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Delphine really hadn’t prepared herself for this.
When she had invited her new friend from university, Marinette, to drink with them she had been fully prepared for the girl to say no, Marinette was so quiet and soft spoken most days, she always seemed slightly on edge, like she was afraid the whole world was going to crumble down around her.
And more importantly she almost never came drinking with them, she seemed almost ashamed every time she said no.
So when Delphine had seen how down she looked today, she had fully expected Marinette to turn down her offer of coming out drinks for drinks to cheer her up, and so she had insisted, pushing her to get out of her comfort zone and really live it up during her time here. It hadn’t taken as long as she had expected to convince her.
But she WAS NOT prepared for Marinette to drink just about everyone else under the table, she had even managed to out drink Louis, and that man was built like a brick shithouse.
“But I’m tellin ya!” she slurred as she ranted to a pair of their friends who had started talking about Gabrial Agrest “HE AIN”T FUCKIN NOTHIN! I don’t buy it for a second, that bastard wouln’ help nobody but himself to save his life! It reeks of coverup im tellin’ you! I should… i should… knock that smug fuckin’ statue down! I coul do it too! That would show em!”
“Ok” lousie put his arm around her shoulder “i think youve had enough, its well past time to get you home”
She knocked his arm away “DONT FUCKIN TOUCH ME! Only my kitty can touch me! Where is my kitty?!” she knocked her drink over and started staring at the pool that formed on the table…
Then she started crying “kitty… im so sorry kitty… i didn’ mean too… i promised and i… i…” she sniffled and clutched her shoulders
“Ok i think we really need to get her back home” she reached over and grabbed Marinette’s phone from where it sat on the table“lets see if shes got anyone in here that can come pick her up”
She scrolled though he contacts, but she didn’t know Marinette well enough to know most of these names. maman and papa were straight forward enough, but she suspected that Marinette wouldn’t want her parents to see her like this, Alya, Adrien, nino? Those could be friends so maybe
She stopped on one number “she has a contact called “pick up if drunk”
“Wait really?” Louise asked “but she never drinks? At least not with us, why would she have that?”
“I guess she drinks a lot more than we thought” maybe that's why she never comes out with us, she dialed the number and held the phone up to her ear
A mans voice answered from the other side of the line “princess? Are you ok?”
“Uh…” Delphine wasn’t sure how to respond, princess? Really? “Hay this is Marinette’s friend from university, we went out drinking together and shes had alot more then any of us were expecting, shes kind of in a bad way right now’”
“Has she broken anything yet?”
“BROKEN! What would she break?”
“Glasses, electronics… her bones…”
“Uh… No? Nothing like that”
He let out a sigh of relief “text me the address, ill be there in a few minutes… and don't let her wander off, she has a tendency to do that”
He hung up and she did as she was told, texting him where they were before handing the phone back to Marinette
Marinette didn’t try to wander, thankfully. she spent the next several minutes with her head on the table sobbing and incoherently muttering about her kitty, and how she was so sorry for everything.
Their focus was pulled away from Marinette when they heard gasps and excited oohs and ahhs, they turned to the door and saw Chat Noir himself standing there, scanning around the bar.
His eyes locked onto Marinette as soon as he saw her.
He strided over he took a look at Delphine a louise “thank you for calling me, i can take it from here”
As soon as he spoke, Marinette raised her head and met his eyes “KITTY!” she jumped up and dived into his arms
“Uh… sure man, no problem” Delphine said “she kept talking and crying about a ‘kitty’ and we called her ‘pick up if drunk’ contact… to be honest, i didnt expect a literal super hero to come haha” she laughed awkwardly, not sure what to say.
“Ha” he laughed once, but there was no mirth to it “yeah, the world is a small place”
“Kitty…” Marinette purred “why are you here?”
“Because you're drunk again.”
She started to cry again “are… you mad at me?”
He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, everyone’s eyes were on them, phones were out snapping pictures and videos, there would be no getting away from it this time “no” he said at last “i'm not mad, disappointed yes, frustrated of course, and very very worried… but not mad, never mad”
“I'm so…” she sniffled “sorry kitty… so so sorry”
He gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek, close to her ear “we can talk about it at home, when you’re sober”
“Ok…” he scooped Marinette up in a princess carry as she held onto his neck, all eyes still on them
He looked at her new friends and said “for the record, shes not allowed to drink anymore” Delphine nodded and louise just looked away.
With that he walked Marinette out of the bar.
Chat Noir tucked Marinette into bed, she tried her best to nuzzel him as he pulled away
He wasn’t going to reward her for drinking again.
Marinette’s alcohol problems had started not too long after Gabrial had sacrificed his life to defeat hawkmoth with ladybug.
It hadn’t been too bad at first, some beer or glass of wine snuck from her parents stash every now and again.
But as she got older it got worse, drinking more and more.
Until she was practically constantly drunk, not a day spent sober.
She had said she needed it to take the edge off, that it was the only way she could function, but wouldn’t say what that edge was.
It kept getting worse and worse until the day she finally reached a breaking point. Chat had found her in the park in front of his fathers statue, clutching a broken hand and calling him a bastard… she had apparently tried to punch the solid metal structure.
After that he managed to get her a therapist and made her promise to stay sober
And she usually did… but every now and again she would fall off the wagon.
“I'm so sorry kitty… i'm such a failure”
“You’re not a failure Marinette… just deeply hurt” he just wish he understood why
“Its my fault… it's my fault… i knew… and i didn’t say… he made me not say…”
That… that was new… “What did you not say Marinette…”
“He made me think it was for the better… that it would just hurt him to know… i couldn’t… i couldn’t”
“Marinette… who are you talking about?”
“I can't… i can't” she cried
He reached down to hug her again “its ok… its all ok… you don’t have to tell me anything if you dont want to…”
“I’m sorry kitty… i'm so sorry” she held him crying
Chat’s word was evidently not as strong as he thought, he was mad now, furious even. Not at Marinette, but at whoever it was that made her feel like this… whoever put this into her head
Marinette suddenly reached up and pulled his head down kissing him
Chat pulled away
“Marinette… your drunk and you need to sleep”
“Dont leave me… please… dont leave…”
“Your going to regret that in the morning”
“I dont care… i need you Chat…”
“Your boyfriend isn’t going to be happy knowing your going around kissing other guys”
“Adrien…” she sighed dreamily, “he deserves better…”
“I agree” he said after a moment “which is exactly why you shouldn’t go around kissing people”
“I hurt him…” she was crying again
Chat sighed “i'll stay” he said at last “but not with you… i'll stay here in the room, watching you until you go to sleep… ok”
She nodded “ok…”
Chat pulled up her pillow and lay her down slowly, that done he kissed her forehead “sleep well princess”
That done he pulled away sitting in a chair in the corner
God he wished his girlfriend would just tell him what was going on… what had hurt her so badly that it had lead to… this…
He wanted to take care of her… to keep her safe… to help her heal… but he didn’t have the faintest clue where to start…
True to his word, he stayed there until he heard the faint sound of her snoring. Leaving close to 1 AM
She would no doubt have a great many questions to answer in the morning. He only hoped that this could all blow over quickly