to her bedroom.
"Tikki! Everyone! What do you think?" The kwamis flew towards her while Tikki and a few of the others flew circles around her inspecting her new hairstyle.
"You look lovely Marinette!"
"You indeed look lovely guardian, but why the change?" Marinette played with the end of her hair with a nervous smile.
"Well I said I wanted a new start, so why not start it with a new look? I always wanted to try but was always too scared to try. And thanks, by the way, I quite like it myself" The girl looked at herself in the mirror and then at her phone, she had about two more hours until she had to leave. That's good.
"Ok, now what should I wear? I can't just change my hair without my clothes can I...oh my god I sound like CHLOE!" She couldn't contain her laughter and fell to the floor, the kwamis all rushing to her aid, while the few that had met Chloe and knew her laughter along with her. While she and her were friends now, an incredibly strange term even now, she couldn't believe she was already rubbing off on her.
"I'm fine guys but my question still stands, what should I wear?" Everyone rushed over to the closest and draws and started rummaging through the clothes. Usually, Marinette hated when they would rummage through anything without permission but they had unspoken permission this time.
"What about this?" Fluff and Daisy said flying towards the girl.
"Ooh I like that one, this might go well with it" Pollen cried pointing at a pink garment on a hanger. The other kwamis flew and picked it up placing it on the love seat for Marinette to see more clearly while Trixx and Sass grabbed one more piece of clothing and held it up or the girl to grab.
Marinette looked carefully at all the clothing the kwamis set out for her. For centuries-old magic little deities, they sure did have good fashion taste.
"Remind me to ask you guys more often, give me a minute to put these on...oh and while I'm getting changed sort out some shoes please"
"On it!"
A minute or two later Marinette was fully dressed and looked herself over in the mirror. She was wearing a long-sleeved pink button-up shirt with a white collar and a white high-waisted skirt that reached a few inches above her knees. It was embroidered with her signature lack flowers at the very end of the skirt. The final thing the kwamis grabbed her was a long cardigan that reached just above the knees.
She looked great!
She still need shoes of course but there was one thing missing. What was it?
"So? What did you pick for shoes?"
"These look nice, what do you think?" Trixx and Wayzz pointed towards so nice swayed ankle boots.
"Perfect, they'd look great with some knee-high socks, you guys are life savers" Marinette rushed to put them on and twirled around, showing the kwamis their hard work had paid off.
"Thank you, I look great...but something's missing? I can quite place it though" Marinette looked around her room and searched for that something that would complete her outfit. She looked around for a solid twenty minutes but realised she wasn't really getting anywhere, she would have to settle with what she had, she still looked great.
"Come on Tikki, let's go get breakfast" Tikki nodded and said her goodbyes to the other kwamis and flew into Marinette's bag.
"Time to start the day!"
Marinette was early for the first time in months, getting to class before most of her classmates even. Marinette sighed and started walking up the stairs, since she had time to kill she might as well wait in the classroom. She looked at her phone, it was 8:15 so Alya and Chloe would be arriving soon...and so would Adrien.
She arrived in the classroom and quickly sat at her desk, she could finally work on some of her designs now. She was designing an entire new line based on the heroes and not just herself and Cat Noir. She had designs for every miraculous that Paris had seen, she had finished rough designs for all of them but she was stuck on a show stopper.
All she knew was it was going to be Cat noir themed in honour of her partner. It was fun drawing and designing based on her favourite cat but at the same time incredibly hard. She wanted it to be perfect but nothing quite fit, the entire line was formal and she had to figure out how to translate that into a Cat noir-themed dress.
"Arrhg"
"Morning girl!"
"Wow look who showed up early for once" Marinette, startled hit her head on the desk.
"Ow!" Marinette looked up at the voices to see her best friends grinning down at her amused by her dramatic reaction. It wasn't Marinette's fault she was jumpy, you try being a superhero with the world on your shoulders without being on edge.
"Morning girls, how are you?" The girls sat down, though Chloe had to share Marinette's seat, and started talking.
"We're fine, Chloe here picked me up this morning, I was going to walk but Chloe and her drive saw me and gave me a ride" Alya said when she and Chloe looked down at the notebook under Marinette's arms. They couldn't quite see what she had drawn in detail but they could tell it was good.
"What you drawing?"
Yeah...oh my god is that a dress?" Marinette blushed but moved her arms, giving the others a better view of the drawing. It was a short dress with a puffy skirt with an illusion style bodice, with special touches that gave it that Cat Noir flare.
