A/N: For those of you who followed, favorited, and reviewed, thank you so much! I appreciate it infinitely :) Enjoy the next chapter!
The first time Adrien performed a grand act of heroism on Marinette's behalf (yes, more heroic than helping her get into her apartment when they first met) was perhaps one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. They laughed about it now, of course, but at the time it had been mortifying.
Marinette was an above average clumsy person. Her friends knew it. Her parents knew it. She knew it.
Adrien, at that point, only kind of knew it. After officially obtaining "friend" status, they now greeted each other in the hallway and sent each other the occasional meme via text, but not much more than that. Their evening together had been great- Marinette thought so at least- but it seemed like neither of them knew how to initiate the next hang out. The first one happened so naturally and their schedules kept them on their toes all week, so there wasn't much time to casually stroll over and make plans.
In their limited interaction since that day, Adrien had witnessed Marinette stumble, trip over air, and even shatter one of her mugs when he startled her as she was collecting her mail. Not much else.
Fortunately, the next opportunity for them to spend quality time together happened as naturally as the first. Unfortunately, it had been a direct result of Marinette's crippling inability to stand on her own two feet.
She was on the floor. She had registered that much. And her head was throbbing. Her eyes were still closed, so she didn't know exactly where she was, but she assumed she was in her apartment. That's where she was earlier, wasn't it? Did she get tired and take an impromptu floor nap? She wasn't quite sure.
There was a high pitched ringing noise piercing her ears. Slowly gaining back consciousness, she realized someone was talking to her.
"...arinette? Marinette, can you hear me?"
A warm hand stroked her cheek tenderly. It felt nice. Maybe she'd stay down there for a while. She felt pretty groggy.
"Please open your eyes. Can you open your eyes for me?"
Marinette had to think hard about that one. Could she open her eyes? She tried half heartedly. Since when were eyelids so heavy?
"Marinette? Oh God. I think I'm going to have to call 911."
That got her attention.
She tried harder to open her eyes. She didn't quite succeed, but she felt them flutter a bit. Marinette tried her limbs, too, managing to get a little movement in her fingers.
"Marinette?" The hand slid from her cheek to her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Can you hear me?"
"Mmm." That wasn't yes, but it was a sound. Hopefully Adrien understood her meaning.
Adrien. Adrien's here. Why is Adrien here?
Her eyes fluttered open. That took a lot of energy, but she could finally see. Adrien was crouched over her, looking pale and panic-stricken. He let out a sigh of relief when she looked at him, moving his hand gently back to her face, curling his fingers to cup the back of her head. His thumb stroked her skin. "Hey." His voice was shaky. And were those tears forming in his eyes? He blinked them back rapidly, so she couldn't tell if they were even there to begin with. "Good morning, beautiful. Let's get you off the floor. Can you move?"
Adrien wanted her to move. She could certainly give it a try.
Her legs felt as heavy as lead, so she tried her arms instead. To her pleasant surprise, they slowly gained back their feeling. She braced her hands against the floor.
Adrien's hand continued to support the back of her head, and the other hovered near her shoulders, ready to brace her back. "Lovely. You're doing great." He still sounded scared. She didn't really understand why- what was so scary about taking a nap on the floor?
She pushed herself up, but Adrien did most of the work, helping her into a sitting position. The movement made her head swim. Marinette had to lean against his shoulder to keep herself from slumping back down to the floor.
He's so nice to help me sit up. I should thank him. She turned to face him, ready to do exactly that.
That was a mistake.
A sharp stinging sensation burst in her temples at the movement. She hissed in pain, squeezing her eyes back shut. One of her hands flew up to her forehead, trying to massage away the ache.
"Marinette?" Adrien's voice was urgent now. "What hurts?"
"Head," she murmured, forcing her eyes back open. It was barely audible, but it was a start.
"Did you hit it when you fell?" He was examining her now, brushing aside her hair in search of bumps or bruises. His eyebrows were drawn. "Or did… God… Did they hit you?" His hands landed on either side of her face, green eyes looking fervently into her own.
She blinked at him, trying to make sense of his words. "I… what?" She felt like her mouth was full of marbles. "I thought… I was just taking a nap?"
His face turned white. "I think I should take you to the hospital."
"Huh?" Marinette dropped the hand from her head. "Wait…"
He caught the arm before it could reach the floor, green eyes wide. "You're bleeding."
She glanced down. Thankfully, the piercing pain in her head had dulled to a throb, and the movement didn't seem to aggravate it. But there was definitely a streak of warm blood dripping out of a cut on her forearm.
And then it all came rushing back to her.
Oh. My. God. I am an idiot.
