Chapter Text

Chapter 1

Finally …

Marinette couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as she entered the bakery. Tiredly, she waved at her parents, briefly greeting them as they welcomed her home, and dragged her worn out body to her bedroom. 

As soon as she reached her bedroom, she threw herself onto her bed and released another long sigh. 

It had been a long and tiresome day. 

Turning over onto her back, she stared up at the ceiling with tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. Her mind slowly replayed the events of today and she couldn’t help but feel as though her heart had been ripped to pieces. There was a crushing weight upon her chest that threatened to overwhelm her emotions. 

I’ve finally been abandoned.

All of her classmates, even the ones she once considered close friends, were all trapped under Lila’s spell. 

Marinette tried to understand where things all went wrong. Ever since Lila became a student at their school, she seemed to have it out for Marinette and things only got worse when Marinette made it clear she wouldn’t fall for the girl’s schemes and lies. Perhaps it was the confrontation in the bathroom all those months ago that marked the beginning of it all. 

At first, it was just Alya. 

Her best friend and the one she trusted the most turned her back on her after Lila fed her a couple of lies and put on an act. One would think that after years of friendship, Alya would be able to determine who was more trustworthy but Lila was simply that manipulative and persuasive. She began feeding Alya little tid-bits of lies, corrupting her thoughts on Marinette. Lila was able to use Marinette’s then-crush on Adrien to her advantage and insinuate that Marinette had been mean to her out of jealousy. 

Obviously, it wasn’t true. Although Marinette held a tiny bit of jealousy at the time, she would never go as far as to hurt someone because of it. 

Unfortunately, Alya seemed to think the opposite. 

At first, the girl always tried to placate the situation and encourage Marinette to be friends with Lila, insisting that Lila was a good person. 

‘If only you spent a bit of time with her, you’ll see how great she is…’ is what she’d often say. 

But it slowly evolved into;

‘You shouldn’t be so rude to her, Mari.’

‘Don’t you think that was a bit mean? She’s not a liar Marinette.’

‘Marinette, this jealousy of yours has to stop.’

‘You’re being a bully Marinette. Why must you take out your frustrations on Lila?’

It didn’t take long for Alya to completely turn away from her and side with Lila all the time. And after she did, the rest of her friend group seemed to follow, all believing Lila’s side of the story. 

Nino, her childhood friend. Alix, Max, Kim, Rose, Mylene, Ivan, Nathaniel. All of them turned their backs on her. 

Every time she tried to defend herself or say something about Lila, they’d get very angry with her and scold her for being a bully. If anything bad ever happened to Lila, Marinette was always the first suspect and the first to be blamed even when she had nothing to do with it. If Lila tripped near Marinette, surely it was Marinette who did it. If Lila failed a test and was sitting next to Marinette, then obviously it was Marinette’s fault. 

And every time something bad happened to Marinette, Lila would exclaim that she was only faking it to get attention and everyone would believe her without question. 

Marinette started losing things in school. First, it was her notebook, then it was her stationary, and eventually, even some of her sketchbooks were taken. She knew who had done it of course but when she tried to report to the teacher, Ms Bustier, she only told that she had to be thoughtful of Lila’s ‘condition’ and accommodate her. It was ridiculous, honestly.

Lila had managed to convince the staff that she had an illness that made her do or say things that weren’t true. She was able to play a very miserable victim well and make it seem like she was struggling to live a normal school life. Since Marinette was the only one who knew about her so-called condition, she needed to be more mindful and accommodating towards her. Ms Bustier in particular, the one person Marinette thought would understand, told her that she needed to be more understanding towards Lila and not make it an issue because it might affect Lila’s relationship with others. She even told Marinette to try and get along with Lila and accept her for who she was. 

Marinette wasn’t one to swear but what the actual fuck?

SHE was the one who was being bullied. SHE was the one who was suffering. Why couldn’t anyone else see that?!

And Adrien! Adrien, the only other person aside from her who knew what kind of person Lila truly was, but who just so happened to be an absolute coward. 

A part of her felt bad for labeling him as such knowing the circumstances with his father, but still. Even if she understood his reasons for never helping and always turning a blind eye, that didn’t mean it never hurt . 

She felt sorry for him, being under the control of his father, but it was also unfair that he was able to stay friends with everyone while she was left behind. Marinette could forgive him - maybe - but she couldn’t trust him ever again. The moment he kept his mouth shut after witnessing Lila push Marinette down the stairs, any bit of trust she had left in him faded. As did her feelings for him. 

