Chapter Text
The notes elegantly dance around one another, a beautiful swirl of music from the four hands gliding over the keys.
Adrien wonders what emotion the piece is meant to inspire. Nino would probably know, music is all about emotion to him. What can he make in the given moment, energy and momentum. Whereas Adrien usually has memories and people tied to his music.
It sometimes irritates Nino. That he’ll ask Adrien if something’s a fun piece, and Adrien’s trying to unclench his fist because it reminds him of what someone was playing while he was waiting for a train and he found it to stomp on the exhausted remains of his patience.
Father continues to play this piece with him. Completely unaware of the real and stolen peacock brooch tucked in his pocket, and Adrien tries to keep his previous train of thought alive rather than feeling guilty about it. Father said the book was returned- his punishment transferred to keeping him home for the week and his phone given back- so hopefully Father’s in a better mood.
A good enough mood that Adrien will be able to go see Mylene’s father perform tonight. Adrien promised everyone he’d try, and he really wants to see them all after a week of staying shut in and only going out the single time Hawk Moth sent out an akuma- and a lack luster one at that, they parted ways only ten minutes of him getting out of the house- and for patrols.
Which, after a few disagreements between him and Ladybug, were sort of awkward.
It really isn’t that big of a deal. Most of Adrien’s frustration about the whole thing comes from that he couldn’t really explain that about why he knows the book the Collector wanted was so important to the miraculous without giving away that he had a really thorough look- which limits his identity pretty much to only who he is.
So he lied and said he broke in-
(and Ladybug was really upset about that, but she was upset to begin with because that fight was hard on her and she kept babbling on about how hurt someone got and how she needed him and he wasn’t there- Adrien never really seems to be there for the people who need him- and the whole thing was just hard and sad and now all their conversations are just… heavy)
-to see what book could be so important to get someone akumatized.
Adrien was under the assumption that a simple hint that this book had clues and Ladybug would be all over it. He even proposed his video idea so that they’d only have the book for an hour tops, they’d return it before Gabriel Agreste would know it’s gone. Especially since Adrien would just volunteer to do this himself, using the excuse he knows how to break in, and just not do that and send the video he already has.
It was a great plan.
Instead, she said that it would be better not to pursue it. After all, it’s quite possible and probable that experimenting too much with the miraculous likely got this organization destroyed. They’ll only use their miraculous only as strictly necessary to stop Hawk Moth and nothing more. She consulted Tikki about this, (although why would Tikki know more when Plagg doesn’t have any answers) and says this is the safest way for them.
Still, despite her clear wishes, Adrien can’t stop thinking about how to convince her of it. Especially since he’ll have to do it soon since he can’t spring his ideas and working theories- experiments, really- that he had even before the book. And if he does crack anything before she’s on board, she’ll assume he went behind her back to do break in and record the book anyway.
Which isn’t true if he did it beforehand. But Ladybug can’t know that to protect his identity. And it could probably be assumed that he is kinda going behind her back by still pursuing this even though she doesn’t agree.
But, once he can make her understand what an edge this would give them over Hawk Moth, he’s sure she’ll be happy. And then they’ll have so much knowledge that Hawk Moth won’t know what hit him.
So it is using the miraculous as necessary to stop Hawk Moth, she doesn’t… Ladybug just doesn’t see it that way yet.
Blinking the thoughts away, maybe this piano piece is meant to inspire conflict with the ones you care deeply about, they finish the piece with a flourish. A flourish that makes him very glad he was practicing piano while watching Nino play Skyrim, if he kept it abandoned like he did the first month or so of being Chat Noir, he would not have stuck the landing at the end there.
Father smiles- just a soft touch of upturned lips but that’s such huge improvement that Adrien’s face splits as joy tingles and races through him- and folds his hands over his lap. “Your mother loved that piece.”
“I feel like I can hear her singing when we play. It’s soft, but, well, it’s like she’s still here.” Only soft notes, barely there compared to the real thing, but it’s not nothing. She’s not gone.
“Yes, well,” Father’s smile falls as he stands, “She will forever live on as long as we fight to keep her alive in our hearts.”
“Then she’ll be here all our lives.” Adrien stands too, sensing that the is the moment to ask before Father’s good mood leaves further. “Father, I’ve been asked to go to a performance that one of my friend’s father will star in. The Mime’s Extraordinary Adventures, at the Eiffel Tower. I, I want to ask if I can go, but I completely understand if I’m not allowed to.”
Father hums, “That isn’t too dangerous, as long as your bodyguard goes, but why do you wish to go at all? You’ve never shown an interest in such performances.”
Yeah, he isn’t entirely sure how he’ll show his interest in this when he finds it all quite boring, but that’s only his problem if Father allows him to go.
“I… I’m afraid I’ll be distracted in class if that’s the first I’ll see everyone again. I wish to get it out of my system in a more controlled manner.” Adrien smiles sheepishly and looks down, “After all, since noticing that my emotions can blindside my logic if I’m not prepared, I thought that at least predicting and controlling the setting will allow me the time I need until I can discipline myself.”
Father raises an eyebrow, and then his face softens towards him. “That’s very good son, an Agreste should always strive to be in complete control. Very well, I’ll tell Nathalie to rearrange your schedule for tonight, perhaps I’ll be able to accompany you as well, and you can return to school next week.”
“Thank you,” Looking back up, trying to control his grin at Father coming with too, Adrien pushes his shoulders back. “I’ll make sure to have myself under control soon.”
Nodding slightly, Father pats his shoulder before leaving.
The moment he does, he headbutts Plagg. “He said yes!”
“Way to go Kit!” Plagg does a loop in the air and then tugs on a strain of his air. “Come on, this requires celebratory cheese!”
“You think waking up should have celebratory cheese.” Rolling his eyes, although pulling out the cheese regardless, Plagg immediately swipes it from his hand.
“And I’m completely right, your head’s just too far down in the sand to realize the truth when you hear it.”
Chuckling, Adrien pulls out his phone and texts the group chat with an all-caps ‘he said yes’. It looks weird, especially with that many exclamation points. He almost doesn’t send it, but Alix said that looking at his texts makes her feel that Miss Bustier is about to correct hers and he needs to loosen up a bit.
Instantly there’s a bunch of celebration gifs and emojis sent from some the class. Adrien doesn’t expect much else from them- he’s learning that group texts have an etiquette of their own mainly because of multiple texts from Alya and Nino telling him to knock it off before he starts grating on nerves- but his phone continues to buzz from Marinette, Nino, and Alya.
