"Nino! Why didn't you tell me this was Marinette's apartment!?"

After everyone and gone to bed for the night—a makeshift bed made for Adrien on the couch because the bedroom he was offered obviously wasn't ready—Adrien had texted Nino over the phone asking him to come out to the living room. Of course, Nino wasn't exactly the stealthiest person out there, and the loud creaking of the bedroom door that he shared with Alya sounded like a wooden floorboard in an abandoned house. He honestly thought the sound would wake up the whole apartment. But thankfully, only Nino's tired figure appeared from the pitch black hallway, dressed in long pajama pants and a white tee.

"I knew you wouldn't come if I told you it was Marinette's place." Was his whispered response.

"Well yeah. And with good reason. I would've felt like I was imposing."

Nino slowly sat down on the couch as Adrien made room for him. The brunette sighed heavily as he ran a hand down his face. "You're not imposing anyone, Adrien. Marinette doesn't mind that you're here."

Adrien wanted to say that it was only because Nino had convinced her to let him stay here, but he supposed there was no point in mentioning that if Marinette had indeed changed her mind. "Maybe not." Adrien decided with instead. "But Alya sure does, and she's already made that extremely clear."

It was obvious why Alya hated him. She knew he was Chat Noir, after all. Which meant that she also knew he was Emilie's father. She was probably emotionally torn between wanting to ring his neck for even having the audacity to step foot into Marinette's home after he'd left her all those years ago, or ratting him out by telling Marinette that he was Chat Noir.

Either way, this had been a bad idea. He wasn't sure why Nino thought it was a good one.

Nino sighed heavily, "Alya needs to understand that what happened between you and Marinette is not any of her business—not unless Marinette makes it her business. And if Marinette wants you back in her life, she doesn't have the right to interfere."

Adrien ran a hand through his hair, somewhat frustrated. "Except Marinette doesn't know I'm Chat Noir. And she doesn't know that I know that I'm a father."

"So... maybe you could tell her?"

"Are you kidding? She would probably kick me out the moment she found out."

Nino frowned at his best friend. "How long are you going to keep that from her? It's been five years. Don't you think she has a right to know by now?"

Adrien turned his head to meet his friend's eyes, despite not really being able to see them that well in the dark. He didn't want to be bitter, but his response was anything but sweet. It held lots of resentment that he had no right to hold against Marinette. "Like I had the right to know that I was a father? But Marinette never told me?"

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say, especially when Nino's brows furrowed deeply. "First of all, you have no right to complain when you were the one who didn't want to tell her who you were, yet wanted to reap the benefits of dating her." Nino shook his head, his frown deepening in disappointment. "That wasn't fair to Marinette, man. If you wanted to keep that important secret from her, you can't complain if she decided to return the favor."

Adrien huffed in annoyance, despite knowing that his friend was right. He was being hypocritical, no matter how much he wished Marinette would've told him about her pregnancy. If he would've known, he would've never left. He would've abandoned they very idea of his own dreams and stayed with her to help her raise their child together. They could've been a family. He'd always wanted a family of his own. He would've definitely revealed his identity to her in that scenario.

But... even if he were to confess to Marinette that he was Chat Noir, there was no guarantee that she would even want him back... or allow him to be in Emilie's life.

In truth, he was simply scared. More like a coward if one wished to be blunt. And that fear hadn't left him since Marinette had first asked him to reveal himself to her.

"So what should I do?" Adrien asked, sounding slightly desperate.

His best friend simply arched a knowing brow, and that was all it took for Adrien to already know the answer that was pretty obvious... no matter how much he wished there was another way to undo his mistakes. "You know what you need to do, Adrien."

Yes, yes he did. And he was terrified to do it.

Adrien rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "What if she rejects me? What if she never lets me see Emilie?"

"I can't guarantee that she'll take you back, but Marinette would never keep Emilie from meeting her father." Nino said softly. "Marinette never says it, but I can tell she wishes you were a part of Emma's life. That Chat Noir knew he had a daughter, and that Emma knew her father. Any woman who is still in love would wish these things."

Adrien lifted his head from his hands, his eyes widening and his mouth slightly agape. After practically insisting that their relationship would never work long distance and not willing to even try it for Marinette's sake, he was genuinely surprised to hear those words leave his best friend's mouth. He would've thought Marinette hated his alter ego. "Wait... she's still in love with me?"

"Of course. She'll never admit that, but it's obvious."

That only seemed to further confuse Adrien. "But why? I hurt her so much. How could she love me still even after causing her that kind of pain?"

Nino's smile was pained. "Because Marinette has always loved you unconditionally."

The blonde pressed his lips together into a thin line. If Marinette was still in love with him, as he was with her, did that mean he still had a chance? The stakes were high, of course, but maybe if he could somehow make it up to her...

The only obvious option would be to tell her he was Chat Noir.

But was he ready to do that?

There were so many insecurities that came with revealing just exactly who he was behind the mask. With Alya and Nino, things had been a little different since they'd found out on their own and had confronted him about it. He'd still been super nervous back then, but perhaps that was a feeling that came with having a double life.

He wondered if Ladybug ever felt the same way.

"What else has happened since I've been away?" He broke the silence with a question of genuine intertest, a smile slowly pulling at his lips as he hoped Nino's answer would be one to lift the mood. "What about Ladybug? Is she still a hero?"

"Oh... yeah. She is." Nino nodded, seemingly not minding the change of topic. "Although I can say that no one knows her identity still."

"Of course." Adrien chuckled at the idea of the red and black spotted hero whom he'd once considered one of his best friends still protecting their beloved city. He knew Ladybug well enough to know that she was very adamant about keeping her identity a secret, and very good at making sure that no one found out who she was underneath the mask either. But a part of that statement also worried him. "So it's just her then? No one else helps her?"

