Adrienette April 2021

Treating Wounds

You know, this was supposed to turn into a completely different one-shot than it did (that seems to happen a lot with me), but I really like the direction this took! I hope you guys will like it too. Vote and comment if you've enjoyed!                                                                                                                                                     -Colorado

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was quiet, but the silence was deafening. Even if neither of them were talking, it was too loud. The unspoken truths between them were too vast to try and make sense of them. So, they simply didn't and started with a problem that they could fix.

"Here, let me see your arm." Marinette said gently, walking over to where Adrien was sitting her chaise. He wordlessly held his arm out and Marinette began to dab his injury with a washcloth. "It might sting, just so you know."

"It's okay. I can take it." His voice was still rough from earlier.

"Okay."

She began to tend to the bruise, the two of them falling back into silence. There was too much and too little to say.

"So, um," Marinette whispered. "Are you feeling a bit better?"

Adrien nodded.

"Good. That's good."

Another uncomfortable silence.

Why was this so hard?

Normally, they would be joking by now. Maybe she'd be scolding him for getting hurt, but it would only be because she was worried. Were the masks so important to their relationship that they couldn't talk without them?

"Hey, would you like to stay here tonight?" She asked, her voice just as soft.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Of course, Adrien. I want you to have a safe place to stay tonight."

"Yeah." He said quietly.

"Thank you." Marinette grabbed his hand. "For coming to me and telling me. I'm sure that took a lot of strength."

"I don't think I could've seen you and lied to you about something like this." Adrien sniffled.

"Still, you told me. Thank you for doing that." Marinette leaned forward and grabbed his injury, placing a light kiss on it.

"You don't... mind?" Adrien asked.

"Why would I mind?"

"Because you didn't want to reveal our identities. You were always so against it so I thought that maybe you would turn me away and not want to see me or-."

"Adrien, no." Marinette gently lifted his face towards hers. "I will never turn you away, okay? I was against revealing our identities, yes, but not because I didn't want to know who you were. Ask Tikki! She'll tell you about all the times I begged for her to let us reveal our identities. I didn't want to reveal my identity because it wasn't safe. If Hawkmoth had hurt you because of something I had done, I would've never forgiven myself."

Adrien chuckled bitterly.

"Yeah well, it's obvious that's a bit of a moot point now, huh?" 

Marinette dropped the washcloth and nearly tackled him in a hug.

"I'm sorry, Adrien. I'm so, so, sorry."

For the second time today, tears bubbled to the surface of his eyes.