Day 23

Marinette woke in her own bed, though it took her a moment to realize where she was. She had fallen asleep in the couch. If she was in bed but didn't remember getting in it, then there was only one reason.

"Did Adrien come home?" she asked Tikki.

The kwami nodded. "About ten minutes after you fell asleep."

Marinette groaned, rubbing tired hands down her face. "I can't believe it. It was barely nine."

"But you've been working yourself into the ground for the longest time," Tikki said. "And yesterday, you went running around as Ladybug and facing off Kagami. That took a lot out of you."

While Marinette wasn't convinced, she dropped the subject, instead choosing to get up to make breakfast. She faced Tikki for her daily love dare, then got ready for the day.

She walked out the door, only to freeze in the garage when she saw Adrien's car there. She spun around. He was home?

Her heart jumped. Was he up and awake? Or was he sleeping in after a rough day?

And didn't he have work today?

"Adrien isn't going to work today?" she asked no one in particular.

"He's hurting pretty bad," Plagg said, appearing by her side. "Moaning about some pulled muscle in his back."

"What?" But she already ran inside, dropping her purse on the kitchen counter and heading to Adrien's room before she could hear Plagg respond.

She gave a quiet knock on the door before she cracked it open. "Adrien?"

There was a garbled hum in response, but he didn't move from his face-down position on the bed.

"Can I come in?"

He hummed again. "Yeah."

His voice was rough and low and should be illegal. She loved his morning voice, remembering the first time she heard it the morning after their wedding. Still, Marinette pushed past that warm memory and entered. "Hey," she quietly greeted, walking up to where he was laying right at the edge of the bed, his arm hanging off the side. "Are you okay?"

"I hurt," he mumbled.

"Yeah?" She knelt down beside the bed so he could see her without having to strain his neck to lookup at her.

"Tweaked something in my back really bad."

"Oh, sweetheart," she cooed, unable to resist running her hands through is fluffy bedhead. "Do you need anything?"

His eyes drifted closed a moment, but when they opened again, they looked glassy. "I'm sorry."

She paused, mostly out of surprise. "W-what?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I'm sorry for being stubborn and wanting to give up on us."

Her heart was going to pound out of her chest.

"I'm sorry for taking all my anger out on you," he continued. "I'm sorry for everything and…" Tears ran down his cheeks before he could get out the next words.

But tears were running down Marinette's, too. Her heart was leaping, and she found it shockingly easier to breathe. "Shh. It's okay."

"No, it's not," he said, voice warbling with tears. "It's not. I've been the shittiest husband to you, and it's nothing short of miraculous that you're still here with me. Marinette, I am so, so sorry."

Her breath was coming rapidly as her heart danced around in her chest. Her vision was blurry from unshed tears, and the smile that sprung up to her face was one that was so wide it hurt. Unable to not be in contact with him any longer, she lay over his shoulders in the best hug she could give. The feeling of Adrien's arm slowly snaking around her waist was something she didn't realize how desperately she missed. "I'm sorry, too," she said, her voice warbly. "I'm not exactly innocent here. I have been a crappy wife to you, and for that, I am so sorry."

"But you were so much better than me."

"But—"

"Nope," he interrupted. "No. You… you…" he sighed. "You changed. I didn't. I was stubborn and an ass, and I'm so sorry." He sighed. "Why you didn't just leave in the first place is beyond me. You deserved better than that."

"You are my husband," she said. "No matter what, I love you, and you are worth it."

His arm tightened on her waist. "I love you, too," he whispered. "So, so much."

"So, so much," Marinette repeated back at him.

"And I'm going to prove it to you," he continued, rubbing her hand on her side in a sweet gesture. "I swear, I'm going to prove that… that I changed, too. I have a lot of ground to make up for being a crappy husband and pushing you away for the last, well, year."

She bit her lip to keep in a happy sob.

"But I love you," he said. "And you are worth anything I have to do to get you back and everything I have to do to keep you. I vowed to do so years ago, and I failed, and I'm begging you for a second chance to prove to you that I do mean those vows. Because I do. You're worth it. You're beyond worth it."

Her smile fell away, mostly out of surprise as the emotions bubbling up inside her threatened to come out in ugly tears.

He looked like he just may start crying again as well. "I'm so sorry, Marinette. I'm so sorry."

Holding back her tears was an impossible task. She held him tighter, burying her face into his neck in the best imitation of a hug she could give. "I forgive you," she whispered through the tears. "I forgive you."

Slowly, she felt his arm tighten over her waist, both returning the hug and holding her there. And they stayed there for a while, unmoving as they both cried. Gradually, their tears slowed, but they still didn't move.

"Do you need anything?" Marinette eventually got the idea to ask. "For your back?"

"Aleve?" he said "Please."

She forced herself to pull away. "Yeah. I'll be right back."

Adrien's hand slipped from around her waist, as if he didn't want her to go. She didn't want to leave, either, but he was hurting and needed her to get some medicine for him. She'd happily do it for him, but the extra pep in her step was caused by Adrien's tearful apology ringing in her ears over and over again.

When she returned, she brought him the medicine, a glass of water, and one of the heating pads from the closet.

"Do you need help sitting up?"

"Please."

Slowly, carefully, Marinette helped Adrien roll over. Marinette watched her poor husband's face scrunch with pain, and it reminded her of the days when they were patching up each other after a bad akuma attack. She was so glad those days were over.

Gradually, the pain faded from his face, and he took the offered pain pill and water glass.

She then showed him the heating pad. "Do you think this would help?"

He looked at the pad then nodded. "Yeah."

"Where does it hurt?"

"Lower back." With his arm, he carefully shifted to point at the spot above his hip. "Here."

Carefully, Marinette shuffled everything around so she could plug the heating pad into the power strip behind the nightstand. From there, it was a task to get the pad under Adrien's back while trying to cause him as little pain as possible.

When he settled back down, the pain slowly eased off his face. "Thank you," he said, the last edges of pain leaving his voice. "You didn't have to do that."

"You're my husband," she countered, crawling onto the bed beside him. "Of course, I do. I want to. The day I think I don't need to care for you is the day I need to reevaluate my priorities."

His smile appeared slowly, but there were so many more emotions packed behind it. "Well," he said. "I had to reevaluate my priorities lately."

She gave him a smile, then cradled his cheeks in her hands. "I'm glad," she whispered.

With a happy grin, he stretched his arm out. "Come here."

Happily, she took his invitation, settling down curled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder. With great care, he curled his arm over her waist, causing her to smile. When was the last time they snuggled up like this? She didn't know.

She also didn't realize how desperately she missed this.

She sighed, settling deeper into her little safety spot curled up against him. Slowly, her arm snaked across his chest to lay over his heart, just like she used to do.

And just like he used to, he took her hand in his, raised it to his lips, and kissed her palm. "My bugaboo," he said, squeezing her hand. "My lady. My princess."

She hummed happily. "My kitty. My knight. Mon chaton."

Tikki was struggling to withhold her happy giggles. "Mission accomplished!" she squeaked.

"They still have a ways to go," Plagg sassed, smirk on his face purely teasing.

"Oh, sock it!" Tikki scolded. "They do, but that's not the point. They're back together and willing to work through the rest of it as a team."

"Only took them twenty-three dares," Plagg sarcastically quipped.

"There've been couples that took a lot longer."

"I wouldn't have pegged it on these two, though."

Tikki's mirth faded slightly. "Frankly, I wouldn't either. But we aren't going to think about that. We're going to be happy for them."

Plagg smiled then raised up his paw.

With a grin, Tikki tapped it with her own.

"Pound it!"