Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“No. No way.”

Marinette sat on her pink bed, staring blankly at Alya. Her friend gave an exasperated groan as she pushed herself off of the doorframe she leaned on, starting to approach her from across the room. “Pleeeease, Mari?” Putting her hands under her chin, Alya batted her eyelashes up at an unamused Marinette. “My grade hinges on this final! I promise, nobody is even gonna see it.”

Marinette laughed incredulously, crossing her arms. “Yeah, nobody, except for the entire dance department! Alya, I am not going to make a fool out of myself on stage!”

“You’re a great dancer, Marinette!” Alya crawled up onto the bed and held Marinette’s face between her hands, squishing her cheeks. “You know you’re my only hope, Mari…”

Giggling, Marinette swatted Alya’s hands away. “I refuse to believe that. Why don’t you ask Rose?”

Alya rolled her eyes dramatically. “Rose? As if Rose could compare to the grace, the elegance, the unmitigated femininity of THE Ladybug herself!”

“Rose is busy that day, isn’t she.”

“Okay, so Rose might be busy that day, but I’m not wrong! Come on, what will it take for you to say yes?”

Marinette looked at her friend quietly, considering her options. Ever since revealing her secret identity, the two had become closer than ever before. Moving in together for university had given Marinette a safe space, one where she could lean on both Alya and Tikki for support. It had been the best year of her life. Glancing over at her desk, she made eye contact with Tikki. Times were changing, and Marinette knew that her luck wouldn’t hold much longer. Alya’s relationship with Nino was progressing fast, and they were going to shack up together soon, leaving Marinette alone again.

Turning her attention back to Alya, she watched as her best friend leaned forward, glasses askew and eyes wide. She knew that Alya wouldn’t have asked if she wasn’t desperate. Marinette know nothing about dancing, and she could only shake her clumsiness while wearing the Ladybug mask.

“You do my laundry. For a week - no, TWO weeks.”

Alya tackled Marinette onto the bed, clinging to her with an excited scream. “OMIGOD MARI! You are the BEST! I am ordering us dinner, whatever you want! Pizza? Do you want wine? You are a GODDESS, Marinette, I can’t thank you enough!”

Alya flew off the bed, grabbing her phone to dial pizza delivery, tripping over Marinette’s laundry basket in the process. Stumbling into the kitchen, she called out, “I’ll clean that up! Wait, I’ll really clean it up! Just give me a minute!”

Marinette laughed, leaning down to grab her sketchbook, knocked to the floor by Hurricane Alya. Smiling fondly, she followed into the hallway. “Hey! You need to tell me what I’m getting into, here!”

Chapter Text

Chat Noir silently perched on a railing overlooking his patrol route of the night. Closing his eyes, he felt the cool spring breeze ruffling through his hair. He inhaled the perfume of Paris deeply, a small smile gracing his face.

As Adrien, he never had the time to take in the city like this. After his mother passed away, he was put on a strict schedule by his father. Never allowed outside the house, except for photoshoots and fencing tournaments, and only under supervision. Despite his pleas, he was homeschooled until graduation.

He wasn’t sure if he had even lived his childhood, or if he had just slept through it. That is, until he became Chat Noir, the very handsome purr-tector of Paris.

Green eyes fluttering open, he sprung, tail whipping behind him as he dashed across buildings.

His father’s brand, Gabriel, had seen massive success in the last few years. His father was overworked, disappearing for months at a time, and Adrien saw an opportunity. Sitting down with Nathalie, he drafted up an agreement: He could attend university and carve out his own life, but only if he agreed to never model or sell his likeness for any other brand.

Gabriel read it without facing his son. All Adrien would get was a handshake from Nathalie to prove his father even signed it.

Chat flipped over alleyways, scanning the dark streets for signs of life. Patrol was usually uneventful, especially since Hawkmoth had begun to slow down. Now, they only saw about one akuma a month. He and Ladybug had agreed to patrol regardless, and there were no complaints from Chat. Even with his own apartment, sometimes life felt equally as lonely and stifling as it did in the mansion.

Skidding to a stop on the other side of Paris, he wiped the sweat off of his forehead. Usually, Ladybug would be at the rendezvous point by now, but he was alone on the rooftop. It reminded him of the silence waiting for him at home, so he busied himself scanning the horizon for his Lady. Finally, he saw a red dot swinging in his direction.

His tail swished excitedly, watching her fly weightlessly against the clouds. Throughout the years, he had fallen deeper and deeper in love with his partner. She had grown tall and lean, her signature pigtails now down past her shoulders, and her suit upgraded with lines of black armor. As she got older, however, she became more resistant to his affection. She was too nervous about her responsibilities as a hero, too stressed with school and work…

The savior of Paris, and the love of Chat’s life, landed on the rooftop with a last burst of air on the impact. “Good evening, kitty!”

“Good evening, my Lady! Looks like I beat you tonight, purr-haps a certain bug is getting slow?”

Ladybug rolled her eyes as she made her way to the edge of the roof, sitting down. “Well, perhaps someone should be a little more thorough and shouldn’t rush patrol”

Dropping down next to her, Chat swung his legs off the edge. “Sure, sure. Did you see anything interesting during your very thorough patrol?”

He glanced over in her direction, watching her fiddle with a pigtail. She sighed, “No… if I’m honest, I was just distracted tonight.”

Chat furrowed his brow. He knew Ladybug was often stressed, but she didn’t usually want to talk about it. He leaned over and nudged her with his shoulder. “What’s bothering you, Ladybug? You know I’m always here to listen”

He watched as she pinched her lips to the side in thought. Her face downturned towards the street, he could trace her profile as he waited. Down her forehead, past her eyelashes, following the bridge of her nose-

“It’s my roommate.”

Startled back to reality, Chat shook his head. She needed someone to vent to, not someone to ogle her.

“She’s taking a dance class this semester, and there’s this big final performance that she needs to choreograph for two. I’m not a dancer, but she really needed someone to do it with her…”

Chat nodded. He remembered her mentioning how close she was with her roommate, and her worries that she would need a new one soon. Putting two and two together, he chimed in, “I’m sure she appreciates you stepping in to help her out.”

Ladybug began to pull on her pigtails. “I said yes a few weeks ago, but she just showed me the song and her choreography and… it’s just not really me. I’m already uncomfortable getting up on stage and performing, and I’m worried I’ll just be useless up there with what she gave me.”

Chat knew what it was like to be nervous about performing. “Can you show me?”

Turning to face him, Ladybug grimaced. He worried for a minute that he had overstepped as he watched her gaze flicker over his face before she finally spoke. “How will I know you won’t see the dance in real life?”

Chat smiled, “Bugaboo, this cat is not a dancer. I’ve got four left paws!” Then, seeing her serious expression, he continued. “I promise to avoid any and all dances I see across the entire city until you say it’s done.”

She furrowed her eyebrows once more, and Chat tensed. Maybe he should pretend he was kidding, he wondered, but as he went to speak Ladybug jumped to her feet and walked across the roof.

Watching her intently pressing on her yo-yo, he wondered if she’s going to ask him for his ring back for being such a wiseass. Then, a pop song started to play from her hip, and he sees her take a deep breath.

As Ladybug began to move, Chat could see what she meant. As graceful as she was at swinging through the sky, the moves were coming out rigid. Her face was pinched in focus as she did her best to keep up with the pace, and he wondered what he could do to help her relax. Finally, the song came to an end.

Ladybug leaned her hands on her knees, dangling her head, as Chat applauded enthusiastically. “BRAVA! BRAVA!”

She waved him off, out of breath. “See what I mean?” She huffed out.

“You just need to loosen up! Imagine you’re dancing around your room!”

Ladybug whipped her face up, turning red. “I do not dance around my room!”

