The AdriChat filling our dash has officially broken me
Blue has told me to make it clear that she had no part in this
I’m so sorry.
-Amarok
-
Adrien suddenly glanced up at his computer screen.
"What?" Plagg asked his, mouth stuffed full of cheese.
"I just realised it has been a while since I checked Chat Noir's public image."
Plagg rolled his eyes. "You 'check on Chat Noir's public image' every day. It can't change that often."
"I haven't checked today! Besides, it's important that people trust Chat."
"You're an idiot." Plagg snorted, but Adrien ignored him and opened up his internet browser again. He scrolled through a few news articles, which told the same sort of story as usual. Reaching the comments, he was about to click the back button on the open article (Chat Noir Dropped These Puns In Yesterday's Fight, And We Are Loving Them) when an unfamiliar word caught his eye.
"AdriChat Lmao" was the whole comment.
Adrien blinked slowly at that. He tapped his finger against his desk for a moment, then he moved his curser back up to the search bar.
"Adrichat". Enter.
After a moment, his page was filled with links. He picked the first one.
It opened to a simple white page with a red logo at the top. He ignored the grey text at the top, and scrolled down to what he figured was the main article.
"Chat Noir whooped with joy as he leaped over rooftops, bouncing and leaping. If anyone looked at him, they would think he was having the time of his life. Nobody knew that deep down inside... he was lonely."
Taking this as a story thing to work as a hook or something at the beginning of the article, Adrien carried on reading.
-
"Hey, kid, you've been staring at your screen for a while now." Plagg said, floating up to his shoulder. Adrien nodded without looking away.
"Well, watcha looking at?"
Adrien didn't answer.
Plagg glanced at the screen, but when he caught the words ‘Chat Noir smirked’ he rolled his eyes and looked away.
-
"WHAT? NO!" Adrien suddenly yelled, waking up his kwamii.
Plagg groaned. "What? Somebody spell Chat Noir like Hcat Noir again?" The last time that had happened Adrien wouldn't stop moping all day.
"What? No? It's unfinished." He said, by way of explanation.
Plagg stared at him.
"The fanfiction." Adrien spelled out for the idiot.
"Fanfiction? I thought you were reading about Chat Noir, not reading fanfic?"
Adrien stared at him. "First, I was, this just kind of happened, secondly, you know about fanfiction?"
"You don't?" Plagg retorted. "How long have you been imagining yourself with Ladybug, how did you not find any fanfiction?"
Adrien stared at Plagg a bit more, swallowed, continued staring.
Deciding he was hungry, Plagg snatched up some Camembert then started speaking with his mouth full. "So, it's unfinished. What about it? Was Ladybug just about to confess her love to Chat Noir or something?"
"Hm? What?" Adrien seemed to come out of his daze. "I- No, Chat Noir was about to ask Adrien onto the Eiffel Tower for what was totally a date, even if neither of them will admit it."
Plagg considered these words for a bit, and decided he had Camembert in his ears again. Rather than admit that, he just nodded.
"Well, when was it last updated?"
Adrien glanced at his screen, and scrolled back up to the top of the page. "Two days ago."
"Oh, so at least it's not abandoned."
Adrien nodded slowly, turning back to the screen. "Yeah, and it says, uh, Mirac_ulous_writ_er, updates this fic each week. On Mondays." He grinned suddenly. "So I will be able to find out how Adrien reacts to the pizza Chat Noir ordered to eat on the Eiffel tower!"
Plagg squinted. No, he was going to have to bring it up now. "Uh, Adrien? What are you talking about?"
"The fanfiction?" Adrien said like it was obvious.
"No, I mean why is Adrien meeting Chat Noir on top of the Eiffel Tower?"
"Well, that's a really long story, but basically when Chat Noir saved Adrien-"
"Yeah, no. That's not what I mean. I mean, why are you reading that? You are Adrien, and you are Chat Noir."
Adrien glared at Plagg.
"Because if there is anything the past 30K of words taught me, it's that Chat and Adrien are meant for each other."
What.
"I mean, they don't know it yet, and they're saying they're 'just friends' but I knew it from the moment Chat saved Adrien. It was in the way they looked at each other."
What?
"And at least they admit they're friends now, even though they seriously should be dating. It's so obvious they like each other!"
Wha-
"And it's almost painful to read how they both want to ask each other out, but both think the other will say no..."
Plagg cut off Adrien. "Adrien. What are you doing?"
But Adrien didn't hear him. An idea seemed to have occurred to him.
"Oh Plagg... What do you think Adrien would do if Chat Noir tried to hold his hand? He would definitely kiss it, like Chat Noir did the first time they met."
Plagg waited for him to realise how crazy that sounded. It didn't work.
"I need to comment that for the author. They totally get Chat Noir's character, and his and Adrien's relationship."
