16. Touch

The walk to Marinette's home was spent in a quiet and comfortable silence. Hand-in-hand, she and Adrien waited a moment or two at the crosswalk before it signaled their turn to move across the road and to the bakery, which smelled so tantalizingly sweet even from the outside. It never failed to fill the street with aromas that tempted her taste buds—the scent alone could lead hungry customers to their glass doors from five shops down. That's how Marinette knew for a fact that her family's boulangerie was the best in all of Paris.

She was also fairly sure that Adrien would concur with that statement.

Upon opening the doors, a gust of sugary and buttery air hit Marinette's nose with a familiar reminder that this was her home; her safe place, her personal little haven where she (and her friends) would always be welcome. Her friends knew that, of course, as did she—her safe place also belonged to Alya, and although it went unsaid, Marinette was almost certain that her home was Adrien's realm of comfort as well.

As they navigated around the crowd of customers (it was lunch hour, the busiest time of the day), Marinette greeted her mother with a small wave and a quick "we'll only be here for lunch." She and Adrien picked up a few cookies from the shop to snack on during his visit—her mother wouldn't mind—and headed upstairs to prepare some actual lunch. Simple sandwiches had sufficed to cure the hunger rumbling within their stomachs.

Although, Marinette did take notice that Adrien seemed a bit off as he nibbled on his food; maybe he just wasn't that hungry?

He'd finished it, to say the least.

Now, they sat in her room, settled within a quietude that wasn't exactly what Marinette could call pleasant. She rocked idly from side to side in one of her rolling chairs, blue eyes roaming the wooden floor with little interest. Adrien sat across from her upon her lounge, his hands clasped together and thumbs fiddling somewhat nervously. At the moment, Marinette was unsure of what to say; should she ask him how he's doing? Question what's bothering him? Don't ask anything and instead smother him with kisses?

The third option was definitely the most favorable.

It wouldn't solve any problems, though.

(No matter how badly she desired to see his lips break into that gorgeous smile because of her.)

Clearing her throat, she met his sad green eyes with her own and decided it would be best to start by at least saying something. "So, uh… Wh-what happened this morning?"

Don't stutter, She reminded herself. This is Adrien. You don't stutter around him anymore.

"Oh," His gaze dropped, voice quieter than it had been minutes before. "I was just… Worrying."

Marinette quirked an eyebrow in curiosity. "Worrying? About what?"

"Stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Yes," He continued, as if he was having trouble spitting out his words. "Lots of stuff. Stuff that makes me worry."

Well, I got that. But what kind of stuff?

"Do you want to talk about it?" She inquired, using her feet to scoot a few inches closer in her chair. The wheel caught on the rug for a moment before she stopped herself from toppling over with a touch of her shoe to the floor. "You looked pretty frazzled when you came back from the bathroom."

Adrien nodded, a sigh falling from his lips. Whatever was bothering him certainly wasn't something he should keep bottled up within himself—an abundance of stress and anxiety could make a person burst if their emotions went unreleased for too long. Everyone needs to vent every now and then; Marinette knew that herself from unfortunate experience.

Breaking down in front of Alya because she'd dropped a pencil due to other causes of stress was a memory that still embarrassed her to this day.

Adrien appeared to be so… So distraught, as if there was some oppressing sadness weighing down on his shoulders so intensely that he couldn't even find the strength to sit up straight. His normally perfect posture had gone and fled from his body. She'd never seen him look so pitiable.

Save for the time he'd completely broken within her embrace, of course.

Part of her wished he'd do that again just so he could let it out—so he could feel better.

Crying was a body's natural reaction to harboring too much emotion at once. Marinette knew that after releasing the tears, she always felt better. Tired and stuffy, but less heavy. Better.

She wanted Adrien to feel better.

"Look, Adrien-"

"Marinette, I need to-"

Marinette's lips snapped shut as she and Adrien spoke in unison.

"Sorry-"

"My bad-"

They froze, gazing into each other's eyes and waiting for one of them to speak up before they ended up talking over each other a third time.

Marinette felt a small smile tug at her lips and before she knew it she was giggling, giving her not-boyfriend a reassuring grin that said "go ahead."

Adrien returned her smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," She responded, clearing her throat to calm the giggles. "I'll let you talk. I'm all ears."

He nodded, green eyes glancing around the room before they bounced back up to her own, his feet shuffling against the wooden floor. Whatever he was planning on saying, it was definitely proving to be quite a difficult statement.

"I need to talk to you," He began, "about something."

Marinette cocked her head to the side, interested.

"It's not good," Sighed Adrien, reaching behind his head to scratch at his neck in a nervous habit Marinette had grown to adore. "It's giving me anxiety and making me feel awful."

Oh, dieu.

