I know I was supposed to post the next chapter of "Le Battement d'ailes du Papillon" but I had this one shot in mind and I needed to jot it down. This is my first time writing in English, it's definitely nowhere near perfect but I had a lot of fun writing it. I usually write in French and I'm planning to translate my other fics and one shot when they are finished but this story felt easier to write in English (I don't know why).
No season 4 spoilers.
This is pure Marichat / Adrinette fluff (with a bit of angst).
Enjoy!
oOo
Chat Noir landed on the balcony with a soft thud. He looked around to check if he had been seen but the streets of Paris were completely empty at this time of the night. The surroundings were so quiet he could practically hear his own frantic heartbeat.
Marinette's fairy lights were out. Chat Noir threw a glance at the skylight to find her room completely dark. Marinette usually was a night owl, but Chat Noir should have known that even she wouldn't have stayed up this late. He suddenly felt a bit ashamed to be standing here on her balcony when he definitely should have been sleeping in his own bed at this ungodly hour.
His eyes landed on an empty mug forgotten on the wooden floor, and Chat Noir's face lit when he noticed a green paw print on it. His heart warmed at the thought of Marinette using this mug on a regular basis; he pictured her sitting on her folding chair, wrapped up in a soft pink blanket and nibbling some freshly baked cookies. Was she thinking about him tonight when she drank some hot cocoa from her Chat Noir mug? He could only hope.
He made a mental note to buy her the biggest mug he could find with his face on it just to tease her. That was something he loved, teasing her.
His grin instantaneously vanished when he felt his heart tighten.
Over the past few months, this place had become his safe haven. A place he knew he could visit whenever he felt like to. Whenever he felt like suffocating in his own life. A place where he never felt like a burden to anyone. A place where he always felt welcomed... and loved.
His heartbeat suddenly sped up. He tried to shake off the weight pressing against his chest as the memories of the day he just went through came back to him like a punch in the guts. He tried to calm his hectic breathing, but the more he tried to focus, the more he started to hyperventilate. He needed to see Marinette. He really needed her.
Crouching on all fours, Chat Noir slowly reached the skylight, his heart pounding in his human ears. This was a bad idea. Marinette was deep asleep, he shouldn't be bothering her at this time of the night. He straightened up and turned around, ready to jump off the balcony, but the thought of going back to his cold and empty room made him shiver. He slowly turned back around and leaned over the skylight. He let out a sigh, pondering if he should do this. Still hesitating, he finally worked up the courage to knock on the cold glass. As he got no answer, he chastised himself because he should be leaving her alone instead of trying to break into her room in the middle of the night, but the need to see her was stronger than anything. His eyes started to water and he took a deep breath before running his clawed fingers on the skylight's edges. When he found it unlocked, he silently slipped inside and landed on the bed as softly as he could.
Marinette was sound asleep, so deeply buried under her comforter that only her hair and half of her face were visible. She looked peaceful, bathed in the dim moonlight coming from the skylight. A fond smile appeared on Chat Noir's face at the sight.
"She is so beautiful", he thought.
The more he looked at her, the more awkward he felt. He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be bothering her with his problems. He had no right to wake her up in the middle of the night to whine about what was troubling him. He was a big boy, he could take care of his own problems without unloading them onto his best friend.
Turning around one more time, he glanced at the skylight above his head and let out a silent sigh, his chest visibly deflating.
"Plagg is definitely going to be really grumpy when he realises I woke him up for nothing", he thought with a half-hearted smile.
His heart filled with sorrow at the thought of leaving her, but before he could sneak out through the skylight, Marinette woke up. Chat Noir froze, unsure of what to do. He just stood there on her bed, staring at her as she stirred under the covers. Marinette blinked several times and straightened up on her elbows, trying to understand what was going on in her room. She squinted her sleepy eyes and gasped when she instantly recognised her partner. She couldn't help but notice his sagged shoulders and his cat ears lying flat on his head. Something was wrong.
"Adrien? What are you doing here? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Is there an akuma?"
"No no, there's no akuma, don't worry", he replied quickly, realising his presence in his partner's room in the middle of the night could have been misinterpreted.
Looking ashamed, Chat moved toward her in a slow movement.
