Disclaimer: I own nothing.

iv.
la métamorphose

Chaque blessure guérit.

Once the bath was tidied up, Marinette settled down beside the cat, placing a hand on his shoulder as he spoke. Obviously, the pain wasn't just going to disappear after the stitches. In fact, it was probably even worse now… she gave a light sigh and nodded in understanding.

If his Miraculous was anything like her own, there was a hungry and tired kwami involved. Of course, she'd play ignorant and pretend she didn't know that. "I can get some for you. And painkillers," she added, hoping they might help—if even a little. "You should just try laying down."

Not here on the tile, she wanted to say, but if he had trouble getting up then it might come to that.

"I would be quite grateful for both. I imagine I'll be feeling this quite a bit more as the magic recharges." He offered another tired grin, leaning into her touch.

It was… nice, actually.

He wasn't used to being tended to. Even when he was sick, he was just confined to his room and brought what he needed. There was never lingering concern or gentle touches of comfort.

"Half past one, huh?... Then I'll start beeping in about ten minutes," Chat Noir said, shifting to lay down on his uninjured side. He opened his eyes, spying the bloodied towel. "Sooner if you want me to take care of the evidence of treating a gunshot wound."

"Ten?" Marinette frowned. As much as she wanted Chat Noir to take a break, if it was his identity in danger, she would be quick as possible. She shook her head, "You can take care of that in a moment. I'll be right back!"

Hearing her nearly stumble in her haste to leave the bathroom, Chat chuckled and let his eyes drift closed. He couldn't fall asleep right now, far too worked up and in pain for that, but it helped the world settle around him. He could hear Marinette moving through the house if he paid attention, ears sensitive like his.

Marinette whispered frantically with Tikki as she crept downstairs. She really didn't want to wake her parents up... so with about as much dexterity as she could manage in the dark, she retrieved fresh wedges of cheese from the refrigerator as well as a bottle of pain relief medication and a glass of water—making her way up again. Sliding back into the bathroom, heart racing, she kneeled beside the relaxing cat and gently brushed some of the messy blonde hair from his face to draw his attention.

"Here, Chat Noir, have some water first."

He opened his eyes as he felt the gentle touch, leaning up and reaching for the glass. Taking a long drink. Right. Liquids, he'd have to remember that. She was so sweet, going through extra trouble just to protect his identity. He wasn't sure many people would do that.

"You really are too kind, Princess," he murmured. Marinette was relieved to see him down the glass of water. She released a deep sigh and moved to lean against the tub, knees drawn to her chest and slouching her shoulders in a lazy manner.

"It's nothing," she dismissed him with a wave of her hand and she meant it.

"It's not nothing—"

"Shh. Drink."

He raised a brow and she laughed breathlessly.

As Chat eventually removed the glass from his lips, she unscrewed the cap of medication and spilled two painkillers into her palm, handing them over for him to take. If she was tired, she could only imagine how exhausted he must have been. "If you need anything else, just let me know. I'll do my best."

He took the pills, swallowing them with the last of the water. "Not everyone can stitch up a silly kitty without preparation." Chat Noir allowed himself to slump over again.

"That… was pretty nerve-wracking," she admitted under her breath and he hummed. He started gathering up the bloodied items, albeit lazily. "I just need time at this point. And privacy. You have been an angel, but a secret identity must be a secret," he said, crumpling up the towel with the rest of the objects.

"Cataclysm." The items decayed into dust.

Marinette nodded and moved to stand again, shifting toward the bathroom entrance. With the evidence destroyed, there was no reason to worry anymore and she certainly wouldn't disrespect his request for privacy.

"I'll just be here, then."

"Thank you, Princess," Chat Noir murmured, watching her go.

A small yawn parted her lips as she closed the door for him and shuffled tiredly towards her bed. With a long huff, Marinette flopped onto her back and placed her pillow over her face. She wouldn't fall asleep in case she was still needed, but it wouldn't hurt to close her eyes now that things were calm again.

