Adrien was running out of time.
His father was going to be home in less than a week, and all he'd had to show for his freedom was more late night outs and roaming the city.
He wanted to do something special.
He supposed this grand ball would be something to celebrate.
If all went well...
Adrien completed another lap around the track; he'd taken to training at the school every morning, just as Marinette had been training with Fu.
Completely drained of energy and soaked with sweat, Adrien kept pushing himself.
Birds soared above him, effortless in their flight while he struggled below. Another lap. And another.
As if he could outrun his father.
His legs burned and ached and begged him to stop, but he couldn't relent. Would they, when the time comes?
He needed to train himself in the art of pain.
As if he hadn't experienced enough already.
Adrien rounded the edge of the track, hoping that his mind would slow down for once. It brought him no joy to overthink. Overthink. Overthink.
You're overthinking!
He shook his head, knowing he might look insane to passerby, and finally jogged off of the track towards the bleachers. He grabbed his water bottle and drank profusely, not bothering to stop the water that spilled onto his face, and consequently, his body.
The cold water felt good against his heated skin.
He made his way towards the locker room and sighed with relief when he realized that it was deserted. The water was turned so hot steam filled the space. Adrian let the heat relax his stiff muscles and tried his best not to think about worst-case-scenarios for the ball.
One wrong move, and Mari could be killed.
One wrong move, and he may have to kill.
Adrien had never killed before. The thought of having to...
But he knew if they posed a threat, he would. Bound by duty and responsibility, he would do it.
Kindness had its limitations, even for Adrien.
He wasn't sure how things would play out for Mari. He told her the first sight of danger to run, as he was a seasoned vet when it came to fighting. Mari hadn't ever done anything of the sort.
She seemed pretty comfortable when you went to the museum with her. Under pressure, she didn't buckle.
We weren't in direct danger then.
He hated that no matter how much he thought about it, and no matter how much he looked for an answer, he simply wouldn't know until the time came.
Whether she would fall or fly.
••••••
On his way to third period, Adrien got a call from Natalie.
Hesitantly, he answered.
"Hello, Adrien. I'm so sorry to be the one to have to inform you of this, but your father has extended his... business trip for two more weeks. He's instructed me to tell you to let me know if you need anything."
She paused for a minute.
"Will you be okay, Adrian? On your own?"
Would he be okay?
YOU ARE READING
Chasing Chat Noir
Fanfiction*This is a Mari-Chat fan fiction, but there are occasionally moments amongst other ships. * Marinette and Chat Noir have a system. Every night, Chat Noir visits Marinette's room in secret. There are only two rules: 1. No one can find out 2. No stri...
