One Rainy Night: Part Five

As soon as they got into the vehicle at the end of the day, Zamir turned to him with a smirk and said, "There for a moment, I thought you were about to pounce on her!"

Adrien grimaced at the verbage. It hadn't helped that her fingers had still smelled faintly of catnip, nor how her blonde pigtails had looked exceptionally fun to play with while she had been bent over her textbooks in class. He couldn't forget how she smelled, either; that was an aphrodisiac to him just by itself. No need for the lace of catnip added to the mix.

"Seriously, though. Have you two only just started dating? You act a lot closer than that." Zamir twirled the end of his ponytail between his fingers, watching Adrien from the corner of his eye.

"We were good friends beforehand," Adrien muttered, closing his eyes as he slumped in his seat. "A couple years, in fact."

To think she had had a crush on him since junior high; it still boggled his mind, although he hadn't been much different with Ladybug.

"When did you meet her? How did you meet? Did sparks fly instantly?" Zamir fired off, a light glinting in his eyes. "Come on, man. Tell your bestie the deets."

Adrien finally looked at him. Really looked. Zamir had gotten even handsomer from the last time the Parisian model had seen him about four years ago. The brown hair, which used to be pinned back with only a simple ribbon, had a blue brooch pinned to it, holding it in place instead of the usual knot. Adrien didn't get a good look at it, but it seemed to be a plume of feathers in a semicircle.

"Seriously, Zamir?" Adrien shook his head, smiling slightly. "No way am I telling you all that. I like it being kept between just me and her." Plus, Gorilla is in the car. Who knows if he ever goes back to my father and tells him what conversations I had in the vehicle?

Zamir pouted but backed off a little. "Well, she seems really sweet."

Adrien grinned. "She is." In more ways than one, he found himself thinking, licking his lips. Staring out the window, he gritted his teeth. They needed to find the akumatized person who had done this to him and purify them. He didn't know if he could handle being part cat all the time.

Especially with Marinette's sinfully-amazing fingers and ambrosiac scent.

He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples in an attempt to dispel the shadowy sensation of her hands running across him as a cat and through his hair as a human. He couldn't wait for the akuma to be gone; he wanted to forget the urge to curl up next to her and nuzzle her hand until she pet him.

Or… did he?

"Adrien, you okay?" Zamir asked, concerned. "Bad headache?"

"Ah… yeah," Adrien fibbed, smiling weakly as he pushed up his sunglasses, hiding his dilating eyes. "Just a bit."

Marinette knew she should wait until darkness, but she couldn't stop herself from heading to Adrien's in her civilian form under the excuse of having a class project. At the door, she hesitated, her hand hovering over the intercom system attached to the outside.

"Don't worry, man! I'll be right back!" Zamir laughed, grinning as he pushed the door open. He stopped and stared at Marinette, taking in her startled, deer-in-the-headlights look. "Oh, hey, Marinette. Here to see Adrien?"

"Y-y-yeah," she stammered, and mentally kicked herself. "H-how is he?"

Zamir raised an eyebrow at her stammering. "He has a headache. I'm going to get some supplies so I can make him a remedy." Something flashed across his face, too quick to read. "Want to come with me?"

"Uh…" Was she allowed to decline? Would it look bad if she declined? But if it's for Adrien… "S-sure."

Zamir grinned, beckoning down the street. "Perfect, then! Because honestly, I don't know where to find fresh produce here, and I need herbs."

Apparently, the 'remedy' Zamir talked about was a natural concoction of herbs and fruit. They picked up apples, ginger, peppermint, lavender, and basil. Zamir seemed to be an expert on herbs, bypassing many stores before he finally settled on one that sold the exact type he was looking for. By the time they made it back to the Agreste Mansion, the sun was dipping low on the horizon, preparing for sunset.

Marinette paused at the door, unsure if she should enter so casually with him. However, when Zamir glanced back and didn't see her following, he gestured her to step inside. "Come on in!"

Marinette followed him hesitantly. "A-are you sure it's okay…?"

Zamir nodded absently, already taking off without her. She scrambled to keep up. Soon, they were in a large kitchen where several individuals were scuttling about, preparing a wonderful-smelling dish. Marinette subconsciously blushed, feeling out of place despite having grown up in the kitchen.

Zamir went to an unoccupied corner of the room and began prepping the items he had gotten. For the most part, the staff left them alone unless Zamir needed something and couldn't find it. Within a few minutes, he had a brew steeping on the stove in a large pot; apple slices, peppermint leaves, and lavender sprigs floated within. He stirred it lazily.

"Thanks for helping out," he commented, flashing her a grin.

She smiled nervously back. "I-I didn't feel like much help…"

"Don't say that. You were." He took a ladle and poured some of the liquid into a mug. "That's for Adrien. It should help him relax and ease his headache; I noticed he also seemed pretty uptight about something."

Marinette couldn't help but sniff the steaming liquid. It smelled wonderful; the mint had been added last so it wouldn't overpower the other two, and the apple - having steeped the longest - had the stronger scent. "Wow, it smells amazing!"