Even one from Chloe, saying that she’s caught up in queenly activities but warns to not let the peasants get too close.
He reads them all, but instead of wanting to text out all the replies- he has no idea how people can stand texting all day long when it’s impossible to do anything else- and FaceTimes them all at once.
“So did you do what I said?” Alya gets on first and adjusts her phone, setting it up in her kitchen as she moves around it. “I was right, wasn’t I?”
Nino pops on next, one ear on a headphone and the other off. “I don’t know what she just said, but take it from me dude, it’s always best to just agree with Alya.”
“Shut up Nino- so, come on, I do want to hear that I was right.”
Adrien smiles at them, “You were right. I mean, I was right too, because I do feel a little bad about it, but it is mostly the truth.”
“Dude,” Nino eyes are focused hard on something beyond the camera, “This one event is not going to cover all the things that Imma tell you in class.”
“And why is it again you can’t just tell me now?”
“Some things gotta be in person. And class isn’t more important.”
Marinette pops on, her face appearing for a single second before she turns off the camera. He’s never figured out why she’s uncomfortable with the camera on but, considering that he usually does it after a photoshoot, he figures she has her reasons.
“On principle I’m going to deny that, but, well, maybe for the first day back, there can be an exception.”
Alya snorts, “You say that now, Sunshine, but soon enough we’ll get you to the point where every day is an exception.”
“Don’t listen to her Adrien.” Marinette pipes up. “You won’t need to do any of that stuff once Gabriel Agreste sees that you’re happy and perfect just as you are. Uh, wait, I mean that-”
“Thanks Marinette,” He smiles at the phone, maybe cutting her off because her trying to fix her sentences usually only makes them more confusing, before he turns on his computer. “Let’s just hope that day’s sooner rather than later. Besides, I think that maybe-”
His words fizzle out at the alarm coming from his phone. He stamps out his grin when the akuma alarm goes off. This will be good. Another chance to talk to Ladybug and make everything better because he’s going to stop pressing the book issue until he thinks of something perfect. Another chance to go out and do something good. Another chance to be Chat Noir and be free and have fun.
“Ah!” There’s a thump from Marinette. “Sorry guys gotta go, Mom always wants me down in the bakery in case we need to help people.”
The line disconnects only seconds before Alya, with a manic grin, picks up her phone. “And I have a bug to catch, see you guys later!”
“Alya-” Adrien rolls his eyes when she leaves- “How can she have no self-preservation?”
“Dude, even after dating her, I don’t have a clue.” Nino shrugs, and because he doesn’t go running into danger, turns back to his computer. “So, wha’daya think we should do to celebrate? Actually, don’t answer that. We’re getting pizza afterwards. Get you on a good diet.”
Adrien grins, “How do you know what my diet is? It’s on a knead to know basis.”
“Dude,” Nino snorts, his whole face crinkling even as he rolls his eyes at the camera. “That was awful.”
“You’re just upset that you can’t get a slice of this action.”
“Noooo,” Nino laughs through his groan, “It’s soo bad.”
“Hey, don’t be jealous. Music’s your thing, but my doughmain is wit.”
“Oh my god, how?”
“I’m punstoppable.”
“Kit,” Plagg pokes his shoulder, “I’m getting feta up with this.”
Adrien cracks and starts laughing along with Nino, shaking his head and reluctantly pushing back. Hopefully Ladybug is in a good mood today too and will crack a few jokes back at him.
“You are such a dorkosaurus, dude.”
Winking at Nino, Adrien holds a finger up to his smile. “Shh, don’t let anyone in on the secret. I have a reputation to maintain.”
“No sweat dude,” Nino smiles back, but then frowns when Adrien gets up. “What’s up man? Do you have to go too?”
“My lessons weren’t for another hour, but the akuma will probably get it cancelled and Nathalie likes to do these things immediately.” Adrien shrugs and avoids the camera. “But hey, give me an hour tops, and I’ll be back. I’ll get done as soon as possible.”
The frown disappears. “I am so holding you to that. And I will be a menace in class tomorrow if you don’t get back to me.”
“Oh, please,” Adrien smirks at him, “I’ll be so much worse.”
Nino blinks, but Adrien ends the call before he gets sucked into anymore banter with Nino. As much as he hates saying goodbye to his friend, it would be wrong of him to keep his lady waiting any longer for him.
“Claws out!”
Inhaling as the energy snaps over him, clicking into place, Adrien bounds out of his room with ease. And to think, a simple year ago, he could only stare out that window and long to go out into the beautiful day. Now, with some help from the impossible, Adrien gets to touch that whenever he wishes.
“Bugaboo!” Adrien leaps on top of oversized monstrous akuma- and it looks strangely familiar, has he seen this on tv before?- and yanks on the large scaly ears to drag it away. “The day always gets better with you around!”
Ladybug smirks up at him. “Wish I can say the same Chaton!”
“Me-ouch!” Landing next to her, Adrien presses a hand to his chest and leans away from her. “How could you do this to my poor heart?”
“Ah ah ah, Kitty!” Ladybug flicks his bell and starts swinging her yoyo. “You know the rules, no messing around until after the akuma is dealt with or the Gremlin is gonna get you!”
Adrien brightens when he finally places what the large akuma is- he saw it on Nino’s living room tv one of the times he (snuck out) went over there. “That’s what this is! It was on the tip of my tongue!”
“Then you clearly don’t have any small children in your life.” Ladybug jumps and dodges the Gremlin’s attack.
It’s a simple akuma. And after Anansi, Adrien does have some worries about to why Hawk Moth is even bothering with these ones. At least with Mr. Pigeon, Hawk Moth is usually trying to probe them and study how they work. Yet with these ones, what is he trying to do?
Oh well, it’s extra practice for them and these simple ones mean that Adrien can have some fun without having to worry about Hawk Moth winning.
Adrien catches the victim- only a kid, Hawk Moth is truly a sick bastard- and they blink up at him, only flinching when they hit the ground.
“Miraculous Ladybug!”
Hmm, another time doing that without him. While it’s good that Ladybug knows how to since there have been times where he wasn’t able to come (he’s so sorry Father), they talked about this. It’s better to do it as a team to make sure they don’t miss anything and so she doesn’t have to take the burden of all of it.
“Chat Noir?” The eyes widen and a huge smile bursts on their face. “Chat Noir! Mommy, it’s-”
The kid looks around, the large smile quickly shifting into a frown, and thank goodness Ladybug swings by and scoops him up. “Don’t worry, little kid, I’ll take you to your Mommy. Once you get to fly that is.”
The kid gasps, eyes back to the starry awe before. “Ladybug…”
Ladybug smiles softly at the child before turning to him with a raised fist, “Pound it!”
“Ladybug,” He grins and leans on his baton before she swings off, “May this alley cat have a minute of your time before you leave without a whisker?”
She shakes her head with a smile, “Sorry Kitty, you’ll have to wait until patrol. I’m quite busy.”
With a zip she’s off and Adrien runs off before any of the reporters can get too close to him. He doesn’t use his baton, instead jumping in sheer defiance of physics. Grabbing onto the side of the building, Adrien leaps up even more. His entire body rippling with the power, soaring up over the roof.
He doesn’t stay in the shadows until he needs to, letting Paris see his strength and power, and he smiles at the gasps and shouts from under him.
After all, he usually doesn’t let people see him after a fight as he practices his stealth. Yet, well, Paris should see their heroes after all this time waiting for Hawk Moth’s end to come.
“Claws off,” Adrien stretches, sighing and swiping a piece of cheese for Plagg before flopping back down onto his chair. Not even twenty minutes have passed, so he goes through his email. Only Nathalie sends him anything, but he needs to know everything in those emails.
His entire wardrobe is going to be changed, and he won’t be allowed out if he doesn’t meet specific standards of appearance. He won’t have to do any PR with Chloe anymore at least. But it looks like Adrien’s declaration of becoming more mature also translates into taking a more active role as a model for Gabriel.
Thankfully, Father made no mention of having to travel and be the face of the summer campaign again. Or for the fall campaign. They likely already have a model in mind for the summer campaign at this point.
He marks them all as read so Nathalie won’t bug him later about it when she checks. Yawning, Adrien opens up some of the documents she sent. Which, staring at the title with no small amount of dread, is confirmation about being more active in the company. It’s practically an essay about important figures.
Adrien calls Nino.
“Dude, you’re back!” Nino props his camera up, his right hand clicking with the mouse. “Here, listen to this and tell me if it’s any good. It sounds… wrong.”
“That’s probably because you made it.” Adrien says, wondering if he’s reading a new language as he tries to comprehend the document.
Plagg snickers, which is never a good sign.
Glancing at him, the little creature shaking his head at him through his crackling, Adrien looks over at Nino. Who’s shuffling and looking distinctly uncomfortable and frowning at beyond the camera.
“OHMYGOD!” Adrien slams his hands on the table when he realizes what he just said. “I didn’t mean it like that! All of your work is awesome! I could never dream of being as talented as you are, but, well, everyone’s their own worse critic. That’s what I meant. So, like, it only sounds wrong to you because you were the one to make it, not because you make bad stuff. I would never- I love your music way too much to ever think it’s bad.”
“Dude, okay, I get it.” Nino raises his hands and drags one down his face. “Man, and here I thought you were done stumbling around like this.”
Sighing in utter relief that Nino no longer seems hurt by this, Adrien scratches his neck. “Well, I like to think I’m getting better.”
“You literally just proved otherwise.”
“Yeah, yeah… can’t you just let it go?”
Nino snorts, “Nope. I clearly have to stay around for the long-game, and the only way you’re getting better is if I tease you.”
“Why, Nino,” Adrien sighs dreamily and presses a hand to his heart. “I always hoped my savior would mock me.”
“You’re such a drama queen, dude.” Nino looks away and plays the music. “Anyway, come on, listen.”
The phone doesn’t do the best job at capturing and playing Nino’s music- it always sounds so much better listening with the speakers Nino has in his room- but Adrien enjoys it regardless. The upbeat music has his hands twitching to grab for a baton that isn’t there, ready to swirl and dance over the rooftops with Ladybug as he sings wildly, and he’s smiling along.
The track drops and swings, and Adrien flinches.
Nino turns it down, “Hm, is that too aggressive? I liked that part but-”
“No, no, it’s fine, really.” Adrien waves it off. “It’s objectively good. I’d like it the first time I heard it.”
“First time? Dude, did you break into my laptop last night or something? I can’t believe you didn’t say hi.”
Tapping at the desk, Adrien sighs with his decision. “You did that same sorta thing as the Bubbler.”
Nino does deserve to know that. It’s not fair for him to think of it as bad when it’s only Adrien that has such strong memories attached to that day. Maybe he shouldn’t be surprised or disappointed in himself when he’s messing up Chat Noir or taking risks that barely get them through. After all, if he had just transformed the moment he saw the Bubbler, then he wouldn’t even have a reaction to this.
“Yeesh,” Nino stiffens up, “That was- uh- yeah, okay so-”
“Tell you what, buddy.” Grabbing his phone, he refuses to let that stupid mistake of his ruin a good song. “I’ll help you out another way. Start it over again.”
“Or- uh- really don’t have to- I could uh…”
Sitting at his piano with the phone resting on top, Adrien cracks his knuckles. “Play it, come on.”
Nino mutters out, “If you’re sure…” and the music starts over.
It’s easier to mimic the sounds with his eyes closed, and it just isn’t possible to think about what the music means to him when he’s focusing like this. In all reality, Adrien’s mostly sure he’s butchering it since the piano can’t replicate most of what’s coming out of the phone, but he plays along with it, his own flair instinctively bleeding through.
Opening his eyes when the music stops, the piano ringing as his fingers stay pressed into the keys for the finish, Adrien smiles down at his hands.
Improv is surprisingly fun, and he didn’t even think about the Bubbler.
“So…” Adrien picks up the phone, “Did that help? I definitely went a little off the track at some point, but, well, at least now-”
“Dude, dude that was great! Thank you so much!”
“For playing your song badly on the piano? Because if that’s all it took, then anytime dude, happy to help.” Adrien puts the phone where the sheet music is meant to go and gets a good look at Nino doing… something very passionately on his computer.
“No, no, it was great.” Nino says, not even looking away.
“Hmm, sure, and Ladybug is Hawk Moth.”
“Yep! It was awesome.” Nino curses softly, “Hey, play along with this part?”
“Go for it.”
Adrien plays, probably doing something different than the first time since he can’t remember, and the piano stumbles back into silence when Nino cuts off the music in the middle of what he was doing.
“Okay, okay, awesome, cool, cool and if I do this then…”
Adrien chuckles, “Do I need to give you and your music some space? I can leave if you want me to.”
