Chapter Text
Marinette Dupain-Cheng fussed over her hair in her bedroom vanity. She hummed happily as her fingers worked through her dark hair, pinning it up into her usual ponytails. When she was finished, she stepped back to admire her handiwork. Her reflection’s face was very pink, and she scowled at it, slapping her own cheeks lightly as if that would help the blush fade.
“You can do this,” she said self-assuringly. “It’s just a date. With Adrien. No big deal.” She straightened out the cute pink dress she’d picked out for today, took a few deep breaths, and turned to her Kwami friend, who was patiently hovering behind her.
“You’ve got this, Marinette,” she chirped. Marinette nodded with determination, pulling open the hatch door to her attic bedroom. Tikki zipped into her purse as Marinette descended the steps, ready to face the day.
She walked at a brisk pace through the bustling Paris streets. Adrien had asked her out on a date—a real date! Just the two of them, at a café, in public . She was so incredibly excited, yet somehow, felt like she might throw up. He’d said that he had something important he wanted to talk about, and in the usual Marinette fashion, her brain had been playing over possible scenarios all night long. They’d already made their feelings for each other known, so she doubted it had to do with that. She already knew that he loved her; he’d told her so. And he already knew that she felt the same, as she had finally, finally racked up the courage to say as much.
So what could Adrien possibly want to tell her? It seemed important. Maybe he finally stood up to his father? She knew his relationship with his father had been strained lately, more than usual, as Gabriel Agreste seemed very keen on keeping his son from having a relationship with her. Maybe it was something bad? What if Adrien changed his mind? What if he didn’t want to be with her? What if his father succeeded in convincing him not to see her any more? What if he dumped her, and didn’t even want to be friends anymore? And then she’d be heartbroken, running home to wail into her pillows, and then an Akuma shows up, and Ladybug doesn’t go fight it because she’s too busy crying into her pillow—and what if it’s worse ? What if she gets Akumatized? What if she—
Marinette sucked a sharp breath into her cheeks, which puffed out for a moment before she forced it from her mouth. Sigh. Deep breaths, Marinette. You’re catastrophizing again. That wouldn’t happen and you know it. Adrien loves you. He loves you! And you love him.
Marinette pushed the panicked thoughts from her mind and she heard her phone chime. She pulled it out of her purse and opened the message.
Alya: Hey Girl, keep me posted! I’m on the edge of my seat here!
Marinette rolled her eyes with a small smile and quickly fired off a response.
Marinette: I’m not even there yet. Besides, what happens between Adrien and I, stays between Adrien and I.
Alya’s response came within moments.
Alya: Yeah, right! I’ll be here with both my listening ears on when you come back bursting at the seams, Girl. I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Alya: Also, don’t be late! Of all the things not to be late for, this is probably it!
Marinette huffed as she typed up her irked reply, pushing her way through the café’s doors, which chimed upon her entrance.
Marinette: I’m not late! I’ll have you know that I just got here, and I’m 10 minutes early! Adrien isn’t even here yet.
Marinette stowed her phone back into her purse and glanced around the bustling café. She was right; Adrien wasn’t there yet. That was good though, right? For once, she’d not just be on time; she was early! Woohoo! Way to go, Marinette!
She wondered if she should hang back and wait for him outside the café, or go in and grab a seat? Maybe she’d just wait outside. If she went inside and sat down, maybe he would think she’d been waiting there for a long time, and then he would feel bad for making her wait. She didn’t want Adrien to feel bad because she was early. If she waited outside, then when he got there she could pretend she’d only just arrived. Yes! That’s perfect. Outside it is. She darted back out the doors with another chime of the bell.
Marinette rocked back and forth on her heels, bouncing slightly in nervous anticipation as the minutes ticked by. Being early wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. She pulled out her phone again; 3pm. Adrien should be arriving any minute now. She tried to calm her jittery nerves by looking through the window, eyes hovering over the various couples as they enjoyed their day. Then she realized what a creeper she must look like, standing in the café window and staring eerily at the patrons. Maybe she should go inside after all.
