Dark Coccinelle

Chapter 5 - Comfort

A/N: This chapter was fun to write. I hope you enjoy!

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Marinette plopped down on her bed. The fight had been draining and she was longing to take a little nap...

"Marinette!" Tikki roughly pulled her from the thoughts of relaxing. "School isn't over!" Marinette groaned, got up and walked back to school in an exhausted trance.

"Welcome back everyone! We'll continue from where we left off." Ms. Bustier started handing out the tablets and everyone started reading from where they had left off.

Through the lesson Marinette was barely able to concentrate and was called out for not answering several questions the teacher had asked.

When school ended she was glad to be able to walk down the steps, though alone, and head home to her room where she would do the remaining homework she hadn't finished yesterday.

When they were in class, Adrien had noticed how weird Marinette was acting. She was always really concentrated and active at school but today she seemed to be lost. He had wanted to ask her if she was okay but he had no chance. She left quickly when the bell rang and because of all the movement in the classroom he couldn't get to her.

When he arrived at home he had made up his mind, consulting Plagg, "I'm going to check if Marinette is okay."

Plagg looked at his chosen. "Sorry to tell you kid but I don't think your father will let you."

Adrien burst out laughing. "I know he won't let Adrien but he never said anything about Chat Noir." He added the last bit with a cheeky smile. "I've got to do patrol anyways."

"I don't like where this is going-" Plagg's voice faded as Adrien called, "Claws out," The ring sucking the little cat kwami in.

Marinette was sitting at her desk half asleep over her homework when she heard a soft knock on her balcony. She looked out and saw, "Chat Noir! What are you doing here?"

He smiled, "I heard you've being having a though week."

Marinette panicked. "Me? Of course not! I'm perfectly fine!"

He looked at her with a gentle expression on his face, "You know, you can trust me and tell me if something's wrong, Princess. I am your friend."

She sighed, "Ok, come in." Her voice now showed just how tired she was.

"So what's wrong?" Chat was now sitting on the lounge in the middle of the room and Marinette was sitting cross-legged on her desk chair.

"I've got quite a lot on my plate, plus homework it isn't easy. My best friend isn't talking to me because of the lies another girl told in my class. But it's ok I'm sure it could be a lot worse..." Tears had started rolling down her cheeks silently. Chat walked over to her and wrapped her in a warm, comforting hug. Marinette started quietly crying into him and he gently rubbed her back.

Once Marinette had calmed down a bit he asked, "Don't you have any other friends?"

She looked up at him slowly, "Well yeah. Problem is, the whole class also believes the lies that the other girl tells about me and I only have two other close friends. One of them isn't talking to me, like the rest of the class and the other one..." She sighed, "He knows that what the others say about me isn't true but... but... well, I've had a crush on him since I met him but I couldn't ever tell him because I was always a mess around him and now... well now he... he's with someone else." 

Marinette looked down to make sure he did not see the fresh tears that were threatening to spill. Because of that she did not notice how wide Chat's eyes grew. This was why she was avoiding him. 

"I'm sure if you talked to him..." He trailed off as he saw that she was shaking her head with fresh tears sparkling on her cheeks.

"Come on let's play something." Chat said, trying to lighten the mood.

Marinette gave him a small smile, "Okay, are you ready to lose and bow down before me when I win a game of Mecha Strike?

He smiled back, "You wish!"

They played a few rounds and, as promised, Marinette won and commanded Chat to kneel before her.

"I told you, you had no chance!" She grinned.

"Meowch, Princess! You wound me!" He cried in mock pain.

She just laughed her head off at his acts, and after staying a little longer, he left when Marinette was called down for dinner. "Bye Princess." He left with a small wave.

"Thanks Chaton." She replied softly as he jumped over the roofs of Paris, starting his patrol of the city.