Chapter Text
Chat Noir was so dead.
When Chat brought the flyer for the charity auction to her last month, she had thought it was sweet. Who knew her silly kitty had a heart for charity? Once he persuaded her to say yes, he’d bounced off the roof, shouting over his shoulder that he would handle all the details.
Apparently letting Chat “handle the details” meant standing on the stage as young bachelors with too much money bid on who got to go on a date with Ladybug. As the price tag rose, Ladybug’s eyes bugged out, frantically trying to figure out how she could possibly be interesting enough for the thousands of euros being thrown at her. Chloe had even put her hand into the race, until stares provoked her to loudly renounce that it was only a best friend date she wanted, though the blush on her cheeks made Ladybug do a double take.
While Ladybug stood prim through the bidding, Marinette thought she couldn’t sink into the floor more. She added to the list of reasons for Chat Noir to meet an early death: deserting her once he’d been bid off to a pretty politician’s daughter (she was not jealous of the girl, she wasn’t).
All thoughts of Chat Noir wiped blank from her mind when heard a new, familiar voice join the fray: Adrien Agreste.
Ahhhhhhhh.
Ladybug’s hand flew to her mouth to make sure she didn’t let out any embarrassing shrieks of delight. The bidding continued on, but whenever she thought someone was about to win out, Adrien, gorgeous Adrien, threw his hand in the air. He had a wicked grin on his face — so dreamy — that spoke to his confidence. The numbers coming out of his mouth made her wince, but what did that matter when Adrien Agreste wanted to go on a date with Marinette.
Ladybug.
Whatever.
The pool of competition suddenly shrunk to two, Adrien versus a finely dressed son of a business conglomerate owner. Adrien walked up to his competition with the easy swagger of a long-time model, the crowd parting before him and his silent, looming bodyguard.
“Hello Léon,” Adrien said conversationally, then called his latest bid to the auctioneer.
“Adrien Agreste.” Léon bit out.
“I thought I heard you were cut off from your maman’s money?” Adrien replied with a dangerous cheshire-like grin that seemed better suited for Chat Noir than Adrien. Actually, it sounded a lot more like Chat Noir did too, because that - was Adrien being rude? “Wouldn’t it be terrible for the charity to come collecting and find out that this was all a facade to meet our lovely lady superhero? I don’t think my– Ladybug would like that very much.”
Dawning on her what was happening, Ladybug crossed her arms and tried to look menacing when the crowd glanced back her. The kid Léon deflated, eyes flashing angrily as he stormed off. Adrien beamed in her direction and Marinette felt herself melting on the spot.
Suddenly a microphone was thrust under her nose and she blinked. “Well, Ladybug, looks like we have your date, none other than Adrien Agreste! What do you have to say to that?”
A pinched squeak emitted from her mouth.
The auctioneer pulled back the microphone with a chuckle, “Well, even Paris’ resident superheroes get a little star-struck occasionally! That’s it folks — here ends the auction.” He continued on, explaining how the checks should be made out and how to collect on their prizes, but Marinette had eyes for Adrien only. He made a beeline toward her, an eagerness in his eyes that reminded her of Chat Noir when he was about to make a dumb comment about Ladybug being puurfect.
Right. She guessed Chat Noir only deserved a whomp on the head now.
“H-Hi Ladybug.” Adrien said, sounding strangely out of breath. He coughed into his fist, and then gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry about the… theatrics out there.”
Marinette was struck silent. Should she call him Adrien or did that sound too familiar? Mr. Agreste just made her thinking of his father… quick, talk Marinette!
She stuck out her hand, grinning, “Pleasure to meet you Adrien.”
“Oh, uh,” Adrien stuttered, shaking her hand with a firm grip. The handshake went on a little too long before they pulled back. “We’ve actually met before, Ladybug.”
“Oh!” Ladybug said, hitting her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Of course, I remember. Nice to meet you, again, then. Shall we, uh, decide on a time to meet for our—” The word date choked in her mouth, but she was saved by a booming voice.