"That's so pretty Marinette!"
"Yeah, now that we're not trying to kill each other I can honestly say you have talent. My stuck-up bimbo of a mother wasn't wrong when she offered you a job" Marinette and Alya both gave Chloe a look, she just called her mother a bimbo...actually yeah that makes sense. But still...
"Bimbo is a very...interesting description" Chloe scoffed.
"You got a better one?"
"Bitch in cheap clothing?"
"Hawkmoth's Mistress?" Chloe's jaw dropped.
"And you say my insult was interesting, you guys went for the slaughter" Marinette and Alya pound it and laughed, Chloe soon joined and laugher. If anyone walked in now they'd this they were crazy.
They were...to a degree.
"So what's the design for...also it that...Cat noir themed? Alya smirked, perhaps her LadyNoir ship wasn't over after all.
"Yeah it is, I have designed an outfit for all the known miraculous, ranging from suits to dresses. I've finished almost all of them but I need to finish this final design, the show stopper. I have so many designs for it but nothing is working" Marinette buried her head in her arms while Alya skimmed through the pages. Chloe was peering over her shoulder.
There were designs for everyone just as Marinette said.
Ladybug, Rena Rouge, Carapace, Queen Bee and so many more. All finished and ready to make once Marinette got all the Materials, she had really outdone herself.
"How long have you been working on these? This must have taken weeks surely" Marinette had to think. She looked at her fingers and started silently counting digits. How long did it take her again...?
"Umm well I've had some of my concept scotches for a while but the finalised pieces maybe took...a month or so?"
"Only that! Really girl you're putting Gabriel Agreste to shame!" Marinette blushed while the girls laughed, they had been so caught up in their conversations they hadn't noticed the rest of the class walk in. The class was about to start any minute now.
"Oh my god! I'm an idiot an utter idiot! Marinette you look so pretty, what made you want to cut your hair?" Alya quirked a brow and then facepalmed, how had she not noticed? Perhaps it was because they had their head in a book...
"Oh my god, you're right! Sorry girl, but she's right you look great! I love the outfit, a Marinette original correct?" The girl nodded and laughed at the girls, she didn't mind they didn't notice, hell she forgot herself.
"Yeah it's mine, and don't sweat it we were preoccupied anyway. As to the reason I cut it...I thought that today should mark the day of a new me, considering...well what's going to happen. Speaking of Agreste...wait?" Marinette took a moment to around the room and waved at some of her classmates.
"Adrien's not here?" Alya and Chloe just noticed and hummed in confusion.
"That's odd, he's not usually late in the mornings?"
"Maybe he's at a photoshoot? Marinette sighed and collapsed in her arms, great...fate was prolonging her heartbreak.
"Yeah...now I have to wait to get rejected, fate ever heard of express service?" The girls patted her back just as the bell rang. Chloe blew a kiss at both of them and went to her seat next to Sabrina, who currently was giving her the silent treatment. She wasn't her lackey anymore, not that she wanted that anymore but still...
Nowadays she listened to Lila rather than Chloe.
Talk about out of the pan and into the fire...
Chloe sighed and crossed her arms and listened to the teacher present to the class. Hopefully, Sabrina could be saved from the claws of the evil Queen before anything could get worse.
"Today is going to be a long day"
"Ok class time for break, have a good day everyone" Marinette sighed along with Alya, it had been a very long class, and they still had the entire school day ahead. The girls all stood up and started to walk to the cafeteria for break hoping some food might give them more energy. On the way to the cafeteria Marinette couldn't help but look around the school hoping to spot a certain blonde boy, but with no luck. Was he not at school today? Or was he just late?
"Hey, guys? Have you heard of any word from Adrien? It's unlike him to not be at school...do you think he's avoiding me?" The girl was having a freak-out moment. Yes, she knew she wasn't going to win his heart but he still wanted his friendship, maybe Tikki was wrong and he didn't want anything to do with her.
"Baker girl I know that face, whatever you're thinking stop thinking it. I'm sure Adrien has just been held up at a photo shoot or interview, you know what his schedule's like" Alya nodded while giving Marinette a pat on the back. She nodded along with her friend and started to take a deep breath.
They were right, Adrien wasn't like that. It was moments like this that caused her so much stress and why she could never get anywhere with Adrien. She had to stop herself from thinking out everything possible wrong move rather than waiting to see what would happen.
"Yeah you're right, but it is weird though isn't it? Usually, his father avoids making plans for Adrien during school hours" The girl asked. Unfortunately, no one had the answers to that question but the Agrestes themselves, she'd have to ask them later.