With another chime of the bell, Marinette pushed her way through the doors once more. She found a nice cozy table for two by the window (definitely not just so that she could eagerly watch for Adrien’s arrival or anything) and made herself comfortable. She checked her phone again; 10 minutes past. No biggie. So Adrien’s a little late; who was she to complain? She was late for literally everything. Though Adrien wasn’t, generally. He was usually pretty… punctual?
Marinette let out a nervous giggle. Of all the words in the world she could think to use to describe Adrien Agreste, punctual wasn’t exactly on her list of Adrien-related adjectives. That list was full of words like … radiant… carefree… dreamy—
Oh my god, you are not thinking about the stupid fragrance commercial right now! Get a grip, Marinette! She buried her face in her hands in frustration, then reached for a menu from the table to hide her embarrassed expression. Come on, girl! You can do better than that!
Sweet. Adrien is sweet. Gentle; he was most definitely that. Kind; check. He was... bright. Smart, yes, but also... he had a sunny disposition. Though she’d definitely seen him have his not-so-sunny days, for the most part he was like... an eager puppy. Or maybe a cat? Ugh, what the heck am I even thinking?
“Are you ready to order?” Marinette heard a voice say from the other side of her menu. Her eyes met with a waitress standing beside her table.
“Oh, uh... no. I’m waiting for someone,” she mumbled. She glanced nervously out the window, but still saw no sign of Adrien. The waitress smiled cheerily.
“Well, don’t hesitate to call me over if you change your mind. Even if it’s just a coffee, while you wait.”
“Thanks.” Marinette returned the waitress' kind smile and waited until she had walked away before pulling her phone out yet again. Adrien was pretty late now. Would it be too pushy to text him? She was sure they’d have a chuckle over whatever it was that had held him up when he got there. She rested her chin in her hand and stared out the window longingly as people bustled by on their way to whatever it was busy Parisians did on a Sunday afternoon.
Is this what it felt like for her friends when she was late for things? She made a mental note to try harder not to be late as much, as long as she could help it. Waiting was boring. The jitters she’d had leading up to this date had all but faded away, quickly being replaced by boredom and doubt. She tapped at her phone screen, the display coming to life, flashing a picture of Adrien smiling back at her as she traced her lock pattern onto the screen lazily.
She tapped Alya’s display picture and started a new text.
Marinette: Am I thinking too much? Adrien’s still not here. Tell me I’m overthinking it.
Alya: Girl, you’re overthinking it. You always do.
Marinette: Yeah, you’re probably right. He’s only… ugh. 25 minutes late. Which means I’ve been here 35 mins, give or take.
Alya: Well, that is pretty late for Adrien. Did you text him?
Marinette: Do you think I should? I don’t want to bother him.
Alya: It’s not bothering him if he’s supposed to be on a date with you! Text him, silly! I’m sure he has a perfectly reasonable excuse. He’s worth waiting for, no?
Marinette: Of course he is! I guess I’ll text him. Thanks Alya.
Marinette sighed and glanced down the street one final time before tapping on Adrien’s number.
Marinette: Hey, I’m waiting at the cafe, wondering what’s taking so long.
Oh, no. Not that. She hit the backspace key and started again.
Marinette: Hey Adrien. I’m waiting for you at the café. You haven’t forgotten me, have you?
Yeah, that’s not it either. Delete.
Marinette: Hello my Love, I’m patiently waiting for you to show up like my knight in shining armour to sweep me off my feet. How long do you think it will be before I can expect you?
Marinette groaned and slammed her head onto the table, the cutlery and condiment containers clanking together loudly. Delete, delete, delete. She peeked one eye out and thumbed one final text.
Marinette: Hey.
Send.
It wasn’t an eloquent use of her vocabulary, but it would do. She waited. The message remained unread; no telltale ellipses flashed to signal that he was responding. It’s fine. This is fine. He wouldn’t have forgotten me. Would he?
The minutes ticked by, audibly. Marinette could almost picture a giant analog clock ticking above her head. She never realized that she was so impatient. She groaned miserably. Maybe she should order that coffee after all?
