Oh my goodness it's been a long time since I have posted. Like waaaay too long. School kind of caught me for a loop. Anyways, here is a much deserved, much loved, and very LOOOONG fluffy chapter, mostly creating a bit of drama, and just a thank you to the readers who needed a little fluff. We hit 200 follows today, which makes me very very happy that you all enjoy this. As for me, I have a lot more time now, so I can write more! Hopefully it will be more often now that it's summer.

Anyway, for those who patiently, or not so patiently, awaited my new chapter, here it is! Go! Have fun! Read all the fluff I have created for you!

Also I do not own these characters, aside from Cora. I do own the plot of this story though and this writing, all bellow here.


Today couldn't be more of a luke warm day for Adrien. He had been yelled at by his fiancé, who had then proceeded to stomp out of the house angrily. And now he was heading over to Marinette's house, the one girl who seemed to put him at ease at the moment. When they had just been high schoolers, she had been a shy little girl, easy to stutter and get embarrassed when around them. Granted, they were still friends, but this new her was even better than that. Fiery personality that lit up the room, she was like a ball of fire. No one could put out her flame if she was determined enough. Even then, he had seen a very different side of her a few days ago. Her flame put out by her own thoughts, witty jokes lacking their usual humor that was replaced with the sharp sting of truth.

Shaking his head, Adrien looked up at her door, the same door he had leapt too not a day or two before. But then, he had silenced his footsteps, balancing on the balls of his feet as he snuck to her door. With the sun's rays now giving him passage, Adrien knocked roughly on her door. The soft shuffling of feet across wood came from the other side of the door and soon enough it flung open, revealing a very bright and enthusiastic Marinette.

She had her messy locks tossed underneath a slouched grey hat, a tight black shirt with a cool galaxy design printed across the front. Most of the things Marinette had worn up until now were slouchy, shapeless items that she seemed all too comfortable to wear. The tighter shirt was a nice change of pace, it revealed her toned form more clearly, as did the tighter pair of grey jeans. She was a much different Marinette than the shy, pigtailed, pink loving one from middle school, but there was a hint of similarity between the two. The stubbornness was just a lot more prominent in this one.

"Morning fashionista." Adrien said, letting the words roll off his tongue naturally. Marinette rolled her eyes at his joke, and she placed a hand on her hip. "Seems like for even a married man you have wandering eyes." Marinette said, drawing her hand up sleekly to poke right between his eyes and turn around, walking back towards the kitchen, the door still agape as she started to take the food out of the oven. The music in the background was fairly generic house electronic music, and Marinette swayed to the beat as she brought the generic pancake supplies out of the cabinets.

"Well if you didn't want a bit of a stare, then you might have wanted to wear something yet. Better yet, just a baggy shirt." Adrien joked, walking in and shutting the door behind him. Flirting was not something young Adrien had mastered yet, and at this point it didn't take long anymore. Chat kind of just took over, the personality causing words to roll off his tongue faster than he could stop them. Strutting over to the kitchen, Adrien heard her snort in response to his flirtatious quote.

"In your dreams kitty cat." Marinette retorted, an image of Chat Noir sliding into her brain as she thought of his behavior. 'Well, at the least I know the old Chat would have acted like this….' She thought to herself, shaking her head. A soft frown settled onto her features and her hand froze mid way of grabbing the nutella from the pantry. Glaring at the chocolate substance, Marinette let herself linger just a moment too long. That moment was enough to capture Adrien's attention, and he walked over, easily swiping the jar from her hands. "Nutella? What the heck is this?" Adrien asked, inspecting the jar carefully. "Hazelnut spread…." He murmured in amusement before the jar was quickly snatched away from him by an astonished Marinette.

"Sit down." She said, holding the jar away from him and pointing at the table. Disappointed, Adrien reached for the chocolate jar again. Fortunately for Marinette, she had fast enough reflexes to swipe it out of his way before he could grab it. "No, sit. I won't let you have it until you sit down so you can try this for the first time properly." She said, looking up at him firmly from under her long lashes. Adrien formed a pout on his perfect features, trying to lure the defiant woman into giving him the spread out of pity, but this Marinette was a brick wall. She didn't even bat an eyelash at his puppydog eyes. She simply waved her other hand, shooing him back towards her small table meant for one, but today it was seated for two.

