Crushed

Genre: Romance & Drama

Pairings: Adrienette

Chapter One

His father gave him one mission: entertain Felix while their parents went on a business trip to New York for a few days. It didn't seem that hard. They had the mansion all to themselves. Nathalie wasn't even there to supervise and his bodyguard barely functioned without orders from his father. He thought this was going to be easy. He thought a guy's night in would be perfect. Pizza. Video games. Loud music. What could go wrong? Well… everything could go wrong.

Adrien stood at the doorway to his mansion, his mouth agape as he dropped a 6-pack of coke to the ground. He took one step forward, the loud heavy bass music blaring into his ears as half of Paris danced in his foyer. He took a step back in surprise as the Cesaire twins came sprinting by with Nora following closely behind, screaming at them to come to a halt. He maneuvered himself across the battlefield of flailing arms, barely recognizing more than half of the people in the room. He made his way to the dining room where a bunch of girls he couldn't recognize were sitting around the table gossiping and doing each other's hair and makeup. He aimlessly walked around the first floor, stopping a group of older boys from tossing around some fine china that his father got from Japan. He had a short moment of relief to find this his father's study was locked. If anyone made their way in there he would be in a whole lot of trouble.

He needed to find Nino and the other guys. He especially needed to find Felix. If anyone were to wreak havoc in such a small amount of time, it had to be Felix.

Adrien slowly ascended up the grand staircase. He turned for a brief moment, looking at the strangers all over the foyer. He sighed as he watched a couple of girls slosh their drinks onto the floor. This was going to be the biggest mess he ever had to clean. For now, his main goal was to find Felix.

Upstairs didn't seem as crowded. Some of the rooms were locked with socks on the doorknobs, and Adrien didn't want to know what they meant. There were a couple of people who were randomly passed out against the walls and maybe a few couples making out. Adrien sighed again. Where did these people come from and who brought all this alcohol?

Adrien made a turn, finally reaching his bedroom. The door was wide open and at the center was Felix with some older, well-developed girl laughing. Sitting sporadically around them were Nino, the rest of the guys and some of their other classmates.

"Ahh… look who finally made it to the party," Felix grinned devilishly, noticing Adrien enter the room.

"Yeah." Adrien said. He clenched his fists and stomped over to the group. "What are you doing?!" He said, his voice growing with anger. "My father isn't going to like this."

"Will you relax?" said Felix, standing up from his cushiony throne. "You showed me a great time with your friends. I just wanted to return the hospitality."

"By trashing my home?" Adrien looked over to Nino and the others in disappointment.

"Trashing? Everyone is having a good time."

"There are people downstairs throwing around our expensive and valuable items!"

"I'll have them replaced," said Felix while walking over to his cousin and placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're so uptight. Why don't you just relax?"

"I can't! I promised my father that I would have everything under control!"

"And you will! You're always trying to be the perfect son. Just relax. Everything will be fine," Felix simply replied in a very calm tone. It was like he was used to doing this type of thing all the time.

Adrien clenched his fists again, feeling his nails dig deep into his palms. He was ready to raise a fist and punch Felix in the face. It took all his strength to relax his muscles. He glanced down at Nino and others. They looked really sorry, but he couldn't help, but feel incredibly mad at them. They all somehow managed to fall under Felix's charismatic spell. "Whatever," Adrien mumbled before turning around and walking away.

Adrien walked around the halls of the mansion, not realizing that there were so many places where couples could hide and do unspeakable things to one another. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't call the cops; his father would hear about it instantly and would come back home from his trip. It wouldn't be surprising if the cops already knew though. The music was loud enough to break all the windows.

Adrien reached the end of another hall that lead to the balcony facing their yard. The glass door leading outside was already open and there seemed to be no one roaming this part of his home. He gulped. He didn't want to come across another drunk couple doing nasty things. This part was far more secluded. Who knew what they would do out there?

Adrien gulped before deciding to walk out. It was either this or roam the halls once more. He slowly walked over to the doorway, the cool, refreshing breeze taking away the boozy smell that enveloped his whole home. He stared up at the night sky, taking in the large full moon that glimmered above him.

"Hi, Adrien."

Adrien turned his attention to the figure who was standing to the far left, sloppily kneeling against the railing of the balcony.

Adrien squinted, trying to make out the feminine figure under the moonlight. They didn't look as well-developed as the other strange women he's seen so far.

