Adrien
He perched high on the edge of the building, looking over the beautiful city of Paris. He always thought paris looked better at night. With it's twinkling lights and quieter streets. The sounds of a bustling city replaced at night by... sobbing? He listened harder, confirming that it was in fact someone crying. Crying hard enough to be in danger of an acuma attack. Extending his baton into the street below, he moved to another rooftop, a familiar bakery coming into view. He could see the silhouette of someone standing on the roof, holding on to the rail as if their life depended on it. That was Marinette's roof. Squinting, he could tell it was her. He hadn't seen her cry like that before. It was a heart breaking sight, and the sound was even worse. She was fighting to breathe through the tears. Extending his baton once more, he vaulted over her, landing behind her with a soft thud. She didn't look back and he noticed her move her hands to her face, presumably to wipe away her tears.
"Hey Chat Noir. How goes patrol?"
Her voice cracked with each word, setting his hair on end.
"It's alright."
He whispered, moving next to her and looking up at the sky.
"What's wrong Marinette?"
He turned to face her, and as if on instinct, she turned her face away from him, trying to hide that she had been crying.
"Why would anything be wrong?"
She tried to make her voice sound nonchalant, but he could still hear it waver. He frowned, shuffling closer. He wasn't the best at calming someone who was upset.
"I saw you crying Mari. You can talk to me."
She sighed, turning her gaze back to the view. He could only see the side of her face, but tears were still evident on her cheeks.
"I'm just tired kitty. No need to worry."
She offered him a cheeky smile, but he could tell it wasn't sincere.
"Is this about that boy?"
Her eyebrows shot up in suprise, it had been years ago she had confided in him about that boy.
"I'm suprised you remember that."
"Cats have a really good memory."
She smiled at that, and he felt a little of his worry fade.
"Some of it is. I got another rejection letter today."
She was already applying for colleges? Their senior year was coming to an end, but still. Guilt pricked at his insides. He hadn't even thought about college. He wasn't ready for his life to get going yet. He liked things as they were, all of his friends together in one place. He wanted more time. Realizing he hadn't said anything, he cleared his throat.
"Is that all?"
She sighed, and it seemed like she didn't want to answer.
"There's always just so much weight on my shoulders. So much responsibility. I'm starting to lose faith in my ability to carry it all."
She admitted, sounding a little bitter. He frowned at her, turning to face her completely.
"You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. How long have you felt like this?"
She smiled, but it was poorly hiding a grimace.
"Too long."
She murmered, placing her hands back on the railing. He didn't miss how white her knuckles grew from the grip she held.
"Does Alya know? Isn't she your best friend?"
"Alya is happy. She and Nino are making plans for their future. I don't want her worrying about me on top of that."
He watched her for a moment, before turning his gaze to his feet. How had no one noticed that this was how she felt? How had he missed it?
"And before you ask, neither does he."
"Maybe you should talk to him."
Her expression grew dull, and she closed her eyes.
"I can't. He...he still loves someone else. And he seems happy with her. I just want him to be happy."
She whispered, and he knew exactly how she felt. He felt the same about ladybug.
"Marinette. Always putting other's needs before her own. Tsk tsk tsk."
She seemed to smile at that, finally turning to look at him. He could see the loneliness in her eyes now that she had admitted it to him, and he mentally cursed himself for it. What kind of friend missed something like that?
"I hear that's supposed to be an admirable trait."
"It is... but sometimes it's okay to put yourself first. It's okay to be a little selfish."
She grew silent, and he wondered if he had said the wrong thing. She didn't make him wonder long, because her smile came back.
"Thanks kitty."
"Anytime Mari. And, since you don't have anyone else to confide in, I volunteer myself to be your very own, personal thera-purr-ist. I'll swing by on my patrols."
She rolled her eyes at his pun, shaking her head.
"I appreciate the thought Chat, but-"
"I'm not taking no for an answer Mari. I'll be back tomorrow night."
She sighed, giving him a small nod. He bowed, taking out his baton.
"Until tomorrow purrincess."
Using his baton he hopped from the roof, jumping over the building next door.
"Goodnight Kitty."
He heard her whisper, and he smiled softly, hoping he had made her night a little better.
Marinette
She stumbled into the classroom, earning an annoyed look from the teacher. She made it to her seat, and Alya nudged her arm.
"Where have you been?"
"I over slept."
The lie fell from her lips easily, and she wanted to cringe. She hated lying. But it was becoming so much easier than telling the truth. She barely slept last night, pondering over Chat's words. Could she really allow herself to be selfish? Was that okay?
"Marinette!"
She snapped her head up, her eyes wide.
"Yes?"
He sighed and waved a packet of paper in her direction. She sheepishly stood, trying to ignore Chloe's snicker. She grabbed the paper, and he cleared his throat.