Sitting down dramatically, Adrien let out a long, lethargic, and exaggerated moan, closing his eyes. "Hurry, or I might die of hunger…." He grumbled, his eyes slipping shut as he rolled his head back over the edge of her chair. Groaning, Marinette picked up a warm pancake and opened a drawer. The clattering of silverware filled the room as Marinette grabbed a knife, a big glop coming out on the silver blade as she spread it over the buttery food. "Mmm, smells good." Adrien mumbled, opening one eye as he lifted his head could see her spreading the chocolate substance over the pancake. "Yes, and it will taste good if you stop trying to swipe for it." Marinette mused, watching his arms flail wildly as he tried to find the food that was currently locked in her grasp.

"Uggh, fine." He growled, letting his head pull forwards and looked towards her. Instead of finding her face, he found a pancake lathered in nutella being shoved right up against his nose, spreading the substance all over his pale skin.

"Adrien! My god could you not have waited a few seconds or opened your eyes or something!" Marinette exclaimed, laughter peeling from her lips as she stared at his face. The gooey brown substance was currently spread across his nose, and a bit of his upper lip, creating a smooth cascade of the nutty substance. With a flick of his tongue, Adrien swiped the paste off his lips, a soft hum escaping the pinkish hue surrounding his lips. "You were right, this stuff is amazing. They have this in America you said?" He asked her, using his finger to swipe the rest of it off his lips.

Groaning, Marinette dropped the pancake to the paper towel she had pulled out. "Yes, but it's a little more chocolaty in America." She mumbled, sealing the jar up again, but not before she had taken a large glob of chocolate out and placed it against her tongue. Savoring the sweet taste, Marinette hummed and licked her lips before bopping Adrien on the nose, getting some of the nutella off his nose. "At the least I can eat like a civilized person." She teased lightly, licking her finger again before picking up her plate of pancakes and making her way back towards the living room. Adrien was quick to follow, piling up a plate with pancakes and grabbing the entire can of nutella before following her towards the couch.

Turning to scoff at him, Marinette set down her plate before putting a hand on her hip. "Really? If you eat all of it you owe me a jar of nutella." She said, crossing her arms at him. She really did love her nutella, not even her old crush was going to get in the way of her love for the sweet chocolaty substance. Rolling his eyes, Adrien raised his hands in defense, looking down at her. "Alright, alright, I promise to buy you two new ones if I eat this entire thing." He said, grinning down at her. Something about Marinette made him want to poke and tease her, just like he would a younger sibling, if he ever had one. She was now much shorter than him, and seeing her get aggressive was more adorable than threatening.

Glaring back at the smug Adrien, Marinette leaned in closer. "Cross your heart and hope to die?" She threatened, looking back up at him angrily. Chuckling, Adrien put his free hand to his heart. "Stick a needle in my eye." He jested, before dropping his hands. Satisfied with his promise, Marinette nodded, though she was going to be keeping an eye on that jar. If he did eat all of it she was going to make him get it all at once.

Sitting down on the couch, Adrien let out a sigh as he made himself comfortable on her large couch. "So nerd," He said, poking her side gently as she stood there stiffly, "What do you want to do first?" He asked. Marinette, surprised by his sudden poke, let out a little squeak, glaring at him before shaking it out. "I was thinking we could start with a bit of Overwatch. See how good those supposed skills are." She threatened coldly, walking over to her tv and turning on the console. It's light cut through the darkness that shrouded that corner, even though the light was streaming through the large windows of her home. The soft sound of whirring fans cut through the silence as Marinette picked up her elaborately decorated PS4 controller and tossed Adrien a plain black one, that seemed like it had seen its fair share of battles. "Don't get any nuttella on the..."Marinette stated, watching Adrien barely catch the controler with one hand, seeing as he was currently munching on a nutella pancake that was placed in the other, his hand swerved right back, towards the couch. Thankfully, he saved it, but not before giving Marinette a heart attack.

Glaring back at him, Marinette growled. " . . .Couch." She threatened angrily, bouncing on the balls of her feet, as if she was about to start a fight with him. Not like she couldn't take him down, but she wouldn't actually hurt him that bad. Then he might have some extra things to pay for, and Marinette might be visiting the hospital for a month. Adrien, who was starting to look a little paler, raised his hands. "Then don't throw the controller at me while I am eating!" He yelled back, glaring at her.

