Reunited (A Miraculous Ladybug Romance)

The Apprentice

Authors Note: This story is still updating. I will be putting date stamps on my chapters from now on just so you readers know that the story is not dead. (I hate getting to the end of story only to find that it hasn't been updated in two years) I won't do that to you guys, I promise. Please add to your library to get notifications of updates. I hope you all are enjoying the story!

3/12/2018

I would like to thank my beta readers who have helped me on the past few chapters. They have been my motivation and my guide. I couldn't have brought this chapter without their help. 

My thoughts were spiraling out of control as Marinette nuzzled deeper into my chest. Despite my words to Marinette, I was still concerned, although for a different reason. I had tried to keep my mind on Marinette, but every detail she gave sent daggers into my heart- what could I be doing to Ladybug? Ladybug could possibly be feeling this same hurt... this same same confusion as Marinette was right now. My heart was breaking at the thought that I could be causing My Lady so much pain. I had been so focused on my own need to keep all of my attention pointed towards Marinette, that I had neglected to take Ladybug's feelings into account.

I had been desperate to find out when Marinette had last made contact with her friend hoping that her answer would ease my mind. If it had been months, then there would have been hope that I hadn't hurt My Lady yet, but it had only been a mere week just as it had been with Ladybug. I felt so foolish and selfish for not responding. Ladybug should not have to suffer because of my own insecurities. Our friendship was deeper than that. It deserved more than that.

However, a week really was not that long of a time. Ladybug and I had gone years without speaking to one another, and from the sounds of it, the same could be said about Marinette and her friend. We hadn't even set up a schedule for responding to each other. There was no way for me to know how long her first letter had been waiting, and there was no way for her to know exactly when I had replied. In fact, I didn't even know if she had even responded to my letter. Thinking of it in those regards, there was no reason for Ladybug, or myself, to be worried. Her faith in her partner would surely be stronger than that. Although I hated to bring Marinette back to it when she seemed to have finally relaxed, I had to try to confirm something, if not for her then for myself

I leaned away from Marinette so that I could look into her cerulean eyes which had been brightened by her dwindling tears. "Mari, did your last response from your friend indicate at all that he no longer wanted to speak with you?"

Marinette's shoulders slumped as she exhaled audibly and averted her gaze to my chest. "Well......no," she sheepishly replied. This was a good start. Maybe I could convince her that her fears were unmerited.

"Did you set up some sort of schedule or timeline in which either of you were to respond?" Marinette simply shook her head no. "Do you know how busy he is? Do you think he has had a sufficient chance to get back to you?"

Marinette's entire body seemed to stiffen, "I knew that he had been nearby, and when I saw that he hadn't responded, I just assumed that he chosen not to. It should have been easy for him to have replied."

At this point, I almost felt as if I were attacking Marinette with my questions. I was supposed to be soothing her, and reassuring her that everything would be alright, but instead, I was being nearly abrasive. Even though I knew that I was potentially going over the line, I couldn't stop myself. My jaw clenched and my body shook at the thought that Marinette could even fathom that such a dear friend would simply, outrageously, abandon her.