A/N: I am craving for some fried chicken wings so badly right now...

"All alone, just the beat inside my soul
Take me home, where my dreams are made of gold
In the zone, where the beat is uncontrolled
I know what it feels like
Come on, make me feel alive"

Alive - Krewella

Pairing - Adrinette

Prompt - 'Comfort'

~(x)~

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Usually, Marinette was a heavy sleeper.

It would take at least six or seven alarms to snap her out of dreamland itself, let alone wake her up and out of bed in an instant. Or even a giant plastic doughnut crashing through her room without warning (this happened twice or thrice no thanks to le Papillon having nothing better to do and akumatising August the baby because menace is clearly his middle name and the old man's hobby mainly consists of pestering a pair of heroic teenagers).

So yes, usually she sleeps like the dead and it's near impossible to wake her up even if an Akuma was involved. However, tonight, Alya, Nino and Adrien were over at hers for a well-anticipated sleepover therefore her senses were on extremely high alert. Especially since the love of her life was right there, decked up in that adorable Ladybug-themed pyjama set and snoozing away peacefully(after having enthusiastically soaked up the entire slumber party experience with those gorgeous emerald green eyes of his and eventually tiring himself out).

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SWISH!

A sudden gasp and violent thump of fabric being swept aside snapped Marinette out of her deep thoughts, the girl sitting up straight from the bed she was sharing with Alya in the loft and her fight or flight mode activated by instinct. Once her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, she noted that Nino was fast asleep on the floor who was snoring like a rusty chainsaw.

Which left...

"Adrien?" The boy snapped his face towards her direction from the soft(loving) whisper of Marinette's voice, the girl noting that his eyes were wet and red-rimmed and that there was cold sweat running down his face. He was unresponsive for a slow second, still in the process of fully waking up to reality.

Without missing a beat, Marinette quietly but quickly tiptoed down the ladder carefully and approached the chaise gently as one would do with a scared, abandoned kitten. At first, she brought her hands forward, as if she wanted to cradle his face tenderly but then decided to keep them to herself at the last minute, not knowing whether he would appreciate the gesture or not.

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"Marinette...sorry, did I wake you?" His voice was very soft but never less apologetic and guilty, masking the absolute terror and sheer fear she caught on his face earlier on. Deciding to embrace her inner Ladybug and putting aside her nerves, Marinette took a seat by his side, his little smile at her gesture only giving her the confidence to take his hand and give it an affectionate squeeze.

"Don't worry about me. I was already awake. What about you? Are you okay?" She gave his hand a few more reassuring squeezes, hoping it would provide some comfort. "Do...do you want to talk about it?"

His smile dropped immediately and he averted his eyes, one of his shaking hands reaching to smooth out his dishevelled hair which fell over his eyes in a manner that sent a major level of deja vu down her veins.

He schooled his expression once more, a fake smile plastered on this time around and he clutched her hand.

"I'm fine, Marinette. Especially now that you're here," His faux smile naturally melted back into his usual, sweet grin that he couldn't help but wear whenever he spotted her in the vicinity, his eyes glittery and his warmth oh-so intoxicating. Despite that, she wanted to push him a little further. She wanted to know about the pain that hid behind the twinkle of his eyes.

But the last thing she wanted was to make him feel uncomfortable. Ever.

He has too many people in his life who pushes and pulls him around like a rag doll without giving a single thought about his own boundaries and well-being and god forbids that she does the same. She would never forgive herself if she were to ever stoop down to the same level with the likes of Gabriel Agreste or Lila Rossi.

"Well, if you don't mind, want to come downstairs and have some hot chocolate and cookies? I'll even put on a film you really like?" The happiness that bloomed on his face from her suggestion was more than enough to fuel Marinette for the next ten lifetimes at least. It was the equivalent of the sun finally shining after a bitter and brutally cold stormy morning.

Like an overexcited child, he enveloped her in a huge hug, whispering a delighted "Yes!" into her hair.

Her heart was a goner.

~(x)~

"This is nice. Really, really nice," Adrien hummed happily into his mug of delicious hot chocolate, the boy shamelessly leaning into her as the fluffy blanket they shared on the sofa cocooned them so that not even air was between their bodies. He reminded her so much of her beloved Chaton that it was driving her practically insane. Brushing those similarities and thoughts aside for the umpteenth time tonight, Marinette managed to respond to him with a timid smile of her own, the ends of her long hair tickling her bare shoulders and some of the stray strands sticking to the fabric of his fuzzy pyjamas.

"I'm glad. I like it when you're happy," She confessed with all her courage, hiding the bottom half of her face with her mug when he gaped at her with astonishment. His expression then transitioned to one of unadulterated adoration and his eyes were practically stars. Butterflies fluttered within her stomach anew as he placed his mug down and wrapped his arms around her waist, all whilst peering at her with those big green eyes of his.

Had she not been sleep deprived as well as worried for his wellbeing, Marinette would've combusted hours ago from their close proximity itself let alone from his sweet touches and tender affection.

"I'm so glad someone as amazing as you decided to keep me around," He admitted, earning a confused look from the curious designer. "It's not uncommon for me to have nightmares...especially those particular ones where I'm left all alone in a world full of water and a shattered moon, surrounded by people made of stone."

