Notice how the genre was changed from romance, comedy to romance, drama? Yes, blame it all on Nightshade who likes angst. (Lollipop is glaring at me)
Lolly and I compromised so this isn't as angsty as the previous chapter.
So here, I welcome you chapter 5. Let's move the plot, shall we?
Disclaimer: We don't own Miraculous Ladybug (sigh)
-มันไม่ได้เป็นความรักที่เจ็บแต่ผลของความรัก-
Adrien slammed his door shut and loosened the buttons of his shirt.
He paced agitatedly in the room as he continuously ran his fingers through his hair. Tears were streaming freely down his face. His throat was tight and he could barely breathe.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
He looked at the portrait of a smiling Marinette and touched the edges of the paper gently; afraid it would crumble away in his hands. He rested his forehead on the wall.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Marinette. I'm so sorry."
Adrien's fingers curled into a fist as her emotions after his rejection ran through his memories.
The way her eyes widened in shock stabbed his chest. The trembling of her lips, of her hands as he said sorry, it was like an icy grip in his soul. Her tears falling down her cheeks shattered him.
Their hearts fell and were crushed just like a fallen sweet pea.
It builds up within him. He tried pushing it down, but it needed to be released.
He screams.
It was an ear-splitting, silence-shattering, heart-wrenching scream. A scream loaded with frustration, anguish, pain.
Why?
Why was he born a prince? Why was she born a commoner? Why was Papillion that person? Why did it have to be this way? Why wasn't she a princess instead? Why wasn't he a commoner instead?
Why? Why? Why?
Why was fate so cruel?!
He should never have met her. He should never have opened that sketchbook. He shouldn't have.
Now he paid the consequences for his actions.
His hands crushed the fabric of his shirt as he clutched his chest and sank down on the floor.
It wasn't love that hurt.
Love made one feel like floating in the air. Love made one dream. Love made one happy.
It was the rejection of love that hurt.
The rejection of not reciprocating a reciprocated love.
He loved her.
But he couldn't.
He couldn't, not because she would be a Cinderella bride, not only because he was a prince, but because that was the only way to keep her safe.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Don't come in." Adrien said hoarsely.
Chloe strode in the room, her skirts swishing behind her. She saw the state that he was in and grew aggravated.
Adrien was sure that he looked like a mess but he couldn't care less. "Go away Chloe."
"You made me a laughing-stock out there." She hissed.
"Aren't you happy?" Adrien said with venom in his voice. Guilt pricked his conscience, but self-pity swallowed it. "You got your wish."
"Please." Chloe scoffed. "I don't want to marry someone who's too cowardly to face his own feelings."
Adrien shot up to his feet and glared at her. "What do you know about what I'm going through?!"
Chloe stared down coldly at him. "Don't say yes to a girl you want to say no to."
Adrien was taken aback. Then does she know…
Chloe proceeded to go out of the room. But then, she paused and said bitterly, "You just broke two hearts today."
And with that, she shut the door with a click.
Adrien staggered backwards and landed on his canopy bed, his gaze unfocused on the fresco of a black cat and a red bug in the ceiling.
It was too much. A torrent of emotions swirled inside of him.
He closed his eyes and sank into a fitful slumber.
[NS - LPP]
Meow.
Adrien's brows creased as he felt a tug on his hand. He opened his eyes blearily and his unfocused gaze settled on Plagg who was pulling the ring off his finger.
"Plagg, don't." Adrien grumbled, wincing at his croaky voice. But then he was jolted awake when the black cat succeeded in his mission. The prince made a grab for his ring, but Plagg deftly pounced out of his reach. "Plagg, give it back!"
With the ring in his mouth, the cat pushed the door open and slipped outside. With a growl of annoyance, Adrien grabbed a dark cloak and ran after the cat.
"Plagg!" He hissed, his footsteps echoing in the dark hallway. Green glowing eyes blinked slowly at him before turning at a corner. Adrien increased his pace.
Just as he reached the main balcony overlooking the ground floor, he saw his cat slip outside the castle. With a frown, he raced down the stairs, skipping the last few and ran outside.
Adrien pulled the cloak tighter around him, the freezing evening wind biting through his clothes. He looked behind him. The castle was dark and silent, with only his father's study dimly lit behind the velvet curtains. Shaking his head, he slipped out of the castle gates and continued to follow his cat.
"Plagg, where are you taking me?" Adrien called out. Plagg just swished his tail and continued to walk through the forest (it's not the Wandering Woods, mind you). He sighed. "At least give me my ring back."
Plagg bounded forward and Adrien had to run faster to catch up to him. That was a no then.
Small wisps escaped from his mouth as he ventured deeper in the woods, Plagg's occasional green eye glances leading him through the darkness.
And then, he saw it. A house made of glass. Pushing away the branches of trees, he stared in awe at the glinting structure that bathed in moonlight. Plagg slipped inside and Adrien followed.
It was warm and smelled oddly of brimstone. Variety of florae and the sleeping sounds of creatures filled the building and he recognized multitudes of poisonous plants scattered around. What took the most space of the room was a glass cage filled with fluttering white butterflies.
Adrien touched the cool glass, entranced. Plagg's mews snapped him out of his daze.
The cat sat on top of a wide table overflowing with papers and jars filled with different kinds of insects. What Adrien found intriguing was a jar with a trapped ladybug inside. Plagg pushed the jar at his direction.
He picked it up and looked between the ladybug and the black cat. And suddenly, he was hit with a sense of epiphany.