“My Lady,” Chat raised his eyebrow skeptically, “There’s no shame in a bedroom dance party.”

She stepped towards him, a playful expression on her face. “And what do you dance to, Chat? Anime theme songs?”

Chat felt his face turning pink as he jumped to his feet. “FIRST of all, no I don’t. Second of all, even if I DID, there would be nothing wrong with that because some of those songs are really good.”

Ladybug giggled as she pushed him back by the nose, and he couldn’t help but laugh through his pout. Glad to have cheered her up, he pushed forward, sneaking his hand onto her waist. “Alright, Bug, if I did dance around my bedroom, it might look something like…”

Tapping her yo-yo, he jumped away as a new song started playing. Dancing ridiculously across the rooftop, he could hear his Lady cackling behind him. Unhappy with dancing alone, he grabbed her hand and spun her around.

He could see she was embarrassed, bouncing from one foot to another, so he decided to turn it up a notch. Curling his fists into cat paws, he bounded around her to the beat until she couldn’t breathe through the laughter. Finally, the two of them collapsed onto their backs.

Covering his face with his hands, he shook with laughter. Their laughing could probably be heard across Paris, cutting through the night. As he heaved deep breaths, he felt a poke against his shoulder. Lowering his hands, he turned to face her.

Ladybug was lying on her side, hair loosely falling over her shoulder. His breath caught in his throat. She was bathed in the moonlight, her blue eyes glittering like stars as her eyelashes fanned out to frame them. Her cheeks were tinted pink, and he could see the faintest freckles dotting the space before disappearing behind the mask.

“Thanks, Chat.”

Her lips curved upwards in a small, pink smile. Chat felt a slight tug as he realized his tail had wrapped around her waist, and he reached out to cup her cheek.

“Ladybug, you are the most graceful woman I’ve ever known. Dance like that, and your friend will ace her final before it’s even over.”

Chapter Text

“GIRL! Where did you learn to dance like that!”

Alya huffed as she sank to the floor of the studio, pulling her ponytail tighter.

“Just from dancing around my room, I guess.”

Alya groaned, falling backwards. “If that’s a double entendre about you and the cat boy- actually, whatever it is, it’s working. What ISN’T working is my stupid choreo. Why did I even take this class?”

Marinette smiled, walking over to her friend. The performance was only a month away, and Alya was getting nervous about the big day. Pulling Alya back to her feet, she patted her on the head. “Alya, I promise it’s amazing. You’re just not seeing the full vision yet, which reminds me…”

Skipping over to her backpack, Marinette pulled out a folded bundle and tossed them into Alya’s hands.

“Are these… MARI! Are these costumes? You’ve already done enough!”

Pulling out her own set, Marinette shrugged. “I just felt inspired, I guess.”

“Well, this changes EVERYTHING!” Alya squealed, holding up the shirt. “Why didn’t you show me earlier? Let’s get these on and run it again!”

Marinette dove in front of her friend as she tore off her leggings. “Alya, please! This is a public practice room!”

---

Across campus, Adrien dropped his book bag onto the library table, sinking into a seat with a dramatic groan. Nino barely looked up from across the table, sliding him a coffee. “Long day?”

Adrien nodded, pouting as he rubbed his eyes under his glasses. Instead of studying for finals, he had been slipping out as Chat Noir more and more, hoping for another tender moment with Ladybug. Now, with just a month to go, his brain was fried from the exam cramming. He was sure his brain just looked like white noise.

Well, mostly white noise. Sometimes it looked more like a certain bluenette, lying out of breath on her side. She was the universe itself to him, but he knew she had set a firm boundary between them. Coworkers only. Ok, coworkers and friends. Best friends? Coworkers and confidants and best friends… really just anything but lovers.

“That sound cool?”

Adrien nodded sleepily. Being lovers with Ladybug? “Sounds awesome.”

“Alright, bet. I’ll text her now and let her know.”

Adrien shot out of his seat, shouting, “No! You can’t let her know!”

Nino turned, slowly, as Adrien felt all of the eyes in the library turn to him too. “Dude. I don’t think it needs to be a surprise. Alya will be excited you’re coming.”

Adrien blinked hard before taking a long sip of his coffee. Maybe he should lay off the extra patrols this week. Maybe this month. Nino smiled sympathetically and reached over to grab his friend’s shoulder. “Hey, if you want to skip gaming today and get some sleep, that’s alright dude.”

Adrien smiled back at Nino, his best friend at school. They met on the first day in the university game lounge and hit it off immediately. Nino didn’t care about Adrien’s stunted social skills or celebrity status, he just enjoyed having someone to listen to his music and play video games with. Adrien enjoyed having a friend and someone to pull him out of his empty room.

Nino had been dating Alya since before they’d met, but Adrien had only met her a couple of times so far. She seemed nice, though she was always in a rush out the door. He started noticing her more as Chat Noir and having to pull her out of the line of fire more often than not.

Nino kicked him under the table, startling Adrien back to reality. “Dude. You really need more sleep.”

Adrien pushed Nino’s hat down in front of his face, laughing. “Sleep is for the weak, man, did you bring your Switch?”

Chapter Text

“Oooo, girl, these space buns are going to look so cute on you!”

Alya grinned as she bundled Marinette’s hair in her hands, getting ready to start styling. “And don’t think I didn’t notice your costume’s theme. Sure there’s nothing you want to tell me about your partner?”

Marinette rolled her eyes and giggled, but she worried her lip between her teeth. Chat had grown a lot over the years, as much as she hated to admit it. It was easier to turn him down when they were just dorky kids, but it was getting much harder when faced with his new look. His hair had grown his hair out, the blonde hair pulled back in a short ponytail. Plus, he had grown almost a foot, which Marinette didn’t find fair at all. It was almost like he was a model, with broad shoulders and shiny abs and-

She sighed, closing her eyes. Alya started to pin her hair. “You can’t deny it, girl, you have a thing for the rockstar look. He’s wearing leather and spandex, for God’s sake.”

Tikki giggled from the vanity, and Marinette’s eyes flared open. “Tikki, you better stay out of this, or so help me-“

“Chat Noir and Ladybug are a destined pair, Marinette!” Tikki’s light voice cut in, “You should pursue what makes you happy!”

“Let me remind you that it was your idea to keep our identities secret!”

Tikki frowned, flying up to Marinette’s eye level. “Marinette, you are the guardian now. It’s your decision as to the best way to keep everyone safe.”

Alya pulled Marinette back lightly by her hair. “Yadda yadda yadda, magic mumbo-jumbo. Translation: Go get your man!”

Marinette groaned. “Can’t we just focus on you tonight? Aren’t you excited to perform and finish up the semester?”

Alya grinned, “I don’t know, girl, I’m more excited for what’ll happen after. You think Nino will keep his hands off of me once he sees this?”

Giving a spin, she showed off the deep green leotard layered under a light green crop top and skirt. Themed after Carapace, it had a spray-paint shell on the back, and some green leg warmers.

“Down, girl,” Marinette chuckled, turning back to primp her space buns in the mirror. “We better head out soon if we want to make it on time.”

Alya nodded, slinging her bag over her shoulder and taking a quick selfie. “Sure thing. Oh, by the way, Nino’s bringing that Adrien guy to the show tonight. He’s pretty shy, but you’ll have someone to chat to during dinner.”

Marinette tucked Tikki into her bag, rolling her eyes. “Oh, goodie, we can be two third wheels.”

“That’s four wheels, babe.”

Chapter Text

Adrien was startled from his cat nap by a knock at the door. Leaning up off the couch, he checked his phone. Only 5:30, but he had a few missed calls from Nino.

The knocking continued, and Adrien groaned as he rolled onto his feet. Stretching his neck, he opened the door to a disgruntled Nino. “Hey, man.”

“Dude, you’re not even dressed yet? We have to be in our seats at 6, man, go put on jeans or something!”

