Its been a month now, since Mari sempai and I kissed. I can't stop thinking about it. The more I think about it, the harder it gets to be around her, for specific reasons. The more I think about it, the harder it is to hide my depression...

Why am I so afraid to tell you?
Tell you the truth...
I just want to hold your hand,
Pull her close to me,
Look deep into your eyes,
and just kiss your delicious lips

Lila.

...

Lila?
...

Come on. Time to go home.

I opened my eyes to Marinette's beautiful smile. I wiped my eyes, only to have found myself in my room. I flinched in pain. My back was killing me from my father. I checked my back in the mirror, not a pretty sight. I hopped in to the shower, letting the hot water massage it.

It gets worse and worse everytime...
I won't be able to hide these bruises and scars forever...
...

-Marinette-

Over this last month, I've been stuck with two things in my head:
Adrien and worried about Lila.
Honestly, its been more about Lila. I know Adrien is safe, but Lila on the other hand, she in danger most of the time she's home. Home's suppose to be a place where you're suppose to feel safe, but her father is abusive and an alcoholic. I can't help but to worry. I don't want to even think of how worried I'd be if one day she didn't go to school.

I walked up into the school, waving at my friends, before seeing Alya.
"Hey girl. Did you see my latest update on the LadyBlog?"
"Yeah. Great shot of Ladybug in the sunset, like wow."
"Hehe. Timing girl. I've got that."
"You sure do. Speaking of time, Lila is running late, is she?"
"No clue. Haven't got a text in 3 day."
"Well, I asked her how she was doing before I called it a night, but I didn't get a reply, not even the good night message she always sends."
"I hope she's alright." Alya looked at me. "Marinette, what are you not telling me?" She asked, eyebrow raised.
"Huh? Uh, nothing. There's nothing wrong."
"I never asked if anything was wrong."
"Uh-oh. I..." I sighed. "I can't tell you, Alya. I made a promise." She looked at me and gave a small smile.
"Ok, but if it becomes to much to keep, I'm good with secrets, too."
I smiled and thanked her before the bell rung, and we all started to our classes, with still no sight of Lila.

An hour passed, and I really began to get worried. Alya and I sent a couple of messages but with no reply. We even got the girls to try but nothing.
"I'm sure she just decided to sleep in or play hooky." Alya tried to reassure me. I nodded a prayed she was right. I ended up having to distract myself by staring at Adrian and drawing hearts with our names together.

Marian. Adrinette. Mardrian. Lilanette.
Wait, what?

I wrote down Lila's and my name together. Even after all this Adrian stuff, I can't stop thinking if she's ok?

Lila... Please be ok.
You're worrying me to death..

Lunch came around and still no sight of her. I know everyone wondered why I was so worried but I already told them I can't say. I sighed.
"Please be ok..."

-Lila-
An hour earlier.

"Stay away from me!" I yelled, running down the hall of the upstairs.
"Oh. But it's so much fun chasing you." Said the akumatized father.
"You can run, but the beating will only be better!"

Agresseur. Stop wasting your time as a dead beat dad, and abuse Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"I will, once I've punished daughter, Hawkmoth." His hand morphed into whips as her lashed at Lila. Only one was able to slash her as she started down the stairs, causing her to fall. When she hit the first floor, floor, she groaned, staggering up. Laughter came from the top of the stairs.
"Come on, daughter. No need to make things worse." He turned and shrugged his shoulders, giving an annoying, bad father speech about her, but she used that time to slide out the door.
"What? Where the hell did you go?!" He said, bursting through the doors, into the streets.

Lila was hiding in a dumpster across the street, and waited til his screams were far away. She sighed, and cried in pain quietly from the 3 slashes on her back. The freshest one being one that whipped through her jacket and shirt.
"Oh god. I need to text Mari. No!" Her phone was busted. Must have been from rolling down the stairs. She put it away and decided to sneak her way across town. She knew he would look there and she doesn't want to see Mari get hit by him.

-Marinette-

In the midst of worrying about Lila and trying to not get blushy when Adrian checked If I was ok or saying she'll be alright and trying to focus on actual school, there was a warning that an Akumatized victim was loose. Everyone scattered but I ran to the girls bathroom.
"Alright Tiki. Spots on. " I became, Ladybug, snuck out the bathroom and out the sky roof windows. On my way towards the villain, Chat caught up.
"Ahead of the game, malady."
"That's because you're to slow, kitty." I swung up onto the roof of the tallest building on the street.
"Huh. Whips. Sounds like an abuser." Chat said, landing next to me.

-3rd person-

Agresseur seen the two heroes and smirked. His whips went up the building, and tried hitting them. They dodged and jumped off the edge, Ladybug landing and jumping off his face. As she flipped through the air, a whip grabbed her ankle and whipped her into a brick wall.
"Ow..." She shook her head, seeing Chat distract him as she recovered.
"Ladybug?" Said a familiar voice. She turned to see Lila, hiding in a dumpster.
"Lila? Why are you hiding there?"
"Has after me. That's my father and he's.... Abusive... I had enough and slapped him then he smacked me, and his anger towards that must have been felt by Hawkmoth."
"I see."

