Opening Remarks
A quick apology to everyone who's waiting on the next chapter of "Double Date": the idea for this "Sleepless" story has been plaguing my mind since halfway through writing "Bitter Truth", and I found myself simply unable to focus on "Double Date" until I'd freed up some space in my brain. I really needed to just get a lot of these ideas out on 'paper' since they kept begging me to write them, so I hope you'll enjoy reading this in the interim.
Before we begin, please note that though this is a demon AU, the creatures in this fic known as 'demons', as well as any other beings, are creations of my own and not strictly associated with any existing mythical and/or religious beings of the same name, even if they may share some of the same attributes. This is meant to a fun and intriguing fic, not a presentation on my beliefs of good and evil forces. I chose the term 'demon' as the characteristics of my AU presentation of the kwamis has some similarities with what's commonly associated with demons. As such, there will be some banter and mincing of terms that are commonly thought of as religious. Please note that these do not necessarily reflect my views on any religions and they are not meant to attack or offend anyone.
Sleepless
Chapter 1: Beginnings
I made a deal with a demon.
"So, I'll have superpowers and be able to fight alongside THE Ladybug!?" Adrien exclaimed, eyes glittering with excitement, "You must be an angel!"
"I take offense to that." The cat-like man in a trench coat stated, unamused. Plagg was his name, and he bore a commanding presence, standing tall at six-foot-five (six-foot-eight if you counted the cat ears), as he loomed over the giddy boy. Plagg's eye began to twitch ever so slightly as he pondered to himself if this kid really had what it took to be his host. As a tall, dark, and handsome demon himself, he doubted the compatibility of this potential vessel, standing at a mere five-foot-nine with his fair hair barely at Plagg's shoulders. That wasn't even the most disconcerting part, however. He had expected a more brooding attitude, as he had sensed an angry, despairing soul… That's what had drawn him initially to seek out this boy. But now that he'd explained the offer, the boy's countenance had done a one-eighty. Heaving a sigh now that he was starting to regret his pick, the demon once more addressed the over-eager teen, "Are you sure you understand the price of this contract?"
The blond paused for a moment, hesitation shaking him of his cheery expression. A cloud seemed to overcome his features, and Plagg couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction. There it was again, that despondent vibe he thrived off of. With a deliciously sullen edge to his voice, Adrien replied quietly, "There's nothing left for me here anyway."
"Then we have ourselves a deal?" Plagg inquired with velvet voice and bewitching smile.
"Blast. All down for the count." Ladybug lamented as she inspected the six bodies that lay strewn about, all still breathing, but none exactly in any sort of shape to start singing.
"I keep telling you to scale down the power, girl." Tikki replied telepathically, which Ladybug was still getting used to even though it'd been a few weeks. One of the side effects of hosting a demon was involuntarily sharing your inner thoughts with them, just as you share your body. At first it had felt like an invasion of privacy, but lately Ladybug had come to value the added stealth and heightened strategy it could provide.
"Sorry," Ladybug responded in kind, remaining silent in case there were any prying ears nearby, "Still don't know my own super-strength. A few weeks ago I was a spindly little thing with no muscle to speak of. My instincts still scream at me to throw everything I can into each punch."
"Well if you want to gain information, they kinda need to be conscious…" Tikki deadpanned, and Ladybug could just imagine that if they were face-to-face, Tikki would be tapping a foot impatiently with her arms crossed. Tikki was a good teacher, but she was none too patient, especially when she had an end-goal in mind.
"Okay, okay, point taken, Tikki… I'll be gentler next time. For now, let's hope there's something to be garnered from their bodies and belongings."
Ladybug set herself to the task, checking for wallets, custom weapons, planners, receipts – anything that could give her some insight into who they were and what their ultimate objective was. Five of the would-be robbers had been on guard, at the ready and protecting the last guy, who was using some sort of elaborate tech set up (which she'd accidentally destroyed in the scuffle as well, much to Tikki's chagrin. The laptop would've been another great source of information.) to bypass the security to the door of the museum.
Usually the robbers she ran into were into much pettier heists, as in the long-run, they tended to pay off more. Cash was always cash; but the more valuable an item was, the harder it typically was to obtain and resell. A museum, well… everything in it was highly valuable, sure, but everything in it was so highly famous, you'd need serious underbelly connections if you ever hoped to profit. So had they been in it for the glory? Was this the whole gang, or were they merely foot soldiers?
The first four bodies were clean; nothing but standard weapons and generic clothing on them. The fifth guy's shirt still had the tag from the store attached. Apparently high-stakes heist men shopped at Thrift-O-Mart.
"You'd think a life of crime would afford them some more expensive clothing…" Tikki remarked, sensing Ladybug's surprise.
"Well either they just started this life of crime, or they're good enough to know they wanna go in 'clean' and avoid leaving any traces of DNA or identifiable personal items. Cheap clothing you can wear once and ditch in the river would be the way to go."
Finally making her way through the debris that was once the last gentleman's laptop – the seventh victim of her lack of restraint, technically - Ladybug rolled him over, searching him like she did the others.
