The scent of the forest took over Marinette's senses as she breathed in the night air. Crickets chirped around her as an owl hooted in the distance. The air was cold and felt nice against her numb skin. She peered up at the stars as cigarette smoke suddenly broke through the night air and made her heart speed up. It was too much to hope that it was Adrien. She knew better than to think that he would be back. That he would be behind her.

Too much to think that he would even be tangible anymore. She lost count of the days that she was without him. Lost count of all of the meals where she had sat alone, refusing to interact with anyone.

Tears pooled in her blue eyes as she peered up at the stars and cursed them.

"I wish I was fit to dance among the stars with you." His voice filtered into her ear as the smoky scent got stronger. "Wish I was as beautiful as you. Wish I could caress your skin and be worthy of making love to you again."

Marinette swallowed hard as she trembled, feeling soft fingers slowly move up her arm.

"I wish I was strong enough for you. I wish I could- do a lot of things." His voice filtered around her in streams of red lights as she shivered.

She internally screamed, not believing he was there.

"Marinette. Turn around." His voice invaded her soul and she fought herself. She didn't want to turn around and see that it was Tikki messing with her again. That he wasn't truly there with her. "Baby?" Adrien stubbed out his cigarette, blowing out smoke.

He ran his hands down her arms and along her forearms, interlocking his fingers with hers. Adrien heard her gasp as tears fell. Her knees buckled and he caught her, falling to his knees with her.

She burst into tears as he held her against his body.

Marinette cried hysterically as she turned around in his arms and clutched at his shirt. She opened her eyes and stared down at the black fabric.

Adrien watched her slowly lift his shirt and touch along his abs to make sure that it was really him. Her gaze stopped at his G-tube and she examined it. "Force feeding." Adrien shrugged as she continued to slowly peer up his body.

She walked her hands up his torso, to his chest, until she was touching his face. Marinette peered into his eyes with parted lips. He smirked at her and she burst into tears, wrapping her arms around his neck and crying into his shoulder. "It's really me. Shhh…" He ran his hand along her spine as she soaked his shirt in tears.

Marinette cried harder as she clutched to his shirt. She gagged and choked on her tears. Adrien held her and breathed in her scent.

"I am so sorry." Adrien gasped the words out as she let him go.

Marinette shook her head and captured his lips with her own. Adrien parted his lips as she ran her tongue along them. He groaned as she tangled her fingers in his hair and straddled his hips. She had to be sure he was real. She still thought it was some cruel trick that her mind was playing on her.

Marinette broke the kiss and cried as she ran her fingers along his neck and across his shoulders.

"I'm real." Adrien swallowed hard as he peered into her broken gaze.

She gasped as she shook her head. Adrien sighed and brought her fingertips to his lips. She pressed gentle kisses to them and swallowed hard. "What will it take?" Adrien thought for a moment. "Hang on." He stood up and left to the front desk to grab another cigarette and a match.

Adrien hurried back to her and struck the match along the wooden floorboards. It lit up and he lit his cigarette. "Watch, Marinette." Adrien blew out the flame and held up his forearm.

She watched him as he suddenly pressed the hot end of the match against his skin. Adrien cringed as it burned his skin, leaving a red mark behind. Marinette quickly grabbed the match and threw it as she clutched his arm. She looked it over and pressed her lips to his wound. "Why?" Marinette let the word fall from her mouth in a whisper.

Adrien smirked as he heard her voice again. "There's that beautiful voice." He pressed a kiss to her lips and she sighed.

Marinette broke the kiss and slowly opened her eyes. She licked her lips, tasting the rich flavor of his tobacco. Marinette gasped as she leaned into him.

Adrien took a long drag on his cigarette and touched her chin. She parted her lips and he gently blew smoke past them. Marinette's cheeks flushed as she captured his lips and broke it to blow out smoke.

Adrien smirked as he blew out the rest and watched her with interested eyes. "I missed you." Adrien touched her hair and spun it around his index finger.

"Me too." Marinette sighed as she crawled into his lap.

"So, I heard that you stopped reacting." Adrien stubbed out his cigarette beside him and wrapped his arms around her as he peered up at the stars.

