Adrien was so intensely focused on the little Emma in his arms he didn't notice when everyone entered the room until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He instinctively flinched back, then he realized who it was. It was Nino. "Dude are you ok." He asked
Adrien finally looked up to see Alya, Nino, Tom, and Sabine. He blushed deeply wondering how long they've been there. Finally, he asked timidly "Y'all wanna hold her?" A laugh roared through the room and he turned a deeper shade of red.
"Adrien, it's ok." Marinette finally said with a small smile. He gave her a small nod and passed Emma onto Sabine and Tom who fawned over their grandchild. Adrien turned to Nino and gave him a big and hearty hug
"Thank you, Nino... Thank you..." Adrien whispered just so only Nino could hear him. Nino just gave back a hug and rubbed his back." Alya and Marinette only gave them a glance and laughed.
"So boys..." Alya started "mine telling me what's going on?" Adrien and Nino both turned pale. Nino looked for his best friend's approval to tell his girlfriend. Adrien nodded and said only Alya.
"Later babe. OK? I prom-" Nino said and was cut off from a meow from Alya's phone. She looked at it and her eyes widen.
"Marinette, Chat was spotted downtown!" Alya squeal.
"Alya, calm down you're going to make Emma cry," Marinette said
"Oh right sorry, but I will be back with him. I promise you." Alya said as she grabbed Nino's arm and ran down the hall. You could hear the sounds of protest from Nino from down the hall. Marinette sighed
"Sooo..." Adrien said, "Why does Alya want to find Chat Noir so badly?" Adrien was starting to get annoyed with the conquest to find his secret Identity.
Marinette turned red, "UMM-" she started, "He's a really good friend and we're all super worried about how he just fell off the face of the planet."
"Hmm..." Adrien responded, "Maybe he just doesn't want to be found. You know?"
"Yeah maybe, but he just disappeared," Marinette said, "We just wanna make sure he's still alive and is doing Okay." There was obvious hurt in her voice.
"Well," Adrien said, "Maybe he gave up his superhero life to be with his family and kids and dog" he was trying to convince her that Chat Noir was in a better situation than he was for her sake.
"Maybe..." Marinette said, "But not a dog, he's more of a cat and hamster person." Adrien was surprised at her statement. When did he tell Marinette he was a cat and hamster person? Just then Alya ran in with Nino with another man dressed as Chat Noir.
"MARINETTE... " Alya yelled out of breath. "I found HIM!!" She leaned over as she breathed.
"I already told you, lady, I'm NOT CHAT NOIR," The man said. Adrien decided it was his turn to save the poor kid.
"Well, let's see then," Adrien said as he walked up to the man. The man stiffened at Adrien's presence. "hmmm" Adrien said as he studied the suit and the man's face. "Well, the suit is not form-fitting. The stitching is not done terribly well. He and his face is more..." Adrien paused thinking of the right word. "Rounded than Chat Noirs. And..." He leaned over and took off the mask. "You can take off his mask." He looked at the man under the mask and recognized him. It was Wayhem. "Hello Wayhem, long time no see imma right" Wayhem gave him a glare and ignored him.
"Lady see I'm not Chat Noir so let me go!" Wayhem said sourly. Alya saw the look of deep hurt across Adrien's face. This dude used to be obsessed with him and now Wayhem despised him just because of his father. This is probably why Adrien shut them out. He couldn't bear to see that look of disgust and hate slathered on their face as it was with Wayhem.
"NO," Alya said defiantly. "Not until you apologize to Adrien." Adrien looked surprised. He wasn't used to people standing up for him like this. "If I remember correctly. WAYHEM you used to be obsessed with Adrien Agreste. You were his friend and now look at him like trash because of his father??" Adrien could tell Alya was getting heated but knew better to try to interrupt he saw Marinette try lots of times when Alya defended her and it only got her more riled up. "I'll let you know this tad piece of information. ADRIEN IS NOT EVEN REMOTELY LIKE HIS FATHER. HE NEVER WAS, AND NEVER WILL BE. GOT THAT!!" she glared at him hard. "Now apologize to my best friend. Wayhem!"
"I'm s-sorry Adrien," Wayhem said. Alya let go of him and he ran away from the room as fast as possible.
"Jesus Alya." Adrien said "I-I don't know what to say... thank you" Adrien was surprised about her reaction but he was overfilled with joy that she still called him her best friend. He ran over and hugged her. She smiled and said
"No problem Adrien, it was no problem that's what friends do."
