"Your family is nice. I like them."
Hours having passed, and dusk having fallen upon them, Adrien and Marinette found themselves watching as the sun set, and the moon orbiting the planet they stood on. They looked out from Marinette's balcony at the city of Paris as the sun set, out of view of the rest of the people, so no one would notice them. Beautiful mixtures of orange, red and yellow bled into the sky above them, making the city look like something out of a picture, as the light shone around them, but the buildings looked black at the same time, like a natural contrast. A warm, cool, gentle breeze surrounding the slightly humid air blew against their faces, and a sense of peace hit them.
There really hadn't been much they could do on this day without revealing Adrien to the public. Doing so was a massive risk that they both decided wasn't worth it. Instead, they had spent the day in Marinette's home, where Adrien had gotten the chance to get to know Tom and Sabine better. They had engaged in friendly conversation. With Tom, he had discussed how they could keep Marinette safe, out of a mutual desire to keep her from harm's way, as well as other more general things, such as what Tom did for a living, how he had met his wife, and other such subjects. Discussions with Sabine had been far more casual, which basically translated to Sabine spending most of her time trying to embarrass her daughter.
"You do?" The blunette girl was stood next to him, leaning against the railing, her head rested on her arms.
"Yeah, definitely. They're fun."
"Really?"
"Compared to my father?" Adrien reminded a somewhat disbelieving Marinette. "Your parents can actually understand and empathise with you. Learn when they're wrong. Hell, even engage in a conversation with you. I don't even remember the last time me and my father had a conversation. I've barely even seen him over the last few weeks. He didn't even attempt to get in contact with the hospital that I was being treated at." Due to his upbringing, he had just been hardened to it. He despised it, but he just knew how to endure it. He knew how other families were, and had longed for that. Today marked the first time he had even managed to come close to that.
"I guess you've got a lot to talk about next time you see him..." Marinette said with a sigh, having a general understanding of how Gabriel Agreste treated his son. It had been somewhat hard to swallow, seeing as he had been one of her favourite designers in all of Paris. That image if him being cold and aloof, even towards his own flesh and blood...
Nodding, the blond model actually smirked. "Yeah, well, maybe I'll get to have a conversation with him on my terms for once. Not me just nodding and politely accepting whatever it is he says. Maybe now I'll have a chance to fight for what it is that I want."
Smiling, Marinette sighed lightly in relaxation. From what she had heard about his father, she felt proud of Adrien for being ready to take a stand against Gabriel once the time was right. "So, what is it that you want?"
"Have a say in my own life... Do things that I actually want to... but above anything else? To be with you, of course, Bugaboo."
Hearing the answer she both wanted and hoped for, she moved in closer to Adrien, closing the gap between the two of them. She rested her head on his chest, positioned so she could still see the sunset, and placed her hand atop his on the railing. "Glad to hear it, Kitty."
In a quick response, Adrien wrapped his arm around Marinette's waist, and held her close to him. Just doing so, being so close to this girl he loved, gave him the drive to face his father when he had to. For her. Until then, they still had some more urgently pressing matters. "Well... School starts for the week tomorrow." He said to her, attempting to spark some sort of topic.
The two of them had gone over the work Adrien had missed again today, similar to how things had been before the mugging that set off this entire endeavour. Only this time, it had been filled with a little less awkwardness and a little more love and kisses. During the writing however, Marinette had seen Adrien's hand seem to shake.
He had been adamant about actually going to classes. He said he wanted to. Felt like he had to. But he was still clearly nervous.
"You nervous?" She asked him, looking up from his chest. She could feel his heart rate increase from the mere mention of the subject.
"Absolutely." He admitted. He was very anxious about the next day. Saying he was anything other would be an outright lie. How couldn't he be nervous? People he had known for a year, people he considered his friends, knew about his identity, that he had basically lied to their faces for the past year, and they saw it when he was being brutally beaten down by an Akuma. Saying he wasn't nervous was just a total lie.
"You don't have to go in tomorrow you know." Marinette said to him again, the concern in her voice obvious. "I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind if you stayed here for the day..."
"I need to face everyone someday." Adrien said with a sigh. He couldn't just hide from them forever. Eventually, he would have to come to face the people in his life. "It might as well be sooner rather than later." He was completely serious about going the next day. He had to do it. It needed to be done. He had to get it all out of the way, not only for his own sake. But for hers too.
"I see..." Marinette understood his reasoning, and was glad that he was still dedicated to living his life, regardless of all eyes being on him.
"You know... Plagg and I had a thought." Adrien told her. He explained to her the conversation he and the Kwami had had, about doing an interview or two, to help the media craze die down a bit. It had been the topic of a long and lengthy discussion between the two of them. Marinette's concerns were understandable, if not totally obvious. There wasn't a requirement for him to do that. He shouldn't have to. He didn't need to. He wasn't some sort of show for the whole world to compete over. He was Adrien Agreste. Chat Noir. The world should be thanking him for what he did with Ladybug, not now treating him like he was some sort of commodity. Some sort of prize to be won for ratings.
"I know you're concerned, Mari." Adrien said, trying to reassure her. He was secretly appreciative of her concern, deeply appreciative of it, but still. "But... Think about it pragmatically. Now, I am a prize. I am someone people are looking at. I am an object of media centralisation." Before Marinette could protest again, Adrien held up a finger, to signal he wasn't finished. "But! That's also a good thing. If I show that I'm not an enigma, then eventually, media interest will die down. Hell, Alya could probably help with that... I just need to show I'm a regular person, like anyone else is."
Nodding, the blunette girl watched the sun set with him for a few more moments. She still hated the idea… But she understood the logic. She hated the fact that Adrien had just subjected himself to that sort of life, like he expected it, but she knew he understood that world better than she could. They remained in a silence, neither sure what to say or think. This was one of the few moments they could have to themselves without worrying about people following them, the media, or anything else, for a while now. Perhaps for years and years. Was it really a time to worry about the inevitabilities of a few days?
Then again, those next few days could determine the rest of their lives. It would be dumb not to talk about them.
"What..." Marinette started, breaking the silence. As she spoke, she could feel Adrien's neck tilting so he could look at her. "What... Do we tell everyone at school... About us?"
The front of his brain had been occupied with this question for a long while. What did they tell people? That was a question that they really did have to consider carefully. The after effects could be completely disastrous if they didn't handle it correctly. The media would be absolutely ferocious if they messed this up. There really wasn't any doubt. They'd drag both their names through the mud, rocks and dirt, just so their websites would get a few more clicks. They'd intentionally leave parts of the story out. They'd emphasise anything they said.
That was just how the media worked. That was just how social media worked. Leaving parts out to spark controversy. That's how the sold articles. Sold papers.
"I honestly don't know." Adrien sighed in defeat, unsure of what he thought was the best course of action. "What do your parents think?"
"I spoke to Maman and Papa about it..." Marinette said. "They... They'd prefer it if we kept it a secret. They think that it's dangerous for me to even be associated with you publicly... But, they said they'd do anything they could to help us if we decided to be open about it. They said that we need to be ready to face the consequences to whichever we choose... They're leaving it to us."
More than Adrien had expected. He was certain that they would have been fierce in opposing their public relationship. In a way, so was Adrien. They were right, it was dangerous...
"What about you?" He asked. "What do you want to do?"
"What I want?..." Considering for a second, she separated from Adrien and looked at him, a fire in her eyes. "What I don't want, is for me to have to watch a hundred girls try and grab you each and every day... I don't want to have to suppress my feelings, just because the public feel some sort of need to pry... I don't want to have to hide my feelings for you... What I want... Is to be able to hold your hand in public. Like anyone else can."
Such a serious tons, and so sincere, and so ferric in what she was saying... Adrien couldn't help but smile. "Are you certain? You don't know the newspapers like I do. They're going to be savage."
"It's going to take more than the words of people hiding behind cameras and screens to make me stop saying 'I love you, Adrien Agreste' where everyone can hear it."
His heart fluttered, and he sighed with happiness. At the same time, he felt his organ beating like a jackhammer. He couldn't help but keep his grin on his face as he wondered who exactly he had served in a previous life to be blessed with such a loyal and beautiful angel. "Well, I guess we're going public then."
Tomorrow was certain to be an eventful day.
It was 06:00 in the morning, and Adrien and Marinette found themselves already at the steps to their school. Around them, they were surrounded by a dark mist like presence that covered them. The night-fog helped it seemed far later than it actually was. There were very few cars out at this time, and even fewer people on the streets. Anyone who walked on the streets heard their own footsteps echo. Thankfully, that also included little to no media or reporters or anyone asking around the school.
They were here this early for a couple of reasons. The main reason being, if there ended up being a large number of reporters coming here, being here earlier than they were would result in being able to avoid them charging the young model on the streets altogether. That was the most base reason of them all, self-preservation, to protect themselves against a stampede of over eager reporters and critics.
The second reason was far more personal, and far more important, as far as Adrien was concerned.
They were meeting with Nino and Alya.
After a brief discussion Marinette and Adrien had agreed that it would be better if they explained everything to them first. Not so much because they deserved to know, but more because it was paramount that they at least heard Adrien's half of the story before anyone else did, and before it was twisted into something heinous by the public. He planned on explaining it to anyone who asked him about it. But he wanted to tell them first.
Once the young couple had agreed on telling them, Marinete had sent both Nino and Alya the same message, telling them to be at the school at around 06:00. She told them Adrien would be there, and that he wanted to talk to them. Both of them had responded within minutes, saying that they'd be there. That left them approximately an hour or two before classes started, giving them some time before other students came. He could filter through the people in his class easily that way, instead of dealing with an avalanche of people all asking at once. Dealing with one or two at a time would be far easier than dealing with about twelve people asking all at once, all shouting and yelling questions at the same time without giving him the chance to answer.
It also gave them a chance to talk about their relationship. Marinette knew that Alya was going to have fun with this one...
"Yikes..." Adrien said to himself. He had sat himself on one of the benches in the courtyard of the school, and had brought him hands together, and attempted to calm himself down, almost by a sort of meditation, as he tried to regulate his breathing. He was far more nervous than he had been, probably in his life. He could show off a huge range of outfits and designer jumpers in front of three thousand VIPS, no problem! And right now, he was quite frankly terrified of two of his best friends on how they would judge him because of his double life.
"Nervous?" Marinette asked him, stood next to him. It was a pointless question, but she thought that maybe if he could just speak to her a little, it would ease his mind a bit.
"Oh yeah." Adrien replied with a nervous chuckle, and another deep breath.
"If it's any consolation, I'm fairly confident that Alya won't mind." Marinette said, trying to lighten the mood. "She only responded to my message with 'OMG' about seven times, so that's a good sign."
That did earn a small laugh from Adrien. "I kinda figured that she wouldn't be too upset. I think I'm gonna be giving her a few interviews before this whole mess is sorted out. Maybe she could help out?.. I mean, her blog is fairly popular..." He knew he had asked this already yesterday, but he wasn't really thinking straight at this point.
"We could ask I suppose." Marinette nodded, certain her friend would be more than happy to help. Still, she couldn't be certain her friend wouldn't be upset. If the past week had taught her anything, it was that anything is possible.
So that just left Nino. Marinette didn't really know him well enough to say how he would react. He did know that he and Adrien were close friends, probably best friends. He knew Nino enough to know that he was a loyal sort of person. He and Adrien had pretty much shared all their problems with one another in absolute confidence.
But Adrien had basically lied to Nino's face, time and time again due to his alter ego. There really wasn't a way to predict how that would go.
The next few moments passed away in silence, as both of them tried to psyche themselves up for what was to come. Today was destined to be an eventful day, full of all sorts of various emotions, revelations, and drama. It was going to be hectic and stressful. The two of them really only had one another to rely on.
But for Adrien, that was enough.
During another deep, relaxing breath, the calm atmosphere was shattered, by the sounds or two separate footsteps, approaching. The quiet city practically magnified even the smallest sound when the rest of the city was silent, so you could hear a penny drop from a hundred meters away. Footsteps, two separate ones, headed towards the school. When one listened carefully, they could hear voices too.
"...You know it's not like he had a choice, right?..."
"...I know, I know... It's just... Y'know?..."
Nino and Alya. They were here.
Adrien forced himself to take a deep breath. Inhale, hold it for five seconds, and exhale again, slowly, blowing it out the small hole he made with his lips. This was it. He was reassured once more by Marinette.
"Everything will be okay."
He looked up at her and smiled, and just as quickly, he turned his head back to the entrance to the courtyard. It took a few seconds before they appeared, but they spotted one another instantly. They had sat on a bench directly opposing the entrance way. They would have seen anyone who came in the second they showed up. There they were. Alya and Nino.
In a weak attempt at normality, Adrien tried to offer a small wave. Alya returned it with boundless energy, whereas Nino gave just a small nod.
It was the first time since his identity had been made public knowledge that anyone aside from a doctor, Marinette's parents, or Marinette herself, had seen Adrien. That made it a weird experience, for both Alya and Nino, as well as Adrien. For the two Parisian school students, it was almost surreal to see their close friend again, after not seeing him in so long, but also with the knowledge he was one of the superheroes they admired the most. It felt like learning that the mascots at parades were just people wearing masks, only infinitely more personal.
For the blond hero, it was almost sad. He had wanted to tell them before. He had wanted to let them know who he was. He didn't want everything to go like this. He hadn't had a choice in how it went down. And this was the consequence. He could only hope they would understand.
Alya was stood with a phone, and what looked like some sort of clipboard in her hand. There wasn't even a shred of doubt that that clipboard had about a million questions on it for the young Parisian hero. She also seemed to look excited upon seeing Adrien and Marinette. She nudged Nino with her arm and went over to the two of them, with what looked like a smile on her face.
Nino on the other hand looked almost depressed, and rather sullen. His hands were located in his pockets, his usual bright disposition gone. He didn't seem particularly angry or disappointed. More worried and in thought than he was upset. He walked over at a pace slower than Alya's.
Alya didn't waste any time with some sort of awkward formalities, seeming to know just how nervous the two of them must have been. Without warming, she engaged in a friendly hug with Adrien, to pretty much everyone's surprise. "It's good to see you again. We've been worried."
Adrien was taken aback, and almost shot a glance at Marinette to seek her approval, but decided against it. Alya was a close friend. He returned the friendly hug with a smile, and a pat on the back. At least this had gotten off to a good start. "Good to see you as well."
Next up, after separating from the amateur reporter, Adrien turned to face Nino, and held up a fist for him. It was how they basically greeted one another, by bumping fists. Nino returned it, but he seemed to lack the same energy that he would usually return it with. "Adrien." His voice was sullen. Almost dark.
"Nino..." Adrien replied, nodding his head, sadly. He could tell. Nino was upset. He felt betrayed. Angry. He knew it was a possibility... But it hadn't been one he had seriously wanted to consider.
The two also gave their greetings to Marinette after they had Adrien. It had been a while since their friend group had gotten together like this, so everyone still had to readjust to each other's presence all at once. Now that the group was all here, Adrien knew he had to start explaining. Fast. "Well... I guess I need to explain myself."
Before he could, he was met with stares from both Alya and Nino. Stares that suggested they were waiting for something. Or... More accurately, someone.
With a reluctant sigh, Adrien pulled open his jacket and said, "You might as well come out, Plagg. You're not a secret anymore, remember?"
And with that, the cat Kwami hovered out of the pocket in his human partners clothing, holding a slice of Camembert that he somehow hadn't eaten yet, and perched himself on top of Adrien's shoulder. "I did always hate that pocket. Way too stuffy."
"That's because you store it full of food all the time, Plagg."
"What's the point of travelling without in-flight food and entertainment?"
The two ended their brief back-and-forth, and refocused their attention to the two Parisians, who still seemed shocked that this tiny, levitating cat like magical creature could not only talk, but had been hidden on their friends person the entire time they had known him. Alya was the first one to speak up, her phone already on the creature, snapping picture after picture. "What, the heck, is that?"
Understandably reluctant, Adrien sighed. "This is Plagg. He's a Kwami."
"Hey." Was all Plagg said, before he chomped down on his slice of Camembert. He did absolutely nothing to help with the current situation, far more focused on his third snack after breakfast than he was on aiding Adrien explain all of this to his group of friends.
