Adrien went to the bathroom breath shakey. So much was happening and his mind was overloaded with emotion. Happy because his best friend gave birth to the cutest little angel ever, confusion with why Alya brought cosplaying Wayhem, Glee because Alya protected him, Anger towards his father. He finally reached the bathroom and locked the door. He stood over the sink feeling sick with these conflicting emotions. Right now all he should focus on was Marinette and Emma. He started the tap and splashed his face with water a couple of times then leaned back over the sink. "I'm sorry Alya, You're not going to Chat. He's gone"
Suddenly he hears a voice, "That's hard to believe." It was a high-pitched voice. "I'm staring at him." He froze in his spot. Once it registers who it was he calmed down.
"What are you doing." Adrien asked half mockingly, "Following me?"
"Not exactly Adrien," Tikki said, "I happened to see you and looked for a time to catch you alone."
"Yea well here I am Tikki." Adrien said. "What are you doing here."
"Well," Tikki started, "I just wanted to tell you that Ladybug misses you so much, So do Rena and Carapace. She still loves you and she's so worried about you-"
Adrien cut her off, "Tikki she misses chat, not me." He starts to cry. "I'm not chat anymore. I can't afford to be. Be chat has cost me so much, My family, My way of life, My childhood. I can't even do it even if I tried. I feel bad for Plagg but I can't... I JUST CAN'T" Tears flowed freely down his cheeks. "Tikki I was so close to killing myself a couple of months ago, I still kinda want to die." She stared at him with wide eyes. She knew he was broken but not this much. "I finally have some sort of reason to live now," He tried to blink back the tears. "Don't want Emma to grow up without know uncle Adrien right?" He gave a small laugh but it wasn't out of joy, but out of uncomfortableness. "Anyways the chat part of I is in the past."
"Well, I just want you to know that if you still love her, you have to be ready to become chat again and tell her who you are." Tikki said, "Rather sooner or later, Adrien... but when you're ready." She decided not to tell him about how he had a child now. He was too... too broken to handle being a father to Ladybug's child. Even though he loved her, he didn't even know her name and there was too much trauma and his part to be in a good relationship with her. Adrien splashed his face with water trying to calm down his features, and Tikki phased out the door and returned to Marinette's side. Adrien decided to go down to the food court to get some food for Marinette because theirs no doubt she hungry. He also needed a reason for being gone for so long. He grabbed a couple of bags of chips and a couple of cups of hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was nowhere as good as how Marinette's was. He smiled at the thought of her. She like an angel that came down to earth. She was so sweet and happy and caring, and now she had a child. Emma was the luckiest little girl to exist even though her dad isn't here. He thought about Emma, He smiled. He was the second person to hold Emma who wasn't the doctors or nurses. After Marinette gave him her child and he made eye contact with Emma, something in his brain clicked. Suddenly he loved her with every atom in his body, He felt whole holding her in his arms, He would gladly die a horrific death a million times just to see her smile and would happily slaughter a nation for raising a hand against her. Then Emma was the only thing that was important, Not the fact that her dad was nowhere to be found or that Adrien's life had crashed and burned hard less than a year ago. Everything would be fine with the Angels named Emma and Marinette is in his life.
Adrien wandered back into the room and whatever they were talking about came to a halt when he entered. He felt the awkward atmosphere and shook it off and raised the food and drinks and said, "I got food and drinks. I thought y'all would be hungry and thirsty... especially you. princess" He looks at Marinette and winked and Marinette got red as a cherry and as pale as a sheet at the same time. He always thought it was funny at how flustered he can make her. Everyone stared at him with wide eyes. He laughed, "Calm down guys, I'm just messing with her. It's really funny at how flustered I can make Marinette." If it was possible Marinette got even redder and looked away from him.
"Oh, Agreste..." Alya said, "I have a story for you" Adrien watched Marinette's head shot up to glare at Alya paler than camembert. Even though Marinette was an angel, her wrath is something not to be reckoned with. Just like Ladybug Adrien thought but he quickly kicked the thought out of his head. Today was for Marinette and Emma, NOT Ladybug.
