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Before Marinette left home to head to school, Alya came by and asked if she could try something on her.
“Okay girl, hold out your wrist for me.”
Marinette huffed as she let Alya smoothly roll an unknown substance over her pulse point. “What is the meaning to all of this?” she asked curiously.
Grinning mischievously, her best friend looked up at her over the rim of her glasses. “Trust me, you’ll see.”
“I don’t think trusting you is a good idea,” Marinette mumbled, not understanding what was going on.
Alya stepped back then and examined Marinette for a moment. After a second or two of debating, she came back into her personal space and applied the stuff once more; behind both her ears, her other wrist, neck, and in the creases of her elbows.
“Oh man,” Alya cackled, “you’re going to be the loveliest smelling sex attractant there is.”
“A what ?!” Marinette shrieked, pulling away abruptly.
Alya dissolved into more laughter. “Boys and girls alike will be flocking to you I bet,” she went on, pressing the small, vial like tube into her lax hand, “consider this an early birthday present.”
Marinette frowned, examining her wrist and sniffing it. “What did you just put on me?”
Slinging an arm around her shoulder, Alya smiled. “Let me tell you about a wonderful perfume called Basic Instinct.”
What is that delightful smell?
As Adrien shut his car door he breathed in the spring air again, causing the flowery aroma to pierce his nostrils and send his heart pounding.
From being a superhero for two years, his senses were more attuned to scents and could quickly pick up on most things out of the suit.
Along with other fancy cat traits, conveniently enough.
I know that scent…but from where?
The answer was a tickle in his brain, just out of his reach, teasing him.
Still following the lovely trail, he suddenly came across Marinette standing alone just outside the school entrance. Taking a deep breath, he pinpointed the source of it all a few feet from him, right where the girl with pigtails stood.
Oh, it was her he smelled. But it was…different somehow. For some reason it called to him, beckoning him forward until he ended up next to Marinette.
It took all of his willpower to refrain himself from burying his nose in the places the scent was located on her.
“Hello Marinette,” he greeted politely.
The girl in question turned to him with a blush quickly blooming across her cheeks as she looked up at him. “H-hi Adrien! Waving her hand in the air, it caused a rush of that sweet fragrance to smack him right in the face.
His knees wobbled.
What’s happening? Adrien thought, confused as to why his body was acting this way towards his very good friend.
Swallowing hard, Adrien kept his eyes locked on hers while trying to maintain his composure. “I was wondering,” he rubbed the back of his neck shyly, “is that a new perfume you’re wearing?”
At this, Marinette’s face immediately burned bright red. “Um…yeah, it is,” she giggled nervously, then shot him a wide, shiny white smile.
“Where did you get it?” he asked curiously, needing to know so he could buy it as soon as possible.
Tapping her two index fingers together, she regarded him for a bit. “W-well, I got it from Alya but it’s not…it’s kind of unique to each person…” she trailed off.
Raising a questioning brow and tilting his head, he wondered what she meant.
“Tell him how it’s unique Marinette,” Alya all but materialized next to them.
Adrien blinked at her sudden appearance then stood there patiently waiting for an answer from either of them.
Both girls held a silent conversation with their eyes, raising eyebrows and making faces at each other until Marinette cracked and buried her head in her hands with a groan. Alya laughed gleefully, nudging her in the side causing her to squeak in mortification.
“Here Adrien,” Alya said, lifting Marinette’s wrist up towards his nose. “Before I answer your question, what exactly do you smell?”
Leaning down, he took a slight whiff of it. Then his arms shot out to gently grab her hand and clutch it to his nose, breathing in deeply. He closed his eyes in pure ecstasy, not noticing the shocked expressions on the girls’ faces as they both stared at him.
“Flowers and soap,” he whispered on a faint breath. Opening his eyes revealed huge, dilated pupils.
After a beat, Alya recovered and a smirk appeared on her face. “Unexpected but definitely not unwelcome.”
“ Alya! ” Marinette hissed, snapping out of her shock and yanking her hand back.
“That, my dear child, was pheromones,” she replied to him. “The only place you can get that specific scent is from-mmph!”
