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Adrien was a good boy. An angel. His appearance practically screamed innocence, what with his neatly combed golden hair—with just the right amount of floof to it—his tidy outfit, and his perpetually sparkling emerald eyes. And if that didn’t win you over, he had another, much more effective weapon in his arsenal: a smile that could melt hearts of stone, and kindness to match.
He was virtually virtuous, if Adrien did say so himself.
But to the employees of a certain establishment called Disneyland Paris, he was no saint. (There was a reason he’d been banned from Disneyland.)
And to Adrien’s terror, he was currently being scrutinized by one of said employees.
Adrien swallowed as he shuffled forward uneasily. Maybe he shouldn’t have gone on the field trip. Maybe he shouldn’t have risked it. Maybe he should’ve at least worn sunglasses.
The security guard squinted at him in suspicion. “Have I seen you around, son? You seem rather familiar.”
Eyes widening, Adrien raised his hands in falsified objection. “Uh, I don’t think so? I’ve never even been to Disneyland before,” he fibbed. “Sir.”
The man leaned forward, eyebrows furrowing. Adrien shrank back.
“No, I swear I’ve seen you here before,” the stocky man muttered, a frown creasing his forehead. “Maybe ...”
Adrien bit the inside of his cheek. “Maybe you saw me in an ad, sir? I’m—I’m Adrien Agreste.”
The man—Claude, his name tag said, flashing into sight—cocked his head. “Maybe …?” Claude shook his head, sighing. “Ah, I apologize. This old man’s probably just being a little too paranoid.”
Adrien had to stop himself from nodding. That’d be rude.
Exhaling, Claude handed him a ticket and a brochure. “Anyways, you’re free to go, Adrien Agreste. Welcome to Disneyland.”
Adrien couldn’t help but break into a relieved grin. “Thank you, sir!”
As he pranced away towards the rest of his classmates, he thought he heard Claude mumble something under his breath.
It almost sounded like he’d said, “I almost thought you were Chat Noir.”
Adrien shivered and tried to banish the thought.
The sun beat down harshly on Nino as he walked with Adrien, trailing behind Alya and Marinette. Nino wiped the beginnings of sweat off his brow and turned to start a conversation with Adrien. But as he did, he noticed Adrien’s seeming discomfort. And after three years of friendship, Nino was pretty sure he knew his best friend well enough to tell. (Also, Adrien had just been looking over his shoulder, which was kind of a giveaway.)
He tapped Adrien on the shoulder. “Hey, bro. You alright?”
Adrien’s head swivelled to meet Nino’s gaze. “What are you talking about? I’m fine. Everything’s fine!”
Adrien’s smile looked off, in Nino’s opinion.
Nino raised an eyebrow. “You sure, dude? You don’t sound fine.”
“I’m sure!” Adrien took a deep breath, his eyes still a tad frantic. “I’m sure, Nino.”
Nino shrugged. “Okay, then.” If Adrien wouldn’t tell him, Nino would leave him alone. Maybe his bro was watching out for rabid fans or something. Whatever it was, it wasn’t really his business.
“Okay,” Adrien breathed. “Thank you.”
But while he was willing to turn a blind eye to it, Alya, on the other hand, had apparently noticed the odd exchange and now seemed intent on figuring out what exactly he was up to. It seemed there was no escape for Adrien now. She strode towards him, and Nino left to accompany Marinette.
Adrien flinched as Alya approached and proceeded to sling an arm around his shoulder.
“Hey, sunshine,” Alya said. “Any particular reason you’re looking so jittery? Scared of rollercoasters?”
Adrien laughed nervously. Oh, how he wished it were that simple. “Of course not, Alya.” He shrugged her arm off in a pseudo-casual manner, trying to inject some liveliness in his voice. “Are you?”
She laughed, taking his flimsy objection in stride. “Psh. Of course not. I have nothing on Marinette, though.”
Adrien turned to look at Marinette, who hovered some distance away with Nino. A cheerful smile graced her face, and he found himself entranced by the way her lips moved when she talked. “Marinette?”
“Oh, yeah. Girl’s a madwoman when it comes to these things.” Alya chuckled. “You probably wouldn’t expect it, with how clumsy she acts, but Marinette’s one of the toughest people I know.”
An image of Marinette glaring down at him while he scraped gum off a chair flashed through his mind. “I can see it.”
Alya muttered something underneath her breath, rolling her eyes.
“Hmm?” All Adrien had caught were the words can’t see, crush, and though.
