Miraculous the tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir; Princess Justice

Chapter 13

Marinette spent most of the week after helping her idol design a dress, that she believed one of the other single girls at her school would end up wearing, if they so chose to. She decided she didn't want to go with anyone. So when she was cornered repeatedly at her break times and lunch times by boys in her year, demanding to know if she was going with anyone and if not if she would go with them, that she hadn't noticed that Adrien was having similar issues with the entire female population who were single, and turning them down.

She was then doubly surprised when on the day before the dance she saw Adrien waiting beside his car. He was looking up at the school doors. As mad as she'd been, she had forgiven him for his reaction to Luka, because he had apologised a lot, to both her and Luka, and because she just couldn't stay mad at him for very long. But she couldn't help but wonder what Adrien had meant when he'd told her that the truth would hurt her if he told her too soon. Nor had it escaped her that both Alya and Nino had looked pointedly away.

Marinette was then driven further into surprise when Adrien, upon spotting her, raced up to her. She didn't know what he wanted, but it was so far from what she expected.

"Hi, Adrien," she said some what timidly, "you ok? Do you need something?"

"Yeah." Adrien answered looking very nervous, "I was... um.. you know my father is letting me go to the dance, well... erm... I was... I was... would you like to come to the dance with me?"

Marinette's eyes widened. She couldn't believe her ears. If this had happened a few months ago, she'd have been soaring over cloud nine. But right now she couldn't figure out why. Even didn't want it to happen.

"I...I...I'm sorry Adrien, but..." Marinette stammered, "you don't need to ask me, because I was honoured to design the dress, you don't have to ask me to go with you." She finished coming up with what to her was the best explanation. Adrien was asking her to say thank you for helping his dad.

"No, that's not at all why I'm asking you." Adrien protested shaking his hands in front of him to emphasize his point, "I really want to go to the dance with you because I like you company. Like really like your company. More than anyone else." Adrien finished, deciding on a censored version of the truth.

"I'm sorry, Adrien," Marinette said, not meeting her crush in the eyes, "but I don't want to go with anyone to this dance." 

"What?!" Adrien couldn't help but exclaim.

"I don't want to go to the dance with anyone," Marinette repeated, then continued when Adrien looked upset, "Its not anything you've done, it's just that I've been so much lately that I don't want to put pressure of it being a date. I just want to enjoy it freely, with all of my friends, including you, with no strings attached."

"Oh." Adrien responded, looking a little disappointed, if a little relieved that Marinette hadn't ruled out a future dance being an option.

"So, Adrien," Gabriel asked from the top of the stairs as his son returned home after school that afternoon looking crestfallen, "have you got a date to the dance yet?"

"No, father," Adrien replied looking down, and sounding just as upset as he looked.

"Have you even asked someone?" Gabriel continued.

"Yes, but she said no." Adrien replied in that sad monotone his father always seemed to inspire in him.

"But you are my son, no girl should be able to resist you." Gabriel fumed, "No has ever been able to resist a teen idol."

"The girl I asked wanted to prioritise going with all of her friends as a part of a large group," Adrien explained too numb to realise his father was letting him explain, "didn't want the dance to have the pressure of it being a date to go with someone as a couple." He then smiled a little as he added, "Maybe that's part of what makes Mari so special. She always puts others before herself. I might ask if I could join the group. Follow her example."

With that Adrien went to his room, not noticing his father watching him with surprise on his face. He then proceeded to actually play his piano, his plan for the following morning already in his head.

Marinette had just settled down in her room and opened you her history book to begin writing her essay when her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and exclaimed in surprise as she scrambled to pick up the phone. Nobody ever ignored Gabriel Agreste.

"Hello, Mr Agreste, how may I help you?" Marinette answered the call, knowing that she sounded nervous.

"I understand that my son asked you to the dance tomorrow." Gabriel stated. Marinette's eye twitched.

"Yeah." She responded in an unnaturally high pitch.

"I also understand that you turned him down." Gabriel informed Marinette who felt like she had literal butterflies in her stomach, "Why, Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

"Because..." Marinette began unsure how to explain herself, "I just wanted to have a fun time with all of my friends. I...I...I didn't want to put pressure on anyone, by going as a couple."

"Hmmm," came Gabriel's voice through the phone, "that's what Adrien said. So you aren't trying to spare his feelings?"

"No. I just want to go with my friends, of which your son is one." Marinette said trying to sound both polite and reassuring.

"Well, he seemed a little disappointed, Miss Dupain-Cheng," Gabriel informed her, "he seems quiet taken with you. I do hope you reconsider."

The call ended, leaving Marinette to stare at her phone. Had she just been threatened? Was she in trouble for letting Adrien down nicely, and trying not to lead him on? She truly didn't know what to do and felt powerless because of it. So when she went to sleep that night, she was restless, because the butterflies had not left her stomach and had seemed to multiply.