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“Ugh. One more akuma and I am going to lose it!” Marinette groaned as she prepared for bed.
At this point, she won't even bother trying to finish her homework for the day, as she's worried she'll be going to school sleepless for the third time this week.
“I get what you feel, Marinette. But!" Tikki exclaimed as she looked over to where he holder's school supplies (and paperworks) are. "Your homeworks!”
“That can wait tomorrow. My sleep can't.”
Her sleep deprived mind find it reasonable to sleep, mainly because she was unable to function as she usually would during a fight earlier when she was Ladybug.
And looking incompetent and sleeping on the job (because she actually did it while on patrol earlier)?
Not a very good look for Paris’ most beloved heroine.
So, despite her not wanting to sleep yet, her Ladybug side deemed it necessary to keep Paris’ peace.
Of course, her desires don't always come true.
“At THREE AM! Hawkmoth sends an akuma at Three. Fricking. AM.! Argh!” Marinette whisper-screamed out of frustration.
She was also pulling at her pigtails to emphasize how frustrated she is that she's still sleep deprived.
She stayed pacing in her room complaining about Hawkmoth’s inconsiderate Akuma scheduling for a few minutes until she somehow calmed herself down.
She's now checking her phone for the time and got reminded that classes will still be ongoing tomorrow—or is it fine to say “later” in this case?
She was already half asleep when she got reminded that he best friend is going to kill her if she doesn't tell her about what happened.
Right. I also need to tell Alya so she could back me up at class tomorrow…
She sleepily pulled out her phone and browsed for Alya's number and relayed what happened earlier with the Akuma attack.
She fell asleep almost immediately after she hit send, not realizing it wasn't sent on Alya’s number.
Adrien woke up to the sound of his phone chiming multiple times.
Plagg stirred by his pillow, mumbling to shut it up so he got up and checked who sent him a message at this ungodly hour.
He's in desperate need of sleep, especially because it's been the third day of Hawkmoth relentlessly sending out Akumas.
Adrien's doesn't know how he's keeping up (with all of his schoolworks, and business side of things, as well as his extra curriculars), either.
All he know is that he has to, lest Nathalie and his father question him why he's tired all of a sudden.
It might even blow out of proportion if he lied. And he doesn't want to lie too much.
He unlocked his phone, only to be surprised by who messaged him at this ungodly hour.
Marinette.
Can she not sleep either? Adrien questions. But why can't she? There's no test she needs to worry about... And nost of all, why did she text me? I thought she only finds me tolerable...
But all of his questions about her not sleeping well for some odd reason disappeared the moment he read through the message.
You won't believe what happened.
Yup. Third Akuma for today.
Guess Hawkmoth's going all out for us…
This is literally the third day of the constant attacks and I haven't slept for that long earlier.
Took us a while to defeat it because I was sleep deprived and couldn't figure out the lucky charm—guess whose fault is that?
Is this his plan? to wear me out so I can't use my powers to stop the rampages of his champions?
If so, I'd like to have his time so I can finally give him a piece of my mind (and maybe a couple punches).
Can he just PLEASE let me get some wink of sleep?
Anyway, I don't think I'll be able to focus on class once again. I'll be relying on you, Alya. I'm sorry for that.
… And also thank you for still putting up with me.
I'll see you tomorrow.
-Mari 🐞
The more he reads through the message, the more his sleepiness goes away.
He knows he probably shouldn't have read it the moment he saw what the messages imply, but he didn't know it was a message meant for Alya until the end!
He thought she sent this important (dare he say, confidential) information to his number intentionally!
But what makes it confusing to his sleepy mind were the details. Third akuma? How did she know it was the third attack?
Her house wasn't near the most recent attack, and it's the middle of the night, so how would she know?
Also, he doesn't think anyone aside from Alya, who is also the Ladyblogger, can keep track of how many akumas were there.
Plagg, now awake from the rampage of Adrien's message tune, was hovering close and reading the messages as well.
He had to keep himself from laughing out loud the moment he realized that Ladybug herself just revealed who she is on Chat Noir.
While sleep deprived.
Oh, this is going to be so entertaining to watch, thought Plagg as he watched his getting-less-sleepy holder’s brain finally work its gears.
“Did Marinette just said she couldn't figure out Ladybug’s lucky charm?” Was Adrien's last words before his brain short circuited over the unintentional reveal.
Alya immediately voiced out her concern for Marinette the moment she saw the poor girl crossing the road while her eyes are closed.
“Girl, what happened to you? You look like those zombies from the movie Nino made me watch.”
