Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Marinette walked briskly up the school steps. Students of all grades milled out and about on school grounds. It was alien for her to be at school so early.

“Hey girl!” Alya sat in her chair looking intently at her phone. Marinette took a seat before Alya raised an eyebrow in her direction. 

“Are pigs flying outside or are you in school on time?” Alya said with an air of sarcasm. 

“Har har,” Marinette said with a deadpan expression. “I was actually able to get a full 8 hours of rest last night.” That, by itself, was a great thing. Akuma attacks stopped two weeks ago; it put the entire city on edge.

“I feel you!” Alya turned to lay her arm on Marinette's shoulder. “I’ve been able to edit all of my videos on the Ladyblog without a single Akuma appearing.” Her eyes slowly gilded back to her phone.

“Though,” Alya's voice abruptly dropped. “As much as a blessing this may seem, long pauses in akumas are hardly good news.”

The idea that Hawkmoth had a big plan brewing up made her stomach coil with anxiety. Herself and Paris were sitting ducks until Hawkmoth made his move.

She felt vulnerable, and she hated it. There was little she could do. She was a teenager trying to outsmart a supervillain! She couldn’t fail or else the world would fall with her.

A sudden pressure seemed to make itself known on her thigh. She took a small peek into her purse. A small smile was on Tikki’s face, acting as a reassurance.

“Don’t get so down!” Alya said while slapping her back. “Even when times get dark we’ll just have to look out for each other!” A cheeky smile spread across Alya's face. 

A smirk on Marinette's face threatened to break through at Alya's encouraging words. But loud giggles broke through her face. 

“You always manage to be cheesy at the strangest times!” Marinette laughed into Alya's shoulder. 

“Someone has to make sure our Everyday Ladybug stays in tip-top shape!” Alya said, rearing her head in Marinette's direction. “I don’t need you freaking out about akumas.” She said, eyebrows wiggling.

The shrill bell rang out through the school grounds. Ten minutes before tardy. 

“Pshh! Let’s go!” She let loose in a brisk walk to class. “I already went through the trouble of coming to school early!” Marinette shouted behind her. 

Small shouts and laughter were called out between the two girls before they arrived at their designated class. 

Alya caught up with Marinette and scooted next to her. “Looks like I’m victorious today,” Marinette said with a smug grin. “Maybe today, but we don’t know about tomorrow!” Alya countered.

The two went back and forth until their teacher, Mrs, Bustier, walked into the classroom. 

“Good Morning, class! It’s brilliant to see all of you here in your seats.” She said cheerfully, sparing a second-more glance at Marinette. “Please pull out your textbooks onto page 274 so we can get started.”

Her teachers’ words droned quietly at the back of her mind. She faded from the classroom as her thoughts paused on the topic of the morning; Hawkmoth. Paris could be in grave danger and sh—

“Marinette?” Mrs. Bustier called, eyebrows furrowed. “I asked you a question.”

Great. 

Now she was the center of attention. Her face burned red as she tried to evaporate in her seat. 

“Sorry Miss, I got distracted. Can you repeat that for me?” 

A small rumble shook the building when Mrs. Bustier started to respond. Then, a boom echoed throughout the hallway nearest to them.

‘Lady Luck at it again, huh?’ Marinette sighed at the irony. She was never that lucky outside her suit.

Mumbles and exclamations quickly broke out throughout the class. 

Not a second later a dooming chime rang out from the entire class's phones. The Akuma alert.

“Alya, intel on the Akuma?” Panic leaked from her voice as she stood from her desk. Alya frowned over her phone, looking intensely at the Ladyblog she guessed.

“Highly-Destructive Akuma, they wreaked havoc along the Seine and the 21st Arrondissement.” The Bakery, my parents! “That’s all I have for now,” Alya said with a grim tone.

“Okay, class! Everyone is to follow standard Akuma protocol. We’ll evacuate down to the shelter.” Plan ready in motion, the students entered the hallway.

The class ran outside into a hallway full of blue smoke and debris. Stragglers were found on the floor, seemingly hunched over wheezing from the haze. Some of her classmates pushed the ones who fell behind while others ran for shelter.

