Spider Adrian: (This Piece is based on an incredible artist; check out his Insta: @art_the_f_up for the Spiderman AU Series that gave birth to this story) Thank you Art for the inspiration, enjoy!
Adrian swung from building to building, the Elifle tower glittering in the background like a Christmas tree. Adrian stumbles, landing on his knees on a hotel roof. Couples, children, and loners mingling through the Bois de Boulogne park, just a few feet below him. Ripping off his mask he succumbed to the tears streaming down his face. A strangled cry ripped through his throat, throwing his head back he closed his eyes letting fear tremble through his body. Sweat glistened his messy golden locks. Opening his eyes slowly he moves to stand, his body numb to the world outside his suit. The breeze blew right through him, almost convincing his fuzzy brain that he was just as hallowed out as he felt.
Slowly Adrian pulls out the hidden backpack, ripping off his suit and changing into a loose pair of school clothes he scales the drainage pipe on the side of the building. A few feet above the ground he drops down behind a rusty dumpster in the alley. Shuffling the backpack on his shoulders he makes his way through the park pulling up his hoodie and avoiding the smiling laughing faces passing by him.
A certain light catches his attention, causing his breath to catch in his throat. Marinette’s figure crosses past the open bakery window. Ducking behind the nearest tree he watches her step outside helping a customer carry a full package of pastries to their car. Her smile seems to permanently reside on her face. The ends of his lips draw upwards when she stumbles over the sidewalk waving a sweat, “see you soon” as the car drives away leaving her standing in a red halo. Adrian watched Marinette make her way back to the front door of her family’s bakery.
Just as her fingers brush the door handle, Adrain’s hand flinches upward catching a speeding, wet tennis ball. Thanking his spidey senses under his breath he stands up and examines the shadows for the culprit who unknowingly nearly sent him into a world of pain and quite possibly a few days out of modeling. The bush beside him rustles, before a giant brown lab pounces on top of Adrian’s chest sending him flat on his back while attacking his face with hot drooling, kisses.
“Hahahaaa, ahh stop STOP hahaha stop it, that tickles!”
“Dolly! Dolly! Where did you go? Come back!” A woman’s sweet but frantic voice floats across the busy park. Adrian struggles to push the dog off scrambling to stand and wave down the owner. A petit elderly woman hobbles quickly peering around the park’s trees, rocks, and structures before locking eyes on Adrains glistening red face.
“Oh I’m so sorry deary, I hope Dolly didn’t hurt you!” The elderly reaches out dabbing a fresh pink and white cloth across his cheeks.
“Ha oh, no ma’am just took me by surprise, thank you,” Adrian said pulling back his hoodie and running his fingers through his hair picking out the few twigs and leaf’s stuck between his golden locks.
The elderly woman smiles kindly at Adrain before furrowing her brow, her eyes moving over every inch of his face.
“Have we met before? You seem quite familiar.” She muttered tapping a boney finger against her chin.
Chuckling awkwardly Adrain cursed his popular features, quickly he pulled back his hoodie before anxiously drawing the black corded drawstrings against his chest. He needed to escape quickly before more people recognized and posted something alerting the Gorilla to his location.
“Ha, well I really should be going, hope you have a wonderful night-”
“YOUR that teen model! Oh, my niece loves your commercials!” Spinning on his heels he shields his eyes noticing a few pedestrians peering over at the sudden commotion. Not good. He needed to flee the scene before flashing lights blinded him.
“Sorry, you have the wrong person,” Adrian said over his shoulder, but the woman remained persistent.
“Adam Agrest, no that doesn’t sound right… Alan, no that’s not it either.” Her voice was rising with each word, her fingers reached out to grasp at the folds of his hoodie. A shriek erupted from a few feet away from the duo.
“ADRIAN AGREST!” A girl with braided pigtails and around the same height as Rose jumped high into the air. Her feet took off in Adrian’s direction before he could process the sudden silence that fell over the park, like a thick blanket.
