M'Ladybug | Adrinette//Ladynoir

Chapter Nine | Good Intentions

Adrien walked down the street, duffel bag in hand, unable to ignore the thoughts clouding over his mind.

He had been kicked out. Temporarily cut off from his Dad's bank, and forced to leave the house he'd called home for so long he'd started to believe it. His Dad was still going to make him model, one of the things he would've rather not done, but all money made would go straight to his Dad.

He needed a job. And to go make himself at home with his mother, if you could call her that. They were supposed to be sharing Adrien, switching off weekly, but his mother was always good at batting her eyelashes and getting his father to do whatever she wanted.

He sat down on a park bench outside the apartment complex. He couldn't bring himself to go in there. At least not yet.

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"Light pink is so your color Marinette!" Alya exclaimed excitedly.

"I don't know Alya, does it look alright?" Marinette twirled in front of the mirror as the frothy gown moved around her ankles.

"Marinette you look flawless." Shea said, emerging from the dressing room in an indigo dress.

Marinette and Alya's jaws dropped. "Shea that looks amazing on you!"

Shea gazed into the mirror. "I don't know, it's kind of plain."

"That's why I'm here Shea. I'll add some black lace here, and here--ooh, and maybe even one lace half-glove--" Marinette began talking more to herself than anyone as she distracted herself with designing.

"We've lost her to the world of buttons and fabrics," Alya said, giggling as she sifted through rack after after rack of clothes.

"It happens to the best of us," Shea said, smiling.

Alya moved closer to her. "Do you mind me asking a few questions? Sorry to sound like a CIA agent but the reporter in me just comes out sometimes."

Shea laughed. "Go for it. I don't mind."

"So you don't like Adrien at all?" Alya asked, holding up a floor length black dress to her chest.

"That would look great on you. And to answer your question, no. I mean he's cute, and seems really kind despite my first impressions of him but no, I don't like him. And he knows it. That's why we're going together."

Alya raised her eyebrows. "So he knows you don't like him?"

"Yeah," Shea said, casting a glance to Marinette before turning back to Alya. "Adrien really wanted to go with her."

Alya's jaw dropped. "Really? I'm so happy for her!"

"But right now he thinks she likes Nathanael and doesn't want to get hurt."

Alya nodded. "I get it. What we really need instead of dresses is to make a plan to swap dates."

Marinette rejoined the group. "What are we talking about?"

"I was just about to go try this dress on," Alya said, disappearing into the dressing room.

"So Shea, is the indigo dress the one?" Marinette said, excitedly.

She nodded excitedly. "And the light pink for you?"

Marinette blushed a slight pink. "I think so."

Alya came back from the room, posing like a model in vogue. Shea and Alya gasped and showered her with compliments.

"This is my soul dress!" Alya exclaimed as the girls laughed with delight.

They bought the dresses and headed out into the cool night. Alya and Shea were in the opposite direction as Marinette so they said there goodbyes as the exited the boutique.

Marinette then set off on the sidewalk, hand clutching a can of pepper spray (you can never be too safe). She slipped through the shadows, used to adverting eyes.

Then she saw him. Adrien. His blonde hair fell into his palms as he sat in silence on a bench. Marinette could've been mistaken, but she could swear she saw tear tracks trailing from his soft green eyes.

She'd never seen him so...vulnerable. She could see the usual twinkle in his eye shattering and could practically feel the pain twisting his heart into different shapes. For one second, he was a broken boy and not her teen idol.

Marinette stepped out of the shadows. "Adrien, is that you?"

Adrien jumped like a cat that had been hit by water. "Marinette? You scared me half to death!" She could see him frantically pulling out his widest fake smile and trying to cover up his pain.

"I'm sorry." She walked over to the bench. "Now what's going on? You don't live anywhere near here?"

Adrien looked at her sheepishly. "Would you believe I was just out for a midnight stroll?"

Marinette gave him a look back that said, not a chance.

Adrien sighed. "My dad kicked me out of my house to come live with my mother."

Marinette gasped in shock.

"He cut me off. From money, from modeling, from everything to do with him. My mother left a long time ago, and I will never forgive her for leaving me.

"Her apartment is up there but I can't bear to go up there. I've been sitting here for I don't know how long but I can't do it. I can't let her back in my life just to leave again."

Marinette slid her fingers through his. "I'm so sorry Adrien. I don't have a solution for it all, but maybe I can help with the money thing. There is a job opening at my parents bakery and they adore you Adrien. They'd be happy to hire you."

Adrien's eyes widened. "You would do that for me?"

Marinette pushed her shyness aside and nodded. "Of course. I'll even go in there with you if you'd like."

Adrien nodded, half embarrassed. "Would you come in with me? Maybe you can keep my temper under control."

Marinette nodded and gave him a small, warm smile. "I'd be happy to."

Adrien stood, and she could feel the dread in his tight smile as they walked up to her apartment. Marinette went first, halfway dragging Adrien along. Finally they reached the room.

576.

"You can do this." Marinette said.

Adrien nodded, took several shallow deep breaths as if his lungs were collapsing, before raising his shaking hand to knock on the door.

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Jeez I'm sorry for the wait (and the cliffhanger) I thought I could post weekly but last month I had a million different things going on! (I'm not just saying that I swear there's no time) but here it is! The next chapter! Enjoy! I've loved reading all of your comments so keep them coming! And thanks for helping me hit 4K reads!!! So freaking pumped!! ((: