For five years, Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir were gone. It was hard to accept that truth, especially when everyone else seemed to move on from that reality. And reality—well, reality wasn't any better than what it had been for him in Paris. Despite fulfilling his dream, Adrien felt unfulfilled. He felt... out of place. Like he didn't belong in the world he had created for himself. It didn't make any sense, because he had built his school. He became a famous pianist. Everyone knew his name.

And yet... he wasn't happy.

There was no reason why he shouldn't be, and yet, Adrien found himself longing to return to Paris, France. His home. He wanted to see his father again. He wanted to see his friends again. But most importantly, he wanted to see Marinette again.

"Are you sure this is something you want to do?" Plagg asked as Adrien finished packing his carry-on. The blonde took a look around his now empty penthouse, not seeing a difference in the place considering it had always felt empty and lonely.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Adrien said, determined.

This wasn't his home. He wanted to go back to Paris, France—his homeland. He had never wanted anything more in his life.

"Because if you change your mind, there's still enough time to buy this place back." Plagg mentioned hopefully, offering his holder a sheepish grin.

Adrien shook his head, despite the soft smile that played on his lips. "This place only further reminds me of what it felt like to live under my father's roof."

"Sooo... rich and unbothered?"

"No." Adrien laughed, huffing out a laugh through his nose when his mischievous, little kwami snickered. "Lonely and trapped. I always told myself when I moved out of my father's house, my new home would be a cozy one. But this apartment is just... empty."

And truth be told, the place itself wasn't empty. At least, it never lacked anything when it came to materialistic items. It was filled with many lavish things, and many nights it was simply him and Plagg, watching films or playing games and even sharing moments of laughter with each other. It was a great life, and Plagg was the best roommate he could've ever asked for.

But... something was missing. And that's why, despite everything he had--just like it had once been for him under his father's roof—he felt alone. He felt unhappy.

Which is why, Adrien Agreste was hanging in the towel. He created a partnership with a good friend of his in America, allowing him to keep the music school running in Adrien's absence and they both profit from it. Adrien couldn't help but smile at the idea of his father's reaction being (hopefully) an amazed one, once he would find out about the sudden changes. After all, Adrien hadn't bothered to discuss these plans with his father before he'd made them. So, as a business man just like his father, Adrien considered himself to be many things. A successful business man, was one. A professional pianist with his own music school, definitely. A man who had fulfilled his dreams to the extreme but felt incredibly empty inside, oh yeah. That last one wasn't exactly an accomplishment. But despite all his other successes, Adrien was not very brave. Not when it came to sitting in an airplane thousands of feet above the ground.

He found himself clutching onto the armrests of his seat despite silently chanting in his mind to remain calm, knowing fully well his knuckles were probably ghost white. They just had to seat him by the window too, which made the experience all the more unbearable.

"What kind of a grown man is afraid of heights?"

That question wasn't asked by a snobby little kid in the seat behind him like he would've anticipated. It was asked by his kwami, who was nestled in the opened bag on his lap. But... perhaps Plagg kind of was like a snobby little kid who sometimes didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Inside, Plagg was nibbling on a piece of Camembert (like he always did), and was wearing an all-knowing smirk as he chewed.

Adrien looked down at his lap, only to roll his eyes at the kwami. "It isn't a fear... it's a dislike."

"Okay, fine. Let me rephrase it then. What kind of a grown man who used to be a super-hero of Paris, who swung in the air all the time, dislikes heights?"

"I never had to fly in the air this high while being a superhero." Adrien briefly looked out the window, only to quickly shut his eyes when he saw nothing but white, puffy clouds.

"Oh yeah? What about Astro-cat?"

"That was different. The rush of adrenaline didn't exactly give me time to dwell over my fea—uh, dislike." The blonde pointed out.

"Fair enough." Plagg shrugged. He quickly sunk his teeth into his piece of Camembert, taking another bite. "Does anyone even know you're coming home?"

Adrien pressed his lips together into a thin line, his expression slowly falling. His father knew he was coming home—and he wasn't exactly happy about it. But that didn't surprise him. His father was never satisfied with any choice he made, which was nothing new. His father only supported him leaving in the first place only so if Adrien happened to fail at his dream, it wouldn't tamper with his father's reputation. Then again, even after accomplishing that dream, Adrien was still unhappy. But perhaps his father would have a change of heart upon the matter once he discovered that Adrien technically still owned the school he had founded and built.

He would just no longer be running it.

