Marinette's POV
My day so far had been pretty bland. My parents insisted that I stayed at home for a day after what happened and they refused to let me help in the bakery. I was told to go up to my room and 'rest'. So I had spent the whole day binge watching Disney movies. Alya had called me at the end of the school day apologizing for her actions even though I insisted it was my fault. Apparently we had no homework other than we had to read the next chapter of "Sleeping Beauty". So after reading the chapter and finishing all of the Disney movies that I owned I was stuck in a vicious cycle of boredom.
"Marinette! Stop wallowing in self pity, it doesn't look good on you at all!" Tikki's voice was substantially muffled thanks to the pillow I had buried my head in. I just groaned and buried my head in the pillow as a response. Tikki sighed.
"Come on Marinette, why don't you go and design, that always makes you feel better?"
I groaned again but lifted my head to look at Tikki, all I wanted to do was wallow in self pity, but Tikki was right, I should do something productive. Sometimes it was horrible to have a kwami that was always right.
I sat up and smiled softly at Tikki.
"You're right, how about I go get some cookies and we head up onto the balcony so we can get some fresh air while I design?" Tikki buzzed around me happily.
"That sounds great Marinette!" I smiled and climbed down the ladder from my bed, walking softly down the stairs and into the kitchen, taking out a tray and filling it with cookies before heading back up the stairs and onto my balcony. I grabbed a blanket and my sketchbook on the way, smiling out at Paris as I reclined onto my chair, putting the plate of cookies beside Tikki and listening to her munch softly on one of them before flipping open my sketch book and tapping my pencil on my chin in thought.
The designs flew from my fingertips, forming elegant outfits with swirling patterns. Suddenly Tikki sat up straight.
"Marinette, Chat Noir's calling you." I sighed and closed the sketch book beside me, placing the pencil down beside it.
"Let's go Tikki, we cant keep him waiting." Tikki smiled up at me, drawing strength from that smile, I drew on my courage and transformed. I wasn't sure if Chat Noir had figured out my identity or not, so my head was swimming with worst case scenarios. I climbed over the railing and swung away into Paris stopping only once to check where he was located, and swinging off in his direction.
I landed on the building with a dull thump, smiling and walking towards him.
"Hey Chat, what did you want to talk..." I faded off into silence, Chat was sitting on the edge of the roof, his feet dangling off the building down below him. His black suit was stretched tight over his shoulders, the tension palpable in them.
"Where were you?" he said softly but vehemently . I swallowed the lump in my throat, the tension coiling in my stomach.
"I was-" I started, but he cut me off.
"No, you don't get it. Where. Were. You." his voice was shaking with anger and disappointment.
"I'm sorry Chat. I got caught up as a civilian." I replied my voice subdued.
"I almost died LB. A civilian had to save me, and the girl had to break free of Hawkmoth's control all by herself."
I flinched when he turned towards me, his eyes holding disappointment.
"You of all people should know Ladybug," he continued, "being a superhero comes before everything else."
"I know, I'm sorry."
He just sighed and shook his head, blond locks flying everywhere. "Don't say sorry to me, say sorry to Marinette."
I shuddered at his tone of voice, and once I started I couldn't stop, soon my whole body was racked with trembles. He just looked at me, his eyes unfathomable behind his mask.
"How does it even work, I mean you didn't free the akuma from evil and I didn't see it fly away, so what happens now?" His tone of voice was carefully controlled, but still had an underlying current of anger.
"I don't know," I answered truthfully, "this has never happened before, I'll ask my kwami."
I was still standing a few metres away from him, and he did not look inclined to reach out to me and close the distance between us at all. I was at a loss for what to do.
The lights of Paris were illuminating his face, the city giving off a pale glow that softened his features. His eyes however remained as smooth as glass when he looked at me. Cold, indifferent and not sure what he was looking at through it. He was looking at me like a stranger, and I realised two things;
1) He no longer trusted me and
2) I was not wanted here.