He chuckled. "Do you want a cup, too?"

She quickly shook her head. "Oh, no. I couldn't; it's for Adrien!"

He gestured to the broth. "I'm pretty sure Adrien won't be drinking all of this!" He scooped out some into another cup and pushed it into her hands before she could complain. "Here. Now let's go."

Her cheeks reddened. "Th-thank you," she muttered, walking carefully so as to not spill the hot liquid on herself.

However, because she was focused so much on the drinks, she nearly made the catastrophic mistake of running into the person on the other side of the kitchen door.

Gabriel Agreste stared down at her with an impassive look on his face. She froze, barely catching herself from tripping and falling into him. "M-M-Mister Agreste!" she squeaked.

He frowned at her. "You are Marinette, correct? What are you doing here?"

Zamir glanced between them quickly before piping up, "She came by to see how Adrien was doing since he wasn't feeling well at school, so I had her help me with a little remedy. I hope you don't mind, sir."

Gabriel glanced at Zamir, his expression relaxing out of the frown - although he still looked daunting to Marinette. "I see. Thank you for taking such good care of my son, Zamir. Pardon me; I need to request a tonic for my headache."

"U-um, sir," Marinette stammered, her face red. However, she straightened up, gathering her courage. "I-if you'd like, you could have this cup. It's Zamir's headache remedy that he made for Adrien."

Gabriel slowly took the extra cup, giving her a curious look. He took a sip. "Mmm. Quite delicious. I suppose your mother taught you this recipe, Zamir?"

Zamir's cheeks darkened. He rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. "Yeah, she did. I'm guessing she's made it for you before on visits with my dad?"

Gabriel nodded, walking down the hallway. "Stay as long as you'd like, Marinette; you can eat supper here. There's a phone in the foyer if you need to call your parents."

"Th-thank you!" she called after him, her head spinning. Once he was out of sight, she allowed the small tremble in her legs. "Wow. I talked to Gabriel Agreste…"

Zamir chuckled, although he looked a little puzzled. "You must have done something to impress him. Usually, you have to be in really good standing just to visit, let alone stay over for a bit. Come on; let's get the tea to Adrien before it cools down too much. I'll show you the way."

Adrien heard the soft knock. Sighing, he got up and opened his door, glaring at Zamir. "I told you I'm fine," he grumbled, noticing Zamir's sweet smile.

"Oh, I'm sure you will be. Marinette, dear, don't be shy." Zamir stepped out of the way, nudging the girl forward.

Adrien's heart nearly stopped right then and there.

He had just managed to get her out of his head by playing an intense shooter game. He had just managed to forget how good her fingers had felt running through his hair. He had just managed to avoid thinking how wonderful it would have been to kiss her.

All of that came rushing back.

He stood in the doorway, staring at her with his mouth slightly open. His eyes dilated - lucky, really, considering he didn't have his sunglasses on and Zamir hadn't noticed his slit eyes when he had answered the door - and became almost as round as regular pupils as he stared at her, taking her in.

He suddenly remembered that she had promised she would pet him - give him "a good scratch," as she had said. His breath hitched at this thought, and his lips pulled tight as he refrained the urge to immediately drape himself over her like he had as a cat last night.

No, no, no! he berated himself, I'm a human! Not a cat!

Zamir placed a palm on Marinette's back, and Adrien's vision temporarily turned red. However, all he did was push the blonde girl into the room, smirking at Adrien. "Go on in, Marinette. I'll be back in a few minutes with a new mug for you."

Marinette barely kept herself from tripping over her own two feet. Adrien reached out to help steady her, but all he really succeeded in was catching a whiff of her scent mingling with the tea in her hand. The door clicked shut behind Zamir as he quickly left the two of them alone.

"Ah… uh…" Marinette stammered, staring into his very dilated eyes. "H-here! Zamir made this!"

I don't care about that, he wanted to say, but words just wouldn't form. He stared down at the mug now in his hands; Marinette's fingers pull away from him. He looked at her again.

"D-d-do y-you want to s-sit down?" Marinette stammered. Just her stammering made him want to curl up next to her and never want to move again.

He nodded mutely, moving to the couch. He took a swallow from the tea as she sat next to him; the hot liquid helped distract him temporarily. Putting the mug on the table, he looked at her again in time to see Plagg slip out of her small bag and disappear into the room - probably searching for Tikki or escaping to the kitchen to steal some cheese.

"Marinette - "

"Adrien - "

They paused, laughing awkwardly. "You first," Marinette encouraged, relaxing against the cushions of the couch.

"Could you…" he blushed, not believing he was asking this. "C-could… you…"

Realization dawned on her face. She reached forward, brushing her fingertips against his jawline. He leaned into her palm immediately, his purr instantaneous. Her lips parted in surprise. "You're… just like a cat…"

He groaned, the sound blending in with his purr as he tilted his head so she could reach that one spot… oooh, yes, that was nice…

Suddenly, two hands were on him: one scratching underneath his chin while the other slid through his hair, massaging his scalp as it pushed his hoodie back. The purr intensified as he leaned forward into both of the hands.

