Pink Umbrella

By CM

AN: no association with miraculous tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir this is purely fanfiction.

Things have been chaotic lately after Marinette dumped Luka. She also was now getting help from her friend Alya being in the guardian was getting a little easier with less stress now she understood why Master Foo kept his beloved far away.

Marinette also has been keeping Chat Noir far away from her especially after what happened after the Chat Blanc timeline. Alya had been helping Marinette out. And one of the timelines they ended up falling in love and ultimately it was a destructive, a deadly nightmare.

She also gave up on Luka and Adrien. Adrien noticed a difference in Marinette. Marinette was exhausted all the time. He knew that she had a relationship with Luka and for no reason it didn't work out neither one really spoke about it. Adrien also noticed that Alya was spending more and more time with Marinette instead of his best friend Nino and Nino was Alya's boyfriend.

There have been more and more akumatizations. Every time Ladybug had a chance she would give the recipient of a magical lucky charm that would prevent them from being akumatized again that infuriated Hawkmoth. More and more Ladybug used help from Alya's alternative persona which was Renee Rouge. Chat Noir noticed and was depressed by it. He had no clue about what happened with Chat Blanc or the alternative timeline.

Eventually Hawkmoth or Shadowmouth now as he called himself ended up kidnapping Alya. There was a confrontation between Ladybug and Chat Noir after they saved her. He needed to know why she was given a permanent miraculous and why Alya knew who Ladybug was under the mask. The disagreement didn't go well. She could see how painful it was for him to know that Alya knew who the Ladybug was and he who was supposed to be her partner was in the dark.

The clues for getting really really obvious. "I'm sorry, there is an alternative timeline when you found out who I was. You hated me and hated me so much." She cried running away from him for her explanation. Things seem to keep a little better between them after that it's just different not the same. He was figuring out who Ladybug was.

A few months passed by and Adrien's mother's birthday was today. He had some good friends who's glad that he was in school. It was a new school year, the second one outside the house he had been lucky he had his same home room again with his best friend Nino. He had helped Ladybug of course, but he promised to stop pursuing her romantically, especially finding out what happened and why she was scared of him; they would have to just be friends.

He heard Alya whispering behind him with Marinette who he knew was his Ladybug and it pained him to know his love for her was so destructive it scared her. He figured out her identity, but would have to be quiet. The last few months have been depressing. Ladybug was Marinette.

Then there was Luka and Marinette. Adrien found himself jealous even though the pair was no longer a couple he was jealous seeing the way they interacted the way that Marinette interacted with Luka was different than the way she interacted with him but she's scared of him as Adrien too? Did she know he was Chat Noir and never said anything? He also had split from Kagami. He ruined that chance as well.

It was a rainy day on his mother's birthday, Adrien noticed Marinette at the awning trying to open up her umbrella, the umbrella he gave her when they first met which is still broken. "Do you need help?" he asked. Marinette's eyes widened when she turned to look at Adrien, little surprised he was standing by her.

Now he sees the girl he believes to be Ladybug struggling with the umbrella it was about to start raining. "Do you need help? Adrien repeated, causing a flustered Marinette to turn and held out the umbrella. He thought to himself wondering if she hated him as Adrien as well the look on her face she didn't think that he would come approach her.

"S-sure " Marinette stammered out of her mouth.

Adrien helped fix the umbrella up for her with it now open he left waving and walked down the stairs to his driver who was parked in front of school or not waving a little. Her heart was pounding from the interaction. "Are you okay Marinette?" Asked her Kwami Tikki.

"Wait! ADRIEN!" Marinette yelled, chasing after the boy down the stairs. She had no clue he was Chat Noir, but she knew her friend had been depressed all day. She heard whispers about his mom. Adrien turned and saw Marinette was running to him.

She quickly caught up to Adrian. "Adrien, if you need a friend to talk to, I mean I'm here for you. I don't know what you are dealing with, but if you want someone to listen I'm here. I mean it!" She was serious and didn't stammer once. Adrien blushed some. A thunderclap was heard.

"You know what, I'd really like that." Adrien said sadly waving bye to her and entered the vehicle leaving Marinette behind.

"Wow. Look at you." Tikki said

It took over a year, but she did it. Marinette knew her crush was still there. Marinette hummed as she walked home with Tikki in her purse. She's proud of herself and she should be, she was the savior of Paris.

A few hours went by and Marinette was laying in her bed reading magazines for inspiration. Her friend Alya did come by earlier that day but had gone back home to do her school work and eat dinner. The Kawmis were eating cookies and enjoying each other's company when Marinette's phone rang. Looking over she saw Adrien calling her.

'You can do this!!' She encourages herself to answer the phone with a "Hello."

"Hi Marinette, is this okay time to talk?" Adrien asked on the other side of the phone.

"Of course it is. Are you okay?" She replied concerned with how he was doing.

"No." Adrien said softly. "Ever since my mom… my... my father, it's like he doesn't want to be around me or anybody." Marinette wondered if he was crying.

