Adrien just couldn't focus. It didn't matter that the cameras were flashing. Or that the photographer was on the brink of screaming profanities at him. Even with Nathalie's scrutinizing gaze, he couldn't bring himself to care about the shoot. His thoughts were settled firmly on the night before. On just how badly he screwed everything up.
They cut the photo shoot early, and Adrien vaguely remembered muttering an apology before he found himself in the car on his way to school. Nathalie lectured on in his ear, but it was little more than background noise to him. He stared blankly out the window, watching the world pass by. It wasn't until the assistant grabbed his shoulder that she got any sort of response from him.
"Huh?" he asked, blinking dumbly.
Nathalie pursed her lips. "What's wrong, Adrien?"
The model sighed. "Nothing. I just... didn't get enough sleep last night."
Nathalie studied him, adjusting her glasses with a frown. "Perhaps it would be best for you to skip school today, then."
"No!"
His sudden panic scared them both, but he couldn't help it. He had to be there. He had to apologize.
"Adrien-"
"I'm sorry about the photo shoot! I won't mess up the next one, I swear!"
"Adrien, stop."
He quieted, but the fear didn't leave his eyes. Nathalie sighed.
"Tell me what happened."
The blond bowed his head. "I... Luna and I got into a fight last night... And I think I really hurt her."
"And so, you're hoping to see her today at school."
"...I just want to make things right, again."
Nathalie nodded in understanding. "You two have gotten pretty close. I'm sure your fathers will be happy to hear that."
Adrien hugged himself, suddenly uncomfortable. Would his father really be all that pleased with him? He promised to look after her. And now, he'd be lucky if she ever talked to him again. He felt Nathalie's soothing hand on his back.
"It'll do you no good to stress over this," she told him. "Fights between friends happen. Things may seem bad, now, but give it time."
The teen nodded. "Okay..."
They pulled up to the school, and Adrien took a deep breath. He said his goodbyes to Nathalie before getting out and entering the empty halls. Plagg took the opportunity to peek up out of his shirt pocket.
"You sure you're okay, kid?" the kwami asked.
Adrien rubbed his neck. "Yeah, I just... I really screwed up, Plagg."
The tiny cat flew up to look him in the eye. "Hey, we've been over this! You didn't screw up. You were angry and hurt, and maybe you said some things you didn't mean. It's like the stuck- up office lady said: fights happen. You already said you were sorry, right?"
"It didn't mean anything, Plagg."
"The hell it didn't! If there's anything I know, it's that you humans make mistakes. Not a single one of you is perfect. Not even Ladybug. So, before you go looking for forgiveness, you might wanna forgive yourself, first. Or bring her cheese. Then, she'll have to forgive you."
Despite himself, Adrien chuckled. "I don't think it works like that."
"Yeah, well, what do you know? It's not like you've existed for millennia."
The bell rang, prompting the kwami to zip back into his hiding place as the halls were filled with motion. Adrien placed a hand over his shirt pocket in a silent thank you. He still didn't feel one hundred percent, but he appreciated the effort from the little god of destruction. With a sigh, the blond boy quickly made his way to class. Once there, he was greeted to an unusual sight.
"I don't remember asking for you opinion, Césaire!"
And screaming. A lot of screaming.
"I'm telling you, right now, Rossi!" Alya roared. "You need to back the fuck off!"
"It was a simple question!" Lila huffed.
"One you don't need an answer to!"
"Alya, cool it," Marinette said, putting herself between the two girls.
Adrien felt the sudden urge to turn around and take Nathalie's advice. He glanced down at Nino, who looked about as uncomfortable as he felt. The DJ gave him a sheepish wave. The model gestured to the girls, quirking his brow. His response was a shrugg and a headshake.
Lila flipped her hair. "Whatever, bitch. Forget I said anything." She turned on her heels and nearly ran right into the model. She blinked. "Oh, sorry! Didn't see you there."
"No harm done," he said with a laugh.
