Musical Love Interests (Miraculous Ladybug story) ✿

Chapter Nine: Concern (Marinette POV, first person)

       ❗️This chapter might be offending. There will be self harm and suicidal references, read at your own risk❗️

       The weekend had been full of fun activities and enjoyable outings, and even though Mondays were most of the time never fun, It was exciting to see everyone again. The beginning part of the day was boring, but like usual, lunch was full of fun.
        I held my metal tray in the lunch line behind other students, Alya behind having a conversation with me. I grabbed a bowl of macaroni and cheese, a side of peas, and a chocolate milk as I followed Ayla to our usual spot in the lunchroom.
       "So, Marinette, what'd you do this weekend? My older sister took me out to a nice cafe on Sunday.".
       "That's cool Ayla! I went to a water park with my mom and dad! We got a really good strawberry milksha-".
       We were almost to our table when a student in a dark black hoodie sped past me, bumping my shoulder and making my plate almost fall.
       "Hey!" I skipped ahead trying to catch up with the mysterious student, plopping my lunch tray in Ayla's hands,"Hey! Wait up!".
       I didn't quite know the reason I was trying to catch up with them. Maybe it was to yell at them to watch where they were going, or to make sure they were okay. All I knew was that they intrigued me, and I was curious.
       At this point, I was running down the halls like a maniac, Alya far behind. The mysterious student with the long sleeved black hoodie took a turn to the left at the end of the hall, and I slid with my flats around the corner on the tiles.
       "Hey! Wait up!".
       As I was running, I quickly noticed a white wire dangling down from the inside of the hoodie connected to something inside the front pocket of the jacket.
No wonder they can't hear me. They're listening to music on their phone.
       They turned another corner as I started to slow down, exhausted from chasing the mystery student. I walked now, still following them, but at a slow pace.
       As I approached the corner the student turned at, I noticed the echo of slow footsteps had stopped and a slow muffled crying could be heard.
       The person was standing with their hood off in the middle of the hallway, their back to me. Their shoulders rising and falling with their sobs, and their curly blonde hair in a tangled mess.
       "Hey," I said in a calming voice. I hate to see anyone cry, even someone I don't know.
       I reached for the sleeve so I could get their attention, but when I grabbed the cuff of it, the person moved forward, causing the jacket to halfway slip off. The frightened face of the student looked back at me.
      I whispered under my breath his name,
       "Adrien.".
       Before Adrien Senpai could put his sleeve back on, I glanced down at his arms.
O god.
       My face opened up in horror and guilt.
       Cuts.
       At least ten or fifth-teen, all in thin slices. Some were deep and dripping, while others were barely visible.
       I covered my mouth with my hands in shock.
       "Marinette I-", he stuttered, tears welling up in the bottom of his eyes, "I can explain.".
        He sat down against the wall looking at me as I sat down beside him.
        "Adrien, Y-you don't have to explain anything if you don't want to...". He looked up at me with lifeless eyes.
       I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled, trying to reassure him. I couldn't begin to imagine what would compel him to do something so terrible.
       A tear passed down his face, and I wiped it off with my thumb. He flinched at my touch, but after a second loosened up. A small smile crept across his features, and quickly disappeared as he remembered the reality he was in.
I moved my hand away and rested it in my lap, my face full of concerns and worries.
"Adrien, I-I," I sighed, "I don't know how to help...".
He parted his lips slightly, getting ready to say something.
"Do- Do you want me to tell you?".
"Only if you're comfortable saying it."
He told me about his mother's death and how rude and strict his father could be. He said that wasn't the only reason why he did it, and insisted I would judge him If he told me what set him off.
"Adrien, nothing you could tell me would make me judge you or think less of you.".
"M-Marinette I'm umm," he paused and looked up at me "I'm bisexual.".
I processed the information and gave a warm smile.
"That doesn't matter, Adrien. You're still-" I paused, thinking of what to call him "a great friend.".
The words felt sticky and gross coming out of me.
"That's not all.".
Adrien Senpai told me the story of Luka, and how Adrien thought of himself as "an embarrassment" and "a screwup".
       "That um, that really sucks, but that's no reason to do um," I pointed down at his sleeve, "that.".
        He sighed and looked at me again, "I know it isn't, but Luka means a lot to me, and I honestly thought when he said that he liked me that he meant it like that.".
"I know. It really does suck when you like someone but-" I sighed, "they don't like you back.".
He buried his head in his hands and began to cry again as I replaced my hand back on his shoulder, rubbing it in comforting circles. We sat there for five minutes or so. I couldn't believe what Adrien was going through. The bell than rang for the end of lunch, startling the both of us.
We both stood up to get to our next class.
"Adrien if you ever need to talk I'll be here.".
He smiled.
At that moment, I pulled him in for a hug. It was warm and wholesome. At first, it was just me hugging him with his arms at his sides, but then his hands crept around me, warmly embracing me as my head rested on his shoulder. We pulled apart.
"Thank you, Marinette.".
"Anytime.".
And with that, Adrien Senpai went on his way.