Composure (A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction)

🕒 Can't Wait 🕒

The following dawn began as the sun peaked past the horizon and revealed its warmth to all of Paris. Blinding rays of light spread like a wildfire through the city, and illuminated every building; every home in its path.

"It's Ladybug! Jumping above!

The power is on when things go wrong!"

Marinette's phone lit up as the song blasted in her ear; pulses of vibrations resonated through the springs in the mattress.

"It's Ladybug, the lucky charm!

The magic is on, always so strong!"

An irritated hand snaked out of the covers and tapped the snooze button, then pulled the sheets over her head to block the light emanating from the windows. She groaned. Why's my alarm going off? It's the weekend.

Her nostrils flared as she breathed in the soothing scents of sugar and chocolate. The scents baked in the air, clouding all around her like a serum of slumber. She yawned and her eyelids fluttered closed. Her back sunk into the comfort of her mattress. The duvet hugged her; it was wrapped around her shoulders, inviting her to stay a while longer. Sleep wound its way around her head once more and slowly constricted her awareness as she snuggled into the fluffy embrace. Fllt fllt. The covers rustled from the movement. It was almost completely cut off when a thought punctured through the tired state of her mind.

Her eyes shot open with a prick of adrenaline as she remembered, and her lungs filled with the air of a gasp. She had set it especially for the occasion.

It's today. A grin spread across her face. Today's the day. The covers dropped into her lap as she sat up. This is really happening.

Marinette's smile only widened with exhilaration as she swung the sheets off of her legs, hopped out of bed, and descended the steps of the staircase.

Her hair was bundled in a messy bun, which bobbed up and down as she pranced over to the vanity. She disentangled the bobby pins from the mass of midnight strands. The cold metal brushed across the tips of her fingers. Blue eyes stared at her face through the reflection before they focused on the pair of struggling hands tugging the hair bands out of the disarray. She bit her tongue.

A dull pain of lactic acid shot through her arms as they grew tired. There was a last moment of determination before they finally hung at her sides in defeat. She sighed.

"Tikki!" Marinette called, "A little help, please?"

"I'm three steps ahead of you," said the small kwami, and she picked and plucked at the mess, flitting around to reach various angles.

The teen inhaled sharply as a pin of pain pricked her scalp. "Ouch!" She flinched.

"Sorry! It was an accident," Tikki blurted out in apology. She flew onto the surface of the vanity when it had finally loosened.

"Thanks." Her fingers pulled at the hair bands once again and found that they slid out with ease.

"It was no problem," she replied, before heaving open one of the drawers. It exposed a pink brush, which Marinette lifted from the compartment. It ran through her hair without trouble, except for the occasional hitch of a knot. They were almost all removed when Tikki asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

The brush was ripped out of her hair like velcro.

"Yes, Tikki, I am. I've been sure about this for quite a while now. And if something goes wrong, I can always fix it. You know that." She returned the pink bristles to her hair once again, before parting the strands into two parts and fastening the halves into pigtails.