{+}{+}{+}
Adrien was nervous, practically staining his clothes with his sweat. Two days from now was the gaming tournament and Marinette was still mad at him. Heck, even Nino was still mad at him too. He had to fix this somehow, especially since this annoying guilty feeling keeps giving him a headache.
"Wow, you look more terrible than usual."
Adrien turned around when recognizing the voice, "Nino!"
Nino stood there with his arms crossed and held a straight face. Yep, still mad. Adrien wasn't the least bit surprised but relieved that Nino showed up. After that fight with Marinette on Saturday, Adrien realized that he didn't have any more genuine friends left that were on his side.
He needed to make amends and decided to start with Nino first. So, the two decided to meet in the morning outside the school before it started.
"Can we make this fast? I've got places to be," Nino said. Adrien sighed, thinking, "Just rip off the bandaid, Agreste."
"I want to apologize for being a jerk," Adrien began, "Though I still don't know what I did wrong but I want to try and fix it."
"Are you seriously that dense?" Nino spat, catching Adrien off-guard before he started listing, "You've conned people that are older and two times your height. You managed to sneak in illegal items right under the polices' noses. You stole and hot-wired a car before crashing it. You played almost every girl in this school. Yet, you can't figure out what's wrong?!"
Nino shook his head, frustrated with the blonde. Adrien winced, actually winced. Did he really manage to do all those things? He stayed quiet when the DJ continued.
"Dude, if you can't realize that practically everything you've done to people and is planning to do to Marinette isn't terrible, I don't think we can be friends anymore. Heck, I don't even think we were friends to begin with. I'm probably just some lackey like Sabrina and you're Chloe...but worse."
Nino sighed, "I'm not going to be your little minion anymore. I'm tired and sick of it. I'm done. I've made some bad choices but the worst one was staying by your side, natively thinking that I could change you back into the old Adrien."
Adrien narrowed his eyes at the mention of his old self, saying, "That Adrien died along with his mother."
"No," Nino shook his head and drew closer until he was only a couple inches away and poked the blonde in the chest, "He's hiding like a coward."
With that, Nino left behind a frozen and gawking Adrien. He was stunned before deeply thinking over everything. Was he really that bad without even realizing it? Sure, he's done some pretty awful things but...was he that kind of guy?
At that moment, Adrien made his first selfless decision in a long time.
He groaned when realizing, "I'm going soft."
{+}{+}{+}
"Your boyfriend does kind of sound like a jerk," Alya agreed, sipping on some water.
Marinette nodded in agreement before realizing what Alya said. The bluenette scoffed out, "He is not my boyfriend."
Alya made a face like she didn't believe Marinette but decided to shrug it off.
"But," Alya continued, "I think you may have gone a little too far."
"How so?" Marinette asked, crossing her arms and making sure her posture was perfectly straight. The bluenette stayed calm and listened to what her new friend had to say. She had lady-like standards to keep in-check, after all.
"Well, from what you told me, he's the kind of guy that is a jerk 24/7. Yet, has he really done you any wrong?" Alya questioned. Marinette was about to go on a rant about how much of a dolt Adrien Agreste was to her. Yet, she found her mouth left gaping and no words being produced.
The bluenette re-thought over Alya's words and rummaged through her memories. Adrien has a bad reputation for many things, whether it was illegal or just straight-out terrible.
Marinette tried to find something that earned Adrien his "bad boy" pedestal but nothing of the sort appeared. There was only bantering, teasing, dumbness, some jerkiness, and genuine curiosity that poked at her brain. Maybe, she did go a little too far?
He didn't exactly know her reasoning for why she was doing all of this in the first place. For all he knew, this was all just for her own selfish desires...and maybe it is.
"Actually...you may be onto something," the bluenette responded, uncrossing her arms in defeat and feeling a slight pang of guilt. Marinette knew when she was wrong and decided not to continue to argue on a dumb subject when it was Alya who was right.
"Go talk things out with him," Alya said.
"How do I do that? I have no way to communicate with him," Marinette questioned. The ombré-haired teen glanced for a moment before smiling, "I don't think that's going to be a problem."
"Why do you say that?" Marinette asked. Alya pointed over at the entrance, making bluebell eyes follow in the same direction. At the entrance stood Adrien, his hands in his pockets and green orbs scanning the area for something.
