WARNING!!! THERE IS ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE AND SUICIDAL THOUGHTS!!! THERE IS NO VIOLENCE, ONLY TALK! THERE IS NO ATTEMPT OF SUICIDE ONLY THOUGHTS!
NONE OF THE PICTURES BELONG TO ME. THEY ARE FROM PINTEREST!
Adrien couldn't believe his luck. He was able to go out with his friends and get ice cream. Alya and Nino recommended Andre's ice cream; they said it was magical.
Adrien watched as Andre served the happy couple a cone to share. He smiled brightly as his cone remained the same: Strawberry with black chocolate chip! Blackberries for her hair, and blueberry ice-cream just like her sky blue stare!
He sampled his with a smile and moved out of the way so Marinette could get hers: Almond for his lips, mint for his eyes, and blackberry for his mysterious past.
'That's an odd combination.' he thought as Mari sampled hers with a smile.
"We need a picture! It's been forever since all of us hung out!" shouted Alya. Nino just nodded, eagerly. "Say 'Ice Cream!'." spoke Alya. "Ice cream!" they all shouted, which ended with a fit of giggles.
Marinette wandered off to a close bench to sit and eat her cone. As Adrien turned to join her, he heard Alya's not-so whispered squeal. "Do you realized they got matching cones to Ladybug and Chat Noir?" Adrien slowly walked towards Marinette, asking if he could sit with her. Marinette nodded and Adrien looked at her carefully as she enjoyed her ice cream. Almond. Mint. Blackberry.
'How can she have me when I have Ladybug?' Adrien thought, turning his focus onto his own and his friends.
"How can Mari have my cone while I have Ladybug's, Plagg?" Adrien questioned at home. "Kid, it's fine." the kwami rolled his eyes, knowing the truth. "It's not fine! I thought she understood that I was in love with M'Lady, but her cone-" "It's a cone, Adrien!" Plagg shouted, flying towards his chosen. "But-" Adrien began. "But what? You're going to go out of your way to break her heart again?" Plagg questioned, "So, Pigtails has a crush on you, still. It doesn't mean you two will end up together." "It has too! I-I have Ladybug's colors." he whispered, trying to convince himself. "Or...just listen to me, Kid, the cone could represent who you currently like." Plagg stated, grabbing another slice of Camembert. "I should still talk to her." Adrien said. Plagg sighed and flew into the trashcan, to enjoy his cheese to the fullest.
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Adrien was in model mode that day at school. He moved effortlessly taking notes, facing forward, but his mind was a minefield. Marinette had came to school with a new look: her hair was down, she was wearing black short, black boots, and a green top. She was wearing his colors! He had to fix this!
'How do I bring this up to Marinette without breaking her heart , or worse, causing her dad to get reakumatized.'
Adrien shuddered at the thought of overprotective akumatized father. Normally he was sweet, but Tom was a difficult akuma to face alone.
'Maybe I could say I saw her at Andre's? How do I bring up about myself or Chat Noir though? I can't say I heard Alya at Andre's; I'd be revealing myself. What if, Chat Noir said Adrien told him? No! We just became better friends. I can't make her hate me again!'
Adrien stewed in his seat, flickering his glances towards Marinette, all day. None the wiser, that Lila was glaring between the two. She didn't like that his attention was on Mari; she would have to change that.
"Marinette!" Adrien called out, as she left the class. "Adrien?" "Um, can I talk with you about something?" he questioned. "Sure." Mari smiled, brightly.
Adrien couldn't seem to get the words out as they walked towards the school's entrance. It didn't help that Plagg was beating against his chest, almost in tune with his own heartbeat. He was so confused. His throat felt like it was trying to suffocate him and he wanted to vomit at the same time.
'Why is this so hard?' he asked himself.
"Adrien, are you alright?" Marinette asked as they reached the stairs. "Ye-Yeah. Um, I-" he was cut off by the sound of a loud engine rev.
He watched Marinette turn and her eyes light up to the bad boy leaning against his motorcycle.
"Dami!" she shouted, rushing down the stairs, flawlessly.
Adrien watched as the tan guy with slicked back black hair and emerald green eyes opened his arms with a smile and a fierce hug become a passionate kiss.
"Looks like your Princess wasn't thinking about you, Kid." Plagg spoke, only loud enough for him to hear.
