Marie wakes up early the next day, Paris is four hours ahead of Gotham, and so she wakes up at 2 am, knowing that the earlier possible time Nadja ever appears is at 6 am.
The previous night Jason had offered to listen she needed to vent. But Marie wasn’t used to… that. She had always felt with her own emotions alone, and through the years since any negative emotions could compromise her, she hadn’t really processed negative emotions as they came to her in so long.
Back when Marinette was in middle school it was different. If she was upset to the point of needing to tell her parents, then they would stop everything, and spend time with her. Afterward, she would be taken out of whatever extracurricular activities they deemed necessary, and life would continue on.
The idea of just, stewing in pity unnerved her greatly. It was sweet of Jason, but she had already burdened him enough as is.
So she had called Max and Kim, apologizing for rushing out and assuring them she was fine and had a friend who could delete any records of Marinette. They had been understandably shocked, but overall happy for her. She'd also been lightly scolded for running off.
Jason had left around nine that night, and she passed out in her bed after an additional four hours as Multimouse.
Now she sat curled up on the couch, black as shit with too much sugar coffee in her hands as she stared blankly at the news station waiting for the appearance of Nadja with bated breath.
There was a knock on her door, she dully noted. Standing up to open it as the interviewed announced the appearance of the beloved international reporter Nadja Chamock after the break.
“Hey, Pixie Pop,” He whispered lightly.
She let out a breathy giggle, feeling more at ease at the sight of him. He wore pajamas and carried a hot chocolate and a small bowl of cookie dough. “Is that breakfast?”
And just like that, Marie was seated on the couch, sitting under a blanket, with a bowl of cookie dough between her and Jason as they watched the news. They teased each other about their pajamas. His had batman symbols on the pants in an absolutely atrocious shade of yellow. But hers had little rainbow stripes along the sides with a monkey pattern across the front and back. (gag gift from Kim)
“And now everyone, Nadja Chamock,” The anchorman greeted cheerily as if everyone didn’t know that there was no way his tall coffee mug didn’t have alcohol in it.
From the moment the pink-haired woman appeared on screen Marie felt smaller than should’ve been possible. “Thank you for having me, Charles! Honestly, Paris is just as grand and beautiful as ever!”
Marie suppressed a snort at that if you could call the city beautiful when everyone was a ticking time bomb, and half the population had PTSD and unhealthy ways of coping with their emotions. True the sights were still beautiful, and it made sense that she'd say that.
Paris needed tourists after all.
Nadja talked for a good five minutes from Paris, and Marie got more and more anxious as she talked. The cookie dough was long gone, Marie found Jason’s hand entwined with hers at some point. They didn’t speak, only watching and listening.
“And finally, we have an update on the teen prodigy designer endorsed by Jagged Stone himself! You’re not gonna believe this, but I’m a hundred percent serious,” She cheerily prattled. An image popped up in the corner, MKC Designs website pulled up.
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Gotham Mouse, Paris Bug
FanfictionSummary: Marinette's parents find out she's Ladybug, but they don't approve so Marinette runs away to Gotham with the help of Max and Kim. Using the Horse miraculous to run back for Akumas, Marinette settles into living on her own. Things are going...