Marinette stared out into the night sky.

She was cold, and her toes curled inside of her boots. Marinette wanted to spend the night at her parents' bakery and return home the morning after, but the look on Adrien's face after she had clocked out told her that she should return as soon as possible.

Adrien had left soon after she clocked out, and Marinette caught a train back home to pack her things. She left a little note in the kitchen to her parents to let them know where she was going, but she made sure to be as quiet as she could. She didn't want to wake them up so suddenly.

Marinette waited patiently outside the bakery at night. She had expected Adrien to return to help her with her things for the ride back home.

Marinette pressed her lips together, glancing down at Tikki who mewed timidly. The black feline clawed away nervously inside the pet carriage as the small animal was tired of being brought back and forth between everyone.

The cat just wanted some snacks, chin rubs and a nice bed to sleep on.

Marinette shivered, bouncing on her toes as a cool gust of wind permeated through the jacket she wore.

"I know, Tikki," Marinette cooed; the fact that she talked to her cat still remained to be a prominent part of her life. "It's freezing. Adrien says he's on his way - I guess we can hope he gets here faster so we both don't freeze to death."

Marinette averted her eyes back to the empty dark road as Tikki meowed in response. The carrier shifted as Tikki moved about, attempting to get comfortable in the fluffy pillows that Marinette had placed inside for her.

"When we get back, I'll give you some nice, yummy, wet food, you can sleep in the bed like you used to, and I promise it'll be nice and toasty for you. The house is huge, you have so much space to run around, and I'll get you a nice fresh batch of water. We can cuddle together like we used to..." Marinette breathed, her breath drawing out into a fog within the cold air. "That's...if things aren't awkward when we get back."

Marinette felt her heart squeeze in her chest, a frown tugging on her lips as her eyes moved down to her feet. Her hands bunched inside of her pockets and Marinette couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty.

She knew deep down that Adrien wouldn't do something like that, and she had her run ins with his ex. She should have known that Kagami was headstrong - Marinette had experienced it. She knew that when Kagami wanted something, she'd go out of her way to get it.

Marinette vividly recalled being blocked into a corner by her, and the way she acted when Adrien tried to question the situation only revealed how condescending she could actually be.

Now that Adrien explained in detail about everything that happened when she caught them, it all made sense. Marinette was well aware of Kagami's constant calls and random appearances whenever Adrien tried to ignore her.

Hell, she remembered them both being vexed during the night when they tried to cuddle and Adrien would receive phone calls. Marinette initially felt bad that Kagami felt as though she was forced to move away, but the more she thought about how much she was manipulating their relationship, the more Marinette simply wanted her to go away and end all of it.

She had felt guilty for leaving Adrien behind, and if she had to be honest with herself, Marinette knew she was incredibly insecure about herself. Perhaps Adrien was right, and she was actively looking for an excuse to find a reason to rid herself from the situation.

There was a huge possibility that Marinette had allowed her insecurity to get in the way of her being happy and allowing herself to trust someone.

After being with Felix for so long and enduring the distance and lies he put into her head, it was hard to become unstuck from that mindset.

Marinette was frustrated with Adrien being so pliable, and she was frustrated with herself for being so exaggerated.

Perhaps she sized up the situation too quickly.

In the end, Marinette felt like there was no one to blame but herself. She not only put Adrien through hell, but she also put poor Tikki and her parents under a lot of stress for something she knew deep down couldn't be true.

Marinette glanced up, her eyes squinting as she was nearly blinded by the high beams of a familiar car that pulled to the curb. She exhaled, a small smile tugging at her lips. She hated to admit it, but she actually missed having reliable transportation. She didn't mind taking the train of the bus, but more often than not, she'd have to work around the train schedule and she ended up home later than she hand initially intended to.

She pressed her lips together, her heart thumping away inside of her chest the moment the door opened and she could vividly see her attractive blond husband climb out from the back passenger seat. Marinette expected it to be awkward, and she couldn't blame it for being so. She shouldn't have left in the first place without talking to him about it...

"Hey..." Adrien murmured promptly, closing the door behind him. His eyes looked sullen, and Marinette couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking about something.

Marinette offered him a warm smile, her cheeks nearly burning from the wind that blew between the two of them.

"Hey..." she replied, leaning down to grab the pet carrier that sat on the pavement beneath them. Marinette held onto it with both hands, chuckling slightly as she could feel Tikki rummaging around in the carrier for another place to keep warm and to keep her balance.

"Are you and the little one ready to go home?" Adrien asked, leaning down to grab a peek at the black cat who gawked at him from behind the caged door with a small mew.

