A rush of excitement squeezed at Adrien's heart as his boots collided with the wood flooring of a familiar terrace. Visiting Marinette's past decent hours hadn't been his initial plan for the night, but he wasn't unhappy to find himself standing atop her home bathing in moonlight. It'd been a week since he'd last seen her as Chat Noir—a week since her fingers had gripped onto his shoulders while they flew across the rooftops of Paris and a week since he'd had the pleasure of smelling her sweet skin as they slept undisturbed.

This Friday, he hoped it would be no different. She'd been on his mind all week long, through daydreams and fantasies which always ended with an innocent kiss. Adrien wanted to slip in through her window and envelop her in a tight embrace, to apologize for ending their date prematurely and plaster her face with millions of delicate little kisses. He wanted to relish in the wonderful feeling of sleeping next to her, having her body so close against his own with her gorgeous hair fanned out of its pigtails. He wanted to run his claws through that hair, to play with it or braid it himself.

He wondered what they'd do once he was let inside. Talk? Eat something? Play video games?

He wouldn't know until he knocked.

Disappointment made Adrien's shoulders droop and ears lay flat against his golden hair as silence met his knocking. The light was on in her bedroom, he could see her in there at her desk doing what he presumed was homework. The physics homework had been tough, but certainly not difficult enough for to become completely engulfed within it.

He knew she could hear him knocking.

"Marinette," he whined from outside, clawing at the glass like a puppy trapped behind a closed door. "Princess."

Her eyes flicked upwards for a moment before they met her homework again. Their gaze had locked for a split second and he knew she saw him.

So why was he being ignored?

Adrien huffed. An ignored kitty is a sad kitty.

There was a window behind her desk. A window which the blinds had been pulled up from. A window which he could get her attention from.

Of course, if she didn't want him there, all she'd need to do was tell him that she wanted to be alone or a simple "no" and he'd be off in a flash. Being ignored without reason, however, made Adrien's tail twitch. He wanted to know what was bugging her, especially since he'd taken her on a date a few hours prior—what had upset her so badly? Had it been him?

Climbing down the side of the bakery, Adrien propped his feet upon the windowsill and gazed inside, grinning at how much better he could see his classmate from the new angle. She sat right in front of him and hadn't noticed him yet—or, she had, and was choosing to ignore him—so he gave the window a soft rapping.

"Marinette?" he called, cocking his head to the side. "Hey, it's me."

Scaring her hadn't been his intention. Marinette, startled by his sudden appearance in front of her, let out a small squawk before toppling sideways out of her desk chair, papers flying and scattering along the floor. When she'd regained her balance and stood, her hands were propped firmly upon her hips as she gave him a scrutinizing gaze, lower lip jutted outwards in a pout.

Adrien chuckled, smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to frighten you. Can I come in?"

"Why?" Her tone wasn't the happiest Adrien had heard from her, but at least she was speaking to him. "I'm doing homework."

"I can help if you let me in," he offered, his eyes glowing with hope. "I'm pretty smart. You probably wouldn't have guessed, but I'm a straight-A student."

As his classmate opened the window with a sigh, Adrien felt a mixture of excitement and confusion. It was obvious that Marinette was upset about something, he wasn't an idiot—but what could it be?

"Hey," he began as she sat back in her chair. "My offer still stands. Is that physics? Physics is my favorite subject."

Marinette gave a noncommittal response, her eyes unlifting from the tablet her work was on. Adrien frowned.

"The answer to that one is B," he said as he rested his arms on the back of her chair, staring at the questions on the screen. Due to them being in the same class, he'd finished this particular assignment hours ago as soon as he'd been dismissed from Chinese lessons. Helping Marinette was something Adrien would be glad to do, if she wanted it. "The next one is D."

"Thanks," came the mumbled reply.

Adrien's tail twitched in agitation.

"Are you okay?" He asked, frown stretched as Marinette simply shrugged her shoulders before scribbling down another answer. "Princess?"

Not a word.

"Marinette."

Dull blue eyes flashed him such a saddened look that Adrien felt a pang in his heart. Woah.

"How many girl's balconies do you visit at night, Chat Noir?" She asked, voice so quiet that he wasn't sure if he'd heard her right. "Am I the only one?"

