They awoke the next morning stiff and sore after having slept the rest of the night in their awkward position to a knock on Adrien's bedroom door. Adrien cracked an eye open before quickly closing it again. Sunlight was streaming through the window. He registered his head still in his Lady's lap and her shifting in an attempt to stretch out the kinks in her back and neck before the knock came again, more insistent this time.
"Adrien?" Came Nathalie's voice from the hallway.
"Yes, Nathalie, what is it?" He called back, uncurling his legs for a moment before rolling over to stretch out like a cat, yawning. He noted they had also fallen back asleep with the light on. Go figure.
"Your mother is waiting for you in the dining room for breakfast," she replied. "And Miss Marinette," she added.
"Thanks," he said, hearing her receding footsteps. He looked up to see Marinette blushing.
"I wonder what she thinks we've been doing in here," she blurted, looking embarrassed. "I did just sleep over in your room, you know. I'm sure your mother has things to say on the matter." She grimaced, then winced as she uncurled her own legs and attempted to get off the bed. Adrien flushed, too.
"Maman won't be angry," he said, a little uncertainly. "She'll probably tease us a little, if anything. Though, after yesterday, I can't imagine she'll be in that sort of mood." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Besides, whatever they think we're doing, they probably already thought that anyway…we are technically living together, after all."
Marinette nodded, looking around as though trying to figure out their next move. He could feel her discomfort at the situation. They hadn't planned on staying the night here, after all. It was then that he noticed a dark purple bruise blossoming on her cheekbone.
"Mari! What happened?!" He asked, tracing the mark lightly with an index finger. He could feel more than hear her hesitance. "I…I did that, didn't I?" He whispered in horror, drawing away from her in shame. He felt a hand grab his arm tightly.
"Kitty, it was an accident. You were sleeping, you didn't know-"
"But-but I still h-hurt you," he said, not meeting her eyes until he heard her laugh softly.
"Adrien, the fact of the matter is, I could have just as easily been the one to hit you, had I been the one having a nightmare." He shivered. No, don't think about that, he scolded himself. "But it wasn't. It will heal soon enough, and it's nothing a little concealer won't be able to handle," she tried to reassure him. "Besides, I'm such a klutz, it's not like I don't have any experience with accidents like this one." He wasn't completely convinced, but nodded, casting around for a change of topic.
"If you'd like a shower, feel free," he said, gesturing towards the bathroom. "I can find something else for you to wear, if you'd like." She nodded gratefully and he stood up. "Just give me a minute," he said, disappearing into the bathroom to use the facilities before turning to his closet and pulling out an old pair of sweatpants he'd outgrown during his last growth spurt and his Ladybug t-shirt (he smirked at the irony), as well as a towel and washcloth and a tube of concealer (He happened to have one just in case. It was the model in him.) for Marinette. He'd moved a lot of his clothes to her apartment above the bakery, but, thankfully, there were still some things here for him to use. He left them on the counter near the sink and opened the door to find her standing there, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders in soft waves. She was biting her lip as she thought about something.
I love this girl, he thought as his stomach did a flip. He held out a hand to her.
"Everything ok, Mari?" He asked studying her.
She sighed. "Still thinking about…whatever that was last night." A weight settled in his shoulders, and he shifted uneasily, his heart rate spiking uncomfortably. That whole thing was pretty horrible. He had been trying so hard not to think about it… "We should probably talk but…your mother's waiting for us," she reminded him.
He let out the breath he was holding, then nodded in agreement. "We can come back up here after breakfast to talk, or we can go home. I'll leave it up to you. We don't have to work today, right? It's a Sunday, after all."
Mari shook her head. "I was thinking we could visit Papa later, but otherwise, no, nothing planned for today."
He gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand. "Well, Milady, you'll likely be feline better once you have your shower. Go on, love. I'll wait here."
She rolled her eyes at him fondly and disappeared from view.
A few minutes later, she reappeared, wet hair done up in a bun on the top of her head. His heart swelled at the sight of her wearing his shirt, which had a knot in the hem so it didn't drown her small form. He inspected her face, but the make-up was done so expertly, you couldn't even tell there was a bruise. Satisfied, he pulled her in for a quick kiss, then quickly took his turn in the shower. He came back a few minutes later, matching her in sweats and a t-shirt, to find her on the mezzanine exploring his media library. He silently crept up behind her, noticing the tension in her shoulders. She didn't notice his approach, lost in thought. His mischeviousness must have bled through their bond, though, because she reeled around to face him even as he swooped down on her, scooping her up in his arms. She grinned and poked his nose.
