#adrien’s hair falling out of the braid he fell asleep in. their bare chests are pressed together

[fizzytoo]

feeling a very AAAAAAA about adrien and rua

[alyasgf]

Overworked Adrinette April -Day 19 You’re Beautiful

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Summary- Marinette’s been overworking herself for a week straight, Adrien still looks at her like she made the stars.

Notes- Adrinette April Day 19- You’re Beautiful! Also let’s fit in Day 16- Sunrise

At this point I’m just popping in and out to do random prompts so don’t expect too much from me lol

Word Count- 1188

AO3

Begin

Marinette had been working on this project for a week straight. It was summer break, and even without the schoolwork guardian and superhero duties still managed to keep her from getting ahead of her deadline.

So here so was two days before the commission was due and still she was seeing like a madwoman.

She had to cancel her plans with Adrien, which was probably the hardest thing she’d done all break. He had just gotten back from an opening in New York and right before he left she promised they would go on a dinner date the night he came back.

Unfortunately that had been in the middle of her crunch week, so she apologized and canceled. She hadn’t been able to text, call, or make it up to him in any way but she hoped he’d understand.

It was around 7pm when she realized she had been working for 13 hours straight without any breaks. She decided to grab a bite to eat quickly before getting back to her project.

She still had bed head from the morning and she’d been wearing the same clothes for three days. She could feel the grease on her face, as the only thing she had decided she to do that morning was brush her teeth.

She was exhausted as she ran down the stairs into the kitchen. She grabbed a banana off the counter and took an energy drink out of the fridge. She figured if she worked through the night she might get her project done before 5pm tomorrow.

As she closed the fridge door with her hip she heard someone enter the room. She turned around to see Adrien Agreste.

Immediately remembering her state she let out a small yelp.

“Adrien! What are you doing here?”

“Well,” he began as he walked up to her with a laugh, “You weren’t answering your phone so I took that as a sign to come over. I haven’t seen you in a while and I still haven’t gotten that date I was promised.”

Marinette blushed. “I’m sorry, I have a commission due really soon. I barely have time to eat anymore.” She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“That’s fine. Is it okay if I just stay and keep you company while you work? I’ll be quiet and I won’t mess with you. I promise.” Adrien gave her pleading eyes, as though she could possibly say no to him.

She sighed. “Are you sure? I look a hot mess and my room isn’t any better.”

Adrien took the banana from her hand so he could drag her to her room. “You look absolutely beautiful to me.”

Marinette was glad he was in front of her so he couldn’t see her ever noticeable blush.

When they got to the room Adrien handed her back her banana.

“Well since you aren’t going to be working while you eat that, can I fix your hair? While it looks cute all messy I would really enjoy showing off my braiding skills.”

Marinette nodded, still blushing. Adrien sat cross cross on the chaise and Marinette sat in front of him.

As she peeled the fruit, she felt Adrien take out her hair and comb it with his fingers. It felt amazing.

As he played with her hair, Marinette felt like she could fall asleep like that. By the time he finished she wished it could never end.

After she threw out the banana peel she sat in front of her desk and cracked open the energy drink. She allowed Adrien to drag the chaise over so he could be near her when she worked.

It was still tiring, but something about his company made it feel so much more bearable.

Around 10 Adrien revived a call. He gave Marinette a smile before walking out of the room to answer it.

After a few minutes he poked his head in.

“Marinette, would your parents mind it I stayed the night? I could sleep on the chaise, I just don’t want you to be alone and overwork yourself.” He asked seemingly nervous for her response.

“I’m sure they wouldn’t just give me a second.” She replied before dialing her father’s number. He was down in the bakery so he answered quickly.

After he told her the rules for Adrien’s stay, he agreed, mostly because Tom was aware of what the boy’s home life was like.

When Marinette told Adrien the good news he lit up.

“Well then how about you take a break to shower and then we can have some dinner?” Before Marinette could argue he added, “You’re already going to stay up all night, what’s the harm in stopping for an hour or two.”

Marinette knew this wasn’t an argument she would win, so reluctantly she grabbed some clothes and headed to the bathroom.

After the much needed shower, she leant Adrien a pair of Chat Noir pjs she had made a bit too big for herself a while ago. When she told him he could keep them he got the cutest smile on his face. She swore she loved that boy.

By the time he got out Marinette had decided to make them some breakfast for dinner. This included pancakes, fried eggs, and some fruit that she sliced.

“Marientte this is amazing!” He said through a mouth full of pancakes.

“Don’t you have a personal chef?” She laughed, although still bashful at the praise.

“I’d pick your cooking over theirs any day!”

————————

At around 4am Marinette was still working when she heard Adrien stirring on the chaise.

“Why are you still awake?” He mumbled rubbing his sleepy eyes with his arm.

“I just wanted to get a bit more done. I’ll go to sleep soon.” She bluffed.

It was as though Adrien saw through it immediately.

“Marinette.” He whined. “Go to sleep. It’s so late you can finish it tomorrow.”

“Orrrr, I could work a couple more hours and finish it tonight.” She said in a nearly pleading voice.

Instead of replying, Adrien got up and stood beside her chair.

“Up. Now.” He demanded in a stern tone.

Marinette sighed in defeat before standing up and walking over to her bed.

Adrien walked her to her ladder before turning around to head back to the chaise.

“Wait, could you lay with me?” She asked, looking away from him and towards the ground. “It’s just that whenever Alya sleeps over and cuddles with me I fall asleep faster.” She admitted.

Adrien chuckled before nodding.

