Chapter 25 - Sneaking Out

"Adrien," Nathalie said, stepping inside and leveling a glare at them both. "You're supposed to be practicing."

"Sorry," Adrien said, sitting back down and starting again.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

"I'll be quiet. Sorry," Marinette said softly.

"Any more outbursts and I'll have to ask you to leave."

"Yes, ma'am."

She waited until the older woman left before stepping closer to Adrien, who was once again ignoring her in favor of his piano keys. From here, she could see it clearly; the innocuous silver ring that was the cause of all this.

"Sabrina hasn't worn the pin Chloe bought her in a while," she said carefully.

"It didn't take much," Adrien muttered. "Just a few tears, a sob-story about how my mom used to have one just like it, a promise to buy her something better—if she hadn't already been giving it to me, Chloe might've ripped it off her sweater."

"Does your father know?"

"He probably suspects as much as you do," Adrien admitted. "And if he touches it and senses no magic, well… it's game over."

"He doesn't want to hurt you, Adrien," Marinette said. "He really just wants his family back. Did it ever occur to you that you might be wrong about him?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Adrien said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

Marinette's temper flared. She was trying to be reasonable and nice here!

"Why are you being so difficult?!" she exclaimed, remembering at the last moment to keep her voice down. "I'm trying to bring your mother back for you! Then we can—"

"Yeah, great idea, Marinette!" Adrien snapped. "My mom, the super-zombie! For someone who doesn't like horror movies, princess, you're sure determined to star in one!"

"It won't be like that!"

"Says who? My father, the super-villain?!"

Marinette wanted to scream in frustration, but she was all too aware of the fact that Nathalie would happily kick her out if she did. Instead, she balled her fists and stomped on the ground.

"Well, who am I supposed to believe then?!" she hissed.

"ME!" Adrien exclaimed, finally standing up from his piano and turning towards her.

Marinette's eyes filled with tears. He could deny it all he wanted to, but it wasn't her friend standing in front of her. It was her partner. Chat Noir bled through everything Adrien did. She knew that look. That walk as he drew nearer. She drew in a shaky breath as he grasped her elbows and pulled her closer.

"Please, m'lady," he whispered, dipping his head close to her. "Just think about me for a moment. Try to see it from my perspective…."

"I never stopped thinking about you," she murmured back, shame welling up inside her as her tears finally spilled over. "We have to stop him somehow, Chat, but I don't wanna hurt you…."

"I don't think I can avoid that no matter what happens," he muttered, finally pulling her into a hug.

Marinette sank into his warmth, allowing herself to cry on his shoulder for a moment. Crying for her, and him. For the mistakes she'd made. For the shitty hand he'd been dealt in all this. For the fact that, no matter what they did, somehow they were going to lose….

She took a deep, steadying breath, trying to get her thoughts together again.

"Adrien?" she finally croaked, pulling away from him a bit so she could look him in the eyes. "Are you absolutely certain your father's lying about your mother?"

Adrien stared at her for a few moments. "I don't have any solid evidence, no. Just my gut feeling."

"And can you tell me—in all honesty—that you don't want your mother back?"

He sighed. "Of course I do."

She nodded, clearing her throat. "The thing about miracles is, you have to believe in them, Adrien," she said, raising her chin a bit. "Will you help me, then? We can bypass Hawkmoth. If you give me your ring, we can bring your mother back together." She held out her hand for it.

Adrien looked at it, glanced at her, and stepped back.

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"Do you have a better idea?" she asked.

"I don't," he admitted.

"We don't know what'll happen once we defeat Hawkmoth."

"Guess I'll just have to believe in whatever Fate hands me."

Marinette closed her eyes and sighed. "God, why did I fall in love with someone so stubborn?!"

Adrien smiled. "Right back at ya."

She opened her eyes, new determination shining in them. "I can't leave your fate up in the air like that, Adrien," she said. "I can't! Not when I have a way to make things better. It's part of who I am! You understand, right?"

"Funnily enough, I do," Adrien said, laughing a bit. "So that's it, then? Epic battle for the ultimate power? I think I've got some fight music in my playlist. Want me to put it on?"

"Nothing quite so melodramatic," she said, rolling her eyes. Typical-Chat behavior, making jokes at a time like this.

"NATHALIE!" she yelled. "ACTIVATE THE SECURITY SYSTEM! ADRIEN'S SNEAKING OUT AGAIN!"

"Why you—!" Adrien exclaimed, as his bedroom window shields came down around them. "—sneaky little—" He sighed as he heard the rest of the Manor go into lockdown mode as well. He gave her a half-hearted glare. "Et tu, Mari?"

"All's fair in love and war," Marinette replied cheekily, giving him a playful grin. "It's not my fault you forgot to take your surroundings into account. No more sneaking out for yo-ou! Now, I'll ask again nicely. Ring, please? So we can end all of this without anyone getting hurt?"

"Ring? You haven't even taken me on a date!" he sprang at her. She gasped and stepped back. Then he quickly wheeled away and sprinted into his bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind him.

"Really? REALLY?!" she yelled through the door.

"It's the model in me!" he called back cheekily.

"You think this'll stop me?"

No, but it'll slow you down, Adrien thought as Plagg phased through the door, looking at him curiously.

"Cataclysm?" the kwami asked, indicating the sealed window and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Adrien scoffed. "Then I'd have five minutes to get away before I'm completely at their mercy. Ladybug would be after me, and I'm sure my father would send another akuma to help her. We wouldn't stand a chance, Plagg!"

"Good to know you've thought this through!" Marinette called through the door. He smirked and went to his shower, turning on the water to cover his voice.

"You remember that story you told me, Plagg? The one about your other bearer?" he said lowly, so only the kwami could hear.

"Yeah…."

"I want you to do it to me," Adrien said. "Curse me, so the ring doesn't come off."

Plagg blinked at him in shock. "Are you sure, kid?"

"Adrien? What are you doing in there?!" Marinette called.

"I won't be able to turn off the bad luck that comes with it," Plagg warned him.

"I'll deal with it," Adrien hissed. "Just do it!"

Plagg stared at him for another moment, before shrugging and diving into the ring. Adrien gasped and cried out as black lightning shot through his veins.

"Adrien? ADRIEN? What are you doing?! Tikki, spots on!" Marinette yelled. She burst through the door a moment later, to see Adrien grinning up at her from where he crouched on the floor.

"Checkmate, princess."

End Chapter 25.