Marinette slapped her hand onto Alya’s mouth, chuckling maniacally as she threw a panicked gaze his way. “Oh would you look at the time! Gotta get to class!”
Adrien watched in a daze as Marinette practically dragged Alya up the steps and through the school doors.
After a minute of collecting himself while Plagg groaned in his pocket, he followed after them.
Throughout the morning, Marinette noticed more and more people trying to surround themselves around her, with many of them asking where she got her perfume. A few brave souls would even lean in and smell her. But none of them could come close to Adrien’s first reaction.
It puzzled her how affected he was by it.
Speaking of Adrien, he seemed to be the one in doing a great job keeping most people away while the day dragged on. Whenever someone got too close, he would insert himself between them with his back to her, grumble out something too quiet for her ears, and then turn to her with a charming smile. She never saw what his face looked like when speaking to the person, but from seeing them hurry off with a petrified expression on their face, it must have been threatening enough.
The result of his behavior made Marinette feel a little annoyed, yet extremely flattered and giddy at the same time.
Who knew that some perfume could make her crush act this way?
When the final bell rang, Marinette continued sketching out the idea she had for a sundress she planned on making. The lines she created flowed daintily across the paper.
“Girl you coming?” Alya asked from the direction of the doorway.
Marinette lifted her head to realize everyone had packed up and left and she was the last one there.
Waving her hand dismissively, she shoed Alya away. “Go on, I’m almost finished.”
“Alright,” Alya shrugged and walked out the door.
In a few more minutes, Marinette packed up her sketchbook and gathered her things, then strode out of the classroom. Lost in thought and surprisingly exhausted from the day she had, she made it to the courtyard of the school without realizing she had a follower until they settled a hand on her shoulder.
“Hey there cutie,” purred an unfamiliar voice behind her.
Instantly going stiff and turning around, she peered up at a tall, older boy wearing a black fedora with blue eyes. He had a troubling smirk on his face that she didn’t like.
“Hi,” she answered tersely, swiping his hand off her shoulder.
“You smell nice,” he leaned in too close for her comfort. She backed away, but he followed. Glancing around the courtyard, Marinette realized it was just the two of them.
Standing her ground, she put away her fear and looked up at him, having a stance ready in case she needed to go Ladybug-without-the-spots on him. Through the purse at her hip, Tikki patted her leg in reassurance to let her know she’s there if needed.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you all day,” he said in a silky voice, “but that dumb model kid kept hanging around you.”
She balled her fists.
He inclined his body, closer, once more. “Anyway, what’s your name, Princesse ?”
Eyes going wide and jaw clenching, Marinette hoped for this boy’s sake that Chat Noir never catches wind of his nickname for her being used-
Suddenly, he was ripped away from her line of vision. She barely turned her head when strong arms wrapped around her, making her collide against a solid torso. While listening to the swift thumping of their heartbeat, a rumble began to build, increasing slightly in volume.
From the smell of his cologne, she knew exactly who was holding her.
“ Mine, ” Adrien growled.
Feeling her body flush from the tips of her hair all the way down to her toes, Marinette figured she probably looked like a ripe tomato. Even so, she felt warm and safe in his arms and could have stayed like this forever despite her embarrassment. Taking a chance to peek up at Adrien’s face, she saw what everyone else saw earlier today before running.
His jaw was tense, with furrowed eyebrows and a mouth set in a thin line, while his eyes were liquid green fire threatening to destroy any challenger.
Back Off, his eyes said.
Any sane person would leave immediately.
This boy however, was clearly stupid.
“What the hell?!” he snapped at Adrien, scrambling to his feet. “Let go of my girl!”
An incredulous Excuse Me?? was at the tip of Marinette’s tongue, but Adrien beat her to it.
“ Your girl?” he snarled. She could feel his body starting to tremble with rage.
“Yeah,” the boy challenged mockingly, “what are you going to do about that?”
Adrien made to move Marinette, but she held firm. His blazing green eyes found hers as she subtly shook her head no, and then winked to reassure him. She watched as his eyes softened in understanding, ready to follow her lead.
