Chapter 5: Can Time Change People?
Adrien detransformed a block away from Alya and Nino's apartment. He hadn't returned home yet since his dinner with his father, feeling too excited to walk home the normal way. Instead, he had opted to transform once out of view of the Agreste security cameras. He swung through the city feeling a freedom he hadn't gotten to truly enjoy since he had left Paris.
During his time abroad, he had restrained himself and only transformed into Chat Noir a few times. All during the first year he had been away from home. He had had to be especially careful not to let anyone see him. He knew how quickly suspicions would spread if Chat Noir was seen abroad only weeks after Adrien had left.
Adrien sunk down onto the bed in his hotel room. His hair was still soaking wet from a long shower that had followed a full day of photoshoots. Some days he wondered if he had made a mistake agreeing to travel for a year. He missed his friends, even Chloe. But mostly, he missed Ladybug.
Plagg watched him from nearby, happily devouring the cheese platter Adrien had ordered him from room service. He watched as Adrien rubbed at his face with a fluffy white towel. Even without paying close attention, he could tell that the wetness on Adrien's face was from crying not from the shower.
"Hey, kid. If you're worried about things back home, you could always transform and call Ladybug. She might even be transformed," he suggested.
Adrien draped the towel over the back of his neck. "I can?"
Plagg rolled his eyes. "Of course, you can. Even if I said I didn't have the energy right now," he smirked, "when has that ever stopped you before?"
A low chuckle bubbled up from Adrien's throat. "All right then. Let me get dressed and you finish your dinner, then we'll try calling."
After getting dressed into his pajamas, he called on his transformation. He pressed the button on his baton and selected Ladybug's picture. There were several rings before it went to voicemail.
"Hey, Kitty. Sorry, I missed your call. Leave me a message."
He let out a breath, feeling a little relieved that he didn't have to talk to her directly right now. Maybe she wouldn't be able to tell he'd been crying through voicemail. "Hi, LB. I- I just wanted to check in and see how things are going since I've been gone a few weeks." He paused. Did that sound like he thought she was incompetent? "Not that I think things wouldn't be great. I mean, you are probably doing an excellent job. Even without me." He sighed, this was a train wreck. "I just called to ask if you miss me yet," he nearly shouted into his baton. "Bye!" He ended the call quickly and detransformed in case she called him back right away.
Plagg cackled at his chosen. "Really smooth."
Adrien groaned. "What does it matter? It's not like I'm trying to win her heart still. That ship sailed a long time ago. Even I know this cat doesn't have a chance with her."
That knowledge didn't stop him from transforming the following evening to check if she had called him back. Which she had, and he was able to return her call and talk to her directly. An hour conversation had been plenty of time for Adrien to feel happy again. His homesickness had come back full force the moment the call had ended. The next time they talked, he chose to let her know he couldn't transform anymore due to his surroundings, which of course she had understood.
He had instead, thrown himself fully into texting Nino and Chloe (thought usually only if Nino was busy). Nino was able to help break through some of the homesickness and eventually, he had decided to stay abroad longer.
Transforming felt different now. He had forgotten the adrenaline that rushed through his veins as he propelled himself through the Paris sky. Had he been disappointed he hadn't run into Ladybug? Of course. But his adventure had been worth it all the same.
He unlocked the apartment door with a smile on his face and stepped into a darkened apartment.
"Welcome home, dude," Nino called over softly from the couch. He was sitting in a nearly dark living room with the tv set on low as he gamed.
"Thanks, man." Adrien stepped into the room, leaving his shoes next to the door. He dropped onto the couch next to his best friend. "Where's Alya?"
"She's asleep. She has an early morning meeting with her boss." Nino tossed him an extra controller. "So, how was dinner with your dad?"
Adrien selected his character in screen and realized with a start that for the first time in over a decade, he could smile while answering that question. "It was good. Really good."
Beside him, his phone buzzed and the screen lit up. He opened it and selected the message icon that now had a red number one next to it.
Chloe: Hi Adrikins! Just wanted to let you know that I booked us a table for brunch tomorrow morning at daddy's hotel. Meet me there at 10. xoxo
"What is it?" Nino asked.
