Hay guys, I'm really sorry I'm late again this week. Between work, the last weekend before the main comic con of the year Kitacon I go to (eeeeekkkkk!) and deciding literally two weeks ago "I wanna cosplay Ladybug for the cosplay ball but lets make things hard and design a stupidly ridiculously complicated LB themed dress I don't have NEARLY enough skill for and leave myself with only 2 days to make it, eeeh why not it's the cosplay ball and I bribed my kitty into doing a suited and booted Chat so let's just forget what sleep feels like and DO IT"... yeah that happened... (It's not finished but I ended up setting it as my profile pic, I feel so purdy! XD) I had some extra time off with bank holidays but I've spent every moment slaving over my sewing machine.
At least this was already written so I just had to find time to proofread it... less sleep for me again but totally worth it! Thank you for sticking with me through this! not long to go now and you won't have to put up with my terrible grammar/spelling/general writing.
"If you ask me one more time then I'm going to throw you out, well, try, just go!"
"Are you sure you don't mind? This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and the chances of it ever coming up are just about zilch." Alya sat on her knees with her hands on her very heavily pregnant best friend who at that moment was looking down at her, biting her lip to stop herself from laughing. By heavily pregnant, she mean a week overdue. Winter had melted into spring and eventually gave way for summer and it was a stiflingly hot evening but the raven girls room was icy cold. The three air cons that had been set up around the room to keep Marinette comfortable made you expect a light to come on when you opened the door. Marinette's due day had came and gone uneventfully and her excitement and nervousness turned into excitement and down right fear but no matter what, she always put on a smile. At that particular moment, Alya had just received a call from the TV station she had an apprenticeship with saying one of the reporters had fallen ill and there was nobody available on such short notice for a job at the Agreste summer line launch party. Alya had barely left Marinette's side for the past two weeks but this was to good a scoop to miss.
"Go already! Doesn't it start in like-" She checked her imaginary watch, "-now? I'll be fine, if anything happens I'll call you. Go have fun! It even includes a plus one so take Nino." Alya beamed.
"You better call me if anything happens or I'll kick your butt all the way to the hospital! I need to get going, I'm taking out that little beauty you made me for my birthday for a spin," With that she gave Marinette a hug and ran towards the trapdoor leading downstairs and outside. Within an hour she had ran home, made herself look somewhat presentable, pinning her hair up and putting on the body hugging, crystal adorned black dress made of luxurious duchess satin. While she put on her makeup, Nino took a shower and emerged from the bathroom and put his suit on, Alya stopping and holding her mascara wand mid stroke as she took a few moments to admire his well sculpted body through her mirror before groaning a little when he slipped his jacket on even if him in a suit was just as desirable. She finished putting her face on and grabbed her camera and notepad, preferring good old fashioned pen and paper to her tablet to make notes on. They called a taxi and where at the Agreste manor in no time, Nino offering his arm for her to clasp as they walked down the red carpet that had been laid out from the front gates leading up to the house lined with all sorts of elegant light features and floral arrangements. She stopped herself from squeeing sever times as they passed an array of celebrities from the fashion and modelling world.
