Tethered Souls | A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction

Healing

Adrien woke up to sunlight streaming in his eyes. One of the many perks of having an entire wall of windows in your room is that you get to wake up with the sun. He swung his legs over his bed and thought about the last time he had woken up in his own bed. He didn't really have much of an excuse to stay over at Marinette's anymore. He was healing quickly overall, which he was happy about, but it also meant less time he got to block off to spend with Marinette.

It had been about a week since his run-in with Tempest and today was the day Marinette said she was going to take out his stitches. Adrien took off the shirt he wore to bed with less pain than usual when he lifted his arms over his head. He traced the bruising on his ribs. It looked better, but his ribs were taking a bit longer to heal than everything else, to Adrien's dismay. He was tired of being cautious. He was just lucky his photoshoots recently all required a shirt. He wasn't sure how exactly he would be able to explain away a stitched up gash and serious bruising to his father.

Adrien grabbed a T-shirt from his closet and a pair of jeans to throw on for school. He picked his favorite jacket off a hook on his way out and slipped it on while he made his way over to his desk.

Adrien grabbed a slice of camembert from a shelf by the desk and threw it over to his kwami, who had been sleeping in one of Adrien's socks. Plagg woke up immediately after smelling the cheese and caught it in mid air. Adrien made a comment about Plagg's cheese problem and got a lecture about the pleasures of eating camembert from him in return.

Adrien rolled his eyes and looked at the time. He had about 20 extra minutes before he actually needed to leave for school but if he left now he might be able to catch Marinette as she was leaving her house. Usually she rushed out the door with just enough time to get to school and if he left now, he might be able to walk with her the rest of the way.

The only thing standing in the way of Adrien's plan now was getting his driver to allow him to walk to school, but Adrien had figured out a solution to this problem ages ago. He sifted through a few things in his desk drawer to find what he was looking for: a limited edition action figure from a collection that his driver had been slowly adding to for years. But, Adrien knew he didn't have this one yet. He tucked it into his book bag and headed for the door.

Adrien opened his jacket and gestured to his kwami. Plagg crossed his arms and shook his head, "Oh no, not this again."

"Plagg, come on. It's not that big of a deal. And, i'm doing this as Adrien, you don't even need to be involved!"

"I just don't think it's a good idea for you to be spending this much time with Marinette, even as Adrien. You're probably confusing her, and what about Ladybug?"

"What about Ladybug? She's been rejecting me for years," Adrien complained, "Maybe its time for me to move on, Plagg! Plus she's the one who left me with Marinette when I was hurt, so clearly Ladybug trusts her."

Plagg reluctantly hid in the Adrien's pocket, but not without lots of grumbling about Adrien's "confusing love life."

Adrien happily made his way down the stairs and had almost made it outside where he knew his driver was waiting for him when something stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Father?"

Adrien never saw his father this early in the morning, if at all.

"Good morning Adrien," his father replied, standing neatly at the base of the stairs, "Where are you headed so early in the morning? Were you planning on skipping breakfast with me before school?"

Adrien's father rarely shared a meal with him, so why was he acting like this was a daily occurrence? Adrien finished descending the final few steps of the grand staircase, ending in front of him before answering, "Of course not, Father." 

Adrien followed him into the dining room. He and his father sat at opposite ends of the massive rectangular table before them. Breakfast was quickly served after they were seated. Adrien picked at some of the fruit on his plate, waiting anxiously for his father to say something to him.

"I was thinking," Gabriel started, causing Adrien's head to shoot up from gazing at his plate, "that I will allow you to go on this school trip with your class in the upcoming week."

Adrien did everything in his power to keep his mouth from dropping to the floor. His class had planned a trip to Madrid, Spain for their art history unit in their wold history class. Nonetheless, Adrien's father had strictly forbidden him from going (per usual), as it was an overnight trip and it was a very long journey by bus to the neighboring country. But, Adrien hadn't mentioned the trip to his father since several weeks ago when he had asked for his permission. 

"Father," Adrien gaped, "Thank you. What changed your mind?"

"I think it will be a good opportunity for you," Gabriel said glancing at his assistant Nathalie who had been standing in the doorway. Natalie didn't show any hints of being the one who convinced his father but Adrien knew better.

Adrien hid a smile. He thanked his father and asked to be excused for school. He knew it was too late now to try to catch Marinette, so he climbed into the back of the car and his driver took the usual route to Francois Dupont High School.

Adrien was extra happy during the school day. When he told his friends about how his father was letting him come with them in the class trip, he could have sworn he saw Marinette's eyes light up, but it was quickly followed by an elbow from her best friend Alya, so Adrien couldn't be certain. He even listened to Chloe go on about how ridiculous it was that her butler had served her the wrong type of sushi the night before without complaint. And, during his after school piano lessons, Adrien was able to perfect a piano piece he had been working on the for past few weeks.

Before he knew it, the sun was setting and it was time to leave for Marinette's, the thing he had been most looking forward to all day. Adrien opened his jacket to tell Plagg to transform him, but he didn't see the kwami there. Adrien looked around his room and finally spotted him napping in an empty container of camembert.

"Plagg, did you eat that entire container of camembert today?" 

"Maybe," he yawned.

"Your addiction is getting expensive," Adrien remarked.

The kwami took a long, slow look at Adrien's room before turning to give him a stare that read: "really?"

Adrien rolled his eyes and said, "Come on Plagg, I have to go meet Marinette."

"I still don't think it is a good idea for you to go over there again. What if she falls for Chat Noir? Then what?"

"You're just mad that I woke you from your nap," Adrien said, ignoring Plagg's comment.

"Maybe I am, but that's besides the point," he replied folding his arms over his tiny chest.

"Don't be such a baby, Plagg," Adrien teased, "Claws out!"