MariChat: Soul Link (SoulMates AU)

News Of Alters

"How are things with your girlfriend?"

It marked the first time Gabriel had ever, ever taken an interest in Adrien's life, not because he wanted to control it, but because he was genuinely curious. Adrien was holding up his end of their deal, his modelling shoots were the very icon of perfection, he was doing well in his classes, and he was attending all of the activities he was assigned by his father. While he didn't entirely approve, if Adrien was going to keep up his end of the deal, he would too.

Although Adrien had to wonder, could his father have picked a worse time to have an interest in his life?

While it was late, Gabriel had come to speak to his son, just a few minutes after Chat Noir had sneaked back into his room and turned back into Adrien. Had he been just five minutes earlier, Adrien would have had to explain where the hell he had been. That was something he could be thankful for. He didn't need more complications.

"Fine." Adrien lied through his teeth. It physically hurt him to say. He knew why he was lying. He didn't want his father to be proven right. Just once... Just for once, he wanted something that he could have as his, something he could say he was right about, and that his father was wrong about.

Marinette hated him now. But he just... Didn't want to admit it. At least not to Gabriel.

"I see." Gabriel acknowledged, and made a mental note of, his son's quick and simple remark. The older man cleared his throat. "I would be interested in meeting her."

"O-Oh?" Adrien bit his tongue.

"I'd like you to request her presence here for dinner this weekend, at her convenience." Gabriel said, sounding like he was arranging a formal business meeting. Knowing the kind of person he really was, this was probably a similar sort of thing to him. "Give me a list of her preferred meals, and I'll have the chef's prepare something she should find acceptable."

"...Yes, father." What else could Adrien say? He didn't even want to admit to himself that Marinette wanted nothing to do with him, never-mind his overarching father.

Gabriel then left the room, having said what he had wanted to say to his son, leaving Adrien with the biggest pang of guilt and sadness since he had come back home.

Could this get any worse? Was it even possible at this point?

What the heck was he supposed to do now?

Adrien hadn't moved from his bed even slightly since the previous night. What was he supposed to do? He didn't know what to do?

What the hell was he supposed to do?

He regretted saying what he did to Ladybug, to Marinette... He truly regretted it, so freaking much. There wasn't enough words to describe how much he regretted it, but he was totally out of ideas. He'd said it. It was done now. It had all happened. And now, this was where he was at.

Was this... The way things were going to be from now on? Was he going to have to live knowing that Marinette hated him, and that Ladybug literally wanted to kill him? Was that something he just had to... Accept? That Chat Noir couldn't go out anymore, for risk of ending up being killed by the very person he'd had every intention of dedicating himself to in every way imaginable?

That his Soul Mate was going to spend the rest of her life hating him, while he longed for her to return?

Did this... Was this how this had to be now?

At this point, he wasn't even surprised that it always seemed to happen to him. But...

".. Kid, this is my fault, I know." Plagg said, catching Adrien's attention. The Kwami sounded an odd mix of remorseful and determined. Anything other than indifference sounded weird from Plagg, so naturally, actual emotions from the Kwami caught the young models attention. "I know I'm the one who told you to tell Ladybug about the Soul Links and everything... But you're kidding yourself if you're telling yourself that you're fine with this."