Work Text:
Watching Marinette work on her sewing machine was fascinating.
She claimed that her inspiration had been lost for a long time but Adrien had been hearing about her projects ever since they had gotten together. Even before that. So while he didn't know for sure, he hoped that he had somehow contributed to her renewed enthusiasm to design her own clothes.
He hadn't seen her like that before though, leaning close to the fabric as the machine followed the pattern set by her, so fast it was all a blur to him
In fact, he hadn't been in her room many times. She didn't feel comfortable over at the bakery and he knew that. So most often they met up outside or in his house.
When she was done, she turned off the light and stretched before standing up. As she passed by him to hang the dress she had been working on, he sneaked an arm around her waist.
He had needed to see her. This was why he was there. Unexpected. Uninvited. She hadn't thrown him out but she had made him wait for her.
Without the constant whirr of the sewing machine, they could finally hear each other.
"Hey," he smirked, his fingers dancing up her side.
And then the most unexpected thing happened.
Laughter spilled from her and she bent sideways to escape the touch of his hand. He felt his eyes widen at the realisation that he had tickled her.
"You are ticklish!" He exclaimed triumphantly, this time deliberately reaching for her waist.
It was amazing that he hadn't found out before. Then again, their relationship was mostly secret and they didn't have much time to themselves. Especially when they weren't superheroes. Now, he wanted to make the most of his newfound knowledge.
But she escaped him and managed to leave the dress before he got to her. Then he caught her.
"Nooo," she squeaked adorably when his fingers teased her sides and moved to escape him again.
He went after her, her giggles fuelling his determination to get to her again, so they ended up moving in circles around her room, bumping into chairs and stomping around while laughing. She always slipped out of his grasp, but it seemed like she was enjoying it a bit too much to get too far.
"Marinette, what's this racket?"
Her aunt's voice made them freeze and stare at each other.
She didn't know that he was there. What was more, she would be very mad to find him there.
Adrien had met the surly woman just once, when he had visited Marinette while she worked at the counter. She had been more than hostile, not letting Marinette introduce him, but shouting at her not to waste her time while people were waiting.
He knew that Marinette's relationship with her aunt was thorny and this was yet another reason why he didn't usually visit her at her home.
Now that he had they were this close to getting in trouble.
"Sorry!" Marinette shouted back, not offering an explanation. She had told him that her aunt hated having her TV evenings interrupted. So less talking was probably better.
Adrien expected her to turn to him with frown. After all, he had caused this.
Instead, she was smiling over her shoulder as she ran up the ladder to her loft bed. She was heading to the balcony where they couldn't be heard so easily and she didn't seem to be mad at him. Feeling renewed excitement to continue their little game, Adrien ran after her. He was just a little too enthusiastic and got to her before she could get outside and immediately went for the kill.
Giggling under the onslaught of his fingers, Marinette tumbled backwards on her bed and he followed her.
"Please, Adrien, I can't breathe," she cried out when she had nowhere to run. He knew that she wasn't exaggerating. Her face was red and she was gasping for air as she twisted around in an attempt to avoid the insistent touch.
So he let up a little, sitting up with a grin.
And this was when she surprised him. She had opened her mouth but instead of taking in a much needed breath, she called to Tikki and transformed. Taking advantage of his shock, she flipped their positions and pinned him to the bed.
"Now who's laughing," she sneered down at him, as she straddled him and her hands gripped his wrists to hold them next to his head.
"Very clever," he admitted. He couldn't overpower her even if he tried. But he also didn't want to try at this moment.
He couldn't take his eyes off her. He used to be a little afraid of Shadybug. Even though she had told him that she had never hated him and had been inexplicably drawn to his dark humour, she had always been so fierce in her determination to be the last once standing. Now, of course, it was different. They were no longer trying to trick each other and get the upper hand, at least not in a malicious way. So the new Ladybug wasn't as formidable.
As she stood above him, clearly proud of herself, she looked magnificent and Adrien was sure that he had never wanted to kiss her more. It was a very good moment to remember that she was his girlfriend.
His eyes darted to her lips and he saw them part as she took in a sharp breath. She had no doubt noticed the shift in the mood. This was no longer a fun gamey. If he moved fast enough, he could take advantage of her being distracted and get out of her grip to get to kiss her. But he didn't want to scare her. This was different from what they were used to.
