Does he remember?

Chapter Eighteen

"So, you're meeting up with him today? Like actually?" Alya leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed her arms. "You're not going to bail?"

"I have to do this. I never got closure", Marinette explained, washing the dishes. 

"How are you showing up? How do you even know where to meet him or find him?" Alya interrogated.

"You're forgetting who I am", Marinette smirked, turning her head back to look at Alya. "Surely, he didn't forget who I was."

"Hold up", Alya put her arms up. "He knows who you are? He knows you're Ladybug?"

Marinette shushed her. "Adrien's downstairs."

"Oh, shit", Alya covered her mouth, her eyes tracing back to the downstairs door. "What, so you're just going to call him on your bug phone?"

"Yes", Marinette nodded.

"And if he's not out?"

"I have all day", Marinette shrugged, drying her hands on a towel. 

"No, now wait a minute", Alya walked up beside her. "You can't leave me here alone with him."

"Why not? Aren't you guys friends?"

"Yes, but", Alya paused, unable to think of a reason. "What, am I supposed to entertain him?"

"He's an adult, Alya", Marinette shook her head, getting ready to head out the door. "He doesn't need 'entertained'. If he comes up, just suggest something you guys can do together."

Alya groaned, glancing toward the driveway. "Nino can't come home any faster."

Marinette laughed. "You'll be fine, Alya. I'll let you know how it goes."

"Okay, but it better not end with a second child", Alya called after her. 

Marinette paused in her footsteps to turn around, her jaw dropped. "Alya! You know that is not how this will go."

"I'll have a pregnancy test here for you just in case", Alya winked.

Marinette shook her head before heading into the city of Paris. She hid in between buildings, transforming into Ladybug. Holding onto her bug phone, she saw Chat Noir's contact on it. She clutched the bug phone in her hand, wondering if this was a good idea. Closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath, she tapped on the icon and gave him a call. 

The phone rang for a few seconds before his voicemail popped up. It was still his old one, the goofy, ludicrous one that always made her laugh. Instead, at that moment, she felt the opposite. She once again felt that object lodging itself in her throat, and before she knew it, tears pricked at her eyes before falling down her cheeks. 

It didn't matter how long it had been since they were together, she could never deny the fact that she missed this side of him more than anything. He was so happy, gentle, funny, and undoubtedly himself in the weirdest way possible, and he was never afraid to show that side of himself to her. 

Now, she doesn't even know him. She didn't know what happened to him after their engagement because the longer they were engaged, the further away he seemed. He lost that side of himself the day he put that ring on her finger.

It was in that moment she realized. Maybe he did the right thing? Maybe committing himself made him lose sight of himself. If that was the case, hopefully he has found himself again. She hoped that he was still his goofy self, even without her. She never wanted anything more than for him to be happy, and maybe within these last 5 years, he was able to recapture and reconnect with who he used to be. She would hold onto that side of him if it was the last memory she had of their time.

Ladybug was shocked back into reality when the ringtone on her bug phone buzzed. She glanced at it and saw Chat Noir's contact on her screen. She braved herself enough to answer it and bring the phone to her ear.

"Marinette?" His voice sounded so sad and confused, and the knife in her chest appeared again.

Every power in the world was almost not enough to stop her from calling him "kitty" once again. It almost slipped out naturally, but she didn't let it. "C-Chat. Um, where are you?"

"I'm hiding", he sighed. "Top of the Eiffel Tower."

"Oh", she breathed out. Top of the Eiffel Tower. How was she going to be brave enough to go up there with him? She had used all her bravery to call him. Now, she had to go to the place where they were engaged? "Um, why are you hiding?"

"I don't want to be on anymore news networks. I can't have anyone else knowing I'm here, I guess."

"I guess?" She almost said. This is what she was always afraid of. Something always seemed to control him, and she didn't know what or who and that terrified her more than anything. "Oh, okay. Can we...um. C-Can we talk?"

"Yes, I would really want that", his voice lightened up. That made her heart mend in a few cracks that had been broken within the last 5 years, and it made her lighten up as well. 

He had sounded so down before, and that made her feel so unfamiliar with herself and her past relationship with him. She knew who he was. She knew how he'd answer something like that before. It was almost like she could speak for him, she knew him that well. He sounded so bleak now, and she felt a moment of grief as if the old Chat Noir had died and she now had to live with a sad copycat of him. The only thing she had left was the memory of him laughing at his own stupid jokes, that was him. She didn't know who she was talking to anymore or who she was meeting up with. That made her so upset and she felt uncomfortable with how unfamiliar he is, and all she wants to do is hope that talking to him will breathe him back to life with her old presence as if he never left himself.

"Good, um, want me to meet you up there?" She hesitated.

He was silent for a few seconds, she wondered if he was still on the phone. "You sure you want to meet me up here?" Yep, he knew her too. She should've known he still had the ability to sense her emotions.

"I'll be fine", she managed. It warmed her heart a little that he knows her so well. She felt a sense of relief wash through her, regaining some familiarity of his care for her. "See you soon."

She arrived at the top of the Eiffel Tower, her heart suddenly making itself known in her chest. She immediately noticed him leaning on the railing, glancing out toward the city. He must've been lost in thought because he didn't turn around.

"Hey", she called for his attention.

His body moved in shock as he turned around. His face seemed to lighten at the sight of her, a small smile appearing on his innocent face. "Hey, I'm really glad you're here."

"I just want closure", Ladybug crossed her arms, not looking at him. 

His smile almost faded as if he was hoping for something different. She had to admit, that made her angry that he expected her to immediately forgive him after everything he put her through. "This is probably going to be a lot for you to handle, so if you want to sit down you can."

Ladybug felt that weird feeling again where she just had to get out of there. "I can't do this", she managed to say before she began walking.

"My father is Monarch", he called after her, hoping to stop her. And, boy, it worked.