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It had been exactly three years since his mother’s disappearance. There were no clues. No leads. Just poof. She was gone. The worst part was not knowing anything . Was she dead? Alive? Did she leave on her own accord, abandoning him and his father? Or did something more sinister happen?
Shoving his cold hands in his pockets, Adrien exhaled as he walked through the early morning streets. The white puff of condensation that left his lips vanished without a trace as soon as it came—much like his mother. His face felt numb from the brisk winter breeze and he idly thought that it would be nice if he couldn’t feel anything at all.
Adrien had hoped that he could spend time with his father, maybe talk a bit about the missing Agreste matriarch. But as usual, Gabriel had given him the cold shoulder. In attempts to soften the blow, Nathalie quickly explained that the man was very busy with an upcoming fashion event. His father might as well be missing too, if it weren’t for the fact that he was very noticeably present in the form of the metaphorical ball and chain around Adrien’s ankle; though it hardly prevented him from escaping.
“Adrien?”
He paused at the sound of his name, his right foot lingered on its heel for a few seconds before falling flat to the ground. He turned to his left and looked across the street to see Marinette stopped on her bike, blinking at him curiously. When she confirmed that it was indeed him, she looked both ways to check for cars before gliding over to his side.
“Hey, Marinette.” He greeted, managing a smile despite the empty feeling in his gut. There was just something about her appearance that made his lips curl up at their ends. Perhaps it was the way her smile reminded him of his mother. Her face was flushed and her wind-swept hair had pointed out in several directions. His hands itched to tame the unruly strands and put them back to how they usually were.
“You’re out here early on a Saturday morning.” She stated, noting that it was just a little past seven. Most of their friends were probably still in bed snoozing away.
“The same could be said for you. Out making deliveries?” He asked, taking note of the cargo rack above the rear wheel of her bike. She nodded and opened her mouth to speak when a growl interrupted them. Adrien blinked and placed his hand on his grumbling stomach. Marinette laughed.
“You want to get some breakfast at my place? Pastries are freshly baked.”
His smile grew into a large grin and he nodded. Adrien Agreste did not pass up on pastries. It was also a welcomed distraction. He had planned to hang out with Nino later on to take his mind off of things but the DJ was still sleeping.
The bell jingled as they walked through the bakery door and Adrien took notice of the few customers that were there. An elderly couple was chatting with Sabine while another took their time to look at the selection of baked goods. Sabine flashed him a smile when she saw him.
Marinette ushered him along, past the counter to where Tom was currently working on another batch of croissants. She tapped her father’s arm to get his attention and asked if it was alright if they had breakfast upstairs. He readily agreed and sent the two on their way along with some pastries.
“Make yourself comfortable.” Marinette said as they entered the door to her home. She made a beeline to the kitchen to set up and he followed behind, taking a seat at the dining table. It had been a while since he was last in her home. It always exuded a feeling of warm comfort that he envied immensely.
He watched her tinker around in the kitchen. It had been almost a year since he first met her, and subsequently Nino and Alya. He inwardly laughed that he actually had Chloe to thank for him finally making the friends he always wanted.
A chance photoshoot at the park early in the morning and Chloe's vehemence towards a certain bakery was the start of it all. Given a short break, he planned on buying something to eat. He wouldn't have considered the bakery across the street if Chloe hadn't pointedly told him not to go there. And someone telling him not to do something only gave him all the more reason to do it.
"Welcome—" Marinette said with a pleasant smile, only for it to morph into a frown seconds later.
"This bakery must do poorly if your parents can't even afford to hire a real worker, Dupain-Cheng." Chloe said snidely.
"Chloe! That's rude!" Adrien scolded her but she simply folded her arms and turned away indignantly. Adrien walked to the counter and apologized, but was still met with a distrustful frown, no doubt wary of him because he was with Chloe.
"What can I get for you?" She still managed to ask politely, despite his companion's rudeness.
At her inquiry, he remembered what he was there for and his eyes lit up when he took in the variety of pastries before him. A giggle pulled him out of his excitement and he saw that Marinette was laughing at him. He blushed realizing that he probably looked like a child in a candy store. He rubbed the back of his neck abashedly and he could hear Chloe behind him clicking her tongue in annoyance before exiting the shop.
“I don’t really get to eat pastries often so I want to try everything.” He explained. “How many do you think I can scarf down in 15 minutes?” He asked, making her giggle again.
“As much as I would like to make a big sale, I’m morally compelled to make sure you don’t kill yourself by gourging on as many as you can in such a little amount of time. You can always come back again. We’ll still be here.” She smiled.
“You’re right.” He laughed. “I guess I’ll start with the madeleines. Three of those. Mmm… Maybe a chocolate eclair as well.” He added on after a few seconds of deliberating. Marinette grabbed a small paper bag and began to fill it with his request. “I’m Adrien. I take it you already know Chloe.” He introduced himself as she worked.
“Unfortunately.” Marinette replied. After placing the last madeleine in the bag, she folded it neatly and gave it to him. “I’m Marinette. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again after you have a taste of these.”
And right she was. It wasn’t only the fact that the pastries were delicious that drew him back, but that Marinette was so friendly and he thoroughly enjoyed her company. Through her, he met Nino and Alya, whom he also became good friends with.
“Coffee?” Marinette pulled him from his thoughts. “Or is that forbidden?” She chuckled knowing that it wouldn’t be out of the question.
“What they don’t know won’t hurt them.” Adrien grinned.
They had a light-hearted conversation as they ate their meal much to Adrien’s relief. Despite being excessively clumsy, Marinette was perceptive. It was clear to her that something was weighing on his mind and he was grateful that she didn’t pry. The topic of his mother was never brought up to his friends and he wasn’t sure he was ready to start now.
He took a sip of his coffee—the bitterness something he still wasn’t accustomed to. He reached for the sugar bowl not realizing that Marinette was also. Their hands touched and lingered just a bit too long before Marinette pulled back and let out an apology, followed by a nervous laugh. A smile tugged at his lips at her awkwardness. With a flushed face, she seemed to find interest in something to her right as she stared at it intently.
“Hey, Marinette?” He called and waited for her eyes to turn his way. “Want to go somewhere after this?”
“Together?” She questioned in surprise and he nodded. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers and her mouth flapped uselessly. Her cheeks seemed to be permanently stained pink since he’d run into her. A slight smile appeared on her lips before fading, replaced by a frown and furrowed brows. He had to stifle a laughter seeing the myriad of emotions flit across her features. He always liked how expressive she was.
“You don’t have to. You’re probably busy.” He said, not wanting her to feel badly about declining his invitation. It was last minute after all. Even if it wasn’t, she wasn’t obligated to spend her time with him.
“I’m sorry.” She apologized. “I’m working the register after deliveries today.” She sighed dejectedly. He reassured her that it was fine and that Nino was bound to wake up some time.
Finishing up their meal, Marinette walked Adrien back down to the bakery as he wanted to pick up some pastries for later. After attempting to pay for the goods and Sabine refusing to take his money, Adrien thanked them and headed towards the exit.
"I'm sorry, again." Marinette gave him a regretful smile for not being able to keep him company.
"It's really no problem. Maybe next time." He grinned.
Overhearing their conversation, Sabine curiously spoke up.
"Oh, did you need Marinette for something?" She asked.
"It's nothing, Madam. I'm free today so I was just trying to figure out how to pass the time." He explained. "I'll just wander around a bit until Nino wakes up."
"Well, if you're just going to wander around, perhaps you can keep Marinette company on her deliveries." Sabine suggested. “Maybe keep her out of any trouble. You know how clumsy she is.”
"Maman," Marinette frowned exasperatedly. "I can't drag him around while working and I'd be riding my bike." It was Sabine’s turn to frown.
"I suppose that's true."
"It's really okay." Adrien chuckled. He felt badly about making them worry.
Bidding them goodbye, Adrien left and began his aimless meandering. First, he stopped by Francois Dupont and stared at it wistfully. He always wanted to go to an actual school. Even when his mom was still with them, it was hard to convince his parents to let him go. They both deemed that outside schools weren’t good enough. He was quite jealous of Chloe because she was allowed to go. Marinette previously told him that she had the unfortunate luck of being in a class with Chloe for most of their school years. Her final year was no different and he silently laughed when he remembered her griping about how Chloe better not attend the same university as her.
It was thoughts like these that made him wonder what exactly he was doing with his life. He couldn’t help but hold onto the past, obsessing over what-ifs and what could have been. Thoughts of the present and future were fleeting. There was no point in pondering over it when his father was intent on dictating his life. Instead, he lived vicariously through his friends, because unlike him, they all had ambitions. He was just an empty shell. Maybe that’s why his mom left.
