Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

10-year-old Marinette frantically ran across the streets of Paris, trying to run away from her two tormentors. Even at 10-years-old, Marinette knew how serious bullying was. She knew because she had not one, but two bullies.

(Well, Chloe Bourgeois was the one who did most of the bullying. Sabrina… Marinette didn’t know what was a nice way to describe her. A coward if she had the courage to say that, probably.)

“Oh, Marinette~!” Chloe’s voice, the way it sounded, felt like honey, but you could sense the sinister tone in it. “I wish you would stop running. Why don’t you come face me like a real woman?”

“We’re 10 years old, Chloe!” Marinette wailed as she hid behind a corner. “I never did anything to you in our lives! Would you please stop bullying me?!”

“Me? Bullying?” Chloe mocked and gasped dramatically. “Where did you ever get an idea like that? I just want to braid your cute little hair. You know, to wrap them into little buns like your big daddy makes and shove you into the oven!”

Marinette shivered, not just at the jab that Chloe had made towards her papa, but the thought of Chloe actually shoving her into an oven. Sure, Chloe could do a lot to you, but even she wouldn’t actually…you know?!

As Marinette crouched behind the corner, her breaths coming in quick, shallow bursts, she tried to steady herself, her mind racing with fear. Suddenly, Chloe's voice cut through the air again, too close for comfort.

“Well, well, well,” Chloe’s voice said with a mocking sweetness, “Hiding, are we?”

Marinette’s heart leaped into her throat as Chloe’s face appeared around the corner, her eyes glinting with malicious delight. Startled, Marinette let out a terrified yelp and bolted down the street, her small legs pumping furiously as she tried to put as much distance between herself and her tormentors as possible.

Chloe and Sabrina’s laughter echoed behind her, cruel and relentless, as Marinette raced through the streets, desperately seeking a safe place to hide.

They continued their wild goosechase, until Marinette ran near the Seine. The water was smelly, like it always was, but Marinette knew Chloe wouldn’t dare go anywhere near the place. 

But Marinette had totally underestimated Chloe today. She seemed to really be hellbent on making Marinette’s life miserable, and before she knew it, Marinette found herself being cornered with nowhere to run. Chloe stood on one side while Sabrina stood at the other side.

Marinette tried to back away from as much distance as she could, but she felt her foot briefly touch empty air and she quickly refrained herself. 

“Oh, poor little Marinette,” Chloe cooed mockingly. “Nowhere left for you to run?”

“Chloe, please don’t do this,” Marinette whimpered desperately. “Not even you would stoop this low.”

“Hmm,” Chloe made a show of tapping herself under her chin, as if thinking deeply.  “Even I wouldn’t stoop this low. But just think about it.” 

Chloe stepped closer to Marinette until their faces were touching. 

“I always promised that I would make your life an endless nightmare, Dupain-Cheng,” Chloe whispered, making Marinette’s face go stark white when she realized what she was about to do. “And if there’s one thing about me you should know, I know when to keep a promise.”

With those words, Chloe roughly shoved Marinette backwards. 

Marinette screamed as she tried to regain her balance, but it was too much, and she fell into the Seine’s waters, which seemed to feel colder than usual.

Although Marinette was usually a good swimmer, the way the water felt so icy and the adrenaline she had been experiencing caught up to her, so she didn’t have enough energy to fully swim. She flailed around desperately, but her head kept bobbing up and down in the water.

“Oh no! Marinette’s drowning!” Sabrina cried in horror. “Chloe, do something!” Although Sabrina was almost as big of a bully as Chloe was, even she wouldn’t want someone to drown.

“And ruin my clothes that Daddy got me?” Chloe said uncaringly, picking at her nails. “It’s Dupain-Cheng’s fault that she’s the world’s most pathetic loser. Let’s go, Sabrina. I need a mani-pedi after all this work.”

Sabrina reluctantly looked at Marinette struggling before going to follow her best friend.

“I…can’t… keep it up any longer!” Marinette panted, just as her head went under again. She spat out some water and that’s when she realized…

“Oh no!” 

Of all the misfortunes of today, Marinette’s foot decided now was the right time for it to fall asleep! Her leg felt like a dead weight, making her struggle even harder to stay afloat.

“Mama!” Marinette cried, her head going under again. “Papa! Help!”

She shouted as loud as she could, but she doubted her parents would be able to hear her. A large, unexpected wave came, taking Marinette with it. With her asleep leg and her struggling breath, Marinette knew it was the end for her. 

Just as black dots began filling Marinette’s vision, she spotted a splash, and through the murky water, she caught sight of a young boy her age with beautiful blonde hair and sweet emerald eyes swimming towards her, arms outstretched, as if he was trying to reach for her. 

Marinette smiled, knowing it could be the last time she could do so, and this hallucination of an angel was only adding up to it. She let out her last breath, and Marinette blacked out.

-

Adrien hated that his house was quieter than usual. Without Nathalie or his bodyguard knowing, he managed to slip out while his parents were quietly discussing Gabriel's next fashion line. He decided to take a walk to his favorite park. It was quiet, but a good kind of quiet. The peace made Adrien feel relaxed, and his favorite part of the park was where he heard the water running in the fountain.

As Adrien went to gaze at the water, he caught a flash of blue and pink and spotted a young girl his age seemingly in a hurry. At first, Adrien politely paid no mind, but then he heard a voice he didn't expect to sound so scary.

“Run, little Marinette! You can’t hide from me forever!” his friend Chloe, who had been friends with Adrien since they were old enough to walk, taunted, her voice echoing in the air. "Even your little protector can't be with you today!"

The way Chloe spoke twisted Adrien's stomach in knots. While he always knew about Chloe's... enthusiastic comments on most people, he had to admit this was the first time he saw his childhood friend act so scary!

Heart racing and knowing something was wrong, Adrien secretly followed the girls as fast as he could until he was led to the edge of the Seine. The girl Chloe was targeting was the same girl Adrien had caught a brief glance of as she ran past him. The poor girl looked utterly terrified as she pleaded with Chloe to leave her alone.

“Leave me alone, Chloe!” the girl begged, her voice trembling.

Adrien watched in horror as Chloe sneered and stepped closer. “Oh, come on, Marinette. Don’t be such a baby.”

Another girl who Adrien didn't recognize stood a few steps behind, looking unsure but not daring to go against Chloe. Adrien’s heart pounded as he watched the scene unfold. He saw Marinette glance around, seemingly looking for a way to escape.

But then, with a cruel grin, Chloe shoved Marinette hard. Adrien’s eyes widened in shock and horror as he watched Marinette tumble into the murky water of the Seine.

"No!" Adrien shouted internally, knowing he couldn't reveal his presence or Chloe might spot him. He watched as Marinette struggled in the freezing water, her strength quickly fading, her cries for help echoing in his ears.

“Oh no! Marinette's in danger!” the unknown girl to Adrien, who assumed was to be a friend of Chloe's, one of the few people who could get on friendly terms with the mayor's daughter. “Chloe, help her!”

“Who cares? It's Dupain-Cheng's fault that she's the world's biggest loser!” Chloe cackled as she sashayed away, the other girl reluctantly following her but not before casting a worried glance back at Marinette.

As soon as the girls left, Adrien didn't hesitate. He sprinted to the edge of the water, his heart racing with worry. Marinette was nearly submerged now, her head barely above the water.

"Mama!" Marinette screamed desperately, her voice choked with water. "Papa! Help!"

Those were the last words she managed before spluttering into the water and going under.

Adrien knew the seriousness of the situation. Without a second thought, he dove in, grateful for the swimming lessons his father had insisted on. He propelled himself through the water with the techniques his instructor had taught him, determined to reach Marinette's sinking figure quickly.

Despite the murky water, Adrien refused to give up. He grasped for Marinette, catching hold of her arm. With all his strength, he pulled her up and wrapped his other arm around her waist, allowing her to breathe once they reached the surface. Straining against the water's resistance, Adrien swam toward the shore, finding a sandy bank where he could safely bring Marinette to land.

As Adrien gently laid Marinette a safe distance away from the water, he debated on what he should do next. Should he perform CPR? Marinette hadn't been underwater for too long, thankfully, but Adrien knew it was better to be safe than sorry.

Before he could decide, fate intervened. Marinette suddenly rolled over in her unconscious state and began to cough violently, expelling water from her lungs. It seemed to last for a solid two minutes until she finally managed to speak as she spat out water.

"Oh my goodness," she whimpered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"There, there, it's okay, let it all out," Adrien soothed, rubbing her back comfortingly.

Marinette slowly turned her head to face him, and then her eyes lit up.

"It's you!" she gasped, her eyes sparkling with relief. "You were the boy who saved me! I thought I was just hallucinating when I was drowning."

"I'm very real, indeed, I can assure you," Adrien replied with a gentle smile. "Pleased to meet you, miss." He took her hand gently and brought it to his lips in a courteous gesture.

Marinette blushed at the sweet gesture. "Oh," she murmured. "Well, either way, thank you for saving my life. My name's Marinette."

"Marinette?" Adrien repeated. "That's a very beautiful name for a girl like you."

"Thank you, my papa picked it," Marinette beamed happily. "My momma was the one who decided to combine both of my parents' last names to mine when I was born so it was fair to both sides of my family."

"I see, that's very thoughtful," Adrien nodded. "My name's Adrien. I'm half-British on my mother's side."

"I see," Marinette's eyes sparkled with interest.

Marinette enjoyed the easy conversation with the mysterious boy. Although they had just met, it felt like they knew each other for ages.

As they looked deeply into each other's eyes, Marinette saw a spark in Adrien's eyes, hers mirrored in his green orbs, until…

"Adrien, where are you?!" A voice called out for the boy, sounding worried. "Your father is worried!"

"Oops, looks like I've been caught," Adrien said with a hint of frustration. "Well, I better get going, Marinette." He helped her up before preparing to leave.

"Are you in trouble, Adrien?" Marinette asked, worried for her new friend.

"Don't worry, I just tend to wander around at times," Adrien explained. "It was nice meeting you, Marinette. I hope I meet you again one day."

Adrien reached for Marinette's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before slowly pulling away and walking off.

Marinette watched Adrien leave, her heart fluttering. Never before had she met a boy this kind. She hoped to meet him again one day soon. With a smile, she decided to head home to avoid worrying her parents.

Despite the day's hardships, she found a silver lining: she had made a new friend.

Chapter Text

Ever since Marinette met Adrien, she couldn’t help but think about him and his kindness. The way he saved her life and how he had the most beautiful sunshine looking blonde hair and green eyes that sparkled like emeralds.

Unfortunately, Marinette never got to meet him after that. When she arrived home that day, Marinette realized she never got Adrien’s last name. 

Marinette was snapped out of her thoughts when Socqueline plopped herself on the bench next to her. 

“I know that look of yours, Marinette,” Socqueline teased. “Are you thinking about that boy again?” The specific bench looking out to the Seine had become one of Marinette's favorite spots in Paris.

Marinette blushed. 

“How were you able to tell?” She asked.

“You’ve been having that look on your face every time you sit on this bench,” Socqueline said. “It’s been like, almost 3 years though. You never saw him again after that.”

“I know,” Marinette admitted. “But every time I walk near the Seine, I can’t just help but think about him. Oh, jiejie . Although we only just met that day, it felt like we knew each other for ages.”

Socqueline chuckled at Marinette’s enthusiasm. 

“You’re such a romantic, mei mei ,” she teased softly. “I’m happy that you sort of found your dream guy, but don’t you think it’s time to let him go? You only met him once, after all. You never got any sort of contact with him, so we don’t know if he moved away or something.”

“I know,” Marinette sighed in defeat. “He told me that day that he was half-British on his mother’s side. He could’ve moved to Britain with his family for all I know.”

Socqueline scooted over to wrap a comforting arm around her younger sister-like figure.

“You actually might be able to meet him again someday, mei mei. Who knows? He could come back into your life again when you least expect it!”

“I feel it would take a miracle for him to suddenly pop back up to my life again,” Marinette said as she leaned her head on Socqueline’s shoulder. “But you’re right. Thank you, jiejie .”

“You’re welcome, mei mei.”

More days passed, turning into weeks, then months. Unfortunately, this year was also the year that Chloe decided to become the most nasty since they were 10. 

If Marinette thought that Chloe would eventually run out of ideas to make her life more miserable than it already was, she clearly underestimated the mayor’s daughter. Sometimes, Chloe would even demand permission from Marinette just to allow her to come inside the school, making her later than she already sometimes was! But how was Marinette going to pay Chloe back when her family wasn’t as rich as hers?

The only thing that could keep Marinette going was Socqueline. Her older sister-like figure was always there for her, but as the school year was beginning to end, Marinette knew Socqueline wouldn’t be going to school with her anymore.

“Marinette, I promised your mom I’d look out for you,” Socqueline gently scolded one day after she scared Chloe away. “And I will always do so, no matter what. But sometimes I can’t be there. And next year, I won’t even be coming to Dupont! You have to learn to stand up for yourself, it’s clearly taking a toll on you!”

“I know, jiejie, but you know how Chloe is,” Marinette said. “She’s got everyone wrapped around her finger. Even the teachers gave up on stopping her a long time ago. I think the only thing I can wish for is that Chloe won’t be in my class again next year.”

