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Sleepybug and Cuddle-Chat

Chapter 8: Always and Forever

Summary:

Things get resolved, but others remain.

Notes:

Fair warning, this chapter is nearly a third the size of all the other chapters combined. You might want a bathroom trip or water before you start. Maybe? I am sorry it came out so late, there was a lot I wanted to include, and I didn't want to make a sequel to this. Its fluffier than you can imagine.

Chapter Text

Sleepybug and Cuddle Noir 8

CabbitAndTheWeasel’s request is fulfilled. I think I’ve gotten them all now.

When Marinette stepped out of the bakery to head to school later that morning, she found an incredibly nervous Adrien standing against the wall just out of sight of the door. Marinette did her best to smother the scream that burst out at the sight. Adrien flinched at the muffled dying hyena noise and covered his face for a moment before looking at her with determination.

“Please don’t break up with me—“

“So you really were sneaking into bed with me all this time—“

They paused and stared at each other for a moment.

“I’m so sorry—“

“Break up wi—“

They froze, staring for a moment before each gestured for the other to speak. After a pregnant pause, they tried again.

“Oh Cats.”

“Oh Creator.”

Marinette and Adrien gasped.

“CAT?—“

“CREATOR?—“

“CHAT?!”

“LB?!”

Adrien covered his mouth as he squealed and jumped in place. “I found you! Oh thank the Cats it’s you!” He crowed, victorious and giddy with his discovery. Marinette on the other hand covered her mouth and screamed with an edge of hysteria leaking in.

“I’m dating Chat? I really am dating Chat! I’m not prepared! Oh no oh no nonono!” Marinette sank into her panic, unable to forget the heartbroken blue eyes and pale hair that haunted her dreams more often than she would admit. Slowly there wasn’t enough air, and Marinette began to gasp, crouching down and trying to see through the black spots in her vision.

“I’m dating LB! Of course it would be you, Ma-Marinette!” Adrien sputtered to a stop in shock as Marinette dropped toward the ground. “Marinette, are you okay?” Adrien sank to his haunches and patted her back, rubbing soothing circles and looking around for help, only to find anyone nearby conspicuously looking away when he tried to meet their eyes.

“Oh Creator! Chat Noir! Chat Blanc! Oh no!” Marinette gasped. Adrien paused, realizing she wasn’t handling his identity nearly as well as he was handling hers. Adrien dropped to one knee and gently hugged her, letting her calm down on her own. He listened carefully as she started chanting numbers under her breath and her breath slowly calmed down.

Marinette slowly felt her vision clear as Adrien patiently knelt next to her. Marinette took a deep whiff of his neck, instantly recognizing the scent that she found to be the most comforting in the world. As Marinette felt her mind sharpening, she noticed that while Adrien held her gently, his back felt rigid and he seemed clearly uncomfortable.

“Marinette, is it, is it bad that I’m Chat?” Adrien hesitantly asked in a quiet tone. “I know you’ve always rejected me as our, um, other sides, so if you’ve changed your mind,” Adrien paused with a catch in his throat, and Marinette tightly grasped him to her. Adrien went silent, waiting to see what she had to say. There was a poignant silence as they both thought furiously of the other person, piecing things together.

“I just wasn’t, prepared.” Marinette tearfully replied. Adrien bit his lip as the tears built in her eyes, and she buried her head in his shoulder. “There’s something I haven’t told you about, Chat.”

 

*Twenty minutes later*

 

“Wow.” Adrien finally spoke. Marinette nodded and clutched her jeans tightly.

“Yeah.” Marinette sighed. Adrien turned to look at her, slowly wrapping an arm around her shoulders and gently pulling her in. Marinette let herself be moved, filling her nose with the scent she’d associated with safety and comfort for even longer than she’d realized. Marinette closed her eyes and breathed it in, finally understanding how she’d ended up dating Chat Noir while in love with Adrien in that alternative timeline.

“It doesn’t have to be that way.” Adrien confidently assured her. “We don’t know what exactly happened, but as long as we’re honest with each other, I’m sure we can get through this.” Marinette looked down, clearly unsure.

“I don’t know, Chat.” Marinette murmured. “I haven’t planned it out yet. I don’t have 8 safeguards in place. We don’t have a secure bunker and fake passports in case things go wrong.” Adrien blinked at his girlfriend for a minute.

“Well, think about this. If we were on the route for Chat Blanc, wouldn’t Bunnyx have come to stop us by now? Class started like ten minutes ago, after all, this is the prime time to have us fix it.” They both paused and looked around for the older hero. Seeing no one, they both released a relieved breath.

“You have a point. We can just start prepping a passport and some money now.” Marinette admitted. Marinette paused. “Okay wait. Now that I’m not freaking about you being Chat, I have to ask. Have you really been sneaking into my room at night? How long?” Marinette sat back to fix Adrien with a frown.

Adrien grimaced, clearly expecting it but still unhappy to admit the truth. “Well,” He hedged. “About how long have you been getting really good sleep at night?” He asked innocently. Marinette paused, thinking about it.

“Over a MONTH?!” She screamed. Adrien winced, his sensitive ears ringing. Marinette wasn’t done. As she took in a deep breath, Adrien quickly covered both ears and braced for angry ranting. “Adrien, sneaking into a girl’s room is CREEPY! Why would you do that?” Marinette demanded. Adrien drooped, aghast at being called creepy, but unable to refute it. Adrien let a pout peek out as he glanced at his angry girlfriend.

“You were comfortable. I was going to ask first, but you were so cute reaching for me in your sleep. Then you said you slept so well, and I did too, and then I just couldn’t stop.” Adrien muttered. Adrien deployed his best gooey kitten eyes. “You think I’m creepy?”

Marinette sputtered for an answer for a moment. “A bit,” She finally bit out, exasperated. Adrien pouted, fiddling with his thumbs and obviously upset. “Adrien, you can’t sneak into unsuspecting girls’ rooms. That’s not just creepy, it’s criminal.”

“I’ve only ever snuck into your room!” Adrien defended, affronted at the very idea of sneaking into another girl’s room. Marinette stared, obviously not seeing what made her different. “You’re special! You’re the only one I would ever break the law to be with like that, princess! You have to believe me!” Adrien’s eyes sparkled with his conviction and he clutched her hand to his chest passionately. Marinette had to look away to maintain her sanity.

“I believe you,” Marinette finally admitted. “But no more! No sneaking in without permission!” She admonished, pointing her finger at him firmly. Adrien nodded happily and playfully kissed the tip of her finger. He let out an airy giggle and slyly looked up at her through his lashes.

“I’ll make sure to get your permission next time I sleep with you.” He happily replied. Marinette felt the words she’d planned evaporate as she was reminded of this morning, when she thought she was dreaming. 

“Oh god. Did I really jump you this morning?” Marinette gasped in a mortified squeak. Adrien’s mouth worked silently as he tried to find a reply, even as he relived the glorious and terrifying morning. Adrien looked deeply into Marinette’s eyes as she tried to shy away, and leaned in conspiringly.

“Which answer will get me out of trouble?” Adrien smarmily asked. Marinette sputtered at him for a moment before whacking his chest playfully and laughing at his silliness. Adrien burst out laughing and leaned back, relieved she wasn’t about to have another meltdown. The kwami were already conspicuously looking around for any akuma.

“I can’t believe our first kiss was me jumping you in my bed. What are we going to tell our children, Adrien?” Marinette groaned as she covered her face. Adrien felt his breath freeze in his chest as he thought it over. Marinette was already planning to live her whole life with him. She really did love him back.

“I mean,” Adrien hedged. “We could always have a redo of our first kiss? If you want?” Adrien shyly suggested. Marinette’s cheeks turned that fetching shade of pink he adored and they both leaned forward, drowning in their feelings for each other. As Adrien began to lean down and close his eyes, he could feel Marinette’s warm breath against his lips, and he gulped.

With his eyes still closed, he pushed away the reminders of this morning when Marinette peppered his face with kisses and courageously moved forward. Without his sight, his lips landed at an awkward slant, but he determinedly moved back incrementally and tried again, this time meeting her lush lower lip with his upper lip. Adrien felt Marinette’s gasp, and pushed forward to seal it between their mouths. They both let out tiny gasps, trading air, obviously intent upon what they were doing.

“What are they doing, Mommy?” A child’s innocent voice jolted Adrien out of his dreamlike haze, and he separated their lips. Adrien slowly blinked his eyes open to meet Marinette’s fluttering lashes as the child’s mother replied. They both turned a darker red as they unwillingly listened.

“They’re showing their love, sweetie. Let’s get out of their way, okay? Why don’t we go find your friend?” The mother’s gentle voice was both encouraging and admonishing at the same time, and Marinette and Adrien winced guiltily at the reminder. They giddily laughed and leaned back against the bench, lacing their fingers together instead of their lips.

“How’s that for a first kiss to tell our children?” Adrien asked, the purr in his voice as obvious as the embarrassed flush across his cheeks. Marinette debated a sassy reply before laughing and resting her head against his shoulder instead.

“It was perfect, mon minou.” Marinette murmured. Adrien stiffened and felt his entire head go fuzzy with pleasure. Adrien wordlessly squeezed her hand tighter for a moment as he closed his eyes to consider how much had changed in the last hour of his life.

“Wait.” Marinette’s voice slowly drifted out. “Did you throw my cat pillow off my bed?” Adrien fought the instinctive urge to hiss at the reminder of the interloper and grimaced guiltily. Marinette leaned forward to study his face and Adrien saw the moment her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Because it’s never fallen to the floor before, no matter how restlessly I sleep.”

Adrien bit his lip. “Do you prefer that cat pillow to me?” Adrien implored, obviously insecure. Marinette’s eyes widened as Adrien pressed his advantage, leaning over her and staring dolefully into her eyes. “Aren’t I warmer? Firmer? Cuddlier? I’m sure I smell better. Probably. Do I smell better? Marinette?” Adrien found himself trapping Marinette between his arms in his quest for answers. Marinette flushed and stuttered without answering as Adrien nearly crawled into her lap seeking reassurance.

Adrien pouted into Marinette’s eyes from far too close, and Marinette mentally imploded. Adrien let out a squeak of surprise when Marinette suddenly shoved him away and covered her face. Falling to the other side of the bench, Adrien stared up at her with a hurt expression until he heard her mutter something to the effect of “Too close! Too CUTE!!”

“You’re the one that’s too adorable, are you trying to kill me?” Adrien sighed as he sat back up and gave Marinette a minute to recover. As he let his head drop forward, he hoped his hair shadowed his face enough to keep the flush hidden as much as possible. He hadn’t realized he’d gotten so close until she shoved him, but now that he was remembering it, he wished he’d kissed her again.

“You’re obviously the best cuddler.” Marinette muttered without removing her hands from her face. Adrien felt a squeezing in his chest and fought the urge to smother her with kisses until she squeaked again.

“Promise?” Adrien pushed. He knew he was being silly, but that pillow had been with Marinette much longer than he had, and what if she decided she preferred another cuddle buddy later?

“Adrien!” Marinette burst out, uncovering her cherry face adorably irritated. “Stop it! You’re the best cuddle buddy, okay? Always and forever!” Adrien felt a giddy grin take over his face and he gleefully drank in her words.

“Always and forever?” Adrien breathlessly questioned, feeling far more possessive and pleased than he’d ever expected to. He leaned forward, breathlessly anticipating her reply.

“Always and forever!” Marinette declared, as though making it law. Adrien watched her fight through her embarrassment and felt himself fall just a little bit more in love. He wasn’t even sure he was capable of loving her more than he did at this moment, but he was utterly convinced she would make him fall harder the longer they were together.

Adrien daringly picked Marinette up and placed her on his lap. As she stared at him from an equal height for the first time, they both studied the other with new eyes. This was their partner, their best friend, and their love. As they heard the school bell ring, they realized something else. This was their tardy buddy.

Laughing, Marinette hopped up and grabbed Adrien’s hand, dragging him to school. Any other revelations could wait.

***************************** One week later **************************************

Adrien yawned as he dragged himself to the classroom, certain he’d beaten Marinette there. Marinette had stubbornly refused to let him join her in bed since they had that talk a week ago, and they were both suffering for it. Eyes closed, Adrien ignored the jealous hissing and the quieter, worried whispers from their schoolmates.