“What, no, dude-” Nino jerks his head to the phone, even if his eyes dart over to the screen. “I can do this at any old time. It’s not important.”
Okay, that gets an eye roll. “Sure Nino, it’s not like you’re going to be on the Challenge in like, a week, for that one extremely specific and important skill. You can practice whenever. No big deal.”
“I mean…” Nino’s shoulders fall, sighing with a nod. “I guess you’re right.”
“I could stay on call if you need my amazing piano again.” Something in Adrien’s chest loosens when Nino perks back up with a grin. “Only if you want me to, that is.”
“Yes!” Nino clears his throat. “I, er, yes. That’d be good. I’d like that.”
“And you called me the dorkosaurus.”
“Shut- shut up.”
Dutifully doing as he’s told, Adrien does move back over to his computer. It sucks having to read the document, but he keeps at it. If Nino asks him to do something, then he’ll be far along into it and doesn’t have to panic about getting it done later then.
Although his future self better be really thankful for this, because reading this flat-out sucks. Adrien’s eyes might be drying out that’s how dull and boring it is.
Twenty pages go by, and Adrien’s scared to look at how much if he has to go. One the on hand, if there’s only five more left, he’ll power through it and be relieved. If not, he thinks he’ll lose all hope that he’ll ever meet Father’s standards and will be forever shut in again.
Plagg yawns, stretching out from his hair, and moves over his forehead. “Wow, Kit, no wonder your Father is the way he is if he likes that stuff.”
“I know, right?” Groaning, Adrien rubs his eyes to try to work some moisture back into them. “Why do I even have to read this? I’d rather live in the sewers forever than ever take over anything in the company.”
“Um… what?”
Ah, yes, Nino is on call still.
And judging by the way Plagg’s laughing, one of them remembered that.
“Talking to the demon on my shoulder.” Sighing, Adrien props his head up. “Please tell me at least you’re having a good time.”
“If you’re thinking about living in the sewers, I can guarantee I’m having a better time.”
“Hey,” Adrien grins, thinking about how his little hideout now has quite a few water bottles, snacks, and even some cushions he managed to smuggle down after patrol. “I bet it wouldn’t be the worst living down there. I bet I could figure out some way to have fun.”
Nino snorts, “I’ll let you borrow my shower.”
“I’m sure I’d get nose blind eventually.”
“Not the rest of us, dude. I’d sooner just let you stay at my house than deal with that.”
Sighing, like having a sleepover that long wouldn’t be the best thing ever, Adrien frowns and nods. “I guess I could live with that. But the sewer cats are probably better mannered that Noel.”
“Noel wouldn’t scratch your eye out over a dead rat.”
Neither would the sewer cats. They seem to like him well enough. Granted, that may only apply to him. If and when he ever brings Ladybug down there to show her what he’s learned, he should warn her about that.
Hmm, Carapace hasn’t been called again yet for a fight. Although they did bring him along on patrol with Rena to see if they could all work out decently as a team- which seems like it’ll be a Sunday thing from now. And, since obviously everyone loves Nino, there’s a chance he’ll be as well known and active as Rena is for a temp hero. Which means it wouldn’t be unreasonable for Chat Noir to trust him and then eventually show him the hideout.
Yeah, one of these days, Adrien is definitely going to change Nino’s mind about the sewers.
He could probably do it faster if he tells him he’s Chat Noir. Plagg doesn’t even seem bothered by the idea anymore, but Nino also hasn’t been tested for that long. Adrien… he’ll just feel it out a little longer and see how it goes.
“But they’d also leave me alone. And that-”
The knock at his door interrupts him, and he instantly shoves his phone face down when Nathalie opens the door. “Adrien, we’re leaving. Be ready in five.”
“Of course, I’ll be right there.” Adrien picks up the phone and shrugs to Nino. “Sorry man, duty calls. I’ll see you later though, kay?”
“Of- of course,” Nino swallows, and his smile suddenly tense. “I’ll see you then.”
Getting ready doesn’t take long, Adrien does check that his makeup is still good- his late runs and growing insomnia issues have formed bags under his eyes which is ridiculous because he feels fine- and gives Plagg some more cheese before they go.
It seems that Nathalie has to run some errands for Father and that’s why they left early, and Adrien takes the opportunity to nap.
When the akuma alarm goes off and wakes him up, Adrien mentally groans. There hasn’t been two in one day for a while now. Not even when Hawk Moth was trying to exhaust them the week before winter break. It’ll probably be an easy akuma again because of that. It must be difficult for Hawk Moth to do this without much time to recover.
Adrien was looking forward to tonight as well.
His reluctance comes to a halt- along with the car- and he opens the door.
“Get out of the car everyone and hide!” Ladybug orders, eyes trained forward. “I’ll cover you…”
She blinks, losing her face of concentration as she looks at him. Adrien looks back, freaking out because that’s not a normal face and suddenly trying to remember if she’s ever seen him outside the mask- shit, shit, there was that time with Father’s akuma- and if it’s at all possible that she’s trying to break through the glamor.
The window shatters, and that breaks the spell. Ladybug grabs him and swings him away towards cover. She hesitates, looking back at him for a horrifically long moment, and smiles. “Stay safe.”
“Oh thank god,” Adrien sighs against the pole and leans further back into the shadows. “That was close.”
“Ugh, doesn’t Hawk Moth have better things to do?” Plagg yawns, completely uncaring of Adrien’s almost heart attack. “I wanted to be a spectator tonight.”
Spotting a flannel blur, Adrien sighs. “Wish Alya thought so too. Come on then, claws out!”
First priority, scooping Alya up and away from the akuma. “Sorry miss, but this show isn’t open to the public.”
“Oh come on, I don’t even have my phone with me! I just wanted to see!”
“I’m not that gullible.” Setting her down, Adrien waves before bounding off towards the fight where, despite seeing nothing, Ladybug is getting dragged closer and closer to the akuma. “Hey! Paws to yourself!”
The akuma is humanoid this time, though Adrien doesn’t understand the purple skin. Does Hawk Moth wish he was an alien or something? Just let the normal human shaped akumas have normal skin, geez.
Extending his baton to sword length, Adrien charges as the akuma pulls out… nothing from his side. Well, this looks like it’ll be easy. Not surprising since Hawk Moth put out another akuma not that long ago.
His baton screeches against nothing when he brings it up to attack. But it certainly isn’t nothing when a sharp tip rips through his suit and his shoulder bursts into a gush of pain.