 Marinette’s voice trailed off as she glanced in a certain direction to gaze at a certain boy with a dreamy look on her face. She gazed at Kim playfully taking Max’s glasses, much to the latter’s annoyance.

“Marinette, please tell me you’re not crushing on that dingbat Kim,” Socqueline scoffed. She never really had any sort of real grudge against the boy, but her annoyance towards him was very noticeable. “What about that Adrien guy you used to tell me about? Now, that guy sounds like someone worth crushing on.”

“I only met Adrien once,” Marinette reasoned. “I think it’s best if I go out with someone I kind of know a bit better. And besides, sure, Kim can be a bit goofy at times, but he’s also really nice, funny, and kind of cute, don’t you think?”

Socqueline still looked kind of unsure.

“I don’t know, Marinette, you have a point, but it’s just that sometimes I feel that Kim really isn’t the person you see. Even Max gets annoyed with him sometimes, and they’re best friends!”

True to Socqueline’s words, Max looked like he had enough of Kim toying around with his glasses, and snatched it off his friend’s face.

“Kim, no! Stop!” He exclaimed. “Come on, man, I need these glasses to see!”

“Aw come on, Max, lighten up a little!” Kim laughed. “It’s just a little practical joke!”

“You’re being too hard on him, jiejie . Besides, Kim just wants to laugh. Everyone likes laughs, right?” Marinette stated.

Socqueline sighed and facepalmed. Despite her slight dislike of the jock, she could at least support her sister.

“Alright, you have a crush on the guy, sweet,” she said and crossed her arms with a smirk. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

“Well, I do know he likes swimming,” Marinette tapped her chin in thought. “I know!” Her eyes lit up. “ Jiejie, I’m going to ask him if he would like to come to the pool with me after school! That would be a good step right?”

“I suppose so…” Socqueline said thoughtfully. She winced at the sight of Kim dancing around Max, who looked like he was about to throw his friend across the world. “But are you sure you want to do this, Marinette?”

“It’s just the pool, Socqueline,” Marinette argued reasonably. “What’s the worst that could happen? I’m gonna ask him right now.”

With a determined look, Marinette marched up to Kim. Socqueline stayed behind, watching with a concerned look.

“Oh, mei mei ,” she whispered. “Please be careful.”

Unnoticed by Socqueline, Sabrina was spying nearby, her face full of glee. She couldn’t wait to give Chloe the scoop. 

-

Later that afternoon, Marinette and Socqueline went on the bus together. Kim had accepted Marinette’s invitation to go to the pool with her, so Marinette had her sports bag with her swimming supplies in it. Socqueline had a taekwondo class nearby, so she had her own sports bag around her shoulder.

“I’m really happy for you that Kim accepted going to the pool with you, mei mei ,” Socqueline was saying to Marinette as they swiped their bus passes on the device. “But what are you going to do with him besides swim? You got a good idea on how you’ll tell him about your feelings?”

“Well, the swimming pool’s purpose is to have fun and swim, so I’m going to do just that,” Marinette replied. “Then, once we’re relaxed, I can bring up the topic of me liking him. It’s a simple, yet great plan. It’s not like your taekwondo classes, jiejie , where you have to come up with a strategy. If I did so, it could end up being too complicated.”

“Hm,” Socqueline nodded, taking in Marinette’s words.

They arrived at the pool, and Marinette prepared to step off, but not before giving her sister a warm hug and kiss on the cheek.

“Bye, jiejie ! I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow!” She promised as she thanked the bus driver and sprinted off the bus.

“Right… have fun, mei mei ,” Socqueline said softly, mostly to herself as she watched Marinette enthusiastically step off the bus. 

As the bus moved to its next destination, Socqueline couldn’t help but feel that something was going to go really wrong. After a few seconds of thinking, she pressed the button to alert the bus driver to stop at the next closest stop. If things went wrong, Socqueline hoped she would be able to get there in time in case things went wrong for Marinette.

-

Socqueline was right to worry. As soon as she reached the pool, she could hear Marinette’s terrified screaming. Her heart clenched, but before Socqueline could open the door to rush into the pool to rescue her little sister, Chloe and Sabrina barged out, the latter carrying a fancy cell phone. 

Not noticing Socqueline just yet, Sabrina handed Chloe her phone back, which she clicked on a certain video that was recorded for her. 

“From this moment forward, your life will be an endless nightmare, Dupain-Cheng!” Chloe cackled as she put the humiliating video of Marinette falling backwards into the pool on replay. 

Socqueline’s heart dropped. She didn’t know what exactly happened, but when she saw the way how Marinette fell backwards into the pool; she would have to be really lucky to not get seriously injured or worse!

“Even if you spent the rest of your life locked in your room, they say there’s nothing that can hide away from social media!” Chloe continued, holding her phone up in the air in triumph. 

Socqueline felt a rage of fury like she never had before. She stomped over to whisper like venom in Chloe’s ear.

“Hello, Chloe Bourgeois,” Socqueline hissed.

Chloe and Sabrina both let out high pitched shrieks. Before they could register anything else, Socqueline had grabbed Chloe’s phone from her hand and crushed it with her foot. The way Chloe was going to send that humiliating video of her little sister to social media was the last straw.

After crushing the phone, Socqueline walked into the pool to give Chloe and Sabrina one last glare that made them shiver, then sprinted inside to look for her sister.

Socqueline quickly climbed the stairs where the changing rooms were, only to hear Marinette’s heartbreaking sobs. Before Socqueline could go to her door to check on her, Kim beat her to it. 

“So, did you like the spiders, Marinette?” Kim asked, uncaringly. “The way you fell backwards into the pool was amazing!”

Socqueline’s temper flared up once more and with her taekwondo strength, she roughly shoved Kim away.

“You! Go away!” she exclaimed. “You should be ashamed of yourself!”

“What’s there to be ashamed of?” Kim asked, like he didn’t do anything that could possibly scar Marinette for life. “What I did to Marinette was just a practical joke!”

He left before Socqueline could tell him off.

The door slowly opened, and Socqueline turned to see a tearful Marinette gazing at her with gratitude, but the tears couldn’t stop rolling down her cheeks as she collapsed to the floor.

“Oh, Marinette,” Socqueline softly whispered, crouching down onto the floor to hold Marinette’s cheek in a sisterly gesture.

“Oh, jiejie ! It was horrible!” Marinette sobbed. “It was just like the Seine incident all over again, but this time, there was no Adrien to save me!”

“At least the lifeguard saved you, didn’t he?” Socqueline tried to comfort.

“He did,” Marinette sniffed, wiping her tears. “And I’m really grateful he did so. But the way Kim just shoved those spiders on me and watched me fall backwards into the pool like that! Didn’t he care that I could've seriously injured myself or worse?”

“I’m so sorry, mei mei ,” Socqueline said sadly as she gave her little sister a hug. “No one deserves to experience that, least of all you.”

“It’s not your fault, jiejie . It’s mine. I should’ve taken your warnings seriously,” Marinette choked on a sob. “I don’t think I can ever look at a boy again without thinking what could happen!”

With a teary, yet determined gaze, Marinette knew what she had to do. 

“I will never tell another boy I love him until I know him well enough,” she declared. “The biggest thing would have to be that he’s NOT friends with Chloe!”

With those words of declaration, Marinette hugged her older sister and began sobbing again, feeling the comforting arms of Socqueline squeezing her tightly.

-

“...And then she came out of nowhere and crushed my phone into a million little pieces with her ugly $1 shoe that is obviously too big for her ugly little foots!” Chloe complained the next day at school. Why she would choose the next day to complain to Principal Damocles about something that happened outside of school, no one would ever know why. 

Probably because she wanted to get rid of everybody close to Marinette?

“I’m sorry to hear that your phone has been broken, Miss Bourgeois, but I can’t exactly suspend Miss Wang for something that happened outside of school,” Principal Damocles tried to explain reasonably, but as usual Chloe didn’t like that sort of answer and whipped out her new cellphone with a gold case cover.

“I don’t think my daddy, the mayor, would approve of something precious belonging to his beloved daughter, being destroyed, whether it happened inside or outside of school!” Chloe complained as her finger threateningly waved onto the call button. 

“Ack! Never mind, I completely agree with you, Miss Bourgeois!” The cowardly Damocles could never go against the mayor of Paris. “I’m sorry, Miss Wang, but I’m going to have to suspend you for the rest of the school year!”

“What?!” Socqueline gasped. “But there’s only 2 weeks left of the school year! And what about graduation? And prom?” She asked.

“You won’t be able to attend to those, I’m afraid,” Principal Damocles said regrettably. “Suspend means suspend for a reason.”

Socqueline growls, but she knew better than to argue with either the principal of her now former school and the mayor’s daughter. She gave one last glare to Chloe before she left the office, who only smirked back.

“Good riddance,” Chloe snickered, while Principal Damocles sighed in regret, as he always had a good relationship with Socqueline, but there was a possible chance she would now hold a little grudge on him.

Marinette heard the news of her sister being kicked out of school before she could achieve the best moments of her life; Graduation, prom, celebrating with her friends to move onto high school!

Hurriedly, Marinette rushed outside, just in time to see Socqueline walking down the stairs of Francois College Dupont for the last time. 

“ Jiejie, wait!” Marinette cried. “I’m so sorry you got punished! It’s because of me! Now you’re expelled for the rest of the school year, and that means you’re missing prom and graduation!” Tears struck her eyes at those words.

“ Mei mei,” Socqueline said softly, placing her hands reassuringly on the younger girl’s shoulders. “It is true I’m upset, but at the same time, I’m still glad I’m leaving this school with some sort of achievement. My mom told me as you grow older, pretty much everything will turn into a fight. It’s not always about winning, but it’s about doing the right thing. Maybe not everyone will be satisfied, but you should feel proud that you at least did something.”

“I can understand that, but you shouldn’t get punished on my behalf,” Marinette stated sadly. 

“I don’t regret helping you, Marinette,” Socqueline assured as she gently wiped away a tear from her little sister’s cheek. “You’ve always been like a little sister to me. You still are like a little sister to me. And sure, I’m going to miss graduating to high school and having fun at prom, but I’d take protecting you from getting humiliated over a video Chloe was about to send to social media rather than spending a lot of money on prom dresses and cap gowns. You’re more important.”

“Even if we’re not going to school anymore next year, do you promise we’ll always be sisters?” Marinette asked softly.

“I pinky-promise we will always be sisters, Marinette,” Socqueline vowed as she held out her pinky, and Marinette did the same as they wrapped their pinky fingers around each other. They then shared a quick hug, with Socqueline promising that even if she can’t always get to her right away, she will always be with her, and Marinette promised to tell her parents that Socqueline said hi, with her doing the same for her own parents.

As she watched her older sister leave, Marinette took a moment to gaze out of the sun setting over the school, her house next door, and the Place De Vosges park. Marinette then took out the bun from her hair, grabbed an extra hair tie from her pocket, and adjusted her hair to shape them into pigtails. 

Marinette had always worn pigtails her entire life, but she decided to change things up during the beginning of the year when Chloe loudly exclaimed that only a real pig would count to Marinette’s hair. But Socqueline told her to be proud of her pigtails. She wore them as a hairstyle herself, and she didn’t care what anyone else thought about them. 

Feeling her pigtails plop on her shoulders, Marinette smiled into the sunset.

“Thank you for everything, jiejie ,” she whispered.

Chapter Text

Despite the rest of the summer going smoothly, Marinette couldn’t help but still feel depressed. She didn’t have to see Chloe or Kim for the rest of the summer, which made one good perk come out, but Marinette’s mental state concerned her parents and Socqueline. 

Soon, the first day of school arrived. Marinette would miss seeing Socqueline in the halls and hanging out with her at break times and lunch, but like her jiejie said, everyone has to move on to the next level eventually.

Still, Marinette didn’t know how she could survive this school year without her older sister figure. Even if she went back to wearing pigtails again, she didn’t feel the confidence.

“Marinette, your alarm’s been ringing for 15 minutes!” Sabine, Marinette’s mom, called for her from downstairs. “You’ll be late for your first day of school!”

Oh. Marinette didn’t even register that she had crawled under her covers and wished to stay under there forever. But if she didn’t go downstairs in the next minute, her mother would physically come up and drag her out of bed herself so Marinette reluctantly shut her phone off.

“I’m coming, Momma!” she promised as she headed downstairs into the kitchen, where Sabine was waiting for her. 

“Morning, Mom,” Marinette kissed her mom on the cheek and sat on the chair to eat some breakfast.

“Good morning, darling. Did you sleep well last night? You need to be in tip-top shape for your first day of school!” Sabine explained as she stirred something in the pot.

“Not as much as I would’ve liked,” Marinette said as she poured some milk and added some cocoa into a bowl. “I kind of couldn’t sleep because I couldn’t help but worry about the new school year.”

“How so, honey? It’s your last year of middle school! Aren’t you excited?”

“Of course I am, but after everything that happened last year, I’m not sure how excited I can be. And I bet you anything that Chloe will be in my class again.”

“Four years in a row?” Sabine questioned. “Is that even possible?”

“Knowing how much she loves throwing her ‘My daddy’s the mayor’ catchphrase, she definitely rigged something so she can torture me again,” Marinette replied.

“Oh, baby. I understand how hard it is to deal with Chloe’s antics, but I’m sure this school year will be a completely new experience for you. Besides, it’s only the first day of school today, so you never know what you can expect.”