‘This much destruction already? It’s only been a few minutes!’

Marinette directed students and peers alike outside the school to the exits. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before heavy smog filled her lungs and made it hard to see. Marinette quickly trudged her way from the hallway to the outside of the building. 

Crowds of students stood by the entrance, most likely blocked by the fallen rubble. She saw Alya and Nino huddled up, and Marinette could see Alya quietly live-streaming the events of the attack. In the corner, she saw Adrien ushering people out of the building, before halting suddenly. 

Finally, the Akuma slowly rose out in front of the crowd. They wore a black cloak that flew in the wind, it was paired with a deep azure dress. On the akumas wrist, they wore a silver bracelet. Their eyes were pitch black, but they held a certain type of hatred Marinette only saw from a few. 

Without a doubt, a vengeful angel, one seeking war. It would be hypnotizing if she wasn't scared shitless. 

“I’m Oblivion,” Their voice was hollow and deep. “and I’ll make sure every one of you will feel the exact pain I do.” Ozone wafted through the air as they raised their hand. 

“Everyone! Get dow—” 

Marinette’s voice was cut off as the school exploded behind them. 

Her ears were ringing. 

Her eyes stung with tears.

And her hands bled as she tried to crawl out of the fallen rubble.

Dark blue smoke was all she could see. She stood crouched over a rock as her senses finally came back. Akumas never became this dangerous. Dread filled her veins as the full situation finally set in.

“Tikki, Spots on.” 

———————————

The Akuma attack was deadly. Within 1 hour of Oblivion’s arrival, they were ranked as an S-Class Akuma going head-to-head with Syren. 

She and Chat Noir had to relocate four times since they appeared. Countless Lucky Charms and Cataclysms have been washed away in a sea of destruction. 

“It's been six hours since Oblivion appeared and we're hardly making a dent.” She never liked being pessimistic, but it was time to face the facts. She was losing hope, quickly.

Her body was sore and her lungs were wheezing each second she breathed. The blue smoke roamed every nook and cranny in Paris.

Chat Noir had his baton tensely at his chest, yet he still had his signature grin fixed on his face. “Now, why so blue? We’re a duo, we got this, Bug.” He gave a fanged grin.

“Seriously, a pun right now?” Marinette couldn’t help but give a tired smile at her partner's antics. 

“What can I say? It’s one of my redeeming qualities, M’lady.” He gave a mock salute in return.

The two sobered up quickly once the smell of burning wire came nearer. 

“Do you have a plan, Chaton?” She released her yo-yo from her hip as layers of blue smoke now surrounded them.

Everything was quiet before he spoke. “They emit some type of ozone from their body, so we have to get them out of the sunlight.” He paused in thought. “Their ozone is thick to where it blocks the sun, but if we try to attack inside the clouds we’ll just get screwed over.” 

Ladybug blinked slowly. Today was a bad day to know very little about chemistry.

“Okay. We’ll bait them into shooting at us from the sky and then steal their akumatized item.” She finalized.

Chat Noir cocked his head. “How are we going to get them to shoot at us?”

Ladybug thought for a while before finding her answer. “Looks like today Astro Chat is making an appearance.” She fetched a potion from her yo-yo. “You’ll distract them from the skies and I’ll get the object.” 

“You got it!” And with that Chat Noir jumped away.

———————————

A few minutes later Astro Chat made his appearance. Mainly, he was focusing on taunting the Akuma. He was slipping in and out from the akumas grasps, plus he was immune from the ozone. 

The two were butting heads every time they made contact. If it weren’t for Oblivion’s overwhelming power, Chat could’ve stolen their object with his speed. But for now, they stood at an impasse.

The only pro Ladybug had from her situation was the fact she could gather intel from the Akuma. Black burns covered the pale hands of the Akuma. They were reeling from the explosions and using them more sparingly. 

A blue cloud of ozone hovered over the three. It wasn’t long before the Akuma looked up at the looming smoke above them.

Guess it was her time to shine then. 