Nino shook his head, a grimace pulling at his lips. "No. Not that I know of, at least. We always only ever see her. And Ladybug does a mighty fine job at fighting Hawkmoth's victims alone. It's pretty impressive."

A sad smile pulled at his lips. So she was still protecting the city of Paris, even despite the fact that he had basically abandoned her to do it all alone. The thought of Ladybug having to fight and protect all on her own without anyone to help broke his heart in more ways than he cared to admit. Because he couldn't imagine ever fighting villains alone. He couldn't even imagine not being able to talk to another miraculous wielder about the superhero life. He would've assumed she'd retired her miraculous just to avoid that loneliness. But it seemed as if Ladybug would rather face the fire alone then give up.

He should've figured. That was the Ladybug he remembered so dearly. Always fueled with determination. Never a quitter.

Nino was the one to break the pause of silence. "You should reunite with her too."

Adrien's eyebrows shot up his forehead at that. "W-What? No way—"

"Why not?" Nino arched a confused brow, as if his solution was just that simple. Except Nino didn't understand that it really wasn't that simple. "She was your partner and one of your best friends, right?"

"Well... yeah—"

"Well that settles it then. I'm sure she would be happy to see you again."

"Happy? More like she'd be furious." Adrien felt a shiver run down his spine just at the thought of reuniting with Ladybug. He could already picture how it would all go down, hands on her hips as she glared at him from head to toe with a look in her eyes that could only spell out murder.

"Why would she be furious?"

Instead of answering Nino right away, Adrien leaned back until his head was resting against the back of the couch. He let out a heavy sigh. "The last time I spoke to Ladybug, we weren't on the best of terms. I mean, she was so close to crying before I'd even spilled the news. She was having a bad night that night... and how did I make it better...?" He paused rather suddenly to properly gauge Nino's response, only for his best friend to shrug his shoulders in genuine confusion. The blonde continued his rambling at that. "I didn't make it better. I only made it worse by telling her that I was leaving. And do you know what her response was?" He paused again, and that time, Nino shook his head. "'I guess I'll be alone then.'  That was it. Not a goodbye. Not maybe a 'Hopefully we can see each other again.' No. Just that. It was awful."

"Wow..." Nino eyes were slightly blown wide as he nodded slowly, "It sounds like she was just maybe going through something and you leaving just fed the fire? I don't know, man... its just a thought. But I don't think you should take it personal."

"How can I not take it personal? She gave me grief!"

"Hey shhhh." Nino pressed his finger to Adrien's lips and a matching one to his own, narrowing his eyes at his best friend. He looked over his shoulder towards the bedrooms just to make sure his wife, nor anyone else, hadn't heard them. When it seemed they hadn't, he turned back to look at Adrien. "Try to keep your voice down."

Adrien offered him a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

Nino lowered his hand once the coast seemed clear, using it instead pinch the bridge of his nose. "Look man. Your fears are valid, but your hesitance isn't. You can't let fear control your life. If you do that, you'll never actually live. You'll just exist." He leaned forward to place a hand on his best  friend's shoulder as a form of support. "You owe it to both Ladybug and Marinette to see them again and make things right.

Adrien nodded, because Nino was right. They deserved that, and he owed it to them both. He owed Marinette an apology and his support, and he owed Ladybug an apology for leaving her to fend for herself. Being Chat Noir had been a responsibility that he'd completely disregarded, and even though he had the right to fulfil his dreams and deserved that chance, he shouldn't have left so suddenly. He should've given up his miraculous to Master Fu so that Ladybug could've been given the opportunity to have another Chat Noir by her side. He should've comforted Ladybug that night instead of giving her the news and just leaving. He should've insisted Marinette to tell him her news that night before he'd told her his.

There were a lot of things he should've done, and the list was probably endless. But hopefully, he would actually be able to do the things he should've done... if only they would give him the chance to make things right.

He had to at least try, even if they both rejected his efforts.

"Okay." Adrien said, nodding to himself. "You're right. I'll... see Ladybug first. Tomorrow in fact."

"Great. I'm glad to hear it." Nino's eyes lit up at that. Adrien was certain his best friend felt accomplished in being able to convince him that that was the right move to make.

"But... I'm not going to tell Marinette I'm Chat Noir just yet."

Nino's smile instantly fell. "What—"

"Hear me out." Adrien insisted before Nino could scold him once again. "I'm going to tell her. I've already decided that much. But I need to prepare myself... because I have no idea what I want to say and how I want to say it. Also, I won't be able to handle my emotions if both girls happen to express their hate for me at the same time. I need to take it one step at a time."

"Right..." Nino responded slowly, but the tone he used only further indicated that he didn't really understand Adrien's logic. Either that, or he just didn't agree with it. Adrien would assume it was simply both. "Just don't drag this out longer than it needs to be. You should tell Marinette as soon as possible before she finds out on her own. Because if she finds out on her own, there's no telling how angry she'll be."

"Don't worry." Adrien chuckled softly as he patted his friend's shoulder. "She can only find out from me unless you or Alya decide to tell her, which I know neither of you will. So there's nothing to worry about."

Oh, but how wrong Adrien was. Sure, the news would only come from him, and that's exactly where Marinette had gotten them from. Right from the source. Because as Adrien explained his ingenuous plan to Nino in detailed whispers about how he would try his best to reconcile with the two most important women in his life—who were actually one in the same—Marinette was leaned against the hallway wall with her arms folded over her chest, only a corner away from revealing that she was there as she intensely listened to the boys' conversation and had heard every single word.

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MUHAHAHA I know some of y'all thought this was gonna get dragged out and take long. But where would the fun be in that? Tune in next time (which will be hopefully soon) for chapter 6 where we dive back into Mari's POV AND the reunion of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

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