What could be plaguing him enough that it caused him to flee to the bathroom during first period?

What could be horrible enough that he needed to tell her in private?

Did both the two most important boys in her life have some bad news to deliver?

Seeing his apprehensive demeanor, Marinette frowned, pushing herself up from her chair and letting it roll backwards across her room. She took a seat next to her (boy)friend on the lounge and laid a gentle hand upon his shoulder, rubbing it in a slow, comforting circle. Whatever it was… she would always be there to listen, no matter how painful it may be to hear.

"You can tell me." The urge to kiss his cheek had been too strong to resist. The simple peck of her lips upon his skin pulled the faintest hint of a smile to Adrien's face, which in turn made her heart swell with love and pure emotion. God, she loved this boy more than he could even fathom. "I'm here, remember?"

"I know," He whispered, gently nosing his face into the crook of her neck. The contact of his skin upon her own felt warm and cozy, like a snuggly blanket wrapped lovingly around her body. An incredibly handsome blanket, that is. An attractive and lovable and cuddly blanket that she adored more than any other.

Instinctively her hand reached up to comb through his hair as she relished in the feeling of his wonderfully soft blond locks between her fingers. There was just something so nice about being with him like this—like a couple who enjoyed each others company more than they enjoyed anything else in life. It was pure, simple closeness that she desired, and it was pure, simple closeness that Adrien supplied.

She never wanted him to pull away.

Sweet breath blew against her neck as Adrien sighed, tickling her skin with his nose. "I don't ever want to hurt you."

Marinette frowned, her hand stilling atop his head. His choice of words concerned her greater than they should. "Hurt me? What are you talking about, Adrien?"

He nuzzled his face deeper into her neck until it was completely hidden against her skin. "I don't want to make you sad."

Now she was beginning to feel a twinge of anxiety herself. "Adrien…" Swallowing nervously, she regretfully pulled away from his warmth only to gaze into his eyes, fear swimming in her own blue. "What's going on?"

Adrien's shoulders slumped as an elongated breath left his body. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and nearly inaudible, like a broken echo she could faintly hear. "Marinette, I like you. I like you a lot. I think I like you more than any other girl I've ever liked before."

Marinette's eyes widened, her heartbeat quickening its pace at the words that fell from his lips.

"...Actually, I…" Glancing away, Adrien wrapped his arms around himself in what she assumed was insecurity, his hands rubbing up and down the sides of his body. "I have so many feelings for you that I can't even decipher them. I don't know if it's love—it might be. Are we too young to feel that? Is that weird to say? I don't know." His eyes met her own once again. "I've never really been good with figuring myself out—figuring other people out—but I have a pretty good feeling you really like me a lot, too, if the kisses mean anything. You do, right?"

As he looked to her for confirmation, Marinette nodded, eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "O-Of course I do," She breathed, surprised he even needed to ask. "Yes."

Wherever he was going with this, she had no complaints.

Why would anything he was about to say make her sad?

Unless… There was something else he planned to admit. There always had to be a catch to these types of things, right?

With a sudden realization that this was not heading in a positive direction, Marinette felt her insides shrivel up with sadness as she prepared for the inevitable "but." Her throat felt tight and eyes stung from the possibilities of let-downs she'd experience that afternoon. Was he more interested in someone else? Secretly dating a model? Being forced into a relationship for publicity?

Most importantly, would he be gentle with his rejection?

A lump in her throat made it difficult to swallow as her brain conjured up possibilities of the words that would soon be an unfortunate reality.

"I love you, Marinette, but I love somebody else more."

"I want to be with you, Mari, but I can't because you're not cute enough to be a model's girlfriend."

"Marinette, I want you to be my girlfriend, but my father would disown me for dating a girl that's not within my social status."

"Mari, I adore you, but you're not rich enough to-"

"...Marinette?"

Marinette felt herself jolt as she fell back down to Earth. Fuck, how long did I zone out? "S-sorry, did you say something?"

Adrien nodded, glancing away from her shyly and fidgeting with the button on the pillow that sat next to his thigh. "You… Okay?"

"I'm fine," She said with a quick glance to his hands. "What did you say?"

"I said that I want nothing else but to be with you."

Marinette felt her heart stop completely. "You do?"

Adrien gave a simple nod before letting his gaze fall downcast, unable to look her in the eye. Marinette knew she was about to be hurt. She knew for a fact that whatever was hovering on the tip of Adrien's tongue was going to tear her goddamn heart out and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She wasn't stupid; she had a pretty good idea of where this was going and it was not a place of serenity. There would be tears staining her pillow that night.

She only hoped Alya would go easy on him.

God, what is he about to say…?

"I do," He continued, voice delicate (and quite a bit shaky.) "I really want to, more than anything, but…"

And there it was. The inevitable.

But.

