Shandy: Who's ready for angsty fluff?
Candy: Reviews!
ThayetJade (Guest): Yup. But it's gonna be worth it.
FangirlplusMax2.0: Yup.
Rose Tiger: He'll never truly leave... he'll always be in Adrien's heart.
Demi (Guest): Thank you!
Some1Else (Guest): Oh, happy belated birthday! I wish it would've been happier for you!
Aelindsong1991: Want some tissues?
Shandy: Enjoy the story!
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"Adrien? Adrien, wake up, you need to get ready for school. I know that it's Thursday, but…" Nathalie paused before opening the door, looking inside.
The sight was enough to make her cry if she wasn't trained to keep a poker face.
Adrien sat there on the floor, looking at his hands as though the most precious thing in the world had just left him. It looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep too.
She knew that Gabriel was in the same position as well- he said that he was coming home today with the news of what they had found in Japan. Fairly quick for a search, but he had said that he would explain when he came back.
"I'll call you in sick for the next day or so." She muttered softly, opening up the school's phone number on her phone. "Anything you want me to get you?"
"Cheese." He replied emotionlessly. "Camembert cheese. And mom's eclairs. Please."
"I'll see what I can do." Nathalie closed the door, but Adrien didn't move from his spot.
He was exhausted.
He thought himself in circles all night long- his phone eventually dying because all of the ignored calls and messages ran the battery down.
He didn't dare look at any of them, knowing that they were most likely coming in from Marinette, Alya, Nino, or Chloe. Or all four.
Honestly, he didn't want to talk to any of them at the moment.
Nathalie walked in a few minutes later only to find Adrien in the exact same spot.
"You're excused from school for today and tomorrow- Monday as well if need be. Mr. Damocles was kind and understanding, and has informed your teachers that any homework due or given out during that time will not be counted on your grade." She reported. "Get some rest, walk around a bit, and call me if you need me."
She sat the plate with the food down in front of Adrien, knowing that he wouldn't touch it- just keep it there to keep the memories alive. He thanked her with a small, gloomy nod, and she walked out of the room, leaving him alone again.
As she had predicted, Adrien didn't touch the food at all. Rather, instead of being emotionless, he started silently crying again.
Why?
Why did they have to leave him on the same day?
He lost Plagg, his mother, and most likely Marinette, all in one night.
Was the universe really that cruel? He bet that they were laughing- mocking him and his miserable bad luck.
He finally moved his hands up to his hair, tugging on it in an attempt to make himself think of other things.
"Come on, kid. Stop moping around- if you wanna get stuff done, you can't sulk like a child."
Plagg's sarcastic voice entered his mind and he clenched his teeth, pulling himself into a ball.
"It's okay, honey bun. Mother's here."
But she wasn't, was she? She never truly was. How could that have ever been possible- it's not like ghosts existed.
He stood up, shakily taking the plate of food. He sat it down on his nightstand before crawling into bed. He pulled as many blankets as possible around him, trying to replicate one of his mother's or Mari's hugs.
In the end, as he knew it would, it failed.
Eventually, he fell asleep, but it was only for a few hours.
His intercom buzzed, but he didn't feel like answering.
"Come on, kid, stop that infernal racket. I can't enjoy my Camembert properly if it's blaring."
When it buzzed again, he reached over for the special phone that he was supposed to only use if he was sick. He pressed three and held it up to his ear.
"What is it, Nathalie?"
"Mrs. Bourgeois, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, Mrs. Cesare, and Mr. Lahiffe wish to talk to you." She replied, and Adrien's heart stopped. "They have notes and homework for you from school. Marinette and Chloe seem especially worried."
"Are you okay, Honey-bun? I'm worried about you, you know?"
Adrien swallowed nervously.
"Tell- Tell them that I don't want to get them sick, and have them drop off the school work."
"Yes, Adrien."
"A-And tell Chloe that the cat ran out of the bag before I could stop it." He breathed a shaky breath. "She should understand."
"Of course. I'll bring the work up to you as soon as they have left."
"Thanks, Nathalie."
"You know, Adrien, it actually helps to not be alone during this time."
"Ya know, kid, you can talk to me about anything, right?"
"Come on, sweetie. Tell mommy what happened, and she'll try to make it better."
He knew, but he had never been with anyone during this time before. There was also the fact that no one could understand about Plagg, and that Marinette had found out that he was-
"I know. I just feel like being alone."
"... Very well."
"Thanks, Nathalie." Nathalie hung up, leaving Adrien alone to grieve again.
"Maybe I should go and visit her." Adrien muttered, looking up at the ceiling. "Tell her what's going on…" He shook his head. "Nah, I don't feel like leaving. Maybe I'll go to the garden. Pla-" he stopped himself, just staring at the ceiling. Then he got up, running a hand through his already messy hair. Stumbling out of bed, still in his clothes from last night, he wandered downstairs and towards his mother's gardens.
