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A Step at a Time	By : Cat_Eyes Category: +M through R > Miraculous LadyBug Views: 4022 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. Miraculous Ladybug is the intellectual property of Thomas Astruc and released by Zag studios. No profit was made writing this story.

Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
The next few days passed without any major incidents. The class was given homework on Friday, Adrien had a photoshoot on Saturday, and a patrol that night.
Chat Noir and Ladybug greeted each other with varying degrees of enthusiasm, to Chat Noir's dismay, but he let it slide as they ran and jumped across the city. He knew Ladybug's concerns and how she was probably screaming internally throughout the patrol. Chat Noir kept things amicable, even through Ladybug's stiff formality. He was grateful when they finished patrol and he hadn't fallen over once.
Sunday was spent doing the homework he'd received on Friday and on Monday, Adrien embarrassed himself in front of Marinette seven times before lunch.
Lunchtime on Tuesday, Adrien was back in Joseph's office.
'I don't think I'm too used to disappointment,' Adrien huffed as he crossed his arms. Tikki's words had plagued him since she said that, and Adrien was desperate to refute them.
'I don't think anyone ever gets used to disappointment. Where did this come from?' Joseph asked.
Adrien shrugged. 'Some friends and I were talking about akumas and what causes them. It was pointed out that I've never been akumatised and someone theorised that I was too used to being let down so, maybe, my emotional state can't be picked up on by Papillon.'
Joseph nodded and tapped his lip with his pen. Unfortunately, it was the nib, so Joseph unwittingly spotted his upper lip with ink.
'I see what you mean. However, I don't think it's entirely accurate.'
'Really?' Adrien looked at him in surprise.
Nodding again, Joseph explained, 'it's true you have been let down more than is fair. But I think it's your ability to forgive that had spared you from Papillon's attention.'
Adrien slumped back in his seat, eyes wide.
Joseph continued, 'many of Papillon's victims had a grudge to settle. They were unable to get past their anger, so they were transformed.
'You're not the type of person to hold on to his anger. Rather, you look beyond it, understand the reasons why you may have been let down, and then you move on. There are simply no negative emotions for Papillon to latch on to. I'm actually very proud of you for that. It takes great maturity to be able to see why someone has disappointed you, and then be able to forgive them for it.'
Adrien left his appointment feeling much lighter. He had been hoping Tikki was wrong, and hearing that from Joseph was validating and a relief. He couldn't blame Tikki for her assumptions, though. It was widely known that Gabriel could be cold and distant, and Tikki didn't know Adrien well enough apart from what she'd heard in rumour.
Adrien chuckled quietly. After that moment, Adrien had been too emotionally overwhelmed to tell Joseph he still had ink on his face. Hopefully, Joseph will look at a mirror before his next appointment.

'Is it just me, or is Papillon not even trying anymore?' Ladybug asked after patrol that night.
Chat Noir turned to her with a grin, pleased she was willing to make small talk. 'Maybe he's realised we're just too awesome.'
'I doubt that. I have to admit, this quiet has me suspicious. What if he's trying to lure us into a false sense of security before he unleashes his major attack?'
'Come on, LB,' Chat Noir said as he slung an arm around her shoulders. 'You should know by now that we can handle anything Butterfree throws at us.'
Ladybug smirked. 'Well, you're right about that.'
As he vaulted home, Adrien wondered how it was that he could be so smooth with her as Chat Noir, but when he was Adrien, he turned into a stammering clumsy mess. It was frustrating.

Sunday night, Adrien came down to dinner late. With exams fast approaching, every spare moment went into homework and studying. Adrien had lost himself in science, only realising he was late for dinner when his stomach, and Plagg, grumbled simultaneously. So, he poked a wedge of cheese into Plagg's mouth before leaving to satiate the other unhappy beast.
The entry hall was dimly lit, but Adrien didn't think on it. His mind was busy whirling with maths, physics, and food. He pushed open the dining room door to see the room was illuminated by clusters of candles on the table. Adrien's gaze drifted across the room in momentary confusion until they landed on Gabriel and Caline.
Gabriel sat, stunned, in his seat while Caline knelt in front of him, holding up a small box. Nestled inside was a gold ring with a single diamond embedded in the top.
Adrien backed silently out of the room. He could eat in the kitchen.