"I'm ready to go home..." Marinette breathed, a small blush rising to her cheeks the moment Adrien glanced up at her, his green eyes capturing hers in an instant.

Marinette exhaled, her heart squeezing in her chest as she couldn't believe that after all this time, Adrien still managed to knock the air out of her.


The car ride was awkward, there was nothing but complete silence between the two of them, and Marinette worried that whatever he was thinking about could have been detrimental.

She glanced out the window, a grimace etching onto her face the moment her heart started to squeeze inside of her chest. Her blue eyes remained on the window, carefully tracing the trees as they whisked by the window. Her eyes flickered back and forth, attempting to keep up with the pace.

Marinette could hear Tikki rummaging around in the carrier next to her but Marinette couldn't seem to focus. The silence that screamed between the both of them had become overwhelming.

"You don't have to worry..." Adrien murmured, leaning into the seats with a blank expression as he glanced out the window. "I won't be anyone's doormat anymore."

Marinette furrowed her brow, placing her hand onto the cage that Tikki remained in as she drew her visage away from the scenery outside the window.

The very notion hurt her, and she hadn't the slightest idea why. Marinette knew that Adrien was nice and he didn't like to disappoint the people that he cared about, but Marinette never once mentioned to him that he was too pliable or that he was a doormat. She could only assume that he thought that way about himself.

She relaxed into the seat, her fingertip drawing patterns into the top of the cage. Marinette parted her lips, her chest growing tight as she wanted to speak out to him. She wanted to assure him. She wanted him to know that his kindness wasn't in vain.

"Felix's mistress was Kagami. He was cheating on you with Kagami, he impregnated her and apparently she had only seen me as a way to get back at my cousin," Adrien interjected, his voice incredibly flaccid as he kept his focus on the scenery outside the window.

Marinette immediately shut her mouth, her eyes blinking almost as if she couldn't comprehend what had just been told to her. She relaxed into the seat, a small grimace forming on her face as she almost expected to be surprised, hurt or angry but she didn't feel anything.

The most she could feel was hurt, not for herself, but for him.

At least for her, Felix was harsh enough to leave her. He didn't string her along with fake promises and lies. Marinette wasn't manipulated into wasting her life away. She believed Felix was one person, but he showed his true colors early on in the game.

Kagami never gave Adrien that advantage. Marinette couldn't possibly begin to imagine the turmoil that he was going through.

To catch the love of your life cheating, to realise that everything was a lie, only to have that confirmed by the perpetrator themselves, that he was being used for selfish gain this entire time.

It only seemed to make Marinette increasingly angry. Not only with Kagami, but with herself. She was angry that she never gave him a chance to speak, only isolating him more so to the point where he cried and begged for her return.

It only changed him, and Marinette couldn't have been more disappointed.

The young woman slowly glided her hand across the top of the cage, her fingers shyly interlacing into his with a nervous tremble.

Adrien furrowed his brow, finally averting his gaze away from the window with a curious expression. His body grew warm instantly at the touch of her hand and Adrien swore he finally felt the sensation of home.

"I think it's important that we leave the past behind us," Marinette whispered softly, a warm smile tugging on her lips.

"What matters now is where we go from here. We have each other now, and through the hurt we were able to find love in each other. What we have is genuine. I understand that there are a lot of bumps and misunderstandings between the two of us, but that's okay - we always find ways to work through it. I can honestly say that I've felt more happiness with you in six months than the entirety of my relationship with Felix. I know that I love you, and I made the right choice to listen to you and return home. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions and I'll do everything I can to make it up to you..."

Adrien widened his eyes, his chest tightening at the sound of Marinette's words. He couldn't help but smile as everything she said was exactly what he needed to hear. Marinette had made him happier than he thought he deserved, and when she had left that night, he knew he had to go out and find her. He wouldn't be able to find anyone that captivated his soul as gently and sweetly as Marinette did.

He carefully reached over, using his other hand to gently lay it on top of hers.

Adrien leaned forward, closing his eyes as he rested his head against hers.

"I feel the same way, Marinette..."


Marinette gently placed the cat carriage onto the kitchen floor. She reached down, opening the gated door and watched as Tikki slowly stepped out and sniffed the familiar tiles beneath her delicate paws.

Marinette smiled, feeling just as sentimental as her cat. It had been quite a while since she had been home with Adrien, and not a thing changed about it. Her heart nearly sank into her chest as her furniture still remained in the same placed she had left them so many months ago.

She had nearly forgot how massive the house was and Marinette always recalled having the fear of being lonely when Adrien planned to leave her for Kagami in the beginning.

