Adrien

We ate lunch in silence. I tried concentrating solely on eating and not on the situation at hand, but it was impossible. I was alone with Marinette/Ladybug, the girl I had been in love with for months, and she finally loved me, too. Now that the dream became a reality, I honestly had no idea what to do with that. And, on top of that, Hawkmoth had Plagg and my miraculous, and we still didn't even know who Hawkmoth was.

And why was Nathalie no longer akumatized?

I put my plate aside and turned to Marinette. "Did you defeat any akumas on your own yesterday?"

She paused mid-bite, giving me a confused look. "No, why?"

"I don't understand why Nathalie is no longer akumatized," I said. "If no one purified the akuma, what does that mean? Why didn't she go after your miraculous?"

She frowned, setting her plate aside as well. "That is really weird. But, because it was Nathalie, it sounds like Hawkmoth specifically targeted you this time. He must've figured out who you were and he chose Nathalie because she was close to you."

"I guess I wasn't careful enough." I sighed. "Poor Plagg. He probably hates me right now."

Marinette placed her hand on my shoulder and leaned into me. "Hey, it's going to be alright. We'll get your miraculous back."

I shook my head. "It's not mine anymore. I think we both know I don't deserve to have it."

"Don't say that," she said. "No one besides you should ever be Cat Noir. I don't want any other Cat Noir."

I shook my head. "Plagg warned me it was a bad idea. I didn't listen, and now he's suffering for it. Who knows what Hawk Moth will do with him. He deserves a better partner."

"That's not true."

I looked up at the little red kwami, but she continued before I could speak. "This is all part of the job description. Ladybugs and Cat Noirs have always gotten themselves into and out of these situations. Don't worry."

Marinette draped her arm across my shoulders. "With or without the miraculous, you're still my kitty."

A smile tugged at my lips as I looked to her. "Thanks, Princess."

Taking her hand in mine, I pressed it to my lips, letting them linger. How many times did I do this without realizing it was her hand? I always dreamed of kissing her hand under the suit. There was nothing perverted about it. I had just dreamed of knowing the girl under the mask, and now I couldn't believe she was here.

Finally moving my lips, I focused my attention on hers. My heart hammered in my chest. We had already kissed once, but given what happened afterward, was she ready to try again?

She didn't give me time to think about it. Grabbing my head, she pulled my face against hers, wasting no time. Closing my eyes, I gave into the warmth of her lips, making sure to not waste time not kissing her back this time. My arms found her waist, and I pulled her closer to me.

I was too wrapped up in Marinette to hear the knocking on the door. Too caught up to hear the door open. I was alert enough to hear the gasp from Nathalie, however.

Marinette pulled back, her cheeks growing red. I was certain mine were, too. When I finally got the courage to look at Nathalie, I fought the urge to hide behind Marinette. Nathalie clearly wasn't thrilled with the idea of me kissing Marinette.

"It's time to return to school," she said.

Taking Marinette's hand, I followed Nathalie, our half eaten lunches forgotten.

/

At school, I didn't have time to talk to Marinette again, given that Alya dragged her away as soon as we got there. All through class, I felt the usual eyes on the back of my head, only now I knew who they belonged to. I spent the rest of the day trying to focus on good thoughts, like the taste of Marinette's lips, but thoughts of Plagg, Hawkmoth, Nathalie, and my father continued to creep up. I couldn't stop worrying about Plagg, and it was hard to say why Hawkmoth wanted my miraculous, and what he planned to do now that he had it. And, if he knew my identity, how soon until he found out who Ladybug was? I wouldn't do her much good without Cat Noir. I couldn't save her. Though, she rarely needed my help. Usually, I just did more harm than good.

And then, there was my father. After fencing, I would have to face him. What would he do? What would he say? He would put me on a tighter leash than the one I already had. That was for sure.

After school, I found Marinette, fortunately not with Alya. She stood in the hall, looking as though she was waiting for someone.

