Chapter Text
Sunday, May 7th
“The clips from yesterday’s akuma battle have been posted, sir.”
“Thank you,” the masked man said as he took the tablet from her. “Anything helpful?”
“No, sir. In fact, the clips barely show Adrien at all. Almost as if…”
“As if they’re protecting him? At least someone is acting sensibly,” he grumbled, irritated.
“Adrien’s indiscretion is a good break for us, sir. Yesterday’s battle confirmed your suspicions.”
“Yes, there can be no denying it now. Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir,” Hawk Moth turned away from the large, circular window that dominated one wall of his lair as little white butterflies danced in the air around him. Hawk Moth’s miraculous provided him with the ability to see whatever his akumatized subject sees. Even though yesterday’s battle clips from the LadyBlog proved unhelpful as hard evidence that could be compared against other battle clips of Chat Noir fighting, Hawk Moth had seen enough yesterday to recognize Chat Noir despite his lack of cat ears and tail. The fighting technique, the puns, even the fist bump at the end all tell-tale signs of the feline superhero. Hawk Moth could feel it was true even without having discernable proof.
“Any ideas as to why Adrien did not transform?” the supervillain asked.
“No, sir,” she shifted on her feet uneasily, nervous since she did not have an answer to her demanding superior. “Perhaps he is not able to do so. Perhaps that is why he also has not appeared at the two battles prior to this one.”
“Hmmm…a theory we will have to test.”
“You’re not going to take his miraculous now, sir?” she asked surprise.
“No, not yet. Doing so will tip Ladybug off and we don’t know who she is yet,” a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “But, we can use him to find her.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You know what needs to be done,” as he handed her back the tablet.
“Yes, sir,” she lowered her eyes and sighed. She wished it had not come to this.
“Then, do it.”
Hawk Moth waited until he could no longer hear the clicking of her heels on the hard floor. Then he took out a small, golden locket and opened it to reveal a picture of a beautiful, blonde woman with green eyes.
“Soon,” he whispered softly to himself. “Soon I will have you back.”
------o-------
Master Fu awoke to the sound of banging. He looked at the clock and sighed.
“07:27,” he thought. He slowly got out of bed, moaning as he stood and stretched his back. He pulled his bathrobe off of the hook on the back of the bedroom door. He shuffled his way downstairs. It always took him a little time in the morning to get the kinks worked out before he could stand completely straight and walk at a normal speed.
“Coming!” he called. “A man of 186 knows better than to rush,” he muttered under his breath. Just before opening the door he shoved one arm and then the other into the sleeves of the robe.
“Master Fu?” came a feminine voice from behind the door.
His eyebrows jumped up in surprise and his hands fumbled with the belt of the robe.
“Ladybug?” he asked as he opened the door. “This is a surprise…and so early.”
“I’m sorry to bother you, Master, but this couldn’t wait,” the girl replied. The old man spied a stack of papers and a flash drive in her hands. He waved Marinette inside.
“Tell me everything,” he replied his curiosity peaked.
------o-------
Plagg eyed his chosen as he sat on the large desk. Adrien bobbed his head in time with the beat of a song that only he could hear. Under his breath he sang the lyrics of a song he completed this morning as he dressed. Rising extraordinarily early with bright eyes and a dumb smile on his face he had sat at the piano for an hour or so plinking out the same damn notes over and over with slight variation, adding a few, taking away a few, adding new ones, etc. The unholy racket woke up the lazy cat god and he had been unable to fall back asleep. He turned to food to comfort him, if one could call it food, which he did not. Plagg took a bite of string cheese still watching the blonde boy as he twirled around the room dancing with the pajama shirt he had just removed. A strand of the stringy cheese caught in Plagg’s teeth and he snapped awkwardly trying to get the hanging particle into his mouth. He tried again, tilting his head further to one side to get the end of the strand to fall into his mouth. Out of frustration he spit the piece in his mouth across the room swiftly followed by the remaining stick of cheese, which he threw with his small paw.
“Hey, watch it!” Adrien called with brows furrowed. He wiped his shirt and then examined it for any mark caused by the flying cheese.
