Miraculous One-Shots

Sleeping Beauty's Curse

"Dude, you look exhausted," Nino said, tapping Adrien on the shoulder before taking his seat at the same table. "You sure you're not related to Sleeping Beauty or something? That dudette could sleep with the best of them."

"She was cursed, you dork," Alya piped in, glancing up from her phone to join their conversation. Her loving smile morphed into a thoughtful frown as her focus shifted from her boyfriend to Adrien. "You do look like you could use a hundred years of sleep, sunshine. You should ask your dad for a day or something soon. Can't have you falling asleep in class, can we?"

He forced himself to laugh along, playing up the bit about his father overworking him. They didn't need to worry about him more than they already did. A family curse was a bit beyond their control anyway, especially when nothing would stop destiny's fulfillment of said curse. 

"You sure you're okay, Adrien?" The softly spoken words came from Marinette, his shyest friend by far. 

He nodded, pasting on his best model smile for her benefit. "Nothing a little sleep won't cure." 

Oh, if they only knew how much sleep was in store for him in a few weeks, he thought, his smile disappearing. If only.

Being the son of a modern-day Sleeping Beauty wasn't something he considered a good time, especially with easily he could succumb to his ailment at any time of day. That included photoshoots, but those had been handled since the symptoms first appeared on his fourteenth birthday. 

Sometimes, he wondered if telling his friends might help alleviate his guilt in keeping them in the dark, but then, he recalled how well it'd gone over for his mother when she'd told her friends. That story had been his only warning to keep the curse a secret, enduring the gentle ribbing of his friends and classmates. So many times, the words had almost slipped out, but he'd called them back in time, fear curling in the pit of his stomach and leaving behind a sour feeling for the rest of the day. 

He'd worked so hard to convince his father to come to school. No way was he about to jeopardize that by opening his mouth and revealing his deepest, darkest secret. 

"Adrien, please, pay attention," Ms. Bustier reprimanded in her gentlest tone. "If you need a nurse's pass, let me know. You look a bit out of sorts."

He nodded, his model smile creeping back over his lips. "I'll be fine, but thank you. I'm sorry for drifting off. I'll pay attention. I promise."

Too bad his promise meant little as his mind wandered again. Oh, how easy that happened nowadays, he thought with some chagrin. 

His pencil strokes appeared weak and illegible against the stark white paper. Despite that though, he could make out the words, having written too many times in the past. 

True Love's Kiss. 

Why, oh why, did that have to be the answer to everything? Who had thought that the perfect solution to every fairy tale curse imaginable? 

Not like anyone he knew would want to be his true love. His wealth and status as a model made for many fans and some close friends, but none of them could be ranked as possible candidates for the position of true love. 

Well, that wasn't exactly true, he silently reprimanded himself, his thoughts traveling to one potential person. 

As though of their own volition, his eyes locked briefly on Marinette, his heart skittering and skipping a beat upon seeing her writing down notes with a diligence that never failed to amaze him. 

She had a tenacious spirit that didn't stop her from standing up to bullies or helping out friends whenever she could. It was too bad she could barely talk to him on a normal day. Her skittish behavior around him bothered him if he were being honest, not quite getting why she felt that way. He'd gone out of his way several times to be friendly and even gentle around her, not wanting to frighten her. Nothing had worked so far. She remained stubbornly shy around him, not wanting to really hang out with him unless they had others around. 

She'd never want to be his true love. 

He knew that, even if his heart couldn't accept it. 

"Hey, dude, come on. Class is over." Nino grabbed up his bag and pointed toward the door. "The ladies are waiting for us. Marinette's treating us to lunch at her place today. You know you don't want to miss that." 

Pushing himself up, he offered a real smile this time as he shook his head. "No, I don't. Ms. Cheng makes the best meals."

"Besides, we can discuss party plans for your birthday. I know the ladies are eager to get started." 

Nino walked ahead, leaving Adrien to bring up the rear. His arm slipped around Alya's waist and dragged her close, her laughter washing over their group with its joyful sound. 

"They're really happy together," a soft voice said beside him.

He jumped in surprise, glancing down to find Marinette matching her pace to his and doing a good job of it. Recalling his manners, he slowed a bit to give her a break as he considered her words. 

"Yeah, they are. It'd be nice to have something like that, wouldn't it?" 

She squeaked as though realizing who he was and took a step sideways, creating distance he didn't want yet didn't have the right to change. After a bit, she answered his question with a single nod, her eyes frozen on the books she held close to her chest. 

Hoping to keep their conversation going a little bit longer, he said, "I heard you and Alya are excited about my birthday. I'd love to hear what you two have planned. Anything you're helping with is sure to be amazing, Marinette." 

That earned him a bright pink blush, which only made her prettier in his mind. Not that he said that out loud. He couldn't risk scaring her further away than she already tried to be with him. She was his first real friend since coming to school two years back and he hated the thought of losing her for any reason, especially inserting his foot into his mouth. 

"Thank you," she murmured, her blush receding a bit until their eyes met. "D-do you know wish you'll what for? I mean, what you'll wish for yet?"

Doing the best he could to rein in his smile and failing, he nodded, his gaze not leaving her face. "Yeah, I think I do." 

She didn't need to know that his wish wouldn't be granted. 

That sobered him a bit, but he refused to let his thoughts go dark, not when he had her company to keep them away.