Lost and Found

Against The World

Marinette was Ladybug.

Ladybug was Marinette.

Marinette and Ladybug were the same person.

And now that Adrien knew that, he wasn't able to think about anything else. Memories of Ladybug and Marinette acting the same were racing through his mind. The confident and strong voice Marinette only used on occasion was the same tone Ladybug spoke in everyday. How they both scrunched up their nose when they were upset or annoyed. They even had the same hair!

Adrien shook his head at how clueless his younger self had been as he followed Marinette through the dark streets of Paris.

After her reveal on the rooftop, the two of them had stayed there for a while as Marinette answered all of his questions. He laughed when he realized why Marinette was always running out of the classroom at the same time he was.

Marinette had offered for him to spend the night at her apartment as the night went on, finally sitting up from where they had been for hours. Adrien had accepted with a blush that matched Marinette's. He hadn't skipped over the thought of his crush on Ladybug meaning he also liked Marinette.

As the pair made their way down from the rooftop, it took Adrien several minutes to realize that Marinette was leading them down the darker streets, avoiding the well-lit main streets.

"Any reason we're hiding away in the dark?" he asked quietly, not wanting to break the stillness of the night around them. He was surprised when he didn't get a witty response after a few seconds. If anything, Marinette looked more tense than she had moments ago.

Brushing their shoulders together, he raised his eyebrows as Marinette looked at him, her tense eyes meeting his questioning ones. He waited another few seconds before she let out a sigh, looking back at him to answer his question.

"We're taking the back streets because I don't want anyone to see you." Adrien tried to ask why but she interrupted him before he could ask. "Three years ago, your father released a statement saying that the two of you would be moving to America. By the time this happened, you had already disappeared and Gabirel was quick to follow. He cut off all contact with France so we haven't heard from him, and by extension, you, in three years."

"Oh"

Adrien had always wondered what happened after he was taken from Paris. He guessed his father would have come up with a cover story to send him somewhere for modeling, which somewhat matched what Marinette had told him. But why didn't his father stay in Paris? Why did he leave and disappear too?

When Marinette spoke again, Adrien realized he had fallen behind while thinking. Jogging forward to catch up, he fell into step beside her as they turned another corner, moving towards an apartment building.

"Your fans became desperate after not hearing anything about you for months. They started coming up with theories for why you and your father moved to America. Two years ago, they started collecting your greatest photoshoots and moments and posting them around the time you 'left'. I think it's their way of remembering you."

"That's not really surprising actually" Adrien said dryly, laughing as he thought about how crazy some of his fans could be.

He looked around as they stopped in front of a building, admiring the streets he'd been missing for years. It was the first time they were standing under the wash of the street lights and Adrien remembered that he was wearing a white jacket.

As Marinette unlocked the door, he quickly stepped in after her, wanting to get away from the open street.

"This is a nice building,"