"I thought you weren't going to be here until tomorrow!" Mari shouted, excitedly. "Did I interrupt any plans?" he asked, flicking to gaze quickly to Adrien. "Nope." she smiled. "Well, then." Damian smirked, pulling out a leather jacket from a secret compartment. Marinette gasped as he handed her the leather jacket with large white Angel wings on the back, earning him another kiss.
"I should let my parents know you're here." Mari said, taking a sky blue helmet. "I already visited them." he answered, "Let's go?"
Marinette placed the helmet on and got on the back of his bike. As she was about to lower the visor, she saw Adrien frozen on the stairs.
Right. Didn't he want to talk with her about something?
Damian revved his bike and she shouted, "Sorry, Adrien! We'll talk later!" before slamming down her visor, as they sped off.
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"Who the fuck was that?" shouted Alya, breaking Adrien from his trance. "Her...sweetheart." replied Nino. "What?" asked Adrien. "Think about it. Almond.... for his lips? Mint for his eyes. Blackberry for his mysterious past!" he replied, getting more excited with every word.
They could tell Alya was shocked. "But-" her eyes quickly flickered towards Adrien and in the direction she had left.
Adrien's driver honked the horn in the car. "I got to go!" he shouted, running away from the confusion.
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Chat Noir roamed the rooftops, searching the alleyways for Marinette. As much as he didn't want to find her, he really hoped he did, so he could talk with her about this 'Dami' guy. Who ever he was. Marinette was the sweetest girl he knew and he would hate if something bad happened to her. He didn't know anything about this guy!
As he jumped towards another roof, he heard shouting.
'Marinette?' he wondered.
Upon arrival, he noticed it was Alya and Nino.
'Why would they be fighting?'
"I just don't understand, Nino!" the budding journalist exclaimed.
"Is everything okay here?" Chat Noir asked, jumping to the nearest lamppost.
"Chat Noir!" she shouted, "Yes. I need to ask you a question. It's not for the blog, I swear!" Alya exclaimed. "What kind of question?" he asked. "It's kind of personal." she winced. "I can't." Chat Noir spoke, "M'Lady has forbidden any kind of personal questions." "Maybe just a yes or no, then?" she asked, bouncing on the tip of her toes. "Depends on the question." he answered. "Did Marinette Dupain-Cheng ever confess her love to you?" she asked, catching him off guard.
He felt his grip waver and he landed next to the post. "Um," he could feel his face turning red, "A long time ago. Why?" Chat Noir answered. "See!" Alya shouted, turning back towards Nino. The DJ seemed to be contemplating something.
"What's going on and why is my relationship with Marinette involved?" Chat asked. "Well, Alya thinks that Marinette is rebounding off of you and our friend Adrien to whoever this new guy that we saw today." replied Nino. "What?" he questioned.
'Rebounding? Off us? Me? Me and me?'
"Marinette had-" he began, only for Alya to shout "HAS!" Nino continued as if he had never been interrupted, "-a crush on him since shortly after he started school with us."
'Wait, what? Marinette had feelings for me, too! She always seemed to be so scared of me though!'
"But, at some point, she turned her attention towards you and didn't tell me. I had to find out from her parents!" Alya ranted.
"Well, I love M'Lady so..." he began. "Yeah, we know. Tom got akumatized," Alya said, waving off the rest of his thoughts. "Yeah, not one of my finest moments." Chat Noir stated, as his ears flattened against his head. "Don't worry. Marinette's parents are cool. They don't blame you." Nino said. "I think it was only a tiny crush cause we're still good friends." Chat said, joining in on the thinking.
Alya eyed him up and down, before stating, "You do seem to be her type: blonde and green eyes." "Wait! What if it wasn't about being blonde?" Nino asked suddenly. "What?" asked the two. "That new guy has green eyes, right?" Alya snapped her fingers, reaching a realization. "That explains why she and Luka never dated after he confessed to her." she spoke. "Wait, what? When was this?" Chat asked, suddenly feeling out of the loop. "When he was akumatized. Apparently he confessed his love to her as an akuma and then said the same confession later, but she was still head over heels for Adrien so..." Alya shrugged.
