Chapter Text
The occasional late-night chatter of Parisians echoed across the silent street. Every now and then, there was the distant whooshing of cars rushing past. And moving in sync with every gust of wind, came the gentle tinkling of the wind chime hung outside the window.
Yet as Marinette lay on the floor in her dark bedroom, something felt off about that soft, melodious ringing. Had it always sounded so empty? Had it always sounded so monotonous?
Why did she like the sound of wind chimes, again?
‘’Okay, that was definitely your stomach’’ Alya said.
Marinette jumped. She had almost forgotten Alya was there too.
‘’It was a car’’ Marinette muttered, but her stomach growled loudly again.
‘’That was not a dang car!’’ Alya interjected. ‘’Marinette, you can’t stay like this forever! You have to pull yourself together! At least eat something!’’
‘’I physically cannot eat right now’’ Marinette mumbled.
From the moment she had come home, Marinette had been lying face-down on the floor, suffocated under the weight of her thoughts. It was as if an invisible chain had locked her to the ground and rendered her helpless, and she was unable to move.
The shock of being confronted with her innermost feelings for Adrien on the stage…the expression on Adrien’s face at what she had blurted out…the scornful gazes from the crowd.
Marinette had thought she would never be the same person again when she had to start her life all over again after moving to Paris. Yet somehow, she had found her spark again. Things had seemed hopeless when she was being bullied in school. But sure enough, she had managed to climb out of that darkness. Even when she thought there was no way she and Adrien could be friends, life had different plans for her.
But this was something different. Something that felt completely out of her reach. Something she could never change or take back. She didn’t understand what she could possibly do to make things better.
It felt as if the past few months were a blissful dream, a dream that had now shattered. That everything between her and Adrien was over.
‘’He’s going to think I hate him….he might even start to hate me’’ Marinette finally said.
Alya placed a comforting hand on the back of her head. ‘’He’s not going to hate you’’ she said consolingly. ‘’He knows how hard it must have been for you, trying to be his friend - knowing he was friends with the same people who hurt you so much. ‘’
‘’Well’’ Marinette sighed, ‘’I think I’m getting my fair share of hate, anyways. ‘’ She felt around for her phone which had been beeping constantly, and handed it to Alya. ‘’Look at what they’re all saying. ‘’
Alya took her phone, reading through the messages one by one. ‘’Ugh, I can't believe it, this is so obnoxious! How stupid can people be!’’ she fumed. ‘’Don’t mind them, Marinette! Let me take care of them!’’
‘’But they’re right, aren’t they?’’ Marinette said sadly. ‘’It’s as if I basically rejected Adrien before either of us had the chance to say anything to each other. ‘’
‘’Marinette, it was all a misunderstanding. I’m sure everything will be sorted once you and Adrien talk to each other’’ Alya reasoned. ‘’And about these messages, I’m deleting every single one of them. No one has the right to – ‘’
All of a sudden, Alya went quiet. Marinette heard her gasp. Instinctively, she lifted her head and saw Alya frozen with shock, her eyes darting across the phone screen.
‘’It’s Chloe…she messaged on the class group. Adrien’s Dad collapsed. ‘’
Marinette sat bolt upright. ‘’What?’’ she choked.
‘’He was rushed to Saint Claire Hospital – that’s where Adrien and Nathalie are’’ Alya read urgently.
Marinette’s heart dropped.
No
No
No
How could this happen?
In a blur of movements, Marinette scrambled downstairs, woke up Tom and Sabine, frantically explained the situation, and five minutes later, the three of them and Alya were sat inside the car. The fifteen-minute drive to the hospital felt like hours. Marinette couldn’t
He was all alone. What must he have been going through at this very moment? What kind of thoughts were running through his head? He had already lost his mother-
Marinette forced her thoughts shut. The moment they reached the hospital, she jumped out of the car and ran inside.
‘’Marinette! Alya!’’
They spotted Chloe, Nino, and the rest of their classmates huddled near the hospital’s reception.
‘’Chloe! I – where's Adrien?’’ Marinette asked frantically.
‘’Follow me! I know where he is’’ Chloe gestured. She led everyone upstairs, to the ICU on the second floor. Adrien and Nathalie were standing right outside the door. Everyone scrambled to talk to Adrien.
Adrien’s eyes briefly met Marinette’s.
Marinette felt a pang in her stomach. He had every reason to be upset with her, but even so, there wasn’t a single trace of disappointment on his face. His smile was as warm and welcoming as ever, and it drowned her in even more guilt. She barely processed him saying that Gabriel was out of danger.
Before she had the chance to move closer to Adrien and talk to him, a nurse arrived.
‘’Mr. Agreste has gained consciousness’’ she announced. There was a collective sigh of relief.
''He's asking for you, Mr. Adrien'' the nurse said, and Adrien went away into the ICU.
‘’That was so nerve-wracking’’ Nino remarked, his eyes still wide with alarm.
‘’Tell me about it! I’m so relieved it's nothing serious!’’ Alix said.
Marinette couldn’t bear standing there. Their conversation only made her more restless. She briefly told Alya that she was going to find a place to sit, and broke away from the group. She walked downstairs to the waiting area and sat on one of the chairs.
Her eyes were drooping from exhaustion, but her mind was racing. She couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow, this was all her fault. What would she say to Adrien when he eventually came out of the ICU? Did she even deserve to talk to him at all?
Would it be better if she distanced herself from him completely?
Agonizing as that thought was, Marinette forced herself to come to terms with that possibility. At least then, she could no longer add any more problems in his life.
‘’Marinette?’’
Marinette turned around. It was Chloe.
‘’Can I talk to you?’’ she asked, her tone cautious.
Marinette stared at her. Chloe had never approached her before. What could she have wanted to talk to her about?
‘’Um…sure’’ Marinette replied.
‘’Why don’t we take a walk outside?’’ Chloe said. ‘’It’s kind of stuffy in here, and Adrien’s probably going to take a while. ‘’
Marinette considered, then nodded.
The sky in the far east was starting to lighten, fading into shades of soft pink. Marinette and Chloe strolled around in the quiet hospital garden, winding over the entire courtyard, filled with neatly trimmed shrubs and water fountains. Marinette took in the refreshing morning mist, delicately perfumed with the scents of the flora. The chilly November breeze felt soothing on her face. The two of them sat on a bench next to a fountain.
‘’I’m so glad he’s okay’’ Chloe sighed. ‘’Gabriel, I mean. To be completely honest, I barely managed to hold it together when I first heard the news….I can’t even imagine what Adrien must have been going through in that moment. I was on the phone with Nathalie when I found out. Before that, I was trying to call Adrien, but he wasn't picking up. I just wanted to make sure he was okay after – ‘’
She paused awkwardly.
‘’…after what I said on the stage’’ Marinette completed.
Chloe smiled meekly.
‘’It was…quite surprising, hearing you say that’’ she said after a moment. ‘’I think we were all kind of – expecting to hear something else. To say otherwise would be lying. ‘’
Marinette gripped the edge of the bench. ‘’But why’’ she said slowly, annoyance rising inside her.
‘’Why am I responsible for carrying others’ expectations? Why am I responsible for what they think? No one can fathom how much pressure I was under in that moment. I was caught off-guard! I just – I panicked! I barely had time to process my own feelings, but everyone was staring at me like I had committed a crime! I – I never asked for this!’’ Her voice broke at the last sentence.
‘’I’m not here to blame you!’’ Chloe said quickly, slightly alarmed. ‘’If you ask me, it wasn’t fair how everyone reacted. But I’m just curious – how do you actually feel about Adrien?’’
Marinette leaned back on the bench, staring at the sky.
‘’From what I can tell, the two of you are really special for each other’’ Chloe said.
‘’It doesn’t matter’’ Marinette muttered. ‘’I don’t deserve to be with him…I think he’s better off with someone else. ‘’
‘’Someone else? Like who?’’ Chloe wondered.
Marinette tilted her head, giving her a knowing look.
Chloe’s eyes lit up with realization and shock. ‘’What? Me? No way!’’
‘’The two of you have a bond that nothing else can replace…you’ve known each other since you were kids. It should be you’’ Marinette pointed.
Chloe shook her head incredulously. ‘’You’ve got it all wrong! Adrien’s like – a brother to me! Of course, he’s a dear friend of mine…but there’s another reason why I care for him so much. ‘’ There was a hint of reluctance in her voice.
‘’After all’’ Chloe said, ‘’he is Emilie’s son. ‘’
Marinette’s head shot up. ‘’Emilie Agreste…Adrien’s mother?’’
Chloe nodded, her eyes somewhere far away. ‘’She meant a lot to me’’ she said quietly.
Marinette stayed silent. She knew very little about Emilie Agreste. All she had heard about her was from Adrien, and from the way he talked about her, she could tell he missed her more than he let on. But clearly, so did Chloe, which took Marinette by surprise. Somehow, she had never imagined Chloe would have such a candid side to her.
‘’When I was little,’’ Chloe continued, her tone melancholic, ‘’Daddy was always occupied with work. Mom was always away on some business trip...I used to get really bored of being alone at home all the time. So I demanded to go to a daycare…at least that way, I could have someone to talk to and play with. That’s where I first met Adrien - as well as Michael, Alice, Jeremy, and Mona. The six of us bonded pretty quickly. Soon, we became inseparable. Gosh, if I knew that the four of them would turn out to be like that…oh well, they’re expelled now, so we won't ever have to see them again. ‘’ Chloe scoffed with satisfaction.