“I am the Bad Bidder! Now all of you will do my bidding as I please!” Ladybug jerked her head up to see Léon floating in the air, riding a giant bidding card like a magic carpet, dressed in a gaudy silver and gold auctioneers outfit. In his hand was a gavel, which he pointed at a random man in the crowd. “Seize that thief Adrien Agreste! He will suffer for out-bidding me!”
“Oops,” Adrien muttered under his breath. He started to run, but Ladybug snagged his wrist.
“Oh no, you need to come with me,” Ladybug said, all her nerves forgotten. She swung her yo-yo at the lighting supports and grabbed Adrien at the waist as the Bad Bidder’s minions started to ascend onto the stage. She swung them out of sight backstage, and then burst into a run, Adrien’s wrist clasp in her grip.
“I hope this doesn’t count as our date,” Adrien said, panting.
Ladybug flashed him a grin, “Rain check?”
“Deal.”
——
“Ugh, Tikki, I can’t believe it.” Marinette groaned into her pillow, face down on her bed after returning Léon back to normal and purifying the akuma. She’d taken Adrien to closest place she could find, which ended up being a classroom at their school. He had looked at her, perplexed, when she directed them straight to their science class. Before he could get out a ‘Do you go here?’ she slammed the door in his face and told him to stay put.
Once Chat Noir arrived, they had gone after Léon and ripped up his bidding card. She went to find Adrien at the school afterward, but he was nowhere to be found.
“I ruined everything, Tikki. He liked me. We were going to go on a date and get married and live happily ever after and I slammed a door in his face!”
“Oh Marinette,” Tikki said sympathetically, fluttering by her ear. “don’t worry. You agreed to go on a date later anyways, didn’t you?”
Marinette rolled over, grumbling. “Yeah, but what if he doesn’t want to go now?” She stared up at the picture of Adrien above her bed, reaching out and tracing the lines of his image with her fingertips.
“You won’t know until you ask, Marinette.” Tikki butted her little head against Marinette’s. “You have to try.”
“Marinette!” Her mother called from downstairs, “Someone is here to see you.” Before Marinette could worry about who it could be, Alya burst up her stairs.
“Mari! You won’t believe what happened today,” Alya said, cheeks reddened with excitement, and collapsed in Marinette’s chair. Tikki whizzed out of sight.
“What is it now?” Marinette asked, sitting up.
“You know that charity ball that I told you about?” Alya said, and Marinette nodded with a secretive smile. “Adrien Agreste, you know, the guy you’re totally nutso for, bid on Ladybug and won! They were supposed to go on a date together but then this guy got akumatized and everything went totally crazy.”
“Really?” Marinette replied, leaning in with her hands on her knees. She tried to figure out a realistic I’m-not-Ladybug reaction to the news. “Adrien likes Ladybug?”
“Oh yeah, girl, I hate to say it but I think you have some competition,” Alya said, scrolling through her phone for a picture. She turned the phone over to Marinette, pointing at a profile-angle picture of Adrien walking toward Ladybug, looking…
Totally lovestruck. Marinette’s heart beat a little faster at the thought, and knew that she would have to go make it up to Adrien for bailing on him. As Ladybug, of course.
“It’s kinda cute,” Marinette said cautiously, and Alya’s eyebrows rose.
“Woah, woah, what happened here? Why is there no flailing?”
“I mean, it’s not like Adrien’s actually going to date Ladybug,” Marinette argued. “That’s ridiculous. She has her whole secret identity and saving the city with Chat Noir every week going on, I don’t think she has time for boys.”
Alya tapped her fingers against Marinette’s desk. “Hmm. I wonder what Chat Noir thinks of all this. He thinks Ladybug is the cat’s meow.”
“Ugh, not you too,” Marinette groaned. She tried to think if Chat had said anything to her about it. He did mention that her date cost more than his had, but hadn’t referenced Adrien directly. Huh.
“What? I think Chat Noir’s jokes to Ladybug are spot on. Get it?”
“Ladybug has spots, yeah, yeah,” Marinette said, tightening her pigtails while she rolled her eyes. Alya kept talking, detailing the fight like a professional commentator, hand gestures and all, and Marinette zoned her out to begin plotting. By the time Alya finished reveling in Ladybug’s victory, Marinette had a game plan.