Notes: i live for cat tendencies!Adrien. and i also happen to have a ridiculous black cat of my own who gives me endless amounts of inspiration (and amusement).
THIS ACCIDENTALLY GOT SLIGHTLY SINFUL BUT WITHOUT ANY OF THE GOOD STUFF so i would like to take this time to apologize for who i am as a person.
also they're older here (like 17ish idk) just so y'all know. okay that's enough for now. enjoy!
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Frisky Business
Summary: Marinette and Adrien have been slowly but surely getting to know each other since their identities were revealed, falling into a comfortable - if occasionally confusing and frustrating - relationship dynamic. They're closer than they've ever been (although maybe not close enough for either of their liking), but this? Well, this might be a LITTLE more than they bargained for.
[Also known as the One Where Miraculouses have Strange Side-Effects, Adrien and Marinette Really Need to DTR, and Marinette Refuses to Be Kinkshamed.]
"Blegh!" Adrien shuddered, shaking himself violently. "I hate getting caught in the rain when I'm transformed."
He flopped down gracelessly on the floor of Marinette's room, his transformation releasing with a bright green flash. Plagg spiralled out of his ring, yowling something about "AGH! WET! MY EARS ARE WET UGH TIKKI HELP I HATE RAIN HATE HATE HATE– " before disappearing up into Marinette's loft, most likely to sulk and obsessively groom himself.
Ladybug rolled her eyes, releasing her transformation as well. The warm rush of light and energy momentarily distracting her from the fact that she was freezing cold, her hair was soaking wet, and there was now an expanding pool of water on her bedroom floor.
She stepped over the soggy lump of teenage boy formerly known as Adrien Agreste that was currently blocking most of her floor space, reaching into her closet for some towels. Marinette threw one vaguely in Adrien's direction before grabbing her hairbrush and plopping down on her chaise lounge. She carefully extracted the hair ties from her pigtails, wincing slightly as they got caught in the tangled strands, before she began meticulously towelling off her hair. Her mother would have a conniption fit if she caught Marinette walking around with wet hair, and she'd be forced to spend the next twenty minutes listening to a rant about colds and viral pathogens and her great-aunt Chun's husband who died from a cold he got after not drying his hair properly, blah blah blah.
Marinette snorted at the memory, which caught Adrien's attention. He gazed up at her curiously from underneath the towel, which had landed almost perfectly on top of his head.
I still got it, Marinette thought, smirking slightly.
"What are you laughing at, my Lady?" He sat up, making no move to dry himself off, seeming rather content to watch her instead.
Satisfied with the dryness of her hair (a little air-drying wouldn't kill her, unlike Auntie Chun's husband apparently), Marinette began slowly working the brush through the tangles in her hair. She went slowly so as not to rip the hair out or cause any unnecessary damage. Working the brush from root to tip, she fell into a rhythm and gradually felt the last of her tension from their recent battle slip away. She'd always enjoyed the sensation of having her hair brushed, whether by her mother when she was little, the occasional friend, or even just herself; the repetitive motion was strangely calming and it was a great way to unwind after a long day.
She sighed as she finished, opening her eyes – which, unbeknownst to her, had slipped closed at some point – to find Adrien sitting at her feet, gazing at her with rapt attention, his expression open and full of wonder.
Marinette squeaked in surprise, almost losing hold of her brush as she flailed backwards. She felt her face grow hot and knew without looking that she must have been bright red. She was slowly getting used to the new dynamic that she and Adrien had fallen into once they had revealed their identities, but she was still taken aback by moments like these – moments where she would catch Adrien gazing at her with something like awe in his eyes, looking for all the world like he believed she hung the stars and the moon in the sky.
His hair was dripping, falling into his eyes, but he paid it no mind as he continued to stare at her, blinking slowly. He looked like a scruffy kitten and it was all Marinette could do to hold in her squeals of delight. Instead, she grabbed the towel from around his shoulders and gestured to the space between her legs on the floor.
