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"Adrien, you're just who we need!"
Marinette did her best to hold back the groan that rose in her throat at Alya's joyful comment the moment Adrien stepped through her trapdoor. Of course, he caught her eye and read the panic there just the same.
"How can I help you, ladies?" He still grinned.
He might not know the real reason for her panic but he could guess that a part of it was having him and Alya in the same room without the buffer of other people around. She still couldn't figure out how to act around him when she knew and he kneww but other people didn't know and... She was a mess. It was bad enough that Alya couldn't stop teasing her about how much time she was suddenly spending with Adrien. She didn't need her trying to matchmake again.
Not while she was still reeling from the revelation that Adrien was Chat and she had only ever been in love with one guy. Not while she was trying to figure out how he felt about her being well, herself. Not while they were closer than ever, in spite of all this.
"Well, you can help Marinette," Alya said helpfully. "You probably know that Marinette makes her own underwear."
Oh dear God.
"I didn't know but do now," he said slowly, his eyes darting to her just for a second. It was enough to make Marinette feel hot all over. Maybe she suspected how he felt about her and this wasn't helping.
"She's really good and has been supplying all the girls in the gang," Alya gushed, totally oblivious to the tension suddenly in the air. "She is branching into men's underwear. And..."
"Alya, no," This was her last desperate attempt to stop this. Although it was too late. She already had a tantalising image in her head.
"He's here, Marinette and he can do it. He's a model, for God's sake."
Adrien looked between the two of them for a moment. Marinette saw the moment he realised what this meant. It was there in the slow, smug smile.
"You need me to model underwear?"
"You don't have to," Marinette said quickly.
"You need to do it," Alya countered. "You'll be perfect."
"I can photoshop something... "
"Of coure I will do it," He said before Marinette could come up with another brilliant idea. She was so screwed.
"Great!" Alya was positively giddy. "We just need a few photos."
"Nothing I haven't done before," he shrugged. Yes, Marinette knew that. But he hadn't done it in her room. For her. "Of course, if Marinette doesn't mind."
There it was. He was still giving her a way out. But it would look terribly bad to back down now. Also, she could do it. This was her over-the-top full of himself partner. Well, he had a reason to be like that. And he was going to demostrate it in a minute. Marinette would be the last person to complain.
"Let's do it," she said firmly, before she could blurt out something like Take your clothes off!
"Now, I would love to see this play out," Alya said as Adrien hid behind the screen she had handy, holding the precious samples that just happened to be in his size. How fortuitious. "But I have to go."
"What?" Marinette gasped. "You will be taking photos, remember?"
"Marinette, anyone can take a couple of photos nowadays," Alya said out loud. But her eyes continued You'll be crazy to miss this chance. I'm giving you space. Now Marinette wanted to bang her head against the desk.
"Wait."
"Nino is waiting for me," Alya said, already on the way out, with a last cheerful wave in her direction. Then it was just her and Adrien, who was probably naked now. Meep.
She had to remain in control. It was nothing she hadn't seen before. Like, maybe not recently and not with so much skin showing. But she couldn't let a sixpack and a great butt to derail her. She was going to become a real designer. She would have to work with other models. She could be professional about it.
Well, she knew that anyone else wouldn't affect her like that. It was all Adrien.
"Everything ok?" He asked in the quiet room, the rustle of clothes pausing for a moment. Don't think about it.
"All peachy," she called out.
"I can put my clothes back on if you're not sure."
Too late. She had to see now.
"Just come out here already."
"Ok."
Marinette fiddled with the camera settings on her phone for something to do. Alya was right. She could take a couple of photos and they will be done. She would also have photos for personal perusal. In case she needed a reminder that she had the hottest partner in Paris. And the whole world, if anyone asked her.
She heard the quiet movement of bare feet but still didn't look up.
"M'lady."
Her heart stopped, melted, restarted again. She fell apart when he called Marinette that. When it was her and he knew. When it was Adrien speaking. And she also knew.
She had to tell him. If there was any chance that he was still in love with her, she couldn't wait indefinitely to tell him she felt the same. Even if it was scary. Even if too much was at stake. He needed to know what he did to her.
Unless he already suspected. Because she was an open book to him.
"Do they fit?" She asked just as she looked up.
Dear God.
"They are great. Can I keep them?" He beamed at her. As if he wasn't standing almost naked in the middle of her room.