“Hawkmoth happened.” Marinette managed to mumble. “Sent you a text before I went to bed after the fight last night.”
That stopped Alya from her tracks, causing Marinette to halt as well.
“I didn't receive any text from you last night.”
Marinette could've sworn the remaining ounce of her energy went to her adrenaline as she immediately panicked and checked her phone to confirm that the messages were sent.
It was, indeed, sent.
To Adrien.
All of it. Her complaints about Hawkmoth, how her lucky charm gave her a hard time because she's sleep deprived, and how it implies that not only she is Ladybug, but Alya also knows!
“Oh no no no no no no NO!” Marinette said as she dropped her phone and puts her head in her hands.
“This is a disaster! This is the worst thing that can happen!"
She sent all of those compromising messages to Adrien Agreste last night!
Adrien Agreste, who is also her crush!
It won't be hard for him to figure out between the lines! She's sure he now knew that she's Ladybug!
Worse, this could end up with Chat Blanc actually happening in this timeline!
She hurriedly lifted her head and looked around for any burrow portals opening nearby.
How him knowing his identity would lead to Chat Noir knowing and get akumatized, she still doesn't know, but it is detrimental that she talks to Adrien about keeping it a secret.
Else, she would need to drop out of school, change her identity, fly to another country and start a new life there with nothing and no o—
“Marinette!” Alya managed to get through her panic-induced spiral by shaking her shoulders at the same time.
“... yes…?”
“I said, who did you sent the messages to?”
Marinette got this, she just needed to say his name. Then say she has a plan.
But she's sleep deprived, and panicking.
So she instead ran to the nearest bathroom instead, leaving her cellphone and the approaching blond boy who just got out of his car.
Marinette knew she needed to go in her classroom, but what she should do is opposing what she wanted to do.
So she stayed outside the door.
Well, she stayed for as long as she could, until Miss Bustier had to usher her in the moment she arrived.
Now, she's been struggling between being sleep deprived who needed to focus in class versus sleep deprived who needed to explain to Adrien what the hell she sent him last night.
Not wanting to choose, she decided to sleep until the end of the day.
Alya could only look at her with sympathy as she sneakily slid the notes she wrote for her friend, as well as the assignments they were to submit the following days.
Why she sneakily put it there? Well, because Nino told her during lunch time that his boy was seeking help to talk to her girl about “something important”.
Alya, being her friend's number 1 cheerleader and adrinette fan, didn't remember the incident earlier morning and instead thought that their friend finally realized what he feels about Marinette and that she wasn't “just a friend” to him anymore.
Marinette then was woken up with Adrien, the two fully alone inside their own classroom.
She was immediately filled with dread and tried to defend herself but before she could open her mouth, the blond boy beat her to it.
“I've read the messages you sent to me last night—and I wanted to apologize for doing so.”
Marinette was confused, and it showed on her exhausted face. “... what?” Why is he apologizing? She should be the one saying sorry, not him.
Adrien scratched his nape. “Well, I wanted to apologize for reading a message that's supposed to be sent to Alya's…”
“That sounds like there's a but afterwards…” Marinette asked cautiously.
Adrien awkwardly nodded. “Because there is.”
He then stared firmly at Marinette, like he was standing his ground. “Look, I'm sorry for reading the messages, but I'm not apologizing for discovering that I've been calling the girl of my dreams a friend for quite a long time.”
Once he noticed that Marinette hasn't gave a response on what he said, he continued to pour his heart out, mainly so he can say everything he wanted to say and worry about its effect on her afterwards.
“I've been so focused, so tunnel-visioned if you will, on Ladybug that I didn't realize that she's right in front of me everyday at school! I didn't want to apologize for that message but wanted to thank you instead. So thank you, Marinette. I guess I should thank Hawkmoth for unintentionally bringing us closer together, huh?” Adrien chuckled.
“If you'd like, I'd want to show you how thankful I am this weekend. Same rooftop as the one I did prepare a while ago when Glaciator appeared. I hope you accept my invitation, Milady.”
He then gave Marinette a few more seconds to process the information he gave her before he finally left, smiling to himself for a job well done.
His kwami is also proud of how he handled the situation in front of his Lady...
Though that doesn't erase his freak-out session last night in Plagg's mind.
Marinette, still sleep deprived, obviously didn't realize what he said and just nodded and went home herself.
Which she regretted a few hours later as a certain house in Paris was filled with incoherent screams of surprise and frustration.
All coming from one small teenager who masquerades as a Ladybug heroine whenever situation requires.