Putting on her best polite smile, Marinette waved down the waitress. She ordered herself a coffee and a few small sweets for Tikki, trying her best not to look like a crazy person as she shoved the small cookies into her purse and whispered at it.
“How long are you going to wait, Marinette?” The tiny voice whispered from her purse. Marinette checked the time again. Adrien was now almost a full hour late.
“I don’t know Tikki. I… I think he may have forgotten. I’m not sure.” She felt crestfallen when she realized he actually might not be coming. “You don’t think he stood me up, do you?” s he asked sadly.
Tikki shook her head, her red antennae flopping wildly. “No, I don’t think Adrien would do that to you. Not on purpose. I just hope it wasn’t something... more dangerous.”
Marinette’s eyes lit up with realization. An Akuma? Could an Akuma attack have prevented Adrien from showing up? She scanned the room until she spotted a small TV in the back, muted, but displaying Paris’ major news channel. It looked to be playing some kind of program about firefighters, but no Akuma alerts flashed on the screen. She grabbed her phone.
Marinette: Hey Al, have you heard of any Akuma attacks today? Or anything suspicious?
Alya: Nah, not that I know of. Why? Adrien still hasn’t shown up?
Marinette: No, he hasn’t.
Marinette: It’s fine. I’ll just wait. I’m sure he’ll show up eventually. Let me know if anything does come up though.
Alya: Will do.
3 coffees, 2 bathroom breaks, and a donut later, Marinette peeled her face from the table and heaved a great sigh. 5pm. She’d waited just over 2 hours. He wasn’t coming. He never responded to her texts, either. She stood up slowly, grudgingly, and settled her bill before dragging her leaden feet out of the café and down the street toward home. She felt… awful, but she knew she couldn’t wait there any longer. She had school tomorrow, and had a few things she still needed to finish up homework-wise. Maybe she’d try calling Adrien tonight. And if anything, at least she would see him at school tomorrow, and hopefully get some kind of explanation out of him then.
That night, all of Marinette’s calls went straight to voicemail. Was he avoiding her? Or was something wrong? Marinette knew she had a tendency to blow things out of proportion, so she was sure he was fine... It was probably just some kind of misunderstanding, right? Maybe she had messed up? Had she gotten the time wrong?
Marinette glanced at her calendar; today’s date was circled with hearts and large red letters that read ‘DATE WITH ADRIEN! 3pm! <3’ No, she most certainly hadn’t gotten it wrong.
Marinette got ready for bed, her mind playing over all of the many scenarios and explanations her vivid imagination could come up with. At least tomorrow she’d have answers. The faster she fell asleep, the sooner she’d get those answers, for better or for worse. She felt a nervous knot forming in the pit of her stomach, and prayed it was the former.
“Adrien Agreste?”
Silence was met with muffled whispers.
“Adrien Agreste?” Miss Bustier called again. She glanced up from her roll call sheet, finding Adrien’s seat empty. “Oh. Is Adrien absent today?” she asked, crossing his name from the list. She continued down the attendance list and each student responded as their name was called.
Alya leaned over her desk and whispered to Nino.
“Have you heard from Adrien?” She glanced at Marinette, who seemed to have lost all human shape and melted into a melancholy puddle beside her. “My girl got stood up last night.”
Nino shook his head, showing his girlfriend his phone screen from under his desk.
“Dude ghosted me all night,” he whispered back. “Think something’s wrong?”
Alya nodded. "It's unlike Adrien to bail on Marinette. He’s like a lovesick puppy with her.”
Marinette groaned softly. “I can hear you guys, you know.”
Marinette had to admit, school without Adrien was somehow lousier than it had ever been before. Even Chloé and Lila doing whatever underhanded things they did that day couldn’t compare to how miserable she felt. She wanted to see him, wanted to know what was going on. Surely something was wrong, right? Maybe she should go to his house after school and ask to see him. Though she doubted it would do much good, Adrien’s father had been very adamant that he didn’t want them to be together. It’s not like Gabriel Agreste would change his mind just because she showed up to his house to check on him. Still… For Adrien, it was worth a try.