"Princess," I greeted her, watching as her cheeks turned pink.

"Hi," she greeted, not looking at me. "I was . . . Uh . . . Thinking . . . Maybe we shouldn't tell anyone . . . About us . . . Yet?"

"You mean I shouldn't have shouted I love Marinette Dupain-Cheng from the top of the Eiffel tower?"

She scowled, her awkwardness melting into annoyance. I couldn't help but grin. "I'm being serious. I mean, how would we explain a sudden relationship when you've been missing for the last week?"

I groaned. "You have a point." Leaning in, I whispered. "But, does this mean I can't kiss you right now? I was looking forward to it all afternoon."

She smiled, shaking her head. "No, but if you're a good kitty, maybe you'll get a surprise visit tonight from a certain bug."

I started to smile, but it was immediately replaced when I remembered what came next. "After fencing, father says he wants to talk to me."

She placed her hand on my shoulder. "It'll be okay."

I nodded, fighting back the urge to hug her. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to collapse into her arms, but I couldn't. There would be plenty of time for that tonight.

/

Fencing was interesting. I was anything but focused, and missing a week showed. No one said much about it, at least. I just couldn't wait to get out of there, even though I wasn't ready to deal with father either. Mostly, I was just anxious for tonight, when I would see Marinette again.

Once I got home, I followed Nathalie inside and headed for father's study. He was sitting at his desk, looking as if he was waiting for me. His expression was unreadable.

I sat down across from him. "Dad. You wanted to see me?" The words came out weaker than I hoped they would.

"Adrien, what you did was reckless and dangerous. You could've gotten yourself killed, or worse." He cleared his throat. "Do you know how many fake calls we had, people claiming to be holding you for ransom? You're a celebrity, Adrien. You can't afford to run away like that."

My eyes narrowed. "I just needed a break. I knew what I was doing."

He glared at me. "No, I doubt that, given how Nathalie found you unconscious in an alley."

Because of Nathalie, I had been found that way, but I didn't tell him that. "Everything is fine now. I'll go back to being your poster child and everything will go back to normal."

He sighed. "Adrien, it's not about that."

My hands clenched into fists. "Then what is it about? That's all you ever care about is how many magazines my face can be in, or how many billboards my face is on. You couldn't care less about the rest of me."

His eyes narrowed. "That's not true."

"If you cared about me, you would be asking why I ran away."

"That's not important," he said. "Your safety is what's important."

Looking to the ground, I stood up. "Mom would've asked why."

I felt a shift in his gaze, but I didn't look up to know. Instead, I left the room.

/

That night, I skipped dinner. Nathalie brought food to my room, but I let it sit in the hallway untouched. I had been skipping meals a lot lately and I was certain it was having negative impacts on my body, but I didn't care.

I thought about easing the tension with video games, but I would've missed Plagg's sarcastic comments when I lost, and I already missed Plagg enough.

Schoolwork was also an impossibility. Missing a week meant I had a week's worth staring at me, but I didn't have the motivation to start any of it. Instead, I spent most of the evening in bed doing absolutely nothing. I couldn't remember the last time I had done that, and it would've been nice if I wasn't worrying about my entire life crashing down around me.

As the sky started getting dark, a knock on my window stirred me from my thoughts. I jolted up, smiling when I saw the familiar pig-tailed girl. I opened the window, and she climbed inside. Immediately, I pulled her into a hug.

"Thank God you're here," I said.

"Tikki, spots off."

Her transformation faded, and I held her even tighter. "I still can't believe I know who you are now."

She pulled back, studying my face. "How did it go with your dad?"

I sighed. "I really don't want to talk about it."

She touched my shoulder. "It's okay. If you ever want to, I'm here."

We sat down on the bed. "I need to find my miraculous."

"We'll get it back, but first we need to find Hawkmoth."

"But we've been looking for nearly a year. How are we going to find him now?"

"Were we ever really looking? All along we've just been waiting for him to come to us. Maybe I should bring the fight to him."