A crazy idea had pushed its way to the forefront of her mind, so before she could really process what she was doing, Marinette looked over her shoulder, throwing a triumphant smirk at the older boy.
“He doesn’t have to do anything,” she said, “watch this.”
Whipping back around, she cupped both her hands around Adrien’s cheeks and brought his head down. Putting her thumb on his lips, she kissed it to appear as though they were engaged in a tender kiss. With her eyes closed, she felt his body freeze for a moment, then immediately melt against her. Pulling away slowly, she opened her eyes to see him staring intently at her.
She felt the heat spread through her cheeks from the undivided attention her rash decision caused.
I can’t believe I just did that.
Fighting her raging blush, she turned around to see the other boy gaping. Crossing her arms over her chest to hold in the impending anxiety of what she just did, she ground up some fake confidence.
“Does that answer your question?” she asked sweetly.
Snapping his jaw shut, the boy clenched his teeth together and angrily muttered out, “you’re not worth it anyway,” as he stomped off.
Which left her with the aftermath of what just occurred, accompanied with tense silence.
Ever so reluctantly, she turned to see Adrien rubbing his neck awkwardly and looking away, a lovely pink hue to his cheeks. She saw his adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed, then finally he glanced down at her.
“Well that was….something,” he chuckled weakly.
“Yeah…,” she replied uncertainly.
This is the perfect opportunity to admit my crush to him…if not now then when?
“Was that okay? I mean, I didn't want to give you a kiss without your permission and I had to make it look real and also I actually really like you so-,” Marinette took a deep breath in from her rushed rambling, “wouldyouconsidergoingoutwithme?” she whooshed out, twisting her fingers around nervously. Her heart pounded dangerously fast and her gut rolled with nausea.
It was finally happening. She was asking him out.
Alya and the girls would be so proud!
Marinette watched as Adrien’s eyebrows started to tug down into a frown. But before he could answer, he looked behind her, his eyes suddenly widening. “Marinette look out!” he yelled, wrapping his arms around her and throwing them both to the floor.
A pure white beam just missed the two of them and burst into crackling sparkles as it hit the wall on the other side.
“I am Mister Nice Guy!” a boy shouted, standing a few feet away.
Marinette looked up. A glittering black fedora sat on his head while he wore a burgundy suit and grey slacks, matching with black dress shoes.
At least this akuma had some class.
Mister Nice Guy pointed at her, “This is what you deserve for making me look like a fool! I acted like a gentleman towards you and this is how you repay me?! Well you missed your chance!” He stomped his foot like a little kid not getting his way.
Just great, Marinette thought as she was pulled to her feet in an instant and dodged out of the way of another beam alongside Adrien. I finally confess to Adrien and this is what happens .
“Come back here you fake!” He yelled as they both sprinted down the hallway.
It was his basic instinct to protect her throughout the day. No rationale, no explanation, just this increasing need to intimidate and ward off any potential rivals who dared to get close to Marinette.
It only took one distracting phone call from Nathalie, only a few minutes away from her presence, and some boy weaseled his way to her.
Using the nickname Chat gave her, and then claiming her as his girl made Adrien’s blood boil for some unfathomable reason.
Shaking his head to rid of those thoughts, he continued to hurry Marinette through the corridor.
Spotting a nearby vacant closet, Adrien tugged Marinette in with him and quickly shut the door behind them.
Surrounded by darkness, he tried to control his breathing as best as he could, holding Marinette to him as he listened for the Akuma to run by. For what felt like five minutes having passed with no yelling on the other side, Adrien finally let out a relieved breath and slumped to the floor with Marinette still in his arms, resulting in a startled meep from her. He chuckled as the strong scent of whatever it was she had on her began wafting through his nostrils. It made him feel dizzy with happiness.
I still have to answer her question, he belatedly thought.
“Um…Adrien?” Marinette squeaked up at him.
He looked down, not able to see her since it was so dark, and hummed.
“You can let go of me now…”
As if he was burned, Adrien let go of Marinette and could feel the heat rise to his cheeks. It was a good thing she couldn’t see him.
“W-well we escaped him!” he stuttered out. Standing up, careful not to bump into Marinette, he felt his way along the wood of the door for the handle. Finding the smooth knob, he went to turn it.