That day, she returned home, nearly in tears, and tore down every single poster and picture of him she had in her room. She tore them up and tossed them in the trash before throwing herself, face first into her pillows, and sobbing her eyes out. The one guy she liked, the guy she was obsessed with, simply turned away despite witnessing her suffer. 

And he even had the audacity to say that she should still try to be friends with Lila.

Adrien Agreste was a coward. That was the sad reality of it all. Unless he was able to stand up for himself against his father, she would never be able to see him in the same light as before. 

And as if her crappy school life wasn’t enough, even her life as a superhero was going poorly. 

After one of the biggest Hawkmoth attacks and Akuma breakouts around a month ago, public opinion on Ladybug and Cat Noir had begun to worsen. The damage done on that day went far beyond what the two could handle and many people suffered. Even with the Ladybug Miraculous, she wasn’t able to fix everything and because the city depends on them so much, most of the blame fell on her and Cat Noir’s shoulders. 

Despite the slander they received, Marinette continued to work hard being the hero the public needed. She endured the hate speeches, the gossip, the slander, and negative press for the sake of being a hero that tries to save everyone. Out of the goodness and the kindness of her own heart, she still protected the city of Paris as its hero. 

And yet, all it took was one single incident for everything to crumble down. 

Hawkmoth attacked again just last week and this time, the army of Akuma and his butterfly guards had multiplied even more. 

Cat Noir didn’t appear until nearly two hours later meaning that Marinette was left on her own as Ladybug to deal with the Akuma. 

Nearly an entire street was leveled to the ground and a few people lost their lives. Ladybug was the only one that was seen fighting so one would think that the public would be grateful to her. 

Sadly, that wasn’t the case. 

Despite being the one who did most of the work, she was also the one who was blamed for most of the damage and the loss of lives.  She used her miraculous but that could only fix so much and it was used before the crisis was fully solved which meant it wouldn’t work a second time. That was a mistake on her part, she’ll admit. However, in her defense, her mentality hadn’t been the best lately. She’d been under a lot of stress due to her situation in school and there was a part of her that thought she was falling into depression. 

She had anxiety attacks - something she never expected to have - and she began to overthink a lot; more so than she usually did. 

Tikki had tried to help her as best she could but there was little the deity could do. 

It was too late before she realized that her civilian life was slowly spilling over and affecting her hero life. 

That Akuma attack was a wake up call but the damage had already been done. 

The mayor, who only cared about image, publicly denounced her and only her as Cat Noir was hailed as the true hero. Even though the feline hero attempted to back her up and say she had done most of the work, the public opinion didn’t budge. 

Suddenly, being the Miraculous Ladybug felt more like a burden than anything. 

She was hated as Marinette Dupain-Cheng and she was hated as Ladybug, the Parisian Hero. 

Really, was there any purpose for her at all?

Her Maman and Papa had always shown their support for her and said she would grow to do wonderful things but Marinette was beginning to question that. Clearly, she was doing something wrong because why else  would her life be going so terribly?

Of course, not everyone had turned their back on her. Other than her family, she still had Kagami, Luka and Luka’s sister Juleka but they had their own lives and she couldn’t bring herself to bother them about hers. They knew the real Lila, thanks to her early input, but Marinette feared that one day, she’d soon be abandoned by them too. 

Today was probably the last straw. 

Once again, she’d been confronted by Lila and her posse who proceeded to taunt her and call her all sorts of mean names, courtesy of Alya, before once again accusing her of being mean to Lila. Apparently, there had been a weekend Karaoke party at a cafe and Marinette had rudely snubbed and turned down Lila’s invitation. 

Or so the story goes. 

However, Marinette hadn’t even received an invitation nor did she hear anything about the meet up. And when she opened her mouth to defend herself, something stopped her. 

She knew, instinctively, that no matter what she said, she would be portrayed as the villain while Lila would be seen as the victim. Marinette knew that they wouldn’t believe a word she said or even try to. 

The realization - the proper realization - of this rendered her unable to speak. Something inside of her, a string inside her heart, finally snapped and she suddenly felt that she was done. 