"Fine, prove yourself worthy first." She said, clicking a few buttons on her controller. Soon enough, the starting music was coming on through her speakers, and Adrien took a moment to look at her sick setup. "Wow, you sure have a system set up here. Where did you even get all this?" He asked, looking at the very large, very high definition tv screen that had a computer attached by a cord to the side. "Time and various jobs." Marinette said, adjusting herself on the couch until she was sure she had the most comfortable position, with a pillow behind her back and her legs crossed firmly in front of her. She hardly batted an eye as she selected Tracer, the calm and cute british accent filling the room as Marinette glanced over at Adrien.

"Well go on then. Surely you should be capable of doing a game like this." She said, gaze narrowing slightly as she gazed at him. Adrien, still slightly dazed, soon returned her glare, and chose a character. "Bring it on Pancake Princess."


"That was so not fair!"

"Oh come on, stop being a baby Adrien! Or should I say, Wittle Wadrien."

"Shut up Mother Fucker!"

"You shut up dickhead!"

"Asshat!"

"Prick!"

Marinette and Adrien had spent the last few hours hopping from game to game, trying to best each other in any way possible. Marinette had smoked him in Overwatch, he had just barely squeaked away with Mario Kart, he had crushed her in COD, but she had gotten away with Halo 5. They were currently still head to head, both trying to beat each other in Don't Stop Moving. And Marinette was winning.

"Get back here! I need to give you my bomb!" Adrien yelled! The timer ticking down frantically as they ran around the arena. Soon enough the bomb went off, and Adriens green guts spewed comically over the screen.

"Gah! You bitch!" He shouted, grinning over at her and giving her a light shove. Marinette, laughing, tilted to the side with his shove, her laughter still ringing long after. Holding her stomach, she let the laughter roll off her. The sun had lowered in the sky, shining right in on the two of them. The Nutella had been long since devoured, not that either had figured out yet. Instead, all that filled the room was laughter from Marinette, and complaints from Adrien.

"Why you…." He grumbled, before snatching his own pillow from one side of the couch and promptly smacking her upside the head with it. Laughter ceased all at once, and Marinette stared back at him for a few moments before her gaze narrowed in on him, causing the fear inside himself to grow.

"Oh, it's on like DONKEY KONG MOTHER FUCKER!" Marinette said, her sly words turning into a full out battle cry as she grabbed the pillow from behind her and leapt upwards, smashing Adrien with the pillow. "AND THERE IS NO MERCY IN MY HOUSE!" She added, smashing him on the right of his head.

"YOUR ON CUPCAKE!" Came the cry from underneath the pillow, Adrien pushing her pillow to the side and heading for her stomach. What followed could only be described as a furry of pillows, screaming and flying adults. Marinette attacked Adrien viciously, screaming at the top of her lungs as she assaulted him. They paid no mind to the neighbors, who were obviously complaining at the loud screams and thumps from their usually quiet neighbor.

"ATTACK ON ADRIEN!" Marinette yelled, currently stood beside the couch as she jumped and wailed on Adrien. Yelping, Adrien wormed his way away from the savage rage monster that was Marinette, who was chasing after him, a fire lit behind her eyes. "Get back here you little titan!" She screeched, chasing him all the way around the couch before sacking him into it, the two exploding into a fit of laughter as the two scuffled over the couch, Adrien poking at her sides and Marinette tried to escape his irritating pokes and tickles.

"NOW WHO'S LAUGHING HUH?" Adrien yelled back, finally regaining his balance back, leaning over the now writhing and kicking Marinette. "PAYBACK YOU LITTLE DEVIL!" He screamed, continuing to tickle her sides viciously, making sure to keep his hands in friendly zones, mostly around her sides, and trying to avoid anything farther up or down. "YOU SHOULD BE THANKFUL THAT I-"

Adrien's scream was cut short as Marinette's foot flick straight into his groin. Hearing a loud grunt, she opened her eyes to Adrien who was keeling over and leaning onto the couch, hands firmly grasping his crotch. There were soft whimpers coming from his lips as he leaned over, curling his knees up on him. Laughing a bit, Marinette sat up and leaned over, putting a single hand on his shoulder.

