Lost in your Arms

Blame it on the Alcohol

Adrien tapped his foot impatiently against the hardwood floor, his fireplace cracking softly the only sound in his apartment. He had his father's number typed into his phone and Lila's contract in front of him.

The Agreste fashion walk was to commence next week, something he knew he'd give in to showing up at. His father wanted him to take over the business but he knew he had no place there.

He didn't have enough money to pay Lila for the lack of their prenuptial agreement, Marinette was still in the hospital, he's close to getting fired from his job—

Nino called him.

"Hey."

"Are you okay dude? We haven't talked in a while." Nino said. "I just wanted to check up on you. I'm with Marinette and Alya at the hospital."

There was a ruffling noise then the sweet voice of Marinette. "Hi, Adrien! The doctors said I can be released tonight, isn't that great?"

He smiled as best as he could. "That's amazing."

"Come over later okay? We need to have a Mario Kart championship again."

"Will do." through closed eyes he could see her blue eyes lighting up and hands animated in happiness.

The phone was handed back to Nino. "We're gonna go grab lunch from the cafeteria. Hang in there, okay?"

A tear slipped down his cheeks, landing on the multi-digit number on the forms on the coffee table. "I'll try my best."

He hung up the phone, setting it down beside him on the dark couch. He needed to breathe. He needed to release the tension that wound up inside him.

Someone knocked on his door.

Lila burst through with teary eyes and into the unexpected arms of Adrien. She wept into his shoulder.

"I'm alone." she whispered, her voice hoarse. "I'm so alone."

—

Marinette was still uneasy whenever she walked, taking it slow. She entered her apartment, cleaned and a bouquet of flowers in a nice vase from her parents on the countertop.

She smiled at the sentiment, setting back down the card they left attached to it.

Ladybug hadn't made an appearance in quite some time and she worried that Chat might start to feel antsy. She knew his identity but he didn't know hers.

It was a gnawing pain that she couldn't avoid, a confession she'd have to tell soon. It just wasn't fair.

Marinette
Can Chat Noir pay a damsel in distress a visit tonight?

She awaited for his response for several minutes, deciding to begin making dinner. She lit candles and sliced fresh vegetables Alya stocked her fridge with before she came home.

She scraped them off the chopping board and onto a pan, mixing it occasionally while boiling rice in another pot. Chopping up thin slices of pork, she added them to the vegetables.

Serving it up neatly on a plate, Marinette knocked on Luka's door. He frequently ordered take out and didn't know how to cook.

She frequently made excess food and served him up a plate just in case. He opened the door in his nurse scrubs and dyed hair pulled back.

"What do you have for me today?" he asked, yawning.

"Pork served on top of rice and mixed veggies topped with a family recipe sauce." Marinette handed it to him.