What do you do when you just survived a near-death experience? And does every time I almost died count as another experience, or do they all just come together in one gross amalgamation of my own terror and stupidity? Can I safely say I have four near-death experiences under my belt now? Am I a master at avoiding the inevitability of death? No, the whole thing probably counts as one, actually. Just classify that under "Large, Angry Beetle" and call it a day.

A soft, breathy bark behind him drew Adrien out of his thoughts long enough to focus back on his pokémon. "Right," he sighed, shaking his head with a weary smile on his lips, "you all need to… or you already fed everyone." Adrien examined all his pokémon, chowing down on their individual bowls of food, save one, and looked at Rocco, who was standing close, sporting a cheeky grin. "Thanks Rocco. I could have done it, though." The zoroark shook his head and smiled, pointing to Adrien's bed. His intent was clear. Rest. I wish. "Did you get anything for yourself? You know you can't skip meals, buddy."

Rocco gave him a flat look. Good point. Not like I haven't done that myself once or twice. Then he picked up Adrien's phone, discarded on the sofa, and pointed to the time. Dinner is in like ten minutes, yeah, but… oh. "Rocco, you know what Dad says about you being in the dining room." Rocco rolled his eyes and moved forward to wrap his arms around Adrien's torso and pick him up in a hug. Despite Adrien's protests, Rocco just nuzzled into his shoulder, smiling, a gesture which Adrien had come to interpret in those situations as "I don't care; I'm doing it anyway and you'll let me because you love me". He's right though. I'm certainly not going to stop him. "You're not going to leave my side for even a moment, are you?"

Rocco just pulled back slightly and shook his head.

Adrien wrapped his arms around the zoroark in return. "Thank you." I'm so lucky. I have the best pokémon ever. Of course he's worried about me, though, I've been a little out of it since we got back. And that was… kind of scary. In fact, it was probably scary for him too. I just wish doing this with Ladybug didn't mean putting my pok- "Hey! Rocco, put me down!"

Rocco had bent down slightly, moving his arms to Adrien's waist and hoisting him up. Adrien could do little to break free, but still he squirmed and struggled as Rocco started walking to the door. "I can walk to the dining room myself!" Rocco smiled and barked gently, making no move to put him down. When they got into the hall and Adrien gave up. Just leaning on Rocco's shoulder, defeated, he complained. "Ugh, you're the worst."

All he got in response was a happy bark.

Rocco finally put him down just outside the dining room. Both of them knew very well that his father wouldn't take kindly to Rocco being there at all, much less if he came in carrying Adrien. Pokémon at the dinner table was one thing, pokémon goofing off at the table was something else.

It's not like we haven't done this before, Adrien thought, opening the door. His father, upon looking up to see them enter, apparently had a similar thought. He sighed. "Adrien, we've talked about you bringing your pets to dinner."

Adrien frowned. It always bothered him when his pokémon were called "pets", but he'd long since given up that argument with his father. "We wanted to eat together," he said simply. No excuses, they wouldn't work anyway. Adrien was blatantly ignoring something his father was fairly persistent, though not especially harsh, on. "And it's only Rocco. Has he ever acted out during dinner?"

"No…"

"Good, then there's no problem." Adrien moved to his chair, pulling out the one next to him for Rocco to sit in on his way.

"Adrien," his father said, sounding exasperated, "it's improper to bring your pokémon to the table."

Adrien looked at Rocco, inclining his head slightly and sharing a mischievous grin. Rocco giggled just before his form changed and an exact replica of Adrien appeared in the chair in his place. "There."

Gabriel's disapproving look didn't faze Adrien. Normally, he'd be frightened of his father's disapproval, but they'd gone over that issue so many times that Adrien knew the complaining was more of a formality than anything else. Adrien was supposed to be a perfect heir and in a business setting, it wasn't polite to have pokémon at the table. Adrien, of course, followed the rule when he was actually in a business setting. Everyday dinner was another matter. "That is," Gabriel said, eyeing Rocco, "perhaps even more uncomfortable."

Adrien and Rocco shared a laugh before Rocco changed form again to look like a dark-skinned boy around Adrien's age. Rocco often used that form when he wanted people to think he was human, which he'd actually gotten away with in certain business parties before (keeping away from Adrien's father, of course). Adrien glanced at his father. "Better?"

"Marginally."

That was as good as they were going to get, so once Adrien had gone to get some food for Rocco, they all ate in relative silence (though in Adrien and Rocco's case, it was because Rocco couldn't actually speak. They still spent most of the meal quietly poking at each other and playing as much as they could without getting chastised.).