“I can’t eat this anymore! It’s been two days! When am I going to get my Camembert?” he whined.
Adrien squinted at his kwami, but didn’t answer.
“Everything’s fine now. You and Ladybug are dating. Didn’t I say by the end of the week you’d be dating? And you are! So why am I still eating string cheese?”
“We’re meeting Mari later. She’ll probably bring some cheese Danish,” Adrien said as he walked over to the desk. He squatted down so that he was at the same eye level as Plagg, “And, if you can behave yourself then I’ll stop on the way home and pick up some Camembert, but only if you’re good.” Adrien held up two fingers, pointed them at his eyes, then Plagg’s, and finally back to his own. He rose, stood, and danced his way back to the piano. Plagg sighed. Somehow his chosen had become even more insufferable, happy than he had when he was sad and lonely.
---o---
Francois, aka “Gorilla” as Adrien nicknamed him, pulled up to the curb outside the bakery. Before he could exit the car and open the door for his charge, Adrien had already sprinted inside the bakery. A few moments later Adrien reappeared holding the hand of a petite, raven-haired girl that Gorilla had seen the blonde boy talking to on a few previous occasions. She gave the large man a shy hello and passed him a brown paper bag, payment for the unscheduled stop. Gorilla closed the car door behind them and then briskly walked around the car to the driver’s seat.
During the drive Gorilla could see the couple in his rearview mirror. They sat closely to each other, still holding hands, whispering and giggling. Gorilla smiled to himself. He could not remember the last time he had seen Adrien so happy. The young lady looked very happy as well if her blushing and fluttering eyes were any indication.
Technically speaking, Gorilla was breaking the rules. Under normal circumstances he was not supposed to give rides to any of Adrien’s friends, but since Adrien was currently serving out a two-week grounding the young man was also not allowed any unscheduled socializing. Although the volunteering appointment was an approved, scheduled event it was supposed to be a solo endeavor. The addition of Adrien’s female friend was most definitely unapproved and unscheduled. If M. Agreste or Nathalie were to find out, then Adrien’s sentence would no doubt be extended.
“They won’t hear it from me,” Gorilla thought as he watched the pair walk hand in hand into the cat shelter. Although Adrien would from time to time skip out on his driver, he never did anything particularly worrisome, usually going to a movie or the arcade with his best friend, Nino, of whom M. Agreste considered a bad influence on his sheltered son. If this girl was going to become a fixture in the blonde boy’s life, which from what Gorilla could tell would likely be the case, then it’d be easier to work with them than against them. Besides, she brought him his favorite treat, lady fingers.
---o---
“Adrien! Glad to have you back!” cried a middle-aged woman with light brown hair.
“Thanks, Renee. This is my friend, Marinette. She’s going to volunteer today, too.”
“That’s wonderful, dear. I’m so glad you’re getting your friends involved.” She passed some forms to Marinette to fill out. “We need all the help we can get. Do you mind showing Marinette around, Adrien? I’ve got my hands full up here.”
“Of course!” Adrien smiled happily. This would be fun. He couldn’t wait. Taking care of the cats always made him feel better and now he’d get to share it with his, shhh, secret girlfriend. It was almost too much! Adrien rocked on his feet as he waited for Marinette to finish filling out the forms.
“Thank you, dear,” Renee continued. “When you go back can you take these to Chloe?” She indicated a box on the counter.
Adrien froze. Marinette’s eyes snapped up.
“Chloe?” they both asked at the same time.
“Yes, dear. Your other friend who’s volunteering today. She’s been here almost an hour…she’s in Room B!” Renee called after the two hurrying teenagers.
Adrien burst through the door to Room B with Marinette hot on heels.
“Adrikens! I’m so happy to see you. Look who I met?” Chloe held in her hands an all-white cat with blue eyes. She moved its paw to make it wave at him.
“Chloe!?!” Adrien exclaimed
“Chloe,” Marinette gritted her teeth. Her worst fears assured.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” The blonde girl innocently asked.
“Yeah, trying to interfere with our date,” Marinette grumbled under her breath.
“I’m helping the kitties. I loooove this one. Isn’t he cute? I’ve named him Snowball. Say hi to Adrikens, Snowball.” She waved the cat’s paw at him again.
“Do you even like cats?” Marinette asked suspiciously.
“Hello, Marinette,” Chloe greeted her, although the way she said the raven-haired girl’s name it sounded more like a curse word than a salutation. “Of course, I love cats. I’m Adrien’s friend, aren’t I? It’s a requirement.”
Adrien lowered his eyes a bit guiltily remembering the conversation at Friday’s lunch with Juleka. Chloe must have taken it to heart and now she’s here to prove (again) how good a friend she can be to him. Chloe must have made a mental note of all of his weekend plans since she had shown up to his lacrosse game yesterday and now at the cat shelter today.
“That’s great, Chloe!”
“It is?” Marinette hissed in surprise.
“I finished cleaning all the cages on this wall,” she pointed to the short sided wall, “but we’ll need more supplies for the rest of the room.”
Marinette’s jaw dropped to the floor. “Chloe cleaned?” she thought.
“Oh, right! I forgot the box from up front. Be right back.”
Adrien turned on his heel and exited the room. Marinette stood frozen in place as she watched Chloe wave the cat’s paw again as a goodbye. Suddenly realizing that the person with whom she meant to spend the day had disappeared Marinette hustled out to find him. Back at the reception desk she found him, box in hand.
“You do realize that she’s only here to sabotage our day together?”
“You heard her. Chloe’s here to help.”
Marinette rolled her eyes.
“If you really believe that, then don’t let her. We can still have a good time together with Chloe here,” Adrien calmly rationalized as he shifted the box in his hands.
“Chloe and good times don’t go together,” Marinette scowled.
“Just give her a chance?” Showing her his best kitten eyes, “Please?”
Marinette sighed and then nodded. It’s not like she had much choice. Adrien flashed her a smile and paid her his first compliment of the day. He had to choose them carefully, since they had agreed that he was limited to only three a day. Three had been determined to be the perfect number in order to reassure her that she was good enough to be Adrien’s secret girlfriend without overwhelming her and triggering her anxiety.
“One of the many reasons I love you, you give second chances.” He wished his hands weren’t full so that he could kiss her properly, instead of settling for giving her a peck on the cheek. Marinette smiled at the warmth of his affection for her. She was about to follow him back when she heard Renee call her name. She had to finish filling out the volunteer forms.
A few minutes later Marinette found her way back to the room. Chloe was talking of course.
“I really don’t think the clips from the LadyBlog do you any justice, Adrien. I mean, you were very heroic and you can barely even tell you were there! You only appear in two clips. I mean, seriously? Only two? They don’t even show the good parts where you rescued me.” She fluffed her hair and Adrien theorized that she felt miffed not to have appeared in any of the clips herself.
“And that helmet!” Chloe continued, “You should have taken it off. You can’t even see your face!”
Marinette rolled her eyes. “If he’d of taken it off then he might of gotten hurt.”
“I don’t see how a lacrosse helmet could provide much protection against fire,” Chloe rolled her eyes in return.
“Oh, hey Marinette!” Adrien greeted her as he turned to give Chloe the cat he had just removed from its cage. He gave her a warm smile. “I thought you and Chloe could entertain the cats while I clean their cages.”
“Adrikens,” Chloe batted her eyes at Adrien, “don’t you want to join me in playing with the kitties? They’re so cute. Marinette can clean, she’s used to it.”
Marinette clenched her jaw and was about to make a retort, when Adrien interjected.
“That’s okay. Newbies like you two should enjoy the perks. It’s pretty messy to clean the cages and besides interacting with the cats is important, too. They need love and stimulation.”
Marinette sat down near Chloe. Toys were scattered around the floor and Marinette picked up a stick that had feathers tied at the end of a string that she used to tease a calico. Chloe held a fat, orange tabby on her lap and stroked it affectionately.
“Anyways, the least Alya could do is add a write-up to give you some credit on the LadyBlog,” Chloe criticized as she returned to the subject of their conversation before Marinette entered. “But, don’t worry, Adrikens, I’m going to talk to her about it.” Chloe flicked her ponytail.
