He left the exit of the plane and sighed at the gate. He had left Pais for so long the people seemed more foreign than familiar. With only his carryons and his father's scarf around his neck, he walked forward a few steps and caught sight of an old yet new face.
She blinked slowly at him. His pulse raised from the frown on her reddish lips. Her black hair was swept back into a bun with a new shade of color in her hair. "Monsieur Adrien," she said cooly.
He chuckled slightly. "Hello, Natalie."
She continued her solid, emotionless stare that he never learned to shake off. "You've been gone for four straight years."
"Well, American universities are much more different than the ones here. It took a while to get used to and there was a lot I had to learn when it came to culture and such so—"
"And you never visited."
"Well, the scheduling system in New York is—"
"In several New York State Universities, they have about three months intermissions between semesters."
Adrien paused. "The time zones—"
"Adrien." she interrupted with a cold voice. He looked in her eyes to see an unsaid question. One he was used to being asked whenever he saw the look.
"Yes, Natalie." he slumped.
"And?"
"I know I shouldn't have but. . . " he looked away thinking the rest of the answer. If I come back I wouldn't be able to leave. Not while she has to be here. He looked back and asked, "How is Father doing?"
"He is well. Of course with your absence he was shaken. And giving no calls. . . "
"I'm sorry."
"He has gotten better since hiring Marinette." He smiled at the thought of his father being close with his partner. Natalie flipped through her clipboard and pulled out a sheet of paper. "She's been living in the mansion for a while and I've been managing her schedule. She's far more cooperative since she doesn't need me reminding her what she has next." His former assistant handed him the paper filled with boxes and times.
He scanned it, his eyes furrowed at the small print that squeezed into the squares on every inch of the page. "How does she get through the day?"
"Many of the blocks at the end—"
"They say, "Design.""
"She takes that time to sow or sketch anything she needs to. Although, half the time, she takes a nap."
He smiled. After folding the paper delicately and sliding it into his pocket, he gave Natalie a nervous look. "Did you tell her?"
"No. Today is Friday; her schedule is busiest then." Adrien hummed and began to walk passed her. She turned sharply at the boy and took a step forward. "Monsieur Adrien, where—?"
"I'll see you Saturday, Natalie." he said. "I have to catch up with some of my friends."
***
The moment they locked eyes, he was pulled in and tackled. "Dude, it's been forever!" They chuckled.
Adrien tried to pull him off, but was stuck in a friendly armlock. "I missed you too, Nino."
"Man, you never called up Mari. She thought you were dead for the first year. And I hear from Alya who heard from Marinette; she said you never once called your dad. What's up with that, dude?"
Adrien laughed with a higher tone than normal. "Weren't you ever told not to believe he-said-she-said rumors?"
"I live with Alya." the DJ said.
"I'm sure Alya wouldn't like you belittling journalism."
"You know what else Alya wouldn't like? You avoiding my question."
"Which was . . . "
"Seriously?"
"What?"
"You left your dad without any communication to you. You hardly talked to Marinette. What happened in New York?"
He sighed. "I couldn't find the time."
"You couldn't find the time?" Nino repeated, skeptical.
"I hadn't found the time. That's it. That's all there is to it."
"When you decide to fly out first chance you get, give a last minute goodbye to Marinette and can't seem to find the time to greet her or your father at all during your time in the States. Sorry if I don't believe you."
"Don't you think that I'd have a hard time finding for myself when I had work, and school. My apartment was ringing my neck with bills. I had to put up with an idiot for a roommate that refused to get any better wifi connection for Skype. I needed time to focus on getting everything together and I know I should've at least sent a text or something."
"You need to see her."
Adrien patted his friend's shoulder and let himself in to wander the home. "I will."
***
"Adri-Kins!"
Her arms flung around his neck causing him to step back. He chuckled and patted her back gently. "Hi, Chlo."
"How have you been? Was New York as great as they say it is? Were any of the Americans there just as stupid and uncultured as the ones here?"
"I missed you, too." he smiled.
"Are you a major Physicist now? You know. Like that German with the crazy hair?"
Adrien sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. His hand traveled around and rubbed his sore neck. "To be honest, it was more difficult than I thought it would be. Physics gets more complicated than Newton and Particle Physics is just defying logic for me."
His friend frowned and pressed a finger to her corner lip in thought, staring at his shirt, absentminded. "So you're stuck with a pointless Physics degree?"
He shrugged. "Pretty much?"
"Why not go back to modeling? You were always so great on that."
He shook his head. "I don't think I could be a model again. I never liked that job. It was always a hassle."
"Are you gonna stay for dinner?" Chloe asked. "Sabrina's cooking pasta tonight for our three month anniversary."
Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. He forgot she had gotten married while he was gone. "Sorry I couldn't make it to the celebration."
She brushed it off. "It's not a big deal. But you should have seen Marinette. She was crying when we kissed." She chuckled. With a twisted grin. "And I beat her in the game of life, Adrikins. I'm married and she's not."
