Prompt: (from me) When Chloe upsets Marinette, Adrien tries to comfort her only to worsen the situation. When Marinette doesn't open up to Adrien, maybe Chat Noir can comfort her…

Comfort

"Watch where you're going, Marinette!" the name was practically spat out like poison, the sound might as well have come from a snake and Marinette would still fail to spot the difference.

Currently scrambling to get up and gather her things, her face was on fire when Adrien shook his head and gathered his own things from the ground, "A-A-Adrien, I-I-I'm so sorry!" she quickly tried to help him gather his books, all the while muttering rapid apologies.

The teen model smiled, offering an easygoing smile, "Hey, it's alright Marinette, nothing happened." He thanked the girl when she handed him his books briskly and stood up, eyes roving over her figure, "Are you alright? I ran into you, I'm the one that's supposed to say sorry," he scratched at the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Marinette opened her mouth to say something, but Chloe beat her to it, clinging onto Adrien's arm, "You don't have to apologize to her Adrikins! She's the one that's always so clumsy and can't do anything right!" she glared at the dark-haired girl, "Why can't you be more like Ladybug? At least then you'd be useful," she stuck her tongue out at her classmate and fussed over Adrien, asking if he got hurt or if his clothes were ruined.

Marinette stood rooted to the spot silently, for once she felt like she couldn't argue against Chloe.

She was right.

She was always so clumsy and careless, she always messed something up, she always tripped or stumbled over her own words like an idiot.

Clenching her hands into fists, Marinette's lips pursed tightly as she tried containing her emotions, making a beeline for the door when the bell rang signaling that class was over.

"Mari!" Alya ran for the door, trying to catch her friend but the girl was no longer there as if she vanished into thin air.

Nino quickly threw his arms around his girlfriend when the reporter rounded on Chloe, who was still clinging to Adrien, "You!" the blonde looked offended at the hostile tone, "How dare you talk to her that way!? It was an accident Chloe!" she growled, still fighting against her boyfriend's hold.

Chloe frowned, crossing her arms, "Yeah, well, she's clumsy and annoying. It was about time someone told her that," she smirked, "Right, Adrikins?"

Adrien was silent, gold bangs covering his eyes as he stared at the ground and his hands were clenched into fists at his side, "Adrikins?"

He moved away when she tried to grab at his arm again, "Alya is right Chloe, you had no right to talk to Marinette that way." When he looked at her, his eyes were sad and angry at the same time, "It was an accident, I didn't look where I was going and I couldn't stop myself from bumping into her, it wasn't her fault," he sighed, guilt growing heavily within his chest.

Why didn't he say anything while Chloe was biting Marinette's head off?

Why had he been silent? He definitely didn't agree with Chloe, so why didn't he tell her off and defend Marinette?

He swallowed when he looked at Alya, who still looked angry but Nino wasn't holding her anymore, which meant the possibility of her lunging at Chloe was slim, "I thought you were a decent guy Agreste, but now I'm not so sure anymore," Alya looked disappointed, with her arms crossed and a disapproving, sad look on her face, "Mari doesn't need a knight in shining armor to protect her, she can protect herself, but I thought you would at least stand up for her," she shook her head and left the silent classroom and her stunned classmates behind.

Nino looked sadly at Adrien, clasping a hand on his shoulder, "Sorry dude, but she's right," with a final, apologetic look Nino followed after his girlfriend.

With a heavy heart, Adrien sighed and slung his bag over his shoulder, ignoring Chloe's shrilling voice to not dare leave her standing there like this and instead, he ran outside towards home.

He needed to restock on camembert if he wanted to transform into Chat Noir tonight.

Night arrived agonizingly slow and it was only when he was sure Natalie, his father and the Gorilla were asleep that he quietly snuck out of the mansion, jumping from roof to roof over the quiet city that was Paris.

The cool Parisian night air felt good against his skin and it distracted him from the stifling heat in his suit, it soothed him a little for what he was about to do.

It was nearing midnight. and he wasn't even sure if Marinette was still up, after all it was a school night. He realized he would be tired in the morning, but he had to at least check up on her, even if it was through her window.

He finally jumped down to land soundless on her balcony and he was surprised to find her lights were still on, granted the light was very dim and low, as if she didn't want anyone to know she was still awake.

Carefully, he took tentative steps forward, briefly debating with himself if what he was about to do was the right thing.

One of Paris superheroes, a boy, was standing in the middle of the night in front of a girl's bedroom window, looking every bit like a cat burglar with questionable intentions with his leather getup and green eyes which seemed to glow in the dark when one squinted hard enough.

Shaking his head, he softly scratched against the hatch, anxiously waiting a response from the other side. He shifted his weight, flexed his claws and tensed when he heard the telltale sign of a lock being undone as the small door slowly opened.

