The Other Part of Me

My courage always rises

"I can't remember who it was if that's any consolation." Adrien responded. The last thing he wanted was Alix telling Ladybug Chat Noir wasn't coping. That wouldn't look good for him.

"OK Adrien, anything else happens like this you come to me straight away ok? I think ... I think ... " She looks around double checking no one is in ear shot. "I think the timeline might be trying to get itself back on track." Adrien's eyes opened wide at Alix's answer, and to be honest Alix played being anxious well. She knew what was happening, and it was all because of Adrien's stupidity.

Just a few more months until it's fixed, she said to herself. Obviously, Alix knew Adrien and Marinette had the hardest jobs being Ladybug and Chat Noir, however she had to admit sometimes she felt sorry for herself having to hold all these secrets.

The two separated ways as they advanced the staircase to class. Only five hours of school and Adrien would get some much needed relax time with a friend, only five hours until he could rest in the un-judgmental eyes of someone special to him.

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The day past in a flurry of lessons and, of course, an akuma attack. Mr Pigeon was out again in full force. Seriously, how many times can one man be akumatised? He wasn't even a challenge anymore.

As Adrien waited for Marinette on the stairs in front of the college, he couldn't help but feel anxious about her coming over to his house. True he wasn't someone who always socialised with his friends, but this was Marinette for crying out loud. The girl was literally an angel sent from heaven. If he ever needed someone to talk to or chill with it was her. She was a great friend and calmed him. So why did his stomach feel like it was sitting in his throat?

"You ready to go?"

Adrien felt himself jump out of his skin as a soft and gentle voice snuck up behind him. Placing one hand on his heart he turned around and looked at her. She was smiling her shy smile and had her shoulders tensed into her body. Why did she always look so nervous around him? He'd spend hours lying around thinking about what he had done wrong.

"Oh, hi Marinette. I was miles away."

"Well when you've finished your trip to the moon, I guess we should be going."

At Marinette's mention of the moon they both froze. The moon. Chat Blanc. It was all too real.

"Anyway," Marinette quickly stated, she couldn't think about that now. Alix told her everything was fine so she needed to believe that.

Adrien shook himself out of his trance and began to move down the stairs towards the car waiting. He opened the door for Marinette allowing her to slide over before entering himself.

The car ride to the mansion was silent, and not in a good way. Something was bothering Marinette and it pained him to see her that way. Why was she so fun loving around everyone else, yet when they were one-to-one she seemed to clam up. He'd asked her numerous times about it, and he was quite sure there were only so many more times he could push it before seeming like a needy cat. But he couldn't help it. He wanted to be best friends with her, what they had was special but he wanted ... no needed ... more. For once, a school assignment was actually looking like the best thing that ever happened to him.

The car drove through the metal gates of the Agreste mansion before allowing the two teens out the car. Nathalie was already standing at the top of the steps to great them before allowing them through to Adrien's room. Not without a run down of how they were expected to behave though.

"All work and no pleasure." Adrien grumbled, as he led Marinette to his room. The girl behind him made a squeak, only for him to turn around and be met by a tomato.

"P-p-pleasure?" Marinette managed to squeak out one word before Adrien's eye widened. No, no, no, no he didn't mean to say that. Well he didn't mean it like he'd said it. He inwardly cringed, if she didn't hate him before she definitely would now, and to make it worse, as far as Marinette was concerned one of her friends was his soulmate and he'd just indicated disappointment at not having pleasure with Marinette. Oh could his life get any worse?

Of course, when you think things like that only one thing can possibly happen. The bad luck of the black cat strikes again. As Adrien opens his door he can see that his shelving has collapsed. The only issue being the shelf contained every piece of Ladybug memorabilia he owned. If he was a twelve year old girl he'd be proud to show off his collection. However, as a newly sixteen year old boy he knew she wouldn't find it cute.

Slamming his door closed he indicated to Marinette he needed a minute before disappearing into his room and sweeping all the dolls, action figures, statues and postcards into his nearest empty draw.

"Plagg, don't just stand there, help!" Adrien screeched out a command to his kwami. Plagg, however, was just enjoying the view.

Oh the irony, if only Adrien knew he was cleaning up hundreds of collectables based on the girl currently bright red and standing outside his door.

"Plagg!" Adrien's tribal squeal pulled Plagg out of his pleasure zone and into one of help. The two worked in tandem as they hid the Ladybug items and opened the door for Marinette.

"Sorry about that," he exclaimed, "I ... errrrmmm ... it wasn't ..."

Marinette stretched out to her struggling friend, placing a hand on his arm.

"It's ok, Adrien. I understand."

That was the thing about Marinette, she understood. She always understood with zero judgement. So why hadn't he had the guts to tell her about his soul mark? He knew why. He was a chicken.

"So, I thought we could watch the moving and then perhaps look at couples to compare Elizabeth and Mr Darcey too." Adrien began to explain as he moved them over to his couch.

"Sure. Do you have anything couples in mind?"

"I was actually thinking Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Marinette froze, there was no way she was discussing the romance between herself and her partner. Mostly because there wasn't one.

"Don't you think a few people might come up with that idea? How about another superhero couple, if that's the avenue you want to go down with the assignment?"

Adrien stood and thought for a moment, staring at his intensive blu-ray collection. Who else had a love/hate relationship where the female was too stubborn to admit her love for the man beside her?

'Lois and Clark." Marinettes voice broke him out of his daze. He shot a look at his companion before scrunching his eyebrows together.

"You mean Louis and Clark, the explorers?" Adrien watched as Marinette walked forward and grabbed a disc from the vast array in front of them. She'd never seen a collection like it, and what's more she loved most of what he owned. From the classics to the modern day anime.

"No, I mean Lois and Clark." She took the Smallville boxset from his shelf and began to look it over before continuing to speak. "You know, I never got over the whole Clark and Lana thing. It was always Clark and Lois. They were made for each other, she was just too stubborn to admit it at first. Clark wasn't her type of guy, just like Elizabeth and Darcey."

Adrien looked over to her and let out a huff.

"She's not the only one struggling with stubbornness." Marinette whipped her head round as Adrien blushed and reached up towards the back of his neck. He let out a cough and directed Marinette towards the entertainment set up. He couldn't believe he'd just said that. Worst of all he was thinking of Ladybug again. But she wanted nothing to do with him. She had made that clear.

He turned the box over in his hands. Lois took a while to admit her feelings for Clark, after all she was as stubborn as a mule, maybe there was hope for himself. Maybe, just maybe, if he could get out of his self created mess, she would eventually be his.