“Ah!” Kicking, the pain numbing and suddenly filled with a brimming need to hit and drive the akuma back and crushed into the ground. Adrien focuses on how the akuma moves to see the invisible sword before driving him back.
The akuma frowns and gestures strangely in front of him which isn’t going to stop him. No way, this akuma is going down.
“Chat Noir! Wait!”
He slams headfirst into something staggering backwards at the impact, clutching his throbbing forehead.
The akuma smirks at him before… Adrien thinks they might be opening something. A car, considering how they sit down and start driving away. Man, okay, he could probably cataclysm the wall, or maybe just go over it.
Ladybug’s yoyo goes straight through it, and she catches it next to him. “He can only create one thing at a time.”
“Oh great,” Adrien reaches up to hold his shoulder, it’s starting to hurt now that he isn’t fighting- and the wet warmth instantly flowing into his hand puts off his mood for saying anything cheeky. “I always hated the idea of Hawk Moth making an akuma that rips off yours.”
“What? This isn’t anything like my powers.” Her eyes dart over to where he’s holding his shoulder, frowning.
“Don’t worry about it,” He rotates the shoulder, ow, but he still has movement. “It’s not bad. But I’m not wrong, he can create anything. It’s the closest one we’ve seen yet to you.”
“Yes, but I can create solutions to win.” Ladybug winks at him, “He can’t.”
He smiles, and then it drops once she zips away. Shoot, despite what he told her, this is likely to be painful.
Clenching his arm as he grabs his baton, squeezing onto it hard with both hands and suppressing the urge to vocalize any of it. It’s fine. This is fine. Ladybug needs him. So it’s time to go.
By the time he catches up, Ladybug looks like she’s a newborn bird trying to fly with how she stumbles and holds onto the car. A newborn bird that’s flying low enough to crash into several people.
Gritting his teeth, he throws his baton into the road to stop the invisible car and lands on three limbs.
The shock of the land is fine for everywhere except his shoulder, all of it this squishy mess of tingling and burning that doesn’t hurt that badly but is also rapidly making it impossible to use his left arm very well.
Ladybug falls and she throws her yoyo up. “Chat! Follow the bus!”
“If you wanted to play fetch, LB, you only needed to say the word.” Adrien grabs his baton and vaults after her, mentally making a note to pack the highest grade of painkillers he can into his baton for future use.
“I’ll stop the bus, you keep him busy and try to get that hat!”
“Um, maybe I can do the bus part?” Adrien falters at the sight of his blood dripping down when he makes a turn. Uh, maybe he should be concerned about that. It looks very concerning.
“You’re better at hand-to-hand combat.”
And with that Ladybug reaches the front of the bus, and with nothing preventing the akuma from plunging whatever invisible thing he has into the ceiling, it’s up to him to stop that.
“Hey,” Adrien kicks him off balance and holds his baton up, tucking his left towards his back so he doesn’t even think about using it. “I’d like a rematch. Say nothing if you agree to let me win.”
The akuma rolls their eyes and starts swinging at him. It isn’t Anansi levels of difficulty, most of his moves are very showy and Adrien can tell he doesn’t have any real training behind them like Nora did. However, since Adrien can’t see his sword and has to make all his predictions based on how he’s moving, it’s a bit struggle to keep up.
It’s also getting harder to move. Not in a muscle achy way or he’s been hit too many times, but it’s like his body just isn’t responding with the speed and strength he’s used to.
The bus slams to a halt, and Adrien definitely knows how to arc in the air to land on his feet.
The execution of that… well, it doesn’t work and now his face is throbbing.
Pushing himself up to see what’s happening, he stares at the slowly growing red puddle by his elbow. It doesn’t look like a whole lot, but well, all of that should still be inside him and seeing it distinctly not inside him is making his stomach turn.
Something hits him, and by the feel and his rising frustration that every movement just gets him further tangled, Adrien’s going to guess it’s a net.
“CATACLYSM!”
He spits out the word, focusing the power into whatever’s keeping him down, but nothing goes away. The power is funneling into it- he can feel it- and pushing more and more into the net does nothing. Which is so stupid! He is destruction! This is just a stupid net that doesn’t even really exist!
Thrashing, no no no, will he NOT just be held up and stuck because of this, he starts clawing. Focusing his powers into just one spot, hoping that’ll give him some give, but nothing! Nothing and he’s still just trapped! His limbs tangling and shoulder jabbing out pain but who cares about that when he can barely even move because he’s stuck!
Trapped! Gasping, looking around at how Ladybug’s fighting the akuma, he can see it. He can see it and he can’t even help her because he’s stuck here and can’t get out. He’ll never be able to leave and- and-
Okay, spiraling. He’s spiraling. Gasping, but slightly deeper now, Adrien tries to figure out something to do. Surely, he can do something. He just needs to figure out what that something is so he won’t be stuck here anymore and can actually do something rather than just watch it all happen and be totally helpless to everything if something goes wrong and that’ll be his fault because he let some stupid net trap him.
Still spiraling. Still gotta stop that somehow. Or, Adrien can do that second, priority one is do something to help Ladybug. He’s a superhero. He can obviously do that. A net against a superhero. It’s obvious who’s superior here.
Or, as it takes a lot of squirming and hissing just to grab his stupid baton with his arms all caught up, it should be obvious.
Adrien looks, focuses on Ladybug’s fight for the moment, and extends his baton. Using all his will and panic to make it extend as instantaneously as possible.
The hat goes flying off the akuma’s head, and Ladybug jumps up away from the grasp of the akuma while using her yoyo to bring it to her. It’s an incredible feat of coordination that looks exhausting and impossible just looking at it.
Destroying the akuma, the net finally breaks under his cataclysm. Which, whoa, his swims a bit and he relies on the sudden screaming from the mute akuma to guide him. Forcing all his energy and the ring’s into moving forward, but it just doesn’t go that well and he feels bad for making it a few seconds slow to the akuma.
“Hey,” Adrien blinks when the guy’s face taps his mind as he gives him a hand up. “You’re… you’re that guy. The mime guy. Right?” Adrien squints, trying to force his vision and memory to come together. “Or maybe you just have one of those faces.”
“I am, or was, but oh my gosh-” The mime guy jerks back away from him- “You’re bleeding!”
Adrien looks down at his shoulder. It’s hard to see any blood, darn black suit, but the vivid red comes out as it dribbles down onto the concrete from all his fingers.