He followed her up into the bed and climbed in after her.

She laid down and felt his warmth curl up around her.

She fell asleep almost in an instant.

She awoke the next morning on his chest. She could feel it rise and fall. She could feel his hands playing with the loose strands of her braid. It felt amazing.

She opened her eyes and turned her head up to look at him.

“Morning beautiful.” He said in the glow of the sunrise.

Marinett blushed and buried her face deeper into his chest, resting on cloud nine.

@adrinetteapril

End Notes- This was supposed to be a lot shorter than it is but I adore them so it’s ok. Leave a like, reply, and share if you enjoyed, see you soon!

[mikauzoran]

Lukadrien: Among the Wild Things: Chapter Two

Read it on AO3: Among the Wild Things: Chapter Two: Bond

“I’ve never seen you like this before,” Anarka noted as she wrangled her thick, blue-grey mane of hair into a braid.

“Like what?” Luka sighed, strumming aimlessly on his lyre.

“Moping like a lovesick fool,” Juleka supplied, swimming over to the kitchen of their home at the bottom of the lake that Anarka presided over deep in the enchanted forest. “Just ask him—her?—to go out with you. It’s not so hard.”

Luka snorted, grumbling, “Like it wasn’t hard for you to tell Rose about your feelings?”

Juleka bristled at the reminder of her disastrous confession to the naiad, salvaged only by Rose intuiting what Juleka was trying to say, returning Juleka’s feelings, and taking the initiative to confess to Juleka instead, saving Juleka the trouble.

“Who is the lucky person?” Anarka pressed, coming to sit on the couch with Luka.

Luka shook his head with another sigh. “It’s…not like that. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, honestly. There was just this mortal guy who came to my clearing last week, and I should have just eaten him, but…I didn’t.”

Anarka’s eyes narrowed as Juleka’s widened.

“I just watched him for an hour or two, and then he went away,” Luka continued. “But he came back the next day and the one after that, and on the third day I talked to him, and he was so close, I could have just pulled him into the river…but I didn’t.” Luka shook his head again, still mystified at his own actions. “I didn’t. I let him go. I changed in front of him, scared him off, told him to stay out of the woods, and now he hasn’t been back in almost a week, and I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should have just eaten him,” Luka grumbled, plucking a sour note on his lyre in frustration.

Juleka winced, letting out a sympathetic hiss. “Yeah. That sounds pretty complicated. Sorry. Not touching that one. Maman?” She looked to their mother to field Luka’s dilemma.

Anarka frowned deeply, pursing her lips as she studied her boy. “Getting entangled with a mortal is never good, Luc. Trust me, I’ve had enough mortal lovers to know that it never ends well. They get old and sick, and they die on you, or else they want you to become mortal, and they get really huffy when you tell them no. It’s better if you just forget all about this boy and move on, Ma Baleine.”

Luka nodded listlessly. “It’s not like I’m ever going to see him again. He’s not coming back, and I’m not stupid enough to go looking for him.”

Though, the thought had occurred to Luka. He didn’t think the castle guards would let him waltz right in to see the crown prince, and Adrien would probably be upset if Luka took out all of Adrien’s servants just because Luka had the strong urge to gaze into those sylvan green eyes once more.

Luka cursed under his breath as he remembered the salty-sweet taste of Adrien’s skin. “I shouldn’t have licked him.”

Juleka broke out into giggles at her brother’s expense. “Oh my gosh, Luc. You licked him?”

The furrows in Anarka’s brow multiplied. “What exactly happened between you and this boy?”

“Nothing,” Luka groaned, getting to his feet. “I’m going to my bend in the river. I’ll be back later tonight.”

“You didn’t eat anything,” Anarka called after him in concern.

“I’m not hungry,” Luka informed without breaking stride, swimming for the exit out of their sunken ship and heading for his tributary.

 Luka had never expected to see Adrien again, so to find the prince sitting on the riverbank, staring down into the water when Luka arrived was more than a little surprising.

He hesitated, trying to wrap his head around the immense joy he was feeling before deciding what course of action to take.

Perhaps it would be best to stay silent and just watch Adrien as he had done the first two days, but what if Adrien had come back specifically to see Luka? What if Luka didn’t show himself and Adrien gave up and never came back again?

He couldn’t risk it. He had to say something, make his presence known.

Not wanting to startle Adrien, Luka lightly cleared his throat to get his attention.

Adrien jumped, gaze flying around the clear in search of the source of the noise. “Orpheus?” he called apprehensively.

“I thought I told you these woods were dangerous, Little Prince,” Luka scolded with a playful lilt to his voice.

Adrien smiled sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck and shrugging. “Well, you didn’t drown me the first three times I was here, so I thought I’d press my luck.”

Gradually, Luka coalesced into human form from the waist up, silently rising out of the water to rest his elbows on the bank, only an arm’s reach away from Adrien.

“I’m not the only thing you need to be worried about,” Luka sighed.

Adrien gave a start, whipping around and freezing when he realized how close Luka had gotten without Adrien noticing.

He gulped, not daring to move. “What else do I need to be worried about?”

Luka shook his head slowly. “These woods are filled with my kind, and there are any number of beings who would hurt you, eat you, or worse. You shouldn’t have come back.”

“…And yet I did,” Adrien sighed, posture relaxing. “…Are you going to drown me today?”

Luka hummed thoughtfully, pillowing his arms on the riverbank and resting his chin on top. “Not sure yet.”

Adrien nodded, accepting Luka’s answer. “Okay.”

