Chapter Text
Beep… Beep… Beep…
The sound seemed to echo between the walls of the cold and white room. Or perhaps it echoed in his ears. Gabriel didn't know; he no longer knew; he knew nothing. He could barely understand what the doctor was telling him.
"We are very sorry, Mr. Agreste, but there is nothing more we can do."
"No…" Gabriel murmured, his voice blank, then caught himself. "No. Tests! You can do more tests!"
"We've already run every single test there is. No currently known disease explains your wife's coma… nor why her vital organs are failing. We can't fight a threat we don't know about. Of course, we'll try to keep her alive as long as possible, but perhaps it's time to consider… saying goodbye. And perhaps spare her… unnecessary suffering?"
The last words came out in a squeak under Gabriel's dark gaze. He became anxious:
"But it's your choice!" I… um… All I can tell you is that it's increasingly unlikely she'll ever wake up… I'm really sorry."
The doctor remained for a few extra moments, fidgeting with apprehension. However, Gabriel's attention had once again returned to the inanimate form of the fair-haired woman on the hospital bed. Noting the man's once again lethargic state and the vacant, tired look in his eyes, the doctor excused himself and left the room.
Seconds and minutes passed, punctuated only by beeps and two discordant breaths. It was as if Gabriel shared his wife's condition, except that his eyes were open. They were wide open to a devastating disaster that seemed as unbearable as it was paralyzing. Then, a sharp click of heels started to be heard, and with every step, they got closer to the bedroom. A severe-looking woman with dark hair stood upright beside the defeated husband.
"Gabriel," she spoke in an even tone. "You have an appointment soon."
"Yes… Yes. Let's go, Nathalie."
As if coming back to himself, he gently kissed his sleeping spouse on the forehead.
"I will return soon, my love…" he whispered.
He left the room, straightening his shoulders and hardening his gaze. Nathalie discreetly glanced at the sleeping woman before trailing after him.
"How is she?" she asked, trying to remain as neutral as possible.
"She is dying."
"Dying, but...?"
"I won't let it happen."
Nathalie disregarded this comment, which made no sense to her.
"Perhaps we should talk to Adrien about it…"
"No."
"Gabriel, she's his mother. He deserves to know."
"Nathalie."
He stopped and looked at her from the corner of his eyes, barely turning his head.
"I said no."
Nathalie bit her tongue. It was useless to argue with Gabriel when he was like this. She knew that only too well, but…
"And don't try to act behind my back. No matter what role you've played in Adrien's life these past few years, I'm still his father. And I get to make the decisions. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Mr. Agreste."
"Good."
He resumed walking, and she followed suit, feeling increasingly uneasy with each step she took.
"Where is he, anyway?"
"In class, sir."
He nodded.
"He was disappointed that he couldn't come to see his mother…"
"That's for the best. And besides, he was the one who wanted to go to school, wasn't he?"
"I don't think that…"
"Is everything ready for the meeting with Mr. Thibaut?"
"… Yes, everything is ready."
He kept talking about the work that was to come for a few minutes. Nathalie knew it was to silence her, but she let him. She couldn't openly defy him. She had a promise to keep.
If Adrien had imagined for a single moment how disappointing it would be to go to school, perhaps he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to get his father to agree. At first, he was thrilled. He could finally have friends! Well, more friends than just Chloe. She had been one of the main reasons he had stopped private tutoring. And that part was amazing. He could finally see her every day, not just when his father allowed him. Chloe had managed to get them in the same class. He was really happy to be spending so much time with his best friend. The problem was… well… everyone else.
Adrien wasn't sure whether he was just not very good at social situations (which was entirely possible, given that he had grown up with models and photographers rather than kids his own age) or if Chloe's friends were just… odd. They were nice, but maybe… a little too nice. And when people looked at him, he genuinely felt like he was a prize to be won. So, even though Adrien sometimes hung out with some of them and sincerely wanted to call them "friends," something inside held him back. As for the others, he felt like they were observing him from a distance, in a state of mixed terror and awe. It reminded him a bit of when he walked beside his father at fancy parties.
