A/N: Decided to add in some Chapter titles. Longest chapter to date! Enjoy!
Almost a week had passed when Adrien received an akuma alert while out on a photo shoot.
"Gotta run to the bathroom, sorry!" The members of his crew all sighed, but were careful not to say anything; his frequent 'bathroom breaks' over the years had evolved into a belief that he suffered from irritable bowel syndrome, a slightly embarrassing – though admittedly helpful – rumor.
"Plagg, claws out!" He cried. As he transformed, he reveled in the feeling of freedom once again, a relief after making it through a week where transforming had been closely paired with apprehension and anxiety in his attempts to find Ladybug. He bounded through the streets of Paris, relishing the return to his normal state of excitement at the prospect of being Chat Noir once again.
Game face he reminded himself as he grew close to the center of the disturbance. Paris needs you. Don't get sloppy.
He arrived at the scene and picked out the akumatized victim easily by the bright orange of his costume. The man was quite tall, wearing a costume that seemed to bubble out and flow in a strange way. In his hand, he carried what looked like a water gun, shooting some kind of…glue? Goo? Whatever it was didn't matter, as it was currently being shot at civilians who were still fleeing the area, some of whom had already been trapped to the ground by the sticky substance.
Chat leapt right in, trying to give the remaining citizens in the area time to evacuate. He led the man around the square, trying to get a read on where the akuma was located as he shot the goo at him. The weapon was the easy answer, though Chat wanted to get a look from all angles to make sure he wasn't missing anything. Not that he was still limited to one cataclysm; as he had gotten older and grown more practiced, he no longer had to transform back to feed Plagg five minutes after one use of his main power of destruction. Still, he didn't want to waste time going after the wrong thing if Scarabella didn't make it, or was still rusty at using her borrowed powers.
Ladybug suddenly dropped into the fight. Chat's mouth gaped in astonishment, and he nearly tripped at the unexpected sight of her. What the heck did she think she was doing? Hadn't she just told Adrien that she was having a harder time balancing in a fight? He thought she'd have surely handed her earring over before an attack. Chat swallowed his frustration and jumped back into the fight alongside her.
She wasted no time going after the villain, but as she threw her yo-yo at his weapon, Chat could tell that she was moving at a slightly lower speed than usual. The orange man whatever-his-villain-name-was raised his weapon, which was resisting Ladybug's attempts to be knocked away due to the orange blob sticking it to the guy's hand. As soon as the man aimed it at Ladybug, Chat was running. He felt a silver of panic slide down his spine as he noticed her timing was off. Ladybug barely got out of the way of the villain's first shot. The villain lined up his sights and pulled the trigger.
Time slowed down. Chat reached her barely in time and shoved her out of the way, sending them both rolling behind a nearby building, safely out of the line of fire.
He jumped to his feet, reaching his hand out to help her up. "Ladybug, are you okay? What are you doing here?" Though her bump was once again hidden behind the magic, he knew it was still there, and that she was still feeling the extra weight.
She must have picked up the edge in his tone. "I'm fine, Chat. The suit protects me, remember?"
That didn't mean she wasn't hindered. "You're still moving slower," he said, pointedly.
She glared at him. "His blast wouldn't have hit me. I'm fine."
So stubborn. He'd have admired her for it in any other situation. Now, it was just incredibly frustrating.
She suddenly grabbed him and flew them up in the air with her yo-yo. Chat looked back to see that Goo-man – he hadn't said his villain name, so Chat had to call him something – had rounded on them while he was distracted.
This was going to be a problem. He needed to try and focus on the fight and forget about his concerns. It felt like an impossible task, but Ladybug was counting on him to be on top form, so he reluctantly let it go.
When Ladybug landed them both on a nearby roof, she stumbled forward, causing Chat to reach out quickly to steady her. He gave her a look at that, raising his eyebrows. She didn't meet his eyes, the stubborn set of her jaw softening as she seemed to accept that his reasoning was valid. "Let's just finish this quickly. Lucky Charm!"
The bottle that landed in her hand seemed to be some sort of goo-remover. She turned to him. "Do you know where the akuma is?"
The pun came naturally, even though he did have an idea. "I don't have a goo, my lady." He grinned at her, daring her to smile.
She merely rolled her eyes at him. "It's probably in the gun, but it's stuck to his hand." A blast from Goo-man separated them, and they had to circle around the area and meet up on the other side. "You distract him, and I'll see if I can trap him."
Simple, familiar plan. "As much as I'd like to stick together, your plan is a good one. Distract, trap and grab special coming up!"
He jumped down, landing in a crouch before he dashed towards Goo-man. The man kept ignoring Chat Noir, choosing instead to aim at Ladybug, so Chat had to start darting in closer, trying to draw his fire away from her. Chat thought he might be able to cataclysm the gun, but the man was too quick with his weapon, keeping them both back.
Ladybug called out suddenly. "Chat, catch!" The bottle of goo-remover was suddenly thrown over to him, which he caught easily. "Be ready!"
He was used to following Ladybug's directions. He didn't stop his attacks, ready for an opening.
Ladybug let herself get hit on the opposite side of the street. Goo-man laughed in victory as he ran to her, and Chat felt a moment of panic at the sight of her looking helpless on the ground. He shook it off quickly, launching himself towards them, calling for his cataclysm on the fly. He landed on the man just as he reached for her earrings. Please let the akuma be in the gun, he thought, turning it to ashes. Chat let out a relieved breath as the akuma flew out of the black dust. Chat used the contents of the bottle on Ladybug's stuck hands, freeing her and helping her up.
The relief he felt was shifting now that the akuma was cleansed and the confused man began leaving the scene. Ladybug must have noticed as she frowned at him as she stuck her fist out. "Pound it?"
He met her first with his, though he took her hand in his before she could pull away. "I'm supposed to be the expendable one in our plans, not you, Ladybug."
"It worked out fine, Chat. I could tell he would focus on me." The lack of concern in her answer drove him crazy.
"Maybe, but you couldn't know that for sure." She needed to understand that it was more than just her own capability that was an issue. HoweverBut, he reminded himself that she didn't know that he was also Adrien and felt an additional stake in the fight ending successfully. He needed to make it work coming from Chat Noir. "Listen, Bug; the last thing I want is to have to work with someone else in your place. We've been partners for nearly ten years; that move you pulled – I wouldn't have blinked if you did that six months ago. But things are different now, for the moment. You're not at 100%, and I'm finding myself distracted worrying about you." That shouldn't be suspicious; Chat Noir would worry about her even if he wasn't also Adrien. "This guy was no real threat, but we've seen plenty of others who pack a bigger punch. I think it's time."
Ladybug sighed, her fingers reaching up to massage her temple. "Okay Chat, I will. But only because you can't handle it, mon minou." She grinned at him, leaning over and tapping him on his nose.
The relief he felt at her easy acceptance of his suggestion allowed him to revert to his usual self. "What can I say my lady? Should have left off the extra snacks; the weight's getting to you." He backed away quickly, laughing as she threw a punch at him.
"Making fun of a pregnant woman; not your best move, Chat." Her tone was playful as she lunged at him in a tackle.
"Getting slow, Ladybug!" He leapt out of her reach, though he let her get close enough to grab his belt tail. She pulled him to her, punching his shoulder when he was back in range. "Meowch, my lady."
"You deserved it," she said, smirking at him.
It hit him then that he wasn't going to see her as his partner for an unknown amount of time. He drew her over to him in a hug. "I guess I'll see you on the other side, then?"
Her arms tightened around him. "Don't worry, you'll probably see me before then." He reluctantly dropped his arms from her when she moved away. "I'm going to be borrowing Trixx after I hand Tikki over. I figure it's safer to keep one on me, and his power would let me help out if I need to, without getting directly involved." While he was glad to hear she would have a Kwami with her just in case, he also knew her well enough to suspect that she would still use Trixx to try and help. Ladybug must have keyed into his thought process, as she continued, "I won't be fighting – stop worrying, Chat. It's just for emergencies."
It did make him wonder if there was a way to make sure she wouldn't be tempted to help out. "Should you bring in any of the old holders while you're gone?" Outside of Rena Rouge stepping in more lately, they had usually been able to get away with defeating Shadow Moth's akumas without the help from the other miraculous', but Chat thought it might be helpful to have others on standby.
Ladybug shook her head. "I don't think so. Shadow Moth hasn't changed his strategies much. I think the two of you will be able to handle him without me or anyone else. But I'll still be paying attention, and will have the box available."
Chat relented, trusting her judgment. "Very well, my lady. I guess I will see you around then. Be careful."
She smiled at him, and he fought the desire to reach out to touch her again. "Always."
After returning to work and finishing up his shoot, Adrien went back to his apartment, feeling antsy as he replayed the akuma attack in his head. He felt the urge to transform to run out some of his energy, but he'd been trying to go out less often recently, hoping to be home for when Ladybug finally came by again. He resisted the urge to leave, pacing in his living room instead.
His choice turned out to be the right one. He saw her as soon as she landed on his balcony and rushed to the door.
"Ladybug, come in."
She smiled shyly at him before stepping through. He followed, guiding them to the couch as he resisted once again the urge to touch her, to grab her hand in his. Relax, he told himself. You're Adrien. You still don't know her very well. He put himself in that Adrien frame of mind as best he could. "Are you doing alright? I heard about the attack today from the Ladyblog."
She didn't look bothered as she answered, "Yeah, it was easy. Didn't take Chat and I long to wrap it up." Easy, he thought, easy for you, maybe. "But I did decide it was time to stop going out as Ladybug, so I'm handing my earrings over. Actually, I already did, but I'm using another Kwami's powers right now to look like this. I wanted to make sure you knew it was me."
She stood up, her outfit swirling in a mist of silver, revealing a new one underneath. He admired the lines of white and silver that twisted around her body, a pair of fox ears nestled within her hair. "Wow, you look good, Ladybug. What should I call you?"
She sat back down next to him. "I was sort of thinking Silver Spectre. What do you think?"
He smiled. "Silver Spectre, I like it. But, does this mean I'll get to call you by your real name now?" He hoped he didn't sound as desperate as he felt.
She looked nervous. "Are you sure you want this? Not that you can't change your mind. Of course you can; I wouldn't expect you to—"
Adrien's held back desire to touch her broke through, and he grabbed her hand in his. He wanted so badly to reassure her. "I would never change my mind about this, Ladybug, nor would I ever want you to think you needed to do this alone. Even taking the baby out of the equation, I've admired you for a very long time, and the thought of getting to know you and having you in my life, well—" He cut himself off, trying to figure out how to make it make sense from Adrien, and not Chat Noir who'd known her for so long now. Nothing came to him, so he lamely finished with "It's actually hard to explain." Shoot, was that over the line? Did he sound like some kind of creeper fan? She didn't respond, and his nervousness grew. He must have messed up. "Was that too much? I'm sorry Ladybug, I don't mean to—"
Her hand tightened in his, though she looked down, not meeting his eyes. "No, Adrien, it's not too much. I actually have admired you for a long time as well. That's actually one of the problems, and I'm terrified."
Adrien hadn't realized how much he'd still been holding onto his fear that she didn't think he would make a good father. Hearing that she'd admired him cut through that fear. He tried to tamp down the joy he felt. She was afraid, because she admired him? He wanted to understand so he could help her through that. He pulled her hand closer, placing his other one on top as well, feeling a little bolder. "What are you afraid of?"
Her eyes met his again. "I know you, Adrien. Out of the suit. You know me, too."
The words washed over him. Ladybug knew him in her civilian life. That must be how she knew him well enough to admire him. "You do?" Excitement started to fill him, but her trepid expression brought him back to earth. Why was knowing him a bad thing? Did they not have a good relationship? "Why does that scare you?"
"Because you're amazing, Adrien. I've loved you for so long –"
Adrien's breath caught at that.
She loved him, Ladybug loved him.
He barely was able to reengage to catch the rest of what she was saying. "—gotten to know the you behind the model. The depth of your kindness, and the care you have for your friends. It's always been a silly dream, though, because I'm not good enough for you." Adrien had been staring at her, slack jawed at her descriptions of him, but that last comment made him snap his mouth shut. Not good enough for him? How in the world could Ladybug ever think that? "But now I've trapped you in this situation, where of course you would never abandon me, because that's not who you are, so now I'm just set to ruin your—"
She thought he felt trapped?
"Ladybug." She was crying now, and it physically hurt him to watch her as angry tears streaming as she tried to say she was ruining his life. All attempts to not touch her were abandoned as he pulled her face closer to him, caressing her cheek with one hand and wiping away tears with his other. She might not know it, but he had loved this woman for nearly ten years now. He needed to know this, so he could work through this with her. "Who are you?"
He expected her to continue to try and argue with him, and was therefore unprepared when instead she immediately detransformed. The silver mist dissipated, and though he was so close to her he could only see her eyes, somehow, he knew already.
Cerulean blue eyes filled with emotion stared back at him, and Adrien felt blown away.
Marinette. Ladybug was Marinette. He felt like he couldn't breathe for a second, backing away so he could look at her fully.
He thought he'd loved Ladybug before. Realizing who she was on the other side of the mask only confirmed it. It was as though the puzzle was finally complete. He stared at her in awe.
Marinette loved him. Had loved him for a while, though he hadn't noticed because he had never really been interested in looking at anyone else romantically besides Ladybug.
Marinette loved him, and…
Adrien's eyes lowered, taking in the sight of her now-visible baby bump, her hand resting on it. It was a familiar sight, though one that now took on an entirely new context. She loved him, and she was pregnant with their child. He was the complicated father in her situation; Adrien hadn't been far off when he'd been concerned about her when he'd first found out. He hadn't realized just how much worry for her he'd had bottled up, concern that thankfully – hopefully – was no longer warranted. Relief joined his awe at that thought.
He let his eyes wander back up to hers, saying her name for the first time. "Marinette."
She loved him.
All of his prior insecurities and worries fell away, leaving him in a state of elation.
Her eyes fell. "Now, do you see—"
"May I kiss you?" The request flew out of his mouth. He needed to touch her, to show her somehow that she wasn't alone in her feelings. But he wouldn't do so without her permission. Not again. Never again.
She looked at him like a fish out of water. "What?"
"May I kiss you, Marinette?" Please say yes, he thought.
Her shocked expression shifted slowly into something resembling joy, and her response came out in a whisper. "Yes."
He kissed her.
It felt as though time stood still. His hands roved along her skin, pulling her close as he tasted her. He hadn't been expecting her to respond so quickly to him, but respond she did, and it made him feel lightheaded at the intensity. She slipped her tongue past his lips to meet his own, and it sent an explosion of pleasure through him, a groan escaping him as they deepened the kiss.
Despite all the attention he'd received over the years due to his wealth and status as a model, he'd never been physical with anyone. He'd had no desire to accept invitations home from people who only viewed him as an object, or some prize due to his looks or fame. Dating had never even entered the picture for him, as busy as he had been. Not to mention the fact that the flame he'd held for Ladybug over the years may have reduced down to that of a candle, but still it burned away the desire for anyone else.
Thus, having never been kissed like this before, he found himself fighting not to be swept away by the overwhelming sensations her lips evoked within him.
He couldn't get enough of her; when a brush of his fingers on her neck elicited a small sound from her, he moved his mouth from her lips down her jaw and found the hollow of her neck, wondering if he could get her to make the sound again. His teeth grazed her skin, and he felt her answering moan vibrate straight through him. He found himself wanting so much more, though he tried to fight his instinct to press closer into her, afraid of pushing her too far.
His hands traced her body as he kissed her, brushing over her breast and resisting the urge to cup it in his hand – be patient, he told himself – until his hand came once again to her stomach. He backed away from her neck, suddenly overwhelmed again as he tried to absorb the fact that everything he'd ever wanted was right here. "I still can't believe…" The sight of her – pregnant with his child, her eyes clouded with desire and her breaths ragged – sent something primal through him, and his mouth was back on hers in an instant.
She then surprised him by pushing him back against the couch and lifting herself on top of him. He sucked in a breath, only to lose it when she ground herself against him.
"Fuck." His self-control disappeared for a moment as he jerked his hips up, feeling the friction between his cock and the warmth of her center, even through their clothes.
She stopped moving above him suddenly. "I'm sorry. I'm awkward – I mean, this has to be awkward, I'm too big."
Realizing she was moving to get off of him, his hands quickly found her hips and he held her firmly, though he was careful not to force her to stay. Still, he needed to reassure her – awkward was not even on his list of ways to describe her right now. "Mari, this is absolutely the opposite of awkward. I don't think you understand the effect you have on me right now. Every part of you." She was beautiful, and he longed for her to understand.
Thankfully, her expression cleared, making way for a mischievous smile. "Well, I suppose I have some idea." She pressed down against him once again, grinding against evidence of just how much he desired her, and he was unable to keep quiet, the need to be closer – closer – filling him. She met his mouth with hers, and he was lost in her again. The need to touch her, to feel her overcame him, and he slipped beneath her shirt to skim his fingers along the skin of her back. She gasped against his mouth as he kissed her harder, pairing his kisses with touches that seemed to drive her crazy.
