CatWalk

Twenty-One

Emma yawned as she sat on a couch after finishing her meal and changing into her pink ladybug themed pajamas. She had a long day and long days can wear out a ten-year-old kid. Adrien pick her up ever so carefully. Emma barely kept her eyes open as Adrien carried her in her room to sleep.

Adrien tucked the adorable girl in bed but she wanted him to tell her a bedtime story. 
Usually, Marinette would tell her stories of ChatNoir's heroics. Adrien sat on the corner of the bed trying to think of a story that would interest Emma.

"How about I tell you a story about my favorite superhero?" He said making Emma wanting to stay awake a bit longer.

"ChatNoir?"  Emma questioned thinking that maybe Adrien liked ChatNoir since he was her favorite superhero. She knew adults often lied about their favorite things to kept it interesting but she liked it better when the adult told the truth.

"Ladybug." He smiled as Emma latched onto her giant catbug plushie.

"I'll start with an Akuma fight. Ladybug was battling Rapitose, a fencing villain. Rapitose was trying to fight me since I bet her at a fencing match. Rapitose and Ladybug fought back and forth until it looked like Rapitose were going to win and..."

"Is the one where Ladybug cared you like a girl and put you in a coffin and kissed the coffin lid, and you made a pun about small spaces? Mommy says that you didn't say a pun but I think you did." Emma asked surprising Adrien and Marinette who was standing in the doorway holding a dirty basket of Emma's laundry.

He didn't know how to respond. He just said "Goodnight." and left her room. He closed her door then quickly asked Marinette how she could know such details about something that only Ladybug and he knew about. Besides kissing the sarcophagus that was probably something she made up.

Marinette poured two glasses of red wine handing one to Adrien who was sitting on the couch waiting for a explaintion. She sat next to him.  If Marinette was going to explain things she needed alcohol on broad to help swallow her nerves.

"Adrien, I don't know where to begin." Marinette stated hoping he wouldn't piece it together.

"Did you know Ladybug?" Adrien questioned. This would explain why Emma would know most of what happened that day. A day he wouldn't ever forget because he protected Ladybug as Adrien Agreste without the help of Plagg.

"That's complicated." she replied. "Weren't you friends with ChatNoir?" He questioned wondering if that's what happened that Ladybug confronted her. It was dangerous for a civilian to be seen with a superhero after all.

"Friend, is not the word I would use to describe ChatNoir with." She remarked which shocked Adrien. Was she still mad at him for not visiting? He was booked with college classes, photoshoots, and saving Paris he couldn't exactly squeeze balcony sessions in between that. He didn't even know how to apologize for that night of passion.

"What did he do?" He asked. He wanted to ask Marinette a billion questions about whether or not she knew that Ladybug was alive or not but first he wanted to resolve the conflict between ChatNoir and her.

He sure didn't want to get slapped in the face a second time. Marinette was also growing on him. He thought maybe he should ask her out to dinner. Or the movies? But what if Ladybug came back?

"You wouldn't look at me the same if I told," she said looking distraught. He held her hands in his and said the most comforting words possible.

"You don't have to tell me but if you want to tell somebody I'm here for you."

He knew what happened yet wanted her perspective on the matter. Was he that bad? Did she fall in live with him? Did he take her virginity? Did he unintentionally cause her to cheat on someone? Did her parents find out? Did Ladybug know?

That last question hit him hard. Maybe Ladybug was alive but just was disgusted with ChatNoir's actions and quit. But how did she find out? Did Marinette tell her?