Oh, sun, Adrien woke and stared blearily out the window. How you mock me. Marinette had several other nicknames for Adrien besides "Buttercup" and "Kitty" and one of them of "Sunny."
Today, however Adrien felt like he had dark storm cloud raining just over him. It didn't happen all that often, but Adrien felt very alone today. He sighed, looking at his suit staring at him from the closet. Did his work really matter? When he was Cat Noir, were the kids there to see him, or to get an autograph hey could sell later?
The alarm buzzed, and Adrien had never wanted to cataclysm the thing as badly as he wanted to now. But he didn't. He got up, showered, dressed and shaved and walked to the doorway of the kitchen.
Marinette was already in her work clothes, though her attire consisted of a beret and painting smock, plus some of her oldest clothes. Adrien's look softened. She was so beautiful, though it wasn't her clothes that made her. She was kind, sweet, helpful, funny. Of course Paris loved her.
She looked up, spoon in hand, catching sight of him dithering in the doorway. "Hey, you okay? The pancakes will be ready shortly and I made bacon too."
"I need to go," Adrien felt his throat constrict. He need to leave. Scooping up Plagg, Adrien hurried into the sunshine.
The fresh air calmed him some but he could feel the sweat beading on his forehead. It didn't take long to reach the skyscraper they he worked in.
"Morning, Mr. Agreste," Angel called from her desk, and Adrien just nodded, hurrying through. What was wrong with him? He shut the door quickly, taking deep breaths. Why was there no air in here? Why did it feel like the walls were closing in? He needed out.
"Plagg, Claws Out," Adrien rasped, then scrambled up to the domed rooftop. It was safe here, quiet. It was safe to cry here, which Adrien did. Then the answer came to him why he was feeling this way. He wanted to feel loved.
He looked up when he heard a muffled thump, and saw Bugaboo coming towards him. "Princess?" he asked, wiping at his tear-stained face. She kneeled down, a soft look in her eyes. "Come here, Kitten," she called gently. Cat crawled over, placing his head in her lap.
"Your feeling unloved today, aren't you?" she whispered, stroking his ears, his hair. "Why do the lies feel real, Ladybug?" he asked, hoarsely. "They aren't real, Kitty. I love you. Paris loves you. The people who work in your building think the world of you." Cat couldn't talk, not yet.
Ladybug sat quietly, holding him. They were quiet for awhile. "Do you remember when there was a negative site about us online? About how we had failed?" "Yes," Cat whispered. "I tried not to let the poisonous words get to me, but somehow the poison leaked in at times. It was your comforting words, your jokes that kept me going. Don't you ever feel like your not appreciated or loved."
Cat sat up with a wobbly smile. "Thanks, love." "See you at supper," he echoed. He watched his wife zip away. He might be a black cat, but Cat, Adrien was very lucky indeed.