Chapter 15: The slip up

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Tom sighed and stepped aside for Adrien to come inside their room. Adrien smiled and walked inside seeing Sabine laying in the bed, watching Tv.

"Sorry for intruding Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng." Adrien sighed.

"It's alright dear, what's the matter?" Sabine asked.

Adrien walked and sat down on a chair that sat near the bed, watching Tom go and sit down on the bed beside his wife. Tom and Sabine both focused their attention on Adrien, muting the TV in the background, giving him their full attention.

"I talked to Marinette a couple of days ago as well as this afternoon. She wasn't telling you the truth." Adrien said.

"The truth?" Tom asked.

"What do you mean Adrien?" Sabine asked.

"I'm not sure how much I should say, but... I got her a job with me at my Father's industry this afternoon. She was wanting to stay in Paris and continue her education and graduate." Adrien said, not looking them in the eyes.

"Where would she live? Here?" Tom asked.

"She was getting the part-time job to save money to get her own place since this was her last semester of college," Adrien explained.

"After dinner, I confronted her about why she didn't tell either of you and she said that you both were so excited and she didn't want to hurt you."

Adrien looked up slowly and saw Tom and Sabine looking at one another with saddened expressions and he frowned, worried if he made things worse, but he was scared of losing Marinette too. He was about to lose Ladybug, he couldn't lose Marinette too. LB was his partner but he loved Marinette, Marinette was the first friend he ever made by himself. They have been through so much together. Ladybug's identity was secret, whatever she decided to do, was up to her. He couldn't convince her of anything, except simply ask her not to. That's all he could do. But Marinette, he could play a much bigger role in. He could fight for Marinette on both sides.

"Tomorrow we will talk to her. Thank you for coming to us Adrien." Tom said.

"She doesn't know that I came to talk to you," Adrien explained.

"We won't tell her that you told us." Sabine smiled, glancing over to Tom.

"Thank you." Adrien smiled at both of them.

"Good night, Adrien," Tom said, seeing Adrien standing up to leave.

"Good night Mr. and Mrs. Dupain Cheng," Adrien said as he shut the door behind him.

Adrien smiled to himself and walked back to his room and shut his bedroom door behind him. He looked over at the ladder, wondering if he should go up and talk to her.

"Kid?" Adrien looked down inside his shirt and saw Plagg looking up at him.

"What Plagg?"

"Go talk to your girlfriend already." Plagg smiled, rolling his eyes.

Adrien smiled and walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind him as he turned the water on as if he was taking a shower. He transformed and jumped out of the window and quietly walked over to Marinette. He leaned down and put his head close to her ear.

"Good evening, my sweet Juliet." He whispered.

Marinette turned her head and saw Chat noir, tears streaming down her face.

"What's the matter, princess? Did that idiot hurt your feelings? Do I need to go down there and teach him a lesson about being a gentleman?" Chat noir said, kneeling down and wrapping his arms around her to comfort her.

He heard her laugh through the tears and shake her head. She buried her face in his suit and cried.

"I lied. I couldn't do it. I couldn't tell them. I'm sorry." She said, through the tears.

"It will be alright. I promise." He said, stroking her hair.

Marinette wiped her tears away and looked up at him, he was smiling at her.

"Why aren't you mad or... upset?" She asked.

"I-... I have trust in you that you'll tell them." He smiled nervously.

"I think it would be easier if I just moved with them Chat..." She said, letting go of him.

"What are you saying?" He asked, seeing her creating some distance between the both of them.

"You're a superhero. I'm a civilian. This would have never have worked anyway." Marinette said, turning away from him.

"Are you... breaking up with me?" Chat asked, feeling almost a knot in his throat, as he was fighting back the tears.

"I think it might be best for both of our sakes," Marinette said, her back shaking, closing her eyes to try and keep the tears inside her eyes.

"Princess... we can make this work. I promise. I told you I would give up being a hero and I would be a civilian with you. I would happily move to the U.S. with you." he said, extending his arm to touch her shoulder but went stiff, almost scared to touch her.

"No Chat. Ladybug needs you. The new ladybug will need help learning the ropes. You need to stay here. Go away! Leave me alone!" She yelled.

Chat saw how serious and hurt Marinette was. She was hurting. She needed time... She needed to be alone. So much had happened all at once and maybe, for once it would be better if he left her alone. She had never yelled at him before.

Chat turned away and stood up, disappearing within a few seconds. He jumped back inside the bathroom and turned the shower off, feeling like the world could have come crashing down on him. He changed clothes and laid down under the blankets, turning the lights off to go to sleep, though he couldn't sleep. He kept hearing Marinette's words replay in his mind like a looping nightmare, repeating over and over in his mind.

She broke up with him.

She... wasn't his girlfriend anymore... she wasn't his Juliet any longer... she wasn't... his princess anymore...

Was it really over? Was their relationship over just like that? Or... was she just saying things she didn't mean because she was upset? He would talk to her again soon... maybe letting her cool off will be the better option. Sometimes people need to be alone and just... deal. That's what she needed. She... didn't want to break up... of course not... heh... yeah... it was a fluke... right?

He just had to keep thinking that... for his own sake. Though regardless... her words kept entering his mind whether he liked it or not.

An hour went by and he heard the latch open and he heard footsteps come back down.

He lifted his head and wiped his watery eyes to see Marinette back in his bed. He sighed and laid back on his back and thought for a few moments, trying to go to sleep but the conversation from earlier kept replaying over and over once again like a broken record on a loop.

She broke up with him, that phrase wouldn't leave his mind no matter how hard he tried to fight it. He understood why, but ugh... maybe she will take it back once she talks to her parents. But... What if she doesn't? Why does heartbreak hurt so bad? Wait... what did she say at the end? Something about how Ladybug needed him... The new ladybug would need him.

How did Marinette know that? No one knew there was going to be a new Ladybug except him and Ladybug. Either Marinette knows Ladybug or... Marinette... is Ladybug.

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