She hated that word.

But what!?

"I can't."

Marinette was officially ready to flee the country. She was ready to buy a plane ticket, pack her bags and move to China to be with her extended family. She wanted to curl up in a tiny whimpering ball of sadness and deflate until she was nothing but a flat, lifeless pancake on the floor. She was prepared to drown in her own tears.

But what good would that do?

Instead she nodded, swallowing the heavy lump in her throat that would surely cause her voice to waver. She couldn't protest—if he couldn't be with her, she wouldn't force it. It wouldn't be a healthy relationship if one of them was unhappy.

No, she would be strong. She'd take this rejection like a champ and sweep her emotions under the rug on her floor until Adrien left and she could peacefully wallow in her own sadness for the next six or seven hours.

Somehow she always knew this would happen one way or another. She never actually believed that her and Adrien could become a couple—at least, she used to, before kissing became a regular occurrence in their relationship.

Still, it was a fact that she kept within the back of her mind, warning her and taunting her that this boy had so many different girls waiting at his doorstep that he could choose from; why would she ever be considered number one on that list?

Swallowing (if only to rid her voice of its impending shakiness), she nodded, letting herself gaze intently at the pattern of dots decorating the chaise. "Oh, um… Okay."

"I-I didn't mean I don't want to o-or that I can't ever," He continued, reaching out to place his hands upon her shoulders in what appeared to be a comforting touch. "Just not right now. That came out bad, I'm sorry, I- augh." He slapped his palm to his forehead and groaned, hiding his face within his hand. "I shouldn't have began that way. Can I start again?"

Feeling a tad numb, Marinette nodded, lifting her eyes from the pattern of polka dots. Okay, so he said he wanted to be with her but couldn't at the moment; that sort of made sense, if he had a good reason. At least it wasn't pure I-don't-return-your-feelings rejection. She could deal with that… Mostly.

"Okay," Adrien began, combing a hand through his mussed hair. "What I meant to say is that I think I'm leaving for a while. I'm trying to get out of it, god I'm trying my hardest to, but I don't think I can win this time. My father wants me out of the country for some type of modeling… Thing. I didn't want to start anything before I left- I mean- I do want to start something, with you, but what's the point if I'm gone? Agh, no- I mean- I can't be your boyfriend if I'm not around, right? I don't want to start this—us—and then ruin it because I'm leaving-"

"Adrien," Marinette said gently, effectively cutting him off before he dissolved into a nervously blabbering mess. Her hands reached up from their place on her lap to cup his cheeks, which she stroked delicately with her thumbs in an attempt to calm him. At least he wasn't entirely elated about the situation either. "Shh. Slow down."

"Sorry," He breathed, layering one of his hands over her own. "I just really don't want to leave. I want to stay here."

"How long are you leaving for?" She asked as she felt their fingers entwine against his cheek. Preparing for an answer that ranged from six months to six years, she worried at her bottom lip in anticipation while Adrien let out a forlorn sigh, his blond hair drooping in his face as he hung his head.

"The whole summer," He said, glancing away sadly. "I'll be back in three months."

Only three months?

That wasn't too bad! She could deal with three months.

At least it wasn't three years.

Eugh, she thought with a frown, don't give Gabriel Agreste any ideas.

Granted, it would be three months without seeing Adrien in person, but they had phones to text and call and video chat. It wasn't like they'd be completely cut off from each other. Sure, they wouldn't be able to have physical contact, like holding hands or hugging or kissing or… Anything else, but three months wasn't awful. She'd waited longer than three months just to simply have a full conversation with Adrien; she would survive. They would get through it.

It would make the summer painfully slow, however.

But she did have Alya!

Alya would be there most of the summer. They could hang at each other's homes and have sleepovers and stay up until five A.M. talking—well, listening on Marinette's part—about Alya's Ladybug theories and recent Ladybug-related news. There would be days spent at the park or strolling down the streets in search of fabric shops or afternoons sitting in the cool air conditioning of ice cream parlors. Maybe they'd babysit together, or taste-test new recipes at the bakery. They could even work at said boulangerie to gain some extra cash to spend on whatever they pleased. Alya would be there for her.

And if Alya ever proved to be busy, Marinette could always confide in the company of Chat Noir. No, they weren't considered to be "normal" friends, but they could still spend their nights patrolling the city and throwing playful banter back and forth until the sun rose or sleepiness caused them to return to their homes in search of a comfortable bed. If there was ever a lull in her summer evenings, Marinette could simply transform and take a leisurely flight through the city at the mercy of her yo-yo, which would surely rouse her feline partner and send him bounding right after her with a load of puns in his pockets. They could spend the entire night roaming the city and sleep all day if needed. The occasional akuma attack would also keep them relatively busy.