With a heavy heart I turned and fled into the night, flying as if the very hounds of hell themselves were chasing me. When I finally arrived at my deceptively peaceful home, I flung myself onto my bed, sobbing into my blankets and calling for my detransformation, with Tikki trying to comfort me.
I cried myself into an exhausted sleep. Only to wake up panting hours later when nightmares of Chat's face pleading at me to let him go as I strangled him stained the back of my eyelids, a silent scream stuck in the back of my throat.
The next morning my parents took one look and my puffy bloodshot eyes and told me I was having another day off school. I didn't even argue, just went back upstairs into my room and lay face up on my bed, staring silently at the ceiling and wondering how I could have screwed up so badly.
Adrien's POV
Marinette was away from school at again. One look at Alya was enough to tell me that. her eyes were down cast, the worry for her friend smothering the normal brightness in them. Nino laid a comforting hand on her shoulder but she didn't respond to it at first, and then she looked up at him and smiled tightly. She then turned her gaze to me.
"Morning Adrien."
"Morning Alya." I responded, smiling softly at her. She returned my smile, and together we headed into school making our way to the classroom and sitting down in our respective seats. Nino and I turned around to face Alya so we could include her in our conversation. Nino was taking extra care to make her laugh, her gold eyes lighting up at his silly jokes and easing the tension in the room. Everything was going fine, well as fine as it could go with Marinette noticeably absent, until Chloe entered the room.
She swept in with Sabrina following in her wake, carrying all of their books. She flicked her blond hair over her shoulders and her eyes zeroed in on me.
"Adrikins!" she squealed, leaning over the desk as far as she could and batting her eyelashes innocently up at me. I frowned at her.
"Hey Chloe." She laughed at me, turning her face towards where Nino and Alya had paused their conversation to glare at her.
"What do you want Chloe." Alya spat out between her clenched teeth.
"Oh I just wanted to see where Marinette Dupain-Cheng was, absent again it seems." She smiled sourly, white teeth flashing in the light. The whole class had gone silent.
"It's none of your business if she is absent or not Chloe." Alya responded, her gold eyes flashing with suppressed rage.
"It seems as though Marinette hasn't been able to cope with a little akumatization. Ladybug didn't even care enough to show up." she cackled again then looked around. The whole class was staring at her as if she had grown a second head. The air was silent air was pregnant with anticipation. Alya looked as if she was going to jump over her desk and throttle Chloe and Nino was staring at her with disgust.
"Chloe, that's enough." I whispered, shaking my head slightly. Chloe ignored me, continuing to look around the class.
"What, it's true you know." she said with a cackle, adjusting her sunglasses on top of her head, and starting to fidget slightly beneath the combined weight of the whole classes attention.
"Chloe." I said again, louder this time.
"What Adrikins, don't tell me you're going to side with them," she spat the word them as if it were a particularly nasty bug that she had found on the bottom of her designer shoe, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng is just a common piece of trash, she doesn't deserve to even be in the presence of people like us."
I stood up angrily, my fist coming down on the desk beside me and the whole class seemed to flinch.
"Enough Chloe." I said quite loudly, emphasizing my words.
"Adrikins." Chloe whined weakly batting her lashes at me and pouting. Her ice blue eyes looking at me pitifully.
"Don't 'Adrikins' me Chloe. This time you have crossed a line. If Marinette is a 'Piece of common trash' ", I put air quotes around the words, spitting them out with disdain, "then what does that make you? Because Marinette is ten times better that anything you'll ever be."
Chloe was staring at me in shock and I'm pretty sure the rest of the class was as well. I had never gotten angry with Chloe. Annoyed, yes, but angry? No. I glared into her ice blue eyes, refusing to back down even when they started to swell with tears and her lips wobbled. She ran out of the classroom with Sabrina hot on her heels. I knew she would get over it quickly, and probably go complaining to her Daddy, but for the moment I couldn't care less, I looked around the classroom anxiously, gauging their reactions. Suddenly Alix let out a wolf whistle and the class broke into cheers.
