"Detransform."

The word was little more than a mumble mid-collapse onto his bed, Plagg tumbling out beside him. All-night akuma fights were the worst. There had been more than enough of them lately to make Adrien drowsily wonder if Hawkmoth's ultimate plan to defeat them was actually to make them too exhausted to move. It seemed plausible.

A voice in the back of his head that still managed to be conscious nagged about the open window, Plagg's need of cheese, the fact that he was still in his clothes. He didn't even care, weary to the bone. Tomorrow. He'd deal with it all tomorrow.

Never in his life had he hated his alarm so much. Frustration laced the groan that escaped him as he attempted to reach for the offending device. 6 am. Same as every other morning. Habits are hard to kill, even when one felt like lead. Nathalie would be banging on his door soon, confirming his homework was complete and giving him the official schedule for the day.

Plagg seemed unnaturally silent as Adrien pushed himself to get showered and dressed in fresh clothes. Eyeing his kwami with a layer of concern, he wondered if Plagg had maybe binged on the camembert collection in the middle of the night. No explanation seemed plausible for the black cat's silent hovering. It was almost unsettling.

Listening to Nathalie's drone nearly put Adrien back to sleep. School - check. Fencing lesson - check. Akuma - check. He blinked, shaking his head to clear his fuzzy head. There was no way that Nathalie had said akuma. He really needed to pull himself out of this daze.

School seemed to be quiet too, the usual bustle of students subdued to a murmur. Maybe he was more tired than he thought. Slipping into his spot, he settled his books onto his desk and waited for class to begin. Everyone was already there, including Nino - who did nothing more than shoot him a small nod and acknowledging smile. The whole room was an eerie silence that made him shift uncomfortably in his wooden seat.

Marinette wasn't there yet, but that wasn't surprising. Her habit of bursting into class at the last possible second was almost legendary. Admittedly, he kind of enjoyed seeing her arrive all askew, stumbling over herself. It was so inherently Marinette.

She hadn't arrived by class time, Alya shrugging in response to his silent question. Ms. Bustier called for attention as Adrien stared at the door wondering where Marinette could be. It didn't slam open even after attendance was taken, nor when the lecture began. Adrien shifted in his seat, something drawing his focus back to the door over and over. Where could she be?

His brain wandered as the teacher's voice melded into some level of incoherence. More than anything, he hoped that today - tonight - this week - Hawkmoth would back off and allow Ladybug and Chat Noir to rest. Stifling a yawn, his eyes trailed back to the door. It was unusual for Marinette to miss a day of school.

When she arrived, he wasn't prepared, brain sinking into some level of self-preserving daze. The door crashed against the wall, hinges screaming in abuse as Marinette flew through the it, arms clutching around her school books in wide-eyed panic. His heart stuttered to a stop in response to being startled, hand curled to his chest as he attempted to restart it. The pounding in his ears confirmed success as he took in the sight of her.

Her hair was up - the first thing he noticed - bunned up on the top of her head in two neat little coils held in place by soft pink ribbons that matched the trim on her grey and black suit. Even her mask had that gentle tinge of pink in it, outlining the stunning blue of her eyes.

She was adorable.

Sweet.

Alluring.

Sexy.

He wanted her in ways that he never really thought much about before. The purr that settled in his chest embarrassed him, but the way that it made her look at him with wide, blue eyes left him feeling encouraged.

Even as he rose inexplicably to his feet, his thoughts were torn between questioning the absurdness of Marinette dressed as Multimouse in school and the need to get closer. His steps answered the pull, dragging him across the space between them while he considered that maybe Ladybug needed Marinette's help. Maybe Marinette had forgotten to give back the Miraculous before rushing to class? It didn't make sense, but he didn't know if he really cared.

A cat needed a mouse, didn't he? One as adorable as this would make a wonderful playmate. His gloved hand reached up to cup her face, his eyes taking in her innocent expression and soft pale lips. When had he transformed?

The classroom faded away, leaving the two of them standing in the middle of nowhere, in nothing but white oblivion. Was this a dream? Maybe it was.

Her quiet voice asked him to kiss her. How could he to refuse?

One hand slid around her waist, pulling her flush against him in a way that felt just right. She squeaked at the sudden and unexpected movement, tilting her head back to keep her eyes on him. The purr kicked up a notch, vibrations rumbling through his chest under her touch.

Gentle. Warm. Perfect. The only words he could logically think of for the feeling of her lips pressed against his. He let his thumb caress her cheek, taking care not to catch her with his claw.

Marinette.

Why did this feel like something that he'd been missing in his life?

He needed more than this chaste kiss. More of her. More of this. His lips wandered down the line of her jaw while the hand on her back pulled her closer, even closer - melding her curves against him in a way that made it hard to think of anything.

