Chapter Text
Marinette was truly, honestly on her way to class when she stopped abruptly in the middle of the empty hall. She was late, again, and had been running to her class to take her usual seat next to Alya and mutter an excuse for why she was late, again. But her ears twitched at a new, foreign noise, and she was forced to stop. Sunflowers bloomed from her heart at the sound of, what was it, a piano? They faced toward the noise because the tune was the sun, and Marinette decided in that instant to forget about class and follow her heart.
She knew where the sound was most likely coming from: the music room, though she was sure that it should be locked at this time. Music classes were only held toward the end of school, and it was shut down for the first half of each day to protect the expensive musical instruments. One musical instrument in particular, the piano, sat in the front of the room. Marinette could picture it in her head, not a breath coming from the keys as it stood stationary and strong. She had never heard it actually being played until now, and it made her wish that her parents had forced her to take piano as a child so that she could be more familiar with the instrument. She didn’t know what keys the player was playing, or at what tempo, but she knew it was pleasant, and she knew she wanted to meet the player.
“Marinette?” Tikki peaked out from Marinette’s bag with a confused and slightly worried look. The look on Marinette’s face held a hypnotized determination, as if her whole being was taken by the sounds.
She blinked out of her state and glanced down at Tikki, “I just want to see who’s playing,” she whispered, knowing that at any time a fellow student could be making their way to the bathroom and overhear Marinette talking to her bag. She tried to stay as quiet as she could, though still loud enough for her little bug to hear.
Tikki gave Marinette a disapproving look, but pushed herself back down into the purse. Marinette had been late almost every day that week, and surely her parents would take notice, but she wanted to find this mystery player. No, she needed to, though she couldn’t figure out why.
As she rounded the corner, her eyes fell on the door, the open door, which led to the music room. Her breath hitched at being so close to the truth. She paused just before the door to shake her head at herself, because she really didn’t know what had gotten into her. The person making the music probably wouldn’t even notice her as she walked in. The sounds being made sounded too perfect and emotional to come from someone who would be alerted by her soft presence.
“Well?” Tikki peaked out again, her eyes wide with questioning. Marinette was still just standing before the door. She blinked again and breathed out the air she didn’t realized she had been holding in.
Marinette was stressed and antsy. Her hands shook slightly at her side and she felt a bead of sweat release from her forehead and trail down her face. She thought about turning back around because the thought of interrupting this person was too much for her to even consider, but the clear of Tikki’s throat pushed her forward. Obviously she wasn’t the only one curious now.
She held her breath again and peered around the doorframe to peek into the room. She would have gasped if not for the breath that was already waiting to be released, which she was grateful for. Because it wasn’t just anymore playing the piano, but Adrien Agreste. Interrupting anyone would have been horrible, but interrupting him would have been disastrous.
Marinette flung herself away from the doorframe with wide eyes and a newly raised awareness of her own heavy breathing. She was being loud, too loud, and she closed her eyes in anticipation of Adrien finding her and yelling at her for disrupting him. But that never came, and so Marinette let herself open her eyes. She slid down the wall and hugged her knees to her chest as she worked on steadying her breathing, but nothing worked. She was even antsier, if that was possible.
Tikki flew out from her bag now, looking from side to side to make sure no one was around before she made an appearance. She was staring at Marinette as she hovered in front of the red-faced girl, “Marinette?” her voice was squeaky and hesitant, “What’s wrong? Who is it?”
“Adrien,” Marinette breathed out.
Tikki’s eyes bugged out and she let out a gasp. It was quiet and small, relative to her person, so Marinette didn’t have to worry about the sound getting to Adrien. Besides, Adrien was still playing away while Marinette climbed a mountain of conflict just outside of his reach.
“Adrien?” Tikki whispered, earning a quick and over-exaggerated nod from her charge.
Marinette had been thinking about stealing another peak, as the image of Adrien lost in his own music was beautiful. His eyes had been closed, head moving gently with the changing notes, and fingers swiftly flying across the board. He was talented, way more talented than Marinette had imagined. His movements were an art piece of their own.
But right as Marinette had decided that just one more glance couldn’t hurt, the bell rang, and Adrien’s music abruptly stopped.