He waited for silence to surround him and once he felt Marinette was far enough away from the door, he took the cheese. Unwrapping it, and setting it nearby. Then, he braced himself and let go of the transformation.

The pain hit in a wave and he made a choked gasp as his endurance dropped.

"You—are an idiot." Plagg flopped over on the ground.

"I know."

"Where would I get my cheese if you had died?!"

"Your worry is duly noted," Adrien muttered dryly. Though, the fact that Plagg hadn't moved for the cheese right away displayed just how worried his kwami had been. "I'll live, but you need to eat."

"Hmmm, it's no camembert, but I suppose it will do." Within moments, the tiny creature flitted over to devour the wedges of cheese placed out for him, patting his belly with small, contented hums.

"It was short notice and stinky cheese isn't the best with baked goods," a huff escaped the blonde and he stayed curled on his side, focused on Plagg eating. Really, how did something so tiny consume so much? [It was better to focus on than his own pain.]

Once Plagg was done, he settled down beside Adrien with a yawn. "Well, at least this way, I'll have a vacation!" Adrien was sure this was the kwami's way of saying, 'Take it easy for a few days so you don't get hurt again.'

"Looks like. But it'll have to start tomorrow. I still need to get back," Adrien managed to say, only receiving an annoyed sigh from Plagg in return. It was still a few minutes before Plagg allowed Adrien to transform again. The increased endurance was a godsend and he was back in the his full outfit, the old shred of his suit gone, though Chat Noir still didn't move for a bit longer.

"Princess—it's safe to come in," he eventually called.

"Marinette, you did a good job for helping him out! Was it hard?"

A small voice chirped by her ear, automatically pulling her from her thoughts. Her kwami hadn't been there to see the suturing. Marinette felt queasy again just thinking about it.

"Yeah... I was really scared I'd mess up."

"You didn't, though! And he's okay now, thanks to you."

That was true. She wasn't too sure what was happening in the bathroom, [detransformation, most likely], but Marinette didn't care so long as Chat Noir was alright. Even if she may not seem like it, as Marinette she did care for the other. He was her friend, someone she considered close and important to her without needing to know the face behind the mask.

The sound of him calling for her got her attention.

Honestly, the nickname was just so silly but she wouldn't bother correcting him. Marinette slipped out of bed, blue fringe sticking up and pillow gathered in her arms as she opened the bathroom door again. He looked more or less 'alright'. Still exhausted, but a little less pained and the color had returned to his face again.

She knew how difficult it was to stay transformed for too long. An unhappy and worried Tikki often scolded her afterward. With a mild smile, Marinette took a seat on the edge of the scratched tub, pressing the pillow closer to her chest. "Feeling a bit better?"

"I am," he nodded, rolling onto his back to look up at her and she visibly deflated at the response. He studied her for a few moments before reaching out, resting his hand on her knee. "How are you? I'm sure this isn't at all how you imagined your evening would go."

Blinking, the girl tensed for just a moment before lifting a hand to rub her nape. It was a sheepish gesture. Her state wasn't nearly as concerning as his had been. "Oh, um… I'm fine, too. Don't worry about me."

"Can't be helped. A knight is always concerned for his princess." Chat Noir flashed her a teasing grin. It wasn't his usual energy, of course, but he wanted to assure her. He was stable, he would be fine. She didn't need to fret over him anymore.

"Maybe in the storybooks." With a quiet sigh, she leaned forward to rest her cheeks in her palms, elbows propped on the pillow in her lap. "Tonight was eventful for both of us, huh?" Despite the annoyance she constantly showed in other circumstances, Marinette was glad to see Chat Noir smiling at her and joking around, especially when he was so tired. It allowed her to feel more at ease compared to the overly concerned and awkward air around her earlier.

He laughed, closing his eyes.

