The Other Roommate - A Miraculous Fanfic

A New Outlook

I'm working through a burnout rn. Just bear with me... 😬

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It was pretty safe to say that for the rest of the night, Marinette didn't sleep a wink. She lay on her bed, tossing and turning, her mind going a mile a minute. When her alarm rang at 5:30, Marinette had never felt more exhausted in her life. 

Peeking out the door of her room, Marinette's heart sank as she realized that Adrien was already in the kitchen. She was determined to avoid him for as long as possible, but when the clock hit 7:30, Marinette found herself with no other choice but to leave her room and get breakfast. 

Thankfully, Alya and Nino were already in the kitchen, and Marinette thanked the universe for not forcing her to spend the time alone with Adrien. They didn't notice her entering the kitchen at first, so caught up in their chatter. Adrien seemed entirely at ease at the kitchen counter, which was the opposite of Marinette, who walked stiffly as if every step could electrocute her. 

"Hey girl!" Alya chirped when she finally noticed Marienette. "You sleep in? You hadn't woken up this late since before school started!" 

Nino laughed and shook his head. "You alright, Marinette? You're looking a little pale."  

Marinette stiffened, as straight as a board as she plastered what she hoped to be a convincing smile on her face. "Yeah," she laughed. "Rough night." 

Alya cocked her head to the side, sipping her coffee and giving Marinette a severe side-eye. Marinette sighed internally. That meant that Alya was going to grill her to find out what was wrong. Immediately, Marinette searched for a new excuse to give her. 

Despite the blow of seeing Adrien being lessened with Alya and Nino's presence, Marinette still found herself having to work in the same space as him. As nice as the kitchen was, Marinette suddenly found herself thinking it was too small for two people to be in it at once. 

Adrien gave her a small smile, but even to Marinette, it looked a little stiff. No doubt he was thinking of the night before. Despite herself, Marinette tried to picture Adrien in Chat's place, and unfortunately, it was all too easy, and her face burned. 

Does he know that I'm Ladybug? Marinette wondered as she grabbed a pastry from the oven. She glanced at Adrien, who was still cutting up some fruit. Looking a little further, Alya and Nino were watching them, both too amused for their own good as they whispered to each other. 

Sighing, Marinette bit her lip. Even if Adrien knew that she was Ladybug, she couldn't exactly ask him. There was nothing she could do about it except drop the questions in her head. 

"So..." Alya said, the corner of her lips lifted in a devilish smile. Both Marinette and Adrien jumped before snapping their heads towards her. Nino just barely managed to repress a snort. 

"Rough night...huh?" Alya continued, sipping her coffee.

"I just couldn't sleep," Marinette stammered, her hands shaking. 

"I—I had some of the project left to do," Adrien muttered, his eyes now skirting all over the room. 

"You guys can't fool us," Nino laughed, leaning back into his chair. "You both had rough nights, you're skittish around each other, you're acting like a couple of deer in headlights. There's no doubt about it." 

"You two hooked up," Alya and Nino finished in unison, sharing a fist bump in victory. 

"No, we didn't!" Marinette protested, her face now burning the colour of cherries. The memory of Chat or Adrien's, kisses on her neck and body surfaced, and it didn't help her hysteria. 

"Seriously," Nino said, sipping his coffee the way Alya had. 

"We didn't do anything," Adrien said, although his brief glance towards Marinette didn't go unnoticed by anyone. 

"Uhuh," Alya hummed, grinning. 

***

"Hey, you alright?" Luka asked, glancing at Marinette's bouncing leg and restless hands. "You look...nervous?" 

"Huh?" Marinette snapped out of her thoughts, bewildered. "Oh, it's nothing, don't worry about it." She tried for a convincing smile that most definitely failed. 

It was a work block that day, and Marinette tried to keep her gaze from shifting to Adrien. He was Chat. He was her Kitty. Marinette couldn't help but smile a little. In a way, she had fallen for him twice. It was rather poetic.

Luka searched her face, worry in his eyes, but thankfully, he didn't press. "Alright," he said. "But I'm here for you if you want to talk."

Marinette managed a small smile. "Thanks." 

The minutes ticked by, and inevitably, Marinette found herself staring at Adrien once more. She watched as Kagami put a hand on his shoulder, as he laughed at something he said. Her heart lurched at the sight of them being so close, a painful shudder going through her body when Kagami put her hand on Adrien's. 

It's for the best, Marinette told herself. Sure, she and Adrien could date in their civilian forms, but perhaps it would be better for them to move on from each other completely. 

The bell rang shortly after, and Marinette was getting up from her desk when Luka's hand caught onto her wrist. "Hey," he said, a faint blush on his cheeks. "Would you like to go on a date with me again sometime?" 

Marinette paused, her glance briefly flickering to Adrien, who was leaving the room with Kagami. Moving on completely, remember? She reminded herself. 

Taking a deep breath, she smiled at Luka. "I'd love that." 

His shoulders visibly relaxed, and he stood as well. "Great," he said. "Plan later?" 

Marinette nodded. "Mhm." Together, they left the room, and once Marinette was finally alone, Tikki poked her head out of Marinette's purse.

"I'm proud of you, Marinette," Tikki said. "But, are you feeling alright?" 

Marinette put on a brave face. "Of course, Tikki," she replied, although her heart and mind were still torn. 

"Are you sure, Marinette?" Tikki asked uneasily. "You do have patrol with Chat tonight, remember?"

Marinette stopped walking as if she had just slammed into a brick wall. Patrol. Right. She had forgotten entirely. 

The universe really did love screwing with her. Marinette just wished the universe would get a new hobby. 

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Hopefully this chapter was alright. :P