AO3 link; Arrietty the Borrower (The Secret World of Arriety) AU, Borrower Marinette, themes of death but it turns out wholesome I swear, Fluff, Slight Angst, Actual cat!Plagg
Summary:
Adrien might be losing his newest friend, but for the first time in his life, he refuses to accept his fate quietly.
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As always, the battle was against time.
It’s not like the concept was unfamiliar to Adrien. In fact, it was quite the opposite. For years, it’s all his parents had talked about the second he left the room. Deadlines, timelines, limits, limitations. Adrien was sick of it. He just wanted to be a normal kid, with a normal heart that functioned the way it was supposed to. Was that too much to ask?
That’s why he’d accepted his aunt’s offer to come stay in the countryside the summer before his operation. It was an escape from his overbearing parents and their never ending looks of concern and fear. Out here, there was no press creeping in on every aspect of his pitiful life. In the soft afternoons sun and empty breezes, Adrien could come to terms with his illness without any sort of audience. He could mourn in peace.
Well, that had been his intention at least. But then he'd met her and his perspective had turned inside out. When it came to her, anything was possible.
Standing at no more than 12 centimeters tall, Marinette was unstoppable. He’d seen her scale a curtain with nothing more than a pair of earrings. He’d seen her disappear from view and reappear meters away, faster than a person of her size should’ve been able to move. She faced the world without fear, despite all the things that were out to get her.
It was truly miraculous how she and her family thrived in their house beneath the floorboards. Adrien had seen for himself the tiny tables and beds they’d created from random objects. For a few brief days, he’d been able to see the world through the eyes of a person much greater than him, despite her size. But, like seemingly everything else in Adrien’s life, the friendship was doomed from the start.
He never should’ve gotten involved. He never should’ve taken the kitchen from the dollhouse and forced it upon the small family. Marinette claimed her father loved it, but he saw the shadow pass over her face as she said the words. A gift like that meant they’d been seen. They’d been noticed. And for Marinette’s family, that was the harbinger of the end. They were moving elsewhere, they had to for their own sake.
Adrien’s heart was still aching that night, thinking of how much danger he’d put them in. Now the three of them were out there somewhere in the woods facing the unkind wild in seek of a better life. Just like the possibility of his own death, he’d had to accept the fact that he would never see Marinette again. But it was for her own good. It was the only way he had to protect her.
Or…maybe he could do more.
Marinette had said it herself, after all. Sometimes you have to stand up and fight for the things that are worth fighting for. Her unwavering voice still echoed through his mind. Accepting fate was the coward’s way out. He’d already pushed the family out of the house they'd resided in for generations. The least he could do was help them get to their new home, right?
Easier said than done, unfortunately. As Adrien’s slippers touched the dew-covered grass outside, his heart began pounding in his chest. The woods were expansive and Marinette and her family were so… little. Especially in the middle of the night, with no torch to light to the way, he had no hope of finding them. They were gone.
A loud meow shook him out of his defeat. Adrien looked up suddenly to see the glowing green eyes of the temperamental house cat, Plagg, staring back at him.
“Plagg?” Adrien whispered, examining the cat as it refused to blink in his presence. The cat simply crouched, as if waiting. “What is it?” Adrien moved a few steps closer.
With reflexive speed, Plagg jumped around and trotted the other direction, glancing over his shoulder to ensure Adrien was following close behind. “Did you find something? Did you find them?" The jolt of hope shook Adrien’s breath more than he’d care to admit. Maybe it wasn’t too late.
Maybe just this once, he could win in a battle against time.
Judging by Plagg’s jaunt, though, it was going to be close. Hardly thinking about his next step, Adrien ran as fast as his frail body could take him. Sweat immediately dotted his jawline, as if he himself were becoming a part of this black forest, drenched in dawn’s dew. Crickets cried out in the background, like an audience cheering him on, pushing him further and further. His slippers barely clung to his feet and his night shawl wanted to fly off, but Adrien kept going.
One foot in front of the other, that’s all he needed to do. A spike of pain shot through his torso, his heart screaming at him to stop. But Adrien refused. If he didn’t make it to his operation tomorrow, so what? All that mattered was here and now. He needed to see her one last time. He needed to give her a proper thank you.
Finally, finally, Plagg slowed at a small clearing that overlooked a bundle of houses below. The shock that he’d run all the way to town barely fazed Adrien as he scanned his surroundings for a small burst of red. She had to be here, he begged the universe to make it so.