He shook his head and tried to clear the negative thoughts from his mind. He just had a wonderful time with Marinette. It would be rude to ruin the day with his pessimism.
As he thought of continuing his stroll, he felt the vibration of his phone and checked it to see that it was Nino. He had to watch over his little brother but he was still down with hanging out if Adrien didn’t mind having a kid around. Anything to keep his mind busy. So he made his way to Nino’s, grateful for the distraction.
“It always feels like forever since I’ve last seen you.” Nino remarked when he opened the door to a grinning Adrien.
“That’s why I brought a peace offering.” Adrien chuckled as he held up the bag of pastries. “Sorry, my schedule has been packed lately.” He explained apologetically. But he would be lying though if he said that he didn’t appreciate the extra work leading up to the dreadful anniversary of his mother’s disappearance.
“It’s cool man. I get it. Come on in,” Nino stepped aside to let Adrien pass. “Did you see Marinette this morning?” He asked, since the bag of pastries was clearly marked with the logo of her family’s bakery.
“Yeah. We caught each other when she was making deliveries.” He said as he plopped the bag down on a table. He greeted Nino’s brother who was sitting on the couch playing video games.
“She’s making deliveries?” Nino asked incredulously.
“Is that odd?” Adrien was confused by Nino’s tone.
“Uh no, no. I just remember Alya telling me about how Marinette said that her parents wouldn’t let her make deliveries. I guess that was a while ago though. So what do you wanna do?” Nino asked, changing the subject. Adrien simply shrugged. He didn’t care as long as it passed the time.
It was only five when night began to fall, courtesy of the winter season. Nino’s parents returned from their outing and began to get dinner ready. Wanting to get out of their hair and also hoping that maybe he could have dinner with his father, he bid them all a good night and left. He sent Nathalie a quick text about dinner and awaited her reply. He was halfway through the park when she responded to let him know that Gabriel wouldn’t be present for dinner.
Adrien sighed and backtracked towards a bench. He sat down and leaned back, staring blankly at the sky. He would probably get in trouble for not being home for dinner, but he didn’t care anymore. Why should he have to be present when his father couldn’t bother to be.
“Adrien?” He heard the familiar voice call his name for the second time that day. He couldn’t muster the strength to sit up and simply turned his head over to see Marinette standing there, huddled up with a cardigan. “I thought it was you. I saw you from my window. Is everything okay?” She asked worriedly. She rubbed her arms, obviously cold from her lack of a coat. She must have hurried out of her house after seeing his pitiful state.
“It could be worse.” He said as he sat up and hunched over. “You should get back inside. I’ll be fine.” He gave her a tepid smile. With a frown, Marinette marched right up to him and pulled him up from the bench. She was a lot stronger than she looked.
“Come on. It’s cold out here.” She said and began to pull him towards her home. He numbly followed along.
Tom and Sabine were surprised to see Marinette return with the absolutely down-trodden boy. He could feel their concerned gazes on him and he felt undeserving of their pity. It was his problem and he felt even more terrible for causing their upset. He couldn’t bear to look at any of them in the eyes.
“Sweetie, why don’t you take Adrien upstairs. I’ll bring you both some dinner.” He heard Sabine say quietly to Marinette. Marinette’s fingers intertwined with his and she led him up to her room.
She brought him over to her chaise and they both sat down. The tension in the air was disquieting.
“I don’t know what’s wrong but—”
“Today’s the third anniversary of my mother’s disappearance.” He said quietly, interrupting her.
“Oh, Adrien. I’m sorry.” She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.” He replied.
“I know but… I should have skipped work today.” She said regretfully.
It stung that a friend he’d known for less than a year was more willing to abandon work for him, than his own father. That simple truth made his heart ache infinitely more. He clenched his jaw, willing himself not to cry. But it was so hard because being in Marinette’s presence was so comforting that he couldn’t hold it in. He immediately broke down when she wrapped her arms around him and told him that it was okay.
The sound of the stairs creaking and the tray of dinner being placed on the floor barely went noticed by him as he cried. Marinette rubbed his back soothingly and let him vent his frustrations.
“It’s like he doesn’t even care. And I know— I know that’s why she left. She couldn't stand him anymore and I wasn’t good enough to make her stay.” He spilled his heart out. Even though he often tried to convince himself that his mother's disappearance was a mystery, he ultimately felt like the answer was actually clear and that he was in denial.