"Sit." She ordered brusquely, trying to ignore her previous awkwardness and the lingering flush she could feel on her face.
Adrien hurried to comply, nestling himself comfortably between her legs. She began gently towelling off his hair, remembering how her mother used to do it when she was a small child. She couldn't see his face, but she could feel the contentment in every inch of his body as he let out a long, blissful sigh. Marinette didn't even attempt to stop the fond smile she could feel working it's way onto her face.
'This cat, honestly.'
After a few minutes, she removed the towel from Adrien's head, satisfied with her efforts.
And promptly burst out laughing.
His hair was more dishevelled than she had ever seen it, poofed up and falling every which way. He looked like a big blonde fuzzball and Marinette felt herself laughing harder as she imagined his hordes of fans – and oh my god what would his father say– seeing him as he was now. His eyes were almost completely obscured by his hair as he turned to glare at her.
"Har har," he groused, moving away and running a hand through his hair, in a vain attempt to get it to lie flat. "I see this was all an elaborate ruse – get me to lower my guard, muss up my picture perfect appearance and stunning good looks, and then mock me relentlessly. Well played, my Lady. You are as devious as you are dazzling."
Finally getting her giggles under control, Marinette barely repressed the urge to grin at the exaggerated moue on Adrien's face. She could tell by the amused quirk to his lips and the glint in his eyes that he wasn't actually annoyed with her, but she felt the need to play along, unwilling to let their playful bantering end.
(She could practically hear Alya's voice in her head, shouting 'Dear GOD, Marinette, how many time do we have to go over this? You are flirting. F-L-I-R-T-I-N-G. You know, that thing humans do when they are painfully and obviously interested in one another? Lord help me. You two are hopeless idiots and I am not getting paid enough to deal with this shit.')
Feeling safe and warm and comfortable – sheltered in her room from the rain that continued to pound at the windows and thrum on the roof, with the boy she may be (sort-of-possibly-actually-completely-madly) in love with, who may or may not (sort-of-possibly-actually-completely-madly) feel the same way – Marinette decided to take her best friend's advice and be bold for a change.
"Oh my apologies, chaton," she all but purred, feeling a smirk pulling at the corners of her lips. "Please, let me make it up to you…"
Adrien's eyes widened, his breath hitching audibly at her blatantly suggestive tone. She beckoned him forward with a finger.
"Come here, Adrien."
The blonde swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he nodded jerkily, shuffling towards her on his hands and knees. He settled in front of her, his green eyes large and dark as he stared up at her in anticipation, and Marinette couldn't help the flash of heat or the thrill that went through her at the sight of her blonde partner willingly on his knees before her, awaiting her command.
Marinette resisted the urge to gulp.
'Dang. Didn't know I was into this but okay.'
"Close your eyes," she commanded, her voice soft but firm, brooking no argument. Adrien, eyebrows quirked inquisitively and his face flushing prettily, complied with her strange request, allowing his eyes to close.
Before she could lose her nerve, Marinette reached a hand out and dragged the hairbrush slowly through his thick blonde hair.
Adrien, for lack of a better term, melted.
Sinking down to lean against her leg, Adrien's face radiated sheer ecstasy as he let out a loud, appreciative moan.
.
.
.
Um.
WHAT.
They both froze.
Adrien's eyes snapped open in shock and he scrambled away, doing a comically frantic crab walk backwards as he tried to put as much distance between them as possible. "SHIT. I-I-I'm sorry! UM. I – you – uh – I'm not sure what that was? That has literally NEVER happened before. Have I already said I'm sorry because I really really am and ohmygodpleasejustkillmenow–"
Marinette was able to do nothing but watch blankly as Adrien buried his head between his knees, his ears burning a red fiery enough to rival that of her Ladybug costume. Her brain was still attempting to process the absolutely sinful sound that had just come out of the blonde's mouth – because dear god in heaven it should not be legal for a face like that to make sounds like that – and at the rate she was going, it would be at least another few years before her brain was even remotely functional again.
