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Jason composed himself as he stood in front of Marinette’s room, wondering if she was inside.
“Marinette?”Jason asked as he walked into the dark room, Marinette dazing into the design in her hands. “Marinette?”
But she didn’t hear him.
Jason walked up to Marinette, placing a hand on her shoulder, but she didn’t jump. “Marinette.”
Marinette jumped at the sound of her name, turning to see Jason. Quickly, she put away her design, jumping up from her seat to greet him.
“Jason! You should’ve told me-“
“I did try to tell you I was coming over. But you haven’t been answering any of my calls or texts for the past three hours.” Jason showed her his history of calls and texts.
“ Mon dieu! I’m sorry, I just-“
“What’s wrong Marinette?” Jason asked, Marinette feeling his eyes being able to see the turmoil within her. “Sure, you usually take a while to answer or call back, but three hours? It’s not like you.”
She couldn’t tell him, hell, he didn’t know she was Ladybug. To make matters worse, she not only is Ladybug, but now the newly appointed Guardian.
How the hell was she supposed to tell him that?
How was he even going to take the news?
“I was...busy.” Marinette said, turning to grab her discarded design.
“Busy? Mari, you’d usually FaceTime me to make up for missing so many calls.”
Marinette held in a whine that wanted to escape her.
“Jason, I was busy. I couldn’t-“ She stopped when Jason made her look at him.
“Busy? Or is there something you’re hiding from me? I’ve known you for three years Mari. I know your habits when you lie. You suck at keeping eye contact when you lie. And lately, you’ve been doing less hand motions when doing so.”
Marinette remained silent, pursing her lips as she closed her eyes.
She couldn’t let him know. She can’t tell him.
That would go against her vows as the new Guardian.
Her identity and the safety of Paris was-
She felt a pair of arms wrap around her trembling-
Trembling? “Jason?”
“You look like you could use a hug.” Jason quietly said, feeling Marinette tremble even more. He couldn’t tell her that she was spiraling again. “There’s something you can’t tell just yet, is there?”
Jason got an answer in the form of a cry, Jason wrapping his arms tighter around the girl, Marinette wailing into his chest.
It went on for an hour, Marinette ending up sleeping in Jason’s arms, a few sobs escaping her as she slept.
Jason carefully placed her into her bed when he noticed an antique sewing box.
Opening it up, Jason was disappointed to find areas of carefully labeled threads and needles. Thinking nothing more of it, Jason decided to close it back up, when he noticed the oddity of the box.
With the size of the box, Marinette should be able to store more things within it.
Taking over to her desk, Jason began to empty out the box, only to find hidden compartments all over the box.
Managing to open one up, Jason stared at the velvet lining of the hidden compartment, wondering why the cat insignia beckoned him.
Running his finger over it, Jason yelped when his finger felt as it got stung, noticing a branding on his finger.
Not wanting to get caught, Jason put everything back into the box, shoving it away from him when he was done.
Just as things couldn’t get any more creepier, Jason heard a voice in his head.
“ To think you’re our Chosen’s soulmate...you really are a lucky black cat, aren’t you? Jason Todd?”
Just what was Marinette hiding from him?