Psycho

Visiting Hours

  Adrien's POV

  After bringing Marinette back to her house, I returned to my room, detransforming as I landed. Tikki flew out of the earrings, and I gave her a piece of cheese. I walked over to my desk but then stopped, considering something.

  Turning back, I asked, "Is there something else you'd prefer to eat? I could have my chef make you something." I offered, wondering if I should have asked sooner. She had seemed quite fine with eating the cheese, but maybe there was something else she'd rather eat.

  "Do you have any sweets? My owner would get me pastries to eat, and she kept them in a container for me." I thought about that and smiled.

  "I know just the place." Walking to my door, I held open my jacket for Tikki. She flew into it and I turned the door handle, stepping out of the room. I closed it behind me and made my way down the stairs to where Gorilla was standing by the door.

  He greeted me with a grunt.

  "Excuse me, but do you think you could drive me to the Dupain-Cheng bakery? I'd like to check up on my friend. She was recently involved in an accident, and I wanted to see how she was doing. She went home early from school today." I explained, planning on grabbing some pastries for Tikki while I was there.

  I already knew how Marinette was doing, as I had been with her just a few minutes prior, but I wanted to see her again. My mind flashed back to the scene I had seen when Marinette and I had locked eyes before.

  Driving in the car when I was older, Marinette in the passenger seat beside me. We were smiling and joking, and when I looked in the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of a smiling baby. I knew in an instant that it was mine.

  Marinette cried out in alarm, and I put my foot on the break, stopping the car just in time to avoid getting stepped on by an akuma. But I wasn't scared, and neither was Marinette. In fact, when I turned to look at her, she smiled confidently at me.

  That smile, it was so familiar, yet I couldn't place it. I leaned toward her as she did the same, kissing her. She pulled away and reached up to brush away her hair from her ear. I wondered why, but I had broken away from her gaze, getting a strong feeling it wasn't supposed to be something I saw.

  I shook my head as I walked out the front door with my bodyguard. He led the way to the car, and I climbed into the backseat, closing the door behind me. Turning my head to look out the window as Paris passed by, I smiled thinking about seeing Marinette again so soon, never having really understood how happy she made me before.

  "Thank you. I might be a while." I told my bodyguard, wanting him to know I was planning on taking a bit long. He nodded and pulled out his phone, completely content to wait inside the car while I conducted my business.

  Grinning, I shut the door and walked up to the bakery. The bell on the top rang when I stepped in, giving off a joyous, homey sound. It didn't take Mrs. Dupain-Cheng long to come to the front room after she heard the bell.

  "Well, hello, Adrien!" She greeted me cheerfully with a kind smile. I saw where Marinette got her sweetness from. "How can I help you?"

  "May I see Marinette? She went home early today, and I wanted to make sure she was okay." I explained. Sabine smiled, seeming pleased. 

  "Of course! I'm sure she'd love to see you, dear. Please, come this way. Marinette's resting in her room right now, but I'm sure she'd like to see a friend." I followed as Madam Dupain-Cheng led the way to the Dupain-Cheng residence above the bakery, all the way up to Marinette's room at the top.

  "Just a second!" Marinette called out when her mom told her she had a visitor. I waited with Madam as we listened to small crashes inside. "Ouch! Come in!"

  Madam Dupain-Cheng entered first, then stepped aside so I could come up after her. I heard Marinette gasp and looked up to find her face a bright pink. She hid her face under her blanket slightly, and I wondered what that was about.

  "Honey, Adrien came to check on you to see if you were alright." Marinette narrowed her eyes at her mother, and I glanced over to find Madam Dupain-Cheng smiling sneakily. I watched her walk back to the stairs and stop so that only her head was showing. "Call me if you two need anything."

  With that, she closed the door and left Marinette and me alone. I turned back to Marinette and smiled awkwardly, as the only time I'd been alone with her in her room was when we had been training together for the Ultimate Mega Strike 3 tournament.

  And as Chat Noir and Mister Bug, of course.

  "I heard you went home early, so I wanted to make sure you were okay." I cursed myself for repeating what her mom had already told her. Marinette sighed and sat up, coming out from under the covers slightly.

  "Sorry I couldn't tell you earlier, but you didn't have to come to my house." Her words should have sounded offensive, but she just sounded shy.

  "Actually, I'm not here for you." I tell her, taking a seat on the end of her chaise. She looked up at me at that, and I could tell I had her undivided attention. "I found this adorable hamster and decided to get it some treats from the best bakery in Paris."

  Marinette burst out laughing, and the air seemed to lighten. 

  "Did you bring it with you?" Marinette asked. "I love hamsters!" She squealed, clasping her hands together and bringing them to her chest, as if it gave her a heartache. I chuckled at her, and she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly with her good arm.

  "No, I had to leave it behind. I was planning on bringing the treats to it on my way back home later." I told her. I was glad I had found a way to make it easier for her to talk to me, and vice versa.

  "So what will you do until then?" Marinette asked. Our eyes locked and I found myself getting lost in the moment again. 

  But the scene had changed.

  I was at one of my photoshoots, bored out of my mind, as usual. The photographer was getting antsy like he always did when I couldn't cooperate. I could tell I was trying really hard, but something was on my mind, and it was making it very difficult to focus.

  Then, my mood changed like someone had flipped a switch. 

  Because there she was, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, walking up to the photographer with a paper bag in her hand. I saw her tap on his arm to get his attention, then she said something. They both glanced over at me, Marinette with a smile, the photographer with a thoughtful expression.

  The photographer turned back to Marinette and said something that made her expression change to one of surprise. I watched with growing curiosity as the photographer pushed Marinette towards me, the paper bag still in her hand.

  The next instant, Marinette was sitting on the side of the fountain with me, both of us staring at the photographer as he rushed back to his camera. He gave us the okay sign, and I burst out laughing, realizing I had just gotten a partner, willing or not.

  Smiling softly, I scooted closer to Marinette until our thighs were touching. She seemed flustered and laughed nervously, trying to get up. I pulled her back down and took the bag she held from her, opening it to reveal pastries from her bakery.

  But then the most surprising thing happened.

  Plagg and Tikki flew out of the bag as well. I glanced at the photographer to make sure he didn't notice them, but he was looking through the camera lens, and I knew Kwamis couldn't be captured on camera.

  So Marinette, Plagg, Tikki, and I had a small picnic in front of a camera. At one point, Tikki flew over to Marinette and asked for some food. Marinette smiled sweetly and handed the Kwami a pink macaron. 

  Then, taking the Kwami in hand, Marinette rubbed her cheek against the little Kwami, like they had known each other for so long. 

  Marinette was the one to break away this time, her face a darker pink than it had been before. I glanced at the clock and realized we had been stuck in that trance for over five minutes. I felt my face heat up, especially at how clearly intimate Marinette and I had been in my vision.

  I know how I feel about Ladybug but... what even is this?