aftershock

Part 2

It started with not see Chat for days. It soon became weeks, that morphed into months. Alya watched as grief consumed her ever stubborn best friend. She refused to do anything more to prepare for the baby than go to doctor appointments and Alya still had to drag her to them. It seemed that Marinette could only design baby clothes but she refused to create them determined to wait for Chat Noir, her only income coming from helping around the bakery. Marinette put off all the pregnancy stuff praying that he would show, Alya and Nino did too, but he never did. Marinette still loved him but was feeling her resolve start to crack. Nothing made sense, Chat wasn't the type to just up and leave. Begrudgingly she slowly started getting ready for her beautiful baby girl to come into this world without the man she loved. 

She walked into the Chinese restaurant the Chat Noir would always talk about for the 3rd time this week. He loved this restaurant and took her here a couple of times on her superhero dates. She was hoping that she would run into him here and tell him everything. Even though she was close to her due date, she refused to let anyone come with her. She ordered, waited, and ate, but there was still was no sign of chat anywhere. She sighed as she opened her fortune cookie you will find the one you seek. As she read the fortune she felt a false sense of hope but was still hope indeed. As she turned around she ran into a man. She was about to fall as he caught her. "You know..." He said, "You should be a little more careful miss, you wouldn't want to hurt your baby." Marinette gasped. She knew that voice.

"Adrien?" She asked as he pulled her up and she met his eyes. He let out a barely audible gasp.

"Marinette." He said as he looked her up and down, he giggled "Long time no see I guess right?" she giggled right back with a yup. "Last time I saw you, you weren't pregnant."

"Technically, I was but nobody knew and last time I saw you.." Marinette started but didn't know how to say it. It was obvious that he hadn't been sleeping very well and was tired. "you don't look like a model anymore, more like an everyday civilian." He stiffened at the use of the word civilian but it went right over her head.

"Well then, that must mean that you're close to your due date..." Adrien glanced around the room, "Wheres your accomplice?" It was her time to stiffen up.

"He's not here." She said quickly trying to change the subject. "SO what have you been up to then."

Adrien smirked, "Well you know after Gabriel and Natalie were taken away that left me with the company to run all by myself, and honestly it sucks so I'm thinking about shutting it down." 

Marinette gasped "Shut down your father's company? What would you do next?"

"Well I got into the University of Paris and I'm thinking about becoming a teacher." Adrien explained, "I love kids and was always good with them. so If you need help with your little one I will be happy to help."

Marinette giggled, "Really? I think that would be a good fit for you," she poked him "and I'll-" suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She winced.

"Mari are you okay?" Adrien asked genuinely worried.

"Yeah I think-" she felt the pain again, "NOPE I'm not I think my water broke" Adrien's eyes widened when he comprehended the sentence. His friend that he had shut out for the last few months was about to have her baby that he just found out about today.

Adrien POV 

Ever since hawkmoth was revealed as his father he had hated himself. He hated himself for not seeing the signs, For not figuring it out sooner, and for just being related to him. He saw how strangers looked at him. They looked at him as if he was hawkmoth, he couldn't blame them. He was hawkmoth's son. But that's the main reason he shut his friends out. He loved them so much but how would they look at him? He couldn't bear to know the answer so he didn't let them answer. He turned to alcohol. At 1st it was just a couple of drinks a week. then it was a couple per night. One night got to the point where he got soo hammered he couldn't even walk by himself. He gave the bartender his phone and he called someone. After 10 minutes Adrien heard a voice. "Excuse me sir, Where is my friend I'm here to pick him up." The voice sounded familiar but Adrien couldn't think straight at all and place it. Adrien felt a hand on his shoulder and panicked. He grabbed it, twisted it and almost threw the man over him and would have if he wasn't so hammered. "ADRIEN, CHILL OUT IT'S JUST ME, NINO" the man yelled. Adrien froze in his stance and swayed. A small smile appear and Adriens face as he loosened up