Hello, Miraculers! We're together today for a new chapter with the thrilling adventures of our two favorite heroes!
CHAPTER 15 : The Storm.
"Hi Felix," greeted Adrien, coldly.
"Hello, dear cousin," replied Felix in a solemn voice.
Adrien went around the vehicle, not letting Felix out of his sight. He then gently opened the door to Marinette's side. He immediately saw his cousin's eyes fixed on his beloved with a sardonic smile on his lips.
The Englishman came up to them facing Marinette. He took the young woman's hand delicately into his own and carried it to his mouth to kiss it. Marinette frowned. Felix's kiss was like sulfuric acid burning her skin. As soon as he had finished kissing her knuckles, she quickly removed her hand.
"I see that you always have good taste when it comes to choosing your friends, Adrien," exclaimed Felix, while staring intensely at Marinette.
Uncomfortable, Marinette moved closer to Adrien, who hastened to wrap a possessive arm around her waist.
"Marinette is my girlfriend, Felix," replied Adrien, gently pulling her closer until she was flush up against his side.
"Oh, I remember you, you were in that memorable video, Marinette," he replied.
The way Felix made Marinette's name roll sensually over his tongue made the young woman shudder.
"My cousin has finally forgotten his stupid addiction for that vulgar heroine and finally noticed your charming presence. You were so cute in that video where you confessed your feelings for him. Too bad he never saw it." He told Marinette.
Then he turned to Adrien.
"But as the saying goes: better late than never, right?" he added mockingly.
Felix's arrogance had Adrien's pulse vigorously pounding his temples. He clenched his jaws and ignored his cousin's statements.
"What are you doing here, Felix? I guess you didn't come here just to remind us that Ladybug had to put your ideas back in place because of your selfish and childish behavior that day."
Felix raised his eyebrows and in turn ignored his cousin's words.
"We heard about the arrest of my uncle and Nathalie, and about your return. Mother had to return to London this morning but I decided to stay one more day to enjoy the beauty of Paris," he said, insisting on these last words, while addressing a charming look to Marinette.
In a protective reflex, Adrien moved slightly in front of Marinette.
Felix raised his eyebrow, a subtle amused grin dancing on his face, then he stepped closer towards them.
"Mother therefore instructed me to give you these documents. She needed it to run the company during Gabriel's absence, but now that you're here, it's no longer her business." Felix handed the documents to his cousin who quickly took it from his hands. Adrien was waiting for just one thing: the end of this conversation and to see Felix disappear as quickly as possible.
"Thank you," Adrien replied dryly.
The Englishman took a step towards Adrien and extended his hand to him. In return, Adrien held it strongly, relentlessly and sternly staring at Felix. When he finally recovered his hand, Felix grimaced and shook his sore fingers. He then moved to Marinette, to say goodbye with the two formal kisses that the Parisians used to have. He leaned slowly to her left cheek, and while kissing there whispered:
"It took him a long time to notice that you are irresistibly attractive."
He then leaned to her right cheek, perfectly imitating the gesture he had made just before on the other side.
"You are too good for him, and he doesn't deserve you," he added, in a voice that wasn't very discreet.
There was no doubt that Felix sought to make his cousin clearly hear the words he addressed to Marinette. Adrien flinched beside his girlfriend and clenched his fists. But before he could react, Marinette beat him.
With incredible speed, the young woman's hand crashed into Felix's cheek.
"I don't think it's any of your business, Felix. So why don't you just go back to London," Marinette said bitterly.
He directed his gaze towards Adrien, his hand gently rubbing his red and painful cheek. "Well, it looks like you like impulsive and violent women." Felix groaned.
Adrien tensed again, but for a second time, Marinette was quicker than him to react.
"The problem is not with the women, but with you and your impertinence, Felix." She protested strongly before taking Adrien by the hand to leave.
They turned away from the undesirable, hearing Felix mutter some infamies in the distance, then entered the interior of the Manor.
Marinette slammed the door behind them and then turned to Adrien, who seemed to be fulminating.
"Bloody hell! Who does he think he is? His behavior is abhorrent and insolent! I hate your cousin!" she yelled, pacing the floor, her hard footsteps echoing around them.
Presumably, Adrien was even more furious than she was judging by his reaction. His fists and jaws were firmly clenched, his breathing was loud and fast, his gaze was black and full of contempt. In a sudden and uncontrollable gesture, he encased his fist in the wall in front of him, then without a word, climbed with firm and fast steps towards the stairs.
Marinette immediately followed him.
"Adrien, calm down, he's not worth it," she cried out behind him, trying to catch up.
But he did not even turn back to her, he entered his room, opened Plagg's Camembert's reserve and took out a piece which he shoved between the paws of his kwami. The little cat gulped in the face of the harsh gaze of his holder and quickly gobbled the cheese without protesting.
"Adrien, please, you are reacting exactly as Felix wished. Don't give him that satisfaction. You're much more moderate than that," said Marinette.