"I did." Marinette swallowed hard. "It took me ages to not blame myself for what happened."

Adrien sighed and kissed her cheek. "It's never your fault. Did my father send his photographer?"

"No." Marinette shook her head. " told him."

Adrien cringed and rolled his eyes. "Bet that went over well."

Marinette shook her head. "Nope."

Adrien touched her chin with his fingertips and she turned her head. He smiled and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Was he mad?" Adrien swallowed hard and Marinette shrugged.

"I didn't see him." Marinette sighed and leaned back against Adrien.

"You're talking more than before." Adrien smiled and ran his fingers through her hair.

She closed her eyes. "Are you sure you're real?"

Adrien chuckled as he gathered her hair and pulled her head back. "Yes." He kissed her again and she sighed.

"Do you like cookies?" Marinette peered at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well yeah. Doesn't everyone?" Adrien wrapped her hair around his fist with a laugh.

"Do you like sugar?" Marinette questioned him.

"I feel like that's the same question you just asked me." Adrien rolled his eyes and she smiled.

"Just checking that you're not Tikki." Marinette giggled and Adrien let her hair go.

"Nope. Do you like smelly things and like to complain?" Adrien raised an eyebrow at her and she cringed.

"Plagg is like that?" Marinette was repulsed by what he said.

"Plagg likes anything negative. I'm sure Tikki is the same way." Adrien challenged her and she shrugged.

"Yeah, she can be." Marinette nodded as she agreed with him.

"Plagg has been my company this whole time." Adrien swallowed hard. "I haven't had anyone else. Not really."

"Me too." Marinette sighed as she breathed his scent in. She had missed it's dark entrancing scent. "Don't let me go."

"I never plan to." Adrien sighed and leaned forward to kiss her on top of her head. "But I think we should get to bed."

"I don't want to leave you." Marinette began to panic and tears pooled in her eyes.

"Believe me. I don't want to return to that small room. I can only be strapped down for so long." Adrien trembled at the thought.

Marinette's eyes went wide at his words. Adrien nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Then don't." Nurse Bustier walked up to them with a smile. "Dr. Fu gave the approval to have you two share a room again." Marinette peered up at Nurse Bustier with a confused expression. "I may have pulled some strings."

Marinette jumped up and hugged her with all of her emotions. Nurse Bustier smiled as she hugged her back. "Okay, go to bed. And I mean really go to bed."

Marinette blushed and Adrien chuckled as he helped Marinette up. "Let's go." He took her hand and lead her back to her room.

Marinette cuddled his arm as he opened their door. Adrien peered around the room and noticed all of the sketches of himself. There were hoards of drawings all over the walls of himself. His lips parted as he took them all in.

"I missed you." Marinette hid in her hair and he shook his head.

"They're amazing." Adrien took in all of the expressions from being sad to happy.

"They're really not." Marinette worried her lip and Adrien hugged her.

"They are." Adrien kissed her and didn't let her go. "Just like you."

"Stop…" Marinette giggled as she sighed against his chest.

"I mean it, Marinette. You're really something." Adrien swayed her back and forth as moonlight poured into their bedroom.

Marinette felt his hands slip from her arms and watched them burst into stars.

000

She suddenly gasped, opened her eyes, and peered around her, finding herself alone on the porch. Tears fell as she fell to her knees, clutching the wood.

WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TIKKI? WHY? Marinette internally scolded Tikki as she swirled around her.

"You never even opened your eyes. Falling asleep on the smoking porch. How pathetic." Tikki scoffed and laid along the wooden banister with a sly smile. "You think he'd really come back. He's stuck in a room alone by himself. You have quite the imagination."

Marinette fell to her knees and screamed as she gripped her hair.

"Marinette?" Adrien ran over and fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around her.

She shoved him away and shook her head. He's not real. He's not real. He's just in my head. He's not really there. It's Tikki. It's all her. I'm insane. Adrien isn't coming. He's not coming.

"Hey. Stop." Adrien grabbed her wrists to keep her from hitting him in the chest. "They're gonna take you away and I just got you back. Please, Marinette."

She continued to fight him and he rolled his eyes and pinned her to his body, forcing her to be held in his arms. "It's really me. Really me."