“Marinette!” Adrien’s voice got caught in his throat as he bent over, greedily gulping in air with one hand clenched over his throbbing chest. “Marinette!” He saw ants climbing over rocks, blades of grass bending in the gentle wind, a flower closed tightly as it waited for the sun to crack the sky.
For the first time, Adrien saw the finer details of the world, an entire system thriving beneath his feet. He’d just never taken the time to look before. How many creatures had he disregarded just because he couldn't see them? It was like time slowed and world became manageable – an escape from everything else. Marinette had taught him to appreciate all the tiny things in life, and so much more.
Even so, there was no red coat. He couldn't find her.
He was too late. She was gone. Closing his eyes, Adrien tried to accept his defeat. He’d been too late, too slow, too foolis–
“Adrien.” Her voice was like a song; a masterpiece that had yet to be sung.
Adrien turned around, finding a red dot standing atop a small bamboo fence. Her red dress whipped against her, the black dots flashing like a morse code message he couldn’t decipher. Marinette had explained that she’d chosen the ladybugs as inspiration for her outfit because her mother told her they were lucky. When it came to being a borrower, luck was a strong ally. Adrien thought the look suited her perfectly.
“I-I thought you were gone,” he panted out, unable to keep the smile off his face. It must’ve been contagious though, because he watched her smile back. Her deep blue eyes sparkled with more knowledge than he could fathom, but her face crinkled with kindness.
“Almost,” she admitted, her stature relaxing only slightly. “We’ll be traveling downriver, to my mother’s family, we think. We won’t be alone.”
Adrien nodded. “I believe it. You and your family are strong. You’re survivors, like you said. You can do anything.” He already regretted how final his words sounded, but there was no escaping this fate. The sun was starting to rise and Marinette had to leave, he knew that. If only time could actually slow enough to make this last forever. “I brought you something,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out three miniature beads, all connected by a string. “Think of it as a gift from a friend.”
Marinette’s mouth opened slightly as she marveled at the sparkle of the plastic. She reached out and took it gently, making the small charm look massive in her tiny hands. A bright giggle echoed around them as she wrapped it around her neck, testing it as a necklace. It fit perfectly.
“I have one just like it,” Adrien admitted, pulling a much larger version out of his pocket. “I like to think it gives me luck,” he chuckled. “Now, every time I look at it, I’ll think of you. It’ll give me hope even when the world seems to be ending.”
"Adrien...” Marinette’s eyes were glossy, an infinitesimally small drop of water forming on her bottom lids. She gripped the charm tighter before carefully placing it in the bag she always carried around her torso. “I’ll cherish it forever. It’ll keep us safe on our journey.”
“Thank you,” Adrien blurted out, unsure if it was a response to what she said or his own mind hurrying himself up. “Thank you, Marinette, for teaching me how to live in spite of the threat of death.”
She smiled gently, tilting her head ever so slightly to the side. With one hand she reached out, as if trying to grab his. As he extended it to her, she grabbed his pointer finger and placed it against her forehead, breathing heavily into his skin. “Thank you, Adrien. You protected us, after all.”
He wished he could stay there forever, feeling her breath against him. If nothing went right with his operation tomorrow, at least he’d impacted one life. He’d made a difference somewhere. He’d taken care of someone else for a change. That was the greatest gift anyone could have given him.
“I have to go,” Marinette eventually broke away, releasing his finger back to him. “You’ll always be in my heart, Adrien. Good–" she hesitated for only a fraction of a second. "Goodbye.”
And with that, she was gone. The tall grass consumed her form before Adrien could say anything else. Like the end of a dream, he was left by himself wondering if any of it was real.
“My heart is strong now that you’re in it, Marinette.” Adrien wasn’t sure if she was even able to hear him anymore, but it needed to be said. He needed to tell the world he had a reason to fight now.
As the sun finally escaped its prison and painted the sky a velvety shade of purple, Adrien stared down at the town. Plagg rubbed up against his leg, subtly reminding him it was time to return to the country house and its mundanities. Just like Marinette, he needed to leave and be strong for himself for once.
Despite the trials life would throw at him, he needed to keep moving. He needed to survive. He owed it to her to try.
Sometimes, I can't even stand me! 😂😹😂😹 #toknowme #constantconfusion #icrackmeup #neveraboringday #momlife #wifelife #zetalife (at Redondo Beach, California)
