Sorry about that! I didn't mean to post the wrong chapter!
Let's try this again. All the questions you've been having will be answered in this chapter! And once the mystery is solved, what will happen afterwords?
Song(s) included, with/without modifications:
Just the Way You Are - Bruno Mars
A photo shoot/movie set was inside a building within Paris. Inside one of the rooms, the set was all made, and Adrien, his skin flawless and wearing some tailor-made clothes, was posing in various ways as the photographer, Vincent, took the pictures.
In the audience, both Emilie and Gabriel were watching the photoshoot. Emilie was smiling at the scene while Gabriel still had his usual expression on (albeit it wasn't as cold as it usually was).
Emilie clapped and she said, "You're doing great, honey!"
Adrien was still posing, but he couldn't help but feel warm and smile at the praise.
Vincent said, "Excellent! Hold the smile!"
"Our son is perfect, isn't he?" Emilie said to her husband, happy with Adrien's work.
"Yes, he is." Gabriel agreed.
"It's just too bad we keep him cooped up all the time," Emilie said, her face falling. "He could use some more friends in his peer group, couldn't he?"
Gabriel snorted at the notion, only for his eyes to perk up in concern.
"Does anyone else smell smoke?" Someone said loudly.
On cue, the smoke/fire alarm started going off and smoke started pouring into the room from under one of the closed doors.
"OUT! EVERYONE OUT!" "SOMEONE CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT!"
As people started running out of the building, Adrien saw that the fire was only getting worse. Behind him in the hall, the bright red/orange/yellow flames were getting higher and the smoke was getting thicker. Remembering the fire safety videos he'd watch, he got down and started crawling.
Behind him, the blaze was causing some of the walls and structural components of the building to break down. He heard wood snapping and falling from behind. The heat from the embers were scorching, and Adrien could feel the sweat pouring down his face. He kept crawling, he saw more people ahead of him trying to get out, but they were more frantic about it.
When he reached the door to exit, he touched it with the back of his hand. No sign of heat. He opened it and saw that it led outside.
He got up and ran out to the fire department, who'd already made it.
"Is everyone here?!" The fire captain shouted.
Adrien looked around, and saw his father, Vincent, most of the crew...
"Wait. Maman?! Where's Maman?!" Adrien shouted frantically as he looked around to try and find his mother.
No sign of her outside. That could only mean...
Adrien felt the blood drain from his body. He whirled around and saw the flaming building. He charged straight at it.
"Adrien! What are you doing?!" Gabriel shouted as he grabbed Adrien's wrist to try and hold him back. Adrien looked back at his stern father.
"Maman's in there, father!" Adrien fired back at him. "I gotta go back and find her!"
"Don't be stupid! Leave it to the firefighters!" Gabriel ordered.
Adrien looked at his father's hand on his wrist, back to the building, and the firefighters, who were doing their best to put out the fire, but he didn't see any of them making efforts to go back in and find Emilie (on the other hand, if they were already in there, he didn't notice).
Adrien looked back at his father, a glare on his face, and opened his mouth.
"SCREW YOU!" Adrien shouted as he yanked his hand away, grabbed a spare oxygen mask, and ran back into the building.
"ADRIEN! GET BACK HERE!" Gabriel roared.
Adrien didn't listen, diving in. He saw that the fire had gotten even worse in the past few seconds, and he started running through the halls, not caring about the scorching flames getting at his clothes.
"MAMAN! MAMAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME?! MAMAN!" Adrien hollered. He started coughing at the smoke, and he fell to his knees.
He kept looking around, trying to see through the thick, black smog, and he caught sight of blonde hair lying on the ground.
"MAMAN!" Adrien shouted as he got back up and continued running over to his mother. He saw she was pinned underneath some of the concrete, and he ran over to try getting her out.
"Maman! Hang on, I'm here!" Adrien shouted as he used all his strength to move the concrete off her.
Emilie looked up and saw her son, looking at her in relief.
"Adrien..." She said hoarsely.
