Chapter Text
Something was up.
It all started when Marinette walked into class on Monday. As usual, she was running a little late, so as she hurried up the aisle to her seat, she tripped. She would have fallen flat on her face had Adrien not leapt up from his seat and caught her.
“Th-thanks, Adrien,” she managed, and it was then that the Big Bad Sausage Head decided to open her mouth - namely, Lila.
“Oh, look at Marinette the Klutz,” she said in what everyone else might have taken for an endearing tone - but Marinette knew better.
She was about to shoot the she-devil a glare as she sat down, but then she stopped. Nino and Adrien had apparently beat her to it - they were both glaring daggers at Lila. Adrien, she might have expected, but Nino? Well, that was new.
Marinette sat and watched as Nino reached over and grabbed Adrien’s arm before schooling his features into a more normal look. He noticed her looking and shot her a smile before turning to the front and starting up a whispered conversation with Adrien.
Well, alright. Marinette shrugged it off - maybe Nino had a stomachache or something … or, whispered a voice in the back of her head, maybe he believes you about Lila …. or Adrien told him the truth about Lila.
But then why, Marinette wondered, was Nino sitting at Lila’s table for lunch? If he knew she was a liar, why would he want to be around her?
It was all very confusing, and Marinette did her best to shake it off and go about her day. But then came gym class.
“We are playing dodgeball,” M. D’Argencourt announced, “with the arrival of akumas, you may find yourself in a situation where you must fight with no chance of escape, and in such a situation, fast reflexes are key.”
You don’t know the half of it, Marinette thought to herself as he blew his whistle - and the game began.
Immediately, Marinette grabbed a ball from the center line and raced out of the range of the other team. Who could she go for - Lila? No, it would be too obvious, and then Lila would probably complain about how Marinette threw the ball so hard it had broken a bone or something. She decided to aim for Ivan, instead.
Lila’s cries drew the attention of everyone in the gym. Marinette’s jaw dropped as she watched Kim pelting Lila with the arsenal of balls he had gotten.
“Sorry, Lila,” Kim called with a grin as she was led off the court by Rose, “all’s fair in dodgeball and war!”
But Marinette caught how his smile was just a bit cruel, his eyes just a tad too sharp … what was going on?
Next was Nathaneal. They were in the art room, and Nathaneal and Marc were sitting at a table, talking over their next comic, when Lila came sauntering in.
As Marinette rolled her eyes, she saw Nathaneal, across the room, doing the same thing - and, as she watched, he did it again and again throughout his conversation with Lila, though his bangs hid his actions from Lila’s view as she prattled on about being the star of his next comic.
Marinette ruminated on all this as she lay in bed that night, but couldn’t make anything of it. Perhaps they were just coincidences - maybe Kim really was just teasing in good fun, maybe Nathaneal was just trying to get the hair out of his face.
But none of those excuses could be given for what Ivan did the next morning.
Marinette was walking into school as usual when she saw Ivan standing at the bottom of the steps, checking his phone. She was about to go up to him and ask how he was when she saw Lila approach - never mind.
And there, in front of her very eyes, was Ivan, sticking his foot out, and there was Lila, looking uninterested in whatever Juleka was mumbling to her, and down went Lila, over Ivan’s foot …
“Oh dear,” called a familiar voice, “are you alright?”
What was Kagami doing here? And, more importantly, what was Kagami doing with that glass of juice?
“Oops!”
Lila shrieked in outrage. “This was a brand-new romper, you-”
“Looks like you need some help,” came another voice.
Luka? Marinette rubbed her eyes - this day just kept getting weirder and weirder.
After handing Lila a bundle of fabric, Luka, Kagami, and Ivan walked up the steps. Marinette kept watching as Lila unrolled the fabric to reveal a t-shirt that was way too big for her, sporting a clown face and the words, “Stop Clowning Around!”, as well as a skirt with so much metal attached that Marinette was surprised it could even be held up.
Then she remembered - something was up, and she was going to get to the bottom of it. Scampering up the steps and into the courtyard, Marinette looked around - there! Nino, Kim, Adrien, Luka, Kagami, Nathaneal, and Ivan were huddled together under the stairs. Marinette marched over.
Nathaneal was the first to notice her approach, and then all of them were looking at her with apprehension.
“Marinette!” Adrien cried, far too loudly to be normal. “What are you doing here?”
