>>>Adrien's POV<<<
~~Flashback~~
"Look, Adrien!" Mother sat me on her lap, holding a sparkling stick close to us. "This called a sparkler, isn't it beautiful?" She waved it around gently, my gaze fixated on the small, bright light.
"As a little girl, these were my favorite kind of firework." Her emerald eyes glistened in the dim light of the sparkler. "It's like... a blooming flower filled with light and hope amongst the darkest of nights." She continued on, her soft voice like the soft chime of a tiny bell.
Mother smiled down at me, letting me examine the small sparks flying in all directions. "I hope that one day when you're all grown up, you will shine and smile even when times are tough...Never lose your smile or kindness."
"Never lose your light, Adrien." Her voice cooed softly as she ran a hand through my hair, her touch ever so delicate and nurturing.
~~~
"Hey kid, you alright? You've been staring out the window for some time now." Plagg few over to me, a slice of Camembert cheese occupying his tiny little hands.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine... Just thinking about some things." I ran a hand through my blonde locks, remembering that time with Mother so vividly.
"M'kay." Plagg flew back over to the foosball table, propping himself up on one of the pawns.
"Hey, you should reeeeaaaallly consider getting a mini fridge in here." The little cat-like Kwami spoke up, cheese stuffed in his face in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"And stink it up with your God-forsaken cheese? Yeah, I don't think so." I retorted absently, my mind still whirling with memories of my Mother.
When neither of us said anything more, we gave each other space. In all honesty, Plagg can be a loose cannon sometimes, but even he knows when I need my space.
After some moments, I fell back onto my bed with a sigh I didn't know I was holding in.
The last thing I wanted to do was think about my Mother. All it did was bring up too many emotions with questions left unanswered.
Why did you have to go?
Was it something I did?
Do you still... love me?
I oh-so-badly wanted nothing more than for sleep to overtake my mind and my body. But like my light, it was something I could not find.
With a heave, I finally got up, still deprived of sleep for the past two days.
I just want fresh air, I just want to get out of here for a while. My gaze drifted back to the window now plastered with rain, the little droplets sounding soft pitter-patters as they hit the glass.
"Plagg, Claws Out," I said hesitantly, feeling as though running from rooftop to rooftop would lighten things up a little. Just a little.
~~~
I leaped across nearby lamposts and pole-vaulted from roof to roof, a sense of freedom and exhilaration pumping through my veins. I took a deep breath, cherishing the feeling of raindrops lightly gazing my face as I continued with my little outing.
Soon enough, I stopped at the Eiffel Tower, climbing it swiftly and sitting on a nearby beam to let my feet dangle.
"Never lose your light, Adrien..."
I felt my cat ears fall flat against my head as I bit back a sob, my leather-clad hands now clutching the beam.
"Why... why did you have to go? Why did you have to leave me?" I asked under my breath, choking on my words as I spoke but said nothing more.
I often times wondered what it would be like to have her here. Even though it was only a year since her disappearance, it feels like forever ago, almost like a distant memory.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of childish laughter and laughing parents down below. A tear slips down my cheek when I notice the Mother pick up her daughter in a caring manner and the Father holding their umbrella.
I couldn't seem to shift my gaze from the family of three as they walked down the dimly lit sidewalk, tears now stinging my eyes.
If only...
"Chat? What're you doing up here this late at night? Don't cats like you get tired?" My thoughts were interrupted by giggling once more, but this time the host was Ladybug.
"I just wanted to get out for a while... maybe get some fresh air," I responded, my gaze still fixated on the street below.
After a few heartbeats, I felt her sit next to me. "O-Oh... You look distant, is something wrong...?" She trailed off, trying to catch my gaze.
"Was it that obvious?" My gaze finally met Ladybug's after a while, her cerulean eyes glazed with curiosity.
"Yeah, especially with no, 'Hey there, M'Lady!' or 'You're looking puuur~fect today, Bugaboo.'" She responded, scooting a little closer to me. "In all seriousness, what's wrong? You're normally not like this..."
I honestly didn't know what to say. So instead, I responded with a "You wouldn't understand." And tried to leave it at that. Unfortunately, this is Ladybug we're talking about, and she won't settle with that as an answer.
I noticed that her gaze went from curious to concerned. "Chat..." She moved her hand so it was resting gently on top of mine. "We've been friends for almost two years now. We've been through a lot together as heroes... you can tell me what's wrong." She responded sweetly, her voice laced with care.
My voice lowered, ears going flat against my head as I spoke. "I just-I don't want you to worry about me, Ladybug. I don't want to be a burden to-"
"Chat..." She cut me off before she continued. "You are not a burden to me- you'll never be. I care about you and what's going on in your life. Especially if it kills your mood." The bluenette finished, her hand now holding mine.
Our gazes continued to interlock and I took a deep breath before I spoke. "I-It's my Mother's Birthday today..." I choked on my breath and Ladybug looked at me with the, shouldn't-Birthday's-be-uplifting look.
"I-I know a Birthday should be momentous, but my Mother she-...she's been missing for about two years now, and I-" I bit back a sob as more tears spilled down my cheeks.
Before I knew it, I was wrapped in a tender and warm embrace.
Was it because of me? More sorrow-filled tears slipped down my cheeks as my mind pondered the question.
"Chat, she is not gone because of you." Ladybug pulled away to wipe the tears from my cheeks. Frick, did I say that out loud?
"You're one of the sweetest people I know. You're kind, s-selfless..." She hiccuped, unable to continue.
"But she-"
"Stop beating yourself up, you stupid cat!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she hugged me tighter.
"Ladybug are you oka-"
"Am I okay!?" She responded with venom lacing her voice. "Really, that's all you can say after every single Akuma battle? And even now when you're the one who's clearly not!? You take shots for me, too many to count! S-sometimes I wonder if you're ever gonna come back to me!"
Her face contorted in pain and confusion. "And you ask if I'm okay?" She brought me into another hug as I sat there wide-eyed and speechless.
"You need to start worrying about yourself for a change you dumb cat..."
She cares... I hugged her back, a smile making its way to my lips.
"I care about you, Chat, and your Mother does too," Se replied softly, pulling away to make eye contact with me. "Never forget that."
"I won't." I kissed her cheek tenderly, leaving Ladybug a little bit flustered.
I won't lose the light that's right in front of me.
Sup ya'll. Hope you guys enjoyed this crusty chapter and stay tuned for more!
Stay safe my Cinnamon Rolls!~
Author~Chan