That same afternoon after they got back to her house, Marinette pulled her mother aside and confided his issue to her. If he was going to find a place to sleep that wasn't outside, he had to let Marinette tell someone and her mother seemed the best option to break his issue to. He stood with the pair near the register while her father was baking in the back. The place was thankfully empty, but it just made Marinette's words that much louder. He preferred her to whisper in her mother's ear because then it would have kept Sabine's sympathetic gaze off him.
He felt extremely guilty anytime Sabine looked his way, even more so than whatever he imagined may cross his father's face. She was such a nice person, this mother of Marinette's, and he suddenly felt that disappointing her was uncalled for. Marinette's story was well-crafted and left no room for debate, but it was still mostly a lie.
It wasn't like they could just give the truth without incriminating either of them...
He felt horrible lying to Sabine, especially when she hugged him out of sympathy and said that she was putting her foot down on allowing him to stay. She decided for both parents and it made him feel like a horrible human being...even if he tightly embraced her back seconds after.
Marinette didn't miss anything on the action either. The look of shock followed by severe pain and actual tears in his eyes before they squeezed shut and his arms went around her mother...it made her eyes well up to watch such a scene.
She felt so horrible for Adrien in that second. He had known what it was like to have a mother and it had been cruelly taken from him. She knew of the woman before her death; Madame Agreste was a really nice person and very beautiful. Her ballet was flawless and turned her absolutely gorgeous whenever she had performed.
She looked away from the scene, ears tuned in to Sabine's quiet reassurances that it was fine for Adrien to stay as long as he needed. Her throat tightened as she pointedly stared at the pastries under glass, willing herself not to cry.
When she managed to look back, Sabine was giving Adrien the most mothering look she had seen and she knew that look well. It was when she felt horrible about something and needed reassurance. The reassurance of a mother was the best thing in the world and it finally got a smile from Adrien, albeit a teary one, as her mother tried to wipe them away.
She listened to his broken apologizes to his crying and her mother's denials at his tears. Sabine suggested that he head upstairs and make himself comfortable before dinner tonight. She stepped forward at her cue, lightly winding an arm around his with a soft smile. "Mom, is it okay if he sleeps on the couch in my room? If it's not a good idea, just tell me what to do."
Sabine met her gaze, a knowing smile forming after a moment. "I think that'll be okay. Just leave your door open whenever you two go to bed. Go get Adrien set up and then come back down to help us finish out the afternoon, please."
She tugged him through the back stairwell. She only let go of his arm to get up the stairs easily and open the door. She didn't say a word until they stood in the center of the fairly small expanse of the main living section.
She turned and gave him a small smile, still seeing him somewhat conflicted and guilty. A supportive hand went to his shoulder and gave a squeeze. "This is your home for now, Adrien. My family is your family and if you need anything, you let us know. Don't feel like you're imposing in the slightest. My parents are good people and they will help you any way they can. I know it feels weird right now, but don't worry about it. You're not a burden here." Her eyes hardened just a little, eyes welling somewhat. "I'll show you what a real family is like...if...if you don't mind..."
His throat closed up, the tears finally falling at that last sentence. He didn't let her get anything else out as his arms pulled her to him. He squeezed her and nodded, whispering his gratitude as well as he could. He barely felt the light patting over the back of his jacket or the quiet words trying to calm him down. His arms shook and he worried he was squeezing her too tightly, but she never said a word.
He finally pulled away, worrying he had been holding onto her too long and that the meaning would be misconstrued. He wasn't anywhere back to normal, but he didn't want to muddle things with his need for her. The pedestal he was putting her on was only rising and he feared he would get confused right now.
He met soft blue eyes, deeper than the ocean, and more gentle than a windless day. He managed a small smile and quickly stepped back to wipe his face dry.
Her smile widened. He seemed like a little child right now and any mothering instincts rose to protect him. "You're probably exhausted. Why don't you go take a nap on the couch in my room for now? I've got to help in the bakery till evening and then I'll come wake you for dinner."
Her eyes abruptly darted to the closed front door as if it would open any second. "We'll head out tonight, so you should get some sleep for that too." She suddenly smirked and yanked the hood over his face in attempt to be playful. "At least you're dressed for it."
He gave a sheepish smile and ducked away from her playfulness, lightly batting at her hands. His eyes darted to the stairs going up, raw from everything. "I think a nap sounds like a good idea. Even if I want to see you working a normal, mundane job, I'll hold myself back this once."
