Retake Our Home

Chapter 7

Gabriel returned home late that night clearly displeased. The designer was in no mood to talk, and neither was Adrien. He had so much on his mind he doubted he would get any real sleep. The stuff with Chloe, helping a resistance member, and now the pink book all bothered him. As he thought on everything the marriage thing brought up by the Major worried him most. Chloe was more like a sister to him, but Marinette was different.

His little crush on her had grown every passing day up till the point Adrien could no longer ignore the fact he was in love with the girl. At times he would catch himself thinking of her without meaning to. Every little thing she had done over the years had crawled it's way back into Adrien's mind. Forcing him to realize all the amazing things about the girl he had missed before. Like her kind heart always willing to help someone, or her cute laugh she shared with the world that brightened his day every time he heard it.

Perhaps it was a newly formed crush and this feelings had always been there. It was because of the Nazis that these feelings surfaced. Marinette was afraid, afraid of what the Nazis will do to her and her family. She was afraid no one would care if they took them.  Adrien hated that she was afraid, and wanted to shield her from all the pain the world threw at them. 

He had thought about confessing to Marinette, but decided not to every time. Adrien wanted to cheer her up and he doubted she could love a Nazi supporter. His mind now drifted from Marinette to the Journal he had found. It was pink so Adrien assumed it belonged to a girl. The lock that had once secured it was cheap and had broken when it was dropped. Now it 's insides could be seen by all.

The more Adrien thought about who the owner was, the more he convinced himself it belonged to Marinette. It was laying near where she had fallen over, and if he remembered correctly there weren't that many people there that day. Also he simply wanted it to be hers. Not only would he be able to learn what she thought of him, but this also gave him an excuse to see Marinette again.

If it did turn out to be hers maybe he could learn how to win Marinette's heart. Then again she wouldn't be happy if she learned he had looked at her Journal. In the end Adrien's curiosity won over his morals. Adrien grabbed the book from his bag where he had left it and tried his best to remain calm. Once his nerves were in check Adrien carefully lifted the cover and was shocked to see a picture of himself. Now he really hoped this Journal was Marinette's.

Adrien didn't know where to start. So he turned to a date he would have visited her at. If it matched his memories then this was defiantly Marinette's Journal. When he landed on a familiar date he began to read.

'Oct. 10th, 1941

                        Today Adrien and Kim visited the Bakery. I was happy to see them, but Kim told me he would be enlisting in the German Military. Adrien believes it's best to follow Kim's example. I can't really blame them with how things are. Though they both still seem to dislike the Germans underneath all the lies they put out. Adrien also said he would fight every German in Paris for me. I know he meant  it as a good friend, but I can't help but feel like it means more. Wouldn't it be something if Adrien loves me like I love him? Yeah, wishful thinking Marinette.'

A grin spread wide on Adrien's face. She loved him and knowing that made Adrien want to go see her now. He could only think of a few times he felt this happy, and it had been a long time. Adrien kept looking for times he and Marinette had met up in hope to learn more on what Marinette thought of him. While searching threw the Journal Adrien discovered one of Marinette's Resistance articles.As he read it the writing seemed familiar to him. He went to his desk and pulled out one of Ladybug's articles and matched the words. Adrien couldn't believe his eyes as he realized Ladybug and Marinette were one in the same.

Add brave to the list of many things Adrien thought of Marinette. She had been using her writing to fight the Nazis even in the face of great danger while he sat back and did nothing. Compared to her he was a coward. Maybe he should help her in some way. Become a member of the Resistance and fight back. No, not just yet. He was in a good position here and could do better where he was at. Instead of being a full fledged member of the Resistance he could give them Intel. At least until it looked like the war shifted in their favor.

"Come on," A voice nagged at the back of Adrien's head.  "Your just being a coward. People are dying out there fighting the Germans either threw writing, or actual warfare. Still you'll do nothing?"

"Your right," Adrien agreed. "I am just being a coward. I would die for Marinette, but why can't I get myself to fight this war? To pick up a gun and kill to retake my home?"

"You'd die for her?" The voice laughed. "Sure, as if a coward like you could do something so selfless."

Adrien moved from Marinette's Journal and back to his bag. He pulled out a wooden box and opened it to reveal his Luger. At first the weapon disgusted him as it was a tool meant for killing. Now however he saw it differently. His feelings for it were neutral as if both of them had reached an understanding. Adrien would use it to kill, but only those who would harm those close to him, those who would aim at Marinette.

Committing it all to the Resistance was still a ways away and would take time. He just wasn't ready to risk it all for a country that looked lost.It sounds horrible, but Marinette was more important. She was alive and he could keep her safe. Marinette was still in his reach as a future with free France seemed impossible still. No matter what he would protect her even if it meant giving up his life. He had already lost one great woman in his life and he refused to lose his first and only love.

After he made the deal with his new lifeless comrade, Adrien put the Luger under his pillow. He didn't know how to shoot yet, but keeping it close felt right somehow. Shooting a look at his clock Adrien saw it was almost one in the morning. He placed Marinette's Journal and his illegal Ladybug articles safely in his desk and secured them. Once he gave Marinette her Journal back he would burn the articles. Can't take anymore risks of discovery like Marinette had. If someone else had found this book it could have been very bad for Marinette, very bad. Once everything was done Adrien crawled into bed. Many things clawed at his mind, but he needed sleep. He forced his eyes closed and let his muscles loosen. Soon enough he was drifting in a sea of sleep.