---
❄️ Chapter 18 — A Breath of Winter
---
Adrian's POV — Cracks in the Armor
The hum of enchanted wires filled the basement chamber. Circuits flickered faintly against carved runes, each piece of tech balanced precariously on the edge of magic and science. Adrian's desk was a storm of papers—blueprints sketched over spell circles, half-finished notes sprawled across napkins, calculations bleeding into mantras.
Adrian's eyes burned, bloodshot from too many sleepless nights. His hands shook faintly as he soldered a connection onto the enchanted motherboard, his lips moving soundlessly as he rehearsed command strings.
Another night. Another patch. Another layer of protection.
The Bunny Miraculous shimmered faintly at his side, its magic still humming from the last test run. He had managed to replicate J.A.R.V.I.S.'s base architecture, but it wasn't enough. Adrian wanted an AI that could read intent, interpret threat before even words were spoken, weave magic into its very code. Something beyond human programming. Something that could stand against gods.
But each attempt wore him thinner.
A sharp knock jolted him from his trance.
"Kid," Plagg drawled from the corner, floating lazily with half a wedge of cheese. "You look like death warmed over. And not even the good kind. You need sleep."
"Not until I finish," Adrian muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"You've been saying that for three days," Tikki cut in, her crimson glow sharper than usual. She crossed her tiny arms, eyes narrowing. "Adrian, this isn't conviction. This is obsession."
He set the soldering iron down with a click. "If I don't prepare, people die. It's that simple. Loki's invasion isn't that far anymore.(This is reality not just a movie). If I don't make sure I'm ready—if I don't have systems, bases, countermeasures—then when the sky tears open, everyone I care about will get hurt. "
The words came harsher than he intended, his voice cracking.
For a moment, the Kwamis were silent.
Then Wayzz floated closer, his calm presence cutting through the charged air. "Master Adrian. Preparation is wise. But preparation that breaks the body weakens the spirit is useless.If you fall before the battle, how can you protect anyone?"
"Yeah," Plagg snorted, licking cheese from his paw. "What good's a hero if he keels over from exhaustion before the bad guys even show up?"
Tikki's voice softened, though her eyes stayed firm. "You're not alone, Adrian. You keep acting like the weight of the world is yours and yours alone. But there are others. Other heroes. The Avengers, the Defenders, Spider-Man himself. They'll all be there. You don't need to carry everything."
Adrian pressed his hands against his temples. "You don't get it. If I don't—"
"No." Tikki floated up to his face, glowing brighter. "We do get it. We've seen this before. Heroes who prepare so hard they forget how to live. And when the time came, their conviction wasn't strong. Because conviction is built by living, not hiding in the dark with blueprints."
Adrian met her gaze, his throat tight.
Tikki's glow softened. "Please. Take a break. Spend time with your friends. Breathe. That's how you'll find strength when the storm comes."
The others hummed in agreement.
For the first time in days, Adrian slumped back in his chair. His chest rose and fell with shaky breaths, and for a moment, he allowed himself to feel the exhaustion. The ache in his muscles. The fog in his brain. The loneliness pressing against his ribs.
"…Fine," he whispered.
---
The Park — A Winter's Breath
Snow crunched underfoot as Adrian trudged through Central Park the next afternoon, scarf wrapped tight around his neck. His phone buzzed in his pocket, another message from Ned.
> "Don't even think about backing out, bro. You NEED this."
He sighed, stuffing the phone back. Ned was relentless once he set his mind on something.
Sure enough, at the edge of the park, Ned Leeds stood waving his arms like a signal tower. Marinette was beside him, bundled in a powder-blue coat, cheeks pink from the cold. She smiled when she saw Adrian, and something in his chest eased.
"Took you long enough," Ned said, grinning wide. "We were starting to think you'd bail."
"I'm here, aren't I?" Adrian muttered, though his lips twitched into a faint smile.
Marinette's eyes softened. "It's good you came. You look… tired."
Adrian quickly looked away. "Just late nights."
Ned clapped his hands together. "Alright, team! Today's mission—have fun. Step one: hot chocolate. Step two: snowball fight. Step three: uh…" He glanced between Adrian and Marinette, his grin mischievous. "Step three's a surprise."
They spent the next hour wandering through the park's winter market. Marinette tugged Adrian toward stalls selling handmade trinkets, their laughter misting in the cold air as Ned darted between food stands. They sipped steaming cocoa, the warmth seeping into frozen fingers. For the first time in weeks, Adrian felt almost… normal.
Ned, of course, had other plans.
"Oh no," Ned suddenly gasped, clutching his phone. "I just remembered—I left my backpack at the hotdog stand. Don't wait for me, I'll catch up later!"
Before either of them could respond, he bolted down the path, vanishing into the crowd.
Marinette blinked, then looked at Adrian. "…Wasn't he carrying his backpack just now?"
Adrian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes. Yes, he was."
They exchanged a look before both breaking into quiet laughter.
---
A Question in the Quiet
Snow drifted gently around them as they walked, side by side. For a while, silence stretched comfortably. Marinette glanced up at him, her voice soft.
"You really do look exhausted, Adrian. Is something bothering you?"
His steps faltered. Heat rushed to his cheeks, and he looked away quickly. "It's… nothing. Just… projects. A lot of late-night work."
Her brows knit slightly, concern lingering, but she didn't press. Instead, she smiled gently. "You don't always have to hide behind work, you know. But… if you don't want to talk about it, we can talk about something else."
Relief bloomed in his chest. He forced a small smile. "Like manga deadlines?"
Marinette giggled, the sound like chimes in the winter air. "Exactly."
---
Batroc the Leaper
The moment didn't last.
A shadow flickered above them, and before Adrian could react, a figure dropped onto the path with a thud. Muscles coiled under a combat suit, a jagged scar running down his jaw—Batroc the Leaper.
"Well, what do we 'ave 'ere?" His eyes locked on Marinette's purse. "A pretty little prize."
He crouched low, muscles tensing like springs.
Adrian stepped in front of Marinette instinctively, his body slipping into a fighting stance despite the ache in his limbs. His breath fogged in the cold air, eyes narrowing.
"Stay behind me," he whispered to Marinette.
Batroc smirked. "Oh? You think you can stop me, garçon?" He lunged.
Adrian's fists clenched—
—but a black blur streaked down from the rooftops, slamming into Batroc mid-leap. The villain was yanked back by a strand of web, pinned hard against a tree.
Both Adrian and Marinette blinked in shock.
Standing between them and the villain was a figure clad in sleek black, white spider emblazoned across his chest, eyes gleaming.
Black Spider-Man.
The fight was quick, efficient. No quips, no hesitation—just precise strikes and brutal webbing. Within moments, Batroc was unconscious, bound tight against the tree.
Black Spider-Man turned to them, tilting his head.
"You two," his voice was joking. "Continue your date."
Heat flooded Adrian's cheeks instantly. Marinette's face went scarlet. "It's not a—!" she began, but the figure had already swung away, vanishing into the snowy skyline.
They stood frozen for a moment before Marinette's hands flew to her cheeks. "D-Date? Did he just—"
Adrian rubbed the back of his neck, flustered. "…Ignore him. Please."
---
Taxi Rides & Invitations
The rest of the evening blurred. Adrian booked a taxi for Marinette, insisting on making sure she got home safely. As the cab pulled up, Marinette lingered for a moment, fiddling with her gloves.
"Adrian?" she asked softly.
"Yeah?"
She smiled nervously. "Would you… maybe… come over Sunday for dinner? My parents would love to meet you."
His heart skipped. For a second, he forgot how to breathe. "…Yeah. I'd like that."
Her smile widened, relief and warmth spilling across her face. She slipped into the cab, waving as it pulled away.
Adrian stood there for a long moment, snowflakes settling in his hair, a faint blush refusing to leave his cheeks.
---
Ned's Victory
"SOOOO…"
Adrian nearly jumped as Ned appeared from behind a tree, grinning like a cat who'd just caught the fattest mouse.
"…How long were you standing there?" Adrian muttered, already dreading the answer.
"Long enough," Ned sing-songed. "She invited you to dinner, didn't she? Ohhh, my matchmaking skills are LEGENDARY!"
Adrian groaned, covering his face. "Ned."
Ned only laughed harder, slinging an arm around his shoulders as they walked back toward the streetlights. "Face it, bro. That was totally a date. And Sunday? That's a meet-the-parents date. You're so in."
Adrian tried to argue, but his blush betrayed him. Ned kept laughing all the way down the snowy street.
---
The city slept under its blanket of white. Somewhere above, shadows swung through the skyline, eyes gleaming cold in the dark. But for one night, Adrian allowed himself something else.
Not war. Not preparation. Not conviction.
Just warmth.
Just friends.
And maybe—just maybe—the first flicker of something more
---