Chapter Text
When Adrien said that dreaming was enough for now, he didn't mean it literally.
At half past five in the morning he woke up by Plagg's loud cackling. Only to find out that he was in a heated making out session with his pellow while he was dreaming about Marinette, and Ladybug.
The worst of all, was that he didn't feel guilty. Like not at all!
And that's how he found himself in his huge bathroom, splashing his face with cold water and trying to calm his racing heart down.
It wasn't fair how his heart was messing up his brain to imagine things that was too far away from his league.
Ladybug and Marinette being the same?
He chuckled. No way! He was the symbol of bad luck for crying out loud. He couldn't be that lucky.
Plagg lazily floated over to him and sat down on the edge of the sink. "You look flushed, kid."
He groaned. "Not helping Plagg."
The black Kwami just rolled his eyes. "I didn't say flustered, I said flushed. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"
Adrien looked at his reflecting again. He seemed fine. But when he stared a little more, he noticed that his cheeks, his nose and ears were bright red like streetlights while the rest of his face was unusually pale. His body was sore.
He swallowed.Ouch, his throat was sore too.
He had no idea why he was like that.
Maybe it was because he had spent two hours a little time on a random rooftop to clear his head last night, and untransformed so Plagg wouldn't get sick because it was raining .
But that wouldn't be enough to knock the great Chat Noir down easily!
He looked back at the mirror to see a walking zombie rather than a dashing supermodel.
Okay, maybe some painkillers and a cup of dark coffee would do?
Marinette took the last step into the class and Yes!
she had made it to school, not only in time but she was also ten minutes early without forgetting her backpack or her lunch.
Surly ten minutes earlier wasn't that early and most of the students were at school by that time. But it was a progress for her.
But her victorious smile faded away upon the sight of Adrien. He was wearing a thick jacket. His head was tucked between his arms on the desk. And the worried look on Nino's face was unsettling.
"Dude I think you should--"
"I'm fine Nino. Just dropped already."
She walked closer and said "Hey guys!" A little too loud to announce her presence.
Nino beamed at her. "Hey Dudette! Can you please knock some sense in my bro? He's not listening to me."
She turned to Adrien. "What's wrong?"
He peeked at her from the mass of his furry sleeves, but said nothing.
She slowly swept his unbrushed hair away from his face with her fingers and rested her hand on his forehead to check his temperature.
He closed his eyes at her touch. She could have sworn that he sighed and his shoulders relaxed too.
And God help her poor heart survive this!
Any other time, she would have fainted right there and then at the idea of touching Adrien like that. But this was a serious matter.
Besides he had been acting a little wired for a better part of the week.
She had been worried that the museum incident had ended up their already shaky friendship and that he hadn't forgiven her.
With Alya and Tikki's help, she had worked up the courage to ask him if that was the problem. He had said that it had nothing to do with it at all.
And she trusted him. Because he had no reason to lie about something like that.
And for the past few days, he'd been doing things like cracking jocks at the most unlikely times and smile widely and wink playfully in a way that reminded her a lot of her leather clad partner.
Which made her more at ease around him and she was able to talk with him without stumbling over her words like an idiot or losing her head in fantasies whenever she looked into his oh so beautiful green eyes.
But knowing that her close proximity would please him so much could send her heart into a frenzy.
Like now.
However she wouldn't have pulled her hand away so quickly if it wasn't for the burning heat that crept to the skin of her palm from his forhead.
She gasped. "Adrien you are so hot!"
Adrien smirked and his eyes glinted mischievously. "Thanks! I think you're sinfully gorgeous too."
What the--
Retreat! Retreat!
"What no no no , I didn't mean--I mean you are hot and all--no I mean you are not hot at all! Ugh." She covered her face with her hands and took a deep breath.
Then she tried again, more calmly this time. "I meant that your temperature is really high. I think you have a fever."
Nino nodded. "Yeah dude, I've been telling you that all morning."
Adrien leaned back and crossed one leg over the other, trying to act cool. "Nah, I'm fine. See? I can't look this handsome if I had a fever."
That wasn't a lie. He still looked handsome. But he also looked tired, and sick.
Nino sighed. "You should've at least took some medications."
"I did."
That made her suspicious.
"What kind of medications did you took? Adrien."
He answered right away. "Painkillers."
She arched an eyebrow. "And how much?"
He looked away uncomfortably. "Well, the first two pills didn't seem to work, so..."
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh God, Adrien you know that those kind of medicine help you to get some rest, not getting through a school day!" She scolded worriedly. Then she noticed how heavy his eyelids were, as if he was fighting to stay awake. "You should go home and rest."
"No," He mumbled.
"What?"
He wrapped his arms around himself. "It's too cold in there, I don't want to go back."
She wanted to ask what did he meant by cold. Then the image of his house flooded in her mind, high walls, blacks and grays and so much white, too big and too empty that you can hear your echo.
Marinette shuddered.
She put her hands on Adrien's shoulders and he looked up at her. "If you go back home now, I promise me, Alya and Nino will come to visit you after school. I'll even bring my Maman's soup, then you will recover in no time! What do you think?"
He opened his mouth to protest, but he closed it and looked down. After a few seconds of thinking, he nodded his head.
She smiled at him, then she looked at Nino to ask him to take Adrien to the nurse's office. But she remembered that he was complaining about falling behind in history class the whole week. And if he went with Adrien, he would miss half of the class.
Instead she said. "You take notes for him. I'll help him."
Nino smiled with gratitude. "Thanks Marinette."
"No problem."
Marinette looked for Alya who wasn't in her usual seat the whole time, and she found her at the back of the class sitting with Rose, Juleka and Lila (she tried not to roll her eyes, she really did). Alya was obviously aware of the entire exchange. She gave her two thumbs up and mouthed 'You go girl' that was the cue that she needed.
She raised her hand to get the teacher's attention. "Miss Bustier, may I take Adrien to the nurse's office? He doesn't look well."
But Lila interrupted before Miss Bustier could answer. "Actually Miss Bustier, I will take him. Me and Adrien are really close, I have even been to his house once." The brunette flicked her hair, daring Marinette to oppose her.
Marinette was boiling with rage, so was Adrien. But he handled the matter better than she could have. "Marinette is the class Rep, I want her to come with me. Besides we are much closer friends than I'm with you." He said while glaring coldly at Lila. The Italian girl recoiled under his gaze, sat back in her seat and kept her mouth shut.
"Very well," Miss Bustier spoke. "Marinette, You may go with Adrien. And the rest of the class, open your books at page one hundred and fifteen. "
Marinette waste no time in taking Adrien by the hand and hurrying out of the room, all the while trying to hide her smirk.
She should ask Adrien about his tactics in Shut Lila's Mouth when he was feeling better.