Lemme take a crack at this
Marinette knew what she was talking about. Everyone wanted a romantic relationship! Because then that leads to a sexual relationship when they’re older and they can get married and have three kids and pets like her and Adrien are going to have!
Then all of her friends would get married, too! She, Alya, Myléne and Rose or Juleka (depending on who has the baby), and maybe Zoé could get pregnant at the same time so their kids could grow up together, be friends, date each other, get married, and have kids, too, so they could all be one big happy family!
How could anyone not want that?
It’s why she’s so desperately trying to help Alix realize she’s not aromantic or asexual. Those things just aren’t real. She’s either gay or straight and just waiting for the right person.
Maybe, it’s fine if she doesn’t wanna have sex, but there are methods for her to have a baby with her future husband or wife. She just needs to find her the right person.
Marinette’s been leaving pamphlets around in places she knows Alix would see. She found this amazing forum for people who were so obviously confused about their sexualities. So many of them went to this amazing camp out of the country and came back wanting relationships! There were a ton of positive reviews and pictures of their families, so this was definitely something Alix needed.
And who knows? Maybe she could help Max, too. Sure, he was a little… But everyone is able to find some sort of love.
Then she could set Marc’s two classmates up with someone. She knew the girl was demiromantic or whatever, so she definitely had a chance to convince her to just go for it! She felt like she knew Adrien for years when she first laid eyes on him! She just needed to find that right girl and she’d instantly knew they were meant to be!
She wasn’t sure about the boy, though. He was kind of like their class’ version of Alix, but with the right help, he’ll realize being in a relationship can be a beautiful thing and then stop dragging his classmate down with all that nonsense about needing an emotional connection to fall in love. When you know, you know!
But back to Alix. Marinette just knew it! She’d be happy like she and Adrien are!
“WHICH FUCKING CRACKHEAD PIECE PF SHIT THOUGHT THIS WAS FUNNY?” Alix thundered, waving a crumpled pamphlet in her fist. The locker room went silent. “HUH?! FUCKING TALK OR I’M GONNA START BREAKING HEADS!”
“THIS!” She shoved the pamphlet in Nathaniel’s chest, forcing him to pick them up and read through them while she continued to yell at anyone who looked suspicious. His anger rose the more he read.
“Are you fucking serious right now?” He hissed and crumpled the pamphlet into a ball. “Who’s sick idea of a joke is this?! THESE ARE CONVERSION THERAPY PAMPHLETS!”
The room somehow got more quiet except for Alix’s angry muttering.
“I swear to God, I am gonna KILL whoever keeps leaving that crap everywhere! I keep finding that shit in all my usual spots! I thought it was just some asshole, but NOOOO! Apparently, someone here has a problem with AroAce people! Specifically ME!”
Max pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to regulate himself before he spoke. He was angry, too, but more yelling wouldn’t get anything done.
“Nathaniel… Let me see those.” Nathaniel wordlessly handed him the pamphlets. He unballed them and read about the practices these people do in the name of “curing confused people.” The more he read, the more he was able to break it all down and felt bile rising in his throat. They actually made people…
Sighing, Max sat on one of the benches, just staring down at the floor while his leg bounced. Kim took the spot next to him and squeezed his shoulder to help ground him.
“This person is fucking sick,” Ivan mutters, balling and unballing his fists.
Rose approached Alix once she was calmer. “Alix? Maybe we can walk with you until we find out who left those?”
“You do,” Juleka told her firmly. “If it’s someone in the school, that’s even more dangerous. Just… We don’t want you being alone when there’s someone here thinking like that.”
She knew they wouldn’t let this go. So… She sighed and that was more than enough of an answer for Rose who promptly hugged her. “Okay, now we’re hugging,” she said with a slight smile.
“But make no mistake,” Rose chirped, but her tone sounded ominous. “When I find this person, I will introduce them to the business ended of my ceramic unicorn head. And she has a VERY sharp horn.”
Kim snickered. “From the mouth of Rose Lavillant, everybody.” Everyone was able to laugh, slowly forgetting about their earlier anger.
Alix allowed herself to relax. She’d be fine.
Alya glared at her phone screen. “Holy shit.”
“What is it?” Marinette asked, leaning over to look at her phone.
“Some asshole left conversion therapy pamphlets in Alix’s locker.” Alya’s glare hardened, not noticing the strange look on her friend’s face. “Some people are so disgusting. Do you have any idea what those places do to kids?!”
“What places?” Adrien asked as he made his way over to their table. He routinely kissed Marinette without thinking and took a bite of his apple.
“Some asshole put conversion therapy pamphlets in Alix’s locker earlier,” she hissed and showed him the screen.
Adrien furrowed his brow and took the phone to look at the picture of the crumpled pamphlets. Okay, everyone’s clearly angry, but… “What’s conversion therapy?”
“Dude, those places are nightmares,” Nino muttered, taking off his cap to run his fingers through his hair. “They torture queer people, mostly kids sent there by their lousy families who can’t accept them. They prick their fingers with needles, do electroshock therapy, force them to do “gender-approved” activities which is some sexist bullshit, and emotionally abuse them by forcing them to “admit their sins.””