It’s distinctly quite concerning.
“Good thing Father doesn’t know about this!” He chuckles weakly at the man and Ladybug, clutching the wound to try and slow it down. “I’d be soooo grounded. And like, he just let me out again. So, Ladybug, if you’d please.”
She thrusts her hand out, and together they say “Miraculous Restoration” as it should be.
Sure, it makes him really tired- especially when Ladybug’s creation sensing powers can’t help him destroy all the blood he left around town- but this is the proper way to do things. It’s not like Ladybug would be able to destroy his DNA all over town with her creation powers.
Adrien still feels awful, but the tingling warm- close to burning- wet sensation is gone from his shoulder.
Grinning, he holds his fist up to Ladybug.
“Why didn’t you tell me you got stabbed?” Ladybug throws her arms to the side. “I thought- you said it wasn’t anything big! I could have gotten another hero!”
“There- there wasn’t time. And it really didn’t feel that bad-”
“Do you know how much blood you just lost?”
“Uh…” Adrien has never really read up on blood lost. He figures the excess exhaustion is from that. And it’s not like he’s feeling faint. “It t’was but a scratch. I pawmise it looked worse than it was. We still got the job done, didn’t we?”
Ladybug stares at him for a long moment, almost a glare, definitely picking him apart. He resists the urge to squirm though. This is just like how Father looks to make sure he’s alright. Nothing… nothing else. It’s just like that.
With a sigh, she looks down and softly mutters. “He really does have destructive tendencies….”
“Uh… Ladybug?” His chest tightens, something squirms in his stomach, and he can’t really say why his throat is getting tighter. “You’re, you’re okay too, right?”
“Of course I am, just thinking about grabbing Carapace and Rena if there’s another akuma soon. Just in case you lost more blood than you think.” Ladybug smiles and waves, “Bug out!”
She leaves and Adrien quickly does the same, not wanting to be around others for how his internal organs are quivering inside him. He’s fine this is fine everything’s fine. But everything feels really wrong and after a week of getting that feeling out, he really wishes it wasn’t around anymore.
Didn’t he just prove he’s being a good superhero? Didn’t he fight when it was hard? Hasn’t he proved he’s a good son and friend? Why is he feeling like this at all?
Groaning, Adrien mutters the transformations off and flops on his couch. “Okay Plagg, what do you want? Because I’m about to order as much food as humanly possible from the kitchen.”
“Um, Kit? Might want to take a look around.”
Adrien sighs and looks at his very normal room. “Do you me to send a glowing review to the interior designer?”
“This is not where you transformed.”
Adrien blinks.
“SHIT!” He jerks up and runs to his desk- he’ll just grab some of his emergency snacks- and instantly his balance and eyesight completely vanish.
“Shit!” Clutching his throbbing forehead, Adrien takes a deep breath on the floor. “Claws out.”
Things get a little easier transformed, enough so that he can eat and run and jump out the window without feeling like he’s going to lose his footing. Which is very necessary for him to get to where he needs to be.
And damnit, he still has that tracker wristband thing on him. He really hopes that when he’s found, it’ll be ignored and no one will bother looking at it. But, as he pushes himself harder to go faster, they might be looking at it now to try and find him. He really needs to find some sort of solution to deal with that.
Adrien gets to where he was dropped off by Ladybug and leans against the wall before he calls off the transformation, sliding down it when his legs shake on him.
“Whoa, Kit, easier there.”
“Plagg,” Adrien breathes, as deep as he possible can, and it feels like he is only taking the most shallowest gasps of air. “Why?”
Plagg rolls his eyes. “Maybe it’s because you need blood and as powerful as that ring is, it can’t be blood? And like, transformations still wear on a body even when it’s in good condition?”
Hmm, that’s a good point.
Standing up, keeping a hand on the wall for support, Adrien walks out into the open and heads to the car. Hopefully no one has their camera out. His throbbing forehead does not make for great PR, especially the same day that Father asked him to be more presentable. Which is the least he can do after the theft and how Father’s making a greater effort to be with him.
The quivering of his guts gets worse.
It’s a great relief when his bodyguard is suddenly in front of him, Nathalie tailing behind.
“Adrien, where were you? We’ve been looking everywhere.”
“Wow, really, because I’ve been looking for you guys.” Adrien shrugs, and has he always sounded like such a bad liar? At least it doesn’t sound like they used the tracker. “Not near the car, wasn’t sure if the akuma was still around, but glad that we’re all back together.”
Nathalie sighs and nods, straightening up. “Yes, of course, we’ll return to our tasks. We’re quite behind now.”
Nodding, Adrien gets in the car, takes another poor deep breath, and passes out.
“Adrien,” Nathalie shakes his shoulder, and for a brief moment, he hates her for that. “You need to get up.”
Raising a hand up to his forehead, which feels tender and he decides to ignore the general throbbing, he opens the door. “Is Father here?”
“Oh, no, he said that something came up. But he still reserved seats for you, front row, you’ll have an escort.”
“So, you two are going back as well?”
Nathalie glances away and nods.
“Alright!” Adrien gets out, and he supposes that this was the original idea after all. “I’ll text for a pickup.”
“Pssh,” Plagg floats by him as they move through the crowd. “Your dad is such a party pooper. I bet he’s reading those stupid papers since he thinks those are fun.”
“Come on, be nice. At least I don’t have to read that many.” Adrien mutters before grinning up to his escort, who, without a word, leads him forward.
His friends are likely scattered about, but Adrien knew that he’d never be able to sit with them because Father would only tolerate front row. The whole plan is to get together afterwards. Nino, Alya, and Marinette said they’d try to get front row using Mylene for help and since Marinette fixed his hat, so hopefully that works out.
It’d be a nice to see them again. To actually sit next to Nino again. To not be alone again.
“Your seat, sir.” The escort inclines his head and leaves, and Adrien thinks it’s a great seat. There’s three of them empty next to his.
It’s also, when he sits in it, super comfy and he really wants to fall asleep again. Maybe, maybe he can just close his eyes for awhile. Until the show starts or his friends get here at least.
“Ah, Kit, it’s nice to see my wisdom rubbing off.” Plagg curls up in his hair, grooming it. “Any time is a good time for a nap.”
Adrien hums his agreement.
“Hey,” Plagg tugs at some of his hair, “Your friends are here.”
He almost says that was fast, but then he realizes Marinette is right next to him when she definitely wasn’t before.