Even though Marinette doubted that was enough to stop Chloe from rampaning like she was the Queen of France, Marinette still appreciated her mother’s words and smiled thankfully at her. She placed the cocoa box down, but she must’ve done it too hard, because the force of the box made an orange roll out of their fruit bowl, roll up a small press, and knock the rest of the milk out of the carton.

Marinette groaned in despair as she began to clean everything up. She heard her mom starting to clean the rest of the mess up and sensing her daughter’s stress, used her finger to gently rub at her cheek. Marinette gave her mom another thankful smile, feeling extremely grateful to have a mother like her.

Soon, Marinette was ready for the big day. She met her father, Tom, downstairs in their family bakery where he was humming the famous French tune of La Marseillaise and was packing up some macaroons for Marinette and her class while Sabine helped to make sure Marinette had everything needed in her backpack.

“I made these macaroons extra special for today, just for you and your class, my baby girl!” Tom cheered as he opened the box up for Marinette to see. The macaroons were beautifully packed as always, making Marinette’s fears of the first day briefly fade away. 

“Thank you, Papa. These macaroons look so good! I hope my class will like them! And hopefully, it can help me make friends for once…” Marinette’s voice trailed off, not wanting to say anymore to worry her parents, especially her father. 

“Don’t worry, sweetie. We’re not the best bakers in Paris for nothing. I’m sure this new school year will go smoothly if you just believe in yourself,” Tom comforted.

“Remember, Marinette, you are our brave, sweet, little girl. You are beautiful inside and out, and make sure you show Chloe and the rest of the mean kids at school know you are that kind of person,” Sabine added as she handed her daughter her backpack. 

“I’ll try my best,” Marinette promised as she gratefully took the macaroons and her backpack. “Thanks, Momma, Papa. I’ll see you tonight.”

Even though her school, Francoise College Dupont was only across the street, Marinette didn’t want to risk being late for the first day. She almost skidded and fell flat right there on the road, but she barely managed to stop herself at the last second, especially when a car horn beeped at her in warning. 

“Marinette, please be careful!” Sabine briefly poked her head out to warn her daughter.

Nearby teenagers the same age as Marinette caught Sabine gently scolding her, making Marinette flush with embarrassment. She knew her mother wasn’t trying to embarrass her, but when you were a teenager, there was always worries about what other people may think about you. 

-

Finally, the light turned green, and Marinette crossed the street to see the familiar building she had entered for her studies for the past three years. She swore that sometimes she felt like Dupont was growing bigger and bigger every time she stepped foot inside.

The majority of students were already outside and some had spilled into the building, chatting and meeting up with friends, asking them how their summer went or gossiping about which teacher they would be getting this year.

On instinct, Marinette began looking for Socqueline like she had in the past until she realized her older sister had left for high school. She always knew there would be a day when Socqueline would complete all 4 years of Dupont until she graduated to high school, but Marinette didn’t expect it to be this quick. 

Marinette took a small, shaky breath. She was going to be all alone this year, was she? Sure, even if she hung out with Socquline at school last year whenever they could, but Marinette couldn’t keep her jiejie from her other friends. 

At least she had friends, Marinette thought slightly bitterly. Marinette had none. There were even times she wanted to go home to the bakery to eat lunch with her parents but ended up having to hide in the bathrooms because Chloe and her usual lackeys, Sabrina and Kim would look for her to slap paint on her clothes or put itching cream in her shoes when she wasn’t looking. 

Shaking her head, Marinette decided to just head to Miss Bustier’s classroom as quickly as she could. It was a safe option, especially when she didn’t want any unnecessary drama on the first day. She sprinted, catching some weird looks of nearby students, but Marinette didn’t register it. She was this close to the stairs!

But as Marinette’s luck would have it, it never came when she wanted or needed it. She barely reached the first step when she found herself getting roughly yanked and her back collided harder against her backpack which hit the wall.

Marinette’s heart pounded hard in her chest as she dared to take a look at who it was, though she didn’t have to guess.

It was none other than Chloe Bourgeois, who could get away with murder since her father was the mayor and he could easily bail her out. Besides her, was Chloe’s loyal lackey Sabrina Raincomprix, who was honestly not as bad as Chloe when it came to her “best friend’s” bullying, but she was just as bad at the same time, encouraging Chloe to do so. 

Behind Chloe and Sabrina was one of the school’s resident jocks, Le Chin Kim, or simply Kim, who had broken Marinette’s heart barely last summer. Being one of the most sporty students in school, Kim was your stereotypical jock. Tall, athletic and muscular. 

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my favvvorrite person,” Chloe drawled out. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I’m impressed you’re still standing, especially for a baker’s daughter. And I see you’ve brought some... goodies ?”

Marinette took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She shakily held up the macaroon box, her fingers tightening around it.

“Good morning, Chloé,” Marinette replied politely, trying to match the business tone her parents had taught her. She made her voice as firm as she could, drawing on the memories of her parents’ calm, yet firm, voices whenever they dealt with difficult customers.

She remembered how they’d always make her hide in the back to avoid the customer’s wrath, but Marinette would always peek through the door, straining to listen to her parents as they argued politely but firmly with the upset customer.

It had always amazed her how they could stay calm in the face of such hostility. Marinette wished she could do the same now. If her parents could handle a difficult customer, Marinette could handle a difficult Chloe, right?

Wrong. 

Chloe sniffed the air and stuck her nose up, as if she was asked the most ridiculous question in the world. 

“Why would I want your utterly disgusting cookies, Dupain-Cheng?” She snarled, almost snapping at Marinette’s face like a wolf. The other girl flinched but hoped her eyes didn’t flicker. “Macarons are so greasy! Don’t you know what those oily things could do to my beautiful complexion?”

“But…macarons don’t use oil,” Marinette protested weakly. “Even then, my parents only use the freshest ingredients they can find to make the best macarons.”

 Chloe briefly blinked before barking in laughter, Sabrina and Kim following her lead.

“‘ Freshest ingredients?’” Chloe mocked. “Please, Dupain-Cheng. If I ever wanted to eat a macaron, I’d have my daddy get someone to make one for me themselves. And despite your parents’ reputation as the best bakers in Paris, the baker my daddy would hire is twice as the baker your daddy would ever be!”

She howled in laughter again, making it loud enough for the whole school to hear. 

As expected, nobody moved an inch helping Marinette away from her back pressed against the wall. Some actually gave her pitying looks but besides that, no one dared to anything. 

Until someone seemingly called out to Chloe.

“Chloe? What are you doing?”

Chapter Text

Everyone whipped their heads to see who had dared to call Chloe out like that.

A young boy with golden blonde hair and bright emerald green eyes was standing in the center of the crowd. He wore a white overshirt over a black T-shirt with five colorful stripes, blue jeans and orange sneakers. He was carrying a fancy bag over his shoulder where stripes were designed to look like the stripes he had on his black shirt.

Though there wasn’t anything unusual about this boy, but he looked extremely handsome for his age. Model material even.

Marinette’s breath hitched from her spot on the wall. This boy looked sort of familiar to her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Did she recognize him from a fashion magazine she and Socqueline had read together in the past, or had she seen him from somewhere else, perhaps in passing?

“Tch. Looks like we got a pretty boy in our school now,” A boy muttered to his friend standing next to him. He was obviously jealous of the new boy’s good looks.

“Oh my gosh! ADRIKINS!” Chloe’s eyes lit up in a way Marinette had ever seen on her before and practically dashed over to him with lighting speed.

Before the boy could process anything, Chloe leapt into his arms, wrapping her own arms around his neck and pressing a loud kiss on his cheek.

SMACK!

“H-hey, C-Chloe,” the boy uttered nervously, probably not expecting Chloe to jump on him like that.

“Adrikins, what are you doing at this school?” Chloe jittered with excitement. “I thought your father was going to keep you locked up in your house for homeschooling sessions until you were old enough to take over his company or something!”

Seeing that no one was currently paying attention to her, Marinette took the opportunity to slip away from the wall and digged into her cellphone to open the internet app.

Like how the internet seemingly knew her interests, the first thing that came into Marinette’s feed was a fashion magazine from Gabriel brand. Right there on the front page was the same boy’s face who had just walked into the school!

Marinette’s eyes nearly bulged out of her sockets. Standing right in front of her was none other than famous teen model Adrien Agreste? Son of Gabriel Agreste, who was one of the best fashion designers in Paris, not just that, but perhaps the entire world as well!

Marinette had been following Gabriel Agreste’s work ever since she was old enough to be able to sew by herself, but never in a million years did she expect someone like Gabriel’s son to come to her school. 

“Oh, Adrikins,” Chloe giggled, breaking Marinette out of her spiraling thoughts. “I don't know how you got here, but I am so glad. We barely see each other nowadays.  Now we can hang out, especially in school, way more! Who knows? We might even be in the same class!”

“I don’t know, Chloe. Nathalie told me that classrooms can only hold so much students, plus a teacher,” Adrien admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Anyway, what were you doing before I got here?”

“Oh, I was just showing everyone in this silly little school what an amazing queen I am,” Chloe bragged as she flicked her hair. 

“Well,” Adrien glanced at the crowd. They all looked tense, though, or awkward. He began to frown in concern. He knew how enthusiastic Chloe could be, but the majority of students were looking at her like she stuck gum under their shoes or something. 

That’s when Adrien noticed Marinette for the first time.

She was petite, but was undeniably very pretty. She had dark hair that seemed to reflect into a blue-ish color in the sunlight. Her hair was tied in adorable pigtails, and she wore a dark gray blazer jacket with rolled up sleeves revealing to have pink polka dots, pink jeans, and pink ballet flats. She was carrying a golden case with a logo that Adrien recognized from the Dupain-Cheng bakery and had a cute pink backpack and matching purse with a pretty flower design on it. 

Their eyes met. Two pairs of eyes—one a soft blue, the other a rich emerald—widened in mutual surprise.

Unconsciously, Adrien began to take slow, steady steps towards the girl. 

The girl, startled to see this kind of attention coming from him, stepped away from him, bumping into the wall again. She held her box to her chest as if that was the only way she could protect herself.

Adrien began to feel guilty as he realized he made the girl feel like he was cornering her. So he politely stepped back to give her space.

“Um, sorry,” Adrien’s voice was soft, like he was talking to a scared kitten for the first time. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

I-it’s okay,” Marinette replied just as softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just never expected someone as famous as you to come to a public school, much less a school like this one.”

“My father would’ve sent me to a private school if he could, but I insisted since this school was the closest I could find,” Adrien replied with a gentle shrug. 

“Your father is Gabriel Agreste, right?” Marinette’s voice was still soft and shy but had a hint of confidence. “I’ve been following his work to help me design since my parents felt like I was old enough to hold a needle without stabbing myself.”

“That’s him,” Adrien gently chuckled. Unlike most of his fangirls, this girl only looked at him with humble admiration. “I’m his son, Adrien Agreste.”

“N-n-nice to meet you, Adrien,” Marinette slipped off the wall to properly introduce herself to him. “My name’s Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

“Dupain-Cheng? Your parents are the owners of the famous bakery next door?” Adrien’s eyes lit up, seemingly excited to meet the daughter of the famous bakers in the city. “And you have two last names?”

“That’s me,”  Marinette nodded. “And my last name isn’t really ‘two’. When I was born, my parents couldn’t decide if my last name should be ‘Dupain’ or ‘Cheng’ since in China, kids usually take their father’s last names rather than their mother’s, but my parents wanted to be fair, so I have both of their last names combined into one.”  

Adrien, feeling an unexpected warmth in his chest from this shy but confident girl, decided to step a little closer. He kept his distance, careful not to make her feel cornered, but his movement unknowingly triggered something inside Marinette.

As Adrien took a step forward, Marinette’s mind flashed back to the traumatic memory of last year. Kim’s cruel laughter echoed in her ears as she saw the image of him throwing spiders at her face. The tightness in her chest made it hard to breathe.

Her breath hitched, and before she could stop herself, she stepped back, bumping into the wall again. In her panic, she dropped the box of macarons her father had packed for her, the delicate cookies tumbling to the floor in a chaotic spill.

Adrien began getting worried for Marinette when she looked on the verge of a panic attack.

"M-Marinette?" He whispered.

"S-sorry, here! Take a cookie!" Marinette sputtered, throwing a macaron at him. "I'm late for class!"

Before Adrien could say anything else, Marinette had already run up the stairs.

Adrien watched her go, still holding the cookie she had thrown him. Despite barely knowing her for 2 minutes, Marinette seemed like a sweet girl to be around with, but she just bolted before he could make her more comfortable around him.

Adrien took the macaron Marinette gave him and took a bite. It was delicious with the right amount of sweetness, but at the same time, it felt like Adrien was eating cardboard. 

The bell rang, and Adrien could see fellow students running around to get to their classes. Adrien decided to get his own class as well. Luckily, he had a map of the school that he could use until he got used to the way the building was built and with the map, he was easily able to find Miss Bustier’s class.

-

Marinette landed in Miss Bustier’s classroom just in time. She breathed a sigh of relief and saw a lot of her classmates remained in the same room as her, with some new faces. 

Marinette’s heart sank when she saw Kim was in her class again. But she always sat in the second row and Kim sat pretty far away from her in the second to the last row from the left side of the room, and as long as she didn’t pay any attention to him, Marinette knew she would be fine. Plus, she hadn’t seen Chloe so far, so at least that was a relief.