Her mouth left his then, moving to his ear. His breathing went ragged as her tongue danced lightly along the edge before she sucked lightly on his earlobe, her teeth scraping gently as she released him. "Adrien," her whisper sent shocks through him. "Adrien, this feels so good. Please, I need you."
Adrien's thoughts – what few he had left – scattered at that. He let out a noise, surging forward to kiss her once again. Before he could get too carried away, he broke off from her. "Let me take you to my room."
He led her by her hand into his room. When he turned back to her, however, she was back to looking uncertain as she slowly sat down on his bed.
He joined her, but gave her some space, despite other parts of his body demanding closeness. Was she regretting this? He didn't want to push her. "Are you okay, Marinette? We don't need to do anything more if you're not comfortable."
"No, it's not that. It's just that I'm a little nervous. I haven't done this with anyone before. Well, besides you, I suppose, but that hardly counts since I don't remember most of it."
Adrien felt a bit relieved at her response. "Well, it counted in one way, at least." He smiled just a bit, leaning over to touch her stomach lightly. Thankfully, she laughed at that. He continued, "I actually haven't done this either, so we're on the same page at least."
He sat there watching her, searching for another way to reassure her. He reached over to tuck her hair behind her ears, suddenly filled with emotion again as she watched him with such trust. "Marinette, I…"
I love you.
The thought consumed him, and he longed to tell her. It didn't feel right just yet, however. As both Adrien and Chat, he had had so much time to get to know this woman, but she still only knew him as Adrien. He was uncertain if it would be odd to hear him confess his love for her already. He didn't finish the sentence, choosing instead to kiss her, his lips soft and reverent on hers.
Marinette threaded her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer while also deepening the kiss. The next thing Adrien knew, she had removed his shirt and was touching his skin, her eyes all over him. He pulled lightly on the corner of her own shirt, wanting no layers between them. "Can I see you?" She nodded, and together they lifted her shirt, leaving her in just a bra.
His eyes were glued to her, his breaths coming faster at the sight of her. Men were visual creatures, and he was no exception, and the view of her pregnancy-heavy breasts drove him wild. He lifted his hand up, but held it in the air uncertainly. "May I?"
"Such a gentleman," she said softly. She lay back on the bed, pulling him on top of her. "You can touch me anywhere, Adrien. I want you to touch me everywhere." She took his hand and placed it directly on her breast. He sucked in a breath, squeezing her gently. Or so he thought – her wince told him differently. "A little easier, though. They're extra sensitive these days."
He immediately let go as he apologized. He redirected his attention, bringing his hand down to her stomach, tracing her skin lightly. She pulled her bra off while he was distracted, and his gaze was drawn back up to see her bared to him. He felt mesmerized by her, carefully bringing his hand up to touch her again, softly this time. She moaned as he did, causing Adrien to grow even more uncomfortable in his jeans as he strained against them. He tried to ignore it, wanting to focus on making her feel good.
Hoping to pull more noises from her, he leaned down, letting his tongue swipe across her nipple. She gasped and arched her hips beneath him. After giving it a bit more attention, he made his way down her body with his mouth. He reached the edge of her pants and hooked his finger in, glancing up to make sure she was still good. She was on her elbows watching him, her eyes burning. With one tug, he removed both her pants and underwear. He held back a groan at the sight of her, choosing to kiss his way back up to her mouth. He used one hand to trail back down, hesitating slightly before dipping carefully between her curls. She was warm and wet beneath his fingers; he echoed her own moan of pleasure as he explored.
"God, Marinette, you're so wet." He slowed, realizing he wasn't sure what to do that would feel the best for her. "I want this to be good for you. Can you show me where…?"
She took his hand, pressing it against her until he found a certain spot. He touched her there, listening to her moans and trying to repeat what was working. She seemed to be coming undone beneath him, and his breath caught at the look on her face. He wanted so badly to do this right. He leaned over to her ear. "Will you come for me, Marinette?" His words seemed to spark something in her; she arched again into his hand, her moans coming out in a few short bursts, before she went limp, her eyes opening as she smiled up at him. He looked at her in awe. "Did you…?"
