55Author's Note: It's been a while since I posted a multichapter fic. These past few months were really bad for me on personal level and lately I felt I missed writing. The prompts from Marinette March event on tumblr inspired me to create this. I can't promise I'll be updating daily although that's the plan. I hope you'll stick with me and see where this goes.
Thank you Remasa, for appreciating this idea. I don't think I'd get to writing if it wasn't for your encouragement.
#1. Kindness
It came out of nowhere and without any warning.
At first Marinette thought maybe she was just tired or Tikki was pranking her. The feeling of being watched sent shivers down her spine, but it didn't seem dangerous. It didn't feel like stalking, more like positive attention the source of which she couldn't pinpoint. A watchful eye guarding her, cheering for her, caring. Wherever she went, be it in her civilian or Ladybug form, the tingling shivers would appear in a flash and soon disappear without any follow up.
Marinette started glimpsing over her shoulder, scanning her surroundings, whenever tickles crawled over her skin, but her search was futile. There was no one there. No one was watching. Yet the sensation wouldn't leave her alone. Then one of the battles led Ladybug and Chat Noir into a house of mirrors and the feeling returned in tenfold. That's when Marinette stopped looking over her shoulder and started searching her own reflection.
Something was off. But it didn't feel wrong, just weird. From the mirror kind eyes were looking back at her, with so much warmth and kindness that sometimes, especially after a particularly bad day she'd wonder, if she really looked at the world this way. If that look was what people saw in her eyes.
Because if it felt so good to be on the receiving end of her own gaze, it must have been even more intense coming from another person…
It said a lot about Marinette that she didn't take on the habit of looking into mirrors more often. Other people would probably get lost in that warmth stare. But not her. She still merely glimpsed at her reflection, only from time to time, trying to understand what she was seeing and feeling. Sometimes, when she looked into the mirror the eyes seemed more tired than she should have been, nostalgic at moments, longing at others. As if they'd seen more years passing in front of them. More years than she felt on her shoulders.
Surprisingly she wasn't the only one who noticed.
A few times she caught Adrien staring at her reflection in a mirror or a window with a thoughtful frown. When caught he'd feign looking at his own image, playing the model boy card. Marinette didn't buy it. He was most definitely inspecting her reflection, and continued to do it, though less blatantly than at first.
But it wasn't until Chat Noir started checking Ladybug's image in every reflective surface they would happen to pass by, that Marinette finally recognized the most crucial detail.
Spots.
Her reflection, even in civilian form, had very subtle, yet unmistakable spots. One dot over the bridge of her nose, two half-dots where her eyebrows would arch under her forehead, and two other on cheek bones. And if she looked long enough, she could also notice the delicate pattern of the red mask she donned as Paris's beloved heroine.
Tikki was baffled and her jokes about Marinette's heroic personality shining through didn't improve the mood at all. The girl found a little consolation in the fact that apart from one of her classmates no one took interest in her reflection and as Adrien never brought the subject up, she hoped it meant he hadn't discovered the phenomenon. After those few times Marinette carefully placed herself away from any mirrors or windows when in his company, not wanting to give him even the slightest chance to make any sort of connection. Secret identities were secret for a reason, no matter what mirrors of Paris thought.
And slowly Marinette got used to the kind eyes behind the red mask looking back at her from the glass. As nothing happened for days, her and Tikki became less and less concerned.
That day Marinette danced excitedly around her room, vibrating with pride. Her newest design turned out better, than she had envisioned. The black halter top dress with a red polka dotted circle skirt, that swished with every move made her feel like a princess. The idea came to her after Adrien had announced her their everyday Ladybug and the encouraging look of the kind eyes in the mirror spurred her to complete the project.
Now she twirled happily in front of her mirror thinking, how to get invited to a show she could stop, because this was definitely a show stopper if she ever saw one. Just for a laugh she cocked a hip flirtatiously shooting herself a saucy wink. She wished she could be as bold with Adrien. She'd confess in a blink.
'Hey, beautiful,' she giggled to the glass and stroked her own image with a finger. A sparkle jumped onto her skin as she quickly withdrew her hand.
From the other side her reflection winked back at her, the corners of the red mask lifting up in a smile.
'Hello, Marinette!' the Ladybug in the mirror said, rising to the surface. 'I'm so glad to finally meet you.'
AN: If you like this story, if you're curious, please leave a review, let me know you want me to continue. Your reactions motivate me to write more.