"Adrien, you and Chat Noir can't have a relationship. You're the same person."
Adrien glared at him. "It's about subtext, Plagg."
There's so much Adrichat on our dash right now so we're just gonna join in-
One of Adrien's Adrichat fics gets abandoned partway through with an a/n saying how they felt weird writing rpf bcuz they didn't exactly give their permission to be written about.
Cut to Chat Noir desperately trying to say that anyone is welcome to write about him but also not give away the fact that he reads those fanfics.
I know we all agree that Paris is made up of Idiots which is why nobody can put together Ladybug and Chat Noir's faces and come up with Adrien Agreste, famous model, and Marinette, best friend of a Ladybug obsessed reporter, but consider: Paris knows exactly who they are, but are so excited to have actual real life superheroes they willingly play into every trope possible. Including the secret identity.
“We have some news to tell you all,” Chloe flicked her hair back. She grinned at Marinette. “Well, show you,” She pulled out her phone, and opened up a video. “Here it is! Proof that Lila, is little more than a liar!”
Marinette stared at the pair in shock. Chloe grinned at her, and held the phone up.
“Jagged Stone, thankyou for coming to the Grand Paris Hotel!” Chloe’s voice came from the small device. The class gathered around, somehow finding places so that they could all see and hear. “We just have a quick question for you. Have you ever had a kitten?”
“A kitten? No way! Fang is the only animal I’ve ever had- and even if he wasn’t, why would I get a kitten?”
“Cats are cool,” The class noticed Adrien sitting in the camera too.
“Not as cool as crocodiles! Or polar bears. Or just bears. Lions are cool, but not kittens.”
“Our second question is- what was the name of the song you wrote about Lila?” Chloe flipped her hair.
Jagged Stone’s face was blank. “Who?”
“She saved your kitt- Uh, she saved the kitten you’ve never had?” Adrien corrected himself.
“Is this some sort of practical joke? Because that’s so not rock and roll.”
The camera changed, to Prince Ali’s face on an iPad screen. “I understand that you’re in a hurry, but thank-you for taking the time to talk to me!” Chloe smiled, then seemed to remember someone. “Adrien too, but his father wanted him to come home.”
The Prince seemed confused, so Chloe pushed on. “Very quickly, I wanted to ask what you thought of Lila? You met her, of course. She spoke to you and your parents about climate change, and you took her in a ride in your private jet-“
“Lila? I don’t know any Lila. Is this some kind of joke?”
“Joke? Me? No!” Chloe gasped, then thanked him for his time. The scene changed again.
By now, Lila was looking nervous. The class kept shooting her glances, and there were murmurs fluttering around. Immediately, she tried to think of a way to save this- Jagged was so nervous that his kitten could get hurt again he doesn’t speak of it, the Prince hit his head and had memory loss-
“Chloe! You’ll never guess who I ran into!”
The screen was black now, and there was just a voice that sounded like it was from a call. Adrien’s voice, saying: “Chat Noir!”
Adrien really hoped nobody would figure out his identity out.
“I’ve asked him to go and talk to you. He agreed!”
“Chat Noir? Couldn’t you have asked Ladybug?”
There was a pause. “Uh, no? Because I only saw Chat?”
The picture reappeared, to Chat sitting down on a sofa. “So Chat Noir- what can you tell me about Lila?”
“Lila…” Chat tapped his chin. “The girl who got akumatised into Volpina?”
Chloe paused. “Well, more memorably Ladybug’s best friend?”
“Ladybug and I are best friends, as well as I guess the other heroes. But she doesn’t really have a civilan best friend as a superhero, though perhaps she does when she’s a civilian… But my point is, Ladybug, the hero, is not this Lila’s best friend.”
Marinette smiled to herself. He considered them best friends. She couldn’t help herself but blush.
Chloe smiled, then hesitated. She leaned forward. “What did you think of the new Fox Hero, Chat?”
Marinette’s eyes widened. What was Chloe doing?
Chat seemed surprised. “I- Uh- She seems nice, I- I guess. I- think I need to go, now, Chloe. Thanks for the interview.”
Real-Chloe bit her lip. She knew she shouldn’t have asked, but she really wanted to know and it seemed like such a perfect time in the moment.
“No- wait!” Video-Chloe made a face. “Is there a chance that Ladybug might not have told you that they’re friends? Perhaps to protect Lila?”
Chat shook his head. “I’ve seen them together. They are definitely not friends- they don’t get along very well. If anything, I would have said Lila didn’t like Ladybug, but I can’t make assumptions. All I can say is that they are absolutely not best friends.”
Adrien remembered the way Marinette had reacted to Lila on countless occasions, he cringed at the thought of her and Lila acting like best friends.
Chloe nodded. “Is there any way that we could get Ladybug on, in order to ask her?”
