A/N: I've had this vague idea for a while, and finally just ran with it! I'm purposefully not giving a lot of background on this one, just that it's an alternate universe and they're about 16ish. Enjoy!
Marinette woke up to her alarm blaring from her phone, which was lost somewhere below her bed. Groaning, she dragged herself out of the warmth of her blankets, nearly falling down to the main level of her bedroom to shut off the irritating sound.
The room finally, blissfully silent, Marinette sat hunched over on her chaise, blinking blearily in the semi-darkness of her room. When she finally felt awake enough, she began to rummage through her dresser to get ready for school.
Ten minutes later, she slung her bag over her shoulder, pausing at the trapdoor down into the rest of her home.
Her eyes darted around her room, a frown pulling her mouth down. Nothing looked out of place…
And yet, why did something just seem… off?
Marinette shook the feeling away, venturing downstairs to greet her parents as she rushed out of the bakery to get to school.
Entering her classroom, she made her way to her seat, giving Alya a tired smile. "Morning, Alya."
"Morning, girl. You alright?"
Before Marinette could answer, she saw Adrien walk in. He met her eyes and gave her a wave and a small smile. She smiled back, proud that after two years, she had finally made progress in not making herself look like a fool in front of him.
As he sat down, Marinette turned back to Alya. "I'm just having an off day, I think."
Halfway through class, an akuma alert rang out, echoing from phone speakers throughout the room.
As everyone pulled out their devices, anxious chatter started up. Marinette glanced down at her own phone before hurrying down to the door, barely hearing her own excuse that the anxiety made her need to use the restroom, before rushing through the doorway, nearly bumping into Adrien doing the same.
"Oh, sorry, Marinette! Gotta go call my father, you know how he gets." He gave her a sheepish look before they parted ways.
Marinette shut the girl's locker room.
"Tikki–"
She trailed off, confusion prickling through her.
Hold on…
Who is Tikki?
Marinette looked around herself, the strange feeling washing over her in a wave, leaving her cold.
Why had she run in here?
A sharp pain began throbbing in her temples as she slowly turned around, making her way back to her classroom where everyone was still wrapped up in their phones.
Numbly, Marinette sat down, looking over Alya's shoulder to watch the fight. Together, they saw Chat Noir arrive at the scene, taking on the akuma. After the fighting continued for a few minutes, Alya murmured, "Wonder where Ladybug is?"
True anxiety pooled in Marinette's gut as she watched, something within her worrying that Chat was going to end up alone for this fight.
Until Ladybug arrived.
The class all cheered as she swooped in, fighting at Chat's side.
Instead of disappearing, the anxiety within Marinette twisted into something new, something biting.
Everyone around her seemed relieved as they cheered the heroes on.
Was she the only one that felt like something was still wrong?
In defiance of her feelings, the fight ended not long afterwards, the heroes sending the poor victim on his way before Alya shut off her phone.
As the class finally settled down, Marinette turned to Alya. "Is it just me, or did something really feel off about that fight?"
Alya's eyebrows rose. "I didn't notice anything. Just Ladybug and Chat Noir being their usual awesome selves." She sighed. "I wish it wasn't during class; I would have loved to try and get more footage of Ladybug for my blog. She's amazing."
Marinette turned back to her desk, staring numbly at her papers and missing Adrien slip back into class with an apology.
What was wrong with her? Clearly she was the only one thinking anything was strange. She really needed to get a grip.
Marinette shook her head, trying to rid herself of the unwelcome feelings as class began again.
When she got back home after school, Marinette sat at her desk in her room, staring off into space.
It was quiet in her room, she noticed.
Too quiet.
Pressing her palms against her eyes, Marinette tried to make sense of her thoughts.
Everything was fine. Ladybug and Chat Noir had saved the day as they always did. She had years of memories watching them fight and succeed.
She needed to relax.
Finally, Marinette turned on some music, trying to drown out the silence.
Marinette tried to leave the strange feelings behind, focusing on her schoolwork and her sewing. Every evening found her busy, as she tried to ignore the niggling feeling that something was missing in her life.
Two days after the akuma attack, Marinette was riding through town making a delivery for the bakery when she heard the akuma alert go off.
Noticing it wasn't too far from her, she let the curiosity get the better of her as she carefully headed in its direction.
Peeking around a building, she watched the fight, pulling out her phone to record it to share with Alya. Chat Noir was throwing out jokes and puns as he leapt through the area, landing blows and dodging sprays of what must have been poison from the woman slithering along the street like a snake.
Ladybug appeared next, her long ponytail whipping in the wind as she swung into the fight. "Citizens of Paris, have no fear," she called out to the people in the vicinity who were in various stages of hiding and running from the akuma. "Your Ladybug is here to save you." A small amount of clapping echoed around the area as a few of the people in hiding applauded her. Ladybug stopped briefly to smile and wave before she rejoined Chat Noir.