“Oh no,” Marinette whined quietly, standing up and almost tripping herself by the force of her own anxious movements. She had missed her first class, and was about to be caught eavesdropping on her school-girl crush. She needed to leave now.
Thankfully Tikki was already safely in Marinette’s bag again and away from civilian view. Marinette rushed to get as far away from the music room as possible, rounding the corner in a hurry. She wasn’t looking where she was going, she couldn’t even process her own movements, so of course she ran into a sudden presence.
“Marinette? What in the hell are you doing?” Alya held onto Marinette’s arms to steady her. If she hadn’t, Marinette was sure she would have sprung back onto the floor and landed on her butt.
She took a second to breathe before looking at Alya, “Just, you know, meandering the halls.”
Alya’s eyebrows shot up, “Instead of being in class?”
“Well, I mean, I was late again and I didn’t feel like coming up with another excuse,” Marinette gave Alya a nervous laugh.
Someone laughed beside Alya, Nino, “You mean all those reasons for being late weren’t true? But they all sounded so real.”
Marinette looked at Nino and tried to force a smile. When she looked back at Alya, her best friend’s eyes were narrowed, telling Marinette that she would have to explain herself later that day. Alya’s hands dropped from Marinette’s arms, and Marinette did her best to stand up straight now that she wasn’t in danger of being discovered. At least, for now. Alya’s stare told her that Marinette wasn’t going to be able to lie her way out of this little run in.
“Hey guys!” Adrien came up from behind Marinette, causing her to jump like a frightened cat into the air. He watched her with part concern and part shock, for he hadn’t really thought his welcoming greeting would earn such a reply.
Alya pulled Marinette to her side, to face Adrien, and offered him a polite smile, “Hey!”
Alya was so good at this. Talking. If Adrien hadn’t been around, Marinette would have pouted, but she kept it in. He already thought she was crazy.
“You get in a good practice?” Nino asked with a friendly and boyish pat on Adrien’s shoulder. Oh how Marinette wished she could touch Adrien’s shoulder like that.
He grinned, “Yep! It was great getting out of class, too,” his smile broadened at Nino’s grimace, but then he turned his attention to Marinette, “Oh, hey, I was actually going to ask you if I could borrow your notes since I wasn’t in class today,”
Marinette blinked at Adrien for a moment before replying, not understanding that he was actually speaking to her. A slow blush covered her freckles, “M-my notes?”
Adrien cocked his head, unsure why Marinette needed clarification. But he wasn’t going to say anything, that would have been rude, so he just nodded at the girl and tried to calm her nerves by sending her a warm smile. But that, unfortunately, just made her blush deepen.
“No can do. Marinette just so happened to be absent from class today, too,” Alya was speaking to Adrien, but she eyed Marinette. Marinette grinned nervously at her best friend before nodding at Adrien.
“Oh,” Adrien was a little taken aback by that. Marinette was late a lot, sure, but she had never missed a class, “Then, maybe I could borrow your notes, Alya?”
Alya returned the smile that Adrien directed toward her, and nodded, “Sure thing. I’ll send the notes to both of you,” she glanced at Marinette before settling on Adrien again. Marinette was really gonna have to get Alya to teach her the ways of speaking correctly.
“Thanks so much, Alya. I really appreciate it!”
Nino swapped sides then to stand next to Adrien, “Well, Adrien and I are gonna head to our next class. We’ll see you two at lunch?”
“Oh, shoot, I forgot to tell you,” Adrien turned to Nino now, “I’m going to be practicing during lunches. Mrs. Bustier doesn’t want me skipping every class so she said I could do it this time, but I’d have to find another way to practice for the rest of the week. Lunch is the only time I can do it now.”
Nino frowned, but quickly shrugged to show he didn’t truly mind, “That’s fine. I can hang with the girls,” he grinned, but it was only directed toward Alya, who rolled her eyes.
“Uh, actually, I have to study in the library this week,” Marinette’s eyes were wider than usual in shock of what she was doing. She was actually lying to her friends to spy on Adrien some more, who was standing right in front of her. Marinette felt like if she were to breathe wrong, Adrien would figure her out, so she opted for just not breathing at all.