"Let's get out of here!" Adrien said as he helped her stand up. They started to leave the building, with Adrien's hand tightly gripping Emilie's, when a sickening crunch was heard from above.
Emilie looked up, saw a piece of the ceiling begin to fall, and she shouted, "Adrien, look out!"
Adrien was about to look up when his mother shoved him in the back, pushing him a fair distance away. He landed on his stomach before sitting up and turning around. He saw Emilie had been blocked by the flaming ceiling piece, and he rushed towards her.
"Maman!" Adrien hollered.
"Forget about me!" Emilie pleaded with him before coughing. "Just get out of here!"
"I'm not leaving you!" Adrien protested, only for an errant flame to come up towards him, causing him to scream in pain from the burn and the fire that enflamed his clothes and got on his face.
He got down and rolled around to smother the flames, and it worked. He got up to try and help his mother again, but the smoke obscured his vision. He began coughing again, and he fell to his knees. He kept coughing, the lack of oxygen made him dizzy, and then he blacked out, falling face-first to the floor...
"...The next thing I knew, I woke up in an isolation ward in the hospital burn unit," Adrien said, his arms still crossed as he hung his upper body over the railing. "I was hooked up to an oxygen tank, covered head to tow in bandages to cover and treat the burns, and hurting like hell all over. I saw my father in the room, looking at me like I was even worse than a disappointment. He wouldn't even face me once the doctor came in and told me the prognosis."
Marinette continued to listen, watching as Adrien kept talking.
"...When I asked about mom, the looks on their faces said it all... I broke down in tears, and my father left the room. He didn't even visit me once while I was there. I know that he blames me for what happened to mom, and honestly... I'd probably do the same." Adrien said, sounding choked up.
"Really?" Marinette asked, even more disgusted with Gabriel.
Adrien put his hood down, turned to Marinette, and once again took her hand to place it on his face.
"The scars I sustained... I got the surgeries I needed to repair them, but this is the best they could do. They're as fixed as they're gonna get, but they're a constant reminder of that sin. That if I hadn't intervened, mom probably wouldn't have died!" Adrien cried.
"Adrien, you can't blame yourself for your mother's passing! You tried to save her, that's hardly a sin! I don't think many people other than firefighters would be brave enough to do that." Marinette said.
"Yeah, I was brave, but at what price?! My mother's life, my father's love and attention, my face, my sanity!" Adrien shouted, holding back tears.
Marinette held Adrien in her arms as he broke down.
"Why did I live to tell the tale?! Why did I have to survive while my mother died a fiery death?! What was the point in my life being spared while hers wasn't?!" Adrien cried, heavily sobbing, his face burried in her shoulder. "Why couldn't I have just burned to the ground with her?! Why did it have to be an either/or situation?! Why couldn't it have been neither/nor instead?! Why me?! Why did I have to live?!"
Marinette hugged her boyfriend before whispering, "I can't answer that question, Adrien, but... Another way of looking at it is that we wouldn't have met if you had perished in that fire."
Adrien hugged Marinette tighter, to the point where she could barely breathe.
"I know..." Adrien said, his voice above a whisper, but still tear-stricken. "I... I think you're the reason I survived. I think the universe wanted me to stick around so I could meet and fall in love with you."
Marinette started crying in silence as she felt her heart warm at his declaration.
Marinette pulled away, and once again placed a hand on his scar as she said, "These scars... They're not a mark of shame. They're a badge of honor - you risked your life to save your mom, and survived."
Adrien breathed a happy sigh, held his hand over hers and said, "Just when I think you couldn't be any more amazing... You go and make me fall in love with you all over again."
Marinette blushed, her heart pounding at his declaration. Was he that much in love with her? She didn't have time to think about it, though.
"Marinette..." Adrien moaned as once again started kissing her lips. Marinette returned his passion, feeling his need for her presence reverberate.
He broke his lips from her and started kissing her cheeks, temple, chin, and started trailing smooches all the way down her neck.
