Venom: A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction

Marinette-Chapter 13

Marinette fairly drooped by the time she and Alya finished their shopping. She felt awful for hurting Chat's feelings, but he had backed her into a corner and she couldn't see any other way out. Chat was one of her best friends, her closest ally. Hurting him had felt like a physical blow to her own heart.

"Are you okay?" Alya asked as they walked back to the bakery. "You seem kinda down."

Marinette shrugged. "I'm okay. Just tired I guess."

Alya nodded sympathetically. "Maybe we overdid it with the shopping. Come on, I'll make it up to you with a movie."

"Actually, Alya," Marinette sighed. "Can I take a raincheck? I really don't feel well."

"Sure," Alya agreed easily, giving Marinette a one-armed hug. "Feel better, girl!"

At the door of the bakery, Marinette turned and waved at her best friend before climbing the stairs to her room. Her limbs felt heavy as lead, as guilt rushed through her. She felt as though she had betrayed her partner, even though she hadn't meant it the way it sounded.

"Why did you do that?" Tikki demanded once they were alone in her room.

"I don't know," Marinette groaned, guilt pummeling her heart like a fist. "I felt embarrassed and I didn't know what to do. He's not really serious anyway!"

Tikki just shook her head. "Marinette, Chat Noir really likes you. Why won't you give him a chance?"

Marinette's heart pinched at her kwami's scolding. "Tikki, I don't love him in that way. I do care a lot for him as a friend. But I don't love him."

"You don't know love when you see it," Tikki snapped. Marinette felt a little shocked by her kwami's behavior. She had never seen her this angry. "You've created something in your imagination that you think is love, and you expect the real thing to look like that."

"Tikki," Marinette pleaded. "Please go away and leave me alone for a little while."

Tikki nodded, disappearing out the window without a word. Marinette wondered briefly where she was going, but found she didn't care very much. Her world has tumbled into pieces and she wanted to reconstruct it. This was all Chat's fault, he had ruined their friendship. She would just have to learn to live without it.

The next two days passed by uneventfully, with a little under current of vague pain and sadness running through it whenever she thought about Chat. Tikki appeared to have forgiven her and sat on Marinette's shoulder as she worked on her project. But Marinette wasn't so sure she had forgiven herself. Guilt plagued her constantly and she wanted to apologize to Chat but didn't know how.

"I think we need to go see Master Fu," she mused, sucking her thumb where she had stuck it with a pin for the third time today. She wasn't usually this clumsy while designing. What had gotten into her? "He may know something about the change in the akumas. We need to find out why they are so much stronger."

Tikki nodded approvingly. "I think you're right. But Marinette, you also need to take care of yourself. You haven't been eating much and I know you haven't been sleeping."

"I can't help it," Marinette shrugged. Her confused feelings about what had happened between her and Chat nagged at her constantly.

"Maybe you should take a break and hang out with Adrien," Tikki suggested, touching Marinette's cheek gently. "That always cheers you up. And besides, you could use some time away from here."

Marinette smiled for the first time in days. Tikki had a point, maybe seeing Adrien would make her feel better.

"Good idea," she nodded, pulling out her phone and pressing the button to call Adrien. He picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, Marinette. What's up?"

Her heart lifted significantly at the sound of his voice. Adrien could always make her day better.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to go somewhere tonight," she replied. "I need a break from my scholarship project."

"Sure, I'm free right now," Adrien replied, a smile in his voice. "How about we meet up in ten minutes?"

"Sure," Marinette replied softly, feeling slightly better. At least she still had Adrien. "See you in ten minutes."