Love Dies

Chapter 11

             "What are you doing sneaking around in here!?" Jenson questioned, approaching the two. Marinette heard Adrien fumbling beside her. She didn't care too much for what he was doing, since she was more focused on the Gram de Vanily's butler approaching them. However, she guessed her partner was either coming up with a plan, or he was simply putting P.L.A.G.G back in his pocket. The woman opted for the second explanation when Jenson came close enough to push between the two and correct the flipped switch.

"Our apologies Jenson. We were just trying to get our belongings and head out without waking my family. You know how they get if awoken."

"I understand, but if your gonna break in, you should learn to do it right."

"Hey, we got this far without anyone knowing. Had we not flipped the wrong switch, we probably would have succeeded." Adrien defended them with a laugh. Playing on the truth was one way to lie your way out of situations. Mari was awful at lying, one of the reasons she hated them so much for one, but the truth was way more valuable than a lie. It was a miracle to all of her coworkers how she was one of the top agents at Miraculous because of her inability to lie. It wasn't to say that she'd spill the truth, it was simply the fact that she could falsify the truth and get away with it, when that falsification was quite obviously that. How anyone believed her was a mystery. Well, maybe they didn't, they just accepted the fact that she had to, especially when she was trying to hide her identity way back when. Back then the feeling was mutual to her and her partner on the lies. They knew the other wasn't telling the truth, but because they knew they had to for the sake of their identities, no one called it out. Now, it was just a bad habit they couldn't shake.

"Believe as you wish Mr. Agreste." Jenson replied motioning for them to follow him. "Go get your things and meet me by the bookshelf."

"The bookshelf?"

"The secret passageway you opened....?"

"Oh."He knows about that!? Oh well, they didn't have time to ask questions. Marinette headed off down the hall to the bedroom where she had been staying. Rapidly, she scooped up all her things and shoved them in her bag. By the time she got it stuffed it had the classic appearance of an over filled cartoon suitcase. Mari sprinted down the hall to Adrien's room, hoping he was ready to go, but was unfortunately met with the harsh reality of him not being quite ready to go. Of which she found a bit odd, the man had always been a fast packer. Significantly faster than her, matter of fact. So when she reached his room, Marinette was a bit surprised to see him neatly folding his garments before carefully placing them in his travel case.

"Come on Agreste!"

"Keep your spots on. I'll be done in a minute." Marinette began to bounce on her heels impatiently. She was used to being in control and when something didn't go to her plan, she either cracked or found some way to solve her problem. Yet, the one thing she never seemed to be able to lock down and maneuver about was Chat Noir. The guy was a firecracker! An for whatever reason, like a feral cat, he had always been on the verge of domestication, only to turn around and scurry off out of sight. Except, maybe that's why she had loved him so much as her partner. Why she needed him so much. He was her counter opposite. Even if it drove her absolutely bonkers, his chaotic ways balanced out her controlled and meticulous one making them an amazing team. Well, at one time so she thought. Today, though still her counter opposite, the two of them were at odds. Instead of using their differences to strengthen one another, they were using their abilities against one another. Why couldn't they just put their past behind them and focus on their mission, like they kept telling themselves to do. It was at this point that Mari realized she had been staring at the floor of Adrien's bedroom. The birch wood flooring seeming darker than it should in the dim lighting. Light blue walls brightened the room beneath the moonlight that was streaming through the white curtains causing a soft and comforting feel to the room. A soft and airy color pallet suited this room, and Adrien too. It didn't represent his Chat Noir side very well, but his quieter side was definitely represented. It was smaller than Mari's room, but in a way, she wondered if that brought a sort of comfort to her partner. He didn't care much for tight spaces, but a small bedroom probably felt a lot more home like to him compared to the one he had before in the Agreste mansion. Now that she thought about it, Marinette recalled him saying something similar to that when she helped him move out of the said mansion into his own apartment. "It may be a downsize from my old one, but let's just say I like it a whole lot more."