Miraculous Startline

Cracks Forming

"No Chat, you don't understand. Everything that happened today was a complete disaster! You shouldn't have been fighting- you just recovered," Ladybug snapped, pausing her pacing to glare at Chat Noir. He reached for her hand but Ladybug spun around with scoff, resuming her pacing. "-Alya pretty much hates me, and my parents could have gotten hurt, all because they know who we really are." Marinette said, running her fingers through her hair.

"No that's n-" Chat Noir began, grabbing Ladybug's hand, making her stop in her tracks.

"Not true?" Ladybug cut in, her eyes locking with Chat's, making him flinch. "So you didn't almost collapse after that huge sword hit you? A blow that could have been avoided if you had just waited until you got better?" She asked, watching as their miraculous beeped for a final time.

In a flash of light, Adrien stood, blankly staring at Marinette. He didn't know what to say, because she was right. After weeks of being too scared to transform, he had taken on too much. His muscles were still recovering from the bed rest he had been required to take, and his reaction time had definitely slowed. It was almost like he wasn't Chat Noir anymore... Like the one part of him that always felt like him, was gone. Adrien's mind toiled with this thought before shutting it down. If he wasn't Chat Noir, who was he?

"Are you forgetting the part where I saved you? And Alya? Yes, I almost collapsed, but I got the job done, didn't I? That's because I didn't have a choice, Marinette." Adrien finally spoke up.

"So you're saying it's my fault? That you collapsed because you had to save me?" Ladybug asked, pain and anger written on her face. She yanked her hand from Adrien's hold, and started her pacing again, faster than before, her footsteps making muffled thumps on the floor.

"Stop twisting my words! What does ALMOST collapsing have anything to do with this?" Adrien diverted the question, getting up and following Marinette, his eyebrows creased, ruining his model-perfect face.

With a slight pause, Marrinette's body language underwent a noticeable change. Angry thumps of her feet turned to nervous steps and her heaving breaths started to shake.

"Nothing. I'm sorry." Marinette admitted, sitting down on her chaise in defeat and burying her head in her hands. "It's just-" She started again, looking up at Adrien who had begun pacing with vigor. His steps were almost soundless as he strode across the floor.

"It's just what Marinette? You aren't making any sense! Alya WAS mad at you, because she had a right to be- but that's all sorted now. Lady Darkmoth stole the moth Miraculous, but that's on me, and let's be honest, we both know who she is, and it won't be hard to take her down! And don't even get me started about your parents. They love you, and thought they were helping. You didn't thank themi, tell them you love them or even acknowledge them! You left them to the press, the same reporters who have time and time again pushed you to panic attacks- many of which Tom and Sabine have helped pull you out of! And they get nothing? Nothing?At least you even have parents, Marinette! One of mine is dead and the other is being shipped off to prison BECAUSE OF HIS OWN SON! I'm not saying you have it easy, I'm saying you're not the only one to have it hard. So stop blowing everything out of proportion and just SHUT UP!" Adrien yelled.

Anger surged through him, sweat falling from his forehead and blood boiling to the surface. He stood in front of Marinette, his fists clenched so tightly you could see the crescent moons his nails left behind.

Marinette watched in bewilderment. What happened to the kind and sweet boy she fell in love with? He was broken, and Marinette had only just realised. Looking up at Adrien, she didn't recognise him, he was lost. Worry that Adrien had been struggling hit Marinette. She had been there for him, but only physically- it hadn't crossed her mind that when he fell, he hesitated to transform and that almost cost him his life. Why, now that he was at his worst, could Marinette only just see his faults.

Tears stung Marinette's eyes as she watched Adrien transform and disappear out of her hatch.
Frozen to her spot, guilt and realisation flooded Marinette once again. Had she really been that selfish? Adrien had gone through so much recently and she was yelling at her parents for caring? What kind of girlfriend was she?

"Marinette?" Tikki asked, pulling Marinette from her thoughts.

"Yes?" Marinette replied timidly.

"Are you alright?" The kwami asked as she took a seat on Marinette's knee.

"Do you think I was too harsh on him?" Marinette asked, looking to her Kwami for advice.

"I think he's going through a lot." Tikki replied simply.

"I didn't recognise him, it was like he was a completely different person." Marinette admitted, directing her thoughts away from Lady Darkmoth.

"But he's still there Marinette, he is just going through something." Tikki said.

"I'm not sure."

"When you looked at him, you're telling me you didn't see Adrien, or that you didn't want to see Adrien?" The kwami asked.

Confused, Marinette asked "What do you mean?"

"You were harsh to him, so maybe you're telling yourself it's him that's changed to justify your own actions?" Tikki said, putting a comforting paw on Marinette's knee.

Marinette sat for a moment. Considering what Tikki had said before concluding that once again, the kwami was right.

"I really messed this one up, didn't I Tikki?" She admitted.

"Let's just get your team back together so you can find Lady Darkmoth and stop her before it gets out of control." Tikki suggested, flying up and planting a kiss on Marinette's cheek. Marinette let out a little giggle and hugged the Kwami back before her smile dropped once again.

"Where would he be though?" Marinette asked, worry creeping up on her as she realised he probably didn't want to go home.

"You know him better than anyone Marinette, if anyone would know, it'd be you" Tikki encouraged.

"Let's hope so... Tikki SPOTS ON!" Marinette yelled, transforming into Ladybug and setting off.

~i'm so sorry it's late besties :( uhmmm i will make the next chapter extremely exciting to make up for it <3 what do you think will happen? ALSO huge thanks to my editor once again OlivierBlackwood ~