Summary: Cat's Honour and Quoting Tangled. Family meet Family. Agreste Awkward Moment #2. Chloé is a dead man walking. Plagg is still a little shit. Aubri widens her grocery list. Someone give Nooroo some therapy.

/

/

It started out as a feeling, which then grew into a hope, which then turned into a quiet thought, which then turned into a quiet word. And then that word grew louder and louder, 'til it was a battle cry. Just because everything's changing doesn't mean it's never been this way before: Now we're back to the beginning, it's just a feeling and no one knows yet. But just because they can't feel it too, doesn't mean that you have to forget. Let your memories grow stronger and stronger, 'til they're before your eyes.

-Regina Spektor

Beta'd by Toxic Girlfriend (f.f & Tumblr)
Part XIV

"Are you completely sure about this? I mean…" Marinette voiced.
Adrien sighed. "Princess! It'll be fine! Cat's honour!" He pledged, taking the backpack from her.
Marinette rolled her eyes. "Why don't I believe you?" She said.
Adrien looked up from making sure all straps were buckled. It wouldn't do well to drop it. That would be bad. "Are you saying you don't trust me?! After all we've done—?" Adrien paused, seeing Marinette's nonplussed expression. "Ouch. That hurts, Princess. That hurts." He said, hand over his heart.
"You quote Tangled one more time…" She threatened good-naturedly.
Adrien gave out a mock huff of indignation. "I believe, good Ma'am, that you are mocking me!" He said.
Marinette rolled her eyes. "Whatever gave you that idea." She muttered.
"I CAN HEAR YOU!" Adrien said pointing.
"I think I'm deaf." Marinette repulsed, walking around the backpack and zipping the compartment closed.

"So, we needed to walk around the streets of Paris, today… why?" Marinette asked, confused.
Adrien stared at her. "… I can't just treat you to a lovely walk around the commons…?" Adrien asked as if confused himself.
Marinette chuckled. "Not something we've ever done, Minou." Marinette told him.
Adrien paused. "Huh. So, we haven't. Shall we make it a thing then? We need to get out of the house for a while." Adrien told her.
Marinette nudged him. "Finally getting bored of the Baker's life, huh?" She edged.
Adrien's cross look of horror and complete indignation sent her laughing.

"Aw, come on, you know I didn't mean it!" Marinette parried.
Adrien was still pouting. "I don't mind." He muttered.
"Hmm…?" She voiced.
"How we live. I've said I don't mind…" Adrien continued lowly.
Marinette gave him an adored look. "I know you do. Which is why I can joke with you about it. Even if you do snore." She told him snickering.
Adrien looked appalled. "Excuse me!" He implored, then got cut off by a stranger running across their path, that made them blink. "... Was that…?" Adrien stalled.
"After him!" Marinette yelled, already running off.
"Wait for me!" Adrien yelled back, running after her.
He wouldn't get away this time.

/

/

Adrien wasn't sure what terrified him more: the fact that his mother had walked all the way here, to Marinette's house, or the fact that she was at Marinette's house talking to Marinette's parents.
When she up and decided she could do that, when she was supposed to be on bedrest, he had no idea. He was rather afraid to ask.
So he just stood there next to Marinette, shocked and that little bit intimidated.
Adrien may have looked to his girlfriend for help. He wasn't quite sure how to deal with his mother just yet. He apparently didn't do transitions very well.

"It'll be fine, Minou." Marinette whispered. "They're just talking!" She insisted as they peered around the corner. Again.
"About what?" Adrien asked. He couldn't hear them speaking.
Marinette just rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well, how about we go ask?" She voiced.
Adrien looked to her as if she were mad. "And actually talk?!" He muttered as if he couldn't believe he had just heard her say what she did.
Marinette took a moment. "Yeah. You're right. Talking. With your mother. I haven't been able to say much to her. I don't think she likes me very much…" Marinette said.
Adrien's expression quickly went to regard her as if she had grown two heads. Then, grasping her hand he marched towards the adults, not seeing Marinette's triumphant smirk.

There was no way in hell both of his parents hated Marinette! He would make sure of that!
He wasn't sure how, but he'd do his best to make sure the women in his life got along.
How he was going to do that, he just wasn't sure.

They rounded the corner, and every thought in his brain sizzled out of control.
He had no idea how to interact with his mother. He didn't even know how to interact with Marinette's parents!
"Adrien! Marinette!" Sabine called, seeing them.
"Hello, Maman!" Marinette called back, squeezing Adrien's hand in comfort.

Adrien wasn't the only Agreste to stall, Aubrianne was too.
She was a mother damn it, she could do this, for heaven's sake!
"Adrien…" She called, a little uncertain he would answer back.
She held her breath when he looked to her.
"Hey, Maman…" Adrien replied, just as uncertain as she was.
She tried really hard not to move her physical body to her ethereal body's party. He talked! To her!
"How…How're you and Marinette…? Wait, don't you guys have school?" Aubrianne blinked. Yep, that was her voice. Don't ask her how it filed out of her, though.
The teens blinked.
"Uh, we don't have school until it stops snowing." Marinette said.
Aubrianne paused and looked to Sabine and Tom. "We…We had school days in the snow season, didn't we?" She asked, completely confused.
Adrien snorted. "Chloé, winter?" He gave a model's laugh.
Which was frowned at by those who recognised it.
"What Adrien means is that until it stops snowing, we don't have school because the brat of a Mayor's daughter called it quits because it's cold outside." Marinette elaborated.
"Marinette!" Sabine chastised, making her daughter flinch.
"… But she's right…?" Adrien half asked.
"She is?!" Both Sabine and Tom burst.
"Like I'm not reliable!" Marinette muttered.

