Adrien marched into his father's office. "Why the hell did you lie to me and make Marinette hide something from me!" 

"Son you don't have a meeting." Gabriel didn't look up or even react to his son's outburst.  

"Like I care right now. You forced my girlfriend to hide something and then use that conversation to make it look like she lying to me! So tell me, father, what did you ask my beautiful loyal girlfriend to keep from me." Adrien marched up to his father's desk and knocked his papers away. "You never really care about me, do you! Everything is about the company and never about me! I exist only to serve you and your company. So you know what! Don't tell me and see if I care!" 

Gabriel looked up at his son. "Do you want me to tell you? The only reason I didn't was to not distract you." 

Adrien's angered was still outraged, but he needed to know. "Let me call Marinette and have her come." 

"Only if you call her in front of me. I want to make sure she doesn't tell you." he glared at his son. 

Adrien glared back at his father, he picked up his phone and it rang and rang. Then he remembered as Chat he'd had her wait downstairs and her phone was likely upstairs. Her tablet was likely closer. So he opened up the video chatting up they had used before. It rang and Mari picked up instantly. 

"Sorry, Adrien I lost my phone upstairs! Are you coming home soon I really need to talk to you." Her face was edged in worry. 

"Mare. I'm in my father's office, I didn't bring my car. I want you to come to pick me up. My father has news to share with me that apparently he already told you." He gave her a look he hopped showed he wasn't mad. 

"Of course Adrien. I'll be there in about five minutes." She gave him a sad smile, showing she understood. They hung up and Adrien turned back to his father.  

"Alright Father you have five minutes then I'm leaving." His stare was hard.

"Just remember you demanded this son." he was sharp on the word son as if it was venom,  "My heart is weakening, I'm dying. The doctors give me three years at the most. Even with all my money, I can't buy more time. My body is too frail for a transplant."

Adrien stared at his father. "You were just gonna start dying without telling me? What the hell Father! Not only that but you made Mare look bad! I can't believe you! Don't think you understand how much I wanted you to be proud of me. And to find out this. I don't know if I ever want to see you again. Write me out of the will, disowned me, do whatever you want, all I ever wanted was your time without work." Adrien turned to leave. 

"So that's why she asked..." His father said softly. 

"What" Adrien didn't turn around. 

"She asked that I have dinner with the two of you every week. I thought she was just being sneaking you know gonna make me tell you or something, but it's something you really wanted."He heard his father stand up. "Son, I'm dying. If I told you it made it real. I wanted to use this to push you to be a stronger businessman. But maybe to be a stronger businessman we need to spend time without work." 

Adrien refused to turn back and look at his father. "I'll have my assistant call your assistant should I chose to accept your offer, Mr. Agreste." He coldly walked out of the room. He went straight to Mari in the car. 

"Adrien?" her voice was soft as if the wind could break her. 

"Just drive Mare." he placed his hand on her knee and gave it a squeeze. She giggled. "Let's got to your parents." 

"I already called them, they have soup on the stove." She through it in to drive and speed away from the looming office building. 

They pull up to the bakery, "Wait for Mare? I'm sorry. I've been really made since my dad showed me that recoding. I tried to hide it but I don't think I did a good." 

"Adrien, how did Chat know? Are you to friends? Did you reach out to him? He came to the house and well I don't wanna talk about it." 

"Oh... Yes, I did. Chat and I were model friends before we started dating and then well clearly I wouldn't stay friends with him after what he did to you. But he asked me how my love life was and I was angry... I didn't think he'd do anything... I'm sorry Mare."

"Promise me you'll never do that again? I don't want to see Chat. He scares me and reminds me of the dark side of you. A side I'd like to forget exists." Mari looked away from him. 

"I can't promise he'll never come back love, he seems to think it's his job to remind you that you belong to me. But I'll always be here for you when he shows up." He smiled. 

"Okay, he left his bell with me, can you take care of it for me?" she looked at him. He mentally scolded himself. He was so mad he forgot about that.  

"Of course Mare." He landed over and squeezed her shoulder. 

"Ready to go in now?" She placed her hand on top of his. 

"Not quite yet" he smirked and got out for the car. He opened Mari's door and took her hand, "I think I need something to take my mind of what my father told me." He gently pushed her against the car and pinned her there with his arms. 

"Oh? And what would that be?" She placed her hands behind his neck. 

"This." He kissed her like his life depended on it. He kissed her until he couldn't feel the anger that was burning in him. "He kissed her till he knew she was his. He didn't care who saw or who took pictures. He needed this. Slowly pulled away and placed his forehead against hers. "I love you so much, and I'm gonna need you to get through this. 

Mari was star struck. He'd never kissed her like that before. "I... I..." 

"I know." he winked. "Let's go see your parents." He took her by the hand and led her inside. 

Mari slipped into the bathroom after she greeted her parents and called Alya. "Girl in thirty minutes call me and then meet me at my house. I have a surprise I need you and Nino's help to set up. Please? He had a really rough day." 

