Adrien slowly trudged up to Nino after school one day and when Nino looked at him, his jaw dropped in aw.

"Hey... can I use your hat?"

"Uhhh... Sure man," Nino starts as he begins to take off his hat, "you ok dude?"

"I just- uhg- I was just doing what I thought was right..." Adrien takes the hat from Nino and pulls it on so the bill covers his face with a shadow. He leans forward and rests his forearms on his knees.

"Don't tell me you let that dude from the 3rd year class beat you up."

Adrien slowly looks up at Nino and closes his eyes silently, little did he know that across the courtyard a certain pair of girls were quickly approaching.

After class Alya had to drag a terrified Marinette over to Adrien and Nino so she could ask his to the upcoming school dance, as she promised to a week before. When Mari was halfway across the yard, she sees Adrien's face and gains Ladybug levels of confidence, but retains her normal nurturing tendencies.

"Oh my gosh! Adrien what happened?" Marinette asks free running over to him.

She lifted his chin with her index finger and thumb as she examined the swelling black of his eye.

"Your hands are cold." Adrien smiles and Mari pulls away.

"Sorry, did I hurt you?"

Alya and Nino stood back in shock as Marinette cared to Adrien's injuries. It was almost like she was a totally different person, almost like a... well like she had become her mother!

"No, no! It actually felt good with the amount of stinging this is causing." Adrien smiled even though it hurt immensely when she touched his bruises. Somehow she made him feel better, even if it hurt a bit.

"Wait here and I'll get you some ice to put on that eye of yours." Marinette ran off to see is one of the school janitors would be willing to get her some ice from the kitchen.

When she returned, ice in hand, she gently placed the ice on Adrien's eye and he laughed a bit at how tender she was being so she wouldn't hurt him.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, just a thought."

"So what did happen to your eye?"

"Some 3rd year decided to say some things about a person I care deeply about, so I stood up to him and I guess that's when I got beaten up." Adrien tried to laugh it off but got angry just thinking about the things the other teen had said.

Alya had finally decided that enough was enough as spoke up, "Hey Marinette, didn't you have something to ask Adrien?"

Ask if on cue, Marinette's calmness melted away, and by melted I mean it was like it was never there. Her cheeks became rosy and she began to struggle to talk again.

"Uhhhh... with dance you, me? I mean- You me dance with?-"

"Marinette, would you like to go to the dance with me?" Adrien asked calmly.

"Yes!" Marinette yelled as soon as he finished his sentence.

"Well," Adrien stood up and gave Nino his hat back, "I guess my cover is blown, so i better get out of here."

"Dude your dad is going to like, kill you!" Nino said, but Adrien shrugged.

"Well I really can't do anything about it now, so what's the point?" Adrien asked as he turned and left.

He swore, if that kid ever said anything against Marinette again, he would regret it. Adrien stopped and took a deep breath. He can't get mad, if he gets mad then Hawk Moth was that much closer to winning.