Chapter Text
Adrien and Marinette know each other’s identities, they are 17/18 and seniors in this fic.
Chapter 1
She approached the stairs in the front of her school, her heart racing a little faster than normal. Her thoughts were racing all over the place as she fearfully anticipated for the voice to invade her mind again. She heard the familiar hum of the classy sports car that showed up at her school at the same exact time every day. She inwardly smiled and she felt her chest warm. She turned behind her and was met with the warm green eyes she so desperately craved to see again. The sunny day, unstrange to Paris, complimented his golden locks in a way that made her feel warm all over. He waved to her with a warm smile and jogged up to her while she waited for him on the cream-colored steps.
“Hello m’lady, how are you this fine morning?” he said as he put his arm around her shoulders and started continuing up the stairs with her. They stopped at the top, waiting for the bell to ring. He moved a stray hair out of her face as she let out a soft giggle at his antics. She then saw his grin shift to more of a frown as he took note of her darker under-eye bags. He didn’t want to say anything yet.
“I’m alright kitty, and you?” She bantered back. She was not, in fact, ok, but he seemed in such a good mood this morning and she did not want to spoil it for him. He also took note of the defeated tone she had used. He knew something was up, but he also knew that she would tell him when she felt that she was ready. Their years of knowing each other, and getting to know each other even more when they finally found out their secret identities, have conditioned him to memorize all of her cues, subconscious and conscious. He knew her like he knew the back of his hand. And in these moments, Marinette was entirely grateful for his patience. Adrien decided to delve into his morning with Marinette.
“My dad had breakfast with me this morning, and you know, the strangest thing happened,” Adrien said, talking excitedly. “He was so interested in wanting to know about us and our relationship,” He said with a smile. “He wanted to talk about us and was actually giving me advice! And he mentioned how good it was for me that I was in a relationship now.”
“Wow, really? Are we talking about the same Gabriel Agrest here?” Marinette said with a giggle. She was so happy that Adrien was so elated about his father’s newfound interest in him. It did, however, raise suspicion in her but she quickly suppressed it to not let anything ruin this seemingly important moment for Adrien.
“No, no he was definitely possessed by someone else, but it was still really nice.” He said with a chuckle. Marinette laughed with him, but it was more of an automated reaction. He watched her intently waiting for playful banter back but instead found her gazing at the floor completely spaced out, as if they weren’t just having a conversation. This made his heart squeeze as he continued to gaze at her in worry. He racked through his brain for possible things that could be bothering her. Her parents, the bakery, maybe something happened with Ayla, was it connected to Ladybug, or...even Hawkmoth? Everyone believed Hawkmoth to be dead, that was actually how they found out each other’s identities (but that’s another story for another day). He didn’t think she was mad at him because she hadn’t shown any resent to him. He decided enough was enough. “Marine-,” Suddenly, he was cut off by the loud bell ringing. He watched as Marinette’s eyes grew wide and she gasped, jumping a little. Her hand squeezed Adrien’s arm, seemingly grasping at something that wasn’t there. Her eyes searched around her surroundings in pure panic until her brain pieced together that she was not in any danger. Adrien’s heart sank as he quickly positioned himself right in front of her eyes to try and calm her down. “Woah! Marinette hey it’s okay!” Adrien said in a calm and worried voice. Her eyes finally focused on the glimmering green worry in front of her and she let out a breath of relief. Adrien looked at her with a deep concern plastered on his face and gazed into her ocean eyes.
“I-I’m sorry I don’t-” Marinette said a little out of breath as she looked around in quiet embarrassment, hoping no one else saw that.
“Mari, are you okay?” He said holding her shoulders gently.
“I’m fine, we need to head to class,” She whispered. She then took hold of his hand and pulled him towards the hallway leading to their class before he could say anything else.
They entered class and took their seats but Adrien couldn’t help glancing back at Marinette when he could. At the beginning of class, Ayla was chatting avidly about a new story she uncovered, and much like her and Adrien’s earlier conversation, Marinette’s reactions were almost automated with a “really?” and “wow that’s so cool”, and small laugh every now and then. Adrien couldn’t tell if Ayla had noticed until when Ayla had finished talking and was looking at Marinette with a curious worry. She then shot a glance at Adrien who shot the same glance back. Soon, Mrs. Bustier walked in announcing to everyone to quiet down and open their books. Marinette quietly opened her tablet and distracted herself with the now suddenly interesting article about the French and Indian War.
*****
When Marinette and Adrien were finally exiting their last class, Nino and Ayla approached them outside the school.
“Hey dudes, what are you guys doing after school?” Nino said with a small smile on his face.
“Me and Nino are going to that Bistro you like Marinette if you and Adrien want to come!” Ayla said, watching Marinette intently. Marinette raised her eyes from the floor to smile back at them and to her shock, found Adrien, Ayla, and Nino looking at her, waiting for her response.
