He Can't Forget | ✓

13 | regretful people

Adrien wasn't usually one to sulk. He had learned over time not to allow disappointment to affect him, because as a young man still under his father's roof, that was all he had ever expected from the stone-faced Gabriel.

But Marinette telling him he needed to leave hurt more than he liked to admit.

In truth, he really had no right to be upset. He knew that, and yet, he was utterly shattered. He wanted to be with Marinette and a part of her life, and he wanted to be in Emma's life too! But something was holding him back. And that was the mortification that he was also in love with Ladybug.

Adrien rarely thought about Ladybug nowadays, especially now that they had mended their friendship, but when he did think about her, his heart would always swell, and butterflies would start fluttering in his lower stomach. That was how he always felt with Marinette too. That was how he knew that he loved her.

After realizing what a fool he'd been for rejecting her as Adrien, he really did try to make things right—but as his true self, which would always be Chat Noir, but it didn't work as planned. Before he even realized what he had done, Chat Noir had leaned in and kissed Marinette. After that, instead of apologizing, he'd deepened the kiss, and ended up getting her pregnant.

Adrien should've been the one to kiss Marinette. Adrien should've been the one to ask her out. Adrien should've never gotten her pregnant.

Instead, he'd used his superhero persona for his own personal gain—the one thing he wasn't supposed to do beside reveal his identity. He should've never hidden behind his mask in the first place. He should've never allowed himself to get romantically involved with anyone if he was still pinning after Ladybug.

How was that even fair to Marinette? He'd been selfish. Even now he was still selfish. She had every right to be angry at him. He lied to her. He had deceived her, but that had never been his initial intension. In truth, he was ashamed with everything he had done and all the choices he had made and continued to make. But there was no way Marinette would give him the chance to explain that, and did he really want to? Did he really want to admit to her that he was ashamed for loving her because he was also still in love with Ladybug?

That sounded like something only a jerk would do, and perhaps that made him one. He should've never kissed her last night. What was he even thinking when he did that? He had no right. Absolutely no right.

"Adrien?"

The blonde quickly looked up, snapped out of his reverie, as he caught Nino underneath the threshold of the apartment. He hadn't even heard the door open. Nino stepped inside, his shoes squeaking against the floor. He had just returned from a run. Adrien could tell because his best friend was dressed in black gym shorts, was shirtless, and had worked up an incredible sweat.

"What?" Adrien was trying his best not to be harsh, but the word left his lips sounding bitter and surely snappy. He looked back down at his suitcase stuffed with too many unnecessary items and continued to busy himself.

He heard Nino kick off his shoes by the door. "What are you doing? Are you packing up all of your things?"

"Yeah. I'm leaving."

"Why?"

The blonde shoved another piece of clothing into his suitcase, but it didn't fit. Why didn't it fit? It all fit before when he brought it here.

"Marinette told me that she wants me to leave."

His best friend slowly moved across the room before settling on the edge of Marinette's couch. His elbows came to rest on his knees as he asked, "Did something happen between you two?"