Until Next Time, My Lady

Code Green

Her new mission was branded into her mind: Find a way to calm down. She exhaled shakily, carefully reaching in and taking what she thought to be the solution from its hiding place. The white and green box had been kept in the back of one of her kitchen drawers for almost five years now. With the box in hand, Marinette opened the patio door and collapsed into the soaking wet chair outside. Slowly, she opened the box, taking out a small cylindrical object.

An unlit original green Vogue danced between her fingertips as she twiddled them. She hadn't touched one of these horrible things in years so why was she contemplating it now? She shook her head, trying to push away the tempting urge. Adrien had never known about this old, awful habit of hers, but he would find out about it eventually. The journals did hold her deepest and darkest secrets after all. Unfortunately for her, he probably already knew if he had managed to get through the second one already.

She let out a reluctant sigh as she tried to collect herself. The nicotine would definitely calm her nerves, but maybe falling back to this habit wasn't the answer she needed. Quickly, she put the cigarette back into its box and closed it. Her ragged breathing began to form tiny clouds, but they vanished right before her very eyes. The rain seemed to be keeping the temperature just warm enough to prevent their further existence.

The fact of the matter at hand was that she just needed something to relax her nerves. Her heart rate was racing, making it hard for her to breathe. She was dissecting her brain at a million miles a minute, but she still couldn't figure out why she hadn't stopped what she knew was destined to eventually happen. Was it because she hadn't been touched in such a long time; or was it the fact she was ready to be with him openly? Closing her eyes, she started to relive the moment. His teeth on her neck, his bare skin pressed against her own, his warmth flooding over her, his gentle lips and tongue traveling down to where she'd never let anyone go before.

On the bright side, he was a heavy sleeper, so her quick escape to calm down would hopefully go unnoticed. Now she just had to keep her fingers crossed that her absence wouldn't wake him. The wind whistled, making a shiver run down her spine. The patio chair beneath her was cold from the rain, but it didn't bother her. The only thing she needed at this moment was to get out of the cottage to think. Perhaps Alya could help her bring this situation into perspective. Marinette slowly reached into her pocket and unlocked her phone, the cigarette box still locked in a death grip in her hand. Letting out a painful groan, she tapped the phone book icon and pressed call on her best friend's contact. Marinette heard almost seven rings before her ears registered a distinct click. She thought that the phone had gone to voicemail, but a soft moan came over the line.

"Alya?" She asked quietly after a moment.

"Yes, love." Her best friend finally huffed back into the phone.

"I need you right now."

An annoyed growl from Nino in the background made its way to her ears letting her know that he heard her. They must've been in the middle of something when she called, but she needed someone to talk to and didn't really care at that particular moment.

"Code green." Marinette coughed. Her choking grip releasing the box as she placed it on the table next to her.

"Wait. Code green?" Alya asked, sounding quite unsure of what code Marinette just said. Suddenly she heard her best friend gasp as the gears shifted into place. "You slept with him!?"

"Yep."

"Mari... I told you not to do that unless you were all in," Alya groaned.

"I think I am."

"You think? Mari, if you hurt him-"

Marinette cut her off. "I won't. I think I'm ready for this. I'm ready to be all in." She bit her bottom lip hard, her teeth almost making it go completely numb.