Adrien was uncomfortable. In fact, the only time he'd ever felt more uncomfortable was when his father had brought in a presenter to give him the sex talk.
That was a powerpoint Adrien wasn't sure he'd ever be able to fully wipe from his memory.
He shifted nervously in place as a pregnant pause hung heavily in the air between him and his father, trying to come up with the best approach. Finally, at a loss, he figured he'd keep it relatively vague. Not only would mentioning he wanted to go on a date probably cause his father to freak out, it would certainly be awkward enough to tie with the sex talk presentation.
Clearing his throat, Adrien straightened his spine. "Father, I'd like to have Friday evening free." Gabriel raised an eyebrow, silently prompting the boy onward. "I wanted to go out with...some friends." One friend, he corrected mentally. A very special friend.
His father inhaled slowly, putting his hands together on his desk and steepling his fingers. "I'm glad you've brought this up, Adrien."
The boy felt an unexpected surge of hope. For once, it seemed that his father was actually listening to what he wanted.
The small grin that had broken out on his face died quickly, however, as Gabriel continued. "Recently, you've been spending far too much time with these 'friends' of yours." The man smoothed his ascot as he leaned forward in his seat, steely blue gaze freezing Adrien into place. "You should be spending time enriching yourself with your studies, and instead you've been severely neglecting your duties. Such behavior is unbecoming of a young man of your status."
Adrien's mouth pinched into a grimace. "My friends are important to me, Father."
"Not more important than your after school activities."
The boy bristled, arms crossing defensively across his chest as he snapped back, "Yes, actually, to me they are." His father began to open his mouth, but the blonde didn't let him get a word out. "I'm still keeping up with my schoolwork and modeling, and, yes, I skipped Mandarin today, but I'm weeks ahead anyways and it gave me the chance to practice with Mari's mom while I was helping them."
That had been the wrong thing to say. Gabriel's lips curled into a displeased sneer at the mention of how he'd spent the afternoon. "A boy of your standing and talents shouldn't be lowering himself to manual labor." He said "manual labor" with the same distaste someone would use to pronounce "urinary tract infection."
"I happen to like that 'manual labor,'" Adrien replied stiffly. "I find it enriching." He knew his tone was quickly approaching mocking and took a deep breath to rein himself in before he said something he'd regret.
"That's not important." Adrien flinched at the cold, uncaring words. "As an Agreste, certain things are expected of you. From now on, you'll be spending more time on your extracurriculars and less time with the riff-raff."
Feeling as though his insides were boiling, Adrien bit his tongue to keep himself from telling his father just where exactly he could shove his beloved extracurriculars. Turning swiftly on his heel, he stormed out of the dark office, letting the heavy door slam shut behind him. He sprinted to his room, slamming that door shut as well.
Adrien prowled around angrily, a low growl bubbling out of his throat. He couldn't believe he'd thought for even a second that his father was finally taking his feelings into consideration.
As he stalked back towards his bathroom, he could almost feel his Chat Noir tail twitching angrily behind him, a feeling that reminded him of what else his father might try to take away if he found out about it. With an enraged yowl, he slammed his fist into the side of one of his arcade games.
A loud cracking noise startled him out of his fury and he turned to watch as the game he'd struck crumbled into nothing more than a burned pile of plastic and metal components. Heart pounding, he stumbled backward, staring down at his hands in shock. What the hell?
He glanced back at the pile, then again at his hands. The game looked as though it had been struck by Cataclysm, but that was impossible.
Right?
"Plagg?" he called, voice wavering more than he'd intended. From somewhere on the second floor of his room, he heard an answering grumble. Within seconds, his kwami had flitted down to perch on his shoulder.
"That's an odd decor choice."
Adrien felt his already stretched patience stretch thinner, but his fear kept him civil. "Plagg, I did that."
The small being stiffened. "Just now?" Adrien nodded. "Without transforming?" They both knew the answer to that, but Adrien nodded again anyway. Plagg fell silent, thinking, and Adrien did his best to keep himself from twitching impatiently.
Abruptly, the small cat spoke. "I need to see Tikki."
Adrien started. "That-That's Ladybug's kwami, isn't it?"
Plagg nodded cooly, looking far more grim than usual. "You have patrol tonight, right?"
"Yeah."
