Chapter Text
Smoke. Fire. Heat. Marinette could feel her lungs burning as she attempted to make her way down the stairs. Tikki's voice was ringing in her ears to get out, sensing the fire burning her beloved home from below her door. She pulled open the hatch only to feel her hands get instantly burned as fire licked the wood through the whole that was now in the floor. She could hear people screaming but she was already getting light headed. Tikki continued to prompt her to try the balcony, which she would have taken had it not been for the fire taking over all her plants blocking her escape route.
“Tikki I’m blocked in.” She whimpers trying to make her way out of the door ignoring the fire burning her legs and arms as she pulled her shirt over her mouth trying to filter out some of the lung damaging air. Her head was growing light and her legs started to feel numb as she ran down the fire filled stairs towards the bakery until she finally felt her legs give out and she fell hitting the ground with a thud.
Marinette woke up in a start staring at the white walls of her new room. The silence of this new house was almost deafening. Maybe two years ago she would have jumped at the opportunity to be living with Adrien Agreste but now she would have rather never even met him if it would bring her father back.
After that night she woke up in a daze laying in a hospital bed, an oxygen mask over her face and a brisk sensation of loneliness. It was nearly four hours after her wake did she learn her father had been killed in the fire saving her life. She hated herself, it was her fault. Maybe it wasn’t her fault that the fire had started, but she was the reason her father died.
She was the reason she was in this mess. She could almost remember that day like it was yesterday even though it was a full year ago. Her mother soon after, being a merchant had been bringing fabric to Gabriel’s and the next thing Marinette knew, they were dating.
It wouldn’t have been so bad had she not thought that her mother was moving a bit fast. She had started dating Gabriel nearly half a year after her father’s death. Marinette was completely shocked, her mother had been a weeping mess, unable to cope with herself, crying herself to sleep and now, barely paying attention to her daughter.
It was a shelter shock to Marinette, to go from two loving parents to none. Gabriel and Sabine were barely home which left the teens always home alone. Marinette now 16 years old hated the fact that her mother had told her yesterday morning to pack her bags from their small apartment and to bring it to Gabriel Agrestes home. This was her first morning living in Adriens house, her room was directly next door to his and she could hear him moving around his room.
Adrien knew Marinette was next door. He understood her situation, what it was like to have a loving Parent pass away and to go from everything to nothing. He wished he knew how to approach her. Even at school he could tell she was depressed. The former loving sweet and bubbly Marinette was now replaced by a hollow shell that seemed to float around.
Adrien was stressed out by the sudden mood change in their group of friends now that Marinette refused to go out. She seemed to work herself to the bone, throwing herself into her school work and studies as if looking for some type of distraction.
Not only was he dealing with having a new house mate, but the frigid attitude he was getting from Ladybug also threw him off. She no longer laughed at his flirting or joked back. She simply got the job down and left. No more patrols together, he couldn’t even get her to stay and talk to him. He felt more alone now than he ever had. Sure he had Alya and Nino but having Marinette and Ladybug completely try and shun both his personas away hurt.
Maybe if Adrien hadn’t been so distracted by his current home situation he might have been able to piece together the strong emotional change in both his friend and his lady. But between his busier schedules his father gave him in order to keep him busy while he was out doing god knows what, he had no time to piece together information.
When he finally walked out of his room he noticed Marinette sitting down at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal. Nathalie stood a few feet away watching her nervously before turning to Adrien.
“What would you like for breakfast Adrien?”
“I’ll get it, thank you.” He says softly moving to go and get a bowl from the kitchen. He poured the cereal into the bowl before walking over to where Marinette and pulling out a chair next to her.
“Good morning Marinette.”
“Morning.” She mumbles. He noticed that her hair was down and wet meaning she had just taken a shower. She avoided eye contact and Adrien expected that as he tried to start up a conversation.
“Todays Saturday, do you maybe wanna do something today.”
“Like what?” She asks softly finally looking up at him. She looked tired, there were slight bags under her eyes and her eyes were slightly pink, though those could also be from crying but he’d rather have gone with the former.
“I don’t know, maybe we can go to the park, get lunch?” He asks. “We’re going to be living together from now on and well I’d like to make you feel as welcomed as possible.” He smiles.
