Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Adrien was startled by the alarm blaring in his ears to wake him up for school. Usually forced to go to bed at a particular time each night due to being on a meticulous schedule, his body was naturally attuned to waking up at a certain time every day. So there was no need for him to have an alarm anymore, only if there was a late night Akuma but that was a different sound altogether.

It was too early, he knew he had more time left than this. He squeezed his eyes tight, blindly reaching over to shut the alarm off.

He settled back into slumber, but then he heard loud thumps.

Thump, thump, thump.

Now Adrien knew that was wrong, there was only silence in the Agreste household.
It kept getting louder, and louder before the door to his room swung open, and two small girls were on the other side.

Adrien screamed.

And Adrien's voice did not sound like his own, he felt his heart racing as he scrambled up to a sitting position. Adrien tried pinching himself as the two girls raced up to him.

“Did you have a bad dream?” One of the girls asked him.

“We didn't even have to wake you up this time!” The other girl said, bouncing on her toes.

“Come on Alya! Make us breakfast!” The first girl tugged his arm, big brown eyes, mouth in a pout.

Adrien finally calmed down, upon noticing that this was in fact not a dream.

“Uh-huh could you give me a moment? I-I’ll be out to make you breakfast.”

The girls looked at eachother, before looking back at him.

“You just want to go back to sleep! Mom says you can't be late to school again.”

Each one gripped one of his arms before the girls tried to pull him out of bed, but they weren't strong enough.

“No-no I promise. I just need a few minutes and then I'll be down.”

“Ok but if you're not in the kitchen like you said, we're going to come back up and scare you again.” Then the two girls raced each other out the door.

Adrien was not in his body, evidenced by his cinnamon brown arms and the fact that he couldn't see past the door. Everything was a distorted blurry mess. Somehow he was in Alya's body. He squinted his eyes before realizing Alya wore glasses.

He grabbed them from the nightstand and placed them on.

Plagg!

He scrambled to get Alya's phone sitting on the same nightstand, and groaned when he realized he didn't know her password.

The only thing he could do was go to school and run into her…um himself there.

As long as there aren't any Akuma attacks everything should be fine.

Adrien stood up and stretched, wiggling his toes, well Alya's toes, before he sighed. Alya didn't seem to have a bathroom in her room, apparently he's going to have to go back out there and fix Alya's sisters breakfast. Adrien didn't even know how, having never had to fix his own.

Something easy, pancakes, even I can do that.

Adrien slipped on a pair of Ladybug themed slippers, he felt a sense of glee at being around Ladybug paraphernalia. Letting out a giggle, feeling in a slightly better mood. Usually he had to hide his things, and not obtain as much because he didn't want to draw suspicion. But Alya didn't have any of these worries.

