They called Adrien over, asking if he was free and he was. It was awkward at first between him and Marinette, but she wanted to be happy for someone that played a big role in her life. Deep down she really was and she felt bad that it didn't really show on her face.
They were legally allowed to drink. When the suggestion came up almost everyone agreed, almost.
"Drink? We don't have beer." Marinette reminded her roommate feeling a bit relieved that she was right.
"Weell." Alya got up and walked to the kitchen. She opened a cupboard and pulled out a glass bottle filled with a transilient liquid.
"Vodka?! Where the hell? How did you hide that from me?"
"It's not like you went on a hunt for alcohol in the apartment." Alya shrugged and pulled out 4 shot glasses from a different cupboard.
"You sure? How about that one party that went down?" Marinette folded her arms leaning on the counter. Nino jumped to his knees and turned on the couch facing the girls in the kitchen.
"That one was wild." Adrien paused the game and looked in the same direction. He scrunched his eyebrows and looked at Nino. Nino turned to his best friend and explained the story.
"This one time the girls threw a party and it was nuts. I'm pretty sure you guys almost got kicked out?"
"Not only was it nuts, but Marinette was the life of the party. One major hangover though." Alya giggled pouring the liquid into the cups. Marinette blushed and looked at the floor when Adrien looked at her with wide eyes.
"Really Marinette?" He asked.
"I know, who would've thought?" Nino sat normally taking the game control in one hand and his elbow o the back of the couch.
"Well not everyone's what you expect." Marinette said looking at Adrien. The locked eyes and Adrien could see the pain in her bright, blue eyes. The words came out of her mouth like acid.
"Well to new beginnings," Alya interjected nudging a glass to Mariette and gladly took it.
Marinette felt great. She already had four shots and was probably a bit tipsy but not drunk. After high school, she got famous for her drinking tolerance, which was really high. Gulping down the fourth shot, the burn that took effect was merely a slight sting. Nino smirked and shook his head after Marinette put the glass down upside down.
"Another?" Nino asked.
"Nah, I think I'm good for the night." She shook her head. Alya squished her body against Marinette's wrapping one arm around her shoulders and the other holding the glass that contained her eight shot. She was a lightweight but could drink for the whole night and not blackout. Nino and Adrien were the semi-sensible people and only had two.
"Whhhatt? No, take this!" Alya put the glass against Marinette's lips and tilted it a little. Marinette moved her head away and thankfully no liquid spilled.
"No." She said firmly.
Alya pouted and pulled on Marinette's head making it tilt backwards. Alya put the glass to her Marinette's open mouth and turned it upside down making the liquid flush down Marinette's throat. Alya let go and giggled. Marinette coughed and held her throat, scrunching her eyes and bending forward. Nino patted her back with a worried look. And then snapped his head to glare at Alya through his glasses.
Alya's eyes widened, her glasses on her head pushing back her hair.
"Uh oh." She slowly got up holding onto the armrest of the couch. Nino got up and tackled Alya, wrapping his arms around her rest and picking her up from behind.
"Oh no, you don't, bedtime for you, missy." He looked towards Adrien.
"I'm going to put her to bed. You guys going to be okay?" Adrien and Marinette looked at each other.
"Yeah, we'll be fine." Marinette smiled.
"Put crazy girl to bed." Adrien reminded. Nino nodded and walked off to Alya's room, Alya flinging her limbs everywhere.
"Crazy girl!" Marinette shouted.
"My god!" Nino cried. The door closed shut and Adrien and Marinette shared a laugh. Marinette sighed and started grabbing the glasses on the wooden coffee table.
"Let me help." Adrien grabbed the bottle of vodka that was surprisingly not empty and the two dishes that were filled with chip and dip. Marinette offered him a small smile. They do have their differences, they do have history but right now she doesn't even know if they have anything.
Adrien followed Marinette to the kitchen.
"Where'd you like me to put these?" Adrien nudged the items and Marinette nodded in the direction of the sink.
"Put the dishes in the sink on the vodka where the first aid is."
Adrien did so, and Marinette tidied up the counter. Simple things were put away Adrien walked back to the coffee table, cloth in hand. He wiped down the coffee table and fluffed the couch pillows putting them down nicely. Marinette looked u and turned her head to look at Adrien he looked up and smiled.
"Thanks for your help, Adrien. I don't think I've said this, but I'm happy for you. Finally having a decision in something in your life. Or having control of your life." She chuckled a little under her breath and put her arms out holding the edge of the counter head low.
