Chapter Text
"You will find someone." Marinette's mother told her, smiling down at her daughter. "I know you will."
Those are words Sabine has told her daughter before, ever since she was little, and she had no idea just how true she thought that they were. She looked for love everywhere.
An arm pulled on her own and it seemed so, so tight but she said nothing. Even when it began to hurt.
"You'll find someone," Laughed out her best friend, Alya, as she pointed to a certain blond who's eyes never seemed to meet her own. "And I think I know who."
"You'll find someone." Said Master Fu, nodding down at the young heroine as their kwami's flew between them. "And they will help you grow strong."
I’m not already strong? Marinette wanted to ask, but she held back. She knew not to question the guardian; it wasn’t her place.
Eyes blurry with tears, a smile on her face and hands clenched tight into her shirt, she trembles in place as her bluebell eyes meet apple green ones.
"You'll find someone else," Her crush, Adrien Agreste, smiled down at her and it seemed mocking after her confession. "I'm sorry it can't be me."
"You've found someone else." Luka Couffaine told her as he broke up with her, even after Marinette promised him she didn't. "I don't take it personally."
The heroine cries and tells him over and over that she’s over Adrien, wants to tell him that they’re so good together that no silly crush could ever ruin it but Marinette doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t speak.
“You’ll never find someone,” Lila Rossi sneers out in a whisper, leaning over her as the shorter girl realizes her hands are shaking. “At least not someone who can stand you.”
With that the liar pulls away and starts to talk about how Marinette grabbed and threatened her, and she doesn’t try to stick up for herself, doesn’t explain anything. Just accept it -she’s the bully now, others believe it, so it’s not worth it.
“You’ll never be someone important!” Alya shouts, ripping pages out of Marinette’s sketchbook. “Stop telling lies, stop hurting Lila and always ignoring us and sketching your stupid design like you’re going places. It’s alright that you’re not.”
This time, Marinette knew that she should do something, knew that this had gone much too far but the only thing that the heroine can get out is “You’re a bad friend.” before walking away, tape and ripped pages in hand. It took her hours to fix.
"You'll find someone." It was her dad this time, glancing at her with grey eyes as they played Clash of Villain's as one of their nightly routines. "Even if it's not who you thought you would, or is unexpected, you will."
She never really tells her dad just how much him being… him means to her, because she doesn’t know how to say it right, but every night before bed she tells him that she loves him even when she feels unlovable. Without having to ask, Tom understands -he’s her dad, and dads always know when something’s wrong.
“You’ll find someone else to confide in,” This is something that both Adrien and Luka told her, their friendship having only grown when Alya became worse, and they told her it multiple times -they wanted her to believe it. She wasn’t there yet, she was only fifteen and felt damaged beyond repair. “Even if we can’t be there for you.”
Marinette knew that they both meant well but the thought of leaving to a new school and immediately making friends felt terrifying. Previously it would have felt like the most exciting thing in the world.
“I’m sure you’ll find someone in America,” Her mother tells her, eyes sad but grateful that her daughter is finally taking care of herself when it comes to her toxic peers. “It’s inevitable.”
Marinette only nods and waves with a small smile, going further into the airport to board her plane after a last round of hugs between the family. She didn’t tell anyone else she was leaving.
“You’ll find some friends,” Marinette’s new teacher, after being sent away from her bullies to America, to live with her grandmother. She thinks his name is Mister Klaine. “I just know it, you’re such a sweet girl.”
She doesn’t like the way he smiles at her, but ignores it.
“You’ll find someone, a new friend maybe?” Sabine suggests, frowning down at her phone. Her daughter was nervous for her first day of school in America. Gotham Academy might be tough but the thought of walking into an abusive space like Madam Bustier’s classroom has sent her poor baby-girl into tears much too often. “Find someone who’s just as apprehensive about friendship as you are.”
Tom nods, though he knows Marinette can’t see it. “Grow together.”
Marinette smiles, sighs after thanking them for the advice and hangs up. Finding someone apprehensive about that shouldn’t be too hard in the City of Death, right?