Miraculous the tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir; Princess Justice

Chapter 14

Marinette had one of the worst nights of sleep she had ever had since becoming Ladybug. Her surprise phone call from Gabriel just played on repeat in her head. But as she looked at her alarm accusingly, as if to say 'how dare you try and wake up someone who hasn't had any sleep', because she hadn't had any sleep at all.

With a heavy and tired sigh, Marinette got out of her bed and went through her normal morning routine, while also placing her freshly made dress for the dance onto a coat hanger, and hung it on the door of her privacy screen.

"Marinette, are you ok, you look a little tired," Tikki began, by way of morning greeting, "and there wasn't have an Akuma victim."

"I'm fine Tikki," Marinette said with a shrug, "my mind just wouldn't settle down last night. I... I guess that's what happens when you get a phone call from a classmate's dad, and a dance is coming up."

"Are you sure?" Tikki asked, and if she could have she would have raised an eyebrow.

"I," Marinette began, looking in her mirror to see some small bags under her eyes, "am going to have to apply make up, but I should be fine Tikki."

"But are you still taking off your miraculous tonight," Tikki said, getting to the thing she wanted to talk about, "I think it's a very bad idea."

"But I really want to look great, and wear a matching set of jewelry for once," Marinette said, holding a beautiful pink jeweled necklace up to her collar bone, and a set of matching pink jeweled, dangling earrings, "like a normal teen for once. Besides, you and the miraculous will be in my bag with me the entire time. Like we agreed."

Tikki just nodded, but still looked worried as she hid in Marinette's bag as she went down to breakfast then off to school.

Adrien had left his house early that morning, wanting to get to school early enough to wait for Marinette. He had noticed after all that Marinette had stopped being late for school. He was so preoccupied with Marinette that he didn't see Lila hiding behind wall of the steps that lead to the main entrance as Gorilla pulled up outside. Nor as he was practicing what he was going to say to Marinette.

Lila smirked. Everything was going to her design. It was taking longer than planned, but it was only a matter of time before the lid would explode off the bottle. It was always the quiet ones after all, that do the biggest damage when they finally lose control. And Lila knew Marinette would. Adrien wouldn't keep silent forever, and that's all she needed. And to be close by when it happened.

Marinette crossed the road and froze. Adrien was early. Way earlier than normal. She quickly glanced around, hoping to sneak in through the back, or the roof as Ladybug. She didn't want to talk to Adrien right now. She couldn't. She turned and started to walk around the block, only to freeze again when she heard Adrien's voice call her name. He'd seen her. She hadn't been fast enough. She placed a friendly smile onto her face and turned to face the teen idol.

"Hi, Adrien." She greeted once he was face to face with her, noting a confused look on his face.

"Hi," he said as other students started arriving and walking past the pair, "are you wearing make up?"

"I'm a girl," Marinette said blushing, and coming off as defensive, "it's not out of the ordinary."

"But you don't normally..." Adrien trailed off as Marinette was giving him a glare, "you don't... you are beautiful without make up." Marinette's glare turned to surprise as red climbed Adrien's face. Both teens brains seemed to have jammed and they stood in silence for a while.

"Did you have something else you wanted to say?" Marinette asked breaking the silence.

"Yeah," Adrien answered as Marinette's question reminded him what his mission was, "about the dance..."

"I haven't changed my mind." Marinette cut him off starting to moving past him.

"Let me finish." Adrien said catching her wrist stopping her, "I was hoping to be included in the group you're going with. As a friend."

Marinette stiffened. She'd been avoiding him, had turned him away, and been polite but distant. She'd been as about unfriendly as it got without just telling at him, or bullying him. And he still called her friend. Her brain jammed again.

"I know you've been avoiding me." Adrien continued when no response was forth coming, "I've even noticed little things. Like you don't stammer at me like before, or flush and fluster when you see me. You are still nice, polite. But you are distant. And I'm sure it has everything to do with Lila. You have every right to be careful, more so than normal. But... I feel like what she has done up to now is making you be distant from me, and... I don't want that to happen. I want to be what you need me to be right now. I am hoping as a friend, and maybe one day, when you have sorted out your feelings, maybe... I just want to do to the dance with you. Your my first real friend. Please Mari, don't let Lila take that from us. Include me in the group. As a friend."

Marinette could feel tears in her eyes. She'd heard Adrien's voice break several times. She turned back to him, against her better judgement. He was crying silently, and in that moment, she hugged him. Adrien was surprised at first, but quickly hugged her back, holding her tight, scared to let go. He wasn't sure if he'd get this close to Marinette ever again. That made him cry harder. In the moment Marinette's body had moved before she had decided, Adrien was no longer the perfect teen model that everybody adored, to her. He was just Adrien. Her scared friend. And she hated herself for letting Lila put a rift between them. She knew Adrien didn't the same way for her, she'd heard him say 'she's just a friend' to Kagaimi. So what did it matter what Lila had told her? It didn't. She'd pushed a friend away, and hurt him in doing so. She would never make Adrien cry like this again. He'd wanted to go to the dance with is first friend.

"Of course you can come with Alya, Jeleka, Luka and I." Marinette whispered, her own tears spilling over but her voice soft, kind and even, "We will always be friends, Adrien. I'm sorry for hurting you."

Adrien let Marinette go after that. He only watched as the bluebell eyed girl he loved ran into the school, as the bell had rung. He however couldn't move. 'We will always be friends...' she had said. That made his heart ache as he wiped the tears from his green eyes.

"What's up lover boy?" Plagg asked from his place in Adrien's pocket.

"She said we were friends." Adrien whispered back. He wasn't smiling.

"It's a start kid." Plagg said, "Besides she was crying a little too. I felt her tears through your pocket."

"I've got to tell her, Plagg." Adrien said, wiping his face again, and looking determined, "She has a right to know. I want her to know."