16. Embers(1)

"The point of visitation is to see how your loved one is doing and make them feel better, not stress them to the point of fainting," Longuevie said, crossing his arms sternly and chastising Nino and Alya after pulling them out of Adrien's room.

"Sorry, Dr. Longuevie…" Alya and Nino apologized in unison, eyes lowered to the ground.

"Adrien is still in a very delicate state," he explained, "He went through a difficult experience and it will take a while for him to recover fully. Please be mindful of him."

"Yes sir," Nino said, lowering his head in shame.

"Whatever did you tell him to get that reaction?" the doctor asked with a raised brow.

"Uh…" Nino looked at Alya, who looked back at him with the same wide eyes.

"Exams!" Alya said suddenly, "W-We told him that h-he'd have to catch up when he returned... "

"Yup, exams!" Nino agreed, nodding energetically and smiling widely, "Really tough exams!"

The doctor furrowed his brows suspiciously, lowering his glasses to look pointedly at them. Alya could've sworn his eyes focused on her bag for a split second before shifting back to the teens in front of him.

"Alright, then…" Dr. Longuevie said, "You can stay a little longer. Though you might want to apologize for startling him when he wakes. Please do not do it again."

"Yes, Dr. Longuevie. Thank you!" Alya said, moving aside to let the doctor in to tend to Adrien, who had begun to stir.

"Good morning," Dr. Longuevie greeted the groggy Adrien as his eyes fluttered open, "It seems you had a bit of a rude awakening." He gave Alya and Nino a glance as they followed him in and they smiled nervously.

Adrien blinked at him in confusion, sleep clinging to his mind as Longuevie came around his bed to check on his monitor. His head then turned to Alya and Nino, and all three of them watched in slow motion how Adrien's face went from groggy sleepiness, to wide-eyed panic.

"Hey, chill dude, it's okay," Nino said hurriedly, then hesitated "I'm sorry about startling you about … uh….the exams." Nino winked an eye at Adrien, who just narrowed his eyes at his best friend in confusion, tilting his head to a side.

"E...xams…?" Adrien repeated dumbly.

"Yeah! We're sorry for worrying you about the exams we were talking about earlier, we didn't mean to upset you," Alya pitched in, emphasizing each word by tilting her head in the direction of her bag with a pointed stare.

Adrien looked down, barely making out a pair of tiny green eyes peeking at him from the darkness in Alya's bag and something clicked in his head.

"Oh… T-Those exams…" Adrien said dubiously, brows knitted in confusion as he fell into the lie. "Yeah…"

"Yep, it was totally exams, but don't worry dude, Mrs. Bustier understands!" Nino said again with a forced smile.

Dr. Longuevie just stared at them with furrowed brows but decided not to press for an explanation. He then turned to Adrien, his approach once again gentle. "You doing okay?"

Adrien sighed and pinched his nose with his index and thumb. "I think I need a breather…"

Despite being in a spacious room, Adrien suddenly felt suffocated and trapped. He wanted to move. He needed a change of scenery to clear his head. He wished he could just transform into Chat Noir and escape everything and disappear for a time.

How he missed just feeling healthy and energetic. No pain, no sickness, no heartache. Nothing but exploring the Parisian skyline with his Lady, secrets concealed, smiles on their faces as they flew from roof to roof, wind rustling their hair… He had taken it all for granted.

Adrien's heart churned and he had to close his eyes to stop the sting building under his eyelids.

"Yeah, fresh air sounds good! Can't he, like, walk around?" Nino asked the doctor, "Maybe take him some place to relax? He's probs tired of being on that bed for so long!"

"Sadly, he can't leave yet. There's still much to work on before he can move," Dr. Longuevie explained, though he then tapped a finger against his chin, "But… perhaps if Adrien is feeling better we could arrange something next week?" he turned to Adrien with a smile

Adrien perked up, "Are you serious? I can leave?"

"You'd have to keep to the premises, and we still have to see how you're doing, but maybe by this time next week you can make do without all of these," The doctor said, motioning to the several tubes and cables connected to him, "It may not make your father too happy, but a few minutes out should be fine."

"Next week sounds great!" Adrien said.

"Well then, for now you need to rest, so we'll take it easy for the rest of today, alright?" Longuevie said, then turned to Alya and Nino with a stern stare, "Maybe you can talk about these exams next week?"

"Uh yes, we can talk about this next week then," Alya said, looking at Adrien meaningfully. "I'll take care of things meanwhile…" she motioned at her bag with her head again. Adrien quickly gathered she was talking about Plagg, whose eyes he could see peeking from beneath the lapel.

"Oh… uh, okay…" Adrien said dubiously, his eyes meeting Plagg's, who seemed to be nodding reassuringly at him, but Adrien still couldn't shake the unsettling feeling in his chest that came with knowing someone else knew about Plagg now. The potential danger that the three of them were now in because of that knowledge.

"Oh, by the way! Alya saved your phone!" Nino said, fishing the device out of his pocket, "So like, if you get too bored or something…just hit us up!"

"Hey, thanks!" Adrien said, taking the phone and charger from Nino. He then hesitated, "Um, you…didn't happen to get my ring, too, did you? I think I may have… dropped it in the accident?" Adrien looked pointedly at Alya, his gaze anxious and hoping she knew what he meant.

"Oh, right. I held onto it," Alya said, sinking her hand in her bag to retrieve the ring, which Adrien guessed had been safeguarded by Plagg, "Here you go."

Alya handed him the silver ring and, after checking that it was the right one, he breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Alya, really…"

"Hey, no problem," Alya said, her eyes empathetic.

"That ring seems precious to you," Longuevie, who had remained silent until then, commented idly, watching the piece of jewelry with mild interest, "It must be really important."

Adrien was taken aback by the doctor's expression, a tingly feeling running up his spine.

"Uh, yes, my mother gave it to me," Adrien lied, putting the ring back on his scarred finger and fisting his hand protectively, "I would've hated to lose it."

Longuevie smiled, "I can imagine. Well, I'm glad that you got it back. Now, I think it's time for Adrien to rest up." he turned to Alya and Nino and nodded his head.

"Oh, right! Well, we'll catch up next week, dude!" Nino said, waving at Adrien as Alya and he made their way to the door.

"Yeah, see you next week!" Adrien called back, watching Alya and Nino's retreating backs, and trying to ignore the anxiety building up in the pit of his stomach.

There was going to be a lot to talk about.

To: Marinette +33653257

Adrien 9:32 pm Hey Marinette. Its me Adrien. I got my phone back today so I though Id text you. I know youre still… sleeping but I really wanted to tlak to you

Adrien 9:33 pm Alya said it would be a goo idea to send you texts even if you cant read these messages right now

Adrien 9:33 pm (Sorry if I typo it's hard to type with one hand.)

Adrien 9:36 pm Um so i dont know where to begin. It's a long story. Im in the hospital right now. Im in the room next to yours actually which is pretty awesome even fi I cant go visit you right now. Im okay. Or ill be okay at least. I hope. There's so much I want to tell you

Adrien 9:38 pm I guess I can begin by saying tha.t.. I miss you. A lot. Its not the same without you Marinette. I hope youre okay.

Adrien 9:40 pm I need to go to sleep now. I'll text you tomorrow... Bye.

The week passed by at a snail's pace to Adrien.

Instead of getting better, like he had thought he would, nothing seemed to really change.

Whenever he was awake, the pain would come and go at irregular intervals, and when it hit, it hit with a vengeance. It was so bad at times it felt like he was back on square one, his body alight with piercing pain, his lips parted in agonized cries.

When he could no longer tolerate it, they would pump painkillers into his bloodstream, completely knocking him out, or at the very least, sinking him into a state between sleep and wakefulness where he felt nothing, not even himself.

He only seemed to get visitors during these instances, and it was in such moments that Adrien would register the oddest things when the line between reality and hallucination blurred.

He would see his father or Nathalie lingering over him, voices subdued as they talked among themselves. He even thought he felt his father caress his head a few times, but he was never entirely sure if it had really happened or it was his mind playing tricks on him.

He also thought he saw Marinette's mother checking up on him from time to time, kindly tucking him in when his blankets shifted, or gently stroking his cheek when involuntary noises escaped his lips, whispering comforting words in his ear.

Sometimes, he was so far gone he'd see a glowing red light hovering around him, fleeting and mesmerizing. But whenever someone opened the door, it'd disappear and Adrien would forget all about it.

His most frequent visitor, however, was Dr. Longuevie. He would look after him, jotting notes on his clipboard, checking the monitors, or cleaning his burns.

Thinking Adrien asleep, he would often drop his kindly façade and sport a serious grimace on his face, concern lining his features every time he reviewed his notes on Adrien's status.

One night, based on Longuevie's dejected sigh and saddened eyes, Adrien could tell with growing dread what was passing through the doctor's mind….

No progress.

With heart pounding, Adrien would hear Longuevie talk to himself, saying things Adrien could barely make out in a hushed, worried voice. Things about him. Things about his health and stagnant state, how it seemed that although he wasn't worsening, he had yet to improve.

Sometimes Adrien even thought he heard someone responding to Longuevie, catching a little whisper within the room, but he could never see who he was talking to or decipher what they were saying. Other times, he would express the same concerns over the phone with someone, though Adrien could never figure out who was at the other end of the line.

All he knew was that, so far, things weren't going as smoothly as he was originally led to believe, and he began to feel the seed of uncertainty take root in his heart. Unwilling to deal with the thought, he'd often take solace in his drug-induced sleep, dreaming beautiful dreams with Marinette, his one respite from his deplorable existence.

They'd spend their time creating ridiculous shapes in the sky, changing the colors of nature around them, or racing each other across the vast plain. He often found himself wanting to sleep forever, laughing with Marinette somewhere where there was no pain and he could forget all his worries.

But his wish was not to be. When the morphine would run out in time for his scheduled daily checkup, he'd once again wake up to his daunting reality in the same dull room, with numb limbs, and a lingering hint of pain the depleting morphine couldn't hide.

As days passed with his prognosis unchanged, his feelings of desperation began to grow. He began to feel the claws of hopelessness clutch at him, trying to pull him under to wrap him in a veil of sorrow he couldn't break out from.

He felt trapped in his own body, his mind swirling with negativity and what-ifs. He felt that if it wasn't for the sedatives numbing him, he would've already ripped every tube and wire out of his body and fled the room, if only to be able to move, to feel, to live again…

Some nights it was just too much.

When he was completely alone and his mind wasn't so drugged that he could control his movements, he'd shakily reach for his phone, tears in his eyes, and type random messages to Marinette to keep himself sane.

He'd say all and nothing, like telling her he missed her, telling her he couldn't wait for her to wake up. Telling her about the pain and the dark, self-deprecating thoughts in his mind. Thanking her for all the things she'd done for him, and apologizing for everything he could think of. Telling her how he couldn't wait to go back to sleep to see her, telling her how he wished she was really there.

And although it pained him to never receive an answer, he'd do all this until exhaustion took him or the nurses were forced to put him under again, his body in too much pain to allow him a natural sleep.

However, on the sixth day since Alya and Nino's visit, Adrien finally exhibited a hint of improvement. He could tolerate pain long enough that they could remove his feeding tube from his abdomen and give him normal food again.

The food was usually liquid and flavorless, but swallowing was still a feat in and of itself. He had to be spoon-fed, his grasp too weak and unsteady to hold the spoon on his own.

His mouth would move slowly as he got used to the feeling of food in his mouth again after nearly three weeks of not tasting a bite, constantly fighting the rising waves of nausea in his stomach with oftentimes unsuccessful, messy results.

Despite the unpleasantries, Adrien forced himself to eat, even when he felt anything but hunger and his spirits were at an all time low.

He felt like death, and probably looked like it too, judging by the concerned faces of Longuevie and Nathalie, whenever she was around to check up on him. Faking a smile had become too much of a hassle, so he didn't bother with it anymore. He had also lost all interest in talking, filling the room with an uncomfortable silence.

Even Gabriel had soon questioned Adrien's caretakers on his lack of interaction, but despite Adrien's nearly nonexistent progress, they assured him he was doing fine.

Adrien did not bother contradicting them and Gabriel would look at him with pity, at times holding his hand in a comforting gesture before he had to leave, which Adrien appreciated even if he couldn't show it.

Nino and Alya would send him texts often, but he never had the spirit to text back, letting the phone buzz on without a response, part of him salty that the buzzing wasn't ever from Marinette, even though he knew full well why that was.

Overall, only one thing rounded his head, a question swimming in Adrien's head, terrible and unrelenting.

Why wasn't he getting better?

Could it be that Cataclysm's damage was permanent? Untreatable?

He couldn't tell, and it was eating at him, killing what little hope he still clung to. He thought being in the hospital would make everything better but in reality, the change had been minimal. It was all still there, but now he had more pain-blocking resources at his disposal.

It was but an illusion.

On the seventh day, Adrien woke up in a decidedly morose mood, barely uttering a word as he was greeted for the day and fed . He slowly licked his lips after swallowing up the last spoonful of porridge the nurse offered him, giving off a despondent sigh as he closed his tired eyes.

"You finished the whole bowl this time, well done," Longuevie praised gently as he watched the nurse remove the table and empty food tray from Adrien's bed. "That's good news."

Adrien supposed that it was. This time around, he hadn't thrown up his food two spoonfuls in like he had done several times yesterday. He still felt terribly sick to his stomach, and didn't respond to Longuevie's comment, huffing low under his breath and turning his head away.

Longuevie furrowed his brows, but waited until the nurse left the room before he spoke again.

"Adrien? Are you alright?" Longuevie asked him softly, sitting on his bedside. Adrien decidedly kept his eyes shut, completely quiet.

"I would like it if you would tell me what's on your mind..." Longuevie insisted gently.

Adrien didn't respond for a full minute, until finally, with a sigh, he opened his eyes, which were now wet and glassy, staring blankly at the wall beyond Longuevie.

"Why do you lie to me?" came Adrien's soft whisper.

Longuevie cocked his head in confusion, arching an eyebrow "Pardon?"

"I'm not going to be fine," Adrien said softly in a croaky voice, "Am I?"

"What makes you think that? Of course you are going to be fi-"

"I've heard you," Adrien confessed, "When you think I'm not listening. You tell someone I'm not making progress… That you don't know why nothing is working…"

Longuevie stared, his mouth gaping. It seemed to Adrien that the doctor hadn't realized Adrien could still hear him even when he was sedated, able to pick up whispers here and there and putting two and two together.

Longuevie closed his mouth, and cleared his throat lightly, shaking his head. "It's not like that…"

"Yes, it is," Adrien insisted, voice choking. "You lie to my father and to me, but I'm not getting better…"

It was a deep-rooted fear in his heart, that he would never be alright again, that he was permanently crippled and broken and nothing would ever be the same.

He would never be able to be Chat Noir again, or hang out with Ladybug, or even his friends. He would always be dependent, unable to help others, forever stuck at home.

And although he was trying so hard to control it, he couldn't avoid developing a deep hatred for Hawk Moth and what he had done to them both. How he had permanently changed their lives.

He gave a shuddering breath, trying to keep his emotions under control.

"Adrien, it's alright," Longuevie said soothingly, "I'm sorry you had to hear that. I just... Your damage is unlike anything I've seen before and your healing is… well, It's unnaturally slow. I really want to help you. I wish you would tell me what happened. What really happened, so I could understand better..."

Longuevie looked pointedly at him, but Adrien averted his gaze. Unfortunately for him, Longuevie was not the type to back off when faced with resistance.

"Acute infection and internal bleeding due to aspiration of toxic gases from the dragon's breath." Longuevie recited, "That's the version they gave us. But it's not entirely true, is it? That's not what really happened..."

Adrien swallowed thickly, feeling a cold chill on his neck. He couldn't tell him the truth. He couldn't tell anyone else who he was. Too many people were in danger already by knowing his secret...

"I don't know," Adrien lied, "I don't remember."

"I know you do remember, Adrien. I can see the change in your eyes when I bring it up," Longuevie said, lowering his voice to barely above a whisper. "I also see how you start with loud noises, and how you tremble when it rains and lightning flashes. Even how you stiffen when someone so much as grazes your skin..."

Longuevie trailed off, watching Adrien's reaction closely, trying to find an answer in his teary eyes. Adrien remained decidedly silent, his lower lip trembling slightly as he tried to keep the moisture in his eyes at bay.

Longuevie regarded him a few seconds longer before he sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"I won't force you to tell me if you don't want to, but Adrien..." Longuevie reached out then, laying a comforting hand on Adrien's head. "Please know that you can trust me. Trust that I want nothing but for you to be okay. I'm your doctor. I really want you to get better and I will find a way and do everything in my power to help you. Do you believe me?"

Adrien was silent, trying hard to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Do you believe me, Adrien?" Longuevie asked again.

"...Yes," Adrien croaked, tears finally escaping the corners of his eyes.

"There, there, " Longuevie said gently, reaching with a thumb to wipe a tear from Adrien's cheek. "I know you're scared, but you will get better, I promise. We'll make you okay again, no matter what it takes."

"Do you mean it this time?" Adrien asked him, turning to him with glassy eyes.

"I do, with every part of me," Longuevie said, smiling warmly at Adrien. "How are you feeling right now?"

"A little nauseous..." Adrien said, wiping his nose and eyes with his sleeve.

"What about the pain?"

"It's bearable, I guess…"

"Do you want to try getting off the bed? Your friends promised to visit today, remember?"

"I… I don't know if I can," Adrien said. He might've have been excited about the prospect last week, but now, his mind was not entirely in a good place. He didn't know if he could humor his friends in his current state or if he was ready to move his broken body.

"Won't know if you don't try. It will do you good to see other faces other than my old, ugly mug," Longuevie said with a chuckle, "But it's your choice. Are you up for it?"

"I guess…" Adrien said, shrugging his shoulder.

"Alright, rest for a while, and we will give it a try in an hour."

To: Marinette +33653257

Adrien 12:32 pm Hey Marinette… I wish you were here right now.

Adrien 12:34 pm I'm not feeling too good. Things arent looking too bright for me…. I'm really scared…

Adrien 12:36 pm Sometimes I just don't want to wake up anymore. Id rather stay with you.

Adrien 12:37 pm I know it's not real but… I don't know. It's hard to stay positive. I'm trying, but… it's been 3 weeks. I don't know if I'll ever truly be okay again.

Adrien 12:39 pm Sorry I'm being selfish and a downer lately. I'm sosrry. Nino and Alya are visiting today so I'll try to perk up. I don't want them worrying and company should be nice for a change. I'll be going out for the first time in 3 weeks so I'm a little bit excited about that at least. I mis the outside.

Adrien 12:41 pm I misss when we patrolled the city together too… I hope we can get that back. Please wake up soon.

Adrien 12:41 pm Sorry there I go again…

Adrien 12:43 pm On the bright side, I heard it's been going great for you though! I'm really happy for you and I can't wait till you're back on your feet… I need to go now, bt I'll text you soon. Have a big talk with Nino and Alya today… I'll let you know how it goes.

Adrien 12:45 pm Miss you.

"And that's the last one," Longuevie said, gently redressing the last of Adrien's burns and applying a bandage on his right shoulder blade. "Now that's healing nicely. Does it sting less?"

"A little bit…" Adrien said, eyes downcast and back hunched over on the edge of bed as Longuevie laced the hospital robe across his back again..

"Ready to give moving a try?"

Adrien shrugged noncommittally, straightening on the bed and stroking the fresh bandaging around his burnt neck, idly noticing his hair had grown longer and unruly.

Not like maintaining his appearance was of any importance now. With all the scarring and damage on his skin, modelling was no longer a viable career path. Not that he really cared anymore.

"Alright then," Longuevie said, walking around to stand at Adrien's side, "Now wrap your arm around my shoulders."

Adrien did, mindful of not pulling on his broken arm in the process. Adrien paused briefly, breathing deeply. It was the first time he was going to move in weeks and he felt nervous and wary of how his body was going to react with the motion.

Giving him a hesitant nod, Longuevie began inching Adrien closer to the edge of the bed.

"Easy now, one step at a time," Longuevie instructed as he held on to Adrien's right arm, slowly easing Adrien off the bed.

Adrien grunted as he slid down and his feet touched the ground, his legs, weakened from disuse, shaking beneath him. Adrien hissed as he tried to take a step and his knees buckled, causing Longuevie to grip him from the waist to hold him up.

"It hurts," Adrien choked as he tried to regain his balance, legs trembling and unstable. He felt extremely thin and frail, and he wobbled in his stance as Longuevie held him firmly in place.

"I know. Your muscles have grown weak, you will need to exercise to get that strength back," the doctor explained, "But don't worry about it for now. As soon as your arm is ready for decasting, you'll go to therapy. You'll be back on your feet in no time."

"Yeah, I hope," Adrien said with a hint of bitterness in his voice as the doctor began edging him to the wheelchair he had prepared beside him, gently seating him down and easing his legs over the supports.

"How does it feel?" Longuevie asked, taking a syringe and a bottle from the pocket of his white coat and preparing it for an injection.

"Weird. My legs are all tingly," Adrien commented, rubbing his thigh in concern.

"It's the blood flow adjusting," Longuevie said, rubbing the spot on the underside of Adrien's arm where his vein was. "It's okay. It will feel strange for a few days but your body will begin falling into its old self soon enough. You've been through a lot, Adrien, remember."

"I know, I know," Adrien lamented.

"I know that given our earlier conversation this may not mean much right now, but you're doing great for someone who went through what you did," Longuevie said very softly, gently injecting the painkiller into Adrien's arm, "Both you and Miss Marinette are very brave…"

Adrien furrowed his brows at the mention of Marinette. "I don't see how getting hurt is being brave. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time…"

"I honestly believe that the reason you were at those places, at those times, is what makes you two brave…" Longuevie said, looking up meaningfully at Adrien.

The hairs on the nape of Adrien's neck stood on end, and he wasn't sure if it was from the medication's cold contents or the implication in Longuevie's words.

"What do you mean?"

Longuevie fixed him with a serious stare, brown eyes boring into Adrien's green ones. His gaze then travelled to Adrien's scarred arm, the one whose vein he was now soothing. He gently removed the syringe and turned his arm around, running a thumb up the white lines branching out of Adrien's ring finger.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you with this one…" Longuevie said.

"You saved my life," Adrien replied, "It's more than I could've asked for."

"No, that was all you," Longuevie looked at him again, "And that is what I find most amazing and… peculiar."

"Peculiar?"

Longuevie was quiet for a moment, before he spoke again in a low voice, "There's something I need to talk to you about, Adrien…"

Adrien gulped, feeling a cold chill down his back, "What about?"

"I-"

But just then, the sound of knocking came from the door, and Longuevie paused, words dying in his throat. He sighed, stealing a glance at the door beside him.

"We'll talk later, your friends are here."

"No, wait!" Adrien said grabbing his arm, "What is it?"

"Later, Adrien," Longuevie said, and before Adrien could protest further, he stood up and walked away, discarding the used syringe container into the biomedical waste and dropping the bottle in a nearby trash bin.

"This should keep the pain under control for an hour. Enjoy your day with your friends." Longuevie said before he turned to the door, "Come in!"

And just like that, Longuevie's kindly façade, the one Adrien knew was just a front, was back.

Adrien breathed in the scent of wet soil and greenery as Nino wheeled him to the hospital courtyard, exhaling a satisfied sigh.

He forced himself to push his thoughts on Longuevie's odd talk out of his head and to remain calm. Although curiosity ate at him, he was not going to waste his first time out in around three weeks pondering about the doctor's strange behavior.

The courtyard was a square area situated in the middle of the hospital, surrounded by the rest of the building. A great fountain sat in the middle, surrounded by plants and lush hedges pin pricked with small white flowers.

Benches littered the sides of the numerous pathways criss crossing the place, not unlike the larger and more popular Jardin des Plantes.

It was a sight for sore eyes for Adrien to be out in the open once again. As much as he loved the beautiful paradise he and Marinette would often find themselves in dreams, nothing could beat the feel and smell of the real thing.

"Good to be out again, huh?" Nino asked him.

Although Alya had also visited (Plagg included), she had stayed behind, insisting that Adrien should spend some time alone with this best friend to talk things through first. Some kind of bro code they apparently had, not that Adrien was against it.

"Yeah! It's great to have some fresh air again," Adrien replied, "It was getting stuffy in there."

"And you've been asleep through the majority of your stay, imagine if you'd been awake the whole time, dude," Nino chuckled and Adrien cringed, though Nino didn't seem to notice. "Probably would've needed to transfer you to the psychiatric ward."

"Har har, hilarious," Adrien quipped, though silently agreed, kind of glad Nino didn't know the full extent of what Adrien had been going through both physically and mentally.

"Want to rest up by that bench?" Adrien asked, pointing to the quaint iron benches surrounding a grand fountain in the middle of the courtyard.

"Yeah, sure," Nino said, leading them both towards the fountain. Once there, Nino stationed Adrien's wheelchair and sat down on the iron bench beside him, spreading his arms on the back of it with a sigh.

They were silent for a few moments, simply admiring the scenery and taking in the relaxing sound of the flowing water and the birds chirping in the sky. It was an overcast November morning, and although it was cold, Adrien reveled in the chilliness of the air against his skin, making him feel the most alive he'd felt in weeks.

He knew he'd have to go back to his room soon to get hooked up when the pain got intense again, but for now, he'd enjoy the rare opportunity of respite. But as companionable as their silence was, however, Adrien still felt a kind of tension in the air, and he knew he needed to break it sooner rather than later.

"So…" Adrien started awkwardly, fidgeting with the blanket covering his legs, eyes trained on a little bird who had perched on the topmost ledge of the fountain to take a bath, "You know."

"I do," Nino replied simply, his eyes focused on the same bird.

"How long?"

"Since the night on the railway…" Nino replied calmly, though Adrien could see how forlorn his eyes looked when he said it.

"I see. Um…" Adrien had been the one to start the conversation, but now he didn't know how to continue it, "And…?"

"And what?" Nino shot him a side glance, an eyebrow quirked.

Adrien took a pacifying breath and rubbed at the back of his neck, "I guess… I wanna know what you think, I mean, it's… well…"

Nino chuckled and Adrien paused, "Don't hurt yourself, dude. It's no big deal."

"No big deal?" Adrien looked at him, eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.

"I mean, it was a big deal, but that was weeks ago," Nino shrugged, "When we were told you were probably dead and Alya blurted your secret out to me in a fit of hysterics. It's been a long three weeks, man… I can still hear everything in my head."

"What do you mean everything?" Adrien asked, taken aback.

"Your dad shouting, Alya's crying, your screaming-"

"My screaming?" Adrien narrowed his eyes in confusion. He didn't recall screaming when Nino visited him a week ago, "What screaming?"

"During the first few days, remember?"

"Uh…no?" Adrien tilted his head. "Elaborate?"

Nino's eyebrows raised and he breathed in deeply, clicking with his tongue.

"Well, I guess it was bad enough that your brain blocked the memory or something…" Nino commented, laying his elbows on his knees and rubbing his hands for warmth, like what he was about to tell Adrien had a great weight on his heart.

"After they revived you, you were...agonizing, for days," Nino said, lowering his head and staring at his hands, his eyes turning glassy as if he was revisiting an unpleasant memory.

"You were unresponsive, just tossing and screaming. They had to tie you down and put you to sleep because you wouldn't stop crying in pain and ripping all the tubes off. It got so bad once you couldn't even breathe. They had to intubate you." Nino turned to him, quirking an eyebrow, "You really don't remember?"

"I...what? No, I don't remember any of it," Adrien said, eyes widened in surprise. He didn't even recall the night he supposedly came back to life. His memories went from lying in the tunnel in Madame Cheng's arms to waking up to the doctor removing the tube from his throat. Nothing in between.

"I guess it's for the best you don't, dude." Nino said, rubbing his arms, more out of the chill of the memory than the weather, "Your dad was a wreck. He wouldn't let anyone see you for days, especially 'cuz the media was swarming over you. Son of Agreste attacked by Akuma, etc. It was pretty crazy, man. They only started backing off when your dad threatened with a lawsuit."

"My dad was… with me?" Adrien asked.

"Every day." Nino confirmed, "For as long as he could until he had to go to work, I guess. He would only let Nathalie in, or Madame Cheng…"

"Madame Cheng? Why?" Adrien questioned. Why Marinette's mother of all people? It wasn't like his father to let strangers near him.

"Maybe cuz she was there the night they saved you? Alya thinks it's 'cuz you seemed to calm down a little bit when you heard her. Dunno, you tell me." Nino shrugged.

"How do you know all this?" Adrien asked. "I thought he wasn't letting anyone see me."

"Madame Cheng told us," Nino said, "Dunno if you forgot this too but… you kinda detransformed in her arms. She knows who you are. We're all in this now, and she would tell us how you were doing when we weren't allowed to see you, Plagg especially. He was really worried about you."

It was still unnerving to Adrien to hear Nino speak about Plagg in such a nonchalant manner. Adrien breathed in and braced to make the question that was bugging him since the conversation started. "How… how many people know? Does my father…?"

"Absolutely not. He has no idea. Though I thought your father or Nathalie would know, I mean, with how overbearing they are with you..."

"Are you nuts?" Adrien scoffed, "Do you really think my dad would be happy with the idea of me going around jumping over the roofs of Paris in a cat suit?"

Nino suddenly broke out laughing and Adrien didn't realize how much he missed the sound until then.

"Touché, dude, touché…"Nino chuckled, "When you put it that way…I guess it's too crazy."

"So… who else?" Adrien pressed.

"Alya, me, and Marinette's parents, that's it."

Adrien sighed. He was relieved the media hadn't gotten wind of this, and from the sounds of it, Nino and Alya had kept his secret fiercely guarded.

"Nino, I... I really hope you know how important it is that no one else finds out. Ever." Adrien turned to his friend, looking at him seriously, "I've put you in danger by letting you find out my identity. If Hawk Moth gets wind of who I am, I don't know what he would do to you, or anyone close to me-"

"Relax man, we understand," Nino said, putting a hand on Adrien's good shoulder and squeezing reassuringly, "My girlfriend is an avid superhero nerd, remember? If there's anyone who understands how important secret identities are, it's her."

"Really?" Adrien said, raising an eyebrow "Are we talking about the same girl who would literally put herself in harm's way to find out Ladybug's identity?"

"Okay, I'll give you that one, but she's changed! Now that she realized Chat was you…" Nino rubbed the back of his head, "I guess it puts things into perspective, huh?"

"Totally…" Adrien said bitterly, recalling his own mixed feelings at finding out Ladybug was Marinette all along.

"Talking about the Hawkman, he's been super silent." Nino added.

"Really?" Adrien asked.

"Yup, not one peep since you defeated his last villain," Nino said.

"Weird," Adrien said, though inwardly he was infinitely grateful to get a break in battling, "What's the news saying about Chat Noir?"

"All the lies Alya has been telling them. Since she was there during the last attack, they have no choice but to take her testimony," Nino explained, "She did it mostly to protect you."

"What did she say?"

"Said Chat Noir was going to lay low for a while and let the city deal with the damage of the last Akuma. Asked the city to not call for him for everyday issues and to let him rest, stuff like that."

"Right, well, thank her for me." Adrien said with a genuine smile, feeling warm and fuzzy at how his friends took care of him even when he was out of commission.

"What happened to the boy?" Adrien asked, "The dragon akuma?"

"Hmm," Nino thought, placing a finger on his chin, "Went to the hospital, got checked out. I heard he almost got an aneurysm when he found out he almost killed a person. A famous one at that,"―Adrien scoffed―"Dunno who he is, but he's fine last I heard. I don't think he'll ever be able to look you in the eye again, though."

"I'm honestly fine with that," Adrien sighed.

"That bad, huh?" Nino asked, patting his back empathetically.

"You have no clue," Adrien said, "I… I don't think I'll ever be fine again, Nino."

"Dude, don't say that," Nino said reassuringly, "It'll be difficult but we're here to support you, okay? You're not alone anymore, and while we are on the topic, Madame Cheng said you are welcome at their house any time, any day, as Chat Noir or Adrien."

There it was, his silver lining, cutting through the darkness in his head. He wasn't alone. Not anymore. Even if Ladybug wasn't there to fight with him, at the very least, he now had people he could depend on.

Adrien smiled warmly, eyes stinging. "Thank you, all of you."

"It's no problem, dude," Nino said, smiling sheepishly, "And I uh… I guess it's as good a time as any to apologize."

"Apologize? For what?" Adrien asked.

"For never doing anything… even though you weren't okay," Nino said, lowering his eyes to the ground again, "I should've been a better friend and looked after you, ya know? Help you out even if I couldn't know who you really were or what you were doing." he sniffed.

"Nino…" Adrien started, emotion building in his chest, "There was no way you could've… I was hiding it Nino, I didn't want anyone to know, it's not your fault."

Adrien tried to assuage him, but he could see tears building up in Nino's eyes. He could tell he had been harboring this guilt for a while and Adrien's heart ached for him.

"Even then, I noticed you were hella off, and I didn't do anything," Nino lamented, moisture building up in his eyes, "I should've asked you if you were okay or if you needed anything or something…"

"Nino, I would've lied anyway," Adrien insisted, "I… I was pushing everyone away. Everything wrong with me was because of the Akumas I was fighting without Ladybug. How was I going to explain? I was scared too, Nino. It's not your fault, really."

"When you collapsed that day at school," Nino continued, brushing off Adrien's attempts at comforting him, "I…I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what was wrong with you. And then you d-disappeared, and then… W-We were looking for you all o-over the city. No one had seen you and it was raining, and there was that blasted dragon…" he hissed, and Adrien could see the anger line his friend's features.

Nino paused and took a steadying breath, his eyes once again lowering, his voice going soft, "Then that night Alya called me at like 5 in the morning or something and… gosh my blood went all cold, man…" Nino rubbed his arms, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Nino, don't do this," Adrien tried, grabbing his shoulder to calm him friend down, but he wouldn't be soothed.

"Alya was crying rivers. I couldn't calm her down. At the time… they were told you were dead. Marinette's dad had overheard the doctor telling your dad you were dead." Nino looked at him, and the desolation he saw in Nino's eyes rattled Adrien to his very core.

He was shot back to the past, a cold, rainy night, imagining just how unsettling and world-shattering it must have been to be woken up in early hours of the morning to receive the news that your best friend in the whole world was now dead.

Nino sighed and lowered his eyes to the ground again.

"I could hear Madame Cheng crying, and Alya was in hysterics. She… She told me everything…" Nino explained, his tears now flowing freely as the memories came flooding back. All the emotion he had kept inside for Adrien's sake was bursting forth as he continued his story, his voice barely above a whisper now.

"How you were Chat Noir. How you had gotten attacked. How Madame Cheng revived you but you were just not there, how they took you to the hospital… how the doctors couldn't save you…" Nino's lower lip trembled and his voice cracked, "And all I could think of is how I had messed up, and how now I wouldn't have a chance to say sorry and make it up to you..."

"Nino, please stop," Adrien said, his own tears building in his eyes, "I'm here now, okay? I'm not dead. It's okay, Nino… I'm here. I'm not leaving."

Nino looked at him then, eyes glassy and swollen, and surrounded Adrien with his arms, hugging him tight.

"You b-better mean that, dude," Nino hiccuped, "If you do that a-again I'm gonna drag you back from wherever you are and punch your ghost myself."

Adrien laughed a watery laugh, hugging his friend back. They remained like that for a few minutes, just cementing the fact that they were both alive and reunited again, no secrets between them.

"It's good to have you back, dude," Nino said softly, pulling away and ruffling Adrien's hair gently.

"It's good to be back," Adrien smiled, wiping his eyes and clapping a hand on Nino's shoulder.

"Nino, what happened to the school? How's everyone? I think I… caused a mess there." Adrien said, lowering his eyes in shame.

"Hey dude, stop that," Nino chastised, "It's thanks to you that everyone survived. Everyone is okay. You were the only one hurt in the attack, to be honest."

"Really?" Adrien pressed, his tone relieved.

"Yeah, a few scratches here and there but everyone made it out and no one was badly hurt, thanks to you," Nino smiled, "The school had to be closed, though. Too much damage so they have to rebuild it. Mr. Damocles and Ms. Bustier set up an online platform so we could continue having class through video lessons and digital homework, though. That way we won't fall behind."

"Ah, that's a great idea," Adrien commended.

"For sure...So… How long have you been Chat Noir?" Nino said, wiping his nose with a sleeve, "Was it always you, or…?"

"Yeah, it's always been me…" Adrien said.

"So all those times you were late…?" Nino pressed.

"Yep… Busy leaping around the rooftops of Paris in a catsuit." Adrien said with an amused smile and a shrug of his shoulders.

"Haha, yeah," Nino whistled, "That explains so many things…"

"Were you angry at me?" Adrien asked him suddenly, "When you found out… Were you angry at me for keeping this from you?"

"Well, once you were revived for good...I was… scared, really surprised, and maybe somewhat―okay maybe not somewhat, very―hurt that you hadn't trusted me with that," Nino said and then raised a hand when Adrien was about to interject, "But your tiny cat friend explained everything and how you had to keep it secret. I understand Adrien, I really do and you know I'll take your secret with me to the grave."

"Thank you, Nino, really." Adrien said softly.

"It's no problem," Nino said, then clapped his hands together, "So! Wanna give the place a few more rounds? Alya is dying to see you, so we better get some mileage in before she sits you down and barrages you with questions forevermore."

Adrien chuckled, "Alright, let's make it count."

"Have you told him yet?"

Longuevie sighed against the phone, "Not yet. Didn't get the chance."

He bit on the cigarette in his mouth, inhaling and releasing a thick puff of smoke into the air. He leaned on the railing, phone pressed to his ear as he watched Adrien stroll around with his friend in the gardens down below, chatting amicably.

"Smoking again, are we? Shouldn't you preach with the example, Doctor?"

Longuevie chuckled, "Knowledgeable as ever, though you're hardly in a place to lecture me about preaching with the example, friend." The man on the other end of the line chuckled back.

"Your boy is quite the conundrum to me," Longuevie continued more seriously, sighing and scratching his forehead with his cigarette tucked between his index and middle finger. "I moved them like you suggested. His burns and broken arm are healing steadily, but inside it's a whole different story. What have you gotten me into? What am I dealing with here?"

"I'd need to see him to tell for sure, though I have a few suspicions."

"Which are? His father is becoming increasingly harder to convince. I need to give him results or we risk him transferring Adrien someplace else for care. His assistant has made that abundantly clear to me on repeated occasions lately."

"I'll tell you soon enough, please keep entertaining him, I just need a little bit more time. Let me know when he's to undergo therapy…"

Longuevie sighed, "Make it quick, then. Miss Dupain-Cheng is doing fine and saw a jump in her improvement, but Adrien is flaking. He's losing his drive and his defenses are low. You need to help him. I don't need to remind you that the mind can also have adverse effects on the body…"

"I know…"

"He needs to hear good news but I can't provide that if I don't know what I'm dealing with. I tried to get him to tell me what truly happened, but he doesn't trust me."

"Naturally. Please understand, they were instructed not to tell. Don't hold it against him."

"I know. I'm doing what I can, but it's hard to keep his spirits up. His father barely allows me to let visitors in with him since he doesn't want to stress him out, despite my telling him that seeing his friends would help Adrien, not hurt him."

"The father is just as stubborn as the child, if not more so."

"Clearly."

The man on the other end of the phone sighed, "I know this has been difficult, but you're the only one I trust them with. I really appreciate all you've been doing for me. Please take care of them, Jerôme."

"Of course I will. I care about them, too." Longuevie said softly, "I just wish there was more I could do for them. This is beyond my expertise."

"You're a great doctor. Trust me, it'll work out."

Longuevie sighed. "Hope you're right."

"Sorry I couldn't do lunch, my stomach is kinda…" Adrien made a gesture to signal "so-so" and Nino laughed.

"Don't worry dude, you didn't miss anything. Hospital food is kinda eh. Especially when you've been eating Marlena Cesáire's homemade cooking. Perks of dating a Chef's daughter, I guess." Nino said, wheeling Adrien down the hallway.

"I feel you there," Adrien said absently with a chuckle.

"Why? You also dating someone with chefs for parents?" Nino teased, poking Adrien's head.

Adrien blushed visibly, realizing the implication in his offhanded comment. Although he had never told Nino he was in love with Ladybug, it is likely Alya had told Nino about Adrien's seemingly budding affection for Marinette, who had bakers for parents.

"N-No I mean the hospital food bit," Adrien tried to fix, "It is kinda flavorless, huh?"

"Riiiight, I'm sure that's definitely what you meant," Nino teased, a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Oh, are we heading back now?" Adrien said, trying again to divert attention from himself as he noticed his room nearing.

"Nah, not yet. I think we still need to do some updating," Nino said, wheeling him past his room and stopping in front of Marinette's. Adrien swallowed thickly, looking nervously at the door. Noticing his sudden stiffness, Nino paused.

"Only if you want to, dude. Are you feeling up for this?" Nino asked him softly. "We don't have to do this if you aren't feelin' it…"

Adrien took a deep breath. From earlier implications, Adrien knew that Madame Cheng, Monsieur Dupain, Alya, and Plagg, were all in the room together. It would be the first time he would acknowledge they all knew his secret and he suddenly felt nervous, exposed.

He had never pondered what he'd do once a moment like this came along, and now he felt he was being thrust into it with little preparation. He had to admit that part of his anxiety came from knowing that Marinette was Ladybug, who they thought dead but had in reality been fatally wounded because he had failed to protect her as Chat Noir.

What would Madame Cheng say if she knew?

Would she hate him? Resent him?

He didn't think he could bear it if he was hated by Marinette's parents. He loved them too much now. It hurt to just think about it. And what about Alya? Gosh, she'd probably rip him a new one if she knew. Call him useless and a disgrace for nearly letting her best friend get killed...

He took a deep breath again to calm his anxious mind.

No, they didn't know about her. If they did, Nino would've told him right? No, they only knew about him. Marinette's secret was still safe and he very much doubted Plagg would've blurted it out, given he had been the one to insist on secrecy way back then.

He had to face this elephant in the room. Better deal with it now rather than later. Nino's reaction gave him confidence that their reactions wouldn't be as dramatic as he had originally thought now that they knew, but part of him was still wary and afraid. The doctor's strange behavior had made him paranoid.

"Adrien?" Nino snapped him out of his reverie and Adrien cleared his throat.

"Let's do it."

Nodding, Nino opened the door and wheeled him in, closing the door behind him.

He had expected to see everyone turn to him, maybe greet him… He did not expect being attacked by a mass of black that was now plastered to his face, rubbing its face against him.

"H...Hello, Plagg…" Adrien chuckled.

"'Hello Plagg?' 'HELLO PLAGG?'" the Kwami gripped as he pulled back to look at Adrien better, "I haven't seen you for weeks and all you can say is 'Hello, Plagg?'"

"Sorry, I have no Camembert to beg for forgiveness…" Adrien said, lifting his hand to stroke Plagg behind the ears, something the little god rarely allowed, but he supposed the circumstances had made him soft.

"I'll let you off for today, then." Plagg chuckled. "But I won't be as lenient next time."

"Naturally. I missed you, buddy..." Adrien said, looking warmly at his companion.

Plagg's lips trembled, but he kept himself composed.

"Missed you too, you dumb kid…" Plagg floated down to sit on Adrien's shoulder as Nino wheeled him further in.

"Hey, if it's not the golden boy!" Alya greeted, sitting on the couch beside Marinette's parents. "Freed from your cage, were you?"

"Hey, Alya!" Adrien said. Nino knowingly wheeled him to rest besides Marinette's bed, close to the couch where Nino had just moved to sit beside Alya. "Madame, monsieur, it's good to see you."

"We're so happy to see you, too, Adrien!" Tom said, surrounding Sabine with his arm. "It's great to see you up and about."

"Yeah, it's been a long time," Adrien agreed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Adrien noticed with no little amount of nervousness that they all seemed to be waiting expectantly for him to speak first. So drawing in a deep breath, Adrien spoke.

