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Chapter Text

As consciousness gradually returned, Adrien inhaled deeply and was rewarded with the scent of strawberries and oatmeal and freshly baked bread.

“Marinette…”

Instinctively, he snuggled closer, burying his face in her hair, soaking up the warmth of her body.

As he shifted, the hand that had been resting lightly on her hip moved up under her nightshirt, skimming along her stomach, and the sensation of his fingertips on her bare skin was heavenly, making Adrien melt at the contact.

But then a thought drifted across his sleep-addled mind: “…Why am I not wearing my gloves?”

With a jolt, he was wide awake, eyes snapping open and hand flying to his face.

He breathed a ragged sigh of relief when he felt his mask still in place.

Thank God.

“Relax, Kid,” Plagg coached from the back corner of Adrien’s mind. “You’re okay. Still transformed.”

He thanked his lucky stars that he hadn’t detransformed in his sleep, that Marinette wasn’t going to discover his identity and kick him out of her life for deceiving her for the past three years.

“Chat Noir?” Marinette mumbled drowsily, rolling onto her left side and blinking up at him.

“Good Morning, Princess,” he chuckled sheepishly, leaning in to brush his lips against her cheek.

“Morning?” She sucked in a breath, sitting up and reaching for her phone. She missed and knocked it off the shelf, down onto her cat body pillow.

With a sigh, Marinette retrieved the device and, sweeping her sleep-tussled hair out of her face, read, “Three forty-two. Not really what I’d call morning, Minou. My parents won’t even be up for another quarter of an hour.”

“Well,” he chuckled, reaching to tug her hair free of the ponytail holders that were just barely hanging in there. “If I get caught sneaking back into my room now, I think my father’s going to ask what I was doing out until four in the morning, so let’s just call it ‘morning’ for the sake of argument.”

Marinette gave an ineloquent “Hm”, too tired to split hairs over semantics.

“I guess we fell asleep,” she yawned, surveying the still-open laptop at her side and the overturned popcorn bowl at the foot of the bed. “Do you remember the end of the movie?”

He’d been more focused on cuddling with Marinette than the Jet Li film.

Chat grimaced, trying to look contrite. “Uh… No. Sorry. Would you mind watching it with me again sometime?”

She shrugged, her warm smile causing a heat to build in his chest. “Not at all. The One is one of my favourites,” she assured. “We’ll just have to not wait to start it so late at night next time.”

“I don’t know,” he chuckled, putting himself out there and daring to be forward. “I kind of like having sleepovers like this. I wouldn’t mind doing this again sometime.”

He held his breath, heart hammering, just waiting for her to chastise him for impropriety, waiting for her to tell him he’d misunderstood and that she didn’t feel that way about him.

Instead, a pink stain spread across her cheeks, and a shy smile unfurled on her lips. “I kind of like this too, sharing a bed. Falling asleep with someone is nice.”

He gulped, mouth feeling unexpectedly dry. “Y-Yeah. This is…this is really nice.—But I should go now.” He glanced around for his gloves, reasoning that he needed to leave before he said something stupid and ruined everything.

He didn’t want to get his hopes up. Friends cuddled and shared beds platonically. He had seen Marinette with some of her female friends; they were very hands-on. Just because Marinette liked snuggling with him, that didn’t necessarily mean she wanted a romantic relationship.

“Do you have to go?”

Disappointment clung to the words. There was a slight whine in her voice.

Chat paused, tentatively turning back to study her face.

She had her bottom lip between her teeth, and the expression in her eyes was so unguarded and hopeful, and…

He leaned in, depositing another mist-light kiss to her cheek. “Afraid so,” he answered in a whisper. “Your parents trust me to come and go as I please, but I’m not supposed to be in your room past midnight unless something’s wrong. Nothing is currently wrong; therefore, I am in violation of the rules.”

She blew out a soft sigh of resignation.

He echoed her and reluctantly went back to the search for his gloves. “I want to be worthy of the trust they put in me.”

“Oh, Chat,” Marinette breathed, resting a hand on his arm. “You are. You’re so good.”

He shrugged, snatching up the gloves from the shelf above Marinette’s bed where he’d left them when he’d taken them off to eat popcorn. “I try. I’m trying.”

“You’re succeeding,” she stressed, reiterating, “You’re so good.”

“Please tell that to my father,” he laughed mirthlessly as he pulled on his gloves.

This earned him a sympathetic pat on the arm followed by a gentle squeeze of his bicep.

“The day you introduce us, I’m going to present your father with a wall scroll extolling your virtues. He can hang it in his office to remind him to take more breaks from his business empire to pay attention to his amazing son,” she announced with a straight face.

He was a little afraid that she was completely serious. He kind of loved her for that. “You’re the best, Princess.”

Marinette snorted, rolling her eyes and giving him a light shove. “Please. That would be you.”

He pretended to think about it, humming as his tail flicked thoughtfully. “I am pretty great, aren’t I?”

She reached up and pinched his cat ear.

He jumped at the unexpected prick of pain, causing her to break out in giggles at his overreaction.

“Hey,” he whined. “Mean.”

“Awww. I’m sorry.” She continued to snicker as she came up on her knees to kiss the injured ear.

Chat let out an involuntary whimper as the brush of her lips turned his insides to molten lava.

Marinette pulled back, cocking an eyebrow as she laughed. “What was that?”

“Nothing,” Chat insisted so rapidly the two syllables almost merged into one.

He grabbed his boots from the top step of the ladder and was up through the skylight in seconds.

“Have a good morning, Princess,” he called down to her softly. He was sure that his face was so red that not even the darkness of the morning twilight could hide it.

She shook her head and snickered, “I’ll have a good morning in six hours when real human beings are awake. You can have a good morning now, if you want, Chat Noir, but I’m headed back to sleep.”

“Sleep tight, Marinette,” he chuckled, smiling sappily as he watched her move the laptop and DVD case out of the way so that she could slip underneath the covers.

She looked up, gaze meeting his once more, and the levity was gone from her expression, replaced by a tentative hopefulness mixed with a worry that her hope was in vain. “You’ll come back tomorrow night? …Or…I guess it’s tonight now, but… You’ll come?”

“I’ll come back,” he confirmed with a fond smile that betrayed how much he was looking forward to their next meeting as well.

The concern immediately left Marinette’s features, and she returned the smile. “Okay. Good. …Good Morning, Chat Noir.”

She blew him a kiss which he caught and pressed to his heart.

“Good Morning, Marinette,” he whispered in reply, letting himself savor the moment for a beat before bounding off back to the Mansion.

Chapter Text

“That…took a lot longer than expected,” Nino sighed, stretching as he came to a stop at the top of the school steps.

“Projects shouldn’t be allowed to be that long and boring,” Alya groaned, coming up alongside him.

“To be fair,” Adrien added as he held the door open for Marinette, “we shouldn’t have waited until the last minute.”

Alya rolled her eyes. “And whose father’s fault is it that we couldn’t get together to work on this project until the last minute?”

Adrien’s eyes dropped to the pavement. “Sorry.”

“Alya!” Marinette scolded, coming over to smack her best friend’s arm.

Alya deflected the blow, laughing, “Relax, Girl. He knows I’m just kidding.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Marinette protested. “Just look at his face.”

Alya did so and immediately blanched. “Oh, Sunshine. Hey,” she cooed, going over to clap Adrien on the back. “No. I was just kidding. We would have waited until the last minute anyway, even if you had been available earlier. We’re a bunch of procrastinators. I was just kidding. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

“Oh,” Adrien forced a sheepish laugh. “Good. It’s okay. No worries. …I’m just really glad because I know I’m a huge pain to be partnered with for projects because my schedule is so crazy, so—”

“—Mec, no,” Nino jumped in, coming to rest a supportive hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “You’re an awesome partner. You always do all kinds of research ahead of time or just magically happen to know stuff already.”

“You’re a huge asset,” Alya assured.

“We would have been at this until midnight if not for all the work you did on your own before our meeting,” Marinette added with an encouraging smile. “We’re so lucky to have you in our group, Adrien.”

Adrien could feel his cheeks coloring in pleasure as he reached up to rub at the back of his neck. “You think so?”

Marinette nodded enthusiastically. “Mmhm. Definitely. I was really glad when Madame drew your name for our group.”

“Oh,” he chuckled, feeling deliriously happy. “Good. It’s good to be wanted.”

“Oh, trust me,” Alya snickered, clapping him on the back again, “you’re wanted.”

Marinette gave Alya a look that Adrien couldn’t quite decipher, but before he could ask about the exchange or what Alya had meant, Nino cut in.

“How about we go get dinner together to celebrate a successful end to our arduous ordeal?” he suggested.

“I’m pretty sure I can bribe my bodyguard to let me go if I buy him dinner too,” Adrien responded eagerly.

“All right!” Alya cheered, punching the air with her fist. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Actually…” Marinette winced. “I told my parents I’d be home soon. They’re waiting for me to eat.”

Adrien’s face fell. He couldn’t very well fantasize that this was a double date if Marinette wasn’t there.

“Call them and tell them you’re coming out with us,” Alya urged. “Girl, your parents are super chill. They’d completely understand you wanting to spend time with your friends.”

Hope swelled in Adrien’s chest only to be dashed on the rocks as Marinette sadly shook her head.

“No. I really need to get home.” She didn’t know when Chat Noir would be able to sneak out to visit that evening, and she didn’t want to miss him or keep him waiting. “Sorry guys.”

“Maybe next time,” Nino responded, noting the disappointment evident on his best friend’s face.

Marinette nodded, echoing, “Maybe next time. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“See ya,” Alya replied as Nino tipped his hat.

“Let me walk you home,” Adrien hurried to offer as Marinette began to turn away.

She blinked thrice in succession. “You don’t have to. It’s just across the street.”

Behind Adrien’s back, Alya mouthed, “what are you doing?!”, completely exasperated at the new and unusual ways Marinette was sabotaging herself.

“I insist,” Adrien countered. “What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t properly escort a lady home after dark?” He turned back to Nino and Alya. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Have a nice date.”

Marinette frowned. “You’re not going with them?”

“Not without you. Shall we?” Adrien held out his arm for her to take.

Looking stricken, Marinette glanced back and forth between Nino, Alya, and Adrien. “But…you shouldn’t scrap your plans just because I can’t go. Adrien, I know you don’t get to spend time with friends often. You should take advantage of the opportunity.”

He shook his head, smiling disarmingly. “Nah. It wouldn’t be any fun without you. Alya and Nino get all couple-y when you’re not around, and I feel like such a third wheel.” He looked back and their friends. “No offence, guys.”

Alya and Nino shrugged.

“None taken, Mec.”

Adrien held out his arm to Marinette again. “So…shall we?”

Marinette frowned, looping her arm through his. “Okay, but I feel really terrible. I’m sorry, Adrien.”

“Please don’t feel bad,” he entreated, trying to reassure her as he carefully led her down the school steps and towards the bakery. “It’s completely fine. I promise.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” Marinette insisted. “We’ll all go out to eat together sometime soon. In the meantime, I’ll bring pastries to school tomorrow. You like the pain au chocolat best, yes?”

“You know, I was about to say that no making it up to me was required, but I’d be a fool to turn down Tom and Sabine’s,” he chuckled, mouth already salivating at the thought of flakey pastries and bittersweet chocolate. “Pain au chocolat is my favourite, but I will happily inhale anything you bring.”

“I’ll be sure to include at least one pain au chocolat,” she promised, giving his arm a squeeze.

“You’re the best,” he hummed, making Marinette chuckle as she remembered Chat Noir telling her the same thing in the early hours of the morning.

“I am pretty great, aren’t I?” she laughed softly.

“Phenomenal,” he affirmed.

They paused at the crosswalk to wait for the light, and a comfortable silence settled between them as they each drifted off into their own thoughts.

Marinette daydreamed of another blonde boy while Adrien lost himself in fantasies of revealing his identity and having Marinette embrace the truth. Dating Marinette on both sides of the mask, not having to hide or hold back anything from her… Never having to doubt that she loved him for him, for the dorky, insecure guy behind the famous model and not just his money and influence…

By the time they reached the side door to the residence above the bakery, Adrien had mentally created a whole future for them where Marinette knew his identity and loved him anyway complete with first dates and first kisses, anniversaries and engagements, marriage and children.

When they stopped and Marinette turned to thank him for the escort, it seemed so natural to whisper, “Goodnight, Princess” and lean in for a kiss.

His lips had barely brushed her cheek when she jumped back with a squawk.

Adrien blinked, trying to understand why his wife had reacted so drastically to a simple kiss on the cheek…but then it hit him that none of the events filling his head had actually happened yet. He was not currently Chat Noir, and Marinette and Adrien did not exchange cheek kisses of that sort. Calling her “Princess” in that breathy, sensual way and kissing her on the cheek like that as Adrien had been crossing a line.

He backpedaled, holding up his hands in a placating gesture as he tried to do damage control. “I-I’m so sorry! I—”

“—I have a boyfriend!” Marinette squeaked, looking horrified.

Adrien’s mouth dropped open. “…You… What?” His voice sounded tight and strained.

She cleared her throat, arms wrapping around her torso as if to hold herself together. “There-There’s someone else. I’m sorry. I have a boyfriend.”

“Oh?” He tried to swallow, but his mouth was unexpectedly arid. “Oh.”

So he really had misread things between Marinette and Chat Noir. He’d thought she seemed fond of him. They flirted and teased and snuggled and…but he supposed that she’d only seen him as a friend. Marinette wasn’t the type to lie or cheat. If she had a boyfriend, she wouldn’t be fooling around with Chat Noir.

He’d misunderstood. It had all been wishful thinking on his part.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, not looking at him. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I mean, I do like you—I did like you, Adrien.”

“Oh?” he got out in a brittle voice.

He noted the aggressive use of past tense and wondered what he’d done to screw that up.

She shook her head and then finally met his gaze. Her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. “I’m sorry. I’m seeing someone else, and I care about him so, so much. He’s really important to me, so…you and I can only be friends, okay?”

It looked like the words physically pained her.

He nodded, trying to cobble together some semblance of a smile, trying not to look like his world was caving in on him.

He wondered how he was going to get over yet another amazing young woman telling him she didn’t want him. It had been hard enough to let go of his feelings for Ladybug and accept that he was interested in Marinette romantically. How could he possibly get over Marinette? How was he supposed to put himself out there again when being told that he wasn’t what these women wanted had hurt so much the first two times? Maybe he was the problem and there wasn’t anyone out there who could love him as he was.

Adrien kept smiling and nodding. “Of course. Friends.”

He tried to chuckle, to sound light and carefree and fine, but the laugh came out strangled.

Marinette winced. “I’m sorry. I did like you.”

He wished she’d stop saying that like that was supposed to make him feel better. He wished she’d tell him what he’d done wrong to make her stop liking him. Maybe then he could fix it and she’d like him again.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, unsure of what else to say. He was obviously taking this hard, and she felt horrible. She knew she’d been sending him mixed signals over the years. She hadn’t meant to lead him on, but she obviously had. Adrien wouldn’t have tried to kiss her unless he was certain that she wanted him to. Her leftover feelings for him must have been obvious, but she’d decided recently to commit to Chat Noir, and she couldn’t go back now.

She wished there were something she could do to soften the blow.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, holding back tears.

He shook his head, holding up his hands a little higher. “It’s okay. I understand. My mistake.”

And then there was agonizingly awkward silence.

Marinette thought about apologizing again, but she feared that the words already meant less than nothing to him. She wasn’t even sure that bringing him baked goods in the morning would be appreciated. It was all too clear that she’d hurt him badly. He was trying to hide it, but…

She had to wonder when Adrien had developed feelings for her and why she hadn’t noticed. Perhaps because he was always so sweet to everyone.

“Are you going to be okay?” She looked and spotted his bodyguard Victor parked out front of the bakery watching them. It was a relief knowing that she didn’t have to worry about him getting home safely.

He nodded robotically. “Yeah. I’m…I’m fine. Thanks. Sorry. I just…” He took a step back and motioned vaguely over his shoulder. “I should go now.”

She nodded, shrinking back towards the door. “Okay. Goodnight, Adrien. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Mmhm,” was all he managed as a response.

She quickly unlocked the door and hurried inside, trying to give him as much privacy as possible for a celebrity in the middle of Paris.

He watched her disappear as the door shut behind her, and then he stood there for a moment, trying to keep it together.

Somehow, he ended up across the street at the park, sitting on one of the benches with his head in his hands.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but he was suddenly aware of Plagg’s voice. “—mistake. I’m certain she likes you as Chat Noir. Maybe you’re freaking out over nothing. Maybe she was talking about you—Chat Noir you.”

“…But…” Adrien had to swallow twice to return some moisture to his mouth before he could continue. “Chat Noir isn’t her boyfriend, Plagg,” he mumbled, shaking his head. “She’s never asked me out, and I haven’t asked her either.”

Plagg pursed his lips. “Would you feel better if she’d just made up a boyfriend as an excuse to let Adrien down gently?”

Adrien groaned. “Strangely enough, having someone make up a boyfriend because they don’t want to date me does not make me feel better.”

Plagg sighed, sinking back down into his hiding spot in Adrien’s left shoulder. “Kid, maybe you should call someone. I don’t think you should be shut up alone in your room right now.”

Exhaling slowly, Adrien considered his kwami’s advice. Part of him really did just want to go back home and sob into a pillow, but the logical part of his brain knew that that way lay akumatization.

He took his phone from his pocket and reluctantly dialed Nino.

“What’s up, mon pote?”

“Did everyone but me know that Marinette had a boyfriend?” Adrien couldn’t help the accusing tone that slipped into his voice. “Because it would have been really nice if someone had told me before I tried to kiss her.”

On the other end of the line, Adrien heard Nino curse before pulling the phone away from his ear to whisper-hiss at Alya.

Alya’s “WHAT?!” could be heard loud and clear along with her detailed plans to tie Marinette down and interrogate her.

Then Nino was back. “Apparently this is news to everyone. You okay, Mec?”

“No,” Adrien answered frankly, too tired to put on a brave, socially acceptable face. “I need to be put on akuma watch. Is it too late to crash your date with Alya?”

“Dude, stay where you are. We’ll be there to get you in five.”