Adrien stood in silence for a minute before a light turned on in his head. Struggling to remember the conversation with Nino from the month before, he let Nino into the apartment. He had agreed to something, right? Something with Alya?

“I’m sorry, Nino, I lost track of time. Let me go get dressed.”

Stumbling into his room, he picked out a nice black and green sweater and some khakis. He didn’t have anything planned until a late-night patrol, so he was fine with supporting Alya. As he came back out, he saw Nino grinning at his phone screen. “Dude… I’m so lucky.”

Looking over his shoulder, he saw a selfie of Alya wearing some green outfit. He smiled, a little jealous about how strong their relationship was, before walking towards the door. As they headed back onto campus, he turned to Nino. “Her room was pretty pink, I didn’t expect that from Alya.”

Nino shook his head, “That was Mari’s room, her roommate. Have I seriously not told you about her?”

Adrien shrugged, he didn’t remember Alya having a roommate.

“We grew up with Marinette, best friends for life. She’s the best, dude. Super nice, and she could beat anyone at Ultimate Mecha Strike III. I bet she could beat you, too.”

Adrien laughed at that, he had spent all of his free time playing that game as a kid. “I’m serious! She’s this tiny kid, but she’ll kick anyone’s ass at, like, anything. She’s really into fashion, probably follows your dad’s brand.”

Adrien nodded, looking around. He had never been on this side of campus before, and they were approaching what looked like an auditorium. “She’s gonna be up there with Alya tonight, so she’ll be at dinner too. You guys will have a lot to talk about, now that I think of it, you’re pretty similar.

“Great, someone else to be third wheel for once.” Adrien followed Nino into a large hall as they found their seats, front and center.

“Pretty sure that’s four wheels, dude, but whatever.”

Adrien tapped his fingers on his leg as they waited, wondering what he was in for. He knew Alya was a journalism student, so he assumed it was some sort of news presentation? It was finals season, so maybe a graded newscast or something.

As people kept filing in, most of them spotted Nino and came straight over. Apparently they had a lot of friends, and Adrien got caught up in introduction after introduction. There was Juleka, who had her phone propped up in a seat for someone named Rose to watch over FaceTime. Nathaniel and Marc came in together, then Ivan and Mylène. Alix and Kim burst in at the same time, racing for a closer seat, while Max took the seat next to Adrien.

Adrien sat a little straighter. He hadn’t expected so many people to be here, but they all seemed kind and included him in their conversations. He felt optimistic that, even if he didn’t know what the show was, he could walk out of here with a lot of new friends today.

The lights began to dim, and Nino whispered to Adrien, “Alya and Mari go third, but there’s only, like, six performances tonight.”

Adrien nodded, eyes following the woman who was walking onto the stage. The room fell silent as she cleared her throat.

“Hello and thank you all for coming and supporting our wonderful dance students tonight! They have worked incredibly hard on their choreographed pieces, and we are so proud to share with you their work from the semester.”

Adrien’s blood ran cold.

Chapter Text

“Now as for emergency procedures, in the event of an akuma attack…”

Adrien gripped the arms of his seat, a deafening ringing in his ears. Choreographed pieces? Dance students? Was it possible that he had unwittingly agreed to attend a dance recital?

It was finals season across Paris, he thought, so it was very possible that this wasn’t his Lady’s recital. No, not very possible, very likely. What were the odds that this was the one in a million show that he had promised he would never attend? Zero, he was sure. Completely impossible.

Well, not completely impossible. As a physics major, of course, he believes in science. He knew that, statistically, it wasn’t entirely impossible. What were the odds that he would be here anyways, sitting in a building he’d never even seen, and watching a dance show? Statistically unlikely, sure, but not impossible! Anything is possible! He runs around the streets in a cat suit and is in love with a mysterious insect! Who’s to say what is and isn’t possible?

A mysterious insect who he very explicitly promised not to attend any dance recitals until she said he could. One who was very concerned about her identity, even months ahead, and could take away his power as easily as he was given it. Probably easier, actually! And he was sitting front and center at a dance recital, and if she ever found out, he would be a skinned cat on the street.

His head was spinning, he hardly even noticed that the first performance was already halfway through. The dancers spun around the floor to a slow song he’d never heard before. He’d never heard it before! This was not his lady, so it was not too late to leave!

As he went to stand, a hand grabbed him and pulled him back down. “Dude, there’s people behind us. Wait until the end to go.”

Shaking with adrenaline, Adrien hardly made out Nino’s face in the dark. Lowering himself back down, he stared at the floor as applause rumbled the seat. Applause. They were done? He glanced up to see the dancers exiting, and another song started up.

What had Nino said? Alya was third, so that meant she was next, and if she was next then Adrien could slip out after her performance and meet everyone in the lobby. That would work, right? He could even army crawl to get to the aisle if he needed to, though at this point he’d be lucky if his trembling legs could support him.

With his plan in mind, Adrien turned his attention to the dancers on the stage, wiping the sweat off his brow. The song was beautiful, now that he noticed it, and reminded him of one he used to play on his piano. The piano sitting vacant in his father’s silent mansion, collecting dust. Watching as the girls extended their legs and flexed, he pictured Ladybug. The powers the two of them shared were the only thing that saved him from collecting the same dust, another pretty thing in his father’s collection.

If she knew about this, she would never forgive him. If he could just get out of here after Alya’s dance, he could pretend that this never happened. He sank lower into his seat as the song came to a slow end, applauding weakly. Almost over. He let out a breath of relief.

Then, the music started.

Chapter Text

Marinette could feel the heat emanating off of the stage, even from the wings. Escaping to the hallway, she leaned against the brick wall, letting the coolness seep through her clothes, and wondered which fabrics could have made the design more breathable. Before she could get too lost in her thoughts, though, Alya grabbed both of her shoulders and gave her a shake. “Earth to Mari! I brought you some water!”

As she accepted the bottle, she could see Alya’s hands shaking. “Als, are you nervous?”

Leaning up against the wall next to her, Alya slid to the floor. Marinette knelt down next to her, letting her friend lean her weight against her. “I don’t know, I know I shouldn’t be. I mean, I’ve been running camera-first into Akuma attacks since I was a kid. Some stupid recital shouldn’t be so hard for me.”

Marinette smiled, thinking of all the times she’d pulled her out of danger. “Alya, you’re bolder than anyone I know. In every part of life, you’ve always burst in with the confidence that I wish I could have. But this?”

She waved her hand at the stage door, then the empty hallway. They could hear the first dance’s slow song vibrating through the wall, calmly lilting in the still air. “This is all meant to be fun! The song you picked, your choreography… it’s all meant to make the audience wake up from the ballet they’re sitting through! Girl, you are literally dressed up as your turtle boyfriend right now.”

Alya shook with laughter as she tried to stay quiet, looking down at her bright green costume. “At least I’m not dressed up as a catboy.”

Looking down at her own costume, Marinette smiled. She shook off her own nerves, remembering how Chat had pounced around the rooftops to cheer her up. “That’s the spirit, Alya! Now let’s go have fun!”

--

A pop song. The exact same pop song he had heard from Ladybug’s tinny yo-yo, all those weeks ago. A wave of nausea rocked Adrien forward as Alya walked on from the wings, followed by a girl.

The stranger was petite, her face obscured behind Alya as they entered, but it was already too late. The routine was following the same steps, and before Adrien could look away, he caught her face.

The wind knocked out of Adrien. She was striking. Her face uncovered, the dusting of freckles he knew continuing past her mask line. Her smile reached her ears, the familiar shape of her cheeks painted pink. She was stunning. And she was dancing.

He watched her move, cutting through the air with measured fluidity that could only belong to his Lady. She relaxed into each step, a completely different creature than had danced for him before. She outshone every spotlight.