She was done always having to defend herself for things she didn’t do. She was tired of having the same argument with the people she once considered friends. She was fed up of listening to everyone tell her that she was being a bully when she was the one who was being bullied. The teachers, Ms Bustier and the principal, were of no help at all and she was tired of always walking on eggshells everytime she came to school. 

I can’t do this anymore, she thought bitterly. 

Whether it was being a student at that school or being a hero, she couldn’t do it anymore. The things that once brought her joy were now only bringing her pain. 

She wanted to escape - no - she needed to escape. 

Her mental state would undoubtedly collapse if she stayed here any longer. 

The pressure was too much for a teenage girl like her to handle. 

Stewing over her thoughts for a good few minutes, Marinette clenched her fists and sat up on the bed. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Tikki, who had crawled out of her bag and had come to sit beside her, with a sad gaze. 

Tikki saw the expression on Marinette’s face and instantly knew. 

“I’m sorry Tikki…I-I don’t think I can do this anymore,” Marinette said in a shaky voice. “I loved working with you, I loved being Ladybug, but my heart cannot handle this anymore.”

“Marinette…”

“I’m falling apart Tikki and I don’t know what to do!” she suddenly cried. 

“Oh Marinette…” Tikki said sadly. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Marinette sniffled. “It’s never been your fault. You’ve been a great friend despite everything. I’m the one who should be sorry. I let you down.”

Tikki shook her head and said, “No no no! You could never let me down Mari. You’ve been the perfect hero and the perfect wielder of Miraculous. Please don’t ever doubt that! If anything, I’m the one who let you down for not being able to do anything about your predicament.”

“Oh Tikki…” Marinette wiped a stray tear away. “Thank you. Thank you for always being there for me. I-I’m really going to miss you.”

Tikki looked sad and held Marinette’s cheeks tenderly. 

“I’m going to miss you too, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Take care of yourself okay?”

Marinette nodded tearfully. 

The following day, Marinette went to Master Fu to give back the Chinese Miracle Box and tell him of her plans. Master Fu was undoubtedly shocked at her sudden decision but after a long conversation with her in which she revealed to him her problems and thoughts, he realized that this was probably for the best. Although saddened by her decision, he accepted it and made sure to notify the Grand Master and Guardians of the Miraculous. 

Of course, she had made sure to tell her partner, Cat Noir, before giving back the box and returning her powers. Naturally, the feline hero was left completely in shock and tried to talk her out of it. He kept telling her that things would get better if she just held on a little longer but Marinette exploded on him. 

“Better?! You think things would get better?! Cat, the public hates me! They despise me and they blame me for that last Akuma attack. They’ve been blaming me for a lot of things and even the mayor pushes the blame onto me. I know that I should stay and continue being the hero that you want me to be but I just can’t. And I-” Marinette took a deep breath and quietly said, “My civilian life hasn’t been going too well either. Rather, my civilian life has been so bad that it’s affecting this life; as Ladybug. Don’t get me wrong Cat. I love being Ladybug and I love helping people but I’m still human at the end of the day. Everyone has their limits and I have mine. I’m sorry.”

“Ladybug…” Cat Noir murmured, looking shocked. He bit his bottom lip and said, “I-I am sorry. I didn’t realize - no. I mean, you’ve been under a lot of pressure.”

“I have,” Marinette admitted reluctantly. “Cat, you know that I can’t help people if I can’t even help myself. If problems in my personal life begin to spill over onto my hero life, things are going to go wrong and they already have.”

“My Lady, that last Akuma attack with Hawk Moth was also my fault. Actually, it was mostly my fault since I failed to arrive on time. There’s no reason you should’ve carried all the blame.”

“And yet, I did,” Marinette stated softly as she gazed up at the night sky. 

There was a brief moment of silence before she stood up and dusted herself off.

“This’ll probably be the last time we’ll see each other. I’ve had a great time working with you and being your partner,” she told him with a soft smile. 

Cat Noir suddenly grasped her hands and said earnestly, “M’lady, please, at least hear me out first. I like you. A lot. Before you go, I would really like to take you on a date.”

Marinette’s eyes widened and she pulled away and stepped back, trying not to wince at the hurt that was shown on Cat Noir’s masked face. 

“I’m sorry Cat. I do not share your feelings and I don’t think I’m ready for a romantic relationship anytime soon. While I’m flattered, I cannot return your feelings. I’m sorry.”

Cat Noir looked sad but nodded and accepted her response. It was expected but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. 