“That’s not true, Adrien. You’re wonderful. You’re sweet and kind. You work so hard to please your father. He’s the one who isn’t good enough. I don’t know anything about your mother, but if she left you, then that’s her loss.” Marinette reassured him.
Adrien sniffled and rubbed his eyes, the feeling of embarrassment starting to settle in as he calmed himself.
“Anyone would be lucky to have a son like you. I should know because my parents say it all the time.” Marinette chuckled. He laughed as she tried to lighten the mood. He pulled away from her and apologized for his breakdown.
“It’s no problem. That’s what friends are for. If you ever need to talk about something, I’m here.” She smiled.
“Thanks. You’re the best Marinette.”
“Of course. I try.” She puffed her chest and said confidently before laughing.
After eating the dinner that Sabine had prepared, Adrien made his way home, feeling warmer and lighter than ever. He was so grateful for the bonds he shared with his friends and he was just starting to see how lucky he was to have them. It was the first time since his mother disappeared that he settled to sleep feeling as if he mattered.
But he should have known from his experience how fleeting bonds were. They were like gossamer threads, so fine and fragile, able to disappear at a moment’s notice.
Marinette’s been in an accident. I don’t have the details but it doesn’t sound good.
His eyes read through the message over and over, his heart picking up pace each time. He looked at when the message was sent. 8:37AM. Just 14 minutes ago, from Alya; the recipients being him and Nino. He quickly dialed Alya. He needed her to tell him that it was some sort of sick joke.
“Hello?”
“What happened?” He almost shouted into the phone.
“She was involved in a car accident. Her parents are at the hospital right now. They called me to let me know but they didn’t have many answers either, aside from her being in critical condition.”
His whole body went numb and he sunk to the floor. They were together just last night. The memory of her smiling brightly at him was so fresh in his mind that the idea that he might never see it again made him double over in agony.
“I’m heading to the hospital now. Do you want to come with?” He barely registered her question. “Adrien?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll come.”
Unlike her usual upbeat self, Alya was despondent when he met up with her. Marinette was her best friend after all. They arrived at the hospital and were met with an utterly distraught Tom and Sabine. Tom was hunched over, head resting on his folded hands, as if praying. Sabine, on the other hand, sat rigidly straight in her seat, expression hardened. When she noticed Alya and Adrien, her gaze softened and she thanked them for coming.
“Do we have any more information about what happened?” Alya asked quietly.
“The driver, the one who hit her, says that she suddenly rode out into the street. His wife and daughter were also in the car. They’re very shaken up.” Sabine explained. “Marinette, she… she was crushed between the car and her bike.”
Adrien felt sick and it took all of his strength to not vomit right then and there. Alya trembled beside him, her first tears starting to fall. Sabine immediately went to comfort her.
Marinette didn’t need his tears. Crying would mean that he was entertaining a poor outcome. She was going to be okay. He refused to believe otherwise. All of his sadness and fear, he was going to channel it to something else. And that something else was anger.
It didn’t make any sense. Marinette wouldn’t carelessly waltz into a street without looking. The driver said she rode into the street? Then how would she end up between the car and the bike?
“Is the driver here?” Adrien asked in a shockingly calm voice. Tom looked up and back and forth through the corridor.
“I’m not sure. The police were asking him questions earlier. Is there something—” He paused when he caught sight of the unadulterated fury in Adrien’s eyes. “Son, it was an accident.”
“I want to talk to him.” Adrien said in the same calm, betraying the expression on his face.
“Adrien, no.” Tom said firmly. “I understand that you’re upset. But it was an accident. You know how clumsy Marinette is. We just want her to come out of this okay. Please don’t cause any trouble.”
The nauseated feeling returned and his insides swirled. He couldn’t understand how they were so easily believing the words of some stranger, the stranger that put their daughter at death’s door. But he had enough respect for them that he wouldn’t do anything to trouble them. It wasn’t his place to make any judgment calls.
It was nearly noon when a doctor came to talk to Tom and Sabine. The bones in her left leg were shattered and she had two fractured ribs. She suffered from large lacerations that caused her to lose a significant amount of blood. They had treated her injuries to the greatest extent that they could. Her condition was still serious but stable.
Adrien spent the next few days mindlessly going through his routines. Even though he knew that she was going to be okay, he couldn't ease his anxiety until he got to see her. He met up with Alya and Nino and tried to talk to them about the incident and how the driver’s story sounded off, but they just cast each other unsure glances.
