MARINETTE

Adrien left a few minutes earlier before Alya arrived so that what happened the day before wouldn't happen again. We would not want to give Alya another heart attack.

Now Alya has asked me to sit on the bed so that she could check the wounds on my back.

"I got good news for you, girl," she perks up. She starts to unwrap the gauze from my body. "The wounds on your back are looking better than ever. I can switch to smaller patches now, if you would like."

"Oh, yes, please!" I say in delight and excitement. Finally, I would not feel the itch caused by the gauze and my back would get to breathe a little.

She presses the patches on my back. "Does this hurt?" She asks, applying pressure on my right side, below my shoulder blade.

It stings a little in where she presses and I tell her, "There is a bit of pain but it's bearable. It's not like when I got them."

"I hope you wouldn't mind me asking but what crazy thing did you do to get these?"

"They were supposed to do it on Adrien," I answer her in a whisper. With that, she takes a seat beside me and smiles sadly at me. I shake my head, placing a hand on top of my chest where my heart is. "I couldn't let them do it to him," I continue, "my heart wouldn't handle it."

"I would completely understand," she says while placing another patch on my back. Suddenly, she lets out a light laugh. "I remember when you were not really keen with my budding relationship with Nino. Now you're giving your heart and soul to Adrien."

I let out a groan and bury my head in my hands. "If I could slap my past self, I would do it without any mercy."

"Don't think about that. You know how stubborn I am. I would still be seeing him in any chance I got...and that would be when you were too busy with Adrien."

"I wasn't really supportive that time with you because...I made a mistake with someone before," I confess.

Alya purses her lips, looking like she wants to press on. Surprisingly, though, she doesn't. Instead, she asks, "So what about Adrien?"

I shake my head, grinning. "Nothing about him is a mistake."

"You really love your boyfriend," she comments while raising her eyebrows teasingly.

"B-Boyfriend?" I sputter and start to dry cough. Boyfriend?! When...How...Oh my God. I gasp and clasp my mouth. Adrien is actually my boyfriend! Honestly, with everything that is happening now, I didn't think of a label...will he want a label?

"Who then is Adrien to you? Fiancé?" She continues, clearly loving the feeling of teasing me.

"Fiancé?!"

She laughs out loud, wiping the tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm messing with you," she manages to breathe out. "Well," she drawls out, "maybe I'm messing with you." She casts me a side glance.

"I think I'll stick with 'boyfriend' first." I grab a shirt from my side and put it on. Alya helps me with inserting my arms carefully through the sleeves. Adrien's jacket is folded neatly on my pillow for I plan to wear it tonight.

"As long as you won't go overboard though. We wouldn't want to raise little Adrien and Marinette's in the garrison...Not that I would mind."

"Alya!" I exclaim. I playfully smack her arm and she lets out a fake cry before smiling at me. "I missed you very much," I whisper.

"You have no idea how much I cried for you when they said that you died along with the others," she whispers back, grabbing ahold of my hands. "Why did you never tell me?" Her voice is on the brink of shaking as she is starting to feel overwhelmed with her emotions.

"Alya..." I squeeze her hands in mine. "I'm sorry," I breathe out. "I'm sorry for keeping everything from you. I...I didn't mean to bring you any harm. I did not want to hurt you in any way. I really did want to tell you-"

She interrupts me with wrapping her arms around me, hugging me tight. "You're so stupid to think that I would despise you," she murmurs in the embrace. I hug her back and close my eyes. "You're my best friend," she continues, "I would never have the heart to hate you."

I smile, sincerely touched by her words. "I'm also really sorry for doubting you."

Alya draws back then pats my cheek. "I'm just glad that you're okay. Nino told me a lot of what has happened while you were at the base."

I cock my head to the side, feeling myself start to sweat. "What...what did he say?"

"General Thaddeus told him about how you changed a lot of things when handling him and Adrien."

I almost let out a sigh in relief knowing that the other things, like my time spent with Adrien at the base, were hopefully not mentioned at all.

"How did they find it?" I ask quietly.

"Why are you asking? I think you would know the answer to that already. Marinette, you are the most human out of all of us here." A smile plays about her lips. "You're very compassionate."

"Don't flatter me."

"Hey, someone has to say something."

"Our job is not yet over," I tell her. "It's just the beginning of the fight."

"My question now is...how will you fight?"

I clasp her hand with both of mine and look into her eyes with all seriousness. "We will fight in hopefully the most humane way possible."

She nods in assent then places her other hand on top. "We will find a way, you will find a way. I believe in you."

------------

Although I hold my head high, I could not stop the trembling of my knees and the sweat on my palms. I am nervous, but this won't be a reason for me to back down now. We have come so far and we still have more to go.

The room is loud. The people in it wouldn't stop talking with each other, most are talking about why there was a sudden call for a meeting. Others were shooting disgruntled looks at each other, throwing out disapproving grunts, comments, and arguments here and there. There are some people I remember aside from Nino and Nath who are standing by the side, they are acting as watchguards if ever chaos between the members ensues. Aurore sits near me with Chloé and Rose. Adrien casts a fleeting glance towards me, sitting on the floor, then looks back at the members of the mutiny.

"I know that my presence tonight still brings much of a shock," he starts, slowly garnering the attention of his members. "And I will not deny that my disappearance and supposed 'death' with the others was all planned by the government."

"I knew it!"
"Those lying bastards! Do they really think they can get away with that?"
"We need to fight back!"

The members were all speaking at once, all showing their disappointment, anger, and frustration. Lashing out their concerns and arguments, they would not stop. This made me all the more nervous. If they act this way with just Adrien's announcement, how much more when I tell them who I really am?

"Settle down," Adrien says but the members do not comply. Instead, their voices raise in volume, devising ways to strike back. "Let me speak," he continues in a stern manner, raising his voice as well. The members still do not listen, continuing to speak with one another, others were starting to get physical - disagreeing with some of the plans their fellow members are formulating as of the moment.

If Adrien cannot tame the crowd now, a brawl could start at any moment.

Then out-of-the-blue, Adrien forcefully slams a fist on the steel wall standing behind him causing a loud sound to vibrate in the room. In a sudden, the room turns silent. With Adrien gritting his teeth in anger and breathing heavily in front of us, no one dares to utter a word or even make a small sound.

I rarely see Adrien mad. But the way he could command the presence of a room with one action is intriguing and marvelous. I have never doubted his leadership skills. They are impressive, I see it in the faces of the other members. They respect him a lot, and sometimes the guilt creeps up on me - the guilt of robbing Adrien off this life he had. A life he had with these people especially.

He lets out a huff and rubs his forehead. "You think that I have not thought of any plan that you mentioned?" He starts out quietly but all of us heard it clearly. "You think that this whole time, while I was stuck in the base of the government, I did not even think of you and how I could find my way back here?" He spits out, then places a hand above his chest. "I have gone through the same pain as you...and I had seen things that I wish we all had the chance to witness. That's why...T-That's why-"

I get on my feet then face the members before me. "That's why I'm here," I cut him off. Some of the members start to murmur in confusion and I take it as the chance to look at Adrien who is standing behind me. "You promised me that you would not leave me alone, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then listen to me. I don't want you talking on my behalf anymore." I raise my head high in preparation for what I have been waiting for since this morning.

"Marinette," he warily states. 

"I hurt them and you," I whisper, meaning every word coming out of my mouth, "It's time for me to face the consequences."

I turn back to the members as they look at me, confusion written in their expressions. Letting out a deep breath, I start, "I asked the lieutenant to call for this meeting tonight."

"And what does that have to do with the problem at hand?" One person voices out her question.

"Yeah," another person, a man, agrees with her. "What are you doing? Let the lieutenant talk. You're a victim as wel-"

"I have never sided with the mutiny since the beginning," I immediately confess, pursing my lips after. "Through Lieutenant Agreste and the 'switch' project, I got in. And I needed to because I headed covert operations to gain the information we needed."

"We?" He grunts, "What the hell do you mean by 'we'?"

"...the government," I whisper yet everyone heard me.

It all happened too fast. They started throwing disdainful and condescending remarks at me. I took every word as a blow to my heart, though I continued to stand straight and stoic. I knew that this was going to happen. And I know that if this was in another time, Adrien would have said those hurtful words as well. Some were trying to hold the others down such as Nino and Nath, even Chloé and Rose, but I could hear the accusations of the others calling them sympathizers.

"That list of new members...they were all working with her."
"The things we've talked about, our plans, they know everything!"
"She worked her way up because of the lieutenant!"
"You used Lieutenant Agreste...you traitor!"

It was the last remark that provoked Adrien. I saw how he clenched his fist and started to advance to the person who just said it. "Why, you-"

I stop him by clenching tightly onto the back of his shirt. The look Adrien gives me is first full of rage, then it slowly dies down realizing that it was just me. And I was silently pleading through my eyes to let him stop.

Let me talk, I wanted to tell him.

"Look at you, Agreste," one member spits out loud, "You're clearly under her whim. You're just brainwashed."

I turn to the member and grit my teeth in underlying anger. "Sir, I never intended to use any of you-"

"No!" Another one interjects, "I think she should say it! Before you talk about anything else, we want you to say it!"

"Say what," I utter through gritted teeth.

"Say that you seduced the lieutenant for your benefit!" He sneers.

My breath hitches in my throat, and it runs dry. I struggle to swallow down a big gulp. Adrien stiffens beside me and I throw him a look, a look that I hope he understands through my eyes.

It was never supposed to end this way, Adrien. We were paired together and it was only supposed to stay that way.

I want to say it to him. I want him to know the thoughts in my head and the real words from my heart.

