Under Heaven (Miraculous Ladybug)

Chapter 15: Unbearable

   Marinette was saddened by Adriens absence the following day. She texted him to see if he was alright but received no response. Nino and Alya also texted him but got no response. Marinette tried to focus on her studies but her mind kept wandering back to Adrien. When lunch rolled around, her, Alya and Nino all went to the same spot they were in yesterday.

"Cheer up Marinette, he'll probably be here tomorrow." Said Alya.

"Yeah. He probably just had to do some modelling today." Said Nino.

Marinette nodded. Marinette changed the subject.

"How's the Ladyblog doing Alya?" Questioned Marinette.

"It's alright. With no Ladybug sightings recently, it's been hard to post things. But luckily there's been some rumours about Chat Noir so I usually just talk about that." Alya told Marinette and Nino.

"What rumours?" The thought of rumours about Chat intrigued her.

"Well there's a rumour that he's been paying late night visits to some girl here in Paris. People think that he's been meeting up with Ladybugs true identity!" Said Alya excitedly.

Of course, that dumb rumour had to be accurate. And Marinette, not wanting to get caught, just nodded along. She didn't deny or fan the flame of Alyas questioning and theories about Chat and what he was up to. The three sat on the bench with Alya in the middle.

" I wonder if he's visiting his girlfriend." Said Nino.

Alya whirled to him.

"What if Ladybug is his girlfriend!" She said.

Alya was grinning madly and started ranting. Marinette smiled. She missed things like this.

They wouldn't give Adrien a break. Quite literally. They wouldn't let him go get water or have a snack, they wouldn't let him just sit down and take a breather for a couple minutes. He would model one outfit for an hour then go change and get his makeup and hair redone and model another outfit. He was tired and angry and just generally upset. Gabriel Agreste watching his son like a hawk the whole time. Natalie stood beside him, with that same guilty look on her face. Adrien had clued in already that Natalie was the one who told Gabriel she couldn't find Adrien. She was the reason Adrien was here today. Natalie was the reason he couldn't sneak out at night to go see Marientte. He was furious with her. But also, he understood why she told Gabriel. There was no doubt that the bruises he sometimes saw on her were from Gabriel. After all, Gabriel used to give him those bruises too. He knew that if Natalie hadn't told him Adrien was missing and Gabriel found out on his own, Natalie wouldn't have come into work today. She would've been too sore from the beating. He felt pity and anger for her. Most of the time he hated Natalie, but he knew that she feared his father greatly. Adrien changed positions before the photographer yelled at him too. He leaned against the railing behind him and made eye contact with the camera lens. He glared at it. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to stare into the cold glass of a lens when he could stare into the heavens themselves, he could Marinettes eyes. Shifting his demeanour slightly, he stood taller and puffed out his chest. It was almost like he was mimicking the way his father tried to intimidate everyone around him.

"Don't look so angry! What's wrong with you! Stupid boy!" Yelled the photographer.

The photographer was angry that his model looked upset. Models weren't supposed to let their inner feelings show. They were supposed to look according to whatever they were modelling. The photographer pulled at his hair.

"Either you control your emotions or I get a new model!" Yelled the photographer.

Adrien looked behind the photographer and saw his father glaring at him. Adrien changed his position.

Marinette decided to start making the shirt when she got home. She pulled out her sketchbook and the materials.

"Are you sure you should start this today Marinette? You work best when you are happy." Said Tikki.

Which was true. Whenever Marinette worked when she was sad or angry, you could always tell she was when you looked at the finished product.

"Yes I'm sure. I have nothing better to do so I might as well." Marinette said.

Tikki saw that there was no getting through to her. At this, Tikki thought of Richelle. She remembered how she would lock her self in her sons room when he was a newborn. She would do this after her husband had beaten her and she had no reason to be Ladybug so she would hide with her son. Tikki always told her to not hang around her son when she was upset, because Tikki knew it was bad for a child to always see his momma crying. Every time Richelle saw her son she was bloody, beaten and in tears. That is, when he was a baby. Richelles husband was a bad man. When Richelle commuted suicide, her husband was embarrassed so he buried the body in an unmarked grave and told everyone she had disappeared. He husband thought that respectable people didn't commit suicide or loved someone who did commit suicide. Tikki always hated him. Tikki watched Marinette work. Her hands moved fluidly as she sewed and cut. Marientte wasn't Richelle. Marinette was stronger and smarter. And Adrien was not Gabriel.

Once they returned to the mansion, Adrien was dismissed to his room. They wouldn't feed him. Even though he was starving and didn't have much to eat at all that day. Plagg flew out of Adriens bag.

"You should see if they left your windows unlocked." Said Plagg.

And so Adrien did. They were left unlocked. Adrien sighed in relief.

"Plagg, I know you haven't eaten at all today but I promise that I'll get you food as soon as I'm able to."

Plagg told Adrien that it was fine. Adrien transformed into Chat Noir and left through the window. He went straight towards Marinettes. He knew that it may be the lay time he ever got to do this so he wanted to make it count.