-.-
"Maman, look!" A small Adrien opened his palms and held it up towards a woman with beautiful golden hair. She smiled warmly, her green eyes vibrant.
"Why, it's a ladybug!" She exclaimed in delight. They watched as the bug spread its wings and flew out into the open sky. Adrien cried at the loss but his mother just picked him up in her arms and said, "Do you know about the legend of the ladybug?"
Adrien tilted his head in confusion. "What is it?"
Under the shade of a giant oak tree, she sat down with Adrien on her lap and began to recount to him her favorite tale. "A long time ago, evil wreaked havoc in the kingdom. They turned good people bad and scared everyone into hiding. But then, two heroes rose up to go against him."
"Who are they?" Adrien asked in interest.
"Light and Darkness." She said softly. "Ladybug and Chat Noir."
"I wanna be a hero too!" Adrien piped up.
His mother chuckled as she playfully pinched his cheek. "You're already a hero, mon minou."
-.-
Adrien locked eyes with Plagg.
"So it's true?" His voice was barely above a whisper. "The tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir are true?"
Plagg just blinked slowly at him before setting down his ring on the table.
Keep it safe, Adrien. Someday, you will understand.
Now he understood his mother's words.
He was a chosen.
He slipped on the ring before opening up the jar, setting the ladybug free. The ladybug flew around Plagg a few times before landing lightly on Adrien's nose and then flying away.
He watched it go free before turning to Plagg.
As he stared into the cat's green orbs, he remembered another part of the legend. Adrien said, "You're not really a cat, are you?"
Plagg just looked at him. The words were at the tip of his tongue.
"Plagg, transform me."
Plagg was surrounded by a vortex of dark matter. Adrien watched, entranced, as he shrunk and swirled inside the ring, turning it black with a paw print on the once empty seal.
And then Adrien transformed in Chat Noir.
Adrenaline coursed through his body as his senses tingled. He could see everything in detail despite the fact that it was nighttime. He flexed his clawed fingers and observed himself. The suit was unlike anything he had ever seen or worn.
This time, he really was Chat Noir.
"Finally! I've been sending you messages for the past year kid!"
Chat jumped and whirled around, wondering where the voice came from. He called out, "Hello?"
"There isn't anyone here aside from us."
"…Plagg?"
Took you long enough! Plagg said inside his mind.
Chat Noir blinked several times.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" The black 'cat' retorted. That snapped Chat out of his daze.
"You can talk?!"
"Have been for the past year but thanks for noticing." Plagg said sarcastically.
"But-"
"Don't you have to go to that Marinette girl?"
Chat felt a stab of guilt inside. He had to apologize. It was his fault that she was heartbroken tonight.
=.=
He landed silently on a rooftop and looked down at the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Marinette's bedroom was dark.
Chat landed on her balcony and peeked inside. Nothing had changed. Posters of Prince Adrien were still tacked on the wall, bed neatly made, and table cluttered.
"Where is she?" Chat asked in confusion. His gaze fell towards the south of the kingdom. "She couldn't have…"
"Only one way to find out." Plagg said.
Chat jumped from rooftop to rooftop as he headed to the Wandering Woods.
=.=
"Princess?"
Chat peeked inside the tower's window. His eyes widened at the small figure in the middle of the room. Marinette had her hair down, her face in her hands as she cried.
With an aching heart, he leaped inside and touched her shoulder gently. Marinette turned to him, tears staining her cheeks. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second, but when she recognized it was him, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Two of them sat there, one crying, and one feeling like crying.
Chat tightened his hold around her trembling frame. He said quietly, "I'm sorry Princess."
"Why're you sorry?" Marinette asked him, her voice watery.
"I shouldn't have let you go to the ball."
"Don't apologize." She gave him a forced smile. "It's thanks to you that my dream came true tonight."
He knew she was lying. This wasn't a dream come true. This was a nightmare, heartbreak, a worst-case scenario.
But then her smile fell away and she cried harder. "I'm so sorry. Chat, I'm so sorry."
"There's no reason for you to be sorry Princess." Chat said, but Marinette only shook her head.
He kissed the top of her head and ran his hand through her hair as he comforted her.
He wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her he loved her. He wanted to tell her as Chat, he wanted tell her as Adrien.
But he couldn't. He couldn't keep his real self a secret if they did get in a relationship.
And if she ever found out his real identity, she would be heartbroken twice.
"Why did you come back to the tower, Marinette?" Chat asked her.
Marinette stiffened. Chat frowned and leaned away to look at her. "Princess?"
Suddenly, there was a whirlwind of purple butterflies and Papillion appeared before them.
Chat and Marinette scrambled up to their feet and backed away in fear. He pushed her protectively behind him as he hissed at their new company.
He didn't think it'd be so soon. He didn't want this, but Marinette was in danger.
"Nice to meet you, Chat Noir. I'm glad you could join us." Papillion said smoothly, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Chat brandished his staff. "Marinette, run!"
"I'm sorry, Chat."
What?
And then everything turned dark.
Welp, there goes my plan of making this a romcom fairy tale au. Thank you very much, Nightshade! But then again, this is her story so…if you want to make your readers suffer, fine!
Anyway, thanks for reading! NS wrote the first part of the chapter (note the angst) and I wrote the rest.
*rubs hands in glee* it's action time!
I hope you guys liked it! See ya'll in the next chapter! It'll still be written by yours truly!
*crowd claps, leaves stage*