"The model?" Chat asked, for confirmation. "Yeah!" shouted Nino. "So, what do you guys know about this new guy?" he asked quickly, feeling his face flame. "Nothing!" shouted Alya, "She hasn't told me anything!" "He drives a motorcycle, wears leather and has green eyes." Answered Nino, as Alya fumed, "Oh, she calls him 'Dami'." "Are you dating Mari as a civilian?" Alya asked, glaring at him. "No!" Chat shouted.
This had gotten him nowhere, other then finding out that Mari had liked all sides of him. "Try talking to her about it tomorrow. I'll keep an eye out for the Princess." he said, turning to leap. "Princess?" snorted Nino. "Mar-Marinette! Got to go!" he shouted, bounding away.
'That could have gone better.'
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Again, Marinette was wearing something different. Her hair was back in her twin tails, but she was wearing a grey top with pastel pink overalls. She wore long grey stockings and pastel pink boots with bat wings on the side.
Adrien watched as she was rushed by Rose and Juleka. They seemed to be loving her new look, but that wasn't the Mari he knew. The Marinette he knew would be wearing something not so flouncy. She looked so cute and ready for a date. He heard them call her 'Pastel Goth' and how cute she looked. He watched as Marinette spun around, carefully, giving them a complete look of her outfit before sitting down and writing something on paper for them. She should be laughing with them. Suddenly, she's friendly with Rose and Juleka?
His biggest concern came during P.E. when Alya rushed towards him and Nino.
"He's hurting her!" she whispered at them. "What?" they asked. "How do you know?" asked Nino. "What did she say?" questioned Adrien, panicked. "Marinette had bruising on her chest and neck." Alya whispered back, "She noticed where I was looking and took makeup to the bathroom." the journalist recalled. "You think he's abusive?" asked Adrien. "He's got to be! Why else would she hide it from us?" she asked. "How big are the bruises?" questioned the DJ. "They are like the size of a quarter. What do you think could do that much damage? He has to be hitting her with something multiple times?" replied Alya, biting her lip.
Adrien turned his gaze towards Mari as she sprinted her final lap. She smiled as she crossed the finish line and walked over towards her water bottle.
'How could anyone hurt someone so sweet?'
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Sure enough, Marinette rushed towards the guy and they walked away from campus together.
"He's got to be controlling her!" Alya began, as they watched them walk off together. "We don't know that, Alya." frowned Nino, "She looked happy to see him." "She has to act that way! If we get suspicious, he could hurt her more." "I don't know, Alya. It looks like they're going on a date." replied Nino, skeptically. "She was dressed up cute." Adrien said, staring off in the direction she left. Alya growled at them. "Boys! Idiots; all of them!" she shouted stomping off.
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"Plagg, do you think he could be hurting her?" Adrien frowned over his homework. "Nah. She told you about the liar, right?" the kwami said, knowing Mari could take care of herself. "She didn't come to me. I stopped her." Adrien recalled, "It's just...I don't want anything to happen to her. Mari's my friend. How could she not tell any of us about this guy?"
Plagg flew off quickly as Natalie entered the room.
"Adrien, I heard voices." she stated. "I'm sorry, Natalie. I was just talking to myself." he sighed. "Are you having problems with your schoolwork?" Natalie asked. "No. It's my friend, Marinette. She suddenly has this boyfriend that no one knows anything about. Alya said she saw bruises on her while they were getting changed in the lockers today. I'm worried about her." Adrien admitted. "Would you like me to do a background check on him?" she asked, hoping to put him at ease. "I would." he sighed, before continuing, "If I knew his full name. She only calls him 'Dami'." "What do you know about him?" she asked, concerned for his wellbeing. "He's tan, dark hair, green eyes. Marinette was excited when she saw him and shouted he came a day early so I guess he lives somewhere else. He has a motorcycle and Marinette rides on it with him." he said, facing down. "Adrien, it is perfectly alright to worry about your friend's safety. I will do some digging, so long as you finish your studies. You have Mandarin within the hour." Natalie stated, heading towards the door. "Thanks, Natalie. You're the best." he called, turning back to his studies, never noticing the small smile that graced her face.
"Feel better now, Kid?" asked Plagg, popping out of his hiding spot. "Yep. I'm sure Natalie will have this figured out.
Plagg rolled his eyes. "I'm going to want some more cheese so I can sleep my way through your boring lesson." Adrien chuckled, "Alright, Plagg."