“Chat, Let’s go!” Ladybug tethered her yo-yo around Oblivion’s waist, swapping their positions. Their best plan right now was to rush them, devastating them with Chat's speed and her technique. 

Oblivion destroyed the wall behind them that cornered them between the two heroes. “Surrender, and give me your Miraculous!” Four blue flames flew out from the Akuma, separating the duo.

“Lucky Charm!” A polka-dotted gasoline bottle fell out from the sky. It was smaller than the generic one you would see at the store— it was just as big as a soda can. But this Lucky Charm still raised some red flags.

What the hell would she do with this? 

Now, Ladybug wasn’t stupid, but it was basically a given you never mix gasoline with fire. Especially with an Akuma causing this much destruction.

She dodged and twisted, expertly missing the flames. “We won’t do that, Oblivion!” Ladybug hung behind Astro Chat as she thought up a plan. 

Gasoline? This’ll cause everything to become flammable… flammable.

When Ladybug focused her attention back on the Akuma they blinked red and black. She was getting somewhere!  Her yo-yo swung readily at her chest lit with red and black spots. Her final hint for the Lucky Charm…

“Chat! Spray the Akuma!” The plan she had was near suicidal, but at this point, there was little to no choice. The longer this battle went on, the more they would jeopardize themselves.

Chat Noir whipped crazily in the air around the two. Suddenly, he rushed in circles above Oblivion, spraying the gasoline on their body.

This was her chance! She launched herself headfirst to the Akuma and wrapped their upper body in her yo-yo. In exhaustion and anger, she snatched the bracelet from the Akuma.

In her moment of anger, she didn’t notice the harsh look of disdain flash over the akumas face. 

In her moment of exhaustion, she didn’t notice the cruel smile stretch over the akumas face. Nor, the purple mask that framed it. 

Yet, she did notice the familiar blue glow suddenly filling her surroundings.

“You’ll never escape from us, Ladybug.”

———————————

Blue light erupted from Oblivion's bound hand, burning her fingers that were wrapped around the bracelet. 

As she was vulnerable, Oblivion sloppily aimed their bound wrist at her partner.

“I wonder how you’ll come to live with this.” 

Empty laughter rang through her ears as her eyes focused on the blue blast of light.

Chat didn’t know what was headed for him. It was far too powerful for him to dodge. 

“CHAT, MOVE OUT THE WAY!”

Without a thought, her yo-yo gunned straight for her partner. She made her body slim, narrow, and resistant as she flung herself through the air. 

Almost there… please

Her yo-yo couldn’t make it in time to sweep the two away from the incoming danger. Without hesitation, she repeated the same move she did earlier today.

Ladybug’s yo-yo wrapped around Chat Noir’s waist, sending him backward and herself in his spot. She closed her eyes before the explosion hit. 

Everything she knew faded to black.

Chapter Text

Marinette’s body moves with a pained groan.

Static filled her body— head to toe. She tries to move but her body doesn’t obey.

Just like a puppet with its strings cut.

Every breath she takes makes her body shake like a deathly rattle. It only made her more aware of the aching all over her body. 

Her bloody hair framed her face as she lay on the cold concrete floor. Her ribbons must’ve fallen off when she got hit. Her body was wet and filthy from the sweat, blood, and smoke that accumulated from the Akuma.

Oblivion.

Chat.

Marinette fought through the pain that shot up from her muscles. Her vision went white and fuzzy when she clamored to get her torso from the ground. Marinette's arms trembled slowly as she struggled to rise to her knees.

Flashes of light and outcries brought Marinette out of her stupor. Undefined silhouettes came to her so quickly that they made her groan in discomfort.

Not quite the right build.

Too short.

His hair isn’t that long…

.

.

.

There he is!

He stood shocked at her rear left. His ears were flattened against his blonde hair. Chat Noir’s baton stayed limp in his right hand, his left hand was clenched with the Akumas bracelet. He looked rough, cuts and dirt lined up his face and suit. He was frozen, like a run-down statue.

“M-Marinette?”  He stuttered as he staggered closer to her side.

Marinette’s hands brushed her face.

She was Exposed.

