Chapter Text
Song listened to whilst writing: White Silence - TK from Ling tosite sigure
~(x)~
.
.
.
"MmmMhmm! That smells amazing! What have you brought this time, My Lady?" The feline hero leapt to his feet, charming faux ears and tail wiggling with pure delight and pupils dilating with absolute elation. Ladybug laughed softly at her endearing partner, sitting down on their favourite beam at la Tour Eiffel and beckoning the excited boy to come closer, wiggling the Tupperware in her hand teasingly. Chat Noir didn't hesitate to scurry towards her like his namesake, plopping down on the spot opposite the heroine as she placed the container in his greedy hands.
If he wasn't such a gentleman, he would have immediately torn off the lid without a beat and scarfed the delectable goodies down his throat like the alley cat his Lady often proclaimed him to be out of jest.
"Guess." Ladybug humoured him. "And before you ask, the clue is that it's a savoury dish this time. Don't shake it up too much." She playfully took it away from him (adoring the teeny, pathetic kitten-like whine he let out) and then placed it on the spot between them, happily grinning as Chat Noir's face scrunched up into a comical thinking expression.
Peachy pink lips pursed, emerald eyes narrowed and strong arms folded.
Absolutely adorable.
"Hmmm...it can't be steamed garlic prawns. You brought that yesterday." Noir mused and leaned his face closer to the opaque container that was the barrier between his stomach and the mouth-watering deliciousness that lay inside. "And it doesn't smell like duck pancakes either." He added, scrutinising the mystery further within the Tupperware.
"You mean the Běijīng kǎoyā? Not after that horrible heartburn it gave you last week." Ladybug cheekily flicked his forehead, earning a mock annoyed grunt and growl from her Chaton.
"Geez, no need to flex on the Chinese, Mademoiselle. 'I don't know a lick of Mandarin'." He tried to swat away Ladybug's hands when she attempted to poke him for making fun of her (despite him speaking nothing but the truth), chuckling at her feigned angry face. "Okay, okay! I'll behave- the heartburn was worth it by the way~ I started to crave for more days after, hahaha-"
"I know SOME Mandarin, stupid!"
"Insults and crude words do not count, My Lady."
"Just guess the food in the Tupperware already or else I won't share!" Her threat froze the black cat extremely, his feline irises constricting like a cartoon. Chat Noir quickly blabbered out apologies, clearing his throat and then eyed the container again. The sound of his stomach rumbling broke the silence, embarrassing the hero greatly whilst his partner barely kept in her snickers. Barely.
"Vermicelli rolls?"
"Nope."
"Kung-Pao chicken?"
"Nah."
"...Wontons?"
"You're getting closer,"
"Agh...okay from when I shook it, it sounded quite hard and crispy so..." He carefully rattled the container once more, ears pressed against the cool surface as he tried his best to identify the heavenly treasures. Finally, an idea struck him, evident in the way his faux ears and tail shot upwards like an arrow. "Aha! Spring rolls! It's spring rolls, isn't it?" His face looked like someone who just won the lottery and Ladybug couldn't help but coo internally.
He was such a loveable dork.
"That's right, mon Chaton. Now, if you guess the correct fillings, I'll let you have some." Ladybug added very nonchalantly, eating up the way her Chat Noir spluttered and the frazzled gestures he made, big green eyes begging her to let him have the treats already.
"Oh, come on! You're not that cruel, Bug." He pouted cutely but didn't attempt to snatch away the container despite his stomach's demands. He directed his beady glare at his Lady, arms folded once more. "...La-aaaaady-bu-uuuuug..." He finally wailed, unable to keep up his glower any longer.
.
"Just kidding~ Here, Bon appétit," Ladybug didn't waste any more time, tearing off the lid and beckoning Chat Noir to dig into the spring rolls. The boy's eyes widened with awe at the sight of the luscious-looking treats.
The pastry was golden and crisp, the size of each roll was consistent and big enough to finish in three large bites and the enticing, spicy scent made the feline salivate in a manner that was definitely not gentlemanly at all.
And, they were still piping hot.
Hell yeah, Bon appétit indeed!
Without hesitation, Chat Noir took an eager bite, unaware of Ladybug's anticipating look.
.
"Holy shit...I'm in heaven..." The teen blurted out with unadulterated bliss, eyeing his spring roll with a tearful expression as if it was too beautiful for him to eat. He shoved the whole pastry in his mouth, unabashedly moaning in delight without a shame whilst his wonderful Lady's tinkling giggles were like music to his ears (both ears!).
What a way to spend the last evening of summer before school.
A beautiful summer night, a beautiful lady and amazing food! 'Yes, this cat is content for life,' He contentedly purred to himself, beaming at his partner as she offered him another roll.
"Dieu merci, you enjoyed it. I wasn't too sure if you were going to be keen on the secret ingredient I mixed in with the vegetables." Ladybug twirled her spring roll with her fingers, cheeks ever so slightly flushed with joy.
"Is it that exotic spicy fragrance that I've been smelling this whole time?"
"Yes. Maman's friend who's from the southeast gave her these homegrown naga-chillies. They're really, really hot on their own but without the seeds, they're bearable to me and make the vegetable filling taste so good." She bit into her roll as if to emphasise her point, ecstatic by the crisp sound that the snack let out. She was blind to the way Chat Noir keenly watched her with a pleasant, fulfilled smile.
The warmth that pulsed in his stomach provoked his heart to skip a few more beats or so- a standard reaction that the love of his life always gave him.
'I wish you would be mine forever...' His unsaid words were left floating in the back of his head as he nibbled on his food, emerald greens still observing the love of his life with all the devotion he's ever had in his lifetime.
The heroic duo spent the rest of the night laughing, joking and exchanging bizarre stories without giving away their civilian lives to each other and before they knew it, it was already midnight.
"Uh-oh...I'm turning into a pumpkin! Save me!" Chat Noir wailed dramatically, curling up into a ball and slumping against his Ladybug. Her hearty laughter grew in volume, the girl clutching her stomach as she gasped for a breath only for him to join her with his contagious cackles.
Soon, they calmed down.
.
With the calm came the thoughts.
.
The crescent of the moon shone like a beacon in the pitch black sky. The perfect temperature of the summer air started to cool and the beautiful city lights below shone like twinkling diamonds of all sorts of colours.
The two were hesitant to leave, wanting to prolong their last summer night together. The older of the pair wanted to spend as much time as he wanted with the sweet girl he loves.
The younger on the other hand?
She wanted to keep him happy and close.
After all,
She would rather die than fail her partner again and let him be akumatised.
.
Little did she know how potent her anguish was. The atmosphere turned bitterly tense in a flip of a switch, sending shivers down Chat Noir's spine and he was quick to glance at his now, forlorn-looking Lady. It was as if they didn't just have a laughing fit and a mini picnic.
It was that damn empty, distant-looking face again.
The boy under the mask absolutely despised it.
He would do anything to get rid of it.
.
"You know I'm always here for you, Bug." He placed his hands on her forearms, beckoning her to look at him. Ladybug still refused to meet eye contact so he tilted her chin up with a finger tenderly, delivering a soft, sad grimace. "It's been months now and yet you wouldn't tell me what happened. Did you think acting sweeter towards me would distract me from your tears?"
The girl hadn't noticed her eyes were watering, pooling at the ends of her bottom lashes, till her Chaton pointed it out and carefully wiped away a stray tear. She knew he was so much more smarter and so much more perceptive than most would give him credit for, yet, she couldn't help but pray that he would just leave her be.
'He's always been too good for you. You know it. I know it. So why don't you just hurry up and throw the earrings away so that someone else who's actually worthy of utilising the power can properly look after him?'
"I told you, nothing happened. Just silly, civilian stuff." Ladybug half-heartedly tried to shrug him off, quickly wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and trying her best to not sniffle or sob. "Let's just go home-"
"When will you stop lying to me?" The boy suddenly hissed, tail lashing against the beams in anger and feline ears pressed against his dishevelled locks. His acidic green eyes pierced through Ladybug's being without mercy. A deadly scowl that would surely cause the blood in Le Papillon's body to instantly freeze and petrify him.
Ladybug tried her best to not show how he surprised her, keeping a poker face and swallowing quietly. However, with the way his hands were firmly clasped around her tiny wrists, she feared he could feel her rapid pulse. Why was it always her that caused his rare anger to rise on an occasion or two?
It was simply not fair.
How righteous his anger was towards her.
A sudden gust of wind swept through their hair harshly, ending the summer season and introducing the newly born autumn with a high-pitched howl. It felt like ice seeping through their suits and needles infesting their veins. Yet, the polka-dotted heroine didn't dare move a muscle or even twitch, observing her partner with a cool, neutral expression. Chat Noir hated it.
He absolutely hated it.
