Gotham Mouse, Paris Bug

Chapter 16

Marie stepped through the portal into her apartment but stopped when she saw Damian on a stool around her kitchen island. He looked at her unsurprised, drinking some sort of tea from one of her mugs. “Can we talk Marinette?”

She just sighed, not entirely surprised. “You made me tea too at least?”

He nodded, gesturing to a mug across from him, still scalding hot. She dropped her transformation and settled across from him at the kitchen counter. She saw Tikki and Kalki move to settle on top of the fridge like little sentries, Damian stared at them for a moment so he didn't know about Kwami's evidently.“What do you know?”

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Ladybug, the girl who ran away from home,” He sipped from his mug, eyes flickering back to her as he smiled thinly. “Friends with Cesaire, Agreste, Kanté, Lahiffe, and Chiến.”

“Only Max and Kim actually. I know you know their first names, you’re just too stubborn to say them,” Marie grouched at him. She was aware that she was shaking a little. The familiar fear and terror at being found out. What if he sent her back? What if he didn’t think she was cut out to be a hero either?

She shook her head sharply, she trusted Damian. She really did, she would trust him with her life. But sometimes that was easier than trusting someone with your fears or broken pieces. Because at least if you were dead you wouldn’t feel betrayal. “I’d ask how you found out but I think I can guess. Was it my accent?”

He shrugged, setting his cup down. “Partially, also the video game. Running facial recognition on you in Paris brought up your school record… And a post Agreste made.”

That made Marie shake a little, hands growing cold. “H-he posted?”

He grimaced a little, bringing the cup to hide his mouth again.

“He was looking for you, jumping to conclusions that even with my limited knowledge was false. I deleted the post he made, and I’ve checked in a few times since to ensure he doesn’t make another,” He hesitated, unsure whether Marinette would even be willing to answer his questions. But nevertheless, he had questions, one’s he wanted answers for.

“What happened Marinette? Why did you leave?”

She stared at him for a moment as she processed his question. Because really, it wasn’t just her parents' low opinion of her and demand for her to stop. It was more than that. “The final straw was my parents finding out about Ladybug and telling me I was unfit to be a hero. Demanding I give it up, and telling me that I was selfish for not telling them.” She took a breath, painfully aware of how her hands were shaking. God why was she shaking so much, she trusted Damian. He was her friend, and he wasn't attacking her.

She offhandedly wondered to herself if pulling two all-nighters in a row had anything to do with it, or if it was her recent visit to Paris and last night’s crying that was making her so… unstable. It had been an exhausting few days.

“But it started before that, my willingness to leave. It was having my closest friends turn on me and accuse me of bullying the liar who was threatening me. It was having them rip up my sketchbook, trip me in doorways, glare at me when they saw me.”

-TRIGGERING (kinda? it's not very explicit) SCENE STARTS HERE- By this point, Damian realized something was wrong. She was wringing her hands rougher then necessary, her hands turning red from irritation with white scrapes and she began to scratch at the skin there. She didn’t seem to notice. “It was them hating me, and me not even being able to blame them fully. Because I had to leave for Akuma attacks and I guess I should have helped them out more but I was just so tired and strained andIdon’tknowI’msorryit’shardandIknow-“