She scoffed, eyes narrowing in slight confusion. "I wear an apron and occasionally get covered in flour when helping out papa. Nothing much to see there."
He grinned at her and adjusted the hood back where it had been resting around his neck. "That's what you think."
She lightly slugged his arm and pushed him to the stairs of her room. "Get going you. Get some sleep."
01010
He was never aware of having fallen asleep, let alone the day passing him by. The sense of security and contentment knocked him out and he was barely aware of hands rocking him gently, turning harsher when he didn't respond.
He groaned at the attempt to wake him up and crossed his arms harsher against himself, trying to bury his head in whatever soft object he had taken refuge on.
"I said get up, you loafer! Food is being served and getting put on the table! God, are you this lazy normally?"
His eyes regrettably fluttered open, finding a face inches away from his. He yelled in his surprise and jerked back, effectively falling off the back of the small couch he had been loitering on for the last few hours and fully waking up.
Laughter at his expense abruptly pierced the silence. It kept going when he peeked an annoyed look over the low mattress, rubbing his lower back from the dull throbbing. He glared across the way when it didn't stop and she looked all too happy at making him fall of his comfy, makeshift bed. He wanted to be much angrier with her, but that beautiful noise was making him want to smile with her and he ended up fighting that urge more than necessary.
Tears were actually coming to her eyes. Arms wrapped around her stomach as the pain made itself known and she tried to reign herself in. She stuttered apologies, but the ending giggles made the heartfelt attempt a moot point.
He sat back on the mattress and lightly bopped her on the head for the stunt. "Yea, yea. Laughing at my misery. I see what kind of hostess you are." The glare he wore was extremely difficult to convey with the smile on his face. His knuckles lightly dug into her cheek for only a second before her hands tried to bat him away. That got a few giggles from her and he kept at it if only to keep hearing that sound which made his sleepy heart flutter.
She shoved at him, almost knocking him off again, before standing. "Okay, okay. Fun time is over; it's time to eat and I'm starving! I know you probably are as well. Let's not wait for your stomach to prove me right. Mama made enough food to feed an army because she -" She suddenly sobered and looked away, "she figured you might not have had the chance to eat much since this morning..."
The mood abruptly died and he looked to the floor for a second. He took a deep breath and plopped a hand on her head, forcing a smile. "Well she's probably right. Let's go. My stomach is going to prove you right in a few seconds if we don't move now."
She nodded, smiling a little, and got off the floor. They headed down the stairs and the smells of heavenly dishes assaulted his nostrils before he even got off the ladder. His stomach loudly proclaimed her the victor and he flushed when it actually got the attention of her parents. She laughed a little and pushed him to a chair before taking one next to him. Sabine set a heaping plate before him and his eyes widened appreciatively. He took a whiff without feeling shame of smelling the food like he was before letting out an appreciative sigh.
Her parents sat next to each other, Marinette next to her mother. He sat next to her father, a man he didn't remember ever meeting, and was definitely unsettled at such a large man. A man who could very well hurt him if he did something incorrect to his only daughter... He looked to her father, concerned at the image he was suddenly portraying and what all that laughter may have seem like, but her father gave him a smile and extended a huge hand. He took it with a small sense of conflict and wariness, which must have been on his face.
The smile widened. "It's been a while Adrien. You've grown into a fine young man. I'm Tom by the way. I got a little bit of your situation from Sabine. Don't you worry about anything; you're welcome here for as long as you need a place to stay."
He had never heard of such generosity from so many people at once. Tears suddenly sprouted and he blinked them back, swallowing harshly, as he nodded and quickly looked to his food. He took his hand back and grabbed his utensils. "Th – thank you, Monsieur Dupain-Cheng. You have all been so kind to me... I'm truly thankful for such people to lean on."
Sabine leaned over the somewhat small table and patted his hand. "You're very welcome Adrien. Is that going to be enough food?"
His stomach answered her and he gave a sheepish smile when she gave him a mirthful look. "I guess...we'll have to see..." He stuttered, nervously scratching at his cheek.
She giggled and started in on her meal. Talk at the table was occasional, the pauses not uncomfortable. She was happy that her parents tried to include Adrien about various topics as if he had always been at the table.
She discretely watched him interact with with her family, happiness welling up in her. She was glad to be able to share this with him, knowing he hadn't gotten such a luxury in many years, if ever. Such a normal, mundane thing as eating a meal together with one's parents suddenly seemed very important and she could tell he really appreciated it by the way he happily ate it all up.
He finally pushed his plate away after finishing off a second, full helping. He groaned his inability to even try the third round that Sabine was offering and stated he was going to pop if anything else passed his lips. That got her to try and push a forkful of her meal into his mouth, which he weakly batted away, stating she was trying to kill him and make the place look disgusting when he exploded.
They only played such a thing for a few seconds before her fork tilted and dropped everything on the table, getting her mother's reproachful remark of making a mess. She promised to clean it up, but Adrien beat her to it when he jumped off the table and grabbed the rag over the sink. He did an expert job and returned to the table, batting away Sabine's thanks.
01010
The remainder of the evening was spent discussing strategy and choreography...the floor board wide open the whole time. Never had he loved ballet or ever obsessed over a simple performance than now. He threw himself into this idea of hers, mentally vowing after everything today to make a success.
He wanted it to work...somehow...
With his continued absence from the mansion, it was going to be hard for him to just waltz back to his father and assume that he would easily be taken back without question. That was something always traipsing through his mind at how they were going to be able to do this, but one thing at a time...
He couldn't help but worry about it in the back of his mind whenever they worked on her piece though.
Attempting to pull off this huge debacle made his hands shake. There was a lot riding on this idea that he had taken hold of and twisted. He tried not to show her such nerves because she didn't need to house such worries in her mind...even if she may already be aware of it, though she didn't outwardly show anything as he feared he was. She seemed so professional whenever they discussed dance poses and song meaning and he wanted to only see that from her.
It was crazy how much he obsessed over the proper portrayal of lyrics to the song, but really, he shouldn't be surprised. This song related more to him than her; one reason why he probably took to it so much. She was the object in the song and she personified everything perfectly.
He kind of hoped that she didn't know that either, but if she did, she didn't show anything.
They listened to the song again and again, pausing it excessively and dissecting it down to the bare bones in order to find the right moves. He finally decided that it just wasn't good enough and asked for possible remixes they could use instead. That got a search on the internet for different versions and he found the one he thought would work perfectly (1).
The starting piano would create the feel of ballet, despite the intro drums declaring it was no such thing. It would offset his father enough so they could start in on their moves until the lyrics came in and confused everyone all over again.
The beat of this one was much, much slower than the original track and only the guitar near the end spoke of it speeding up at all. A few of the lyrics to this song were somewhat different, but easier to work with movement and story. They also hit him harder than the first time too.
When he listened to this song, headphones on to really get a feel for it, he couldn't look away from the words. He had it turned up to fully envelop himself in the melody, but it ensnared him more than he ever thought it would. The entrance of the guitar spiked his heart rate and the breath hitched in his throat. Even when it trickled to an end after four and a half minutes, he couldn't move. He found it hard to breathe and his hands were trembling a little.
Of course she noticed such a display. She had been watching his face the entire time and saw how intense it became. She was slightly concerned, but her heart sped up when he made her remember their earlier dance. When he finally pulled the headphones from his ears and slowly looked to her, pinning her with feelings he may not even know where escaping to reach her, her adrenaline spiked.
"Yea..." He eventually murmured, casting a sideways glance to her monitor. "W – we should use this one..."
She quickly closed down practice only moments later, claiming that the night was late and her parents were going to bed soon. She went on and on, mostly for show, about how they needed a good night's rest because they had lots of practice to do tomorrow for her upcoming audition. She moved about the room, mostly to dispel the adrenaline letdown after she left his side. She randomly touched things in her discomfort...emotions on overload at his being near.
This was becoming more dangerous than she thought to let him stay in her room, but she was too chicken to pipe up that she was uncomfortable and wanted him to sleep in the living room. She felt she would be pushing him away somehow and forced herself to grit her teeth against things and carry on. Past emotions were starting to come back to haunt her, much to her slight chagrin, and pushing it away as she had done before was getting a little more difficult with him so close.
They made a showing of getting ready for bed, bidding her parents goodnight and shutting the lights off, even laying down in bed for a bit. Once she felt the coast was clear, she threw the covers off and all but hopped off the ladder to her bed.
She stopped in front of the couch with an excited smile and looked down as he sat up. It had been a long, very conflicting day and she needed more than ever to work all of it off through dance. She was getting that usual, excited nerves from her Underground calling to her. "Let's do this." She whispered.