Adrien stepped out into the hallway.

~~~~

Alya was having the strange feeling that she was sleeping too long. But she'd made sure to set her alarm, triple checked last night actually, so she let herself continue to sleep.

Only to be startled by a loud knock on her bedroom door. “Adrien?...Adrien it's time for breakfast.”

Alya felt around on her bedside nightstand for her glasses.

Surprised when she couldn't feel them, Alya blinked her eyes open. Alya noticed pretty quickly upon taking a glance around the large space, she was not in her own bedroom.

“Are we finally ditching school today to laze around?”

Alya was startled at hearing another voice in the room with her that didn't sound like her sisters.

“Who’s there?” Alya said before she slapped a hand over her mouth. Definitely not my voice.

“This is freaky!”

“Are you ok Adrien?” And then a little big-headed black cat-like creature appeared in her line of vision.

“Whoa! What are you supposed to be?”

The knocking got louder before the lock clicked and someone else entered the room. The cat creature flew into her pajama shirt.

Alya turned to face a raven haired woman with a red streak in her hair, square framed glasses, who was wearing a sharp sleek pantsuit.

“Adrien! You're not dressed. Are you sick?”

Alya furrowed her eyebrows, “No, I-I must have missed my alarm.”

The woman stared at her for a few moments, cold and stiff. Alya was telling the truth, why didn't Adrien set an alarm to get up?

“Get dressed, you can take your breakfast out on the way to school.”

“Sure thing!”

The woman gave her a stiff nod then left out the way she came.

Alya scrambled up and rushed to the bathroom on bare feet. She stared at her face, green eyes stared back at her, and she smudged her pale white cheeks.

Of course she had figured out by now that she was somehow in Adrien Agreste’s body, tugging her, or Adrien's face made the situation real. It was in fact not some sort of strange dream.

A night Akuma? Or perhaps the work of some benevolent deity?

The cat creature flew out of her shirt again, “Did you do this?” Alya asked.

“Do what? Adrien, did you hit your head or something?”

“I know it's going to be hard to believe, but I'm not actually Adrien. I'm uh, do you know Alya? I know I'm usually trying to set Marinette up with Adrien so I haven't had a chance to actually talk to Adrien much…if at all.”

The cat creature stared at her for a few long seconds. “I think I'm going to need a slice of camembert for this.”

“Eww, camembert cheese? Don't cats usually like tuna?”

The cat creature gasped, “How dare you! Where is the real Adrien? What have you done with him?”

Alya rolled her eyes. I don't know why I asked that, it's not like real cats talk.

“I haven't done anything! I guess he's now me. So we'll see him, uh Alya at school.”

“Who did this to you?” The little cat creature pulled Alya’s cheeks.

“I don't know! If I did, I wouldn't be here right now!”

“Hmmm. There is someone I could ask, but you can't come with me.”

“Why not?”

“Because it's a secret and you have school.” The little creature stuck its tongue out at her, to which she scoffed.

~~~~~

Adrien made decently sized pancakes and quite a bit of mess. He couldn't leave Alya’s kitchen like this, so he cleaned, after he was told he had to make sure he got Alya's sisters to the school bus.

He couldn't tell who was Etta and who was Ella, but they switched their lunches around after he gave them to them, from the fridge. Apparently they were packed by Alya's mother.

Adrien had to make himself a sandwich and bike himself to school. Adrien was actually looking forward to doing this. No Gorilla looming over him, or Nathalie reminding him of his schedule. Although the house being empty hit him all the same and he missed Plagg.

Strapping on his helmet and checking the time on Alya's phone, he stepped on the bike before wobbling and falling over, he realized he in fact did not know how to ride a bike.

Adrien sighed and stepped off of the bike. On foot, he would have to go to school on foot.

When Adrien finally made it to school, he was late, he was trying to catch his breath as he croaked out an apology to Madame Bustier.

She gave Adrien a pitiful look and told him to take his seat. He passed Marinette's desk out of habit, and upon locking eyes with himself of all people, scurried back to Alya's seat beside Marinette.

“I can't believe you got here later than I did Alya, are you ok?”

Marinette looked at him with concerned bluebell eyes. It was a little surreal having her actually talk to him for more than five seconds and without tripping over her words.

“U-um I had a rough start this morning.”
“You should stop editing the Ladyblog so late at night. You need your sleep.”

“You're one to talk.” That was not him, Adrien looked up to see hims—no…Alya leaning over from the seat above.

Marinette was stunned, “I-Is, u-um,” Marinette shrunk down in her seat, her face the shade of a strawberry.

“Adrien, is there a problem?” Mme. Bustier spoke up.

“No-no! No, sorry Madame Bustier.” To which she leaned back in her seat.

Adrien's thoughts were buzzing, had Alya found Plagg? Did Alya know about the Miraculouses?

He could barely pay attention to the lesson being taught and jumped out of his seat as soon as they were dismissed for lunch.

“A-Adrien!” Adrien was still a bit disturbed upon seeing himself looking back at him and it not be from staring in a mirror. “Can we talk for a moment a-alone?” Adrien felt Marinette and Nino staring at him. Alya looked a bit stunned before Chloé rushed over to her.

“What do you need to talk to my Adrikins for blogger girl?”

