The Wedding Planner

Chapter 15

"Chat." She states calmly, as if she was half-expecting him, despite the burn in her cheeks.

He clears his throat, his eyes darting around the room, "Sorry, I didn't mean to..." when he finally meets her gaze, something clicks, "Marinette?" He asks incredulously, shifting his weight.

"You remember me?" She returns the question, becoming hyper aware of the space and the silence around them.

Chat flashes a smile, "I was actually just, uh, thinking about you earlier," he says lightly, "weird coincidence,"

Marinette's face pulls in, "Oh. Well, by coincidence, too; I was also just talking about you..."

His eyebrows furrow, "Yeah, I heard..." he admits.

"So, why are you here?" She asks, moving so the desk is between them.

"I, uh, was actually looking for Ladybug; guess I took a wrong turn or something," he looks down at the locator on his staff, attempting to reinterpret the location marked by Plagg.

Mari feels her cheeks grow warm, her hands grip the back of her chair. "Oh, well, sorry to disappoint," she says quickly, but then feels a tug on her shirt from behind her. She looks back while Chat is distracted, seeing Tikki gesturing wildly. Mari squints at her, unable to decipher what she's trying to communicate.

"My Kwami led me here. Told me he knew where she was...among other things," he puts his baton away dejectedly.

"Other things?" She inquires, trying to steer the conversation away from the topic of 'Ladybug'.

Chat leans up against the wall, shoulders slumped forward, "Yeah, but I wouldn't want to make you worry. I'm still processing what he said, myself." His gaze settles on a clearing on the floor between them.

"Try me." She steps out from behind her desk and rests against its front face.

His eyes focus back on her, "I guess it does concern you, after all." He clears his throat, "Apparently, all of Paris has had their memory wiped by an Akuma. So, everyone would forget that you..." his eyes shift around the room, settling back on the floor, "that you, and Adrien Agreste‍, were in a relationship?" He shifts his weight awkwardly, "I'm sorry if this seems out of the blue. I was hoping to consult Ladybug about this first before-"

"I remember you..." Marinette says to herself, but effectively cutting Chat off.

"What did you say?" Chat pushes off the wall to stand freely, taking a step towards Mari.

"She was concerned if I still remembered you, after asking me about Adrien..." her words drift off in thought, almost forgetting about Chat standing right in front of her.

"Who asked you about Adrien?" Chat's voice lowers, cautiously crossing the room towards her.

Her eyes stay unfocused, deep in thought, "...Chloe wouldn't know our identities so the Akuma wouldn't affect them..."

His eyes widen, "I didn't mention Chloe, how do you know it's Chloe?" He asks, a little more urgent than before.

Now only a couple feet apart, Mari's eyes lock onto Chat's, shocked and desperate. "You're Adrien Agreste..." she whispers under her breath.

He takes a step back, but she catches his wrist, holding him in place. "Am I right?" She pleads, grasping for some concrete information in this mess.

His mouth hangs open as he stares at her. His mind is a wreck from the accusation. He simply nods 'yes' in response.

Mari doesn't loosen her grip on him, her body struggling to keep up with her mind.

Something clicks into place in the midst of chaos in Chat's brain. "You're Ladybug." He states, the words flowing off his tongue without his conscious permission.