It was as she was searching his chest pocket for any artifacts that something strange caught her eye; what she'd assumed was a tattoo on his forehead had begun to fade – rapidly.
"Tikki?"
Without needing to voice her question, Ladybug was immediately answered with, "Uh oh, this isn't good… That's a demon's kiss."
Ladybug instinctively reached out to touch the fading mark on the perp's skin, hoping to learn something from the texture that may be present, but Tikki screamed in her head to stop and Ladybug recoiled involuntarily, Tikki taking over control completely. When she released her hold a moment later, Ladybug mentally screamed, "Geez, Tikki! What gives!? A little warning would've been nice!"
"Sorry, LB, didn't mean to rattle you. It's just that you should never touch a demon's kiss… Depending on how powerful the demon is that left it, there could still be some residual curse that could affect you. It takes a rather powerful demon to leave such a mark in the first place – not many demons have that gift. Even us demons fear the ones who can."
Approaching more cautiously this time, Ladybug inspected the faint and nearly gone tattoo. At first glance it had appeared to be just a cliché angel wing tat, but the more she looked, the more she noticed, even as it faded. Even though it had looked black when she first saw it, it was fading in hues of purple, and the wings weren't solid, but rather made up of tiny letters, the writing of which she couldn't make out…
"Someone's coming!" Tikki hissed, though Ladybug wasn't sure why she had bothered to whisper when she was already completely silent to the outside world.
Ladybug hastily retreated into the shadows, ducking behind a nearby building.
"Tikki, stealth mode." She instructed. The demon acquiesced, a faint glow escaping as the scale-like armor that she had donned for the battle gave way to an all-black ensemble. The combat pants, cami, and hoodie served to cloak her body in shadow, such that only the whites of her eyes and lower half of her face were readily visible in low-lighting. A red turtleneck mask veiled the exposed parts of her face, reaching up over the bridge of her nose, which she liked to imagine gave the impression that she was made of shadow and yet feasted on the blood of her enemies. Lame vampire comparisons aside, she hoped it made her look like an intimidating ninja if nothing else – she and Tikki were still working on wardrobe decisions.
She was thus a bit shocked when she peered around the side of the building she'd taken refuge behind and saw someone – a young, male someone - inspecting the abandoned laptop, wearing nearly the same thing. With the exception of a few more accents, like gleaming silver zippers, iridescent green trim, and a pair of fabric ears affixed to the top of the hood, they could be twins. Perhaps she'd started a trend.
As she studied him, she noticed that his build was slim but muscular, and although he wasn't particularly large, he seemed like he'd pose a larger threat than the unconscious thugs he was now investigating had done. She found her eyes lingering longer than they needed to, but she reasoned it was because he was clearly in a higher league and she needed all the intel she could get, for tactical reasons. The way he carried himself, his fluid movements, and the keen, intelligent green eyes he used to observe his surroundings all pointed to his greater potential as a threat. She'd have to make sure she had the upper hand if she wanted to ensure a quick victory. Looks like she'd have to rely on stealth and the element of surprise.
It was over almost instantly. His back was now pinned against the wall of the museum, but he didn't so much as flinch at the impact, seemingly unfazed by her attack. Ladybug held a dagger to his throat as blue eyes searched green. They dilated rapidly, as if in excitement, rather than doubt or shock of his situation. She hadn't been expecting that; most people would be cowering in fear by this point. She also hadn't been expecting to reach this point so soon. Now that she could feel his build with her own hands, she could tell that her initial observations had been correct – he could've put up far more of a fight if he'd wanted to.
Then there was the matter of his cat ears… She'd seen them twitch moments before she attacked, so they weren't part of the costume like she'd initially thought; he'd heard her coming. She had meant to slam him against the wall face-first, as that's the way he had been facing and it'd put her at a greater advantage, but in the split seconds in-between the time he first detected her and when she made contact, he'd managed to do an about-face. Talk about cat-like reflexes. There was definitely something supernatural at work, both in his abilities and the effect he was having on her. She'd subconsciously relaxed her grip the moment she beheld his face from mere centimeters away. She'd fought attractive faces before, but those faces hadn't been quite so exquisite.
"Who are you?" Ladybug demanded, eyes narrowing to let him know she wouldn't be tolerating lies, "A copycat?"
His face was turning a curious shade of red, which only made her think that whatever he said next would be lies. Her grip tightened on her blade, ready to press it just a little deeper to let the stranger know she was serious, but Tikki's voice rang in her head, "Stand down, Ladybug. I sense Plagg's presence in the boy."
"He's one of yours?"
"Seems so, unfortunately."
Ladybug noted that Tikki's tone wasn't entirely sarcastic, nor direly serious. Whatever their relationship, it promised to be an interesting story. She bookmarked that confrontation for later; for now, there were more pressing matters to attend to. Speaking of pressing…
"Well then," Ladybug addressed the boy once more, easing up her grip and putting a little distance between them so she was no longer sandwiching him between herself and the door. She brushed off the foreign feeling that arose when their contact broke, distracting herself with the task of pulling down her mask so she could speak properly. Forcing her features to stay serious and voice even, she informed the man, "Tikki tells me that you're host to one called 'Plagg', so I won't be beating you up after all. Guess it's your lucky day, even if you are a black cat."
