Hello everyone, the thing is, I've been reading a lot of Lila salt on AO3 lately and I wanted to do something like that and then I watched some old episodes and...instead of writing the hundredth story about Marinette being destroyed by Lila and everyone turning against her and Adrien having to save her, I decided to write a story in which Marinette after the identity reveal realizing that Lila is harassing her partner - which definitely happens in the cartoon...in a children's cartoon WTF Astruc?!
Anyway, it's set somewhere before the season three finale. Alya doesn't know yet that Marinette is Ladybug, but all relevant things with Lila have happened. And it's in no way related to my other FF "Thank you, Alya".
Can you call that crack? I'm not sure if you can call that crack.
Oh, one more thing, English is not my first language. I wrote this in German and translated it in English afterwards. Just want to give you guys a heads up, if something sounds funny here.
Anyway, enjoy reading.
Marinette felt like she was walking on clouds when she woke up that morning. The sky seemed bluer, the sun brighter and the birds singing more melodious. For her to even think something terrible was going to happen was, as Chloé would put it, 'ridiculous, utterly ridiculous'.
A day ago, on their last nightly patrol, they had done what they should have done from the start: they had told each other. Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste, her partner was Adrien Agreste, this thought alone spurred her steps and she could jump in the air from all this happiness. This perfect boy, she had been in love with for so long, was her loyal partner, she could trust unconditionally. The two most important boys in her live were one and the same person.
They had talked for a long time that day, they hadn't talked about feelings or the future, they just tried to get to know each other all over again, both sides of each other and it was like their partnership had become even deeper as a result – and wasn't that a strange thought? How could something that was already so deep and firm become even deeper and firmer? From now on she will always have him by her side, in and outside of the mask and that's all she ever needed.
Maybe she will tell him one day – or he will tell her, because he loved Ladybug and she was Ladybug and he knew it now – but there was no hurry, after all they had all the time in the world, now that they knew where to find each other. She will tell him one day, but not yet, they still had to get used to this new reality, to the fact that they were so close now.
She'll give herself one week, the girl decided, maybe two, then she'll call him to the Eiffel Tower, and they'll watch the night lights of the city together from the top of it and then she'll tell him she loved him, and they will kiss and someday get married and have three children named Hugo, Emma and Louis and a hamster and be happy. She didn't have to worry about telling him anymore, it was just her kitty after all, she could talk to him about anything.
Today was a Monday, Marinette had told her partner last Saturday and had had a whole day to get used to the idea and she had really needed it. After all, she had to get used to the thought of seeing her kitty every day from now on, bumping into him in the school hall, sitting behind him, pretending all day not to like his silly puns.
She had to put up with the fact that she frindzoned him because she was in love with him. But now she had made friends with the thought, now she had yelled and laughed enough in her pillow and maybe even both at the same time. Now she was ready for whatever might come.
"Good Morning, dear" her mother greeted her surprised as she stumbled down the stairs "you are awake?" she then asked, nearly bewildered "and you look happy. Did something happened?"
"No, Maman" Marinette beamed "Did you do it?" she then asked, tapping impatiently on her heels.
"Yes, I made it the way you wanted to and…" Sabine lifted a small box from the counter.
"Thank's, Maman, I am out" Marinette kissed her mother on the cheek, grabbed the box, almost dropped it, caught it again and ran out.
"Marinette, wait, the breakfast!" the girl heard her mother calling after her, but she didn't stop. As if she had time for breakfast, Marinette snorted in her mind, after all she wanted to be there before him today.
In fact, she came so much earlier that day like she might have managed once, back than in first grade. There was silence in her classroom, only Nathaniel was sitting in his place and drawing, there was no one else in the room, well, then she could do what she wanted to do.
She unpacked her things, took out a small piece of paper and wrote: For her kitty from his lady on it. Then she carefully opened the box, put the note inside and put it on the place in front of her, on his desk, on Adrien's desk. Now all she had to do was wait and make sure that no one else messed with it.
Little by little the rest of her class trickled in, Marinette got some astonished and confused and baffled looks, after all it was very rare that she was not late and earlier – impossible. Some glanced curiously at the box, but no one approached it, good.
Adrien was one of the last to arrive, he wasn't late as often as she was, and he was never late if there wasn't an Akuma attack or photo shoot, but he was never early either. He grinned broadly and happily when he saw her, then he waved, and she waved back and pointed at the box. He followed her finger with his gaze, his eyes widened a little, happily and the girl suddenly realized how many of his previous smiles had been false and she was proud to be one of those who saw his real one. He looked at the box in awe like it was the best thing in the world.
