Running from the Night (A Ladybug and Chat Noir Fanfic)

Chapter 33

Ladybug de-transformed as her feet touched the balcony. She rolled out of her momentum with a practiced ease and dropped into her room. She let out a soft exhale. She knew she had the head start but she had still been worried Chat Noir would catch up to her as he was heading to the same building as her. She climbed down from her bed. She didn't feel like getting squished by an oversized cat when he dropped into her room.

She slumped into her desk chair and hung her head back, closing her eyes. Ever since Danielle, as an akuma, had shrieked, her head had been pounding. It felt like an immense pressure was building up behind her eyes and even now spots still swirled over her vision. She groaned remembering the insufferable pain just after he had rendered her deaf. She knew she was beyond lucky that Chat had shown up when he did but she couldn't help but feel a pulse of annoyance at his presence afterwards.

She had to unify the miraculouses, if she hadn't Chat would have been a stain on the concrete. She shuddered thinking about the silent scream that had split his face in fear before he was plummeting. She had lunged to grab him but the spots covering her vision had made her misjudge his distance. It felt like time had slowed down when she jumped after him and she had to come up with a solution before he impacted.

The horse miraculous was the only option, why couldn't he see that.

Pain flared up once again. She pushed the palms of her hands into her eyes as if it would help. She held them there until the pressure started to hurt. She let her hands fall to her sides and looked up at the underneath of her bed. Chat hadn't gotten back yet.

She looked down at her closed sketchbook and haphazard writing utensils scattered across the desk. She grimaced at the unveiled portion of her dress that hung on the mannequin. Hopefully Chat hadn't seen it, she was looking forward to his reaction. She wheeled over to the mannequin and pulled the rest of the white sheet off. The nearly finished ballroom gown was pinned up in the spots she had yet to sew it. Green and black fabric layered over top of each other with rough edges that still needed to be hemmed.

Marinette bit the edge of her lip assessing how much work needed to be done to finish the dress in time for the masquerade. The mask still needed to be made and the finishing details needed to be sewn on. She wondered if Chat Noir would be upset if she exiled him to the bed above her. She needed to work fast if she wasn't going to pull an all-nighter and working fast meant her room would become a disaster zone of fabric and sewing.

She glanced behind her, she expected Chat to be here by now. She shrugged and decided she should get working while she waited. She tied her hair up into two top buns and took off her sweater. She pushed her purse and sweater off to the side and got to sewing.

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Marinette downed a cup of cold water. She refilled the glass and gulped it down before setting it on the kitchen countertop. The glowing numbers of the oven mocked her. It was 5:37 am. She glared at the time and snuck back up to her room. Her parents would be up and baking in no time. She rubbed her eyes and took in a deep breath as if it would wake her up.

"You really need to sleep," Tiki's gentle voice coaxed as she hovered in front of Marinette.

"I need to finish this," Marinette said stubbornly, gesturing haphazardly towards the mannequin.

"You need to rest," she stressed.

"I'll sleep when Chat gets home," she muttered. She furiously poked a pin through green fabric and poked her finger tip in the process. She ignored the blossom of pain.

"Marinette, he could very well be home right now." Marinette scowled up at Tiki's words.

"He made it clear that his family, his father, wasn't someone he wanted to see," she reasoned. She wasn't sure if it was just Tiki she was trying to convince. "Besides, he's going to come back any minute. In fact you should go hide with the other kwami's."