"Indeed. I must say, you handle a crisis beautifully. I suspected you were capable of such, but I think it must be quite a sight to see you going when someone isn't distracted." Trying to not cry out in pain was rather distracting. The fact she had been so steady had done a lot to help him keep himself under control.

"—Beautifully?" she repeated, but the amusement in her tone was evident. "I was a mess! Mon chaton, you're very lucky to have survived my first attempt at giving stitches." A soft laugh parted her own lips, "I can't say I'm surprised, though. You handled it really well, too."

"Ah, ah." He wagged a finger at her. "For a first time, it was handled beautifully. If you want messes, you should have seen the first time I went after an Akumatized villain without Ladybug. Safe to say, I'm glad they don't remember anything because—that? Was embarrassing," he explained with a dramatic sigh and slightly reddened cheeks. "But, as with everything, practice makes perfect. Get thrown into enough furniture and walls and you learn how to control your reactions."

Marinette appeared intrigued by this information. How had it gone without Ladybug? The idea of Chat Noir getting hurt was something that made her sick to her stomach, but it must not have been too serious with how flustered he was getting.

She visibly cringed. "I know, right?"

Wait, don't agree! Marinette wasn't the one being thrown into furniture and walls!

"I mean, that would hurt. A lot. I guess you must be pretty used to dangerous situations. This probably came as more of a surprise than anything you could have been prepared for."

He was, perhaps, being too cavalier. He was tired, and for a moment it sounded like Marinette understood the feeling. "It is oddly strange that I got this hurt by something so mundane. Almost funny, but it's alright. I'm built to last. This time next week, I'll be jumping around like nothing happened."

"Chat Noir…"

He could see that she wasn't convinced, but he continued without a hitch. "Let me tell you about my first fight. You're curious, aren't you?"

Marinette blushed. Was it obvious?

"It was pawsitively terrible. I had tried to be smart, had practiced with my abilities so I didn't hurt anyone or get myself killed. Luckily, I had taken some fighting classes, it made me ready for combat. Somewhat."

"…What happened?"

Chat Noir lifted a hand, lightly tugging on an ear. "Well, what I hadn't practiced was the cat instincts. We ended up near a seafood restaurant and I got distracted by the most wonderful smell. Which… turned out to be fish guts." He sighed, shaking his head. "Got sent flying into the poor worker taking it out to the trash. The worst part was I had to fight while trying to not lick myself clean. The smell eventually drove the Akuma away and I had to take five baths before I stopped smelling delicious."

There was such a put-upon expression on his face that Marinette found herself howling with laughter. "I bet you weren't so delicious for everyone else!"

"Oh, far from it. Luckily my ride knew I was near the trouble as a civilian, so I had an excuse, but I swear it was the first time I had seen his expression change in months," Chat Noir added with a sheepish smile. He was sorry having to leave airing out the car to the Gorilla, but he had desperately needed to shower by then.

She pressed the heel of her palm to her mouth to stifle a stray giggle or two.

"I wonder what Ladybug would have said if she'd been there," she teased and maybe it was terrible, but what he didn't know couldn't hurt him.

"If there was one thing lucky about that incident, it's that she wasn't. Not exactly one of my best moments. No, no, I think I prefer this just being our little secret."

"Secret, right… Ah!" The realization came hurling toward her. "Are you okay on the floor?" It couldn't be comfortable at all. "I can help you up to my bed, or…"

The hero blinked at the sudden change of topic. "It would probably be better to move to something more comfortable. Especially as I'll still need to make the trek back home eventually." Things he was not looking forward to? That. He started to move to sit up, hissing softly at the dull pain.

Marinette immediately moved to help him as he sat up, noting this expression flicker across his features. "There's no rush."

She hooked an arm around his waist and adjusted his over her shoulder, taking care of any unnecessary movements that might put strain on his body. As they stumbled out of the bathroom door, she knew Tikki had slipped away to hide again.

"Easy now," she murmured as she led him to the daybed, carefully nudging him onto the covers.