Chapter 5: The Kiss
A week had passed since Adrien's accident. Though the road to recovery had taken its toll, time together fostered a budding relationship between Marinette and the model. At first, she couldn't stop blaming herself for his misfortune but the following days had allowed the duo to grow increasingly close. Whenever the opportunity arose, she'd visit the boy with make-up assignments in one hand and an ever-changing assortment of pastries in the other. As the two learned new things from their never-ending piles of homework they also learned new things about each other. May it be what the other feared most or their favorite pizza topping, every visit ended with mutual laughter and a longing to stay in that very spot until sleep overcame them.
Though their time spent together had Marinette over the moon, it drained the sparse seconds of free time in her schedule. Juggling homework, babysitting and parading as Paris' number one superheroine exhausted the poor girl. In particular, her heroic responsibilities had become monumentally difficult as her partner failed to report to duty. In a spur-of-the-moment call, Chat Noir admitted that he'd been in the hospital after taking quite a tumble and wouldn't be active for 1-2 weeks. Even so, a grin graced his lips as he shone on the compact screen of her yo-yo.
Don't miss me too much M'lady. I'll be back by the cat's meow.
His words, though cheesy as camembert, made her smile. They reminded her of something Adrien mentioned back at the Agreste Manor the day before. After dropping the remains of a brownie she'd been snacking on, Marinette ducked to pick up the crumbs and recover from her bout of clumsiness.
"W-wait a second Marinette. You don't have to clean that up. Nathalie can do that after you leave."
"It's no trouble Adrien. I'm used to cleaning whatever spills, crumbs, shards or papers I tend to drop on a daily basis. Besides I..." Marinette gagged as a potent stench wafted from under his bed. Spotting a piece of moldy cheese she gingerly grabbed it as well as her crumbs. "You must really love cheese." She stated at a loss for any other words.
Adrien froze. "U-uh yeah. It must have snuck its way under my bed as I was finishing up some hors-d'oeuvres Nathalie brought me a while back. Adrien explained in a lame attempt to cover his kwami's secret stash of smelly snacks.
Marinette giggled. "Guess I cheddar (better) watch where I step then."
Adrien laughed. "It wouldn't be gouda (good) if you stumbled across any other radioactive messes under my mattress."
Though the events weren't quite related, every little joke seemed to remind her of the blonde lately. If possible, her feelings seemed to be growing even deeper for him.
Wait, that's it! I could surprise Adrien with a cheesecake. He's bound to like that. Maybe it'll even turn into a date!
The girl all but fainted then and there. Just the thought was too much to bear. With newfound motivation, Marinette raced to her parent's kitchen.
Adrien's Pov:
"Well , you seem to be recuperating from your injuries at a tremendous pace. At this rate, you should be back in school in a day or two." The model's doctor announced, brightening the blonde's dreary mood.
"Awesome! Does that mean I'll be able to run and jump?" Adrien asked in hopes that he could return to patrolling the streets in Paris with his lady soon.
"As long as you don't strain your muscles you'll remain healthy."
"And what about his fencing lessons?" Nathalie quipped. She'd attended Adrien's appointment in his father's place. "His lessons range from one hour to three hours a session."
The doctor pondered for a moment. "I'd only recommend he train up to an hour and a half per practice. It's best to be on the safe side after everything that's happened.
Adrien grimaced. Saving the akumatized victims of Paris could take up to five hours depending on the assailant's power. He hoped his miraculous would grant him enough strength to keep him energized.
"It's best that I get going now. I have another patient at 4:00. Take care, Adrien." The doctor patted his shoulder as he left the white-washed office.
Marinette/Ladybug's Pov:
Dusting her hands on her apron, Marinette marveled at her creation. Sitting before her was a picture-perfect cheesecake. Though it took about three hours to prepare, it'd be worth it to see Adrien's face glow in delight. Hastily she boxed the dessert and made her way through her parent's bakery. If she hurried, she could visit Adrien before dinner.
As she was about to leave she gaped as crazed civilians ran in a frenzied panic along the city's streets.
It looks like I'm gonna have to put my date on hold.
Setting the cake in her room, she quickly transformed and swung across her balcony to find the source of this madness.
Though it had taken a while, Ladybug managed to defeat Hawkmoth's latest victim.
If I hurry I can still swing by Adrien's before it's too late. She thought, excited at the prospect of seeing the blonde.
On her way to the Agreste Manor, she stopped by the bakery and grabbed her cheesecake. Thank her lucky stars she hadn't forgotten that.