"I've gotta get back to work, anyways. So, I'll leave you to it," Alya said, standing up from her seat, "I'll see you later, girl!"
With that, Alya walked back to her post at the prize counter. Marinette watched her leave before returning her gaze to her blonde partner. Taking in a deep breath, Marinette stood from her seat and made her way over to Adrien.
Adrien spotted the person he was looking for walking towards him before they silently stood in front of each other.
"Are you ready to train?" Marinette asked, catching Adrien by surprise. He shook his head, saying, "We need to talk."
His eyes widened when seeing a small smile appeared on the short bluenette's face.
"I know," she replied in acknowledgment, "but we can do that while we blast zombies' heads. Besides, you still need to train. I shall show you some of my techniques and strategies so you will be able to have a bit more of a chance."
Adrien's mouth was left agape and blinked in astonishment. He didn't know what to say so he nodded his head in agreement. The two teens went over to an apocalypse zombie game for two players.
"This game can either involve one or two players. Since it can be two players, this game makes for good teamwork. It also helps with your aim. Well, game world aim, not real life," Marinette explained.
"This game doesn't seem to help with much," Adrien said, taking his gun out of its holder. Marinette followed suit, explaining, "We need to work on our teamwork more than anything else right now. We will eventually get to more challenging games."
"Alright," The blonde replied, picking his character. Once it was the bluenette's turn to choose an avatar, Adrien did something he never thought he would do.
"Hey, Princess. I'm sorry for whatever I did to upset you-"
"No," Marinette cut him off, "I should be the one apologizing. I was a fool for releasing my anger on you again when you had not a clue that it would make me upset."
The class president sighed, slouching her shoulders, "I knew you were just teasing but..."
Marinette trailed off, the words being lost on her lips. Adrien wanted to say something but wasn't sure what to say. The bluenette picked her character and the game started. They shot at the undead, warning or defending each other from incoming zombies.
"Are you still curious as to why I need the money, Mister Agreste?" Marinette suddenly asked. Adrien almost did a double-take when hearing the question.
"Of course, I am," the blonde replied but knew better, "You don't need to tell me. It's obviously something personal."
Finally, the last zombie was blasted and the teens won the game. Marinette placed the fake gun back into its holder before walking over to an empty table with two chairs. Adrien rose an inquisitive eyebrow before following Marinette.
They sat down in silence. Bluebell eyes kept to the table's surface. Marinette had a slight frown on her face. Adrien watched her carefully, waiting to see what she was going to say. He was a very impatient guy but something in his head told him it was for the better to be patient.
"You see..." the bluenette began, fingers fiddling nervously, "...I was taught to hate anything that was considered "improper" or "a waste of time." When I arrived in Paris, my mother and father seemed a little wary of me since I did not act like an average child. They tried for weeks to get me to do some normal kid activities but I had always refused, not wanting to break the rules of a lady."
"Then, what convinced you to try video games?" Adrien asked. Marinette grabbed one of her locks of hair and twirled it between her fingers. A small, fond smile creased her features.
"About a little over two months of living in Paris, I was in the middle of my studying and went to fetch an apple to eat. My father was in the living room playing Ultimate Mecha Strike III. He somehow convinced me to take a break and play one round with him. After that, I could not stop playing and fell in love with video games. Playing that game with him...was the most fun I have ever had in my entire life. We played constantly, even my mother joined in sometimes."
Adrien watched as bluebell eyes tiredly dulled and her face drops in despair. Marinette bit the inside of her cheek and swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I was with my parents for a little over a year when my father grew ill and was placed in the hospital. Waiting for him to recover is like waiting for rain in the driest desert and dire need of water. I spent weeks harbored in my room studying the illness he had and tried to find some sort of clarity the doctors could not but I was unsuccessful in my search..."
The bluenette subconsciously moved one of her hands to her stomach, feeling shameful.
"...I hardly ate and practically starved myself. My mother finally convinced me to eat when she found out and started to make strict rules. Eat all three meals a day, curfews, text her when I arrive or leave places. I could not blame her for doing so and decided to go along with it as to not worry her more," Marinette concluded.
Adrien gripped his knees and did his best to keep his composure. He never thought he could relate to someone so much, let alone, the class president. In a way, he knew what Marinette was going through. He knew that pain, the strict rules and hiding it all behind a mask. The blonde licked his dry lips and was brought out of his stupor when the bluenette spoke again.