Nurse Bustier ran out to the smoking porch when she noticed how Marinette wasn't calming down. "Maybe we'll try this in the morning." She sighed as Adrien peered up at her with broken emerald eyes.

"What happened to her?" Adrien still held a trembling Marinette that was crying and fighting against him.

Nurse Bustier sighed, "She's been struggling while you've been gone. She's gotten worse. Right now, she probably doesn't believe you're real."

Tikki. Adrien thought and bent down to whisper in Marinette's ear. "I'm not Tikki. If I was before? I am so sorry. But I'm not her now." He felt her pant against him and felt her struggle less. Fight less. Adrien ran his fingers down her arm and interlocked his fingers with hers. He brought the back of her hand to his lips. "Feel me? I'm real."

Marinette cried as she turned around and clutched at him, shaking her head.

"I am." Adrien touched her chin and made her peer into his eyes.

"He's really there, honey." Nurse Bustier added and Marinette wrapped her arms around his neck and burst into tears. "Take her to her room, please? I'll be back in the morning to do your feeding and then we'll work on getting you back to eating on your own."

"Okay." Adrien Picked her up and carried her to their room.

Marinette buried her face into his shirt and breathed him in. His dark scent intoxicated her as she kept her eyes closed. She knew as soon as he opened the bedroom door, he'd be gone.

Adrien opened the door and shut it behind them. He sat on his bed and cradled her in his arms, brushing her hair from her face. "You okay?" She sighed and she kept her face buried in his black shirt. "Marinette?"

Adrien sighed and groaned as he leaned over to grab his tablet for her. "I'm guessing I made you stop talking again. I know it's my fault. So, here. Talk to me. Please." He passed her the tablet.

Marinette took it into her hand and began to write something. She passed it back to him with a trembling hand.

Adrien cleared his throat and looked it over. "What did they do to you?" He sighed and she climbed out of his lap as he lifted his shirt. "Well, they put a G-tube in. I don't remember when that happened." Marinette looked it over as she ran her fingers along his abs. "They had me strapped down for days. I was forced to stare at a ceiling for hours. The only time I got let out was to use the bathroom or shower."

Marinette cringed up at him as tears fell down her eyes. She took the tablet back and erased what she had written with her finger. She began to write something else on the screen.

"Tikki tricked me and made me think that you were there and it felt so real. I'm scared that this isn't real either because it felt so real before." Adrien sighed as he read what she wrote. He touched her cheek and rubbed his thumb along it. "I'm real, baby. I promise."

Tikki swirled around him and she stared at her. The creature giggled as she spun around him and Marinette leaped onto him, clutching him to keep him there.

Adrien wrapped his arms around her and ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm really here. Nothing will pull me away from you. Promise. Just try and sleep. I'll still be here in the morning. Okay?"

Marinette sobbed against him and he laid back, rolling her to his side so that she wouldn't press against his G-tube. Adrien winced at the slight pain and tried to get comfortable. He peered around at her side of the bed to find drawings of himself. She really had been missing him and imagining that he was there.

"I get that you would think I wasn't real. You visited me many times in that room. I almost didn't believe that I was staring at you. I don't deserve someone like you. Especially after I yelled at you. After I made you hurt and go backwards. Made you stop talking again." Adrien swallowed hard as tears fell from his eyes. He stroked her soft hair and sighed, staring at the ceiling as Plagg swirled around it. "Even now. I'm questioning whether you're really here with me or not."

Marinette gathered his soft shirt into her fist and cried for him. Adrien held her tighter against his body as she fell apart. He ran his fingers down her spine and pressed his lips to her hair as she trembled. Adrien soon felt her go still and noticed how her breathing became even. He sighed and relaxed back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. This is all my fault. I did this to her. I made her this way. I made her this way. I made her…

Adrien fell asleep with her against his body with the words looping in his head.

000

The light filtered into the room and Marinette slowly opened her eyes to see Nurse Bustier.

"Sleep well?" Nurse Bustier smiled down at her and watched as Marinette rubbed her eyes and yawned.

She sat up and peered down at Adrien, scurrying back against the wall.

