The Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir

Stupid Words

Warning: Mature language will be used. Reader discretion (I just looked up the definition of that, so yes I know what it means :]) is advised.

"... She's really brave, and strong, and graceful, and amazing! I really like her! Nino, I might even love her..." Adrien's voice grew louder and faded as Marinette walked past to the bathroom, carefully wiping her eyes and trying to control her emotions as she caught his words. Nino noticed her and shot her a sympathetic look, which she returned with a sad smile before darting away as Adrien turned, confused as to who Nino was looking at so sadly.

He caught a glance of the blue-black haired girl's broken expression before she ran away, and was thoroughly befuddled. Why would Nino look at her like that? Why did she immediately run away as soon as he turned around? Why... why was Alya running up to them?

"Nino! Marinette texted me, saying she felt ill and went home. Didn't you just see her?" She said, panting, completely ignoring the blond standing patiently next to her. Nino leaned over and whispered something in her ear, and she suddenly faced him, eyes wide and furious.

"Alya, no, he doesn't know, and she wouldn't want you to tell him." Nino panicked, holding the angry girl back. Adrien took a step away, startled.

"What if she gets akumatised, though?! It'd be HIS fault!" She bites her lip, her fists clenching, trying to hold back from straight out punching the now scared model. 

"No, it wouldn't be his fault, because he didn't know what he did. The best thing to do right now is give her space to heal, okay?" Nino rubs her arms comfortably and stares at her brown eyes, in which the anger starts to simmer. Shooting Adrien another mad look, she takes a breath and smiles.

"Okay. Thanks Nino. I'll see you later." Stalking off and leaving Adrien very confused, she whips out her cell and tries to call Marinette.

Marinette

Her phone rang. She was fully aware that Alya was freaking out, trying to find out if she was okay. Well, she wasn't. Curled up into a ball, Marinette was sitting against the wall surrounded by a million ripped pieces of paper, each one another piece of a poster of the person who accidentally broke her heart. He never knew he had it in the first place, did he? And she couldn't be more obvious.

Brave, strong, graceful, amazing... things Marinette wasn't. Things Marinette would never be. But things Ladybug was.

He loved Ladybug.

Tikki had understood exactly what she meant when she wanted space. She had taken off her earrings, and carefully hid the box in which her miraculous had appeared, in order to keep Tikki safe. She didn't need Ladybug right now. She didn't want Ladybug right now. Chat could deal with tonight's patrol alone, and he would insist on patrolling alone if she said she was broken. 

Of course he loved Ladybug, of course he didn't love Marinette. A perfect girl for the perfect boy. The most idolized woman in Paris for the most longed-for man. Marinette was too flawed, too imperfect, too low, to even be considered for a boy like him. Maybe Chloe was right, after all.

Suddenly angry, Marinette picked up a small snow globe, which had his name engraved in it, and threw it at the wall opposite her. The shattering of the glass and ceramic base was so satisfying, yet she sobbed again. She meant nothing to him. Nothing.

Her mother checked on her once, and seeing her daughter's state, frowned sympathetically and left her alone. Sabine knew what it was to be heartbroken. She only hoped the young girl would get over it, eventually, like she did. 

Tears rolled from her blue eyes, rolling over her cheeks, rolling down her arms, soaking her shirt. Stupid, flawed, broken, cracked, clumsy, try-hard, overreacting, insane, stupid Marinette. How could she think he'd like her? How could she let herself build her hopes up, only to have them crash down? How could she believe she'd ever be enough?