"That is why I need the money. My mother has been struggling lately to scrape up enough to keep my father going but we are running short. We just do not have enough to pay for the treatment."
"Your dad's treatment costs five thousand?" The blonde sputtered, unsure what else to say. He was still in shock about it all. Marinette bit the bottom of her lip before shaking her head, answering, "It actually costs more than that but I am sure my mother and I can make up enough money to pay the rest."
Adrien felt his heart drop down into the pits of his twisting stomach. The blonde turned his attention to the kids happily playing games and running around with food or tickets within their grasp.
"I..." he trailed off, feeling vulnerable at the moment and hated it. Adrien Agreste was not a vulnerable softy who was left speechless. He would always have some sort of snarky attitude or witty comment. Yet, he was finding it hard to keep his mask on when it was starting to severally crack and fall apart.
What was this girl doing to him? He shook off his vulnerability and used whatever was left of his mask.
"Sheesh. That's rough, Princess. I...can't say I can relate," Adrien lied, leaning back in his chair back.
"Oh...uh, yes. I suppose you would not," Marinette nodded, reluctantly and stood up from her seat, "Well...it is time for me to leave. I will see you tomorrow."
With that said, the bluenette left the arcade. Adrien watched her leave and sighed. He soon departed the building in turmoil, needing to think deeply about everything.
{+}{+}{+}
"You've been strangely off all day."
Adrien didn't respond, continuing to stare at the wall opposite of his door and ignoring the person standing at it. Nathalie raised an eyebrow before making her way over to the quiet teen, carefully watching for any sort of reaction.
"Is there something wrong? You usually tell me to go away by now," the woman spoke, chuckling a little, "Actually, this is probably the first time I've ever been in your room since I started to live here."
She frowned in worry when the teen still did not respond. Nathalie let out a breath before hesitatingly sitting on the end of the bed.
"Look, we don't see eye to eye most—well, all the time—but that doesn't mean I don't care about you any less. You worry me sick sometimes. Do you know that?" The woman questioned, "Honestly, Adrien. Why do you hate me so much?"
Nathalie's eyes widened when hearing a sigh leave the teen's lips and watched as he sat up, leaning against the bed board. His gaze continued to stare at the wall deep in thought but mindful of Nathalie's presence.
"Have you ever felt like you've been...stuck? Like, when you're at a fork in the road and don't want to continue because you're too afraid of what lies ahead on either path? You just want to stay in that one moment forever because you're a little too comfortable and don't want to risk any change. You know the spot so well...you don't want to leave it," Adrien asked, unsurely.
Out of all the things Nathalie was expecting, it was not this. She was completely taken by Adrien's sudden vulnerability. She's never seen this genuine side of him before. The woman's feature's softened and her body relaxed when drinking in the topic of the conversation.
"Yeah...I have," Nathalie admitted, understanding what the blonde was trying to say. Emerald orbs curiously cast over to the woman, who anxiously twiddled her thumbs.
"I had fallen in love with someone many years ago and our relationship was to the point I thought he would propose sometime soon. Turns out, he had been cheating on me with two other girls. After I broke it off with him, I became lost," she explained, "I had the same routine pretty much every day and felt empty of any purpose, too afraid to go out of my comfort zone. Kinda just...stuck."
Adrien watched his step-mother's face wrinkle into a small, warm smile and fondly gaze at her ring. If Nathalie had told Adrien any of this before, he would have not cared and made a nasty comment. Yet, he seemed to gain some respect and appreciation for Nathalie within the minute.
"Then...I met your father, who seemed just as bent as me. We soon decided to be bent together which—as you can see—made us a lot closer and straightened each other out," Nathalie finished.
For the first time in a long time, Adrien felt a little less lonely and more hopeful.
He knew exactly what had to be done.
{+}{+}{+}
Marinette owlishly blinked in shock when seeing Adrien beating the Pac-Man game with an outstanding technique. He excitedly jumped and victoriously spoke to himself, "Still got the skills to pay the bills!"
"Mister Agreste," The bluenette finally spoke up, scaring the blonde.
"Holy heck! You scared the living everything out of me, Princess," Adrien said, hand placed over his racing heart.
