Why did this ONE chapter take me MONTHS to write?
August 29, 2015
Adrien had woken up early and put on one of his favorite, but not as worn outfits: black jeans, a black and white horizontal striped shirt, and a blue overshirt. He checked once more in the mirror before shakily walking to the entrance of his father's closed atelier. The boy stood there for several more minutes before he worked up the courage to knock on the door. It was exactly 8am.
"Come in," The distracted voice of Adrien's father called.
Adrien pushed open the door, twisting his Miraculous back and forth. It was a nervous habit he'd picked up over the past couple of years.
"Good morning, Father. I, uh… I have something I'd like to ask you. Do you have a minute to talk?
Gabriel checked his watch. "Not at the moment. I have materials that are needed at the warehouse this afternoon that're for some reason on their way to Milan. Someone is getting fired." He pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath. The man straightened, returning his attention to the workstation in front of him. "I'll have Nathalie collect you once I'm available."
"That'll be too late!" Adrien groaned. He straightened immediately as Gabriel's eyes flickered over to him.
"You might as well do something productive in the meantime. Go practice your piano."
"Yes, Father." Adrien sighed. He shut the door behind him, missing his father's narrowed glance.
Adrien returned to his room, leaning against the closed door with his eyes closed. Plagg flew out from his hiding place.
"You're not really staying to practice piano, are you?"
"No way, Plagg!" A grin bubbled its way onto the boy's face. "Today's too important. Let's set up the decoy and get outta here!"
Marinette glanced around at the various stalls of the marché couvert (covered market) as she wandered down the aisles with her parents. Marinette loved helping her parents restock for the bakery's reopening every year along with collecting ingredients for new recipes.
The light drizzle of rain and cold weather didn't do much to deter market goers. Nonetheless, Marinette was grateful for what she'd picked out to wear that morning: a long plum raincoat, a ruffled lilac blouse, denim capris, black combat boots, a beret, a lightweight blue scarf, and her clear bubble umbrella. She was really grateful for her bubble umbrella.
Sabine craned her head to peer around the stalls as a commotion began at the front of the market.
"What on earth is going on?"
It wasn't hard for Marientte to catch a glimpse of a familiar mop of blonde hair ducking behind a stall.
"It's Adrien!" She hissed to her parents. "He must be running from something."
"Sounds like a mob of fans." Sabine shooed her daughter towards the entrance. "Go help the poor boy out, dear. We'll hide him for a bit."
Marinette left her basket with her parents before speed walking over to where she'd last seen Adrien. Lucky for her, he was still hiding behind the same stall. She squeezed in next to him, tapping his shoulder. She hid a laugh as the boy jumped at her presence.
"Geez!" Adrien held a hand over his still racing heart.
"Hey stranger!" Marinette dropped her voice. "'Come with me if you want to live!'" This time, she did laugh at the confused look on his face. "Sorry! It's from one of my dad's favorite American movies from the 80's. But still - wanna get out of here?"
"Please!" He breathed. "But how? They're everywhere!"
Marinette had an idea. She pulled the scarf from around her neck. "Take off your shirt."
Adrien's face turned a deep shade of pink. "B-beg pardon?"
Heat crept up Marientte's face as well once she heard her previous statement. "Uh… Y-your overshirt. Take off your OVERshirt and tie it around your waist. I'll tie this scarf around your head to hide your hair. Once we get back to my parents, we'll be a better screen as a group."
"Marinette, you're the best!" He shucked his overshirt from his shoulders.
Ten minutes later, the teens were safely back with the Dupain-Chengs. The group moved on from their current stall as the mob of fans still searched for Adrien.
"Maman, Papa, you remember Adrien." Marinette made introductions at a whisper, lest someone overheard her.
Tom pulled Adrien in for a one armed hug. "It's been too long, son!" The baker noticed Adrien's slight shiver. "Here, my boy. Take my jacket." He silenced Adrien's protests. "The rain's long gone and it'll help further disguise you. I'm plenty warm, Adrien. Don't you fret."
"So, sweetheart," Sabine adjusted the collar of the jacket as Adrien pulled it on. "Tell us why you're out so early and who was chasing you!"
Adrien blushed once more, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "I… snuck out of the house. Someone saw me, uploaded a picture they took and must've tagged their location because fans started swarming. And… I'm hiding from my bodyguard."
"Is everything alright at home?" Tom asked seriously.
"Oh yeah! Yeah, everything's fine! It's just…" Adrien fiddled with his ring once more. "There's a special movie playing today at the Sorbonne that I have to see. I-it's the only movie my mother had the leading role in."
Sabine rubbed Adrien's back, trying to provide some level of comfort. "Surely your father has a copy?"
"I remember seeing it around the house at some point, but I can't find it anywhere." The boy took a deep breath. "And today's the only day it's being shown."
"When does the movie start, son?" Tom asked.
"Noon."
Marinette poked her friend's shoulder. "Were you gonna wander around Paris avoiding fans and your bodyguard for the next several hours?"
Adrien shrugged, a teasing glint in his eye. "Didn't have to. I found you guys, didn't I?" He chuckled as the girl rolled her eyes.
Tom tossed Adrien a fresh tomato from a nearby vendor. "How about this- hang out with us for the next bit and I'll drive you and Marinette to the Sorbonne in time for the movie so you're not wandering around alone."
"Really, sir?" Adrien lit up.
"Absolutely, son! And please- call me Tom." He winked.
Adrien already knew that Marinette had an amazing and caring family, but his respect and admiration for Marinette's father increased tenfold.
"Wow! Thank you si- I mean, Tom." Adrien shuffled closer to Marinette under her umbrella. He didn't miss the pink lightly dusting her cheeks. "Are you planning on adding any new recipes for your reopening next month?"
The group continued chatting as they strolled through the market. They were so lost in conversation that no one noticed a nearby bystander casually taking a picture of Adrien. They did not miss the jubilant cry from the nearby mob of fans.
"Adrien IS here at the market! And look- HE'S WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND! Quick, find the stall they're at!"
"So much for the disguise," Adrien muttered.
Sabine immediately took Marinette's basket and umbrella. "Go! Stay together, you two. Try to lose them in the Mètro. Call us if you get into trouble."
"Thanks, maman!" She quickly kissed her mother's cheek before grabbing Adrien's hand with a bright smile. "Let's go!"
The two teenagers arrived at the Mètro platform out of breath. Adrien popped the collar of Tom's overcoat to hide his face.
"Marinette, I am so sorry! I've disrupted your day and now half the internet thinks you're my girlfriend!"
The girl laughed. "Who believes everything they see on the internet these days? It'll blow over soon."
"Yeah… Yeah. Blow over," Adrien agreed. "Everyone will forget about it soon." The boy checked his watch. "We still have some time before the movie and… I may have skipped breakfast in my hurry to get out this morning. Would… would you want to grab a bite? There's a couple of cafés near the Sorbonne."
Marinette couldn't help but chuckle at the sheepish and embarrassed look sweeping Adrien's features. "That sounds good-"
Both teens whirled around at the sound of a phone camera clicking.
"CHECK IT OUT! Adrien and his girlfriend riding the Mètro!" A fan across the subway tracks pointed at the pair, sooning.
"We can't stay here," Adrien grabbed Marinette's hand and moved towards the stairs. He rapidly pulled her back as a mob of fans flooded the Mètro tunnel.
"Back, back, back!" It was Marinette's turn to pull him towards the back stairs that led to a viewing platform between the Mètro platform. They froze as Adrien's bodyguard descended the stairs.
"Come on, man!" Adrien huffed. He pulled out his cutest 'kitten eyes'. "Is it at ALL possible for you to let this one slide, big guy?"
The Gorilla shook his head.
"I thought not," The boy mumbled. He pushed Marinette behind him as the mob and his bodyguard slinked closer. Adrien frantically looked around; trapped between a mob and a hard place with only the train door closing behind them…
Without a second thought, Adrien tackled Marinette into the train compartment just as the door slid shut. Breathing heavy, Adrien saw his bodyguard pick up… Marinette's Lucky Charm! It must've fallen out of his pocket! He groaned inwardly at the awkward conversation he'd be having later in order to retrieve it.
"Um… Adrien?"
The boy looked down at Marinette. Her flushed cheeks, her wide eyes… why did she look so nervous?
The second it clicked, Adrien scrambled off where he'd still be pressing Marinette to the ground. He offered her a hesitant hand. "Marinette! Once again, I am so SO sorry! A-are you okay?"
She nodded. "I'm fine." She looked back down the track where they'd left Adrien's bodyguard. "Was he holding the Lucky Charm I gave you for the gaming tournament?"
"Oh, yeah. It must've fallen out of my pocket when we, uh, boarded the car."
Marinette found two seats nearby and patted the one next to her. "Well, let's hope for a smooth ride to the Cinéma." Her phone went off with a notification from her parents. "Great. There's more pictures of us hitting all the socials."
Adrien sighed. "Looks like we need to get some new disguises."
Adrien shuffled his feet waiting in the short line for the ticket window at the Sorbonne. After getting new disguise pieces at a thrift shop close to the Mètro exit and swapping around they already had, Adrien and Marinette tried to visit several of the nearby cafés to eat before the movie. Unfortunately, the only seating available at every single café was outdoor seating. With the start of the movie rapidly approaching, the teens couldn't afford to change outfits another time if they were spotted. It was decided that they would simply grab plenty of snacks at the concession stand.
"Remind me," Marinette tugged her new page boy cap lower to hide her eyes from a curious preteen. "Why are they showing an obscure movie only once at noon on a Saturday?"
"I think it's a special 'mayor's showing'? I don't know; Chloe mentioned that her dad was a fan of my mom's movie and wished that more people were able to see it."
The pair bought their tickets and headed to concessions to load themselves down with all the popcorn, nachos, and candy that they could. By the time they'd collected their hoard and made their way to their seats, the pre-show was wrapping up. Marinette had just sat down when the Adrien: The Fragrance ad began to play.
Adrien the boy slumped further down into his seat. "Good grief! Don't they have anything better to play?"
Marinette bit back a chuckle. "So… what does Adrien smell like?"
"The prop bottle the producers gave me was basically plain water. The scent was still being crafted when we shot the commercial. So even I don't know what I'm supposed to smell like!"
The two giggled together until the lights dimmed and they were shushed by other movie goers.
Adrien visibly relaxed as the opening credits began to roll. Beautiful black and white imagery of Notre Dame appeared along with the title card of the film: Solitude. A woman with her back to the camera carried an umbrella as she strolled along the bank of the Seine.
The boy leaned forward in anticipation of the woman turning around, but squeezed his eyes shut as a bright flash to his left blinded him.
"Check it out! Adrien secretly taking his girlfriend to the movies in disguise! How cute!"
"What?!" Adrien blinked rapidly, trying to regain his sight. His eyes had barely adjusted once again to the darkness when Marinette's grip on his arm tightened.
The mob of fans had entered the theater.
The teens scrunched further down in their seats, praying that they wouldn't be seen.
"WHAT?" Adrien frantically mouthed to the girl next to him.
"How'd they get here so fast?" Marinette hissed.
Neither of them had time to guess as the roof of the Sorbonne suddenly collapsed and the large, hulking figure of an akumatized villain appeared.
"What." Adrien blanched, all humor for the situation gone. He yelped as the giant's hand plucked him from his place in the rubble.
Marinette surged to her feet, running to pound on the massive leg crushing the row of seats just ahead of her.
"LET HIM GO!" She hollered.
The creature grunted, lifting said leg to brush Marinette away as if she were an annoying bug. With his size, the brush was more of a shove.
"Marinette, stop!" Adrien studied the giant holding him more closely. "I… I think this is my bodyguard! He won't hurt me. I'll be fine. But you need to go. NOW!"
"No, I can't-"
"Now, Mari! Someone needs to alert Ladybug if she doesn't know already. Be safe!" His words were lost to the winds as Gorizilla hefted himself and his captive out of the hole he's created in the theater's roof.
The girl heaved a deep sigh as her kwami flew out of her person. "Can nothing go right today, Tikki?"
Ladybug grappled with the RC helicopter control in her hand as she, Gorizilla, and the boy that he held stood atop Montparnasse Tower. After some finagling and pushing just the right buttons to frustrate Gorizilla, he opened the hand that held Adrien. She struggled to keep the tension on her yoyo that kept the hand open.
A brief glance over the side reminded the heroine that it was a LONG way down to the ground. She locked eyes with the boy that had become one of her best friends
"You have to trust me," She grunted. His smile lit a pool of warmth within her.
"Always!"
Adrien leapt off the building without hesitation, taking a piece of the girl's heart with him.
Ladybug retracted her yoyo and readied herself to follow Adrien over the edge. She had mere seconds before he reached terminal velocity and gravity took full control.
A large hand wrapped around Ladybug, dashing her dreams of reaching her friend.
"NO!" She screamed. The seconds seemed to slow; the familiar, cold grip of despair at Adrien being dropped from a great height came rushing back. "CHAT NOIR! WHERE ARE YOU?"
Out of nowhere, Gorizilla threw the girl. He just… threw her! Straight down the side of the tower!
Ladybug didn't know why nor did she care at this moment. She straightened out her body to close the distance between herself and Adrien. He had luckily spread himself out to slow his rate of descent.
She did not breathe when she caught him.
She did not breathe when she threw her yoyo and it caught.
She did not breathe when the crowd gathered below began to clap as she gently lowered the two of them to the ground.
Ladybug still couldn't breathe when Adrien wrapped his arms around her shoulders to steer her into a quiet alleyway away from prying eyes.
"Ladybug?" His voice sounded distant. "You're shaking! Are you alright?"
His question brought her back to the moment. The girl offered a strained smile. "Aren't I supposed to be asking you that?"
"I'm fine, really." Adrien's gaze flickered to her earrings. "Looks like your time's almost up. You should get somewhere safer to detransform… unless you want the paparazzi out there to have a new front page scoop."
"Good point." Ladybug stepped away for the briefest moment before looking back. "What about-"
"I'll find somewhere to hide until this all blows over." He beat her to it. Ladybug felt the intensity of his gaze all the way down to her toes. "And don't worry, Ladybug. I know Chat Noir will be here soon." Adrien squeezed her hand before dashing off.
Ladybug sat staring at the sunset at her and Chat Noir's usual meeting spot, her legs pulled against her chest. She didn't move when her partner plopped down on the edge of the roof next to her.
"Hey! Sorry we got separated there at the end. But it looked like you barely even needed me!" Chat nudged her shoulder playfully. "As usual, you rocked it!"
Ladybug mumbled something, but it was too soft for him to hear.
"Sorry, Bug. Didn't quite catch that," He leaned closer.
"I almost lost him today."
Chat stilled. "What?" He saw Ladybug's chin begin to tremble.
"I-I almost lost Adrien today… all because you weren't there today!" The girl surged to her feet and began pacing. "I told Adrien to jump off a 200 metre building and he trusted me! WHY would he trust me like that? WHY would he trust LADYBUG like that… AND WHY WEREN'T YOU THERE?" She screamed, tears streaming down her face.
The weeping and hyperventilating girl was quickly enveloped into a crushing hug by her partner. Chat pressed her tight against his chest, trying his best to soothe her.
"Hey, hey. He trusted you because you've got a good track record of saving people." The boy winced at the pinch at his chest. "Not meant to be a joke, sorry. Seriously, though - I am sorry for not being there today. There is nowhere I'd rather be than by your side." He pulled away slightly to look his friend in the eye. "Like Adrien trusted you, can you trust that whatever held me up I absolutely couldn't get out of it?"
Ladybug sighed. She nestled herself back into Chat's warm embrace. "I guess. It… the whole thing reminded me of Volpina's illusion back in the spring. I can't believe that fear almost paralyzed me!" She repeatedly smacked her forehead against Chat's shoulder. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."
Chat chuckled as he pressed the girl closer, pressing a friendly kiss to the top of her head. "You're not stupid, Bug. You're a good friend."
*ALSO also thought I'd already posted this one. BONUS UPLOAD! See y'all for a regularly scheduled posting 9/1