"Kitty, if you're going to sneak up on me with your silent cat paws, you'd better learn how to hide your emotions from me. Giving me a clue with your felines really ruins the effect," she said, turning his pun back at him as she stretched up in his arms to give him a quick kiss on the lips. He pouted at her, and she laughed. It was then that he noticed she had something clutched in her hand.
"What do you have there, Milady?" He asked curiously.
"Your favorite book," she answered confidently, holding it up. He caught sight of a green cover emblazoned with the words, "The Hobbit." He looked at her in wonder.
"How did you know that?" He asked, staring. She looked unconcerned.
"It's the only one that looks like it's in disrepair," she said. "See how the binding is cracked here? You've obviously read this without a bookmark more than once, as I highly doubt your father would've been caught dead buying you books second-hand."
He registered her remorse at her choice of words, but he brushed it off. He was impressed by her observation. "The first time I read this, I was about ten years old," he said. "I always loved the idea of an ordinary person going out on an adventure. It was so different from my real life. Even though I had my mother, I was still kept at home most of the time, even then." He paused, thinking, then continued. "Bilbo Baggins wasn't a warrior; he was just an ordinary hobbit that made the really difficult decision to be brave and ended up altering the fate of the world." He paused, setting her down as he looked at her in admiration, still keeping her wrapped in his arms. "Just like you, Milady. So many people look up to you because you made that choice to do what was right rather than what was easy."
"Reading Harry Potter, too, I see," she smiled. "Nerd," she teased, poking his nose again.
He gave her an offended look. "Excuse me, Milady, but I happen to think my taste in books shows a certain…um…" he trailed off, searching for a word.
"…dorkiness?" Mari finished mischieviously.
"I was going to say 'refinement,'" he said seriously.
Marinette burst out laughing. "Ok Kitty, if you say so," she giggled, taking his hand. "Come on sweetheart, your mother is waiting."
Breakfast was a quiet affair; Emilie had come down momentarily, but Nathlie had quietly informed Adrien when they had reached the empty breakfast room that she had just pushed her food around her plate for a while before giving it up and retreating to her room. The Miraculous duo ate quickly in silence. As they were finishing up, Nathalie called out to him.
"Adrien? A word?" She said, looking at him expectantly. He looked at Marinette in silent question, who nodded.
"I'll just go gather our things from upstairs," she said, moving away.
Nathalie indicated that he should take a seat at the table, and she sat down beside him.
"Firstly, Adrien, I wanted to let you know that your mother is not well. She is taking the loss of your father very hard. I know you've come to visit her a few times, but as she does not wish to burden you with her problems, she likely will not have told you. So I took it upon myself to inform you. My opinion is that she could benefit from visiting a therapist, but so far, she has refused. Perhaps she might listen to you if you suggested it to her."
Adrien nodded. He suspected his mother needed help, but he did not feel himself to be in a position to be her support. Not when he needed Marinette to keep him together half the time. "That is a good idea, Nathalie. I will discuss it with her the next time we visit." He watched her as she seemed to agree to that before pulling out her tablet.
"The next thing- I received an email yesterday about the execution of your father's will. You have inherited everything from your parents, as your mother was officially declared dead several years ago and your father did not have time to change his will. Included is the house and the company. Your father's lawyers and I wish to meet with you to discuss how to proceed, including the future of your modeling career." Adrien shifted nervously. He had little practical experience with this sort of thing, including negotiating with business gurus.
"Of course. We can come by sometime this week. Maybe on Thursday, Mari's free in the afternoon…"
"Only you, Adrien. Your girlfriend is not involved in this." Nathalie said sternly.
Adrien's face hardened. "Marinette should be there. I- I need her to be there," he said softly.
"Adrien, I know you dating her, but…I confess I'm concerned. I know your mother assumes that you have been living together for some time, but I know that before a couple of weeks ago, you hardly set food out of the manor without your father's say-so, let alone moved out or dated anyone. If she's taking advantage of you, using you for your fame or your money…well, I don't want to see you get hurt. Your father wouldn't have wanted that for you."
