Love Conquers All [COMPLETED] ✔︎

Chapter 26

Adrien groaned the next morning, rolling around in his bed carelessly as he tried to muffle out the noise that kept ringing in his head.

"Adrien, Adrien, Adrien!" he soon heard, but couldn't process as he felt a wave of nostalgia hit him. It felt so horrible, as soon as he tried to breathe in, he felt that he was breathing through his mouth, the soreness of the back of his throat soon being able to be felt. He tried blinking open his eyes, but he felt so droopy and sick that he could barely open one eye.

"W-What?" he mumbled, his voice much raspier than he was used to it being.

Ugh, he should have listened to Marinette yesterday, he didn't have the greatest immune system, what was he thinking? And now he had to miss yet another day of school from seeing her.

"Kid, your alarm clock was ringing for five minutes straight." Plagg's voice soon hit against his eardrums, only then the boy shot up in his bed, but soon rubbed his head as he felt the pounding headache pound against his skull. It was the second one this week! Great. The world wasn't kind to Adrien Agreste, was it?

"I think I'm sick." he muttered before letting himself fall backwards in his bed, "I'll have to stay home."

Plagg shook his head before flying into the cupboard with his cheese stash and flew back to Adrien, carrying a chunk of camembert, "Smell this. It'll help you get better."

He flew really close to his owner's nose, the blond quickly plugging it as he recognized the horrid scent of greasy, stink, old camembert. "Plagg!" the green-eyed boy hissed, slapping the creature away, "Don't eat that thing so early in the morning!"

The creature shrugged before throwing the chunk up in the air and swallowed it with one gulp. Soon enough, the entrance to the model's room opened, Plagg having to quickly zoom into hiding.

"Adrien." Nathalie's stern and cold voice echoed through the tall walls of the large room, "You better get up. Breakfast is served."

"I-" he started, sitting up in his bed and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly out of habit, "I think I'm a little bit sick today."

The assistant's eyes widened before quickly scrambling to grab her tablet and furiously typed away on it. "My, Adrien, it's the second time this week! I should send in a doctor right away..."

"No!" he shouted, having to cough into his arm right after, "It's just a cold. Yesterday it was raining and I-"

"I'll send in breakfast and some tea right away." she nodded, quickly making her way out of the room, the familiar impact of her heels clicking on the marble floor.

"Great," Adrien muttered, sinking back into the sheets of his bed and lazily grabbed the phone off of his nightstand, unlocking it and scrolled his way to his contacts.

Adrien - I'm a little bit sick today, Bugaboo. I won't be coming to school today. Miss you.

Marinette - WHAT?! I told you so, mister know it all! :( I'll come over as soon as school ends!

Adrien - No need! I don't want you to get sick, M'lady!

Marinette - Too bad. I'm coming.

Great, just another way to make it even worse. He was going to live with the guilt that he made Marinette sick. More guilt, more worry. Wasn't his life enough of that already? He was expected to be the perfect son when he was broken. He had the attention of everyone surrounding him, except his father. All he asked for, was a decent family. A decent family who loved each other. A family that talks about everything and nothing together. A family who shared cordial hugs. He wanted a family. A real family. Who loved each other, no matter what.

And yet, he didn't have one. But Marinette pieced his brokenness back together. She mended his weak heart. She was always there, as Marinette and as Ladybug. He could tell her anything. He could say anything and not make a fool of himself. He could be himself with her. And even if he had a sick day today, he knew she would come as soon as possible to be at his side. She wanted to share the pain with him, she wanted to support him. To do anything to help him. She was the light to his darkness, the joy to his misery, the warmth to his boundless solitude.

He loved her. He always had. He knew he always had, even if he wouldn't admit it out loud. They had that special relationship. He didn't ever want to end it. He thinks it never would.

And there the blond was, staring out into space, thinking about Marinette and Ladybug, about his father and her parents, about the differences between them. About his household, about hers. About her positivity, about his negativity. About everything and nothing. And yet, even if he thought all of those thoughts, once he opened his eyes, they were nothing to him.

They disappeared.

—

Marinette walked into the school, literally hopping on her toes as she tried to find her best friend. She soon felt a gentle poke in her side, jumping up frantically and tumbled down to the ground with a thud. Alya was peering down at her, a smirk forming onto her lips as Marinette also spotted a laughing Nino beside her.

"Alya!" she muttered, picking herself up and dusted her pink pants, meeting Alya's look, "What was that for?"

"It means that you, missy, have a best friend." she smiled, shoving her shoulder playfully, "And I thought we should walk to class together. Anyway, where's Buttercup?"

Nino perked a brow, "Who?"

"He's sick." the bluenette pouted, Nino scratching his head as the two girls continued to chat away, soon enough starting to walk to class. He grabbed his phone out of his pocket to see that he indeed had a message from Adrien.

Adrien - Hey, dude! I won't be able to make it to school today. I think I caught some type of cold.

Nino - Oh, that sucks, dude. I hope you get better soon! Maybe Monday you'll be better!

Adrien - Thanks. Have a good day at school, Nino.

The young DJ closed his phone and slipped it back into the pocket of his jeans. He felt sorry for Adrien. He missed so much of school lately, and it was the only freedom he had. He knew that he was ways forced to do the things his father expected of him.

Soon enough, Adrien's best friend decided to join the girls that were bickering their way to class, feeling happy yet sad at the same time. Good news, Alya's plan to bring Marinette and Adrien together was a success. Bad news, he wasn't going to see his best bud today. So the three friends made their way to class, a whole bunch of their classmates greeting them as they entered.

It would be a long day of school, that was for sure. The only good thing about that day was probably starting a new experiment in science, though they wished the blond was there to share the experience with them.