That's why she wasn't at school?
Guess I've got my wish. Her father is akumatized, now I get to beat on him.
I'll make sure not to take too long.

"Lucky Charm!"
(Ok I have no idea alright. Usually it's an item that you wouldn't think and sometimes it's a multi-step plan. I've got nothing like that so we're gonna skip the akuma fight)

Mr. Rossi sat up as Ladybug's magic fixed everything.
"Well Malady, like like another job well..." Chat paused as she slaps Mr. Rossi. "Done?"
"What the hell..."
"Your daughter told me why you became an akuma. It's a special kind of low for a father to beat on his own daughter."
"Excuse me? She slapped me fir..." He was slapped silent again.
"No. You were beating her and she couldn't take anymore so she threw her hand up, smacking you before you beat her more. She already told me." Ladybug stood over him.
"Yeah? Well did you know she has a reputation for being a liar? I'm telling you she's making it up." Ladybug walked over to Lila.
"Lila. I'm sorry to ask but, do you have any markings on you from him?"
Lila hesitated, not wishing for anyone to see. Lady lifted her chin.
"Lila, you can trust me." Chat nodded in agreement. With that, Lila took a deep breath, turned around and lifted up the back of her shirt and jacket, revealing two whip lashes, probably a day old at least. There were bruises here and there, but there seemed to be a trail of marks going downward to which Chat and Ladybug paused. The fact they knew Lila as a friend under their super identities, was enough to make them mad. They turned to Mr. Rossi, who was trying to sneak away, but Chat's staff tripped him. They knew that if they didn't control their anger, Hawkmoth would attack them. They calmed their nerves before going over to him.
"How should we handle this, Malady?"
"How about you go that way, and I go this way?"
"I go that way and you go this way?"
"Yes."
"Ok."
With that, fists side by side, they decked Mr. Rossi in the face, just hard enough to knock him unconscious.
(Rush Hour reference)

After that, the police arrived and were told of what happened before the akuma attack. Mr. Rossi was arrested for the charges that were learned by the heroes and by the doctors that checked Lila out in the hospital. The case was so one sided, Mr. Rossi didn't even have time to pay off anyone, and within weeks, was sentenced to prison.
It's now been. 3 week since the attack. Marinette has been visiting Lila everyday. She's staying with an older friend in town so she can still stay in school. Right now, they are relaxed in Lila's room. It's the basement so if roomy enough.

-Lila-
"Hey, Lila." Mari started. "I haven't asked or sad anything about, well, any of what has happened cause I was giving you time. Well, I want to ask, why did you not tell me the whole truth?"
"Mari..." I rolled on my side, away from her. "I was scared. Scared that you might have told the authorities and my dad would just pay them off, or what if he paid someone to hurt you cause you knew? I was scared that I would get it worse or even worse, you get hurt. Mari, you mean a lot to me."
"Lila..."
"No. I need to say it." I turned to her, sniffling.
"I kept it quiet so you wouldn't be even more worried or get hurt. Marinette, you are important to me. You're to only person who could see that I can change. I have friends, really friends, and they're yours."
(Lethal Weapon reference)
I crawled and pushed Marinette on her back, crawling onto of her.
"L-Lila?" She was blushing.
"You're my best friend, my first. Now I ask, even of I get denied, I must. Will you be my first and only girlfriend? Because, I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" And as the cherry on top, I pressed my lips up against her, wrapping my arms around her. At first she didn't kiss back but as her heart beat sped up, she started to kiss bad.

-Marinette-

She kissed me
No she's kissing me?!
Lila. Is this how you've always felt?
How have you been able to handle it?
Oh god that her tongue...
I don't wanna kiss her back...
We're friends...
Just...
Just friends... Right?
Lila... I... I can't...
I'm kissing her back?!
I can't help it.
It feels so good and the taste...
Lila why?

I wrapped my arms around her and frenched kissed her back. My mind was everywhere my heart was racing. My first real kiss, is with Lila. My ex bully now friend. I didn't see it coming, and it's the second time but this time it's different.

I was finally able to get out of the kiss. Lila hid herself in my neck as we gasped for air.
"Lila..."
"I'm sorry..."
"You don't... You don't have to apologize... I should be sorry, for not realising the feelings you had for me. It's almost obvious now." I chuckled.
"It's not funny."
"No but it is cute."
She blushed. "Well, you still haven't answered my question..."
I blushed.
"Lila I... Well... Gosh... I..."
Lila looked at me with a cute face that slowly liked sad.
"I... I don't know."
"Huh?"
"I don't know. Adrian is so dreamy, then there's Luka, who's also amazing. But that kiss... It was... Amazing..." I looked at her licking my lips.
"Just, wow Lila. Impressive."
She blushed and hid her face.
"So I'm sorry, I can't make a fair decision right now."
Lila nodded.
"I understand." We looked at each other and laughed.
"Maybe if I kiss you again, you choose faster!"
"Lila, no!?!" She jumped on me.

Ah crap. Here we go again...