"Hello, Bug." He emerged from the shadows like a breeze in the wind.

His face was covered by a mask, almost all of his features hidden from her view. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the light in the room.

She scrambled to get the upper hand, but she knew he was at the advantage here. She stood carefully, not wanting to reveal her weakness to him.

She didn't think he knew her identity, she assumed he saw her through his akuma. And she was sure the akuma hadn't seen her transform.

Right?

She had a few questions, but she found she'd rather hear him explain first.

"I'm impressed." He smiled.

"You've made it very far. But sadly, you've gotten too comfortable. Right?" He grew closer to her, and she held her ground.

She wasn't scared of him. She was angry with him.

That was enough to make him chuckle.

"You have no clue what's going on, do you?" He stalked away slowly, seemingly preparing for some kind of back story.

"I bet you'll understand it soon. You're smart. But by then it will be too late." He turned around again, grinning evilly at her.

She felt her mask crease against the furrow of her brows.

"Keep your friends close, Marinette."

Her eyes widened as she felt the ground giving out beneath her. She flailed her arms around, looking to grab anything she could her keep from falling.

But instead, she found herself on the sidewalk once again.

As fast as it occurred, it all disappeared. The akuma, the portals, all gone.

She could've convinced herself she'd imagined it, move on. But her partner in crime fighting was running towards her, just as confused as she was.

Which only confirmed one thing.

Hawkmoth knew who she was.

******

The two of them usually sat on the Eiffel Tower, a well known tradition for the pair of them.

But now, they simply sat on a rooftop, a view of the buzzing streets for them to see.

Everything was so blurry now.

She couldn't remember what they had been talking about at school for the past weeks. She could barely remember even going to school. Even though she knew she had.

Ladybug was a big part of her life, but now she was taking over. It wasn't her fault though.

"Hey...LB....what happened?" His voice was quiet, soothing almost, but at this point she didn't care what it sounded like.

It was what he said.

What did happen?

She wasn't sure herself either.

"I...I don't think I can do this." She shook her head, letting out the kind of laugh you only have when you're trying not to cry.

The bittersweet feeling in her chest made her uneasy.

Sure, the akuma was gone. But now there was a bigger threat at hand. And she didn't feel she had the strength to fight it.

"Hey...LB talk to me..." He urged, as carefully as he could.

"He knows." She had a wide-eyed look on her face. A terror he'd never seen on her before.

"He knows...what?"

"He knows....oh he....he knows." She mumbled to herself, but she was fidgeting, not something she would usually do.

"Hey ladybug, calm down." He tried to grab her arms, but she jerked away.

"He knows who I am!" She backed away, breathing in heavy, long breaths.

"Woah!" He stood up when she stumbled her way backwards.

She was frantic, so uncharacteristic for her. She was usually so calm, but whatever had happened to her, was taking a toll on her.

"Ladybug...he knows who you are...Hawkmoth?" He held his hands up calmly, as if he was approaching a stray dog.

It almost made her shake, hearing him say it, but she nodded silently in response.

"Alright..." He walked closer to her, inch by inch, scared of he moved too fast she would run away.

Even though he knew she physically couldn't.

He bent down and cupped her cheek in his hand.

"Hey. We'll figure this out, okay?"

Her eyes looked empty right about now, and she didn't move at all. But something about him calmed her down, if only a little.

She had never experienced anxiety like this before. She had never fallen into any kind of mental state like this before. And man, was she falling hard.

"I need a favor..." She finally said, after a long, steady silence.

"Yeah?" By now, he was sitting in front of her, crisscrossing his legs. His hand gently laid over hers, which had been curled against her leg.

"If he ever gets to me, keep my friends safe. Please." She looked up at him, expression unexplainable, but so understandable.

"He's not going to get to you." He persisted.

She didn't seem convinced.

"Promise me. You'll keep them safe."

She emphasized her words, because she knew if she didn't, she would forget herself.

"But what if-"

"Even if it means you have to hurt me." She cut him off before he could even begin.

He seemed conflicted, opening his mouth to speak again, before letting out a defeated sigh.

"Okay." He nodded.

"I guess I should tell you who I am then..." She started talking, but her eyes quickly drifted off to see her best friend walking around a corner.

Tears running down her cheeks.

"I've gotta go." She spoke quickly, and leaped off before he could see where she was going.

She reverted back to her civilian self and called out to her friend.

"Alya!"

The tan skinned girl turned around, before dashing over to the set of pigtails she recognized.

"We were so worried about you." Alya shook her head, burying her tear stained face into Marinette's shoulder.

"What...?"

"I don't know, I just got a really bad feeling, I thought something happened to you. I sent Nino the other way." Alya spoke, pointing down the opposite side of the street.

"I'm okay." Marinette smiled, her friends
concern warming her heart.

"I'm glad." Alya sighed, pulling out her phone to text her boyfriend of the good news.

So much was happening, so fast.

But it was comforting to know that she had people, who loved and cared for her behind her back.

She was afraid she might end up being their downfall.

It was a strange tug of war between needing to stay close, and wanting to run as far as possible. A confusing, tormenting and equally fulfilling time.

But that's life, right?

Marinette and Alya decided to hang out together for a little while, because the two of them hadn't seemed to be as close lately.

Sure, they loved their boys very much, but girl time was needed every now and then too.

"Do you have homework tonight?" Alya asked, sitting next to Marinette on a park bench.

"I..." She trailed off for a moment.

Did she have homework? As simple as it sounded, to forget things like assignments in school, she felt so confused as to why she couldn't recall it.

Had she been paying any attention?

She wasn't a bad student, sure, she sometimes forgot things, but it was never this bad.

Alya just brushed off her response.

Truthfully, Alya, and even a few other friends had noticed Marinette acting strangely lately.

Alya assumed it was just stress, and that her friend would be back in no time. Or at least be ready to talk about it eventually. But 'eventually' seemed to be lasting a little too long.

Alya didn't know how to get around it however, and never really found the words.

Why are you acting so weird?

She couldn't say that, it was too vague and rude. And Marinette could get herself out of a question like that.

She needed something confrontational, but not something that would make her feel uncomfortable. But she wasn't equipped with words like that.

She was always a little blunt, and it's not that she didn't think Marinette could take it, it was because she knew she could.

And Marinette would lie about how much she's hurting, and she wouldn't let you know she's not okay. And Alya knew that if she just went out and asked her about it, she'd lie through her teeth.

Alya knew her best friend was going through a rough time. And she knew she was secretly sensitive.

So until she could find a way to talk to her, all she could do is be there for her.

Chat himself tried his best to be there for her. Adrien tried. But it's actually about Marinette trying.

Because she was really the only one who can help herself. Though, she didn't have to do it alone.

"Did you ever finish that dress you were making?" Alya questioned.

"Oh yeah. I totally forgot about it." Marinette laughed at herself, realizing she had never even worn the dress she began to make months prior.

"Can I see it?"

"I don't have a picture of it." Marinette explained, looking quickly through her photo gallery to make sure.

"Your house isn't too far from here, if you wanna go." Alya pointed in the direction of her parents bakery.

"Sure, and I can show you some other designs I've started." Marinette lit up, smiling as she got up and hobbled back home.

Alya sighed, just glad to see her friend happy again.

She was talking about and showing off things she enjoyed, and it was a good break from all of the contradictions in her feelings lately. For now, there was just joy.

Marinette, her best friend, and a little bit of joy.