It was one of the few faces she made when she was forced to keep a secret away from him even if it took a toll on her body and mind.
He felt disgustingly useless.
"I'm fine, Chat Noir." Ladybug wiggled her hands to free them of his loosened grip, bringing them to her chest as she glanced towards their beloved city down below. "Can we please not do this tonight? Please? I want it to end on a good note." Her wish was met with a defeated sigh from her dear partner, not flinching for even a split second when his belt tail whipped against a stray beam.
An echo of his anger prior.
Just as it was quick to come, it was quick to leave, thankfully.
"I'm not giving up on you," His resolute tone induced a quiet gasp from his Lady, the girl herself cut her gaze towards him with parted rosy lips. "But for tonight, I'll let you be." He didn't smile but...he didn't frown either.
Reaching for her hands one last time, Chat Noir lovingly brought them to his mouth. His bold, fiery greens never left her soft, steady blues whilst his lips brushed against her hardworking knuckles in a traditional farewell kiss. Taking advantage of her lack of hesitation, he kissed the backs of her hands too and then brought them to his chest so that she could feel his fierce, beating heart that pounded just for her.
It began to lash against his ribcage when a light rouge tinted her soft, supple cheeks.
"I'm always here for you, always. No matter what, you can count on me to protect you, Ladybug." Then, with a determined and promising nod, he launched forward and pecked her head before swiftly letting go of her and vaulting away with his baton at an impeccable speed.
.
Ladybug remained completely frozen in her position, her complexion flaming until his figure became smaller and smaller and smaller in the distance. By the time she could no longer see her Chaton, she instantly sunk to her knees, grasping her tightened chest as her throbbing heart felt like it was going to burst out and explode. Millions of emotions ran through her body, fighting against each other as the memory of him kissing her head replayed over and over again.
Like the sweetest of poison.
Addicting but deadly.
Despite the warm, fluttering butterflies floating in her stomach, despite the smooth, softness of his velvety lips, despite his comforting, protective touch, Ladybug couldn't help but have the memories of the other timeline flare in her mind like a warning sign on blast. An unwanted threat that has never failed to wreck her mind.
Biting her lips hard, she tried her best to keep her tears at bay, body trembling and pushing against the sobs that threatened to spill out. She was just so tempted to run back to him and tell him everything.
To care for him the way he deserves.
To love him the way he needs.
Yet the haunting, crazed ice blue eyes of the past invaded the temporary soaring feelings like a virus, eating away all the positivism and hope she tried her utmost best to maintain.
'You have no right to be happy...'
An ugly gloom hooded her eyes, killing all her emotions as she staggered back up to her feet, using a beam nearby for support. The grim wind clawed through her hair, ridding her trademark ponytails of their ribbons and blowing them away to the other side of Paris. Ladybug simply didn't have the energy to get them back, using muscle memory to swing herself back home.
Her ribbons long forgotten.
It was a cold, bleak September now.
~(x)~
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
Standing up from her crouch after detransforming on her balcony, Marinette immediately spun around and suspiciously glared at her surroundings whilst Tikki hovered close by her shoulder.
Not a single sound was heard.
Not even the wind.
Suddenly, Marinette's heart began to rigorously pick up pace as beads of sweat started to form on her forehead. The only thing she could hear was her deafening heartbeat as she felt something weird.
Her entire neighbourhood was sound asleep, evident in the lights out and the pitch black environment. The only source of light in her vision were the few lamp posts on the streets as well as around the park.
Yet, she couldn't ignore the feeling of being watched. Not wanting to show an ounce of fear to a possible stalker, Marinette took large strides till she was at the edge of her balcony, clutching the railings and scanned the scene with more scrutiny.
One of the lamp posts merely flickered as moths buzzed around it.
The trees simply swayed along with the inaudible breeze.
The streets and roads remained empty.
Not a single soul out.
Marinette exhaled softly, eyes never stopping their study of her enclosure. She took a step back, tension visibly leaving her body bit by bit, leaving an aching throb in her chest. The adrenaline that fuelled her veins gradually vaporised.
"I don't think there's anyone around, Marinette," Tikki whispered, clutching the girl's loose strands as she also watched for anything suspicious. "Can we go back inside? I'm cold."
"...Okay." Marinette scowled at the scene from her peripheral vision once more, almost swearing that she saw movement under one of the lamps only to brush it off as paranoia and made her way back to the trapdoor. Since she wasn't paying attention, the teen bumped into her table, almost tripping over her feet but thankfully caught herself from landing facefirst into the hard flooring.