Taken aback, Adrien fought to find an appropriate answer that wouldn't come out as stutters or unconvincing words. "Huh?" he asked, swallowing and keeping his gaze upon her. "You are the only one, Marinette. Why?"

She shrugged, offering no response.

"You're the only girl I visit," he said again, attempting to convince his saddened friend with a gentle tone. "I promise. I would visit you every night if I could, I-I really enjoy your company. Is it because I've been gone? You think I'm with other girls?"

Another shrug of shoulders.

Adrien sighed. "I don't know what made you think I see other girls, but I can assure you that you're the only one whose bedroom I regularly visit."

Why did she seem so upset? Was it loneliness? Jealousy?

Jealousy. Marinette was jealous. Adrien fought the urge to grin.

Who knew why she was jealous if they weren't even a couple?

"Marinette," he whispered, resting his hands upon her shoulders instead of the back of the chair. "Hey. I promise. No need to be jealous."

She sat still, unresponsive and quiet. Adrien's heart sank to the bottom of his boots. She's been hurt by someone, somehow, and I don't know how to fix it.

If words couldn't fix her situation, then actions could. Pressing his face against the back of her head, Adrien let out a soft sigh, his hands kneading gently at her shoulders. A quiet purr rumbled from deep within his chest and throat, vibrating against his sternum as he buried his head into Marinette's neck. She smelled as sweet as a spring morning, the scent of flowers and freshly baked pastries rising into his nose and causing his purr to grow louder. Adrien could see out of the corner of his eye that a smile had began to tug at his friend's lips, which made his own only stretch wider.

"Princess," he whispered as he turned to face her from the front, his head butting up against the bottom of her chin. "Don't you know that cats like to be pet?"

A quiet giggle bubbled up from within her, making Adrien display a toothy grin.

"There's that laugh!" he gasped joyfully, sinking to his knees as he pressed his face into her stomach affectionately. "That's my favorite sound."

"My laugh is your favorite sound?" Marinette chuckled as she ran her hand through his hair, coaxing a soft mewl out of him.

"Mhm," murmured Adrien, finding comfort with his head in her lap. "The best sound."

The feeling of Marinette's fingers running through his hair and rubbing against that wonderful spot made Adrien squirm, claws kneading at her thigh affectionately. Stupid cat side-effects.

"Hey, those are sharp." Marinette removed his hand from her thigh and giggled, scratching under his chin with her finger. "You're so weird."

"The good kind or the bad kind?" Lifting his head from her lap, Adrien grinned at his classmate, giving her an affectionate gaze that could surely be taken as a plea for more scratches (which it completely was.)

"The good kind." Her hands never left his hair. "Your voice sounds funny when you talk and purr at the same time."

"Does it?" Adrien raised an eyebrow, amused by her expression. Flushed cheeks, a small smile and bright blue eyes looking down upon him in a way he'd only seen as Adrien. "I can't help it. I purr when I'm happy."

"Do you purr when you're not Chat Noir?"

The curiosity in her voice made Adrien want to detransform just so they could find out if he did or not.

"Not sure. I've never had someone pet me when I'm not transformed."

Marinette's smile grew. "Maybe you will someday."

"Not unless it's you," he purred, "you have magic fingers."

"Wouldn't telling me your secret identity be dangerous?" she asked, mindlessly playing with one of his cat ears, which twitched from the contact.

"You don't seem dangerous." Adrien opened one eye to gaze up at her with a grin. "Are you implying that you are?"

"No." Marinette's giggle was heaven to his ears. "The only thing dangerous about me is how clumsy I am."

"Well, the good thing about being clumsy is that you'll constantly be falling for me." With a wink, Adrien laughed as his friend gave him a light shove, sending his head off its spot on her lap. "Hey, I was comfortable."

"Then don't make stupid puns."

"I can't help it. It's in my DNA, princess."

"Bad puns are in your DNA?" Marinette let out a fake scoff, grinning as she rolled away from him on her chair. "You can't visit me anymore."

Adrien gasped, giving his friend the most offended expression he could muster. "You can't accept me for who I am?"

"No," she giggled, "leave this place."

"I can't leave until I share with you how magical being furriends with a pun mastpurr can be." Sitting on her floor, Adrien smirked, his teeth glinting in the moonlight that filtered through her open windows. "Let me teach you."