Plagg nodded again. "Good." He began to float away, but Adrien, scared to be left alone with this unknown power, grabbed him.
Clutching him tightly, he demanded, "Wait!" Then, with a strangled gasp, he dropped his kwami for fear of destroying him just like he had the game.
"Don't worry, that power can't hurt you or me." His gaze darkened. "Others..." his voice trailed off, Adrien catching his meaning.
Plagg didn't know for sure what could happen if he used the power on others, but he was fairly certain it wouldn't be good, and Adrien was in no rush to find out.
"Do you know anything about...this?" He gestured weakly at the still smoldering pile.
Plagg flicked his ears indecisively. "Some, but not much. I need to talk to Tikki first, before I can explain anything."
The answer, unsurprisingly, did little to calm Adrien down. He folded his arms across his chest, gripping his sides as he fought for air.
"Am I-Is there something wrong with me?"
Plagg looked almost sad. "You'll be okay, kid." He flitted forward to nuzzle Adrien's cheek, and the boy was finally able to relax a bit. "Just try to stay calm, that should help."
Adrien nodded, taking a deep breath and releasing his death grip on the sides of his over shirt. His calm lasted only as long as it took him to glance down, and he moaned in dismay as he laid eyes on the hand-sized holes where the white fabric had decomposed.
Plagg's ears and tail drooped sympathetically. "It'll be okay, Kitten," he purred in an unusual, but not unwelcome display of affection. The kwami nudged Adrien's cheek once more, catching a stray tear on one of his velvety ears.
Adrien whimpered, afraid to even wipe his eyes, despite the fact that Plagg had said he couldn't be hurt by whatever strange power had possessed his hands. Plagg flitted around, gently drying the tears for him.
Adrien had found, since his mother had disappeared, that sometimes the only way to feel better was to cry. He was relieved when this proved true and, after a few minutes filled with his quiet sobs, the ball of tension that had been crushing his chest finally lifted.
Plagg's purrs and nuzzles slowed to a stop and Adrien felt a small grin stretch his stiff cheeks as the cat's gruff persona returned. "I'm hungry," the kwami announced as he zipped away to the trash can he called home. "Get me some cheese."
Adrien did just that, rubbing the little being affectionately between the ears as he dropped a container of camembert next to him. With a sigh, he stumbled over to his bed and flopped down onto it, rolling onto his back to stare blankly up at the ceiling.
After a moment, an idea sparked in his head. Plan. He had to make a plan. He'd lived his whole life on plans and schedules, and if there was anything familiar and calming to him it was knowing what came next.
He hopped off the bed, heading for his desk with a rough idea already forming. Yes, he would do research on calming techniques, make an hourly schedule, even. He shook his computer mouse to wake the screen up, and was inching the cursor towards his spreadsheet maker when a Mystic Story notification popped up, startling him.
Mari was requesting he get online.
Instantly, all thoughts of plans and schedules vanished. His heartbeat quickened and he was gripping his mouse in excitement until, suddenly, he wasn't.
Adrien groaned in frustration as he looked down at the mound of melted plastic and ash beneath his hand. So it wasn't just negative emotions like fear and anger that could trigger the new power, it seemed to be any surge of emotion he felt.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
Deep breaths, he reminded himself as he brushed the remainders of his mouse off his desk into his extra trash bin-the one that Plagg didn't sleep in-and wiped his hands on his already ruined over shirt. Just keep breathing, Adrien. That was his mantra as he rustled through his drawers, searching for the old mouse he knew he had somewhere. Once he found it and plugged it in, he clicked on the notification, entering the game in search of his questing partner.
Granted, gaming probably wasn't the best idea at this particular point in time, given how excited he got when he won, but he was not about to pass up the chance to hang out with his princess.
His princess that he was going on a date with. A purr slipped out of him at the thought. Now that he had finally been able to ask her, every time he thought of her he felt like he was floating.
The dark trails of smoke curling up from his hand brought him back down to earth, and he shook his head, trying to calm down. Thankfully, there was only superficial damage to the mouse, so his gaming time would not be ruined.
Maybe, he thought optimistically, I'm already learning to control it.
That notion lasted until he caused them to lose their first boss fight of the night. Cursing in irritation as their characters were transported to Oswald's Inn to revive, he thumped his fist on his mousepad, his cursing growing louder when he lifted his hand to discover a hole eating through the now-withered fabric.