"Eek! Are you okay?" The little Goddess freaked out, flying in front of her charge and scanning her from head to toe for any injuries and lacerations. She was waved off with a tired smile from the heroine.
"Don't worry, it's probably just a little...bruise...?" A slither of red caught Marinette's attention from the corner of her eye only for her to gawk.
There, on the railing of her balcony was...
...One of her ribbons.
.
Inhaling sharply and leaping towards the railings anew, clutching her treasured ribbon, Marinette spied around the neighbourhood desperately like a hawk. Tikki's presence on her shoulders did nothing to alleviate her stress as sweat from palpitation grew on her palms. Her mouth on the other hand ran dry and she refused to even blink.
She didn't dare to tremble.
She was Ladybug.
Nothing should scare her.
(With her partner's possible akumatisation aside that is.)
Regardless, Marinette fixated her stare on a specific lamp post. The area where she brushed off momentarily like an idiot. The light flickered back and forth whilst moths carried on fluttering around it without a care in the world.
She watched.
And watched.
And watched.
.
Still nothing.
Without looking away, knuckles white from her grip on the ribbon and her free hand cradling her beloved kwami, Marinette walked backwards, gingerly going down her trapdoor and quickly closing it till it was locked shut.
.
The silence haunted her all night.
~(x)~
"Ma-ri-nette!!!" Instantaneously, said girl was glomped by her best friend in a hug that would surely asphyxiate a commoner. Thankfully, Marinette was not only Ladybug in disguise but also trained vigorously in many of the martial arts by her dear Maman and Papa for self-defence.
"Alya! I missed you! How was Morocco with Nino and his family?" Marinette joyously leaned against Alya as the taller of the two teens hooked their elbows together, leading them inside the school and blending in with the influx of bustling students.
"Girllllll, I have so many scoops to share, so many deets-"
"The million texts and selfies you sent me daily weren't just it?"
"They barely scratched the surface! But anyways, it was amazing! I couldn't believe my parents were willing to let me go even when Nora threw a fit, haha! I got to relax so much, spent quality time with Nino and his extended family, took so many pictures and tried so many different kinds of food. Ah~ Best. Summer. Ever."
"Oh, the food...I can't believe you shamelessly ate all of that without sharing it with me," The raven-haired girl teased, pushing her hip against Alya's who pushed back without a beat, giggling louder.
"You wouldn't be moping if you came along, Marinette. Remember the lamb tagine you tried at the local restaurant nearby and you thought that was divine? Lemme tell you, it is nothing compared to the authentic, fresh tagine made by Nino's Tante. One taste and I was in heaven. Absolute heaven."
"Alya, you're making me jealous, I get it, I get it." Marinette playfully scoffed but then suddenly, her energy wore off at high speeds and fatigue took over her body.
Alya was quick to catch the drained girl as soon as she began to sway, perfect brows sculpted in worry and dread building up from the pits of her stomach as she eyed her best friend.
"Marinette...girl...you do not look okay. I'm telling you this 'cos I love you. Go back home and sleep." The brunette brushed Marinette's fringe gently, noting the overworked, dark rings under her eyes and the unhealthy paleness of her skin. It was as if Marinette avoided the sun all her life and didn't know the meaning of rest.
"I don't wanna..." The stubborn girl whined but didn't fight back when Alya led her to a nearby bench, sitting them both down. "I've been missing you all too much and couldn't wait to see you all again," She admitted, earning a coo from the curvy girl and another hug. Alya's blessed, sun-kissed honey skin was a stark contrast against Marinette's pale, unhealthy porcelain complexion.
"Alright then but I'll be keeping an eye on you, girl. I can see the effort you put into your cute bun and soft make-up. How you do your eyeliner freehand without a guide will always baffle me~!"
Just as Marinette was about to retort back, the duo were engulfed by a surprise hug from the back. Neither fought back as the familiar laughter and soft, masculine brown arms were registered.
"Babe! And dudette! My best girls!" Nino popped his head forward, in between the girls and squished their cheeks against his. "Heyyyy~" He waggled his eyebrows stupidly, his shit-eating grin widening when his girlfriend burst out laughing and Marinette followed with a quiet giggle of her own.
"Nino, g'morning," Alya quickly pecked his lips. To further his dramatics, Nino pretended to swoon and flopped backwards between the girls with a dopey smile and the back of his hand against his forehead.