"I guess I… owe an explanation to everyone, now that you know, huh?" He started. He glanced sideways at Plagg who merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Only if you want to, dear. Don't feel like you owe us anything. We're only glad that you're okay." Sabine said reaching forward to lay a comforting hand on Adrien's knee.

"Thank you, Madame," Adrien said gratefully, "But I owe you that much for helping me out. If not for you all…I wouldn't be alive right now."

"Adrien, don't say that," Sabine said, taking a hand to her chest.

"Forgive me, but it's the truth," Adrien said, shaking his head. "And not just once, but many times. Monsieur Dupain," Adrien turned to Tom, addressing him directly. "If not for you, I wouldn't have gotten out of that fire."

"Adrien, we did it gladly. Anyone in their right mind would've helped you out." Tom countered.

"Except they didn't." Adrien said, "The firefighters wouldn't help me. You and Alya did." Adrien nodded toward Alya, who blushed at the praise, "You told them about the dragon's weakness. I was as good as dead if you hadn't spoken up. And you…" he turned back to Marinette's father, "You risked yourself trying to get me out of the rubble."

At Tom's hesitance, Adrien continued.

"You and Madame Cheng even took me in and took care of me when I was at my lowest," Adrien said, fondly remembering how they had taken him out of the rain and treated his fever. "You were in all your right to refuse me because of the danger I carried with me. Instead, you sheltered me and took care of me until I felt better."

Adrien noticed Sabine's eyes were beginning to water at the memory and he turned to her, grabbing her hand.

"I'm sorry for running out on you, Madame. I feel terrible for worrying you." Adrien said, bowing his head at Sabine, "Thank you for going after me. You gave me a second chance. If not for you and Alya that night, I'd be gone for good. I'm indebted to you."

"Adrien, sweetheart," Madame Cheng sobbed, rising from her seat and hugging Adrien tightly to herself. "I'm so infinitely grateful for you. There's nothing to thank. I'm so, so happy that you're with us."

"I'm happy to be here, too," Adrien said, trying to keep his own emotion at bay as Sabine pulled back and he looked at all of them, whose eyes were all brimming with emotion, "All of you. I wouldn't have made it this far without you. Ladybug may not be with me anymore, but I was lucky to have you."

"Exactly how many of your nine lives did you spend on this fight, dude?" Nino joked wiping his eye with a hand.

"I think all nine, to be honest," Adrien joked back.

"And all nine of mine, too." Plagg cut in.

"You don't have lives, you are an immortal god!"

"Demi-god, but close enough," Plagg said, waving a paw nonchalantly.

"Speaking of which, thank you for taking care of him, Alya," Adrien said, turning to his friend. "I know he can be a bit of a handful."

"Hey!" Plagg snapped.

"It's no problem. He's good fun," Alya said then she winked, "His taste for Camembert not so much…Took a bit to explain my newfound addiction to my mom."

"Everyone in this room has horrible taste," Plagg scoffed, floating off Adrien's shoulder and resting on Madame Cheng's lap. "Except her. Her Camembert cheesecake is mmm…. Créme de la créme!"

"Camembert Cheesecake is a thing?" Adrien asked, raising an eyebrow at Tom and Sabine.

"It is now! She made it just for me!" Plagg said proudly, floating over and rubbing on Sabine's cheek affectionately. "Best baker in all of Paris!"

"Spoiled cat. How many people have you inconvenienced with your stinky habit while I've been gone?" Adrien said, putting his hand on his waist.

"Took turns between Alya and Mama Cheng."

"Mama Cheng?" Adrien questioned. Sabine shrugged with a smile.

"He's an affectionate little thing." she said in her defense.

"Yeah with everyone but me it seems!" Adrien pouted.

"Hey, don't start!" Plagg said. "I've been worried sick about you."

"Can confirm," Alya pitched in, "He would visit you from time to time but couldn't stay long cuz there were people in your room constantly. He was very anxious about the visit last week. We thought we'd be able to talk then."

"Yeah, sorry about that, my body...er.." Adrien said sheepishly looking down.

"Don't apologize dude, we understand. It was a slip up on my part and I'm sorry." Nino said, "The fact that we know your secret is no small thing."

"Talking about which, how much do they know?" Adrien asked, turning to Plagg.

"Basics. I thought it'd be best if you explained the rest." Plagg shrugged. Floating to rest on the wheel of Adrien's chair. "Stage's yours, kid."

Adrien looked at the others and they again looked at him expectantly and in silence.

"Well uh…" Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, "Plagg is what we call a Kwami. He's a powerful magical creature and it's thanks to him that I can transform. He goes into my ring and I get a special suit and super powers."

"So you guys just… fuse? Is that how it works?" Alya said, her eyes wide open in interest. Adrien was sure that if it wasn't because of how private the matter was, that she'd be jotting down every word.

"I guess… it'd help if I demonstrated it. Plagg?" Adrien asked him, looking at his Kwami dubiously. "Is it safe?"

Plagg looked at him impassively then floated to the door to lock it. "Knock yourself out, kid. I'm sure you've missed it."

Adrien smile gratefully at him. "Alright. Plagg, transform me!"

Adrien watched as everyone gasped in awe as Plagg flew to the ring and a bright green light enveloped him, his shiny black suit materializing across his body. His body shivered at the familiar feeling of leather wrapping over his skin, and at the surge of energy flowing through his veins, like a shot of adrenaline.

Before long, Chat Noir stood in Adrien's place, tail swishing in excitement at being used again.

"Holy sh…" Nino trailed off, eyes and mouth opened wide. "You look so different! No wonder we couldn't recognize you!"

"Remarkable…" Sabine gasped beside an equally speechless Tom.

"This is amazing!" Alya said with a wide smile, "Where's Plagg?"

"He's my suit. Or well, part of it," Chat said, wiggling his ears, "He can hear and see everything I do. It's thanks to him that I have super reflexes and super strength, and that I can use Cataclysm."

"Can you use it right now?" Nino asked.

"Are you nuts? He'd destroy everything!" Alya said, slapping him upside the head.

"Alya is right. Besides, Cataclysm is a last resort. It uses a humongous amount of power in one go, and every time I use it I have 5 minutes before I turn back. Plagg ends up exhausted and has to recharge by eating his food." Chat explained.

"Woah, that explains why you guys had to disappear after you used your abilities," Alya said, nodding.

"Exactly. I can transform back by removing my ring or just willing Plagg to do so." Chat demonstrated, wordlessly reverting back to Adrien in a flash of green, "And if I don't use Cataclysm, Plagg is fine and peachy."

"I still won't refuse a good offer of Camembert, though," Plagg said, rubbing his paws together in Alya's direction. Alya sighed and she conjured a piece of the offending cheese from her bag, which Plagg excitedly took an gobbled up. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"I feel your pain," Adrien chuckled at Alya's despondent expression.

"Truly." Alya said, rolling her eyes, "So where did you and Ladybug find your… Kwamis?"

"Uh… I can't tell you that, mostly because I don't really know. They just appeared one day. We just knew we were chosen."

"And why were you and… whomever Ladybug was, chosen?" Alya pressed. Adrien gulped, risking a glance in Marinette's direction.

"I don't know… I guess we just had what it took?" Adrien said shrugging his shoulders. "We were just told repeatedly that we were chosen. Right, Plagg?"

"Yeah, it could be anything. Strength of character, goodness in the heart, empathy... It depends on the opinion of the Guardian taking care of us. By the way, don't ask about the Guardian, I won't elaborate." Plagg added quickly, narrowing his eyes, "Just cuz you know Adrien's secret now doesn't mean I'll reveal everything."

"Can we ask what happened to Ladybug's Kwami? Did it go back to whomever this Guardian is?" Alya asked.

"Classified, sorry girl." Plagg said shrugging his shoulders again. Adrien was silently grateful for Plagg's no nonsense coldness. An area Adrien lacked.

"It was worth a shot." Alya chuckled.

"Wow, well… this is all pretty mind blowing," Tom said, "Does your father know?"

"No, and it's super important that you do not tell him!" Adrien said hurriedly. "No one else can know. I really need you guys to keep this an absolute secret for your own safety… and mine."

"Of course Adrien, your secret is safe with us," Alya said, putting a hand on her chest. "Promise."

"We all do." Tom confirmed. "And once you're out of here, if you ever need a place to rest or recharge, our home is open at every hour for you. I took the liberty of adding our numbers to your phone before Nino gave it back to you."

"Make no mistake… I truly wish you didn't have to do this," Sabine said, holding Adrien's hand, "Risking your life… putting yourself in danger… but I know it's what you have to do. I will never stop worrying, but I will always support you."

"Madame…" Adrien said, voice trailing off as his eyes began to sting.

"We'll always support you, Adrien." Tom confirmed with a nod, holding both Sabine's hand and Adrien's in his large one.

"Thank you" Adrien said, bowing his head again. "You're all amazing."

"Anytime, dude." Nino said, "You can come crash at my place if you need to, too…"

"And mine!" Alya said, "I'll make sure you have a stash of stinky cheese for your pal, too."

"Nice! Sidekicks!" Plagg said, "I like them already."