“Oh, nothing,” Alya said, brushing it off easily. “You aren’t off the hook, though. I just know you’re hiding something, Agreste.”
Adrien looked away, trying to avoid her prying gaze. “Uh. Sure.”
Meanwhile, Claude had taken a break and was now standing in line for a sandwich. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, feeling uneasy.
It had been around an hour since he’d seen the face of “Adrien Agreste.” And still he couldn’t shake the thought that “Adrien” looked similar, so similar, to the terror of Disneyland Paris: Chat Noir.
He shivered at the memory.
Chat Noir had been banned from Disneyland for a reason. A very, very good reason. (Claude could still see the panicked faces of Parisians as they fled from the chaos Chat Noir had begun.) And as much as he desperately tried to tamp down the memories, he found himself reliving the fateful events once more, war-flashback style.
It was a peaceful day.
Birds chirped atop tree branches and wooden benches. Families strolled through the amusement park, composed of energetic kids, bored teenagers, and tired adults. The sun shone brightly, clouds occasionally scudding across it and providing momentary relief from its blinding rays.
By all accounts, it was a normal day at Disneyland.
A random pigeon pooped on Claude’s ticket counter.
Claude sighed. He reached for a tissue and wiped it off, chucking it into a nearby disposal bin.
Yep. A normal day at Disneyland.
Spying another excited family approaching his booth, he sighed resignedly, preparing himself for the onslaught of children.
They weren’t bad, per se, but his time working for Disneyland had shown him just how depraved children’s minds could be. Here, at his little ticket booth, he had witnessed both unspeakable wonders and horrors.
(Little did he know that one such horror would soon befall them. All of them.)
“Hello there. Welcome to Disneyland.” The canned greeting rolled off his tongue easy as pie. “May I see your tick—”
Something—or rather, someone—suddenly dropped down from above, cutting in front of the boisterous family.
Claude gaped in astonishment.
Standing before him, with slightly disheveled hair and a crooked grin, was Chat Noir.
“Chat Noir! What are you doing here?”
“Hello! I’ve got a ticket here—can I go in now?” The superhero practically vibrated with excitement.
Claude processed his request, then said slowly, “You’ll have to wait in line—”
Chat frowned, his sunny mood clouding over before Claude could even finish his sentence. “Oh. That’s too bad. Maybe I’ll just go somewhere else, then.”
Behind Chat, Claude’s harried manager—huffing and puffing from having run all the way there—was shaking her head frantically.
“—but maybe we can make an exception for one of Paris’s superheroes,” Claude finished hastily, risking another glance at his boss. The woman nodded, a relieved smile on her face.
“Really?” Chat Noir asked, beaming.
“Of course,” Claude replied, sweat beading his forehead. He glanced nervously at the clawed hand that clutched a ticket. That hand can wield destruction itself, his brain reminded him, and he felt even more on edge. “Can I see your ticket, sir?”
“Sure! Here you go,” Chat said cheerily.
To be honest, Chat’s bubbly demeanor scared him. Claude had watched enough TV shows to know that the innocent, cheerful ones were usually the most dangerous.
Quickly scanning the slip of paper, he stashed it and handed Chat Noir a wristband and a flyer from the stand near his booth. Behind Chat, the family who he’d been attending to earlier still stood agape. Even the children had gone quiet, frozen in shock.
“Welcome to Disneyland!” He tried to inject more energy into his voice. It didn’t work. “We hope you have a nice time.”
Chat beamed, casting an excited glance at his wristband, then at the gates up ahead. “I will! Thank you!”
And with that, Chat Noir pranced off, looking very much like a little child as he merrily went through the gates, ooh-ing and aah-ing at every single little thing.
Claude slumped into his seat, relieved that the ordeal was over. His manager patted him on the back and told him to take a fifteen minute break.
Those fifteen minutes were all it had taken for Disneyland Paris to descend into chaos. Absolute, screaming chaos—complete with an actual akuma.
“Can I take your order, sir?”
He jolted, summoned back to the present. “Oh, sure.”
As he rattled off his order, he prayed that this Adrien Agreste really wasn’t Chat Noir. He did not want a repeat.
(Claude’s prayers, sadly, went unanswered.)
One hour later, Adrien found himself staring up near the theater entrance.
He’d been too caught up in worry to really notice where his friends had been heading, but now that he was face to face with the building, a shudder ran through him.