Alya pushed Chloé away when she hugged her, “Eww as if, gross!”

Chloé balked in disbelief and Adrien did too, he wouldn't have gone that far, sure Chloé could be a bit much sometimes but being crass with her…was very much out of his nature.

“Sure we can talk.” Alya looked between the three sets of eyes on her before grabbing Adrien’s arm and pulling him out of the classroom.

~~~~

“Man this is freaky!” Alya said, squishing her own cheeks.

“U-uh I know this is your face but it does kind of hurt for you to be pulling it like this.”

“Oh! Sorry!” Alya let go of herself um Adrien…

“Sooo is the cat creature pet thing you have a secret?”

“Plagg! Is he with you?” Adrien looked in Alya's shirt pocket.

“Nope! He said he was going to figure out who made us like this and fix it. He didn't tell me where he was going. Do you know anything about this?” Alya gestured between them.

“No, I already ruled out it being an Akuma, I don't remember seeing anything like that–” He coughed, “…on the news.”

Alya put a hand to her chin, “Hmmm maybe it's something we did. Did you also wish on a star last night?”

“A star?”

“You know, maybe not that specifically, but both of us probably made a wish, and it came true.”

Alya did, in an off handed kind of way, wish that Marinette could just talk to Adrien. Could it be possible that they had wished for the same thing?

Adrien seemed to give her statement some thought before gears seemed to turn in his head and he sighed.

“I just wanted to be able to spend more time with you all.”

“I wanted that too!” In so many words.

Adrien looked at her with such disbelief written on his face, well her own face. It broke her heart a little that he would somehow assume they wouldn't want the same thing.

“Well if we know what caused this, how do we switch back?” Alya continued.

“Maybe Plagg knows what to do.” Adrien said, “U-um that ring you have is a family heirloom, could I have it?”

“Oh sure, of course. Plagg made sure I put it on, it's yours.” Alya slipped the ring off of her finger and gave it to Adrien, he put it on, and it was strange to see it on herself.

“But won't your father notice if I don't have it on?”
Adrien froze at that, “Um…you're right.”

“But I totally get it, I mean you would feel safer if you had it. If your father asks…” Alya clicked her teeth, “I got you! Don't worry.”

“Merci.” Adrien seemed to gasp after a moment of silence, “Uh could I have your phone password, you know if we need to talk during this whole thing.”

“Oh yeah I realized that after trying to call you, what happened? Why were you late? Were you in such a shock to wake up gorgeous, that you couldn't pull yourself together?” Alya said, pulling out his phone to do the same.

Alya was surprised when Adrien let out a chuckle, “You'd think as a model I would be used to this sort of thing, but I guess not.”

And upon doing so, she realized they had never actually exchanged numbers.

~~~~~

Alya had to fix the mess she caused by literally acting icked out by Chloé in front of her and the rest of the class. Begrudgingly, Chloé was Adrien's friend and for the time being she was Adrien.

It was the “Adrien" thing to do after all.

“Hey uh Chloé…I'm sorry about that back there.”
Chloé pouted and snubbed her, “Sabrina, tell Adrien I'm not talking to him.”

“Adrien, Chloé’s not going to speak to you considering you rejected her so publicly.” Sabrina leaned in close to Alya, “She's a little embarrassed. Maybe you should wait a little before apologizing again.”

“Sabrina! I'm still right here! I'm not! Adrien should be grovelling on the floor at my feet, begging me to forgive him!” Chloé snapped at Sabrina but couldn't look Alya in the eyes when she said it.

When Chloé finally made eye contact with her, she crossed her arms, “We have better things to do then stand here with you! So! Go, shoo.”

Alya rolled her eyes and Sabrina gave her an apologetic shrug.

Alya didn’t really know what to make of that interaction, but they still had a bit of their lunch break left, so she went to go find Marinette.

“Hey Marinette!” And as if on cue Marinette dropped whatever she was doing and hid from her.

Right.

Adrien blinked owlishly at her, “She? Uh? She'll probably be right back.”

Alya sighed and parked herself where Marinette had been sitting.

