Marinette's eyes snapped open the next morning to a heavy thundering on her front door.

'Oh, jeez, that can't be good,' she managed, already on her feet, scrubbing at her face.

'Nope,' Tikki said, disappearing through the bedroom door.

Marinette was right on her tail, pulling the door open, and her eyes falling on the couch where Adrien was.

Well, where he had been, to say the least.

'Are you alright?' She hissed to where he had fallen in a tangle of sheets, and rushed over.

He nodded, rubbing his head, his face not leaving the front door.

'We know you're in there,' came a curt, feminine voice, causing the two to jump.

'Go through my bedroom, I keep the window unlocked.' She whispered.

'Right,' he breathed, hauling himself to his feet. 'Thank you, Marinette.'

'Coming!' Marinette called back, and watched Adrien slip into her bedroom before turning her front door handle. 'Yes?'

'You're Marinette Dupain-Cheng, are you not?' Said one Nathalie Sancoeur, hardly blinking at her sudden appearance.

Behind her, Adrien's usual bodyguard loomed, a complex look on his usually gruff demeanour.

'That would be me, is something wrong?' Marinette was impressed that she was keeping the adrenaline pumping through her from her tone, her eyes flicking between the two.

'I'm looking for Adrien, his phone records show them to be last here at this location.'

Marinette bit back a snarl. 'Really?' She said innocently.

Nathalie raised an eyebrow. 'I have reason to believe he may still be here. May I come in?'

'Um, well, my place is a bit of a mess right now,' Marinette managed-

'His father is very concerned after his safety.' Nathalie prompted, taking a step forward.

Behind her the bodyguard shifted slightly, the trace of a frown on his features.

Marinette hung her head. 'Well I think he stopped past quickly, but I've been so buried in work that may have been a while ago...' she shook her head, 'if you're so desperate you can come in quickly,'

She stepped back, hoping that Adrien had had the time to disappear, and Nathalie passed her with barely a sideways glance. The bodyguard peered through momentarily with a look of concern, before clearly choosing to stay outside and watch the door.

'You had someone stay over?' Nathalie pointed immediately to the messy sheets of the pull-out sofa bed, and Marinette blanched behind her.

'Uh, yeah, um,' she thought fast, 'my friend Alya stayed over, she spent the whole weekend here.'

'Oh? Can you prove this?' Nathalie said, turning to look at her with a carefully neutral expression.

Marinette resisted the urge to swear. 'Let me get my phone and I'll text her.'

'I would rather see this evidence for myself.' Nathalie said as she surveyed the bathroom from the open doorway.

'Right, of course you would,' Marinette muttered under her breath as she moved to snatch up her phone from her bedside table.

She had reappeared into the main room by the time the phone was ringing, and Nathalie materialised in front of Marinette as Alya connected the line.

'Hey girl, what's up?' Alya grinned into her phone camera. She was on a sidewalk, and had a chocolate croissant in one hand.

'Uh, hey, Alya,' Marinette managed, 'just checking, you definitely stayed over last night?'

Alya got a gleam in her eye as she laughed. 'Of course! What's with the weird questions, I was there the whole weekend! Speaking of, I left my coat on the coat hook, can you give it to me next time?'

Nathalie approached the hook in question, and lifted a soft orange and white bomber jacket from the hook, an emblaisoned Cesaire across the shoulders.

'Of course!' Marinette filled in. 'Hey, have you heard anything from Adrien?'

'No, why?' Alya shrugged. 'He works too much, and it's a Sunday. Do you want me to text him or something?'

'No, it's fine.' Marinette glanced up at Nathalie, who nodded slightly. 'Listen I have to go, but I'll text you?'

'Sure! Ciao!' Alya grinned, before ending the call.

Marinette looked up at Nathalie, lowering her phone.

'I see.' Nathalie handed her a business card. 'If you see him, I would be obliged if you contact me.'

Marinette gazed between the card and the woman. 'Has he done something wrong?'

'No, we just seem to have misplaced him.' Nathalie said evenly.

'Have you called the police? Shouldn't we be looking for him?'

Nathalie pursed her lips almost imperceptibly. 'This is a simple family matter. Adrien will return, provided he doesn't do anything else reckless.'

Marinette straightened. 'Adrien always does the right thing. He's kind, and incredibly caring. I can't imagine him doing anything undeserved. And as you can see,' she gestured around her apartment, 'he's also not here.' She reached and took the business card from Nathalie's proffed hand with a sense of finality. 'But I'll let you know if I see him.'

Nathalie watched her for a moment, before adjusting her glasses. 'I can see that.' She turned, and made for the door. 'I also noticed before I came in, you don't have a fire escape or any secondary entrance to this floor. It's not very accessible.'

'We keep telling the manager to put in an elevator, but he insists that the stairs are sufficient.' Marinette replied levelly. 'It's the fourth floor, it's not like we can jump.'

'À bien tôt, Ms Dupain-Cheng.' Nathalie said, closing the door behind her.