The distraction of her arrival seemed to be exactly what was needed, as the akumatized woman hissed and changed targets, aiming for the heroine and allowing Chat to maneuver around the poisonous strikes and swipe his cataclysm at something on her waist, releasing the akuma.
Ladybug tossed out her yo-yo, catching the akuma and purifying it. "Be free, sweet butterfly!" Then she called for a lucky charm, cleansing the damage.
The citizens in the area converged on the two heroes, whooping and cheering as the two of them waved.
"Thank you for saving us Ladybug," cried out one woman.
Ladybug had a huge smile on her face as she walked up to Chat. "Oh, it was nothing! I would do anything to help the wonderful people of my city. Of course, I couldn't have done it without the help from my partner and love, Chat Noir."
Marinette felt her heart twinge unexpectedly at the reminder that the two heroes were not only partners, but also dating.
Ladybug leaned up against the other hero, wrapping her arms around him as she practically nuzzled her face into his chest.
Narrowing her eyes, Marinette noticed something odd about the exchange. Was it just her, or did Chat Noir look… uncomfortable? He hesitated before carefully lowering his arm around the woman, barely touching her shoulder as he smiled weakly. He tried to move away, but when Ladybug disentangled herself from him, her hand came up to his head and she pulled him down, kissing just the corner of his mouth. A flash of what seemed like annoyance appeared on his face as she moved back.
Anger and an odd protectiveness swelled within Marinette. Obviously, the man was uncomfortable with what his partner was doing.
Why was everyone in the crowd going crazy over it instead?
Chat Noir finally managed to step away, using the excuse of needing to leave before transforming back to launch himself out of there.
The next day at school before class began, Marinette showed Alya the video, though a version from another bystander had already made its rounds on the news. When it reached the end, Alya gave a little sigh. "My Ladynoir heart is so happy right now."
Marinette frowned at her friend. "What are you talking about, didn't you see how uncomfortable he was? Clearly something is wrong."
Mylene chimed in from behind them. "He's always disliked public shows of affection, that's all."
When her other friends jumped in with similar defenses, Marinette went silent. Was she the only one that understood something was off about him?
"You know he's been in love with her forever. I think you're just reading too much into it, Marinette." Alya squeezed her shoulder. "Come on, you were just as excited as I was when they finally got together."
Marinette hummed in vague agreement, remembering the moment, and yet feeling strangely separate from it at the same time.
It was then that she noticed someone else was sharing her current lack of enthusiasm for the superhero couple.
While everyone else was generally huddled around her as they chattered about the topic, Adrien remained in his seat in front of them, staring quietly down at his desk as he tapped his pencil idly on the surface. He turned slightly then, and when she caught his eye, she saw the frown tugging the corner of his mouth down.
The teacher walked in, sending everyone back to their seats.
After class, Adrien walked next to her as they entered the hallway. "Glad I'm not the only one that noticed," he said, his voice lower than usual.
Marinette glanced over at him. "Noticed what?"
"In the video," he said, simply. "I agree with you. Something seemed off."
He forced a smile her way before they parted.
Marinette felt relieved as she moved on to her next class. At least she wasn't the only one to have seen it.
That evening, Marinette paced around her too-quiet room, feeling antsy.
She didn't understand why her strange feelings weren't disappearing, nor why she was so caught up on the Chat Noir and Ladybug interaction from earlier.
She didn't understand why it felt like something major in her life was just… missing.
Unable to take it any longer, she made her way outside, assuring her parents that she would be back later.
As she walked through the streets near her home, Marinette barely paid attention to where she was going, her mind wandering in an attempt to not think about what had been plaguing her over the past several days.
Before she knew it, nearly an hour had passed, and she came to a halt in front of a nondescript building. Glancing up, Marinette didn't understand her sudden need to climb up to the roof. She walked to the side, finding a firescape and carefully scaling the old steps, bypassing the gate meant to keep out intruders.
I'll just be a moment, she thought, attempting to assuage her guilt over trespassing.
When she got to the top, she walked a few steps along the narrow walkway, her heart in her throat as she took in the stunning view of the Eiffel Tower in front of her. She came to a stop, dropping down to sit down in order not to topple off the roof.
She wasn't sure what had gotten into her; she usually wasn't one for breaking the law and doing something as dangerous as traipsing along a rooftop at night, and yet here she was.
A sense of peace drifted over her as she looked out at the city, watching her fellow Parisians and other tourists milling around.
It was the first time things felt truly right since she'd woken up that morning, several days before.
Marinette wasn't sure how long she remained there, contemplating the scenery, before a thump further down the roof jolted her. She was grateful she had been sitting down when she jerked back, her head twisting to see something moving further down the roof.
"Marinette?" Chat Noir seemed startled at the sight of her, freezing before making his way towards her. "What are you doing? It's dangerous to be here, this far up."
Marinette relaxed at the sight of him, ignoring his reprimand to look back out at the streets below. "It's beautiful, isn't it? I just wanted to see it from up high."
Chat carefully sat down next to her, letting his legs dangle off the edge beside hers. "I won't disagree, it just seems like a risky place to go to see the view."