"I don't have time for pun lessons," Marinette said. "I have homework to do."

Adrien's ears drooped at her dismissal. "As you wish, princess."

The next thirty minutes had Adrien drowning in a pool of relaxation. While Marinette worked on her homework, which was surely taking her longer than it should, she allowed him to rest his head upon her lap once more. At first the room was silent, but as Marinette weaved those wonderfully skilled fingers through his golden locks Adrien knew he was a goner. Claws softly kneading on jeans and a deep purr rumbling from his throat made his ears twitch in the most innocent of pleasures he could derive from her touch. He'd almost been lulled to sleep from Marinette's soothing pets, but she'd spoken before the wonderful darkness could envelop him entirely.

"I'm hungry," she said as she scooted away from her desk, Adrien following on his knees. "Do you want something?"

"Hm?" Adrien's vision had become hazy from her scratches. Focusing on Marinette's face, he blinked a couple of times to allow his gaze to become clear before backing away from his classmate. "You almost made me fall asleep. You know the best spots." He rubbed his sleepy eyes, grinning up at the designer. "If you're offering food, I'm not refusing."

Marinette chuckled as she stood from her chair, ruffling his mop of blond hair. "Then I'll be right back. Stay here and don't touch anything."

"Don't trust me alone in your room?" Chuckled the cat, watching her slip down and out the trapdoor that led to the lower levels of her house.

"Absolutely not!"

"I'm hurt."

With a roll of her eyes, Marinette disappeared below the floor, leaving Adrien to his lonesome in her wonderfully warm and pink room. Being the curious cat that he was, Adrien took the opportunity to explore. He'd been in Marinette's room a few times before, but the time to take everything in had never really been presented to him.

Standing, Adrien allowed himself to take a brief walk around, eyes scanning the walls and the little surprises they held upon them. A few posters for various Fashion Weeks around the world, some design inspirations here and there (many from his father's copious collections), pages torn from magazines with little notes written in her adorable handwriting—in which every "I" had been dotted with a heart, he noticed, and handmade flower decals hidden behind a dress form, which was currently adorned by some sort of scarlet fabric.

Intrigued, Adrien took a closer look at the design, running a delicate finger along the red cloth that had been draped over the chest and back. A few black spots here and there, sewn in at such a professional level that Adrien was sure that Marinette must have the steadiest hands in existence. The design looked familiar, almost as if he'd seen it before—and he had. Realization struck him as he gazed over the red fabric, his heart skipping a beat in his chest. Marinette was working on the Ladybug and Chat Noir designs he'd so excitably fawned over as Adrien. Even by what little progress she'd made so far, he knew these were going to be absolutely stunning.

Adrien couldn't wait to tell Ladybug.

"Hey!" Marinette's voice from behind startled Adrien, his ears perking up straight. How had he not heard her approach? "I said no touching."

"My apologies, princess," Adrien said, sheepishly scratching behind his neck. It was a nervous habit. "I was just in awe over those designs. You made that yourself? I-it uh, it looks like it'll be a Ladybug pattern."

Marinette's eyes widened. "Oh. You saw."

Oh, right. She had wanted it to be a surprise. "Was I not supposed to?"

"Well..." Sighing, Marinette placed two plates atop her desk as she sat back in one of her chairs, looking a bit red in the face. "It was supposed to be a surprise, but you haven't really seen too much. Anyways, I brought some cinnamon apple pie. My papa made it just before he went to bed." She slid the plate towards him. "Try it."

"You don't have to ask me twice." Adrien's mouth watered simply at the sight of the slice she'd given him. He couldn't imagine how amazingly wonderful it would taste. The generous portion was quite a pleasant surprise as well. "This is all for me?"

"What do you mean?" Marinette cocked an eyebrow as she took a bite of her slice. "Of course it is."

"Wow," Adrien breathed, gazing down at the deliciously tempting piece of pie as if it was his newborn child being presented to him for the first time. It was all for him, all of it, and he could eat it without feeling guilty. Marinette and her family had officially just become his favorite people—besides Ladybug, of course. "Thank you."

"Well?" giggled his classmate. "Are you going to stare at it or eat it?"