"Do attempt to pay attention in my class Marinette. And don't be late again."
"Yes, of course."
She made her way back to her seat, her face burning from embarrassment.
"As I was saying, there is a list of examples for your project on the second page. This is a group assignment, and no, you can't choose your own partners. If you look at the top left corner of the first page, you will see your partners name in red. The rest of this class will be dedicated to figuring out who you would like to do the project on, as well as getting started. It's due next Wednesday, good luck, and please keep it down."
Marinette didn't care who her partner was, flipping to the list. She wanted to do the project on someone easy, so she wouldn't have to do much work. She already had so much on her plate. Alya groaned beside her, and she glanced over. She held up her paper, showing off Chloe's name in the corner.
"Ouch. Good luck with that."
Alya sighed, getting up and making her way over to Chloe. Marinette looked back down at the list again, shaking her head. It was just a list of dead famous people. How was she supposed to know who would be easier to do a project on? Someone sat down next to her, and she glanced up. Bright green eyes were the first thing that caught her attention, then the golden hair. Adrien smiled at her, and her stomach did a somersault. She immediately looked down, flipping back to the front page. Yep. He was her partner.
"Hey Marinette."
"Hey."
Her voice squeaked, and she hated herself for it. Even after all this time, he still managed to get her flustered.
"Anyone you had in mind for the project?"
She shook her head, not trusting her voice not to betray her again. He leaned over and looked down at her paper, and she caught a whiff of his cologne. She leaned back farther in her seat, begging not to make a fool of herself. He made a face as he read through the list, and she looked away, trying to ignore how close he was.
"All of these people sound kind of boring."
"Ye-yeah."
She agreed, turning her gaze to Alya for support, who was already engaged in a 'lively' conversation with Chloe.
"We could go to the library."
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, and she could feel her face heating up. The library? Alone?
"I'll go ask if that's alright."
Before she could manage to answer he got up, and her gaze followed his back. He still wore the same white shirt over the black one, and she wondered why his style hadn't changed over the years. Though she couldn't say much, because hers hadn't really changed either. He spoke with the teacher for a moment, before receiving a dismissive wave. Adrien turned back to Marinette, and motioned for her to come on. She grabbed the packet and a spare notebook, hurrying down the row between desks. He opened the door for her, and she glanced back in Alya's direction. She wore a shit eating grin, and Marinette scowled at her. They walked side by side to the library in silence, with her clutching the notebook to her chest the entire time. The library was quiet, and Marinette noticed no one was at the desk.
"Hello?"
Adrien called out and she almost jumped when he broke the silence. They waited for a response, when none came he shrugged.
"Guess it's just us."
'Just us. Great.'
She thought bitterly, the butterflies in her stomach multiplying. She was going to be sick. He walked over to the autobiographies, scanning through the titles.
"Dead presidents?"
She shook her head no, and he stepped to the side, reading more titles.
"Dead actors?"
"I'll just let you pick."
She said it with a smile, but he frowned when he looked at her.
"Are you okay?"
Her smile faded, and she looked away from him.
"Why is everyone asking me that? Of course I'm okay. I just thought it would be easier if you picked, that's all."
She moved to the table, opening the notebook to a fresh page as a distraction.
"Mari?"
She flinched at the name, and how sweet it sounded coming from him.
"Y-yeah?"
"Are you really okay? You just seem... so stressed lately."
Why did everyone suddenly care about how she felt? Was it that obvious, that even Adrien, one of the most clueless boys she knew, somehow noticed?
"No worries. Really, I'm fi-"
She turned, her gaze level with his jaw. She took a step back, the table digging into her waist. She looked up, guilt pooling in her stomach. He looked so concerned. She felt her face flush, and he cocked his head slightly. Her thoughts started wandering, as did her eyes. With how close he was, she could see the definition of his muscles through his shirt, the brightest green eyes she had ever seen. His eyes brought her back to the first time she ever paid attention to them, that day in the rain. With his stupid umbrella. Her skin grew hot, and she looked down at her feet.
"I'm fine."
She hated how forced it sounded, but she couldn't control that. She felt his finger slip under her chin, tilting her head back up. She made eye contact with him, her heart skipping a few too many beats.
"Would you tell me if you weren't?"
Warmth spread from his touch, sending a shock wave through her. To hide her reaction she pulled away from his hand, forcing a smile.
"Yes. If fine you're not- I-I mean if you're not fine-."
She paused, getting angry with herself. Why couldn't she just talk to him like a normal person? She took a deep breath, praying her tounge would untie itself.
"If I'm not fine I'll tell you."
Her words came out in a rush, and she sighed in relief that they were finally in the right order. She stepped around him, heading over to the bookshelf.
"You've always been there for me Mari. I'd like to one day return the favor."
She closed her eyes, trying not to let any tears gather.
"Thank you."
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it!