Because he was ready to come home.

"Father knows." Adrien answered numbly, "Of course, he wasn't exactly thrilled to hear that I was coming home with or without his approval. But... Nino knows too."

"So you decided to tell him then?" Plagg's ears perked up. "I know you were having trouble deciding on whether or not to say anything."

"I figured it would be really inconsiderate of me to just show up at his doorstep unannounced." The blonde replied, sounding sad.

"And he said yes, right? That it was okay for you to stay at his place?" Plagg asked, his ears raised hopefully.

To that, Adrien nodded silently.

Plagg, however, didn't understand why that news wasn't something to be joyful about. "So... why the long face then?" He asked curiously.

Adrien sighed heavily. It'd been five years since he'd left Paris, and during that time, he hadn't kept in touch with any of his friends. His father was the only one he ever exchanged phone calls with. So, with that being said, Adrien hadn't spoken to Nino or Alya in five whole years.

"They haven't heard from me in five years, Plagg. Imagine Nino's surprise when he heard my voice."

"Was he angry?"

Adrien shrugged, unsure of it himself. "Honestly, it was hard to tell. He didn't sound like himself, but I guess people can change after five years."

"I'm more impressed that he still has the same phone number at five years." Plagg mused.

"Me too." Adrien smiled softly to himself. It was nice to know that not everything had changed while he was gone.

"It'll be nice to be back in Paris," The small kwami yawned and stretched his legs, folding his arms behind his head as he settled cozily into the bag. "Don't get me wrong—America has been fun! But I miss my sugar cube."

"Tikki?" Adrien raised an all-knowing brow, a smirk slowly pulling at his lips. "I thought cheese was the only love of your life?"

"Despite my devotion to cheese, I'll have you know Tikki has my heart."

Adrien chuckled and softly shook his head. The thought of Tikki immediately brought his mind to Ladybug, and idly, he wondered if she was still patrolling the streets of Paris. Of course, there was a possibility that she wasn't a superhero anymore; that she'd hung up her earrings to pass on the responsibility of being Ladybug and had retired, and Master Fu had chosen someone else to take her place. But... if she was still a superhero, how was she handling things all on her own? He tried not to scoff at how ridiculous that thought sounded, though. Just because he was no longer fighting by her side didn't mean Ladybug hadn't taken on other help. He wouldn't be surprised if Rena Rouge, Carapace, or even Queen Bee had become regular superheroes alongside Ladybug.

But... if he was wrong and Ladybug did happen to retire... then who would've become the new Ladybug's partner? Surely, it could only be a new Chat Noir, right? And if that were the case... he wasn't sure how his Ladybug would've been able to retire, considering he still had the black cat miraculous in his possession. Did that make him selfish? Was it wrong of him to take Plagg with him? Had he been holding her back from retirement all this time without even realizing it? He hadn't exactly asked Master Fu if he could take it with him either...

Then again, he hadn't really told anyone that he was leaving besides Alya and Nino...

And Marinette.

The thought of Marinette broadened his smile, drowning out the guilt that was slowly building as his thoughts regarding Ladybug intensified. The thought of Marinette always seemed to bring a smile to his face, and he honestly couldn't wait to see her again. He wanted to see her, to kiss her, to hold her, to ask her if she would be willing to take him back.

Everyday he wondered about her. He wondered if she'd moved on, or whether his leaving had broken her everlasting. He wanted to see her again so badly. Even if she didn't accept him back, he simply wanted to apologize. Because as he looked back now, he wished he would've fought for her.

He couldn't be happy without Marinette, he understood that now.

Which is why he was returning home.

The flight back to Paris felt incredibly long compared to what it really was, but Adrien figured it was because he was so eager to see everyone again and his patience was so thin he assumed it was like a string about to snap into two. His knee wouldn't stop involuntarily bobbing up and down in anticipation, and he knew the repetitive movement must've bothered Plagg.

But as soon as they got off the plane, Adrien had never felt so free.

And a bit sick to his stomach.

"I'm nervous." The blonde admitted sheepishly as he stood in front of Nino's apartment door. His stomach wasn't just upset from the flight—if anything, it was mostly bothering him because he knew he would be standing face-to-face with Nino again soon, and he wasn't so sure how the reunion would go.

"Everything will be fine." Plagg waved off his worries like he always did. "Nino said you could come here, so there shouldn't be a problem."

"Well... he didn't exactly offer. I asked."

