Ok, I just read through the reviews as I was getting ready to post this chapter. I'm in a weird mood now.
Let's just get to it then.
Birdy: SHUIDJPNSNJIPXBSWUIXPWNUIPSNKXPS *Keyboard smash response
Spidey: You didn't actually review this chapter itself and usually I don't respond to reviews from old chapters, but I missed you tons, so I'm gonna let this one slide. I REALLY MISSED YOU! (and of course there's a proposal, how else am I going to corrupt you with my hopeless romantic ways?)
Ab: To be honest, for him? Always. That's love sweet heart.
SunshineMLB: Thanks hun!
Mayuralover: To be honest that typo is also in the original. I never get her name right.
Without further ado, I bring to you: The next chapter!
Thanatophobia: The fear of losing someone you love. (They don't actually have this phobia but I thought it was a cool fun fact)
Marinette's POV
I slowly shift in my sleep and peek open an eye. Light filters into the room from the window.
I slowly become aware that I'm surrounded by warmth and I really don't want to leave.
Until I turn my head and I'm met with a toned male chest. When I look up I see someone, and not just any someone. My best friend, the boy I pretty much abandoned for years.
He smiles in his sleep as he's curled around me. His sleep tossed and untamed hair shines under the sunlight.
He looks so cute!
I sigh and kiss his nose, enjoying the way his smile brightens and his arms pull me closer.
Guilt sucker punches me in the gut when I realize one simple fact.
Things could have been like this every day, if only I had stayed in paris.
If only I hadn't left.
My mind swims with what if's and tears stream down my cheeks.
"I love you, kitty." I whisper.
I pull myself out of his arms and place a few pillows in his arms as a substitute. It kills me to leave his side and I remind myself yet again that in three weeks I'm scheduled to return to New York and finish my studies there until I return after graduation.
I glance at Adrien's sleeping form as he curls around the pillows.
How can I possibly leave him again?
I sigh and wander around my old home. I find myself face to face the door to his room. I gasp as I find a small cat door at the bottom of the door.
"Plagg?" I mumble.
The cat makes his way into Adrien's room.
I push open the door and peer in.
Curiosity get the better of me and I follow him in.
The room is nicely decorated with a bed and an end table. A ceiling fan lazily turns above the center of the room. I walk towards the middle of the room and pick up several wrinkled shirts, button ups, and pants and toss them in the hamper next to the closet.
When I finish something on the wall to the left of the bed catches my eye.
Strings of fairy lights hand from the window to the corner of the room. Dozens of photo's hang from the lights by clothespins. I walk around the bed and stare at each of the memories he had kept.
The photo to the top left shows a picture of when Adrien and I had first met.
Each photo after it shows a moment in time that he must have treasures. Class photos, photo booth pictures from fairs, pictures, cards I had sent him for birthdays, graduation photos, and one final picture of the two of us hugging goodbye at the airport. After that I find letters and postcards hanging from the lights, screenshots and printouts of photos of me in New York, and Pictures of the new kitten, Plagg.
By the time I had looked at every souvenir photo and read every letter I'm in tears. I take a seat on the bed and squeeze my eyes shut trying to tell myself that everything was fine and that I didn't leave him behind for years.
I nearly jump out of my skin when something soft brushes against my hand. I open my eyes and look down.
A short haired black cat with a lime green collar, and bright mysterious green eyes, looks up at me, silently rubbing his cheek against my wrist.
I hold out my hand and he sniffs it before continuing to nuzzle my hand.
"Hello Plagg." I coo to him before gently stroking his fur and scratching behind his ears. When he begins to purr my face breaks into a wide grin.
"You're quite affectionate aren't you?" I ask.
Plagg looks up at me, staring into my eyes as if looking deep into my soul. It's almost as if he's trying to tell me something.
"What should I do Plagg?" He continues his stare.
"I don't know if I can leave him again. What am I gonna do?" To my surprise he licks my hand once and hops off the bed and walks out of the room.
I continue looking through the room and find myself snooping in the closet. I pull out a pair of really small track shorts and flush as I imagine Adrien wearing them. I quickly shake the thought away and scold myself for the mental image. I continue my search through the closet and find a smallish red shirt.
I nod in approval and change into the new clothes.
I quickly realize that even his smallest clothes are still big on me. The shorts reach my knees and the shirt reaches lower thigh, making it more like a dress than a shirt.
I sigh and head back into the main room.
It's not long before I realize how early it still is. The clock reads 6:12 in bright red text.
Quite embarrassingly, my stomach growls. When I make my way into the kitchen Plagg runs past me, sits right in front of the fridge, and places a paw on the metal door before staring at me.