"Eat it," he answered as he shoved a bite in his mouth, unable to suppress a tiny moan of delight from the flavors that exploded upon his tongue. It was the perfect mix between sweetened spices and decadent fruitiness that the taste was almost sinful. Marinette's father was definitely one gifted man. "Holy shit."

"Language."

Says the girl who shouted "fuck" so many times last Saturday that I lost count, Adrien snickered in thought, chewing on his food with a grin upon his face. "Excuse my potty-mouth."

"You're excused," she chuckled as she lifted her gaze from her plate to meet his glowing green eyes. "I take it you like the pie?"

"I would marry this pie because I love it that much."

Marinette's face contorted into a laugh as she practically choked on her pie. "When's the wedding?"

Adrien's lips curled upwards into a smirk. "Tonight."

"Oh, I'm sure," Marinette said with a roll of her eyes. "It'll be all over the news: Chat Noir marries a slice of pie. Ladybug's heart is broken."

Surprised, Adrien cocked his head to the side, unable to suppress his smile. "Oh, I'm sure my dear bugaboo wouldn't mind. She doesn't like me that way."

"Hmm," Marinette hummed, "maybe not."

Deciding that was it of that subject, Adrien chuckled and ate the remaining bite of his food, feeling incredibly lethargic as he leaned back in the chair and placed a hand upon his stomach. "I don't think I've eaten anything that good in years. Years, Marinette. Tell your dad that Chat Noir is going to be a regular customer."

"You're serious?"

"Completely. I'll come in suited up and I will pay full price."

"Now that would be quite a sight," Marinette laughed as she took his plate and fork, standing from her chair. "I'm going to put these plates in the sink and I will be gone for less than a minute. Can I trust you or do I need to set up security cameras in my room?"

Adrien used his finger to draw a metaphorical halo above his head. "I'm a trustworthy kitten."

"I don't believe you, but I'm going downstairs anyways."

With each step she took farther away from him, the more Adrien wanted to follow her and wrap her into a gigantic hug from behind. He felt grateful that she'd let him in, even when in a sour mood. Not only that, but she'd pet him, fed him, and treated him like a friend. It warmed his insides and made his chest feel as wonderful as the cinnamon apple pie had tasted.

While sitting obediently in one of her pink desk chairs, Adrien allowed his vision to explore without moving his body from its spot. She'd asked him to stay put, so he would obey. Taking another stroll around her room would certainly risk temptation to touchy-touchy.

His eyes scanned the room once more, taking in the joyously bright colors that brought a fuzzy feeling of security. Marinette's room was exceptionally different from his own: color, vibrancy, warmth and personal touches that made it obvious it was lived in and appreciated. It wasn't for show, as his was. Although, barely being able to have friends over didn't exactly give him the opportunity to show it off, even if he'd wanted.

Adrien thought his room was awesome, of course; it had everything a teenage boy possibly want. An endless amount of video games, several consoles, a flat screen TV and the best computer money could buy. Thousands of books on thousands of subjects, most of which he'd read already, and a whole bathroom that was bigger than Marinette's room entirely. The Jacuzzi tub was certainly enjoyable after a difficult akuma battle, but it was definitely a lonely room to reside in.

One day he'd share his room with his friends. One day.

Marinette's room was incredibly cute, homey, warm and just...Marinette, through and through. At the moment, it was slightly messy; fabrics strewn across her desk and the floor, a few scented candles that had long since burned out scattered around, a pair or two of clothes in the corner, and...a few balls of yarn sitting so still on her desk, huddled together as if they were cowering in fear just from the mere presence of a cat in the room.

Adrien's ear twitched.

He shouldn't. He wouldn't. Claws gripped the side of the hot pink chair.

"No." He shut his eyes tight as he eyed the wonderfully colorful and soft balls of yarn, tail thrashing. "No, no. Nope."

Yes.

Slinking to the floor, Adrien's pupils blew wide as he crouched on all-fours, shaking his rear as he prepared to pounce on some very unsuspecting yarn balls. Their fate would be his fangs.

With a leap, he pounced atop Marinette's desk and batted them off, sending all three rolling to the wooden floor, where they were incredibly vulnerable to his claws and teeth. The pink one caught the most of his attention with its vibrancy and plushness. Leaping down from the higher ground, he caught it in his hands and gave it a smack, sending it flying across the room. Tail held high, Adrien stalked the increasingly smaller ball of yarn, attacking it with ferocity. It didn't stand a chance!