‘’Then one day, it was Mom’s turn to pick me up from the daycare, but she didn’t show up. I kept waiting and waiting, the staff even tried calling her, but she didn’t pick up her phone. Neither did Daddy. Eventually, I was the only one left, apart from Adrien. ‘’
She heaved a deep sigh, gathering her thoughts.
‘’A few minutes later, Emilie arrived to pick up Adrien. Perhaps it was my jealous face, or maybe it was Adrien who whispered it to her, but Emilie realized what the situation was. She stayed back to ensure someone came to pick me up. Eventually, Mom picked up her phone, but by then, it was time for the daycare to close…that’s when Emilie came up to me. She said she would take me to their home along with Adrien, and I could wait for Mom over there. ‘’
A wistful smile came upon her face. ‘’I remember the first time I saw Emilie’s closet. It's been my dream since then to recreate her exact wardrobe. Um – anyways’’ her cheeks reddened.
‘’Since that day, I started visiting Adrien’s home as often as I could…Emilie always welcomed me with open arms. She understood me in a way that no one else did. She listened to all of my problems with care, and respected them no matter how frivolous or childish they were. Looking back, she was kind of like my guardian angel. Sorry, am I boring you?’’ she asked sheepishly.
Marinette shook her head. ‘’Of course not. On the contrary, I’m really grateful you trust me enough to tell me about her. She sounds like a lovely person. ‘’
‘’Not to get all cheesy, but she’s the reason I am the person that I am today’’ Chloe said. ‘’If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t even have approached my sister. ‘’
‘’You…have a sister?’’ asked Marinette.
‘’Surprising, right?’’ Chloe said sadly. ‘’Pretty much no one knows. She lives in New York…we’ve never even met. Last year, upon Emilie’s encouragement, I reached out to her for the first time in my life. Turns out, she’s a really cool person! We’ve been talking a lot over the phone for the past few months. Zoe – that’s her name – is coming to Paris for Christmas this year! I’m so excited to meet her! But also a little nervous…’’
By now, the sky had turned a periwinkle blue. Patients were starting to come out into the garden for early morning strolls.
‘’If it weren’t for Emilie, I don’t think I would have cared enough to reach out to Zoe’’ Chloe confided. ‘’She made me realize how lucky I was to have someone in my life whom I could always rely on. ‘’
Chloe threw her head back, fondly reminiscing. ‘’If there’s anything I wish, it’s that Emilie could have seen that Adrien has someone like that in his life now, too. That she didn’t have to worry, because he has someone he can always rely on. Someone who makes his life so much brighter. ‘’
Chloe placed her hand on Marinette’s shoulder. ‘’Someone like you. ‘’
Marinette didn’t know what to say.
‘’Since he met you, it’s like I can see the five-year-old Adrien all over again. He smiles wider, laughs harder…when he’s with you, he’s able to become his old self again. You bring out that side of him. ‘’
The minutes passed by in silence. Out here in the peaceful garden, and the gentle rays of the winter sun, Marinette couldn’t deny the fact that Chloe’s words made sense. She was so drained that she couldn’t bring herself to refute them. Not anymore.
And finally, the feelings she had locked away for months, came brimming all at once.
‘’Yes…he’s special to me’’ Marinette admitted. Tears streamed down her face, relief and regret battling inside her.
‘’From the moment I met him, I always knew. Knew that I would want more...he’s so loving and giving, you can't help but want to be with him. I was beside myself with happiness that I could be a source of comfort for him too. I knew that, and I messed everything up. ‘’
‘’You didn’t’’ Chloe reassured. ‘’And that’s for Adrien to decide, anyway. What matters is how you feel. You have always been the one for him, Marinette. It has always been you. ‘’
‘’You really think so?’’ Marinette sobbed.
Chloe nodded encouragingly. ‘’Trust in your feelings for him, Marinette. ‘’
Marinette nodded. Five minutes later, she wiped her tears, feeling better than she had for weeks. She took a deep breath, stretched, and started heading for the hospital building.
‘’Marinette?’’ Chloe called. Marinette turned around.
‘’I’m sorry I never bothered to talk to you before’’ she said.
Marinette beamed at her. ‘’It’s okay. I’m glad we’re friends now. And…thank you, Chloe. ‘’
With one last wave, Marinette left the courtyard. She walked back inside the hospital, taking firm steps, heading straight for the ICU on the second floor. She had made up her mind.
The moment she reached the ICU, she saw Adrien emerging out. Marinette braced herself.
This time, she knew exactly what she had to say.