The more Adrien listened, the more his face fell. How could anyone possibly think that was helping kids?
“Oh, and most of the time? Those freak shows aren’t even run by real therapists,” Alya added. “They’re run by religious nuts who can’t stand to see queer people happy!”
Zoé glanced over as she was walking with her tray. “Oh, God. You mean conversion therapy? You know some assholes are still running places like thag in America? Years back, some Mormon couple sent their daughter to one of those places run out of someone’s house. The assholes forced her to stand wearing a backpack full of rocks and forbade her from going to school unless she “complied!” She managed to escape, though, but she’s got back problems now.”
Adrien’s mouth opened and closed. “Why would someone want Alix exposed to that?”
Alya shook her head. “Because some people are just idiots who want the world full of straight people with three kids as white picket fences.”
Marinette fidgeted with her napkin. “Well… Yeah, that all sounds bad, but… Maybe this person thought they were trying to help?” She felt multiple eyes on her. “I-I’m not saying their methods are okay, but the people running the camps know what they’re doing, because a lot of the people do come out happier, and start families! And who doesn’t want a family of their own? And, you know, there’s nothing wrong with wanting three kids— I certainly want three kids with Adrien—”
Adrien choked on his apple. Kim crossed the room in seconds and smacked him on the back to cough it up on his tray.
“Wh-what?” Adrien managed to say, eyes wide. One kid, he could handle, but THREE? Actually, he wasn’t even completely sure he wanted any kids.
Marinette blinked, stunned by his reaction. “W-well, yeah! When we get married-”
“Marriage?!” Nino exclaimed, startled. “That’s years from now, Nettie. I-I mean-”
Juleka’s voice somehow cut through the chaos. “… We’re you just defending conversion therapy?” Marinette’s earlier words suddenly registered.
“I’m just saying it can’t be all bad if the program works! Maybe some people had bad experiences at ones that weren’t licensed, but if there are camps that actually help people, that’s no reason to badmouth all of them.”
Everyone just stared at her with varying looks of horror, disgust, and disappointment.
“… You left those pamphlets in my locker,” Alix accused, making her jump slightly.
“W-well, it’s just everyone here is so happy in their relationship! I know you keep saying you don’t wanna date anyone because you’re aromantic, or whatever, but I know you just haven’t met the right person yet!”
“What is wrong with, Marinette?!” Myléne yelled.
Marinette sputtered. Why couldn’t they see she was trying to help? “Nothing’s wrong with ME! Alix is the one that won’t give dating a try! She just rejects the idea of romance and no one sees how weird that is! Everyone should want to be in a relationship, to have someone to love and hold them, to marry, have kids and grow old together-”
Ivan grimaced. “Are you hearing yourself right now? What makes you think any of us even want kids? Sure, I think about marrying Myléne sometimes, but those are my thoughts, I don’t pressure her like you’re doing right now!”
Myléne smirks at him. “Marriage, huh?”
He blushed. “Later, mouse.”
“I’m not pressuring anybody! Everyone wants to date, get married, and have kids! It’s natural!” Marinette yelled.
“Okay, if it’s sooo natural,” Nathaniel sarcastically said. “What about me and Marc? You’re clearly so invested in straight couples, but what about queer couples?”
“Of course, you can have kids-”
“And what if we don’t?” Rose asked. “What if Juleka and I just adopt a bunch of black cats and put them in pink collars, and that’s our family?”
“Guys,” Nino interrupted. “Good points, but we’re forgetting something here.” He turned to Adrien who seemed to have lost some of his color. “Adrien… You heard Marinette just now. Do you wanna get married and have kids with her?”
Adrien opened and closed his mouth. He was still fifteen. Who thought about marriage and kids at fifteen? And three kids? Did Marinette actually expect for them to… Would he even be a good dad? He barely knew how to take care of himself without private chefs, maids, and laundry teams, but she expected him to take care of three kids?
Oh, God, and marriage. He never even thought about that, that was all Father’s plans. Get married to sone rich girl, make the families even richer, and have babies to continue the bloodline. It was all everyone talked about FOR him and expected of him when… When he never wanted any of that.
Be tuned back in and could hear overlapping arguments. Zoé and Juleka were holding Alix back from attacking Marinette who had a bruise forming on her cheek while Alya was trying to explain something to a teacher and Rose was yelling at Marinette and pointing an accusing finger at her.
“You don’t understand!” Marinette screamed and her voice sounded so wrong. “We’re all supposed to have kids, and they can be friends, date each other, get married, and Emma Louis and Hugo will-”
“Shut! Up!” Alix thundered. “You are disgusting, Marinette! You are so disgusting! No one wants to follow your creepy heteronormative bullshit! I am not dating anyone! I am not marrying anyone, having sex, or having kids! And that whole fantasy you have in YOUR head of conversion camps making happy straight people who will marry straight people and have perfect straight babies is so wrong!”
“THEY ARE HAPPY! They were just confused and didn’t understand what they wanted because everyone’s always talking about aromanticism like it’s so natural!”