After a beat of silence during which they studied one another with open curiosity, Luka noted, “You’ve got tear stains on your cheeks. Why were you crying?”

“Because I was sad,” Adrien answered readily.

Luka frowned. “Why were you sad?”

Adrien shrugged. “A lot of little reasons. Mostly it’s stupid things that my father did or said. Like, today he was supposed to eat breakfast with me, but he didn’t show up, so I was just sitting in the empty banquet hall all by myself missing my mother and thinking about how my father thinks I’m useless, so…” Adrien shrugged again, trying to play it off as unimportant, but his eyes had begun to leak fresh tears.

Luka rose up to take Adrien’s face in his hands and wipe at the tears dutifully until they stopped falling. “I don’t think I like your father.”

“He’s…not the easiest man to like,” Adrien admitted. “But I love him, and I want him to love me, so…I keep trying to make him happy, to make him proud of me.”

Luka pursed his lips, reconsidering paying Adrien’s castle a visit. “Is he the reason why you were crying those other days you came here too?”

Adrien frowned in thought, trying to recall. “I honestly don’t remember what I was upset about last week. He was probably a part of it.”

“He doesn’t sound like a good parent,” Luka grumbled, sinking back down up to his chest in the river. “My mother can be harsh sometimes, but I can’t remember an instance where she’s made me cry.”

Adrien looked away with a shrug. “My father makes most people cry. He made my mother cry a lot.”

Luka let out a contemplative hum. “…I’m sorry. That must be very hard for you.”

“Thanks,” Adrien replied with a weak yet genuine smile.

“…So why did you come back here? I thought I was pretty clear about the risk…even if I did want to see you again,” Luka added, curious as to what effect his words would have, if any.

Adrien’s cheeks coloured, and his smile gained strength as he looked off to the side. “I don’t know. I just…feel at peace here. These woods, this clearing…they make me feel safe, so…” He chewed on his lip, hesitating before adding in a rush, “and I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

Luka arched an eyebrow, trying not to give away how pleased he was that he had been driving Adrien every bit as crazy as Adrien had been making Luka. “So you were able to overlook the possibility that I might pull you into the river and drown you? Do you have a death wish?”

Adrien looked away again, his expression going cloudy. “No. I don’t want to die,” he replied sedately, without the vehemence or conviction that Luka would have liked to have heard. “I just…sometimes being in danger doesn’t feel like a big deal. I don’t want to be dead, though.”

“You worry me,” Luka announced with a tired sigh, transforming the rest of the way and climbing out onto the bank beside Adrien.

Adrien watched him questioningly. “Uh…thanks?”

“Mmhm,” Luka replied, pulling his lyre out of the river. “You need to take better care of yourself. Lie down.”

Tentatively, Adrien did so, rolling over onto his side and gazing at Luka curiously.

“Take a nap,” Luka instructed, beginning to strum a calming melody. “I’ll keep watch and wake you in an hour.”

“…Thank you,” Adrien responded cautiously, not sure if he really trusted the kelpie, even if he did possess otherworldly beauty and made Adrien feel all kinds of things he’d never experienced before.

But then Luka started to sing, and all doubt and resistance fell away.

Peace and warmth washed over Adrien like gently lapping waves rising as the tide came in. His eyes slowly slipped closed, and he drifted off in minutes.

Luka kept playing for a while even after Adrien fell asleep.

He watched the young man completely helpless beside him, so tranquil and trusting. It would be so easy to drag him into the river and be done with it…but even though Luka had skipped breakfast, he didn’t really feel hungry as he gazed at Adrien.

He set his lyre aside and moved in closer, studying the contours of Adrien’s face, mentally tracing the lines of his eyes, his mouth, his nose, his cheek, and his jaw. He listened to the sound of Adrien breathing, took deep inhales of Adrien’s intoxicating scent.

When he was sure that Adrien was deep under the spell of slumber, he lay down next to the mortal and slowly inched forward until Adrien’s back pressed up against Luka’s front. Luka carefully wrapped his arm around Adrien and lightly rested his nose in Adrien’s messy blonde hair.

The combination of Adrien’s warmth, weight, and scent was indescribable, and Luka could easily see himself getting lost in this boy. He could barely contain a whinny of pleasure as Adrien shifted in his sleep, rolling over in Luka’s arms and pressing himself closer into Luka’s loose embrace.

Adrien sleepily blinked himself awake on his own about half an hour later, and Luka froze, fearing he’d overstepped his bounds. But Adrien smiled lazily, closing his eyes and setting his head back down on Luka’s chest, giving it a tired nuzzle.

“Are you going to drown me today?” he mumbled, the warmth of his breath sending shivers down Luka’s spine.

“Not today, Little Prince,” he somehow managed to find the presence of mind to reply.

“Okay. Good,” Adrien hummed, wrapping an arm around Luka and pulling him in tighter.

 Adrien kept coming back.

Not every day (not at first, anyway), but at least half of them.

They talked about various things: little, inconsequential tidbits from their days, the small moments that made up their lives. Over two months, it slowly added up until Luka was pretty sure that Adrien knew him about as well as anyone.

Adrien still asked every time if Luka planned on drowning him, and every time Luka gave a coy, evasive answer.

Adrien didn’t need to know that the thought of anything happening to Adrien made Luka feel physically ill and that the prospect of eating Adrien had long ago started to make Luka’s stomach roil.

