Day 16

"So, that was nice of Marinette last night," Plagg began, lazing on Adrien's shoulder while he worked.

Adrien couldn't deny it.

"Maybe it would be kind to thank her for it."

"But it's weird."

"Kid," Plagg grumbled exasperated. "We have gone over and over and over this."

"I'm sorry," Adrien cried. "I just… we agreed to just be done with it. Suddenly, she's being super nice and doing housework and making food and-and-and calling in the middle of the day for no reason. Something's up, Plagg."

Before Plagg could answer, a knock on the office door had him diving for cover.

Adrien waited until Plagg was hidden in the drawer before calling Kagami in.

"Was I interrupting something?" she asked, entering the office. "It sounded like you were talking to someone."

"Oh," Adrien said, his heart racing as he struggled for an answer. "Sorry, I was… working through something aloud."

She looked at him knowingly. Which was terrifying considering how long he'd known her. "Relationship trouble?"

Adrien sighed. She was sharp. He couldn't hide anything form her. "Yes."

"Then leave the relationship," she urged. "Honestly, if it's going to be this bad, it's not worth staying in."

Adrien bit his lip. Something in his gut told him that wasn't right, but he was also so confused over the whole thing.

"I should know," she continued. "I was arranged to be married to a man back in Japan."

"Really?" Adrien asked, surprised.

She nodded. "It was not a good relationship that, thankfully, my family called off so I would not cause shame to my family by leaving the man. Prior to my parents' intervention, when he suspected that I was going to leave him, he started acting kindly to me. I only have a couple speculations, one being that he didn't want me to leave him because he thought I was fully caught in the palm of his hand, and when I threatened to leave, he didn't like losing the one thing he thought he had control over. My other speculation was he wanted to gain the money my parents would give him after our union, so by being nice, he believed he could convince me and my family that he was a good match and that he truly did love me. Either way, his motives were dangerous. Be careful Adrien. You're a good man. I don't know what you're going through, but I urge you to be careful and think this through thoroughly."

Adrien paused. "I… I didn't know you had to face something like that."

Kagami nodded. "It was not for me easy in any way. I don't want you to suffer anything like that. I'm here for you, if you need anything."

"I appreciate it," Adrien said.

Throughout the day, her words kept coming back to him. He'd had his speculations, but hearing it come from yet another person…

"Adrien, you're not really going to listen to that, are you?" Plagg challenged again on the drive home.

"You have to admit, Plagg, that this has been strange. It's riding on the heels of us…" the words caught in his throat. He couldn't say it, and if he thought about it, he'd start crying. As it were, all he could do was swallow, take a breath, and shove it down. He had to think rationally. No soft, fuzzy emotions coming up to make him question everything and risk putting himself out there to another copy of his father.

"You don't want to do that," Plagg said, concern clear in his tone.

"What if she goes back to acting like my father?"

"Then that's where you come in," Plagg said. "You are an equal part of this marriage, and nothing is going to change if you don't do something about it."

"I can't change her, Plagg. That's not how marriage works."

"You're right. You can't force her to change. But you haven't exactly been Mr. Model Husband to her, just as she hasn't been Mrs. Model Wife to you."

"Meaning what's the point of staying?"

"You don't think you can fix it?" Now, that was spoken as a challenge.

"You can't fix your spouse."

"You can talk to them about it, though," Plagg pointed out. "Like a normal human being."

"She's not going to want to listen."

"And how do you know?"

Adrien was silent.

"She's not your father, Adrien. Don't rope her in the same category."

But when Adrien got home, she wasn't there. And she wouldn't return until eight that evening.

"Not my father, my ass," Adrien grumbled. "I'm not going to compete with her job, Plagg. I can't."

"It will be worth it."

"I'm not saying it wouldn't be worth it, Plagg," Adrien countered, his tone completely dejected and eyes hot with unshed tears. "I'm just saying there's no competition in the first place. Apparently, I'm not worth it."

"Your bug messed up big time," Plagg hissed at Tikki. "My kitten was this close—this close—to thinking maybe what I was saying about restoring his marriage was valid. And then she didn't come home until late, and now he's pouty because he feels she's prioritizing work over him."

"I tried!" Tikki defended. "But it was just 'one more thing' 'one more thing' until four hours later she was looking at the clock and realized maybe she should get home."

Plagg sank to the counter with a heavy sigh. "We were so close, Tikki," he repeated. "So close."

"I know," Tikki assured, sinking down beside him. "I did all I could, but Marinette wasn't listening. I don't know what it will take to get through her head that she's clinging to the reins of a company that's fine. That she needs help because she's letting this company consume her."

The kwamis were silent for a while before Plagg placed a paw over Tikki's. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to get testy with you. It's not your fault. I know you're doing everything you can."

She snuggled up closer to him as a response. "And I'll keep that up, Plagg. It's not over yet. Maybe this whole situation can be redeemed. Day eighteen is coming up. We'll see what happens then."

"I hope for their sakes that it's just what they need to start flipping this around."