Adrien could tell from the edge in Nino’s voice that Adrien was in for an evening of crushing hugs and noogies. Nino was a fiercely protective older brother, and it was always nice when he extended that intensity to include Adrien.

Adrien closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on happy thoughts and the sound of Plagg purring until Nino got there.

Chapter Text

“You’re really late tonight,” Marinette noted, switching off her sewing machine and getting up to meet him. “After eleven thirty, I sort of gave up on you coming. Is everything okay?”

Chat Noir hopped down from her loft, landing softly in a crouch on the chaise longue. “Yeah. Sorry. I got held up.”

Marinette dropped the skirt she had been working on when she caught sight of his chalky complexion and puffy red eyes that not even the transformation could hide. “Minou, you look awful! What happened? Are you all right? You’re not sick, are you?”

In an instant, she was at his side, hands all over his face, studying his eyes, feeling for fever.

He pulled away, retreating to her desk chair with a weary, “I’m fine” muttered back over his shoulder. “You’re not looking so hot yourself, Princess. Have you been crying?”

She looked away and down at the floor. “I had a fight with a friend. I hurt him, and there’s nothing I can do to make it better…no matter how much I wish there was.” She sighed, sinking down onto the chaise. “…How about you? Why are you so late?”

“I got held up,” he repeated numbly.

He’d been out with Nino and Alya until almost eleven at a Greek restaurant not far from school.

His bodyguard Victor had supervised and kept Nathalie abreast of the situation and the reason for the unscheduled outing. Nathalie had thought it best to keep it all a secret from Gabriel and had covered for Adrien. Then, Victor and Nathalie coordinated in order to sneak Adrien back into the Mansion without Gabriel’s notice.

After that, the delay had mostly been the fact that Adrien wasn’t sure if he wanted to face Marinette again so soon after the heartbreak, but…Chat Noir had promised to come again, and, to Marinette, Adrien and Chat Noir were two separate people; therefore, Chat Noir had no choice. He’d waited until the last minute so that he could get away with popping in and popping out with the excuse of her parents’ midnight curfew for the shortness of the visit.

“A friend needed me,” he added, suddenly seeing a way to get more information about this boyfriend situation. “Adrien Agreste?”

He saw Marinette shrink out of the corner of his eye.

“Is he okay?” she asked tentatively, fearing the answer.

Chat shook his head. “You kind of demolished him.”

She dropped her head into her hands.

“I found him having a meltdown on a park bench, and I was kind of concerned he was going to get akumatized, so I stopped to talk to him.”

Marinette folded in on herself even further.

He watched her trembling, and it felt oddly better to know that she was suffering too. He wasn’t alone in his misery. Maybe she didn’t love him, but she cared about him. This was tearing her apart too.

“When did you get a boyfriend?” he wondered masochistically.

Marinette suddenly went very still.

Chat frowned. “…Or…did you just make up the boyfriend so you had an excuse to turn him down without having to say that you didn’t like him? Were you just trying to spare his feelings? It’s not like you to lie, Marinette…and what you did wasn’t kind.”

She looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks once more. “I…didn’t mean to lie. It wasn’t exactly a lie. More like…stretching the truth.”

Slowly, he turned in her desk chair to face her, expression blank. “So…what is the truth? You found out he’s a real person with issues and a nerdy streak, and, suddenly, he’s not so appealing anymore? He said you said you’d liked him before. What happened?”

She shook her head vehemently. “You did.” It came out almost as a sob.

He blinked, composure crumbling. “W-What?”

She rose, hastening to his side and dropping at his feet.

“You,” she choked, gazing up at him with equal measures hope and despair. “You. For a long time, my heart was divided between the two of you, but about a month ago I decided that you were the one I wanted to be with, so…so I tried to let go of my feelings for Adrien. I haven’t been entirely successful. It was really tempting today to let him kiss me, but…I decided that you were the one I wanted, so…I told him I had a boyfriend who I cared about very, very much and wanted to be faithful to…hoping that it would be true soon.”

Chat could only stare at her.

His head was spinning.

Was this really happening?

“M-Me?” His lips tripped over the word. “You…want me?”

Marinette forced herself to meet his gaze. She was surprised at the confusion she found there, as if he couldn’t quite figure out the meaning of the words.

She nodded. “I do.”

Her cheeks were so hot, it felt like they would melt right off.

“I…Over the years, getting to know you better, I’ve seen what an amazing guy you are, Chat Noir, and I’ve developed feelings for you,” she confessed, and, even though she didn’t expect him to reciprocate, it was such a relief to finally get the words out.

He continued to gape down at her. “You…You’re picking me? Out of all the people you could date? Over all of them? Over Adrien Agreste? Even though you have feelings for him too?”

She nodded resolutely. “Yes. You’re the one my heart wants.” Her expression turned shamefaced, and a sheepish smile spread across her lips. “Sorry, Minou. I didn’t mean to spring this on you, and I know you’re not dating again until you feel like you’re truly over Ladybug. I’m not narcissistic enough to think you’d return my feelings, anyway,” she laughed self-deprecatingly, “so if we could just forget that this happened and keep being friends, I would be really grateful. Your friendship is so important to me, Chat, and I don’t want my feelings for you to mess things up between us.”

“What?”

His brain was having a hard time keeping up as she flipped his world on its head over and over again. After the hell he’d been through the last few hours, he’d never thought he’d taste happiness or know love ever again.

Marinette winced, taking his baffled exclamation the wrong way. “Please, Chat. Pretend I never said anything. We can just go back to how things were, can’t we?”

“No!” he shouted, shooting to his feet.

The desk chair was rocketed backward by his sudden motion, sailing out of the way and allowing him to drop to his knees on the floor beside her.

“Marinette, no!” He scrambled to clasp her hands in his own as they trembled. “Sorry. I’m doing this all wrong. I’m kind of a mess right now.”

“O-Oh?” She frowned, trying to follow his frantic bursts of words.

He nodded and then shook his head, trying to keep the tears at bay. “Sorry. Sorry. It’s just I’ve been a wreck since I found out about your supposed boyfriend because I am crazy about you, Marinette.”

Her jaw dropped.

He laughed in a slightly hysteric mix of emotions. “I’ve fallen for you too, so hearing that I was too late and you already had a boyfriend shattered me.”

“Oh, Minou,” she breathed, squeezing his hands. “No. I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’s okay. I mean…provided you ask me out now,” he added with a snort.

She scooted closer so that their knees were touching. “Really? Is that—You’d want that too?”

He took a deep breath and looked her confidently in the eye. “Yeah. I’d want that. Honestly, I think I’ve had feelings for you for a long time now, so…” He licked his lips nervously. “…if you like me too, I’d like to give a relationship a try.”

An ecstatic smile broke out on Marinette’s lips, making her whole face glow. She giggled, unable to believe that this was happening…but then a twinge of doubt crept in, dimming her expression. “I should probably just ask you out before you change your mind, but…I know you’ve been purposely not dating the past few years.”

She grimaced and asked even though she didn’t want to, “…Do you think you’re ready now? I definitely want to date you, but I don’t want to rush you if you’re not ready.”

A soft smile slowly slid across his lips. “Thank you, Marinette.” His voice radiated warmth and love. “You’re always so thoughtful.”

He had told her about the breakup with Kagami as Chat Noir. Not naming any names, he’d confided in Marinette that he’d been trying to let go of his feelings for Ladybug and move on to be happy with a girl he’d harbored burgeoning feelings for. He’d told Marinette how he hadn’t been ready to date someone else, how he was still hung up on Ladybug, and how his feelings for her had soured and destroyed his romantic relationship with Kagami. Chat Noir had actually ended up seeking comfort from Marinette on the night Kagami had broken up with Adrien, and it was actually Marinette who had suggested that maybe it would be better for Chat not to date seriously until he’d gotten over Ladybug.

Chat gave Marinette’s hands a gentle, bolstering squeeze. “I don’t think I’m ever going to be totally over Ladybug,” he admitted. “There’s always going to be a little piece of my heart that’s hers, but I’m in a better place now than I was three years ago when I tried to date my one friend. Things with you are different, Princess. I think I’m ready to give this a shot.”

Marinette nodded, giddiness surging back. “Okay. Then…Chat Noir, would you go out with me?”

He could barely contain himself as a thrill of elation shot through him. “Yes,” he responded, releasing one of her hands so that he could reach up and cup her face. “Yes, yes, yes.”

Marinette surged forward to press her lips to his…only to be interrupted by his baton alarm going off, causing them both to jump.

“Wh-What’s that?” She blinked in confusion, still somewhat startled, as Chat groaned, grabbing his baton and navigating through the menus to turn the alarm off.

“It’s midnight,” he grumbled.

She continued to blink, uncomprehending.

He averted his eyes, explaining, “I set an alarm for midnight before I came over here so that I could use your parents’ rule about no cats in the bedroom after midnight as an excuse to cut our visit short.”

Regaining her wits, Marinette arched an eyebrow at her boyfriend. “Why would you want to cut our visit short?”

“Because you’d just broken my heart vicariously through Adrien Agreste with your sudden boyfriend-who-I-didn’t-know-was-me announcement,” he pouted. “I was still licking my wounds, but I’d promised to come see you, so I waited until the last possible minute to make an appearance and set a timer so that I could leave as soon as possible.”