"Chat Noir!"

As he turned, Adrien was met by Marinette's horrified expression, her eyes bulging in shock. "My yarn! My room!"

Oh, her room. A sea of yarn decorated what had once been Marinette's cheerfully warm room and papers from her desk had been scattered onto the floor from his pounce. Adrien hung his head in shame, tail tucked between his legs like a scolded kitten. Even he himself was covered from head to toe in pink yarn.

He'd made a mess.

"I leave you alone for two minutes," His classmate sighed, surveying the chaos. It was easily cleaned, sure, but he'd still made it. "You're like an actual cat, you know?"

"I'm sorry." Standing up straight, Adrien pulled the yarn off of his person, balling it up in his fists. "I lost control for a moment there. I'll clean it. "

"I don't just want that yarn balled up," she told him as she took the clump from his hands. "I want it raveled. Let me show you."

---

They'd finished cleaning her room around twelve in the morning. Adrien had made the mess just before eleven.

It wasn't that the room was so messy it took that long to clean it. They'd just become so distracted with little games, like who could make the most baskets of balled up paper into the wastebin from across the room—which Adrien had won, since he did play basketball, after all. Marinette had taught him how to properly ravel yarn, which was a lot more fun that it seemed; so fun that Adrien had unraveled and raveled the pink ball of yarn four times before he grew bored with it.

He'd helped her pick up the rest of her room as well, even the messes he hadn't made. Together they'd organized her piles of fabric and put away slips of paper that Adrien noticed were notes for her various classes. When he'd gone to pick up some of the clothing strewn about, he'd come across ladybug-print panties, which had caused Marinette's face to become redder than the undergarment itself. Adrien had simply laughed and let her take them away.

He wouldn't allow himself to picture his classmate wearing them. Adrien was a thinker of pure thoughts (mostly) and those kind of images of Marinette would not be tolerated.

(Mostly.)

By the time twelve-thirty rolled around, Adrien had found himself relaxed upon the positively plush chaise towards the end of Marinette's room, where the lighting wasn't as strong. It was incredibly soft to lay on, especially in his current position: on his side with his head propped up on a pillow, gaze focused on his classmate as she hand sewed more black spots onto the Ladybug shawl.

The way her hands moved in skilled practice made a smile tug at the corners of Adrien's mouth, pulling his lips upwards into a grin. That girl was so full of talent that he couldn't help but admire her. The way she moved, her facial expressions and how intricately her fingers wove the fabric together were all so mesmerizing that he'd caught himself nearly drifting off twice.

"Getting sleepy, kitty?"

Adrien hadn't realized he'd closed his eyes until they were snapping open to look at his friend across the room. "Mhm. Long day."

"I can tell. Your voice is all raspy." Tying the knot on one of the threads, she moved to the next spot, beginning to sew it to the red fabric. "I'd tell you to go home but it's pouring outside so you're free to stay until it stops."

The sound of rain tapping heavily against the rooftop hadn't even caught Adrien's attention until she'd mentioned it. "I'm too tired to move anyways."

"Do you usually- ow!" He watched as Marinette stuck her finger in her mouth, glaring down at the needle she held in her other hand. "Do you usually stay up this late?"

"Needles can be pricks," snickered Adrien as his friend shot him the same glare she'd used on the needle. "But no. I'm usually in bed a lot earlier than this. Busy life; early to bed and early to wake. Makes me look good but socially dead."

"Well, you get social interaction with Ladybug." Marinette stifled a yawn as she finished sewing another black spot to the shawl. "And me. Even if it's only going to be once a week."

Adrien hummed in response, his eyelids incredibly heavy as he watched his classmate work. He wasn't aware that his eyes had been opening and closing in longer intervals. The sound of Marinette speaking to him rang in his ears but he couldn't quite find the energy to answer. Rain making its own tune against the roof relaxed him into a comforting rhythm of shallow breaths and quiet purrs.

When he reopened his eyes, the room was black save for the soft yellow glow of the nightlight by Marinette's bed. Lifting his head from the pillow, Adrien glanced around as his night vision adjusted, taking in the layout of the room. He was still on the chaise. Marinette had turned out all of her lights and gone to bed.