“I go to school here,” she replied, one eyebrow inching up. “What are you doing here?”
“Nothing,” Adrien yelped.
“I meant Luka and Kagami,” Marinette said, frowning. Something was definitely up.
“Uh, Jules forgot her lunch at home,” Luka said.
“My mother thought it might be a good experience for me to see what public school is like,” Kagami said, and then wrinkled her nose at the pair of girls going up the stairs above their heads.
Marinette hummed. “And what is all this?” She gestured to the group of them.
“Um,” Kim said. “Adrien?”
“We’re, uh,” Adrien said. “Nino?”
“We’re … ”Nino looked around.
“I’m gay!” Nathaneal said.
Marinette’s eyebrow inched higher. “Yes, I know … ”
“No,” Nino said, “he’s practicing. For, um … coming out to his family!”
“He already came out to his family,” Marinette said, her eyes narrowing. “They all had dinner with Marc’s family afterwards.”
“No,” Nino said, “he’s coming out to his extended family.”
Nathaneal nodded frantically, “yeah, Grandpa has his birthday this week and everyone’s going to his house and I’m coming out to everyone!”
“Oh,” Marinette said, her eyebrow coming back down to its usual place. “You could have just said that.”
“He’s nervous about it, can you blame him?” Nino chuckled as Nathaneal elbowed him in the ribs.
“Okay, you’d better go now,” Kim said. “We have lots of planning to do.”
“Yup! We’ll see you in class,” Adrien said, waving.
“Bye, Marinette,” chorused the rest of them, Kagami giving her the tense smile Marinette had seen on Friendship Day.
She backed away from them slowly, awkwardly waving back. Something was up for sure, but they didn’t want to say. Maybe it was just Nathaneal coming out to his family.
Just then, the akuma alert started blaring, and Marinette ran for the bathroom.
“Five cookies says it’s Lila again,” she muttered to Tikki.
“That’s not fair,” Tikki said, flying out from her purse, “there’s always a 60% chance it’s Lila.”
“More like 100% chance,” Marinette returned, remembering the events of that morning. “Tikki, spots on!”
Nathaneal: I’m coming out? Really?
Nino: I panicked, okay? And you’re the one who yelled, “I’m gay!”
Nathaneal: I panicked, too!
Kagami: Let us not dwell on our mistakes and focus on the task at hand. Where should we hold this party?
Chat Noir: Pee pee poo poo
Luka: … wtf?
Adrien: maybe we could hold it at school?
Kim: No, Lila could ambush us at school.
Luka: maybe the houseboat?
Chat Noir: pee pee poo poo diarrhea
Adrien: PLAGG
Nino: Adrien what
Kagami: wtf
Kim: OMG KAGAMI CURSED LOLOL
Kim: no wait
Kim: WTF
Luka: what
Adrien: I MEANT PARK!!
Adrien: WE COULD HOLD THE PARTY AT THE PARK
Ivan: oh, the park’s good
Nathaneal: yeah, we’d have to make sure she doesn’t notice us tho
Kim: we can just set up in the opposite corner from where her house is
Adrien: All in favor of the park, say aye!
Nathaneal: Aye
Ivan: aye
Kagami: Aye
Luka: aye
Kim: Aye
Nino: aye
Chat Noir: ur idea sux Blondie
Adrien: well, do you have a better one?
Chat Noir: Lila can see the park from her house 2. I say you ask Daddy Dearest to hold it at Chez Agreste
Adrien: he’d never say yes
Chat Noir: it’s worth a shot anyway, do it
Adrien: ok I’ll ask Nathalie, brb
Chat Noir: gucci. I gotta go eat sum cheese, lmk when the kid gets back
Nino: ...wtf just happened
Kim: I think CN bullied Adrien
Nathaneal: It certainly seems like they hate each other
Ivan: Woa
Kagami: why would Chat Noir hate Adrien? And why would Adrien hate Chat Noir?
Nino: … bc Adrien likes Ladybug and Chat Noir likes Ladybug
Luka: well then
Adrien: Nathalie said no, sorry guys
Nino: bummer, ig the park works fine tho
Adrien: WAIT FATHER JUST CAME IN IT’S A YES
Chat Noir: I told u so
Adrien: Shut up
CHAT NOIR V ADRIEN AGRESTE: THE FIGHT FOR LADYBUG’S HEART, read the Ladyblog the next morning. Adrien turned to Plagg. “Look what you did!”