"I-It's nothing. I'm so sorry to bother you, M'lady, he stammered. But... hum... you said I could come here whenever I wanted to, that you would always leave your skylight unlocked for me just in case, and I really really needed to see you, so..."
The surprised look on Marinette's face gave him mixed feelings; he scratched the back of his head and lowered his eyes.
"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have woken you up for nothing, that was selfish of me", he apologised. I'll go now, please, go back to sleep, I..."
But before he could escape, he felt a soft tug on his belt.
"Kitty, please don't go", she begged softly, her deep blue eyes shining with fondness and concern, and Chat Noir's heart skipped a beat under such a kind and reassuring gaze.
Marinette held out her arms and that was the only sign Chat Noir needed. His bright green eyes shone with visible relief in the dark. Without being asked twice, he pounced on the bed and dove head first into her embrace, almost tackling her in his momentum. Marinette yelped when she felt herself tipping backwards but Chat Noir's arms locked around her and they both fell on her giant cat cushion, his gloved hand instinctively protecting the back of her head. A small giggle escaped from Marinette's lips when he buried his face into the crook of her shoulder and started purring. She locked her arms around him and Chat Noir melted under her touch. His tense body instantaneously relaxed and he let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding.
"You never bother me Kitty", Marinette said with a comforting voice while stroking his hair. "And you know you're always welcome here".
Chat Noir's purring intensified and he cuddled closer to her, nuzzling her neck. His throat didn't feel so tight anymore.
There was no other place he would rather be right now. Marinette was the only person in this world who made him feel safe. And loved.
They both stayed silent for a while, just basking into each other's warm presence. Marinette was absent-mindedly stroking his hair, but she definitely could tell something was bothering him. He glanced at her, casting her a bright smile but Marinette wasn't fooled: this was his model smile, this wide yet sad smile that didn't reach his now misty and heavily clouded eyes.
She knew that Adrien was not the kind of person to ask for help and would rather sulk in his own sorrow all alone in his room. But ever since they discovered each other's identities, he progressively opened up to her and let her see his more vulnerable side. Marinette knew that this was a side of him he was not really comfortable with showing to anyone, and she was more than happy he trusted her enough to confide in her whenever he felt down instead of bottling up everything inside like he used to do.
"Claws in", he murmured, his eyes closed, his body still pressed against Marinette.
Adrien appeared, looking even more dejected without his black mask on. Marinette squeezed him tighter in her arms, rubbing his back with soothing circular movements. She placed one of her hands on his arm to comfort him but her eyes opened wide when her fingers met with his ice cold skin.
"Adrien! How long have you been staying outside? You're freezing!"
Her partner simply answered with a shrug, but Marinette knew better.
"Come here", she asked, pulling up the bed sheets as she spoke.
Any other circumstance would have made Adrien refuse this invitation, but he so desperately needed to be comforted tonight that he slid under the covers without further ado. Marinette wrapped him tight in her comforter and hugged him with all the strength and tenderness she could muster to try to warm him up. Adrien curled up against her and his whole being collapsed in her arms. He felt his chest tighten and he knew at that very moment he couldn't hold back his sorrow any longer. Tears started to run down his cheeks, and he couldn't help but cuddle closer, his whole frame shaking from his muffled sobs. Marinette felt his grip tighten around her; Adrien was holding her as if he never wanted to let her go, and this sight shattered Marinette's heart.
"Oh Kitty", she said, her voice broken and full of unshed tears.
She enveloped him into a bone-crushing embrace, her cheek lying on the top of his head. Adrien hiccupped, almost suffocating. He just hated the way he was drowning in his own tears, and the only thing he could do was hide his face against Marinette's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry", he said, sniffling against her, trying to regain his composure.
"Don't be sorry Adrien, I'm here for you, okay? I'm not going anywhere".
She started petting his hair again.
"Do you want to talk about it?", she asked. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but it helps sometimes to talk about what's hurting you. I'll listen."
Adrien still felt a bit ashamed because he had the nagging feeling that nothing that happened justified his meltdown. But deep down, he knew that was not true. He was hurt, more than he would ever admit, and he knew that he could talk to Marinette. She would never judge him.
He straightened up a bit, without leaving her embrace.