"How did you do that?" Marinette asked, astonished and pointed at the game, "That was an astounding strategy." Adrien looked from bluenette to the game before returning his gaze.
"Oh uh," He sheepishly began, scratching the back of his neck. He wasn't used to being complimented.
"You know, non-horrendous button smashing and practice...I guess."
"How could you have been able to learn so quickly? I had never taught you and we both had school," Marinette wondered out loud before realizing she answered her own question. With a disapproving look and crossed arms, Marinette bluntly added, "You skipped school...did you not?"
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't but that's not the point right now. Cause, this guy has kind of mastered video gaming," Adrien triumphantly exclaimed. The bluenette's scowl soon morphed into a warm smile and chuckled.
"Even with your bad decision-making, atrocious manners, constantly being late to pretty much everything, terrible school record, dressed as if you were in a motorcycle gang of sorts, an imbecile, a cheater, player—oh, and don't get me started on-"
"Is there a concluding point to your unnecessarily long list of bad things about me?" Adrien huffed, slightly annoyed. Marinette smirked, clearing her throat, "You are very determined and continue at trying to reach your goals even when the odds are stacked against you. I really admire that in you."
Adrien's mouth was left slightly ajar, unable to form any words. Out of the many outcomes of what her reply would be, he wasn't expecting to hear that. Usually, it would be some sort of mean joke just to point out his flaws. This was...a nice change.
"Um...thanks?" He said, almost questionably and cautiously waiting to see if there was some sort of cruel punchline. Much to his surprise, Marinette smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Come now. We have a tournament to win," the bluenette proclaimed, gesturing for the blonde teen to follow. The two made their way over to an alien game, not noticing the fox that had eavesdropped on their entire conversation.
"Don't worry, Lady Luck. When I'm done with you, the only thing you'll be winning is last place."
{+}{+}{+}
"Welcome one and all to the Underworld Giga Gaming Ring!" The announcer bellows, enthusiastically into the speaker system, "Today, forty-one teams will enter and one will remain. But, the question is, who will be the champion of this event?"
The crowd roared with excitement as if this were a wrestling match (considering that the place seemed to be designed in that way).
"There will be ten rounds. Four teams with the lowest points will be eliminated each round. If two of five teams tie in the four elimination process, the two teams will get the chance to battle it out in the ring, Underworld style. The winner will be taking home a whopping grand of ten thousand dollars while everyone else walks out the door of humiliating shame and disgrace," the announcer explained.
"There are only two rules. No bargaining or allying with other teams or judges and, if you are caught cheating, you will immediately be disqualified from the competition. Anything else goes."
"This seems like an undermining ploy to encourage catastrophe, if you ask me," Marinette scoffed, scanning the area, "Everyone here looks like a geeky nerd, barbaric savage, or snobby rich con artist. I mean, look! Those mongrels over there are gambling on who will win in that fight instead of stopping it. Truly disgusting creatures."
"Welcome to the Underworld, Princess. Besides, you do fit into the geeky nerd category so you'll fit right in," Adrien joked before turning serious, "Seriously, though. You're going to have to act like one of those disgusting creatures to blend in. This place is full of gangs and criminals, who will take advantage of you. So, stay by my side 24/7 and under no circumstances do you talk with anyo-"
Adrien began to panic when realizing that Marinette wasn't at his side anymore. Green eyes viscously searched the room only to spot the bluenette intervening in the fight she was just complaining about.
"Why does she have to be noble and junk at a time like this?" the blonde questioned to no one in particular before rushing over to get his gaming partner out of trouble. He quickly slung an arm around Marinette's shoulder and gave a charming smile. He could instantly tell that the guys involved and watching the fight were very displeased with the intrusion.
"Fellas!" Adrien chirped in greeting, earning many different looks his way, "So sorry for the interruption. I'll just be taking this little poodle and put her back on a leash."
"Excuse me?!" Marinette said, offended before practically being dragged off.
"Be careful! Little missy has more bite than you have bark, Goldie Locks," one of the guys shouted, making the rest of the group bark out in laughter. Adrien ignored them, trying to find a safe place away from the dangerous people (although, that was easier said than done).
Once he found a safe enough place, Adrien turned around and glared down at the short bluenette.
"What did I say about blending in and being a disgusting creature? You could've been mints meat if I didn't pull you out when I had," Adrien snipped.