"Ah-Adrien... N-Not here." Marinette said as she looked around and saw some people were watching.
Adrien snapped out of it, looked at their surroundings, and he sighed, resigned.
"You're right," Adrien conceded. "This isn't the time or place for it."
But needing his fix, Adrien once again grabbed a salacious kiss from Marinette's lips before saying, "...Shall we call it a night?"
Marinette gave a nod before saying, "Yeah, I think that's enough for now."
Adrien took Marinette by the shoulder before walking off the bridge. Marinette sent a quick text to her friends' group chat.
'Found Adrien. All's good. I let him vent. He'll apologize to Kim later.'
She got several approving emojis from her friends, including a thumb's up from Alya, a smiley face from Nino, a pink heart and a smiley face from Rose, etc.
She silenced her phone before letting herself snuggle closer to her boyfriend.
Deciding to take the Dupain-Chengs up on their offer of using their place as a safe haven, Adrien brought Marinette home, and decided to spend some time de-stressing. Marinette's presence made it easier on him.
Once he'd calmed down enough and was more open to talking about it, Marinette got more information: the cause of the fire was faulty wiring in the building. The wires had deteriorated and couldn't take the usual amperage in the circuits. Combine that with the fact that the photoshoot overloaded the circuit, the fire was all but inevitable. The building's annual safety examination didn't see the wiring problem (or if it did, it wasn't emphasized enough), thus the conflagration.
Another reason that Adrien shouldn't be faulted with his mother's passing, she thought.
By that point, Marinette was sitting on the couch with Adrien lying down, his head in her lap, all but asleep. She'd given her parents the 4-1-1 on what happened (minus the story about what happened to Emilie). They were in the dining area.
"For such a sweet young man to go berserk like that, and those scars... He must have been through something horrible." Sabine said quietly, while drinking some tea.
"Well, Marinette didn't exactly sing his praises when they first met." Tom said, also keeping his volume down.
Marinette was stroking Adrien's hair with her hand, and listening to his slow, even breathing that indicated he was asleep.
She heard something vibrate in his pocket, and she gently took it out. It was Adrien's phone with Nathalie's name on the caller ID. She picked up the call.
"Hello, Mlle. Sancoeur, this is Marinette." Marinette reported, keeping her voice down.
"Mlle. Dupain-Cheng? What is going on? Adrien hasn't been answering his phone for the past few hours. He should have been back at home by now." Nathalie said over the phone.
"He's at my place right now. He's... Had a long day and he's fallen asleep." Marinette said, refusing to report Adrien's outburst.
"I'll send his bodyguard over to pick him up." Nathalie stated.
"Don't bother," Marinette said as she looked down at her boyfriend. She smiled at the peaceful, almost childlike smile he had on his face. "I think he's more than happy to stay here for the night."
"Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, his father wouldn't like him anywhere outside the mansion without his knowledge." Nathalie said.
"With all due respect, Mlle. Sancoeur, Adrien's a legal adult, and we offered our home as a safe haven for him," Marinette responded as she felt Adrien wrap an arm around her waist. She giggled. "He probably wouldn't like being woken up in the middle of the night to be dragged somewhere else."
"...Understood. Since you live across the street from the school, I'll send his bodyguard over with his school supplies tomorrow morning before escorting the both of you there." Nathalie said, a resigned sigh in her voice.
"Thank you." Marinette said as she hung up the phone and put it back in Adrien's pocket.
Seeing Adrien was now fully asleep, she unwrapped his arm from around her and stood up. She silently put a blanket over him, and placed a kiss on his cheek.
"Bonne nuit, minou." Marinette whispered as she raised herself up before leaving to turn out the living room lights. Once they were off, they went to her bedroom for the night, just as Adrien's face blossomed into a smile.
The following morning, Adrien was once again treated to a big, hefty Dupain-Cheng breakfast, complete with almost everything he'd eaten the last time. This time, other inclusions such as tea, coffee, and French-style scrambled eggs were on the menu. And once again, Adrien was chowing down on a croque madame.
