Reunited (A Miraculous Ladybug Romance)

Lucky Charms

The ticking of the clock echoed throughout the vastness of the foyer as I paced back and forth across the cold, hard tile. Marinette would be here any second, in my home, for the first time since we had been dating, or whatever one would call what we had been doing. Waiting until today, Friday, to talk to Marinette about what had been on her mind all week had been pure, unfaltering torture. Even though we were able to have normal conversations, I could see that something inside was bothering her. In fact, with each passing day, she seemed to become more and more distraught. She tried to hide it behind forced smiles and empty laughter, but it was there - just waiting to be unleashed.

I originally had thought that her distracted behavior may have had something to do with the way I had responded to her on the phone. I had really wanted to hang out with her so that I could figure some things out. However, she told me that she had other plans. The high hopes that I had held about her opening up to me about her daring act of heroism had been dashed, and I was left to deal with all of my suspicions and doubts on my own. It had frustrated me that I wouldn't get the chance to appease my mind. I had taken out that frustration on Marinette in a curt and totally uncalled for manner.

I apologized to Marinette thinking that that would ease her mind, but her behavior never really changed. Then, I knew, that her distress must have something to do with the scene I had witnessed nearly a week prior. She obviously was still trying to process everything that had happened before sharing the details of her daring rescue with me. I couldn't even imagine what could be going through her head about that particular event. I wondered if she was afraid of something like that happening again, or if, by chance, she was more afraid of herself for what she had done. Either way, I looked forward to hearing about those answers, myself, once she arrived.

However, I was not looking forward to sharing with Marinette what had been on my mind. There was no way that I could possibly tell her that I had been suspecting her as possibly being Ladybug. I didn't even know if my suspicions were logical or if I was just projecting Ladybug onto to Marinette because of my recent contact with my former crush. If Marinette was Ladybug, then I would have no reason to worry about responding to her letters. But if Ladybug wasn't Marinette, then was I just a crazy lovesick fool that was confusing my feelings with the girl that I was currently dating with the girl that I had previously loved? Everything was just so complicated, and there was no way that I could share any of that with Marinette - not without giving away the fact that I am Chat Noir. There was one thing, though, that I could possibly talk to Marinette about. Something else entirely that had been plaguing my mind.

It had all started when Mari had randomly asked me, about halfway through the week, if I had been in contact with Chloe over the last few years. Of all people to have brought up Chloe, I would have never expected it to be Marinette. Upon inquiring about this sudden interest in our former classmate, Marinette had just vaguely responded by saying that she had run into Chloe over the weekend and was surprised to see how much she had changed. A sudden pang of guilt clenched deep within my stomach when I realized I had neglected to contact Chloe letting her know that I was back in Paris. Chloe, at one point, was my only friend. It was foolish and thoughtless of me to not even let her know that I had returned.

That evening, I had decided to give Chloe a call. I apologized for not keeping in better touch with her over the years. Of course, I had called her to wish her a Merry Christmas each year, but besides that, I had barely talked to her. It was strange, though, that the first Christmas that I had tried to call, I only ever got her voicemail. I tried a few times, but it never even rang. The next year, and the following years after that, she had answered and merely wished me a joyous holiday in return.

After my apologies, Chloe simply brushed them aside saying that it really been her fault that we had fallen so out of touch. She told me that she had made some big changes in her life and that she had been afraid of what I would think of her if I knew. The fact that Chloe thought that I was actually shallow enough to judge her based on whatever changes she had made in her life deeply troubled me. It caused me to wonder if I had only been seen as some sort of snobby rich kid who only cared about the status that one carried in society. Certainly, I had hoped that Chloe knew me better than that, but maybe she never even really knew me at all. Maybe she did only see me for my fame and my money.