New story! It's a hypothetical that y'all have seen a million times, but I hope y'all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir.


He felt his mouth go dry at the sight of him. Immobilized, Chat could only stare.

Hawkmoth. His father.

Ladybug faltered at his side, letting out a gasp.

"Gabriel Agreste?" She asked, incredulously.

Not in a million years would she have thought that he was the man they'd been up against all these years. A grown man constantly battling two 16 year olds. Obviously she'd assumed he'd been older, but the greying hairs on this mans head threw her off for a moment.

And Adrien... how would she be able to tell him that his dad...

Clearing her throat, she shakes her head. This is not the time to think about Adrien.

Sparing a glance at her partner, she noticed how... scared... he looked. To be honest, she was a bit scared, too. But he looked like he had just seen a ghost.

"Chat?"

His lady's soft voice brings him out of his trance. Watery eyes look in her direction and he gulps, before looking back at Hawkmo—his father.

"Give us your miraculous now. Whatever wish you want will not be granted," Chat demands with a slight shake in his voice.

Gabriel's smirk only grows.

"Don't you two kids want to know the wish? What if it betters the world?"

Ladybug is about to retort, but Chat beats her to it.

"Anything you do will not better the world. How could one wish fix all of the hurt you've caused everyone?"

Mr. Agreste glares at the young boy clad in the black leather suit.

"I wish to bring back my wife, for my son and I."

Chat is taken aback. Tears prick at his eyes, and he shakes his head.

"That is purely selfish, and will not better the world. Nor will it better the relationship with you and your son," he manages.

"You don't know anything about me and my son!"

"Your son will not appreciate you hurting Parisians for the sake of getting your already dead wife back!"

"My wife is not dead! She is in a suspended state. Again, you do not know anything about me or my son, so stop pretending like you do."

Ladybug attempts to speak before either one of the men commit a homicide, but—

"Mr. Agreste, I know a lot more than you think I do."

"And what will you do if I do not give you my miraculous? What will you do with them? It's best I give it a better use than to sit in a damn box, to be taken care of by useless little kids!"

Chat's facade is slipping.

"We are not useless. We've saved so many people. All you've done is caused chaos."

"Enough. Both of you will give me your miraculous so I can bring my wife back. Then all of this will be over. Isn't that what you want, anyway?"

"I understand you wanting your wife back, Gabriel," Ladybug intervenes, "but a wish like resurrection comes with a price. A life for a life. Now who do you suppose would take the place of Mrs. Agreste?"

"It certainly won't be me," he retorts.

"It certainly could be. If not you, then your son, because of the selfish nature of your wish. And you will have to deal with that guilt for the rest of your life."

Chat's breath catches in his throat as his lady says this.

"I don't want to die," he finds himself muttering.

Ladybug's head whips towards his, eyes widening.

"What?" She whispers.

Chat shakes his head vigorously, looking down at his feet and rolling his lips in.

"What did you just say?" Gabriel asks, his deep voice slightly trembling.

He nearly looses his composure when Chat looks back up at him and takes a step forward.

"Did you know the consequences of your wish, or did you just go into it blindly?"

Gabriel blinks, trying to think of an answer.

"I had the miraculous, and my kwami said they'd give it a shot," he decides.

"Did your kwami tell you about the consequences or not?"

"I think he did, although I can't quite remember."

Chat shakes his head.

"And you never asked again?"

"No," his father replies calmly.

Ladybug takes a step towards Chat and rests a gentle hand on his shoulder. He flinches and shrugs it away.

"Chat, what are you doing?" She whispers.

He shakes his head, silently letting her know that now is not the time, then turns his full attention back to his father.

"So you've been endangering the lives of all these people every day, despite not knowing that your son could die in the end? Do you even care?"

"Of course I do. Getting his mother back was for him."

"Your son doesn't want you to bring her back. The dead should stay dead, because that's how life works. Tampering with magic will only complicate things further."

Gabriel's eyes darken and a scowl forms on his face.

"Again, I ask - how do you know ANYTHING about my son?!"

"PLAGG, CLAWS IN!"

A flash of green blinds Ladybug and Gabriel momentarily, before they are met with Adrien Agreste.

Ladybug gasps, covering her mouth with her hand. She doesn't even try to stop the tears that gather in her eyes.

The silence is loud. Gabriel stares in astonishment as Chat Noir turns into Adrien, his son. But then the immediate guilt kicks in, and he curses under his breath.

Adrien takes five steps forward, until he is face to face with his father. Then he lifts his hand up and smacks him across the face.