“Oh, Minou,” Marinette chuckled, reaching out to tenderly stroke his hair. “I’m so sorry. I feel horrible about hurting you and Adrien. Can I ever make it up to you?”

Chat sighed, shrugging in an “it can’t be helped” manner. “Well, the romantic moment is totally ruined, but you could still kiss me goodbye,” he suggested, offering her his cheek and tapping it pointedly.

“I guess I could do that,” she hummed, leaning in and pressing her lips to the spot.

Chat Noir and Marinette had been exchanging cheek kisses like that for months, but this kiss in particular felt so much more solid and certain than the others. There was no second-guessing the feelings behind it.

She pulled back, and a troubled expression quickly took over her face.

“What is it?” Chat prompted, tucking a stray bang back behind her ear.

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. Just…thinking about Adrien. I don’t know when he started having feelings for me, but…I must have been leading him on this whole time. He probably hates me now, and I don’t know how to fix things. I think I’ve lost his friendship, Chat,” she explained, voice shrinking.

Wiping away the pained tears once more streaming down Marinette’s cheeks with his thumbs, Chat cradled her face in his palms and shushed her gently. “Hey, Princess. It’s okay. Don’t cry. It’s going to be okay. I promise he doesn’t hate you.”

Hope shined through the tears blurring her vision. “R-Really?” she sniffled.

“Really,” he insisted. “I talked to him. He’s still very much enamored of you and eager to keep your friendship intact.” He knew he’d later regret throwing himself under the bus like that, but his girlfriend was crying, so he would worry about saving face as Adrien later.

She frowned, certain that she couldn’t be that lucky. “You’re sure?”

“Positive,” he assured. “Adrien is hurt, yeah, but he’s mostly beating himself up for whatever he did to make you liking him be a past tense thing, and he’s mortified that he read the situation wrong and tried to kiss you earlier. Hating you is far, far down on the list of his priorities.”

“Poor Adrien,” Marinette sighed, wilting, nauseated at the pain she had unwittingly caused. “I feel horrible.”

“Don’t, Marinette,” Chat coaxed, taking one of her hands in his own once more. “Just be nice to him going forward. Be his friend. Bring him pastries tomorrow.”

“You think he’d still want that?” She tentatively began to allow herself to believe things could be fixed.

He clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes playfully. “Come on, Princess. Everyone wants fresh Tom and Sabine’s brought to them. Keep up.”

Despite herself, she laughed, starting to feel better. “Okay, okay. I’ll bring him pastries. Be nice to him. Be his friend.”

He squeezed her hand. “It’s going to be fine, Marinette. You’ll see.” He leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek. “…Gotta go,” he apologized, getting to his feet and then helping her to hers.

“Come back tomorrow?” she entreated.

“Definitely,” he promised, giving her other cheek a quick peck. “Bye.”

“Bye,” she echoed, pressing another solid, anchoring kiss to his cheek.

Reluctantly, the new couple parted.

They lay awake in bed for hours afterwards, reliving all the ways their faces had heated, their hearts swelled, their stomachs fluttered.

Chapter Text

“Dude,” Nino sighed, the word soft and affectionate yet slightly exasperated.

Adrien raised a hand in greeting. “Morning.”

Nino frowned. “Why are you leaning up against Marinette’s locker?”

A sheepish smile tugged at Adrien’s lips. “I figured it was the most-likely place where I’d run into Marinette?”

Nino shook his head, taking off his baseball cap to run a hand through his hair. “Do you think this is a good idea, Mec?”

Adrien shrugged. “Meh. I mean, she said she’d bring pastries yesterday before the whole trying to kiss her fiasco, so…”

“Mec,” Nino groaned plaintively.

Adrien held up his hands at chest level. “Hey, it will only make things awkward if I avoid her. Isn’t it better to just bite the bullet and try to repair the friendship right away?”

Nino sighed again, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know, Adrien. It just seems like you’re ripping the bandage off awfully quick.”

“Nino, I promise you I’m fine.” Adrien gave Nino’s foot a light kick.

“You weren’t fine when I saw you less than twelve hours ago,” Nino grumbled.

“I’m better now that I got it all out of my system.” Adrien smiled disarmingly.

Nino snorted. “…You do look better than I expected, but I’m chocking that up to your parents selling their souls to the devil in exchange for the perfect offspring incapable of ever looking unattractive.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew how much makeup I’m wearing. If I slept thirty minutes last night, I’d be surprised.”

Nino cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. “Weren’t you convincing me that you were fine?”

“I’m totally fine,” Adrien replied with a winning smile.

Nino pursed his lips. “Adrien, you know I care about you, right? I just want you to be okay.”

The smile dropped from Adrien’s lips, replaced by complete sincerity as he reached out to rest a hand on Nino’s shoulder. “Of course I do. Don’t worry, Nino. I swear it’s going to be fine. I’m fine. For real.”

He wished he could tell his best friend that this was because his superhero alter ego was actually the boyfriend in question, but he knew that was impossible. Ladybug was still adamant that secret identities needed to remain absolutely secret, and he could kind of see what she meant on a larger scale. He didn’t think that they should tell everyone, but…he couldn’t help but think that the people closest to him like Marinette and Nino and even Ladybug herself should know. …But regardless of his opinion on the matter, his hands were tied.

“Thanks, Nino. You’re the best friend a guy could ask for,” he added earnestly.

With another sigh, Nino reached out to ruffle Adrien’s hair. “If you say so, Mec.”

The locker room door burst open, startling and silencing everyone so that Alya’s roar echoed even louder against the absence of ambient noise.

“—all night!” Alya concluded, holding the door open for Marinette who slunk in behind her best friend, looking like she’d rather be fighting the Nemean lion than dealing with Alya.

“So your phone better be broken, Girl, because I know you weren’t screening my calls,” Alya snorted. There was a thinly veiled threat in there.

Marinette shrank, keeping her darkly circled eyes on the ground as she made her way to her locker. “I’m really sorry, Alya. I wasn’t feeling well, so I turned my phone off and went to bed early. I didn’t get your voicemails until this morning.”

Alya clicked her tongue, clearly not satisfied with the excuse. “So? If you got my voicemails this morning, you know I know you’ve been holding out on me. I want details on this secret boyfriend of yours.”

“Al?” Nino groaned, drawing Alya off the scent and alerting her to her surroundings. “Baby, I love you, but right now probably isn’t the best time to be hounding this particular scoop.”

Alya blinked, just then registering all the people staring at the scene she’d caused. She looked to her boyfriend and then to Adrien at his side.

Adrien gave her a sheepish finger wave.

Alya grimaced.

Marinette, seeing Adrien, went as white as rice paper. She took a step back and tripped, fumbling the bag of pastries she’d had in her hand, sending it soaring in a high arc.

With the speed of a fencer’s lunge, Adrien sprang forward to catch Marinette around the waist, steadying her.

With his other hand, he snatched the pastry bag out of the air to a round of applause from the spectators.

“Ten points!” Alix announced.

Adrien didn’t seem to notice. His attention was solely on Marinette. “You okay?” He anxiously scanned her face, currently frozen in shock.

She blinked and, then, all of the sudden, jolted back to life, breaking out of his hold and spluttering, “Yes! S-Sorry. I’m such a klutz. I’m sorry.”

“Hey,” he called softly, giving her a tender smile. “No worries. It’s okay.” He held out the pastry bag for her to take back.

“Oh.” She blinked at it. “That’s for you, actually. If you want it, that is.” Biting her lip, Marinette met his gaze, her eyes filled with apprehension and uncertainty. “I’m sorry. I—”

“—Marinette,” he cut her off, not letting his reassuring smile waver, trying to show her that everything was fine. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“I…don’t?” Her eyes rapidly searched his face.

He shook his head. “Nope, but I’m more than happy to accept your peace offering.” He held up the bag of pastries like a prize. “But, actually…could we talk?” He tipped his head towards the locker room door.

She looked behind her, confused for a second. “Oh! Out there?”

He nodded, trying to just get through the awkwardness of the interaction so that his civilian self could be friends with his girlfriend once more. “If you don’t mind?”

 “Of course! Not at all.” Marinette whipped around and nearly tripped again as she attempted to make her way towards the school courtyard.

Behind her back, Adrien winced, wishing things could just go back to normal already.

Nino gave him a thumbs up, and Alya mouthed, “good luck” as Adrien turned to go, feeling, oddly, like he was being led to his execution.

Marinette cleared the doorway and looked back at Adrien for direction.

“Over here.” He led her to one of the benches off on the sidelines of the basketball court.

They both sat, and, partially to break the ice, partially to give his hands something to do, Adrien peeked inside the pastry bag.

“Wow,” he breathed. “Two pain au chocolat, one croissant, a pain au raisin, and three chouquettes! Maybe I should completely humiliate myself and let you break my heart more often if this is my consolation prize.”

Marinette flinched, averting her gaze. “I am so sorry.”

“Too soon to joke about it?” Adrien deflated, fishing out a pain au chocolat and taking a bite.