"I know. A decision to start it."
Marinette actually kinda felt hurt. 'His life never started?' Not even with her? She felt differently. After their first year of high school, the second year rolled in like nothing. And then... Boom! They're seniors and they start dating. Guess it was just a high school fling. One that started way before their last year of high school.
"Listen. I want to talk. I know-"
"The only thing you know is nothing." She said calmly. She was surprised but it wasn't shocking to hear those words come out of her mouth. She knew she could have a civil conversation with Adrien but... 'I don't want to do this.'
"Okay, how about we call it a night? You staying over?" She clapped her hands together and put on a smile. She could see the hurt in his eyes but he couldn't see that hers were glistening making a glossy cover for her bluebells.
"Yeah, I think so."
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the floor. Marinette sighed and walked behind the wall of the kitchen. It led to a little hallway that had two doors. One to the right and one at the end of it.
"Follow me." She signed him to follow her to the hallway. He followed her to the hallway and she opened the end door. Inside were blankets and sheets and pillowcases and doonas. She pulled out a pillowcase and a doona. Hands full she walked to the other door Adrien took a step forward and out and mouth opened ready to help, she quickly opened the door with her hand under the doona.
He closed his mouth and walked into the room. Marinette placed the items on the bed.
"Well, if you're okay with this. This is where you're sleeping tonight."
"It's good. Thank you, Marinette." He smiled.
"No problem." She nodded her head and walked to the door. She grabbed the door handle and before she swung it wider for her to walk out Adrien spoke.
"Good night, Marinette," Her back to him she cringed and turned to face him with a soft expression.
"Good night, Adrien."
~.~.~.~
Marinette woke up early, well on time. It wasn't shocking but recently she's been up thinking of ways and conversations she'd have to endeavour with Adrien being around. So she laid there staring at the ceiling thinking about how she would say something as simple as 'good morning'.
She got up, fixed her bed and got ready for the day. No morning classes. Her first class was at 11.15 am, which isn't as early as 8.15am so it's good. She brushed her teeth did her hair picked an outfit and sat on her already made bed. Just staring out her opened glass panel door with the light blue curtains flowing into the room.
Enchanting her. It was like the curtains was a long and wrinkled finger of a hand tempting her to do the unforgivable. What if she messed up, says something wrong does something wrong? Little scenes of ways things could go downhill flickered through her mind.
Her lashing out, smacking him, blurting out some of the cruel things that were forgotten but not forgiven.
She closed her eyes and thought of that one place that she didn't know of. It felt good to not know something but made her curious. It was that place before everything changed. A bright light, a meadow od amaryllis, a ladybug. Light, meadow, ladybug. Blue sky green tree and the soft hum of the wind.
"Marinette?" Marinette slowly opened her eyes to see Tikki floating in front of her.
"Morning Tikki, want something to eat?" Tikki smiled sadly.
"You don't have to if you don't want to."
"I have to do it sooner or later." She shrugged and walked to the door.
The living room was quiet and when she entered the kitchen no signs of pans or dishes were out, in fact, someone did the dishes in the sink.
She walked to the fridge and grabbed the orange juice. Taking a sip she saw a yellow sticky note on the freezers' door.
Took the boys out for breakfast. Your welcome ;) ~Alya
Marinette was thankful for having such a great friend.
It was 9 o'clock and Marinette was watching tv. Bored she walked into her room looking for Tiki.
"Tikki?" Tikki popped out from Marinette's desk and smiled at her miraculous holder.
"Yes?"
"What do you want to do? I'm bored." Marinette flopped onto the bed face first into the pillow. Tiki sat on her head.
"Well, you could finish any due work."
"That's ah goof adia." Tikki got up and sat on the pillow next to Marinette's head. Marinette turned her head to look at Tiki.
"Come on little one." She sat up and put her hand out, Tiki smiling at the invitation. Tikki was old but being tired finally caught up with her. She slept more and didn't like was worried but when she went to Master Fu he only told Marinette the facts.
Tikki sat on the counter watching Marinette rummaging through cabinets. She called out a hooray of victory and sat down a white jar with a ball handle next to Tikki. She opened the jar and when Tiki saw what was in it her eyes grew wide.
"I won't tell if you don't," Marinette said, but of course, who was she going to tell that she let her kwami, a huge ladybug creature, pig out on her cookie stash. Tikki giggled and flew into the jar. Marinette smiled and grabbed her laptop setting herself on the couch.