Adrien determinedly cuddled up to Marinette at every opportunity during the day, and doggedly tossed and turned at night. He knew she was doing the same, because every day their eye bags grew worse and the snide comments from jealous students increased. Adrien was sure she’d break eventually and invite him back to her bed. She’d already confirmed he was the best cuddler. That damn pillow wouldn’t take his place forever.

“Adrien?” Adrien opened his eyes, shocked to see Marinette already in her spot. Adrien rushed to his seat and scooted in as close as he could get, Marinette giggling and immediately relaxing against him. As Adrien looked down adoringly, Marinette’s nose cutely scrunched and she shifted around before looking up at him imploringly.

“What’s wrong, my beauty?” Adrien quietly asked, fully ready to do whatever she needed. Marinette blushed lightly before smiling up at him. Adrien briefly lost himself in her eyes that sparkled with happiness and pride in him.

“This isn’t comfy.” Marinette admitted. Adrien felt a moment of pure panic and froze. She’s sworn he would be the most comfortable, always and forever. Had she already found someone else? He would have to study the art of cuddling and win her love back! The soft warm weight that settled across his chest slowly drew him out of his spiraling thoughts.

Glancing down, Adrien realized Marinette had turned to face him, settling her head into the crook of his arm and smiling mischievously up at him. Despite his best efforts, he was immediately turned on, reminded of that morning a week ago when that exact smile proceeded their first kissing and caressing session. Marinette giggled as Adrien’s face turned pink and he clutched at her hip and shoulder carefully.

“This is much better.” Marinette confidently confided. Adrien silently nodded, leaning over her and wrapping her more securely in his arms as she wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed him in. Adrien smiled as he reciprocated, happily burying himself in the sweet scent of his girlfriend’s hair.

“God, get a room already.” Chloe’s voice huffed out as she passed. Adrien glanced up at his erstwhile friend, before getting an idea and deciding it would be worth it. He glanced around to see the room almost full, and Chloe looking even more irritable than usual. Adrien carefully didn’t look at Marinette.

“God, I wish we could.” Adrien answered, hiding his smirk in Marinette’s hair, allowing only his crinkled eyes to give away his glee as he waited for someone to respond. The class immediately broke into screams and shouting. The chaos was even more beautiful than he’d imagined, and he could almost hear Plagg’s cackles in his bag. Marinette stiffened before burying her face in his shoulder and hysterically laughing. The other girls in class screamed, half in joy and half in outrage.

The boys in the class all made that low “Ooh” sound when someone made a successful rejoinder. Adrien preened in the approval from the male side, even as Marinette dug a vengeful finger into his side in retaliation. Chloe and Sabrina stared at him, utterly aghast at his crass reply. Marinette finally got a hold of herself and began squirming to get free.

“Noooo,” Adrien whined in protest. “You’re warm and comfy. Don’t leave meeee!” He dramatically begged. Marinette sputtered in laughter yet again, falling against him tiredly after he held onto her too tightly for her to break free without hurting him. Adrien smugly glanced down at her, drinking in the happy, silly smile adorning her adorably freckled face.  

“You’re ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” Marinette declared as loudly as she could before she buried her face in his chest. Adrien glanced at Chloe when he heard a choking sound, amused to see Chloe wordlessly gesturing and making rude faces. Apparently Chloe didn’t like others using words she often used, Adrien mused gleefully.

Adrien got a very terrible idea. He glanced at where Chloe was already upset and ready to march up to Marinette and tell her off. Then he glanced down at the adorable mess in his arms and decided it was worth it. Adrien cleared his throat dramatically. Marinette immediately stiffened and tried to lean back, but Adrien clutched her head into his chest to delay her.

“How dare you! I’m gonna call my daddy, you know, the designer!” Marinette broke free from his chest to look at him in surprise for a moment before her tired brain finally caught up and she burst into feverish laughter. Adrien had used the exact inflection Chloe often did, even pausing at the exact same spots dramatically. Adrien laughed with her, almost crying with the force of it. At the sound of a furious huff, Adrien glanced up just in time to see Chloe storm out of the room as everyone else laughed with the couple.

Adrien wiped the tears from his eyes before gently rubbing Marinette’s tears away. They shared a guilty smile. “That’s going to come back to bite us,” Marinette whispered. Adrien snorted and kissed the edges of her eyes.

“Worth it to see your smile, my princess.” He murmured. Marinette took a moment to drown in the sweetness before the akuma alarm went off. Marinette moaned and Adrien smiled down at her guiltily. “Maybe it’s not Chloe?” He hopefully suggested.

“HOW DARE YOU MAKE FUN OF MEEEEE!” Echoed down the hallway. Marinette stared up at Adrien with a deadpan expression.

“Okay, yeah, we should run.” Adrien caved with no hesitation. He helped Marinette up, and they ran off to do their job.

*****************************************************

“Do you think if we asked the mayor, he’d send his daughter out of Paris until Hawkmoth is defeated?” Ladybug tiredly asked her partner as they quietly fist-bumped and leaned against each other. Chat Noir sighed and wrapped his arms around his partner companionably.

“Only if we gave him a hard deadline, and probably possession of our souls.” He replied. They watched Chloe wail into Sabrina’s arms dramatically and decided it wasn’t necessary to console her yet again. “At least we know we can still fight together without too many problems.” Chat quietly drawled into Ladybug’s ear.

Ladybug flushed and elbowed him. “I’ve told you for years, you need to take better care of yourself and not step in front of attacks on purpose!” Ladybug quietly hissed. Chat gulped at the ferocious glint in his girlfriend’s eyes. With a determined scowl, Ladybug pivoted on her toes to poke Chat Noir in the chest as he held up his hands in surrender and backed away.

“My Lady, I know but I have to protect you! Paris needs you more than it does me!” Chat immediately knew he’d said the wrong thing. Ladybug followed his retreat with angry stomps, her chin raising in haughty anger and her lips straightening ominously. The true sign he’d said the wrong thing was the tears that Ladybug was forcing back as she stared up at him angrily.

“Paris may need me, but *I* need *YOU*.” Ladybug growled. Chat was quite impressed when Ladybug grabbed his suit and pulled him down towards her. He hadn’t thought the suit stretched like clothing. Chat gulped and guiltily met the eyes of his angry girlfriend, both oddly touched and even more oddly aroused by her angry countenance.

“Listen here, you mangy cat! Every plan I think of has one integral part. YOU! Without you, it’s much harder for me to win!” Ladybug shook her partner with each exclamation, and Chat found himself fascinated by her once more. Just as he’d thought, he loved her even more than he thought he could. “Let alone when the akuma gets your power on their side! It makes my job twice, no three times as hard! I NEED you, Chat! Always and forever!” Ladybug quietly hissed as she buried her head in his chest.

Chat wrapped her in his arms tightly, finally becoming aware of the whispering crowd. As he felt her shudder in his arms, Chat immediately made sure her face was covered and lifted her into his arms. “Sorry folks! Buggie hasn’t been sleeping well, she’s a little upset! Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she rests!” Chat called out in a high pitched tone, before immediately running away as Ladybug began punching his shoulder in retaliation.

 

 

“Ouch, ouch, MEOWCH MILADY.” Chat’s quiet whining eventually soothed Ladybug’s anger enough that he could safely set her down on the roof of the school. Ladybug’s feet landed, but she refused to move away from her partner, keeping her nose buried in the crook between his neck and shoulder stubbornly. Chat sighed as Ladybug wrapped her arms around his torso. He couldn’t feel it through his suit, but he was fairly sure there were tears running down Ladybug’s face.

Chat examined their surroundings for any civilians, and patiently shuffled them into the private stairwell. Glancing down to be sure they were alone, he released his transformation with a mutter and waited Ladybug’s miraculous out. As soon as Marinette emerged, Adrien scooped her back into his arms and cradled her in his lap, sitting down and resting his back against the door. His position afforded him a great view of anyone that might come up the stairs.

Marinette quietly sniffled, and Adrien sighed as he stroked her hair. She’d been a little more open about her worries and concerns about dating Chat Noir over the last week, but the lack of sleep and the stress of nearly seeing him die again appeared to have overwhelmed her. Marinette made a small choking sound, and Adrien fished a handkerchief out of his jeans to offer her, silently brushing her cheek with it until she took it from him.

With a frown, Marinette leaned back and scowled at him. Adrien studied her red eyes, the flushed cheeks, her adorably pink nose and the irresistible pout on her lips, absolutely itching to cover every centimeter in kisses. As though reading his thoughts, Marinette frowned fiercely, clearly conveying that she was still mad before crassly using the handkerchief right in front of his face.

“Ewww, Marinette.” Adrien scrunched his nose in mingled disgust and delight, the funny honking sound she let out making it hard to keep a straight face. Marinette defiantly continued to use the handkerchief as much as possible, keeping eye contact stubbornly. As she finished drying her tears, Adrien let out a chuckle and lovingly wiped her clammy cheek with a thumb.

“There’s my beautiful princess. My warrior princess. The Lady of my heart and soul.” He murmured, his eyes dropping to half-mast as he leaned forward to finally bury her in kisses. Marinette’s eyes fluttered shut against her will as his warm lips gently peppered her eyes and cheeks with kisses, before he softly nipped at her lips with his own. Despite herself, she pouted into the kiss. Adrien eagerly grabbed her lower lip and sucked on it, tracing the shape and taste as though memorizing it.

Marinette sighed and finally gave him a true kiss back before leaning away and placing a finger on his nose to stop him from following her for more kisses. “We really do need to talk about battle strategies, Mon Cherie.” Marinette murmured. Adrien sneakily tilted his head up to quickly kiss her finger before she moved away with a startled squeak.  

Adrien looked into his beloved lady’s hypnotic gaze, getting lost briefly before studying her eye bags. “Hmmm. While I think you’re right, I also think we’re both too tired to do good planning. How do you feel about a little nap, my love?” Adrien smiled cajolingly, a mischievous sparkle igniting the lighter green flecks in his eyes. Marinette pouted at him before sighing.

“You’re not wrong.” Marinette admitted as she buried her head in his neck once more. “But we should definitely be in class right now.” Marinette grumbled. Adrien huffed a laugh as he moved them into a corner and rearranged her to drape comfortably across his chest, snugly protected between his thighs. Marinette gave a relieved sigh and Adrien did his best not to snicker at her obvious happiness.

“Technically, Pretty Lady, we ran and hid because an akuma was after us. We’ve been so tired lately, we just happened to fall asleep. How are we supposed to know when the akuma is handled if we’re sleeping through it, Princess?” Adrien’s sly voice tempted her, the smirk in his voice telling her he was enjoying their delinquency more than he should. Marinette snorted sleepily and flopped a hand against his chest in an attempt to smack him.

Even as Marinette tried to mumble some kind of recrimination, Adrien felt her drift off to sleep. With one last glance down the stairwell, Adrien let his eyes close, wrapped his arms firmly around his girlfriend and joined her in slumber.

*******************

When an unknown hand reached out and grabbed Adrien’s shoulder, Adrien jolted to awareness with a bolt of adrenaline. Operating on autopilot, he bent his neck to give a warning bite to the arm attached to the unknown hand, even as he gathered his slumbering princess to his chest and stood up. As a pained yelp was released into the air, Adrien was already planning escape routes and moving down the stairs to get to a new corner, turning his back to the wall and finally looking around at the potential danger.

Adrien blinked up at the teacher he’d seen in passing, still standing on the top staircase and clutching his hand while eyeing the pair incredulously. Adrien knew he taught the grade above them, but he didn’t know his name. The teacher meanwhile was studying the pair with a scowl, obviously upset at Adrien biting him.

Adrien blinked, shuffled Marinette more comfortably against his chest, and looked around again. The teacher was the only other person around. “Sorry,” Adrien quietly offered, and as the teacher opened his mouth, Adrien immediately took off down the stairs, looking for a safe place. He ignored the teacher’s incensed voice behind him, and made it to their class’s floor before checking the wall clock.

The lunch hour was almost over. With a disappointed sigh, Adrien shuffled into the classroom and dropped into his seat. Ignoring the mutters springing up around the room, Adrien began the delightful process of waking Marinette. He smiled down at her and gently began tracing the features of her face as he cooed at her. “Priiiiinceeeeeesss. Puretty Pretty Purincessssss~!” Adrien crooned.

