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Chapter Text

“You cannot be serious,” she whispers, staring down at herself. At the puddle of weird goo covering her feet and still clinging to her suit. She makes a face, but trying to wipe it off only results in more of this stuff sticking to her fingers. With a sound, she shakes her whole body. “Do you think Hawk Moth knows the definition of sleep? What is he, nocturnal?”

Chat Noir tilts his head at her. His hair is full of the same green goo. It’s a crime how he manages to look kind of handsome despite this. Not that she would ever actively think Chat is handsome. Nope, not her. “Well, moths are nocturnal, so …”

“You’re so helpful.”

“Thank you, my lady.” He slides closer, his goo-covered arm touching hers. “I must say, I feel oddly glued to you tonight.”

She stares at him. He grins back at her.

“So funny,” she sighs, and tosses her Lucky Charm into the air. Numerous magical ladybugs free her from her layer of slime. She exhales in relief, looking down at herself, then catching Chat’s eyes on her.

“And once again, as beautiful as always.”

She doesn’t let her cheeks turn hot. There would be no reason for such, anyway. Automatically, she lifts her hand to pound her fist against his. “And with all that icky goo, I wasn’t? That’s shattering.”

“Oh, no, don’t you worry. My eyes are always glued to you, bugaboo.”

Again, she stares at him. Again, he grins back at her.

The guy having been akumatized has sunk to his knees, his face a mask of confusion. “Ladybug? What’s going on?”

“You basically wanted to cover the whole city in icky slime.” Chat gives him a look. “Jell-O? Would have been so understandable. But some unidentifiable goo? Eh, questionable.”

“Sounds gross,” the guy says, turning his nose up.

“Can confirm, was gross,” Ladybug returns, patting his shoulder. “But no worries, that’s what we are here for. Sacrificing sleep for the greater goo. I mean, good.” She returns Chat’s glowing grin with one of her own.

The guy ducks his head. “Sorry.”

“I was just kidding. Really, no problem.”

They look after him as he hurries away. A sewage worker getting fed up with his, and she quotes, “stinky work atmosphere”. Well, understandable, at least.

“Okay. Gotta go.” She groans as she leans her head back for a moment. “Or else my parents are going to …” When she realizes she is giving him a tidbit of info that probably shouldn’t reach his ears, she interrupts herself quickly. “Uh, I mean … You know. A snuggly, warm bed is waiting for me at home.”

“Out on a curfew, huh?”

Paris’s streets at night are calm, only dotted by the occasional group of drunk people or passersby heading home hastily. She takes a step back, actually thankful for the beep her Miraculous gives. “Well, you know. Who isn’t! Curfews, shmurfews, all that stuff.”

“I’m not.” He shrugs. “Bet you my fa- a – all the people at home wouldn’t even notice I’m gone.”

“Lucky you,” she sighs. “My parents would flip if they knew I’m not where I should be. Especially on a school night.”

“Lucky me?” He gives her a skeptical look. “Lucky you, rather. Your parents just care about you, you know.”

Okay. And getting into dangerous territories. She wants to change the topic, but the urgent beep ringing through the air is more than enough a distraction. “I care about you, too,” she tells him, a tiny smile on her lips. “Good night, kitty.”

The words make him grin all over his face. It’s cute, she allows herself to think. “Good night, LB.”

It doesn’t take long until she’s at her balcony, Tikki floating into her open hands as she nibbles on a cookie. Marinette stifles a yawn, her sight becoming blurrier the more pressing the tiredness becomes. It’s a bit cold in her pajamas as she is standing outside. “Maybe Hawk Moth can’t sleep lately,” she mutters while opening her skylight. “Doesn’t mean he has to take it out on us, though. Ugh, what even is his evil plan? Make my grades drop until I can’t graduate? Force me to become poor and homeless?”

Tikki blinks at her heavily. “I’m pretty sure that isn’t his plan.”

“How can you tell? He’s totally doing this on purpose!”

“Maybe he wants to deprive you of sleep?” With a thoughtful hum, Tikki floats upwards. “Or maybe, he is just bored?”

Marinette wants to reply with one eyebrow raised, but a sudden sound makes her pause. It’s coming from the trapdoor. It takes her some time to recognize her parents’ voices behind it, and she carefully opens the lid to hear more of their conversation.

“… in a row, Tom! What else could be the reason?”

“We were both young once. It’s a normal phase.”

“Stop pretending everything is fine! It’s three a.m. – she could do god knows what! And with the wrong crowd …”

“Look. Even if we call the police, they won’t start looking for her until at least twenty-four hours have passed. She will turn up again, I’m sure.”

Oh. Shoot, shoot. Marinette tosses Tikki a panicked glance before she quickly descends the stairs. “Mom? Dad?” she calls, heart racing as both her parents turn to her. Shame fills her from head to toe when she sees her mother’s bloodshot eyes, the lines of worry covering her dad’s forehead.

“Where were you?” Sabine’s voice is meek and quiet, and she presses a hand against her mouth. “Oh god, Marinette, we were – oh god …” With a little sound, she steps up to Marinette, hugging her so tightly she is hardly getting any air. Helplessly, she pats her mom’s back, unable to meet Tom’s eyes in the process.

“Why aren’t you both asleep?” Marinette whispers. Her thoughts are racing as she tries to come up with an excuse. Just anything. She gulps. “I was – I was just on the balcony. Fell asleep on there, uh, you know.”

“Marinette. You weren’t.”

Her mother is still hugging her, but the sharpness in Tom’s voice makes Marinette wince. Just when she is about to hide her face by burying it in her mom’s hair, Sabine steps away again, crossing her arms. An icily cold feeling surges through Marinette, leaving her feeling small and helpless.

“It’s the third time this week you weren’t in your bed when we went to check up on you,” Sabine says, the quiver in her voice carefully hidden behind a mostly calm exterior. “We waited for you to come clean by yourself, but this is the first time you weren’t home until two a.m. We were worried sick about you.”

Oh god. Marinette searches for words. She didn’t even know she was being checked on. It’s getting harder to breathe, and she can only stare as her parents’ eyes harden.

“We love you, Marinette,” Tom tells her, concern and tiredness battling in his voice. “But we’re your parents. We’re responsible for you, and we have to know what you are doing. We have to have trust in you. So, where were you in the middle of the night?”

“I …” She swallows. “Uh …”

Sabine massages the bridge of the nose. “Breathe on me.”

“W-what?”

“I want to know what your breath smells like.”

Marinette feels all blood leave her cheeks. “Really? You think …?”

“We were sixteen once too, Marinette. And I, too, wasn’t always too fond of my home.” Tom’s voice is soft, but decisive. “No matter how much we’re trying to make this a comfortable place for you. In the end, you’re still a teenager.”

“And it would be okay. If you were just honest with us.” Sabine comes a bit closer. “Now, breathe.”

It’s humiliating. It really is. Her stomach is churning as she does as she is told, and Sabine wrinkles her forehead, leaning back again.

“Either you’ve found some great chewing gum, or you just sat on the sidelines.”

“Mom,” Marinette mumbles. “I did not sneak out to go to a party. I promise I didn’t.”

Tom draws his eyebrows together. “What did you do then?”

“You didn’t even come in through the front door!” Sabine shakes her head, her eyes piercing Marinette’s. “Did you – you climbed out of your window, didn’t you? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?”

Anything. Come on, brain, anything. Marinette bites her tongue, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She was at Alya’s? No, her mom would surely call Alya’s mom. At Nino’s? Same difference. At Kagami’s? Miss Tsurugi would flip. At Luka’s? Sure thing. God damn it. She has no idea what to do.

Tom closes his eyes. His apparent disappointment hurts more than any words ever could. “All right, Marinette. We’re all too tired to have a proper talk right now. Go to sleep. We’ll sit down together tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles.

Sabine sighs. “Good night, dear,” she returns before turning to the bedroom.

Marinette’s heart is still racing like crazy when she snuggles up in her bed. Just like that, all her tiredness is gone. She drags a hand over her face, letting loose a deep sigh as she hears Tikki land on the pillow next to her head. “I really messed up this time, didn’t I?”

“There must be something you can tell them,” Tikki thinks out loud.

“If Master Fu was still here …” But he isn’t, and there is nothing coming to mind. She can’t just say she is constantly at a friend’s place when her parents know every single one of them. They could easily ask if Marinette is telling the truth, and even if they would cover for her, her friends would wonder what is going on, and then she’d have to lie yet again. Lie after lie after lie. Sometimes she thinks her responsibilities as Ladybug are way too much for one person alone. She’d need a copy of herself. Or several ones, rather. Chat Noir wouldn’t be too opposed to that, she bets.

She sighs again.

“I’ll have to come up with something, at least.” Her mind is racing as she turns on her back, staring at the ceiling. “It won’t be the last time Hawk Moth decides to akumatize someone in the middle of the night. And it won’t be the last time my parents check up on me.”

“You could tell them you’re sleepwalking?”

Marinette snorts. “I bet they discovered my substitute puppet already.”

“Or … or maybe you were caught by every akuma that appeared?”

“Even the one who just covered everything in the open street in slime? What, the villain abducted me because I looked like the perfect goo bait?”

Tikki exhales audibly. “Sorry, Marinette. This isn’t easy. Parenting methods sure have changed since the 19th century.”

“Was it easier back then?”

“Well, yes and no. Girls your age usually left home or were considered mature enough anyway, so there was nothing much to worry about.” Tikki hums. “One of my girls was accused of cheating on her husband because he caught her sneaking out once, though.”

“Okay?” Marinette props her head on her hand, looking at Tikki. “What happened then?”

“Divorce back then was a much bigger deal than now. So they made an agreement: my girl was allowed to go out at night if he was allowed to have lovers for himself.” Tikki makes a face. “I think this would be deemed unacceptable nowadays, right? Well, it was deemed unacceptable back then, too, so …”

“They … they cheated on each other with each other’s permission?”

“Well … Plagg did tell me once there is a term for that. Swinging?”

“Do I – do I want to google that?”

“Marinette. I’m just as out of my depth as you are on this one, so knowing which results ‘googling something’ could bare, I would say no.”

Marinette has to smile. “Plagg knows a lot more of some things than you do, huh?”

“He knows a lot more about unnecessary things.” Tikki rolls her eyes. “Then again, he loves to make fun of people much more than he wants to understand them.”

“Contrary to you.”

“Well, yes. Humans are interesting.” She taps Marinette’s nose softly. “And some of them are especially lovely.”

Marinette’s smile grows. “Don’t tell Plagg, but I’m very, very glad you are my kwami, and no one else.”

“And I’m glad you are my chosen, and no one else.”

At least that can calm her heart, and Marinette tries to ignore the bad feeling still lingering in her stomach.

Adrien taps against his chin. “So, so,” he tells her. “Sneaking out at night, are you?”

“Me? Sneaking?” Marinette returns very innocently, one leg already swung out of the window, her words totally void of any guilt whatsoever. “No! Never.”

“Ah. What were you doing then?”

“Enjoying the nightly view. Duh.”

Adrien nods, entirely convinced. “If I didn’t know better, I would say you’re meeting someone. At night.”

“Who would I meet?” She laughs loudly and shrilly. “Chat Noir? Ha! You must be kidding!”

Something flashes through Adrien’s eyes. “Oh, my dearest love. There’s nothing you can hide from me and my exceptional thinking skills.”

She freezes. Almost loses her balance and falls straight out the window. “I’m not cheating on you with Chat Noir!”

“Oh. As long as it’s Chat Noir, I don’t mind.”

She stares. Her mouth drops open. “Adrien – what? Are we …”

“Swinging? Yes.”

“But – but I never googled it? I don’t even know what swinging means!”

“Now you do.”

“Adrien, I – not Chat Noir! No, not Chat! Why Chat?”

“Girl, do you want to tell me why you keep repeating Chat Noir’s name?”

That’s odd. Alya’s voice, but no Alya to accompany it. Marinette looks around, entirely confused, until another voice suddenly joins Alya’s, way louder and way more piercing.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng! If you find my classes that sleep-inducing, I expect you to know the contents well enough already!”

Marinette’s whole body startles. Her head shoots up, and with her sight blurry, she can’t even look Ms. Mendeleiev in the eye properly. She is vaguely aware of Alya’s hand on her shoulder. She’s vaguely aware of the whole class staring at her, too.

Oh. This could be bad.

“I,” she tries. “I – do?”

Ms. Mendeleiev narrows her eyes at her. “Very well, then. Let’s see how well you do. What do you get if you mix an acid and a base, as I have just told the class mere ten minutes ago?”

Marinette blinks a few times. Alya’s hissed words are barely audible, and Ms. Mendeleiev shoots her a sharp look, shutting her up effectively. Marinette’s sluggish brain tries to come up with an answer. She helplessly looks around, eyes landing on Adrien. Memories of her dream resurface, and she feels her cheek turn hot as his lips keep moving. Fold? Fault? Sold?

“Salt,” she repeats slowly. Adrien nods excitedly, forming another word. Marinette squints. “And. Water.”

“Very good. I’m glad Adrien was able to pass on the correct answers.” Ms. Mendeleiev raises an eyebrow at Adrien, then Marinette. He ducks his head, cheeks red as he turns away again. “Maybe you should prioritize sleep instead of whatever else you’re doing at night, Marinette.”

Suppressed laughter from some rows. Ms. Mendeleiev seems to have caught her mistake, and she actually turns a bit purple as she whirls around again.

“Quiet! Your preadolescent humor isn’t needed in here!”

Great. And another adult thinking she is being an irresponsible teenager, doing god knows what instead of focusing on her duties. But she knows better than to protest, and her lips form a thin line as she responds. “I’m sorry, Ms. Mendeleiev.”

The class doesn’t seem to find an end, though. Marinette desperately tries to keep her eyes open, but every time she as much as blinks, her mind almost slips away and her head droops to the side. Alya pokes her several times, worry shining in her eyes. Ms. Mendeleiev doesn’t seem too happy either; she asks Marinette two additional questions, and Marinette of course falters every time. She doesn’t even think about the fact that she’ll need to save her chemistry grade somehow. First, she has to stop falling asleep every other second.

She almost cries in relief when the bell finally rings for their lunch break. Alya leans closer in an instant. “Girl, this is getting worrisome. It’s the third time this week you’re falling asleep during classes!”

“I’m not sleeping well,” Marinette mumbles, massaging the bridge of her nose.

“Yes, I can see that. Something wrong?”

Several things are wrong. Most of all Hawk Moth’s constant nightly attacks. Maybe that really is part of some elaborate plan. Wanting to deprive Chat Noir and her of all sleep. She is just about to calm Alya down when another voice joins them – Ms. Mendeleiev, having come to a halt right next to Marinette’s seat.

“Marinette,” she says, her voice devoid of any emotion. “May I have a word with you?”

Panic seethes inside Marinette’s stomach, but there is no way for her to say no, is there? So she resigns herself to her fate and stands up. “Yes. Of course.”

Alya shoots her another worried look, and Marinette tries to smile as her classmates leave the room, leaving her alone with Ms. Mendeleiev. It takes some time until she gestures for Marinette to sit down again, and Ms. Mendeleiev moves next to Marinette, clasping her hands on the desk.

“I’m worried about you,” she starts. Marinette almost jumps out of her skin at those words alone. “You are always tired in classes. Your participation in class is lacking. Even though you pass your tests without exception, it seems that you are not doing well.” The warmth in Ms. Mendeleiev’s eyes is somehow unfamiliar. “I’m just your teacher, but I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong. Is your home life okay? Is there something you want to talk about?”

This is getting ridiculous. And sad. After all, she can’t just come out with the truth, can she? Until then, will people just continue worrying?

It takes seconds until Marinette manages to smile. It hurts on her face. “No, everything is fine. I’m just not getting enough sleep, that’s all. I’m really sorry, Ms. Mendeleiev. I know I should pay more attention, and … Yeah, I know I’m not … I’m sorry.”

“No need to be sorry.” Ms. Mendeleiev adjusts her glasses. “We do have a school psychologist too. Whenever you feel like it, please go to her.” A second of silence. “I would hate to give you a bad grade. Because I know that you can do so much better than you’re doing now. You understand, right?”

“I do,” Marinette mumbles, resisting the urge to avert her gaze.

“And after careful consideration with Ms. Bustier, we decided to contact your parents.”

No. Please, no. Marinette’s eyes grow wide as she searches for words. “You don’t – you really don’t need to. Really. There’s just … I promise I will do better. Just don’t call in my parents. Please.”

Ms. Mendeleiev pauses. The shimmer of compassion in her eyes does nothing to calm Marinette down. “We are concerned about you. That is all. We just want to get behind what is causing you to be that distracted.”

“But that has nothing to do with my parents!”

“I’m sorry, Marinette, but –”

“Please.” She almost lunches forward to desperately grab her teacher’s shoulders, but thinks better of it. “I don’t want to disappoint them. Please! I promise I will pay more attention in class, I promise!”

Ms. Mendeleiev sighs deeply. “Look … I will talk to Ms. Bustier again. But if this goes on for any longer, we will have to talk to your parents.”

“Thank you.” She almost starts to cry as she clasps her hands in front of her face. “I promise. It won’t happen again, I really promise.”

With a last look, Ms. Mendeleiev stands up again, her voice softer than Marinette is used to. “You are a smart girl, Marinette. I would hate to see all your potential getting wasted just like that.”

When she leaves the classroom, Marinette needs a moment to slump down in her seat and breathe. Just breathe for a second. Her head is a mess, and she almost feels like crying when she sees Alya hurrying into the classroom again, not hesitating one second before sliding in next to Marinette and slinging an arm around her shoulders.

“Everything all right? Don’t tell me Mendeleiev will make you fail?”

“No, no,” Marinette mumbles. “She told me she thinks about calling my parents, though.”

“Oh, girl. Shoot.” Rubbing her shoulder, Alya leans her cheek against the top of her head. “But seriously, is there more to it? Just sleeping unwell? You didn’t even seem that distracted when you broke up with Luka.”

There it is. The moment she has to lie. It’s tiring, so tiring, but she doesn’t have a choice. “No,” she therefore mutters. “It’s just that. Maybe I should just get more sleep, huh?”

“Or dream less about Chat Noir.”

Marinette snorts. “I had the weirdest dream ever.”

Wiggling her eyebrows, Alya backs away a bit. “Pray tell.”

“I was cheating on Adrien with Chat Noir. And he was totally okay with it!”

Laughing, Alya lightly hits Marinette’s shoulder. “No! Knew you had it in you. So, totally crushing on our sunshine boy again?”

“Sure thing.” Marinette shrugs, hiding whatever emotion must show on her face. “If I did, I’d have to challenge Kagami herself to a deadly fencing bout.”

“And she’d beat your butt, you think?”

“She’d make mincemeat out of me. Within thirty seconds max. Not really up for ending up as beef tartare.”

“Hey.” Alya wiggles her eyebrows again as both of them stand up, heading for the door. “They are not together yet. So you still have a chance.”

“They’ve been dancing around each other for weeks. Again,” Marinette sighs. “I’m slowly starting to think someone will have to give Adrien a hard push.”

And that would be easier for her, too.

“If you start playing matchmaking with those two, I’m officially diagnosing you with dangerous sleep deprivation.”

Marinette grins. “Very funny.”

“Hey there, pretty boy.”

Adrien blinks. That’s Ladybug. Ladybug, casually sitting on his bed, her legs crossed and her hand playing with a strand of her hair. He stares at her, entirely unable to move, his mouth hanging open.

“Just gonna stare all day?”

“I,” he tries. “Uh. Wuagh. Gagh.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Is that a no? Or a yes?”

“A definite yes,” another voice chimes in, cold and emotionless. “You know what he did with me for half a year? Exactly, nothing.”

Adrien whirls his head around. There she is, sitting on his couch, her eyes trained on a book. Kagami, as calm as she always is.

“Ah,” Ladybug returns. “That’s too bad. What do they call that? Oh, yeah, I remember. Indecisive.”

He tries to talk again, and finds that he literally can’t form a single word. They all get stuck on his tongue and tumble over his lips in jumbled syllables. He puts a hand on his throat, but it doesn’t help, and looking at Ladybug cluelessly just makes her roll her eyes.

“Okay, well. Think I’ll have to find another pretty boy, then.”

Kagami doesn’t look up from her book. “Or a pretty girl.”

“Right! Right. Well, Ryuuko. Maybe you would know where to find one?”

Adrien blinks. He feels a bit like an intruder as Kagami finally raises her eyes to find Ladybug’s. A little smile plays around her lips. That kind of smile she only gives Adrien when she is especially pleased by something he did. “Looking at a mirror would suffice.”

“Bold.” With a giggle, Ladybug saunters towards the couch. Adrien’s feeling of being out of place is quickly replaced by disbelief. Then excitement. No, mostly disbelief. Yeah, totally, absolutely. “I like that. Maybe I should give you a little thank-you gift?”

“Depends. What kind of gift were you thinking about?”

“The long and loving kind of gift.”

Adrien can only stare. Even if he was able to, not a single word would probably leave his lips. He watches intently as Kagami puts her book away, as Ladybug grins with her pretty lips while she leans towards the other girl, as their faces tilt until –

“Dude, you’re drooling all over your book.”

The image shifts, wafting away in a matter of seconds. “No,” Adrien whines. “Just one second. Just a bit …”

“Dude, seriously. Know your dad could probably get you fifty more of ’em, but we need that page for our project, and as much as I love you, I can do without your droolage.”

“What?” Only slowly, Adrien manages to open his eyes. Nino’s face greets him. With a groan, Adrien rubs his eyes, slowly attempting to sit up. “Sorry. Ugh. I didn’t even notice I was falling asleep.”

Nino raises his eyebrows at him. “Dude. The hell are you doing at night?”

Adrien jerks. “Nothing! I mean sleeping, that’s all!”

“Yeah. Totally a coincidence that Marinette is falling asleep every other second, too.”

Adrien blinks heavily. “Nino. What exactly are you implying?”

“Dude, just kidding.” With a laugh, Nino pats his shoulder. “Then what are you doing, though?”

Adrien clears his throat. “Not sleeping well, I guess.”

A second of silence. “So, Kagami …?”

“Kagami what?”

“You know, dude.” When Adrien still stares at him in confusion, Nino grins. “You know! Visits you at midnight hours? Gets busy with you in the late evening? Doesn’t let you sleep at all? Has some tasty midnight snacks with you?”

“Nino! Gross!” In a matter of seconds, Adrien is wide awake. “We’re friends! You know we are. We just –”

A number of hushes shut him up. The whole library seems to stare at them. Adrien ducks his head, mumbling an apology that nobody can hear. With an amused grin, Nino lowers his voice, too.

“Okay, okay. So all the looks I see are just my imagination.”

“Nino –”

“I’m just kidding, bro. But really,” Nino whispers, “no feelings whatsoever? Nothing? Nada?”

It’s complicated. Kagami is wonderful, and more than Adrien even deserves – but the memories still sit in his mind. He hurt her. He hurt her way too much. It wasn’t fair, and he’s thankful she was even willing to stay his friend, even though it took an eternity to be where they are now.

He can’t destroy that much. Again.

Raking a hand through his hair, he sighs. “I don’t know. I really don’t know. Maybe it’s better to keep it like it is now.”

“Yeah. Just wait for the moment she asks ya out because it took you way too long.”

Adrien wants to snort, but he is interrupted by the buzz of his phone. He takes a quick glance at it. “Speaking of the devil,” he mumbles.

“Already calling her a devil.” Nino hits his shoulder lightly. “Girlfriend material, I’m telling you.”

Adrien rolls his eyes, cheeks heating up even more. “She really is girlfriend material.”

“See, dude! Just do it, then! Stop overthinking every single crap and –”

Another round of hushes. Nino clears his throat, mumbling a “sorry” before shrugging. With a tiny chuckle, Adrien looks back at his phone.

Would you have some time for a coffee? My classes just ended.

Oh, and how he needs coffee. He shows Nino the message, raising his eyebrows. “You okay with doing the first half? Promise I’ll do the rest.”

“Sure thing, bro.” Nino pats his shoulder as Adrien is typing in a reply. “Go get her, tiger.”

“I won’t … No.”

“Jeez. Guess you’ll need ten more years to finally ask her out again, huh?”

Swinging his bag over his shoulders, Adrien grins at him. “I’d say twelve.”

“Ha ha, dude.”

Kagami is waiting for him in the main hall. His heart does a funny jump when he sees her, and he can’t smother a smile as he presses a kiss against her cheek. She smells like cherries and the faintest bit of perfume.

“You look tired,” she tells him as she looks up at him, auburn eyes catching his. “As you have for the past two weeks already. Is everything okay?”

Adrien almost sighs. Of course Kagami is that perceptive. Hawk Moth really likes to bug his lady and him to no end, it seems, and lately, he prefers late nights. Luckily for him, Nathalie only draws up an eyebrow whenever he asks her for extra strong espressos or caffeine pills, and his afternoons are spent with naps whenever he can. After all, nobody notices the difference between someone playing the piano in his room or someone playing the piano on YouTube.

Before he can be questioned any further, he slings an arm around Kagami’s shoulders and presses her closer. “Don’t worry. Haven’t been catching enough sleep lately, but it’s not too bad.”

“Sleep is important. Please don’t neglect your health, Adrien.”

“I would never.” He smiles at her. “Or maybe I’d need someone to take care of me?”

A delicate blush creeps onto her cheeks, and she frees herself from his arm. Her voice sounds unaffected as she responds, though. “I’m sure your father could provide you with the best personnel there is.”

“They’ve got nothing on you, though.”

She snorts, the little smile on her lips enough to make his heart flutter. “Charmer.”

They take one of their many secret escape routes – avoiding both the Gorilla and Kagami’s mother has become kind of a hobby to them, after all. A fun one, too. For a while, they kept notes on which route is the fastest and easiest, creating categories to judge them and eventually rating them. This time, they choose one next to the sport halls. Rated three out of five, but the exit leads right to a coffee stand they grew fond of, and it allows them to saunter on to the Seine right away.

Warm spring sun shines down on them as they sip their coffees. They talk about school, about their homes, and Adrien glances at her free hand. It wouldn’t take much to hold it, to let their fingers intertwine. Still, he hesitates. He broke her heart, and he has no idea if he would forgive himself if he was in her position. And yet –

“I’ve been thinking,” she says, not looking at him.

Their steps are light, the area is quiet. Adrien risks a glance at her. Brows furrowed. For whatever reason, his stomach does a flip. “Thinking about?”

“Us.”

“Us?”

Kagami nods. Still doesn’t look at him. Their casual pace doesn’t falter. She gives a tiny sound, and then, she rolls her shoulders. “I’m very glad that despite having been in a short relationship, we could continue to build our friendship. I appreciate your companionship a lot, even if it is only platonic.”

She pauses for so long that he can’t help but answer. “Yes, me too. And I’m still –”

“Don’t say you’re sorry. It was an honorable and brave decision to tell me your true feelings. You didn’t hesitate to do the right thing, and it’s …” She stops for good. It takes him some steps to follow suit, and she is staring at the ground as she continues. “Adrien. I want to ask if you could give us another chance.”

“Oh.” Of course Nino was right, and she would be the bolder one. Of course she would beat him to it. His cheeks flame up, and he buries his hands in his pockets.

“I know,” she continues sharply, a delicate shimmer of pink on her cheeks, “that you value our friendship. I do, too. But I can’t deny that over the past months of us rebuilding our friendship, I … I developed feelings for you again. I can’t keep quiet about them anymore. And I don’t want to, either.”

He gulps. Looks at her. He wasn’t doing her justice. He saw the same strength in her that he saw in Ladybug. He thought that Kagami could fill an endless void, one that nobody would have been able to fill. They dated for one month before Ladybug told him that she was dating another guy, and he broke apart on the spot, and what he had with Kagami broke apart just as quickly.

He hurt Kagami so much, and yet, she took it with a strength he has always admired about her.

But months after months taught him who Kagami really is. What kind of vulnerability can lie underneath her words. He can’t deny that something is growing between them, even though he can’t quite name it yet. He isn’t sure if it is the same kind of love he felt for Ladybug for so long. He only knows that Kagami means a lot to him. God, more than a lot.

“Of course,” Kagami goes on, voice carrying the same sharpness Adrien knows she uses to protect herself, “I cannot expect you to feel the same way about me. After all, you made it pretty clear why you couldn’t be with me half a year ago. Still, you didn’t enter a relationship with anyone else, and several of your actions led me to believe –”

“Okay,” he whispers.

Her head shoots up. The color on her cheeks intensifies. He hesitates to step closer, but he does so anyway.

“Okay,” he repeats. “I’m just – under one condition.”

She keeps looking at him.

“Let’s take it slow. Okay? Let’s not make the same mistake as last time.” He reaches for her hand, shivering as he feels warm skin against his. “Just take it one step at a time. See where it leads us, not label it too soon. See what feels right. If that is okay with you.”

She squeezes his hand. “Unfortunately, patience is not my strong suit. But … for you, waiting might be worth it.”

He cracks a smile. Watches the glimmer in her eyes. “Might be? How very romantic.”

“I was not trying to be romantic. I was being honest.” Still, she blushes a bit, and his smile grows.

“So, is this our first date?”

“Technically, it isn’t.”

“True. We had way more ice cream the first time around.”

“Ice cream, then?”

He intertwines their fingers and tugs her along, a warm feeling settling in his chest as she leans against him.

Marinette tries to concentrate on her French homework, but it’s getting harder and harder. Not because of her lack of sleep – not entirely – but because she dreads the sound of her parents’ voices reaching her any moment now. The tip of her pen meets the paper again and again. An essay about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Including a lot of sleep, she guesses. Yeah, maybe to avoid being grilled by your teacher. Or grilled by your parents. Or to avoid falling asleep every other second in the middle of classes.

She glances at her phone. It’s only been one month, and god, sometimes she misses hearing his voice so much she just wants to curl up and stop thinking about anything. Luka always knew what to say to make her heart ache less. He held her without questioning her just once when she cried. He was always there for her.

Tikki sends her a concerned look. “You don’t think your parents will be too hard on you, do you?”

“I don’t know,” she whispers. “I’ll have to come up with an excuse, and no matter how hard I think about it, I have no idea what to tell them.”

Tikki’s antennas droop. “One of my girls told her parents she was possessed by the holy spirit?”

“Wow, they are so gonna buy this! Great idea, Tikki!”

“Really?” Tikki’s face lights up, and Marinette raises her eyebrows at her.

“Sorry, no. Very bad idea.”

“Oh.”

Marinette sighs again. Shoots a quick look at her wardrobe, the Miracle Box securely hidden underneath clothes. She makes sure to give all kwamis some time outside the box, but it’s mostly safer to keep them hidden. Still, she taps the end of her pen against her chin.

“Trixx,” she mumbles. “Trixx could create an illusion of me.”

“Which would mean,” Tikki muses out loud, “that you’d have to combine our Miraculouses every time you fight an akuma. And that would mean that your body would soon give out on you.”

“Or I don’t transform. Plagg used his Cataclysm outside of a transformation, too.”

Tikki visibly shivers. “The consequences are enormous, Marinette. Trixx’s Mirage once drove a whole town in Sweden mad.”

Marinette stares. “What? Really?”

“Yes. They started shouting at nothing but air and thought they saw people watching them everywhere, even after Trixx revoked the effects. The human mind can be really fragile. It’s not something to be taken lightly.”

She makes a face. “Okay. I can do without driving my parents crazy.”

“And don’t even let me get started on the one time he lost a bet, and Plagg just found out about the concept of UFOs, and there you go, we’ve got to deal with the consequences to this day! Plagg is such an irresponsible clunk, I can’t believe it.”

“Huh.” Marinette blinks slowly. “UFOs.”

“Yes. Trixx did his best to reverse the effects, but, well. The Loch Ness Monster exists for a reason, too.”

Marinette blinks again. “Was that also Plagg’s fault?”

An exasperated look. “What do you think?”

So much for that.

For a few more minutes, Marinette tries to do her French homework. A knock on her trapdoor makes her flinch at once. She whirls around as her dad peeks in, the same emotion as last night shining in his eyes. “Could you please come downstairs, Marinette?”

“Sure,” she croaks, her throat feeling suddenly way too tight. Her whole body is shaking. She’d like nothing more than to transform and flee as quickly as possible. There is nothing she could say to make this more believable. Absolutely nothing she can do. Her heart racing, she starts climbing down the stairs.

“You can do it,” Tikki whispers before disappearing into thin air.

Marinette isn’t too sure about that.

Her parents are waiting for her in the kitchen. Sabine’s hands are clasped before her, and it oddly reminds Marinette of Miss Mendeleiev’s reaction, all serious and worried. Her dad is standing next to the table, arms crossed and forehead wrinkled. The silence is pressing down on her as Marinette sits down across from them, nervously letting her knees meet each other again and again. For several seconds, none of them says anything. Her parents exchange a look before Sabine’s eyes lock with hers.

“All I want you to do is be honest with us,” Sabine says, voice quiet. “That’s everything we’re asking of you. Whatever you’re doing, we can work out a solution. We can talk through it. But we need you to be absolutely honest with us, Marinette.”

As if she wouldn’t like to be. As if she has that much of a choice.

“The three times I checked on you in the middle of the night,” Tom continues, “you were neither in your bed, nor on your balcony. You weren’t home at all.”

Marinette swallows hard, her eyes on the table.

“You didn’t come clean to us on your own.” She hears Sabine shift. “But we need to know what you are doing in the middle of the night. We are your guardians. We need to protect you from harm. It’s our responsibility.”

“Are you going to parties?” Tom asks.

Marinette releases a shaking breath. “I’m not,” she whispers, her head racing for another explanation.

“Concerts? Meet-ups? Doesn’t matter if you’re drinking something, or smoking, or taking drugs. That’s not the main focus for now. Just tell us where you are in the middle of the night.”

Oh god. She’s doing none of those things. That’s just – it’s not even funny anymore. Sighing, she sinks further into herself. “I’m taking midnight walks.”

Sabine exhales. “Midnight walks? You’re taking midnight walks?”

“You’re climbing out of the window for midnight walks,” Tom repeats.

Maybe they would have bought it had she claimed such way earlier. But how things stand, it just sounds like a cheap excuse. Oh god, they don’t believe her. She just needs one good excuse. Before, Luka was the perfect one. She could visit him whenever, and he covered for her without hesitation. It was easy enough to tell him that she’d just needed some time away from home. He understood. Didn’t bat an eye when her parents questioned him. There’s no one else that could do the same. Not with all of her friends’ parents knowing each other.

All of them, expect one.

Her heart does a jump. But it’s the perfect solution. It’s more than perfect. The consequences can come later, she guesses. There’s no time to think it through.

She sharply lifts her head, coming face to face with her parents’ palpable concern, and the words leave her in a hurry.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to tell you. It’s still very fresh. You know him, actually. I’m just visiting him. His dad is way too strict, so I mostly sneak in when he’s asleep. I mean, his dad. When his dad is asleep. I know I shouldn’t do it, but we were afraid you two – or his father – I –”

“Wait. Slow down.” Tom gestures hastily, brows drawn together. “Who exactly do we know?”

“My … my boyfriend.”

Another exchange of looks. Concern turns to confusion. “A new boyfriend? Not Luka, right?”

“No! No. It’s actually …” She hunches her shoulders, bites the inside of her cheek. “He is – was – a friend. He was here before.”

“Okay? Who is it?”

There is no time to falter. So she swallows down her doubts and just says it.

“Adrien. Adrien Agreste.”

Another few seconds of silence. The lie got over her lips easily, but the aftermath is a bit harder. She does her best not to blush, but of course her cheeks turn warm anyway, and her parents keep looking at her funnily.

“You are sneaking out to meet him,” Tom summarizes. “In the middle of the night.”

“Yes! Yes.” It sounds ridiculous even to herself, and the implication isn’t lost on her, but Marinette does her best not to let out a loud scream and forget about this stupid idea in a matter of seconds. “His father doesn’t know about us yet. He doesn’t let him out often, and if he’d ask to have a sleepover at mine, well, uh …”

“A sleepover,” Sabine repeats. A shimmer of amusement comes alive in her eyes. Marinette ducks her head.

“I – uh. We – well.”

“What you do when you’re alone with your boyfriend is none of our business,” continues Sabine, “but where exactly you are at night is. Why didn’t you tell us before? We never had a problem with you being at Luka’s either.”

“We just – we haven’t been official for too long,” she mumbles, looking away again. “It just … It kind of happened. And then, I didn’t know how to tell you.”

They exchange another look. “Adrien Agreste, huh?” Tom repeats. For whatever reason, the tone he used makes Marinette blush even more, and seconds pass until both of them turn back to her, grins on their faces.

Okay. Not the reaction she would have anticipated.

“Ah, yes. We aren’t too surprised, honestly.” Sabine’s eyes glimmer. “We didn’t think you’d be so sneaky about it, though.”

“What do you –”

“Invite him for dinner!” Excitedly, Tom pats Marinette’s back. “And tell him to ask his father just once if he could spend the night here. For a sleepover.”

“Uh …” Marinette scratches her cheek. “I don’t know, um … We didn’t tell his father yet, and I …”

“Well, it would be the perfect opportunity!” Sabine smiles broadly at her. “Oh, that’s really romantic. Sneaking out to be with your boyfriend at night …”

“You could have just told us.” Tom sighs. “Sweetheart. We know what it is like to be young and in love.”

“Y-yeah! Young, in love, totally.”

“You should have told us, actually. We were worrying for nothing.” Again, Tom gives a heavy sigh. “Please promise us to tell us things like this. Don’t give us so many heart attacks, dear.”

“I’m – I’m so sorry, I …”

“Great! Dinner tomorrow. I can’t wait!” Sabine claps her hands as she jumps to her feet. “Say, what’s his favorite pastry?”

“Anything with passion fruit.” Marinette starts to sweat. “I mean – wait. What. Tomorrow?”

Tom is still patting her back. “Okay, okay, we’ll be lenient. The day after tomorrow is good enough too.”

Marinette chokes. “I’m not sure – he’s busy. Very busy. A model, famous, all that stuff, I’m not sure if …”

“Oh, then let him choose a date.” Sabine giggles. “A date! You get it?”

“Ha! Yeah. That’s so funny. Very clever.”

Oh god. She is screwed.

Chapter Text

They are friends. Sure they are. Adrien never once seemed to think otherwise. Not when Marinette got together with Luka, and definitely not when they broke up. Adrien even called her shortly after the breakup, making sure she was all right. Not in the “he totally wants to get in your pants” way (like Alya so kindly dubbed it), but in the “we are such platonic friends that any dictionary on this planet would love to describe us as the definition of the word ‘platonic’”.

So, all in all, standing right before Adrien in an otherwise empty classroom is nerve-wracking nonetheless.

All their classmates have cleared out already. Even Alya let herself be led away after Nino took her hand and pulled her with him, talking excitedly about the new DJ set he is saving money for. Marinette fidgets on the spot, feeling cold sweat on her neck as she tries to find the first word. She gapes like a fish out of water as Adrien patiently keeps packing his books into his bag, and eventually, he’s the first one to speak up.

“Everything all right, Marinette?”

Okay. Just out with it. No use in beating around the bush. She breathes, breathes again, and just comes out with it.

“Dinner! You! At mine! When?”

Adrien blinks at her, standing up slowly. “Dinner?”

“Yes.” That’s only half of the story, she realizes. Oh god. “I mean, um. There’s a problem.”

“With dinner?”

“With us.”

“With us?”

“I mean, not with you! Mostly with me.”

“I – what?”

He blinks at her so cluelessly that Marinette would like nothing more than to melt into a puddle of self-pity. How he still manages to look that handsome while making her have a meltdown, she will never understand.

“Okay! Listen.” In a burst of courage, she grabs his arms and stares him in the eye. “You cannot, and I repeat, cannot tell anyone about this.”

Adrien stares back at her. “Sure. I won’t. Promise.”

“I mean it, Adrien! Not anyone.”

He laughs nervously. “What, are you selling drugs or something?”

“No. Worse.”

His laughter dies down. “What?”

Okay. No. She retracts her hands again, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she looks at anything but him. “There’s – my parents – my parents caught me sneaking out at night.”

“Why were you –”

“That’s the part I absolutely cannot tell you.” She’s getting nervous, and instead of standing in front of him like an idiot, she starts pacing. “I needed an excuse. Preferably realistic and believable. And, well …” She glances at her hands, jumps on the spot, gives a tiny sound, paces some more, and eventually whips her head around to face him. “I told them I’m visiting my boyfriend at night.”

Adrien nods slowly. “Ah.”

“You.”

“Me.”

“You, my boyfriend.”

“I’m not your boyfriend.”

“Exactly.”

“What?”

She groans, starting to pace again. “Look, I couldn’t tell them I’m at Luka’s. We broke up only one month ago! I needed someone else. Someone they deem trustworthy, so they won’t suspect a thing. Someone like …” She gestures at him weakly, and with a frown, Adrien looks over his shoulder.

She groans again.

“You!” she squeaks. “I told them you are my boyfriend I’m sneaking out for at night!”

Adrien mechanically turns his head back to her. “I’m … Me?”

“I’m so sorry. Oh my god, I’m really so sorry.” She can’t look him in the eye anymore, her whole face turning hot. “It was a pact of inspiration! I mean, an act of desperation! It didn’t want to engulf you – I mean, involve you, but you were my last hope! I’m sorry, Adrien, and I know it’s a lot to ask for, but …” With a stiff grin, she turns back to him, strictly staring at her hands all the while. “Would you pretend to be my boyfriend for one dinner? Please?”

“Pretend to be your boyfriend.”

“I wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t really inshortened – I mean, important! Really, you don’t need to smooch me or anything, I mean, yeah, haha, you would never want to anyway.” She stares at him. “Right?”

He nods dutifully. “Right.”

God damn it. Anyway, more important matters. “Just – maybe – in the worst case, some hand holding. That’s it! That’s all.” And as if that wouldn’t be bad enough.

“That’s …” Adrien looks at her for a long time, brows furrowed. “I guess you will make your parents believe we are – we are a thing for longer than only until the end of that dinner.”

She ducks her head. “If that’s – if it’s too much, I’ll … Okay, honestly, I thought about it for a whole day, but there’s no other excuse that fits so well, so … But this is just – it’s gonna stay between my parents and me, promise! There’s no way they will ask your dad about it, and if anyone else asks, it’s easy to deny it, and just …”

She stops her rambling when she feels warm hands on her shoulders, and when she looks up, Adrien’s green eyes are on her, sobriety coloring his expression. “Please just tell me you aren’t doing anything dangerous at night.”

She feels her whole body turn seething hot. She doesn’t move. “I’m not. Not really.”

“Not really?”

“I mean – no. Really.”

He watches her for a few more torturous moments. Then he smiles at her. “You are one of my closest friends. So of course I’ll help you out. And if push comes to shove, I will even hold your hand like a good boyfriend would.”

Her mouth dries. Okay, telling her parents that Adrien Agreste is her boyfriend? Easy enough. Having him actually pretend to be such? Much, much worse. She won’t survive this. Because even though her heart is still a mess after what Luka and her went through, she can easily remember why she fell for Adrien’s kindness in the first place.

“Thanks. Thank you. Muchas gracias. Much appreciated.” She grins at him as she gently shoves his hands off her, face still overheating. “So, dinner! When? Of course, if you can’t make it –”

“Tomorrow? The day afterwards? I’m sure Nathalie will cut me a break if I ask nicely enough.” He grins at her. “Can’t wait. Your parents are literal magicians in the kitchen.”

Laughing very naturally, Marinette nods a few times. “Wow! That’s good! Tomorrow! Great, let’s. Let’s do it. I’ll defo text you. Thank you so much, pal! Buddy!”

“Hey, really. Anything for a friend.” He nudges her shoulder as they walk out of the room. “As long as I don’t need to worry about whatever you’re doing at night, it’s fine.”

“Nope! No need to worry here. Definitely not.”

“Good. Text me.” His warm smile lingers on even when he has turned his back to her, and Marinette can only stand and stare for several seconds, her heart dropping to her stomach. Dinner with Adrien Agreste. Dinner with Adrien Agreste, pretending he’s her boyfriend. Pretending that he –

She resists the urge to scream.

Worst thing is, she can’t tell anyone about it. Alya would grill her to no end on what she is doing at night. Nino can’t keep a secret if his life depends on it. Too many details for Chat Noir, so nope, definitely not. Luka is out of the picture anyway. Mylène would be sweet about it, no doubt, but she’d still worry too much. Juleka would tell her brother immediately. Rose is too close to Juleka, so not an option either. And so on, and so forth.

And she hopes to god Adrien took her seriously and keeps quiet too. She also hopes he won’t question why she almost fell asleep in physics again, and why she needed a minute to realize Ms. Bustier was calling her name during French class. Alya asked her two more times if everything is all right, and all Marinette could do was nod helplessly.

This isn’t going to get any easier, she guesses.

So, as the dreaded dinner is approaching, Marinette feels so restless she is unconsciously nibbling at her pencil’s end. When she notices as much, she makes a face and stops her worrisome activities. The teacher in the front is pretty much ignorable, and there’s nothing else for her to do than stare at a heap of perfect blonde hair before her. Dinner. Boyfriend dinner. Oh god, she is going to die.

Hastily, she rips a piece of paper from her block and scribbles down a message.

Today? Today’s still okay, right?

The teacher turns her back to the class, writing something down on the blackboard. Marinette uses the chance to lean forward and tap Adrien’s shoulder. He only slightly turns his head before taking the folded paper out of her grip. And she doesn’t even do anything embarrassing, like toppling forward or squeaking at the little bit of skin contact. Go her!

She forgot about Alya sitting next to her, though. And her piercing look. And how one of her eyebrows is pointedly drawn upwards.

“What?” Marinette mouths.

“What?” Alya returns, gesturing at the row before them.

Marinette shrugs, twiddles her pen, awkwardly looks at anything but Alya. It doesn’t need much time until Adrien slightly leans back, not looking at her as he waits for her to take the piece of paper from his fingers.

Yep. I’ll be there straight from fencing. 17:30?

Awesome! ❤

She stares at the heart. Starts to sweat. Hastily erases it. Of course, the shape stays imprinted on the paper. So, in a panic, she tries to change it into a sun. Which turns out to look like a pile of something unidentifiable, surrounded by a number of unnecessary lines. So, a graphite pile of could-be-anything. Awesome.

And the heart shape is still visible underneath her scrawling.

She unceremoniously rips the piece of paper into thousands of tiny shreds, causing some heads to turn to her. Among them Adrien. At his look, she jumps upright. “To be safe,” she hisses quickly.

“Sure,” he whispers back.

“Awesome,” the teacher whispers right next to them.

Marinette shrieks, some snippets flying from her desk. “Uh!” she quickly utters. “I’m sorry! I paid attention!”

“You clearly did,” the teacher replies. “Please, Marinette. You’ll have all the time in the world to rip the poor paper to shreds after my class ends. Right?”

She ducks her head. “Right.”

Great.

It’s no wonder Alya glares at her for the whole remainder of the class, and Marinette can’t even escape from what is sure to follow after the bell has rung. So she prepares for an immediate reaction, and she isn’t disappointed.

“Girl,” Alya lilts as she slides closer with the speed of a snowboard on the steepest slope ever, “what kind of secret little messages are you and sunshine boy exchanging, huh?”

“Ugh,” Marinette returns, searching for any kind of excuse at all.

“Homework notes.” Adrien’s sudden voice makes her flinch, and when she looks up, a warm smile is directed at her. “Marinette forgot to write down the math assignment.”

Almost uncanny how easily Adrien can lie, and how absolutely innocent he seems despite this.

“Really,” drawls Alya. “She could have asked me.”

Adrien shrugs. “True. Not as if the answer would have been any different.”

Squinting, Alya looks at him. “So no reason to destroy that paper as if it’s hiding your most well-kept secret. At all.”

If Marinette didn’t know better, she would have surely overlooked the slight twitch of Adrien’s smile. “Sometimes math homework does seem kinda mysterious to me. Almost like a secret, you know.”

Alya draws up an eyebrow. “Right.”

“Right.”

“Right.” Marinette laughs very naturally. “Wow, isn’t it great that we all agree so much? Yay! So, uh, no lessons for today, woo, let’s go home?”

Alya’s scrutinizing eyes land on her. Then she shrugs. “Sure thing. Let’s go home.”

“Yeah, dudes,” Nino sighs as he leans back, “you up for a nice dose of hangin’ out? Weather’s great today.”

“Sorry.” Adrien smiles apologetically. “Fencing.”

“Ah, yes, of course,” Alya says. “Well, there’s always next time.”

“Sure is! And I gotta …” With a stiff smile, Marinette points to the door. “A lot of stuff. To prepare. I mean, to do. I mean, to look forward to. No, I mean, nothing to look – uneventful – what an uneventful evening this will be! Nothing, absolutely nada happening!”

Nino’s eyes light up. “So, ya gonna hang out with us, dudette?”

Marinette keeps smiling, the expression hurting in the corners of her mouth. “Nope. Sorry bye!” And with that elegant excuse, she quickly vanishes from the classroom, races to the lockers, and is out of the school building in record time. A sight worthy of applause, if she may say so herself.

The text messages Alya is sure to send her sooner or later is something future Marinette will deal with. Present Marinette is still trying not to die in agony at the sheer thought of today’s dinner.

Oh boy.

Five past five already. Shoot. Adrien takes off his helmet and shakes out his hair, about to head to the boys’ changing room when a voice stops him.

“You seem to be in a hurry.”

And nervous too, he guesses. Plastering on his most easygoing mask, he turns to Kagami, smiling at her. “I kind of am. Gotta be somewhere at half past five.”

Sweat glistens on Kagami’s forehead as she puts a hand on her hips. “I see. Is your bodyguard picking you up?”

He thinks about saying yes. But that could lead to her discovering that actually, no one is waiting for him in front of the school. He doesn’t let his internal conflict show. He owes that much to Marinette. Instead, he rubs the back of his neck. “No, actually. It’s close by.”

She keeps looking at him, almost stoically so. “So no late afternoon hangout for us, I see.”

The slight disappointment is only apparent in the little signs. The slight droop of her shoulders, the way she eventually averts her gaze, the way her posture changes. All of a sudden, Adrien feels horrible. If there’s one person he shouldn’t lie to, then it’s Kagami.

He gulps. Takes a step towards her to take her hand into his, giving her a smile.

“I’ll make up for it with a date. You, me, a nice dinner. Okay?”

She seems to search his eyes, but the coldness melts from auburn irises. “At a fancy restaurant?”

“Nope. At the burger place you like so much, and we’ll stuff our faces until our parents would be ashamed of us.”

She snorts, and the smile she gifts him is so beautiful that a grin spreads on his face. “I must admit, you do know how to charm a girl with ease.”

“Don’t I.” Softly, he kisses her knuckles. “Courtship is an art, after all.”

“That is true,” she mumbles, her hand escaping his grip to softly brush a strand of hair from his forehead. “No wonder I like you as much as I do, then.”

He watches her face. The sudden urge to draw her closer and claim her lips becomes overwhelming, but a whistle from behind them wrenches him from his thoughts. He rolls his eyes as some guys pass them by, smacking their puckered lips and cackling all the while.

“I’m sorry.” Kagami’s hand draws away from him. The blush on her cheeks is something precious and rare. Something he’d like nothing more than to commit to memory forever. “That was inappropriate.”

He smiles at her. “Well. In that case, I really like inappropriate.”

Staring at the floor, she smiles too.

It’s already twenty past five when they emerge from the school building. Tomoe’s car is parked on the street, and their goodbye is a soft embrace, Adrien’s lips tentatively pressed against her temple. “Don’t forget our date,” he whispers. “Soon. Okay?”

“I won’t,” she mumbles back, squeezing him tighter.

He waves at her one last time as he heads off towards the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Slowly, that is. Very slowly. So neither Kagami nor Tomoe can get any wrong ideas. Damn it, he could have just told her he is paying Marinette a harmless visit. Nothing wrong with that, right? Absolutely nothing.

He pointedly doesn’t look at the car as it passes him by. All good. All well. And as he watches it vanish in the distance, he can finally breathe easy again.

“Woah there, kiddo, could practically feel your tension,” Plagg says. “That isn’t good for my mental makeup, so tone it down, will ya? I’m way too much of a sensitive soul to be subjected to your clattering teeth.”

“Yeah, sure you are,” he mumbles.

“Don’t have to be so nervous about your date with Pigtails, after all?”

“It’s not a date.”

“Sure! Sure. Only a pretend date.”

Adrien rolls his eyes. “Well, she has her reasons, and I want to be a good friend to her. So …”

Coming to a halt in front of Marinette’s door kind of feels like a déjà vu, Adrien realizes. Only that this time, he doesn’t hold a rose in his hand. Would he need a rose? Well, she didn’t seem too impressed by Chat Noir’s gift. But no need to be nervous. He’s good at acting, after all. Not a model for nothing.

“Hey, buddy, just a tip. You usually gotta ring the doorbell to be let in.”

“I know,” Adrien hisses at his pocket. “I’m just thinking, that’s all.”

“Yep. Can hear your gears rattling. What an unusual sound.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“Fun? Of you? Ba! Yes, of course I am.”

Adrien deadpans. Before he can argue back, the sound of a click makes him jump in place. Marinette peeks out, and as if not having expected him at all despite him being relatively punctual, she shrieks in surprise.

“Adrien!” she notices accurately.

“Marinette,” he returns awkwardly.

They stare at each other. Her cheeks are so red that it looks unhealthy. Or, uh, maybe that’s the perfect preparation. To make it seem like a real date. Yeah, that must be it.

“So … Can I …?” He points at the door.

She frowns. “Can you what?”

“Come … in? Or …”

“Oh my god,” she whispers. “Oh god, of course. Of course.” She wrenches the door open with more force than necessary, her face a picture of panicked determination. “Please income. In. Please. Come. Here and in. In.”

He guesses that was an invitation. Or something similar, at least. So he takes a step forward. Another one. Another one, smiling easily at Marinette. The grimace she shows is probably supposed to be a smile. He hopes, at least.

And then, Adrien’s whole world suddenly turns black.

“Adrien, my boy!” a familiar voice calls out. He is vaguely aware that his feet leave the floor, but it’s not like he could complain. “Oh, we are so glad you could make it! You’ll see, I might not be like your chefs back home, but I put all my heart into every single dish. I can promise at least that.”

“Nugh,” Adrien agrees.

“Dad! Let him down!” Marinette sounds almost panicked. “You’re suffocating him!”

“What? Me? No.”

“Yes! Let him go!”

It takes some seconds until Adrien is put down again. He feels a bit dizzy from the lack of oxygen, but before he can stumble around, another pair of arms hugs him. Not as tightly as Tom did, at least.

“Oh, Adrien, dear.” Marinette’s mother pats his cheek with a soft smile. “I hope you brought a healthy appetite. Of course, Tom just had to exaggerate and cook way too much.”

“Ah, yep, healthy appetite is my middle name,” Adrien quips, gasping for some air while he’s at it.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry,” Marinette whispers to him, coming a bit closer. “They can be kind of overbearing. But they mean well.”

“I think they’re sweet.” Adrien grins. “They –”

The sound of giggling interrupts him. Marinette and he glance at her parents in confusion. Both of them are holding their fists close to their faces and showing bright grins.

“Don’t mind us,” Tom whispers. “Just watching two lovebirds express their adoration for each other, is all.”

Wow. That really is a déjà vu. Only that this time, every misunderstanding is actually on purpose, he guesses.

So he turns his head back to Marinette, who releases a tiny scared sound. “Uh, you don’t have to …”

“Just a greeting,” he mumbles as kisses her right cheek, hot underneath his lips. “There. Nothing much to it, right?”

“Y-yeah, totally,” she whispers back.

She seems uncomfortable. Well, of course she would be, seeing as this is just absurd. Whatever the reason for the show they keep running is, it must be important to her if she is willing to go that far.

Tom ushers them up the stairs and to the kitchen table, placing him on the exact same seat Chat Noir sat in. Marinette’s parents are smiling so brightly it warms Adrien’s heart. At least this time, he won’t have to disappoint them by rejecting their daughter. Well, yes, because they are only deceiving them. Which is so much better.      Absolutely.

Only for a good cause, he tells himself. Helping a friend is always a good cause, after all.

“So,” Sabine says, eyes sparkling as she leans forward. “Marinette said this has been going on for a longer time already?”

“Mom,” Marinette groans. “Is this an interview?”

Well. He is supposed to play the role of the good boyfriend, right? So he will. “Yes. For …” He sends Marinette a helpless look. “Tw … o …”

“Thr … ee …”

“Three weeks. Yep, three weeks. Time flies, huh?”

“Aw, still so fresh!” Tom sniffles as he sets down a basket of bread. The smell of fresh goodness makes Adrien’s stomach growl at once. “And so shortly after your last boyfriend, huh?”

“Dad,” Marinette hisses. “This has nothing to do with … Just …”

“I’m just teasing. Sorry, dear.” Tom laughs pleasantly.

“Three weeks, and having sleepovers already? I see, I see.” Sabine sends him a look between amusement and sternness. For whatever reason, Adrien tenses up.

“Um …? Well, yes, sleepovers …”

“Many, many sleepovers, too,” Tom interjects. “Not our place, but still. I hope you two don’t forget about your school responsibilities while having that much sleepover fun.”

Marinette hides her face behind her hands. “Dad! Please! Not now! In fact, not ever!” Her voice sounds thoroughly embarrassed, and Adrien wonders for a hot second why a sleepover between a boyfriend and a girlfriend would be –

Ah. Oh.

He quickly distracts himself by shoving half a piece of bread into his mouth. “Woagh, so nugh, Misa Fufain!” he brings about between chews.

“Oh, please, call me Tom.”

“Yes, please,” Sabine adds, eyes sparkling yet again. Adrien slowly starts to dread that shimmer of amusement within them. “Since you’re having that many sleepovers with my daughter …”

“Mom, oh my freaking god!” Marinette shrieks.

“As long as the two of you use –”

“Don’t! Don’t you dare! Dad, do not! I implore you, don’t!”

Tom makes a zipping motion. “Sex ed is taught in school for a reason, I guess.”

Adrien stares at the table, trying not to end up as a human radiator. Unsuccessfully so.

“I’m so sorry, Adrien,” Marinette whines, a hand still draped over her eyes. Even the tips of her ears are red. It’s kind of endearing, and really, anything is better than breaking Marinette’s heart right in front of her parents. He can handle embarrassment better than disappointment, after all. Even if he has to repress some mental images. Which is not a problem at all, nope. Totally. So, swallowing down his own bashfulness, Adrien reaches for her hand resting on the table and smiles softly at her.

“Don’t worry. I love you, so I’m more than happy to be here. Despite all the teasing that comes with it.”

Marinette jumps with such force that she smacks her knee against the table, and cutlery clatters as she stares at him. Even her parents suddenly are very silent. But that’s just what a boyfriend should say. Right? Nothing much to it, right? Somehow, Marinette’s staring is starting to become eerie, and he slowly retracts his hand again.

“Would you look at that,” Tom whispers with a little sniffle.

“Oh gosh.” Sabine is whispering too, eyes watery. “This … How beautiful.”

“Uh.” As if coming back to life, Marinette bolts upright, her whole face red. “Yeah. The … the L word. Totally a thing between us. Because we are so in noth. Moth. Um … I mean …”

“In love?” he carefully tries.

Marinette jumps again, and this time, it’s her elbow that makes the whole table shake for a second.

“Gosh, finally,” Sabine sighs. Tears shimmer in her eyes. “How long has it been? Three years?”

“Yes, three years.” Tom hums contently. “And to think we already thought nothing was ever going to happen! Life works in mysterious ways.”

Adrien blinks at them in confusion. He somehow gets the feeling he shouldn’t ask though, especially when Marinette slams her hands on the table. “Mom, Dad, stop!”

Sabine covers her mouth with a hand, a smirk twitching underneath. “Oh, sweetheart. I don’t think Adrien would mind anymore.”

“Mind?” he repeats.

Tom grins at him in a way that makes Adrien think he should slowly start to piece together what they’re talking about. “Well, you know. We aren’t blind, and we aren’t clueless. Someone here had her eyes on you for far longer than only three weeks.”

Wow. Must have been an elaborate plan if Marinette has been setting it all up for such a long time already. A plan she needed to work on relentlessly, then. If that’s the case, he’ll play the best boyfriend having ever existed. He can’t let her down, after all.

So, with a smile, he leans forward a bit. “She did? I didn’t know.”

“I did not!” Marinette quickly jumps in. He looks at her. Is denial part of the plan? Somehow, he’s getting confused. Or maybe it’s just another ploy to fool her parents even more thoroughly. Which, in that case, is just brilliant. She is eerily convincing, after all.

“Oh, so those photos on your wall just magically appeared out of nowhere and stayed there for three years? I see.” Tom nods pensively. “That makes sense.”

“Dad, please,” Marinette mumbles, hiding her face behind her hands.

What a perfect setup. Using the photos she only owns for strictly inspirational purposes – she must have thought of everything. If he didn’t know better, even he would suspect Marinette is having a thing for him. He suddenly wonders if he can even keep up with her brilliant performance.

He’ll have to up his game.

“And you never told me!” Adrien leans closer to her, letting his voice sound as teasing as possible. All of it for a good cause, he reminds himself. “Three years, Marinette? Really?”

She shrieks, moving away from him. “Could you all please stop?”

“See? I told you he wouldn’t mind.” Sabine grins at Adrien mischievously. “You could have easily swept her off her feet before she and Luka even got together. She was swooning over you like crazy.”

“Okay,” Tom laughs. “I think that’s enough. Can’t spill all the secrets, now can we?”

But Adrien can’t really concentrate anymore. Because he started to do the math. Marinette and Luka got together shortly before her sixteenth birthday. They were together for half a year. She couldn’t have planned all of this for over half a year, now could she have? Because that would have been oddly specific, wouldn’t it? But swooning can mean a lot of things, after all. He also constantly swoons over her. In a friendly manner. In a very friendly manner, like friends just do. Because that’s what her parents mean, right? Because the only other possibility would be that actually, this isn’t part of an elaborate plan, but the truth.

And that would mean that for three years –

Adrien backs away so abruptly he almost falls from the stool.

“I did not have a crush on Adrien!” Marinette quickly speaks up, face still reddened and lower lip trembling. “I did not! Stop saying that!”

There. There it is. The confirmation he needed. She didn’t have a crush on him, right? She couldn’t have. So he laughs naturally enough to make his skin crawl. “Yeah, that’s – that doesn’t make – yeah. I would have … But I never, so …”

“Okay, then.” Sabine winks at him. “Marinette did not have a crush on you for years.” She winks again. “Because that would make no sense at all.” She winks another time, and Adrien wonders if it could actually be just a twitchy eye she can’t get to stop. A twitchy eye that is passed on to Tom who repeats the gesture several times.

Adrien can’t move.

“Stop!” Marinette peeps. “I didn’t bring him here so you could embarrass me, oh my god!”

Sabine’s smile softens. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I’m just so excited for you. It’s … it’s very obvious how much you care for him. It always was.” Her eyes trail to Adrien who can’t even move his pinky at this point. His brain gave up on him completely. “And it’s obvious how much he cares for you.”

He does care. He really does. But if this wasn’t just baseless silly teasing – if the only planning that really went into it was bringing him here, and her parents saw more than he ever did, and –

He slowly turns his head to Marinette. His cheeks are so hot he feels like he’s burning up. She doesn’t meet his eyes though, strictly staring down at the table with her hands in her lap.

“The first step is always the toughest one.” Tom’s voice reaches him, and he faintly registers that a plate with cheese and crudités is served in front of him. “No matter how deep feelings reach. I needed half an eternity to ask out my lovely wife, too.”

Sabine laughs quietly. “And you were very sweet about it.” Her eyes find Adrien’s, and he almost winces. “So, I’m curious. Who asked out whom?”

Adrien can’t bring out a word. He looks at Marinette, and when their eyes finally meet, his face turns even hotter. She seems entirely embarrassed, eyes watery and her blush reaching even the tip of her nose. Either she is the best actress he has ever seen, or …

Oh god, or …

“Me,” she squeaks at the same time he brings out a wavering, “Me.”

They stare.