Soft squeaks and breathless gasps at his touch left him whirling. But it was the whispered words, "I want you, kitty" against his ear that rendered him mindless.

A response of desperation fuelled his movements, urging him to claim her lips again with more intention. She responded in kind, setting him on fire, fingers pressing against his chest before sliding up to his hair.

He had no idea when her suit disappeared into her pajamas - the thin strapped tank top leaving so much more of her skin for him to explore - nor how they ended up on the floor with her warmth pressed against his very need. He had no idea how his own suit vanished, only that her hands were under his shirt as his fingers danced against the hem of her own. wild and frantic kisses left him burning from the inside.

Shifting of her hips tore a nearly feral groan from his throat, as he trailed his lips down the soft tenderness of her neck. Another shift against him sent him over the edge, his teeth sinking into the skin, eliciting the perfect squeak from her lips before his hands grasped her hips and rocked against her.

The mouse to his cat. Marinette was his.

Gasping, Adrien sat up on his bed, shoving his hands deep into his hair.

What the hell was that?

He'd never had a dream that real, that ... intense before. Especially about his sweet friend Marinette.

Just thinking her name flashed back dream memories with vivid lifelikeness. The look of her blue eyes against pink and grey. The feel of her skin. The sound of her soft squeaks and breathless moans. He felt dirty and completely aroused again at the same time.

He definitely needed a shower.

Adrien seriously contemplated confiscating Plagg's cheese in retaliation for the knowing smirk that hadn't left his kwami's face all through morning rituals and drive to school.

He didn't know if he felt relieved or stressed to discover that Marinette hadn't arrived yet. Usually he loved her chaotic entrances, but today…. his body shivered in remembered anticipation.

Everyone who entered the classroom made him jump, causing Nino to raise an eyebrow in his direction. Flashing his best friend what he hoped was a reassuring smile, Adrien busied himself with getting out all his supplies for the class and rearranging them several times.

"Dude, seriously. You need to chill out." Adrien wanted nothing more than to chill out. He wanted his brain to shut off the replay and his blood to settle in proper places of his anatomy other than the one it insisted on. Testing his forehead on his desk, Adrien suppressed the uncomfortable groan that tried to break free.

Quickly-timed footsteps echoing through the hall outside the room brought his head snapping right up in time to see Marinette slid into the room. Her cheeks flushed from the run to school, the pink tinged her cheeks just enough to remind him of her mask. She back-peddled when her eyes connected with his, the flush turning to a brilliant red.

He felt like his gaze devoured her, hungry to see her for real. She was just as adorable in real life - with her Ladybug inspired pigtails instead of mouse buns and her wide blue eyes. Small and perfect. The voice in the back of his head wondered if she would feel just like his dream if he held her body against his, if she would make those wonderfully alluring squeaks…..

Tearing his sight from her, he forced his attention to the teacher, trying not to let his brain wander off where it desperately wanted to be. A lost cause. His ears strained to hear every whispered word between Marinette and Alya, every shift in her seat, every scratch of her pencil.

"Adrien?" Her timid voice pierced through his rambling thoughts, causing him to whirl around to look at her. She jumped back, blinking, at the suddenness of his movements. God, the blush on her cheeks was beautiful. Had he ever noticed the splattering of soft freckles underneath it before or the little flecks of dark within the blue of her eyes or how soft her lips looked? Lips that were moving. Words?

Cussing to himself, Adrien gave himself a mental shake and forced himself to listen to what she said instead of what he imagined the words to be.

" - project after school?"

Project? He searched his brain for what she was talking about, sliding his eyes to Alya who beamed with something that looked surprisingly like pride. Nino just had one eyebrow raised in his direction with a glance that conveyed a level of concern.

"The project that Ms. Bustier just assigned us? Partner research? She teamed you up with Marinette?" Nino's words cut through the haze, forcing him to look back at his newly assigned partner. His hand wandered up to his neck as he rubbed it awkwardly.

"Oh. Right. Sorry."

Marinette stared at him like he was a wild animal going to eat her. To which his brain supplied a rather inappropriate but not completely undesirable response.

"I didn't sleep well last night. I guess I'm more tired than I thought." I was busy dreaming of you in a mouse suit.

Berating himself for the scrambling of his brain, he shot her a well-practiced smile. Thankfully, she seemed to relax a little under his gaze. She really was adorable.

Clattering of the bell sent everyone scrambling to their feet, gathering up their books and heading out the door. Adrien followed suit, agreeing with Marinette to talk after school about the initial plans for the project that he still had no idea about. He held the door open for her as they left the classroom, admiring the soft blush that framed her eyes again as she squeaked by him and out in the hall.

Cursing his own personal commentary, he fought with himself. If he was in love with Ladybug, how could he be so distracted by Marinette? Even if she was the cutest mouse ever.