Fingers mindlessly braided hair as Marinette half-listened to the sewing tutorial droning on and on in her headphones. The Youtube video was long and boring, as any good tutorial ought to be, and ultimately she had allowed her gaze to drift from pearl-coloured chiffon being bunched up under a sewing machine to the window on the far side of the room.

She could see herself reflected in the faint light of her computer screen, interrupted only by the shining Tuscan lights of the city. Legs crossed, bubblegum toes resting upon the edge of the matching desk. A lazy tank top draped over porcelain shoulders, a lacy strap slipping down a strong arm with no attempts having been made to move it up again.

The video buffered.

Taking a deep breath, Marinette pressed her back against the ever-slightly-too-hot chair, dangerously tipping toward the floor. Her hands fell out of her half-twisted hair, and she gingerly brought herself up just far enough to reach across and tap the mouse to pause the video.

Letting herself relax again, her eyes jumped back to the window and she wiggled her toes in lassitude, stretching her feet back and forth before uncrossing her legs altogether and letting them slide to the floor. Once more, she lifted herself up, this time to turn off the monitor. The room was pitched into blackness, save for the blinking blue lights of her computer and the yellow of the streetlights.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

White relit the room as Marinette opened her phone, absentmindedly thumbing in the passcode without noticing the subtle green light oozing in through the window.

"I'm hereee =^^="

Slack-jawed, Marinette turned to face the window just as it was thrust open, sending in a deceptive summer's breeze as a familiar black-clad superhero slid into the room. Marinette welcomed the sudden chill, relishing in the goosebumps on her skin after spending practically the whole day cooped up in her stuffy room.

The gust rippled past her content form, rustling the littered papers scattered on her desk and sending one or two to the floor.

"Chat," she breathed, eyes widening in bliss. "You're finally back."

It was August now, she realized sombrely. One month, one whole entire month had passed, thirty one days gone since Chat had told her he was travelling away from Paris. Where, he hadn't said, and she hadn't pried.

One month he was away, leaving Ladybug behind to protect Paris on her own, something she had assured him she could do despite his absolute reluctance to let her. Evidently, he'd really had no choice in the matter- Marinette couldn't imagine him abandoning her willingly when the city still loomed under the threat of Hawkmoth.

And sure, there had been few akumas that summer- none, actually, now that she really thought about it- and all Ladybug had to do was show up to celebrations and festivals and basically any public event the mayor's daughter was attending.

It was a long month for Ladybug.

Marinette, however, led a life not nearly as interesting or busy as her superhero counterpart, spending day after day locked up in her room or helping her parents in the bakery. Yeah, there'd been Alya and even Nino on occasion, trips to cafes and theatres here and there.

But for the most part, she was alone. And she had missed Chat.

"I'm home, princess," he grinned in response to her bittersweet expression. A blissful smile played on her lips, eyes shining with the slightest hint of tears.

In a few short steps he tightly encircled her in his arms, loosening only for a moment to allow her to bring her arms up around her warm neck. They were pressed together so close not a molecule of space existed between them. It was silent save for the sounds of their breathing, bodies moving up and down, toward and against, perfectly in sync.

Marinette pressed tighter, sinking her blushed cheek against his fervently-beating chest.

She let out the tears she had unknowingly been holding in all summer.

"You're back," she said simply, unbelievingly. "You're really back."

She could feel Chat's smile widen against her forehead.

He was home.

Author's Note:

Hello! This is the first work I'm contributing to the fandom! I hope you like it c: