Adrien leapt off of the wall and dusted himself down. Then he reached up to help Marinette down. She edged back. If his hands touched her waist again tonight she might just faint. Adrien put on his best Chat Noir impression (which was flawless) and purred at her.
"what's wrong princess? Don't you trust me?"
Adrien won a smile but Marinette still looked reluctant. Although the way the street lights hit him and made his eyes gleam like that, was almost enough for her to fall off the wall anyway. Marinette reached out and put her hand on each of his shoulders. He grabbed her waist and swept her up into his arms. Her face ended up inches away from his, and very red. He grinned, his entire attention focused on her face. Tikki took this opportunity to leap into Marinette's jacket pocket. Where she found Plagg, waiting for her. Plagg flashed her a grin. Tikki gasped.
"That wasn't so bad now, was it?" Adrien teased.
Half of Marinette screamed to push him away, and the other half screamed to pull him closer. Indecision left her weak at the knees, and putty in his arms. He chuckled as he stabilised her. his arm was still on hers when she found the ability to breathe again. Now it was too late for Plagg to make his escape.
"I didn't know Chat left you so weak at the knees," he teased.
"I d- um, I didn't know he called everyone Princess," she muttered, trying to change the subject.
She seemed flustered, and her voice caught towards the end. Almost… upset? Adrien frowned. "Huh?"
"It's… it doesn't matter," she shrugged.
"Tell me! Please?" he half begged.
If there was something he had done to upset her, especially if it involved Chat, he wanted to know what so he could avoid it. Marinette looked down at her feet and shrugged. She couldn't think of a better lie, so went with the first one she thought of.
"Chat always called me his princess, and I know it's dumb because it's not like we're close or anything, I mean, we hung out like, once, and I was on a date with the Evillustrator, but I just… thinking I was the only one he called princess made me feel special. It's dumb, I know, but it was kinda nice too…"
Marinette shrugged it off almost instantly. I mean, maybe she wasn't his princess, but she was his Lady. His only Lady. Adrien, however, was devastated. Really, she was the only person he ever called princess. Except maybe Princess Fragrance. He couldn't do anything to ease her pain now, but he made a silent vow that he'd find a way to make it up to her. for now, he just held out his hand for her to take.
"I'm no Chat Noir, but you can be my princess," he shrugged.
Marinette regretted opening her mouth. the genuine kindness in his offer made her heart cartwheel. She took his hand in hers, trying to stop it shaking.
"You're no prince charming either," she muttered, "but you're close enough."
Adrien laughed. Marinette was an odd one sometimes, but he was glad she was his friend. Who else would spend all this time and effort on trying to make sure he wouldn't be akumatized? Marinette was really one of a kind.
"Do you want to get on the handle bars, or shall I?" Adrien asked.
Marinette eyed the bike and groaned. "I'm too tired to cycle. Can't we just walk?"
"To the end of the earth if you wish," he promised.
Marinette was running out of heat to blush with, but her face was burning despite the autumn chill. The only thing that tried to cool then was the steady smattering of rain. Marinette and Adrien wheeled the bike between them, one hand on a handle bar each. Like walking a child down, the road between them.
"what're you going to do when you go home?" Marinette asked. "Your father's going to kill you."
"I know…" Adrien sighed.
Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to care. He had disappointed his father countless times, and his father had torn him apart every damn time. What was one more heart break?
"You could… you could stay with me. Till the heat dies down," she shrugged.
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting I run away from my problems?"
"No, you're already running away from your problems. I'm just suggesting you keep going," she pointed out.
"would you come too?"
"sure."
"to the end of the earth?"
"if you wish."
Adrien laughed and shook his head in a way that said he knew how that would end. From experience maybe. Marinette frowned. Just how long had Adrien been running away from his father's wrath? She didn't have time to ask him, because her phone buzzed. Tikki held it out to her. Marinette beamed with delight. She cupped Tikki's cheek with her palm, deeply relieved that she was safe. Tikki nuzzled her palm, and pushed the phone against her arm. in the darkness it lit her face like a spotlight. It was from her mother. Her stomach dropped.
I don't know where you and Adrien are, but a very rude very angry woman just phoned and said that since he couldn't follow the rules of the house he was no longer welcome at the house. Bring that boy home with you. He's spending the night. You and I have to have a serious talk young lady.
"I don't think you have a choice," Marinette said slowly.
Adrien gave her a puzzled look. Marinette held out her phone. Adrien skim read the text, rolled his eyes, and sighed heavily.
"I'm in deep trouble now. he promised mother he wouldn't kick me out again, after the bill I ended up with in Chloe's hotel."
"Um…"
A million questions begged to be sked, but Marinette didn't want to pry. Adrien understood the awkward silence between them, so filled it with answers.
"No this isn't the first time he's kicked me out. he asks me to follow these ridiculous rules and follow a stupidly strict time table, but he won't take twenty minutes out of his day to even video chat with my class to talk about his job. Honestly, I don't want to live with him half the time. The other half, I don't live with him. because he's out travelling. Sometimes, when I was younger, they used to just send me to Chloe's to spend the week with her, since her mother was often out travelling too. That's probably why Chloe likes me so much. I was always there when her mother wasn't."
