#After finding out the identity thing Alya judges Mari for her Ladybug fits

[a-flaming-idiot]

Headcanon: Marinette is kinda self conscious about the fact her hero suit is just a red bodysuit. But she hasn't figured out how to change it yet. So sometimes she just throws on a jacket, boots, and like a scarf or some other accessories and does patrols with Chat like that.

There's a part of the Ladyblog that is just dedicated to cataloging and rating Ladybug's fits.

[xhanisai]

Speak Now, Regret Later.

A/N: OKAY! So this anon sent an amazing ask to the terrible-akuma-ideas blog and I was instantly inspired to write something related to it- I legitimately burst out laughing and oh god I hope you all enjoy this! I think we all need a little breather from the Chat Blanc teasers. Without further ado, read on~

(Co-Posted on AO3 and FFN) ~(x)~

The silence has never been so loud. Not even a pin drop was to be heard in the park across the Dupain Cheng Bakery. The bespeckled couple along with their blonde companion stood as still as statues, arms stretched out and mouths gaping with fear and failure. They were too slow to save their friend...if only they were a second faster...if only one of them was even a smidge closer to the raven haired girl... Marinette could have sworn that her heart stopped beating, hands clamped against her mouth and eyes close to bulging out of their sockets. The cackling akuma before her, dressed in the most hideous attire ever since Le Bubbleur made his debut. The akuma's hands stop glowing in its sinister, gold colour along with Marinette's body. "Heh, now I wonder what interesting inner thoughts will escape you now, Class President!" The akuma- also self-claimed as 'Unprivatiser', cocked his head to the side in mock innocence. The akuma's power seems to have control over Marinette's hands as well from the way they were slipping down from her mouth despite her iron will. "Will they be as embarrassing as mine? Will they humiliate you just like the way everyone else humiliated me? Will we finally see if Miss Perfect of our collegé really is perfect?" 

Marinette naturally sunk her teeth into her lips, shaking and attempting everything to keep her mouth shut. One wrong move and she could blurt out her secret identity, dooming Paris along with her normal life and fail her partner. "Leave her alone!" Adrien bellowed, finally getting his legs to move and formed a human wall between the akuma and Marinette, arms spread wide. Nino and Alya yelled in agreement, forming the wall with him to protect their girl. "Why did you shoot her when she's the one who helped you back up? I thought you'd go for Chloe first!" The emerald eyed boy made subtle gestures to Alya and Nino, indicating that they take Marinette away whilst he stalls Unprivatiser for some time. Unknowingly to them, he was risking his secret identity too and judging with how Plagg's claws were digging into his chest through the inner pocket, he doesn't have much time and he better not mess this up. "That's the thing! Just because she helped me back up doesn't mean she didn't have any nasty thoughts running through her head. I want to know what she really was thinking when she supposedly helped me up. Did she think I was pitiful and gross? Did she think I was a tramp? It feels too good to be true for the school's sweetest girl in the world to help out a boy who pissed himself without any judgemental thinking, right?" Suddenly, Marinette's will completely shattered and her mouth opened without consent. "Oh my God, oh my God! If anyone finds out that I take bites out of Kit Kats, they'll have my head!" The girl grasped her hands back towards her mouth, oblivious to everyone else's dumbstruck faces and internally begged her body to listen to her mind. Her hand and mouth seemed to think otherwise. "I also like drinking ice cold water straight after brushing my teeth because the sting helps wake me up better than coffee!" Was the next thing Marinette blurted out. The only thing she could do was pace and her hands tugged on her twin tails. Nino and Alya exhaled in relief, thanking heaven for not ruining Mari's day. "Hey- Le Papillon? What the hell is this?" The butterfly silhouette appeared over Unprivatiser's face, irritation pumping through his veins. Thus, a one-sided argument was heard and Adrien took the opportunity to usher his friends out of the danger zone. He kept his hands behind Marinette's shoulders and nodded towards the others to follow him so that they can hide elsewhere. Much to his dismay, Alya had her phone whipped out to livestream the villain whilst Nino slumped to his knees in hopelessness. Once his girlfriend makes a decision, she sticks to it, no matter what. Shaking his head, he supposed that with them two out of the way, it would be easier to find a secluded place to transform. First, he needs to get Marinette to safety. "We'll head to your bakery, how does that sound?" Adrien asked gently and squeezed her shoulders reassuringly as he sped them towards her home. "N-N-No! Ack! Your father is supposed to be a fashion designer so what's with the revolting candy cane, white mocha frappuccino, whipped cream looking ass clothes he wears on a daily basis!?" The girl snapped her hands back against her mouth in horror, wishing for the ground to swallow her up. "White...mocha...frappuccino...?"

That's it... Forget about secret identities... She's clearly going to be hated by Adrien forever, never get married with him and have their three kids and a hamster, also get blacklisted from every fashion industry in Europe and die ALONE- "Pffft-" Her pitiful monologue within her chaotic mind was halted by an uncharacteristic snort from the blonde. That soon turned into laughter despite Adrien holding a fist against his lips. Before they knew it, he burst out laughing like no tomorrow, hooting against the wall and clutching his stomach. Tears streamed out of his eyes as he kept repeating what she said over and over again. Marinette didn't know whether to be embarrassed or savour this moment; it was the second time she's ever heard him laugh so freely ever since he gave her that umbrella in the rain.   "W-W-White mo-mocha frapp-frappuccino! Oh man! I can't unsee that now! Hahahah!" He collapsed on the floor, ignorant to any passerbyers' worried glances or mischievious expressions. "I can't believe it! Pffft!" "If you keep laughing like that, you'll make the sun envy you because of how much you shine compared to it..." Her tone was soft and loving at first but Marinette quickly gritted her teeth to prevent herself from saying anymore. Damn akuma...damn Adrien and his beautiful laugh! The boy appeared to be awestrucked from her words, clearing the laughter away from his system and butterflies erupted in his stomach. He lowered his eyes sweetly with a chortle, cupping one of her hands with his and beamed. "Thank you, that's very sweet of you, Marinette," He didn't mind the way his heart richotated against his chest like it usually does around Ladybug. He's already had his freakout from his sudden discovery of his growing feelings for his shy classmate, months ago. Or perhaps they were there all along? He's not going to admit it out loud to avoid a smug, insufferable kwami though. "Not as sweet as the three containers of sugar I devoured when I was five." The poor girl smacked her forehead and growled, cursing the akuma whilst it continued to argue with Le Papillon in the park. Adrien bit his lip to avoid laughing again. Though it was oh so tempting to tease her... It wouldn't harm anyone, would it? Just to let a bit of his Chat Noir side seep out? "Is that so~?" He smirked. Marinette instantly grasped his game, a cute scowl took over her face as she took a step back. Adrien took a large step forward in retaliation. He should go and transform right now...but teasing Marinette is so fun! Surely Ladybug won't mind if he's late for a minute or two, considering how harmless the akuma is? "When I first saw snow, I thought it was icing sugar and proceeded to try and eat it." Mari sucked her teeth in, walking backwards, trying to get away from the devious blonde. "How adorable, do tell more," He followed her steps, arms behind his back. He didn't care that they were headed to some random direction instead of the safe destination he wanted Marinette to be at earlier on. "Grrr- I freaked out when I visited a farm a couple of years ago because some chickens stole my crisps. They were roast chicken flavour and I thought they committed cannibalism!" "Oho?" "Turns out, they were only artificially flavoured." "Thank God for that," "I wish God was nice to me for once and allowed me a day where I don't embarrass myself." She systematically glared at the sky before back at the snickering model. "I wouldn't say that this is embarrassing," "Yeah you're right, not as embarrassing as when I accidentally called Monsieur. Damocles 'Papa' last week," "I think that's also very cute." Adrien's grin broadened when Marinette's back hit a lampost, leaving her no room to run now. The cat and mouse game has finally come to an end- an inside  joke he sadly couldn't say out loud despite how fitting it was for the situation due to secret identities. "Not as cute as that little baby with its parents over there, I hope one day my kids look as cute as them," Marinette was distracted by the family scurrying away from the park, a subtle smile rested on her lips. Adrien felt his heart skyrocket and let out an inaudible gasp. He leaned into her face, prompting her to flush and look away. She so was going to kill him after the akuma is purified. "They definitely will be since their mother is so beautiful," Boldly, Adrien brushed his knuckles against her fringe, gazing into her with such strong intensity that Marinette could have sworn that she was looking at... Chat Noir. "You remind me of a certain feline who made himself home with half of my heart," 

Sapphire orbs and emerald orbs widened simultaneously with matching gasps, inducing the former to dash off with a squeal and bidding goodbye to any potential romantic chances she had with Adrien. After all, who on earth compares their best friend to their crush when he's flirting with you? Why was he flirting with a klutz like her in the first place?! "You have terrible tastes in women!" Marinette cried out mournfully, not looking back to see Adrien's reaction. If she did, she would have seen how his face took on a raspberry hue, one hand grasping his face and eyes still wide. His heart thundered and his body shook ever so slightly. "Plagg...? Does that mean...she's still in love with Chat Noir?" The lazy God popped his head out of his safe pocket and narrowed his eyes with a smirk. "Ooooh? What's with that face? I thought Princess was 'just a friend' to you, kid." This caused the blood to flare up in Adrien's cheeks again. He could feel the vibrations of Plagg's quiet laughter for goodness sake! Swallowing down his pride, Adrien shook his head. "Don't tease me now...you're the first to point out my crazy crush on her anyways..." Plagg didn't get a chance to retort back as the sounds of the akuma yelling and the crowd scattering filled the air. "Anyone who disagrees with the fact that mayonnaise and pizza is a Godly combination, deserves to face my wrath! Especially the pineapple-stans!" "If I have to suffer with the fact that our intestines are basically eels in our body, so do you!" "I can't break the habit of dipping my fries in my milkshakes..." "My boss still hasn't realised that I'm the one who stole his donuts!" "I feel like pissing on the moon." "What is love~! Baby don't hurt me! Don't hurt me! No more~" "I don't know whether to be horrified or amused with how similar Gabriel Agreste's hair looks compared to a duck's ass- oH SHIT HIS SON HEARD ME-" Stifling another laughing fit, Adrien darted off to a remote alleyway to finally transform. Contrary to popular beliefs, everytime someone makes a dig or jab at his father, Adrien can't help but agree most of the time. There is no justification for such horrendous hair after all- and his daily clothing now that he thinks about it. "Heheh...mocha frappuccino though Plagg..." His snickers started to build up, regardless to his kwami's groans. Thankfully, he composed himself in a matter of seconds and transformed. ~(x)~ "Long time no see, My Lady!" Chat Noir performed a perfect acrobatic flip, landing elegantly on his feet and grinned with his iconic cheshire smirk. It was wiped off after Unprivatiser dodged another one of Ladybug's yoyo swings whilst she tried to clamp her mouth shut with her free hand. She leapt back so that she was by Noir's side, smiling painfully before smacking her hand back on her lips. Chat suddenly realised the severity of the issue, letting out a colourful swear for wasting time earlier on and was about to clasp his hands against her lips when her hands fell. Ladybug CANNOT reveal her identity! "It took you long enough you slowpoke! Any second later and I'd have blurted out how I fell asleep in my bowl of cereal this morning!" Well, too late for that. "Where were you? Busy flirting with other girls? Hmmph!" It was literally killing the boy to not laugh right now. "Just the one, Bugaboo~ You remind me of her a lot so I suppose I have a type?" Chat mused out loud, dodging the beams that Unprivatiser threw. Whilst the villain shrieked for their miraculouses, the black cat continued. "Jealous?" He twirled his baton to deflect more of the beams, in sync with Ladybug twirling her yoyo. "I shouldn't be but I bloody I am," Just like that, Chat Noir's whole world came to a halt and Ladybug's pride was finally tattered to smithereens. "W-What?" "Don't make me say how you've already infected half of my heart with your stupid gooey kitty eyes and dumb affections and annoying power of turning my heart into a jackhammer every time you're near!" The blonde teen couldn't believe his ears. "Holy shit..." He whispered softly. "This isn't real..." Their distraction costed them dearly. The duo was instantly engulfed in the akuma's golden beam, the boy admonishing for the jewels once again and made his displeasure of their 'flirting' clear. "Just hurry up and gimme! I have the most dumbest power ever and if I get those jewels, butterfly man will give me an upgrade so that I can finally teach Bourgeois a lesson!" Unprivatiser ignored the old villain's muttering of "It's Le Papillon you brat..." in his mind, getting ready to tackle the heroes. "I'm already a bit of a stereotypical blonde dummy and I don't need your dumb powers to dumb me down even further! Though to be fair the amount of anime I have watched has stunted my view on social norms-" Chat spluttered out without control, close to slapping his hand against his lips by instinct. However, he processed his words and hummed. "This isn't too bad, right Lovebug?" He cheekily elbowed her side with a wink, heart fluttering from her sudden confession and mind still trying to process that. "At least you didn't have to make a fool out of yourself in front of the two boys you love," She dragged them both away to another rooftop with the swing of her yoyo. She really wanted to just get rid of this akuma and run back home without a word but her mind was already combusting to the brim with unsaid words that desperately wanted to be spilled. "You love me too?!" Chat almost lost his footing. "B-B-But I think I love the other girl too-" "FANTASTIC! Perfect timing! The moment I lost my chance with the other dumbass and finally confess to you after so long-" "That long!?" "MISS WONDER GIRL decides to show up and now you're smitten with HER!" "To be fair, I was crushing on her ever since I met her-" "REMARKABLE! I really am destined to be alone! All cos I told him that he reminded me of you!" "Wait- WHAT-" Chat Noir didn't get a chance to comprehend the puzzle he's accidently solved. "JUST. GIVE. ME. YOUR. MIRACULOUSES!" Unprivatiser shot himself against the building the heroes were standing on like a bullet, demolishing it into pieces. He was fast but they were much faster. Ladybug and Chat Noir landed on the barren street. Their bodies seem to be on attack mode but their minds were still in a huge mess. "OhMyGodOhMyGodOhMyGodOhMyGodOhMyGodOhMyGodOhMyGodOhMyGodOhMyGodOhMyGodOhMyGodOhMyGod-" Was all that Chat was able to muster, never letting his lovestruck eyes leave his Lady's form as she summoned her lucky charm. "I knew it, I called it, I KNEW THAT YOU'RE- wait...is that Lucky Charm..." . . . "...White mocha frappuccino? Like Gabriel Agreste's ugly clothes?" Neither her nor Unprivatiser were able to exchange anymore words as Chat Noir abruptly collapsed into a puddle of guffaws and laughter. His fists slammed against the floor and he was unable to stop the words from spilling his mouth over and over again. "Oh man...it was only ever one guy I made myself a fool of..." Ladybug sighed out, albeit fondly. She'll freak out later but for now, she's got a job to do. "N-Now, now! I recall mentioning that it was cute a few time, Princess," Chat heaved himself off the floor, leaning against his Lady's shoulder for support so that he doesn't fall into another laughing fit again. "...It's not fair that you've barely said any embarrassing things despite getting hit by the beam," Ladybug puffed a cheek out, tossing the frappuccino at the akuma's lower midriff when he tried to attack again, soaking him instantly. "That's because I am the incarnate of embarrassment anyways. Plus, I always say what's on my mind regardless. Like that one time I asked what Pere and Mere were doing in the dark when I stumbled into their room- I think I was five? Maybe four-" He softly cataclysmed the cloak that Unprivatiser wore, replaced by ashes and a fluttering corrupted butterfly. The magic wore off and in place was a timid looking boy wearing the spare clothes that the school gave him after his accident. "Weren't they hugging? That's what my parents always tell me every time I enter their room after hearing weird noises." She purified the butterfly and performed the miraculous cure. "Oh my God...are you really that innocent?!" Chat only received a confused blink from her. A blush took over his face and his need to protect her increased by tenfolds. ~(x)~