“Don't feel too down about it, I’m used to it. Maybe Marinette just doesn't like me.”

“No! No it's not that at all!” Alya rushed to reassure him, “She just hasn't had a chance to get to know you.”

“She was quite surprised when you reacted to Chloé like that. How did things go?” Alya was not used to seeing all of these uncomfortable and insecure expressions on her own face.

“She didn't accept my apology.”

“She needs space.”

Adrien didn't seem too worried about it and that was really the only thing that mattered to her anyway. She didn't really care if Chloé's feelings were hurt.

“I saw Marinette hiding in a trash can–oh. So you apologized to Chloé, dude?”

“Nino! Hey…uh…How's it going?” Adrien said, springing up from his seat before recoiling, presumably remembering that he was still Alya technically.

“Not much going on really.” Nino shrugged.

“Kind of? She was being weird.” Alya answered Nino’s question.

“Yeah that sounds like that tracks. Don't you usually say she comes around?”

“Yeah I guess, whatever…uh I mean I hope so.” Alya tried to put on the most pitiful face she could muster.

“I’ll um go get Marinette.”

“Cool,” Nino said.

Adrien awkwardly departed from them.

“She was acting kind of strange, right?”

“I think she has a bad headache. She was telling me about it.”

Nino gave her a nod.

Chapter Text

There was an Akuma situation, Mr. Pigeon was at it again, and Adrien was still in Alya’s body.

Plagg said that Master Fu was working on some kind of cure but essentially it wasn't something he had any control over.

Alya's sisters complained that his room reeked of Camembert cheese, but it kept them out so it was sort of a win.

He was nervous of what Ladybug would think upon seeing him. He was still Alya but was wearing Chat Noir’s costume. The bell, the belt tail, and the ears were still there, but he was shorter and noticeably more feminine with red hair.

Adrien arrived to see Ladybug holding off a swarm of pigeons.

“Who are you? Did something happen to Chat?”

“Um…he came down with a cold. So, he asked me to fill in for a little while.”

“You must be someone special to him if he trusted you with his miraculous…and he didn't tell me about it.”

Ladybug pouted and huffed, and he felt terrible that he was upsetting her.

“Wow! Ladybug, did you get a new partner?”

“Adrien!?” Ladybug lost her balance and fell back onto her butt.

Adrien turned to see Alya on the ground holding his phone, set to record.

“What are you doing here!?” Adrien gasped.

“I'm helping out a friend of mine, she's feeling a little ill. Don't let me distract you!” She waved him off.

How did she escape the Gorilla?

He was always waiting for him to get out of school like clockwork.

His father would be furious with him if he didn't show up on time for his modeling shoot at the park…that technically he would be missing if he was Chat Noir anyway.

And as if on cue the Gorilla appeared and scooped Alya up. “Hey! I was only gone for a few minutes! I was going to come back!”

“This situation is too dangerous for you citizen, please stay out of harm's way while we fix the situation.” Adrien gave Alya a wink just as he was knocked over by a swarm of pigeons.

Momentarily he had forgotten they were still dealing with an active threat.