"Mm!" Adrien moaned as he swallowed his bite before wiping his face. "Damn! Delicious as always, M. Dupain!"
"Please, call me Tom." Tom laughed, a la Santa.
"Shouldn't your bodyguard be here soon?" Sabine asked.
"Yes, but... Honestly, if he's late, I wouldn't mind." Adrien chuckled as he stuffed another bite of pain au chocolat into his mouth before chewing.
"But being late for school really isn't a good idea." Tom said, eying Marinette. She blushed.
There was a knock on the door, and Sabine stood up to go and get it. She opened the door to reveal Adrien's bodyguard, with the young man's backpack and books in hand. He seemed surprised to see Adrien's face exposed at first, but quickly let it go.
"Oh, good morning. We've been expecting you." Sabine said with a polite smile as she gave the taller man a box of pastries, who accepted them without much emotion.
"I guess that means breakfast is over..." Adrien griped as he and Marinette finished their food before standing up.
Marinette grabbed her bag as Adrien put his hood up and went to over to get his stuff from his bodyguard. She approached Adrien, and he swiftly took her hand into his own. The two teenagers followed the Gorilla out of the house.
"Have a good day! Both of you!" Tom said.
The Gorilla was hyper-vigilant in protecting the two of them as they crossed the street. Adrien was still holding Marinette's hand, meanwhile she was still looking at him like he was the only thing that mattered in the whole world.
When they got to the school stairs, Marinette looked up and saw Kim was standing there. He looked a bit anxious. Max and Markov were also there. Max said to the jock, "Go!"
Kim walked down the stairs, approaching Adrien. Marinette squeezed his hand to reassure him, and he gave a nod.
"Hey Adrien..." Kim said a little awkwardly. "I... Um..."
"I'm sorry!" The two boys said together.
They looked at each other before sharing a laugh. Marinette breathed a sigh of relief.
"Listen, I'm sorry about last night," Kim said, eyes askance in shame. "I should've been more respectful of your hood, and... Well, that just wasn't cool of me."
"No, it wasn't," Adrien said before sighing. "And I'm sorry too, for going berserk that way. I'm just... Sensitive about my face."
"It's okay, dude," Nino said as he and the rest of their group came up to him. "Doesn't matter how you got those scars or whatever. As much as we want to know what happened, it's your right to tell us or not."
"And we promise that we won't say anything about the scars," Alya promised before turning to the group. "Right, everyone?"
"RIGHT!" Everyone promised.
"We've got your back, dude." Nino said.
"Thank you so much, everyone." Adrien said as he smiled and tears of joy began falling down his face.
Everyone came in for a group hug. Marinette was the most relieved of all of them. Behind them, Adrien's bodyguard was watching the scene, a ghost of a smile on his face.
When they got inside the school, Marinette reluctantly let go of Adrien's hand.
"Meet you in the classroom?" Adrien asked.
"Sure, I gotta get a few things I forgot for our presentation, anyway." Marinette said. She kissed his cheek before skipping off. Adrien sighed, his smile nothing short of goofy and lovesick.
He didn't notice that someone was approaching from behind, and a manicured hand was reaching out towards the back of his hood...
Marinette was at her locker, gathering up her materials for class. She closed her locker before leaving the area. As she turned to leave, she began walking to the classroom. Her head was in a good space, emotionally, when...
"Disgusting! Utterly disgusting!" Marinette heard a familiar, shrill voice shout from further down the way.
She saw Chloé stomping towards her, and then she came over to the designer and poked her in the chest.
"He's all yours, Dupain-Cheng! No way in hell am I gonna be seen with damaged goods!" Chloé spat before walking away.
Marinette looked on in confusion before turning around and seeing Adrien was leaning up against the wall, his fingers once again pulling his hood over his face. He looked pretty grumpy, too.
She walked over to him, put a hand on his arm, and she gently asked, "She saw?"
Adrien gave a nod before saying, "She forced my hood down."