It was quiet- almost peaceful in the springtime air. A few birds chirped, making his ears twitch. It was a Thursday, and the way the garden was built canceled out noise from the street by his house- even though hardly anyone drove past.
"I guess I'll just have to enjoy my Camembert outside. If it gets dirty, you owe me another one, kid."
"Why don't we go outside today, Adrien? Have a little adventure."
He wandered through, admiring the trees, the flowers, and the little river that they had by the path. He walked past the gazebo, looking for a more intimate and private place.
There it was. He brushed past the vines that grew over the gateway. Adrien knew his father had never stepped foot in here since his mother passed. Adrien hardly did either- this would be the first time in almost a year that he had visited.
There, hanging off one of the tree branches, was a bench swing. Adrien could practically see a younger him sitting down between his mother and his father, happily telling them what adventure he had had that day. His mother would laugh and kiss him on the forehead, pulling him into a hug. His father would wrap his arms around them, pulling them together and thus closer as a family, mirth shining in his eyes and a smile on his lips.
Those days were long gone.
Tentatively, he walked over to the bench and sat down in the very center, letting himself swing slightly as a breeze brushed past. He sighed, closing his eyes.
What he wouldn't give to find out what to do next.
"Going to see your princess again, kid? I swear, you two are sweeter than Tikki- and that's saying something!"
"One day, honey bun, you'll find a kind, beautiful princess to sweep off her feet."
He could no longer approach her as Chat- whether he wanted to or not. Plagg was gone.
He was happy that Plagg had found his happiness- he really was. But why couldn't he stay with him long enough to help him through this? It only hurt more- and on the day that his mother had passed.
Today was April 1st. April fools day.
Boy, did he feel like a fool.
When he was homeschooled, no matter how much of a prankster he was, he had never dared to set even a single hair on a prank to be delivered on this day. Maybe the day after, or a day before, but never on the day of pranks.
Never on the day that she had left.
He let the swing stop swinging, basking in the calming silence of his mother's garden. It was warm, the tree shading him and the sun shining brightly, no clouds to disrupt its happiness.
Alya was wrong. He was no sunshine child.
Not today, anyway.
His eyes felt heavy, and he felt uncomfortable sitting up, so he moved to lay down on the cushions of the bench swing.
"Get some sleep, kid. Can't have you getting behind and losing that thing called 'school' that you love so much."
"Adrien? What're you doing up? You need to sleep so that you can be a big boy one day."
A bird not that far away began to chirp a happy tune, and another echoed it lightly.
Adrien closed his eyes, a soft smile on his face as he remembered how appalled his mother had been at him trying to catch the birds.
"Why can't I?" Adrien had asked.
"Those birds sing a special song." His mother had said. "A song that's only meant for you to hear. If you attack them, they won't want to sing the song to you anymore."
"What type of song is it?" Adrien had asked, looking up at his mother. She smiled, kneeling down to whisper in his ear.
"The song of the heart." He muttered, before relaxing into his cat-nap.
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"... And when you ask the sky,
Why it's so blue and bright,
It will tell you that all is fine,
And that I'll be home tonight…"
Adrien's ear twitched, purr rumbling through his chest as someone ran a hand through his hair, occasionally scratching his back.
"... when the west wind blows,
And the sun goes down to hide,
Know that you're not all alone,
That you'll always be mine…"
The masculine voice was singing a nameless song that he hadn't heard in a long time. The name of the person singing was on the tip of his tongue, but all he wanted to do was sleep.
"...And when you ask the sky,
Why it's so blue and bright,
It will tell you that all is fine,
And that I'll be home tonight…"
'Mother's lullaby…' Adrien finally recognized the song, purring louder and relaxing as he snuggled into the lap of whoever was singing.
"I'll… be, home… tonight…"
The voiced finished the song, but the hands that were moving through his hair and across his back never stopped, so Adrien's purr only subsided slightly. He could hear the singer sigh, but his mind was too fogged up with sleep and content and comfort to really understand what was said next.
"We miss you, Annalise." The voice said softly. "Every day. Please help us- help Adrien. He needs it now more than ever. Stay with us."
A wind brushed past, strong enough to make some windchimes in the distance ring softly. The voice started up the song again, prompting Adrien back to sleep.
"...When your dreams begin to fly,
Into the world around you,
You'll know what it is like,
To behold it all from on high..."
"...When you wish on the star,
And the sun and moon above,
I will never be too far,
From you, mi amore, my love..."
"...And when you ask the sky,
Why it's so blue and bright,
It will tell you that all is fine,
And that I'll be home tonight…"
"...When the west wind blows,
And the sun goes down to hide,
Know that you're not all alone,
That you'll always be mine…"
"...And when you ask the sky,
Why it's so blue and bright,
It will tell you that all is fine,
And that I'll be home tonight…"
"...I'll… be, home… tonight…"
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