Red Strings And Markers

t h i r t e e n

“U-Uh…”

“Mari, I-“

Marinette shushed him. “Don’t… Just don’t say anything.” Marinette whispered. Her heart was pounding in her throat and in her ears, as she slowly pulled away from him. “Good night, Adrien.” She whispered, her eyes were a shade darker as she retreated to her room.

Adrien was having troubles swallowing. Was he even breathing? He couldn’t tell.

He kissed Marinette’s cheeks on accident – well, he wanted to do it and he assumed his inner cat made him do it. He was shocked in himself, but glad he did it. However, he didn’t know how to interpret her reaction.

The two of them had frozen due to the unexpected action but her eyes were sparkling. Could it be that Marinette liked him, but she was afraid to show so?

Marinette closed her door behind her, leaning on it and sliding all the way down. She put her hand to where Adrien kissed her cheek and she started squealing, kicking her feet. Tikki had been watching from the bed the whole time, coming to float beside Marinette, in a storm of giggles.

“Tikki, did you see that? He kissed me! He actually kissed me! I’m never washing this cheek again.” Mariette said, cupping the place where he kissed her.

Tikki continued laughing, ushering Marinette into bed. Marinette jumped into her bed and grabbed the marker from the night stand, plopping down with a happy sigh. Time to see if the kitty was okay.

“You up, kitty?”

This is what Adrien was waiting for, to hear from his lady. He smiled as the pink ink flourished on his arm.

Adrien un-lidded his green marker with his teeth and swiped his fingers across his arms, prepping to write. “Stayed up for you, my lady.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Better. I was provided some pain killers after an amazing dinner and a hot bath.” Marinette gave a sigh of relief. “How about you? It’s not as bad right?”

“It bearable. I do wish you had been more careful… Even though it was my fault you got injured.”

“My lady, don’t blame yourself. You are my top priority, you are what makes me, me.”

“Sweet talking won’t get you anywhere kitty.”

“Not even a cuddle or two?~”

She could partially imagine his smirk right now. “I’ll consider it.”

“Maybe a kiss or two?”

“Chat.”

“Or maybe you’d prefer that I-“ Adrien stopped writing.

Thoughtlessly flirting with Ladybug isn’t what he intended on doing. He was thinking about Marinette while writing. Ladybug was a whole different person and the kiss they shared, he didn’t know what to think.

“Chat?”

“My lady, I apologize.”

“It’s okay, are you okay?”

“Yes, I am. My lady?”

“Yes kitty?”

“The kiss you gave me… How should I interpret it?”

Marinette remained silent for a moment. She continued drawing ellipses to notify Chat that she was still there, only thinking.

“It was relief. Happiness, that you were okay. Did I do it just to make you shut up? Yes, but part of me started to believe that I was going to lose you. That… It struck fear into me. I can’t lose you Chat.”

Adrien’s heart fluttered with her words. “My lady?”

“I can’t exist without you Chat Noir. I need you.”

“Is this how you’re confessing to me?”

Marinette blushed. “You silly kitty.”

Adrien smiled. She didn’t say “no”. “But my lady, what about the boy you liked?”

“I don’t know Chat… Things are developing with him too and-“ Her writing was swiped before she finished.

“I have something I need to confess too, my lady.”

“Yes kitty?”

“There’s… There’s someone who has caught my attention too.”

Marinette already had an idea that she was the one that Chat was crushing on. He loved Ladybug and he liked Marinette. If he liked both sides of her, she could probably reveal herself… Marinette shook her head. A dangerous thought. “So what do you want to do?”

“Let’s see how things play out. How does that sound?”

Adrien was skeptical. Ladybug was now claiming to need him, but what about Marinette? She’s brought out the real side of him and she didn’t judge him. Marinette wasn’t chopped liver.

“Sounds okay. I’m heading to bed, my lady.”

“Good night kitty.”

“Sweet dreams my lady.” Adrien could barely keep his eyes open any longer, capping his marking and passing out.

Marinette, equally as tired with the new turn of events, capped her marker and fell asleep.

“You think they’re going to find out soon?”

“It’s hard to say. He’s as dense as a log.”

“You’d be surprised. That's the mystery of magic."

“I can’t believe he hasn’t noticed yet.”

“We can’t say – it’s for their safety, the safety of their family and friends too.” A sigh.

“I know. Part of me just…”

“Wishes they could be together?” A small silence.

“Yeah… Camembert?”

“I’d prefer a cookie, thank you though.”