“Oh, Marinette, good evening.” He smiles and yawns, looking up at Alya and Nino walking over.
Nino looks really grumpy, almost pissed actually, and Alya scowls at him. Which, no, Adrien does not want any friend tension or arguments. No. No way. Out of everything in his life feeling like he’s messing it up somehow, he wants his school life to at least be normal and good and not horrible.
“Is…” He looks at Marinette, because Marinette is great at relationships and people to a degree he can’t really comprehend. “Is everything alright with them?”
She smiles at him, beaming actually, and doesn’t say anything.
“Um…” Adrien’s shoulders drop when Nino sits the farthest from him. It isn’t a big deal, someone else had to be on the end, but well. He wanted to sit next to Nino.
“Don’t sweat it Sunshine,” Alya leans forward as all the lights dim. “We’ll talk after the show.”
Adrien smiles and settles into his seat, trying not to feel weirded out by Marinette. She’s… she’s already apologized a ton of times about the book and everything, saying she never meant anything to get so blown up by it, and is probably just happy that his punishment’s over.
Because he is out of the house and he is with his friends, and that’s something to be really happy about.
Although, admittedly, he does doze a couple of times through the performance. He was personally involved in his own action that left him quite fatigued and well, he never really did understand the appeal of mimes.
The intermission startles him, the lights turning on but still quite dim around them, and Adrien stretches. Then, resisting the strong urge to simply sink back into the chair, Adrien stands. His sight swims slightly, not bad enough for his balance to die on him, but he turns around to grab Nino’s arm.
“Hmm?” Nino gets up, stiff from seating too long. “What’s up?”
Adrien hugs him. “I never really got to thank you for last week and it’s been killing me.”
“Anytime, but you said that enough.” Nino hugs him back, still kinda tense, and Adrien wishes that they were somewhere not so public because he just- he really just wants to hug him.
“I mean it though,” Pulling back, unfortunately, and looking at Alya and Marinette, he beams at them. “You guys are the best friends I could have ever asked for, and if you ever need me for anything, know that I’ll always have your back.”
Alya nods, “In that case, my price for helping carry your broken self away from your akumatized dad is the newest phone.”
Adrien smiles, “I didn’t mean it quite so literally or with my Father’s money, but I’ll see what I can do. Did something happen to your phone?”
“You could say that,” Alya rolls her eyes and ends it with a look at Marinette. “And, just so you know Sunshine, I expect the same treatment.”
If only she knew how many times he’s carried her away from an akuma attack.
“Well that just goes without saying.” Adrien turns to Nino, because, as much as he likes the girls, it’s Nino who’s his very best friend and the one he doesn’t want to imagine ever having to leave. “I’ll always be around for you guys, no matter what.”
Nino’s face darkens with a blush and he looks away with a small smile, and Adrien’s smile grows as he looks back to the others. It’s always fantastic to know that he holds special place with Nino as Nino does to him, and just knowing that makes him smile.
Marinette looks ready to melt too- that must especially hit her hard after her innocent actions spiraling out of control- and Alya’s got a small grin of her own. It doesn’t even look that devious, which is a first for her.
“Oh,” The lights dim, and Adrien reluctantly goes back to his spot. “Guess I’ll have to save my other dramatic declarations until afterwards.”
He gets some snorts and chuckles, probably an eye roll from Nino or Alya, and settles into his seat. Already the urge to fall asleep is swelling back up, and Plagg’s purring does not help matters.
The clapping wakes him up, oh man does he hope no one asks him questions about any of this, and he starts clapping too. All the noise makes Plagg grumble- and it’s making his forehead throb even worse so hopefully the bruise isn’t too bad- and his phone buzzes in the middle of it.
He sighs at the texts, so much for hanging around to talk to his friends, he will at least linger with them as much as he possibly can.
“Well,” Alya stands and stretches, “That was great.”
“Yeah…” Marinette sighs, and she’s looking at him. “Really fantastic.”
Oh, does she want his opinion? Shoot. “Yeah, it was good.”
There. Not too enthusiastic where he would be expected to say what he loved about it, but also not necessarily bad either. A neutral answer. And he is pretty neutral since he only has pictures of what happened between his blinks of awaking up.
Alya snorts and grabs her friend’s arm. “Anyway, we gotta bounce. I need to head to Marinette’s before home, and it’s already pretty late.”
“Bye!” Waving and getting waves back, he turns to Nino. “I technically have to leave, but well, I’m going to use the crowd as an excuse for as long as I possibly can.”
“Hey, I’d flat out run away if I were you. I don’t know how you don’t have cabin fever by now.” Nino shrugs, stiff again.
“I have tricks to get me out of my mind. And,” Adrien nudges him, “I got you now. Especially today. It was nice having you there, but like, I could also get things done.”
Nino looks at him, “You know you can always leave if you do have things to do. I’ll put up resistance, obvi, but like, you should go if you have to.”
“Yeah, I know, but I like hanging out with you.” The crowd thins too much, and Adrien moseys his way out. “A few shabby performances are worth that.”
“I-” Nino swallows and tugs on his cap- “Did you really mean that? About, like, being friends no matter what?”
“Absolutely.” Adrien’s hand twitches, and he ends up following through and squeezing Nino’s shoulder. “I don’t know- if there’s something I can do or not, but I mean that with everything I have.”
“Okay, okay, cool. I- I know that, I do, it’s just, I guess- well, no. I know that this can be a game changer, but that’s what’s important. Friends first.”
“Best friends first, always.”
Adrien says that, like he isn’t completely freaking out. Nino looks extremely uncomfortable- so impossibly tense that he isn’t even fidgeting with his hat- and it clearly has something to do with their relationship. Adrien thought they were great. Sure, they had a few rough moments. Nino acted weird for about a month. Adrien took his entire night basically after the Jagged Stone concert. But they got through all that. Adrien would take ten times worse that and still have Nino’s back because Nino deserves it no matter what.
But, well, just because he’d has Nino’s back doesn’t mean they’re best friends. Which Adrien is still completely confident on. It’s just that this is weird and new social territory and he doesn’t know what it means.
Nino gestures them further away from the crowd, and Adrien can’t help but notice how the darkness secludes them. Is Nino trying to be stealthy about something? No, no, it’s probably not to that extreme. Just… some extra privacy. Nothing that concerning. Right? Probably.
When Nino takes a big deep breath, Adrien finds himself swallowing.