Once they got their food they all sat down and started eating. After a few minutes, Nino came and joined them and didn't even question Chloe. He might not know why she was different or when exactly she had changed but if his girl was ok with her he was too, he trusted her. But he just had to ask.
"Hey, I'm sorry if I'm dragging up bad blood but I just need to ask, what's with the change of heart? I've known you for years and you've never once tried to change. So why now?" Ironically everyone but Chloe stiffened. She simply continued eating and looked up at him.
"Because for the first time in years, people believed I could change. Would you continue making music if absolutely no one believed in you and constantly insulted it to the point you found no enjoyment from it? I don't think so" Nino couldn't help but agree with her logic. He had seen what her mother was like and as nice as her father could be...he could only do so much. Plus, because of how she treated them, not many people exactly liked Chloe growing up.
"Well happy to know you have a heart now-OW!" Alya jabbed him in the rib for his statement.
"Nino!"
"Ok sorry I didn't mean for it to sound so rude, it was uncalled for" Chloe simply waved her hand and scoffed.
"Despite popular belief, I'm not made out of glass, if I'm going to try and fit in with you guys I'm going to have to take your jabs and jokes. But don't take it to heart if I snap back...old habits die hard..." The table started laughing. It was an interesting sight of Chloe they were still getting used to, but it was going to be a fun ride.
"Umm Marinette?..." Everyone looked up to the sound of the voice. It was Rose, backed up by the entire class, all of which looked guilty and tried to avoid eye contact. They all seemed to catch on to what was happening and Chloe simply scoffed, it was about time.
"We all wanted to apologise for everything that's happened, you were right, all of you. We never should have listened to Lila, it was just...we were all so caught up in what she said sometimes we just couldn't listen to reason. But after yesterday...we promise we didn't believe her when she said you were bullying her, but it shouldn't have taken so long for us to realise something was wrong"
"What do you mean?" Max and Markov stepped, or floated, forward.
"After the events of yesterday, we did some digging. Lila has never saved any cat from a plane runway, especially Jagged Stone. He never had a cat, he never wrote a song for her. Everything she's been saying were lies...a fact you already knew." Max swallowed hard, he was practically choking over his guilt and humiliation.
"Please forgive us" They were stunned. Marinette got what she wanted, they believe her finally...she smiled and wiped some tears away from her eyes. Adrien would be so happy that Lila was finally exposed.
"Of course I forgive you, yeah it hurt a little to be...ignored. But if it wasn't for me obsessing over Adrien who knows I might have believed her too. Just make sure to check sources next time someone makes crazy claims like that ok?" Everyone nodded, but they still owed Marinette something.
"Thank you, you really are two nice. But there has to be something we can do. Any present you want in compensation for our stupidity?" Marinette was about to decline, but had an idea. It would really help her and if she could pull it off, well she would be doing a lot of good.
"Well there is one thing, could you guys get me some gift cards for some sewing supplies? I know I might be asking a little too much but I promise it's not all for me...exactly" The class laughed, she was asking such a small thing and still stress about it.
Classic Marinette
"Done!" The class was about to go back to their seats and continue their day when their phones all suddenly when off.
It was an Akuma alert...great.
It had been I very long akuma fight, it had taken all day which meant school was now over. This also meant that Marinette had lost her chances of talking to Adrien today. She had to drag on the weight of her untold rejection for yet another day, why cruel fate, why must life continue to spite her?
Marinette had returned to class to gather anything she had forgotten before the akuma alert. Especially her sketchbook, she couldn't leave that book unattended for very long, she would die without knowing where it was. Thankfully Alya had safely put it away in her locker right after she dashed off.
She reached into her locker and gathered her stuff and prepared to walk out of the school, that was until she was unexpectedly stopped.
"Um...Marinette? Hey, how are you?" Marinette froze, she knew that voice all too well.
"Hi Adrien, I'm good thanks...how are you...?"
"Good.." Adrien awkwardly laughed but quickly brushed it off. They were soon standing in absolute awkward silence. Marinette golfed and took the plunge, it was now or never.
"Adrien, I'm sorry about yesterday but everything is finally fixed, Lila's been exposed, I know you said when shouldn't but..." Adrien hummed and waved his hand. Marinette shouldn't be apologising, it was him who should be saying sorry.
"No you were right, we should have exposed Lila long ago. Because of that, you got hurt...um..." Adrien didn't know what to say next but he had to ask, he needed a clear answer. Marinette could see the uneasiness growing in the blonde boy in front of her and spoke up before he had the chance.
