Chapter Text
-The Beginning-
Slamming the homeroom classroom door open, Alix grinned at all the stunned faces. Striding towards the front of the classroom, she made sure she was holding everyone's attention.
Satisfied with the result, she dug in her bag and pulled out a little plush. "Guess who just made this for me?"
All she received was blank stares and her grinned turned into a smirk. "What you see here is an original Marinette made plushie."
A beat of silence. Then, "what?"
Now that was the reaction she was looking for.
"She made that? No fair, I want a Marinette made plushie!" Kim cried out, jumping from his seat and stalked towards the shorter girl. "She makes the cutest things!"
"Nuh-uh," she pointed a warning finger towards him. "She made you that blanket, I get the plushie."
Kim stopped where he was and blinked. Suddenly, he turned around and opened up his bag, displaying the said blanket. "You mean this one? The one you got so salty over?" He grinned.
"Well, I got a sweater from her!" Alya spoke up, not one to back down. She stoof up, proudly displaying the one she currently is wearing. "It fits so nicely."
"See these gloves?" Juleka held up her hand, showing off some really nice, purple fingerless gloves. "I got these from her last week."
And just like that, the rest of the students went around presenting the gifts they all received from their class president. Even Chloé piped up at one point, showing the bag that was gifted to her.
"Wait," Max suddenly spoke up, pushing his glasses back. "When did Marinette find the time to make us all of these things? I mean," he gestured around towards all the gifts laying around. "They all look so professionally made. It must have taken her forever to make some of these stuff."
At that, everyone paused. They were all so excited to get something from Marinette, they never really thought about the effort it took her to make them. And each item was clearly made with each person in mind - when did she actually have all the time for these things?
A gasp broke the stunned silence and then Nino groaned. "Do you think that's why she's always so tired?"
"Plus, I've seen some of the responsibilities she has as class president - that takes a lot out of her too." Alya winced, looking down at her sweater with a frown.
Adrien, who was quiet for most of the exchange, frowned. He glanced over at the scarf(not the scarf, but he now knew she made that too) Marinettegave to him earlier this week. "Doesn't she also babysit and help around the bakery?"
"Oh my God, she sometime babysits my sisters!" Alya's hand flew to her mouth, horrified by the picture now painted by her classmates.
"She's gonna run herself dry." Rosé muttered, hugging a unicorn stuffed animal tightly. "We have to do something for her, guys. Marinette's amazing."
A chorus of agreement was heard and it was made official. The class was going to band together to make Marinette's life easier.
-
"Do you need me to babysit for you, Alya? You haven't asked in a while."
Said girl winced. How many times has she done that for her? Way too many times from the sounds of it.
Alya smiled and patted Marinette's head. "Thanks, babe, but it's all good. Thanks for taking care of them for me whenever I asked."
Marinette smiled back and just looking at it squeezed Alya's heart. How could she have taken advantage of this girl without noticing.
"Hey, why don't I finished this stuff up and you head home?"
"It's okay, Alya. I got this."
Alya shook her head and gently took the marker from the bluenette's hand. "You've hardly let me do anything, I'll finish up. Call you later?"
She knew her friend didn't want to leave her. But it was clear she needed sleep, if the bags under her eyes were anything to go by. Marinette finally agreed and Alya was relieved. She was going to take more responsibilities so Marinette could rest more, she promised herself.
-
For Nino, it something a little more subtle. When they were younger and he didn't have any friends, there was Marinette. Sweet, awkward, clumsy Marinette. And she would bring him his favorite candy to class everyday.
What she didn't realize was that since then, he vowed to always be there for her.
He couldn't believe he failed the one promise he made to her.
So he started trying to make it up by doing the one thing she did for him all those years ago when he felt lonely.
Bringing her favorite candy everyday.
It wasn't much, not nearly enough for what she's done for him, but it was a start.
And he was determined to keep his promise this time.
-
Adrien adores Marinette.
Marinette has been nothing but kind and sweet to him and she was the first friend he made (Nino would count but the DJ boy beat him to the punch. Marinette was the first person he asked to be friende with). Adrien wasn't blind, he saw how tired the bluenette would be sometimes and how often time it coincided with when she presented a gift to someone.
The first time she gave him something, she immediately knocked out on her desk. Adrien was so happy Marinette liked him enough to give him something, he failed to see how much toll it took on her.
Scrambling from his bed, Adrien has a great idea on how to begin to show his gratitude to his classmate.
He just had to find some yarn first.
-
Kim's doesn't remember when it exactly started, just that every Tết, he had celebrated with Marinette. He never really wanted to go all out - people use to make fun of his ethnicity all the time. Nevermind the fact that he was constantly telling everyone he wasn't Chinese, he's Vietnamese. They just happen to have similar holidays that land on the same days.
His old classmates didn't care and continued their ways.
Then, after much begging on his side, he transferred schools when he was in third grade. He prayed to anyone listening to his dear soul that there would be someone like him this time. Just so he wouldn't feel completely lonely.
And that's where he met her. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. At first, he was ecstatic. But then nervous because how exactly could he ask her to be his friend?
But then it happened. Tết was just around the corner once again and he wanted to skip out of school. And just as he was about to request to go to the school nurse's office, Marinette walked in, fully decked out in a qipao.
She smiled at everyone and handed out cards, each person responding back with a 'Happy New Year' to her. Kim was utterly shocked. No one made fun of her, no one laughed and called her ridiculous - it completely baffled him. And when she got to him, she smiled softly.
"You're Vietnamese, right?"
He nodded.
"Chúc mừng năm mới."
The next day, Kim came into class wearing an áo dài. He grinned when he caught Marinette wearing a different qipao.
"Xīnnián kuàilè."
Scatch that, Kim knew exactly when he started celebrating the lunar new year with Marinette.
She made him feel more confident with his own self. He wanted Marinette to feel confident in her own self.
And the lunar new years was just right around the corner.
-
Alix was always the girl who would rough house with guys. She was always the one who would willingly get into a fight with guys if they said anything mean or degrading about girls. And one day, she might have underestimated her strength against a few guys but that wasn't going to let her down! She stood up straight and stared them all down(she was a bit shorter but don't let her hear you say that), and dared them to come after her.
She momentarily forgot that these guys love dares. Realizing she was quickly losing ground, she made a run for it, all the while still taunting them.
One of the boys managed to catch her arm and tackled her, making sure to keep her pinned down.
(She wasn't down for long and was quite smug with how she got away.)
But just as another boy grabbed her, he was harshly yanked away. Confused, Alix looked to see why and grinned when she found it.
More like who.
She doesn't exactly remember how it happened, but all she does remember is all three of the boys kneeling down in front of Marinette and stuttering out apologies to her.
Since that day, Marinette has been Alix's hero and no one has her respect the way the bluenette does.
Alix was laying on her floor as she recalled that day. Getting up from her position, she decided that she was going to do whatever she could to make sure Marinette gets that level of respect she deserves from everyone.