Alya looked at Marinette with a confused expression, “Um, what? Since when?”
“Since I got a bad grade on the last test,” she nodded vigorously, “I need to study if I’m gonna do well on the next one. Physics isn’t my strong suit,” a nervous laugh from Marinette earned a narrowed eyed stare from Alya, who was too good at figuring her out.
Alya opened her mouth to say something, but stopped short when Nino beat her to it, “No worries,” he said, grinning at Alya again. Alya rolled her eyes a second time and huffed, though she was secretly a little excited to be spending more time with Nino. That was what made her decide not to comment on Marinette’s strange mood. Besides, Marinette was a strange girl. Maybe she was just overanalyzing everything.
“Cool, well, glad that’s all sorted,” Adrien was pulling Nino away as they backed up, “Gotta get to class. See you girls soon,” he smiled once again at Alya, and then at Marinette, before turning around and walking with Nino.
“The last test we took was an English exam,” Alya said pointedly when the boys were gone, staring at Marinette now with a hand on her hip, “What’s up?”
“Oh,” she blinked stupidly, “Right.”
“Where were you this morning?”
“I told you. Meandering…” she trailed off and looked away, hoping that Alya would drop it. She couldn’t tell Alya that she had been listening to Adrien play. It sounded so pathetic in her head, she didn’t even want to say it out loud.
“Mmhmm,” Alya wasn’t buying it, but she also wasn’t going to push it when Marinette obviously didn’t want to talk about it right now. She’d bring it up again later when Marinette was less blushy and shaky, “Let’s get to class then, shall we?”
Marinette brought her attention back to Alya and gave her a grateful smile, glad that the subject had been changed, “Okay. Lead the way!” her usual cheerful demeanor was back, which caused Alya’s cold stare to falter. Alya couldn’t help but find her best friend’s sunny disposition somewhat contagious as she wore her own smile, though much smaller than Marinette’s grin.
As they walked to class, Marinette’s smile slowly dropped. Three more hours until lunch, when she would act on her lie and run away to the world Adrien created with his piano playing. She didn’t know if her obsession with his music was a bad thing, but it sure didn’t feel like she was in the right.
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Marinette spent her lunch hour eating on the ground in front of the music room. The courageous side of her, which she obviously named Ladybug, toyed with the idea of just walking into the room and making up some excuse about deciding against the library in the hopes that Adrien would accept her presence with open arms.
Marinette almost audibly snorted at that thought. Ha, yeah right, as if Adrien Agreste would want her to listen to his music. As if her ears were worthy enough to take in the velvety smooth sequence of music that Adrien was somehow able to create. Marinette decided that it was a better idea to steal the music from the air than to act like she earned it. So, she sat, nibbled on her sandwich, and tried to soak up the music that drifted from the walls behind her. The door was almost closed this time, muffling the noise more than before, but it was still audible.
She watched the clock religiously, knowing that she’d have to leave way earlier than usual to make her way to the library. She planned on walking in and then walking right back out. There was a chance that Alya would want to walk to their next class together, and she needed to get there before her. Marinette hated the lies, but something inside of her needed to listen to Adrien play, and that same side of her convinced her to keep this need from her best friend, if only for now. Today, at least, his talent was hers.
It wasn’t actually hers, of course. It was Adrien’s, solely Adrien’s, and something she’d never experience for herself. But listening to him play, even from the floor of the hallway, it sort of felt like she was connecting with him.
She grimaced at herself. This was weird, she knew. Borderline stalkerish, probably, but so was putting up tons of posters on her wall of a boy she hardly talked to.
Still, those posters were open to the public. His talent was not. It was private, and she was selfishly taking it for herself.
If she was ever seen by Adrien, or by anyone for that matter, she’d feel sick. So then how did eavesdropping and lying as she had been make it okay? If no one knew about her wrongs, did that make them right? No, of course not, and the thought alone made her sick.
The clock on her phone told Marinette that she still had thirty minutes before the end of lunch. Plenty of time to finish her food and listen a bit more before she had to rush to the library. But the piano wasn’t enough to keep her from her self-degrading thoughts, and they rang so true that she felt she needed to go now. She had already done enough, and now it was time to leave.