Marinette breathed another sigh of relief and took out her pink notebook, but before she could fully relax, a manicured hand slammed onto the table next to her.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Chloe hissed. 

“C-Chloe?!” Marinette’s heart sank. For the 4th year in a row, they were in the same class again. 

“First, you have the nerve to talk to my Adrikins,” Chloe hissed, forcing her face close to Marinette’s, making Marinette almost break her back as she tried to move away from the bratty mayor’s daughter. “And now you’re taking my seat?!”

“B-but Chloe, I’ve always sat in the second row, and how could I steal your ‘Adrikins’ or whoever that is?” Marinette protested. Over Chloe’s shoulder, she caught a girl she knew the name of, Mylene Harpele. She looked over at Chloe bullying her but quickly avoided the tense scene between them. 

Of course. 

“Don’t play dumb with me, Dupain-Cheng!” Chloe practically yelled. “I saw you with my Adrien! I never saw him make goo-goo eyes at anyone until now! So what kind of voodoo spell did you cast on him to make him look at your pathetic half-breeding face?!”

The way Chloe called Marinette a “half breed” caught the rest of the class’s attention and they gasped loudly in disbelief. As much as they liked to watch Chloe using Marinette as a punching bag like watching a special drama TV show, even they knew how racist and offensive Chloe had called Marinette due to her family’s multiculturalism.

Marinette’s throat tightened, and she felt the tears coming up. She felt the same way Hermoine Granger felt when Draco Malfoy called her a “Mudblood”, which was very offensive in the wizarding world, especially towards the witches and wizards who came from muggle families, where they didn’t have any family history on magic.

But unlike Hermoine, she had friends who were enraged on her behalf, especially Harry and Ron. Marinette didn’t. If Socqueline was here, she would’ve possibly thrown a punch at Chloe. Marinette didn’t have the guts to do that, but she felt even if she could do it, it would make things even worse.

For a moment, no one could say anything. The only sounds in the room were tense breathing, papers scratching, and Marinette’s quiet sobs echoing throughout the room. 

Until…

“CHLOE BOURGEOIS! WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO MARINETTE?!”

It was Adrien, the boy who Marinette just met briefly. Through her teary eyes, she felt confused, yet a little touched to see Adrien so angry on her behalf, despite them barely knowing each other. 

Chloe’s smirk quickly faltered, seeing how angry Adrien was. As the son of Gabriel Agreste, Chloe knew when Adrien was angry, no one could be safe from his wrath, not even her.

“A-A-Adrikins!” Chloe squeaked in surprise like a little mouse, high pitched and all.

Adrien stomped over to her, blocking Marinette from view so Chloe couldn’t do anything else to her, his usual warm green eyes dark.

“I’ve barely been in this school for barely an hour, and I see you bullying a poor girl who has done nothing to you?!” Adrien growled. “What the heck is wrong with you Chloe?!”

“C-come on, Adrien! I didn’t actually do anything physically to Dupain-Cheng,” Chloe stammered. Funny. She usually had no problem jabbing at others. “She’s just overdramatic; she’s always been that way.”

“So?!” Adrien exclaimed. He wasn’t yelling, but the way he said ‘so?’ in that very authoritative voice sent some students ducking under their desks to avoid his wrath. “Emotional hurt is just as bad as physical hurt! What you said to Marinette wasn’t only really offensive, it was very racist as well!”

As much as Marinette was touched by how Adrien was standing up for her, the last thing she wanted was for more drama to escalate on the first day of school. She tugged lightly on Adrien’s sleeve, hoping to calm him down before things got worse.

“A-Adrien, it’s okay,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

But Adrien turned to face her, his expression still fierce. 

“No, it’s not okay, Marinette!” he snapped, his anger still burning. However, when his gaze landed on her tear-streaked face, his expression softened instantly. His voice became gentle, but still filled with conviction. “You don’t deserve to be called a—a h-half-breed.”

The words hung in the air, and for a moment, everything seemed to freeze.

Marinette gave him a weak smile.

“You’re really sweet, Adrien, but honestly, I’m okay, promise,” she said as she crossed two fingers to her heart and did a sign to show she was really okay. “Chloe’s done way worse to me, before.”

“Are you sure?” Adrien asked, tone gentler than before. 

“Yes,” Marinette nodded.

“If you say so,” Adrien softened even further before turning to quickly glare at Chloe. “But if she does something like this again…!”

Chloe stiffened, knowing she did not need Adrien to finish his sentence. 

The bell rang, silencing any tension. The teacher, Miss Bustier had come in, smiling warmly at all her students, old and new, to welcome them to her class.

“Welcome everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Miss Bustier. I will be your homeroom, literature, and history teacher. Has everyone been able to find a seat?”

“Hey, Marinette.” 

Marinette turned to see Adrien standing to the seat next to hers and was shyly rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Do you mind if I sit next to you?” he asked. 

Marinette hesitated for a split second. On one hand, Adrien seemed to know Chloe pretty well. The moment he came into the school, Chloe had pounced on him like an old friend. But on the other hand, he had saved her from Chloe’s bullying, showing that despite their friendly relations, Adrien would not tolerate Chloe’s antics on making jabs at others. Plus, Marinette supposed if Adrien really wanted to hurt her, he would’ve done something by now.

“Sure,” Marinette said as she patted the seat next to her. “Welcome to Francoise Dupont, Adrien.”

“Thanks, Marinette. I hope we can be friends.” Adrien beamed as he sat next to her.

“Thank you, Adrien. I hope so too.”

Chloe sat in the front seat next to Sabrina, seething at the sight of Adrien being so friendly with Marinette. She didn’t want to have to use her childhood friend against Marinette, but if the baker girl thought she could take Adrien away from her?

So be it.

Chapter Text

Finally, it was time for study hall. Marinette breathed a sigh of relief. Study hall was always the one period Marinette could feel safe at school. She could hide in the library and do her studying, and it was the one place where Chloe wouldn’t bother to bully her since Chloe would claim that someone like her wouldn’t be “caught in a place full of dirt.” No one else also bothered her for the most part, so Marinette could feel at peace for once. 

But as she headed to the library, Marinette realized she had to use the bathroom. She did her business quickly and washed her hands before checking her hair in the mirror. 

Just as she exited the restroom, Marinette found someone tall and muscular by the door, seemingly waiting for her.

“Hey, Marinette,” Le Chin Kim sneered down at her, enjoying the fact that his tall frame could cover her petite one, covering half of her face in shadow. 

Instead of fear like past Marinette would usually feel, current Marinette only felt anger and annoyance at the insensitive jock. 

“What do you want, Kim?” Marinette hissed. “Leave me alone.” 

“Aw come on, Marinette, don’t be like that,” Kim cooed like he was talking to a child. He tried to mockingly rub his hand against her hair, but Marinette quickly dodged away from him. “I thought we were friends.”

“We stopped being friends after you began following Chloe around like a lapdog more than Sabrina does!” Marinette snapped. “I still won’t ever forgive you for playing with my feelings and nearly getting me killed at the pool last summer!”

“You’re still hung up on that?” Kim stopped smiling cruelly to frown. “I told you before, it was just a practical joke!”

“Your definition of ‘practical jokes’ do not match anyone else’s definitions of jokes!” Marinette argued. “Kim, I could’ve gotten seriously injured, drowned, or worse, if it wasn’t for that nice lifeguard! And you spent the whole time laughing about it in my face! Do you think anyone would want to be friends with someone who acts like that?!”

“Wow,” Kim frowned as he crossed his arms. “Chloe was right. You’re way more dramatic and sensitive than we thought.”

Marinette’s irritation rose.

“See! That’s the problem!” She spat. “You believe every single rumor Chloe whispers about me in your ear without a second thought! That proved how bad of a friend you were!”

Kim clearly didn’t expect Marinette to get out of her shyness this easily because his expression darkened, and Marinette’s heart stopped. 

Kim thrusted his arms out, no doubt trying to pin Marinette to the wall, but little did he know, Marinette was quicker. She had been on countless jogging and gymnastic sessions with Socqueline, and her mother taught her material arts and self defense, although Marinette hardly used them unless absolutely necessary since that was the purpose of self defense .

Before Kim could fully pin her against the wall, Marinette slapped his arms away and bolted out of the locker room. She had to get to the library as soon as possible since she knew Kim wouldn’t dare enter the room either unless he really had to.

Marinette ran faster, faster than she ever felt she had ever ran before until she bumped into something solid.

“Oh! Marinette!” Strong, warm hands steadied her shoulders.

Marinette opened her eyes to see Adrien looking down at her in concern.

“Adrien!” She blushed.

“Hey, are you okay?” He asked gently. “I was looking for you to see if you wanted to have a study session together in the library and to get to know each other better.” 

“Oh, that would be nice, thank you Adrien. I was just--” Marinette began but before she could finish, heavy footsteps rounded the corner.

Kim rounded the corner, seeing Marinette and Adrien still holding onto each other.

“Oh, what’s this? Marinette, you’re going to cling to a pretty boy now?” His tone had a hint of jealousy on Adrien’s good looks. 

“He’s not just a ‘pretty boy.’ His name is Adrien,” Marinette said through gritted teeth. “And if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to study like good students, unlike you. Come on, Adrien.”

Marinette turned away from Kim, grabbing Adrien’s hand and dragging him to the direction of the library. 

“Marinette, who was that guy?” Adrien asked as they continued to walk to the library, still holding hands. Neither of them registered it or dared to let go.

“Oh him? That’s Kim,” Marinette spat the name like it was poison in her mouth. “He’s one of the school’s most accomplished athletes, but don’t let his so-called muscles fool you. He’s also one of the biggest jerks I’ve ever met.”

“You don’t seem to be very fond of him,” Adrien commented quietly as he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. 

“Believe it or not, Kim and I were actually friends in 3rd grade, but he became a completely different person the next year when we entered 4th grade! He just started following Chloe like a personal lapdog! He actually isn't as bad as her, but he’s still very insensitive and rude and thinks everything in life is a joke,” Marinette explained.     

“I’m really sorry to hear that, Marinette. I can’t imagine what it would feel like if you thought you had a friend, but before you know it, he or she completely changed into a completely different person,” Adrien comforted.

“Thanks Adrien,” Marinette gave his hand a squeeze of thanks. “He’s part of the reason why jiejie is gone because of him,” she continued to whisper under her breath. Luckily, Adrien didn’t catch it, because they had just reached the library. 

-

Marientte led Adrien to one of her favorite cozy spots in the library. It was quiet and comfortable, and they compared notes and quietly talked to get to know each other better. They spoke in hushed tones, careful not to disturb anyone else in the library.

When they fell into comfortable silence, Marinette used her book to pretend to study when she decided to take a peek at Adrien. He was handsome, yes, but Marinette felt more than that to him. She recognized him not just now, not just from fancy fashion magazines, but now, she also felt as if she had met him before.

Marinette suddenly found herself on a sandy beach with green eyes as warm as Adrien’s staring back at her. 

Marinette was confused; how did she end up at the beach. She looked down on herself and found herself back in her 10-year-old body. How…?

“--nette? Marinette?”  

Marinette snapped back to reality when she saw Adrien gazing at her with a concerned look. 

“You okay?” he asked gently.

Marinette blinked rapidly to get ahold of herself. 

“Yeah, sorry about zoning out Adrien,” she said.

“No worries, it happens to all of us,” Adrien laughed. “Why don’t you tell me a little more about yourself? You seemed to be quite interested in my father’s work. Did you always know you wanted to be a designer?”

“Well, you see, even before knowing about your father, my nonna, --grandmother in Italian-- would tell me stories about the Knitting Fairy when I was little. The Knitting Fairy would fly around the world, using her magic to make beautiful clothing to all the good little girls and boys smile. It made me want to become one too,” Marinette explained and smiled at the thought of her 6-year-old self listening to the story her grandmother would always recite to her everytime she visited.

“That’s adorable,” Adrien chuckled. “I can actually imagine you in a Knitting Fairy costume, making people smile with your designs.”

“Come on, Adrien, I’m only 13,” Marinette murmured as she covered her face with her book to hide her blush. “The most I’ve done is making my father a customized sweatshirt for his birthday every year.”

“Still, that’s pretty impressive,” Adrien praised. “I’m sure your father loves all the amount of hard work and love you sew on his sweaters.”

“I suppose so,” Marinette agreed, thinking of how her dad’s eyes would light up everytime she presented him with her homemade sweater. He kept them all in his closet and wore them on special occasions, because he felt every other time would make a mess, especially working in the bakery so much. Whenever he did get a chance to wear it, even in the bakery, Tom would brag to the customers about how his daughter was the best seams maker he knew, making Marinette embarrassed but felt love and pride from her father’s praises.

-

Meanwhile, Chloe, for the first time in her life, was inside the library. She had been looking for Adrien all morning, only to find him following Dupain-Cheng the entire time like a lost puppy! 

Why?!

Out of all the people he could follow, why did it have to be the utterly pathetic Marinette Dupain-Cheng?! She was nothing but a baker girl compared to both of them.

Chloe usually hated the library. It was dusty, full of germs, and nerds who thought they knew everything better than she did. The only times she dared to step foot in the room was when the teachers forced her into projects, and even then, Chloe would make Sabrina carry all the books she could find to avoid the dirt on her perfect nails. 