Adrien was shocked; he had rarely heard Nathalie open up in such a manner, if ever. He was a little irritated that she would think that Marinette was some sort of gold-digger, but he knew that it probably looked suspicious to anyone who didn't know their secret identities…so basically everyone. They'd never really discussed what their cover story would be on how they grew close so quickly. How was he supposed to talk his way out of this one?
"Nathalie, I appreciate your concern," he began. "But I would trust Marinette with my life. I've come to really depend on her." He thought for a moment, noticing Nathalie shifting uncomfortably, making a decision. "I- I started having panic attacks again," he admitted quietly, seeing Nathalie's eyes widen. "Around the time of the incident in Father's secret chambers. Marinette has been there for me through everything. She's seen me at my very, very worst and yet she's stayed and cared for me with such kindness. I-I don't deserve it. But if she was only after my money, if she didn't actually care about me, she would have run for the hills the first time it happened; those episodes are damn scary. But she hasn't done that." He paused, then grimaced, flushing as he appeared to remember something. "Speaking of, it might be good to have someone…tidy up my room later. Last night…well, last night was one of the worst ones yet. I- I might have… gotten sick at some point?"
Nathalie nodded slowly, processing this revelation. She likely realized just how much Marinette had been through with him. Her concern faded slightly. "I will allow Miss Marinette to accompany you to your meeting," she said finally. "And I will send the housekeeper up at once."
Adrien sighed in relief. "Thank you, Nathalie." He stood to leave, turning back for a moment. "Oh, Nathalie? Can you send me my information for my main financial account? If I'm living on my own, I'm going to need a way to support myself."
Nathalie nodded. "I'll have it sent to you before the end of the day. I'll go gather any access cards now and you can take them with you. Is there anything else you need?"
Adrien thought for a moment. "I've been wondering about getting my piano brought over to my new place," he said finally. He hadn't mentioned it to Marientte yet, but he was sure she wouldn't mind. "Or buying one of my own. I need to think about it a little more, but if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them."
Nathalie nodded again. "I'll send you my research on that by the end of the day as well," she said.
"Thanks. Take care, Nathalie," he said, turning back toward the door and striding quickly away to collect Marinette so they could be on their way.
A little while later, the couple swung in through the window to their apartment as their superhero selves. They shed their super suits and got snacks for their kwamis before Marinette turned to her partner. She let her nervousness shine through a little, trying to be open with him.
"Are you good if we go visit Papa today?" She asked, trying to read his expression. His unease covered his face and seeped through the connection to her awareness. "We don't have to if you don't want to, but…but I will probably have to go see him sooner or later. The weekend we met with Hawkmoth would normally have been when I'd have gone otherwise, so it's been a while."
"O-ok." Adrien said. He was freaking out a little bit. She'd seen photos of the guy, the man was massive. Chat Noir or no Chat Noir, if her father decided he wasn't to be trusted, Adrien would probably end up a Chat-shaped stain on the carpet.
Marinette laughed. "He won't flatten you, Kitty. He looks huge and scary, but he's completely harmless." She turned toward the kitchen again to pull out some snacks for their trip.
Adrien nodded but privately was thinking, Unless someone hurts his little girl and then it's game over.
"Oh, don't be like that," Marinette said, her back to him. "He just wants to know I'm safe. Besides…" she trailed off as his shock hit her, turning around to see him trying to pick his jaw up off the floor. "What? Do I have something on my butt?" She turned, trying to catch sight of what he might have been staring at.
He flushed. "What? No! I just…you just responded to my thoughts!"
Now it was her turn to look thunderstruck. "Really? You…you transferred your thoughts to me? Like…telepathy?" She covered her mouth with her hands. "Did you know we could do that?"
Adrien shook his head, his eyes wide.
Marinette looked thoughtful. "This…this is wonderful, Kitty!" She celebrated, holding up her hand for a fist bump. He touched his fist to hers lightly, looking dazed. "You sent something to me, and I heard it! Maybe we could try you sending a memory again." She beamed at him. "This is amazing!"
Adrien pulled himself out of his stupor. "Why don't we get ready to go? You said your father is living in the country. If we want to get back before midnight, we'd better get a move on." She pouted at him. "We can experiment on the train. We'll have plenty of time."
She sighed. "Oh, all right. But don't think you've gotten out of it."