"Chloé's not worth the energy," Marinette said as she came closer to Adrien, and hugged him. He returned it. "...Honestly, I think the scars make you look even more handsome. Better than those advertisements you used to be in."
Adrien's hug got tighter and he said, "...Thank you."
The two of them broke their hug and held hands as they went to class.
"So, you excited? It's our presentation day." Adrien asked.
"I am," Marinette said. "Glad we got some practice rounds in."
"I just hope Mme. Bustier doesn't insist I put my hood down..." Adrien fretted.
"Barring Kagami, Sabrina, and Lila, everyone's seen your face, but if you feel better having it up, I won't argue." Marinette reassured.
"Thanks," Adrien said. "...It's funny."
"What?" Marinette asked.
"...Before we met, I'd have nightmares about the fire, and the affect it would have on my future..." Adrien said as he squeezed her hand. "...But now that I have you, I've had nothing but sweet dreams, especially last night. You're really good at taming the beast within me, Marinette."
Marinette blushed at the compliment, but as she looked at her hand in Adrien's, she asked, "Um... Why do you hold my hand and squeeze it like that all the time? I like it, don't get me wrong, but..."
"...Because... Well..." Adrien began, as he squeezed her hand again. "...It just makes me feel better. I always get worried about you... You know... Leaving me behind."
"Leave you behind?" Marinette asked. "Why would I do that?!"
"I know you wouldn't, but... I held my mom's hand so tightly, trying to get out of that fire. If I held on tighter, I..." Adrien continued.
"Enough said." Marinette said as she squeezed his hand back.
In the classroom, the two of them sat through multiple presentations, holding hands and listening to their peers' projects. They were currently listening to Alya and Ivan talk about Eleanor Roosevelt.
"...She took the traditional FLOTUS role established by Dolley Madison, which was hostess of the White House, working with local charities, etc., and brought it to the next level," Ivan stated. "She was very active in her husband's administration."
Alya changed the slide and said, "Eleanor was one of the most accomplished First Ladies, but also one of the most controversial for her time. She was one of the earlier champions for the Civil Rights Movement and she was the first head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission during Harry Truman's presidency."
"Speaking of whom, he almost asked her to be his running mate, which would've been major for the time." Ivan added.
Marinette was listening to them with rapt attention, very interested in Eleanor Roosevelt's life. Adrien, for his part, watched Marinette's body language as if his girlfriend was more important than the task at hand. Marinette noticed and subtly urged Adrien to pay attention to Alya.
The rest of the presentations included Myléne and Juleka's slideshow on Rachel Carson; Kim, Alix, and Max's piece on the Manhattan Project; Lila and Nathaniel's spiel on Napoleon Bonaparte; Nino and Rose spoke about Billie Jean King; Sabrina and Chloé talked about Marie Antoinette.
When it was Marinette and Adrien's turn, Adrien decided to leave most of the talking to Marinette, which she understood.
"...Now, Joan of Arc was known for leading an army, but the funny thing is, she didn't have any military training!" Marinette began.
Adrien himself was more focused on Marinette than he was on the project. He watched her nuances with her speaking, her body language, her facial expressions, everything... In fact, his focus was on her and not the task at hand.
"Adrien? Anything to add?" Marinette asked, cutting into his thoughts.
His brain fog cleared up when he heard himself getting cued, so he cleared his throat and continued with, "Yes, they retried the case and cleared her innocent, but that was twenty years after she died. Joan of Arc wasn't canonized 1920 by Pope Benedict XV."
"That didn't stop her from becoming famous, though, even after her death. Works of art and literature inspired by her are all over the place, for example, in Notre Dame, Pope Pius X beatified her in 1909." Marinette added.
The rest of the presentation went off without a hitch and they were rewarded with an A for the project, much to Adrien's relief.
When school ended for the day, Marinette and Adrien were walking through the halls, holding hands. When they stepped out of the school, Adrien's smile fell when he saw his bodyguard and the car again.
