Firebird

4.7

Friendships and Secrets

I lay sprawled like a starfish, comfortably in the bed, the blankets cocooning me in their cozy warmth. My cheek rested against Adrien's shoulder, close enough to hear the erratic drum of his heartbeat, fast with every breath he took. His chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm, though his fingers betrayed his stillness—thumbs dancing furiously across the controller.

From across the room, the TV chattered with a chaotic mix of gunfire and cartoonish explosions, pixelated battles spilling into the air. I wasn't paying much attention to the game—just the sound of it, and the way it seemed to bring a strangely comfortable sense to the air.

It felt... normal. Something I hadn't felt in what seemed like forever. Like we'd slipped back into a time when the world wasn't so heavy—when patrols through the city were just adventures, when we laughed at stupid inside jokes with friends, when our biggest worry was passing a test.

test...

School.

The word slammed into my brain like a thrown brick.

"Shit!" I gasped, jolting upright so fast the blankets tangled around my legs. My bare feet hit the floor with a slap as I scrambled, half-stumbling toward the door.

Behind me, the frantic clicks of Adrien's controller stopped.
"What's wrong, princess?" His voice followed me, tinged with amusement, as he set the controller aside and stood.

"School!" I blurted, shoving my feet into my socks, just about to move on to my sneakers. "I haven't even gotten ready, and class is in ten minutes! I have to run back to my house—I'll see you later!"

Adrien chuckled, shaking his head like I was overreacting. "We can just use Voyage to get your things. You can get ready here." He gestured lazily toward the window. "The school's literally around the corner."

I paused before relief crashed over me like a wave, and I couldn't help but grin. I flung my arms around his neck in an exaggerated swoop. "Oh, how could I live without you?"

He smirked, leaning into the embrace just enough to make it clear he was enjoying this. "We would never know."

Adrien reached for the Miraculous box without a second thought, flipping the latch open. The soft clink of the metal hinges mixed with the faint hum of magic as he slipped on a pair of glasses.

A heartbeat later, a shimmer of light spiraled out from his hands, tearing open a clean, oval-shaped portal that looked like someone had punched a hole in reality—straight into my bedroom.

I didn't even slow down. I darted through, my socks sliding on my bedroom floor as I scooped up my school bag, stuffed in the notebooks I could grab, and yanked my jacket off the chair. Then it was back through the swirling light, the air tingling as I stepped into Adrien's apartment again.

In a blur, I was in his bathroom. Toothbrush. Face wash. Quick hair check. The bare minimum routine to be deemed "socially acceptable" in the eyes of judgmental teenagers.

A few minutes later, I emerged, shoes half-on as I hopped toward the door.
"Thanks again!" I called over my shoulder, giving Adrien a quick wave.

He just smiled knowingly. "Told you it'd be faster."

And he wasn't wrong—the school was so close it felt ridiculous that I had panicked. Within two minutes I was jogging up the steps, the old stone warm under the morning sun. The chatter of students spilled out from every direction, voices carrying across the courtyard.

I clutched my bag tighter, weaving through the throng toward my classroom—
—until a sudden tug on my arm yanked me off course.

Before I could protest, I was being pulled out of the flow of students and into the quieter shadow of the building