Chapter Text
It was a normal Tuesday, by all accounts. The September sun shone brightly on Paris, the streets were bustling with foot traffic, and Marinette was hurriedly finishing yesterday's math homework during 1st period. After roughly two years of being Ladybug, she'd come to accept that she'd never be a stellar student. There just wasn't time for that, what with new akumatized citizens popping up almost daily.
"Girl, you are so doomed," Alya leaned over to whisper the revelation in Marinette's ear.
"I've got this," she protested. "Mme. Agathe gives points for showing work, so as long as I can convince her I made an effort..."
"She'll take pity on you?"
"That's the theory." Marinette scribbled on, and Alya turned her attention back to the history lecture. Marinette was flipping the page of her math packet when M. Bernard cleared his throat in a way Marinette recognized as a "you are busted". She looked up guiltily, ready to face his ire. But his ire was, for once, not directed at her. Adrien Agreste was sliding into his seat next to Nino, shoulders slumped sheepishly.
"Thank you for joining us today, Monsieur Agreste. I trust you had a good morning?" M. Bernard clucked disapprovingly.
"Sorry," Adrien said, pulling out his books. "I overslept. It won't happen again."
M. Bernard continued with a short lecture on punctuality and the importance of school, even for Adrien Agreste, model extraordinaire. Marinette hardly paid attention to this rant, other than to register offense at M. Bernard's conviction that Adrien was a stuck up rich kid as bad as Chloe. That was simply untrue. Whatever the reason for Adrien's lateness, Marinette was sure it was a good one.
"Gawk, much?" Alya teased.
"Hush, you," Marinette hissed, blush spreading over her cheeks. Adrien was her long time crush. She'd liked him since she was thirteen. She had, unfortunately, made no progress in either wooing or getting over him. With her sixteenth birthday coming up fast, that was a sad statement. Alya just laughed at Marinette's glare. Marinette turned back to her work, only glancing at Adrien occasionally. He seemed to be working on something too, she noticed. She wondered what.
"Pass up your homework, please," Mme. Agathe said as the late bell rang. M. Bernard must love Mme. Agathe, Marinette thought. The woman was nothing if not punctual. Marinette collected her row's pile of work and took it to the front of the class. Hers was...completed. She doubted she got more than a handful of problems correct, but what could you do?
Marinette plopped back into her seat and settled in for the class. She didn't have anymore last-minute homework to distract her from it today. Lucky for her, they were covering matrices today and she could not wrap her head around the devil boxes.
"I miss algebra," she bemoaned aloud as Mme. Agathe set up the SmartBoard.
"No kidding," Nino said, turning from the row in front of Marinette and Alya. "Solving for x was way more fun."
"Fun. Right." Marinette laughed. "I don't know if I'd call math fun, exactly, but simple equations are way easier to do during history."
"You're kidding, right?" Nino barked a laugh.
"What?"
"You do your math before class, too? Man, you and Adrien should start a club."
Adrien and Marinette met eyes in surprise. "I don't have time for any more clubs, or I'd call that a solid idea," Adrien smiled easily.
"Y-yeah, I'm short on time also. Unless the club literally took place during M. Bernard's lectures, I would never attend meetings." She ended the thought with a forced laugh, kicking herself for being unable to say even one coherent sentence to Adrien without accenting it with a crazed laugh and/or expression.
"There's an idea," Adrien gave a genuine laugh and Marinette felt like melting.
Before anything more could be said, a crash sounded from outside and Marinette's eyes darted to the window. Please, she thought, dread rising, please don't be an akuma. It was, of course, an akuma. Great. Saving Paris during the school day was Marinette's least favorite part of the gig. Coming up with new ways to slink out of class was no easy task. She raised her hand, making sure it shook just enough to convey tremors of illness.
"Mme. Agathe? I don't...I don't feel so good. May I go to the nurse's office?" She held her stomach and forced her chest to convulse as if she were trying not to puke.
"Fine," Mme. Agathe said begrudgingly, waving for her to leave. Marinette collected her things gratefully, but before she could dart from the room, Adrien stood.
"I'll take her," he said, taking her arm lightly. Marinette went red.
"Yes, that may be a good idea," their teacher said, regarding Marinette. "She does not look well at all."
"Th-thanks," Marinette stammered once they were out of the class. "I mean, you didn't have to—I could've gone to the office alone, I hate to—to interrupt your learning."
"Please, making sure you're okay is way more important than math."
"Oh." Her blush was bone deep, and she was sure she'd trip any moment from weak knees. As they walked, Marinette couldn't help but feel guilty over making Adrien worry for her when she was not actually sick. Right. She remembered the reason for this charade all at once. An akuma was on the loose. She said goodbye to Adrien at the nurse's office and hurried to transform behind the bed curtain before Nurse Lucie returned.
"Let's get this akuma sorted out before lunch!"