(Yo. Just so you know, I upload to my tumblr (same username) first, so if you want faster updates, check there. Alright, without further ado, here's The Winter Peacock.)

1.

Something is different about Marinette.

He can't quite put his finger on it, but he's been staring at her for at least thirty seconds straight now, trying to figure out what it is. It isn't her makeup and it isn't her hair — he's well-versed enough as a model to be able to notice that sort of thing. But there is something glaringly different, and it bothers him that he can't figure it out: like he's finished a puzzle except for one missing piece.

"Adrien?"

The picture is there and he shouldn't be disappointed, but the fact that he can't find the piece is —

"Yo, earth to Adrien?"

Adrien starts. Nino and Alya are both staring at him with wide eyes. They're standing in the school foyer, waiting for lunch break to end. He's been watching Marinette across the street as she walks down the sidewalk; she must've gone home for lunch.

"Sorry," he says, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "I zoned out. What were you saying?"

"Just talking about the winter formal on Friday," Nino says. He tries to follow Adrien's gaze. "What are you staring at?"

"Oh, uh," he stumbles, glancing quickly away from Marinette. "Just my father's new advertisement by the bakery. You know, model things."

Nino scoffs. "Classic Adrien."

Alya nudges him in the ribs with her elbow. "Please, you'd stare at posters of yourself on the street, too — if you had any." Before Nino can retort, Alya notices her friend approaching the school. "Marinette!" she calls, waving.

Marinette looks at them and her expression brightens. Again, Adrien feels the itching sensation in the back of his mind that something is off. He tries to scrutinize her again without being too obvious: her clothes don't look unusual, her eyes aren't a different color. Why does she look different?

She catches his gaze, and her bright smile diminishes into something softer, as is the norm. This is his second year at Françoise Dupont, and she still treats him differently than all the other students. He wish he knew why. He used to think she was still holding a grudge against him after the gum incident on the first day, but after knowing her for a year and a half or so, he had come to the conclusion that Marinette isn't the type of girl to hold grudges.

She meets them at the top of the stairs. "Hi guys!" she greets, looking at Nino and Alya. Then she looks at him. "H-Hi, Adrien."

Alya asks Marinette something about the homework due for their next class, which leaves Adrien another moment to look at her. She's wearing a scarf today, even though it isn't terribly cold. Christmas is only two weeks away and Paris hasn't seen any snow yet, but throughout the past few days there had been excited murmuring around school that they'd see some this upcoming Friday night.

"So anyway," Nino says, picking up at the end of Alya and Marinette's conversation. He looks back and forth from Marinette to Adrien. "Alya and I wanted to hit up the movies today after school. That new Sandy Claws film is out, you know, the one based on the akuma attack last year? You guys wanna tag along?"

Marinette opens her mouth to respond —

— but instead of words, she only manages a giant sneeze.

"Achoo!"

And that's when it hits him: Marinette is sick. It isn't her makeup or her hair or her outfit that's different. It's the redness around her nose, the paleness of her cheeks — her whole demeanor screams sickness.

Something inside of him softens. He hates seeing his friends sick.

"Bless you," he says, putting a hand on Marinette's shoulder. She looks up at him with wide eyes, and he offers her a gentle smile.

"Girl, are you okay?" Alya asks, putting a hand against Marinette's forehead.

But Marinette waves her hands in front of her face defensively. "It's just a head cold. Nothing to worry about."

Adrien doubts that's the truth, but he decides not to argue. He simply squeezes her shoulder before letting his hand fall back to his side.

"So the movies?" Nino prompts.

Marinette deflates like a balloon. "I wish I could, but I've got to babysit Manon tonight."

Alya raises an eyebrow. "Madame Chamack is okay with you babysitting Manon even though you're not feeling well?"

Marinette shakes her head. "Really, it's nothing. I drank some orange juice this morning and everything. I'm feeling much — achoo!"

Her whole body collapses in on itself like a folding chair as she sneezes again. Adrien feels another rush of pity, and tries to steady her by putting his hand on her back, right between her shoulders.

Marinette sniffles. "Really. I'm okay." Her voice sounds like someone put a clothespin over her nose.

"I don't think so," Alya counters. "Listen, why don't you let me take over your babysitting shift tonight? We can go see the movie later this week when we're all free."