Nino patted me on the back and Alya looked at me proudly. Kim came and clapped me on the shoulder and I was getting heaps of congratulations.
"You finally stood up to Chloe, de rose, who was looking at me with adoration.
it was awesome!" Kim said his lips brought up into a smirk.
"She finally got what was coming," Max agreed.
"Awesome." Juleka said standing beside Rose, who was looking at me with quiet admiration shining in her twinkling blue eyes.
Soon however the whole class quieted down when Miss Bustier walked in, commencing class. People where still whispering however, and shooting me appreciative glances. I was in shock, I didn't realise how much people wanted someone to stand up to Chloe, and I suddenly understood why Marinette was so popular, she was one of the only people who stood up to Chloe time and time again without caring for the consequences. I found myself a little in awe of her, and realised how good it felt to stand up on behalf of one of your friends. I smiled a little. Perhaps a day without Marinette didn't turn out so badly for the class at all.
The day had passed really quickly. All the lessons went quickly, and even without Marinette present everyone seemed happy. Alya was smiling a bit more than yesterday and when school finished, she invited Nino and I to come and see Marinette with her. Of course we both accepted, and after telling the Gorilla not to pick me up, I walked with Nino and Alya over to the Dupain-Cheng's house. Sabine was working the till and talking to one of the customers and when they left, she noticed us and smiled.
"Alya! It's nice to see you! And is that Nino?" Nino smiled sheepishly at this, "oh and Adrien as well!" I scratched the back of my neck bashfully, looking away and blushing a bit.
"You must all come in, I'll be with you in a moment, Tom should be in there, make sure you get something to eat on the way through!" she smiled at us and ushered us all through to the house.
Tom was in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water by the sink. When he noticed us his mustache twitched into a smile.
"You must be here to see Marinette!" he boomed coming forward and greeting us. "There's some left over croissants from yesterday if you want some." He turned around and after hunting around in the pantry for a while he produced the before mentioned item. Nino and I sat down at the bench seats and participated in small talk. Alya practically inhaled her croissant and after leaning against the bench for a while, broke into the conversation.
"I'm going up to check on Marinette, come up when your finished." She then dashed up the stairs leaving Nino and I staring after her in bewilderment and Tom looking after her with fond amusement.
"She's a lively one isn't she," he chuckled a bit at that, "she's been good for Marinette though, after befriending her Marinette's confidence has increased tenfold. It's good to know that she has friends that look after her." We agreed and with that Tom, (as he insisted we call him) excused himself and went to go help in the bakery.
Marinette's POV
I awoke hearing the trap door open from where I was on the balcony, dozing slightly in the afternoon sun enjoying it's warmth Alya's head poked out and grinned manically up at me before she heaved herself up onto the balcony to join me.
"Hey Alya." I said sleepily, my eyelids fluttering drowsily.
"Hey yourself." She replied smiling and leaning down to muss my already sleep mussed hair. I leaned into the touch. I looked around to find that Tikki was already well hidden. I started when the trap door opened and Nino and Adrien made their way up onto my balcony.
"Alya," I hissed, and she leaned towards me. "Please tell me Adrien didn't see the posters all over my wall." I balked when said blond angel grinned at me happily from where he was standing beside Nino.
Alya laughed at my frightened expression.
"Don't worry girl, I took them down for you before he could see them." I sighed in relief.
Nino looked at Alya confusedly.
"See what?"
"Nothing." she replied innocently, but the wicked grin she had on her face ruined the effect a bit. Nino just shook his head exasperated, he had learnt not to ask Alya for answers when she was like this though.
"We thought we'd come see you, seeing how you were away from school for a second day in a row!" I smiled sheepishly at them, wrapping my blanket around me further.
"I'm sorry, my parent wouldn't let me. I hope it wasn't too boring without me." I giggled a little at Alya's expression and turned to Nino.
