Adrien now found himself being herded out of Marinette's, his own wife's room. The nurses were extremely nice, and very apologetic about it, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

He sat down on the bench outside of Marinette's room, shell shocked at the state of things.

Marinette Agreste, has had a terrible car accident. She had a miscarriage, losing their eight week old baby. She sustained many injuries, the worst injury being her memory loss.

She doesn't remember her internship, their relationship, marriage. Last she remembers, she is still engaged to Andrew, her abusive ex. His father, Gabriel Agreste, fed her lies, making her believe that she cheated her way, and that Adrien only took pity on her.

Gabriel Agreste has ruined everything that he had set up for now. If he wasn't Adrien's father, and if he didn't have that small shred of respect left in him, he swears he would have punched him in the jaw.

Adrien buries his face in his hands. Everything was going, to put it lightly, shit.

"Mr. Agreste?"

He looked up to see a nurse beside him.

"She's calmed now, but... she doesn't want to see you," she said, her voice growing softer to the end. "I... I'm sorry. She did ask if we could call her parents, though."

Adrien purses his lips and swallowed a dry lump in his throat. He swallows and he nods, standing. "I'll give them a call, thank you." He forces that faux smile on his features again and he turns, going down the hall to call Sabine.

"Adrien, hello. How's Marinette?" She greeted.

Adrien has to hold back from venting. "Well," he clears his throat. "Gabriel was here, and he ruined everything."

"Gabriel?" She asks. Adrien nods. "What, why... why?" She asks.

"Is what I want to know myself. But he told Marinette that she was a terrible intern, that she cheated her way through the internship, and that our relationship is basically pity-based." Adrien had made it to the end of the hallway, looking out at the window. But by the time he finished, he was pacing back and forth in front of the window.

"He did— Gabriel, now despicable." For the first time, Adrien heard his mother-in-law curse. He would be more exalted if he wasn't as aggravated. "How's Marinette?"

Adrien took a seat at the bench outside another room. "She doesn't want to see me," he sighed, leaning into his hand. "But she's asked for you two."

There's movement in the other end. "I'll close up shop; we'll be there in twenty."

"I'll let them know to inform her," Adrien says, ending the call and heading to the nurses' station.

Adrien asks one of them to let Marinette know that her parents are on the way. When they came out, they inform Adrien that she was comforted by the fact that her parents were on the way.

He sits down on the bench outside her room, pulling out his phone. He decides to text Nino.

He and Alya has gone out the week before Marinette woke up for a reporter gig down in Spain, but they were supposed to be back by now.

Adrien: Have you guys made it back yet?

Nino: we just got back the apartment. u still at the hospital? heard Marinette was awake

Adrien: Yeah... She's not doing well. Memory loss.

Nino: o duck

Nino: how bad?

Adrien: Last thing she remembers is being engaged to Andrew...

Nino: oh shit...

Nino: me n Alya are putting our shit down and well be over in a bit, k?

Adrien: Okay.

Adrien sighed, putting his phone into his pocket and leaning back with a sigh. His whole world was crumbling before him and he didn't know how to handle it. He didn't know how to cope with it.

Adrien was usually the shoulder being cried on, himself not being really emotional, but he always sought her out when things were getting hairy. They had been each others' solace for five years. Now, that was stripped away from him.

She was there but she wasn't able to give him that support. He was there but he couldn't be her support. Adrien was the last person Marinette wanted to see.

A gentle hand to his shoulder shook him from his downward, swirling thoughts.

"Sabine,"'Adrien stands, shaking the dark thoughts from his head and smiling softly.

Both Sabine and Tom came, Tom going ahead and going to chat with Marinette.

Adrien wanted nothing more than to go and join them. Sabine put a hand on his forearm, her other hand rubbing his shoulder gently.

"Are you okay, dear?" She asks, examining his face.

He already knew that she could read him. The Cheng women are really good at reading him like an open book.

"She doesn't want to see me," he whispers. "What... what do I do?" He asks, his breath stuttering.

Sabine gave a soft, sad smile, pulling him in for a hug. "I'm so sorry, sweetie," she murmurs, running a hand down her back. She could tell how broken he was by this.

As Marinette's mother, it hurt to know her daughter was injured and suffered such severe injuries. And through the memory loss, they were there her whole life. Marinette remembered them.

But Adrien? Marinette only knew him as the model son. Adrien, her husband, her partner, her inspiration and motivation— gone. She couldn't even imagine how it felt to be completely forgotten.

Adrien held onto her tightly, fighting the urge to let his sobs through. He took a couple deep breaths and he pulled back, clearing his throat lightly. Sabine looked up at him, cupping his cheek lightly. He could feel her eyes digging deep into him as they had some various times before.

"You can't keep it in, Adrien," she murmurs. "You have to let out your emotions. Keeping them bottled up isn't healthy, my dear."

Adrien's breath hitches. "Right," he exhales quietly, nodding.

