Marinette knew she should get up but the warmth of the blankets and the grogginess from her emotional late-night weighed on her. With a slow, lethargic stretch, she groaned and rolled over before opening her eyes a crack. The light streaming in the window marked definite lateness to the morning but Marinette wondered what the point was of getting up when there was no evidence of Adrien having returned. She turned her head to look at his pillow and let out a startled screech when her eyes connected with those of the black cat from the other day. His head cocked slightly to the side as if he was curious about her reaction.

"Man you need to stop scaring me like that, Kitty." Lazy fingers scratched behind his ears, resulting in a happy purring noise. Mindlessly patting the cat's head, she stared up at the ceiling of the bedroom.

"Have you seen Adrien today?" The creature just butted her hand for more attention. "I hope he isn't mad at me." A sigh escaped her as she attempted to piece together the confusing events that had happened the night before.

"At least Nino promised me the village would be safe." The cat made a strange choking sound which drew her attention again. "Silly kitty."

Blanket thrown back and feet on the floor, Marinette pulled on her new robe and padded her way to the kitchen for a drink of water. She heard the cat jump off the bed and expected it to follow her, likely in hopes of food. Instead, however, he disappeared out the back patio and down the trail she had walked with Adrien the other day. She smiled a little at Adrien's strange pet, gulping her water. Apparently, a night of crying had left her dehydrated.

There was a soft, wanton mewl cried out from behind her, causing her to spin so quickly in surprise that her glass slipped from her fingers and crashed onto the counter. She didn't care. For at that moment, shock had her frozen as she stared wide-eyed at the small orange kitten sitting in the middle of the room.

"Tikki?!" She didn't care that her voice screeched jarringly while she called her kitten's name. Her hands scooped the little kitten to her cheek in happiness. "Oh, Tikki! I thought I would never see you again!" The sputtering purr of the small kitten made her laugh, its soft fur pressing against her face. Marinette pulled her friend back to look the kitten in the eye.

"How did you get here, little one?" she puzzled.

"I brought her." Adrien's warm voice from the doorway snapped her head up. He stood casually leaning on the doorframe, as naturally as if he stood there every day, arms and legs crossed. The smile on his face was genuine, apparently pleased by her reaction. Reaching behind him to grab a strange sort of bag, he stepped into the house and closed the door.

"I brought these too." The bag was gently placed in front of her before he stepped back and waited. She knelt on the ground, moving Tikki to squirm in her lap with a loud voice of complaint. The bag was knotted at the top and it took her a few moments to wiggle it loose. The edges flopped open, revealing the contents inside. She blinked in surprise. Her old robes. Her shoes. Her sewing supplies. The box from her closet. Loaves of her father's bread.

"Adrien." She could only breathe his name in surprise. Looking up, she found him eagerly watching her with eyes that seemed to be dancing in anticipation. "How -" She choked up, realizing that he had gone to the village after all. Not to burn it as she had feared, but instead to gather her belongings and bring them home. Even Tikki, who had already hopped off Marinette's nap and was kneading playfully into the fabric of an old robe.

Marinette bowed her head. "Thank you."

His hand wrapped gently around her arm and pulled her to stand before wrapping his arms around her and tucking her under his chin.

"I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to make you scared for the village. I promise I won't burn it down." She relaxed a little in his hold, feeling thankful for his words. He was warm against her cheek, the sound of his heart beating happily in his chest. She slowly allowed herself to stretch her arms around his back to return the hug. He seemed to melt into her then, giving her a gentle squeeze.

Tikki's loud mew broke them apart slightly, turning in unison to see the kitten tangled in thread with Plagg hovering beside her looking worried about her safety. Adrien laughed, dropping down quickly to unwind the string from the little cat.

He watched in amusement as Marinette picked her way through the pile of her belongings, chattering away to her little kitten that followed closely behind her heels as she put things away. Tikki actually seemed to be paying close attention, her big blue eyes staring up at the girl as she spoke. Marinette just talked away in an almost unending stream of words, apparently bursting at the seams over things that he felt were almost inconsequential. Her worn-out robes, for example. What did she see in them that made her smile so brightly as she pressed the rough fabric against her face, talking about her mother and father?

The sewing supplies seemed to make her the happiest, causing her to promise Tikki that she'd make her little kitten a special bed. Adrien could almost feel the jealousy radiating off Plagg as he floated near Adrien's shoulder. Apparently, Marinette could too, skipping over to the little kwami to scratch his head before giving him a promise of a cozy space for himself too. Plagg almost preened in response. Adrien had to admit that Marinette had the magic touch with his typically sarcastic and prickly partner.

Turning, she scooped the cloth-wrapped bread and held it close to her face, inhaling deeply with her eyes closed. The soft smile she gave as she let the smell of fresh, homemade bread wash over her made his heart leap a little.

Finally, she picked up the mysterious box which he had pulled from her closet. She gently brushed her hand across the top, dusting it off before shyly looking at him. Disappearing momentarily into the bedroom with Tikki trailing behind her, she returned without it. Adrien tried to squash the feeling of curiosity that bubbled inside him. What was in that box? Why was she so shy about it?

The sheet he had wrapped everything in snapped fiercely as Marinette gave it a firm shake. He grabbed one side and together they folded it in silence. The awkwardness was thick. He desperately wanted a way to break the tension that had fallen between them, to get them back to the way they were last night - laughing and enjoying each other's company.

It was Tikki, ultimately, that broke the ice, somehow managing to jump onto the table and lick one of the bread loaves. Without thinking, Adrien fell into his natural jokester behaviour.

"Oh, you've got to be kitten me! What a cat-astrophe!"

Marinette froze, blinking at him in surprise, before snorting slightly and rolling her eyes.

From there, it was easy - his affinity for puns oozing out as Marinette tried to remain aloof to his humour. He watched eagerly for any sign of response, savouring each eye roll, deadpan stare, and grunt of disapproval. She was a hard one to break.

It was one particularly horrible pun involving bread that finally did it - making her turn around to gape at him in surprise before swatting him on the arm and bursting out in laughter. The sound made him tingle with joy.

Conversation flowed like it was supposed to, laughter bubbling up between them as they shared jokes and stories. Marinette's smile was back, making his heart burst with happiness.

The day was filled with talking, an old board game he had nearly forgotten about that Marinette won with ease, chunks of amazing homemade bread, and warm tea. He was fascinated by the headstrong young woman whose eyes flashed like metal when she was determined. He loved that gentle coaxing could ignite a firestorm of words that easily left his head spinning from the speed and complexity she spoke. The passion she spoke of her family, her friends, her dreams, her memories left a gentle thrum in his heart.

It startled him how quickly the day vanished as she sat snuggled against him to watch the sunset. She was warm and soft and so alive.

This was a peace he hadn't known before and a small, desperate part of him wanted to freeze time forever.

Marinette leaned in closer to Adrien as the cool air pricked against her skin. It had been a wonderful day, despite his constant and somewhat unexpected jokes. As the last of the light faded to darkness, Marinette's eyes were drawn to the small flame on the deck, flickering in a silent reminder of everything this was. Her thoughts tumbled over and over between the feeling of obligation and the rollercoaster of emotions that this experience was causing. Beside her sat the man who was her husband - devastatingly handsome but so incredibly unpredictable. A joker and yet, someone who threatened the very village that she loved so much. It was this weird juxtaposition and it left her a little dazzled.

The day had been wonderful. She felt like he had dropped all the walls that he'd put between them and let her see his true self. She hadn't laughed so much in her life. In truth, she hadn't ever had so many huge and varied emotions before she'd met him.

They sat nestled together as stars appeared in the sky. Adrien took a few moments to point out different ones, telling her tales of the shapes and designs they made. She listened in awe. His stories were a lot more inspiring than the ones that she had grown up with in the village. They stayed long after the moon made its arrival. They stayed even long after Marinette's eyes felt heavy and her body attempted to pull her into sleep.

"You're shivering," Adrien murmured, rubbing his hand up and down her arm to create some warmth. The heat of his touch burned pleasantly. Pulling her to stand, he took her hand in his. The light of the fire danced in his eyes as he pulled her fingers to his lips and pressed a kiss on her knuckles.

"Let's go inside, My Lady." She didn't know if she was breathing or not at the unexpected gesture.

Fingers intertwined, she let Adrien pull her into the house. In silent nervousness, she got herself ready for bed, slipping between the covers. Taking his place beside her, he smiled as he pulled her close, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. Fingers trailed down her cheek. Warm arms wrapped around her, tucking her against him.

"Goodnight, Princess."

His voice rumbled in his chest, kind of like a purr, urging her to snuggle closer. Timidly putting her arm around his waist. Her ear pressed against his heart, the rhythmic beating lulling her already tired body into a peaceful sleep.

Adrien wasn't sure if he would ever sleep again.

Every inch of his body was more than aware of the softness pressed against it and was screaming at him to respond. In a few short days, the smell of her had filled his home, his sheets, his brain. He couldn't escape even if he wanted to - and he definitely didn't want to.

Shifting slightly in his arms, her soft sigh tickled his skin. He froze, trying not to let the groan at the back of his throat slip out.

Here she was, in his bed, in his arms, expecting him to be her husband. He could take advantage of that and use her as he wanted. He could have her. Claim her. It wasn't like he didn't want her.

But the thought left him hollow on the inside.

Determination to treat her with respect far outweighed his desires. He wanted to know her - really know her - before anything else.

"Can't sleep, huh?" crooned Plagg from somewhere in the darkness. Adrien could almost envision the cocky look on the little guy's face.

"Shut up, Plagg."

Morning arrived sooner than he wanted, the feeling of sludge still in his brain. Cursing his existence-long habit of waking with the sun, he tried to stretch but realized he was surrounded. Marinette had curled herself against him, burrowed into the blankets until she was almost invisible. Tucked between her feet and his legs was Tikki, sound asleep in a tight orange ball of fur. On his other side, Plagg was sprawled in his usual fashion on Adrien's pillow, snoring slightly.

He smiled.

The moment felt like…. Home.

AUTHOR: Woo. Sorry for the long delay. I had a lot of in life work to finish, and then, when I finally was able to sit down to write, I totally struggled with this chapter. I complained to my writing buddies that Marinette and Adrien were just standing awkwardly in a room together and I had no idea what to do with them ha. Thank you to Ep and CM/MR for helping me get them past that stage lol.

I'm hoping to get some more of this story put together this week. I've decided to do NaNoWriMo on my original work, so if I seem to vanish for a bit, that's why. But I'm HOPING to get as much as I can knocked out so I can keep publishing through November for you though. 3.

Thanks so much to everyone who has been leaving me sweet notes and kudos to keep me encouraged. :)