Don't Go to Bed Angry

[mistkitt]

Originally Posted: 08/16/16

Sidekick!Adrien AU… the reveal.

~*~

Reckless. Irresponsible. Bullheaded.

Words Adrien could have used to describe himself, tearing through the streets of Paris as if speed limits had never been invented. Words that Ladybug had called him an uncountable number of times. Words she would now have to hear herself called.

When she woke up. After her fever broke.

Damn her.

Reckless. Irresponsible. Bullheaded.

He’d never wipe that memory of her hitting the pavement from his mind.

~

He pulled into the garage. Cut the engine. The door rattled shut, muting the rain, plunging the room into darkness.

Moments later, a bright pink flash.

The yo-yo string that kept her secured to him vanished. She slid to the side… and landed in the crook of his outstretched arm, limp as a doll. The hood of his jacket, which he’d thrown over her in a desperate attempt to keep her dry, flipped back.

There was no “don’t look” option.

Water dripped off Adrien’s helmet and landed on the flushed cheek of one Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

~

No servants wandered the house this time of night. Adrien’s boots squeaked across the mansion’s polished floors, all the way to his bedroom. He kept a leisurely pace, knowing the security feeds would only show a loop of an empty corridor in the morning. He maneuvered the door open without disturbing his Lady or the faintly glowing creature unconscious on her chest.

No need for lights. He lowered Marinette onto his bed and, with utmost care, scooped the alien being into his gloved hands. Its eyes fluttered open. Brilliant blue. “Chat Noir?”

He retrieved a name from the memory of a different night. “Hello, Tikki.”

A shiver went through her tiny form. He placed her on top of a pillow, then turned back to his Lady.

To Marinette.

First, he removed the soaked hoodie. Then her shoes. He ripped edges of sheets out from under the mattress, not looking at Tikki though he felt her looking at him. He moved Marinette to the center of the bed, covered her with the blankets, the comforter. She snuggled into them like a child.

He went to take a shower.

~

Marinette woke up to the sound of rain splattering against glass. The intoxicating scent of her boyfriend’s perfume filled her nostrils and drew a happy sigh from her parted lips. He must have been close by. She opened her eyes.

Tikki lay on the pillow beside her.

Two things came immediately to Marinette’s mind: she wasn’t Ladybug, and she wasn’t home. The third realization arrived a bit slower, and drew her eyes a little higher, to the man seated at his desk, awash in the glow of four computer monitors and the gray light of dawn, cheek resting on his upturned palm, regarding her with calculated interest.

Her mouth went dry.

Adrien didn’t move at first. He held her gaze, betraying nothing. Then he stood from the desk chair and approached the bed.

Instinct begged Marinette to run and hide, but there was nowhere to go.

He lowered himself beside her. Lifted his arm. Pressed his wrist to her forehead, the back of her neck. “Still a little warm.”

“Adrien—”

“I should have known,” he continued, his voice gentler but not by much. “You both have that annoying habit of running yourselves ragged.” His fingers caressed the apple of her cheek. His face was inches away from hers. “How could you scare me like that?”

Marinette pursed her lips and averted her gaze. She noticed Tikki had left the pillow for some other corner of the room to give them privacy. “You’re one to talk,” she muttered. “Consider it payback for all the times you’ve scared me.”

Adrien’s other hand slid into her hair. “That’s a shitty game to play, my Lady.”

She leaned into his touch, eyes fluttering shut, heart beating out a frantic rhythm. “I’m sorry.” It was a layered apology, weighed down by all the days she’d stood by his side and hadn’t told him who she was.

He kissed the bridge of her nose. “These freckles are adorable,” he murmured. “They almost make me want to forgive you.”

Marinette, still feverish, felt her face grow even warmer. “I have them on my shoulders, too…”

“Is that right?” Adrien’s hand slid down, taking the collar of her shirt with it. “Ah.” He trailed kisses along her bare shoulder. “I’m finding it increasingly difficult to stay mad at you,” he whispered.

Marinette tilted her head back as his lips traveled up her neck. “Now you know how I feel.” 

He moved away from her. She opened her eyes, ready to protest, and found herself lost in the intensity of his stare. That vivid green, always watching her. Captivated from the start. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. “Marinette.”

“Yes?”

He smiled. “I finally know your name,” he said, and nuzzled her hand with an affection that left her breathless. “Marinette.” He pressed her hand to his chest. His heart beat almost as fast as hers did. “I’m in love with a girl named Marinette.”

She kissed him—hard like the first time, then softer, like the second. His arms were around her waist instantly. She pressed her body into his, wanting to feel his heart pounding against her own. He pulled back to get an eyeful of her flushed face before leaning into the kiss again, breathing her name into her mouth. And she dragged him down into the bed with her, praying for time to stop so they could keep sinking further and further and further.