"Okay Alya? You gotta chill, keep it cool, You look amazing," Nino whispered in her ear, ghosting her every step and only having eyes for her since they left their apartment, following her in a luck struck daze as they circulated the grand entrance that had been transformed into a reception. Nino had only been here on one occasion when he made a fool of himself in front of Mr Agreste so many years ago. The place hadn't changed a bit apart from the tables and various displays of ice and fire along with large prints of magazines the new line was being advertised on that where dotted around the room. Alya gave him an unusually compliant smile over her shoulder, nodding in agreement and she started taking pictures of the room, guests and anything she could use. Nino stood by her feeling a little uncomfortable as Alya talked to some of the guests and made notes, He took a glass of champaign that was offered by a passing waiter and stepped against a wall out of the way so he could watch his amazing woman in her element. He watched the party from a distance, happy to take any food or drinks that where offered to him and walked into the next room, curiosity taking over as he walked around the Agreste mansion freely, having never seen inside his old friends childhood home. It struck him that this was an opportunity he couldn't afford to miss and he slipped into another room which turned out to be a dining room that was empty and wondered to another door that lead off into what looked like a living room that had been partially transformed into a reception area. After a long time of wondering, he finally found a corridor that lead to a stairway, the sounds of the party outside coming from another set of double doors that looked like they lead into the back garden. He climbed the stairs and found more halls lined with doors. Seriously, HOW big was this place?! After peaking into several rooms and finding nothing, he finally opened a door to a large bedroom, by large he meant the size of his and Alya's entire apartment. There was a vertical climbing room, a half pipe, a spiral staircase that lead up to a miniature library and a bed that looked bigger than his own bedroom. The bed was left unmade bot everything else was pristine. Nino stepped into the bedroom and looked around, admiring the three oversized monitors that Adrien had left behind in owe. On the wall by the monitor he noticed he noticed various pictures pinned to the wall, the only thing that indicated that the room belonged to Adrien. Some of the pictures had fallen down and there where patches on the wall that showed where they where. He gathered up the pictures that had fallen and looked through them. Pictures of a much younger, happier Adrien when he was younger with a blond woman who couldn't be anyone but his mother, some of the pictures had Mr Agreste in and it was odd seeing him almost looking happy. One picture made the DJ smile, a shot of toddler Adrien with Mr and Mrs Agreste somewhere in the country side, probably or 8 year old Adrien was throwing grass in the air at his mother, childish glee radiating from his face while his mother who was also laughing, looking down at the small blonde adoringly. The last picture came as a surprise to Nino, one of a certain retired superhero at close range, the photographer could have only been a few feet away. Marinette, the resemblance so obvious Nino chuckled at how much of an idiot everyone was not to figure out her identity years ago, was frowning slightly at the camera, her brows furrowed in something like a frown but she grinned at whoever had been taking the picture. Where had Adrien got a picture like this from? Surely he would have told the DJ if he had got this close and personal with Ladybug. The background of the picture showed nothing but clear blue sky and there was nothing in it to indicate where the picture was taken.
"What else did you keep to yourself?" He wondered aloud, looking at the pictures once more. They told a story of someone who had once had a happy life but after the blondes mother passed away and was then forced into solitude by his father until he was eventually allowed to go to school. It was quite sad to see, Even if the Adrien had acted as normal as was possible given his special family circumstances, he never really opened up and kept everything bottled up. Nino shook the thoughts out of his head and replaced the pictures in what looked like their rightful places, there where several patches of discoloured wall left after he ran out of photos, probably ones Adrien had taken with him in a rush as he left with almost no notice. With a heavy sigh, Nino left the room, sneaking back the way he came and rejoined the party, acting like he had never left. It wasn't long after he Alya spotted him and walked towards him in relief.
"Where have you been? You won't believe who I got to agree to an interview with the magazine! The-"
"Alya Césaire?" Alya was cut off as Mr Agreste dressed in an impeccable black suit approached them, a hint of a smile on his face as he addressed Alya politely. Alya's eyes shot open at being addressed my the man and she glanced at Nino, not sure of what to do before forcing a smile.
"Mr Agreste, Thank you for inviting someone from the magazine to the party, you're home is beautiful."
"Thank you. I look forward to reading the article in the morning. And you are?" He turned to Nino who visibly shrunk in on himself, remember the last time he had faced the designer and cringed. If he was lucky he had forgotten but it appeared luck was not on his side. "Ah, I believe you where one of Adrien's class mates? Nice to meet you again, I'm glad you grew out of your headphones and thug style. I see a woman did you some good." As if the comment was nothing, Gabriel turned back to Alya with a polite smile. "Now I know this may be a little personal but I believe you are a friend of a certain Miss Dupain-Cheng? An old employee of mine teaches at the college she graduated from and she always sends me references for the students with the most potential if I where to ever receive any applications for internship from them and she sent me a favourable reference and some interesting work for Miss Dupein-Cheng's. Could you kindly let her know I hope to see her CV at our next opening?" Alya had been looking at Mr Agreste with disapproval but her jaw dropped and she started nodding rapidly.
