Song: Dirty Laundry by BlackBear
Chapter 1
Dirty Laundry
We laid on the bed and I held Marinette close, rubbing her arm.
"I love you, Marinette." I whispered.
"I love you too..." She mumbled.
I smiled.
I detransformed in an alley and made my way back to the café we were eating at. The Akumas were getting stronger. She wasn't there. After a bit, she came back to the table we had gotten.
"Mari, where did you go?" I asked.
"I… don't remember." She struggled, wincing.
"Oh my God, are you hurt?" I looked. Her side was bleeding. "You are! Come on, we have to get to the hospital."
I made it home and Marinette wasn't there. Maybe she went home. The next day, she came back. And she was hurt.
"Where did you get these?!" I gestured to the bruises.
"Muggers." She said.
"They beat you?" I yelled.
"…" She looked away.
"When?" I asked.
"Walking home from your apartment." She said softly.
I clenched my jaw.
I knocked on the door to her apartment. I tried to get her to move in with me, but she always refused. Something about her work space being just right. She opened the door in her kitty tee and sweats.
"Why aren't you ready?" I asked.
"Ready… Oh my god, I forgot! I'll get ready right now!" She rushed to her room.
I walked in and closed the door. She forgot again. I frowned. I'd just have to remind her more.
"Why are you so late?!" I shouted.
"I can't go on a walk?" She said loudly.
"You disappear all the time!" I frowned.
"So do you!" She yelled.
After she left, I realized something. We disappeared at the same time. We had a hard time explaining where we went. She and Ladybug were injured in the exact same places.
"But we can work this out!" I pleaded.
"I… I need to focus on my career. I'm sorry." She picked up the bag of stuff she had accidently left at some point.
"Marinette!" I grabbed her shoulder.
"Adrien, please! Let me go." She whispered.
I watched as she left and didn't look back.
"I'm Cat Noir…"
Paris needed Ladybug more than I wanted to be with Marinette.