A small frown tugged on her lips, the moment she realised that she had been doing this to Adrien the entire time.

Tikki perked up, her tail curling at the tip and the appendage stood straight up. The feline trotted to the sound of Adrien filling her food bowl and laying out her toys, signaling once and for all that she was home again.

Marinette placed her hands onto her hips as her blue eyes hovered over the living space she had set up so long ago.

Her white couch and pink throw pillows remained as they were since the day she left. It was almost as if Adrien had vicariously kept her around by the things she left behind so cruelly.

"I think she's happy to be back," Adrien murmured, placing the heavy bag of cat food to the side. "She's already seemed to warm up. I know she feels this place is familiar..."

Marinette pressed her lips together, her body growing warm as it was almost silly to admit that she was feeling the same way. She enjoyed her time with her parents, but she couldn't deny that a huge void had grown in the centre of her chest the moment she decided to leave Adrien behind.

She bit her lip, sliding her hands into her pockets as she wanted things to go back to normal desperately. A small blush dusted her cheeks and the young woman began to rock back and forth on her heels.

"I see that things haven't changed since I left; everything is right where I left it. Did you stay in your room the entire time?" Marinette asked, a teasing lilt in her voice as she faced him.

Adrien chuckled, his heart squeezing in his chest as she tried to make light of the situation.

He causally slipped his hands into his pockets, a small smile twisting onto his lips as he tried to calm the overwhelming urge to simply take her in his arms. He wouldn't admit it to her face, but there was a part of him that worried she was going to leave again.

"Pretty much," he replied, his eyes dropping down to her lips briefly. "You'd believe that I have the hormones of a teenager. I was both hungry and full at the same time. I was incredibly angsty, I listened to old school Evanescence all night and then I randomly palmed myself before a shower, then I slept for about three days."

Marinette laughed softly, the smile that Adrien wore seeming to be a little contagious. The young woman dropped her eyes lower, realizing that a bit of Adrien's collar had been folded in oddly.

Without even thinking she reached out with a trembling hand, her digit sliding beneath the fabric with no hesitation. Marinette sighed, her heart sinking as she almost felt herself melt at the feeling of his warmth just beneath her palm.

Her smile faltered, and Marinette almost felt as if she could fall over.

Everything felt incredibly overwhelming, but Marinette didn't realise just how much she had missed him. She was completely blinded by her own self-pity and willingness to see the bad in people, when Adrien had no previous history of doing anything like that to her.

She couldn't believe how silly she had been. Marinette was beginning to feel incredibly remorseful.

"I...I've missed you," Marinette breathed, her eyes slowly moving up to meet his. "I've missed you so much."

Adrien widened his eyes, his blood growing cold the moment he heard the crack in her voice. The last thing he wanted was for her to cry. He didn't want to make her cry anymore.

Adrien reached up, lacing his fingers into hers with a grimace. He brought her hand to his lips where he pressed gentle kisses to her knuckles.

"I've missed you too..." he murmured against her skin, closing his eyes as he only ever craved to pull her body taut against his.

Marinette exhaled, closing her eyes the moment she felt his lips on her skin. Her fingers held on tighter to him, wanting nothing more than to have him close to her. She had missed out on so much time with him, and she could only mentally kick herself for being so impulsive.

She opened her eyes, her heart sinking into her stomach as Adrien slowly undid their fingers, allowing her hands to drop to her sides where he offered to put some space in between them.

It was obvious that Adrien didn't want to push any buttons and make things awkward, but Marinette simply didn't want him to move away.

She had loved him, and she knew he felt the same way. It was incredibly insane that they were going through these lengths, but Marinette knew what they both wanted.

Her blue eyes followed him, just as Adrien turned around, ready to walk away from her and head over to her white sofa with her favorite pink throw pillows.

But Marinette couldn't let that happen.

She knew what she wanted and she knew that she wasn't going to run away anymore.

Adrien was the only person she knew she could trust when it came to her love life, and Marinette knew without a doubt that he was the one she wanted to give herself to.

If this night was meant to be awkward, then she would be fine with that. She was ready.

She was finally ready to lose her virginity to the person she loved most.

She was already married to him, and they had done so much in the past up until this point, that Marinette knew without a doubt that he wouldn't hurt her.

She trusted him.

That's all that mattered to her.

Adrien paused the moment he felt Marinette's fingers grip on to the fabric of his shirt. He furrowed his brow, slowly turning to face her.

Adrien barely had a grip of a moment to utter his concern when he felt her beautifully soft lips touch his.

Adrien barely had an inch of a thought before he automatically kissed back.