Not the Way it Works

Not the Way it Works - Chapter Two

     "Pound it!"

     Ladybug and Chat Noir helped the janitor up, and the man thanked them for freeing him from Hawk Moth's control.  He went on his way, and Ladybug began to leave when Chat Noir grabbed her wrist and used it to pull her in.  He stood a foot from her.

     "M'Lady...just tell me...how do you know the names of all my classmates?"

     "What is this, Chaton?  We promised we'd never try to figure out each other's identities."

     Chat sighed and rolled his eyes.  "A cat can ask.  It's a valid question, Bugaboo."

     Ladybug tried to pull away, but Chat Noir's grasp was strong.  "I'm not answering this now.  I have to go!"  Chat didn't loosen.  "CHAT!  LET ME GO!"  Ladybug yanked her hand away.  "We can't know who we are, Chat.  And if you did, you'd probably be disappointed anyway."  Ladybug swang off, leaving Chat Noir there alone.

     "My...lady......wait..."

     "You messed up there, kid."  Plagg flew out and sat on Adrien's head, panting.  "You worked hard."

     Adrien sat there, arm outstretched, frozen.  He dropped to his knees slowly, carefully, deliberately.  And he remained there - frozen.

     "Kid?"  Plagg flew around to Adrien's face and looked at it.  

     "I'm fine, Plagg...really.  Don't worry."  Adrien got up without another word and walked back to his house.  He went in and didn't even wait for Natalie to take his coat.  It was still raining.  He sat down at his desk and pulled up all his images of Ladybug he had gotten.  Mainly from Alya.  He scrolled through them, finding his favorites.

     Sometimes he would have Alya photoshop them to look like what he wanted.  He found his favorites and printed them out, then closed the computer.  He sat at his desk and put his head in his hands.

     If only he had some way of figuring out who Ladybug really was.  If only she would let him.  He thought for a while about how their conversation had gone.  Not well.  Not well at all.  But it gave him a lot of information.

     First, Ladybug knows all of the kids in his class, which means she must be someone in his class.  Second, she's insecure and doesn't want him to be disappointed.  Not that he ever could be.  He wondered why, after all this time, Ladybug didn't know that already.

     He heard a knock on his door and instinctively shoved everything into a desk drawer.  "Come in!" he yelled.

     The door opened and Natalie walked in with some PB&J sandwiches.  "Adrien, you look pale." She came closer.  "Are you alright?  I brought you a few sandwiches if you want them."

     Adrien didn't look up, but he nodded.  Natalie sighed and left.  Plagg flew out and got some camembert (which was also on the plate).  He cherished it happily, nursing it and nibbling it.  He loooved cheese.

     Adrien pulled out the Ladybug images again.  Insecure.  Worried.  Conservative.  He shook his head.  Those were not words that described Ladybug!  Ladybug was strong, confident, powerful, clever, and she made him feel safe.  Safe like the way he never felt in his own house.  Safe like she would never let him down.  Safe like she would keep fighting, even if he had been affected.  She wouldn't sit there and cry.  She wouldn't let anything happen to him.