"Yo Adrien." She said gently, shaking his shoulder slightly. He groaned in response, and Marinette chuckled. "Are you alright?" She asked, trying to make him lift his head up to look at her without actually having to grab his chin. When only whimpers came in reply, Marinette let her head rest on his shoulder, her shoulders shaking with laughter. "Serves you right." She giggled, letting her soft chuckles fill the room.

After she had stopped laughing, a calm silence came over the room, and for the first time, Marinette realized that she was leaning directly against Adrien, his scent filling her nose. He smelled like rain, and a little bit like pancakes from being in her house for so long. He was almost therapeutic to her soul, letting her anxiety about seeing Chat Noir and being back to protecting paris again, melt away from her body. Rolling her head against his, Marinette let out another soft chuckle. She let her muscles relax against him, her shoulders rolling forwards as she leaned against him. "Oi oi oi…." Adrien mumbled, his breath tickling her ear as he breathed out. He stilled, not wanting to move the now relaxed and heavily breathing Marinette. "Don't get too close now. I might just have to get revenge." He panted, poking her gut lightly. Chuckling, Marinette pulled away from him and poked his nose. "Don't let your fantasies run wild Adrien. You still have a fiance." She reminded him, drawing herself back.

Her warning was more like a remark to herself, reminding her that she couldn't get attached to the soon to be married man. He didn't have a ring to tie him to her yet, but soon he would. And considering how popular the two of them were in the media the world would surely know if he suddenly started seeing someone knew. Heck, there was probably already conspiracies about the two of them dating, not that she cared much. If it was a problem for him, he would have told her.

Adrien sighed and pulled away from Marinette, looking back into her bright blue orbs of light. They stared back at him, boring holes straight through to his soul. Some part of him wanted to seek comfort in her arms again, memories of the other night surfacing in his mind. She had smelled like chocolate, and strangely homey for someone he hadn't seen in years. But he could. No matter how mad Cora was at him, he couldn't just go around fraternizing with other women while she was away. Most of the time they ignored the press, but with Marinette's face plastered all over them, of course with him beside her, she would not be pleased.

"You're right." He mumbled, turning his gaze away from her and to the window. "But that doesn't mean that I can't have friends right?" He asked, a grin gracing his face as he prodded her once more and reached for the glass jar of nutty spread. However, as Adrien reached into the jar, his hands hit the bottom of the glass, his ring clinking slightly against the emptiness of the jar. Pausing, Adrinen lifted the jar to his eye and peered through it. "Huh, empty." He mumbled, not a lick of chocolate substance left. "I could have sworn there was some left." He grumbled, shaking the jar.

As soon as Adrien turned to Marinette, he groaned. A large grin was spread across her cheeks. "Guess what~" She drew out in a very american accent. 'Man I never realized how much her accent has changed in the last ten years….' Staring back at her, Adrien blinked silently, trying to figure out what in the world she was talking out. Marinette's grin widened as she grabbed the pillow behind her and knelt on the couch. "YOU OWE ME TWO JARS!" She yelled in his ear, smashing him over the head with the pillow before picking up the empty tin and going to throw it away.

Adrien sat there on the couch for a minute before getting up after Marinette. "Now hold on a minute there, I promised no such thing you little imp." He threatened, walking into the kitchen after her. "Who said that I would have to pay for those two jars." Adrien threatened, walking up to the gleeful Marinette who was currently shuffling dishes and plates into the sink. Whipping around, Marinette kept her grin slapped onto her cheeks. "You, my dear stupid friend, promised that if you finished it you would get me another AND add another one on top of that." She said, crossing her arms and glaring back at him. "And I fully intend to fulfill the promise you made to me no less than four hours ago when I accidentally smashed a pancake coated in nutella into your nose, which by the way that was your fault." She said, backing him up towards the wall with her finger in front of her. Her glare was murderous. It had never been so simultaneously afraid and at the same time attracted to someone. But he kept his feelings in tight check. He was attracted to many women, but that didn't mean that he would go off and date them all. It was just certain mannerisms that made his day, and her pinning him up against the wall with only her pointer finger and a cold glare was apparently rocking his world.

"Well then, I guess I will have to come by tomorrow with two jars." He said, shrugging slightly as he looked down upon the fierce beauty. Her face easily contorted from ferocity to mischief. "Oh no, you are not slithering out of this so easily. We are going right now, and I am driving." Marinette said, tapping his nose with her finger before heading towards the door.

