When You Switch Upon a Star

Chapter 4

“Are you sure your father won’t come looking for you?” Marinette asked as she plugged the hair dryer into the outlet.

“It’s most likely he will,” Adrien mumbled, “But luckily he can’t track my location since I don’t have my phone on me.”

A frown tugged downwards at the edges of Marinette’s lips, “I wish I could do something about this situation.”

“No, you’re doing enough for me already,” Adrien said, “Thank you.”

Adrien stared straight at the large piece of glass in front of him, where a pair of emerald eyes stared back at him. God, he was a mess. The light purple bruise on his cheek stuck out more visibly in the white light of the bathroom and his overshirt had been soaked so deeply, the color of his semi-tanned skin bled through the white fabric. Adding to that, light brown splotches have made their way onto the easily stained color.

“But I want you to be safe out in the city, too,” Marinette said.

At the sound of her words, heat crept among Adrien’s cheeks. His eyes traveled from his own horrific image to Marinette’s clean reflection right next to his. Before he knew it, Marinette turned on the hair dryer, filling the echoey room with its soft hum.

The warm air attacked his scalp, blowing his golden hair in multiple directions during the process, like thin curtains blowing with the wind. Adrien found an odd sense of comfort in the mild heat that had latched onto his skin, along with Marinette’s fingers running through his hair. His lips formed a long and wide W shape as he closed his eyes and relaxed into his treatment.

The sound of his own slow and relaxed breathing echoed in his ears like the strong wind that absorbs into the microphone when videotaping at a beach. Soon, Adrien’s smooth and steady breathing grew more hoarse and rigid. A loud, deep rumbling accompanied his next exhale while an airy lump vibrated against the inside of his throat.

The rumbling continued on for some time until the warm breeze of the hair dryer stopped blowing against his hair and the room grew silent. Adrien’s eyes shot open, and he found Marinette with her face right next to his. He gulped down a huge lump in his throat, praying that he didn’t just give himself away.

One of Marinette’s eyebrows lifted, and Adrien nervously chewed on his bottom lip. A hundred thoughts raced through his head, trying to prepare an explanation if she were to proceed with her suspicions. If it were even possible to explain the fact that a human being just purred.

“Are you hungry, Adrien?” Marinette asked.

Adrien exhaled a sigh of relief, “No, I’m good.”

“Are you sure? We have some food downstairs,” Marinette said.

Adrien opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced when a similar rumbling sound came from his stomach. A deep shade of vermillion crept onto his cheeks from embarrassment. Marinette just laughed in response.

“Let me finish drying you up first.”

The hair dryer clicked back on, and the warm wind attacked him once again. Adrien’s eyes went back to Marinette’s reflection in the mirror. His left thumb and index finger gripped onto his ring, rotating it back and forth around his finger as he tried to hold back another purr.

“You know, I can do this myself,” Adrien said awkwardly.

Marinette’s face heated, and it definitely wasn’t from the warm air of the hair dryer. Embarrassed, she shoved the hair dryer into Adrien’s hand without warning, causing him to almost drop it. The strong, artificial gust pummeled into his face in the process.