After ending on an awkward note, Marinette gave one last wave to her feline partner and left, not bothering to wipe away the single tear that dripped down her cheek.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

Two days later, Marinette found herself staring at the flier in her hand with a contemplative look. Brushing away a strand of her blue hair, she read the flier’s outline and words. 

[Sign up now for the Gotham Exchange Program!]

An exchange-program. 

Now that was an idea. 

Her eyes drifted downwards to read the details. 

[- 6-week program will take place in August XX

 - Books and materials will be provided

- Living expenses will be provided

- Basic foundation in English is required]

If she signed up for the program, that would mean that she would be completing her school year in another country. Joining an exchange-program hadn’t ever crossed her mind until now. Before everything that happened to her, her life in Paris was great and she had already mapped out an outline for her future. 

However, her plan for the future was pretty much in shambles thanks to Lila which meant that she no longer held any attachments. Her position as Student Rep meant nothing if no one listened to her and her designs, the ones in the sketchbook that Lila stole, were now listed as Lila’s designs. Her online website to advertise her clothing brand had been flooded with bad rep thanks to Alya who thought it would be the best way to ‘get back’ at her for how she supposedly treated Lila. 

In other words, other than her family, Kagami, Luka, Jagged, and Penny, there was nothing else she would miss if she left. It’s not like she had friends at school or a reputation to uphold. And besides, she could still be MDC and design clothes for Jagged even if she was miles away. 

Her only regret would be leaving her Maman and Papa but they’d understand. 

It took her a lot of courage to finally confess to her parents what had been going on in her life. She told them everything, not leaving out a single tid-bit, except for Ladybug. That was the one thing she couldn’t tell them about. Not because she didn’t want to but because she was bound by an oath of secrecy. The secrets of Ladybug and Kwamis were delicate and couldn’t be shared to anyone outside of those that were chosen. 

That was the one secret she would take to her grave. 

Other than that, she told them everything about Lila and how all her friends had abandoned her at school. She told them how the teachers don’t listen to what she has to say and how nobody bats an eye at her when she is being bullied. 

Naturally, her parents were furious. Her Papa was practically smoking from the ears upon hearing what his precious daughter was going through. He was ready to storm over to the school with her Maman and have a talk with the Principal. Sabine was ready to throw hands. Literally. 

But Marinette stopped them. Even if they went to the school and filed a formal complaint, it was impossible for anything to actually be done because the school staff would only constitute Lila’s actions as a result of her illness. They could go there and cause a ruckus but it would likely only reflect badly on the family but Lila’s mouth would surely find a way to twist the truth. 

Marinette can handle being the victim of her schemes but she would never allow her parents to be slandered and lied about. Lila can attack her all she wants but she would never let her parents’ reputation and the bakery’s reputation be ruined. 

It took a lot of convincing but Marinette was able to get them to back down, although her Maman was still stewing in anger by dinnertime. 

It warmed her heart to know how far her parents were willing to go for her but she couldn’t risk it. She loved them too much to see them hurt and thankfully, they loved her just as much to consider her decision to join the student-exchange program. Gotham, also known as the Crime City of America, was hardly a good choice for an exchange program but Gotham Academy was highly rated. 

Many of the city’s richest families sent their children to study there instead of other schools. It must be good enough if wealthy parents were willing to risk their children staying in the crime-ridden city to study. 

And besides, the city had its own band of heroes - or vigilantes as most refer them to. 

It had Batman for crying out loud. He was a member of the Justice League and Gotham's loyal protector. The original vigilante that’s been watching over the city for years. Thanks to his efforts, Gotham’s crime rate statistics had improved over the years, though it was still pretty bad compared to most places. 

Marinette honestly wasn’t afraid of a couple of thugs. Sure, villains like the Joker kind of freaked her out but she reckoned appearances by such high-class villains weren’t that frequent. Probably a once in a month kind of a thing. 

Hopefully. 

Approximately three and a half weeks later, Marinette found herself at the airport saying goodbye to her Maman and Papa. 

Sabine was practically in tears while Tom, who had already cried in the car, stood silently to the side watching his wife fuss over Marinette with red eyes. 

“Are you sure you have everything? Documents, passport, enough clothes for both winter and summer? Do you have your toothbrush? Hairbrush? Your sketchbooks and blueprints? Your-”

Marinette sighed at Maman's distress. With a bright smile, she said, “Yes, Maman. Don’t worry, I’ve already double-checked and triple-checked everything. I promise you that I’ll be fine.”