"Finally, a good Lundi morning," Nino sighed with exaggeration, his girl still trying her best to stifle her laughter whilst Marinette fondly rolled her eyes at him. "I can now brave through these useless lessons and deal with Monsieur. D'Argencourt's bullshit rambles during registration. Oh, how amazing the power of lo-oooove truly is!"
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot that we won't have Madame. Bustier this year. Was about to say that I was gonna miss her but I'm not gonna lie, she lost all my respect when you got expelled." Alya huffed, pulling Marinette against her like a worried mother hen. "To think that I almost had to spend my last year here without my precious Marinette~!"
"But Babe! What about me?"
"You wish you were as precious as sweetcheeks over here." Alya blew a raspberry at her boyfriend, cheeky grin widening at his dramatics. Marinette on the other hand simply smiled, savouring every moment as if it were her last. The fact that there was a possibility that she would have had to attend a different collège for her final year without her friends made her quiver and she didn't falter in snuggling closer to her best friend.
She's been through so much this year.
Surely she deserved some sort of happiness.
Even if she failed her partner at one point...
Right?
'No. You do not deserve anything but pain and suffering you selfish, self-righteous brat. Because of you, how long did your beloved partner go through that hell? How many nights did he spend wide awake after destroying the world? Face it, you don't deserve him or your friends or any sort of love-' The dark, twisted, ugly thoughts and whispers that preyed upon her mind were quick to diminish at the sound of pure sunshine.
"You guys! Hey!" Marinette didn't get a chance to look up fully as she and the rest of the small group were immediately tackled by their loving blond friend in a comfy, sweet hug.
Her heart malfunctioned on the spot as all she could smell was the fresh, crisp autumn air that lingered in his soft hair and coat. Her mind rebooted over and over again at the feel of his strong, sturdy arm wrapped around her frame. Her lips quaked at the feel of his brushing against her cheek despite the gleeful smile he wore.
"A-A-Adrien?" The tall boy pulled back slightly to face the stammering girl, lips quirking into a silly but sweet smile. Not thinking twice, he pressed his forehead against Marinette's tenderly, their fringes intermingling with each other and their cool breaths hitting each other's lips. Adrien's eyes sparkled like emeralds and the aspiring designer couldn't help but be mesmerised and fall in deeper.
"Missed me~?" His nose was touching hers now and his pearly whites gleamed mischievously (his mannerism identical to her partner). Poor Marinette couldn't help but blink in response, blush already blooming in her cheeks.
Dammit.
They may have gotten much, much closer yet there were still times that the boy rendered her speechless! What's with the green-eyed blonde boys in her life and making her heart a complete wreck?!
"B-Bro...can't breathe...I don't wanna die!" Nino's muffled pleas shattered the moment and Adrien immediately broke the hug, snickering at the way his best friend gasped for air and clutched a deadpanned Alya. Though, he took a seat beside Marinette and kept an arm around her waist, leaning against her as they watched the couple bicker and banter.
"Enjoyed your holidays, Adrien?" Marinette began, playing with the fraying threads of her purse and peeking at him below her long, dark lashes. Adrien hummed, sitting up and then directed his gorgeous greens at her.
'Be still, my heart.' Marinette couldn't help but beg.
"It was alright. Didn't leave Paris though and had too many photo shoots. What about you? Didn't you get to go to Shanghai for a week?" Adrien's question almost went unheard as Marinette couldn't help but be hyper-aware of the warmth of his hand on her waist. The way his piano finger casually tapped against it. The innocent smile he had on his lips.
This boy was going to be the death of her.
'But you don't deserve him. You don't deserve either of them. Be lucky that they even acknowledge your filthy existence.' The eerie whispers clawed through her brain, her body begging to run away and cry her heart out. Yet, she forced her anxious fingers to move away from her purse and pull on the seams of her pretty navy pea coat, her smile never faltering.
"Yes, I did. I really enjoyed it there. I wish I got to stay for lo-longer..." She trailed off, swallowing down any babbles or word soup as Adrien squeezed her waist as a gesture of comfort.
He was being really sweet today...
"I don't blame ya- all the pictures you posted online looked so cool. The skyline at night, the food, heck even your relatives! If I hadn't known better, I'd have thought that cousin of yours was your brother."
"You wouldn't be the first to mistaken us as siblings," She giggled. "When we were younger and they came over to Paris to visit, some people used to get mixed up between me and him. Some customers at la boulangerie even thought that we were twins! It didn't help that I had my hair really short at the time and wore nothing but blue and red."