She stood quietly so as not to attract attention from the boy behind the walls that she had just been leaning against. Marinette very, very carefully collected her trash, gently holding the things that could crinkle loud enough to ruin her escape, before she quickly walked away from the door. The music eventually died behind her.
Instead of going to the library, she threw her trash away and sought out to find Alya. It only took her a few moments before she found her best friend sitting across from Nino, her sort-of friend, giggling about something that had been said. There was a fire in Alya’s eyes as she retorted a comment back. There was no flirting going on, but friendly and almost suggestive bickering. Alya wouldn’t allow Nino to just hit on her. No, she needed wit and sarcasm, and so far Nino had proven to be excellent at it. He wasn’t boring, nor did he try to over exaggerate himself. He listened to Alya, offering funny comments to her boisterous ladyblog rants. Marinette almost didn’t want to interrupt their dance, but Nino noticed her and waved her over.
She sat down with a smile, not only because her friends were beaming, but because she really liked just being with them. They were funny, and as they started another heated debate on something mundane, Marinette laughed more times than she could count. Even though the conversation was pretty tame, she caught Alya and Nino blushing a few times and couldn’t help but grin to herself. She could easily see Nino becoming one of her close friends. They’d be a happy triangle.
Er, square. Because Adrien sat down next to Nino, across from Marinette, sporting an easy smile on his lips.
“Hey, dude!” Nino was beaming with joy as he turned his attention from Alya to Adrien, “You decided to join us?”
Adrien nodded, “I mean, there’s only fifteen minutes left of lunch. I can spare a few moments for my favorite people,” he grinned at Nino, “Unless I was interrupting something?” his grin turned into a smirk as he looked between Nino and Alya.
Um, hello, favorite people?
Nino blushed furiously, but Alya didn’t miss a beat. As always, “Not at all, Agreste. Your boy and I were just…having a nice chat.”
Marinette took herself from her thoughts on Adrien’s earlier comment to snort. She covered her mouth after, not expecting to allow herself to make such a sound. Alya was mock-glaring at her though, and gently knocked her shoulder, which made Marinette feel a little bit more at ease. But she was rigid again as more music found her ears. This time it wasn’t a piano, but Adrien’s laugh. And he was laughing at her, no less. Her snort, her joke, had made him laugh.
Marinette blushed and looked away, but Adrien didn’t seem to notice because his laugh didn’t falter from her uncomfortable expression. But was she really uncomfortable? No, not truly. His laugh made her giddy and a little self-conscious, but not uncomfortable.
For once, she wasn’t completely nervous around Adrien, and that was cool. Maybe it was because she had shared a secret with him, though it was one sided, when she listened to his talent. Or maybe it was because of that favorite people comment, which she was going to assume included her. Or maybe it was the way he seemed so comfortable around her and Alya that made it seem weird to be uncomfortable around him anymore.
She was still a little nervous, of course, and though the pedestal in which she used to put him on display in the Most-Beautiful-And-Deserving-Of-Love museum that she had in her mind was growing taller and taller by the minute, Marinette found herself turning back to Adrien and smiling at his laughter. She had made him laugh, and maybe that was something to be proud of rather than something to shy away from.
“Okay, okay,” Nino punched Adrien’s arm playfully, “Chill. Both of you,” he rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. And so was Alya, and so was Adrien (still), and so, most magnificently, was Marinette.
So why, the next day, did Marinette find herself eating lunch outside of the music room again? She had told herself that this was certainly weird, but she had also convinced herself the night before that maybe it was the music that was making her more comfortable around him, for whatever reason. She wasn’t Alya. She couldn’t just talk to him, but maybe this was a step in the right direction.
The piece Adrien played was the same one from the day before. Marinette finished her lunch early, and rested her head against the wall behind her. With her eyes closed, she memorized the tune so she could fall asleep that night to the memory. It was a lullaby constructed from the most perfect being, even though she was sure Adrien hadn’t written the piece himself. Or maybe he had? She could see him being that amazing.
