Okay, so I am going to pull an Incredibles 2 and just apologize. It takes a long time to come up with an idea and to get the wording right. Not only do I have to find time to work on this myself, but I also have to work with my amazing beta readers. With the end of school, going on vacation, and watching two kids it's hard to find quality time to just sit and write. And then there's the whole issue of doubting myself, attempting to rewrite the entire story, and beginning a one shot in a time of little inspiration. But... I promised myself and my readers that I would finish this. I will finish this. Would I love to go back and rewrite it? Absolutely. But right now, I have to work with what I have.

So... enjoy. I put a lot of time and effort into this chapter, and the next one, is already a pretty good distance along.

6/23/18

Chapter 23: Dreams

Everything was dark. It was quiet and empty; nothing seemed to be around. Adrien stumbled in the blackness, aimlessly wandering, trying to find a way out. His legs shook with each step, and his eyelids drooped with fatigue: this path was endless…

As always, a dim shape appeared in the distance. Adrien sighed. The girl with the pigtails ever remained out of his reach: a distant memory that could never be regained. For years, Adrien had run, desperately trying to get to her, but it had always been in vain. Over time, his frantic scramble slowed to sprinting, then to a jog, eventually ending in a slow walk.

Adrien dragged along, shoulders slumped, eyes fixed upon the ground; nothing ever changed - any and all amount of effort was simply a waste. With an exaggerated moan, he halted, conceding to the fact that he would never make any progress and flopped, limbs jingling loosely, tiredly on the ground.

He closed his eyes, ready for it all to end. A gentle breeze licked his skin as he leaned back against his hands, hair dancing peacefully in the wind, taking in a deep breath. A familiar scent lingering in the air.

Ladybug! He gasped and his heart nearly lept out of his chest.

It had been too long since he had smelled this scent - this familiar, welcoming, and beautiful scent. He stood, hope once again flowing through his veins, and his body quickly became covered in a cold, nervous sweat.

One step.

Adrien faltered. This isn't real.

Two steps. This...

Three steps. Isn't…

Adrien took off in a full sprint.

Heartbeat pounding, Adrien couldn't help but to smile. The image was getting larger and the scent much more profound. What changed? Adrien thought, as he began to make out the slightest bit of color. Why didn't the dream remain the same?

Just as he had always expected, the girl's hair was a bluish black and her body was covered in red form fitting leather.

It had been so long.

Way too long since he had looked into his Lady's face.

In an act of final desperation, he called out her name, never expecting any sort of reaction.

The figure jolted, startled, and began to turn. Adrien paused, trembling in anticipation. Once again he would get to lay eyes upon his best friend.

As she turned, Adrien noticed that she did not was not wearing a mask. His knees gave out beneath him, because even from a distance she looked exactly like…

"Marinette," a kind voice called out along with a hollow knocking sound. The dream swiftly vanished and Adrien opened his eyes only to find that the sudden light made his head pound.

"I brought up some pastries from the bakery. Is Adrien awake yet?"

"No, Maman, not yet. Hold on, let me open the door for you."

Adrien's head began to spin. He was awake, he was sure of it, but he couldn't get away from that smell. Could a scent in a dream be strong enough to linger even when awake? Adrien didn't think something like that could be possible, but how else could he explain…

Oh.

Oh!

Adrien was in Marinette's bed. It wasn't a memory from a dream that he was continuing to smell; it was her; it was Marinette.

"Alya must have done a good number on him for him to still be asleep even after you have woken up," Sabine hummed. "Are you sure he's okay?"

Right. Adrien remembered, even though most of the latter part of his evening was shrouded in fuzz. Alya attacked me with a broom and then I fell asleep in Marinette's bed.

"Don't worry mom. He's going to be..."

"I'm fine," Adrien chipperly interrupted, peeking his head over the edge of the bed. "Thank you Mrs. Dupain-Cheng for letting me stay here in your daughter's bed. Uh… I meant house!"

He felt blood rush to his cheeks as he caught sight of Marinette's flushed face. Embarrassed, and not wanting to give Mrs. Dupain-Cheng the wrong impression, Adrien quickly tried to amend his words.

"I mean I did stay in your daughter's bed, but it wasn't like… well I mean we didn't… it's just..."

"It's okay," Sabine giggled, "I know what happened. I'm just glad that you are feeling better. How is your head?"

The initial throbbing and dizziness that Adrien had felt when he woke up had greatly subsided, but to be honest, he still didn't feel anywhere near as good as he would have liked.

"Could be better," Adrien hesitantly squeaked while rubbing the back of his head. "I think I should take it easy today."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Sabine grinned, placing the plate of pastries on top of Marinette's desk. "And now that you mention it, I don't want to see you take a single step out of this house." She crossed her arms and directed a commanding stare at Adrien, causing him to stiffen and make sure to listen to every word she said.

"Now take care of yourself, Adrien." She ordered, walking over and placing her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Keep a good eye on him Marinette." Then looking back towards Adrien she said, "Make sure to ask for help before getting out of that bed. Those stairs can be a doozy. I can't even count how many times Tom and Marinette tripped on them."

"O-of course," Adrien stammered, still stunned by Sabine's kind, yet authoritative manner. He tried to think back to his own mother, wondering if she had ever been this way, but found the effort to be much too exhausting for his still muddled mind.

With a wink and a smile, Sabine turned away, tapping Marinette a few times on the shoulder, and headed back out the door, leaving Adrien alone in with Marinette.

"There are some pills and a glass of water on the shelf above the bed," Marinette directed, keeping her eyes glued to the floor to hide her still red cheeks. "Do you need anything else?"

"I'm okay." Adrien flashed his teeth in a goofy squinty eyed grin. "I'll be a good little kitty and stay in your bed," Adrien chuckled at his own inside joke.

At those words, Adrien could have sworn that he saw Marinette flinch. However, she quickly straightened her posture and stuck out her finger, pointing it directly at him. "Well, kitten, you better not wet the sheets or you will be facing one very angry Marinette. Should I help you to your litter box before I start working on my sewing?" Marinette asked with a slight smirk.

Adrien's hands slipped from the railing, sending him crashing to the small platform holding up Marinette's bed.

"Oh my Gosh!" Marinette squealed as she ran up the stairs leading to her bed. "Adrien are you alright?"

Barely managing to roll himself over, he groaned, mentally cursing himself in his head, "Not as good as I was a few seconds ago, which wasn't great to begin with. Mind helping me back up to the bed? I think you're right, I need a bit more rest."

Marinette grabbed Adrien's elbows, hoisting him to his feet and back over to the bed. "I can stay up here if you need me to," Marinette whispered fondly, brushing the hair off of Adrien's forehead. "My designs will understand."

The temptation of her suggestion was almost too much for Adrien to withstand. Having her here, gently stroking his head, with her scent so fresh and so…

Her scent! He remembered, eyes popping wide open as he jerked straight upright, immediately regretting the action.

"Woa!" Marinette jumped, standing to her feet next to the bed. "What's going on?"

Adrien couldn't tell her the truth. He couldn't mention the dream he had just experienced. It would be too weird, and he still had to determine what kind of validity, if any, that dream actually had. It was true, Adrien was sure of it, that he had dreamed of Marinette's scent, and he was quite certain that it brought with it a familiarity that went even further back than her recent time spent with him.

Of course, Adrien had been around Marinette quite a bit in school, but he never remembered really being close enough to pick up on a particular smell. Then, obviously, there had been that time when he had found himself waking up in that very same bed, but had it been that strong of a moment to impress upon him the memory of that scent?

Adrien doubted that, because as soon as he had caught a whiff of that fragrance in his dream, he felt like a feeling of home, of absolute peacefulness, and of his best friend. It just felt like Ladybug. In fact, he was certain that it was Ladybug's scent.

But now, with his head constantly throbbing, Adrien wasn't sure if he could trust his memories, and was even more unwilling to divulge them to Marinette.

"I just remembered that I needed to take the medicine that you left behind," Adrien lied, reaching out his hand to the shelf behind him.

Marinette let out a sigh of relief, quickly picking up the pills and water before Adrien could get the chance. "Let me help you with that," she grinned, popping the pills into his mouth and putting the glass against his lips. "Now, I'm going to be right over there working at my desk. Let me know when you need anything else."

()

Adrien sat, quite relaxed, on Marinette's chaise, unmoved for the better part of his day. After Marinette had left him, it hadn't taken him very long to drift back off to sleep, only to be awoken a few hours later by the gentle thrumming of Marinette's sewing machine.

Only once in his life had Adrien ever gotten the chance to observe Marinette work, and that had been when he was Chat. In fact, before that instance, he had never had a decent conversation with the stammering bluenette. Marinette was always awkward around Adrien, but around Chat, she was competent and confident.

After that incident, he had hoped they could relax around each other when he was Adrien, but that time never came. Through his years in college, and the frequent use of his lucky charm, Adrien had often wondered what it would be like to speak like that again with Marinette, and when he had seen her that fateful day in the parking lot, he couldn't help but to seize that chance.

The conversation began well, but as soon as Marinette had realized she was talking to him, she started stammering again. He had been crushed knowing that his chances of ever getting to see that vivacious Marinette again were slim, yet, to his delighted surprise, she gradually relaxed enough to converse normally with him.

It was the first time they had experienced a normal conversation since he had spoken with her as Chat. Six years Adrien had waited. Six years he had longed to get to know this mysterious girl, and he couldn't wait any more.

Looking back at it now, Adrien realized that he may have thrown himself and Marinette into this relationship, but getting to see her open up, seeing her either play along with or totally sass her way out of his puns, and ultimately ending in watching her work in her room like this was totally worth it.

It was just as Adrien remembered. Marinette poured everything into her creations. He watched her as she leaned over carefully, analyzing each and every stroke, with a nearly dumbfounded admiration. Her meticulous work made her projects so amazing

She was confident, she was gentle, she was…

"Aren't you bored just watching me like that?" Marinette asked, lifting her eyes from the fabric, meeting Adrien's unfaltered gaze. "I could find something else for you to do that won't put too much stress on your mind."

Adrien's breath caught in his throat. Had he always been this fascinated by watching Marinette? There was something there, something even more...

"Beautiful," he murmured, before he could even catch what he was saying.

"What did you just say?" Marinette questioned, not hearing a word that he just said.

"Bored? No!" Adrien quickly responded, speaking loudly to ensure that Marinette was able to understand. "That's what I said. How could I be bored watching you? Are you kidding me? I find your work fascinating and honestly quite soothing to watch."

Marinette giggled, standing up and stretching her arms above her head. "Soothing, huh? As in watching me is going to put you straight back to sleep? Not that you sleeping right now would be a terrible thing, but…"

"No! It's nothing like that!" Adrien quickly countered, waving his hands frantically in front of his face. "I used to sit and watch my mom like this for hours; she had a thing for making quilts. I loved watching her hands as she sewed intricate designs, and when she was done, I was would always crawl in her lap to snuggle. There was something always so soothing about watching her work, and it feels the same way with you."

"Hmm…I think I understand," Marinette hummed, waltzing over and plopping herself down on Adrien's unsuspecting lap, causing his heart to nearly fly from his chest.

"You know," Marinette continued, wrapping her arms around Adrien's neck, making this the best part of his day thus far, "as a teenager, I literally would have died having you looking so adorable and watching me like that."

"What changed?" Adrien chuckled, almost hurt, as he twirled his index finger in the tip of her ponytail.

Marinette removed one of her arms from the back of his neck, flicking the tip of Adrien's nose with a playful grin spread across her face. "I discovered that you're actually just one big giant dork who gets way too much enjoyment out of endless flirting and terrible puns. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were the same reckless stray who also found himself waking up in my bed."

Marinette gasped, quickly covering her mouth with both of her hands. "I can't believe I just said that! Scratch that! Forget everything that I just said."

But there was no way that Adrien was just going to let this slide, not now that Marinette herself had let the cat out of the bag. He was going to milk this for all that it was worth.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Adrien spoke in fake disappointment. "You mean to tell me that I am not the first boy to spend the night in your bed?" He wrapped his arms around her waist, making sure that she had no chance of escape. "For shame… and here I thought that you were just an innocent young maiden."

"I was! I mean I am!" Marinette stared desperately into Adrien's eyes. "I would never. I have never. Just like with you… ugh," she groaned, "you will never understand!"

"Make me, princess," Adrien grinned, eyes flashing devilishly.

"Arg!" Marinette moaned, plowing her palms into the top of her head. "Why do you sometimes remind me so much of him?"

"Who?" Adrien asked, trying to sound nonchalant, making circles with his hand in a soothing gesture on her back. "Who do I remind you of that was once in your bed?"

Marinette squirmed, making it hard for Adrien to hold back his laughter. Was it bad to keep egging/edging her on? Probably. But was it worth it to see her flustered and frustrated? Absolutely. Did he maybe go too far seeing as Marinette's face was becoming a shade of red more on the unhealthy side of things? ...Perhaps

"Okay, okay," Adrien conceded, "you don't have to…"

"Chat Noir!" Marinette finally burst, dropping her hands on Adrien's shoulders. "It was Chat Noir who stayed in my room overnight, and it's Chat Noir who you have been acting like!"

Adrien stiffened, not expecting Marinette to actually say it out loud.

"I remind you of Chat Noir? You speak as if you know him."

Marinette turned her head, dropping her arms to let them hang limply by her sides. "I do," she said softly, "I mean, I met him… a few times. I-Ladybug trusted me to help him when she wasn't in a place that she could."

Adrien sighed. "I see." Then he took his hand, placed it under Marinette's chin and turned her back to face him. "And what did you think of the all mighty Chat Noir? You say that I remind you of him; I hope that he is at least a decent guy to be reminded of."

Gingerly removing Adrien's hand from underneath her chin, Marinette lowered it, placing it above her chest, using her own hand to keep it in place. "He was," she tenderly began, "a big flirt who used cat puns way too much."

"Oh... I…."

"Shhhh…" Marinette placed the index finger of her free hand on Adrien's lips. "Let me finish. Anyway, anyone could see those things about Chat just by watching him. However, just like you, he was actually just one big softy with a sensitive heart."

Marinette lowered both of her hands, resting them, delicately, on her lap. "That day that I had to take care of him, I was surprised to find him watching me just like you did. He didn't make any jokes, or attempt to flirt with me in any way. He was kind, and gentle, and genuinely interested in everything that I had to say."

Wrapping his arms once again around Marinette's waist, Adrien pulled her in closely, happy that she would speak about his other self in this way.

"I couldn't help," Marinette continued on, seemingly unphased by the change in their position, "but to notice something behind the mask. And do you know what I saw? Beneath the puns, the silliness, and even the kind-hearted gentleness, I saw an extremely lonely boy who had lost something extremely important to him."

Marinette took in a deep breath, slowly exhaling and placing her hand on the side of Adrien's face.

"I wanted to help him," she whispered, staring deeply into Adrien's eyes, "I wanted to make the loneliness go away. But I couldn't. I didn't. I failed, sending him off alone, and disheartened."

"Adrien," Marinette's voice became even fainter, "I can see that you are just the same. I let Chat down, but I don't want to make the same mistake with you. Are you hurting?"

Adrien's heart beat rapidly in his chest. Marinette saw him. She could see everything. No one, besides maybe Ladybug, had ever been able to so accurately pick up on his pain. But now, with Marinette sitting comfortingly on his lap, he could say with quite assurance that all that pain was mostly gone.

There was just one thing.

One more thing that continually left him feeling a sore in his heart.

And now, more than ever, Adrien realized, he could no longer keep this a secret. He had to tell Marinette. She had to understand the reasons behind his past suffering. Only then, would they truly stand a chance.

"I was," Adrien somberly replied, loosening his grip and letting out an elongated sigh. "And now I think I should tell you why. Marinette, it wasn't just my mom that I Iost. There was another girl. A girl that I knew before I left for college. I was in love with her."

He closed his eyes, letting all the memories that he had for so long carefully guarded rise to the surface. This was going to be a long ride. But at least, now Marinette would know. And it would be up to her to decide...