"That would have been really cute to see. Hmm, it also makes sense with how easily you accepted that Félix and I were just cousins instead of that weird conspiracy theory that Kim concocted up."
"Oh, I wouldn't say I accepted it too easily. You and your cousin are like mirrors of each other. It's insane! I thought for a minute that you had an evil twin." Marinette winked merrily, her giggles simply grew while Adrien rolled his eyes at her endearingly.
"Come on. Not you too." His fake pout didn't last long and he quietly chortled alongside her.
Just a smile from his Princesse was enough to brighten up his day despite the small fight he had with Ladybug eight hours prior. Yes, Ladybug was the love of his life. Yes, he would go to the moon and back for her.
However, he would be an absolute idiot and horrifically obtuse to deny that his feelings for Marinette weren't as strong. With rare wisdom from his lazy kwami, Adrien learned that having feelings for more than one person was not only natural but also healthy in a way. It showed that he wasn't forever stuck on one person and it eased the pain of his Lady's rejection of his advances. Ladybug and Marinette were his best friends first and foremost and he wouldn't dare to sabotage his precious friendships with them both.
It didn't mean he couldn't wish for Ladybug to fall for him one day.
Same for Marinette.
He's still a silly teen; he could keep dreaming and fantasising!
Till then, he was going to go with the flow and see what the future entailed. As far as he was concerned, his future was leaning more towards Marinette and frankly, he did not mind one bit.
Abruptly, the morning bell rang, indicating that it was time for the students to head to class for registration. Grunts and groans were heard from the swarm of students in the courtyard, Kim's distinct "It's time for hell, bitches!" being one of the more prominent voices in the crowd along with Alix's curses.
"Thank fuck Mari-bee was the class president last year and made sure that we got our class to be the same for this year. I'd have eaten my own hands if I had to deal with that one annoying kid obsessed with magic again." Nino shot a friendly punch against Marinette's shoulder and then wrapped an arm around Alya's waist as she led them to their new classroom.
"Did he just indirectly mention that he'd rather have Chloé and Lila over Jean as his classmate?" Marinette huffed with endearment, taking the hand that Adrien offered to help her up. The sudden rush of blood to her head caused her to momentarily wobble on the spot. Luckily, Adrien steadied her without a word, strong hands clasping her forearms. "S-Sorry..."
She attempted to step away but the boy's grip on her tightened, halting her. Marinette glanced back at Adrien with confusion, cocking her head to the side slightly and lips pursed.
"...You're not feeling well, are you?" A nail in the coffin. Adrien's emerald greens scanned her body from head to foot, his frown growing deeper and more bitter. "You can barely stand."
"I'm fine. I just...couldn't get any sleep. I was nervous for the first day of school and also didn't want to oversleep." Marinette answered quickly, looking away from him, hoping he would drop the subject.
She didn't expect his finger to hook under her chin, forcing eye contact. For the first time, Adrien glared at her.
Glared.
He leaned in closer, bending down so that he could reach her height.
"Are you lying?"
.
Neither of them budged.
The mutterings and chatter from the students that were still around grew fainter and fainter until all that was heard was the classroom doors slamming shut and the echoes of the teachers doing the morning register.
Marinette wanted to quickly deny the allegation. She wanted to push him aside and run to class. She wanted to forget how she momentarily confused Adrien with her partner for the millionth time. Though, even the Ladybug could run out of luck.
"Adrien," She began. "We're going to be late." Her stoic, cool expression showed that she wasn't going to budge, pissing off her friend completely.
The model sucked in his teeth with irritation, quick to grab her hand whilst using his other one to adjust the strap of his bag over his shoulder. He moodily led her to their class, refusing to utter another word.
For a split second, the defiance and stubbornness in Marinette's eyes were a hundred percent identical to his Ladybug's. He almost blurted out his treasured nickname for her. The annoyance of said stubbornness and refusal to accept his help grew stronger instead, causing him to try and forget about it for now and brood later on.
What's with his cherished girls and their stupid reluctance to let him help!?
.
He wasn't aware of the horror that was plastered on Marinette's face.
The girl refused to tear her eyes away from the main door behind them as a lone, torn-up, dirty ribbon flayed in the entrance. A familiar ribbon that was most definitely not there ten seconds ago.
When Monsieur. Haprèle closed the door, Marinette could have sworn...
...That there was a pair of blue eyes watching her right back.
.
.
.
~(x)~