Gurvinder's eyelids fluttered, a soft groan escaping his lips as he slowly regained consciousness. His vision was blurry at first, but as it cleared, he saw them—Marinette, Tom, and Sabine—all sitting around him, their faces filled with concern.
"Finally," Marinette breathed out, relief washing over her features.
Sabine, who had been gently dabbing a small wound on his lower lip with a cotton pad, sighed. "You scared us, beta. You collapsed on the stairs. Do you even realize how exhausted you are?"
Gurvinder blinked, his mind sluggish. The last thing he remembered was walking up to his room after his argument with Marinette… and then, nothing. His body must have finally given up.
"I'm fine," he muttered, attempting to sit up, but Tom immediately placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"No, you're not," Tom said, his voice uncharacteristically stern. "You've been working yourself to the bone, skipping meals, barely sleeping—what did you think was going to happen?"
Gurvinder lowered his gaze, guilt evident in his expression. "I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause trouble—"
"You collapsing isn't just 'trouble,' Gurvinder!" Marinette suddenly snapped, her voice laced with frustration and something deeper—worry. "Why do you keep doing this to yourself?!"
He flinched at her tone, looking away. "Because I have to," he whispered, his hands clenching into fists. "I don't have a choice."
The room fell silent. Marinette's heart clenched at his words.
Sabine exchanged a look with Tom before she spoke gently, "Beta, whatever it is, you don't have to carry it alone. You're not just some worker here, you're family now. If something's wrong, talk to us."
Gurvinder swallowed hard. He felt a lump in his throat, but he quickly forced it down.
"Thank you…" he murmured, forcing a small smile. "But really, I'll be okay. Just let me rest a bit, and I'll be back to work soon."
"You're not working until we say so," Tom said firmly. "That's final."
Gurvinder opened his mouth to argue, but one look at Tom's expression told him it was pointless.
Marinette exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "You're impossible," she muttered.
But as she looked at him—still pale, still weak—she knew one thing for sure.
She wasn't going to let this go. Not until she got the truth out of him.
soon they all pressured him to talk to which he finally gave in and spoke, "to keep up with my duties i was regularly waking up at 3am, training in my gym coming back bakery at 6am handeling it all till school time, and then... i just didnt wanted to feel disappointed in me" said gurvi, " i didn't wanted to loose this job, this school this this life..."
Marinette felt her chest tighten as she listened to him. His voice was small, hesitant, as if he were afraid that saying it out loud would somehow make it all worse.
"Gurvinder…" Sabine murmured, her expression softening.
"You were waking up at 3 a.m. every day?" Tom asked, his brows furrowing in concern. "And then going to school and working the entire day?"
Gurvi nodded, looking down at his hands. "I… I just didn't want to mess this up," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "This school, this job… this life. I didn't want to lose any of it."
"Lose it?" Marinette repeated, her frustration and worry bubbling over. "Gurvinder, no one's going to take this away from you! You don't have to push yourself to the point of collapsing just to prove something!"
"But I do!" he suddenly burst out, his voice shaking. "I have to! You don't get it, Marinette! If I don't work hard enough, if I don't train enough, if I don't do everything perfectly, it'll all be taken away! It always is!"
His breathing was uneven, his hands trembling. It was the first time they'd seen him truly break—no jokes, no witty remarks, just raw, unfiltered fear.
Sabine reached for his hand gently. "Beta…" she whispered, "who told you that? Who made you believe you had to suffer like this just to earn a place here?"
Gurvi swallowed hard. "My uncle always said… I had to be worth keeping," he admitted, shame coloring his voice. "That I had to be strong, that no one keeps weak people around. So I train, I work, I study—I do everything I can because if I don't…" He exhaled shakily. "Then maybe one day, you'll decide I'm not worth keeping either."
The room fell into a stunned silence.
Marinette felt something deep inside her crack. Was that why he never complained? Why he always pushed himself past his limits? Because he thought if he didn't, he would be abandoned?
Tom clenched his jaw, anger flickering in his eyes. "That's not how a family works," he said firmly. "You don't have to 'earn' a place here, Gurvinder. You already have one."
"And no one is throwing you away," Sabine added, squeezing his hand. "Not now, not ever."
Gurvi stared at them, his eyes glossy with unshed tears. "I…" He choked up, looking away. He didn't know what to say. He had spent his whole life believing otherwise.
Marinette swallowed the lump in her throat. "You big idiot," she whispered, reaching forward and punching his shoulder lightly. "You think so little of us?"
Gurvi let out a shaky breath, a weak smile tugging at his lips. "No… I just… didn't want to hope for too much."
"Well, start hoping," Marinette said, her voice thick with emotion. "Because we're not letting you go anywhere."
Gurvi smiled, though his eyes were still heavy with exhaustion. Tom gave him a firm nod. "Go get some rest, son. No more working yourself to the ground."
Gurvi hesitated for a moment, as if unsure whether he deserved it, but then Sabine placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and guided him toward his room. "Sleep, beta. No arguments."
He exhaled and finally gave in, dragging his tired body toward his room. As he walked past Marinette, he gave her a small, lopsided grin. "Thanks, Maricon. For always being on my case."
Marinette rolled her eyes but smiled. "Someone has to be."
With that, Gurvi disappeared into his room, and a few minutes later, soft breathing confirmed that he had finally—finally—allowed himself to rest.
at night Ladybug swung through the rooftops, the cool night air brushing against her face. Chat Noir was beside her, but something felt… off.
He wasn't making his usual jokes, wasn't flirting or teasing. He was quiet. Too quiet.
"You okay, Chat?" she finally asked, landing on a rooftop and turning to him.
He blinked as if snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh? Yeah, just… distracted."
Ladybug tilted her head. "That's not like you. What's going on?"
Chat hesitated. "Just… thinking about some stuff. People changing, priorities shifting… I guess I didn't expect it."
Ladybug frowned. "Are you talking about someone in particular?"
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe. I just feel like someone I care about is slipping away. Like I'm not the most important person in their world anymore."
Ladybug felt a pang in her chest. Was he talking about her? But before she could ask, a loud crash echoed in the distance.
"We should check that out," Chat said quickly, already preparing to leap.
Ladybug nodded, pushing aside her thoughts. "Yeah. Let's go."
But as they swung toward the noise, her mind lingered on Chat's words. And for some reason… she couldn't stop thinking about Gurvinder either.
Ladybug and Chat Noir landed swiftly on a rooftop overlooking the street where the crash had come from. Below them, a car had slammed into a streetlight, the front dented, steam hissing from the hood. A few people had gathered around, murmuring among themselves.
"An accident?" Chat Noir muttered.
Ladybug narrowed her eyes, scanning the area. Something didn't sit right. There were no signs of an akumatized villain, no panicked screams—just a wrecked car and a driver slumped against the wheel.
"Let's check it out," she said, dropping down first. Chat followed right behind.
As they approached, Ladybug gently knocked on the window. "Sir? Are you okay?"
The man inside stirred slightly but didn't respond. His head lolled forward.
"He's unconscious," Chat noted, reaching for the door handle.
Just then, the murmurs of the gathered crowd grew louder.
"Wait… that's the guy who was yelling at the bakery this morning," someone whispered. "Something about the immigrant kid working there?"
Ladybug's eyes widened. "The bakery?"
Her mind immediately went to Gurvinder. Hadn't Tom mentioned a customer making rude remarks earlier? Could this be the same man?
"Chat, call an ambulance," she instructed, her heart pounding. Something told her this was just the beginning of another storm.
The ambulance arrived and took the guy with them.As the ambulance drove away, Ladybug remained rooted in place, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"Chat... do you think he faced people like that every day?" she asked, her voice quieter than usual.
Chat Noir tilted his head. "Who?"
"Gurvinder," she murmured. "That man—he was at the bakery. What if he wasn't the only one? What if Gurvinder deals with people like him all the time?"
Chat Noir sighed, stepping beside her. "It's possible," he admitted. "People can be cruel for no reason. But you've been watching over him, right? Have you seen anything like that before?"
Ladybug frowned, thinking back. She had seen the way some teachers ignored Gurvinder. The way customers sometimes hesitated before handing him money. The way some students whispered about him.
She had been so focused on his physical struggles, his relentless routine, his exhaustion… but had she overlooked something even deeper?
