Lost in your Arms

Midnight Rendevouz

As Adrien Agreste returned home to quickly change before work, he saw Lila's ring laying atop the black marble counter.

He closed the lid tightly, planning on returning it to the jeweler some time this week. Perhaps when Nino got back he'd help him get through this whole mess.

Marinette's been a big help for the little amount of time they spent together last night but having a best friend talk you through a breakup is the best option.

After a quick shower and seeing how all of Lila's things are gone, Adrien pulled on his blue nurse scrubs. He would go to work and then hang with Marinette.

Hopefully.

—

Marinette began growing increasingly worried. She was at the coffee joint Adrien texted to meet at, but he was no where in sight.

It was an hour and a half more before she gave up and went home. The air was growing crisper as trees began their colorful transition to early fall.

Perhaps she could just make herself some type of warm food and watch sappy movies for her benefit. Nathanaël didn't seem interested in picking up his stuff, so the best option was to just dump it out.

As her food was being warmed up in the microwave, Marinette shucked all of his clothes into a garbage bag, along with the many pictures of the two of them.

Dotting along the windows lining her sitting room, Nathan's easels stood in their demeaning and stunning way. He was an excellent artist, one who often inspired many of Marinette's own work.

But he didn't want any of them anymore.

She took multiple trips to the garbage chute, making sure every painting was destroyed. His clothes would be donated to goodwill, so that was all taken care of.

But one last painting remained.

It was made from beautiful blues and whites, intertwined with strokes of greens, oranges and yellows. A landscape of the park near their once shared apartment.

And faintly in the corner was a figure causally posing on a bench splattered in leaves of copper and gold. It was her.

Biting her teeth to the point of near breaking, she thrusted the painting from its stand onto the floor. It slammed down, her foot smashing it as hard as she could. Over and over she destroyed it until it was fractures of color.

Burning tears ran down her cheeks as she cried over that stupid boy. Only till she pulled away did she realize what she'd done.

She fell to her knees, warily picking up piece by piece in an effort to put it back together. As tears clouded her vision, keys began jangling into her apartment's door.

Alya and Nino stepped in, saying nothing as the broken girl before them weeped. In one swift motion, the two of them rushed to her side and held her close, letting her cry as long as she needed to.

—

Nightfall came.

It welcomed the boy who was drenched in sweat and exhaustion from a double shift at the hospital. He wiped his brow after saying good night to his coworkers, quietly slipping into one of the nearby bathrooms.

He stripped off the blue scrubs for a tight leather suit and baton, going as fast as he could. Moonlight hit his feet and cellphone as numerous phone calls from Nino pinged in.

He missed his meet up with Marinette.

Carefully sliding up the window with his pack of clothes clinging at his back, Chat Noir surged into the depths of night.

His breath became ragged and limbs grew tired as he made way towards her dark apartment. He prayed she wasn't asleep or out, hoping to get some word into her.

As her building filled his sight, he noted the faint light glimmering from her TV. He was full of adrenaline, yet had no energy to change once more.

Weakly he knocked at her window pane, struggling to remain upright. She jumped in her seat, huddled up in the blankets.

"Chat Noir?" she murmured quietly, opening the window for him to slink in. He fell onto the plush couch, falling straight onto his face and stomach.

"What the hell are you—"

"Ad—Adrien sent me." he said weakly, face full of cushion.

"Adrien sent you?"

"While you are taking this all in, if you don't mind, do get me a glass of water?"

Marinette nodded quickly, trying to hide her red rimmed eyes and sniffle by the noise of the sink running. Moments later she gave him the glass only to have it fully drained.

"Thank—you."

"If Adrien sent you, do he by chance mention anything about me?"

Chat Noir sat up, glad to feel his body at least become somewhat hydrated. "He had to work a double shift."

"I thought fashion company CEO's didn't have to work double time." Marinette leaned over and turned on one of the tall, thin brown lamps.

The golden light filtered through the cream color shade, illuminating Chat Noir's vibrant green eyes on one side. The other was cast in a thick, black shadow.

"He didn't go and work for his father." Chat Noir forgot to tell Marinette last night. "He is currently a nurse at le Saint-Louis Hôpital."

"I had no idea." Marinette shifted. "We haven't exactly talked since high school."

Squinting at the flashing clock on Marinette's wall, Chat Noir paused. "Pardon Mademoiselle, il semble que je dois partir."

"You have to go so soon?" she asked.

He nodded, standing up to bid her adieu. "I'll tell Adrien you got his message. And until again, Mademoiselle."

He kissed her hand in a very cliche Chat Noir way, before slipping out of the window from which he came in.

Back into the night.