He stood and looked to her when something new suddenly had her mouth opening in shock. She had to get changed, but it wasn't safe to have him head to the lower level because her stairs creaked. He didn't know which ones to avoid like she did and she needed to show him. Her parents' door was open as well and she knew they would hear it. They had to be even more careful than normal tonight.
She quickly grabbed the blanket he had been using and threw it over his face with a muted noise from him. "I...need to change. Don't you dare take this off your head!" She hurriedly whispered.
That got him to pause in his attempt to take it off and nod. His heart ran all the way to the Underground for him as he heard noises of rustling fabric in the stillness. Oh god...he had never thought of this issue! His emotions were going to kill him before her audition was over with. He tried to keep any shakiness from his breathing, but let his hands tremble in the safety of the blackness.
Only when the blanket was pulled off his head did he move...did he figure it was okay to breathe again. He looked at her in that trademark polka-dotted top and baggy black pants, open jacket hanging around her frame to cover her top.
Ladybug...
He hadn't seen her in what felt like forever with his mind being full of Marinette. His mouth went dry, hands trembling and the blood roaring in his ears. He almost missed her directions on how to sneak out ninja-style from her house so her parents didn't know where they were going. He followed them expertly, feeling more like Chat Noir following his Lady as they snuck down the final set of stairs to the ground level.
It was a strange feeling to be in his dance attire with her, silently jogging to the Underground. He had always made this a solo venture in anticipation to see his Lady, but now they were going together.
At least until they were a few blocks to the building.
She suddenly grabbed his arm and stopped him. "I'm going ahead. We can't be seen together. I don't want them knowing that anything is going on between us. I don't have the ability to explain that to them right now and all I want to do is enjoy myself tonight."
'Them' must be the mysterious group of fellow creators that she had mentioned earlier.
He nodded and then she took off in a run to put some distance and time between them. He watched her leave until she rounded the corner and was gone.
He stayed put for a bit to give her the time she needed, trying to feed the illusion, but all it did was make him feel more alone than he ever had before. His entire day had been at Marinette's side or surrounded by her existence somehow, and he didn't like this different feeling. He stared at the starry sky above him, heart clenching. She was only gone for a few minutes and already he missed her. God...his obsession, his dedication, to her was going to kill him!
How was he ever going to head home after this was all said and done when he couldn't even handle these few, paltry moments away from her?!
By the time his feet moved and he headed to the familiar noise, the feel of surrounding concrete, she was already painted and on the dance floor. He let his face get painted and immediately headed to her side. He danced so many songs with her, feeling outside himself and not exactly the cocky Chat Noir he had been since his entrance here. He felt back at the beginning when he was just Adrien Agreste, shunted teenager whose life had never been his own. He hated feeling that way and he clung to her whenever possible as the moves allowed, but she seemed to need space to move about in. She had become the butterfly all over again and twirled out of his reach whenever he needed her.
If I touch you, I'm afraid you'd fly away or break
I'm afraid, afraid, afraid...
Those lyrics haunted him all night. He felt more complete whenever he could touch her and agonized the distance she would purposely put between them. She often left to request songs from the Bubbler and he always waited impatiently on the space they were in, still as a statue, until she returned. She didn't seem to know, or care, about the chaos going on in his head. She looked to be enjoying her dance time and got lost in the music so many times. She turned back into Ladybug who would playfully toy with him with looks she maybe wasn't aware she gave as they moved. He ate them up with bittersweet abandon and they spurred him on.
By the time two o'clock rolled around, she pulled him to the cooler and grabbed them a few bottles. She quickly drank some of hers before getting near to his ear, close to him. His heart sped up at the hot breath as she spoke, barely hearing her words despite yelling them so close over the music.
"We should head out soon. Go on up and I'll join you in fifteen."
He dumbly nodded and made a beeline for the door, wiping the paint off on a towel near the exit. He stood outside and headed to the end of the alley in wait. He leaned against the building and slowly had his water as he looked to the sky.
The solitude for once was slightly welcome. He was so tossed around right now and thinking was so difficult. His emotions had played with him, had exposed him to her, and he felt embarrassed that he was so taken by her. What was the point? She didn't feel anything for him like she used to and he knew this by the many times he had been around her. She didn't let anything slip, save for their dance, and that was probably only because of the mood.
So he wondered...