"I-I will, thank you Mr Agreste." Said man nodded.
"It would be a shame to see talent like that go to a competitor. I hope you enjoy the rest of the night."
"Thank you! Although I must disagree with you sir, I think Grunge Chic is making a comeback." Mr Agreste raised a brow at her challenge, rolling his eyes the tiniest bit as Alya gave her partner a wink and turned away. A deflated Nino instantly perked up at her words and caught her hand in his the moment the designer had turned his back, about to tell her she was an idiot for challenging him like that. "What? I have to hold my tongue for the sake of ever getting a job with any magazine ever but I had to say something." Nino only brushed his lips against her neck and planted a kiss under her jaw.
"You're too good for me. You seriously just sassed Gabriel Agreste right now, That was hot..." Alya laughed, pushing him away playfully.
"And you need to stand up for yourself a little more. I'm just going to call Marinette and tell her the good news and check up, get a few more pictures and then we could go home, This isn't as much fun as I thought it would be." Nino nodded in agreement and let her wonder off, saying he'll be waiting in the ball room. He went for another walk around and found an abandoned table in a quieter corner where he could sit and watch the party progress. He spotted an oversized family portrait of the happy family that once lived in this mansion. He studied the picture, seeing an actual, genuine smile on his old buddy's face when something drew his attention in the picture. He took his big goggle like glasses and stood, crossing the room and edging closer to the painting, fording through guests unnoticed until he was standing at the foot of the gold framed portrait. The object of his fixation was the delicate hand resting on Adrien's shoulder, more specifically the white gold band with it's feature yellow diamond set with smaller clear diamonds around it. He stood staring, rooted to the spot as recognition, then disbelief, shock and finally nausea swept over him at a dizzying face. He fumbled in his pockets for his phone and took a picture, attracting disapproving looks from some nearby guests and then he made a run for the exit. He called a cab and jumped in, ordering the driver to get to him home as fast as was legally possible. He sent Alya a text saying he felt sick as he had drank a little to much and practically threw the cash at the driver when he finally reached his apartment building. He raced up the stairs, only stopping at the door and vocalising his agitation at not getting the key into the lock fast enough before running to his desk and switching his laptop on, ignoring the chime of his phone. He opened up video chat and found the person he was looking for in his contacts list and wrapped the desk with his knuckles impatiently as he waited for the other to answer the call.
Adrien sat in his home sulking, flicking through the channels restlessly. He had called off any sessions he had with Mark today as him and Kevin had made plans to to go and see a movie and then go bowling but Kevin had called last minute to say had college work to do, the fifth time running. Adrien wouldn't call the brunette a liar but since it was the fifth time running and the last time he spoke to him over the phone, he ended the conversation as quickly as was polite, Adrien was starting to get the impression Kev just wasn't interested in hanging out. Grumbling, the model dropped the remote and went into his kitchen to look for something to eat for dinner, Kevin's father had kept his promise and tried to teach Adrien how to cook but it quickly became apparent that anything beyond salads, basic pasta and boiled eggs that where as simple as possible where the absolute limit of what Adrien was capable of without accidentally poisoning anyone. Adrien on the other hand was quite pleased with what he had taken from the few days he spent ghosting the restaurant owner around his kitchen having never been able to cook anything before and pulled the ingredients out of the fridge to make pasta. Halfway through cooking, he heard a familiar jingling, being sure to turn the stove right down, he sat in front of his laptop, spirits lifting as a picture of Nino flashed up on the screen. When he accepted the call, Nino's dark room appeared with an oddly angry looking Nino glaring at him.
"Hay Bro, What's up? You're up late," He smiled, just happy to be able to speak to someone but was shut down instantly by the infuriated DJ.
"Ok bro what the hell? I mean WHAT. THE. HELL. is wrong with you? I didn't think you had something like this in you! I don't even know what to think!" Adrien recoiled, turning the volume down as Nino nearly deafened him, the disgust in his old friends words disorientating the unsuspecting blond who shook his head to clear it and crossing his arms defensively, almost childishly.