"I am very capable of defending myself, Mister Agreste. Not only was I trained to be a proper lady, but I was also trained in the sacred art of fighting," Marinette replied in a huff then sighed in defeat, "But, I do understand and will do my absolute best to play along in this hogwash."
"You say some really weird stuff but I'll take your word for it," Adrien said, praying that Marinette doesn't cause another scene.
"All gamers report to the ring! The first match is about to begin!" the announcer called.
Adrien and Marinette looked at each other for a moment, a flame of determination burning within their eyes.
"Are you ready Princess Peach?" Adrien asked, smirking. Marinette smirking back, "I was born ready, Luigi."
"Luigi?!"
{+}{+}{+}
"To start off our very first round, the game will be Mario Kart!" The announcer said, "Since we were only able to steal four TVs and Wii systems, there will be three separate rounds. Eight players at each game will race five different tracks and each teams' points will be added together to determine places."
Marinette and Adrien had to wait for the two rounds to be over until it was their turn. Before heading into the wrestling ring, the gamers had to pick a character from a hat (so it wouldn't take forever for people to choose).
Marinette and Adrien unfolded their slips of paper, scanning the name.
"I am Mario," the bluenette murmured her avatar's name then turned to the blonde, asking, "What is your character?"
"Jesus Christ," Adrien groaned after reading the name, "You have got to be kidding me."
Marinette raised an inquisitive eyebrow in confusion, "A religious lord is not a Mario Kart character, you dolt."
She glanced down at the name on Adrien's slip. Then, Marinette let out a snort, trying to hold in her laughter.
"You are not helping," the blonde complained.
"Even fate has decided, you are destined to be Luigi," Marinette giggled, earning a pouty look from her partner.
"Now, the final round of Mario Kart shall commence. Competitors, enter the ring and sit with your partner at the same system," the announcer informed. The two teens followed the small crowd of contestants up to the ring and took their places on stools. The gamers grabbed their controllers and readied for the first race.
A giant TV sat above the judges' table, a colorful wheel with Mario Kart tracks adorning the screen. The wheel began to spin rapidly.
"For the first race of the third round is..." the announcer paused. Everyone watched as the wheel began to slow down before coming to an immediate halt on a track.
"...the Coconut Mall! It's about to look like what American's call Black Friday in this mall."
Soon, the track was picked and showed the course, including its obstacles. Adrien and Marinette focused on the screen, ready to press their "2" button on the controller when at the right moment.
The countdown began, the two teens immediately held down their "2" buttons when "2" popped up on the screen. Then, their karts were given an extra boost, helping them pass a few people (although, many of them knew that trick).
The race had begun.
"And, they're off!" the announcer bellowed into the speaker system.
"Here's a joke," he continued with a snicker, "What's hairy on the outside, moist on the inside, the word starts with a "C," ends with a "T," and has the letters "U" and "N" in it?"
Adrien could hear Marinette murmur something about "disgusting miscreants" and almost made him lose focus on the task at hand...again (cause the joke got to him a little).
"A coconut," the announcer answered, obnoxiously thinking he was so clever but earned many many rolling eyes from within the crowd. (Adrien could practically feel the displeasure radiating off of his partner and hear incoherent retorts.)
Adrien managed to pass a few people, earning him sixth place while Marinette somehow stayed in first place. There was only one lap left. He had to somehow get to second place. His character drove into a mystery box and waited for his randomized choice to be chosen.
"Maybe...some turtle shells or become giant..." the blonde thought, hopeful. Finally, the item was picked. His eyes widened when seeing the rocket before a wicked smirk spread across his cheeks. He pressed the Z button, turning his character into a lean-green rocket machine.
The rocket blasted right by everyone (or hit them out of the way), landing him in second place right at the last moment and crossed the finish line.
Adrien nearly jumped off the stool and did a happy dance. He couldn't believe his luck! Now, they both had high scores. Yet, he couldn't celebrate too early. It is merely just the beginning of the competition.
The tides could turn at any moment he was unaware of the shift.
"On to our next race!" the announcer exclaimed, making the racers prepare for the next course. Before the race began, Adrien felt the back of his neck's hair stand in a warning. Just as he held down two, green orbs quickly glanced out into the shadow-covered audience before returning to the screen.
Adrien could feel someone watching, specifically him and Marinette intently.
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