Marinette, dressed in her PJ's with her hair undone, greeted him and he took a moment to take in her unguarded expression, a face he never got to see as Adrien, "Chat Noir?" she blinked, clearly stunned to see him at this time of night, "What are you doing here, kitty? It's pretty late," and suddenly, she tensed and he could see the alarm on her face and in her eyes, "Is there an akuma attack-"

He quickly quenched her worries with an easy smile and a quick shake of his head, "Paris is safe. I just wanted to see if the princess was too," his voice was soft, softer than usual and he wondered if it was due to not wanting to wake her parents up or due to the emotion lacing his words.

He decided it didn't matter as she slowly stepped aside and opened the door wider, "Come in kitty, it's cold,"

He couldn't help the smile that split his face as he gracefully stepped into her bedroom, the warmth seeping into his body through the cold leather of his suit and giving him a feeling his own house didn't offer: a sense of home.

He turned to regard the girl standing behind him curiously, her hair was loose, untangled from the usual twin pigtails she wore, her eyes looked slightly puffy, as if she had cried sometime today and her eyes lacked the usual sparkle when she greeted him.

She looked exhausted and miserable.

And he wanted to kick himself. Hard.

He spotted her chaise and plopped down onto it, crossing his legs and fisting his joined ankles anxiously as he stared at her, "So, how is my fair purrincess feline this fine afternoon?" he grinned, hoping to cheer her up, at least to see the sparkle in her eyes again.

It didn't come.

She forced on a small smile and it was the worst thing he was subjected to seeing, "I'm fine kitty, how are you?" she eyed him briefly, "Are you sure there is nothing wrong? It's late and I don't think you would-"

He cut her off gently, his eyes conveying his every intention of his impromptu visit to her, "I came to see you,"

It took him a split second to realize how it may sound like to a slightly dazzled, emotionally drained Marinette, so he quickly rephrased his words, "I-I heard you had a stressful day so I wanted to make sure you wouldn't go to sleep feeling miserable,"

She crossed her arms, her look was curious and he was glad she hadn't felt offended or cornered, "I'm fine Chat, really." She rose an eyebrow, "And what would you know about falling asleep miserable?" she pouted, lips pursed but no real intention of hurting him.

He didn't take her words to heart.

Oh I could sing you a song about it, princess.

The guilty look on her face made her deflate and her shoulders slump in defeat, "I'm so sorry Chat Noir, I didn't-I didn't mean to hurt you! I-" she fumbled with her own words and Chat quickly tried to reassure her already fragile self.

He shook his head, standing up to gently grab her shoulders, "This cat has a thick coat, princess." He winked playfully, "I promise you, your words were not taken to heart. But if you don't mind this stray cat asking, what brought you in such a mood?" his concern was genuine, of course it was. She was Marinette, she was his very good friend, he almost dared say Chat's best friend but not Adrien's.

After several minutes of staring at each-other Marinette finally caved in, her shoulders trembling slightly under Chat's warm hands, "A-at school…I…I was clumsy and…and Chloe just...she just…" she sighed heavily, hanging her head low, "…She only said the truth…" her voice was a murmur, so quiet Adrien almost didn't hear her.

Gently, he lifted her chin with his fingers so she was looking at him and his heart tightened at the hurt look in her bluebell eyes, "Princess, she was wrong." He quickly remembered he was standing before her as Chat Noir, not Adrien, "…Whatever it was she said, I refuse to believe it to be anywhere near the truth," he smiled at her, squeezing her shoulders.

She offered him a small smile, it seemed slightly more genuine, grateful, not like the forced one earlier. He mentally patted himself on the back, he was starting to cheer her up.

Marinette giggled then, her hand unconsciously scratched at the cat ears perched on top of his head, "Silly kitty…" she smiled fondly, "I bumped into Adrien when I wasn't paying attention and we both fell to the floor. I tried to apologize and help but Chloe…" she bit her lip, "She said I shouldn't be so clumsy anymore…and…" her voice grew very quiet at the end, "…that I should be more like Ladybug,"

Despite already knowing what had happened, his eyes had still widened in surprise. Not surprise at the information he already knew, but at how it deeply hurt Marinette, hearing Chloe telling her she should be more like the ladybug themed superhero of Paris.

Listening to the little voice at the back of his mind, which sounded suspiciously like a mix of Plagg's and his own, he pulled Marinette into a tight hug, one hand wrapped around her waist while the other threaded into her hair, claws gently rubbing the scalp.

She tensed, a gasp. He wasn't so sure what he was doing, it had been pure instincts that he suddenly hugged her, but he wasn't sure he would be regretting his choice.

Until she would decide to take out her squirt bottle or pepper spray or anything else that could do him any harm.

But instead, she relaxed in his embrace and he sensed her weight settle slightly against him as she wrapped her arms around his back.

He hugged her tighter, "You can never be like Ladybug," he whispered softly, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

She tensed.

He smiled, "Just like Ladybug can never be Marinette," he sensed the confusion he instilled in her by his cryptic words, "We all wished we are people we can't be, but that's also what makes us special, you know?" he gently stroked her hair as he spoke, relaxed by her scent around him, "Being you is unique, it's something you shouldn't be ashamed or embarrassed of." He chuckled and he felt her shiver, he thought it was from the cold of his suit, "Just like I can't be a famous supermodel or a really cool guy," he chuckled again.

He felt Marinette shift, clutching him tighter, one hand moving up so her fingers gently rubbed at the nape of his neck, "I think you're cool Chat," he felt her smile against his neck, "A very cool guy," she giggled, "And you don't need to be a supermodel to be a good person, I think being a good person is more impurrtant and clawfully you have that in spades,"

Chat slowly released her, still holding her by her shoulders as he looked into her eyes with teary ones of his own, "…You punned," he wiped at the corner of his eye, "Twice," he sniffed, "I can sacrifice all my nine lives for this,"

The bluenette rolled her eyes playfully before cupping his cheeks, "Isn't it a good thing all you have to do is being yourself to make me pun every once and amewile?" she winked, laughing at the stunned look on his face.

She brought his face down closer to hers, her cheeks pink and eyes sparkling as she rubbed their noses together affectionately, "Thank you kitty," she sighed and her warm breath hit his lips, only centimeters from her own and it left them tingling.

He swallowed, eyes shooting from her lips to her eyes, they sparkled again, "You know, I'm the one that's supposed to say thank you," he gently brought his hand behind her head, carefully pressing against it so now their foreheads were touching as he gazed at her eyes fondly, "You made a stray cat happy princess,"

You're amazing, he mentally added.

She smiled brightly and it almost blinded him, "And you made a damsel in distress happy, kitty," she scratched his chin and he released a low purr, causing another giggle to erupt from her throat as he forced himself to concentrate.

He gazed at her earnestly, "You could never be a damsel in distress, Marinette," the use of her real name took her a bit by surprise, but her expression relaxed, melting into one of adoration and gratefulness.

He smiled, gathering his courage to gently press his lips against the warm skin of her forehead, his lips moving against her as he whispered, "Just like you can't ever be useless," he closed his eyes, relishing in the peacefulness and the warmth of her body against his.

He was surprised when she hugged him this time, tightly, burying her face against his chest.

But he smiled and wrapped his arms around her again, resting his chin on top of her head.

He swore he must have imagined it, he blamed it on the late hour of the night and his own tiredness, but he swore he heard Marinette whisper against his chest, "Je t'aime, chaton,"

The next day at school, Adrien barely stayed still in his seat, eyes constantly traveling to the door and squirming and shifting in his seat.

Nino kept sending him odd looks from the side, "Dude, this is the sixth time you looked at the door. What's wrong?" there was a mask of confusion on his face before a grin replaced it, "I see, anxious to see Marinette?"

He felt his friend nudge him and he looked at him a little dazed, obviously having not heard his taunting, "Dude, what gives? You look star struck," he waved his hand in front of his face.

And then the door opened.

Marinette seemed in good spirits as she talked animatedly to Alya about something, her face split by a wide smile and her eyes shining like the sun itself.

He gathered his courage and stood up to intercept her with a hand on her shoulder, "Marinette,"

She looked up at him, "Oh!" she blushed slightly, "Good morning, A-Adrien,"

He smiled, "Good morning. Listen, about what happened yesterday, I just wanted to say how sorry I am that I didn't step up to Chloe when I should've and defended you, even if I know you can defend yourself." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "I can't tell you how sorry I felt and I understand if you're mad at me-"

She cut him off with a bright, "Don't worry, it's alright. I'm not mad at you at all," she offered him a smile, "And I'm sorry again for being a klutz," she giggled.

He smiled, "Well, I was a klutz too yesterday," they both chuckled and he smiled at her when she walked to her seat when Ms. Bustier entered the classroom.

Somewhere in the middle of the lecture, he could hear the two girls behind him and Nino whispering about something and he could just make out what it was before Alya gasped in surprise.

"I told you Alya, Chat's a really good friend…and he was there for me when I was feeling down. Honestly, he may be overdoing it with the puns, but he's the cutest stray I ever met.

Between coughing fits on Alya's part and Adrien's own blood pumping in his ears loudly, Marinette added in, And I think he's a really cool guy.

Adrien's eyes widened and he couldn't stop the unmistakably Chat grin from nearly splitting his face in half.

She said he was a really cool guy.

She said he was a really good friend.

She called him the cutest stray EVER.

She told him she liked him last night!

Now he really would sacrifice all his nine lives just to relive last night again, in each-others arms.

Thank you all for reading! And thank you for reviewing, favoriting and following! :) Was Chat/Adrien too OOC here?