Chapter 1: Undeniable Love

Full Summary: Adrien had always been a relatively talkative child, that is until his mother went missing and was found dead. Gabriel has busied himself with work since then, constantly drowning his problems out with alcohol to numb the pain. He avoids his son as much as possible, Adrien a constant reminder of his late wife. Adrien's hurting, and he needs a father, a family, a friend, to help cope with the sorrow and the depression, but he's alone, and he's too afraid to tell anybody, too afraid to ask for help.

Adrien never spoke to anybody unless he was spoken to first. He always sat quietly at his desk, hands folded in his lap, emerald green eyes always downcast.

Marinette couldn't help but notice how lonely the boy seemed to be. She couldn't help but notice all the small white scars that littered his toned skin, which she found peculiar, considering that Adrien was a model. Marinette slowly got up from her own desk and seated herself down next to the blond. She gently rested her hand on his shoulder, but she couldn't help but take notice of how bony and sharp his shoulder was, as well as how violently the boy flinched at her touch.

Marinette's bluebell eyes immediately widened in shock. She quickly pulled her hand away. "Ah, I'm sorry if I scared you!" She exclaimed, apologizing over and over, her cheeks flushed. "I'm Marinette, I sit behind you." She said extending her hand and pointing at the empty seat behind her with the other.

Adrien met the girl's bright eyes, slowly extending his own hand and shaking her's. "I'm Adrien." The blond said, forcing himself to fake a smile for her. Adrien didn't like forging emotions, but he was so familiar with creating fake facades for work, it was like second nature to him.

Marinette felt her heart skip a beat as the blond gave her a gentle smile. How was is it even physically possible to be this adorable?!, she wondered to herself, desperately trying to keep her composure.

She cleared her throat, and shook the thoughts out of her head. "S- So has everything been okay with you? I... I've noticed you've been pretty quiet lately...and your eyes, there's something that makes you look melancholy, like a pained sadness."

"Of course everything's fine, I'm sorry if I worried you." Adrien said with another forced smile, followed by a hollow nervous laugh. However, everything wasn't fine. It hadn't been fine since the day his mother turned up dead. That was when it started. When the depression and weight of the situation beginning to sink in on him, when Gabriel began to slowly spend less and less time at home and drinking more and more alcohol. At that, the seldom times his father was home, he was scarcely ever sober. Adrien knew his father couldn't help it, he knew that Gabriel's mind was clouded and hazy from the alcohol, but many times Adrien would end up being beaten and abused. Many times an empty bottle was often thrashed against his back, leaving shards of glass in his skin and multiple hideous cuts and scars, many times Gabriel's assault left bruises or deep slits in his toned skin, but Adrien still didn't blame his father. In fact, many times, the blond himself had considered taking a large swig from one of the vodka bottles in the minibar downstairs, however the pungent pricking smell always discouraged him.

Marinette studied the blond carefully. His shoulders were bony, too bony, and his face seemed much more hollow than it had before, his cheekbones seemingly pressing tightly against his skin. Marinette didn't want to pry, but she was concerned about her fellow classmate, about his wellbeing. She shook her head. She was probably just being too paranoid about the situation and overthinking things like she normally did. "Oh alright." The ravenette replied calmly. "I- If you ever need anything, feel free to ask." She added gently with a warm genuine smile as she stood up from her seat and gave a small wave before returning to her own seat.

I can't tell her. I can't let anyone from school find out. Adrien thought firmly as he nodded, watching the girl stand up.

Suddenly, the bell signaling class had ended rang, causing all of the students to bolt for the door. Everyone except Adrien. Adrien picked up his things slowly, without much hurry. He absolutely despised his next class; gym. He didn't really mind the physical part of it, such as running, stretching, and playing sports, he just despised the locker rooms. His teacher required the class to change into different clothes for gym, otherwise participation points would be taken off their grade, and Adrien's father expected nothing less than a hundred from his son, nothing but solid straight A's on his report card.

He had a particular reason for hating it, specifically because it exposed his tattered tainted skin, revealing all of the cuts and tender blackish bluish bruises on his sides, back, and chest. He loved Gabriel too much to let his classmates accuse his father of child abuse and put his father in prison. Even though it hurt, and Adrien couldn't bare to look Gabriel in the eyes anymore, he knew, deep down, somewhere in his father's cold hardened heart, was his compassionate ambitious dad before his mother had left them, and he was determined to take all of those beatings, all of the pain, if it meant Gabriel would return to his former self.

Adrien walked at a slow leisurely pace, not exactly tortoise speed, but just slightly slower than his usual walking pace. He always tried to arrive to class slightly late so he'd have the locker room to himself, so no one could see his scars, so no one could hurt his father. He'd forged Gabriel's signature to write a note to the office, saying that he had 'bladder issues' so it took him longer to get to class due to how long he had to spend in the 'bathroom'. His P.E. teacher was pissed for the first few weeks when Adrien suddenly brought up the issue, but eventually he came to just ignore the issue and let Adrien do as he pleased.