"Dude, watch out!"
Adrien immediately jumped out of the way, but it wasn't fast enough. The skateboard wheels hit his feet, and his butt crashed hard onto the pavement. The other guy went flying forward, landing on his stomach, with his arms stretched out.
"Ouch…" he complained, letting out a hiss of pain. "Seriously, you came out of nowhere…"
Adrien promptly stood up and offered his hand to the other boy.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
The young man brushed off his hands and winced slightly.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. You?"
"I'm okay."
The boy on the skateboard reached out to get up. Adrien noticed that it was scraped and decided to grab his wrist instead. He pulled him up.
"Thanks."
"No problem, hum…" Adrien hesitated.
He knew this guy. He was pretty sure they were in the same class, but he couldn't remember his name. He felt stupid for not being able to remember his classmates' names, even if it had only been a couple of weeks.
"Nino," the boy with glasses replied with an amused smile.
"Thank you, Nino. And sorry."
"Nah, it's okay, it's my fault too. Don't worry about it. But still, be careful next time."
"Yes, I… I was lost in thought."
"Apparently, you still are."
Seeing Adrien's puzzled face, Nino chuckled slightly.
"Usually, when someone gives you their name, you're expected to give your name in response."
"Oh. Oh! Sorry. I'm Adrien. Adrien Agreste. Pleased to meet you."
"Pleased to meet you too, man," he responded, clearly amused by the sudden formality.
His smile faded slightly.
"Wait, did you say 'Adrien Agreste'? Adrien like Chloe's guy? Oh no, I'm not getting involved in that shit. Sorry, man, nothing against you. But tell her I didn't mean to. Better yet: don't tell her anything at all!"
"What? But…"
Adrien was confused. What did Chloé have to do with this conversation? Before he could investigate, a bright and cheerful voice reached his ears:
"Adrichou! Shall we go home together? Ugh, what's he doing here?" Chloé asked, eyeing Nino up and down. "He's not bothering you, is he?"
Adrien glanced from his friend to Nino and saw the pleading look on his face. He had so many questions…
"No… We were just talking," Adrien replied, smiling at Chloé.
"Ha! Now that I'm here, you don't need to bother with that anymore. I'm much better company. Come on, let's go. How about you stop by the hotel?"
The girl put her arm around Adrien's and led him away. He saw Nino rub the back of his neck and sigh. Perhaps he should investigate this further… Nino seemed… nice. He didn't understand his reaction.
"Um, actually, I really need to go home, Chloé," Adrien replied, turning his attention back to his best friend. "My father was supposed to see my mother today and…"
"Say no more. I'm counting on you tomorrow, though! And you'll tell me how she is."
"Of course."
He could always confide in her about his mother. That was a great relief, particularly since his father and Nathalie would never speak of her. The people he met didn't really know his family situation, and it was a bit awkward to casually mention that his mother had been in a coma for… a long time. He didn't want people to pity him. Sometimes he felt like he was carrying a heavy secret. Sometimes he just wanted to talk to his mother.
The car arrived, and Adrien said goodbye to Chloé and got in. When he saw that Nathalie was sitting in the back seat waiting for him, he frowned.
"Is everything alright?"
She looked up from her tablet and smiled slightly at him. Even though Nathalie's smiles were sincere, they always seemed reserved.
"Yes, everything is alright."
"Is Mom okay?"
"Y-Yes, she's fine. It's just… Your father isn't available tonight."
"What do you mean? He said he would tell me what the doctors had said, since I couldn't come."
"Yes, I'm sorry, Adrien. He had work to do."
"I… understand."
"How was your day?"
The young man, his shoulders slumped and his eyes downcast, replied after a sigh:
"Good…"
He rested his head against the window. He had nothing against Nathalie. She was nice. She was doing her best, anyway. But Adrien wasn't entirely sure she was truly interested in how his day went. He had the distinct impression she was asking him to try and fill the void left by his father's absence. Although he had once found it rather thoughtful of her, it now grated on him, as if it reminded him of everything he missed: his father, his mother, his life…
"Did your classes go well?"
