The Bug Bites

11- Wins and Losses

"Go home, Adrien." Marinette commanded. "Please."

He looked to her, and then to the akuma, "what about you?"

"I'll watch it."

He got the code. Once he left, she'd transform and purify it. So he really wasn't doing them any good by standing here. "O-okay..." He swallowed again, looking at her. She was so beautiful with her hair down. It was so hard to leave.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah." His voice was flat, and he finally pulled himself back to the house.

Inside, he glanced out the window, only to see a yo-yo fly out of the subway entrance, and capture the akuma.

Without a word to anyone, he went upstairs to his room. As he closed the door, he leaned against it and slid down to sit.

"You okay, kid?" Asked Plagg.

"No," Adrien answered miserably. "I thought—I thought we were made for each other! First she doesn't want Chat Noir, now she doesn't want Adrien?! What did I do?! Am I that unloveable?!"

Plagg nuzzled his face with a purr. "I love you, Adrien. I don't say that very often, but I mean it."

"Thanks Plagg...that means a lot."

"And...About Marinette," Plagg continued. "Pigtails isn't the type of person to break up with someone without talking out their issues. Something must of happened."

"Yeah...like she found out I'm Chat Noir! Or she found out I know her identity and didn't tell her!"

"Again, I think she'd want to talk it out. Just...give it some time, Adrien. If she said everything is going to be fine, then it will be."

Adrien wiped his face with his shirt. "Sure...whatever you say. How am I supposed to face her tomorrow at school? Or tomorrow night during patrol?"

"Chat isn't dating Ladybug, so act normal. And at school...just be friendly, and try to reassure her that she didn't totally snap your heart over her knee and pulverize it under her heel."

Adrien teared up again. "That's totally what she did!"

"Okay okay...you know Ladybug, right? You know she didn't want to do this. She was crying too."

"Yeah well...good."

"Don't get bitter."

Adrien pushed away from the door and flopped face first onto his bed. "I just wish...she had given me something else to work with. She just said 'I don't love you anymore' and ran off."

"Why don't you play some video games or watch that anime you like so much? Get your mind off of it. Ladybug might have stopped that akuma, but who knows if Hawkmoth will send more?"

Adrien sat up, looked flatly at the TV, and sat at his desk instead. "Homework." He gave by way of explanation. "I wish we lived in a world where I could cry and not worry about getting possessed by the Mothman."

"Well, then I wouldn't be here, so deal with it."

-----

Marinette dragged herself back to the bakery, dropping her umbrella—Adrien's umbrella— on the floor.

"Oh darling..." Tom sighed, seeing her despair. "Did you...did you do it?"

She sighed right back, determined not to cry. "What if we were to have a secret relationship?"

"Oh cupcake. Mr. Agreste may know fashion, but he doesn't know love. He'll see the mistake he made. If not...you'll only have to wait until Adrien's 18."