Ladybug swore it got even quieter, but she's not sure that's even possible. She watches as her crush reaches under his father's tie and rips the butterfly miraculous from his white undershirt. Wordlessly, he hands it back to her and takes a few steps away from the man in front of him.

"You know, I thought you were going to be someone else entirely. I thought I was going to be able to go home and tell my dad that 'hey, guess what? I'm Chat Noir and I just defeated the bad guy.'"

Adrien let's out a dry chuckle, shaking his head.

"Turns out I didn't have to, because I've been fighting him the whole time. Only to find out that deep down, he wouldn't care if I died, because he was too busy caring about someone who's already dead.

All this time I thought Hawkmoth was just a bad guy, but no. He doesn't give as much as a shit about his son as he lets on. He neglects him. Forces him to model when it's something that he doesn't like. Imprisons him in his own house. Doesn't let friends come over. Grounds him over a fucking book.

No. He's not a bad guy, he's evil. No, actually. Evil doesn't even come close to you. You're sick, and I hate you more than I hate myself. You feel good now?"

Gabriel is stunned, speechless. He gulps, observing his son as he turns and walks away.

Ladybug stares at him in disgust before following her partner.

Adrien runs from the scene, his heart beating in his chest. He ignores Plagg as he annoyingly tries to comfort him.

"Kid? Kid! Slow down, you're not breathing and you gotta breath while you're running or you'll pass out!"

"Shut up, Plagg."

Although his kwami is right, he knows. He to a halt near the Dupain-Cheng bakery, resting his hands on his knees and catching his breath. He wills himself not to think about the last 30 minutes as he closes his eyes and tries to calm down.

Hearing footsteps behind him, he groans. As much as he loves his fans, this is not the time.

"Adrien!" Her voice rings in his ears and he sighs in relief, turning around to face her.

"Sorry I ran away from you, M'lady, I just-"

She puts a hand up.

"It's okay, I would have ran, too. We got his miraculous, and that's all we needed. But now I need to know if you're okay."

He shrugs, avoiding her eyes.

"It's a lot to take in," is his answer.

Short, but it explains a lot. Ladybug nods.

"Of course. I don't doubt that."

He bites his bottom lip, looking back at her.

"Well, uhm... You know Hawkmoth's identity now, and mine. Can I know yours?"

She's taken aback by how shyly he asks this question, because she still sees her partner talking to her. She saw him transform right in front of her — any traces of the shy Adrien she knows from class left her mind, as she saw his real personality shine through as Chat Noir.

Ladybug blinks, before nodding and grabbing his hand. She pulls him into the Dupain-Cheng bakery, forgetting her parents were going to question her actions.

"Ladybug, what-"

"Adrien, why are-"

"Look, I'll explain everything later. But Adrien needs a safe place to stay for right now and I know you are both good parents that would be willing to take him in, at least for the time being."

"But Ladybug-" her dad begins to protest.

"I really think he should stay with us, okay? I said I'll explain everything later, dad. I'll be back down in about half an hour."

She ignores the shocked looks on her parents' and Adrien's face as she continues to pull him up the stairs.

Once they are safely in her room, he looks at her in amazement.

"You called Mr. Dupain your dad."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Ladybug nods, looking at the posters of Adrien hanging on her walls. She scrunches her nose in disgust, now knowing that he doesn't like modeling, and it would be rude of her to just keep these pictures of him up.

"You brought me to the Dupain-Cheng bakery."

She nods, now focused on the task of tearing down his various posters from her wall.

"You said 'stay with us' instead of 'stay with you'."

She hums, agreeing.

"You're Marinette," Adrien says with a small smile forming on his face.

Finally, with all of the posters torn down, she turns to him and gives him a smile.

"Tikki, spots off."

The flash of red doesn't seem to faze him as she transforms. Tikki flies out of her earrings, looking between the two teenagers in wonder.

"Hey, so what happened exactly? Did you defeat Hawkmoth?" The little red kwami asks in a high pitched voice.

"She's so cute," Adrien says in lieu of a response.

Marinette giggles.

"Thanks. And yeah, Tikki. We did."

"Ooh, where's Plagg? I haven't talked to him since Sandboy!"

Right on cue, Plagg flies out of Adrien's over-shirt.

"Sugarcube!" The little black kwami greets his other half.

"I told you not to call me that!"

Marinette rolls her eyes at the tiny demigods, turning her attention to Adrien.

"Hey," she says casually.

"Hey," he responds.

It's then that she notices the frown that has returned to his face.

"Do you... do you wanna talk about it?"

He looks away and shakes his head, but then clears his throat and asks her a question she wasn't exactly ready for.

"So why did you really have pictures of me in your room?" He smirks, glancing at the small pile of paper in her hands.

She blushes. It's just Chat, it's just Chat, she has to remind herself.

"I've had a huge crush on you since freshman year," she says with a nonchalant shrug.

Wow. That was easier than she thought.

His smirk turns into a smile. Almost a grin.

"And you know how I feel about you, M'lady... Princess."

Her eyes widen when she remembers Chat has visited her a few times.

"We must really be meant to be, Chat."

He nods, walking closer to her and placing gentle hands on her waist. Her heart flutters at the touch.

"I think we are."

Any thoughts running through her head seem to cease as Adrien's lips connect with hers. She hums in pleasure, bringing one hand up to rest on his shoulder and the other to fiddle with the strands of his hair at the nip of his neck.

He smiles, forgetting about everything for the short duration of the kiss and relishing in her soft, plump lips. He's sure that he'll never want to stop.

But too soon, they release for air. Adrien rests his forehead against his lady's, not saying a word while they both catch their breath.

"Wow," she breathes with a grin.

He can only nod, closing his eyes.

"Yeah. Wow."

The silence lasts for only a couple seconds before the two kwami decide to be annoying and interrupt their moment.

"You guys are so cute! And I know I've waited forever for this, but there's other matters that need to be addressed first," the ladybug kwami states, getting right down to business.

The two teenagers pull apart and look at her in confusion.

"Tikki, we defeated Hawkmoth. What else is there to do?" Marinette asks, biting her lip in anticipation.

Plagg sighs, resting on Adrien's shoulder, before speaking up.

"You defeated Hawkmoth, yes. But what about Mayura? Gabriel still has the Peacock miraculous, and I wouldn't be surprised if he let you two go so easily because he knew he'd have that to fall back on."

Adrien shuts his eyes tightly, letting out a huff of air.

"Who the hell was Mayura, before we stopped seeing her?" He asks.

Plagg shrugs. "No idea. Cookie might know the answer though."

Both teens look at Tikki, waiting for an answer.

"Based on my calculations, I'd say that Mayura is Nathalie. But don't quote me on this, because I don't know for sure."

Adrien suddenly feels lightheaded.

"I need to sit down," he mutters.

As he takes a seat on the chaise he knows far too well, from when he visited as Chat Noir, Marinette focuses her attention on the issue at hand.

"So, you're saying Gabriel still has the Peacock miraculous. That means we didn't defeat Hawkmoth yet."

"It means you defeated Hawkmoth, but not Shadowmoth. He still has a chance to win, and he knows Chat's secret identity, so things could get real dangerous," Tikki supplies.

Marinette groans.

"What if we just call the police and get him into custody, before he even tries anything with the Peacock miraculous? We know who he is now, after all."

Adrien's shaky voice interrupts her train of thought.

"He's rich, Mari. Whether we call the cops or not, he can be put on bail like that," he snaps his fingers to demonstrate.

She turns to him.

"But if he's in custody for long enough, we can get the miraculous and he won't be a danger to anyone anymore."

"Except maybe Adrien," Plagg snickers.

Said boy looks to his kwami with a glare, shaking his head, while Marinette's eyes widen.

"Plagg, what do you mean?"

"He means nothing, Mari. Yeah. Just call the cops or whatever. I'll be fine," Adrien says loudly, before Plagg can respond.

Marinette narrows her eyes at the pair. She notes how Plagg seems to truly care for his chosen, despite the sarcastic attitude and snarky comments. This makes her worry about what the kwami means by "except maybe Adrien." And Adrien does seem to know what he meant, considering the look he gave the floating back cat.

She gulps, realizing there is definitely more to the story.

"Adr-"

A knock sounds on the hatch leading up to the bedroom, interrupting her. Her mother peeks her head through, looking at the two teenagers.

"Kids, I know there's a lot happening right now, but I'd appreciate it if you'd let us in on everything. Your father and I might be able to help," Sabine says, directing the last sentence to her daughter.

Marinette simply nods.

"We're talking about it right now, maman, and when we're done I'll come down and talk to you," she promises.

Sabine nods wordlessly and closes the hatch, and Marinette can hear her mother's steps as she makes her way down the ladder.

She looks back to Adrien, only now noticing the dark circles under his eyes.

"Adrien, what is Plagg talking about?"

He shrugs, looking up towards the skylight above her bed, wanting so badly to prance around Paris as Chat Noir, and escape his problems.

