He Can't Forget | ✓

3 | reunited

For five years, Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir were gone. It was hard to accept that truth, especially when everyone else seemed to move on from that reality. And reality—well, reality wasn't any better than what it had been for him in Paris. Despite fulfilling his dream, Adrien felt unfulfilled. He felt... out of place. Like he didn't belong in the world he had created for himself. It didn't make any sense, because he had built his school. He became a famous pianist. Everyone knew his name.

And yet... he wasn't happy.

There was no reason why he shouldn't be, and yet, Adrien found himself longing to return to Paris, France. His home. He wanted to see his father again. He wanted to see his friends again. But most importantly, he wanted to see Marinette again.

"Are you sure this is something you want to do?" Plagg asked as Adrien finished packing his carry-on. The blonde took a look around his now empty penthouse, not seeing a difference in the place considering it had always felt empty and lonely.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Adrien said, determined.

This wasn't his home. He wanted to go back to Paris, France—his homeland. He had never wanted anything more in his life.

"Because if you change your mind, there's still enough time to buy this place back." Plagg mentioned hopefully, offering his holder a sheepish grin.

Adrien shook his head, despite the soft smile that played on his lips. "This place only further reminds me of what it felt like to live under my father's roof."

"Sooo... rich and unbothered?"

"No." Adrien laughed, huffing out a laugh through his nose when his mischievous, little kwami snickered. "Lonely and trapped. I always told myself when I moved out of my father's house, my new home would be a cozy one. But this apartment is just... empty."

And truth be told, the place itself wasn't empty. At least, it never lacked anything when it came to materialistic items. It was filled with many lavish things, and many nights it was simply him and Plagg, watching films or playing games and even sharing moments of laughter with each other. It was a great life, and Plagg was the best roommate he could've ever asked for.

But... something was missing. And that's why, despite everything he had--just like it had once been for him under his father's roof—he felt alone. He felt unhappy.

Which is why, Adrien Agreste was hanging in the towel. He created a partnership with a good friend of his in America, allowing him to keep the music school running in Adrien's absence and they both profit from it. Adrien couldn't help but smile at the idea of his father's reaction being (hopefully) an amazed one, once he would find out about the sudden changes. After all, Adrien hadn't bothered to discuss these plans with his father before he'd made them. So, as a business man just like his father, Adrien considered himself to be many things. A successful business man, was one. A professional pianist with his own music school, definitely. A man who had fulfilled his dreams to the extreme but felt incredibly empty inside, oh yeah. That last one wasn't exactly an accomplishment. But despite all his other successes, Adrien was not very brave. Not when it came to sitting in an airplane thousands of feet above the ground.

He found himself clutching onto the armrests of his seat despite silently chanting in his mind to remain calm, knowing fully well his knuckles were probably ghost white. They just had to seat him by the window too, which made the experience all the more unbearable.

"What kind of a grown man is afraid of heights?"

That question wasn't asked by a snobby little kid in the seat behind him like he would've anticipated. It was asked by his kwami, who was nestled in the opened bag on his lap. But... perhaps Plagg kind of was like a snobby little kid who sometimes didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Inside, Plagg was nibbling on a piece of Camembert (like he always did), and was wearing an all-knowing smirk as he chewed.