Does he remember?

Chapter Fourteen

"I'm off to surprise Adrien at the airport!" Nino called from the front door.

"If you can even find him in the crowd of fans that are also waiting upon his arrival", Alya crossed her arms. 

"It's worth a shot. Plus, he'll be able to spot me in the crowd", Nino rearranged his red ball cap on his head. "I am still his best bud, after all. Even if we haven't spoken to each other in 5 years."

"Did you even ask him yet if he wanted to stay here with us?" Marinette asked, leaning on the doorframe to the kitchen. 

Nino let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not yet. But I doubt he'll decline, right?"

"No, he won't decline", Alya paused. "But his father will."

"Then why did we spend all that time rearranging the basement?" Nino asked frustratingly, swinging his arms around. 

"Because Adrien is a big boy and I'm sure he's not going to care what his father thinks", Alya explained. 

"I'm leaving", Nino said flatly, heading back to the front door. 

"Love you!" Alya called after him. After Nino had left, Marinette and Alya sat on the couch next to one another. "So, how do you feel about Adrien coming back to Paris?"

Marinette sighed. "It's not going to change my life, so I guess I don't mind."

Alya nodded. "I'm sure he'll be happy to meet Emma. He can be another uncle to her!"

Marinette laughed nervously. "Um, yeah...sure!"

Alya sensed something in Marinette. "Okay, what's wrong? You just said you were fine about Adrien coming back. Are you not?"

"It's just that", Marinette paused, groaning as she had to explain it. "I don't know, I mean, is it wrong that I feel weird about him coming back?"

"No, not at all", Alya shook her head. "It's Adrien. The one you used to be head over heels for. The one you obsessed over for the longest time. The one-".

"Yeah, yeah, got it", Marinette cut off her best friend, a smile appearing on her face. 

"You shouldn't feel bad for feeling weird about it", Alya placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "It's been 5 years, it's gonna be weird."

"And what about Kagami?" Marinette blurted out. "I mean, is she coming back too?"

"Maybe", Alya shrugged. "I guess we'll know when she gets here."

"Ugh", Marinette let herself fall back into a heap of pillows on the couch. "This is just bringing the past right back up to my face. Adrien is just a reminder of what happened 5 years ago."

"How's that?"

Marinette lifted her head to look at her bestie. "The last time I saw Adrien was around the last time I saw Chat Noir. Adrien coming back is just a reminder of that. It's stupid, I know, but it's true."

"No, it's not stupid", Alya grabbed Marinette's arm, dragging her back up to sit. "In fact, Adrien and Chat Noir remind me of the other. I mean, the personalities, no. But they're both blond with green eyes. And both super charming."

"How could I forget", Marinette slumped over. "I fell for the charm. Of both of them."

"Hey, you've got charm, too", Alya winked. "Your lucky charm?"

"I don't feel very lucky right now. My lucky charm failed at its job", Marinette grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her chest.

Alya sighed. "Look, it's going to be fine seeing Adrien. Once he's here, we'll all remember what it's like to be a friend group once again. It's going to be so much fun. And, while you're at work, Adrien can watch Emma for you so you don't have to drag her to work with you."

"Yeah, but I don't want him out in public with her. For many reasons", Marinette explained. "Everyone will crowd Adrien, of course. So with that, everyone will crowd Emma and make her uncomfortable or feel unsafe. And, not to mention, the public may think she's his daughter or something crazy."

"I see what you mean", Alya nodded. "Well, he can play video games with her here or something."

"Yeah", Marinette whispered. "I just don't want her to get attached to him, you know? She loves her family and she'll end up thinking that he's part of it, but then he'll leave. Just like her dad did."

"She's smarter than that", Alya smiled. 

-------------------------

"Hey, I'm home!" Nino shouted from the front door, helping Adrien with his bags inside. "And I have brought back someone special."

Alya and Marinette came up from the basement, making their way to the front door to greet them. Alya showed up first, greeting Adrien and hugging him tight.

Marinette finally showed her face, and when she did, Adrien locked his eyes on her. He was stricken by ever-glowing beauty, the one he never had forgotten. Those bluebell eyes of hers made his heart sink to his stomach, the familiar guilt beginning to stir. His eyes anchored on the lips he was once able to kiss, and he now realized how dry his lips have been the last 5 years without the touch of hers. He felt deprived of how she used to thread her fingers through his hair when he'd kiss her, and it felt too long since their last kiss. Adrien's eyes moved up to her shiny, straight blue hair. The hair he'd always enjoyed playing with when she was trying to focus on something, and he loved annoying her. Her hair was longer than he remembered, her preferred length at her shoulders was now cascading down her upper arm.

Marinette was so beautiful, even five years later. In fact, he had believed she now was even more beautiful, if that were possible. Sure, he was always affected by her beauty, but this time it was different. Marinette was matured, she was an adult now. She was overwhelming him, and she hadn't even said a single word to him yet. 

How did he even manage to leave this girl? Sure, his father shipped him over to the states, but he should've done more to stay with this girl. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do, and his biggest regret was letting it happen. 

He hadn't dated a single person since Marinette, the memories of them together weighing in his heart and never letting him go a single day without thinking about them. Adrien was always worried he'd somehow forget her voice, her laugh, her personality. But the moment he locked eyes on her after 5 years spent apart, all the memories rushed back through and swept him under his feet. 

He had remembered, and it killed him in that moment because he knew he could not rush over to her and embrace her right there on the spot. Because she hadn't known who he was, but he knew her.