Adrien Agreste has one of the worst weeks of his superhero-ing life. After getting three obvious injuries from different akumas, he's forced to tell people he's being bullied to keep his identity as Chat Noir a secret. His friends convince him to ta...
Chat Noir: Does this battle wound make me look hot?
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Ladybug: If battle wounds could actually make you hot, you'd be on fire right now, Chat.
Ladybug: Needless to say, no. It just makes you look like you have a butterfly on your face.
Chat Noir: Well I'm home safe, in case you were wondering.
Ladybug: Did it really take you like 5 hours to vault home?
Chat Noir: Well I actually walked home...
Chat Noir: But it did take me that long to get cleaned up and then remember I said I would text you.
Ladybug: I told you I could've dropped you somewhere.
Ladybug: Now put some ice on that thing. It naaaasty.
Chat Noir: Already one step ahead of you.
Chat Noir: I'm also gonna put a massive bandaid on it.
Ladybug: A fashion statement for sure.
Ladybug: Get some sleep soon, okay?
Chat Noir: Maybe 😏
Ladybug: Not maybe!
Chat Noir: Maaaaaaybeee 😏😏😏
Ladybug: You're so stupid
Chat Noir: Well, only if you insist, Bugaboo
Chat Noir: Goodnight, sweet creams
Chat Noir: dreams*
Ladybug: Haha, night
~ ~ ~
Tuesday rolls back around and it's once again time for fighting lessons. Or as Marinette's mom likes to call them "Chinese lessons." (With actual air quotes every single time she says it.)
At the end of last week, Adrien had shown up to school with another injury on his cheek, though he'd covered whatever happened with a bandaid. He insisted he was fine and that this time he'd legitimately just walked into the corner of a locker: no bullying funny-business.
Marinette is still suspicious about that excuse and thinks he's trying to cover up just how bad his bullying problem is. But she hasn't said another word about it.
When she gets home from school, she changes into a pair of shorts and a tank top and pulls her hair up into a ponytail.
"The nerves still don't go away the second time," She says to Tikki, practicing her jabs at the air, "And now my mother has made it awkward."
"You could always just tell her the truth," Her kwami points out.
"And then what do I tell her? She'll start asking why I'm teaching Adrien how to fight, how I know how to fight in the first place, why we haven't told his dad about the bully, among other things. It's honestly easier to let her think Adrien and I are doing the frickle-frackle at a set time every week."
Tikki giggles, "There's an actual word for that, you know."
Marinette emphasizes her phrases with each punch at the air, "I know..." Punch, "It just feels..." Punch, "Dirty to say..." She stops, "I don't know."
"Is it possible you might like the idea of people thinking the two of you are together?"
"Sure," She rubs her forehead with the back of her hand, "I just— I don't want people to think of me in that way. I already get enough of it as Ladybug, I don't need Marinette to deal with sexualization too."
Right as she's about to start stretching, a knock sounds at the front door. Knowing it must be Adrien (early this time), she runs down her stairs, "I got it!" She yells to no one in particular.
Marinette's socks make her slide on the hardwood towards the door, and she catches herself on the handle before opening it.
"Hey, Marinette," Adrien gives her a photo worthy smile, or at least it would be photo worthy if he didn't have a healing black eye and a bandaged cheek. Marinette still finds it dazzling though.
"Hey! Ready to get started?" She replies, gesturing for him to come in.
From across the room, she makes eye contact with her mother who is sitting on the couch with an open book. Sabine gives her a little wink and mouths something that—thankfully—Marinette doesn't quite catch. She leads Adrien up the stairs and closes the trap door behind them.
Adrien drops his satchel on the ground and raises his hands above his head to stretch, "So where are we starting today?"
She gives him a knowing look.
"What?"
"How about we start with the giant bandage on your face? You didn't really run into a locker, did you?"
He shifts his weight back and forth, "What do you mean?"
"Adrien, seriously. Who is doing this to you?"
"It's not—" Adrien runs his hand through his hair, "It was just a locker."
"I want to make sure you're okay... as your friend," She partially regrets adding that last part.
"You are," He puts his hands on her upper arms, "You're making sure I'm okay by helping me defend myself when I am getting picked on, right? So just keep doing that and don't worry about me too much."
She cracks a small smile, "Worrying about other people is kind of embedded in my DNA, so that's unlikely."
"Which is just why I love you," He pauses, clears his throat, and carefully removes his hands from her arms, "Because you're a great friend."
"Right." Marinette tucks a stray hair behind her ear, "Shall we?"