He opened it impatiently, peeked into it, blinked in confusion, then raised his head, endless delight in his gaze, and said reverently:
"It has cat ears" then he looked back into the box. It was a muffin, a chocolate muffin with a fine peppermint icing and two chocolate cat ears "how am I supposed to eat it?" he then asked theatrically "It's pure purrfection"
"If you don't want it than I can take it back" Marinette shrugged, stood up and pretended to reach for the box. He took a step back from her, hugging the box to his chest as if trying to protect it from her.
"No, it has cat ears so it's mine now" he said earnestly "I will protect it with my live"
"Oh, so it's that easy for you to change your priorities?" Marinette raised an eyebrow in mock skepticism "if I had known you'd be so easy to get around my finger…"
"Only if it comes from a fair princess" Adrien replied mischievously "I thank you for this generous gift, my princess" he took her hand and pressed his lips briefly and gently against her knuckles. Heat shot in her cheeks and her knees went weak.
He had done it so often before and yet it was different this time, she didn't know how to react or what to do now. It wasn't anything special, it had happened so many times before, and yet...Marinette had no time to react before Madame Bustier walked into the classroom and they both quickly darted apart and sat in their seats.
"Girl, when did this happen? I need details, now" Alya whispered to her softly and shocked and confused.
"I don't know what you mean" Marinette replied. Alya tried again and again, pestering her with questions and questions and questions and got no answer. After all, she couldn't tell her that she was Ladybug and he Chat Noir and that they both knew it now and had no idea how to behave in their civilian life. That they were still looking for ways to get both sides of each other under one roof and be what they should be for each other.
The rest of the day passed on...oddly to say the least. Maybe they took it too far after all, they should have done it more slowly, from one day to the next they had switched from shy friendship to unrestrained flirting and inside jokes.
On Friday Marinette couldn't exchange a word with Adrien without stammering and forgetting the grammar of her language. On Friday Adrien was still reserved with her, friendly, always friendly, but reserved at the same time. But today, today they made jokes and laughed and seemed to be glued together all day.
It was really something completely natural for them, they were partners after all, they had to be close, but it had to look very strange to others. But over time they got used to it, most of the girls in their class – all except Chloé, Sabrina and Lila – congratulated her and wanted to know how they got together, what had changed. Marinette just shrugged her shoulders and always said nothing had happened and she didn't know what they were talking about.
It was days before she finally noticed. At first, she'd just been annoyed by the way Lila was glued to Adrien. What did she even want from her kitty? thought the girl and bit her lip so as not to jab at her.
Lila hated Chat Noir almost as much as she hated Ladybug, Marinette rolled her eyes. She had no chances with Adrien, after all he knew how she was, he was only nice to her because he was nice to everyone, because he believed in second chances and wanted to help her, even if she might not deserve this help. It was on the fourth day after the reveal, Wednesday, when Marinette finally realized what was going on.
How did she never noticed? How did no one ever noticed? It played out in front of all of them and no one seemed to understand how serious it was.
Lila moved closer and closer to Adrien, as if she were a predator approaching its prey. She always sat very close to him whenever she had the opportunity, be it during the breaks or in the cafeteria, she always seemed to make sure that they always touched: on their legs, on their shoulders.
If his hand was laying on a tabletop, you could be sure that Lila would try to put her own hand on his. He always tried to move away from her, but she always followed. He always tried to free his hand from hers, but she always grabbed a hold of him.
His entire body language roared with rejection, if he were now suited up, his cat ears would surely be snug against his head, if he were really a cat, he would probably hiss. Did she ever gone farther? Marinette wondered, and could feel bile crawling up her throat just thinking about it. Nobody noticed, she hadn't noticed either, and he himself would never tell anyone because he probably didn't understand how wrong it was what Lila was doing.
Hot rage rose in her, burning and fiery, and made her blood boil. How dare she? Her mind roared angrily, and she wanted to jump up and push Lila off him. How dare that damn liar harass her kitty like that? How dare she touch her kitty when he clearly didn't want it!? How dare she put that look of fear on his face?
It was one thing to threaten Marinette, she could handle it. It was one thing if she lied to their entire class to make herself look better. But that...that was just...it wasn't jealousy speaking out of her – she didn't need to be jealous anymore, she finally knew that he loved her and that she loved him – she didn't want to be in Lila's place – why should she even? If she wanted to hug Adrien, all she had to do was ask, she didn't have to pressure him into doing it.
They had had sex-ed last year; they had all been so embarrassed and uncomfortable. They were lucky that Madame Mendeleiev had hold this lesson, it had been so objective and biological with her...afterwards Madame Bustier took over and explained to the girls that they always had the right to say no and that if someone still carried on, then they should immediately go to their parents or a teacher or, in serious cases, to the police.
But they only talked about girls, and she had just assumed...but what she saw in front of her was nothing else and it was so much worse than Chloé had been – she never thought she would ever think something like that but compared to Lila Chloé was almost nice.