“You’re wonderful, Adrien—really wonderful—but my boyfriend is wonderful too, and I just…I picked him, and I can’t go back on that decision,” she replied in a burst. “…He deserves someone as awesome as he is, and the very least I can do is be faithful. I’m sorry.”

“You say that like you don’t think you’re awesome,” Adrien hummed thoughtfully before taking another bite of his pastry.

Marinette shrugged, still not looking at him. “I’m pretty great…just not…” She shook her head. “…I admire him a lot. There’s a lot to admire.”

It took some considerable amount of effort on Adrien’s part not to choke. “…I’m sure he’s not perfect, Marinette.”

She shrugged again. “No, but he’s good…just a really good person and so sweet and thoughtful. Yeah, he can be impulsive and childish…sometimes he doesn’t think before he says or does something, but all the negatives are so small compared to the positives, so…”

“Maybe you’ll change your mind once you’ve been dating longer,” Adrien muttered into his pastry. As much as it thrilled him to hear his girlfriend speak so well of him, at the same time, it was intimidating. Adrien was aware that he had self-esteem issues, but he couldn’t help but worry that he wouldn’t be able to live up to Marinette’s high opinion.

“Sore loser much, Agreste?” Marinette snorted.

Adrien cringed, casting her a sidelong look. “Maybe? I mean, can you really blame me for being a little bitter after losing out on a treasure such as yourself? …Wanna share my pastries?” He held out the bag with a boyish grin.

Marinette snorted again, this time in amusement. “Thanks.” She chose one of the chouquettes. “…You said you wanted to talk?”

“Right,” Adrien sighed, setting the pastry bag down between them. “I owe you an apology.”

Startled, Marinette looked up. “For what?”

“Seriously? There’s a list,” he chuckled self-deprecatingly. “First of all, I’m sorry I tried to kiss you. Please believe me when I say I never would have done that if I hadn’t thought you wanted to be kissed. Obviously, I read the situation between us completely wrong, but I wouldn’t—”

“—Adrien, it’s okay. I know,” she broke in to assure him, reaching out and taking hold of his wrist. “…And you didn’t read the situation wrong.” She let go, looking away once more in shame.

“O-Oh?” He hadn’t anticipated that response when he’d prepared what he was going to say.

She shook her head. “I’ve had a crush on you for a while. That’s what I meant when I said that I did like you. Giving up on you and getting a boyfriend is a kind of recent thing, so…you didn’t read anything wrong. It’s just that I’m with him now, so you and I can only be friends.” Tentatively, she peeked back at him. “I’m sorry things worked out like this.”

“Don’t be,” he gently urged, giving her a winning smile. “I’m okay. You’re such a good friend, Marinette, and I never want to lose that with you. Your friendship is really special to me.”

A cherry blossom blush spread across her cheeks, matching the soft smile moving on her lips. “Really?” she breathed.

“Really, really,” he chuckled. “You underestimate how precious friendship is for someone who grew up without it.”

“Oh, Adrien,” Marinette whispered, flattered even as her heart ached for him.

Unexpectedly, he winced. “Please don’t tell Chloé I said that. She’d throw the fit of the century, and I don’t want to hurt her. She is my friend…just…” He looked up at her, throwing himself on her mercy with pleading peridot eyes.

Marinette nodded, giving his arm a reassuring pat. “She won’t hear about it from me. I know you two have a complicated relationship.”

“Thank you.” He reached into the pastry bag and pulled out the other pain au chocolat, offering it to her while he took the pain au raisin for himself. “So…we’re okay?”

She took the pastry and nodded. “So long as you don’t hate me, I’m all for carrying on as if last night didn’t happen. I can’t stand it when things are awkward and tense with you.”

“Yeah, I was dying in the locker room earlier,” he admitted. “The thought of things going back to the way they were when we were fourteen and you couldn’t string two sentences together around me makes me just sick.”

She gave a snort of laughter, tapping her foot against his. “Those days are safely behind us; don’t worry.”

A tenable silence fell between them for nearly a minute as they worked on their respective pastries.

Hesitantly, Adrien broke it. “Marinette?”

“Hm?” She tipped her head interrogatively.

“There’s just one problem,” he sighed.

Her eyebrows pinched together, her eyes darting around his face, searching in confused apprehension.

He met her gaze with an expression of unwavering sincerity. “I’m genuinely crazy about you, and that’s not something I’m going to get over.”

Her lips parted in a soft gasp, but she had no words with which to reply.

He smiled sadly. “I’ve only been in love once before, and even though it’s been three years, I’m still not really over her. I know you probably don’t want to hear this, and I know I’m showing my hand, but I want to be honest with you. I love you at least as much as I did my first love, so I’m not anticipating moving on any time soon. Is that something you can live with, or have I completely ruined our friendship?”

He gritted his teeth and awaited the fall of the metaphorical axe. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hide his feelings from her, especially now that they were dating. He knew he was going to be a lovesick mess around her as Adrien. It was better to deal with the issue up front.

Meanwhile, Marinette’s heart was wavering hard, wondering if she’d made a mistake.

How did one tell Adrien Agreste no when he’d just confessed his love so prettily to her?

Chat Noir’s face flashed in her mind, his adoring eyes and soft smile…so caught up in her. It reignited her resolve to be faithful. Chat was more than worth this. She wanted to be with him.

Marinette reached out and took Adrien’s hand, promising, “First and foremost, I will always be your friend.”

He blew out a sigh of relief, smiling broadly as he squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

She squeezed back, her heart fluttering as she was reminded how beautiful and sweet and earnest he was.

“I know that no means no, and I’m going to do my best to respect that, but you should know that I’m probably not going to give up hope,” he warned. “So, if I ever do or say anything that you don’t like or that makes you uncomfortable, please say something. I am not a socially adept individual, so please, please tell me if I ever cross a line. I don’t want to screw things up with you,” he stressed, eyes entreating.

“Well, we haven’t had any problems so far,” Marinette reasoned, even though she could feel the shift between them now that their feelings for one another were out in the open. Oddly enough, knowing where she stood with Adrien had only made her feel like they were on unsteady ground.

“But you’ll tell me?” Adrien pressed. “The moment I do something wrong.”

Marinette nodded. “I’ll tell you. And that goes both ways. You tell me if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable too.”

“Deal,” he agreed, holding out his little finger for a pinkie swear.

Chuckling, she wrapped her pinkie around his, promising, “Deal.”

“Now that that’s all settled, may I escort the princess to her classroom?” Adrien inquired, standing and giving Marinette a courtly bow.

She gave a snort of laughter but got up and took his proffered hand, her earlier bad mood finally lifting for good. “All right, but I need to stop by my locker first.”

After the requisite locker run, Marinette was delivered to her desk on Adrien’s arm, much to the astonishment of their whole class.

As Marinette took her seat, Adrien bowed once more. “Thank you for the honor of your companionship, Your Royal Highness.”

Marinette laughed, rolling her eyes and half-heartedly swatting at him. “You’re such a goof.”

Straightening up, Adrien grinned. “Anything to make you smile.”

He was treated to the added bonus of Marinette’s flustered blush before he turned on his heel and settled into his own desk in front of her.

Across the aisle, Chloé clicked her tongue. “Adri-chou, you have deplorable taste in women.”

He shrugged, pulling out his phone to type, “We have the same taste in women.”

Chloé hissed down at her screen before looking back up to hurtle a Medusa-esque glare at her oldest friend.

She was intercepted by Adrien holding out the Tom and Sabine’s bag.

“Want a pastry? Two chouquettes and a croissant left.” He smiled that smile that he knew no one could resist.

Her fury extinguished itself, but she didn’t let up on the act, snatching the bag away from him with a vicious snort. “Pastries make you fat.”

“You and I would still be gorgeous fat,” Adrien returned the volley easily.

Chloé thought for a minute.

“True,” she decided, digging in without reserve.

“…You still have rubbish taste in women,” she repeated after the pastries were dispatched, purely to save face.

The day passed in a rather uneventful fashion until the period before lunch. Miss Bustier was out for the week at a conference, so they had a substitute for Literature.

“Could the class representative help me pass out these worksheets?” the university-aged sub asked, looking around the room, trying to determine to whom she needed to direct her request.

Marinette stood, raising her hand. “That’s me, Madame. With pleasure.” She trotted up to the front and took the stack of worksheets from the teacher, dutifully distributing them to her classmates.

Chloé took hers with a disdainful sniff, but Adrien treated her to one of his trademark winks, making Marinette smile and laugh softly.

When she got to the very back of the classroom, she set Lila’s worksheet down on the desk without making eye contact or exchanging a word.

“I bet you think you’re so great because Adrien’s paying a little attention to you today,” Lila hissed so softly that Marinette barely heard over the teacher’s lecture.

“Hm?”

She’d been in the act of stepping down to the next tier of desks, so when she turned back at Lila’s words without thinking, she missed the step, catching the lip of it with her heel and torqueing her ankle.

She went down with a yelp, hitting her right shoulder and arm hard as she tried to shield her face from the edge of the lower platform coming up at her fast.

Adrien got to her first amidst gasps and calls of, “Marinette!” from their classmates, but Alya was a close second.

“Is she all right?” Rose cried in alarm, getting to her feet to peer down anxiously at her friend.

“I don’t see any blood,” Kim offered a preliminary report, scanning the area.