"And what's wrong with asking? He could've said no."

"Probably because he felt obligated to say yes..."

"Or you're just thinking too much into this, Adrien. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe Nino is just looking forward to seeing you?"

There were a ton of reasons that he could list, plenty that would all be valid reasons for Nino to not want anything to do with him anymore. And... he wouldn't even blame Nino for not wanting to be his friend anymore. After all, Adrien was a terrible friend himself. Why would Nino even want to see him?

He wasn't really given a chance to prepare himself for the reconnection when Plagg took it upon himself to slip past Adrien's line of sight and knock on the door for him.

And of course, Adrien panicked. And scolded Plagg in not-so-threatening hushed whispers before he heard the locks on the door from the other end being fumbled with, forcing himself to straighten his posture, shut his mouth, and swallow down the lump in his throat.

As the door slowly opened, however, he wasn't greeted by his long time friend.

He was greeted by a little girl with blonde hair and green eyes.

Adrien blinked in surprise. The girl couldn't be any older than five, dressed in caprice jeans and a pink t-shirt that read mama's little girl. Her hair was dirty blonde, naturally curly and trimmed to her shoulders. Her eyes were a sparkling green, filled with curiosity. She was looking up at him so innocently, her lips pursed in confusion when she couldn't seem to put a name to his face.

He cleared his throat, feeling a little more relaxed at the fact that Nino hadn't been the one to open the door. "Uh... hi. My name is Adrien. Is Nino home?"

The little girl raised a curious brow at him. "Are you uncle Nino's friend?"

Uncle Nino. Adrien tried to hide his surprise. He hadn't known Nino was an uncle...

But despite that, he decided not to press the matter. Instead, he nodded, softly smiling down at her. "Yes. I'm his friend."

The little girl in front of him didn't seem to be entirely convinced, but nonetheless, she opened the door wider for him. An invitation for him to come inside. "You can come in. But you should wait on the couch. Uncle Nino, Auntie Alya, and Mama are fighting."

Adrien's eyes widened ever further. Hesitantly, he stepped into the home, and watched as the little girl closed the door behind him and locked it, proceeding to make her way back into the living room herself. The television was playing a cartoon he didn't recognize, he realized, after he'd taken a seat on the couch like she'd suggested after kicking off his shoes by the door.

"Well thanks a lot, strange man. You made me miss the best part."

He blinked in confusion at the little girl who now stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. Apparently, him showing up at the door had forced her to walk away from her show, which had caused her to miss the important part—out of all the parts. He forced himself to suppress a groan. Of course, he was to be blamed for this catastrophe.

He reached up to rub the back of his neck, offering her a sheepish smile that he hoped looked apologetic enough. "I'm sorry. Maybe I can fix it... where's the remote?"

It was her turn to blink at him in confusion, despite the skepticism she still held in regards to him. "Why do you want it? Are you going to change the channel?"

"Of course not." He couldn't help but chuckle softly, even despite the serious expression she still wore. He could've sworn her frown only depended when he laughed, but he chose to ignore it as he extended his hand towards her. "Let me see it. I bet I can fix it."

She eyed him skeptically for a few seconds before she stepped away, retrieving the remote which had been placed on of the television stand. When she handed it to him, Adrien quickly got to work. And when he pulled up the part of the show she'd missed on a recording that someone else had set, she was beyond amazed that he had actually fixed it.

"H-How did you do that?" She gasped, turning to face him with wide eyes.

Adrien shrugged his shoulders, attempting to suppress a smirk and failing. "It's just one of many talents, I guess."

And... whoever had been smart enough to have this program recording.

He'd have to shake their hand personally for saving his neck.

The little girl ran towards him, sporting a toothy grin as she outstretched her hand towards his. "You have won me over, good sir. My name is Emilie, but everyone calls me Emma."

He took her hand, struggling to contain his laughter as he shook it. His grin was just as wide as hers, and he found that he already rather enjoyed this little girl's personality. "It's nice to meet you, Emma."

She shook his hand rather harshly, and he was surprised with just how much strength she had in her grip. When she released him, he had to hide the fact that the wince threatening to escape his lips was right at the tip of his tongue. But her attention only lasted long enough to greet him. Her eyes were back on the television in a matter of seconds to catch up on what she had missed, and surprisingly, she even decided plop herself next him on the couch instead of going back to sit on the floor where he assumed she'd been prior to his interruption—if the Ladybug and Chat Noir blanket on the floor was any indication that she'd been laying there.

