AN: As promised, time to shift back to the "present day" (the time from the first chapter). When I started this story, I didn't think Adrien would have the majority of the POV, but, of course, the characters have their ways. Another "Adrien" chapter, coming right up! (The next one will be his POV again too!) Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 8: Adrien's Feelings

Adrien watched Marinette blend into the crowd. He was reminded just briefly of that last night that he had seen Ladybug. Like Marinette, Ladybug too had left so suddenly without even a glance back to him. All he could do then, too, was watch sadly as she disappeared from his life.

With a glance up again, Adrien stepped out from underneath the mistletoe. The last thing he needed right now was for some girl to take notice and strategically place herself there with him. Though his mass of fans had dwindled a little as he'd grown older, Adrien was certain that there were still plenty of girls out there who would not hesitate for a chance to kiss him. Unwanted kisses, that was how this had all started. If not for that, he would probably still have his relationship with Marinette. They would still be friends, at the very least.

Adrien clenched his fists again. His emotions were so conflicted right now. He had thought that his anger and bitterness at Marinette would linger, but it had disappeared at the mere sight of her. Now all of that anger and bitterness had been replaced with sadness and remorse. It seemed, though, that Marinette was not ready to discuss this all with him yet, though. Wasn't it supposed to be cats that held grudges?

The music and happy atmosphere around Adrien faded into the background. He was not enjoying himself anymore. Deciding that he needed a break, Adrien slipped into the bathroom and locked the door. Pulling open his jacket, Adrien let Plagg fly out to join him in the small room. No one should hear him "talking to himself" with the volume of the music.

"Marinette's back in town, Plagg," he told the kwami, even though he was sure that Plagg already knew.

"Yeah, aren't you still mad at her?" Plagg asked, disinterested. "I already told you that I was not going to be getting involved in your lover's spat."

Adrien crossed his arms over his chest. "That's just it," he replied. "I thought I was, but...seeing her again, after so long..." He looked down at the tile floor. Somehow, he still could not bring himself to say it out loud. Even after all these years, he still loved her, despite the deep rift that had torn its way between them and ended their prior relationship.

Plagg crossed his little arms too, mirroring his holder's stance. "Yeah, kid, you're on your own with this one. I'm no good at these human relationship problems. You know that already."

Adrien leaned back against the wall. Plagg was right. Even back in his high school days, the black cat kwami had constantly moaned and complained when subjected to Adrien's continuous pining over his unrequited love for Ladybug. "I'm not really asking for advice, Plagg. I—"

A loud knock on the bathroom door stopped Adrien from finishing his thought. Someone outside the door loudly asked him if he was just about finished. Adrien called back an apology to the person and said that he was almost done. He kicked the handle on the toilet to make it flush so that it seemed like he had actually been in here for a reason other than to just talk with Plagg. Walking over to the sink, Adrien washed his hands, again to keep up the appearance that he had actually come here to use the toilet.

Adrien pulled his jacket open again so that Plagg could fly into his inner pocket before leaving the bathroom. Making his way back out to the party, Adrien found the music and crowd a bit stifling now, more so than it had been before he saw Marinette.

"Hey, there you are, Dude!" Nino greeted him. "Where's Marinette?"

"Uh, I think she...left?" Adrien answered, nervously.

"That's a shame," Nino replied. "It's almost midnight and that's when—"

"Yeah, I know, Nino," Adrien told him, cutting off his best friend before the topic of the surprise engagement proposal could be brought up again. Adrien was happy for his best friend, but he really did not want to hear about the upcoming proposal right now, not when his own love life was in complete shambles. "Look, I hope that goes well for you, but I think I'm going to go. It's been a long day and I'm not really feeling too well." That last part was not technically a lie, just a little twist of words. "I'll look for the updates tomorrow on social media."

Adrien fistbumped with Nino and then left the party. The biting chill of the late December night cut right through Adrien's clothes and he shivered.

Plagg flew out from Adrien's shirt pocket as soon as they were alone on the street. "I can't believe you left without checking out the cheese platter!"

Adrien hugged himself tightly, trying to keep as much of his body heat as he could. "I can pretty much guarantee that they didn't have Camembert. You're probably one of the only living things that eat that. Nino and Alta definitely don't."

"Well, they're missing out then. It's their loss!"

Adrien ducked into an alley and looked around to make certain that it was deserted.

"Now what are you doing? I thought you were going home because you didn't feel well?" Plagg questioned, stressing the words that Adrien had used earlier when talking with Nino.

"Yeah, well, I just want to get some fresh air to help clear my thoughts." Adrien already knew that his kwami would understand what he meant by this. Without giving Plagg time to react, Adrien spoke the words that he had not used in years, not since that night when Ladybug left. "Plagg, claws out!"

Well, I don't have much to say. Next chapter will pick up with this same storyline. More flashbacks are coming, though. We still have not seen how Adrien and Marinette got together…or how they drifted apart. There's plenty more to come! Hope you all continue to stick with the story!