The Line Between Love And Hate

Chapter 48: Dinner

~Sunday, January 9th~

Adrien and I are sitting in the conference room going over that video. Trying to find the smallest detail that can lead us to our suspect.

"There." Adrien pauses the video. I turn to him confused. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

He zooms in and there's something moving in the shadows. It's the faintest movement. It's hard not to miss. You have to really focus in order to see.

"Is that-" He nods. "Someone was working with whoever this was." "Do you think it could be Mayura?" "Maybe?" Adrien zooms back out and plays the video.

As it's playing he turns to me. "Do you think he can have anything else in the house?" I shrug. "Probably." "Let's go back." My heart drops to the pit of my stomach. All the way down to my feet.

I can't go back. I won't go back. Especially not after last time.

"I don't think that's a good idea Agreste." "What? Why not?" "What if we get caught? We're just going to show up and look around?" He chuckles.

"Obviously not. I'll suggest that we have dinner together. I'll do the distracting and you do the snooping." I stay silent as he waits for my answer.

"Mari?" I answer with a hum. "You good?" I nod. "Yeah sorry. I guess this video is just getting to me." "Would you be okay with this plan?" As much as I don't want to, I need to. For the sake of the case. "Yeah sure."

"Good cause we're going tonight." He starts to get up ready to walk out. "What? You already planned this?" He gives me a guilty smile.

"What if I said no?" "I know you wouldn't. For the sake of the case." "Oh cause you just know me right?" He rolls his eyes. "Of course I know you. I know you like I know my favorite book."

"Stop. I'm not the same person I was back then." "Aren't you though?" "What? No." "Mari not much has changed and that's obvious."

He looks at my frown and steps closer to me. "It's not a bad thing princess." "Isn't it?" His hand falls under my chin, lifting my head to look into his eyes.

"I like that you're still the same. It's like you never left." But I did. I left for change. Was all of that for nothing then?

"I didn't mean to upset you." I shake my head. "I'm not upset." "I can see that you are." "It's just-" "Just what?"

I see hope in his eyes. Hope that we're going to have the discussion he's been patiently waiting for. But not yet. I'm not ready to open up those old wounds.

"Nothing." I give him a fake smile and give him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight?" He gives me a disappointed nod. "Yeah. Tonight."

~~

I'm in Adrien's car and we've been driving in silence. We kinda left our conversation from earlier unresolved. "Are we good?" I break the silence.

He glances over at me and nods. "Why wouldn't we be?" "I don't know. I feel like somethings off right now." "I just thought that earlier we were going to talk about the elephant in the room."

"Adrien-" "I know, I know. We'll wait till you're ready." "Is that okay." He shrugs and grabs my hand. "If that's what you need then yeah. It's okay."

We pull up to the mansion and make our way to the door. We knock and Nathalie is the one to answer. My stomach sinks at the sight of her.

"Great. Right on time." She smiles down at me as Adrien and I walk inside. Being in her presence again feels weird. I don't like it. "So Marinette. How have you been?"

I subconsciously shift closer to Adrien. "You left so abruptly at the party." Adrien places his hand on my back. "Sorry about that Nathalie. Marinette had a little panic attack."

Gabriel makes it to the end of the stairs and guides us to the table without saying a word.

"Does something seem off with him?" Adrien whispers to me and I shrug. "He seems normal to me."

"So Marinette." I shift my attention to Gabriel. "How did New York treat you?" Not again. "It was good. Lots of great opportunities." He hums as he continues staring at me.

"Definitely off." Adrien leans in towards me. "Let's not beat around the bush. You left without telling my son bye and broke his heart. Why?" Straight to the point I see.

"I-" Adrien sighs and in a testing tone he says, "Father. Not now." "If not now then when Adrien? You can't go on forever without knowing." "And he won't." I grab his hand. "We're just working towards it."

Gabriel rolls his eyes. "You mean you're just waiting until you're ready. You're not really caring for my son. If you were you wouldn't leave him in the dark and make him wonder what went wrong."

~Adrien~

I don't like this. My father has no right to even bring this up. The past is between me and Marinette. And us only.

No matter how badly I want to know, we have to do it on her time.

"I don't really see how this is your business." I squeeze her hand 3 times, hopefully it's enough to ease her nerves.

"Well when some immature girl hurts-" "Immature? Are you serious? You stopped speaking to your own blood because of some silly argument and you have the audacity to call me immature?" "Stay in your lane."

I open my mouth ready to interfere, but she beats me to it. "I'll stay in mine once you learn how to stay in yours." "I really wish Adrien stayed with that sophisticated young lady." "Father that's enough!" I stand up, slapping my hand on the table.

"I'm only speaking the truth son. Kagami was a fine young lady." "How would you even know? You never met her." "You don't think I had people supervising you? I know she made you happy. So did Chloe. Either of them would've made a finer choice."

I glance over at Marinette and watch her take all of this in. "Mari-" "It's okay Agreste. I've dated after you as well." She places a kiss on my cheek.

"I've lost my appetite though. I'll see you outside whenever you're ready?" "I'm ready now." She shakes her head. "Stay and fix this with him. You can't lose him again." She whispers. I nod and she walks out the door.

"You were really out of line." "Was I though?" "You can't put all the blame on her dad. I was in the wrong too." "Yeah, but she shouldn't have left."

"You know this is the exact reason we stopped talking in the first place? You can't just talk down on her because of what happened." "Adrien that's just because he cares." Nathalie buts in and it sets me off.

"And you. You used to loved Marinette and wouldn't have just stood there listening to someone say all of that." "Well things can change." I roll my eyes. "That's a load of bull."

I shift my gaze between the two of them. "Either fix this or I'm out of your life. For good this time." My father nods. "Im sorry." "Im not the one you need to apologize to."