Adrien sent off a quick "okay" before turning back to Nino. "Nothing much. I just found out I have plans tomorrow morning."
Chloe Bourgeois tapped away at her phone nervously. Her blue eyes flickered back and forth from the screen to the lobby, behind her sunglasses. She knew Adrien would be on time. He would never keep her waiting long. She reached up and patted her hair. Surely, it still had to be perfect. Right? She hadn't stepped outside or anything.
Her attention snapped to the entry the second the doors were opened. She caught sight immediately of Adrien stepping into the lobby. He was wearing jeans and a dark blue shirt. His light blue scarf was draped around his neck perfectly and his hair was windswept at just the right-
"Hey, Chlo."
She jumped. Not that she would ever admit it later. "Adrikins!" she cried out before throwing her arms around him. "It's been so long!"
He laughed and patted her back. "I know. It really has been." He guided her back gently. "Are we ready to sit down?" he asked.
Chloe nodded, "Yes. Of course, we wouldn't have to wait like common people." She snapped her fingers and a waiter appeared.
"Take us to our table now," she commanded. She bit her lip contemplating for only a moment before adding, "Please?"
The waiter nodded and began to lead them through the doors into the large dining room.
"The hotel seems to be doing really well," Adrien commented, glancing around
Chloe flipped her blonde ponytail with a smile. "Well, what else would you expect. Daddy keeps only the best employees and the richest guests."
"Your table, Mademoiselle," the waiter announced, gesturing to a table in secluded balcony area. There were fresh flowers in a vase and glasses set out for water on a clear glass tabletop.
Chloe sat down with a muttered "Thank you" before waving away the waiter. She turned to look at Adrien. "I already set up the brunch for us with all of your favorite things. They'll bring them out in a minute."
He beamed at her and she could feel her heart melting. She had missed her best friend so much while he was gone. "Thanks, Chloe. That's really sweet of you."
"Another coffee?"
Marinette looked up from her sketchpad to see that the waitress had returned to their part of the counter. She was carrying with her a tray with a pot of fresh coffee and a fresh cup of hot chocolate complete with whipped cream. Marinette forced a smile despite feeling too tired for it. "Thanks, Lina," she said, holding up her mug.
Lina gave her a kind smile and filled the cup before looking at Hugo who was equally entranced with his coloring page. "Hugo, sweetie? Did you want some more hot cocoa?"
His head shot up at the offer and he grinned. "Yes, please, Mlle. Lina!"
Lina laughed. She was a good ten years older than Marinette but had been in their lives since right after Hugo had been born. The diner Lina worked for had become a staple in Marinette's life during college. She had frequently come to the 24-hour restaurant on nights when Alya or her parents had babysat Hugo. And then she had started bringing him just to show him off and enjoy the judgment free place she had found. (Too many people had mistaken her for a teen mom and treated her badly because of it.)
"You are too cute," Lina gushed. She set the fresh cup in front of him. "How's your food?"
Hugo looked at the plate of blueberry waffles and eggs. He took a big bite and then gave her a thumbs up.
Both women laughed. "Everything's great, Lina." Marinette took a drink of her coffee, enjoying the warmth it filled her with.
"Wow." Lina said, watching the television above the counter. "So, Adrien Agreste is back in Paris?"
Marinette coughed, surprised by the sudden change of topic. She looked up and saw that the tv showed footage of Adrien stepping out of a cab in front of the Grand Paris Hotel. He waved at the camera before walking through the doors. She couldn't help but notice the blue scarf draped around her friend's neck as he entered the hotel. The scarf she had made him.
Lina wiped down the back part of the counter. "I wonder if he's going to marry the Mayor's daughter now that he's back."
"What?!" Marinette blurted out.
Lina laughed as a blush worked its way up the younger girl's face.
"Sorry," Marinette said softly into her cup. "But why do you think he'd marry her?"
Lina shrugged. "I don't know. They're old friends, aren't they? And he came to see her right after getting back."
"Not right after." Marinette stabbed her fork into a piece of waffle. "Adrien's been back for nearly a week already."
"That's right. You went to school with him, didn't you?" Lina watched Marinette with an amused twinkle in her eyes. "And you've already seen him?" She let out a laugh. "Maybe he'll marry you then."