"I'd better get to class." Lila gave him a wink and left.
Alya made a show of slumping back into her seat. The entire room sank into a stunned silence. It seemed as though no one knew what to say.
"Way to make a scene, dork."
Well, no one except Chloé.
"She had no business being here," the blogger spat.
"Can somebody fill me in, here?" Adrien asked.
"Lila came in looking for Luna," Marinette said with a sigh.
Adrien's eyes went straight to the actress' seat and his heart sank. Luna was nowhere to be seen.
"She's... Not here," he said.
Marinette shook her head. "Ms. Bustier said she called in sick."
"From the sound of it, I think she had another panic attack last night," Alya said with a sigh.
"You talked to her?" Adrien asked.
"Sorta." Alya whipped out her phone and began to read. "'Hey, Aly. I'm taking a mental health day. Nothing major, I just can't take a crowd of people, right now. Tell the others I'm alright, and that I'll see you all tomorrow.' I tried asking her what happened, but she hasn't gotten back to me since."
A wave of cold washed over the model. He knew what happened. He happened.
Just then, Ms. Bustier walked in, silencing the clamor of the class. With a heavy heart, the teen made his way to his seat. He tried to pay attention to the lecture, but just like before, he just didn't care. At least with school, it was easier to pretend he was listening. It was harder pulling one over on Nino, though. The DJ nudged him while he was drawing spirals in the margins of his paper. When Adrien looked over, he gestured with his phone. The blond nodded and took out his own, hiding it beneath the table. It wasn't long before the first text popped up.
Nino: You good, man?
Adrien sighed before answering. Not really. Pretty sure I dug myself into a hole.
N: This got anything to do with the mystery chick you were talking about last night?
Both boys locked eyes. It took him a moment, but Adrien gave him the barest hint of a nod. Nino thinned his lips.
N: What happened?
Adrien had to think about that one. How much could he get away with telling him? It was a good few minutes before he started typing again.
A: Apparently she was at the theatre last night, too. We ran into each other during the commotion and we more or less hid together.
N: DUDE, WAS THAT WHY YOU DIDN'T ANSWER MY TEXTS?
A: We started talking and stuff, just kinda waiting for things to blow over.
A: Not the issue, here.
N: Totally beg to differ! Mari and I freaked the hell out over this!
A: Nino, come on.
N: Alright, fine! You were talking...
A: We were talking and I offered to walk her home after the attack. On the way there, we ran into Luna.
N: K, ignoring the fact that you ditched us for this chick, what was Luna doing there? Didn't she go home?
A: Idk. I think she said something about a walk? It was really the best excuse he could come up with. Either way, Luna was there. So we talked and well...
N: Well what?
A: Luna sort of... came onto me... Which pissed off the girl I like and it turned into this huge fight. I got pissed at Luna, and that turned into an even bigger fight, and I said some things I'm not proud of.
"She did WHAT!?"
Adrien shushed him, but it was already too late. The whole class turned their attention to the outburst. Ms. Bustier frowned, crossing her arms. "Something you'd like to share, gentlemen?"
They both sank in their seats. "No ma'am," they said in unison. The teacher's eyes narrowed on them, but she ultimately returned to her lecture. A note landed in front of Nino, clearly from Alya. He took it before the teacher saw it and unfurled it under the table. Both boys read it and suppressed a groan.
What's with you two?
They shared a look before Nino turned around to mouth a quick 'later'. She seemed to let it go for the time being, though it was clear both girls were concerned. Adrien put his head in his hands. He really didn't want to have this conversation a second time. Especially not with them. His phone buzzed again, making him look down.
Nino: Dude, Alya will lose her shit over this! We can't tell them anything!
Yeah, as if that wasn't obvious.
The end of the day couldn't come soon enough. When his driver finally arrived, Adrien slumped into the car without a word. Nathalie frowned at him.
"I take it your talk didn't go well," she said.
