15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.

Lucky Us

By: Princess Kitty1

Chapter 15

LadybugRE: SummerJust now

What is this annoying light shining through my window…?

Omg, it's the sun.

THE SUN IS RISING, CHAT NOIR.

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: SummerJust now

Why does that surprise you? Between the two of us, you're the morning person. Now please stop yelling. It's too early for yelling.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: SummerJust now

You didn't have to stay up all night talking to me.

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: SummerJust now

But you know what, Ladybug? I did anyway. And in a couple of hours, I will face the consequences of that decision like a man. (Cat? Cat-man? It's also too early for jokes.)

x.x.x

Adrien put his phone down and rubbed his eyes. Outside, the sun rose over the vineyard, splashing gold across the landscape. He couldn't regret staying up all night talking to Ladybug, not when it had taken a few hours of stupid jokes just to get her sounding like herself again.

Something had happened to her. She hadn't divulged any information, and he hadn't pried, but it wasn't hard to figure out. Ladybug liked to keep space between them at all times. For her to get so personal with him so suddenly, she must have gone through something that reopened her old wounds. And while part of him was happy that she'd opened up to him, a much bigger part of him hated that she'd been hurt to the point that she could hardly lift her head up anymore.

So he'd been brutally, embarrassingly honest with her about the impact she'd had on his life. Would that make a difference? He didn't know, but he hoped so.

Adrien stood up and stretched. He was exhausted, and his headache was back with a vengeance, but he had a six-hour drive ahead of him once filming wrapped up. Plenty of time to recuperate from his all-nighter before he dropped by the bakery to say hi to Marinette.

In his desperation to make Ladybug feel better, he'd forgotten to text Marinette about Nino and Alya. But she hadn't messaged him either. Or maybe she had messaged him, and due to his spotty cell phone reception, he hadn't received it. In any case, it was too early to text her now.

Adrien showered and got dressed, taking care not to aggravate his sensitive back, then checked his phone again. No new emails from Ladybug. She must have finally fallen asleep. "Sweet dreams, my Lady," he said as he slipped his phone into his pocket and made his way out the door.

Just a few more hours of filming, and he'd be on his way home.

x.x.x

Marinette had not fallen asleep. She'd been happily working on a response to Chat Noir when a phone call from Alya interrupted her.

"I'm going to tell you something, because you deserve to hear it from someone you love before you find out on your own," Alya said in a tone of voice so grave that Marinette immediately knew what the phone call was about. "On my way to work this morning… I saw Nathanael."

Marinette rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. So much for not ruining Alya's day. "I know," she said. "He came by the bakery yesterday."

"And you didn't tell me… why?" Alya demanded.

"Because you were happy about Nino and I didn't think it would be fair to bother you with my problems?"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I am your best friend! I don't care if I just won the freaking lottery, if you have a problem you come bother me with it right away! Especially one as big as Nathanael. Geez! What did you do, spend all of yesterday drunk? Never mind. I'm coming over for lunch and you're telling me everything, so wash your face and put on some clothes. Don't worry about food, I'm buying."

Marinette hung up, feeling a lot better knowing that Alya was on her way. She should have called her as soon as Nathanael left instead of wallowing in misery alone all afternoon. But if she had called Alya, she wouldn't have emailed Chat Noir, and…

You made me feel like my stupid parody of a life is worth living.

Marinette's heart hammered in her chest. Who the hell said things like that to people they'd never met?

She stared at her phone. Imagined a man in an office building struggling to keep his eyes open after staying up all night to make sure she was okay. She wanted to bring that man breakfast. And then she wanted to hug him.

Marinette climbed out of bed and went through her morning routine: yoga, tending the flowers, fruit for breakfast, and then a shower. Her lack of sleep made her head swim. She should have told Alya to bring coffee. Better yet, she should have taken a nap. A nap sounded wonderful. But just as she began seriously considering it, her phone rang again.

A local number. One that she'd committed to memory years ago in the event of an emergency. She answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey," Nathanael said, his voice full of good cheer. "I didn't call too early, did I?"

"Not at all," Marinette replied. The fact that Nathanael knew she liked to get up early went unspoken between them.

"Oh, good." He sounded genuinely relieved. "I figured I'd ask you if you had any particular restaurants in mind for dinner, seeing as they opened some new ones."

"You know Paris. Can't go more than a few weeks without opening a new restaurant." Marinette said, then cringed. She really needed that nap. "Actually, there's this Lebanese place I've been meaning to check out. A friend brought me dinner from there a while back and it was divine." A picture of Adrien standing at her door holding a bag of takeout floated to her mind.