He sighed before turning to Marinette and asking, "See you soon for our next date?"
"Yes." Marinette said.
Adrien swiftly kissed Marinette on her lips before reluctantly leaving to go home. Marinette swooned as she watched her boyfriend disappear into the car. She giggled as she started skipping back home, while Adrien watched his beloved girlfriend from the car window. He heaved a smitten, wistful sigh before slouching in the seat. His bodyguard was watching him from the rearview window.
Once that day was over, everything was smooth sailing for the rest of the week.
That weekend, Marinette invited Adrien over to her house for a date. They were up in her room. Marinette had a tape measure around his neck, and he had his arms spread out. For once, his hood was down (which he did whenever they were alone).
"You really have the time to make another suit?" Adrien asked.
"I always make time for the ones I love, Adrien." Marinette said as she looked up at him. She blushed when she realized what she said, and his face tinted the same color.
He gave her a smile, and the light hitting his eyes made Marinette's heart throb.
"L... Let me just get the rest of this information down." Marinette said as she stepped away from him.
'His eyes, his eyes, make the stars look like they're not shinin'. His hair, his hair, falls perfectly without him tryin'.' Marinette thought while writing down his measurements and looking at him out of her peripheral vision.
'He's just so handsome, and I tell him every day.' Marinette thought as she made some modifications to her sketch for Adrien's suit.
Adrien came over and looked at her sketch and he said, "These look great!"
"So does the man it's intended for." Marinette said to him.
"Oh, come on..." Adrien asked, both flattered and feeling a bit embarrassed. She saw he was looking askance in shame and dismay, almost like he didn't really believe in his looks.
'I know, I know, when I compliment him, he won't believe me. And it's so, it's so sad to think that he don't see what I see.' Marinette thought.
"Are you sure I'm going to look fine in this? In fact, are you sure I look okay at all?" Adrien asked as he stepped away.
'But every time he asks me, "Do I look okay?'" I say...' Marinette thought in song before cupping his face in her hands.
She sang, "When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change. 'Cause you're amazing, just the way you are."
Adrien's face melted into a happy, teary smile.
"And when you smile, my whole world stops and stares for a while. 'Cause boy, you're amazing, just the way you are. Oh..." Marinette sang.
Adrien put his arms around her and started pulling her closer. She saw his lips were pursing and he was smacking them, begging for love.
'His lips, his lips, they would kiss me all day if I'd let him.' Marinette thought as she allowed Adrien to give her a smooch on her lips. He tried for more, but she gently pushed him away before kissing his cheeks.
He blushed with a laugh before diving in for more affection, kissing Marinette where her neck and shoulders connected. He
'His laugh, his laugh, he hates, but I think that it fits him. He's just so handsome and I tell him every day.' Marinette thought, blushing and trying to resist a passionate moan.
He pulled away before saying, "Marinette, you deserve a prince, not me. You heard what Chloé called me: I'm damaged. I-"
Marinette put a finger to his lips and gently hushed him. His face went red again as his heart pounded, yowling out for more kisses.
"Oh, you know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change. If perfect's what you're searching for, then please stay the same," Marinette sang as she once again put her hand on his scar. "So don't you even ask me if you look okay. I'll always say..."
She looked him in the eyes.
"When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change. 'Cause you're amazing, just the way you are," Marinette sang for him, causing him to smile and cry tears of joy. "And when you smile, my whole world stops and stares for a while. 'Cause boy, you're amazing, just the way you are."
Once they were done with the measurements, the two of them went downstairs for a round of Ultimate Mecha Strike with Tom. They had a lot of fun playing the tournament (or rather, trying to kick Marinette's butt on the game, only for themselves to get creamed).
"You're great at this game, Adrien!" Marinette said. "I shouldn't be surprised."
"Thank you." Adrien said.
"Hey, maybe you should become a professional gamer!" Tom suggested.
"There's such a career?" Adrien asked.
"Yeah, there is," Marinette said. "You'd be great at it, I know!"