Her partner's obvious distress however was enough to put her meltdown on hold. As the blonde let out a shuddery breath, Marinette shook off the remaining dredges of her stupor and compelled herself into action.
"Oh minou," she sighed, approaching him cautiously and sinking to the ground beside him. She reached out to touch his shoulder and felt him flinch away. "Adrien, it's okay. Please look at me."
She couldn't see his face, but she thought she might have seen a flash of green peeking out at her through his bangs. Feeling encouraged that he was at least listening, she continued.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of about enjoying being touched. Especially if you're maybe not used to physical contact or having people in your space like that." This time she knew she wasn't imagining it when she saw Adrien peeking up at her, his head tilted slightly away from his knees and toward her. She reached out and settled her arm around his shoulders, squeezing comfortingly. "You don't ever have to feel embarrassed about anything you do around me, chaton. It's my job as your best friend and as someone who l-loves and cares about you–" whoops too late to take it back now I guess, Marinette thought, stumbling slightly over her words "–to accept all parts of you. You should know that by now, silly."
Adrien, his face now fully removed from his knees, was gawking at her, his eyes wider than she'd ever seen them and suspiciously bright, as if he were on the verge of tears. In a sudden blur of motion, he threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly and burying his face in her neck.
"Thank you, Marinette," he whispered, his voice thick with the emotions he was struggling to keep at bay. Marinette felt her heart swell, a painfully sweet pressure filling her chest and pressing against her ribcage as she gazed down at the blonde head at her side. She let Adrien cling to her, prepared to give him whatever time he needed, as she slowly began running her fingers through his hair. Neither was sure how long they stayed there, but both would have probably been content to sit there snuggling all night, were it not for certain rather pressing concerns.
"YE-OUCH!"
Marinette winced as her fingers caught in a particularly tangled part of Adrien's hair.
"W-whoops, sorry! Perhaps we'd better get the brush out again. You're in serious need of some grooming, furball."
-x-
It wasn't until the next time Adrien came over that they realized they might have a Slight Problem.
They were hanging out after school, Marinette working on one of her new designs and Adrien doing his darnedest to steal her attention, nattering away about everything and nothing. Marinette listened with half an ear to what he was saying, humming appreciatively at what she thought were all the right parts, mostly content to simply listen to the cadence of his voice as it filled her room, along with the warm afternoon sunlight.
Suddenly becoming aware of the silence that had fallen over the room, Marinette looked up from her sewing to see Adrien perched on the edge of her chaise, staring intently at her hairbrush.
"Oh, sorry!" Embarrassed, Marinette moved to clean up the mess on her vanity. "I was running late this morning and didn't get the chance to clean everything up before I left–"
She picked up her hairbrush, intending to put it back in the drawer. Hearing Adrien's sudden intake of breath, however, she paused. He was staring unblinkingly at the brush in her hand, his pupils blown wide.
Marinette quirked an eyebrow. Interesting.
She experimentally moved the brush slowly to the right, before suddenly swiping it to the left, stifling the urge to giggle as Adrien's head snapped to follow her movements.
Swallowing her mirth, Marinette ventured to ask, "Do you… want me to brush you?"
Adrien blinked, finally tearing his attention from the brush to look at her.
"Yes."
Which was how she found herself sitting on the floor with a hundred something pounds of blonde teenage boy(friend? Friend who is a boy? Boy friend with whom she might be more than friends?) burrowed in her lap, purring vigorously as she slowly brushed his hair. Every time she would run the brush through his blonde locks, he would push his head up to meet her strokes, nuzzling the brush as if he were a real cat. Face flushed and eyes closed in pure bliss, Adrien looked for all intents and purposes like there was no place in the world he would rather be than right there.
