Warped Reality

Chapter 2

Adrien

He sat down in front of the door, staring at the article on his phone. Heading home had been a terrible idea. A stranger lived there, who even threatened to call the cops on him if he didn't leave. His parents numbers were also connected to strangers who had never heard of him. So he had done the stupidest thing possible. He had tried looking them up. Which had led to the tragic article. His mother had apparently died when he was young, and his father, consumed with grief, had taken his own life. If this was a prank, it was an awful one. His eyes watered at the thought of both his parents dying, and he shivered at memories that seemed to flood in. Of funerals, black suits and the sound of a beeping machine in a hospital room. He closed his eyes at the images, praying they would go away. This had to be an acuma. There was no other explanation for it. There was nothing he could do but wait it out, and pray that someone somewhere would fix it. That he'd see his parents again. He heard footsteps, and he opened his eyes to see Marinette. She stared at him, not saying anything.

"My parents are dead." He mumbled, and she looked down at her phone.

"Mine too."

"This isn't a joke."

"No."

"We're screwed."

"Yep."

He got up, trying the door handle again. It still wouldn't budge. She stepped around him, flipping through the keys in her hand. At least she had been smart enough to grab them before she left, or they both would have ended up on the street. He glanced up at her face, being so close he could see she had been crying. He quickly looked away as she unlocked the door."

"I... I'm gonna take a shower."

He nodded and followed her inside, closing the door behind them. He couldn't do this. He couldn't share this cramped little apartment with her. Anyone but her.

"Can you try to find out more about... everything?" She asked, and he nodded again.

She walked through the kitchen to a small bathroom, closing the door behind her. He sat down on the couch, rummaging through mail on the coffee table. Mostly bills, a few pieces of junk mail. He switched to his phone, pulling open the recent apps. Games, messages, and a few shopping apps. He opened the messages, scrolling through countless chats that he didn't remember creating nor participating in. He found Marinette's number, his heart shuddering at the name he had saved for her.

"Mi'lady? That's so dorky." He murmered, opening their messages.

Most of it was stupid stuff, like getting dinner or if a bill needed to be paid. He scrolled up far enough that he found where they had originally talked about moving in together, over a year ago. They weren't even adults then. He found a voice clip she sent, and after glancing at the door of the bathroom, he hit play.

"Hey. I just wanted to thank you for coming over yesterday. I was in a bad place and it really made all the difference. I can't wait for us to get our own place. And start our own family."

His heart skyrocketed at that, warmth flooding into his face. That... that was ridiculous.

"Anyway, I know you're asleep. Text or call when you wake up. I'll be here. I love you, goodnight."

He quickly shut off the phone, shaking his head. There was no way in hell that was real. Marinette would rather die than say that to him.

"Can you bring me a change of clothes?" She asked through the door, and the warmth on his face felt like he was leaning over an open flame.

"Uh yeah."

He went to the bedroom, going through the closet until he found something that looked like it belonged to her. He knocked on the bathroom door and her hand shot out, grabbing the clothes before the door shut quickly.