"Ma-Marinette?" Adrien asked, making sure that those pigtails belonged to the blue-haired girl who sat behind him in class.

"How are yo-you doing?" She slurred before burping.

"I'm fine…" he replied before walking over to her. There wasn't a lot of light outside, but Adrien could see that Marinette's face was bright red. He gently grabbed her wrist and placed the back of his hand against her forehead. She was burning. "Are you okay?" He asked with worry.

"I've never felt better." Marinette pulled her wrist back and burped. She giggled, taking a step back, managing to fall backwards on her butt. "Oww..." She giggled again.

"Marinette!" Adrien called out in a panic. He bent over and helped her up, leading her to one of the patio chairs. He kneeled down next to her, watching her closely. She continued to giggle as he looked around, noticing a few glass bottles at the corner. He reached out for one of the bottles and sniffed its content. Of course. It was alcohol.

"Those are so good," said Marinette. "Can I have more? I ran out."

"What?" Adrien blinked before placing the empty bottle to the side where three more empty bottles stood. "Did you drink all four!?"

"It was really good. Is that bad?"

"Yes! You shouldn't be drinking! Especially here with all these strangers!"

"I'm… I'm sorry. I got thirsty and there was nothing else… and I lost Alya…" Marinette began to cry.

Adrien began to panic. "It's fine! We'll figure it out!" He reached out and began to rub Marinette's back. He's never drank before and he's never even taken care of someone who was drunk. Maybe he should bring her home. Her parents would probably be mad, but he could blame it all on Felix.

He reached into his pockets, finding a small bag of crackers that the clerk gave to him for free at the convenience store. "Here," he said to Marinette. "Eat this. I think it might help…" He quickly opened the baggie and handed her a broken cracker along with the bag.

"Oh. It's broken. That's so sad." She began to cry again.

Adrien blinked profusely. Under other circumstances this would be pretty funny and Alya would probably be in the corner filming this and laughing with Nino at her side. Sadly, this wasn't that type of memory, and if anything, Adrien was extremely concerned for the girl sitting next to him.

"It's okay," he said, gently rubbing her back again. "It's all going to end up in the same place…"

"In the toilet!" Marinette began to laugh. Her emotions were running wild.

"Uhh… yeah…" Adrien chuckled quietly beside her. He pulled the other patio chair close and sat next to her, watching her eat in silence. He felt like he should grab her some water or coffee, but he didn't want to leave her here alone. It wasn't safe. He'd bring her with him, but he somehow felt that wasn't going to be safe either. He supposed the best thing to do for now was to wait it out.

"Adrien?" Marinette said softly while chewing on a biscuit.

"Yeah?" He looked at her again, and instinctively reached out and placed the back of his hand against her forehead again. It was still warm, but not as warm. It was a good thing he caught her out here with a fruity cooler instead of a giant bottle of vodka.

"You're the sweetest boy I know."

"Oh…" He was caught off guard. He didn't think that Marinette was going to compliment him. "You're pretty sweet too, Marinette." He smiled.

"No," she said. "You-you don't understand."

He perked up. "What do you mean?"

"I like you," she said. "And not like just a friend. Like… like more than a friend… I'm in love with you."

Adrien opened his mouth. He was unsure of what to say. He cared deeply for Marinette and always viewed her as one of his closest friends.

"You don't have to say anything," she said. "I know you like someone else… and I know she likes you too! And I am so happy for you!" She stuffed the last cracker in her mouth and began to chew. "Kagami is great." She swallowed before wiping her lips. "But I hate it. I hate seeing you two together. Why couldn't it be me?"

Adrien opened his mouth. He didn't know what to say though. He wasn't even sure if Marinette knew what she was talking about. For all he knew, she was spitting out nonsense in her current state.

She sighed before letting out a loud belch. It smelled like honey graham crackers with a tint of cherry and alcohol. "But it's okay. I'll just move on. I have to! I can't be your friend if I can't!"

"Kagami and I are just friends…" he murmured. He wasn't really sure. He was in love with Ladybug for so long and he recently came into terms with the fact that it was never going to happen. He had to admit that Kagami sort of pushed him in that direction, but he just couldn't feel that way about her. He felt guilty for possibly leading her on for his indecisiveness, but he was going to talk about it with her after his father came back.