There was no need for her to worry; with the company of Chat Noir (as both Marinette and Ladybug) and Alya as well as her other friends like Nino, Alix, Rose and the rest, she couldn't possibly be too bored for too long.

Still… It would suck to have Adrien miss it all.

"Three months isn't so bad," She said as she patted his shoulder with her free hand, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'll still be here when you get back."

"You're not upset?"

Marinette shook her head, surprised Adrien would think she'd get upset over something that wasn't in his control. "Of course not, Adrien. I know this wasn't your choice and I can't get mad at you for it. I mean, sure, I'll miss you, but I won't run off with somebody else just because you're not here."

Adrien's shoulders visibly relaxed as he breathed out a sigh, head drooping and eyes clouded with sorrow. "I just feel so bad about it. We're practically dating and I was so happy, because I was ready to ask you out on this elaborate date I had planned and I was so excited to finally have someone that really, truly likes me, maybe even loves me, but now I'm leaving and everything we've built up so far-"

"-we'll have to be patient for," She finished for him, her voice gentle. Resting both hands upon his shoulders and rubbing affectionately, Marinette gave him a soft smile before she nuzzled her face into the warmth of his neck. The faint scent of his cologne brought forth a wonderful feeling of both comfort and safeness that swam right up to her head and made her feel giddy with love.

This was Adrien Agreste she was holding, and it was Adrien Agreste whose arms slid around her frame and squeezed her in a hug so tight that she nearly lost the ability to breathe. Adrien Agreste buried his nose within her hair and Adrien Agreste held her in an embrace that wasn't anything that could be considered platonic—it was a hug that clearly stated, "I love you. I'm yours. I'm going to miss you."

It was Adrien Agreste whom she'd fallen in love with and it was Adrien Agreste who had somehow found himself falling in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

She didn't know how it'd happened or what she'd done to arouse feelings for herself within Adrien's heart; all she cared about at the moment was that Adrien was holding her as if she was his lifeline and that this whole thing was incredibly real—Adrien was there in her arms and it was Adrien she loved so dearly.

Three months wasn't such a long time. Marinette knew some couples went much longer than that without contact at all. It wouldn't be too hard for them to get through it.

She could get why Adrien was upset, but… Maybe he was overreacting a little?

Unless there was something else bugging him about his leave; another reason for him to fear being away from the city.

The least she could do was reassure him.

"It's okay," She whispered, stroking his back in slow circles. "I know you're sad—I am too—but those three months will fly by. At the end of the summer I'll be here waiting for you, and so will Nino and Alya and all of our other friends." A soft chuckle left her lips before she could stop it. "And I'm sure Chloe will be, too."

Adrien grunted, his warm breath blowing atop her head as a laugh rose from his throat. "Oh, I bet. But you know why that's a good thing?"

Marinette lifted her head from his neck and smiled as their eyes met. "Hm?"

"You can kiss me right in front of her."

"You're evil," She snickered, "I like it."

"It's what has to be done." Giving her a squeeze, Adrien hummed and pressed his cheek against her forehead, the warmth from his subtle flush seeping into Marinette's own body and filling her with a pleasant little flame that sparked and grew into a scarlet blaze of emotions. This was real. Too real. This was Adrien holding her and Adrien telling her to kiss him.

If her past self could have the ability to gaze into the future and look upon their closeness, Stuttering-Blushing Dupain-Cheng would have exploded from the mere sight of it.

Current Marinette, however, leaned in to his touch and sighed, her fingers ghosting up his arm as her hand connected with his shoulder and completed the loving embrace. Their chests rose and fell in unison, breath mingled in a single melody so soft that it was only audible to the two caught within each other's arms.

Both became lost in the sensation of just being held, the moment full of delicate little touches and comforting scents and the pure essence of each other. "Warm" and "safe" were the only two words that came to Marinette's mind.

She could feel his heartbeat against her chest, the rhythm slow and calming to her racing thoughts. Adrien was beginning to relax. His breath came in gentle waves, almost as if he was falling asleep—in any case, it was an improvement to his previously short inhales that were filled to the brim with anxiety.

They had about ten minutes before they needed to start heading back to school. If he wanted to take a short nap using her as his pillow, she'd let him without complaint. He'd been so exhausted all morning that she didn't have the heart to wake him if he happened to doze.

"Marinette," He whispered, causing her eyes to blink open just as they'd closed. His voice was quiet and faintly hoarse, most likely from the lack of sleep. If only they could skip school to nap again. She seemed to miss enough school as Ladybug; one more time couldn't hurt, could it? It was Friday…

No, she was a good student. Sleeping with Adrien was not more important than her education.

Her cheeks flushed from her own thoughts. Reword that next time, holy hell.

"Hm?" She hummed back, heavy eyelids blinking slowly.