"Only 'cuz they mentioned the cheese." Adrien pouted.

"Talking about which, Alya is gonna leave some for you." Plagg said.

"I'm not eating your stinking cheese!" Adrien said, scrunching his nose in disgust

"Who said it was for you?" Plagg said.

"What?"

"I'm staying here and watching over you, whether you like it or not." Plagg said with a decided nod.

"What? No! They'll discover you!" Adrien countered. "Why don't you stay with Alya?

"Sorry, I'm staying here, end of discussion. Plus, there's something I need to check."

"Which is?" Adrien asked, eyebrow raised.

"That's for me to know and you to ponder. Now, stop complaining." Plagg said crossing his arms.

"I'm starting to rethink whether I missed you or not, now."

"Well, boo-hoo for you."

"Was the food alright, Mr. Agreste?" the nurse asked Adrien as she gently wiped his mouth and removed the empty food tray from the bed.

"It was. Thank you, miss." Adrien said amicably, sinking into his blankets with a yawn.

"Did you enjoy yourself with your friends today?" she asked, making small talk as she made the ritualistic check of up his IVs and monitors.

Alya and Nino had long since left, the sun having set and hour ago. He had wanted to speak more with everyone but shortly after Plagg had declared that he'd be staying, his painkiller had run its course and he had to be taken and hooked up again before the pain became too much to bear and he broke in front of everyone, something he definitely didn't want them to see.

He had promised them all they'd talk about everything at a later date and allowed himself to be wheeled away, Plagg and a packet of sealed off Camembert safely hidden within his blanket.

"Very, please tell Dr. Longuevie I send my thanks for the help." Adrien said, voice low and soft.

"Will do. Glad to hear you enjoyed yourself; you've been doing great lately," she said with a smile, fluffing his pillows and adjusting his bed, "But it's been a long day for you, so I'll leave you to rest. Your medication should be kicking in soon. Good night, Mr. Agreste."

"Good...night, miss," Adrien mumbled, eyes slipping closed as he relaxed into the bed. The nurse subdued the lights and left, silently closing the door behind her. After a few minutes, lulled by the steady beep of his monitors and the relaxing effects of the morphine he'd been administered, it didn't take long for Adrien to completely pass out.

"...Gee, I thought she'd never leave," Plagg griped as he slipped from his hiding place under Adrien's pillow, rubbing his eyes.

Plagg turned to Adrien's sleeping form. He breathed calmly against his pillow, completely unaware of Plagg, lost to the world. Floating down to sit on the bed's railing, Plagg perked his ears for any incoming wards, but hearing nothing, he focused on Adrien again.

"Hey," Plagg whispered to the sleeping Adrien, "Are you there?"

Adrien didn't stir, breathing soundly against the bed.

"I need to talk to you. Come out…" Plagg tried again, the vaguest hint of a hiss in his voice, "...Akuma."

Adrien didn't react or acknowledge him, chest rising and falling slowly. After a few minutes of no response, Plagg huffed angrily, his patience spent. He was about to float down to hide under Adrien's bed when a soft chuckle stopped him.

"Aw, you missed me…?"

Plagg turned to see Adrien grinning at him, eyes opened to half mast with the green in his eyes replaced by glowing magenta, and his pupils thin and slitted like a cat's.

"I'm touched," the Akuma said, tilting his head and putting his hand on his heart mockingly.

"Shut up," Plagg hissed, the fur on the nape of his neck rising, "I'll cut to the chase. I've heard what the doctor's been saying about Adrien. What are you doing to him?"

"Sorry?" The Akuma smirked sardonically. "I'm just keeping his heart going, if that's what you-"

"That's not what I mean!" Plagg yelled, then lowered his voice again. "Is….Can Adrien listen to this conversation?"

"Not a clue. He's currently frolicking with our dreamy girlfriend in dreamland," the Akuma sighed in an exaggerated manner, pointing at his temple.

"She's not your girl- Ugh, whatever!" Plagg said, throwing his paws in the air, "That's not important, it's not what I wanted to talk about."

"Then what, pray tell, did you wake me for?"

"Why are you not letting him heal?" Plagg asked him, eyes narrowed.

The Akuma scoffed, "Why are you so intent on blaming me for everything?"

"Because you're an Akuma!"

"Well, isn't that prejudiced." The Akuma snickered, feigning hurt with a hand on his heart. "In this day and age too? Tsk tsk, Plagg."

"It isn't funny!" Plagg insisted, "It's been three weeks and he hasn't gotten any better! Why are you doing this?"

"Okay, let's get some things straight here, cat," the Akuma hissed, eyes narrowed, "How many times do I have to tell you I have nothing against Adrien? I'm the reason he's alive. His heart is charred, I'm the one keeping it beating for crying out loud, and mind you, that's no small feat. It takes everything out of me."

In a way Plagg could tell it was so. He could see Adrien's expression become strained, and his breathing get heavier the more he spoke.

"Secondly," the Akuma continued, eyes venomous, "For a god of destruction, you certainly don't understand the extent of your own power."

"What did you say?" Plagg's ears flattened against his head.

"Oh, but how could you really?" The Akuma went on, smiling derisively, "None of them ever survived, did they? Unable to control it, self destructing-"

"Shut up!" Plagg screeched, his eyes widening in fury.

"-the life leaving their eyes when just a smidgen of it touched their frail, tender bodies-"

"Stop it!"

"-dropping, before they could even realize what had happened. Dead, like moths to flame…"

"Enough! I get it!" Plagg said, turning his back on Adrien, "I don't care to hear it!"

"The truth hurts, huh?" The Akuma whispered, tilting his head again with a soft smile on his lips, "But the truth is the answer to your question right now…"

Plagg turned to him, "Cataclysm?"

The Akuma nodded at him again, "It's not that he can't heal at all, but it's slow. Damage by Cataclysm doesn't heal like regular damage. Magic can only be cured by other magic. He will improve, but it will take a while because the heaviest damage was done by magic."

"So he can't be healed completely?" Plagg said, his whiskers drooping at the prospect. "Adrien will be… sick forever?"

The Akuma chuckled.

"Ah, how I love to see you like this," the Akuma said, earning a hiss from Plagg, "But I guess it's for my own good that I tell you…"

"Tell me what?" Plagg spat.

"I'll give you a clue," the Akuma said with a smile, "When a forest burns to the ground, only the rain can cleanse the land enough for life to grow back again, right?" The Akuma paused, letting his words sink in.

Plagg's eyes widened and the Akuma's smirk grew wider.

"Ladybug…."

"Bingo. Good job. If I had one, I'd give you a golden star," the Akuma cackled.

"Only Ladybug can…heal him?" Plagg repeated, more to himself than to the Akuma.

"It's a mighty convenient thing the doctor placed Marinette just beside Adrien's room," The Akuma commented, raising a brow, "What an amazing coincidence, wouldn't you say?"

But Plagg paused, catching the Akuma's implication.

"You're not saying…" But Plagg stopped when the Akuma winced suddenly, clutching at his chest. "What? What is it?"

"...I think it's my cue to bid you adieu," the Akuma said, breathing heavy as he watched the line on Adrien's heart monitor move erratically. "Gonna ride this wave of medication with Adrien, if you don't mind."

"Wait, hey no, don't go to sleep! I'm not done talking!" Plagg said, floating towards him.

"Look cat," the Akuma huffed impatiently, "Adrien depends on these dreams to remain sane, and I depend on him remaining relaxed to do my part. If you really care about him, you will leave me alone. This heart won't pump on its own anymore and I tire just by talking to you."

"I…" Plagg hesitated, but seeing the Akuma's gruff breathing, he chose to concede, "Alright, just… keep him safe, okay? We had a deal."

"And I've honored it, have I not?" the Akuma said, "Trust me, I want Adrien to survive as much as you do. I'm connected to him now. He goes, I go, too…ngh!" The Akuma clutched at his heart again. "Dammit… He's getting restless, I need to go."

"Restless?" Plagg asked, vaguely noticing the green line in Adrien's heart monitor spike again. "What do you mean he's restless? Does he… know about you?"

"No... but..." The Akuma wheezed, "There's something happening… in his dream… and his heart… his heart is racing… I n-need to go…."

"Akuma, wait!"

But the Akuma ignored him, laying back down and closing his eyes with a deep sigh. Adrien's breathing evened out as the Akuma relinquished his hold and disappeared into Adrien's subconscious once more. Plagg waited silently, watching the line in Adrien's heart monitor return back to normal.

"Please, please be okay…" Plagg begged under his breath, whiskers drooping at the grim prospect of his charge's now unpredictable existence.

"Adrien…"

"Yes, Marinette?"

"I feel weird…" she whispered, resting her head against his shoulder. Adrien furrowed his brows in concern, noting her tired face and droopy shoulders. She looked under the weather and miserable, very different to her usual glowing, relaxed demeanor.

He couldn't deny that he felt something was off with her the moment the dream materialized around him. She had been waiting for him, reclined against a foot of the tower, her head hanging low.