"Hmm…"
"You… Did you make some new friends?" she asked awkwardly.
"No, not really… A guy bumped into me with his skateboard."
"What? Is everything alright? Did you get hurt?"
"My skin will be intact if I have to do a photo shoot," he said, exasperated.
"You know that's not why I'm asking."
"But that's what Dad wants to hear, isn't it? That's all he cares about."
"Adrien. Don't talk about your father like that. He loves you deeply. He's just a little… overwhelmed when he goes and sees your mother."
"Yeah… We all are, I suppose…"
The conversation ended there. The rest of the journey was silent. He returned to the large manor where he lived, threw his bag into his large bedroom and collapsed onto his big bed. He buried his face in the pillows, and let out a deep sigh.
Adrien picked up a manga from his bedside table and started reading. Adventure, heroes, humor, and love: it was what helped him cope with the loneliness that was slowly eating away at his heart.
He would have loved to have that freedom and those thrills. He would have loved a simple, ordinary life, with real friends who knew him for who he truly was and could see through his loneliness; to joke and laugh carelessly; to flirt, to give his heart to a girl who might break it, who might be the love of his life, perhaps a little bit of both… He wanted to live.
As it stood, he had none of that, and when he closed the book, everything disappeared. He went to bed without even eating. No one had come to ask him if he was hungry.
While her parents had a chat during their break at work, Marinette played with her breakfast. Her parents made sure to take a few minutes to talk with her before she left for school. Noticing that she wasn't eating, her mother started to worry:
"Is everything alright, darling?"
"Y-Yes. Everything's fine. Sorry! I was lost in thought!"
She forced a smile and resumed eating the pastries her father had carefully prepared. Her mother, Sabine, frowned, but said nothing more.
Marinette hadn't lied. Everything was fine. Everything was supposed to be fine. She had just started high school. After two months of dreading the start of the school year while trying to stay optimistic (maybe she wouldn't be in Chloé Bourgeois's class this year! High school was a new chapter, a fresh start! Maybe she'd be able to change. Finally change), Marinette had gone back to school. And… to her great surprise, it was going… well.
Of course, Chloé was in her class. Marinette had the feeling that Chloé always managed to have her designated punching bag by her side. But… it seemed that this year it was purely out of (bad) luck. That, or Chloé was so distracted by the blonde boy she was licking the boots (Adrien or something) that she decided to leave Marinette alone.
In any case, the respite was welcome. Sure, Marinette still didn't have any friends, but given how things had ended last time, that was probably for the best. The most important thing was that she had no enemies. Then, why didn't terror disappear from her gut?
Despite her bad mood, Marinette finished her breakfast and prepared for school. She kissed her parents goodbye, and they wished her a good day. She smiled gently at them as she set off. She shook her head as she sped up. She wasn't going to be late again.
"Watch out!" she heard when she arrived near the high school.
There, in front of the school building, a boy on a skateboard was speeding towards a dark-skinned girl with brown hair. Without thinking, Marinette crossed the few meters that separated them. She pushed the girl out of harm's way, but one of her feet got caught up in the wheels. A sharp pain shot through the girl's ankle. The boy on the board lost his balance and fell forward. He crashed to the ground shortly after the girls.
"Not again…" Nino groaned, searching for his glasses, which had flown off.
"Ouch…" the young woman, whom Marinette had pushed, complained.
She looked up, realizing that the other girl's body had cushioned her fall. Embarrassed, Marinette quickly moved away, mumbling apologies. She whistled in pain as she tried to stand up.
"Oh no!" the girl exclaimed in alarm. "Are you alright?"
"Uh, yes," Marinette stammered. "I might have sprained my ankle, haha. I'm a bit clumsy."
"Clumsy?"
The girl frowned, her brown eyes taking on a menacing hue. She stood up and kept a hand protectively on Marinette's arm.
"Hey, you!" she yelled at the skateboarder. "What's your problem?"
"My problem?" he retorted.
