Into Another World (kotlc/mlb au)

Chapter 18

They were over halfway finished finding the amulets now. Adrien wasn't sure if the Neverseen had any on them, if they would have to fight to get them all.

Ladybug barely looked at him, but he swore he caught her cheeks redden a little whenever he saw her looking, quickly turning her head so he couldn't see.

Lots of time passed. Adrien had to speculate it was a couple weeks before he woke up one morning to find Ladybug sitting next to him.

"Happy birthday," she said.

Adrien furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"It's the sixth of the 1st lunar month. I'm pretty sure that's your birth date."

"See, I only know it as February 2nd. Based on the Gregorian calendar."

"Earth doesn't follow the moon cycles?"

He shook his head.

"Well, either way, you're officially eighteen," she shrugged.

Eighteen. He could still remember planning on getting a genetic test to prove he wasn't related to anyone on Earth when he turned eighteen.

He sighed, thinking about how that had been his only worry.

"Hey, it's okay," she said. "We're about to save the world."

That's the problem, he thought. I can't lose you.

He peeled himself off the ground. "So... am I supposed to feel different?"

"I'm not sure. Do you often feel different on your birthday?"

"Not really. What about you?"

"Well, I have a few months. Maybe I'll tell you then," Ladybug smiled a little, and Adrien felt his heart pound harder.

There was the chance he'd never be able to celebrate that with her.

He had to ask though...

"Do you ever wonder what's beyond here? The coast, I mean."

Ladybug had to think about it. "Once, yes. During the smuggling operation I did a year ago."

"I remember Fitz mentioning you were kinda famous around Everglen because of that."

"Yeah. Me and Rena had to sneak in and steal these documents. We met this person on a beach, who took them. Then I saw them go onto this shadow... but it was floating! Imagine!"

"You mean like a boat?"

"What's a boat?"

Adrien didn't respond, bewildered by her question. Did Aelesia really not know about boats?

"Well, it was still interesting to see," she said. "And it did cause me to wonder what's really out there, but... no, I haven't thought about what's beyond the coastline beside that."

Adrien stared at the grass, his fingers ripping out a few blades. "It seems weird that you don't know how to get out there."

"None of us really do."

Does that mean the Vacker Court is trying to hide something? he wondered.

"Well, I've just been thinking about it," he admitted. "I know Aelesia can't be just this land. I mean, Earth has seven continents and almost 200 countries."

"Sounds like a lot of chances for conflict."

"Yeah. Why do you think most of its history revolves around war?"

Ladybug giggled a little. "So I keep hearing."

They didn't say anything for the longest time.

"Well, we should probably get moving," Adrien stood up, brushing dirt off his tunic.