Marinette’s nose scrunched adorably and she let out a disgruntled growl as she tucked her face against his neck again. Adrien snickered and gently traced the contours of her neck until she scrunched that up too, letting out an unhappy squeak. Adrien then softly traced the vertebrae of her back, going down her spine as he leaned down to whisper into her ear.

“Are you sure you want to continue this with an audience?” He suggestively whispered before blowing into her ear. As Marinette made a mad scramble to sit up, Adrien snorted and broke down laughing. Marinette let out an angry snarl and as Adrien excitedly braced himself for her to attack, a voice broke them out of their bubble.

“Where the hell have you two been?” Alya’s demanding voice worked better than ice water on Marinette, freezing her and Adrien in place. The couple immediately turned their heads to find the irate blogger standing with a disapproving scowl and crossed arms. “We’ve looked for you everywhere! The akuma attack ended over three hours ago! You both missed all the morning classes! Were you out canoodling or something?” Alya’s angry voice caused a hush in the classroom.

Marinette bit her lip and didn’t say anything. Adrien glanced at Marinette for a moment before answering. “We fell asleep in the stairwell after running from the akuma. We’ve been having trouble sleeping lately.” Adrien gave a winning smile that Alya’s irritated glare punctured within seconds.

“That’s another thing. Are you two up late at night together or something? Why aren’t either of you sleeping? Do you even know the rumors going around about you both?” Alya was still speaking to both of them, but her concerned gaze was fixed on Marinette. Marinette grimaced.

“It’s hard to sleep without each other, and Mr. Agreste doesn’t let Adrien out very much. Sorry Alya, I know you’ve been worried. But we’ll figure out something so we can sleep better.” Marinette promised with a winning smile. Adrien gently squeezed her hand, and was pleased to note that their classmates appeared mollified.

Nino brightened. “Oh hey, I have an idea. Why don’t the two of you give each other a shirt covered in your perfume or cologne? If you’re having trouble sleeping without each other, the smell might sooth you.” Adrien smiled at his friend. He was really relieved someone offered an innocent solution.

“That’s a great idea, Nino! Thanks! We’ll definitely,” Adrien squeezed Marinette’s hand meaningfully. “Switch shirts so we can start sleeping. In fact, we’ll do it after school today! Right, Marinette?” Adrien gleefully leaned into his girlfriend’s space as she gaped up at him wordlessly. The flush on her face wasn’t his best effort, so Adrien pecked her on the cheek to see the pink bloom a little more. Marinette squeaked and covered her face.

Adrien manfully resisted the urge to grab her and squeeze until she squeaked again, content to watch her attempt to answer. When no sounds were forthcoming, Adrien smiled at her again.

“Right, My warrior princess?” Adrien prodded her verbally. As a few coos and mutters went around the room, Marinette pushed her hands into her face harder before silently nodding at him. Adrien covered his snickers with a cough. That was a mistake.

Marinette swung around to face the board and Adrien noted that her ears were adorably cherry red. As their classmates dispersed and Alya and Nino gave them interested looks, everyone missed the moment Marinette stomped her tiny, surprisingly strong foot on his. Adrien yelped more from shock than pain, instinctively leaning forward to grab it. Marinette took the opportunity to lean over and kiss his cheek.

Adrien felt a flush rivalling Marinette’s wash over his face and groaned, burying his now flaming face in his arms as Marinette hummed contently. Adrien knew he deserved it, he’d been teasing her a lot after scaring her earlier while she was sleep deprived, but he couldn’t find it in himself to regret it. His girlfriend was just too cute.

They still needed to figure out how to prevent another Chat Blanc, but Marinette already had six plans in place, and they were in the process of adding the last two. Maybe they weren’t any closer to defeating Hawkmoth, but Adrien was pretty sure Marinette would be getting good sleep from now on, if the way she subtly pinched his shirt in her fingers said anything. Soon they would be regularly well rested, able to cover each other’s alibis (though that might be embarrassing), and able to plan privately.

Adrien sighed happily. All things considered, he couldn’t imagine his life being better than it was in this moment. Adrien snuck his hand down to hold Marinette’s and set his desk up to take notes with his left hand today. Cradling her hand in his, he knew they would be together now, always and forever.

 

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