The blond swallowed hard and let out a shaky breath. You'll be fine. No one will see. There won't be anyone in the locker room, no one will see you, it'll be fine. With a trembling hand, he pulled open the gym door.

Everyone immediately turned in his direction, Adrien felt all sets of eyes turn on him, almost like thousands of tiny needles piercing his skin.

"Agreste," The coach acknowledged. "Hurry up and get changed. Now." He said rolling his eyes, his tone derogatory.

"Y- Yes sir." Adrien said, quickly hurrying off to the locker room, anxiety building up inside him with everyone staring at his small form.

As the heavy door shut behind him, he let out a small sigh of relief. He then began to set his stuff down and slid off his white button over dress shirt. As he began to pull his usual black t-shirt over his head, his waist showing he thought he heard ruffling from someone else's clothing, aside from his own. His heartbeat immediately sped up. Calm down Adrien. You're hallucinating. It was nothing, He attempted to reassure himself. He let out another shaky breath and continued to remove his shirt and lift it over his head, revealing the whole upper half of his body.

"Woah dude, what happened to you?" someone asked Adrien from behind, extreme concern in his voice.

Adrien's heart nearly stopped and he felt his bottom lip begin to quiver, his pupils dilating. He felt like he couldn't breath, and his heart was ramming against his ribcage like a battering ram, threatening to pound straight out of his chest. The blond's face immediately fell pale, his stomach tying itself in knots, sending a nauseous feeling through his body, reverberating through his entire being.

Adrien slowly turned around. He was met with a boy with dark olive skin, his hair short and dark, a red baseball cap perched along the top of his head, gunmetal gray headphones with orange ends wrapped around his neck. Adrien opened his mouth to formulate words, but he was choking on them, his lips unable to formulate them, only able to sputter fragments of them.

"Your face is awful pale, are you feeling okay dude?" Nino asked with concern, slowly stepping towards the blond, his hand slightly outstretched towards the boy.

"D- Don't touch me!" Adrien immediately yelled, backing away, his eyes wide and stricken with fear.

"Adrien, right?" Nino asked calmly. He'd taken notice of all the wounds the blond harbored, but he didn't ask. He figured the model probably had his reasons for having those scars, for reacting the way he did when he had attempted to reach out to the blond.

"Don't say anything." Adrien whimpered quietly, mortified. "Please, don't tell anyone what you saw. Please." Adrien was begging and nearly in tears.

Nino was caught off guard, seeing the boy begin to cry. "I promise I won't." Nino said gently looking into Adrien's emerald eyes. "I'm sure you have your reasons, so I won't ask."

"Promise?" Adrien uttered weakly.

"I promise." Nino confirmed. "But in return, we're going to become bro's okay?"

Adrien had never had any real friends other than Chloe, and he was sure she only hung out with him because of his social status. What did real friends do? Hesitantly, Adrien then nodded his head.

"Now just calm down, okay. I'll make up an excuse for the coach if you need some time to regain your composure."

Adrien nodded and wiped the tears away from his eyes. "N- Number." The blond asked weakly, stuttering.

"Number? Number for what?" Nino repeated.

"Phone number." Adrien said quietly, his cheeks flushing pink and his eyes falling downcast in embarrassment.

The olive skinned boy grinned. He then proceeded to tell the blond his number, the two exchanging numbers.

"Remember, you promised." Adrien said, finally calming down, slipping his shirt for gym on and changing into a pair of basketball shorts.

"Don't worry, friends don't break promises." Nino stated firmly, smiling at his newly acquired friend as they both left the locker room.

Adrien looked up at the humongous mansion that he called home. In his opinion it was too big. It made him feel even lonelier when he could hear his own footsteps echoing through the halls. As he stuck the key in the lock and turned it, he pulled open the door. "I'm home." He spoke into the empty desolate mansion, his voice echoing and ricocheting off every wall.

Suddenly a voice called back. One Adrien was all to familiar with, one that he always longed to hear, one that he'd always wanted to be praised by. "Adrien. We need to talk."

The blond slowly closed the front door behind him and looked to the top of the staircase to see his father's tall lean figure. "Father?" He asked confused, almost dumbfounded.

"You've been neglecting your photoshoots and interviews. Why is that?" Gabriel asked sternly, his tone unwavering, and his lips pulled into a tight line.

He's sober, Adrien thought amazed, pleased to hear his father speaking correctly without any slurred words.

"Well I can't-"

"What have I told you?" Gabriel interrupted, his eyes narrowed. "Never say can't. No son of mine will say he 'can't' do something." He scolded, his glare like ice picks digging into Adrien's back."