"Ok back up a sec, what the hell? what have I done?"
"What do you MEAN what have you done? you know exactly what you've done! Alya is going to murder you when she gets her hands on you, an man I'm talking cold blooded murder. And they she'll probably kill me in blind rage!"
"Nino I don't know what you're talking about! What have I done?" Nino kept quiet, Adrien feeling his eyes all over him like he was right there in the room and tried to make himself look small, confused and uncomfortable under the accusing tone. Nino remained silent, scrutinizing him with accusation written all over his face until it evaporated, leaving something that resembled pity mixed with something else, like he was seeing Adrien for the first time. He palmed his eyes thinking before he spoke reluctantly.
"You really don't know... How could you not know?" Adrien's stomach turned, what had happened? and what could he have done that Nino would look at him with such disgust? His mouth ran dry at the bewildering outburst made his stomach knot.
"Nino you're freaking me out, what happened?" Nino studied his face for a few more seconds, Adrien wishing he was right there so he could slap or shove him out of his thoughts and just tell him before the DJ exploded in...excitement?
"Ooooh man I'm so happy you don't! Really! This is good, no great, no.. well I'm not because this would have saved my girl a whole lot of sleepless nights but I knew you weren't that kind of guy!" His current excitement lapsed for a moment and a flicker of dread appeared in his eyes, "Well, um... I have some big news for you, just don't freak out okay?"
"Nino seriously, what are you on about? You not telling me is freaking me out!" Adrien leaned closer to the screen, growing irritated with his friends temporary lapse of sanity.
"Ok, just give me a moment." Nino took a deep breath to calm the excitement that was rising in him, each second driving the blonde closer to snapping.
"Nino!"
"Okay okay! Tell me honestly, When where you going to tell me you where Chat Noir?" Well that was unexpected. Adrien paled and remained silent. That would have been more than enough of an answer but Nino wanted to hear it straight from the cats mouth. "Where you?" Eventually and very slowly Adrien nodded. Nino jumped up and down in his seat grinning like a madman.
"Ok that's good. That's really good! I want a full explanation on why you never told me but that can come later. Ok now tell me why you left. The whole truth!" Adrien instinctively shut down, leaning away from the screen as if physically trying to dodge the topic.
"I don't really want to ta-"
"No dude. You need to tell me. You're going to tell me right now or we're getting nowhere." Adrien blinked a few times, bewildered by Nino's forwardness, it reminded him a little of his girlfriend who seemed to be rubbing off on him, the usually shy DJ Adrien grew up with was far to laid back for this. Adrien met his determination with his own stubbornness and crossed his arms again.
"Can't you just tell me why you called acting like I kicked someone's puppy? If you're just going to keep going like this I'm hanging up." Adrien regretted those stupid words, there was really no need for him to act so cold. Nino softened a little.
"S-sorry, I'm getting to it, I promise. I just need to clear a few things up first so I can make sense of everything. Really you'll thank me later, or maybe you won't, I don't know..."
"Nino you're making me really worried, what's happened?"
"I'll get there! Just tell me EXACTLY why you left. I need to know in detail." Adrien looked down at his hands resting on his lap, one hand instinctively reaching for his neck, the weird nervous habit he still had and he sighed heavily, talking towards his keyboard.
"I... its hard to explain... I.. I love ladybug. I loved her so much it hurt and when she finally started to get close she told me she wished she had never met me. She loved some other guy and apparently I was distracting her from him so I left her to be happy with him," Adrien caught his bottom lip between his teeth, biting back tears that tried to escape as the well of emotions he gave them words. "Nino what does this have to do with anything?" He tried to hide his eyes behind his bangs but his voice betrayed a little of just how much he was hurting.