With Chloé, Adrien had never had such an expression of fearful powerlessness or resignation on his face. Maybe it was because they were friends – as far as one could be friends with Chloé at all.
When one talked about something like that, it had only ever been related to girls, nobody had even mentioned that it could happen to boys too. If it had been the other way around, then surely someone would have done something about it long ago, then someone would have noticed and helped, but now everyone was watching, she was sure, some even thought it was cute, they probably thought it was a adorable quirk of hers, Lila just showed her affection that way, nothing more, he should be glad that a girl threw herself at him like that...Marinette could throw up.
She was sitting in the cafeteria with her friends, Adrien was sitting next to her, as he had done for the rest of the week and Lila was sitting next to him, Marinette could see the liar's hand disappear under the tabletop and laying itself on Adrien's knee. The boy winced, but did nothing, nobody did anything.
So, that's it, the girl decided as she clenched her hand over her fork and had to control herself not to attack Lila with it. Violence wasn't a solution, she kept reminding herself, wishing Lila would be akumatized so she would have an excuse to punch her in the face.
"Girl, are you all right?" Alya, who sat across from her, asked carefully, her eyes fixed on the tightly clutched fork "you look like you're about to kill someone" she laughed nervously.
"Not yet" Marinette growled back.
"Is everything OK, Bugaboo?" Adrien breathed next to her, turning with that endlessly worried, endlessly gentle look to her. Turning away from Lila and shaking off her grip.
"Everything is all right, kitty" she answered, "everything will be all right" she promised, because she will take care of the matter. They were partners, after all, and they looked out for each other, it was their mutual duty. Lila didn't know what was coming for her, no one threatened her kitty while she was around.
"Kitty?" Alya asked confused, "Bugaboo? You are totally not telling me something here! What have I missed?" she crossed her arms over her chest but got no answer. Marinette will come up with an excuse for the strange new nicknames later, now she had a liar to deal with.
It had taken Marinette a few days to do it, she'd already had most of it together, but she'd put the finishing touches on everything, everything had to be right, perfect, after all. She tightened her grip on the folder in her hands and went into the girls' bathroom, the bathroom she had seen Lila go into.
It was after class and most of her classmates had already left, it had to be that way, there couldn't be any witnesses for what she was about to do. Marinette waited a while for Lila to come out. The liar gave her a suspicious look as she washed her hands, but she said nothing, pretended she wasn't there.
"We have to talk" Marinette stepped resolutely to Lila and felt the anger creep up her throat again. No, she couldn't be angry now, she had to get it right, and she couldn't do it right when she was angry.
"I don't know what about" Lila shrugged "you should be thankful" she continued "I was so nice to you, I let you get away with your little rebellion. But I can stop to. I could tell Adrien things about you, you know?" she straightened up and smiled her disgusting fox smile.
"I could tell him that you are in love with him, so much so that you run after him like a stalker. Alya told me about you, so in love with him that you knew his schedule three years in advance. You two spend way too much time together, it has to stop immediately, otherwise I'll tell him everything" Marinette felt a little pang that Alya would confide something like that to Lila, but the liar had probably fished this information out of her friend without her noticing.
"It's good that you bring him up" Marinette swallowed the disappointment about Alya and stepped up. It wasn't about her or Alya, not about their friendship Lila was destroying. It was about her partner, and he was suffering and she had to protect him "don't you see how uncomfortable this is for him? The way you touch him and not let go, even when he tries to move away from you? He doesn't want it and I'm pretty sure he told you that before"
"Oh please" snorted Lila and made a dismissive gesture with her hand "of course he likes it, he's just shy, he can't help it, after all he's a boy, all boys like that"
"No, he doesn't and you would have to be blind not to notice!" exclaimed Marinette angrily and took a deep breath, no, she had to do it the smart way, she just had to do it, for him "that has to stop, immediately" she added in a firm voice. Lila laughed loudly and barking and maliciously.
"Why should I stop?" the liar continued to laugh "We have a deal, after all" she grinned broadly and did not explain what she meant by that. She probably was threatening him with something so he would keep quiet and let her carry on and not throw her out of his photoshoots.
"Then we will make a new one today" Marinette replied.
"Why should I? What could you probably give me that is better than Adrien?", Lila laughed on and got louder and louder, fine tears welled up in her eyes and she wiped them aside with her index finger.