"What's so bad about you driving and me not? Does it really make a difference? I mean if anything I would have thought you would make me drive." Adrien said, rolling his shoulders as he walked to the door and picked up his regular coat. He was stopped by the swift hand of his hostess smacking his hand. "You are going to want a thicker jacket than that. And you will figure out why I want to drive later. Because I guarantee you can't drive my vehicle." Marinette promised him, before she reached for her own.

Tossing a spare leather jacket over her shoulder, Marinette easily slid on her identical one, with blue and grey swirling patterns on the shoulder. She grabbed a nearby pair of gloves and a helmet. "You might want to strap in." She said, chucking a black helmet back to him. Her own helmet in her grasp, she grabbed the keys and headed out the door. Adrien stood there stunned for a few more seconds before racing out after her, hastily slapping on his jacket. "Marinette…." Adrien said cautiously as they practically raced down the stairs. He was suddenly becoming very worried that she was driving something much more dangerous than he thought she would.

His gut sank even lower as she made a beeline for the blue bike. "Oh no. Marinette, this is not safe, there is no way I am getting on that." Adrien said, his feet halting as he looked at her. Turning around, Marinette shrugged. "I don't have a car, so this is really our only option. Besides, I love the bike." She said, patting the seat as she slid on her helmet.

Adrien glared at her. "I have a car, that is a much safer way to go. So let's just get in the car and we can be there in ten…." Adrien stated, folding his arms. Looking over at him, Marinette gave a sly grin and turned on the engine. "Or you could hurry up you're scared butt and get on the back of my bike. It's perfectly safe and it's not far. Besides we can cut through traffic." She said, gesturing for him to sit behind her.

"This is so unmanly." Adrien groaned to himself, putting on the helmet and mounting the bike behind her. Underneath his helmet, a soft blush formed across his cheeks. "Hold on tight or you will fall." Marinette chastised him, a soft blush of her own forming as he obediently wrapped his hands around her midsection. Kicking up the stand, she revved the engine before turning around quickly and shooting out of the garage.

Adrien's screams of terror could be heard over the soaring wind as the two weaved through traffic. Grip tightening, Adrien took another large breath and let out another scream, this time pressing his face into her back so he could hide himself from anyone who could see him. A laugh rumbled through Marinette as she continued to weave through the afternoon traffic.

"Don't tickle me too bad. You do want us to make it." She yelled, looking back at him for a second before turning a sharp right into a small one way street, going the wrong way. Adrien let out more screams as she ran up on the sidewalks, which were empty.

"We're almost there! Enjoy the view while it lasts. This part is the best!" She yelled, looking over to the right for a second before back on the road. Lifting his head, Adrien looked over, only to see the seine river against the lowering sun, which cast orange purple light over the city of paris. The Eiffel Tower was somewhere to the right, casting a large yet light shadow over the varied rooftops of Paris. It was almost like looking through a filter, and suddenly he felt like the female characters from one of the cliche american drama's, and he squeezed Marinette a little closer. Leaning against her, Adrien fell silent, choosing to forget his fiance, forget his responsibilities, forget all the tabloids and just stare out at the lowering sun. But all too soon the buildings blocked it out again, and a shadow was cast over the two.

Closing his eyes again, Adrien nuzzled into her, breathing in the scent of citrus and lavender that must have been in either her clothing or on her, but it was putting him to sleep. The loud rumble of the bike stopped suddenly, as did the bike, and finally he opened his eyes.

They were parked in front of a regular supermarket, but his brain was suddenly warning him that if he didn't cover up his face, he would get recognized, which would lead to rumors, which would cause Marinette trouble. Getting off the bike, Adrien cleared his throat, trying to be manly. "Alright, let's get this over with." He grumbled, pulling off his helmet and tucking it underneath his arm. Marinette took off her own helmet, shaking out her ruffled ink hair. "Let's make this quick or I will make you buy more stuff." Marinette stated, clapping his back before heading inside the store.

Following numbly after the confident girl, Adrien entered the supermarket quietly, his lips sealed. The calm noise of people bustling around slowly faded as head's turned towards him, but Marinette didn't seem to mind at all. She just kept guiding him down the aisle with breakfast foods and chocolate. She seemed perfectly happy where she was, almost like she fit it. "Let's make this quick." Adrien mumbled quietly, moving his bangs aside.

