To Love Thy Enemy

Panic

Adrien was slightly ashamed to admit that he had forgotten about Marinettes slip in favour of examining the door for a possible escape.

That is, until he heard a pained mumble behind him.

He swung his phone torch around and pointed it downwards, taking in Marinette crumpled in a heap on the floor.

Clutching her ankle.

Which seemed to be screwed on the wrong way.

Adrien groaned loudly, helplessly watching her struggle for a couple of seconds before he propped his phone on a shelf and crouched beside her.

Reluctantly, Marinette allowed him to help her into a more comfortable position, with her back against the bookshelves and her legs stretched out in front of her.

Adrien sat down next to her, positioning his phone on the floor so the light was pointing upwards, casting an eerie glow on their faces.

"I can't believe this," Marinette muttered, the pain making her more irritable.

Adrien snorted, You can't believe it? We wouldn't be here if you hadn't just had to get that book."

"Well I didn't ask you to follow me?!"

"Oh so you'd rather be stuck here alone with that ankle?"

"No! I have my...my," Marinette's voice faltered as she realised she didn't have her phone. She had left it at the table.

The pair descended into a spiteful silence, both of them too preoccupied to talk.

Marinette with managing her ankle and using her inner Ladybug to find a way out, and Adrien with the increasing fear clawing at his chest.

For a long time, the only sound in the room was Marinettes laboured breathing.

Then slowly, ever so slowly, Adriens breathing intensified until it matched hers.

The room they were in wasn't small by any means, but it wasn't big either, and the lack of light made it seem so much smaller than it was.

It didn't take long for his imagination to bring the walls closer, closer...trapped, HE WAS TRAPPED.

"AGRESTE!" Marinette's voice penetrated the wall of his mind, tethering him to reality but not quite strong enough to bring him back fully.

Marinette was getting scared. Slowly, Adriens breathing had overtaken hers, becoming the dominant sound in the room.

Not only that, but he appeared to be frozen, his eyes wide, darting.

She tried calling his name, several times, before she all but screamed it out, finally drawing his attention.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concerned - and vaguely annoyed - trying to ignore the still sharp pain in her ankle.

He nodded unconvincingly, his eyes couldn't seem to focus for more than a few seconds, darting around as if expecting something to leap out of the shadows.

"What is it?" Marinette said, looking around the tiny room, "Are you...are you claustrophobic? Is that what's wrong?"

Adrien nodded, trying to focus all of his attention on Marinette to distract himself, "something like that,"

His voice was barely a whisper.

"Okay...okay, umm" Marinette said soothingly, mind racing to think of something to say, "Adrien, Adrien Agreste look at me," she settled on, clicking her fingers ince in front of his face.

Adrien's panicked green eyes found hers, forcing himself to breathe in, and breathe out...breath in, breath out...

Marinette on the other hand, was forcing herself to think of what to say next, "Uh, think- think of something happy, like... fencing or-or a big, open field,"

She could see him trying, see the intensity in his eyes that was focused inwards, but she could also see that it wasn't working.

So Marinette made an impulsive decision.

Forgetting momentarily about her ankle, she shifted onto her knees and put her hands on his shoulders, doubting all the while the effectiveness of her plan.

"Ag- Adrien," she stared almost uncomfortably into his irises, "Adrien it's okay, think of...think of your mother? You were close with her right? Or Chloe... or anything that makes you happy, okay?"

Adrien stared at Marinette, not really seeing her as his gaze focused inwards and he thought of people who made him happy, his mother and Chloe as Marinette suggested, but also Ladybug. His partner, his closest confidant, his soul mate.

Marinette kept her hands on his shoulders as his breathing visibly slowed and the tension leaked out of him.

"That's right, okay, don't look at the room, look at...look at me, don't focus on the room," Marinette said, forgetting about her feud with Adrien as her eyes crinkled in pain, reminding her of her injury.

Finally, Adrien sighed and leaned back against the bookcase, Marinette gingerly following his lead.

There was silence for a few beats, until-

"Thanks," Adrien grunted reluctantly.

Marinette huffed a pained laugh in response.

She had, for the most part, forgotten about whose company she shared, all her attention focused on managing the pain in her ankle.

"We should," She gasped, "probably... try...to call someone," She couldn't string more than a few words together at once.

Adrien, oblivious as always, still had his eyes closed to avoid another bout of claustrophobia. But even he could hear the strain in Marinette's voice.

He only stared at her in the dim lighting for a couple of seconds before he nodded slowly and dialled the only person he thought to, Nathalie.

Once Natalie had hung up the call with a quick "on my way", the pair waited in silence, with Adrien keeping his eyes shut and Marinette keeping her breathing as normal as possible.

Nathalie arrived with the gorilla about half an hour later, meeting a library staff member who had showed up grumpily to let them out.

Nathalie, to both of their disgust, offered to give Marinette a lift home, which quickly changed to the hospital when she realised Marinette was unable to stand on her own.

The drive was awkward and silent, the AC being the only sound in the crowded vehicle.

Adrien didn't know what to think. After all, Marinette was a terrible person who he had no desire to pity, but...she had helped him, and now she was in pain. It wasn't as if he hated her any less than he did, but his basic human empathy caused a twinge of sympathy to stir in his gut.

"Thanks for the ride," Marinette said in what Adrien knew as her fake-polite voice when they arrived at the hospital. Gorilla walked in with her and Nathalie stayed in the car to call her parents. Adrien just stayed in the car.

-

*excited squeals* our enemies had their first cutesie moment!!! I'm so fucking happy like this chapter felt so *mwah*

Please lmk if the claustrophobia should have been handled differently and I'll change it 🫶

Please vote, comment, and stay tuned for new chapters if you like this story.

Until next time!!