So there she stood, outside the front gates to the Agreste Manor, nervously shuffling as she waited for the answering voice on the other end of the intercom.
“Miss Dupain-Cheng. Adrien is a little... under the weather. He’s not able to entertain guests at the moment,” the intercom buzzed, Nathalie Sancoeur’s voice its usual cold drawl.
“Oh, Uhm … I understand. Could you just... ask him to call me? Or text? Please?” she answered in a small voice, unable to mask her disappointment and hoping Nathalie couldn’t catch it through the speaker.
“Of course,” came her short reply.
Adrien didn’t come to school for three days. Marinette was crazy with worry. Neither she nor any of her friends had been able to get a hold of him; all the messages left unread, all the phone calls landing straight to voicemail. Everyone who stopped by his house to check on him was assured that Adrien was fine, that he was just ill. But the knots in Marinette’s stomach twisted tighter with each passing day, and she worried something was terribly wrong. Why didn’t she believe Ms. Sancoeur?
On Thursday morning, Marinette arrived at school to quite the ruckus in the classroom. Her classmates were gathered around the front desk, Adrien and Nino’s desk, chattering loudly. She craned her neck and saw the familiar sweep of golden hair from between her peers.
“Adrien!” Marinette called happily, hoping the relief she felt wasn’t too eager or obvious to her classmates. The students parted almost instantly for her as she approached his desk. The chatter continued as their friends bombarded him with questions about where he’d been, if he was really sick, and why he hadn’t been responding to messages, as well as asking about whatever rumours were spread around regarding his absence. Adrien didn’t miss school often, so it had been the cause of some speculation while he was away.
Marinette’s eyes fell on the boy she loved with a breath that stuck painfully in her chest. He looked... tired. More than that, he looked… terrible. His hair was a tangled mess—which was the first and most obvious sign that something was wrong; he was dishevelled, had deep bags under his eyes, and the expression he wore on his face was increasingly difficult to read. It started off exhausted-looking, worn out. But it quickly evolved into irritation.
“Would you all just leave me alone?!” he snapped suddenly.
Instantly, you could hear a pin drop in that classroom. Every single student, including Chloé Bourgeois, stood dumbfounded. Not one of them had ever heard Adrien snap like that. He buried his face into his arms on his desk, covering his head with the hood of an oversized grey sweater that seemed to have replaced his usual white overshirt.
Everyone shuffled quietly to their desks as the bell rang and Miss Bustier entered the room, noticing the slumped form sitting at Adrien’s desk.
“Oh, glad to see we have Monsieur Agreste back with us today,” she smiled.
Adrien groaned quietly and the class remained silent, but all eyes were very obviously fixed on him. Everyone knew it but him. Marinette waved at her classmates from her seat, drawing the attention to her. She made wild hand gestures, pointing to her eyes, and then to the front of the room. She hoped their charades game was strong enough for them to take the hint. Just leave him alone, guys. Stop staring.
The rest of the class was uneventful, though a heavy awkwardness hung in the air. When the bell rang for lunch, the class filed out silently, giving Adrien’s desk a wide berth. Adrien had been slumped and hooded for the whole morning, and Marinette was thankful that Miss Bustier had decided to leave him be. When Adrien did not get up for lunch, she, Nino, and Alya hung back, exchanging worried glances.
Nino was the first to break the silence.
“Hey Dude, you okay?" he asked, placing his hand on Adrien’s shoulder. His touch was instantly shrugged off, and Adrien shrank back as if he’d been struck. Nino side-glanced at Marinette.
“I’m… fine,” came Adrien’s shaky and very unconvincing voice. He lifted his head from the desk. “I’m just… I’ve been sick. Not fully over it yet, I think,” he said quietly, attempting a meek reassurance.
The three friends eyed each other, not really believing a word. Adrien certainly didn’t seem to want to talk about it, and they weren’t about to push it. Nino and Alya wordlessly exchanged a brief mental conversation, excusing themselves from the room for lunch, leaving Marinette alone with him.