“Oh Mari~” Sabine sniffled and pulled her daughter into a tight hug. “Gotham’s a dangerous place. Make sure you carry your taser and pepper spray on you at all times. Don’t stay out too late and avoid that Crime Alley place or whatever. Just keep yourself out of danger, okay?”

“I will, Maman,” Marinette replied softly. Closing her eyes, she squeezed her mother and released her with a teary gaze, “I’m going to miss you. Both you and Papa.”

Her father kissed her temple and said, “Make sure you call us as soon as you can after you land. And let us know when you’ve met up with your host family and settled in.”

“Yes Papa.”

The intercom suddenly sounded calling for all passengers boarding the flight to New Jersey. Marinette recognized her plane number and bid her parents a tearful farewell before making her way to the gate.

She followed the crowd of passengers and handed her ticket to the airport officer who tore it and gave it back to her, wishing her a good flight. 

“Thank you,” she murmured back before moving forward. 

Entering the tube, she took in a deep breath and steeled her gaze. 

‘Gotham, here I come.’

The journey from Paris to New Jersey took roughly eight hours.

After the plane was fully up in the sky, Marinette was able to access the internet and she was able to skype her friends; Kagami and Luka. Outside of her family, Jagged and Penny, they were the only people she kept contact with. Everyone in her class had been blocked on her phone after their continuous spamming of her phone with hate messages. Even Adrien but that was only because she couldn’t be bothered to talk to him.

“I still can’t believe it,” Kagami said with a sigh, the static sound causing Marinette to wince and turn down the volume. She was wearing the headphones provided in the plane so the quality wasn’t as good as her own earphones. She would’ve used them except she mistakenly packed them in her suitcase. 

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Moving to Gotham, New Jersey, also known as the City of Crime and home of the Batman.”

“It is a little surreal. Even for me,” Marinette admitted. “But I think it’ll be a good change. After everything…I just needed an escape.”

“You don’t need to tell me that. You of all people needed a break. That school of yours, your class specifically, was just full of toxicity. It was an unhealthy environment,” Kagami told her. In the background, Luka was agreeing with her. 

Marinette’s lips quirked up in a smile, “You’re lucky you never got to meet Lila.”

There was a rough snort before Kagami said, “She’s lucky she never met me ! I would’ve throttled the bitch on sight.”

“Kagami…”

“What? It’s true and you can’t tell me she doesn’t deserve it. After everything she put you through…ugh. And don’t even get me started on that wimp, Adrien.  Like, we dated and everything, but at the time, I found him super sweet and kind. I also understand his family situation but honestly, I simply can’t see him as anything other than a wimp now. It’s really unfortunate.”

Marinette sighed. Kagami shared the same thoughts as her but she couldn’t help but feel as though Kagami’s now warped image of Adrien was her fault. Her constant rants about him surely impacted her mindset. 

“I know what you’re thinking Mari and no, my thoughts on Adrien are not your fault,” Kagami’s chiding voice said. “I mean, when you first told me about him, I didn’t quite believe you. It was only after I met him and asked him for his side of the story, and after I did a little digging myself did I reassess my thoughts on him.”

“Heh, yeah. I just can’t help but feel guilty since you two had a pretty good relationship even after you guys broke up,” Marinette said, glancing out the window. 

“Well you can put your guilt to rest,” Kagami replied reassuringly. “It wasn’t your fault - right Luka?”

In the background, the boy could be heard saying, “Yup!”

Marinette chuckled, “Very well then. If that’s so, then I’m relieved.”

“Tsk, you are too kind for your own good,” Kagami tutted. There was a bit of shuffling on her end before she said, “Okay, my mother is calling me so I have to go. Get some rest on the flight and call me when you’ve landed.”

“I will, don’t worry. Goodbye Kagami and say goodbye to Luka for me,” Marinette said. She waited for her friend to reply before hanging up the call and unplugging her headphones from her laptop. 

Putting her laptop away, she let out a yawn and closed her eyes. 

Heeding her friend's words, she let her body rest and dozed off, allowing her mind to drift off into dreamland.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

Gotham Academy - Three days later

8:02 a.m.

Strange. 