Across from them, a muffled laugh becomes audible. “Oh dear,” Sabine mutters. “Two sides of a story?”

“I –” Adrien starts.

“But I have …” Marinette adds.

“There was –”

“And then –”

“It was just –”

“But I didn’t –”

They both fall silent again. Keep staring. Adrien doesn’t know what to do with his hands. His stomach churns.

“If I were you, I’d find a compromise.” Tom laughs. “I’ve seen married couples having weeklong quarrels about exactly this question before.”

“Well,” adds Sabine, “Marinette had years to practice, at least.”

Years, it echoes in Adrien’s head. Marinette’s eyes widen once again, and she quickly whirls her head around. “Mom – I told you – please –”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s just too adorable!”

Actually, it’s mortifying. But Adrien doesn’t say that out loud. Instead, he forces himself to turn back to Tom and Sabine. He still has a friend’s duty to fulfill, after all.

“It was her,” he says, trying to steady his voice. “She asked me out. I was pretty glad she told me after all that time. Must have been horrible to hold it back and never say a word.”

He doesn’t look at her. He doesn’t need to. His own words scratch in the back of his throat. Sabine’s eyes soften, and she nods gently.

“That is true. The first step might be terrifying, but no matter how it turns out, it’s oftentimes the best decision.”

“And in this case, it led to the best result imaginable,” Tom adds. He sniffles yet again. “Heartwarming, isn’t it?”

Sabine rubs his arm. “It really is.”

When Adrien dares shoot a look at Marinette, he sees her nibbling at a piece of bread, body tense and eyes never meeting his. He wonders why him. He wonders how she could have stayed quiet that long. He wonders why he never saw just one sign. That’s just … It’s crazy.

He mechanically keeps eating. Just so he doesn’t permanently glance at Marinette. He answers easy questions, acting as if it’s just another one of the many interviews he regularly has to go through. Strictly ignoring the seething hot feeling of knowing Marinette is still next to him.

“Also,” Tom says as he starts removing the appetizers, “we would like to have a talk with your father, Adrien.”

He freezes.

“Dad,” Marinette jumps in. “Do you really think Gabriel Agreste would have time for that? He’s famous!”

“Yes, and his son is in a relationship with my daughter,” Sabine returns, sharpness returning to her tone. “I’m pretty sure Gabriel Agreste will find the time to talk with us in that case.”

Marinette blenches and leans forward. “It’s the whole reason I sneaked out in the first place – so Adrien’s dad doesn’t find out!”

Okay. At least that one doesn’t carry an ounce of truth. Adrien takes a breath. “He has a very strict no-dating policy. So …”

Sabine looks at him. “You know you won’t be able to hide your relationship from him forever, right?”

“We know,” Marinette says quickly. Previous abashment is replaced by determination he is familiar with. It’s kind of reassuring to see her like this again. “We’re waiting for the right time. That’s all.”

Sabine and Tom exchange a long look. For whatever reason, Adrien feels tense as he waits for an answer. Then, Sabine sighs, placing both her palms on the table. “Look, we understand. It’s your relationship, and we won’t interfere. But Marinette, we are your parents. And we can’t allow you to run around Paris in the middle of the night to visit your boyfriend.”

Marinette ducks her head. “Yes, I know.”

“So, if you want to visit him, you will tell us first. And you absolutely won’t leave the house after nine p.m.”

For a second, Marinette stays silent. “So you’ll still allow me to visit him?” she whispers.

Tom smiles softly. “As long as your grades don’t drop, and you don’t forget about your other responsibilities, you can visit him four times a week, we decided.”

“And,” adds Sabine, “of course, Adrien is allowed to stay here whenever he wants. Where we can have a watchful eye over you two.”

The corner of Adrien’s mouth twitches, but he forces himself to smile easily. “I’ll have to see about that. You see, my father …”

“Yeah.” Marinette nods quickly. “His father. You know.”

“Of course. Whatever you’re comfortable with. But like I said,” Sabine returns, “you won’t be able to hide it forever.”

Adrien takes another look at Marinette. She doesn’t return it.

He can’t properly concentrate on the food. Tom is a fantastic cook, and he didn’t lie – the love he put into his meal is apparent in every tiniest bite Adrien takes, but still. He can’t properly think about anything. Marinette falling for Chat Noir was understandable, at least – the handsome superhero stranger saving her once or twice? Of course she’d fall for him. But it’s different with Adrien. He is her friend. He spends so much time with her. He should be able to notice her feelings, for god’s sake.

Or it was all just a big misunderstanding, and he’s being an idiot once again.

Her parents invite him to stay after dinner, but when he glances at the time, he almost curses out loud. “Sorry, Nathalie promised to have me picked up at eight at the latest,” he says. “But thank you. Really. The food was incredible.”

Tom clasps him in his arms and pats Adrien’s back a few times, effectively suffocating him once again. “Anything for the boy who makes my daughter this happy.”

Adrien tries to return something and fails.

“As long as you don’t break her heart, son. In that case, I’d have to break your bones.” Tom laughs.

Adrien tries to laugh and chokes instead.

“Oh, Dad, come on,” Marinette sighs. “Please don’t break anyone’s bones, will you?”

“I was just kidding, of course.” Tom lets go of him again with light laughter. Despite his words, he grabs Adrien’s shoulder with enough force to give away his true intentions.

Not terrifying at all.

He is hugged by Sabine too, and they both leave Marinette and him alone in the entrance room. There’s some weird distance between them as Adrien slips into his shoes, and he feels his mouth dry as he thinks about the whole dinner, and somehow, he can’t bring himself to talk about what they’d need to talk about.

“So, uh,” he hears her say. “Thank you. And stuff. And, yeah, sorry for … Yeah.”

There are so many ways he could have asked. If what her parents talked about was the truth. Why she never said anything. Or if he misinterpreted it all. Instead, all he can do is stare at her, realizing that usually, humans interact by answering sentences directed at them.

“All good. Good.” He nods. “Yep, good.”

He stands there like a moron, unsure what to do. Hug her? But the thought of touching her now is somehow nerve-wracking. It shouldn’t be. It really shouldn’t be. He hugs her all the time, and it was never weird. Or was it, and he just didn’t see it? Just like he didn’t see so many other important things?

“I’ll,” she continues, “I’ll make sure they don’t try to contact your dad. And … and don’t worry. You really don’t have to – even if my parents said – you don’t have to visit me, really.”

He jumps. Oh, yeah, he forgot. There are more important things to worry about than a hug being weird. “Good,” he therefore says. Makes a face. “I mean, I don’t mind. I – if you need me to – I could sleep on the … on the floor?”

She stares. “You really don’t have to spend the night here. Ever. I’ll just ease them up until they allow me to,” she air quotes, “sleep over at yours more often.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

Back to weirdly looking at each other. He coerces himself to take a step towards her. She doesn’t back away. Another step. She still doesn’t back away.

“I’ll … go,” he says weakly.

“Yeah,” she returns. “Again, thank you so much, Adrien. I know it’s probably –”

In a fraction of a second, he tosses his arms around her, removes them again, and heads for the door. “Bye! See you on Monday!” he calls over his shoulder, and flees.

Nailed it.

Totally.

Oh god.

Chapter Text

There’s only one possible solution: it’s all a misunderstanding.

Adrien didn’t get a wink of real sleep despite the wondrous lack of an akuma attack during the whole weekend, and in his state of tired enlightenment, he finally arrived at the sure answer. There’s no way Marinette – brave, determined Marinette who always comes through, no matter what – would develop more-than-friendly feelings for him and, most importantly, not say a word. Just no way. When he told Plagg as much, the kwami stared at him, sighed, and stuffed his face with camembert. But he also didn’t say Adrien’s way of thinking is unreasonable, and so, it’s settled.

Only a misunderstanding.

Adrien is so convinced of his absolutely logical conclusion that there’s no reason to almost drop his pen when Marinette enters the classroom. There’s also no reason to gape at her as she sends him a tiny smile, and there’s no reason he can’t bring out a word as she passes him by. Only sleep deprivation, that’s it. His theory is flawless, after all. Her parents misinterpreted her reactions, and what they called “swooning” was actually the power of friendship, and he notices that Nino is leaning closer.

“Bro, you okay?”

“Yes!” Adrien blurts out so loudly several heads turn to them. He clears his throat. “Yes. I’m great. Perfect. I’m just …” He shoots a careful look over his shoulder, noticing that Alya is drawing up an eyebrow at him before going back to talking to Marinette.

Maybe he shouldn’t ask. Because it’s clear anyway. A misunderstanding, and nothing could convince Adrien otherwise. Still, something inside him is left restless and wondering, and so, he finds Nino’s eyes.

“Can I ask you something really, really weird?”

Nino wiggles his eyebrows. “We talkin’ about a certain girl here?”

“Uh, yes.”

“A certain girl you coincidentally started dating again?”

Adrien pauses. “No. No, not – no, it’s about …” Subtly, he nods over his shoulder, and Nino frowns.

“Alya?”

He tries not to start sweating. “No.”

“Oh.” Nino frowns even more. “Question being?”

Adrien leans closer, making sure that no one else but Nino can hear him as he utters the question. “If … Okay, this sounds totally weird, I know, but just – just to be sure. Uh … Well …” He swallows. “If Marinette had a crush on me – ever – you would tell me, right?”

Nino stares. His face falls for the tiniest of moments, and it’s so scary that Adrien backs away a bit. But then, adjusting his cap, Nino nods curtly.

“If I could, of course.”

“Great! Awesome!” Adrien’s relieved smile wavers. “If you … could?”

Nino is still fiddling with his cap. “Yeah, dude, y’know. Sometimes, uh, life gives you lemons and ya can’t help but take a bite even though you know they taste like crap, but your best bud is there to smack the lemons right outta your hand anyway before you make the mistake of your life. Get it?”

“Very philosophical.”

“Thanks, bro.”

But that oddly detailed answer makes Adrien sweat with nervousness nevertheless, and he squints. “So, if I asked you right now … Could you tell me?”

Nino stares. His smile is twitching. His hand is still on his cap. Then, with the subtlety of a desperate man facing certain doom and the devastating disappointment of a bro, he leans back and emits a loud, “Oh what Alya you need to tell me something? Right now? Very urgently? Oh man but of course let’s hear it!”

Adrien’s gears are rattling. He slowly turns his head to the row behind him. Marinette is staring at Nino, looking utterly confused as next to her, Alya makes just the same face. Marinette. Three years. She had a boyfriend. She was with Luka for months. But – still. Three years.

And he never noticed anything?

The sound of the bell ringing makes him wince so hard he knocks his pen off the desk. He watches it roll over the floor. It takes him way too long to stand up and pick it up, and when he returns to his seat, blue eyes catch his.

He flinches again. Quickly averting his gaze, he sits down.

He should be tired. After all, two hours of sleep aren’t exactly enough to work with, but the espresso shots he begged Nathalie to get him seem to work their magic. Together with the constant thought of Marinette sitting behind him. Or he is reading way too much into it. Maybe Nino is just being weird today. See, all a misunderstanding after all.

Oh god, his head is spinning.

And it’s during Ms. Bustier’s lesson that Nino slides a piece of paper over to him.

u remember my lemon talk

Adrien almost snorts. In front of him, Ms. Bustier seems to be busy writing something onto the blackboard, and he uses the moment to scribble down a reply.

Very vividly.

The answer comes back almost immediately.

yea it was a metaphor

Woah. No! You don’t say.

haha bro. srsly uhhhh maybe u should talk to lemons.

Makes sense.

to her

He guessed so.

But that’s good, isn’t it? Clearing up all misunderstandings once and for all, making sure that his suspicions are just stupid, and there, all’s good and well. Everything’s fine.

Adrien swallows hard. She’s his friend. This shouldn’t be so difficult. So he takes an empty piece of paper and writes down the words, fast and painlessly.

Hey. Can we talk during lunch break? In private?

He leans back. Waits until Ms. Bustier is looking at someone else, and quickly reaches backwards to deposit the piece of paper on Marinette’s desk. What he didn’t expect was Marinette’s surprised, quiet squeak. Still, in the silence of the classroom, absolutely everyone turns their heads to stare at them. Including Ms. Bustier herself.

“Marinette,” she says dryly. “Please refrain from interrupting my class, will you?”

“Sorry,” mumbles Marinette.

Adrien blenches. When Ms. Bustier looks away again, he quickly turns his head around. “Sorry,” he whispers, and notices how Marinette’s faint blush covers her freckles, and notices how his throat closes up.

She waves him off with a smile.

When he turns back to the front of the classroom, his heart is still beating too hard.

The classroom isn’t empty. Too many of their classmates need half an eternity to pack their things, and Adrien feels nervousness tumbling through his veins as he packs his own bag. He is watching the other side of the classroom so intently that Marinette’s face suddenly coming into sight almost makes him jump.

“So,” she lilts, eyes twitching away from him as a pinkish shimmer creeps over her cheeks. “Where to?”

He feels his fingers tingle. A look over his shoulder tells him that Nino got the cue, dragging Alya with him as he leaves the room. Adrien stares after him for longer than necessary before turning to Marinette again.

“Um, well,” he finally brings out. “Behind the school? Maybe?”

“Sure. If that couple from the parallel class isn’t making out there again, that is.”

At that, Adrien has to laugh. “Ah, yeah, them. Didn’t they skip class once to make out for a whole hour?”

“Ms. Mendeleiev was pissed.” Marinette snorts. “Takes courage. And a lot of hormones, I guess.”

Hormones. Making out. Couples. Dread forms in Adrien’s stomach once again, and he hastily stands up, swinging his bag over his shoulder. “Yeah, uh, we’ll just try to keep our distance. In case those … those hormones are contagious.” His voice is so unsteady that his joke sounds like a question, and in turn, Marinette looks at him.

“Sounds like a plan.”

There’s an exit at the other side of the school building, and on their way there, Adrien tries to keep up some small talk. Like, “What nice weather we have today!” And, “Woah, Ms. Bustier’s class sure was sleep-inducing!” And, “Ugh, wow, I’m really not sleeping too well lately.” He feels like an idiot. Especially when Marinette’s replies are somehow tense. Whenever she steps just a bit too close, he automatically brings distance between them again, inwardly facepalming just a moment afterwards. It’s not like she did something wrong. It’s not like he has to avoid her. But still, the thought won’t get out of his head. That Marinette of all people …

It doesn’t take too long until they’re outside, a warm spring day greeting them. Luckily for them, there’s no one in sight, the bench placed close to the exit empty. The air around them feels entirely awkward as Adrien sits down, clasping his hands in his lap as he stares at the ground. Searching for words. The right words. Something to clear it all up. Easy, right? Easy.

“I know what this is about,” Marinette mumbles next to him.

His head shoots up. He meets her concerned eyes, trying his best not to recoil. “You – you do?”

She nods slowly. She is mirroring his pose, a careful distance between them. Sunlight catches on her face, and she worries her lower lip between her teeth for a moment before releasing a sigh. “You feel horrible about that whole lying business. Adrien, I’m so sorry I dragged you into this.”

He stares. Blinks. “Well, uh, I mean …”

“Really, if there was another solution – I know it isn’t fair on you. I’m really sorry.”

“Um … That’s actually …”

“If you don’t … Well, give me two weeks. I’ll think of something else, and I’ll stage a breakup, and you won’t have to worry. I know I sprung that on you out of nowhere, so …”

“Seriously, that’s … That’s not …”

“I’m just glad I have … That you’re such a good friend.” She averts her gaze, letting it sink to the ground. “I really, really appreciate it. Not everyone would have done that for me, so …”

A friend, huh? That’s what she thinks? Is it? It must be, right? He is starting to sweat. He has to gain clarity. He has to know that his assumptions are stupid, and that after all, nothing will change between them. So he’ll have to ask. Sensitively, and carefully, and –

“Did you ever have a crush on me?” he blurts right into her face.

Marinette stares. Her eyes grow wide, and she twitches away from him. That’s a non-crush sign, isn’t it? Or a “I’m uncomfortable” sign. Because there could have been thousands of ways to ask, and of course, he chose the most moronic one. Heat climbs up to his neck, and his mouth moves several times without bringing out a sound until he gives up entirely. 

“W-what?” she breathes. Laughs. Her face falls again in a matter of seconds. “What? Ha. What? Who – what?”

“Your parents,” he explains elaborately.

She freezes in place. Adrien thinks she even stopped blinking.

“Said,” he adds, because somehow, he has a feeling his explanation didn’t help much, “things. About. And just. Yeah.”

She still doesn’t move. He has a feeling he broke her. And because he has no idea how to get her back to a state of normalcy again, he naturally panics.

“I just – I just need to make sure, because – uh, I know it’s … That’s totally presumptuous, right?” He laughs, and looks away, and tries not to coil in on himself  and hide away forever. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to assume – it’s just – I …”

“Presumptuous,” she repeats.

He feels himself blush even harder. “Well. I can’t just – um, I can’t just assume you … I mean, why me?” His laugh is totally natural and absolutely not strained at all.

“Why you?” she repeats again.

“I mean, why would you … On me … I can’t just go around assuming every close friend I have automatically has a crush on me because – yeah, because of no reason at all?” He’s blabbering. Oh god, he should stop talking for good. Oh god, he can’t. “Ha, yeah, Agreste, of course your friend would have no choice but to – you know, it’s just … It’s just not –”

“That’s the reason,” she interrupts him harshly.

He stares, unmoving. “What?”

“There, that’s the reason,” she says again, gesturing at him as if that would explain everything when in truth, it just makes his head spin. “You wouldn’t even want to assume – you’re way too nice. You’re way too good-hearted. That’s why …”

Her hand sinks down again. Her cheeks turn red. A long moment of dreadful silence. He shivers, and the urge to run away from this conversation becomes overwhelming. Luckily for him, his body decided to let him down for good, not moving a millimeter.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no.

“How long?” he croaks.

She jumps. “What?”

“For … for how long did you …”

“Oh my god.” She buries her face in her hands. “I … Do we really have to …?”

Everything inside him becomes icy and hot at once, and he doesn’t even know what to do as he watches her reactions. “Because … You know that – I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but Marinette, you know that Kagami …”

“I know!” she returns immediately, hands landing in her lap again as she stares at him with glazed eyes. “I don’t – I was together with Luka for a reason, and that reason wasn’t you! It’s in the past. I don’t – not anymore.”

Of course. It was stupid to assume otherwise. But still, it doesn’t make things easier. “So, for … For three years?”

This time, she withstands his look, even though her cheeks flush an even deeper red. “Possibly?”

His mouth dries. His stomach churns. Three years. Three endlessly long years. He knows the feeling of longing for someone you can never have, knows how devastating it is to wonder day after day, and his heart hurts so much he feels the words burn on his tongue. “Why did you never say anything?”

For moments, Marinette only stares at him. “Would it really have helped?” she returns eventually.

He swallows. “It would have.”

Her laugh is small and somewhat sardonic. “How? It’s not like you would have ever … You’ve always loved someone else. You wouldn’t have given me a chance.”

“You don’t know that.”

The words slipped out too quickly to be held back, and he freezes just as much as she does. But really, it isn’t a lie. If it wasn’t for Kagami – Marinette is pretty, and nice, and brave, and when he’s with her, he can laugh and joke around. Her presence is comforting and easy. He might not have had the same feelings for her as she did for him, but it doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t have at least thought about it.

Most of all, he never intended to hurt her in any way.

“But,” he adds, lowering his voice, “right now, I … Kagami and I, we sort of … We’re trying this whole dating thing again, so …”

Her face becomes a silent mask. He feels horrible. God, if he had seen the signs earlier – if he wasn’t so oblivious – but why did she never tell him? Did she try to, and he never caught on? Was she so scared of being rejected and hurt?

His fingers twitch to touch her, reassure her, but he knows it’s the worst thing he could possibly do in this moment. So he doesn’t move.

“We kind of guessed you would, sooner or later,” she finally returns, looking away from him. But she can’t hide the hint of pain in her voice. “And it’s okay. I’m not hoping for anything. I’m over it, I promise.”

He feels helpless as he keeps looking at her. “We’re friends. Right?”

“Right.”

“Then, please promise me to tell me things like that. Always.” He tries to catch her eyes, but she is still strictly looking away. “Promise me you won’t ever again bottle it up like you did. Okay? You mean too much to me, and I don’t want so see you hurting.”

It was nothing but the truth. It makes his heart speed up in his chest. She doesn’t react for a long moment, and everything inside him is revolting, is trying to find a way to soothe her, but he comes up with nothing. So he almost releases a relieved breath when she looks up again, giving him the tiniest of smiles.

“Okay,” she says. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize for anything.”

Her smile cracks. “Sorry for making you uncomfortable. I hope this won’t make things weird between us.”

“It won’t,” he says, even though it’s already starting to feel weird.

But it will get better. He’s sure it will.

They don’t talk as they walk back to the dining hall. They don’t look at each other either. Adrien can’t stop thinking about it. Three years, and he can only imagine how much it must have hurt to keep quiet about it. Just imagining bottling up his feelings for Ladybug – there’s a reason he had to tell her, a reason he made move after move. Even though it led nowhere. Still, it was better than never just once telling her about it.

Slowly, an icy realization starts to creep up on him. That maybe, he doesn’t know Marinette as well as he thought.

Their friends are already sitting at their usual table. There’s a smile on Kagami’s face as she talks to Alya. It needed a bit of time and a bit of effort, but Nino and Alya warmed up to Kagami eventually, and a fuzzy feeling surges through Adrien’s heart whenever he sees them hanging out like this. Still, right now, he’s kind of distracted by the way Marinette immediately squeezes herself between Nino and Alya, the greeting she directs at Kagami small and quiet.

“Hey, Kagami,” he says as he sits down too. He’s about to reach for her hand and squeeze it, but then, he remembers that Marinette is sitting right across from them. So instead, his hand latches onto the back of his neck.

“Hey,” she returns. Her eyes slowly trail back to Alya and Nino. All of them stay silent for a long, torturous moment. Alya is squinting at Adrien, and Nino is doing his best not to meet anyone’s eyes, and Marinette is fidgeting in place, and uh.

All of this is pretty much weird.

“I’ll … food.” With that coherent announcement, Adrien drops off his bag and jumps up again. “So, uh, I’ll be right back.”

Kagami looks from the others to him. “I’ll come with you.”

“Okay, okay. Cool, cool.”

“Yeah,” Alya says. Her tone is icy. “Do that, sunshine. Go with Kagami.”

He shoots a look at Nino who’s still strictly looking at anything that isn’t a human being, and with that, he approaches the cafeteria which has long since cleared up of any queue. Which also means the best desserts are probably already gone. He’ll live with that, though. He’ll have to. It’s not like he wanted to bring Marinette one of the tastier desserts to cheer her up or anything. No, totally not.

“You and Marinette talked,” Kagami notes.

Adrien almost winces. Instead of doing so, he concentrates on telling the bored-looking lady behind the counter what kind of unidentifiable mush to listlessly smack onto his plate. “We did,” he returns as he is handed his meal.

“She doesn’t look too happy.”

“Uh … Possibly.”

Kagami stays close behind. He frowns as he stares at the only dessert left. Apple sauce? Really?

“What did you talk about?” she asks.

He almost drops the dish of apple sauce again. “Nothing important.” He doesn’t dare look at her. Knowing Kagami, she would read the truth right from his eyes. Instead, he hands the still bored-looking lady his food ticket and returns to their table.

“I see,” Kagami says. She doesn’t sound too happy either, but she doesn’t probe further, and he’s pretty glad about it.

Marinette and Alya aren’t sitting at their table anymore when they return. Not really a surprise. It’s the first time since arriving at the dining hall that Nino properly looks at him again, and a silent apology is sitting in his eyes.

“The two of ’em had to talk about something,” he explains, pointing at the empty seats.

“A lot of talking going on today,” Kagami notices.

Picking at his food, Adrien shrugs. “Guess so.”

Weird silence again. When he hesitantly looks up, Nino is staring at him, his eyes telling Adrien everything that he isn’t actually uttering. 

Bro, what did you do?

Adrien helplessly stares back.

Bro, what?

Bro, come on!

Bro, I wish we could formulate more complicated sentences through eye contact alone.

Bro, sorry, I didn’t get that one. Could you repeat?

“I have a feeling there’s even more need for talking,” Kagami interrupts their intense conversation as she reaches for her bag. “I will take my leave now.”

“Kagami,” Adrien tries, reaching for her arm. “There’s – you don’t need to go.”

Her eyes dart to Nino, then back to him. “That is nice of you. But I think I do. See you in the afternoon?”

He tries to smile at her, rubbing her arm gently. “Yeah. See you later.”

Returning his smile, Kagami walks away. As soon as she is out of earshot, chairs clutter, and Nino is suddenly so close that Adrien almost backs away with a shriek.

“Dude,” he whispers. “The hell did you tell her?”

Adrien blinks heavily. “Who?”

“Who?” Nino throws his arms up. “Who? Marinette, of course?”

“Oh. Oh! Oh, you mean the same girl who you knew had a crush on me, and you never told me. Not even a single word?”

Slowly, Nino lets his arms sink down again. An expression of guilt covers his features. “I promised her I wouldn’t tell you.”

“And instead, you let her suffer for three years?” Adrien rationally knows it isn’t Nino’s fault, but still – he feels helpless, and guilty, and horrible, and there’s nothing else he can do but try to make sense of it.

Nino looks away, pulling his cap deeper into his face and hiding his eyes that way. “Wasn’t my place to tell you, and ya know it too.”

That is true. It’s so true that all of Adrien’s sudden anger subsides right that instant. He sighs, continuing to pick at his food. He has no appetite whatsoever. “I can’t believe she never told me.”

“And we can’t believe you never noticed. Like, seriously,” Nino returns, expression still partly hidden. “How did ya find out, dude?”

Adrien keeps staring at the mush this school generously calls food. “Um. I – I had a sudden feeling. That’s … That’s all.”

“A sudden feeling.”

“Yeah.”

Adrien keeps his mouth shut, hoping to god that after hurting Marinette like that, he won’t go ahead and spill her secrets too while he’s at it. Feels awesome, knowing he is the cause of her ruined day, and that he could make it even worse easily. Just lovely.

But then, Nino releases a sound and adjusts his cap. There is something tired to the look he shoots Adrien.

“Well, not like it would’ve changed much, yeah? Obviously, with how things are lookin’ between Kagami and you …” Nino shrugs. “And ya wouldn’t have gone out with her even if it wasn’t for Kagami, right?”

“I don’t know,” Adrien mutters the truth.

Silence. He gives up. Shoves the tray as far away as possible. When he turns his head to Nino, he sees his look of confusion.

“I don’t know, okay?” he continues. “She never gave me the chance to think about it in the first place.”

“Dude –”

“And now, yeah, now there’s Kagami, and I had to hurt Marinette, and if she would have told me sooner, things could have been different. Maybe. But no, it seems like everyone knew but me, and none of you ever thought about telling me, huh? Of course not.”

“Adrien –”

“She is one of my closest friends, and it hurts me to hurt her, but she kinda forced me to hurt her, and – I don’t know, it’s just not fair!”

“Man, Adrien,” Nino sighs, letting his head sink down to the table. “I know! I know. Ya don’t think I feel horrible about it? But dude, I gotta respect her feelings too!”

Adrien groans, mimicking Nino’s posture. “I’m just – I feel so stupid.”

“You are kinda stupid.”

“Gosh, thank you.”

“Charming, but kinda stupid.”

With his eyes closed and the cold surface of the table against his skin, Adrien lifts his hand and pats Nino’s shoulder. “Yeah, yeah, love you.”

“Love you too, man.”

“Cool.”

“Cool.”

A second of silence.

“Also, yeah. Everyone but you knew, bro,” Nino notes.

“Awesome. Good to know. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

She stomps on the sunglasses, and they break apart with a loud crack. A butterfly slowly flaps towards the sky. She contemplates. Then she stomps on the sunglasses again, just for good measure.

And again, because the cracking sound is kind of satisfying.

And again, because why not?

And again, because –

“Uh, Ladybug. The akuma.”

“Just.” She stomps again. “A second.” She stomps again, noticing with glee that the object turned to tiniest pieces of unidentifiable dust. Just like her ego. How poetic. Content with her work, she captures the akuma and purifies it, letting it flap away towards the horizon.

And, because the opportunity just presents itself to her that openly, she stomps on the glasses once more.

“Okay,” Chat Noir drawls as he pulls her back a little. “Don’t you think those poor sunglasses have suffered enough? Not looking too sunny anymore anyway.”

Ladybug gestures at the glasses expansively. “They’re practically taunting us! Sunglasses in the middle of the night? Who does that?”

“Hey,” the civilian mumbles on the floor, having been turned back a minute ago. “Corey Hart, for example? It’s stylish.”

“Corey who?” Ladybug returns.

A deep sigh. “Gen Z, I see.”

“You see,” Chat Noir finger-guns him, “without your glasses?”

A long moment of silence.

“Right.” Ladybug helps him up, ignoring his poisonous look. “Giving people around you horrible fashion sense isn’t the way to go, though.”

“They taunt me, I taunt them.” He glowers. “Not as if you have a lot going for you, lady in red.”

She kicks at the pile of sunglasses dust one last time, sending the guy a long telling look before using her Lucky Charm to restore peace and quiet once again. Before she can turn his sunglasses to garbage once again, he quickly snatches them up and deposits them on his nose.

“Wow,” Chat Noir drawls. “You look so cool.”

The guy nods curtly before turning around, giving him a short wave. “Thanks, bro. See ya.”

All right, then.

A crescent moon in the sky. Ladybug breathes for a second. Until Chat Noir’s voice pulls her back, that is.

“You okay? You seemed kind of …” Even though it looks kind of careful, he grins. “Eager to throw shade at that guy.”

She raises an eyebrow. Her earrings give a beep. “I’m fine. Totally fine.”

“Okay. Kinda sounds like …”

“So fine. Incredibly fine.”

“Uh, sure. I guess –”

“It’s not like Hawk Moth’s stupid nightly attacks are about to make a nightmare of my whole life. No, absolutely not! Ha, why would you say that?”

Chat blinks heavily. “You … you want to talk about it?”

His ring beeps. They look at each other. Eventually, he makes a face.

“I mean, tomorrow? Uh – today, that is.”

“No.” She sighs. “No, but thanks. I can’t, not really, but I appreciate it. Have a nice night, kitty.”

“You too, my lady.”

She feels his eyes following her as she swings away. She feels the same kind of angry desperation she has felt all day. It’s just stupid. Her parents think she isn’t home, so she is extra careful not to make a sound as she lands on her balcony and sneaks back into her room. Tikki is following her, a macaron between her paws.

With a heavy sigh, Marinette falls back into the warmth of her bed and cuddles up underneath her blanket. “Could my life get any worse?” she mumbles under her breath, waiting until Tikki lands next to her. Worry shimmers in her eyes.

“Yes, it could.” Tikki looks upwards in thought. “For example, your parents could find out you lied to them.”

Marinette stares at her long and hard. “My parents are the reason for this disaster in the first place.”

“Technically, they aren’t. Because if you had never told them you’re in a relationship with …” Tikki blinks at the expression Marinette shows and clears her throat as she floats back a little. “I mean, uh, yes. No. Your life couldn’t get any worse.”

“Thank you,” Marinette returns pointedly.

“I’m sorry. What would have been the correct answer?”

With a groan, Marinette lets her face meet the pillow, sinking into its comforting softness. “Nothing. Silence. All I want is silence.” She pauses. “And maybe the possibility of avoiding Adrien tomorrow. Oh my god, this will be so awkward.”

“Well … He didn’t really reject you, did he?”

Marinette sharply lifts her head again, staring at her kwami. It’s two a.m., way too late to be talking about nonsensical love problems with her kwami, but seriously, not like she could care about that particular fact. Or do anything about it, for that matter. “Did you listen to the same conversation I listened to? Because he clearly did.”

“He said … Well, he said if it wasn’t for Kagami …”

Marinette keeps staring. Turns on her back. He did say he might have given her a chance. If she had acted faster. If she had had more courage. If she hadn’t been such a coward, convinced that he’d never in his life just think about seeing her as more than a friend.

It’s ironic, and a just a bit infuriating, and most of all saddening – but Kagami was right. She should have made a move. And she didn’t.

Her fingers are itching to reach for her phone, but she strictly lets them rest where they are. Texting Luka now wouldn’t help. There’s nothing he could say to make it better. Months ago, it helped to hear him say just how much he adored her, and she thought that soon, she’d be able to tell him the same.

That day never arrived.

“Look,” she says, still facing the ceiling. “I’m over it. Totally over it. It’s not that easy to just, bam, forget about someone you … you were in love with. But I can live with it.” She grimaces. “What I can’t live with is constant weirdness. And me being weird because he is weird. And him being weird because I’m weird. That whole weirdness would be way too weird.”

“Uh … Maybe, if it’s too weird, you can just talk about it?”

“Oh, yeah, because talking with him about it worked out so well the last time I tried! Which was today and led into catastrophe.”

“Or give it time?”

Yeah. That is probably the most sensible option. Just give it time. Like she gave her heart time to heal, and somehow, it can still be that easily punctured. Tiny stings that make her want to coil up. But she doesn’t, because everything will be all right. Because she is happy for him and Kagami. Some stupid feelings that should have long been buried won’t come in the way of that.

Nothing will be weird. It will be okay. It will absolutely be okay.

“I don’t want to do that whole swinging thing anymore,” Marinette announces. “I want to do the regular thing. You. Me. Regular.”

Adrien blinks at her. He looks even more gorgeous in faint spring sun. “Regular?”

“Yes. You know. The relationship thing.”

“Wait.” He points from him to her and back again. “Me?” He snorts. “You?” He chortles. “Relationship?”

Her eye is starting to twitch. She should be embarrassed, but somehow, all she feels is irritation. “Um, yes? You were the one who said you’d give me a chance.”

“Sure,” Adrien drawls, swinging an arm over Kagami’s shoulder who appeared out of nowhere. Just, bang, there. With her silky beautiful hair and her cute freckles and everything Marinette absolutely doesn’t have. Smiling at her triumphantly while her boyfriend keeps speaking. “Me? Giving you a chance? Ha, in your dreams.”

“Damn it, Adrien!” Marinette flares up. “You told me you would! Outside of my dreams! You couldn’t even reject me properly, you coward!”

At that, Kagami and Adrien laugh in unison, the perfect couple that they are. “Oh, Marinette,” Kagami sighs.

“Oh, Marinette,” Adrien agrees. “Marinette, Marinette, Marinette …”

“… Marinette!” a high-pitched voice shrieks into her ear.

Marinette wakes with a start, body icily cold and sweat making her PJs stick to her skin. She makes a face, squinting at her window. Then at her clock. It’s six in the morning.

Six in the morning …

“Marinette,” Tikki repeats, softly prodding her shoulder. “Look, I tried to wake you up, but you swatted me away. Like … like an insect! So I tried every ten minutes, but you …”

But Marinette can’t properly listen anymore. She jumps out of the bed, her four hours of sleep mixing with adrenaline as she reaches the hatch leading to the living room. Carefully, she lifts it, listening for any noise at all.

Nothing.

“Sorry, Tikki,” she whispers, starting to climb down the stairs. “Didn’t mean to treat you like, uh, an insect. I was just dreaming. Intensely.”

“And restlessly. You were tossing and turning.”

“Sorry,” she repeats. Her parents are usually already in the bakery starting at five, and they only turn up upstairs when they grab some breakfast a bit later on. What they absolutely can’t know is that their daughter blissfully slept in her own bed instead of at her boyfriend’s. So she has no choice but to use the bathroom in a matter of five minutes and toss in a quick shower while she’s at it. She feels exhausted, and the memory of her dream makes her shudder, but she has the perfect solution. Suppress it all underneath a veil of nonchalance.

Yeah, that will work.

It’s just a tad ironic that she has to pretend not to be at home. Isn’t it usually the other way around? Yeah, well, if her life was just close to normal, that is. Before she can pity herself too much, she gets dressed. Foresight caused her to deposit her shoes and jacket in her room, and she slips into both before packing her school bag. Tikki watches her from the desk.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

Marinette huffs. “You could say that.”

“You know, psychology suggests that nightmares are a way for humans to process what happens in their waking life, and it might help to analyze it. So if you want someone to analyze it with …”

“I’m pretty sure I know what my dream wanted to tell me,” Marinette sighs. “But thank you.”

The sun is about to rise when she steps out on her balcony. It’s silent, clouds turning orange in the distance. Tiredness clings to her skin as Marinette transforms, and making sure nobody is watching her, she swings down into one of the many alleys close to the school. No other choice there, she supposes. Tikki hides in her bag as Marinette approaches the school building. It’s not even seven in the morning, and school won’t start before an hour has passed, but anyway.

She’ll have to get used to being the most punctual person in the class, she guesses.

The building is entirely empty when she enters. Still, she knows that the janitor unlocks the entrance door shortly before seven anyway, and she even meets him as she drags her feet to the classroom. The janitor looks at her funnily, and she returns the weird eye contact.

“Early bird today,” he remarks.

“Seems so,” she returns, voice heavy with exhaustion.

The janitor shrugs before unlocking the door to her classroom, and then, he gives her another long look. “Coffee machines on the second floor get cleaned every morning. Oughta give it a try sometime.”

Marinette moves herself to a smile. “Thanks.”

A nod. Then the janitor moves on.

She’s never been early enough to catch the sunrise from inside the classroom. Living so close to the school leads to some rather unfavorable consequences, after all. So, as she sits at her desk and beds her cheek on her crossed arms, she does nothing but watch the sky turn pinkish, red, orange - clouds wandering and falling apart and connecting once again.

“I’m sorry, Marinette,” she hears Tikki whisper.

Her whole body feels heavy. So much so that her eyes close without her noticing at first. She hums in question.

“For the strain you have to go through,” Tikki goes on. “I wish I could help you somehow.”

Marinette can’t even talk anymore. The darkness is pleasant, the quietness lulls her in, and she drifts off into sleep before she knows it. Her dreams are jumbled this time, nonsensical, calm, and she only wakes up when something warm suddenly rests on her arm, softly shaking her.

“Marinette,” a voice whispers.

She grumbles, trying to get away from the noise.

“Marinette,” the voice tries again. “I brought you something. Wake up. Classes start in ten minutes.”

It’s a familiar voice. She forces herself to blink open her eyes, and she is met by green irises watching her. For a moment, she thinks she is still dreaming. A soft smile, warm eyes, and she almost wants to reach out and let her fingers run over perfect skin.

But before she can do so, his hand reaches for her instead, a little frown on a gorgeous face as his fingers touch her hair. Softly, gently, so suddenly she can’t even react. The touch has her tremble from head to toe, turns her wide awake in a second as she notices how close to her he is. This isn’t a dream, she realizes. It can’t be a dream, and yet, Adrien’s fingers are still in her hair.

So of course, she chooses the most reasonable option she has and jumps back with a wild scream.

Her body meets the backrest so hard pain shoots through her, and Marinette realizes that several heads turn in her direction. Almost everyone is already here. Including Alya, who stares at her funnily. Adrien, his hand still hanging in the air, gapes at her.

“Lint,” he explains, voice a bit more high-pitched than she expected.

“Oh,” she returns, cheeks turning warm.

They stare at each other. Adrien’s hand sinks down, and he flicks the lint away. Marinette can practically feel Alya’s eyes burning through her. Still, she is frozen in place as Adrien sheepishly points at something on her desk. A plastic cup.

“Coffee,” he goes on. “So, uh, so you … Because you …”

“Oh,” she returns again, and because she is slowly realizing that Adrien saw her sleeping on her desk, got up, and went all the way to the second floor to bring her a cup of coffee, her cheeks heat up even more. “You haven’t did to. Haven’t mid due. Didn’t did do.” Damn it, damn it, damn it. “Thanks! I mean, thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Adrien says, gaze strictly averted from her before he turns around again.

She stares at the cup of coffee as if dealing with the most dangerous fiend she has ever faced. A taunting plastic cup. She doesn’t even like coffee. And now, coffee made everything even more weird. Why does everything have to be so weird?

“You okay?” Alya slid closer, a shimmer of concern in her eyes. “I told him to let you be. Boys can be so stupid.”

Marinette grits her teeth. Then she decidedly grabs the cup, realizes how hot it is, and lets go again with a shriek. Fortunately, the liquid inside just sloshes around a bit before settling again, and she grimaces as she tries another time, more carefully now.

“I’m fine,” she mumbles. “Just tired.” A little sip, and she expects to be immediately grossed out by the bitter taste of coffee.

Yet she is surprised when instead, she is faced with the faint aroma of vanilla, sweetness almost drowning out any last trace of cringeworthy bitterness.

“Huh,” she says. “This isn’t half bad.”

Alya frowns at the cup, and before she can say anything, Adrien shoots a look over his shoulder. “You told me once you aren’t too fond of coffee,” he says, playing with the pen in his hands while not once looking at her face. “So I brought you a vanilla cappuccino. Enough caffeine to keep you awake, but not too bitter, and … Yeah.”

“That’s very nice of you, Adrien,” Alya drawls, her voice almost poisonous.

“Uh, yeah. Welcome,” he mumbles as he turns away from them again.

Marinette stares at the cup, feeling herself blush so hard she rivals the coffee’s temperature. This is weird. This is so completely weird. For a moment, she wishes he would just ignore her, because honestly? The only solution that comes to her mind is ignoring him. Just to get away from the awkwardness of it all.

She suppresses a whine and takes another sip of vanilla cappuccino instead.

Chapter Text

Kagami likes her coffee black, one spoonful of sugar. He learned as much the first time they were dating. He remembers the day she told him – the afternoon sun, her cheeks pink when she asked him why he wanted to know. Because, he answered, who knows when they’d go out for a coffee, or when he’d be able to serve her breakfast in bed? Important information, after all. She blushed, and smiled, and turned away, and his heart jumped wildly.

Marinette told him once that she doesn’t like coffee. Once, when they were out with Alya and Nino, strolling along the Seine, ice cream in their hands. Because Alya was complaining about coffee-flavored sweets, and Marinette laughed, the clear sound echoing through the air, and she told them that she dislikes the bitter taste. Adrien explained that coffee is a taste to acquire, and that it just takes time, and she snorted in disbelief. She only told him once, and they never got coffee together.

And Ladybug? He doesn’t know if she ever even had a cup of coffee in her life.

It’s quiet in the library. They seem to be the last ones here, Kagami and he. She is staring at the French workbook, brows furrowed. He watches her. Freckles all over her cheeks, silky hair falling into her face. His fingers twitch. It takes him seconds to realize that he is allowed to reach forward and brush some strands from her cheek, and when he does, she doesn’t move. Doesn’t even turn to look at him.

“Are you trying to distract me?” she asks, voice hushed.

“I’m trying to get a better look at you.”

A hint of a smile. “Are you now? Maybe you should finish your homework first.”

“You’re kind of distracting, though.”

“Very funny,” she whispers, rolls her eyes. Still, there’s a shimmer of pink on her cheeks.

He can still remember the day he broke her heart. How she tried not to let a single tear show. How she set her jaw. How she asked for that other girl’s name, and he couldn’t tell her, and seeing her that devasted made his heart drop and his stomach churn and he didn’t know what to do, didn’t know what to say to make it better.

She had suspected it anyway, she told him.

Did she, he asked.

She never cried once in front of him.

“You’re staring.” Not looking up from her book, Kagami turns the page.

“Am I?”

“Yes. Adrien, if you keep this up, you’ll never be done with your homework.” She taps the end of her pen against his book. “Come on. We don’t want to disappoint our parents, do we?”

His smile twitches. “Totally not.”

“Totally not,” she repeats, the faintest smile flashing over her lips. “Just imagine what would happen.”

“Instant disinheritance?”

“Precisely.”

Adrien laughs silently and goes back to his own homework. He’s tired as always, but Kagami would just scold him for falling asleep. Gathering all his willpower, he reads the assignment. Math. Lovely. Functions. His favorite topic. He tries to concentrate. Tries not to glance at Kagami. Distracting her again would not amuse her too much anymore, he assumes.

His mind is exhausted, and the caffeine pills don’t help anymore, and he can’t stop himself from wondering on. If he would have turned Marinette down if she had told him sooner. What she would have looked like telling him about her feelings. If he would have had to break her heart, or if something about her would have made him pause. Maybe her eyes, deeply blue and glazed. Maybe her lips, pink and –

His elbow slips from its place, and his face almost lands on the table’s surface.

“Distracted again, I see,” Kagami says without looking up from her book. “At this rate, we’ll be here until tomorrow.”

He clears his throat twice. “Sorry. Sorry, I’m concentrating.”

This time, he doesn’t allow his mind to wander anywhere.

It’s just stupid. Everything about this is stupid. Nothing changed between Marinette and him. She said she is over him, and he has to believe her. Or else – there is no else. There is no way she isn’t over him, and god, if she had just told him sooner …

His head is spinning again.

It’s already five o’clock when they pack their things, and Kagami rubs his shoulder as they arrive in the main hall. “You seem a bit out of it. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he sighs. “Just … I gotta sleep more, I think.”

“You really should. Or else I’ll start worrying in earnest.”

He remembers her reactions. He remembers what it is like to be with her. It feels like falling into a natural rhythm, the music never having stopped. It feels familiar to smile at her, to coax the same reactions from her he wanted to see the first time around too.

“Maybe I’m just thinking too much about you.”

She snorts, but she can’t hide the shimmer of color on her cheeks well. “Of course you are.”

“Or I’m dreaming of beating you at fencing just once. Even though that really is no more than a dream.”

“Well, you’d have a better chance if you would put more effort into it.”

He laughs. “Ouch. Well, thank you for the tip.”

“You’re welcome.”

They come to a halt in front of the school. The Tsurugi’s red car stands out in bright sunlight, and Kagami turns to him, hands clasped before her and eyes shimmering in the warm spring sun. Adrien is suddenly reminded of the first time they kissed, the first hesitant time he got a tiny taste of her lips. She wasn’t shy about it, she hardly ever is, but something about it was still coy and delicate, and he suddenly can’t focus on anything else but her lips.

“I will have to take my leave,” Kagami whispers.

“Oh.” He forces himself to look into her eyes, feeling his cheeks turn warm. “Yeah. You’ll have to.”

Kagami nods, eyes darting over his face. He knows that look, too. She’s holding herself back just as much, and the thought is so thrilling everything inside him is starting to quiver. But taking it slow also means perhaps not making out in front of her mother the first chance they get, and so, Adrien leans forward and presses a kiss against her cheek. Lingering just a moment too long to be only meant in a friendly way.

“See you tomorrow,” she whispers, and then she leans away, one last look before she descends the stairs.

Adrien looks after her. A little smile rests on his lips, and Plagg’s voice sounds from his pocket. “There we go. You have it bad once again, huh?”

He shrugs. “She is amazing, after all.”

Plagg gives a little gag. “Cute. Almost nauseating. I’ll have to calm down my stomach with something soothing. Something comfortable. Something like …”

“I get it,” Adrien sighs, about to look through his bag for Plagg’s object of desire when another voice suddenly joins them.

“Still here, sunshine? Surprising.”

Adrien winces before turning around. He is met by brown eyes that instantly turn icy. Alya puts a hand on her hip, tilting her head the slightest bit. Honestly, being on her bad side is intimidating, especially when he knows the reason well enough. Still he shrugs, eyes trailing away from her.

“Could say the same to you. Afternoon classes?”

“Nope. Forgot my chemistry book. Can’t let Mendeleiev kick my ass because I couldn’t study once again.”

“I see.”

“And you?”

“Study date with Kagami.”

It slipped out too fast, and Adrien feels an icy shower prickle down his spine. Just like he thought, Alya doesn’t exactly react with excitement. When he risks a glance at her, she has crossed her arms, a good distance still resting between them.

“It’s great,” she says. “That you’re trying again. Very mature.”

“Yeah, well …”

“Not like there was a reason you broke up the first time around, huh?”

Adrien shuts his mouth, returning her glare.

“Of course there wasn’t. No smarter choice than to repeat the same drama again, I guess.”

He hesitates for a second. “You’re mad at me.”

“Keen eye, Sherlock.”

“That’s not very fair, is it?” He said it carefully, knowing that any other undertone would have just aggravated Alya more. Despite that, her glare intensifies, and she works her jaw.

“Not very fair?” she repeats sharply. “You know what’s not very fair? Pushing all the blame on someone who was crushing on you for years.”

He frowns. “I never –”

“You never pushed any blame on her? Oh, you didn’t? ‘Oh, if I had known sooner, I might have gone out with you, but you were too late! Sucks for you, I guess.’ That’s just pathetic, Agreste.”

The icy feeling settles in his stomach, sticks to his words. “That’s not what I meant. You know it isn’t.”

“Oh, it isn’t? What did you mean then?”

Her challenging glowering makes him want to shy away. He doesn’t. “I was being honest. That is all.”

“Honest? You were honest? Then look me in the eye and tell me you would have dated her in earnest. Tell me you would have done it.”

That’s odd, somehow. Of course Alya would care for her best friend, but the question itself almost makes him want to recoil. He doesn’t know what to say for a moment, and Alya presses her crossed arms against her body, voice lowering.

“See. That’s just it. Easy to put the blame on someone else. Just so it isn’t you who hurt her, huh?” She scoffs. “Grow up. Take some responsibility. What you’re doing right now is nothing but sad.”

He feels his throat close up. He forces himself to speak. “You could have told me too. Instead of letting her suffer for years.”

Anger flames up in her eyes anew. “So, everyone is to blame but you? Real classy, Agreste.”

“No, this isn’t about …” He sighs, closing his eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I upset you, and that I hurt Marinette. That’s the whole truth. I feel horrible about it.”

“And you should!” It’s only now that he sees Alya’s hands shaking slightly, but she remains in her state of fury, eyes refusing to leave his. “You should, because you know what’s the worst thing? She isn’t even mad! She still wants you to be happy, and how fair is that? She should be mad!”

The words sting more than anything else Alya could have said. Of course Marinette wouldn’t be mad. Of course she’d only want the best for him. His chest clenches, and he can’t respond before Alya goes on.

“You aren’t making it better. Bringing her some stupid coffee, trying to act like nothing ever happened – you’re just rubbing it in. God damn it, Agreste, give her some space!”

He flinches back. “I just … I don’t want to lose her as a friend.”

“Yeah, well, maybe being less blind would have helped. But here we are.” One last icy glare, and then Alya brushes past him, her stomps heavy and angry. “See you tomorrow, I guess.”

He stares after her. Guilt grips his heart, and he needs a second to glance down at his pocket. Plagg is watching him, the shimmer of slight concern hardly erasable from his eyes.

“You know, kid,” he says. “You were honest ’bout it. Not much else you can do.”

“Despite giving her space?” he whispers.

At that, Plagg shows a gesture that resembles a shrug. “Yes. Maybe. Dunno. Human affairs are complicated. Never liked them, never will. Or rather, do what feels right, I guess.”

If he only knew what feels right.

“Third time this week,” Sabine says, watching as Marinette slips into her shoes. “I just hope you know what that means.”

“No boyfriend visits anymore. I get it.” Marinette sends her the most confident smile she can muster. “I’ll be obedient. Promise.”

“You know he can spend the night here whenever he wants.”

“Mom.” She sighs as she puts on her jacket. “You and Dad are kinda … nosy.”

An expression of shock written all over her face, Sabine puts a hand over her heart. “Nosy? Your father and I?”

“Whenever Luka was here, you checked in every ten minutes. Especially during our first month.”

Sabine sighs, leaning against the wall. “We were just worried! We didn’t know him yet. But we know Adrien, so …” She clears her throat. “We will be even nosier, I assume.”

Marinette suppresses a laugh. “At least you can admit it.”

“Well. You’ve got some strong arguments going for you. But don’t think I’ll let you off the hook that easily.”

“I know! I know. And I promise I will respect your rules.” Marinette waves before opening the door. “See you tomorrow!”

“Have fun, dear! Just not too much fun.”

Marinette groans and steps outside for good.

A warm breeze greets her. The sun is still high up, and Marinette releases a little breath as she gazes upwards, shielding her face from the sun with her hand. Pulling at her backpack’s straps, she starts walking. Somewhere her parents can’t accidentally discover her, and somewhere she can have at least some peace and quiet, and she settles on a tiny and lonely park fifteen minutes away from her home, sitting down underneath trees and making sure no one is paying any attention to her as Tikki glances out of her bag.

“Can you even concentrate out here?” she asks carefully.

“I will have to,” Marinette returns, already pulling out her physics homework. “At least it gives me a chance to do my homework. Which is great! Totally great.”

“I guess it is.” Still looking concerned, Tikki watches her.

The things she has to do because Hawk Moth is being an inconsiderate idiot. Like actually keeping up with schoolwork. Yeah, well.

As she is in the middle of despairing over centrifugal forces and cars crashing against walls with exactly what speed (who even thought up these exercises?), she receives a call. Alya. Marinette picks up without a moment of hesitation, pressing the phone against her ear while impatiently fiddling with her pen and frowning down at her book.

“Hey. What’s up?”

“Hi, girl,” Alya returns, sounding worried out of her mind. “How are you holding up?”

That’s really sweet, but also really unnecessary. So Marinette snorts. “I appreciate your concern, but I told you I’m fine. Not crying, definitely not holing myself up in my room.”

“He’s an asshat, okay? Excuse me for wanting to strangle him.”

“Woah, Alya.” Marinette suppresses a laugh. “The only thing he doing is dating someone who isn’t me. I’d hardly call that being an asshat.”

“As if he and Kagami didn’t already have their shot and messed it up. Yeah, of course, getting through all that stupid drama again will be so incredibly fun.”

Okay. Her concentration is officially elsewhere. So she lets her pen sink down and leans against the tree trunk behind her. The sun is slowly starting to set, drawing closer to the horizon. “You seem angrier than I am.”

“I am angry! I am. I’m sorry.” Alya takes an audible breath. “I’m sorry, I was just sure … Be honest, Marinette. Why did you break up with Luka?”

Marinette winces. Looks at her nails. “Because I couldn’t love him.”

“And not because you still loved someone else.”

Pausing, Marinette searches for an answer. Before she can find one, Alya continues.

“What I’m asking is – do you still love Adrien?”

“Al …” Not really. Kind of. A part of her will always love him. It’s not easy to just forget about that much. But if there is no chance for them, she won’t run after something she can never have. Not anymore. So she sighs, bending her knees and pulling them closer. “I do. As a friend.”

“Do you now? Do you, really?”

“Yes. And if he doesn’t want to be with me, then so be it.”

A long, long moment of silence.

“Maybe,” Marinette goes on, “there’s more to life than boys. Maybe I should take it as a sign to leave stupid boy stuff out of my life for a whole peaceful while. How about it?”

“Ooh. I like the sound of that. Be your own woman, girl.”

“And then, we stop blaming Adrien for something we shouldn’t be angry about, all right? He is trying his best.”

Alya sighs heavily. “It hurts to watch you two. Not the ‘my heart aches’ kind of hurt. The cringy kind of hurt.”

“Oh my god,” mumbles Marinette. “I know. It’s so weird. I, uh, I might have to give it some time.”

“And some space.”

“Maybe.” She hesitates. “But he’s still one of my closest friends, and I really, really don’t want to lose him, you know?”

A drawn-out sigh. “I know. I get it.” Seconds of silence. “He’s still an asshat.”

“Alya.”

“What? Just speaking the truth. His constant mimimi is getting on my nerves.”

“He is not mimimi-ing.”

“Yeah, right. He deserves a kick to his pretty butt.”

“Alya,” Marinette repeats, and then she has to laugh. “His pretty butt will remain untouched.”

“By us, maybe. Betcha Kagami already got a good feel.”

“You’re talking about our friends here!”

“What? Not my fault that you always pick the pretty ones. Luka’s relatively easy on the eyes, too.”

“What about our newly established no-boys policy?”

“Does that mean I have to break up with Nino?”

“Yes, it does. No worries, he will understand. Tell him it’s a bro duty.”

“All right, then. Already sent a message in our group chat.”

Marinette puts her on speaker and opens up her messenger app. Alya didn’t lie – there it is, written in bold letters.

sorry Nino, as per Marinette’s request, i’ll have to break up with u. love you tho, kisses ❤

Marinette emits a laugh, and she smacks a hand over her mouth to suppress another one when Nino replies.

sure makes sense, love you too, just 1 question am i still allowed to make out with u?

Marinette never mentioned specifics so i guess yes

in that case no problemo

“Alya, you’re so not funny,” Marinette says between giggles.

“Well. At least he’s taking it well,” Alya quips back.

Another exchange of texts has them both burst out laughing, though. Adrien texts them back immediately.

Great. You’re breaking up. What will I do with your wedding speech now? After I worked so hard on it …

bro. just reuse it. or sell it

Sell it! Yes, perfect. Thanks, bro.

Alya keeps giggling. “Yep. I can totally see why you fell for him in the first place.”

“He can be really cute, huh?” She cuts herself off. “Okay, no. Not calling anybody cute. I think I need some hobby to distract myself.”

“Welp, same here, bestie. The Ladyblog is losing so many clicks that I seriously want to break some stuff. Or beat up Hawk Moth.”

“Ah, yeah,” Marinette drawls. “The nightly attacks, you mean.”

“It’s so weird! Or maybe worrisome, seeing as I was that used to almost daily akuma attacks. Anyway, almost two weeks without one single attack during the day? The hell is this?” Alya sighs. “I tried getting up in the night to get a glimpse at the action, but what do you know. I have no idea when exactly Hawk Moth decides to attack, and the akuma alarm does nothing to wake me up. I’m blissfully sleeping through every single attack.”

“Well. Be grateful you aren’t wrenched out of sleep every single night.”

“Like you are? Maybe you should spend the night at mine again sometime. Just what exactly is keeping you up, girl?”

Marinette stares at the grass beneath her, letting her palm graze its tips. “Don’t worry too much. I’m fine.”

“Yeah, the rings under your eyes tell a different story. You’d talk to me, right? You’d talk to me if something was on your mind.”

Marinette’s smile is small and painful. “Sure.”

The sun has already set when they end their call. The growing shadows make tiredness creep through Marinette’s body, and she yawns as she gives Tikki a look.

“I can’t wait for my bed,” she mumbles, rolling her shoulders. “I’m beat. Let’s pray Hawk Moth looked up the definition of sleep in a dictionary. Or stopped suddenly turning nocturnal.”

“Yes,” Tikki replies, sighing. “I hope so too.”

She chooses a lonely alley to transform into Ladybug, and in the early night’s darkness, she is about to return home when her yo-yo buzzes. She is surprised to find a text message from Chat Noir, something about his tone too solemn for her taste.

Are you up? Ironically, I can’t sleep. Not even a catnap. Sucks.

She frowns. The prospect of falling right into her bed is tempting, but still. She hasn’t had much time to talk to Chat Noir lately. Their meetings mostly consist of tiredness, late-night adrenaline, and a quick goodbye to snuggle back into a warm blanket.

Ladybug sighs, contemplates. Looks up Chat Noir’s location. The Eiffel Tower, of course. The perfect location for any kind of late-night talk. She closes her eyes for a moment, and then she texts back.

Seems like Hawk Moth destroyed our biorhythm after all. Maybe that was his plan all along?

It doesn’t take her long to arrive at their little place. High up, Chat Noir’s legs dangling down and his shoulders slightly hunched as he watches Paris slowly falling asleep. A little thump resounds as her feet meet the metallic construction, and Chat sends her a look, a smile playing around his lips.

“Or Hawk Moth finally realized that moths indeed are nocturnal,” he says, and it takes her a moment to realize he is responding to her text message. With a snort, she sinks down next to him, tentatively letting her cheek rest against his shoulder.

“That’s forbidden knowledge,” she says, nudging his foot with her own.

“Or,” he nudges back, “it’s an advantage. Moths are also drawn to light. So, all we gotta do …”

“Buy a crapload of flashlights and deposit them around the city until he can’t resist leaving his secret lair.”

“In a pursuit of light. Would make for a great redemption story.”

“No redemption for the sleazebag who robs us of our sleep.”

“True. I agree.”

He stops moving his foot. A long second of silence passes. Ladybug could have fallen asleep like this, comfortably leaning against him as the quiet night takes over, but the sudden tension in the air makes her wide awake.

“I have a random question,” he mumbles.

She hums, prompting him to go on.

“Do you think you can learn to love someone?”

She freezes. She moves away from him, watching him intently, and he doesn’t return her look. Most of his flirting stopped when he told her about the girl he is dating, and most of her ugly feelings died as soon as she got together with Luka. Things were weird, then better again; and she swallows gently as she searches for an answer.

“I don’t think so,” she eventually whispers. “I’m speaking from experience.”

Their eyes meet. He looks tired. Of course he does. He looks kind of scared, and the urge to let her fingers thread through golden hair itches in her fingertips. She doesn’t move.

“The heart wants what it wants, after all.” She tries to smile. “At least that’s what Selena Gomez graciously taught us.”

The corner of his mouth twitches, but he doesn’t smile back. “Even if the heart wants someone it can never have?”

“Yeah,” she says. “Even then.”

The implication makes her heart race. She has to look away. She knows how Adrien must feel; she knows how desperately he doesn’t want to hurt her. She knows that every glimmer of hope must make him feel even more horrible. He can’t force himself to feel something he doesn’t feel.

And she can’t either.

Chat Noir releases an audible breath. When she dares glance at him, she notices that he has leaned back, looking up at the moon this time. “I rejected someone,” he confesses. “And things are so weird between us. I seriously have no idea what to do. I can’t even sleep because I keep thinking about it. That’s kinda stupid, isn’t it?”

Ladybug eyes him, bending a knee to rest her cheek on. “Wasn’t that some months ago? When you rejected that girl you were dating?”

“No,” he gives a humorless laugh, “not her. A friend of mine.”

“What a heartbreaker you are.” She grins, but he doesn’t look amused at all, and the corners of her mouth drop down again. “Well … If you’re friends, but if you can’t force yourself to reciprocate their feelings … Then, what would you want if you were in their shoes?”

He shrugs. “I wouldn’t want things to be weird.”

“Then don’t make things weird.”

“I guess.” He shrugs again. “Everyone else keeps telling me she needs space.”

“Do you think she needs space?”

“I don’t … I don’t know.” He hides his face in his hands. “I really don’t know.”

Ladybug bites the inside of her cheek, still looking at him. “If I was her … If I told you about my feelings, and you had no choice but to reject me … I don’t think I’d want space. I wouldn’t want to feel like I did something wrong, like I destroyed our friendship. That would be way more devastating than not having some space.” She attempts to shrug. “Does that make sense?”

His shoulders hunch as he takes a deep breath. “It does.” Slowly, his hands sink down to his lap again. He lifts his head, a wavering smile on his lips. “Thank you, LB.”

“Anytime.” And because she can’t resist anymore, she softly lays a hand on his shoulder. “You’re a good friend for caring so much about her feelings.”

He gives a tiny laugh. “She’s a good friend for not ditching me right away, rather.”

Her hand wanders to his cheek, and she watches as he closes his eyes at the intimate touch. “Yeah. I have to agree there,” she whispers gently.

He slides closer again. It’s his turn to rest his cheek against her shoulder, a purr tumbling through his throat, and she can’t help but smile, softly scratching the spot behind his cat ear. Drowsiness makes her eyelids heavy, and she leans against him too, hand stilling in his hair.

When she closes her eyes, his voice reaches her through a veil of languor. “Can I ask you something else?”

“Sure,” she mumbles.

“Do you like coffee?”

She hums, not having it in her anymore to think about her answer too hard. “I don’t. But a friend of mine introduced me to vanilla cappuccino recently.”

“Huh,” Chat returns. “Funny.”

She has no idea what’s so funny about it, but by the time she wants to ask, her mind has already slipped away into dreamless silence. No need to think about anything, or do anything, and everything around her is dark and pleasant and –

A loud crash in the distance.

Ladybug startles from her sleep. A quick look at one of the many clocks towering all over the city tells her that it’s already two in the morning, and she turns her head around to Chat who is sleepily blinking himself awake.

“I can’t believe we didn’t just fall down there,” is the first thing that comes to her drowsy mind.

“Seems like we support each other quite well, huh?”

She stares. He stares. They both turn to the akuma in the distance, a giant monster made out of, um, balloons? Weird, but she isn’t going to question it. With a sigh, she gets to her feet and nods at Chat Noir.

