Just Fine

This

Alya went home.

She wasn't convinced that Marinette was alright, but she didn't have anything else she felt like she could do. Marinette hadn't said or done anything that needed immediate attention.

And honestly, Alya didn't know what to do.

No one prepares you for situations like these, where you know someone isn't doing well, but there's nothing to pin in on.

Marinette had been upset before, but every other time she had bounced back, almost immediately.

But Alya hadn't seen anything like this before.

And another thing, she knew her friend was clumsy, but how in the world had she managed such an injury? Sometimes, Alya figured that Marinette would forget about it, because she'd try to stand up and walk like normal, only to let out a frustrated grunt in realization.

She felt awful, watching her like that.

Marinette, on the other hand, couldn't figure out what Alya had meant.

No one had pressured her into defending them, Marinette had decided to on her own.

But she never said she could do it alone. Someone should have helped.

Perhaps that was the problem, but Marinette wasn't one to blame someone else.

It had gotten dark outside, and she was ready to fall asleep sitting at her desk. She hadn't realized how long she and Alya had been hanging out, and even Tikki was fast asleep in her drawer.

She smiled, gently closing it after checking on her small companion, leaving the small creature snuggled inside.

She figured, if she was going to go to bed soon, she might as well use the rest of her energy getting to her bed.

A loft sounded great when she first got to choose it, but now it was a nightmare. She'd gotten pretty good at climbing it now, using mostly her elbows and knees, to keep her foot as far away from any more damage as possible.

It was cold on her bed, and she soon found it was due to the wind blowing in from her trap door, it was left ajar for who knows how long.

"Great."

She mumbled, pushing the door open the rest of the way.

It flopped against the bottom of her balcony, and she hoisted herself through the opening. She hadn't even gotten halfway through, when a pair of black boots made contact with the flooring.

"Oh! You must've been expecting me."

She could feel the Cheshire grin before she could see it, the electric eyes and shining teeth in her head.

"I was not. This is pure coincidence." She pointed at him.

He was squatting down to her level, head tilted like a curious puppy.

"Well it's a pretty good one, is it not?" His teeth dazzling against his lips.

"Why are you here Chat?" She rolled her eyes, resting her head against her arms.

"I'm just here to say hello." He mocked offense, placing his hand over his heart.

"I don't have any snacks for you, you stray."

She wanted to be mad, but the way he was looking at her made it impossible for her not to smile.

Everything was so much. But this was not so much. Maybe she needed a little not so much right now.

It felt peaceful.

"Actually, purrincess, I'm here to check up on you."

"What? Check up on me? You pay attention to civilian life like this?" She squinted at him.