"Hey, I like that!" the lad said with enthusiasm after he removed his own mask, surprising her yet again. He was flashing her the most dazzling smile, and for reasons unfathomable, she was feeling a bit unsteady, weak in the knees, even. She wasn't expecting him to be so… upbeat? Giddy? Enthralled? Heck, he was looking downright thrilled right now even though he'd just stepped foot onto a crime scene, was surrounded by six unconscious thugs, and had just been held at knife point by one of the more well-known vigilantes of Paris. Surprise gave way to indignation as she bristled at the thought that he wasn't taking her seriously. Here she was, treating him like the worthy opponent she assumed him to be, yet he was shrugging her off like he'd decided to just walk out his front door this evening and shop for unconscious thieves and broken laptops at Thrift-O-Mart, and she was merely the bag lady. To top it all off, he reeked of inexperience… She'd peg him at no more than six hours' possession. He was being way too cocky for his experience level, and she found herself both annoyed by and jealous of it.
"Although I think I'd prefer the French version." He continued, cupping his chin with his forefinger and his thumb as though deep in thought. After a moment's contemplation, he snapped his fingers and proclaimed, "That settles it. My name will be Chat Noir."
"Oh boy, looks like you've adopted a stray, Ladybug…" Tikki taunted in a sing-song voice, "And you've already named him… They say once you do that, you're hopelessly attached."
Ignoring her shoulder demon – or rather, head demon? – Ladybug pressed on, "Okay, 'Chat Noir', what are you doing here?"
"Looking for you, of course! I'm your new partner!"
Ladybug prided herself on her ability to keep a controlled countenance and steely expression, but she was unable to stop the involuntary grimace and eye twitch that resulted from his declaration. The thought of teaming up with someone else had never occurred to her. She was a lone vigilante, a solitary soldier in the underworld… not that she'd been doing this all that long, but still… It was still all so surreal, and she was sure at times that it would all fade into nothing someday, so no, she hadn't given future plans to team up and expand any thought, and she didn't want to.
"Uh… don't take this the wrong way, but I sorta… work alone." Ladybug fibbed, hoping he'd buy the excuse. She forced herself to regain a stoic expression, hoping he hadn't noticed her surprise and subsequent cover-up.
It didn't work. He laughed. LAUGHED, of all things, like this really was just a game to him. This guy was starting to get on her nerves, so she allowed it to show with a frown and furrowed brow.
"Sorry, sorry" Chat placated, holding a hand up in apology, "It's just that… you're just like me, so I know that you're actually NEVER alone. 'Tikki', you said? You already work with her, er… or him? I guess I shouldn't presume, haha…"
And now he was getting under her skin. "Great, a smart aleck." she mused. Yet, even though he was annoying, a small part of her had relaxed at the humor. He was putting her at ease, encouraging her to let her guard down and that meant that he was dangerous, and thus she didn't want him anywhere near her.
"Fine, you pedantic little prick." Ladybug snapped, though she couldn't completely conceal the hint of amusement in her voice, nor the coy upturn of her lip that came with, "Tikki and I prefer to work by ourselves."
Chat returned her smile with a flirtatious smirk of his own, rebutting, "Well a preference isn't a refusal, so at least allow me the chance to purrsuade you to change your mind."
Ladybug rolled her eyes at his continued jesting antics, but she was finding it hard to completely erase the smile from her face, "Fat chance. There's no way I'm gonna get stuck babysitting you, pretty boy."
"Aw," Chat cooed, eyes now half-lidded and mouth stretched in an all-out Cheshire-cat grin, "You think I'm pretty? I'm flattered, m'lady."
"….Curses." She'd meant that as an insult, gosh darn it! How had this turned from a battle of wit to a battle of flirt? She couldn't back down now… She couldn't show weakness! She had to gain the high ground, turn this around in her favor, use his weaknesses against him! …Problem was, she didn't know what his weaknesses were. The only way she'd learn what they were would be to observe him further… But that would mean she'd have to agree to his request. She felt like she was backed into a corner, even though he was the one with his back against a wall… "Hm, may as well use it…"
"Please do." she heard Tikki affirm with a note of amusement in her tone, like she couldn't wait to see Ladybug's thought-out plan unfold.
Ladybug seized Chat Noir by the collar and pushed him, harder than she'd meant to (Tikki would no doubt chastise her for her lack of restraint again), so that he hit the surface with a thud that got the desired result. He was the shocked one this time, and that cocky grin and twinkle in his eye had vanished. Giddy with her small victory, but hiding it with her best death glare, she flashed a sadistic smile as she declared, "You do NOT get to call me 'your lady' until you manage to achieve partner status, IF you manage to get that far."
Recovering quickly after getting slammed against the wall, Chat Noir's smile returned, this time more mischievous in nature, accepting her challenge. "So you will give me a chance then… You won't be disappointed," He began, calmly removing one of her hands that was gripping his hoodie, "I guarantee it." He sealed his promise by drawing her hand to his lips and ghosting a kiss across the knuckles, sending a shiver down her spine.