Adrien. Today was his last day of filming. She'd forgotten to message him yesterday, but he hadn't messaged her either. Was their fake relationship over now that Nino and Alya were on their way to becoming an item?

"Lebanese sounds great," Nathanael said. "Should we meet at the restaurant, or meet at your place first?"

"Well, I'd send you directions, but you suck at those—"

"I have a GPS on my phone, you know."

"—so we'd better meet here at seven, just to be on the safe side," Marinette concluded. Nathanael was the kind of person who'd get hopelessly lost and blame it on the GPS. She smiled at the thought of him wandering around California, glaring at his phone, then the surrounding street signs, then back at his phone. "I'll see you tonight?" she said, wanting to end the call before anymore fondness could stir up in her chest.

"Seven it is," Nathanael agreed.

They exchanged goodbyes, and Marinette dropped her phone on the sofa, heart racing. So much for her nap.

x.x.x

Marinette Dupain-Cheng: Today's your last day of filming, right? Good luck! :-)

Adrien Agreste: Thanks. By the way, Nino is ridiculously happy.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng: Oh my gosh, so is Alya. She's coming over for lunch and I'm going to try to get more information out of her.

Adrien Agreste: I admire your dedication to the cause. :) Whoops, gotta go.

x.x.x

Alya showed up at eleven o'clock on the dot. "I made up a family emergency so I could leave a couple minutes early," she explained. She breezed into the apartment, set down a bag of pastries and two cups of iced coffee on the kitchen counter, then turned to inspect Marinette. "You've been crying," she said.

"Well… you're not wrong." Marinette grabbed the cup labeled with a letter M and took a long pull of coffee. Leave it to Alya to know that she needed it without her having to say anything. "But if you're referring to my bloodshot eyes, I kind of stayed up all night," she said.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Her cheeks warmed. "Something like that."

Alya took one of the pastries out of the bag and leaned back against the kitchen counter. "So what happened?" she asked. "Did he just show up? Did he call first? Was there any warning?"

Marinette briefly went over the main event of the previous morning. She left out most of her afternoon wallowing-in-despair, knowing that it would only upset Alya further. When it came to Nathanael, Alya was about as unforgiving as a wildfire. Marinette concluded her story with the nail in her coffin: her acceptance of Nathanael's invitation to dinner.

"You couldn't turn him down?" Alya asked. "Better yet, you couldn't kill him and then turn him down?"

Marinette leaned on the counter and sighed. "I thought about it," she said. "Turning him down, not killing him." Between emails with Chat Noir the night before, she'd weighed her options carefully. She knew she didn't owe Nathanael anything, least of all her kindness. But she also knew she would never move on if she didn't talk to him about their breakup. "I need closure," she said. "If this is the only chance I get to make my feelings known, then I'll take it."

Alya twisted her mouth to the side, but she didn't object. "Have you told Adrien?"

Marinette frowned. "Why would I tell Adrien?"

"You're dating him, remember?"

Right. The fake relationship. "Yeah, but I don't want to upset him over nothing," Marinette said, hoping she sounded convincing. "It's not like I have feelings for Nathanael and I'm going to dinner with him to try and rekindle our passion."

Alya's eyebrows shot up. "So you wouldn't get back together with him if he asked you?"

"If this had been a year ago, maybe," Marinette said. "After a lot of groveling, of course." She smiled and poked at the ice left in her drink. "What Nathanael and I had was great, and rare, and magical, but if he and I weren't meant to be together then it can only mean that there's something greater and rarer and more magical on the way." Her mind flew unbidden to a faceless stranger receiving a wrong email. "And I wouldn't miss out on that for the world."

"Wow," Alya said, "you must really have it bad for Adrien." She walked over and wrapped Marinette up in a hug. "I'm proud of you, you know that?"

Marinette returned the embrace. "Yeah."

"And if you need me to come to dinner with you so I can kill Nathanael immediately following the meal, I'd be more than happy to tag along."

"I appreciate it, but I'd rather you stay out of prison," Marinette said. "I need you free as a bird so I can tease you about Nino whenever I want."

Alya let go of her. "Don't you dare start."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't help it that you were making googly eyes at him through his entire set," she said, and made googly eyes at Alya to demonstrate.

"If you're in a good enough mood to be making fun of me, then my work here is done." Alya picked up her iced coffee and headed for the door. She stopped. "Was I really looking at him like that?"