"My silence. I've collected this" Marinette picked up the folder, handed it to her opponent and waited for her to take it. Lila made no move to comply, so Marinette put the folder on the sink instead "you should read it" the girl continued in a cold voice "in here is every single one of your lies with evidence to invalidate them"
"All the information is on my computer" she continued "I made three different flash drives with this information, all of them are in the possession of people I trust. It will go like this, I'll be silent and let you keep your little kingdom of lies, I won't openly address any of your lies as long as it doesn't concern me, Adrien or the superheroes of Paris and by that I mean all the superheroes. You will stay away from Adrien from now on" she took a step forward and Lila stepped back, her expression derailed, she must have seen something in Marinette that she hadn't expected.
"You won't touch him unless he gives you permission to, you won't talk to him unless it's about school or our mutual friends, you won't do any more photoshoots with him, you won't come to his house as long as he doesn't personally invite you and you won't tell lies about him. If you don't stick to it and I will find out, if you don't, this here" she pointed to the folder, which Lila had not touched "will end up on the Internet and everyone will know"
"You are bluffing!" Lila cried out, fear in her voice "you have nothing, otherwise you would have done it much earlier!"
"Then risk it" Marinette shrugged "but first take a look at the folder. I only did it now because you are hurting someone who means more to me than I do and I will do everything to protect him" with these words Marinette turned on her heel and left without looking back.
Lila actually stuck to it, Marinette could sometimes feel her look on her neck, a strange mixture of fear and anger and rage and lust for murder, but she stuck to it. She stayed away from Adrien, the next day after the conversation he even told her cheerfully and relieved and happily that Lila had claimed to having injured herself and could therefore no longer work as a model.
Lila didn't talk to them anymore, not to either of them, but she didn't talk to Alya any more as well, at least not on her own, probably she was afraid to give Marinette more reasons to attack her.
"Lila is acting all weird" Adrien said to her a few days later, the voice alarmed "she is planning something again and…" but Marinette put her finger on his lips and silenced him that way.
"I'm sure it's nothing, kitty" she smiled gently "probably your plan worked and she has become a better person now"
"I don't think she is" Adrien shook his head "she's just…" he shook his head again.
"Let's not talk about her" Marinette smiled gently, reaching for his hand, which felt so warm and right in hers "can you meet me on the Eiffel Tower today? I want to tell you something and I want it to be perfect"
"Anything you want, Mylady" Adrien responded immediately, his eyes gentle and so, so perfect.
"Then it's a date!" Marinette turned around and ran down the hall, waving at him.
"Wait, a date? Like a date date?" Adrien called after her, astonished and hopeful. She waved to him again and finally disappeared, her heart pounding and loud in her chest and bursting with happiness.
Lila actually stuck to the deal even after seeing Marinette and Adrien walk hand in hand into class the next day. She looked angry, but she always winced when their eyes met, and it was okay with Marinette. Should she be afraid, especially since her fear was not unfounded, for Marinette actually intended to publish this information should something change.
Lila was still lying, but her lies had become different, more harmless and less hair-raising, as if she were worried that it would only give Marinette more ammunition against her. After a month she finally switched schools and Marinette and Adrien had celebrated this victory with a box of macrons on top of the Eiffel Tower.
She slayed the dragon, thought the girl proudly, and saved her prince in pitch-black leather armor. It was maybe a little irresponsible, she hadn't solved the problem after all, Lila hadn't seen her mistakes, she wouldn't just stop lying and certainly won't do it any differently at the new school. But there was nothing she could do about it. All she could do was to be glad she was gone and so far far away from Adrien. She couldn't and didn't have to do more.
So that's it. Marinette is badass, she could definitely get rid of Lila if she wants to. She's just too nice and she wouldn't want to disappoint Adrien. Both of them would do a lot to protect one another. If the situation were the other way around, then I would probably be writing a FF in which Adrien would help Marinette, so…
I'm still not sure if that can be called crack.
Sexual harassment is a serious issue on both sides, just because the girl is the perpetrator, and the boy is the victim doesn't make it any less bad or relevant. If someone reading this is in a comparable situation, then please contact your parents or teachers or, if nothing helps, then go to the police, it is always relevant, even if it is small. And that has been the case with Lila right from the start, since Volpina.
I could have written a story here in which Lila sees her mistakes and realizes that lies are no solution, but honestly, I don't feel like it. She needs more than just someone to explain it to her. I'm not a psychologist, but I think Lila – based on my experience with media and such, so, not much and relevant at all – clearly has sociopathic traits. She lies and manipulates others, and she doesn't really seem to think about how others would feel about it. With Chloé I would say she only turned out like this because her mother is a diva and her father is a doormat, I would say that with Lila it clearly goes much, much deeper – or Astruc just didn't feel like thinking about how to write mean girls. Lila clearly needs help, but it is not Marinette's job to get her that help, and it is definitely not Adrien's job to let her do everything with him, just so that she leaves others in peace and does not become akumatized.
So that's it for me, I hope you enjoyed reading it. As always, any kind of criticism is welcomed and gratefully accepted.