“Marinette, hey,” Adrien breathed, holding up his hands ineffectually to try to help as Marinette pushed herself up to sitting with a sharp intake of breath, eyes screwed closed in pain.

“Where’s it hurt?” Alya demanded as she crouched beside Adrien, looking over his shoulder in the cramped aisle. “Are you okay? Is it broken?”

“I’ll call the nurse!” the substitute teacher announced, flustered, trying to recall what the protocol was for an accident. “Or maybe an ambulance? The principal. I’ll call the principal.”

“Adrien, do you want me to call my doctor?” Chloé offered, pulling out her phone.

Lila rolled her eyes. “I’m sure she’s fine. Marinette trips all the time, don’t you, Marinette?”

“She is not fine,” Alya snapped at the same time Adrien shot Lila a look that promised to end her.

Lila wilted and shut up.

Adrien’s attention was instantly back on his injured girlfriend. “Marinette, do you want Chloé to call her doctor? Where’s the pain? How bad is it?”

“No,” Marinette finally managed through gritted teeth. “…I’m fine. …Just a rough landing.”

“Can you get up?” Adrien coached, resting a hand at the small of her back where he was certain she wasn’t injured.

“Maybe. I twisted my ankle,” she reported, wincing as she maneuvered so that her right leg was no longer folded underneath her.

She straightened her leg and hissed as she tried to circle her ankle.

“Maybe don’t do that,” Nino suggested from where he stood behind Alya.

“It doesn’t look broken,” Ivan offered, drawing on his past experiences with broken arms.

“It’s swelling, though,” Alya observed.

“It probably just needs to be wrapped and iced,” Marinette decided as the sharpness of the pain began to recede. “I’ll just go to the nurse’s office. No need for an ambulance, but thanks for offering to call your doctor, Chloé.”

Chloé snorted, crossing her arms and looking away. “It’s not like I did it for you or anything.”

Adrien looked back over his shoulder with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Chloé. That was really great of you.”

“I am very magnanimous,” Chloé preened, giving her ponytail a flip.

“Very!” Sabrina cheered. “You’re so generous, Chloé!”

“Think you can stand?” Adrien held out a hand to help Marinette up.

It was a bit of a production, getting her to her feet, and, once she was there, they quickly discovered that she couldn’t put her full weight on her right foot to stand, let alone walk.

“Here. Put your arms around my neck,” Adrien instructed.

Marinette startled and nearly fell over. “W-What?!”

Adrien’s hands went to her hips to steady her. “Sorry. I’m going to carry you to the nurse’s office. Would you please put your arms around my neck?”

“O-Oh,” Marinette mumbled, complying with his request with a blush and averted eyes. “Thanks, Adrien…. Sorry.”

“No need for apologies,” he assured, gingerly scooping her up into a bridal carry.

Nino got the classroom door for them, and Adrien waited until it was closed behind them to whisper, “I’m more than happy to play your knight in shining armor, Princess.”

Marinette tensed, causing Adrien to immediately backpedal. “I am so sorry. Did I make things weird?”

“…No,” Marinette murmured into his chest. “I don’t mind the flirting. It’s fine. It’s fun. So long as we both know that things between us have to stay platonic, it doesn’t hurt anything. Plenty of friends flirt like that just for fun or to be silly. It’s just…‘Princess’ is what my boyfriend calls me…so it feels wrong for you to call me that too.”

Adrien hummed thoughtfully as he made his way over to the stairs and carefully began his descent. “…How about ‘Ohime-sama’?”

Marinette scrunched up her nose and brow in a frown. “What’s that mean?”

“It’s Japanese,” he explained haltingly, trying to keep his breath. It was a lot harder when he wasn’t transformed. “It’s pretty much the same as calling you ‘Princess’….without technically stealing your boyfriend’s nickname…. Is that fair?”

She considered this for a moment before nodding. “That’s fair. …It’s funny that you both came up with the same thing, though, don’t you think?”

How he wished he could just tell her.

He’d have to talk to Ladybug. Surely, they could make exceptions now that they were older and one of them was entering into what Adrien hoped would be a serious, long-term relationship. If Marinette deigned to marry him, Adrien couldn’t be running off in the middle of the night, leaving his wife and children during graveyard shift akuma attacks. Telling Marinette was just practical at this point, and Ladybug was bound to see sense.

For the time being, Adrien replied with a chuckle. “Maybe he and I are a lot alike.”

Marinette opened her mouth to assure him that they weren’t, but then realized that he was right. If she took them at face value, Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste’s public personas were decidedly different, but if she considered them as she had gotten to know them over the years…the two young men she adored were remarkably similar in all the ways that really counted.

“Yeah,” she answered quietly. “You are, really. The real yous are.”

Adrien’s heart fluttered.

He hoped she couldn’t hear it, or, if she could, that she just attributed it to the fact that he was currently in the middle of carrying her across the school to the nurse’s office off the side of the gym.

Adrien decided to steer the conversation away from flirty discussions of nicknames and boyfriends and ways in which Adrien and Chat Noir were similar. “Hey. Did she push you?”

“Hm?” Marinette lifted her head from his chest. “Did who push me?”

“Lila,” Adrien clarified with a bit of a growl. “Did she make you trip?”

“Oh.” Marinette looked away with a blush and a sigh. “No. Not intentionally. That was all me.”

“‘Not intentionally’?” Adrien probed.

Marinette shook her head. “She whispered something catty about you paying attention to me or something. I didn’t really hear, so I started to turn back to ask her what she’d said, but I was in the middle of going down the steps, so… You know me: graceful as a gazelle. I just lost my footing and faceplanted. She may have meant to hurt my pride or something, but she didn’t intend for me to physically get hurt.”

She could feel Adrien’s muscles relax somewhat, even as they remained taut enough to support her.

“Oh,” he breathed. “Okay then.”

“Why?” she inquired curiously. “What would you have done if she had tripped me?”

“Scratched her eyes out,” Adrien snorted, coming up in front of the nurse’s office door and cautiously maneuvering to work the knob without jostling Marinette too much.

Marinette couldn’t help but chuckle. “My hero. You could definitely take her in a cat fight.”

“Cat fights are my specialty,” he snickered. “Chloé taught me everything I know.”

Marinette laughed a little harder as Adrien opened the door and awkwardly walked them inside.

“I’m glad you’re laughing,” Adrien remarked quietly, voice warm with relief. “It makes me think you’re not hurt that badly.” He shut the door behind them with some difficulty.

“I’m okay, Adrien,” Marinette assured. “…but thanks for worrying about me.”

“Sure thing.” He held back the urge to kiss the side of her head.

“It doesn’t look like anyone’s here,” Marinette observed with a sigh of disappointment, breaking Adrien out of his distraction.

“Madame Danville must have gone to lunch already.” Adrien spotted a chair over by the medicine cabinets and began walking towards it. “Here. Let’s get you settled, and then we’ll figure something out.”

With Marinette’s okay, Adrien helped to ease her down into the chair.

He unlocked his phone and handed it to her. “Could you call Chloé and have her get someone to track down Madame Danville? I’m going to see if I can scrounge up something to wrap your ankle with. The least I can do is perform first aid while we wait for the professionals.” He went over to the cabinets and drawers and began his search.

“You know first aid?” Marinette inquired in surprise as she navigated his favourite contacts menu.

Adrien quickly located the bandages and knelt down in front of Marinette to begin wrapping her ankle. “Don’t sound so astonished,” he chuckled as he delicately slipped off her ballet flat and no-show sock. “With the akuma attacks sometimes getting a little intense, Nathalie and I convinced my father that I should at least know the basics.”

“All right,” Marinette hummed, intrigued. “Show me what you’ve got.”

Adrien began to wrap as Marinette talked to Chloé.

After several passes with the bandages, he looked up with a frown. “Am I hurting you?”

Marinette shook her head. “Thanks, Chloé.”

Adrien’s eyes narrowed. “You keep squirming.”

“It tickles,” she whined, setting his phone down on the countertop next to them.

He did his best to hold in a chuckle. “Oh, is that all?”

“I’m really ticklish.” She crossed her arms in a pout.

He kept smiling. “So long as I’m not hurting you.”

“You’re not,” she assured with a sigh. “…Thank you. For all of this.”

“My pleasure.” He tucked the end of the bandage under and scooted back a bit to survey his work.

“I’m impressed,” Marinette chuckled. “You really do know first aid after all.”

He shrugged, pushing himself up to his feet and going back to the cabinets. “Thank you. I strive for perfection.”

“What are you doing now?” She watched him curiously as he went through the drawers and overhead cabinets again.

“Looking for…an ice pack,” he finished as he drew out a small, white refillable ice bag with a blue clamp on the end. “This will help with the swelling and pain,” he explained as he went over to the mini fridge on the other side of the counter and got some ice out of the freeze portion.

He paused in front of her, trying to think of the best way to set things up. “We should probably also elevate your ankle. That will help with swelling too.”

“You really do know what you’re talking about,” Marinette observed, pleasantly surprised.

“I told you I did, didn’t I?” Adrien chuckled as he went to fetch another chair, picking it up and setting it down in front of her so that she could prop her foot up on the seat. He laid the ice pack down across her ankle. “Technically, they say you should elevate the injury above your heart, but I don’t know how we would…” He frowned. “…unless…You’re pretty flexible, right?”

