How You Doing Insane Gang!

I absolutely don't condone smoking as it is terrible for your health. Adrien is shown to be so positive all the time even though by all accounts he should be miserable and he doesn't have an outlet of any kind to really express his frustrations with everything. I figured he had to do something to help him relax. I based this on my personal experience as I vape occasionally if I'm really stressed or anxious. Adrien can easily go several months or even over a year without smoking one.

They are 18 years old, making it legal and the squad is in their senior year of high school.

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Thomas.

It was getting to him. Ladybug and Chat Noir have been on the right track; getting closer and closer to Hawkmoth's identity. This being true when he starts sending more lethal Akumas.

His father has been particularly uptight recently and not letting him go outside with his friends.

"Come on kid, let's go to bed." Plagg brought Adrien out of his thoughts. He's been staring at his literature homework for the last several minutes. It was already pretty late; his piano lesson went over because the instructor felt he wasn't putting enough "feeling" into it...whatever the hell that means.

"In a minute Plagg, I just want to open the window."

"Adrien."

He heard the fed-up tone of voice.

"It's just one and it's been a while."

Adrien walked to his dresser to dig out a pack that was hidden inside a pair of high socks. Plagg sighs but stayed quiet. He goes to settle on the pillow to wait for Adrien.

He doesn't light the cigarette until he has his head out the window. The first inhale makes him cough slightly. He was out of practice; the last time he did smoke was a couple of months ago.

In...out...in...out. At least this he can control, the patterns of his inhale and feeling the paper filter on his lips. In no time the cigarette was depleted. He had to grip it with his thumb and forefinger. Taking one more drag, he flicks it out into the night.

"Make some room Plagg."

The little god floated up from the spot and waited for Adrien to climb in before curling into the side of his neck.

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"Adrien, here is your schedule for today." Nathalie handed over the timetable at breakfast.

He looks it over, mid-chew of his healthy omelet.

"Why am I redoing the last two shoots for the fall catalog?" He asks, scrunching his eyebrows together.

"Your father felt they weren't good enough and due to deadlines, have to be made up today."

Adrien shook his head, "Those shoots took all weekend."

"That's why we are taking you out of school early." Her resolute tone made this not up for discussion.

"I have a test last period." Clenching his jaw, he challenges.

Nathalie clicked her heels together. "Then you are going to have to make it up some other time when your schedule allows. Now run along to the car."

Adrien exhaled out of his nose. Without a word, he got up to head to school. Gorilla had him there 20 minutes early. Some kids were already there milling around in the courtyard or at their lockers.

None of the squad was here yet, so he found a secluded corner to hide against. Adrien kicked the brick wall behind him with the heel of his shoe.

"Can you believe that Plagg? It's like Father doesn't care about what I want anymore."

Plagg zipped out his hidden pocket and into his hair.

"It could be worse." He rumbled.

Adrien groaned, reaching into his duffle bag to pull out a cigarette and lighter. "He treats me as a worker more than his son."

Taking a long breath, he leans up against the brick. "Does he even remotely care about me or my wellbeing?"

Plagg tugs on strands of hair to get his attention. "He might bot be the perfect father but he's got to care if he doesn't that's on him. You got me, Tikki, and Mari by your side."

The thought of his lady brought a smile to his face and he slackens his index and middle finger to stop crushing his cigarette.

The little cat's ears perked up at the sound of someone approaching. Adrien hides the barely smoked stick behind his back.

"There you are Minou, I thought I heard Plagg's voice," Marinette announced, rounding the corner.

"You're here awfully early My Lady."

Plagg floated down to join Tikki in Marinette's purse.

"Well, I actually got a decent amount of sleep." She giggled.

Leaning up on her toes, she pecked her boyfriend's lips. Her face puckered in distaste.

"Adrien...were you?"

He answers her by moving his hand out from behind his back. The cigarette dropped ash from the jostling.

Marinette wraps her arms around his waist and tilts her chin up to meet his chest so she could gaze into his eyes.

Adrien unwilling to meet her stare, turned his head to take another puff.

"It's my father again." He tells her stubbornly.

"You can't let him get to you."

He looks around again. "Yeah well, it's hard when he's the only family I have left."

Marinette squeezed him tighter to her body. "You'll be okay Kitty."

Adrien steps back to fully look at her and take a deeper breath of his cigarette.

"I only have one addiction Princess and that is to you."

She groaned, delivering a light punch to his shoulder. "That's not funny."

Laughing, he had to support himself on the wall. Marinette laughed along with him.

"GOT YOU TWO!" Alya jumped out with her phone rolling and a disgruntled Nino in tow.

"Jesus Alya! You scared us." Marinette exclaimed.

Alya lowered her phone. "I figured you two sneaked off somewhere, now Nino owes me five bucks." She holds out her hand, "Pay up pretty boy."

He reaches into his jean pocket to reach for his wallet. "Thanks for that guys."

"What time is it if you guys came to find us?" Marinette questioned.

Nino waved her off and settled next to his boy Adrien, putting a shoe on the wall. "We still have like 15 minutes."

The smoke dissipated from Adrien's nose in a soft exhale.

"Adrien whatever your middle name is Agreste, what the hell was that?" Alya had her hands on her hips.

He scrambled for an excuse while Nino spotted the three-quarter cigarette in his hand. Grabbing his wrist in a surprisingly firm grip, he got pissed all of a sudden as a brotherly instinct took over.

"You got to be fucking kidding me dude, really? You trying to get Marinette hooked?"

Adrien elbowed him in the chest with his occupied hand. He felt defensive and put the cigarette in the corner of his mouth so Nino couldn't take it away from him. "Are you crazy? Like hell I want Mari to be anywhere near something that could kill her."

Alya turned her head to Marinette. "Mari...did you know about this?"

She sighed, getting caught in the middle. "I did, even though I want him to quit, he does it very rarely. He's just extra stressed is all." Reaching up, she scratched lightly at the nape of his neck, getting his shoulders to release their tension a bit.

Nino leans his shoulder into the brick. "So you only smoke when you're stressed?"

Adrien nodded. "This is my first cigarette in a couple of months, I'm not a chain smoker." His voice was slightly muffled due to the cigarette in his mouth.

"How long?"

"I think 15 or 16ish...—He rubbed the back of his head—It's been a while."

Marinette glanced at her phone to see the time. "Come on guys we have ten minutes left before class starts."

Adrien took a last deep breath before snuffing out the cigarette on the brick wall.

"We really need to find you a healthier alternative," Alya stated.

Adrien blew the thick cloud down at the ground so his friends wouldn't have to breathe it in. "Be my guest, but I haven't found anything that I liked."

Marinette wound around his arm to give him a comforting kiss. The taste of ash was bitter on her own tongue. "Yeah, we really need to find you something else, something tastier."

Alya shook her head. "TMI girl."

Marinette's contagious laugh caught the others as the walked up the stairs.

I really enjoyed this one guys. Let me know if yall have suggestions for my next one.

Stay Crazy.