Does he remember?

Chapter Ten

"Hm, that's weird", Marinette hummed, putting her phone down after a failed attempt at calling Chat Noir. "He didn't pick up."

"What's weird about that? He might be busy", Tikki thought.

"Yeah, but it's almost 9pm. He always comes over at this time. He's done it almost every night since we've been together. I really thought he would come over tonight since we literally got engaged yesterday.", Marinette sat down at her desk.

"He might've fallen asleep on accident. It's happened before", Tikki shrugged her shoulders. "Why don't you try to get some work done with your designs? You have the time."

"Yeah, you're right", Marinette agreed, although her mind was somewhere else as she stared at her trapdoor, waiting for him to go through it at any moment. But that moment did't come. Not for the rest of the night. Marinette fell asleep, waiting for him, and woke up to the sound of early morning birds.

Marinette sat up, glancing around. "Did he end up every visiting, Tikki?"

"No", Tikki yawned. "Then again, I was also asleep."

"Hm", Marinette thought to herself about why he didn't at least text or call her, letting her know he was staying home for the night. 

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Around 2pm, she tried calling him again, but still no answer. She tried to text him:

"Hey, kitty! You never came over last night and I was just wondering if you're okay. Call or text me when you see this. Love you!"

It was now 8pm, and he still hadn't called or back nor texted her. He hadn't even read her message. 

"Tikki, I'm worried", Marinette stressed. "It's been a whole day since I've heard from him. He could be in trouble."

"He's Chat Noir, Marinette. I'm sure he's okay. Just give it a little more time. He'll text you when he can. If he doesn't text you by tomorrow afternoon, then we'll find a way to see if he's in trouble or not, okay?" Tikki reassured.

"Okay, but-", Marinette flipped around at the sound of her trapdoor opening and closing, Chat Noir climbing down the ladder.

"Hey", he kissed the top of her head before sitting down on her chaise. 

Marinette's jaw dropped. "'Hey', that's it?"

"Hola? Ciao? Sul Sul?" Chat Noir's eyes furrowed in confusion. "Is there another way you want me to say hi?"

"Well, you know, it's just that I haven't heard from you in, I don't know, 24 hours??" Marinette crossed her arms. "I was getting worried."

"I'm here now", Chat Noir shrugged.

Marinette scoffed. "That's great! Thank's for telling me you're alive and well in the text you DIDN'T send me."

"What?"

"I texted you earlier", Marinette pulled out her phone, showing him the message. "You didn't respond."

"You're seeing that I'm alive and well right now", Chat Noir smiled.

"Right. Okay, then. How was your day?" Marinette sighed.

"Good", Chat Noir answered, glancing out the window. 

"Alright, can you at least look at me when you answer?" Marinette rolled her eyes. He's acting weird. "Kitty, are you okay?"

"I'm fine", Chat Noir half-smiled at her.

"Well, it's just you usually say 'I'm fe-line good or something-".

"I said I'm fine", Chat Noir interrupted her, standing up and walking towards the trapdoor. "I should go, I don't want to be out too late."

"Wait", Marinette chased after him. "What the hell do you mean you don't want to be out too late? You've literally been here for two minutes."

"I have to be up early tomorrow", Chat Noir kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Marinette."

She watched him leave, flying through her trapdoor and out of her sight. It almost seemed like he felt eager to leave, like he felt trapped when he was here. He seemed uncomfortable, not himself. He was very short with his responses, distracted, and he seemed as though he was on a fence between anger and stress the whole time he was over. The whole 2 minutes he was there. Chat Noir had never acted that way before. Sure, he had been angry and stressed at times but he never took it out on her. In fact, her presence was the only thing that seemed to cure those negative emotions. 

And the worst part about all of it was that he didn't even bother calling her 'Princess'.

Maybe something was happening in his personal life? But he always talked with her about it, he never hid those things from her. But maybe it was something too personal? Something he couldn't share with her? Maybe she made him mad somehow and he was too angry that he couldn't talk to her about it?

No. She couldn't keep overthinking it. He'll go to her when he needs her. She can't expect him to always want to see her and talk to her about those things. Maybe he just needed time for himself.

That's probably a good thing. It'll let her have some time for herself, right? To let her get her thoughts straightened out and focus on herself.

But every time she tried, she somehow had Chat Noir on her mind. Over and over again. Why does it bother her so much?

Marinette must be so used to having him always dumping his problems on her and that she was the first person he wanted to see and talk to as he endured them. She wants nothing more than to be there for him, especially when times get hard.

How can she be there for him if he won't even tell her what's wrong? Better yet, how can she be there for him if he won't even show his face at her house at all? 

This seemed like something out of her hands. There's nothing she can do. He'll come to her. Eventually. Right? 

All she can do now is wait for him to tell her. Should she still text him? Call him? Leave him voicemails? No. Let him go to her. 

But what if he doesn't bother texting her? What if her silence makes him think she's mad at him, so he'll refuse to contact her? No, that doesn't sound like him. He knows she's all about communication. She's not the silent-treatment type.

Tikki's right. She should do something to take her mind off of it. Watch Netflix, that'll help. Hopefully she'll fall asleep watching Netflix so she won't have to think about it in between.

Then how come Netflix is paused and she's lying in bed, leaving him a thousand voicemails?