"I'm sorry you had to put up with her for me." Nino smiled at me.
"It was a pleasure, just make sure you don't do it too often Nette, she's quite the handful." I giggled again when Alya cast Nino a betrayed look before turning to Adrien. I let out a small squeak when he smile at me and Alya shook her head bemused.
"H-hey Adrien."
"Hi Marinette."
When neither of us said anything else, Alya broke in.
"Girl you will not believe what Adrien did!"
I looked at her curiously. Adrien was sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck and Nino was laughing at his discomfort.
"Chloe was being her normal mean self and was making rude comments about you and Adrien totally flipped" Nino said.
Nino and Alya then launched into a description of what happend making me laugh with their Chloe impersonations.
I smiled at the two of them giggling when they got to the part of Chloe storming out of the room, which Nino pulled off by flipping his imaginary hair over his shoulder and storming off. Adrien looking extremely uncomfortable and took the end of the story as a way to barge into the conversation.
"What did you to today Marinette." I froze slightly looking away from them.
"Nothing much," I whispered, "Just tried to catch up o-on sleep." Behind my back Alya and Nino traded worried glances. An awkward silence ensued. No one wanting to ask the obvious question of why I had to catch up on sleep.
Alya finally started up another conversation and before long everybody had left, leaving me staring out over Paris as the sun slowly faded beneath the horizon and one by one the lights of the city turned on. I felt Tikki come and land on my shoulder, nuzzling into my neck. I raised one hand to cup her, smiling softly to myself.
I gradually fell asleep falling into a cascade of dreams and forgetting about everything.
Adrien's POV
I was restless, pacing around my room, and sitting, only to stand again a few moment later. I was even starting to annoy Plagg.
I felt a something hit me in my head, I turned around to discover a piece of smelly camembert on the ground near my feet and an annoyed looking Plagg staring at me from across the room from where he was sitting on my bed.
"Hey, what was that for?" Plagg, if possible, looked even more annoyed by the question.
"What do you think? your beginning to annoy me with all of this constant movement. I even wasted a good piece of cheese throwing it at your head."
I sighed at Plaggs antics.
"Well, what do you suggest I do instead? Marinette didn't look well at all! Did you see how puffy and red her eyes were? It looked like she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep!"
"Yeah, well what are you going to do lover boy?" ignoring the nickname I stared at Plagg.
"I don't know. I'm not really close to her, I mean I don't think she likes me Plagg, she always stutters around me." Plagg muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'oblivious idiot' but I chose to ignore him for the sake of my sanity.
'I don't know, why don't you go and patrol or something as Chat Noir? Anything beats sitting here and watching you pace." I smiled at Plagg
"really?"
"Why do you think I said it if I didn't mean it?" Plagg responded grumpily, and my smile grew even larger.
'Plagg, Claw's Out!"
With my transformation in place, I climbed out my window and hurtled into Paris. Jumping over building and feeling the wind whip through my hair.
I stopped suddenly when I spotted Marinette sitting on her lawn chair crying, the tears streaming down her face. I stopped, landing in front of her, but she seemed to not notice me approaching her. I reached out a hand to place it on her shoulder but she flinched away.
I stayed silent, not asking what was wrong, waiting for her to speak to me instead.
"Why did nobody tell me I hurt you?" she sobbed out, and I gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder and, encouraged when she didn't flinch away this time, used my other hand to gently tilt her head towards me.
"You didn't hurt me Princess, that was Hawkmoth, and you were strong enough to break out of his control."
"I still hurt you." she said again, this time quieter and more subdued. I shook my head at her stubbornness.
"No, Hawkmoth hurt me." she just hiccuped a laugh.
"Tell that to the dreams." and without even having to ask what she meant I pulled her into a hug, resting her head on my chest. Anger bubbling up in me at Ladybug, this could've been avoided if she had shown up. But I sat with Marinette and held her and wished that the nightmares that were bothering her would go away, and hoped that being there would somehow help to ease the pain in her heart.
