Chapter Text
We might make out when nobody's there
It's not that we're scared
It's just that it's delicate
Delicate - Damien Rice
Okay, she had survived another day at Agreste and no one had found out what she and Adrien had done on the weekend. No one but the two of them, not even Alya or Nino knew that instead of sleeping with Luka, as she intended, Marinette had stopped at Adrien’s bed.
On Sunday morning, when she entered her apartment, Alya was already awake. With teasing and laughing, she said to Marinette how good her friend’s night must have been, since she was doing the walk of shame.
“It was… interesting,” Marinette finally said. “I’m going to take a shower and get some sleep, okay?”
“Sure, girl,” Alya smiled over the mug of coffee she was drinking. “Get plenty of rest because it looks like last night was really long.”
Flushed, Marinette hid in her room. While showering, with her eyes closed, she tried to think of anything but the memories of the night before. Of anything but the way Adrien had held her tightly, the kisses he had spread over her body, as he assured her that she was satisfied and enjoying herself.
How he had made her feel good, feel loved, feel wanted.
Grunting, she took her time combing and drying her hair, still trying to get the caresses, the kisses, the smiles they exchanged out of her head. How, when it was over, he cuddled her up in his arms and how it looked like she fit so well there.
She was in trouble – in serious trouble.
Throughout the week, Marinette and Adrien exchanged messages about work. What had happened between them was mentioned only once when Adrien asked them to talk about it personally.
The week had been weird without him around. Okay, it wasn’t the first time he traveled alone for work, but this time it looked… different. She still couldn’t understand what was going on.
She couldn’t be falling for him, for God’s sake. Her heart was still aching because of Luka. She was still dealing with their whole situation and the official breakup. The Sunday afternoon call, when they talked about finally breaking up, still made her feel breathless and tears filled her eyes.
So why doesn’t Adrien get out of her head?
“Ms. Dupain-Cheng?”
Marinette looked up, startled. Before her, Nathalie looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
“This is the third time I have called your name. Is everything okay? You seem distracted.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Sancouer, I was thinking about next week’s appointments. Can I help you with something?”
“Mr. Agreste has decided that he will go to Mayor Bourgeois’ dinner tomorrow night, so Gorilla will no longer be able to pick up Adrien.”
“Oh.” Something inside Marinette’s stomach turned. “Okay, so I should let Mr. Agreste know or send a taxi to pick him up…”
“Gabriel doesn’t want Adrien to be alone, so he asked you to pick him up,” Nathalie said at last. “Gabriel said that he will bear all the costs you have. Here is the card so you can fill the car.”
“He doesn’t have to,” Marinette frowned.
“Don’t insist,” Nathalie said in that tone of voice that showed she wasn’t open to arguments. Against her will, Marinette took the credit card. “Ask Adrien to send a message to his father when he’s at home.”
“Yes, of course.”
“That is all, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. See you later.” And even before Marinette could say goodbye, she was gone.
Marinette sighed, scratching her forehead, as she sat back in her chair.
Okay, the conversation with Adrien would be much earlier than she imagined. She thought she would have the whole weekend to be able to prepare for what to say to him, but of course like many of the things she had planned for her life, this idea went down the drain.
Well, her mother always told her it was better to face problems head on. Marinette and Adrien needed to have that conversation – and the sooner, the better.
*
Saturday night, Marinette practically freaked out in front of the mirror while applying a little makeup to her eyes to hide how she hadn’t slept at all from Friday to Saturday.
The notes with the things she wanted to say to Adrien were in the trash can in her bathroom and even if she was feeling nervous, she was prepared for that conversation with him.
“When is Adrien going to travel again so we can kidnap Plagg?” Alya asked, stroking the head of the black cat that was lying on Marinette’s bed as if he had belonged to that place forever.
“I don’t know,” Marinette laughed. “There is nothing scheduled for him yet.”
“Well, that’s a shame, I was starting to get used to this little monster here, even though he was a total bitch when I tried to carry him.”
“He doesn’t like to be carried,” Marinette explained again.
“And he doesn’t like new environments, but apparently he’s very comfortable in your room, right, Plagg? And besides, you can carry him.”
As if answering Alya, Plagg purred.
“Yeah, for like ten minutes. But the secret is to buy him with cheese.”
“Cats don’t eat cheese,” Alya laughed.
“This one does,” Marinette said, finishing her makeup. “He’s as crazy as his owner.”
Alya gasped, feigning fanfare.
“Saying bad things about your boss, Dupain-Cheng?! If HR dreams about it!” She teased and Marinette started coughing.
If HR dreamed of the things she had done with Adrien…
“I’m just kidding, girl” Alya rolled her eyes. “Are you going to take Plagg to the airport?”
“I don’t want to end the night with scratches on my face, thank you. I will leave him here and when I’m driving Adrien home, we will drop by for him to pick up Plagg.”
“It’s a good plan,” Alya said and took out her phone. “It’s Nino, he’ll be here in five minutes. Show time!” She stood up and turned to Plagg, stroking him. “Bye, cheese monster. I’ll miss you.”
“You and Adrien are friends, you can go to see Plagg whenever you want.”
“I will miss him here at our home. Okay, I need to go.”
“Have a good time! And be careful, please!” Marinette pleaded as Alya hugged her tightly. “Are you going to sleep at Nino’s?”
“Yes. We’re going to have lunch with his parents tomorrow, so I should only arrive tomorrow afternoon. Don’t throw a party without me, do you hear me?” She joked and Marinette laughed.
“I won’t. I’m just going to leave Adrien at home and come over here and work on my portfolio.”
“Or you could, I don’t know, go out and have a little fun? You need it, girl. The whole week dealing with this breakup with Luka, you need to distract yourself a little. I thought everything was fine between you and Luka, since you hadn’t slept at home that night.”
“It’s just… it won’t work anymore, Alya,” she said at last. She hated, really hated, lying to her friend about who she had spent that night with, but she couldn’t tell Alya without causing any major problems. She knew her friend would never tell anyone, but until she and Adrien talk about about it, it had to be a secret.
Alya bit her lower lip, hesitating.
“I think I’m going to call Nino and say he can go without me and–”
“Don’t!” Marinette spoke quickly and Alya’s eyes widened in fright. Embarrassed, Marinette tried to remedy the situation. "You have been waiting for this show for seven months. I’m not going to let you miss this opportunity just because my personal life is a mess.”
“I want to help you.”
“Then go to the show. I’m fine, girl, I swear.” She put her hands on Alya’s shoulders and forced a radiant smile, which must have done the job, as Alya smiled back, agreeing. “I’m going to have a super lively evening with wine and my portfolio. The selections are near and I want to be prepared this time to be hired as a designer and not a secretary.”
“Okay then. Have fun with your wine and portfolio, and remember to check if your vibrator has batteries before–”
“Haha, you’re so funny!” Marinette turned away from Alya, who was laughing. “Hurry up, before Nino starts calling the hospitals looking for you.”
Alya rolled her eyes, smiling.
“Text me when you get home, okay? Even though I’ll only see it later,” Alya asked.
“Right. And text me when you and Nino are at home, even if I just check in tomorrow with a hangover.”
“Fine. I love you!”
“Love you too!” Marinette said back as Alya left her room. She finished getting ready, took her purse and took a deep breath before leaving the apartment.
She was going to need to calm down, because something told her that her night was going to be long.
*
Adrien Agreste had never been happier to be back.
He loved New York, he loved to travel alone. And even traveling on business, he used these few days to be able to rest a little. But, for the first time in a long time, he didn’t enjoy the trip at all.
He missed Plagg, his fencing training with Kagami, he missed Chloé finding random reasons to stop by his office just to be able to see him.
He missed Marinette, especially after that night. The crush he felt for her was no secret to him (much less to his friends), but he always knew how to hide it well and pretend they were just friends and would always be that, but...
When she kissed him, it was as if all the self-control he had gathered during his life exploded. He always liked her presence very much, talking to her, but now that he had tasted her, her touch… everything became more intense. He found himself remembering that night more times than he would have liked.
It was the longest week of his life, and he was grateful to be back in Paris.
Gorilla would leave him at home and he would take a long bath, order food and send a message to Marinette, asking if she would like to have lunch with him tomorrow so that they could talk about them.
To know what they would do now, because if she wanted to and gave him a chance, Adrien wanted to be much more than just friends. If not, well, he could drown his sorrows in shots of whiskey, hugging Plagg and try to forget the love he felt for the most incredible woman in the world.
He wanted to see her so badly today, even though he knew she must be home or having fun with her friends. Or just enjoying her Saturday night after a long week at work. Maybe he could stop by her house just to give her the snow globe he bought in New York for her?