The dynamic duo comforted the poor boy for a bit, giving him an extra confidence boost before leaping away as their final minutes beeped in their miraculouses. Naturally, Ladybug and Chat Noir chose a deserted classroom in their school as their destination, considering how lunch time was almost over. A heavy silence was left in the air and the two couldn't help but look anywhere else but at each other's eyes. Their transformation crackled away in sync, leaving behind two astonished teenagers and their hungry companions (the kwamis dived into Marinette's purse to ensure that their charges had some privacy). It was one thing to know. It was another thing to see. Marinette connected her two pointer fingers, looking down at them as her cheeks pinkened into a delightful sakura shade, tempting Adrien to kiss them. The boy in question had a hand itching the back of his head but couldn't help but let a silly smile grow on his lips. One look at his face had Marinette's follow suit. They snickered at first, trying hard to stay composed but one more glance at each other caused them to break out into giggles. What an eventful day! "I can't believe I got outed by a frappuccino- heh!" Adrien joyfully opened his arms, inviting Marinette to step into them so that he could wrap her in an embrace. The girl wrapped her arms around his waist, sighing happily into his chest. "Don't know if it beats me getting outed by confessing that I confessed to you that I liked you...?" Her nose scrunched up charmingly. "That makes no sense." "You rejected me, for me, I rejected you, for you but fell in love with you despite you and you fell in love with me despite me, yes, ten out of ten sense in the romance department." Marinette rolled her eyes at Adrien's dramaticness. "All of this drama and heartache could have been resolved if it weren't for the identities, Chaton! Ugh!" "Please...my brain hurts too much already from all of this." "I want to go home and scream into my pillow, or devour every single pastry at the bakery...anything to keep my mouth busy," "Oh?" Slowly, Marinette pulled away, only getting as far as a few centimeters away due to the way Adrien's arms locked itself around her body. He didn't seem to intend on letting her go anytime soon. "You could..." She bit her lip, not missing the way his eyes flickered down there for a second. "Kiss me instead?" Adrien's eyes darkened at her request and brought his hands to cup her cheeks and tilt it upwards so that their eyes could meet. He moved closer with a careful procision. He tilted his head at a perfect angle and his fingers dug into her dark tresses. Their foreheads were now touching, letting their hair entangle with one another and their chests were pressed against the other. Marinette let her eyes flutter shut the moment she felt his warm breath hit her lips whilst her heart was close to exploding in anticipation. Their lips brushed every so softly and then- "You know, we still have to talk about your unlawful ways of eating a Kit Kat." The moment was gone. . . . ~(x)~ A/N: It's almost five in the morning... I hope you're all h a p p y .

[gwennhadu-bug]

Cookies at a Fist-Fight

Alyanette one-shot as requested by @rose-but-not-quartz. “ Could you do a piece where Alya is new in school and someone spreads rumor that she's gonna fight Marinette (who she's never met), and Mari panics and just shows up w macroons? "You brought cookies to a fist-fight?" “

( 3223 words )

Before today, before Paris, Alya had never been in a room this nice. She laid on her back on the big, plush bed, holding a pillow to her chest and listening to her new friend talk and talk and talk and...was this really what her new life in Paris was going to be? Sitting in a hotel room, watching a rich girl brush her hair while a third girl sat like a glorified elastic holder? Honestly, was this an upgrade from her life back home?

“-And you’re really going to want to avoid Max. He’s...a little queer, you know? Weird. Always talks like he’s the smartest kid in the room, always tries to cuddle up to that awful Kim boy. And I’ve already warned you about Kim. I mean, he’s a boy, whose name is Kim. Do I need to say anything more?” Chloé laughed, that high-pitched, wicked laugh that honestly, reminded Alya more of a villain’s laugh than anything else.