As he moved to sit up, something fell from his shoulders and into his lap. Upon closer inspection, Adrien noticed it was a quilt. A quilt he assumed Marinette had made herself. A warm, pink and white quilt that had most likely been hand stitched. Wrapping it around himself, Adrien sighed, leaning his head into the wonderful smell it possessed. Lavender and vanilla, Marinette entirely.

A soft murmur caught his attention and caused his gaze to shift from the quilt to Marinette's bed, where a lump of blanket lay. Whatever she was mumbling in her sleep was certainly causing her to shift.

She's dreaming. Adrien let out a tiny sound of amusement. I wonder what about?

He hoped she was having a good dream and sleeping well.

Maybe she'd sleep better with someone to hold on to.

Adrien knew he would.

He'd always been a natural cuddler, unable to control his arms and legs as he slept at night. Upon waking in the mornings, he usually found himself curled around a pillow or, on the rarest of occasions, having Plagg snuggled up against his chest or neck. It was something him and his Kwami never said anything about—they both knew they enjoyed the close contact, even if Plagg pretended it was revolting to be so close to a human.

Laying alone on the chaise was not satisfactory. In fact, it was quite chilly. Lonely. A simple quilt (no matter how beautifully made) would not keep Adrien warm.

The sound of Marinette's sleepy mumbles and memories of her legs wrapped around his own made Adrien's heart ache with the desire to curl up beside her. He wanted to relax into her scent, to feel her skin against his lips, to count the hundreds of freckles that decorated her rosy cheeks. Maybe if he got close enough, if she'd allow him, he could discover how it would feel to kiss her.

Standing from his spot on the chaise, Adrien stealthily climbed the ladder to her bed, peeking his head over the mattress. Marinette's sleeping form caused a smile to appear on his face as his cheeks became slightly redder. So beautiful, even in slumber. From what he could see that wasn't covered by a cocoon of blankets, Marinette's hair had been let loose, black strands pooling over her shoulders and onto her pillow. She lay on her side, curled up into a little ball, her arms wrapped tightly around some type of pillow or stuffed animal.

Adrien felt jealous of its placement. He should be the one that Marinette was clutching onto.

Tail twitching, he inched into the bed slowly, careful not to disturb his sleeping princess. Each time she shifted, he froze, waiting for her to still before he took the opportunity to slip underneath her covers and join her in the bundle of blankets. A toasty warmth enveloped him as his arms found her waist, hands connecting around the small of her back.

"Chat Noir..." Marinette's quiet and groggy voice startled him. He could feel the vibration in her back as she spoke. "You were perfectly fine on the chaise."

"I wasn't," he whispered, nudging his head into her neck. "I was lonely."

Marinette hummed in response and Adrien grinned as he felt her hands run through his hair and play with his cat ears. A purr rumbled up from his throat, much quieter than the one he'd emitted before, but still soothing to his exhausted body. Now that Marinette was touching him, staying awake would prove to be a difficult task.

He fell asleep to the gentle hum of his purr and Marinette's fingers stilling upon his head.

As he woke in the morning, he found that her hands had yet to move from his person. They'd become entirely tangled throughout the night, his tail wrapped around one of her legs that had somehow weaved its way between his own. His head rested within her neck and one of his hands had somehow placed itself upon the bare skin from where her shirt had ridden up. Never before had Adrien desired so badly to take off his gloves.

With a reluctant sigh, he decided he needed to leave before her parents woke and found Chat Noir in bed with their teenage daughter. That'd surely end up on the Ladyblog and Ladybug would never let him hear the end of it.

As he shifted his body away from his friend's, Marinette whined softly, her arms reaching out for him. Adrien grinned, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before pressing his lips upon her knuckles.

"Shh," he whispered, stroking the back of her hand with a gloved thumb. "I'll see you again soon."

"You better," she mumbled before burying her head back within the cloud that was her pillow.

Adrien chuckled. She'd be seeing him again sooner than she expected. He'd promised her yesterday that he'd come over Saturday and of course, the chance to see Marinette was one he would never pass up. He'd be with her all day long if her could, as both Chat and Adrien.