And wasn’t able to.
Adrien swallowed hard. “Uhh…” he fumbled out.
“What?” Marinette questioned behind him.
“I have some…bad news.”
There was a second of silence. Then, “We’re locked in aren’t we.”
“Yep.”
Ruffling noises could be heard, so Adrien could imagine Marinette throwing her hands in the air. “Just perfect! Not what are we going to do?”
He considered it for a moment. From what he could tell, there was no window to escape out of and no air vent to climb through in this tiny closet, so there were really only two options at this point.
Wait for help to arrive while there was an akuma rampaging throughout the school, or transform and reveal his identity.
Adrien chewed his lip, would it really be so bad to reveal myself to Marinette?
Taking a deep breath, he had decided and turned around to look where he believed Marinette was. “Marinette, I need you to promise me that what you’re about to see cannot leave this room. Ever.”
“Um…okay?” she answered confused.
I’m sorry Ladybug, Adrien thought sincerely then added pleadingly, please don’t kill me.
“Plagg!” he whispered, “transform me!”
The brief green glow traveling down his body granted him the view of a completely flabbergasted Marinette.
When the glow faded, the room was enveloped in a stagnant silence.
However, the only sound Chat could hear for the time being was the too loud beating of his heart while he waited for her to say something. Anything.
For what seemed like an eternity passing, Marinette finally spoke up in a stern voice.
“You and I are going to have words after we get out of here.”
Baffled, all Chat could do was gape.
He was not expecting that reaction at all.
Coughing to clear his throat, Chat turned around to face the door again. “Cataclysm,” he ordered, and touched his bubbling hand onto the wood frame. It cracked and faded to dust as the two of them exited the room and glanced about.
No Akuma in sight.
Then he was suddenly being poked in the chest by Marinette’s dainty finger. “Once you defeat the Akuma, then we will talk. Understand?” She said in a business-like tone. Her eyes stared deep into his soul.
Raising his hands in surrender, he conceded. “Okay Princess. Your command shall be obeyed.” Then he gave an over exaggerated bow.
Rolling her eyes, Marinette huffed. “Oh my god, all this time Adrien has been calling me Princess and acting like a huge dork.” She giggled under her breath and whispered words that even his cat ears could barely make out, “That’s my Chaton alright.”
Cocking his head to the side, he puzzled over her comment. Without giving him time to really think about it, Marinette turned, distracting him by placing her hand on his cheek. The smell of flowers and soap infiltrated his nose once again. And the scent was even stronger .
Mon dieu.
“Good luck out there, my knight in a shining magical suit,” she said tenderly.
The intoxicating smell of her perfume must have really messed up his head. Staring into her eyes and not breaking contact with them, Chat slowly turns his head and kisses her palm. It doesn’t take long for two identical blushes to appear on both of their faces as they fling back away from each other and trip over their own excuses.
“Y-yeah okay, gotta go and get that Akuma now,” he stammered out, running in a random direction. Too busy trying to run from his embarrassment, he doesn’t understand what she says in reply while she sprints in the opposite direction.
After a few minutes go by, Chat made his way to the roof of the school, trying to locate the villain. He wasn’t waiting long when he heard the telltale zipping of his partner’s yoyo and her landing some distance away.
Twirling his baton in his hand, he attempts to regain back his composure and appear suave-as-always before his lady.
“Glad you could join me on this fine spring day, my Lady.”
Peering over at her, he could see red peeking out from underneath her mask. Why was she blushing?
“Ah...yes, good to yee sou too Minou,” she gave him a manic smile as her eyes widened, “I MEAN, see you too!” she corrected, and then quickly composed herself to go back to searching for the villain of the day. “So, do you see any traces of the Akuma?”
Chat lifted an eyebrow and shook his head. “No. But we could follow that trail of people made of plastic and hopefully find the prize at the end,” he said, pointing to the line of plasticized people making its way to the Eiffel Tower.
Spinning her yoyo, Ladybug looked to him. “Alright Chat, let’s go!”
It didn’t take long to locate Mister Nice Guy at the base of the tower, frustratingly zapping people who refused to do what he ordered them and doing it out of spite, trying to find Marinette but to no avail.