“Ready, partner?”

“I was born ready,” he returns, cracking his neck. Then he yawns. “So ready.”

She can relate.

Four hours of sleep. This is getting ridiculous.

Adrien tries his best to keep his mind awake. By taking one too many caffeine pills. By pinching himself in the arm every now and then. By telling Plagg that whenever he seems like he is about to fall asleep, the kwami is allowed to bite his ankle. He regrets that one immensely. Especially when Nino starts giving him funny looks whenever Adrien tries to suppress a pained yelp.

Anyway, nothing really helps.

Sitting in the first row comes with a lot of advantages. For example, being able to catch so much more of the lesson than elsewhere. But it also has a significant disadvantage: if your eyes decide to fall shut and you’re about to fall asleep, your teacher will probably notice.

So when Ms. Bustier’s voice wrenches him from his half-sleep, Adrien winces so violently that he almost knocks his book off the desk.

“Adrien. Marinette. If you both can’t get enough sleep, it might be best to overthink your bedtimes instead of using my classes to catch some shuteye.”

Someone whistles from the back of the class. Adrien blushes so hard he feels his face turn uncomfortably hot. In front of him, Ms. Bustier’s sharp look snaps to someone else.

“Really? What kind of juvenile humor is this?”

“I wasn’t sleeping right now!” Marinette squeaks from behind him. “I was – thinking. About the lesson.”

“Yes. I sure hope you were.” With that, Ms. Bustier returns to the blackboard.

Adrien only returns Nino’s worried look for a second before trying to concentrate on whatever is going on in front of him again.

The end of the class isn’t approaching fast enough. Adrien wills his eyes to stay open and his cheek not to rest too long against his hand. He wishes he had some sunglasses with him. That’s a good plan, sunglasses. Hopefully ones that won’t be destroyed by Ladybug with that much fury. For whatever reason, she doesn’t seem to like sunglasses too much.

When only five minutes of torture are left, Ms. Bustier ends the lesson. With an additional, “Marinette, Adrien, please come here for a second. I want to have a word with you two.”

Two other whistles from somewhere in the class, then some giggling. Adrien tries not to blush once again. Instead, he prepares himself as best as he can. Nino frowns at him, patting his shoulder twice. “You can do it, bro,” he whispers before turning to leave with the others.

He has no idea if he can. But he’ll have to accept his unfortunate fate. Almost everyone is gone already when Adrien shoots a careful look at Marinette. She is biting her lip as she steps forward. Yet as soon as they arrive at the teacher’s desk, Ms. Bustier’s eyes melt with warmth, and she releases a sigh.

“Marinette. Ms. Mendeleiev told me that she already talked to you. After you promised you’d deal with your sleep problem, we decided not to contact your parents. But,” she gestures weakly at Marinette, “I don’t think your constant tiredness improved in any way.”

Marinette ducks her head. “I’m sorry. I … I tried.”

“And Adrien,” Ms. Bustier continues. “Some teachers also noticed how tired you are, but it never reached a level where you actually fell asleep in class. Until now, it seems.”

He grits his teeth. “I’m sorry.”

“Look. We’re not your enemies.” Ms. Bustier sits down on her desk, clasping her hands and showing the smallest of smiles. “Quite the opposite. Your teachers care a lot about you, and we’re worried. Sleep problems are something serious. I think it would be best if we contacted both your parents and had an honest talk with them.”

“No!” Marinette flares up. “Please, Ms. Bustier, don’t. I don’t have – I don’t have sleep problems, really.”

Ms. Bustier sighs. “You don’t? What’s the matter, then? You’re clearly not getting enough sleep, and there must be a reason.”

Adrien glances at Marinette. Really, he didn’t ask. Because she told him it’s a secret that she can’t talk about. But slowly, he is getting worried, too. Nightly akuma attacks are one thing, but what is she doing? In the middle of the night, to an extent she’s barely awake anymore during the day?

He frowns. Before she can answer, he jumps in.

“It’s because of me. We’re secretly dating, but, um … We can only meet at night. Because our parents … They don’t exactly know about it.” He plasters on a sheepish smile. “I didn’t think it would take such a toll on her, though. I’m feeling horrible about it.”

Silence. Adrien doesn’t dare look at Marinette. He watches Ms. Bustier’s eyebrows wander upwards, then down again until she is frowning.

“Dating,” she repeats. “And you can only meet in the middle of the night?”

“Yeah.” He clears his throat. Shuffles his feet. And because it’s just the most convincing action, he reaches for Marinette’s hand. She doesn’t shy away, but her face is beet-red, and her fingers are cramping around his. “My father isn’t … Well, I don’t think he would be too happy about me dating anyone, and just … I know it isn’t a good excuse, but it’s the truth.”

Ms. Bustier keeps staring. Then she massages the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. “Well,” she starts, and sighs. “Dating. You’re … That’s … Well.” She sighs again. “I’m sorry to tell you, but even though I am happy for you, late-night dates aren’t exactly beneficial to your grades.”

Adrien tries his hardest not to blush. Now is not the time for blushing, after all. “As far as I know, neither Marinette’s nor my grades dropped.”

“Yes. You’re lucky that both of you are bright students.” Ms. Bustier looks at him again, sternness growing in her eyes. “But participation in class is part of your grade, and it’s something that has been lacking lately.”

He nods. “I’m sorry. We just – we don’t want our parents to know.”

“I know that a secret relationship must be exciting, but you can’t keep this hidden forever.”

Adrien nods again, trying his best not to look away in shame. “We know. We just need a little bit more time.”

With another sigh, Ms. Bustier closes her eyes again. She sways her crossed legs back and forth, back and forth, and eventually, she stands up again. “Look. I don’t want to interfere in your personal affairs. But it becomes my problem as soon as it affects your performance in school. Right now, it clearly does.” Her eyes wander to Marinette. “I will keep an eye on you, and I expect you to find a solution in less than two weeks.”

Adrien squeezes Marinette’s hand. “We will. Thank you, Ms. Bustier.”

“Nothing to thank me for.” A warm smile builds on her lips after all. “Also, congratulations. Although it isn’t too much of a surprise to me, really.”

And there you go, his cheeks turn hot in an instant.

Adrien keeps holding Marinette’s hand until Ms. Bustier has left the classroom, and it’s only then that he carefully tries to loosen his fingers. But Marinette holds on to him. When he turns to her, he is met by watery eyes and reddened cheeks, and she glances up at him.

“You didn’t have to do this,” she mumbles.

He squeezes her hand again. It’s somehow reassuring that her palm feels just as clammy as his own. “Whatever it is that you’re doing at night, it seems important to you. So I wanted to support you. Like a friend should.”

Her sheepish expression turns into a smile. “You really are a great friend, Adrien.”

Just like he told Ladybug. It’s a miracle she didn’t just ditch him the first chance she got. He wouldn’t know what to do if she wasn’t his friend, after all. He knows it’s not easy to forget about feelings you held for another person, and he can respect that they’ll both have to adjust, but still – losing her as a friend would devastate him.

After all, he knows how she must feel. He just doesn’t know how to help.

“I told you I don’t want things to be weird between us,” he therefore utters the truth. “But they kind of are, and I don’t like it. I mean – of course, if you need your space, that’s perfectly understandable, but just know that –”

He can’t even react before a pair of arms wrap around him, and Marinette’s face is buried against his chest. Tentatively, he returns her hug, closing his eyes as his cheek presses against her hair.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers.

“Don’t be.”

“I am, though. I …” She releases a breath. “I don’t want to lose you. That’s all.”

He has to smile at her words, and relief floods his voice. “And I don’t want to lose you.”

“That’s … That’s good.”

“It is.”

They stay like this a little longer, something about her presence soothing enough to make drowsiness seep into his mind once again. With her steady breaths building a calming rhythm, with her warmth in his arms, and he hears her hum quietly.

“I’m going to fall asleep.”

“We should move, then?”

“We should.”

They don’t. Adrien yawns, resisting the urge to snuggle even closer. It takes seconds upon seconds until Marinette softly frees herself from his arms, hands still resting on his shoulders as she blinks up to him.

“What are you doing at night to end up so tired?” she asks. “Don’t make me worry about you.”

“I was worrying about you.”

She furrows her brows. “So much so that you didn’t catch any sleep?”

He shrugs. “Or I didn’t have enough coffee.”

Making a face, she removes her hands. “Ew. Coffee.”

“Hey.” He nudges her shoulder as they start walking towards the door. “Look me in the eye and tell me your vanilla cappuccino didn’t help.”

Marinette shrugs several times. “Maybe it did.”

“See. I knew you had some taste.”

She grins at him. “Contrary to you?”

“Gasp! Marinette, that’s cold.”

Her giggles are a sound he never wants to miss, he decides.

Chapter Text

These days, his father is hardly around. Not like Adrien ever saw much of him anyway, but at least they could exchange the occasional greeting. Or have the tiniest of talks. When asked about it, Nathalie always fixates him with the same bland look, repeating the same words over and over again. “Your father is working on a very important project. Most days, he works until late into the night.”

Something changes on this particular morning, though. Because she sets her jaw after uttering these words, showing just a small hint of apprehension.

“I would advise you not to ever make the same mistake, Adrien. Nothing should be worth more than your own wellbeing. Which is to say, the amount of caffeine pills I had to purchase for you lately is concerning.”

Adrien ducks his head, aimlessly picking at his breakfast. Porridge with cashews and berries. He doesn’t have any appetite. “I, um … Schoolwork is kind of exhausting.”

“I understand.”

It’s just a little warning. But one he will have to take seriously. Still staring at his food, he searches for words.

“Could you – if that’s okay, of course – could I take a can of vanilla cappuccino to school?”

Nathalie stays quiet for a long moment. “Vanilla cappuccino,” she eventually repeats, void of any appraisal.

“Yeah. Please.”

“You usually ask for an espresso.”

“Yeah.” He doesn’t look at her. “But, um, I kind of want to mix things up.”

Another moment of silence. Then he hears the click of Nathalie’s shoes against tiles. “Very well,” she says as she exits the dining hall, leaving him alone. Not for long, that is, because Plagg plops onto the table, snatching away the camembert on the tray before Adrien can as much as blink.

“Cute,” the kwami drawls. “A can of her favorite coffee. What, ya gonna serenade her with coffee?”

“No. I’m not.” Adrien rolls his eyes. “I’m just being a good friend to her. That’s all.”

“Yeah, totally. Because that’s what you do for DJ Cap, too. Always bringing him a nice can of coffee.”

“Well,” Adrien returns, letting his spoon sink into the porridge for good, “Nino didn’t confess that he used to have a crush on me, so there’s that.”

“Yet.”

“You’re a true comedian.”

“I know, I know. I’m hilarious.” Plagg squints at him while shoving a piece of camembert into his mouth. “Look at ya, kiddo. Breaking hearts left and right.”

“I only broke Marinette’s heart,” he mumbles. “And I feel bad enough about it.”

“Well. Or instead of feeling bad, you drop Kagami and date Pigtails instead. Eh, eh?”

Adrien deadpans. He doesn’t deign Plagg an answer, instead standing up for good.

He has a hunch Marinette will arrive just as early as she did the day prior, and he asks the Gorilla to drive him to the school half an hour earlier than he usually does. It doesn’t take a lot for the Gorilla to give in. Forty minutes until classes will start, hardly any students strolling the halls, and he isn’t surprised at all when he finds Marinette already sitting in the classroom all on her own, head resting on the desk and her breaths even.

Just what is she doing night after night to be that exhausted? Akumas are a pretty good excuse for him, he guesses, but Marinette should have nothing to do with them. She should be fast asleep every night, and for some reason, she isn’t. If she went partying every night, it would show, right? But all she displays is constant exhaustion. Not a hint of what exactly is the cause of her restless nights.

Frowning, he carefully sits down next to her, laying a hand on her shoulder. “Marinette.”

She grumbles. “What?” she says, sharper than he expected. It almost makes him laugh.

“I brought you some coffee. So you can survive today.”

She wrinkles her nose, eyes still closed. “Ew.”

“You didn’t even taste it yet.”

“Yeah, no, automatic ew.”

He lets his cheek rest on his crossed arms, regarding her face. Her freckles, not as many as Kagami has, but still very much noticeable. Her button nose. Her long lashes. The line building between her brows.

“Just what are you doing every night?” he whispers.

She frowns even more, eyes still closed. “Trying to sleep. Not sleeping.”

“Why? What’s keeping you up?”

She scoffs. “Stupid things.”

“Like?”

“Stuff. A lot of stuff.” She’s still frowning. “You’re tired, too. What’s keeping you up?”

He shrugs, and because she can’t see it, he settles for words. “I don’t know.”

“Kagami?”

He furrows his brows. “Why Kagami?”

“I dunno. Because relationship stuff is hard,” she mumbles, snuggling tighter into her crossed arms. “I wonder how you do it. The thought of dating Luka again is … It would be so weird. Is it weird for you?”

“Not that much,” he whispers. “Only a little bit.”

“Which parts are weird?”

“You really want to know?”

“Yeah.” Her words are hardly audible, quietly ceasing as she releases a breath. “Because I want to help you. I want you to be happy, you know.”

He keeps looking at her. Quietness surrounds them, and the sun is just about to rise, and specks of lights are shimmering on her face, threading through her hair. Something gnaws at his heart, but he can’t look away either.

“And I want you to be happy,” he returns.

For a moment, he allows himself to close his eyes, the heavy blanket of tiredness falling over him once again. He’s sure he can just blink himself awake in a matter of seconds. He’s sure. Entirely sure. He can wake up whenever he wants, and there won’t …

He falls asleep.

It’s Nino who wakes him up, his face blurry before Adrien’s eyes as the world slowly comes into focus again. “Bro,” he says, a hint of worry apparent in his eyes. “You oughta catch some more sleep for real.”

“I know,” Adrien drawls, dragging a hand over his face. A side glance at Marinette reveals that she is slowly coming to, and he suppresses a laugh once again. “We really fell asleep. I can’t believe it.”

“We did, huh.” She rubs her eyes. “We need a napping room. Somewhere.”

“Yeah,” Alya joins them, her voice sounding so sour that Adrien flinches. “How funny that both of you seem to suffer from the same problem. And that for whatever reason, you were both here, sleeping next to each other when everyone else came in. That’s very interesting.”

“Marinette being the most punctual of us all is somehow spooky,” Nino joins in. There’s no distrust in his look, but he seems pensive nonetheless. “Ya sure you’re okay, dudette?”

“Yeah. Totally okay,” she mumbles.

Alya’s narrowed eyes rest on Adrien for some more seconds, and he has to look away from her. Instead, he stands up, ignoring his drowsy mind when a sloshing sound in his bag reminds him of something.

“Oh, yeah,” he says, drawing his thermos can out of his bag and sliding it towards Marinette. “That’s for you. Told you I brought you coffee.”

Marinette blinks at him, dark rings under her eyes. “I don’t want to sound ungrateful …”

“Take a taste. Come on.”

She looks at him in doubt, and then she does as she is told. Unscrewing the top and gingerly filling it up with no more than a swallow. She takes a sniff, and when her eyebrows shoot up, Adrien can’t stop the grin on his face. Another careful look at him before she finally takes a sip.

Her face lights up in an instant. His whole world lights up in an instant, too.

“Oh, wow,” she mumbles. “That’s … even better than the one from the vending machine.”

“Is it? I’m glad.”

She smiles at him. Even despite the tiredness covering her whole face, something about her just makes everything brighter. When she moves to screw the top onto the bottle again, he stops her with a quick gesture.

“It’s for you. Like I said, no falling asleep in classes anymore, right?”

“Oh.” She averts her gaze, but she’s still smiling. “Thank you.”

He is unable to smother his own grin as he slumps into his seat, but still, the strange look Alya and Nino exchange isn’t lost on him. He’s about to ask what this is about. The ringing of the bell interrupts him though, and the English teacher’s punctuality does the rest.

“Can’t believe Mendeleiev’s lessons can be even more sleep-inducing than usual,” Marinette groans next to him, taking her plate from the bored-looking lady. “I don’t get chemistry. I don’t need to know what letters water is made of.”

Adrien snorts. “Water isn’t exactly made of letters, you know.”

“You know what I mean! It’s so confusing. And so unnecessary. Math in chemistry! Why do we have to use letters to calculate things again? Math is supposed to use numbers, isn’t it?”

“Math also uses letters.”

“Ugh, you’re such a smarty-pants. I know it does.”

He grins at her, tray in his hands as they approach their regular table. “Did you know that even you consist of a lot of Hs? And Os, too? You’re basically made of letters.”

“That sounds weird. Stop.”

“Seventy to eighty percent water, Marinette. Never forget.”

She laughs, and then she nods curtly. “Sacred knowledge. I’ll memorize it forever.”

Alya and Nino are already sitting at their table when they approach them. It’s not like Alya hides her deadly glares in any way, even though Adrien has no idea what to do with them. Yes, he doesn’t give Marinette space, but frankly? Space would have killed him. And everything should be all right. Alya must know that much, right? He can’t look at her for more than two seconds without getting nervous, and he almost flinches when he listens to her fork forcefully meeting her plate.

“Wow,” Alya drawls. “You’re getting along so well again. I’m very glad.”

“Alya,” Nino mumbles under his breath, not meeting Adrien’s eyes.

“Okay,” Marinette speaks up. “You’ve been acting kind of weird the whole day. Is something the matter?”

“No, no. Absolutely nothing’s the matter.” Alya’s sharp voice makes Adrien look at her again, and he regrets it in an instant. Because her eyes are sparkling with poorly hidden fury, and she jams a whole mouthful of lettuce between her lips, chewing with so much force that her jaw is relentlessly working. “Some people just have secrets, you know. And fool all their friends while they’re at it, you know. And never tell them just one word, consequently making them feel stupid, you know. That’s just how things are. Nothing much to it. I’m perfectly fine, thank you for asking.”

“Alya,” Nino hisses again, this time a bit more sharply.

“What?” Alya hisses back. “You could be at least a bit more pissed!”

Adrien blinks slowly. “What?”

“What my ass,” Alya shoots back, aggressively shoving some more lettuce into her mouth.

Okay. He exchanges a look with Marinette, but she seems just as confused. Okay, weird.

He’s just about to ask for a bit more details when he sees Kagami on the other side of the hall. He lifts his head and smiles at her, but when their eyes meet, she freezes in place. Several seconds pass, and ultimately, she sharply turns her eyes away from him, instead approaching one of the empty tables, tray already in her hands.

He furrows his brows.

“Um,” Marinette says lowly. “Is there a reason Kagami would rather sit alone than with us?”

“Are you serious?” Alya spits out across from them.

Silence takes over for a while. Nino is chewing at his piece of pizza, still not looking at Adrien. That can’t be good. It really can’t be. Still, Nino is the first one to say something again.

“I think you should go talk to her, dude. Now.”

The silent prompt is unmistakable, so Adrien doesn’t question it any further. Instead he sighs, picking up his tray. “Yeah. See you later, then.”

“See you,” Marinette whispers, the look she sends him full of concern.

Even from afar, he can see Kagami picking at her salad listlessly, posture stiff and straight. She doesn’t even look up at him as he comes to a halt next to her. Sudden nervousness climbs up his throat, but he does his best to let his voice sound unaffected. “Is that seat still free?”

“If you are sure you want to sit next to me, then yes. It is.”

He hesitates. Sits down. “Of course I want to.” Watching her face, he frowns. “Is something wrong?”

She stabs a piece of lettuce for good, the fork piercing it with an almost soundless crack. “I don’t know, Adrien. I know that you and Marinette are close, but it never seemed – I thought you agreeing to date me again would mean something. Maybe it didn’t.”

Adrien has no idea where she is going with this. He doesn’t dare lean closer. “I – yes, Marinette and I are close.”

“Everyone knows that much by now, I wager.”

He pauses. Feels himself blanch. “Um, what do you mean?”

Kagami finally looks up. Her face is a hardened mask. The only sign of distress is the twitch in her jaw, and the way her fingers cramp around her fork. “I would have appreciated if you told me sooner. Knowing about it now does put some things into perspective, but it also makes me feel like a fool.”

He shakes his head in confusion. “Kagami, really. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

At that, Kagami abruptly lets go of the fork. The clattering sound makes Adrien wince. It’s only now that he realizes how quiet the whole dining halls seems to have become, several pairs of eyes directed at them. It makes Adrien want to duck his head. When he meets some of the looks, people quickly turn away again.

He can only watch as Kagami pulls out her phone, face still showing no other emotion than careful blandness. Then, she turns the display to him.

Adrien almost chokes.

A photo of him and Marinette. Holding hands. Looking at each other. Inside their classroom, probably taken after their talk with Ms. Bustier. Clearly taken by someone who must have hidden outside the room. Really, seeing it like this – it wasn’t a romantic moment, but the way he seems to look at her, and the way she looks back at him …

If he didn’t know better, he would find that scene conclusive too, he guesses.

“That,” he blurts out. “I,” he tries again. “No, that’s not – I was just holding her hand. In a friendly manner. That’s … That’s it.”

“It’s not just one random photo, Adrien.” Kagami’s voice drops down, and the icy shimmer in auburn eyes makes his heart speed up. “There are rumors going around. About you and her arriving at school at the same time every morning, about both of you being exhausted at the same time, about your secret talks and your sneaking around … And quite frankly, you’re making me feel like a moron.” She narrows her eyes. “If you want to go out with her, then tell me to my face. What you’re doing right now is nothing but cowardly, and I would have never thought you of all people would stoop so low.”

Adrien gapes. His hair is standing on end. “Kagami,” he whispers, sliding a bit closer. “I’m not – there’s nothing going on between Marinette and me. Nothing. She confessed that she had feelings for me, but that’s all in the past. We’re friends.”

Kagami looks at him. Something about the eye contact makes Adrien want to shy away. “Then explain. What is making you so tired all the time?”

He can hardly tell her the truth. His mouth dries. “I’m really not sleeping well,” is the only excuse that comes to mind.

“Right.” With that, she jumps up, grabbing her bag and striding away. Adrien isn’t the only one looking after her. He feels eyes on him from all directions, and he sinks into himself, trying to even out his breathing. Kagami’s food is mostly untouched. He rakes a hand through his hair, messing it up.

He can’t just let her get away like this. He has to explain somehow. But before he can follow her, a sudden hand pats his shoulder, and Nino eventually sits down next to him. For a moment, Adrien can only stare, the sympathetic glimmer in Nino’s eyes not really helping.

“Alya is pissed as all hell,” Nino says. “Because she started thinking you’re dating behind our backs. You and Marinette.”

Adrien jumps. “What? You know we would have told you!”

“Dude, I dunno. Not like it’s any of our business, y’know? I thought, well, if they wanna tell us, they will.”

“We’re not,” Adrien bursts out, “dating. Marinette and I – we are not dating.”

Nino motionlessly looks at him. Then, he releases a deep sigh. “Oh man.”

“Yeah, oh man.” Adrien rubs his forehead. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe someone would spread rumors like that. Who even took that photo?”

“Well, it does look like –”

“Like we’re friends supporting each other.”

“Yeah,” Nino drawls. “Right.”

Adrien breathes. Hides his face behind his hands for a moment. Rumors aren’t news to him. In his field of work, they’re a given. Usually, his father is the one making sure none of those rumors ever get out of hand. No more than tiny inconveniences that disappear in less than some weeks.

This time it’s a bit different, though.

“Honestly,” he mumbles against his palms. “I don’t care what anyone talks about. They can talk all they want. But I care what Kagami thinks, and I can’t believe she’d think I’d date someone else behind her back.”

“Dude … You only just started trying that whole dating thing again. Of course things would be delicate.” Nino sighs heavily. “Bad timing. Really bad timing.”

Adrien’s hands sink down. He looks at Nino, feeling utterly helpless. “What am I supposed to do?”

“I dunno. Reassure Kagami, maybe? Make it clear that there’s nothing going on between Marinette and you.” He arches an eyebrow. “Because there isn’t. Right?”

“There isn’t! There really isn’t.”

“Right, then. Rumors are just rumors. Doesn’t have to be the end of the world, dude.”

He suppresses a groan. From across the room, he can see Marinette’s eyes on him. Her hand is covering her mouth, and her shoulders are hunched, and he thinks he can see the same helplessness in her posture that he is feeling.

Marinette watches as Adrien gets up, Nino trailing shortly behind him. It seems like the whole dining room is watching the two of them. She feels all strength leave her body as her eyes fasten onto Alya again. At least Alya has the decency to look a bit guilty about the whole ordeal.

“And you didn’t think about asking me?” Marinette whispers. “You just assumed I would start dating Adrien and not tell you a word?”

Alya shrugs, strictly looking away. If Marinette didn’t know her that well, she wouldn’t have noticed the shimmer of red climbing over her cheeks. “There was some convincing evidence, okay?”

“Really, Alya?”

“What? What do you expect me to think?” Alya whirls her head around again. The fury in her eyes almost seems desperate. “You won’t even tell me why you hardly catch any sleep anymore. I have no idea what is going on in your life! Who’s to say you wouldn’t keep even more secrets from me?”

Marinette recoils. The attention of the dining hall has shifted to her. Some mumbling arises here and there, but the way people stare too hard at their phones or type messages too hastily makes her throat close up. She struggles for words, watching as Alya’s fury makes place for tiredness.

“See,” she mutters. “Still, you won’t come out with the truth. What am I supposed to believe then? I thought …” She huffs, shrugs. “I thought we didn’t have any secrets between each other.”

Marinette wishes it could be that easy.

“Okay, listen,” she replies, lowering her voice so nobody can eavesdrop too much. Even though she is pretty sure privacy isn’t something she is granted anymore. “I can at least guarantee one thing. Adrien and I are not dating. Not secretly, not in any way.”

Alya keeps looking at her, jaw working.

“That photo … He was supporting me. That’s all. We were just talking.” It sounds desperate even in Marinette’s own ears, and it’s kind of absurd that it really is the truth. “Who would even take that photo? I bet it was Chloé. Or Lila, trying to get back at me. Or –”

“How would Lila get back at you by announcing you’re dating one of the hottest guys in the whole school?” Alya scoffs. “Marinette, you’re being ridiculous. Why does it matter who took the photo? Fact is, the photo exists, and the rumors exist, and you know what they say? No smoke without fire.”

“You can’t tell me you believe these rumors over me,” Marinette whispers.

“Well, at least these rumors give me an explanation.” Alya glowers. “Contrary to you.” With that, she abruptly stands up, the plates on her tray clattering as she walks away.

Marinette can’t move. She still feels several eyes on her, and it’s driving her crazy. So much so that she is about to jump up and announce to all of them to mind their own business, but it’s then that Nino returns to the table, his tray still almost left untouched. For a moment, she can’t say anything, every word dying on her tongue as soon as it arises. It’s all become a mess, and she has no idea where to even start untangling it.

She expects Nino to react with the same scorn Alya showed, but instead, he sighs deeply and scratches his cheek. “Dudes. The hell did you two get into?”

Marinette swallows thickly. “You believe us, right? You don’t believe those rumors, do you?”

“Of course I believe you.” He rubs her shoulder, the wavering smile almost reassuring. “And don’t you worry about my girl. Her impulsiveness can take the better of her, but she always comes around. You know she does.”

Nino’s sympathy is so soothing that Marinette feels tears well up in her eyes. She swallows them down again. “She … She does have a right to be mad at me, doesn’t she? I do keep secrets from her, I guess.”

Nino’s hand sinks down. He removes his cap, inhales audibly. “I dunno,” he eventually says. “I wouldn’t call it a secret. I’d call it privacy. Frankly? I don’t think she has a right to be mad at you ’cause you want some privacy of your own. There just are some things you don’t want others to know, and that’s fine.”

Marinette looks down at her food. Her stomach is in knots. “Is Kagami all right?”

“Pretty sure she will be. She’s gotta trust Adrien. There’s a reason they were together once, right?” As soon as the words are out, Nino winces. “Not that … Well, y’know, just …”

“It’s all right. You don’t have to walk on eggshells with me.” Marinette smiles tiredly. “I just don’t understand why they broke up in the first place. Never made any sense to me.”

“Same here,” Nino sighs.

“So … You don’t know why either?”

“Well, dudette. Like I said. Privacy and stuff.”

She breathes deeply, placing a hand against her forehead.

Afternoon classes might be annoying, but they offer one advantage: younger students are already at home, and the school seems almost empty. So it’s easy for Marinette to excuse herself to the toilet at a certain time, and she thanks the heavens for not meeting anyone on her way to the bench behind the school building. Adrien is already sitting there, looking up when she approaches. He seems even more tired than he usually does.

“Hi,” she whispers, sitting down next to him.

“Hi,” he returns, elbows resting on his knees.

Marinette clasps her hands between her knees and looks down at them. A warm breeze travels over her skin and makes her shiver. This isn’t even funny anymore, and she feels so horrible her chest is constricting.

“Who would do that?” she eventually whispers. “Spread those rumors? Why? I don’t get it.”

“People like gossip. That’s just how it is.”

He sounds so defeated that pain shoots through her heart. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers. “This is all my fault. If you want me to talk to Kagami …”

“No, no. I think I’ve got to clear up this misunderstanding myself.”

“I get it.”

She bites her lip. She risks a glance at him. Adrien returns her look, seeming pensive.

“You know I don’t want to give away your secret,” he tells her quietly. “But maybe it would help Kagami to know about it. Because, really … Lying to her feels exhausting.”

She shrugs. “I don’t think ‘I’m fake-dating Marinette so she can sneak out at night’ sounds very believable. Or would calm her down in any way.”

“Yeah. Unless you tell me what exactly you are doing.”

Marinette feels her shoulders instantly tense. She’d love to tell him. Really, she would. It would make everything easier, and he would understand, and with her lack of sleep, that almost sounds like a good idea. But the risk is too great. The risk of him getting into Hawk Moth’s hands, and the risk of her being found out, and the risk of her family having to suffer the consequences, and –

“I can’t tell you,” she whispers.

He keeps looking at her. His brows furrow. “Honestly, I’m worried. What is so important that you’ve got to do it in the middle of the night?” He straightens his back, but doesn’t lean closer. Her heart is trembling in her chest. “You know I’d never judge you for anything. Are you going to parties? Are you, I don’t know … I really don’t get it.”

“Same goes for you, doesn’t it?” she replies more sharply than she intended to. “You’re just as tired all the time.”

“Yeah. But I don’t have to lie to my father about dating someone.”

It didn’t sound like a reproach, but it sure feels like one. Marinette can’t look him in the eye anymore. She shuffles her foot over lush grass, squeezing her hands between her knees until it almost hurts.

“I’m sorry,” she repeats again.

Adrien sighs. She doesn’t know if he is looking at her anymore. She doesn’t want to know. “I’m serious, and I’m not just saying this because of Kagami. But I really am worried about you.”

She is tired of lying. So tired. She’s tired of bringing Adrien into such a situation, and hurting not only him, but Kagami too while she’s at it. She hunches her shoulders, sinking into herself. She’s destroying everything around her, she knows she is.

If she can’t save it all with the truth, then maybe she can save it with another lie. Because she has to fix it. She has to fix it somehow.

“Okay,” she therefore blurts out. “Okay. I’ll tell you.”

Silence. She can’t look him in the eye. She just can’t. Because there is something he can’t easily disprove, something that is just absurd enough to be kind of believable, and she’ll have to use this chance. Because it’s the only chance she has to somehow fix this whole mess.

She inhales shakily. Prepares herself.

“I’m … I’m dating someone. But I can only meet him at night.”

“Okay?”

“Chat Noir. I’m dating Chat Noir.”

Silence again. She takes deep breaths, wills herself not to sink down under her own lie.

“Because – we can’t make it official, you know? Because if we did, Hawk Moth could use me as leverage, is what he told me. And – we only meet in secret. Because it’s safer this way. But my parents can’t know either, because there’s some … You remember Weredad? Alya wrote about it – yeah, um, Chat and I have some history, and my parents aren’t too fond of what he did, just … That’s the truth. That’s the whole truth.”

She exhales. Slowly lifts her head to meet his eyes. And almost shies away again. Because Adrien is staring at her in so much disbelief that it’s almost scary, and she gulps.

“I know! I know it sounds weird, but, um … It kind of happened? And yeah, Chat can be really annoying, but he’s also really dorky, and it’s just – I’m trusting you with this, and I trust that it stays between you and Kagami, but no one else can know, all right? Because if Hawk Moth would get wind of it …”

“You’re dating Chat Noir,” Adrien repeats, emphasizing every single syllable.

Marinette blinks as innocently as possible. “Yes.”

“And you can only meet him at night.”

“Yes.”

“And that’s why you’re sneaking out. To meet Chat Noir. In the middle of the night.”

“I know how that sounds, but –”

“That’s …” Adrien nods several times, but something about his look is odd. “Wow. I would have never guessed. That’s really great! I’m so happy for you.”

She feels her cheeks turn warm. “Thank you.”

“He must be a great boyfriend, huh?”

“Like I said, kind of annoying, but otherwise …”

“Wow.” His words and his tone don’t really make sense in their combination, but Marinette doesn’t quite know what to do with it. “That’s cool. I mean, great. That you two are dating.”

“Y-yeah. It was a bit surprising, but …”

“Surprising! It sure is surprising.”

She shuts up. Doesn’t avert her gaze from him. Several uncomfortable seconds pass. She fiddles with her fingers, trying to read his thoughts from his face. But somehow, the oddness doesn’t vanish from his look.

“Anyway,” she finishes weakly, “that’s what you can tell Kagami. That I’m dating Chat Noir.”

He nods slowly, forehead still wrinkled.

“And then you can continue dating. Peacefully. You, um, you make a great couple.”

Something flashes through his eyes. He looks away. “You think so?”

“Oh, I’m sure! She seems happy around you. And you seem happy around her. And … yeah, it just works.”

“It just works,” Adrien repeats, looking so pensive that Marinette almost shivers. “It … Yeah. It does. Thank you, Marinette.” The smile on his lips is stiff. “And congrats. On dating Chat Noir, that is.”

She returns his smile just as mechanically. “Thank you. Yeah. Pretty great. It just, um, works.”

Yeah. Right.

Maybe Adrien really doesn’t know Marinette as well as he thought.

The sun will set soon. He is staring out of his window, contemplating. Dating Chat Noir? Why would she even say that? Really, what is going on in her life that she would need to use such a lie?

He glances at his phone. Kagami didn’t text him back. Of course she didn’t. He has no idea if he should just use the same lie – tell her Marinette is dating Chat Noir, and let Marinette confirm it. The thought is somehow making him nauseous.

He would have never thought Marinette would lie about something like this. Just what does she think needs to be kept a secret that badly? Fabricating lies like that – doesn’t she think they could be easily disproven? What if he already had a girlfriend, but she didn’t know, and her whole plan would fall flat?

His head is aching.

“I could go check on her,” he says before he can hold himself back.

Plagg stops regarding the TV remote from all sides, instead shooting him a glance. “Who? Your fencing partner?”

Trying not to blush, Adrien averts his gaze. “Marinette.”

“Well,” Plagg drawls. “There’s something called privacy. Heard some humans are very fond of that concept.”

Adrien rubs his neck, sighing. “Don’t tell me you aren’t surprised she’d lie about dating Chat Noir.”

“She did have a crush on you once, right?” Plagg cackles. “Or rather, twice. Must really like you, that girl. Good for you, Romeo.”

“That’s not …” He gives Plagg a tired look. “I’m worried about her. Maybe … maybe she is in serious danger?”

“I betcha Pigtails wouldn’t stay quiet about it if she was.”

“Wouldn’t she? Or maybe she’d need help, but doesn’t want to bother other people?”

“Nah. She can ask for help. You know her.”

“Do I, though?” Adrien can’t control the tremor of slight desperation in his voice. “Do I? After I couldn’t even see that she had a crush on me for three whole years?”

Plagg listlessly taps against one of the remote’s buttons. “Selective blindness, kiddo. Maybe you didn’t want to see it.”

He doesn’t know. He doesn’t know what he would have done if he had known. Maybe nothing. Maybe something. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that he is restless, and that he can’t stop clenching and unclenching his fingers time and time again, and eventually, he presses his nails against his palms. “I’m going to check on her.”

“Check on her?” Plagg returns immediately. “What are you gonna do? Spy on her like a creep?”

“No.” He gulps. “Yes. But not like a creep. Only like a concerned friend.”

“Okay, kid. Think about this. Would you want your ladylove to spy on you, even though you told her what ya doing is a secret?”

Adrien squints. “Really? You’re not concerned at all?”

“Nope,” Plagg returns, not looking at him. “Pigtails can handle herself.”

“But …” With that, Adrien jumps up, starting to pace. “That’s not like her at all. All that sneaking around. All that lying. That’s not her. I know Marinette. She is genuine, and brave, and –”

“Really adorable and pretty?”

“Yeah.” Adrien stops in his tracks and whirls around to Plagg. “No! I mean, yes, but – that’s not – that’s not what I was trying to say!”

“Mm-hmm.” Plagg hums, eyes narrowed in amusement. “Shouldn’t you be more concerned about Kagami?”

Watching Plagg press some more buttons until the TV comes to sudden life, Adrien tries not to shiver. “I am. I’m concerned about both. But …”

“You’re more concerned about Pigtails?”

He frowns. “No. But her actions make less sense, and if she really is in danger, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for never interfering.”

Sighing heavily, Plagg lowers the volume on the TV. “Seriously, kiddo. She can handle herself. You’re underestimating her. And creeping after her sure as heck isn’t the solution.”

Isn’t it? Really, isn’t it? If she can’t tell him herself … Really, if he found out all she’s doing is going out and having fun, he wouldn’t bother her anymore. But if she really is in danger … If someone is blackmailing her, or threatening her, or forcing her into something she doesn’t want to do, and she can’t talk about it out of fear, can’t tell anyone about it …

He cares about her. He cares about her too much not to do something.

“I’ll go check on her,” he announces.

At that, Plagg stares at him, and it’s the first time something like genuine worry shines in his eyes. “Adrien, I told you. There’s no need. Trust her.”

“How would you know? It’s not like you know what she is doing every night, do you?”

“Of course I don’t!” Plagg zips towards him. “But kiddo, I told ya – privacy is something important, and you can’t just use your superpowers to stalk her.”

“I’m not,” Adrien returns pointedly, “stalking her. I’ll just make sure she isn’t in danger, and that’s it.”

“Don’t. Don’t do it.”

This is somehow getting weird. Adrien furrows his brows. “Why?”

“Because! She isn’t in danger.”

“How would you know?”

“I just know, okay?”

But still. It’s just too strange. Marinette never lied to him. There’s a reason she could never stand Lila, after all. It’s so unlike her that his stomach is in knots, and he sets his jaw as he keeps looking at Plagg.

“Sorry, Plagg, but claws out.”

“God damn –” He is sucked into the ring before any other word can leave him.

A nightly breeze trickles over his skin as Chat Noir jumps outside, roof after roof, the setting sun visible on the far-away horizon. Just one little lie, and everything became such a mess. It is so unlike Marinette that his skin is crawling. It’s so strange that he lands on her balcony as soundlessly as possible, carefully tapping against the skylight a few times.

Nobody answers.

Chat hesitates. She could be anywhere, really. She could also be still in her room, having overheard his knocks, or simply ignoring them. Maybe Plagg is right. Maybe he is being stupid. But the worries won’t stop eating away at him. He leans against the railing, letting his chin rest on cold metal. Orange streaks color the sky, dip them into surreal hues. The streets below are still lively, but –

He spots a girl with dark hair, pigtails swaying in the wind.

Chat frowns. Leans further over the railing. She’s checking her handbag time and time again, careful to stay in relative shadows. Instead of heading straight back to her home, she suddenly enters an alley, escaping Chat’s sight.

His leathery tail twitches. He scrunches up his nose. He knows he shouldn’t do it, but his concern takes the better of him, and he leaps up on the railing on all fours before balancing over it and jumping to the next roof. Closer to her, closer, until he can peek into the alley she disappeared into.

Not a trace of her.

He purses his lips. She could have entered one of the buildings, so he jumps to the ground, not even knowing himself what he is searching for. Maybe a bar, or a club, even though he doesn’t really have an idea how to spot one. The sound of people loudly partying, perhaps. The clinking of bottles, or –

He rounds a corner, and blue eyes catch his.

Chat freezes in place. Marinette draws up an eyebrow. Moments pass. It’s dark, being surrounded by high buildings and the sun finally having set, the sky above them turning a darker blue by the second. She’s sitting on a bench, a tiny patch of grass next to her. A quiet and lonely place.

“You followed me,” she concludes.

“No,” he returns instinctively. Her eyebrow stays up, and he ducks his head. “I was in the area. Coincidentally.”

“Sure,” she drawls. “Why were you following me?”

He pouts, trying to assume a casual pose. “How would you know I followed you?”

“Someone told – something. Something told me. Whispered it to me. An instinct. A spontaneous suggestion.”

Chat looks at the ground, at his feet. Shuffles around, back and forth, and clasps his hands behind his back. He feels Marinette’s eyes on him, tired and a bit annoyed, and suddenly, he feels so awkward he’d like nothing more than to flee again.

“So,” he pipes. “On your way home, were you?”

She keeps looking at him, expression becoming somewhat wary. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Huh?”

“Why you were following me.”

Maybe all of this was a bad idea. What kind of excuse could he even use? No, no, I like to stroll through random alleys in the night, so like I told you – totally a coincidence? Or he packs the truth into something more believable than, “Don’t ask why, but I know that you’re constantly exhausted during classes, which so doesn’t mean that you’re actually friends with my civilian self, and I just wanted to make sure you’re safe, yes, don’t look at me like that.” Because that wouldn’t be too smart, perhaps. He saunters a bit closer, careful to leave some distance between them.

“I just, um, I saw you, and you looked like a cat in the pouring rain, and … Just wanted to make sure you’re all right.”

Wariness melts into slight surprise, then resignation. Marinette’s shoulders slump, and she leans against the bench, releasing a sigh. “I will be. I hope.”

It’s getting dark. Chat hesitates, but there’s something too pained about her expression, and he needs some seconds until he comes closer and sits down next to her. Dark rings under her eyes, pale cheeks, and when their eyes meet, the exhaustion in blue irises is hardly ignorable.

“You seem tired,” he says.

“I am,” she returns.

“Not sleeping well?”

“No. I’m not.”

He doesn’t know how to ask why that is. He doesn’t know how to find out what exactly she is doing here. Why she keeps being that tired when it seems like she was about to go home anyway. Her eyes trail away again, her whole body sinking into itself.

“I’m so tired, Chat. I’m so, so tired.”

He feels himself shiver. Her words are too shaky, and something in him moves him to slide a bit closer, to tentatively lay a hand on her shoulder. She doesn’t even react.

“Can I help?” he asks quietly.

“No. You can’t.” She props her elbows on her knees, sinks forward until her face is buried in her hands. “I’m just so tired of lying, but there’s nothing else I can do. I’m hurting people around me, but I have to, and … I’m hurting all my friends, and I don’t know how to get out of it, and it’s …”

A sob shakes her body. Chat feels so helpless his heart is jumping. He keeps his hand on her shoulder, softly drawing circles over her jacket.

“All I want,” she brings out, voice heavy with tears, “is just a few days of normalcy. A few days to just fall into bed and sleep with no worries. Why can’t I have at least that? Just a tiny bit of normalcy? Chat … How do you do this?”

His hand freezes on her shoulder. He feels helpless and lost, and he tries to understand what she means. “How do I do what?”

She doesn’t answer. Instead, she sinks even more into herself, her whole body starting to shake. His hands get clammy, and his heart is beating up to his throat, and he gently starts rubbing her back, sliding so close that their knees touch. Feverishly, he searches for words, just anything to make it all right again.

“Marinette … Why can’t you … Is there a reason you can’t get any sleep?”

“I can’t tell you,” she chokes.

Of course she can’t. The circles he draws with his palm are getting tinier, and worry twines itself around his heart. Even more so when another sob escapes her throat, shivering in the quiet night.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone, Chat,” she goes on. “You have to believe me. I don’t.”

“I … I believe you.”

“But it’s just … It’s all too much, and why me? Chat, I don’t understand, why me? Sometimes I just wish – all the lying, and all the deception, sometimes I just …” She interrupts herself with a sniffle, her body curling in on itself.

And he can’t watch anymore. He can’t. His heart is breaking for her, and even though he still doesn’t know just what exactly is going on in her life, Chat Noir wraps his arms around her and pulls her into a hug. She is shaking in his arms. It takes seconds upon seconds until she relaxes into the touch, and when she embraces him in return, he sees her tear-stained cheeks, the way she squeezes her eyes shut.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles. “I shouldn’t unload on you. I’m sorry.”

“Unload on me all you want,” he returns without thinking. “I’m here, okay? I’m here for you.”

“I know you are,” she whispers.

He knows how it feels to be so tired the whole world seems muddy and strange. He knows what a toll it can take on you. But he has a reason to feel this way. Marinette shouldn’t. She should be at home, content and happy and full of energy. She shouldn’t sink against him, eyes still shut and breaths becoming shallower. She shouldn’t snuggle so close she eventually draws up a leg, placing it in his lap to get into a more comfortable position. His arms are still around her, and he tentatively drops his head until he can bury his nose in her hair.

“Don’t fall asleep,” he tells her.

She grumbles in return.

“If you aren’t home … Where are you sleeping usually?”

She doesn’t answer.

“I could … Should I bring you home?”

“No,” she mumbles. “Let me … Just a minute. Please.”

Maybe it doesn’t matter where she sneaks out to. Maybe she just doesn’t want to be at home. Even though her parents are saints – maybe there’s something he can’t see. Because, really, the feeling of your own home not really feeling like home … He gets it.

He doesn’t know when it happened, but he catches himself gently brushing his fingers through her hair, her even breaths meeting his suit. Time passes silently. He leans back a bit, regarding her face. Everything inside him softens at the sight, at how vulnerable she looks in her sleep.

“Marinette,” he whispers.

But she is already fast asleep, and he doesn’t find it in him to wrench her from her peacefulness.

Still, he can’t just let her sleep here. Not even if he stays with her. An akuma might attack, and he’ll have to leave her sooner or later. So he slides an arm under her knees, the other securely wrapped around her shoulders, and lifts her up. The sudden movement makes her furrow her brows, but she doesn’t open her eyes.

There’s no other solution than bringing her to her own room. Carrying her in his arms, he soundlessly lands on her balcony. He struggles a bit with trying to open her skylight while not letting go of her, and she shifts slightly in his arms, snuggling closer to him. It’s so endearing he can only watch her face for a moment, moonlight in her hair and all exhaustion having fallen from her expression.

Worry swells in his chest once again, and he finally manages to climb down to her room.

Chat lets her sink down in her bed. As soon as her body touches the soft mattress, she turns her back on him, a deep breath escaping her. Sudden tiredness makes his bones heavy, but he forces himself to straighten his back again, about to leave her to her peaceful sleep.

Her voice holds him back, though, reaching him through the silence of her room. “Aren’t you tired, kitty?”

It’s kind of unusual to hear that nickname from her, but he doesn’t give it much thought. “I am,” he answers truthfully. “But don’t worry. I’ll catch some shuteye too.”

“Hope you will. I just …” She sighs, coiling herself up into a tighter ball. “How much longer can we do this?”

He pauses. Wrinkles his forehead. “Do what? Sleep that little?”

“Yeah … It’s getting ridiculous. Not even funny anymore.”

A dry smile builds on his lips. “I agree. But get some sleep now, Marinette. Good night.”

“Marinette …?” The rustling of a blanket. Then, suddenly, Marinette sits up, turning to him with widened eyes. “How do you …”

He returns her look in confusion. Watches as she inspects her surroundings, her own hands, until her eyes land on him again. Something is odd about her expression, something about the shock she carefully tries to bury.

“You brought me to my room,” she notes.

“I did.” He rubs his neck. “Shouldn’t I have?”

“It’s … No, it’s … Thank you.”

He stays quiet for a second. “You’re welcome,” he eventually brings out.

Something about this is weird, but his fuzzy mind can’t quite grasp the reason, and his hand stays on his neck as he moves a step.

“So, I’ll … Get a good catnap, will you?”

A tiny smile on her lips, Marinette nods. “Night, Chat Noir.”

He slips out into the night, closing the skylight behind him. Staying in his crouched position for a moment. Maybe that’s it. Maybe, for whatever reason, her home doesn’t feel like home anymore. Maybe she tortures herself night after night to fall asleep in her bed, and she can’t.

Maybe all she needs is someone to bring her some peace, if only for some quiet nights.

Chat Noir exhales. Then he stands up, the crescent moon above him, and turns to make his way back home.

Chapter Text

As always, Marinette tries not to blush wildly as Adrien slides his can of coffee towards her. As always, she tries not to look away as his soft smile is directed at her. As always, she tries to muffle the flutter of her heart as they sit alone in the classroom, the sun just about to rise.

Because they are friends, and she is fine with it. She is.

“For some reason, my dreams become weirder and weirder,” she mutters, willing herself not to look away from him. “Like, worryingly weird.”

“Maybe we should start analyzing our dreams in that case,” Adrien says, and he leans forward until he props his cheek on his hand. “Or we could start lucid dreaming.”

“Sure. Because that’s totally easy and stuff.”

“I’ve heard you can practice.”

She snorts. “Okay. How?”

“By doing dream checks. Like …”

He holds his own nose with two fingers, and then he holds his breath too, his cheeks puffed up. It looks so goofy that she can’t hold back her laugh anymore before imitating him.

“So, can you still breathe?” he presses out without taking a breath.

“I can,” she lies jokingly.

For a moment, he seems to believe her, and his eyebrows shoot up. “Wait – you can? Then, if you’re in a dream, where am I?”

“Well, maybe you only exist in my dreams?” It takes her a second to realize how suggestive that sounded, and she saves herself with a clipped laugh. “Not that I’m dreaming of you, um … You know, it’s just …”

“Or I’m the one dreaming about you,” he replies.

Silence. She blushes. He blushes. They’re a bit too close, and Marinette quickly turns away, scratching her cheek. “Um, yeah,” she laughs. “Or maybe neither of us is dreaming, and I was just kinda joking.”

“Oh! Yeah, same here.” He scratches the back of his neck. “Joking.”

Her fingers fiddle with the top of his thermos can, and she doesn’t dare look up at him. Kagami is her friend, sure, even if sometimes, things between them are a bit tense. But Marinette can’t help but wonder if she is able to joke with Adrien the way Marinette jokes with him. If she laughs at his silliness, or if all she can give him are stern looks and unamused words.

It’s just so different. Because as much as she liked Luka, it never felt the same as … this.

“There’s actually something … I wanted to tell you something,” Adrien says.

Marinette freezes. The morning sun climbs over furniture, hangs in golden hair, and they’re too close and yet so far; and when their eyes meet, she shivers. His hand takes hold of hers, gentle fingers wandering over her knuckles. If she didn’t know better – his sheepish expression, and the way he averts his eyes for a second, and the softness he is touching her with …

“Okay,” she breathes. “What is it?”

He squeezes her hand. Green eyes, a little bit of fear she can’t quite place. His voice thick as he asks.

“Do you want to spend the night at mine?”

Marinette stares. Her hand underneath his feels numb. Before she can utter one word, he goes on, syllables nervously stumbling against each other.

“Not – we have guest rooms. Which are hardly used. You could have one. And father doesn’t need to know. There’s, uh, a secret entrance I discovered when I was fifteen. So, if you need to sneak out in the middle of the night to – well, to meet your boyfriend, then you can. But … You wouldn’t exactly lie to your parents anymore, and you’d always have a place to stay, and … Yeah. If you want to. No pressure.”

Speechlessly, she keeps staring. Her thoughts are somersaulting. There’s no way for her to process just what exactly he offered her. She only has one priority: if she was to agree, would it make things easier for her and her superhero business? With her own guest room, not supervised by anyone; with a way to leave the mansion whenever she’d want to, and return without arousing any suspicions; with no one to perhaps discover her sneaking around in the morning, a precious additional hour of sleep on the horizon …

It surely is a chance to improve her situation, and she sits up straight, turning her hand until she can squeeze his fingers in return. Prepares herself for her reply, prepares herself until her heart is nervously fluttering, and then she finally answers.

“No.”

He blinks. “Oh.”

“I … no,” she repeats. “People are already talking. We can’t give them even more reason to.”

“I don’t really care what people think,” he returns, the words just a bit bitter.

“It’s not just about people, Adrien.” She holds his eyes. “Kagami would be devastated if she found out I’m spending whole nights at yours. Alya is already so angry at me she hasn’t texted me for a whole day, and the last time that happened was when I accidentally deleted one of her favorite Ladybug photos. I … I can’t just keep hurting people around me because of my lies.”

At that, his face turns into a grimace of acknowledgement. She sighs.

“I appreciate it. God, Adrien, I appreciate it so much. But it’s not … I promise I’ll clean up my act, okay? I’m searching for a solution. I really am.”

“A solution for dating Chat Noir?”

She almost winces. Almost. “Exactly.”

He sighs, and finally withdraws his hand. “Just … Just know that you can talk to me about anything, all right? I’d never judge you. No matter what it is about.”

“I know,” she whispers. And she wishes it was that easy. Still, she lays a careful hand on his arm. “Same goes for you, okay? If there’s anything you want to talk about …”

His smile is small and warm, and she could melt underneath it, and the sudden sound of steps makes her redraw her hand so quickly it seems ridiculous to even herself. It’s Alya, stopping at the doorframe as she spots the two of them. Marinette jumps, taking in the way Alya crosses her arms.

“Of course you’d already be here,” she notes.

“Good morning to you too, Alya,” returns Adrien. He sounds calm, but wary.

She visibly grits her teeth. The tip of her shoe meets the floor again and again. “All right. Okay. I admit it, I’m overreacting.”

Marinette opens her mouth to reply, but Alya beats her to it.

“I admit I believed rumors over both of you, and that was,” she clears her throat and rolls her eyes, “impulsive, childish, and hurtful. You both have a right to privacy, and it is none of my business what you do with each other, especially if you don’t want to tell anyone about it.” It sounds like she is half-heartedly reading bullet points from an endless list, but Marinette knows her well enough to notice the bashful shimmer in her eyes. “So I will stop questioning why the hell the two of you are already here at such an hour, and I will certainly not try to investigate any other rumor that might or might not arise.”

Marinette feels a relieved smile twitch onto her lips, and she is already standing up as Alya continues after a deep breath.

“Even though, and that is my honest opinion, you aren’t doing yourselves a favor if you keep sneaking around like that, and people will talk if you don’t stop –”

Marinette’s sudden hugging attack has Alya stumbling backwards, and it only takes a second until she hugs Marinette back, releasing another drawn-out sigh.

“I’m sorry,” Marinette mumbles.

“No,” returns Alya. “I am.”

“No, I am.”

“No, I am.”

Their witty exchange lasts for a good minute, and by the time Marinette lets go of her, she notices that the classroom is slowly filling with people again. Among them Nino, who sits down next to Adrien and shares a quiet conversation with him. Adrien is smiling ruefully at something Nino says, blonde hair moving as he shrugs, and Marinette doesn’t even notice Alya leaning down to her ear until her voice reaches Marinette.

“Maybe you aren’t dating, but bestie, I know you too well. And I know that look better than you think.”

Marinette jumps. Stares at Alya, who only shows a half-amused grin.

“No,” Marinette breathes.

“Yes,” Alya returns. “Here we go again.”

“No … That’s not –”

“Honestly, I was just waiting for it.”

“But Kagami –”

“Kagami,” whispers Alya, “doesn’t get some stupid coffee from him every morning. Kagami isn’t the one he comes to school for that early. Kagami isn’t the one he is looking at like that when he thinks she won’t notice.”

Automatically, Marinette’s eyes drift to Adrien. Their eyes meet for the tiniest second, and he quickly averts his gaze again. Her face starts feeling so hot she has to suppress a whimper.

“He rejected me!” she hisses.

“He literally didn’t. He just said that if it wasn’t for a certain other someone …”

“Yeah, but that certain other someone is still very much in the picture!”

Alya wiggles her eyebrows. “For now.”

“No, Alya, stop!”

Still grinning, Alya moves to flop down next to Nino, and Marinette can do nothing but stare.

The break is almost over. Marinette hurries, throwing her locker’s door shut before whirling around – and almost running into someone. She stumbles back with a tiny scream, eyes wide as she recognizes who is standing in front of her.

“Hi, Kagami,” she squeaks.

The room is pretty much empty except for them, and Kagami’s scrutinizing eyes almost make Marinette shiver. “Hello, Marinette,” she returns, voice pleasant, but somehow cold. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Uh – no. No worries.” Marinette feels awkward as she presses the book in her arms against her chest, but she smiles nonetheless. “I’m just about to … Well, not that Ms. Bustier is that punctual, but …”

“Can we talk for a minute?” Kagami’s expression stays carefully blank. “I can accompany you to your classroom, if you’d prefer.”

Dread forms in Marinette throat. She keeps up her smile. “Sure,” she croaks, and coughs. “Sure.”

She doesn’t dare glance at Kagami. Not that they aren’t friends – they were a bit closer when Marinette was dating Luka, and afterwards, they kind of weren’t. But even though Marinette only wanted the best for her and Adrien, there was something odd lingering in the background of their staggering friendship. Feelings can be stupid, and feeling like she lost a battle that shouldn’t even be seen as a battle in the first place is more than stupid, but Marinette couldn’t help it.

Kagami made a move, and she didn’t.

The halls are slowly getting emptier as they stroll through them. Some people send them funny looks, and Marinette tries to ignore them all. It’s the sole reason why Kagami lowers her voice as she speaks up again, Marinette guesses.

“I guess you know who I wanted to talk about.”

Marinette winces, almost dropping her books. “So he told you, huh?”

The only answer she gets is a long, questioning look.

“About the whole … dating thing?”

Slight understanding shimmers in her eyes, and Marinette almost wants to release a relieved breath. Until Kagami’s next words reach her, that is. “So you are dating. Adrien and you.”

He didn’t tell her. Why the hell didn’t he tell her? Marinette starts to sweat, quickly searching for words. “No. No, no. The non-dating thing, I meant. No dating whatsoever. There is nothing, and I swear, nothing going on between Adrien and me.”

Kagami keeps looking at her, and Marinette bites her lip.

“He likes you a lot, after all,” she whispers.

“He likes you too.”

Marinette almost jumps. Then she laughs too loudly, and quickly shuts up again. “Uh, no,” she quickly replies. “Not like – no. He likes me in a ‘just a friend’ way. Strictly friendly. Platonic. Nothing else.”

“But you’d wish otherwise.”

Marinette stares, coming to a halt. Kagami does too, and their eyes meet. The tiredness, the sadness in auburn eyes – no matter how much Kagami tries to hide it, it’s clear as day that she is suffering, and it makes Marinette’s heart clench.

“Listen, Kagami. He knows about the feelings I had for him in the past. And you know what he did? He rejected me. He rejected me because he wants to see where things are going with you.” She smiles carefully. “There’s nothing for you to have doubts over. He really, really likes you, and that’s just a fact.”

Kagami nods slowly, eyes darting away. “Rumors exist for a reason, though.”

Marinette feels her fingertips turn icy cold. She lowers her voice. “Rumors exist because some people try to stir chaos. Adrien would never go behind your back and date someone else. We both know him well enough. He’s not the type of person to do such a thing.”

Kagami still doesn’t look at her. “Can you be honest with me, Marinette?”

“Of course! Always.”

“Do you still have feelings for Adrien?”

“Nope!” It slipped from her lips easily, quickly, no hesitation whatsoever. Only accompanied by the tiniest sting of something desperate. “Absolutely not. All in the past. We’re friends, and honestly, I think we’re better off that way.”

A small nod. Then, finally, Kagami’s eyes find hers again. Under the scrutinizing look, Marinette feels like she should shrink away, but she resists the consuming urge. Instead, she holds onto her smile.

“I think it’s great that you’re dating again, you know,” she says instead. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you.” Kagami doesn’t smile back. “I would like to ask you for a favor, though.”

“Of course.”

“Please don’t hold Adrien’s hand if it isn’t absolutely necessary.”

Marinette blanches. Her smile falls for the tiniest of seconds. She builds it up again. “So, uh, emergencies? Emergencies are allowed? Like, um, if – if there’s a fire, and he needs to pull me away? Not that it would ever happen, but just to make sure …”

Kagami doesn’t look amused at all. “Emergencies are fine.”

“Okay! Oh, okay.” She nods several times. “Of course. No hand holding. Except if it’s an emergency.”

“Thank you.” Kagami’s expression softens. “You are my friend, Marinette. I trust you, and I trust Adrien. It’s just – it was a bit overwhelming. Seeing something like that photo, knowing how close you are …”

“I get it,” Marinette whispers. “But I’m glad I could make you feel better again.”

“You did.” A smile, tiny and grateful, until Kagami nods and turns around. Marinette looks after her as she walks away, her own smile falling with a momentum that has her shivering, and she clenches her hands to fists for a moment.

All her stupid lies, all her stupid sneaking around – she can’t let it hurt even more people. In the end, it’s all her own fault.

Then again, does she even have a choice?

“You know what I don’t get?” Marinette mumbles next to him.

“No. What?”

“Chloé has these really fancy designer glasses, and she hasn’t used them once to cover up any lack of sleep. Never. Years, and still, never.” Her stern look meets Adrien. “You know what that means, right?”

Holding back a laugh, he conspiratorially leans closer. “That she gets enough sleep?”

“No! No. She thinks she looks really cool and badass, but she doesn’t. She looks …” A pause. “Utterly ridiculous.”

He bursts out laughing for good. “True enough.”

“And you’re friends with her. Really.” She nudges his shoulder with hers. “I thought you had more taste than that.”

“Ha ha. She has her good sides, too.”

“Hope you can introduce me to them sometime.”

He makes a mental note to do as much sooner or later.

They enter the dining hall. Adrien isn’t surprised at all to have some eyes on him, but it’s not like he isn’t used to these kinds of situations anyway. Alya and Nino are already sitting at their usual table, and he is just about to approach them when he hears steps close to him. Auburn eyes bore into his, and he shows a sheepish smile.

“Oh. Kagami, hi,” he greets her.

“Adrien. Marinette.” She nods at Marinette curtly, then turns her eyes back to him. “I wanted to ask you if you could sit with me today.”

In a first reaction, Adrien’s eyebrows shoot up. In a second reaction, he shoots a look at Marinette. He doesn’t even know why. The answer should be clear, and yet, something churns in his stomach when he sees Marinette’s frown. Still, shaking off these thoughts, he turns back to Kagami with the best smile he can manage.

“Sure. I’ll be at your table in five.”

A small smile on Kagami’s lips. Then she turns away again. When Adrien glances at Marinette, he meets her eyes. She is still frowning.

“Shucks,” she says. “No Adrien at our table this time. However will we survive?”

He smiles at her. Then he sighs. “I haven’t been able to get a hold of her since yesterday. I think … I think she isn’t too happy with me.”

“I actually talked to her today.” Marinette seems to stare after her. “She will need some reassurance, that’s all. But I think you can sort it all out easily.”

He nods slowly. “I really hope so.”

Eventually, with his tray in his hands, he approaches Kagami’s table. She looks up when he sits down next to her. Some people are still watching them, but he pays them no mind as he slides a bit closer to her.

“We should talk about it, Kagami.”

“No, we shouldn’t.” At first, he thinks that she is about to react with the same anger she showed him yesterday. But instead, her tone softens a bit. “I realized I was solely acting based on my emotions instead of analyzing the situation at hand, and I wanted to apologize.”

“Oh.” He knits his brows. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“No, I do.” She reaches for his hand on the table, squeezing it slightly. It’s different than touching Marinette’s hand, the sudden thought strikes him, and because that doesn’t matter in the least, he buries that finding as quickly as he can. “I should trust you. I didn’t. It’s … I just wanted you to know that I was in the wrong about believing rumors instead of believing you.”

He doesn’t know what to say. He squeezes her hand, turns his palm until he can intertwine their fingers. Her hand is smaller than his, petite fingers fitting between his perfectly.

“Marinette told me,” Kagami goes on, “that you found out about her feelings for you.”

He almost winces. “Past feelings,” he mumbles.