Adrien was expecting to be overcome with a fit of sneezing, but realized again he was still in Alya’s body.

~~~~

Once Mr. Pigeon had been defeated, Adrien held out his fist to “pound it” with Ladybug, who was hesitant at first.

“I hope Chat gets better. Tell him I hope for a speedy recovery.”

Adrien almost swooned, his Lady was worried about him…although technically he was fine.

“Will do bugaboo.”

Ladybug blinked and Adrien quickly tried to reel in his mistake, “ S-stupid petnames, I'm around him too much! Uh, yeah I'll tell him.” 

Adrien left and arrived back at Alya’s home just in time for dinner. That was one thing he's sort of gotten used to. Alya’s parents weren't home in the morning but they were home in the evening, and Adrien cried the first time they all had dinner. He made the excuse that he'd gotten a mean comment on the blog…truthfully he hadn't touched the Ladyblog, he didn't know Alya's password.

After dinner, there was a knock at the door and Alya's sisters cheerfully said that he had a visitor, Marinette.

“Alya! I came as quickly as I could.” 

“M-Marinette, y–”

“I brought soup, and I brought a batch of your favorite macarons. Why didn't you tell me you came down with a cold?”

Marinette asked, barging into Alya's room with a pink box and a metal canister.

Adrien didn't know what she was talking about. “I don't have a cold.”

Marinette stopped, clenching the box of macarons in her hands.

“Adrien said he was helping you with the Ladyblog because you weren't feeling well. Adrien wouldn't just lie, Alya.”

I've done a whole lot of lying Marinette. I guess I'm just so good you haven't noticed.

“Well…that's sort of true. I-I just haven't been in the mood to update the blog.”

“What!? Why? What's going on? I-Is it because Chat didn't show up o-or did Ladybug do something you didn't like?”

Adrien didn't mean to upset her, it was the truth. He wasn't Alya and Alya wanted to update her own blog. 

“No, no I just want to take a little break that's all. A-adrien said he would be happy to fill in for a little while until I'm feeling ready to get back into things.” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck.

Marinette sighed, “I know I've been a bit flakey as of late but you can still tell me these things. I mean how could you be closer to Adrien than me? Aren't you still trying to help me talk to him?”

“l-I you want to talk to m–him? I-I thought you didn't want to be around him.”

“What!? Alya, how could you say that? Marinette gasped before she groaned, “You're being sarcastic. I've been making a fool out of myself in front of him, I know. I just–ugh why does he have to be so perfect Alya? It's so hard to talk to him. I'm such a disaster!”

Marinette flopped back onto Alya's bed, and Adrien scrambled to catch the macrons and the soup before they fell onto the floor.

“He's not perfect, Marinette.”

“Of course he is Alya. He's the nicest boy ever, and he's very polite, and likes video games, and he's a fashion model, and he's even nice to Chloé. That's a monumental feat in itself. He's patient and he's never nervous about anything, unlike me.” Marinette groaned.

“You're smart and capable too, Marinette. And everyone in class likes you. No one is really friends with me–him, except Chloé, Nino and…you.”

Adrien felt his ears burn, it was disheartening to know Marinette thought this way about herself when she had everything he's ever wanted. She lived with both of her parents, and she had a lot of friends. She was creative and courageous and friendly with everyone except him. He's seen it, and because of this warped perception she has of him, he's never been able to experience it.

Marinette puffed out her chest, “I'll keep trying.” Then Marinette grabbed a macaron from the box, “We can't let these go to waste.”

Adrien tried one, an orange macaron and sat down beside Marinette while she talked about an order her parents had to make for a wedding. Adrien was just happy to eat some of Marinette's macarons.

~~~~

Alya kept showing up to battles, she wasn't deterred by his schedule at all. No matter how little time she could stay. Ladybug seemed to be more comfortable with him as Cat Walker, the name he'd chosen for himself, but told him she hoped Chat would come back soon.

Adrien caught Alya right before Oni-chan could get to her. 

“You seem pretty unpopular.”

“I’m sorry that they can't seem to accept rejection. I only have feelings for Marinette.”

“What?”Adrien almost dropped her.

Alya shook her head, “The tragedy of being a model, so many admirers.”

Adrien has had it up to here with Alya doing anything she wanted in his body with reckless abandon. Her actions had real consequences.

 “You can't just do that! You have to be polite, I-I- you don't have feelings for Marinette!”

“How do you know?”

“I can tell that you don't sound earnest.”

“Ok, maybe not that last part, but they need to stop fawning over me, it's tiring when I just want to be friends.”

“You'd rather hurt their feelings?”

“I'd rather tell them the truth.”

“Don't you have an image to uphold?”

Alya furrowed her eyebrows, “A what?”

At that moment Adrien set her down and had to deflect another hit from Oni-chan’s sword.

“Just stay out of harm's way, alright?”

