"Marinette! Hey, wait up!"
Adrien broke off his conversation with Nino as he saw Marinette rush by, tears making tracks down her cheeks. What could have happened? Normally, Marinette was a tough girl, although very sweet.
He quickened his pace, trying to catch up with her. "Hey, Princess, what's wrong?" he caught her hand, noticing that yet it was soft, it was cold, not warm like it usually was. Marinette shook her head, not looking at him, dashing tears away. "Hey, let's go home and talk about it," he said, gently. Marinette stopped and nodded, finally turning to look at him, her black hair mussy.
Adrien put on the kettle, knowing a cup of tea would make them feel better. Slowly, he pulled her close. "Now, please tell me what's wrong." "The girls were calling me Spider again," she whispered, so softly Adrien had to lean forward to hear her. "Spider?"
Sure, his nickname for her was Cockroach, but she had grown to love the nickname. After all, he was Fleabag. Adrien's grip tightened. "Did Chloe have anything to do with this?" he asked.
Marinette nodded, untying her pink scarf. The scarf that hid the scars the Miraculous had caused, and Adrien felt bile rise in throat. Sure, the Miraculous weren't supposed to used for evil, they knew that now. But why hadn't the Supreme told them right from the start?
"I wanted to readjust it, so I headed to the bathroom," Marinette explained. "Little did I know Chloe would come in and call me Spider. Oh, why can't I be beautiful like other girls? Or strong like you?"
The kettle shrieked, and Adrien took a deep breath. "Come on, I want to show you something," he said, taking her hand once more and leading her to the bathroom.
"What are we doing in here? Your eye shadow looks fine," Marinette asked, her voice laced with confusion. Adrien chuckled softly. "No, give me a moment." He grabbed a small washcloth, unbuttoning the first few buttons on his shirt, wiping away the makeup before turning back to his partner.
"But I know you hide your scars with makeup," Marinette said, lightly tracing one of the diagonal lines. "I only wear it to please Father, but that's not the point, love. I'm not perfect either, and if the girls saw my scars they'd for sure call me names too. But I don't love you for your looks, my love. I love you for the strong and confident girl you are."
Marinette's face grew thoughtful, a small smirk beginning to flit across her face. "And can throw you across Paris if I get angry enough." "Yes."
"The point I'm making is, your perfect just the way you are." He leaned down to kiss her, slowly. "Thanks, Adrien. For a Fleabag, you sure are smart." A moment passed before they cracked up. "Come on," Adrien said. "Forget the tea and let's get a Starbucks."
So, hand-in-hand with her partner, Marinette held her head high as she walked along her boyfriend's side, feeling prettier then ever.