The worried girl shifted her weight from side to side, searching for the right words to say. “Are you... coming for lunch?” Marinette rolled her eyes at her own lame question. That’s all she could think of?
Adrien’s green eyes were downcast, staring at the woodgrain of the desktop. “Uh, no. I'm... not hungry.” His eyes didn’t leave the desk. Marinette circled around to the other side, plopping down into Nino’s empty seat beside him.
“Oh, great! Neither am I!” she said with a forced smile. “I guess I could just hang out here with you.” But Marinette’s stomach chose now to rumble loudly, her own body betraying her, and she blushed at her obvious fib. Adrien only eyed her, his expression befuddling her, as she struggled to place it. A teeny, tiny smile quirked to the corners of his mouth and he sighed.
“You’re a bad liar, Marinette. Go get some lunch. I’m fine.” His head slumped back into the safety of his arms once more and he even turned his head away from her for good measure. She hesitated, knowing he wanted her to leave, but unable to force her body to do so.
“Marinette?” his muffled voice came from the layers of sweater fabric.
“Yes, Adrien?” she answered eagerly, hoping he had changed his mind.
“I… was kind of hoping to have a nap during lunch,” he said, his voice laden with the not-so-subtle hint.
“O-oh. Yeah, I’m sorry to bother you, Adrien.”
Marinette slipped silently out of the classroom, her heart squeezing in her chest and fighting back the tears that welled in her eyes. She ran for the girl’s bathroom, hoping to make it there before any wayward teardrops could make it to the surface. Pressing herself against the wall of a stall, she sniffled hard as she tried in vain to stop the flow. Taking deep breaths, she fanned her face to no success.
Why am I crying? It’s not a big deal. He was sick; that makes sense. He missed our date, and three days of school because he was sick. He certainly looked sick, and now he wanted to be left alone. So what’s there to cry about?
“Sick people can still answer texts,” Marinette heard a voice hum from the other side of the stall door.
“What?” she mumbled dumbly, not sure who had spoken.
“Adrien said he was sick, right? But from what I heard, he hasn’t been answering phone calls or texts from anyone. Sick people can still answer calls and texts.”
Marinette scowled; the voice behind her stall was recognizable now. “What do you want, Lila? ” She droned between sniffles, wiping her tears away with her palms.
Lila’s response came dripping with mock indignation. “I only want to help, Marinette. I don’t want to see any of my classmates crying over boys. Not even you.”
Marinette could practically taste the lie in the air as it slithered from Lila’s lips. “Leave me alone, Lila,” she warned, biting back the scathing words that rose to the surface of her mind.
“If you insist,” Lila fake-sighed. Marinette could see her feet turn away from the door. “I just thought you’d like to know why Adrien was really absent from school.” Her tone was playful now, as if she were dangling a thread before a kitten, hoping it would pounce.
“Whatever it is you have to say, it’s sure to be a lie. I don’t want to hear it.” Marinette said through gritted teeth, her previous sadness wholly replaced with anger and irritation now.
“Suit yourself,” she called back as her boots clacked across the bathroom tiles. “I’m just surprised that Adrien called me for comfort when his father left for Tibet, and not you.” She practically relished the words as her voice disappeared with a cackle.
Of course. Marinette rolled her eyes. She should have known Lila would get her lies out, one way or another. She was determined; she’d give her that. Tibet though? What the heck was she on about?
Marinette did her best to clean herself up, washing the tear stains from her cheeks in the sink, straightening up, and practicing her best smile.
The second half of the day was no better than the first. Adrien stayed quiet, seemingly nodding between dozing off and zoning out. Marinette tried to focus on class, but she couldn’t pry her eyes off the back of his head all day. She knew she likely wouldn’t have much chance to talk to him after school, as his bodyguard was usually waiting to take him straight home. Marinette wouldn’t have to worry about that though, because about an hour before classes were to end, Adrien excused himself to the bathroom. Which wouldn’t have seemed that out of the ordinary, if it weren’t for the fact that he’d now been gone for over twenty minutes. Which is a pretty long bathroom trip for the average person at school.