Alya didn't listen and held up his phone to record, “This is such a good shot.”

~~~~~

“Where is Chat Noir? Did you do something to him?” Alya asked him when he told Ladybug he'd take her home.

“No, he's a little sick, that's all.”

“Once I can understand, but it's been a few times now.” Alya tapped his phone under her chin.

“I don't have to explain anything to you, you know?”

“Ladybug might be too busy to question you, but I'm not.”

“That's not true.”

“You keep track of my schedule too? Are you Marinette?”

“What? No!...Who?”

Alya was staring at him hard, as though she could see right through him. It was weird to be this close to his own face.

“Hmmm, I'll figure it out.”

Marinette knows my schedule?

“You have to stay out of harm's way.”

“The Ladyblog won't update itself you know?”

“It can wait until your friend feels better.”

“We're doing the same thing. I don't think you have the authority to tell me to stay put.”

Adrien let out a frustrated growl. Did she just not care for her own safety or was it because she wasn't in her own body? Was that extra level of separation the reason for her recklessness?

Adrien didn't have time to argue with her and just bid her a goodnight.

Chapter Text

Alya realized Adrien Agreste was just a prop to be admired.

By all of the fashion shoots he had to attend, the piano lessons he had to play, and how meticulously his appearance was crafted and controlled.

Alya as Adrien was forced to do extra piano lessons because she didn't know how to play the piano, and Gabriel was not pleased with her poor performance, considering technically Adrien was supposed to have been practicing all this time.

Alya clenched her fists and bit her lip hard at Gabriel’s rather callous remarks about her friends when she suggested going to visit Nino or even Marinette.

She wasn't allowed to see any of her friends, and Gabriel was this close to homeschooling Adrien again because of the stunts she pulled to record Ladybug and Cat Walker for the blog.

But if she didn't go out to do that, she was going to go insane. Alya wondered how Adrien didn't go insane already without some kind of outlet he actually enjoyed to pass the time spent in solitude.

Well maybe that was too harsh; maybe Adrien enjoyed piano practice, fencing practice, and fashion shoots. Maybe this was hell because she didn't like any of those things, and she wasn't good at any of those things either. All she seemed to be capable of was frustrating her instructors, she had no prior training, she wasn't Adrien. This wasn't her life.

But the Ladyblog, it was distinctly hers and no one could take that from her. She wouldn't let that happen as long as she was still breathing.

Alya decided to have a little fun and turn down all the girls fawning after Adrien; one because it was annoying how obvious they were being, and two because she wanted to leave things open for Marinette…when she got the courage to approach Adrien that is.

She missed Marinette, deeply, and as Adrien there was a monumental hurdle keeping them from each other no matter how easy she tried to make it for the poor lovesick girl.

And well, Adrien didn't seem to know how to act around Nino, unsure of how not to cross any boundaries…when Nino seemed to care less, but she could see in his eyes…her own eyes technically, how much he wanted to talk to him like they probably would have before this mess started.

And she missed her parents and home cooked meals, and the twins. But Alya isn't sure she would have enjoyed eating with Gabriel either, but on the other hand it was unnerving having Nathalie looming over her and not eating with her. It was strange to have an assistant and a driver and yet neither of them felt like family members.

“Hey Nathalie could you sit with me just this once?” She stood by the door after setting down her plate of pancakes.

Nathalie looked back briefly, “I don't think—”

“Please?”

Nathalie looked at her, an uneasy expression on her face, before she furrowed her eyebrows.

Then she took a seat beside her at the table, a large table meant for multiple people, but currently only sat one.

“You want some?” Alya scooted her plate toward her, and stabbed a piece with a butter knife.

“I-I don't–”

“There's plenty, and I feel weird to be the only one eating.”

Reluctantly the woman accepted the knife and Alya dug into the rest with her fork.

It wasn't the same, but it was something.

~~~~~

They were no closer to figuring out how to switch back into their own bodies than they were when it first happened.

Alya had caught a cold, and begrudgingly had to stay out of school for a week. Gabriel was eager to keep her home, if Alya was at her home she probably would have stayed out the first day or two and been sent back by her Mom anyway to slog through the rest.