A tired chuckle vibrated from within Adrien's chest, yet his eyes remained closed. "I don't want to wait until I get back to kiss you."

"You won't have to," She said as she sat up, blue eyes blinking upwards. "I'm right here."

It was all the permission he needed.

Her brain buzzed and eyes fluttered closed as the sensation of Adrien's lips upon her own sent tingles from her mouth all the way down to her fingertips, which roamed his body until her arms wrapped around his neck in a delicate yet affectionate motion. She pulled him closer, their lips gliding over each others in a familiar pattern Marinette had come to crave nearly every minute of every waking day. She wanted his lips, his kiss, his sweet breath against her skin and the feel of his hands on her body in the most innocent form imaginable.

He was always hesitant with his touches, afraid he'd gone too far when most of the time it wasn't enough—she didn't want him to be afraid of placing his hands upon her waist or even her hips, she wanted him to hold her and feel her and never let her go.

If he was going to be leaving for three months and she'd be deprived of these wonderful, wonderful kisses, then for the next two weeks she'd let him kiss her as much as he desired. As much as she desired.

She whimpered as the pressure of his lips was replaced by air, her eyes blinking open in a silent plea for him to return. Adrien only grinned, his fingers running down the side of her face and his summer green gaze glowing with nothing but adoration. The look alone made Marinette's heart melt into a puddle within her chest.

He was looking at her the same way Chat Noir used to look at Ladybug.

He was looking at her like she was his world, his everything, his favorite girl and very reason for waking up in the morning.

He held love, respect, complete admiration within those emeralds which gazed upon her so fondly.

If that expression didn't confirm his feelings for her… Well, Marinette wasn't sure what else could.

Adrien Agreste had fallen in love with her, to put it simply, and Marinette knew she'd fallen harder than any person had ever fallen for anyone before.

"Hey," Adrien said, his voice a whisper against her forehead as his lips brushed her skin. "Thank you."

"For what?" She asked as her hand found its way into his hair, combing through the once-perfect locks that now hung in his face from the lack of product. He must've not had enough time to apply anything that morning.

"For understanding," He murmured against her hair. "And for being there for me."

"You don't have to thank me for that," She said. "I'll always be there for you."

"What about when I'm gone?"

"Still." Her hand ran through his blond stands, eliciting a tiny sigh from the boy in her arms. "I'm only a phone call away."

Something in Adrien deflated—Marinette wasn't sure what she'd said or done that had caused his body to slump into her, but she immediately regretted saying anything at all. Why did she have to go and screw things up? The moment had just been so sweet!

Adrien's expression shifted to a saddened pout as his head rested on her shoulder, the warmth of his breath tickling her neck. Marinette frowned, removing her hand from his head and placing it upon his back to join the other. He was mumbling something, but she couldn't quite pick up what he was saying; something about "time zone" and "busy."

"Come again?"

Adrien sighed, raising his voice to an audible level. "Knowing my father and these kind of special modeling trips, I'm barely going to have time for talking. We'll probably be off in a new fancy hotel every week where the cell service is sucky the time zone is different and I just don't know how this is all going to work. I want to make time for you, for Nino, for our other friends—but I don't think I can."

Marinette shook her head, placing a kiss to his hair to put him at ease. "You're letting yourself worry too much. I won't get upset if you can't talk that often. Even if you can only text once a week, I'll still be here. Besides," She continued, "it might not be so bad. You'll get to see other countries and meet new people. You can take pictures and tell me all about it when you get back."

"But…" Adrien's voice sounded so hollow; broken and sad. "I'll be all alone the entire summer."

Marinette blinked, feeling sympathetic for him. "What about your dad? Won't this be a good chance for you guys to like, bond and stuff?"

"Not really." He shrugged his shoulders. "He'll be gone most of the time while I'm at photoshoots. I'm… Kind of used to being alone, so… I guess it won't be too bad. I'll probably have a room to myself so while I'm there I can do whatever I want. I'm sure he'll visit, though. He cares about me in his own way... I think."

Marinette felt her heart sink to the bottom of her chest as he spoke. Alone so often that his father barely even visiting his own son wasn't a big deal to him, as if it was normal for a parent to ignore their own child due to business.

She didn't know much about his home life besides what little he'd told her, but Marinette was beginning to think that Adrien was right—maybe Gabriel did treat his son more like an employee rather than his own kin.

She definitely needed a better choice in role models.

Poor Adrien... She sighed in thought. He deserves better.

And that's exactly what she told him.

"You deserve better," She said softly, pressing gentle kisses to his face as he lifted his head from her neck. "I mean it. You're so sweet and you treat everyone with so much respect, and you only hurt yourself to make your father happy. You suffer to please other people. Why?"