"I did." Her expression morphed into something more predatory as she sat up. "Now, it's your turn." She pulled off his jeans, which he kicked away, relieved at being less hindered. When her hand came down to touch him softly through the material of his boxer briefs, he struggled to hold back a gasp. Then she was pulling the last barrier away, staring down at him as he tried to stay still. Her hand touched him gently, tantalizing him with the teasing contact as he fought the urge to flip on top of her and be inside her immediately. "Marinette…you're killing me." She gripped him tighter then; he groaned as she started touching him rhythmically. His eyes squeezed shut as he thrust up into her hand, speeding up the movements. She shifted over him, her warm breath over top of him causing him to open his eyes. The sight of her leaning over him, her mouth so close to his cock, nearly sent him over the edge all by itself. "I'm not going to last long if you do that," he gasped out. That would be so embarrassing. He tried to redirect his brain momentarily, trying to keep from finishing entirely too quickly.
The look in her eyes was wicked as her tongue darted out. He struggled to think of something else, anything else, but then her mouth was on him, sucking him. "Oh fuck, Marinette." He could barely think at all; the sight of her mouth on him, the feel of it around him: it was too much. He came then, her name on his lips as he did.
When the world came back into focus, he lay in a daze with Marinette nestled in beside him. He turned on his side, leaning his forehead on hers. "God, Marinette, that was amazing. You're amazing." Luckily, she was smiling in a way that made her look quite pleased with herself, which helped cause his fear of finishing too soon to dissipate. She shivered slightly, so he pulled the sheet back up and over them, using his hand to try and warm her arms.
She looked up at him, their faces still close. "I wasn't expecting this," she whispered. He found himself drinking her in, once again amazed that he was this lucky. He brought his hand from her arms up to her face, kissing her. He felt like he never wanted to stop kissing her, to stop touching her. She pulled back from him, and he lamented the loss of her lips. "Adrien, we still need to talk some things through." He didn't particularly want to talk at the moment; instead, he leaned up on his arm so he could trail his lips down to her neck. "Adri—oh." He'd found a spot that seemed particularly sensitive, so he'd pulled at it with his mouth, ending with a soft bite. "Adrien –" her words sounded breathless, "– stop distracting me." Her words were playful, but Adrien backed away, his mouth quirked up.
"Sorry, Marinette. You're quite distracting." He smiled innocently at her.
She just raised her eyebrow, the corner of her mouth lifting. "I can put my clothes back on, if that would help."
Well, he couldn't have that. His eyes dropped briefly, taking in the sight of her half covered in the sheet. "No, no. I'll be good. I promise." His body betrayed him, however; his cock throbbed once against her. "Oops. Mind of its own, I'm afraid."
Her answering laugh brought a smile to his face, though she did untangle her legs from his, moving back into a sitting position against the headboard and bringing the sheet with her to cover herself. He bemoaned the loss of contact, but mirrored her movements.
"So," she started out, looking at him seriously, "—can I assume that knowing who I am doesn't change your mind as far as the baby goes?"
The question was exactly something he'd been hoping to talk to her about. Something he'd been thinking about even before he knew who she was. "Actually, it does." Marinette suddenly looked nervous; his need to touch her took over and he laced his fingers through hers, hoping to reassure her. "I don't just want to co-parent with you, Marinette. I want to try to be a real family together; the three of us. If you're willing to give me a chance." His hand left hers, finding the swell of her bump beneath the sheet. He didn't know how much this intense desire of his was showing through, but he didn't want to wait any longer to ask. His own father hadn't been there for him after his mom had passed. He wanted so badly to make things work with Marinette, to be better than his father had, for their own child.
Marinette's eyes came alight. "I'd love to give it a try, Adrien." He hadn't wanted to assume anything, even after what they had just done, but hearing her approval brought a wave of relief. "However, we have some serious obstacles we need to figure out. After all, I am just the intern that works at your father's company. I'm not sure how happy he will be about that."
Adrien was not a fan of the way Marinette seemed to view herself. "You're not just an intern, Marinette. You've been my friend for a long time. It's not so out of the question that we would get together. As for my father, I'm not under his thumb anymore, and I honestly don't care if he has a problem with you." Despite feeling this way, he knew that Marinette probably cared more than he did; she did technically work under him. Adrien sighed, trying to think of the best way to keep his father from getting himself involved. "How would you feel if we delayed telling him? I think he'd be easier to deal with if we wait until the last minute."
