The Wolf - A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction

Episode 4 - Friends

Marinette dressed for school in her usual attire: black jacket with rolled sleeves, white shirt, and pink joggers. She pulled on her flats and slung her purse over her shoulder. She addressed herself in the mirror.

"Today will be a good day, Marinette," she informed herself, flashing her brightest smile. "I have my friends and I can be happy for Adrien and Kagami." She pulled her hair into her regular styled pigtails, fastening them with red hair bands.

She left her room and wandered through the downstairs, not quite sure she wanted to leave.

"Marinette?" It was her father. "Do you want breakfast before you go? I just finished making a fresh batch of croissants." He smiled warmly at his daughter and Marinette felt the sides of her face drawn up in response, incapable of avoiding the positivity her father emitted on a regular basis.

"I'm not very hungry right now, but thanks," she replied, which was true. Her mouth was still sour from yesterday. After Chat's announcement, she hadn't felt motivated to eat anything. She was still stunned, not completely capable of processing what he'd told her.

On her way to school, the clouds overhead began to grow closer and darker. She pushed on, trying to avoid the rain soon to come. As she moved faster, her feet caught and she fell, splayed out on the ground. Her elbows and hips made contact first, scraped and aching.

"Are you okay, Marinette?"

She looked up and was surprised to find Adrien. He stood before her, extending his hand to help her up while offering her his disarming smile. She smiled back, but the look was tinged with wistfulness. She was looking at something she could never have.

"I'm fine," she assured him, accepting his help. "It happens all the time." Adrien chuckled at this remark, still holding her hand. Her skin tingled and she attempted to banish the excited part of her that would forever crave Adrien's touch.

"Let's walk to school together," he suggested.

"What about Kagami?" Marinette asked, suddenly wishing she could retract those words, return them to her lips and lock them tight.

He smiled. "She's driving. I just barely managed to escape my bodyguard. Seeing you here, I guess it was worth it."

The comment brought warmth to her cheeks, and she averted her eyes. He only meant it in a friendly way. He was always happy to see his friends. That's what she was. A friend.

"W-well, I guess that's good." She smiled nervously. He had already let go of her hand, but she longed for him to take it back. She knew it would never happen and she tried to suppress the urge to grab it. It wouldn't look very good for him to be walking down the street holding hands with another girl. A girl that had a known crush on him, nonetheless.

Realizing it probably wasn't the best idea for them to be together at all, she stopped suddenly. Adrien was still innocent and naive. He didn't understand certain aspects of a social life. She frowned and said, "You go on ahead. I need to stop somewhere."

"Are you sure?" he asked, glancing up at the sky and the impending storm. "It's about to rain." His eyes locked onto hers. "Are you really okay?"

The question gave her a strange, uncomfortable feeling. She bit her lip and replied, "Fine. Now go. I can't have you waiting for me."

Adrien was about to turn to leave, then paused. "I know this might sound strange, and I have no idea why I thought of this but... this isn't about Kagami is it?"

She laughed nervously and that was his confirmation. "Well, partly, I guess. I'm your friend but she's your girlfriend. It doesn't look right for us to be alone together."

"Oh." He stared at the ground for a moment. "Thanks for being so considerate, Marinette," he finally told her. "I really don't know what I would do without a friend like you."