Marinette gazed down at him tenderly, huffing slightly with exasperated fondness. Although at first she'd found it hard to believe that Adrien Agreste – poster boy and picture perfect model extraordinaire – and Chat Noir – her dorky, excitable, loveable partner – were the same person, she found herself growing more and more used to the idea. Truth be told, she was coming to enjoy these private, 'in-between' moments more than any interaction they shared in public; whether it be as themselves or their superhero alter egos. Marinette liked to see this other side of Adrien – the part that was not entirely Adrien Agreste, but not quite Chat Noir – that she knew no one else got to see. It made it feel that much more precious and special that Adrien would let her in and allow her to see him like this; vulnerable, innocent, and desperately affectionate. Okay, so maybe he was a little weirdo cat-boy who enjoyed getting pats a little too much for it to be socially acceptable but he was her weirdo cat-boy, and that was all that mattered.
She felt a hand touch her cheek, glancing down to see Adrien gazing up at her, his green eyes warm and soft and butterfly-inducing, and Marinette felt her heart rate pick up for the thousandth time at the fact that he was looking at her that way.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked, his voice low and impossibly gentle. Marinette smiled, running her fingers through his bangs before trailing to his forehead, smoothing the concerned furrow that had appeared between his brows.
"Nothing to worry about, mon minou. Just thinking about how much I enjoy spending time with you like this."
Marinette blushed, suddenly self-conscious at her own forwardness, but ultimately unwilling to take back her words. She was tired of existing in the grey area separating friends and lovers – constantly toeing and blurring and re-establishing the line between just friends and something more. So what if he figured out how she felt about him? It wasn't like she was confessing her undying love or anything. She was just saying that she enjoyed being with him. Now whether he chose to interpret it in a platonic way or not was entirely up to him…
"I-I like spending time with you like this too," he stuttered, his cheeks tinged with pink. His eyelids fluttered nervously as he tried and failed to hold her gaze.
Feeling inordinately pleased by his words, it was all she could do to reign in the urge to lean down and kiss him. Instead, Marinette sniffed, turning her nose up in the air haughtily.
"Right," she drawled, eyebrows raised sceptically. "And I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with all the free pats you also happen to be getting, hm?" Poking him lightly on the cheek to let him know that she was teasing, Marinette couldn't withhold her giggles at the impish look that had appeared on his face.
"So I see you've finally uncovered my dastardly scheme," Adrien's mischievous grin and laughter were all Chat as he continued, self-satisfied and sly and smugger than should be humanly possible, "Plus, it's not like you're not enjoying it, judging by last time…"
'Marinette Dupain-Cheng, whatever you do, do not blush or so help me God I will murder you myself!' Her inner-voice screamed.
Eyes narrowed, Marinette glared at him, trying to hide any hint of her embarrassment.
'Oh so we're gonna kinkshame now, are we? Well two can play at that game, kitty cat.'
A sudden shit-eating grin stole over her face.
"Well, I suppose I could be persuaded to do this more often," she murmured, running her fingers through Adrien's bangs before purposefully dragging them down the side of his face, scratching lightly with her nails in that way she knew he loved. She abruptly pulled away just before he could nuzzle into her palm, earning her an affronted look from the blonde boy sprawled in her lap.
"So long as you promise to keep it down. Wouldn't want my parents to hear any strange noises and get the wrong idea about what we're doing up here…"
A beat passed, filled with stunned silence. Warm sunshine continued to bathe the room in its cheerful glow, as the distant sounds of children playing in the park and cars passing in the street below crept in through the open windows.
Adrien stared at her, more than slightly scandalized, unable to believe that she was bringing up THAT of all things.
'Wait for it.'
The otherwise peaceful and tranquil Parisian afternoon was abruptly interrupted by a very loud, very indignant squawk.
"M-MY LADY!"
Followed by the sound of two teenagers breaking into loud, uncontrollable peals of laughter.
.
.
.
FIN.
...NOW KISS.
honestly these children are going to be the death of me. ;.; sorry this was all over the place lmao. i did my best to proofread but i would not be surprised if a few errors got by me (i has the dumb, what can i say) so please don't hesitate to let me know if something is awkward/doesn't make sense, etc! thank u for sticking with me till the end.
this work has been cross-posted from Ao3!