Chapter Text
With winter wind pushing him inside, Adrien rushes to open cafe’s door. A bell jingles for a brief second, cold and hot air converging at the entrance before the door clicks shut. Rich and aromatic coffee scents pepper kisses to his senses, the smell so strong he can taste it on his tongue.
Rubbing his hands together through knitted gloves, he scans the small crowd for pretty black hair and a warm smile to melt the frostbite on his nose. He isn’t disappointed when he hears his name and joy bubbles in his chest when he finally sees Marinette waving him to a secluded corner.
“Took you long enough,” she playfully scolds as he drops in his seat.
Green eyes flash her an apologetic look and he offers her an exasperated explanation. “Traffic.”
But she giggles, small and sweet, and gestures with a lofty hand to his ensemble. “Are you preparing for a snowpocalypse?”
He’s tangled in his coat sleeves, hat, and scarf when he shoots her a grumbled look. “Some of us,” he starts, sending her a mock glare for good measure, “are not immune to the cold.”
To that, Marinette only bites a pink stained lip and tries to suppress a grin before lifting a cup of coffee to her mouth. Big blue eyes peek over the rim and for a second, he wishes he had a camera to just keep the moment forever.
“I missed you?” she squeaks.
Adrien scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Sure you did. That’s why you made it sound like a question.”
Blue eyes still twinkle at him, the corner of her mouth turned up, “I love you though.”
And Adrien can’t stop the smile that spreads across his face when he leans over the table and finally captures her hand. “I love you too.”
It’s been a warm spring day, but heat has melted as night’s chill creeps closer. Yet, Marinette is not enjoying the fresh air this evening as she’s holed up in her room, designing a new dress for an exam. Staring at the paper in front of her, the lines from her sketches are all starting to blur together, making her eyes sting. With a groan, she throws her head back in spins in her chair–hoping that somehow inspiration will strike.
Tikki gave up on her hours ago and is snoozing on the bed.
However, the soft thud of her rooftop is perks her interest and the ceiling’s access door swings open with Chat Noir letting himself in. By the time he swaggers down the steps, Marinette has already bounded out of her chair and launches herself into his arms.
“Ompf,” he grunts as he tries to gain balance as he holds her. “Hi to you too, Princess.”
With her feet hanging off the ground, Marinette buries her face in the crook of his neck, pressing a kiss to his leather suit and mumbles. “I was lonely.”
Still in his arms, she feels the superhero unevenly walk across the room before he drops her with a thud. She’s shocked, her jaw dropping as she looks up at her boyfriend whose body is shaking with mirth.
Green eyes sweep around the room and he’s smirking like he knows something. A clawed hand ruffles her untied hair and he laughs, “From the amount of paper everywhere, I think you’re bored rather than lonely.”
Marinette can only laugh too as she swats his hand away and grins up at him. “Yeah, that too, kitty cat.”
He leans down and ghosts a kiss against her lips, “Well, this kitty is free to play.”
“Well, good,” she affirms while she pulls him down. “Because you are more than welcomed to stay.”
It’s the dead of night, the world sleeping as he walks a rooftop. Bright orange leaves dance in the wind as a breeze drifts over the streets of Paris. Plagg is sleeping in his pocket as Adrien paces high above the city below.
His heart is hammering in his chest, climbing steadily up his throat, making each breath contain less air as he gasps. With a shaky hand, he dips a hand into his pocket and dials his most favorite contact.
The rings are soothing as they chime in his ear, the hum normal for a not so normal day. Closing his eyes, he lets the beats go by, praying that she’ll pick up, just to prove him wrong.
But she doesn’t.
Hey, this is Marinette. I’m sorry I couldn’t answer your call right now, but please leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can! Thank you and have a great day!
He feels like his sternum is breaking in two because just hearing her voice still is a godsend.
“Hello, My Lady,” he chokes out, the Parisian skyline starting to blur. “I just–I wanted to say I miss you.”
His voice is so low as he whispers into the receiver and he hopes that if she were to listen to the message, she could still hear it. “Please, please call me back, babe.”
His phone never rang.
It’s a hot summer day when he finally sees her again, not even a year since they’re last encounter.
Her phone stopped accepting voicemail months ago–too full from messages that he left almost everyday. She didn’t call him back.
Shuffling from foot to foot, the sun beats down him, scorching the back of his neck with a burn. The flowers in his hand are being crushed by his tight grip.
With a deep breath, he crouches to the ground and skims the headstone with the lightest of touches. His fingers follow the engraving, the words etched into the stone: Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
“Been a while, hasn’t it?”
But, she can’t reply, sleeping deep six feet under the ground.
He brings the rumbled bouquet to his lips, trying to keep the vault of his feelings shut for just one moment. He takes a deep breath, trying to fill his lungs with sunshine instead of death.
Alone in the world, just the two of them, he utters the only thing he has left to offer, his nose burning and his heart tight.
“I still need you, Princess,” his voice wavers. “I still need you.”