Marinette excused herself to the girl’s room and dashed out in search of him. She saw no sign of him in the courtyard, and figured the best place to start her search was probably the bathroom, since that’s where he said he was going. She stopped just short of the boy’s room, eyes darting around to make sure the coast was clear. The last thing she needed was someone seeing her poking around the boy’s bathroom like some kind of pervert. She placed her hand on the door and slowly, quietly, pushed it open.
The bathroom seemed empty, and she would have turned away immediately, satisfied that he wasn’t there. That is, if she hadn’t heard what sounded like a small sob.
“A-Adrien?” she called. Her own voice reverberated back to her off of the empty bathroom walls. Silence met her as the echo died off, but she was sure she heard someone. With one final check over her shoulder, she pushed the door open enough to slip inside.
The bathroom was empty, with all the stall doors open save for one, at the very end of the row. She took a calming breath and slipped inside the second-to-last stall, beside the one that was closed. Marinette closed the door and perched herself on the toilet seat. The silence before she spoke seemed to last for eternity, but she could hear him breathing and the very faint ruffling of fabrics brushing against one another.
“You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to, but I’m here for you. Whatever this is, I’m here for you.”
She listened intently for any hint, any sign that he was there. She heard a sniffle, and a gulp. He cleared his throat.
“Would… you believe me if I said I wasn’t Adrien?” his voice answered, small and meek.
Marinette chuckled. “Sorry, that one’s not going to work on me.”
“Can’t say I didn’t try,” he sniffled.
She heard him shuffle in the stall next to her; from the sound of it, she guessed maybe he was wiping tears away, as she had done only hours earlier.
“What are you doing in the boy’s bathroom?” he asked finally.
“Looking for you,” she shrugged. She knew he couldn’t see her shrug, but her tone of voice was clear.
“Why?”
“I’m worried about you, of course.” Her own voice was shaky, trying her best to stay calm and supportive for him. “Lila said—“
“Marinette,” he interrupted. “I thought you knew better than to believe a word that Lila says.”
Marinette hugged her arms around herself. “I don’t, but... She said your father went to Tibet.”
There was a sudden clatter in the stall next to her. “H-how did she—?”
“So it’s true then?” Marinette couldn’t bite back the feeling that erupted in her chest.
“He… left… Sunday night.” Adrien said hoarsely.
Well, that might explain some of Adrien’s recent behaviour, but it’s not like his father didn’t frequently take off on business trips. There had to be more to this, right? Marinette steeled herself as she asked her next question.
“You called Lila for comfort instead of me?” she asked, hating the obvious jealousy in her tone.
“What? No! I… I haven’t told anyone. I don’t even know how she knows,” he said bitterly.
If Marinette were a jealous person at heart, maybe she might have questioned it. But she knew Lila, and she hoped she knew Adrien well enough to know that he was telling the truth. About that at least. As usual, it seemed Lila was just looking for ways to get under her skin. She hated that she’d given her lies enough thought to ask Adrien when he was obviously feeling so down. Lila was right about one thing though: if Adrien’s father had gone to Tibet on Sunday, that could at least explain why he didn’t show up for their date.
“Is that why you didn’t show up for our date on Sunday?” she asked, voicing at least that part of her thoughts to him.
“Our date?” he echoed. His voice dropped lower. “Our date...” Realization seemed to strike him. “That was a mistake,” he said, his voice barely audible now.
Marinette felt the lump in her throat return as she swallowed down the wave of emotions his wording sent through her. It was just vague enough that it could be taken multiple ways.
“Which part? Missing the date? Or asking me on it in the first place?” she answered, surprised by her own dejected response. She wasn’t here to question him, or berate him for standing her up.
“Both.”
Of all the answers he could have given her, she most certainly wasn’t expecting that one.
“Oh,” she managed, her eyes stinging once more with the threat of tears. She couldn’t push herself to say more. Silence hung thick in the air now, and Marinette felt more and more miserable as his words began to sink in. She tried hard to ignore her own feelings for now, and instead focused on him.
“Your father goes away on business all the time. I’m sure that isn’t anything new. Though I understand why you’d be upset, I know you two don’t always see eye to eye. I just… I feel like I’m not getting the whole picture.” She placed her hand on the wall of the stall, wishing she could just reach through and hold him.
Marinette could sense the hesitation from his end, and she waited with bated breath and hoped she would get through to him.
“Marinette… I…” She heard him take a sharp breath, and his next words were laboured, as if he were expelling them from his body. “I don’t think we should... I can’t— I’m not capable of being in a relationship right now.”
His words rang in her ears, echoing as if they had bounced off the cold bathroom walls and straight into her heart.
“I’m sorry,” he added, as though she could hear it. But she couldn’t. She could only hear the blood rushing through her ears and her heart pounding loudly in her chest.
Was he... breaking up with her? Did it even count as a breakup? They weren’t exactly official yet or anything, but they’d made their feelings known. They’d been working towards... something . But not this. This wasn’t right at all. Marinette’s mind was whirling, trying to make sense of his words.
“Why?” was the only thing her brain could force her mouth to say.
“I don’t deserve you,” he answered slowly. “I—I destroy everything I touch. I don’t want that for you.”
“Did you lie when you said you loved me?” she choked, tears erupting forth now, an unstoppable force no matter how badly she wanted to hold it in. She knew her conclusion was a bit of a jump, but she wasn’t exactly thinking clearly at the moment.
“No.” Adrien’s tone was firm. “I never lied. I did love you. I… I do. ”
“Then why? ” she cried.
“Because I’m bad luck. You’ll be far better off if you stay away from me.”
Marinette was taken aback by the almost threatening tone of his last statement. She didn’t have the mental ability to question it though, as the tidal wave of emotions she’d been struggling to hold in came busting out like a broken dam, and her legs were carrying her away before her heart or mind could protest, hurling the stall door open and slamming the door to the boys bathroom aside.
Marinette ran all the way home, leaving her school bag behind, with tear-filled eyes and a broken heart.
“Marinette, I know you’re hurting and I’m sorry, but you really need to be careful,” Tikki warned, her tiny body floating to Marinette’s side as her holder sobbed into her pillow. “You can’t risk being Akumatized. A heartache this powerful would be a big red flag for Monarch.”
Marinette hated that Tikki was right. She hated that she couldn't just be a normal, angsty, depressed teenager without worrying that it may somehow cause the end of the world. Why couldn’t she just wallow in her misery? Why couldn’t she just cry over boys like other teenage girls? She needed to get a grip, but how could she? How could she possibly? Her heart was broken. If Monarch was coming for her, so be it. She’d fight him off. She’d done it before; she could do it again. Right?
She descended the steps from her bed and paced across her floor, urging herself to calm down. There were still too many unanswered questions. Why would Adrien suddenly break up with her like that? Why was he really upset? Was he even sick? She wouldn’t accept this; she couldn’t. Not without some answers. Focusing on getting answers was a lot safer than drowning in her emotions right now; the last thing she needed was to have to fend off an Akuma. Or worse, for Adrien to be Akumatized. He’d been crying in the bathroom; of that, she was sure. Then again, so had she. Why hadn’t they been targeted? Most of the kids in their class had been at some point. Marinette thought for a moment.
What day was today? Thursday? It dawned on her that there hadn’t been an Akuma attack since Saturday. While it wasn’t a huge stretch by any means, it was a bit unusual. Had she missed something?
The ever-dutiful Guardian temporarily pushed her heartache to the back of her mind and started up her computer, searching the Ladyblog, the news, and the usual websites she used for tracking such activity. But there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Patrol! Marinette’s eyes widened, slamming her fist into her open palm. She’d been so worried about Adrien that she had completely forgotten about her Wednesday night patrol with Chat Noir. He would probably be miffed at her for missing it, but she was sure he would understand. Though with the brief pause in Akuma attacks, she thought she better check in with him just in case.
Her eyes swept across her desk, and noticed that the little black cat toy that she and Chat Noir used to communicate when not transformed was not in its usual spot.
“Tikki, have you seen my cat-comm?” she asked.