For a moment she was speechless. Actually speechless. Her imagination hadn't prepared her for the golden glow to his skin. For the way the muscles danced under his skin as he shook off something invisible and struck a pose, so effortlessly. For the happy trail that disappeared into the boxer-briefs that fit him like a dream.
She whimpered. Saw his lips twitch. Cleared her throat.
"Y-yes."
She picked up the phone in front of her face, using it as a barrier between them. It didn't work. Because she could still see it all through the lens.
"How do you want me?"
Naked. In my bed. On top of me.
Marinette froze, afraid that she had said this out loud. But he didn't react so it must have been in her head. Not that it made it better. She was thinking it.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed this out of her mind. She could deal with temptation, she had done it before.
"Just turn to the side so I can catch the logo," she instructed him, hoping that it would be easier if he wasn't looking at her.
He moved swiftly, his arm behind his back so that she had a clear view. Of the logo, of course. He was that good. But there was also so much more. His profile wasn't bad. Who was she kidding? It was absolutely mouthwatering.
She snapped a few photos but had no idea what she caught on them. Then he lifted his hand and ran it through his hair. Her finger clicked and clicked and clicked without her consent. He was good when he was posing. But he was the best when he wasn't trying.
"Back," she croaked.
"Are you sure that you're ok?" He asked as he turned with his back to her, just a hint of amusement in his voice.
No, she wasn't. Not when he was presenting his pert butt like that.
"Ferfectly pine."
Oops.
"Marinette."
"You do know how hot you are, don't Marinette me," she snapped. She hated it when she relapsed to her old ways. It had been years. She was doing better. This was her silly kitty. She could act normal around him.
"I do know that you don't care about this one bit," he sighed.
"I'm not blind, kitty."
Click. She wasn't. In fact, she wanted to prop her eyes open with toothpicks so she didn't accidentally blink and miss even a second of all this. God, his back was unfairly sexy. And his butt... She had done a good job. The boxer-briefs were made for him. Not accidentally.
"I sure hope so."
She could hear the smirk in his words. She could imagine it. Even if she was distracted by a much more pleasant view.
"You're enjoying this."
"I'm in my element," he shrugged. The movement rippled down his tall form. Yum. "And no one can accuse me of being a creep. You agreed to this, with a witness."
She knew that. She'd never dream of accusing him of taking advantage of the situation. She needed him. She was also getting a lot more than he suspected out of it. She would forever have this image branded on her eyelids.
"I'm not complaining, but you're too good at this," she said, looking at her phone. She needed to focus on this. Then they would be done.
"Thanks."
"Just stay like this for a moment," she snapped a few more photos. "Then I will have a few on the front. Just move a bit towards the window. So I can catch the light just right." She was suddenly in the zone, firing off instructions as was second nature to her. "Lift your leg just a little. Hand on the waistband. Great."
Amid the click of the camera she heard a whimper. But it wasn't coming from her.
"Kitty?"
No answer.
"Turn around now. I need you over there."
But he didn't budge. He just whimpered again.
Frowning, she stood up and moved towards him.
"Adrien? Are you alright?"
"No."
Now she was worried
"Look at me," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder, forgetting for a moment that he was almost naked. Maybe she shouldn't have been so sure that this was easy for him. He stiffened under her touch then shook his head.
"I can't."
"I thought that you were fine with this."
"I was. But..."
"Tell me."
"I might have a thing for when you go all... " He waved around with his hand.
"What?' She had no idea what he was talking about.
"When you go all Ladybug on me. All commanding, composed," he huffed.
She still didn't see a problem. They were used to this.
"And?"
"It's very evident when I'm just in this underwear. I'm sorry. I said I'm not a creep and yet here I am..."
It took her a moment to realise how his words and the fact that he didn't want to turn to face her were connected. Her hand flew to her mouth. Then she laughed.
"It's not funny!" He whined.
"But... we've fought countless of battles together," she snorted. "How did you keep it.. um, under control then?"
She felt ridiculously entertained for some reason.
"I didn't. But it's easier when I have a magical suit which yields to my will. It can cover up anything I want."
Oh. Oh.
"I'm sorry!" She stifled another laugh. He had been in hell all this time and she'd had no idea? Suddenly all the times he had been terribly distracted made so much sense. To think that she had been convinced she had been a mess while all along he had been one as well.
"Not your fault that things were very hard for me sometimes." He shrugged.
"Like now?" A snicker.
"Ha. I walked into that one."
"I'm not Ladybug now," she noted.
"It doesn't change a thing. It's still you. It's always you. I'm sorry."
