In the Home of Chat

Chateau

Chat strode into the apartment building that the Chateau rested at the top of, the doorman gave him a wide smile and a two fingered salute which he returned eagerly. Everyone in the building knew that the superhero of Paris lived just above them, and they were always overjoyed to see him coming home be it day or night. There was even a medical student, one who attended the same university as Adrien, living on the third floor. He was always the first one the other residents called on when Chat Noir stumbled into the front lobby of the building clutching at a new wound. He had planned this living arrangement carefully, even before Hawkmoth was unmasked. Back then, it was supposed to be a home for him and Ladybug once it was safe for them to really truly know one another in and out of the mask. Now it was nothing more than a place to rest off his wounds, restock Plagg with his smelly cheese, and plan his search of the city for the woman who had eluded him for years.

The thought was laughable, trading a happily ever after for a large empty space, and all against his will. It brought a sad smile to his lips as he stepped into the elevator and slid his key card in the slot above the buttons that sat in two columns on a steel panel. A green light, hidden by the harsh glare of the fluorescent lights previously, flashed three times before staying a solid red color. This was the only way up to the penthouse where he lived as Chat. It would have been purrfect. He still had Ladybugs keycard, complete with an image of a Ladybug whose spots were tiny cats paw prints sitting on a leaf overlooking the Eiffel Tower. His own card displayed a large cats paw, lime green with black and red ladybugs as its toes. A white silhouette of the famous tower took up the majority of his card, resting on a solid black background. It was cheesy, couples key cards to a secret hideaway home that they could share, a long lost hope that now was long broken, while her card rested in a jar beside his front door.

The ride up to the Chateau was quick, yet felt stretched out as his mind went back to the silly plans of his youth. It seemed so long ago now but he could still feel the burning pain in his chest whenever they found their way into his mind once again. When the double doors opened to reveal a single white door five feet from them he already felt as if an elephant had taken up residence in his chest. He released his transformation a few steps into the short hallway, and leaned against the wall as he closed his eyes. Adrien had not felt her loss this strongly in a long time, the dampness of his cheeks didn't even distract his mind from the plans he had memorized years before.

"You okay kid? I- I shouldn't have brought her up. Sorry." Plagg was hovering near the left side of his face, Adrien naturally opened his left eye to glance at him as he spoke. He pulled his lips upwards in the same smile he used to flash to the cameras, the one that didn't quite make it to his eyes.

"I'll be fine." He said to break the silence that had fallen between them after the worried kwamis words died away, "Let's get inside so we can eat."Adrien moved past him and pulled out his keys, on one loop of his keychain there rested two identical keys which he used one of to open to door. Once they were inside, Plagg fazed through the closest fridge to gorge himself on camembert. Adrien chuckled at his eagerness before moving to his own fridge and looking through it for something to eat, one salad and lemon flavored water later he was sitting at the table in the breakfast nook and watching the news intently. It was a habit he had picked up over the years, if he was at home he was on the lookout for any sign of trouble. He could remember when he used the news as another way to look out for a certain red and black clad superheroine, but that was so long ago and no sign of her ever popped up.

"So, what's the plan?" Plagg asked around half a wheel of cheese as Adrien flipped from one channel to another when the weather report came on. He took a moment to listen in on the report, only turning to his kwami when it was apparent there was no crime involved in the story the reporter was telling.

"We finish up lunch, go by the office to go over my speech one more time, then straight to ESMOD to talk to the students." He rested his cheek on his palm and played with his meal idly as he named off their list of plans.

"Didn't that designer girl you knew get in there? You planning to say hello?" Plagg inquired as he reached for another wheel of cheese. Adrien shrugged at his line of questioning and rested his fork on the table beside his plate.

"If I see her sure, but there is a large class this year and the dean is one hell of a hardass at these things." Plagg narrowed his eyes as the blonde spoke, noting a gentle smile making its way to the former models eyes.

He hid his frown by chewing on a large chunk of cheese, Adrien still didn't know, after all this time. He never asked or allowed Plagg to tell him what he witnessed during the Dark Owl akuma attack so many years ago. Plagg doubted he remembered that night at all amongst the jumbled mess of memories that they shared while fighting to save Paris from the onslaught of Alina's in their youth. Maybe it was for the best, he had gotten better at ignoring the feelings that she left him with.

"Maybe you shouldn't. Even if the chance arises I mean." Plagg's eyes grew larger as the words tumbled out of his mouth. He hadn't meant to say it, but now the blonde was looking at him with a mix of confusion and shock swirling in the depths of his emerald eyes.

"The dean isn't that bad about time Plagg." Adrien snorted as he turned back to the food before him.

"That's not what I meant kiddo. I just think it would be for the best if you didn't try to get buddy buddy with her again. You haven't spoken to her in years and-"

"So what? We are still friends. You don't have to talk to someone everyday to consider them a good friend." Adrien had his eyes on Plagg once again, they were narrowed now, guarded. The kwami could tell that he was ready to jump to Marinette's defense just as quickly as he had jumped to defend Ladybug. The irony would have made him laugh if the situation wasn't one that put his kitten through so much pain.

"I don't like her, she isn't a great person." He mumbled as he looked away from Adrien, who was staring at him with the same look on his face that he had whenever he reads something bad about his company online.

"Mari is one of the best people I know, sure you're not thinking about Lila? " He asked as he sat back a bit in his chair.

"Don't change the subject. And no, i meant the designer girl." Plagg huffed angrily, wishing he could tell Adrien why he truly disliked the woman. If he told him, there was still a possibility that he would either chase her to the ends of the earth, or fall into an even deeper depression when he realized that she left him as both Chat and Adrien at nearly the same time. He couldn't bring himself to tear open the old wounds that deeply, not now, not after Adrien had gotten so much better in her absence.

"Mari is a great person, and a good friend." Adrien deadpanned without looking at Plagg, probably expecting him to say that he won the argument in his passive way once again. Plagg however, remained silent as the grave and stared down his chosen without so much as blinking.