Day 18

"Love seeks to understand," Tikki began. "Today, prepare a dinner for you and Adrien. Like, a nice one, okay? Make it a surprise date and treat it like one. Use that time to get to know Adrien better and just enjoy the evening with him."

"But I know Adrien."

Tikki gave Marinette a small smile. "When was the last time you two sat down and had a conversation. About anything. Besides," Tikki quickly interjected, "that little conversation you two had a couple days ago when you congratulated Adrien on his spot at nationals."

After a few seconds, Marinette found herself ashamed that she couldn't answer that.

"So, prepare dinner for the night. Go all out, and surprise him."

Slowly shutting the journal, Marinette gave a nod. "Okay."

It was about the time Adrien was supposed to get home that Marinette lit all the candles she'd set up at the dinner table. She'd finished dinner; it was sitting warm on the stove. She'd even dressed up in a simple red dress and did her hair and make-up to compliment it.

When was the last time she'd done that?

When she heard the clack of the door unlocking, she stood with a smile. She watched Adrien enter, kick off his shoes, then look up and freeze when he locked eyes with her.

She smiled. "Welcome home. I made dinner."

He stared at her a moment, his brow furrowed in confusion before quickly hurrying off into the master bedroom.

To say she was shocked was an understatement. But there was a thunk off somewhere in the house, and when he returned, he was no longer carrying his sports bag. Meaning that he was standing there with his hands on his hips glowering at her. "Just what are you trying to pull?"

Words lodged in her throat as she tried to answer. "Wha-what are you talking about?"

"This!" he said, gesturing to the kitchen and dining room. "This! And the days before and you getting groceries and doing laundry and all the other things and what are you trying to pull?"

Again, she struggled for words. "I'm not pulling anything."

"Really?" he challenged. Her heart sank and gut twisted. "Because I find it oddly coincidental that all this started after we agreed this," he pointed to the two of them, "was done."

"I never agreed to that, Adrien," she countered, trying to keep the anger out of her tone. "Otherwise, why would I have done any of this? What do you think I've been trying to do these last two weeks if not try to salvage our marriage?"

"Salvage our marriage?" The growly undertone was unexpected and hurt more than she ever could have guessed. "Really?"

"Yes!"

"Even when you're not here?"

"What do you mean? Of course, I'm here."

"No, you're not!" he shouted. Unconsciously, she took a step back. "Do you know how many nights that you've been here out of the last several weeks? Not many. You know how often you're here in the mornings? Not often. You're always at the office. Heck, the day I came home to all the laundry done and you still weren't here. You never are and all this just feels like a bribe to make up for the fact I never see you."

The world had faded away as Marinette stood frozen at her husband's words. Even he seemed shocked at them.

But it didn't stop him. "And I am not going to just sit around and let you bribe me into staying when it's clear you don't care."

"I do care."

"No you don't!" Adrien shouted. "Or you would be here." He took a breath, and when he spoke again, he didn't shout. "I'm done with having people in my life that buy their way into keeping me. I'd understand if there was an emergency that needed to be handled, but I will not sit on the backburner to someone else's career. I'm done with that, Marinette. And I can't keep doing that, so don't ask that of me."

With her heart beating overtime, her breath came in quick pants as he began to walk away. "Adrien," she shouted, hoping beyond home he would stay. "I'm sorry, but I'm trying to keep a company afloat."

He looked at her and snorted. "Company's fine," he snipped, his smile bitter. "And you know it. Would be even better if you had an assistant or two instead of doing everything yourself. But I know you. You're so much like my father: you have to be in control. You have to fix everything. The company takes precedence. And I will not be second to that damn company anymore."

Five seconds later, the master bedroom door slammed shut, leaving Marinette standing in the kitchen. The world still hadn't come back into focus as she stood there, empty and hopeless and exhausted.

Next thing she knew, the tears were bubbling up. She ran to her hiding spot in her bedroom, slamming her own door shut a second before the floodgates opened and she fell to the ground sobbing.

Tikki blew out the last candle while Plagg turned on the warmer setting on the stove and put lids over the food Marinette had prepared.

"Well, that could have gone better," Plagg grumbled.

"It also could have gone worse," Tikki said. "It wasn't really an argument despite it being heated."

Plagg shrugged. "If you say so."

"Adrien just point blank told Marinette why he doesn't want to stay in this marriage. And she does have the ability to fix it. She's been so focused on the company and all the business aspects of it and making sure it's perfect that she's lost herself in the process."

"Do you really think she'll be open to hearing that?"

Tikki sighed, then floated over to his side. "Actually, Plagg, I think it's long overdue. And with Adrien telling her that now, I can try to soften that blow he gave so harshly, even though it's the truth."

The two kwamis were quiet for a moment before Plagg sighed. "You're right," Plagg agreed. "Likewise, there's a long overdue talk I should have with Adrien, and I think that on the heels of tonight, he needs to hear it whether he likes it or not."

"Looks like we both have our work cut out for us," Tikki sighed. "But right now, help me dish up dinner for them before we spend the night cleaning up."