You Are Still You

Chapter One

"Marinette? What's with your hair?" When he walked in, Mark was instantly the main attraction.

"I'm so proud of you, Mark! Don't be so nervous," Tikki supported her owner from his sweatshirt pocket.

"Guy, I love the new look!" Alya came running, and gave her best friend a hug.

Instead of the pink and white outfit Marinette wore, Mark wore a black sweatshirt with a large, green paw print on the back. You could see the stitches where the designer used green thread to stand out on the black fabric. He wore baggy jeans, and gray sneakers. After a long weekend, Mark had cut his hair and was starting on a medication called "Testosterone" to deepen his tone of voice.

Mark was the most nervous for Adrien to see him, for the admiration for the boy never wavered. Alya went to all the doctor's appointment with her friend, and has been with him since the beginning of the process. She was the only other classmate Mark had told beforehand.

"Thanks!" Mark saw Adrien talking to Nino, and his face turned a bright shade of pink. "A-Alya? Wh-What if he doesn't like me? What if he hates me now? What if-"

"C'mon!" The girl grabbed her friend by the shoulders. "You did this for you, not for Adrien. If he doesn't like who you are, that's his problem. Do you feel comfortable?"

"N-not at th-this moment-," Alya put her arm around Mark's shoulder.

"That's okay, people are stupid. But you, you are Mark. Marinette was the stuttering mess around a boy, this is your chance to really show everyone who you have always been!" Alya was guiding the boy to the others.

"Hey, Alya! Who are you?" Adrien was asking Mark, who was surprised. Before allowing Nino to latch on to her, Alya gave him an encouraging nod.

"I-I'm M-M-Mark!" He took a deep breath and put his hand out. "My name is Mark." For the first time in two years, he was actually speaking normally. Well, things like this take time.

Adrien accepted the teenager's hand with a kind smile. "Great to meet you, Mark." While he never said it, the look Adrien gave him was filled with pride. Not for himself, but for the bravery that was standing before him. He didn't need to say anything for Mark to understand what he was doing.

When Adrien had looked at Marinette, all he saw was a person that was uncomfortable and nervous. Now, there was a slightly less awkward boy standing with a Chat Noir sweatshirt on.

The bell rang, and the students began filing into the classroom.

Before this, Mark and Alya had approached Ms. Bustier and the three had a sort of meeting.

"You are the bravest person I know, Mark. If you need anything, I'll be right here. Alright?" Everyone had been so kind. Then again, Chloe and Lila hadn't entered the classroom at that point.

He dreaded the moment they did, and Mark's anxiety began to rise. Alya held his hand and raised an eyebrow.

"You good?" He nodded, forcing himself to breathe. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad. After all, Mark had full support from Alya and her family.