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It all started when their homeroom teacher announced a field drip. Now normally they’d be really excited about going on any type of excursion, but with the recent increase in akuma attacks, everyone was getting nervous. That nervousness increased when it was revealed that the trip was a camping trip. A trip with about 20 young teens, exactly 3 adults (the school nurse for first aid, and their two teachers for more adult supervision), and most importantly, no superheroes to save the day. Or so the majority of the class thought.
Marinette and Adrien knew better. They had different anxieties surrounding this trip than their peers. Theoretically, they’d be safe out of the city because Paris was always the city getting attacked. Unfortunately, their class also happened to be the single most targeted group of people since the attacks started. And if someone was akumatized, there was no way that Ladybug or Chat Noir could know. Adrien and Marinette worried about if someone in Paris got akumatized while they were trapped in the middle of nowhere with people not in the know.
But for some stupid reason, this trip was mandatory survival training, so they had to go. Luckily for them, Marinette’s parents were in the know, so they had access to what was happening in the city due to Marinette’s satellite phone. They promised to keep the superhero du informed during their 5 day trip.
So while they were still reluctant, Marinette and Adrien stocked their backpacks with everything they might possibly need. They had 3 changes of clothes that were terrain and climate friendly (although they were still planning on layering up on the day that they were leaving), some emergency lightweight rations, personal hygiene products, and full med kits.
Each pack had a sleeping bag rolled up on top and a small compartment for each kwami. They were as prepared as they could possibly be. And everything was going okay up until they actually got into the woods. Adrien and Marinette had drifted to the back of the group while they talked in hushed tones. Their classmates were chattering around excitedly as they stared in awe at their surroundings. Being in the fresh air was probably really awe inspiring for them. Both Marinette and Adrien were city people and had seen sights that were far more awe inspiring. They didn’t bother paying attention.
And that was of course, their first mistake.
One moment they were looking down with their heads turned towards each other as they just sort of… talked. The next, the sound of the others in their class had faded away and they were suddenly alone in the middle of the woods. “Mari… how did we manage to get separated from the class already? Where even are we?” Adrien said as he looked around. He honestly wasn’t surprised that this had happened. As a literal black cat, of course he had bad luck.
Marinette frowned as they stopped to look at their surroundings to see where they were. “I don’t really know.” She looked up at the sky, taking in the fact that the sun was beginning to descend in the sky. “But maybe we should find a spot to make camp for tonight. We don’t want to be wandering around in the dark, and we have no idea how far ahead our class has gone. We can set out to find them tomorrow. The woods can’t be that big.” She declared decisively. Adrien nodded in agreement, following Marinette’s plan just like he always did.
She definitely had more street smarts than he did.
Marinette had been camping before with her family, so she lead them through the trees until they reached a relatively dear area. There was definitely enough room for them to lay out their sleeping bags for the night. Marinette didn’t want to set up a full camp because they would be heading out very early tomorrow. It wouldn’t be cold enough in the evening for them to both with a temporary fire. They could just cuddle together to keep warm if the need arose.
Adrien was happy about that idea.
And that’s how they ended up sleeping under a tree with their packs behind them and curled around each other.
The next morning they woke up before sunrise. Adrien had a problem where he woke up way to early no matter when he fell asleep and he napped an excessive mount. Marinette liked to make fun of him, calling him a furry – but he only responded by pouting and hissing at her. Either way, he hadn’t broken that pattern and they were both up and moving as the sun rose.
In an effort to not feel gross during their treck in the woods, they’d first located a stream with clear fresh water. With only minor blushing and fumbling – a major accomplishment for the both of them despite the fact that they’d both seen each other naked due to compromisingly placed injuries and even showered together while half asleep – although that was an entirely different headspace to be in – they managed to strip and quickly climb into the freezing waters.
There was much cursing involved, and even some high pitched squealing and hissing, but they managed to get clean enough and then dry within an hour. Although, they had been slightly delayed by Adrien being a complete and utter child by starting a water fight…
They took their time as they wandered through the trees. Just enjoying the first hints of sunrise and the twittering of birds. They may be city people, but even they could understand the beauty of the wild. “It’s actually rather pretty here, even if I do prefer Paris.” Marinette admitted as she craned her head around to follow the flight of a bird. Adrien shrugged by he was smiling slightly as he looked at his partner.
