Ladybug's fake identity

Chapter 6: Identities

"So you're a fan of Adrien Agreste?" Chat Noir asked.

Her reaction was a lot more violent than he thought it would be. With a loud gasp that sounded like a screech, she threw a piece of fabric at his head and held it down so that he couldn't see, hoing that he'd forget what he saw. Having gained too much momentum, she collided harshly the hero's body, who lost his balance and fell with the girl. The latter swung her arms around her, trying to find something to grab to keep herslef steady, but her fungers only found a pile of some of her designs and rolls of unused fabric. The two landed brutally on the floor, soon joined by the fabric.

"Ack! Oh, I'm so clumsy I'm sorry!" Marinette apologised.

She heard the sound of footsteps going up the stairs leading to her room and jumped up, using the fallen fabric to cover up the hero.

"Marinette, sweetie?" her mom called while opening the trap door. "I heard a scream, are you okay?"

""Y-Yeah, of course, I just stumbled over, uh... the air! You know how clumsy I am!"

With a forced smile, she tried to lean on the table to go into a casual stance in order to show her mom that there was nothing to worry about. But, Marinette being Marinette, she once again lost her balance. This time, she could grab the side of her desk on time, keeping herself from falling.

"I'm fine! Hehe!" she announced proudly, to which Sabine answered with a rather anxious smile.

Next to the girl, the pile of fabric let out a quiet laugh. She stomped on a black foot that wasn't well hidden.

"Hmph!" it groaned and retracted the foot.

"What was that?" Marinette's mother asked.

"Nothing!"

Somehow, her wide not-so-innocent smile convinced her mom and she went down the stairs, closing the trap door behind her. The girl let out a long sigh of relief.

"You're really bad at lying." Chat Noir commented while coming out of his hiding spot.

If only he knew, she thought bitterly. The thought even surprised her. Why would she want him to know? So that he would believe her and not Lyssa? Because, having a double life as a hero, too, he would understand? But this secret had to stay what it was: a secret. Something that no one else knows about. Not even Chat Noir. It wasn't an option and, until now, she never dared to consider telling anybody.

But what if she told him and he revealed his identity, too? It would certainly make things easier for them. Of course, she'd have to put put up with his bad jokes and constant flirting everyday, not only during akuma attacks or patrols, but at least she'd have a companion. Someone who fully understands, to whom she can share everything, about both lives, both identities. But it was too dangerous. She would never reveal herself. Never. 

"At least she believed me." she pouted, wasting these thoughts aside.

"I'm not even sure about it. But don't worry, it's not given to everyone to be able to lie. It's okay not to have such a talent. No one's gonna blame you for not being as awesome as I am." he gloated and she suddenly felt the urge to sruch his foot again.

"Do you really have that much time to spend here? It's been some time since the akuma attack ended, people must be searching for you."

Oh, they most certainly were. And once his father would hear about it, he would probably ground Adrien and repeat over and over again how going to a public school was a bad idea and that he shouldn't have let him go. At least the boy knew that his father would probably wait the end of the year to get him back to being homeschooled as long as nothing tragic happened to him.