It seemed like forever, and yet no time at all before the world slowly began to filter back into focus. First, Marinette realized that she wasn't moving. In fact, the swaying motion was mostly in her head, and she spent an endless amount of time focusing on getting that feeling to stop.
Whatever she was laying on was solid, and warm. Her head was slightly elevated, resting against a plush surface. Something covered her as well, trapping her body heat. Belatedly, Marinette realized she must be laying down in a bed or a cot of some sort and sighed softly, hoping that the horrible dream she'd just had, had been simply that… A dream.
Then the sounds around her, the ones she hadn't realized had been there, suddenly stopped. Marinette felt her instincts kick into high gear, forcing her eyes open with a suddenness that left her blinded by the sudden light even as she forced herself upward. A hand came down on her shoulder and pushed her back down, and she fought it for a moment before she realized that the grip was gentle, not forceful, coaxing, not aggressive.
"Take it easy, Princess," pleaded the voice that finally registered to her ears, and Marinette's body went boneless with relief and a soft cry.
"Adrien!" She exclaimed, and all at once surged back up, this time wrapping her arms around his neck as his arms came up to wrap around her middle.
"I'm right here, Marinette," He whispered against her hair, cradling her against him in a way she could have only dreamt of a month ago, a week ago, and she relished in it.
"Adrien, are you okay?" Marinette asked, looking up at him and blinking away the spots from her eyes, ignoring the way her vision blurred in and out of focus. All that mattered was that he was there and that he was alright and alive, and- "what happened?"
"That is what I would like to know as well, now that you are awake, Marinette," another familiar voice interrupted. Marinette turned, shrinking slightly against Adrien to see Master Fu shuffle into the room, carrying a tray of what looked like tea.
"Master Fu!" Marinette squeaked from her hiding place behind Adrien's protective grasp. She hadn't had the time or, if she were being honest, the inclination, to tell him that their identities had been compromised. Her face flushed in equal parts shame and embarrassment. Disappointing Master Fu was like disappointing her parents; something she never in a million years wished to do.
She felt Adrien adjust his hold on her and her blush deepened, this time because it occurred to her that he was Adrien and not Chat Noir and that the both of them were sitting in Master Fu's apartment, completely revealed, while their Kwami were…
Wait… Where were their Kwami?
As if sensing her question, or perhaps just seeing the way her head darted about to look, Master Fu's expression softened. "Tikki and Plagg are currently in the Miracle Box, catching up with the others and resting."
"Tikki told me to bring you here," Adrien explained, his thumb massaging soothing circles against the small of Marinette's back that instead of relaxing her, sent a thrill of electricity through her instead. "She couldn't think of anything else to do after you detransformed. The concern in his eyes focused Marinette's thoughts, and she sat up a little straighter.
"What happened?" She asked again, this time more clearly, and Adrien shifted slightly so she could see him better. Much to her pleasure, though, he seemed loathe to actually let her go. Adrien shifted somewhat uncomfortably, glancing at the old Guardian before taking a breath and focusing on Marinette.
You… After Glitch hit me, you were focused on getting to me, I think. I don't really remember too much after I hit that wall and the building broke down. I was trying to keep Glitch away from you and buy you time to transform back, but…" Adrien grimaced, bringing a hand to his midsection. Marinette leaned forward, putting her hand over his in concern, and looked up at him.
"My Ladybugs helped, though, didn't they?" She asked, eyes widening when he shook his head. "What?"
"One minute you were digging me out of the rubble, and then we were fighting again, and then… Then we beat him… You distracted him enough, and I Cataclysmed his helmet, and we both thought everything would be fine, but…" Adrien looked down, then back at her. "You called on your Lucky Charm, and tossed it up, but they… There seemed to be fewer than usual. By the time they got back to us, there were only a few left, and…"
Marinette's face reached entirely new shades of red when Adrien moved to lift his shirt, but her squeak of protest quickly morphed into a gasp of shock.
"Oh, Adrien!" Instead of the usual flawless skin that Marinette had expected to see, a mottle of red and purple bruising spread across Adrien's midsection, the worst of it centring from the spot that Glitch's sword had struck Chat Noir. Tentatively and without really thinking, Marinette reached out to very lightly brush her fingers against the bruised flesh, only for her to retract her hand sharply when Adrien winced and hissed in pain. "I'm sorry, I-!"
"It's alright," He managed, offering her a strained smile and dropping his shirt to cover the damaged skin back up. "I'm glad it's only bruising instead of anything worse. I did tell you that the suit took the brunt of the hit." The smile he gave her then was a little easier, a little wrier, a little more like her Chat. Marinette scooted closer to him gingerly and tapped his nose in reply.
"You still need to be careful, Chaton," She chided, though her words lacked their usual ire. Finally, she turned her focus to the old monk who had been waiting for them ever so patiently. "But Master, why didn't my Miraculous Ladybugs work properly?" She asked, fighting to ignore how Adrien's hand found hers and linked their fingers together while his attention turned to the older man as well.
Master Fu stroked his beard in silence, his eyes closing as he ruminated. "Adrien said that you had needed to transform back, Marinette," He said after a long moment, looking to her for confirmation. Marinette nodded wordlessly, her brows scrunching together. "Did you allow Tikki enough time to recharge before calling on her powers again?"
"I…" Marinette began, but then faltered, the memories of the battle playing in her mind once more. The distant image of Chat being thrown from the roof of the building clear across the battlefield. The scream that tore from her lips. Tikki's warning, unheard, as Marinette's mind, could only think of getting to Chat. "...no, I didn't. There wasn't enough time. If I waited any longer, Adrien, I mean Chat would…" She trailed off, quailing beneath the Guardian's gaze.
"There is no use in protecting his identity anymore, Marinette," Master Fu chided, and Marinette winced at the gentleness of his tone, "He is sitting right here, after all." Mutely, Marinette nodded. "How did you find out, in any case?"
The change in topics sent Marinette reeling, and she leaned into Adrien a little more to try and stop her head from spinning. "I… We… That is…" She stopped speaking when Adrien squeezed her hand and she looked up at him.
"It's okay Marinette," He smiled, and that smile was purely Adrien, as sweet and warm as sunshine in May. A smile that, weeks ago, would have turned her insides to jelly and left her a stuttering mess. Now… Now it surprisingly helped steady her, and she nodded.
"Ah… I suppose we should start at the beginning…"