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Ladybug and Chat Noir had just finished patrol, and she couldn’t help but notice the mood her partner seemed to have been in the entire time. He was quiet, barely cracking jokes as they jumped around the city. He hadn’t made a single flirtatious remark the entire night, which concerned her the most.
“Everything okay, Chat?” She asked as they stopped at the spot they had begun, a tall hotel roof with warm lights around the pillars.
“Not something I can talk about.” He sighed defeatedly. “Do you ever feel completely out of control in every aspect of your life? Like you can only be free how we are now?”
Ladybug thought about it. For her, being Ladybug was a responsibility, and while she loved the responsibility, it never really felt like freedom, but a sometimes enjoyable burden.
“No,” She said quietly, “I don’t know. Is there anything I can do?” She put her hand on the side of her partner’s face, leading his eyes to her own.
“Sit with me for a bit?”
“Of course.”
She sat on the edge of the building, Chat beside her. He tentatively rested his head on her shoulder. Ladybug smiled and brought a hand up to pull through his messy curls.
“I know we can’t talk to each other about these things, but I promise to be here for you whenever you need me Chat Noir. I promise.”
Chat let out a content hum before he began to purr.
“Did someone forget to tell you you aren’t a real cat?” She laughed.
Chat playfully swatted her hand from his hair and drew back, eyes shining with admiration.
“Thank you for everything m’lady.”
Ladybug’s heart swelled in her chest.
“Always.”
He lifted her hand to his lips before bidding her a good night and bounding off into the skyline.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Can I get a glass of milk please?”
Alya, Marinette, and Nino gave Adrien a look of disbelief. They were sitting in a cafe after school to get out of the freezing cold winter raging outside. It became a running joke among them that since Adrien’s father absolutely refused to get him a pet, he became his own.
It started with things as simple as increasing affection towards Nino, in the form of fondly rubbing his head against his shoulder during early morning classes and napping in the sun during his free lunches with his friends watching amused on the sidelines.
This, however, was different. Adrien’s father was very controlling when it came to when Adrien ingested. His most recent dietary restriction was any form of dairy. Adrien disobeying his father was as impossible as Marinette showing up on time for a non- Adrien event, it was unheard of.
“Dude, are you sure? Your dad would kill if he knew.” Nino was internally very excited about the sudden rebellion, but being a good friend meant making sure his friend wouldn’t get locked into the jail that was known as the Agreste mansion.
“You don’t understand Nino.” Adrien began as he politely waved the waitress off. “I think I’ll actually combust if I don’t get some, like right now. What my dad doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
Nino dawned a bright grin and put up a hand for a fist bump. Adrien sighed before smirking and meeting the boy’s hand.
Marinette and Alya snickered from across the table.
They chatted for a couple hours until they all finished their long cold drinks. The sun was beginning to set when Adrien paid the tab and they exited the cafe.
“Hey Adrien, Nino’s walking me home so I can watch my sisters, can you make sure Marinette gets home safe? It’s not too far of a walk from here.”
Marinette turned bright red, heating up despite the weather.
“No no, I'm fine! It really isn’t that far!’ She said, gesturing frantically. She took a step towards the curb and immediately slipped on a patch of ice. Adrien swiftly appeared beside her and gripped her forearms to steady her.
“Woah Mari, I don’t think we can trust you to walk down the street alone, much less a few blocks. I don’t mind, honestly. Less time for me to be home.” Adrien assured, still holding Marinette by the arms.
“Oh- okay.”
Marinette and Adrien waved their friends off before walking in the opposite direction.
After Marinette made the mistake of nearly falling yet again, Adrien suggested they hold hands.
“For safety’s purposes, I just think it’d be easier for me to be your knight in shining armor if I’ve already got a hand on you.” Adrien smirked, taking Marinette’s cold hand in his own.
Marinette blushed. “Right safety.” She smiled nervously, simultaneously rolling her eyes.
They walked mostly in silence as Marinette tried to memorize how his hand felt on her own.
By the time they reached Marinette’s house they both were shivering.
“Do you wanna come in? I mean- at least until your bodyguard gets here?” Marinette stuttered out, stopped before the bakery door. “We have warm pastries?”
“I really shouldn’t have any more sweets today.” Adrien began, and Marinette’s face dropped disappointedly. “But I’d still love to say hi to your parents.”
Marinette grinned brightly and led him inside by his hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After they greeted her parents Marinette and Adrien made their way to the living room to pop on a movie.
Marinette sat stiffly on one side of the couch attempting to control her breathing while Adrien sat beside her cozily with a borrowed blanket.
Less than five minutes in she could see his head nodding off as he tried to fight the exhaustion that slowly overtook him. She giggled before taking a deep breath.
“You can lay your head on my lap and take a nap if you want. I’ll listen for your phone and let you know when your ride is here.” She offered with a heated blush. Her heart began to race, fearing rejection.
Instead, Adrien smiled sleepily and rested his head on her. His hair looked so familiarly enticing, she couldn’t help but comb her finger through it before she realized what she had done. She quickly pulled her hand back.
“Could you keep doing that?” Adrien mumbled in his sleep-addled state. “Feels good.”
Marinette’s heart warmed. “Of course.” She nearly whispered as she resumed her actions.
She pulled her fingers through his sunshine hair, twisting it around her fingers and drawing patterns into his scalp. She had been doing it for about two minutes before he began to purr. She laughed quietly to herself. Of course he would purr, seeing as he was already such an honorary cat. Everything about the moment felt so familiar, still she metally captured every detail to think about later. She didn’t care too much to try to understand the strong sense of deja vu, instead drinking in his warmth and memorizing his soft noises.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day at school Marinette could sense something was off with Adrien. He wasn’t his usually bright energy self.
He walked into class an hour late, muttering apologies before taking his seat beside Nino.
“Is everything okay bud?” She heard Nino whisper a few minutes later.
Instead of replying Adrien simply shrugged his shoulders in response. She noticed he didn’t talk for the rest of class.
After the teacher dismissed them for lunch Adrien the first one out. Marinette ran out the door after him.
When she got to the stairs outside she could see Adrien quickly run by his car. His driver looked just as stunned as she was. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with him, what could effect him so much that he would just run out the room in such a way.
She continued to follow him, not really knowing what she would say when she caught up. He seemed so happy the night before.
He stopped at the bridge before dropping is head into his hands on the railing. Marinette slowly walked up behind him.
“Adrien?” She called lightly.
She could see him stiffen before he picked his head up. He didn’t turn around.
“I’m sorry. I just need a moment.”
Marinette gathered all her courage before walking up beside him. She rested a hand on his shoulder and he relaxed.
“What’s wrong?”
Adrien’s eyes finally met her own. They were filled to the brim with tears. He looked so hurt, so broken, Marinette’s heart dropped in her chest.
Adrien threw himself into her arms and Marinette didn’t hesitate to wrap them around him. She held him tight as he fell apart in her arms.
“I don’t know Mari.” He let out between sobs. “I don’t know.”
They stayed like that for what felt like forever. She didn’t let go until Adrien sobbing calmed into small hiccups.
Adrien pulled away. His eyes were red and puffy and his face was tear streaked but Marinette still thought he looked as beautiful as ever.
“Then I’ll be here until you do.” She wiped a tear off his face and placed a kiss on his cheek before pulling him back into her arms.