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Adrien had two things he could do after he transformed - go after the akuma or wait for Ladybug. The akuma seemed pretty harmless - they missed their dog and were turning every pet they saw into the same breed. They could wait.
So, the second option. He just needed a good place to wait for Ladybug. As he was looking around though, he felt someone bump into him.
When he turned around and saw Marinette, he grinned. A plan formed in his mind instantly.
“Marinette, I need your help,” he said. She was instantly alert.
“What happened, Chat? What does the akuma do?”
“Oh, the akuma? It’s nothing. But I feel really lonely and need company while I wait for Ladybug.”
Her expression turned incredulous.
“You want me to keep you company while you wait?”
“Yes!”
She turned in the direction the akuma had left.
“What are they doing anyway?”
“They turn people’s pets into their dog,” he shrugged.
“Oh. Then I have to go.”
“But you don’t have a dog, Marinette,” he reminded her, feeling amused.
“Um… I don’t?” She looked very confused for a moment.
“You wanted a hamster as far as I remember.”
“Oh, right. Ok. What are we going to do while we wait?”
“We can cuddle.” He saw her bristle and had to bite back a smile.
“C-cuddle? With you?”
“Yes, I mean, why not give his lonely kitty a hug?” He asked, with his best kitty eyes. Her gaze softened and she giggled.
“You’re impossible,” she said, but her arms were around him in no time and he sighed as he pulled her closer to him. “People wouldn’t be happy, you know. One half of Paris’ super duo is caught cuddling in the middle of an akuma attack.”
Her laughter tickled his neck.
“Look, people say you need four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance and 12 for growth. I’m not even aiming that high. Just surviving is enough.”
“You don’t have anyone else to give you four hugs?” She asked, sounding appalled, as she pulled back a little to look him in the eye.
This had started as a joke and yet there he was, nodding in defeat.
“Poor kitty,” Marinette said instantly. “Here, you can have your four hugs.”
They stood like that for a couple of minutes, until she stirred.
“How long are you going to wait for Ladybug?”
“Um, she will show up, eventually.” No doubt about that.
“How do you know? Maybe she has to deal with a demanding black cat.”
“Ladybug has a cat?” he asked, trying not to smile. She wasn’t subtle at all.
“Um, no, it’s probably a stray. But maybe she’s trying to protect her dog.”
“How do you know she has a dog?”
“Doesn’t everyone know this?” She said, sounding exasperated.
“First time I hear this,” he shrugged.
“Well, my point is she may not show up for a long time. I need to get home or my parents will worry.”
Oh, she was trying to make him feel guilty.
“Ok, I get it, go,” he said with a deep sigh, his eyes sad.
“Come on, don’t be like that! Here, I’ll give you another hug, it can’t hurt. You can ask Ladybug for more when she shows up, I’m sure she won’t mind.”
She wouldn't now, would she?
“You’re very generous today, m’lady,” he whispered in her hair. She stiffened in his arms.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said, jumping back.
“This black cat won’t stop you from transforming anymore,” he said with a wink. She gasped.
“But… you knew!”
“You were terrible with your excuses, admit it,” he chuckled.
“This was a trap?” She looked so indignant he felt bad for a second.
“You made it too easy. I just saw you there and thought, if I’m right, you’ll have to think of an excuse and it would be bad. If I’m wrong, Ladybug would show up and it would be over. I get cuddles in both cases. I was right so two birds with one stone, you know.”
“You… Grr,” she growled.
“Oh come on, was cuddling with me so bad?” He fluttered his eyelashes at her and saw her lips twitch.
“Eh, it wasn’t so bad, but…” she replied.
“You would prefer it if I was someone else? Yeah, yeah, I know.”
“You got that right. If you find a way to turn into Adrien, you might get more later,” she said over her shoulder as she looked around, preparing to transform. They were alone so she just did it.
He stood there staring at her. Because, yes, she just transformed into Ladybug in front of him. But also because she’d said this as a joke while still looking like she meant it.
“Be careful what you wish for, m’lady.”
He didn’t wait for her reaction, instead went after the akuma. It was the easiest thing in the world to follow the trail of small dogs to the original troublemaker and they dealt with the old lady in no time.
“So, you promised something,” Adrien told Marinette as she was preparing to leave.
“I know what I said and.. “
He detransformed before she could finish the sentence, grinning at her.
“A promise is a promise, bugaboo.”
She gasped, blinked a few times and then just huffed, crossing her arms. She realised she’d played herself.
“You cheeky cat!”
“This cheeky cat is waiting for his hugs,” he practically sang. She pouted for a few seconds but then her eyes narrowed as if she had a plan.
“What was it you said? Be careful what you wish for,” she said, striding towards him. When her arms locked around his neck, he smiled triumphantly. But when she dragged him down to her level, he looked at her confused. “Enough hugs for today, kitty. How about some kisses?”
She didn’t wait for his reply, she just planted a kiss on his unsuspecting mouth. Well, to his credit he didn't just stand there like a statue.
The love of his life was kissing him, he’d dreamed of this so many times, he knew what to do! If he ended up chasing her lips when she pulled back and making her smile, he wasn’t going to feel embarrassed about it.
“So how many kisses a day does a person need?” She asked, her cheeks bright with colour.
“Hm. 10?” He ventured a guess.
“On it,” she grinned, kissing him again. Maybe he should have asked for more, but it was a good start anyway.