Chapter Text
When you were 18, you received your soulmate marking. It would be a tattoo on the inside of your wrist with a date, a time, and a geographic location. Most people didn’t need to hide their marks because most people found their soulmate soon after their marks appeared. Nino hid his mark after his 18th birthday but he said it was because he wanted Alya and him to focus on the present, not how much time they had remaining. Not that it mattered because a month later Alya received her mark and to the surprise of no one they were soulmates.
Marinette was lucky enough to see their exchange because for once she was early to school. She had made Alya her favorite flavor of macarons as a morning birthday treat. She saw Alya running down the street to the school. Nino was waiting for her at the steps. He had clearly realized they were soulmates on his 18th birthday knowing that his date was Alya’s birthday, the time was before school, and the location was the school. The moment Alya reached Nino their wrists began to glow and sparkle with orange, yellow and green colors. When they broke apart, their soulmate tattoos had changed. Gone where the date, time and place. Instead, they had beautiful matching tattoos that represented them. Swirls of orange, yellow and green with music notes and ink swirls surrounded a set of headphones and writing pad. Marinette was thankful that the universe decided to use a writing pad instead of the cell phone Alya usually used when being a journalist. Though was Marinette liked most of all was that there was a little turtle face on the headphones and a little fox face at the bottom of the writing pad.
Adrien had covered his soulmate mark since his 18th birthday. Most famous people covered theirs because of crazy fans. It was hard to fake a soulmate bond but that didn’t stop crazy fans from trying to stop their favorite person from finding their soulmate. That was an easier thing to do. You soulmate mark gave you the best time to meet your soulmate after you had both turned 18. It wouldn’t be the only time, but you soulmate mark would fade over a week. If in that week you were together with your soulmate, you would still develop the new soulmate mark. However, after that week, you would lose your chance of ever knowing who your soulmate was. So Adrien kept his hidden partly by order of his father and partly but not wanting a crazy fan to ruin his chance of meeting his soulmate.
Adrien was convinced that his soulmate was Ladybug. They had been fighting Hawkmoth for four years now. Over the years, it was harder to keep from slipping up about their personal life. He had found out just last year that her birthday was in March when she let it slip she was finally one year away from finding her soulmate. Of course, Ladybug still did not return his feelings, but Adrien knew that once she saw that they were soulmates she would change her mind.
Marinette had somewhat given up on Adrien being her soulmate. There was a little hope seeing as he hadn’t found his yet. But Adrien knew her birthday and if they were soulmates his date would be her birthday. And if it was her birthday wouldn’t he try to woo her beforehand? With all these thoughts Marinette began to believe that Adrien and her were not meant to be together romantically but that didn’t stop her from being the best friend she could be. And they were stuck together a lot since their current best friends found out they were soulmates. Marinette did try to date other people, well actually one other person. But when Luka had found out her birthday was in March, he showed her his wrist with a January date. Luka had just said that their melodies weren’t meant to be sung together. Since then, Marinette decided to just let it be and what until she actually got her mark to look for her other half.
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Adrien was getting excited. There were two important events happening this week. First was Marinette’s birthday was tomorrow. He was excited about the charm bracelet he had found for her to replace the lucky charm bracelet he had made for her. She had been upset last month when it finally broke being four years old and poorly made. Now he had a beautiful silver bracelet with charms that represented her - a thimble, a macaroon, a ladybug (because he still thought of her as their everyday ladybug), a pink flower, and the Chinese symbol for friend. He also put on a charm of a molecule because of all the times he had to help her with her science homework. He wanted to add a black cat but he wasn’t supposed to know about her friendship with a certain superhero. Second, his soulmate date was closer. It was actually the date after Marinette’s birthday. He couldn’t wait to confirm that Ladybug was his soulmate. He was a little worried that the time was in the early afternoon. He was hoping to see her at patrol but it was looking like it would be an akuma attack.
Adrien was laying on his couch in his room when his bedroom door opened. His father came into his room with Gorilla and several other men in suits that Adrien didn’t recognize. Nathalie followed behind looking rather upset.
“Father….what is going on?” Adrien said, his voice full of worry.
“Adrien. These men are going to be guarding you. Outside your door. Outside your window. In your room.” Gabriel responded.
“But why?” Adrien was a little taken aback. His father was always over protected but this was taking it to a whole new level. What if there was an akuma. How would he transform?
“I am keeping you safe. Safe from heartbreak and loneliness. We will leave the day after tomorrow for the countryside”
Adrien stared at his father. The day after tomorrow? No that can’t be. It was when he was supposed to be meeting his soulmate. His dad knew that. Adrien had witnessed his father butting the information into his calendar. “But father, my soulmate…”
“I know perfectly well about your soulmate. I am keeping you from feeling the pain I felt when I lost my soulmate. We will be in the air when you are supposed to meet in our private jet. We will be secluded in the countryside for a week. I will not have my son feel the pain that I feel every day.” With that Gabriel left the room, leaving Nathalie and the guards.
“Adrien, I will need your phone,” Nathalie said looking at the boy sadly. “Your father does not want you to be able to post your whereabouts.”
Adrien reluctantly gave over his phone. His hopes of finding a way to escape or asking his friends for help went with the Nathalie as she left his room. Adrien fell onto his bed feeling nothing but despair.