One Chance at the Truth - A MLB Fanfic

Chapter III

Adrien/Cat Noir P.O.V.

It's instant.

For a moment, her hesitation worried me. Did Marinette want to talk to me, or even see me? Or was I wrong about her maybe... possibly... missing me?

But now she's hugging me tightly, whispering, "I'm so glad you came," and I know at this moment, instantly, that she's missed me. She's missed me just as much as I've missed her, even... and that's amazing. It feels amazing. And I haven't felt this way in months.

However, as she pulls back with a flush staining her cheeks, she studies me and frowns. "You look different."

"Um..." I bite my lip. "Good different or bad different?"

"I'm not sure." Marinette glances away. "I- I have to bring everyone to the dorms, but can we talk? Does everyone know... that you're on my side?"

"I'm pretty much an outcast, so it makes no difference," I reply. Wrong answer; her head snaps up, and she grabs my shoulder.

"What do you mean? What- what are you talking about?" She shakes her head. "Non... you were so popular before. You can't be serious!"

"It's not a big deal-"

"Of course it is!" She groans. "I didn't want anything to change because of me-- you know that! Was it because of me?"

Seeing as we've been out here longer than we should, she shakes her head, trying to focus. "Look... can we talk later? I just want to understand why-"

"Marinette." I take a deep breath. "There's nothing to understand, d'accord? I'm fine."

I know the frantic, overwhelmed state she's starting to revert to... and I don't like it, because I was sure from the moment I saw her that she had gotten past that. If I'm stressing her out, then it's starting all over again, and I can't just ruin her new life. This was exactly what I was afraid of.

"I'll see you inside," I tell her, my voice having fallen into a mumble as I turn to walk away. She starts to speak, but then falls silent, and I don't dare to look back.

A safe distance away, Plagg pokes his head out of my pocket and rolls his eyes. "Right off the bat, you guys are having issues."

"Plagg, be quiet!" Tikki hisses from my other pocket, irritated with him ruining her dreamy little moment. He goes quiet, and she snaps right back into it. "Oh, it's been so long since we've seen Marinette... did you see those studs she was wearing? Maybe she misses my Miraculous... do you think she misses being Ladybug?"

"Of course she does!" Plagg grumbles.

"I'm not so sure." I sigh. "It stressed her out so much... she seemed so at ease before we started talking-- I'm sure she's glad for the freedom." Casting a sideways look at Tikki, I add, "And you know she can't be Ladybug anymore for various reasons."

She deflates a little, ducking back into my pocket with an "I know."

"Anyways," Plagg grumbles, "why did you have to start the trouble?"

"I did not!"

"You were all, oh, I'm an outcast so don't worry about me, I'm lonely all the time and have no friends, the opposite of why I came to school in the first place. It's fine." Plagg's high-pitched mocking tone makes me grind my teeth and walk faster. "Kid, we get it. You're lonely, and clearly, there's nothing anyone can do about it. But Marinette could have been spared the news!"

"I'm sorry, okay? It was a bad time to make a quip! How long could I hide all these changes from her now that we're all here at her school?" I fold my arms. "I don't even want to talk about it."