the luckiest

          the way she readjusts the way she speaks, correcting the phrasing brought a small smile to his face. quiet chuckles far different then the usual guffaws and laughs he brought to ladybug. 

          “ of course, of course, and given that it’s so late i wouldn’t expect a respectable young lady like you to go out partying. “ another laugh, moving to sit on the edge of the railing, tilting his head toward her. 

          eyes widen a bit when she openly accepts his request, and he can’t help the way his heart skips, relief blooming across his features. chat believed this fully to be a stupid request, something that she would deny and wave off. however the careful way she speaks and the offering to listen is all he needs. 

          pushing off of the railing, he takes her offer and sits quietly down. the inquiry leaves him nodding once, “ yeah, we are. “ more then she would realize, he rmeinds himself. 

          it takes a few minutes for him to even get up the strength too. long times pushing it down make it hard to unravel and pull. he only decided to finally resolve it by recommendation of plagg, pushing that he needs to talk to someone that isn’t him to get another opinion if he’s that worry. obviously, they both were thinking the same person. the only civilian that he’s actually gotten close to while masked. 

          “ it’s going to sound … silly, to you probably. “ a breath and he’s fiddling with the claws of his costume, gripping and twisting it. for a moment, he contemplates just writing it off and leaving, laughing and stating it was a test. 

          the only thing stopping him is the knowledge that marinette is more observant then that and would see through the lie easily. 

          pulling his legs up, he settles his head on his knees, staring at the stars quietly, watching the sweeping of stars. 

          “ … ok, yeah … you know how i haven’t been in as many fights lately ? im pretty sure it’s obvious to anyone watching from the outside … im super happy for the extra help, don’t get me wrong, but a part of me misses when it was just me and milady … it feels like im just not as necessary anymore. like im just a miraculous warmer. “ a laugh, weak, before he quiets again, a sigh escaping from deep in his throat. 

          “ … and … i’ve recently found out that a few of the holders know that each other are holders. she’s made this big deal that we don’t share ours, and ive respected that wish, but now it feels like it’s only with me that it’s a rule. that she just doesn’t want me to know. i feel so out of the loop and it’s … disorienting. superhero stuff has been where im able to let loose a little from regular life. i’ve got a lot of responsibilities and unpleasant things i have to deal with there, but being chat has always been this sort of … freedom, even though it’s so dangerous … but now it’s just starting to feel the same. “ 

          a pause, before he’s cringing, “ sorry … just kinda … let the dam flow there, didn’t i … you don’t gotta listen anymore im sure it’s a whole lot on your shoulders since you don’t necessarily get most of it. "

               chat sits down next to her, but he doesn't speak immediately. in fact, he doesn't speak for a few minutes. the wait is killing her and she's.. a little too aware of how close they are. maybe having him sit next to her was a mistake. still, she watches him, patiently waiting for him to work up the nerve to tell her what's wrong. she wants to tell him it's okay. he can just come out with it, but she keeps silent. it'll be better for him wait until he's fully prepared. it.. must be serious.

               her eyes flick from his face to his hands where he messes with the costume's claws before coming back to rest on his face. he readjusts and marinette leans against him a bit, hopefully comforting and reassuring him with the contact. chat looks.. so sad. she's seen that face before and it breaks her heart. that sullen and forlorn look had adorned his face the last time they fought together. when he was hurt.

               chat finally speaks and marinette listens. she listens until he's completely finished. a deep frown settles on her face and she has to look away. oh, no.. this.. this is all her fault. chat noir feels this way because of her. everything he feels right now. the looks on his face lately and the way he's felt.. distant. it's not him.. it's her. and the miraculous holders he's talking about.. it must be alya and nino. her guilt is eating her alive, but she can't let her distress show. she needs to keep it together for his sake. 

               ❝  no !  ❞   she cries out the word louder than she'd meant to.   ❝  i mean, no. it's not a big deal. i promise.  ❞   marinette reaches out a hand and places it on his shoulder.   ❝  please, don't worry about it. i'm here for you, chat noir. that's what friends are for, right?  ❞    except she was a terrible friend. and a horrible partner. she couldn't even see what she was doing to him. too caught up in her own problems and responsibilities. chat noir would never know how extremely important he was to her. and how necessary he was.

               biting the inside of her cheek, she contemplates how to continue.   ❝  i.. don't know how ladybug feels, but that's probably not her intention. i'm not making excuses for her, but.. maybe she has a reason for what she's doing? people make mistakes. it sounds like she made a big one. you're so important, chat noir. ladybug would have never made it this far without you. maybe..  ❞   she pauses, how to continue? with a sigh, marinette pulls her hand away from him.    ❝  maybe she was so caught up in herself that she didn't realize how her actions were affecting you.  ❞   that didn't make it okay, though. not by a long shot.  

               god, marinette was so selfish. what an underhanded way to get chat to talk to her. she wants to cry. for her stupidity and.. for him. marinette's civilian life was.. pretty easy. she has loving parents, supportive friends, and her only real responsibility is school. her life is normal. she is normal. they really are yin and yang, she and chat noir. two opposite sides of the same coin. his life is full of responsibilities and unpleasant. marinette's isn't. his superhero life is more relaxed. marinette's isn't.   ❝  i didn't know what kind of civilian life you have. it must be a lot of pressure..  ❞   of course she didn't know before now. she's always been so adamant about them not revealing too much about each other that she never asked. 

a moment’s hesitation. chat leaning against the nearby building’s chimney, practically boucing on the balls of his feet. should he ? marinette was just a civilian, a classmate, a friend … he didn’t want to burden her with all that sat upon his heart. 

for a second, he contemplated leaving. going back to patrol, to pushing the feelings down and focusing on what was in front of him. focusing on keeping paris safe. 

however, the tension and harsh feelings still struck, almost crippling him in place. marinette wouldn’t … mind, would she ? his eyes flicker to the side. he’ll ask and if she’s not in the mood, he’ll just go ! simple ! 

using his staff to push him forward, he grabs onto the fence that surrounds the balcony, leaning against it with a smile toward the girl who had decided to hang outside. 

a grin, “ well hey there ! fancy meeting you here. “ a tease, a joke. though it fell flat as his face sunk, remembering his reason for being there. 

his mouth opens, then closes. opens again, before sighing, “ we’re … friends, right marinette ? “ hands tap against the metal of the fence, almost as if he was ready to bolt then and there. 

“ do you mind if i … vent to you a little ? i adore ladybug but … she has enough going on. if not, that’s fine, really. “ a smile, more … quiet and reserved then usual.   /   @theluckiestlady​

               marinette sits, doing little more than admiring the city at night. parisian nights were something special, or so she’s been told. she chats with tikki for a while, but soon that dies down and they simply enjoy each other’s company. her eyes drift shut soon after she and tikki fall silent. sleep doesn’t fall over her just yet, but the threat of it is there. still, it’s such a nice night. it would be a shame to head in so early. especially on a weekend. 

               the sound of chat noir’s voice has her opening her eyes in a bit of a panic. tikki? where was she? her eyes dart around, but her kwami is no where to be found. hopefully she’s hidden. along with the rest of the kwamis that tend to bungle around her room. she quietly prays that none of them get any ideas about coming out-- 

               ❝  chat noir! funny meeting you here!  ❞   was it really, though? or did she just sound stupid. she continues speaking, not registering what he said for a moment.   ❝  not like funny haha, because this is my house. why wouldn’t i be here? but like... funny interesting?  ❞   a quiet, nervous laugh escapes her. she takes a deep breath to calm herself down. this was fine. it was just chat noir at her house. this could only be fantastic.

              ind & priv & sel  marinette dupain-cheng & ladybug

pennded by asche   | |   rules              

          honestly, it wasn’t much of a surprise. it felt like his energy was completely sapped half the time. like he was going through the motions. saying the same old things, getting the same responses. it felt … practiced, disingenuous. especially when most of the quips were just to keep appearances. to keep ladybug from adding him to the worry about list. she had enough on her plate. 

          the same crash of the building grabbed his attention, gripping tight and focusing. that’s right. leave thoughts behind. just focus on taking the akuma down. 

          “ don’t i always, milady ? “ a hum, quiet so as only she could hear.

          the battle was … alright. could have been better, definitely could have gone worse. instead of playing it stupid, he listens to his lady. moving swiftly even with the weakness threatening to overtake him and the harsh pain of a useless arm. when the familiar lucky charm swept over him, he could feel the pain sink away … only a lingering memory of an ache in it’s place. 

          the question came with a flicker of a smile, though it paused when he realized that it wasn’t just a gentle question of concern — it was a cat pun. eyes wide look at the other, and before he knows it another one is sent his way. snickers quickly escape him, genuine in their number. this felt better … this felt like how they used to be. 

          the harsh feeling of seperatin wraps around him, but hes able to fend it off for a time. able to enjoy a single moment. 

          so, he does. “ aw … milady, youve gotta be kitten me! we were exremely furtunate that your lucky charm is just as powerful as you. “ 

          another laugh, another smile, gently patting her hands as if to give her high fives. 

          “ … seriously. you did good out there. “ a smile, the thoughts slowly coming back with the chirping of his miraculous, leading him to glance down at it with a quiet sigh. 

               she feels the touch of his hands on hers and doesn’t know what to do. the sound of his ring shatters the moment and the embarrassment she feels fades away. at least he laughed. that was preferable to the sullen look from before. chaton was not meant to have that sort of look on his face. his own puns are enough to make her bring her hands down and finally look at him. he’s smiling, too. yeah. this was a thousand times better.  

          honestly, he wasn’t surprised by her frustration. chat knew full well that his habits weren’t exactly the … best. honestly, he didn’t necessarily mean to scare or get in her way. he just couldn’t resist when he believed she was in danger. if he lived knowing that he did nothing to prevent her injury, then it would be worse then anything that could happen to him.

          “ yeah, i am, but you deal with me. “ a grin, a lackluster attempt at a joke as he watched her move to his side. feeling ladybug take a portion of his weight off, he felt the slight relief. the position it put them in, however, earned quite the sharp crimson blush to sink into his cheeks. embarassed, he glances to the side. there was more to worry about and focus on then that, chat. seriously. internally shaking his head at himself. 

          “ of course, how can i complain with you by my side ? “ eyes flicker toward the direction of the akuma, fully expecting her to move forward … only for the next statement to throw him for a loop.

          chat bit the inside of his cheek. there was plenty he wanted to say, but he couldn’t come up with the proper phrasing. that was the thing. they weren’t on their own. she could call for anyone whenever she liked. she could do this without him. she had done so before. 

          but he wasn’t going to put his own concerns on her. she had plenty to worry about with the akuma he let free and her duties as guardian. chat will bury down that feeling, though grow quiet as he watches for the akuma in their motion.

               chat was quiet after only a few quips. almost alarmingly so. she expected more out of him, but she figured it was a mixture of his injury and her scolding that made him settle down. she chances a glance over at him only to see..  an unusual look on his face. was something wrong? no, there’s no time to ask. she frowns deeply, the crash of a building pulling her back to the present. she prepares to jump with chat noir, but speaks softly before taking off.   ❝  get ready, chat. i have an idea. just follow my lead.  ❞

               the akuma battle goes well enough, even with chat noir’s injury. he listens to her commands and she does her best to keep herself out of danger so he doesn’t feel obligated to put himself between her and harms way. the victory is theirs, though it was hard fought. they share a pound it and ladybug smiles. she wants to fall to the ground and melt, relieved that it worked. the chirp of her earrings lets her know she’s running out of time, but.. it’ll be okay. just a couple of more seconds. 

          she can’t even look at him now. something tell him that it’s just her guilt. the familiar way she takes and blames things on herself. accidents that happen all the time. things that are far from her fault. however it still hurts to see the way the one he adored so much couldn’t find his gaze. 

          worrying about her was the one thing that would never change. no matter if he was adrien or chat noir. he saw the tension and stress on her shoulders. saw the way that she took on responsibility and weighed herself down with it. chat just wished that she would trust him to take some of the weight off so she could stand proudly upward again.

          feeling her at his side again, it almost felt like old times. the way she supported and held him up — the way he often would do the same depending on the akuma. still, the way she quietly agreed to let him go forward brought warmth in his chest — even though it should be the opposite. 

          adjusting and trying to keep himself from shaking, he grins down at her easily masking how hurt he really was. though the smile sinks to something more relaxed when she  touches his shoulder, attempting to halt his unfortunate habit. 

          “ that’s what partners do, bugaboo. can’t promise something that i’ll do again and again to mae sure your ok. you forget that your the one with the lucky charm here. can’t turn everything back to normal by destroying it, can i ? “ that came out a bit …. weak. an excuse to throw his life away if it meant that she could keep hers. 

          “ but i’ll be careful today at least, hehe ! “

               ladybug sighs when chat noir responds to her request. what was she to do with him? but.. careful was better than nothing. she moves her hand from his shoulder and looks up at him. his little laugh, the way he made light of the situation and smiled at her.. it almost made her want to strangle him. they were in it bad right now. she knows he understand this. he just doesn’t want her to worry about him. well, that was too bad. 

               ❝  you’re impossible.  ❞   he had a point, though. they were partners. they had been since day one. and.. he had another point, too. they needed her lucky charm to fix everything. he was selling himself short, though. his power may be destruction, but that didn’t make him any less important to this mission. 

               ladybug pinches the bridge of her nose before she returns to his side and slings his good arm over her shoulder. her own arm wraps around his waist and grabs at his belt. this would help stabilize him while they chased the akuma. she was concerned about him moving too much unnecessarily. he.. didn’t look very steady on his feet right now and was favoring his staff. the impact must have hurt his legs, too. well, now he could lean on her.   ❝  no complaining. and no cat calls. save your energy for the fight.  ❞

           steadying her was nothing. moving her so that she was straight on her feet again, he laughs it off. tripping was nothing spectacular ! it happened to anyone. especially with someone who looked as if they were as exhausted as marinette. thankfully with the hand and shoulder touch, he was able to indicate that she didn’t seem to have a fever. still, he’d keep an eye on her in case. 

          the question surprises him and adrien could only blink for a moment before laughing, “ sure ! i mean, i don’t see why it wouldn’t be ? “ 

          starting to walk out of the door, he keeps the side without the cane toward her — just in case she makes another misstep and needs him to be there to catch her. gesturing for her to follow him, he fully intended on paying for their coffee. he was the one to ask her to accompany him, its the least he can do. 

          a few moments of walking, and the previous offer was brought up again. glancing toward her, he nods once. 

          “ yeah ! i did get a plus one, after all. “ his father at least gave him that, knowing that he would probably be extremely figety at such a large event with no one his age around. all adrien hopes is that marinette doesn’t find it too dull. 

          “ it’s mostly a business thing for my father, so i hope you don’t get too bored with all the business talk. at least we can enjoy the tea. “ another smile, almost completely oblivious to the other’s juggling of words. 

          “ whats your favorite, by the way ? i know you mentioned a lot you like, but what’s your favorite. i think i favor this sort of tea they have in america. it’s iced but extremely sweet ! i usually have a rather intense sweet tooth, but it really takes the cake. “

               marientte follows when adrien gestures towards her. this time, she’s careful about where and how she steps. from here on out, she would be extra cautious. no more mess ups. the rest of the morning would be completely disaster free of her name wasn’t marinette dupain - cheng!

               bored? with adrien there? never. it would be like heaven on earth. she couldn’t dream of a more exciting day than-- wait. his father would be there? like.. in person there? gabriel agreste? no! she wasn’t going to back down so easily. not when she finally was going to get a chance to spend time with adrien outside of school. hopefully, she wouldn’t make a complete fool out of herself. she’d have to ask him more details about the event later.

               adrien’s question catches her a bit off guard. her favorite tea? well.. she liked her tea a bit more neutral. she usually drank it along with sweets, so it didn’t need to be super sugary. if she had to pick a favorite...   ❝  well... i really like chamomile tea with a bit of vanilla and honey. herbal teas are better for me most of the time. i get.. um.. a little jumpy with too much caffiene. haha.. ha...  ❞   having a little this morning wouldn’t be too big of a deal. she was pretty tired. the pick me up sounded really nice. and maybe she’d buy a cookie for tikki.   ❝  i like café au lait if i’m going to drink coffee, though. the steamed milk is really tasty. especially if you dip biscotti in it.  ❞

adrien was unaware of her knowledge of his schedule. if she asked, he could simply come up with the excuse of a late night photo shoot, or that he was up late studying. no one had to know that he was sending out feathers, watching them drift along with dismay — regret keeping him up even later. 

but that was not right now. this was adrien, not le paon.

“ oh, i didn’t know you were that into tea, marinette. maybe i should invite you to this tea tasting that we’re doing next week. father did say i could take a friend, and nino isn’t exactly the tea type. “ another laugh. it felt as if he was laughing so much more now. it was easier around his friends at school. it released some of the tension he constantly carried with him. 

pinching herself, though, was something completely new. adrien tilts his head watching the motion and only raising an eyebrow when marinette looked back, a sly smile tilted there. 

when her hand enters it, it has a strange familiarity that he can’t place. warm, and grounding. adrien holds it carefully just to lead the other … only for her to fall over first. adrien shakes in place, almost being thrown backward by the force of the other’s body. however, his hand quickly moves from her hand to her shoulder to steady her. 

a quiet breath of relief, before he registered what she said. 

“ well … walking disasters need coffee and tea too.  you wouldn’t want to be here by yourself  … plus i’ll enjoy having some company. “ adrien didn’t want the other to think of herself as a problem. adrien fully enjoyed hanging out with marinette ! so having her join him was sure to be a pleasant time … no matter how many times he fell. 

               marinette almost wants to cry. adrien is so nice and she didn’t deserve his kindness. her hands clasp together in front of her and her shoulder slump as she manages to take a few steady steps away. the hand that touched his feels like it’s burning, every nerve on it is firing and she can still feel the soft skin of his palm. she looks down at her feet, avoiding his eyes while rubbing her hands together. 

                with a deep breath, she tries to regulate her heart beat. when she was around adrien, it always felt like her heart was going to explode. her face burns in embarrassment and she bites the inside of her cheek. she needs to say something. anything.. before he thinks she’s even more of a mess than she’s already proven to be.   ❝  are you sure it’s okay?  ❞   her voice is quiet, almost like she doesn’t want him to hear her. if he can’t hear her, he can’t answer. being turned down by adrien is one of her biggest fears.

                ❝  if it’s fine, then..  ❞   she trails off, not sure what she wants to say. it would be best for her to sit back down, but adrien wants company. and she is the only person around. she really should take advantage of the chance to spend time with him. it’s everything she wants. she takes a deep breath and clenches her fists. reaching up, she smacks both of her cheeks. chin up, marinette. adrien isn’t the type to hate someone just because they’re clumsy. they were.. friends. friends. everything would be okay.

          he hated the way the other looked. the way ladybug’s features dipped so dangerously into pity, into self blame. he opens his mouth to say something, anything, but it only leads with him hissing at an unnecessary shift of his arm 

          “ … don’t worry, my sweet ! it’s far from the worst ive gotten, knowing me. “ that … didn’t come out like he wanted to. chat paused, biting his bottom lip as if to hault the foot going any further down his throat. 

                    i should have went for help when we had the chance. 

                    all he heard was you weren’t good enough. you aren’t enough.

          he flinches at the metephorical dagger shoved into his chest. chat knows that’s not what she meant. chat knows that on a logical level. however his emotions twist and turn, though his heart beats with the familiar nickname and the soft touch. chat can’t help the way he leans into her touch. soft and strong at the same time. thank goodness his heart was healthy because he would have had a heart attack forever ago. 

          “ are you sure that’s a good idea, milady ? what if you need my cataclysm ? what if you get hurt ? “ the familiar habit flares up. in his mind, her lucky charm was the key to everything. she was the key to everything. she was the hero, and if he earned her a few extra minutes by throwing himself into an akuma’s embrace, then he would do it time and time again. 

          if he could act as her shield, that would be the happiest existence he would have. 

          attempting to get up, he’s not exactly planning on leaving her to deal with the akuma alone, despite the way his arm presses tightly to his side with a shudder, his body already trying to react to the injury with shock. 

          “ i assume so. your lucky charm has fixed worse. “ chat tilts his head, smiling quietly at her, the energy to cut jokes and puns all tapped out. 

               she doesn’t see the way he flinches, doesn’t see the hurt in his eyes. all she knows is her own guilt, gnawing and eating away at her heart and mind. ladybug can’t even look at him right now. she has to keep her gaze averted. it’s the only way to avoid feeling worse. how could chat noir even be concerned about her when he was in so much pain? he needed to be more worried about himself. and yet.. she knows he won’t take care of himself. for the safety of paris, they had to do whatever was necessary.

               ❝  i’ll make it work. trust me, okay?  ❞   without him, she would definitely have her work cut out for her, but.. she could do it. she had to do it. she finally looks at him with a forced smile adoring her lips. ladybug could put on a brave face and meet whatever challenge was awaiting her head on. she could do it. she would do it. she had to. there was no one but the two of them to stand between the city and total destruction. 

               the smile she wears turns to a frown as he moves. what was he doing?!    ❝  careful!  ❞   she rushes around to his side, leaning into him and helping him steady himself.   ❝  alright.. we’ll do it together.  ❞   just like always. when she’s sure he can hold himself up, she moves away. 