"Are you hungry kitty kitty?" In response he pats the door with his paw a couple of times.
I remember fondly of the feline's camembert obsession.
I walk over to the fridge and open the door, careful not to hit Plagg. I search the drawer and find a small wheel of cheese in a plastic bag. I snatch it out of the fridge along with a yoghurt cup for myself.
When I finally find the knives I grab the smallest cheese knife.
It's not until then I realize I don't know how much to give him. I shug and cut of a big chunk and hand it to the now pacing cat.
I laugh as he immediately begins purring as he devours the smelly cheese.
After I put the cheese away and clean the knife in the sink I go in search of a spoon. I open several drawers on the right half of the kitchen, near the one I found the knives in, but I don't find a single spoon! I huff in frustration.
"The spoons are in the drawer on the far left side." A voice from behind informs me. I shriek, very startled at the sudden noise, and spin around, quickly grabbing the stubby cheese knife for protection against the intruder. It takes me a minute to realize the shirtless, smirking blond in front of me is Adrien.
"What are you gonna do with that cheese knife there princess? Stab me? I'm pretty sure that won't be very effective. You'd be able to scratch me if you get really lucky." He laughs. "You know I trust you, let you into my home and now you threaten me with a cheese knife?"
Heat rushes to my cheeks. "Ours…" I mumble.
Adrien gapes at me, "W-What?"
"I said… I said n-no! Of course not! I was… I was gonna… Uhm."
"Stab me and rob me blind of my cheese?"
"You know what? You can go away. You're annoying me. Go away." I set down the cheese knife and shoo him away.
Much to my displeasure he takes a step forward and pulls me into a tight hug.
"You know you love me, Mari."
I stand there frozen. I certainly haven't been acting like it have I…
"J'aime mon chaton," I mumble.
"J'aime ma ladybug." He whispers in response.
We stand there for a moment or two, just holding each other.
"Thank you Mari."
"For what?"
"For coming back home to me." He answers.
I hold him tighter for a moment before pulling away and resting my hand on his cheek. For a moment I could have swore he'd been blushing but I quickly deny it and shove the thought far from my mind.
"Anything for you, minou."
I pull away as Plagg walks right between us and rubs himself along my ankles.
When I step away from Adrien and bend over to pet him he licks my hand once more.
"Huh. I didn't think he'd remember you. He's being quite friendly, he's never like that with strangers."
"Well at least I know he approves of us." I laugh.
Adrien looks at me with a burning curiosity "Us?"
"Y-Yeah… You know, me coming home after so long?"
"Right, right."Adrien mumble. He seems almost disappointed with my answer.
Adrien's POV
I wake up feeling cold. The warmth that had gotten me through the night had left. When I peer open my eyes I hear shuffling in the kitchen. I bolt upright with anxiety, thinking I'm being robbed before I remember last night's events.
I climb out of Marinette's bed and silently creep into the living room. I watch from afar as Plagg begs my beautiful best friend for Camembert.
Butterflies swarm in my stomach and my face flushes when I notice exactly what she's wearing.
My clothes. She's wearing my shirt and shorts better than I ever could. I try to slow my racing heart as I walk closer and lean against the side of the breakfast bar. I spy a yoghurt cup in her hands and assume she's searching every drawer for a spoon.
"The spoons are in the drawer on the far left side." I call out. I laugh when she shrieks, grabs my dullest and smallest cheese knife, and holds it out in front of her for protection. I smirk as she realizes that it was only me.
"What are you gonna do with that cheese knife there princess? Stab me? I'm pretty sure that won't be very effective. You'd be able to scratch me if you get really lucky." I laugh, the hilarity of the situation is honesty too much. She pouts at me and crosses her arms which honestly makes everything even more ridiculous. I smirk at her cute little face. "You know I trust you, let you into my home and now you threaten me with a cheese knife?"
I swear for a moment she corrects me. Tells me it's our home. My cheeks flush and I quickly dismiss the thought. She stutters trying to find the words to deny my comment, only to be met with yet another snarky comment on my end.
Soon enough she's had enough of my jokes and tries to shoo me out of my own kitchen. Suddenly nostalgia hits me like a bag of bricks.
Why was I dumb enough to be selfless and let her leave oh so long ago?
I take a couple steps forward and sweep her up into my arms.
I tell her several times how much I love her but it just doesn't seem like enough. There's no way for me to explain that the way I feel. Oh the things I wish I could say. There's no way for me to explain how completely terrified I am of these emotions. Of losing her. There's no way for me to explain how much I don't trust myself not to ruin things with her, or how much I never want to let her go.
But I let go.