Work Text:
Adrien’s eyes follow Marinette around the room as she packs her bag. It’s like a ritual, at this point. Watching her carefully organize her books and binders so they don’t crush the small container of cookies she always keeps on hand. When she has time, she carefully puts each pen and pencil back in her pencil case, making sure her favorites are nearest the top, easily accessible. He likes watching how meticulous she is. How she makes sure to fold up the blanket she’d been curled up under, neatly placing it on the couch.
She’s stalling. He knows she’s stalling. He’s not sure if she knows she’s stalling. But she’s definitely stalling.
Eventually he can’t take it anymore. He’s silent as he moves to stand behind her, resting his hands on her hips. She nearly drops the pillows she was putting back in place, glancing back at him over her shoulder.
“I’m gonna put a bell on you.” It’s a common threat, at this point. She says it with a small smile on her lips, leaning back against him as he presses a kiss to her shoulder.
“I dare you to try.” He grins when she turns her head enough for him to catch her lips, just briefly, before she sighs as his arms wind around her waist.
“I have to go, soon.” She’s stating the obvious. Letting the annoying truth settle between them.
“I know you do,” he presses his nose to her neck, breathing deeply. “But have you considered that I don’t want you to?”
That earns him a laugh from her. She wiggles until his arms loosen just enough for her to turn and face him, settling her arms around his neck.
“Are you planning to keep me hostage?” She raises an eyebrow challengingly.
“I thought about it.” He shrugs. “But I’m pretty sure you know too many of my tricks for it to work. The only advantage I have is bribery.”
“Bribery?” Marinette snorts. “What could you possibly bribe me with?”
“Well for starters…” He kisses the tip of her nose, earning a pretty little flush that seeps up her neck to her cheeks and ears. “And perhaps I can offer something like… This.” He dips his head to press his lips to her neck, delighting in the sound of her breath catching.
“You know that isn’t very fair,” she breathes, but her arms have tightened around his neck, urging him to kiss higher along her jaw, along the edge of her lips. He can feel her popping up on her tiptoes to keep in reach as pulls away, a shit-eating grin on his face.
“I think it’s a pretty fair bribe.”
She lets out a huff, muttering under her breath that he is, in fact, an idiot, before tugging him back down into a searing kiss that leaves him lightheaded. One of her hands tangles in his hair, the other tracing along the lines of his jaw. A swipe of her tongue steals the breath from his lungs, along with a small whimper. He’s clinging to her as much as she’s clinging to him, at this point, as if breathing the same air can meld them into a single person. Who knows, maybe with enough magic, they could.
His thoughts scatter when she pulls away, her eyes blown out and wild as they meet his.
“You offer a worthy bribe.” She doesn’t sound as put-together as he knows she’s trying to pretend she is. That’s ok. He’ll let her have that small hope of dignity, even as he can see the corners of her lips twitching as she fights off a smile. “But I do actually have to go to work.”
“Call out. Tell them your cat’s sick.”
“You’re not actually a cat, and you’re not sick.”
“When you leave I’m love-sick.” He puts on his most convincing pout for her, taking both of her hands in his and bringing them to his lips to pepper her knuckles with kisses. “I just sit here and wither away. Plagg says it looks like I’m dying inside every time you leave.”
“I can’t tell if you’re stealing his dramatics, or if it’s the other way around.”
“Both!” Plagg calls from where he’s been lounging in the kitchen.
Adrien just has time to glance back at his kwami before he feels Marinette extracting herself from his reach, scooping up her bag and keys. He knows she has to go, he does. Logically, he also knows she’ll be back later. That’s how all this worked. She works, she comes home. And yet-
“Marineeeetttte,” He whined, following her to the door and capturing her hand in his before she could escape. “Just one more kiss. Just one last kiss before you go. Promise. Just one.”
She sighed fondly, her free hand cupping his cheek as he gave her the kitten eyes he knew she couldn’t resist.
“Just one.”
And then she was kissing him again. Soft and sweet, with just enough heat to curl his toes and tempt him to deepen it. It was a gamble, but the urge to keep her here just a little longer was too strong. He pulled her a little closer by the hip, tilting his head just as she let out a gasp. He took advantage of the opportunity, nipping at her lip. He could feel her melting in his arms, clinging to him like her life depended on it.
Finally, with what Adrien knew to be a gargantuan amount of strength, Marinette parted from him with a dazed look on her face.
“You’re a menace,” She declared, tapping a finger to his nose before backing out of his reach. “I’ll see you tonight, mon minou .”
“Tonight,” he agreed with a dopey grin. “I love you, princess.”
“I love you, too.”