What if 'the one' split into two...?
Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Lady Luck herself, has finally fallen on her feet after years of playing catch-up. Her boss, Mary Humphries of The House of Humphries, has invited her to be first assistant at an important...
Adrien had left his apartment much earlier than planned, feeling increasingly fidgety. Despite his desire to linger and spend more time with Marinette as the day unfolded, an unsettling feeling urged him to leave.
He hated this day with a passion. It was the day his mother had died over 10 years ago. He hadn't thought twice when he'd invited Marinette back last night - not after the episode in the alleyway. And knowing what today was, he liked the idea of having someone with him... No, not liked - loved. Just waking up and knowing there was a really sweet girl in his apartment, one who made him smile again, filled him with hope for the day. Almost as though his mother had sent him a guardian angel.
As usual, he'd woken up at the crack of dawn, embracing the chance to sit on his balcony with a coffee in hand and the latest news on his phone. Then it was as though something had forced him to leave. His internal voice had, once again, demanded that he do something.
So, he'd written Marinette a quick note and left, picking up some Forget-Me-Nots and making his way to the cemetery, heading straight to his mother's grave. There was a memorial in the mansion's garden for her, but she had wanted to be buried here, in the church. She'd loved the tree she was buried under and always said it was her resting spot. Under the tree and on top of the hill, she was always sheltered and able to look out and over him.
God, he missed her so much! Even after all these years, the pain hadn't gone away; it had just changed.
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"Good morning, Mother, how are you today?" He knelt down in the dry, dusty soil without a care in the world for what would remain on his jeans.
"I can't believe how long you've been gone. It feels like only yesterday we were laughing and singing as you made pancakes in the kitchen. I wish Father would have spent more time watching how you did it. Did I tell you about the time he almost set the kitchen on fire? It was crazy! The fire department turned up and requested that he take cooking lessons before he ended up killing us both." He laughed to himself before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a wad of tissues.
Adrien started to clean the stone, making sure his mother's golden name was clear for all to see. He'd come here more often, now he was back in Paris. He knew his father kept a close eye on the grave, having it maintained to perfection, but with the move to England, Adrien would make sure he took his father's place.
"I'm sorry I haven't been as often as I should have. It was hard with the move to London and then setting up the business with Félix..." He took a deep breath in, closing his eyes as he slowly exhaled. "But I'm back now, and there's a chance I'll be here for good. I feel like it's time to move on with my life, to start looking toward the next chapter and maybe even, finally, settling down." He sighed and stretched a hand out, grabbing a leaf stuck on the top of the headstone and twirling it between his fingers.
"Félix and Kagami are getting married in a month and I'm so envious, not because of Félix marrying Kagami but because I want love like that. I've tried, Maman, I've really tried." His voice broke, thickly coating itself in want and desire – a need for something pure and true. "But the only one who came close is unreachable. We can't be together. It wouldn't be safe."