She did exactly what Tikki suggested. She finished her business assignment, her lit assignment her anatomy assignment and her assignments due in two weeks. 10.50am and she finished her work that was halfway through had left some the way they were promising herself she'll do them later. She packed her laptop grabbed her things and checked on Tikki. And they left the apartment building heading to school.
She walked to class and got stopped a few times to say hi or answer someone's question they had for a class. Two minutes to spare she got to class before her professor.
'End of the day, finally.'
Marinette walked out of her last class and to the announcement board where teachers and students put posters, flyers or class notices. She guessed would put up the roles there and she was right. She saw pin a piece of paper to the cork board and turn just in time.
"Oh, Marinette! Congratulations." And she walked off.
"What?" Marinette brings her attention back to the board.
She drags her finger down and follows the names with the roles. She see's Adrien's name next to hers in the cast of Romeo and her Juliet. She couldn't believe. She got the role she auditioned for. It was something the whole class did but if you wanted a specific role you could audition and she did and she got it. She was happy but not all so much. This was the first time of the day she heard, read or saw anything related to Adrien and now she found she had to work with him for most likely 3-5 weeks. Practising falling in love to put on a show and then get their heart broken.
A wave of nostalgia passed her and she didn't realise that some students from her drama class surrounded her. All mumbled words and roles to the others, some congratulating Marinette on getting the role of Juliet. She smiled and thanked them, trying to get out of the crowd but was stopped by a particular person.
"Congrats Marinette. Seems like we'll be working together." Adrien said next to the board from behind her. She took a deep breath ready to face him.
"Thanks, Adrien. Congratulations on getting Romeo." She turned and smiled at him. She saw a blond girl looking at the board for an awfully long time. Realisation snapped her out of her daze and Marinette's eyes widened, turning on her heel before she got her eardrums destroyed.
"Marinette," Chloe growled. Marinette stopped and turned again to be face to face with Chloe.
"What?" She snapped. The crowd around the board turned the attention to the two.
"You better do your best." Chloe scrunched her nose, fuming.
"I will. You better not whine." Marinette fired back.
"I won't." Chloe shoved Marinette's shoulder walking away. Everyone's eyes widened. Fights between the two weren't often and not everyone heard about it when they did because it was supposedly "civil". Now people knew what others meant. Marinette sighed, happy she avoided a fight.
"Hey, Marie-" Adrien got interrupted by Marinette's phone ringing and when she fished out of her pocket and answered she left with saying goodbye.
"Good talking to you too." Adrien sighed defeatedly and left the school.
Marinette walked in a hurry out of the school doors, and once outside fell into a full sprint. She forgot she had work after school today. She ran, hair falling out of its form and huffing like a dog. 'I seriously have to work out more.'
She reached the bakery and burst through the door hands on knee's and out of breath.
"Hello dear." She heard her mum greet her and looked up.
"I'm... so sorry I'm... late." She said between breaths walking behind the counter. Her mum smiled and shook her head.
"It's fine Marinette, you're here now." Marinette returned the smile and kissed her mum's cheek.
"Thanks." Marinette steals a cookie when her mum's back is turned and hangs her bag on a hook, opening it and giving Tiki the cookie. Tiki gratefully takes it, smiles, nods and goes back into the back as Marinette closes it.
"Where's papa?" Marinette asks as she takes an apron next to her hanging bag.
"In the back, baking bread." Her mum replies over her shoulder. Marinette nods.
"I'm going to go help." Her mum hums in reply.
Marinette walked to the kitchen of the bakery seeing her dad pull a tray out of the oven with oven mittens.
"Need help?" She chimped in. Surprising her father and almost making him drop the tray but she rushed and helped him steady the tray. Her raw hands grabbing the hot metal burning her hands. Tom gasped and placed the tray on a near counter, taking off his mittens and aiding to his daughter.
"Follow me." He demanded. Walking off to the storage/pantry area of the kitchen.
"Papa, I'm fine."
"I know you are Marinette. You're a strong girl, but we need to make sure that it's medically taken care of." He reached for a high place in the little broom closet-like pantry and pulled down a red box with a cross and the words 'first aid' printed in white. Marinette went ahead of her father and went to the tap. Her father following her and turning the faucet on.
"Run your hands under the faucet." Tom opened the box pulling out a tube of anti-biotic and cotton bandage wrap. Marinette slowly reached her hands under the stream of cold water. Fully covering her hands in the cold water.
