Adrien woke up from his spot on the couch. This was his first sleepover and it had taken him a very long time to fall asleep. Well, it appeared, the sleep was not meant to be.

He glanced down at the dark form on the floor next to the couch. Marinette was lying just in front where she'd collapsed that night. She was the first to go down, trying hard as she might to stay awake. Adrien declared himself her sentinel when Alya suggested they draw on her face with permanent marker.

"Not on my watch, Cesaire!"

"You're no fun," she frowned in response.

Ever since, he'd taken it upon himself to protect Marinette from her best 'friend.'

Adrien was about to go back to sleep when he heard a creaking. What he could only assume were the floorboards above his head gave a lurch and creaked again. Outside he could hear the wind blowing. His first thought was they'd left one of the windows open up in the Lahiffe's attic.

In the recliner across the room he could barely make out the shadow of Nathanael, sprawled out in the most awkward of positions and upside down. Then on the floor just next to him was Alix. She was snoring softly and curled up into a tight ball next to Nathanael's chair. There was a large space between Nathanael and Alix on the floor where Nino and Alya used to be, then Mylene and Ivan next to Marinette.

"Where did they go?" He whispered to himself. Adrien sat up and swung his legs over the side of the couch. He didn't realize Marinette was as close to the couch as she was, considering it was so dark, so when he went to stand up she flailed in pain and he collapsed to the floor on top of her. Adrien's reflexes allowed him to catch himself in a straddle over top of her. In the dark he couldn't see her, but he could only imagine the wide-eyed expression of panic.

"Shit, I'm sorry, Marinette," he whispered in a panic.

Marinette stilled as she recognized just exactly who had fallen on top of her. Oh hell.

Adrien moves to stand up and is shocked when she reaches out and grabs his shirt, holding him down on top of her.

"Don't move," she hisses. "Be quiet and j-just stay still, please."

"What's going on? This isn't what it looks like," he stressed, "I'm just going to check the windows upstairs."

"The windows?" she questions automatically.

He could imagine her cocking her brow in confusion, "I think one is open. I can hear the wind and—"

"It's not the wind," she stressed forcefully.

Adrien shifted to his side to get back up on the couch, but Marinette's hands tensed so he just slid down onto the floor next to her. Marinette's entire body stiffened and her breathing became shallow.

"I'm sorry, but you won't let me go," he chuckled nervously. Why won't she let me go?

"It's not the wind," she mumbled in a whisper.

And, coincidentally, it had all but stopped.

Adrien's arm was cramping where he was holding himself up at an awkward angle. There wasn't a whole lot of space between Marinette and Ivan, who was sleeping next to Mylene, who was next where Alya was supposed to be. "Ow," he whined as he tried to maneuver himself around.

"What can I do?"

"Lift your head."

Marinette lifted her head as she was told and Adrien slipped his elbow underneath her, collapsing down to share her pillow. From where he had landed, he could feel her warm breath on his cheeks. Her face must be really close.

Adrien felt his face warm and he smiled. This was the closest he'd ever been to Marinette and he couldn't lie and say he didn't like it. She smelled like something sweet with cinnamon; like a cinnamon roll. She was warm where she was lying up against him.

He awkwardly placed his arm up on the side of the couch above her and then waved it around as the blood started to drain from it. Marinette reached up and grabbed his arm. She guided it to her side and he could almost swear he felt her heart pick up against his chest. That meant their chests were touching. Those two points of contact through the blanket must be her…yeah.

Adrien had a lot of trouble controlling the beating of his own heart at this realization. There might be a lot of sexually charged magazine articles and photos floating around of him, but that wasn't the case in his actual life at all. His closest interaction with any girl in real life was Ladybug on the occasion that they have to cling to each other so they don't die. This was…this was different.

"Sorry," Marinette whispered. Adrien realized he must have stiffened, too, and his heart rate picked up.

"For what?"

"M-making you uncomfortable. I just—you can't go—it's not a good time."

He frowned, "I don't understand."

"That's not the wind, Adrien." Marinette really wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Here, she was awkwardly cuddling her crush in an attempt to avoid an even more awkward situation between he and his best friend and she and her best friend because they decided, in the middle of the night, at a crowded slumber party, to break in the kitchen table.

"What is it?" he moved again to lean up and Marinette pulled him down.

"Don't, Adrien, please?!" she begged.

"I don't understand any of this."

The creaking and moaning had picked back up and Adrien was really getting too curious for his own good. She could practically feel him itching to investigate.

"If I told you I was madly in love with you, and just want you to stay here and cuddle, would you believe me?" It was the honest to god truth.

"Uh…nice one, Marinette. You and I both know you just tolerate me because of Nino and Alya. Care to try again?"

Ouch. There was a bitterness Marinette was not used to hearing in Adrien's voice. Marinette felt it like a slap in the face. Did she hurt him at some point?

"Adrien." It came out serious and apologetic, "That's not—"

"It's okay, Marinette. I'm used to it." There was a forced smile on his face. She couldn't see it, but she could hear it in his voice.

"It's not okay," she disagreed.

