Continuing Tales

Wingless

A Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Story
by spectaclesandbooks

Part 4 of 38

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The entire class at in a stunned, stationary silence. The teacher blinked at the door that had just slammed behind one of her best-behaved students, and wondered why. She wasn't the only one.

The only person not staring in shock was Chloe, and that was because she was staring in satisfaction. That had been the most entertaining thing she'd witnessed in months, and knowing that she was the cause of the fight made her even happier.

Nino looked back at Alya, where she sat, aghast. And also completely clueless. She mouthed wordlessly, not knowing what to say or do.

The class remained frozen for another few seconds, until the teacher managed to tear her gaze away from the door to address the class.

"Well. I'm not going to ask you what just happened, and I expect you all to manage to keep the incident out of your heads for the next" (she checked her watch) "thirty-five minutes, when the lesson ends. I hope you've all managed to make at least some headway on your diagrams, and I- just where do you think you're going, Mr Agreste?" The teacher broke off, for Adrien was scooping up his belongings with every intention of heading after his friend.

He hesitated, knowing that that wasn't going to get him out of the class.

"Oh, um…" He panicked and thought wildly. "Did you-err- not get the message? I've got a photoshoot. I have to be out front in five minutes, sooo…" He lied brashly.

The teacher didn't seem convinced. Usually Gabriel's assistant Nathalie was very good at remembering to send in reminders, so as she didn't have one she was quite dubious of the boy's excuse. But she was also too tired and highly-strung to care.

"Fine! Fine," she sighed, slumping down behind her desk in her not-comfortable-enough chair. "Just go, Adrien."

Adrien nodded gratefully and hurried out of the classroom in the direction he'd seen Marinette head.

The teacher turned back to the still-silent class.

"But he's the last one! Everybody, and I mean everybody, complete your diagrams. And no talking, please." She sighed, sipping some water and taking some Ibuprofen for the headache she could feel coming on. I hate teaching.

oOo

Adrien ran through the school, not knowing where to go. He hadn't been thinking when he let the classroom, he'd just known that his friend was hurting and he didn't like it. He, like everyone else, was completely baffled by what had just transpired, but had a hunch (okay, it was slightly more than a hunch) that whatever it was, it had to do with Chloe.

He'd noticed the way Marinette had walked stiffly, and held herself oddly when she'd done Chloe's bidding, like she didn't want to be doing it. That ruled out her claim that she was repaying a favour as a lie, and Marinette never lied. Not to his knowledge, anyway. Something was 100%, definitely wrong. Alya had been too caught up in the argument, as one of the participants, to notice Marinette's shaking voice, pale face, and tear-filled eyes, but Adrien had been watching closely, as well as when she'd run from the room. There was more to this than Marinette (or Chloe, for that matter) had let on.

He had no idea what the Bourgeois girl had done to Marinette, but hadn't missed the smirk she gave as Marinette acted as her slave, or the satisfaction on her face as Marinette yelled at her best friend and run from the room. A pit of hatred for Chloe boiled in Adrien's stomach as he searched, vowing to get to the bottom of this.

A whimper alerted him to someone's presence as he jogged past an empty classroom. He backtracked, and peered through the gap between the door and the wall to see Mari crouched by the wall opposite, head on her knees and sobbing as if she thought her heart would burst. Adrien couldn't take it, and moved to open the door and step inside.

"M-Marinette?" He announced his presence nervously.

The bluenette jumped, and upon seeing Adrien standing nervously in the doorway, gave a gasp and scrambled to get up and leave, again, Chloe's last command echoing in her head. She wasn't allowed to have anything to do with Adrien, and being alone in an empty classroom with him definitely came under the category of 'Anything'.

He came further into the room as he saw her preparing to run, again. He put his hands out in front of him, walking slowly like he was trying not to scare a wild animal.

"Marinette? What's going on?" He questioned gently.

Marinette avoided his eyes. Normally, she would have been ecstatic that he'd come after her to see whether she was alright, and normally, she would have relished the idea of finally being alone with him. But she couldn't run the risk of Chloe finding out.

"Leave me alone, Adrien." She sniffed, trying to make her way past him to the open door. She didn't look up, not wanting to make eye contact, and so didn't see him reaching out to grab her arm as she went past.

