How Do I Tell You I Love You? A LadyNoir fic

Mending What's Broken

Adrien POV

"Thank you for letting me stay for so long Master Fu, but I need to make up with my father." I handed him back his things.

"Are you sure Adrien? You know you are always welcome here."

"I know, but sooner or later I am going to have to face my father."

"You are wise beyond your years Adrien."

I bowed my head and he returned the gesture. "Thank you Master."

"I wish you luck." After our goodbyes I set off in the direction of the place that used to be my home. Ladybug and I had talked about our reveal earlier, and the sun was just beginning to set.  At the gates of my house, I paused. 

"You don't have to do this kid."

I gave Plagg a sad smile. "I do."

He sighed. "Okay, but if he does anything wrong I'll protect you."

That got a laugh out of me. "Thanks Plagg."

"Of course." He flew into my jacket and I opened the gates. Stepping through the door I saw Nathalie. She was a bit bruised from our fight, but she looked mostly okay.

"I need to talk to my father." She stood up suddenly, her eyes almost popping out of her head. 

"Adrien?!" It was odd. Normally she's very cool and composed, but in this moment, she seems genuinely worried.

"Please. I need to speak to him."

"Of course. Right this way." she regained her usual composure and calmly led me up the stairs to my bedroom. "He's through this door." I stepped into my room. Was it still my room? After learning my father was HawkMoth everything felt wrong. Like I was wearing the face of a kid with a better life then my own. My father was sitting on my couch, staring blankly ahead at the blank screen. His hair was disheveled. Has he slept at all this past week?

"Father?" He perked up.

"Adrien? Where have you been? What-" He ran to hug me, but I held up my hand to stop him.

"We need to talk."

"Oh! Of course! Yes! Come here!" He gestured for me to sit by him. I sat on the far end of the sofa.

"I just want to know why. Why did you decide to hurt people."

He rubbed his face with his hand. "Ever since your mother passed, I've felt lost. Then I realized that with the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous I could bring her back."

"Did you know that doing so would kill someone else?"

He bowed his head in shame. "I did, but I was so blinded by the thought of bringing your mother back. I thought only of her, and how she was the only person that mattered." He turned to look at me. "I'm sorry. You were right. It's not what she would have wanted."

"I'm never going to return the Butterfly Miraculous to you."

"I know. I didn't deserve it."

I could feel a knot form in my throat. "Why did you stop being my father? I miss her to! I was so lost, and I didn't even have my father to be there with me!"

He tried to hug me, but I pushed him away. "I'm sorry." He sighed. " I got so caught up in losing her forever that I focused all my time on bringing her back. I didn't think it would make me lose you too."

"You didn't think about me? At all?"

"Well, not at all. I wanted you here. To protect you. That's why I wanted to keep you away from the school. I didn't want you in danger of the villians I was going to create."

"What?"

"I do love you. I tried to keep you safe."

"But you didn't care about me. You didn't care about how I felt!"

"Then let me fix it. Let me make it up to you."

"You hurt Ladybug! You cut her with a sword!" I stood up now. I was just too angry.

He stood up. "I know. I'm so sorry for everything I did." He walked to the door. "I don't expect your forgiveness. Just know that I'm sorry." The door shut softly behind him. I fell back onto my sofa and groaned. Plagg flew out of my jacket. 

"Wow. That went... unexpectedly..."

"Ugh. Tell me about it. What am I supposed to do now?"

"I say you cool off, figure out what you want to do next, then go talk to him again."

"Okay."

"Why did you want to do this today anyway? Your big day with Ladybug is tomorrow. Can't this mess wait?"

"No. Tomorrow is our day. I need to wrap everything up with my dad today so I can focus on her tomorrow."

"Okay kid."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After I had calmed down enough to try talking to him again I peeked around the doorway to his office. He was mumbling to, mom's painting?

"Father?" I squeaked out for the second time today.

He turned to me and gave me a sad smile. "Hello Adrien."

"Father, I can't forgive you yet. You've hurt a lot of people, me included." He gave me a bitter nod. "But that doesn't mean I'll never forgive you." His eyes turned back to me. "I've come back to live here, and when I'm ready to forgive you, then I want us to figure out how to help each other accept our grief." His eyes teared up, as did mine, and he bent down to try and hug me for a third time. I stopped him again. "I'm not quite ready for that yet, but here." I held out my hand for him to shake. I heard a small chuckle escape his throat. "And, I will leave if I even so much as think you're going to take my Miraculous."

"Of course." He shook my hand. "I look forward to patching things up with you, Son."

I smiled back at him. "Me too, Dad."

I walked back up the stairs into my room and collapsed onto my bed. "So kid, how you feelin'?"

"Honestly? Like a thousand weights have been lifted off my chest."

"That's amazing. Now, you should go to sleep. After all, tomorrow's your big day with Ladybug." He gave me a teasing nudge.

"Ugh! I wish I never told you." We both gave a chuckle and fell asleep in my bed.