As planned, Marinette collected her belongings twenty minutes before lunch was over and walked to the library. She waited a moment, but Alya never showed up to meet her or anything, so Marinette deemed the coast clear enough to walk back out of the library and to the lunch spot from the day before. She almost gasped when she saw Adrien sitting next to Nino again. Had he followed her? Had he seen her walk to the library? Did he know?
But no, he didn’t, because the smile he gave her as she sat down next to Alya was not accusatory, angry, or confused, but welcoming and friendly. And she didn’t shy away from it this time, either. Instead, Marinette smiled back, earning a wider grin from Adrien. She blushed then, of course, but it was okay because it wasn’t too much. It wasn’t crazy Marinette acting crazy again.
Maybe this music thing really was helping.
Of course, Alya and Nino didn’t even pay attention to the exchange. They were talking vividly about homework, about how stupid question 5 on the physics worksheet was. Marinette agreed, but she chose to stay quiet. She didn’t want to push her luck with the newfound normalcy.
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“Well, My Lady,” Chat Noir bowed in front of Ladybug and reached out to take her hand in his. A small kiss was placed just above her knuckles, “another akuma down. Another night with you well spent,” a smirk played on Chat’s lips as he starred up at Ladybug from his bowed position.
Ladybug rolled her eyes and took her hand away from Chat’s gentle hold. A tingle resonated where his lips had touched her, but she chose to ignore it. His kisses were nothing but shameless flirtation.
Chat came out from the bow with a widened smirk and pulled Ladybug closer with one swift pull of her waist. Ladybug gasped quietly, but regained her composure quickly, pushing him away from her body with annoyance, “That’s enough for tonight, Kitty.”
They were standing together on top of a secluded building. They had just beaten another enemy, someone called The Rodent Ravager (a rat exterminator had been fired from his job or something). It had been an easy fight, so easy that neither Chat nor Ladybug had to use their special powers, and had hardly strained them at all.
The sun was setting into night, and the stars were beginning to glint against the darkening backdrop. It was a scene that artists from other parts of the world dreamed about capturing in their paintings. But nothing was like the real thing.
The scenery was, however, very familiar to Ladybug and Chat Noir. They had lived in Paris their whole lives, of course, so something as beautiful as the Eiffel tower against a sea of stars was a normal everyday image. The sight didn’t falter Ladybug’s abrupt turn away from Chat as she readied her yoyo to carry her away.
“Wait!” Chat reached out to grab Ladybug’s wrist again, but he decided against it. Maybe limited touch was what he’d need to convince her to stay.
Ladybug looked over her shoulder at Chat just as he dropped his hand back to his side. Her eyes shot up in question. She surveyed the boy, taking in his unusual apprehensive demeanor. He was usually so sure of himself that a waver in his smirk was more than surprising to Ladybug. Whatever he wanted to say, it was at least mildly important.
“Would it be so bad if we both stayed for a little while longer? We didn’t have to use lucky charm or cataclysm this time…which means we don’t have to rush off before we change back. Right?” his eyes blinked with pleading. A twinge of stress flashed across his eyes. It was then that Ladybug noticed the bags under Chat Noir’s eyes. He was tired, sad even, and he needed her to stay just a little longer.
Ladybug supposed that hanging out with her best friend for a little while longer wouldn’t hurt. She honestly liked being around him, though he annoyed her like crazy sometimes.
Ladybug fully turned back around and offered a warm smile to Chat, which caused his own face to break out in a smile that could compete with the rays of the sun. He was so cheery, always so happy, but this was the first time Ladybug wondered if he was just a good actor.
“Thank you, Bugaboo,” Chat said quietly before his grin turned into a smirk, “I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away from me.”
Ladybug huffed and rolled her eyes, but stayed where she was standing, “You’re ridiculous, Chat.”
Chat continued smirking, but moved from where they were standing on top of the flat-roofed building to sit on the ledge. His legs dangled over the edge, something that would have terrified him if he were Adrien. But no, he was Chat Noir right now, and he was allowed to not be afraid of anything. Except maybe the beautiful girl that had just sat down next to him.
They sat in silence for a moment. Ladybug broke the silence first, but not with words. She hummed quietly to herself, loud enough for Chat Noir to hear but not loud enough to really make out the tune. It wasn’t until Ladybug had hummed all the way through the song and was repeating it that it started to sound incredibly familiar to Chat.