"Yeah, well, this has been great, but I'm going to find out what that sou—"

"They're having sex," she whispered hurriedly as she wrapped both of her hands around his chest to pull him forcefully back to the ground, "Alya and Nino are on the dining room table, just behind the couch, and they're having sex. Now, please, for the love of all that is holy, please just stay still and quiet."

The creaking was picking up and so were the moans. Adrien listened and stilled. Now that she'd said that there was a whole new visual in his head and he paled.

"They are?"

"Yes," she whispered, "I beg you to just stay put. They've done this before. I didn't confront Alya then and I don't plan to do it now." She felt him relax against her and nod his head on her pillow.

"Okay."

They laid there for a minute in awkward silence. Adrien started to rub his fingertips against the material of Marinette's pajama top just behind her ribs. Marinette began to squirm and whimpered to hold in her giggles. It tickled a lot.

Adrien stilled, "Are you okay?"

"That tickles," she admitted quietly.

Adrien stopped fidgeting with her top and started bouncing his knee; the one that was on top. Eventually, Marinette lifted her own and pinned his down. He took the hint and stopped bouncing.

That just lead to another nervous tick. This time, it was popping his lips repeatedly. Marinette was about to go crazy. She couldn't take it anymore. She leaned forward and captured his lips with her own in one fast, chaste kiss. It was a shock to them both. Marinette had done it automatically out of reflex, but now, sitting in the dark, it sunk in who she'd just kissed and her face flushed scarlet.

Adrien was stunned. Marinette had just kissed him. He'd never been kissed before. The feeling of her lips ghosting over his, quick as it was, kept repeating in his head. Except, each time he remembered it there was more visual aspects to it as he imagined being able to see her when it happened. He could make out her dark hair and her blue eyes gazing into his as she leaned forward and…his lips were suddenly on hers again.

Marinette's mind was just starting to catch up to her actions when she suddenly felt warm lips pressed against hers insistently. She couldn't stifle the squeak of surprise as he maintained the contact and began to gently massage her lips with his own.

She was being kissed by Adrien Agreste. It wasn't some little peck, either, but an honest to goodness smooch. She was stunned.

His breath huffed out of his nose as he let his hand slide up between her shoulder blades to pull her closer to him. Marinette had no idea how, or when, but her fingers were at the back of Adrien's neck and slipping up into his hair.

Then he moaned.

Marinette thought she was going to pass out with the way her head was spinning at the night's turn of events. How did this happen? Not that she was complaining, but damn. One minute she's trying to spare them the embarrassment of interrupting their friend's conjugal activities and the next they're making out on the living room floor. Yes, please.

Marinette felt a pooling of heat in her abdomen and grinned against him. This was what love felt like. It tingled clear up her back and down to her toes.

Their make-out only got more heated as Adrien moved his other arm down to wrap underneath of her. Marinette mirrored his movements with her arm underneath of him, too. Their mouths parted and they deepened the kiss. It was Marinette's turn to whimper as he softly growled against her.

Marinette felt something pressing into her abdomen and it was slightly uncomfortable. She automatically reached between them to move the offending blanket out from between them when her hand brushed up against…not a blanket. It took her about half a second of confusion, and a tremulous shiver rocking through Adrien's body, to realize it was not a blanket.

"Gah," he gasped into her mouth and jerked forward, "I'm so sorry, Marinette. I don't have control over—"

"Sshhh," she brought her hand up to cover his mouth. Not only was he talking a little too loudly, but it was also understandable, "I get it." Then she grinned and leaned forward to continue their kiss.

Time moved a lot faster when you're making out with someone than to just lie there in awkward silence while your best friends boink each other less than twenty feet away.

Eventually, the moaning became louder and then was muffled. Marinette stifled her giggle. They were trying so hard to not be caught.

Adrien leaned away from Marinette, panting, and trying to catch his breath. She was doing the same.

"Wow, Marinette," he whispered into the dark.

Marinette leaned forward and dropped her forehead to his collarbone, nestled beneath his chin. She allowed her arms to wrap around his torso and sighed, "No kidding."

He allowed his arms to wind around her, too, and he sighed, "I really like kissing you." In fact, Adrien was trying really hard not to do it again. He didn't want to overstep his bounds, especially with Marinette, even though he already felt like he had. She did start it, though.

"Would you believe me now?" she whispered into his chest.

"Believe what?"

"That I'm madly in love with you and I want to cuddle?"

Adrien jerked back to look at her, momentarily before realizing he couldn't see her in the dark, and huffed, "You what?"

"I am." She sighed and tried to pull away, but Adrien wouldn't let her as his arms stiffened around her.

There was the tell-tale sound of a groan and a grunt from behind the couch as the creaking sound stopped. Marinette and Adrien stilled before he leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"This conversation isn't over." Marinette shivered. "You can't say something like that and expect me to just let it go. We have to talk about it."

"Shhh," she was pleading, "They'll hear us."

"I don't get to tell you how I feel?"

"If you can quickly and quietly!" Panic was rising in her voice.

"Quick? Eh…?" He shrugged. Adrien couldn't promise it would be quick. He could promise she'd get the hint because now there was no reason for him to stop kissing Marinette Dupain-Cheng.