"Thanks, Plagg." Adrien muttered, still hearing the shutter on Alya's phone going off and off again and again. He didn't bother stopping her. Plagg was already all over the internet and television since the fight with Overgrow. "He uh... Basically helps me with my... You know... Hero deal."
A ring of silence descended on the group. Just hearing that sentence, 'Hero deal', reminded everyone why they were really here. What had happened. Nino seemed the most shaken by that sentence. A reminder that the trust between the two friends wasn't as deep as he had thought.
"...Are you guys... Angry with me?" The question Adrien had dreaded the answer to. He had to know, what did they think of him? Were they still friends, or would they distance themselves away from him? How far was loyalty able to be stretched before it snapped thanks to pressure and betrayal of trust?
"Are you kidding?!" Alya yelled at him in excitement. "This is incredible! I mean... You're... It's... You! You're freaking Chat Noir! Right here, in front of me! I mean, I - I had a hunch a while ago, but I - I - It's so unreal! It's hard to comprehend!... I have, like, so many questions!"
"I bet you do." Adrien said with a smile. He could count on Alya to see the best of this situation. She was friends with Chat Noir, outside the mask. Certainly before the mask even came off. She had come closer than anyone to discovering who Chat and Ladybug were. "You're a good reporter, Alya." Adrien nodded. "You came really close quite a few times. If anyone was gonna figure out who I was, I was certain it was gonna be you."
"I mean, like, I totally get why you hid it!" Alya said, trying to calm herself down. "There's been a lot of talk about you..."
"Yeah, dude." Nino said, speaking up for the first time. "All sorts of rumours have been going around. Some people think it's a publicity stunt or something. Others think it's all fake..."
"Are you upset with me, Nino?"
His Moroccan descended friend sighed and looked at him. It was only now that Adrien managed to place the expression his friend was wearing. Not anger. Not betrayal. But rather, it was worry. "I gotta be honest, dude, I was mad to start. I was really, like, completely blazing mad. I just thought, how could he just say all that stuff he said and say it all to my face? Every time I saw you as Chat came back to me, and I just... I'm more worried now than anything, Adrien. Alya here helped me calm down." He pointed towards the reporter girl with his thumb. "She told me to look at it from your perspective... How you must have known this might happen... And when I think about it like that... I'm not sure I would have done any different. But now everyone knows who you are..."
"I don't exactly expect you to go down with me, Nino." Adrien said, with a weak, friendly smile. He couldn't blame Nino for thinking like that. Loyalty had to have its limits somewhere.
"No, dude, don't get the wrong idea!" Nino protested. "It's gonna take a lot more than a few reporters to make me abandon my buddy." For the first time, he smiled. "I'm just... Really concerned about everything else. Like, everyone else in class. The reporters, no offence, Alya, and people trying to attack you..."
The young superhero would have hugged his best friend if he was within arm's reach. He had been worried sick about what he would have thought about him, the one friend he had made at this school who had continuously stood by him without question, defended him, spoke up for him, helped him adjust to social situations, and guided him throughout his adjustment period. When he had saw him, he thought he had regarded him in contempt. In total disgust that he had been lied to, after everything he had done for the model Parisian. Adrien wouldn't have been able to blame him if he did have contempt for him.
But he hadn't. He had been angry, but now, he wasn't. Now, he was thinking about the safety of his friend. That level of worry had been shown on his face. Serious consideration, and serious concern.
Could Adrien have really asked for a better friend?
"...I appreciate it, Nino." He said, rubbing his eyes from the tears of joy he was subconsciously welling up with. He had been so worried about what they had thought... And they had been so understanding... They were just the best friends he could ever ask for, ever. "Thank you... Thank you so much..."
Alya and Nino shot a worried glance at one another. Had they done something to upset him?
Marinette stood forward with a humoured smile on her face. "It's uh, just been a long week for him. He's been... Kind of emotional."
"What do you mean, 'All week'?" Alya asked, with a raised eyebrow. Adrien had been unmasked about six days ago. Him being emotional would be understandable... But how would Marinette know he was being so?...How could she be so certain he wasn't just crying out of sadness? In fact, come to think of it... "Wait, Marinette? Why are you even here? You're the one who sent the message arranging this meeting, so... Has Adrien been hiding out with you?"