"I need to find out," she said, determination settling in her chest. "I need to know what he's been through."*
Chat Noir let out a sharp breath, his tail flicking in irritation. "Why do you care so much, Ladybug?" he snapped, turning to face her fully.
Ladybug blinked, caught off guard by his sudden frustration. "What do you mean?"
"It's always 'Gurvinder this, Gurvinder that.' You've been watching him, following him, worrying about him for weeks. Why?" His green eyes narrowed. "He's just some guy, Ladybug. We have a whole city to protect, but it's like your world suddenly revolves around him."
Ladybug stiffened, her hands clenching into fists. "He's not just 'some guy,' Chat!" she shot back. "He's been working himself to the bone, suffering in silence, and no one is helping him! You didn't see the scars on his back. You didn't see how he collapsed today because he was too exhausted to even stand! You—"
"And what if I did?" Chat interrupted, stepping closer. "What if I saw everything you did? What would change? You think you can fix everything?" His voice was sharper now, his usual teasing tone gone. "You've been obsessed with him, Ladybug. Why?"
Ladybug's breath hitched, her heart pounding. "Because..." she hesitated, her thoughts in turmoil. "Because no one else is looking out for him!"
Chat's gaze softened for a moment before he sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "Just be careful," he muttered. "You're getting too close."
Ladybug frowned. "And what if I want to be close?"
Chat didn't answer. He just turned, leaping away into the night, leaving Ladybug alone with the storm of emotions inside her.
Adrien stormed into his room, his mind buzzing with frustration. As soon as he detransformed, Plagg floated up beside him, yawning. "Whoa, kid, what's got your tail in a twist?"
Adrien ran a hand through his hair, pacing back and forth. "It's her, Plagg. Ladybug. She—she won't stop worrying about that guy. Gurvinder." He practically spat the name out. "She's acting like he's the only person in the world who matters."
Plagg munched on his cheese, eyeing Adrien lazily. "Jealous much?"
Adrien stopped, turning to glare at his kwami. "That's not it! I just—" He exhaled sharply, clenching his fists. "She's supposed to focus on protecting Paris, on stopping Hawkmoth! But all she thinks about is him!"
Plagg smirked. "Suuuure, it's about the mission. Not because you're mad that she's not looking at you the way she's looking at him."
"Plagg!" Adrien snapped, his face heating up. "That's not—" He groaned, throwing himself onto his bed. "Why is she so obsessed with him?"
Plagg floated over and tapped Adrien's forehead. "Maybe because he's struggling, and she actually cares?"
Adrien clenched his jaw. He knew Gurvinder wasn't just some random guy. He had seen how exhausted he looked, how hard he worked. But still…
Why did it have to be him?
Marinette landed on her balcony, her legs feeling weak as she detransformed. The moment she became herself again, she stumbled inside, shutting the trapdoor behind her.
Tikki floated beside her, concerned. "Marinette, are you okay?"
Marinette sat on the edge of her bed, hugging her knees. Tears pricked at her eyes as her thoughts swirled.
Gurvinder.
Adrien.
Chat Noir.
Her heart ached in ways she didn't understand. Gurvinder's exhausted face flashed in her mind—the way he had collapsed, the way he had broken down about his struggles. Then there was Adrien, distant lately, almost unreadable. And Chat Noir—he had been furious tonight. She had never seen him like that before.
"Why is this happening, Tikki?" Marinette whispered, wiping at her eyes. "Why does it feel like everything is crashing down at once?"
Tikki sat beside her. "Because you care, Marinette. And maybe… maybe you're realizing things you didn't before."
Marinette bit her lip. "But what if I don't know what I feel?"
Her kwami gave her a soft look. "Then maybe it's time to figure it out."
Marinette's gaze lifted to the posters of Adrien plastered on her wall. His perfect smile, his golden hair, his gentle eyes—everything about him had always felt like a dream. A dream she had chased for so long.
But tonight… tonight, her heart wasn't just aching for Adrien.
She thought about Gurvinder—his tired eyes, his trembling hands, the way he had pushed himself to the brink just to hold onto this life he had built. The way he had smiled despite everything.
