Hiraeth || Miraculous Ladybug

Five - Nights

Marinette sat on the chair that rested on her balcony. Her legs were tucked up to her chest, and were covered in her favourite pajamas. The past few days have been quiet, without an Akuma, or any new Miraculous holders in sight. It was strange, and though she should be relieved of the quiet break she's getting after the battle and stress she was going through, she's not. The longer time goes on, the more stressed she is. The more anxiety that builds up behind the walls she built up to keep everyone safe. She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding, and shivered slightly against a light breeze. School had been cancelled for the past few days due to the possible threats of stronger Akumas, but with everything being quiet, she knew school would be resumed in the morning. She just wished she could actually get some sleep so she wouldn't fall asleep through her classes.

The sudden movement of a black tail slinking behind a chimney across the street from her caught her attention. She rose to her feet and stepped forward till her hands made contact with the cold railing and watched for him. "Chat Noir?" She called out in a hushed tone. "Chat Noir, are you there?" 

He dropped down onto the apartment balcony behind her with a soft thud, and she spun around. Her gaze automatically landed on the black and green fleece blanket around his shoulders, and she stepped forward to greet him. "Hey, Marinette." He greeted her awkwardly. 

"Chat, what are you doing out so late? It's what, after 2 in the morning?" She met his gaze before he looked away and his smile dropped from his cheeks, recounting why he was out. 

"I'm sorry, I don't want to be out here. I just didn't feel comfortable being home." He confessed before bringing himself back to the Chat Noir everyone knows. "Guess I'm just an alley cat for the night, you know?" 

Marinette stepped forward and adjusted the blanket around his shoulders sympathetically. "Chat..." She looked up at him and cupped his masked face with a delicate hand. "Is it really that bad? You know it's not safe to stay out here with everything going on-" She cut herself off when the masked boy looked away, she knew she had her answer without him verbally responding. She sighed and moved her hand from his face to his clawed hand. "Here, be quiet and come inside where it's warmer, at least." Stepping towards the trapdoor, he followed behind her silently. 

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Marinette leaned back in her desk chair, watching as Chat Noir settled down on the chaise in the middle of her floor. She didn't realize how terrible, or how tired and worn he had looked. She ran a hand down her face, clearly worried about her friend. He must have noticed her worry, because he slunk forward and sat on his knees in between her legs, and looked up and her with a cheeky grin. His grin grew larger when he saw her face get all flustered and push him back a bit by the shoulders.

"Blushing over me, Marinette?" He teased gently and watched as she rolled her eyes. 

"Don't let it get to your head, kitty cat." She warned but broke out into a laugh right after. 

☼ ☼ ☼

The two of them continued to talk as it got earlier into the morning. Marinette had shifted up onto her bed, with Chat Noir sitting closer to the end with his back against the wall. The moonlight shone in through the trapdoor above his head, giving his golden hair a soft glow and his all green eyes reflecting the moon when looking up at the right angle. Marinette watched him grow more tired, and she would definitely be lying if she said she wasn't exhausted as well. Even with as tired as she was, she was content having someone to talk to without really having to worry. Since being out of school, contact with her friends has been less frequent just from everyone taking the time to relax, and no one wanting to risk going out and getting caught in an Akuma storm. 

☼ ☼ ☼

"Marinette, I meant to ask you earlier. What's with the photos of Adrien Agreste?" Chat questioned with a hint of teasing in his voice. "Do you like him or something?" Marinette shot her head to the board on her wall, her cheeks glowing under Chat's gaze. 

"Chat Noir! You can't just ask me that!" She grabbed a pillow to throw at him in defense, and grabbed a second one to bury her face in. He caught the pillow with quick reflexes and laughed. 

"I'm sorry, Marinette. I'm just teasing you." He put a hand on the back of his neck. 

"I need to get some sleep, and you should as well. I have school tomorrow, I don't know about you. You can stay and sleep on the chaise if you'd like." She offered awkwardly and lowered the pillow from her face. He noticed she wouldn't meet his gaze and figured she was embarrassed, or embarrassed of even considering his civilian self as a love interest. He pushed down the disappointment that rose in his chest. 

"I don't want to be a problem-" He started, till he was cut off by her. 

"I would rather you stay here than out on the streets." She handed him back his blanket which had somehow ended up draped over her lap as they talked on her bed. 

"Thank you, Marinette. I appreciate it more than you could know." He spoke sincerely, placing his right hand over his heart. 

Marinette pushed past him carefully and took the steps down off her bed, looking up to see if he was following, which he did on cue. He stepped down carefully and placed his fleece blanket on the chaise. 

"You're welcome to have a shower before you sleep, if you'd like. Just don't make a lot of noise and wake my parents." She offered and glanced at the time on her phone. 2:37 AM. She glanced back at Chat Noir who was moving towards her, and he could detect some sort of unreadable emotion in her eyes when they made eye contact. In a way, she looked disappointed, or sad. "And for the record, I am in love with Adrien Agreste. I have been since the day I met him." Her breath caught and she left her room to head to the bathroom. When he clued in to what her words met, he stopped in his tracks. 

"You're in love with.. Adrien?" He asked, and he could hear her quietly hum a response from the hallway. He found his feet again and followed her out and to the bathroom, the light flooding into the hallway. Once he entered, he noticed the folded towel on the counter for him. 

"I'm going to head to bed to sleep, just make sure you don't detransform during the night." Marinette yawned and placed a hand on his shoulder before leaving the room and shutting the door. 

"Uh, thank- thank you." He stammered, before placing a hand to his face. His cheeks were glowing from her confession, and he called off his transformation. Plagg appeared in the air beside him, whining as always about his need for camembert cheese. 

"Plagg, you really think Marinette likes me?" Adrien questioned, and started running the water. 

"Well, do you think she would lie to you about it?" Plagg grumbled and settled down on the counter beside the sink. 

"You're right. I wonder why she hasn't said anything?" One by one, his memories of being alone with her flooded to his mind, with the last one being when he gave her his umbrella because it was raining. He smiled at the thought that she still had it after all this time. 

"You humans make no sense with your ushy gushy love stuff. The only gushy stuff I know about is cheese." 

☼ ☼ ☼

Adrien finished his shower, getting dressed into the clothes he was wearing when he left the mansion earlier in the day. Quietly, he poked his head into Marinette's room and wasn't surprised to see her passed out in her bed with her back to the door. He tiptoed in with Plagg, and noticed a plate with a couple croissants sitting on it. Under the plate, he picked up a small piece of white paper and read it in a whisper. "Incase you're hungry." 

He smiled and broke one in half for Plagg, who grumbled that it wasn't cheese, but was grateful to eat either way. Once recharged, he retransformed and curled up in the chaise and shut his eyes. 

He was forever thankful for Marinette's, his Lady's generosity. 

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1461 words