My Kitty

32| Nerves And Random Discoveries

"What are you doing?"

He turned to her, the sight of her holding a platter of warm croissants looking so gorgeous, it brought a blush to his cheeks. And his stomach churned, as if a ticking bomb had exploded amidst its walls. "Uh, nothing!" He let out a nervous chuckle, "Your room is just interesting."

"Uh-huh." Her eyes skimmed over the room, checking if her drawers, where all of her photo collections of him were carelessly stocked, had been opened. Much to her relief, it seemed he only went near the art supply box.

The thought settled into her mind, and she found something uncomfortably stirring within her the more she mulled over it. A distinct feeling told her something was off. And her entire demeanor changed. Her body stiffened and her expression fell.

The art supply box. Specifically, the miracle box.

She knew he wouldn't be able to access the passcode, that much had her nerves dull, and it dawned on her that his kwami must've gone through to reunite with his friends. Her lips pulled into a bright smile, "And what do you think?"

"I... I think it's cute but—" He averted his gaze, shying away from her a bit. "The bed."

She followed where he was looking, and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong with it?"

"Well—I—I don't know," He scratched the back of his head, shrinking beneath the sudden lack of words, "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Marinette giggled at his mannerisms. She walked over to her chaise and set down the platter. Oh, how the tables have turned. She used to act this way, and she probably would still have, if only she hadn't found out about his identity. That he was the one behind the mask of her beloved partner. The one who gave her the confidence to be Ladybug, and the one who sacrificed himself, multiple times, just for her sake. With that knowledge, she grew more comfortable around him. Even when she expected it would be the opposite.

"Adrien," She shook her head, spurts of laughter escaping her lips, "You might have to elaborate on that."

He sighed, staring at his feet as if they held the most interest in the world. "There's only one bed, Mari."

Silence curtained the light atmosphere to her, and the tension-infected one to him. They stood there for a short moment, Marinette considering possible solutions, and Adrien unable to keep his wandering thoughts in check. "You know," She broke him out of his trance, "I could take the chaise, right?"

"What? No way! I'm the guest here, you take your bed, I'll take the—"

"Kit—Adrien! Please, don't stress it. I would love for you to be at ease tonight, that's all that matters to me." Her eyes glimmered with the endless love she had for him, and she felt the world around them slow down to a stop. Just behind him, her focus snapped towards the two kwamis sticking their heads out of the box, intrigued and deeply engrossed in their conversation.

Plagg puffed out his cheeks, while Tikki nodded for Marinette to make a move. Encouraging her to make him feel like he had someone.

"You can take the bed too, you know that?" His tone was soft; inviting. He had no bad intentions, she could tell. "Of course, that's if... it's okay with you."

"I..." She watched as Plagg emerged from the box, floating atop his owner's shoulder. Tikki ran after him, trying to pull him away. But he struggled against her, resisting her in every way. By then, Marinette was far too zoned out, her eyes wide and her face overtaken by sheer panic, and Adrien began suspecting she loathed the idea.

"You don't have to feel pressured—"

"Pressured? Ha ha, what are you talking about?" She failed her attempt at acting normal, and her heart dropped when more kwamis escaped the box. She squealed, but rushed to cover it up with laughter. "You better eat some of those croissants before they get cold."

"Uh..." He frowned, "Sure?"

At the realization that him sitting by the chaise would give him a front row seat of the rebellious creatures, she yelled, "No! I'll—I'll bring them to you."

"Marinette, are you okay?" He hasn't seen her act like this in a while. It sure didn't make him want to complain, in fact, part of him missed seeing her so adorable and clumsy, but it left him beyond confused.

"What are you talking about? Everything is fine!" Her repetitive glances over his shoulder betrayed her, giving away her obvious preoccupation with whatever was behind him. And Adrien's curiosity peaked.

He turned around, just as everyone raced to hide, except for one.

And his eyes landed on Mullo.