Chloe spotted a quiet corner in the library she never noticed before. She made Sabrina carefully creak the door open, and there…

She found them.

Adirkins and Dupain-Cheng seemingly “studying” together, on those pathetic bean-bag chairs! Their colors didn’t even suit the already grim looking way the library looked!

Chloe watched with rage and jealousy as she watched Dupain-Cheng point something out to Adrien, making him laugh brightly. His laugh was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world, and though Adrien often laughed whenever Chloe made a joke, he never laughed as hard with her as he did with Marinette.

Not only that, but Marinette seemed to be more relaxed and comfortable than she ever did before. Chloe hated it. As the mayor’s daughter, it was her job to make the weak make her look powerful, and for years, she had managed to do so by stomping on Marinette’s status, sometimes literally.

Not this year, Dupain-Cheng. I WILL destroy you if that’s the last thing I do! Chloe seethed internally.

Chapter Text

Even though it was only the first day of school, Marinette felt that what her mom said about the new school year was coming true. She actually made a friend by herself! And the friend she made was none other than Adrien Agreste, the famous teen model that had certain things in life that other kids their age could only dream of!

Soon, study hall was over, and it was time for lunch. Francois Dupont allowed students to eat in the cafeteria or at home if they lived close enough, and Marinette took the opportunity to run home to tell her parents what had occurred to her on the first day. She never liked the cafeteria. The food was surprisingly not completely horrible, but Marinette had seen more drama in a cafeteria than she could count. Plus, she had learned a long time ago that even if she was going to eat at school, she couldn’t bring anything from home because other students would steal it. 

Marinette practically skipped down the street to the bakery and greeted her parents, who looked just as happy to see their daughter happy.

“Well, I’ve never seen you this happy on the first day of school,” Sabine teased as she wiped her hands on her apron. “Did something exciting happen, dear?”

“Not just exciting, Mom. After all these years, I’ve finally made a friend of my own!” Marinette cheered. “And he’s none other than Adrien Agreste!”

“Adrien Agreste? The Adrien Agreste?” Tom asked. “Isn’t he the boy whose face is on every one of your fashion magazines you have?”

“Believe me, Papa, I couldn’t believe it too much at first,” Marinette replied. “I actually didn’t realize it was him until I got a good look at him. I’ve always been more interested in the clothes rather than the models. Even if they’re the ones who have their images plastered on a magazine, I feel like it’s rude to stare.”

“True,” Tom stroked his beard. “And now that I think about it, Adrien is around the same age as you, isn’t he Marinette? I thought he would’ve been a little older…”

“Maybe a few months, but that’s barely a difference,” Marinette reasoned. 

“Either way, it sounds pretty exciting that you have a celebrity at your school, Marinette,” Sabine’s eyes sparkled. “Why don’t you grab some lunch and we can talk about it if there’s enough time.”

“OK, Mom!” Marinette beamed as she bounced upstairs.

Tom watched his daughter go with fondness in his eyes, but his wife only looked worried. As happy as she was for her daughter, Sabine hoped Marinette would be careful, as the last boy she liked broke her heart pretty badly.

-

“Oh, jiejie ,” Marinette whispered dreamily, as she spun her spaghetti around with her fork, barely managing to eat some of the noodles. “If only you could see what I did today; you’d be very proud! And jealous!” She giggled. “If you knew about Adrien before this year, I bet you would’ve purposely skipped or failed a grade just to be with him!”

Sabine entered the kitchen seeing her daughter playing around with her spaghetti. Normally, she would’ve had to scold Marinette for playing with her food, but she wasn’t exactly making a mess, and even then, Sabine didn’t have the heart to do so this time.

“Hello, Marinette,” Sabine used that sweet motherly tone of hers that Marinette loved so much. 

“Hm? Oh. Hi Mom,” Marinette quickly placed some spaghetti in her mouth before facing her mother. “You said you wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes,” Sabine took the seat next to hers to take her daughter’s hands into her own. “I just want to say how proud your father and I are of you. I know school hasn’t been easy for you, especially from the past few years, but from what I heard today, it seems to be going easy for you so far. And you managed to make a new friend on your own, especially with the opposite gender.”

“Mom!” Marinette’s cheeks flushed, though she knew her mom would support her being friends with someone even if that person turned out to be pansexual or anything like that. 

“I’m teasing, honey. But I’m also here to warn you. Adrien may seem like a sweet boy, but remember not to let your guard down. You remember what happened the last time you thought a boy, or anyone else in general, was kind to you?” Sabine gently warned.

Marinette couldn’t help but tense at that. Her mom was right, though. The last time she thought a boy was kind to her, it ended up in a wet flop. Literally. 

“I can see what you mean, Mom,” Marinette said quietly. “But Adrien has proven to me so far that he’s not like anyone else I met. He’s kind, humble, and honest. Plus, he’s a new student. Even if he’s not going to be friendly with me, I should at least try to make him feel welcome, should I?”

“That is very considerate of you, Marinette,” Sabine reached up to cup her daughter’s cheek. “But I still want you to be careful and trust your instincts if needed. Remember, you should be careful around strangers or if you just met someone, even if they’re the same age as you.”

“I will, Mom,” Marinette promised as mother and daughter squeezed hands.

-

Marinette made her way back toward school, the crisp afternoon breeze tugging gently at the edges of her blazer. In her arms, she carried a neatly decorated pastry box—another batch of goodies from the bakery, courtesy of her generous parents who thought the first day deserved a second helping of cheer.

“Nothing boosts the spirit like a surprise sweet,” Tom had said as he wrapped up the treats with a wink.

“And it gives you another reason to talk to that handsome new friend of yours,” Sabine had added teasingly.

“ Mom! ” Marinette had groaned, flustered, though secretly grateful.

Now, balancing the box carefully, Marinette approached the school gates right as a sleek black car pulled up at the curb. Her heart gave a little flutter as the passenger door opened, and out stepped Adrien Agreste, adjusting the strap of his school bag over his shoulder.

He spotted her almost instantly.

“Hey, Marinette!” Adrien’s face lit up, his smile as golden as the afternoon sunlight catching in his hair. “You’re back just in time.”

“Hi, Adrien!” Marinette beamed, cheeks pink. “I had to run home for lunch. My parents insisted I bring more pastries for the class. You know, first day part two.”

Adrien’s eyes lit up. 

“That’s amazing! You didn’t have to—but I’m definitely not complaining. Do you need help carrying it?”

“I—uh—no, I’ve got it!” Marinette insisted, then immediately regretted it as the box tilted slightly in her arms. “Okay… maybe I wouldn’t mind a little help.”

Adrien chuckled and gently steadied the box with one hand. 

“Teamwork, then,” he teased.

“Teamwork,” Marinette agreed.

They walked together toward the entrance, chatting easily, their voices mingling like a soft duet. Marinette felt the butterflies flutter again, but this time, it wasn’t from nerves—it was from the simple joy of being seen and appreciated.

Unbeknownst to either of them, however, a pair of narrowed blue eyes watched from one of the second-floor windows.

Chloé Bourgeois stood behind the glass, arms crossed and jaw tight, as if chewing on a sour lemon. Her gaze tracked Adrien and Marinette like a hawk sizing up a threat.

“She thinks she can just waltz in and be friends with Adrien? ” Chloé hissed under her breath. “We’ll see about that.”

Her fingers tightened on the windowsill. No one took Adrien’s attention from her. No one.

Without another word, Chloe snapped her fingers, and Kim, her ever loyal guard dog, came by without a second thought. 

“I need you to find something that will humiliate Marinette so much, to the point even if she ran out of the school and hid in her room for the rest of her life, it still won’t be enough,” she commanded.

Kim knew just the trick.

-

Marinette and Adrien went back to their classroom to see a few changes that they hadn’t seen this morning. A new girl that neither of them had seen before was sitting in the front desk next to the window on the right side of the classroom, typing some stuff on her phone. 

She must be a new student, like Adrien. Marinette thought. She looked a bit lonely, which made Marinette feel sorry for her, as everyone else seemed to have found a seatmate already. She knew what it was like to be alone, especially on the first day of school, without anyone familiar at your side, especially your best friend.

Marinette was so busy observing that she didn’t notice Kim sneaking up on her, about to pour some spiders on her that he had nabbed into a small jar. 

Nino Lahiffe, who always had his headphones around his neck due to them being a special gift from one of his favorite DJs, was listening to some music while he waited for the teacher, looked up and saw what Kim was doing and began to warn Marinette.

“Marinette, look out!” 

Marinette turned, but it was already too late. 

Before she could register Nino’s warning, a bunch of tiny spiders danced in her hair. 

Marinette never really had anything against spiders before. But after the little prank Kim had thrown on her at the pool this past summer, she had developed a fear of spiders, no matter how small they were, and yes, they lived in France, not Australia, but that did not mean there still wasn’t any poisonous spiders were running around, no matter which country.

Naturally, Marinette freaked out.

The second the spiders touched her scalp, Marinette let out a shriek and stumbled back, clawing at her hair with trembling fingers. Her breath hitched, her heart racing like it wanted out of her chest.

“Get them off! Get them off!” she cried, twisting and shaking, trying desperately to dislodge the tiny creatures. The sensation of their skittering legs made her skin crawl. Her backpack slipped off one shoulder. The pastry box jolted in her arms.

Laughter erupted around the room.

Of course. No one helped. No one ever did.

And then—

A sharp kick to her side.

Marinette gasped as her balance gave way. She fell hard to the floor, the box of macarons crashing beside her, the lid flying open, colorful pastries scattering like fallen stars. Her hands hit the ground to catch herself, but a heel came down hard—right on her wrist.

She cried out.

The pressure made her vision blur.

“Oops,” Chloé’s voice rang out, dripping with sugar-coated venom. “Did someone trip? You should be more careful, Dupain-Cheng. You’re always making such a mess.”

Behind her, Sabrina giggled softly, phone raised and camera recording.

Marinette’s breath came in short, sharp bursts. Tears spilled, but not from the pain—at least, not the physical kind.

It hurt, yes. Her wrist throbbed. But she didn’t feel it as much as she should have.

She just felt numb.

All the energy drained from her limbs. Her body curled slightly around the pain, but she didn’t move to get up. Not yet. She didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her scramble.

Then—footsteps.

Not just one pair. Two. Light but purposeful.

“Marinette!” Adrien’s voice was urgent, concerned. He dropped to his knees beside her, hands hovering near her shoulder, not sure where it was safe to touch.

The new girl hovered protectively by her side too. She had red hair that looked like passionate fire and black glasses. 

“Girl, are you okay?” She asked kindly. “Your wrist… it doesn’t look too hot.”

Marinette tried to move her left wrist, but it hurt. She winced.

“Woah, Marinette, you shouldn’t move your wrist too much,” Adrien warned. 

Using her eyes, Marinette saw what Adrien meant when he warned her not to move her hand. Her wrist was already swelling, the skin turning a mottled shade of purple and red, like a bruise blooming beneath the surface. A thin, angry scrape cut across the side where Chloé had stepped, raw and tender to the touch. The faint pulse of pain throbbed steadily, reminding her that it was more than just a bruise—her wrist was definitely sprained, maybe even fractured.

Tingling numbness flickered along her fingers, and Marinette clenched her teeth to hold back tears.

“That girl had no right to do what she did!” The new girl growled. “Marinette, was it? We have to get you to the nurse, and then we have to report Chloe. Doesn’t mean it’s only the first day of school that she has the right to bully people like that.”

“What’s the point?” Marinette’s voice wasn’t even emotional anymore. She just sounded tired and numb. “Chloe is the mayor’s daughter. The staff won’t do anything. She’ll just get out her phone, call her daddy to threaten them, and that’s that. I’ve been through this too many times already. If Chloe murdered me, she’d still get away with it and no one would care.”

Adrien and the new girl shared a shocked, surprised look. Chloe was that bad? Adrien was especially shocked; he grew up with Chloe, and even when they were just in diapers, Chloe treated him like a good friend should treat a friend. 

But as Nathalie warned him about the real world, it could be extremely ugly sometimes. It wasn’t like the TV shows Adrien watched when he was little; where the main characters would put on magical necklaces and a crown and then BAM!    

The bad guy was defeated and reformed. This was real life, and real life wasn’t always that easy. 

Adrien gently helped Marinette to her feet, careful not to jostle her injured wrist. His voice was soft but steady, trying to cut through the numbness in her expression.

“Marinette… I know it feels hopeless right now, but you’re wrong about one thing,” he said. “Chloé’s dad—he’s the mayor, yeah, but he doesn’t have the kind of power everyone thinks he does.”

Marinette blinked at him, her eyes glassy. 

“What do you mean?” 

“The mayor can’t just walk in and fire a teacher or control the school staff,” Adrien explained patiently, gently squeezing her uninjured hand. “That kind of decision comes from the Board of Education, not him. The most he can do is shut down the school for safety reasons, and even then, it has to be approved by higher authorities. He’s got influence, sure—but not that kind of power.”

Marinette’s brows furrowed, like she wanted to believe him but was afraid to hope.

“So you mean, all this time…” she whispered. 

The majority of time Marinette had been going to school with Chloe, even in kindergarten, the blonde girl seemed to have “influence” when it came to using her father’s fame as the mayor of Paris. 