[frostedpuffs]

A Simple Suggestion - Ch.6

A Simple Suggestion Summary: Breaks from patrol often allow time for Ladybug and Chat Noir to talk and be themselves. But when a silly joke starts to seem all that…well, not silly, the two find themselves considering something neither of them had ever before: moving in together. The tricky part is still keeping their identities a secret. Rated: T+ Pairing(s): Ladybug/Chat Noir, Adrien/Marinette

Chapter 6 - A Decision Word count: 5,644 Also read on: ao3

<< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >>

It was chilly.

Cold nights were a rarity in April, and as Adrien relaxed three stories above a café under the comfort of his transformation, he shivered. Granted the air was brisker the higher up he sat, but he felt most safe when he was off the ground. It was an odd yet familiar feeling; being Chat Noir made him feel free.

And soon, he thought, he'd be even freer. Living with Ladybug under their own roof, in their own apartment with their own shared meals, possessions and moments… He couldn't wait.

Finding out the apartment they had been excited to move into was occupied was definitely a downer on the situation, but Adrien didn't mind all that much. Sure, the place had been beautiful and wonderfully spacious, but it wasn't realistic. He knew himself how stubborn Ladybug could be. If she wasn't happy with the idea of him paying most of the rent, the poor girl would've probably worked herself to death just to make it fifty/fifty.

His lips quirked upwards into a smile at the thought. His Lady was so selfless and she would never make life harder on anyone she cared about if she had a say in it.

He knew she had loved that apartment, though. It pained him to see her so upset over losing it. He'd find her another one—one she could imagine herself loving as much as the one they'd lost. Adrien would search until his Lady was happy, and if he didn't find one, well, he'd keep looking. He'd always keep looking.

Ladybug was amazing. She deserved a home just as much so.

"You asleep, kitty?"

Eyes snapping open at the sound of Ladybug's voice, Adrien's face visibly brightened, his heart skipping a beat. "It's the 'Bug," he said cheerfully. His face hurt from how wide he was smiling. "'Bug's here."

"'Bug's here," Ladybug repeated as she sat by his side. "Why are you out so far? I had to use my tracker to find you."

Continue reading on ao3 or under the cut! ↓

Adrien could do nothing but offer a shrug. Truthfully he didn't know why he had ventured so far away from home—the minute he'd left Marinette's he had transformed and just kept running, his body taking its own accord with where it wanted to go. Whether it was his embarrassment about dropping the favor on her so suddenly or his excitement that she had actually agreed, he wasn't sure, but he was happy nonetheless. It was a good night.

"Dunno," he said after a moment. Resting his arms behind his head as he laid back on the roof, he grinned up at her. Her bluebell eyes sparkled down at him and it made everything in the world seem right. "I just love being out at night."

Ladybug scoffed, amusement in her gaze. "Typical nature of a cat. What are you on the hunt for? Pretty girls?" She flicked his bell, and Adrien laughed in response.

"Why search for pretty girls when I've got the prettiest one right next to me?" he asked. His teeth glinted in the neon light of the sign behind them as his grin widened.

"Oh, please," Ladybug chuckled. "We both know you're the prettiest, Chat Noir." She undid her her braid, rolling her eyes as she laid down next to him. Her hair was wavy from being twisted up for so long. Adrien wanted to run his fingers through it.

"Damn straight," he said in response. His voice wavered from his laughter.

But that was a lie. That was a total, complete lie. Ladybug was the most stunning between them; she was practically ethereal.

Hues of blue and gold bounced off of her suit as the sign behind them flashed, the changing of its colors accentuating her soft skin and gorgeous smile. As Ladybug rolled onto her side to look at him with a brow quizzically cocked, lips so pink and eyelashes brushing the edges of her cheeks every time she blinked, Adrien felt himself falling, just like he did every night. He fell and he fell and he fell just from being in her presence.

"Love you," he said, adding a playful edge to his tone so she wouldn't take him seriously. He wasn't ready for that confession just yet. That was a few months—or years—down the road.

"Yeah, yeah." Waving him off with a hand, Ladybug turned onto her back with her hands clasped together on her stomach, eyes trained to the sky. She had her thinking face on. With her teeth nibbling at her bottom lip, thumbs fiddling, brows furrowed and expression hardened, it was obvious something was bothering her. That, or she had something important she had been wanting—no, needing—to tell him.

For the first time that night, Adrien noticed the dark bags underneath her eyes. There had been countless times she had shown up to their little meetings with exhaustion wearing on her, but tonight there was something different. She was… Off...

"You okay, Ladybug?" he asked, voice laced with concern. "You look terrible."

"Thanks," she deadpanned. "Weren't you just telling me that I was the prettiest girl about, I dunno, five minutes ago?"

"That's not what I mean." Sitting up, Adrien propped himself up with his forearms, eyes roaming up and down his Lady's form. He could practically feel the tension vibrating from her muscles. "Here," he said, giving her shoulder a gentle tap. "Sit up."

Ladybug did as she was told, heaving herself up to a sitting position with a faint grunt. It was almost uncanny how quick she had switched from the upbeat girl he'd grown to love to a sore, exhausted 'Bug that just needed a good night's rest.

"It's that obvious, huh?" she asked, and the weariness in her tone was surprising.

Adrien moved to sit behind her. With clawed fingers, he brushed her hair away from her back and Ladybug sighed as he began to work out the kinks in her shoulders. Whatever had happened to her today, it really fucked up her nerves. Her back was so hard and taut that Adrien felt an overwhelming need to protect her and help her relax in any way he could.

"What happened today?" he questioned as he rubbed circles into her back, smiling at the small, pleased hums that slipped from Ladybug's lips due to his ministrations. He was careful not to poke her with his claws, wishing now more than ever that they were retractable.

