Adrien's attitude is somewhat different. He seems more withdrawn, quieter and less outgoing. On the flip-side, it's a constant. He no longer seems to suffer from the mood swings. He's far more docile than he was. It's like having the fourteen-year-old back with them.
For Marinette, someone who is entirely up to date with everything that has happened to him, it's somewhat more disconcerting. If both Alya and Nino pick up on the change and are able to attribute at least in part to the return of his parents, they most certainly don't know the whole sinister side to the story. To them, Mrs. Agreste being back in the picture can only be a good thing. Adrien's more mellow outlook on life is a positive. They don't know how bad he was before he was forced to go to a psychiatrist. it's clear that he's making an effort to mask the fact that he's suffered anything. He smiles and laughs but if one were to pay particular attention, they would be able to tell that something somewhere isn't quite right. The girl reasons that if she were in their position, she would likely be none-the-wiser.
She tries her best with him. He claims to be alright. Laughs and states that she's worrying about nothing. She wishes that she could believe him.
Unfortunately for the green eyed young man, he channels Dylan some ways when he's lying. There's a certain melancholy behind his eyes. It's a sadness that he can't quite conceal from the rest of the world, especially not the young woman who loves him. He isn't alright. He's pretending that he is.
For what purpose? It's honestly kind of hard to tell.
She's asked him what he plans to do when he turns eighteen. The response is always a little bit slow in coming and when it does, it's not exactly enlightening. She claims to be unsure. On occasion, he's commented about going through with his initial plan to attend business school. Then, sometimes, if his defenses are a little bit lower, he might confess to wanting to leave, to start afresh somewhere, somehow. He sounds desperate. When she offers her assistance or at the very least asks him just what he means by that he brushes her off.
The closest she's ever gotten to getting a proper insight into his troubled mind is when she was walking to his house with him one day. He'd stopped and made a curious statement about how he had called the building home for a good many years but hasn't been able to find it in himself to do since its last beacon of familiarity was chased away…
She hadn't know what to reply so had chosen to simply assure him that no matter what happened, she would remain by his side. He'd smiled, slipped an arm around her and pulled her in close, placing a single kiss atop her head. It's the closest she's been in quite some time to getting her boyfriend back.
In truth, everyone anticipates something happening come his birthday. His parents organize a party at the mansion catching all of his friends off-guard. They attend of course. Coming together to wish the birthday boy all the best. He's an adult now… Standing there dressed in his best designer shirt which Marinette had created for him earlier on in the year, he's the picture of handsome elegance. She greets him fondly whilst Tikki and Plagg retreat to someplace quiet where they can chat without fear of being seen. The kwami has become one of the few windows available to her to let her know what's going on in his life. He seems happy, which is surprising in himself. They dance and kiss. It's a great evening.
The day after, Adrien is still home, and the day after that, and the day after that. Marinette stops counting and being surprised after one week. It seems as if Adrien has decided to stay put after all.
His parents grow more confident allowing him to wander more and no longer imposing any form of curfew. Still he abides by it. It initially infuriates the young woman. She wants to tell him to snap out of it and that he doesn't have to be governed by any of their rules, reminding him about what they've done and that they're responsible for sending away Nathalie. She stops herself however. Would that mean stirring up resentment which might simply not be there anymore? Could it be that he's decided that this life, this existence is the one which suits him best? She can't get much of a response from him. At this point, she can't tell if he's being evasive or merely losing interest in the subject.
Is his apathy caused by the medicine or something far deeper? Have his parents finally succeeded in breaking his spirit?
Can she love him when he's like this?
The question is one which she can't escape from one warm morning in early July when her parents, somewhat concerned call for her. They have an unexpected visitor in the form of Gabriel Agreste. The man seems to be shaken. He's paler than usual and clearly hasn't taken quite so much care when it comes to his appearance as he usually would. He bears just one message:
Adrien has disappeared.