"But I- You- The cuts and bruises-"

"Enough. If you can't formulate proper sentences, don't speak at all. You're wasting precious oxygen."

Adrien sighed, his eyes growing a shade darker as they fell downcast, his bangs falling over into his face.

The blond proceeded up the stairs without another word, not making eye contact with the designer.

Adrien closed his bedroom door and slid down it, pulling his knees in close to him, pulling out his phone and looking through his camera roll, scrolling through the pictures with his mother in it. "Why? Why did you leave us Mom? Father need's you. I need you. I don't know how much longer I can handle this. I can feel myself slipping away. How do I do this? I thought I would be responsible and try to piece Father back together, but I can't. I don't know how to anymore. I- I just can't!" The blond thought aloud, bursting into tears again, sniffling. His salty tear cascading down his cheeks, small droplets dripping onto his now dim phone screen.

Adrien sucked in a breath through his teeth exhaling slowly as he got up off the floor.

Adrien sat quietly at the dinner table, his father sitting at the chair farthest from the one that had been designated his. Adrien's heart throbbed ever-so slightly. He stared down in dismay at the food on his plate. He glanced up at Gabriel's, then back at his own. His father's plate consisted of a large juicy well done steak, along with other dainty dishes, but nonetheless delicious appetizers. While his own was more or less a salad without any dressing, and a small pitiful chunk of what looked like white and uncooked, still partially raw meat. Adrien stabbed a few leaves of lettuce with his fork and held it up, examining it. He then slowly set the fork down and picked up the glass set in front of him, swishing the thick liquid inside back and forth with his wrist. He knew what it was, he knew what it tasted like, and he knew the vitamins and proteins it was supposed to provide, but he didn't want to drink it. A vegetable mesh protein drink, mixed with a raw egg or two.

This was his 'model diet' meant to keep him thin and keep his skin clear and free from acne and other blemishes and imperfections. Eating salad everyday for every meal got old quick, and forcing a liquid down your throat that made you gag with every swallow wasn't exactly appealing. Adrien had gotten to the point where now most of the time he only ate one meal a day, and at that it was only enough to stop his stomach from growling, nowhere near enough to fill him up.

Adrien continued to play with his food, stabbing at the vegetables with his fork and swirling the tomatoes around his plate, staring at it in disgust and disinterest.

Without looking up or even pausing from eating his food, Gabriel readjusted his glasses and spoke after he took a sip of wine from his champagne glass. "Adrien stop playing with your food. You're not a child anymore. Food is prepared for you to eat, not for you to toy with."

Adrien looked up, setting his fork down. "I had a rather large lunch at school Father, so I'm still rather full."

"Don't lie to me Adrien. I can check on the bank account how much you spent for lunch at school and exactly what you bought. I can trace all purchases and transactions you make with your credit card. You bought a bottle of water, and only a bottle of water."

Adrien swallowed the hard lump in his throat. "Really Father, I'm not hungry." He protested weakly.

"Adrien."

"My figure is thin and slender. My face is free of acne. I fail to see the problem."

His father's cheeks were lightly flushed, more red than his natural pale complexion. Adrien scowled. His father wasn't quite drunk yet, but by the shade of his face, Adrien knew Gabriel was already tipsy. There are two types of drunks, the happy giggling laughing ones, and then there were the aggressive violent drunks. Unfortunately, Adrien's father was the latter of the two.

"None of that matters if you aren't even attending photoshoots." His father ridiculed back.

"Well I've been feeling ill lately, so I figured I shouldn't be featured in magazines with a sickly complexion."

"For the last two weeks?" Gabriel asked with a subtle, but definitely present aggressiveness in the tone of his voice, as well as a cocked eyebrow.

Sure Adrien may not have been sick, but by the way he'd felt the last few weeks, he sure as hell felt like he was. With all of the cuts and bruises underneath his shirt, it hurt anytime he made sudden movements or attempted to lay down, like each little wound was a patch of fire threatening to eat through his skin.

"Goodnight Father, I'll be excusing myself to retire for the night now." Adrien said quickly, stumbling and nearly tripping as he attempted to scramble out of the dining room.

However as Adrien was climbing up the stairs, probably only about five steps up, Gabriel grabbed a fistful of the back of Adrien's shirt and jerked him downwards, and the next thing Adrien knew, he was falling. The blond landed with a loud thud on the white marble floor, his face contorted in pain.

Adrien's head throbbed and everything was swirling around him like he were in a daze.

Gabriel finished all of the wine in his champagne glass, tilting his head back. He then dropped the translucent cup, letting his fingers unwrap from it, the glass shattering on impact as soon as it hit the floor, only a few inches away from Adrien's face.

The blond quickly squeezed his eyes shut, and winced as he felt some of the shattered fragments of glass strike his cheek and his right temple.