And it seemed the older they got, the more Chloe leveled up her bullying towards Marinette. The entire time Marinette had been going to Francois Dupont, sometimes she couldn’t even enter the building with Chloe blocking her way and making her late for classes. 

It didn’t matter if she had done even the simplest thing such as walking past her. If Chloé decided she was a target, Marinette paid the price.

The pain in Marinette’s wrist became worse, and before she knew it, she fainted from the pressure. Standing up with an injury on her hand didn’t seem like a good idea. 

The room around her seemed to blur, and before she knew it, Marinette saw a mix of black and white fill her edges and she fainted, collapsing into Adrien’s arms.

“Marinette!” Adrien gasped as he went down with her, allowing her to rest on his lap.

“The poor girl’s condition will only get worse if we leave her like this,” the girl who also tended to Marinette crouched down to brush the hair of Marinette’s forehead. “We better take her to the nurse before it’s too late.”

“Follow me,” Nino, who had been watching the entire time, opened the door. “I know where the nurse’s office is. We got to help Marinette get the help she needs.”

The girl and Adrien gave him a thankful look and together, the three of them sprinting to the nurse’s office.

-

Marinette felt like she was in a dream once again. A sandy beach, water, and Paris’s version of the Statue of Liberty from America stood a distance away from her. 

Then, the next thing she knows, she’s in the water. A boy her age coming to save her…

She briefly blacks out again, and a few minutes later, she can hear voices.

“Is she going to be okay, Nurse Sissy?” a voice Marinette vaguely recongized as Nino asked worriedly.

“Miss Dupain-Cheng’s injury doesn’t seem too serious, but as a school nurse, there’s only so much I can do,” Nurse Sissy, a friendly nurse that everyone called Sissy replied. “She’ll be fine with this wrist brace for now, but I highly recommend she gets a doctor to check her wrist as soon as possible.”

There were not one, not two, not three, but five sighs of relief around Marinette, grateful that her wrist did not meet worse injury.

“We can’t thank you three enough for helping our daughter,” Tom’s voice rang out. “Out of all the school days Marinett experienced, I’m sure she never expected something like this, especially on the first day.”

“I can’t believe myself for not noticing how cruel Chloe could be,” Adrien said, and he sounded close to tears. “If I had known…”

“You couldn’t have known, Adrien,” Marinette heard her mother’s loving, soothing voice. “Chloe has had it out for Marinette for years. Unfortunately, we’ve never been able to figure out why, but it is no one’s fault but Chloe’s.”

             Hearing her mother’s voice got her awake. 

      “Mmm… Mom…?” Marinette slowly opened her eyes and felt a blanket on top of her and a slight weight on her left hand. There was a beige wrist brace on her hand and Marinette sat up to see her parents, Nino, Adrien, and the new girl who had helped her. 

      Tom and Sabine were the first ones whose eyes lit up in relief as they rushed to their beloved daughter’s side. 

    “Marinette darling, you’re awake!” Sabine hugged her daughter tightly, though mindful of her injury. “Your father and I were so worried when Nurse Sissy told us what happened!” 

      “What happened, everyone? The last thing I remember was Chloe stepping on me and then the pain… then nothing.” Marinette explained as she hugged her mom back. 

    Adrien stepped forward, eyes still clouded with guilt. 

   “You passed out, Marinette. Your wrist was… it was bad. Chloe stomped on it after making you drop all your macarons. Sabrina was recording the whole thing too.” He explained. 

    “She what? ” Marinette blinked, stunned, her voice raspier than usual.

  “Don’t worry, we got Sabrina to delete the video,” the red-haired girl with glasses promised firmly, folding her arms. “Before it could go anywhere. Sabrina’s too much of a follower to back Chloe up without her around. And trust me, I dared her to post it.”

  Marinette looked at her with curiosity and admiration, taking in the stranger’s confident posture. 

   “Who… who are you?”

   The girl smiled.

  “Alya. Alya Césaire. Just transferred today.”

    “She helped us get you to the nurse,” Nino added, with admiration in his voice. “She didn’t hesitate.”

Marinette smiled politely at Nino, but inside, she couldn’t help but feel a little bitter towards him. 

Nino wasn’t a bad person, far from it. They were friendly enough but never to the point of being actual good friends. He never came to check on her when Chloe was doing damage on her, even in private.

So what changed his mind now?

  Anyway, Marinette decided not to dwell on it now. Even if Nino hadn’t helped her then, he did now, and he wasn’t the only one who helped her. 

For once, she had people helping her instead of them not doing anything.

-

Seeing she was okay, Nurse Sissy instructed Marinette that her wrist wasn’t seriously hurt, but she suggested going to a doctor to check it out just in case. 

Marinette thanked the helpful nurse and allowed her and her parents to talk a few more things out as she stepped outside to wait for them. 

Adrien, Alya, and Nino followed her to have a moment with her.

“I want to thank you three for helping me today,” Marinette gave them each a shy look of gratitude. “Especially you two, Adrien and Alya. No one’s ever helped me like this before. If you two weren’t here, I’d just be lying on the floor with a pained wrist until the school day ended. Out of all the first days of school I experienced, I never expected something like this…”

“It’s no problem, girl, we’re just glad you’re okay,” Alya said with a smile. 

“This surely isn’t a first day of school I ever expected either,” Adrien added. “I never expected public school to be so… chaotic.”

“Well, all schools are like that,” Marinette giggled. “Even if it was a private school, I doubt they’d be--”

“Oh my god!!” A shrill voice screeched, interrupting Marinette before she could say more. 

All four teens snapped their heads toward the stairs. Storming down was a livid Chloe, her face twisted with rage in a way even Adrien had never seen before. Kim trailed after her as usual, followed by a large student who looked more confused and worried than angry.

It was already obvious that she wasn’t already happy, but she really was NOT happy at all.

Chapter Text

Chloe barely stomped down the stairs before Marinette and her new friends shuffled back from her a few steps a safe distance away from her.

Even with all the distance they created from her, Chloe wasn’t someone who understood personal space. 

She got close to Marinette’s face which made the other girl automatically lean back, standing up straight and stiff. 

Marinette felt hands going onto her shoulders, but she couldn’t tell whose hands they belonged to. She was aware that Adrien, Alya, and Nino were close behind her though. 

The heat of Chloé’s breath hit her face, and Marinette clenched her jaw to stay calm. Her heart was pounding, but the hands on her shoulders grounded her—warm, solid, protective.

“What did you tell them?” Chloé hissed, her voice low but venomous. “You think this little stunt is going to ruin me? Make me look bad? You even got Adrien in it?”

Marinette looked sideways, and her breath hitched. It turned out that Adrien was the one who put his hands on her shoulders. It felt both familiar and comforting, like he had done it before. 

Feeling a beat of confidence, Marinette squared and locked her bluebell eyes determined to Chloe’s icy blue ones.

“I didn’t do anything, Chloe. You’re the one who almost broke my wrist.” Marinette reminded her.

Chloe scoffed and flipped her ponytail. 

“You’re always so overdramatic, Dupain-Cheng! That pathetic attempt of a wrist brace is nothing! I may have stepped a little on your thigh, but it wasn’t that hard!” she complained.

“Her thigh?” Alya deadpanned. “It was Marinette’s wrist you stepped on. Do you even know basic human parts?”

Nino snickered and Adrien had to bite his lip to avoid a twitchy smile himself. 

“Shut up, new girl!” Chloe snapped.  “Who said you could butt in this conversation anyway?!”

“Well, even if I wasn’t really around, your screechy voice kind of makes it hard to ignore it, Chloe,” Alya sassed, crossing her arms. “You’re yelling to the point the entire school can hear you.”

“Ugh, whatever,” Chloe scoffed and flipped her hair. 

She then snapped her fingers, signaling to Kim and the other big guy at her side. 

“Kim, Ivan, break her!”

Wait, what?! 

Ivan at least seemed to hesitate. Kim was already charging, eager to hold his title at Chloe’s lap dog. 

Just before he could reach Marinette with his large yet grubby hands, she used her uninjured hand to pinch his nose hard.

“Don’t. You. Dare.” She growled out.  

“Ow, ow, ow! Marinette, how are you so strong?!” Kim complained, rubbing his nose, surprised at how petite Marinette could harm him at least like this. 

“My mother’s been teaching me material arts,” Marinette replied coolly. “After I told her what happened during the last school year and the pool stunt you pulled, she’s been showing me all sorts of tricks to get myself out of sticky situations.”  

Kim stumbled back, still clutching his nose, his wide eyes darting between Marinette and Chloé. 

“I—I can’t believe this! You’re tiny, and yet… ow! That actually hurts !” His bravado crumbled under the unexpected force.

Marinette’s left eye twitched. 

“Are you saying just because I’m a girl that I can’t defend myself?” She demanded. “Whatever, I’m done dealing with you two.” 

“Ivan,” she tilted her head to the boy who had been silent for so long, nervously watching. “Go to the cafeteria. I can tell you’re hungry.”

Ivan blinked in surprise but, after a brief pause, gave a hesitant nod. The relief on his face was evident as he turned and hurried down the hallway, moving faster than his size suggested he could. The tension he carried seemed to melt away the farther he got from Chloé’s shadow.

Once Ivan was gone, Marinette turned to the trio of her new friends. 

“Would you all like to come to my family’s bakery for lunch? We always have plenty of food, and not just bread,” she asked politely.

Adrien’s eyes lit up, Alya’s grin widened, and Nino gave a small, appreciative chuckle. Free food sounded nice.

They were just about to step away, the tension finally easing, when a sharp voice cut through the air.

“Wait— you’re not going anywhere! ” Chloé’s shriek made everyone freeze. Her icy blue eyes burned with fury as she stomped closer, her presence immediately snapping the group back into alert mode.

Without warning, or with warning, Chloe tackled Marinette literally. Not even caring if she currently had one hand in a sling.

“Ow! Chloe!” Marinette complained, trying not to land too much on her hands, especially with the sling on her left arm. 

Chloé’s weight bore down on her, pinning her against the cold floor. Marinette gritted her teeth, trying not to put pressure on her hands as she pushed back. Every instinct screamed at her to defend herself, but the pain radiating from her left arm made her cautious, her movements tight and restrained.

Chloe undeniably had the body of a model, Marinette would admit that. But what on earth kind of gourmet food that her father fed her that made Chloe this strong. 

“Chloe, what are you doing?! Get off of her!” Adrien demanded in horror, his green eyes wide. “Marinette’s already injured!”

Chloé threw her head back with a sharp, cruel laugh, her golden ponytail swinging over her shoulder. Her grip tightened as she pressed Marinette harder against the ground, as if to prove her point.

“You still have a lot to learn about school culture, Adrikins,” she stated. “You see, in a school like this, there is a category everyone fits into: Either you can be popular and gorgeous, like royalty, like moi right here…” 

Chloe flipped her ponytail to show her point. Adrien’s fists clenched at his sides, every muscle in his body taut with anger at her words and her actions, but Chloé pressed on, her words cutting like glass.

“Or you can be a loser that is only meant to get crushed on by us royalty, both literally and figuratively, like Dupain-Cheng down here!” 

Adrien looked down at Marinette beneath Chloe, who was doing her best but no doubt struggling, especially with her injured wrist. She was looking at Chloe with angry determination, but also slight fear.

Adrien wanted to do everything he could to pull Marinette out, but he knew if he moved too soon, it would probably encourage Chloe to do worse.

“I have to admit though,” Chloe smirked back down at the figure she was sitting on. “You sure grew a spine between the summer and this new school year, haven’t you Dupain-Cheng? But no matter what, you are, and will always be beneath me!”

As she cackled, Marinette took the opportunity to wiggle free; finally. But she was still getting crushed, so she lifted her leg slightly, as Chloe was distracted by her own laughter…

And Marinette socked Chloe in the face with her foot. 

Chloe staggered back, eyes wide with shock.

For a few tense moments, it felt like time had stopped. 

Alya had clapped both her hands to her mouth and whimpered out, “Marinette!”

Nino looked awestruck and horrified at the same time.

And Adrien? He knew what Marinette just did was self-defense, but even if they weren’t acting in a movie set, everyone knew when a character hit another character like this, even in self-defense, what happened next wouldn’t be good.

He was right to worry. Just like in those movies, Chloe’s shock slowly faded. She looked at Marinette like she had dared to do what she thought she did. 

Chloe lifted her hand off her cheek, slowly licked her hand, and looked at Marinette with the coldest glare that Adrien was sure that not even he had ever seen on Chloe growing up.

“Oh, you really have done it, Dupain-Cheng,” she hissed.

Without a word, Chloe reached into her jacket pocket…

… And pulled out what looked like a red small pocket, only for Chloe to click a button, and out flicked a small pair of scissors, a nail filer, and something worse.

It may have been small, but it was worse.

A small Swiss army knife.

Before anyone could blink, Chloe lunged, using the knife to aim at Marinette.

“Marinette!” Adrien shouted. He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, but he wasn’t fast enough, as Chloe struck the same time before Marinette could hide her face in his arms. 

Shing!

Marinette panted as she lifted her face off of Adrien’s chest. She found herself slowly lowering her arm; she must’ve managed to shield herself at the last minute. But she felt something was still off.

She unconsciously touched the right side of her cheek and felt something unnatural. 