Refusing to show him any reaction, rattled though she was by his touch and nonchalant attitude, she turned heel and casually strode back towards the laptop, intending to retrieve it. "You have two weeks," Ladybug announced, "Don't disappoint me. I can't stand liars who don't live up to their word." Not looking back, for fear that her face would betray how shaken she truly was, she quickly stooped and picked up the laptop, hoping the hard drive would still be in good enough condition to get some useful data off of it. With a salute in Chat Noir's general direction, for she still didn't trust herself to face him, she bade him farewell with her signature phrase, "Bug out!" and ran off into the night.
The newly-christened 'Chat Noir' heaved a sigh as Ladybug faded into the distance, evoking an amused snort from Plagg.
"So, was she everything you anticipated?" the demon inquired.
"Everything and more…" Chat sighed contentedly.
"You know I can hear you just fine in here." Plagg informed, "No need to talk out loud. We don't want to attract attention while we're still at a crime scene… and these guys could wake up any moment."
"Sorry, still not used to this."
"Well get used to it. Otherwise, people gonna think yo' crazy, talking to yourself like that."
"Haha, noted. So… was it just me, or did Ladybug seem kinda… upset?"
"I mean, she didn't seem to appreciate you presuming to be her equal."
"No, I mean… Didn't you see her eyes? There was a deep… I dunno, sadness… or loneliness of some sort…"
"Loneliness, maybe… She'd have to be lonely to flirt with the likes of you."
"Hey! I can be a cool cat… I thought I was pretty smooth back there…"
"Pretty cheesy, you mean."
"Wait, do you really think she was flirting with me!? I kinda thought maybe she was, but I mean, I also just assumed it was wishful thinking on my part…"
"Hard to say, kid… One moment she looked like she wanted to kiss you, and the next she looked like she wanted to put you six feet under. If you want my advice, stay away from her, kid… The temperamental ones are always trouble."
"Great news; I don't want your advice."
"Hey, don't say I didn't warn ya… If nothing else, a little part of her is always gonna hate you, so be careful of that."
"Huh? What do you mean? How would you know?"
"Chat Noir is two people: you and me. Likewise, Ladybug is two people: Tikki and her host. Tikki hates me, thus Ladybug will always hate you in part."
"Why does Tikki hate you?"
"That's a story for another day, kid. For now, let's think about calling it a night, yeah?"
Adrien glanced around, like he was just now remembering that they were surrounded by unconscious thieves – who would probably be waking up soon. He re-donned his mask and started to leave the scene, though he wasn't sure which direction to head… So he decided on leaving the same way Ladybug had.
A smile crept across Chat's face as his mind replayed the events from just a few minutes before. Making sure he was addressing him internally, Chat spoke once again to his demon, "By the way, thank you so much for this opportunity; I can't believe I got to meet Ladybug face to face - literally!"
"I take it you liked what you saw."
"Ah, there's no one else like her! Her face is downright angelic!"
"You know, she's just like us; I think 'demonic' is the term you're looking for."
"But 'demonic' typically means 'ugly', Plagg…"
"You humans and your stereotypes. You saw me before our contract, right? I don't mean to brag or nothin', but I've received my fair share of cat calls."
"How about 'devilish' then?"
"Well, it's a start… Come on, kid, focus! We gotta find someplace to crash for the night."
"…We do?"
"Uh, yeah? Were you listening earlier? When you signed our contract, you became nameless, with nothing to your name – "
"How can I have nothing to a name I don't even have?"
"Hush, let me finish."
"But you contradicted – "
"How do you like being interrupted, eh? Not so nice, am I right? So do unto others as you would have them do to you, blah blah blah, all that jazz."
"Fine. Go ahead. Just know that I'm glaring at you on the outside… and the inside. Man, it's so weird having a conversation with someone on the inside… The lack of eye contact is really throwing me off."
"Now you're just getting sidetracked. Try to keep up, kid - Chat Noir. 'Adrien', is no more. All your assets, including your prior dwelling, are no longer in your reach now that you've assumed a new identity. As such, we're starting fresh here; so we've got a lot to do before the night is over."
"Alright, lead the way… figuratively of course, 'cause I mean, neither of us can 'lead' when there's only one body here… Gah, I'm still geeking out about that…"
"…This is gonna be a loooooong night."
Did I wake up from a nightmare, or fall into a dream?
Marinette Dupain-Cheng had always loved to sleep in. The cozy warmth of her blankets was always a welcome embrace, all curled up in pillows and stuffed animals, letting the last vestiges of a good dream linger in her hazy consciousness as she basked in blissful relaxation. Unfortunately, this recreational habit of hers had some less-than-optimal side effects – such as delayed departures and chronic tardiness. Her parents had thus been thrilled when their daughter's freshman semester at college had cured her of the habit overnight. Or at least, they had been, initially…
Tom Dupain greeted his daughter as she joined him in the bakery kitchen, not even five minutes after he'd arrived himself. The hour was wee in the morning, 4:30 to be exact. If one squinted their eyes hard enough, they may just be able to make out the faintest line of dawn on the horizon.
With a yawn, Marinette groggily returned the greeting and grabbed an apron, making every move to aid her father in prepping the dough for the morning's wares.
"You look so tired, Mari, why don't you go back to bed? I can manage just fine." Tom suggested with a warm smile. Sure, he'd love his daughter's help, and the quality time, but over the past few weeks, he was beginning to worry his daughter would burn out if she didn't start getting more quality shut-eye.
"No, mmm'kay, p'mise." She mumbled in reply, stifling another yawn. Truth was, she was anything but 'mmm-kay', but she wouldn't let on. She wanted to cherish every moment she had with her father this morning before she had to leave for school. The university wasn't very far, but it was far enough to be too far away for daily commute, so she lived on campus and usually visited her parents on the weekends. Seeing as how it was Monday morning and she had afternoon classes, she only had a precious few hours before she'd have to head back.
Busying herself preparing the hearty dough for breads since her father had already started on the flaky dough for pastries, she tried to focus on the task at hand instead of dwelling on the nightmare that had woken her up at the crap of dawn. It was a hard thing to do when her body was exhausted and her mind was still reeling with the vividness of the dream. It certainly didn't help that these dreams had been continuous, like her subconscious was writing a twisted fantasy soap opera over the past few weeks. It wasn't just the continuity that spooked her, but the fact that everything just felt so real - as real and as tangible as the dough she was now kneading.
Last night had been ten times worse than normal though… Her nightmares, though still freaky, had settled into a sort of rhythm, and she had just started to think she could reconcile herself with them as just that – a new nightly routine. Bizarre, but predictable, and thus manageable. But last night's dream had changed all that. A new variable had entered the picture, and with him, a whole new range of emotions that made the dream seem that much more of a reality. As her fingers worked the dough, memories of how he had felt beneath her grip came rushing back full force. "'Memories'? Is that really what they are?" She'd always called them dreams before, never memories… "He wasn't even a real person, right? He was just a figment of my over-active imagination, right?" So how come he'd been able to have such a real and varied effect on her?
She decided she didn't have the mental energy to puzzle through her questions right now, however, as especially first thing in the morning, she always felt more drained than when she went to bed. The experience of having such vivid dreams had her feeling like she was constantly awake. Which she might as well be, given how much of an early bird these nightmares had made her, jolting her awake at ungodly hours of the morning. Yet old habits die hard, and with the combined fear of facing another nightmare, she was still very much a night owl as well. Guess that made her an insomniac fowl, or something…? Why were the technical terms all bird-related anyway?
"Ah, Marinette, careful!" Tom's voice infiltrated her thoughts, but it was too late. In her daze, she hadn't seen the countertop island that had so rudely intersected her path. The bowl of dough she had been carrying to the proofer went flying and so did she, and she found herself briefly wishing she was as graceful in real life as she was in her nightmares.
"Have a safe trip, honey! We love you!" Sabine called once more as her daughter ran off – or rather, hobbled off, using a borrowed crutch to help support the weight of her now-twisted ankle - to catch her bus back to the university.
"Do you think she'll make it there in time?" Tom asked, drawing his wife into a one-armed hug.
"Let's hope so… She shouldn't have waited until the last minute like that."
"I hope she's okay… She seemed so reluctant to leave… and while I'm happy she's still so close to us even though she's a college kid now… I feel like she's gotten clingier as of late, instead of gradually breaking away…"
"She's probably just having a hard time adjusting to college life." Sabine shrugged, though she too was also a little worried. Marinette had Nino and Alya to keep her company, yet Marinette insisted on still coming home every weekend to visit them. "I'm sure once she makes a few more friends at college, she'll want to spend more time with them than with us."
"But, the look in her eyes… It's like each time she leaves, she's afraid she'll never see us again… You don't think she's in trouble or anything?"
"I'm sure if she was in any serious trouble, she'd tell us, dear. For now, we can only hope and pray that things don't get that bad but instead start looking up."
"Adrien, wake up! You'll be late for your classes!"
A voice cut through his consciousness and he woke with a shiver. Adrien instinctively reached for the glasses on his nightstand, and once he donned them, Nathalie came into focus, and he found himself lamenting the fact that he didn't lock the door last night. He was much too old for his father's secretary to be coming into his bedroom to wake him up; he wasn't a little kid anymore.
His awakening was made even less pleasant as he tried to hold on to the good dream he'd been having but felt it begin to slip away in the aftershock of his rude awakening. It had been an exciting dream, he supposed, though he recalled some not-so-pleasant moments as well… but it had all felt so real, and he had become a superhero! It was like his mind was subconsciously writing a comic book of his life.
"NOW, Adrien, or you'll be late!" Nathalie insisted, inciting a groan from the tired teen.
"So what?" he rebelled, lifting his glasses to rub his eyes.
"Look, I know you're used to being homeschooled your whole life and thus having a little leeway in the mornings, but this is college now, and class starts when the university schedule dictates.
