He Can't Forget | ✓

8 | kudos to kwamis

"You can't make someone stay who doesn't want to stay."

The look Plagg offered her was a sorrowful one. For some reason, it portrayed absolute guilt, even though the kwami of destruction had nothing to feel guilty for. None of this was his fault. Adrien's decisions were not Plagg's fault.

She felt bad for making him feel that way. So instead, Marinette forced herself to smile. She sat at the edge of her bed, the mattress slightly dipping with her movements as she used one hand to keep her towel in place while the other extended out towards Plagg. Already laced with emotions of guilt and nervousness, the kwami in question seemed to relax at the welcoming gesture and floated towards her, softly landing in the palm of her hand. Using her thumb, Marinette gently stroked his head, earning her a few satisfied purrs from Plagg.

"It's good to see you, Plagg." She said softly. And she meant it. "I've missed you."

He offered her a fond smile, his eyes softening. "I've missed you too, Marinette."

Her smile widened genuinely. "How was America? Did it treat you well?"

"Oh, it was wonderful!" Plagg seemed to perk up at this, eager to tell her all about it. His thoughts about feeling guilty she assumed had already vanished with his mind clearly focused somewhere else. "The food was great, the sights were unbelievable, and the living conditions were top-of-the-notch! But I have to admit, it doesn't beat Paris."

"Can anywhere really beat Paris?" Tikki interjected teasingly from her spot on the pillow.

The two kawmis laughed at that, and Marinette found herself chuckling along. There was no way any place could beat the city of love itself. And speaking of love...

Marinette's smile slowly fell into a sad one. "I... I actually wanted to introduce you to Emilie. I want you two to meet."

"Your daughter?" Plagg's eyes widened slightly in surprise, seemingly excited even at the notion, though she could tell the uncertainty he carried about the idea too also clouded his better judgement. "Are you sure you want her to meet me? Being Adrien's kwami and all—"

"I want Emilie to properly meet Adrien too."

That seemed to take the kwami of destruction by surprise. "You do?"

She nodded. "Eventually. But right now, I'm still somewhat upset with him—"

"Which you can't be blamed for." Tikki tried to placate, but Marinette hardly paid her any mind. In fact, since she had every right to be upset with him, she also had every right to give him a little taste of the same medicine Chat Noir had given to her for years.

"So... since I'm still upset with him, do you know what I did?"

"Oh no." Plagg's ears fell flat against his head the moment her smirk widened. "What have you done to our poor, oblivious boy?"

"Oblivious? Yeah, he is. But sympathy?" Marinette wanted to laugh at that. "He doesn't exactly deserve that. So, I decided to play around with him for the time being. I asked him how his trip to the states was as Marinette."

"You—you—wait but Marinette doesn't—oh..." And suddenly, it must've clicked in Plagg's head. His eyes seemed to widen as realization dawned on him.

Marinette nodded as her smirk only further widened. "Yeah. Genius, isn't it?"

"That's a bit cruel, don't you think?" Tikki asked, her small frown indicating that she didn't exactly approve of this plan... or the lies that would be behind it.

The ravenette rolled her eyes, shrugging, "I wouldn't say cruel. Maybe unfair. But life is unfair. And you know what? Chat Noir and Adrien were both unfair to me for many years. Consider this as payback for all the stuff he's put me through."