Adrien groaned and rubbed his eyes as he sat up. He looked over at Marinette and held his hands up. "It's okay." He smiled for her with a concerned expression and watched her relax.

"It's going to take you some time, but he is really there, Marinette." Nurse Bustier smiled at her and then turned her attention to Adrien.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, lifting his shirt for her. "You might not want to watch." Adrien peered over at Marinette and she shook her head and scooted closer, taking his hand.

She watched Nurse Bustier open the stopper on the tube and connect a syringe to it, pulling stomach acid out first. Adrien cleared his throat and peered over at Marinette to distract himself.

Nurse Bustier pushed the plunger down to put the acid back in; before, she grabbed the I.V stand and brought it over. Marinette watched her hook a bag of liquid food to it and then run the line to his G-plug. She swallowed hard as she watched Nurse Bustier unclamp the line to run the food down at the right pace.

"Should take about an hour." Nurse Bustier smiled at Marinette and watched the girl nod.

Marinette stared at Adrien and got lost in his eyes. He ran his fingers through her hair and smiled for her. She grabbed the tablet and began to write on it, passing it to him.

Adrien moved his lips as he silently read it. "Does it feel weird? Is it uncomfortable?" Adrien looked at her with a sigh. "I'd be lying if I said it was comfortable."

Marinette worried her bottom lip as she watched the bag slowly empty. She grabbed the tablet and began to write on it. She passed it back to him.

"You dummy. Why didn't you just eat?" Adrien laughed to himself at what she had wrote. "What's the point if I don't have you?"

Marinette groaned and put her hands on her hips. Adrien laughed at her harder and cringed as the G-tube moved. "Can't laugh."

"Just try and relax." Nurse Bustier smiled as she watched the last of the meal supplement empty from the bag. She unhooked it and set up his prescribed water intake.

Adrien sighed as she ran water through the line. Marinette interlaced her fingers with his as she worried her bottom lip. "I'm okay. Almost done and I can sit with you while you eat." Adrien smiled at her and ran his fingers through her hair.

"And you're free." Nurse Bustier unhooked him from the line and cleaned his G-plug; before, she replaced the stopper.

Adrien pulled his shirt down and Nurse Bustier passed them both a cup of pills and one of water.

They both took the pills and Adrien sighed as Nurse Bustier lead them to the cafeteria.
Marinette walked through the line with Adrien and felt everyone staring at them. Adrien touched her back and coaxed her through the line. She got her meal and he lead her outside.

Marinette sat at the table and Adrien swallowed hard as he watched her push her food around with her spork.

"Eat, please." Adrien sighed as he watched her.

Marinette stabbed some of her eggs and brought them to her lips without showing any emotion. She was still unsure if he was really there or if he was Tikki in disguise pushing her to eat or do something.

Adrien sighed as she slowly chewed her food. He took her spork from her and she peered at him with shocked eyes.

Adrien scooped up more eggs and held it out to her. "You need to eat."

Marinette felt her hands tremble as she swallowed and slowly parted her lips for him. He slipped the spork into her mouth and she ate.

She felt her stomach flip as she still felt Tikki hanging around her back, digging her claws into her shoulders.

Adrien picked up one of her fruit pieces and held it out to her. Marinette reluctantly took a bite and chewed it. "Still worried I'm not here?"

Marinette nodded as Nino ran past her and grabbed Adrien's shoulders. "My MAN!"

"Hey, Nino." Adrien chuckled as he bumped fists with him.

Nino sat down and Adrien picked up another piece of melon, holding it out to her.

"She still think you're not real?" Nino stared at Marinette take the fruit, with her hands, and eat it.

"Yeah." Adrien sighed as he picked up eggs onto the spork and Marinette took the utensil in her hand to feed herself.

Marinette began to hide in her hair and eat her food as embarrassment kicked in. The fact that Nino saw him, caused her to believe that he was really there until Tikki invaded.

"You know how silly you probably look, pretending like Adrien is feeding you." Tikki snickered as she swirled around Marinette.

Marinette shook her head and hit her palm against her forehead as she twitched.