“BITCH!” Alix broke free from Zoé’s grip, grabbed and Orange, and threw it directly at her forehead. “What isn’t natural is your obsession over having kids with Adrien like it’s your ultimate life goal! Who says he even wants kids?! Did you even ask him? You’re so obsessed with a big happy family, so you must’ve had that conversation with him dozens of times.
Marinette rubbed her forehead where the orange hit her. “O-of course he wants kids! I know he does!” He has to want kids as much as she does. He’d love Emma, Louis and Hugo, he’d take care of them, he’d convince them to model her kids clothing line and they’d have fun like he did modeling, he’d introduce them to more appropriate activities other than fencing because Emma shouldn’t be handling swords and she didn’t want Louis and Hugo getting so sweaty in those bulky uniforms when soccer was perfectly fine for them, and she could sew Emma’s cheerleader uniform or ballet outfit, then they’d meet Alya and Nino’s kids, they’d be friends, date, get married, and their families would be friends forever-
And her world just cracked.
She slowly turned her head toward Adrien. He looked away, unable to meet her gaze. After a beat, she laughed. “What?”
“I said I don’t want kids,” he repeated. “And after… After what you did to Alix and how you could defend something that hurts innocent people, I’m not sure I wanna date you anymore.” That time, he looked at her.
“No. No, you’re just caught up in the moment! Everyone’s yelling and confusing you-”
He slammed his hands down on the table. “I’M NOT A CHILD, MARINETTE! OKAY?! Stop treating me like I can’t make my own decisions and opinions! I know what I want! I know I don’t want kids! I know the person I was dating is able to somehow defend conversion therapy! And I know you are not the person I want to date! Alix is supposed to be your friend! So is Max! But apparently, you have a problem with people who are aromantic and asexual and would go so far as to recommend they be abused in order to be “fixed!” How do you expect me to be comfortable dating someone like that?!”
“Adrien, you don’t understand! They need this!”
“Then I guess Rose and Juleka, and Marc and Nathaniel need it too, huh? Because if your idea of perfection is straight couples having babies, then you think they need therapy, too?”
“No! They’re capable of loving people! Alix and Max aren’t!”
“Oh, my God, my head hurts,” Nino muttered, rubbing his temples.
“I DO love people,” Alix asserted. “I love my dad, I love my idiot brother, I love my friends, and I used to love you, but now I don’t.”
Max added, “The same goes for me as well. Marinette, you are incredibly toxic. The fact you think Alix and I are incapable of loving anyone due to our preferences and the fact you think romantic love is the only kind of love is proof of that.”
“I am NOT toxic! You’re the ones who are confused! There is literally nothing stopping you from dating people and finally being happy! But you’d rather spend your lives alone and unloved with no one to wake up next to every morning and tell you how much they love you right before your kids run into the room! THAT is love! REAL love! Otherwise, what is even your life if you don’t have a partner?”
For a moment, no one says anything.
Marinette smirked triumphantly, thinking she finally had them cornered. They’d finally see she was right, come to their senses, and she’d forgive Alix for hitting her and help her find a date. She’d have to be less abrasive if she really wanted to date someone, but the girls could help her with that. Then she’d bring Adrien back to his senses and they could have a long talk about their future and she’d tell him all of the beautiful things about marriage and kids. Besides, he’s a guy. Guys want sex with their partners. He’d have his fun and the end result would be three healthy and beautiful kids. And with his genes, they’d look perfect! Who wouldn’t want to date them when they got older?
“… Fuck you, Marinette,” Alix finally uttered before leaving.
What?! No! That’s not supposed to happen!
“Consider what friendship we had over,” Max said and followed her out.
“Unfollow, unfriend, block, and unsubscribe,” Alya listed while tapping on her phone.
“I’m out, too.” Nino glared at her before hooking his arm around Alya and walking her out. He cast a sad look at Adrien over his shoulder before heading out the door.
Then Myléne, “Don’t ever call me.”
Ivan, “Same goes for me.”
Nathaniel, “You make me sick.”
Zoé, “And I thought Chloé was bad.”
Rose, “I’m returning all of my friendship bracelets.”
Juleka, “Luka dodged a bullet.”
Kim, “Never talk to Max or Alix ever again.”
Other students filed out of the cafeteria, unable to even be in the same room as her. Marc narrowed his eyes as he passed with some of his classmates. Two in particular glared the hardest.
That just left her and Adrien. But surely he’d never side with those traitors! He loved her!
But then he stood and said, “We’re done,” and left to catch up with the others.
Went a little off track than what I had planned, but whatever!
As for what can happen next?
Marinette still thinks she’s in the right and confiscates the Miraculous. When she thinks Char Noir, Argos, and Ryuko will be on her side, they’re just as disgusted by Ladybug’s aphobic ramblings and make it clear they want nothing to do with her
Alya dismantles the Ladyblog and centers it around Chat Noir, the supportive hero Paris needs who recently came out as AroAce, to Ladybug’s anger since Chat Noir was her backup plan, and Luka blocked her
Adrien’s in a happy queerplatonic relationship with Luka who recently moved back to Paris, respects his preferences, and doesn’t try to force marriage and kids on him. Instead, they have black cats and set them up on play dates with Juleka and Rose’s cats