A quiet, approaching crunch on the ground had his eyes jerking in its direction. Midnight locks and blood red appeared before him and he turned to her. She stopped, face glowing from her fun. "Sorry if I made you wait." She greeted before starting off for her home.
He followed her, falling in time with her step. He felt her presence as if her arm burned into his, even though they weren't that close. He was quiet the entire way home, making only small talk the few times she attempted. He wanted to feel bad for shutting her out as he was, but he couldn't think. He was barely aware of his legs moving him forward with her, of the water bottle in his hand.
It was two thirty by the time they successfully snuck back to her room. She didn't have the guts to try changing in front of him so she ordered him to get ready for bed while she did so downstairs. She knew the stairs way better than he did and crept down without another word.
Once alone, he changed his clothes and then waited almost awkwardly. He looked around the darkness, seeing a little of her personality in the items laying around her desk. He didn't take a good look around earlier because he had been so tired and was focused on her audition, but now his curiosity toyed with him. He noticed a few articles on the wall next to him and peered at them. He couldn't read most of the print, but the title and his pictures, old ones at that, stared back at him.
He looked to the handful that were next to each other. They were all old magazine reviews of his past performances and the pictures of him took up most of the page. If she cared about the article itself or him, he had his answer in the fact that the rest of the article wasn't anywhere nearby. It was mainly his pictures from junior high, one from early high school, and nothing else.
He harshly swallowed and slowly straightened. He was vaguely aware of his mouth falling open.
"I didn't think that poor girl was ever going to get over you when you suddenly stopped attending school."
His heart accelerated rapidly.
"She was quite infatuated with you, dear boy. I felt so sorry for her when she told us that you were pulled from school."
He harshly swallowed and heard the whisper of footsteps coming upstairs. He whipped to her with slightly wide eyes and watched her head rise from the lower level.
"I didn't think the clouds would ever go away for her."
If she didn't care for him, why did she have his old ballet reviews, each clipping housing pictures of himself from years ago? Why not just take them down?
His heart leapt into his throat and he dared hope, dared to pray that she still felt something deep down. Why would she look like she did when they finished that ballet dance if she felt absolutely nothing? He had done much more romantic dances in the past with other professionals who didn't look near as affected as she did this afternoon!
His hands shook and he was on her before he could think. Something exploded in his head and he clutched at her arms, quickly pulling her to him with a gasp from her.
"Adrien?! W – what are you doing?!" She whispered, wide eyes searching his face. She tried to push him away, but he didn't budge and brought his face mere inches from hers.
"Marinete...I have to know. I need to know! Do you...do you still feel something for me?"
Her mouth dropped open, head jerking back. How did he know about that?! Why was he even asking? "Y – you...what...why are y – you asking?!"
His grip tightened, heart pounding. His hands shook against her skin, but he didn't try to hide it. "I heard from your mother this afternoon about us in junior high. That I used to visit here and how we hung out. That you used to like me. Do...do you still? Please tell me! I have to know! I can't keep myself silent any longer...I...I -"
"Look, it's late and we need to head to bed." She interrupted, face hot. She looked away from him with a conflicted face, teeth momentarily gnashing her lower lip. She tried to push at him again, but he wouldn't budge. "Adrien, let me go. Come on...stop this. This is foolish. This is not the time to -"
His mouth was on hers before she could finish whatever she wanted to say. His hands snaked around her back, clutching at her hair. He was much more insistent than the first time, as if he was desperate to tell her...to show her.
She was too shocked to move, and then some tiny flame burst to life and she moved against him. Her arms fisted his shirt as her head angled to allow him for better access. He only broke the spell when he breathed her name into her mouth and her eyes popped open. She shoved him away, managing to escape his hold, breathing choppy. She was shaking everywhere and it was hard to stand. She heard his breathing match hers in the silence. She was thankful he made no immediate move to her lest she melt into the floor.
"M – Mari...nette..." He shakily whispered. His hand went for her, but she shied away and wrapped her arms around herself. Her face turned from him, but her eyes kept darting back from him to the floor and back.
He took another experimental step to her, but this time she didn't retreat. His heart lodged itself in his throat and made it hard to breathe. "I – I like you...so much... I won't hide it from you anymore." Step. "You've had me mesmerized for a long time." Another step.
He could almost touch her...
"I won't give up on these feelings for you. I refuse to." His hand gingerly touched her forearm. She flinched, but didn't run. His other slowly moved and went to entwine her against his chest. "Please be honest with me. Please tell me. I need to know. I want to hope from what I saw this afternoon, but I want to hear it from you. Please...please..."