He'd really learned a lot of new words from Alya in such a short period of time.
"It's okay, Adrien." There was a hint of a smile in Marinette's voice, which immediately calmed him.
If he'd had his Chat Noir ears, they'd have been drooping in shame. "Sorry, Mari, I messed it up."
"It's fine, we can try again." There was a pause before she added hurriedly, "But not right now. I forgot my parents needed help with something. I've got to go."
Adrien flipped his phone over to check the time, blanching when he realized how late it was. "Yeah, me too. I have a...thing." Great excuse, he mocked himself as Plagg snickered below.
"I'll message you when I'm done, okay?"
Adrien smiled, happy to have that to look forward to. "Sure. Talk to you later." He quickly ended the call, flying out of his seat.
"What's the rush?" Plagg drawled as Adrien scooped him out of his trash can bed.
"I'm going to be late!" Adrien ignored the way Plagg rolled his eyes as he urged, "Come on, claws out!"
As soon as his suit was fully formed, he rocketed out of the window, using his staff to propel him towards a nearby line of rooftops. Once he touched down, he dropped to all fours, sliding his staff back onto his belt before sprinting towards their predetermined meeting place.
He arrived, surprisingly, at the same time as Ladybug, who looked as breathless as he felt.
"Sorry I'm late!" they blurted in unison. Chat chuckled, bowing slightly in greeting to his lady, who played along with a mock curtsy.
"So," she began after catching her breath, "I guess we should get started."
Chat was about to nod in agreement when Plagg's normally-dormant force stirred inside of him, reminding him of the kwami's desire to speak to his counterpart.
"Wait," he requested, grabbing the hand that had been headed toward her yoyo. "Plagg wants to talk to Tikki."
"Now?" Ladybug looked skeptical.
"Yeah, it's kind of urgent." At least, he thought it was. At this rate he wouldn't even be able to brush his teeth without decomposing his toothbrush. As he released her, he insisted, "We need to find somewhere safe to de-transform."
His partner mulled it over for a minute. "I know a place." She grabbed her yoyo from her waist, letting it sail out and latch on to a building across the way with a neat flick of her wrist. "Follow me."
He did as instructed, launching himself after her happily. There was nothing quite as freeing as that feeling of power that surged through his veins as he sprinted across the moonlit rooftops of Paris.
The journey didn't take long, and soon they found themselves in the warehouse district. As they leapt from roof to roof, Chat recognized one of the buildings as Theo's workshop. The pair stopped on a roof just a few buildings over, and Ladybug gently pried a sheet of plywood up, revealing a gaping hole beneath. She slipped inside, lowering herself with her yoyo, and Chat Noir followed her, landing with a quiet thump.
He looked around, analyzing the dim room. Or he assumed it was dim for her, anyways; he could see fine with his night vision. "How did you know about this place?"
"After we fought at Theo's studio, I came back with some pastries for him, as an extra apology. As I was leaving, I accidentally tripped over that sheet of wood and fell in here." Chat grinned as he saw her cheeks pink in the darkness. Though he doubted she could actually see his smirk, she glared knowingly in his direction before continuing. "After I found it, I realized we could make it into a sort of home base if we ever needed a safe place. I meant to bring you before, but I always got distracted."
"That's okay. This is perfect." Chat plopped down on the dusty floor, patting the area behind him. "Sit, sit."
Hesitantly, Ladybug folded herself down gracefully until her back was resting comfortably against his. She shifted anxiously, feeling restless at the prospect of what they were about to do.
"What does Plagg want to talk to Tikki about?" Her voice was high-pitched with nerves, not helping to soothe his own racing pulse.
"I-" He hesitated, wondering if it would be better to wait for Plagg to explain things. After all, he still wasn't really sure what was going on. "I can't really say, exactly." She remained silent, but he felt her shoulders stiffen, so he rushed to add, "It's not that you can't know, it's that I don't know. Plagg has some idea of what's going on, but he wouldn't say anything until he talked to Tikki." He reached out blindly, hand scrabbling across the dirty floor until it met hers and he grabbed on. "Just trust me, Bugaboo."
