"You fainted… straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention, you didn't have to go to such extremes."

It's a Ladybug joke, and that's how Adrien knows it's serious. Marinette doesn't make those jokes anymore – at least, not as often. Only when she's trying to lighten the mood, or cover her nerves.

Adrien rubs his eyes with the heels of his palms, trying to bring himself out of the blur of unconsciousness. He pulls his hands away, tiny supernovas bursting behind his eyes when he blinks, his surroundings sharpening as his eyes adjust to the room. He'd sat up too fast, and the world is still spinning slightly as he leans his elbows on his knees.

"Did it at least work?" Adrien mumbles, removing his hands and grinning tiredly at Marinette, the weight of exhaustion still pressing down on him with every breath. The smile slides off his face as he sees the raw concern in Marinette's wide eyes, her smile unable to mask the worry rolling off her in waves. "I actually fainted?" he asks, looking down at the soft pink blanket draped over him.

Adrien feels a weight press down on the mattress, and looks up to see Marinette perch on the end of the chaise longue. Her legs hang off the side of it as she twists to face him, worry etched across her face.

"Yeah" Marinette replies quietly. "One minute you were using cataclysm, the next… the next, you were on the floor." Adrien can hear the tremble in Marinette's voice, and notices the tension in her frame as she explains.

"Really?" Adrien murmurs, frowning at Marinette's words. "That's never happened before." He looks at his surroundings, and for the first time takes in the fact that he's in Marinette's room. It's a risk, bringing him here – surely her parents (who Adrien knows like to pop their heads through the trapdoor to check on their daughter) would have noticed him lying, unconscious, on the chaise longue?

"You brought me to your house?" Adrien asks, looking around the room. He sees spots of blue-tac dotted around the walls, and wonders if there used to be posters there. He shakes his head slightly; that really shouldn't be his priority right now.

He looks back at Marinette, who's pulling on a strand of her hair as she shrugs nonchalantly. Adrien would believe the casualness of the gesture if a pink flush wasn't rising to her cheeks when she replied. "Well, I figured it would be easier to bring you here than breaking into your home, which, if I recall correctly, has an incredibly complex security system which I don't know how to override," Marinette says, a weary grin on her face.

Adrien nods slowly, arching his back as he stretches his arms above his head. "Good point," he agrees, rolling his shoulders to stretch the tight muscles in his back.

Marinette looks away, staring at the floor with wide eyes as she continues to speak. "And I couldn't take you to hospital because your transformation was just holding out, and I couldn't have you detransforming surrounded by doctors, and my parents are out this evening so I just... brought you here." Marinette gestures to her room as she babbles, her hands flailing as she talks rapidly.

Adrien crosses his legs as he sits up, giving Marinette more room on the seat. She shuffles backwards, but doesn't utilise the new space, instead remaining on the end of the chaise longue, keeping a distance between her and Adrien.

It's been like that since they found out each other's identities. Somehow a gulf has formed between the two of them even as they become closer than ever, and Adrien doesn't know how to bridge it. It was a surprise to find out that his Lady was Marinette in the daytime, but he'd been so happy. And although Marinette had clearly been just as surprised – she'd spent a good five minutes just staring, her mouth open in an 'o' of shock – but Adrien wasn't sure she'd taken it as well. Because why else was she taking a step back from their playful exchanges during their fights?

There is an unbreakable trust between them, and he knows that Marinette has his back until the end, with or without the masks on. But Marinette is clearly still trying to reconcile the fact that Adrien is Chat Noir, and their friendship has been… tentative. And they're still testing the boundaries of whatever their relationship is, so Adrien isn't going to push Marinette just so they can meet without tiptoeing around the revelation of their identities.

But she looks back at him with such concern when she finishes speaking, and Adrien just wants to hold her, reassure her that he's okay.

But he doesn't. They aren't there yet.

Instead, he scratches the back of his head as he smiles at her.

"Thanks, Marinette," Adrien says softly, and Marinette brushes it off with a wave of her hand. "Where are Plagg and Tikki?"