She was shaking in his hold and her brain was too muddled to realize where she was. It was only when his breath was in her ear that she snapped to their position and struggled...trying to escape everything literally and emotionally. She halfheartedly demand he unhand her, but her words weren't convincing to him let alone herself. He wouldn't let her go and kept her there through the moments she tried to free herself...to keep herself from feeling anything.
No! Not again! She didn't want to feel this again! Not his arms...his lips...his warmth...
His hold was strong and comfortable. It was different than this afternoon; he was holding her to satiate his own feelings for her and he was drowning her in them as he did.
She finally stilled against him and let her forehead fall to his chest with a heavy sigh. She thought back to those days when she couldn't even say two words to him. He had always been so perfect to her...the image she saw of him everyday... She had lost herself in that exterior, missing it when he left, but acknowledging that she didn't ever really know him. That fact and the Underground had helped her to heal, but they apparently had been nothing more than a well-crafted band-aid over the wound for so many years.
A way to lose herself to life, to her feelings, without ever dealing with them. Shoving them away while they were still very much alive and there...
"I..." She harshly swallowed, "admit that I was...in love with you during junior high school..." She stopped at his quick exhale, arms winding around his back on their own and lightly clutching at his t-shirt despite her verbal hesitation.
"However...time dulls pain and heals all wounds. The Underground helped a lot with my heartache for you and your distance as a public figure. I...I don't know...if what you're looking for...is what I can offer you now... You're Adrien Agreste. You've always been unattainable."
He quickly kissed her again before he could hear anything else. He didn't want to hear such negativity to the gravity of their situation! He wanted to leave it at that she had felt something for him and might just possibly still hold onto any of it now.
His heart soared when she actually responded to him much more than before. Her lips harshly moved against his, hands clutching at his shirt in a vice grip. She clutched at him as he did to her and tried to pull him into her skin...to keep him as close as possible.
Her lips shook against his, breathing choppy, and he knew this was no small matter. There was something there...something that she had tried to kill, but refused to die. She had been hurt, had tried to get past it, and now she was just scared. He pressed against her lips in his insistence, to show his devotion to her. He wasn't going to let her down again; he would take whatever was still there and nourish it...keep it safe for her.
She eventually came to her senses again and yanked herself from his mouth, but unable to get out of his grasp. It took a second to get her breath back, her mind screaming at her for her stupidity. This would accomplish nothing in the long run, even if it felt so sweet right now...
"Y – you...and I...are pointless if I can't get into your father's ballet school..." She mumbled, refusing to look at him, face hot. "You have class all day, every day... You travel the world to give performances and your schedule is impossible to find a day off. My life now will never match up with yours. There's no point in ever becoming 'us'...i – if I can't enter your world..."
She was hiding everything again. He could hear it in her voice. He refused to let her run away from this and a hand suddenly gripped her chin to direct her view to him. He took in her wide, unsure eyes and forced himself from giving in to kiss her again. "Then we'll just have to make it happen." He quietly vowed, voice thick of emotion. "I swear that I'll help you. I'll make it so you can get in. We'll make this last audition the best one you've ever done so that father has no choice but to accept you!"
He sounded so sure of himself, but this time it was her turn to have doubts. She looked away, mouth scrunching up at his vow. He didn't know for sure until the day arrived...but she hated herself for believing him right now. "Th – that's...that's not for another two weeks. There's...there's too much to do until then!" Her face scorched another degree and her heart softened despite her brain's insistent logic. "B...but...thank you...for believing in me... For offering to h – help me..."
He was so happy when she let him kiss her again. His lips were gentle, as if she would break if he touched her. He took her words in, sheltering them amongst the feelings of his heart. They delighted in this new addition and grew.
She returned his kiss before pushing him away a third time. She was much less frantic in this attempt and he finally let her distance them. She hated the way she felt cold and empty once his arms left her.
She looked to the open pit of her bedroom door and was thankful her parents were still asleep. "It's...late..." She mumbled. A clock on her desk glared that it was just past three. She mentally sighed, knowing they were going to end up sleeping in at this rate. Maybe she could just make breakfast in the morning or something...
She turned to him, finding his look soft, yet tired. He looked very content despite his recent problem. "We have a long day of practice tomorrow. We should get whatever sleep that we can..."
(1) Butterfly song: youtube com/watch?v=s2mVpfEviJo