Tikki wafted over with a shrug. “Let me take a look,” she chirped, and darted around the room, popping in and out of drawers and boxes. “Here it is!” she finally chimed from under Marinette’s desk.
Marinette bent down and picked it up. Strange, how did it end up there? She inspected it; it seemed fine. The buzzing cat toy had a twin, which Chat Noir kept, and they each had a little remote that they could press when they needed the other’s help. The button made the cat vibrate. Had it gone off? Had it vibrated right off of her desk?
“Tikki, I need to check in with Chat Noir,” she said, holding the cat-comm tight. Tikki nodded with understanding, and Marinette uttered her usual magic phrase. “Tikki, Spots on!”
Ladybug wasted no time pulling her yoyo communicator from her hip. She opened it, not sure if she was hoping for a message, or for no word at all. She wasn’t expecting what she saw.
Twelve missed messages and calls from Chat Noir. He couldn’t have been that mad at her for missing patrol, could he? She opened the first text.
Chat: Ladybug, I need backup. Come to the Agreste Manor ASAP.
Ladybug felt a tightness squeeze in her chest. The Agreste Manor? Adrien’s house? She quickly tapped the next message.
Chat: Please, My Lady. I need you.
1 missed call
Chat: Please, please get this in time. I need backup.
Chat: Please answer, I’m panicking
2 missed calls
Chat: I think… I think I may have uncovered something. I can’t wait for you.
Chat: If you don’t come soon, I’ll have to go in without you.
Chat: I really don’t want to go without you.
3 missed calls
4 Missed calls
Ladybug’s horrified eyes reread each message. They were all sent on Sunday evening, around the time she had been waiting for Adrien at the café. Had she missed Chat’s pleas for help because she was too busy waiting on Adrien? Goosebumps prickled on her skin. What did any of this have to do with the Agreste Manor? Why was Chat there? A million questions swirled in her mind. Her comm showed one more unread message, sent on Wednesday, when she should have been on patrol with him. She clicked it with dread in her heart.
Chat: Where were you when I needed you?
She felt her blood run cold as she re-read his last text over and over. Panic gripped her as she dialled him back.
‘Meow, you’ve reached Chat Noir; I’m not available right meow. Please leave a cat pun after the tone.’
Ladybug slammed the hang-up button with her finger and tried again.
‘Meow, you’ve reached—‘ She hung up again, immediately redialing. ‘Meow— ‘
“ANSWER THE PHONE, CHAT!” she yelled in frustration.
Ladybug typed up a message and sent it off before leaping through her rooftop skylight, dashing out into the night.
Ladybug: Chat, I’m sorry. I’m coming. Call me.
She frantically tossed her yoyo string, darting from rooftop to rooftop in a panicked flurry, searching the skyline for him. She’d check their usual spots, places they’d meet for patrol, but to her dismay, she found nothing. She racked her brain, trying to figure out where Chat could be, hoping against hope that he was okay. She didn’t know exactly what she was expecting, but considering she was five days late to answer his distress call...
The Agreste Manor. Chat’s messages haunted her thoughts. She changed course, and headed for Adrien’s house.
It wasn’t long before Ladybug hung on her string outside of Adrien’s bedroom window. The house was calm, quiet, dark. She pressed her hand to her forehead, blocking out the moonlight to peer into Adrien’s window. She spied his blonde hair across the room, sound asleep in his bed. His room was a mess, which was unusual for Adrien, but not a cause for alarm. Everything seemed fine. She swung around to various windows, peering in wherever she could. She saw Nathalie in an office, furiously typing away on a laptop. Probably doing whatever assistant work she normally did for her boss, Gabriel Agreste.
Wait. Didn’t Adrien say his father left for Tibet on Sunday night? Did that have anything to do with Chat’s message? Gabriel Agreste apparently left for Tibet on the same night that Chat had called her, asking her to meet him at the Agreste Manor. Were the two things connected? What on Earth was going on?
Ladybug felt helpless as she left Adrien’s house. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Everything weighed heavily on her mind, one thought lingering above the white noise in her head.
Where was Chat Noir?