"I'm getting there. Just bare with me," Nino grimaced apologetically before continuing. "Did you and ma-ladybug ever get...you know...intimate?" The again sudden change in conversational direction made Adrien's cheeks burn with embarrassment, looking at everything but his camera and gave a ghost of a nod. The more odd questions Nino asked, the worse the knot in his stomach writhed, anticipation peaking as to where all of this was leading to. Nino did another triumphant jump in his seat, whooping and punching the air like a passionate fan at a football game. The display made Adrien flush even more, his eyebrow twitching irritably at the reaction.
"Ok ok, do you remember Marinette Dupain-Chang? The girl who used to sit in front of you in school next to Alya? The one who was crushing you harder than Chloe since you started school?" Adrien nodded slowly, if he was confused before, he was outright dumbfounded now, his brain starting to pound as he tried to make sense of just about anything.
"She was crushing on me? I never noticed, I thought she didn't like me, she was always really awkwards," -How could I not notice her? If I wasn't so in love with his lady he would have tried to ask her out.
"Seriously? You're far more of an idiot that I thought. Anyway, are you ready for this? LB turns up at our apartment 6 weeks after you left then untransforms right there in our living room! It was Marinette all along! Anyway, she took off her earrings and gave them to this little creature called Tikki and it disappears. Her and Alya cried for hours after and life went on." All the colour that had build in Adrien's face drained as Nino talked, realisation slowly dawning on him, crashing over him with such a force it made him shiver. Ladybug. His lady had been right in front of him. Literally right under his nose for years, easily within reach.
"Marinette was...?"
"Yeah! And well... she... I don't know how to break this to you bro... she's pregnant, like, very pregnant, just over nine months actually." If there was any colour left in the blonds complexion, it disappeared as his exhausted brain tried to do simple maths, counting backwards. 9 months. It had been just over 9 months since he left for America, since he and his lady...
"You're gunna be a daddy Adrien." The words had a similar effect to being shot with a paralysing dart. Adrien froze, every fibre of his being freezing in place as he processed the words, Not moving, barely even breathing. He felt like he might faint as a mind became somewhat unhinged, a thoughts in total calamity. He distantly heard Nino calling his name but the room could be collapsing around him and he wouldn't notice. The only thing that made any sense was that one small fact.
"Ladybug is having...a catbug?" Adrien gasped for breath, the air feeling heavy around him and he felt like he was suffocating. "Marinette is having my..." Eventually, Nino's words started getting through his mental implosion.
"Ladybug didn't want to be with Chat-you, because she loved Adrien-you. I saw everything man! Someone video'd you and LB the night you two argued, I saw the ring and I was just at your dads house with Alya at a party, I know I'd seen it somewhere! Marinette still has it!" Nino's happy words barely reached the blonde, his focus swaying in and out and he felt dangerously close to fainting. Ladybug was Marinette, Marinette was pregnant. Ladybug loved someone else, Marinette had had a crush on him for years apparently. Marinette was having his child and he had ran. "So now you need to get your behind on a plane and get over here so you and Marinette can ride off into the sunset or whatever and Alya will let us live."
"I need to...get behind... a plane..." Nino turned away from the screen for a few moments answering his phone while Adrien was lost in his own thoughts, the inability to draw air making him dizzier by the second until he heard Nino shouting.
"Whatddya mean she's in labour? She can't be! Not yet!... Nonono Nothing, it's nothing, I'll tell you when I see you...mhmm... yeah I'll meet you there, love you, bye." Nino turned back to the camera with a determined expression in his rapidly paling features. "Marinette's just gone into labour, oh my god, Marinette is in labour! Dude how fast can you get here?" Adrien finally managed to take a deep breath, drawing air properly for the first time in minutes, grabbing the corners of his laptop and pulling the device closer to himself in terror matching Nino's.
"Marinette's in-"
"Yes Marinette's in labour! So you need to get back to Paris right NOW or Alya really will kill both of us! I'm going to tell her as soon as I see her, maybe she can slow it down, hold it in or something I don't know!" Adrien stared at the camera dumbly before his numb mind slowly regained some basic functions.
"I think I can be there in eight hours, does Marinette know?"
"No I haven't told her, I haven't told Alya yet, I only figured it out at your dads party not even an hour ago."