"I've been informed that your classes have been moved to the Prism Tower," Gabriel said towards the end of the meal.

Adrien nodded. "We thought so. We were wondering when we'd hear from the school, though."

"Classes start again tomorrow."

"Good. I'd hate for us all to fall behind schedule. I'll head out early tomorrow to make sure I can get there on time."

"You will be driven."

Adrien frowned. "Okay, but every day?" He wouldn't normally complain, but he'd gotten used to walking to school. The short walk was nice early in the morning, and energized Adrien for the day. Not to mention he usually met up with Nino not too far out, so they walked together for the most part. The walk to Prism Tower was a bit longer than the walk to school, but Adrien had walked to Centrico Plaza so many times that it seemed negligible to him.

"Every day for this week." Adrien just glanced at Rocco and shrugged. Seems arbitrary, but he's set his mind on it, I guess. At least he's not pulling me out, so if it'll make him feel better then I'm not going to argue.

"Yes, sir."

Nothing more was said until his father stood from the table a short while later. "Good night, Adrien."

"Night, Dad." Adrien stared at his empty plate rather than looking up. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. When he did look up, the door was closing behind his father's back, and Rocco, still looking like a human, knit his eyebrows together and stared at Adrien with piercing blue eyes.

Rocco frowned and huffed, crossing his arms. He closed his eyes, shook his head, and grabbed Adrien by the wrist, pulling him out of his chair. Standing with him, Rocco pulled Adrien back to his room. With a warm look and a point, Adrien knew he was effectively being sent to bed. Again. The day he fought the heracross, he was out like a light the moment he got home, but that was early. Before dinner, even. Natalie had woken him to eat and he stayed up to go to bed at a somewhat regular time. The next day, Rocco and Tikki basically put him on bed rest. Aside from his one actual event that day, he was just being pointed back to his bed, or getting a book thrown at him. Of course, he was a lot less functional then. He just kept getting distracted. Thoughts of the heracross, or of Ladybug, or of mega evolution plagued his mind. Questions of whether he's really capable of what he promised to do, whether Ladybug was right after all in saying they should stay out of it, how much he could even help if he didn't die in the process.

Can I really throw myself into that again?

Adrien shuddered at the thought. Running into it, naïvely, in the moment, was something totally different than having that looming over him. He couldn't feel safe. Even in his own room, in his own bed, in his pokémon's arms, he didn't know when or where, but he knew that he'd be putting his life at risk again.

So instead of dwelling on that, he just packed his Chat Noir outfit in his everyday bag and sent his thoughts to the only thing about the situation he wasn't terrified of. Well, okay, she's a little terrifying. But wow, Ladybug is amazing. How long has she had her Mega Stone? If she got it at the same time as me then she just did it. I wonder how. Maybe she can help me?

Adrien felt a hand on his shoulder, guiding him to the bed. He rolled his eyes and complied, stepping over and around his other pokémon, who gathered near him. We should get some way to contact each other. If she's serious about not wanting me to know who she is then it's not likely she'd give me her phone number. I guess if we both set up new email accounts, specifically for this, then there wouldn't be an issue? I'll go ahead and do it, and talk to her about it next time I see her. If she agrees, then I already have mine and I can give it to her so we don't need to wait until the next meeting to talk again.

Or, I guess I could just use my Chat Noir email account. That won't tell her who I am any more than it tells anyone else. Not that I'd mind. Under the circumstances, I think one more person knowing who Chat Noir is, and my partner no less, is the least of my worries.

Adrien sat on his bed, checking the time on his phone. Why is it still so early? I swear it's almost like Rocco wants me to be responsible or something. Still, seven is a little too early. At least I'm apparently really popular. Six messages? Sheesh.

Adrien opened the conversation with Nino first.

