Chapter Text
No. NO. NO!
Adrien ran his hands through his hair and he closed the door behind him, barely noticing how much he was shaking as he slid down the the floor. He rocked back and forth as his fingers messed up his hair and made him look less "perfect" and more "feral". And in all honesty, he felt like a trapped wild animal.
His breathing was ragged, his vision blurry, and his mind a hurricane. But even in the chaos there a few select things that repeated loud and clear in the storm of his mind. Over and over again the thoughts whirled around, and he couldn't stop them, he couldn't gain control.
My father is Hawk Moth.
My mother isn't dead.
This can't be happening.
I have to leave.
This can't be happening.
I need to get out of here.
This can't be happening.
This can't be happening.
This can't--
"ADRIEN!" Plagg shouted, waving his paws around frantically, "Snap out of it before you get akumatized!"
Akumatized...? Would his own father do that to him? He almost scoffed out loud for thinking that, of course his father would do that to him, he would do anything. His father was the one hurting his friends, the one who hurt him, the one who almost succeeded in akumatizing even Marinette, the one who repeatedly had him and Marinette thrown into the walls, cars, and the ground, the one who--
The one who almost let him fall to his death when his bodyguard was akumatized.
"Adrien, please," his kwami pleaded.
"I'm sorry, Plagg. I'm sorry for scaring you," Adrien mumbled apologetically.
All that time Adrien thought his father was just grieving, all those times he defended him when his friends thought he was terrible, all those times he'd been criticized for not being good enough--
Adrien shook his head. He couldn't get akumatized, he needed to be there for Marinette.
Marinette... Maybe he could go see her and tell her about all of that. Yeah, that would be a better idea than staying alone.
Whenever Adrien came to visit Marinette, it was usually because too much was on his mind and it was better to be with her than alone. It was also usually because he enjoyed her company, and eventually because he loved her and was her boyfriend. He usually came in her room after she would open the hatch with a smirk and a flirty pun, then kissed her after dropping transformation.
Adrien did not usually come into her room without knocking. Adrien did not usually come into her room with a smile that was more of a grimace. Adrien did not come into her room about to break down. And Adrien definitely never came into her room and clung to her for dear life as he sobbed.
Sure, there had been a couple times when he'd had nightmares and came to her looking disheveled, but it was never like that. The way he seemed so small, so broken, so lost... It broke every part of her being.
But she didn't say anything in regard to the reason. She knew it was better to hold him and murmur sweet nothings into his ear and he clung to her. She knew it was better to hold his face in her hands and kiss him softly as she wiped away his tears. She knew it was better to just be there for him until he decided when to tell her what happened, and she would listen and stay by his side because that was what partners were for.
"He's Hawk Moth, Marinette," Adrien said quietly, his voice breaking. "My father is Hawk Moth and I hadn't known until now." He paused, trying to keep his voice steady, to no avail, "He's been keeping my mother in a glass coffin of some sort in a garden basement, but she's not dead. You can get to the basement and his lair from the painting in his office. He's been hurting our friends, hurting me, hurting you-- all because he was stupid enough to think that he could bring my mother back. Can you believe it? Can you believe it? Neglecting me, criticizing everything I did, making me feel like I was never going to be enough--and I still stood up for him-- only to find out that he was Hawk Moth. My mother would never forgive him. Never."
Marinette kissed his cheek softly, catching a tear with her lips, "I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. I wish there was more I could do to help you."
His eyes turned soft, and he kissed her tenderly, "You being here for me is enough, you've done more than that rotten man has ever done for me. Your family is amazing, Marinette, my friends are great, and you are a blessing. I don't need him, I don't even want to go back there."
"Then don't." Adrien quirked an eyebrow at her, so she continued, "Bring stuff here, we have a room to spare. I don't think my parents would question you or kick you out if you told them that you didn't want to be at home at the moment. We'll take you in, we'll shower you with love and affection, and when you're ready, we can figure out what to do with Hawk Moth."
Adrien knocked the air out her lungs as pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "I'm so lucky to have you in my life, I love you so much," he said before pressing his lips against hers, hard.
Marinette felt herself flush, her heart racing. That had been unexpected, though no matter how many times they'd kissed, she didn't think her heart would stop fluttering.
"I, uh," she cleared he throat, "I'm gonna go tell my parents."
"I'll go get some stuff."
"Ok, bye. I love you!"
"I love you, too."
Unsurprisingly, convincing her parents was easy. She told them that Adrien texted her saying that he didn't want to be at his house for a while, and asked if he could stay at her place. She said that she'd told him he could, and that she'd double check with her parents. The bakers, of course, didn't even get mad that she said he could before asking because they already knew that no matter what, he would be welcome in their home.
The problem was that she wasn't sure what to do with the new information Adrien gave her. His father, Gabriel Agreste, a successful, talented man, was Hawk Moth and he wanted the miraculous to wish for his wife to wake up. But why hadn't he taken her to the hospital? What caused her to go into such a deep coma? How could Marinette possibly have Adrien fight against his father? How could she possibly have him give up on having a family again? It wasn't fair to Adrien.
Up in her room, she collapsed on her bed. "Tikki, what am I gonna do?"
"Just wait it out and if Adrien doesn't want to fight Hawk Moth, then you'll get the help of the other miraculous holders," the wise kwami supplied.
"But what about his mom? We can't just leave her there!"
"One step at a time, Marinette. We'll figure it out once we get there."
"I guess you're right," she said with a sigh.