"She's been worse since you've been gone." Nino sighed and leaned into Adrien to talk to him. "Hasn't even talked to the other girls. She just has stood on that smoking porch, waiting. I gave her your ladybug stone." Nino leaned back away from him and Adrien perked up from what he had told him.

"You have my ladybug rock?" Adrien was surprised that she had it with her.

Marinette pulled the rock from her pocket and slid it across the table.

Adrien picked it up and looked over it. "Before my mother passed away, she gave me this. It was from one of her business trips." He softly laughed as he remembered it. "I was really little and I remember she woke me up from my nap to hand it to me. She told me it would make all the monsters go away." He rolled his eyes and set it back down in front of her. "Too bad it didn't work."

Marinette slid the stone back into her pocket and Adrien watched her continue to eat her food.

"I wish you would talk." Adrien sighed as he leaned on his palm with his elbow on the table.

Marinette finished her food and stood up. Adrien peered over at Nino and hit him on the shoulder. "I'll see you around, yeah?"

"Of course." Nino nodded and watched him lead Marinette to the trash can area.

Adrien lead her back to the common area and Marinette shook her head. "What? You don't want to go there?" He watched her shake her head again in protest. "Okay, then we won't." Adrien lead her back to the hallway.

Marinette followed him down the hallway and back to their room. She sighed as he opened the door and let her inside. Adrien watched her sit on her bed and grab a sketchbook to color in. He sat down beside her and watched her draw.

"You draw really well." Adrien smirked at her as he leaned back on his palms.

A knock sounded on the door and Nurse Bustier stepped inside. "Marinette? Your parents are here."

Marinette set her sketchbook down and stared at Adrien as she walked up to Nurse Bustier.

"Adrien? Come on." Nurse Bustier gestured for him to follow.

Adrien raised an eyebrow as he jumped up and took Marinette's hand.

"They want to meet you." Nurse Bustier smiled at him and they walked down to the visiting area.

Nurse Bustier opened the door for them and Marinette peered up to see her parents sitting in the two chairs across from a table.

"Hey, sweetheart." Tom smiled at her and Marinette sat down without an expression.

Adrien watched how she sat with her hands in her lap, unmoving.

Sabine turned her attention to Adrien and held out her hand. "Hello, my name is Sabine." She gave him a warm and kind smile that reminded him of home.

Adrien held his hand out and shook hers with a worried expression.

"We're not here to judge you, dear." Sabine nodded at Adrien with a warm smile. "What's your name?"

"Adrien. Agre-" He couldn't get his last name past his lips and Sabine nodded, patting the back of his trembling hand.

"It's okay." Sabine smiled and sat back in her seat. "Thank you for being so kind to our daughter, Adrien."

"It's really not a problem at all. She's an amazing girl." Adrien smiled over at Marinette, who was busy playing with a string on her shirt.

Sabine leaned across the table and whispered towards him. "How can you know if she doesn't talk?"

Adrien smirked and took Marinette's hand, causing her to look up at him and smile. "I can see it in what she does. How she reacts. How she giggles at my bad jokes. How she worries about everyone around her. How she sees me even when I can't see past my flaws. She's an amazing human being."

Tom and Sabine were shocked to see Marinette smile at him. They hadn't seen her smile in ages.

"And you got all this from being around her?" Tom raised an eyebrow and Adrien peered over at him.

"If you sit beside her long enough and watch her… you can learn a lot from her. Plus she writes to me." Adrien smiled at him and Tom smiled.

"I'm glad to hear that she's talking in some form to someone." Tom warmly sighed as he sat back and wrapped his arm around Sabine's shoulders. He peered into her eyes and nodded. "We're worried about her."

Marinette's smile faded as she zoned out on a self-help poster that was on the wall. Adrien peered at her and then back at her parents. "We had a falling out due to my outburst. I take full responsibility for it. But she's doing okay." He clenched her hand in his. "We're doing okay."

"I'm so happy to know that." Sabine smiled at the two of them as she watched Adrien press Marinette's knuckles to his lips.

Marinette closed her eyes and got lost in the softness of his gentle kiss.

"How are you?" Sabine smiled at Adrien, catching him off guard.

He wasn't used to someone caring about him. Wasn't used to someone asking him that question.

