Chapter 17: Life Swap

Adrien lifted his head up and rubbed his eyes open. Wha-

He looked around. The room felt strange but familiar. The spatial area of the room matched Marinette's bedroom. But it looked way different.

The décor was more boyish with white walls and sports equipment, along with CDs and novels. It looked like his own dream room.

"Adrien!" He jumped at the sound of the voice. It was his father's voice but it was less stern and more friendly.

He got out his blue bunk bed and stepped towards the trapdoor. It was familiar but odd as he was used to Marinette being around here.

This had the same structure as Marinette's house. The only thing different was the décor. He had a few hunches of what Inverter possibly did but he was afraid to rely on them…

"Adrien."

His eyes widened at the sound of the voice. H-he'd recognise it from anywhere.

"M-mom?" His voice trembled as his mouth hung agape.

There she stood. Right in front of him. Her hair was a bit ruffled as she wore an apron and her clothing was much more casual than he'd ever seen. But it was still his mother, nonetheless.

"Fancy breakfast?" She handed him some croissants. He took them absent-mindedly as his eyes continued to linger on her.

What should he do? Was this a dream? No…the akuma was toying with his mind…it had to have.

"Aren't you going to eat them?" Another familiar voice reached his ears. Behind his mother, stood father.

He was wearing another apron and a baker's hat. And his clothes weren't formal, they were very casual, and he was smiling! This was a strange way to look at his father. Gabriel Agreste not being the stern control freak dad was weird.

"Uh…yeah." Adrien took a bite into the croissant. It was as fresh and soft just like the ones from The Dupain-Cheng Bakery.

"Where's Marinette?" He asked as his parents gave him a queer look. Oops…he wasn't meant to say that out loud.

"Marinette? As in Marinette Dupain-Cheng? Isn't she your friend from school?" His mother asked him. His heart still painfully lurched every time he looked at her. He wasn't ready for this. The akuma had messed him up too much…

"Yeah…she is."

"Why would she be in The Agreste Bakery at this time? Unless you were expecting someone…" Gabriel eyed him with a slight fascination in his eyes. Getting used to his non-control freak father was hard…

"The Agreste Bakery?"

"Yeah…our bakery. Are you okay, Adrien?" His mom asked him with that ever-so familiar concern in her voice. A huge wave of nostalgia hit him right there and then. Her voice sounded so real…

"I'm fine." He tapped his hand to his head, "I'm just blown away by this croissant." It wasn't a lie. This croissant was delicious.

"You have them every day?"

"Yes!" Quick, cover that up, Agreste "They never fail to amaze me!"

"Oh well…that's good to know!" His mother gave him her wonderful smile, "Care to help me knead the dough?"

Shoot…he didn't know how to knead dough.

"Uh…after I clean the living room maybe?" He hastily headed to the already-clean living room to avoid any more questions.

What did Inverter do? Did he invert his mother from dead to alive? He wished…But that didn't explain why they were bakers.

Abruptly, an interesting magazine on the coffee table caught his eye. Wait…was that who he thought it was?

He took the magazine into his hands as he stared at the cover, his eyes widening.

The magazine was titled DC Fashion and the cover model was none other than Marinette. She was wearing a stunning outfit: a pretty pink dress and her hair hung loose with a cute petite pout on her face. She looked beautiful…but that wasn't the point!

The point was…had Inverter swapped his and Marinette's lives?

"Adrien?" His mother's voice drifted him from his train of thought. "Your dad's gone out too get some flour. Would you go and answer the door? My hands are messy!"

She sheepishly raised her flour-covered hands and winked at him, he chuckled at her antics. He had gotten his sense of humorous charm from his mother for sure, even though she was way better at it than him.

"Sure!" He hadn't even realised the door had rung.

Despite being to Marinette's house only a few times, he knew his way around the place well (If he hadn't, he'd be lost by now).

He opened the door and was surprised to see who was waiting for him, "Nathalie?"

She looked different. Less stern and professional. But she was still a woman of grace.

"Hi Adrien." She greeted benevolently as she gave him a hug. It was a bit strange, but it was nice actually.

"Your parents home?"

"My mother is." Saying that burned something in his throat. He'd never imagined saying those words ever again.

"That's great." She stepped inside the house and greeted his mother with another hug.

It was odd seeing this kind of interaction between his family. It felt really nice.

Adrien?

A voice inside his head called…huh?

Plagg? Is that you?

Uh…yeah! Who else…duh? Also, you feel really mushy gah…

Plagg? Why can't I see you? Why are you talking to me inside your head?

See me? You're the one asleep silly! I'm working to save you!

Asleep? Save me?

Look, kiddo, when the akuma used the energy ball on you. It send the four of you into some sort of deep slumber state where you won't wake up.

The four of us?

Luka and Kagami too! When they used their energy ball on each other, they de-akumatized themselves somehow and purified the akuma. Or Hawky probably withdrew their powers.

How are you communicating with me now?

Neat kwami trick! I can communicate with you in your head even if you're not awake. I'd usually not do this. Your head is grossing me out anyways…but duty calls…

How are you going o get me out anyways?

Me and Tikki are working on it? We're planning to use both our powers to balance out the cure.

Tikki? As in Ladybug's kwami? Where's Ladybug?

Uh…she's unavailable. That's we're working on saving you. Just came into alert you…

Oh…

Suddenly, he couldn't here Plagg's voice in his head anymore. He gazed forward to see his mother with her hand on his forehead.

"Are you okay, Adrien?" She looked at him with that sheer concern in her eyes, "You're not ill, are you?"

This wasn't real. But it felt so real. And he hated it. He hated how it made him feel so nostalgic. He hated how this life was so perfect whereas he suffered in his real life.

Adrien leaned in and gave his mother a big hug. Even if it weren't real, he'd still use this opportunity.

"I love you mom." And I miss you. He whispered in between the hug.

"I love you too, Adrien." He felt her mother squeeze him harder as waves of nostalgia tightened his chest. He'd never felt this kind of love and affection for ages. It felt so good to feel it again. He missed her though and he doubted he'd ever feel this ever again…

Would he ever feel this kind of love again? He didn't know. All he knew was that he'd cherish this memory for as long as it lasted…

The warmth caressed him whole as he sunk his head deeper onto her chest.

Not a very Adrienette chapter? I know.

But wait until the next few chapters! It'll be too much Adrienette for you to handle ; )