And for the seventh time that afternoon, Alya wondered if she was in the right place right now. “Isn’t Kim a really common boy’s name for Vietnamese people?”

“Maybe. Do I look like I care what’s common in Vietnam?” Chloé waved a hand away. “Alya, you are so lucky you found us. We’re going to be best friends, and you won’t have to worry about getting bogged down with any of the losers in our class. Isn’t that right, Sabrina?”

Sabrina nodded firmly. “Right! Chloé knows how to be cool!”

Alya wasn’t so sure. She sat up on the bed and looked out the window at the city of Paris. Her new home...apparently. She thought of her comic books sitting in her room, still packed up in a cardboard box. More and more, Chloé was acting like the villains in those books, villains Alya swore she’d never let triumph.

At least Paris had that going for it...real, live superheroes. That was certainly an upgrade from home. It had been just the day before that she’d almost gotten crushed by a football goal, saved by a boy dressed like a leather cat while trying to record her first real, live supervillain. Moments later, Chat Noir was joined by the most incredible, beautiful, wonderful girl Alya had ever seen. A Ladybug superhero. One who was really human...Alya had seen her hesitance and seen her nerves. The girl had real worries and real fear. And even more incredible, Alya had seen when the superheroine had a change of heart. Her fists had tightened, her expression had hardened, even her posture had improved. She whirled around, used magic, actual magic, and defeated the giant rock monster. And then defeated him again, on the top of the Eiffel Tower itself! It was amazing!

Alya had replayed her interaction with the heroes a thousand times in her mind and every time, she prayed that she had been the one to encourage Ladybug’s change of heart. Ladybug, who gave her name to Alya and her camera. Ladybug, who smiled and waved. Ladybug, who had listened when Alya had cheered her on. No, she’d never met the heroine before that day. And no, she hadn’t met her again...not yet! But all she needed to do was see her in her red and black and know that Ladybug would keep Alya, and all of Paris, safe.

Alya should be on Ladybug’s side, not Chloé’s. But Chloé was the only one to reach out to her that first day of school. She needed at least one ally to get through a new collège, and there wasn’t any real sign that Chloé was a villain. Maybe it was all just part of her elaborate disguise. Maybe. Fat chance, but maybe.

“-And then,” Chloé continued, now applying mascara, “There’s Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” She spat the name out with venom and encouraged a passionate ‘ew’ in approval from Sabrina. “Of all the broke, ugly, pathetic scum in our class, she is the worst. Let’s start with the obvious. Daughter of a baker? Please! That’s literally the peasant class.”

Alya bit her tongue. She was the daughter of Chloé’s father’s employee. Was that any better?

“She’s so stupid and clumsy. Marinette breaks everything she touches and always has since Primary school. She trips over air.” Chloé and Sabrina cackled as if that was the funniest thing in the world. Alya frowned, now getting more and more uncomfortable. But she had no other friends to go to. Not in all of Paris. “She’s so poor, she has to make her own clothes. And they’re ugly, too. Not like me...I only buy the finest Gabriel brand items. Don’t worry, Alya, we’ll get you fitted and find something less Provincial than what you’re wearing. But Marinette. Ugh! Even her name sounds terrible. Dupain-Cheng?! Please. Find an identity and stick with it. Make up your mind! Are you the daughter of a poor baker or a poor immigrant? This combo-name-thing is even worse than either alone.”

“Chloé, I think that’s going a little far,” Alya risked, her voice growing stern. After all, she was a second-generation immigrant. “Paris is for anyone.”

“Alya, ma petite, you’re still brand new to Paris. My daddy runs this city. We practically own it. I think I know who Paris is for.” She tittered another laugh. “That’s not even the worst parts about Marinette, though. She’s such a sad-sack, she doesn’t have any friends.”

Alya crossed her arms and looked away from Chloé. Alya decided that maybe she didn’t have any friends either. If this is what Chloé used to judge people, Alya could find someone better. Or spend a few miserable months alone.

But Chloé seemed to pick up on Alya’s new hostility, because she suddenly stammered out, “And she’s a really horrible person in other ways, too! That’s why we don’t like her, right, Sabrina? Marinette...she...she kicks puppies?”

Alya raised an eyebrow. “She kicks puppies?” she asked, voice flat.

“Before she eats them. Because she’s Chinese, you know?”

“Oh, god. Now that really is just racist, Chloé!”

“No, no, no,” Chloé started to laugh again, but her laugh was now forced, higher-pitched than before. “The eating them was just a joke. She’s the one who’s racist! Against...against black people! And white people, like me! But she really does kick puppies! And she steals from her parents’ bakery, and she cheats in class, she’s so poor that she’s bitter, and she makes fun of our teacher behind her back.” Alya rolled her eyes. She didn’t believe any of this. Maybe she didn’t really know the quiet girl in pigtails, but she was pretty sure this was an exaggeration. “And she hates that new Ladybug girl, too,” Chloé added, “The superhero one? Marinette said she was lame.”

For the first time in about twenty minutes, Alya started paying avid attention. Ladybug. Her hero! She turned her entire body towards Chloé, asking in a hushed voice, “She hates Ladybug?”

Chloé glanced at Sabrina, then back at Alya. Sabrina started frantically nodding and added, “Yeah! I- I heard her say so! She thinks Ladybug is so stupid.”

Chloé nodded as well. “Marinette thinks Paris would be better off without Ladybug. She said she wants to squish her, like a real bug.”

“She thinks Paris would be better off without Ladybug? Without the girl who saved Ivan? Without a real live superhero to protect all of France? She thinks we’d be better off without her?” Alya asked, fists clenching.

“Marinette hates superheroes, but specifically Ladybug. She thinks she’s fake, and a liar, and ugly.”

“UGLY?!” Alya laughed, her hand hitting her forehead. She stood up and started pacing in front of Chloé’s enormous bed. “Ugly?! Ladybug is the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen! The prettiest person I’ve ever seen! She’s so strong and brave...but she’s human, too! She’s real! She’s vulnerable!” Alya shook a finger at Chloé, continuing to rant, “And she deserves support, especially when she’s just starting out. It’s hard to be new! It’s hard to not know what you’re doing! She doesn’t deserve to be bullied or made fun of like that! Ladybug needs allies, she needs the forces of good on her side.”

Chloé grinned as she nodded, but Alya was too blind with rage to see. “Maybe you should show her how you feel, Alya. Put her in her place.”

“Maybe I should! Someone needs to defend Ladybug. Someone needs to have her back!”

Sabrina leaned forward, offering, “Maybe you should fight her!”

“Maybe I should!” Alya shouted again, pacing faster. And what the hell was she saying?! Fight someone? On her first week in Paris?! But this was for Ladybug’s honor. “Maybe...maybe I should!”

---

Marinette had a very confusing next day at school. She had barely walked in when the new girl cornered her and started screaming that she was going to fight her. Marinette had just cowered, panicking, unable to say anything to defend herself. She didn’t even understand most of what the new girl had said...something about Ladybug, which made Marinette freeze up in terror...and then a date, place, and time. Chloé and Sabrina were standing behind her, grinning like maniacs.

According to this new girl, Marinette was going to be seeing stars tomorrow during lunch in front of the metro station just off of campus. But as for right now, Marinette was pacing in her bedroom in an absolute panic. Her brand-new kwami fluttered around after her. “What do I do? What do I do, what do I do, what do I do? Tikki, what do I do?!”

“Marinette, calm down!” Tikki begged, trying to keep up. “I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding!”

“I can’t fight, Tikki! I can barely fight when I’m a superhero. I really can’t do it as Marinette! And what did I even do to this girl?! I don’t want to fight her! She’s the only reason I even had the courage to be Ladybug! I don’t want to fight her!!”

“Maybe it’s a big understanding! Why don’t you just ask?”

“Because she wants to punch my face, Tikki!” Marinette groaned, pulling at her cheeks in desperation. “What do I do?!”

“I don’t think you should fight,” Tikki offered.

“Neither do I, but I don’t really have a choice, do I?!”

“What about a peace offering? Give her something to reconsider? You haven’t done anything wrong, Marinette! I’m sure she just doesn’t realize that!”

Marinette stopped walking and Tikki crashed into the back of her head with a tinkling ‘oof’. “A peace offering? So...give her something instead of fighting?” She spun around. “Do you think that would work? Do you think I could get away without fighting if I give her something?”

“Isn’t it worth a try? Anything would be better than fighting, right?”

Marinette paused and thought. She nodded. “It’s worth a try. Tikki, I’m going to die if I have to fight her. I’m literally going to die! She looks so strong!”

“You’re strong, too. You just took down Stoneheart.”

“But that was as Ladybug,” Marinette whined, collapsing to sit in her desk chair. “She doesn’t want to fight Ladybug. She wants to fight the weakling Marinette!”

“I didn’t mean that you’re strong as Ladybug!” Tikki offered, flying back over to Marinette. “I meant as you. As Marinette! You know what really defeated Stoneheart? Not Ladybug breaking his akumatized object. You. Marinette. Helping out a friend.” Tikki gently lifted Marinette’s chin, looking eye-to-eye. “That’s when you defeated Stoneheart and brought back Ivan. Your gentle, loving spirit is why you were chosen to be Ladybug. And I think that’s what can help you with this new girl, too. You saw how uplifting she can be! Don’t fight. Try and purify her heart, too.”

Marinette sniffled. She met Tikki’s big, faithful eyes. And she nodded.

---

When the bell rang for lunch, Chloé and Sabrina each grabbed one of Alya’s arms. “Let’s go, Alya!” Chloé cheered, dragging her forward. “Now’s the time! It’s your time! Let’s go beat up Marinette Dupain-Cheng!”

“I care more about defending Ladybug,” Alya growled as she pulled her arms out of their grip. But she threw her head back and marched  out of the classroom, walking as if she carried a cape behind her. She tried to ignore the whoops and jeers from their classmates. Maybe this was going to cement her as absolutely unlikeable. Maybe she wouldn’t have any friends at all in this school. But maybe she could make Ladybug feel like someone had her back...and that would be worth it.

She marched all the way to the subway station, Chloé and Sabrina closest behind. Several of Alya’s classmates whose names she didn’t know yet were following at a nervous distance. They all whispered to each other, they all shouted things Alya ignored, they were all there to watch and see who this New Girl really was.

When Alya reached the station entrance, she spun around. “Alright, Dupain-Cheng, where are you?” Alya growled. She bent her fingers back against each other, shaking out her arms in anticipation. Her heartbeat was picking up. She should probably take her glasses off once Marinette arrived...didn’t want to get them broken. “Chloé, you got a hair tie?”

“Don’t ask me,” Chloé scoffed. “Sabrina, give her one.”

Alya put out a hand, not looking at the two supporters as she scanned the crowd. They had now formed a big circle around Alya, but no sign of Marinette. Alya felt a hair tie in her hand and quickly swept her hair into a ponytail. She didn’t want to give Marinette anything to grab onto, obviously.

And there she was. Alya heard it from the crowd first. “Marinette!” They yelled. “Marinette, don’t do it! Go home!” “Marinette, we love you!” “Marinette, I’ll fight her for you!” “Marinette, it isn’t worth it!”

“Come on, Dupain-Cheng!” Alya shouted in the direction of all the commotion. Finally, the tiny girl pushed her way into the circle. Pity flashed through Alya’s heart...this girl looked so broken and nervous, it was almost not fair. This was the girl besmirching Ladybug’s honor? “Get over here and fight me like a woman! You have to pay for what you said!”

Marinette closed her eyes tight. One hand was behind her back, the other closed in a fist, and then she opened her eyes and looked right at Alya. She marched up to her, Alya already planning where to land the first punch. But Marinette stopped well out of range. “I don’t know what I did to make you so mad,” she yelled, possibly just to stop her voice from wavering, “But I’m sorry!” And she thrust her other hand from behind her back, presenting a little box.

The crowd gasped and murmured, trying to figure out what was going on. Alya was glad she had kept her glasses on as she narrowed her eyes to see even better what the box was. It was hard to tell, the way Marinette’s entire body was shaking like a leaf. “What...what is that?” she asked, hesitantly.

Chloé shouted from behind, “Allez, Alya! Punch her! Punch her now!”

Alya ignored Chloé and stepped forward. The closer she got to Marinette, the more the girl cowered until she was practically crouching on the ground, her entire body shaking so firecely that Alya had to grab the box to hold it steady. She looked closer and realized it was a box of high-quality macarons. She blinked. “You brought cookies to a fist-fight?”

In a high-pitched rush, Marinette repeated her statement from earlier. “Whatever I did, I’m sorry!”

Alya laughed once in surprise, opening the box. Was this real? “You brought cookies to a fist-fight?” It just didn’t seem like the actions of a racist, bitter, cheating, dog-kicker. Was all of that a lie, then?

Chloé jeered again, “Allez! Punch her! Kick her!”

Alya spun around and glared at Chloé. “Chloé, would you just shut up?!” Chloé gasped, gripping Sabrina’s hand while the crowd around them ooh’d. Alya turned back to Marinette, now covering her head with her hands and whimpering. “Marinette, you can stand up. I’m not going to punch you.”

Opening her hands just enough to peek through the fingers, Marinette whispered, “You’re not?”

Alya laughed and offered an open hand. “No, I don’t think I am. I don’t think you’re who I thought you were.”

Cautiously, Marinette accepted the hand and stood up. She still looked uncomfortable. “Who did you think I was?”

“A Ladybug hater?” Alya said, offering a weak smile. “...Are you?”

“What?! No! I don’t hate Ladybug! I...I think Ladybug’s….well, I don’t know how I feel about her, but I don’t hate her!”

Alya laughed again, putting a hand to her head and looking at Marinette, wide-eyed in surprise. The crowd was now mumbling in confusion, but she ignored them. “You don’t know how to feel about her? Girl, she’s amazing! She’s so brave, she’s so creative, she’s so courageous. Ladybug saved Paris! She did that for us, because she’s the hero of our city! She’s incredible!”

Marinette’s eyes seemed to sparkle when Alya gushed like that. And for some reason, the sparkle in those eyes made Alya’s heart flip in her chest. “You really think she’s all that?”

“Oh, absolutely. She went into that fight, not knowing if she could win, not knowing if she could save the day...and she did. That is bravery.” Alya paused. In this scenario where she threatened to fight a complete stranger, she wasn’t defending Ladybug. Ladybug wouldn’t want her to beat someone up for having a different opinion...would she? She frowned. “You were a lot braver than me today.”

“You think I was brave?”

“I really do! I mean, you brought cookies to a fist-fight. That’s a kind of bravery only the forces of good have. I wasn’t even brave enough to get the whole story. I just believed the first person who told me something about you.”

“Chloé?” Marinette asked, her lips wrapping around the name like it was a nasty word.

“Yeah. I’m thinking maybe she’s not the most reliable source after all.”

At that, the entire crowd mumbled in agreement. Chloé started to shout and yell, but Alya ignored her, instead, wrapping an arm around Marinette’s shoulders. “Hey, I think maybe you and I should start over.” She opened the box of macarons and offered one to Marinette. “I’m Alya.”

Marinette grinned- honestly, no longer scared, maybe even a little bit hopeful. Her smile may have been the most beautiful smile Alya had seen since Ladybug had given Alya her name. She took the macaron and said, “Hi, Alya. Nice to meet you. I’m Marinette.”

Alya and Marinette giggled, arm in arm pushing through the circle back towards the school. It looked like Paris might not be so bad...maybe Alya would have friends after all. Alya took her own cookie and took a bite, humming in pleasant surprise. “This is really good!”

[cornerverse]

The One Where Chloé Knows

Chloé finds out that Marinette is Ladybug, and ends up telling her more than she wanted to. Marinette offers a new idea: being nicer to people. ((One-sided Chlonette, eventual Chloix))

1, 2, 3, now on Ao3

            Chloé didn’t want to stay in the school. The Akuma was already inside, after all. The fight would be over soon enough for class to resume, but she didn’t feel like sticking around much. If the teachers complained, she’d tell her dad that she’d left because of the Akuma.  

               She made her way down the halls, listening for signs that the battle was heading her way, and eventually got outside. She made it down the stairs before Chat Noir was flung out a window, landing two feet to her left.

               “Oh come on,” she muttered.

               She heard something that sounded like ‘beware!’ before everything went dark.

              Well, it wasn’t completely dark. There was a purple glow that allowed her to see where she was.

               It was a box. Sure, it was made of evil magic and purple glowing, but it was a box all the same. It was small. She could probably lay down and have her head and feet brush the walls, and the ceiling was barely brushing her ponytail.

               The only good part was that Chat Noir was in the box with her. He got up, letting out a few swears as he hit his head on the ceiling.

               “So, are you going to use your Cataclysm and get us out or what?” Chloé asked.

               “Uh, maybe?” he answered.

               “What do you mean ‘maybe’?” she demanded.

               He gave the wall a good kick. Even with superhero strength, there was nothing more than a resounding thud.

               “I know your power can destroy anything,” she sighed. “Just get us out of here already!”

               “I already used Cataclysm on these once,” he said. “They Regenerate themselves, so we’d only have a second to jump out. Last time, I had Ladybug’s luck, so my bad luck won’t make it.”

               “So you’re not even going to try?” she asked.

               “If it doesn’t work,” he explained, “I run out of power, and you get to know who I am.”

               “If that happens, I’ll turn around,” she replied. “I won’t look at you or anything. And as soon as Ladybug fixes everything, you can run out as fast as you can so no one sees you.”

               He shuffled uneasily, his eyes darting to the side. He like he was that little four year old caught snagging an entire plate of Christmas cookies for her tea party. Trying to find a way out.

               What was wrong with him? Was the idea of possibly learning who he was so bad that he’d rather stay here in awkward silence, even though Ladybug might lose the fight without him? Did he really not trust her enough to-

               ‘Oh stars,” Chloé muttered. Her legs gave out, letting her slide down the wall. “Y-you don’t trust me. Why would you? I’m just the girl who terrorizes her classmates into monsters. Why would you trust the girl who is so ruthless to get what she wants, that she locks another girl in a bathroom over a freaking class picture! You probably think I’d blackmail you over your identity too!”

               “Chloé, I’m not-“ Chat tried to explain, putting his hand on her arm.

               “Save it Adrien!” she shouted. “I know what I’ve done! I know what I am. Stars, I probably am just as bad as Hawkmoth. I’m mean, I’m terrible. I’m a spoiled selfish brat who should’ve died because of so many akumas. Even the ones I wasn’t directly responsible for, I still helped along just by generally being a total ass. It probably would’ve been better if Marinette’s uncle turned me into soup.  Hell, I’m surprised no one’s actually murdered me yet, or at least pushed me down the stairs!

“And, oh stars, you hate me too. I thought as long as I kept you with me, it would be fine, but of course you’d want to be with everyone else and make friends after being freaking Rapunzel for sixteen years. Not that you’d want to stay around me anyway! Who would? I would have been fine with everyone hating me, I never had them with me in the first place, but I just-I don’t want to lose you too!”

               He was quiet. The hand on her arm stiffened. She looked up, wiping tears out of her eyes. Chat Noir’s  eyes were wide. He looked like he stopped breathing.

