Today's prompt is soothe.
-Miraculous Ladybug and Chat Noir-
Gabriel Agreste sat, letting no emotion stretch across his features, as his son took the seat opposite the long and pristine table. Gabriel was rather displeased with the inconvenience, but his son had requested his presence, saying that it was 'urgent'. So now the man sat across from the child.
"Adrien." He greeted as if greeting a colleague and not his own flesh and blood.
"Father." Adrien replied, with the same manner. No love or attachment. "I don't know how to say this but-"
"Make it quick, Adrien." Gabriel interrupted snappily. "I don't have all day. I have very important business that would be a better use of my time than listening to you blaber on."
Irritation rose within Adrien. "Business?" He seethed. "Is that all you care about? Do you not care about how I'm feeling? I asked you here because I wanted to ask if you where feeling okay? After all even someone as emotionless as you couldn't forget what day it was yesterday, could you?! You couldn't forget that it was the anniversary of your wife's disappearance! Or don't you even care about that?!"
Gabriel was fuming. His features no longer impassive. Emilie was the one topic that sent Gabriel into a flurry of rage. Every fibre of his body seemed to want to wring Adrien by the neck and squeeze the life of them. Oh how Gabriel wanted to scream back. How he wanted to horrify his son and reveal what he had been doing for so many years, using his powers as Hawkmoth to try and save his beloved from her sickness. Oh how tempting it was. "Watch your tongue!" He snapped back, eyes blazing and standing up from his chair. "You have no right to say I am careless and you have no right to beckon me at your will!"
"No right?!" Adrein yelled back. "I have every right. I. AM. YOUR. SON. I have endured your miserable state for the last five plus years!"
"I haven't the time to deal with your childish bickering, Adrien!" Gabriel moves to the door, pausing one step before the end of the room. "You are lucky school is over for the year, or you would be kicked out in a heart beat! You will not be let out of this house unless I will it! And if you ever speak out of line like this again, you will be stuck in this house for the rest of your life!"
And with that Gabriel left with a slam on the door, leaving Adrien alone in the room to burst into tears.
-Miraculous-
Adrien burst into his room with a slam of the door. Plagg woke instantly from his sleep to see his chosen dragging his fooseball table in front of the door. "What's wrong, Adrien?" He asked, noticing Adrien's red eyes. Before he had a chance to push on Adrien lifted his fist and said quietly, and choked, "Plagg, Claws out."
-Miraculous-
There was no sound as Chat Noir landed on the balcony of the Dupain-Chang bakery, crouching down as he looking through Marinette's trapdoor. Marinette was pacing around her room, hands gripping at her head in a frustrated looking manner. Or maybe it was panicked? Adrien wondered what was causing Marinette such distress. Quietly he planted three quiet knocks on the glass.
Marinette's head instantly stared up at her balcony and also jumped in fright. A smug and playful grin spread across his face. Cute. Marinette seemed to collect herself, as she climbed up to her bed and poked her head out the trap door, blue bell eyes staring innocently up at him. Cute.
"Hey, Chat. What brings this stray," she says, gesturing to him, " to my balcony on this fine morning?"
Raising his palm to his heart, he fainted hurt. "Oh how you wound me, princess. And after a came by just to be graced by your presence." He finished with a pout. He was joking, of course, but maybe only half joking. He just needed to be put in a better mood and, well... Marinette was rather talented in making people feel better.
Marinette seemed to pick up on his bad mood, a look of concern spread across her features. "What's wrong, kitty?"
"It really doesn't matter." Chat assured, avoiding her gaze. "I wouldn't want to worry you-"
"You wouldn't!" Marinette interrupted. "In fact, it would put my mind at ease if you would tell me what's troubling my kitty." With a pout, she finished with, "By choosing to not let me worry, you make me worry, Chat. So what's wrong?"
A small grin crept onto Chat's lips. "Well... when you put it that way, princess, how could I possibly refuse?"
Marinette opened up her trap door to let Chat Noir through, to which he kindly obliged, jumping through and landing on her bed. Marinette, herself, shuffled to face Chat Noir, directly opposite of him. Worry was still etched upon her face.
"So Chat. What's bothering my poor kitty?"
That's when Adrien realised how dangerous this could be, talking to Marinette. She knew him in real life, not to mention that she's pretty bright. If he gave too much information she may be able to figure out his identity. While the thought wasn't enough to deter him from talking about what happens, it was enough to make him to keep the details extremely vague.
So Chat Noir opened up. He started off slow and contained, only saying he hadn't been having the best day. As he continued, he began to explain how his out of suit work can be very demanding and that it puts more stress on him than even being a superhero. He talked about how taxing it can be on his body and mentality. And then... he moved onto his father. He told her that after a certain thing happened in his life his father had become distant and cold. He wanted to open up about his lack of freedom to Marinette, but thought twice about it, in that it hit a little bit close to Adrien. So he skipped that bit of info.
Chat continued, talking about how it had been a number of years since that time and today he thought it may be nice to check in on his father. He told her about how he had to make an appointment to meet with his own father, which surprised Marinette and filled her eyes with an almost knowing pity, and how his father had cut him off before he had even properly begun to speak. Tears begun to seep from his eyes and his voice became a slight whisper. He looked down into his lap. Marinette shuffled forward and wrapped Chat Noir in a tight hug. The cossy scent of bread and flour filled his nostrils, it's delicious smell relaxing his tears, along with the help of the warm hug. Her petit form had no problem fitting around his slim form. He rested his head upon her shoulder and she pressed her head and warmth on to his chest. It was soothing. It absorbed him and seemed to make him feel at peace. As if he was meant to be here with her. Normally he would shun himself for such thoughts. After all, he still loved Ladybug, but... Marinette was so... soothing. Just this once, he wouldn't care.
Lifting his head from her shoulder, that seemed to fit so well with his face, he continued to speak. In a quite tone he told her about his screaming match with his father, about how all he wanted was his father to care, and about he just didn't seem to. He, holding back his resurfacing tears, told her about how his father threatened him, though not what the threats where as it once again hit too close to home, and how it was affecting him. How it scared him and how desperate it was making him for time with the people he cared about and the people that cared about him.
The tears where once again flowing, but this time it was from two sources, not one. Hot tears fell into Marinette's hair, as her own tears rolled down Chat Noir's suited chest. The both clung to each other, searching for comfort, Adrien upset with his father, and Marinette devastated with the pain her partner felt and full of hate for who ever did these horrible things to him. Both let their tears flow. It provided a saddening calm. And then Marinette stopped and looked up from Chat's chest, and spoke for the first time.
"I care for you Chat. I care for you so much."
Her sad and broken blue eyes looked up into his. They seemed to be begging. Begging him almost, to understand. And then she looked away, putting her head back into his chest, before holding him tighter. Her tears began again, and Chat's tears increased in thickness. They clung to each other as if for dear life. The warmth and comfort of crying together, two comforting and emotional teenagers holding each other in hope of protecting the other from the rest of the cruel world. Adrien knew he would regret his intimacy with Marinette when he next saw his lady, but today he didn't care. All that mattered right now was him and her. And it was so, so soothing.
-End Chapter 3-
Hi readers! I am so sorry this has taken sooo long in uploading this chapter, I've been very distracted and tired, so I've had trouble writing. I promise I'll be better from now on. That said I am so thankful for the reads, follows, favourites and reviews, it really means a lot to me. Before Christmas I hope to get out a chapter of Forever-Ladybug aswell a one shot Christmas story. I'll most likely post another chapter of this story sometime very soon after Christmas. Now I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and have a wonderful Christmas. Bye!