Chat shrugged. “If you can find her, then I’ll put in a good word. But it’s up to her, I’m afraid. However, take my word for it, they cannot be really good friends. I know Ladybug, and she is not friends with Lila.”
The video ended.
Lila gritted her teeth. This is such an inconvenience!
Actually, yes. Just an inconvenience… It’s hard, but she could work with this.
“Ugh, you buffoons!” Start talking first. Don’t let them get their thoughts together. The usual tricks. “Thinking poking around was a good idea!”
The class looked at each other nervously.
Lila continued, using her words to twist the blame. “Of course Chat thinks we aren’t friends! That’s all part of the plan! If Ladybug’s partner thinks we don’t get along then nobody is going to suspect a thing! But I thought that this class was a group of friends I could trust to say that we were besties. But now that it’s out, everyone is going to figure it out, even my identity!” Lila morphed her face into one of horror.
“Identity?” Alya asked. Her eyes narrowed.
Lila pretended to deliberate, then come to a decision. “I can trust you all, right?”
“I was lying to protect the fact that I am the new Fox Heroine!”
Silence.
“You?” Alya said, in disbelief.
Adrien looked horrified. This was not how things were supposed to go.
Chloe looked sick. She was fidgeting, trying to hold herself back. This was not how it was supposed to happen.
Marinette looked angry. “That’s a lie too.”
The class looked at her, not sure who or what to believe.
“Oh, is it Marinette? Prove it.”
Marinette hesitated.
“See, you can’t, because it’s true.”
Marinette glared at Lila. “This is my first day back in this class, Lila. I don’t know what lies you’ve been spreading about me, and I don’t care. You know why?” She didn’t wait for an answer, just ploughed on. “Because I know I’m right. I don’t care if they don’t believe me- they’ve had plenty of proof by now. If they don’t believe me now, then it’s not because I haven’t shown enough proof, or not made my point well enough. It’s because they don’t want to... it’s because they don’t want to trust me, and they want to trust you. And that’s fine- well- I mean-” For the first time in that dramatic speech she stuttered slightly.
“It’s not fine.”
The class turned in shock to Adrien, who was staring at Marinette. “It’s not fine,” He repeated.
Chloe glanced at him and nodded. “Adrien’s right. It’s not fine that after everything that you have done for this class, the moment someone new comes, you get abandoned.”
“But Marinette was the one bullying Lila!” Alya said suddenly. There were tears in her eyes.“That has to be the truth! Lila can’t be the person that’s wrong! Because that would mean- that would mean I abandoned- I abandoned my best friend.”
“I think we all abandoned her, in some way,” Nino admitted.
“But I’m meant to be her bestie! I’m meant to be the person she can trust above everything!” Alya seemed so desperate.
“Wait- you guys don’t believe her right?” Lila gasped. “You don’t believe Marinette over me?”
“Well, explain everything in the video then, Lila. You being the fox hero doesn’t explain those lies- and if you’ve lied about all that, then why is this different?” Adrien said.
Lila gritted her teeth.
Chloe nodded. “Marinette has a point. If you believe Lila instead of her- instead of us- then you aren’t believing her because it’s more reasonable. You are believing her because you would rather believe in Lila. This doesn’t have anything to do with who is more trustworthy- it’s who you like more.” The blonde blushed slightly. She glanced down at her outfit, and ran her hands over the skirt. “I know that I like Marinette more than… Well, definitely more than Lila.”
Chloe turned to Sabrina. “I promise I haven’t- replaced you or somthing dumb like that-”
Sabrina interrupted. “I know Chloe! Well, Old Chloe I wouldn’t have known, but I know that you wouldn’t do that. I don’t know what’s changed, but it must be something. Still, I’ll stand by you, and I’ll stand by Marinette.” The girl smiled quietly at the pig-tailed teenager. “Because I trust you both.”
Marinette blushed.
It took a few clenched fists and two deep breathes for Lila to compose herself. She was not about to lose.
“Believe whatever you want, but I wasn’t the coward who changed classes because I couldn’t face my problems square on and fairly.”
Everyone looked at Marinette. Adrien was shocked hearing Lila call Marinette, his Ladybug, weak. He felt his face burn. He couldn’t stop himself fast enough from shouting at Lila, but Marinette did. Marinette spoke first. He was surprised how calm her voice was.
“Lila, I’m sorry.”
And the silence returned. Marinette’s eyes looked so sincere. Almost everyone was too shocked to speak. Almost…
“Finally, you admit defeat! Wow, you really are a coward. I thought you'd keep that act up a little while longer.” Lila couldn’t help but smile as she said that. What a relief- victory tasted so sweet-
“No, Lila. I’m not saying I’m sorry for trying to prove you wrong. I’m saying sorry because I truly feel sorry for you.”
Marinette was tired of being pitied, even though it may be true that her old friends had left her for ever, no matter how hard she finds it to believe, she has her new friends. New friends who have stayed with her through this mess and who have believed her for who she is.
“I don’t have to hide behind a facade, an illusion, for people to like me. I don’t have to hide myself behind that mask. And for that, I feel very fortunate. Though the people who I love have left me, and it makes me sad, it doesn’t make me a coward for letting them go, because I’ve accepted it and I believe it takes a great deal of courage to face that pain!”
Marinette was standing tall, she had a spark in her. Similar to the one she had when she faces akumatized villains as Ladybug, only different. This time it was Marinette’s spark. Hers and hers alone. Without the mask.
If Adrien couldn’t believe Marinette was Ladybug before, now he is definitely sure she is.
“She’s lying again!” What is Dupain-Cheng doing!?
“You’re still hiding behind your mask."
“I still have your friends. You really think you’ve won?” Lila was burning up, she will not lose. Not again!
“It’s you who’s the coward Lila. You’re still hiding. Call me whatever you want. Take whatever and whoever I love, but I won’t give in to you. I’ll just keep getting back up again.”
“You can’t possibly do it alone!”
“She's not alone," Marinette was calmer now. She didn't feel like crying. All the same, Adrien spoke. "Because she has me. And I'm sorry it took me so long to bring this up."
"You knew?" Nino stared at Adrien. "And you didn't tell us?"
Adrien stopped. It hadn't even crossed his mind that the people Lila lied to would want to know. But Marinette had.
“As long as you and I both know the truth, does it really matter?”
Marinette opened her mouth, and paused.
“Yes!”
He took a breath. Guilt hit him, like a rising wave.
"I- Yeah. I did. I'm so sorry Nino- everyone. I saw that Marinette confronting her did nothing, so I thought-"
"Thought you wouldn't put yourself through the embarrassment?" Marinette said. She looked at the boy she used to like. Disappointment from the fact that she used to love this boy- one who fled from challenges- was definitely an emotion she had right now.
Chat Noir never ran from a challenge. He met it head on- sometimes literally head on.
Adrien watched the girl he loved look at the ground.
"No!" He said a bit too loudly. He instinctively moved forward, and held her hands in his. Their eyes met, and for a moment Adrien couldn't talk because she was so pretty and where had his thoughts gone he couldn't think straight-
"I... I made a mistake. I thought that if confronting her didn't work, it wouldn't help to keep doing it. I thought that maybe she'd realise she didn't need to lie, or come to her senses. I... I was stupid to tell you to leave it, because it was clearly having an impact on you." For the moment, there was nobody here but him and Marinette. "I'm sorry Marinette. I made a mistake. I hope I can make it up to you. I did this in hopes that maybe you can forgive me- but I understand if you don't. But I want to make it up to you."
And I thought I was over him. Marinette mentally sighed. This was so confusing.
Adrien let go of her hands, his cheeks glowing faintly pink.
That's when the bell rang.
Marinette and the rest of the class looked around in surprise. They'd been so invested in the conversation that they hadn't noticed the time passing.
The day seemed to go quickly from there.
At first, nobody spoke to Marinette, but didn't chat to Lila either. Then, when the bell rang to change classes, Juleka walked alongside her. They didn't talk, but when they reached the next classroom Juleka blushed, quietly murmured sorry, and hurried to her seat.
About halfway through that class, there was an akuma. Of course there was. Hawkmoth couldn't let some teenage drama go on without turning someone into a literal supervillain. And for the second time in just over a week, Marinette noticed the butterfly before it was able to get a hold of something.
Hey there Ladybloggers! It is, as always, Alya here, giving you the latest and bestest news on our crime-fighting duo, Ladybug and Chat Noir!
Recently, we've been catching sight of a certain cat changing his outfit a smidge... Not a new power, it doesn't seem, but simply for the aesthetic, our resident black cat has been sporting a cape!
The next question is, simply, why?
Capes cannot be practical. Then again, certain other Superheroes we've seen appearing around Paris are wearing outfits that aren't there for a purpose, but I'm sure you'll agree that Rena Rouge makes that tail look good!
But to change his outfit to add a cape? There's a story there Ladybloggers, and I believe I've cracked it!
While we have been unable to catch a photo of the cape, unless you're interested in a smudgey blur, we can tell you that it is very colourful... One may even say rainbow...
In fact, somebody could possibly say it looks a lot like a rainbow pride flag...
Well, Ladybloggers, that person is me! And I am saying it, loud and clear for the people in the back, that CHAT NOIR IS WEARING A PRIDE FLAG AS A CAPE!
Ladybloggers, how Chat Noir makes something as ridiculous as a rainbow flag tied around his neck look very fashionable, and why Ladybug has not either joined him or laughed at him, or both, will remain a mystery. Something that won't remain a mystery, is this blog's opinion on the subject-
Happy pride month Ladybloggers! And a specially happy pride month to you, Chat Noir!
Sorry this took so long to come! I have quite a few chapters written up now, so hopefully you’ll be able to read them more regularly!
Hawkmoth struck again the next day.
Marinette threw her pen to her desk in anger. “Come on!” She snapped at the news headline on her phone.
She’d actually managed quite a bit of study today, but it would not be enough if she had to stop now! She had both maths and science tomorrow, and she wasn’t even entirely sure what they were doing in science, never mind being prepared for an exam!
But that little notification carried on shining, breaking up the image of her lockscreen. “Fine.” She stood up. “Fine.” She changed into a different suit. “Fine!” She pulled out a spare yoyo. “Fine!”
This time Hawky was robbing a butterfly garden. Her arms still aching from her out-of-control trip across Paris yesterday, Ladybug swung through the doors. She raised one eyebrow at the man in a fancy, Ironman-esque, shiny suit, waving a not-so-advanced butterfly net around.
“You’re trying to steal the butterflies? Gotta admit, didn’t expect that.”
Hawkmoth spun, and glared at her. Even through the mask, he seemed fed up. At her or the butterflies, she couldn’t say, but she liked to think it was the butterflies. “Come on Ladybug. You don’t understand-”
“Look, Hawkmoth. Butterflies probably aren’t as bad as banks, but I can’t just let you kidnap them.”
“No, you don’t understand, I need them-”
“Uh huh, yeah, I don’t care.” Ladybug threw her yoyo, wrapping it around the butterfly net. She pulled, Hawkmoth didn’t let go, and they ended up with a broken net.
Hawkmoth groaned, and threw his stick to the ground, plucking the few butterflies he was able to catch and squashing them into a bag.
He lifted up his hand, and started shooting (yep, those were still real bullets) at Ladybug, who dove behind a plant. Hawkmoth took off, running towards a door, when a silver pole blocked his way.
“Monarch me an idiot, but it seems like you missed a bug!” Chat Noir grinned. Hawkmoth stared at him. “Get it? Monarch me an idiot? Mark me an idiot?”
“That was terrible.” Ladybug responded, standing up from behind the bush. Chat Noir pointed at her and carried on talking to Hawkmoth.
“And you missed a bug? Because you’re stealing butterflies and she’s Ladybug?”
“Seriously Chat, if you have to explain it-”
Hawkmoth made a break for it, knocking the pole over and tipping Chat Noir to the ground. Ladybug threw her yoyo, and used it to block up the doorway. Hawkmoth skidded to a stop, and turned around to face them. Chat Noir stood up to face him, and Ladybug pulled her hands into fists.
“Well then?” Chat grinned. “You going to fight or do you have butterflies in your stomach?”
Hawkmoth ran forward, and they ran to meet him. He lifted his arm, and Chat snatched up his baton. Ladybug pulled her yoyo out of the doorway, then reached for Chat. She wrapped her arms around him, and he pole vaulted them both above Hawkmoth, and she threw her yoyo down to grab the arm that held the gun. She pulled it tight, and there was a loud screeching. She loosened the yoyo, and the ring where it had tightly gripped the metal was crushed and broken.
“Don’t bring a gun to a superhero fight.” She grinned as they landed on the ground, this time guarding the door.
Hawkmoth didn’t say anything, just ran directly at them again. Ladybug and Chat dove in seperate directions. Chat stuck out his baton at ankle height, and Ladybug threw out her yoyo at neck height. Hawkmoth jumped over the baton, but alas, his limbo skills were not up to standard, so he got caught on the yoyo string and slipped to the ground. The bag of butterflies crumpled to the ground. He scrambled to his feet, and dove for the bag, but Chat Noir slid his baton along the ground and knocked it out of reach. Hawkmoth growled, but instead of trying again, he took off to the door.
“Get him!” Ladybug shouted, even as she followed him. They sprinted out the door, where they saw his figure retreating into the sky.
“No!” She yelled.
Chat Noir stood next to her. “It’s okay, My L-”
“No it’s not! He got away!”
“But he didn’t get what he came for.” Chat Noir gestured to the sack on the ground. Ladybug bit her lip. She bent down, and opened it. Two butterflies immediately fluttered away, but the third stayed at the bottom of the sack. She carefully picked it up. It almost seemed to glow, the egg-shell white colour of its wings.
“Bye bye little butterfly,” She murmured, opening her hands. It tested its wings, then took to the sky. She smiled as it went. “You’re right Chat. Maybe we didn’t capture him, but we did win this time.”
“And it was because we worked together.” Chat said. Ladybug rolled her eyes. “Come on, admit it, My Lady.”
“Don’t call me that.” She said, but couldn’t help but smile. “Fine. It was because we worked together.”
Chat Noir looked like he was about to start celebrating, when he froze.
“What?”
“Don’t move!” He hissed.
Terror gripped Ladybug, as she stood like a statue. “Why?”
Chat Noir lifted his phone, and took a photo. “What are you doing?”
He smirked, and turned the photo around, showing the picture of her in her mask, her messy braid thrown over one shoulder, and the sunlight shining through a pair of egg white wings on her hair. Ladybug looked away from the photo to where it was still perched.
“Aww.” She said, grinning. “But you’re going to have to delete that photo.”
“What? Why?”
“What if somebody sees it? Your secret identity will be out.”
Chat considered for a moment, then smirked. “Not if I send it to the Ladyblog! Then anyone could have it.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I so would, Bugaboo.”
-
He did.
-
After spending the rest of the day studying, Marinette reached the conclusion that there was no way she was ever going to be ready for these exams. She kept on finding some new articles to read, some new comments on the Ladyblog’s post of that photo (which was tagged as: An anonymous user sent this to me, claiming to be the notorious, charming and legendary Chat Noir! Whether or not that’s true, two things are for sure: 1) we love this bug, and 2) this is going to become a lot of people’s profile picture! (which was correct, Marinette had already counted twelve Ladyblog users.)) or the room felt too cramped. Groaning, she glanced at the Ladybug suit, then back at her work.
“It’s worth a try.” She mumbled, pulling the suit, and snatching up her book.
-
She didn’t expect to be found, sitting on a random house’s rooftop reading her history book, but ten minutes later a black figure landed next to her.
“Reading on the roof?” Chat Noir asked.
Ladybug rolled her eyes. She lifted up her history book. “Studying.” She corrected. “As of tomorrow, I will officially be in exam week.”
Chat laughed, then held up his own history book. It had the same cover. “Me too. And my teachers expect way too much of me!”
“Same here!” Ladybug agreed, stopping herself from staring at the book. It was weird, she was pretty sure her school was the only one that had that one.
Chat plopped down beside her. “Want to work together then?”
Ladybug chewed her lip. “That depends. How much do you know about Tutankamun?”
“About half as much as I need to, and twice as much as I want to.”
“Then take a seat!” She laughed.
-
It was actually fun working with Chat. She laughed, and he laughed, and they got distracted but they also made jokes that helped them remember things. By the end she actually felt accomplished in her study, which was rare.
There was a lull in the conversation. Ladybug stared at the night sky. “It’s beautiful,” She murmured.
“Like you?” Chat Noir asked. Ladybug snorted.
“Cheesy much?”
The villain-now-hero was probably blushing, if his mask didn’t cover his cheeks.
“Hey, Chat?” Ladybug asked.
“Yeah, My Lady?”
“There’s this guy that I like.” She glanced at the hero sitting next to her. “He’s in my class, but we’re just friends.”
“Oh.”
“What should I do?”
Chat stayed quiet for a moment.
“Chat?”
“I’d tell him.”
“You would?”
“Yeah.” He turned to smile at her, but there was something else in his expression, which she couldn’t read. “I would tell her-him, that when I looked at him, I saw everything I wanted to be. I saw, not a perfect person, but someone who was trying to be. Somebody who looked at the world and thought that it was messed up, and flawed, but instead of giving up and joining it they became what they wanted to see. And I’d say that I wanted to be with that person, because while they were busy looking for the good in everybody else, all I could see was how good they were.”
Ladybug stared at him, then grinned. “You like somebody, don’t you?”
Chat slowly nodded, his eyes glancing at her face then away again.
“Well, you should tell them that. Exactly what you said to me. She sounds amazing.”
Chat gave a small smile. “She is. And I’m sure whoever Mr Crush is will think you’re amazing.”
Ladybug smiled. “Thanks, Kitty.” She pulled out her yoyo.
-
Gabriel Agreste walked down a darkened alley. A man stood in shadow, flipping a coin.
“Did you do it?”
“No, I-”
“No?”
Gabriel swallowed. “No, Ladybug and Chat Noir teamed up and stopped me.”
“Do you know why we wanted you to steal the money?”
“Yes- to prove I was loyal enough-”
“No. To prove that you were able to. You’re rich enough Gabriel, the question is whether you are willing to steal, to join. We said three tests. The first two were money.”
“Right, and-”
“You made the first one. You didn’t bring enough the second, but that’s not your fault. The money wasn’t there. Now you’re telling me you failed the third?”
“I-” Gabriel paused, expecting to be cut off. When he wasn’t, he hesitantly continued. “You can’t need the butterflies for anything. You’re just doing it to make fun of me now!”
The man stopped flipping the coin. “The butterflies were to prove that you would do anything for this. You join us, and you are given one chance to choose something, anything, that we will help you with. Then, for the rest of your life, you have to do anything we ask of you.”
“I know that-”
“Do you? Because you don’t seem capable of doing it when there is something in it for you.”
Gabriel swallowed. “Please. Another chance. I need this.”
The man glared at Gabriel, then sighed. “Fine. Bring us the masks of Ladybug and Chat Noir, and we’ll let you in.”
“Marinette,” Adrien walked into the empty locker room. Marinette had been with her friend whose name he didn’t know, then she’d realised she had left something in her locker and so had hurried there.
At her name, Marinette yelped and slammed her locker. “Adrien! Hey! Hi! Hello! Greetings!”
For the first time, Adrien realised Marinette’s stutter wasn’t just a Marinette thing- it was because of him. It was so obvious, now that he knew.
“I wanted to apologise,” Adrien looked nervously down at his hands. “F- For what I said about Lila. I shouldn’t have told you to just leave it.”
Marinette stared at him. Her eyes were so pretty, such a perfect shade of blue. Adrien found himself getting lost in them, so lost that when Marinette spoke it took him a moment to realise.
“That?” It wasn’t Marinette usual cheerful voice. Her eyes flicked to the floor. Adrien frowned. What was he doing wrong? “Oh. Yeah, okay. Don’t worry about it.” And she turned and walked away.
Plagg soared out of his jacket. “See! Easy peasy super cheesy. When are you going to tell her that you know she’s Ladybug?”
Adrien stared at the place where Marinette stood moments ago. “She didn’t forgive me?”
Plagg rolled his eyes. “Did you hear her? She said it was fine.”
“I know Plagg,” The bell rang loudly. “But she didn’t forgive me. I could tell.”
“Kid, you’re being hard on yourself. She said don’t worry about it.”
Adrien groaned. “I know she said that! But I could tell she didn’t forgive me, I just don’t know why she didn’t.”
Plagg yawned. “It sounds confusing. I don’t see why you don’t just leave Marinette and focus on Ladybug. After all, she doesn’t know who you are, so you could still get her to fall for Chat Noir.”
“Plagg,” Adrien sighed. “I want to be worthy of her. I can’t just leave it like this when I know Marinette- my Ladybug- is upset.”
A group of people walked past him on their way to class, and Plagg ducked back inside Adrien’s shirt.
-
His head down, Adrien walked into class and sat down in his seat. Moments later, Lila strutted in. She slid in next to him, and Adrien had to stop himself from sliding away.
“Adrien, hello!” She purred, and leant forward. “It’s great to see you again!”
Adrien grimaced in her general direction.
Lila frowned, then opened her mouth again, but she was interrupted. “Oh- hey Lila,” It was Nino, who was glancing at where Lila was in his usual seat.
“Oh- Nino! I’m so sorry about sitting in your seat, it’s just…” Lila took a dramatic breath. “This may be my last day before Marinette comes back, and well, since she’d been so rude to me, I wanted to spend it with my friends.”
Adrien grit his teeth. For the past couple of days Lila had been spinning her lies, making it seem like Marinette had been the one bullying her, and Adrien had watched all of his friends fall for her lies. He wasn’t sure Marinette had noticed, as all that they had done was avoid her. Still, it annoyed him.
“Hey, no sweat Lila. I was going to sit with Alya anyway, if that’s alright bro?” He directed the last question to Adrien, who nodded tiredly.
Lila was able to stay silent for a little while while, but after a few minutes, she tapped Adrien’s shoulder. He ignored her, which didn’t work because the next thing he knew he was being slid a note.
Hey Adrien, it’s so hard to understand all this history stuff isn’t it?
There were hearts drawn on it.
Adrien ignored it, but then sighed and scribbled a quick:
It’s easier if you pay attention.
There, he thought. Polite enough to not be used against him but also not implying that they should carry on writing.
Clearly he was wrong though, because moments later he received another note.
Oh, it is but I can’t stop thinking about… Well, how Marinette is coming back soon. It’s making me so nervous I can barely concentrate.
Adrien got out his pencil again, and pushed it into the paper. Forget being polite. He was going to defend his Ladybug- he was going to defend Marinette. It was stuff like this that had made her nearly be akumatised. He was so stupid, and oblivious. Ugh, if he wasn’t in class now he would-
Adrien realised he hadn’t written anything, and had ground his pencil tip into the paper. He forced himself to relax. He needed to be careful about what he was writing. Lila was a tricky person, and she could easily twist his words even written down.
He scrunched up the page and kicked it into his bag. Lila didn’t seem to know what to make of that.
He stared aimlessly around the class. He noticed that all Alya was doing was drawing in her book- Nino was taking lots of notes while not letting go of his girlfriend’s hand. Adrien briefly wondered what was wrong, but soon his mind drifted off to Marinette. He wondered what was happening in her class at the moment.