               “Y-you know?” Chat asked. She bit back a swear.

               “Nothing!” She said, mentally kicking herself. “I don’t know anything! I have no Idea what you’re talking about!”

               “You’re not good at lying,” he sighed.

               “You know as well as I do that I can lie if I had more than three seconds to prepare!” she said. “Why am I defending that?”

               She dropped her head back into her hands. Chat sat down across from her.

               “How long have you known I was Chat Noir?” he asked.

               “Pretty much the entire time,” she answered.

               “Seriously?!” he exclaimed.

               “Adrien, we’ve known each other since before we can remember,” she rolled her eyes. “You think that just because I can’t see your cheekbones I can’t tell who you are?”

               “That makes too much sense actually,” he said. “Thanks for not, you know, telling anyone.”

               “I couldn’t do that to you,” she said. “Besides, now that you know I know, I can tease you about the various gossip I hear about ‘Chat Noir’. Like, did you know that some people think you’re not actually a superhero, just a really enthusiastic furry!”

               “Oh stars no,” he groaned, face turning red.

               “Everyone agrees that you and Ladybug are both hot,” she chuckled. “However, everyone also agrees you have the better butt.”

               “Does ‘everyone’ include you?” he asked.

               “Yes, actually,” she stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m gay, not blind.”

               He stopped and stared at her. His head was tilted and the cat ears on his head were lopsided.

               “What?” she asked.

               “You don’t usually call yourself gay,” he said.

               “Yeah, well you only call yourself Bisexual if you know a pun for it,” she retorted.

               “I am a bit Bi-ased toward puns!” he chuckled.

               “How long have you been waiting to use that one?” she groaned.

               “A while,” he said. “In all seriousness though, you’ve never exactly been ‘comfortable’ with it.”

               “Yeah, well, things happen,” she said.

               “You told Marinette you liked her, didn’t you?” he asked.

               Chloé jumped and tried to sputter out excuses.

               “Chloé,” Chat Noir said. “If you can figure out I’m a superhero, I can figure out you have a crush on someone. Even if you try to hide it by being mean to her.”

               “Fine,” she sighed, “I told her.”

               “Why?” he asked.

               “I can’t tell you,” she said. “If it was about me, I would, but it’s Marinette’s secret to tell.”

               “But you talked to her,” he said. “And at the very least, she convinced you to try and be nicer.”

               “I did a great job of that,” she sighed. “Marinette’s disappointed in me. I might’ve made it worse with some of the class. I mean, Alix seemed to be okay, but Alya got mad. And that’s not even factoring in if they want to forgive me. How do you do it?”

               “Do what?” he asked.

               “Just-just be nice,” she said. “Trust them. Even though they could be using you or could turn against you because of one thing? Even though I’ve told you about friends who ‘liked me’ only because I had the coolest stuff and could buy the best gift. Even though you could do one thing wrong, and they write you off as terrible. Even-even though they could leave you without an explanation.”

               “Chloé, you can’t just assume the worst of them,” he said.

               “They assume the worst of me,” she said. “It’s not like I’ve done much to prove them wrong. But how can you just jump in and trust them? Care about them wholeheartedly? I can’t even bring myself to talk to Sabrina about things that really matter to me. How can you trust people you’ve just met?”

               “Honestly? I didn’t,” he said.

               She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

               “Nice but not naive,” Chat explained. “They were friendly, but I wasn’t going to throw myself into it completely. But then, well, things happened. Nino risked yelling at my father and getting Akumatized over my birthday party. Alya always asks about my day. Rose and Mylène are too sweet, and Kim and Max are too bluntly honest. And Mari, she was somehow the easiest to trust and the hardest to trust.”

               “Really?” Chloé asked.

               “Yeah,” he chuckled. “You remember my first day, how she yelled at me because she thought I was in on your gum prank? If I was the type of person she thought I was, she would’ve been so screwed. She’s a designer! As far as she knew, I could have had Father blacklist her over that. And since we’ve been friends, she’s never said a thing about Father’s work. Even when he was judging that hat contest, she didn’t even ask for my input.”

               “They’re nice people,” she said. “Just not to me.”

               “I think they try,” he said. “It’s just, you assume the worst of them to be safe, and they assume the worst of you to be safe. But all of you have been reaching out.”

               She scoffed at the idea. She didn’t reach out until finding out Marinette was Ladybug. And no one had come up and said ‘hey, let’s be friends’ besides Sabrina. And even then, she’s been holding Sabrina at an arms’ length.

               “I’m serious!” Chat said. “Look, who invited you to see Alix and Kim race?”

               “What?’ Chloé asked.

               “That was outside class,” he said. “Someone had to tell you about it.”

               “Alix did,” she answered.

               “And who invited you to see Max’s video game contest?” he asked.

               “Max did,” she said.

               “Who asked you to be part of Nino’s horror movie?”

               “Alya.”

               “Who tried asking you to deliver that letter to Prince Ali?”

               “Rose.”

               “Who asked you out for Valentine’s Day?”

               “Kim.”

               “And who held you hostage at my birthday party?” he asked, cracking a smile.

               “That doesn’t count!” she exclaimed.

               Despite the protest, she snorted with laughter remembering that. She gave a playful shove, and he toppled back before breaking out in his own fit of giggles.

               “My point was,” Chat said, trying to squash the last of his laughter. “They reached out. Well, technically Kim ‘confessed his undying love’ for you, which definitely means he doesn’t think you’re past saving. And you might deny it, but other than Rose’s letter and Kim’s confession, you reached back. You showed up to those things and tried to interact.”

               “Technically, I was kidnapped into your birthday party,” she corrected.

               “You and I both know you could have complained a lot more,” he said.

               “Fair enough,” she agreed. “Other than the whole ‘kidnapped and held hostage while all adults were sent into the stratosphere’ part, it was a good idea. Maybe I can talk to Nino about your next birthday. I’m sure Marinette would love to help too, and they’ll probably drag the rest of the class into it. Your father can’t disapprove if he doesn’t know about it!”

               “So you’re still going to try and be nice to them?” he asked.

               She stopped smiling again. She curled up more, bringing her knees closer to her chest.

               “I wasn’t lying when I said I have nothing to lose,” she said. “They already don’t like me.”

               “My suggestion? Don’t do it because you ‘have nothing to lose’,” he said. “Do it because of how great it’ll be once you have a large group of people who genuinely like you. You love having me and Sabrina. Imagine having that with everyone. And despite your past.. er… transgressions, you do deserve to have friends.