“So, okay, I- what I want to say is-” Nino looks up at him, shoulders steadily climbing up and words rushing. “And I know that you might not have all this stuff figured out, but well- I- I-got-a-crush-and-like-it-doesn’t-have-to-change-any-”
His bodyguard clears his throat- jolting them both about a foot into the air- and Adrien just stares at him in a vague recognition. Vaguely realizing that this is potentially an out from this conversation. Since as much as he doesn’t want to let Nino down on this (oh his crush, crush, Nino has- does-), as much as he wants to say something to help him out, Adrien’s chest feels really weird and his thoughts are all weird and that’s probably just the exhaustion and hungry and dehydration and it’s all creating this headspace where this is just… bad. Too much.
“Oh, uh, sorry Nino, but I have to go.” Adrien takes a step back, hating how Nino recoils like he just got punched.
“Wah- wait! I- But- You don’t have anything to say? Nothing?”
Adrien winces and shrugs, he doesn’t have any insight on- on crushes and especially thinking about that with Nino and he doesn’t want to let him down but- “Sorry, I’ll do the best I can to be, uh, your wingman? Yeah, I’ll try my best, but I really have no idea about this stuff and I do have to go. We’ll talk it out at school, yeah?”
Nino recoils again, at least not punched looking instead more in surprise, and Adrien can live with that. He turns around to follow his bodyguard, pleading at him with his eyes that they walk fast before Adrien can make things worse somehow.
“Adrien! Dude!” Nino runs up beside him, eyes still wide and generally flustered, and grabs his arm. “I meant that I-”
His bodyguard grunts and scowls at Nino, and Adrien places a hand on him. “Hey, don’t worry BG, he means nothing by it.” Turning to Nino, he gives his friend a sheepish smile. Not even a fake one at the sheer confusion and achiness that’s happening. The only thing fake is the intensity. “Look, we can call in the morning if you’d like, but I really have to go. I’m sorry.”
Nino looks up at his bodyguard and lets go of him. “Okay, um, sure, yeah, that’s- that’s fine. I guess. Um, la-later.”
“Later,” Adrien nods, and it feels awful to leave Nino like this. “I- I’ll see you later Nino.”
Nino nods and then disappears back into the crowd.
With a sigh, Adrien continues back into the car. He was expecting to fall asleep again, if anything he feels even more exhausted than before, but his eyes remain stubbornly open and his mind feverishly active the entire time.
Adrien isn’t even thinking of anything in particular. He tries to keep all his thoughts out. Which maybe is a really bad friend thing to do- he’s even only grunting to Plagg whenever he says anything once Adrien gets to his room- because clearly Nino is trying to ask him for help about this. Maybe he needs help to see if this person’s even interested, maybe this crush is a guy and Nino doesn’t know about who they’re attracted to.
Besides, after what Nino said about their friendship and everything, maybe he was making sure that Adrien really is cool with him dating a guy. Which, of course Adrien’s fine with that. Why wouldn’t he be? Did Nino really think that Adrien would try to tell him who and who not to have a crush on? Adrien can’t make those calls for Nino.
Laying in bed, exhausted and needing to sleep, Adrien stares up at the ceiling. He doesn’t really want to think about this. Thinking about this is making his chest do more of that aching and pulsing thing that he really doesn’t like and he’d much rather just go to sleep because this can’t be happening and maybe he’ll wake up and it’ll all be a bad dream.
But what a horrible thing for him to even think! Nino deserves to be dating someone! Nino’s, like, the absolute greatest! But what if this other crush doesn’t like how clingy Adrien is? Adrien wouldn’t have thought he’s particularly clinging a couple of weeks ago, he isn’t like Chloe, but, well, there was that day with Lila and Adrien hated being away from Nino for just a few classes.
What if that upsets this crush? What if they ask Nino to stop being so affectionate with him?
His chest seizes up, and Adrien hates it. Hates them. He wants to absolutely destroy anything that would take that away.
But he can’t. He can’t because it would be Nino’s decision to date this person. Nino’s decision to respect their wishes. While Nino could chose not to, he also could and then Adrien would respect that- because of course he would since he doesn’t ever want to make Nino uncomfortable- and then Adrien would go back to not having that and that’s awful.
What’s worse is if he has to see it though. If he has to see Nino throw his arm around someone else. If he has to see him lean in to tell one of his stories or try to make them laugh. If he has to see how they get all of Nino’s love and care.
If Nino starts turning him down for calls because he’s giving more time to someone else. If Nino no longer asks him for help with his music because he has someone else. If Nino just doesn’t tell him as many stories because he doesn’t want to say them twice and of course this crush will hear them first.
It’s wrong to be selfish and greedy to be thinking these things and feeling them burn in him. He knows that. He knows that and he especially shouldn’t think he’s entitled to any of that from Nino. He isn’t. All of what Nino does isn’t his. He’s not entitled to it. But god how it would be torture to see someone else getting it. How he could do nothing but long for it because it would be so out of place for him to try and demand it if Nino isn’t freely giving it.
And Adrien should even be supporting this! If this is what would make Nino happy, then Adrien will do this. Because Nino deserves to be happy. He deserves to be with the person that makes him happy. Adrien shouldn’t get in the way of that. This is all just a bunch of stupid hypotheticals anyway. Nino could be with his crush and absolutely nothing will change.
But then again, maybe everything could. Maybe Nino said all that stuff about being friends because he wants to affirm that still be friends even if he has someone new in his life. Someone new that will have a special place with Nino, someone new that may take some of what Adrien’s grown to love and cherish.
Maybe he wanted to make sure that Adrien knew that they were friends because their friendship is going to take a step back for this new one. Maybe he told them not as some weird way of seeing if Adrien’s okay with it, but instead as a warning.
Inhaling, suddenly desperate for air with his tightening throat, Adrien stares up at the ceiling and tries not to cry. Because after everything, after working so hard and being so happy being with Nino, it doesn’t matter. He’s going to lose parts of him anyway, and there’s nothing he can do about it.
A few tears leak out, and barbed wire twists around his heart. He isn’t Nino’s crush.
It’s wrong of him, so very wrong, to wish Nino was his. To try and force Nino’s affections onto him. But for tonight, remembering all the wonderful ways Nino makes him feel and knowing they are all about to be ripped away from forever, Adrien’s way too tired to try to be right.
After all, there’s nothing he can do about it anyway. He can’t be perfect to win Nino over. He’s never been… enough, for anyone like that. And he doesn’t want to think about that, so he’ll just sleep.