N – school tmrw dude. prism tower like alya said
N – u wld think w our school bein literally destroyed wed get more than a wknd off
A – we had Friday off.
N – true but come on its a lil lame
N – things couldve gone to shit like on a monday or smthin
N – but no
A – it's not that bad. you'd miss us all too much if we didn't have school.
N – excuse u u mean u wld
A – that's entirely too many "u"s for the length of that sentence.
N – tbh wed just hang out of school we do all the time anyway
N – and no thats a perfectly appropriate number of us thnk u vry much
A – if you say so. does everyone else know?
N – the school called our parents ofc they kno
N – txting alya and mari to be sure tho
A – cool, I'm going to go ahead and reply to these other texts now okay? so I'll let you go bother Alya.
N – oooh mr popular w all his multiple txts
N – i c u is one of ur many adoring fans blowing up ur phone or what
N – or is it just ur secret gf
N – did u teach rocco to use a phone hed do it wldnt he
A – I don't have a secret gf. and Rocco knows how to use a phone, Nino. I'm pretty sure he's texted you before.
N – what rly… o right i think i remember that actually
N – not cool dude how should i know u need to get him his own phone or smthin
N – he knows ur pass doesnt he
A – of course he does.
N – yeah ofc bc all trainers teach their pkmn to steal their phones and prank txt their best bros
A – I didn't teach him anything, he figured it out.
A – and I didn't change the password because I don't really care if he has access to it.
N – why does he evn kno how to read
N – or write
N – does he kno how to write that seems like the kind of bs hed kno how to do
A – I mean, sort of. his handwriting is garbage because claws.
N – smh dude hes basically a person
A – of course he's a person.
N – i meant human
A – if it means anything, he does currently look like one.
N – see this is what im talking about bro
N – he even uses his illusions to look like a human
N – wtf
A – it's just for fun.
N – let me guess hes attractive
N – if i could choose how to look id be attractive
A – I'm not sure he really cares. what with him being a pokémon and most likely not attracted to humans.
A – and, dude, you know what he looks like when he disguises himself as a human. you've seen him before. but I mean yeah, he's pretty attractive.
N – wow dude now ur makin moves on ur pkmn so whack
A – Arceus, no. are you inebriated right now? should I message you at another time when you're actually sober? or sane?
N – no im just really tired alyas been bugging me abt her blog
N – got like NO sleep last night bc I was messin w settings and stuff makin her blog look beautiful as your damn fake pseudo pkmn bf
A – fake and pseudo are pretty much the same thing and we aren't pretending to date anyway.
A – what would even be the point of that? aside from pissing off literally everyone. including the police.
N – good point
N – noted
N – point is her blog is pretty af now
N – and i am sleep deprived just in time for school
A – go to sleep then, I'll text someone else.
N – dude its like 730 we dont sleep at 730 its still light out
A – I was considering going to sleep.
N – ur also responsible
N – okay yeah im going to sleep now im pretty sure ill just fall asleep on u anyway
A – good night, Nino 3
N – 333333333

Adrien looked up to see Rocco standing in front of the window, watching his own reflection, and changing his shirt color with a frown on his face. Adrien laughed, seeing it change from green to orange to blue to red and all sorts of other colors. Plagg and Tikki were together, as they often were, in a corner, keeping a watchful eye on Adrien's three younger pokémon, his eevee, amaura, and vulpix, who were chasing each other around the room, playing.

Adrien smiled at the sight and opened the second conversation, this one with Juleka.

J – How are you feeling?
J – Adrien please, if you don't answer me I will steal you tomorrow
J – Okay I know it's dinner for you now but seriously you're worrying me
J – I know Tikki and Rocco are looking after you but I worry too. At least update me?
A – oh man sorry Jules. don't worry, I'm fine.
J – …
A – really, there's no need to worry.
J – Adrien you almost died
J – And I know you somehow convinced Ladybug to fight again. If there's another attack I know you're going out there
J – There is definitely 100% all the reason to worry
A – how did you know that?
J – Because I know you, dummy. There's pretty much no chance you didn't agree to be heroes together
A – well okay yeah that happened. she made me promise not to get involved unless the pokémon mega evolves though.
J – Good, at least that's something. With luck, the police can handle everything from here before something like that happens again
A – you know what they say about black cats and luck, though.
J – Yes, that if they cross your path, that's bad luck. No one said the black cat himself has bad luck
A – touché.
J – Just be careful
A – of course.
J – And if I hear about an attack and I don't hear from you within a few hours I am going to hunt you down
J – You know Poochyena can sniff you out from across the city if he needs to
A – I think you're exaggerating.
A – but I appreciate the thought. don't worry, I'll be as careful as can be.
A – and with Ladybug there with me, what could go wrong?
J – Literally everything?
A – psssh, it'll be fine. we're going to be ready, and we'll help people. it'll be great!
J – I wish we were talking. Then I could tell if you really are as confident as you want me to think
J – But okay. Get some sleep. You need rest, and we have school tomorrow
A – I will. good night, Jules.