His shoulders slumped in defeat. He still thought that he had to feel guilty because of his feelings. He still thought that this troubled her.
"I don't mind," she said quietly.
He practically whirled around, awkwardly straining boxers and all. Which she didn't miss. Her eyes flew back to his face after a second, her own face hot.
"You don't mind?" He asked, his eyes wide.
He was embarrassed and yet he was trusting her. He was literally baring himself to her. It was absolutely irresistible.
"Girls have it easier," she admitted. "It doesn't show when we have a similar reaction. It doesn't mean that we don't."
His mouth fell open.
"You don't mean that... " He couldn't say it. But he looked all flushed so he knew what she meant. Her eyes darted lower for a second. Not to mention that he was still sporting a ... yep. He knew.
"Like I said, I'm not blind. Never was. I also wanted you," she said in a low voice, leaning just a bit closer to him. So close in fact, she could feel the heat off his chest. She could see the pulse at the base of his throat. She felt dizzy and lifted a hand to lean against his shoulder. In fact, she wanted to rest her face there. He smelled so good. Mmm.
He was quiet and for a moment she worried that he was going to push her back. For a moment when she wasn't drinking in the warmth seeping from him into her. When she wasn't inhaling deeply. Him. All him.
Then his arms closed around her and he pulled her closer. So close, she was pressed to him. Wow. Now she didn't even have to look to know how she affected him.
"I thought that I was going crazy, imagining thngs," he whispered in her hair. "You did act strangely every now and then."
"You were driving me crazy," she giggled, drunk on him.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I was worried about being unprofessional about my partner. Silly, I know. Especially since I knew that you... well. I'm not rational at the best of times," she sighed. "It took me so long to admit to myself that I loved Chat. That my crush on Adrien didn't prevent this from happening."
A hand sneaked under her chin and lifted it up.
"Me? It was me all along?" He asked softly.
"Yeah. I'm sorry."
He frowned.
"What for?"
"For hurting you? For wasting years. For making you feel that you weren't worthy of my love. For doing this now, here," she groaned.
"It's as good a moment as any," he noted.
"You're in my room in just your underwear," she shot him a look.
"Your underwear," he corrected, a smile curving his lips upwards.
"It sounds weird when you say it like that, but ok."
It was as if he wasn't listening to her. There was a spark in his eyes that changed the perspective on their position and various state of undress.
"Does this mean that I can kiss you?" He murmured, looking at her lips. Now she was burning up.
"Yes," she pleaded, closing her eyes.
The touch of his lips made her heart, her whole being, unfurl like the petals of a flower facing the sun. She needed more, she needed him. She had never felt like that before - alive, desired, loved. He kissed her so tenderly at first that tears pricked her eyes. Yes, he loved her and she loved him so much. Then his hand cupped the back of her head and he kissed her harder, making her moan into his mouth. The touch of his tongue made her knees buckle and she dug her nails into his hot skin. Yes, they had catching up to do.
A few minutes or ages later, they resurfaced breathing heavily.
"Are we done with the photos?" Adrien asked, his eyes pure fire.
"I already got what I wanted," she gave him a happy smile. But she was lying and her hands betrayed her because they were on his hips, teasing the edge of the underwear that had started all this.
"I would have said that I did as well, but I'm not done with you," he all but growled, kissing up her jaw, more honest than her as usual.
"Good, I'm not either. You know, my strength is making clothes but I can work on removing them as well," she looked down at her fingers, now deliberately dipping under the fabric.
"Not a lot to remove on me," he noted, shivering under her touch.
"I'm nothing if not creative," she promised, licking her lips.
"Don't I know it." His grin was absolutely indecent as his own hand sneaked under her top. Then he kissed her again. Yes.
"Bed," she mumbled against his lips. He was already leading her towards the ladder, her feet moving on autopilot. He knew her so well.
*
"We can certainly declare this underwear campaign a success," Adrien said much later, his voice tired and sated.
The boxer-briefs were on the ground, buried under Marinette's clothes. Underwear was for, well, wearing. But she had to agree that if any guy who bought hers got the same reaction as Adrien and got rid of them as soon as possible for this reason, they would never complain.
"I agree," Marinette smiled as she snuggled into him. She was sure that Alya couldn't have banked on this kind of outcome to her plan. She probably thought that they were busy blushing and holding hands, at most. Ha! Good thing that Ladybug and Chat Noir knew how to deal with sexual tension better.
Still, they had to thank her, even without divulging all the details. Those were just for them.