Polka-dots no longer covered her face or arms. Instead, she was left in a soiled gray blazer, scratched pink capri pants, and tattered flats.

She must’ve de-transformed when the impact hit…

Her eyes swept quickly over the crowd. Police officers were shielding civilians from her fallen form. Still, that didn’t stop camera flashes from going off at each angle nor screaming coming from the mob. 

Everyone knew her identity; she was done for. 

A red blur swished in front of her. “Marinette!” It was Tikki. “I couldn’t k-keep the transformation any l-longer!” The kwamii hiccuped.

“Tikki…” Marinette hushed. “You did more than you should’ve tolerated.” Tears cascaded freely down Marinette's cheeks. She was tired, hurt, and guilty. She was lost.

“Are you okay, Marinette?” Tikki uttered from the nape of her neck.

Was she okay? She had almost gotten her partner killed! He could’ve been right here in her spot if she hadn’t been fast enough. “No, I think I’m gonna throw up.” 

Marinette anchored her body to her feet and stood up. Her nausea immediately increased in intensity but she continued to push herself toward her partner.

Commotion sprung up from the crowd at her sudden movement. The cries got louder and louder as she beelined straight to her partner. Hell , it was disorientating.

“Marinette, we have to go.” Chat Noir's voice was tense and low as he further shielded her from the crowd. “The Akuma could stir awake soon..” He finished on an uneased note.

“We need to go s-somewhere safe.” Marinette's voice cracked. Chat Noir holstered Marinette in front of him on his baton and a flash, they were off into the midst of Paris. 

———————————

“Marinette?”  Her attention was brought to the concerned green eyes of her partner. His eyebrows were wrinkled and his jaw was tense. “Did you hear me?” 

“… Sorry Chat. Can you say that again?” Marinette asked.

He unraveled his clenched hand from his side. “We still need to unrelease the akuma.” He swallowed. “There’s too much damage to leave unresolved.” 

The cursed bracelet and empty bottle were gleaming in his hand, almost like a mockery of her.

“Tikki, Spots on.” Little power rushed through her body. Despite being a different transformation, two dots appeared weakly on her earrings. Poor Tikki.

She caught the Akuma from the object with little fanfare, but there was nothing more to be expected. 

“Miraculous Ladybug!” Red and black ladybugs alike swept through Paris. Debris and fallen buildings repaired themselves right before civilians' eyes. Most of her injuries covered up as well.

Her charms truly were a spectacular thing. Paris would be doomed without them.

Chat Noir laid a clawed hand on her shoulder. “We’re a team, I’ll always be here for you. I promise.” He gave Ladybug a rueful grin. “I’ll take care of the akuma; get home safe.” And with a salute he was gone.

Three beeps reminded her of the time crunch she was on. She unraveled her yo-yo from her waist and began to soar wildly through the streets of Paris. She didn’t stop until she landed safely in her pink bedroom. 

“Tikki, Spots Off!” Marinette caught the weak ladybug kwami in her palms. She laid Tikki in her dollhouse near a supply of baked goods. 

Marinette tore through her closet in search of pajamas. The demand for sleep was making her careless and desperate and was slurring her movements too close together. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Marinette fell asleep; events of the day slipping through her nerves.

Chapter Text

  On Wednesday morning Marinette woke with aching all over her body. She forces her eyelids to open, but her vision is only hazy and unfocused.

“Tikki…” Marinette slurred slowly. The memories of yesterday were coming to her slowly in tiny batches; it wasn’t doing her any good.

The tiny kwami fluttered out of the baby-pink dollhouse with a cookie in hand. Tikki nuzzled her cheek and landed quietly on her shoulder.

On instinct, her hand went directly to her phone. 9:27 am Wednesday, February 23rd. The first thing that stood out to her was the number of notifications coming from her Twitter and Messages. 

A bright red 99+ icon shined on top of her Twitter icon. Out of confusion, Marinette shifted through her previews. Random people were either tagging or commenting under her. Strange.

Alya shared 32 text messages, but most of them appeared as late as 10 pm last night. The time intervals between text messages got shorter and shorter until Alya stopped texting. 

67 text messages were spread out through her classmates. The first one to text her was Kim following Nino. They were close together in grade school, but they drifted apart as the years flew by. For them to be spamming her phone was concerning.

The rest of the messages were simply unknown numbers that she hadn’t saved on her phone. YouTube and TVi News shared some notifications as well, but they only alerted her of trends and new videos.

A coiling feeling inside her stomach seemed to make itself known. Her phone only continued to ping as she spiraled. It wasn’t until she took in the full events of yesterday that she realized the issue. 

Oblivion. Chat Noir. Her Identity. 

She had taken the blast for Chat Noir which had sent her sprawling at high speeds into a concrete building. She de-transformed once she hit the ground, revealing her identity.

Marinette quickly unlocked her phone and went straight to her messages.

————

Alya ❤️🐞📸 - ARE YOU OKAY?!!

Alya ❤️🐞📸  - She looked exactly like you??  

Alya ❤️🐞📸  - are you Ladybug?!??

————

BrawlingIdiot🩳 - Nettie are you ok?!?? No one saw you get home

BrawlingIdiot🩳 - LBs detransformation looked like you

BrawlingIdiot🩳 - At least that’s what the media is saying

————

Koopaismyspiritanimal🐢 - Everyone’s blowing up the GC— everyone’s concerned about you.

Koopaismyspiritanimal🐢- Alya’s worried about you Nettie, she was trying to come over but the press… 

————

ShyRose🌸🌷 - Is Mari actually Ladybug?? 

Fastasfuckboi🛼 - BROOO the news is blowing up like crwzyyyyyy what happened with Mari??? I wsnt their

GoldenBoy 💛 - Has anyone gotten in contact with Marinette? The press is swarming the bakery :((   

ScribblingTomato🍅🎨 - The press is exploding in all of Europe—  does Marinette even know about this???

————

TVi News ✔@ TViBreakingNews

Super Heroine of Paris, @OfficialLadybug, has her secret identity revealed after an Akuma?

Link: https://TVi.com/oblivion-akuma-attack

————

Grave @citruskittenx2

Replying to @TViBreakingNews

wait… Ladybug is a 16-year-old girl?! She’s just a child!!

# Ladybug #Miraculousteam

I’m going to college @radpadawon

Replying to @citruskitten

She was either 12 or 13 when she became Ladybug! She was hardly even a teenager—

#biggerissueathand #onlyinParis #cityoflovemyass

————

LadyNoirBrainrot @mynumberoneduo

Wait Ladybug looks like the Baker's daughter of the bakery on the 21st Arrondissement. Isn’t she @Choco-Late_Nettie?

#sorryimnotspecific #ladybugidentityreveal #omlshesonly16

venticoffee (check pinned🌸) @teaondexk

Replying to @ mynumberoneduo

OH MY GOD YOU'RE SO RIGHT?! She looks so much like LB too??? 

#ladybugidentityreveal #concerned24/7

————

I’m FelineFine ✔ @ChatNoir

In light of recent events, I ask that all of you respect Ladybug's privacy and identity.  Yesterday’s Akuma caught both of us by surprise, so please stay mindful of her situation. 

————

Marinette peered over her balcony to sneak a peek at the bakery. Unsurprisingly, rows and rows of reporters camped outside the glass windows. 

“Mari?” The tiny red goddess flew in front of her face. It didn’t seem that the kwami was upset; her expression was hard to evaluate. “None of this is your fault, you couldn’t have predicted this..” She wiped the tears beginning to form in her wielder’s eyes.

The kwami's face shifted into something of sadness. “You protected the city with what you had, even when it endangered your identity.” Tikki flew to Marinette's face and wiped away her tears. “You're one of the best Ladybugs I’ve had, Marinette— don’t beat yourself up!“

“Thank you, Tikki.” Marinette shifted up and left to go to her bathroom. 

Marinette's face looked so alien to herself. Her skin was so pale that it contrasted terribly with her hair. Her bluebell eyes were lost.. and had tiny bags underneath them. A few scrapes lined the side of her face. She would have to disinfect and bandage the nasty-looking ones.

