Chapter Text
POV MARC
It had been exactly 1 year and 3 months since Nathaniel got akumatized, and it seems as though everyone had forgotten about ‘The Evillustrator’.
Everyone that is, except Marc.
Marc had always admired the older boy.
He specifically had turned off his account activity visibility on his account for the school website, so he could stalk Nathaiel’s profile.
Marc would spend hours in his room just staring at Nathaniel’s art that he posted, admiring it with a playlist he made about him playing softly in the background.
No one knew about this secret ritual of his. Partially because he didn’t have any friends but that was beside the point.
Well, Marc guessed he was friends with his cousin; Marinette Dupen-Chang. But they never really hung out much,
The truth is, Marc was a lonely, anxious boy whose only two hobbies were stalking Nathaniel Kurtzberg, and writing.
God, Marc loved writing.
He had so many ideas for stories in his head; so many that his mind was overflowing with them.
He was currently writing a story under the staircase at his school.
It was titled ‘Ladybug’s Diary’ and he was writing about the day Nathaniel became ‘The Evillustrator’.
Nathaniel was all Marc thought about - he couldn’t even write without thinking about him.
The mystery of Ladybug’s secret identity was huge. So huge.
Marc wish he knew who ladybug really was, but that was in no way possible.
Ladybug and Cat Noir obviously had to keep their identities a secret, but every piece of Marc’s soul ached to know.
The school bell rings, and students climb up the stairs that he’s under, the clanking and stomping of feet irritating him.
As he was writing in his journal - now for fiction purposes, Ladybugs Diary - he was looking at drawings of her and The Evillustrator’ on his phone.
From behind him, Marinette peeked through the gap between two steps to look at him. “Hey, Marc!” she says cheerily, startling him. She walks over to him, bending her knees slightly. “How’s it going? Where's the rest of your class?”
Marc feels slightly annoyed.
He was writing, but he guessed it could wait for a few seconds to talk to his cousin,
“Oh, hey, Marinette,” he greets her, his tone ever so slightly bored. “We’re done with classes for today. The others probably went home,” he explains dryly.
“Perfect timing!” she exclaims, still as bubbly as a bubble-bath. “Our class has a spare hour so some of us are heading over to the art room. You should come check it out!”
He sighs. “Sure,” he says reluctantly. “Why not?”
She steps closer. “Maybe you’ll let me read your writing!”
Marinette doesn’t mean to be… a bit unsettling. She’s always been just a tad nosy and extremely chatty.
His green eyes suddenly flashed with fear. “Yeah… I dunno. Maybe,” he says quickly.
“Awesome! See you later, then!” she runs off, leaving Marc alone again.
He breathes a sigh of relief.
Finally, alone like he likes it.