"Girl we got you, let me guess we pulling a LCO Operation?" She could practically hear Alya smiling through the phone. 

"With the works!" Mari smiled determine to give Adrien the best night ever. She hung up the phone, and slipped back out of the bathroom and joined her family at the table. They sat and ate in safe silence. Her parents knew Adrien had a bad but didn't want to push. 

After they were done eating, Mari's phone rang. "Hello?... Alya? What's up?.... Oh? .... Ya, I'll be over right away. No, it's not a problem, we are my parent's house. I'm sure My parents can entertain each other for a bit of time," she looked up at all three of them. All of them nodded assuming something was wrong with Alya. "Yep, we are good." She hung up, "Thanks I'll be back in an hour max for you Adrien?" He nodded and she kissed his cheek. She walked out. 

--------------------------------------------------------With Marinette----------------------------------------------------

She met Alya and Nino at her house. "Alright, gang we have an hour to make the best Living Room Camp Out!" 

They entered a house and they got to work, the three have had been doing this since they were kids. When one of them had to deal with something sad, the other two got together and create a tent in one of their living rooms and having a movie night sleepover. So they called in an LRCO Operation for fun. Adrien had never been able to join. But he'd been Facetimed in often enough to know what it was. 

 Nino moved the coffee table from the center of the living room. While Alya and Mari set up circle canopy Mari had made when these LRCO's become a thing. The gang had learned if you used to command hooks on the ceiling the canopy stayed in place. Ayla filled up Mari's queen size air mattress while Mari went upstairs and collected her stash of blankets and her pillows. Nino slipped into Adrien's room grabbed his pillows. 

They placed sleeping bags open then a bed sheet to keep the air mattress from feeling cold. then made a nest of pillows and blankets. Then they got to work setting out some snacks, Mari texted her mom asking for a bag of goodies from the bakery. Telling her mom she was prepping an LRCO for Adrien. Her mother agreed. They started on the popcorn. 

"Okay, that's all left other than Adrien and PJs." Mari giggled. 

"Dude if you go now, Alys and I can finish the popcorn, leave and it might still be warm by the time you get back." Nino offered. 

"Ya, and all make some oven smores for ya'll so go get your boy and cheer him up!" Alya smiled. 

"Alright thanks guys!" she gave both of them hugs. "Your the best!' 

----------------------------------------------------------------With Adrien-------------------------------------------------

Adrien wanted to talk with Tom and Tom could tell. 

"Love, do you mind if Adrien and wash dishes tonight?" 

Sabine caught on to what Tom was doing. "No of course not Love. Adrien, do you mind if I sit here and work on my cookbook or would you prefer if I left?" 

"No no you can stay." Adrien and Tom gathered up the dishes and walked over to the sink. 

"Why don't you wash son, I find it can be therapeutic," Tom suggested.   

"Oh ya, um that would be great." Adrien filled the sink with as hot a water as he could stand and got to work. He and tom said nothing for a while. Tom was right. Adrien found the repetitive mindless motion to be what his mind needed. 

"Adrien, I know you had a rough day, you don't have to tell me but, I'm here." and with that Adrien broke. He sobbed, he hit the floor. His world weighing in him. 

Tom sat beside him, pulling the smaller man next to him as if he could protect him from the world that was crashing around the young man. Sabine joined them on the floor placing a protective hand on Adrien's knee. He told them everything. About his dad hiding and lying about making Mari look bad, and about how his dad was dying, he didn't know if his dad was still trying to get in his head with the dinner invites or was actually sorry. 

Tom and Sabine looked at the broken boy sitting in front of them. He knew nothing of love, all he knew was manipulation. Tom filled with rage, Sabine's gentle touch stoped him, now was not the time to be mad. They both help the man who looked like a boy at this moment. 

Sabine's phone when off and she smiled, her daughter was a good soulmate. She said she needed to do something in the bakery and slipped away. 

"Tom?" Adrien's voice came out soft almost fragile. "What do I do?" 

Tom's voice broke, "I don't know son. I don't know." He stood up and found a clean rag and socked it with cold water. "Start with this." Adrien used the cool cloth on his face. "Here's what I suggest. Have him come here for two nights a month for dinner. Then you won't regret not letting him into your life but you'll have Sabine and I's protection." 

"You.. you would do that?" Adrien looked up at the man who seemed to love him regardless of the fact they were not related and Adrien didn't really have much to offer him. Yet Tom cared for him. 

"We both would. Adrien, we think of you as a son, always have. Even before we knew you where our daughter's soulmate. Now it's almost been an hour, Mari should be here soon. Go awash up and enjoy the night I'm sure Mari has been planing for you in her head. Assuming Alyas need didn't mess up her plans." Tom helped the boy up. 

"Thanks, Tom." Adrien stared at Tom, there were so many things he wanted to say. But nothing came out. He went into the washroom and washed his face. His eyes looked like he had been crying but Mari wouldn't mind. Though he had to wonder if Tom was right did Mari have something planned for him?