"Uh…" Adrien shook his head as he thought of how to answer. "I'm doing okay. Sorry, I'm just-" He pressed his lips into a thin line, bringing himself back to reality as tears threatened to fall. "I'm not used to being asked that question."

"Everyone deserves to be loved and cared about, dear." Sabine smiled and took his hand from across the table. "I don't know what happened to you or why you're here, but… know that you are loved and that someone cares about you. That everything is going to be okay and get better for you. It can't storm all the time. The sun has to come out eventually."

Adrien's eyes widened at her words as they warmed his heart. He peered over at Marinette with wonder in his eyes. How could she be so broken with such loving parents? How could she be mute when she had them to be there for her? He had no one that cared for him. No one to ask him how he was, except for psychologists and therapists. Nurses.

"I know this probably doesn't mean much, but thank you." Adrien let a tear fall down his cheek and quickly rubbed it away, pretending to itch his eyes. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Sabine grabbed a tissue and passed him it. "We know it can be hard. It's hard for us to see Marinette this way, but seeing her smile makes it all feel a little better."

"Well, I'm glad that I can make your day a little brighter. She's a good girl. Very talented. She's the only light in this place." Adrien touched her thigh and Marinette peered over at him with a weak smile as tears filled her eyes.

"We're so glad that she is being herself around you. It only gives us hope." Tom smiled at them and stood up. "We should go."

Sabine stood up and walked around the table, staring at Adrien. "May I hug you?"

Adrien stood up and she wrapped her arms around him, feeling his bones against his skin. He was too skinny for her liking, but she chose to ignore that. She hugged him and sighed. "Thank you, Adrien. For everything. We really appreciate you. Continue to get better. I want to see your bright smiling face at our bakery one day." She let him go and touched his shoulders. "Don't forget to tell yourself that you're amazing too."

"You got our daughter to smile. That's an accomplishment." Tom winked at him and Sabine slapped his arm.

"TOM!" Sabine laughed and rolled her eyes. She turned her attention back to her daughter and Adrien. "Continue to find strength in not only each other, but within yourselves. You're worth it."

Sabine took Tom's arm and they walked out of the room. Marinette fell to her knees once the door closed and Adrien crouched down to hold her. She burst into tears and sobbed.

"What's wrong?" Adrien touched her jawline as her lips trembled. The realization that like him, it took a toll on her emotionally to see her parents hit him like a massive rock that he had been pushing up hill. "Stupid question." He rolled his eyes at himself and held her in his lap, rocking her back and forth. He ran his fingers through her hair and waited for it to pass. "It's okay. I know it's hard, but they love you. Truly love you. You're lucky. Most of the people in here don't have family like yours." Adrien tried to calm her down.

Marinette gasped as she shook her head and clung to his shirt. She grabbed a paper from the table and he pencil and began to scribble down her thoughts in shaky handwriting. She passed him it and he read what it said.

"You don't know what it's like letting them down. Making your mother cry. Seeing what you're doing to them. How you're affecting them, but you can't stop." Adrien thought for a moment and tore the paper up, so that no one would find it, as he shoved it into the small trash can beside the table.

"Marinette." He touched her chin with a warm smile. "I do know what that's like. I let my father down daily. Hell, I let him down just by existing. My mom passed away and she was the only one that would listen to me. But now she's gone. This place was made to house us. This place wasn't made to help. The only thing that can help us? Is ourselves. Yes, there are some therapists out there that are better than here, but this is considered the best place to be. But is it?" Adrien ran his hands along her cheeks and watched her shake her head and tremble. "It's a hell hole made to house the broken. No one is truly getting better here. No one is truly okay. But can we win against our own battles and be well enough to survive? You bet that's possible. But not here. Not in a place like this. You have a fighting chance because you have an amazing support system at home, Marinette." He laughed and messed up his hair. "Look at mine. My father had me strip down to measure me and not only that… he had you do it too. My future is not looking good. I have a fucking G-tube for God's sake."

Marinette shook her head and captured his lips, making him stop talking. He sighed and got lost in her soft lips as Nurse Bustier opened the door.

Song I wrote this to:

Smoke by Violette Wautier