Taking off in a flash she transformed as Ladybug once more. She knew the only way to make it to Adrien's house in a timely fashion is if she traveled in her superheroine form.
In a few minutes, she'd reached the manor. Landing outside his window she figured it'd be best to stay in disguise until returning home. Marinette couldn't just enter the boy's room through his window, but Ladybug could.
Tapping lightly on said window Adrien soon emerged from the confines of his bed.
"I heard Paris' top model has been restricted to bed rest after a nasty accident. Thought I'd stop by and tell you to leave the stunts to me." Marinette rather Ladybug greeted with a confident smirk.
Hurriedly opening the window the blonde gestured for the superheroine to enter.
Once inside, Ladybug handed him the cheesecake Marinette prepared earlier.
"This cake is from Marinette. She asked me to give it to you after saving her from the akuma."
"Was Marinette akumatized?" Adrien asked, worry lacing his tone.
Ladybug fought the blush spreading across her cheeks. "No, no it's not like that. She just happened to be one of the civilians I stumbled across when fighting an akuma. She said she couldn't bring it here herself because she had to run her parent's bakery."
Adrien sighed in relief. "I'm glad she's alright."
Ladybug delicately laid her gloved hand against his. "I made sure she wasn't hurt before leaving. Trust me Adrien, she's okay." She reassured him.
Blushing, Adrien nodded. "We've been hanging out a lot since my accident. She's been there for me even more than my best friend Nino has. If she got into trouble because of me I don't know how I could live with myself." He admitted sheepishly.
Ladybug blushed. "How would that be your fault? It's not like you could just sweep her off her feet and fly her to your secret base." She joked, trying to lighten the sudden turn he'd steered the conversation in.
His eyes widened. "Well, I assume she was on her way to drop this cake off when the akuma attacked. If it had hurt her in any way it would have been because of me." He answered on the fly. In reality, he blamed himself because he couldn't yet participate as Chat Noir in saving Paris alongside Ladybug.
Ladybug nodded in understanding. "You have a good heart Adrien." She complimented poking at his chest.
He relaxed. "You could say that I'm just that sweet." He teased holding the cake out. "Do you want a slice? I am a stand-up guy you know." He said opening the box to reveal a beautiful cheesecake.
"I would love a piece." Ladybug responded.
Grabbing a few clean napkins and a knife from the mounting pile of trays his chef served him in bed, he cut two slices and handed one to her.
"Wow! Marinette really outdid herself." Adrien exclaimed while nibbling his piece.
Ladybug laughed. "You have icing on your nose." She wiped it off with a quick flick of her wrist.
Adrien hid a blush by lifting his napkin towards his face. "I'm both good natured and humorous."
Ladybug smiled at that comment. His kind-hearted ways and sense of humor have left her blushing at his texts all week.
Finishing her slice Ladybug gaped at the time. "It's a lot later than I thought. I need to get going." She rushed, edging towards the window.
"You don't have to climb out the window again. Why don't you take the stairs and exit through the back? I doubt anyone will be around to stop you." He rambled.
"I don't particularly like climbing through windows anyway." Ladybug agreed changing her course of direction. Starting towards his door, she paused by his bedside for just a moment.
Peering at the super-heroine at such a close proximity, Adrien blushed. "T-thank you for bringing this over." He gestured towards the dessert.
"It was no problem." She replied and kissed his cheek.
"Stay safe Adrien. I hope you're up and running soon."
The model rubbed the back of his head with a timid hand. "T-thanks again. Bye."
She waved and closed his door.
Oh my gosh, I just kissed Adrien Agreste! What was I thinking? She screamed internally.
With a crimson blush, Ladybug skipped downstairs out the back.
In her reverie, she failed to notice the dark figure standing outside his office. With a frown, he stared after the doorway she'd used. Had she been here to see Adrien? If so, would she return? It seemed that he'd have to do a bit more digging. And he would have to start with his classmates.
A/N: So, Chapter 5 is finally posted! I'm actually pretty proud of this chapter! I dare say that it may even be the best one I've written so far. I've always loved Ladybug and Adrien's side of the love square, so incorporating it in this story felt refreshing.
As a heads-up, I wanted to let everyone know that I started school a few days ago so it will be more difficult for me to update as quickly. Thank you, to those that have stuck this story out so far! Your reviews have been more than kind. They honestly have made my day this past week. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and have a great weekend! :))