People that had once been minding their own business were now peering down the aisle to look at them. He could hear hushed whispers when he turned his back, but any time he faced them, they would duck away, as if his glare could turn them to stone. 'I'm not medusa.' Adrien thought to himself, glaring at the aisle. Reaching for the first two jars of nutella he saw, he swooped them up. "There, let's go." Adrien said gruffly, looking at the spunky woman.

Marinette on the other hand, had another idea. With a grin spread across her face, she gave him the signature pleading face that could charm any man. 'Awww, come on. Why not get some candy and a movie to watch. After all, we have been playing videogames for hours." She said, putting out her bottom lip for effect.

Groaning, Adrien looked down at her. "Really Marinette? Right now? Seriously! If we don't hurry we will be swarmed by the time we want to leave!" He groaned, looking around the shop before back at the pleading female. After painfully avoiding her gaze for a few seconds, he let out a deep sigh. "Fine, but I get to pick the movie. There ain't no way I am watching some girly chick flick." Adrien groaned, walking down the next aisle which had all the candy in it.

As he turned the corner the group of women that had been around the corner taping them froze, staring blank faced at Adrien. Groaning again, he looked at them, and with one snap of a camera they were off running. "Let's hurry." He mumbled, dragging her down the row of sweets.

Adrien already knew what he wanted, and so sweeping up a huge pack of gummy bears, a pack of sour gummies, two gigantic sleeves of pocky, and a gigantic cookies and cream chocolate bar, he waited for her to make her selection. Grabbing more of the sour gummies, Marinette also added caramel filled small chocolates, M&M's, and some Laffy Taffy. "Let's go before we get too noticed." She added, dumping her candy into his arms as she headed for the checkout.

Jumping right into express, Adrien tried to ignore the stares that the lady behind the counter was giving him. The grin on her face was triumphant, as the rest of the cashiers glared at her. With her ten gallon smile, she looked at Adrien, seeing straight through Marinette as if she wasn't even there. "Is this all?" She asked, raising her eyebrow and biting her lip.

"Yes, that will be all mam." Adrien grumbled in a monotone voice, grasping the bag she was trying to hold back from him and grabbing Marinette's arm. "Let's go before the press show up and attack us with microphones and camera's.

Silent as ever, Marinette let him drag her to the door of the store, which inevitably lead to a mob of all sorts of women screaming and trying to get to him. Apparently, whoever was in the store had sent a mass group message to every single woman in France, who were now showing up at the store. "Great…." He grumbled, giving his fans a smile as he tried to go around the large mass of girls.

Marinette was pretty much getting suffocated in the pile, the only thing attaching her to him was his firm grasp around her arm. But even that was a struggle. "Adri-en!" Marinette cried, trying to keep herself pressed against him in the swarm of girls. With a sharp tug, he drew Marinette closer, and he pulled her into his arms, princess style. "There you are, M'lady." He jested, award winning smile flashing as he jogged to her bike. Throwing on her helmet, Marinette tried to hide her blush as he practically tossed her onto the bike. Shoving the bag into the seat, Adrien hopped on behind her, arms wrapping around her waist.

"Go!" He yelled, closing his eyes as he prepared for her to go racing off without him. "Not until you have a helmet on." She yelled back, still starting the engine. "Marinette, if we don't go now, we are going to be swallowed by women." Adrien pointed out, his grasp tightening around her.

"Fine! I'm going! Just don't let go!" She yelled, revving the bike up again and doing a sharp U turn. As soon as Marinette's bike hit the street, she was off and driving, weaving back through the traffic. Cars were honking behind her, but even then they were still hot on their tail.

"I am going to try and lose them!" She yelled, ducking her head down a bit as she veered sharply to the left. Her bike slid across the pavement with ease, and in a moment she was back upright again, racing along the sidewalk and the street. A few fangirls were still following them, but they were quickly lost in the sea of cars.

Marinette didn't loosen her grip on the handlebars until they were safely parked in the garage of her apartment. By that time, her legs were shaking with exertion, and she turned off the bike numbly. A dry laugh escaped her throat.

"Well that was… new." She mumbled, feeling Adrien's arms unlock from her waist as he stepped off the bike. Taking off her helmet numbly, Marinette put down the kickstand and got off her bike. She had a few red scratches dotting her cheeks from the vicious women, and a few scuffs on her jacket. Keeping the silence, she grabbed the bag of groceries, heading towards the building.