That got Adrien feeling wide awake. University? But… his father had said…
"Wait, what?" Adrien asked, and Nathalie, though usually stoic, cracked a small grin.
"Your father suddenly announced last night that he wanted me to register you for classes at the university. He pulled some strings so you could start going to classes while your registration is being processed. It pays to have a rich and famous father, you know."
A wide grin taking over his face, Adrien leapt out of bed in excitement, shooing Nathalie out so he could change. He couldn't believe this sudden turn of events! His father actually listening to his request for once? He had been so adamant about Adrien starting full time modelling for his fashion line rather than 'wasting time going to university' since, if Gabriel had his way, Adrien would have no need for a degree. It seemed that Adrien's insistent begging and pleading had finally gotten through to him. It was all too good to be true… So much so that he halted in his tracks, nearly dropping the change of clothes he'd just picked up.
This was so out of character for his father, it couldn't be real… Maybe… was it possible? Was he dreaming? No, that was ridiculous… These clothes felt real, his bedroom was real, tangible, and every detail just as he'd remembered it throughout his life. Maybe his father just had a moment of revelation and realized he'd lost nineteen years of his son's life and wanted to start making it up to him? He had a lot of 'making up' to do though, since Adrien was seriously thinking that a dream where he was a superhero could be more plausible than his father listening to his wishes for once.
"You okay, girl?" Alya asked, sliding into the seat next to her raven-haired friend.
"Yeah, I just twisted my ankle a little this morning is all…" Marinette replied, heaving a sigh.
"That's not what I meant. Crutches are an on-and-off accessory with you, given your propensity for testing gravity. I meant your spirit, girl. You look wiped and defeated."
"I'm alright, just tired…" Marinette asserted, gratefully accepting the tumbler of fresh-brewed coffee Alya offered her.
"Another nightmare?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Either you had another sleepless night, or you're a descendant of a raccoon, with those rings around your eyes. I'm telling you, Mari; it's the stress. You need to take something off your plate before you go crazy."
"Maybe I'm already crazy, Alya… These nightmares I've been having…"
"Alright class, put those cell phones away," The professor instructed, putting an end to the girls', and everyone else's, conversations as he started the class, "We'll be starting off with a pop quiz, so I hope you all did the reading assignment this weekend."
With a collective groan, the students did as they were instructed, and fifteen minutes later, Marinette was turning her quiz in at the front. She was about begin the arduous journey back up the stairs to her seat when the sound of the classroom door creaking open like it was screaming, "I really need my hinges greased", caught her attention. It had been a fleeting glance, purely instinctual, but she couldn't stop herself from doing a double take as emerald eyes caught hers, peeking out from behind black-rimmed glasses. The boy – nay, man – reminded her of a deer, caught in the headlights, unsure whether he should move or stay put in the door frame, eyes every bit as wide, innocent, and beautiful as a doe. Something about those eyes struck a chord in Marinette… like maybe she'd seen them before… once upon a dream… but who was she kidding? This was real life, not a fairytale, so there was no way this was truly love at first sight… No way.
"Can I help you?" The professor snapped, clearly irritated that his class's pop quiz was being interrupted.
"Sorry…" The flustered blond stated, rubbing a hand nervously behind his head, "I'm just looking for the THEA104 class… Didn't mean to interrupt anything."
"Yes, this is the theater arts introduction class… Ah, you must be that late addition to the class roster! I got an e-mail about that this morning, but only had time to glance over it. I trust you'll be more… punctual from now on, yes?"
"Oh, yes!" the new student responded over-enthusiastically, and Marinette couldn't help but giggle. She immediately regretted it though, as the professor's attention snapped to her and he stated, "Marinette, why don't you help him get situated since you've already turned in your quiz?"
"Girl, I can't believe you tripped UP the stairs!" Alya guffawed, inciting a wince from her friend.
"Alya, you don't have to rub it in…" Marinette whimpered, face going red.
"Hey, at least for the time-being, you can blame your lack of grace on the crutch." Alya reasoned, before poking Marinette in the arm and teasing, "Sooooo, when are you gonna ask him out?"
"Wh-what makes you think I'd do that?"
"Oh come on! You were practically drooling over him the whole lesson!"
"Oh no, did I really!? He didn't notice, did he!?"
"Would it be so bad if he did?"
"Of course! I already made a complete fool of myself within the first minute of meeting him! There's no way I can make an approach anytime soon; not until I've redeemed myself in his eyes!"
"Hey, you don't even know what he likes! For all you know, he could totally have a thing for, uh, acrobatic girls who have a hard time speaking around him."
"'Acrobatic' is a bit of a stretch, don't you think?"
"Well it certainly sounds better than 'klutz' or 'spaz'… Did you intend that 'stretch' pun, Mari? Seriously, you need to give it a rest. We're in college now; word play is no longer cool."
"Aw, don't quit on me now! Take a leap of faith; you love jumping on the opportunity to tease me about my tumbles."
"Ugh, those word games were always more yours and Nino's thing… Why did I choose to hang out with you guys again?"