“Really, Chlo, it’s fine. I don’t need or want any credit,” he said as he rolled up his sleeves.
“Nonsense! You’re a hero!”
“Yeah, but you know how my father is…best to not draw any attention to it.”
Adrien hoped that would deter Chloe from interfering, but she only hummed a non-committal response.
Adrien peaked into the cages that Chloe claimed to have cleaned and decided that he’d have to redo them. He’d do those last figuring that perhaps Chloe would get bored and leave before he’d get to them and as such would not be the wiser. No sense hurting her feelings when she was trying to do a good deed. He started to unpack the box that Renee gave them, pulling out the supplies.
Adrien and Marinette remained fairly quiet as Chloe dominated the conversation. Topics included yesterday’s akuma attack, people at school that Chloe doesn’t like, which is pretty much everyone, and then the upcoming party that Chloe would be throwing on Saturday in Adrien’s honor.
“My party is going to be the perfect way to close out the school year! Marlena has come up with a gourmet menu: beluga caviar, truffles, duck foie gras, frog legs, raw oysters, smoked salmons, escargot…”
“Umm…I think most of the kids in our class would prefer to eat pizza and chips, Chloe,” Marinette suggested.
“Ugh! Peasant food. Never! Only the best for Adrikens!” Chloe enthused. “Want to see the dress I’ll be wearing?” she asked Adrien. When he nodded she showed him the picture she had saved on her phone. After seeing the picture he smiled and assured her that he thought she’d look very pretty in it. Satisfied with the compliment she smugly turned and flaunted the picture in front of Marinette. The aspiring fashion designer recognized it as a cocktail dress from this year’s spring line from the Gabriel collection. It was yellow of course, Chloe’s favorite color, with a straight neckline and off-the shoulder cap sleeves.
“What are you going to wear, Marinette?” Chloe asked, but the way she said it was almost like a taunt. “Nothing designer, I suspect.”
“Not everyone can afford designer clothes,” Marinette explained. “Besides I make my own.”
“So, they are designer. Designed by Marinette,” Adrien chimed in giving the girl with hair as dark as midnight a wink.
“Bleh! Home made,” Chloe judged.
“Just because it doesn’t have a label stitched inside doesn’t mean it’s not any good,” the blonde boy argued.
“Hmph! Well, what are you going to wear, Marinette?” Chloe pressed.
“I haven’t decided yet…” Marinette actually hadn’t had any time to think about it much less design anything.
“I’m sure it’ll be amazing. Your designs always are,” Adrien encouraged.
“What about you, Adrikens? Will you be wearing one of your father’s suits? I do love you in a suit or…maybe a vest. They’re very fashionable right now.”
“Actually, Marinette is making me a shirt,” he grinned in that lopsided way that made Marinette’s heart beat faster. She could feel the blush spread across her cheeks.
“Oh, I see,” Chloe turned her head away from both of them and lowered her eyes. “I suppose you’re going together then?” she asked quietly.
“Yep!” Adrien replied happily, but then remembered the agreement he made with Marinette to keep their relationship a secret, so he quickly added “But just as friends.”
Chloe smirked, “Just friends, huh?” She whipped her head back around to face her rival with triumph blazing in her eyes. Marinette instantly regretted deciding to keep her relationship with Adrien a secret. Although she did not want any interference or drama from anyone, especially Chloe, it did not look as if her plan was working. If anything, Chloe looked emboldened to continue her pursuit of Adrien. No doubt her intrusion into their lives would continue.
“Well, then you’ll be saving some dances for your other friend, won’t you Adrikens?” she asked meaning herself as she leaned in closer to him, batting her eyelashes.
“Oh, um,” he looked uncertainly at Marinette, knowing that she wouldn’t like it, but his kind nature won out. “Sure.”
Marinette shot them both a glaring look. Adrien shrugged in response just before Chloe threw her arms around him enveloping in a bear hug. Adrien held his hands out not touching her.
“Careful, Chlo! I don’t want to get you dirty,” he warned. Chloe jumped off of him as quickly as she had jumped on. After giving herself a thorough dusting off she turned toward the cages and sighed.
“Aren’t we done yet?”
“Just a few more to go,” Adrien replied.