Ladybug leaned back into his touch. "A lot," she said, and when Adrien asked her to elaborate, she paused for a moment before speaking again: "An old friend visited me today."

"Yeah?" Adrien asked. Her back still felt stiff. "How'd that go?"

"Okay, I guess. Well, until he told me something weird."

Weird? He didn't like the sound of that. "What kind of weird?"

"Like-" He must have hit a particularly good spot because Ladybug paused to emit a short, quiet groan. "Like, I dunno… I can't say too much without revealing details, but he asked me this question out of nowhere. It really surprised me. And I-" She whipped her head around to frown at him when he accidentally stuck her with a claw, and Adrien held up his hands in an apology, allowing her a moment to settle back against him before he continued his work. "I feel different about him, now."

Different? Different. Different was something.

"Different how?" Adrien asked. He moved his hands down to rub her arms as Ladybug leaned back against his chest. "Like, a good different, or a bad different?"

Please tell me it's not a bad different, he silently begged. He didn't want any guys making his Lady uncomfortable—lest he have to teach them a lesson or two.

"...Both?"

Adrien cocked his head to the side. "Both?"

Ladybug shrugged. "I used to have the biggest crush on him back in lycée. I'm pretty sure I was legitimately in love with him."

He did his best to ignore the spike of jealousy that threatened to flare up within him. "Did you two used to date?"

The laugh that Ladybug released was almost sad. It tugged at his heart. "No," she said, voice soft. "No, but sometimes I wonder what life would be like if we had."

Adrien often wondered how their lives would be different if he and Ladybug had dated, too. Squeezing her hands, he nuzzled his face against her neck and rested his head on her shoulder, allowing his cheek to brush against the material of her suit. "There's no use dwelling on the 'what ifs', Buginette," he told her, but the advice was directed to himself as well. "Did he make you uncomfortable in any way?"

"No," Ladybug answered. "No, he could never."

"He" sounded pretty special…

"So, then… What happened?" Adrien asked.

Ladybug chuckled, but the sound wasn't a happy one. "I think I realized tonight that I never really got over him."

Oh.

Oh.

Swallowing around the sudden dryness in his mouth, Adrien's hands slowly retreated from Ladybug's own, his body leaning back until it was sitting up straight. "Does he…" He cleared his throat to rid the shakiness in his voice. "Does he know?"

Ladybug shook her head. "He'll never know. He's in love with somebody else."

The world was silent as he felt his parent's heart sink to the very bottom of the ground. It was like the streets had been vacated; the music from the café faded into nothingness, and the usual chatter of pedestrians was eerily absent. There was no sound, nothing except the crest of a delicate breeze, and a quiet, absolutely hopeless whimper.

Ladybug was crying.

Ladybug was crying and Adrien—Chat Noir, her partner, her closest friend—had no idea what to do.

He'd seen Ladybug cry before, but- he'd never seen her cry like this.

She was barely making a sound, yet it was the saddest he'd ever seen her. As she hugged her knees to her chest, she looked like she was trying to bury her face within her thighs, head hung low and body trembling as she tried her damnedest to hold back the tears. But she couldn't. She couldn't, and- and Adrien was just sitting there-

He was just sitting there, eyes wide from surprise, heart-wrenching from how badly he desired to just scoop her up and take her home to wherever she lived to tuck her into bed and make her a hot, sweet drink. She didn't deserve this pain—this hurt. She didn't deserve any of it.

The lack of reaction from him must have made her feel embarrassed because she attempted to apologize, but Adrien wouldn't allow it. She had no reason to apologize for feeling the way she did. Her body shivered as he wrapped his arms around her, and she pressed her face against his chest as she sniveled and whimpered and cried.

"Shh," Adrien whispered. There were shudders along her skin as his arms ran up and down her back. "Hey, it's alright. It's alright, Buginette."

"I'm sorry," she started, but Adrien shook his head.

"Don't apologize," he told her. "This? This right here? This is normal. You don't need to feel bad for crying. I understand that you're hurting."

"It's not even that," she sniveled. "I'm not even really that upset about the whole thing, I-I think I'm just overwhelmed. I've had so much going on lately, especially t-today. From being late for school and forgetting breakfast and seeing him a-and cutting myself at work, I mean, fuck, today has just been horrible!"

That was something Adrien could understand. Stress was something he was all-too-familiar with, and he was no stranger to the occasional breakdown.

"Bad days come and go," he said. "It's alright."

Ladybug's hands balled into fists against his torso. She was quiet, now, but the tears still streamed down her cheeks and dripped from her chin. Adrien used the pad of his thumb to wipe the moisture away, smiling gently as Ladybug leaned into his touch.

Even if they weren't in love, they did still love each other.

Music began to drift up from the café's outdoor terrace below. It was soft, tender; the type of typical French music a person would hear in one of those cliché romance movies. People were laughing, clapping and dancing, and Adrien's feet began to twitch as an idea formed in his head.

"Hey," he said, sparing a glance over the edge of the roof to peer down at the civilians shuffling around the musicians. "You hear that?"

Ladybug looked up at him with her eyes glossy and full of tears, and asked, "Hear what?"

A woman's chortle drifted up from the street, and Adrien smiled as the music grew louder. "That."

Ladybug nodded, bluebells glinting in the neon lights. "I hear it."

"Then come on." Standing, Adrien grabbed hold of his Lady's hand and pulled her up, grinning as she shot him a puzzled look. Instead of answering her he gave her a simple bow and reached out his hand. He even added a wink for good measure. "Shall we?"