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Adrien exited his car and looked for his friends, only to see, Alya and Mari yelling at each other. As he got closer, Marinette shook her head and left.
"What happened?" he asked, as Nino held Alya. "She was wearing something that covered her all up so I thought he hurt her. I was telling her that we were here for her. That it was okay to leave him and we could even get Sabrina's dad involved." sobbed Alya. "Alya mentioned about the bruises and the abuse and well-" continued Nino. "Marinette exploded at me." Alya cried, "She started yelling at me, saying I didn't know what I was talking about. She started yelling at me to stay away from her and that she was fine."
Adrien sighed and saw Hurricane Lie-La approaching at 4 o'clock.
"Oh, no! Is everything alright, Alya?" she asked, concerned.
'Great. Now everything will only get worse.'
"I was just trying to be a good friend to Marinette, but-" sobbed Alya.
"It sounds like Marinette's not being a very good friend to you." Lila smiled, "How about you sit with me today? Let her cool off." "Thanks, Lila." Alya smiled, "I'm going to go wash my face quick."
"Is Marinette being mean to you as well, Adrien?" she asked, fluttering her lashes.
"I haven't spoken with her this morning, but I plan too. Excuse me." he said, heading to the classroom.
Sure enough, Marinette was dressed down and covered up.
"Marinette, I-" he began.
"If you're going to say the same bullshit as Alya, leave." she spoke. He could hear her voice tremble. "Mari, we're only trying to help." Adrien pleaded. "No, you're not. You're-" more people began to filter into the room and he saw her brush a tear away and compose herself.
"We'll talk later, Mari." he said, heading to his seat.
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Lila frowns as Marinette becomes the center of the school's gossip. Apparently, Alya had run into some of the girls in the bathroom and told them what had happened.
All eyes were on Marinette and she was losing her kingdom. How to reign them back in?
"What are you doing for the holidays, Lila?" asked Sabrina.
'Perfect!'
"I'll be vacationing in Gotham with my new boyfriend, Damian Wayne." she smiled, telling the lie with ease, "He wants to introduce me to his family."
"Do you think that's why that guy is here?" asked Rose, "He wants to take Marinette for the holidays?"
'Drats.'
"There's a 50% chance that is likely, but only a 23.42 % chance she'd actually go. Marinette is unlikely to go as she helps out in the bakery during the holidays." calculated Max.
The trio look towards Mari as she laughs on the phone by the tree.
"Perhaps, she's doing it for attention?" suggested Lila. "What do you mean?" asked Mylene. "Well, most teens do enter a rebellious phase. Maybe this is hers?" Lila questioned.
"Marinette's never been rebellious, though." frowns Alix. "She still does all of her presidential duties." whispers Juleka. "She's right. Wouldn't Marinette just stop doing all that?" piped up Rose.
A rev broke their concentration, as the turned to see Marinette with the mysterious boy again.
"I'm getting to the bottom of this!" shouted Alya, before dashing over with Nino and Adrien on her tail.
No one was prepared for the animosity to come.
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"Marinette, you have to stop this!" shouted Alya. "Not again." Mari rolled her eyes. "Everything alright, Angel?" he asked, as the group got closer. "I'll handle it." she growled.
"It's alright to ask for help, Mari." said Alya, grabbing her hand and dragging her away, "We're here for you. Come on, we'll get you some help-" "Will you shut up!" Marinette shouted, freezing them in place.
'Holy shit!' panicked Nino.
'Marinette?' Adrien questioned, shrinking back, having never faced her wrath since the 'gum incident'.
'What?' Alya could only stare at her friend in shock.
"I don't know where you got it in your heads that I am being abused, but I am fine!" "But the bruises-" began Nino. "What bruises?" she retaliated. "The ones from PE!" Alya shouted back. Marinette buried her head in her hands before shouting, "They're not bruises! They're love bites! Dami would never hurt me!"
The trio could feel their faces flush with heat.
"You shouldn't be pressured into-" started the budding journalist. "No one is pressuring me into anything. Hell, I've put more bites on Dami then he has to me!" Mari shouted, pointing at her boyfriend. Damian shrugged and pulled off his shirt, revealing little pink and purple bites, dancing around his skin. He had several decorated around his neck, a couple on his chest, and several peeking out from his pants.