The silence continued until the two of them were inside her apartment. Adrien tossed his helmet back where she had gotten it from, and she went to put away the nutella. She was about to enter the kitchen when his hand touched her shoulder.

Being forced to slowly turn around, she looked up at Adrien, who's usually wonder filled eyes were filled with regret. "I was hoping this wouldn't happen." He mumbled, his thumb running across her cheek where there was a red scratch. Blushing slightly, Marinette tucked her hair back and shrugged. "It's nothing, really. I have been through worse." She lied, offering somewhat of a smile.

Adrien, still looking distraught, let go of her cheek and he shuffled off his jacket. "Yeah, but you still might want a bandaid for that." He said, wandering towards her bathroom. "You do have some in here, right?" Adrien asked as he tried to decide what drawer it was in. Contemplating his choice, Adrien looked around the bathroom, trying not to pick the drawer that might have personal or sanitary items in it.

"Second drawer down." Marinette mumbled, rubbing her face as she brought the rest of the candy to her coffee table. Taking a moment to straighten out the room, she flopped down on the fluffy cushions of her couch. Crossing her legs, she watched Adrien walk in with a bandage between his fingers.

Sitting down next to her legs, much closer than Marinette's brain wanted, he unwrapped the small object, before sliding it across the cut. "There." He said, looking down at her. His fingers lingered around the bandage, his eyes casting down towards his lap.

"I should have pulled you out quicker, or kept my helmet on. I knew it would get us in trouble like that." He mumbled, looking out the window.

Marinette, quick to take to action against the depressed Adrien, grasped his shoulders firmly. "Hey, hey, it's not your fault that you you look like something out of an art gallery. That's just what you were born with. And besides, it's not like I mind taking a little bit of a beating for a friend." Marinette said, gently bumping his shoulder with her fist.

Looking up at her, Adrien was meet with her ocean eyes, and he was instantly captured by her serenity, sincerity, and beauty. She was like an undisturbed pool of water, warm and accepting, not minding a single ripple that went through the surface. He wanted to kiss her. His instincts told him to kiss her. He had even leaned in a few inches. But the sheer panic that arose on her face made his mind snap back into reality. He was engaged, and she was his friend. Friends did not go around kissing other friends while they had a fiance. Instead, Adrien leaned into her ear, like he was going to tell her something. "How about watching some cheesy comedy movies?" He whispered into her ear, his tone slightly suggestive, even though the sentence was entirely innocent.

Her body erupted in giggles, and she shoved him away from her chest. Her heart was still pounding from him leaning close to her, but his new mood, or rather his usual one of flirtatiousness and teasing brought her out of it. "Sure, why not. Just no horror movies." She said, making him pinky promise before settling down in front of the TV and turning on Netflix.


It must have been hours since Adrien and Marinette had started the movie. A few bags of popcorn and at the least three bags of candy later, she had changed into her pajamas and Adrien had put on one of her pajama shirts as well. Blankets wrapped around the two of them, Adrien had draped his arm loosely around her, tugging her close when a scary part of the movie came on. Somehow Adrien had convinced a very tired Marinette to watch a terrifying movie with him, and she was now huddled up against his side as they watched. Her hair was all ruffled from tucking her head into his armpit, but she was too terrified to care.

Finally, at the end of the movie, Adrien had wrapped his arms all the way around her, even as she trembled. Turning off the tv, he let the silence settle into the room, even though Marinette's soft sobs vibrated against his chest. Patting her head, Adrien let out a yawn. "It's alright. I'm here. Nothing is going to come for you." Adrien mumbled, his tired eyes blinking lazily as he looked around him. The lights of Paris twinkled in the distance. Normally he would have started patrolling, but he figured a day off wouldn't hurt either of them, considering how much grief they had gone through just trying to patch it all up.

Considering it didn't seem like Marinette would stop shaking anytime soon, Adrien swooped her into his arms, standing up from the couch with a grunt. Empty candy wrappers were strew about the living room, not that either cared right now. Flicking on the light, Adrien walked towards her cosy looking bed, setting her down. "It's late. You need to get some sleep." Adrien mumbled, sitting himself next to her. For someone who tried to be so tough, she melt at the sheer sight of a horror movie. Maybe it was the sleepiness making her vulnerable, or she just really hated them. Either way, the bike riding, gung ho, could kill with one glare woman was now reduced to a shriveling mess, and his body didn't want to leave her. Her cushy bed drew him in, and he was so tempted to just wrap her up and fall into the darkness.

