18. Soon

★─☆｡oﾟ｡★

"To soon for goodbyes"

★─☆｡oﾟ｡★

I wasn't fully unconscious and I knew for a fact Anthony wasn't going to pull me out the match, he laid me on the floor near my bench as we waited for round three to begin.

I simply asked for a few more minutes to gather my thoughts and think of my next game plan as Anthony and Adrien argue only a few feet away from me.

"Anthony she might have a concussion! We have to pull her out!," Adrien yelled.

"No! She'll be fine after a few minutes trust me," Anthony grumbled annoyed.

"Trust you? I barley know you," Adrien mumbled.

"I'm just trying to do what's best for Marine-," I open my eyes to see them in each other's face.

"What's best for her is to stay focused," Anthony cut him off.

"No it's for her to go get help! If anything happens to her down the road I'm going to blame you," Adrien growled.

"Blame me? Excuse me but I wasn't the one that kicked her in the head dipshit," Anthony laughed at Adrien.

"Yeah, but you've done it before," he smirked.

Anthony glares at him "you think I had a choice? Imagine having the feeling to hurt someone you care about during a match, but guess what? I own up to what I've done and yes Marinette and I have spared in multiple occasions where both of us hurt one another badly, but that's my future and thats what she takes huge pride in!," He yelled in Adriens face.

"Even so how can you not feel uncomfortable hurting her?," Adrien asked.

"Of course I feel uncomfortable but she wants my help, she wants me to help her become stronger, to better herself then yesterday and the day before, it pains me to have to hurt her! But that is what She wants! I do what She wants because I would put Her needs and wants before mine," Anthony growled. "So do me a favor pretty boy and get back to the stands before I really lose my patients with you,"he rubbed his head softly.

I knew Anthony hated having to go up against me in multiple occasions during matches or just to train. I to felt terrible, but I wanted to get stronger and he wanted to go to nationals, so we put our feelings aside to help one another achieve our goals in ways that'll hurt us but grow at the same time. I never minded Anthony's company when we fought against one another because in the end he always took care of me, he always cleaned up my small cuts and filled me up with food until I felt better, and I did the same thing to him because I know he didn't have bad intentions like others did. So I would never blame Anthony for some of bruises he caused me.

I understood Adriens worries for me, but he had no reason to accuse Anthony of hurting me in that way.

"She needs to go to the hospital, but apparently you don't care that she might be seriously injured," Adrien chuckled.

Anthony, probably at his breaking point, suddenly grabs Adrien by the collar of his shirt and glares at him.

"Get the hell out of here kid," Anthony mumbled.

"I'm not going anywhere," Adrien smirked down at him.

"She's going to win!," Anthony sighed.

"And what if she doesn't?"

"Well that's sad for you to think otherwise pretty boy," Anthony laughed "guess you don't know Marinette as well as I thought you did."

Adrien suddenly grabs a hold of Anthony's collar as well "don't you dare say that, I knew her before you!," he growled.

"Yeah but I know her now, and I know Marinette can go to nationals, she has to go to nationals," Anthony mumbled annoyed.

"She's not going out there!," Adrien yelled lightly at him.

Anthony shoves Adrien off lightly and shrugged as he fixes his shirt.

"You may not believe in her but I do," Anthony mumbled and walked towards me as I see Adrien walking behind him to reach me. By this point I was fed up by their bickering and sat up to gain balance.

"Stop...," I whispered "just stop both of you, geez I need to concentrate yet you two are have a custody battle over there," I mumbled.

"Bub? Hey, how's the head?," Anthony went beside me and touched my head softly, I wince and pull my head away from him.

"Crap I'm sorry," he sighed and moved away from me quickly.

"Marinette, hey maybe we should go to the hospital yeah?," Adrien smiled down at me and lowered to my level.

"You can be seriously hurt-," I smile lightly at his consideration.

"Thanks Adrien, but I'll be fine," I take a deep breath and stand up slowly "I just need to win this comp, nothings going to stop me."

"I told you," Anthony chuckled from behind Adrien.

"You're head is swollen and bruised, how in the world is that fine?," Adrien sighed.

I can tell that the conversation with Anthony ticked him off and me not listening to him got him even more ticked.

"I can't see you like this okay?," Adrien all of sudden grabs my hand softly as I feel my cheeks heat up at the contact between.

"Let's get you out of here okay? You can win next year yeah?," Adrien looked at me with hopeful eyes that slowly led me to listen to him. However from the corner of my eye I see Anthony looking at me confused that I was buying Adriens sincere pleas to get me out of the competition.

I feel myself slowly start to lose my mind as I start to think about how Adrien has done this before in the past, I remember how I changed myself not to fall for his lies, but here I am, about to fall for them again.

"Bub...," Anthony sighed.

Cut off from my train of thought I quickly pull my hand away from Adrien and turn my back to him.

"I'm staying Adrien, I'm not a quitter and if I lose at least I finished doing the best I could," I sighed.

"Fine, I'm going back on to the stand...," Adrien sighed and walked away.

I feel my eyes water as Adrien begins to walk away.

For some reason I felt bad for him, I knew he was just arguing with Anthony to make sure I would get the help I need, but then again Adrien doesn't ask me for my opinion, he didn't ask if this meant anything to me, why I was staying. He didn't ask the important questions that could've possibly let me leave with him. I was already tired of today events, but I have to gain control of the situation before anything.

I look up seeing Nanami smiling at me from the other side, probably thinking she already won due to my appearance. Anthony comes up from behind me and grabs my hand softly.