“I know you want to place fault on someone but… we’ve known Marinette for a while. I mean, she’s literally walked into a pole before.” Alya sent him a worried smile. “Don’t overthink it Adrien. The most we can do is pray that she completely recovers.”
He was disappointed by the dismissal. But it was true that he didn’t know Marinette as long as they did. Even then, he still felt it in his gut that everything seemed wrong. He planned to visit her with Alya and Nino once she was awake but when the time arrived, he couldn’t muster the motivation to schedule a time with them.
He scrambled to get through his schedule to make time to visit her. Thankfully there was a bit of time left before visiting hours were over. He was filled with nerves as he walked to her room. It felt as if he hadn't seen her in a long time even though it had just been a week. He caught himself squeezing the bouquet of flowers he got her a bit too tightly and he hoped he didn't ruin them. As his hand readied to knock on her door, he heard her raised voice, filled with frustration.
"But Maman!"
"No buts. This is why we didn't want you to do deliveries in the first place. The decision is final." Sabine stated sternly.
"Papa!"
"Your mother is right. You're lucky that you made it through this. Plus, the doctor told us that you'll have to go through extensive rehab before you can walk again."
Adrien lowered his hand and stepped back from the door. He had never heard Marinette argue with her parents before. Though it didn’t seem to be much of an argument, with both Tom and Sabine solidly shutting down her protests. The subject matter was something he recalled hearing before. He racked his brain, trying to remember.
‘She’s making deliveries?’ Nino’s astounded voice rang in his head.
He didn’t like the insinuation. He always thought that Marinette’s parents were great people who were incredibly supportive of their daughter. He recalled Sabine suggesting that he accompany her during the deliveries, remarking on Marinette’s clumsiness. He recalled Tom insisting that he not talk to the driver, adamant that the incident was an accident because Marinette was just that clumsy. His last conversation with Alya and Nino resurfaced in his mind. It was like he had suddenly come to an epiphany, his perspective of everyone completely changing at the flip of a switch. It made his heart hurt to think that maybe they were just humoring her the whole time, and that they didn’t actually have much faith in her.
He caught himself clenching the bouquet again and he shook his head of his thoughts. He knocked on the door and Sabine opened it. Despite the smile on her face, the tension in the room seemed strong. Marinette gazed at him blankly from her reclined position and he wondered what she was thinking at the moment.
“Adrien! Thank you for coming.” Sabine said brightly. If he hadn’t overheard them, he would have been none the wiser. But he wasn’t there to start a fight. No matter how upset he was with them at the moment, he was there for Marinette. Luckily, they both decided to take their leave so that he could have some time with her.
“Hey,” He said softly, “I, um, got you some flowers, but I may have ruined them on the way here.” He said and held up the bouquet.
“Thank you.” She replied, trying to put more vigor in her voice. But it understandably came out flat. He placed the bouquet aside and sat down in the seat beside her bed.
“How are you feeling?” He asked. He didn’t know if she was on any pain medication at the moment but he hoped that she was comfortable. He surveyed her, taking note of the bandages that covered her body and the cast on her leg.
“I could be better.” She chuckled lightly. Mentally or physically? Probably both. He took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. Just the act of seeing her and talking to her flooded his body with relief. Even though she was far from recovered, he was just glad that she was alive.
“I heard what happened from your parents...” He trailed off. Her hand twitched and he could see her eyes narrow just slightly.
“It was just me being clumsy as usual.” She said casually. He could hear the underlying bitterness in her tone. He wondered how often she felt like this. How often she had to bottle up what she was feeling because she was so used to people gaslighting her.
“You may be clumsy, but you’re not careless, Marinette. I want to hear your side.” He said firmly. Marinette sighed and smiled at him appreciatively.
“I’m okay, Adrien. It doesn’t matter.” She looked so resigned and it hurt. Sweet, kind Marinette. She was always there for everyone. But who was there for her?
“It does matter. Marinette, you’ve been nothing but sunshine in my life. I’m so grateful to have you as a friend and I was so, so scared that I had lost you. I know that this is coming late and you deserve so much more than this, but I want you to know that you can always talk to me, too.” He said, returning her offer from last week. He regretted how much he had wallowed in self-pity before, not taking notice of any of Marinette’s troubles.
“Thank you, Adrien. That means a lot. It’s just… what can I say? It’s true that I’m clumsy and that I’m a screw up. What people think of me is valid. I can’t argue against that.” She explained.
