Dearly Despised, (I love you)

Silencer

A/N: YEAH THATS RIGHT. IT HASNT BEEN MONTHS AND IM HERE. Also we got art ladies and gentlemen

Marinette was not fine with being just friends.

"What if I make him presents? What if I try to join his fencing class again? What if I'm the one who asks him on a date?"

Marinette had a new dilemma, because of course she did, which was, Operation: Real Date Fake Boyfriend Whom She Used to Hate.

She should've been ecstatic that Adrien wasn't turning her bright red with a chaste flirt or touch in public, but this wasn't a week ago, and she was a whole new head-over-heels girl who'd shed the stubbornness keeping her from admitting she was whipped for Adrien Agreste.

But she was still classy, even a little traditional, so while Adrien stayed home from school – as being grounded (some repeated attitude problem with his father) meant he couldn't attend his favourite place: school (absolute nerd, what was she thinking) – she conjured ways to subtly, finally, let Adrien know she was on board with him. Without too much pride shed.

Because he was into her before... right?

And now with their rivalry sceptically out of the way, she could relax about enjoying his company, his touch, his effect on her – even the teasing. She could earnestly crave it and wait for him to come back to school to make her new resolve loudly known. And when she said 'loudly known' she really meant hinted at because any idea of a direct, unprompted confession would have her mouth verbaging incomprehensible noise, and her stubbornness irritable.

But despite all that, she'd still made commitments to Kitty Section, so her plan took a break as she waited with her friends to see if their music video, with Marinette's costume designs, won the city competition. She considered it somewhat of a masterpiece that should've won, and yet,

"XY stole our original design?!"

The public showing of plagiarism, the fruitless confrontation with Bob Roth (the agent that stole their idea), and a personal dig at her, were all enough to break Hawk Moth out of his holiday for the tormented artist Luka Couffaine.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no." She backed up towards the stage as 'Silencer' stole XY's voice. This was why she should just stop leaving the house!

Bob Roth and XY fled as the purple and black akuma approached her, miming with his hand as words became audible. "Don't worry Marinette, I would never hurt you. I will use the power Hawk Moth has given me to restore justice. I will force Bob Roth to admit what he's done to you and Kitty Section."

Marinette sighed, forgetting to feel fear. Of course, she was now back to trying to mediate with akumas.

"Don't do that, Luka! That's revenge, not justice! And you'll have to face off with Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

"Ladybug and Chat Noir? Where were they when we needed them?" Well, one was tearing into Bob Roth for a band she wasn't even in, for starters. "As of now, Silencer is laying down the law of silence."

Okay, new plan: Get out and transform.

But Silencer hadn't finished.

"You're the most extraordinary girl, Marinette. As clear as a musical note and as sincere as a melody. You're the music that's been playing inside my head since the day we first met. I won't let anything happen to you."

Marinette blinked.

Wow, that would've been really sweet if she didn't miss Adrien a whole bunch right now.