His eyes were lasered on her face, the woman he had chased after since the day he met her. The brave, soft, confident, and loving woman, who’s trust he had just shattered into a million pieces, and- wait, what was she wearing?

A neon green leotard, layered under a black flowing crop top and loose leather pants. Green pawprints tracking up her body, down her arms, and to the leather fingerless gloves that she was currently curling into fists and using to-

He choked.

Fists she was using to imitate a cat.

Just like he had done on the roof.

Chapter Text

“Dude, did you fall asleep? They’re gonna come out any second, get up!”

Adrien lifted his head from his hands, blinking at the bright house lights. He felt a wetness on his cheek and moved to swipe the tear away. He hadn’t moved since Alya’s performance had ended.

Ignoring the pounding in his head, he tried to focus on what Nino had said. They were coming out, but how was he supposed to face Ladybug now? “I don’t know, Nino, I think I’m running a fever. I better head back.”

Nino eyed him with concern, putting his hand on Adrien’s forehead. “Yikes, dude, you are pretty hot. Maybe you shou-”

Nino never got to finish his sentence, cut off by a flash of orange and green taking him to the ground with a shriek. Adrien startled backwards, looking down at Alya covering her boyfriend in kisses.

“BABYYYY! It’s DONE! No more dance class, no more sweat, no more late nights!!!”

Adrien was watching as Nino struggled to lift them both off of the ground when he heard a familiar giggling coming from the aisle. Slowly turning to look, Adrien saw a swarm of Nino’s friends concealing Ladybug, giving her hugs and congratulations.

“Hello? Pretty sure I’m the one who got the grade…” Alya cried out, and the crowd turned to laugh and bring her into the fold. Finally, Adrien was able to make eye contact with the girl who was haunting him. Ladybug.

--

Marinette was grateful that the group had dissipated, moving to congratulate Alya instead. While she appreciated the attention, she was just glad this show was over and she could start enjoying the summer. Reaching up to fix her crooked space buns, she felt eyes on her, and turned to the row.

Marinette wasn’t sure if that was Adrien Agreste, or just a very convincing look-alike. She was tired, after all, and the man standing in front of her was wearing glasses. Whoever he was, though, his green eyes were piercing as they drilled into hers. The tension was thick, but she wasn’t quite sure with what.

After what felt like ages, Alya broke the spell, grabbing Marinette for a bear hug. “MARI! I love you, I love you, I love you! Thank you so much for doing this with me tonight.”

Marinette smiled, hugging Alya back as their classmates surrounded the group. “Anything for you, Als.”

Nino got between the two girls for a hug of his own. “Nette! You did amazing up there, who knew you could move? After what you told me, I thought it would be a disaster!”

She pushed Nino off of her, smacking his arm as they laughed. The blonde chuckled uncomfortably late.

“Oh shit, that’s right! Marinette, meet Adrien. This is Nino’s friend.”

Marinette smiled, holding her hand out, but the man continued to stare. Suddenly, he blurted out, “Chat Noir.”

It was quiet for a moment before Alya laughed. “The costume! She made it herself, Marinette is literally the biggest Chat Noir fan on Earth.”

Marinette giggled, awkwardly dropping her hand. Adrien was handsome, but much shier than she thought. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for a stray cat.”

Before Adrien could respond, Marinette felt Alya’s arms around her waist. “I am sooooo hungry, let’s get dinner to celebrate!”

Spinning around, Marinette followed Nino out of the auditorium and onto the street. Looking over her shoulder, she caught Adrien’s eye, and waved at him to follow. She was hungry, but she was looking forward to talking to Adrien in a quieter environment, too.

Chapter Text

Adrien stared at his reflection in the mirror, loud music blasting outside the bathroom. He had planned on leaving, on heading back to his apartment. Possibly purchasing a plane ticket out of Paris, some bodyguards for extra protection. How had he ended up at this bar, hiding in the bathroom from the love of his life?

He was ashamed of the answer – He wanted to see more of this side of her, even though she didn’t know who she was showing it to.

He had watched closely as she parted ways with all of her old classmates. They were so fond of her, he wondered desperately what it had been like to know her in school. He had always imagined that she was treated with such respect and held in such high esteem, what else could he expect from the hero Ladybug? This was something beyond that, though. These friends were protective of her, supportive instead of needy like Paris was. He could see she was safe with them and felt jealousy bubble in his chest at the life he was deprived of. All he had every wanted was friends, a place to be himself without giving his life in return.

When she turned to look at him, to beckon him along as they left, he felt the jealousy vanish. He knew her better than anyone else in that group, and she knew him better than anyone else in the world. And, as he followed her into the street, he wouldn’t change that for anything.

From here, however, he could see the hole he was digging himself into that would change everything. He had already compromised her identity, but now he was compromising her trust. “How am I going to make this right?”

He looked down at Plagg, eating quietly on the sink, and all he got was a shrug. Plagg was enjoying this way too much to help, but at least he wasn’t teasing. Even his kwami knew this was a delicate situation. In a public place like this, there was no good way to pull her aside to tell her. He’d prefer to get this out sooner rather than later, he was sure she’d already be mortified about the Chat costume.

His hands buried into his hair. The Chat costume, her dance. Hadn’t Alya called her a Chat Noir fan? What was this side of her that he was suddenly seeing, someone so similar to his Ladybug but so different?

A Chat Noir fan. What if he worked with that? The gears started turning. She was going to be upset at him no matter what, but it was going to be a terrible shock to her if he just outed himself. Ladybug was smart, and she knew him better than anyone. What if he dropped hints, little hints, throughout the night? She could find out little by little so that, when he comes clean, she’s less surprised.

He could hear the knock at the door just barely over the boom of music. “HEY! YOU ALRIGHT IN THERE, BRO? I ORDERED MOZZERELLA STICKS, JUST FOR YOU!”

Adrien opened the door, shouting over the music. “WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO WITH MOZZERELLA STICKS?”

Nino laughed, grabbing his arm and pulling him back to the table. “BRO, YOU ARE CONSTANTLY BUYING CHEESE.”

The music faded as they approached the tables on the bar’s opposite side. There she was, toying with her straw as she chatted with Alya. Nino slid into the booth next to his girlfriend, leaving Adrien to sit next to- “Ladybug.”

Adrien jumped, sputtering as he turned his attention to Nino, who nonchalantly motioned for Adrien to sit. “We were just talking about which superhero is the strongest. I thought about it, and I’ve made up my mind: Ladybug.”

Adrien lowered himself into his seat slowly, making sure not to touch Lady- Marinette on the way down. He risked a glance out of the corner of his eye at her and saw her already looking at him. Darting his eyes away, he hoped she hadn’t noticed.

“I just think there are other people on the team to be argued for. They all have their strengths and weaknesses!”

A chill ran down his back at her voice, forcing himself to face her head on as she spoke. He was surprised that she would be involved in a conversation like this but, based on the frustration written on her face, he could tell she would rather not. Alya smirked before exhaling a drawn out, exasperated sigh. “Oh, woe is Mari, nobody will recognize her dearest tomcat! Where is the justice in this world?”

Feeling his cheeks go pink, Adrien was glad Marinette was too distracted with Alya to notice him stiffen. “I was not going to talk about Chat! Every hero is valuable!”

“You’re wearing a custom made cat costume, but you weren’t going to talk about Chat? Who was on your mind, girl? Viperion?”

Suddenly, Marinette was redder than Adrien felt. Watching her shrink back into her seat, he decided to file that information for later and start on his plan. “You know, I think she’s right. All of the heroes are clawsome!”

The loud music smothered the table, all eyes silently on him. Maybe that wasn’t as subtle as he had hoped. He was sure he could feel Plagg shaking with laughter in his pocket.

Suddenly, Nino exploded with laughter, wiping tears from his eyes. “Dude, I know you’re a Ladybug fan, but that was awful.”

Alya looked at him curiously. “You’re a Ladybug fan?”

Adrien nodded quickly, glad for the change in subject. “Yep. Probably her biggest fan in Paris! I know everything about her.”

Leaning in, Alya squinted at him. “Biggest fan in Paris, huh? You do understand who you are talking to?”

Adrien puffed out his chest, tilting his chin up, doing his best to emulate his alter ego. “I know exactly who I’m talking to!”

His stare was interrupted as Marinette put her palm over Alya’s face, pushing her back and allowing the waitress to put down the mozzarella sticks. “That’s enough of that! No heroes at the table, young lady!”

Alya laughed, filling her plate. Her phone buzzed, and she turned back towards Nino in a conversation too quiet to hear over the music. Uncomfortably, Adrien tapped the side of his glass, looking around the room. Places this full made him nervous, it could be hard to find a place to transform in a crowd panic. He felt a nudge from his side.

“Nino said you weren’t feeling well earlier, are you okay?”

Looking down at her deep blue eyes, Adrien felt his nerves spike. He couldn’t go through with this, not when she was looking at him like that.

“I’m not trying to pry! You just look a little pale and this place is pretty chaotic…”

Marinette’s panicked expression was so familiar that it made Adrien laugh. Maybe she had more in common with her alter ego than he had thought. Ladybug wasn’t as perfect as he made her out to be, she was awkward and could be clumsy and hot-headed. He loved those things about her just the same and seeing her without the mask made it more human. Determined to dial his Chat-iness back up, he went to respond.

“Okay! I mean, I’m okay! Ha ha! Not that I’m laughing at you I just- I remembered something funny Nino said earlier! Ha! What a funny guy!”

Wow.

Marinette offered a weak smile, not that Adrien noticed as his vision narrowed from the embarrassment. He was supposed to be an international celebrity, he fought enemies on live television since he was a kid, but he loses his cool now? He had to land back on his feet.

“Sorry, I’m usually smoother than that. Purr-etty girls like you just make me nervous.”

Her eyes widened, and he prepared to response to whatever witty comeback she would have to his flirting. After a beat of unusual silence, she finally responded.

“Wuh.. What?”

She stared at him, clearly in shock. Wait, why was she so shocked? Ladybug was constantly batting away compliments, and surely in her civilian form too.

“I’m… That’s… well, um, thank you!

The waiter had come back to the table, breaking the tension to top off waters and take the table’s order. Adrien was thankful for the break, dumbfounded by Marinette’s response.

Could he have been wrong?

Chapter Text

Something was off about Adrien. Marinette couldn’t quite put her finger on what yet, but she had been watching him closely since the strange eye contact at the auditorium.

When they had walked out of the theater, he seemed upbeat at first. Marinette had spent a lot of time as Ladybug over the years, though, and was too alert to miss some of his quirks. She had thought he was just shy at first, but he was at ease when speaking to Nino or even Alya. It was more than just shyness, he would outright refuse to look at Marinette as they walked or address her at all. He stiffened when she came close, when she spoke, even when someone mentioned her name.

It was something about her, then? She wondered about the possibilities. Had Nino told him something odd about her? Did he just hate the look of her? She knew he had left his father’s brand, was it possible he just hated designers?

When they got to the restaurant, Adrien excused himself immediately, rushing off before they even reached the table. Nino was adamant he didn’t know what was wrong, that Adrien had been acting normal until the show started. Glancing at Alya, Marinette furrowed her brows. Maybe she was overthinking it, she didn’t know Adrien well enough to make assumptions.

She decided to let it go.

Until Nino mentioned the name ‘Ladybug’.

Adrien had nearly jumped out of his skin when her alter ego was named, tripping over his words as he tried to… what was he trying to do? Why would her name get such a reaction out of Adrien? She couldn’t remember meeting him more than a handful of times, nothing notable.

He had carefully sat, ensuring they didn’t touch. When he noticed her stare, he started and looked away. She could see his hair was raised on his neck. Adrien was afraid, but what was he afraid of?

Marinette joined the conversation, knowing her response would cause Alya to tease her about Chat Noir. She wanted to see his reaction but… nothing. No jumping at Chat’s name, or even Viperion. Only her. As she sunk back in her chair, she pored over his behavior until-

“You know, I think she’s right. All of the heroes are clawsome!”

Her heart was pounding. Why did he say that? What did that mean? Her mind raced as Nino began to laugh. Maybe he was a big Chat Noir fan but, no, he didn’t react to his name at the table… Maybe- no, that didn’t make sense either. Did he… Did Adrien know her identity? Was he trying to drop hints, maybe taunt her?

“Yep. Probably her biggest fan in Paris! I know everything about her.”

He boasted to the table, Alya rising to the challenge as Marinette sat in shocked silence. She could not fully reject the possibility. Reaching for her phone, she sent a quick message to Alya.

code pink ?

Quietly kicking her under the table, she watched as Alya checked her phone and smoothly redirected her attention to Nino, leaving Marinette an undisturbed opening to investigate Adrien. He was glancing around nervously at the crowd, pointedly avoiding her direction. Deciding to play up her more civilian features, she timidly nudged Adrien.

“Nino said you weren’t feeling well earlier, are you okay? “I’m not trying to pry! You just look a little pale and this place is pretty chaotic…”

“Okay! I mean, I’m okay! Ha ha! Not that I’m laughing at you I just- I remembered something funny Nino said earlier! Ha! What a funny guy!”

She smiled weakly. What was this guy’s game? If he was trying to be sneaky, he should be calmer than this.

“Sorry, I’m usually smoother than that. Purr-etty girls like you just make me nervous.”

That was unexpected. Was it possible that Adrien just… found her cute? That he was nervous, socially awkward, and unusually fond of cat puns?

“I’m… That’s… well, um, thank you!”

As the waiter cut through the tension, Marinette was stuck in her own head. Maybe she was on too high alert.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

She could always be wrong.

Chapter Text

This wasn’t going the way that he planned it. Well, not that he had come into this with anything he would call a plan. That was more of his lady’s thing, wasn’t it?

Pun after pun seemed to glide smoothly off of her, like she barely noticed. Even his bolder puns, like when he slipped off his chair and commented on how ‘cats always land on their feet!’ All that had earned him was a quick glance. His nerves started to kick back in.

Nino grabbed Adrien by the shoulder and helped him up, directing him towards the door.

“Excuse us, ladies! We’re going to get some fresh air, we’ll be back shortly!”

As Nino lead him like a dog, Adrien sighed. Maybe this wasn’t the best way of clueing her in, anyways. She clearly was having fun with her friends, or at least trying to, and he knew that he wasn’t in a place to make clear-headed decisions. Nino pushed him out the door and, as the cool breeze hit his face, he wondered if the best choice was to go home.

“Dude.”

Taking a deep breath, Adrien relished the clarity the air gave him. The clouds covering his brains scattered, replaced with lucid reality. Looking up and down the road, he imagined jumping rooftop to rooftop. Usually, a run like that would help him see things clearer. Maybe he should-

Suddenly, his view was obscured by Nino, jumping into his eyeline and shaking his shoulders.

“DUDE! Earth to Adrien!”

Adrien frowned at himself. Today was supposed to be about Alya, and he had been lucky enough to be invited out to support her. He was sure that his stress had been ruining the night and braced for Nino’s justified anger.

“Are you okay? Did something happen?”

Confused, Adrien looked closer at Nino’s face. He wasn’t angry, in fact he looked more concerned than anything. What would he be concerned about?

“Have you been getting any sleep, dude? Like, at all? I know you’re stressed about finals, but you can’t be hitting it this hard, man. You’ve been like a zombie for months, and tonight you’ve been totally off.”