@theluckiestlady​ said:  “ how long have you gone like this? “ lb to chat!!

          a   few   clever   words   to   describe   his   situation   immediately   sprung   to   mind.   adrien   thought   that   he   was   doing   fine.   his   arm   radiated   aggressive   pain,   the   sharp   snap   that   occurred   when   he   fell   off   the   building   chasing   the   akuma   a   couple   hours   ago.   setting   it   back   in   place,   he   made   do   at   the   time.   however,   the   pain   didn’t   go   away   —   and   he   even   had   to   switch   his   staff   to   his   other   arm,   opening   him   to   far   too   many   new   attacks   since   he   was   now   using   his   nondominant   hand.  

          this   lead   to   far   more   injuries   than   usual,   and   the   akuma   still   slipping   away.     harsh   internal   thoughts   screamed   at   him,   telling   him   that   he   had   ruined   ladybug’s   patrol.   attempting   to   shake   it   away,   he   realizes   that   his   legs   are   practically   shuddering.   probably   the   fall   had   jolted   him   bad,   flared   up   his   condition.   braces   can   only   help   so   much   from   falling   off   a   building.  

          slowly   lowering   himself   to   the   ground,   chat   shudders.   though,   when   he   sees   ladybug,   he   grins   —   offering   a   sheepish   smile   in   return   …   only   to   note   what   she   said.  

          “   …   huh,   what   do   you   mean   ?   i’m   not   always   this   bad   at   fighting,   milady   !   we   just   got   a   slippery   one   on   our   tail.   “   a   crinkle   of   his   nose   accompanies   the   tease,   though   chat   knows   full   well   what   she   is   referencing.  

          “   oh   this   ?   just  an   ache,   my   dear   bugaboo   !   just   need   a   breather,   and   i’ll   be   right   as   rain   !   “   it   was   far   more   than   an   ache.   all   he   can   hope   is   that   when   she   reverts   things   to   normal,   this   will   be   in   the  list   that   her   miraculous   takes   into   account,   the   broken   bone   had   shifted   far   too   much   for   it   to   be   anything   other   than   the   direct   opposite   of   healthy.

                everything about chat noir’s movements are off. even the way he was holding his staff was wrong. and when he’s thrown from the rooftop after protecting her, ladybug follows after him. she cries out his name, trying to get to him before he falls, but she doesn’t make it. he sinks to the ground and it feels like her heart sinks with him. 

                she’d barely noticed at first, thinking he was just having a bit of a rough day. but it was more than that. ladybug couldn’t believe she couldn’t tell he was injured. badly. they were superheroes. pain and injuries.. they happened, but not so terribly as this. with their resilience, they were usually okay. sometimes, mistakes were made, though. and this time, the mistake was hers.

                he tries to play it off. play it cool, but ladybug knows now. he can’t fool her with his charm and lies.   ❝  i’m so sorry, chat noir.. this.. this is all my fault. you got hurt because of me.  ❞   she kneels down next to him and reaches out. pausing, she stops just shy of touching him. what if she makes it worse by trying to help? that’s the last thing she wants.. she’d failed chat noir. he was so hurt..  

                if she had just asked him to play distraction for a bit, she could have gone for someone. carapace, maybe. the power of protection would have been useful.. then maybe chat noir wouldn’t have been hurt. she pulls her hand away and clutches both of them to her chest.   ❝  i should have went for help when we had the chance..  ❞ 

          he   was   mostly   just   laughing   at   the   situation.   the   laughter   was   far   from   malicious   and   was   purely   just   happy   notes.   leaning   against   the   desk,   he   kinda   wants   to   put   his   hand   along   her   forehead,   check   to   see   if   her   temperature   was   raising   and   if   she   caught   some   sort   of   illness.   it   would   be   just   like   marinette   to   push   herself   that   far.   though,   adrien   decided   that   that   was   probably   not   the   best   move.   she   might   be   insulted   he   didn’t   trust   her   to   take   care   of   herself.  

          either   way,   he’d   keep   an   eye   on   her   in   case.  

          a   nod,   and   he’s   scratching   the   side   of   his   cheek   sheepishly,   ❝    i   get   that.   the   bed   just   seems   to   become   a   magnet   in   the   morning,   huh   ?   ❞    another   laugh,   though   shorter.  

          confusion   flickers   across   his   face,   before   he   grins,   ❝    ah   !   like   your   coffee   a   bit   more   bitter   ?   or   just   a   tea   person.   ❞    he   seems   to   have   completely   misunderstood   her   denial.   taking   the   drink   back,   he   takes   a   sip   of   it   and   hums   pleasantly.   actually   …   he   was   almost   done   with   the   cup.   that   would   have   been   embarassing,   good   thing   she   declined.  

          glancing   at   his   phone,   he   contemplates   how   long   it   would   take   to   run   to   the   coffee   shop   down   the   street.   another   cup   sounded   heavenly.   they   were   practically   an   hour   early   to   class   anyway   …   it   wouldn’t   hurt   to   take   some   of   the   time   to   get   something   to   help   the   students   through   the   day.  

          ❝    hey,   there’s   a   coffee   shop   just   down   the   way.   since   we’re   both   early,   we   can   just   head   and   get   some.   i   need   a   top   off   anyway.   ❞    stepping   down   the   step,   adrien   offers   his   hand   to   assist   her   down   if   need   be. 

               despite her excitement about having something in common with adrein, her sleeping in and his sleeping in were totally unrelated. marinette stayed up half the night sometimes fighting villains and akumatized citizens. she can’t help but wonder why he slept in so much.. she was always late or ditching for some reason or another, so she’d really never noticed him going missing much. she knew his schedule by heart, so there really shouldn’t be any reason besides sleeping in for him to be late. though, she is surprised his body guard and his dad’s assistant allow that to slide. 

               black coffee sounded so gross. just the thought of drinking it made her want to gag. better play it safe.   ❝  yeah, tea. i totally love tea. black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong tea, herbal tea, uh.. tea tea.  ❞    tea tea? what did that even mean?   ❝  i mean, uh, tea. you’re good. i mean, it’s good!! the tea, that is. not you. not that you aren’t good! you’re great! great at uh.. um.. drinking.. coffee?  ❞  marinette wants to bang her head on the desk. what an absolute disaster.. why did adrien even bother speaking to her? she was a total train wreck. 

               his next words leave her speechless. what? her? and.. adrien? together? at a coffee shop? alone? she must still be in bed asleep. reaching across herself, she pinches her arm.   ❝  ow!  ❞   the shock of pain confirms for her that she is truly awake. she’s totally not dreaming. oh, wow. with a huge smile on her face, she bounces up and down in her seat and giggles quietly.

@beetching​ : : 

she looked at her own blue nails boredly as she watched marinette awkwardly fiddle herself with adrien and once done , she bumped her hips on her gently before smirking. " Nice one , dupain-cheng, you obviously look normal in front of adriekins~ it's so funny to watch"

         the   other’s   exhaustion   was   evident.   adrien   gave   a   small   concerned   tilt   of   his   head,   moving   to   lean   against   marinette’s   desk.   it’s   not   like   they   had   class   soon,   so   it   was   perfectly   fine   for   them   to   talk   and   catch   up.  

        adrien   laughs,   gentle   chuckles   radiating   up   his   body   before   shaking   his   head.   the   other’s   exhaustion   definitely   seemed   to   affecting   her.   was   she   sick   ?   i   mean,   there   was   no   other   reason   for   her   to   suddenly   spout   a   temperature.  

        “   yeah,   unfortunately   got   up   a   bit   too   early   to   make   sure   i   wasn’t   late.   i   have   a   habit   of   sleeping   in   a   bit   too   late.   “   he   laughs, scratching   the   back   of   his   head   awkwardly.  

        taking   a   sip   of   the   coffee   in   hand,   he   offers   it   to   her.   honestly,   adrien   cared   not   about   indirect   kisses,   or   anything   else.   the   only   thing   on   his   mind   was   the   moment   that   his   friend   needed   some   form   of   caffeine.  

        “   here.   sorry   if   its   a   bit   sweet,   i   like   a   bit   too   much   sugar   in   my   coffee.   “   if   she   chose   to   agree,   it   would   definitely   be   that   case.  

               oh, no. adrien was laughing. even if he was laughing at her, she knew he wasn’t, but she didn’t care. it was such a melodious sound, that marinette almost got lost in it. she could listen to that sound forever. calm down. calm down. it’s okay. adrien laughs. that’s no big deal. everyone laughs. 

               wow. adrien had a habit of sleeping in late? so did she! they had so much in common...! she almost sighs out loud in a dreamy fashion, but managed to hold it in.   ❝ yeah, i know all about sleeping in late. don’t even get me started. i’m like.. the sleepiest. ❞   wait. that wasn’t a good thing. shoot! scratching her cheek sheepishly, she tries to laugh it off.