Would that be crossing the line? Would she want to see him?
While pulling his suitcase towards the landing gate, Adrien took out his phone and with one hand he sent a message to Marinette.
[Adrien]: hey, I just landed and brought you a surprise... can I give it to you today?
“You idiot,” he mumbled. “Where's your manners at?”
[Adrien]: I mean, only if you’re not busy
[Adrien]: and if you want to see me, of course
[Marinette]: Whoa, a surprise?!
[Marinette]: I’m really curious to see it!
[Marinette]: Sure, I’ll see you... sooner than you expect ;)
Adrien frowned at her message. What did she mean?
“Adrien?”
Hearing his name made Adrien look up and find Marinette, who was smiling a little sheepishly as she waved at him.
His heart missed a beat and it felt like someone had punched him in the stomach because, suddenly, breathing had become a very difficult task to do.
“Marinette,” he said, her name almost like a prayer on his lips. Without realizing it, he accelerated his pace until he reached her.
“Surprise?!” she smiled and stretched her arms. Automatically, he released the handle of the suitcase and wrapped her in his arms, resting his chin on her head as he sighed contentedly.
He was back home, finally.
“Not that I’m not happy to see you, but wasn’t Gorilla supposed to pick me up?”
“Your father decided to go to dinner today, so I was responsible for picking you up.” Neither commented on the fact that they were still holding each other or how neither of them wanted to get away from the other. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. In fact, I think it’s even better,” he laughed.
“Come on,” she said and pulled away from the hug. Adrien had to bite his lip to keep from asking them to stay that way for a few more minutes. Hours, maybe. “You must be exhausted.”
“Sure.” He followed, keeping a comfortable distance, although he wanted to touch her.
In the car, Marinette turned on the radio and straightened up. Adrien put on her seat belt and smiled when he saw her bite her tongue, concentrating on choosing the soundtrack. He loved her little moments of concentration. She was so cute.
“Could it be Damien Rice?”
“You look like an Uber driver,” he teased and she rolled her eyes as she shifted into reverse. Adrien leaned against the car seat and sighed, relieved.
He was tired, actually, exhausted. He really wanted to sleep, but now he was so agitated that he couldn’t sleep. All of his plans to eat and sleep went downhill when he saw her.
While the music played lightly in the background, she asked him about the trip. Adrien told excitedly about his adventures in New York and hardly mentioned the moments of work, as they all involved business.
“I’m going to order dinner. What do you want to eat?” He said, reaching for his phone to open the food app.
“Oh, you don’t have to, I–”
“It’s the least I can do for the ride,” he said before she could convince him. “Have dinner with me, please?”
“Okay, okay," she smiled, focused on the traffic.
“How about pasta? I have wine at home, I think.”
“Yes, I checked on Tuesday,” she said. “Do you mind if we stop by my apartment? I have to give you something back.”
“Hm, sure,” he said, a little confused as he ordered dinner. “Did I leave something with you?”
“Yes,” she tried to contain a smile.
“Okay...” he said, trying to remember what he had forgotten, but failing miserably. The last time he had gone to Marinette’s place had been two weeks ago, on a game night with Nino and Alya.
They arrived in front of her building and Marinette parked. She released the belt and turned to Adrien.
“I’ll be right back, okay?” she said and got out of the car.
Adrien watched her enter the building and closed his eyes.
Now that he was close to her, he had no idea what to say to her. Yes, he had already gone out with some women, but it had only been for fun. The only other person who had made him feel that way had been Kagami and when he confessed to her, well, she said how much she was in love with Adrien’s best friend, Chloé.
Let’s say he didn’t have a good track record.
But he needed to tell her. He needed to tell Marinette how he felt. He managed to hide well during those months because she had never looked at him as anything more than just a friend.
And then that night happened and… His head was confused, his heart was disobedient. He knew it would be stupid to confess to her, especially since she had ended a relationship of years so recently, but he just needed her to know how he felt.
If she could feel the same in the future, great. If not, well, he would do his best to bury those feelings. He had already done that once, with his feelings for Kagami. He could do it again, right?
He heard the car door open and straightened up immediately, his jaw dropping when he saw what she was holding in her hands.
“Look who I brought!”
“Plagg, you little bastard!” he said, smiling from ear to ear as he reached out and took Plagg from Marinette’s arms. “Oh, I missed you so much, your moody cat. I love you so much, I missed you!”
“He missed you too,” she said as she started the car.
“Did you bring him to spend the day with you?”
“Actually, he’s been with me since Tuesday, when I suggested bringing him here to you.”
“Wait, did he spend the whole week with you? How did you do it? The last time Nino tried, he almost ended up in the hospital because Plagg got too aggressive.”
“With a little cheese and a lot of care. We had fun, didn’t we, boy?” she said, stroking Plagg’s head.
If Adrien had any doubts about his feelings for her, at that moment they were all healed. Even more now since, apparently, Plagg liked her too.
And Plagg didn’t like anyone.
*
The trip to Adrien’s apartment was full of conversations about the trip and their weeks. Adrien handed the key to Marinette to open the door, since Plagg was in his arms.
The two entered and Adrien placed the cat on the floor, who immediately ran to the sofa and lay on his arm, always being the owner of the place. Marinette commented on it and Adrien laughed.
“The dinner should be here soon, I’ll get the wine. Make yourself at home,”he said and went to the kitchen.
He selected her favorite wine and took it to the living room with two glasses for wine. He served them both and sat next to her on the couch. Plagg was lying comfortably on her lap while she stroked his fur.
Adrien turned on the stereo and put on the playlist that Marinette had shared with him a few months ago. The dinner arrived and they ate while drinking wine, talking and watching some TV show about weddings.
When they were stuffed with wine and pasta, Marinette yawned loudly and then blushed when Adrien looked over at her, smiling.
“I think I’ll be going.”
“Wait, Mari,” he said, placing his hand on her leg and preventing her from getting up. “I think… I think we have to talk about what happened to us.”
She hesitated, but finally nodded, adjusting on the couch so she could face him. Adrien saw the nervousness in her expression as she spread her hands on her legs and straightened up as if she were about to go to war.
“Can I... Can I speak first?” she asked.
“Of course.”
“I should be sorry, you know. I was heartbroken because I had just broken up with Luka and was looking for comfort and you offered me that comfort, but at no time did I not worry about what you would feel, or what you would think of the situation. And I should since, well,”she brushed her hair behind her ears as she always did when she was nervous. “You’re my boss and employee relationships are forbidden and that could get us in trouble, but… I spent the whole week trying to find a single reason to regret it, Adrien, but I couldn’t find any. In fact, that night… it doesn’t leave my head.”
And then she looked up and faced him and Adrien gasped.
“If you asked me now if I would like to repeat that night, I would say yes. A million times, actually. I want this, Adrien. I want… your kiss, your touch, your presence. I don’t think I can just be friends anymore. But I need to know about you. If you want it, if you… want me.”
She looked at him with such sincerity, her blue eyes sparkled with emotions. Her expression was one of raw sincerity, practically saying what was going on in her head and heart.
Adrien leaned towards her, still maintaining a safe space in case she didn’t want his proximity.
“You have no idea how much I want you, Marinette. How much you haven’t gotten out of my head this week. How I wondered if you were okay, if you were happy, if you were okay after I was done with Luka. I never wanted to be by your side as much as I did while traveling. I was in another country, far from my father, where I could do whatever I wanted and the only thing I wanted was to be here with you.”
He reached for her face, hesitating. Marinette smiled, taking his hand and pressing it against her face as she closed her eyes and smiled contentedly. Adrien’s chest was filled with joy and he leaned his forehead against hers, looking at her.
When she opened her eyes, they shone so brightly that Adrien just wanted to be lost in that look forever.
“I don’t think I can be just friends with you, Marinette,” he whispered. He wanted to tell her the whole truth, about his feelings, how he just wanted to tell her how much he was in love with her and how much he wanted her to accept him as hers.
“This is great, Adrien, because I can’t just be friends with you either,” she said quietly. The two stood looking at each other for a while, just memorizing the other’s expression, a mixture of desire and relief between them.
“And I really don’t care if relationships are prohibited in the company. I want to be with you. Can I… can I kiss you?”
“Please,” she begged and Adrien wasted no time. He cupped his hands over her face and leaned in, his lips searching for hers.
He spent the whole week dreaming of the memory of the kisses they exchanged, sometimes even putting his fingers on his mouth, sliding as he remembered the softness of her lips against his.
The memories didn’t live up to how exciting it was to kiss her.