Once again, she didn't do what he expected. Her cheeks were rosy, partly because of the earlier scramble to get away from him, but also because she sometimes got a little flustered with him. But she didn't jump off him with a hasty apology. Instead, she leaned in and kissed him as if she was the one who could barely keep it together.
Adrien melted into her, his lips eagerly meeting hers. Her hands were no longer holding his in place. Instead, gloved fingers slid up his palms until they interlaced with his.
She also stopped hovering above him. Caught up in kissing him, she not so carefully rested her weight on him and made an embarrassing sound rise in his throat.
She weighted next to nothing, but she was still very much in his lap and her warmth seeped into him alarmingly fast. It felt nice. Too nice.
There was now a desperate edge to their kissing, his hands squeezing hers as he tried to get even closer to her. He wanted his hands on her. She was right there and he wasn't strong enough to resist.
She must have felt what he wanted, because when he tried to free a hand, she let him. All the while kissing him even more enthusiastically and making him dizzy with want.
But just as his arm swung around to close around her, they heard a loud thud. Jumping apart, they peered over the railing to see her hairbrush spin on the floor where it had just landed.
"This is it, I'm coming up," a voice boomed.
Their eyes met just for a second before they sprung into action. Marinette muttered the phrase to let go of her transformation just as Adrien called on his. And then he was dashing through her skylight.
Pausing to lean against the wall out of sight, he cocked an ear.
"I dropped my hairbrush, sorry," Marinette was telling her aunt.
"Isn't it a bit early to go to bed?" Adrien heard the aunt ask.
He could imagine Marinette under her covers, trying to hide her swollen lips and red cheeks. It was almost funny.
"I'm very tired," Marinette said, adding an exaggerated yawn for good measure. "You can go back to your TV shows."
"You better keep quiet."
"Good night!"
There was the sound of the trapdoor closing and then silence. Adrien took a deep breath, relieved that they had avoided the worst.
Marinette waited another minute before she joined him on the balcony. And this time was enough for him to realise that he had almost gotten her into trouble.
This was the last thing he had wanted. He had just dropped by to see her, to kiss her goodnight. But they hadn't been careful enough, because of him, and it had almost ended up with her aunt finding him there in her room. Which would have been catastrophic.
Marinette would have had to lie that she had sneaked him in and would have probably been grounded. He would have been banished from the bakery and it would have been very hard to see his girlfriend again. If she wanted to be his girlfriend at all after this.
All because he had wanted to tickle her and bask in her giggles. It would have been a too high price to pay.
"I'm sorry, m'lady," he said when she got outside. "I'm going. I don't want you to get in trouble."
He didn't dare look at her. Not after he had been so irresponsible. She was probably mad at him and for a good reason.
Once again that night, she didn't do what he expected. A hand grabbed his belt tail and tugged on it, making him stop in his tracks.
He turned around to apologise again but didn't manage to get a word out before she crashed into him.
She kissed him again, briefly but with a clear message - she was mad that they had been interrupted, not that he had put her in danger.
It was amazing how far they had gone from the time when they had been reluctant allies. They had first become friends and then had succumbed to their feelings. Adrien had observed Marinette open up to him, slowly but steadily, and here she was now, showing him just how much she wanted him there.
"I'll miss you," she whispered against his lips. She looked a little shy but it was as if something had shifted between them. They had taken another step forward and towards each other.
Yes, they still had issues they needed to work through. They had reformed and were on the right track but it took time. They also had to deal with the Supreme and help put their world in order.
But in the meantime, they were together and their love was blossoming, a real miracle given everything around them. They could steal a moment and enjoy it. While still being careful.
"It would be better if in the future you visit me at my house," he said with a smile, holding her to him. "We can't get in trouble there. And my bed is bigger."
He was just a little startled by his forwardness. That night had definitely brought them closer and he somehow knew that Marinette wouldn't mind.
"Good idea, kitty," she said, even though he could feel the heat from her cheeks when he leaned in to kiss her one last time.
They were going to be alright. And hopefully next time they wouldn't get interrupted.