She squeezed his hand, whispering, "I do." Then she muttered something under her breath and Chat was blinded by a bright pink flash behind him.
He quickly followed suit, squeezing his eyes closed as he requested Plagg release his transformation, and he shivered as his gloves melted away, leaving no barriers between their clasped fingers. Adrien's heart swelled in his chest as he rubbed his thumb over the soft skin on the back of her hand.
Marinette smiled, heart fluttering inexplicably fast at the feeling of his skin on hers, until a searing hot pain caused her to yelp, yanking her hand away. She whimpered, cradling her injury to her chest.
"Ladybug!" Adrien had to force himself not to turn around to see if she was okay. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to!"
Tikki's voice rang out gravely from somewhere behind him. "Plagg, come. We must discuss this." Adrien heard her zip away, and a slight breeze kissed his cheek as Plagg flew after her.
Their kwamis gone for their private conversation, the two teens sat in silence, Marinette still nursing her wound as the guilt began to weigh heavier and heavier on Adrien. Slowly, he began to scoot forward, putting distance between himself and his lady for fear of hurting her again.
"Chat?" Her voice wavered uncertainly in the air between them. "Where are you going?"
Adrien gulped, tears beginning to prick behind his still-closed eyelids. "I just-I'm scared I'll hurt you again."
He heard her shifting behind him, then, a second later, something nudged his back. There was more shuffling until, finally, she stilled, forehead resting against his spine between his shoulder blades. He stiffened as her arms wrapped around his torso from behind. The hug comforted him instantly; even after he did something so horrible, she still trusted him.
"My eyes are closed," she informed him after a moment. He chuckled, realizing that, for once, revealing themselves was the last thing on his mind.
"I trust you, my lady." Not that he would've minded if she'd found out his identity.
"And I trust you, Kitty." She paused. "So, is that why Plagg needed to talk to Tikki?"
Adrien sighed. "Yes. It started earlier today. Whenever I feel a surge of any emotion I-I destroy whatever I'm touching."
Marinette wasn't able to hold back her shocked gasp, and Adrien flinched away as though stung. "No, no, Kitty," she murmured comfortingly, tightening her hold on his torso. "I'm sorry, I was just surprised. It just doesn't seem possible."
"It is, somehow," Adrien replied glumly, leaning back slightly in her warm embrace. He was amazed that even after what he just did to her-intentionally or not-she trusted him so implicitly. His heart swelled with love for his partner, and for a moment he worried he was losing control again, but a flood of calm washed over him as she nuzzled into his shirt.
How many times had she saved him already and here she was, doing it all over again.
"Can I see it?" he asked quietly, suddenly needing to know the extent of the damage he'd done.
"Chat, don't worry about it, I'm fine."
She managed to sound convincing, but Adrien wouldn't-couldn't-buy it. "Please, my lady."
Reluctantly, she unwrapped one arm from around his torso, extending her hand as she buried her face deeper in his shirt. Once she stilled, he opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he quickly became adjusted to the dim light.
Without his night vision, it was hard to see the extent of the wound as as he gently took her hand, but as he brought it closer to his face he was able to see the large burn his newfound power had caused, the sharp red of it visible even in the pale moonlight.
With a gasp, he dropped her hand, shoving his own in front of him as far away from her as he could get them. Breathing heavily, he fought to calm down before it happened again.
He was a monster.
"Shh, Chat, it's okay," Marinette murmured, steady as a rock behind him. The arm around his torso tightened and her injured hand reached towards his hair, fingers stroking it soothingly in an effort to calm him. He could feel her heart fluttering wildly against his back.
She was scared, that was for sure. But the more he listened to her quiet reassurances, the more he concentrated on her fingers clutching at him, holding him together, the more he felt that surge of deadly power drain from his fingertips, the more clearly he realized-
She wasn't scared of him, she was scared for him. Somehow he could feel it, as though it was flooding through him: her worries were for his wellbeing, not hers.
And just like that, the surge was gone. He was sniffling, tears slipping down his cheeks in small rivers, but he couldn't muster up any shame at crying in front of her.
Her dainty hand descended from his hair, carefully wiping at his cheeks. Blind to what she was doing, she accidentally poked him in the nose, prompting a startled chuckle out of him. He grabbed that hand and gently nudged her fingers until she opened it for him, exposing her injury once more. Ever so gently, he brought it up to his lips and pressed the softest of kisses to it, hoping that some way, somehow, that little kiss would be able to tell her all the things he couldn't about just what she meant to him.