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All the colour drained from her face at impeccable speeds, her body tensing and her eyes watering in an instant.

.

At first, Adrien didn't notice since his head was resting on her shoulder; when his enhanced hearing caught the wet hitches in her breath and the subtle shaking of her body, concern was quick to fill him up from head to toe and he sat up to face her.

One tear.

Two.

Three.

Four.

And he finally caught the fifth with his thumb, his kind hands cradling her face until he couldn't help himself but bring her into his chest without a word.

Marinette wept so quietly(so softly) and he had no idea why or how to help other than to hold her close in his protective grasp. All he knew was that his nightmares were somehow the key to her agonising grief and indescribable sadness, the very same despondency she's been wearing for many, many months now.

On one hand, he wanted to grab her shoulders and shake all the answers out of her. To finally find the truth and connection behind those horrific nightmares and her tears.

But on the other hand?

He just wanted to kiss her tears away and shield her from the cruel, terrifying world with his own body. To keep her in his arms forever and wreak havoc on those that dare to hurt her.

.

"Chat Noir...Chaton...tu es mon Chaton..." His heart skipped way too many beats as he registered her words, his body reacting by instinct and holding her even closer. His piano fingers tangled up within her midnight locks and hers dug into the fabric of his soft pyjama top as if their lives depended on it.

"My...my Lady?" He murmured inaudibly into her hair and then pulled back slightly so that he could have a good look at her face. He palmed her cheek again, his heart breaking just from the sight of her shattered expression alone. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I messed up..." She gasped, baby blues full of so much melancholy and anguish that even Adrien struggled to breathe. "Not only have you suffered so much in that other timeline...you're suffering now with all those nightmares...I'm so, so, so sorry..."

He gently pushed her face back into his chest, letting her cry it all out and soak the fabric of his top as more answers and even more questions bubbled within his mind. But for now, he just wanted her to be okay.

"No, you haven't messed up. Whatever you had to do, it's why we're here right now, isn't it?" He couldn't help but press a kiss into her hair and then another on her temple (and he didn't know if it was because he wanted to soothe her or himself). "I'm not suffering right now, I promise,"

"But!" She pulled back much to his dismay, facing him and shaking her head, knuckles whitening from her grip on his collar. "Your nightmares! And the fact that it happened! That I failed to save you from the akuma butterfly in the first place! It's not fair on you at all! It's all my fault!"

He narrowed his eyes, clasping their hands together between their chests so that she couldn't avert his gaze.

"I'm not alone," He pressed their hands to his chest(right where his heart pounded frantically), his brows furrowed as if to plead for her to understand his feelings. "I'm not alone. I'm not in there anymore. I'm not surrounded by water. I'm not surrounded by floating, destroyed buildings. And I'm certainly not akumatised...nor have I been akumatised in this timeline,"

He grabbed her face once more, leaning his forehead onto hers.

"I love you. I love you so, so, so much. Dammit, I don't think you understand the extent of my feelings for you, Marinette. Yes, you drive me crazy. Yes, you've said and done things that hurt me. But never, not once, have you ever made me feel bad enough to warrant an akuma butterfly."

"But...but...you said it was our love that destroyed the world..." Was all she could utter, tears streaming down her face anew. Her hands trembled as they rested on the nape of his neck and her teeth gnawed on her reddened bottom lip. "All you wanted was to restore the world back to the way it was, with us happy and together again,"

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"Then, how could our love have destroyed the world if he wanted it back, Marinette?"

It was as if the merciless inferno that tried to swallow her whole within her body has finally, finally reduced back down to a small candlelight and a new sense of clarity bloomed.

Carefully, she watched him.

Watched the way the intensity within his eyes remained and the determination that shone through the brilliant emeralds that she fell for many, many moons ago.

Watched the way that his confidence and dedication remained rooted within his expressions and body language, as if he was an unmovable mountain.

Watched the way that his pure, unconditional love for her shone in a manner that would outdo the sun and stars and anything that ever existed.

"Marinette, he's me. I'm him. I just don't understand how the best thing in my life could cause our downfall. Our love, Marinette. Ours. Whatever happened, I can't comprehend any of it being your fault at all." His lips were a mere, warm breath apart from hers and she could count every single one of his dark, long, golden lashes that shadowed his earnest greens.

"Adrien..." She whispered, her throat hoarse from all the crying and her cheeks stinging from her salty tears. "What do I do then? I always kept you away at a distance, both as yourself and as Chat Noir to keep you safe. I tried to plan ahead and do everything carefully. And now you're saying I'm the best thing to have ever happened to you...? I don't know what to do..."

He let a gentle grin play on his lips, his eyes just so tender and sweet.

"It's okay. You don't need to do anything. You should trust your partner and let me take care of you this time,"

"But!"

"No buts~" He bumped his nose with hers playfully, their fringes interlacing and their hearts racing. "Besides...you too have been suffering...for quite a while too. Please, let me look after you, Marinette. Let me bring happiness back into your life. Please," Their lips were brushing and her face now pinkening because of his loving pleas.

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"Okay,"

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~(x)~

A/N: Take a shot every time I write a drabble that ends with Adrien wanting to look after his Marinette.

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