Marinette is technically not a zombie. She's still the same girl with a soul and emotions…but undead. Okay, I see where it gets confusing.

But I wouldn't call her a zombie. She's like a vampire without fangs. But I really didn't want to go the cliché vampire route. And so she's essentially the living dead because she doesn't have a heartbeat.

Anyway, enjoy!

Adrien gently cupped her cheek, brushing a tear away with his thumb. He looked into those big bluebell eyes that brimmed with confusion. But they also sparkled with the light of life. And that's all that truly mattered to him. She was alive again, looking straight at him.

"Marinette," he began, "I won't lie to you. You did die. I saw it with my own eyes. And I…" His choked up, remembering the state he found her in. "I couldn't come to terms with it. Marinette, I love you! I love you so much that I couldn't bare living in a world without you! So I…I brought you back."

The blunette brought a hand to her chest, stiffening when she couldn't feel her own heartbeat. "A-Adrien… What…? How did you…?" She was so overwhelmed with emotion that she couldn't properly voice her thoughts.

The blonde sighed and looked away, shutting his eyes. "Mari… I haven't been completely honest with you. But I knew if I told you the truth, you would either think me crazy or avoid me. And I feared being rejected by you; the woman I have given my heart and soul to..." He lifted his head and gazed at her, determined. "Marinette…I am no human. In my world and in your folklores, I am known as Chat Noir." When she opened her mouth to speak, he placed a finger to her lips. "Please let me finish."

He closed his eyes, but when he opened them, the pupils had turned to slips, like cat eyes. His canines elongated into fangs and his nail grew into claws. Cat ears sprung atop his head and a tail grew behind him. "I can't change what I am, nor can I change how I feel about you." Chat took her shaky hand in both of his with a gentle touch, causing Marinette's shaking to die down as she stared at him. He pressed her hand to his chest, and his heart beat faster. "This heart of mine only beats for you. I wanted to be in your life, even if it meant taking on a new life altogether. I was, and still am, ready to give up everything for you. I didn't want to lose that love. I wasn't ready for you to go… So I acted without thinking. I just… The mere thought of continuing on in a world without you in it was too much to beat. So I beg of you. I beg you to forgive me…"

The edges of her bluebell eyes welled up with tears. Chat panicked, wondering if he had hurt her in any way. But that thought was quickly dashed when Marinette threw herself into his arms, sobbing. She buried her head in the crook of his neck, her arms firmly locked around his neck. Chat quickly recovered from the initial shock, wrapping on arm around his waist and placing his free hand on her head, smoothing out her hair.

The blunette hiccupped as she tried to speak, the tears dampening Chat's shirt, though he didn't care about that. "I was…I just remember…being so scared! And…And I thought about you… I didn't…I didn't want to leave you…" She cried harder, keeping her face hidden.

"I'm here now," Chat reassured her, placing her in his lap as he held her close. "And I promise I will protect you. I'll keep you safe for as long as I am bound to you."

Marinette sniffled and leaned by enough to not break the embrace but get a good look at his face, staring into his eyes in confusion. "B-bound to me…?"

Chat nodded, pulling up his sleeve to reveal a bright green paw print on his wrist. "When I resurrected you, I used an ancient spell that required something in exchange for your life; something of equal value to me." His expression turned serious, but that didn't take away from the love in his eyes as he looked at her. "I gave up my freedom for you." He gently touched the side of her neck, where a similar marking was on his porcelain skin. "To be fair, I would have given that up for you anyway. Now our souls are links, and I must always be by your side. But I don't mind that one bit, for I would follow you anywhere, my lovely ladybug."

"Adrien…Chat…" Marinette whispered, touched by his words.

Chat smiled softly and touched his forehead to hers. She stared back at him, her lips turning upward as her tears dried up, finding comfort in his presence. She closed her eyes and laid a hand on his, taking a moment to revel in his close proximity. But the irrefutable facts weighed heavily on her mind. She had died…but was subsequently brought back to life. Now, she had stitches on her body that were to be hidden, lest people learn the truth. She had no heartbeat, so she couldn't let anyone so close to her that they wouldn't hear or feel the lack of a thump in her chest. Marinette held Chat tighter, retreating into herself.

"Marinette," Chat whispered, to which she hummed in acknowledgement. "You don't have to be alone. I'm right here with you, forever and always."

Marinette opened her eyes, staring into Chat's green cat-like eyes. He stared with intensity, but it was of the good sort. It made her feel safe and secure; like nothing could hurt her. She honestly loved him. She could believe that her soul fought to stay with him. The blunette slowly leaned in, lowering her gaze to his lips. Her mouth met his in a loving kiss, which he returned. The blonde held her close, a deep fear that if he let go, she would disappear again. The two broke apart, a rush of air filling their lungs. A serene smile graced that demon's lips as he marveled at the love of his life. Even with the stitches that dotted her body, she was still the most beautiful creature that he had ever laid eyes on.

The sudden reminder snapped him out of his daze. The stitches were an issue. There were too many for humans not to take notice of. They would most likely ask questions. Marinette may not be a noble and her life happening wouldn't suddenly be on newspapers, but gruesome accidents were always brought to attention. If Marinette said something horrible happened, more questions would arise about how she recovered so quickly. But Chat was ready to do whatever it took to make sure his love wasn't under the scrutinizing eyes of the general public. Chat slowly transformed to his human form, becoming Adrien once again.

Chat, now Adrien, looked at Marinette with concern. Marinette noticed his expression and returned his gaze with confusion. "What's wrong?" the pigtailed girl asked.

"Your stitches," Adrien answered, pointing to her. "They are visible to all who will see you. I only had enough energy to enchant the thread to it would close the wounds perfectly. Unfortunately, I couldn't enchant them to be invisible."

"Oh," Marinette said, her face falling into a puzzled expression. But then she perked up with a tiny smile. "That's alright. I can just wear clothes that cover them up. I can easily add some length to the sleeves on my dressed. And I can wear a choker."

Her delicate fingers touched her throat, where a clean line of stitches lay. Adrien had deduced whoever killed Marinette slit her throat to further obscure cause of death. His fingered twitched with the desire to claw whoever hurt his princess to shreds, to see how they would like it if their blood was spilled. To steady himself, Adrien took Marinette's hands in his and smiled at her.

"Whatever you choose to do, I will always be with you, Marinette."

But a single question was buzzing in her head as she tried to add up all the other factors. "But how will you always be with me? My family do not exactly have an extra room for you."

The blonde chuckled and looked at Marinette, who was still quite lost. "Let me worry about that, my love. For now, let's work on your new wardrobe."

Normally, Marinette would be suspicious. Adrien just revealed himself to be an infamous demon and she had died as well. But she felt the need to trust Adrien's word. Even if it was human nature to feel doubt towards something they couldn't control, that doubt just didn't bubble to the surface. One look into Adrien's eyes let her know that he would tell no lies. So she let herself relax and work out alterations she could make to her dresses, as well as a choker and maybe some new socks.

Hope you liked this chapter. Feedback and reviews are always welcome.