This was where it had all begun, after all. The incident that had gotten Chat Noir banned in the first place.
His friends were already inside, and unless he wanted to look extra suspicious, he had no choice but to follow. Cautiously, he sat down beside Marinette. Nino and Alya were on Marinette’s right.
“H-hey,” Marinette whispered as the lights went out and the audience hushed. “What’s your va—favorite song from this one?”
Adrien rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Uh, which musical is this? I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Ladybug and Chat Noir: The Musical. Which song’s your favorite?”
Oh.
His heart pounded and sweat formed on his hands. It would be weird if he left now, right?
Right.
“Adrien?”
He forced a smile. “I like Ladybug’s solo. Oh, and her and Chat Noir’s duet. What about you?”
She giggled. “To be honest, the only song I really know is Hawkmoth’s. My dad once got it stuck in his head for a week, and my ears suffered for it.”
He grinned, some of his unease dissipating. “Well, there’s a first time for everything.”
In the dim light, Adrien thought he could see a blush on Marinette’s cheeks. “Y-yes.”
The spotlights powered on from the stage and the music started up. It was definitely too late to back out now, but that was okay. There was no way he could make the same mistake twice. All he had to do was remember not to get too carried away. (Last time, he’d accidentally upstaged the Chat Noir actor, or so the guy had felt, and got him akumatized.)
Yes, today would be fine. After all, he was here as Adrien Agreste. Just another student with his friends. What was the worst that could happen?
The actor that played Chat Noir sauntered onstage and started singing. Adrien was doing great. No one was paying attention to him. Nothing had gone wrong. He relaxed and, having memorized the entire first act of the musical, sang along cheerfully, eliciting a giggle from Marinette beside him.
Laughing with her, Adrien sang, “And all I’ve gotta do is say, ‘Transform me!’”
All of a sudden, a flash of green light burst from him, and Marinette screamed.
Oh no.
Horrified, Adrien looked down—and, yep, his transformation had activated. Out of instinct, he leapt out of his seat, falling on all fours onto the (thankfully empty) row in front of him.
Adrien—or, well, Chat Noir—slowly rose to his feet and turned around to face his friends.
Ladybug’s going to kill me.
He gulped. “I promise this isn’t what it looks like …”
“Chat Noir?” Marinette lowered the hand she’d used to shield her eyes, squinting into the dark. “What are you doing here?”
“Wait, you don’t—uh, I mean, I was here for a field trip,” Adrien stammered, heart pounding. So she hadn’t seen him transform?
Alya leaned over, eyes widening. “Chat Noir!” She tugged Nino’s arm excitedly. “Hey, look! It’s Chat Noir!”
As the whispers rippled through the audience, Adrien slowly backed away. “Um, I really have to go now … bye?”
Heart in his throat, Adrien sprinted out of the theater.
The security guards were out for his blood.
He adjusted the mouse-ear headband that had been blown askew from his escape, scanning his surroundings as he did. In truth, he was trembling. Being chased the first time had been bad enough, especially since he had somehow ended up in one of the artificial lakes scattered around the park. Being chased a second time was nerve racking.
When he turned around to check behind him, he nearly yelped and gave away his position.
Mere feet away from him stood Marinette, feeding a cookie to her bag.
His eyes widened.
No, scratch that. Feeding a cookie to her kwami.
Tikki froze mid-swallow, eyes wider than he thought possible. Adrien thought he could see Marinette’s soul leave her body.
“Ch-Chat Noir,” Marinette stammered, a sudden sheen of sweat on her forehead. “Fancy s-seeing you here.”
His mouth moved before his mind could comprehend it. “Ladybug?”
The word was suffused with wonder, with disbelief.
Marinette hung her head. “Would you believe me if I told you this was a toy that somehow got possessed by a cookie demon?”
Adrien couldn’t help the snort that escaped him. “Nah. But five points for originality.”
Marinette looked back at him, a rueful smile on her lips. “Oh, well. I tried.”
Adrien smiled back, and for a moment they shared a sort of sheepish happiness.
And then a whistle pierced the air, and he nearly jumped out of his skin.
“Crap,” he hissed. “I gotta go.”
She peeked out of the alleyway. Seeing the guards, she raised an eyebrow. “Kitty?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I … may or may not have been banned from Disneyland the last time I was here.”
She shot him a deadpan stare. “You’re kidding.”
Adrien shrugged. “I didn’t think they’d ban me, but hey—I guess there’s a first for everything.”
