Living With Agreste

Chapter 13- Time To Move

Tikki heard footsteps and quickly hid behind Marinette's desk, watching as her mother threw the laundry on Marinette's chaise. Her blue-haired friend ran over to see what she had packed and began throwing more things in her bags.

"So what happened while I wasn't watching?" Sabine teased her daughter. Tikki eavesdropped curiously.

"Oh- uh, well I fell..."

"And your darling prince saved you?"

"Mom!" Marinette flushed, crossing her arms.

"I'm just teasing, Marinette. Let's finish this up, shall we?"

A short while later, Marinette had packed 2 suitcases and a bag, along with her school backpack and normal purse. Everything was light and easy to carry, but Sabine, being the mischievous mother as she was, called Adrien for help.

"Hey, Adrien! Would you mind helping Marinette carry her things?"

Marinette shot her mother a glare but only earned a smirk from her in return. Marinette sighed in defeat and watched as he headed up the stairs.

Tikki's eyes widened and she looked up at the pictures on the walls. Quickly, she shot up and took a few off as everyone turned around. Marinette looked back to see the rest of them still up, and a Tikki with pictures in her arms. She motioned for her kwami to hide and rushed over to take a few off the wall. She really didn't want Adrien to think that after all these years, she still had his pictures up on the wall. Yet, Sabine turned around and called out to her daughter.

"How about you make your bed and meet us downstairs?"

"Uh y-yeah, mom. Thanks." Marinette threw the pictures in her desk drawer and made her bed to her mother's request.

"Okay, Tikki. Let's go."

Tikki dove into her purse and Marinette rushed down the hatch, careful to not slip this time.

"Okay..." Marinette turned to look at the kitchen one last time and headed down the stairs to the bakery. Her mother, father, and Adrien were down there waiting for her. Adrien was holding a freshly baked croissant in his hand and smiling deviously.

"Sorry, is my father force feeding you?" She laughed. Adrien shook his head.

"Never. I would always voluntarily eat anything he offered me." He took a bite of the roll and smiled at Tom. Marinette's parents exchanged looks before walking over to their daughter.

"Well..." Marinette spoke, staring at her parents. For the last few hours, she'd completely forgotten about all the terrors she'd be facing outside of her house. It hadn't appeared to her how much she was going to miss her parents until the moment that they were standing in front of her to say goodbye.

"When do you fly out?" Marinette questioned.

"Tomorrow at 3."

"I'll... be in school.." She looked down.

"We know," Tom stated, putting a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"I don't want to stay here saying goodbye like we'll never see each other again," Marinette said, her voice cracking.

"I know, sweetie." Sabine pulled her daughter into a hug, and Tom wrapped his arms around them both. Adrien watched with a smile and a hint of sadness in his eyes. Oh, how he missed his mother and father so much. Yes, his father was still with him, but not truly with him. He secretly hoped that Marinette could help change the loneliness he faced at home. All this time he was really hoping that she was going to be okay. The rumors were spreading like wildfire and the conversation with Ladybug today made him worry about the comments affecting others as well. It was none of his business about Marinette's relationships, but what hurt him more was how the rumors were making him and his father look bad. But as a friend, Adrien new that Marinette would never do the things that Chloe spoke of. And if she did, so what? Nobody should judge her on that. Even if she was having sex with Luka, nobody should be talking about it because it's none of their business! But she would never date Luka. Let alone have sex with him.