"I told you it wouldn't take her long to figure it out." Adrien smirked at the blunette. He already knew where this was going, but for the personal reason of enjoying seeing Marinette embarrassed because it was adorable, he didn't try to prevent her floundering, at least not immediately.
With a dark red blush, Marinette had to figure out how she was going to break this part of the story to her best friend. After all she had done to push her towards talking to Adrien, she at least deserved to know. Thrown on the spot however, Marinette felt like she had just lost all her cognitive thinking abilities. "U-Um, well... You see, um, the thing is..."
A wide grin still planted on his face, Adrien decided that seeing it would be a whole lot easier. And a lot more fun. The sheer relief that he had felt thanks to his friends at least understanding his issues, and still accepting him, had left him in a very good, and jokey mood, so while he probably wouldn't have done this in any other circumstance, he was in far too good a mood to think about it.
He grabbed a hold of her hand, and intertwined their fingers together, holding their hands up so Nino and Alya could see. That would have been enough, but Adrien was feeling a lot more playful than that, so he pulled her hand towards him, and planted a soft kiss on the back of her hand, like a knight would for his lady. And she was his lady.
"That should give you an idea." He said with a Chat-like, satisfied smirk, he looked at a completely flustered Marinette, and made a cat like claw motion, and recited, "My lady," to her, like he had a thousand times for her, as Marinette, and as Ladybug.
The next few moments were filled with a flurry of high pitched screaming from Alya, asking questions at about a mile a minute and constant congratulations for her best friend, and snapping pictures of the two of them holding hands so much that everyone was convinced the shutter on her phone was about to snap. Marinette's embarrassed squeals and protests dotted the calls, her face a dark scarlet, but managing to smile all the same. She sat down by Adrien now, hardly even leaving a hap between them, which earned another squeal from Alya. Nino, meanwhile, held up a fist for Adrien, which he returned, this time, with full energy that one would have expected from the darker-skinned Parisian.
Meanwhile, Plagg simply groaned and hovered around the courtyard, taking no part in any of this. Secretly, he was happy for his human partner, but be damned if he was going to show it.
'Well, at least these two seem to be fine with everything.' Adrien couldn't help but think, resting his head on Mairnette's shoulder, in a small act of their usual role, only reversed. Out of sheer emotional exhaustion, mostly. He kept one eye open and saw Alya looking through every picture she had taken, with Nino leaning over her shoulder with a massive grin, pointing out which ones she intended to print out for her wall which was apparently filled with photographic memories of her friends and days out with people she cared for. 'Maybe they're a little too okay with it.' Adrien chuckled to himself, closing his other eye, allowing himself to be enveloped in Marinette's warmth. He could feel her eyes on him, but eventually, after only a few seconds, she relaxed and threw her arm around him.
"Are you okay now, Kitty?" Marinette asked, resting her hand on his head, her fingers running through his blond hair. Just hearing her voice made Adrien feel like he was wrapped up in a warm blanket.
"Better than I was, m'lady." He replied to her, with an affectionate purr. He snuggled up closer to her, not particularly caring that they were technically in public.
'That's a lot off my mind.' The young hero thought. He knew it wasn't over. Not even by a long shot. But he was totally fine now, knowing that his immediate circumstance, he closest friendships, wouldn't change.
'I guess we just have to wait to see everyone else.'
Aren't I just the cruelest? You'll see more of the reactions to Adrien as Chat Noir next tiiiiiiiiime!
The one bad thing about bring a writer - I get very few chances to read other people's writing, except at night, which I usually fall asleep pretty early on at. I'm usually up until )3:00 AM writing and watching videos, drawing and other such things. I do a lotta stuff to keep myself bust from the sheer force of boredom. ^_^
I'd like to say something right now guys - Don't hesitate to point out mistakes. I got a message a few days ago asking me if its annoying to point out stuff like grammar mistakes - Its not, at least not to me. If anything, it makes me feel embarrassed that I messed up that way and someone had to read the story with those mistakes in it, so you really are doing me a favour.
I'd also like to say, thanks so much for the support on this story guys, you're really amazing. Love the votes, love the followers, and love the comments. Y'all are some crazy individuals, and I love it.
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And I will see you, in whatever it is, that I do indeed, decide to write next. See ya!