When Adrien entered the dining room for breakfast the following morning, it was to see two huge grins. 'Good morning, Father. Madame Bustier.'
'Good morning, Adrien,' Caline replied.
'Good morning, Son,' added Gabriel.
Adrien's eyes darted between them as he took his seat. Their smiles had a smug, knowing look, as if they were both very satisfied with something.
He looked to Gabriel. 'So, I'm gonna be your Best Man, right?'
Adrien had never seen grins turn to choked coughing so fast.
He sat through their lecture on maintaining secrecy with good grace. He respected their desire to keep this to themselves for a little while longer. If he were to be honest, he envied Gabriel and Caline a little bit. Then, he scolded himself for such a selfish thought. Certainly, he didn't begrudge them their happiness, and he wouldn't want them to be caught in the same limbo he was.
As he and Caline left for school, Adrien thought about what it would be like to marry Marinette. She would want to design and make her own dress. Their house would be pink. They would adopt a cat or five.
Caught up in his fantasies, Adrien moved automatically when the car pulled up at the school. He was still drifting on the clouds of whimsy when he entered the classroom and saw Marinette, gossiping excitedly with the other girls. Then, she turned to him and smiled.
Adrien dropped his bag to wave and smile back. As he took another step forward, his foot caught on the strap. His other foot stumbled over the body of the bag and Adrien pitched forward with an undignified yelp. His chin collided with his desk on the way down, causing Adrien to bite hi tongue while flipping him around so he landed on his back.
The entire class let out an oooh of sympathy, and winced at the sound of impact. As he sat up, rubbing his chin, the laughter began.
'Awesome wipeout, Man,' Kim teased.
'Come on, guys, this isn't funny. He could be seriously hurt,' Marinette said with concern.
Adrien smiled at her gratefully. He tried to tell her he was fine, but his words came out so garbled, even he wasn't sure what he'd said.
'Shh, don't try to talk,' Marinette told him as her hands fluttered about uselessly. 'You hit your chin pretty bad. Try not to move your mouth until the nurse can take a look.'
Adrien let his tongue poke out and Marinette winced when she saw it.
'Ok, no talking at all until that looks better.'
Marinette helped him to his feet and picked up his bag. She then supported him by the arm until they reached the nurse's office, then explained how he'd hurt himself. After a quick examination, the nurse proclaimed him well enough to attend class. Marinette tried to argue for a cold compress at least, but the nurse was adamant it was just a bump. As Marinette helped him back to class, he tried to thank her, but his tongue felt like it had swollen three times its usual size. He stopped trying to talk when he suspected he began to drool.
'All right, Mister, no more talking. We have class now,' Marinette mock scolded him. They re-entered class and took their seats with decorum this time.

That afternoon, Adrien came home with a veritable mountain of homework, a bruised chin, and a still slightly swollen tongue. The physical pain had subsided, but Plagg still cackled at Adrien's attempts to look suave in front of Marinette after his fall. Speech had been impossible all morning with an aching jaw and painful tongue, so, no matter what he tried, he just looked like an idiot. His condition had improved later in the day, but his dignity still suffered.
Plagg suddenly stopped laughing. Adrien glanced up to see Plagg hovering over his coffee table, staring at something with his mouth agape. Adrien approached cautiously.
'What is it?' he asked.
Plagg's mouth snapped shut as he pointed at something on the table, looking at Adrien with an expression bordering on panicked.
Frowning, Adrien circled his lounge. Sitting next to his television remote was a small, plain, dark brown box made of good quality card. He lifted it up to see a small note had been tucked underneath it. Flipping the note over, he read the brief message, then nudged the lid off the box with his thumb.
'Plagg, call Ladybug. Now.'
- 16
- 17
- 18
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A Step at a Time