"Adrien?"

He sighs, looking back to her.

"My father is a menace. He scares me. He always has."

Tikki flies over to him, resting on his head in hopes of offering some comfort.

Marinette gulps. "How so?"

Plagg flies in front of her, catching her attention.

"The kid's father has been blackmailing him; telling him that if he tells anyone about the way he hits him—"

"WHAT?"

"—then he'll put locks on all the doors, windows, and that he will tell all his modeling coworkers that they have a chance now. Since he won't be able to go to any photoshoots because his dad will have locked him up, Adrien's career will go down the drain. He said he won't even let him out of his room, no exceptions — not even to eat dinner."

Marinette's head is spinning. Now she understands his need to sit down.

"He can't just lock him up like that," she whispers, "and Adrien, please enlighten me. Your father hits you?"

He cringes hearing the word.

"No-not, uhm... not exactly. He just, uh, likes to, sometimes, slap me and stuff... to uh... to keep me in line," he stutters out, struggling to find an excuse.

"That's BS, kid, and you know it. Remember how he used a paddle on you two days ago? And how he pushed you down the stairs last week?"

Marinette's breath hitches at Plagg's words.

"Holy shit, um. Adrien, sorry, that's...that's, uh. You don't deserve that," she says.

Adrien shrugs, now bouncing his leg up and down.

"He doesn't let me use the money I earn anyway. He puts it all towards his company. That's all I ever was to him, just an asset," he says bitterly.

With shaking legs, Marinette stands and makes her way to Adrien. She crouches down in front of him, resting a hand on his knee.

"Regardless of what he thinks of you or not, you do not deserve to get thrown around like a rag doll. And I know it sucks, because I know you love him and try to please him all the time, but he needs justice, and so do the people of Paris. He is considered a terrorist, and no amount of money will be able to get him out of this one."

Adrien gulps, nodding. It only takes a few seconds for the tears pooling in his eyes to fall.

"I'm so sorry, Chaton," she whispers.

He shrugs and grabs her hand off his knee. Rubbing his thumb over her knuckle, he sniffs and squeezes his eyes shut, attempting to stop the tears. But no avail.

It's only a few seconds before he's sobbing. He wishes his lady didn't have to see him like this. I'm so weak, he thinks.

But Mari thinks so such thing as she pulls him into her, rubbing his back and whispering small words of comfort. He tries so hard, but he can't stop. It's like the dam broke, after all of these years of holding in his emotions because they don't matter to the world, said his father.

"Emotions make you weak," he had said.

"Your tears will cause nothing but chaos for the Agreste brand, with all of those tabloids floating around. People will think you are too vulnerable and will not want to work with you."

"I just want the best for you, my son."

Bullshit. All BULLSHIT. His father meant nothing of what he said, and Adrien wishes he would have realized it sooner. Because now, crying into Princess' arms, it hurts. It hurts that he never stood up to him; it hurts that his dead mother was hidden in the damn basement; it hurts that he has nearly been killed by his own father... It hurts that his father is truly a selfish man and in fact does not want the best for his son.

"Kitty... hey, hey. I'm here," his lady whispers.

He can only cry harder, because everything his father has done to him is now rushing back.

The lying, the backstabbing, the blackmailing... everything. Him being Hawkmoth. He's Hawkmoth. He was so close to winning and bringing back the dead. And yeah, he misses his mother. But not that much. Never in a million years would he go to those lengths to bring back someone who's been dead for a year.

Shouldn't his dad be over it by now? Or at least grieving? Apparently his way of grieving was hurting innocent people. Hurting his own son in the process. Adrien knows that he thinks he had good intentions, but did he really?

Adrien remembers sitting alone at the dinner table the day after her death. He figured, one day won't hurt. Father is mourning.

He was wrong. 318 days alone at the dinner table. 318 days catering to his every whim; going to fencing lessons, practicing piano, learning Taekwondo. 318 days just waiting for his father's approval, only to be shut down and pushed away while he continued his precious work.

Only now Adrien knows that his real precious work had nothing to do with fashion. He was a designer, yes, but also a designer of free reign terrorism. Just like Ladybug, he had intricate plans woven. He knew what he was doing, despite his losses.

Seeing all his classmates getting Akumatized, Adrien always wondered why Hawkmoth attacked his school. Now it makes sense — Gabriel wanted him to stay away from the dangers of the outside world, which is why he kept him isolated and away from public school for so long.

But he was the danger.

Marinette's soothing words drag him out of his vulnerable train of thought, and he gasps in a large breath, desperately trying to compose himself.