“You’re not a screw up. Everyone makes mistakes. You’re the hardest working person I know. You could be like all of the other kids our age, spending their time hanging out and having fun. But instead, you help your parents out and you’re always doing favors for everyone.” He couldn’t believe that she thought so lowly of herself.
“Maybe I’m just overcompensating.” She whispered. “Did you know that I didn’t even want to work at the bakery? I had planned to get a part-time job somewhere else. I wanted to get a headstart with my design and tailoring skills, but I didn’t want to keep asking my parents to buy supplies for me. I wanted to show them that I was capable. But my parents told me that they would only let me try working somewhere else if I managed to work at the bakery without any issues for a year. And look where I am now." She let out a choked laugh that sounded more like a strangled cry.
She raised her right hand up to cover her eyes, her left still being held down by Adrien. It took all of his willpower not to clench it in frustration.
“Marinette?” He called. She sniffled and brought her hand down, blinking at him curiously. “Let’s run away together.” She continued to stare at him as if she didn’t hear what he said. He looked so serious and sincere that it almost made her feel bad for suddenly laughing.
“I don’t think I’m going anywhere like this.” She said and looked down to her leg.
“When you’re better…” He began. He brought her hand up to his lips and gave it a light kiss. “We’ll go somewhere far away. Somewhere you’ll be appreciated for how amazing you are. And even if no one else can see that, you will always be perfect to me.”
He gazed resolutely at her, etching her flushed and surprised face permanently into his memory. The way her eyes sparkled made his heart squeeze and it almost hurt how much he adored her.
“I… I think my head must have been injured as well. I'm hallucinating.” Her eyes darted around the room as if it would help with her lucidity.
“You're not.” He chuckled at her reaction. “When I heard what happened to you, I was terrified. The thought of never seeing you again was…" He swallowed the lump in his throat as he remembered just how devastated and empty he felt. “It killed me.”
“I-I'm sorry.” She apologized for making him feel so distraught.
“Don't be.” He smiled. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
"Can… can we get a hamster?" She asked shyly.
"Of course. Anything for you." He said and kissed her hand again.
Adrien didn't profess to know what love was. All he knew was that he cared deeply for Marinette and that he didn't want to let her go. They had always danced around each other, with the subtle glances and lingering touches they shared. Being with her just seemed natural. And he was sure she felt the same.
A nurse entered the room and announced that visiting hours were over and that it was time for Marinette's check up. She said that she'd give them another minute before leaving.
“I’ll come visit you again tomorrow.” He said. She nodded and he smiled fondly at the disappointed look on her face. He rose from his seat, leaned in, and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. The dazzled expression on her face when he pulled away made him want to kiss her again. But he had to go so she could get her check up.
When he arrived at the hospital the next day, he was surprised to see two suited men leaving Marinette's room. He knocked on the open door as he entered to let her know that he was there.
“Hey.” He greeted. He immediately took note of her discontented expression and wondered who the men were.
“Hey.” She replied. "Have a seat. Those investigators wanted to ask me some questions but since I'm not quite an adult yet, they need my parents present. My parents went to get coffee so they'll all probably be back in a bit.”
He was worried. What other bad things could come out of this? It wouldn't be completely out of the question for the driver to try to claim victimhood and press charges.
“Are you okay?” He wondered if it was upsetting for her to be reminded about the incident.
“Yeah, I'm just not looking forward to this…”
“You got this.” He smiled and squeezed her hand.
Like Marinette said, Tom and Sabine returned shortly with the investigators. Adrien asked if he should step out, but Marinette requested that he stay. The two introduced themselves as Mason and Pont. Mason asked her to recount what led up to the incident. Adrien was peeved as it didn't seem that anyone cared to hear her side of the story before. He wondered what changed.
“I was making the usual Sunday deliveries for work. I normally take my bike so that I can get them done in a timely manner. I had just made my last delivery and was on the way back to the bakery. I always check the street before crossing, but that morning… it was icy. My bike skidded and I had fallen off in the middle of the street. I hurt myself so it took me some time to get up. The last thing I remember is seeing a car come straight at me.” Her lips were set in a grimace as she recalled the event.
That was how she ended up between the car and bike. Adrien was furious. He knew the driver was lying. Noticing his expression darken drastically, Marinette squeezed his hand in attempts to get him to calm down.
“Thank you for answering our questions. We're here today because the daughter of the driver came to us with more information.” Pont explained.
“What kind of information?” Sabine asked curiously.