Wiping her face with a gloved hand, Ladybug gazed down at his hand for a minute so long that Adrien thought for sure she was going to refuse, but instead she smiled and nodded, grabbing hold of his hand and placing her other on his shoulder. Adrien responded with a grin as long as the Seine and placed his free hand on her waist, giving the one he held an affectionate squeeze. The music slowed, and Ladybug was clumsy as they waltzed, even stepping on his feet a few times. Adrien didn't mind in the slightest. She was happy, laughing, even—and that was the most important thing of all.

"I bet after a good night's rest you're going to be feeling a whole lot better. Tell you what," Adrien said, giving her nose a gentle boop with the pad of his finger before he twirled her around, "if you don't, you come find me. I'll stash some money in my pockets and we'll go get dinner and ice cream, my treat."

That made a tiny smile perk at the corner of his Lady's lips. She blinked up at him as he dipped her, and he enjoyed the way the lights of the neon sign flashed behind them as they danced.

"And even if I do feel better?" Ladybug asked.

Adrien grinned. "Then we'll still go, just to celebrate that you're feeling better. Deal?"

Ladybug laughed, and the sound was angelic—even better than the sweet tune the musicians were playing below. "That sounds great, Chat Noir."

"Good." He squeezed her in a hug, and Ladybug reciprocated it even tighter. Adrien wondered if she could feel how frantically his heart was thumping against his chest.

"You know…" Ladybug began, voice so soft against his shoulder he wasn't sure if it was her speaking or the group of people at the café. "I don't only wonder what life would be like if- if he and I had dated."

Adrien rested his cheek atop her head after pressing a kiss to her fringe, humming in question.

"Sometimes…" she paused to sigh, warmth trickling in on the edge of her voice. "Sometimes I wonder what things would be like if you and I were together."

Someone needed to call 112, because Adrien's heart had ceased beating.

She couldn't just say stuff like that! Was she trying to kill him? Murder him in the sweetest possible homicide he'd ever witnessed? Albeit theonly homicide he'd ever witnessed, but still!

Emitting a strangled noise that was a mixture of a screech and a moderate agreement, Adrien coughed, choking on air. He swallowed thickly in an attempt to regain his composure (and beath) before combing his fingers through his hair, pulling at the strands and musing it completely. "Y-yeah?" he wheezed, thankful Ladybug hadn't seemed to catch on to his minor freakout. "You do, huh?"

Ladybug nodded, and that was all that was said on the subject.

Things were quiet after that. The song was over, the people had subdued their voices, and neither of them spoke a word. It was therapeutic in a way. Adrien could feel his partner breathing against him, and her heartbeat wasn't nearly as fast as his own, but it was comforting in the least.

Still, Adrien wondered. What would things be like if she and he wound up together? Would they reveal their identities and still move in together, or would they keep their civilian lives a secret while they dated just as Ladybug and Chat Noir? He would be okay with that, he supposed, if that's what she really wanted. He'd be okay with anything she liked.

"Oh, guess what I found," Ladybug said, breaking the silence. Adrien noticed the music had resumed below. "Remember that tiny apartment we came across when we were searching? You know, one of the two we had picked as the ones we liked the most."

Nodding, Adrien pulled away from their embrace—reluctantly—and gazed into her eyes. "Yeah," he said. "I remember."

Ladybug clasped her hands together excitedly. "Well, it's still available. I was doing some research on my break tonight, and if you're still interested, we can set up a time to meet with the realtor by Thursday. It really is a nice little place, cozy a-and warm and-"

"Yes," Adrien said, nodding once more (although this time it was much more of an animated movement.) "Yes. Yes, it was perfect. If you want it, it's ours."

"So, that's our place?" Looking up at him with eyes sparkling in excitement, nobody would have ever guessed that Ladybug had been crying that night. She was jovial, legs wiggling in the adorable way they did whenever she was aflutter, and she gave a hop for good measure. It was endearing. "That's our home? And we're going to actually get it this time, right?"

A noise of affirmation rose from Adrien's throat, and he beamed as Ladybug jumped up and down in enthusiasm.

"It's ours," he said. "And we're going to live the crap out of it."

"Yes!" Full of energy, Ladybug gave his shoulder a punch, arms wrapping around his neck as she lifted herself into his arms for a full-fledged, Ladybug-sized bear hug. Adrien ended up having to support her thighs so she wouldn't fall right back onto the roof. "Ohh, I'm so happy. You have no idea how happy that makes me—how happy you make me, Chat Noir."

And just knowing that made Adrien feel like everything was right. So long as they had each other, everything would always be right.

They spent the rest of the night talking about nothing in particular. Adrien made a crack about how he loved stargazing in Paris, which made Ladybug laugh; there were no stars to look at.

"One day we're gonna take a trip out to the countryside," he told her, waving a gloved hand at the sky. "We're going to hike to the top of a mountain and camp out and just look at the stars."

"Wait until it gets warmer," Ladybug chuckled. "I get cold too easily to camp out in spring."

"I feel like there's a joke there somewhere about ladybugs and hibernation," Adrien laughed.

"Oh, shut up," Ladybug responded with a playful shove as she joined him in his laughter.

"We'll travel though," Adrien said. "We'll go in summer, at a time when the city is calm. Even if it's just for one night. I'll drive us down the long winding roads and we can roll the roof of the car down and breathe in the fresh air. You know, like one of those teenage romance movies where the kids run away and drive to the beach in a convertible."

Ladybug snorted. "You drive a convertible?"

"No," Adrien said. "But I'll get one just for the aesthetic."