Climbing down from her bed, Adrien eyed the balls of yarn one last time before spotting a blank piece of paper sitting contently on her desk. Maybe he'd leave her a doodle—no, Adrien knew he couldn't draw very well—perhaps just a note. Grinning, he waltzed over to her desk, where he picked up one of her fuzzy pink pens and tapped it against his chin as he pondered what to write for her. He hated to leave without much of a goodbye; Marinette had been too tired for a proper one.

He smirked as he wrote out a brief note upon the paper, adding a small (and badly drawn) doodle of a winking cat. Well, to him it looked like a winking cat. Marinette might think it looked like a walrus. To him, it was a cat.

Once the note had been written, he took his leave out the circular window, making sure to close it before he vaulted himself off across the city.

The thought of curling up next to his classmate instead of leaving had been too tempting. One day, he knew for sure he wouldn't be able to bring himself to part from her beautifully sleeping form. One day, he'd bury his head deeper into her neck and allow himself to drift back off into slumber. One day, he'd beg her to lay for five more minutes before she needed to be off. One day, he'd feel her shift and move out of bed as they tended to the crying of their b-

Woah.

Adrien halted in his tracks, gazing wide-eyed at the city below. Had that thought really passed his mind?

Don't get ahead of yourself. She's only a friend.

A friend that he wanted to smother with kisses. A friend that he wanted to wake up to every morning and lie down next to every night. A friend that he'd do anything just to be able to taste her lips. A friend that he wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life with.

…Fuck.

It was official. His fantasies with Ladybug had entirely shifted over to Marinette.

Shaking the thought from his mind with a sigh, Adrien opened his baton to check the time. Seven-fifteen A.M. His internal alarm clock had awoken him early, per the norm. He didn't mind, though; he did like for watching the sun rise. He only wished Marinette could join him.

You're in too deep.

He was.

He didn't care.

Adrien Agreste had fallen for his adorable classmate and there was no turning back now.

He felt no regret as he climbed in through his bedroom window after spending the night with Marinette. There was nothing to regret. They'd done nothing wrong. They had slept together, in the most innocent form. No kissing. No inappropriate touching. Nothing more than hugs and friendly snuggles.

Adrien chuckled to himself as he destransformed and fed a hungry and complaining Plagg. Friendly snuggles. As if the desire to drown her in kisses had been all platonic.

"You are too confusing," Plagg groaned as he swallowed a hunk of Camembert. "That's why I like cheese. No complex emotions like you humans have."

"Marinette smells better than cheese," Adrien said simply as he slipped off his shoes, flopping backwards onto his bed, which bounced from the sudden contact. "She smells like flowers and sweets."

"I don't know why you insist on visiting her as Chat Noir. Don't you see her enough as Adrien?" Plagg's voice was muffled from the food in his mouth.

"She likes Chat Noir." Adrien let out a soft yawn. "Also, I don't think she'd be too happy to have Adrien crawling through her window past midnight."

"You won't know until you try."

Adrien snorted. "Doubt it. Besides, she…she acts different around Chat Noir than she does Adrien. When I'm suited up she doesn't have to watch what she says and she isn't nervous or babbling. She's sassy and isn't afraid to be silly or to tell me to go away. It's weird."

"Humans are weird in general." Plagg downed the last bit of his cheese with a small burp. "I don't understand you creatures and I'm far more complex than you could ever dream to be."

Rolling his eyes, Adrien turned his gaze to the large windows, which had become foggy from the morning mist. The position of the sun reminded Adrien that breakfast would be ready soon. His stomach growled as a clue that he'd need to saunter downstairs soon to grab something to eat.

Marinette probably made good breakfast.

"Ugh," Plagg groaned, popping up on his shoulder. "You're doing it again. You get that stupid look on your face when you think about her."

Adrien sighed, shaking his head. "You don't understand what love is."

"Who says I don't?"

Giving his Kwami a disbelieving gaze, Adrien snorted. "Yeah, I bet."

"Trust me, lover boy," Plagg said, giving the side of his chosen's cheek a flick with his tail. "I know more than you think."

Shaking his head, Adrien pressed his hand against the glass of his window, which chilled his fingertips from the touch. Letting his mind wander, a sigh passed his lips at the sight of sunlight casting a bright orange glow upon the side of buildings, playing off the textures and bouncing onto their surroundings. He found himself thinking of the rare early mornings where he and Ladybug were rudely awakened by an akuma and sent to fight just as the sun had risen. His heart thumped in his chest.