And then Chat Noir—his frustration, his anger. The way he had snapped at her tonight. Why?
She felt torn, like her heart was being pulled in too many directions at once.
"Tikki…" her voice wavered, "why does it feel like the things I thought I knew aren't making sense anymore?"
Tikki hovered beside her, her little eyes filled with understanding. "Because sometimes, Marinette, feelings change. And sometimes, we don't realize it until it's right in front of us."
Marinette swallowed hard, staring at Adrien's posters.
What if… what if she wasn't in love with him the way she thought she was?
it was raining outside now, harsh thunderous, as she laid on her bed she heard knock on the door, she whipped her tears and got her composure back, she opened the door suprised to find gurvinder on the door, "umm... hey i... was thinking if..." he looked up at her hesitantly and looked away before saying "can i stay with you for abit until this storm passes away i really dont like storms like this much, sorry if i dusturbed you i will go back"
Marinette blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Gurvinder stood at her door, his posture tense, his hands gripping the sleeves of his hoodie. His usually confident and teasing demeanor was nowhere to be found. Instead, he looked… vulnerable.
The thunder cracked loudly outside, making him flinch slightly. He tried to play it off, clearing his throat. "Sorry if I disturbed you… I'll go back—"
"No!" Marinette blurted out, a little too quickly. She swallowed and softened her voice. "I mean… you can stay. It's okay."
Gurvinder hesitated, then nodded, stepping inside. He shifted awkwardly, rubbing his hands together as if trying to keep them warm. Marinette closed the door behind him, sneaking a glance at his face. Even in the dim light of her room, she could see the exhaustion in his eyes, the way his shoulders drooped ever so slightly.
She gestured toward the small couch near her bed. "You can sit if you want."
He hesitated for a moment before finally lowering himself onto the couch, resting his elbows on his knees. Marinette sat on her bed, watching him. The sound of rain filled the silence between them, heavy and unrelenting against the windows.
"You're scared of storms?" she asked gently.
Gurvinder exhaled, a dry chuckle escaping his lips. "Not scared," he murmured, eyes fixed on the floor. "Just... don't like them much. Too many memories."
Marinette frowned but didn't push.
For a while, they sat in comfortable silence. The occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the room, and Marinette could see how Gurvinder's fingers twitched slightly every time the thunder followed.
Without thinking, she grabbed a spare blanket from her bed and handed it to him. "Here."
He looked at it, then at her, before shaking his head with a small, tired smirk. "I'm fine, princess. Don't worry about me."
She huffed. "Just take it, idiot."
Gurvinder chuckled softly but accepted it, wrapping it around his shoulders. Marinette bit her lip, watching him settle in.
As the storm raged on, she wondered—how much more was he hiding behind that easygoing smile of his? And why did it feel like, little by little, she was starting to see the real Gurvinder beneath it all?
she was going to ask him what made him scared of the storm, but before she could ask he spoke, " i lost my family in a storm like this, we were eating happily, laughing as we watched the tv, there was a storm outside and... our home then got caught in a land slide, my parents died in that land slide, and i was... i was in the rain covered in mud and my blood, waited screamed for anyone to helped only to get rescued in morning"
Marinette felt her breath hitch as Gurvinder spoke. His voice was calm—too calm—but she could hear the tremble beneath it. His fingers clenched the fabric of the blanket she had given him, his knuckles white.
The storm raged outside, but it felt like nothing compared to the weight of his words.
"Gurvinder…" she whispered, unsure of what to say.
His lips curled into a small, bitter smile. "It's funny, isn't it? I remember how warm our home was that night. My mom had made my favorite dish, my dad was teasing me about how I'd have to get stronger to beat him at arm wrestling… and then, in one moment, everything was gone."
Marinette felt her chest tighten. She had never seen him like this—so open, so raw.
"I screamed for them, for anyone." His voice grew quieter, distant, as if he were back in that moment. "But no one came. Not until the morning. I laid there all night, covered in mud, in their blood, shivering in the cold rain, hoping that maybe… maybe they'd answer me."
A sharp clap of thunder made him flinch. Marinette's hands twitched. She wanted to reach out to him, to hold his hand or touch his shoulder, but she hesitated.
