Work Text:
Marinette picked at the petals of the bud sat before her, a small pile of white gathering on her desk. A small huff of air could send them flying though.
And that’s exactly what happened.
Marinette didn’t blink, didn’t flinch, didn’t make a single acknowledgment of the hand slapped to her desk that sent each delicate petal up into the air in a small gust of wind, twirling their way to the floor or across her desk. She plucked another petal and dropped it, uncaringly, back into the spot the others had once sat to remake the pile.
A throat cleared above her. She chose not to hear.
“Marinette.”
She finally brought her eyes up to meet an almost…nervous gray. They softened ever so slightly when they met.
“Sorry for…” he made a motion with his hands, gesturing to the mess he made.
She nodded, choosing not to speak.
Kim cleared his throat and nodded slightly, bringing his hand up to scratch the back of his neck, “I was just wondering… why are you murdering the flower?”
She shrugged, “killing time.”
He seemed to not know what to do with himself so he simply nodded and made his way to his seat in class. Marinette focused back on the flower at the back of the classroom.
A gasp echoed and, like every day, Lila Rossi slithered over to her desk and picked up the card with hearts and roses depicted on it. She waved it excitedly for the rest of her followers to awe over and shout for her to open and read it to them, which of course she did as she would never disappoint her crowd.
“Dear Lila, you have my heart more each day and I want to spend my life with you. Signed, your anonymous admirer.”
The herd of people fawned and squealed at the romance of it.
Marinette rolled her eyes as they once again divulged in the plotting of who could possibly be leaving the girl love letters.
“I’m still betting on Adrien personally,” Kim put in his two cents, leaning back on his chair with his feet propped on the desk.
There were murmurs of agreement across the room from the current occupants who all turned to Lila expectantly.
“Well… I wouldn’t know. He seems to intend to stay anonymous.”
“You sure you don’t know anything girl?” Alya begged.
“I mean…” Lila drawled, everyone hanging off every word like a drug, “I do know he’s blonde.”
Rose and Mylène squealed in excitement, that fact alone cementing in their minds that it was must be Adrien.
“One more fact closer to proving it’s Adrien, girl!” Alya cheered.
“Proving what’s Adrien?” Nino asked as he walked in, the boy in question at his side.
“Adrien is sending Lila love notes but he’s afraid to tell her that she’s his true love,” Rose sighed dramatically as she fell into Juleka’s side, her face a happy dose of sappiness. Juleka met Adrien’s eyes, an uncomfortable look shared.
“I already told you guys, I’m in a relationship,” Adrien sighed.
“A secret relationship with Lila?” Alya grinned madly, holding up her phone to record his reaction.
“No.”
Nino stepped in, “he’s already told you guys he’ll tell you when he’s comfortable doing so. Probably after his old man gets off his back.”
Adrien nodded in agreement to Nino’s words.
Marinette plucked another petal, flicking it this time so it drifted off the side of her desk. Adrien met her eyes having noticed, and she gave him a wink. His lip quirked up in response. A sign that she was there for him without having to include herself in the drama and make things worse.
“We get it, you can’t tell your father about you and Lila. We’ll keep your secret for you,” Alya put her phone away and mimed zipping her lips.
The class erupted in agreement.
“We’re not dating!” Annoyance clear in his tone.
Alya turned to Lila for confirmation. Lila sniffled with a watery chuckle, “like I said, I don’t know who it is.”
The quivering of her lip and tear running down her cheek told the class a different story though as they all turned to Adrien with a glare.
“You may want to remain anonymous, but that doesn’t mean you have to be rude,” Ivan told him.
Marinette squashed down the irritation that bloomed in her chest at the blatant disregard for Adrien and his feelings. She pulled another petal as the bell rung, everyone heading to their seats.
Her eyes scanned the classroom as the teacher walked in, each student filing to their desk ready for attendance. She called each student's name one by one until she got to the back of the classroom where she paused on the last student. Mrs. Bustier walked up the stairs towards her desk. The final petal she pulled from the flower and let it fall to her desk.
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”
“Present.”
“This is for you.”
She handed the blue eyed girl a baby pink envelope with her name neatly scrawled on it.
“Thank you.”
Everyone’s eyes were trained on Marinette as they awaited her reaction.
She kept her face carefully blank as she slid the envelope to the side, choosing not to open it right at that moment.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” Alex called from two desks down. They had a grin on their face.
“I can wait.”
“We want to know what you got though!” Alya took the bait.
“She’s probably embarrassed,” Lila stage whispered to Alya who was situated in the desk in front of hers, “she probably was jealous that I kept getting love letters so she’s faked her own.”
Mrs. Bustier frowned as she turned to Lila, “that letter was hand delivered to me by a young boy actually.”
The shock of the class dispersed quickly as everyone exploded, begging her to just open it and quell their curiosity.
Marinette rolled her eyes, as she picked up the envelope. She carefully ripped it open, pulling out the card. A daisy was depicted on the cover atop a baby blue, the back just a plain white. She opened it, eyes skimming over the words quickly before she gasped, a level of panic seeping into it.
The flower remnants fell to the ground as a hand made it to her mouth to muffle the next panicked gasp, her hands shaking as tears pricked her eyes slightly.
“What?? What is it?” Nino asked, worry clear in his tone as he called across the room.
Marinette took a second to compose herself, her hand grasping the card still slightly shook as she whispered into the silent classroom, “he found me.”
No one dared move, everyone fearing to ask for me. Even Lila sat confused, genuinely a little scared at the usually composed girl's reaction.
“Excuse me,” Marinette hiccupped and then dashed out the room.
“What…what just happened?”
════ ❀•°⋆★⋆°•❀ ════
“Did you get the card?”
“I did.”
“What did you think?”
Marinette smiled as she leant more into his side, “I didn’t have to fake the tears.”
He smiled, “good.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Tim kissed the top of Marinette’s head, both content in Gotham despite the wake they bound to have left with the girl's sudden disappearance from Paris.
It wasn’t their problem anymore though. They were content to enjoy each other.