Adrien seemed a bit taken aback by her question, his green eyes flickering with an emotion she couldn't quite place. He looked away, turning his body so that they were no longer connected and sighing, his hand scratching at the back of his neck. "I don't know, Mari. I guess I've just always wanted to do whatever I can to make people happy. I can't stand having anyone mad at me. I feel awful if someone is even remotely upset at me."

"You're a good person." It was a fact.

His lips twitched upwards into a small grin, his summer gaze meeting hers with a thankful blink. "So are you, Marinette."

"Really, you are." She laid a consoling hand on his thigh, looking up at him with complete admiration dancing within the bluebells that he so frequently told her he adored. "All you ever want to do is make people feel nice. I can't remember a time where you were actually mean to someone—it's crazy how patient you are. Anyone who can put up with Chloe must have the patience of a god." Smiling (and stifling a giggle), Marinette let her head rest on his upper arm, her hand searching blindly until it found his and squeezed it within her own. "I admire you for that."

"You're making me blush," Adrien laughed, shyly hiding his face within his palm as his cheeks heated up to a wonderful shade of pink. "Do you like doing that? 'Cuz you do it a lot."

"As a matter of fact, I do," She replied with a smirk. "You happen to be very cute when you blush."

Had she just called him cute to his face?

Yes. Yes, she had.

Adrien quirked an eyebrow as he slung his free arm around her, pulling her so that she was flush against his side. "Only when I blush? What a shame. And here I was thinking that I'm cute all the time."

Oh, god, he makes the same awful jokes as Chat.

Was that just coincidence?

...Probably.

"You are," Marinette giggled, pushing the previous notion to the back of her mind. "I won't deny that."

The smirk he made was a little too familiar for Marinette's comfort. "I'm glad you think so."

The way he was looking at her was eerily similar to-

No, no… Don't think of Chat now, She reminded herself, you're with Adrien.

She was probably just missing patrolling with her feline friend a little too much.

With a glance to the clock (and a good clearing of her thoughts), Marinette frowned, disappointed at the time. If they wanted to make it back to class on time they needed to begin walking to the school, or else they'd be late.

Normally it wouldn't bother her, but she had missed quite a bit of school lately, and both of them arriving to class late together would appear to be a tad suspicious. No doubt she'd get quite the ribbing from Alya if she and Adrien happened to walk through the doors ten minutes after class had started. Their friends would assume that they'd been having-

"Now you're blushing," Adrien said, successfully ridding the inappropriate thought from her mind. "What for?"

Marinette felt her cheeks burn from his question, forcing her to recall the thought that made her red in the first place. "Just thinking."

"About?"

Oh, I was just thinking about how much teasing we'd get if we walked back into class late and let our classmates think that we were skipping to come to my house for a little more than just lunch.

But she couldn't admit that out loud! Adrien might run away!

She had to think of something—an answer less embarrassing but also equally blush-inducing—yet what?

"I-I was thinking about, um," She cursed her stuttering. "How it sucks that we have to go back to class, b-because I really wanted to kiss you some more."

That didn't sound too bad, did it?

...Nah.

Adrien's eyes widened for a moment before his lips broke out into a wide smile, his arms connecting around her around her slim waist as he turned to face her. "We have two minutes," He breathed as he nuzzled his nose against her own—a silly little affection that made Marinette's heart skip a beat. How could one person be so sickeningly cute?

"That's enough time for me," She chuckled. Cupping his cheeks into her hands, Marinette molded her lips against his own and sighed, the feeling of being kissed shooting sparks to her brain and making her heart run marathons within her chest. Her fingertips burned from the contact of Adrien's skin and her eyes fluttered closed the instant his hands fell to her hips in a hold that was light yet loving, giving her the confidence she needed to shyly nestle within his lap.

Adrien seemed a bit nervous by the sudden change of position and Marinette was about to apologize and retreat as he pulled away, but he only broke for a moment to gaze at her before diving back in for another taste of her lips. A squeak of pleasant surprise rose from her throat as their lips connected and slid across each others in a smooth glide, but it was quickly muffled between the two lovestruck teens who had become undeniably lost within their kiss.

Marinette could never have even imagined how amazing simply kissing could feel.

She knew that it was nice and that she definitely liked doing it, but their previous kisses had nothing on this.

This kiss was fire, burning her lips with every press, scorching her skin and swimming through her veins. It sparked, it blazed, it set flame to her heart and made her chest feel as if it contained its own personal inferno. The feeling was hot yet it wasn't anything near painful—it was a wonderful warmth that filled her to the brim with adoration for this sweet, amazing (amazing!) boy. The sensation was more than just simple love—yes, she loved Adrien, but she was also in love with him—and she couldn't be prouder to state that fact within her mind.