Adrien felt dizzy. Nino had noticed all of that, and he was worried about it? And he wasn’t pissed off about Adrien ruining Alya’s big dance? He felt tears start to build up behind his eyes, but he wasn’t sure why. Overwhelmed by emotion, confusion, and exhaustion, he crouched down to the curb and dropped his head into his hands.

He felt Nino sit down next to him.

After a beat of silence, Adrien heard him shuffle some rocks around with his feet.

Nino started to get into a rhythm, kicking rocks back and forth, then picking them up and clicking them against each other.

“Wait, this is kinda fire, listen to this.”

Nino started to beatbox, badly, while shuffling his feet and clicking the rocks. Adrien couldn’t help but smile, which turned into a chuckle, until he was laughing so hard that he almost fell over onto the sidewalk.

“Nino, I think you’re onto something.”

Nino smiled, dropping the rocks. “Obviously, dude, I’m a genius.”

Leaning into the wind again, Adrien sighed. This was ridiculous, all of it. He needed to get some sleep, and approach this again with a better plan.

“Glad to see you two are having fun out here!”

Alya breezed past Adrien, lightly flicking Nino before kissing him on the cheek.

“Bill’s all paid, we can head back on campus whenever!”

Adrien startled upwards, “Who paid? Let me pay you back, I want to cover it-”

Standing up too quickly, he began to sway, backing into a pair of strong arms. Whoever it was, they steadied him back onto his feet before resting a palm on his forehead.

“Adrien? You’re burning up!”

Eyes flaring open, he stared into his lady’s blue eyes. Unable to move, he simply stared back wordlessly until Nino answered for him.

“He hasn’t been getting any sleep, I’m not surprised if he’s sick. Dude has, like, no immune system.”

“I resent that,” Adrien muttered weakly. Now that he had slowed down, everything was hitting him like a truck.

Marinette giggled and he felt his face flush bright red.

“Wow, he’s really red,” Alya commented, “You said his apartment was down by that café, right, Nino?”

“Yeah, other side of campus.”

Adrien opened his eyes and look back towards the sky. He had planned on running home, hadn’t he? Running felt like a poor idea.

“Alya, you and Nino are sleeping at ours, right? There’s no way we can send him like this alone across campus.”

He looked over at Alya, watching her tilt her head and think. “Our place is a lot closer, and you’ve got that big couch in your room.”

Nino clapped his hands. “Bestie sleepover?”

Alya squealed and threw her arms around his neck. “BESTIE SLEEPOVER!”

Leaping into action, Alya began marching back towards her apartment. Nino came back to Adrien’s side to lift him up by one arm, Marinette at the other, as they guided him down the sidewalk.

Taking a deep breath, he caught Marinette’s sweet perfume wafting through his comforting breeze.

What could possibly go wrong? Putting one foot in front of the other, he could practically feel Plagg’s eyeroll in his pocket.

Chapter Text

Marinette had been thankful when Nino pulled Adrien out of the bar. As Alya waved over the waiter, she collapsed dramatically onto the table and groaned. “What is this? What is happening right now?”

Alya began to pet her hair sympathetically. “You have a celebrity crush, and he’s some kind of superhero geek. Match made in heaven.”

Head down on the table, Marinette flailed her hand out blindly until she found the basket of fries. Pulling one out, she dragged it over. “Alya, I just don’t understand. First he’s staring at me, but I let it go. Then he’s ignoring me, which is odd, but THEN he’s throwing around cat puns. Cat puns! Then he called me pretty, Alya! No, no, no, actually, he called me PURR-ETY.”

“I understand you’re worried about the Lady in Red’s secret but… Have you considered that he’s just flirting? Badly?”

Whipping her head up to find Alya scrolling on her phone idly, Marinette snatched it out of her hand, waving a fry in her face. “Yes, miss know-it-all, I did in fact consider that. That doesn’t make it any less confusing!”

Rolling her eyes, Alya bit the fry out of Marinette’s hand. “Alright, I’ll admit he’s acting weirder than usual. We won’t rule out a code pink, so what do you want to do?”

Marinette turned to the window, and saw Adrien crouched on the ground next to Nino. She furrowed her eyebrows, feeling her heart tug. She wondered what it was like to be him, a renowned model trying to break away from fame, trying to make friends and go to school like normal.

“He looks tired.”

Turning back to Alya, inspiration struck. “Tired enough to crash at ours?”

Alya paused digging through her purse, slowly raising her head. “Bold plan, girl, but it makes sense.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if it’s a code pink, you can search his stuff while he sleeps. And if it’s NOT a code pink…”

Turning jumped, turning red, “That’s not what I meant!”

Laughing, Alya laid cash on the table and slid towards the door. “No, girl, I think it was!”

--

Adrien was doing a good job holding up his own weight, but Marinette could feel exhaustion sagging him down. She adjusted her grip slightly, doing her best to support him as they continued down the dark street. As she shifted her arm, she felt for any cords or cables threaded in his shirt, checking for a microphone.

She didn’t feel anything, but that didn’t stop her from tracing her gaze up his collar and the side of his neck, looking for clear tape or wire. His neck was muscular, and she could see his build creeping down his shirt-

Suddenly thinking of Alya’s comment, she turned away, pink. Seeing her apartment in the distance, a plan started to form in her head. She’d encourage him to take a shower and change into Nino’s clothes for the night, leaving her time to dig through his pockets and wallet. If she couldn’t turn anything up, she’d set up blankets for him in the living room and google him in her bedroom. She’d need extra treats for Tikki, too, so she could stay awake and energized in case of emergency.

Watching Alya unlock the front door, she risked a glance back at Adrien.

His skin was flushed, and hair was beginning to cling to his forehead. His eyes were half-lidded and, as Nino held open the door, he leaned his weight entirely on Marinette.

Her heart thumped, and she handed him off to Nino to take a shower.

It was as if Marinette went into autopilot.

Instead of following behind, she went to the kitchen and pulled a Tupperware out of the fridge. Chicken noodle soup, leftovers from home that she was saving for lunch, immediately went into a bowl in the microwave. As it heated up, she flicked on the electric kettle before digging through the pantry.

Homemade sourdough bread she had baked, a box of ginger tea bags, and a honey bear. Dipping back into the fridge, she pulled out fresh strawberries and butter, placing everything onto the counter.

Before long, she had a feast laid out. Steaming soup, buttered sourdough, cut strawberries, and hot ginger tea and honey cooling in her favorite mug.

Looking up, she saw Alya leaning against the frame of the door, smirking. “How’s that code pink going?”

Marinette looked down at the counter, then up at Alya, then back down at the counter again. She heard the shower turn off in the distance, feet softly padding on the tile. “Just shut up and grab him some bedding. Maybe that polka-dotted blanket on my couch.”

“Oh, the special one that you won’t even let me use? Sure, girl.”

Marinette groaned in embarrassment, shutting her eyes tightly. “I’m going to go splash some water on my face.”

As she passed Alya, her roommate laughed loudly before calling, “Make sure it’s cold! ICE cold!”

Turning to retaliate, Marinette walked straight into Nino, who in turn dropped the clothes he was holding. “Hey, Nette! You okay?”

Nodding, she looked down at the bundle, scooping it up. “I’m okay! Are these Adrien’s clothes?”

“Yeah, was just about to throw them in the wash.”

Smiling, Marinette held the clothes to her chest. “I was just going to toss my stuff in, let me take care of it.” She gestured towards the kitchen, “I made some food, let Adrien know it’s his?”

Nino patted her shoulder. “Will do! Thanks a lot, Mari!”

Looking down at her prize, she smiled. “No, Nino, thank you!”

Chapter Text

Shutting her door behind her, Marinette was quick to lock it before turning and leaning her back against the wood. Clothes held tightly to her chest, she took a deep breath.