He started watching some of the show himself until he heard someone's yelling grow evidently louder from non-existent. It seemed he wasn't the only one who heard it either. Emma turned her head to peek over the back of the couch down the long hallway that led to the bedrooms.

Adrien slowly followed her gaze with a sense of curiosity.

"That sounded like mama." Emma said. "And she sounds mad."

For some reason, that had Adrien swallowing nervously.

The voice grew louder until a bedroom door slammed open, and Adrien's eyes widened slightly the moment he spotted Nino walking backwards with his hands held up in surrender. Alya was second to exit the room, her hands on her hips as she followed him. But nether of them were shouting.

Oh no. The shouts were coming from the third person who exited the room.

Marinette.

And Marinette was furious. In fact, he had never seen her so angry in his life. But she was absolutely breathtaking, and she hadn't changed much since he'd last seen her. Unlike the double pigtails he was so used to seeing, Marinette had her hair down, the raven locks also reaching her shoulders. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a long shirt that reached her mid thigh in length. Her wrists were adorned with multiple bracelets, and on her neck, she wore a necklace with half of a yin and yang symbol painted red. That necklace she'd worn since she was a teenager, he realized, since he recognized it the moment he spotted it. His eyes fell down to her feet, where he found a pair of ladybug printed fluffy slippers on her feet. He couldn't help the smile that pulled at his lips at the sight.

"So help me Nino, I will literally ring your neck! What in the bloody blazes gave you the fantastic idea to do something like that without my permission?!"

"I-I can explain!" Nino pleaded, his hands raised as Marinette took a swing at him. He ducked enough for her hand to only swipe his red cap clean off his head. Adrien himself even lowered his head, his eyes being the only thing he kept levelled above the couch so that he could watch the interaction. "I meant to ask you... but it completely slipped my mind, and plus, I just figured you wouldn't mind!"

"Just because you're eating the food out of my fridge doesn't mean I want others to do the same!"

Nino offered her a sheepish grin, which didn't exactly win him any peace when Alya smacked him over the head in Marinette's place. "Nino, as your wife, even I have to say... that was a pretty stupid move."

Adrien's eyes widened as he stored that important detail into the back of his mind. Since when had Alya and Nino decided to tie the knot? And why hadn't they told him...

"OW! I'm sorry, okay?" Nino whimpered as he rubbed the sore spot on his head. "I just figured it would be cool for all of us to be reunited, y'know? The four amigos back at it again."

And that's when Adrien realized why they were fighting.

It was because of him.

"Look, I'm all up for reuniting with Adrien." Marinette said as she leaned down to pick up Nino's red cap and slap it back onto his head without warning. Nino mouthed another OW as he fixed the hat on his head, a frown slowly pulling at his lips when Marinette's apology for hurting him again never came. "But reuniting and living here are two completely different things. My last guest bedroom is my storage room... you know this. It's not even prepared for anyone to stay in! And if you think I'm cleaning it to make it livable in by six pm tonight when he's supposed to get here, then you've got another thing coming."

Hesitantly, Adrien glanced down at the watch clasped around his wrist. His eyes widened fearfully when he realized he was an hour early.

"I'll clean it!" Nino volunteered eagerly, "You won't have to strain a muscle!"

"Too late for that. My brain already hurts like hell."

Adrien sighed in relief as soon as the tension died down. With that last comment, it seemed Marinette had given Nino her permission after slapping the sense out of him. And of course, even Alya had seemed to agree with the violence. He did, however, happen to learn two things while watching them fight. One, Nino had invited him to stay here without telling Marinette and Alya, and two, Nino had invited him to stay here in Marinette's apartment!

This wasn't even Nino's apartment!

"Mama!" His head turned to look over at the little girl who was still beside him, his eyes widening when he realized Emma had stood up on the couch, eagerly announcing not only her presence... but his as well. "This man Adrien came to visit, and he fixed the tv for me!"

Adrien felt like a deer caught in a pair of headlights when all three of his friends turned to look at him. Out of all the ways he expected their reunion to play out, he hadn't expected it to be like this.

But he did learn a third thing rather quickly.

Emma was Nino's niece... because she was Marinette's daughter.

_______________________________

Here's chapter THREE AT LAST. With my other works finally completed, I'm happy to say that all of my free time will now be devoted to just this book for now... so hopefully... you guys won't have to wait long for the next chapter.

But anyways, I hope you enjoyed it!

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