Alya had a visitor and it wasn't Nino. It was Adrien…announced as “Alya Césaire” of course.

Alya was surprised; Adrien hadn't come to see her before, or maybe he had and had been turned away. But it was urgent this time, she had a week's worth of schoolwork to catch up on.

It was a Saturday and after a week in bed, unable to update the Ladyblog, Alya was happy to finally see a fresh face.

Alya sneezed right as Nathalie let Adrien in, who had her school bag slung over his shoulder. Adrien gave her a smile, somehow uniquely Adrien's while being on her own face.

“Hi A-Adrien. I brought your school work that you missed this week.”

Adrien was only given an hour to be here.

Adrien dug into her bag and immediately placed the text books and notes from this week near his computer. Then he started to gather up the crumpled tissues scattered near the bed, swiftly moving about the room with the ease and familiarity of someone who lived here and placed them in the trash bin. He gathered up the dirty clothes that had gathered near the waste basket and folded them neatly before placing them inside.

“You didn't have to straighten up, I was going to get them tomorrow.”

“It's the least I can do…this situation isn't easy and having a cold is probably even worse.”

Alya frowned, “I'm sorry for giving you a cold.”

Adrien shrugged, “It happens, I probably would have caught one eventually.” Adrien went over to his desk to roll his chair over to where she was, closer to the bed.

“Oh wait, I have something else for you.” Adrien grabbed her bag again from off of the floor and dug out a pink box, a box of macarons from Marinette.

“I told Marinette my favorite flavor was orange. It's actually pomegranate, but of course these are your favorite.”

Alya gripped the box that he held out to her, and felt her eyes burn. 

Maybe it was just this week or maybe it had been the entire month. Something had been building in her chest, tight like a balloon ready to pop. Alya had constantly stuffed it down. 

One night she had closed her eyes and wished upon a star that she would wake up suddenly back in her own body. She of course had continued hoping for this outcome, but when it didn't happen, she put on a smile and moved through the day. It was fine. Alya wasn't a quitter.

Alya bit her lip and her vision blurred, “I-I’m sorry Adrien.”

She felt foolish, this was Adrien’s life and she couldn't stand it. She wanted her life back. This shouldn't be Adrien's life, and she felt so powerless and helpless to change it.

She was frustrated that it was too much for her to carry, and that she wanted to give it back to him.

“I-I’ve made your life worse.” Alya continued, avoiding his gaze, teardrops splattering on the pink box of macarons.

“By being sick?” Adrien waved her off, "I told you it's fine."

“No, by failing at everything you do so well. I-I can't do this anymore. I-I want my life back. Your life is so…”

“Lonely?”

In every activity she was forced to partake in, instead of doing something with her friends, she felt so hollow and cold.

“Yeah…”

“You can't really miss what you never had.” Adrien shrugged before taking a tissue to gently wipe her tear stained cheeks, “I'm used to it by now.”

Alya felt even worse after hearing that. Adrien cupped her cheek, turning her head to face him. 

“You could never make my life worse Alya, just being a friend is enough."

She was staring into brown eyes, her own, and they held a warmth that she was familiar with in her own life. A stark contrast to the coldness she felt in the Agreste household.

And in that moment she understood.

~~~~

Adrien left after they shared her macarons and they went over a few of the notes Adrien took during the week.

Alya started to do a bit of the overdue assignments before she felt too tired again. 

She ate dinner which was just soup, and then she went to sleep for the night.

Adrien had left his ring on his nightstand, saying he didn't need it for now, sort of returning it, in a way.

Alya was awoken by an alarm clock that was going off at a time that was entirely too early. She squinted at the clock, she knew she had more time, she usually didn't have to leave this early because Adrien had a driver.

Alya hit the snooze button, and closed her eyes again, settling back down to sleep a bit more. 

Upon reaching the edges of deep sleep, she heard the rumbling sounds of what she could assume were multiple pairs of feet.