"Good, don't say anything, I need to tell her, I want to tell her face to face" Just in case she doesn't want me to be there, don't say anything to anyone before I get there or she might stop me if she's still mad at me. Except Alya! Alya might be able to help if Marinette doesn't want to see me." Nino nodded, a smile breaking across his face.
"I knew you where a good guy. I'll see you soon!" Nino waved and the call ended. Adrien cursed as he jumped up from his seat so quickly he kneed the heavy mahogany table painfully and hopped towards his bedroom and pulled his suitcase from under his bead and tossed anything within arms length with his phone caught between the side of his face and his shoulder, his endlessly helpful and resourceful assistant picking up on the third ring.
"Good after-"
"Mark I need a jet! I need to be in Paris as soon as possible, I don't care how much it costs, I'll empty my account, if it isn't enough I can put it on my credit card, that should be enough-"
"Adrien slow down, you're not making any sense. Okay, why do you suddenly need to be back home? Has something happened to your father?"
"No no, It's..." His shoulders tensed, uncertainty, fear and a spark of excitement at war with each other inside his heart and head. "Please, I can't even begin to say how important this is, I can't really explain, not yet. I'll tell you later but right now I need to.." He lost the ability to speak again as all his warring emotions quilled, only leaving warmth, his love for his lady taking a hold of him with more vigour than ever, bitter-sweet thoughts of seeing her again making his hands shake and his eyes burn. "If I'm not there soon I might just miss the most important moment of my life. Just whatever you do, don't let anyone find out, I don't want to draw my fathers attention until I can explain to him to." The line was quiet as Adrien pictured the elderly man raising his brows sceptically, maybe a slightly knowing smile pulling his wrinkled mouth.
"Okay, I can have a jet waiting for you in an hour. Get yourself to the airport."
"T-thanks Mark, Thank you so much," Adrien gripped the phone tightly to stop them from shaking so much as the other line beeped and went dead. He packed his clothes and laptop and some essentials, making sure he turned the stove off as not to burn the entire block down when it occurred to him that he might never return here, If his lady wasn't willing to give him a chance after he abandoned her, He didn't want to think of that but he'd still stay, He'd never leave her like that again. Ever.
I know this is bit of a cliff hanger but this is pretty mild for me! Originally I was planning on writing to the point where Adrien was stood outside Marinette's hospital room but that this felt like a good stopping point for this chapter. I've had it in my head since the beginning that Nino would be the one to connect the dots. Where as in Unexpected Surprise, Adrien gave up on trying to convince Marinette he was Chat and Emma's father, I figured since he had spent a lot less time in this AU alone in America, He'd be a bit more determined to make her listen still being younger and a little more determined if that makes sense? Please review and let me know what you think! Reviews keep me going and make losing sleep a little less of a pain haha.
I'm really sorry, This chapter feels so rushed! I really wasn't happy with while proofreading but I tried to start rewriting but my mind was just completely blank not to mention I'm up in 5 hours work I'M SORRY! I WILL MAKE SURE THE NEXT CHAPTER IS THE BEST IT CAN BE TO MAKE UP FOR MY CRAPPY WRITING IN THIS CHAPTER! #bows repeatedly smacking head against floor#
Just a fair warning, I may be late on next weeks update as I'm off to birmingham on thursday until monday and I won't be taking my laptop with me so getting access to a computer might be a challange as I won't be staying in an executive suite like last year... no executive pass to the executive lounge with free executive beer and executive interwebs/computers and a gorgeous room with the dressing table and the view Free Executive stuff is not worth cutting into spends. IT's NOT I TELL YOU! NO AMOUNT OF AWESOME FREE FOOD AND BOOZE AND COFFEE IN THE MORNING IS WORTH SPENDING LESS ON YOUR TRASHY JUNK HOARDING WAYS! NOOOOOOOO... anyway... actual point was that I may be late BUT I will make sure I have the next chapter up sometime mid next week as I won't have anything around work to panic over and won't be looking to smash my head in with a hammer XD
Until next week! :D