However, the moment she heard him approaching she raised her head and smiled at him as if nothing had happened. He had thus ignored it, thinking she had probably just gotten bored.

But now, as they sat on a hill together to watch the world twist and form beautiful shapes and colors around them to their whim, he noticed her acting strange again, her gaze lost and unfocused.

She had finally ended up leaning against him, knowing exactly where to place her head even though she couldn't see him, just from the sheer time they had spent together.

"Weird? What are you feeling?" Adrien asked her, finding her hand and squeezing it. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Marinette breathed, "I feel so tired and dizzy…"

Adrien straightened, his stomach tightening. "Dizzy? How long have you been feeling like this?"

"A while," Marinette confessed, "But it wasn't as bad before…I didn't think..." She trailed off, her eyelids drooping, suddenly feeling heavy against him.

"Marinette?" Adrien asked in worry, preoccupied by how her voice had died in her throat and how she was now resting completely against him. "Marinette, please say something…"

"Tower…" Marinette slurred suddenly, "I want to… go to the Tower…" She attempted to stand up, her arms trembling as she tried to find her feet.

"Mari?" Adrien asked, "Are you okay?"

She didn't reply but shakily got to her feet, her legs trembling with her weight and her frame swaying.

"Adrien... " she repeated, holding her head, "…I feel…. strange..."

Adrien jumped to hold her aloft as she teetered on collapse, his own hands trembling as he held her.

"Mariette, please stay with me," he begged, walking her slowly down the hill, "Stay with me..."

Her lips opened but no sound came out. Suddenly her legs gave in and she fell to the ground, Adrien falling with her. He kneeled at her side and held her to him. He noticed with no little amount of panic that her body was starting to become lightweight and white, the edges of her dress whisping away like mist.

"Marinette!" Adrien cried, holding her, "What's wrong? Please, talk to me!"

"… Adrien…" Marinette said barely above a whisper, her eyelids drooping.

"Mari…" Adrien begged, "Please, don't leave…"

She heaved a long sigh and her eyes slid closed, her whole body going slack against him.

Before he could even call her name again, Marinette melted from his hands, disappearing in a cloud of white mist, leaving him alone and lost in the wide, open field.

The shock of losing Marinette was such that Adrien snapped right awake with a gasp, breathing hard and heart hammering hard against his chest.

He had no idea what had just happened or why Marinette was acting so erratically. She had seemed fine the night before, what had changed? She had felt dizzy. Marinette had felt dizzy and strange. He had only felt those things when…

With a gasp of realization, Adrien yanked the covers and straightened, pulling his legs over the edge of the bed. He grabbed on the cables that tethered him to the bed, pulling them out without hesitation. The monitors around him started beeping in alarm but he ignored it.

"Hey, what's happening, where's the fire!?" A groggy Plagg asked, zipping from underneath Adrien's bed in alarm.

"Marinette!" Adrien said "There's something wrong with her!"

With a deep breath, Adrien slowly lowered himself from the bed with his one functional arm, his toes touching the cold floor. He pushed himself off the mattress, his weakened legs trembling fiercely under his weight. He took a few experimental steps and lost his balance, falling down to his knees with a grunt.

"Woah, kid stay in bed! I can go check for you!" Plagg said, pulling on Adrien's robe. "You're gonna get hurt!"

Pain exploded from every inch of Adrien's body, but he ignored it, clinging to the remnants of morphine still flowing through his veins. If he had to drag himself in all fours to Marinette's room to get to her, he was going to do just that.

"No," Adrien huffed, "I'll check her myself."

Determined and ignoring his dizziness, Adrien crawled to the wall, using it as support and pushing the door open. He pushed against the wall of the hallway, rising to his shaking feet and wobbling as fast as he could to Marinette's room beside his.

Suddenly, a gasp stopped him, and Adrien turned his head, finding Madame Cheng standing behind him with a bag of what he assumed was a late night lunch clutched in her hands.

"Adrien, what are you doing out of bed?" She asked in alarm, immediately running to his side and dropping her bag to help him. She turned on Plagg, her eyes disapproving. "Plagg!"

"Hey, don't look at me, I tried to stop him, too!" Plagg said, pulling his paws up in defense.

"I n-need to see her," Adrien grunted, allowing Madame Cheng to surround his waist with her arm to support him, "I need to see Marinette, please!"

"Adrien, you will get hurt-"

"I need to see Marinette!" Adrien repeated more desperately, eyes begging the Asian woman to understand the urgency behind his words. "Please! I need to see her!"

"Why?" she questioned, worry suddenly filling her eyes.

"I need to know she's okay!" Adrien insisted, "I just… I had a bad dream and I need to see her!"

A hint of realization dawned on Madame Cheng's face and she nodded, grabbing Adrien's arm so he could put it around her shoulder.

"Alright dear, just hang on to me, okay?"

"Thank you," Adrien said, breathing heavy, limping forward as Madame Cheng slowly started making her way to the room, "Thank you so much."

They made it to the door, and Madame Cheng grabbed the knob, pulling the door open in a hurry. She then walked Adrien to Marinette's bedside, seating him down on a nearby chair.

He inched forward and rested his arm on the bed, reaching out for Marinette's inert hand. She was breathing calmly, completely still, except for her brows which were furrowing.

"Marinette?" Adrien whispered, his heart now thumping in his ears, "Can you hear me?"

But she did not respond. She went on sleeping soundly, her machines beeping intermittently, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing out of place. Everything the same.

He waited for several minutes, squeezing her hand.

"Marinette?"

But she did not stir.

With every minute that elapsed, he could feel his body grow cold again, hope snuffing out as he deflated, his body aching with pain now that his adrenaline rush was decreasing. He had thought that perhaps, her disappearance meant that she had...

But no. She was still gone to the world and he couldn't keep the moisture from gathering in his eyes in disappointment, choking back a sudden sob. He lowered his head, resting it on the mattress beside her as a lonely tear escaped his eye and soaked the pristine white sheets.

"I-I'm sorry, I… I thought she had…" Adrien couldn't finish, overtaken by grief.

"Oh, sweetheart…" Madame Cheng said sadly, wrapping her arms around Adrien and stroking his head. "It's alright…Do you want to stay here a while?"

Adrien nodded slowly against the mattress, sniffing silently. He didn't think he could move anymore anyway. His drive had completely left him.

Adrien felt her move behind him, and then felt the warm weight of a blanket being laid around his shoulders. Madame Cheng then sat beside him, rubbing his back gently. Before long, the remnants of morphine in his blood coupled with Madame Cheng's relaxing attentions soon sunk him in a deep sleep once more, his fingers wrapped around Marinette's hand.

But he wouldn't be soothed, now that his dreams were a vast, empty plain where he was completely alone and Marinette was nowhere to be found.

Where are you?

"Doctor Longuevie! The patient - Mr. Agreste has-"

"Leave him…" Longuevie said calmly, not lifting his eyes from his notes as he worked diligently on his report, completely unperturbed by the nurses' distress as she came to alert him of Adrien's escapade.

"Leave him? But, he pulled everything out! And the medication… A-And Miss Dupain-Cheng, she-"

"Leave him." the doctor repeated looking up briefly from his writing to gaze pointedly at the nurse. "I'll go fetch him soon. For now, let him be. Madame Cheng is in the room. He'll be fine."

The nurse looked at him curiously for a few moments before excusing herself and leaving. By her expression, Longuevie wouldn't have been surprised if she had begun to doubt his sanity or medical training, but he cared little.

He had been completely aware of Adrien's precarious venturing the moment he disconnected the monitors from his skin, and had even gone to get him himself.

But upon reaching the room, seeing him laying with Marinette with hands clasped and deeply asleep as if he had been hit with a potent tranquilizer, made Longuevie reconsider taking him away.

The dose of morphine they had given him that night was not strong enough to keep him knocked out, just enough to numb the worst of the pain. So to see Adrien sleeping placidly off his own accord, with little aid from sedatives, gave Longuevie an idea.

The mind was a strong, but fickle, little thing. Despite the brittle physical condition that had earlier confined him to a wheelchair, Adrien's emotion had been strong enough to get him out of bed and move him to a different room that night, something that had so far been unprecedented since he was admitted.

So, if modern medicine was doing little to aid him in this area, Longuevie would turn to psychology.

It was a risk he was taking, to cater to Adrien's aching need for affection and company. He'd probably never hear the end of it from Monsieur Agreste and his assistant, but he'll be damned if he didn't take the plunge.

So, making up his mind, Doctor Longuevie let Madame Cheng know of his intentions and left the room, eager to see the results of his hypothesis come morning.

He only hoped that he'd see what he had suspected for several days be proven true.

After what felt like hours, Adrien stirred awake again, the room sunk in darkness.

Madame Cheng had long since dozed off on the couch close to him, wrapped in a thick comforter with Plagg tucked warmly within the folds of fabric close to her chin.

Looking at the time on a nearby wall clock, he was mildly surprised that nurses hadn't come to seek him out. They should've found out by now that he had disconnected everything and escaped.