She splashed her face with cold water and tied up her jet-black hair. Her outfit was ruined yesterday, so she would have to make do with something else. In the end, she chose a red button-up with some jeans she had been working on.

Marinette realized that she kept keeping her mind off the reveal. Something about it just made her buzz… Disconnect in a way— it kept catching her off track.

It was currently 9:53 am, meaning school had started about two hours ago. “Tikki… I’m already so far behind on all of my work.” Her voice started to rise in panic. “The spring semester just started!” She bit out.

“ Marinette ! You just had a lot thrown at you. Don’t you want to wait this one out?” Marinette froze. Sure , that might be the most reasonable option right now. 

But the last time she was distracted, Master Fu lost his memories. Now her identity was put on blast for the entire world to see. This was the perfect opportunity for Hawkmoth to get the upper edge. She wouldn’t dare let him.

“I can’t wait right now, Tikki.” She slung her backpack around her shoulder. “We both know the world doesn’t stop spinning just because you want it too.” Marinette said with quiet distaste.

“I’ll pack some extra macaroons for you, but I have to check on Maman and Papa.” She ushered Tikki into her purse and slid down from the ladder in her room.

The house was silent, which was rare in her household. She would always hear loud chatter and dinging coming from their cashier. The only thing she could hear now was the drone of the TV.

She had never wanted to turn around and run back up that ladder so much in her life before. Marinette knew she simply couldn’t procrastinate. They were her parents, she couldn’t avoid them.

She followed the sound of the TV into the open living room. Her mother sat on the couch with a somber expression while her father had his back turned, over the stove.

“Marie—” Her mother couldn’t get her words out before Marinette rushed her with a hug. 

“Are you okay? The Akuma yesterday destroyed the bakery —andididntgettoseeanyof!” Marinette's voice cut off with a croak inside her mother's neck. She tried desperately to hide the tears on her face but she failed.

“Yes, we’re okay.” Her mother rubbed circles into Marinette’s back. “We were able to take cover before they saw us.” Sabine lifted Marinette from her neck and looked at her softly.

“But this isn’t what we should be talking about.” Marinette looked away from her mother's silver eyes at the topic shift. “ You were hurt last night. You’re Ladybug, aren’t you?” 

There it is, the question of the entire morning. Or night, really…

“Y-yes.” She put her hands on her mother's shoulders at her loud inhale. “I couldn’t tell anyone, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Her face was burning in embarrassment, it didn’t help that the words she wanted to say just couldn’t come out. 

Her throat burned up with tears. “I had always wanted to tell you Maman, Papa.” She hugged her mother tighter. “I-I just didn’t want anything bad to happen to you.” Tears started to flow from Marinette's cheeks, the sound of crying was muffled by her mother's shirt.

“I and your mother aren’t angry with you, Marinette,” Tom explained. “We’re surprised and just a little disappointed you didn’t tell us earlier.” He eased Marinette from her mother’s shoulder. “But we understand your reasoning. If anything, I and your mother are proud of you” 

Marinette dissolved into happy tears at her father's reassurances. It had been a… long time since she heard those words. 

She stumbled backward onto her feet with a small smile. “S-school has already sta—started and I can’t get any more behind on work.” She looked at her parents, asking a hidden favor.

Silence stretched over the living room. The lighthearted mood had dissipated slightly.

Her parents shared a look for what seemed an eternity before Sabine looked back at Marinette, her face was stern. “You can go to school, but Tom will be walking you there.” She pushed a stray lock from Marinette's face. “We don’t want you to endanger yourself, you have to understand that.” 

Her father and mother settled in for a small hug before she pushed away. When was the last time they had a domestic moment like this? 

“Thank you— I’ll be safe.” Marinette sniffled. 

“Don’t fret about it. Now let’s get you to school, huh?” Her father gave a small chuckle before they went out the back door of the bakery.

The reporters at the front of the bakery remained unaware from the two escaping. He held onto her close, blocking her from most of the pedestrians. 

After walking a small block from the bakery, the two were back on the main street. Some eyes lingered for a second too long and a few cars honked at their red light.