Marinette blushed at the contact, a strange feeling pulsing through her, and she imagined for a moment that it was him she felt, his feelings washing over her like a gentle wave. She quickly shook the thought from her head. Sharing feelings like that was impossible.
Then again, Chat Noir having something akin to Cataclysm in his civilian form had been impossible, too.
Before she could think on it any further, a small weight settled atop her head, nuzzling her gently.
"Tikki!"
"Are you alright, Ma-my dear?" Tikki caught herself relatively smoothly, patting the girl's head with concern.
"I'm fine," she replied hastily, for Chat's sake. "It'll heal quickly."
"I'm glad. Now, we have much to discuss, children."
Plagg flopped down in Adrien's hair, immediately rolling around and tangling it up. As the boy scolded his kwami, Marinette released her grip on him and turned until they were sitting back to back again.
She could sense, whether due to some strange new magic or simply knowing him, that he was sad for the loss of her arms around him, so, as consolation, she tilted her head back against his shoulder, letting her forehead rest against the side of his neck.
When they were settled, Tikki floated up to hover just above them and began.
"Sometimes, though it is rare, as a Ladybug and a Chat Noir grow closer-"
"This is sounding an awful lot like the beginning of the 'birds and the bees' talk," Marinette interrupted suspiciously, and she heard Chat snicker behind her.
"More like the ladybugs and the bees," he joked.
"Sounds about right."
"Ahem."
Jumping guiltily, the two teens straightened up, paying full attention to Tikki once more. Though they couldn't see it, she smiled adoringly at them before continuing.
"As I was saying, when a Ladybug and a Chat Noir strengthen their bond, sometimes new powers can manifest in them. Even more rarely, these new powers can manifest outside of their miraculous forms."
"So this could happen to me, too?" Marinette interjected, her voice taking on a slight edge of panic. Adrien reached up to lay a hand on the top of her head, petting her hair the best he could at that awkward angle in an attempt to reassure her.
"Yes, but no," Tikki replied cryptically, drawing a huff from her charge. "While I can't tell you exactly what power could manifest in you, I can say that it won't be like Chat Noir's."
Adrien wasn't offended by the girl's sigh of relief, but it made him smile when she reached up and squeezed the hand that still laid on her head, whispering, "As clumsy as I am, that power would be even more of a disaster in my hands."
Tikki giggled. "I agree." Ignoring Marinette's indignant huff, she went on. "Thankfully, your new power-should one indeed develop-will be based more on creation. Since Chat Noir already has powers of destruction in his Cataclysm, it makes sense that his new power would be quite similar. Therefore, since your normal power has to do with creation, any new powers would be linked to that in turn."
The teens nodded in understanding, Adrien somewhat more pensively. Hesitantly, he asked, "So how do I control it?"
Tikki sighed as she drifted down to settle on Marinette's shoulder. "Unfortunately, I don't know. Everyone learns to control these powers differently. The best advice I can offer you is to try to stay calm until you can control it. You should also practice bringing the power forth and banishing it at will."
"Okay," he agreed somewhat reluctantly, wishing Tikki had been able to give him an easy fix for the problem.
"That's all we can tell you right now. The only other advice I can give is to spend more time together. That might help you develop control over your powers more quickly, especially you, Chat Noir."
The blonde nodded, his hair tickling Marinette's forehead as he did so. "Thanks, Tikki. It's nice to have such a helpful kwami around."
Marinette stifled a giggle, having heard plenty of stories detailing Plagg's generally unhelpful nature.
"You're most welcome." Tikki floated up from her perch on Marinette's shoulder, flitting around their heads. "Come on now, you two still have to go patrol."
With that, the teens stood, still facing away from each other. One argument with Plagg, a few quick snacks, and two quiet commands later, the heroes were once again suited up, ready to take on the night.
They exited the building silently, Chat committing its location to memory. If they were going to be spending more time together, they'd need a base for sure, and Ladybug was right about the warehouse making a good one.