Damian glanced up at the clock, ignoring Jon’s incessant chatter beside him, and turned his gaze to the empty teacher’s desk. Unlike the rest of the class who remained ignorant, Damian took note of the teacher’s absence at the usual homeroom time. 

While he wasn’t a fan of Ms Mary - he wasn’t a fan of any of the teachers to be fair - he had always respected her punctuality and her ability to always start her class on time. Today, however, that didn’t seem to be the case. 

Being who he was - the son of Bruce Wayne (the Batman), ex-assassin, current Robin - his brain’s cogs already began turning, coming up with different theories as to explain Ms Mary’s tardiness. Mentally, he started to list them out from most likely to least starting off with the possibility that she was sick. The second theory on his list was one that would make complete sense if you were from Gotham but would sound ridiculous if you were not. There was the possibility of her getting caught up in a hostage situation orchestrated by one of Gotham's many villains. 

The least likely explanation, the most unbelievable in Damian’s opinion, would be the likelihood of the class gaining a new student. 

Because it was already the middle of the school year and unless the student was a transfer student or a student part of an exchange program, the possibility of him getting a new classmate was a solid 0.1%. 

And who the fuck in their right mind would transfer their student to Gotham Academy of all places? A school situated in Gotham City which was considered a hub for criminals and psychotic villains. 

Surely the explanation would be from one of the two possibilities at the top of the list, Damian reckoned. 

Suffice to say, he was wrong. 

“Class, I’d like to introduce you to a new student. Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng and she’s an exchange student from Paris, France.”

Marinette adjusted surprisingly well to the new setting. 

While Gotham was the complete opposite of France’s city of light, the atmosphere and the general distinguishability between the two cities made it easier to adjust to, especially for someone who was trying to escape her past. Gotham was the exact change that she needed and it helped that literally nothing here - the buildings, the people, and the smell - reminded her of her home. 

While Parisians weren’t the most friendly of people, Gothamites were probably way worse. There was a strict ‘mind your own fucking business’ unspoken rule here. You see something, hear something, or smell something fishy, turn around and never look back. The less you know, the better, and the safer you’ll be. 

For some people, that kind of atmosphere would be depressing but Marinette was happy to keep to herself. She was in a new place where nobody knew her name. And she had joined a school where she wouldn’t have to suffer as a victim of manipulation and lies. 

Gotham Academy was like any other school sans the slight dark academia aesthetic that perfectly matched the city’s gothic theme. It was a large academy, one that housed a greater number of students than her school in Paris. Majority of her first day was spent getting a tour around the academy and being introduced to the various clubs and activities that they had to offer. 

To Marinette’s surprise and excitement, the school not only had an art club but also one for sewing. The maximum activities and clubs that a student was allowed to sign up for were three which worked perfectly in her favour. She was excited to learn what Gotham Academy had to offer in terms of art and fashion which would certainly be different from what Paris had to offer. It was an opportunity for her to expand her knowledge horizon and hopefully, pick up something new and experiment. 

Since she was no longer in positions that required her utmost commitment - being a student representative and being Ladybug - there was a lot more free time on her hands for her to do things she couldn’t do before. There was more time for her to further perfect her designs and hopefully, gain some inspiration. 

It also helped that the students at the academy didn’t bother her much. 

During her first week of school, several classmates of hers, mostly girls, came up to her for a small chat to get to know her and maybe bask in the presence of a so-called ‘foreigner’ but then the excitement of having a French classmate wore off and everything went back to normal. There were one or two guys that tried flirting with her but she made it very clear to them that she wasn’t interested in starting a relationship. 

The weeks after that were mostly peaceful. Marinette kept to herself most of the time but she was friendly enough to those that wished to converse with her or ask her something. Her grades, which had temporarily dropped in France, had now recovered and her depression had somewhat improved. 

Things were going great. 

Perhaps a little too great because two months later, and completely out of nowhere, a certain black-haired, green-eyed boy with an icy glare suddenly asked to speak with her privately. The first thing that came out of his mouth when they entered an empty classroom was; 

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

Two months after her transfer, the most well-known boy in school and the son of one Bruce Wayne; the boy who was known as the Ice-Prince or Demon-Prince of GA, Damian Al-Ghul Wayne, asked her out. 

What the absolute hell was going on?

~A week earlier~

Damian couldn’t help but huff in frustration as he glared at his laptop screen. On the screen, a search tab was open with the words ‘average teenage experience’ sitting inside the bar. Below the search bar, a list of links was provided with the first five already open in separate tabs. 