"No." Marinette said definitely, her grasp on his shirt tightening. "There is no way I am falling asleep with the possibility of that, that THING being around." She blubbered, looking up at him. With a groan, Adrien looked down at her. "Look, I'll stick around until you fall asleep. I will make sure that nothing comes out to get us, all right?" He asked, looking down at her.

Putting out her lip, Marinette looked up at him through glassy orbs. "But what happens after I fall asleep and I am all defenseless?" She asked him, her hands still grasping his shirt. Groaning, Adrien rubbed his eyes. "You know what, fine. This doesn't mean anything between us, just because you got scared of that movie." Adrien grumbled, scooting himself to the top of her headrest.

Crawling into the bed, Marinette snuggled up against him. "I should have never brought up that movie." Adrien grumbled to himself, pulling up the covers as he laid down to sleep, or until Marinette had fallen asleep. The clock next to her bed read that it was somewhere between 2 and 3 in the morning. Grumbling slightly, Adrien let Marinette snuggle up against his chest, arms wrapped around her. 'Thank god my fiance is out of town. I'll remind her tomorrow morning to never mention this or I will have my ass handed too me and that will be the end of my engagement.' He thought to himself as he held the shaking Marinette.

All too soon, the girl in his arms had stopped shaking, her shaking breaths becoming deeper as she fell asleep. Face as angelic as possible, in what little light was streaming through the windows, Adrien took a moment to get up and turn off the light. The dark suited him much better than the light did. Walking back towards the bed, Adrien noticed a little black dot with green eyes sitting on the edge of the bed. "Go to sleep Plagg. It's late." Adrien grumbled, sitting down on the bed next to him. However, even as Adrien sat down, Plagg's gaze was kept on Marinette.

"I don't know why you are so conflicted about this. Just kiss the woman already. Not like your fiance would know." He grumbled, looking at the sleeping angel. "Besides, you are much happier with her than you are with Cora right now." Plagg pointed out, looking down at her.

"But I can't just do that to Cora. It wouldn't be right to go do something behind her back. Besides, Marinette knows. I can't just crush her soul like that and have her willingly know I was going back on my marriage to kiss her." Adrien pointed out, sliding back into bed. "If this is the only way I can be with her, so be it. One day, she will watch me get married, and I will do the same. I'll keep watch over her, like a brother. But I can never be the man she loves, not now, not with me being the person I am. A model, a superhero, and a married man. Get some sleep Plagg." Adrien said, finally finishing his speech and rolling over into Marinette, and placing a soft kiss on her head. Soon enough, his breaths evened out too and he slipped into sleep.

"Is he asleep?" The soft voice of the Ladybug kwami asked as she peeked out from the closet. "Finally." Plagg agreed, motioning for her to come out of their hiding spot. "Man, I can't believe you let him tell another girl our secret! Do you know how dangerous that is! Especially now that his lady is back!" Tikki chastised Plagg.

"Tikki, for all I knew, and for all he knew, Ladybug could have been dead. She could have died in the mass shootings years ago, she could have been kidnapped, she could have been killed by a lot of things. And after seven years, we gave up hope. Just like he did with his mom. There was no hoping she would ever come back, but here she is. And he is lying right next to her and he doesn't even know it." Plagg grumbled.

Looking back down at the two, Tikki sighed. "Poor Adrien and Marinette. This was not how it was supposed to go." She grumbled. "Guess this is going to be a little bit harder now that we have Cora in the mix.

Plagg nodded numbly. "And I have a feeling once they connect the dots, we might have a very powerful akuma on our hands."


Oh boy this was a hell of a chapter. It has like, 7000 words in it. It took a long, loooong time to write, but I hope it was ok. My style might have changed a bit, since I am trying to improve it. Anyway, hope you like it, I found my groove again, but let's not talk about my grades groove (those were awful.)

Anyway, don't forget to fave and follow, and thank you to all those who have, and have been leaving nice reviews for me. So thank you once again.

Ice out