Kagami nods. Strictly looks down at their hands. “Do you regret not going out with her?”

The question makes him pause, and then almost laugh, even though a strange feeling surges through him, leaving goosebumps in its wake. “And going out with you instead? Of course not. Marinette and I are friends, and that’s it.”

Kagami’s skin is soft and warm, and when he brushes his thumb over it, he feels her shiver slightly. What he feels for Kagami might not be as intense and explosive as what he felt for Ladybug, but it’s gentle and comfortable, easy to fall into, and he doesn’t move as she slides closer, her shoulder against his.

“She told me she is happy for us,” she says.

“Marinette?”

“Yes.” A second of silence. “If I was in her position, I don’t know if I could react like she does.”

Adrien can’t hold back a smile. “She is amazing, isn’t she?”

Another second of silence. This time, something about Kagami’s tone seems weird as she speaks again. “Yes. I agree. She really is.”

Finally, Adrien turns his head to look at her. Eyes still directed at their hands, something pensive to her expression. He withdraws his hand from hers to softly brush a strand of hair from her cheek, and she looks at him, auburn burning with something incredibly soft.

“And you are amazing too,” he whispers.

A smile grazes her lips. “So are you.”

His hand sinks down. He can’t smother his own smile. “Let me take you on a date,” he says. “To make up for all that stupid stuff. You and me, and way too much ice cream. How does that sound?”

She draws up her eyebrows. “We have fencing practice.”

“So? Let’s skip it.”

He clearly sees her contemplating the possibility, and before she can reject the offer, he nudges her shoulder lightly.

“Come on, I see the sparkle in your eyes. We could use a four-star route again. How about it?”

For a long moment, Kagami stays quiet. Then, slowly, a smile builds on her lips. “West entrance?”

“Or the eastern one. I like that one better. Far more aesthetic.”

She looks at him skeptically. “Aesthetic, you say. The only aesthetic aspect about it is the fact that you can leave school that way.”

He has to laugh. Leans towards her to press a faint kiss to her temple. With a surprised sound, she moves away again, staring at him.

“The whole school is watching us,” she notes.

“Oh.” He shrugs. “Guess I forgot.”

“Adrien,” she whispers, scandalized, cheeks turning red as she averts her gaze.

He has to grin. When he turns to his tray again, his eyes find his regular table for a moment. Nino is giving him a thumbs-up, Alya is staring at him oddly, and Marinette is showing a tight-lipped smile that, for whatever reason, makes something rumble in his stomach.

Adrien doesn’t allow himself to wonder. Instead, he starts eating, a lighthearted conversation blossoming between Kagami and him, and there’s nothing left to wonder about.

A sword is pointed at Marinette. A real, scary sword. She should be horrified, but somehow, the only thought that reaches her is an ingenious, “Woah.”

So she verbalizes as much. “Woah.”

“I heard you’re stealing my man,” Kagami says, glowering menacingly. “If I were you, I wouldn’t.”

“But you aren’t me.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m threatening you with a sword.”

“I see. I would fight back with a yo-yo.”

“That’s concerning.”

“Also,” Marinette shrugs several times, “I’m living boys-free right now. Feels pretty good. You should try it sometime.”

Kagami squints. Before she can react, a sudden arm wraps around Marinette’s shoulder, pulling her closer. A warm body, a velvety voice.

“Sleep with me,” Adrien purrs. “Literally. Like, next to each other. Not the other kind.”

She should blush, but she somehow manages to stay nonchalant. “I said, boys-free! That means no sleeping with any boy. In any way.”

“Okay.” A thermos can is thrust into her hands. “I’ll still bring you coffee every day until you give in.”

“Not giving up, I see.” She nods. “Who are you? Chat Noir?”

“Yeah! I actually am.”

She finally turns her head to look at a grinning Chat Noir. In a sudden motion, he yanks the mask from his face, revealing Adrien. Chat Noir. Adrien. Chat Noir. Her jaw drops.

Then she screams.

Then she wakes up.

Her scream turns out to actually be her ringing phone. She needs seconds to realize as much, and groggily, she grabs the fiend. Not her alarm, but a call. Closing her eyes again, she picks up. “What?”

“Uh. Marinette?”

“Adrien?” she mumbles, the fresh memories of her dream making her shiver.

“Yep. Um, you didn’t answer my texts, and it’s already seven thirty, so … Sorry, I’m just …”  His voice sounds muffled. “I’m worried. Did you get home safely? Or – you know, just to make sure, but you’re safe, right?”

“What?” she asks again. Looks at the time. Adrien didn’t lie; it’s seven thirty. Which means her parents are probably having breakfast already. Which means she can’t use the bathroom without arousing suspicion. Which means she would have to explain why she left in the evening, telling them she would spend the night at Adrien’s, when she’s suddenly back in her room in the morning. Doesn’t make any sense. At least not to her parents.

Oh god.

“Oh god,” she repeats her thoughts as she feverishly searches for a solution. She changed her mind and got back when her parents were sleeping. She slipped in again when they both didn’t notice and forgot to greet them. She … yeah, she what? She fought an akuma and slipped back into her room as Ladybug? Right.

“That’s not a ‘oh god, I’m not safe’, right?” Adrien repeats, his joking words coated by worry.

“No! No. I’m at home.”

“Oh.”

“But my parents don’t know that I am. They think I’m at yours.”

“Oh.”

“I’m … I’ll just put on a whole lot of deo and hope nobody will notice that I forgot the importance of showering?” She laughs manically. “Yeah! That works.”

A second of silence. “How will you sneak past them?”

“I’ll, uh, I’ll manage.”

“Right. Give me five minutes. I’ll distract them.”

“How –”

“I’ll text you.”

Before she can tell him that, “no worries, for a rather mysterious reason, I’m perfectly able to jump down to the street from my balcony and not hurt myself in even the slightest way”, he has already hung up the phone. She stares at it. Then she lifts her head to meet Tikki’s eyes.

“I tried fifteen times to wake you up,” she whispers. “You smacked me against the wall every single time.”

“I’m sorry,” Marinette whispers back, and jumps from her bed.

Her strategy should have been foolproof. But of course, some stupid akuma had to ruin it all once again. The moment she finds out about Hawk Moth’s identity, she will kick his ass not only once, but twice. Just for the extra effect.

Dressed and bathed in deo, Marinette looks at the text message she received.

Just told your mom to go get your dad, they’re on their way down. Coast should be clear in a minute.

Oh. That’s smart. And also something she didn’t want to force Adrien into. Sighing to herself, Marinette carefully opens the living room’s door, listening for steps. Nothing. So she slowly makes her descend. Carefully listening for any kind of noise, further and further down.

She almost jumps back when she sees that the door to the bakery is still open, voices reaching her as she tries her best to remain unseen.

“… a surprise,” Adrien says. “And I don’t want to give myself away by asking her directly, so …”

“Oh, Adrien,” Sabine sighs. “What a boyfriend you are. I bet she’ll love it.”

“As long as it’s a pink one,” Tom adds.

“True. Pink looks gorgeous on her.”

Adrien sounds so adoring that Marinette almost stumbles over her feet. He’s an impressive actor. When she risks a tiny glance into the bakery and cranes her neck, she can see him behind the counter, leaning closer to her parents. The fond smile on his lips makes her burn up from inside.

Scratch that, he’s an incredible actor.

“She usually wears 34 or smaller. I think she has her measurements lying around somewhere, if you need them.”

Adrien’s smile grows. “No, no. We’ll make some changes anyway, I guess. I want it to be perfect for her.”

Tom laughs, and then sniffles. “You have no idea how glad we are for you two. She adores you so much.”

“Yeah.” Bashfully, Adrien smiles down at the counter. “And I adore her.”

She shivers. Finally puts on her shoes and slips out of the door, soundlessly closing it behind her. Looking at your phone while talking to your girlfriend’s parents would be kind of impolite, so instead, she calls him. It only takes seconds until he picks up, laughter in his voice.

“Speaking of the devil. You okay, princess?”

Despite the warm morning sun, she shivers yet again, trying to catch her breath. “Your princess is kinda on her way to school, so …”

“Oh. Already missing me, I see.” He sounds teasing. So much so that she doesn’t know if she wants to laugh or hide away. “Are you still in the library?”

“I’ll take a detour so they don’t see me. Meet me in front of the school?”

“Sure. See you there, then.”

She hangs up. Takes a deep breath. Her sluggish mind loses all its adrenaline at once, and it takes her way too long to actually arrive at the school’s entrance. Classes will start in five minutes, and she is nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she waits, but the sight of Adrien approaching her makes her heart jump anyway.

“Thank you,” is what she greets him with. “I mean, really. That’s – you didn’t have to, and …”

“Priority: not being too late, or else Bustier has her eyes on you once again.” With a grin, he hands her a paper bag. She recognizes it as the kind of bag her parents give out, and she raises her eyebrows as she glances inside. A bunch of macarons. Half of them pink, the other half green.

She almost blushes.

“I told your parents these are my cover. So you don’t find out why I visited them right now,” he tells her. They start moving towards the entrance, and concern sparkles in his eyes as she looks at him. “You’re all right, aren’t you?”

She sighs. “I overslept.”

“I noticed.” His face comes closer, and when he sniffs, she feels her body quiver in response. She doesn’t dare move away from him, though. “Huh. You smell good.”

Her laugh is clipped and strained. “Enough deo does that to you, I guess.”

“A lot of deo and no showering. That’s your secret.”

“Yeah. I like your cologne better, though.”

He snorts, rubbing the back of his neck as they arrive in front of the classroom. “Subtly smelling me? Now I feel self-conscious.”

“Me too.”

Maybe it all should have been just a joke. But they stop in front of the door for a second, looking at each other. She does feel self-conscious, and even though his words were lighthearted and easy, he doesn’t meet her eyes for more than a few seconds. It’s kind of weird, and also kind of exhilarating, and she forces herself not to think too hard about it as she gently nudges his shoulder.

“Thank you, Adrien. Really.” She smiles at him sheepishly. “I’m looking forward to whatever you want to surprise me with.”

He returns her smile. “You should.”

“Okay. What did you tell my parents you’d get me?”

“Wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, would it?”

Her smile falls the slightest bit. “I hope you know that was a joke. You really shouldn’t get me anything.”

Shrugging, he turns to the classroom. “Let’s see.”

“Adrien! Don’t.”

“Like I said. Let’s see.”

She wants to protest some more, but by then, he has already sat down next to Nino, and the bell’s ringing makes her flinch. Alya looks at her, one eyebrow arched, and Marinette can do nothing but smile stiffly at her.

Worst thing is, Marinette feels more refreshed than she has in weeks. What just one additional hour of sleep can do for you. Alya and Nino excused themselves after their last class of the day, and even though Marinette couldn’t do anything to shake off Alya’s suspicions, Alya didn’t pry. Marinette is grateful, really. She would have had no idea what to say otherwise.

The library is entirely empty, and while Marinette works on a presentation for her biology class in the far back, surrounded by nothing but endless rows of shelves, Tikki watches her. She looks worried, and Marinette can understand why.

“Maybe you should accept Adrien’s offer after all,” Tikki says quietly.

Marinette’s elbow almost slips away underneath her. “What? You mean, spending the night at his place?”

“Yes. You’d be able to sleep in a little longer. And if Adrien’s words are to be trusted, you’d be able to leave the mansion whenever you need to.”

With a sigh, Marinette leans her forehead into her palm. Tikki isn’t exactly wrong. And Marinette did think about it. No awkward sneaking around her parents, and catching just a bit more sleep … It might help. The nightly attacks are getting more than exhausting. As Ladybug, adrenaline makes her alert enough; but her civilian self has to suffer the consequences. She has no idea how much longer she can do this without breaking down.

“Do you really think that’d be smart?” she whispers.

“Well … Adrien doesn’t seem to be the type to pry.”

“It’s still risky.”

“What you are doing now is just as risky, Marinette.” Tikki’s antennas droop. “And I’m worried about you. I’m so incredibly worried. Seeing you like this and being unable to help – it’s breaking my heart.”

Marinette tries to smile. “It will be all right. Hawk Moth can’t keep this up forever, can he?”

“I hope so,” Tikki whispers.

Their conversation is cut short when sudden steps sound. Marinette sighs, turning back to her research, when a familiar voice reaches her ears. She can’t make out the words, but she would recognize Adrien’s voice anywhere. Hair standing on end, she listens on, and sure enough – Kagami whispers something back.

None of her business, she tells herself. Respect your no-boys policy, her dream self adds helpfully. Of course Alya couldn’t be more wrong. Adrien and Kagami like each other, and sooner or later, they will end up as a proper couple again. Because she never understood why they broke up in the first place. It didn’t make sense back then, and them realizing as much too is just a natural consequence.

She gnaws at her lip. She shouldn’t do it, she knows she shouldn’t. Still, she tries to make out what they are talking about, and a very bad, very pointless urge moves her to soundlessly stand up and occupy a chair closer to them. Still hidden behind shelves, Marinette inconspicuously leans to the side and glances at their table.

“My mother probably won’t allow me to,” she can hear Kagami’s words, her posture perfect as she looks at the book before her. “What would you like to watch, anyway?”

“I don’t know. Something romantic?”

Marinette wrinkles her nose. Of course Adrien would suggest something romantic. Would be sweet if it was directed at herself. Not that she thinks that will ever happen, but still.

She sees Kagami smile slightly, cheek propped on one hand. “Of course. Romantic. The genre my mother likes the least.”

Marinette wrinkles her nose further. Of course Kagami would react with slight ridicule. Even though Adrien doesn’t seem to mind too much.

“Let me guess,” he says. “Your mom thinks fictional stories are pointless.”

“Precisely, yes.”

“Please don’t tell me you think so too.”

Kagami turns her head to look at him. “I don’t know. Let me think. Which life lesson did Naruto impart to you again?”

Adrien laughs quietly. It sounds a bit bashful. “That the power of friendship trumps all?”

“Right. Please don’t ever tell my mother that much. She thinks anime is a disgrace.”

“She never watched the right animes, then.”

“Maybe. Now, didn’t we come here to get some homework done?”

Kagami turns to her book again. Adrien keeps watching her. There’s something pensive to his look. Something almost scrutinizing. Marinette has seldomly seen this look on him; when he doubted something a teacher said, or when he corrected someone while they were working on a group project together. Just a bit shy of saying something, but eventually deciding that it’s better to come out with the truth.

This time, he stays silent though. Turns to his book again.

Something about all of this makes her shiver. They like each other. She is sure of it. She saw them often enough, giving each other those warm little smiles and those shy little looks. An understanding between them Marinette could never share. She never had to comprehend just what draws them to each other. It was never her place, after all.

For the first time, though, she wonders just what exactly is holding them together. If there is something she just can’t see.

Marinette turns back to her table too.

She tries to concentrate. She can’t. Especially not when after half an hour, she hears a chair scrape over the floor. A careful look behind the shelf reveals that Kagami stood up, their conversation a bit too quiet for Marinette to hear it.

Kagami leans down to Adrien. Gives him a peck on his cheek. Marinette freezes up. She watches as Kagami smiles softly at him, as she turns around and leaves. Adrien is left looking after her. Bit by bit, fondness drops from his face, leaving the same scrutinizing look he showed before.

Marinette leans her elbow on her chair’s backrest. Her thoughts are racing. She doesn’t know if Tikki is right. If taking on Adrien’s offer will really make things easier for her. Maybe not. Maybe it will just complicate everything. She doesn’t want to get even more involved, doesn’t want to hurt Kagami further, but still. Maybe this is about more than only Kagami. Maybe this is about her responsibility as Ladybug, and she will have to make some sacrifices for that alone, and –

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t even realize her elbow was sliding from the backrest until it’s too late. With a loud bang, her funny bone directly meets the edge of the table. Pain surges through her arm at once. She curses, and whines, and of course, Adrien whirls around to her.

“Marinette?” He jumps up, quickly approaching her. “Are you all right?”

“Pain,” she brings out through clenched teeth. Then she gives him a thumbs-up. “Am good. Awesome. Elbow. Love pain. Great thing. Gimme … a second.”

Adrien’s mouth twitches. He clears his throat. “I’m not laughing.”

“I never said you were.” She glowers at him and kicks his leg. “Traitor.”

“I’m sorry.” He snorts. “I’m sorry, but just how …?”

“Sorry for being clumsy, I guess.” She keeps glowering.

“You’re forgiven.” Still smiling, he sits down next to her and takes a hold of her arm, inspecting her elbow. The warmth of his skin on hers prickles through her veins. She tries not to let it show. Especially not when his thumb softly strokes her elbow. “See? Not a scratch.”

“Um … I’m glad.”

Their eyes meet. As if only now realizing what he is doing, Adrien lets go of her. He seems just the slightest bit nervous as his eyes dart to the books before her. She follows his look.

“We weren’t too loud, were we?”

“No, no, you weren’t.” She taps against her books. “Perfectly occupied with our project thingy. Cannot wait.”

He smiles at her. “You seem kind of lively today.”

“I guess sleeping in has some advantages.” She fidgets, but it’s no use anyway. She would ask sooner or later, and maybe “sooner” is the better choice. “Why didn’t you tell her about Chat Noir?”

“Huh?”

“Why didn’t you tell Kagami that I …” She doesn’t look at him. “That Chat Noir and I …”

She hears him shift. Some weird seconds pass. She automatically hunches her shoulder, shoving the sole of her shoe over wooden floor, back and forth, until his voice almost makes her wince.

“I, um, talked to him. To Chat Noir.”

“Oh.” She sharply looks up. “Oh! Oh. Oh, you … you did, huh? You did?”

“Yeah …” His smile seems somehow forced. “He seemed a bit too confused when I congratulated him, so I figured … Well.”

“Oh my god.” She hides her eyes behind her hand. “Okay. Look. I know I lied again, and – I’m really sorry, but I can’t – Adrien, just –”

“It’s okay. Really.” A hand on her knee makes her jump, and when she meets Adrien’s eyes again, an expression of understanding has taken form on his face. “I won’t pry. As long as you’re safe, that is. I’m sure you have your reasons, after all.”

She stares. She doesn’t deserve him. Not even as a friend. He is too good. He is too much. She feels her jaw quiver, the toll of nearly sleepless nights sitting on her shoulders like an endless weight, and the words slip from her lips before she can hold them back.

“I want to sleep with you.”

He gapes. She keeps staring. She processes her own words. She panics. She yelps, and as if stung by an adder, Adrien retracts his hand again, looking at her out of widened eyes.

“I mean!” she quickly adds. “Literally! Like, next to each other! Not the other kind!” She facepalms. “I mean, in your guest room. The offer. The offer you gave me besterday. Chesterday. Yesterday. Oh my god.”

Stupid dream Adrien and his stupid suggestive comments, god damn it.

“Oh! Oh.” He nods way too wildly. “Sure! Sure. I mean, really?”

“I thought about it, and …” Marinette bites her lip. “It might be easier than oversleeping. If you promise to wake me up in the morning, that is.”

“I … Yes. Of course.” He nods again. “Tonight?”

“If … If it’s okay with you?”

“Very okay with me.” He grins, his cheeks still pinkish. “I’ve always wanted to have a secret sleepover.”

She can’t stop the hesitant smile from building on her lips. “We could even watch some cheesy romcom.”

His eyes light up. It’s so adorable that she feels herself blush. She hopes it isn’t too obvious. “You would?”

“God, yes. I love romcoms. The cheesier, the better.”

“Okay! Okay.” He narrows his eyes at her. “Favorite romcom on the count of three. One … Two …”

“Notting Hill,” she says.

“500 Days of Summer,” he says.

They blink at each other.

“Please tell me you have seen Notting Hill at least once,” Marinette whispers.

“I could say the same to you,” Adrien whispers back.

“I haven’t seen yours.”

“I haven’t seen yours.”

They blink again. A smile breaks over her lips, and he mirrors it.

“Movie night tonight?” she asks.

“Absolutely,” he answers.

Chapter Text

“Fifth time this week.”

Marinette freezes in place, about to slip into her second shoe. She meets her mom’s eyes. “Uh. Thanks for counting.”

“Marinette, what did we say? Four times. Four times a week.” Sabine arches an eyebrow. “You spent every single school night at Adrien’s last week. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”

Marinette is starting to sweat. She shows the most natural smile she can. Which, of course, ends up feeling like a weird grimace on her face. “Oh. Wow. Really?”

Unamused, Sabine keeps her eyebrow up. “Yes. Really.”

“Oh. Oh. It’s just …” Marinette twiddles her thumbs. “You know, that’s kind of embarrassing …” She looks at the ceiling. “But, um, Adrien kind of … kind of can’t sleep without me in his bed?”

She isn’t totally using her own numerous daydreams to lie her way out of this. Nuh-uh, she would never. But the thought alone makes her blush up to her hairline. Adrien in his bed, hair messy and eyes drowsy, mumbling for her to stay, softly grasping her arm and pulling her back in –

Boys-free, her mind screeches.

But Adrien, her inner self screeches back, and truthfully, she has a point.

Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Sabine sighs, but the soft smile she shows is the best sign Marinette could have received. “To be young and in love. Still, we agreed on this. Adrien is more than welcome to stay here instead.”

“Mom, I already told you …”

“Yes, but I can’t have you at your boyfriend’s home every single night! Even when you were with Luka, you mostly slept here.”

That’s not a lie. But back then, Hawk Moth didn’t try to mess up her whole sleep pattern either. Marinette keeps fiddling her thumbs, shrugging several times. “But, you know … Adrien has great showers. The … the expensive kind.”

Sabine’s soft smile turns into a squint. “I hope you aren’t burdening his father’s water bills too much. Both of you. At the same time.”

“What?” It takes her some seconds, and when she gets it, she splutters wildly. “Mom! Not that – we don’t – Mom!”

“Maybe you two really, really should spend the night here. So you actually get to sleep.”

“Mom – oh my god –”

“I’m not saying this to embarrass you. I’m saying this because I’m your parent, and while the details of your relationship aren’t any of my business, your wellbeing is. In other words – sleep is important.”

“I know,” Marinette groans. “And we do sleep. A lot. Really.”

Sabine’s expression softens the tiniest bit again. “Tell him to spend the night here next week. If his father gets suspicious, he can just tell him he’s having a sleepover with his best friend. Easy as pie.”

Marinette blinks. “Did you just tell me to lie to Adrien’s father?”

Innocently, Sabine holds up both her hands. “I’m talking hypothetically. I’m not suggesting anything.”

Marinette has to laugh. “Totally. So …” She ducks her head. “Can I still …?”

With a sigh, Sabine closes her eyes for a second. “Yes. Yes, you’re allowed to visit him. But I meant it. Last time this week.”

Feeling her heart burst with gratefulness, Marinette gives her mom her best smile. “Love you, Mom. Good night.”

It only takes a transformation and some swings around buildings until Adrien’s mansion already comes into sight, the evening sun drenching the whole city in soft colors, heart pounding in her chest. Nothing to worry about, though. Friendly sleepovers are great and fun, and she and Adrien are friends who can have friendly sleepovers, so the thought shouldn’t make her as tense as it does. She’ll have her own guest room. She won’t have to look at his sleeping face. It’s fine! Everything’s fine.

When she arrives at the mansion, she almost crash-lands against one of the streetlamps before elegantly saving herself and banging her head against a fence post.

Everything’s so fine.

Adrien described the exact place to her. Behind the building, hidden behind numerous trees, and darkness covers every nook and cranny as Marinette carefully comes closer. She grabs the straps of her backpack harder, trying to ignore how fast her heart is beating. That’s just stupid. Nothing will happen. She will sleep, and get out to kick another annoying akuma’s butt, and she’ll sleep some more. That’s all. That’s it. That’s –

“Marinette.”

Adrien’s sudden voice makes her squeak, and she smacks a hand over her mouth quickly. He jumps back at the sound, holding up his hands in a gesture of defense.

“Uh, sorry –”

“Sorry!” she interrupts him.

“No, sorry –”

“Sorry, I –”

They shut up again. What a great start.

“Okay,” Adrien whispers, waving at her to follow him. “It’s actually one of the entrances our staff uses. I found the hiding place for the keys, though.” A mischievous smile spreads on his lips. “Of course, father will never know about it.”

“Oh,” she whispers back. “Someone is being a rebel, huh?”

He smirks at her, and her heart does a jump it absolutely shouldn’t do.

Turns out, the keys are hidden underneath a flowerpot sitting on one of the windowsills. Very original. She watches as he turns the knob of one of the doors, blending perfectly into the white façade of the house, hidden by countless trees. She can hardly make out any passersby that way, nothing but green grass underneath her shoes.

She follows Adrien inside, a dark corridor welcoming her. He closes the door behind them. The darkness grows in intensity, and she holds back another sound as warm fingers brush her hand. It takes time until her eyes get used to the shadows around them, and when they do, she discovers that Adrien has leaned closer to her.

“Sorry, no lights,” he tells her. “Gotta stay discreet, right?”

“Right,” she breathes, and when he takes her hand, she gulps down a shriek. “Wait! Wait, is this an emergency?”

Still holding her hand, Adrien blinks at her. “What?”

“Just – just say this is an emergency. Please.”

“Um, it’s … it’s an emergency?”

Ha. Successfully saved. She doesn’t feel bad about it at all. Nuh-uh, not her. “Good,” she mumbles. “Don’t ask.”

“Okay?”

“Thank you.”

He doesn’t let go of her hand, and with one last slightly amused look, he starts leading her through the corridor.

Their steps echo in the loneliness of the hallway. Paintings adorn the bland white walls around them, but apart from the expensive-looking carpet muffling some of their steps and countless doors around them, there isn’t anything special to the room. She tries to memorize where they are going. A set of stairs at the other end of the corridor, and Adrien doesn’t hesitate to climb it, his warm hand an anchor she never wants to let go of.

“Nathalie usually only checks on me at nine in the evening and makes sure I’m getting ready for bed,” he tells her quietly. “Sometimes it’s pretty great to have such a reliable routine.” But the slight scorn belies his words, and Marinette squeezes his hand.

“Good thing you’re shaking things up by bringing me here, huh?”

“Yeah,” he says, and smiles at her. “Very good thing.”

The path isn’t too complicated, she notes after a while. They enter the second floor. It’s only a little more stumbling through a labyrinth of corridors – Marinette tries her best to at least commit some points of orientation to memory – and they listen for steps as they get closer to his room. Marinette’s heart is beating up to her throat. She can almost pretend she really is his secret girlfriend, her stomach doing flips as he tightly holds on to her hand, his smile sparkling and full of adoration.

She wonders if this is how Kagami must feel every time he looks at her.

It doesn’t take much longer until they hurry through the hallway leading to his room, and they slip in without being noticed. The moment the door closes behind them, Adrien lets go of her hand and releases a sigh, stretching his body before her. Marinette does her best not to stare. Instead, she tries to see if anything has changed about his room since the last time she was here. But his bed, carrying his scent, looks just as inviting as ever, and her attempts to push unwanted thoughts away is cut short when she feels Adrien’s eyes on her. She returns his look.

“Hungry?” he asks.

“Not really,” she mumbles, letting her backpack sink down. “Um, just – thank you again for doing this. It’s really … It’s not something I can take for granted.”

“I just want you to be safe. That’s all.” His soft smile almost makes her quiver. “Besides, I can’t wait to watch some cheesy movies with you.”

“Oh, me neither. So, what did you decide on?”

“Notting Hill. I want to see what’s so great about it.”

Marinette laughs out loud. “Oh, you’re in for a surprise. It’s great. A classic for a reason.” She hesitates for a moment, carefully moving through his room. Way too huge for one person alone. She wonders if he sometimes feels lonely in such a vast space. She definitely would. She sits down on his couch, stiffly and with her hands politely resting on her knees, and eyes the way too huge TV in front of her.

“I’ll show you your room later on, if that’s okay. It’s right next to mine anyway.” He is fiddling with his laptop, Marinette discovers when she looks over her shoulder. “The staff that lives here is in the other tract. Which means, plenty of empty rooms in this tract which are absolutely never occupied. In fact, you could even choose which one you’d like best.”

“Next to you sounds great.” Realizing what she is saying, Marinette presses her fingers against her kneecaps. “To your … room. Only your room, because, um, just, you know.”

“Easier to sneak back and forth. I get it.”

She doesn’t deserve him as a friend. Gosh, she really doesn’t. Alya would have never let her sneak out at night without wanting to know every tiniest detail, but Adrien just accepts it. Just like that. She somehow wishes she could just tell him the truth, or show him somehow how much she appreciates what he is doing.

She waits for him to join her, flopping down on the couch next to her with his laptop in his hands. When she looks at it questioningly, he shows a sheepish smile. “I disconnected it from the wi-fi. So my father can’t see what exactly I’m doing in the middle of the night. It’s why we’ll have to watch it on the laptop. Sorry, I know the screen is pretty small …”

Pretty small, he says. It’s anything but. It’s pretty clear that thing must have cost a fortune. So Marinette quickly waves him off. “Not a problem! Not a problem. It’s my preferred way to watch Netflix too. In my bed. In the evening. Before sleeping. You know, laptop, warm bed, it’s great. Can one-hundred percent recommend.”

Her babbling is even making her own skin crawl. But Adrien shows the same patient smile that seems to be just part of him, and he slides a bit closer to her. She bolts upright, pose becoming even stiffer.

“We’ll have to … You know, else we won’t be …” he starts to explain.

“Oh,” she returns. “Oh, yep. Totally.”

Because being that close to each other is absolutely not nerve-wracking. Because her heart doesn’t make a wild jump when their shoulders touch, and her hands don’t get clammy as she folds her legs on the couch. She doesn’t dare lean her head against him. Instead, she strictly looks at the laptop’s screen, faintly aware of his scent all around her.

This is more difficult than she imagined.

They start watching.

It’s dark outside, only the faintest lights illuminating the night. Adrien’s eyes are glued to the screen, and she just knew he would enjoy this movie from the first scene onwards. And not just because Anna Scott shares some certain similarities with him. Seeing him this invested warms her heart. They are only interrupted once by Nathalie knocking at the door, and even though Marinette gets so nervous she almost chokes, Adrien is right – all she has to do is hide in front of the sofa, and the exchange between Adrien and Nathalie only lasts some seconds before Adrien wishes her a good night. When Marinette sits down next to him again, she miscalculates a bit, her knees coming to rest on his thigh and their arms pressing against each other.

He doesn’t move away.

She doesn’t either.

William’s “surreal, but nice” comment has Adrien chuckling, and without really noticing it, Marinette relaxes into his warmth. Her cheek is on his shoulder, and his calming voice washes over her. “He’s so awkward.”

“It’s cute,” she returns. “Besides, who wouldn’t be awkward in front of Julia Roberts?”

“Cute, huh?” he repeats.

“Mm-hmm. Don’t tell me you don’t feel like Anna Scott from time to time.”

Adrien stays silent for a second. He leans into her, his cheek resting against her hair, the laptop balanced on their knees. “Can’t say a British guy ever poured coffee over me.”

She snorts. “You know what I mean.”

“The random autographs? Sometimes. It … can be kind of strange.”

She hums, closing her eyes for a second. Just one second. “I promise I won’t ever ask you for an autograph.”

“Too bad. I’d have gladly given you one.”

“Special privileges?” She snuggles closer to him, her eyes still closed, her limbs starting to feel way too heavy. He is warm and inviting, so comfortable she wants to sigh. “Just because I’m your friend? I should feel honored, huh?”

“Yeah.” His voice sounds just as tired as her own. “Just because of that.”

“After all, I’m your number one fan.”

“Are you?”

“Totally,” she whispers. “So much.”

“So much?”

“Yeah. Always have.”

“You always have been my number one fan?”

“That, too.”

Her words don’t even make sense to her anymore, and the quiet sound of the movie playing on lulls her to sleep at last.

“Adrien.”

He grumbles, snuggling into soft warmth.

“Adrien! Kiddo, come on!”

Something tickles his cheek, and he leans even closer, a pleasant smell surrounding him.

“Adrien! Akuma!”

Akuma.

Adrien forces himself to wake up. In front of him, Plagg is making a face. It takes him seconds to remember why he isn’t in his bed, but on the couch. Sometime in his state of being half-asleep, he managed to move the laptop away. Marinette is leaning into him, cheek against his chest and legs draped over his lap. Her breathing is even and deep, and his arm around her waist feels like it’s on fire.

He almost thinks the sudden hard beating of his heart could wake her up.

“Kiddo,” Plagg hisses again. “I know staring at Pigtails must be fun, but Tikki is gonna haul me over the coals if ya don’t get a grip soon.”

“Oh. Oh, sorry,” he whispers. He removes his arm from her, and she gives a discontented sound, pressing herself against him. He swallows down any feeling threatening to arise, and instead, he carefully slides his arms underneath her and picks her up. Her eyes don’t flutter open, but she knits her brows.

“Sorry, Marinette,” he whispers. “Gotta go for a second. Okay? No need to wake up. Just keep sleeping.”

She doesn’t answer. He lets her sink down to the couch again, and she curls into a ball right away, the frown slowly melting from her expression. He is still drowsy, and drunk on sleep, and seeing her face paint a picture of peacefulness, her breaths flowing over pink lips and her lashes resting against her cheeks is almost enough to –

Something hits his shoulder, and when Adrien turns his head, he finds Plagg glaring at him.

Right.

Just to make sure, he transforms in his bathroom. Marinette is still sleeping when he leaves through his window, though.

At least the adrenaline of leaping over rooftops can chase away some of the tiredness. His neck hurts a bit from the unnatural sleeping position. Still, the moon shines down on him as he discovers the mayhem taking place not far away from him. Some sort of black slime monster roaring out as it stomps through the streets, destroying anything in its way.

Oh joy.

Chat knows that Ladybug can’t be far away, so he isn’t surprised that she joins in as he is coming closer to the villain. “Fancy meeting you here in the middle of the night,” he quips, and she shoots him a tired look. A literally tired look. But that’s not news to him.

“I slept way too peacefully,” she returns. “Like a baby.”

“Nothing better than being wrenched out of peaceful sleep.”

“Totally,” she mumbles, until the roar of the monster draws all their attention to it. They exchange another long look, understanding blooming between them.

“Ready?” he asks.

“Ready,” she confirms.

Ladybug sighs heavily. Another slime monster. Somehow, Hawk Moth isn’t getting more creative. Not like he ever was in the first place, but still.

The akuma is purified, the streets are safe again, and she feels like she is swaying on the spot. Not that she should admit it to herself, but being next to Adrien allowed her to sleep even more peacefully than usual. Which isn’t concerning at all. Finding herself alone was odd, but only an advantage for her, and honestly?

All she wants to do right now is sleep. No thinking, no wondering, no akuma-fighting, only sleep.

“We seriously need to bring some coffee to our nightly meet-ups,” Ladybug mumbles, only then realizing what she just said. “Innocent meet-ups. That was not an innuendo.”

Chat Noir’s cat ears twitch. He yawns. “Innuendo? What innuendo?”

Okay, yep. He is just as out of it as she is.

The beeps of their Miraculouses resound through the night, and they look at each other. Chat Noir looks tired. Like he did for the past two weeks. Sometime in the future, Ladybug will have no choice but to seriously punch Hawk Moth right in the face for the struggles he is putting them through.

“Okay, kitty. Guess we gotta go.” She stifles another yawn. “Sleep tight. And a lot. Hope you can sleep a whole lot.”

“Same goes for you.” His grin is interrupted by a responding yawn. “See you, bug.”

They leave in different directions. All Ladybug can think about is her bed, warm and snuggly. Ready to welcome her with open arms. And blankets. And the promise of sweet, sweet sleep. It doesn’t take her long to arrive at her balcony, and when she de-transforms, Tikki tiredly floats down into her open palms.

“Marinette,” she mumbles. “Didn’t you forget about …”

“Macarons,” Marinette finishes for her as she climbs down to her bed, a stack of macarons sitting right on her nightstand. She lets Tikki sink down there and proceeds to slip under her blanket, snuggling into the sheets. “Never. I’d never forget. Night, Tikki.”

“No, I mean … Marinette?”

But she doesn’t answer anymore, her sheets too soft and oncoming blissfulness overwhelming her until she is fast asleep.

Marinette wasn’t on the couch. But Adrien didn’t think about it too much. Firstly, he was too tired to properly do so. Secondly, he was sure she’d be here again in the morning. No doubt about it.

When his alarm wakes him up in the morning, he realizes that he is still alone though.

Adrien’s drowsiness slowly falls off him. She brought her backpack. It’s still sitting right next to the couch, hidden from sight if someone should decide to enter the room. But Marinette isn’t here. Not in this room, at least. That’s nothing worrisome. Nothing to think too hard about. Plagg yawns, sitting on the nightstand.

“Do you think she left during the akuma attack?” Adrien asks.

Plagg hums, floating up. “No idea, kiddo. Probably.”

Right. The bathroom is empty, he discovers. Carefully saying her name bears no answer, and Plagg watches him with an odd expression.

A sudden ringing noise makes Adrien flinch. He needs a moment to realize it’s coming from her backpack, and after noticing it’s her alarm going off, he opens the backpack and reaches for her phone. Turns off the alarm. His hand is shaking a bit, and that’s just absurd. There is no reason to worry.

Marinette left in the middle of the night.

Marinette left.

“Her phone is here,” he whispers to no one in particular. His voice sounds strange to his own ears.

“Yeah, well,” Plagg returns, carefully sitting down on his shoulder. “Maybe she just forgot it here.”

“You don’t just forget your phone when you go out.”

“Pigtails can be kinda forgetful, though.”

But her phone is here. All her stuff is here. She wouldn’t just go out without her phone, would she? She wouldn’t just vanish like that. She wouldn’t just never turn up again. She wouldn’t just leave him alone like that. She can’t just be gone. One moment to the next – gone.

He needs to breathe, but there suddenly isn’t enough air in the room.

“Adrien,” Plagg’s voice reaches him. His words somehow seem unreal. “Breathe. Nothing happened. Pigtails is fine, I’m sure. Keep breathing, all right?”

An urge draws him to other rooms in the mansion. To turn them upside down to find her. To hide himself in a corner, to try not to be swallowed by the feeling closing over his throat.

“Let’s think about this logically. Maybe she didn’t manage to make it back here and had to sleep at her place again?”

Adrien keeps breathing. Her keys are next to where he found her phone, and when he points out as much to Plagg, the kwami seems to flinch for a second.

“Or she didn’t get in through her front door, but climbed up to her balcony.”

Adrien laughs. It sounds fragile and shaking. He thinks about calling Alya, but that wouldn’t have helped. He thinks about calling anyone, but no one comes to mind. His hands are icily cold when a sudden knock at his door makes him look up.

“Yes?”

The door is opened. For a moment, he allows himself to think that she will come back, all smiles and gentleness, all warmth and softness. That she was never gone in the first place. That she never abandoned him. But then, Nathalie steps in, giving him a bland look. “Good morning, Adrien. It’s already seven. Your breakfast is ready.”

“Can I …” He tries to control his voice, but it quivers nonetheless. “Can I have breakfast in my room today?”

Nathalie watches him for a few seconds. “Of course,” she eventually says, turning around and closing the door behind her.

Okay. Okay. He has to think. He has no idea where she could be. Maybe still in the mansion. Maybe she will just appear out of nowhere. Maybe nothing is wrong at all. Maybe she just used another bathroom, not wanting to invade his privacy by using his. Or – something. There must be an explanation.

Half an hour passed since he woke up. There is still no sign of her.

Nathalie brought his breakfast. It sits on his desk, untouched. His filled thermos can next to it. He feels like throwing up. With wildly shaking hands, he puts her phone in his own bag. Her keys, too. He can’t just take her whole backpack with him and hope she’ll turn up, but he can at least carry the most important stuff to school.

He’s crouching before the pink backpack. He forces down a sound from escaping him. He covers his eyes with his hands and breathes. Just breathes.

“I’m sure everything’s okay, kiddo,” Plagg tells him. “Don’t worry too much. Pigtails can handle herself.”

“I know she can,” he croaks.

“See? Trust me. She’ll be at school, rested and well. C’mon, still gotta get a move on.”

Plagg is right. Plagg must be right. She wouldn’t just leave like that. Wouldn’t vanish forever. She can’t. He knows he shouldn’t do it, but he still opens her backpack, discovering some of her schoolbooks. He carefully selects the ones she will need for today. Chemistry, and English, and what if she doesn’t turn up after all, what if she’s gone forever, and math, and he guesses she left her French workbook in her locker, because he mostly does the same when they have no homework.

His bag is heavy. It’s nothing compared to the feeling pooling in his stomach, making him want to throw up.

She’ll be there. He has to believe she’ll be there.

When Nathalie sends him a look, he forces a smile on his lips. When the Gorilla drives him to school, he sits on his shaking hands. When he arrives at the classroom, later than he has for the past week, Marinette isn’t sitting at her desk. Nino and Alya are already there, greeting him as he sinks into his seat.

“Huh, surprising,” Alya says, leaning over her desk to look at Adrien. “Not here with Marinette this time? Something happened?”

He’d like to know too. “No, nothing happened,” he returns, smile still perfectly in place. “I’m sure she’ll be here soon.”

She purses her lips. “Old habits die hard, huh? Was rather worrisome that she suddenly was so punctual.”

“Yeah, dude,” Nino joins in. “No joke. Thought something must be wrong.”

Adrien can’t concentrate on the conversation. His stomach is still in knots. He is shivering in sudden coldness. He can’t ask her parents about it. He has no idea where she goes to in the middle of the night. If she was to disappear for good – he would have no idea where to go looking for her.

She’d be gone. She’d be gone, just like that. Leaving him behind forever.

“Adrien? Bro?” Nino slides a bit closer, putting a hand on Adrien’s shoulder. The sudden gesture makes him jump. “You okay? Looking a bit pale there.”

“Yeah! Yeah. Everything’s fine.” His smile starts to feel painful on his face, but he keeps it up.

Nino’s look is long and pensive, but he doesn’t probe on. Adrien is glad.

The bell is about to ring. Still no sign of Marinette. Her empty seat looks lonely. Adrien tries to let nobody see how much his hands are shaking. He buries one of them in his hair, the feeling of iciness against his scalp bringing him back into reality.

What if Plagg isn’t right? What if she is in danger? What if she –

Marinette stumbles into the classroom.

His world stops for a moment. There she is, cheeks rosy and a shy laugh on her lips as Alya greets her exuberantly. There she is, her small handbag slung over her shoulder, hair in slight disarray. There she is, walking straight up to his desk, depositing a paper bag in front of him, sheepishly casting her eyes downwards.

“I, um,” she whispers, “I’m sorry. That’s – I know it isn’t much, but I brought you something. That’s why I’m so late, but – to make up for … Uh, you know.”

He can’t speak. He can just stare at her, early morning sun in her hair as she props both hands on his desk. Iciness evaporates into almost overwhelming warmth, into a relief that floods his veins with a severity that makes him shiver for a wholly new reason.

A second passes until she finally looks at him. “Adrien, you aren’t mad, are –”

“You’re okay,” he breathes.

She stares. He can’t pay any attention to the pairs of eyes directed at him. Not when Marinette came back, not a scratch marring her. Not when Marinette came back, the same glow as always filling her blue eyes. His heart is still thumping in his chest, but instead of slowly choking him, it starts to feel exhilarating.

“Oh,” she mumbles, and he isn’t sure what she means until she softly grabs his arm. “You … You want to talk? Outside? For a second?”

His thoughts are still swirling as he lets himself be led outside the classroom. He doesn’t protest while Marinette searches for an abandoned corner at the end of the hallway, and he can only keep staring at her as she looks around for prying eyes. She seems almost surreal, and when he touches her arm to make sure she is there, that he isn’t just dreaming this up, she winces and whirls her head back around to him.

“Adrien,” she starts, visibly swallowing. Dark rings underneath her eyes, and he resists the urge to softly rub his thumb over her cheek. “I’m – I didn’t make you worry, did I? I’m so sorry, I was out, and I forgot to … I was so tired that my brain seriously fell asleep, and I only realized that I wasn’t –”

“It’s okay,” he whispers, his smile hurting in the corners of his mouth. “You’re all right. That’s all that matters.”

Lips still parted, her eyes dart over his face. “I’m so sorry,” she breathes. “Please don’t cry.”

He didn’t notice the sting in his eyes. He didn’t notice how blurry his sight became. “I’m not crying,” he promises, voice breaking into pieces.

“I’m … Oh god, you must have been worried, I’m so …” The way she grabs his shoulders seems almost panicked, and her voice is still quiet, but high-pitched. “I can’t imagine what I would have … And I even forgot my phone, I’m so stupid, I’m so –”

“It’s okay,” he reassures her, trying to get the words out of his clenching throat.

“It’s not! I should have known – I can’t just …”

“Really, it’s okay.”

“I’m so dumb. So entirely – please say you’ll forgive me. I promise it won’t happen again, I really promise, just –”

He can’t talk anymore, feeling his heart explode with the shimmer of remorse in her eyes, and before she can go on, he wraps his arms around her and pulls her into an embrace. She’s warm and soft and smells of pure Marinette. He closes his eyes as he presses his cheek against her hair, one hand resting on the back of her head, and he feels her shiver before she returns the gesture.

She’s here, she’s in his arms, she’s real, and that is all that matters.

She apologizes again, burying her face in the crook of his neck. He feels all tension finally fall from him. The bell rings, but he doesn’t let go of her. Not until she starts rubbing his back gently, small little circles that slow down his breathing bit by bit.

“Just tell me you were safe,” he says quietly, listening to her shaking breath.

“I was. Really.”

“And that you’ll bring your phone with you next time you sneak out of the mansion.”

She pauses. Leans back until their eyes meet. “You’ll … you’ll let me spend the night at yours again?”

“Of course,” he returns without a second of hesitation. “If you want to, that is.”

She keeps looking at him. Smiles warmly. “Thank you, Adrien.”

When he smiles back this time, his body is filled with the same warmth she is showing him.

Marinette brought him a paper bag full of pink and green macarons, he discovers.

He can’t smother his smile at the finding.

During Ms. Bustier’s lesson, Adrien inconspicuously hands her back her phone. Then her books, waiting ten minutes between each one of them so nobody can get any funny ideas. Still, Nino leans towards him when the bell announces their break, and his voice is lowered to a whisper as he speaks.

“Dude. Better find a good explanation why you had Marinette’s phone with ya.”

Adrien rubs the back of his neck, smiling innocently. “She gave it to me earlier. Had a problem with an app.”

Nino looks at him long and hard. “Couldn’t figure out how to block someone on Twitter,” he corrects.

“Uh. That, um.”

“That’s something Alya would buy, at least.”

Adrien nods, feeling his cheeks turn hot. Then, making sure nobody is overhearing them, he comes even closer. “You know I would tell you if anything else was going on, right?”

Nino pats his shoulder several times. “You had her schoolbooks with ya.”

“She … she forgot them at mine. Because we were studying.”

A twitching grin on Nino’s lips. “Dude. Not even I am allowed to study at yours. Courtesy of Gabriel Agreste, father of the year.”

“Oh.” Adrien nods. “She forgot her books in the library.”

“Better.”

Adrien nods again. Freezes. “Not that I – not that I’m searching for excuses, it’s just –”

“Dude,” Nino whispers, brows dropping into an expression of seriousness Adrien isn’t used to from him at all. “I believe you. You know I do. Things just don’t seem to add up, and people around you are noticing. Maybe tone it down a bit if you don’t wanna give anyone a false impression, you know?”

“False impression, hm?” a voice joins in. “What kind of false impression are you trying to avoid, Adrien?”

Slowly, Adrien looks up, feeling himself blanch as his eyes meet Lila’s. She’s smiling, one hand propped on her hip and the other resting on the desk. He knows the look she is giving him, slyness hiding behind friendly nonchalance.

Her words echoed so loudly that almost everyone turns their head to look at him. Adrien swallows, withstanding Lila’s stare.

“Well, huh, maybe that he is two-timing that weird Tsurugi girl? But everyone and their dog knows that already, Rossi.” Chloé waves her off as she passes them by, tossing her hair back for good measure. “Whatever, Adrien. Your taste is lousy. Utterly lousy.”

“At least we know that he has a type now.” Alix shrugs, her grin falling a bit when Adrien sends her a disbelieving look. “Sorry, sorry. I guess that was just partly funny.”

Lila narrows her eyes in front of him, smile still in place. “Oh, right. I did see you sneakily giving Marinette her phone back. That’s odd.”

“That’s none of your business,” Marinette flares up behind him, standing up as her glare turns icy. “In fact, it’s none of anyone’s business.”

Lila holds up her hands defensively. “Sorry! Sorry. Just making an innocent observation. I should have known how sensitive you are about that stuff, Marinette. Forgive me.”

Juleka gives Marinette a long look as she passes her by. There’s something reproachful to it, something that seems to make Marinette flinch.

“Lila, dude,” Nino tries. “Maybe not stir up even more trouble? If ya don’t mind?”

Her narrowed eyes slide to Nino. “I apologize. But maybe we should give Adrien a chance to clear things up for good and announce what is really going on. Before even more rumors start to spread, you know?”

Marinette’s stomps are hard and unforgiving as she comes to a halt next to Adrien’s desk. “Very nice of you to care that much, but it isn’t necessary.”

“Nothing is going on, Lila,” Adrien eventually speaks up, a hand on his neck. “Kagami and I are dating. Marinette is my friend. That’s it.”

Lila’s eyes light up. He doesn’t buy the hint of well-meaning delight in there. “Dating! So, she is your girlfriend? Again?”

“Well … We’re just dating for now.”

There’s something strange to Lila’s smile. But before she can respond, Alya jumps into the conversation, arms crossed as she stops next to Lila. “Sorry, you two. But Lila is right. Whatever you’re doing, it looks suspicious as hell. Coming out with the truth would be a great first step.”

“That is the whole truth,” Adrien replies.

“Oh, yeah, is it?” At least Alya doesn’t bother hiding her anger behind dishonest smiles. “Because it’s so common for friends to mysteriously leave their phones with each other. Their phones. Their freaking phones! Did you two really think people wouldn’t question this?”

Adrien winces. “She had trouble with her Twitter account.”

“Instagram,” Marinette corrects quickly. “Because, um, as Alya knows, I don’t have a Twitter account.”

Next to him, Nino places a hand on his forehead.

“Oh! Really! She had trouble with her Twitter account!” Alya smiles for a second, dropping the expression right away. “And my favorite meal is raw frogs. What the hell is it with you and all your stupid secrets lately? I know I told you I wouldn’t snoop, but this is just getting ridiculous. What’s next? Marinette turns up wearing Adrien’s shirt, and we all pretend that oh, totally normal, nothing to question here?”

Nino rubs his forehead. “Alya, maybe we shouldn’t discuss this while the whole class is clearly listenin’ in?”

At that, several heads quickly turn away, eyes latching onto phones and casual conversations arising out of nowhere. Adrien works his jaw. Then, with a sigh, he stands up. Lila’s eyes flash with interest, and the sight alone almost makes his blood boil.

“Thank you for your concern, Lila. But there’s nothing to clear up.”

Lila’s eyes narrow a bit more as her smile broadens. “You’re very welcome, Adrien.” With that, she shoots one last look at Marinette and leaves the classroom. Still, Alya keeps staring at him with her arms still crossed, and Adrien can’t bring himself to return her look for more than a second.

“You’re hiding something,” she grits out.

“And they don’t have to tell us anything they don’t wanna tell us,” Nino tosses in.

“Really, Nino. Really. You’re perfectly fine with your best friend, who should trust you with absolutely anything, doing something behind your back and having the audacity to lie straight to your face while he’s at it?”

Adrien almost winces, but Nino’s expression stays calm. “I trust them.”

Alya already seems ready to give him a sharp answer, but Marinette beats her to it, stepping up to her hastily. “Okay, I admit it, there’s something else he had to do with my phone,” she says as she drags Alya along. Sending a look over her shoulder, she mouths a “sorry” at Adrien before scampering on. “Just tell me you won’t laugh, okay?”

Alya huffs, never uncrossing her arms. She follows Marinette though, prompting her to continue with a stern look. Marinette’s following words are lost to Adrien as they exit the classroom, and Nino sends him a glance while emitting a sigh.

“Can’t believe I’m saying this, but better find a solution soon, bro,” he says. “Because Lila is kinda right.”

Adrien can’t disagree.

Friday classes end at noon. Adrien needs a bit longer at his locker than he usually does, searching for his English book and finding it hidden underneath several other books, and Nino has already said his goodbyes when Adrien throws the locker door shut. When he turns, he almost runs into someone.

A high-pitched squeak. A moment of confusion. Then Adrien manages to grab the flailing hand in front of him, and he pulls Marinette back before she can stumble to the floor.

“Sorry!” she says.

“No, sorry, I didn’t expect you to –”

“Oh, yeah, I should have –”

They both shut up again. His fingers are still around her wrist. He looks at her small hand, and in an impulse that brings heat to his neck, he quickly lets go again. They seem to be the last ones here, and Marinette fidgets before him, biting her lip.

“I just … Um. Just to get our stories straight, I told Alya that …” She shrugs several times. “I told her I got your phone numbers confused. You know, the one that lands you directly at your dad’s assistant and your own one, and I needed you to quickly sort them out, so I gave you my phone during first period, and I know it’s totally stupid, but it’s the only excuse that really made amends – I mean, sense, so …”

He holds back a laugh. Then he holds back a sigh. “It is a bad excuse.”

“I know.” She casts her eyes down, shoulders hunched. “God, Adrien, I’m so sorry. I’m messing everything up. I shouldn’t – I just …”

“I told you I want to help you.”

“Yeah,” she whispers. “But at what cost?”

That’s a good question. But he can still remember the tears streaming down her face as she fell asleep in Chat Noir’s arms, the unsaid desperation lingering in the air, and even if he doesn’t know what exactly makes her leave in the middle of the night – time and time again –  he’s the only one who can really help her. Even if just the tiniest bit.

Because helping Marinette is worth any stupid rumor.

“I bet you,” she continues, shuffling her foot over the floor, “that Lila took that photo. She’s trying to stir up trouble.”

Adrien contemplates. “By telling people I’m dating you?”

She winces, still not looking at him. “I don’t know … Well, or maybe you’re right. That doesn’t make much sense. It almost seems like …” She falls quiet again, and he continues in her stead.

“It seems like whoever is spreading these rumors is having a vendetta against either Kagami or me, not you.”

Finally, Marinette looks at him. All fluster seems to have evaporated, leaving an expression of determined scrutiny. It’s a look that’s a bit unfamiliar on her, but nonetheless, Adrien can’t look away from it.

“Yeah,” she replies. “It really does. As if someone was trying to expose you, or warn Kagami about you.” She blushes. “Not that it’s warranted in any way …”

“Knowing Lila, I wouldn’t put it past her.”

Marinette holds his eyes, brows furrowing slightly. “Really? She, um, does like you quite a bit, doesn’t she?”

He shows a tired smile. “We had some talks here and there. Let’s just say I don’t agree with her actions, and she noticed.”

Marinette nods slowly. “I get that,” she drawls. “But I just can’t imagine her going against you like that. You would have had to really piss her off.”

“Maybe I did.” He sighs. “But maybe people will forget all about it over the weekend. Rumors have an expiration date, after all.”

“Well, I hope so.” Marinette’s expression softens. “And I hope Kagami knows how dumb these rumors are. The last thing I want to do is hurt her.”

“Me too.” He gently lays a hand on her shoulder, guiding her as they approach the exit. “I’m sure it will be all right, though. Nothing much to worry about.”

“Yeah … They’ll forget all about it by Monday.”

“They will. I’m sure they will.” He grins. “And until then, I’ll enjoy the macarons you brought me.”

Groaning, she leans her head back. “It’s not nearly enough to make up for the troubles I’m putting you through – and it’s not even passion fruit, so …”

He pauses. Regards her. “Passion fruit?”

“Uh, yeah? Your … your favorite?” A side glance at him before Marinette quickly looks away again, turning red to the tips of her ears.

When did he ever tell her that? How did she even memorize such a trivial detail? He quickly withdraws his hand from her again, feeling his own cheeks turn hot. That’s just stupid. There’s no reason to be flustered because of something so minor.

“Yeah,” he mutters. “I really like passion fruit.”

“See? Knew it.” Her voice is small and sounds just as sheepish as his own.

He doesn’t think too much about it. It wouldn’t have been of any use anyway.

Chapter Text

“Good morning, Adrien.”

He almost drops his spoon. Catching it between his fingers again, Adrien stares at the person having entered the room. Gabriel himself, sitting down across from him as if nothing is wrong at all. As if Adrien hasn’t seen him even once in the past three weeks. He’s speechless for so long that the clicking of Nathalie’s shoes against tiles doesn’t really reach him, and Gabriel sends him a stern look as he adjusts his tie. It takes Adrien a few more seconds to finally give a response.

“Good morning, father. It – sorry, but it kind of seemed like you haven’t found the time for breakfast lately.”

“Yes. I had a very important project to deal with. One the company couldn’t afford to botch up.” Gabriel nods as Nathalie places his tray before him. She always looks pretty much nonchalant, but this time, Adrien can clearly see the ghost of relief flashing over her face. “Now that everything should be settled, I can attempt to find a proper sleep schedule again.”

Adrien nods slowly. He thinks he can see dark rings underneath Gabriel’s eyes. “Congratulations on finishing your project.”

“Congratulations are unnecessary. It was a hard job I was equipped to deal with.” Gabriel’s icy stare is directed at Adrien for a moment. “I must admit I have missed quite a lot these past weeks. Give me a short report.”

Adrien feels oddly reminded of an exam he desperately wants to pass. Even a helpless glance at Nathalie doesn’t help much. At least she doesn’t blurt out that Adrien was abusing caffeine pills, and that coffee seemed to have turned into a part of his bloodstream. So he swallows gently, all appetite gone as he digs his spoon into porridge. “Nothing much happened. I passed an exam in English, and there was a group project in Biology. We also passed.”

“Grades?”

“A and B.”

Gabriel nods, eating his porridge with an elegance Adrien has no idea how to imitate. “What exactly warranted a B?”

Adrien frowns. Shrugs. “We tried our best, but –”

“I assume one of your classmates was at fault, then.”

Adrien’s frown deepens. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask. Maybe they weren’t.” He lets his spoon land in his porridge for good. “Maybe it was entirely my fault we got a B.”

Gabriel looks up from his breakfast. He still seems exhausted, Adrien finds. A veil of tiredness clouds blue eyes, but it doesn’t stop Adrien from glaring for seconds on end. Eventually, Gabriel shows a half-amused smile and focuses on his breakfast once again.

“I see that my relative absence has done you no good. Nathalie seems to have handled you too laxly, I assume.”

Nathalie doesn’t flinch, voice calm as she responds. “My daily reports should have covered any salience, sir. In my estimation, I don’t see any need to worry.”

Adrien does his best not to send Nathalie a grateful look. Instead, he pushes himself away from the table and stands up. “I’m not hungry. I’ll get going.”

Gabriel glances at Adrien’s almost untouched food, then at him. “I have only just arrived. Sit down, please.”

“But school is –”

“Sit down, please,” Gabriel repeats, more sharply this time.

Adrien sets his jaw. Slowly sits down again, pose stiff and hands caught between his knees. He knows that on Mondays, Marinette isn’t too early, but still. He’d rather be anywhere than here right now, the icy atmosphere making his skin crawl.

“If your urge for rebellion stems from my absence,” Gabriel says calmly, stoically, “then I would like to apologize.”

Leave it to his father to pack a subtle rebuke into any apology he offers. Adrien shrugs. “I’m not rebelling, but thank you.”

A scrutinizing look. Then Gabriel turns to his food once again.

Something is wrong, Adrien discovers as he enters the school. Eyes are following him everywhere, people are talking with hushed voices, and he knows what that means. They’re talking about him. They’re probably talking about Marinette and him.

He suddenly feels so tired that all his limbs become heavy, but he keeps going.

Nino greets him with a strange look, and as Adrien sits down next to him, he notices his classmates sending him tiny glances. He almost wants to sigh. Still, he waits until Nino rubs his forehead and shows him his phone, the photo displayed on the screen.

Of course. Someone took a photo of them on Friday, the moment Adrien hugged Marinette so tightly nothing remained but the feeling of her in his arms. It seems like an intimate moment, the way he has closed his eyes, the way his hand rests in her hair. It could be misinterpreted, sure. Adrien drags a hand over his face, eventually meeting Nino’s eyes.

“This is just ridiculous,” Adrien says.

“It really is becoming ridiculous, dude.” Nino sighs. “Whoever sent this added that the two of you talked ’bout missing each other so much. Seems like someone wants to push a narrative.”

“A narrative,” Alya joins in, one hand on the desk in front of them, “or the truth?”

Adrien doesn’t even have it in him anymore to react with irritation. “I don’t know how many times I’ve got to tell you this, Alya –”

“I know.” She rolls her eyes. “See, that’s the thing. I had a whole weekend to analyze this disaster. I know that you both are touchy-feely people, so the constant cute hugging shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. I also know that you have at least some morals, sunshine. If you were dating Marinette, you would have told Kagami by now.” She arches her eyebrows. “What I can’t pin down yet is your need to lie through your teeth. I won’t forget that phone incident, Agreste.”

At that, he gives her a dry smile. “Of course you won’t.”

The bell is just about to ring when Marinette enters the classroom. In a matter of seconds, all conversations die down, several pairs of eyes following her movements. She seems to notice, her steps becoming a bit insecure as she slowly approaches Adrien, and eventually, she shoots Alya a questioning look. “Do I have something on my face?”

“Could as well have tattooed ‘I’m secretly dating Adrien Agreste’ on your forehead,” Alya mumbles as an answer, showing her the same photo Nino showed Adrien. In an instant, Marinette blanches, and her eyes snap up to meet Adrien’s. His smile is still in place, but it drops a bit at her poleaxed expression.

“They didn’t forget over the weekend, huh?” she whispers.

“Guess they didn’t,” he returns.

She gulps. Looks down at her hands. “We need a battle plan. Something –”

“Don’t you all have something better to do than stare at us like some idiots?” Alya suddenly interrupts her, voice echoing through the classroom.

Instantly, heads turn away, one after the other. The only pair of eyes still on them is Chloé’s, a sneer on her lips. “I don’t get it either, Césaire. Your double date plans are utterly lame anyway. Why would people even want to listen in on them?”

“And who asked you again?” Alya returns sharply.

“Whatever,” Chloé drawls, waving her off.

Adrien sighs and lowers his voice even further. “Maybe we can just wait it out. Rumors can’t persist forever.”

“Bro,” Nino mumbles. “And when at the end of the day, someone decides to post all those rumors on Twitter, and the news hit the tabloids? There ya go. Your old man won’t be too happy.”

He isn’t wrong.

Marinette bites her lip, staring at the floor. She looks guilt-ridden, and tired, and Adrien is just about to calm her down when the shrill ringing of the bell cuts him off. Still, their eyes meet for a moment, and the apology in her irises is clear as day.

Lunch break is even worse than the start of the day. Eyes seem to follow them everywhere. Next to him, Marinette stumbles over every other step she takes, all the attention clearly making her nervous. Dread collects in Adrien’s stomach. The whole school seems to be talking about them, and it’s almost infuriating how they really don’t have anything better to do than speculating about three random people’s dating lives. He has no idea what Kagami must be thinking. She said she trusts him, but he wouldn’t blame her for being irritated in the face of everything that is happening.

She isn’t sitting at their usual table. In fact, she is nowhere to be seen.

It’s almost relieving, but really, it’s not. So, as Marinette and he pick up their trays, he lets his eyes wander over the dining hall one last time.

“I didn’t see her either,” Marinette seems to read his thoughts. “She didn’t text any of us. I hope that … Well, you know.”

Adrien nods. Tries to smile at her. “I’m sure it will be all right.”

“No, it’s not,” she returns lowly. “Everything is a mess. People just keep talking, and … There must be a solution, right?”

He thanks the bored-looking lady as he receives his food. “Maybe we shouldn’t let all the talk get to us.”

“Or maybe Nino is right, and reporters will love to gossip as much as they can about you.”

“My father can take care of that.” It sounded more bitter than he intended, and Marinette sends him a look.

“And I don’t want to mess up your life even more. There must be something else I can do.”

“We can do,” he corrects. “I hate to say this, but if Lila is the one spreading those rumors …”

“Then we have to talk to her?” Marinette suggests, gritting her teeth. “I thought so too. Alya and Nino wouldn’t be too happy with us blaming Lila, though.”

One last piece of chocolate cake. One the best cakes the cafeteria has to offer, and one of the few ones that are very much edible too. Adrien glances at it. Marinette seems to hesitate. Before she can say something, he puts the plate on her tray and takes another piece of weird pudding cake for himself.

“I know,” he continues their conversation. “Lila is pretty talented at making herself seem as innocent as possible.”

“We can share.”

He sends her a questioning look.

“The cake. You didn’t have to … Well.” Clearing her throat, she gives away her food ticket and heads for their table. “Anyway, I’ll try talking to her. Even if she hates my guts.”

“No, I will.” Adrien takes a deep breath. “She might listen to me. Somehow.”

“I don’t want to cause you even more troubles.”

“You aren’t causing me any more troubles. Don’t worry.”

They look at each other. Worry shines in Marinette’s eyes. It’s cute, somehow. And unnecessary. So he smiles at her softly.

“I want to help you. That’s all.”

She returns his smile only hesitantly. “And I have no idea how to pay you back.”

“By being my friend. That’s all I ask.” A grin builds on his lips. Before she can answer, he turns away, heading for the other end of the hall. “Tell the others I’ll see them later on, please.”

“W-wait,” she splutters. “You want to talk to her right now?”

“Sure.” He shrugs. “The sooner, the better.”

She presses her lips into a thin line. Then she nods curtly. “Okay. If you need any saving, call me. I’ll be there in five seconds to kick her butt.”

He has to laugh. “Thank you, my personal bodyguard.”

“Anytime.” She clenches her hand to a fist and raises it before returning his grin and sauntering on. He snorts quietly as he looks after her. Honestly, she does have some muscles. Enough so to probably really be able to kick Lila’s butt. Well-formed legs and a toned stomach, and even –

He clears his throat and looks away.

Lila is sitting at the other end of the hall, surrounded by some of their classmates. As he comes closer, their eyes fall upon him. Lila smiles, tilting her head and propping it on her hand, and he eventually comes to a halt in front of the table.

“Hi, Lila,” he says, trying not to be affected by the looks he is given. “Sorry, but could we talk for a minute?”

Lila’s smile broadens. “Sure.”

When none of the others moves, Adrien sends Max, Ivan, and Mylène stiff smiles. “Alone?” he adds.

“Oh,” Mylène says, and nods sheepishly. “Of course! Of course.”

It needs some more time until all three of them have moved away, and Adrien sits down close to Lila. Not too close either, because something about her proximity just makes his skin crawl. She takes another bite of her apple, arching an expectant eyebrow at him.

He came here with no plan. Really, he’s too tired to think of anything. All of this is exhausting beyond belief, and he doesn’t have it in him to hold back on the truth.

“You’re behind the photos.”

Lila keeps chewing, eyebrows still arched. Adrien waits, unable to properly touch his food.

“You’re accusing me of starting those rumors?” she eventually returns, her face becoming a mask of shock. “I can’t believe it, Adrien! I would never do such a thing!”

He sighs tiredly. “Look, Lila. I don’t know what exactly you wanted to accomplish –”

“Really. It wasn’t me.”

She dropped her faux surprise again, instead falling back into the slight wariness Adrien began to notice on her. She seems genuine, but then again, the truth has never been her closest friend. So he frowns.

“It wasn’t you.”

“Cross my heart and all that jazz.” The corner of her mouth twitches. “What do you think I would have gained?”

“I don’t know. The thrill and joy of getting back at me?”

A sharp, shrill laugh that hurts his ears. Lila crosses her legs, a grin tugging at her lips. “Why would I want to get back at you, Adrien?”

“I think,” he responds slowly, “you’re still mad at me over the Marinette incident.”

“I’m not mad. That was, what, over half a year ago?” She takes another bite of her apple. Chews much faster this time. “And even if I was, I would never try to get back at you. I’d want to talk it out. You know, communication is very important.”

He keeps looking at her tiredly. It takes him some more time to coerce himself into sliding closer. He doesn’t think anyone is listening in on their quiet conversation, but you never know. “What do you want?”

“What do you mean, what do I want?” Her smile is still in place. “Adrien, I told you. It wasn’t me. I don’t know who is spreading those rumors.”

He stares at her. Tries to read any lie from her eyes. It’s not as easy, though. No wonder she managed to wrap everyone around her little finger. It didn’t bother him as long as nobody got hurt; but he isn’t the only one stuck in this stupid mess of gossip. Kagami is getting hurt with every second this is going on.

But Lila’s face gives away nothing, and eventually, she rolls her eyes.

“Okay, you don’t believe me. I get that. Then, as a gesture of goodwill, I’ll give you a tip.” She lays a hand over his, and he resists the urge to shy away. “Stay away from Marinette.”

He blinks heavily. “That was your goal? Getting me away from Marinette?”

“No, gosh.” She squeezes his hand. His fingers cramp, but he still doesn’t withdraw them. “Look. People love to talk. They love to feel like they’re putting pieces together, and they will do anything they can to prove themselves right. See, the puzzle pieces you two are giving them … They seem very conclusive.” She shrugs, finally drawing back her hand again. “Not difficult to figure out at all. Take away the chance for people to connect anything, and there you go, no rumors anymore.”

Adrien drums the tips of his fingers against the table. “She’s my friend. I can’t just start avoiding her.”

“Only for a while! Only that.” Lila narrows her eyes a bit, still smiling. “That, or you make things between Kagami and you official. Let people see that you’re devoted to her.”

It seems reasonable. But still, it’s Lila he is talking to. So he can’t help but feel doubt bloom in his chest. Before he can think of an answer, Lila leans against the table, her smile softening a bit.

“You’re wondering why I would help you at all, huh.”

He sighs. “Sorry, but –”

“Because I want to. You are my friend, Adrien.” She taps her finger against her cheek. “And you know what? As your friend, I will try to find whoever is responsible for that photo.”

A bad feeling takes hold of him. “Lila, you really don’t have to.”

“Oh, I know I don’t have to. I just want to.”

“No, I mean –”

“You know what the problem is with lying too much?” Her voice drops to a whisper, and she leans so close he can count every single one of her eyelashes. “If you’re a good liar, you’ve got to deal with a whole other life you created for yourself. If you’re a bad liar, that life will collapse around you sooner than you can say, ‘I know there’s something going on between you and Marinette.’ Guess which category you fall into.”

She flashes him a brilliant smile, and then she grabs her tray and leaves.

Dumbfounded, he stares after her.

Even in the changing room, people look at him funnily. Adrien doesn’t care. People have always looked at him, at ads and magazines and interviews. They have looked at him in any way imaginable, even ones that made him less than comfortable. He doesn’t care what people think about him. (Only his father does.) But he cares what Marinette feels, and how hurt Kagami must be.

Rumors are just mere words, but mere words can be painful nonetheless.

Kagami didn’t reply to his texts. But he knew there’s no way she would skip fencing practice just to avoid him. So when he sees her on one of the mats, helmet hiding her entire expression, he feels his heart tumble. He comes closer hastily. “Kagami –”

She lifts her fencing sword with a velocity that makes the blade sizzle through the air. The tip is pointed at him. She doesn’t say a word, but her silence demands enough. Setting his jaw, he puts on his own helmet and gets into a fighting stance.

A nod, some seconds of waiting, and she attacks.

Her movements say more than a thousand words. The disappointment in fierce attacks hurts more than any point she scores. The way she shoots forward with no hesitation, burying him under the vehemence of her motions, almost makes him dizzy. Adrien has seldomly seen her fight like this. When her mother hurt her in a way that was left unsaid; when she failed her own expectations, but couldn’t put it into words. She is honest when she punishes her opponent as much as she punishes herself, and it’s no wonder she wins round after round until Adrien has to give up, the heat underneath the helmet becoming too much.

“Kagami,” he tries again, taking off his helmet. “Can we –”

Before he can continue, she brushes past him with fierce steps.

He stares after her for a long second. He gulps. Then, guilt racing through his veins, he follows her.

“Kagami, just give me a second to explain.” He tries to keep his voice low, feeling eyes following them as Kagami stomps on. “Please? Or just – just tell me to get lost, I’ll accept it, but please talk to me, at least?”

She vanishes into the girls’ changing room.

Helplessly, Adrien comes to a stop before the door. A look over his shoulder tells him that Mr. D’Argencourt is occupied with another student, and Adrien swallows thickly before grabbing the doorhandle, carefully peeking into the room. No one seems to be in there except for Kagami, sitting on a bench with her helmet off and her head hanging low.

Before anyone can hold him back, he slips into the changing room. “Kagami,” he tries again. “If this is about –”

“Be honest with me, Adrien,” she spits back, not looking at him. “Do you or do you not have feelings for her?”

Her pain is so palpable that it stings in his own heart, and he carefully comes closer, crouching down in front of her to catch her eyes. She adamantly looks away.

“I don’t. She’s my friend, and I don’t have any romantic feelings for her. I will tell you as many times as you need to hear it.”

Kagami takes a breath. Another one. Her eyes slide back to him, and he almost wants to wince as they meet his. “Naivety is the brother of foolishness. My heart wants to believe you, but my head cannot.”

“It’s just stupid gossip. I swear it is.” He thinks about taking her hands into his, but decides otherwise. “I bet you had to deal with gossip before, too. People love to talk. That’s all there is to it.”

Kagami keeps looking at him, expression carefully blank. “Is the reason you wanted to take things slow Marinette? Are you waiting for the right moment to break things off with her?”

“What? No. There is nothing to break off.”

“Was she the other girl? When you broke up with me. Was Marinette the other girl?”

There’s a vulnerability to her voice that makes Adrien shiver. She seems composed, but her voice gives away her true emotions, and for a moment, all he can do is stare.

“No,” he whispers. “It wasn’t Marinette.”

Kagami doesn’t move. “If you would be sure of me, you wouldn’t need weeks to make your decision. Because this is what happened the first time. Another girl clouded your judgement, and it took you a month to realize she was more fit to be your partner than I am.” She sets her jaw. “I didn’t have a chance to fight for you back then. I don’t have a chance to fight for you now.”

“You don’t need to fight for me.”

“I clearly do. Or else you wouldn’t hesitate like you do.”

He can’t hold on any longer. He gently takes her hands into his. She doesn’t pull them away, doesn’t make a face as he lets his thumbs wander over knuckles.

“The reason I want to take it slow,” he explains, “is to not hurt you. I was unsure of my feelings the first time around. I was sure it would go away on its own, but it didn’t. And you noticed. So this time, I wanted to do it right. Be sure I could give you my all, and nothing less.”

“But you can’t,” she returns, voice steady. “You can’t give me your all.”

“I … There are just some things I still need to figure out, some feelings I have to take care of, and …”

She scoffs. Draws away her hands. “Repeating past mistakes is the mark of a fool. And yet here I am. Adrien, you are making me feel like a moron.”

He can’t keep the distress out of his voice. “You are not a moron. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for needing time, it’s just –”

“Please leave. I need some time to think.”

Coldness clings to her words. Adrien trembles. Then, with a sigh, he stands up. Her eyes don’t leave his. The air between them becomes heavy.

“I do have feelings for you, Kagami,” he tells her. “I do. I hope you can believe me.”

She doesn’t answer. He sends her one last tiny smile, and then he leaves the changing room.

He is distracted during the whole training. So much so that he loses every single match. Kagami reappears after a while, but she makes sure to stay as far away from him as possible. He can’t really blame her. It hurts, but if he was in her position, he wouldn’t know what to think either.

God, he feels horrible about it. So horrible that after practice, he can barely bring himself to look at his phone. Kagami must have left already, so there’s no point in waiting for her. His heart makes a jump when he sees a text message from her, though.

I want to apologize, Adrien. My impatience is getting the better of me. I want you to give me your all too, and if that takes time, I will have to respect it.

He stares at the message. He smiles.

P.S. Yes, I have dealt with rumors before. And yes, I don’t pay them much mind.

He texts her back, promising to see her tomorrow, and leaves the changing room.

Marinette’s heart beats wildly as she sneaks through corridors. For a long moment, she fears that she will get lost in the maze that is Adrien’s home. But the memory of her hand in his is still fresh, and the steps they took sit in her mind until she arrives at the floor where Adrien’s room should be situated. It doesn’t take her long to find the door.

She knocks.

She has no idea what to say if someone was to catch her red-handed. She was just in the area coincidentally and decided to drop by? Through an open window? She swears she isn’t a burglar? This is not a secret meet-up, ha, that’d be absurd? And also –

The door opens.

For a moment, Adrien just looks at her, and she looks back, and it takes her way too long to smile giddily. “I didn’t get lost,” she announces.

“I can see that.” He returns her smile just as brightly and ushers her in. “Believe me, it took me years to memorize the mansion’s layout.”

“And now you know every nook and cranny?” She puts her backpack down in front of the couch. “Almost seems like you grew up here, huh?”

“Woah. That’d be news to me.”

She can’t stop smiling. The weekend left her well-rested, the evening sun warms her up, and her whole body tingles when Adrien flops down on the couch, patting the space next to him. She follows his silent suggestion. They are close. Maybe even a bit too close. Because she remembers the troubles she is causing him, and her smile slowly falls from her face. But of course, he beats her to it before she can bring out a word.

“So, I talked to Lila.”

“And you didn’t even need your bodyguard, huh,” she quips, fiddling with her fingers.

“Surprisingly enough, I didn’t.” A pause. “She said it wasn’t her.”

“Yeah. Of course.”

“I … I think I believe her.”

Marinette lets her hands sink down. Looks at him. “What?”

“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling.” He shrugs, eyes cast downwards. “She said she wants to find the culprit too.”

“Right,” Marinette drawls. “Detective Lila. What’s next? She wants to donate some money to an orphanage?”

Adrien sighs heavily, but still doesn’t look at her. “Well. She did give me some advice.”

“Date her so you bury any rumor with ease?” Marinette scoffs.

Slowly, he lifts his head to look at her again. She immediately shrinks under his stare. “To avoid you at school until the rumors die down.”

She stares back, hands pressed between her knees. She frowns. Forces herself to think about it. Avoiding Adrien was the one thing she didn’t want to do. The one thing she wanted to prevent. But it’s her fault anyway. It’s her fault that they have to search for a solution, and it’s more than unfair that she dragged Adrien into this too.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” she eventually whispers. “But I think Lila is right.”

Something about Adrien’s smile is way too resigned. “We don’t know how much time this could take. Maybe they won’t stop talking for weeks.”

“That’s true.”

“I don’t want to avoid you for weeks.”

She swallows. Searches his eyes. “I don’t want to avoid you for weeks either.”

The urge to touch him becomes overwhelming. To find reassurance in his warmth. She presses her knees harder against the back of her hands.

“But I think it’s sound advice,” she whispers. “And we could still …” She gestures around her, not finding the proper words. His smile is wavering and small.

“Watch cheesy romcoms together and fall asleep while we’re at it?”

“Exactly.”

They smile at each other. Look away again. Her smile falters. The thought of not being able to talk to him in school already makes her chest clench painfully. Romantic feelings or not, he’s still one of her closest friends. She can’t imagine being unable to talk to him all of a sudden.

But really, it is her own fault, and she’ll have to live with that.

“Okay,” she mumbles. Drags her hands over her face. “Okay. Avoiding, then. We can try. Is talking with Alya and Nino allowed?”

“I guess,” he returns. “Just no alone time, maybe?”

“No alone time. We can do that. Easy as pie.” Her voice almost cracks.

“And in the meantime, I could try to find out who really is behind all of this. With Lila’s help, I guess.”

“Detective Adrien and his assistant Lila?” she jokes. It sounds weak and unamused even in her own ears. “Oh boy. That’s something. Please be on your guard around her.”

“Yeah. I’d rather have you as my assistant anyway.”

“Don’t say that.” She laughs quietly. “You think we’d make a good team?”

“Absolutely.”

She thinks so too. She doesn’t say it out loud.

It’s already nighttime when Adrien shows her the guest room. The moment she steps into it, she is flabbergasted. That’s not a guest room. That’s a whole freaking suite packed in modern furniture and decorated tastefully. With a gigantic bed, and a gigantic TV, and she feels so out of place that Adrien has to gently push her on to make her move.

“It’s a bit, um, presumptuous,” he admits.

“It’s a bit much,” she mumbles. “I think I’d rather sleep on your couch. Or on your floor. Or on your stairs.”

He snorts. “Yeah, sure. But if anything here isn’t to your liking …”

“Are you crazy? That’s not a guest room, it’s art!”

He laughs for real. “Then have fun spending the night surrounded by art.”

“Thank you. It will be strange, but manageable.” She looks around some more. “Um, so, how do you open the windows?”

At that, Adrien turns to rummage through some drawers, eventually pulling out a remote and putting it into Marinette’s hand. “There,” he says, guiding her finger to one of the buttons. His hand above hers, and a shudder goes through her until he presses her finger down. Something rattles loudly, and when Marinette looks up, one of the windows is opening on its own.

“The wonders of technology,” she whispers.

“Fascinating, huh?”

She turns her head. Notices that he isn’t looking at the window, but at her, his smile soft. Her heart is beating fast and hard.

“Yeah,” she returns quietly.

Marinette has her very own bathroom, she discovers, and she hopes to god no one will question why it looks like someone used it when no one is supposed to be there. As she brushes her teeth, she looks into the mirror. Her cheeks are still a bit rosy.

“Maybe that was a bad idea,” she brings out through the toothpaste coating her tongue.

“If you remember not to go home, but return to the mansion, you should be fine.” Tikki sighs. “You were asleep so fast I couldn’t do anything.”

“Sorry.” Marinette looks at her kwami through the mirror. “I was tired.”

“I noticed.”

“And dumb.”

“You weren’t dumb. This whole situation is just … anything but ideal.”

“You can say that again.” She spits out the toothpaste and rinses her mouth. “Maybe Hawk Moth magically stopped his attacks, who knows? There was no attack on Sunday, at least.”

“One can hope,” says Tikki.

They decide to keep watching Notting Hill on his couch. Marinette feels oddly exposed in her PJs as she returns to Adrien’s room, the pitter-patter of her careful steps echoing through silence. He is already sitting on the couch, leaning his head back as she closes the door, a smile stretched over his lips. “No falling asleep this time,” he says.

“I’ll do my best. Promise.” She plops down next to him, and before she can react in any way, he has already tossed a blanket over her. A blanket the two of them share. If it wasn’t for Kagami, she would faint at his forwardness, but as it stands, it’s only a friendly gesture. Of course it is. So she feels only slightly self-conscious as she slides closer to him, her folded legs resting on the couch.

“After all,” he continues as if the proximity is nothing to him, “I’ve just got to know if Anna and William stay together. It’s a mystery.”

“Hey! I know romcoms are cliché, but did you ever watch My Best Friend’s Wedding?”

He hums. “No, I didn’t.”

“Yup, another one for the list. I cried.”

He grins at her, eyes lighting up. “You did?”

Bashfully, she shrugs. “Maybe. Um. A little bit.”

“Cute.” He clears his throat. “I mean, yeah. I can’t imagine Kagami crying over any movie.”

Marinette nods. Tries not to blush wildly. Tries to make her voice sound unaffected and cheery. “Not even over cheesy romcoms?”

“Not even over them,” he mutters, and pulls the laptop closer.

They start at the beginning of the movie again.

Adrien glances at the clock. Two in the morning. No akuma attack, and yet his biorhythm seems to hate him all of a sudden, because up to now, he couldn’t get a wink of sleep.

He groans and smashes his face against the pillow.

It’s not just his body being used to nightly attacks. It’s also the thought of the person sleeping in the room next to him. She looked so sad when he told her about Lila’s suggestion. Sad, but certain that it was the only possible solution. He hates this feeling of helplessness. He doesn’t want to lose her. Doesn’t want to avoid her. It’s just stupid. If people would mind their own business, none of this would have been a problem.

He lifts his head, seeing Plagg peacefully snore on the headboard.

Adrien contemplates. Slowly gets up. He feels so wide awake that it’s almost annoying. For a moment, he grapples with himself. A step to the side, a step back. Moonlight shines through his window, the dark sky showing just a few stars.

He swallows and heads for the door.

Maybe it’s stupid. Or maybe it isn’t. He doesn’t know. So, before he can stop himself, he gently opens the door to the guest room. Softly whispers her name.

No answer.

He shouldn’t do it. But curiosity takes the better of him, and he glances at the bed. It’s empty. Of course it is. Sheets pushed back, pillow slightly caved in. One of the windows is open, the temperatures in the room sending chills down his spine. Marinette is gone to god knows where. He tries to smother the arising worry. But she came back before. She always does. Wherever she needs to go, she will be back again, and he can sleep easily.

Except that he can’t.

He returns to his bed. Slides under the blanket. Tosses and turns. Listens to Plagg’s even breaths. Gets up again. With a sigh, he rakes a hand through his hair and shoots Plagg an apologetic look.

“Sorry, I don’t want to wake you up,” he whispers to him. “But could I transform?”

Plagg grumbles, eyes still closed. “What for? Kiddo, it’s the middle of the night and there’s no akuma attack.”

“I can’t sleep.”

“I can.”

“I’m sorry. I promise I’ll get you your favorite camembert, okay?”

Plagg grumbles some more, and eventually, he rolls his eyes. “Bribing me, huh? Don’t know if I should be proud or slightly disturbed. Okay, okay, we have a deal.”

Adrien smiles, and then he transforms.

Restlessness threatens to take hold of him. When Chat Noir opens his baton, he is immediately greeted by a message. Sent twenty minutes ago.

If you’re up, Eiffel Tower? If you’re not up, good for you, I hope you can get some rest.

Half a smile flickers over his lips.

It’s a bit cold outside, and he realizes that he is tired in the weirdest way possible. Tired in a way that makes his movements sluggish while his thoughts are racing through his mind, tired in a way that makes the tips of his fingers tingle. It doesn’t take him long to arrive at their meeting spot, Ladybug sitting on one of the beams, illuminated by faint lights.

She shoots him a smile as he sits down next to her, shoulder to shoulder and a nightly breeze travelling over the fabric of their suits.

“Can’t sleep?” he asks.

“Evidently,” she returns.

“Guess Hawk Moth successfully messed up our sleep pattern after all.”

“Yay to him. At least one tiny success.”

Her legs sway back and forth. She shifts, and he doesn’t move away when her cheek comes to rest against his shoulder. For a moment, he allows himself to bathe in her warmth, to take in her scent and close his eyes. Still, everything seems kind of off, nothing seems to be at just the right place. He feels his fingers cramp around nothing before he dares utter the words.

“You remember our ‘the heart wants what it wants’ talk?”

A second of hesitation. “Ah, yes, the wise words of Selena Gomez herself.” Her words are cheery, but her tone implies otherwise.

“I don’t know what my heart wants. And it’s hurting the girl I’m dating.”

Ladybug doesn’t move away. She nudges his foot lightly. “So, you’re dating a girl. But you don’t know if you want to.”

“It’s … it’s the same girl I broke up with months ago.”

He’s somehow glad he can’t see her expression. Instead, he stares straight ahead. Paris by night, fast asleep and peacefully quiet.

“I don’t know if we should talk about this,” she whispers.

“Right. I’m sorry.”

“But … I think there’s a reason you dated her the first time around. And if you agreed to date her another time, then there must be a reason, too.” She releases a humorless snort. “Because I couldn’t date my ex again. It would be weird.”

Chat has to smile. “It is a bit weird. Sometimes.”

“See? I couldn’t handle it.” Her voice softens. “But you can. Maybe that means something.”

Maybe it does. He likes Kagami. He really does. Maybe every person he loves comes with a different kind of love. Maybe the kind of love he felt for Ladybug was full of devotion and longing and admiration, and the love he feels for Kagami is quiet and comfortable and just a bit tense from time to time. Maybe the next girl he loves will present him with a whole different range of feelings, too.

Or maybe Kagami will be his forever.

“How did you know you were ready?” he asks, words small and hesitant.

“I wasn’t. That’s why we broke up.”

He exhales and leans his cheek against her hair. “I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for. I don’t regret it. There were a lot of good moments too.”

“He’s lucky a girl like you chose to go out with him.”

“Very charming,” she returns, releasing a giggle. “I’m lucky he was so mature about it, rather.”

They fall into pleasant silence, the night their only companion. She is right. Hesitation won’t make anything easier. Making it official with Kagami would mean both putting a stop to all the pain he is causing her, and not having to avoid Marinette at the same time.

It’s the best possible outcome. It’s nothing he has to think too hard about. It just makes sense.

It does.

“Tired?” he asks.

“Not at all,” she returns. “It’s weird. Perhaps I slept too much over the weekend.”

“Yeah. Same here.”

It’s half past three when they check the time again. Which is weird, because Hawk Moth never attacked after three. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later, but never after three. Ladybug sits up again, frowning at his baton, then at him.

“Maybe he gave up?” she offers.

“Or he realized it’s better to let sleeping cats lie.”

She grins and rolls her eyes. “We should go to sleep for now, or today will be our personal hell while we try not to pass out.”

He nods. Smiles at her. “Thank you for the talk, LB. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Keep girls waiting forever, that’s what you’d do.” She taps against his nose. “You’re a good person. No wonder she fell so hard for you.”

His smile starts to feel sad, starts to feel warm and soothing. “Night, Ladybug.”

“Good night, kitty.” She mirrors his smile, something almost too soft to her features, before she swings her yo-yo and leaps off the building, melting into the night.

For a moment, Chat looks after her, acknowledging the heaviness sitting in his chest. Then he starts moving. Stands up, extends his baton. Rooftops, railings, a spring breeze catching his hair –

In front of him, a shadow is moving through darkness. The glaringly red suit stands out in pale moonlight.

Weird. Chat almost thinks he chose the wrong direction in his state of hazy almost-tiredness, but no. Ladybug is going in the same direction as he is. That never happened before. At least not at night, when his only destination was his home. Or maybe he just never noticed that she was going in the same direction?

Right.

He just waits for the moment she takes a turn and chooses another path, but that moment never arrives. Not as they come closer and closer to the mansion. Maybe he should have stopped right there and then, let her get on and wait for her to disappear from his view. And he is about to do so – when his father’s mansion comes into sight. She doesn’t stop. She doesn’t change directions.

He can’t look away as Ladybug slips through the guest room’s open window.

Odd. She never did that before. After all, the window is never open in the first place. Chat swallows down the theories arising in his mind. He’s sure there must be an explanation. Something. Anything. His mind is racing as he arrives in his room, and he de-transforms, catching Plagg in his open palm. His other nervous hand searches for a piece of camembert in his drawer.

“Woah, kiddo,” Plagg yawns. “You seem oddly –”

“I gotta check something,” he quickly interrupts his kwami.

Or maybe Ladybug is checking on Marinette. Maybe she is the one Marinette is meeting every night. Maybe she isn’t dating Chat Noir, but Ladybug. Which makes a funny feeling play through his stomach. Perhaps Marinette just didn’t want to tell him because she feared he would judge her, and perhaps she thought her parents wouldn’t understand, or …

Or there is a much simpler explanation.

He stops in front of the guest room door. For whatever reason, he is shivering like crazy. Plagg floats up to him, squinting.

“What are you doing, kiddo? She must be asleep by now.”

He swallows. Lifts his shaking hand to the doorhandle.

“Also, not really good manners not to knock, y’know?”

“I know,” he whispers back.

“Adrien – did something happen? You seem kinda out of it.”

“Nothing,” he mumbles. “Nothing happened.”

Going out late at night to god knows where, having to lie in front of her parents, having to lie to him, getting no sleep at all, dating a boy months ago, and she never liked coffee, she never did, but it can’t be – it can’t be –

He softly opens the door and peeks in.

“… imagine Hawk Moth would just give up like that,” Marinette says. “I really thought he was trying to wear us out.”

For a second, Adrien expects to hear Ladybug’s voice. But that’s silly anyway. That’s silly, because the realization hits him so hard his knees almost buckle.

He is hearing Ladybug’s voice right now.

“Maybe he wore himself out,” a high-pitched voice answers. A ball of red sits in Marinette’s hands. “Even villains need sleep.”

Marinette laughs weakly. “Yeah, just … Tikki, please be extra careful tonight. If he just changed his schedule …”

Adrien doesn’t need to hear more. Heart beating out of his chest, he closes the door again. Stares at the white paint. Resists the urge to sink down to the floor and draw his knees closer.

He wants to scream. He wants to cry. He wants to do nothing.

Plagg sends him a long look. “You should go back to your room, kiddo.”

Adrien nods.

“Or take your time. We have a lot of that. Guess you could just stand here the whole night.”

“Yeah,” he whispers. “Because Marinette isn’t going anywhere else tonight, huh?”

Plagg stays quiet. It’s so absurd Adrien wants to laugh. Instead, he covers his eyes with his hand and tries to breathe.

Chapter Text

It should have been simple and easy. Go to school the next day. Declare to everyone that Kagami is his girlfriend. Sit together with Marinette at lunch. Laugh with her and see her smile. Everything would have been all right again. Just a few words, just a few actions, and it would have all been okay.

It should have been simple.

Instead it’s six in the morning. Exhaustion made him fall asleep for half an hour, and he was awoken by a dream showing him the brightest smile he has ever seen. He kept thinking about it. He kept trying to make sense of it. Because she was in love with him.

Ladybug was in love with him. Marinette was in love with him.

Was.

As Chat Noir, as Adrien, it didn’t matter to her – was.

And all he could see her as was a friend.

Just who was he in love with all this time?

He gets up from his bed. He takes a shower. He gets dressed. Plagg watches him cautiously, but he doesn’t talk. Adrien wants him to talk. He wants to be angry at someone. He can only be angry at himself. He sits down on his couch, buries his hands in his hair, and tries to think.

If he wasn’t in love with Marinette, but if he was in love with Ladybug, then who the hell was he in love with for years and years on end?

“Adrien,” Plagg tries carefully. “C’mon! Think about it. Pigtails confessed to you, you finally like her back. There, happy ending.”

“It’s more complicated than that,” Adrien mumbles.

“Your fencing partner, huh.”

“Not only … Not only Kagami.” Because what worth is a kind of love that couldn’t see behind anything? He should have realized so much sooner. He should have seen it in her eyes, in her gestures. He knows nothing about Marinette, nothing, and it’s laughable that he even considered her a friend when he is so goddamn blind.

He doesn’t deserve her. Not in any way.

“You won’t tell her.” Maybe it should have been a question, but it comes out as a statement as Plagg keeps observing him.

Of course not. How can he? He can’t even wrap his head around the fact that he was too stupid to realize the love of his life was right in front of him. That she even liked him back for years, and that he still was too foolish to –

He releases a breath and squeezes his eyes shut.

Half past six. Nathalie will remind him of breakfast soon, and he slips out of his room, making sure no one is watching as he opens the door to the guest room. The window is closed, the first rays of morning sun filtering in, dust dancing through the air. Marinette is still sleeping, curled to a tiny ball in the gigantic bed, dark hair against white bedsheets.

He wants to look away, wants to stare at her forever, and he carefully comes closer. Every step makes his heart thump anew until he feels nauseous. He sits down at the edge of the bed, watching her peaceful face. The same lips he stared at after akuma fights. The same eyes looking at him with mischievous glee from time to time. He never thought he’d have a chance to ever see her like this, vulnerable and every last wall fallen. He wished for it so many times it seems entirely surreal to see her here, slumbering calmly.

His fingers twitch. Before he can hold himself back, he reaches for her face. Everything inside him shivers as he brushes a strand of hair from her forehead. She furrows her brows at the touch, and his knuckles brush her cheek, and she leans against it, and heat floods him until he quickly draws back his hand again.

“You need to wake up, Marinette,” he whispers, his tongue heavy.

She grumbles, snuggling into her blanket.

“Marinette.” Softly, he shakes her shoulder. “I promised to wake you up.”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” she whispers sluggishly, blinking herself awake. Her eyes latch onto his, muddled with sleep, and for a moment, Adrien forgets how to breathe. His hand stays on her shoulder for a second too long, and he almost slides from the bed as he draws it back hastily.

“Morning,” he croaks.

“Morning,” she mumbles, closing her eyes for another moment. “Feels like I hardly slept.”

“Same here.”

Yawning, she moves and sits up. Shoulders slumped and eyes heavy-lidded, loose hair flowing over her shoulders, and Adrien still can’t breathe, can’t bring enough air into his lungs. His throat is burning, every word he tries to utter getting stuck until his head is spinning.

“I guess I’ll take the bike to school, huh?” she says quietly, playing with a loose thread on the blanket as she casts her eyes down.

“I … Should I – breakfast, I could bring you –”

“I’ll get something from the cafeteria. No worries.”

He nods. He shivers. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“And not being a scatterbrain again and returning to my own home?” she quips. “Yes, me too.”

He nods again. He can’t move.

“So, um … I’ll get ready, then?” She slowly pushes back the blanket, and Adrien flinches, quickly jumping to his feet.

“Right. I’ll see you at school?”

“Yep. Where we’ll successfully avoid each other. Oh joy.” She shows a weak smile which he returns hesitantly.

“Right. Okay.” He nods yet again as he moves to the door, almost tripping over his own feet while going backwards. He catches himself in the last moment. “Okay. Later, then.”

“Later,” she returns, her smile turning a bit confused.

“Yep. Later.” His hand slips from the doorhandle twice before he can finally push it open. “In school. Later, then.”

“Yes. Later. See you, Adrien.”

“See you. Exactly.”

He closes the door behind him. Smacks a hand against his forehead. Great. If he can’t even look her in the eye without having a mental breakdown, how will he manage a whole school day with her around?

“Oh boy,” Plagg voices his thoughts.

“Oh boy,” Adrien confirms.

“Really? That’s the plan you came up with? Avoiding her until it all goes away on its own?” Nino shows a skeptical look. “Dude, isn’t that gonna be kind of weird?”

“Yeah, it will be. But –”

“Hey there, Adrien.”

Adrien immediately shuts up. He needs seconds to turn his head to Lila, her smile as innocent as always, her head slightly tilted. She is leaning over his desk, cheek propped on her hand.

“Hi, Lila,” Nino joins in. “Need something?” It’s almost surprising to hear a tinge of wariness in his voice. If Lila notices as much, she doesn’t show it, though.

“Yes, actually. There’s something private I have to talk about with Adrien.”

“He knows,” Adrien says. “About the plan. No need for privacy.”

Lila’s smile broadens. “Oh, yes, of course you would tell your best friend. Who will tell his girlfriend, who will tell the whole school. Ha! Just kidding. I’m sure that was a smart choice.”

Adrien returns her smile tiredly. “Luckily for us, Nino and Alya can keep a secret.”

“I’m sure they can.” She sends Nino a look. “I would trust you with my life, after all.”

Nino arches an eyebrow. All that sarcasm is somehow getting annoying, and Adrien can’t resist the urge to roll his eyes. “Okay, Lila. What exactly did you want to talk about?”

“Well, my investigation.” Her eyes slide back to him. “I’m trying to figure out where exactly that picture came from. I got it from the parallel class’s group chat, and they got it from Aurore who seems to have some connections to the higher grades, but I can’t imagine anyone of them actively seeking revenge, you know? Or did you piss off someone there?”

Adrien wrinkles his forehead. “Not really. I think?”

“Well,” Nino tosses in. “I mean … Luka knew about Marinette’s crush.”

Lila purses her lips. “Huh. An ex seeking revenge after it seems like his beloved falls into the arms of another man? Would make sense, at least.”

A dry laugh escapes Adrien. “I can’t imagine Luka being that immature.”

“I dunno, dude. He was pretty infatuated with her.”

He was. Luka was in love with her. With Marinette. With the side of her Adrien could never see. With her slightly awkward, clumsy, endearing side. The one who showed all the vulnerability Ladybug isn’t allowed to display. Luka was truly in love with her, and a white-hot feeling pulsates through Adrien so suddenly that he clenches his hands to fists.

And in that moment, Marinette stumbles into the classroom.

Morning sun in her hair. A faint blush on her cheeks. Fingers around the straps of her backpack as she turns her head to talk to Alya next to her, a smile spreading on her face until she giggles, the sound enough to make him shiver. He watches as she comes closer, can’t look away as she sends him a sheepish smile and moves on. For a moment, he is disappointed that she didn’t direct a single word at him, but then he remembers that they are supposed to avoid each other. And still, his eyes follow her movements until she sits down, pushes some strands of hair out of her face, bluebell irises catching his as she raises a questioning eyebrow, and –

“Wow, Adrien,” Lila drawls. “It is very apparent that you’re trying your hardest not to draw any attention to yourselves.”

He whirls around at once, his face feeling hot. “What?”

Her smile is still in place, and yet the mocking undertone is hardly ignorable. “I thought there was nothing going on between you two?”

“There isn’t. There really isn’t.” He pulls himself together. Doesn’t think about the fact that Ladybug is sitting right behind him, surely wondering why he is staring at her like an idiot. Maybe avoidance really is the best choice.

Lila nods. “I see. That’s good. I was almost worried for Kagami, you know?”

Kagami. Right.

A nauseous feeling climbs through Adrien’s stomach.

“But if Luka really is the one spreading these rumors …” Nino taps his chin pensively. “I dunno, then …”

“Did you just say Luka?” In a matter of seconds, Alya has leaned forward, her voice dropping down to a hiss. “You think Luka is the one behind the photos?”

“Wait, what?” Marinette finally joins in, too.

Great.

Lila shrugs several times. “It was just a thought. You know, I bet Marinette can drive any boy crazy.” She smiles pleasantly. “Or maybe, hm. I don’t know. Maybe something rubs off on any boy you date. I can’t quite figure out what, though.”

Marinette deadpans. “Funny. But really, Luka? He wouldn’t do that.”

“Are you sure?” Alya whispers. “Because, really, your breakup was the drama of the year.”

At that, Marinette winces. “Well, yes, but … Maybe I should talk to him.”

Adrien’s mouth moves faster than he would have liked. “Or maybe you shouldn’t?”

Several pairs of eyes stare at him. He ducks his head, smiling as naturally as possible, and then he clears his throat. What is he doing? Trying to keep Marinette away from the one boy who truly loved her for everything she is when he couldn’t do the same? Yeah, right.

“Or maybe you should?” he gracefully saves himself.

Alya narrows her eyes. “What, do you think one talk would be enough to have Marinette be swept off her feet again?”

“No,” he quickly replies. “Not that I – well, if she wants to be swept off her feet, then why not, because Luka – but anyway, if she doesn’t want to be swept – I mean, it’s totally her choice if she wants to – talk, or be swept off her feet, or –”

“Just for the record, I do not want to be swept off my feet by Luka.” Marinette sends him a funny look. “I just want to talk. See if he really is the one behind these photos.”

“I think it’s sweet that you want to trust his word that quickly,” Lila says. “But there would have to be more investigation involved to arrive at a conclusion, right?”

Adrien’s heart beats up to his throat. “You want her to spend more time with him?”

Lila’s smile twitches. “Well, you were also able to spend time with Kagami after you broke up, no?”

That’s true. And it led to feelings resurfacing, and to Kagami asking him out, and to them somewhat dating, and to him planning on making it official again, and there’s no way the same wouldn’t happen with Marinette. Because she might not have been ready back then, but maybe she is ready now, having been rejected by Adrien himself, and he plasters on the best smile he can, tries to control the tremor in his voice.

“Sure!” he says. “Good idea! Really good idea. Really –”

“Can we maybe slow down and leave it at ‘I’m going to talk to him’ for now?” Marinette butts in.

“Luka isn’t the type to lie.” Alya cocks an eyebrow. “But if anything seems suspicious, I’m personally going to interrogate him.”

“Great! Then it’s settled. Marinette and Luka will have a nice long talk.” Lila crosses her fingers. “Good luck, girl.”

Marinette makes a face and smiles half-heartedly. “Thanks, girl.”

As Lila moves away, Nino leans back, giving Marinette a grin. “Ya know, I’m kinda glad you and Lila managed to get over your differences.”

Marinette’s weird smile is still in place. She sends Adrien a telling look, and he exhales tiredly. “Oh, yeah. It’s really great.”

“So great,” Marinette confirms.

“Or maybe, Lila is trying to play matchmaker.” Alya’s tone is joking, but her eyes flicker to Adrien for a moment. “Imagine! Two ex-couples getting back together – wouldn’t that be totally sweet?”

“Oh, yep, so sweet!” Adrien agrees immediately. “Very, very sweet.”

Marinette sends her a flabbergasted look. “Not you too, Brutus. I couldn’t even begin to imagine dating him again.” Then, flailing her hands, she turns to Adrien. “No offense, but –”

“None taken! But you were a really cute couple. Really good fit. Really good.” Adrien internally smacks himself, but externally, he keeps smiling. “He adored you. Really did. Could see it from a mile away.”

“Right?” Alya leans over the desk, staring at him. “They were so cute. Almost enviable, huh?”

Adrien’s throat closes up. “Yeah,” he croaks. “So enviable.”

“Could we please stop talking about my ex-boyfriend?” Marinette whispers.

The ringing of the bell interrupts their conversation, and Adrien is glad that he has a reason to turn back to the front of the class again. He can still feel Alya’s eyes on him, and he almost jumps when Nino leans a bit closer. “Dude, you all right?”

“Yeah,” he mumbles. “Why?”

“No reason. No reason at all.” A last look, and then Nino nods at the books before him. “You finished our English homework? I’m gonna wing it today. Just pretend I totally know what the lesson is about.”

“No worries. I’ll get you through the class.”

“My man,” Nino says while patting his shoulder. “What would I do without you?”

“Actually turn up with homework, because there would be no one to save you?”

“Okay, yep, probably.”

In the next break, Marinette quickly slips out of the classroom. Adrien looks after her for a second. Something in his chest clenches. So he inconspicuously packs his things, tells Nino he’ll be right back, and moves to follow Marinette – when he is stopped by Alya’s voice.

“Where are you going, sunshine?”

He freezes. Turns around. “Toilet?” he peeps.

“Oh! See, what a coincidence. I’m on my way there too.” She smiles pleasantly, slinging an arm around his shoulders as she drags him along. No problem there. Because the toilets are next to the stairs anyway, and Luka’s classroom is one floor above them, and there, easy as pie. Nothing suspicious about it. Masses of students pass them by, and Alya is constantly patting his shoulder for whatever reason.

“So, hot stuff. Let’s hear it. Is being awkward as hell part of your glorious ‘let’s avoid Marinette’ plan?”

He flinches. Laughs. “Awkward? Do you think so? Ha, well, oops. Not my intention.”

“Not your intention,” Alya drawls. “I’m very sure it isn’t. You know, I heard Kagami is kind of pissed.”

“I … Well, I guess so.”

“I think you should do something about that. Like, a date. A really romantic date.”

Adrien nods slowly. A date with Kagami sounds nice. Holding her hand like they used to, laughing about nonsense, talking about school and fencing and their homes, leaning down to kiss –

He shivers.

“Good tip,” he quickly replies. They arrive in front of the toilets, and he frees himself from her clutch. “Thanks, Alya.”

“You’re welcome.” She sends him a scrutinizing look before entering the girls’ bathroom.

Okay. Right. He knows it’s stupid. Still, he quickly climbs the stairs to the next floor. Luka’s classroom is right in front of the stairs, and a bit ahead of him, he can see blue-dyed tips swaying with Luka’s movements as he is smiling down at Marinette.

Adrien forces down the bad feeling climbing through his throat, and instead, he starts to follow them sneakily. Making sure he is partly covered by other students, and when they round a corner to a more secluded hallway, he stops at the intersection, peeking around the wall at them. There aren’t many students around in these parts of the school, and it’s easy to overhear Luka and Marinette talking this way.

“… got a bit of a situation, hm.” Luka smiles down at her warmly. “Because those photos …”

“You got wind of them too, huh.” Marinette laughs sheepishly, scratching her cheek. “Well, no. Those are just photos. We aren’t actually … You know.”

“Really? Because I always thought he was the reason you broke up with me.”

Adrien almost chokes. Marinette flinches violently. There was no rebuke in his words, and still, they leave an unbearable dread around Adrien’s throat. Luka’s expression is still warm and friendly, and Marinette’s eyes dart around so wildly that Adrien takes better cover behind the corner.

“I … No, it’s …” She bites her lip. “He rejected me.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, just … We’re friends. Only friends. But we’re searching for the one who is taking those photos, and … Not that we really thought it was you, but –”

Luka laughs. It’s a deep and vibrating sound. “You’re asking me if I’m spreading rumors about you and Adrien?”

She stares at the floor, fidgeting. “Yes? Sorry? I’m just – okay, sorry, forget it, I’m –”

“It wasn’t me. I would have been happy for you two.”

Adrien watches them. They always looked good together. He remembers watching them as they held hands, as they smiled at each other. He was happy for them. He really was. All this time, Luka was in love with all of her. He wasn’t blind to the truth. He wasn’t blind to the wonderfulness that is her.

Luka’s hand comes to rest on her shoulder. Adrien stares.

“If I can help in any way …”

“Hello, Adrien.”

The mention of his name makes him press his back against the wall, widened eyes flinging around to catch Kagami’s. She is watching him with a blank expression. He opens his mouth to say something, but if he did, Luka and Marinette could have heard him. So, with a stiff smile, he grabs Kagami’s shoulders and directs her away from the other two.

“Hi, Kagami, so good to see you!” he finally says when they are far enough away.

She lets herself be led on, one eyebrow raised. “What are you doing on this floor? Our break is almost over.”

“Oh, you know.” He shrugs convincingly. “A walk.”

“A … walk.”

“Yep. Stretching my legs. You know. The usual.”

“The usual.”

“Exactly! So, break is almost over, I gotta bounce. Classes, all that stuff, yeah.”

“You seem kind of nervous.” She frowns. “And your face is unusually reddened.”

“Is it?” He laughs too sharply and cringes. “Um, that must be your imagination. I feel perfectly fine, actually. So –”

Before he can move, she reaches forward, palm coming closer to his forehead. It’s only a sudden instinct, but he shies away from the touch, only then realizing what he is doing. Kagami’s hand freezes in the air, and slowly, she lets it sink down again.

“You’re fine,” she repeats.

“I am,” he brings out.

An awkward second passes. He wants to apologize, but that would be stupid too, and it’s the bell that saves him, the shrill sound ringing in his ears. Kagami keeps looking at him, the emotions on her face unreadable to him.

“I’m glad, then. See you at lunch,” she says, and moves away.

Adrien gulps. Watches her go. God, he’s an idiot. Such an idiot. It takes him some more time until he can finally move, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“So? Details, girl!”

The dining hall is packed, and Marinette dodges some students as they approach their regular table, looking at Alya all the while. “Weird. Like I thought, it was weird.”

“Was it?” Alya wiggles her eyebrows. “In which way? Did he flirt with you?”

At that, Marinette rolls her eyes. “No, he didn’t. I think. Maybe. Anyway, I just awkwardly asked him if it was him, and he said no. End of story. All I came there to do.”

“Really? That’s so anti-climactic.” Alya pouts. “No touchy-touchy?”

“Um, he touched my shoulder?”

“Ooh, raunchy.” With a tired laugh, Alya sinks into her seat, her tray clacking as it meets the table. She grabs a french fry and points it at Marinette. “Real talk. Of course he’d say it wasn’t him. Point being, was he telling the truth?”

Across from them, Kagami and Adrien are sitting next to each other. Adrien is really great at this whole avoidance business, Marinette has to admit. Because he hardly looks at her, hardly talks to her, even seems to flinch away when her eyes as much as graze him. It’s almost concerning, but then again, he’s a convincing actor, so …

“Was who telling the truth?” Kagami says, her look somehow cautious.

“Well,” Nino answers, chewing on his own food. “We’ve got a plan to destroy all these rumors, dudette. We find out who’s responsible.”

“And we thought of the clichéd ‘ex-boyfriend gets jealous’ trope,” Alya adds.

Kagami frowns, then nods. “I see. So that is why Adrien was on the second floor during the break.”

Adrien coughs loudly, face reddening. “Oh, no, no,” he laughs quickly. “Just stretching my legs! That’s all, that’s all.”

“I noticed you didn’t wait for me in front of the toilets,” Alya drawls. “Funny. Because Adrien wasn’t with you during the talk, now was he, Marinette?”

Odd. Something about this is just way too odd. She watches Adrien intently, the way he avoids her eyes at any cost. “No,” she answers. “But, well, Luka and I chose a quiet corner, so …”

A weird second of silence. Alya’s eyes slide from him to Marinette again. “So, what do you say? Luka or nah?”

“Nah,” Marinette sighs. “I can’t imagine him being that vile.”

“So, that is the plan,” concludes Kagami. “You want to get to the bottom of the rumors.”

“And in the meantime,” Nino points at Adrien, “your dude tries to avoid Marinette as best as he can. No one-on-one time. So no one else gets any funny ideas.”

“I see.” Kagami looks at Marinette for a weirdly long second. Then she picks up another fry with her fork.

Alya adjusts her glasses, eyes on Kagami. “It would be great if the school would see you two being lovey-dovey. You know, to make the whole ‘I’m only dating one girl at once’ deal more believable.” Her eyes narrow. “You could even go on a date. Great weather outside today. Perfect for a cute, lovely date.”

Adrien lifts his head to stare at her. And Marinette frowns even further. His reactions are making her restless, and she can’t tell why. Maybe because the way he shoots Kagami a side glance is so tense Marinette wants to cringe. Maybe because he never seemed that stressed in the face of such a simple remark before. That’s just … strange.

“I would be free,” Kagami says.

“That’s … great. Awesome.” Adrien nods. “Such great weather. Huh, we could totally make use of that. Nino, hey, are you free? This afternoon? Maybe together with Alya?”

Nino stares at him, opening and closing his mouth again. He shoots a helpless glance at Alya, and in response, Alya’s eye twitches.

“That’s very sweet, sunshine, just –”

“Oh, and Marinette!” Adrien smiles at her so brightly she almost wants to shy away. “Sorry! Didn’t want to leave you out. I mean, we did agree that hangouts among all of us are allowed, right? So?”

She swallows down the lump in her throat. Looks at Kagami, who is frowning at her fries. Looks back to Adrien, whose face crumbles until he scratches the side of his head and casts his eyes down. Alya shoots her a strange glance, and she shrugs in confusion.

“I mean,” she starts. “It’s … Well …”

“So, no date, but a normal hangout?” Alya summarizes.

“Our last one was a while ago, right?” mumbles Adrien.

Marinette can’t help but notice the tiny bit of distance he brought between Kagami and him. She is used to seeing them touch each other – or at least, Adrien touching Kagami from time to time. And now, he is leaning away the slightest bit. It’s so weird that her mouth dries. Maybe Kagami is angrier about the whole rumor deal than they all thought, and he’ll need some help to make it up to her.

Maybe he thinks a hangout among all of them could help him fix it after all.

Yeah. Helping is good.

“Okay,” Marinette therefore says. “I’m in. Hangout it is.”

Alya looks from Marinette and back again. “Okay. Hangout, then.”

“Great! Can’t wait!” Adrien’s smile twitches before he turns back to his tray again.

Weird. Just weird.

Adrien knows he shouldn’t do it, and yet he can’t stop watching her.

Spring sun shining down on them, her steps light and feathery, her body shaking as she laughs at something Alya said. Radiating a kind of warmth he has always felt next to her. His lady, expression free from the usual determination that colors her face. His lady, sending him a glance that doesn’t go unnoticed. He thinks he could watch her forever.

“You eavesdropped on them.”

Kagami’s voice wrenches him from his thoughts, and the realization hits him with a severity that leaves him breathless for a few seconds. Because he doesn’t have any right to look at Marinette like that. Because there is an amazing girl right next to him, and yet he can’t bring himself to reach for her hand.

His head aches.

“Eavesdropped,” he repeats questioningly.

“Yes. On Marinette and Luka.”

He feels all blood leave his cheeks. A good distance separates them from the other three. The afternoon sun starts to sink, but the sky is still brightly blue. Kagami isn’t looking at him. Her jaw is set, and despite the calmness in her auburn eyes, he can estimate the storm brewing behind them.

“I’m …” He sighs, looks at the ground. “I did.”

“Why?”

“I was worried.”

“About?”

Yes, about what? About Marinette suddenly realizing that now that she is over Adrien for good. About the fact that there was one boy who has always loved her for all she was? As if he has any right to such thoughts. He rakes a hand through his hair, holds back another sigh.

“You’re right. It was stupid. I was being irrational, I guess.”

Their soles meet pavement. People pass them by. Adrien buries his hands in his coat’s pockets again. He tries to remember times when Kagami gave him the warmth he always craved. She did. One evening, when they were sitting next to each other, and she curled into his embrace, his chin resting against the top of her head – when she seemed vulnerable, almost scared of the whole world – it was the first moment he thought he could truly fall for her.

It was the last moment, too.

He doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know what to feel. He doesn’t know if he loves Marinette. If he ever did. Maybe. Maybe not. His heart never pounded like this when looking at her. Not before he found out that the love of his life is actually her, and isn’t that unfair? It is. This kind of love – it’s worth nothing.

So he grabs Kagami’s hand.

She jumps. But she doesn’t free her hand. Instead, she glances at him. “You seem out of it, Adrien.”

“I feel a bit out of it, yeah,” he admits. “I’m sorry. If I’m worrying you, that is.”

She gives him a long, thoughtful look. “I forgive you.”

When he looks at Kagami, his heart doesn’t pound. It’s a calming rhythm. It’s a comfortable melody. He always wondered what it would be like to kiss Ladybug. If the whole world would explode, if it would turn silent. Whenever he kissed Kagami, the world kept turning.

He isn’t sure if he should kiss her. So he doesn’t.

“But,” she continues, “I’m not sure if your plan is that well thought-out. Just asking people about the photo’s source seems kind of naïve.”

“Yeah.” He squeezes her hand. “I asked a classmate of mine to help us. She’s, hm, well-versed in the art of cover-up tactics.”

“A euphemism, I see.”

“Maybe.”

Kagami smiles at him. Comes a bit closer, her shoulder against his. It’s comfortable. Familiar. In front of them, Marinette laughs again, the sound clear as day as it echoes through the air, her head slightly thrown back and her cheeks rosy.

His heart trembles.

“I’m trusting you,” Kagami whispers, her voice so quiet Adrien needs a moment to notice she is talking, “and I’m trusting your word. Against my better judgement, I want to put my trust in you. Yet, you’re not making it easy.”

He looks at her. Her hand in his feels cold. “Huh?”

She smiles at him half-heartedly. “You might be a kind person, Adrien. But sometimes, your naivety seems to rub off on me.”

He still doesn’t understand. He doesn’t understand until she comes to a sudden stop, pulling him closer. He doesn’t understand until she goes on her tiptoes, grabs his collar, and pulls him down to kiss him.

Soft, warm lips tasting of cherry. The world keeps turning. He doesn’t lean into it, and he doesn’t lean away. He can’t move. Nothing seems right, nothing seems like it should be, and it all escapes his grasp, and –

A loud bang in the distance makes him break the kiss. When he looks up, there’s something moving among tall buildings. Reminds him of some sort of dinosaur, somehow, but it isn’t hard to guess what exactly is going on. He isn’t the first one to voice his thoughts, though.

“Oh my god! Oh my god, yes, finally!” Alya squeals, bouncing on the spot. “An akuma attack! During the day! Oh god, okay, gotta go, bye!”

“Alya, don’t just –” Marinette stretches her hand out for her, but can’t grab her before Alya has bolted off. With a sigh, Marinette looks around. “Okay, um, maybe I should go after her?”

“Oh, yeah, you should. I could go with you?” Adrien suggests before he can think better of it.

Marinette smiles stiffly at him. “Ah, that’s not necessary! I can, you know, go alone, um …”

Right. Oh, right, she knows the struggles of slipping away unnoticed. So he nods immediately. “Right! Or we split up?”

“Or we don’t split up?” Kagami offers. “The akuma is far enough away for us to be in no danger. Frankly, splitting up would only result in more harm than good.”

“Well, then I’ll fetch my girl, I guess,” Nino says, and before anyone can hold him back, he follows Alya. Marinette fidgets on the spot, then turns to Adrien and Kagami one last time.

“Okay, now I have to go after him. Stay safe!”

Adrien sets his jaw as he watches Marinette run. “And I can’t just let them go like that,” he says. “Wait here, I’ll be –”

“I’m certain you won’t be of much help. Ladybug and Chat Noir will have more troubles rescuing four persons than three.” She is still holding on to his hand, words stern even as her voice trembles with slight unease. “Stay here.”

Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t. Ladybug needs him. Marinette needs him. Marinette –

He frees his hand softly and gives Kagami the most genuine smile he can. “I’ll be back, okay? Trust me.”

Kagami sets her jaw. She doesn’t respond, and he eventually turns away, running in the same direction the others did. Far enough away, a lonely alley where nobody can see him, and Plagg floats out of his pocket, green eyes narrowed slightly.

“Pigtails is waiting, huh?” he says.

“She is.” The thought alone makes him quiver, and Adrien transforms at last, moving to find his lady.

“Chat! Now!”

He extends his baton in just the right moment, and with a roar, the dinosaur trips right over it, Ladybug’s yo-yo having bound its legs together. The impact of its body meeting the pavements echoes through the streets, and Ladybug jumps forward to rip off the string attached to its ankle, releasing the akuma. The butterfly flutters towards the sky. Chat Noir can only watch as she retracts her yo-yo, instead catching the butterfly with ease, a triumphant smile on her lips as she purifies it.

He can’t look away.

The dinosaur turns back to a woman, rubbing her head as she slowly sits up. He forces himself to turn to her, offering her a helping hand while behind him, Ladybug uses her Lucky Charm to return everything back to normal.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

The woman blinks up to him. “I don’t … What happened?”

“You were akumatized. Happens to the best of us.” Ladybug joins them, handing the woman her bracelet made of strings and ornaments. “I think you lost that.”

“Oh … Yes. My daughter made this for me.” The woman smiles down at the object. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

“Very.” Chat smiles warmly as he helps her up. “Are you going to be all right? Want us to get you somewhere?”

“Oh, no, it’s okay.” She smiles sheepishly at both of them. “Thank you, Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

“That’s our job.” Ladybug winks at her. Then she offers him her fist. “Pound it.”

“Pound it,” he returns, his fist meeting hers.

It’s surreal to realize who is actually standing there, one hand on her hips and the smile directed at him as bright as the sun itself. He feels his cat ears twitch, feels the urge to come close, impossibly close until nothing but her warmth surrounds him.

“An akuma attack during the day,” she says. “You know what that means, kitty?”

Kitty. Marinette is calling him kitty. It’s making him nervous, and it’s somehow thrilling. “That Hawk Moth realized he actually isn’t blood-related to moths?”

“Exactly. He might even,” she gasps, “sleep at night again!”

“Wow,” Chat breathes. “Can you imagine?”

“Hardly.” Her earrings beep. She swings her yo-yo up and down. “Just think about it. Sleep. Uninterrupted sleep. Gosh, I can’t believe it.”

“Yeah,” he whispers, holding her eyes. “Me neither.”

“Oh my god, finally!” Alya’s voice reaches them, and when Chat turns his head, he sees her frantically taking photos from all angles. He has to suppress a laugh. “It’s so good to see you again! How long has it been? Weeks! Months! It feels like an eternity. Would you be open to a post-‘nightly attacks’ interview? Just to let the Ladyblog’s followers know what has been going on in your lives?”

Ladybug smiles, unamused. “I’m going to tell you what has been going on. Lack of sleep, some more lack of sleep, and on top of it all …”

“Serious lack of sleep,” Chat finishes for her.

“I can imagine.” Alya lets her phone sink down and rolls her eyes. “I want to kick Hawk Moth’s butt. No content for the blog whatsoever! I was reaching for straws left and right. So good to have you back.”

“Let’s hope it’ll last for a longer while.” Ladybug gives Alya one last smile before stepping backwards. “And with that, I’ll take my leave. Bug out.”

He looks after her. He can’t stop grinning like an idiot. The sound of a photo being taken snaps him from his stupor, and Alya grins at him over her phone.

“At least one thing didn’t change,” she says. “Chat Noir seems as lovestruck as ever.”

The words make something in his stomach churn. He doesn’t let it show. Instead, he gives her a two-fingered salute. “And this cat is out too. See you, ladyblogger.”

“Hey, wait, don’t you have another minute to –”

Her voice fades in the distance as he leaps away, searching for another secluded alleyway. He de-transforms, catches Plagg in his palms.

“You know,” Plagg whines as he accepts the piece of camembert Adrien hands him. “There’s one reason why I’m gonna miss nightly attacks. My beloved camembert drawer is at home, and now I gotta accept whatever you hand me. And you, not knowing the difference proper ripening can make … Torture, I tell you. Pure torture.”

“I’m sorry, I guess,” Adrien snorts. Then he sighs. “You knew, right? You knew that Marinette is Ladybug.”

Plagg nibbles at his camembert, not looking at Adrien. It’s answer enough.

“Am I stupid for not noticing?”

“Well, first off, quantum magic disguises you pretty well,” Plagg returns. “And secondly, nah, kid. You’re not stupid.”

“I should have realized, though. If I really loved her, I should have realized.”

“What? Because love triumphs over even the most powerful kind of magic?” Plagg sends him a look. “No. Couldn’t have, kiddo. Not without a serious pointer.”

Adrien hopes he is right.

When he returns to the others, the first thing he sees is Kagami talking with Marinette. And it’s somehow funny that he pushed the thought out of his mind. Kagami kissed him. Kagami kissed him, and he doesn’t know what to think. Neither of the girls noticed him yet, and he watches their expressions. The shimmer of unsettlement on Marinette’s face, and the stiff posture Kagami shows, perfect in its execution and so tense it must be painful.

“Woah, dude, I can’t believe it,” Nino’s voice sounds behind him, a hand landing on his shoulder as Nino gasps for breath. “Alya was never the sporty kind, but when it comes to Ladybug? Yeah, gone like the wind.”

Adrien blinks. Looks around for Alya. “Did you see her anywhere?”

“Nope, couldn’t find her. She’ll be back soon enough, though.” Nino straightens his back. Pats Adrien’s shoulder. “Too bad your smooching got interrupted, though.”

At that, Adrien ducks his head. “You saw, huh.”

“We all did.”

“Oh.” Marinette did, too. Which shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t at all. “I – sorry.”

“Sorry?” Nino repeats. “You’re dating. We were kinda waiting for it.”

Kagami crosses her arms as Marinette is talking. He knows that look of icy disappointment. He knows the shimmer of insecurity hiding behind auburn eyes nonetheless. He doesn’t know what to do with his hands, or with himself in general.

“I mean,” Nino sounds somehow careful, “weren’t you waiting for it, too?”

“Yeah,” he mumbles. “I was.”

Kagami turns her head. Their eyes meet. He isn’t sure if the iciness crumbles. He isn’t sure why his own smile feels so shaky.

Nino pats his shoulder again. He doesn’t say a word.

Chapter Text

It’s raining outside. A spring storm rolls over the city, bringing with it the pitter-patter of raindrops against Adrien’s window. He watches runlets leaving transparent trails. It’s lonely and cold, and –

Someone knocks.

“Come in,” he calls, fully expecting it to be Nathalie. When he hears hesitant steps though, he is surprised to see Marinette. Her hair clinging to her cheeks, her clothes soaking wet, and she smiles at him hesitantly.

“I’m sorry. I’m totally ruining your floor.” She looks down at herself. “I didn’t expect the sudden rain, and –”

“Why are you here?” he blurts out.

She sharply lifts her head. Turns so red it reaches her hairline. “Um, I – sorry, should I have – I thought, I’m sorry, I can go, it’s –”

He freezes. “No, no,” he quickly corrects himself. He can hardly tell her that after realizing that Hawk Moth seems to be giving up on his nightly attacks, there is no real reason for her to come here anymore. Not that he doesn’t want her to. Hanging out with her like this is more than he could have asked for, after all. “You just surprised me. Sorry. Um, if you …” He flails around unnecessarily as he helps her put down her backpack. “Towels – I mean, you should change, maybe take a shower? Not – you could use my shower, of course, or the one in the guest room, or … Whichever you prefer, really, um …”

He doesn’t look at her, and she doesn’t move. Some awkward seconds pass.