Sprinting through the treelines, Adrian’s feet took over taking him to the nearest, darkest alleyway. Adrian switched to autopilot, jumping over any obstacles that stood in between his path. Zigzagging behind the many shops around the park he stole a glance over his shoulder certain he had lost the crazed crowd that seemed to be on top of his heels until he took a few quick turns leading him to circle back. He huffed a sigh of relief turning into another alleyway. Just before his feet could slow down a metal door swung out. Gritting his teeth knowing his spidey reflexes couldn’t help him out of this situation, his shoulder collides into the door. Vibrations shake from his head to his toes while he jumps back on his heels trying not to fall flat on his tailbone. A silent yet sharp yelp resounds from the other side of the door. The shadow moves forward away from the warm, bathing light of the shop’s interior. Adrian holds his shoulder wondering if he might have dislocated his left arm. The shadow reaches out and delicate fingers curl at the door’s frame. Ducking his head down and averting his eyes he steps over to continue his escape home.
“I’m so sorry I should have been watching where I was going, I’m terribly sorry.” Adrian stammers stepping into the warm light, giving a courtesy bow before sprinting off again.
“Adrian?” A voice sweet like honey stops him dead in his tracks, his heart pounds against his rib cage as his cheeks heat up to a very rosy red. Grinning he turns and faces his crush, Marinette, standing in the doorway with flour smudges against her forehead and dragging a large black plastic trash bag.
“Hey Mari, fancy running into you,” Adrian says instantly knowing he would regret the choice of words later at 3 am.
“What are you doing running behind our shop so late at night?” Marinette said tilting her head to the side her brows knitting together scrunching up her nose in a heart-melting moment. Oh shit. Adrian’s heart raced away from him while he tried to spit out a coherent sentence, his tongue deciding to quit functioning halfway through. Luckily, hurried footsteps and shouting commands drew the pair’s attention to one of the cross alleyways.
“Down here! This way, he can’t be far!”
His brain switching back to autopilot, Adrian darted toward Marinette pulling her close letting the door swing shut just as footsteps rounded the corner. Leaning his ear against the door he listened to the stamped pass by. Once the last footsteps faded, his muscles relaxed, his shoulders slumped and he closed his eyes momentarily processing everything. A curt cough cut his calming demeanor in half. Slowly, oh so painfully slowly, Adrian looked down, locking onto deep blue eyes staring doe-eyed up at him.
“Ah sorry Mari, I didn’t mean to, there was this whole crowd chasing me and well you know my dad, and if he ever found out I snuck out.” Marinette giggled her cheeks matching the same rosy shade as his.
“No need to explain, you can bunker down here till your crazed fans get tired and give up,” Marinette said, rolling her eyes waving her hand playfully in the air.
Adrian chuckled, “you know if we weren’t such good friends, you would definitely be in the front of that crowd hunting me down.”
Marinette laughed tilting her head upward toward him, “Ha and you wouldn’t get a chance to escape me, in fact, I would outrun you.” Marinette playfully jabbed her pointer finger in his chest. Adrian couldn’t help the chastise grin from stretching across his features, at her playful open attitude with him.
“Now now Mari, that was one unfortunate incident my shoelaces were undone. I totally would have won if it wasn’t for my laces.”
“Sure, sure blame your shoelaces, you do know Alya gave me a copy of the race, and I could have sworn your new ladybug shoelaces were perfectly intact.”
Adrian opened his mouth to fire back when her father Mr. Dupain-Chain rounded the corner whistling a catchy tune. Eyes widening at the pair’s presence in front of the back door. His tune died down while he slowly whisked tomorrow’s batch of pastries.
“Well hello, my boy, I didn’t know you were coming over so late. But I suppose y’all have some homework to finish up. Marinette you can leave the trash by the door, I’ll take it out. You two run along, oh have you eaten dinner yet Adrian? We have some leftover Ossobuco Alla Milanese, that Marinette made for dinner.”
Adrian didn’t have a chance to respond back a timer rings and Mr. Dupain-chain rushes away into the kitchen. Marinette ushers Adrian to go upstairs saying she would be right behind him, opening the door she heaves the trash up. Adrian offers to help, insisting he’s to blame for crashing into the door. Marinette waves him off, pushing him away from the door.
“We don’t want those crazed fans storming the bakery when we just closed,” Marinette says giggling letting the door swing shut in his face. Adrian chuckles tossing his head up before reluctantly making his way up the stairs to their little apartment.
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