They didn't talk as they flew over the rooftops, feet fast and silent on the shingles. Following a familiar route, they made their usual circuit around the center of the city before Ladybug stopped on the roof of a shop with a fantastic view of the Eiffel tower. She sat down on the peak, leaning against the chimney and Chat followed suit, settling in next to her.
"Everything alright, Bugaboo?" he asked anxiously, worried that her injured hand was bothering her.
"Yes." Her frown made it difficult for him to believe her. "It's just, something about all this is bugging me."
Chat's lips twitched at the surely unintended pun, but he matched her serious tone. "What's not sitting right with you?"
"The whole becoming more bonded thing. We're very close, yes, and you're probably-no, definitely one of my closest friends, but it's not like any of that is really a recent development."
"So, why, of all times, now?" Chat finished for her, and she nodded emphatically. He tilted his head, considering. "Maybe it's because we upped patrols recently?"
Ladybug mulled the suggestion over. It was true-due to the increase in akumas in the past month, they'd upped the amount of patrols they'd been doing each week. In fact, they'd been patrolling nearly every night, with the obvious exception of the past weekend when she'd been with Adrien.
"Maybe," she acquiesced. She wrapped her arms around herself, shifting her weight to lean against his shoulder, drawing comfort from his solid form. "I guess I'm just having a hard time getting my head around all this."
Wrapping an arm around her, he squeezed her shoulder gently. "It's okay, Buginette, take your time adjusting. And when your new powers emerge, I'll be right by your side."
She sighed, nestling further into his embrace. "Thanks, Kitty. Same goes for you."
He murmured his thanks in return, and they sat in comfortable silence for a moment.
That is, until Chat shot up, nearly launching them both off the roof.
"What the hell, Chat?" Ladybug exclaimed as she caught her balance.
"One, language. Two, I just had a great idea."
"I'm never going to say yes to swapping miraculouses. You don't even have your ears pierced."
"Rude, I could totally get them done if I wanted to." Chat waved the idea away. "Anyways, that's not my idea this time." He paused for effect. "I think we should use Link."
"As in that new messaging app?" Ladybug raised an eyebrow, clearly not approving of where the conversation was going.
Before she could scold him, he threw up his hands in defense. "Hear me out. We're supposed to be spending more time together, plus we have crazy new powers coming out of nowhere. We need a way to communicate so we can support each other, and Link is more impersonal than trading phone numbers." He held up a finger, one eyebrow raised for emphasis. "And, they have lots of cute stickers."
"I do like cute stickers."
"I knew you'd see the light," Chat chuckled, slinging an arm around her shoulders once more.
"On one condition." Ladybug double tapped the tip of his nose gently for emphasis as she declared, "No. Memes."
"My lady!" he wailed dramatically, clasping a hand to his chest. "How could you betray me like this?"
"Take it or leave it, Kitten."
"Fine." He most certainly was not pouting. Superheroes don't pout.
Ladybug patted the hand hanging over her shoulder consolingly. "Okay, tonight we'll each make a new account and we'll exchange names during patrol tomorrow night."
"Purr-fect plan as always, LB."
Ladybug smiled, reaching up to scratch her partner behind the ears. He leaned into her hand, purring, and her grin stretched wider at the sound. She indulged him for a few more minutes, before reluctantly pulling away.
Chat mewled in protest, but removed his arm from around her. His heart started to pound as he began to worry about what would happen with his new destructive power without his partner's calming presence to keep him grounded.
Again, though Ladybug could see that Chat Noir was anxious and could easily guess why, she felt this odd presence in the back of her head, almost like his fears were being transmitted directly to her.
Resolving to ask Tikki about it later, she grabbed the boy's hand and squeezed gently. "You'll be fine, Chat. I believe in you. You know that, right?"
"Of course, but the reminder never hurts." Bringing their clasped hands up, he laid a feather-light kiss on the back of her glove. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Same cat time, same cat channel," she replied with a wink, making him chuckle. Slowly, with an unexpected pang of reluctance, she released his hand and gripped her yoyo, preparing to take off. "Goodnight, Kitty."
"Goodnight, my lady." He saluted her as she leapt away, his eyes tracing her lithe figure's progress until she finally flitted out of sight.
Chat took the long way home, just to have a few more moments of freedom, of knowing he was in control, before he had to return to his father's domain.
