A Masked Deal

Guilt

"Where is she?" Tom's voice boomed and Chat could feel his legs shaking.

"That's not important at the moment."

"Don't get catty with me, and tell me where my daughter is."

"Tom!" Sabine walked over, placing herself between the two men currently fighting for alpha male dominance.

"Welcome, Chat Noir. I take it you're here about Marinette?" Sabine eyed the hero in front of her, it had been a while since she'd been this close to him in his outfit. He'd grown substantially over the years and she could understand her daughter's affection for him. He was beautiful.

"I'm not here for an argument, I am here to talk and to let you know who I am. I understand your worry, and I am sure I would respond the same way if it was my daughter." As elegant as always, Chat put his point across, keeping his eyes firmly on Sabine and trying to not show the tremors of fear from Tom's glare.

"You've got some nerve! After everything you did!" Tom was borderline explosive, and Chat felt more terrified than facing an akuma.

"I promise, Sir, I can explain everything if you'll let me. Marinette does not deserve the way you treated her."

"And you don't deserve Marinette! I've seen you being all fancy with other women, hand kisses and bating your eyelashes. I don't trust you with her, so I suggest you tell us where she is." Tom wasn't giving Chat a chance to speak. The man was on a roll and he was determined to be heard. "You've come over before pretending to love Marinette only to tell us you love someone else! How can she trust you a second time? You're just going to leave her again, but this time probably with a kid and a mortgage. Oh my poor Marinette."

"Tom, you need to stop speaking, you're making a fool out of yourself." Sabine held her husband's wrists, firstly to stop him from punching a superhero and secondly to try and stop him from appearing more of an idiot than he already was.

"A fool? The only fool I'll be is if I let this womaniser marry our daughter!"

"Sir, I have only ever had one previous relationship before your daughter and that was when I was fourteen." Chat Noir attempted to placate his future father-in-law only to fuel the fire more.

"So you're a player! Can't hold down a steady relationship. You've probably got children running around all over Paris and they have no idea who their father is." Tom just kept on going, there was no stopping him now. Sometimes you just needed a vent, and right now he was making the most of this opportunity.

"I promise you Sir, I have never gone that far in a relationship. I have loved your daughter for years, as I know she loves me too. We know each other outside the masks, we're best friends."

"You loved Ladybug! Not Marinette!" Tom shouted, the volume of the sentence shaking the photo frames on the bookcase.

"Marinette is Ladybug you big goon!" Sabine had had enough. How could Tom not see what an idiot he'd been?

The guilt flooded over him. Yes he had a right to be upset, but the reasoning was all wrong.

"She's - she's - oh!" Tom's shoulders slumped, all anger and tension leaving his body.

"He loves her and she loves him. It's been this way for years. Now, Adrien-"

"What?" Tom yelped, "he's not Adrien. Adrien is just a friend."

Chat couldn't help but wince. Still a running joke after all these years, Alya was particularly fond of it.

"I guess the cat's out the bag." A bright light appeared, making Tom and Sabine cover their faces. For the second time in a day they'd seen a superhero transform.