"M'lady," he croaks.

"Shh, I'm right here."


Meanwhile, the Dupain-Chengs are downstairs, still in shock at the turn of events.

"Our daughter is Ladybug, Tom..." Sabine says, dropping down into a chair and rubbing her temples with the tips of her fingers.

He shrugs in response.

"I can't say I'm surprised, honey. All those days of being late to school? I know she stays up late, but she's usually very punctual. Her tardiness didn't start happening until Ladybug came around. I gotta say, I wish I would have realized it sooner."

Sabine sighs.

"When I went in there, Adrien looked very upset. What do you think happened? Why would Ladybug- I mean Marinette - why would she bring him here? Can't she bring him home?"

It's now Tom's turn to sigh.

"I mean, have you ever met that child's father? He's cold and distant, and I wouldn't doubt he's the same way to his son. Think about how many times he's been pulled from school events or hangouts with his friends? And the never-ending photoshoots... the kid can't seem to catch a break."

Sabine nods, looking up to her husband.

"That explains why she didn't bring him to the Agreste Manor. But you don't understand, honey, he looked SO scared when I peeked in. Marinette did, too."

Tom bites his bottom lip in thought, crossing his large arms over his chest.

"Why would she reveal herself to us now, is my question. Any other time, with context, maybe, but now? With Adrien in tow? I'm confused."

It's then that Marinette walks down the stairs, looking to her parents with a sullen smile.

"I guess I have a lot to explain, huh?"

Both parents raise an eyebrow and nod expectantly. Marinette sighs and sits on one of the chairs near the work table.

"Alright, so. Long story, but I'll shorten it up as much as I can," she takes a deep breath.

"Hawkmoth is Gabriel Agreste, Chat Noir is Adrien, and I just found out his home life is already worse than it seems, and now there's this as the cherry on top of all of it."

The adults stare at their daughter, taking in her words.

Sabine's chest twists in guilt.

"Oh my, poor Adrien. I wish I would have realized sooner—"

"Maman, don't feel guilty about this. It's the same reason you didn't know I was Ladybug: the masks are magic, and they are made to keep identities a secret. We wouldn't have known about Hawkmoth's true identity had Gabriel not accidentally revealed himself to us."

Tom gulped and looked in the direction of his daughter's room. That poor kid.

"Look, there's a lot of logistics that need to be worked out. Like, he still has another miraculous and we don't know if that will be any threat to us. But I do know that we need to call the police. I've already talked to Adrien about this and he agreed. Because no matter how much that man can put towards his own bail, the city of Paris will not allow him to do so. Plus, considering the abuse he's put Adrien through—"

"Abuse?!" Sabine and Tom simultaneously exclaim, barely able to hold back their gasps.

Marinette nods miserably.

"Yes, abuse. Physical and verbal, and neglect. And considering Adrien is Chat, there's more to add to that list."

Tom curses under his breath, frantically reaching for his phone.

Before dialing the number, he looks to Marinette for confirmation.

She gives him a solid nod, and that's all he needs.

One ring. Two rings. Three ri—

"Thank you for calling the Parisian Police. What is your emergency?"

"I was informed of the civilian identity of Hawkmoth, and I am requesting a warrant for his arrest."

Silence is heard on the other end for a few moments before there is a response.

"Of course sir, may we know the name?"

"Gabriel Agreste."

Tom swears if there is silence on the line one more time then—

"A-alright. Do you have the information as to how you know this?"

"I do. My name is Tom Dupain from the Dupain-Cheng bakery and if you send a few cops down here, I would be willing to explain everything. But we can't waste any time. It is urgent that you get Mr. Agreste into custody."

"Yes, sir. I will send a team your way as quickly as possible. Thank you for your call."

Marinette releases a breath she didn't know she was holding as her father hangs up, looking at the teenager.

"How is he?" Tom asks.

She shrugs, eyes cast downward.

"He just sobbed for about 10 minutes. His kwami is looking after him now, because I knew I had to talk to you. But I should probably get back to him now."

Sabine nods with concerned eyes.

"Go ahead, sweetie. I'll get dinner ready."

"Wait, what's a kwami?" Tom asks.

"The beings that give us our powers. Our miraculous in small demigod form, basically. I'll have you meet mine another time, but she's with Adrien right now. 'K bye!"

With that, she runs up the stairs, leaving her parents waiting for the police in the bakery. Opening the door to her room, she notices that Adrien has moved from her chaise onto her bed, all the way to the back corner. His legs are pulled up to his chest as he glared at her bedsheet below him, breathing heavily.