Damian had spent the last hour or so reading through the webpages and forums that the links led to and he had come to a disappointing yet fully expected conclusion. 

The ‘average teenage experience’ was clearly a bunch of nonsense. 

Nonsense that seemed to make sense to everyone but him. Had it not been for his father’s pestering and his brother’s insistence on him acting like a ‘normal teenager’ every once in a while, he wouldn’t have bothered wasting precious time trying to understand the need for having normal teenage experiences. He had much better things to do after all such as training, helping his father with some open case files, sketching, playing with the animals, and practising his knife skills on the likes of Drake and Todd. 

Still, it was annoying having his family constantly breathing down his neck when it came to his personal life. 

He was aware he was not a normal teenager - he was never a normal child in the first place - but he liked who he was. Sure, his friend circle consisted only of Jon and his animals but that was enough, right?

“Utterly preposterous,” he muttered with a sneer reading through one particular webpage. 

[Moments You Will Definitely Experience As A Teenager]

1. Falling in Love

2. First Taste of Independence

3. First Heartbreak

4. Feeling Guilty

5. Experiencing loss

6. …

There was another tab open with a forum that discussed what the best teenage years would include. 

[Typical Teenage Experiences You Don’t Want To Miss Out On]

Q: What are some teenage experiences you think everyone should have?

|| Rebel122 replied: Oooh definitely falling in love!! It’s the time where everyone’s emotions and hormones are all over the place so like you’re undoubtedly gonna fall in love or at least crush a few people~

 | pepeX_90 replied: Adding to what @Rebel122 said, ur def gotta get your first kiss or sth like that.

|| gomexsucks replied: idk abt the two above but i’d say partying. High school parties hit different.

|| iluv_batman replied: first kiss, but it’ll be super awkward fr lol

|| isabelsamazon replied: going on a picnic with friends. Best ever thing I’ve done <3

 | iluv_batman replied: @isabelsamazon right? 

 | wendtwhere replied: @iluv_batman @isabelsamazon nah. picnics suc

  | iluv_batman replied: @wendtwhere you suck. Your grammar sucks.

…

Damian’s eye twitched in annoyance as he scrolled through the meaningless online squabble by idiots. Despite the lack of authenticity, the data that his research provided him was enough information to assess and analyze what the most popular teenage experience was and decide whether or not it was worth wasting time on. 

After a thorough statistical analysis, a conclusion was found. 

‘Dating’.

This had to be a nightmare.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

Gotham Academy

12:00 p.m.

As the bell rang for lunch, the students in the classroom began packing away their belongings and making their way out the door into the hallway. The previously silent room was filled once again with lively chatter and gossip. Lost in their own worlds, the students didn’t notice a certain green-eyed boy marching towards their resident French foreigner like he was on a mission. 

Said French foreigner, Marinette, was so preoccupied with her own thoughts and mindless packing that she didn’t realize someone was in front of her until she looked up. A yelp threatened to spill from her lips but she was able to hold herself back in time leaving a small flinch to be her only reaction. Staring wide-eyed at the boy in front of her, she was about to say something before he cut her off curtly. 

“Ms Dupain-Cheng, do you mind sparing me a few minutes of your time? I would like to have a…chat with you. In private of course.”

A formal request and one that the boy was clearly uncomfortable with judging by the unhappy expression on his face. Nevertheless, Marinette could sense the sincerity in his request and given that this was the Ice Prince himself, she couldn’t help but feel curious as to what he wished to talk about. 

Seeing no reason to refuse, she agreed. 

“Uh, sure. Just give me a minute to pack my things and I’ll meet you in the hallway,” she replied with a small smile. 

The boy, Damian, nodded saying, “Very well,” before leaving her desk. 

By now, several students had taken note of their interaction and already, the gossip had begun. After all, this was the first time Damian Wayne had voluntarily sought out someone. Civilly. Without murderous intention. 

Yeah, it was kind of a big thing. 

The two found an empty classroom to have their conversation. 

To say it was awkward was an understatement. 

Damian was known for being cold and distant. His only known friend was Jonathan Kent, a literal ball of sunshine and someone who thrived in optimism. That was probably why he was the only person capable of being friends with the socially inept son of Bruce Wayne. Regardless of his lack of sociability, he was quite respected within the school. With excellent grades and a knack for fencing, martial arts, art, and chess, he was the ideal son for any wealthy couple. Envied by classmates, and feared by all, he was equivalent to a king with the academy being the kingdom he reigned over. 

