Chapter Text
Marinette wasn't sure she'd heard him right.
"Marinette?" Adrien asked again. He was standing next to her as she closed her locker for the last time that school year. "Will you be ok with accompanying me in New York City for the fashion expo?" He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "It's next week, so there isn't much time to ask your parents, and I get it if you don't want to go--"
Marinette laughed, "Don't want to go? Of course I would want to go. It's a perfect chance to spend time with you ah-as friends, of course. And it would be great to stare at yo--at, um, the different fashion. You know, get some inspiration." She felt her cheeks warm, Oh, gosh, Marinette, keep it together. She cleared her throat, "I'll ask my parents."
Adrien's face light up with a wide grin, his perfectly straight and white teeth practically blinding her, "Great! Let me know what they say."
As he walked away, Marinette's knees wobble beneath her and she melted into her locker door with a lovesick smile on her face. Adrien had asked her to go with him to New York. She was going to have to convince her parents to let her go.
Marinette entered the bakery, straightening herself to full height, and marching straight to where her parents were working on a new patch of cookies. She was prepared to have to beg to go to New York when her mother said, "Mr. Agreste's assistant called. She asked if you would join Adrien to a fashion expo in New York next week." Marinette nodded slowly, about to open her mouth to speak, but before she could, her mother continued, "Well? What are you waiting for? Go pack!"
Marinette's jaw dropped, "Really? Thank you Papa, thank you Maman!" She then ran upstairs to her room to pack, leaving her parents to smiled at their daughter warmly. She was growing up fast.
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Adrien lay on his white couch, his legs, too long to fit, dangling over one of the arm rests. Plagg floated next to him, chewing on a large chunk of Camembert. Adrien sighed as he stared at the ceiling, silent.
"Kid, if you sigh one more time..." Plagg grumbked in warning.
"Sorry, Plagg, I'm just worried."
"About what?"
"That she might not want to go, or that she can't go, or that someone will get akumatized while I'm away and Ladybug won't be able to fight them without me, or that Ladybug will get hurt during an akuma attack, or--"
"Kid, relax," Plagg coaxed, "You're stressing too much, you know what helps with stressing?"
"Camembert?" Adrien asked, turning to face Plagg.
"Well, yeah, but also a nice, night time jog."
Adrien smiled at Plagg, then sat up. "Plagg, claws out!"
Soon Chat Noir was running on all fours across rooftops, patrolling, but also just trying to keep his mind busy with anything other than his worries. He watched cars flashing by, and listened to the sounds of the city at night. Most people were already inside, having a late dinner or sleeping, but someone stood, leaning against the rails of a familiar bakery up ahead. Of course, he went to investigate.
He landed on the balcony a few feet away from Marinette, starling her with his glowing green eyes. When she rolled her eyes at him and relaxed against the railing again, he walked closer to her and leaned against the railing too, almost shoulder to shoulder with her. "So, Princess, why are you out here so late?"
"I can say the same to you," she replied.
He chuckled, "Yeah, that's true. But I'm on patrol."
"When it's close to midnight?" She asked, quizzically raising an eyebrow.
"Wait, it's that late already?" He glanced down at the city streets. Cars were scarce, and the night air was still. "Oh, I supposed it is."
Marinette sighed, "What's on your mind, Chat?"
"Stuff."
"You don't wanna talk about it?"
"Not really." He paused for a while, then turned to face her, "What about you?"
"I'm just," she let out a loud exhale, "I'm going to fly on an airplane for the first time next week, and I'm going to go to a country I've only seen shows of in a city I've always dreamed of going."
"That's sounds nice."
"It does until you realize how terrified you are of being so far away from home and that you've always been terrified by airplanes because of all the things that can go wrong." She shrugged, but Chat Noir saw the fear in her eyes, "I guess I'm just worried."
He fought the urge to wrap his arms around her in a tight hug, but set his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently, "Don't worry, Princess, I'm sure everything will be fine."
"Thanks, Chat."
She turned to face him completely, then wrapped her arms around him. It took him off guard, but he soon wrapped his own arms around her, rubbing small circles in the small of her back. When she pulled apart she thanked him again, then disappeared into her room, leaving him alone. He sighed, then started to make his way back to his room.
Once he reached his window and his feet touched the ground, he detransformed. He staggered to his bed and plopped down, staring at the ceiling. He checked the time, 12:55am. He needed to sleep.
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Marinette ran down the stairs, lugging her suitcase behind her. She couldn't believe how fast the week breezed by. She supposed that when summer vacation started that's how it always was. Adrien's body guard waited for her next to the car as she hugged and kissed her parents goodbye. He took her suitcase from her, and opened the door, closing it gently once she was sitting inside.
Adrien greeted her with a friendly smile, one that practically melted her insides, then glanced out the window. It seemed like he was searching for something, but Marinette didn't know what it could've been. The car started moving before she realized she didn't have her seatbelt secured around her, so she then frantically pulled at it, causing it to whip out and hit her in the face. As she rubbed her cheek, Adrien reach over her, gently pulling the seatbelt and securing it around her.
"You have to be careful with that one, it often does that," he told her quietly, "Sorry, I should've warned you."
Marinette stared at the young man, pretty much sure she was the color of her super suit, unable to say anything for a bit. When the car halted to a stop, the driver grumbling as a car cut him off, she was snapped back to her senses. "Er, n-no, you don't have to apologize, I shouldn't have been so agressive with it," she stammered.
Adrien's eyes flickered to where her hand was still rubbing her cheek. He gently pulled it away from her face, examining the hurt area, his face so close to Marinette she felt that she might spontaneously combust. That was possible, wasn't it? He gently prodded her cheek, making her wince slightly. "Sorry," he whispered. He frowned at her cheek, his eyebrows furrowing with worry, "I hope it doesn't bruise. Does it hurt if it's not touched?"
"No, it doesn't really hurt when touched either," Marinette breathed. He was too close, and it was making it hard for her to think.
He moved away, his back against his seat once more, "Well, hopefully it'll be ok."
Marinette nodded, relieved that she could breathe almost completely normally again. At that moment the car stopped completely, and the bodyguard edited the car, opening Adrien's door and moving to take the luggage out of the car. Marinette slid out of the car with Adrien taking her hands to help her out, then stared at the airport in front of her. People bustled in and out, all of them dragging long at least one suit case. Many different languages could be heard, French, English, Spanish, Dutch, the list went on.
She didn't realized she was gaping at it all until Adrien let out a small laugh and reach over, gently using his finger to close her jaw. It was then she noticed that his hand was still holding hers, and she worried that he'd hear her heart pounding in her chest. They made their way inside, checking in and weighing their bags in a much shorter line than the others, one that was labeled first class. They then got in an elevator, which took them up a couple floors, then they made their way through security checks, and finally sat down on some chairs, waiting for the boarding of the plane to start. It wasn't until then that Adrien had finally let go of her hand, and she immediately missed it. Not long after, they were on the airplane, preparing for take off.
Marinette couldn't think straight. While Adrien looked at ease, staring outside the window of the airplane, Marinette's foot tapped the ground, unable to stay still. Her mindwas riddled with anxiety, she'd never been on a plane before. Sure, she'd been on trains, but those were different, they stayed on the ground (unless you counted the Startrain incident). Planes, on the other hand, had a lift off and a landing, they traveled through the air, where storms could hit and things could go terribly wrong. Her hands gripped the armrests tightly, her knuckles white. Suddenly, a warm hand gently squeezed hers. She turned her head to see Adrien giving her a soft, reassuring smile.
The airplane rumbled, then a voice on the intercom spoke telling them to prepare for take off. Soon the airplane started to move, slowly at first, then it gained speed. Not long after, they were traveling incredibly fast, the airplane shuddering under the speed. Then, Marinette felt it. Her stomach dropped as the airplanes tires left the ground, launching itself into the air. Adrien's hand squeezed hers a little more tightly, his reassuring smile returning. Then, as if nothing had ever happened, they were in the air.
Marinette breathed a sigh of relief, happy that lift off was successful. She was about to reach over and hug Adrien, but stopped herself. Who ever hugged after a lift off? She would celebrate when they were safely in New York City.
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A couple of hours into the trip, ladies pushing carts came, and on them where food and drinks. It was lunch time. Adrien knew Plagg would be hungry by then, so he wasn't surprised when the Kwami peeked at him from under his seat. Sneaking him a piece of Camembert, he waved for him to hide, then glanced at Marinette. With a silent sigh of relief that she didn't see, he then told the ladies when he'd want to eat and drink as they served him and Marinette.
Adrien saw Marinette staring at the food in awe, then remembered that she'd never been on a plane before. She must've been surprised that they could serve full, mostly decent meals. He smiled at his clueless friend, then moved to start his meal.
Not long after he'd finished eating, Marinette dozed off. Her head slid on her seat, and dropped onto his shoulder. He only smiled at her fondly before plugging in some earphones then placing his head on told of hers and closing his eyes. Before he knew it, they were being woken up to the plane landing.
As the plane's tires skidded the ground and finally came to a halt, Marinette beamed, clapping with the others to celebrate a successful flight. They waited to be escorted out by his bodyguard, then made their way down the the luggage claim. Marinette studied each suitcase carefully, the tip of her tongue sticking out ever so slightly as she stayed focused. Adrien stiffled a laugh as he stared at her. All of this really was new to her.
Once they got their bags and passed through all the security checks, they stepped outside into New York City, just as the sun was starting to set. City lights slowly turned on as the entered the limo that awaited them, cars and taxis zoomed by. It was rush hour so traffic was terrible, but Adrien didn't mind. He was sitting in a car with his friend beside him, gawking at the tall buildings and neon lights as they drove. He smiled at Marinette, thinking that he couldn't be happier to have her with him in New York City.
If only his father could see how happy he was.