Just Fine

Second

Home sweet home.

Home.

Sweet.

Those two things were all she could think of. She wanted nothing more than a cookie.

And a nap.

Even after jumping around as ladybug for years, this cast still seemed to beat her somehow.

She didn't like it, the feeling of being crippled. She was independent. Though it didn't mean she wouldn't ask for help.

She wasn't stupid. Just, tired. And upset. And confused.

But stupid, for the first time in a good while, wasn't one of those many feelings.

Her mother had fussed over her while they were at dinner, pleading with her, to let her take Marinette to school. But Marinette refused. If she really needed a ride, she would get Alya to take her. But for now, she was fine.

Her mother needed to watch the bakery, and so did her father. There was no need for them to take off time from work when she was capable of getting to school without them.

She made her way to her room, despite her parents effort to make her sleep downstairs instead, so she wouldn't have to use the stairs.

She refused, and did her homework at her desk, having a light conversation with Tikki.

****

To say that Adrien couldn't sleep was an understatement. He was absolutely restless.

His green, 'I'm terribly stupid' eyes stayed plainfully open, even as they burned to be shut. Even when he rolled over in his bed, and buried his face in his pillow, they would always find their way back to look at the ceiling.

Even in his luxury of a room, full of everything anyone could have wanted, he felt so...empty?

Maybe that wasn't the word for it. Then again, he was feeling so many emotions all at once.

Marinette being ladybug? That wasn't so crazy was it? Of course it wasn't. And that's what made it so crazy in the first place. How had he never thought of it.

But then again, that caused him a whole new set of problems. Not only did he have to win over ladybug, he now had to win over Marinette. Yes, they were the same person, but they didn't like Adrien, nor Chat Noir. Not anymore it seemed.

He bit his tongue bitterly, wishing he could have done so when he had rejected her. He hadn't meant to be so harsh, just...honest.

At least, what he thought was honest. But it turns out, he was lying to himself, now wasn't he?

Marinette, just a friend? Hardly.

But would he love her if she weren't Ladybug?

If they were two seperate people?

He already knew, that if there was only one or the other, he would take it. But how could he choose?

Ultimately, he decided, he couldn't. If they weren't the same person, he could never choose. But, he didn't have to.

Because there wasn't two. They weren't her without ladybug, without Marinette.

All that she was, he found, he really liked. And it made the heat rise to his face, and he was almost afraid that the heat would wake up a sleeping Plagg lying on the pillow next to him.