"Girl," Marinette said, "you have no idea."

x.x.x

The filming wrapped up at noon, and Adrien, more than ready to go home, held in a joyful shout. In hindsight, the experience hadn't been that bad: he got to kiss a supermodel while being pampered by a staff of people whose job it was to make sure he was comfortable. If he'd tried to complain about that to Nino, he would have gotten glared at. But maybe his excitement to leave had colored the entire week with rose-tinted glasses. Now that it was over, he couldn't remember why he'd complained so much.

First world problems, a voice whispered in the back of his mind, which he dutifully ignored.

"Adrien!"

He turned in time to open his arms and receive an enormous hug from Ange, who looked happier than he'd seen her all week. There, proof that he wasn't the only one desperate to go home.

"Thanks for making this week bearable," she said as she pulled away. "If I ever hear of a job you might be interested in, I'll give you a call."

"I appreciate that," Adrien said.

"You deserve it for being one of the nicest guys I've ever worked with." Ange squeezed his shoulder affectionately. "Oh, before I forget, I'm throwing a birthday party in October. Should just be a few close friends, nothing too crazy. You want in?"

Adrien smiled. "Absolutely. Keep me updated."

"I will." Ange turned away from him. "And don't worry, your good friend Marinette is invited, too," she said.

Adrien's smile dropped faster than a piano in a black-and-white cartoon.

Filming was over. In a little over six hours, he'd be back in Paris, walking up to Marinette's door, ringing the buzzer, waiting for her to open it and verify that she was just his good friend and nothing remotely resembling a crush.

What would he say when she opened the door? Surprise? He was just in the neighborhood—again? He'd decided to tell her he was back in person because she was his fake girlfriend and that came with fake girlfriend privileges? What if she asked him what those fake girlfriend privileges were? Permission to touch him whenever she wanted?

The Gorilla pulled up to the chateau's front drive and Adrien sprang down the steps, leaving poor Nathalie in his dust. The faster he got back to Paris, the better.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: Summer2 hours ago

Next time I ask you why I don't take naps in the middle of the day, please respond with the following: headaches, stomachaches, disorientation, crankiness.

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: SummerJust now

Did you not have work today?

x.x.x

LadybugRE: SummerJust now

You thought I would go into work without sleep?

I'm only human, Chat Noir.

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: SummerJust now

Shame on you. Here I thought you were Ladybug the Morally Upstanding, but now I'm forced to see you as the kind of girl who ditched school whenever it tickled her fancy.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: SummerJust now

What do you know about ditching, Mr. I-Was-Homeschooled? :-P

If it makes you feel better, I only skipped class when it was a matter of my health and wellbeing.

I used to go to school no matter what, but then one day I found myself sobbing on an exam because I had period cramps severe enough to kill a grown man.

Some things just aren't worth it.

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: SummerJust now

Fair enough. I wouldn't want you out in the world if you weren't feeling well. (You are feeling well, right?)

x.x.x

LadybugRE: SummerJust now

Other than the headache, stomachache, disorientation, and crankiness, yes.

I need to get back on a regular sleeping schedule.

x.x.x

Chat NoirRE: SummerJust now

Well I'm sorry for keeping you up all night.

x.x.x

LadybugRE: SummerJust now

Don't be.

x.x.x

Six hours of uncomfortable and frequently interrupted naps later, Adrien woke from a doze to find himself back in Paris. He sat up fast. They hadn't passed Rue Gotlib yet. "Before we go home, I need to make a stop at the Dupain-Cheng bakery," he said to the Gorilla, who nodded and changed their course. Adrien caught Nathalie's stare in the car's side mirror, but if she had a comment, she didn't offer it.

Adrien could have gone home, greeted Plagg, freshened up, and then made his way to the bakery, but he was operating on pure determination and limited courage. If he went home now, he'd lose his momentum.

The closer they got to the bakery, the clammier his palms became. His heart insisted on beating at a tempo much faster than normal. He swallowed a nervous laugh. How was he supposed to meet Ladybug in person when the thought of seeing Marinette, a mere friend, made him feel like his sanity was unraveling? It had only been five days, for crying out loud. How much could a person change in five days?

A block from the Dupain-Cheng's, it occurred to Adrien that he did not want an audience for whatever was about to happen. "Here's fine," he said. "I'll walk the rest of the way. Feel like stretching my legs."

He got out of the car without daring to look at either of his father's employees. It had been another day of periodic rain: the air was humid, scented with damp, and puddles remained in spite of the sun's attempts to dry them. He sidestepped a few before turning into the alley beside the bakery.