"No. Tell me what's wrong, Mari." Adrien said, holding her in place with a soft touch. Her head jerked away from him like she couldn't bear to be anywhere near him, and he knew that she was going to make a run for it. He tightened his grip.

"No…no." Mari breathed, trying to shake him off. "Let me go, I need… I have to…"

Adrien pulled her around so he was directly in between her and the door. He tilted her chin up with a gentle hand, but she jerked her face away, like she was stung. "Not until you tell me what's wrong, Marinette. You're my friend, and I can tell you're hurting, okay? I care about you, and I want you to tell me what's wrong."

Marinette met his eyes miserably, and opened her mouth like she was about to say something. She seemed to fish around for something to say, and Adrien felt encouraged. He'd gotten through to her. But suddenly, her mouth snapped and the tear tracks on her face glinted in the light coming through the open doorway as she seemed to change her mind about talking to him.

"No. Leave me alone." She whispered, wrenching her arms out of his grasp and darting around him to run through the open doorway.

Frustrated, Adrien ran after her as she headed towards the main exit of the school. She ran down the front-of-school steps, and he managed to catch up with her again as she got to the bottom. He panted as he ran in front of her, blocking her way. God, she was fast.

"Leave me alone, Adrien! I- You- get out of my way!" Marinette yelled as he blocked her every attempt to pass him, his Chat Noir agility coming in useful.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong, Marinette! You can't just do something like that in front of everyone, and- and not expect anyone to do anything about it!" He cried, frustrated at how useless he felt. So far, he'd only seemed to upset her further, as her attempts to run away from him only intensified.

Suddenly, she stopped moving. She stepped back from him, and drew herself up to her (admittedly not very intimidating) full height. An odd expression came over her face. It looked… guarded. Like she was about to do something she didn't want to, and was trying to alienate herself from any feelings that may come her way as a result. Adrien readied himself warily for the onslaught, as they stood in the Parisian sunshine.

"Why would you care?" Marinette asked, her voice cold, but Adrien could hear the shake in it. He could also see the pain she'd tried to hide from her face, so he resolved not to listen to anything she was about to say. "You, Adrien Agreste, are sooo concerned with being a little daddy's boy, too much so to care about anyone else. You spend your days on a bloody pedestal, the famous boy model with the tragic homelife, toying with every girl's affections like the spoiled little rich boy you are. Then you act all nice and sweet, and expect me to believe you when you say you care about me. Well… I think you're pathetic. Go back to school, pretty boy, because I don't want you here."

Adrien was sure Marinette didn't mean the things she was saying, they were meaningless words to try and get him out of her way, but that didn't mean they didn't sting. He recoiled slightly, but saw the flash of remorse happen across the girl's face, and pressed on.

"I don't care Marinette. You need a friend right now, and whether or not you count me as one, I am your friend."

oOo

Marinette was staring to panic.

Adrien wasn't leaving, and Chloe could definitely see the front of school from her seat in the classroom. She couldn't give Chloe an excuse to post that photo, and standing here , looking like she was having a chat with Adrien was an excuse. She was running out of options for ways to get rid of him, and running out of strength to stop herself from having a breakdown, here and now.

Her eyes welled up as she stared at the boy she loved, her heart fluttering as he gazed back at her, concern etched across his handsome face, and swallowed. She looked down at her feet, and whispered the next part so quietly he had to lean in to hear it. She seemed to crumple as she spoke, making him want to put his arms around her.

"Please...if you're truly my friend, Adrien, if you truly want to help me… you'll understand that I have to get out of here. If you do care for me... you'll let me go. You'll get out of my way."

Adrien looked at the top of Marinette's head as she focused on the floor. He was truly her friend, and needed to help her. And this was what she wanted. He resisted the urge to hold her, to make everything okay, but knew that wasn't what she wanted right now. It may have been what she needed, but he had to prove that he was her friend. He had to do as she said.

His stomach coiling in compassion and defeat, he looked up, away from the broken girl in front of him, and slowly, reluctantly, finally, moved stepped out of her way. After a second, during which he heard her exhale quietly in miserable relief, she ran past him, and he had to stop himself from turning to watch her go.

Wingless

A Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Story
by spectaclesandbooks

Part 4 of 38

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