Tandem

Chapter Two

Marinette almost found herself to be annoyed when the world didn't immediately stop.

Bells rang, students shuffled from class to class, pencils did not pause their scratching. Birds flew by windows and people laughed and talked and sang.

So no, maybe it wasn't the end of times.

But for her, it was the end of an era. An era where things made as much sense as they could for a teenage girl with a superhero secret identity.

If Marinette had thought her life was complicated before, oh boy when she in for it now.

'If I'm Ladybug' she thought dimly.

'And Adrien is Chat....'

Her heart speed up wildly just stating the fact in her mind.

'Then who's pining after who?' she finished with a confused huff.

Once the girls had returned to the locker room, Marinette had booked it, deflecting all the questions thrown her way by saying she had to use the restroom. Needing to be alone, she had ducked into one of the rarely used shower stalls, sliding down its tiled interior as she desperately attempted to suck air into her lungs.

Marinette sat with her knees to her chin, oblivious of the grimy floor and that fact the bell was set to ring in mere minutes. Her head spun, one half of her mind unable to process the situation she now found herself in and the other mentally kicking herself for not putting it together sooner.

Suddenly, the plastic shower curtain hanging inches from her huddled form was yanked to the side, revealing a very concerned Alya.

Her solitude hadn't lasted long it would seem.

Alya stepped into the small space, closing the curtain behind her and hunkering down next to her friend.

"Marinette, what's wrong girl? You just kicked butt out there!" the redhead said, pouring as much love and encouragement as she could into the words.

Marinette just groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"And the way you and Adrien moved together, it was almost like you guys had practiced..."

'Oh if only you knew how right you were' Marinette whispered in her mind, rubbing the back of her neck before taking a deep breath and glancing up at her friend. Alya gave her a reassuring smile, placing her hands on Marinette's folded up knees.

"You don't have to tell me right away what's bothering you," she began in a soothing tone, having gotten used to her friend's anxiety attacks years. "But just know that I'm here to talk if you need it."

Marinette blinked up at her friend.

Then, to her utter surprise, she found herself laughing. Tiny giggles that erupted into a full bellied howl as the whole situation came crashing down around her. After a moment's hesitation, Alya joined in, chuckling as she pulled Marinette unsteadily to her feet.

The giggling duo grasped to each other, almost losing their balance as a hand flew out to steady themselves against the wall, instead coming to rest on a button.

Their screams turned to shrieks as the two girls struggled to dodge the shower of water raining down upon them. Marinette felt the tension in her belly loosen as she tumbled out of the stall, Alya clutching to her drenched form and wailing about her hair.

Locking eyes, the pair burst out again, laughing at each other's drenched appearance. Deciding now was probably not the best time for a shower, they went off in search of a towel.