“While my heart lies with only you and Paris, breathing the fresh air is admittedly nice. I wouldn’t mind coming out here every now and then.” He told her, getting a soft smile in return from Marinette.
“I always forget what you get out of being Chat Noir is freedom.”
They continued their treck through the woods, stopping when the sun was high for a quick snack break before continuing. “Do you think Paris is ding alright without us?” Adrien asked after a time. Marinette shrugged before holding up her phone.
“If something happens my parents will call us,” she assured him, reaching up to ruffle his hair playfully. He grinned brightly at her, but the edge of worry was still in his eyes.
“I know, but I just can’t shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen in the next 4 days.” He told her.
“Well then, we’ll just have to keep our eyes open then.”
It was dusk by the time they came across a clearing large enough to hold the entire class. Lucky for the duo, that it was a clearing that the class had chosen to stay at for the night. They crossed into the makeshift camp while all the other students were still huddled around the large fire in the centre.
The duo smiled at each other before making their way over to the crowd, the teachers catching sight of then and immediately standing up drawing everyone else’ s attention to the new arrivals. “Mr. Agreste! Ms. Dupain-Cheng! Where on earth have you been?” Their teacher demanded as she rushed towards this two.
Adrien rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry Mme. We got talking and looked down for a second when we looked up, you guys had all disappeared.” He told her, Marinette nodding in agreement. The teacher may have looked skeptical, but they didn’t look like they fell down a hole or something. So there was that.
“We’re sorry, Mme. I just thought that it would be smarter to rest for the night then stumble through the woods. I’ve been camping before, so Adrien and I both had everything we’d need to survive 5 days in the woods in our packs.” Marinette smiled disarmingly, awkwardly gesturing to her backpack and almost falling over. Adrien caught her effortlessly and seemingly without being aware as he turned back to the teacher.
“We had no idea where you’d be, so we wandered around for a bit after washing up in a stream.” Adrien said this absentmindedly as he supported a still imbalanced Marinette. Innocent Adrien (this poor by never seemed to hear the innuendos or implications in his speech unless someone pointed it out to him) didn’t notice what was wrong – well unusual with that statement. Everyone else however, did.
The teacher’s face slowly but surely began to turn a bright red as she stared with her eyes bugging out of her head at them while the class began to snicker quietly. They did their best to stifle full blown laughter, but Adrien’s confused face wasn’t helping at all. Marinette, for her part, was doing her best to not blush. There was nothing to be embarrassed about, but the teachers and classmates reactions were making her self-conscious.
“Y-you,” she stuttered, “together?!” the teacher squeaked. Adrien tilted his head to the side in a decidedly cat-like gesture.
“Is there a problem with that?” he asked curiously.
The teacher and other adults looked even more flustered at his blasé response. “Does Ms. Dupain-Cheng’s parents know about this?’ the nurse choked out. That’s when Marinette recovers enough to try to do some damage control while still twisting it so that it looked like it was the teacher who was being gross by assuming.
“Yes they do.” She says with surprisingly strong confidence for Marinette. “Whenever Adrien’s dad is away he comes to stay with us. My parents love having him over, and they trust that we won’t do anything. They understand that sometimes in the morning we’re in a rush – modesty isn’t really an issue for us anymore.”
Her deadpanned answer pushed the other students over the edge, and soon many of them were guffawing loudly, some even rolling around on the ground with the force of their laughter.
Seeing their teacher’s distress, the other chaperone stepped forward to take over the situation. “We can continue to sort this out tomorrow. For now, everyone off to bed. Ms. Dupain-Cheng, Mr. Agreste, you’ll be sharing a tent with Ms. Césaire and Mr. Lahiffe.” At that proclamation, the laughter clamed down and people began to meander on over to their tents for the night.
Now that the focus was off their formally missing classmates, Alya took this chance to grip Marinette’s arm tightly and drag her over to a tent on the edges f the camp. Marinette shot her partner a panicked look as Alya began to his furiously.
“What the heck happened there, girl? And since when were you so calm about seeing Adrien naked?!”