aftershock

Part 10

Out of the corner of ladybug's eye she saw a piece a paper flutter to the ground. She landed and felt her pockets only for them to come up empty. Her stomach dropped. She lost her fortune. She quickly swung over and landed in the area where she thought she lost it. She turned around to see Adrien reading a piece of paper while Emma was in the stroller. She paled when she realized it was a fortune from a fortune cookie, it was her fortune. She walked over to Adrien, her heart trying to escape her chest, and tapped him on the shoulder.

...

Adrien was pushing Emma in her stroller in the park. It wasn't very crowded so he could relax. He stopped for a minute after feeling his laces whip his ankle. He moved to in front of Emma so nobody could sneak up to her without him noticing. As he finished tying his shoes a piece of paper fluttered right in front of him. He grabbed it and examined it. It was rectangular seemed pretty worn. you will find the one you seek. It read. He heard the quiet patter of feet landing on the ground in front of him. He looked up to see ladybug. His heart stopped she was just as beautiful as the day he left. Her hair pasted her shoulders in her signature pigtails. But there was something off about her. Her eyes didn't have the same sparkle like normal. He had only seen her like this a couple times. She was plastering a fake smile when all she wanted to do was cry. It pained him to see her like this. Her soft voice interrupted his thoughts. "Hey Adrien."

Adrien physically paled. If she recognized him, who else did? "He-hey" He managed to stutter out. He took a deep breath, "Are you okay?" It was her turn to pale, she obviously didn't expect him to see past her façade.

"let's go with that." She answered with a slight chuckle, "This might sound weird but can I have that fortune." She pointed to his hand.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Adrien stuttered out, "I assume it's yours?"

"Yeah," She responded, "how've you been." The question caught him by surprised. He expected hidden venom in her voice, like he has heard in so many others but all he heard was kindness and genuine intrest.

"Living one day at a time, you know." Adrien said with a nervous chuckle. "I've been getting better slowly, thanks to this little lady and her mother."

"ahhh that's good, are you her father?" Ladybug asked already knowing his answer.

Adrien laughed, "No, I'm not. Just a friend." but he added under his breath, "I wish she was." He raised his voice so she could hear him, "How about you?"

"The same i guess, I just miss Chat Noir so much." Ladybug said with tears in her eye. That sentence stabbed at his heart.

"I would too." He said, he wanted to say, i miss you so much, or, I'm so sorry, but it would seem weird to come from Adrien, and he could barely muster the strength to hold his miraculous much less use it, "Why don't you hate me like everyone else." He suddenly asked. It caught her by surprise.

"Well," She started. How could she say that he was her best friend that was currently watching her child. "I don't have a reason to hate you."

For some reason that statement angered him. How could she not hate him? "What do you mean you have no reason to hate me?! I'm literally the son of HAWKMOTH, I even hate myself. How can you not hate me."

She looked at him with a sad and concerned smile, "Yes you're the son of hawkmoth, but that's not your fault, thats your fathers problem. He was always a dickhead anyways. You had nothing to do with his plans or had any knowledge of them." She grabbed his shoulder and rubbed them. "Plus I know you as a person and you're one of the most kind-hearted people I know." He looked at her shocked.

"Wait you know me? Like personally?" Adrien asked,

"Yea you could say that." Ladybug said, "Anyways I got to go I have plans later." She unholstered her Yoyo and was about to swing away when Adrien grabbed her wrist.

"Thank you," He whispered to her and he let her wrist go. He watched her swing away into the distance.