Adrien didn't think it was possible for his face to heat up anymore then it was already, but seeing those bites..... He didn't think it was possible for his Princess to be.....passionate like that.
"What gives you the right to tell me who I can and can't be with?" questioned Marinette, as Damian shrugged his shirt back on. "We're-" voiced Alya. "Best friends?" Mari asked, " Since when are we even friends?" leaving Alya in shock.
"You don't even have a clue as to how awkward hanging out with you at Andre's was, do you?" she asked, "You barge into my house and then drag me to Andre's saying how your "helping me". Where were you for the past three years for my birthdays? Where were you when I realized everything was a waste? Where were you when I thought about jumping off my balcony?"
Alya felt the tears flow down her cheeks, cooling the heat that had once filled them. "What about..." her gaze flickered between Adrien and Marinette's new guy.
"If you had actually been a friend, you would have seen me grow up and get over Adrien." Marinette stated.
"What about the pictures?" she shouted, remembering the magazine cut outs on Mari's walls.
"Oh, right, when you asked me for a jacket. You still haven't paid me for that, by the way. Those pictures may have had Adrien in it, but they were all of the same jacket. I liked the concept Gabriel had come up with, but I wanted to add my own aesthetics. I was designing it for Dami; it gets cold in the winter where he is." Mari began, "I ended up completely redoing the design. I tossed out the pictures when I was done. Something you would know if you had been in my room since last year."
Alya bit her lip, holding back the sob that was threatening to escape.
"I've been with him for three years! A friend would know that." Mari scowled.
"Did you really like me?" asked Adrien, finding he couldn't bear not to hear her answer.
"I did." Mari spoke with a softer tone, "For a long time, but I had to realize you would never see me that way so I moved on. It was painful, at first, but I did. You're a great friend, Adrien. I'm glad we're friends."
"When did you try to-" asked Nino. "Two years ago. Chat Noir saved me that night." Marinette smiled. No one noticed Adrien pale.
"I was sitting on my balcony wondering if I would feel anything and he showed up on my balcony. He started to talk to me, so I faked a smile for him, as I listened to his stories. He asked about me and I vented a bit about everything."
Adrien could clearly picture that night in his head, as if it was yesterday. It was one of his favorite memories, aside from those of his mother and Ladybug. He thought he was getting closer to being Marinette's friend. He hoped he could talk with her as Chat Noir and maybe find out more about her so he could casually bring it up during school. He listened as she talked about struggling with school and expectations she had on her from all sides of her family. She had never brought up about her boyfriend or any big doubts she may have had!
"Chat told me to keep smiling and told me it's what he does. He focuses on the happy times." Mari smiled, "That saved me. Knowing that a hero was smiling through his pain. After he left, I called Dami and he rushed over." "I still haven't had a chance to thank him. I love you, My Angel, but I need you here on Earth with me." Damian spoke, pulling her into a hug.
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Another rev of an engine tore them apart.
"Nona!" Marinette cried, pulling out of Damian's arms. "How are you, my Marinetta?" she asked, gazing back to the group her granddaughter just left.
"Who owns la motocicletta?(the motocycle)" Gina asked. "It's mine." Damian said, standing tall. "Who are you to my leetle fairy?" she glared at him. "Nona. That's my boyfriend!" Mari shouted.
"Ah, Damian! It's so nice to finally meet you!" Gina said, placing her helmet down and hugging the boy.
Damian watched as his Angel's eyes flickered with worry over the bikes.
"Angel, you should ride with your Nona." Damian spoke up. "What?" she turned to him in shock. "Will you be joining us on our ride around Paris, Damian?" asked Gina. "If I may." he said.
Damian tossed Mari her helmet and jacket, giving her Nona a laugh.
"So my leetle fairy has turned into an Angel, has she?" Gina smiled, as Marinette got on her bike, fighting a blush.
Marinette never returned to school after lunch. Had she, she would have known that Lila had also left early, just to get away from hearing Marinette's name.
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"Hey, Marinette!" shouted Alix, the next morning, "Were you on a pink and black motorcycle yesterday?"
"Oh, yeah. My nona bought it for me as an early Christmas-slash-birthday present. She'll be here for the holidays to help my parents in the bakery." replied Mari with a smile. "So why is it early then?" asked Juleka. "Oh, I'll be with Dami and his family in the States. It's my first Christmas with them. Dami has been coming here for the last two years and I felt bad. My parents were understanding." Marinette answered.