"'Cause you love us?" a new voice piped in, stepping between the two girls as he draped an arm over each's shoulders.
"Hey, Nino, how'd you do on the pop quiz?" Alya inquired, slipping her hand into his.
Marinette fell back a bit, wanting to let the lovers have a little privacy. She had been so happy for them when they started going out a few months ago – and she'd been sure to give Alya the proper amount of grief about it. They'd been dancing around each other for years, both obviously liking each other but both too scared to make a move on account of fearing they'd make their friendship trio awkward. She'd never understood why they were so worried about that, because, with the exception of that awkward summer when Nino developed a crush on herself, the two had harbored feelings for each other ever since they'd met in 9th grade.
"Gryah!" Marinette cried as she was frightened out of her musings when a hand cupped her shoulder.
"Er, sorry, didn't mean to frighten you." The angelic-looking boy that had come late to class said, an apologetic look on his face and his arm nervously rubbing the back of his neck as he fell into step beside her.
As his emerald eyes bored into hers, she was once again struck with a feeling of deja vu. She felt like she'd seen those eyes before, and for a fleeting second, her mind flashed back to the dream she had the night before. Had it been a premonition? Thinking of the black cat only served to make her even more nervous, so she forced herself to focus on the real person in front of her so she could fight through the embarrassment and respond. Feeling her face heat like a furnace, Marinette struggled to find words and string them together coherently, ending up with a hot mess, "No! It's fine! Fault mine! Y-you anything do didn't! Didn't anything! You d-didn't do anything! I mean, nothing wrong!"
"Oi, what a trainwreck. He must think I'm a blabbering mess of a klutz." How was he able to have such an effect on her?
He laughed pleasantly, and Marinette decided right then and there that he must be an angel; no earthly being could have a laugh that heavenly, nor a face so beautiful.
"I must've startled you pretty badly; you're kind of a jumpy one, aren't you?" the boy continued, seemingly amused by her 'jumpy'-ness, "I just wanted to thank you for your help in class, and, if I could be so audacious… ask for your help again…" At this, he flashed her a sheepish grin, and Marinette cursed gravity. How dare it choose NOW of all times to claim her, when she was already weak in the knees from his blinding smiles and injured from that morning's fall?
"Are you okay?" He asked earnestly, offering a hand to help her up, eyes laced with concern. Marinette was sure steam was starting to pour from her ears. How could someone be so perfectly suave, and in the presence of someone who clearly lacked it? Marinette glared at the crutch which now lay a few feet away, punishing it for abandoning her in her time of need, before accepting his hand and replying, "I'm fine!" The moment she rose, however, she nearly fell back over as she winced involuntarily. "Great. This is just great…" She seethed inwardly, cursing her luck – or lack thereof.
"Clearly you're NOT fine. Here, can you put your arm around my neck? Let's try and get you somewhere comfortable to rest."
"Oh, no, you don't have to! I'm sure you're very busy, and my friends can – " Marinette stopped mid-sentence, looking every which way. "Where did - ? But they were here just here a moment ago… Alya…" she sneered, piecing the facts together. She made a mental note to chew her best friend out for this little stunt later and turned her attention back to her savior, intending to ask him to take her to the nurse's office. But when she did so, she found herself quite literally face-to-face with him.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean…" He started to stammer, also a little flustered at their proximity, face beginning to tinge, "I know you don't know me; I j-just didn't want you to put any weight on your injury so I shifted you closer... I-If you're uncomfortable, I can -"
"N-no I don't mind! I'm comfortable! You're comfortable! I mean, your perfect is idea! I mean… …The nurse's office is down that hallway… If you'd be so kind…" She pointed, indicating the fallen crutch, and he scooped it up with a smile, careful to adjust her body weight so he was still supporting her during the shift in position.
"Alright, Princess, let's get you to the nurse's office." He declared with a friendly smile, making Marinette blush again. She really felt like a princess while she was being paid such attention… And he certainly fit the part of a prince… But there was no way someone as perfect as him would ever seriously consider making a girl like her his princess… "Calm down, girl, it was just an expression…"
They hobbled in silence for a ways, when Marinette ventured to ask, "Um, before I went and fell, you said you needed some help… What can I help with? You know, once I'm done being an invalid…"
"Oh, I've just been having a heck of time trying to find all my classes, and was hoping you could point me in the right direction for my next one, especially since I was running late after staying after our class to get the professor to sign some forms for me… but it doesn't matter now…"
"Why…?" She questioned, then immediately answered her own question. "Oh. Because of me… He's missing class because of me..."
"I'm sorry…" She whispered, feeling her cheeks color in shame. "Way to go, Marinette, you managed to make him miss a class with your killer moves, and after he was all nice to you and everything…"
"Nah, don't worry about it! What are friends for?" He declared with a bright smile that threatened to make her weak in the knees again. But just as suddenly, it was gone, uncertainty overtaking his features instead. "I'm sorry, that was presumptuous of me… I… I've never really had friends before, so this is all new to me… I hope, if you let me, we could be friends…"
"Bless his precious baby heart…" Marinette couldn't believe what she was hearing. Someone that beautiful and kind would surely be surrounded by friends. She responded with probably more enthusiasm than was acceptable, "I-I'll totally be friendly! Your friend! Definitely! Th-that is, if you're okay with b-being mine…"
He was laughing again, his mirth infectious, and if she had completely thrown caution to the wind, she'd be tempted to kiss that perfect, sweet face. She could tell that his soul was just as beautiful, as his kind, sacrificing actions had just displayed, and she couldn't believe her luck that he wanted to be her friend.
