"Stop calling us a couple!" she shouted again. "I didn't mean anything, you dumb cat!"
Adrien woke with a start. Taking several deep breaths, he calmed himself down. What had started as a pleasant dream had become a depressing nightmare/memory. Adrien rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock. It wasn't even midnight which meant he had only dozed off for a short while. He could hear Plagg snoring from the futon on the other side of the room.
The tv the kwami had been watching was still on with the volume muted. On the screen, Adrien could see the image of Ladybug and Chat Noir kissing from a few weeks earlier. The memory of it all, or rather, the lack of made Adrien moan.
"Wha...wai...who?" Plagg cried out, startled from his sleep by the noise.
"Oh, sorry, Plagg," Adrien said. "I didn't mean to wake you."
The tv clicked off and in the moonlight, he could see Plagg floating towards him.
"You ok, kid?" he asked as he got closer. "I'm surprised you're awake. You were flat tired out after that last attack."
Adrien sat up in bed, knowing he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep any time soon.
"Yeah, well...I'm up now," he said, flipping on the lamp so he could see better. He mentally replayed the memory of his argument with Ladybug from earlier that evening.
Chat Noir had, once again, crossed a line and said something stupid. The comment sent Ladybug into a firestorm of hurtful words, although he had to admit they were all true. Ladybug and Chat Noir were not a couple. The kiss, because they can't remember it, doesn't really mean anything. And, most importantly, Chat Noir doesn't stand a chance with her because she loves someone else.
Adrien felt tears stinging at his eyes, but he knew better than to cry in front of Plagg. He had dealt with Ladybug's rejection before, but this was something new. After the kiss they had apparently shared, Adrien had felt his hopes beginning to grow inside his chest. Until today that was. Today, Ladybug had finally managed to squash every ounce of hope inside him. And Adrien had never felt so alone.
"Need some air?" Plagg asked, breaking off Adrien's train of thought. He glanced at his friend and was met with a surprisingly soft and gentle look from the kwami. While he knew Plagg would never say it out loud, the kwami of destruction could be very kind and understanding when he wanted to be. Adrien smiled his thanks and nodded.
"Plagg, claws out."