His eyes widened with his smile. "She's not?"
"Of course not," she said. "She's still hung up over you. I told her she needs to find someone better but she just doesn't listen."
His heart sank. "Someone better?"
She froze, realizing who she just spoke to, but quickly readjusted. "Well, you did dump the fact you were leaving on her just before flying off to New York. She was quiet for a month. I was pretty sure she was thinking about dropping her career just to tackle your ass in the states."
---
Alya smacked him. He rubbed sore spot, knowing he deserved it. He stayed for two hours, catching up on the highlights of the past four years.
At some point, Marinette took Chloe's advice. And when he saw that photo, Alya lost a third hour dealing with sobbing child.
---
He approach Nathaniel's house.
"So . . . You and Mari. . . "
"Yeah. We dated. Though, I couldn't commit because of art school."
"How long ago was this."
"Two years ago. We still hang out, exchange ideas. Artists gotta stick together."
---
He stood before the castle of heaven. It's sweet aroma captured him and his thoughts. He entered to order five croissants. They found him and tackled him into submission. They took their lunch break just to have a moment with him. A part of him wanted her parents to be his parents. They kept saying they could arrange that.
They were too sweet.
---
Adrien knew he was a dead man walking as soon as he stepped onto the Argreste property. He had been in the city one day before and chose to see the most important lady in his life and his own father last. He begged for his peers to not tell them he had returned, but it wasn't likely that they listened. After four years of cutting them off, they had a right to be skeptical and suspicious of him. Hell, Alya probably texted Marinette as soon as he left. Why, Nino might have pulled a similar stuns like on his birthday the year they first met. Nathalie might have disregarded his request and told the both of them immediately after arriving in the mansion.
Yet, once the assistant let him in she said, "I made sure you can surprise them. I got Marinette in your father's office now. They were expecting you tomorrow." Adrien said thanks. She even remembered to tell them he'd come later.
However, his joy from Natalie slowly diminished as he walked up the stones to his house. In his mind, the faces of the people inside seemed to look unimpressed. He could see Marinette and Gabriel ignoring his presence. They would look at him like he interrupted them and served no contribution to their discussion. He wasn't worth their time. He couldn't even take the time of day to call. All because he was scared. Scared of their reaction. Scared of what they'd say if they found out . . .
His father would shun him for sure. Marinette would think to herself, I was right to forget about him. They would leave him on the street. Treat him like a nobody. The fake he was. The dropout he was.
His hand rested on the door, and he realized the air seemed to smell like salt. He closed his eyes and grit his teeth. Fuck it.
He opened his jacket and smiled at the small black God. Plagg huffed at him but grinned. "Finally ready?"
"Claws out."
He twisted the door handle and threw himself inside. He closed the door as quiet as a mouse. His boots slide across the hall without a sound and he paused in front of the door. Plagg released the transformation and hid. "You're close, kid. Ladybug's just behind."
"I know." He rested his hand on the handle. He felt like he was going to ball out and run away again. Doubt and shame wheeled up and his teeth filed against each other to stop tears from forming. He threw the door open.
---
Marinette wasn't as busy on Saturday which made Natalie a godsend to her. She at last had time to breathe. She smiled at a picture she had of Adrien in her room. Four long years and she still acted like a teenager with a celebrity crush. She asked for her schedule to be cleared all next week in order to spend as much time with him as possible. Without any communication, try had four years worth of conversation to talk about.
It was strange that the family assistant minimized activity today though. And stranger still that she requested her to join Gabriel in his study.
The man, her mentor, was busy with many things and he hardly needed her help. What was it that Natalie needed of them to do?
"Marinette, wonderful to see you. Have a seat," he said, looking up from the tablet.
"Did you need me, sir?"
"Yes. I'm sure that you know of Adrien's arrival tomorrow?" She nodded in excitement. He smiled at her. "Then I need you to do me a favor." He paused and looked down at his tablet. "Keep him from the press. I'm sure it won't be too much a problem for you, but I truly want him to —"
The door swung open and thundered through the room.
There stood a young man with shaggy blond hair. He gave a nervous lopsided grin and rubbed the back of his neck. The two stared at him in awe. "Hello?" Marinette's eyes widened at the voice. It couldn't be. "I got here a bit early so. . . I um . . . I stopped by and, you know."
With no conscious control, she leaped out of her chair and tackled him in a hug. He was still a moment but did wrap his arms around her. "You idiot."
"Yeah, that's what everyone said."
"You visit everyone else but me?" She squealed.
"Uh. . . " He looked to his father, who only straightened his papers and shook his head.
Her lips bobbed with a childish look. "Why couldn't you just come home after the plane landed?"
"I . . . Needed to clear my head. A lot happened in America."
"I'm sure a lot has happened," his father said. "Which is why you should—"
Marinette grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to her room. "Which is why you're gonna have fun in Paris." She looked back at him and with a determined smile said, "And stay in Paris where you'll be happy with me."