I grasped her hand. "Marinette, I don't like that idea."

"What choice do we have? It's the only way to get it back."

Fear crept up inside me. "You brought up something I never really thought about. You would have to fight him. By yourself. I'm useless. I can't protect you like this."

She sighed. "I don't need you to protect me. I might be clumsy sometimes, but I'm still Ladybug. Don't forget that."

"I know who you are, but you're forgetting Cat Noir. All I've ever really been good for is keeping you safe so you can purify the akuma and save the day."

She looked away. "But, I can manage. I have no choice, Adrien. You need your Miraculous, and I'm the only one who can get it."

"I don't want you risking your life to get it back."

She shot me a glare, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Us finding out each other's identities was a mistake. You need to stop looking at me as Marinette and remember I'm Ladybug."

"I won't." I forced myself to meet her gaze. "I'm sorry if it upsets you, but Ladybug or not, you're still Marinette."

She stood up. "I need to go."

Tikki zipped from out of her jacket. "Marinette, I don't think you understand what he's saying."

I rested my hand on her shoulder. "I don't want you doing this alone because I love you, Marinette. It would kill me if you got hurt over this."

She turned to me, her glare softening as understanding took over. "But, Adrien, this is for everyone. Do you know what could happen if he has your miraculous? I don't want to find out."

I sat back down. "I don't want to lose another person I love. Marinette, if I lose someone else, especially you, I'll lose my mind. I can't handle another loss. My mom . . . Plagg . . . I can't let you be next."

She wrapped her arms around me, and I clung to her. "It's going to be okay. I'll get your miraculous back, and I'll come back to you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

I held her there for a few minutes, never wanting to let her go. But, I remembered she needed sleep for school tomorrow as much as I did, and as much as I would enjoy it, I didn't think she was quite ready for a sleepover.

When she pulled away, I took her hand and brought it to my lips. With her free hand, she stroked my hair.

"Silly kitty. Stop worrying so much," she said.

A small smile crept up. "I'll never stop worrying about you, milady."

"I need to go," she said, leaning toward me. "Can I have a goodnight kiss?"

I closed the space between us, hungrily capturing her lips. I tried to wrap my arms around her, but she broke the kiss before I had the chance.

"Tikki, spots on."

As she transformed, I couldn't help but smile, though not because she was Ladybug, but because I knew, under that mask, was the real person I loved.

"Goodnight, Princess," I said.

As she stood by the window, she smiled back at me. "Goodnight, Kitty."

/

That night, I lie awake in my bed. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about Marinette, both as Marinette and Ladybug, taking on Hawkmoth. I tried to stop thinking about it, but my worries wouldn't stop. In every situation I saw play out, she either got hurt or killed. I didn't want either one.

I closed my eyes, trying to force my thoughts to stop. The moment they started dying down, the door opened.

I jumped up, but I couldn't make out the figure moving across the room. I wished I could've at least kept Cat Noir's night vision as a parting gift.

"Who's there?"

No answer. Hands were suddenly on my head, and something covered my eyes. I flailed, trying blindly to fight the person, but they grabbed my wrists, tying them up.

"My father will know what you're doing! There's cameras everywhere!" I attempted to scare him off, but he continued to ignore me as he drug me out of the room.

AN: I realize it's been a little while. Life sort of happened. Between weddings, funerals, and working 60-70 hours a week, things were a little crazy there for a while, but now it's getting better. Hopefully this chapter was good enough to make up for the wait. Thanks for reading :)

Also, I have a little something else going on, I'm not sure if anyone is interested, but almost 5 years ago I began work on my first original novel. It's been put through the ringer in terms of editing, and I've decided to post it to fictionpress in one last attempt to get more feedback for it before I try for publication. It's a young adult paranormal romance, and it's full of more psychological issues, ghosts, and tragedy. If you might be interested, the summary is at the bottom of my profile, and if you are interested, shoot me a pm and I'll give you more details.