Her father was eager to get out from the street judging from the way he was practically pulling her across the street. Gradually, Françoise DuPont appeared in her vision. Only a few reporters stood in front of the school looking for the new ‘scoop’.

Her father paused at the end of the street to Dupont. He gave a small exhale. “Are you sure about this?” 

“I’m sure.” She gave a weak smile. “I’ll return to the bakery when school gets out.” Marinette gave a small wave behind her as she ran up the school steps. Calls rang after her, but she doubted anyone saw her face. 

Finally, she was inside the school. It was 10:16 am, so her 3rd period didn’t end for another 40 minutes. Marinette had literature with Mrs. Bustier so maybe she would spare her.

She silently crossed her fingers and prayed that most of her absences would be excused due to fighting akumas. She’d probably riot if they weren’t.

She doesn’t remember when she actually arrived at the door but it had never looked so dooming before. Butterflies began to flutter through her stomach as she stared longer. Without a second thought, she cracked the door open slightly and stepped inside.

“Sorry I’m late Mrs. Bustier— I woke up pretty late.” Marinette smiled and scratched her neck to try to look embarrassed. She probably looked like a bumbling fool at the moment.

The ginger-haired teacher's face was shocked. Her eyes looked Marinette up and down before diverting her full attention to the girl. “I wasn't expecting you today..” she paused. “That’s okay, Marinette. Go ahead and take a seat.” 

Marinette tried not to pay any mind to the amount of attention on her. All of the eyes in the classroom felt as if they were trying to burn a hole through her.

Alya gave Marinette an incredulous look when she sat down beside her. “Are you holding up okay?” Alya said, voice low. “I’m doing fair.” Marinette replied. Alyas face saddened at the subpar response. After a long silence, Alya slinged her arm around Marinette's shoulder. No one commented on how she leaned into the hug.

After what felt like hours, the bell finally rang. The rest of the class had already left for lunch. “I’ll give you my notes after school, Mari.” Alya gave Marinette a slight nudge. “Now, let’s go get lunch. I’m absolutely starving right now.” She groaned.

The two girls walked out of the classroom with their hands linked together, despite this Alya was not-so-subtly shielding Marinette behind her. 

“Alya, I can hardly see in front of you.” Marinette said in faux annoyance. Alya huffed a bit before responding. “Everyone’s staring, are you actually okay with this?” Alya looked back at Marinette, waiting for an answer, Marinette gave a rueful smile.

“Everyone’s just trying to check out Ladybug’s newly discovered ‘civilian persona’.” Marinette not-so-subtlety coughed into Alya’s shoulder. “Me and you both know I’ve had my fair share of paparazzi.”

They walked through the Cafeteria line in comfortable silence. Marinette ( tried to ) ignored most of the whispers and looks when she passed. Alya squeezed her hand through the entire ordeal. 

“Ya’know, I always thought you would be upset if I was Ladybug.” Marinette said leisurely. 

“Of course not.” Alyas face was contorted in shock. “I was definitely surprised when your identity was revealed, but it made sense.” Alya elbowed Marinette lightly.

“Girl, your excuses were terrible.” The bluenette laughed lightly beside her. “You always had something to do right when an Akuma struck. Yet, I was none the wiser.” Alya shook her head. 

“You were the first person I trusted.” Marinette dipped her head low and quieted her voice. “I tried to give my Miraculous to you once, but it kinda backfired.” She laughed. “You were also the first temporary hero on Team Miraculous.” 

Alya’s face turned into awe at the sudden realization. “Oh, My God.” She whispered. “This changes everything.” 

————

Marinette walked home with multiple stacks of paper tucked in her grasp. She had decided to stay away from school until the news died down.

Underclassmen would sneak away from their classes to knock on her classroom door. Many students crowded her during her free period. Plus, her locker was filled with countless letters (some were dotted with hearts and others with obscene vocabulary) that made it impossible to put her belongings in!

At the end of the day, Marinette went to each of her teachers' rooms and asked for all of the class work they would be doing for the next two weeks, hence the papers she carried. (This was because she took all of the letters and stuffed them in her backpack…)

She took the same route she did in the morning, but with a few extra steps. Some people tried to follow her down the street, so she had to lose them through countless alleyways. By the time she got home, she was utterly exhausted.