"Alya..." Marinette warned, but Alya ignored it
"So," Alya started, "It was the third day of school, the year you came-" Alya didn't get to finish her sentence because she was interrupted by Marinette almost yelling.
"OKAY ALYA WE GET IT NOW THAT'S ENOUGH," Marinette stated glaring at her. Alya looked at Nino and he nodded. At this point, Adrien was dumbly confused and a tad curious.
"Adrien," Nino took a big breath and said as he could, "whatAlyawastryingtosaywasthatMarihadthebiggestcrushonyouforlike2yearsdude." Marinette couldn't stop him. It took a couple of seconds for Adrien to process what Nino said but when he realized it he grinned. He looked at Marinette with the biggest and smuggest grin on his face but Marinette had her sites on Nino and was giving him a powerful glare that thickens the air. It was almost difficult to breathe. If it was an anime there would be a hazy purple-black aura around her. Adrien had to admit, it was kinda hot. No Adrien, she's already taken. Somehow the tension in the air from Marinette wanting to ring Nino and Alyas' head hadn't diminished the shit-eating grin on Adrien's face.
"So Princess..." Adrien said, Marinette looked at him a tad pale. "You used to like me?" Marinette brought her knees up to her chest and buried her head.
Adrien heard and muffled voice but couldn't make it out. "Whats that Mari?"
She lifted her head a looked him in the face, extremely red. "I said y'all are going to be the end of me." She bopped Adrien, "That was a long time ago though." Everyone laughed.
"Hehe, So when you would always stutter around me, you were just inwardly panicking?" Adrien asked jokingly.
Alya, Nino, and Marinette all said "yes" in unison.
"Oh," Adrien said.
"Yea dude like it was so obvious that she likes you." Nino said, "Why do you think Chloe was so hostile towards Marinette? Why do you see never got asked out even though half of the boys in our grade liked her? We all had bets on when you would realize Marinette like you and I won." Nino had a smug look on his face, "I said you wouldn't figure out in high school or at all, and I gotta say thanks dude I won 500 bucks on that."
Adrien's eyes widened, "Y'all made bets on me?"
"Well duh!" Alya said, "The whole class and Mrs. Bustier was in on it, the rules were quite simple. Just don't tell Adrien and or give him hints, cuz you had to figure it out by yourself."
"Adrien," Marinette said, "I hope you know that you were one dense motherfucker. Like denser than osmium." Adrien face melted into a cherry red as Alya and Nino laughed.
"Wait, if you liked me so much why did you slap me that one time during science?" Adrien asked recalling an event in their sophomore year. After he said this Alya and Nino were rolling on the floor with laughter.
flashback to that one time in science...
"Hey Marinette, I dare you to figure out how dense Adrien really is.? Alya said
"Ok? How do I do that?" Marinette asked and Alya explains what she needed to do.
Marinette slides into the seat next to Adrien. They struck up a conversation and it finally got to the point when Alya's plan would work."You know sometimes t-there are some p-people who are s-s-so heavenly-I mean- dense that it just becomes sad," Marinette stutter.
"Tell me about it," Adrien said.
"Yea-a" Marinette said, "The boy I love-I mean- like is so de-de-nse,"
"Ha," Adrien said. "I can't really complain though, I not the best at reading people."
"Tell me about it" Marinette muttered under her breath.
"Yea, I don't know if I could figure out if someone liked me even they slapped me across the face." Marinette's eyes widen this was going perfectly to Alya's plan. Did she let Adrien in on this? Suddenly Marinette gave him a loving slap across the face. Adrien looked at her in confusion. "What was that about?" Marinette could hear Alya and Nino laughing in the background.
"UM- s-sorry there wa-was an f-fl-fly." Marinette stuttered.
"Oh ok?" Adrien said not believing it.
Flashback over
By the end of the story, the 3 friends were laughing and Adrien buried his face in his hand and was a dark red all the way to the tips of his ears.
"Oh My Fucking God," Adrien said. Lucky Adrien was saved by a knock on the door that was a nurse.
"Excuse me, visiting hours are over. Y'all can come back tomorrow." The nurse explains.
"Thank you." everyone in the room said. They said their goodbyes and left Marinette and Emma alone in the room.