That was one of the reasons Marinette was sweating internally. 

She couldn’t help but feel nervous. What did he want to talk about? Did she do something to offend him? Was she going to be subject to the kind of bullying that happens in American movies where the rich kid picks on the new girl?

In her mind, she tried recalling any interaction she’d had with him prior to this. She attempted to retrace her steps and see if there was something she might’ve done that would’ve caught his attention. 

‘I remember him looking at him, or rather glaring at me, some days ago but I thought I was imagining it.’

Marinette swallowed anxiously and resisted the urge to bite her nails. 

‘Was it because of the class handouts the other day? I couldn’t give his handout because he was absent from school…oh shit, was I supposed to deliver it to his house or something?’

“Ahem,” Damian suddenly cleared his throat, the sound snapping Marinette out of her thoughts. She looked at the boy and her eyes widened ever so slightly upon witnessing the faint tint of pink dusted on his cheeks. 

What?

“Allow me to get straight to the point,” the boy said, his expression no longer as hard as it was before. Instead, he seemed strangely…nervous. His green eyes looked straight into her own blue ones and for a moment, Marinette felt as though she couldn’t breathe. Those green eyes were so beautiful…

“The point…” she murmured, completely taken by his clear gaze. 

“Yes. Are you involved in a romantic relationship with someone?”

That question was shocking enough for Marinette to nearly choke on her own saliva. Blinking, she couldn’t help but stare at the boy in bafflement. Where was this coming from?

“Uhm, no. I’m not dating anybody…but why do you ask?” she asked in her accented voice. 

The answer seemed to please him as the boy’s expression loosened considerably. He then opened his mouth and uttered out a startling request. 

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

…

…

What the fuck?

Marinette gaped at the boy in disbelief. 

In her defence, it was the expected reaction of anyone in her position. For starters, she and Damian have never interacted aside from brief (accidental) eye contact during some classes. The two have never spoken before nor did the boy ever express any sort of…romantic interest in her. 

“Um…why?” the question spilt out of her mouth before her brain could catch up. She blushed and stammered, “I-I mean, why me? D-Do you like me or something…”

Okay, that may have been a silly question. 

Thankfully, the boy didn’t seem to mind and instead replied calmly, “Not exactly. However, I cannot deny that you intrigue me and for reasons I cannot tell you, I would like to experience a…relationship with you.”

Now Marinette was confused. She studied him for a second before asking, “You - wait what? So you just want me to be your girlfriend…for the experience?”

Damian’s eye twitched subtly. 

When she put it like that, it made him sound extremely shallow. But he couldn’t exactly lead her on. He was an expert at lying and could’ve very easily led her to believe that he harboured a ‘crush’ on her but there was a part of him that held him back from lying. Damian couldn’t understand. Why did it seem wrong to lie to her? Why did his chest hurt at the thought of leading her on even though he cared little for her? 

Clenching his jaw, he muttered, “Forget it. This was a mistake. I apologize for wasting your time.”

He moved towards the door, full intent on running away from what had turned into a somewhat embarrassing situation, but suddenly paused when he heard her speak. 

“W-Wait!”

Damian turned around, wondering what she had to say. Was she going to make fun of him?

His eyes widened when he spotted her pink-tinted cheeks. She fidgeted nervously with her blazer buttons as she looked him in the eye and said, “This relationship…w-we don’t have to date or anything. We could just start as friends…if you want.”

“Friends?” he questioned. 

Marinette bit her bottom lip and nodded her head, “Yeah. I’m not sure why you approached me exactly but…if you want to be friends, I wouldn’t mind. I mean; since you don’t like me romantically, that is.”

Damian examined her expression and clear eyes with contemplation. Inwardly, he was surprised. 

Friends…

Yes. That would be a good place to start. 

He didn’t need to get a girlfriend right away. He could cultivate a romantic relationship along the way. 

From his memory, he knew that a lot of relationships in high school often started out when two people became close friends. That seemed like the most logical road to take at this point. 

Dammit. Why didn’t he think of it earlier instead of needlessly embarrassing himself?

Clearing his throat, Damian nodded at Marinette’s suggestion. 

“Friends, you say. Yes, that is acceptable.”