CatWalk

Thirty-Six

After working long hours the first thing Adrien decided to do was to confront his father about the recent Akuma attack. The blonde twenty-eight-year-old man held a grudge against Luka now that he realized they were both infatuated with the same woman.

As soon as the designers and models left Adrien faced his stern as always father who was still hard at work. Gabriel had been adding crystal encrusted butterflies to the purple dress. The jeweled butterflies closer to the top were white while the others were a dark color that could be mistaken for black when it was a purple taupe.

"I'm assuming you want to talk about that Soloiste incident?" Gabriel questioned as he debated how many bejeweled butterflies were too much.

"No. I'm here to tell you that after the fashion event I'm cutting off all ties to you. No more fashion shoots, no more runways, I'm done."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Adrien, I may have lost all my privileges as a father but you should start prioritizing."

"Like you?" Adrien said not knowing if his father knew the meaning of prioritizing. Gabriel was a different person without his wife. Cold, cruel, and reserved. All adjectives that perfectly described Gabriel Agreste.

"You think I should have stopped being Papillon and given up on your mother? Too bad you didn't inherit my stubbornness maybe SHE would still be alive" Gabriel stated pissing off Adrien. Maybe it was intentional maybe it wasn't.

Gabriel was in the wrong. Wasn't he? Wanting to bring back the love of his life wrong? Adrien then realized that he was beginning to understand impart why his father was doing what he was doing. But Gabriel was blaming Adrien for the supposed death of the first Ladybug and that was uncalled for.

"Fuck the fashion shoot!" Adrien yelled dropping the publicly hated 'F' bomb. As Adrien turned around and was about to storm out the door, Gabriel spoke again with a topic more of interest to the both of them.

"I'm assuming you're heading over to Miss Dupain-Cheng's apartment. While you're their say hello to my granddaughter."

Adrien halted then turned on his heels as Gabriel tried to repair a butterfly who had a missing jewel.

"How did you know?" Adrien asked wanting the answer before he left.

"Wasn't it obvious? Her eyes, her laugh, that smile? She had to be related. Those perfect genes only run in the Agreste household. Although I would what to know why she kept it a secret from you. To my recollection during high school she had silly crush on you."

"I had college classes, piano lessons, fencing lessons, photo shoots, runways, and Mandarin lessons. Marinette probably thought I didn't have time to be a father or even worst she thought I would become like you." Adrien could have had admitted that his alter ego was who Marinette was seduced by. But, that was a story for later.

"And that immature thinking is exactly why you shouldn't have had been so careless. However, I am glad I have a grandchild."

"You do realize that every word that comes out of your mouth is a contradiction."

"The only contradiction I am familiar with is the one of you and Marinette." Gabriel replied continuing with the dress that would put most red carpet dresses to shame.

Adrien left. Deciding that he needed to clear his head or risk cold-cocking his own father.

"That went great." Plagg sarcastically chimed.

Adrien wanted to go to Marinette's. Every bone in his being was telling him to go. But he chose to ignore it. For Emma's benefit mostly but Marinette had talked about how she WANTED ChatNoir to be in Emma's life.

"Do I let her go?" Adrien asked not expecting a response from his Kwami. "She's with Luka now. I don't have the right to take away Emma and Marinette's chance of a partially normal life."

As Adrien thought about what was next for himself, he walked the streets of Paris aimlessly.

Plagg, the mischievous little Kwami he was, fumbled with the phone that was in the same jacket pocket he hid in. Plagg played Adrien's favorite song off his iTunes playlist.  'Let Her Go' by Passenger. The same song that Adrien listened to for a long while after the announcement of Ladybug's death.

"Only hate the road when you're missing home. Only know you love her when you let her go. And..... you let her goooooo." Plagg sang poorly and off tune with the song just trying to hint to the fact that Ladybug and Marinette are the same person. The black cat Kwami didn't want to admit it but watching Adrien fall in love with the same woman all over again just to lose her, hurt. Plagg was supposed to support Ladybug and ChatNoir being together and living happily ever after but from Plagg's perspective Marinette was the villain in Adrien's storybook.