"He...he loves you Adrien. Look how protective of you he is. He does what he does because he doesn't want to lose you as well." She responded hearing Adrien taking deep breaths trying to stay calm.

"I don't think he loves me, Marinette. He ignored me all day. I even got a cake and wanted to share it and Nathalie tossed it in the trash and told me not to bother my father today." Adrien admitted.

"It stopped raining, do…" she braced herself. " Do you need a hug?'' Marinette's eyes white and that's what she just said she was on a roll today.

"I'm… I'm going to you." Marinette said on the phone she grabbed her purse, got off her bed and went down the stairs.

"What… I." Adrien stammered.

"I'm on my way!" She said walking down the stairs and hung up the phone.

Adrien stared up the phone to call and ended now she was heading to give him a hug.

"Well kid, you better go meet her." His kwami Plagg suggested. Adrien nodded, got up and headed out the door.

Marinette rang the bell and she was out of breath. She got there the fastest she could Nathalie answered the Bell.

"What do you want?" The assistant asked.

"What do I want? I want your boss to pay attention to his son! How about that! He's hurting too! Adrien deserves to be loved by his dad. How dare you toss that cake out, that was in honor of his mom!" Marinette yelled.

Inside the manner Adrien happened to hear what Nathalie was receiving. Nathalie was shocked. "Listen little girl, that is not your concern. I advise you to leave right now!" Nathalie turned to see Adrien listening in.

"Let her in!" Adrien said.

Marinette rings the bell again and again.

" Let her in!" Adrien almost yelled.

"No." Nathalie's response.

" Whatever!" Adrien said, running to the front door leaving a shocked Nathalie behind.

The sounds of the bells ringing echoed. Adrien ran out to the stairs towards the locked gate. He stopped and caught his breath. Marinette could see he had been crying. "She won't open the gate!" He cried out defeated. Marinette couldn't understand how cold these people were. She got right next to the bars off the gate and held her hands out. Adrien walked up to the gate and grabbed both her hands with bars separated then.

"Why are they so cruel to you, Adrien?" Marinette whispered. Both were looking at the wet ground from the rain earlier and their shoes holding hands.

"My father didn't even speak to me all day." He whispered trying not to cry. "Thank you for trying,'' he said, his head resting on the gate bars.

Marinette stayed there holding his hands separated by the gate for 10 more minutes till he calmed down. Unknown to them, Adrien's father Gabriel was watching the scene outside of Adrien and Marinette holding hands outside the gate.

"Thank you for coming, I know this was the closest thing to a hug." Adrien looked up to Marinette whose eyes locked with his she had been crying as well. "You know you owned Nathalie back there." Adrien said laughing.

"You heard?" She asked and in response he nodded.

"I'll see you Tomorrow?" He asked with a nod from Marinette. "Thank you for checking on me. It means a lot more than you can believe." He said releasing her hands from him.

Soon the two parted. Adrien felt better and Marinette was floating. She stood up for Adrien. Adrien shared with her, she was there for him.

The next day-

Marinette was concerned. Adrien was late to class, did his dad remove him from school again? To her relief Adrien arrived late.

Adrien walked into class and apologized to the teacher with a black box in his hand with a red ribbon bow on it. "Sorry Miss Bustier." He apologized. "I had to stop and pick up a gift for Marinette." He said walking to his seat. The whole class watched and wondered why he got her a gift.

Adrien walked towards Marinette's seat and leaned over and handed her the box. Turning to his seat he sat down grinning. The whole class was curious.

Marinette felt Alya pushed her shoulder, encouraging her to open the box. Marinette untied the ribbon bow and separated the boxes and pulled out a pink Umbrella. The class that was looking at her giggled. Marinette blushed some. A new umbrella.

The school day carried on as normal. There were whispers and giggles about marinette's pink umbrella. Marinette didn't care. She had a gift from Adrien. Soon School ended and the kids parted their ways. Marinette left the school to see Adrien under the awning to the side.

"Marinette." He called to her

"Thank you for the umbrella. I'll return you the black one tomorrow." She said and he shook his head no. "Thank you for being there yesterday." He said. "I mean, it's nice to have someone to share with other than Nino. Someone to stand up for me."

Adrien's car had pulled up by then. Dreadful, he looked at it then back to Marinette. He seen Nathalie in the back seat watching them. "Let me guess they are getting more strict with you?" Marinette said glaring at Nathalie.

Adrien rubbed his neck. "Did your father talk to you at all after I left?" She asked very concerned.

"No." He said frowning.

Without warning Marinette wraps her arms around Adrien and hugs him. Adrien was shocked at first but then he wrapped his arms around him tightly.

'I am not letting you go." Marinette said to Adrien she was hugging.

"Eventually my body guard will separate us

"Thank you. I used to get hugs like this from my mom. I miss it." Adrien admitted.

"I'm going to have to adopt you." Marinette laughed.

"That would make things more complicated." He laughed.