Adrien's lips curled downward in a frustrated frown. He hadn't felt his heart beat for Ladybug that way in what seemed like forever; he was almost positive that the feelings for her had been replaced by…

Oh, Marinette. She'd told him that he could come over. The thought wiped away Adrien's unhappy expression, replacing it with one of content excitement. At least he had something to look forward to for the weekend instead of Sunday's busy schedule. Sundays were usually always busy.

After some breakfast (where Nathalie had slipped him an extra croissant—one from Marinette's bakery) and a shower, Adrien checked his phone for the first time that morning and found that he'd been left a few messages from Nino, Alya, and Marinette. His heart froze in his chest as he opened up his crush's first, eyes scanning over the the words at lightning speed.

Oh. Maybe his hopes for a cute good morning text had been too high.

Marinette, 9:02 A.M.: [ hi Adrien, Alya invited herself and Nino over so now we're gonna hang out as a group and work on our project for a bit, hope you don't mind! ]

Of course he didn't mind. Spending time with all of his friends at once would definitely be more than fine. In added positivity, Adrien had been dying to spend some quality time with his friends, especially Nino—they rarely got a chance to hang out anymore besides school. The fact that Marinette and Alya would be there as well was a major plus. The only downside was that he couldn't flirt with Marinette while his friends were there.

Well, he could. Adrien just knew better than to attempt any sort of flirting with Nino and Alya around. Those two would lock both him and Marinette in a room until they admitted their feelings.

Adrien flushed deeply just at the thought.

Shooting a text back saying that he excited, Adrien sat in his computer chair and spun, letting out an elongated sigh as he checked the other texts. They both basically said the same thing; all of them were equally looking forward to spending the day together, even if some of their time was going to be filled with schoolwork. The agreed meeting time was one. In an attempt to at least spend a little alone time with Marinette, Adrien made a mental note to arrive thirty minutes early.

Adrien assumed that time they'd reserved to work on the project would be nothing but paper wads being thrown, distraction from video games and each other, as well as food (food!) and Adrien's envy over the fact that he couldn't kiss Marinette the way that Nino kisses Alya.

Okay…that was a new thought. Their relationship was never something he'd been envious of. Sure, occasionally Adrien desired to have his own version of their happiness, but that odd feeling of want he felt when he thought of a relationship hadn't occurred before.

He'd ask Marinette if he was brave enough.

With a defeated sigh, Adrien tapped his fingers on the surface of his desk in frustration. He could save cities, save lives, face the danger of battle and risk his life weekly, but he couldn't confess how he truly felt to a girl?

Ladybug would surely laugh if she knew he was having such a difficult time with this. Adrien could practically hear her giggling. All of that confidence around me and you can't ask a normal girl to be your girlfriend?

Remembering back to yesterday afternoon, Nino's words rang in his head: "I'll be a good wingman."

There was no other better opportunity to be a wingman than a day where all four of them would be in the same place other than school. Marinette's house.

Adrien groaned, letting his forehead smack against the desk. Please, for the love of Hawk Moth, don't let Nino embarrass me.

Worrying himself over useless little anxieties due to his feelings, Adrien groaned and searched desperately for anything that would rid his stomach of the uneasy queasiness. He found distraction in rewatching episodes from his favorite animes and munching on snacks Nathalie had brought him, thankful that his father's assistant cared for him enough that she'd noticed his sweet tooth and had recently been slipping him treats in secret.

Every ten minutes, Adrien checked the clock. Each time, the hands had moved less.

That stupid clock was taunting him. One o'clock couldn't come slower.

He didn't know why he was so excited to see his friend when he'd just spent the entire night with her. Perhaps it was that he'd be seeing her as Adrien. Perhaps it was that he'd get to see those twinkling blue eyes. Perhaps it was because Marinette never blushed around Chat Noir like she did Adrien.

Oh, god, his heart couldn't decrease its speed. He was in too deep. His cheeks burned as he buried his head within his palms, a soft sigh escaping from him.

If he thought he'd been in love with Ladybug before, these new feelings for Marinette had him fucked.