"It's almost like this is too lucky… too perfect… Like maybe, this is all a dream… an escape from the brutal reality…" The thought rattled her to the core, and a chill ran up her spine. She had been so insistent that her nightly afflictions were nightmares… "But… what if it's the other way around?"
"I'm Adrien, by the way." The blond declared, bringing her out of her thoughts and back to reality… or least, she hoped it was reality…
"Marinette." Was all she managed to say, still shaken by the new possibility she'd just entertained. "Please let this be a dream come true… and not just a dream…"
Adrien dropped his messenger bag as soon as he entered his room, heaving a satisfied sigh. Today had been one of the best days of his life. His life-long dream of making a friend had just come true. Not only that, but his father seemed to finally be taking his opinions seriously. It was a few weeks into the semester, so he'd have to play catch up, but better late than never. He was still reeling from this morning's information that his father had finally given him permission to attend college. With the subsequently wonderful first day he had there, he was beginning to think that it was all too good to be true.
"I should at least thank him…" He mused to himself, thinking if he had a conversation expressing his gratitude, he'd be able to not only encourage further positive results from his dad, he'd also be able to reassure himself that this wasn't all just a dream, leaving him to wake and find out that his dad was still forcing him to focus solely on his modeling career, clothed in isolation.
Making his way to his father's office, he was surprised to find the door standing slightly ajar, and Nathalie absent from her post at the desk in front. The sounds of a conversation outpoured from the opening, and he couldn't help but overhear the two talking…
"What do you mean, additional fees?" The cross voice of his father inquired.
"Since the semester's already started, the only on-campus housing that's available are the high-end private dorms, and the late fee as well…" Nathalie answered, cool and placid as always.
"Fine. Just do whatever it takes to get him out of this house and occupied." Gabriel instructed coldly, and Adrien doubled over, feeling like his heart had been struck with an arrow made of ice.
"Yes sir." Nathalie affirmed, "I can have movers here within the next few hours if necessary. Would that suit your schedule or would you prefer I have them wait to pack up his things until you're at work tomorrow?"
"No, the sooner the better. I want him out of sight and out of mind. I have very pressing matters to focus on and the sooner distractions are removed, the better, even if some temporary distractions must be tolerated as the price."
Adrien, who'd been too stunned to move, finally found himself able to command his legs again, so he willed himself to flee, running faster than he ever had before, wanting nothing more than to seek solace in the solitude of his room, where he could numb the pain the way he always had. Waiting in his room was a library of books and DVDs, filled with thrilling tales he could launch himself into, escaping the cruel reality that was his life. If he was lucky, maybe the latest episode of "My Hero Academia" would be available online…
Who had he been fooling? This day, a dream come true? He should've known better… It was all that dream's fault… Where he had become a hero and was free of his father's influence… It had gotten him wishfully thinking that this turn of events was his father finally starting to be just that… a father, and not a manager, an owner, or whatever else he seemed to think he was instead where it concerned Adrien… where it concerned 'distractions'.
"If only this could be the nightmare… I don't want Chat Noir to be just a dream…"
Are we fated to fall in love with the other's nightmare?
Closing Remarks
I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter! I had so much fun writing it!
I originally planned on Ladybug using the name of an actual French chain store in this chapter, but decided that the dialog was in need of a more comedic name, rather than 'Auchan'. Hence the brand 'Thrift-O-Mart' was born! Also, I read somewhere that thrift stores in France are called 'antique' stores, but again, for comedy value, 'Antique-O-Mart' just didn't sound as humorous as 'Thrift-O-Mart'... The price of humor, I tell ya...
"My Hero Academia" is an actual superhero anime that's currently running, and according to Thomas Astruc's twitter account, Adrien loves anime, hence the mention here.
I toyed with the idea of calling this chapter "Bugaboo Begins" because it'd be my hats-off to the Christopher Nolan Batman Begins movie, and I'm total goofball who likes alliterations... But though I do plan on having a good deal of comic relief and silliness in this fic, I didn't want to not be taken seriously at all...
Now that I've gotten this first chapter out of my system, it's my goal to focus on "Double Date" next, and perhaps alternate between these two fics... Though I'm tempted to hold off on this fic until season 2 comes out so I can work elements of it into the plot for Sleepless. (I still have enough season 1 inspired material to keep this going for awhile... it's just that it'd be nice to include some foreshadowing for overarching plotlines... but I also don't want any spoilers in here for people wanting to go into season 2 spoiler free...)
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As always, you can check out my tumble accound for updates, sneak peeks, Q&A, and general fangirling. It's zepuka DOT tumblr DOT com