He said it with a shrug. Like that was just a part of life that everyone understood, and everyone experienced. Marinette's heart felt a stab of pain for him. her voice couldn't find the air to get any higher than a whisper.
"oh Adrien…"
"I'm fine about it Mari, really. He's never going to change, and I'm done with it!" he declared.
His tone was hard and stubborn, and tinged with anger that Marinette guessed hid the pain. Plagg's ears were flat against his head. Tikki's heart sank. The last time she saw Plagg looking like that, his kitten had been badly beaten and ended up in hospital. That's back when they were allowed to know their secret identities. He'd been ambushed as himself, and didn't have time to change, so there was nothing Plagg could do to protect him.
Tikki clenched her jaw, determinedly. Plagg couldn't help Adrien now, but Tikki could. With a little help from Marinette. Tikki crept up to the inside pocket, into Marinette's eye line, and waved her hands. Marinette glanced down at Tikki.
Tikki gestured urgently towards Adrien, and mouthed, "go to him!"
Marinette's stomach dropped and her mouth ran dry. She'd given up trying to get a date tonight, but she couldn't shake that idea from her mind. This felt too intimate for a first date. It was too much like friends being supportive, and yet too intimate for that too. Her mind was warped in what this had turned into, and it took that push from Tikki to remind her.
Adrien was her friend.
He needed her.
She took a deep breath, and leaned over the handle bars so her hand was on top of Adrien's. Adrien flashed her a weak smile. This hurt him too much for him to feel anything, but he was glad she was there anyway. last time Chloe had just talked about herself and her classmates for the entire weekend. It was nice to have someone who cared. Who listened.
"Let's just get this bike back to Nino."
"Yeah. It's not like we've got anywhere to be."
The walk back to Nino's consisted of very little walking. All the cycling and dancing and running had tired Marinette out. She didn't have adrenaline to push her on anymore, and she was close to exhaustion. Marinette climbed onto the bike and leaned on the handle bars as Adrien wheeled her onwards. After a while Adrien started getting bored of walking, and climbed onto the bike. Marinette wriggled backwards so he could cycle. It took too much effort to go fast, and he was still busy thinking about his father, so he couldn't be bothered to try.
Now they were cycling slowly and calmly through the Paris streets, under the stars and street lights. Adrien stayed close to the Seine so he could admire the way the boats constantly floated by, untethered, and free to follow the river to their freedom if they so wished.
The lights inside Notre Dame filled the stain glass with a dim glow. Purple and blue flames curled between each other, encircled in this glass frame for centuries. Adrien felt a chill run down his spine as the story of a cruel man keeping a boy captive for his own gain in that church came back to him. that brave hunchback broke out, with the help of a girl, and gained his freedom with that girl's help. Adrien glanced back at Marinette. She was awake, but barely. Her arms were linked around his chest, holding onto him so she didn't fall off, and her head rested on his back, listening to his heart beating in his chest. She was warm. Like a hot water bottle on a cold night. Warm and comforting. Her eyes weren't green like Esmeralda's, they were gorgeous blue, like his Lady's. Her hair wasn't black and flowing it was navy and tied in a messier than ever bun. The loose hairs flicked over his neck and tickled him. He laughed softly.
She was a good friend.
Just a friend.
Nothing more.
Although every time they hit a man hole cover and the bike bumped she squeezed him a little tighter, and now he found himself aiming for them. Right before he hit the third, he turned, to avoid it, because he felt her yawn, and rub her head against his back, like he was her pillow. He couldn't wake her up. He was already being too selfish, he'd dragged her into trouble, forgotten the tickets, lied about dating her to their idol, and lied to her parents to do it all. He couldn't bring himself to wake her up just to make her hug him tighter.
Now they were weaving to avoid potholes, large cracks, and man hole covers so she wouldn't be jostled. Although the longer he was riding, trying his best to avoid these things, the more he ended up cursing the government for not fixing them.
Even though Adrien was moving as he peddled, twisted the handle bars, and everything else, Marinette thought he made an excellent body warmer. He was constantly warm enough to be comforting, and his heart beat was as steady as the bike, which was soothing too. It was uncomfortable to sit on the very back of the bike, practically on the wheel cover, but every now and then she caught a whiff of his cologne, and her chest swelled with joy. When his voice was carried on the breeze to tell her that he was going to take the scenic route, Marinette had no protests. Anything to spend a little extra time with him.
When they finally got to Nino's, he held her up by her arm as she climbed off of the bike. Then he wheeled it where Nino told him to, and left it for him to find in the morning. Marinette yawned and stretched. Adrien felt a burst of affection for the way she wrinkled her nose after a yawn. She was adorable.
But he loved Ladybug...
Marinette bumped into him, staggering accidentally as she yawned again. She gave him a sleepy apology. Adrien's chest stung.
He loved Ladybug. He had to remember that.
He flashed her a smile and let her link her arm through his. She leaned against him a little, not enough to throw him off course, but enough to stay propped up right while walking. It was colder now. Both of them had lost their human blankets. They huddled together and wandered back the way they had come, to end up at that bakery on the corner. Marinette unlocked the door, and led him up the stairs, where Tom and Sabine were waiting.
