A/N: AU where Tikki and Plagg recede into their miraculous once Paris is saved for the the last time, leaving Marinette and Adrien unable to figure out their identities until years later. Stand-alone or coupled with my other fic, somewhere only we know
In clothes that aren't her own and a home that isn't hers, Marinette finds she's quite comfortable.
Her shirt is two sizes too big and the sweatpants that hangs low on her hips are too loose, but she's more than positive that she'll be keeping them from now on. Gray and blue and masculine in their cut, it's a nice change from the her usual pink color scheme.
Through the balcony doors, the clouds are still gray with rain, drops pelting the glass with a steady beat. The pitter-patter is a symphony, harmonizing beautifully with the comfortable silence that's settled over the apartment. There's a clock ticking away somewhere, counting down the seconds until she has to get up, but, for right now, Marinette lets herself be lost in the lull of it all. The rain, the clock, even the low hum coming from the heater, they meld together, becoming gentle background noise that has her muscles relaxing and heart slowing.
A hand settles at her waist, an absent thumb rubbing small circles right below her ribs. A sigh escapes her. The tingle of chilled skin meeting warm air still hasn't faded and her eyes flutter when hot breath tickles her face.
"Your kwami…" Adrien whispers at her ear, sliding his hand further under her borrowed shirt. "What was her name?"
Instead of answering, Marinette reaches out until her hands find the soft feel of his shirt. With his heartbeat solid under her fingertips, she continues on until she reaches the slopes of his collarbone, tracing patterns along the expanse of the skin bared open to her. She familiarized herself with the smoothness of his chin, the curve of his lower lip, the angle of his jaw. "Tikki."
She smiles when he mimics her. "Enchaté. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mme. Tikki."
A laugh made up of tinkling bells echoes, surrounding them like a faint summer breeze. Ears tingling, Marinette looks up to meet the bright pair of eyes staring right back at her.
Adrien doesn't stop her from taking his hand, leaving it limp as she fiddles with it between them. One by one, Marinette examines each one of his fingers until she reaches his third, stalling at the ring that seemed to be made to fit there. Gone is the silver she remembers from her school days, the inky black a stark contrast against his tanned skin.
Adrien's fingers intertwine with hers. "Plagg."
Plagg. A silly, yet cute name- it fits, Marinette thinks. She tries to imagine a face to go with it, one that's as small as Tikki's, whiskers sprouting from its cheeks while pointed ears sit atop its head- with black fur and a long winding tail, of course. In her mind's eye, the little creature floats almost lazily with slanted green eyes and a fanged smile that borders on genuine and mischievous.
"Bonjour, M. Plagg," she whispers, running the pad of her thumb over the bright paw print. "I hope you're enjoying your catnap."
The black cat in her head lets out a soft purr.
Adrien rolls so that he's half on top of her, the rumbling coming from his chest going straight to her core. She doesn't put up a fight, letting her chaton have his way if only to unabashedly look at him.
His nose brushes against hers in a silent request, ever the gentleman.
The answer is yes, always yes, and he practically melts at her touch. Slow and steady, she makes a home in the corner of his mouth with every passing stroke. One thing leads to another and she's winding her arms around his shoulders, deepening the kiss. Heat starts to crawl up her neck, a lingering effect of years of crushes and stuttering conversations, but that doesn't stop her molding herself into him.
Adrien threads his fingers deeper into her hair, pressing harder, and their miraculous clack and- oh!
A wave of happiness shoots down her spine, making her toes curl in surprise. Her heart skips a beat, going overtime in face of this sudden elation that has her feeling like she might explode. Stars burst behind her eyelids, reds and pinks popping like firecrackers, and she can feel the thrum of pure contentment echo across the expanse of her body as Adrien breathes deeply.
Another faint laugh rings through her ears, so familiar and sweet it makes her chest ache.
She pulls away, blinking back the stars that linger in her twinkling vision. Adrien dazedly stares down at her, eyes hooded while a small smile plays at the corner of his lips (like a cat with cream).
There must be something in the air because she swears he glows in the low light. Even with her eyes open, the stars don't fade, raining down from the crown of his head to settle on her cheeks.
Marinette's spent most of her teenage years doing impossible things, cleansing Paris of evil with the help of fairy and a cat boy. She lives for the unexplainable, for wonders, for magic.
This is one of those impossible things, she thinks.
"I think... " Adrien says after a beat, "they're happy."
Maybe he heard it too, the laughing. Did the black cat she imagine cackle with a voice like sandpaper? She imagines it's just as warm.
She pulls back him down for another kiss. "Me too."
Who knows if they'll ever be reunited with their kwami, but at least they have this. It's nothing like the fantasies she created as a teenager, but that's fine by her. It's how it's meant to be and she accepts it- accepts them.
Adrien must feel the same because he settles his hand by her ear again. The reaction is more subdued this time around, only a quick spark lighting up her senses. Euphoria settles in her chest and she tastes the sweetness of his lips, letting the stardust shower down until they might as well be in the middle of their own cosmic storm.