"Bub, I'm sorry for fighting with that kid, I'm sorry I didn't even ask if you wanted to leave but went off purely the way I thought you would act. I swear I care about you and I do want you to quit now to have your head checked but in the end I already knew your decision, but I'm still sorry," he squeezed my hand.

Anthony always apologized for the smallest things when it comes to me, and I admired that.

"It's okay, now let's go the next round is coming up and I really want to win because I really want water," I stretched my arms and legs.

"Wow is giving you a sincere apology and you basically just stomped on it," Anthony faked cried.

"Round three," the announcer yelled.

"Wish me luck," I smiled to him.

"Okay I'll go get Tikki," Anthony joked.

"Very funny," I turn my back to him and walk on the mat to the middle.

"I surely thought you would've gave up after that blow to your head lil chick," Nanami laughed down at me.

I roll my eyes and walk away before the match officially began.

"You can do it Dupain-Cheng! Don't forget my threat!," I heard Chloe yell.

"Go Marinette!," Nino yelled as he clapped loudly.

"Go baby girl!," my mom cheered.

"You got this Bub!," Anthony yelled happily a few feet away from me.

The final round began with a simple axe kick to Nanami's head.

Nanami's moves were all over the place, one minute when I think she's going for a regular kick attack it's a roundhouse, but this round I was able to block or completely avoid her. However my attacks weren't working on her, she blocked almost every single one till finally I landed a side kick to her which automatically pissed her off more from before.

"There you go Marinette find those openings you got this!," Anthony yelled lightly.

Nanami all of a sudden tried to uppercut me, which was breaking the rules. I look at the referee to see if he caught it and I quickly loose faith in her being disqualified as I realized she paid the referee when he avoided eye contact with me.

"You think he'll stop and have me disqualified, oh lil chick understand in this world of martial arts anyone could be bought off-," another opening!

"Now!,"Anthony yelled.

Quickly while she was talking I landed a perfect roundhouse kick as she fell on the floor in pain.

"Shit," she growled and looks up at me "you're dead."

As she gets up again she tries to uses her fist to knock me down, quickly I grab her hand and toss her over me.

"Yes!," Chloe cheered "beat her ass!"

Nanami growled in pain and tried to get up, but only laid on the floor for 3 seconds before sprinting up and launching full speed ahead to me as I see her get in form to do another roundhouse on me.

Does this girl not have anymore moves to use on me?

I smirk and get in position and finally when she was close enough I beat her with using basically the only move she was cable of doing perfectly.

"Hell yeah Dupain-Ching!," I turn to see Chloe shaking Alya with excitement and Adrien smiling at me softly with a thumbs up, my parents crying and Nino trying to push Chloe off of Alya.

I  go down to Nanami's ear and whisper "maybe you should get that fixed sweetheart that blow to you head seems to be throbbing like a frog breathing," I smiled and walked away to the referee who grabbed my arm and announced me the winner.

Proud of myself I felt my tears stream down my face as I realize I'll be going to nationals in a month.

Before I knew it Anthony had his arms wrapped around me as he began to kiss my face happily and lifting me up in the air.

"That's my Bub! She did that! We're going to Nationals babyyyyyy!," he yelled as the rest of friends and family came down to the gym and all congratulated me.

"I knew threatening you would help," Chloe laughed as she hugged me.

"Okay get off my turn," Alya pushed Chloe off of me before engulfing me in a hug "you did amazing babe, I think I might just cry," I see Alya's eyes start to tear up and soon so did mine.

"God you guys are such wussy's," Chloe sniffed as she started to cry and hug us both.

"My beautiful little girl!," my dad started to run to me and quickly everyone moved away.

"Crap," I laughed nervously as soon as he lifted me up "dad - can't -breathe," I tapped his shoulder.

"For Christ sake Tom put her down you're embarrassing her," my mom laughed as my dad slowly puts me down before kissing my cheek.

"Good now my turn," my mom hugged me happily and rubbed my head softly "god look at my little girls head, I'm going to break that girls nose if I ever see her near you," my mom held up a fist.

"It's okay mom," I laughed.

Adrien come up from behind my mom and surprisingly hugs me softly "you did amazing, I'm sorry for not believing in you," he sighed. My heart started to crumble at the sound of his voice "you truly are an amazing girl Marinette, super tough," he pulled away slowly and grabbed my hand before giving it a small squeeze.

"I'm going to go now, my dad called for me," he smiled before saying by to everyone including Anthony.

—

Back at home Anthony and I sat on the balcony eating a slice of pizza my dad made for my victory as Tikki sat on his shoulder talking about the other Kwamis and listening to 'Space Song'.

"Then there's Plagg, who is super annoying but basically my bestie since like forever, he's Chat Noir's Kwami, and Chat Noir has a huge crush on Ladybug," Tikki smiled at him.

"I mean Marinette is very beautiful who wouldn't have a crush on her," Anthony turned to me and smiled happily.

"My point exactly," Tikki got on her stomach as both of them start at me.

"You guys are weird," I laughed.

"For looking at you? That's not weird right?," Anthony laughed.

"Right," Tikki agreed.

"You guys are to much."

"Whatever you know you love us," Tikki laughed.

"Of course I do," I smiled.

Anthony looks at me with a sudden sad expression.

"Anthony?"

I felt my eyes water as I soon realize what he was thinking about.

Anthony will be leaving soon to Shanghai to be with his mom.

He's leaving me soon.

I'm going to be alone again.

As we look at the sunset I feel Anthony hug me as he begins to cry into my hair.

I soon began to cry with him.

Feels like I'm leaving home all over again.

(Yes I'm crying a lot but don't worry we will see Anthony again guys;()