"I don't like storms," he muttered. "Not because they're scary, but because they remind me of how powerless I was."
Silence filled the space between them, thick and heavy. Marinette swallowed the lump in her throat, forcing herself to speak. "You're not powerless anymore, Gurvi."
He let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "Aren't I?" He looked up at her, and for the first time, Marinette saw it—the weight he carried every day, hidden behind his smirks and teasing words. "No matter how hard I train, how much I work, it doesn't change the past. It doesn't change the fact that they're gone."
Marinette clenched her fists. "But it changes the future."
Gurvinder blinked at her.
She took a deep breath, her voice firm despite the tears in her eyes. "You're still here. You're still fighting. You're not that helpless boy in the storm anymore, Gurvi."
He stared at her, eyes searching hers. Then, slowly, his expression softened, and he exhaled shakily. "You always have something to say, don't you, Maricon?" His voice was tired but a little lighter than before.
Marinette gave him a small, teary-eyed smile. "Someone has to knock some sense into you."
For the first time that night, Gurvinder's lips curled into something real—not a smirk, not a forced smile, but something warm.
Outside, the storm raged on. But inside, in the quiet warmth of Marinette's room, it finally felt a little less terrifying.
Marinette's mind reeled as the realization sank in.
All this time… every time he went out in the rain for deliveries, every night he slept alone with the storm raging outside, and—most painfully—the night he ran out to save that puppy, he had been afraid. Terrified.
Yet, he never hesitated.
Even though the rain must have brought back every awful memory, he still stepped into it. He still ran through it, for a tiny, helpless creature.
Her heart ached. She had thought he was just stubborn, just hardworking to a fault. But now, she understood—he wasn't just fighting for survival. He was fighting against something deeper, against the past that haunted him.
She swallowed hard. "Gurvi… that night when you saved the puppy…"
He looked up at her, a little startled by her sudden words.
"You were terrified, weren't you?"
He didn't answer immediately. He just stared at her, his lips slightly parted, as if the thought had never occurred to him.
Then, after a long pause, he let out a breath and looked away. "I… I didn't think about it. I just… couldn't let it die alone in the rain."
Marinette's chest tightened.
He had been willing to relive his worst nightmare to save something small and helpless. He had been willing to throw himself into that fear, just so another life wouldn't have to suffer the way he did.
She clenched her fists.
"You're stronger than you think, Gurvi." Her voice was soft but firm.
He let out a dry chuckle. "I don't know if it's strength or just stupidity."
Marinette shook her head. "It's kindness."
Gurvinder's eyes flickered with something unreadable. He exhaled, leaning his head back against the wall, staring at the ceiling. "Kindness doesn't bring people back, Marinette."
"No," she admitted. "But it keeps them alive in you."
He closed his eyes for a long moment, his body finally relaxing just a little. Outside, the rain continued to pour, but inside, the weight of it didn't feel as suffocating anymore.
Chat Noir stood frozen on the rooftop, rain dripping from his suit as he listened.
He hadn't meant to eavesdrop—he had come to see Marinette, maybe tease her a little, maybe just talk. But the moment he landed on her balcony, he had heard Gurvinder's voice, raw and unguarded.
And then he had heard everything.
The storm. The landslide. The helplessness. The blood.
The image of the strong, stubborn boy collapsing in the mud, screaming for help, waiting until morning—alone—buried itself into his mind.
Chat felt something twist inside him.
He had been so caught up in his own emotions lately, jealous that Marinette—Ladybug—was paying so much attention to Gurvinder. He had let that frustration blind him. But now…
Now, he saw the truth.
Gurvinder wasn't just some random guy taking Ladybug's attention. He wasn't some rival Chat needed to outshine.
He was someone who had already lost everything once and was fighting desperately not to lose again.
Chat clenched his fists, his cat-like eyes narrowing.
The way Gurvinder threw himself into work, into training, into everything—it wasn't just ambition. It was fear. Fear of losing the life he had now, fear of disappointing the people who had given him a second chance.
And Ladybug—no, Marinette—had seen it before he did.
The rain pounded against his back as he stepped away from the balcony, his mind racing.
He had come here tonight to see Marinette.
But now, he was leaving with something much heavier.