"It's my father", he finally confessed. "You know, i-it's my mother's... anniversary today. She's been missing for two whole years now. So I asked my father if we could do something to honour her memory, maybe do something we used to do together, the three of us. I know she would have loved that."
Adrien paused, and Marinette gently rubbed his back, feeling that his interaction with his father didn't go as he hoped.
"But Father just... I don't know, he kind of freaked out. He literally screamed at me and threw me out of his office to finally book me into an unexpected photoshoot that just ended two hours ago to get rid of me. I'm exhausted and yet I couldn't sleep because there's too much on my mind and I think I'm going to explode."
Adrien buried his face against her, tears still streaming down his face. Marinette tensed, her anger rising. How could his father treat him so badly? Adrien was such an easygoing and comprehensive person, it was hard to understand why Gabriel Agreste treated him like he was some sort of nuisance under his own roof instead of taking care of his only child.
"I still don't understand the way your father treats you, it's so unfair", she said, her expression clearly disapproving of Gabriel Agreste's educational principles.
Adrien sighed. He always had a hard time speaking ill of his father, but he was slowly starting to admit to himself that this was definitely not a normal father and son relationship.
"My father expects so much from me", he explained, wiping his cheeks. "I'm always trying to do my best to meet his expectations but it's never enough. I'm never enough", he said bitterly.
"But you're the perfect son anyone would dream to have", she objected. "And yet, he never seems to be satisfied with you, that's so messed up."
"I'm not perfect", Adrien muttered under his breath.
"What?"
"I'm not perfect", he repeated, looking down.
"You're perfect the way you are", she replied with a shy smile. "Y-you're perfect to me".
Marinette felt her cheeks getting hotter; the way she blurted it out definitely sounded more like a heartfelt confession than a compliment to cheer up a friend, but Adrien didn't seem to notice. He never seemed to notice anyway.
She bit her lips, suddenly very aware of her frantic heartbeat. Adrien's head was lying on her chest and she was wondering if he could hear it drumming against her ribcage. She let out a sigh, unsure of what to do, and felt a bit selfish to focus on her own unrequited feelings when Adrien was looking so dejected and had clearly bigger problems.
Marinette held him a bit tighter, and Adrien softly nuzzled the crook of her neck in response.
"You really are a cat, aren't you?", she joked, and she felt Adrien's lips stretch into a smile against her.
"Only for you M'lady", he answered, his lips moving against her collarbone. "You just give the best hugs".
Marinette's heart melted and she couldn't help but plant a kiss on the top of his head. Her embrace seemed to have soothed him, and Marinette was happy to be able to comfort him at a time he visibly needed her the most. They stayed silent for a while, both enjoying the peaceful moment.
"I really want to punch your father in the face", Marinette suddenly mumbled under her breath, earning a soft chuckle from Adrien.
He raised his head and Marinette's heart unclenched when she saw his genuine smile.
"Thank you", he said.
"For wanting to punch your father in the face?"
Adrien's smile softened.
"For always being there for me".
Marinette couldn't help but blush and she hoped her face was not as red as it felt.
Adrien straightened up into a sitting position without completely leaving her embrace and wiped what remained of his tears off his cheeks. He still felt awful, but the pent-up frustration, anger, and sorrow that weighed on his chest earlier seemed to have finally vanished. A sense of peace and tranquillity washed over him, and he felt a rush of affection toward the girl in front of him, the one who welcomed a stray cat in her home and adopted him unconditionally.
"Thank you for everything Marinette. Sorry again for bothering you in the middle of the night, I'll go back to my place now, you can go back to sleep", he awkwardly said while trying to stand up.
"Adrien, you can't go back now, it's freezing outside!", she exclaimed. "Please, stay with me. I won't be able to sleep knowing you'll be all alone in your room moping around".
"But I don't want to bother you", he started, immediately interrupted by Marinette.
"Kitty, I already told you you never bother me, okay? I'm more than happy to have you here. Please stay. I don't want you to be akumatised", she added, biting her lower lip.
Adrien never quite understood the irrational glimpse of fear in her eyes whenever the subject of him being akumatised surfaced in their conversations, but his heart filled with joy and delight at the thought of Marinette wanting him to stay the night.