She raised an eyebrow uncertainly. “Yeah. Why?”

“Feel free to say no, but…if I sat down in the chair in front of you, and you kind of slouched, you could rest your foot up on my shoulder. Is that a weird idea?” He grimaced, hoping she would be kind in her rejection.

She laughed affably, a smile spreading across her lips. “I mean, yeah. It’s a weird idea, but if elevating my ankle above my heart is going to help reduce swelling, I’m down to try it out. I’d like to heal up as fast as possible.”

Adrien nodded. “Right. Okay, then. Let’s…” Carefully, he raised Marinette’s right leg, sliding into the chair in front of her and gently setting the ankle down on his shoulder, adjusting the ice pack to its new position.

Marinette slid down a bit in her seat and propped her other leg up on the arm of Adrien’s chair.

“Are you comfortable enough?” Adrien asked attentively.

Marinette shrugged and smiled. “Not bad. You?”

“Not bad,” he echoed. “How’s the pain?”

She fluttered her hand in a “so-so” motion. “It’s tapering off for now. I’m sure it will still hurt to walk on later, but I’ll take some painkillers and soldier through it. I have some in my purse.”

Her eyes suddenly widened in terror. “I left my purse in the classroom!”

Adrien blinked, not understanding why the realization demanded this level of intensity. “I’m sure Alya has it.” He tried to be comforting as he motioned to his phone on the counter next to her. “If you want, you can text her to bring it to you during lunch. Class should be wrapping up in about thirty minutes.”

Observing that this did nothing to reassure his girlfriend, he offered, “Or I could go get it for you?”

Her face lit up. “Would you? Please?”

“Yeah. Absolutely.” He carefully extracted himself and set out on his mission, coming back with both of their belongings.

“Here we go.” He handed her her purse before getting back into position as her footrest.

“I’m sorry,” she replied meekly, eyes averted. “I know it’s silly, but I just feel so anxious without it.”

“No worries,” he assured. “I have things like that too that I need to have with me or I feel uneasy.”

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. “You do?”

He nodded, raising his hips so that he could pull the lucky charm she had given him three years previously out of his pocket. With a sheepish smile, he held it up. “Remember this?”

She gasped. “You don’t still have that.”

“Oh, but I do,” he chuckled, slipping it back into his pocket. “Is that weird?”

She shook her head. “I still have mine too. I have a black cat plushie sitting on my desk by my computer monitor, and the charm bracelet is sitting on top like a flower crown. I look at it every day.”

“Oh,” Adrien breathed. He had seen it on the many occasions Chat Noir and Adrien had visited Marinette’s room, but he’d thought that it had been set down and left there, forgotten, swallowed up in the milieu of the chaos that often was her desk. He’d thought that she’d stopped seeing it like he’d long ago stopped seeing the many games and books and CDs on his shelves.

It was really nice to learn that something he had given her was still important.

“Is there anything else you have to have with you to keep you from feeling anxious?” Marinette wondered, her oceanic eyes catching his.

He smiled sheepishly. “It’s not something I have to have with me, but…my mother’s picture. I have to say goodnight to it or I can’t sleep. A couple times after a late-night shoot, I’ve come staggering in and have almost fallen asleep while getting ready for bed, so I’ve forgotten to say goodnight to Maman, but, then, once I get in bed, I’m suddenly uneasy and can’t fall asleep. I have to get out of bed and go say goodnight to her before I can fall asleep. Is that weird?” His brow crinkled as he tried to laugh at himself. “I mean, I know I have mommy issues, but…”

“It’s not weird,” Marinette answered firmly, banishing his doubts. “It’s sweet. Your relationship with your mom is really sweet, Adrien. She’s important to you, so it’s not weird for you to keep parts of her alive like that. It’s normal…like my mom burning incense for family members on birthdays and holidays and death anniversaries. It’s good for you to stay connected to your mom in little ways like that.”

It took a minute for her words to process, but when they did, a shy smile slowly broke out on his lips. “Thank you, Marinette. That means a lot to me.”

She shrugged, returning his smile with a soft one of her own. “Glad I could help.”

The conversation lulled for a few minutes before drifting into a discussion of Marinette’s latest project for Jagged Stone.

“You are so amazing,” Adrien gushed. “I am seriously such a fanboy. Everything you make is wonderful.”

Marinette snorted in laughter. “I’m not that good. I do mess up from time to time. Everyone does.”

“But the way you recover from failure is amazing,” Adrien stressed. “And I’m sure you’re going to work the kinks out of Jagged’s outfit specifications for the festival and produce a killer illustration for his next album. I have complete faith in you, Marinette.”

“I wish I did too,” she sighed. “But thank you. I really appreciate the encouragement. I needed that.”

“Any time,” he assured. “Speaking of time, I think we’ve had your ankle on ice for about twenty minutes. We should probably take it off for a bit. We’ll put it back on later.”

Marinette nodded, trusting that he knew what he was talking about. “Sounds good.”

He took off the ice pad and handed it to her for her to put up on the counter.

She bit her lip. “How’s it looking? Can you tell with the bandages on?”

“Meh,” he reported. “I mean, I can tell that it’s swollen, but it’s not too bad from what I can see. How’s the pain?”

“Meh,” she sighed. “It’s a dull pain, not sharp like when I first twisted it. I think I’ll live.”

“That’s a relief,” Adrien chuckled. “I’d be heartbroken all over again if you died of a twisted ankle.”

Marinette rolled her eyes and snorted. “I’d die again of embarrassment if I died of a twisted ankle.”

“You know…” Adrien eyed the ankle resting on his shoulder thoughtfully. “When I was little and scrapped a knee or an elbow or a palm or something, my mother used to do this thing, and it made it feel better. It’s silly, but I think that’s the point. Wanna try?”

“Sure,” she agreed gamely. “What do we do?”

Adrien turned his head and tenderly pressed his lips to the bone of Marinette’s ankle, sending a jolt straight up her leg to the rest of her body. She could feel herself heating up.

“Now,” Adrien announced, “we take the pain…” He made a show of taking the “pain” to the side of Marinette’s ankle in his fist. “…and throw it away.” He mimed tossing it towards the trashcan by the door.

Marinette broke out in giggles, cheeks still red from the brush of his lips. “You’re right. That is really silly.”

“Did it make you feel better?” He looked at her with shining innocent eyes.

Her heart melted. “Tons.”

She loved it when he smiled.

Chapter Text

“Sorry I’m not very exciting company tonight, Princess,” Chat Noir mumbled from where he lay dozing on Marinette’s chaise longue.

“No worries,” Marinette assured as she put the finishing touches on the zipper of the outfit Jagged Stone had commissioned for an appearance at an upcoming music festival. “It’s more than enough just to have you here. You don’t have to be exciting.”

“Good to hear,” he sighed, letting his eyes drift closed again.

Setting down the garment and switching off her machine, Marinette spun around in her desk chair to face her boyfriend. “Hey, are you all right? I don’t want to press if you don’t feel like talking, but…I’m here to listen if you need me, okay?”

Chat’s eyes flew open, and he ignored his aching muscles, propping himself up on his elbows to meet her gaze. “Sorry to worry you. I promise nothing’s wrong. I’m just wiped, is all. …Thank you, though.” He summoned up the energy for a dazzling grin in hopes of convincing her he was fine.

“Has your father been making you help with his company a lot this week? Or is it something else that has you exhausted? School okay? Have you been able to hang out with your friends lately? Are you getting enough sleep?” Marinette ran through the usual list of culprits.

Chat Noir’s grin turned sheepish. “Nothing like that, Princess. I’m still wiped from today’s akuma battle. It was a tough fight, and it took Ladybug a bit to figure out her Lucky Charm, so I had to get thrown into a wall by the akuma a couple times to buy her time…. And now even the bones of my inner ear are feeling it.”

Marinette winced, turning a guilty expression on him. “I’m so sorry, Minou. Ladybug should have figured her Charm out faster.”

Chat shook his head, gently explaining, “No, Marinette. It wasn’t her fault. I know Ladybug makes it look easy, but those Lucky Charms are no walk in the park. Trust me. Maybe you would be good at figuring them out, but I would much rather be thrown into walls. And, I mean, it’s fine. The suit absorbs most of the damage, but…I still feel like I’ve been pummeled by a bunch of bricks.”

“Wait.” Marinette’s eyes went wide in horror. “Doesn’t Ladybug’s Miraculous Ladybug fix everything? Why are you still hurt after she used it? Did it not work?”

Seeing his girlfriend begin to panic, he waved away her concern and rushed to assure her, “It worked. Everything is fine, Marinette. I feel a lot better than I did before she used it, but…” He bit his lip. “…maybe, like, seven percent of the time it doesn’t have its full effect. There’s not really a pattern I can discern, but…sometimes I’m really sore still even after she uses Miraculous Ladybug to fix everything. Today is just one of those days.”

“My poor Minou,” Marinette whispered, sliding out of her chair and crossing to him, dropping to the ground to kneel beside the chaise. She reached out and gingerly ran her fingers through his hair, eliciting a contented purr. “I wish I could kiss it all better.”