"Also about what Lila said...I"
"Was it true?" Marinette bit her lip, now, now was the time.
"Yes...for once Lila told the truth. I've been in love with you for the longest time, ever since you gave me that umbrella on your first day at school. I've wanted to tell you but I never could, I would trip over my words or make a fool of myself so I never had the chance. I never wanted you to find out this way" Marinette managed to get through her sentence without stuttering, most likely due to her shock or maybe the acceptance of it all, but now it was Adrien's turn.
The ball was in his court now and all she could do was listen.
"Yeah, I wasn't expecting...all that to happen yesterday. But I..." This was hurting Adrien almost as much as Marinette, he was hurting one of his best friends and he had no choice. He had never felt like an unlucky cat more in his life.
"I'm sorry Marinette, I'm flattered really, and I love having you as a friend but I don't feel the same way" Marinette choked up a little bit but smiled through the pain. She expected this but it still hurt hearing it, but she couldn't be upset with him, it wasn't his fault.
"No, th-that's ok I knew this would happen. Remember I already knew you liked another girl and that's not your fault" Adrien paled and remembered himself asking Marinette to help him with his own love life, completely ignoring how she must have felt. Is this how Ladybug felt when rejecting him?
"I'm sorry everything happened yesterday but I'm happy you know now, and please don't feel guilty you've done nothing wrong, I won't accept it" the boy smiled, even when she was clearly upset she put others above herself. He didn't deserve her anyway, she deserves someone who treated her right and would love her more than life itself.
"You deserve so much more Marinette, anyone would be lucky to be loved by you and even more so to date you" Marinette blushed but kept on listening.
"We can still be friends right?" Marinette was surprised.
Did he really think she'd stop being friends with him because of this? Though she was thinking the same only a few hours ago... But it was different for Adrien, all his life he had been taught is if he did anything wrong even when it wasn't, he would be punished. He had grown up with so much but lost even more. He didn't want to lose even more...
Marinette hugged him shocking him out of his head, he wasn't used to being hugged by many people especially Marinette and especially now. Adrien hugged her back and listened to her speak.
"You're not going to lose me Adrien don't worry, I might be a little upset for a little bit and need some time but I'll still be your friend. That's not going to change. But...for now, can you give me a little space?" The girl backed up from the hug and put her hands behind her back waiting for the boy's response.
The boy nodded
"Ok"
Marinette smiled and walked past Adrien all the way to the school gate. Once she reached the gate and knew she was out of sight of Adrien she did the only thing she could.
She ran
She ran as fast as she could before anyone could see her cry.
She would be fine
She was ok
.
.
.
She wasn't ok...
She wasn't fine
She just had her heart broken and there was nothing she could do about it.
Marinette ran as fast as she could and finally made it to the bakery. Her parents had just finished closing up but Marinette paid them no noticed and continued running up the stairs to her room. Her parents had been informed of yesterday's events and guested what had happened. But they knew better than to bother her right now...she needed time. They'd be there when she needed them.
"Marinette...are you ok?" Tikki peaked out from Marinette's bag, the other qwamis hovering around her. The girl turned away and walked up to the balcony.
"No now Tikki...I just want to be alone for a little while...ok" Tikki's head dropped, she couldn't do anything but let Marinette deal with things on her own. No matter how many centuries she had been around she could never relate to what Marinette was feeling...all she could do was believe in her holder and give her time.
"Ok...we'll be here when you need us" Marinette turned slightly and gave a small nod. She headed up to her balcony and sat down on her chair, hugged herself in a ball and let herself cry. She was safe to cry here for as long as she liked, without anyone there to see her at her weakest. Once she was over she would swallow her feelings and never show just how much she hurt, especially now that she was guardian. There was too much at stake...
But she was allowed a few minutes to cry, everyone was...even Ladybug.
"Marinette?" The girl snapped her eyes open and raised her head.
.
.
.
.
.
"Cat noir?"
And done! Here's the first chapter of however many I decide to write. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and my story so far, I've had a lot of fun writing it. As for future chapters, I will try to keep a steady upload schedule but I will make no promises, it all depends on whether or not I have inspiration or want to write. Hopefully, we will get more content to help that inspiration.
Please feel free to ask questions or give ideas for events or things you would like to happen. No guarantees I will do it but I will definitely put it into condition. I will also give you credit if I use an idea I myself didn't think of.
Feel free to comment and review if you would like but please no flames! Thank you everyone!
~Luna