"I have to pee," said Marinette, pulling her legs closely together in an awkward fashion. "Like right now…"

"Ohh…" Adrien stood in a panic. "Uhmm… okay." He gently grabbed one of her hands and led her down the hall. He sighed, hoping that no one was occupying a washroom with a sock. He didn't want to go to his room because Felix was there and he didn't want to deal with him again.

He knocked on one of the washroom doors, and sighed in relief to find that it was empty. Before he could turn to Marinette and tell her to be careful, she rushed pass him and began to unbutton her pants, not caring to close the door behind her.

"Okay!" Adrien yelled out in a panic before slamming the door in front of him. "Just tell me when you're done." He turned to face the other way and let out a sigh. He looked around at a couple of guys who were passed out on the floor, shirtless with blue paint on their chests. He didn't even want to know the story residing behind that fiasco.

Adrien took a step to the side, leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. He was trying to ignore it, but his anticipation towards his father's reaction was driving him crazy. He was going to be a huge disappointment. He needed to get out of his home.

"Adrien?" The click of the knob was heard. Marinette strolled out the door, rubbing her belly. "I think I'm still hungry…"

Adrien stood up straight and offered her his hand again. It was a little weird. Marinette usually couldn't keep up a conversation with him. It was constantly awkward and it took him a couple minutes to understand her, but this was the first time where she was actually talking to him without messing up her sentences.

"I think there's still a couple places open around the corner…" he said as he began to help her down the hall.

The two managed to make their way downstairs and out of the house, unnoticed by anyone they knew. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked Marinette as he led her to the giant iron gates.

"I feel great. I've felt great the entire time. I feel like I can do anything!" She twirled around and ran straight to the gates. She fell backwards, falling on her butt. "Maybe except walk properly… but that's nothing new, right?" She giggled.

Adrien laughed too and helped her up. "Just hold onto me, okay?" he said, as the two began strolling along the sidewalk. "We'll eat and I'll take you home."

"Okay!" She grabbed onto his arm and slightly rested her head against his shoulder.

Adrien glanced down at her and smiled. He always felt a little bit more comfortable around Marinette than other girls. He knew Chloe most of his life, but he didn't really like it when she would run up to him and hug him. Lila was sort of the same, but she was much more of a nuisance than Chloe. It must be all that lying and manipulation of hers. Kagami tried to make a move on him a couple of times, and although she was better than the other two, it was still something he didn't prefer. Yet here, with Marinette it felt so natural.

Marinette began to hum a tune to herself as the two made a turn. The blaring music was fading and the view of his home was no longer to be seen. Adrien looked around, trying to find a place that he and Marinette could eat at this late at night. He had to find a place where they would be okay with a underaged girl who was somewhat drunk. That was going to be pretty hard.

Adrien pulled his phone from his pocket to check the time. 11:57PM.

Adrien slowly led Marinette across the street and into a 24-hour convenience store. The two walked in and Marinette immediately let go of him and ran towards a stand that had a bunch of chips and candy.

"Maybe we should lay off the junk food," said Adrien before pointing over to a section that had sandwiches and coffee. He gently pushed Marinette in the other direction.

Marinette sighed. "I guess…" She peered over at the selection of sandwiches.

Adrien grabbed a couple of water bottles and juices. He paid for their food before leaving the store and sat at a couple of tables that were located just outside the store. He was relieved that the store clerk wasn't bothered by Marinette's presence. She was giggle the whole time they were in the store.

Without a care, Marinette began to ravish through her food, almost finishing her entire ham and cheese croissant sandwich in less than five minutes. Adrien had to stop her from eating so fast. He didn't want to deal with her puking on their way to her house. It was going to make things a little more difficult than they already were.

"Thank you," she said, trying to control her chewing.

"Do you think your parents will be mad?" Adrien asked. It was now 12:15AM.

"I don't know," she said. "They think I'm at Alya's. We we're supposed to be having a sleepover, but then Nino called, telling us to come over." Marinette pulled her phone from her purse to find zero messages or missed calls. "I hope she's okay."

Adrien looked down. He forgot that he was mad at Nino and the other guys.

"Are you okay?" Marinette asked.

"I'm just a little bothered by how Nino and the others let Felix throw a party while I was gone," he said quietly while fumbling with a napkin. "I think Alya is okay. I saw Nora and the twins there… I think Alya may be with them." He hoped the twins didn't see anything too… disturbing. It wasn't a party for people their age. "You can call her if you like."