"Can I have your hands?" Tom asked gently offering one of his own. Marinette laid both her hands on her fathers large one. Tom grabbed a cloth and ran it under the still on tap, wetting it. He dabbed the cloth on Marinette's hand, she hissed at the friction.
"Sorry." He looked down at his daughter's face and she smiled sheepishly. He applied the ointment and wrapped both hands in cotton bandages. Packing up, the two heard cackling and animated noises. They looked at each other, both with worried faces, but for different reasons.
Marinette rushed out of the kitchen, going to the front desk and the place where her bag hung. She hung up her apron, grabbed her bag and zoomed out of the bakery.
"I'll be back!" She shouted running out the door, Tom entering just in time to hear.
Marinette turned the corner and ran into an alleyway, behind a trash can and kneeled down, hiding behind it. She had troubles with opening her bag her wrapped finger fumbling at the lock of her bag. She grabbed the two pins of her bag with the flat side of her hands. Tikki flew out of the little circle like bag with a worried face. Marinette guessed she could hear how long it took for her to open the back. Tikki looked down at Marinette's hands and went to hag her bandaged thumb of her left hand.
"Are you okay Marinette?" More noises of crashes and people yelling were heard.
"Yeah, I'm okay Tiki, but right now we have a city to help." She transformed into the spotted heroine calling the three words that made it happen.
"Tikki spots on!"
Ladybug jumped a tall building near the bakery. 'If the noise could be heard from the bakery the akuma must be near.'
She landed on a lamppost squatting holding the rail with one hand while her you was wrapped around the post and the wheel in her hand. A bullet bill flies write to her face, as she turns her head she see's the black blur coming towards her. Ladybug falls backwards and holds on to her yo-yo tight hanging from the pole with her feet in the same position - a hanging spiderman pose.
She tilts her head back looking in the direction the hit came from. What she saw made her lose her grip on the wheel of her yo-yo, the string un-tangling from the pole. Ladybug slipped from the pole the steel against her feet there no more. She hit the ground trying to land on her feet, in mid-air turning so her head was pointed to the sky and her feet would hit the ground, her estimation of time was wrong and fell on her back. She was sure she broke a rib but with her new powers within half an hour would be healed.
A shadow loomed over her face, which showed all emotion of pain. The body above Ladybug chuckled.
"Well, seem's like we got a little pest infestation." 'We?' Other shadows maybe three or four came into Ladybug's view. Between heads and bodies, the sunlight beamed into her eyes and when her eyes adjusted to the light she could see what the akuma meant 'we'. A blonde boy with his hair back in a ponytail, hand pointy years, shorter than Ladybug. A smaller man...boy thing, with a moustache and a red hat with a white M.
The akuma. Average sized girl, white hair into a loose bun with little ringlets of curls on the side. Green skintight crop top embedded into her neon blue skin and army like pants from her hip into her combat boots. Her arms, face, hands and any part of her body exposed was like a container of blue electricity. Her lips a blood red and her eyes a blank white.
A large shadow stepped into frame blocking the sun. All Ladybug could make out was spikes lots of them.
The elf lifted his sword, raising it above his head. Ladybug's eyes widened and she rolled forward and between someone's legs. The metal of the sword cracked the cement as it was stabbed into the ground.
Ladybug looked at who she had to fight today, probably tonight. The akumatized civilian smirked and tilted her head to the side.
"Name's Player 1. Wanna play?" Ladybug bent her knee's a bit ready to run, jump, move. She licked her lips, metallic edging her taste buds. 'Blood.'
"What's the rules?"
"Easy. I win, I take your miraculous. If I lose, you lose your life." Ladybug smiled a bit.
"Doesn't seem like a fair game." She nodded to the characters to games she has played before and has won.
"Well you're not really fair, are you... Kitty." Ladybug's eyes widened and she straightened up looking around.
No akuma has made a false accusation of seeing or fighting against Chat Noir. Not even people have brought him up since the story of his disappearance.
Bowzer pixeled away, growling. Mario pixeled away, doing a jump.
"Its'a me'ah, Mario!" And he was gone.
Link turned around in time to catch a silver pole against his sword. Player 1 still faced Ladybug.
'No way. No. If that's him. He has no right. He left. He should've stayed gone. He should've never returned. He shouldn't have gone!'
Ladybug was knocked out of her little stress wheel, literally. Her back hit the ground with a weight on her chest and upper body. Her eyes squeezed shut.
"Ladybug you should be more careful." Chat whispered.
'Ladybug?' She wondered where her nickname went.