"Really?" Adrien asked, looking a bit wistful.
"Yeah. You'd be great... You're amazing," Marinette said before singing, "The way you are. The way you are. Boy, you're amazing, just the way you are."
After a few more rounds of the game, Adrien got a phone call from Nathalie.
"Adrien, your driver is on his way to pick you up. You have piano lessons soon." Nathalie said.
Adrien groaned in complaint and said, "Fine."
He hung up the phone and he stood up in annoyance.
"Again? That father of yours is so overbearing," Sabine griped. "Why can't he let you have some freedom? You're eighteen!"
"I wish I knew..." Adrien said as he pulled his hood further down his face.
"Let me see you out?" Marinette asked as she quickly snagged a basket of goodies for Adrien.
"Please." Adrien said as he hooked Marinette's arm around his and walked outside the house.
"Those two are meant for each other." Tom chortled.
"They are." Sabine agreed.
As they came outside the bakery building, they saw the family car coming.
"...Marinette, I really have to thank you," Adrien said to her as he hugged her closer. "Before meeting you, I don't think anyone would've wanted to be seen with this mug."
Marinette pulled Adrien's hood down and looked him in the eyes, before singing, "When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change. 'Cause boy, you're amazing just the way you are. And when you smile, my whole world stops and stares for a while. 'Cause boy you're amazing, just the way you are."
Adrien, once again about to cry tears of joy, pulled Marinette in and he gave her a kiss on her lips. She didn't protest, instead kissing him back. They were lost in each other for a few minutes, kissing each other, Adrien hugging her close, and moaning in bliss. Adrien tangled his hand in her hair again, pulling her hair ties out and letting her hair fall. He gently raked his hand through her hair, the silky sensation of it comforting to him.
*BEEEEEEEP*
They screamed and jumped away from each other at the noise. Adrien looked at the grumpy driver and glared at him. Adrien sighed, annoyed, and said to Marinette, "Sorry. See you soon."
Marinette nodded as she handed him the basket before kissing his lips once more. Adrien was about to smooch her back and not go anywhere, but he resisted his desires and pulled away.
"Thank you." Adrien said as took the basket and went inside the car. As it drove away, Marinette smiled and nodded before twirling around and walking inside the house.
That evening, while Marinette was asleep in bed, however...
*Knock knock knock* *BANG BANG BANG* *RATTLE*
Marinette moaned and sat up, grumpy from the rude awakening. She looked at her phone clock and saw it was nearly midnight. She kept hearing the knocking and rapping at the door. She yawned heavily before trudging down the stairs.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming..." Marinette moaned, still groggy from lack of sleep as she pushed the dimmer up a little bit to give herself a little light.
She opened the door to reveal Adrien, who seemed to be crying. Seeing him in his state, her sleepiness vanished in a snap and she asked him, "Adrien, what the hell are you doing here at this hour?"
Adrien merely hugged Marinette and started sobbing into the crook of her neck. Marinette looked over his shoulder to see he had a huge, stuffed duffle bag at his side.
She gently pushed him away, gave him a nod, and she called out, "MOM, DAD! We've got a problem!"
She pulled Adrien back into her embrace as heard the irritated moans of her parents (though she knew they were early risers anyway, which came with the territory of their jobs). Marinette saw them coming out of their bedroom, with Tom turning on the lights in the common area.
"Sorry to wake you up..." Marinette apologized.
"What's the matter, honey?" Sabine asked with a loud yawn as her eyes adjusted to the bright lights.
When both adults saw the distraught Adrien in Marinette's arms, they were fully awake.
"Adrien!" Tom said, surprised. "Why are you here this late at night?"
Adrien was still crying in Marinette's chest, so the Dupain-Chengs brought him inside, with Tom shutting the door.
Okay! That's it for this chapter. I'm sorry this took so long! For better or worse, life gets in the way!
Coming up, Adrien gives the Dupain-Chengs the scoop on what happened to warrant his sudden appearance at the house. And then what's going to happen?