She looked contemplative. "We'll keep this a secret then?"
"It will shield you from the media if we do. They hound me enough; I don't want you to need to deal with the stress of that right away." He liked the thought of keeping her protected for longer.
Her lips quirked up. "I have gotten used to being sneaky over the years."
She had indeed. Moments in their shared past suddenly seemed to make more sense. Marinette had always seemed to be running late back in school, something he hadn't always noticed as he also often returned stealthily as Chat Noir, but it was something their friends had teased her about. He'd often had some trouble at times getting away from Nino and Alya, but whenever he'd been caught with Marinette during an attack, he'd never had a problem because she was always eager to get away herself. "I can't believe I never guessed you were Ladybug all this time. It makes complete sense now that I know."
Thinking of the past suddenly brought other memories back to mind. He'd always assumed early on that Marinette hadn't cared for him very much, with as often as she had seemed to trip over herself just to get away from him. If she really had been telling him her true feelings now, however, he yearned to know more how they fit with what he'd thought he'd known. "Did you mean it when you said…when you said you've loved me?" He'd always had fans who claimed to love him, but that was based on nothing but fantasy. To have Marinette, someone who knew him better than almost anyone, love him…
Her hand came up to his cheek, her smile warm. "I did mean it. From the first time you offered your umbrella to me in the rain when we were kids, I've loved you. I tried to tell you a ridiculous number of times, but my words always came out wrong. I never could speak quite right around you until we graduated."
Ah. That made a sort of sense. It hadn't ever been something he'd considered a possibility. Then again, he'd never really known much about love. "I used to think you hated me, or that I frightened you for some reason." It did make him wonder, though. "Why did you stop trying?" They'd remained friends after graduating, but never more than that.
"It became clearer to me how out of my league you were."
He shot her an incredulous look. "Coming from someone who is literally Ladybug, Paris' greatest superhero? I'm out of your league?"
She turned slightly pink, but fired back quickly, determination in her eyes. "Hey now, at best I'm tied for number one; I'm nothing without Chat Noir."
He was momentarily taken off guard by her rapid praise of Chat, of him. He tried to school his expression to not show how pleased he felt. "Oh, I suppose he's cool too. But my point remains." She continued to stare him down, and for a moment, he worried he'd somehow acted suspicious. He tried to redirect, returning to her insecurities. "Even if you weren't Ladybug, you wouldn't be out of my league, Marinette. I've seen your designs at work; you're going to be a lead designer one day, I know it. Not to mention the fact that you're beautiful, both inside and out."
Her smile blossomed like a flower opening to the sun. He felt mesmerized by her then, seeing the subtle changes as she went from bashfully pleased to something else, something deeper and more focused. Adrien was happy to let the conversation lie for now, watching as she dropped the sheet and prowled closer to him.
He was on her in a heartbeat, jumping in where they'd left off. He couldn't get enough of her; his hands touched her everywhere, feeling every inch of skin as his mouth followed suit. His body urged him to take, take – but he fought instead to give, until Marinette moaned his name in a plea, and then he was pushing himself inside her. He was blown away by the sensation, trying to keep his movements slow to not hurt her, but Marinette's breathy moans urged him forward.
"Yes, Adrien. Faster." Her demanding words and the response of her body beneath him caused him to lose what little control he had left as he obeyed her command, his heart pounding. He tried to keep his speed up, but it was only a short time later that a final gasp from Marinette followed by her body trembling beneath him sent him over the top, his release coming out in a surge of pleasure. He slowed once again, taking in the sight of her looking breathless and exquisite beneath him. His whole body went momentarily weak, and he fell next to her, pulling her into his arms in a cuddle.
He tried to come up with something sweet and profound to say, but all his short-circuiting brain could come up with was, "Wow."
She giggled at that. "Wow indeed."
He held her to him, softly stroking her arm with his hand. I love you, He wanted to say it over and over again as he looked at her. But he couldn't say it just yet; he needed to give her more time.
They fell asleep in each other's arms, at ease and content.
A/N: I don't have a lot of experience writing smut scenes (this and the Power of Creation parallel being the only two), so I can't help but feel a bit nervous about how it turned out. I'd love to hear some (gentle) feedback! Thank you for reading!
