Red Strings And Markers

t h i r t e e n

“Anything else?” Marinette asked a she brought some towels closer.

Adrien hummed quietly, before looking up at her with a small smirk. “Help me undress?”

Marinette’s mouth gaped and a blush pooled her face. “Your injury must not be that bad if you can joke around like that Adrien Agreste!” She grabbed a small hand towel that was rolled up on the sink counter and threw it at him, Adrien laughing as it hit his chest. “Bye.” She huffed and stormed out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

“Well aren’t you the cheeky one.” Plagg asked, coming out from Adrien’s shirt. “First, Ladybug kisses you then you mercilessly asked Marinette to undress you. Make up your mind, would ya?”

Adrien chuckled, closing up the drain for the sink and filling it up with steamy water. “Have a bath, you deserve it.” Adrien said, looking towards the water bath he made.

Plagg was usually hesitant around water but there was no hesitation as the warmth hit him. Adrien filled up his bathtub the same, sinking into the warm water up to his nose.

The heat of the water was seeping into his bones, relaxing the tense in his muscles, making the throbbing in his head somewhat gentler. Adrien’s lips let out a sigh underwater, greeted by bubbles. He breathed in the humidity through his nose, the smell of the soap provided by the hotel, relaxing completely.

Although he was relaxed, his heart wasn’t at ease. Plagg had been right; Ladybug kissed him and he was flirting with Marinette. He can’t deny the feelings he had for Marinette were growing stronger – she didn’t judge him for actions, just played along with him. Her stutters were beyond adorable and her body was more than- Adrien stopped his train of thought right there, before his body could begin reacting to his thoughts.

Ladybug, however… She said she liked someone else. But whenever Chat had woken up, she was clinging onto him desperately, her words were broken and she had tears streaming down her eyes. She was sending him mixed signals and he didn’t know how to interpret any of it.

Could Adrien tell Marinette that he liked her, even though he was in love with someone else? Adrien was so deep in thought that he didn’t hear the knocking on the bathroom door.

“Adrien? Are you okay?” Marinette was starting to get worried something might have happened to Adrien while he was bathing.

She had left him bathing to go downstairs and get something to eat for the both of them. Considering the hotel had seven stories, the dining area wasn’t that occupied.

When Marinette returned with warm food and pain killers, she found that Adrien was still in the bathroom, silence on the other side of the door.

Naturally, Marinette began to freak out. “What if he fell asleep? What if he drowned! Oh my god, oh my god, what do I do? D-Do I go in there? B-But he’s gonna be naked…” Marinette was about to quickly rap her knuckles on the door again when she noticed the door knob turned, the door opening to reveal a half covered Adrien. A blush ran through her immediately and she found herself admiring his bare chest.

“See something you like?” He asked, posing for her.

Marinette stammered for words and crossed her arms across her chest and huffed. “A-As if!” But internally, she was screaming. Marinette turned in a mechanical way, pretty much against her own will, to the living room and robot-walked out of his bedroom. “I-I got food if you want some!” She called, sneaking a peek back at him.

When she saw that Adrien had been watching her the whole time, she jumped and flushed, running across the living room to her room.

Marinette tossed herself on her bed, rolling back and forth, holding back the huge squeal she wanted to let out. Tikki popped out from under a pillow, giggling at Marinette.