Marinette waited three full seconds, before letting her breath out in a huff.

She slumped back onto the pull-out, staring at the ceiling, utterly spent.

'I can't believe that worked,' she managed, as Tikki reappeared through the ceiling.

'I heard the whole thing! You did great, Marinette!'

'Thanks, Tikki,' Marinette grinned. 'Did you see which way Adrien went?'

'Chat Noir is on the roof, I'll go let him know he can come back.' Tikki smiled in return.

'You're the best. I seriously don't think I could move right now.' Marinette replied.

Tikki vanished again, and Marinette pulled out her phone to send as many heart emojis to Alya that her phone could manage.

What was that all about? Alya replied as soon as the first barrage hit her.

Adrien's father's secretary paid me a visit looking for Adrien, and she saw the pull-out bed. Marinette typed carefully, hardly believing it herself. How long has that coat been sitting there?

Idk, like a week? Or something? I knew it would make for a good excuse

Excuse for what? Marinette blinked at her phone. But it sure sold it, she thinks Adrien visited quickly yesterday when he switched his phone off, btw

They have a tracking app on his phone? So messed up! Glad he thought to switch it off, make sure he takes the battery out as well

Already done Marinette replied.

There was a flash of green from her doorway, and Adrien appeared through it, a grin on his face.

'Did you rent this place just for that window?' He questioned.

'No, I rented it because it had a good oven, and is close to my internship.' Marinette smiled. 'The window is a bonus.'

'Of course.' He moved around the couch, and sat carefully on the edge of the bed. 'So what did you say?'

'I said Alya had been here. I said you weren't. But I think there's a tracking app on your phone.'

Adrien snatched up the battery from the coffee table. 'What? Really?'

'Don't worry, I think when I took that out of it yesterday it shut it off.' Marinette threw an arm over her eyes with a frustrated noise. 'It's all so complicated, I hate that this is happening to you.'

Adrien took her free, extended hand. 'Are you sure that I'm not being a bother?'

She let out an annoyed huff, peeking around her elbow. 'If you say that again I'm banning you from eating any more bread.'

He smiled, before miming a zipping of his lips. 'I can't even imagine the horror of being denied that bread of the gods.'

'Exactly. So buck up.' She dropped her elbow over her eyes again.

Almost subtly, she shifted her hand so that their fingers were intwined.

'Honestly, who does she think she is, coming over so early?'

'Well, it's seven thirty,' Adrien started, 'maybe she wanted to catch us before work?'

Marinette sat bolt upright. 'Ohmygod, it's that late!?'

'...yes?' He said, pointing to the clock on the oven.

'I have to be at work in half an hour!' She exclaimed, disappearing into her bedroom at a run.

Adrien blinked. 'Oh, of course.' He looked a little forlornly at his empty hand, before standing. 'Shall I cut you some bread? I can't guarantee my cutting skills,'

'Yes please!' Came her voice through the doorway.

He moved to the kitchenette and with a certain sense of pride took out the bread he had made.

She had raced back through the door by the time he had cut a slice and spread jam on it, and he couldn't help but smile at her hasty bun and flushed face.

'You're the best,' she said as she snatched up the offered breakfast from his outstretched hand.

She had changed from her pyjamas into a simple white button up shirt rolled to her elbows and slacks, and as she stuffed a huge mouthful of bread in she was already reaching for a lanyard on the tv stand that had an ID badge hung from it.

'Listen, are you going to go to a shoot or something today?' She asked, looking up at him over her fight with the lanyard.

'Probably not, I think I'll continue my streak of hooky. Suddenly my schedule is looking very clear,' he added a little dreamily.

'I think that's for the best.' She nodded. 'I'm going to take my keys with me, will you be alright using the window?'

'Sure, that's fine.' Adrien nodded. 'Can I get you anything today? I'll have to pay the rent somehow,' he added with a wink.

'You have done more than enough for now.' She pointed out, letting the lanyard fall with a huff to hang off one ear. 'Just take it easy, I'll have a key made for you during my lunchbreak, if I can.'

He blinked at her. '...are you serious?'

'Adrien, I am so serious about you doing what makes you happy, and if you need a place to stay while you do that then you're more than welcome for as long as you want.'

Adrien hesitated, staring at her for a moment, before shaking his head. He closed the few steps between them, and took the lanyard with careful fingers.

With gentle care, he untangled the lanyard and with both hands lowered it around her neck, and let it rest neatly.

'Marinette, I-'

Her phone buzzed in her hand, and Marinette half-wanted to throw it across the room.

But the spell was broken, and he smiled a little ruefully.

'Have a good day,' he said instead. 'I'll be the very best house-husband I can be.' He winked at her with a roguish grin.

Marinette fumbled behind her for the door, unwilling to look away from his exquisite face and softest eyes. 'Be safe,' she managed, as she pulled the door oopen behind her.

As she headed down the corridor beyond, she knew two things were absolutely certain.

She was going to be late, and she was going to spend the entire metro ride over internally screaming, she was completely sure of it.