Happy (late) Birthday, @thebigpapilio! I hope I did this right, I kind of accidentally went long. <><><><><><>
“Are you sure it will work?” Adrien mumbled, squished against the back wall as he held up his phone.
“Just give me a minute.” The light of the device was the only illumination in the dark closet, and staring at the screen was starting to hurt Marinette’s eyes. She bent the hairpins as carefully as she could, according to the instructions, and then went for the lock keeping them from freedom. “Imagine how useful this would be in an akuma attack.”
“Pretty useful,” he agreed. “If an akuma ever locked you out of someplace and you needed to get in, picking locks would be--”
“Dangit!”
“What!?” Adrien went to her side, immediately discarding the hypothetical.
“The keyhole, it’s too small. These won’t fit!” Marinette threw the hairpins on the ground in frustration. “Alya’s really done it now! She can be so.... stubborn!”
Adrien gulped. “So that means...”
“We’re stuck. Until whenever she decides to let us out.” By the light of the phone, she noticed Adrien sweating. “Oh no...”
“I-It’s fine.” Adrien took a long, deep breath to steady his nerves. “I can take it.”
“No, kitty...” Marinette bit her lip. He was always like this, trying to spare her worries, no matter how much she told him to talk his feelings out. She blamed it on his father- God, he was so gonna get it one of these days. It wasn’t healthy for him to be so stifled as this. Even as Chat Noir, he’d always hide his emotions for her, trying to be the perfect partner. No matter how much she told him that she didn’t want perfection.
“It’s hot in here.” His hands were shaking now, as if preparing to summon Plagg in an effort to break down the door, which would be way too much unneeded attention.
Marinette’s hand touched his. “It’s okay,” she said. “Talk to me.”
“I don’t...”
“I know,”
Words tumbling clumsily out of his mouth, tripping over his chattering jaw. “I don’t like places... it’s dark... and small...”
“It’s okay to not like it.”
“And I just, I need to be strong, and--”
“You don’t have to be strong.” She gently squeezed the hand she was holding. “Not for me.”
“What’re we gonna do?”
“Good question.”
“Why would Alya do this?”
“She didn’t know. I’ll text her, she’ll be on her way soon.” Marinette took Adrien’s phone from his white-knuckled grip.
A short moment later, filled with more hand-squeezes and murmured reassurances, Marinette sighed as Alya replied. “She’s going to be a few minutes.”
“A few minutes... that’s too long...”
“It’ll all be fine. I’m here.” She kissed his cheek softly, shocking Adrien back to reality.
“Promise?”
“Promise...” Marinette let a little more silence pass, and then declared, “This is a sign.”
“Huh?”
“It’s been long enough since Ladybug and Chat Noir got together publicly. We wouldn’t cause any suspicion by ‘getting together’ at this point, right?”
“I-I guess not...”
Marinette glanced at him, suddenly ashamed. “I’m sorry, I just thought it would take your mind off... i-if you aren’t sure--”
“No, no, I mean, I’d like to!” He gave a short smile. “If you say we can, then...”
“Really? You’d go for it?”
“Why not?”
“I really want to.” Marinette took him by surprise with her sudden embrace. “I want to be able to kiss you in the daytime.”
“I...” And suddenly, everything was fine. Marinette... the care she gave, the cheerful kindness that laced her every action, whether she was helping a classmate or an akumatized victim. Once touch, one love-laden declaration from her, and the closet melted away from around him. In the arms of his one, his love, oh, he could never feel trapped enveloped in her smile.
“I’d love that.” Adrien carefully returned the hug. “I love you.”
“Great,” she hummed happily. “I love you, too. I’m glad you’re feeling better, kitty.”
“Yeah... you’re amazing, Marinette. I can’t even believe how great you are sometimes...”
“Thanks.”
“So Alya’s plan kinda worked then, huh?”
Marinette’s eyes snapped open. “Oh no... Ohhh, she’ll never let me hear the end of this.”
“Oh.”
“Dang it, Alya, why did you have to take notes from me?” Marinette slumped to the ground. “And you did so well, too.”
Adrien took another tense breath and shook his head. “I know she’s your best friend and everything, but I’m totally gonna get her back for this.”
“Get in line, honeybun.”