At least I have Mari's text to look forward to, he remembered, ears and tail flicking happily as he quietly reentered his room and de-transformed. As Plagg floated off to the second floor, Adrien shucked off his jeans and shirt, quickly slipping into his pajamas before grabbing his phone from his desk and flopping onto his bed with a yawn to await his friend's message.
Meanwhile, Marinette was also getting settled, having already changed clothes and bandaged her injured hand. When her suit had melted away and she'd been able to see the extent of the wound, she hadn't been able to hold back a small moan. Bubbles had already formed across the red mark on her palm, and her hand throbbed painfully. Stepping over to her sink, she ran her hand under cool water, wincing as the pressure irritated her injury. After standing there for several minutes, her hand started to feel the slightest bit better, so with a sigh of relief she turned off the water and snatched her first aid kit up. Marinette gingerly spread burn cream across her skin, then let out a string of muffled curses as she wrapped her hand with gauze.
With a sigh, she looked down at the bandage. She had no idea how she was going to explain this one away. Her best bet might be to wear arm warmers or fingerless gloves until it healed and hope that she managed to start a new trend instead of becoming a fashion outcast.
Deciding to worry about it in the morning, the girl collapsed onto her chaise, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before sitting up and drawing her knees to her chest. She was quickly joined by her kwami, who settled on her crossed arms with a concerned look on her face.
"Are you okay, Marinette?"
The teen sighed, pursing her lips. "I-I don't know. I'm really worried about this new power business."
"There's nothing to be afraid of," Tikki reassured her, patting her forearm gently. "I know that the two of you can handle anything."
"Thanks, Tikki." Marinette leaned down to plant a quick kiss on her kwami's head, before sinking back with a sigh. "There's something else, too," she confessed, prompted onward by Tikki's encouraging look. "Has there ever been, that is, is it possible that maybe Chat and I, we would be able to like- I don't know, understand each other's thoughts or something?"
It sounded ridiculous to her even as she finished saying it, but her kwami stilled and looked at her thoughtfully. A moment of silence passed before Tikki asked, "What exactly brought this to mind?"
"Earlier it felt like I could sort of understand what Chat was feeling. And not just because we've been partners forever," she was quick to add. "It felt like his feelings were being transferred to my brain somehow." Tikki was silent again and Marinette's stomach began to twist with anxiety. "Is that crazy?"
"It is...not entirely outside of the realm of possibilities," Tikki conceded. "It is, however, one of the more uncommon powers that can develop between miraculous holders." With a bright smile, she added, "Then again, I've always felt that you were one of my strongest Ladybugs, so it's really no surprise."
"M-Me?" Marinette sputtered, cheeks pinking slightly.
Tikki smiled in her motherly way, eyes twinkling with a little mischief. "Yes, I have to say I've never had quite such a stubborn Ladybug before."
Marinette crossed her arms with a huff. "Suddenly I'm not so sure that's a compliment."
Tikki giggled, bestowing her charge with a sweet kiss on the forehead. "You should get some sleep, Marinette."
The girl nodded with a stretch, busying herself with her nightly routine. Soon enough, she was crawling beneath the covers, grabbing her phone from beside her to check that her seventeen alarms were set for the morning. She was about to place the device on her shelf and snuggle up to her cat pillow, when she remembered her promise to a certain pretty boy earlier that evening.
"Shoot," she muttered, swiping her phone open again and pulling up her text thread with Adrien. She typed out a quick text before locking her phone once more and tossing it onto the shelf with a yawn. She vaguely hoped that he wouldn't be too disappointed with her broken promise as she drifted off to sleep.
Adrien read the text aloud somewhat disappointedly. "Hey, sorry but my thing took longer than I thought. I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?" Plagg floated over to land on his head as his shoulders slumped and tears pricked at his eyes. After what he'd been through that evening, he'd really needed the distraction of talking to Marinette.
"Get some sleep, kid," Plagg advised gruffly, creating a nest in the boy's hair. "Things will be brighter in the morning."
Adrien chuckled weakly. "I think that's the most optimistic thing I've ever heard you say."
"Don't get used to it."
"I wouldn't dream of it." The boy managed a slight smile as he shuffled under the covers, careful not to dislodge the kwami from his resting place. "Goodnight, Plagg."
"Goodnight, Adrien."