Marinette held her love letter tightly against her chest. She cant do this… Is it too soon? Its a big step. Is she ready to take it?
"You defeated Hawkmoth. You can do this!" Tikki encouraged her. She defeated their notorious enemy yesterday with Chat Noir. But Marinette wasn't there to see who Hawkmoth was behind his mask because her miraculous ran out of power. Chat promised to meet up with her today to discuss about him.. or her. It might be a girl behind that suite. Like who knows?
"I can do this." She inhaled. She waited for a few seconds and let all her frustrations out in a groan. "I.. I CAN DO THIS!" She held her hands out wide in the air. Almost dropping her confession note. She got a lot of stares from everyone in the school but they shrugged it off because it was very usual for her to scream words out of no where.
Marinette stormed into the school practically running to class. Her teachers stare at her, amazed by her enthusiasm for school But she had other things in mind. When she arrived to class she was almost speechless. Adrien always arrive a ten minutes and forty five seconds before the school bell. Its five minutes till the school bell and his chair is empty.
Nino was sitting in Marinette's seat and flirting with Alya. "How long does it take for both of you to become a thing?" Marinette asked under her breath. She always sees them flirting but nothing happens! Where is the love when there is love? Its right there! Is she the only one seeing this?
If she can solve her love crisis she can probably deal with theirs. Marinette walked up to her table and slammed both of her hands on the table.
"Where is he?" She growled.
'Wha- Who?" Nino looked a little bit frightened with Marinette who had raccoon eyes. She spent three all nighters to make the perfect confession and she is not going to waste it.
"Adrien Argreste."
"Oh. Him." Nino's eyes darkened. "Demon child wont come for a few days."
"Demon? Why?"
"Haven't you heard? His dad is Hawkmoth! So he is under high surveillance for a month. Police suspects he has the power to turn into his dad."
Alya laughed. "Well if he does have powers, everything in his life makes sense. Why he is so perfect."
"That's ridiculous!" Am I perfect Alya? I have a miraculous! I'm still clumsy as I was the day I met you!
"Well he ignored me after the Hawkmoth incident. Saying that its best if I stop being his 'friend'. So I'm giving him what he wants. His old cold life back. This time without his mother and father."
"Nino what's wrong with you? He is your best friend!" Marinette exclaimed.
"Oh… Something's wrong with me?" Nino got up from his chair. "So when demon child screamed and threw frickin glass bottles at me saying to get away, I'm the one that's wrong? Marinette he THREW a glass bottle at my FACE!"
Alya got up from her chair and covered Nino's mouth. She sternly looked at him challenging him to see if he would fight back. When he didn't she turned towards Marinette.
"Shouldn't you go near your prince Marinette? He is in a dark place right now. I can cover for you." Alya winked. She turned towards Nino. "If I threw a glass bottle at Marinette she will still come after me. If I scream hateful words towards her she will not leave me. Because she believes in me as I believe in her. What kind of friend are you?" She let go of his mouth for him to speak.
"I-I-.." Nino's face flushed. "I don't know… Marinette go get him, please. I'm not in a good mood and I might make his depression worse if I go right now. I don't know what I feel. I called him a demon child… at his face.." He covered his face with his hands, realizing that he was the problem.
"Thank you Alya. Nino, Take care of yourself. I will get Adrien back."
When Marinette reached Adrien's home she found that they weren't kidding when they said he was under surveillance. Every corner of the house had police men guarding and she doesn't know how many more are inside yet.
As Marinette creeps behind the bush she decides she needs to sneak in. Or… use her status?
"Tikki… transform me!"
Xxxxxxxx
"Good day officer."
"Ah. Ladybug. Thank you so much for capturing Hawkmoth!" A chubby man with a bushy mustache smiled. "We cant thank you enough for your work on saving this city!"
" It was my pleasure. My job is saving this city and he is the center core of the problem. Its great that he is gone now. Well officer, I have a tiny request. If you don't mind?"
"What would that be?"
"Well, I want to talk to Adrien Agreste. Question him on the situation, maybe I might unlock some information for you."
"No need for that Miss Ladybug! We have been questioning him since yesterday. But he has locked his room and since he hasn't done anything wrong we can't force ourselves into his room yet. He didn't even eat the breakfast I offered."
"Give me the breakfast plate. I can make him eat."
"You sure Miss Ladybug?" The officer sighs. "Alright. Follow me."
The two of them make there way through long hallways till they reached his room. There was a refrigerator just on standby next to his room. The officer opened the fridge and took out a plate. He hands them over to Ladybug and just walked away.