“Oh! Uh, I don’t know I actually have a lot of homework that I have to do and I think I have to help my dad with this huge cake he’s making for the Bourgeois’ gala thing that they are doing, speaking of the gala I have to finish the hem of my dress… Ugh and then I have to finish that jacket that I promised Jagged Stone I would make him so I really don’t think-” Marinette rambled on as her tasks started returning one by one in her head.
“Marinette, come on it’s Friday!” Ayla responded laughing at her rambling. It was a nice flashback to freshman Marinette when she was insecure and nervous about everything. Adrien was also laughing at her sprawling.
“Yeah, I don’t have anything to do today for once,” Adrien said, watching her and shrugging his shoulders. Marinette thought for a moment before answering.
“You know what, that sounds fun, let’s-” No Marinette. We talked about this. You know what happens if you do this. You will regret it. There it was. The voice that Marinette had been dreading inside her head since the moment she woke up this morning. The voice that shook her to her very core and gave her goosebumps all over. The voice that echoed in her mind like a siren screaming right next to her ears. The voice she didn’t know who it was, what it was, or where it was coming from. It was genderless and spoke in a monotone combined with an extremely painful high ring noise that invaded her mind rather aggressively. Adrien watched as mid-sentence, Marinette stopped and held her head and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Marinette?!” Adrien said alarmed, stepping closer to her and holding her arm and shoulder. He moved to try to face her, in which she had turned her head away from them, trying to cover her ears from the intense ringing that no one else had seemed to hear. Marinette heard her name called multiple times by different voices, and felt strong, familiar hands on her as her head drowned in the merciless ringing. Her vision swam as the lines of the sidewalk they were standing on curved and twisted. After what had felt like an hour but was actually only a few seconds, the ringing lessened and then came to a stop. Only a dull throb remained. Her skin was glistening in sweat and her body was shaking. She finally opened her eyes to see, once again that day, the concerned emerald green staring back at her, his eyes wide. Her eyes flitted to Ayla and Nino looking at her with the same expressions, and some other people who were nearby alarmingly observing the scene. “Marinette?” Adrien said in a small, scared voice. “Are you okay?!?” he followed.
“Mari, what just happened?” Ayla said in a soft voice, her features framed with concern as she was also touching her arm. Marinette couldn’t take it, all the eyes on her. Her cheeks quickly became red, and she tried to straighten herself out and compose herself. She finally found her voice again, and tried to straighten her thoughts out but the only thought that kept screaming at her was the haunting voice, repeating its threats.
“I-I’m so sorry, I need to go,” She finally spoke, her voice a small whisper. She quickly heard the protests of her friends saying she needed to go to the nurse, they needed an explanation, she couldn’t just leave like that. But, that’s exactly what she did. Before she started sprinting to her bakery around the street, she looked at Adrien and adjusted her earrings. Their signal. The signal where he knew exactly what it meant. Adrien watched her sprint away, his eyebrows still furrowed together in worry, trying to process what he just watched. Marinette, Ladybug, his only love, in a pain he had never ever seen in all of their years working together. He had no idea what just happened, and had no way to explain it either. After a couple thoughts fleeted in his mind he looked up and saw Ayla and Nino angrily staring at him with Ayla’s hands on her hips.
“Adrien what the fuck, go after her dude!” Nino practically screamed at Adrien. He was quickly caught out of his stupor, and his more logical thoughts finally kicked in.
“Right!” He said as he started sprinting away with his books in his hands. But he instead headed into an alleyway instead of to the corner leading to the bakery.
“Adrien! That’s the wrong way!” He heard Ayla call out angrily. “God that idiot is gonna be the death of me.” She said angrily to Nino, but Adrien’s feline ears picked it up. She then turned to her phone and furiously started texting Marinette.
*****
Adrien ran into the alleyway and quickly, Plagg floated out of his pocket
“Plagg, do you know what just happened to Marinette?” Adrien said desperately, and out of breath.
“I’m sorry Adrien, but I don’t exactly know! I did, however, detect another Kwami’s presence, but that’s impossible because he shouldn’t exist!” Plagg said floating back and forth, almost like he was pacing. The little creature also had a worried look, something that he didn’t know Plagg even had.
“What do you mean Plagg? That doesn’t make sense!”
“I need to talk to Tikki before I tell you anything, I’m sorry Adrien,”
“Okay, Plagg, claws out!” Adrien said angrily, a different sort of heat rising in him. One he had never experienced before. It was a fierce, protective feeling that bubbled in him like a fire waiting to erupt. He digested the idea that someone had done this to her, someone had hurt her. And he was going to make them wish they had never thought of her name ever again.