"Adrien? Why are you here?" Marinette asked.
"I could ask you the same thing." He smiled.
"How did you possibly find me this time? There was no way of tracking me."
"I wasn't one hundred percent positive, but I had some ideas and just made a guess."
"Lucky guess." Marinette mumbled, walking past him.
"Why are you here, Marinette?" Adrien turned towards her as she picked her sketchpad up off the ground.
"Needed to get away."
"Why? Everything will be-"
"Okay!" Marinette screamed. "Because as far as I can see . . . Hawkmoth will win, we're all doomed, and there's nothing we can do."
"Don't say that."
"Why not?!" She turned to him. "We don't stand a chance."
"Maybe not now, but . . . we'll find a way."
"I'm tired of hearing that." Marinette announced, putting her hands on the sides of her face around her eyes. "Look where hope has gotten us. Alya's dead!" Tears filled her eyes. "Everything's over."
Adrien quickly wrapped Marinette in a tight hug and rubbed circles on her back.
"We'll fix everything." He whispered in her ear. "I promise."
"We can't fix Alya."
"But we can be brave and fight for her. Alya wouldn't want us to give up like this. She'd want us to keep trying until we win. Never quit."
Marinette let go of Adrien and wiped tears from her cheeks. "I just can't believe that my best friend's dead."
"I can't either." Adrien looked down, sadly. "But you shouldn't have run away."
"I had to."
"You need to come back."
"Not yet." Marinette shook her head. "I need more time away."
"Your parents are sad and . . . I'm worried about you." Adrien looked up in her eyes. "You can't live on this roof for a few days. Especially not alone."
"Then stay here with me . . . just for tonight."
"You want me to stay here with you?"
"Yeah just . . . me and you." A small smile formed on her face as she looked up at him. "Separated from everyone else to get a break and think things through."
Adrien put his hand under his chin as he pondered it. Sure his dad and Nathalie would be furious, but he needed to be here for Marinette. Adrien would much rather be with the love of his life than people who felt more like colleagues than family.
"Okay. One day. But only if you promise to come home tomorrow."
"Deal!" Marinette gleamed.
"So . . . where will I sleep?"
"Oh, I have extra blankets with my stuff over there." Marinette pointed to her corner of the roof. "I didn't pack much stuff, but . . . I think it will suffice."
"It'll be fine. A day with you is perfect no matter what." Adrien smiled at her.
Hawkmoth and his crew had left Alya all alone. They had gone off to who knows where. Alya sat in her cell, listening to the dead silence around her. She grinned because of it as she shook the ropes from her wrists. She walked up to the door and held up a curled wire.
"A good reporter always carries a sketchpad and pen." Alya laughed.
She leaned up against the door, looking out the little window, searched for any signs of Hawkmoth and his partners in crime. With no sight of them, Alya began to pick the lock with the notepad's wire. After five minutes of trying to pick the lock, she finally succeeded. Slowly opening the creaky door, Alya walked out and darted down the long hallway. She found the door she always saw Hawkmoth enter when he was done with her. The door was left open and the room empty. Alya peered inside to see her phone on top of a desk. She quickly grabbed it and dialed Marinette's number.
Marinette's phone blinked and vibrated as Alya tried to contact her. The phone still sat where Marinette had left it on her chaise.
"Dang it, Marinette. Where are you?!" Alya whisper shouted. "Come on. Come on."
Alya moved to the window and looked out to find a sign of location. Her mouth gaped open and she nearly dropped her phone as she realized where she was.
"It can't be . . ."
Suddenly she heard footsteps coming from down the hall.
"Huh!" Alya gasped. "Come on, Marinette! Pick up the phone!"
"Hello. You've reached Marinette's phone. I'm not available at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep." The phone's voicemail spoke.
"Marinette!" Alya scrambled. "I'm been kidnapped by Hawkmoth. He's up to something big."
"Hey!" Hawkmoth shouted. "You're not supposed to be in here." He angrily charged over to Alya.
"Marinette! Get help! I'm at the-"
Alya was cut short by Hawkmoth smacking her phone from her hand.
"Message sent." The phone echoed.
"You shouldn't have done that." Hawkmoth said, glaring at her.
Hawkmoth stomped on the phone, crushing it under his foot.
"Come with me." Hawkmoth took her arm. "We have much to discuss."
A tear streamed down Alya's cheek as she was pulled away with Hawkmoth.
"Okay uh . . . I spy something . . . pink."
Marinette and Adrien had been talking most of the day and now have been playing I spy for about ten minutes. They both sat leaning against the roof wall, looking around.
"Pink . . . pink." Marinette said looking around. "Oh! My sketchbook."
"Yep." Adrien answered, laughing. "How are you so good at this game?"
"How are you so bad at this game? We're not even moving. We are sitting on a rooftop, looking around us, but not below at the city. It should be easy."
"How about another game?"
Marinette yawned. "Nah." She said, sprawling out across the ground, laying on her back.
Adrien laid down next to her with a smile. "Come on. One more game. I never got to do this when I was a kid."
"Run away or play I spy?"
"Play I spy. I never really got to play normal childhood games as a kid."
"Really? Not even I spy?"
"Nope." He said, putting his hands behind his head.
"That's awful." Marinette frowned.
"Well we're playing it now, so I guess that's okay."
"Now I feel guilty." Marinette announced, crossing her arms. "Too bad it's getting dark."
"More romantic."
With that Marinette's face pinkened as her eyes grew wide. Awkward silence fell between them.
"Sorry." Adrien apologized. "Did I just make this awkward?"
"Nah. You're just clarifying that we're alone together at night in the city of love."
"So you think it's romantic too?" He grinned, turning on his side with his head leaning on his elbow.
Marinette covered her face with her hands and her blush darkened. "Maybe." She mumbled.
"What? I can't hear you. Your hands are covering your face." Adrien smiled again as he removed Marinette's hands from her face. "There. That's better. I can see your face again."
Marinette turned her head to the side to look at him. His sparkling eyes stared back at her.
"Hi." Marinette squeaked.
"You're so cute." He laughed.
'Is he trying to kill me?' Marinette thought. 'His smile will be the end of me.'
"Um . . . thanks." He didn't say anything yet, which worried Marinette. "I mean you're cute too. I'm nothing compared to you. You're the cutestest- I mean the handsomest- I mean the most cute." Marinette internally slapped herself in the face for saying all that.
"You know Marinette, you don't have to try so hard to say the right things to me. I won't judge you. If anything . . . I'll laugh it off."
"I just . . . don't know what to say."
"Say what you're thinking." Adrien leaned closer, smirking. "Tell me anything."
"You are very close to my face right now."
"Is that a problem?"
"No." Marinette answered moving closer. Their faces merely inches apart.
"And why is that?"
"I don't know."
"Yes, you do."
"Okay. I'm fine with it."
"Why?"
"I'm not sure."
"You know why."
"Okay, fine. I do know why."
"You have a crush on me." He answered for her.
"What?" Marinette panicked. "How'd you-"
Marinette was silenced by a kiss from Adrien. She didn't back away or stop it, she kissed him back and never wanted their "first kiss" to end. Once Adrien pulled away, Marinette slowly fluttered open her eyes to look at him.
"Uh . . . u-um uh . . . h-how?"
"Speechless?" Adrien grinned.
"How'd you find out?" She finally asked.
"Your kwami . . . and all of your posters of me in your room."
Marinette thought she'd burn up. Her face became bright red. "Ugh!" She covered her face again, turning back to the sky above them. "I thought I had taken those down again."
"It's fine." He sat up to look at her. "I thought it was nice, knowing you felt that way about me. Most girls have a poster of me, but you had an entire shrine on your computer screen."
Marinette had thought she stopped breathing. She laid there with her face still covered as she listened to him, not sure of what to do.
"But don't worry . . . I feel the same way."
Marinette peaked through her fingers to see him smiling down at her.
"Really?" She mumbled.
"Yes." He chuckled, removing her hands from her eyes. "I've been in love with Ladybug forever and you're her. Being blinded by her for so long never gave me a chance to realize how amazing you really are. Now that I know you two are the same person, I couldn't love you any less."
Marinette shot up to give Adrien one quick kiss. "I've only been in love with Adrien Agreste for two years now." She smiled.
"You have?" Adrien said, blinking from the surprise kiss. "Why didn't I know about this?"
"Maybe because I couldn't talk to you or even form a sentence without tripping on my feet or stuttering."
"Aw. I make you nervous."
"Shut up." Marinette hit him in the arm before laying back down. "So . . . I spy."
"I'm sure I'll win this time." He said, laying back down beside her.
"In your dreams." She grinned.
Hawkmoth impatiently tapped his fingers against his desk. Him, Volpina and Mr. Pigeon sat in his second office room at a long table, awaiting the discussion to start.
"Where is she?" Hawkmoth asked, getting angry.
"Probably forgot." Volpina suggested. "She doesn't pay much attention to anything but herself."
"Maybe she's wandering around the park again." Mr. Pigeon said, leaning back against his chair. "She better not disturb any of my pigeons."
"She's probably too lost in her thoughts to notice them."
"Yeah. She never pays attention. Too clueless."
"Alright!" Hawkmoth raised his voice. "We all have our flaws, and yes, she may be little late or distracted sometimes, but we're all an important part of this team. We are all needed to achieve this goal."
Volpina and Mr. Pigeon looked to each other before Miss. Fortune rushed in.
"Sorry I'm late guys." She apologized while pulling out a chair to sit down. "I was with Alya again. And don't worry . . . I made sure that all the new locks on the door are securely shut and that her pockets are empty."
"Took you long enough." Volpina scoffed.
"Well, for your information Vol." Miss Fortune started. "I was trying to help us. I was talking to her and waiting for the right thoughts to tell us the way."
"You act like your better than us."
"Maybe because I kind of am." She bragged.
"At least we're on time and pay attention." Volpina put her fists on the table, leaning forward.
"So? None of this would be possible without me." Miss Fortune also leaned forward on the table.
"Well at least we're acceptable enough to receive a miraculous!" Volpina pointed at her. "You're not getting one. Shall I guess why?"
"Vol, Vol, Vol . . . " Miss Fortune chuckled.
"Volpina!"
"Vol." She declared. "I'm not getting a miraculous because I'm already so powerful and in no need of one." Volpina leaned back with her arms crossed and a strong glare. "I am the one who can read minds. I'm the one who can find memories and learn everyone's secrets. I can give them visions of what I see or what I want them to see. Alya's here because of me, Chat Noir's miraculous is here because of me, and we'll soon capture your miraculous because of me! I am the ticket to our team ruling Paris!"
"Enough! Enough already!" Hawkmoth raged lividly. "Stop your bickering and listen. We have serious issues to discuss, WITHOUT your arguing. Now sit and be quiet."
Miss Fortune and Volpina stopped fighting like siblings and sat down, glaring at each other. Mr. Pigeon rested his hand on his head, rolling his eyes at them.
"My pigeons would never act like this." He mumbled.
Hawkmoth began to discuss important matters with them as they all finally started to listen, staring at him intently.
Marinette and Adrien didn't stay on the roof very long. Once it was morning, they had left. Marinette was done soul searching and she wanted to stay true to her promise to Adrien to go home. After all, Adrien had stayed with her.
They were now walking down the streets of Paris and stopped outside the bakery door. Marinette closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.
"You ready?" Adrien asked, putting his hand on Marinette's shoulder.
Marinette nodded as she opened her eyes. She slowly pushed the door open and walked inside. Sabine and Tom were standing at the counter when they saw sight of their daughter. Sabine dropped the bag she was holding and covered her mouth. Her eyes began to water as she ran over to hug Marinette.
"You came back!" She cried.
"I'm sorry I left mom." Marinette apologized. "I should have come talk to you."
"You're back now and that's all that matters."
Tom came over and joined in on the hug. Once they were finished welcoming their daughter home, Sabine stepped back, wiping tears from her cheeks.
"Mom . . . Dad." Marinette began. "I'm so sorry that I left. And I'm even more sorry for worrying you. I know you're probably going to ground me now and I accept full responsibility for my actions."
"We know you must have had a hard time, but we want you to know that you can come to us anytime you have a problem." Tom said, placing his hand on his wife's shoulder. "We want to be there for you and help."
"I know and I'm very sorry. I'll never do something like that again. I promise."
"Good." Sabine said, stepping forward. "But we aren't grounding you."
"You aren't?" Marinette asked, surprised.
"Yes and we understand that you're a teenager with many emotions and challenges." Sabine said. "We know it can be hard, so locking you in your room won't help anything. But you'll be working double shifts in the bakery for the next three months from now on."
"Really? Thank you!" Marinette smiled, hugging her parents again.
"We're just happy you're back."
Marinette's parents accepted the hug and eyed Adrien in the corner.
"Um . . . Marinette." Tom said, separating from her. "Why is Adrien here?"
"Oh." Marinette stepped back. "Adrien kind of . . . found me and brought me home."
"Adrien." Sabine smiled, welcoming Adrien in a hug. "Thank you. I can't believe you would do this for us. How can we ever repay you?" She asked, pulling back.
"No need to pay me. Finding Marinette was my reward." Adrien said, making Marinette blush.
"I knew I always liked you." Tom began, walk to Adrien. "Surely there must be something you want."
"How about free sweets every time you come by here?" Sabine suggested.
"That's perfect." Tom announced. "Every time you're nearby come in and you'll get anything you want for free."
Before Adrien could protest, everything was decided. He smiled, feeling at home with the kind, loving people in front of him. Everything seemed right.
A/N
Sorry for the late update. Slow internet. I hadn't planned for most of this chapter to happen, but my mind had a spark and I couldn't resist. Tell me what you thought of this chapter.
-Alice Pink