Marinette's giggle only added to his elation. "Oh, you silly kitty. H-hey! Wh-what are you doing?!"

His hands kneaded her thigh. He tried to stop it, but it was like trying to control the purr; the cat in him had taken over. "S-sorry," he said thickly, the purring affecting his words.

She giggled again, kissing the tip of his nose. "It's okay, kitty. I just didn't expect it."

He nuzzled her face before he could stop himself, moving even closer to her. He heard the soft intake of breath, felt her heartbeat quicken underneath his hands which were now on her waist. Vaguely, he realized they were leaning back on the couch, his nose pressed against her neck as his hands kneaded and contracted on her waist. Her own fingers had stopped petting his jaw and had moved to grip his hair and run along his spine and neck.

Adrien heard the distinct sound of footsteps approaching. He wrapped Marinette in an unbreakable hug before withdrawing slowly, collapsing on the couch next to her in sheer exhaustion from having to withhold all of that pent-up 'feline instincts' for the whole day.

Marinette straightened up on the couch, blushing furiously as she tamed her skewed pigtails. Still craving physical touch, Adrien propped his head on her thigh, sighing contentedly as her hand hesitantly began stroking his hair. "Thank you," he mumbled, the purr subsiding. "We need to find that akuma before I go crazy…"

"Hmm." He couldn't see her, but he could imagine her thoughtful expression. "So… that was all… the cat?"

His hand kneaded the couch as she massaged a particularly wonderful spot. The purr came back, coupled with a contented sigh. "Something… like that…"

Marinette's head spun like a top. When she had used both of her hands to pet him out of amusement from his reaction, his pure feline reaction to knead had made her react in kind and kiss his nose like she would with a real cat.

She hadn't expected him to nuzzle her face, though.

Not only that, but his hands had shifted from her leg to her waist, pushing her back onto the pillows as he had shown her affection just like a cat would. But… he wasn't a cat. He was Adrien, her boyfriend and partner, and kwamis help her, he was purring. It had reverberated through her, making her tingle all over.

She found she couldn't resist him when he purred like that.

When he had pulled back and blinked sleepily, collapsing onto her leg with a 'thank you,' she couldn't help but be a little floored. He had acted purely on instinct, possibly not even registering everything he was actually doing.

She watched his hand slowly relax as she continued stroking his hair, noticing how his fingers clenched and unclenched around the fabric of the couch reflexively. Just moments before, he had been doing that on her. She swallowed hard, banishing that thought.

We need to purify the akuma that had done this, and fast, she thought, rubbing his scalp gently as his breathing deepened. Whatever's happening to Adrien doesn't seem to be going away; it looks like it's only getting worse.

The door clicked shut. Marinette glanced over her shoulder, eyes wide, but it was only Zamir. She placed one finger over her lips as he approached with a frown.

His eyes widened when he saw Adrien. His blue-black hair was a mess around his face as he breathed slowly, fast asleep on Marinette's leg. When she lifted her hand to run it back over his hair, a certain part stuck up oddly only to be flattened by her stroking fingers.

"Wow," he exclaimed softly, handing Marinette the mug. She smiled gratefully at him. "I've never seen him so relaxed around anyone before."

She smiled fondly at the sleeping boy on her lap. "I'd like to think that I'm someone he can relax around," she whispered.

Zamir watched her for a few moments as she stroked Adrien's hair with half-lidded eyes, looking sleepy herself. "What do you like the most about him?" he finally asked, keeping his voice low so as to not disturb Adrien.

Marinette glanced at him, surprised. "The most…?" she repeated, frowning slightly. "That's… actually hard. There's so much I like about him; it's hard to say what I like the best."

No; that wasn't true. She just couldn't tell Zamir that what she loved the most about Adrien was that he was so willing to put his life on the line to protect his friends - to protect her - even if it meant he would get hurt. That, despite all of his witty puns and fancy fighting styles, he was reliable and dependable in a fight. He was loyal and respectful in that he would listen without question in the heat of battle, but kept his promise not to pursue her true identity when she had made that request back in junior high school.

"I guess… it's how he puts his friends and family first," she said, trying to explain her thoughts without giving away their secret. "He's so loyal and reliable; I've never seen someone with such a pure heart. He's always thinking of how what he does will impact those around him, and he tries to do the best thing for them instead of himself." Her smile was slightly sad as she tucked some of his hair behind his ear. "When he opened himself up to me the first time, I was confused, honestly. It was so different from what he usually showed the world - that happy, smiling face that didn't have a flaw. No one's perfect, though, and Adrien isn't, either. I only loved him more after finding out his flaws, though."

Love. That was it. She loved him. She had always said it before, but now, she could say with certainty that this was what she felt towards him.

A/N: The first two chapters of my novel Danarko are on Fiction Press. Just search for Danarko on there, and it should show up. I'm so excited! Just a few more days until it's published!