He nodded with a smile and laid down again, burying himself under the covers. He snaked his arms around her and sighed.
"I don't deserve you Marinette", he said with fondness. "I don't know what I would do without you".
Marinette blushed and looked away, overwhelmed with feelings.
"I don't know what I would do without you either", she whispered softly.
They looked at each other, both lost deep in thoughts. Marinette put one of her hands on his cheek and sighed.
"I wish your father could see how wonderful you are. I want you to be happy Adrien, you deserve to be happy."
"I am happy when I'm with you, M'lady'', he said with a dreamy smile that left Marinette breathless. His bright green eyes were shining, and his gaze was so intense and soft that Marinette felt her cheeks burn. She suddenly became very aware of how close Adrien's face was, and her heart began to pound faster. Adrien took her hand under the covers and laced their fingers together. He seemed to be mesmerised by her deep blue eyes and Marinette felt his thumb absentmindedly stroking the back of her hand. Her breathing quickened. The air around them felt suddenly heavy.
"I love you", Adrien blurted out.
Marinette's whole body tensed. Was she dreaming? Did she just have a heart attack and died? She was so surprised by this confession that her mind went completely blank.
"I love you so much", Adrien went on, his heart pounding in his ears. "I can't keep telling myself that you're just a friend to me. You're so much more than that. You're the first thing in my mind when I wake up in the morning and the last person I think about when I go to sleep. Everything feels so... natural, so simple when I'm with you. You make me so happy when you're around, and I know my day will suck if I can't get to see you or talk to you, even for one second."
The shock in Marinette's eyes was so obvious that Adrien's chest deflated.
"I know I might have ruined everything between us by confessing my feelings to you like that after I woke you up in the middle of the night to cry on your shoulder but... I needed to tell you. I'm so scared that I'm going to lose you after that and that nothing will ever be the same again between us, but I can't lie to you anymore. I don't want to lose you. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, in and out of the suit. I fell in love with Ladybug two years ago, but I fell so much harder for you the past few months without even realising it. And when I discovered that you were my Lady, I was over the moon, because that meant I didn't have to choose between you two anymore."
Adrien's eyes started to sparkle as he took a deep breath, as if he was going to jump off a plane.
"I love you Marinette. So. Much. I'm totally and hopelessly in love with you".
Adrien's eyes were practically glittering in the dark; his hand was trembling in hers, and Marinette could see how scared he was for confessing out of the blue. He looked almost ashamed for having feelings for her and Marinette's heart painfully twisted. She had been dreaming to hear those words coming from him for so long. She had to say something! But she was so deeply moved and overwhelmed by his confession that she started crying. Tears of disbelief and joy streamed down her cheeks, and before Adrien could add or do anything, she threw herself at him and pressed her lips on his, her heart exploding inside her chest like fireworks. She felt Adrien tense under her touch, but he soon kissed her back, his arms firmly wrapped around her waist.
She had been dreaming of kissing Adrien for years, but this was better than any scenarios she had made up in her head.
Because this was real.
She looked at him in the eyes, smiling through her tears. A smile crept on Adrien's lips and he gently stroked her cheek, wiping her tears away. Marinette briefly pressed her lips against his one more time, pouring all her love and admiration into her gesture before cuddling against him and hugging him tight. Adrien completely melted into her arms, an overwhelming feeling of peace and happiness he had never felt before washed over him, leaving him a bit dazed. His heart was loudly pounding in his ears, and the butterflies that were roaming in his stomach were so pure and free that even Hawkmoth himself wouldn't have been able to akumatise them if he tried.
This was what reciprocated love felt like, Adrien was now sure of it.
His Lady has just kissed him, and he knew now that he wanted to spend the rest of his life kissing her and holding her tight against him.
Marinette's eyes were shining, full of unshed happy tears. They were staring at each other, still a bit dizzy from what just happened, a huge smile on their faces.
Her heart pounding, Marinette laced their fingers together and finally whispered:
"I love you too Kitty".
oOo
I really hope you enjoyed this fic as much as I loved writing it.
Tell me what you think about it, comments and favs and votes are always appreciated (and I love reading and answering your comments! :D)
Bug out!