"Listen boy, you don't leave when I'm in the middle of talking to you." The boy's father growled, his breath already beginning to mimic the scent of alcohol. "Now get up." He commanded firmly.

Adrien opened his eyes and sighed, slowly starting to sit up.

"I said GET UP!" Gabriel

threatened, raising his voice. He then brought a swift kick into Adrien's side, knocking the wind out of the blond and causing him to fall back on his back again.

"I don't have time to deal with this ludicrous nonsense you worthless waste of oxygen." Gabriel huffed, carelessly stepping right on Adrien's chest, directly overtop of his ribcage. Adrien's eyes widened and he let out a small vocal outcry of pain as he heard a sickening snap as Gabriel's weight began to build pressure on his ribs. "I don't have enough alcohol in my system to deal with this shit." His father continued to grumble under his breath as strode off towards the minibar.

Adrien's breath hitched in ragged desperate breaths. Sucking in air through his teeth, he forced himself up into a standing position, his arm clutching his chest, his other hand desperately clinging to the railing of the staircase, hard enough his knuckles were turning white.

Black blobs began to invade the corner's of Adrien's vision, slowly engulfing everything in darkness. Adrien could feel himself slipping, could feel his grip around the railing began to loosen, until he couldn't feel anything. Until all he could feel was a cold numbness that resonated throughout his body, and the sensation of falling. Just like that, Adrien fell unconscious, his body plummeting towards the ivory marble floor.

Adrien groaned as his eyes finally opened. His head throbbed, his chest ached, and basically every part of his body screamed in agony. What happened? What time is it?, Adrien wondered as he pulled himself up. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, turning it on to check the time. 1:45 A.M.

How long was I passed out?

The house was cold and engulfed in darkness, absolute silence other than the occasional sound of glass clinking against a marble countertop and the occasional swish of liquid being poured.

Adrien walked slowly, walking as close to the wall as possible, afraid that hidden shadow monsters would emerge out of the darkness and strangle the life out of him. He continued towards the streams of light stretching out into the hallway, emitting from a room Adrien knew all too well. However, like a bug, he was drawn towards the light, subconsciously continuing to stumble towards it. The blond cautiously peered around the corner of the only room with a light on. Gabriel was sitting on a bar stool at the minibar, slumped over the counter with a half filled shot glass in his hand, an empty vodka bottle not far from his fingertips.

"Father?" Adrien asked weakly, cautiously stepping from out behind the doorway and into the room. "How many shots have you already had?"

"Does it fucking matter?" Adrien's father growled back.

"If you drink too much you'll get a hangover."

"Listen boy, I'll drink as much as I damn want to. Now get the hell out of here!"

"Dad-" Adrien started, walking towards Gabriel, placing his hand on the man's shoulder.

Gabriel snapped. His son's touch brought back a jarring memory, one of which his wife had gently grazed his shoulder, telling him that he should take a break from working on designs, and of how a younger Adrien had ran into the room and jumped onto him and into his arms, the three of them then embracing in a tight hug, amplifying their own body heat.

"ADRIEN WHAT THE HELL HAVE I TOLD YOU?!" Gabriel screamed, snapping the blond's hand back, and tackling the teenager to the floor, smashing the empty vodka bottle against the boy's head. Gabriel sat on top of Adrien's stomach, his own hands clutching the model's throat, ready to choke.

The blond's emerald eyes widened in fear and disbelief. "F- Father- I- I-" he stuttered unable to form a proper sentence. "Please Dad, I'm sorry!" Adrien choked out, salty tears beginning to cascade from his eyes.

Gabriel gritted his teeth, his eyebrows arched downwards at a firm slant. "You damn worthless child." He spat through clenched teeth. "Damn it! DAMN IT! Why do you look so much like her!" He shook his head furiously. "Why was it her? Why couldn't it have been you or hell even me?! Sh- She didn't deserve to die like that! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU!" Gabriel yelled, beginning to sob, as his grip around his son's neck began to tighten.

Adrien gasped for air and coughed, beginning to become unable to breath. "Fa- Father!" Adrien yelled as he began to squirm and convulse.

Suddenly the small sober portion of Gabriel's brain kicked in, realization of what he was doing sinking in. With a quick gasp parting from his lips, Gabriel immediately released his hold on Adrien's neck. "Wh- What have I done?!" Gabriel yelled horrified, staring at his unconscious, barely breathing child, blood beginning to cascade and drip in rivulets off of Adrien's forehead.

A/N: So what'd you think? I love reviews, follows, and favorites, so feel free to do so if you enjoyed this fic. Sorry if the characters are extremely ooc. This will most likely be a multi-chapter fic (mainly depending on if anyone likes it...), and eventually I will lead into some Adrienette and some Nino-Adrien friendship :) Thanks for reading!

-The~Candy~Craving~Demon