With a simple flick of her wrist, Ladybug tossed her yoyo in the air and called upon her lucky charm. A spotted book dropped into her hands with a title that read, ‘True Gentleman Etiquette for Dummies.’
Ladybug stared at it. “Well this is straightforward.”
Chucking her yoyo to loop around a beam of the Eiffel Tower, Chat watched in curiosity as she shot off towards the Akuma.
“Hey dude!” she yelled, fast approaching him.
The Akuma whipped his head around to see Ladybug for a split second before he got a face full of the book.
“Time to start a new chapter in your life,” Ladybug smirked. Landing beside the stunned Akuma and snatching the hat off the ground, she ripped it in half. After capturing and purifying the butterfly, she peeled the book away from the boy’s face, cringing from the result of unnecessary force she used.
Even though he kind of deserved it , Chat thought bitterly, now making his way towards his partner.
“Miraculous Ladybug!” she shouted, tossing the book in the air and watching as the ladybugs surrounded the plastic people and restoring them to normal.
Chat Noir dropped down beside her, giving their customary fist bump. “I booked it over here as soon as I could,” he wiggled his eyebrows as she rolled her eyes in response. Then he looked over at the boy now clutching his head, confusion written all over his face. “Well, no more Mister Nice Guy.”
"Let's hope," Ladybug said, walking over to the boy and sporting a seemingly innocent smile as she crouches down next to him. "Word of advice," she started cool, " never again impose on someone and make them feel uncomfortable while being a complete asshat, trying to get your way with them. Learn to respect their choices and back off. Do I make myself clear?" She stares him dead in the eye as he gulps.
"Ye-yes ma'am," he stutters.
Patting him on the shoulder and standing up, she glances down at him. "I'm glad we have an understanding." Her blue eyes hardened. "Don't let it happen again." With that, she flies away.
Chat does the 'I'm watching you' sign and quickly follows in the direction his lady went.
Not exactly paying attention to where she headed off to, he was just about to touch down on the school’s roof when a red blur collided into him. Rolling to a stop in the middle of the roof, Chat immediately pushed himself up onto his elbows to look at Ladybug’s face underneath him. Wide blue eyes stared back at him in bafflement as he scrambled away from her.
A beeping rang in the air from her earrings.
“I am so so so sorry My Lady, I didn’t see you there and-,”
“Chat, it’s okay,” Ladybug assured, getting up and dusting herself off. “I was the one who wasn’t paying attention to where I was going silly kitty.”
Breathing in a sigh of relief, Chat felt better.
Until his nose was slammed with a familiar smell.
“My Lady,” he choked back the lump beginning to rise up his throat, “I know this might sound a little odd but…can I smell you?”
Blinking hard she stared at him.
“Umm…sure…?”
Stepping toward her, he sniffed.
He knew that scent.
It thrummed through every fiber of his cat being.
Marinette.
Instantly, he collapsed into her arms and inhaled.
“Chat!” Ladybug squeaked above him. “What the hell?!”
“I’m sorry,” he whimpered. “You just smell so good .”
Feeling her pause and pull back to look at him, she blanched. “Chat are you crying?”
Sniffling, he held her gently in his arms. “To answer both your questions, from now and before, yes.”
She watched him in confusion.
Wiping his tears away and presenting a love struck, watery smile, he whispered, “I would love to go out with you my Lady, my Princess, my Marinette .”
Her mouth formed an o shape, then she gave him a soft look. “I’ve been waiting for this day for so long,” she kissed him softly on his forehead, both staining the cheeks under their masks red. “And to think, it was all because Alya wanted me to try some new perfume called Basic Instinct.”
“A new purrfume you say?” Chat grinned as she groaned. “It sure has a certain scent imental value to it.”
He chuckled as she swatted his arm playfully.
Suddenly, Chat began rubbing his cheek along both sides of her face.
“Chat…” Ladybug deadpanned, “are you scent marking me.”
A purr rumbled up through his chest like a mini motor boat. “It’s my very own basic instinct Buginette.”
Ladybug facepalmed.