“I don’t know if it’s right to go through his things, Marinette!”

Marinette waved her arms at Tikki before putting a finger to her lips. She pointed at the bundle, then to her curtains. If there was a camera in his clothes, they couldn’t risk her kwami getting caught.

Tikki glanced nervously back and forth between the curtains and Marinette, before slowly drifting over and ducking behind.

She started by thumbing through his wallet. He didn’t carry much cash but had a number of credit cards layered in the pockets. She lifted out his ID, inspecting it closely.

Yep. Definitely a model.

Blushing, she felt for any secret compartments or wires, but came up empty. Feeling something else in his jeans, she pulled out a small metal box with a strong smell. Confused, she carefully jiggled it open, revealing-

“FINALLY! I’m starving here!”

A black cat kwami burst from his shirt, jumping into the box (which appeared to be filled with cheese).

A black cat kwami.

A black cat kwami.

A black cat kwami?

“A black cat kwami.”

The kwami froze. Turning slowly, his large green eyes finally met hers.

“… meow?”

A flash of red flew across the room, tackling him to the floor before Marinette could react.

“PLAGG! You stupid, cheese for brains, imbecile, good for nothing- How could you be so- I can’t believe you would- Are you really that- PLAGG!”

Plagg.

Marinette sank to the floor.

A black cat kwami.

She lifted her hand in front of her face, waving it back and forth. Was she dehydrated? Surely she was seeing things, maybe she was more tired than she thought.

“I’m sorry, Marinette! I thought I sensed that glutton, I tried to stop you! I didn’t think he’d be so greedy as to blow his cover like that!”

Tikki flickered in front of her face, her eyes huge with guilt. So, she wasn’t hallucinating? This was real?

This was real. This was real, this was really happening, this was happening right now in her apartment after all of these years. Marinette wasn’t ready for this, not at all ready to even think about what this meant about the very handsome man sitting in her living room right at that second eating the soup that she had made and-

The door almost flew off of its hinges, Adrien bursting in with disheveled hair. Flying past him came Alya, wielding a fire extinguisher and yelling “WHAT IS IT? WHAT HAPPENED?”

Shocked, Marinette looked up. “Wuh- Alya?”

Grabbing her shoulders, Alya threw Marinette into the hallway to be caught by Nino, aiming the nozzle around the room. “WHERE IS IT? WHO IS IT? WHAT HAPPENED?”

Marinette looked up at Nino, before hustling back to her feet. “What is what? What’s going on?”

Nino frantically turned Marinette around in a circle. “No blood, no bruises!”

Alya, feeling satisfied that the room was cleared of immediate danger, turned towards her. “You tell me, Marinette! You just screamed for, like, 30 seconds straight!”

Behind her, Adrien was creeping around the room sluggishly, pulling aside the curtains and checking the window locks. From the looks of it, Plagg and Tikki had enough time to hide while Marinette was screaming.

“I- I don’t- I didn’t know I-”

She scrambled to find an excuse, still reeling from all of the excitement. Making eye contact with Alya, she rubbed her ear and made a pleading look. She hoped it would be enough.

Of course, nothing gets past Alya. She stood up straight, straightened her glasses, and declared: “Out!”

Adrien turned from his place peering out the window to face her, confused.

“This is a girls only issue! No boys allowed, I’ll take it from here.”

Marinette watched him look behind her, where Nino stood in the hall. “Hey, man, Alya knows best. Your adrenaline won’t keep you standing long, how about we go and finish that soup?”

Slowly, the two of them made their way back into the living room. As reality flooded back to her, Marinette stared at the floor as Adrien brushed past, electricity buzzing around her.

The door shut softly behind him. Marinette listened to his footfalls as the entered the living room, footfalls she could recognize on any rooftop in Paris. Then, she counted to thirty, just to be sure he was gone.

“Come on out.”

A book fell off of her bookshelf, revealing Tikki as she dragged Plagg into the middle of the room.

Alya stared at the two of them.

“A black cat kwami.”

Marinette nodded. “A black cat kwami.”

Alya nodded back, taking off her glasses to clean them on her shirt. Bringing them back up to her eyes, she repeated, “A black cat kwami.”

“Hiding in his sweater.”

“Adrien’s sweater. A black cat kwami.”

They stared at Plagg in silence for a beat. Then, two. Finally, he broke the silence.

“Hey.”

Marinette lunged to cover Alya’s mouth as she started to scream.

Chapter Text

“Alright, so let me just get this straight. You’re Plagg, Chat Noir’s kwami.”

Marinette was sitting in the middle of her room, facing her door as Alya kept it wedged shut with her back. Plagg rolled in the air.

“Obviously.”

“And you were in Adrien’s sweater. That’s why he had that cheese tin, for you?”

Plagg darted into the air. “Sure is! You wouldn’t happen to have it on you, would you?”

Marinette suppressed her shakiness. She was Ladybug, and even if the shock was wearing down her senses, she needed answers first. Smiling, she reached behind her and pulled out the cheese case. Plagg darted forward, but she stopped him with her finger. “I won’t keep your cheese from you… so long as you answer my questions.”

Groaning, Plagg moved backwards. “You sure know how to pick ‘em, Tikki.”

“So, your holder is Adrien Agreste, and has always been Adrien Agreste.”

Plagg tilted his head. “Sounds like you already know the answer to that.”

Pulling out a small bite of cheese, she handed it to him. Turning her attention to Alya, she sighed. “Well, now we know what was up with the cat puns.”

Alya huffed out a laugh, holding out her hands. “What I still don’t understand is why. Wouldn’t he be worried about blowing his cover?”

Marinette nodded. “I mean, as Chat Noir he drops cat puns all the time, and he’s really flirty. Maybe that’s just his true personality?”

“But I’ve met him a handful of times and he’s never talked to me that way, and Nino was acting like it was completely out of the blue.”

Suddenly, Alya straightened and pointed at Marinette. “It was YOU! He was flirting with you, Marinette! You must be his type, in and out of costume!”

Blushing, she shook her head in disbelief. “Even if that was true, which feels like a stretch… are we saying that Chat flirts in cat puns even out of costume? How ridiculous is that?”

By now, Plagg was shaking with laughter. The girls turned their attention to the kwami as he caught his breath. “Pigtails, he has no idea how to flirt. He’s never liked anyone but Ladybug!”

“Well, how do you explain how he was treating Marinette tonight, then?”

Plagg batted his eyes up at Marinette, who quickly held out another piece of cheese before pulling it out of reach. Rolling his eyes, Plagg laughed again. “For a couple of smart heroes, you can be dense as gouda! He’s never flirted with anyone except for Ladybug!”

Marinette held the cheese further out, furrowing her eyebrows. “But, he flirted with me tonight?”

Plagg nodded her on. “And who are you?”

Shaking her head, she blurted out, “But he doesn’t know that!”

In the silence that followed, Marinette pored over the night in her head. She looked up at Alya. “He doesn’t know that, right?”

Alya’s eyes were wide, staring right back, as Plagg quietly nabbed the cheese out of Marinette’s hand.

Tikki sat on Marinette’s shoulder, petting her hair soothingly. “Marinette, is there anything you can think of that would have clued him in? Any hints?”

Marinette shook her head, tears budding in her eyes. She was already so overwhelmed by the whole ordeal, and now this. “I’ve always been so careful.”

Plagg sighed, flying over to the tissue box on her desk and pulling out a square. Floating it over, he held it out sympathetically. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Ladybug. You couldn’t have known he would see you dance tonight.”

“Dance tonight?” Alya questioned. “What does this have to do with-”

“Your dance!” Marinette gasped. “Ages ago when you first sent me the choreography! I showed it to him, Alya!”

She buried her head in her hands and shook, disbelieving in her own mistake. She knew it was a risk to expose this part of her. “How could I be so unlucky?”