"No, its okay," said Marinette. "I'll call her later…"

"Are you sure?"

"I don't want to worry her more than she already is. I'll just send her a quick message that I'm okay." She picked up her phone, and began tapping on her screen. She then tucked her phone back into her purse and let out a loud belch. She giggled before taking a swig of water.

Adrien could tell that she was doing better than before, but she still seemed to be a little out of it.

The two walked around Paris in silence. He kept his eyes on Marinette and trailed closely next to her, making sure that he were able to catch her if she was going to fall. She seemed so carefree and happy, like all her worries were gone. It made him wonder about the effects of alcohol. He's never drank before and never thought much about it. If he had a drink or two, maybe he'd stop worrying about his father's punishment.

After a half an hour, the two made it to Marinette's home.

Marinette stood outside the door, digging through her purse for her keys.

"Marinette!" The door opened widely with Mr. Dupain standing at the front with Mrs. Dupain-Cheng standing behind him. The two of them looked so worried.

"Alya called us! You had us worried!" Tom said before squeezing his daughter. "We heard the twins got out and you were looking for them and you lost Alya!" Tom set Marinette down on the ground and began to sniff her. "Why do you smell like alcohol, Marinette?"

"Ohh… uhmm…" She stood still, not wanting to reveal the fact that she may be a little drunk.

"It's my fault," said Adrien, stepping in. "I was supposed to watch my cousin Felix for the weekend and he somehow managed to throw a party during the fifteen minutes I left to grab some pop." Adrien sighed, rubbing his neck. "The twins somehow made it to my home… probably because it was so loud…"

"Oh… you poor thing," said Ms. Dupain-Cheng, walking over to Adrien and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"There's a lot of older people there and they brought alcohol with them. I found Marinette with Nora trying to find the twins, but someone spilled some alcohol on Marinette's clothes. I told her that we should leave…" He lied. He didn't want her parents to know that she was actually caught drinking on his balcony. He just hoped that Marinette's actions weren't going to give anything else away.

"Are the twins okay?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah. They're back home with Nora and Alya. Alya's parents are mad that she forgot to call you. It's a good thing you came home" said Ms. Dupain-Cheng before turning her attention back to Adrien. "That's quite the cousin you have. Did you want us to call your dad?"

"No!" Adrien called out in a panic. "I'd rather not think about the consequences right now…" He sighed.

Ms. Dupain-Cheng frowned. "You're welcome to stay with us for the night."

Adrien looked up, meeting the kind eyes of Marinette's parents. He wished he had parents like hers. They were always so welcoming. "Oh… I wouldn't want to impose…"

"It's a thank you for bringing our daughter home safe and sound… We can deal with your cousin tomorrow… without involving your father."

"Thank you, Ms. Dupain-Cheng," He smiled before giving his thanks to Tom as well.

"And you," Ms. Dupain-Cheng turned her attention towards Marinette. "You should change and shower… Both of you should actually. You both reek of alcohol."

"Yes, mom." Marinette hiccupped.

Adrien followed behind Marinette as they ascended upstairs into her room. She tripped going up, but her parents thought nothing of it. Marinette was known for being a klutz. This was probably one of the rare moments where it actually paid off.

"I usually hide all my pictures of you before anyone comes over…" she said, walking over to a chest beside her chaise lounge.

Adrien almost forgot that Marinette had way too many pictures of him in her bedroom. He looked around the room, recognizing the outfits and the memories that came along with each photoshoot. "Fashion, right?"

"Yeah," said Marinette, digging through her chest, and pulling out a bunch of fabric and other clothes. "But it's mostly because I like you, remember?"

"Oh… right…" He almost forgot that she declared her love for him just hours before. He still found it hard to believe. It had to be the alcohol. After all, he was pretty sure that she liked Luka and not him.

"Here!" she said, pulling out a few more things. "I was bored one day and made pajamas for everyone in class." She stood up and turned around, handing him a small pile of nicely folded clothes.

"Wow… that's pretty amazing." He lifted the plain black blouse, feeling how soft the material was between his fingers. "You made one for everyone…?" He was pretty impressed.

Marinette began to toss everything into her chest, not caring much about putting it back in a neat and orderly fashion. "It was more of a… in case I forgot to buy someone a present kind of thing…" She chuckled, shyly. "Nothing for Chloe though."