Marinette approaches with caution.

"My dad called... uhm... they'll be here soon. And they'll probably want a statement..."

Wordlessly and without looking up at her, Adrien nods. She exhales, frowning, and takes a seat next to him.

Neither knows what to say, but apparently the kwami do. Or, one sassy kwami in particular.

"I know this whole thing is upsetting, kid, but you gotta try and lighten up! This means you don't have to deal with him anymore. Hasn't that been what you wanted for a long time?"

When Marinette first met Plagg, she was not expecting him to be so blunt. And seeing the bluntness in action, towards someone in such a vulnerable position, made her want to scold him. But the smile Adrien gives his kwami stops her from doing so. She figures it must be because he's so used to the bluntness from his father, and he can tell Plagg means well regardless of his tone.

"Actually, I've been wanting to spend more time with him so our relationship can get better..." his smile turns into something sadder, "but now I want nothing to do with him."

"It's okay Adrien," Tikki interjects, "Marinette and her parents and Plagg and I and Nino and Alya are all here for you!"

Marinette nods in agreement, while Adrien just grimaces.

"Nino already feels so bad. Finding out my dad is Hawkmoth will only increase his pity on me. I don't want any more pity, but I know it's all I'm gonna get from Paris once the news gets out."

The girl sitting next to him sighs and takes his hand.

"I can talk to them about you not wanting any pity. And they'll do anything for you, ya know? As for Paris... good luck," Marinette sends him a cheeky smile.

He returns it, pushing his legs out to lay flat on her bed. His head tilts to rest on her shoulder and he lets out a long exhale.

"What will happen to Gabriel? The company?" He whispers.

Shit. Marinette hadn't thought of that.

"You want me to be honest?" She asks in the same tone.

After a moment, Adrien nods and starts playing with her fingers. He's trying to calm himself down, but losing the business would mean everyone would lose their jobs... all of the people who mildly care for him would be gone... and it would mean there is nothing left of his father.

But part of him wonders if that would be so bad. He knew his father was planning on passing the company down to him once he turned 18, and he couldn't imagine how much stress that would cause him. He was terrible with money and business ideas, among other things. He already has an inheritance, so he knows he would be fine, but the other employees... he's worried about what would happen to them.

His father rarely fired anyone, and when he did, he was ruthless about it. However, when someone had to leave the company for a personal reason or other, he was oddly understanding and offered compensation until they found another job. Which is ironic because his father never gave him the opportunity to look for another job when he repeatedly asked if he could leave the company.

So he supposes it would be fine if the employees still got paid while they looked for other jobs... so no. Losing Gabriel wouldn't be so bad.

"Without the main man; the main designer, the name brand, and the name all franchises are managed under... Gabriel is toast. I know that Paris would never look at it the same again."

He's silent as he takes in her words, expecting it all anyways.

"And..." Marinette starts, apprehensively.

He glances at her from his peripherals.

"...I want you to be prepared if Paris looks at you differently, too."

He was not expecting that.

"What?" He asks, sitting up from his position and looking at her worriedly.

She sends him an apologetic look before responding.

"Look. I know you're innocent, my parents do, our kwamis do, and I'm sure Nino and Alya will believe you are too. But Paris as a whole..." she shakes her head, closing her eyes and giving his hand a quick squeeze.

"What's to stop them from thinking you weren't involved?"

His eyes widen. She notices.

"It's just that you're the face of the Gabriel brand. And his intentions of getting our miraculous' are very selfish. When word gets around that he wanted to bring back your mother, a lot of people would probably assume that you'd be in on the plan somehow. Because what teenage boy doesn't want his mother back?"

Tears prick at his eyes before he quickly rubs them away. He's tired of crying.

"I would never—"

"I know, Chaton, I know. I'm just saying that I want you to be prepared. If the police ask if you were involved - you need to say the right thing, since these are the first people we're telling. I'm not saying it will stop the rest of Paris from conspiring, but it's best that you clear it up as soon as you can."

He sniffles, nodding.

"Um... how much can I clear up?"

She tilts her head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... I mean, I know you've always been keen on our identities staying a secret and I know that it's already dangerous he knows who I am because he still has the peacock miraculous but—"

"Chat, calm down—"

"—if I just tell everyone I'm Chat Noir, won't they believe me then? Why would Chat Noir fight against his father all these years if he knew about anything? Chat Noir is the good guy and everyone knows it, so saying Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir would clear up any suspicions that I'm involved with Hawk–my father. Haven't we hidden our identities for long enough, mil—"

"ADRIEN!"