"Chloé…" Aubrianne thought. "… Chloé, as in your friend, Chloé? Blonde hair, young thing." Aubrianne voiced, placing her hand out and lowering it in height to where she last remembered a Chloé being.
"Um. Maman, if I've grown so's she…" Adrien tried.
Aubrianne blinked. "Right… Right. But same girl?" She asked.
Both teens nodded, only making Aubrianne frown.
"Chloé was a polite young thing, she loved the outdoors…?" Aubrianne voiced in confusion.
Both teens looked to each other and blinked.
"Was Chloé ever like that?" Marinette asked.
Adrien nodded, and Marinette looked shocked.

"Chloé likes the outdoors when they are tailored, like the Mansions' yard," Aubrianne blinked. "Chloé will be polite, if you're in the same "class" as her, as the Mayor's daughter. So, she is polite to Agreste standard." Adrien told her.
"Agreste standard?" Aubrianne asked, steel entering her voice.
"She's legit only nice to people she believes are on par with her." Adrien stressed. "And that was me, in our entire classroom." Adrien told her.
Huh. Some of the videos she had seen from the blog now made more sense. "Oh…" She murmured.
"She hates me." Marinette told her.
Aubrianne blinked. "How do you know that?" She asked.
"She has slapped me face-ways, once while stating I was beneath her because I come from a line of bakers. She would have done so again and more had Adrien not put himself between us." Marinette told her.
They watched as dangerous clouds rolled in over Aubrianne's face.
Adrien pawed his other hand. "That hurt, you know. So, her fist must have stung. How did that start anyway?" He asked curiously.
Marinette blinked. "Oh, right! You weren't there! Just how it usually starts," She sighed.
Adrien flinched. "Over me again?"
Marinette nodded, and he just grumbled in annoyance.

The parents were all looking at each other.
"Okay. What?" Tom stepped forward to ask.
"When did this happen?" Sabine asked.
"A month… Two months ago, maybe, I think…? She took at me because I was spending more time with Adrien." Marinette voiced.
"And we weren't told you were hit… why?" Sabine burst out.
Both teens gave her an annoyed look. "Because Chloé was involved."
The duh! was implied.

"The only real people she listens to are her father and Ladybug, and even that isn't for very long." Marinette said, moving on as if nothing of consequence happened.
Aubrianne blinked but lightly pointed to her. "Wait. Aren't you Ladybug?" She asked.
Marinette gave out a bark of laughter. "YEP!"

Whelp. She knew where her next trip would take her.

"Ma'am…?" Adrien asked.
Aubrianne paused and watched.
Sabine looked over to him and smiled. "Yes, dear?" She asked.
"Um… You don't happen to have any camembert on you, do you?" He asked.
"YOU FINALLY ASKED!" Plagg shouted, coming out of his top, causing Aubrianne to jump.
"You should be more careful." Adrien muttered, causing Marinette to laugh.
Tom was already in the fridge, and tossing a wheel at the black ball. "Have at it, my boy!" Tom laughed as he went back to the storefront hearing the bell go, Sabine following.
Marinette's parents apparently knew about her son's kwami too.
Plagg looked starry-eyed. "Keep them forever." He said in awe.
"That's the damn plan." Adrien muttered.

And to get a lot more camembert, alongside her amounted stash for Pyaar, apparently.
Marinette went over to the cookie jar and held one out for her kwami to eat.
And cookies. Cookies too.

While Aubrianne watched, she saw another kwami peak out of Marinette's bag, enough for them both to see each other, for the kwami to scream, and dive back into the depths of her bag.
"… Was that…?" Aubrianne started, staring wide-eyed.
Everyone else had jumped hearing Nooroo scream, Adrien had taken it upon himself to go into the fridge, and tear apart an orange.
"Nooroo?" He called.
She watched in amazement as the kwami surfaced again, took a glance at her, that spoke volumes of its fear, rushed to Adrien's side that was furthest from her, and took a chunk he had torn off.
"… Is she mad…?" Nooroo asked.
Adrien blinked. "Not sure. You can ask?" He voiced.
Nooroo only squeaked and hid from her sight.
She'd get to that later, apparently.
Fruit. She'd need fruit.

"Hey, Mari. Do we have homework?" Adrien asked.
Aubrianne got extremely confused when Marinette glared.
"I do. You do not." Marinette said, moving to the central staircase.
Adrien immediately followed. "No, wait! That's not fair! I can do it! Can you at least give me a blank?" He asked.
"Your teachers said you're on leave!" Marinette remarked. "Why do homework, when you don't need to!?" She asked, going up the stairs.
Aubrianne noted the wary look in her direction, before following the girl up. "I really couldn't care what they say! I wanna do it!" Adrien told her.
Marinette laughed. "You're not touching my homework!" She yelled.
"But Mari!" He pouted.
She turned around on the stairs and bopped him one on the nose. "Now, now, Chaton. Orders are orders." She said.
Damn this girl had restraint.

"You think he'll get his way?" Plagg asked.
Tikki laughed. "Not a chance!" She yipped.
Aubrianne looked to them. "What makes you so sure?" She asked.
"Chat Noir always falls in line with his Lady." Both kwami said.
Well, okay, then.