Butterfly Boy

Chapter 28

After the incident in the theater, the relationship between the three of them changed.

Adrien would continuously ask Marinette about her day and how she was feeling. He would listen to everything she told him and he didn't tell anyone, but he kept a small notebook where he wrote small facts about her he was afraid he'd forget.

Marinette would often make jokes (not puns, mind you, but good, quality jokes) to make Adrien laugh. He really appreciated her sense of humor. She would also worry a lot about his home situation or his homework or his fencing lessons or just his busy schedule in general.

Danny and Adrien would have a punwar almost every day now that Danny knew how deep into the pun fandom Adrien had sunk. Danny would also be more protective over the boy. Now that he belonged to the closer group of friends to Danny. Especially since he was a superhero. Now Danny had superhero friends who kept skipping class to fight dangerous battles.

He had never appreciated Sam and Tucker more.

Danny's relationship with Tikki was rather odd. He could certainly see how she fit with Marinette. They were both a bit bossy and had a big sense of justice, although Marinette did cause trouble here and there. She and Danny would go pranking sometimes. Tikki was a bit of a mother hen, which annoyed Danny sometimes. Along with her lack of humor. But she was very kind and wise.

Danny and Plagg, though, had a bit of a weird bond. That Kwami acted as if he didn't care, but he usually did. He gave good advice that Danny could appreciate. Marinette couldn't understand why he thought the advice was helpful, but Danny knew. Plagg made things simpler. Teens had the habit of making a big deal of things that weren't and Plagg would help ground them in his own way.

Danny had decided to go visit Adrien more often and stay in his room to talk. He quite preferred Plagg's stories to Tikki's. Never tell her he said that. She could get scary.

Plagg had told Adrien and Danny about the other superheroes. About the other Kwamis. Especially about Nooroo since Danny found himself asking about him a lot.

"He's a goody-two-shoes," Plagg would say with the slightest bit of fondness in his voice. "But he appreciated jokes. He gave a lot of second chances and always saw good in others." He sighed now. Decades of remorse and longing echoing in that breath of air. "He can't stand up for himself at all. That's probably how he ended up where he is. That stupid, can't-see-what's-right-in-front-of-him idiot."

Adrien put his chin on his hand with a worried expression. "Has it happened before? That the Miraculous ended up in the wrong hands?"

For the first time, Danny was able to see a deep expression on the creature's face. The raw feeling of grief already gave him the answer before the Kwami said it.

"Yes."

Danny pursed his lips. In anger or sadness, he didn't know. Adrien scowled. "I knew it," he mumbled. He saw it too. He knew how Plagg could get clingy sometimes. How he liked to perch on his body or hair or snuggle close to him when he thought he was asleep. He had a bit of a fear of abandonment that he did not like to show. Adrien was an observant person, though. He could see pain in others. And he tried his best to alleviate it.

Plagg continued with a neutral face. "Humans are sensitive and can easily deviate from their morals. It hasn't happened that often. Usually, the keeper is very cautious with who gets the Miraculous. Something big must have happened for the miraculous to jump hands."

Adrien frowned. "What? What do you mean?"

Plagg brought his paws up in his own version of a shrug. "The Butterfly miraculous used to belong to someone else. A woman." He looked at Adrien. "Your mom."