Cat and Mouse (Miraculous Ladybug)

Chapter 3

I threw myself down onto the couch in Adriens room. Mine was too much of a mess for us ever to hang out in. And it's not like we have a living room. "So how was your first day?" he asked, nudging my ear to the ground so he had somewhere to sit.

"Weird," I comented with the first word that came to mind. "Like I knew the whole, Akuma thing was real, sorta strange experiencing it. But even before that Lila, you know that slew of insults, well.. Okay so during lunch I sorta freaked out so I went to the bathroom to calm down. Cause the bathroom is the oublic safe space. Then I hid in a stall cause someone came in, that someone was Marinette. Lila came in after and the two started arguing. And like I got Lila's confession to being a pathological liar in 4k. I sent it to Marinette for her to decide what to do. But I feel like I should at least report Lila for bullying, cause that can apparently cause people to become supervillians. Has more consequences here than anywhere else, so they might actually do something about it. "

Adrien was wearing a smile. I nudged him in the side with my foot. "Hey I'm having a normal crisis, this isn't something to be smiling about," I scolded him.

"It's just been a while since I heard one of your tangents," he pointed it out, "and, as you said, it's normal."

I let out a depressed sigh. "That's sorta sad, this is our first normal crisis," I pointed out. I didn't even let a minuet pass. "Yeah, I'm gonna report her from bullying, that could at least get her to not bother Marinette. Wait, you do know Lila is a pothological liar, right? Cause if you fall for that terrible act I might need to change my birthday."

Adrien laughed at my threat. "I know, but she just wants friends," he pointed out.

I shrugged, "Strange way to do it." Knowing my brother that probably also meant me was trying to be her friend as well. "Are you sure she want to be your friend, and not Adrien Agrest, fashion model's friend?"

"I don't think it matters," Adrien confessed.

I held my breath and leaned my head against the back of the couch. I could tease him about being niave. Cause of Dad not want to deal with me, I have more experience socializing than my sheltered brother. "It dose," I told him solomly, "Cause one day the image they have of you will be so different for you being with them causes pain you'd never no what to do with. Cause you care about that person, yet they don't even know you." I felt tears gathering in my eyes, but I wouldn't let them spill.

Adrien grew quiet. "Is that why...?" he couldn't finish his question, but I knew what he was asking. How I just sorta broke one day became hatoful towards our father and acted out every chance I could get. Once he had me at his side for everything, now I'm desperately trying to get away. Not to get away from him, but the hold our father has over us.

"It's not you," I assured him. I constantly assured him that. "I just want my own autonamy. Sure I've always pushed as far as I could. Violin instead of piano, Japanese instead of Chinese. But I still took ballet, and I still have color theory drilled into my mind. I don't want to be a fashion designer, but I haven't experienced enough to know what I want to do."

Adrien leaned back and we just stared at each other. "I could never do what you do," he confessed, "It frightens me."

"It scares me too," I confessed, "I fear there will be a day I will have all my free will taken from me and I just become his doll. So I just gotta keep fighting."

"You don't need to fight everyone," Adrien pointed out.

I pulled my legs up to my chest. "It's hard, so many bad experiences," I sighed. "To tell you the truth, I wanted to get expelled cause... I tried having a girlfriend, and it went terrible. Turns out she was using me for clout and popularity. I bore myself to her, and she just used it a rumor fuel. I couldn't go a day without someone laughing at a construed truth about me."

" So the school wasn't that bad? "Adrien asked knowing I didn't want to stick on that conversation.

" No it was terrible," I assured him, "And remeber if you ever can't handle listening to my baggage, let me know. Your not my therapist."

"But I am your brother," he said with his dopy smile.

I gave him a warning in back. "You aren't my therapist," I reminded him. "Bow what animes have you watched without me. I've kept you updated on my watch list, but you haven't."

"You know your the one who picks the good shows, I always pick out the crappy ones," he reminded me.

I shuffled to sit up right. "Okay, so on my to watch list there's Banana Fish, Scums Wish, Carole and Tuesday, Love Is War, and Komi-san Can't Comunicate. I don't momde showing you My Hero Academia, Re:Zero, and When They Cry. And when I doubt, we can watch Sailor Moon again."

"As long as it's the original," Adrien pointed out.

I let out an exaggerated groan. We both love Sailor Moon, we just have different opinions on which anime adaptation is better. "Crystal is more manga accurate," I reminded him.

"But you don't get as attached to the characters," he disagreed.

"And there is less insest,"I declared.

Adrien huffed, "It's still implied!"

"But it's not bad enough to cause them to break up."

"You are remembering it wrong, they don't break up. Usagi wants to but they never go through with it cause they go to the future."

The fight on this matter could go on for as long as we wanted it to. "Fine, we're watching Demon Slayer!" I declared to stop us from sprialling into a fight that would create a grudge that would last days.