She rubs her thumb against her cheek comfortingly and she pulls away. "I'm going to go in, okay?" She starts towards the door, pausing before going through the threshold, to look at him.

"I'll... Be here if she needs me," he offers.

Sabine offers a soft smile and a nod before going inside.

Adrien can hear Marinette inside, calling out to her mother brokenly, before there's soft sobs that came out muffled through. He clenches his hands and stands, quietly closing the door.

As much as he would like to be Marinette's shoulder to cry on, his heart can't handle listening to her cry.

Adrien sits back down, tapping his foot. He pulls out his phone. It's only been ten minutes since Nino last texted him. They should be there soon.

He closes his texts and goes to the internet. He loads up his wife's name in the search engine, and a lot of articles come up. Especially ones with his father. Which aggravated him even more.

He just left and he's already feeding the reporters his lies.

Adrien's knuckles were turning white as he clenched his fist harder.

"Adrien."

He looks up, ready to snap at whoever it was that was calling him. But he was relieved to find that it was Nino and Alya.

"Bro, you alright?"

"Is it really that bad? I just saw that Gabriel sent out a statement to the press. She can't remember anything, about the internship and the wedding. Because of Gabriel, she barely wants to see me, right now." He sighs, standing.

Alya frowns, rubbing his arm comfortingly. "Do you know if she remembers us?" She asks.

Adrien shrugs. "I would assume, yes? I mean, if you were in her life before I was, then yes, she would remember you."

It was disheartening how relieved Alya looked. She places her hand up on his shoulder. "I'll try to work on her in your favor, okay?"

He nods, watching her knock on the door before she steps inside. She leaves the door open and she can hear Marinette gasp, murmuring happily at seeing her friend.

Adrien gives a soft sigh, glad that she at least remembered her friend.

"Hey, want to go get some coffee?" Nino asked, taking Adrien's attention away from the conversation inside.

Adrien didn't want to particularly leave Marinette, but at this point, there wasn't much he could do anyway, since he was to not be seen.

"Um... Yeah, sure." He shrugs, turning away and leading towards the elevators.

○○○

"Caramel macchiato, with two added expresso shots, please." Adrien orders, pulling his card out.

"I'll have a vanilla latte, thanks." Nino puts in his order.

The barista is a little flustered at the fact that it's The Adrien Agreste that was in front of her, ordering drinks. "Y-Yes, sir."

Adrien goes to the pick up section after taking his card back, running his hand through his hair.

"How are you doing?" Nino asks.

Adrien purses his lips, nodding slowly. "I think... A better question would be, how am I not doing?"

Nino flinched. "That bad, huh?" He asks.

Adrien props his elbows up on the counter and he sighs into his hands. "I don't know what to do, Nino. She doesn't want to see me, she doesn't want to talk to me, she practically doesn't want to do anything with me." Now, he's covering his eyes. "This is so much worse than breaking up."

Nino wraps an arm around his shoulder. "Dude," he murmurs softly. "Lets go take a walk, man. We need to talk this out."

Adrien's breath is choking him up, and he nods, already turning, when the barista calls his name, announcing his drinks are ready.

Nino's quick to thank her and takes their drinks, leading them out.

They're walking around the hospital campus, and Adrien is swirling his drink in his hand before taking a long drink of his macchiato. It burns his tongue and he squeezes his eyes shut, resisting the urge to spit the burning liquid out.

"Woah, buddy, take it slow, its piping hot!" Nino reaches out to pull Adrien's arm down. He could feel the heat of the latte through the sleeve of the cup, and he could only imagine just how hot the drink was.

"I need something to distract me," Adrien muttered, his tongue and throat throbbing from the heat.

"Okay, but that's not how we cope," Nino chastises, but Adrien dismisses him.

"I don't know how to cope, Nino. She was the person I went to when I needed to cope, but now I can't even go to her." Adrien takes a handful of his hair, considering pulling it out. "What in god's green Earth do I do, Nino? She was my rock, and now she's gone!" He doesn't realize that he's shouting at his best friend.

Who is currently putting the coffees down and putting his hands on Adrien's shoulders. "Alright, I need you to breathe, Adrien." Nino demands, giving him a small shake. "We need to get off campus for a bit. We need to get you a breather."

Adrien is vehemently shaking his head. "No, I can't, I can't leave her—"

"No," Nino interrupts, tugging Adrien towards the parking lot. "Listen, I'll text Alya and let her know that I'm taking you out. She will let mom and dad know, and then we will come back before the night ends, okay?"

Adrien didn't want to go, but his throat burned, he felt choked up, his eyes stung, and he felt like his head was stuffed full of cotton.

○○○

Nino had taken Adrien to a nearby bar, to get some drinks into him, to get him warm, to get him loose. And it was working, much to both of their misfortune.

Adrien is drinking straight whiskey, his cheek resting on the cool bar counter, as he's sniffling, blubbering quietly.

Nino managed to get a good amount of alcohol into his system, breaking down that wall that he had built up since Marinette's accident.

And it was rather pitiful.

Firstly, he was upset. Upset that he lets Marinette's stubbornness walk over him. He could have prevented this. They could be home, together, enjoying their winter break, enjoying a pregnancy.

Next, he was angry. He was pressed that his father came to the hospital, the fact that he spewed all these lies to his wife, slandering their name and making them the enemies.

Lastly, he was broken. Pained. Distressed.

"She's gone, Nino. She's gone. And I've lost her. I've lost everything. She... She thought I was her doctor, and, and..." He breaks down, sobbing, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Adrien cried, hard. So hard, it made his throat throb like it was burning again. His heart ached for his wife.

Nino didn't drink, but he remained by his friend's side, listening to his woes and agonies. Adrien drank himself to sleep.

Nino had to take him to home, walking his shattered friend into his bed. Adrien still cried, much softer, quietly this time.

"If only magic existed.. Like," he hiccuped. "If I had Rapunzel's magic, I could... fix, fix everything." Adrien sighed. "My flower, my angel," he whimpered.

Nino couldn't help but smile sadly. "She will get better, bro. Alya will make it work. Give it time."

Adrien didn't know if that's how memory loss worked, but in his current state, he believed anything.

○○○

"Adrien. Adrien," a voice sang softly. He could feel a hand run gently through his hair, tucking some behind his cheek before removing his glasses. "You fell asleep at your desk again, my love."

He took in a deep breath. His eyes opened and he was temporarily blinded by the soft light of his lamp. His eyes adjusted and he pushed himself to sit straight, his back aching and stiff from having fallen asleep on his desk.

"I know your kids are important, but you're important, too. Don't push yourself too hard." The voice rested against the edge of the table, looking down at him with a fond smile.

Her hair was half pinned back and it draped across her shoulders. Her freckles were more prominent now than they were a couple months ago. Guess those prenatal vitamins worked other magic too.

"And what about you?" He asked, looking at the time. "It's nearly midnight. What are you doing awake?" He asks, propping an elbow on the table and leaning his chin into his hand to admire her.

"I was getting ready to go to sleep, but then I realized I was a little lonely." She smiles softly, shyly. She offers her hand to him.

"I'm sorry I've abandoned you so." He smiles and he takes her hand.

She pulls him up and they retreat to the bedroom. They're already in pajamas, snuggling under the covers as they face each other.

She's tied up her hair in a messy bun, but some strands escaped her do. He smiles warmly and he tucks them back.

"You're so beautiful," he whispers.

A small blush dusts her cheeks and she puts a hand to his chest, right over his heart. "I love you, Adrien."

Adrien cups her cheek. "I love you, Marinette."

"And I'm the one who is sorry for abandoning you."

○○○

Adrien awakens, finding himself in his own bed, alone, his cheeks wet.

The time read 6:03 am.

He doesn't remember what happened last night, but he can feel a headache brewing in the back of his head.

Adrien pushes himself out of bed, forcing himself to take a steaming shower. The steam doesn't clear his aching heart, but it makes him at least breathe a little easier.

He finishes his shower and he gets dressed. He goes to brew himself a coffee, getting dressed while it brews.

He brews his usual coffee with hazelnut cream. And as per habit, he's pulling out Marinette's mug, preparing her holiday favorite, the peppermint mocha.

He remembers before; Marinette was a firm believer that mint and chocolate flavors didn't belong together. She refused to try chocolate mint ice cream, anything that had the words 'mint' or 'chocolate' printed on the same packaging.

It wasn't until their first Christmas together, that Adrien got her a peppermint mocha by accident. And she actually liked it. When it was back in season, he was always sure to grab a bottle of creamer for her.

Adrien has prepared two coffees. One for himself, one for his significant other.

But she wasn't there.

Adrien stared at this mug of coffee he prepared, considering pouring it down the drain. She wasn't here to drink it. He wasn't going to drink it.

He takes the mug and holds it over the sink. And he's seconds away from tipping the mug over, but he sets it down in the counter again, grabbing their thermoses. He pours his coffee in his, then pours Marinette's in hers.

Maybe if she drinks it, she will remember.

○○○

The hospital didn't have much buzz so early in the morning. Parking was great and the nurses were switching shifts.

"Good morning, Mr. Agreste."

"Morning, Mr. Agreste."

"Mr. Agreste, good morning."

The nurses greeted him as he walked by, Adrien nodding and giving them that practiced smile.

He didn't realize it, but his heart was fluttering in his chest. The possibility of getting Marinette to remember, simply from drinking a coffee? He didn't know if it would work, or if it would trigger any memories to resurface, but he wanted to take any chance that he could.

"Marinette, good morn—" Adrien steps into her room, but stops once he passes the curtain of her hospital room.

There's another person in the room. It wasn't one of the nurses, it wasn't Dr. Desjardins. It was someone that Adrien hadn't seen in a couple years. Since Marinette's internship.

And they had been talking in hushed voices, her hand in both of his. He stood as Adrien came into the room.

"Adrien."

"Andrew."