Hush {{ Ladynoir }}

Chapter Five

Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

The name echoed through Adrien's head for the weeks.  Her lips, her eyes, her voice.  No one made him feel the way she does, except Ladybug.

He aches to see his love again. 

The first snow begins to fall over the city, collecting on the ground in a flawless, white sheet.  He watches from behind his bedroom windows as his mind floods with memories of his lady.

"Plagg," he whispers, standing from his spot on the couch.  The silver ring still sits in the corner, untouched for a long time.  Gently, he picks it up and places it on his finger, and out comes the black kwami.  "Claws out."

Once again, he is Chat Noir.  Just one more time, just one more evening with her.

He pages her, but the signal is busy.  Ladybug hadn't transformed for months, so she may never get any message.  There has to be some way to reach her.

A cold wind blows into the room as he opens a window.  The snowfall is soft and gentle, but chilly enough to make him shiver.  Jumping out the window, he heads for the tower.

The Eiffel Tower is beautifully lit, and looking at it breaks his heart all over again.  Months ago, standing at the top, he confessed his love.  That was the last he saw of her.  Although it was heartbreaking,  he needs to go back.  It's the place in the city most likely for her to see, and maybe she'll come after him.

It only takes a few moments before he spots a red blur swinging through the night.  His hopes soar.

"Ladybug!" he cries.

"Hey, kitty."  She lands next to him at the top of the tower.  "What brings you here?"

Chat shrugs.  "I was hoping I could talk to you.  I've missed you, you know."

"What's wrong?"

He lets out a long sigh.  "What isn't wrong?  Well, for starters, I found out who Hawkmoth was."

"Was?" she says.  "What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you heard Gabriel Agreste died awhile back."  He looks up at her.  "We were fighting Gabriel the whole time."

Gabriel, my father.

"Yeah, I mean, it's a shame he passed away, but why is that getting you down?  Did you know him personally?"

Chat nods.  "He was the father of a close friend.  Adrien.  Do you know him?"

"Yeah, I know him.  And I have several things to say next time I see him."

"Really?"  Chat feels the color drain out of his face.  "Like what?"

"Doesn't matter."

"My lady, I need to know.  I want to protect you.  Did he hurt you?"

She leans back and gazes into the sky in a failed attempt to keep tears from spilling.  "I've revealed too much already.  We shouldn't be talking about our personal li--"

"Why does that matter?  Why does that mean so much to you?  Paris doesn't need heroes anymore, Ladybug.  Tell me, what did he do to you?"

The girl he depended on for years, who was always so strong, so brave, collapses in a sob.  "I -- I love him, Chat."

Dumbstruck, Chat's heart stops.  "Wha--"

"He led me on, made me believe he loved me.  Then he just left like it was nothing."

"No.  No, he would never do that."  His world is spinning, his words threatening to overflow.  There's no way.

"Chat?  What's going on?" she hiccups.

It can't be.

"I love you, my lady."

He takes off into the night.

At the windowsill of his room, he feels his kwami's energy decrease, then go away completely.

"You had your chance!" cries Plagg when he transforms.  "And you blew it!  I don't believe this!"

"She's Ladybug," Adrien whispers to himself again.  "Marinette Dupain-Cheng.  The Miraculous Ladybug."

"This was everything you ever wanted," continues the fired up kwami.  "Why didn't you tell her?  Or transform?  Or something!?"

"She hates me now," he mutters.  "I don't need her hating Chat Noir too."

"Yeah, and after you left her in a sobbing mess at the tower in the middle of the night, I'm sure she adores you."

Adrien frowns.  "Just for that, no Camembert till tomorrow."

"Aw, come on!  I'm just telling the truth."

"I guess that was kinda selfish of me not to tell her.  But she kept it from me all these years, too.  And of course it kills me knowing what I did to Marinette, I didn't realize her I hurt her so much.  The girl I love.  I crushed her."

"Just like she crushed you, no?"

"Exactly!  She rejected me because she loved someone else -- me!  Ugh, Plagg, what do I do?"

"You tell her."

~~

For the first time in ages, Adrien is overwhelmed with a strange feeling he once knew, hope.  Today would be the day that he would finally win the love of his life.

The sun shines high over the city in the cold morning as students bustle about in front of the school.  He made sure to arrive early to talk to her, but she's nowhere to be found.  He enters the building in hopes of finding her inside.

There she is, her perfect black braid, the sunlight illuminating her face.  "Marinette!"

She turns to face him, her arms crossed.  "What do you want?"

He reaches out and takes her hand.  "Marinette, it's m--"

"What do you think you're doing?" Adrien suddenly finds his arm in a fist.  He looks up to see Nathanël, one of his more quiet classmates, giving him a death glare.

"Nath," she says.  "It's fine.  Let him go."  She turns away and starts walking off.

The angry redhead catches up to her, not taking his eyes off Adrien.  Without breaking eye contact, he puts his arm around Marinette, and continues walking.

Just like that, it's all over.