And there was Marinette.

Adrien froze. He hadn't expected to find her standing outside. He had hoped for the opportunity to knock on her door like a gentleman would, but there she was, locking the bakery up on her way out, wearing a floral print belted shirtdress with ballet flats, her hair braided over her right shoulder and secured by a bright red ribbon.

She was beautiful.

He couldn't move.

Marinette was beautiful, and he couldn't move.

She dropped her key into her clutch and turned from the door, smiling—that smile—at a man who stood a few feet away. A man who Adrien hadn't noticed at all until he was the lucky recipient of Marinette's smile. A man, he thought with a dizzying sense of irony, who wasn't him.

Adrien considered leaving. He felt out of place, like he wasn't supposed to be there, like he'd deviated just a few steps from the clearly outlined path his life had been headed down and now he couldn't find his way back.

But the man—red hair, shorter than Adrien, thinner build—had already noticed him, and said something to Marinette too quiet to be heard from a distance.

Marinette turned her head.

Adrien's heart slammed against his ribcage. He imagined it opening a little door, hopping out of his chest, and leaping into Marinette's arms.

"Hold on," she said to the red-haired man, then jogged over to where Adrien stood, dress fluttering, braid tapping her shoulder with each step. Up close, he noticed her fingernails were painted the same shade of red as the ribbon in her hair. Her earrings were red, too. How delightful.

Adrien untangled his tongue. "I'm back," he said.

Marinette's smile widened, showing teeth, crinkling the corners of her eyes. "Welcome back, Adrien." She glanced over her shoulder. "I wasn't expecting you."

Adrien's body filled with the perfect blend of horror and embarrassment. "Yeah, I-I know. I was on my way home and thought I'd say hi first." The redhaired man came to stand behind Marinette at a distance that, to Adrien's eyes, seemed a little too close.

Marinette gestured. "This is my friend, Nathanael. He's visiting from out of town. Nathanael, this is—"

"Adrien Agreste," Nathanael said. He stuck his hand out in greeting. "I recognize you from the Gabriel advertisements. Has anyone ever told you that your facial structure is aesthetically pleasing?"

"They have now," Adrien said as he shook Nathanael's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"He's an artist," Marinette explained. Her cheeks were bright pink. "Umm, Nathanael and I are going to grab dinner at that Lebanese place. But I'm so glad you stopped by! I meant to text you earlier and ask when you'd be able to come over because I found this amazing cheesecake recipe and—well, you'll see."

Adrien nodded. A thanks-for-stopping-by and no invitation to join them for dinner. The dismissal could only mean one thing:

Marinette was going on a date. A real date.

"Sure," Adrien said. He took a step back. "I'll text you once I figure out my schedule this week."

A real date, with a guy who was genuinely interested in her, not using her to set his best friend up with her best friend.

"Oh! How's your back doing?" Marinette asked, her smile replaced by a concerned frown. "Are you okay?"

What right did Adrien have to stop his fake girlfriend from trying to find a real boyfriend?

He smiled at her. "I'm fine," he said. His favorite, most time-honored lie. He took another step away. "I won't keep you two. It was nice meeting you," he said to Nathanael again, then turned and headed back the way he'd come.

The car remained parked where he'd left it, the Gorilla staring out the window, Nathalie speaking into her phone. The same as always. Nothing had changed. Adrien walked down the damp street, expecting to find that clearly outlined life path he'd deviated from along the way.

He didn't find it.

He climbed into the backseat and shut the door, giving no explanation for why he'd felt the urge to stop by a closed bakery. Neither Nathalie nor the Gorilla asked him why, either. They remained the same. The car remained the same. The city of Paris remained the same.

But Adrien did not. No matter how hard he tried, he could not go back to seeing Marinette the way he used to see her. Or rather, he couldn't go back to not seeing her. He closed his eyes and there she stood, headscarf and A-line skirt, asking if he'd brought her chocolate. There she stood with her freckled shoulders and messy bun, wishing him luck. There she stood with her shirtdress and braid, on her way to dinner with a man who wasn't him.

Adrien pulled his phone out of his pocket. He opened Ladybug's latest email and hit reply. Then he stared at the blinking cursor for a long moment before he closed the email app and turned his gaze out the window instead.

Well. So much for that.

To Be Continued

A/N: Rest in freaking pieces, Adrien.

What will our poor kitty do now that his affections have been split in half? How will Marinette's dinner with Nathanael go? Feel free to speculate down below. I will be over here, doing homework.