Nino got up, and now he was looking at the girl with a doubtful expression.
"What's your problem, crossing like that without looking!"
"That's a sidewalk in front of a school, not a damn skate park! You need to be careful! You hurt her!"
"Technically, she hurt herself because she tried to help you… Not my fault," he said, shrugging.
"You…!"
"Um, h-hey…" Marinette tried to interject.
"We'll see if your defense holds up as well when I go talk to a supervisor…"
"Seriously?"
He raised an eyebrow. She gave a menacing smile.
"Are you scared?"
"As if. It was just an accident."
Seeing as the two were locked in a stare-down, Marinette took advantage of the situation and tried again to intervene.
"I-I'm fine. It was just an accident, no need to make a big deal out of it. I'll just go to the nurse's office."
The girl stopped threatening Nino with her eyes and turned her head towards Marinette, a worried look on her face.
"I'll take you there."
She turned momentarily towards Nino.
"But this conversation is not over."
He rolled his eyes and picked up his skateboard before heading towards the entrance.
"Come on, lean on me."
Marinette shook her head.
"It's fine. You're going to be late for class."
"You prevented me from getting hit, it's the least I could do. Come on."
Seeing the stubborn look on the girl's face, Marinette stopped struggling and clumsily put an arm around her shoulders. Why on earth was she so small?
"The name's Alya, by the way."
"Marinette."
"Cool. Thanks again, Marinette. That was very kind of you. Even if my butt hurts now."
"Sorry…"
"I'm just kidding! You don't have to apologize. I would have been in a lot more pain if you hadn't intervened. But when I think about that guy…" she fumed.
"Nino didn't mean any harm. He's quite nice, actually."
"Do you know each other?"
"Yes and no. We went to the same middle school…"
She grimaced. Not great memories. Middle school.
"Isn't that the baker girl?" a shrill voice chimed in. "Going to the nurse's office already? Are classes too hard for you?"
Leaning against a pole near the nurse's office, a blonde girl laughed maliciously, surrounded by her minions. Marinette sighed. Even though Chloé didn't seem to be actively bullying her at the moment, she hadn't changed…
"She's hurt," Alya muttered, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Chloe.
Marinette stifled a squeal. Did this girl have any survival instinct whatsoever, or did she just confront everyone she met?
Chloé was a little surprised by the answer. She walked towards Alya, a smile on her lips.
"You're new here, aren't you? You'll quickly learn how things work around here."
She turned on her heel and went to class. Alya was fuming.
"What's her problem? Are you going to tell me she's nice too?"
"Hmm, no, she's just… Chloe."
"And that excuses her behavior?!"
"You shouldn't push your luck… It always ends badly…"
"Is that why you let her talk to you like that?"
Marinette shrugged. It was far from the worst thing she'd said to her. Considering Chloe's personality, it was almost kind of her.
"Anyway, you should go to class."
They had arrived in front of the nurse's office.
"Thank you. And sorry."
"Stop apologizing! I'm the one who should be thanking you! See you later, okay?"
"Uh, sure?"
Marinette had no idea why they would see each other later. Probably because they were in the same class. After Alya left, Marinette knocked on the door. Instantly, a familiar face opened it: a woman with long, curly, brown hair and glasses. There was only one nurse for both middle and high school.
"Oh, Marinette! What happened to you?"
"I just fell. You know how clumsy I am."
She smiled shyly.
"Come on in, let's take a look at that."
And so, Marinette was back in her favorite spot in the school complex. The only place where she felt safe. Sometimes, she wished she could feel comfortable anywhere and have a life she imagined to be normal, instead of being surrounded by rich kids like Chloe. Even though it wasn't possible for her, she would have liked to have friends, a best friend, like you saw in movies. Maybe she would have even liked to flirt a little or fall in love… She just wanted to live peacefully. But to have all that, she had to be someone she wasn't. The clumsy, timid, and terribly useless Marinette couldn't have those things. And she was too weak to change.
So, the young girl lay down on the nurse's office bed and put her arm over her eyes, denying the reality she longed for.