Marinette smacked her forehead. “Good grief, Chat. What did you even do last time?”
The sounds of the security officers grew louder. He readied his baton. “I can explain later, m’lady, but I really need to go.”
Marinette sighed. “No. Stay here. I’ll fix this.”
Adrien cocked his head, confused, but obeyed her. He watched as Marinette transformed into Ladybug and felt a thrill run in his veins at the reminder that he’d really found his lady and that his lady was Marinette.
She stalked out of the alleyway. Adrien tried not to swoon at her confident stride.
“Is there a problem here?” Marinette asked in a tone that could make the fiercest akuma cower.
The security officers skidded to a stop. Adrien could practically see their jaws dropping open.
That’s my lady!
He crept closer, wanting to eavesdrop. He’d be lying if he didn’t say he felt vindicated.
“—bug, your partner—”
Marinette let out a long-suffering sigh. “Oh, I know all about it.”
“We really are sorry, Ladybug,” someone interjected. “It’s just that we can’t risk it happening again.”
Adrien cringed.
“Oh?” Marinette seemed amused. “Well, I’ll ask him later. But please, leave this to me. You may go back to your posts now.”
There were meek murmurs of assent from the normally tough security guards, and from the rustling he could hear, they were already leaving. Adrien had to stifle a laugh.
As they left, Marinette walked back towards the alleyway. Adrien unconsciously straightened as she came into view.
“That was awesome!” he gushed, trailing her like a happy puppy. “You just—just stood there and spoke to them and then they just went away!” He laughed gleefully. “You’re amazing, princess!”
Marinette laughed and turned toward him, booping him on the nose. “Silly kitty.”
She pranced away, going to sit down at the end of the alley. She patted a suited hand on the space next to her. “Sit down.”
He did so eagerly. “So, now that the cat’s out—”
“Chat Noir.” There was a twinkle in her eye. “How’d you get yourself banned from Disneyland?”
Adrien shrank back, sweat beading on his forehead. “Do we have to talk about it now?” he asked, laughing nervously. “Wouldn’t you rather know your partner’s identity first?”
Marinette rolled her eyes. There was a grin on her face, though. “Oh, fine. I’ll bite. What’s the true identity of my knight in shining leather?”
Adrien beamed. “Detransform me.”
When the green light faded, Marinette let out a sudden scream, the sound splitting the still air.
“Adrien?”
He laughed. “Surprise?”
Before he could say another word, Marinette had tackled him, pulling him into what was probably the best hug in his entire lifetime.
“It’s always been you,” she murmured. “I can’t believe it. It’s been you this whole time.”
“Better believe it,” he said, a smile on his face. “Because I’m not leaving any time soon.”
She breathed out a laugh. “I hope not.”
They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, basking in each other’s presence. In that moment, in his lady’s embrace, Adrien felt near euphoric, his senses filled with Marinette’s scent of vanilla and the sheer giddiness of it all.
“Hey, this doesn’t mean you’re getting out of explaining yourself,” came Marinette’s teasing voice, her head still buried in his arms.
Adrien laughed. “I wouldn’t expect any less from you, my lady.”
So he told the tale of his short-lived music career, a musical performer who felt upstaged, and an akuma whose damage he had frantically covered up with the help of Plagg and the other kwamis. Marinette berated him as she listened to the entire story, but she pulled him in for a kiss afterwards and called him her silly kitty. And he thought that more than made up for it.
Claude hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Chat Noir or Ladybug, stationed as he was at the ticket counter. He couldn’t help feeling jittery, though, hearing the tales the guard near him had brought back.
“—popped out of nowhere, with that scary voice of hers!”
He sighed. He’d heard it a thousand times by now, but the guard assigned near him couldn’t seem to stop.
“She asked us if there was a problem, and—Ladybug?”
Claude whipped around. Ladybug?
A few feet from his station stood the guard and Claude’s coworkers, mouths all agape. He followed their stares and his eyes widened.
“Hey, officers!” A cheery Ladybug waved from the top of the grand entrance. “Chat Noir and I will be leaving now. Sorry to inconvenience you!”
Chat Noir, crouched next to her, gave a sheepish wave. “Sorry.”
“Thanks for having us, Disneyland Paris,” Ladybug continued merrily. She readied her yo-yo, and beside her, Chat Noir extended his baton, stealing a lovestruck look at her as he did. “Bug out!”
Claude sank into his seat a few seconds after they left, massaging his forehead.
He was paid far too little for this.