————

Buns for Days ✔ @Choco-Late_Nettie

Who let me think it was even a remotely good idea to go to school today afhwjqpxql

That One Girl @bloggingdevotee

Replying to @Choco-Late_Nettie

I tried to stop you babe— you were dead set on staying the entire day. I’ve never seen you soo focused in schooll 😪

————

The Dupain-Cheng household was warm and cozy at the current moment. The smell of quiche wafted throughout the house, enlightening the three inside. It was one of the perks of living on top of a bakery.

Being a holder of the Ladybug Miraculous has made Marinette unable to withstand the cold. Many blankets were hung up around her room, not letting any heat escape or cold come in. 

Which is why Marinette was sprawled across her bed, scrolling through Twitter aimlessly. She couldn’t do much due to the cons of the Ladybug Miraculous and the reporters outside the bakery.

She had realized that her account now had millions of followers and even a checkmark! It was embarrassing that all of Paris could now see her daily shitposting though.

Her eyes were drooping the longer she laid in bed. She didn’t realize that going to school had taken so much out of her. Her movements became slow and sluggish, maybe she was about to hibernate. 

Maybe if she didn’t go to school she wouldn’t be suffering from the backlash of her Miraculous…

*Tchpt— Pchpt— Tchpt!*

Three simultaneous knocks made her squeak quietly from her bed. An awkward silence stretched for a few seconds before a voice picked up.

“Uhm, M’Lady…It’s kinda cold out here,” the voice chuckled. “Can you let a cat in?” 

Marinette's face deadpanned at the familiar voice. Once she opened the hatch, the leather-clad hero scampered in, kind of like a wet cat.

“Heya Partner!” 

“Chat, what are you doing here?”

“I’m checking up on you, isn’t that obvious?”

Chat's face had a bright smile plastered right on it, she didn’t know how he always found a way to smile but she admired him for it. 

“Thank you.” Marinette sneezed after she gave her thanks. Blush started to crawl up her cheeks. 

“Yikes. Looks like the little bug caught a cold…” Chat Noir had a smug grin on his face.

“And I’d suggest you’d leave as well unless you want to walk out of here with a cold as well.” Marinette threw a striped pillow at Chat's head; he didn’t dodge.

“You’re already trying to get rid of me! I just got here!” He laid on the carpeted floors pretending to be injured by the pillow. Honestly, it would be funny to Marinette if it weren’t so stupid.

“Why are you really here, Chat? It’s freezing, a school night, and it’s late.” She wrapped a blanket around her shoulders with narrowed eyes.

“I won’t lie, I was worried about you.” Marinette opened her mouth in protest before she was cut off. “I know you’re to say “I’m Fine”, but I know you aren’t, Marinette.”

Marinette got a good look at her partner. His hair was in more of a disarray than usual (and that’s saying something). But Marinette saw something else etched into his face. 

Guilt.

“This is just like when Fu passed his guardianship over to you. You were stressed, and you locked yourself in.” Chat Noir's voice became softer. “I don’t want another repeat of a situation where I know I could’ve helped. You don’t deserve anything like that.”

Marinette’s heart broke into peices at her partner's words. She never knew that he’d felt like this or had even thought about the guardianship this much. 

Marinette couldn’t remember when Chat Noir had pulled her into a hug, but she wasn’t going to complain.

“We’re a team, M’lady!” Chat said through soft laughter. “And I’ll make sure to be with you through thick and thin.” 

Marinette grinned as her eyes began to flutter closed. “I trust you.” Marinette's tone grew quieter. “I’ll try to do better, for myself and ourselves. That’s a promise.” 

After a few comfortable minutes, Marinette dozed off beside Chat Noir. Despite the freezing cold from outside, she truly did feel more at peace with her partner.

Chat Noir gently carried Marinette to her bed. A couple of wistful seconds flew by as Chat checked to see if Marinette settled in. After a couple of wistful seconds, Chat Noir made a sneaky departure from her balcony.