Alya POV
She was a good hour away from the hospital when she got the call from Adrien that her water broke. She laughed, it was kind of weird. Adrien was going to witness the birth of his best friend's baby. The same Adrien her best friend crushed on hard for a good 3 years before seeing the gold of Chat Noir right in front of her. The fact that he hasn't shown up was a little weird because she knew that he loved her more than himself, heck he even asked Rena Rouge if it was okay with her if he asks Ladybug/Marinette to marry him a week before he dissapeared. That's why she's been looking for him, so her best friend can get married and be happy with her family. Also, another thing was bothering her. Why had Nino been hanging out with Adrien and not tell her? He was going to answer some questions. Soon enough she arrived at the hospital and she ran into Nino in the lobby asking the room for Marinette. "She's in room 123, floor 3 sweetie. She just gave birth and the baby is adorable."
"Wait she already gave birth?" Alya asked, startling Nino.
"Yup her daughter is an angel just like her mother. The man in the room looked like he was the father but they didn't seem to be in that type of relationship, but he did pretty well at keeping her calm." The nurse said,
"Wait, Adrien was the whole time?" Alya asking with eyes wide as saucers.
"Yup," the nurse said, "He looked familiar too I don't know why."
"Is that a bad Al?" Nino asked bewildered.
"Have you ever witnessed a birth, Nino?" Alya asked but he shook his head no. "Well, it messy and can be freaky. After my sisters were born I swore I wasn't going to have kids forever." His eyes went a little sad. "But that has changed my little Nino. It's worth it for you." He smiled sweetly.
"Thanks, Alya, now let's get to our new tired mother and our newly traumatized best friend," Nino said as he lightly jogged to the elevator with Alya in hand. As they entered the elevator Nino pressed the number 3 button and the doors closed.
"Soo..." Alya said. Nino knew what was to come but didn't want to talk about it so he tried to stall her.
"Soo... what, my sly fox," Nino said as he kissed her head.
"Why didn't you tell me you were hanging out with Adrien?" Alya asked. shit, Nino thought my stalling didn't wor- . He heard the bell ring and the doors open.
He smiled and said "Let's focus on Marinette now" They ran down the hall and found room 123. They didn't know what to expect but this was one of the better options. Marinette was talking to Tom and Sabine who only arrived a couple of minutes earlier according to the nurse and Adrien was standing on the other side of the room with the baby girl cradled in his arms, slightly bouncing, and muttering something to the baby with a look of absolute love. "Hey, guys!" They said in unison and was replied with excited hellos from everyone but Adrien. He was too absorbed by Emma to notice them. Nino and Alya giggled a little bit at how much Adrien loved the little girl who wasn't even his. Nino then walked towards him and layed his hand on his shoulder and said "Hey dude are you ok?" It was almost like Nino cut Adrien out of a trance and Adrien flinched instinctively and got into a protective stance for Emma. When he finally realized it was Nino and got red as he looked around the room.
"You wanna hold her?" Adrien offered timidly as laughter roared in the room and his blush deepened.
"Adrien, it's ok," Marinette reassured him. He gave her a small nod and passed Emma onto Sabine and Tom who fawned over their grandchild. Adrien turned to Nino and gave him a big and hearty hug
Adrien whispered something only Nino could hear and he just gave back a hug and rubbed his back." Alya and Marinette only gave them a glance and laughed.
"So boys..." Alya started "mine telling me what's going on?" Adrien and Nino both turned pale. Nino looked for his best friend's approval to tell his girlfriend. Adrien nodded and his eyes said only Alya.
"Later babe. OK? I prom-" Nino said and was cut off from a meow from Alya's phone. She looked at it and her eyes widen.
"Marinette, Chat was spotted downtown!" Alya squeal.
"Alya, calm down you're going to make Emma cry," Marinette said
"Oh right sorry, but I will be back with him. I promise you." Alya said as she grabbed Nino's arm and ran down the hall back to the elevator they arrived in.
"BUT Alya I wanted to hold the baby..." Nino said as she pulled him into the elevator.
"The baby will be here when we get back though Chat probably won't," Alya said defiantly "So we got to make our move while we can." She got a grunt of a fine as a response from Nino. "So Nino.." Alya said as they got out of the elevator. "What's the deal with Adrien?"
"OK, I'll tell you now, just know that he doesn't want Marinette to know, okay?" Nino said. This peaked Alya's curiosity. He got a quick promise from her that she wouldn't tell her best friend. "So remember that night I had to pick up my drunk friend from the bar and we had to cancel?" Nino asked
"Yea, That was Adrien?" Alya asked. By now they were in the car.
"Yup, I thought he was with a girl or something and just had one too many. But when I got there the bartender pointed him out to me. He was all alone, drunk as fuck." Nino breathed "I touched his shoulder and he put me in an armbar and almost flipped me over him. I wouldn't be surprised that he would of if he was sober enough to walk by himself." Alya felt bad for Adrien, she knew it got bad but not like this.
"Jeez, that bad Nino," Alya said as they turned the corner.
"Alya that's not the worse part..." Nino gulped, "I got him into the car and I asked how he was doing and why he was drinking because drunk words are sober thoughts you know." Nino's eye became glossy, "he said he hated himself and blamed himself for everything, he said if he had just noticed the since. he wouldn't have hurt us or Marinette."
"Does he know who we are, Nino" Alya said warily.
"God No, Alya," Nino sniffled, "He was talking about akumatizations. But then he basically said. he wanted to kill himself." A couple of tears rolled down his face and Alya gasped. "He hated how people looked at him as if he was the spawn of the devil. He pushed us away because he couldn't handle it if we looked at him the same way." He wiped the tears as he turned another corner. "Anyways I told him to knock it off and that we loved him and I helped him stop drinking and to get used to showing his face in public. In the delivery room, he told me to thank you for stopping him."
"That good Nino. Now I know why he didn't want Marinette to know. I would have hurt her so much." Alya said and paused. "NINO THAT'S HIM, STOP THE CAR." As soon as Nino stopped the car Alya jumped out and ran at the unsuspecting Chat Noir and tackled him to the ground, Nino heard her say, "You're coming with me Catboy!" As she picked him up and threw him into the back of the car.
"Jesus Alya, could you be a little rougher?" Nino asked. The car ride back to the hospital. consisted of the Chat Noir in the back seat moaning and telling them that they had the wrong guy as they were ignoring him. When they got to the hospital they quickly ushered him to Marinette's room.
"MARINETTE... " Alya yelled out of breath. "I found HIM!!" She leaned over as she breathed.
"I already told you, lady, I'm NOT CHAT NOIR," The man said.
Adrien looked at the Chat Noir. and said "Well, let's see then," Adrien walked up to the man and he stiffened at Adrien's presence. "hmmm," Adrien said as he studied the suit and the man's face. "Well, the suit is not form-fitting. The stitching is not done terribly well. He and his face are more..." Adrien paused thinking of the right word. "Rounded than Chat Noirs. And..." He leaned over and took off the mask. "You can take off his mask." He looked at the man under the mask and recognized him. It was Wayhem. "Hello Wayhem, long time no see imma right" Wayhem gave him a glare and ignored him.
"Lady see I'm not Chat Noir so let me go!" Wayhem said sourly. Alya saw the look of deep hurt across Adrien's face. She suddenly knew what he was afraid to see in their faces. It was in Wayhems face. This dude used to be obsessed with him and now Wayhem despised him just because of his father.
"NO," Alya said defiantly. "Not until you apologize to Adrien." Adrien looked surprised but she was beyond furious. "If I remember correctly. WAYHEM you used to be obsessed with Adrien Agreste. You were his friend and now look at him like trash because of his father??" Wayhem looked scared, good, she thought he better be "I'll let you know this tad piece of information. ADRIEN IS NOT EVEN REMOTELY LIKE HIS FATHER. HE NEVER WAS, AND NEVER WILL BE. GOT THAT!!" She glared at him hard. "Now apologize to my best friend. WAYHEM!"
"I'm s-sorry Adrien," Wayhem said. Alya let go of him and he ran away from the room as fast as possible.
"Jesus Alya." Adrien said "I-I don't know what to say... thank you" Adrien looked shocked but suddenly hugged her. She smiled and said,
"No problem Adrien, it was no problem that's what friends do."
thanks for reading another chapter guys. I hope I'm keeping yall entertained (lol). Again suggest for the title are welcome and encouraged and so are comments and feedback about the story. Thanks again byeee!