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“She’s the guardian! The master of the fermentation of the cheese! And we are just the cheeses on the table of life and she decides the menu!”
“Then when will the time come where she decides that I’m no longer useful?” Adrien looked down at his ring dejectedly, “She seems to prefer Rena Rouge in our battles lately.”
“Don’t be silly, kid. Ladybug needs you.” Plagg said only for Adrien to level him with a look before turning on the TV.
“And once again, Paris was saved thanks to our beloved superhero Ladybug and—err…” The reporter turned back to the scene where Ladybug waved at the cheering Parisians before swinging away, “Apparently, just Ladybug! Chat Noir must’ve been pretty busy!”
Adrien ignored the pang of hurt and bitterness in his chest and turned the TV off.
“She’s been doing pretty well fighting akumas on her own.” He scowled standing up and throwing himself on his bed, “Next thing I know I’ll just be one of those heroes she has to call to only when she feels like it.”
“Pshh- Ladybug can’t fight akumas alone. She always needs someone to back her up.”
Adrien’s frown deepened, “Then she’s been having battles with another hero who’s good at hiding. And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out who has an advantage in things like that.”
The foreign feeling of anger and betrayal was back and Adrien couldn’t hold back the burning of his eyes.
He thought nothing was going to change.
It was just supposed to be him and Ladybug, but after every akuma battle… he felt like he was being left out. Heck, its like Ladybug just kept pushing him away. It all changed since that day she was acting strange… when she was obviously heartbroken over something and had refused to open up to him.
And ever since then she had only been growing more distant.
She was obviously going through some things… and he had patiently waited for her to just open up to him.
But she never did…
“Does… does ladybug not trust me?” He sniffed softly while fiddling his ring. He felt the doubt grow in him when something soft landed on his hand. He looked down to see Plagg with wide worried eyes.
“Ladybug trusts you, kid. Don’t you ever forget that.” He insisted, “You’re just probably reading too much into this. Hawkmoth has upgraded and Ladybug is trying to adjust to her new role as the guardian. She has a lot on her plate which must require a lot of changes.”
Adrien wiped his eyes, guilt immediately replacing the depression he was feeling, “Y-you’re right. I was being foolish.”
Plagg didn’t say anything as his expression flickered with conflict before suddenly zooming up into Adrien’s face, “You know what? You need some air! And just right on time too! It’s almost time for your patrol!”
Adrien chuckled, “Who are you, and what have you done to Plagg?”
“You owe me a huge wheel of camembert after this, of course.”
“Ah, there he is.”
The feeling of the air rushing past him as he jumped from roof to roof helped wash away some of the heaviness he felt in his chest. He whooped and cheered as he let the adrenaline take its course, swinging and flipping during high jumps—and nothing made Adrien happier than being outside that house that mostly felt like a prison.
He was about to head to the Eiffel Tower where he usually met with Ladybug to start their patrol when he saw said hero swinging by from afar. He smirked as he thought of doing another sneak attack only to freeze when he realized she wasn’t alone.
He squinted his eyes, trying to make out who the hero (clad in pink and purple) was.
“I’m not getting a better view at this rate.” He whispered mostly to himself as he hastily tried to approach the duo as quietly as he can.
He hid behind the chimney of the roof next to the one his lady was standing—
“It was nice sparring with you, Alya— I mean Rena Furtive.”
His green eyes widened as it was indeed Alya—as Rena Rouge in all her glory. The only difference was her color scheme and the unfamiliar patterns on her suit.
The dread from earlier was back as he couldn’t seem to find an excuse as to why Ladybug was training with another hero instead of him.
What was going on here?
“I really enjoy all this training. It’s too bad I can’t join you with the patrol.” Rena Furtive said with a sigh of longing, “If only I was an official part of the team.”
Ladybug rolled her eyes and smiled at the heroine in exasperation, “What are you talking about? You are official. Just in secret.”
Chat Noir froze at hearing this.
Official? Rena Furtive? Does this mean she owns the fox miraculous permanently? But more importantly—why didn’t he know about this?
He felt his heart race and his breathing getting faster. All the information starting to become overwhelming as he just couldn’t wrap his mind around it.
