Marinette sat in her bed looking at things that she had collected over the past two years. She stored them in what she called her 'Adrien Box'. It included things like photos of him, his poem, her derby hat that he wore and her most prized possession the black umbrella belonging to Emilie Agreste.

Marinette had meant to return Adrien's umbrella but she never got the chance and when she did, she forgot about it. Adrien had never asked her about his mother's umbrella so she assumed he also had forgotten she had it.

Marinette ran her hands over the fabric. It was just standard nylon, not anything too expensive for decent umbrella. Her fingers traced the initials of Emilie Agreste's name which was engraved onto the handle.
"Where are you Adrien?" She said aloud. All of a sudden the sound of knocking was present on her window.

Marinette cautiously made her way to her window and unscrewed it. To her surprise Chat was there dangling off her roof.
"Chat!?"
"Hey Princess."

Marinette pulled the boy in out of the cold. Chat dusted himself off before closing the window ensuring that no warmth from the house could escape.
"I thought you weren't coming on Fridays anymore, after you know.....what happened."
"I changed my mind, plus I kinda need a place to stay."

This caught Marinette completely off guard.
"Somewhere to stay! Does it have something to do with your family?"
"Yeah and um you're the only person I could think of going to, if it's too much trouble I can go."
"No it's fine, we just need to be careful with your identity."
"Yes, of course."

Marinette went downstairs to get some snacks and talk to her parents, she really hoped they'd allow for him to stay it's not the first time she had a sleepover with a boy.
"Maman!" Marinette called as she stumbled at the bottom of the stairs.
"Yes sweetie?"
"Um I was wondering if a friend could stay for a little bit, since the spare bedroom's free," Marinette asked straightening herself.

"Why all of a sudden?" Sabine questioned while analysing her daughter's posture. Marinette wasn't looking at her, instead she was looking at the ground and shuffling her feet slightly.
"He's had problems at home and he doesn't really have anywhere else to go."
"It's a boy."
"Y-Yes," Marinette answered.
"Is it Adrien then, if you've found him you should tell the authorities."
"No it's Chat Noir."

Sabine almost dropped the tray of cupcakes she was carrying, who wouldn't. It's not everyday your daughter comes tripping down the stairs telling you she wants her superhero friend to stay for a short while.
"Everything okay dear?" Tom asked poking his head into the room.
"Marinette was just asking me if Chat Noir could stay for a short while," Sabine answered giving her daughter a look of amusement.

Tom gave his daughter a look of surprise, while Marinette continued to awkwardly shuffle her feet.

"You mean superhero Chat Noir the one that broke your heart."
"What other Chat Noir would I know, and he didn't break my heart you just assume every boy I come across I end up liking," Marinette said now looking at her father.
"One more question does he get fed at home."

Marinette blinked a couple times before coming to terms with what her dad asked.
"What kind of a question is that!? Is this your way of saying he can stay?"
"I guess so, any friend of yours is welcome."
"Thanks Papa you're the best!"
"On one condition."
"Yes?"
"Don't get any ideas you know how flirty that cat can be."

Instead of responding Marinette rushed past her Dad and into the kitchen, giving him an annoyed look and elbowing him on her way through. Sabine and Tom just chuckled, they were only teasing, their daughter was way too responsible to do anything like that.

"50 euros he asks her out," Tom whispered.
"You have no faith in our daughter, 50 euros she'll ask him out, oh and throw in some choc chip cookies they seem to just disappear." Sabine replies.

Marinette awkwardly skipped towards the kitchen to grab a plate of cookies. She took 2 of them and placed them in her purse for Tikki and carried the rest upstairs.

Meanwhile with Chat Noir

Chat Noir closed her door and detransformed holding out a piece of Camembert to Plagg. He took off his backpack and hid it behind a box under her desk.
(A/N Marinette couldn't see his bag because I assumed the suits could cover them up since you can't see Marinette's purse while she is wearing her Ladybug costume)

"She's too kind for her own good," Adrien said taking a seat on her chaise looking around his temporary home. He liked Marinette's home. It was comfy and happy, quite unlike the family he had.

Adrien took notice of her photos that adorned her walls. He'd seen pictures of him before in her room but that was around 2 years ago, he'd never seen any when he was visiting as Chat Noir and he wondered why all of a sudden they would be back up again. He looked at them more carefully and saw that they were no longer his modelling photos. They were photos the two of them had taken over the past few years. On his birthday, their ice cream hangout and his favourite, the photo of Marinette in a Chat Noir onesie and him in a Ladybug onesie on pyjama day.

Adrien suddenly heard Marinette coming back up the stairs.
"Quick I need to become Chat Noir."
"You know those aren't the words kid."
"Plagg claws out!"

Chat heard Marinette knock on the door.
"Can I come in?" She asked politely.
"Yes, sorry I just detransformed."

Marinette slowly eased open the door to her room bringing in a tray of cookies and hot chocolate, the same she always made during their hangouts. Chat loved her hot chocolate, it made him feel cared for and loved.

Love. That stupid feeling that just messes with your head yet when you chase it away it just makes you want it again. He thought back to Ladybug. How upset she had been when she reported Adrien's, his, disappearance. He could see the happiness leave her eyes as she told him about his disappearance. It was just like Marinette, she too seemed to have a loss of the happiness in her eyes.

"Your new pictures are nice," Chat commented, clearing his thoughts of an unhappy Marinette.
"Uh....um thanks," Marinette replied mentally cursing herself, she forgot about those she was so used to them being in a box.
"Do you miss him?"
"More then I can say, he always seemed so happy that I didn't even think he had problems until that day 3 months ago," Marinette replied.
"What do you mean?" Chat asked surprised.
"He came to school with his photo shoot smile, I'm not saying that smile is bad it's just looks so fake, here let me show you."

Marinette went to her wall and took one of the photos off, she then grabbed a 'Gabriel' magazine and turned to a page with a picture of Adrien posing. She sat back down next to Chat and held the photos out in front of him.
"Can't you seen the difference?"

Chat honestly couldn't really tell the difference even when he knew he was putting on a fake smile.
"I don't see the difference."
"I thought you'd know all about fake smiles," Marinette said.
"What do you mean?"
"You wore one for the first few weeks you came here."

Chat didn't know what to feel, he was so touched that Marinette even noticed that he was down in both personas. He looked at her with admiration.
"Thank you Marinette." He was dangerously close to her, Marinette could feel his slow breath brush against her face.
"For what?" She breathed back.
"Being here for me."

Chat leaned forward ever so slightly and.........

hugged her.

(Evil laughs)

She wasn't used to this kind of contact from him but she hugged him back anyway. He needed a friend and that's what he was going to get.
"My parents said you can stay in the spare bedroom."
"Thank you so much M, I owe you one," Chat replied.
"No worries, wait I forgot to ask do you have any spare clothes? A toothbrush?"
"I've got a toothbrush but not any spare clothes, I guess I wasn't really thinking when I left."

"Your lucky I'm a designer, I have a few things that you can borrow." Marinette took out a set of clothing items out of her designs drawer. "I made these for Adrien's upcoming birthday, he looks your size why don't you try them on, I don't want to make your Kwami exhausted."

"You know about Kwami's?"
"I was Multimouse," Marinette quickly said. "Oh but what about your mask?"
"I have a special magic mask that I received from Ladybug for situations like these,there's magic in them which protects my identity, kind of like in Cinderella.

"Oh okay." Marinette replied pretending that she had no idea what he was talking about.
Chat took the clothing and went to the spare bedroom to change, on his way out he quickly took his backpack before Marinette recognised it and put two and two together.

Marinette was too good to him. He knew he could always rely on her no matter what came between them. He mentally cursed himself for shouting at her the last time he came, it wasn't her fault. Maybe he might at least see his lady sometime if Marinette ever invited her over, even better he should invite her over.

If you wonder why they have special masks it's because I wanted Plagg around when Marinette is there and I want to support my superhero identity theory. If you don't know my theory I have published it in my All things Miraculous book.

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-Paris07_49🐞😸🇫🇷❤️