“I’m about tired of all this!”

Plagg yowled, pushing her hands aside. “You two have been dodging eachother for long enough! The cat and bug are made for eachother, but you two are soulmates on top of that! Why does it have to be a bad thing?”

Tikki nudged his shoulder, turning to Marinette. “Maybe this doesn’t have to be bad luck after all?”

Marinette stared at the Kwamis. What they said went against everything she’d ever been taught about her responsibilities, it defied reason. It didn’t make any sense. This was a disaster, objectively. She looked up at Alya, who had stood and was dusting off her legs.

“Mari, you’ve had a long day. There’s no reason to push yourself tonight, he doesn’t know that you know yet.”

Pointing menacingly at Plagg, she emphasized, “And nobody will tell him until you’re comfortable.”

Alya stepped closer, digging through her purse and coming up with a makeup wipe. Crouching in front of Marinette, she tucked it into her hand. “One thing at a time, and the only thing for you now is to get some sleep. He’ll still be here in the morning.”

Smiling weakly, Marinette hugged her best friend, appreciative of the help. Waving her out the door, she giggled, “Go get your man, Alya, he’s been waiting so patiently!”

As the door closed, she turned back into her room, set on washing the day off of her and starting over in the morning.

--

It was late and the apartment was quiet, but Marinette was slipping on her pink, fuzzy slippers. She was nearly ready for bed, and just needed to refill her water and grab some food for the Kwamis in case they got hungry overnight.

Creeping into the hallway, she did her best to avoid creaky boards on the floor as she entered the living room. She was surprised to see light emanating from the TV and turned the corner to find Adrien folded into the couch, tangled in a blanket.

She stared for a moment longer than she would admit.

His hair fell around his sculpted face, sticking up awkwardly in the back. He was light pink in the face, with a line of dried drool running down his chin. One arm over his head, the other crumpled underneath his chest, and Nino’s shirt hiked up to his chest from the angle.

It was the exact opposite of every photo and editorial he had ever appeared in, she’d never seen the great Adrien Agreste in such a state.

She had seen Chat like this, though. On long nights and stakeouts, his hair would stick up, just like that. His cat naps on patrol, if she let him sleep long enough, would end in this exact position.

She had often wondered about Chat’s life. He seemed so lonely, so skinny and tired. Always acting like he was going to be scolded for each mistake. She thought of the sight of him this evening, sitting on the curb outside of the bar. The picture began to come into focus.

She slipped past him, filling her water and a plate of goodies. Then, with one last glance, she went back to her room.

It took only three minutes for her door to crack open again, and for Marinette to reappear in the hallway holding pillows and a blanket. Steeling herself, she leaned over and gently shook his shoulder.

“Adrien?”

He groaned, rolling onto his side. She shook him again, a little harder this time. “Adrien.”

His eyes fluttered open, and their gazes connected.

“Mar.. inette?”

With a soft smile, she patted his arm until he shifted into a sitting position. She handed him a fresh glass of water. “Drink this.”

While he drank, she turned her attention to the couch. Leaning over the arm, she pulled the lever on the side, reclining it. She set up the pillows at the head and turned to Adrien. “This might be more comfortable, especially with your size.”

Nodding as if in a daze, he untangled the blanket from his legs and shifted to the new section, relaxing into the space. She covered him with the blanket and took another look. This was a much more comfortable position, he was already dozing off.

As her last order of business, she reached for the remote. “No-”

Turning, she faced Adrien as he lifted his hand to stop her. “I don’t sleep well alone, I keep the tv on to feel…”

Her heart tugged once more, and she sat next to the couch, stroking his hand lightly. “You’re not alone. I’m right here.”

He closed his eyes, leaning back into his seat. “You’re right… You’re here…”

She gazed at his face, watching his features relax. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He was quiet for a moment, and she thought he might have fallen asleep, until he murmured one last, feverish comment. “Goodnight, my lady.”

Clicking off the tv, she rested her head by his knee. “Goodnight, chaton.”

Chapter Text

Adrien cracked his eyes open, squinting as harsh light filtered in through the curtains. Where was he?

Sitting up slightly, he rolled his neck. He felt stiff, and as he stretched his arms above his head, he felt his shirt ride up. Looking down, he recognized the graphic tee as one of Nino’s. Beneath that, a pink polka-dotted blanket covered his legs, spread over an old reclining couch.

He heard a soft click behind him, and turned to see Marinette, picking the kettle up off of it’s plate. She was facing away from him, giving him a full view of her long hair hanging loose down her back.

He could only remember bits and pieces after sitting outside with Nino. He shut his eyes again, his head aching. Suddenly, he felt a coolness touch the nape of his neck.

Light hands pulled him back against the couch, keeping a cold washcloth wrapped around his shoulders.

“Here, take these.”

Opening his eyes, he could see that she had slipped a painkiller into his hand. Reaching for the end table, he downed the entire glass of water waiting for him.

Feeling more awake, he took in his surroundings. Based on the light streaming through the window and the sounds of traffic through the glass, it had to be nearly 10. The tv was dark, but light music was playing from the kitchen as Marinette poured a cup of tea. As made her way back over to the couch, she set down her mug on the table next to Plagg and Tikki eating breakfast.

In truth, Adrien wasn’t sure what was affecting him the most. Last night’s fever, the knowledge that this was Ladybug tending to him, or the embarrassment that he had lost all of his cool.

“Nino and Alya left early to help babysit at home, so it’s just us.”

She made her way around the couch, dropping down next to him. So, they were alone. Adrien pulled the towel from his shoulders and dropped his face into it, breathing in the damp air.

He had to tell her. This was a disaster anyways, and he couldn’t stand to breach her trust another minute. Not when he knew that, if she knew, she wouldn’t be treating him so gently.

Gentle as the hand gliding along his back in soothing circles. Or, as the head that she laid on his shoulder.

“Yep. Just the four of us.”

Leaning his head back on hers, he enjoyed the last moments of peace together that they would ever spend. He wondered if it was all worth it to get even the smallest glimpse into her life.

“Kid, are you serious?”

Plagg flew up in Adrien’s face, incredulous. Typical Plagg, thought Adrien, ruining a nice moment. He waved him away and Marinette giggled.

Adrien’s eyes shot open.

Plagg?

What was Plagg doing… Why was he out in the… Just the four of…

He whipped his head up to face her, ignoring the headache that followed.

Her blue eyes just looked up at him, those same blue eyes that contained every star in the city. The blue eyes he’d glanced at during every patrol, every battle, every night. Ladybug’s eyes.

He groaned, falling back onto the couch.

“Why did I think I could keep a secret from the best detective in Paris?”

She keeled over from laughter, falling into his chest as the two heaved. Their laughter cut through the air of Paris.

As they settled down, she propped herself up to face him. Finally, he spoke.

“I knew you were a good dancer.”

Smiling, she crept closer.

“I had a good teacher.”

They were a breath away from each other. He could see every freckle in perfect definition, climbing her cheeks and dotting the bridge of her nose. He could see the curve of her eyebrows, the light wrinkles from her smile.

“Don’t cry, Chaton, I’m not mad at you! Plagg explained everything, after a little bribing.”

She wiped the tear from his cheek, leaving her hand to rest on his face.

“How could I be mad at you? You know, without the mask, you’re quite handsome.”

Chuckling, he brought his hands to her face and held her cheeks. He had absolutely no idea what this meant for them, how she found out, or even if she planned to kill him for his indiscretion. All he knew was she was smiling and lying on his chest, and if he could bottle this moment it would be worth his ring. As far as he cared, he held the whole world in his hands.

She closed the distance between them, brushing her lips against his, and he closed his eyes.

He’d figure the rest out tomorrow.

And, hey, if she killed him? At least he died happy.