When the bell rang, it took a moment for Adrien to wake up. He quickly shoved everything into his bag, dodged Lila, and moved to his Science class. On his way though, he saw Marinette.
She was laughing with another girl, and she was so much like Ladybug that it took his breath away. As he watched though, she tripped. He nearly ran over there, despite them being on other sides of the sport’s court. As it was, he just ran to the metal bar, and gripped it to stop himself from trying to jump over it. The girl with her caught her and her bag, and slowly Adrien’s breathing began to relax.
He watched her go into a classroom, and forced himself to go to his.
-
It was in the last period of the day, when he was staring at his pitiful class notes and thinking of why Marinette didn’t really forgive him, when all of a sudden, it all made sense.
She did forgive him, for exactly what he apologised for.
‘For what I said about Lila. I shouldn’t have told you to just leave it’
But that wasn’t what she wanted to be made right!
She wanted somebody to apologise for not standing up for her, for not standing up with her. She wanted him to apologise for not being there when she fell, for leaving her so alone she ran to a different class. Forgiving him for some bad advice was nothing, because the problem had felt like nothing.
Suddenly full with energy, Adrien started to plan.
-
After school, Adrien spoke with Chloe.
-
That weekend, Adrien visited the Grand Paris Hotel.
-
On Sunday, a group message was sent out.
Could you all get to school early on Monday?
-
Marinette stared at the message, as if she wasn’t already nervous about returning to see what Lila had done with her friends now she had to get there early?
Her fingers hovered over the reply bar, then she backed out of the chat before she could reply.
-
Despite that, she got to school early.
When she arrived, her whole class was there, excluding (she drew a nervous breath) Chloe and Adrien. Nervously, she hovered at the side of the cluster of people. At first she thought nobody had noticed her, but then Sabrina walked over.
“Hey Marinette,” She smiled. “Do you have any idea what this is about?”
Marinette shook her head. Her mouth felt too dry, because she’d just noticed how each classmate was pointedly not looking at her, unless she saw them out of the corner of her eye. Then they stared- well glared would be a more accurate, as they didn’t seem happy at her.
“What did Lila say?”
Sabrina shrugged, seeming upset to not be able to answer. “I don’t know, I’ve been out of school with a cold for a while.”
Marinette checked that the girl was okay now, but Marinette was distracted. Eventually Sabrina just told her to go up and ask her friends, if she was so worried about it.
“Hey Alya,” Marinette tapped the girl’s shoulder. “How have you been?”
Alya stiffened, then pointedly carried on talking to Nino. Marinette felt hurt, then she tried again.
“How has class been?”
Alya finally turned around. “Actually, it’s been fine. Since you left, Marinette, Lila finally felt brave enough to tell us what you’d been doing.”
Marinette wasn’t surprised.
“Yeah? Well, what have I been doing?”
Alya shook her head, and took a step closer to her. “Marinette, you know what. And it’s awful- honestly. I knew you didn’t like her, but going so far as to bully her?”
Now Marinette was surprised- not at Lila’s claims, but how sure Alya was that they were true.
“You really think that I’d bully someone?”
Alya scoffed. “You really think that you will be able to convince me otherwise? Marinette, who am I more likely to believe, someone who has clearly not liked Lila since day one, or someone who was so worried about you coming back that they couldn’t even do their work?”
Marinette should have asked to stay in the other class.
“I-“
She couldn’t get any words out.
“What’s wrong?” Sabrina walked up, and stood next to Marinette. Her voice was sweet and kind, but her eyes were narrowed with a warning. Marinette stared at her in surprise. Chloe was somebody who she definitely thought had changed, but Marinette had barely spoken to Sabrina yet she was clearly ready to defend her. Marinette’s heart filled with warmth.
Alya seemed to catch that. She hesitated. “Sabrina, you haven’t been here, but trust me. You don’t want to do that.”
Sabrina stayed quiet for a moment. “I think out of everybody here I could trust, it would be Marinette.”
Sabrina turned and smiled at Marinette. “Do you want to go and sit somewhere else?”
That’s when Adrien and Chloe walked in. Chloe immediately started speaking in her loud, attention grabbing way. Adrien looked awkward by her side. He glanced around the class, and when his eyes met Marinette’s he blushed before looking down. Marinette frowned. What was happening with him?
Her words to Chat came back to her. Seeing Adrien again had made those butterflies return in her stomach, but they weren’t the same as they used to be.
-
“We have some news to tell you all,” Chloe flicked her hair back. She grinned at Marinette. “Well, show you,” She pulled out her phone, and opened up a video. “Here it is! Proof that Lila, is little more than a liar!”
Marinette stared at the pair in shock. Chloe grinned at her, and held the phone up.