Hearing his Lady's laugh was what made his life worth living.

He bid Ladybug a goodbye later that night when they'd both grown tired and watched her zip over the skyline, thankful he could send her home with a skip in her step and a smile on her face. It pained him to see her sad. He was glad that he could make the sadness go away, at least for a little while.

As Adrien laid in bed that evening with the recent memories of her touch and voice in his head, he swore he felt more in love than he ever had in his life.

"So, let me get this straight: you're moving in with Adrien now?"

Marinette glanced away from the screen of her laptop with an indecisive shrug. "...Yeeeess?" It was absolutely grating for her to tell a lie straight to her best friend's face—albeit it was over a computer screen—and she hated the gross feeling it gave her. "I know it's really sudden, but-"

"What happened to that Chad guy?" Alya asked, leaning back in the chair she sat on. "You know, the one you told me was from America. I thought you two were supposed to be roomies."

Shit, Marinette inwardly cursed, nibbling on her lower lip out of frustration. She'd forgotten she had told Alya she was moving in with a completely made-up guy. God, this whole situation was just one lie after another, wasn't it…

With a sigh that was heavy enough to blow scraps of paper off of her desk, Marinette admitted, "I… Made him up."

There was a pause. Looking up from the papers that had drifted to the floor, Marinette met her best friend's gaze, offering a pained expression that spoke more than words could provide.

Alya simply raised an eyebrow. "Why?" she asked, voice soft and full of question.

Marinette scrambled to think up an adequate answer because, no matter how badly she wanted to, she couldn't tell Alya the real reason she had fibbed. Chat Noir had an identity to keep as much as she did. If she went and told Alya that she was moving in with Chat Noir, well…

Well, there would be a hell of a lot more questions than just a simple "why."

"Because..." Marinette said. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "Because I… Adrien asked me to keep it on the down-low. He didn't want word to get out and for people to think we're anything more than friends."

Blowing a strand of curly hair out of her face, Alya crossed her arms under her breasts and frowned, the red of her lipstick smudging slightly from the movement of her mouth. "When did you two even decide this? I thought you guys hadn't spoken since Christmas. You were just crying about it last week."

"To be fair, I was drinking," Marinette muttered.

"That doesn't matter," Alya retorted. "You're too honest of a drunk-"

"-I wasn't drunk-"

"-and I don't see how you guys could just suddenly decide to start being all buddy-buddy again and take a huge step like moving in together when you barely know each other anymore."

That wasn't necessarily true. She and Adrien still knew each other.

Marinette's shoulders slumped and her head hung low. "I'm sorry, Alya. I know I should have told you, but there were reasons why I couldn't-"

"Do you think I'm mad at you or something?" Alya rested her head on her arms on the desk in front of her, hazel eyes glowing with worry for her friend as they gazed up into the camera. "Mari, don't get me wrong, I'm super excited for you and glad to see you're moving up in life and getting your own place. I just want to make sure you're happy and comfortable. If you want to move in with Adrien, by all means, do it! Just… Make sure it's the right thing for you, okay?"

A warmth spread inside Marinette's chest at Alya's words and she smiled, giving a single nod in affirmation. She was touched that Alya would worry so much about her happiness. It wasn't surprising; Alya had always been there for her since the day they'd first met each other in collége, and although she was overseas, her caring nature wouldn't diminish. Marinette's heart longed to see her best friend in person again and she wished now more than ever to give her a hug.

"You're so good to me, Alya," Marinette said, and her smile stretched so wide across her face that her cheeks hurt. "You're always looking after me. I really appreciate that."

"Well, I love you," Alya said. "And I'll always be looking out for you."

Marinette's laugh was full of gratitude. "Love you too, Alya."

They were quiet, simply smiling at each other for a few moments before Alya stood up, stretched, and cracked her back. Marinette cringed at the sound.

"Oh, gross," she said, and Alya stuck her tongue out in return.

"It's just my bones," Alya responded, mirth in her tone. "I've been sitting at this damn desk all day for work."

"Did you get that report in?" Marinette asked. "I know your boss has been bugging you for some new hot gossip to publish."

"Yes, thank god," Alya said, and she used her forearm to clear the clutter of her desk to the side. "Now I can relax and talk to my babe for the rest of the night."

Marinette smirked, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Nino?"

Alya snickered. "Not the boyfriend, my babe," she replied, swiveling her chair around to sit on it backward and propping her arms on the backrest. "That's you."

Giggles spilled from Marinette's mouth as Alya pointed to her and winked, and she felt the tension she'd been holding in her muscles after Adrien had left the day before beginning to melt away. Talking to Alya was practically therapeutic these days. They only got time to video chat once or twice a week, and Marinette mourned the loss of being able to see her best friend's face daily. They texted as often as they could, but with Paris being nine hours ahead of California, it was hard to keep up.

"What time is it now?" Marinette asked, suddenly remembering the nine-hour difference. "Jesus, Alya, it's midnight where you are. Where the heck is Nino?"

Alya gave a show of waving off the late hour with her hand. "He's got a gig at a club tonight. I was gonna go but I didn't feel all that great earlier so I decided to stay away from the club scene and do some work instead."

Frowning at the mention of her friend feeling ill, Marinette said, "Oh, gosh. You okay?"

"Fine now." Alya shrugged. "It was weird, though. Earlier today I was like, super sick, throwing up and stuff, and Nino even offered to stay home, but I was like, 'no, go! You deserve this!' and right before he left I suddenly felt better. So… Whatever that was, it's gone now."