“Are you all right?” Marinette eventually whispers.

“I am! I am.” He clears his throat. Finally dares look at her. Their eyes meet, and the genuine worry in her expression makes him shudder. “Are you?”

She nods hesitantly. Crouches down to retrieve her PJs. “I think I’ll use your shower quickly. If you don’t mind, that is.”

“I don’t. Go ahead.”

She gives him a stiff smile and moves to his bathroom. He looks after her. Notices how nervous he is. That’s just stupid. It wouldn’t have been a problem before he knew. It wouldn’t have been a problem at all. He is being no more than an idiot.

“Kiddo,” Plagg whispers next to him. “You need some cheese? Always calms my nerves.”

“Thanks,” he returns as he sits down on his couch again. “But I’m good.”

It’s just Marinette, after all. Only that it’s not just Marinette. It has never been just Marinette.

He buries his face in his hands.

He hears the shower being turned on. He doesn’t want to think about her. He tries to think about Kagami, about the way she kissed him. He can’t compare it to kissing anyone else. The kisses he shared with Ladybug are wiped from his memory, after all.

The kisses he shared with Marinette.

He should stop thinking in general.

With trembling hands, he distracts himself by going through his downloaded movies on his laptop. Watching Notting Hill with her was fun. Seeing her eyes shimmer in delight at certain scenes, hearing her sigh at every kiss the protagonists shared. He isn’t sure if he could concentrate on anything else than her if they watched another movie together.

She was too close.

This is too much. He is still dating Kagami, and what he told her wasn’t a lie. He has feelings for her. He does. And what he feels for Marinette – for Ladybug – it’s all just a muddled mess.

She steps out of the bathroom after a longer while. When he hears the door being closed, he turns his head to look at her. Blue eyes meet his.

“I think I’ll go to bed early today,” he tells her, and she smiles.

“So no movie? Pity.”

“Sorry.”

“Hey. No need to apologize.” Her smile grows. “Thank you for letting me use your shower.”

“Anytime.” He pauses. “When you’re here, I mean. Whenever you need to.”

“Whenever I need to,” she repeats. “That’s very nice of you. Good thing every home comes with its own shower then, huh?”

“Yeah. Lucky.”

His somehow clipped answer seems to make her smile drop a bit, and he regrets it instantly. Without giving him an answer, she moves to her backpack. Her wet hair is falling down her shoulders, her bare legs bend as she picks up her backpack, and she clasps her hands in front of her as she directs her eyes at him. “Good night, then?”

“Good night.” He returns her smile. “I’ll wake you up tomorrow.”

“Sure.” She steps to the door. Stops in front of it, but doesn’t turn around. “Thank you, Adrien. I mean it. You’re a good friend.”

His heart stops before it picks up speed. He’s glad she doesn’t look at him, or else she would have seen the sheer desperation surely taking form on his face. “You’re welcome,” he replies instead, his throat sore.

She leaves the room. He is left alone, the sound of raindrops hitting the window never having faded.

It’s two in the night, and he can’t sleep, and eventually, he gives up.

Plagg is peacefully snoring on his nightstand. At least there’s a high chance he can rest peacefully tonight. Adrien gets up, though. It’s still raining outside. Usually, the sound helps him fall asleep, but his body doesn’t seem to comply. He is shuddering, and his thoughts won’t shut up, and everything seems kind of off-center.

He checks his phone, but it doesn’t keep him occupied for long. He starts looking through his saved photos. He and Nino taking stupid selfies. Alya and Adrien talking; Nino must have taken that one. Marinette and Adrien side by side, and the way she looks at him – is it admiration, or is it something else entirely?

He looks through older photos. Tries to discover something he has never seen before. Maybe a hint he could have caught. Maybe a tinge of longing in her eyes when she looked at him. Her smiles are either sheepish or so bright they threaten to overwhelm him. Kagami is beautiful, of course she is, but Marinette is …

He doesn’t know. He can’t name it.

The urge becomes too strong. While Plagg is still sleeping, Adrien slips out of his room. Walks to the guest room. He thinks about knocking, but he doesn’t want to wake her up, and quietly, he peeks in. This time, she isn’t gone. Rain is meeting the window with little sounds, and he whispers her name.

“Adrien?” she returns so quietly he almost didn’t catch it.

He pauses in the doorway. Leans his head against the doorframe. “Can I come in?” he asks, watching as the bed moves, as dark hair contrasts with the bedsheets. She’s curled into a tight ball, and he wants to smile at the sight.

“Sure.”

So he does. Closes the door behind him. The sound of rain accompanies him as he approaches her bed, as he sits down at its edge. Marinette peeks up at him, bright blue eyes and mouth covered by the blanket, and for a moment, all they do is look at each other.

“Couldn’t sleep?” she asks.

“No.” He sighs. “I think my biorhythm is all over the place.”

“Same here. I have never felt more awake.”

Adrien leans his elbows against his knees, looking at the floor. At the window. The night is dark and grey.

“Maybe,” he suggests, “it would help to, I don’t know, stay awake for a whole night? So we have no choice but to blissfully sleep tomorrow night.”

“You mean, we should pull an all-nighter?” She finally sits up, blanket pooling in her lap. “You think we can go through with it?”

“You don’t?”

“Every time I tried, I, well, fell asleep. Alya is the master of all-nighters, but I’m kind of …” She shrugs. “Not.”

He hums, tapping his finger against his cheek. “There’s something that could keep us awake.”

She arches her eyebrows. “Video games? A movie?”

“Coffee.”

Her face falls. He almost has to laugh. “Ew. Okay, Adrien, I’m sorry, but no. Coffee is awful as it is, but forcing me to drink some in the middle of the night?”

“A lot of sugar, and you’ll like it. I can guarantee it.”

“No, don’t guarantee anything! Don’t do this to me.”

He knows she is only joking. He knows by the shimmer of clear amusement in her eyes, by that tinge of mischief he thought he only ever saw in his lady, and he reaches for her hand as he stands up. The feeling of touching her is electrifying, almost too much so. He helps her get on her feet, and he only lets go of her hand when she looks at him again, the sound of heavy raindrops accompanying the exhale she gives.

“Let’s go,” he whispers.

She follows him.

Nobody is in the halls anymore. They have a bodyguard for the night, but he should be outside the mansion, and he asked both cleaning ladies to please keep quiet about the used guest room; they’re only in there in the morning. Still, it’s somehow exhilarating to sneak through the mansion with Marinette. She almost stumbles over her feet twice, and Adrien catches her each time, making sure she is all right.

She always is.

They arrive at the kitchen. Adrien is seldomly in here; after all, it’s their personal chef’s territory, not his. But he knows where the coffee machine is. A gigantic black device, so many buttons that Adrien has no idea where to start. He doesn’t want to seem helpless, but honestly, he’s just standing there clueless as he searches for the on button.

“Wow, this kitchen is huge!” Marinette turns around herself before her eyes get stuck on the coffee machine. “Um, do you need help?”

“No?” Adrien tries, turning his head away from her.

“I take that as a yes.” She comes closer, squinting at the machine. “So, my parents have a similar monster at home …” He watches in amazement as her finger lands on a button with a self-confidence he could have never mustered, and the machine gives a loud, vibrating sound.

They both flinch.

Something seems to happen. And then, nothing does. A red light begins to blink. Adrien stares at the symbol underneath it, and before he can analyze it further, Marinette is already fiddling with something. With some force, she pulls something out of the machine. He stares at it.

“Water tank,” she explains. “We need water.”

“Oh. You’re amazing at this. For someone who doesn’t even drink coffee.”

That statement colors her cheeks red, and he discovers that he likes the sight. “No, I just had to late coffee way too often! I mean, make coffee. For lostumers. I mean, customers.” She scampers away to the sink, her back to him. “And anyway, it’s pretty self-explanatory.”

Adrien sighs, leaning against the counter. “Yeah. Guess I can’t even do the most basic things, huh?”

“That’s not – it’s not what I meant.” Marinette returns with the filled-up water tank, putting it back in. “No matter how self-explanatory, you gotta do some things at least once to understand how they work. Theoretical knowledge is great and all, but never doing it doesn’t teach you anything.” She opens a lid on the machine, and when Adrien peeks into the opening, he discovers a whole mountain of coffee beans. She seems content with the amount and closes the lid again. “It’s like – what use is a recipe that you know by heart if you never actually try it out, you know? There are some things you can only learn if you actually go through with them.”

“Like designing clothes?” He smiles at her.

“Like modelling,” she returns. “Okay, where are your cups?”

He makes a face. “We have a second kitchen close to my room. It’s way smaller, so …”

“So you have no idea?”

He shrugs. She stares at him for a long moment, and then she snorts.

“Right. Cupboard by cupboard, then. They can’t be far away from the machine, though.”

“How would you know?”

“Common sense. Just easier, or else your chef would have to run half a marathon through your gigantic kitchen every single time.”

Adrien regards her. The words left her fast and with a certainty that almost makes him laugh. Of course she’s smart. Ladybug always was. Marinette always was. Her loose hair plays around her face as she goes on her tiptoes, opening cupboard after cupboard, and he is already moving to help her when she gives a triumphant noise. And then, she gives a suppressed laugh, drawing out one of the cups and presenting it to him.

“Did you give him that?” she asks.

“Best dad ever,” he reads out loud, then rolls his eyes. “I think I did.”

“I would have several arguments against that statement,” she mumbles as she sets down the cup. Then she jumps. “Not that – sorry if that is –”

“No, no. You’re right. Sometimes I feel the strong urge to … I don’t know.”

Marinette laughs in surprise. She smacks a hand over her mouth. “Same.”

“With your parents?”

“With your dad.” She looks away from him. “Not that I’d actually do anything, or … Just – he’s giving you a hard time for nothing, I feel like.”

“He is. Even if he means well.” Or at least Adrien hopes he does. He nods at the cup. “I’ll take that one. And you?”

“Uh, I don’t know …”

He comes closer to her. She doesn’t move away. Their shoulders touch each other as he glances upwards. A shaking breath escapes her. His heart tumbles through his chest. He reaches up, pulling out another cup. A pink one with cute little hearts decorating it. “There. Perfect.”

She snorts. “Very cheesy.”

“Tell me you don’t like it.”

“Okay! Okay. I admit it. I think it’s cute.”

He looks at her. Smiles. “Me too.”

Before their eyes can meet again, he moves away.

Turns out, handling the coffee machine isn’t that much of a big deal anyway. Marinette whispers in shock that the machine itself gives several options for different types of coffee, and she repeats three times that this is a “hell of a fancy coffee machine” before watching Adrien push the cappuccino button. They watch coffee pour down, the loud sounds the machine makes echoing through the empty kitchen. When it’s Marinette’s turn, she makes a face, but he pushes the cappuccino button another time and starts looking around for milk and sugar. The fridge isn’t far away, and Marinette gives a sound as she pulls something out of a cupboard.

“Vanilla aroma,” she announces. “I see what your chef did there. I’ll try it.”

“Wouldn’t we need a recipe?” he returns.

“For coffee?” Laughing, she returns to her cup. “Sure, Adrien. One hundred milliliters of milk, not a drop more, not a drop less.”

He grins at her, a package of milk in his hands as he stops next to her. “Are you teasing me?”

“Me? No, no. How could you even say that?” She flutters her eyelashes at him.

He has to laugh. His eyes drop down to her lips, pink and the slightest smirk building on them. He quickly looks away again.

Eventually, coffees in their hands, they jump onto one of the counters, sitting next to each other as rain keeps falling against the window. They have turned off the lights to not draw any attention to themselves. Among shadows and darkness, Marinette’s bright eyes stand out as she stares down at her cup. She sniffs at it as Adrien sips at his own cappuccino, the bitter taste coating his tongue.

“Do it,” he tells her. “Come on. It can’t be that bad.”

“Says you,” she mumbles. “You’re used to it.”

“See, told you we should have used a recipe.”

She rolls her eyes. Carefully leads the cup to her lips and takes the tiniest sip, her nose scrunched up. Silent seconds pass in which she screws her eyes shut, and she swallows the sip hesitantly. Needs some more moments until she blinks her eyes open again, tilting her head.

“Huh,” she says. “Not too bad.”

“See? I told you.” He nudges her foot with his. A gesture that is so familiar that he shudders, and he stops his movements. “Someday, you won’t even need the vanilla aroma anymore.”

“I doubt it.” She takes another sip. “If I ever start drinking espresso, I have officially lost control over my life.”

“Or you’ve gained all the control.”

“Sure. Nope. I’ll stay with hot chocolate, thank you.”

“Oh, hot chocolate’s great, too.”

“Yeah, but no caffeine, I guess.”

Adrien has to smile. “You know which other advantage coffee has?”

“No.” She squints at him. “Tell me.”

“You can splash them at famous people whenever you want.”

It takes Marinette a second, it seems, and Adrien is almost afraid she didn’t understand the reference at all. But then, a smile grows on her face. “Right. That’s a good point. Maybe I should try right now?”

“Would be surreal and not really nice.”

“No, no, wait. I’m supposed to be the William Thacker of this situation, not you!”

“But you would be a …” He swallows down the “prettier” on his tongue and decides on a safer option instead. “A way better Anna Scott than I.”

“No, no, I don’t think so. You’re the actor here, after all.”

“So? Doesn’t make me a good Anna Scott.”

“It literally does!”

They continue their lighthearted conversation. They joke and laugh, and somewhere along the line, Adrien can’t hold back anymore. He nudges her foot, and she nudges back, touches that should seem meaningless. He feels safe and warm next to her. As if he never belonged anywhere else.

It’s scary, somehow.

They wash their cups, return it back to the cupboard. Make sure everything looks exactly the way it did when they entered the kitchen. Then they sneak back to Adrien’s room. It’s a bit after three a.m. when they arrive in front of his door, and the ever-lasting sound of raindrops greets them in his room. Adrien makes sure Plagg is nowhere to be seen before letting Marinette in for good. They think about watching a movie, but they both feel too giddy and too exhausted at the same time, and eventually, they land on his bed. Staring at the ceiling, faces next to each other, his feet propped against the wall and Marinette’s legs hanging off the other end.

They talk about nothing and everything. Her voice is soothing, quiet in the silence. She is so close that nothing but her scent surrounds him, and he almost wants to drown in it.

“Kagami talked to me today,” Marinette whispers.

An icy shudder goes through him. He keeps staring at the ceiling. “Yeah. I saw.”

“You know …” She sighs. “Kagami is my friend. I would never want to see her in pain. But she … She thinks there’s something you aren’t telling her.”

Adrien closes his eyes.

“Is there?”

He can’t answer.

“Adrien, really, I … I think you should make her your girlfriend. Ease her doubts. If you want to. But you fit so well together, and –”

“What if I’m not sure if I want to?” he dares utter.

It’s easier if he doesn’t have to look at anyone as he says it. It’s easier to hear nothing but the sound of rain for a long, long while. Marinette shifts slightly, and her voice is careful and quiet as she responds.

“Is there a reason you’re not sure?”

He takes a breath. Feels his lungs expand. “I don’t – I can’t hurt her either. I did it once, and the thought of doing it again, it’s just …”

“It hurts you just the same?”

“Yeah.”

Silence again. When Marinette speaks up after a while, her voice carries the same carefulness as before. “Okay. Then humor me. Let’s imagine we’re living in a world where Kagami wouldn’t be hurt, no matter what you do. She wouldn’t judge you. No one would judge you. What would you do?”

He releases a breathless laugh. “What kind of world is that?”

“That’s why I said, humor me. Come on, answer the question. What would you do?”

“I don’t know,” he mumbles. “I just … I really thought that what I feel for her could be more. That it could be, I don’t know …”

“Love?”

The ceiling is white and blank. He tries to find any unevenness on it. “Yeah.”

“And it isn’t?”

“Maybe … Maybe I’m naïve, I don’t know, but I always thought it would feel different. Or maybe that’s just exactly what it feels like, and I’m just being an idiot, and I should stop hesitating all the time and hurting people and –”

“Why did you break up with her the first time?”

He shuts up. Tries not to think about who is lying next to him. Tries to keep breathing evenly. “There was a girl.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, I …” He swallows. “But then … I thought I was in love with that girl. Truly in love.”

Marinette doesn’t answer.

“And then, I realized that there’s a side to her I never noticed. A whole new side that just appeared out of nowhere.”

“And you fell out of love with her? Because you didn’t like that side?”

“No,” he whispers. “No. It’s just – shouldn’t I have noticed that side before? How can I say I was in love with her when I didn’t even know the whole her?”

Marinette shifts. When he turns his head, he discovers that she has turned on her stomach, frowning at him. It takes her some time until she answers, and when she does, her eyes don’t leave his. “I think you’re being too harsh. Falling in love with someone is discovering all of them. And liking them more with every tiny new thing you notice – or realizing that actually, you two aren’t a good fit. It always depends. But you can’t just expect to look at someone and know them for all that they are in an instant. Would be easier, sure, but that’s not how it works.”

He swallows gently. Keeps looking at her. “Even if I could never connect the dots?”

“I don’t think there are any dots to connect in the first place. It’s not like you only fall for one tiny part of the person.” She lets her chin rest against her crossed arms. “You fall for everything they hide, too. For all the parts you have to dig out. You want to get to know them better. You want them to open up to you. Right? Or at least, that’s how I see it.”

He can’t stop staring at her. At the hair playing around her face. At eyes that are deep and alluring. At freckles covering her cheeks. He can’t look away. He never could.

“I would apologize to her,” he replies quietly.

Marinette blinks in question.

“In that ideal world. Where Kagami wouldn’t be hurt. I would apologize to her.”

She shows a sad smile. “Please don’t say it’s my fault. Because of all those stupid rumors. I didn’t want you to … I really want you to be happy, you know.”

“It isn’t your fault.”

Her smile falls a bit. “It took me a month to realize I’m not in love with Luka, and I still was together with him for half a year.”

“And it never felt right?”

“It never did.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, watching as she lets her head rest on her arms for good, as she closes her eyes.

“I’m sorry too. I wish we could just learn to love someone.” She sighs. “I really tried, you know. I really wanted to love him.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s stupid. It’s just so seriously stupid.”

“I agree.”

He watches her face. He resists the urge to reach out for her, to let his fingertips wander over her skin. He wonders if things could be different. If there is place and a time he could have fallen for Kagami with his all. He loves her in a way that is full of admiration and care, but not in a way that breaks him into pieces and builds him up anew.

It takes him some time to discover Marinette must have fallen asleep. He watches her breathe until he feels his eyes grow heavy, and before he knows it, tiredness has lulled him in.

“Good morning, Adrien.”

The words are somehow stern, and he drifts out of his sleep until he discovers his arm is draped around something soft and warm. He hums, trying to open his eyes and failing.

“And company.”

That makes less sense. It’s Nathalie’s voice, he slowly realizes. That something under his arm moves against him. The feeling is comfortable, and he inhales deeply before managing to open his eyes, realizing that his nose is buried in dark hair.

Company …

Oh.

He’s wide awake in an instant, head turning to stare at Nathalie. With an arched eyebrow, she returns his stare. Sometime during the night, Marinette and Adrien must have snuggled close to each other, the blanket draped over them. His heart starts racing so wildly that every word dies on his tongue.

“I don’t remember you asking for permission to have a friend over.” Nathalie stresses “friend” in a way that leaves no doubt about what she really means.

“Yeah, uh.” He laughs. Discreetly shakes Marinette’s shoulder. Her grumbling is cute, but not helpful at this moment. “I did. You must have forgotten. No problem. Happens.”

The corner of Nathalie’s mouth twitches.

“Hey, stop that,” Marinette mumbles, and when he keeps shaking her shoulder, she eventually opens her eyes. Slight annoyance turns to shock in a matter of seconds, and she lifts her head just as hastily as Adrien did, meeting Nathalie’s eyes. “Oh. Woah. Um. Good morning! What a beautiful day outside!”

It’s still raining.

“See, there’s an easy explanation,” Adrien tries, carefully moving away from Marinette.

“I’m listening,” Nathalie returns.

“So.” Adrien nods. “It was raining.” Adrien nods again. “Marinette was in the area. Caught in the rain.”

“She didn’t get in through the main entrance.”

“Yeah!” Marinette chirps. “That’s because I, um, climbed in through the window!”

“What she means,” Adrien quickly saves her, “is that you just didn’t notice her coming in. Yep.”

Nathalie nods. “Staff entrance?”

For a few moments, Adrien keeps up his mechanical smile. Then he gives up. “Yes. Staff entrance.”

“I see.” Nathalie inhales deeply. “I see.” She sits down at the edge of his bed, massaging the bridge of her nose. “Please just tell me you weren’t acting irresponsibly.”

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what exactly she means, and Adrien feels his cheeks turn hot as he scratches the back of his head. “We weren’t.”

“We weren’t – at all!” Marinette adds, voice quivering.

“Good. Well.” Nathalie takes off her glasses and squeezes her eyes shut. “Give me a second. I need to think.”

“Please don’t tell father?” Adrien swallows thickly. “Because he, you know …”

Nathalie doesn’t move for some long, torturous moments. He exchanges a look with Marinette. She looks so apologetic that he touches her arm, smiling at her as reassuringly as he can.

Then, finally, Nathalie clears her throat. “Miss Marinette. I never saw you here. You never entered this mansion without permission. Adrien spent the night alone and on his own.” Her cool eyes catch Adrien’s. “Now that your father’s project has been dealt with, you will have to count on being surveilled more closely again. I would advise you to plan a sleepover from time to time. With your closest platonic friend. Once per week.” She stands up, smoothing out wrinkles in her suit. “Do we have an agreement?”

Adrien blinks. His smile grows. “Thank you, Nathalie, really –”

She interrupts him with a small gesture. “I would have appreciated a warning. I’m afraid to ask how long this has been going on.” Her voice drops down an octave. “Still, I will not interfere with your relationships. Just keep it discreet. I’d advise you to wait for the right moment to make it known.”

“We’re actually not –”

“Thank you, Nathalie,” Adrien interrupts Marinette, hand still on her arm. “I appreciate it.”

Nathalie nods. She nods again. “I will tell Maurice you feel especially hungry today. He might –”

“Oh, there’s no need,” Marinette says quickly. “I’ll, um, be on my way anyway. But thank you.”

“Very well.” Nathalie sighs again before moving to the door. “Enjoy the beautiful day, Miss Marinette.”

Silence takes over when she is gone. Slowly, Adrien turns his head to look at her. Marinette stares back at him, eyes wide.

“I’m so sorry,” she breathes.

“Hey, no worries. I trust Nathalie.”

“But now she thinks – this wasn’t –”

“I pretend I’m your boyfriend, you pretend you’re my girlfriend. We’re even, right?”

He feels heat climb up his neck. He sees her cheeks assuming color. They are too close, way too close, and he wants nothing more than to reach out for her, to brush his fingers through her silky hair and –

His heart jumps. He averts his gaze and climbs out of the bed, clearing his throat. “I, um, I’ll better get dressed, uh …”

“But you don’t need me to pretend I’m your girlfriend.”

He ducks his head. Approaches the door to his walk-in closet. “Well, it was an easier explanation than, ‘Oh, no, believe me, we were only sleeping arm in arm like friends just do.’”

“But that’s what happened.”

“Yeah! Yeah. But it might not have looked like that?”

He still can’t look at her, fiddling with the doorknob. He hears the rustling of a blanket, and Marinette’s voice sounds unsure and small as she answers. “You’re so right. Yeah. I’ll … I’ll go. Guest room. Get ready.”

“Okay.”

“See you in school?”

“Sure.”

The door clicks shut. Adrien releases a deep breath, his forehead meeting the closet door. Next to him, Plagg sighs in just the same manner.

“Woah, kiddo. That even made me cringe.”

“I know,” he whispers. “I know. She’s just …” He interrupts himself. Closes his eyes. Almost wants to laugh.

“She’s just what?”

Yeah. If he only knew.

“Would you look at that!” Lila smiles broadly as she shows him her phone. “I guess you did something right, Adrien! You’re successfully clearing things up.”

Adrien stares at the photo Lila is showing him. The kiss from yesterday, taken from afar. From that kind of distance, the surprise he felt at the sudden move isn’t discernable. It looks kind of cute, even. Just like a couple should look like.

Adrien tries to swallow down the lump in his throat.

“Yeah,” Marinette’s voice sounds next to him. “It’s a cute photo.”

He doesn’t dare turn his head to look at her.

“Seriously, is someone following us? I didn’t see anyone familiar near us.” Alya leans closer too. “That’s just getting ridiculous. School paparazzi? Icky.”

Lila purses her lips. “Sure you didn’t see anyone?”

“Sure it wasn’t you?” Marinette drawls.

“Hey, hey. Do you think I would invest that much energy into this investigation if the answer was just, looky, it was me all along?” Lila’s smile is still pleasant, but her undertone is anything but. “Maybe you should learn to be less suspicious of people who just want to help you, Marinette.”

Nino shrugs. “She kinda has a point.”

Finally, Adrien looks at Marinette. When their eyes meet, she gives a sigh. He answers by giving her a small smile.

Two hours of sleep maybe wasn't the best idea. When lunch break arrives, Adrien is practically swaying on his feet. His thinking capabilities fade in and out at random intervals, but the thought of that photo won’t leave his mind. Because Lila was right – with the way Adrien and Marinette try to avoid one on one interactions, and with that new photo going around, people seem to look at him less. He officially seems to be dating Kagami, and certainly no one else.

Because Marinette is just a friend.

The thought is so nauseating that he stops in front of their regular table with his tray in his hands. Marinette and Kagami are sitting across from each other, deigning each other hardly any look. Next to both of them, there are free seats. The logical solution would be Kagami. The only solution can be Kagami. It should be clear, it should be easy, and –

“Are you gonna stand there forever, sunshine?”

He meets Alya’s narrowed eyes. His mouth is dry. He wants to laugh and can’t, and before he can stumble for words, Nino speaks up next to her.

“Ah, totally forgot, bro. You wanted to talk, right?” With a calm smile, Nino stands up from his seat, tray in his hands. “Ya know, bro talk. Sorry, Al, still love you.”

Kagami looks up from her plate. She doesn’t comment, though, and Adrien lets himself be dragged away by Nino. Relief floods him so suddenly that he releases a deep breath, and Nino sits him down in one of the lonely corners of the hall, leaning close as he picks at his lasagna.

“My sixth sense is telling me something’s wrong, dude.” Nino points his fork at him. “Not that you haven’t seemed out of it since weeks, but anyway. You wanna talk?”

He wants to. He really wants to. But he isn’t even sure where to start, and with a groan, he drags a hand over his face. “The whole school thinks Kagami and I are a thing now, right?”

“Right.” A careful second of silence. “Is that bad?”

“I don’t think – I – I don’t know.”

“Y’know,” Nino says. “It’s the easiest solution. You officially start dating Kagami. No rumors anymore. No two-timing. No nothing. It would have been the easiest solution from the start.”

“I know.”

“But that’s not what you wanted everyone to think.”

Adrien shrugs. He shrugs again. “I don’t … I … Well, I wanted to take it slow. That is all.”

For a while, Nino chews quietly. Adrien suddenly feels so nervous he is quivering. At their regular table, the three girls are talking. He can only see Kagami’s back, and he can see Marinette’s face, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise at something Alya said.

“I’m gonna tell you a story about a friend of mine,” Nino eventually says. “Promise it will totally make sense as soon as you’ve heard the whole thing, right?”

“Right.”

“So, that friend. He has another very close friend. He likes her, really. So I watch him, y’know. He comes to school early just to talk to her. He brings her some special coffee, the only kind she likes. He saves her from teachers by telling her the answers to their questions. He looks at her so often it’s getting suspicious, like, you know. That look. And I’m pretty sure he doesn’t notice, but whenever he sees her smile, he smiles too.” Nino calmly keeps chewing. “So, question for you. If that friend tells me he’s unsure about his feelings for her, what would you tell him?”

Adrien scrunches up his nose, dissecting his own piece of lasagna. “Well, it does sound pretty obvious. Still, maybe you should ask him directly what he feels?”

“Right.” Nino sends him a strange smile. “Okay, then. Question, Adrien. What do you feel for Marinette?”

He almost drops his fork. “What?”

“Yeah, sorry. I was talking about you. Not some other friend.”

Adrien stares at him. “I … I’m not …”

“Honestly, dude. I saw the same thing happen once before.” Nino shrugs, not looking at him anymore. “You’re only going with the flow. Kagami’s great, but she’s pushy. And you let yourself be pushed, you know? But maybe there’s more to it all than just doing what others want you to do.” His eyes land on their regular table, too. “So, I guess, the most important question is not what ya feel for Marinette, but what you want. You want to be with Kagami? You want to be alone? Dude, that’s your choice. No one else’s.”

Adrien keeps staring at him. Opens his mouth. Closes it again. He turns his head back to the others, too. Sees Marinette laugh. Sees a warmth he has always noticed, but never in this way. Piece by piece fitting together until he can finally, finally see all there is to her. He’s left in shambles, his heart tumbling down until she is the only one who can catch it again, and his voice is shaky and quiet as he answers, as the realization shakes him from head to toe.

“To answer your question,” he says slowly, reverently, “I think … I think that friend of yours is falling for her. Hard. Incredibly hard.”

Nino nods and pats his back. “Been there. I get it, dude.”

He snorts. He keeps watching her. The rain has stopped, and the sun fights its way out of grey clouds.

Chapter Text

“Promise,” Adrien admonishes Nino again, “that Alya won’t hear a word. Not a single word. Promise.”

“For the fifth time, I promise.”

“Because you know how she gets.”

“I promise for the sixth time.”

“And I want to …” Adrien swallows heavily. “But Marinette … She isn’t in love with me anymore, right?”

“Yeah, right,” Nino drawls. “She just wanted to save her dignity, dude! She could have hardly told you she’d run off into the sunset with you if you asked her to, right?”

He sweats. Stares at Nino. “Are you sure? Are you really sure? One hundred percent?”

“Dude – you were the only reason she broke things off with Luka anyway.”

“Oh.” A smile builds on his lips, so excited that his whole body is vibrating. And in a matter of seconds, it falls again. “Really? Me? I – I broke them up?”

“No – I mean – dude. You’re a lost cause.” Nino sighs, patting his shoulder once again. “So, whatcha gonna do?”

Adrien’s eyes glide back to their table. Marinette and Kagami are talking. Kagami. He hurt her once before. He doesn’t know how to do it again. The truth should be easy, and yet it sits in the back of his throat, causing him to shiver wildly.

“I … I don’t know what to do,” he whispers.

“You know I’d never wanna talk you into anything,” Nino replies carefully, adjusting his cap, “but I kinda think Kagami deserves the truth. If ya know what you want, she does.”

“Yeah …” Adrien takes a deep breath. “She does deserve the truth.”

“So, talk to her.”

“Now?”

“Whatever feels right, dude.”

It feels right to be at least respectful enough to tell her as soon as possible and not lead her on any longer. Even though his hands are trembling, and even though his stomach is churning. Even though he remembers the first time he had to tell her too well – she never cried, she never did, but he could see the pain in her eyes so clearly it pained himself.

If he would have just realized sooner …

He stands up at last.

The dining hall is not as packed anymore, and Adrien’s hands feel clammy as he gets closer to their table. Alya is the first one to look up to him, one corner of her mouth raised. “Finished with your bro talk, sunshine?”

“Yeah, um, just …” He tries not to grimace and does so anyway. “Kagami, sorry, but could we talk?”

Kagami turns to him, expression giving away nothing. “Of course. Should we …”

“We could go.” Marinette jumps up so quickly she almost knocks off her tray. There’s something panicked to her eyes, and she sends Adrien a look he isn’t sure how to return. “You could talk here. Not a problem. Right, Alya?”

“Right.” With that, Alya gets up, looking from Adrien to Nino. “See you later, Adrien. Bye, Kagami.”

Kagami nods after them. And Adrien needs way too long to actually sit down next to her. The hall is getting emptier with every second, and Kagami’s scrutinizing look almost makes him flinch.

“What do you want to talk about, Adrien?”

“Well,” he starts, searching for words. He can hardly come out with the truth, right? So, yes, I realized that Marinette is Ladybug, and that I’m pretty much madly in love with both of them, which is great because they are one and the same, and that kind of means that I’m not feeling the same way you might feel about me — and he resists the urge to plant his face against the table. Instead, he clears his throat. “I’m sure you’ve already heard about that photo of, well, us?”

“Gossip is the poor man’s entertainment,” Kagami drawls, hands clasped in her lap and head held high. She averts his gaze. “I want to apologize if I pressured you into something you did not want, though.”

“No, that’s not …” He pauses. “Well, I mean …”

“Oh, Adrien, hi!”

Without any warning, Lila flops down next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as if it’s the most natural thing she could possibly do. Kagami sharply lifts her head, staring as Lila leans too close for comfort and shows him her phone. Even as Adrien tries to free himself from her sudden grasp, it’s not much use.

“Lila,” he returns warily. “So nice of you to interrupt us out of nowhere.”

“Oh! I’m so sorry. You didn’t seem too occupied.” A flawless smile is on her lips as she regards Kagami. “Huh. And we finally meet! Kagami Tsurugi, right? I’m Lila, Adrien’s beloved classmate and friend. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Kagami replies cautiously. “We did meet once, didn’t we?”

Lila keeps smiling. “Did we? Sorry. If so, I can’t remember.”

“Um, yeah. And Lila is also the one in charge of the rumor investigation,” Adrien adds, finally managing to slip away underneath her arm. Lila doesn’t seem to mind though, instead leaning against his shoulder.

“Yes, exactly. About that.” She stares down at her phone again. “I found out who’s behind that photo from yesterday.”

That makes Adrien raise his eyebrows. “What? Really? Who?”

“A guy from a higher grade. Thing is, I talked to him. You can thank me later. And he isn’t the one behind the other two photos. Which means whoever took those other photos doesn’t seem to focus on you and Kagami, but on Marinette.” Lila shrugs. “I think, at least.”

“That … doesn’t make much sense,” Adrien muses out loud.

“Well,” Lila returns. “Look. Not that I don’t have indefinite trust in Marinette’s judgement, but really. Did she think her ex would just admit everything if she asked and be on his merry way? Of course the first reaction would always be denial. So, it’s still a possibility.”

Adrien works his jaw. It all boils down to one solution, it seems: Luka blamed Adrien for their failed relationship, and now he wants revenge. Really, he trusts Marinette’s judgement too, but of course she’d be biased in some regard. Anything else just wouldn’t make sense.

“It’s honorable that you’d invest that much time into such a task,” Kagami says, face blank.

“Oh, you know! I just love helping people.” Lila shrugs, still staring at her display. “I once helped a whole family of ducklings find a new home because someone destroyed the pond where they lived, you know. One of the ducklings even wanted to follow me home, but I –”

“Thanks for the story,” Adrien quickly interrupts her. “Do you know which afternoon classes Luka has?”

Lila’s eyes slide to him for a second, then back again. “Why? Do you want to talk to him?”

He clears his throat. “Maybe?”

“Wow! You’re so brave, Adrien.” She scrolls through her chats, and he can’t even follow properly as she pulls up a message. “Friday. Band practice.”

“Right.” With that, he stands up. Kagami’s voice holds him back, though.

“Don’t you have classes yourself?”

“Only PE. That can wait. I’ll only need ten minutes anyway.”

“But – wasn’t there something you wanted to talk about?”

That almost makes him freeze. He turns around for a second, nodding at Kagami. “Afterwards? You’ve got PE too, right? After that?”

“I – yes, I … I assume I could stay for some time.”

“Thank you, Kagami.” He gives her one last smile before turning around for good.”

Kagami stares after him, eyebrows furrowed, while Lila smiles at him and sends him a half-wave. “See you later, Adrien!” she lilts.

He waves back at them.

The band room is on the second floor. The bell hasn’t rung yet, and he has to squeeze himself through a mess of students. Only halfway through does he realize that what he is doing might be stupid. Because what exactly is he supposed to do? Sure, the thought of Luka bothering her is making his skin crawl, but if Marinette’s judgement really is to be trusted, meaning it wasn’t Luka in the first place, then –

“Hi, Adrien,” a deep voice greets him as someone passes him by.

He winces. Clears his throat before he can change his mind. “Luka, hey. Can we talk?”

Luka stops, turns his head. There’s a ghost of a smile on his lips. Some of his classmates snort at him, but don’t comment on it further. His guitar is slung over his shoulder, and he asks someone else to carry it into the room as he saunters closer to Adrien.

“Sure thing. What’s up?”

Adrien feels some eyes on him. Swallows his nervousness. “Maybe in private?”

Luka raises his eyebrows, the amused smile still sitting on his lips. The bell rings. “Don’t you have somewhere to go?” he asks. Adrien isn’t sure if he is being mocked, but he decides to give Luka the benefit of the doubt.

“Yeah, but it can wait. Only ten minutes?”

Luka’s smile twitches. Then he turns and nods for Adrien to follow.

They end up on one of the outside portions of the school building, a smoking area for the older students. A clear sky greets them, the sun shining down. Adrien almost expects Luka to pull out a cigarette, but he doesn’t. Instead, blue eyes catch his, curiosity shining in them as Luka leans against the railing. “Here we are. What’s up?”

“I want to ask you something,” Adrien says, taking a deep breath. “And I want you to be honest with me.”

Luka smiles patiently.

“Are you …” He swallows down his hesitation for good. “Are you the one who shared those photos of Marinette and me?”

A laugh. Luka shakes his head. “Marinette asked me too. I can only tell you the same thing I told her: I didn’t.”

“It would make sense, though.” Adrien keeps his eyes on him. Doesn’t shy away from the intensity in Luka’s look.

“Ah. Would it?”

“Yes.”

Luka’s smile widens as he leans his cheek against his hand. “Because I’m jealous?”

Hearing it out loud somehow does sound ridiculous. Adrien puts his hand on the back of his neck, eyes gliding away.

“I’m not the one who took those photos,” Luka goes on. “But Marinette told me you rejected her anyway.”

“I …” He sighs, leaning over the railing too. Green grass beneath them, swaying in a light spring breeze. “If she would have asked me sooner …” He can’t finish the sentence. He still feels Luka’s eyes on him.

“Why are you really here, Adrien?”

He frowns. Still doesn’t look at Luka. “What do you mean?”

“I like to think that you know I would never try to sabotage Marinette in this way. So, why are you here?”

“I don’t know if you would. That’s why I wanted to make sure it really wasn’t you.”

“Okay, then.” Luka sounds way too amused for his liking. “It really wasn’t me.”

Okay. It was stupid. What is he supposed to do now? Force Luka to admit something he actually never did? Adrien feels so idiotic that he closes his eyes for a moment, and when Luka’s voice reaches him again, he almost winces.

“She liked you a lot, you know. I think she still does.”

Adrien can’t answer.

“You know, maybe I was jealous. From time to time. Because in the end, she still chose you.” Luka drums his hand against the railing. “And in the end, I was angry at you too. Because you let an amazing girl get away.” When Adrien dares look at him again, he is met by a gentle smile. “But what can I do? It’s your decision. Your life.”

“I won’t,” he returns, words heavy on his tongue. “I won’t let her get away again.”

Luka keeps smiling. “I see,” he says. Turns back to the grass far beneath them. “What made you change your mind?”

“I think,” Adrien mumbles, “I was just pretty blind.”

“That could be it.” Luka’s eye trail from him to something else behind them, and Adrien frowns as Luka’s smile drops the slightest bit. “Not very polite to listen in on people, don’t you think?”

Within a second, Adrien whirls his head around. His heart almost stops. Kagami is leaning against the wall, arms crossed and face turned to the sun. Her expression is blank, and she doesn’t meet his eyes.

“How much …” Adrien croaks.

“The important parts,” she returns.

Luka lays a gentle hand on Adrien’s shoulder before turning away. When he passes Kagami, he sends her a half-hearted smile that is simply ignored. Luka doesn’t say goodbye as he disappears through the door, and Adrien feels like icy water is pouring through his veins, freezing his heart.

“Is that what you wanted to talk about?” Kagami asks. She still isn’t looking at him. “That you don’t want to let her get away?”

“I …” He doesn’t know what to do with his hands. He buries them in his pockets. “Kagami, you shouldn’t have heard all of this.”

“I am aware. Your habits as of late might have had a bad influence on me.”

“Kagami …”

“You were blind. You were incredibly blind. But when she confessed to you, and when you rejected her, I thought I still had a chance.”

His mouth feels dry. “I needed time. I just realized –”

“But of course, you hesitated. Like you always do. Hesitation doesn’t spare people’s feelings, Adrien. You cause them more pain than the truth ever could.”

“I didn’t want to –”

“If I had known from the start that I was fighting a battle I was bound to lose, I could have walked away in dignity.” A bitter smile appears on her lips. She drops it again in a matter of seconds. “And here I am, the fool that let herself be broken to pieces by you twice. The true mark of ignorance is repeating mistakes the past should have taught you, after all.”

“Listen –” He comes closer, and before he can be close enough to touch her, she sharply moves her head. Stares at him. Eyes full of humiliation, and hurt, and tears she would never show him. Not anymore. He stops in his tracks, tries to find his voice again. “Listen, Kagami. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I think the reason I needed time was that –”

“You could at least have given me the chance to fight back.”

“It’s not …. It’s not about fighting, or losing, or …”

“It clearly is. Because without a chance to fight, I have lost everything in the blink of an eye.”

“No.” His voice drops down to a whisper. “No. Kagami, I care about you. I – I just don’t think I could love you the way you want me to. I wish I could change something about it, I wish –”

“What exactly changed, then? What did she do to open your eyes?” Kagami sneers. “What was the move that won you over, Adrien?”

He looks at her. Eyes glazed, the tremor of her lips disguised by her set jaw. Her words are drenched in bitterness and desperation, and it hurts so much he feels it pulsate in his own heart.

“There was no move,” he answers truthfully. “She did nothing. It just needed time. I don’t think … There’s nothing you could have … I’m sorry. I should have realized sooner, and I’m sorry.”

Kagami averts her gaze, arms still tightly crossed and pressed against her body. “It was her, wasn’t it? The girl that caused you to break up with me the first time around. It was her all along, from the start.”

He can’t answer.

“So you lied to me. To spare my feelings, and to keep being blind to the truth, you lied to me. Over and over.” She turns around sharply, her back to him. “I would have expected better from you, Adrien.”

“Kagami –”

She leaves him standing. The door clicks shut. Warm spring sun shines down on him. He breathes, and leans over the railing, and hides his face in his hands for seconds on end.

“You know what always cheers me up?” Plagg’s voice sounds behind him, a tinge of worry to his words.

“A piece of camembert?” Adrien guesses.

“Huh. Impressive. I would be willing to share. Just this once.”

“That is very kind of you, Plagg.”

A little thump as Plagg lands on the railing next to him. Adrien glances at his kwami, and his kwami glances back.

“Could never stand human affairs,” Plagg confesses. “Complicated stuff.”

Adrien releases a deep breath. “Did many of your Chat Noirs break hearts?”

“Kiddo! All of them. It’s part of destruction.”

“So you cursed me with the ability to break hearts? That’s just great.”

“Nah. You’re a human. Every human is cursed with the ability to destroy, and with the gift to create.” Plagg yawns and lets his head drop against the railing. “Or something. I’ve heard.”

He wishes he could understand. But before they can continue their conversation, he hears a crash, then a scream. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what is happening. Adrien closes his eyes for a second. He could have stopped her, could have calmed her down, and yet –

Maybe she is right. Maybe his hesitation is rather hurting people than helping them.

He transforms.

Ladybug dodges another beam, almost landing face-first on the floor in the process. The akumatized villain has the form of a young woman with a glare so icy it makes her shake, and she was just anticipating the moment the villain would turn to another student, grabbing her collar and bringing her close to her face.

“Where is Adrien Agreste?” the villain asks.

The student stumbles over her words, tears shooting into her eyes. She hesitates for so long that the villain sneers, tossing the girl away as if handling no more than an object.

“Useless.”

The only thing rendering them useless are the villain’s weird beams, anyway. Every person that was hit is cowering in fear, scared stiff and unmoving. The whole dining hall is filled with people whimpering and trying to get away. Which isn’t too bad a move, honestly.

Ladybug scrambles to her feet, about to save the girl from a surely painful landing when a flash of black beats her to it. Chat Noir catches the girl, gently letting her sink down to her feet before exchanging a look with Ladybug.

He seems tense. She can understand why.

“You!” The villain points her sword at Chat Noir. Ladybug feels oddly reminded of one of the peculiar dreams she had, but she suppresses the shudder threatening to run through her. “Tell me Adrien Agreste’s whereabouts. Now!”

Chat holds up his hands. “You’re asking the wrong cat, um … Scary Sword Lady?”

“That’s Miss Haste to you,” she hisses, swinging her sword in Chat’s direction. He dodges the attack easily, landing on a nearby railing. “I never hesitate for a second. Contrary to most others, that is.”

“Well, not like people don’t have any reason to hesitate in front of you,” Ladybug calls out. Miss Haste’s icy glare hits her. “I mean, as a villain. Right now. Only as a villain.”

It’s not too hard to figure out who this is. It’s not that hard to figure out how it happened. Ladybug feels horrible. Sitting in art class, she was thinking about what to do, how to help, but she’s pretty sure Kagami would have dismissed her right away. After all, with those stupid rumors still going around, why should Kagami believe a word she would tell her?

“You both are of no use to me.” Miss Haste narrows her eyes at Ladybug. “Hand me your Miraculouses, and I will spare you.”

“Or else? You’re going to make me cower in fear?” Ladybug jumps to the side as Miss Haste leaps at her, the sword’s tip boring into the wall just a second afterwards and leaving a crack. Ladybug gulps, but tries to keep up her almost cheery tone. “I’m pretty sure there are better solutions than making mincemeat out of Adrien. Whatever he did to you, that is.”

“He was unsure,” Miss Haste pulls her sword back out, “and a coward,” she points it at Ladybug again, “and too naïve to realize what consequences his lack of actions would have.” She attacks again, and Ladybug uses her yo-yo to escape the blow, landing right next to Chat Noir in the process. His expression is uncharacteristically strained as he shoots Ladybug a quick look.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean you any harm,” he says.

“It doesn’t matter what he meant to do,” Miss Haste returns. “It matters what he did.”

Ladybug looks her over. Searching for anything that seems out of place. That sword, of course, isn’t too usual, but she can’t imagine that being the item they’re searching for. Or –

“It’s on her necklace,” Chat tells her. “You see that rose?”

Ladybug squints. A rather large pendant in the form of a rose. She raises an eyebrow at him. “Are you sure?”

“Very.”

“How the hell are we supposed to come closer to that?”

“A little bit of luck, maybe?” He gives her a telling look. Then, before another beam can hit them, he grabs her waist and brings both of them to safety, leaving a sneer on Miss Haste’s face. He somehow seems so pensive that worry blooms in Ladybug’s chest, but she gets the cue, summoning her Lucky Charm.

And being presented with a bouncy ball.

She frowns. Stares at it. Looks at Miss Haste, who is momentarily distracted by Chat Noir drawing closer. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. Miss Haste primarily uses her sword, but she doesn’t seem to be afraid to use hands-on-hands combat if she needs to, so …

Oh.

“Chat!” she calls out, and it’s the only warning she gives him before she aims the ball, lunges out, and throws it in the direction of one of the walls. She isn’t the quickest at calculating angles and impacts and whatever else there is to a ball bouncing off a wall, but relief floods her when she realizes she was at least not that off-track. Because the ball meets the wall, and the strength she put into the throw makes it bounce off the surface with a loud sound, directly at Miss Haste.

Not one to hesitate, Miss Haste immediately turns to the ball, and that moment of distraction is enough. Chat Noir jumps forward, her back turned to him. It doesn’t take him much effort to tear the sword right out of her hands, the closest item he could possibly take from her in this instant. In her confusion, the bouncy ball meets Miss Haste’s forehead, making her stumble back. Chat releases his cataclysm, ready to destroy the weapon –

“No! No, no!” Ladybug quickly jumps towards him, and he stares at her questioningly, and that was all she really needed – with the mechanics of the sword unfamiliar to him and with its tip pointing at Miss Haste, he accidentally fires a beam, releasing a surprised sound.

And hitting Miss Haste in the process.

It’s almost weird to watch the villain go to her knees in an instant, eyes wide and body starting to shake. “Don’t,” she whispers, scrambling back. “Don’t take this from me. Please.”

Ladybug swallows. Exchanges a look with Chat before coming closer to her. “It will be all right, I promise. You’re akumatized. You’re not yourself.”

“You don’t understand!” Miss Haste screeches, shying away the closer Ladybug comes. “Without him, I have nothing! Nothing! I put so much into this – so much – only to have him taken away – that’s not fair, it isn’t fair!”

Pain shoots through Ladybug’s heart. She understands. She understands too well, but before she can take heart and free Miss Haste from her state, Chat beats her to it. He doesn’t hesitate to crouch down to Miss Haste, doesn’t wait a second to let the rose pendant crumble in his hand. A black butterfly flaps its wings, and Kagami’s face replaces the icy exterior of the villain, still seeming small and helpless as she kneels on the floor.

“I was akumatized,” she realizes. Shows a bitter expression. “Of course I was.”

Ladybug watches as Chat Noir lets his palm rest against Kagami’s cheek. It’s a touch that is too intimate to mean nothing, but she can’t think too much about it as she purifies the akuma. Around them, people wake from their stupor. When she picks up her bouncy ball, she crouches close to Kagami, shooting her a tiny smile.

“It will get better,” she says. “I promise it will.”

“I’m sure he didn’t mean to hurt you,” Chat whispers, sounding so genuinely distraught that it even breaks Ladybug’s heart.

Kagami stares down at the floor, her face pained, her shoulders hunched.

Warm spring weather outside. Marinette shot Kagami a text, asking if everything is okay. Because she saw that Kagami was akumatized, and if there’s anything she can do, anything she could bring to her home or help her with or just something –

Kagami didn’t text her back.

When Marinette steps outside, most of the students already gone and the school drenched in silence, she sees someone sitting on the stairs. Golden hair, shoulders drawn up. She takes a breath, takes another one, and sits down next to him. He looks at her, and she looks back at him. Sorrow glimmers in his eyes, and his smile is hesitant.

“Hi,” she whispers.

“Hi,” he whispers back.

For a while, they sit in silence. She wants to reach out for him, but doesn’t dare to. She thinks about the girl he loves, wonders who it could be, wonders who would be important enough to break even Kagami’s heart, and eventually Marinette leans her head back, staring at the blue sky above.

“Didn’t go well, I guess. Your talk.”

“It didn’t, no.”

“So, you …” She doesn’t dare ask, instead fiddling with her fingers.

“Yeah. We broke things off.”

She nods. She bites her lip. She tries to find words, and it becomes harder with every second.

“She seems even angrier than the first time around,” Adrien whispers.

“Maybe she blames herself too, you know. Maybe she thinks she could have done something different this time.”

Adrien exhales audibly, hiding his face behind his hands for a second. “I tried to see what I really feel. I told her I’d need time, but still …”

“Did you find out? What you really feel, I mean.”

“Yeah … I think I did.”

“Then I don’t think there’s anything to regret.”

He laughs bitterly. “Isn’t there? I don’t know.”

She keeps staring at her hands. Keeps trying to not let her voice wither away. “I’m … I’m sorry. It’s …” She sighs. “When I broke up with Luka, I … I could hardly sleep.”

“Hurting people is never fun, huh?”

“It isn’t.”

Silence. Marinette is just about to give up and let him be when he speaks up again though.

“I wish I could help her.”

“I think,” Marinette cautiously says, “the only thing she needs right now is space. Really. And as soon as she is ready, I think you can be friends again.”

He cracks a sad smile. “I broke her heart twice. Do you really think we can be friends?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. You could try, at least.” She finally dares touch his arm, giving him a small smile. “Like we did.”

At that, his face falls. He looks at her for a moment that shakes something inside her, and she has to retract her hand, and when his eyes leave her again, she still feels herself shiver.

“Right,” he mumbles. “Right.”

She can’t stand it. She can’t stand the sadness on his face. She can’t stand knowing that he must blame himself when really, he can’t just force himself to feel something he doesn’t feel. So she nudges his shoulder, waiting until he turns his head to her again.

“Let me cheer you up. Let’s do something fun.”

He seems to search her face. “Something fun?”

“Yep! Get some ice cream. Or, ugh, even coffee.” She smiles and hopes it doesn’t show how desperate she feels. “See what kind of sacrifices I would make just for you?”

Slowly, a smile builds on his lips. “Just for me, huh.”

“Yep. You really are the only person I would ever drink coffee for.” She stands up, offering him a hand. “You did nothing wrong, Adrien. Really. You just stood true to yourself. You deserve to forget about it for one weekend and face the music on Monday, all right?”

Adrien looks up at her. Spring sun interlaced in his hair. Wonder begins to shimmer in his eyes, and she can’t even say why. She can only return his look, can only tremble slightly as his fingers touch her palm, wrap around her hand.

“All right,” he eventually replies, letting himself be pulled up until he stands in front of her, his sad smile still engraved on his face. “Thank you, Marinette.”

“Anytime.”

And she means it.

They settle on ice cream. Marinette lets him have a taste of her blueberry one as they sit on a bench, and he thinks he likes the slightly sour taste. Still, even his own chocolate ice cream is nothing compared to the sight of her bright smile when their eyes meet, to how close she is to him.

He still has to think about Kagami, about how hurt she looked when she realized the truth. It’s not going to leave his mind anytime soon, but still – something else suddenly sits on his tongue, seeing Marinette like this. The urge to just grab her shoulders and tell her to her face how much he adores her, how much sooner he should have realized, how much he is dying to kiss her.

He really is.

She is careful to avoid the topic of Kagami, and Adrien is thankful. Instead, she talks about school, about the history presentation she isn’t able to make any progress on, and she rolls her eyes about the teacher several times.

“At least my sleep pattern is becoming less concerning,” she says.

He could ask why. He could ask if something changed, if wherever she needed to be at night doesn’t matter anymore, but he knows the truth anyway. “I’m glad,” is the only answer that comes to mind instead.

“Me too. Bustier isn’t even giving me the eye anymore. You know, the eye.” For demonstrational purposes, Marinette gives him a look. “That one. That makes you want to flinch, you know.”

“Oh, I know that one. It’s the same one she gave me when I forgot the ending of Candide.”

“Gasp! How dare you!”

“I know, right?” He grins. “So at your top form again, are you?”

“I’m getting there. Not really, thanks to our previous night, but anyway.” She shrugs. “Which, um, also means I don’t really need to come to yours anymore.”

He tries to keep up his smile. Feels his heart sink. “Right. That’s true.”

“And we don’t really … I could tell my parents we’re still friends.”

His heart sinks even further. He doesn’t know how to tell her. He can’t just blurt into her face that he’d like to be more than her fake boyfriend. That he fell for her, for everything that she is, and that he can’t stop falling even further. He can’t just –

“Not before I give you that gift,” he returns almost hastily. “The one I told your parents about. I mean, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t keep my promises?”

Marinette frowns at him. Wind plays with her hair, and she adjusts her light jacket as she replies. “I told you that you don’t have to give me anything. I bet they already forgot about it anyway.”

He exhales. His hesitation hurts, Kagami told him. Maybe it does. Maybe it not only hurts others, but himself, too.

“Let me give it to you on Monday. After school.”

“Adrien.” She laughs. “Really, you don’t have to –”

“Please?”

Her laughter dies down again. His desperation is echoed in the furrowing of her brows, and she leans back a bit. “This really seems to be important to you.”

“It is.” He tries to save himself by showing a tiny smile. “My honor as a boyfriend is at stake, after all.”

“It really is, huh.” She looks at him warily. “Tell me it costs less than ten euros, and I’m fine with it.”

Adrien’s smile twitches. “Am I allowed to lie to you?”

“No.”

“Then, no comment.”

Marinette blenches. “Less than twenty?”

“Lips sealed.”

“Oh my god. Fifty?”

He makes a zipping motion.

“Adrien Agreste, I swear to god. If that mysterious gift costs more than one hundred euros, I will kick you out of my house and throw that thing at your head.”

“Thank you for the warning.”

“Don’t do this to me! I couldn’t possibly pay you back!”

He shrugs. “I’m your boyfriend. You don’t need to pay me back.”

She pouts and kicks his leg softly. “Pretend boyfriend. I beg to differ.”

His cone is eaten, and all that remains is the napkin between his fingers. He plays with it, eyes strictly turned downwards. “Would it be weird? If we dated for real?”

The question in and of itself is weird enough to make him cringe. Marinette seems to think so too, her laugh a bit strained.

“Woah. What a question. I’m, uh, not really qualified to answer that.”

“Yeah. Sorry.” He clears his throat. “Weird thought.”

“Very weird.” He hears her shift, hears a quiet laugh leave her. “Sleep deprivation does things to your brain, huh.”

“Maybe we should have opted for coffee after all.”

“I bet no one could have made coffee that tastes as good as yours.”

He can’t help it. He smiles at her again, discovering that her eyes are on him. His fingers twitch to touch her. Instead, he crumbles up his napkin and leans back.

“Do you think those rumors will finally come to a rest?” she asks. “Or do we still have to avoid each other?”

“Like we do now?”

She sighs. “You know, I really don’t want to keep away from you when there’s no reason to.”

“I think,” he answers quietly, “I couldn’t even keep away from you if I tried to.”

She blinks. He blinks back. Maybe that was too much. Feeling his cheeks turn hot, he averts his gaze again, trying to find a way out of this awkwardness.

“My clumsiness makes me stand out too much, huh?” she quips. It’s a poor attempt, but he appreciates it nonetheless.

“Among other things.”

“Do I want to know which things?”

Your smile. Your laugh. Your eyes. The way you crinkle your nose when you can’t make out what I’m saying. The way you roll your eyes when you’re annoyed at someone. The way you giggle when you don’t want to show how amusing you find something. The way your whole face lights up when you see something you find beautiful. The way you bring warmth anywhere you go. The way my heart starts pounding just thinking about you, and I can’t fathom why it took me so long to realize what you really mean to me.

“A few,” he replies. “But I bet Kagami and I will be the talk of the week anyway.”

“People are way too nosy. Can’t even sort out your feelings in peace.”

“I guess.”

“So …” She nudges his knee with her own. “Do you know what to do about that other girl?”

“That other …?” Oh. Oh, god. Oh god, he’s an idiot. “Um, I – I think I’m going to tell her. Soon.”

“That’s good! Really good.” She ducks her head. Shows a shy smile. “You won’t tell me who it is, will you? I’m just really curious.”

You. It’s you. It gets stuck on his tongue. He can’t stop looking at her. “I think you’ll figure it out, anyway.”

“Mysterious. But I’m happy if you’re happy.”

“I …” He scratches his wrist, shuffles his feet over grass. “I’m kind of worried that she’ll reject me, you know?”

“I get it.” Marinette leans a bit closer, her scent surrounding him once again. “I really do. But, well … I hesitated for years, and … And it didn’t help either. So even if she really rejects you, at least you told her.” She gives a tiny snort. “Even though I can’t imagine anyone rejecting you.”

He returns her smile. “Because I’m the face of a well-known company. Yeah.”

“What? No.” She reaches for his hands. He can’t bring himself to retract them. The feeling of her fingertips softly caressing his knuckles is enough to take his breath away. “I already told you. You’re so kind to everyone. You don’t want to hurt people. You always look for the best in them. You …”

Their eyes meet. Adrien can’t breathe properly. He squeezes her hand. Her eyes are full of something indescribable, something he would like to carefully cradle in his palms and tug close to his heart.

“You’re …” Her voice is lowered to a whisper. “You …”

His eyes dart down to her lips, at how they glimmer in bright sunlight, and it would be so easy to lean forward, to finally do what he needs to do, to make her realize who that girl is, who stole his heart, and –

“You are really funny, too!” she blurts out, letting go of his hands and quickly sliding away, an awkward laugh on her lips. “Yep, so funny. Literally killing me.”

Oh.

What if Nino is wrong, then? What if she really let go of him for good? What if his worries aren’t unfounded, but very much a reality? What if Marinette is the one seeing him as nothing more than a good friend right now?

His cheeks turn so hot that he can’t look at her anymore. “Uh, wow. Sorry, then. Never meant to literally kill you.”

“Oh, happens!” She waves frantically. “Happens. Not a problem. That’s what friends just do sometimes, right? Literally kill each other and stuff.”

“Totally! Totally.”

They both fall silent again. Stare at nothingness.

“Okay, listen, Alya. I will tell you about a problem I have, and I’m asking you not to scoff at it.”

At the other end of the line, Alya gives a sound. “I’m listening.”

“Okay.” Marinette takes a deep breath. “Okay.” She puts her chin on her balcony’s railing, staring down at Paris’s faint lights in the evening. “Okay.” Then, with one last breath, she blurts it out in an indiscernible mess of syllables. “I might maybe perhaps have lost all sense of self-worth and have forgotten about the importance of my no-boys policy, because I think I am kind of somehow a bit crushing on a certain individual who just broke things off with a friend of mine and is simultaneously preparing to confess to another girl and oh my god, please help?”

For a long moment, Alya stays silent. Marinette cringes into herself, trying to hide away from the obvious truth. But really, is it that hard to believe? The way he keeps looking at her, and how much time they are spending together, and she should have realized not avoiding him would be the worst move she could have possibly decided on.

“Another girl,” Alya drawls.

“Yeah. Yeah, he told me the reason he couldn’t be with Kagami was another girl, and he’s –”

“I’m going to kill him. I’m going to strangle him.”

Marinette laughs nervously. “Please don’t?”

“No, no, I am!” Alya sounds so cheery that a chill runs over Marinette’s spine. “With my own bare hands! Watch, it will be fun.”

“Alya, maybe don’t –”

“I mean it. First, he’s all like, ‘Oh, Marinette, if you would have just asked me out sooner!’ And now, he’s going to scamper off with yet another girl? What, did he watch too many harem animes?” She groans. “What is this? Glee?”

“Um … No, it isn’t?”

“Yeah, sure doesn’t seem so, huh. Anyway! Girl, knew you would relapse. Told you from the start.”

Marinette sighs. “Yeah. You did.”

“So? What now?”

“I don’t know. Hope that he won’t be rejected, and try to get over it. Yet again.”

“Very mature. Very unsatisfying. How about we kick his ass together?”

“No! No. No ass-kicking. Let him have some peace, will you?”

“You like this boy way too much.”

“Yeah,” she sighs. “Yeah, I do.”

One of these days, he will be the death of her, surely. It’s almost funny. She never wanted to fall for him. It just happened. Out of nowhere, and now, it crept up on her once again. Step by step until she couldn’t escape anymore. His warmth, his smiles, his everything almost blinding her.

Truth be told, it’s not like she ever believed she would get over him for good.

It takes half an hour until Alya ends the call, and Tikki looks at her with wide, worried eyes. Marinette sniffles, and sniffles again, face hidden on her crossed arms, she starts to cry.

“It will be all right, Marinette,” Tikki whispers. “I’m sure that it will be.”

“Yeah,” she brings out, voice heavy with tears. “It will be.”

It will be.

Chapter Text

“You called for me?”

“Oh, yeah, hi, Nathalie.” Adrien barely looks up from the magazine in his hands. He quickly turns to another page, ushering her closer with a gesture. “Do you think we could maybe get this exact dress in size 34?”

Nathalie steps closer. When Adrien lifts his head, he sees wrinkles form on her forehead. “Dolce and Gabbana. Summer collection.”

“I know father has a similar dress from his own collection,” Adrien says, squinting his eyes at the picture again, “but I don’t want him to get suspicious, you know.”

“You want to buy that dress.”

“Well …” Adrien sheepishly lets his pen meet his desk’s edge. “You remember when Dolce and Gabbana’s PR manager asked Father for a favor? And that he agreed to send me in for a photoshoot last minute? Because their own model couldn’t make it and I was nearby?”

Nathalie draws up an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“Maybe we could ask them for a favor in return.”

Nathalie keeps staring at him. “That dress costs five thousand euros, Adrien.”

“I … I know.”

“Your father might find out about it, and he won’t be very happy.”

“Yes, I know. Tell them I am available for another shoot whenever they want to, and I’ll happily do it for free, or – something, at least.”