When she lifted her hand back, her fingers were smeared with small streaks of blood.

Marinette gasped. She didn’t even have time to register the shock as Chloe got close to her face again. 

Marinette couldn’t help but bury herself against Adrien once more. He went to thread his fingers into her pigtails, but she couldn’t feel his touch. She could only feel Chloe’s cold breath on her face as the blonde heiress continued to threaten her.

Chloe’s shadow loomed more over Marinette than Adrien; her shadow covered Marinette almost entirely, but even if she stood on her tiptoes, Chloe’s shadow would only brush against Adrien's chin, yet that didn’t stop her.

“You have grown a spine, Dupain-Cheng, haven’t you?” Chloé hissed, her voice low and venomous, “and made friends on your own, without that weirdo tae-girl who wore the same pathetic pigtails as you. I see that. I’ll give you that much credit.” She straightened up, looking taller than she already was and Marinette  buried herself deeper into her new friend. Even if they barely knew each other, Marinette felt touched that Adrien was protecting her by letting her cling to him.

“But don’t think your peace will last forever. One day… one day when you least expect it, I’ll get on top of you so badly that it will make your head spin. You’ll regret every tiny victory you think you’ve earned.” Chloe warned.

Marinette shivered, gripping Adrien’s jacket for support, but Chloé wasn’t done. Her piercing gaze shifted to Adrien, sharp and calculating. 

“Adrikins,” Chloe purred and Adrien stood up straighter and stiff, pulling Marinette closer. Even if they barely met over a day, Adrien felt touched that Marinette trusted him to protect her based on the way she gripped his jacket for dear life, and he silently vowed to not lose that trust. “You’re my dear childhood friend. We’ve grown up together. Playing house. Those were fun times.”

She giggled in a way that sent Adrien’s stomach into twists and he stepped back a little, keeping Marinette close to him. 

“I won’t judge you for wanting to live life at a…public school,” Chloe admitted, wrinkling her nose at the thought of it, even if it was currently only the first day. “After all, you’ve been homeschooled almost your entire life.”

“Yes…” Adrien slowly nodded, trying to keep calm for Marinette’s sake. The poor girl couldn’t stop shaking, and while Adrien wanted to comfort her, to soothe her, even;  he knew the only way he could only protect her right now was by keeping his arm wrapped around her. “What’s your point, Chloe?”

“I’m just saying,” Chloe tittered out as she got out her designer make up mirror out of her fancy bag that Adrien hadn’t even noticed she had on her. Where the heck did she get it from? From thin air? “Public school isn’t anything you see in the movies we watched as kids, Adrien. This is real life, and as your father would say, real life is ugly. That was one reason why he kept you inside the house all this time, didn’t he?”

“I… suppose so,” Adrien reluctantly agreed. 

“I won’t tell you what to do about it, since you’ll have to learn by yourself, Adrien,” Chloe continued as she got out some designer lipstick and watched herself pampering herself using her mirror. “But I will tell you this: If you want to survive in this world, you have to let others know you’re Gabriel Agreste’s son for a reason. You have what most other kids our age can only dream of having: Power. If you don’t use them for your own good, then what’s the point?”

“But Chloe… I don’t want to use my father’s power to intimate other people, nor to scare them,” Adrien protested. “I came out of homeschooling because I want to make friends. It’s especially lonely now since my mom…you know…”

Disappeared . He wanted to say. But he couldn’t. The memory of her gone still was fresh in his mind, and he didn’t want to worry his new friends, especially the girl hidden against his chest, who was already going through enough with Chloe’s bullying. 

“That’s how the real world works, Adrien,” Chloe sneered. “But fine.” She snapped her mirror closed. “I won’t tell you what to do, since you’re someone like me, and people like us do not get told what not to do.”

 You think you can go through this ‘real world’ just fine, don’t you?” she said, her voice deceptively sweet, dripping with menace. “You’ve had your lessons, your careful upbringing, and now… maybe you feel ready. Maybe you think you can handle it.”

Adrien stiffened, tightening his arm around Marinette instinctively, his jaw clenched as Chloé’s words pressed in.

“But sooner than you think,” she continued, her tone low and venomous, “you’ll discover that real life isn’t what you imagined. It’s harsh. It’s unpredictable. And if you insist on dragging Dupain-Cheng along with you…” Her eyes flicked to Marinette, whose fingers still clung tightly to Adrien’s jacket, trembling but determined, “…well, let’s just say that little act of loyalty will make you both face consequences you can’t foresee. Real life will test you, Adrien, and having someone like her by your side doesn’t make it easier—it only makes it more dangerous.”

Adrien’s heart thudded painfully in his chest. He could feel the weight of Chloé’s words, the underlying threat, yet he refused to loosen his grip on Marinette. His gaze didn’t leave hers, silently letting her know that he wouldn’t let Chloé intimidate her—not now, not ever.

Chloé tilted her head, the smallest smirk curling her lips as if savoring the tension she had created. 

“Enjoy your little bubble of safety while it lasts,” she said softly, almost mockingly. Then, without another word, she turned on her heel. Her designer heels clicked sharply against the floor, echoing like a countdown, and with a final glance over her shoulder—cold, calculating, triumphant—she sashayed away down the hallway.

Silence fell over the four of them. The oppressive weight of Chloé’s presence lifted, but the echo of her threats lingered. Marinette’s grip on Adrien loosened slightly, though her body still trembled. Alya and Nino exchanged wide-eyed glances, both awe and lingering fear written clearly across their faces. Adrien stood steady, his arms still wrapped protectively around Marinette, his mind racing but his resolve firm.

After what seemed like a very long time, Adrien exhaled out a breath he hadn’t known he had been holding, and looked down at Marinette.

“Are you okay?” He asked gently.

“Yeah… thank you, Adrien, for protecting me,” Marinette murmured back, respectfully slipping out under his arm. “No one’s ever done this for me before.”

“I wish I could’ve done more, though,” Adrien looked at her cheek and gestured to it. Without a need of words, Marinette nodded and he gently touched the spot under her cut cheek. “If I pulled you in sooner, then maybe Chloe wouldn’t have been able to hit you with that… filer.”

“Don’t feel bad, Adrien. You actually saved me from what could’ve been a lot worse…” Marinette assured before she swayed lightly. “This sure is a first day of school event I’ve experienced…”

Without warning, her legs gave way entirely. Adrien caught her in his arms just in time, steadying her against his chest. Her breath came in shallow, rapid bursts as she sank into him, exhausted, trembling, and completely spent from the whirlwind of events.

“Shh… it’s okay, Marinette,” he murmured, holding her firmly but gently. “You’re safe now.”

“She fainted…” Alya whispered as she and Nino came up next to Adrien. They had stayed quiet the entire time when Chloe was confronting them. 

“Probably because of the day she experienced…” Adrien agreed, hugging her tightly but careful not to hurt her. “I can say, though… I agree with her that this first day of school is something I wouldn’t think of dreaming about, either.”

“We should get her home,” Nino suggested. “And clean up her cut. Oh boy, I don't know how we’re going to have to tell her parents about it. They’re going to freak.”

“You sound like you speak from experience,” Alya teased, bumping Nino’s shoulder with hers.

“Well, I may not be a hundred percent close with Marinette’s parents, but if there’s one thing you should know about Tom and Sabine, they’re very protective of their daughter,” Nino explained. “But I’m sure they’ll understand when we tell them what happened. I just hope Mr. Dupain doesn’t go full on Papa Bear mode with Chloe again, though, because the last time that happened, that didn’t go too well…”

 “Well, the sooner we get Marinette home, the better,” Adrien reasoned, as he gently adjusted Marinette in his arms and stood up, holding her like she weighed nothing. “Even if her cut is small, it can get pretty bad if not treated.”

“Right. Let’s go,” Alya stood up, taking the lead. “Marinette said her bakery is right across the street from the school, right?”

“Right,” Adrien confirmed, following her lead while keeping Marinette cradled safely in his arms.

Alya took the lead going across the street, with the boys following her.

As they walked the short distance, Nino couldn’t help but notice the soft looks Adrien was giving Marinette every time he looked down to check on her.

“So, dude,” Nino gently nudged Adrien with his elbow, careful not to jostle Marinette. “It’s only like, what? Your first day of school? And yet you’re already holding onto Marinette like she’s your everything?”

Adrien’s cheeks flushed pink.

“Well, she’s kind of out right now,” he explained. “Someone would have to carry her either way.”

“You’re something else, aren’t you, Adrien?” Nino laughed light-heartedly. “Now that I can really see your face, and by that I mean, really see, I can see why people call you the golden boy of Paris. It’s only the first day of school, yet we already have two sweet little lovebirds.”

“Whatever, Nino,” Adrien chuckled. “Marinette and I barely met for a day, remember? Besides, she’s just a friend.”

A friend . Adrien echoed in his mind. He felt himself smiling wider. Heavens if only his mother could see him now; Adrien had made friends all on his own. And best of all, the new friends he made saw Adrien as Adrien, not the famous son of Gabriel Agreste.

“Sure~ Marinette’s just a friend… for now,” Nino teased with a smirk. 

Adrien carefully used one hand to lightly whack his other new friend on the shoulder without accidentally dropping Marinette. Nino dodged it, and he snickered so hard that it was contagious, and eventually, Adrien had to laugh as well.

“Boys, we’re here!” Alya called out.

They were all now standing in front of Tom & Sabine’s Boulangerie Patisserie. Adrien could already smell the fresh pastries and instantly felt at home. Gently adjusting Marinette in his arms, he, Alya and Nino stepped inside, where they saw Marinette’s parents working at the back. 

Their eyes lit up when they saw them, then quickly dimmed as they caught sight of Marinette passed out in Adrien’s arms. 

“Oh my goodness! My baby!” Sabine immediately put the tray she was holding aside and rushed to her daughter’s side.

 “What happened?” Tom did the same. 

“It’s a long story, Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng,” Nino explained. “But what I can say is, if it wasn’t for my new bro, Adrien here, things could’ve gotten a lot worse.”

“We can tell,” Sabine looked at Adrien with a loving motherly gaze that sent warmth soaring through his heart. “Why don’t you three take Marinette upstairs and then you can tell us everything?”

“Yes, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng,” all three of them chorused. 

“Please, call me Sabine.” she added with a small, encouraging smile.

 The words, simple as they were, carried a sense of home and belonging that wrapped around Adrien like a blanket. With careful, coordinated steps, Adrien, Alya, and Nino carried Marinette toward the staircase, each one mindful of her fragile state and the events of the day that had left them all exhausted but more united than ever.

Chapter Text

A few weeks have passed since the first day of school, and what Marinette, Adrien, Alya and Nino, now dubbing themselves as the “Core Four,” called The Incident . 

 Marinette found herself looking forward to school, which was a surprise even for her. Lately, she managed to wake up with her phone’s alarm ringing only twice, sometimes three times, eat breakfast with her mother, brush her teeth, change into her school clothes, say goodbye to her father working downstairs in the bakery -- with him often offering her a box of fresh pastries for Marinette and her friends-- and Marinette was off to school, where Alya, Adrien, and Nino would be waiting for her.

Oh, jiejie . Marinette thought of Socqueline. If only you could see me now…

-

One sunny Saturday morning, Marinette was babysitting for one of her mother’s friend’s daughters, a 5 year old girl named Manon, who was the little daughter of Paris’s famous news reporter, Nadja Chamack.

Marinette always thought of Manon as energetic, even for a 5 year old, but for some reason while babysitting her, she was really energetic today. 

“Manon! Please stop running around like that! You’re going to hurt yourself!” Marinette begged as she chased the little girl around in the living room.

“OK, Marinette!” Manon stopped for a brief moment before spotting a hat Marinette had put on one of her dolls and put it on her head. “Tag! Marinette, you’re it!” She giggled and began running around the room with the hat on her head.

“Wait--” Marinette had a sudden realization. “Manon, give me back that hat! I haven’t finished it yet!” 

She tried to chase the younger girl around again, only to crash face first into the sofa.

“Owww,” Marinette groaned. That was going to leave a mark. She stood up and stretched her back.  Why did she agree to do this again? 

Because babysitters can surprisingly make good money , a little voice said in her head. Besides, Marinette couldn’t refuse, when it was her mom’s friend asking it.     

       At this time, the TV which was playing in the background, announced an important announcement. 

“Oh!” Manon suddenly popped up beside Marinette, still wearing her partially finished hat. “That’s the weather channel, Marinette! Mommy told me about it!”

“Is that so, Manon? Well, guess what? Two girls at my school are competing for the weather contest. Their names are Mirelle and Aurore,” Marinette explained. 

“Wow, that is so cool!” Manon cheered as she bounced up and down. 

“Why don’t we watch it together?” Marinette suggested, patting her lap for Manon to sit. 

Together, they began to watch the weather competition.

-

“ Out of over 1,000 competitors, these two young ladies were the final two to get voted!” Alec Catadli announced. “All of you in Paris, no matter if you’re at the competition in person or at home, feel free to vote with this number. Text 1 for Aurore Beaurol, and text 2 for Mirelle Caquet!”

“I’m going to vote for Mirelle, I think she’s super pretty and the best!” Manon bragged and Marinette nodded absent-mindly for her as she focused on the screen to text the number Alec had put up when she realized her phone was no longer on the coffee table. 

