13-Running Away
HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIDE! I MUST HAVE DRAFTED A THOUSAND TIMES! I'LL TELL YOU I'M SORRY, FOR UPDATING SO LATE. BUT THE LIBARAY IS CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
So yes… Sorry?
Merry Christmas for those of you who celebrate it!
And Happy New Year! May your headcannons become cannon!
Marinette's wet hand gripped her umbrella tighter, determined not to drop it a second time and hurried along the dark street. She'd been caught up at Alya's house, planning Nino's surprise birthday party had taken longer than she'd thought and then she'd had to backtrack to the supermarket because she'd forgotten the chocolate chips her father had asked her to pick up. These events meant that she had no other choice but to walk home in the dark and to make matters worse, the storm clouds that had been looming all day had finally unleashed a torrent of sleet upon Paris, accompanied by a mean, wailing wind that made cafés pull their outdoor dining sets inside.
Bright headlights flashed through the rain and she paused at the side of the road to let it pass. Water sprayed up viciously onto her front, and she cursed at the driver silently for not being more careful as she pulled her hood up over her head again and wiped her dripping face with the sleeve of her raincoat.
Thunder rolled overhead aggressively and lightning cracked through the sky illuminating the street momentarily. The rain was pouring down harder now, obscuring her vision, the sounds of Paris dulled by the constant thrumming of fat raindrops.
Marinette crossed the street quickly, red boots splashing in the flooded street, nearly tripping on the curb in her haste. She had opted to take her usual ally short cut over the longer, but better lit street and after a moment she found herself wishing she hadn't. Her senses were dulled in this weather and if someone were to sneak up on her, she wouldn't notice until it was too late. She had left Tikki at home, an Akuma had attacked that morning and as it was very unlikely that two would attack in the same day, the Kwami had accepted Marinette's offer to stay at home with cookies, chocolate milk, Marinette's computer and the first season of Cake Boss. Unfortunately for Marinette, if she were to encounter any danger, she'd have to rely on her regular Sabine-taught Martial Arts skills (which was nothing if not deadly, but she'd rather run away from a grown man with evil intent than fight him).
The ally was dark and eerie, sight and sound was limited and she walked slowly, body coiled as tight as a spring, ready to drop the kilograms of chocolates and bolt at a second's notice. A pair of eyes squinted at her through the rain, the owner of the eyes shivered violently and suddenly she felt its gaze burning holes in her skull. She turned to see a shivering form hiding between the overflowing dumpster and the stacks of soaked cardboard boxes. She hesitated for a second before she walked over to it quickly. It wouldn't be the first time she'd found a stray in this alley, and more often than not, she'd take them home until the storm passed and then locate their owner afterwards. Her parents didn't mind as long as she kept them upstairs in her room and away from the bakery. Marinette crouched down beside the animal with bright eyes that watched her apprehensively, unable to decide if it should run away. Marinette titled her head to the side, wondering if she should pet it or not. The eyes glowing slightly in the dark, cat eyes.
"Minou, Minou, Minou." She sung quietly, extending her hand to find soft, wet and surprisingly long fur and she could feel the cat shaking with cold. Her eyes widened in surprise when she trailed a hand across the top of the stray's head and couldn't locate any ears. She lightly scratched at the spot where the ears should be and heard an unrecognizable sound reverberate from the animal. She squinted in the dark, suddenly unsure as to if she'd come across a dog or a cat. She moved her hand down, hoping to find ears to help her guess what kind of animal she'd found but instead her hand found a very cold, very soft, very human cheek and she froze in shock.
"Marinette?" The sound she heard before comes again, and this time she recognized it as her name, the voice was thick and raw and she knows, she knows the owner of that voice, but the rain made it hard to hear and she squinted as the eyes filled with recognition. A car drove past; lighting up the alley for a split second but it was enough. Marinette nearly dropped her umbrella in shock and humiliation because Adrien Agreste was huddled in front of her, hiding behind a dumpster, shivering in his pajamas, soaked to the core and she was touching his face and she had just mistaken him for a stray cat.
"Adrien? What are you doing here?" Her voice caught and she forgot to retract her hand even though his cold skin was blistering against her warm fingers. He didn't respond to her and she repeated herself, louder this time so he can hear her over the rain.
"I.. uh.." His teeth were chattering making it difficult to make out his words and Marinette suddenly became very aware of their situation. He was very clearly freezing, barefoot, in his pyjamas, half-drowned and currently hidden in a smelly, garbage lined alley way in what was nearly the middle of the night. Her shy attitude was repelled instantly as she grabbed his hand and hauled him to his feet. His sorry state had activated what Alya referred to as her 'Mama-Mari-Mode' in which Marinette turned into a mother-hen. She gripped his shoulder and pulled him under the umbrella with her.
"I'm going to take you home with me." She shouted at him. "Okay?"
He was closer now and she saw him shake his head, droplets of rain flew from his hair. She rolled her eyes, shrugged off her raincoat and forced his arms through the sleeves. It was impossible to button it up, but it was at least a little warmer that what he had been wearing and she gripped his arms with force that surprised him.
"Don't be an idiot. Come home with me." She looped her arm with his and tugged him along in the direction of her house.
Adrien stumbled behind her blindly, her fingers had been warm when they brushed against his cheek and she was clearly not going to take no for an answer. She was a lot stronger than she looked, she had been able to lift him to his feet with little assistance from himself and now she was basically dragging him behind her. At first, he thought she'd seen him, but when she'd called him "Minou" and felt her fingers dig through his hair, he realized that she'd mistaken him for a stray. He laughed humourlessly, the sound stolen by the wind. A stray cat taken in by a nice girl as a charity case. How fitting for him.
Marinette fumbled with her keys and Adrien held the umbrella as she put them in the lock. She spared him a grateful smile before unlocking the door and shoving him inside. He stood in the doorway, unsure of what do to and then he felt Marinette's hands behind him, tugging the too-small raincoat off him. He obliged and turned to face her as she put it on a hook and took off her boots, resting a hand on the wall for balance.
"Shower." She said, taking his arm again and directing him up the stairs. She stopped in front of a door and opened it, flicking on a light he saw a small bathroom. She pulled a towel from the cupboard and threw it at him. "Here. Take as long as you want okay? I'm going to find you some clothes; I think I've got some stuff I made earlier this month, otherwise you'll have to wear something of mine or my dad's." She smiled at him and stepped out of the room. "The kitchen is across the hall to the left okay? We walked through it as we came in." She started to pull the door shut and he launched forwards to grab it before it closed.
"Wait." He rasped. She paused and looked up at him. "Aren't-aren't you going to ask, what-what I was doing there?" He sneezed twice and her eyebrows twisted into a concerned expression. She shook her head.
"I do think I need to know why you were outside, in the rain, at night, alone, next to a dumpster, barefoot and in your pyjamas." She said and his heart jumped into his mouth as he tried to come up with a convincing lie. "But," She continued. "I think you should have a shower first. You're frozen." Marinette reached up and rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'll make some hot chocolate okay? And something to eat. What do you feel like?"
"Uh." He sneezed again and she dropped her hand. "I don't -." He mumbled the first few words before looking down at her. Her expression shocked him, his words leaving him. Her eyes were soft and full of concern, not pity, her mouth turned down in an uncharacteristic frown, eyebrows knitted together, three deep creases on her forehead. No-one had ever looked at him like that, not since…
"Okay Adrien." Marinette patted his shoulder with her hand and closed the door with a click. She sent a text to her parents letting them know that she'd found a classmate stuck in the rain and that he was probably going to sleep over for the night before she flew upstairs and rummaged through her designs. Tikki flew around her head as she searched for something warm, a torrent of questions being fired at her. When Marinette located a pair of grey sweatpants, a white shirt and a black jumper, she laid them out on her lounge and began to explain the story to her Kwami.
"So." Tikki said, once Marinette had finished. "Adrien Agreste is naked in your house right now and you're totally okay with that?" Marinette froze. Mama-Mari-Mode usually threw all her inhibitions out the window, but now that he was somewhere safe and warm, they began to creep up on her. Her eyes found the posters of him and she howled and began to tear them down and stuff them in her draw.
"I didn't think of that! Oh Tikki what am I going to do? I basically kidnapped him!" She waved her hands around as the last of the Adrien posters came down, next was the wallpaper which she changed to the first image she found without glancing at it properly she guessed it was unassuming and normal, a regular screensaver for a regular girl who did not have a crush on the naked boy in her bathroom. At this thought, her face turned red and she began wailing again. Tikki floated near her shoulder, patting her gently to calm her down.
"It's okay Marinette, he probably doesn't mind being fussed over. After all, his house is pretty gloomy. Most people only take care of him because they have to. Not because they want to."
Marinette looked up at the Kwami. Tikki was right. Adrien might not mind being taken care of. From what she knew of him-and had heard from Nino-he liked being taken care of on an occasion, though only by his friends. Like the time Nino had talked to his father on his behalf or the time Marinette had carried his books to all his classes because he had broken his foot and needed both hands to use his crutches (though to this day, they were not entirely clear on how that injury had occurred) it wasn't that he liked having things done for him and he certainly wasn't expectant that he was going to be taken care of, but Nino had confided in her that Adrien loved gestures of genuine good-will or affection from his friends. Which was understandable of course, who didn't? The question was, did he consider Marinette a good enough friend to; A) Shower in her house and B) Let her take care of him because he was obviously distraught and completely frozen. She discovered the answer was actually C) Both of the above, when she walked back downstairs and heard the shower running.
Marinette tapped on the door and opened it a fraction before placing the folded clothes on the counter in the bathroom that was reachable from the crack in the door. She then fumbled around in the kitchen, heating up treats from downstairs and mixing hot chocolate in two mugs, occasionally checking her phone for a response from her parents. Who, after ten minutes, had replied with "Of course honey, but they'll have to sleep in your room because Grandma will be here tomorrow morning." Fortunately for Marinette, she received this text while Adrien was still in the bathroom and therefore didn't have to explain why she was so flustered and she had time to double check that there were no incriminating photographs or memorabilia of her house guest in her room. She was sitting at the kitchen counter when Adrien emerged from the bathroom, hair still slightly damp, but she was pleased to see his pallor had reverted back to an acceptable hue of pink.
"Thanks Marinette." The corner of his mouth twisted into a half-smile that she knew to be forced. He shuffled awkwardly before she realized he was holding his wet pajamas.
"O-o-oh, here." She stood and walked over to him shyly. "I can p-p-put those in the dr-dryer." She motioned for him to give her the wet garments and he did. "H-help yourself to anything you w-want." Marinette cursed internally at the stutter that had returned and she hurried away into the laundry. She allowed herself a few extra moments to collect herself before she returned to the kitchen, breathing through her nose and reminding herself that if Adrien out of people was in the situation he had been in, then something must be very, very wrong. This thought was enough for her to snap back into her mother hen mode. She walked out of the laundry to see Adrien standing awkwardly in her kitchen. She strode over and snatched the plates off the counter.
"Let's go. You're staying here tonight." She turned on her heel and began the ascent to her bedroom, she was half-way up the stairs before she realized he still hadn't moved. "Adrien?" He looked up at her and her heart twisted at his broken expression. She placed the plates on the stairs and descended. "Hey? Adrien?" He reached for her as she approached and she found herself wrapped in his arms, he was holding her as though she were a lifeline. "Adrien?" Her voice was muffled by his chest and he pressed his cheek against her hair, one arm around her waist, the other clutching the back of her head. It was desperate, a need for physical contact, she could feel it in the way he held her, in the way his body shivered that was no longer just from the cold. She could tell it was desperate as she felt tiny raindrops land on her arm but for the life of her she couldn't figure out why it was raining indoors or why the droplets were so warm. She lifted her arms and returned the embrace; she didn't miss the squeeze of gratitude and she didn't miss the shuddering sigh that escaped his lips, almost as if he had been afraid that she would push him away. As if she could. As if she had the power to push him away when he had looked so desperate, so needing and so utterly alone. She waited for him to move first, something her mother had always told her niggled in the back of her mind, "When a child hugs you Marinette, make sure you're the last one to let go."
She heard her mother's words loud and clear and they had never seemed more relevant than in this moment. His shaking stopped after a moment and so did the raindrops he took three slow, deliberate breaths before straightening up and shifting his hold to her biceps.
"I'm-"
"If you're going to apologise, don't." Marinette interrupted him. "Please don't." She bit her lip, worried she'd overstepped her boundaries. His mouth opened and closed and opened again before he smiled, it was sad and heartbroken, but it was a real smile.
"Thanks Marinette." He dropped his arms and stepped away. "I should go home now though."
Marinette shook her head violently and a loud crack of thunder shook the kitchen as if to back her up. "There's no way I'm letting you go home in this weather. And…" She frowned. "And I do want to know why you were out there in the first place."
He dropped his gaze to his bare feet. "Ah."
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. He was going to avoid the conversation, she could feel it. "Don't you 'ah' me." She snapped. "You could have got kidnapped! You are Adrien Agreste after all, don't you know how dangerous it is not just for you, but for anyone to be out on a night like tonight? That's not to mention the danger of being run over, you weren't even wearing shoes! You could have stepped on glass, you could have been run over or struck by lightning, you weren't even wearing clothes! You were wearing ridiculous silk pajamas and don't even try to pretend they're warm enough because they're not, then you could have gotten sick and oh my gosh I'm so sorry." She stopped speaking and clapped a hand over her mouth to prevent her from speaking. She couldn't believe it, first she'd mistaken him for a stray animal, then she'd basically kidnapped her classmate and now she was lecturing him and now he was laughing at her because, oh my god am I saying all this out loud?
"Yeah you are." His eyes crinkled at the corners with laughter and she pressed her palms into her eyes with embarrassment.
"Stop laughing at me." She mumbled, refusing to look up.
"Sorry Marinette. I'm not laughing at you I swear." She glanced up at him and dropped her hands away from her burning face. "I sort of…" He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I ran away." Marinette's heart dropped to her stomach and her mouth became dry. He'd run away? "It was childish and silly so… I should be going home." He shuffled on the spot. "I don't want to be a bother or anything."
"It will bother me more if you go home." The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them and her eyes widened at her boldness and she quickly tried to recover. "I said, I already set a food- and dried the sleep- I mean bed and, and food, and the-" Adrien's eyebrow disappeared into his hairline as she babbled.
"Marinette?" He asked as her talk dwindled into silence.
She sucked in a breath. "I've already made food and stuff and set up a bed for you and my parents don't mind if you stay over and you don't have a phone to call your house and I'm not letting you walk home and I'd feel much better if I knew you weren't alone because even if you don't like me, at least you're somewhere warm and safe and if you ran away, then something must be bothering you and I'm here to listen if you want to talk about it or if you don't want to talk about it that's fine, I won't even talk to you at all if you don't want me to but please don't leave because I'm worried about you and I don't want you to have to be alone."
Adrien's face melted into surprise as she launched into her speech, her face becoming more and more expressive as she spoke, and her words began to run together at the end, though he wondered if it was because she was embarrassed or because she hadn't paused for breath. When she'd finished her face reddened with embarrassment and she looked away, avoiding his eyes. He wasn't quite sure which part of her speech he should address first but he decided to set something straight.
"Marinette?" Her head jerked in response, but she still didn't meet his eyes. "I like you." It wasn't until much, much later that he realized his words could be construed as a confession but at the time he was only thinking about how much he needed the girl in front of him to realize he did, in fact consider her a friend. The words, however were not lost on Marinette and she squeaked incoherently until his stomach gurgled and she began fussing over him again, insisting he eat something.
Eventually, after Marinette's battle with herself about looking after Adrien but not overstepping her boundaries and the whole a) he'd just been naked in her house and b) "I like you." The two made it up to Marinette's bedroom where a mattress had been set out and made on the floor.
"You don't mind sleeping in here right? My grand-"
"She's coming over tomorrow. You said that before." The words were kind but Marinette couldn't help but feel stupid.
"Sorry." She put the plates of food down on the ground and bit her lip. "This probably isn't what you're used to either is it?" She gestured to her room as though she were shamefully presenting him with garbage.
"I like your room." He offered grinning. It wasn't a lie. Her room was very unlike his, which was white, sterile and generic, while hers was very pink, very lived in and very personalized. Lanterns strung on the side of what looked like a loft, red flowers were stuck on the wall behind a pink chaise that sported a red parasol. Two mannequins stood side-by-side, one decorative, the other clearly in use, with fabrics pinned loosely together, ready to be stitched while her sketchbook lay on the floor beside it. It was a very real, very personal part of her life; he'd never even seen Nino's room before and something in him stirred happily. It was a very Marinette room and he could easily picture her bent over her desk, studying late at night or lounging across her chaise, chatting to Alya about whatever it was girls talked about, boys probably, her arms waving wildly, face changing with each word. He glanced over at her, she was watching him nervously. "It definitely suits you Marinette."
Her face reddened and she stammered about something that sounded like 'Oh my gosh this is so embarrassing' but Adrien wasn't listening, his eyes still roaming her bedroom until they landed onto her computer and her screen saver.
"Is that you Marinette? And who are those girls?" He pointed to the computer and Marinette shrank back in horror. She was posing with two other girls, all wearing leather jackets; her in black, the blonde girl in pink and the pink haired girl in green. It would have been less embarrassing to have left it with his face! She rushed over to it to change it but he followed. "No, I'm sorry, I just was curious. You don't have to change it or anything."
She didn't listen and quickly turned off her computer before turning to him, face red once again. "That was a long time ago." She whispered, mortified.
"Were you in a gang or something?" He asked jokingly, starting to laugh but when he noticed her face he stopped. "Seriously? A gang?"
"Not a gang, just…" Her eyes darted to the trapdoor on the ground and then to the window, searching for an escape. "It was a long time ago."
"It looked pretty recent." He pressed her, his lack of social cues coming into play as he remained unaware of her discomfort.
"It was taken like two days before you transferred, we disbanded after that." She bit her lip and their proximity dawned on him, he stepped backwards.
"Who were those other girls?" He glanced at the screen again as if the picture were still there.
"Um, Alix. And… Rose…" Her neck and ears grew warm and she shook her head. "We should eat now; the hot chocolate will get cold." As socially inept as he was, Adrien was able to identify the deliberate change in topic. So he stepped away and she immediately darted over to the plates and mugs on the ground, sitting back on her heels. He followed suit and sat opposite her, legs crossed.
"Here." She pushed the plate in his direction first and picked up one of the mugs. "Take whatever you like."
Adrien squinted at the food. Years of being a model had led to an inability to eat anything that hadn't been prepared with his job in mind. He had never eaten at a restaurant unless it was for a business meeting and even then he rarely ate a full meal.
"Don't you like anything?" He glanced up at his classmate; she was watching him, observing him almost critically over the rim of her mug. The thought struck him that she was actually quite small, especially considering her family business. He frowned at the thought, he shouldn't be examining his host's physique, and he shouldn't be looking at her body at all. Even as these thoughts crossed his mind he couldn't help but wonder if she exercised or if her metabolism was high. Some of the female models he'd worked with would kill a man for a body like hers, and- Stop it Adrien.
"Sorry." He picked up the first thing his fingers touched. A croissant dusted with icing sugar. He debated putting it back but decided against it because he didn't want to seem rude, Marinette also picked up a treat from the plate and he tore a part of it off before gingerly placing it in his mouth, willing himself not to be repulsed by what he was sure would be nothing but sugar. He wished he were Chat Noir, at least then he could pretend he didn't have to watch what he ate. The pastry melted on his tongue, warm and buttery. Exactly like the food he used to eat before he started modeling. … It's good. He swallowed and took a huge bite out of the pastry, barely swallowing before he took another. He felt Marinette's hand on his wrist.
"It's not running away from you Adrien. Slow down." Her voice was low and her eyes were wide, suddenly he feared judgment from the girl sitting across from him but she said nothing else, instead she just took her hand away and focused on her own food. Adrien immediately felt guilty. Of course she wouldn't judge him, nor would she understand. This girl hadn't been exposed to the world he had. She wasn't aware of the insecurities that plagued the dressing rooms or the 'no eating 12 hours before a shoot' rule. She didn't know about the designers that cast models aside instantly for too much or too little roundness in the wrong, or even in the right places. His nights as Chat Noir burned more calories than he consumed, but he was still afraid of being cast aside. Of being a failure and of consequentially being useless to his father. Since becoming Chat Noir, he'd been able to eat a little more than he used to, but the dark voices in the back of his mind remained. This girl wouldn't, couldn't know of them.
"You know," She said, bringing him out of his thoughts. "I don't think one night of indulgence will be that bad, besides, these ones are fruit tarts. Fruit is good for you right?" She grinned at him cheekily and he felt his heart stop momentarily. Maybe she did know? Maybe she saw the way he refused meals, never one for thoughtless eating. Maybe she noticed the days when he had four shoots in a row and hadn't eaten for 24 hours, making him feel faint. Maybe she knew that his diet was so rigorously controlled that once, when he'd eaten a sandwich with white bread instead of whole meal, he'd been denied dinner that day. His lips twisted into an uncharacteristic frown. Maybe just today he could… Just for today… He glanced up at Marinette, who, for once, seem unabashed when she'd been caught staring. She continued to look at him with such intensity, that he had to look away. Her eyes were the color of ice, so why where they so… so warm? Her nose crinkled in thought and she pulled a strawberry off the top of the tart and offered it to him. He stared at the berry in her hand and up to her and back to the fruit again. He'd already run away, he might as well. It's not like he could get into more trouble than he was already. His eyes flickered back to the dark-haired girl, her eyes filled with a ferocity that surprised him. It was a look that was so very Ladybug that he was forced to do a double take and reassure himself that she was in fact Marinette. The corner of her mouth lifted up in a silly grin and after a fraction of a second, his face mirrored hers when he reached for the rest of the tart, pastry and all.
It was late by the time her parents arrived, Sabine poked her head through the trap door to greet Adrien and check that they didn't need anything before she cast her daughter a knowing smile that left Marinette blushing and exiting the room.
"So…" Adrien started. "Uh… Do you have like a lights out? Or…"
Marinette frowned for a moment before shaking her head. "Not really, I mean as long as I'm not noisy, mum and dad don't really mind, but tonight I'll be up late." She smirked at him and stood up, crossing over to her desk.
"Oh are you working on a design?" Adrien leaned back and rested on his hands as he watched her pull out shimmering blue fabric.
"Hmm?" She titled her head but didn't turn around. "Well I will be, but it's Alya's birthday tomorrow." She walked back over to him, material in one hand and a small pink box in the other.
"So…" Adrien's eyes tightened in confusion.
"Oh! So, at midnight, I'll call her and sing 'Happy Birthday' and then hang up." She smiled brightly before ducking her head. "It's our tradition."
He laughed. "Really?"
"Yeah." She knelt and began arranging the fabric on the floor. "We started it when we were kids. Alya and I have been friends since we were little. But Nino and I were friends first. So when Alya and I grew closer I think he felt a bit left out." She smiled at him before returning to her work. "So I'm really glad he has you. The two of you are really suited for each other I think." She sat back on her heels to examine the arrangement before adjusting a few pieces.
"Seriously?" This was news to Adrien, he' would never have guessed the friendship between Nino and Marinette, although, it did explain why Nino seemed to give him strange looks whenever Adrien mentioned her.
Marinette nodded without looking at him and pulled pins out of the box. "Yeah, Nino's parents and mine were family friends so he and I grew up together. When we were four his parents died so his Aunt and Uncle and their kids moved from Perpignan to take care of him. His parents left him their house so it was easier for them to move to Paris then have him move to Perpignan. They didn't want him to leave his friends behind too."
"Aunt and Uncle?"
Marinette glanced up with an odd expression on her face. "Alya's parents."
"Alya and Nino live together? Wait, they're cousins?" Adrien rubbed his face with his hands. It was too much to take in at once. And how had he not heard of this before?
"No, no. Alya lives with her older sister in an apartment. And… Well… Nino's Aunt and Uncle adopted her and her blood sisters, Catalina and Belle. His Aunt is actually infertile but she always wanted a really big family." Marinette shrugged. "So she adopted as many kids as she could and she still does foster care for kids too. That's why Alya has such a big family." She laughed. "And that's why Alya doesn't look like any of her brothers or sisters."
Adrien let out a noisy breath. "Woah."
"They won't mind that I'm telling you this I swear!" Marinette dropped her needle, face panicked. "They're really open about it actually, it's just that you transferred into our school after everyone else, and there was no reason to bring it up."
"No it's just… I never knew. I mean I knew about how his Aunt and Uncle looking after him and everything, it's just the other stuff."
Marinette studied his face for a moment before returning to her work. Adrien watched her sew for a few minutes before he spoke. "Chloe was the only friend I had for fourteen years."
Marinette's mouth quirked up into a lop-sided smile. "That must have been the worse fourteen years of your life."
Adrien tried to bite back the laughter but it spilled over and he shook his head. "She's really not-"
Marinette looked up at him sharply. "If you say she's not that bad, I swear I will stab you with this." She waved the needle in his direction threateningly. "She made Mylene cry during the movie we filmed, she got Alya suspended from school and she bullied Nath on his birthday. And-"
"Okay! Okay!" Adrien put his hands up, palms facing her. "Look I know she's not perfect-" Marinette snorted. "But she was the only person I was allowed to see for fifteen years, the only kid my age anyway. I grew up in an adult world so it wasn't like I had anyone else."
Marinette tilted her head on the side, contemplating him. "Well, you have me now." She says factually. His eyes widened and he swallowed something that had risen in his throat before her words registered in her mind. "And Nino!" She tacked on hurriedly. "And Alya, and-" He reached over before she could finish her sentence and hugged her. It was awkward, his arms looped around her neck, pulling her over the top of the fabric, and her face squished against his shoulder but he found that he didn't really care. Before Marinette could combust, he withdrew and rubbed his chest wincing.
"Sorry!" Marinette dropped the needle and leant over the fabric.
"You stabbed me!" He exclaimed, but his tone was playful.
"You- I- It's- You ran into it!" She exclaimed, grabbing his bicep. Her panic faded as she felt him shake with laughter. Shaking her head, she joined in, until a knock on her trap door served as a reminder to be quiet.
"Oops." Adrien had the decency to look sheepish. "Sorry Mari."
Marinette's heart skipped a beat at her new nickname but she didn't question it. "Don't worry, the bakery isn't open tomorrow so dad doesn't have to be up early." She glanced at the clock. "Do you want to wait up with me?" He must have looked confused because she hastened to clarify herself. "To sing to Alya."
"Can I?" He asked.
"Of course!" Marinette returned to her dress.
Midnight came and Marinette picked up her phone. The two sat side by side and the phone rung.
"Hellooooo?" Alya answered the phone and Marinette see the silly grin on her friend's face. "Whatever could you be-" Suddenly she squinted at the screen, giving Marinette and Adrien the opening they needed.
"Happy Birthday to you!"
Alya suddenly found her voice. "Is Adrien with you?"
"Happy birthday to you!" Their singing was loud and terribly off key, Adrien noticed. But a glance at Marinette told him that it wasn't supposed to be good.
"At this time of night?"
Marinette sung louder. "Happy birthday dear Alya!" It was a display off affection and friendship.
"When did he get there? Is he wearing your shirt?"
"Happy birthday to you!"
"Why is Adrien in your bedroom? Mari-" Marinette disconnected the call before collapsing against Adrien in a fit of giggles, their laughter melded together, harmonized unlike their singing. Her phone buzzed, announcing a text from Alya, followed by another and two more before she set it on silent.
"I didn't think that through very well." She laughed. "I forgot."
"Will she ask about it?"
Marinette shrugged. "She's used to me taking home strays." Her expression changed from giddy-happiness to horror in less than a second (God he loved her ever-changing expressions. Wait, wait?). "I didn't mean it like that!"
Adrien just grinned and poked her in the side. "Minou, minou, minou." He mimicked her from earlier and her face paled.
"Oh my god." She buried her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry."
Adrien laughed harder. "It's fine really. I could totally be a stray cat."
"No way." Marinette looked up at him, a mischievous grin curled onto her face. "You'd totally be a domesticated kitten."
"What?" Adrien pretended to be offended.
Marinette flicked his nose. "I bet you'd have a bell and everything."
Alix, Rose and Marinette's leather jackets will be in an upcoming chapter. Tol Fruit Child and I have a nice little headcannon that I can't let go to waste :)
14-Judgement.
