A Little Fall of Rain

A Quiet Night

Ladybug paced in aimless circles as she waited patiently on the rooftop across from Adrien's house. The sun had just set and she was way too early. Ladybug knew that. But she'd much rather be waiting here than in the abandoned apartment. In truth, it felt better just to be near Adrien.

Her stomach started to feel all fluttery again. Ladybug took a deep breath and swallowed. Calm down, girl. Calm down!

It wasn't only because he was Adrien. Well, obviously, there was that. But also, he was the only person that knew she was alive, her only link to her old life. With him, she felt like herself, like Marinette.

Ladybug stretched her arms high overhead, wincing at her stiff muscles. She had spent the entire day on patrol, hoping Chat Noir would find a way to join her. But he never did. Ladybug knew it was silly to get her hopes up. Still, jumping from rooftop to rooftop was a million times better than sitting in a cold apartment. It helped to pass the time faster until she could return to Adrien.

Did Adrien know that he was the only thing she had to look forward to in her new life?

Ladybug chewed on her lip. What was her relationship with Adrien now? He knew that she loved him. Adrien knew and... he held her hand. He comforted her while she cried. He slept all night at her side. Ladybug could feel her face start to heat up. In such a short amount of time, they had grown so close, and yet, it felt so natural.

She didn't stutter around him anymore. He even made her smile, made her laugh. With Chat Noir away, she needed that more than ever.

Adrien had invited her to come back tonight. Ladybug blushed as she remembered his words whispered in her ear. Did he have any idea of the effect he had on her? How could he not?

Ladybug started pacing again. It was obvious that they were closer. But was it a 'very good friends' way? Or something else? She had saved his life. So...was he just being kind? And just ignoring her crush in hopes of saving her the embarrassment?

Wincing, she suddenly remembered all the embroidered hearts on the gifts she had made, dozens of gifts that Adrien now had in his possession. Oh, man! What stories had been told in her absence?

Shortly after 9, she saw Adrien's window pop open. That was all the invitation she needed. With a big smile on her face, Ladybug launched her yo-yo toward Adrien's room.

Adrien was waiting for her right inside the window. "Welcome back!" he excitedly greeted as he kissed the air at her cheeks. Then, he took her hand and led her over to the coffee table. A large plate of food was waiting there, along with a generous slice of cake.

"I thought you might be hungry. I convinced the chef to let me take another plate of dinner to my room. I told her I thought I would get hungry again later. Oh, and the cake is for Tikki." Adrien beamed, quite proud of himself.

"Thank you, Adrien," Ladybug grinned. "It's all very sweet."

After Marinette dropped her transformation, Tikki excitedly rushed over to the cake. Then, Marinette politely sat on the sofa and began to eat. The food wasn't hot anymore, but it was still warm. And Marinette devoured it, relishing in the taste of a home-cooked meal.

Adrien sat by her side, watching her, excitedly waiting for her to finish.

"Would you like to play some video games? Or watch a movie?" he asked, practically bouncing on the sofa.

"You seem full of energy," Marinette observed, raising her eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to sit?"

"Honestly, no," Adrien admitted. "I want to run, jump, do handstands and backflips!" To prove his point, he jumped high in the air, kicking his legs out like a ninja. Marinette couldn't help but giggle at his enthusiasm.