“It seemed that the lass was coerced by her parents not to say anything. In her statement, the husband and wife had been arguing during the drive and the husband had not been paying attention to the road. After the crash, the duo had gotten out of their car to survey the damage. The two continued to argue about what to do about the situation, delaying necessary medical help. According to the girl, they had considered fleeing as there didn't seem to be any witnesses. Thankfully, the girl had phoned in for help.”
Tom and Sabine looked ill at ease and Adrien hated himself for the feeling of vindication that niggled in his mind; the petty feeling of wanting to yell 'I told you so.' The two wearily thanked the investigators for the update.
“Is… Is the daughter okay?” Marinette asked hesitantly. Mason, seeing what she was getting at, sighed.
“Apparently she had snuck out and taken a bus to the station. It appeared that her parents’ method of coercion took a physical turn. She’s currently in protective services.” Mason cleared his throat. “Thank you for your time. We’ll be in contact.” Mason and Pont nodded before taking their leave.
Adrien could see the look of regret on Tom’s face. The look of regret that if he had questioned things in the first place, he would have found out what really happened to his daughter, and perhaps saved a young girl from being hurt by her parents.
“Marinette, we owe you an apology.” Sabine spoke up. “We were frustrated and didn’t let you explain.”
“It’s fine. I’m over it.” Marinette said curtly. She didn’t want to talk about it. “I just want to be alone right now.”
Tom and Sabine exchanged concerned glances with Adrien before nodding. Adrien stood and also prepared to leave when Marinette grabbed his hand.
“Adrien can stay.” She said.
He blinked at her before turning to Tom and Sabine to gauge their reaction. It was very clear that she wasn’t ‘over it’ as she said. Her parents looked like they understood and gave Adrien a small smile before exiting. Adrien returned to his seat and sat there quietly, waiting for whenever she was ready to talk.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not mad at them.” She sighed deeply. “My parents are… I know they mean well. They’re good parents. I’m just… disappointed? I mean, I can get why they do the things they do. I know they’re afraid of seeing me fail and so they try to shield me from it. But it just feels like they don’t trust me to overcome these things on my own.”
Adrien wished he could relate. He didn’t think he would ever understand why his father behaved the way he did. Nothing short of being an absolute jerkface, anyway. What Marinette said made him feel disappointed in himself. Even though Tom and Sabine had been nothing but kind to him, his opinion on them had soured so quickly. He hadn’t taken any time to try to understand them and it honestly made him admire Marinette even more.
“Is there anything I can do?” Adrien asked. Marinette shook her head.
“You’ve done more than enough.” She smiled.
It took another two weeks before she recovered enough to start rehab. The therapist was very optimistic about her recovery since she was still young and had worked hard in and out of the rehab center. The seasons changed and before they knew it, they were well into spring.
Whenever he was able, Adrien liked taking walks with Marinette, simply to spend time together and to support her with her rehab. He’d hold her crutches for her and they’d walk hand-in-hand. It didn’t seem to raise suspicions of any sort. He just looked like a friend who was helping a friend. But he didn’t necessarily care if it did. The tabloids could make whatever they wanted of it. If anything, it would just serve to piss his dad off, and that was something he was completely fine with. He wouldn’t let Gabriel have a hold of him anymore. Being with Marinette made him want to be better. It made him want to work harder to find his own path. Besides, he was nearly eighteen. It seemed that Gabriel also understood that he didn’t have much leverage anymore. What could he do? Kick his son out? The press would surely have a field day with that. So he begrudgingly loosened his grip on Adrien.
“Thanks for keeping me company.” Marinette released his arm and sat down at the seat he graciously pulled out for her. She thanked the waiter who handed her a menu as Adrien took his own seat at the outdoor table at a quaint sandwich shop. “Lunch is on me.” She said. He simply raised his hands defensively.
“I will not try to argue with you on this.” He chuckled. After all, he hoped it wasn’t the last time they went out together and that there’d be other opportunities for him to return the gesture. “But there’s no need to thank me. I like spending time with you.”
Her blush was evident and she quickly raised her menu up to read it, hiding her face from him. The action made him laugh again. A slight breeze passed and he watched her tuck her hair behind her ears as she skimmed the menu. The pinkness in her cheeks had settled by the time the waiter came by to take their orders and Adrien was quite disappointed to see it go. So when she asked him if there was anything else he wanted to do after lunch…
“How about looking for that hamster?”