“Manon!” Marinette gasped when she saw the little girl with her phone in her hands. “You can’t just take other people’s things without permission!”

Too late, Manon had already voted for her. And it was… Mirelle.

Marinette groaned. She had nothing against Mirelle, but she had promised Aurore she would vote for her. She wasn’t close friends with the other pigtailed girl, but they were pretty friendly and Aurore had always treated Marinette kindly. 

I’m sorry,, Aurore, Marinette thought as she decided to lie down on the couch. Just for a moment. She closed her eyes, missing the announcement that Mirelle got the most votes and poor Aurore had stomped off-screen in jealousy and anger. 

Marinette must’ve dozed off because the next thing she knew she opened her eyes in tune with hearing the doorbell ringing. 

She gingerly got up and opened the door, revealing the person behind was none other than her new BFF, Alya.

“Alya?” Marinette asked. 

“Hey, girl, I stopped by to see if you wanted to hang out,” Alya chirped. “And to give you a scoop. Adrien’s currently at the park near your house doing a little photoshoot for his dad!”

“R-really!” Marinette’s eyes lit up excitedly, much to Alya’s endearment before the light in Marinette’s eyes quickly dimmed. “Sorry, Alya, as much as I’d love to go, I’m taking the afternoon to babysit my mom’s friend’s daughter. She can be a bit of a handful, but that’s mostly due to the energy she has. Maybe next time.”

A crash in the kitchen suddenly sounded, and Marinette gasped as she rushed back inside the apartment, leaving the door open so Alya took it as her cue to step in to help. 

“Manon, careful! My mom got that pan all the way from her hometown in China! It’s very valuable to her.”

The two continue chasing each other around, much to Alya’s amusement. At one point, Manon had rushed into Alya’s arms.

“And who are you?” She asked curiously. 

“I’m Marinette’s best friend most of the time,” Alya explained as she booped the little girl’s nose. “But unknown to everyone, even her, I am a magical girl in the land of Unicorn-opa, who helps all the unicorns in the land!”

“Wow, really?” Manon’s eyes lit up. 

“Wow, Alya, you sure stopped her in her tracks really well,” Marinette came up to them, staggering a little.

“When you have little sisters, you gain some experience,” Alya shrugged with a smile. “I have to say though, Manon, you have almost just as much energy as my sisters. If we keep you in here, you’ll probably accidentally destroy everything Marinette has…Why don’t we go to the park?”

“The park?!” Manon perked up. 

“I don’t know, Alya, I’m not saying it’s a good idea, but Manon’s my responsibility,” Marinette stated. “I kind of already told my mom and Mrs. Chamack that I’d be playing with Manon inside the house.”

“Well, with all the energy Manon has, I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep her inside. It’s a beautiful day outside, even, so we should take advantage of it,” Alya reasoned. 

“I guess so,” Marinette finally agreed. 

“Come on, Manon, we’re off to the park!” Alya stated as she gently placed Manon on Marinette’s shoulders. 

“Yay, park! Come on, Marinette!” Manon cheered. 

“I’m going, I’m going,” Marinette chuckled.

-

Outside at the park near the bakery, Adrien was balancing on top of the fountain, while his father’s trusty Italian photographer, Vincent, was taking pictures of him.

“ Magencifencto! Perfect, Adrieno! ” Vincent complimented in his usual Italian accent. “ Bellisama! You pose as they say no wonder you’re the golden boy of Paris!!”

In between the shoots, Adrien saw two familiar classmates of his coming into the park. His eyes lit up at the sight of Marinette (!!) carrying a little girl, who looked around 5 or 6 years old, on her shoulders. 

She must be babysitting her, Adrien realized as he remembered Marinette mentioning she took babysitting jobs for her parents’ friends and acquaintances occasionally. 

Vincent lowered his camera slightly, following Adrien’s gaze. The second he saw where it landed, a sly smile spread across his face.

“Ahhh, capisco! ” Vincent drawled, his accent thicker than ever as he wagged his eyebrows like a conspirator. “Now I see what really makes the young Agreste smile, eh?”

Adrien’s face instantly turned red. 

“W-what? N-no, it’s not—Vincent, focus!” he stammered, wobbling a little on the fountain’s rim as he tried to compose himself.

But Vincent wasn’t letting him off so easily. He clutched his camera to his chest dramatically. 

“ Amore! It makes even the most serious model shine brighter than the sun. Look at you—glowing like I have never seen before!”

“Vincent!” Adrien hissed, his ears burning, though his eyes betrayed him by darting back toward Marinette. She was laughing as the little girl tugged playfully at her pigtails, Alya walking alongside them with her usual confident stride.

Adrien’s lips curved into a soft smile before he could stop himself. He quickly tried to cover it up with a stiff model’s pose, but Vincent was already chuckling behind the lens.

“Do not worry, ragazzo ,” Vincent teased in a whisper as he adjusted his camera again. “Your secret is safe with me… for now.”

Adrien sighed, trying not to groan aloud. This photoshoot was about to feel very long.

“Vincent, I’ve only known Marinette for a couple of weeks since I’ve started school. We’re friends, sure, but--”

“You don’t have to say anything, young master, I’ve been a photographer for many years. I can tell when someone has the look of love on their faces. Forgive me for saying this, but I don’t think you’ve smiled this much since your mother disappeared.”

The words landed heavily, making Adrien’s chest ache. His smile faltered as memories of his mother bubbled up—her laughter, her warmth, the way she could light up an entire room without even trying. For a moment, Adrien felt the hollow ache that had never quite left him since she was gone. He swallowed hard, trying not to let it show too much on his face.

Vincent, perceptive as ever, lowered his voice further, almost conspiratorial but gentle. 

“I knew your mother almost as much as I know you, Adrieno. She would want you to smile. To find joy. And if that girl helps you remember how… then don’t hide it. Don’t push it away.”

Adrien looked down, conflicted, then turned his gaze back toward the park path. Marinette was crouched now, letting the little girl slide off her shoulders to the grass. The child squealed with laughter as Marinette spun her around by the hands, both of them giggling. Alya leaned against the park bench nearby, watching with an amused grin.

Adrien’s lips curved almost without him realizing, soft and wistful. His chest still ached, but there was something else too—something lighter.

Vincent noticed. He clicked his tongue. 

“ Ecco! You see? That smile again.” He tapped his camera thoughtfully against his chin, then gave Adrien a nudge with his elbow. “Go. Take a break. Go say hello to her. I’ll wait. A photographer always knows when his subject needs a moment.”

Adrien blinked at him. 

“Vincent, I—I can’t just walk over there—”

“Of course you can,” Vincent insisted with a theatrical flourish of his hands, as if Adrien had just said the silliest thing in the world. “You are Adrien Agreste, yes? You have walked runways, faced crowds, worn outfits so bizarre they defied logic. And yet this —walking over to greet a friend—is where you hesitate?” He shook his head dramatically, then grinned. “Go. Before she leaves, and you regret it. Plus, this girl, Marinetta, was it? I can tell she isn’t one of your usual fangirls. She’d be just as happy as you greeting her.”

Adrien hesitated one more moment, heart beating faster at the thought, before finally hopping down from the fountain. He brushed off his shirt, trying to calm the sudden rush of nerves, and took a tentative step in Marinette’s direction.

Behind him, Vincent lifted his camera again, muttering under his breath with a smile, “Now this will be the real masterpiece. Oh, Emilie would be so proud of her son.”

-

Marinette was playing with Manon when she spotted Adrien walking over. She set the girl gently down and straightened up politely, quickly adjusting her hair as if she was afraid the wind had ruined it. 

“Hi, Adrien,” she whispered shyly, yet Adrien could hear every word from her.

“Hello, Marinette,” Adrien greeted just as softly, one hand going to the back of his neck. “Lovely day, is it?”

“Yes, it is,” Marinette giggled in agreement. “Perfect for babysitting.”

As if on cue, Manon popped out from behind Marinette’s legs,  clutching her knees like a shield before peeking curiously at Adrien. Her wide eyes blinked once, then her face lit up with recognition.

“Hey! You’re Adrien Agreste! Mommy and I see you on TV and magazines all the time!” she exclaimed without hesitation, bouncing on her heels. Adrien laughed softly, crouching down to her level so he wasn’t towering over her.

 “That’s me,” he said kindly. “And who might you be, little one?” He gently stroked her nose with his finger.

“I’m Manon!” she announced proudly. “Marinette’s my babysitter. She’s the best one in the world! She can make dolls, create princess dresses for me, and can spin and toss me around so high that I can feel like I can fly!” She waved her arms like she was taking flight. Adrien chuckled, glancing at Marinette with a gentle smile that made her fidget nervously with her sleeves.

Then, with the bluntness only a child could possess, Manon tilted her head, glanced between the two teenagers, and asked the one question neither of them had been prepared for.

“Adrien, are you Marinette’s boyfriend?” She asked innocently.

The words dropped like a firecracker. Marinette’s face went scarlet in an instant.

 “W-what?! N-no, Manon! He’s—he’s just—” She flailed her hands wildly, as though she could physically erase the question from the air. “We’re classmates!”

Adrien’s cheeks warmed too, though his laughter came more controlled—gentle and embarrassed, but not dismissive. 

“She’s right,” he added quickly, scratching the back of his neck again. “We’re just friends.”

For now, a little voice said in his mind, making Adrien internally go huh?!

Marinette’s flustered stammering only made Manon more suspicious. She squinted, folding her tiny arms as she studied them like a detective. 

“Mmm, I don’t know,” she said in a sing-song tone, her grin mischievous. “You both look like boyfriend and girlfriend to me. Marinette’s always saying she’s never met a boy as sweet as you. Whatever that means.”

Marinette froze, her hands shooting up to cover her mouth as she nearly shrieked, “Manon!” Her cheeks flared red as she tried to hide her embarrassment.

Adrien’s eyes lit up immediately, a playful grin spreading across his face. 

“Oh really?” he teased, stepping closer with a mock-serious tone. “So Marinette thinks I’m sweet , huh? I’ll have to take that as a compliment.”

Marinette squeaked, stumbling backward a step, her fingers tugging nervously at her shirt. 

“Adrien Agreste, you goof! Stop teasing me like that!” she lightly whacked him on the shoulder.

From the sidelines, Alya leaned against a nearby bench, trying—and failing—not to laugh outright. She bit her lip, her eyes sparkling as she watched her two friends fumble adorably through the awkward moment. 

“Ohhh, this is too cute,” she muttered under her breath, shaking her head with a grin. She wished Nino was here to see this, but he was stuck babysitting his own little sibling.

“Don’t worry, Marinette, I think you’re sweet, too,” Adrien stated sincerely. “As sweet as the cakes your dad makes in the bakery.”

Marinette’s lips parted slightly in surprise, and a small, shy smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. 

“Th-thank you, Adrien,” she whispered, her voice almost drowned out by the soft rustling of leaves in the park. Her heart pounded, and she glanced down for a moment, then back up, meeting his gaze with a mixture of awe and nervousness.

Adrien’s gaze softened further as he noticed the tiny shimmer of sunlight catching in her hair. Something impulsive—and yet gentle—struck him. He crouched slightly, picking a small, delicate wildflower from the grass nearby. It was soft and pale, almost like the morning light. With a careful hand, he tucked the blossom behind Marinette’s ear, letting it rest against her dark locks.

Marinette’s eyes widened, and she blinked rapidly, a faint gasp escaping her lips. Her fingers instinctively lifted to touch the flower, but she hesitated, unsure if she should move or simply let him. Her cheeks burned a deeper shade of pink, and her heart seemed to skip an entire beat as she glanced up at Adrien, who was smiling at her with that gentle, easy confidence that seemed to put her at ease.

“You—um…” Marinette began, her voice catching in her throat as she searched for words that didn’t come. Her hands hovered near the flower, frozen in a mix of surprise and delight.

Adrien chuckled softly at her reaction, the sound warm and reassuring. 

“It looked like it belonged there,” he said quietly, his voice almost a whisper between them. “Just like you.”

Marinette’s lips curved into a small, unsteady smile, her fingers brushing against the petals. 

She leaned back slightly, just enough to meet his gaze fully, and whispered, 

“Thank you, Adrien… it’s really beautiful.”

As their hands brushed, Marinette felt another memory and she returned to her 10-year old self, seeing what seemed like a younger version of Adrien holding the same flower to her own younger self… on a beach?

The beach at the Île aux Cygnes didn’t have any flowers from what Marinette could remember. So where did the boy in Marinette’s mind get it from?

Marinette quickly shook her head to get rid of the thought and she and Adrien continued to look at each other sweetly until they heard a familiar shrill voice interrupted them.

“Ooooh Adrikins!!~”

Alya rushed up to Marinette’s side and all three of them cringed, knowing exactly who the voice belonged to.

Manon, sensing the danger too despite being only 5 years old, wiggled close to Marinette, and the older girl gently pulled her close until to the point her legs were protectively over her to protect her. 

“Marinette, who is that?” Manon’s eyes widened as she spotted a girl her babysitter and friends’ age, wearing too much flashy clothing and makeup bounce into the park.

“A very mean, nasty girl,” Marinette explained in a whisper. “She doesn’t like anyone except for Adrien, yet she can still be pretty mean even to him. Stay close to me, okay, Manon?”

Manon nodded as she hugged Marinette’s leg tightly just as Chloe came up to them.