Marinette winced. "Oof. Maybe you ate something bad."

"Probably." Mindlessly picking at her nails, Alya shrugged it off. "So, tell me how you and Adrien came to this little agreement of yours. Did he just like, show up and ask you to be his roommate?"

With a laugh that sounded like a nervous seal, Marinette glanced away, hand cupping the underside of her elbow. "You could say that."

"You're fucking with me."

"I really wish I was."

"There's no way that dude just showed up at your doorstep and asked to move in with you!" Alya shouted, voice becoming high pitched; Marinette couldn't tell if she was laughing or seething with rage. "That's so… So hilariously rude! And unlike him."

"It was a bit more complicated than that," Marinette said. "He needed a roommate and so did I, and… We both figured it was better to move in with someone we're familiar with than a complete stranger."

She hated how easily the lie slipped from her tongue.

"Besides," Marinette continued, leaning back in her chair and stretching her arms above her head, "he's nice, and I like him as a person. He's tidy and polite and can even be really fun. We have a lot of the same interests. I know he and I haven't talked in awhile and I kind of just jumped into it but I really think this will be good for me. And for him."

Playing with her side braid, Marinette looked up to find Alya staring back at her with a knowing glint in her eyes. She was gazing at her like she knew something; as if she was privy to a secret that Marinette wasn't aware of. She adjusted her glasses, sat up straight and crossed her arms, one leg overlapping the other.

"'Nette," Alya said, voice still. "Girl, you do fall in love too easily."

Marinette choked on her own spit. Coughing and hacking, she hunched over her desk as her cheeks flushed red—whether it was from the coughing or her own embarrassment, she wasn't sure—her eyes nearly bulging out of her skull. "Wha- I- I do not-"

Alya bit her lower lip as she stifled a laugh. "You can't hide this shit from me! I know you too well."

"Fuck off-"

"You still love him," Alya said. "I can't believe it."

Marinette said nothing. Arms crossed and head hung low, she gave a pout so intense that it almost made the nerves in her face hurt. "Stoooooop," she whined, unable to suppress the corners of her mouth from curling upwards. "Quit making fun of me. I thought you loved me."

"Aw, Marinette," Alya cooed. "My little baby is growing up and living with a fine-ass gentleman who's gonna treat her right."

"I'm ending this Skype call."

"Traitor."

"It's literally almost one in the morning for you, Alya," Marinette chuckled. "You need to sleep anyways. I can see how tired you are just by the look on your face."

Alya slouched, cheek pressed against her desk and glasses askew. "'M fine."

"Go to bed."

"Only if you promise to call me again in a few days," Alya said, voice raspy from exhaustion. "I miss you more than you know."

Pressing a hand to her chest to show she was touched, Marinette smiled, blowing a kiss to the camera. "I miss you too, silly. Now get some sleep. I'll text you later when it's morning where you are."

Alya sighed, a warm smile stretching across her face. "Okaaay," she said. "I submit. Goodnight, 'Nette. Let me know how things with Adrien are going as soon as you can."

Marinette gave a playful roll of her eyes. "I will, I promise. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, I love youuu-"

The call ended, and Marinette sighed. She slumped back into her chair with a smile. Alya was such a nice person to talk to.

She sat there for a few minutes, mind replaying their conversation on repeat. She let Alya's words dance through her head as she got up, folded her laundry, made dinner for her parents and relaxed in front of the TV. Even through work, Alya's voice sang, and what she had said earlier still wouldn't leave her head. It was like a mantra, endlessly reminding her of her one major fault: she fell too easily.

It was a good thing she wasn't really moving in with Adrien. If she had to be around him most days, sometimes for the entire day… She wouldn't know how to cope. She'd be head-over-heels in no time, and living in the same space as him—where he slept, ate, relaxed and showered—would have her freaking out around every corner. She'd be uncomfortably infatuated. It would be difficult for her to rest in her own apartment.

As she swept the floors of the fabric shop late that night, a thought stuck Marinette so sudden that she stumbled, tripping over her own feet and sending the broom to clatter loudly on the tile.

She was going to be living in the same space as Chat Noir. Chat Noir, her partner, her most entrusted friend; the boy who had turned her from a distraught mess into a beaming, confident superhero again the night before. In the span of one evening, he'd managed to flip her entire mood upside down—not only managing to make her smile but making sure she went home with that smile for the rest of the night, too.

Marinette wasn't at all familiar with the way her heart thumped in her chest.

She was going to be living with Chat Noir. They were going to share a home. They'd be more than roommates, they would be together like best friends, like…

Huh. Like maybe a little more than that.

But she didn't let herself dwell on those thoughts for too long. Marinette had never loved Chat Noir in that regard, and she wasn't going to start now. He was her partner. They had to keep a professional relationship in order to keep Paris safe. That was what was most important.

Even if they both ever wanted different, they had a duty to the city first and foremost. Chat Noir needed to understand that. And… Maybe she did, too.

No, snap out of it, she told herself, smacking her cheeks to force herself back into focus. None of that.

"Marinette?" Tikki's voice peeped up from inside her jacket pocket. "You're very nervous. I can sense it."

"I'm fine, Tikki," Marinette said. She reached down to pick up the broom from the floor and was thankful everyone besides her had gone home for the night. "Just tired."

Tikki frowned, but accepted her answer anyways. "Well, try to get some rest tonight, okay?"

"I will," she promised. "I will."

She'd do her very best—even if thoughts of a green-eyed, blond-haired boy kept her awake. Who that boy was, however…

That—that was a question for another day.