Chapter Text
“No. No way.”
Marinette sat on her pink bed, staring blankly at Alya. Her friend gave an exasperated groan as she pushed herself off of the doorframe she leaned on, starting to approach her from across the room. “Pleeeease, Mari?” Putting her hands under her chin, Alya batted her eyelashes up at an unamused Marinette. “My grade hinges on this final! I promise, nobody is even gonna see it.”
Marinette laughed incredulously, crossing her arms. “Yeah, nobody, except for the entire dance department! Alya, I am not going to make a fool out of myself on stage!”
“You’re a great dancer, Marinette!” Alya crawled up onto the bed and held Marinette’s face between her hands, squishing her cheeks. “You know you’re my only hope, Mari…”
Giggling, Marinette swatted Alya’s hands away. “I refuse to believe that. Why don’t you ask Rose?”
Alya rolled her eyes dramatically. “Rose? As if Rose could compare to the grace, the elegance, the unmitigated femininity of THE Ladybug herself!”
“Rose is busy that day, isn’t she.”
“Okay, so Rose might be busy that day, but I’m not wrong! Come on, what will it take for you to say yes?”
Marinette looked at her friend quietly, considering her options. Ever since revealing her secret identity, the two had become closer than ever before. Moving in together for university had given Marinette a safe space, one where she could lean on both Alya and Tikki for support. It had been the best year of her life. Glancing over at her desk, she made eye contact with Tikki. Times were changing, and Marinette knew that her luck wouldn’t hold much longer. Alya’s relationship with Nino was progressing fast, and they were going to shack up together soon, leaving Marinette alone again.
Turning her attention back to Alya, she watched as her best friend leaned forward, glasses askew and eyes wide. She knew that Alya wouldn’t have asked if she wasn’t desperate. Marinette know nothing about dancing, and she could only shake her clumsiness while wearing the Ladybug mask.
“You do my laundry. For a week - no, TWO weeks.”
Alya tackled Marinette onto the bed, clinging to her with an excited scream. “OMIGOD MARI! You are the BEST! I am ordering us dinner, whatever you want! Pizza? Do you want wine? You are a GODDESS, Marinette, I can’t thank you enough!”
Alya flew off the bed, grabbing her phone to dial pizza delivery, tripping over Marinette’s laundry basket in the process. Stumbling into the kitchen, she called out, “I’ll clean that up! Wait, I’ll really clean it up! Just give me a minute!”
Marinette laughed, leaning down to grab her sketchbook, knocked to the floor by Hurricane Alya. Smiling fondly, she followed into the hallway. “Hey! You need to tell me what I’m getting into, here!”