Stay by my Side

Stay by my Side - Chapter Twenty-Nine

As much as she may appear to be the opposite - Marinette was a complete bundle of nerves. She had to do this - she had to tell Adrien the truth. That she was Ladybug.

The original plan was for her to ask him to step outside of the classroom and she'd take him to a more private area of school and tell him before classes started, but she couldn't quite do it, and instead moved it to after school. Hopefully by then she'd be confident enough to tell him the truth.

As the day slowly dragged on, Marinette felt her confidence grow and then wane, in a never ending cycle of determination and nerves that made her feel like she'd collapse any second. As much as Nathanial and Marc tried to help her through it, she just couldn't stop worrying. Adrien had tried to help and comfort her too, but him being near her only made her more nervous about what she was about to confide in him with, and only seemed to make her fears worse, so he was eventually persuaded to leave her alone until the end of the school day.

Her classmates throughout the day had also appeared to give their apologises, and Marinette simply continued to wave them away, staying kind but distant. While Lila's lies were certainly powerful and dangerous, it didn't excuse her friends for ditching her for Lila, for believing Lila's word over her own, when Lila had only just joined the school. She just didn't feel comfortable letting them all in again, and preferred to stick with Nathanial and Marc, just chatting about their new comics and plans. Occasionally she'd also text Luka for mental support, and each new text brought a smile onto her face.

Yes - she could do this.

She could do this.

She could...

---TimeSkip---

"Tikki, I can't do this." Marinette said to Tikki alone in the bathroom. It was now almost the end of the school day, and Marinette was freaking out. She almost had a panic attack right there in the classroom, but Nathanial noticed and told her to go to the bathroom, which she quickly asked and gained permission for from the teacher, and now... she was panicking.

"Marinette just try and stay calm." Tikki flinched slightly nervously at the harsh glare Marinette sent her way. "... right, sorry. But seriously, you already know about Chat Noir, so he should definitely accept who you are."

Marinette took a deep breath in and out, calming down slightly. "You're right, Tikki. Thanks." She sighed again, as she watched Tikki fly into her purse, before slightly adjusting the strap around her shoulder and exiting the bathroom. The bell rang right before she left, making her sigh as her tensions rose.

She bumped into Nathanial and Marc and smiled at them both, apologising once again for not being able to make their arcade trip with Luka that they were going to after school. They waved her off with a simple 'no worries' before leaving hand in hand. Marinette smiled as she watched them go, feeling as if something special was forming between the two of them.

She clenched her hands into fists. Now was not the time to make excuses. Now was not the time to run away. Now was not the time to give up.

She. Could. Do. This.

He was waiting for her outside the classroom. It felt like he was always waiting for her to catch up to him. He was always so determined, so driven, so straight forward. It had always been something she had loved about him. It was something she always wished she - Marinette - could be.

If Adrien was the sun, Chat Noir was the moon in the night's sky. Both so different, and yet so similar at the same time. Adrien's smile could melt any block of ice piercing her heart, and yet Chat Noir's comforting glow just made her want to hold him close and never let go. Part of her wondered why it had taken her so long to figure out they were the same person. Part of her honestly believed she had known it all along. And yet the rest of her simply didn't care - she just wanted to see him again.