Why didn’t Ladybug say anything to him?
Why won’t she say anything to him?
Not once had he ever went against his Lady. He had always respected her decisions and followed through them with no question or doubt. He had never once stopped showing her that he was- is a trusted and faithful partner—and yet…
He let out a shaky breath when he realized that the rooftop had went silent. He peeked out and saw that he was all alone now. They had probably left with Ladybug heading to their meeting point for the night. But all the glee and excitement was gone and… and he just couldn’t face her right now.
He saw something black from the corner of his eye and jumped aside with a yelp as he realized it was an akuma. The butterfly merely fluttered back towards him and with a pounding heart he screamed, “Cataclysm!”
He quickly caught it in his claws and let the creature disintegrate into dark dust.
He panted with wide teary eyes as he just realized what had happened.
“I… I need to go home.”
He said numbly to himself. He doesn’t think he could face Ladybug in his state. And he was afraid that the negative emotions would only worsen if he talked to the heroine, seeing that all her decisions are absolute no matter how much he probably tries to beg—
His thoughts were interrupted by the beeping of his miraculous and he quickly tried to push those thoughts back.
He couldn’t risk being akumatized again.
With a heavy heart he turned to the opposite direction of the Eiffel tower and back to his own home. He needed some time to process things.
He quickly snuck back in his open window and landed quietly inside his room. He took out his baton numbly, and texted his Lady that he didn’t feel right, so couldn’t make it to tonight’s patrol. He quickly detransformed not waiting for a reply and ignored Plagg’s whining.
“I’ll get you more cheese tomorrow, Plagg…” He said softly, successfully cutting off the kwami’s complaint.
“Kid, are you alright?”
He made his way to his bed and hid himself under the sheets.
“Adrien?”
Adrien took out his phone and called Nino. The call went to voicemail. He locked his phone, feeling more alone than ever.
“Kid, talk to me.” Plagg phased through his sheets.
“Ladybug…” Adrien mumbled curling further into himself, “She doesn’t trust me. Does she?”
“Of course she does! What are you—“
“Then why did she have Alya keep her miraculous?” He asked softly, tears leaking from his eyes, “You should’ve seen it Plagg. It was like they were the real partners.”
“The bug did what?” Plagg said looking just as surprised.
“Why won’t she tell me anything? I thought we were a team—I thought we were equals.” Adrien sobbed, he was trying his best not to let the emotions get to him, not wanting another akuma episode—but—
Plagg must’ve read his mind as he suddenly nuzzled himself against his neck, “Kid-Adrien—calm down! We don’t want you becoming Hawkmoth’s victim…”
“I-I’m sorry— I’m trying—“
“Does Ladybug know? Did you talk to her?”
“And let her lie to me? I don’t think I can handle anymore of that.” Adrien pressed his eyes, “She doesn’t even know I found out.”
“Kid… I… I don’t know what to say.”
“I’m always the one at the back, you know. Is it because of who I am that Ladybug doesn’t trust me?” He pulled down the sheets to stare at the starry sky from his window, wondering if Ladybug had decided to ask Rena Furtive to do patrol night instead.
“They always see this perfect model, that’s why people treat me well… but as Chat Noir… as the persona where I get to be who I am…” Plagg nuzzled further trying to give him as much comfort as he can.
The sound of his phone ringing suddenly broke Adrien from his thoughts. He looked to see that it was Nino.
“You don’t know what Chat Noir is really like!”
Feeling drained, he put his phone down and let it ring.
“But he is always rejected because Ladybug thinks that he is annoying! And she is completely right!”
“Aren’t you going to pick that up?” Plagg then floated towards his phone, “You really need a friend to talk to right now, kid.”
The ringing stopped which was followed by Nino’s voice record, “Hey, bro! What’s up? Sorry I got caught up with Alya. Had a serious talk with her and all that couple stuff. Call me back when you get this message!”
He shut his eyes remembering how Nino had known everything and tried not to think of the possibility that Alya must’ve told him about being the permanent holder of the fox.
“Kid?”
Why couldn’t he and Ladybug be like them?
“I’ll… I’ll call him back later.”
Adrien was now more alone than ever.