His eyes never left the window. "She didn't show up today."
Nathalie hummed. "Your father expected as much."
The teen turned to her in surprise. "My father?"
"You didn't expect me to keep this from him, did you? Especially when it's affecting your work ethic."
Adrien groaned. Just what he needed. Could his day get any worse?
"What did he say?" he asked, sounding more drained than interested.
"He wasn't pleased about the shoot this morning. It took some convincing to get the photographer reschedule for tomorrow, so he expects you to be at your best. He did agree to cancel your Mandarin class this afternoon, however."
"Great," the teen murmured.
Nathalie gave him a stern look. "So I suggest you make the most of your free time."
Adrien ducked his head. He knew he should be thankful. Things could've been a hell of a lot worse for him. But the thought of having to go back to his way too big house with next to no distractions wasn't an exciting one. Sure, he could stretch his legs as Chat, but then he'd run the risk of running into Ladybug. And considering how they left things the previous night, it be his rotten luck that she'd tear him a new one just for being there. He sighed again and went back to staring at the trees. He then started frowning.
Why did those trees look strange?
"Where are we-" He cut himself short as they came to a stop. Just outside Nathalie's window, Adrien caught sight of a very familiar house. The assistant didn't bother to look up from her tablet, though the barest hint of a smirk pulled at her lips. She slid him a small, powder-blue box.
"Your father thought it best for you to bring a small gift as an apology. Miss Galemore's caretaker is already expecting you."
He picked up the box, not knowing what to think. "I... This is..."
"Of course, if this isn't how you wish to spend your time, we can turn back-"
Adrien threw his arms around the woman. She let out a small oomph as he squeezed her tight. Nathalie blinked at him in slight shock then cleared her throat.
"Yes, well... as I said, they are expecting you," she said, straightening her glasses.
"Thank you, Nathalie. You don't know what this means to me."
"I might have an idea. Go."
The teen thanked her again before rushing out of the car and up the walkway. He hit the doorbell and studied the box in his hands. He was half-tempted to open it just to see what it was. Plagg peeked out of his hiding spot to give it a quick sniff.
"I still say you should've gotten her cheese."
Adrien rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Plagg."
The door opened, and Collins appeared with a smile. "Hello, Adrien. Good to see you, again."
"Uh... hey..." The boy fidgeted. "...Is Luna-"
"She's in her room right now," the nanny said. "Why don't you come in?"
The older man stepped aside to let him through. Adrien obliged, feeling more than a little awkward. He rubbed his neck as he stared at the floor. "H-how's she doing?"
Collins sighed. "Hard to say. She hasn't really come out since she got home last night. You wanna tell me what happened?"
Adrien felt himself shrink. "It's kind of a long story."
The nanny nodded. "Well, fair warning. She doesn't know you're here. I more or less got the vibe that she'd sneak out her window if I so much as suggested she have friends over."
"Yeah, well, she may still do that," Adrien muttered. He tapped the box against his palm. "Got any advice?"
"I honestly don't know. She usually comes out when she's ready to."
The boy nodded. "Okay. Guess I'm on my own."
Collins rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Just be patient with her, okay."
Adrien took a deep breath. "Alright. Where to?"
"Head upstairs and take a left. Then, just follow the music. Good luck."
With a nod, the blond boy began his ascent. It wasn't long before the thrumming bass reached his ears. He followed the sound, finally coming up to the source behind a closed door. Taking another deep breath, he knocked and waited for an answer.
Nothing.
He knocked again, and still no answer came. Adrien closed his eyes.
"Luna?" He listened for an answer that didn't come. Though, if he wasn't mistaken, the music seemed just a little softer than before. His fingers traced the edge of the gift box as he spoke again. "...I just came to see how you were doing. We all missed you at school. Even Chloé." Adrien paused, again. He rested his head against the door. No matter how hard he tried to listen, he couldn't make out any sign of her actually being there. He sighed.
