Strong | Sequel to TIRED | Adrienette AU

FIVE

a bit of a filler chapter sorry

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"Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends."

start of chapter five

"Hello, Papa." Marinette forced out a little too much. She winced at the volume of her own voice.

"H-how are you, dear?" Tom's voice was raspy and his eyelids drooped. He looked absolutely exhausted.

She just nodded as her response and tried to move forward but she just couldn't. She froze. Her breath hitched. "L-listen Papa...I'm just here to get the papers and leave. You'll be bailed by the end of the week so I'll be going...because I realised that I was nowhere near ready for this." Her voice became quite and muffled as the bluenette hurried her way out of the interrogation room.

"Officer Roger, may I ask who bailed my Papa?" The man in charge gave the girl a look of sympathy. "I'm afraid the said person has politely requested to stay anonymous, but they had very good intentions, Ms Dupain-Cheng." Marinette's face faltered, accepting the papers and setting them in the bag she had brought to hide the papers away from everyone else.

"I'll see you on Friday, Marinette. Take care." Officer Roger patted her shoulder comfortingly and gave a small smile.

"See you, Officer. Tell Sabrina I said hi!" Mari shouted before stepping out of the office.

Marinette soon made it back to the mansion where Nathalie happened to cross the foyer. "Good evening, Mari. Took a long time didn't you?" The lady teased lightly. It was only then Marinette realised she had taken the long route home. "Gabriel forced Adrien to shower to take away his worries about you, but I doubt that's worked."

"Thanks Nathalie. I'll go upstairs now." Mari smiled and timidly headed to Adrien's room. His room was empty when she entered it. She guessed he was still in the shower due to the muffled sounds of the running water.

Marinette decided to settle on Adrien's white sofa to skip time. She debated whether or not she should tell him about her father's bail, but the sound of the door opening made her choose 'no'.

Her love came out of his bathroom dressed in a basic pair of joggers and a white t-shirt.

"Marinette." He muttered her name out and rushed to her as did the girl, meeting each other halfway. The couple wrapped each other in their arms. Adrien leaned his head upon hers. "You worried me. You didn't come home early but you didn't call me if you were going to come late."

"I'm sorry, Adrien." Marinette tightened her grip. "I lost track of time and ended up taking the long route." She looked into his eyes and stood on her tip-toes to claim his lips softly. They continued for a little while, taking breaths in between. "I love you, Adrien." He pulled away to see her face.

"I love you more, mon amour."

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Marinette snuck into Adrien's room the next morning and placed a chaste kiss upon his forehead. She chuckled when a small smile directed itself on his lips.

Mari turned to his bedside table where a beautifully prepared breakfast was awaiting. She grabbed a flash card from Adrien's desk and wrote a little note before displaying it with the breakfast.

Quietly, the bluenette sneaks out of the Agreste mansion in the early dawn and strolled to the bakery, taking her time to admire the beautiful sunrise.