"Not all of us get a magical suit we can use to view the city any time we want." She nudged him playfully with her shoulder.
"Guess you're right," he said with a lazy grin. "Not everyone is as furr-tunate as this cat."
She let out a huff of a laugh, leaning back on her arms.
With as little time as she had spent one-on-one with Chat Noir, she was surprised by how comfortable she felt with him around.
After a few minutes of easy silence, Chat spoke up again. "So, what brings you here, specifically? Don't you live pretty far away? With a view of your own – on top of that bakery, right? Why come all the way out here?"
Marinette didn't answer at first, because she simply didn't have an answer to give. "Would it be weird to say that… I don't know? I felt restless today, and my feet brought me here."
"Well, you picked a good spot, even though I can't say I'd recommend it to a civilian with balance issues." He gave her a pointed look and she rolled her eyes. "It's one of my favorites," he finished softly, a contemplative look in his gaze as he turned his head back to the city.
Marinette remembered then what had happened earlier that day, her concern returning. "Are you okay, by the way?"
He tilted his head questioningly. "What do you mean? Of course; the fight was an easy one."
Marinette debated whether to bring it up, not wanting to pry. Then she pushed forward anyway. "I mean with Ladybug. I saw you, earlier. You didn't seem all that… comfortable, with her."
"Oh." He looked away again, his mood darkening. "Picked up on that, did you?" She remained quiet, waiting as he worked through whatever was going on in his head. Finally, he sighed. "If I tell you something, will you promise to keep it to yourself?" She nodded solemnly, and he continued. "I… broke it off with her."
Melancholy eased its way over him, causing even his ears to droop slightly. "I loved her," he said, his voice slightly hoarse. "I loved her, I know I did. I just… I don't know what happened. But I had to end it. She was upset, of course. I didn't mean to hurt her…" Sadness seemed etched into each word as he trailed off, before he shook his head, the emotion clearing away. "She didn't want the public to know, thought it might weaken our public image if they did. So we agreed to keep the breakup to ourselves. I didn't expect her to continue to be so showy, today." Annoyance crept into his voice at the end, a scowl taking over his expression as he stared down at the streets below.
Marinette had to tamp down the anger that roared to life within her, shoving it down until it was its own little inferno in a cage. "I'm so sorry, Chat. She shouldn't have put you on the spot like that."
He sighed, running a gloved hand through his hair as he sat back up straight. "Yeah. I'm going to need to talk to her again." He didn't look at all excited at the prospect. "Guess she got what she wanted, though. No one seems to have noticed anything wrong." There was a bitter edge to his tone, one that faded when he glanced at her again. "Well, except you, I suppose. I probably shouldn't be glad you did, but I am, anyway."
She gave him a half-smile. "Not just me. Someone else in my class caught on as well."
"Ah." He didn't seem to be relieved by that fact, though he did finally seem to move past his darker mood. "How long are you staying up here? I could give you a lift home, if you want it. It's getting pretty late."
"Just a few more minutes, if you can spare it."
"Of course."
As the two of them fell back into companionable silence, Marinette's own bad mood began to settle back into place. Until finally, chin resting on her hand, she whispered, "Do you ever feel like… something is not quite right with the world? Like you took a misstep somewhere, and suddenly, you've ended up in the wrong place?"
Marinette expected him to sympathize with her, but Chat didn't answer right away. When she glanced back over at him, he seemed almost lost, a faraway look in his eyes as he stared beyond the rooftops. He finally cleared his throat. "I… yeah. Yeah, I think I understand that feeling."
He turned his head and their gazes locked together for just a few moments before his mouth quirked back up, his mood lightening. "I'm sure we'll both figure things out." He stood up, holding out a hand to her. "You ready? Your chari-cat awaits."
Something odd happened when Marinette reached up and grasped his hand. For just a moment, a flash of red and black covered her arm, hiding her jacket and her pale skin.
In a blink of an eye, the image was gone. Marinette held still, confused, though by the smile that hadn't left Chat's face, it was clear that whatever she had seen had been all in her head.
Shaking her head, she gripped his hand tighter, and he lifted her to her feet before scooping her up. "Ready?"
She nodded, holding him tighter as he took off, the two of them moving through the city at a much quicker pace than she had gone earlier in the evening.
When he touched down on her balcony and dropped her to her feet, he hesitated before leaving. "Might be a good idea to save the late-night rooftop crawling for when I'm around. I'd hate for you to get hurt."
She sighed but relented. "I suppose you're right. Thank you, for bringing me back. And good luck with Ladybug."
His smile dimmed slightly. "Thanks, Princess. I think I need a little luck there."
Marinette narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't back down, Chat. She doesn't need to make you uncomfortable in order to pretend everything is okay."
"I know, I know." He brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck before sighing and jumping down from her balcony.
She wasn't quite sure she believed him.
A/N: What do you think so far? Only three chapters for this one! Next chapter has some commissioned art I'm excited to share! Sneak peek on my Instagram!