Months prior to this day Marinettes heart would have leapt at the thought of going out with Adrien, even if it was just for lunch, but that was then and this was now.
“Sure.” She says softly stirring the milk around in her bowl.
“Ok, how about we go around noon then?” He asks giving her a patient smile. Marinette felt slightly irritated with how nice Adrien was being. As horrible as it sounded she almost wished he was fake and was actually an asshole so she wouldn’t have had to talk to him but of course, Adrien had the purest soul of anyone she had ever met.
“Ok.” She mumbles standing up with her bowl and walking away to put her bowl in the sink where a maid already started to wash the bowl. She passed Adrien again and went into her bedroom shutting the door.
When Adrien walked passed her room going back to his own he could hear the soft snivels and he could only imagine Marinette on her bed cuddling her pillow and crying into it. The thought stung his heart just a little more than he could hope to bare. His hand hovered in front of her door knob before pulling it away and turning back to go in his room. Around elven fifty Adrien left his room and knocked on Marinettes door. He could hear the bed creak and he took a deep breath when he heard moving around inside before Marinettes face appeared in front of the door.
“Ready?” He asks earning him a stoic nod as she followed him out of the corridor and outside. Nathalie watchem them curiously as Adrien grabbed his keys from the key rack. Although the boy had just turned sixteen he had already earned a car from his father which only made Marinette more irritated.
Damn rich people, they think money can buy happiness. I hate this. I hate Gabriel, I hate my mom. I just want my old life back.
“Marinette?” her eyes snapped up to see Adrien holding her door open for her.
“Oh thank you.” She mumbled climbing into the car before Adrien closed it. She looked around and was slightly impressed, her hands brushed over the leather seats before she strapped her seatbelt. Adrien got in and watched Marinette with another patient smile.
“You like it?”
“It’s nice.” She mumbles before looking out the window. He nodded along with her.
“I think so too, it’s nice to be able to have a car and not be driven everywhere by my bodyguard. Its uhm more freedom I guess.” He says. Marinette simply nodded still looking out the window. His eyes drifted to her again for a split second before focusing on the road.
“I guess this means everyone at school is going to know our situation now huh?” he asked before noticing her body stiffen.
“Uh yeah I guess…” She says softly looking down at her hands.
“We can’t really hide that our parents are together now that we’re living together and will be coming to school in the same car. Assuming that you’ll let me drive us there.” He says biting his lip not knowing how to shut up. He could see that she was uncomfortable but he couldn’t stop the words.
“I suppose.”
“Uhm we’re here, come on, lets uh go get some snack huh?” He smiles getting out moving to open her door though she beat him to it and looked up at him.
“Lets go then.” She mumbles walking away to the stands in the park. He followed close behind seeing as she made her way to the fruits. He raised an eyebrow listening as she ordered some strawberries with cream. He pulled out his wallet beating her to it as he paid for another serving as well. She stared at him slightly more irritated as he handed her the box. She took it and started to walk away from him towards a bench under a tree.
“Thank you.” He says taking his and following behind her quickly before sitting down next to her.
“Why did you actually invite me out here today Adrien?” Marinette whispers dipping her strawberry in some whipped cream before taking a bite.
“What do you mean? I was just trying to be nice.” He smiles.
“Usually people want something from someone, so what are you trying to gain from this?”
“Trying to gain? Marinette I’m not trying to get anything out of this?”
“Does this make you feel better about yourself? Trying to talk to me? Make me feel accepted. Well nothing you can do will make me feel more accepted…everythings so…different.” She says her hands clenching on the box.
“Mari…I know how you feel…my mother died when I was thirteen.” He says softly. “And after that my dad he uh…he started working more, hired more staff stopped…stopped doing things with me. I understand what you’re going through.” He says softly resting a hand on hers. She looked at him with sympathy before chewing on her lip.
“I’m sorry.” She mumbles looking down.
“Don’t be sorry, its ok, I wouldn’t say I’m over it and I wont say you’ll ever get over it, but talking to people does help. Shutting yourself up in your room like that? It’s going to hurt more.” He says biting into his strawberry getting whipped cream all over his face. Marinette felt her lips crack up in a smile before she giggled quietly.
“You’ve got something right uhm…right there.” She says smiling at him.
“I know.” He says grinning at her goofily.
“Why are you looking at me like that…?”
“You smiled.”