Chapter Text
“Adrien, what the hell is going on?”
Plagg’s nasally voice barely scratched the surface of Adrien’s awareness as the tiny cat god was ejected from his ring with such force that he spun ass over teakettle through the air for several feet before finally managing to right himself. At any other time Adrien would have found the sight comical, but right now he could do nothing but clutch at his golden locks and yank as he curled into himself, straining to remember how to breathe.
It wasn’t working. The room began to sway and blur as he gasped for air and he staggered to the edge of his bed, falling heavily onto it and dropping his head between his knees. He was dimly aware of Plagg zooming around his face in concern, and presumably he was saying something but Adrien couldn’t hear anything but his heartbeat pounding at a dizzying pace in his ears, he couldn’t think, he couldn’t breathe , he—
Pain, bright and hot, lanced through his ear and he gasped, and the world snapped back into focus as air finally surged into his lungs again. He took another few shuddering breaths as he clapped his hand to the offending area, and when he examined his fingers were stained with twin smears of blood. “D-did you just bite me?” he heard himself croak.
“Of course I did!!” Plagg snapped, cuffing him on the side of the head with one tiny paw. “You were about to pass out, I had to snap you out of it somehow!!” He flew to hover at eye level, so close that Adrien had to cross his eyes to look at him properly. “What happened?! I thought we were going to see Pigtails after patrol with Ladybug?”
Adrien felt his heart lurch back up to worrying speeds and he buried his face in his hands, struggling to keep himself from hyperventilating again. His stomach felt like it was being roughly shoved up his throat and he gagged loudly, the taste of bile filling his mouth.
“Oh hell ,” he heard the kwami mutter, and there was a brief flurry of grunting and scraping before he felt something drop onto his lap. Peering through his fingers, he found the small metal wastebasket he kept under his desk, and he released his face to grip the edges for dear life, nodding mutely in thanks. “Talk to me, kid,” Plagg whispered, all traces of irritation and sarcasm gone. “What’s going on?”
His innards writhed menacingly again and he groaned, the sound echoing slightly in the metal bin. “P-Plagg,” he whimpered. “I think I really fucked up.”
The kwami’s shocked reply was lost as he retched violently into the bin the second the words left his mouth.
******************
One hour earlier
Chat Noir grinned as he watched Ladybug flop dramatically onto the rooftop below them, blowing a long raspberry at the night sky. “Ughhhh,” she whined, “I’m so glad it’s Friday, I’m wiped . Doesn’t it seem like being superheroes should somehow get us out of having to take the Bac to graduate? Between pulling two all-nighters this week and that hummingbird akuma we had to chase for three hours today, I’ve been falling asleep on my feet all week.”
He chuckled absently, his thoughts drifting to his friend Marinette, who actually had fallen asleep standing next to him in the lunch line that afternoon. The clatter of her tray on the ground had been the only warning before she’d sagged bonelessly against the wall, and he’d just barely managed to catch her before she hit the floor. Adrien had intended to wake her, but when she’d looped her arms around his neck and burrowed into his chest, mumbling drowsily, his resolve had crumbled instantly. Diligently ignoring the stares and whispers of their classmates, he had scooped her into his arms and carried her out into the courtyard, where he’d carefully settled them both on the ground under the shade of a tree, his back against the trunk.
She had snuggled into him with a happy sigh, and his heart had begun turning somersaults in his chest. How he had dreamed of being able to cuddle up to her like this; holding her delicate frame securely in his arms, breathing in the scent of cherry blossoms and baked goods that seemed to cling to her at all times. He had begun visiting her at night under the guise of his alter ego almost accidentally at first—he’d stopped by to check on her after she’d been caught up in an akuma attack. But she was such a sassy spitfire with Chat Noir, so different from the way she behaved around Adrien, that he had been shocked and not a little intrigued. He had found an excuse to come back the next week, and then the next, and before he knew it he was visiting her balcony at least three nights a week. More, if he could manage it. And the better he got to know her, the more he wanted to know.
Marinette was kind, and brave, and funny , and incredibly talented, and wickedly smart. She could kick his ass at video games and gave the best head scratches, she would both tease him relentlessly and hold him while he cried, and he had been helpless to keep from falling deeply, desperately in love with her.
But he couldn’t tell her.
He wanted to, of course. More than anything, more than he’d even wanted Ladybug . But even though the words hovered on the tip of his tongue throughout every night they spent together, he couldn’t quite bring himself to say them. For one thing, he’d already rejected her as Chat. That might have been for the best, he couldn’t stand the idea of putting her in danger, and if Hawkmoth found out that Chat Noir loved someone…he shuddered just to think of it.
And for another…she had her Buttercup. As fervently as he wished it could be him, he knew it was unlikely. Marinette had certainly warmed to him over the past few years, but she had never really seemed comfortable with Adrien. Not like she was with Chat, anyway. If she were, he would have realized his feelings for her years ago and might have been able to beat Buttercup to the punch, but…it was too late for Adrien now. He just wanted her to be happy, he told himself, no matter who she wound up with. He’d just have to hold out hope that maybe, just maybe , he’d have another chance as Chat someday.
Still, that hadn’t stopped him from selfishly indulging in that moment while he could. He had held her tightly to his chest, nuzzling into her hair and closing his eyes to savor the feeling of her in his arms. Unfortunately his own exhaustion had caught up with him and he had woken up at the end of their lunch period slumped back against the tree trunk with Marinette curled up in his lap, her head tucked under his chin. He had seriously debated going back to sleep and just skipping his next class, but the clicking of a cell phone camera had jolted him back to reality, and as he’d started he’d shaken her awake as well. He had quietly accepted her frantic, stammered apologies while mourning the loss of her warmth (really, what was she apologizing for? How did she think she had ended up there?) and had spent the rest of his day enduring endless ribbing from Nino and Alya, but he hadn’t been able to bring himself to regret a single moment.
He couldn’t wait to see her tonight. Maybe he’d be able to play the “poor sleepy kitty” card and cadge some more snuggles, and—
—shit. Ladybug was staring at him. She had definitely asked him a question that he had not heard. He blinked stupidly at her and then shook himself out of his thoughts. “I—sorry, LB, I was somewhere else just now. What’d you say?”
She rolled her eyes fondly. “It’s alright, chaton . I’ve been zoning out all night too. I said, would you be alright if I cut out early tonight? I think we could both use a break and Hawkmoth isn’t likely to send out another akuma today. You could finish up and head home early too.”
Chat felt his lips curl into a goofy grin. Extra time with his princess? Luck was finally on his side. “ Purr thing, my lady. This cat’s got it in the bag.” Ladybug shot him a withering glare and he burst out laughing, extending a hand to help her to her feet. “Seriously though, I don’t mind at all. Go get some rest, Bug. You earned it this week.”
She smiled softly and ruffled his hair, an affectionate gesture that made his eyes slide closed in pleasure. Stupid cat tendencies, he grumbled halfheartedly to himself. “Thanks, Chat,” she murmured, then with a bashful wave and the soft whirrr of her yo-yo she was gone.
He dutifully turned his head away and counted to twenty (a system they’d implemented years ago to ensure that neither could guess at the location of the other’s home based on the direction they headed when parting ways) before continuing along their normal patrol route, fully intending to do as she’d asked and finish up before heading to Marinette’s. However, before he’d gone even two blocks his focus was broken by an embarrassingly loud rumble from his stomach and he stumbled to a halt.
God, he was ravenous . Having slept through lunch was one thing where his model career was concerned, but it appeared that superpowered parkour across the rooftops of Paris required more fuel than one egg white omelet over the course of 15 hours. Placing a hand on his abdomen as it released another squeal of protest, Chat bit his lip and scanned the area to get his bearings. He always kept a little cash in his suit just in case, maybe he could swing by a restaurant or a food cart or—
The scent of freshly baked bread suddenly hit his nose and he almost moaned aloud. The bakery! He was right by Marinette’s place! He’d been planning to visit her anyway, maybe he could just cut patrol short this once and head there early and shamelessly beg for treats? True, he had told Ladybug that he’d finish first but she was right that Hawkmoth was unlikely to send out a second akuma, and it’s not like she’d know…
Chat drew a deep breath, inhaling the heavenly aroma again, and a third inhuman roar from his empty stomach spurred him into motion. Just this once , he told himself as he leapt towards the Dupain-Cheng bakery, a giddy smile lifting the edges of his mouth at the prospect of a whole evening with his princess and a plate of baked goods. He hoped she was already upstairs for the night.
It was with some disappointment that he realized the lights in her room were out as he approached—of course she wasn’t expecting him so early, but it would have been nice. Still, the fairy lights on her balcony were on, beckoning to him from afar. He was four rooftops away when a dull thud echoed in his cat ears and his heart scrambled up his throat in panic.
Someone had just landed on Marinette’s balcony.
Bristling with nervous energy, Chat gripped his baton and ran flat-out, his mind racing even faster than his body. Hawkmoth must have sent out another butterfly after all, and here he was in the exact scenario that had been haunting him for weeks. He couldn’t think of anyone who was angry at Marinette right now (not that he had been keeping obsessively close tabs on that sort of thing lately or anything) which could only mean that someone had found out about his visits, and now there was an akuma at her house . That had to be it, there was no other way anyone could get up here other than him and—
And Ladybug .
He had already launched himself into the air between the neighboring rooftop and her balcony when it happened—a flash of pink light that seared his eyes so badly he was momentarily blinded and fumbled his landing, hitting the roof hard enough to shake the room beneath him (he could hear the clatter of picture frames being knocked off her walls). There was a sharp gasp and he blinked his streaming eyes rapidly until his vision cleared enough to reveal Marinette Dupain-Cheng, staring at him open-mouthed with wide, horrified bluebell eyes.
The silence between them was so absolute that Chat’s ragged breathing echoed in the night air. Neither had moved nor spoken for at least a minute, and he could feel tears continuing to flow freely down his cheeks.
Finally she released a trembling breath and took a step forward. “C-Chat—“
But he backed away, shaking his head frantically, until his back hit the railing. When she dared to reach out to him he bolted, trying in vain to ignore the way she called out his name until her voice finally faded into the distance.
******************
“You ran?? ”
Plagg’s voice, laced with incredulity, snapped Adrien out of his reverie. He nodded miserably, unable to meet his kwami’s gaze.
“The hell, kid? Why?! I’d have thought you’d be thrilled!”
He sniffled, nose and throat burning (for all the effort his stomach was putting into emptying itself, he still hadn’t managed to get any food so there had been nothing solid to come up). “I—she—“ His voice was a painful rasp, and he swallowed thickly. “Plagg, why? W-Why did it have to be her ? The one person who I kn-know doesn’t l-love me and I f-f-fell—“ A sob lodged itself in his throat and he made a little strangled sound as he dropped the wastebasket with a clatter and buried his face in his hands again.
A small weight settled onto Adrien’s shoulder and he felt his mouth pull into a grimace when Plagg started to purr softly. “Oh, kitten…”
“I’ve ruined e-everything. She-she’s gonna h- hate me,” he managed to choke out before dissolving into tears, curling up on his side and weeping until, exhausted and spent, sleep finally claimed him.