Adrien didn't look at her, didn't answer her, didn't even actually listen to her. Anger and resentment had taken hold of him and guided him. He called his transformation, under the anxious gaze of his girlfriend, then rushed to jump out of the window without even turning.
"Chat Noir!" screamed Marinette as he jumped out of sight. " Tikki, Sp-..."
The familiar little paws of her kwami rested on her mouth to prevent her from uttering the words.
"No! Let him go. I think he needs some space, Marinette. Believe me, it will be better for him. For both of you," explained Tikki in a comforting voice.
"He didn't even bother to listen to me. I'm worried, Tikki... I hope you're right," she replied, sadly staring at the open window, totally worried and confused by her boyfriend's overreaction.
Chat Noir jumped from the top of a roof, landing directly in a very dark and deserted alley, out of breath after running for a longtime and at full speed over the Parisian rooftops. "Claws in," he whispered, breathily.
Plagg, exhausted, fell into the hands of his holder. Adrien immediately took a piece of camembert out of his sweatshirt pocket and gave it to his kwami. Then he took care to place the little creature in his hood, before placing it on his head to be discreet. He ventured out of the alley with his hands in his pockets and his head down. After a few minutes' walk, he entered an Irish pub which was located in a quiet area on the immediate outskirts of Paris.
There weren't a lot of guests in the establishment, much to his relief. He spotted a dark and secluded corner and settled there, leaning against the bar.
"What can I serve you?" He heard the waitress ask him, with a strong Irish accent.
"A pint of Guinness, a Foreign Extra Stout, please," he answered, not looking at the woman and keeping his head hidden in his hood.
Less than a minute later, the bartender dropped the half liter of beer in front of Adrien. Slowly, he grabbed the handle of the pint and carried it to his lips, reveling in the roasted and warm flavor of this Irish beer as black as ebony. The tastes of roasted malt, toffee, coffee, chocolate, hops and black fruits, mixed in his mouth, and he quickly emptied his glass.
"Your cousin is a troublemaker. He is a jealous, selfish and insolent boy. I had to contain myself not to use my power on his nasty mouth," he heard Plagg whisper in the hollow of his ear.
"Felix may be a fool, but he's right about one thing... I don't deserve a woman as incredible as Her," Adrien whispered discreetly in response to his kwami.
The waitress came back in front of him to clear his empty glass, he quickly kept quiet and dared to take a brief look at her.
She was a brown-eyed, haired woman about forties. Her features were soft and comforting. She gave him a warm smile and he could feel the goodness and wisdom that emanated from her in waves.
"Can I get you another one?" she asked, in a voice as warm as the expression on her face was.
Adrien simply nodded, fighting his dark and negative thoughts and giving her a half-smile.
As she walked away, he felt Plagg come closer to his ear. "Don't tell me you took the words of this rude kid seriously!" the little kwami rose up.
"Felix isn't the only one who thinks that, Plagg. All I bring to Marinette up to now is suffering and sadness. I ignored her feelings for me, even when I really knew she was in love with me. I chose to close my eyes and shut my mouth, ignoring the way my heart wished to show me the truth. I broke her heart a dozen times because of my blindness," he whispered, sadly.
"I think she'll get over it now that she knows that all these rejections were related to her heroic alter-ego and the sincerity of your feelings for her."
"How can you say that so calmly. I ignored her, Plagg. I hurt her feelings. And... And now I also make her suffer physically... I was brutal with her... I... I forced her to continue while... I hurt her... She doesn't deserve a monster who throws himself at her at the first opportunity to satisfy his needs," he added, with a weak and broken voice.
Plagg suddenly plunged into Adrien's hood and the young man kept silent, recovering the pint that the woman was holding for him. The next moment, when he was again alone, the kwami took his head out slightly.
The glass on the edge of the lips, Adrien turned towards Plagg, the kwami addressed him with a serious and dissatisfied look.
"What?" questioned the young man bitterly.
"I am not sure that drowning your guilt in a giant beer is a good idea, Adrien. You should talk to Ma-..."
"Silence!" he shouted, catching the eye of the bartender and of two other men in the establishment.
He pulled his hood a little more on his head, making himself discreet again and hoping not to draw attention to his strange behavior.
"Plagg, please, leave me alone," said Adrien.
"Your behavior is unhealthy, I'm worr-..."
"Sorry, my friend, we'll talk later," he whispered, suddenly removing the ring from his finger.
The little kwami had no time to oppose and was immediately sucked into the Black Cat Miraculous. Adrien then quickly put the ring safely in his pocket and emptied his glass of beer.
Hours passed and after four pints, Adrien was now holding a glass of expensive whisky, 27 years old and aged in a rum drum. A Benriach, single cask from 1991 to be precise, whose bottle cost no less than four hundred euros.
As alcohol spread through his body and clouded his thoughts, he distinguished a deaf buzz that echoed around him. He raised an eyebrow and focused on the noise that was unpleasantly resonating in his ears. Then he finally realized that it was his phone that was ringing. With a shaking hand, he took the object out of his pocket, took the call and carried the phone to his ear.
"Adrikins! It's Chloe! I'm sorry to call you so late because of the jet lag. Marinette left me a voice message this morning but it was night here. I just woke up now. Gosh', if you knew how relieved I am that this story is over and that you're safe and sound!"
"Mmm, thanks Chlo", he replied, unable to make a longer sentence.
"I didn't think I'd say that one day, but I'm very happy for you and Marinette. You deserve more than anyone to have a woman who loves you and will make you happy, Adrikins."
"I'm not sure about… uh... that, little bee," he mumbled, the sound of his voice strangled and nasillard.
"Little bee? Adrien? Is everything okay?"
"I just spent fifty euros for a... uh... a drop of whisky. Everything is fine Chlo', purrfectly fine! I feline good... purretty good!
"Adrien... Why the hell did you make cat puns? Is Chat Noir with you? Are you drunk?"
"Not at all! Well... a little. Okay, just a little bit... drunk. Don't tell Mari'... She'd hang me head down at the top of… of the Eiffel Tower... if she knew," he chuckled.
"But what are you talking about?"
"Don't worry about me, little bee. I always... fall on... my paws! Call you later, bye!"
With these last words, he turned the call off and in just one sip, finished his glass of whisky. Then he called the waitress for another one.
"I'm not sure that it's a good idea to drink another, young man," she said, her voice always comforting and without any judgment.
Adrien raised his head to the woman behind the counter, and for the first time, she could see his face clearly.
"Well, I think it's a... very good idea after… after everything I've been-..." He hung his sentence and lowered his head to his empty glass with a deep sigh.
"I see..." she replied simply, grabbing the bottle of whisky and serving him another drink.
The waitress then took a quick look around, making sure there were no other customers.
"Adrien Agreste, is that your name, my boy? You're the young man who was kidnapped by Hawkmoth, I mean by your-..."
"By my father," he concluded, with a dark gaze and a firm voice.
"Alcohol will not solve your problems... It's the last drink I'm going to serve you. You've had enough for tonight. I'm sure someone is waiting for you at home and is worried about you. A certain Mari', who would hang you at the top of the Eiffel Tower if she saw you in this state?" she exclaimed, a mischievous smile stretching her lips.
"It's bad to listen to customers' conversations," he chuckled, while sipping his last drink.
"And it's bad to drown your problems in expensive whiskies," she replied, collecting the empty glass and giving him a protective, almost maternal, look.
"Well, M'dam," he replied, trying to get his wallet out of his pocket.
He got up, stumbling, and with great difficulty, finally managed to grab his wallet and take out his bank card.
He blinked several times, trying to remove the blur that lay before him, then focused on the figures of the payment terminal. He had to do it twice to get the right code before finally greeting the woman standing behind the counter.
"Here... I'm going home..." he said, as he walked towards the exit.
"And get a taxi!" she exclaimed.
"I will!" Adrien answered by waving to her and walking out of the bar. "A taxi named Plagg," he added once outside.
With heavy and overlapping legs, Adrien strolled down the street, looking for the quiet cul-de-sac he had landed in a few hours before. When he finally reached his destination, not without difficulty, he picked up the ring in his pocket and passed it to his finger.
In a bright green lightning, Plagg appeared in front of Adrien's face, with a hard and ruthless gaze.
"Adrien! But what's wrong with you!" protested the kwami in a sharp voice.
"The ground. The ground doesn't turn round," he replied, his reason being influenced by the alcohol he had ingested.
"You are completely drunk! It's unacce-..."
Adrien interrupted his kwami's laments, calling for his transformation and letting the magic wrap his body and work to bring him the suit and skills of Chat Noir. He pulled out his stick, which he dropped clumsily on the ground, before collecting it and extending it to propel himself on a roof. He leaned against a chimney a few seconds before jumping to reach another roof. He slid on landing and stabilized himself just on the edge of the void. His eyes widened with fear as he looked down, he felt as if the sidewalk was heading towards him to engulf him ferociously. He stepped back and fell backwards on the ground, letting out a gasp of stupor.
He took a few minutes to recover and got up. "Thank you, Plagg, you can annihilate the dinosaurs and Atlantis with a little cataclysm alone but-…" He paused and frowned, feeling and observing despite himself, the destructive energy loading into the palm of his hand.
"Damn! But you can't help me and fight against a little bit of alcohol," he grumbled, his eyes still focused on the powerful energy that was crackling at his fingertips.
He looked left and right, but there was no object he could touch to unload his cataclysm. He tried to look down, a little dizzy, and distinguished a garbage can. Immediately, he jumped off the roof and landed painfully and heavily in the alley. He put his free hand on one wall in order to keep his balance and then with the other disintegrated the trash with its destructive power.
Relieved, he climbed up the roof and decided to use his stick like a helicopter propeller to propel himself into the air to reach the Manor.
To be continued...
PS: Alcohol doesn't resolve problems and can cause hard addictions and irreversible health care of yourself and have fun with moderation.
See you next Wednesday for Chapter 16: Rolling in the deep.
Miraculous kisses!