He never meant to end like this.
Once upon a time, he wanted—obsessed even—to know the identity of his Lady. He imagined the reveal to be private, just the two of them, under the moonlight with no more Akumas and worries. He would confess his deepest feelings to her and then dramatically put on a show saying "Plagg, detransformez moi", showing the boy behind the mask. She would in turn release her transformation and answer his confession, hoping she would return his affections.
But that was just his fantasy, He wished he could travel back in time to change the course of history. His history, the predicament of knowing his partner against crime is the same girl he rejected.
There, a few meters from him, is the detransformed Ladybug, Marinette. The worst part is, she's bleeding to death at the hands of his father and there is nothing he could do to stop it.
Everything was a blur. The police came, questions, couple of arrest—Damn it to Hell, Nathalie is involved too—and a body bag. He was still in trance even after weeks of mourning for the loss of Ladybug. Paris knows Marinette Dupain-Cheng is Ladybug when the police officially gave a word about the arrest of Hawkmoth, the famous fashion designer Gabriel Agreste and his assistant and accomplice, Mayura, Nathalie Sancoeur. Chat Noir disappeared after the arrest. He never told the police to who he is behind the mask other than what happened. He asks what will happen to Adrien, and since he's come of age, he became independent and will inherit the Agreste fortune.
All of this are bittersweet. His father is Hawkmoth, Nathalie knows and assisted the Parisian villain. Underneath their Manor is the lair where Akumas are formed and where his mother is put in a timeless, glass chrysalis with advance mechanism surrounds it. He talked to the Guardian on what will happen to his mother, now that the man who knows how to operate the glass chrysalis is arrested. Master Fu explained that his mother was supposed to die in Tibet but her Peacock Miraculous saved her, causing Duusuu to be permanently injured and Emilie in a death-like coma.
What did he do in his past life to be punished?
He couldn't sleep, eat, nor talk. Plagg and Tikki tried to coax him to rest and bring comfort to the shattered soul. After the trial of Hawkmoth and Mayura, he surrendered the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous to Master Fu. He held on to Plagg and Tikki, for they are the only ones who could talk to him whom he listens to.
The Dupain-Cheng—with their unconditional love and unparallel kindness—offered him to stay with them. He declined at first and when they insisted, saying he shouldn't suffer alone, he accepted. The next day, he packed his clothes and other necessities to move to the Bakery until he could be convinced take his father's fortune.
Adrien noticed that Tikki is reluctant for him to accept the couples' offer. He asked why, the red kwami only replied in cryptic words, saying he'll find it soon enough when he gets there. Being told before he entered and seeing for himself are two different things entirely. The former sends him in disbelief, while the other sends him to a plethora of emotions.
When he arrived at the Dupain-Cheng's Bakery, he found out there was a little child, no older than 8 months old, garbling in a crib. The child looks exactly like him, only he has cerulean eyes. He asked Madame Cheng if the infant is Mar—he stopped for its still painful—if the baby is their second child. Sabine answered "No, Louis is our grandchild. He's Marinette's".
Adrien is afraid of the answer to his next question. But no matter how terrified he felt, he needed to know "Who's the father?".
Tom look at him in both confusion and disappointment "You mean he isn't yours?"
Adrien look at the ground, unable to look at them in the eyes "I'm not certain". He tried to explain "I never saw Marinette (his voice faltered, finally uttering her name) after our graduation and that was almost two years ago. We had a heartfelt disagreement and well…" his voice faded and broken. "She confessed to me about her feelings for me" he had to tell them, even if his already shattered heart is pulverized further into oblivion. "I rejected her. I broke her heart and we never saw each other again".
Oh, the guilt is overwhelming at his technical truths and white lies. Its true that they never saw each other but that was as Adrien, not Chat Noir.
It was Chat Noir who visited her that night, because he was worried for his friend. It was Chat Noir who heard why and how Marinette fell for him not as Adrien of the house of Agreste but as Adrien the person. It was Chat Noir who comforted her and it was Chat Noir who gave in and planted the seed in her before he left.
He was startled from his trance when a tiny hand tugged his sleeve. His emerald eyes meet his son—God, his SON—sapphire eyes. Those eyes recognized him. He saw Louis as his. Even his inner feline is restless until he scented his kit. With trembling hands, Adrien reached for the blond infant and brought him to his chest and sobbed.
"Now, I'm certain he is mine" he confessed "I was worried for her so I visited during my last patrol around the city before I went to abroad at my father's demand". He tightened his hold to his little kitten "I'm Sorry I left her. I'm sorry I couldn't protect her!", apologizing to her parents "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…". His tears are like waterfalls. His throat, hoarse from his wail of agony and regret. He buried his head into Louis' hair and breath his scent. He was at his most vulnerable position. "It's all my fault…". He waited for his verdict to befallen. He waited in fear, and also accept whatever they'll give him. Afterall, it was his fault for taking advantage of his broken classmate. It was his fault for not being here when she gave birth to Louis. It was his fault he couldn't protect his Lady, his Princess, his Love. His fault how he broke the Dupain-Cheng family, how they lost their only child. And most of all, it was his fault that Louis lost his mother.
God, he practically killed his son's mother
He knew the pain of losing a mother. Now, Louis doesn't have a mother because of him.
I'm the worst Father. I'm sorry
No matter how much he says sorry, nothing could change the past.
What have I done?
Tom fisted his fingers. He wanted to scream, to shout, to be angry and hate him, but it wasn't in his nature to harbor resentment in his heart, but he couldn't help but feel sympathy for this young lad. It was true that the boy—I mean man—right in front of him made mistakes. But it wasn't Adrien's fault at all. He tried his hardest to protect his daughter when they are saving Paris from Akuma. Adrien tried to comfort his little girl even when he was the cause of her pain. He was just being honest. He couldn't and will not condemn Adrien from the circumstances outside his control. He could see, while mistake demand severe consequence, Adrien is willing to right the wrong. So, he gave his ultimatum.
"Come here, son. And we will raise Louis together"
He may have lost his only daughter, but he gained a son.
Sabine could not comprehend how she feels. At one hand, her daughter is a mother without the father. Marinette labored with Louis in the hospital without the father at her side, that thought squeezed Sabine's heart painfully. At another hand, Adrien is now blaming himself for his predicament for not saving his daughter. When she heard him saying he was not certain of being Louis' father, she was ready to call out on him and demand DNA testing. But when Adrien gave the explanation why, she felt her heart drop. Adrien is Marinette's partner, as Chat Noir, to save her city from against his own father.
From many Bad Luck and situations thrown at him, he never blamed the world, only himself. From his so many whimpered apologies, she already forgave him and give him a second chance.
She dropped to her knees and hugged the newly discovered father. "Tom's right Adrien, we are here for you and Louis."
Adrien loosened his grip on Louis and gave a hopeful smile "Thank you".
Unbeknownst to the healing family, Tikki and Plagg smiled and floated at either side of their holder, waiting to be introduced to Tom and Sabine.
A healing heart is not instantaneous, it requires someones to heal for you, and that is just the first step. Second step, is to accept them and let your heart heal. -QS-
A/N
I apologize for posting the unedited version. I do not know how to search for any grammatical errors even with the computer's help.
I hope you like it.