Marinette shakes her head. "I promised Manon I'd watch The Grinch with her tonight." Her nose crinkles, and she inhales sharply. It looks like she's about to sneeze again, but then she releases the breath with a giant sigh. Looking at Alya, she concedes, "Well, I guess I wouldn't mind if we tag-teamed."

"Hey, I wouldn't mind watching The Grinch!" Nino says. "What if we all come and help you babysit?"

"All of you?" Marinette asks, looking at each of them. Her gaze lingers on Adrien, and he can't help but notice the wariness in her tone.

"I don't have any plans tonight, so I'm down," he says. Then, seeing the way her eyes widen, he adds, "If that's okay with you, Marinette."

She smiles slightly, and some of the color returns to her cheeks. "Y-Yeah, that sounds like fun! Thanks, you guys. Manon will love all the company, too. I think she gets tired of playing with just me."

Nino swings an arm around Adrien's shoulders. "No worries! We're great with kids."

Marinette looks at him and opens her mouth to speak, but is interrupted by another sneeze. This time it's loud enough that several other kids in the foyer look their way.

Alya grins. "Come on, girl. Let's find you a big stack of tissues before class starts."

Marinette nods feebly, and allows her friend to guide her toward the girls' bathrooms across the courtyard. Adrien watches them go.

"Poor Marinette," Nino muses, echoing his own thoughts.

He nods in agreement. "It must be tough to get sick this close to Christmas." He pauses, turning back to look outside to the bakery. "I wonder if there's something we can do for her."

A pause, and then Nino says unexpectedly, "Well, dude, you could ask her to the Winter Formal this Friday."

Adrien looks at his friend with one eyebrow raised. "I don't see how that would make her feel better."

"U-uh, well," Nino stammers, "you know, Alya says she doesn't have a date yet. And I guess she's working really hard to organize everything since she's the class rep. We were just thinking that, of all people, she should have someone to go with, you know?"

Adrien tilts his head to one side. "Is she not going with Alya?"

"Dude, Alya's going with me."

"With you? Why can't you all just go together?"

"Because it's Winter Formal!" Nino says, like it's obvious.

"Nino, I've never been to a Winter Formal, let alone any school dance," Adrien reminds him. There wasn't a dance last year due to lack of school funds. This year, Mayor Bourgeois made a generous donation to make the dance possible — likely at the request, or command, of his daughter.

Realization dawns on Nino's face like a Christmas tree lighting up. "Dude, right. Well, for Winter Formal, you usually go with, uh, you know…" he scuffs one shoe against the ground. "…a date. You know, which is why I'm going with Alya." He looks up at Adrien again, his voice urgent. "But, uh, ya know, it doesn't have to be! Like if you asked Marinette, you guys could just go as friends. But everyone's paired off already, and I guess Marinette's been so busy she didn't ask anyone to be her date. You know?"

Adrien sighs. "Well, I'd love to ask Marinette, but I can't even go to Winter Formal. I've got an important photo shoot this Friday night."

Nino growls. "Dude, you're kidding. Why does your dad always schedule photo shoots on the important days?"

Adrien shrugs. "Don't ask me."

He sighs, looking back toward Marinette and Alya. Nino is right: out of everyone in their grade, Marinette should have someone to go to Winter Formal with. He would love to take her, if he could. The alternative was Chloe, and, while they were friends, he wasn't too keen on spending an entire night being the sole object of her attention.

As if reading his thoughts, Nino commented, "You know, I'm surprised Chloe hasn't demanded that you take her yet."

Adrien ignores the gentle rib at his childhood friend, instead rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "Well, actually, now that you mention it, I think she's brought it up a few times, and I just didn't really connect the dots. I didn't get that it was supposed to be a date thing, and it's not like I can go anyway."

Nino stares at him, and then says point-blank: "Dude, you're so oblivious sometimes." Before Adrien can retort, he goes on, "Have you at least asked your dad about rescheduling the photo shoot? It'd be really chill if you could come."

Adrien sighs. "No, I haven't asked, but you know how that usually goes."

Nino scoffs. "That I do."

He drops the topic. Nino doesn't like talking about the time he was akumatized, though he hadn't been the first of their friends and he almost certainly wouldn't be the last.

The school bell rings. As the students start gathering their bags and finding friends, Adrien looks at Nino.

"I'll talk to my dad, but I can't promise anything," he says. "Cool?"

Nino fist bumps him. "Cool. Let's go catch up with Marinette and Alya. Alya's kinda scary when her friends get sick. They might need help carrying all those tissues."