Their kiss spoke for them, uttering the words of their desire to kiss as much as they could before Adrien eventually had to make his leave.

Granted, it was in two weeks, but… Marinette wasn't exactly eager to push away her gorgeous crush when his lips were all over her own.

Every press of his lips echoed the unspoken message: "I'm going to miss kissing you, so let me kiss you now."

Marinette had no problem with that.

"We're going to be late," Adrien breathed against her lips, his breath fresh and hot against her skin.

He didn't have time to say much of anything else before Marinette had shushed him with another touch of her lips to his own. "School later, kiss now."

Adrien mumbled something but it was too muffled to understand. She didn't really have a moment to process it anyways—Adrien's mouth was back upon hers in an instant, barely giving her enough time to finish her previous statement. His lips were a magical, magical thing, and Marinette couldn't get enough.

She never used to believe in magic until Adrien had blessed her with his sweet kisses.

Oh, she was screwed. Gone. Completely and utterly taken by this dorky model who'd seemed so untouchable months ago and was now allowing her to wrap one arm around his neck and another to reach up so that she could comb her fingers through his messy hair.

This seemingly untouchable model had definitely become touchable.

Adrien sighed at the sensation, a low hum rising in his throat as he placed a hand upon her cheek and pulled her face closer to deepen the kiss. Their movement became less hesitant and more needy, the thought of Adrien leaving for three months and her being deprived of these amazing kisses making Marinette part her lips ever so slightly. She didn't even jump as she felt the tip of Adrien's tongue hesitantly come into play before it darted back into his mouth; he was probably too shy to go that far—Marinette could understand his nerves. It was a little "advanced" compared to the few kisses she could call her experience.

She'd never kissed like this before—she didn't know what to expect or do when her partner (sorry Chat, time to share the title) was kissing her like he never wanted to break their contact.

(To be fair, Marinette didn't exactly want to ever pull away either.)

The reality of it made her stomach positively flip; this was really happening. Adrien was really kissing her in a way that wasn't a form of pure innocence and he'd almost been brave enough to really, really kiss her—the brief touch of his tongue to her lips was definitive proof of that.

Of course, Marinette knew he had no other intentions besides kissing her that afternoon—as if they had time for anything else anyways—but these kisses were surely amazing and she did not want to stop any time soon. It was just too nice, too wonderful. How could kissing be so much fun?

"We're late," Adrien whispered, laughing softly as Marinette once again covered his lips with her own. "We're late, Mari. Should we go back?"

"Not yet," Marinette giggled in response, adjusting her position in his lap so that she was more comfortable. "In a few minutes."

"Hmm," Sighed Adrien, leaving a chaste kiss upon her lips. "Yeah. A few minutes."

His smile was too goddamn pure for this world.

Fucking cinnamon roll.

Grinning, Marinette recaptured his lips and let her eyelids slide closed, one hand on the back of his head and the other pressed lightly against his chest. Adrien didn't hesitate to pull her closer, the movement of his lips against hers passionate yet sweet, loving yet endearing. It was everything Marinette could have possibly imagined in an Adrien Agreste kiss; everything and more, to be precise. She couldn't fathom throwing this moment away to walk back to school and sit in an uncomfortable seat when she could be happily placed upon the lap of her friend—her Adrien.

His lips were a dangerous drug and Marinette felt nothing short of addiction.

Adrien is amazing. Adrien is kissing me. Adrien is-

"Marinette, what on Earth are you doing?"

Marinette gasped as the sound of her mother's voice practically startled her soul right out of her body.

-caught with his hands on my hips while I'm in his lap.

Pulling away from Adrien in a movement a little too fast, she toppled over, falling backwards off of his lap and straight to the floor (which didn't exactly do wonders to cushion her back.) She'd had worse falls as Ladybug, but while out of the suit pain came about ten times easier.

At least her legs still remained on the chaise.

Adrien shuffled away as well, using his hands to scoot backwards as far as he could without meeting the same fate as the girl he'd just been practically making out with. Marinette gave him a quick glance before meeting the surprised gaze of her mother, who was currently upside down from her point of view.

With a second brief look to Adrien, she knew they were both thinking the same exact thing:

Fuck.

They'd been caught.

Marinette's heart rammed against her ribcage as she stared at her mother, who stood with half of her body in her room and the other still on the stairs. Swallowing heavily, Marinette scrambled to sit up straight, fixing the ties in her hair that had began to come loose (when had Adrien even touched her hair?)

Her mother couldn't be too upset—it's not like they'd had their hands down each others pants!

Sure, they were kissing and she was on his lap and it probably did look bad to a parent… But it wasn't anything else than a little kissing! The position just looked more risqué than it actually was!

Oh god, in her mother's eyes it probably looked like they were doing so much worse...