Adrien...I never wanted to add your feelings for me in this mess.

The man scoffs and points a finger of accusation towards my direction. "You claim that you haven't used any of us, that you haven't a qualm. Yet you can't even deny if you manipulated his feelings. After all the things the lieutenant did for us, you do not deserve him."

They all throw at me scornful looks and I go through each person in the room. Tonight is a failure. Tonight is also a painful recollection of how I have ruined Adrien and the life he had before we met.

It's true. I do not deserve Adrien and everything about him.

"Marinette," Aurore calls out in a crisp voice which gains my attention, "How could you do this to us? What could you possibly get from us?"

I let out a sigh and close my eyes before telling them, "The screws on your bunk beds," I start slowly, "some are bugged.

The members let out gasps in shock. "Especially in the quarters of the soldiers," I continue. Adrien gapes at me and I disregard it before it hurts too much. "Act like you are not aware of them, those at the base will not suspect a thing. I may have failed in gaining your full trust tonight, but know that I will not stop. I will continue even until you get tired of me," I finish.

------------

The stars look nice tonight.

I try counting them while lying on the open ground of the obstacle course where Adrien and I had our first (and only) official date.

Maybe if I continued to count the stars, I could get my mind off things.

Ah, who am I kidding. I sit up and bring my knees to my chest. I rest my head on them then let out a long and heavy sigh.  What's the use in counting the stars when my mind can't stick to one thought at a time?

I hear the sound of footsteps nearing me until I could feel someone's presence right beside me. The person then sits down on the ground and lets out a soft hum.

I know the owner of that voice. I was not expecting him to come find me so soon. Though I should have thought about it already since he knows me more than other people here.

"Say something...anything," I mumble.

"...bunk beds, huh," he breathes out. "That explains a lot...no wonder why you were always a step ahead." Then he softly chuckles. "I should have thought of that possibility."

"Does it matter now?" I quietly ask him.

"It matters for the members." He holds on of my hands and caresses it. "But for us, we have more important things to discuss."

My head flies up to look at him. He has this small smile that he keeps while running his thumb over my hand. "Are you going to let them continue to talk down on you?" He asks in a whisper, "Or are you going to be the real person I know you are and continue the fight?"

"I did say that I would continue."

"I know," he murmurs, "but you look like you want to back out."

Growing up, my dad always told me to stay righteous. Especially with the people I love. And that being selfish can sometimes bring out the best in things...it's the discerning that makes it tricky.

"Adrien," I start.

"I have a plan," he buts in, "But we need to gather a selected few first."

"What are you planning?" I question, cocking my head.

"Something daunting," he answers with a glint in his eye, "Something that I hope would change the minds of everyone whether they are in the mutiny, or with the government, or even if they do not care. We need to start caring..." he trails off once he notices my indifferent mood. His face scrunches in worry and he searches my eyes. "Marinette," he calls out softly, "what's wrong?"

"Adrien..." I start again. He hums in reply. "I feel like I've robbed you off your life," I breathe out. With that, he immediately shakes his head.

"No, we are not going through this again."

"Adrien," I try again, reasoning out in the sound of a plea, "your members gave out reasonable points! As much as it hurts me...they are true." I slip my hand away from his hold.

"Marinette, they were taught to act and talk that way. I taught them to be ruthless and reckless like that," he emphasizes then his face softens. "Don't tell me that you believe them."

"How could I not?" I exclaim and get on my feet. Adrien follows right after. "Adrien," I clench the fabric of the shirt above my chest, "I've been selfish towards you in the worst way-

"No," he downright refuses. His eyes were welling up with tears, mine as well. And I purse my lips to fight back the sobs threatening to come out. "Don't say anything that you don't mean."

"I don't deserve your love-"

"And what is it about my love that has to be deserving?!" He exclaims, grabbing both of my arms tightly in his hands. He leans forward, looking closely at me, and lets his tears fall freely on his face. "What makes being loved only for people who deserve it?" He continues, crying softly. "I said that I would never doubt your love for me again. Why can't you do the same for me?"

"Because you're always getting hurt," I answer truthfully, "and the reason always leads up to me. And I...I hate seeing you hurt because of me," I stammer amidst my tears.

He tugs me close and wrap his arms around me, pressing a kiss on my head. "And so what?" He murmurs, "Mari, nothing is going to get easier from now on. We both are going to get hurt...but we have each other. So stop beating yourself up. Let's stop beating ourselves up."

"I'm sorry," I whisper, closing my eyes and snaking my arms around him. I clench the back of his shirt as I let out a sob. "Forgive me, Adrien. I-I am so sorry!" I cry into the embrace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

yes, i decided to end the chap around here :) whoo, things are getting tense hehe

this crazy author decided to write another fanfic wahuuu it's entitled "Keeping It Fair" and it would really mean a lot to me if you get to read it :)) and hopefully you'll enjoy the story so far hehe

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