"Adrien?" Ladybug knocked the door.
"Marinette?" A voice asked from the other side. The voice sounded very weak and brittle.
"No. Its Ladybug. You okay? May I come in?"
"Sure…" The door opened. In front of her was a broken Adrien. He didn't look fine at all and neither did his bedroom. "Come.. come in. You can.. sit down on the couch." He walked towards his window where you could see the whole Paris scenery.
The curtains were ripped into shreds. Sun basked into the trashed room. It looked like a wild cat was let loose the room. "Hey, You should eat some breakfast. You like frozen waffles?... Hey.. Adrien. Turn around, please. Stop staring out of the window…"
"Why.."
"I need you to be healthy and I need to question you."
"Question me and leave. You wont get anything extra from what I told the police."
"Ok. Just sit down."
"You can ask me your questions. Ill answer."
"Well I need to see how you react as well. Whether you are lying or not."
"Or are you one of those backstabbers who want to see me in pain. To see my fathers empire fall along with my life.. Waiting for the right moment so you can get all the fortune.. Take everything from me! I don't care! I don't mind living in the streets-" Ladybug turned Adrien around. He was crying. He certainly wasn't okay at the moment.
"I… don't.. care.." He exhaled.
"I don't want your fathers money Adrien. I'm just here to ask you a few questions. Go wash your face first." Ladybug gave a weak smile.
"No its fine. Let me have the waffles." He snatched the waffle plate from her hand.
The both sit down on Adriens cat ripped couch and Ladybug stared at him for five minutes while he gulped down the food.
"So when did you find out?" Ladybug made sure she sounded calm so it wouldn't provoke him again.
"I came home after a long day to see a bunch of police cars in front of my house. Then I see my father being pushed into one of those cars."
"How did you find out?"
"I… uh… "Right after when you left. I saw his face. I saw my father. "I asked one of the police officers."
"You knew what your father did to this city? Yet you feel some sympathy towards him?"
"He is.. my father. The one who raised me and everything he did had some reason. He must have some reason, even though there is so much destruction there might be some light." He tried finding mother. I stole his documents and files before the police came. I went through everything. He wanted to revive her from her tortured death. He loved her too much.
"That question must have been quiet rude. Sorry. Also I found this in front of your door step." Ladybug handed her love letter.
Adrien went through a quick read and tossed it aside. Marinettes heart ripped into shreds within a second.
"Why.. Did you throw it away? What was the letter about." Her voice was shaking. She needs to keep calm. She isn't Marinnette right now.
"About me being good-looking and nice. How she loves me for that. My outer appearance. This was probably written days before the Hawkmoth incident. I'm pretty sure she is disgusted at me now."
"What if she still loves you?"
"Too bad for her. I have someone else in my eyes." Adrien stared at Ladybug with a sheepish smile. The smile quickly faded as it came.
"Did you fall for her because of her looks?" Ladybug couldn't go on. This is too heartbreaking. She wants to shut herself in her room and cry. Her work is in dust. He didn't love her like she did to him.
"No. I worked with her countless of times. In mere death situations. She is still next to me even after my countless puns."
"Puns?"
"Yeah." Adrien chuckled. "Its a hobby."
"You sound so much like Chat." Ladybug giggled. "Speaking of him, I have to meet up with him. Sorry to cut this interview short. Smile, you didn't do anything wrong. Me and Chat will always be there to help you." She ruffled his hair and swooped out the window.
XxxXX
Ladybug waited more than an hour on the top of the Eiffel Tower. Since he didn't arrive she assumed that he was busy and was about to head back when Chat Noire swooped on to the balcony.
"Sorry to be late m'lady. I had some… complications." Chat averted his eyes.
"Its fine. Now I want to know. Who is Hawkmoth?"
"I thought…? You know. Gabriel Agreste? The one with the empire.. Adriens father." Chat choked on the last words.
"I needed it straight from you. I feel hopeless towards Adrien. He seems so out of it. Its his father and he is in jail, Adrien must be so heart broken." Ladybug looked at the birds flying in the sky. "He must feel so caged right now. Right Chat?"
Ladybug turned around to see Chat crying. "Are.. you crying?"
"What?" Chat Noire touched his wet cheeks. "I am? I guess."
"Oh Chat.. A lot must be happening in your personal life too." Ladybug hugged Chat. He immediately hugged her back and started to crumble again.
Why am I so weak? Infront of her.. Twice already..
"Yeah. A lot.."
"I wish I knew you in real life Chat. So I could help you."
"I wish that too but it cant happen."
"I know."