"Don't mention it," she replies, and her eyes lift from the floor to meet his. "They're downstairs, sneaking some cheese bread out of the bakery." She rolls her eyes as he meets her gaze, and Adrien can't understand how he never noticed those beautiful eyes were the same as the ones he gazed into under a red mask.

He shakes off the thought. Again, now's not the time.

"I don't really remember why I fainted," Adrien says, scrunching his nose as he tries to recall the moments before he awoke in Marinette's room. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Marinette replies. "I was trying to get Alya out of the way, and after I heard your attack I looked around and you – you were on the floor, and I didn't know-" She takes a deep breath, her hands gripping her knees as she looks away from Adrien.

He can't help it; Adrien scoots closer to Marinette, and places a hand on her shoulder. Her head snaps to his, surprised at the contact but not rejecting it. She pastes a smile on her face, and Adrien doesn't believe it for a second.

"Hey – I'm okay. I promise. Right now the only thing wrong is that I can't remember what happened." Adrien squeezes her shoulder gently, and Marinette gives him a small, genuine smile.

"It's natural to not remember the moments before fainting," Marinette says kindly, the words rolling off her tongue as if she's memorized them. Which, Adrien thinks as he glances at the tab open on her computer screen, she probably has. "You may also feel tired or weak," Marinette concludes with a nod.

"Definitely tired," Adrien says with a snort, removing his hand and rubbing the back of his neck with it. "Sounds like you encounter a lot of fainting boys, Princess." He grins. "Should I be jealous?"

Marinette rolls her eyes as a faint pink warms her cheeks, and Adrien wonders for a second if he's pushing it too far. But Marinette slides her legs onto the bed, turning to face Adrien fully. The nickname is a reminder that the boy on her chaise longue is the same one she spent the past year laughing with, and Marinette's desperate to try and claw back some of their own odd normality.

"Not ones I have to drag back to my house before they detransform," she counters, matching Adrien's jovial tone. For a moment, it's like they're back where they were a few months ago as she grins at him, but his own smile slides off his face as Adrien realises the situation Ladybug had been left in when he passed out; although he knows she would have been able to defeat the akuma easily, having to take care of him in the aftermath must have been difficult. Marinette was strong, but carrying him across Paris before their transformations wore off would still have been a challenge.

Almost instantly, the mood changes – Adrien finally takes in the fact that he fainted, and that it's something which could have put his partner in danger, even after she'd defeated the akuma.

"Sorry," Adrien says quietly, looking down at the blanket pooled over him. "I didn't mean to mess everything up. It can't have been fun hauling me across Paris."

Marinette blinks, surprised at the change in the conversation's direction. She shakes her head in response.

"No no no! It was fine, it's not a big deal! You aren't as heavy as you look! Wait, no, I mean-" Marinette stumbles over her words as she hastily tries to reassure Adrien. She slaps a hand to her forehead, groaning. "I mean, don't beat yourself up about it. From what I hear, you've been run ragged for the past couple of months. It's okay."

She brushes her bangs out of her eyes and looks up at Adrien. "The important thing is that you're alright."

Her partner doesn't look up, and Marinette knows that it's her turn to comfort him. She shifts closer, trying to calm her nerves as she raises her arm and places one finger against his chin, tilting it so he's looking at her. Marinette smiles at him, and it's so full of understanding that Adrien has to avert his gaze.

Marinette sees the tension in Adrien's frame, sees the self-loathing in his eyes, and the need to reassure him is overwhelming.

"I mean it, Adrien. It's just a thing that happened. Nobody got hurt, and nobody found out your identity." Marinette carefully scratches his chin as she speaks, and the effect on Adrien is instantaneous; his whole body relaxes and sags, and he all but purrs as Marinette tickles him. "But you have to promise to look after yourself, okay?"

Adrien takes hold of Marinette's hand, pulling it away from his chin. It's more than a casual touch, a step further than the two of them have taken in their careful dance of boundaries. But he laces their fingers together, a gesture of comfort which they both need, and presses her hand reassuringly with his.

"I will. No more fainting - I promise," Adrien says with a smile, holding his other hand up in a salute. Marinette frowns at him, and she grips his hand tightly.

"I mean it, Adrien! Plagg told me about how hectic your schedule has been with Fashion Week coming up, and that you've not been sleeping or eating as well as you should be, and I'm… I'm worried about you."

Marinette doesn't look away as she speaks, and Adrien is drawn into the quiet intensity of her gaze. "And - and I know you're busy, so if you ever need to take a break from Chat Noir, just let me know, okay? Because your health has to come first, and if you're fainting from exhaustion then you probably shouldn't be fighting akumas on top of-"

"No."

Marinette blinks at the abrupt interruption. She stares at Adrien, who's looking at her with a burning stare.

"Adrien…"

"No," he repeats, and the conviction in his voice is as solid as concrete. "I'm not bailing on you. Ever."

With a shake of her head, Marinette's other hand grips her knee.

"It's not bailing on me," she says softly, "it's taking care of yourself. You can't– we can't fight akumas if we have to worry about you passing out because of exhaustion. And even if you aren't worried, I am. I want you with me in a fight, of course I do, but if the choice is your health or putting you at risk, then there's no question about it. I can deal with the akumas alone until your schedule dies down a bit."

Silence slips between them like a shadow, and suddenly only holding one of Marinette's hands isn't enough; Adrien needs the contact, and lays his hand over Marinette's, resting them on her knee.

They're not really sure what they're doing when their fingers twine together, Marinette's thumb rubbing small circles on Adrien's hand as they sit across from one another. But it's comforting, a sign that at the end of the day their identities don't matter – they're partners, and, more importantly, friends.

Whatever there is between them – and Adrien knows it's love, he's never been so sure of anything, even if he doesn't know exactly what type of love it is yet – is for the long term. Through crushes and akumas and school and fainting.

They're figuring it out together, and Adrien refuses to let his partner fight alone, no matter the consequences.

"Marinette," Adrien begins, and she lifts her head to meet his eyes. Her gaze is searching, her face lined with a concern she can't fully conceal from him.

Adrien rests their joined hands on the space between them on the bed, looking down at them before continuing. "I know you could take on every akuma alone and win. You could probably take on Hawkmoth alone, and win. But you don't have to. I'm not always the best partner, but I'm not leaving you to fight alone. I don't care how busy my schedule is, if you need me by your side, that's where I'm going to be."

There's a pause, and Adrien wonders if his words were too much. But he can't hold it back, because she has to know he'll always be there. She has to.

Her lips flicker in a small smile, and Marinette looks down at their hands. "You're wrong you know," she says, and Adrien is about to protest before her eyes glance up at him. "You're the best partner I could ask for."

A smile grows on Adrien's face as heat begins to redden his cheeks, but Marinette interrupts before he can return the sentiment.

"But you still should take some time off. I mean, Plagg told me you have school, homework, fashion shows, photo ops, fittings, charity galas, and about a thousand other things going on right now. I just don't want you to overdo it."

"Marinette, I'm fi-"

"You passed out today. You are not fine."

He's never heard Marinette speak so sternly – at least, not to him. Adrien's eyes widen, and almost instinctively he releases her hands. Marinette's face pales, and she pulls her hands back into her lap as she bites her lip; but she holds her ground.

"I know your life is hectic. I understand, I do. But you're not fine – even superheroes need rest," Marinette says.

He can't really argue with that, so he doesn't try.

"I know. But I just don't have time to stop, Marinette. It's nothing I haven't dealt with before."

Before Marinette can reply, two blurs zip from Marinette's open trapdoor to the two superheroes; Tikki and Plagg float by their respective Miraculous holders, and smile at Adrien.

"You're awake!" Tikki says happily, an infectious smile on her face. "I'm so glad, Marinette was so worried -"

Marinette cups Tikki in her hand, muffling the rest of her sentence as Plagg nuzzles his head on Adrien's shoulder, an unusual display of affection from the little cat kwami.

"Hey, Plagg," Adrien says, rubbing the top of his friend's head with a fingertip.

"Don't do that again," Plagg replies, his tone softer than Adrien has ever heard it, before moving back from Adrien and crossing his arms. "It was stupid of you."

Adrien rolls his eyes. "Of all the people to get a lecture about stupidity from – remember that time you got caught in Chloe's bracelet because you thought it was camembert?"

"It was a perfectly reasonable assumption."

"It was metal!"

"How could I have known that?"

"It was shiny!"

"Maybe it was a rare camembert-"

"Uh, guys?" Marinette interrupts, one eyebrow raised at the bickering duo whilst Tikki shakes her head in resignation. "Can you argue about this later?"

Plagg moves to hover by Marinette, pressing his cheek against hers.

"Of course, dear Marinette," the black kwami purrs, causing her to let out a giggle. Tikki lets out a huff of jealousy; since the revelation of their identities, Plagg has grown extraordinarily fond of Marinette, and Tikki has become somewhat territorial of the girl.

Tikki zooms over to Adrien – out of genuine concern or to make her charge jealous, Adrien isn't sure – and smiles kindly at him.

"Are you alright? You look so tired," Tikki says, and her high voice is filled with concern. Adrien holds out his hands for Tikki to sit in, and returns her smile.

"I'm alright Tikki, thank you. Just a bit run-down. It's nothing-"

His eyes glance at the clock by Marinette's computer as he speaks, and Adrien lets out a groan when he sees the time. Marinette, Tikki, and Plagg all turn to look at him, Tikki moving out of his hands to hover by his face. Adrien drops his head into his palms, and Tikki pats his hair with one tiny arm.

"Oh damn," he says, his voice muffled by his hands. "I'm so late."

"What's wrong?" Marinette asks, and Adrien pushes back his hair as he looks up at her, a weary smile on his face.

"I was meant to be home an hour ago. I've got to get ready for tonight."

Pushing himself off the bed, Adrien stretches as he stands for the first time since the battle. He rolls his shoulders, and notices Marinette move to stand by him as he clicks his neck.

"What's happening tonight?" Marinette asks as Adrien rakes one hand through his hair, fluffing out the flattened strands where his head had rested on the pillow.

"I've got to go to a charity gala. Father donated some money to it, and he's the guest of honour." Adrien shrugs. "There's no getting out of it."

Marinette frowns, her lips forming a small pout before she lets out a sigh. She wraps her arms around herself, looking down at the floor before her glancing back at Adrien.

"Just… look after yourself. I know you can't get out of your responsibilities, but – I'm worried about you, okay?" Marinette looks away from Adrien, her cheeks turning pink as a blush creeps up her neck.

Adrien's gaze softens, and a small smile plays on his face as he takes a step towards Marinette. He rests a hand on her shoulder, and her head shoots up at the contact. He's smiling warmly at her, and before he can stop himself, he stoops down and places a soft kiss on her temple.

"Thank you," he says quietly, his lips whispering against her skin.

He pulls back, and Marinette's face is bright red; he winks at her before turning to his kwami. "Plagg, claws out!"

The transformation is the same as it always is, but there's something so different about changing in front of Marinette. It's such a personal, intimate moment, and there's something so right about Marinette being the only one allowed to see it.

When the mask is on, Chat Noir faces Marinette and takes her hand once more.

"I promise, I'll be alright," he says with a smile. Chat Noir presses his lips to Marinette's hand before falling into a graceful bow. "Thank you for everything, Princess."

Marinette lets out a small laugh as she shakes her head, waving her hands in front of her to distract her from the pounding of her heart.

"It's nothing, really. Have a good evening!" Marinette trills, before her grin falters. "But, Adrien?"

Chat Noir cocks his head to one side, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean it. Your health comes first. Please, try and get some rest."

Adrien's heart melts a little at the concern in her voice; it's nice to know that someone actually cares about him, rather than how he appears to the world.

"I'll try," he replies, "but I can't promise more than that. Fashion season's kind to no-one."

Her arms hugged around herself, Marinette gives him a half-grin. "I'll take what I can get. Now get going, kitty. Don't want you to be late now."

Chat Noir salutes, and without another words climbs up Marinette's ladder and leaps from her balcony, bounding across the rooftops of Paris towards his home.
***

When he walks into his house, Nathalie is waiting for him, wielding the clipboard which holds the plans for his entire life – at least, for the next few weeks.

"Where have you been?" she asks, her voice sharp and stern.

"Sorry, Nathalie" Adrien says, hoping he sounds sincere. "I got caught up in the akuma attack and ended up on the other side of Paris. It got here as soon as I could."

Nathalie nods once, and Adrien holds back a sigh of relief – it's not exactly a lie, but if she questioned it further he's not sure he could come up with an excuse on the spot.

"Very well. But you should get dressed immediately, the car will be here in an hour to take you to the venue. You need to learn the names of all the guests, although you've met most of them before. There's a list on your bedside table for you to go through while you get ready. Be back downstairs in forty-five minutes."

Adrien nods, an automatic reflex to Nathalie's orders. She turns to walk away, and just the thought of spending the night faking a smile and playing the perfect son is enough to make Adrien blink wearily. He knows exactly how the event will play out – hours of small talk and mingling, faking interest and fighting exhaustion.

Marinette's words echo in his mind. "Your health comes first. Please, try and get some rest."

He decides to take her advice – or at least, try to. A promise is a promise, after all, especially when it's made to his Lady.

"Nathalie?" Adrien asks tentatively to the woman who's nearly left the room. She turns to him, one perfect eyebrow raised in a silent question. "I'm… I'm feeling pretty run down. These past couple of months have been kind of intense. Is there any chance I could take tonight off?"

Nathalie moves towards him, scrutinising him with every step. Her eyes take in the dark circles under his eyes which take an extraordinary amount of make-up to conceal, and takes in the aura of exhaustion surrounding him. Her silent assessment leaves Adrien standing under her gaze for a full minute, and he resigns himself to the fact that he's going to the gala tonight.

He's surprised when Nathalie's eyes drop to the clipboard in her hands, her lips twisted in consideration. She lifts the pen in her fingers and draws a single line on the paper.

"You've had a rigorous few months. I'm sure we can find a reasonable excuse for you not to attend tonight's event." Nathalie's tone remains completely professional, her face straight as she scribbles a note on the paper in front of her. She glances at Adrien, and he thinks he sees the ghost of a smile flicker on her lips. "Get some rest, Adrien. Your schedule will continue as normal tomorrow."

He doesn't get the chance to say thank you before Nathalie has left the room. Adrien shrugs, and hauls himself up to his bedroom; now that's he's had time to stop, to realise that his body is exhausted, suddenly his bed is the most appealing thing in the world.

He doesn't change into pyjamas before flopping onto his soft, welcoming mattress; Adrien only pulls off his shoes and jacket before burrowing his head into the pillow. He hears Plagg whiz around the room, and the kwami curses as it carries something out of Adrien's jacket pocket.

With a gentle thump, Adrien's phone lands by his head, bouncing down the pillow and bumping his shoulder.

"You should let Marinette know," is all Plagg says before he zooms away.

Adrien doesn't have to ask what he means; without lifting his head from the pillow, Adrien shoots off a text to Marinette.

Got tonight off. You were right. Night, Princess.

It only takes a moment for her to respond. Adrien has to blink himself awake as the buzzing of his phone keeps him from falling into the sleep he desperately needs. He looks at the screen, swiping to read her message.

Glad to hear it. I always am :P Goodnight, Kitty – you've earned a good sleep 3 xx

Adrien smiles – the heart and kisses are new additions to Marinette's messages.

Maybe they're making progress after all.