Adrien watched as Marinette walked over to her dresser, pulling out her own pajamas. "You can use the washroom first."

"I think I'd feel more comfortable if you used it first."

"Are you scared that I'm going to fall?"

He looked down. "Sort of."

Marinette giggled. "I've fallen many times before. I am a klutz after all."

He smiled, acknowledging her little joke. He was still a little bit worried for her.

"Why don't you come with me then?"

Adrien blushed. "In-into the shower?" His heart began to pound. That was a little extreme.

"No!" Marinette laughed loudly, to the point where she let out a loud snort. "Just sit outside the door. I'll keep it open and if you hear me fall, you can go get my parents."

That made much more sense. Why did he even think that Marinette would suggest having the two of them naked in her shower with her parents at home? Not that they should even be doing that with her parents not at home… That would be way too weird and not to mention, inappropriate. "That would be better…" he replied, uncomfortably. He shook his head, trying to shake the image away from his mind. He then followed Marinette downstairs and stopped as she entered the washroom, leaving the door slightly ajar.

He turned, facing the living room, hearing nothing but Tom's snoring and Marinette's humming. Adrien shuffled to the side and sat with his back against the wall, his pajamas slung over his shoulders and his arm resting on his knee. Sabine set a place for him to sleep in the living room, and told him to make himself comfortable before she went to bed. Adrien told them that he'd make sure that Marinette was tucked in before he was.

He pulled his phone from out of his pocket. Not a single text or call from Nino or any of the other guys. They must have been having the time of their lives. Adrien sighed, shoving his phone back into pocket. He threw his head back against the wall, staring up at the faint light above him.

"All done!" Marinette said, coming out from the bathroom. She was in the same pajamas she wore the day his fans were going crazy and following him all over the city.

Her hair was down and dripping little beads of water onto her shoulder and to the floor. She leaned back into the washroom, grabbing a towel to dry off her hair. Adrien forgot how pretty she was with her hair down. He liked how she looked with her pigtails, but it was refreshing to see her with a different hairstyle.

"It's your turn," she said as Adrien stood from the ground. "Do you want me to wait for you too? I'll call my dad if you fall!"

Adrien laughed. She was pretty entertaining in this state. "I think I'll be okay," he said before walking past her to the washroom.

"My mom left out a toothbrush for you," said Marinette walking over to the staircase.

Adrien peered in, looking at the small toothbrush and set of towels that were laid out on the counter. "Thanks," he said. "That's really kind of her."

"Good night, Adrien."

"Good night, Marinette."

Adrien finished his shower and took his time brushing his teeth. It was almost 2AM and even if he felt insanely tired, he didn't care much about it. He knew that he wasn't going to have the best sleep anyways. He placed his clothes in a little woven basket where Sabine told him to put them and stepped out of the washroom.

He stared at the couch in surprise, finding Marinette sitting on the couch with her head back, her towel acting as some sort of makeshift pillow. She seemed to have dozed off waiting for him.

Adrien walked over to the couch, unsure of what to do. He didn't think it was okay for her to sleep in the living room and have him sleep in her room. That was going to be a little weird.

"Marinette?" Adrien whispered her name. She looked so peaceful. He didn't want to bother her. Maybe he could sleep on the floor next to her. He didn't want her to wake up with a kink in her neck though. She was probably going to have a hangover the next day.

Adrien fiddled with his fingers before deciding to carry Marinette back up to her room. She didn't seem that heavy and he liked to think of himself as a pretty strong guy. He was sure he was going to be able to lift her up without having to wake up Tom or Sabine.

Adrien bent over and extended his arm, trying to tuck his arm under her head.

"Adrien?" she murmured in her sleep before slightly moving over on the couch.

"Marinette?" Adrien whispered. "I think you should go back to your room."

"I want… I want to stay here with you." She tugged on his shirt, pulling him closer to her.

Adrien sat awkwardly on the couch beside her, his arm pinned between the couch and her neck. Marinette slightly moved, resting her head against his shoulder, her grip on his shirt loosening as she fell back into a deep trance.

"Marinette?" he whispered, feeling his shirt slowly get damp from her moist hair. He opened his mouth, ready to say her name again, but he knew she was somehow comfortable and he hated to admit it, but he felt pretty comfortable too.

He closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep.