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Adrien felt his confidence crack as he reached Françoise Dupont. Maybe he should have called Marinette first.
Picking her up after school wasn't a big deal. It shouldn't be. Except that they weren't exactly public about their relationship. He knew that she didn't have friends at school. Even Alya, who they knew was one of the good guys, didn't know that Marinette and the reformed Shadybug were one and the same.
He also didn't know anyone there, except for Nino, but he was in the same situation with his potential friend not knowing that Adrien and Claw Noir were the same person.
He wasn't sure what had gotten into him at all to make him go there. And now, feeling the curious glances of students on their way home, he felt even more unsure.
"Come on, Sabrina! Don't waste your time with the bakery girl."
He had paused on the top of the stairs and had turned around to retrace his steps when the familiar voice brought him up short.
Chloe Bourgeois.
He wished he could have said that he had been surprised to hear all the things Marinette had told him about Chloe. After all, he had never been on the receiving end of her sharp tongue, what with him being the son of one of her father's rich friends. But Adrien still knew how she could treat anyone she considered to be beneath her and especially her favourite people to torture. He was now very aware that Marinette was one of them.
He took a step to hide behind a column as he listened in and peeked around it to see Marinette walking behind Chloe and her best friend. She was holding a textbook and trying to iron out its creased pages.
"I was just helping Marinette pick up her textbook."
"It was her fault that she dropped it."
There was something in Chloe's voice that made Adrien instantly doubt this. Something about Marinette's hunched shoulders and stiff walk.
It was still hard to reconcile the image of the quiet and sullen girl behind the counter at the bakery with the fiery Shadybug. No one knew better than Adrien how good she was at standing her ground and attacking when she wanted to. She had never been afraid of Claw Noir. But for some reason, Chloe made her close up and scutter away like a frightened little mouse. This was how she'd explained it to him and he could see it with his own eyes.
He wished she could lash out at Chloe and give her a piece of her mind. It would be glorious to see. But maybe she needed more time to feel confident enough to do it. Or maybe she just didn't want to attract attention to herself.
Too bad, because Adrien had an idea and he knew that she was probably going to hate it. But him being him, he acted before he could change his mind.
Adrien Agreste walking up to Marinette and acting all familiar with her would have been a scandal in itself. But Claw Noir swooping in to save the girl from her bully was bound to leave a more lasting impression.
He quietly mumbled the transformation phrase as he furtively looked around to make sure that no one had noticed him there. Then he walked out from behind the column with a new spring in his step.
"Ladies," he drawled.
Marinette's eyes shot up to him immediately, her disapproval of him being there clear. But she didn't say anything.
"Claw Noir?"
It was Sabrina who said this as she looked him up and down in confusion. But he could see the startled looks everyone around her gave him. Of course, he looked nothing like his usual self now. They only knew the villain they had to fear. They didn't know that he had switched sides and had been mostly in hiding. Well, it was too late to regret this public affair so he had to make it count.
"In the fur," he grinned what he hoped was his evil grin. He had to have his threatening persona hiding somewhere inside of him still in spite of everything he'd done to make it disappear.
"I'm going to call daddy, you can't touch me or you're going to regret it," Chloe said, taking her phone out of her purse.
"I don't know who you are and I don't care," Adrien lied, disdain in his voice. "I don't want anything to do with you anyway."
This was enough to make her pause and look wide eyed at him.
"You don't know who I am?"
It was almost funny how she'd gone from being clearly afraid of him and calling for help to feeling insulted by his lack of interest.
"Nope," he said simply, trying not to laugh. He finally turned towards the only one he had eyes for anyway. "Marinette."
The collective gasp didn't escape his notice, but he didn't deign to look at anyone else but her, the girl that he loved. If anyone had noticed how the tone of his voice had changed once he addressed her, it wasn't instantly clear.
"You know Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but not me - Chloe Bourgeois?" Chloe basically screeched. Oh yes, this was lovely. Adrien just nodded.
"Are... are you here to hurt her?" Someone he didn't know asked. It was good to see that it was only Chloe who treated Marinette badly. Maybe the others weren't her friends out of fear, but this didn't mean that they hated her.
Hearing the frightened question made Adrien realise that he still hadn't lost his touch. Even after Marinette had managed to turn him into a lovesick kitty. He no longer wanted to make people scared. Except for Chloe, maybe.
"Who, me?" Adrien gasped, mock indignant. A snort, faint enough to escape anyone else's notice, but not his, had his cat ears twitching and made it hard to swallow his amusement.
"Then what do you want from her?" Sabrina asked tentatively.
"I'm here to take her on a date," he said proudly. It wasn't a lie.
"Is it true?" Another girl gasped. Now everyone was looking at Marinette in awe. Take that, Chloe.
Marinette looked unsure for a second but then Adrien saw the way her chin rose defiantly.
"Yes."
Maybe this was what she had needed to come out of her shell. Even if she berated him for this stunt later, he knew that it had been worth it.
"See, I'm not kidnapping her," he smirked, while scooping Marinette up in his arms. She glared at him at first but quickly covered it up. "Bye, Claudine," he called over his shoulder as he headed towards the bakery.
He didn't look back but he could clearly imagine Chloe stomping her foot. This time he didn't hold in his laughter.
"What a spectacle," Marinette muttered.
This only made him laugh harder. He only managed to calm down when they reached her balcony. He let her down and took a step back.
"I know that you're mad at me."
"And you still did it," she shook her head, making her hair fall into her eyes. She didn't look mad, mostly disappointed.
"I had to, ok? I heard them. She made you drop your textbook, right?"
She hesitated for a moment but then she nodded.
"She bumped into me on purpose and watched me scramble after it. And then she happened to step on it," she rolled her eyes. "It all looked innocent enough from the outside."
"But it wasn't."
"No."
"Well, you see why I felt the need to step in."
"What were you doing there anyway?"
Now her eyes were sharp on him, making him squirm.
"I... wanted to walk you home," he mumbled, feeling very self-conscious all of a sudden. It still felt strange to be this open with her, so vulnerable in admitting how he hadn't been able to wait to see her.
"You could have just done this. Instead of whatever this was."
"I couldn't let it drop," he said, feeling anger flare up inside him. "She treats you terribly and gets away with it."
"She will keep doing it. If anything, it will get worse," she sighed.
"No. She wouldn't dare." The way she raised her eyebrow and just stared at him, made him deflate a little. But he still continued. "She now knows that you're under my protection." He felt her bristle and added quickly. "Not that you need it. You're fearsome and strong, you're a true hero, not a damsel in distress, you're doing fine without me. But... it was nice to feel like I could do the right thing and help you. At least once."
He hung his head. Maybe he had lost his mind. He didn't use to have any white knight fantasies before. In fact, he had revelled in being the bad guy. But this had changed. Now he wanted to be good. For her.
"Adrien."
Her voice was soft, just as soft as the fingers that brushed his cheek and made him look up. He had expected her to blow up in anger. Instead, it was as if she understood.
It was unreal how much he loved her. This was all he could think as he let himself drown in her eyes. It was scary how he couldn't imagine his life without her. It was even scarier to know that he was at her mercy. If she didn't want him there, he'd have to leave.
He still couldn't believe that she might feel the same way about him. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop. For the dream to end. Because he wasn't worthy of her. He was no hero, no matter what he wanted to be.
Except that something in her eyes made him doubt the harsh words he always had ready for himself.
"Thank you," she whispered. And then she kissed him.
Even more than the way she looked at him and her constant reassurance, her kisses convinced him that she believed that he was right for her. Because she kissed him a little desperately, clinging to him as if afraid that he might disappear. She, the girl he was ready to die for, wanted him there. At least for another day, another night. This was more than enough for him.
When she pulled back eventually, he chased her lips for another kiss. She giggled and still kissed him back. When he finally let her go, she smiled warmly at him, looking a little flushed. He loved seeing her like that. He loved being the one to make her like that.
This was why he'd done this stupid thing. He wanted Marinette to be happy, not made miserably by spoiled brats. She had been all alone before, but now she had him.
"I know that you can take care of yourself," he explained. "You've never asked me for help. But I wanted to be your hero."
"You are my hero," she said, her fingers gently combing his wild hair. "For all your faith in me, you know that I can't stand up to Chloe. But you defended me. And with you there... well, it felt easier."
He beamed at her.
"I'm so happy to hear that."
"Maybe it will be different from now on."
"You can do it. You don't need me. You just need to channel your inner Shadybug."
She snorted.
"That's in the past, remember?"
"Well, there is something left of her there, I know it. Not the bitterness and occasional self-hate. I want them gone. But the fierce determination to get what you want, the unapologetic pride in your strength. You can use those, even when you're not transformed."
"Sappy kitty," she flicked his bell playfully. But he knew that she heard him and believed everything he told her.
"Your kitty," he lifted her hand to his lips.
"I'm still a little mad," she said gravely, but he could see that her lips were on the verge of a smile.
"I know," he replied, trying to look contrite.
"You can make it up to me. With kisses." She was no longer fighting the smile that quickly turned coy.
Yes!
"On it," he said, his lips already touching hers.