"I know I'm the last person you wanna see, right now. And I know saying sorry won't fix things. But, I am sorry. I don't know what else to do... Please, talk to me, Luna..."
Plagg floated at his chosen's side. He had stayed quiet, but even he couldn't ignore the boy's heartbreak. The kwami's ears flattened. He had to do something. His looked at the door with a frown. Luna was there; he could sense her standing close enough to hear every word. So why wasn't she answering? Plagg spared Adrien one more glance before phasing through the door.
Sure enough, Luna stood with her back against the wood. She rubbed at her arm with her head hung low. Plagg floated up to her, resting a black paw on her forearm. She jumped at the sudden touch.
"Hey," he said. "Not doing so good, huh?"
Luna looked at him in confusion. "I... How did you..."
Plagg shrugged. "It's a kwami thing."
"Plagg?"
Adrien's voice made the girl jump again. It was almost as if she'd forgotten he was there. She hugged herself and bit her lip. Plagg watched her for a moment. Then he rose to sit on her shoulder.
"It's okay if you don't want to talk to him," he said.
Luna shook her head. "It's not... I just can't right now..."
"Yeah, I get that." He grabbed his feet and started rocking back and forth. "Emotions are a pain, sometimes. They can really make a mess of things. And you can't always fix it when they do. It's a lot easier to hide away when you're hurting. Pretend the bad stuff didn't happen. Am I right?"
Luna closed her eyes and nodded.
"I think the kid feels the same way, sometimes. But right now, I think he's too scared that he might lose his friend to wanna hide from things. Though, I bet he'd hide with you if you let him."
She let out a small laugh. Running a hand through her tossled locks, she looked down at the kwami. "Doesn't that sorta defeat the purpose?"
Plagg cocked his head to the side. "I dunno. Why don't you tell me?"
Luna stared at the little cat on her shoulder. She mulled over his words, hugging herself even tighter. After a long moment, she scooped up the little cat and began stroking his head.
On the other side, Adrien waited. He could barely make out their conversation, which did nothing to calm his nerves. When the door finally opened, he blinked up in surprise. Luna barely looked at him. Her eyes were still on the kwami in her hands. In all honesty, she looked like hell. She was still in her catsuit from the night before. Dark circles lined her bloodshot eyes. Adrien ran a hand through his hair.
"Hey..." he said.
Luna fidgeted about. "...hey... I doubt I'll be much fun to be around, but... do you want to come in?"
Adrien smiled. "Sure."
She stepped aside to let him pass. Luna then moved to shut the door but seemed to think better of it. She left it to swing open and went to sit on her bed. Adrien sat beside her, taking in the room around him. It was spacious without being too big. Posters adorned the deep navy walls, depicting various plays and bands. A stereo sat by the bed, still playing a song he wasn't familiar with.
"What're you listening to?" he asked.
Luna shrugged. "Just some emo shit."
Adrien frowned at her. "Emo shit?"
"Yeah. MCR, Panic at the Disco, Green Day..." He looked more and more confused with each name. She quirked a brow at him. "You've seriously never heard of Green Day?"
"Can't say that I have," he said with a laugh.
"Well then, pretty boy. You are getting a lesson in good music, today." She moved to change the song, ignoring the eye roll he gave her.
Sorry for the mopey chapter, guys. But, hey, at least you aren't waiting a month for an update! Silver linings, people!
SpringBorn: Well, good! I try to be unexpected.
mayfire21: Yes, I believe you have, lol.
TKDGirl2016: No, I'm pretty sure a bunch of people have played with this idea. Maybe not in the same context, but the same principal.
Davey: I'm sure you're not the only one giddy.
Mystirica18: Yay, another shipper!
See you in the next chapter, guys!
Playlist:
Famous Last Words- My Chemical Romance
Beautiful Tragedy- In This Moment
For the Heart I Once Had- Nightwish
Little Do You Know- Alex and Sierra
Basket Case- Green Day (yes, this is what they're listening to)