               “I know you’re scared,” he went on. “I know why you’re scared. No, I don’t get totally get why, but this past year has put some perspective on it. You don’t want to lose what you have, and if you have more people to care about, it’s more people to lose. But imagine having friends, real friendships like what we have. Yes, there’s always going to be a risk that something will happen and they’ll leave you for whatever reason, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. I get that you don’t want to jump straight in, and you don’t have to give all of your heart 100% just yet, but you should still try.”

               “Do you think they’ll even forgive me?” she asked. “I’ve kinda been terrible for years.”

               “It’ll take a while,” he said. “But you’ve got me on your side. And Marinette seems to be on board too. And, well, okay, you know I’m Chat Noir so there’s no use in hiding Plagg from you.”

               “Plagg?” she asked.

               “Remember how most magical girls have little magic companions to give them their power?” he asked. “Plagg’s like that for me.”

               “Really?’ she said, the déjà vu really hitting her as she tried to act surprised.

               “Yeah,” he answered. “Although, most magical girl companions don’t eat smelly cheese.”

                “Of course you’d compare it to magical girls,” she said, ignoring that she had done the same yesterday. “Does that make you the Tuxedo Mask to Ladybug’s Sailor Moon?”

               “Actually,” he thought about it, “since I have the ‘magic companion’ as well, I think that makes me Sailor Venus. But if we do get more heroes, they’ll have their own magic companions, so it’s a bit more like Shugo Chara. Although, since we’re all kind of using the same magic, it’s kind of like Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow because-“

               “I think you make a great Sailor Venus,” she said, cutting off his rant. “And, I am sorry. For everything. Trying to keep you to myself, insulting your friends, letting you take the fall for the whole gum incident. And for being so clingy when it comes to the whole cover thing.”

               “You’re supposed to be helplessly in love with me,” he said. “I think you play it pretty well.”

               “I go a bit far sometimes,” she said. “I know you had to be uncomfortable a lot of the time.”

               “You do sometimes cross a line,” he said. “Like the whole kiss for Nino’s video thing. Even if it’s pretend, it’s weird to kiss someone who’s practically my sister.”

               “Honestly, I’m surprised people buy the ‘fake liking you’ thing,” she said. “Still, I’m sorry for doing all that. And everything else too.  That said, now that we’ve had a little talk, think you can risk getting us out of here?”

               “What? Oh! Sure!” he said.

               They stood up and prepared to leap out of the box as soon as Cataclysm hit. Chat’s ears stood, up straight, but the rest of him relaxed.

               “Actually, I don’t have to,” he said.

               The box melted away in red and pink sparkles. Chloé shielded her eyes from the sudden brightness. Obviously, Ladybug had beaten the Akuma.

               “How’d you know?” Chloé asked as soon as her eyes adjusted.

               “Super hearing!” Chat answered. “I could hear the fight still going on. That’s why I wasn’t worried about Ladybug getting zapped into a box. If she was, I would hear her and get us out, but you needed me a bit more at the time.”

               “I think all of Paris is a bit more important than me,” she said, “but thanks.”

               “I knew Ladybug could handle it,” he said. “She’s amazing like that.”

“So, your thing for Ladybug isn’t just being flirty?” she asked.

               “I wouldn’t flirt if I didn’t mean it,” he sighed. “I feel bad that I can’t put a real name to her, but whoever she really is, I love her.”

               “So, what are you going to do about your crush on Marinette?” she asked, smirking at him.

               “My what now?” he asked, red already creeping into his face.

               “Your crush on Marinette,” she said. “You’ve called her cute before, and we all heard how ‘Chat Noir’ flirted with her during Evilustrator. Weren’t you the one who just said ‘I wouldn’t flirt if I didn’t mean it’? Then you were a mess trying to have her autograph that Jagged Stone album. And if you think I forgot how much you were on board with kissing her during Nino’s video-“

               “Oh!! Look at the time!” he said, looking at his watchless wrist. “I have to meet Ladybug to let her know I didn’t die in a box somewhere.  See you in class! And try to make friends!”

               “You sound like a my little pony episode!” she shouted as he ran off.

               She debated over going back inside. Adrien and Marinette expected her to, but a part of her didn’t want to face the class again.

               With a sigh, she walked back inside. She was the last to get to class. Even Marinette had gotten there before her. Thankfully, no teacher had shown up yet, probably having been dragged into another staff meeting over ‘how do we protect the kids against Akuma?’. She walked to the front of the class and got their attention.

               “Okay, I’d like to try again,” Chloé said. “I know I probably already screwed it up, but please let me have this.”

               She paused, waiting for someone to object. No one said anything, but both Adrien and Marinette gave encouraging smiles. She even saw Tikki poking out of Marinette’s purse, nodding for her to go on.

               “I get it,” Chloé said. “I’ve been really terrible to all of you, and I’m sorry for that. While I have my reasons why I did that, they’re personal issues that don’t excuse what I did. I didn’t have to be mean, I could’ve just ignored you all. And it took a lot to make me see that, including a good conversation with a few friends, almost losing my best friend because of how I’ve been, and seeing what he has with you guys in his life.”

               She felt something touching her fingertips. Adrien had leaned over his desk to grab her hand. He gave a light squeeze before allowing her to continue.

               “But I don’t want to be mean to you guys anymore,” she said. “I-I’m sorry for how I’ve been, what I’ve been. And I don’t want to just ignore you either. I’d like to try and, well, at least get on good terms. I’m not expecting us to just, just magically be bffs and stuff. But I’m going to try. And I might try ‘wrong’, like offering to buy things instead of actually apologizing.

               “I guess I was kind of trying to buy your forgiveness with that,” she went on, “but gifts can still be a good apology, so if I bring in a group apology pastry basket tomorrow, well, I’m trying. And I know I’ll probably screw up a bit too. I’ve been doing the same thing for a while, so I might say something without thinking. Just, please be patient with me, even though I know I don’t deserve it. I want to try and fix this, if it’s not already too late. ”

               Chloé went and sat back in her seat. Sabrina had already begun working on her classwork. She looked over at Adrien and Marinette. Both of them were nodding in improvement. She couldn’t see Tikki anymore, but a small black thing was poking its head out of Adrien’s shirt. It winked at her before disappearing.

               She jumped feeling a hand on her right shoulder. Looking back, she saw Alix grinning at her.

               “Hey, you got me on board!” Alix said.

               “You are trying” Alya spoke up, “I’ll give you a chance.”

               Pretty much everyone spoke up. Of course there were varying degrees of enthusiasm, but they agreed to help. They’d also try to keep her on track.

               It was a lot more than Chloé expected. A lot more than she deserved. Still, she couldn’t help but smile.