For a moment, Nathalie stays silent. Then, slowly, she lets her tablet sink down, shoulders drooping slightly. “Adrien. I feared this moment would come sooner or later. There will be many people who are drawn to you because of material means. But gifts won’t ever help deepen any relationship you –”

“Marinette doesn’t care about money,” Adrien shoots back immediately. “That’s why I’m asking for a favor. If she knew I actually spent money on this, she won’t accept it.”

“She doesn’t care about money,” Nathalie repeats. “And yet, you plan on buying her a designer dress.”

“Yes,” he mumbles, ducking his head. “I know that it sounds – well – but it’s supposed to be a surprise, and she … It’s just – it’s perfect for her.”

“Boys your age usually start out with small gifts. A rose, for example.”

Adrien can hardly tell her that his many attempts at romancing her this way failed miserably, and that he fears that even this attempt will end up with his heart being broken. So he shrugs and averts his gaze. “She’s not really the type for roses. She’s not – she would never demand anything. It’s exactly why I want to surprise her.” He shrugs again. “Make her happy, you know.”

Nathalie stays silent again. She glances at the magazine, glances at Adrien. Sighs so deeply he almost winces. “Your father might have received a similar sampling piece two months ago. It’s not from Dolce and Gabbana, though. If I remember correctly, it’s Prada.” She releases another breath. “I will see which sizes are available.”

For a moment, Adrien doesn’t know what to say. Then he smiles brightly at her. “Thank you, Nathalie. You’re the best.”

She clears her throat. Looks away from him for a second. “This girl must mean a lot to you. Still, I hope that you’re not neglecting your schoolwork.”

“I’m not.”

“And that you won’t keep your father in the dark for too long.” Her features soften. “He cares for you, and I’m sure he will be happy for you just the same.” With that, she turns to the door again. “As long as you keep quiet about your previous antics, that is. Sneaking into the mansion is something your girlfriend should preferably avoid in the future.”

Adrien stares after her, trying to hold back the blush spreading over his cheeks as she leaves. He thumbs through the other pages. Next to him, Plagg lands on the desk, squinting at the clothes printed all over the magazine.

“Gonna serenade her with a dress? That’s a new one.”

Adrien shrugs. “Even if she were to reject me, she’d get a nice-looking dress out of it, right?”

“Woah. What logic.”

“Also, I kinda promised.”

“You did.” Plagg snorts. “Good luck, kiddo.”

That he needs.

Monday morning, the first thing that greets him are weird looks. Of course. That’s not a surprise. The only real surprise is Alya waiting in front of the classroom, her eyes immediately catching his as he comes closer. He opens his mouth to greet her when she stomps in his direction. That’s somehow menacing. So much so that he automatically backs away again, but it’s too late before Alya grabs his collar, pulling his face close.

“I’m so, so close to hauling you through the whole building just to prove a point,” she hisses. “Because, look at that, the whole school is talking about you and Kagami breaking up, and what do I have to hear? Marinette telling me you’re going to confess to yet another girl! What the hell is it with you?! Do I seriously need to show you the difference between flirting and being a nice platonic friend? Because what you did with Marinette wasn’t –”

“I know!” he hisses. “I know, and can we – maybe – privacy, you know?”

Alya pauses. Looks around. They are being watched, and Adrien stiffly smiles at some students before Alya lets go of him, dragging him on. It needs some time until they arrive at the end of a lonely hallway. With her hands propped on her hips, Alya glares.

“Okay. Explain. And better make it believable.”

Adrien is nervous. More than nervous. Only some more hours, and he’ll risk the love of his life rejecting him. He thought about keeping quiet, but really, he can’t. Not anymore. So he scratches the back of his head, the other hand in his pocket as he comes out with the truth.

“It’s Marinette. Marinette is the other girl.”

“Yeah, that’s not –” Alya interrupts herself, staring at him. “What?”

“I know! I know I was blind, and stupid, but I told her – I … I just never saw it, but now I can’t get her out of my mind, and –”

“No, no, that much is pretty clear, no wonder,” Alya jumps in. “But why the ever-loving hell does she think that there’s yet another girl?”

Adrien shrugs several times. “Because I might have told her that there is? So she couldn’t reject me right away? So I could talk about it hypothetically? You know?”

Alya stares. Shakes her head. “You’re a complete dumbass.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She kicks his shin so hard he hisses. “What were you thinking? Seriously, what the hell, sunshine?”

“I’m sorry, okay?”

“Yeah, I sure hope you are! Tell her! Tell her or I’m going to kick you again!”

“I – I will! I wanted to!”

“Right,” she snarls, her next kick missing him by mere centimeters. “When? In two years while you keep hypothetically talking about a hypothetical girl you’ll hypothetically ask out? Sure! Great idea! Love it!”

“No, no, listen, I’m gonna – it’s going to –” He gulps. “Today.”

Alya pauses again. “Today?”

“Yes.” He grimaces. “I’ll just … I want to check up on Kagami. See how she is doing, and if I can –”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Alya crosses her arms, her foot tapping against the floor. “The last person she probably wants to see right now is you.”

Not as if she is wrong. Adrien sighs. “I know. She didn’t reply to my texts, and … I’m just worried.”

Alya’s eyes soften. “Kagami and I aren’t the best of friends, but I can check up on her if you want me to. Knowing Marinette, she will probably want to know how Kagami is doing too. So –”

“Okay, another favor,” Adrien hastily adds. “Could you please not let Marinette talk to Kagami? Under any circumstances?”

“What? Why –” Alya’s eyes widen. “Kagami knows.”

Adrien makes a face. “She does.”

“Oh. Oh, man.” Alya rubs her forehead. “So, well … If you turn up hand in hand with Marinette tomorrow, it really will seem like you two-timed Kagami all along.”

Adrien didn’t think about that much, but Alya isn’t wrong. Hell, he didn’t think about anything that would come after “awkwardly confess to Marinette and prepare for rejection”, so there’s that.

“Secret relationship, then?” He tried to make it sound like a joke. It comes out strangled and unsure.

“Things are never easy with the two of you, huh.” She sighs. “When is the big confession going down?”

“Um … After school.”

“What? You don’t let me in on the action? Really?”

He winces. “Sorry?”

“I’ll live.” Alya starts to pace, thumb on her lower lip. “Okay. I’ll talk to Kagami, make sure she is all right. You try not to stare at Marinette too hard during the day. Let’s keep those stupid rumors at a minimum.” She scoffs. “Knew something was going on all along. Just why did you have to wait so long to realize?”

Adrien sighs yet again. “I guess I was stupid.”

“Yeah. You sure were. But no worries. You’ll confess to her, and the whole drama will finally be over once and for all. Yay.” She looks at him again, a smile on her lips. “You’ll see, the confession will go swimmingly.”

He laughs unsurely. “I hope so.”

“Well, Agreste. Who is her best friend?”

“You.”

“And who knows her best?”

He smirks. “Me.”

“Ha. I’ll laugh at that lame and absolutely inaccurate joke later.” She swings an arm around his shoulder. “Now, you better prepare for the really important stuff. Confession or smooching, what comes first in your plan?”

His cheeks immediately turn red. “Um, I – confession first?”

“Lame! Smooch her. Believe me, she’s gonna lose her mind. And we both know how cute she is when she’s all flustered, right?”

Adrien has to admit that the image of his lady fumbling for words, cheeks beet-red and shoulder slightly hunched, is pretty enjoyable. He clears his throat to smother the goofy grin on his face. “Yeah. She is.”

“Damn,” Alya laughs. “You really got it bad. And to think that it seemed like you would never realize …”

“I know, I know. I’m blind.” He sighs.

“Really blind,” Alya agrees, and ruffles his hair.

The bell is already ringing as they enter the classroom again. Marinette is at her desk. She is talking with Nino, a radiant smile coloring her whole face in the loveliest tints. When she notices them coming in, she looks up, bluebell eyes catching his.

He can’t stop smiling.

As soon as he sits down at his own desk, Nino leans closer, worry defining his expression. “You okay, dude? What did Alya talk to you about?”

“She’s going to talk to Kagami. Check up on her. That’s all.” Adrien clears his throat. “Your girlfriend can be incredibly scary, you know that?”

“Yep. Hot, right?”

Adrien snorts. “And …” He drops his voice to an even quieter whisper. “I, um … I told her about my plans for today.”

Nino stares. Then he releases a relieved breath. “Man, thank god. My girl’s a vulture. Knew I was keeping something from her the moment she laid eyes on me.”

“You aren’t really being that inconspicuous either, you know.”

“Yeah, okay, that too. But still.” Nino nods reverently. “You’re right. She can be totally scary.”

“Told you,” Adrien whispers, only leaning away when the teacher comes in.

At lunch time, Kagami is nowhere to be seen.

Marinette sits down at their regular table, worry taking over. “Has anyone of you seen Kagami?” she asks, and when Adrien flinches a bit, she freezes. “I mean, just – not that she has to sit here, but I’m just …”

“She’s not feeling too well,” Alya quickly jumps in. Something about her tone is entirely weird, and Marinette frowns at her.

“You talked to her?”

“Uh, yeah,” Alya drawls. “Coincidentally. Ran into her. Happens, you know?”

“Happens! Totally!” Adrien coughs. “All the time. Even though our classrooms are on different floors.”

“Well,” Alya returns, and jams a bite of pizza into her mouth, her next words unintelligible.

Marinette blinks several times. “What?”

Nino sends Marinette a weird look, and Alya strictly stares somewhere else, and Adrien blinks up at the ceiling, and that is just weird, isn’t it? But before she can ponder this further, someone else sits down at their table as if it’s a given.

“Hello there, everyone.” Lila smiles brightly. Marinette gags internally. “What’s up? Adrien, I’m so sorry for all that drama, but I’m really glad you finally followed your heart.”

Adrien’s face darkens a bit as he looks at Lila. “Followed my heart?”

“Well, yes. Even though the whole school seems to think that you were kind of going behind her back the whole time. With …” Lila props her cheek on her hand, her smile sliding to Marinette. “But that would be so unrealistic! Totally never going to happen.”

“Just for your –” Alya interrupts herself abruptly, and the glare Adrien sends her is so strange that Marinette raises her eyebrows. “Oh, yeah, so … unrealistic,” she grits out instead.

Woah, yeah, okay. Marinette knows she doesn’t have a chance with Adrien ever, but hearing it that directly from her best friend still hurts quite a bit. She turns to her pizza, taking a tiny bite and failing to enjoy the taste of cheese and tomato sauce.

“And also, I’ve heard your talk with Luka was relatively unspectacular, Adrien. What a pity.”

Lila’s words not only make Adrien choke on his pizza. Marinette coughs wildly, eyes watering as she stares at Adrien. “You – what?”

“Um, I …” Adrien looks away from her. “I just, I, well … I thought maybe that theory wasn’t that far off? But he told me again that it wasn’t him, so …”

“Which made it look even more like you and …” Lovely that Lila can’t even say her name, instead just pointing at Marinette. “Which is really bad for your reputation, Adrien. Just imagine that info getting to your dad! Catastrophic, wouldn’t it be?”

Adrien turns his head back to her. “What do you want?”

“Yeah, ’cause really, dudette?” Nino waves her off. “We’ve got it all under control.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do!” Lila smiles sweetly before dropping her eyes to her phone. “Just let me see. Instagram comments, lovely things. ‘Adrien is a cheater. I would have never thought. Wasn’t he dating that Tsurugi girl? What the hell is he doing with that other girl? Bet they are totally a thing. That’s icky, having some side-chick without batting an eye.’ Oh, wow, these people are harsh.”

Marinette takes a deep breath. “What’s your suggestion, Lila?”

“Oh, maybe Adrien just needs to go out with someone else for a while. Just so people stop thinking he was dating two people at once. Instead, he just fell for another girl.”

“And who would that be?” Nino asks.

She gestures at herself, and Marinette almost drops her pizza.

“Hell no,” Alya flares up instantly.

Okay. That is just getting more and more confusing. What is it with those weird outbursts? But Adrien seems just as appalled as Alya, and the reaction gives Marinette at least a tiny bit of relief.

“That’s very nice of you, Lila,” he says slowly. “But no. Thank you.”

“Horrible plan, really,” Nino confirms. “What ya wanna do, exactly? Pretend to date for what, one month? And make him look like a serial dater? Nah, dudette.”

“Oh gosh, you’re so right. I’m so sorry.” Lila sighs, seemingly conjuring the best picture of shock that she can. “What’s your plan then?”

“We avoid each other some more,” Marinette mumbles.

“Oh, that is such a great plan!” Lila’s smile turns a bit sardonic as it’s directed at Marinette. “But, really. If you ever need to come up with anything else, I’m your girl. I’m just saying – these rumors won’t go away on their own.”

“Yeah,” mutters Marinette. “Because someone keeps bringing them up, it seems.”

“We’ll handle this, Lila. But thank you.” Adrien’s smile looks dishonest, but Lila seems to accept it anyway, rubbing his arm with eyes that shimmer with affection. Marinette grits her teeth at the sight.

“You’re very welcome. I’m sorry you had to go through all of this.” Giving each of them a half-wave, Lila stands up again, tossing her hair back as she walks away. All of them stare at her, and it’s somehow weird the kind of looks the other three start to exchange.

“Do you have something to share with the group, maybe?” Marinette chirps, trying her hardest to let no ounce of suspicion drip into her voice.

“Nope.” Alya pops the ‘p’. “I just really liked her bracelet. It was great, wasn’t it, Adrien?”

“So great,” he returns drily.

“Awful bracelet,” Nino joins in.

“Yeah, now that you mention it, it was hideous,” confirms Alya.

Marinette stops chewing. “What? Her bracelet?”

“Her bracelet.” Adrien nods.

Weird.

You would think Marinette could get used to all those people whispering behind her back. It doesn’t get any easier though. Not at all. Instead, Marinette feels watched and nervous and fidgety, and she’d somehow like to hide away from all those prying eyes.

So it’s kind of surprising that after her last class of the day, someone visits her locker; and that it’s Rose of all people.

“Hi, Marinette,” Rose chirps, seeming as upbeat as ever. “How are you?”

Marinette blinks. Once, twice, before she smiles. “I’m good. Thanks for asking, Rose. And you?”

“I’m great!” Hands clasped behind her back, Rose waits patiently for Marinette to put some books into the locker before closing it. It’s kind of weird. Then again, everything seems kind of weird, and Marinette doesn’t really know why. So she doesn’t hesitate too long to stroll to the locker room’s exit alongside Rose. “I was just kind of worried about you, you know.”

“Oh,” Marinette returns. “You were?”

“Yup. Those rumors seem to be escalating.”

Marinette sighs heavily. “I don’t get why people can’t just mind their own business, but yeah. It really isn’t getting any easier.”

Rose nods. Her voice high-pitched and friendly, her body language open, and yet, Marinette can’t shake the feeling that something is off. Or maybe she is just imagining things. Getting suspicious of everyone and everything.

Today is really not her day.

“Any idea who is taking those photos?” Rose muses out loud. “Because if we knew, we could stop them, right?”

Marinette sighs yet again. “I had an idea, but I’m really not sure. There are several points speaking against it.”

“So you think that someone has a motive?”

“Well …” Marinette tilts her head. “Why do you ask?”

Rose smiles the same smile as always, blue eyes bright and big and absolutely trustworthy, and Marinette tries not to frown. They are slowly approaching the school’s entrance. Rose shrugs.

“I was just thinking to myself – I didn’t believe those rumors from the start. Because you told us so. But what if the person who started them had a reason? Maybe not a good reason, but an understandable one?”

“Understandable?” Marinette repeats, eyebrows drawn together. “What would be an understandable reason for starting rumors?”

“Maybe it was an accident?”

Marinette’s gears are grinding. “Are you trying to tell me that you …?”

“No! God, no, I didn’t start those rumors.” Rose seems actually offended as she presses a hand against her chest. “I would never! I’m just trying to help.”

Still frowning, Marinette feels the spring sun warm her skin as they arrive in front of the school. She tugs at her backpack’s straps. “Well, you know. We talked about it, but we don’t really think it will help that much to find out who it was. Rumors die down eventually, so …”

“That’s true too.” Rose jumps on the spot. Gives Marinette one last smile. “But maybe someone feels really bad about it, you know? Maybe they didn’t mean for it all to escalate like it did.”

Marinette can’t even ask what all of this was about before Rose already says her goodbyes and waves, hopping down the stairs, blonde hair swaying with her motions. Frowning, Marinette looks after her, trying to put the puzzle pieces together and arriving nowhere.

Okay. Adrien can do this.

Marinette’s parents were gushing over the mysterious dress bag he sheepishly showed them for five minutes, and then they ushered him upstairs in a matter of seconds, assuring him that Marinette was home anyway and would love for her boyfriend to give her a surprise visit. He tried not to grin too much over the term. Boyfriend. Marinette’s boyfriend. The thought alone makes him blush wildly, and there he is, standing in front of the stairs to her room.

He is going to confess to Marinette.

He is going to confess to Ladybug.

He pauses. She doesn’t know that he knows. She’ll kill him as soon as she finds out. Maybe she’ll kill him for not having told her the first chance he got. But how could he have? He was confused, entirely out of his element, and oh god, he should have told her.

What if he shouldn’t confess his love, but that he found out the one thing she never, ever wanted him to find out?

He contemplates which would hurt less – being rejected, or having his butt kicked because he was stupid and kept his knowledge a secret.

But is he supposed to tell her that he is Chat Noir? No. Or yes. Or no. Maybe she’ll just laugh at him and kick his butt anyway.

Somehow, all of his options end with him getting his ass handed over to him, so there’s that.

He sweats. Turns around. Turns to the stairs again. Sweats some more.

“Okay. I’m gonna count to ten, and if you don’t finally move, I’m gonna scream.”

Adrien jumps. “Don’t scream!” he hisses at Plagg.

“One …”

“Look, I’m just – maybe it was a dumb idea anyway, and I shouldn’t –”

“Two …”

“Or what if she just breaks up with me the moment she finds out I’m Chat Noir?”

“Three …”

“And that’s already thinking ahead! What if she doesn’t even want to date me?”

“Four …”

“And what if –”

A sound. Above him, the trapdoor to Marinette’s room is opened, and Adrien freezes like a statue. Completely. Dress bag in his hand, surely looking so out of place that it must be comical. It takes some moments until Marinette’s face appears too, and as soon as she sees him, she releases a little scream and trips over her feet. She manages to catch the first few stairs, but threatens to fall over the next ones, and his instincts kicking in, Adrien instantly lets go of the dress bag and instead captures Marinette in his arms. The impact makes him stumble back just the same, but he manages to find his balance again.

“Oh my god,” Marinette mumbles against his chest, and his heart flutters in an instant. “I’m so sorry!”

“No, I’m – are you okay?”

She nods against him. His arms are still around her. He slowly realizes that maybe, he should let go, but she feels so warm and soft in his arms. Like she has always belonged there. Still, it’s her who breaks away at last, face reddened as she looks at him.

“You’re – why – you should have texted me. Why didn’t you text me?”

“Well.” He smiles at her coyly. “Your boyfriend felt like giving you a surprise visit, that’s all.”

She snorts and lightly hits his arm. “All right, boyfriend. I just wanted to go to the bathroom. You can wait upstairs?”

“Sure.”

“And …” She already walks to the door, sending him another look. “Thank you for catching me. After you scared me half to death.”

“Anytime.”

He watches her go. He realizes that he is grinning like an idiot. From his pocket, Plagg gives a gagging sound. “So cute. I think I’m gonna barf.”

With an eyeroll, Adrien picks up the dress bag and moves up to her room.

He was in her room plenty of times, and he distinctly remembers her pleasant scent surrounding him. His eyes glide over furniture, over small indications of her personality – the pens scattered all over the desk, the posters she hung up, and suddenly, curiosity leads him to look for pictures of himself; pictures she only had for inspirational purposes, she told him.

Only one of them remains. A picture of the two of them smiling at the camera. Her cheeks are a bit pink. He remembers that afternoon, remembers her laughs and giggles. He doesn’t understand just how he couldn’t notice earlier. Not that she is Ladybug – but how wonderful she really is. Why it took something that big and shattering to finally offer him the truth.

Maybe he really doesn’t deserve her.

“Okay,” her voice suddenly sounds behind him, and when she struggles with keeping the trapdoor open while not causing the contents of the plate in her hands to scatter all over the floor, he quickly moves to help her. Catching the plate, the heavenly scent of fresh pastries hits his nose. She smiles at him thankfully before entering her room for good. “I had no idea what exactly you wanted, so I just took a bit of everything.”

Adrien, mouth already stuffed with half a warm croissant, stops his chewing for a moment. “Thank you,” he brings out.

“You’re welcome,” she giggles. Then her eyes fall upon the dress bag deposited on the chaise lounge. “Okay. Please don’t tell me that is your surprise gift for me.”

“Sorry to disappoint, then.” Nervousness makes his fingers a bit shaky as he sets down the plate on her desk. “You want to open it?”

“No. I’m scared.”

“I promise I didn’t hide any monsters in there.”

“Are you sure you didn’t?” She gives him a long look and moves to the bag. “I will open it, and if it’s worth too much, I’ll send you straight home.”

“It didn’t cost me anything, so …”

She gives him a dubious look before finally pulling down the zipper. Adrien watches her face intently. How wariness turns to curiosity as she pulls out the dress. As her eyes scan the pink fabric, expression melting into surprise, her cheeks turning rosy. How her lips part in a gasp as she looks at the label, and with another sound, she holds the dress as far away from her as possible.

“It’s Prada,” she whispers, scandalized. “You want to give me a Prada dress!”

He isn’t sure if that’s a good reaction or not, so he tries for a soothing smile. “It is. But, see – my father had some sample dresses left, so –”

“You can’t just give me a Prada dress! Are you crazy?”

“It’s exactly your size. It would be a waste to just throw it away, right? And I can guarantee you that my father will throw it away.”

“But you can’t just …” She looks at the dress again. It’s a feminine cut, shoulder-free and ending mid-thighs, the color surely complimenting her. “Adrien, I can’t accept this.”

Something like panic threatens to consume him, and he placatingly holds up his hands. “Okay, you know what we’re going to do? You try it on and see if you like it. If you do, you get to keep it, okay? Would that be all right with you?”

Marinette looks at the dress. Awe colors her features, and her face crumbles. “I can’t try it on. What if I’m being clumsy again and manage to rip it somewhere?”

“Then you fix it. I’m pretty sure you’d manage to do so.”

“Or if it doesn’t even fit me?”

“Then I’ll get you another –” Her sharp look makes him pause for a second. “Then I’ll return it to my father.”

She stares at the dress again. Glances at him. Sighs deeply. “Okay. Okay, I’ll do it.” A moment of hesitation. “Could you …?” She points at the other end of her room, and it takes him a second to get the cue.

“Oh! Oh. Sure. I could leave for a moment?”

“No, no. Just promise not to peek.” Her cheeks are deeply red despite her words, and he swallows down the slight hint of nervousness threatening to arise.

“No peeking. I promise.”

He sits down on her chair and turns his back to her. Doesn’t think what the rustling of clothes means. Doesn’t think about the way she takes off her shirt, her slim body moving and stretching. He tries to distract himself by looking at the pictures hung on her wall. Alya, Nino, their other classmates. Even one of Kagami.

He tries not to think about her.

“Do I even want to know how much this dress is usually worth?” Marinette asks, her attempt at a conversation somehow sounding strained and shaky.

“You don’t, and I won’t tell you.”

“I could just google it, you know.”

“Well, yeah. You could, but remember that it would have landed in the garbage anyway.”

“That doesn’t make it better. At all.”

“It does. You’re saving this dress from its certain doom.”

“I’m a dress savior?”

“Something like that.”

She laughs. Then she clears her throat. “Could you help me with the zipper?”

He jumps. “Sure,” he replies hastily. “Can I turn around?”

“Yep. All set.”

So he does. Her back is turned to him. Her naked legs, endlessly long, drawing in his eyes for a moment. She didn’t get further than her mid-back, the zipper line revealing her skin to him.

He takes a breath. Comes closer. She is standing before her mirror, but he doesn’t dare take a look at it. He’s sure he is blushing anyway, and he needs no further proof of that.

“So? Too tight?” he mumbles as his fingers reach for the zipper, brushing her skin for a fraction of a second. She shivers, and he shivers with her.

“I don’t think so,” she whispers. “I think it fits pretty well.”

He nods. Pulls up the zipper. It takes him second after second to finally glance over her shoulder and into the mirror.

What he sees nearly takes his breath away.

The fabric of the dress perfectly fitting her body, her hands nervously fiddling with the hem playing around her thighs, her shoulders slightly hunched, and the expression she shows – cheeks deeply red, eyes resting on him through the mirror for just a second before they slide away again, and when he sees his own face, he almost wants to laugh. Awestruck and full of admiration.

Again, he wonders how he could have held his bubbling feelings for her at bay for so long.

He moves closer to her ear. Sees her shiver through the mirror. “What do you think?” he whispers.

“I …” She swallows audibly. “I think I like it.”

His heart is racing. His shaky fingers reach for her waist, carefully settle on her body. She jumps slightly, but doesn’t move away, cheeks assuming an even deeper color. The touch alone sends his thoughts into a frenzy.

“Turn around?” he asks.

She glances at him through the mirror. Then she does what he asked her to do. Slowly turning around, eyes strictly anywhere but on him. His hands fall from her at the movement, and instead, he lays them on her naked shoulders, feeling goosebumps rise on her skin. She doesn’t lean away, doesn’t try to escape his touches. On the contrary, it almost seems like she’s leaning into it, and it lights up something in him he doesn’t know how to handle.

“It’s perfect,” he mumbles.

She bites her lip. The sight is so alluring that he almost releases a sound. Everything inside him is trembling as his hands wander on. Her slender neck, her jaw, and eventually, he carefully cradles her face. Her eyes are still cast down, and her lower lip seems to be trembling. He can’t stop now. He is too far gone.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he breathes.

She shivers violently. Her eyes snap to his, widened and surprised. The breath she releases is trembling and unsure.

“That’s,” she returns quietly, “not exactly what friends should say to each other. Not like that.”

“No, it isn’t.”

She searches his eyes. His thumb caresses her cheek softly. A silent question. She answers with a look drenched in tiniest sparkles, and he can’t hold back any longer. He leans closer, closer still. She smells so good he wants to drown in her, she’s everything he ever dreamed of, the one thing he will never be able to get out of his mind, and he doesn’t stop until their breaths mingle in the space between them.

“That’s not … that’s not something that friends should do,” she mutters breathlessly.

“It isn’t,” he confirms yet again.

He waits for her to break away. She doesn’t. She melts against him, closes her eyes. His heart is wildly tumbling through his chest. Her tiny breaths, the way her lips just wait for the touch, begging to be kissed – god, he can’t hold on anymore. He never could. He closes his own eyes, sinks into the feeling of her, and –

His lips touch hers.

It’s something faint and fleeting. It’s something that means everything. It’s not enough. Seconds on end, and their lips part before finding each other again, hesitantly, carefully. Her lips are so soft and warm he nearly sighs. Slowly, he draws back again. His nose brushes hers as he changes the angle, as one of his hands slips to the back of her head, and this time, it’s her lips that find him first, reciprocating his gentle touch. His heart is stumbling and tripping over itself with every new tender kiss. He feels her trembling fingers on his upper arm, on his shoulder, arms finally wrapping around his neck until she presses her lips harder against his, and the sound she gives –

God.

He brings a hand to her waist, holds on to her. Tries to draw out more sounds from her as lips slide and search, listening to the hitch of her breath as he catches her lower lip between his, pulling just the slightest bit. A sound gets stuck in her throat. Her warm body against his, her hand cupping his cheek, fingers wandering over his skin and brushing through his hair until he becomes almost desperate for her, kissing her and kissing her. The moment his tongue glides over her lips, she parts them for him with no hesitation, and he can’t hold back a sigh of his own as she returns his feverish attempts at being closer to her.

She is panting when they break away for a second, and he regards her face. The color on her cheeks, long eyelashes against her skin, the look she gives him full of adoration. Everything inside him catches fire, and he kisses her again. Kisses her with a hunger that makes his heart drum against his chest. Her sweet taste is addicting, the sighs and quietest of sounds that tumble through her throat, and he could kiss her forever, could kiss her until no thought is able to form in his mind anymore, and –

“Hello, you two lovebirds, would you …” Tom’s sudden voice stops in its tracks, and he coughs. “Okay. I think I’ll return later.”

As if stung by an adder, Adrien lets go of her immediately, and Marinette jumps back too, their hands raised into the air. “Nope, nothing!” Marinette quickly blurts out. She blinks. “I mean, yes, good!”

Tom grins at both of them. “Sorry, sorry. I was never here.”

“Thank you, Mister – uh – Tom.” Adrien grins stiffly. “I mean, sorry.”

“Sorry for stealing my daughter’s heart? You better be.” Still grinning, Tom closes the trapdoor again.

Silence settles in. Adrien’s cheeks turn so hot he can hardly breathe. Great, instead of confessing, he forgot how to use words and smooched her. Very sophisticated. Maybe Alya’s word influenced him more than he wanted them to.

It takes him some time to turn back to Marinette again, and she is staring at him with just as reddened cheeks. Her eyes are watery. It almost seems like she wants to say something, but she stays silent. Adrien plucks up all his courage and tries to find the words. He can’t, though. He just can’t.

But he has to do something, or he’ll never be able to, and before he can think too hard about it, he blurts it out.

“Go out with me.”

Marinette blinks. Twice. “But … You, and the other girl …”

He wants to smack his hand against his forehead. Suddenly, Alya’s reaction seems very much reasonable.

“Yeah, uh,” he tries. “Actually –”

“And – and I don’t want to – I ruined your relationship once. I know I did, and –”

He flinches at Marinette’s stumbling words. “It wasn’t … Not the way you think, it was –”

“And I’m very thankful that you’re my pretend boyfriend!” Marinette continues, her voice panicked and her cheeks beet-red. “But that doesn’t mean you have to pretend kiss me, because honestly, that’s – please don’t. Please don’t do that, because –”

“Marinette, it’s –”

“Because what about the other girl, you know? The other girl –”

All right. Too much. Way too much. In a first instinct, he grabs her face again, forcing her to look at him out of watery eyes. Her lower lip is trembling, tears shimmer over deep blue, and it’s a sight that makes his stomach churn.

“It’s you. The other girl. The other girl is actually you.”

A long moment of silence. She stares. “What?”

He gulps. Carefully brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. She lets him. “I … should have made it clearer, maybe, but I was kind of scared you’d reject me right away, so …”

“But,” she whispers, “what kind of … I don’t understand …”

He could just tell her. Except that he can’t. There will be enough time for it, he decides. Right now, all that matters is the way Marinette is looking at him, full of wonder and adoration, and he can’t believe it’s directed at him, and him alone.

“When you confessed to me,” he says, thumb caressing her skin. “It … It took me a lot of time. But it made me realize what you really mean to me. How much you mean to me. And I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and about how amazing and strong and beautiful you are, and … I should have done something about it sooner, I should have … But I was scared. I was scared and stupid, and …”

“Stop,” she sniffles. “I’m going to cry.”

Somehow, the words make his heart soar, so much so that he grins as tears build in his eyes. “So, will you go out with me?”

“I … Adrien, I …”

“You can say no. It’d be okay. Just – just know that I’m falling for you harder with every passing day, and that really, I’m an idiot, and –”

“Yes,” she brings out, eyes glazed with unshed tears, “to all of that.”

With shaky hands, he brushes his fingers over her cheek. “Including me asking you out?”

Her lower lip is still trembling. She nods.

“Okay.” He can’t stop smiling. “Okay.” He kisses her softly. “Good. That’s good.” He almost breaks apart when she sobs, kissing him back. “That’s … I’m glad, I’m …” He kisses her again, harder this time, trying to ignore the sting in his eyes. “Marinette, I …”

She claims his lips again, shutting him up for good.

“I don’t think we should be too open about it for a while,” Marinette mumbles as she watches Adrien slip into his coat. “We owe it to Kagami.”

“Yeah.” He makes a face. “I … I think she deserves better than that.”

“I can’t imagine what it must feel like to be in her position.” She bites her lip. “Maybe I should talk to her, and –”

“She knows. She knows that I fell for you.”

The words leave silence again. Marinette’s heart tumbles. Of course she is overflowing with happiness at the mere thought of being with Adrien – but still, it won’t leave her mind. She knows what it feels like to be on the sidelines. She doesn’t know what it feels like to have had the one person she always desired all to herself, and watch them slip away from her fingers again.

It must be horrible.

“Please don’t tell me I was the reason you broke up,” she whispers.

He makes a face. “I … It just took me time to realize that my feelings for you … That they reached such a point.”

Such a point. It’s almost too good to be true, and she feels so terrible she doesn’t know what to do, and she thinks about the desperation in Kagami’s words, and god. Her feelings are so conflicted that she feels helpless. When her eyes meet Adrien’s again, he sends her a look that reflects her thoughts.

“Alya told me both of us should give her space, though,” he says, voice quiet and rueful. “I think she isn’t wrong.”

Marinette pauses. “Alya … Wait, why …?”

Clearing his throat, Adrien shrugs. “She kind of squeezed it out of me? What I – that you – yeah. All of that.”

That explains a lot. Marinette almost wants to laugh. It’s unreal. It’s completely unreal. A dream she will wake up from sooner or later, and Adrien will still be together with Kagami, and Marinette won’t have to worry about hurting her friend because she won’t ever have a chance with Adrien anyway, and –

Yet there she is, Adrien in front of her, stepping closer until he gives her a small smile. “I have no idea how I’ll be able to keep away from you, though,” he tells her.

Her heart jumps wildly. A shiver runs through her body as he softly takes her hands, looking at her so lovingly everything else loses meaning. It’s just way too unreal, seeing the adoration in green eyes, feeling his lips against hers as he kisses her so tenderly she almost wants to cry.

“Me neither,” she whispers, wrapping her arms around him and leaning closer. “I don’t want to stop kissing you.”

He hums. Kisses her again and again, kisses the corner of her mouth, kisses her cheek. “Same here.”

“That’s too bad.” She giggles when he brushes his nose against hers. “We could lock ourselves up in my room. And just smooch. Forever.”

“Sounds nice.” He pecks her lips. “I’m in.”

“Mm-hmm. No food anymore. Just a lot of kissage.”

“Not complaining.”

She presses one last kiss to his lips before backing away a bit, their eyes meeting. “So, no kissing at school. We’ll just pretend to be very good friends.”

“From fake boyfriend to fake good friend.” Adrien laughs. “What a career.”

“I know, right? Good thing we never pretend broke up.”

He nods, his expression serious. “It would have pretend broken my heart.”

She grins. “I would have pretend cried so much.”

“It would have been so pretend sad.”

“You’re a serious dork.” She reaches up to his face, softly tracing a line over his cheek. “I like that.”

“And I like you,” he whispers, taking hold of her hand and pressing a kiss against her knuckles.

Something about this seems oddly familiar. Something about this makes her heart jump and her stomach flare up with gentle warmth. She returns the smile he sends her.

“You know, Adrien, you are very welcome to spend the night here.”

Her mother’s sudden voice makes both of them bolt upright, and Adrien clears his throat twice, scratching the back of his head. “That is very – thank you, maybe not today, but …” His eyes dart to Marinette for a moment before he hastily looks anywhere but at her. “I might take you up on that offer. Sooner or later. If it’s okay with Marinette.”

Her cheeks instantly turn as hot as a volcano. “I mean, um, with how many nights I spent at yours, you … You could, of course, no problem …”

There’s a mischievous shimmer to Sabine’s eyes as she grins. “Maybe even over the weekend. So we can have breakfast together, and … Well, just talk some, you know?”

“Talking! Talking is very good,” Adrien agrees.

“Weekend. Yup.” Marinette brushes some hair behind her ear. “Weekend is great.”

“Think about it, Adrien. You’re always welcome here.” Sabine pats his shoulder. Marinette watches sheepishly as a warm smile spreads on Adrien lips, and it makes her smile just the same.

“Thank you, Sabine.”

Marinette accompanies him to the door, watching as he disappears from her view. She melts against the doorframe as a blissful sigh escapes her. This must be a dream. She is just waiting for the moment Hawk Moth decides to attack in the middle of the night and successfully wake her up. Because there is no way Adrien Agreste asked her out. And kissed her like that. And looked at her like that.

It’s too good to be true. It really is.

“Oh, he adores you,” Sabine says behind her. “No sight could be more beautiful to a mother than this.”

Marinette closes the door. “He does?” she whispers.

“He does. Believe me.” Sabine hugs her close, rubbing her hand over Marinette’s back. “We’re happy for you, sweetheart. We really are.”

Marinette can’t stop smiling.

Chapter Text

Keeping away from Adrien is easier said than done. Who would have thought?

It doesn’t help that whenever their gazes brush, a shimmer of something grows in his eyes. It doesn’t help that he accidentally lets his fingers touch hers from time to time as they walk next to each other, sending an electric current through her body. It doesn’t help that whenever they talk to each other, he glances at her lips for just a tiny second, and the thought of pulling him closer and kissing the hell out of him makes her lose her train of thought for good.

So it’s no wonder that when Alya lets her tray meet the desk with more force than necessary at lunch break, the loud bang makes Adrien and Marinette scatter away from each other in an instant. Nino’s amused eyes land on them as Alya sits down, expression slightly annoyed.

“You are as subtle as a squirrel with a heart attack trying to climb a tree. Which is to say, not subtle at all.”

Marinette ducks her head. “Sorry?”

“Years of URT. What did ya expect, Al?” Nino shrugs.

“URT,” Adrien repeats slowly. “Sounds like a medical condition.”

“Unresolved romantic tension.” Alya points her fork at him before she pierces a piece of lettuce. “See, sunshine, we saw it coming from a mile away. The only one who couldn’t see it was you.”

Marinette notices his eyes on her, and when she turns her head a bit, she is met by a dreamy smile. “I know,” he mumbles.

She can’t hold back a smile of her own. And when someone kicks her leg so hard pain shoots through her whole body, she can’t hold back a choked sound.

“Squirrel with a heart attack!” Alya scoffs at both of them.

“Oh my god,” Marinette mumbles, sliding even further away from Adrien. “This is torture. Absolute torture.”

“Hate to say it, but guess it’s the smartest choice for now,” Nino sighs. “Outta respect for Kagami, and to finally get rid of those stupid rumors.”

“No double dates for a while,” grumbles Alya. “Was so looking forward to it. No offense, but double dates with Luka were always so boring.”

“Yeah?” Adrien looks up, tilting his head. “Boring, huh? How boring? Very boring?”

Alya’s eyes shimmer with amusement. “Incredibly boring.”

“Oh, wow.” Adrien nods, looking at his pasta. “My condolences to his ex-girlfriend, then.”

Marinette feels herself blush. “Very funny. Let’s see if the guy she is currently seeing is more entertaining.”

“I’m pretty sure he is.” Adrien gives her a mischievous smile that makes her fingertips tingle. “After all, he adores her way too much.”

Across from them, Alya gags. “Cute, but icky. Always knew you would end up as that couple.”

Marinette holds back a bashful smile when her eyes catch sight of someone at the other end of the hall. Kagami. Her heart drops, and she looks after the girl as she sits down all on her own. An urge moves her to stand up, but before she can do so, Alya gesticulates wildly.

“I don’t think … Bestie, you really shouldn’t be the one talking to her right now.” Alya stands up, tray in her hand. “I will.”

Marinette bites her lip, watching her go. A glance at Adrien tells her that he seems to be just as worried. It hurts to be unable to do anything. It hurts that she can’t even seek comfort in Adrien’s touch. Nino pokes his pasta across from them, giving them a look.

“She’s gonna be okay,” he says. “I’m sure. Sooner or later.”

“I hope so,” Marinette whispers.

“She didn’t text me back at all.” Adrien rubs his forehead. “Not that she has to, but …”

“Guess she’ll need time, dude.”

Marinette watches as Alya approaches Kagami. The girl looks up from her tray, and as Alya talks, Kagami’s eyes slide to Marinette’s table. Marinette isn’t sure if their eyes meet, but eventually, Kagami seems to reply. Alya unsurely keeps standing where she is for a second. Shifts her weight from one foot to the other. Then she turns back to their regular table, and she releases a deep sigh as she approaches them again, eventually sitting down at their table.

“She wants to be left alone for a while,” Alya tells them. “Which we should respect and … Well, you know.”

Marinette bites her lip. Notices Adrien’s guilt-ridden expression. She feels helpless as her fingers twitch to touch him, but she can’t do anything. It’s stupid, so incredibly stupid.

So when she’s finished with her meal, she leans closer to Adrien again. “Meet me behind the school?”

He blinks at her. “Now?”

“At the make-out spot?” Alya coughs. “I see, I see.”

Marinette rolls her eyes at her. Waits for Adrien’s affirmative nod. “See you later,” she tells Alya and Nino, and moves to get rid of her tray.

The next classes are still fifteen minutes away, but Marinette is careful as she strolls down the hallways. She doesn’t feel as watched as she did the past few weeks, at least. Even though she knows what kind of comments people like to post on Instagram. But as long as there is no actual proof of anything, it’s fine. As long as they are discreet about it and not make their relationship status too well-known.

All in all, as long as they keep it a secret.

And that kind of sucks.

Nobody is near the bench. A warm breeze catches Marinette as her soles push down blades of grass. She remembers the moment he asked her about her feelings for him weeks ago. The moment he started to see her in a different light, he told her. If there’s one thing she never thought possible –

Her heart is racing. Even more so when she hears steps behind her. She doesn’t need to turn around to know who is wrapping his arms around her waist, and Adrien’s pleasant scent hits her as he presses a kiss to her cheek.

“The make-out spot, huh?” he repeats Alya’s earlier words.

“Not you too,” she laughs quietly. “I didn’t want you here to make out with you.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.” He kisses her cheek again, nose burying in her hair. “Because I really want to make out with you.”

Her body reacts to his words instantly, goosebumps rising on her skin. But she has to hold herself back. She turns around in his arms, hands on his shoulders as she looks at him.

“Look, not that I don’t want to make out with you, but … Are you okay?” she whispers. “Because … I know it must still hurt.”

Adrien blinks. His hand reaches up to play with a strand of her hair. “I think she’s the one who deserves your worry. Not me.”

“That’s not true,” she mumbles. “Your feelings are just as important, Adrien.”

“I …” He swallows, doesn’t look her in the eyes. “I still feel guilty, you know.”

She nods slowly. “Do you regret … I mean, do you …” She gestures between the two of them, and Adrien stops his movements immediately.

“What? Of course not. How can you even say that?”

She shrugs. Doesn’t let it show how much the words actually relieve her. His fingers wander from her temple to her chin, tilting up her head until she is looking at him again.

“The only thing I regret,” he says quietly, “is not having realized what you mean to me so much sooner. If I had, no one would have gotten hurt.”

She holds his eyes. “That’s not how feelings work, though.”

His thumb caressing her skin, brushing her lower lip makes her eyes flutter shut. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, “for getting you into such a mess.”

“It’s okay.” She holds onto his wrist, pressing a kiss against his thumb. “As long as you’re part of that mess, it’s fine with me. I just –”

She’s pulled closer so abruptly that she can hardly react to the lingering kiss he gives her. “Thank you,” he mutters against her lips. “For caring about me.”

It should be a simple statement. Still, it makes her heart tremble. Because it sounds like he really means it. As if he thinks nobody else would ever care about him. She lays a hand on his cheek as she leans away, regarding his face. Green shimmering eyes, a tinge of sorrow to his expression.

He is beautiful in every way possible. Words can’t describe what she feels for him. How much she longed to be in his arms like this. Being with Luka was nice, but it never made everything lose meaning like such a simple moment with Adrien can. The only way she can show him just what he means to her is by pulling him closer, laying her lips over his. He shifts, leans against her, wraps his arms around her, his warmth a soothing blanket that envelops her as she kisses him and kisses him, putting every tiniest thing she can’t tell him into the gesture, fingers caressing whatever they can reach. Cheeks, neck, the back of his head, and she could kiss him forever, tiny sparks flying up anew whenever their lips brush and press and search.

“Say cheese!” a sweet voice lilts.

On a first instinct, Marinette jumps away immediately. When she whirls her head around, she is met by another pair of green eyes. Head slightly tilted, phone still lifted, Lila smiles at them.

Marinette stares. Slowly starts to put the pieces together.

“Aw, that’s so cute. The loving couple met at the make-out spot! Very subtle, too.” Lila purses her lips at the photo she took. “Huh, so the rumors were true after all. Adrien, who would have thought. Two-timing Kagami like that … The poor girl.”

“Lila.” Adrien sounds careful, and he takes a step towards Marinette as if trying to protect her. From what exactly, she isn’t sure. “Did you follow us?”

“Follow?” Lila repeats, eyes wide and innocent. “Of course not! You see, this is just my favorite spot to be alone at for a while. I didn’t think anyone would be here.”

“You’re lying,” Marinette says tiredly, trying to wrap her head around what just happened.

“Me? Lying? Marinette, just why are you so mean? First, you steal away Kagami’s boyfriend –”

“I wasn’t her boyfriend,” Adrien cuts her off. He sounds almost icy, and it’s such an unfamiliar tone that Marinette shivers. “I have a feeling you won’t be kind enough to delete that photo if I ask you to.”

“Oh, that photo.” Lila leans against the wall, the smile still on her face. “See, I’m a kind soul. I should let Kagami know that her suspicions were correct all along, shouldn’t I?”

Marinette tries to think. Just think. If Lila were to spread that photo, it would be pretty obvious – Adrien Agreste dated a girl in secret, a girl he is now together with. Nobody would care if he really was cheating or not, because in their eyes, Kagami was two-timed anyway. His reputation at school is shaky right now. And knowing Lila, she wouldn’t stop there. She would bring tabloids into play. She would spread it on social media. Adrien’s father would know, and he wouldn’t be happy. Marinette doesn’t know him well enough to surmise which consequences would follow, but she can imagine – being taken out of school. Maybe only for a while, maybe forever. Telling Adrien to break up with her to save his reputation. Anything to clean the name of his brand again.

Marinette’s hand is shaking. She doesn’t dare reach for Adrien’s. “What do you want?” she says instead, her voice sounding steadier than she feels. “Stop beating around the bush and just get to it. I know you didn’t come here to have a pleasant talk, at least.”

“Want, want, it’s always about want!” Lila waves her off. “No, really. What I truly want doesn’t matter anymore. Not too much. But maybe, I will forget all about that photo if my boyfriend can take my mind off things.” At that, she plays with a strand of her hair, eyes landing on Adrien. “What do you say, sweetie?”

While Marinette feels a hot shiver pulsate through her at the words, Adrien returns Lila’s look without flinching. “Forcing someone to be your boyfriend won’t make them fall in love with you, Lila.”

Lila snorts. “As if I think you’d fall in love with me! Of course you won’t. Miss Baker’s Daughter has you wrapped around her little finger anyway.” She crosses her arms. “But if people think Adrien Agreste, famous and handsome model, is my boyfriend? Oh, they will go nuts. Your dad likes me anyway. Just imagine all the fun dinners we could have.”

Adrien releases a tiny laugh. “You want fame. That’s it.”

“Aw, if you put it like that, it doesn’t sound fun anymore.” Lila is still smiling. “Maybe I want a fun time with a handsome boyfriend, too.”

“That’s just sick,” Marinette spits out, clenching her hands to fists. “I knew you were capable of a lot, but blackmailing someone into being your boyfriend?”

“Oh, calm down, Marinette.” She slurs her name like an insult. “I’m not forcing him to kiss me or anything. We just let people think we’re together. Go on nice dates, and business parties, and to shootings, or whatever. Which was my suggestion from the start. If you used your brain, you would realize I’m actually helping you out.”

Marinette is just about to leap at her for good, but Adrien’s hand reaching for hers holds her back. She freezes at the sudden touch. His expression is still hardened as he looks at Lila. “What will you do if I don’t agree?”

“Oh, you know.” Lila shrugs. “There’s social media. There are some celebrity reporters. I guess they’d pay me well for some juicy info. Of course, I would never go so far if I wasn’t forced to.”

“You …” Marinette swallows down her words when Adrien squeezes her hand.

“Give me a few days to think about it.”

She jumps. Whirls her head around to him. No word will leave her lips, and in front of them, Lila’s smile broadens.

“Adrien, you know me. I’m not the most patient individual.”

“Monday, next week,” he tells her. “I’ve got to think about how to make it believable. If there’s someone who wouldn’t buy it.”

“Oh, oh. Smart boy.” Lila winks at him. “Just how I know my boyfriend. But, hm, Monday seems so far away. I don’t know how to survive so long without you.”

Adrien visibly works his jaw. “I invite you to dinner on Saturday. You give us until Monday. Deal?”

“Ooh, fancy dinner. Okay, you have me convinced. You’ve got until Monday, or else I’ll unfortunately won’t know how that photo ever landed on social media. What a tragedy. Text me the deets for our nice dinner, boyfriend.” She turns around, shooting a last look over her shoulder. “Bye, Marinette.”

Marinette doesn’t reply. She holds on to Adrien’s hand so hard it must hurt. It takes some time until Lila is gone for good, and anger erupts in a wave that makes Marinette want to strangle someone.

“She can’t just get away with this!” Marinette flares up, trying to hold Adrien’s eyes. His jaw is set as he keeps looking at the spot Lila was standing at seconds ago. “Adrien, you can’t just – do you really think –”

“I’m … I’m trying to figure something out.”

“And dinner with her – are you really sure it’s a good idea? What if she tells everyone … What if she doesn’t even leave us a choice?”

“I know. I know, but … I’ll find a solution. Something. Anything.”

But he sounds unsure and lost, and her heart clenches. She feels so angry she could slap Lila right across her face. So angry she lets go of Adrien’s hand, instead massaging the bridge of her nose. Trying to think. She could try to delete that photo, but getting to Lila’s phone won’t be easy, and snatching it away from her would be risky. She will expect it, and the last time Lila claimed Marinette stole something from her didn’t end too well. They could let that photo spread and try to keep the damage to a minimum. They could … They could …

She doesn’t know.

She has no idea.

No matter what they do, Adrien’s reputation is at stake. There’s hardly any lie that would be believable enough. It’s all just a mess, and Marinette feels like crying as she sinks down on the bench, hand covering her mouth as she keeps thinking.

“I don’t know what to do,” she admits. “I really don’t know what to do.”

She can’t even properly react as Adrien sits down next to her, carefully putting a hand on her knee. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too.”

Warm spring sun shines down on them.

“What?”

Alya’s shrill voice echoes through the room. Even though it’s only a digital group call, Marinette’s laptop is so loud that she flinches. Adrien and Nino don’t seem to fare better. Something clatters, and when Marinette looks at Alya’s live feed, she sees her best friend having leaned closer to the camera.

“I can’t believe it! Lila did what?” She leans back again, smacking her hands against her desk. “No! Just – what the hell, no! You can’t just blackmail someone into being your boyfriend!”

“Yeah,” Marinette drawls. “You ask nicely. Usually.”

A flicker of amusement flashes over Adrien’s face. “She will deny it if you ask her, but, well … It’s not looking great.”

“So, she won’t release that photo of you and Marinette smooching,” Nino summarizes, “if ya pretend to be Lila’s boyfriend. And if people find out you and Marinette are a thing now, they’re gonna think you went behind Kagami’s back all along.” A tiny second of silence. “Dudes, just to make sure – you didn’t wanna keep your relationship a secret forever, right?”

Marinette looks at Adrien’s webcam. Waits for him to answer.

“Of course not,” he says. “But still …”

“Then, what if ya come out with it on your own?”

Adrien frowns. Marinette frowns, too. “You mean,” she says, “just tell the truth?”

“Take the wind out of Lila’s sails, yeah.”

“Yeah, great,” Alya returns. “Social media will love to hear that they were right, and that Adrien dated Marinette all along.”

“Seriously, dudes. So what? You’re probably gonna get shit no matter what. People like to talk. Whether you announce you’re dating now or two weeks from now on, they’re gonna have stuff to say.” Nino shrugs. “Is what I think, at least. Y’know, not much into the scene, but …”

“You aren’t wrong,” Adrien says.

Marinette swallows gently. “Kagami will be hurt.”

“Kagami is hurt,” Alya corrects.

“I could agree to Lila’s deal, too.”

Adrien’s words leave a long second of silence. Then, Nino and Alya erupt almost at the same time.

“Hell no, sunshine! Don’t even think about it!”

“Bro, you crazy? Of course you won’t.”

“That’s just disgusting! Forcing someone to be their pretend boyfriend – no, just no!”

“Really, bro. You’re not some pawn she can use to get famous, are ya?”

Marinette tries to smile. “I mean, if that is what you think is smart, I won’t stop you.”

“Marinette,” Alya hisses. “That’s just –”

“I just don’t want you to be dragged into even more of this mess.” Adrien sounds genuinely distraught, and it makes Marinette smile weakly.

They end their call soon afterwards, and Marinette’s fingers tingle until she grabs her phone. Before she can search for Adrien’s number, his name already appears on the display. With a smile, she picks up, letting herself fall into her bed.

“Can you read my thoughts?” she asks.

“Yes. You’re thinking about oranges right now.”

“Incorrect. But I wanted to call you.”

He laughs. Then sighs. “I’m really sorry.”

“Adrien, you don’t have to be sorry.” She closes her eyes for a moment. “You remember how I dragged you into my mess, and how you didn’t complain once?”

He stays silent.

“How I forced you to be my pretend boyfriend, and you never said anything?”

“I do. But that’s hardly comparable.”

“It is. You helped me with my mess. You made it our mess.” She blinks up at her ceiling. “It’s our mess now, Adrien.”

A long second of silence drags on. “I really want to kiss you right now,” he eventually says.

She releases a tiny, quivering breath. “And I wouldn’t complain,” she whispers.

“Good. Maybe I should take your parents up on their offer soon.”

There is a hint of something to his voice, and Marinette feels herself blush to her hairline. “You certainly could.”

“Depends on … well, what you want.”

“I don’t have a fancy guest room like you do, though.”

“One bed for the both of us? Scandalous.”

He is joking, and yet she can hear the shimmer of bashfulness laced through his words. A thrilling feeling takes form in her stomach, making her shiver and placing a grin on her lips. “Very scandalous,” she whispers. “What if I kick you in my sleep?”

“I’ll dodge. Incredible reflexes, you know.”

“Oh, I’d have to see for myself if that is true.”

“You may.”

“Or what if I can’t sleep at all? We don’t need Bustier to get suspicious again, right?”

Her heart is thumping wildly. She bites her lip, waiting for his answer.

“Huh, just why wouldn’t you be able to sleep?”

Her face is overheating. Of course he’d tease her like that. “Because you snore?”

He laughs. “I won’t snore if you keep me awake.”

She bites her lip harder. The thought of having him right next to her for the whole night is exhilarating in its own right, and the trickling feeling in her stomach intensifies until she has to close her eyes again. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Do that.”

“Even though dinner with her … Not that I don’t trust you, but I don’t trust her. What’s your plan?”

“Yeah. Spur of the moment idea.” Adrien sighs deeply. “I honestly don’t know yet. Maybe I just go through with it and think about what to do afterwards. Tell Nathalie a friend is visiting me. After all, father really does like her. For whatever reason.”

Marinette swallows gently. “Your dad doesn’t like me, though.”

“He doesn’t? Why wouldn’t he?”

“He’s … He’s kinda cold towards me.”

“He’s cold towards me too, and I kind of guess he does like me. A little bit.”

Marinette almost has to laugh. “So you’re saying he actually likes me a lot, and he just hides it well?”

“Who couldn’t like you? You’re Marinette.”

“Yeah, that’s just it.”

“Exactly. Everyone likes you.” She can almost hear the grin in his voice. “Especially me. Way too much.”

“What a confession. I like you, too.”

He stays silent for a moment. She can’t stop blushing as she plays with the edge of her blanket, letting it slip through her fingers.

“You’ll see,” he eventually says. “We’ll get through this.”

“Not even Lila can break us apart?”

“Especially not her.”

Marinette smiles.

She’s late. How great that old habits die hard, she guesses. The bell is about to ring when Marinette jumps into the classroom, hands holding the straps of her backpack in place – and when she sees Lila sitting on Adrien’s desk, swaying her legs back and forth as she smiles at him, something in Marinette threatens to snap.

The bell rings. She flinches at the loud sound. An arm wraps around her shoulders, drags her on, and Alya leans close to her ear. “He’s trying to negotiate,” she whispers. “It isn’t going great.”

Marinette sets her jaw. “I can’t believe she’d think it’s okay to blackmail us, for god’s sake.”

“Me neither. She isn’t as nice as she pretends to be, huh?”

Marinette shoots Alya a sharp look. “May I remind you who got me expelled last year?”

“I thought it was a misunderstanding. Don’t look at me like that, bestie.”

Marinette snorts and sits down at her desk. She grabs one of her pens as Lila keeps talking to Adrien quietly, his eyes darting up once and again to meet Marinette’s. Every time they do, Lila’s grin grows. Marinette contemplates lunging out and aiming the pen right at Lila’s forehead.

Eventually, Lila shoots her one last smile and moves back to her seat, and in just that moment, the teacher arrives. During the incredibly exciting geography lesson, Adrien hands Marinette a piece of paper, his finger brushing hers for a moment too long to be an accident.

At least that can make her feel better.

Tried to talk sense into Lila. Guess what happened.

Marinette sighs. It feels like Lila is practically staring holes into her back, but she doesn’t turn around. She won’t give Lila that kind of satisfaction. Instead, she jots down an answer.

Guessed so – I’ll keep thinking about a solution. We can do this. ❤

She stares at the heart. She doesn’t erase it. In an undetected moment, she hands the paper back. She watches as Adrien reads it, and he shoots her a smile over his shoulder. A tiny little thing that makes her heart flutter.

The class doesn’t seem to find an end. It takes an eternity until their first break period starts. Marinette is packing her things when someone comes to a halt next to her desk. For a long moment, she thinks she knows who decided to pay her a little visit, and she looks up with a heavy sigh. “What do you want, Li- … Juleka?”

“Yeah …” Shoulders hunched, Juleka stares at the ground, hiding her face by brushing some strands of hair into it. “Sorry, Marinette, but could we … Can we maybe … talk?”

The words are so small and quiet that Marinette needs to lean closer, her brows furrowed. “Talk? Um, sure. Now?”

“If – if you want to, or later, or … I don’t really mind, um …”

Marinette is still frowning. When she risks a glance at Rose, she sees her watching them both intently. She quickly looks away as their eyes meet, though. Confused, Marinette stands up and slings her arms through her backpack’s straps. “Sure. We could walk to the chemistry room together?”

Juleka nods sheepishly, following her. Alya looks after them. At her questioning look, Marinette can only shrug twice before they leave the classroom together. The halls are as packed as always, and when Juleka starts mumbling something, it gets lost in the noise around them.

“I’m sorry, Juleka, I can hardly hear you. Could you …”

She mumbles something again.

“Um, I think it’s too loud here. Maybe …”

She mumbles something yet again.

“Let’s wait until we’re in front of the chemistry room? Because –”

“It was me! It was me, okay?”

Some heads turn to them. Juleka’s outburst has colored her cheeks red, and with widened eyes, she stares at Marinette before flinching back again. Marinette tries to make sense of it, brows furrowing even further.

“What was you?”

Some mumbling. Marinette thinks she can hear the words “photo” and “Adrien”.

Oh.

And suddenly, Rose’s weirdness is starting to make sense.

She blanches. Grabs Juleka’s arm as gently as possible and drags her on. Some eyes follow them, but Marinette doesn’t care anymore. Instead of walking into the chemistry room, she brings Juleka to a quieter hallway, hand still resting on her arm as Marinette gives her a long look.

“What was you?” she repeats, voice lowered this time.

Juleka swallows visibly. Tries to make herself small. “I … I took … The first two photos, I … It was me.”

Marinette’s hand sinks down, her heart starting to race. “It was you?” she repeats, high-pitched. “But why would you –”

“It – it was an accident. Marinette, I’m really sorry.” Juleka screws her eyes shut. “You … When you broke up with Luka, I was just … I couldn’t look at you, I was so angry, and then you started hanging out with Adrien, and I couldn’t believe … I know I shouldn’t have done it, but I took those photos and wanted to – just vent – I just wanted to vent to Rose, but I accidentally sent the photo to someone else, and suddenly … And suddenly …” Her breathing is picking up so fast Marinette suddenly feels worried, and she lays a hand on Juleka’s shoulder again, ignoring how violently Juleka flinches.

Anger can come later. Right now, it’s more important to make sense of it all, so Marinette takes a deep breath herself.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s … understandable.” She tries to smother down any emotion threatening to arise. Instead, she keeps stroking Juleka’s arm softly. “Just keep breathing, okay?”

“I’m really …” Juleka hiccups. “I’m sorry, I messed up, I should have told you sooner, but …”

“I get it. You were scared. But I’m not angry, okay?”

“And – and now you and Adrien hardly talk to each other, I feel like, and even Luka asked me what is going on, and … I’m so sorry, I …”

“Hey,” Marinette says softly. “It’s okay. Thank you for telling me the truth, at least. It explains a lot.”

Juleka sobs, hiding her eyes behind her hand.

Even when the bell rings, Marinette is still trying to calm her down. Her mind is racing with the new information. Juleka sent the photos to someone else by accident, and from there, they were spread around. No wonder. People just love gossip, that is all. At least it wasn’t Lila, she guesses.

Though it doesn’t help her find a solution to their current situation.

Juleka has mostly stopped crying when they start walking towards the chemistry classrooms, and in the quietness of the empty hallways, Juleka eventually speaks up again.

“I’m sorry. It was childish. Your relationship with Luka was none of my business.”

“He’s your brother,” Marinette returns, glancing at the floor. “Of course you’d be angry on his behalf.”

“It’s just … He really liked you.” Juleka bites her lip. “And I wish you would have told him the truth from the start instead of six months in. It would have hurt too, but maybe a bit less, you … you know?”

Marinette nods. “You’re right.”

The truth, huh?

The truth.

Maybe that’s all they have left after all.

“I think Nino was right,” Marinette announces as she sits down with her tray. “I think our best bet would be coming out with the truth.”

Adrien stares at her. There’s something determined to the way she looks. Something he only knows from Ladybug. He resists the urge to lay a hand on her knee. Instead, he looks down at his casserole, shoving peas to the edge of his plate. Trying to think.

“Which would mean, the whole school would know about us.” Marinette leans a bit towards him. “So, if you don’t want to do it, I would also understand.”

He frowns at her. “Why wouldn’t I? It’s just …”

“The only person holding you back was Kagami, right?” Alya sighs. “I don’t know. Maybe you should talk to her again, sunshine. To make sure you don’t break her heart further.” She rubs her forehead. “It’s  just such a complicated mess. Stupid feelings. Why do we even have them? Could do without hurting people all around.”

“Well.” Marinette lowers her voice until only he can understand her, her eyes searching his. “Or you don’t want us to be … For everyone to know that we … You know.”

“You think I don’t want people to know that we’re dating?” he whispers back.

She shrugs.

God. If he could, he would just grab her face and kiss her right there and then for everyone to see. As it stands, they’ll still have to come up with a plan. So all he does is reach for her knee after all, giving it a squeeze. “I’d be more than proud to announce to everyone you’re my girlfriend.”

At that, her face slowly lights up until a little grin has stolen itself on her lips. “Your girlfriend, huh.”

He pauses. Clears his throat. Tries not to turn red in an instant. “Yes. Maybe. If you want to. In the future. After a while. Eventually.”

“I love seeing you both flirt like doofuses,” Alya interrupts them, “but there are more important things to focus on right now, my lovelies.”

Adrien clears his throat again, leaning back and hiding his warming face by staring down at his food again. A side glance at Marinette reveals to him that she is still smiling at him, her own cheeks rosy.

“Right.” Nino nods at him from across the table. “If ya gonna go with the truth, you should be prepared for some backslash. And people gossiping like idiots.”

“When do they not,” Adrien replies drily.

“Yeah. And for ya old man to find out, bro.”

That one is true. Adrien shrugs. “I’ll manage. It has to happen sooner or later anyway.”

“I mean,” Alya says, “it would be the smartest choice, I guess. Nothing Lila could blackmail you with anymore, and well … No need to be all secretive. Which you aren’t anyway.”

“Yeah,” Marinette mumbles. “No secrets anymore. Kind of scary, huh?”

No secrets anymore. Adrien glances at her. There is one secret she doesn’t know about. One secret he doesn’t know how to tell her. But maybe, if they want to be that open with each other … Wasn’t the only reason they got into this mess a similar secret anyway? If he had known from the start, it could have been so much easier.

Maybe she would hate him if she knew. Maybe the thought of being with Chat Noir could appall her. Which would destroy him, but keeping it a secret until it blows up on its own – how much good did that do in the past?

Just keeping quiet about doubts hurt Kagami in the end.

Just keeping quiet about feelings almost led to Marinette never revealing what she truly thought of him.

Just keeping quiet eventually never worked.

“Very scary,” he confirms.

Marinette looks at him. Softly and with a warmth he will never get enough of. “We’ll talk about it, okay? Develop a plan. We still have the weekend left. And you gotta survive that dinner on Saturday.”

“Dinner?” Alya repeats, eyebrows raised.

“Yeah. I, uh … I promised Lila a dinner. So she would give us more time.”

“Really, dude? A romantic dinner?” Nino scrunches up his nose.

“I won’t make it romantic.”

“Yeah, of course you won’t,” Alya returns. “But she will. Probably.”

“Or take photos,” Nino adds.

“Or videos,” Alya provides.

Not that they are wrong. But he didn’t want to think Lila would go that far. Next to him, Marinette seems to shudder, her cheeks pale. He bites the inside of his cheek.

“Or,” he slowly answers, “I talk to her and make her see reason.”

“Like you managed to do this morning? Yeah, right,” drawls Alya.

“Just … Be careful,” Marinette mumbles, poking her food. “Lila is capable of a lot. And if she decides to screw with us even more …”

She is right. Adrien can’t chase off the bad feeling blooming in his chest.

Priorities, he tells himself. Step after step. Somehow, he’ll manage to fix this. Somehow.

“Do you think it’s a bad idea?” Adrien mumbles, staring out of the window and at an almost starless night. Plagg yawns next to him, sending him a lazy look.

“Dunno, kiddo. That’s your decision.”

Not helpful at all. With a sigh, Adrien leans his head back. “Did past Chat Noirs do that? Did they reveal themselves if they found out?”

“Well, lemme see. There was one who did in medieval times.”

“And?”

“Ladybug kicked his butt out of the village and told him to never return.”

Adrien blenches. Turns his head until he can stare at Plagg. “What? Really?”

“Yeah. Then again, they could never stand each other, so there’s that. I guess.”

“You aren’t giving me a lot of hope here.”

“’Cause I don’t see the problem, kid.” Plagg rolls from one side to the other. “Ya didn’t stop loving Ladybug when you found out she’s Pigtails, right? Why would Pigtails stop loving you? Doesn’t matter in the end, does it? So do what feels right.”

Adrien blinks at him. Turns back to stare at the ceiling again. “That’s actually good advice. I think.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know I’m a true miracle.”

“Yes, that is exactly what you are.”

Hesitation never helped. Mulling things over forever just led to people around him hurting.

He can’t repeat that same mistake again.

So he won’t.

Chapter Text

“It was Juleka.”

Alya almost spits out her apple juice. “What? She was what?”

Marinette clears her throat. A nice spring day, and they’re sitting alone in a park. She tries not to think about it. Adrien is having dinner with none other than Lila. The thought alone is so revolting that it makes her shiver. But it will be all right, she tells herself. It has to be.

“She spread the first two photos,” Marinette says. “By accident. She apologized to me today.”

Alya gapes. “That’s why she looked like she cried her eyes out.”

“She did cry.”

“Juleka …” Alya furrows her brows. “Because of Luka?”

Marinette nods slowly, pushing her water bottle over the ground. Left to right. “She was angry. I think that was to be expected. He wasn’t angry at all, after all. It was almost insulting.”

“Way too mature for his own good.” Alya grits her teeth. “Damn it. I should have investigated. Focused way too much on whether it was true or not.”

“Hey! I told you those rumors weren’t true!”

“You say that now while being Adrien’s girlfriend.”

Marinette blushes wildly. “Yes, but … I didn’t know that … I would have never gone behind Kagami’s back. She’s my friend, after all.” With a loud groan, Marinette lets herself drop back into the grass, staring up at the sky. “And she hates me. She must hate me.”

“I don’t know. She’s just hurt. And I guess we can both understand why.”

She can. She closes her eyes. Kagami has always been honest with her. Always let her know that Adrien was her priority. That she’d even risk their friendship to be with him. It hurt like hell, but at least Marinette never had to guess where they stood. Kagami made her intentions clear. She was honest. She was so honest that there was no room for doubt.

And for weeks, Marinette repeated to her again and again that Adrien and she were just friends. That there could never be anything between them. That there was just no way. That the only one he would ever choose was Kagami.

Oh god.

“I’m horrible,” Marinette mumbles. “If I were her, I would hate me. With a passion.”

“Give her time, girl. She’s allowed to hate you for a while.”

“You aren’t making this sound any better.”

“I’m just telling the truth.” Alya nudges her knee. “So, what do we do about Juleka?”

“About Juleka? Nothing. What’s done is done. Damage control is the only thing we can do.”

Alya hums. A quiet thump tells Marinette that she let herself drop back onto the ground too. Marinette opens her eyes again. Watches clouds wander over the sky. A solution. Anything. Something to make it possible for her to be with Adrien and not have anyone meddle with their relationship. Being truthful might lead to less problems, but also to more eyes on them.

She wishes they could just do whatever they wanted, without anyone feeling like they have any right to snoop around in their business. She wishes lies wouldn’t have been necessary in the first place. She kind of wishes she could just blurt it into Adrien’s face – that she is Ladybug, and that he helped her not go mad while Hawk Moth was keeping her awake every night, and that him not once asking questions was the one thing she truly needed.

That he’s the one thing she truly needs.

She sighs.

“Let me think of something, bestie.” Alya turns her head to her. “I’m not a journalist for nothing. I know how gossip works. Either you let it spread, or you find something people would rather talk about, or you debunk it successfully.”

The corners of Marinette’s mouth twitch. “Good luck debunking it.”

“Oh, I won’t need luck. I’ll just need a flash of genius.” She stretches her arms towards the sky. “Come on, whatever is out there, give me a flash of genius. Just once! Please!”

“What is this? A special kind of prayer?”

“A summoning.”

“What are you summoning again?”

“I dunno. The god of luck.”

“Yeah,” Marinette drawls. “I wonder how much the god of luck could really help you.”

She suppresses a laugh when her handbag twitches lightly, and instead, she returns Alya’s eyeroll. “For a summoning to work, you gotta believe in it. That’s beginner’s knowledge.”

“Sorry, I’m kind of new to the whole summoning business. Which additional rules are there?”

“You gotta buy your best friend some Starbucks every morning.”

“I see. Me and which kind of money?”

“Money will be provided by the summoned god.”

“Oh, so, gods don’t only bring luck, but money, too? I gotta write that down.”

“You should. It’s important and accurate knowledge.”

Marinette’s handbag twitches again, and she has to laugh.

Adrien can do this. He’s sure he can. It will be easy. Just walk up to Marinette, grab her shoulders, and blurt into her face that he is Chat Noir. Then watch her either burst into laughter or into tears, depending on how much humor and good will she’ll take the revelation with.

Yeah, um.

Or walk up to her, grab her shoulders, and blurt into her face that he knows she is Ladybug. Then watch her give up her duties as a Guardian in a matter of seconds because she couldn’t keep that one secret she wanted to protect most.

Yeah, well.

His thoughts are racing as Lila keeps talking to him, and he realizes there is a conversation he should participate in as she gives him an expectant look. A conversation which usually involves a back and forth of one or more than one sentence. So he blinks at her heavily and plasters on a smile.

“I absolutely disagree.”

Lila’s smile wavers. “You disagree that you look especially handsome today? That’s humble.”

He unwittingly makes a face. “Yeah, uh, I think I’ll disagree.”

“Hilarious!” Her laugh is shrill and hurts in his ears. “So hilarious. Just how I know you, Adrien.”

Next to him, Nino grimaces too.

He thinks about the best and most effective way to get rid of Lila when his eyes catch sight of the one person that could make any rainy day look brighter in a matter of seconds. Marinette stumbles in, the bell ringing as she passes him by. She glares at Lila, but luckily for him, Lila gets up from his desk, sending him a wink before returning to her own seat.

Nervousness makes his stomach churn as he turns around, kneeling on the bench to rest his chin on Marinette’s desk. “Morning.”

“Hey.” She is still looking anything but happy. “Did she do something that would warrant me punching her in the face?”

“Other than the usual? Not really.” He smiles for a second before he drops it right away. “Can we talk? Later?”

Marinette stops in her movements, worry falling over her face. “Of course. Is something wrong?”

“No, no, everything’s fine, just …” He watches her face intently. “Next break?”

“Sure,” she says, her little smile falling right away again.

He turns back. Tries to keep breathing evenly. Maybe the cheesy way? Going down on one knee, offering her a rose, and swearing his eternal love, with or without the mask? Or transforming in front of her, catching her as she would surely faint? Or wiping his tears of misery with a random handkerchief as she would start laughing wildly at him?

Oh god, he has no idea what to do.

“Dude, you okay?” Nino whispers to him. “Lookin’ kinda pale here.”

“Yeah,” he quickly returns, sweat forming on his forehead. “I’m fine. Totally fine.”

Totally fine.

As soon as the bell rings, Adrien whirls around to her, fingers icily cold as he stares. “So, we could …”

“Um, yeah.” Marinette smiles at him unsurely as she stands up, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “So, where to?”

“Aw, going on a walk? Just the two of you? That’s sweet.”

Lila only commented in passing, giving them a wink as she saunters out of the classroom. Tiredly, Adrien looks after her. Still, Marinette is biting her lip when their eyes meet again.

“Maybe she is right,” she says. “You know, while we still pretend to … Well, while nobody knows that …”

Adrien blenches. “But I really need to talk to you alone. Like, alone. Entirely alone.”

Marinette blushes slightly. “Adrien, you … you could always give me a visit after school, so …”

When he gets what she is implying, he blushes too. “Not for – also for – I – it’s important.”

Cheeks still a bit red, Marinette gives him a long look. Then she turns to Alya. “Would you mind coming with us for a bit?”

“Hm?” Alya looks up from her phone, her cheek leaned against Nino’s shoulder. “Okay. What for?”

Marinette holds a hand over her mouth. “Cover,” she hisses.

Alya holds a hand over her mouth, too. “Okay,” she hisses back.

“And we could just go to one of the staircases at the back of the school,” Marinette tells him quietly. “Nobody will watch us there.”

He supposes she is right.

His hands feel clammy as they walk. Nino is giving him funny looks from time to time, and Adrien can understand why. He tries not to stare at Marinette too hard. He still has no idea what to do. But it has to come out sooner or later, right? No secrets anymore, right?

He feels like throwing up.

“So, you two lovebirds,” Alya says, clapping her hands once. “You know what you’re going to do already? Because I’m totally working on something, but my brain is still empty.”

“I wanted to talk about that during lunch.” Marinette looks at Adrien. “If that is okay.”

“Sure! Sure.” He nods wildly. Tries to stop sweating like crazy.

And then, something strange happens.

Nino is the first one to stop, quickly followed by Marinette. They both give weird sounds as they back away. Adrien needs some time to recognize what made them react like that, and when Alya finally stops too, it becomes kind of clear to him.

Kagami is standing on the other end of the hallway. Eyes strictly on them. Several people seem to be watching them all of a sudden, and Adrien thinks for a moment that everything is okay, nothing will happen, when Kagami suddenly makes a step in their direction.

Another one.

Another one.

“I think we should run?” Alya suggests.

“I think I agree?” Marinette squeaks.

But it’s kind of too late, because Kagami’s steps are so fierce and quick that she is nearly running, and when Adrien realizes her eyes are first and foremost on him, his blood freezes. He backs off a step, and in that moment, Kagami yanks up her arm as if yielding an actual fencing sword, an expression of absolute determination coloring her face as she points directly at him.

“Adrien Agreste,” she calls out to him. “Don’t you dare run away from me.”

And by now, all eyes are on them.

In a first reflex, Adrien holds up his hands, showing a faint and shaky smile. “Sure. Sure. Can I – help you?”

“Yes.” Her arm sinks down again. “I want to talk.”

“See, dudette,” Nino jumps in with a kind of courage that makes Adrien tremble in gratefulness. “He’s kinda busy, y’know, and break is almost over –”

“Thank you, Nino Lahiffe. Your input isn’t needed.”

The words are so cutting that the whole hallway shuts up. Every pair of eyes is on him. He doesn’t dare look at Marinette. Still, he feels a warm hand on his arm as he takes a first step towards Kagami.

“You don’t have to,” Marinette whispers to him, widened eyes struck with fear.

“I think I do,” he whispers back, sending her one last smile before approaching his certain doom.

Kagami’s face is carefully neutral. At least it doesn’t seem like she will break his spine in a matter of seconds. Or maybe she will just take her time. Breaking segment after segment. So he gulps before returning her curt nod, and he follows her through the people instantly making room for them. He thinks he can see sympathy in a lot of faces. Or silent prayers.

Kagami leads him to the balcony where he talked to Luka. Where she found out about his feelings for Marinette. The recent memory makes his skin crawl, and he isn’t sure what to do with his hands as she comes to a halt, sharply whirling to him. She looks at him wordlessly for so long that he flinches, and when she speaks up, her voice is dry and cold.

“Marinette is my friend. If you keep on hesitating about making your feelings for her known, my patience will run thin, and the consequence will not be clement.”

Adrien tries to process what she said. He expected a lot, but not this, and when he keeps on staring, Kagami crosses her arms.

“Your hesitation is hurtful, Adrien. It always was. Not only for the people around you, but also for yourself.”

“You …” He almost chokes on his words. “You want us to …?”

“I decided that I care about you. And as someone who cares about you, I want you to be happy.” She frowns. “But frankly, seeing as you are the only reason you are unable to achieve happiness, it seems like I have to talk sense into you.”

“I … I don’t understand –”

“Ask her out, is what I am saying. And better do it fast.”

Adrien can’t help it. Slowly, he feels warmth collect in his chest, and he smiles at her. “Kagami, you’re … We are … I did. We are dating.”

Kagami pauses for a moment. Then she nods, face still careful. “You are.”

“We just – we worried about you, so …”

“If you say you are keeping your current relationship on the low to respect my feelings, I will feel insulted.”

His smile falls. “No, I mean – we didn’t want to insult you, we wanted to respect you?”

The corner of her mouth twitches. “I do not feel respected. Respect would have meant to stand true to your feelings instead of making me think I just wasn’t enough to convince you otherwise.”

“Kagami, that isn’t –”

“It isn’t the case. I know what you’re going to say.” She lets her arms drop down again. Releases a sigh. “Listen, Adrien. I respect you as a person, and I respect your decisions. In fact, standing true to yourself is the most honorable action a person could take. It may hurt me, but as long as the people I care about are happy … Well. It might not be a loss, but the greatest outcome for all, wouldn’t it?”

“You know that I never wanted to hurt you. That it isn’t some competition you didn’t win. You know that, right?”

She looks at him. Then he watches as she leans over the railing, staring at the sky above them. Slowly, he does the same, regarding her face for a moment before following her eyes.

“Feelings are something complex and confusing,” Kagami says. “This is one thing you taught me. I underestimated how complicated they really can be. That dealing with them might not be as straightforward as I hoped it would be.”

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles.

“You also taught me,” she whispers, “that every strong exterior hides its weak points. Hiding is cowardice. True strength comes from recognizing your weaknesses, doesn’t it?”

Above them, clouds wander on.

“So you will make it official, I assume.”

Adrien gives a tired laugh. “Yeah. I mean, we will have to. Letting the rumors come to rest first would have been great, but …” He shrugs. “We’re being blackmailed by Lila.”

“Blackmailed?” Kagami repeats.

“She saw me kissing Marinette, and she is threatening to get that photo out to the public if I don’t agree to be her pretend boyfriend.”

Kagami stares. Frowns. “That is despicable.”

“I know.”

“I had a feeling this Lila individual was not to be trusted the first time I saw her.”

He smiles weakly. “And as always, your instincts are spot-on.”

Kagami looks at him pensively. “So, what is your plan?”

Adrien shrugs. Shrugs again. “I think coming out with the truth would be the best plan. Even though Marinette and I will have to deal with the backlash.”

“As someone who is well-known, you would have had to deal with backlash anyway. Do it sooner, and it will hurt less. Hesitation is never helpful.”

“Yeah. See. And that’s what you taught me.”

“Well. I’m glad I could be a teacher to you in one way, then.”

“In more than one way.”

Inside, the bell rings. Kagami lays a hand on his shoulder for a second.

“What some call selfishness might actually be the ability to take care of yourself. Or in other words: I believe you are allowed to do what makes you happy, Adrien. Even if there are people who might not like what you do.”

Before she can retract her hand, he takes hold of it and squeezes lightly. “Thank you, Kagami. Really.”

Her smile is small and sad.

Adrien returns to his classroom just when Ms. Bustier is about to enter, and as he sits down at his desk, he is met by three pairs of widened eyes. Nino immediately asks if he is all right, and he replies that everything is okay.

Except that it isn’t. Because Marinette is still sitting behind him, clueless of what he needs to tell her, and that problem isn’t going to solve itself. Sadly enough.

The second attempt starts in the second break. Again, he whirls around immediately, being met by bluebell eyes. “I still need to talk to you,” he says.

“And we still need to hear why Kagami didn’t make mincemeat out of you, sunshine.” Alya leans closer at once, narrowed eyes at him. “Listen, not like she should, but we were already sending out prayers for you.”

“No, she …” He shrugs. Lowers his voice to a whisper. “She wanted to know why I didn’t ask Marinette out yet.”

“What?” Marinette blurts out. “She did?”

“Yeah.” He gives her a little smile. “She’s happy for us.”

At that, Marinette beams. “She is?”

“I’m glad, dude,” Nino says. “Kinda grew fond of her, y’know? She’s very honest, but not that I don’t like that in people.” He shoots a telling look in Alya’s direction, and in response, she sticks out her tongue.

“I … I really want to talk to her, actually.” Marinette jumps to her feet. “I feel horrible, you know? But if she – I want us to be friends, so …”

She’s already moving away when Adrien tries to take a hold of her wrist and fails. “Wait, um – but I gotta tell you something?”

“I’m so sorry, later?” Marinette is already hopping out of the classroom. “During lunch? Promise, I won’t run away!”

He groans. Sinks into a pile of self-pity. A nudge from Nino has him look up again, a worried expression covering his face. “You good, bro?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he mutters. “All good.”

Nothing really is, though. It takes Marinette the whole break to come back, and she tells them that she and Kagami had a nice talk. That she is glad they could have that conversation. The warmth she radiates makes Adrien smile in awe, and he isn’t even surprised. His lady, a ray of light. His lady –

Who still doesn’t know the very important fact that he knows about her secret.

And back to being nervous again.

Attempt three is supposed to start at the end of the lunch break, but to his surprise, both Alya and Nino excuse themselves early, quickly fleeing out of the classroom. Marinette looks after them just as confused, and Adrien shrugs at her. The classroom is almost empty when they have both packed their things. As always, Lila sends them a telling smile as she passes them by, and Adrien tries not to glower too hard.

It’s an opportunity he can’t not seize, he thinks to himself.

“So, um,” he starts. “About the thing I wanted to talk to you about …”

“Oh, yeah.” She moves towards the door. He starts to sweat. “We could talk on the way to the dining hall. Hardly anyone out there anyway.”

He opens his mouth. Closes it again. He supposes she is right. When they leave the classroom, hardly anyone is in the hallways anymore. Good. He’ll have about five minutes to come out with the truth. Coherently, in the best case. His steps echo on the tiles as he walks next to her, and Marinette’s voice is sweet and patient as she leans a bit closer.

“So? What is it?”

He grips the strap of his bag. Tries not to black out.

“Is it something I don’t want to hear?”

Adrien gulps. Glances at her. She still looks patient, but just a bit worried.

“I guess so,” he mumbles truthfully.

“Yeah. That’s the feeling I’m getting.” She taps against her chin. “Something about … my room?”

“Um, no.”

“My parents?”

“No, no. They’re great.”

“About … me?”

He sweats. Looks away.

“Oh.” A tinge of uncertainty. He hates himself for still hesitating. “Now I feel nervous. Um, something … bad?”

Yes. No. “No,” he tries, his voice more high-pitched than it should be.

“Okay. Uh, something –”

“It’s purretty much nothing big, really. Or, uh, I guess it kind of is.”

He can’t even smile. His whole face freezes. She doesn’t look at him anymore, though, and she seems to have overheard his pun for good. His shoulders droop until he wants to hide his face behind his hands. They are almost at the dining hall, and time is running out.

“Something big, but not really big,” she tries to summarize. “I’m sorry, I’m a bit lost.”

“Oh, that’s fine. The cat will be out of the bag anyway sooner or later.”

She taps her chin yet again. “Well, I don’t think we have that many secrets from each other, do we?”

“Oh, I don’t think so either. Not that I’m as difficult to figure out as Schrödinger’s cat.” This is just getting worse. “Or a cat’s cradle.” It’s too much even for himself. “Then again, they say that curiosity killed the cat, huh?”

Marinette turns her head. Frowns at him for a long while. A shimmer of understanding passes her eyes. There’s a relieved breath building in his throat, his nervousness slowly about to fall for him.

“So many cat puns,” she mumbles.

He doesn’t dare utter a word.

“Maybe,” she goes on, “you … You got a cat?”

He resists the urge to smack his head against the wall.

Only some steps, and they will open the door to the dining hall. Hesitation hurts people around you, Kagami said. She was right. She was so right, and if he hesitates any longer, it will kill him. So before they can open the door, Adrien quickly grabs her hand, looking at her. Her frown is still in place. He counts the second, takes a breath, and gets out with it.

“My lady, I would have never thought I’d ever say this. But you’re especially slow today.”

Marinette stares. And stares. And stares. “My …” she repeats slowly, the next word getting stuck in her throat. Her laugh sounds unsure and shaky. “That’s a weird nickname, I mean …”

“Don’t tell me you would prefer bugaboo?” He tries to smile and finds himself showing a weird grimace.

Bit by bit, she finally seems to understand. His heart is trembling as her eyes widen, and she shakes her head. “What …?”

“I …” He searches for words. Almost becomes desperate when she quickly withdraws her hand, panic settling on her face. “Okay, listen, Marinette. I needed to – that’s what I wanted to –”

“No.” She shakes her head. “No, no, you’re not …” She doesn’t finish her sentence, stumbling a step away from him. Her reaction hurts, but then again, he can understand what she must be going through right now.

“I’m sorry, but …”

“What …” She laughs almost manically. Smacks a hand over her mouth. “How … how long?”

He wants to answer softly and gently. Wants to let the truth sink in. Wants her to give her the time she needs. But then the door to the dining hall is pushed open, and Alya almost runs straight into Marinette, eyes lighting up as she sees them both.

“Gosh, there you are!” she hisses. “Come on. Kagami is ready to talk about a plan. And we all know that girl is a battle machine, so I’m pretty sure she will … Um, are you okay?”

Tears shimmer in Marinette’s eyes. She looks from Alya to Adrien and back again. Something inside him breaks at the sight. He stretches his hand out for her, but she backs away immediately, and a sour taste is left in his mouth.

“I – sorry, I can’t, I –” Marinette turns around and runs.

Adrien is about to follow in his panic when Alya whirls to him, eyes wide. “The hell did you say to her?” she breathes, flabbergasted.

“Nothing,” he croaks.

“Nothing?” Alya repeats, jumping on the spot for a moment before sharply pointing a finger at him. “Okay, whatever you said, you’re a goddamn dumbass and I will deal with you later. For now, I’ll search for her, and – and what the hell?” She shakes her head at him before turning in the direction Marinette ran off to, and her steps echo in the silence of the hallway.

Adrien is left standing there like an idiot. So much for that. God. Oh god, he just drove away the love of his life. Oh god, he just –

He wants to cry.

“Hey, Adrien, relax,” Plagg whispers from his pocket. “You remember your reaction when ya found out? Not an instant party either, was it?”

He is right. He is right, and yet Adrien’s heart is breaking over and over again.

He doesn’t have a choice but to get on with it. Even though his thoughts are racing. He’s almost surprised to find Kagami sitting at their table, and she greets him with a nod as he sits down next to her. Across from them, Nino shows a pensive expression.

“Dude, you okay?” He makes a face. “Where’s Marinette? Al was getting so impatient that she left us sitting here and went searchin’ for you.”

“Oh, yeah, um …” Adrien shrugs, trying to feel any appetite for the potato gratin in front of him. “They needed to talk, I think. They just … yeah.”

Kagami sits upright, eyes strictly on the tray. “We spoke today, Marinette and I. But maybe it is because of me. If my presence isn’t welcome –”

“Your presence is so welcome,” Nino quickly jumps in. “Dudette, Kagami, don’t worry. We’re glad you forgave our bro.”

Kagami glances at him. “It’s not a matter of forgiveness. It’s a matter of maturity.”

“You know,” Adrien mumbles. “I think if I’m allowed to be selfish, you’re allowed to be immature from time to time.”

Kagami seems to flinch at his words. “I’m not sure if I would agree.”

“You don’t have to agree. It’s what I think anyway.” Adrien listlessly shoves his food from one side to the other. “After all, when are feelings mature? They just are. They are messy and unpredictable. I guess we’ve got to live with that.”

“Dude,” Nino says carefully. “You seem kind of down. Sure nothing happened?”

Yet again, Adrien shrugs. “I don’t know,” he tells the truth.

But even if he lost her for good, there’s one thing he can be sure of: it would have happened sooner or later, and maybe it’s better to get it over with sooner.

“Tell me it isn’t true,” Marinette whispers to her ceiling.

Tikki’s antennas droop. “I could, but I would be lying to you.”

Marinette bites her lip. Tries not to cry. Tries not to feel absolutely dumb and idiotic, and oh god. She curls herself into a ball. Unwittingly think about all the times he tried to confess his love to her. The many gestures that made her heart bounce, the many times she shoved his feelings as far away from her as possible. Of course it makes sense. Of course it’s that tiny, silly side of him he shows so seldomly, and she bites the inside of her cheek so she doesn’t start screaming spontaneously.

“Did you know that he knows?” she asks, just so the silence doesn’t consume her.

“Yes. Plagg and I talked, and we decided it would be best to not give you too many hints. Because it wasn’t our choice when to tell you the truth, you see?”

She drags a hand over her face. “Adrien is Chat Noir. Oh god, Adrien is Chat Noir.”

“Was that … Was that a question or a realization?”

“A realization. A goddamn realization.” Marinette sits up, face hot and eyes stinging. Before she can think about wildly kicking something through her room, her phone rings for the fifth time since she ran out of the school. A glance at the display tells her that Alya is calling. Right – maybe running off all of a sudden isn’t exactly reassuring. So she hesitantly picks up.

“Hey, Alya. Um –”

“Where are you, why, how, what did that idiot say to you?”

Marinette flinches. “Home. I’m at home.”

“You have afternoon classes!”

“Yeah, I …” Feverishly, she searches for an excuse. “Period cramps. Bad, bad period cramps. My stomach feels like it wants to kill me, and I feel like I could  to kill anyone in a second.”

“Woah. The murderous kind of period cramps? You’ve never had that one before.”

“Yeah,” she drawls. Swallows. “How is Adrien?”

A long second of silence. “He looked as if you had slapped him right across the face. Seriously, Marinette. Did he say something he shouldn’t have said?”

Marinette opens her mouth. Closes it again. All he did was come out with the truth. Sooner or later, any secret blows up in your face, she guesses. No matter how well you try to hide it. “No,” she therefore murmurs into the phone. “He didn’t. Don’t give him a hard time. I just went a bit crazy on him.”

“You did.” Alya doesn’t sound convinced at all, and Marinette can understand why. “Well, there goes our big planning session. Kagami sat with us during lunch. She said she wants to help you two. Seems like you really had a nice talk, huh?”

“Yeah,” Marinette sighs. “She told me I’m, I quote, a hesitant coward for not telling Adrien about my feelings earlier.”

“Ouch.”

“Well, she isn’t wrong.” Marinette bites her lip. “Does she already have a plan?”

“We didn’t talk about it. We tried not to have Adrien fall into an endless void. He was so out of it that he barely talked to us.” Alya lowers her voice. “Seriously, girl, maybe you’ll have to talk to him.”

Maybe she does.

“That is, if nothing seriously major happened between you two.”

“Nothing did, Al. Don’t worry. We’re good.”

“Right. Then get a hot-water bottle and curse your body for what you have to go through month after month.”

“Will do.”

Marinette closes her eyes as the call ends. Takes a deep breath. Thinks. She can’t get it into her head. Of course it makes sense, but it doesn’t want to get in there. The same blonde hair and the same green eyes. The same shimmer of something on his face whenever he looked at her.

It should have been clear to her from the start.

And then she has to laugh. “I reacted in the worst way possible, didn’t I?”

Tikki drops down in front of her, giving her an unsure smile. “Well. I have seen worse, if that’s any consolation to you.”

“You have?”

“Yes. There was one Ladybug who kicked her Chat Noir out of the village and told him to never return.” Tikki sighs. “She wept about her decision every night until the day she died, but he respected her wishes. He never returned.”

Marinette shudders. “I hoped for a happy ending.”

“You can still write your own happy ending, Marinette.”

That much is true. She stares at her phone. She tries to come up with something, anything. An apology, maybe. That would be a great first step. Sighing, she lets herself fall back, staring up at the ceiling again.

After all, does it really matter that much? He clearly didn’t stop adoring her when he found out. And now that she knows … Did her feelings change?

It’s just another part of the puzzle that is him. Another part of a whole. It fits, it really does, and if she is being honest, she is glad that it’s nobody else. The boy she would trust with her life is the boy she is in love with. Her partner, the one person who can make any day look brighter, who she would do anything for. Of course he is Chat Noir.

Of course he is.

She almost wants to laugh again.

Lunch was weird. He couldn’t stop thinking about Marinette. About the shock covering her face. Is it that hard to believe? Is it that disappointing, that shattering? He doesn’t really dare text her, not until it is nighttime. Instead, he buries his face in his pillow, trying to think.

Alya didn’t turn up to lunch again, and he is pretty glad that they don’t have afternoon classes together, or she would have never let him hear the end of it.

Nino asked several times if everything is all right, and all he could do was just react with a weak smile.

And Kagami …

Hesitation only hurts, she said.

And he hesitated yet again.

“Do you think she doesn’t want to see me?” he asks, voice muffled by the pillow. Plagg seems to have heard him though, and he releases a deep sigh.

“Dunno. Sleeping a night over it could help, I guess.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”

“Well then, Casanova, guess your choice is made.”

What if she kicks him from the balcony right away? Well, then at least he tried. Her reaction hurt, but he can’t blame her, really. The moment he found out, his whole world was rearranged, too. His feelings were a mess, his thoughts became useless, and having her by his side – it could have helped.

If he hadn’t hesitated, it could have helped.

So he transforms. Leaps over building after building, a nightly breeze in his hair. Tries to order his thoughts. Tries to think about it. Of course she would be shocked. He was too. He needed time to put the pieces together, but like she said – you fall for everything a person hides too. Right?

It must be right.

It doesn’t take long until Chat arrives at a familiar balcony. It’s empty, though. The lanterns are turned off, and it’s dark and lonely out here. He sits down on the railing. Stares at the skylight as if he could bring it to open this way. He thinks about texting her, or knocking, or seeing if she is all right. She probably isn’t. He wasn’t either.

Hesitation hurts, sure. But maybe, there are times when he can’t knock someone over with the truth. Maybe she needs time and space to understand. He did too, didn’t he?

He lets his legs sway back and forth. Searches her balcony. She did leave a pen in one of the baskets, and he rips a little piece of paper from the magazines she stores in a box. Tries not to feel too desperate as he jots down a message for her, and sticks it between the table’s wooden planks.

Moonlight shines down on the little note, brightly white among endless shadows.

Chat leaves.

Chapter Text

It’s Saturday. The day Adrien will have dinner with Lila. He messaged Marinette a few times, and she just couldn’t bring up the courage to text him back. It’s still a bit too much. Her head is still aching. Instead, she keeps herself busy by helping out her parents in the bakery. It’s still morning when her dad peeks into the working space, giving her a little smile.

“Someone is here to see you, Marinette.”

She looks up, her heart dropping. If it is who she thinks it is – she doesn’t know if she is ready. She doesn’t know what to say. But she can’t run away forever, now can she?

Yet, it’s not the face she expected to see as she steps into the bakery’s sales area.

“Hello, Marinette,” Juleka mumbles.

“Juleka! Hi!” Marinette wipes her hands on her apron as she leans over the counter, moving a bit further away from the other customers. “What’s up? How are you?”

“Um … I wanted to ask you the same.” Juleka ducks her head. “Because people are saying … Well, they saw you running away from Adrien, kinda, and it’s just …”

At that, Marinette gives a heavy sigh. Ignores the sting deep in her heart. “People just love to talk, don’t they?”

“It isn’t because of … Because of what I did, right?”

“No.” She gnaws at her lower lip. “No. We just had to talk about something.”

Juleka’s face softens a bit. “You know, um … Alya talked to me.”

“What? Really?” Marinette frowns. “What did she say? She wasn’t too mean, was she?”

“She … She did chew me out. I guess I deserve it.” Juleka brushes a few strands of hair into her face, effectively hiding most of her expression from Marinette. “But, uh … I still feel bad, and we talked, and we’ll … We have a plan.”

“A plan?”

“On how to deal with the rumors.”

Marinette’s eyebrows shoot up. “Okay. What’s the plan?”

“We’ll need Adrien, too.” There’s unsureness in Juleka’s voice, and Marinette’s forehead wrinkles further.

“He’s kind of occupied today.”

“And tomorrow?”

“I … I don’t think so.”

“Could you … Could you ask him? Because that’s an essential part of the plan, but if you don’t want to … I mean, if you don’t …”

Marinette shrugs. “I think I could ask him. I mean … Yeah, I will. So, what’s the plan?”

Juleka leans closer and starts to explain.

It’s been a long, arduous day. Marinette didn’t text him back. He already guessed that she wouldn’t. He feels sick to his stomach at the thought of what might happen. If she wants to dump him, he wouldn’t blame her. After all, she did reject him time and time and time again, and realizing that he is someone she surely would never be able to love …

It hurts so much he wants to curl up into a ball and never move again.

And when he comes home from his last photoshoot for today at five p.m., he is greeted by a familiar face in the dining hall, smiling pleasantly while talking to his father. Adrien feels his face fall in a matter of seconds, but he does his best to set up his prettiest mask as Lila turns to him.

“Oh! Hi, Adrien.” She hugs him, and he resists the urge to shy away as she presses a kiss to his cheek. “Your dad and I already talked. He thinks it’s so nice that you finally invited me over for dinner!”

“As a friend,” he says loudly enough for his father to hear it too.

“As a friend. Of course.” Something flashes through Lila’s eyes as she takes his hand. It feels wrong, but he lets himself be tugged along nevertheless. “Mr. Agreste, if you change your mind and want to join us after all …”

A somehow sardonic smile twitches over Gabriel’s lips. “A kind offer. Still, I have far more important work to do. Nathalie, if you would be so kind?”

“Of course.” Nathalie nods as she leads them to the dining hall, and Adrien can hardly react as Lila loops her arm around his.

If he is being honest, he would rather do anything, really, anything else than having dinner with her right now. For example, trying to get a hold of Marinette. He isn’t sure how much longer he can let her be without his mind going crazy. He isn’t sure if he made a mistake. If he had never said anything, maybe nothing would have changed. They could have come up with a plan, and they could have dated as just Marinette and Adrien, and he could have kept that secret to himself. For weeks, or months, or years.

Only to have her leave him the moment she found out, maybe.

Well, the truth might have been the smarter choice after all. Even if it is slowly killing him.

They are alone in the vast dining hall at last, sitting across from each other. Their chef brings them their food, giving Lila a bright smile. “Well, what do we have here? What a lovely girl, Mr. Agreste.”

“Oh, thank you,” Lila chirps back. “I’m very glad to be here. Adrien always says your cooking is fantastic.”

“Does he? I’m glad.” With one last smile at Adrien, the chef leaves again.

Lila doesn’t stop talking about trivial things. School, teachers, some of their classmates, and Adrien can’t even listen properly as he tries to eat the perfectly prepared pork medallions.

“All right,” she sighs eventually. “I know that you’re only doing this so I wouldn’t spread the photo right away, but you could at least pretend to be more interested, you know?”

Adrien jumps. “Um, sorry, I just –”

“I mean, I’ve heard that there was something between you and Marinette. Something bad, maybe.” Lila’s words are as careful as her expression. “Did you get into a fight?”

Somehow, Adrien is tired of it all. Of the whole ordeal. Of all the lies and deceive and juggling the truth, being unsure and insecure and never quite knowing where he stands, of doubting and being unable to sleep and not having the courage to just say what lies on his tongue, and he slams the fork on the table with enough force to create a loud echoing noise. For the first time in a long while, Lila seems genuinely surprised by his reaction, jumping back in her seat and wide eyes settling on him.

“How do you do this?” he snaps.

“How do I do what?”

“How can you keep lying when all it does is make you miserable?”

Lila blinks. Frowns. “I don’t know what you mean.”

The laugh that escapes him is cold and almost desperate. “See. There you go again. Does it make things easier? I guess it does, doesn’t it?”

“What …?”

“Because telling people the truth – showing them who you really are – it’s scary, isn’t it?”

Lila doesn’t reply, watching him in slight confusion, in slight wariness.

“It’s scary,” he says. “It’s way easier to keep it a secret and hope they’ll never know.”

Her frown deepens.

“Because as soon as they know, they could just leave you. Because you aren’t what they hoped you would be.”

She opens her mouth. Closes it again.

“And by then, it’s too late to explain. Because they believed your lies. Who wouldn’t feel betrayed? I felt betrayed, too.”

“What are you talking about?” Lila whispers.

Adrien shuts up. Anger dissipates slowly, leaving place for striking numbness. Instead of showing the pain tumbling through his heart, he scratches the back of his head. “I guess I messed up. By hesitating, by not being true to myself. That’s all. I just wonder how you do it.”

Lila narrows her eyes. “I am true to myself.”

“Yeah.” He laughs tiredly. “Sure you are.”

She looks at her plate. Takes a bite of her food. Chews and chews, shadows on her face. “I know that feeling, though. I lost a friend like that, too.”

This time, he doesn’t reply.

“I … I tried my hardest to be his friend. Because I know he’s a nice person. Way too nice for his good, even. But he kind of hates me now. He didn’t let me explain either. I suppose that’s just the way people are. It isn’t about lying or deceiving or truths. It’s about what they want to see.”

They are sitting across from each other. Her fork scrapes over the plate.

“It’s not about what people see, if we’re being perfectly honest,” she mumbles. “It’s about that they see you at all. Because if they don’t, you’re nobody. And if you’re nobody …”

“Lila. You are not nobody.”

“Who said I’m talking about myself?”

The corners of his mouth twitch. “Right.”

“I know I’m not nobody. I never was.” She looks up to him. “People like me, you know. They do. They really like me.”

“Because you show them what they want to see.”

“Well, people will always see what they want to see.”

“And is what they want to see yourself?”

She huffs. Shows him the tiniest smile. “Does that really matter?”

“I think it does. I think people liking you for only what they see doesn’t have much worth. I think they should like you for you.”

She pierces a piece of medallion with her fork. “You’re talking as if all I want is attention.”

“Don’t you?”

She glances up to him underneath her eyelashes. Her face has fallen. She looks different when she doesn’t try to be liked, when something shatters her façade. It makes him think that behind lies, there’s only a girl trying to be liked. A girl trying not to be hated, not even by herself.

“No,” she says. “I don’t.”

He nods. “And I don’t think he hates you.”

“Who?”

“That friend you talked about. I don’t think he hates you. I just think he’d like to know who you really are, even if who you really are isn’t perfect. Nobody is, after all.”

Her shoulders droop. She plays with some vegetables on her plate. “Is that what happened with Marinette? Was she tired of lying?”

His smile hurts on his face. “I guess.”

She stays silent. For a moment, he allows himself to believe that people can change. That people can open up. That people can become better. For a moment, he allows himself to think that the truth can change anything for the better. So he looks at her, watches her expression.

“Will you call it off?”

She arches her brow, still staring at the plate. “Call what off?”

“Our deal. About the photo.”

She stays silent. When she looks up again, all vulnerability is carefully erased from her face. All that remains is slight mockery and a grin that makes goosebumps rise on his skin. “If you are so fond of the truth, you won’t have anything against me making that picture public, will you, Adrien?”

He doesn’t answer.

“See.” She tilts her head with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “You are not one jot better than me, huh?”

The smile he responds with is tired and small. “And yet I told you. I would still like to be your friend, Lila.”

Her smile falls. She stares. Then she goes back to her food, not deigning him another look.

The rest of the dinner is spent with meaningless conversations and meaningless looks, and when Lila says her goodbyes, he thinks he can see a shimmer of regret in her eyes. But it is gone in a matter of seconds, and she is, too. Gabriel watches her go next to Adrien, his hands clasped behind his back.

“She is a special young woman, isn’t she?” Gabriel says, devoid of any emotions.

“Very special,” Adrien returns drily. Sends him a look. “I have a feeling you are fond of her, father.”

Gabriel hums. “I can’t say I dislike her.”

It’s an answer so vague Adrien suppresses a sigh. An answer that was to be expected.

Adrien knows he has to give her time. He knows. But still, it’s the middle of the night, and he is restless and unable to fall asleep and eventually, he gets up, trying to occupy his mind with anything that isn’t revolving around Marinette.

Though it’s easier said than done.

While Plagg is still snoring away next to Adrien’s bed, he stalks through the room. Doesn’t look at his phone. Checks it anyway. Still no message, and still no clue on what to do with Lila, and he feels helpless and directionless and leaves his room. Being alone in here, endless corridors, feels so different. He misses Marinette’s little giggles, her gleaming eyes.

God, he misses her.

And yet –

While walking through the hallway, he notices light coming from one of the rooms, and he stops just in front of the door to have a look inside.

For a moment, he’s too dumbfounded to react quickly enough. And when his father’s eyes meet his, it’s already too late. Gabriel is sitting in one of his offices, a cup in his hands – “Best Dad in the World”, it says. The irony isn’t lost on Adrien, but he freezes in the face of knowing he’s doing something he isn’t supposed to do, and outside, the night is slumbering on.

“Adrien,” Gabriel says. He sounds uncharacteristically tired, so resigned Adrien almost shudders. “What are you doing here at this hour?”

Adrien opens his mouth. Closes it again. Shame prickles on his cheeks. Gabriel is still staring at him, raising an eyebrow to get him to speak. But he isn’t yelling, doesn’t seem as intimidating as Adrien would have thought, and eventually, Adrien steps closer to the door.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he mumbles. “I’m sorry.”

The corner of Gabriel’s mouth twitches. “It’s a Friday. So I’ll be lenient this time.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Silence again. Something lays on the desk before Gabriel. Adrien strains his neck to catch a glimpse of it, but he’s too far away and the lighting is too dim, and eventually, Gabriel’s cup makes a clacking sound as it is put on the table once again.

“Why can’t you sleep?” Gabriel asks.

It’s almost a sign of genuine concern. Then again, it’s an emotion too foreign to make sense, and Adrien frowns in return, trying to catch the reproach behind simple words.

“I – um, I don’t know, sorry –”

“Because,” Gabriel rubs his forehead, “I’d advise you not to end up like me. Drowning yourself in work until you can’t sleep anymore either.”

This time worry blooms in Adrien’s chest. He takes a step into the room. Gabriel is looking at the item in front of him, and slowly, Adrien notices what it is – a photo album. It’s large and seems to be overflowing with photos, way too many to fit between the pages. His father’s face is drenched in misery, and it’s a sight so unfamiliar that Adrien doesn’t know what to feel.

“Maybe you should work less,” he suggests, his voice small and unsure.

“Sometimes, hard work is required.” He takes a breath. “Sometimes, it’s the only chance at getting something you aren’t sure you even deserve.”

Adrien doesn’t understand. He isn’t sure if he’s even supposed to. Another tiny step, and he realizes what exactly Gabriel is staring at – photos of their family. Photos of Mom.

Adrien’s heart aches.

Maybe he can understand his father better than Gabriel thinks.

“You know,” Adrien whispers. “Nathalie is worried about you too.”

A snort. “Is she?”

“Yes. Maybe you really should take care of yourself. Give yourself the time and care you need.”

Another snort. The glimmer of iciness in blue eyes is familiar. “Such wise words from my own son.”

Adrien doesn’t know how to respond to such a statement. So he doesn’t respond at all. Everything about Gabriel seems tired and defeated. The cup sits before him, the faint scent of coffee reaching Adrien. It’s almost amusing, but then again, it really isn’t.

It really isn’t.

“Were there many times Mom couldn’t fall asleep either?” Adrien dares ask.

He expects to be sent away. He expects to be shut up. It always happens. Gabriel’s eyes wander back to the album in front of him. Moments pass. The night keeps breathing, stars are hanging from the sky, and the silence is cut apart by Gabriel’s voice.

“No. She’s a heavy sleeper.”

Adrien doesn’t dare move.

“Come here.”

Adrien almost doesn’t dare move. But he does. Step after tiny step until he comes to a halt in front of the desk, and he slowly sits down as his father points at a photo in the album, showing a brightly smiling Emily with a baby in her arms, sparkling with a joy that makes Adrien smile in return.

“She always told me that not getting enough sleep does bad things to your complexion.” His father smiles down at the photos. “Maybe we should listen to her, huh?”

“Maybe we should,” Adrien agrees.

It’s in the middle of the night when Marinette finally, finally texts him back.

It’s a photo from the message he left on her balcony, followed by a caption.

Can we talk?

His heart flutters, and he crosses the room in a matter of seconds. Softly wakes up Plagg by shaking him lightly. The kwami yawns, blinks at him out of heavy eyes.

“Would it be okay to transform?” he whispers.

“If ya give me my favorite cheese, I might think about it.”

“The stinky one? Really?”

“You wanna transform or not?”

Adrien has to laugh. He promises him three wheels of Plagg’s favorite cheese before transforming, leaving into the night. Heading for a familiar balcony. He prepares for rejection. He prepares for his heart being broken in a matter of seconds. But at least he was true to himself. At least he let Marinette see who he really is, and let her decide with all her heart. No matter what the outcome will be, he is ready.

He knows he is.

When he arrives at the balcony, shadows are covering it, only the faint lights of lanterns illuminating the figure curled up in the deckchair. For a moment, he watches her. The evenness of her breathing, the way her forehead is wrinkled, and he doesn’t even try to disguise the thump created as he lands on the railing. Her eyes dart to him, but she doesn’t move otherwise.

“Hi,” he whispers, sitting down on the railing.

“Hi,” she whispers back. Plays with a strand of her hair, lets it go again. “I liked your message.”

A shaky smile spreads on his face. “Yeah?”

“’If you want to talk, don’t hesitate to text me.’ Short and to the point.” She still doesn’t look at him, her eyes cast downwards. “I think my hearts are prettier, though.”

“Ouch. Even though I put so much effort into it.”

“Yeah, sorry. Had to tell you the truth.”

“No problem.”

Silence. He swings his legs back and forth. Searches for words. Hears the rustling of clothes when she sits up, arms curled around her bent knees. Their eyes meet for a second.

“How was dinner?” she asks. “Did she try anything funny?”

Chat shrugs. “I was all right. Nothing big.”

“But she won’t call things off, I bet.”

“No.” He sighs. “She won’t.”

“Oh, well. Shucks. But I can’t say I’m surprised.”

Silence again. Marinette rubs her arm and looks to the floor. Moonlight catches in her hair. The urge to touch her becomes overwhelming, and the words slip from his lips before he can hold them back.

“Marinette, I’m –”

“Listen, Chat, I just –”

They both pause. Chat gestures for her to go on. She bites her lip, her chin coming to rest on her knees.

“You … you weren’t joking, were you?”

“About?”

She gestures at herself weakly. He gulps.

“No.” He lowers his voice further. “I know it’s you.”

She nods. Nods again. “For how long?”

“I think … Three weeks. Almost three weeks. When you slipped into the guest room as Ladybug, and when … when I accidentally discovered that only Marinette remained in the room.” He scratches the back of his head. “I know I shouldn’t have looked, but then … It was too late, and I couldn’t look away, and I …”

“Why didn’t you tell me right away?” Her voice almost cracks.

His fingers cramp around the railing. “I was too shocked at first. I never thought – it was just … I didn’t know how to handle it.”

“You should have told me.”

“I know.”

“You really, really should have. Maybe not right away. But the next day, at least.”

“I know.”

“I’m the Guardian too. I gotta know about … about something like this.”

“Marinette, I know, I’m so –”

“And I’m sorry.”

He looks up abruptly. Watches as she stands up, taking a step towards him. Her hair is a bit in disarray, and her cheeks are reddened, and she looks kind of restless and kind of confused, and it hurts so much he doesn’t know what to do.

“I’m sorry for … for just bolting. And for needing so long to finally talk to you, and for …” She looks down at the floor. Stops in front of him. He doesn’t dare touch her. “It’s just – I rejected you so often, and all along …”

“I could say the same.”

A ghost of a smile. It’s gone in a matter of seconds again. Hesitantly, she touches his knee, and he feels a spark glimmer in his chest.

“Did you hope for someone else?” she asks.

He frowns at her. Can’t resist anymore. Fingers reaching for her face, grasping her chin, tilting her head until she looks him in the eyes. Deeply blue, puffy and reddened. He swallows down the pain building in his throat.

“You couldn’t be more perfect,” he whispers.

Her lower lip trembles. Her hands reach up, touch his cheeks. Fingers running over his jawline, over his lips, tracing the edge of his mask. He closes his eyes when she brushes her fingers through his hair, when she rubs his cat ears, and eventually, her thumbs land on his cheeks again.

“It’s you,” she breathes, full of awe and disbelief and when he opens his eyes, he sees the tears threatening to escape her. “It really is you.”

“Yeah.” His voice cracks. “Did you hope for someone else?”

Her laugh is drenched in desperation, and she sobs, and it’s too much. It’s just way too much. He leans closer, and she doesn’t back away, and he cups her cheeks, waits for their foreheads to touch. Hesitates no longer, and kisses her. Kisses every tear from her cheek and chases away every sob until he slides from the railing, until her arms wrap around him, holding on for dear life as he strokes his thumb over her cheek again and again.

“You couldn’t be more perfect,” she breathes against his lips.

He smiles. Kisses her again. Kisses her until he can hardly breathe anymore. Doesn’t hesitate to show her what she means to him, what she truly means to him. With or without the mask, no matter the name, and the more he discovers about her, the more he falls, harder and harder until his sight becomes blurry. He presses his forehead against hers, listens for her shuddering breaths.

“Could you do me a favor?” she asks quietly.

Fingers tracing an invisible path over her cheek, he prompts her to go on with a hum.

“Could you detransform?”

He brushes hair from her face. Kisses the tip of her nose. “Claws in,” he whispers, green light surrounding him as Marinette leans back slightly, watching his face. It’s somehow nerve-wracking to have her watch that intently, and his heart bursts when a smile builds on her lips bit by bit, as her fingers comb through his hair tenderly.

“I can see it,” she says.

“You can see that I detransformed? I would hope so.”

“No, no, I mean …” She messes up his hair a bit, grabs his chin to regard his face from all sides. “Yes. I can see it.”

“Of course you can. He’s the same person, sweetheart.”

Plagg’s sudden voice makes them turn their heads, and Marinette gives a little sound. “Plagg, hi. So good to see you again.”

“Hi there, Pigtails. Really got my kiddo into an emotional crisis, I gotta say.”

She bashfully looks away. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I am.” Adrien takes hold of her face and kisses her cheek. “Really, I am. I’m lucky you would even forgive me.”

“Forgive you? Forgive you for what?”

“For hesitating for so long.”

She stays silent for a while. Looks at him, eyes sparkling with something unnamable, something beautiful. “You know,” she says slowly. “The truth can be scary. I can speak from experience. So I’m not blaming you for anything.”

Plagg makes a gagging sound. “I will now politely excuse myself. Watching teenagers getting it on isn’t exactly my favorite hobby, you see.”

“You may.” Marinette grins at him, then looks at Adrien again. “I still have to make up for the many times I rejected you, right? And I plan on being very thorough with my apology.”

Adrien laughs in surprise, the sound getting lost when her lips wander to his jaw, to his neck. He feels her smiling against his skin when he swallows down a sound at the feeling of her soft caresses.

“Thorough enough?” she mutters.

“I think,” his fingers wander through her hair, “I will need a bit more convincing, bugaboo.”

She snorts at the nickname. “I will do my best, kitten,” she replies, grabs the back of his head, and kisses him with a hunger that takes his breath away.

She could fall asleep like this. Safe and secure in Adrien’s arms as he presses tiny kisses on her forehead, caught in the warmth of her blanket. Adrien – Chat Noir – she still isn’t sure if she can truly understand it, even though she saw him detransform right before her eyes. Adrien’s arms are wrapped around her, and she snuggles closer to listen to his heartbeat.

She almost wants to laugh at Lila’s stupid attempt to bring chaos into their lives. Right the moment when everything seems to fall into place like that. When she feels her heart burst for someone she has loved in every way possible. Every side there is to him, no matter how much he tried to hide it.

She can’t believe she could ever be that lucky.

“So,” he mumbles against her hair. “Lila won’t stop her plans. Even though I tried my best to convince her otherwise.”

“Yeah. No wonder there.”

“Nervous, bugaboo?”

“You won’t stop with the nicknames anytime soon, will you?”

“Afraid not.”

He chuckles, and even though she would never admit it, she likes that bit of silliness. She drapes a leg over his and slides closer, lifts her head until she can kiss him chastely.

“I’m not nervous.” She leaves her eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of his lips meeting hers again. “Just … There’s something I have to tell you.”

He leans back a bit, watching her face. “Okay?”

“Juleka was the one who sent the first two photos to other people. She said it was an accident, and I think I really believe her.”

“Juleka?” he repeats. “Why would she do that?”

She clears her throat. “Luka.”

“Oh. Oh … She was angry at you?”

“Yeah.”

“Huh.” He draws her closer, lips latching onto her neck. “Let’s not talk about Luka.”

She giggles at his ministrations, and sighs when his touches soften, warm lips caressing her skin. “That’s not – Adrien – plan, she has a –” He cuts her off with a deep kiss that makes her toes curl, and when she is able to bring her mind back to the here and now, she is on her back, Adrien’s face hovering above hers. Her breathing has quickened. She can’t look away from his eyes.

“Plan,” he says.

“Huh …?” She blinks. “Ah. Yes. Juleka has a plan. Stop interrupting me.”

“Juleka has a plan?”

“Yeah, Alya talked to her, and they came up with something. Are you free tomorrow?”

“I should be.” He sinks down to her until their noses touch, but even when she leans towards him, he doesn’t kiss her. “Tell me about the plan.”

At first, he interrupts her explanation with kisses until she tells him to stop. He starts to listen more intently the further she gets. When the whole plan is laid bare to him, he looks pensive, his thumb trailing a slow line over her temple.

“Can I ask you for a favor this time?” he says.

“You don’t like the plan?”

“I like it. But I want to include someone else, too.”

“Okay? Who?”

She frowns at the suggestion. Is about to protest. But still, she trusts him. So she nods. Wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him. Kisses him longer and longer until her heart is beating too quickly. Kisses him until his lips are on her neck again, drawing stumbling sounds form her mouth. Hands over her thin shirt, and she shivers and gasps until he kisses any sound from her lips.

She never wants him to stop.

A warm and sunny day. Adrien was allowed to help her choose a dress. He didn’t tell her to choose the one he got for her. That one is reserved for special occasions, he told her. The many, many things they have yet to experience with each other.

Her smile was the most wonderful sight she ever granted him.

Hand in hand, they approach the park Alya is waiting for them at. When she sees them, she waves exaggeratedly. “Look what we have here! Two lovebirds, hand in hand!”

“Okay, I’m getting nervous,” Marinette admits to him, sending him a little pout. He can’t resist. Leans down to kiss the doubts from her lips.

“Don’t worry, my lady. It will be fine.”

The nickname makes her shudder against him. “No nicknames around the others.”

“Oh. So I gotta use this little moment, I see. You’re looking gorgeous, love bug.”

“Adrien.”

“You have never looked more beautiful, bugaboo.”

“Chat.”

He chuckles. Presses a kiss against her cheek before approaching the others. Nino brought his wireless boxes with him, looking through his playlist with a seriousness no one else but him would show at such a life-altering task. Juleka greets them with a shy smile as they sit down next to her.

“Oh, you look so cute together!” Rose chirps, hands clasped. “I knew it! I always knew it! You are the perfect couple!”

Adrien can’t hold back a proud smile as he looks at Marinette. Her cheeks are reddened, and she squeezes his hand. “Only because I have the perfect girlfriend.”

She bites her lip and returns his look. “Says the perfect boyfriend.”

His heart is bursting.

When Kagami arrives, she offers them a little smile as she sits down next to Nino, frowning as he immediately explains the absolute importance of fitting music to her. Alya joins them, frowning just as much as Kagami. The two girls exchange a long and understanding look as Nino babbles on about ambience and how man, you two just don’t get it.

It doesn’t take long until Adrien spots a familiar face in the distance. He sees her freeze, sees her turn around in an instant, and before she can run away, Adrien calls after her. “Lila, wait!”

She bolts upright in the distance. Stiffly turns around. Comes closer bit by bit, the smile on her face twitching. Everyone is staring at her, but Lila’s eyes don’t slide away from his.

“Adrien,” she says, syllables drawn-out. “I thought you said it would just be the two of us?”

“Did I?” He blinks innocently. “Could it be that I … lied?”

“No,” Marinette gasps. “That’s impossible.”

“Sunshine boy? Lying? Never,” Alya snorts.

“Right. I will take my leave, then.” Lila is about to turn around, but Kagami’s voice stops her.

“Stay. With all the good things people around here had to say about you, I would like to get to know you too, Lila Rossi.”

Lila stares at Kagami. “Good things,” she repeats warily.

“Yup. You could tell her about your vacation in Egypt!” Rose says excitedly.

“Oh, or your time in Tokyo,” Nino adds. “Y’know, Kagami knows a thing or two about going to school in Japan.”

“I would be delighted to hear about it,” Kagami says, face blank.

Lila’s eye twitches. “Oh, now that I think about it, I so forgot that I have an appointment!” She laughs loudly. “Woah, what a good thing that I suddenly remembered. You know, I am volunteering for a –”

“Oh, come on, Lila.” This time, Adrien’s smile is genuine. “Stay. Only for half an hour, if you want to, but stay.”

All eyes are on her. It’s not often that Lila seems almost flustered, unsure what to do. Just for a tiny moment, Adrien could almost believe that he knows her. Something about her, all of her.

Eventually, Lila grits her teeth before sinking down into the grass. “Fine,” she sighs. “I think I can postpone that appointment. I’ll stay.”

Adrien leans his cheek against Marinette’s head and keeps smiling.

Alya is discreet about it first. A photo here, a photo there. Of Juleka and Rose talking while they’re holding hands, of Nino still explaining something to Kagami until she scrunches up her nose in confusion. Of Marinette and Alya doing silly faces together, of them forcing Kagami to join in. Of Marinette hugging Kagami so tightly that Kagami looks a bit uncomfortable. Of Adrien talking to Lila about his piano lessons, and her claiming that she took some lessons from the most famous piano teacher in Paris, which makes Adrien roll his eyes.

“Ready for the big one?” Alya eventually announces, the camera pointed to Adrien. “Go, snatch your girlfriend.”

Marinette beams at him, her cheeks the loveliest pink. She sits down next to him, and he can’t help returning her smile as he brushes some strands of hair behind her ear. She looks beautiful in the spring sun, and his heart bursts just with one little glance.

“Tongue! I want to see some tongue!” Alya calls out.

“Oh my god, Alya,” Marinette returns, cheeks turning redder. “We won’t –”

Adrien grabs her face and crashes their lips against each other, surprising her so much that she gasps a little. Grinning into it, he softens the kiss until she relaxes, and when their lips part, he can’t help but chuckle.

“Swept you off your feet?” he whispers.

“You are too much,” she whispers back, pecking his lips another time.

And it’s then that Lila seems to realize what is going on. She snorts next to them, then rolls her eyes. “Really? You’re going to share your own photos before I can? That is your glorious plan?”

“We will fight those rumors with the best weapon there is,” Alya joins them. “Debunking them. If people see that our lovely couple is open about their status, and that Kagami is fine with it, then what is there left to talk about? Exactly, nothing.”

“Ah, yeah. That’s why you invited me. To humiliate me while you’re at it.” Lila is about to stand up, but Adrien grabs her wrist before she can.

“No. I wanted you to be here.”

Lila yanks her wrist free. “I can’t believe you would be that mean.”

“Seriously, Lila,” Alya jumps in. “He asked me to take some photos of you two. You get three guesses why.”

Lila doesn’t answer, her poisonous look still on Adrien.

“Because he’s way too nice, and he wants people to think you are closer friends than you really are,” Marinette answers in her stead, scrunching up her nose. “I wouldn’t have done it if I was him. But there you are. Adrien seems to think you can be a good person, or something.”

“Because she can be,” he tells Marinette, sending her a look. She shrugs. He turns back to Lila. “Stay a bit longer, come on.”

Lila’s face softens a bit. “You aren’t mad at me?”

“I am furious,” Marinette sharply replies. “And none of us is happy with you, really. Just be glad that Juleka came up with this plan.”

“And seriously,” Adrien adds. “If you would have been honest with me, we could have posted a photo of the two of us way sooner. After all, you’re my friend, Lila. It wouldn’t have been a lie.”

Lila swallows thickly. Arms crossed, she sits down again. Slowly, carefully, and when Alya aims the camera at Adrien, Marinette, and Lila at once, Lila only flinches slightly. But she doesn’t move away.

“All right, Lila.” Alya grins. “Why don’t you tell us all about that journey to Spain you once talked about?”

At that, Lila’s whole face seems to light up. “Oh, but gladly! It was phenomenal! We actually started out in Switzerland, and from there, we took the long route along the south of France, and I’m telling you, the things we saw! First …”

While Lila gets lost in her story and Alya nods along with a little bit of slight amusement in her eyes, Adrien looks at Marinette. Meets her eyes. Leans down to rest his forehead against hers.

“Have I ever told you how amazing you are?” he whispers.

“Have I ever told you how incredible you are?” she returns.

“No. Please go on. I’m listening.”

She giggles. “My silly kitty,” she breathes before kissing him.

In the evening, she is scrolling through the photos on Instagram, Adrien’s arm draped around her waist as he watches her over her shoulder. Alya did a perfect job – all photos look natural. Beautiful, even. Marinette stops at one in which Kagami and she are talking about something, laughter in both their eyes. She gives a deep breath. “I like that one.”

“Me too. You look pretty.”

“And Kagami does too. Right?” At his pause, she giggles. “The answer is yes, she does.”

“You said that, not me.”

“Only the objective truth.” She scrolls on. “Oh.”

“Oh,” he confirms. “I like that one even better.”

It’s the moment they kissed. They look lost in their own little world, eyes closed and lips touching. His hand is in her hair, and it almost seems like she is smiling against his lips. As she regards the photo, she feels Adrien’s lips on her cheek.

“So, the whole world knows,” she concludes.

“Seems so.”

“Including your dad.”

He hums, pulling her closer against his body. Her room is quiet, and he lowers his voice. “Yeah. But we’ll deal with that when we have to.”

“One step at a time?”

“Exactly.”

She turns her head. Looks at him. At the loving way his eyes catch hers. At the smile he gives her.

With him by her side, she feels like she can take on anything that comes her way, no matter how scary it is.