It was night time. Marinette was still recovering from her shared moment with Adrien. And speaking of him, her phone rang. She picked it up, reading Adrien's name off the phone.
"Hi!" she beamed, "Funny, I was just thinking about you!"
"Hey, Marinette," Adrien started, "how was your weekend?"
"Pretty good, I guess...that was one storm last night that was originally just a drizzle. Just hanging around today. What about you? Did you do anything fun this weekend?"
"Uh...you can say that. Marinette, I need to see you...for more than a few reasons."
Marinette's mood shifted immediately into concern mode.
"Oh?" she asked, "Are you alright, Adrien? Did something happen?"
"N-No! Well...I don't...I-I don't want to scare you by saying that..." Adrien stammered, adding a small mix of laughing in, "I do have something that I need to talk to you about...but it's nothing terrible, I promise. And mostly I just wanted to talk to you. You've been on my mind all day."
Marinette's smile came back. However, she still felt a bit anxious.
"I like the sound of that." she replied, "What else is on your mind? Something with your dad?"
"Actually, it's funny that you mentioned him right now. I was just surprised, but in a good way this time..."
The conversation danced around for quite some time. Marinette stared up at her ceiling as she talked. One foot was pressed lightly against the wall next to her bed, looking and feeling relaxed.
"I'm glad that things seem they're working out much better, Adrien. Um...can I...ask something a bit personal?" Marinette asked hesitantly.
"Sure, anything." Adrien answered.
"Am I right, you're a little more surprised? Almost like you're not sure if he's even sincere."
"You see through me so easily."
"You're worth watching closely. Though I could be wrong about what I hear..."
"No, you're not. I'm a little...well, I don't want to say, 'suspicious'...that doesn't sound right. L-Let me put it another way..."
"Take your time. Only if you're comfortable."
"You make me feel comfortable."
Marinette did her best not to curl into a ball and squeal as Adrien continued.
"Me and my old man have been complicated since my mother's accident." he started, "That's when I discovered this...manipulative side to him I never saw before. It's like everything's got to stay together or the world will fall apart. When we had our more recent moments, the ones you helped me through, were really intense. I felt like part of a puzzle that won't go in, but was being shoved around anyway. Now, he's going for kindness. And that's something I've been waiting...but...it's impossible to shake the feeling that it's..."
"Replacing the stick with the carrot?" Marinette asked.
"Exactly! I'm not sure about this. Maybe he just wants to become a caring father and just doesn't know how without my mother there to help him. Or maybe he's just switching tactics to make me do...whatever he wants me to do. But either way, despite how pleasant it feels, I'm still a fly."
YOU ARE READING
Miraculous: Tales of Cat Noir
ActionAdrien Agreste, the Amazing Cat Noir, is beginning to lose faith in his partner, the Miraculous Ladybug. Their partnership is beginning to fade. He's beginning to lose confidence in himself. The trust he once had for Ladybug is beginning to crumb...
