Lies: Miraculous Ladybug

With Nothing to Show

"So are you going back to school tomorrow?" Cat Noir asked. Marinette's parents were in the bakery, so it was just the two of them for breakfast today.

"I have to. As far as everyone knows, there's no reason for me to stay home." She took an aggressive bite of cereal, huffing. "What about you?"

Adrien hesitated. He actually wanted to go back to school. Plus he undoubtedly had much to catch up on-- he'd done what work he could from home, but that was very little. On the other hand...

He shook his head. "I can't. Not yet, at least. Everyone still thinks I'm overseas except Nathalie, who thinks I'm bunkered in some safe-house. Until we sort all that out I have to stay on the down-low."

Marinette paused thoughtfully, lowering her spoon. "I guess. Technically you could go back now, but it would be best to wait a while so no one suspects your father being involved. And it would mean living in the mansion with Nathalie. That was the agreed arrangement, right?"

"From what she told me over the phone, yeah." Cat Noir hesitated, biting his lip. "I-- I don't want to go back there. I want to go to school, but... I can't lose this."

She rested a hand on his shoulder, going quiet for a moment.

"...Why don't we talk about this later? I'm sure I can figure something out."

He nodded, blinking a few times. Then he returned to his food.

"What will you do all day?" Marinette asked.

"I don't know, patrol? If I get bored I can come back and watch TV or something."

"Alright. Just be careful."

Cat Noir nodded soberly. They ate in dead air for a while. When they were finished he offered to deal with their bowls. She smiled, thanking him, and went downstairs to help her parents with the bakery.

They patrolled twice that day. Still nothing. In the end, they spent the evening with Tom and Sabine-- who decided it was game night-- and took turns sneaking treats under the table for Tikki. It became their own little competition. Cat Noir was skilled in sleight of hand, so, much to Marinette's annoyment, he won. Her parents couldn't work out why the boy looked so smug.

That didn't last too long. Marinette made sure of that by wiping the floor with him in Clue.

It was a peaceful day.

~*~

Marinette was in a store full of clocks, and they wouldn't stop ringing. She left. The ringing followed her, so she turned circles and searched for the noise. She asked a man if he heard anything.

"...clock, " was all he said. Marinette sulked. But where?

"Marinette, school."

School? What school? An earthquake shook her, but she picked herself up. The man was still there. So was the noise.

"Marinette, " he said again, and there was a second quake. "Marinette, wake up."

Huh?

"Your alarm's been going off for half an hour. Come on, wake up, or the whole spraying-cat-with-water thing is going to take an ironic turn."

...Cat... oh.

Her eyes shot open. There was Cat Noir, hovering about an inch away from her face with a pouty expression. She yelped, which made him yelp and jump back. Marinette sat up a red-faced, sputtering mess.