“Don’t feel like you have to stay, Chloe. We can finish up.” Marinette crossed her fingers that the diva would leave.
“Good! Then, I’ll have just enough time to figure out which lucky kitty is coming home with me!”
“You’re going to adopt one of the cats?” Marinette’s eyes bugged out in surprise.
“That’s awesome, Chlo!” Adrien smiled.
Chloe beamed. “Of course, I am. You know how much I love cats!” she sing-songed.
“Shouldn’t you ask your father first, Chloe?” Marinette wondered.
“Daddy won’t mind,” Chloe insisted.
“It’s a big responsibility. You have to feed it, give it water, change its litter, take it to the vet, brush its coat…” Marinette counted off on her fingers.
“I have people for that,” Chloe waved the air dismissively. “Now, which one of you is good enough to be my pet?”
Chloe scanned the cages, talking to a few and taking a couple out to hold. She snapped a few selfies with different cats trying to make sure that they didn’t clash and also to determine how photogenic they are. Ultimately, she decided on a yellow tabby with dark yellow, almost light orange markings.
“What should I call it?” she asked.
“If you want to know a cat’s name, then you must ask. Allow me,” Adrien took the cat from her. He whispered in its ear and then held its mouth up to his own ear. When he handed the cat back to Chloe he said decidedly, “Apricat.”
“Oh, that’s a good name, Adrikens,” Chloe enthused. “You do look like an apricot, don’t you Apricot?” she asked the cat.
“Not Apricot,” Adrien corrected. “Apricat.”
“Really, Adrien? I’m not naming my cat with a pun.”
“I can’t help it if that’s its name. You wanted to know its name and I told you,” Adrien threw up his hands, but in a dramatic yet good-natured way.
Marinette laughed. Chloe eyed her and then a smirk curled her lips.
“What about you, Marinette? Which cat are you taking home?”
“ME? I-I can’t have a cat,” she explained.
“Besides I’d rather have a hamster,” the raven-haired girl couldn’t help, but think.
“And why not?” Chloe asked knowing full well that since Marinette lived above her parents’ bakery that she had never been allowed to have a pet due to health code restrictions and their high sense of cleanliness.
“She already has one,” Adrien chimed in, “a black one with green eyes.”
“I thought your parents wouldn’t let you have a pet,” Chloe narrowed her eyes.
“Um…well, this one’s not mine exactly,” Marinette tried to explain. Adrien hummed in puzzlement. “I mean he belongs to all of Paris. He visits my balcony a lot and I feed it.”
“Ugh! A stray! How awful. It must be so dirty and smelly.”
“He’s not a stray. He has a home, mine. He just doesn’t like to be penned inside, so he comes and goes as he chooses. And, he’s not dirty or smelly,” she defended her kitty. “He smells damn good,” she mumbled under her breath as pink dusted her cheeks at the thought of the wonderful smell of “parfum d’Adrien”.
“What’s his name?” Chloe asked still skeptical. Adrien visibly stiffened.
“Kitty,” Marinette replied without missing a beat.
“That’s not a very imaginative name. Apricat is far superior,” she said as she sniffed, her nose jutting up in the air.
Marinette felt sorry for little Apricat. It didn’t deserve this fate. No one did. She gave its left ear a tender stroke.
“Your new mommy is a bi-atch,” she thought.
“You’ll have to fill out some paperwork and pay a fee. Renee can help you,” Adrien explained to his blonde friend how to go about adopting the yellow feline.
“You coming, Adrien?” Chloe asked as she stood to leave with Apricat in tow.
“In a minute. Just need to finish up in here,” he replied.
After Chloe had left the room Adrien sidled over to his secret girlfriend.
“This cat is very much yours,” he purred giving her a quick peck on the mouth. In response Marinette wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him in for a longer kiss.
“Careful, Princess, I might get you dirty.”
“I’m not afraid of a little cat hair,” she murmured as their lips met.
“And, don’t you dare get a cat!” Adrien warned after breaking the kiss. “I’ve never felt so jealous, seeing you cuddle with all of these cats.”
Marinette giggled as she kissed him again, “I’m strictly a one-cat girl.”