It was his song.
Well, not his song. He certainly hadn’t written it. He wasn’t that amazing.
But the song was definitely the same song he had been playing just that day at lunch. It was a song he knew so well, he could play it in his sleep. He still practiced it though, at the insistence of his father, because a talent competition was coming up, sponsored by his father’s company. It was invite only, with the best of the best in fashion coming to take a break from their professional lives. Adrien wasn’t competing. Gabriel couldn’t risk being called a bias liar if his son won his own competition, and Adrien really was good enough to win.
Instead, he was ordered to play as an opening to the competition. Adrien was supposed to showcase his talent in order to support his father’s amazing reputation. Adrien was the face of the Gabriel Agreste brand after all.
But the tune wasn’t being create from his own hands this time. It was coming from his Ladybug.
Chat looked at Ladybug as she continued humming. Her eyes were closed and she was slightly swaying to the music. She was so wrapped up in it. So beautiful.
Chat cleared his throat, which made Ladybug open her eyes, but she didn’t stop humming quietly. She looked at him expectantly, but she wasn’t annoyed. Finally he had done something that didn’t annoy her.
“What…what are you humming?” he swallowed hard. Of course he knew the answer, that this couldn’t have just been a coincidence. Ladybug had to of heard him play at lunch, which meant she went to his school. Maybe. Even though Chat knew deep down that Ladybug got her song from him, he wouldn’t let himself get his hopes up. There was still a chance that everything, somehow, was really just a fluke.
Ladybug stopped humming then and shrugged, “I’m not sure. A boy from my school was playing it today on the piano. I stopped to listen for a bit and I guess the tune just stuck,” she laughed, but it was a nervous laugh. She wasn’t telling him something.
“Oh,” his throat felt dry as she went back to humming.
Ladybug went to his school.
Ladybug had stopped to listen to him play.
She was so close.
Chat closed his eyes. The thought of Ladybug, the love of his life, being so close to him when he was playing was enough to set his whole body on fire.
Really, he thought, he could just blurt out right now that it was him playing the piano. He could reveal himself right now.
Chat sighed at his thoughts. No, he couldn’t, because Ladybug would be pissed. So beyond pissed, he feared, that she’d never want to talk to him again. Maybe he would even lose her as a partner.
Chat’s breath hitched. He couldn’t lose her too.
He realized too soon that Ladybug had gone silent. When he looked at her, she was eyeing him curiously, “Are you okay, Kitty?” her voice was soft, concerned.
God, Chat thought, his love was actually concerned for him.
But of course she was, because she was Ladybug, and she would feel concern for everyone. That was just one of the reasons he loved her so much, and one of the reasons why he knew he wasn’t special in her eyes. If he wasn’t her partner, she probably wouldn’t give him the time of day. He’d just be another civilian. How did he get so lucky? How was he chosen to be the silly boy that got to sit with her amongst the stars?
Chat cleared his throat again. He was so nervous suddenly, but for good reason.
I’m Adrien, I’m Adrien, I’m Adrien! He chanted in his head. Of course, he couldn’t say that, so he settled with, “Just a bit more tired than usual, My Lady.”
Ladybug nodded as if she already knew this, as if she had already observed this about him.
Chat decided to take a chance.
The worst thing Ladybug could do as he lowered his head onto her lap was push him off, which wasn’t something he’d put past her. He was still learning her boundaries, but he was more than happy to learn what he was allowed to do. He would never want to make his lady uncomfortable.
But, to Chat’s surprise, Ladybug didn’t push him away. Instead, she set a hand on top of his blonde head with a feathery-light touch. Chat breathed out in relief. His eyes closed at the same time Ladybug started up her humming again.
Humming his song.
Chat decided then that he would be more observant during his practices at lunch. He was going to find out who was behind the mask of his true love. He had to, for he didn’t know how long he’d be able to take knowing that he was so close to her for hours each day.
If she ended up getting mad at him, that would just be something he’d have to deal with later. But right now, she wasn’t mad at him. Right now, she was lightly stroking his hair as she hummed a lullaby so beautiful he couldn’t help but feel so completely at peace.