She couldn't help it. She started giggling. Adrien stared at her with a bewildered and terrified expression, which, unfortunately for him, only made her laugh harder.
"We're going to the hospital," he repeated, his voice tight. "Hang on, Marinette."
She tried catching her breath, stifling back her giggles. "W-wait, Adrien-"
His arm had already swept under her legs, the other one wrapping itself around her torso. He hoisted her up carefully, trying not to jostle her. She clutched instinctively at his shirt to keep steady. Her head was starting to clear, but she still wasn't at 100%, so the sudden change in altitude made her dizzy all over again.
"How do you feel? Will you be okay if I start walking?"
She took a deep breath, hoping the oxygen would unmuddle her thoughts. She shook her head no.
Adrien released a shaky breath, his forehead knotted. "Should I call an ambulance instead?"
Marinette fought back another laugh. "Adrien." Her voice came out stronger now. "It's okay. I'm fine. We don't need to call an ambulance." She looked at him with what she hoped was a convincing I'm-not-on-my-deathbed expression.
His eyes softened. Now that she got a closer look, she could tell he had definitely been close to tears earlier. They were red-rimmed and puffy. Her heart ached at the thought of how concerned he had been.
"You're sounding better," he breathed, smiling softly. "That's good. But no, I can't do that, Mari." His expression hardened again, his tone turning serious. "I think you were attacked. Your apartment was ransacked and I found you passed out on the ground. We need to get you checked out."
What had previously seemed so funny to her twisted into something incredibly, horrifyingly humiliating. Marinette buried her face into his shirt, groaning softly. A part of her- a larger part of her than she'd care to admit- wanted to just let him think some burglar and busted into her place, knocked her violently over the head, and rummaged through her stuff. That was a much more appealing story than the truth.
"Is it your head again?" Adrien's desperate tone brought her back to earth. "God, I'm so sorry, I was right across the hall and this happened to you-"
"I wasn't attacked, Adrien," she interrupted, pulling back from his shirt. Her expression was sheepish. Really, if he weren't one of the sweetest people she'd ever met, there'd be no way she'd admit this. "Um… do you remember what my parents said? About me being clumsy?"
Confusion passed over his face. "Huh?"
"There was no break in," she confessed in a small voice. When he continued to stare at her blankly, she tried again, this time more bluntly. "I am just a human disaster who likely gave herself her third concussion this year. If I went to my doctor for something as minor as this she'd just laugh me away, trust me."
There was a pause where neither of them said anything. She gave him time to let her words sink in.
He blinked at her, green eyes wide. "You… gave yourself a concussion? You weren't attacked?"
She nodded emphatically.
"Are you sure?"
She forced a smile. "Positive."
Finally, he seemed to comprehend what she was saying. Adrien closed his eyes with a sigh, his whole body slackening with relief. She hadn't even realized how tense he had been. "That was terrifying," he murmured, mostly to himself she thought.
Marinette, now fully conscious, was very much aware that he was still cradling her in his arms (and she was pressed against his very toned abs which she could feel through his shirt oh my God). It was nice- a little too nice, perhaps- but she knew she'd have to stand on her own sooner or later.
"Adrien?"
"Hm?" He opened his eyes, glancing back down at her.
"You don't have to keep holding me anymore," she pointed out, smiling self-consciously. "All good over here."
She felt a deep rumble as he chuckled, gently squeezing her tighter in his arms. The gesture set off a wave of butterflies in her stomach. "Are you kidding me? You just scared me half to death. You're never allowed to walk again."
Marinette rolled her eyes at him, grinning wider. "So you're just going to carry me around everywhere?"
"Yes," he said, his tone mock-serious. "I will proudly defend you from the most treacherous of staircases and the most devious untied shoelaces." Despite his words, he walked them to the couch as he spoke, setting her down gently. He was intently watching her face for any flicker of pain, and his hands lingered momentarily before releasing her altogether. A sudden urge to grab his hand and intertwine her fingers with his jumped in her brain. She ignored it. "But seriously. You think you have a concussion?"
"It's not too bad," she said, waving him off. "I've had several before. I just need to take some aspirin and get plenty of sleep. And if it really is a severe concussion, I know what symptoms to watch for, and then I'll go see my doctor."
"Symptoms like slurred speech, not being able to move, losing your memory… things like that?" He gave her a pointed look. Marinette grinned, unperturbed.
"Only if they're recurring. I'm fine right now. You're sweet for worrying, though."
Adrien sighed, but relented, standing up. "Where do you keep your aspirin?" He was already walking towards her cabinets as he spoke.
She smiled wistfully. He was too damn perfect. Her crush was only getting stronger by the minute the more caring and thoughtful he proved himself to be. "It's in the drawer by the microwave."
"Got it." In seconds he was back by her side, medicine and a glass of water in hand. He sat next to her on the couch and handed it to her. "I saw your first aid kit, so I grabbed that, too."
"Why- oh." Before she could finish her question he had taken her arm in his hands, gently turning it over to reveal the cut. He began to gingerly dab it with neosporin. The gesture was so sweet it almost brought tears to her eyes.
"You want to tell me how you managed to knock yourself out, cut yourself, and create a mess in your apartment all on your own?" He said it lightly but there was still a slight tremor in his tone. He wasn't kidding when he said she terrified him just now.
Well, the least she could do was give him a good story.
"Okay. Are you ready?"
He quirked an eyebrow at her as he set down the neosporin and began wrapping her arm with a bandage. "As I'll ever be."
Marinette took a deep breath. "I was thirsty. I grabbed a glass of water. I choked on the water because I do that sometimes. The water spills on the floor. You follow?"
He nodded, now tying off her bandage. "You choked on water?" He was smirking when he said it. She rolled her eyes.
"It happens, okay? So I went to grab a towel from my closet to wipe it up. Turns out I suck at Jenga."
"Wha- how is that relevant?"
"Because I grab one towel from one shelf and all of the contents of that closet decide to collapse on top of me and onto the floor."
Now he was laughing. "And here I thought someone had broken in. You trashed your own place?"
"Like I said, it happens," she insisted, but she was smiling too. "So I stumble back, of course, and where do I step but in the very puddle of water I coughed up just a second ago. I drop my glass and it shatters-"
"Explains the cut on your arm," he noted.
"-Exactly, I go down and smack my head on the floor, cutting my arm on some of the glass as I land. Then a nosy neighbor barges into my apartment and decides I have been the victim to a violent crime, and he totally freaks out," she teased, poking him in the ribs. Then she stiffened, a realization passing over her. "Wait… Adrien?"
His mood shifted instantly, his smile dropping. "What? Is something wrong?" His hands hovered nervously around her. "Does something hurt?"
Marinette eyed him suspiciously. "No, I'm fine. But my door was locked. How did you get in?"
His cheeks reddened, his hands dropping into his lap. All of a sudden, Adrien became very interested in the pattern of her rug. "Um…"
Carefully, she got to her feet, silently congratulating herself when she didn't get lightheaded as she stood. Adrien sat stiffly as she peered over to her front door.
Wait…
"Where's my front door?" She stared in dumbfounded confusion at the open doorway, now suddenly doorless. Marinette looked to Adrien for answers.
He sucked in his cheeks. Finally met her eyes. "I might have… kicked it down." The last three words barely came out in a squeak.
She nearly choked on her own spit- she'd had enough of that for one day, thank you very much. "You broke down my door?" She didn't say it angrily. She wasn't mad. It just was not what she was expecting him to say.
He was instantly on his feet, holding up his hands in surrender. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I was over at my place and I heard a bunch of crashing noises over here, and I was concerned, so I knocked, and then you didn't answer, and then I knocked again, and I got so worried and I-I-"
Unable to bear it anymore, Marinette jumped to her feet and pulled him into a crushing hug. Adrien hesitated, startled by the gesture.
Then his arms wrapped around her tightly. And everything just felt right.
They stood there for a long, lingering moment. She was very aware of how he smelled- like mint and fresh linen.
"That's one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me," she said, her voice slightly muffled by his shoulder.
Adrien choked out a laugh, one hand stroking her hair absently. "If breaking down your door is a nice gesture, just wait until I steal all your silverware and set your furniture on fire. You'll think I'm a real angel."
She smacked him playfully on the arm, drawing out of the hug. "Seriously. Thank you. And I'm sorry for freaking you out."
Embarrassed, Adrien rubbed at his eyes, still slightly bloodshot from before. "Yeah, well, your parents did warn me that you were accident prone. They asked me to make sure you didn't fall out of any windows."
"Yeah, the last time really sucked," she agreed, nodding solemnly.
He paled. "You… you actually fell out a window?"
"Nope. Just messing with you."
Adrien sighed with relief. "God. You live to torture me, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
"Missing your old neighbor yet?" She meant it as a joke, but Adrien's expression shifted.
"Absolutely not," he said sincerely. And then he gave her that beautiful smile of his, the one that made her whole body tingle with a strange electricity. God, how she loved that smile. "Alright, little bug." He crossed his arms, the concern taking over again. "It's time you take your aspirin and get some rest. If you're not going to the doctor, then you better be taking good care of yourself on your own."
Marinette gave him a mock salute. "Ay ay, captain. And where did the 'bug' nickname come from?"
"Because when I came in here you were sprawled out on the floor like a dead cockroach- ow! Don't flick me!"
She stopped flicking him, opting instead to tousle his hair playfully. "If I'm a bug then you're a mangy stray who wanders into apartments that aren't his."
He gasped dramatically. With his newly mussed hair, it almost looked like he actually had cat ears. "I am wounded, my lady. I came to your rescue, if you'll remember correctly."
She crossed her arms. "Uh-huh. Sure. I'm starting to think maybe you were the robber all along. I'll be checking my valuables."
"A cat burglar?" His grin at that joke was far too proud than she thought he deserved. She moved to flick him again but he yelped and quite literally jumped over her couch to escape her wrath.
This whole interaction struck her as so comfortable, so intimate for two people who had just met a few weeks ago. She was teasing him the same way she would some of her closest friends, and he was thoroughly enjoying it, laughing or grinning archly at every jab.
Something about her and Adrien just felt right.
Maybe my parents had a point when they said we were meant for each other.
Okay, woah there Marinette. Slow your roll.
"Your door's getting fixed soon, by the way," Adrien said, jogging back over to her. "Can't exactly leave you here alone where any stray can just waltz in."
"Oh. Yeah." In all the excitement, Marinette had kind of forgotten about the gaping hole in her wall. "Did you put in a maintenance request?"
"Nah, those take too long. I know a guy." And then he gestured to himself with a dramatic flourish, looking a little too much like his old modeling photos when he struck a pose.
She raised her eyebrows, skeptical. "Adrien, you don't have to-"
"I was the one who broke down your door, remember?"
She couldn't exactly argue with that. Also, how much strength did it take to kick down a door? Was this guy super strong? And was it possible that any surveillance cameras caught him in action, because she had a feeling she could watch that video over and over-
Girl. Focus.
"True, and I'm so thankful you're willing to do that, it's just…" She sucked in her cheeks, searching for the words.
Adrien read her mind. "Do I really know what I'm doing or am I just a confident asshole with a toolbox?"
Marinette laughed. "You're not an asshole, Adrien. Anyone who does what you did today couldn't be an asshole if they tried. But I really wouldn't mind waiting for maintenance."
"It's up to you, of course, but since the door itself didn't break, just the hinges, I feel good about it- it should only take 20 minutes, tops. I know I said I'm a baby adult, but I've been learning how to use tools and do basic home improvement with my friend Ivan. And if I screw anything up I'll just call him and he can bail me out," he chuckled. "It wouldn't be the first time."
"Well…" He was right. Maintenance requests did take forever, and she couldn't just leave her place open like that. "... Okay. Thanks, Adrien. Truly."
His eyes softened. "I'm just glad you're okay. I'm going to grab my tools and get started- you go ahead and get some rest, okay? And please keep me updated. If at any point you start feeling worse, I'll take you to the hospital, no questions asked." He said it earnestly, his green eyes locking on hers. In that moment, Marinette felt that she could have asked him to carry her to the top of Mount Everest and he'd do it without question.
"I will," she said, suddenly exhausted. She really did need to get some sleep.
And, whether it was naive or not, she found that she fully trusted him to be alone in her apartment while she slept. Hell, she was even confident that this former rich boy had it in him to fix her door on his own.
"Good night sleepy head," he said jokingly as she started towards her bedroom. "Do me a favor and don't trip on your way there."
"Ha-ha. You're hilarious." She paused halfway there, turning towards him. Mustered up her courage. "You know, if you're not busy this evening or totally sick of me by that point, I'd love to have you over for some dessert and a glass of wine as a thank you. My parents sent me three boxes of macaroons and told me to make sure the 'nice boy next door' tries them."
He grinned at her, his whole face brightening. "I'd love to, Marinette. I was wanting to check up on you later, anyway, to see how you're feeling."
There it was again. The way he said her name so reverently, like she was someone magnificent and special, and not just… her.
"That is," he added, crossing his arms, "as long as you're not waking up claiming you're the Queen of England by then and I need to send you straight to the E.R."
She laughed. "Okay. Sounds perfect. I'll see you tonight."
Marinette ended up napping for a solid four hours that afternoon, only finally crawling out of bed after a gentle knock on her reinstalled door by none other than Adrien Agreste (which she swore to him opened even more smoothly than it used to.) And when they were laughing over their red wine and passion fruit macarons at her dining room table, she couldn't stop thinking about the vivid dream she had moments before: a dashing hero donned in a black leather catsuit, whisking her away from danger with a wink of his stunning green eyes.