He stops ranting and finally looks at her right in the eyes, panting.

She shakes her head, pulling him into her chest.

"You have a point and I think it would work, but we have to get the miraculous from him before he even goes to jail and who knows what would happen if he still has it with him in custody? All hell would break loose."

Despite everything else she said, Adrien caught on to her last words and smirked.

"Was that a pun, milady?"

She rolls her eyes, pulling him away and holding him at arm's length.

"I'm sorry, just not yet. I'll give you the go ahead when it's time, okay babe?"

The nickname rolled off her tongue so easily, and it caught both of them off guard. But a grin breaks onto Adrien's face, which makes all the awkwardness worth it to her.

Car door slams bring them out of their moment. Adrien's face, which was once covered in a grin, is now back to its former melancholic state.

Marinette sighs, pulling away from him completely and standing up.

Adrien pouts from the loss of contact, being as he is touched starved and now once he finally gets the cuddles he's always wanted, she just has to pull away.

She puts a hand out, silently coaxing him to take it and come with her. Hesitantly, he grabs her hand and pulls himself off of her comfortable bed. They walk over to the trap door silently, and make their way down the ladder.

When they reach the bottom of the stairs leading down to the bakery, they are greeted with the Dupain-Chengs speaking with Officer Raincomprix and another officer they do not recognize.

Sabine notices their presence and ushers them over with a small smile. Marinette makes sure to give her Chaton's hand a squeeze in comfort: a reminder that she's there for him.

Adrien, ever the model, plasters on his biggest and fakest smile for the officers. Despite their frowns when they see him, he is greeted warmly.

"Hello, Mr. Agreste—"

Adrien flinches. That's not him. That's his father.

"Adrien, please, sir," he requests in a small voice.

Marinette gives his hand another squeeze, effectively calming his nerves by 1 percent.

"Of course, Adrien. We would just like to know your side of the story," Officer Raincomprix explains.

The other officer nods in agreement, then adds, "Is it alright if we take a seat, Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng?"

Both Sabine and Tom nod vigorously, gesturing to the couches in the middle of the room.

"Go right ahead! I'll make you all some tea!"

Three cups of tea and two servings of croissants later, Adrien had told his side of the story as thoroughly as he could, without revealing his secret identity. Marinette backed him up on certain things, as she was there as well, which made the story more complete.

Sabine and Tom understood what the kids were doing, as Marinette had explained to them that now is not the time to divulge any information about Ladybug and Chat Noir, since it could negatively impact the situation further. So they just nodded along, feigning shocked looks when necessary.

After what felt like hours (but was really only one), the two officers left to the Agreste Manor, in search of Gabriel Agreste. When the door to the bakery closed, Adrien let out a sigh of relief and took his now sweaty hand out of Marinette's.

"How are you doing, son?" Tom asks the boy.

Adrien shrugs, closing his eyes. He can feel his head pounding, and it hurt.

"I have a headache," he whispers, just loud enough so that only the girl next to him can hear.

"Papa, could you please get Adrien some painkillers? And some water?"

He nods, "Of course," and rushes around the kitchen to find what was asked.

Sabine looks to Adrien, concern etched across her features.

"Honey, did you bring anything? Clothes, a toothbrush...? I think it would be best for you to stay for a while."

The boy opens his eyes slightly, wincing at the light, before focusing on the woman in front of him. He slowly brings his head down from the back of the couch and meets her eyes. He responds to her question with a painful shake of his head.

Even without his words, Sabine understands.

"Well, his clothes may be a bit bigger on you but you could always put on Tom's loungewear — at least for the time being. And I do believe we have a new toothbrush still in its packaging. I'll go get some sheets and pillows, and bring them out here for you. Be back soon, sweetheart."

As she leaves, Adrien can't help but crack a smile. He starts to feel the hole in his heart get filled with... love? Care? Is that what that is? He hasn't felt a parent's love in so long that it's so foreign, but it feels... nice. He finds himself loving the attention, as much as he wants to hate it because he doesn't deserve it.

Marinette smiles at her kitty, noting that his mood seemed to have lifted in a matter of minutes. She can't even bring herself to apologize for her parents' overbearing behavior, like she normally does. She remembers that Adrien grew up in a household unlike hers, where care is rare, so she knows it's something that he appreciates, rather than is annoyed by.

Tom returns with the painkillers and a glass of water, and the blonde boy takes them wordlessly. He gulps the water as if he hasn't drank anything in a week, immediately thanking Marinette's father. The man in question walks away with a satisfied smile, but not before uttering a "It's no problem. Feel better, son."

Out of habit, Adrien attempts to stand up to go put the glass away, but Marinette pulls him back down. He looks at her in confusion.

Shaking her head, she explains that he doesn't need to do everything, especially not with a headache. To further prove her point, she quickly swipes the glass from his hand and promptly takes it into the kitchen. His eyes follow her movements wearily. He still doesn't understand why she wouldn't let him clean up his own mess.

He had maids, of course, but his father had ingrained it into his brain that making other people do things for you makes you incompetent.

Ironic, considering he forces him to model for a company he was born into. Ironic, since he literally akumatizes people to do his own job for him.

Seriously, why didn't he just come out from the shadows and fight them for their miraculous' himself? What was he so afraid of?

Despite the circumstances, Adrien finds himself smirking at the thought of his father being so afraid to fight two teenagers face-to-face. So pathetic.

Marinette walks back to him with a shit-eating grin, before sitting down at his side once again.

"How are you feeling?"

He shrugs, settling into her side.

"My head still hurts and I'm still really exhausted, but I should be okay."

She nods, face flushing at the weight of his body leaning into hers'.

"That's good, and you will be. Want to just rest here for a bit? Or would you rather go up to my room?"

Before he can answer her question, Sabine comes rushing back in with a heap of sheets and pillows in her arms.

"Alright, sweetheart. I'm going to set up this couch for you, so if you two want to head back up to Marinette's room for a bit..." the lady trails off, looking between her daughter and the boy that has captured her heart.

Marinette chuckles before standing, holding out a hand for her kitty. He grabs it, using it as leverage to pull himself up from the very comfortable couch that he is actually quite thrilled to sleep on tonight.

"Thank you, Ms. Cheng—"

"Sabine," she interrupts, throwing down the heap onto the couch and letting out a huff.

She puts her hands on her hips and turns to the blonde boy, offering him a wild smile.

"It's really nothing, Adrien. Try to get your mind off of things for the night, okay?"

Sabine gently rests a hand on his shoulder and he nods, letting his lips curl upwards, before Marinette tugs on his hand.

"Okay. Thanks again."

With that, his lady pulls him away from her mother and towards the stairs that lead to her bedroom.

Not one word is spoken between the two superheroes until they make it through her trap door and sit on her bed.

"Your parents are awesome," he says quietly.

She nods, beaming.

"Yeah. They can get a bit overbearing at times, but it's always with the best intentions."

"They're so... welcoming. I have to admit, that's not something I'm used to."

Marinette chuckles, "Anyone could tell from a mile away that you aren't used to it, but that's okay. They love you so much. I mean, why wouldn't they? I only ever talked about you for three years straight — only good things, mind you."

Adrien's eyes sparkle, and it makes her heart flutter.

"Well, thanks for putting in a good word for me," he says, teasingly.

"Of course," she responds in the same manner.

A short silence falls over the room before Marinette speaks again.

"So... look, I know we haven't... Y'know..."

He stares at her in confusion as she trails off, just as oblivious as always.

Taking a deep breath, she spits it out.

"What are we?"

His eyes widen at her sudden bluntness, and he sputters.

"Um–I, I don't know... what-whatever you want to be, I guess. Uh. I like-" he clears his throat, "I like you, um, Ladybug, and Marinette is really awesome too, um... and—"

"I've liked Adrien for a long time now, and Chat is and always has been so kind and patient. I've been growing too fond of him to just call him a friend."

Marinette hides her surprise at how smoothly she is speaking, as she waits for Adrien to reply.

"So..." he licks his lips.

He huffs, "Will you go out with me?"

Now it's her turn to widen her eyes at his bluntness.

A moment of silence passes between them before she blurts out her response.

"Yes! Please! I have been trying so hard for so long to ask you, but—"

She never does get to finish her sentence, because his lips are on hers' and she is kissing him back, letting a small smile slip.

Being able to call Adrien her boyfriend? That's new, but she's ecstatic.

He is, too. He's finally going to get to be with Ladybug, and Marinette is just...

He sighs in content, leaning into the kiss.

Marinette is the cherry on top of the cake, and he couldn't be happier about it.

Neither party could hear the snickering of the yin & yang kwami in the room, as they are two busy loving each other hopelessly.


Welp. A LOT just happened.

**Gabriel's abusive behavior will be explored later in the story, but not in chapter two**

Don't forget to review! Seeing what y'all think makes me very happy lol.

xx Elisabeth