"Have you been to his house before?" asked Rose. "Usually in the summer. He told me it gets cold in the winter so I started working on my coat and clothes in the summer. His brothers sent a package of winter clothes for me, but I think I'll just take some of them and leave those there for another time." she laughed. "How many brothers does he have?" asked Mylene. "Three older brothers." Mari answered, as Alya walked in.
Alya slunk into her seat quietly next to Nino.
"You okay, Al?" he asked, concerned. He could tell she had been crying again. Alya shook her head and leaned into him. Nino gazed towards the back as Adrien walked in, laughter ringing through the room.
'When was the last time I heard her laugh?' Adrien wondered.
Lila frowned upon entry. Marinette was center stage once again, but she knew just how to get everyone's attention.
As the school let everyone out, Lila smiled on the steps and loudly stated how happy she was for the holidays.
"Are you going some place?" asked Kim.
"Yes. " she lied, plastering a phony smile across her face, "I'm going to see my boyfriend, Damian Wayne."
She noticed she caught Marinette's boyfriend's eye.
'Perhaps he's as simple as the rest of the class.'
She grinned as Marinette tried to lure him away with no success what-so-ever.
"Did I hear you right? Did you say you know and are dating Damian Wayne?" he asked.
"Yes!" Shouted Rose, "She's going to visit him for the holidays."
"May I take a photo of you?" he asked.
"Of course." Lila smiled.
'Winning over Marinette's boyfriend was a piece of cake.'
"Can I have your name?" Damian asked.
'This just keeps getting better.'
"Lila Rossi." Lila grinned.
"Is this correct?" he asked her, showing her name on his phone under her picture.
"It's perfect." Lila smiled.
'Now all you have to do is ask for my number and Marinette will be ruined.'
"Good." Damian hit send on his message to the family chat, "My family's lawyers will be in touch for slander and defamation."
"What?" Lila whispered, taking a step back.
"You can't do that?" shouted Kim. "Who are you?" asked Alya.
"I'm Damian Wayne and I don't appreciate you telling lies about me or my family. We take those types of allegations seriously." he spoke, as everyone returned their gaze to Lila.
"How could you cheat on me?" she cried out suddenly. "Miss, I have been here all week and you have never attempted to approach me or strike a conversation with me. The only ones who have done so are the bad reporter, her boyfriend and Adrien Agreste." Damian commented.
"You know my name?" Adrien questioned. "Of course, my Angel has told me about you. We don't keep secrets from one another." Damian said, pulling her into a hug. "So you knew about-" he began, but couldn't figure out how to bring up about Mari's old feeling for him to her boyfriend. "That she was infatuated with you before; yes." he replied, stating a fact.
"We've been together for so long and-" Lila began. "How long were we together?" he questioned, humoring the liar. "It'll be two years this Christmas." she sobbed. "Impossible. I've been dating my Angel for three years. It'll be four this upcoming Valentine's Day. Also I've never met you before in my life." Damian continued, before she could get another word in, "Ready Angel? Our flight will be leaving soon. Alfred has already picked up your belongings." "Yes, Dami!" Marinette smiled as they headed towards his bike.
"Marinette, wait!" Adrien shouted, running towards the couple. "Yes?" she asked, turning to face him. "I... I hope you have a great holiday with Damian and his family." he managed to get out. "Thanks, Adrien. I'll see you after the holidays." Mari replied, walking over to Damian and getting on his bike.
Adrien turned back to see Lila under scrutiny by her peers and her trying to weave a failed web of lies.
"Adrien!" she shouted, hoping to gather him to her side.
His driver honked the car horn and it seemed like everything had fallen into place. "Have a happy holiday, Lila." he smiled and entered the car, finding Natalie with her tablet.
"I was unable to find-" she started. "It's okay, Natalie. He has her family's seal of approval. I trust Marinette and Damian seems to be a very good guy for her." he smiled, as he watched Lila run away from the class. "Did something good happen, today?" she asked, recognizing his father's smile slowly emerge on his face. "Yes. Yes, it did." he said, turning his gaze forward to the screen to inspect his remaining schedule for the day, "Do you think I could stop for some ice cream before my piano lesson?"
'Revenge is a dish best served cold after all.'