Marinette's eyes darted to Hugo, despite the fact that the teasing comment had been whispered for only her ears. Hugo had regained a deep interest in his coloring and was none the wiser to the embarrassment his mom was feeling.
"It's not like that. He and I are just friends." She tried her hardest to keep any bitterness out of her voice. She and Adrien were friends. And nothing was going to change that now, for better or worse.
Adrien was feeling much better about seeing Chloe again. She seemed to have matured over the last few years. Maybe not entirely, but her attitude and actions towards others had improved since lycée. She had even mentioned that she wanted to throw him a welcome back party, and when he had suggested bringing Alya and Nino, she had agreed since he was staying with them.
"So, now that we've taken care of the small talk," Chloe began, and Adrien felt nervous of where the conversation could be heading. "When would you like to publicly announce our relationship?"
Adrien choked on a bite of crepe. He swallowed hard, even though his body refused to obey, and drank some of his water before answering. "Relationship?"
Chloe's cheeks turned pink under his gaze. She shrugged it off with a haughty flip of her ponytail. "Well, it is obviously the next step for both of us. Neither of us are married yet, and we've been best friends since we were babies. The next step would be to announce our relationship and then plan for an engagement and wedding."
"Chloe, I don't think I'm reall-"
She held up a finger and pressed it to his mouth, silencing him. "Look, I know it's a big step, but what else are we supposed to do?" She pulled her hand back and sighed, causing her bangs to blow upwards. "My mother is already talking about having your father design my dress. She said that since you've 'sewed your wild oats' or something, we need to make these kind of decisions."
Adrien tugged at the scarf that suddenly felt too tight. "Chlo, look. It's not that you aren't great. It's just," he bit the inside of his cheek hard and tasted blood. He had to say this right or else he could wind up really upsetting Chloe. "I don't think I'm the right person for you."
Chloe opened her mouth looking like she was prepared to jump into a long argument about why he was exactly the right person. But then she surprised him yet again, and closed her mouth without saying anything. She picked up her Bellini and drained the remaining half of the glass. Once it was back on the table securely, she smiled at him. "How does Friday night work for the party?"
"Hey, Adrien! I have the shades set up over here. Do you think three will be enough?"
Adrien looked up from where he was sorting through his camera supplies and found his assistant standing in front of him. He glanced past her and saw the shades she had mentioned, laying nearby on the grass. He smiled, "Yeah, Margo. I think that'll be fine."
She nodded, her dark brown curls bobbing as she did. "What else do you want me to take care of?"
Adrien checked his phone. It was nearly time to get started. "Can you check if we've heard from our child model? He should've been here by now."
"Will do!" She turned and hurried back to the tent that had been set up for wardrobe and make up.
As Adrien prepared his camera, his mind drifted back to Chloe. She had seemed so determined to get him to agree to the relationship thing that it had caught him completely off guard when she backed down. Maybe she's changed more than I thought.
"Adrien, we have a problem," Margo called over, sticking her head out from the tent.
He jogged over to her. "What is it?"
She pointed to her phone. "I just tried calling Dante's mom."
"What did she say? Are they on their way?"
She shook her head. "He's not coming. She had to take him to the hospital because he was throwing up all night." Margo tugged at one of her curls. "What should we do? It's supposed to be a family shoot. We can't do it without him."
Adrien rubbed a hand over his face. Of course, something big would go wrong at his first solo shoot. Nothing could ever go perfect. That would be too easy. He looked up from the ground and his eyes wandered over the crowds of people walking nearby. Crossing the street, running errands, families enjoying a day out. Then his eyes landed on a solution. One wearing a red and black backpack.
He turned back to Margo. "Get everything ready. I'll be right back!"
"Where are you going?" she asked.
He flashed her a smile that could win awards. "I'm going to get us a model."
A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks so much for reading. I finally got a laptop so hopefully it'll help me be able to write easier and update more. I am really enjoying where this story is going. Feel free to leave me a review here or send me a message/ask on Tumblr (OtakuPrincess15) or under my author name on Twitter. Also, follow me there for more updates as I write.
Love you guys! And thank you for all your support!
~marauderluverz