"M-maman," Marinette began, voice shaky as she clasped her hands together awkwardly. "I-it's not what it looks like-"

Her mother only shook her head and sighed lightly, seemingly dismissing the situation. "I was just coming to see why you hadn't left to go back to school yet, but..."

Marinette's throat felt incredibly dry. "I'm sorry-"

Sabine held up a hand, voice gentle. "We'll talk later. Just gather your things and head back to school before you're even more late."

Nodding, Marinette hurriedly stood, the redness in her cheeks nearly the same shade as the ties in her hair that Adrien had somehow pulled loose. She couldn't even look at him as she grabbed her purse and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

Mostly, she felt bad for Adrien. He was probably feeling even more embarrassed than she was. She didn't know how she'd feel if Adrien's dad happened to be the one to catch them in the middle of kissing each other senseless.

Actually, now that she thought about it… She'd most likely get kicked out of the mansion and never be allowed to even look at Adrien again.

At least her parents were understanding.

As her mother shut the trapdoor and went back downstairs, Marinette sighed in relief, plopping her rear back onto the chaise where Adrien sat and stared at the floor. His face was equally as red as her own, if not more so.

Marinette lips curled downwards into a frown. He must be so embarrassed.

"Hey," She whispered, laying a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. My parents won't be mad about this."

"They won't?" Hopeful green eyes met her own blue as Adrien lifted his head to look at her. "Really?"

Marinette shook her head. "Of course not. I mean, my mom will probably want to talk to me about it later, but… They're not going to be mad at you or punish me for this. We weren't doing anything bad. It was only kissing."

Even if it looked like I was grinding on your-

Her cheeks were too hot.

Nevermind.

A thankful breath blew from Adrien's lips as he smiled, layering his hand over her own. "So long as they still let me come over, I'll be okay."

"They wouldn't kick you out forever," Marinette giggled. "I promise. Now c'mon," She said as she stood, pulling him up with her hand. "Let's get back to school before she comes and checks on us a second time."

Adrien nodded, pulling his own backpack over his shoulder and lifting open her trapdoor. They went downstairs unnoticed, slipping out of the bakery without being stopped by either of Marinette's parents, something both of them were incredibly grateful for. Neither wanted to face Tom or Sabine and be questioned about what they were doing and why they were doing it.

(On the way out, Marinette had managed to sneak a few cookies into her purse for Tikki.)

"I'm really sorry about that," She sighed as they stood in front of the bakery, sunlight radiating onto her skin in a pleasant warmth. "I told you my parents can be a little nosy."

Adrien shrugged, running a hand through his messy hair in a futile attempt to style it. "It's alright. It's a good thing she stopped us when she did, or else we might've missed a few more classes."

Marinette gazed at his golden locks, watching as the rays of afternoon sunlight caught on every strand as it bounced and practically glowed like a star in the sky. She slipped into a sort of trance, her blue gaze following every little movement his mop of blond hair made atop his head from the light summer breeze that blew through the streets. So pretty.

Damn. Messy hair looked really good on Adrien.

She'd never seen it like that before. It appeared longer, less done-up, more… Cat-like.

No, Chat-like.

A few strands hung over his forehead in a way that bothered her, but not necessarily in a bad way—it almost made her feel like they should've been standing on a rooftop instead of the sidewalk, but Adrien wasn't… He couldn't-

"Mari?"

Blinking, Marinette shook her head to rid her previous thoughts and forced a smile to her face, her knuckles brushing the back of Adrien's hand in a silent plea for him to envelop her own. He obliged, his fingers sliding between hers in a fit that was familiar and complete—as if their hands were meant to be a perfect match.

Maybe they were.

"Sorry," She said, walking along with him across the street. "Zoned out for a second."

Adrien frowned curiously and raised an eyebrow. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Really, she was. Sort of. Something inside of her felt a little… Off, especially when she gazed upon her partner's (boyfriend's? friend's!) tousled… Hair….

But really! She was fine! Nothing to worry about.

"You sure?" Poor boy, sounding so concerned. She was fine.

Sort of.

Something just felt weird, yet she couldn't quite place its origin. Why did she feel so uncomfortable? Why did she feel like she should be wearing a spotted mask and hunting akuma?

Repressing the groan she so badly wanted to emit, Marinette nodded, watching her feet as she stepped up the stairs to the school entrance. "I'm okay, really. Just embarrassed. I know I'm going to have to suffer through a super awkward conversation with my mother when I get home, but other than that, I'm okay." She stopped to give him a brief kiss to his cheek, thankful that class had already resumed and they were alone for a moment. "I promise."

She promised.

"Well… Alright." Adrien gave her a friendly smile, walking with her down the vacant hallway that led to their classroom. "Just tell me if you need anything, princess."

Princess?

Something inside of Marinette broke.