“You and me both,” Chat sighed, pressing up against her hand.

“Poor, sweet kitty,” she cooed, tracing soothing patterns against his scalp. “Is there anywhere it doesn’t hurt?”

“Where you’re rubbing is good,” he purred, eyes slipping down to half-mast.

She kept playing with his hair and stroking his head for several minutes as she fretted, going back over all of their battles, worrying about which injuries her powers hadn’t fully cured, worrying about battles to come where her powers might fail and cause her to lose him forever.

“…May I kiss you?” she whispered a hint of desperation behind the words.

His eyes opened, and he looked at her for a moment, evaluating, trying to decode the anxiety in her voice.

“Of course you can. Always,” he assured, offering her his cheek.

Marinette pursed her lips. “Actually…I meant…may I kiss you? A real kiss?”

Chat’s eyes flew wide. “O-Oh! Oh. You mean…” He gulped. “…on the lips.”

She nodded, suddenly feeling like she’d made a mistake. “Sorry. Am I moving too fast? I’m sorry. I figured that we’ve been dating a couple weeks now, so…but if you’re not ready, it’s fine! I’m not trying to rush you. I know you purposely didn’t date for a couple years since things went poorly with trying to date your one friend while getting over Ladybug, so—”

“—Marinette,” he cut her off softly, taking her hand in his and gently squeezing. “It’s okay. I’m ready. I’d like to kiss you…but don’t you think this is a little…” He winced. “Sorry. It’s not very romantic, is all. Would you really want our first kiss to be like this?”

His eyes studied her face intently, scanning, trying to understand what she was thinking and feeling.

Marinette smiled brightly. “Honestly, it’s not really a big deal. It doesn’t have to be romantic so long as it’s with you.”

Chat Noir blinked, a bit stunned by her answer. “Oh. …I mean, right.” He attempted to laugh it off, despite the uneasy, troubled feeling stirring within him. “It’s not a big deal. You’re right. It’s just a kiss. So long as we’re together, it’s…it’s fine.” He smiled.

What else was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say? “No, it has to be romantic”? He supposed that this was what Luka had been talking about when he’d warned a sixteen-year-old Adrien that real relationships didn’t always play out like they did in the movies. Things weren’t always perfect. Things didn’t always turn out how you hoped.

“…So…” Chat’s brow furrowed. “Should we kiss now?”

A deep frown etched itself in Marinette’s features.

“Sorry. I’ve never kissed anyone before—that I can remember, anyway,” he quickly explained, fearing the worst. “Am I doing this wrong? I didn’t mean to screw it up. I’m sorry.”

“No, no. You’re fine,” Marinette insisted, giving him a reassuring smile. “You’re not doing this wrong at all, Chat Noir. I am.”

“What?” He looked after her in confusion as she got up and went over to one of her desk drawers to fish out some fairy lights. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Marinette. Sorry. I’m really confused right now.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she insisted with a look of concentration and determination on her face that told him she was planning something. “We’ve still got twenty minutes before my parents’ midnight curfew. That’s plenty of time to get things right.”

Chat frowned as he watched his girlfriend rush to the little closet over by her vanity and pull out three pillar-style candles of varying heights. “I’m sorry. I’m not following, Marinette.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she repeated, cautiously climbing up to her loft with her arms full. “Just wait right there. You’ll see in, like, ten minutes.”

Marinette disappeared up out her skylight and came down a minute or two later to fetch her phone. It too went up to her balcony.

Next went a tray of pain au chocolat along with two mugs of Marinette’s special hot chocolate.

She came back down and went straight for her closet, instructing, “Close your eyes. I’m going to change.”

Chat covered his eyes with his hands for good measure to make doubly certain he didn’t see anything she didn’t want him to. “Why are you changing?” he had to wonder.

“You’ll see,” was the only response she would give.

Marinette finished her costume change in record time and hurried up to the balcony to put the finishing touches on her surprise.

“Okay. Come on up!” she called down to him when everything was ready.

Still feeling utterly lost, Chat uncovered his eyes and apprehensively climbed the ladder up to Marinette’s loft in order to join his girlfriend on the balcony.

He pulled himself up through the skylight and was instantly blown away.

Fairy lights had been wrapped around the wrought iron railing, and rose petals littered the ground. The candles Chat had seen Marinette grab were arranged on the table and surrounded by more rose petals as their flames flickered prettily in the soft breeze.

The tray with Chat’s favourite beverage and favourite pastry was resting on the wooden crate they often used as a seat. Soft jazz played in the background—Diana Panton singing Quiet Night of Quiet Stars.

And then there was Marinette herself: hair down, the breeze gently playing with the strands…coy smile with just the barest hint of teeth. She looked so pleased with herself, so happy to see him and the stunned look on his face.

She was wearing a black, off the shoulder cocktail dress that hugged her curves up top but flared out at the skirt which was longer in back and shorter in front. Around her neck was a small bell on a gold chain, nestled comfortably at the hollow of her throat.

“…Wow,” Chat breathed after gawking for nearly a full minute.

It was all he could come up with when he was feeling so overwhelmed and loved.

“Do you like it?” she prompted shyly, afraid she’d gone over the top and now he felt pressured.

He covered his mouth with his hand and nodded eagerly, unable to get the words for what he was feeling out.

He turned around in a circle in place, taking it all in.

“Wow,” he repeated. “Marinette…thank you. Thank you. It’s wonderful…but you didn’t have to do all this.” He looked back at her with a sappy grin.

She laced her fingers through his, giving his hand a squeeze. “Yes, I did. Earlier, when I said it wasn’t a big deal our first kiss not being very romantic, I wasn’t thinking. Romance is nice, but it’s not really something I need so long as I’m with the person who’s special to me. Just being with you is enough for me, so sometimes I forget that not everyone is like that. I didn’t stop to think that maybe you needed it to be romantic, so…voila. I hope I did okay. It was short notice,” she chuckled.

“It’s perfect,” he stressed, beginning to get choked up. “That you would do all this for me…” He stepped in, lovingly cupping her face in his palm.

Her free hand went to his hip, and she inched closer. “You’re worth it,” she whispered.

“It’s perfect,” he breathed. “You’re perfect.”

He leaned in, lowering his head while she raised hers until their lips met in a warm, unhurried kiss that was everything he’d ever dreamed his first kiss would be.

Chapter Text

Adrien hadn’t intended to get involved in a love triangle…. Did it count as a love triangle when you were both of the rival love interests? Adrien wasn’t sure.

At the very least, Adrien hadn’t meant to make Marinette cheat on him…if it even counted as cheating when your girlfriend was cheating on you with yourself.

It was an unusual situation without precedent to help him make sense of it.

At the very least, Adrien was certain that it was one hundred percent his fault brought on by his carelessness and him not stopping to think before acting.

It was an accident.

Adrien and Marinette had been in the library doing research for their History papers when the akuma attacked. They’d gotten “separated” in the stacks. As much as Adrien wished he could stay by Marinette’s side to protect and watch over his girlfriend, he knew he had to go transform so he could help Ladybug defeat the akuma.

Chat Noir and Ladybug had barely gotten “Bien joué” out of their mouths when Chat took off, bounding back towards the school.

“Hey! Where’s the fire?” Ladybug called after him.

He spared her just enough time to shout back over his shoulder, “I have to go check on my girlfriend!”

He had this terrible premonition of Marinette hurt, crushed by one of the bookshelves collapsing. He knew things would be fine now that Ladybug had used her Miraculous Ladybug, but he needed to see Marinette unharmed with his own eyes.

He dropped back down into the library, hidden among the stacks, just as his transformation ran out. He tossed a hunk of cheese to Plagg and took off, searching desperately, an unreasonable fear building in the back of his mind that she had been hurt and Ladybug’s powers hadn’t healed her.

He spotted her, and his heart leapt. He ran down the aisle to her.

“Marinette!”

She turned toward him wearing the cutest expression of surprise.

“You’re okay! Thank goodness,” he breathed, catching her in his arms, pulling her to him, caressing her hair and her face, and, finally, pressing his lips hard to hers as pure relief and joy at seeing her unharmed washed over him.

She made a small noise of surprise and tensed momentarily, but as his lips moved against hers, she melted, losing herself in the passionate kiss.

One hand went to the back of Adrien’s neck to pull him in closer while the other threaded through his hair, fingers gripping and releasing, spurring him on, urging him to deepen the kiss.

Adrien couldn’t even be bothered to care that they were making out in the back of the library where anyone could chance upon them. They had never kissed like this before. They’d only been kissing for two weeks, but it had never been like this. Those were sweet, slow, hesitant kisses. Marinette had been mindful of not pushing or rushing him. It’d been sensuous and mind-melting in its own way, but there had never been as much heat and desperation as there was now.

Marinette’s tongue scorched the inside of his mouth, making him not notice the shelves she had him pressed against digging into his back.

But then she pulled away with a gasp, backing up until she bumped against the shelves on the other side of the aisle. She was staring at him with wide eyes and an ashen expression, her hand going up to cover her mouth.

“Marinette?” He frowned, reaching out, stepping towards her. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

She put her other hand up to keep him at bay, shaking her head. “Adrien…this was a mistake.”

Suddenly it all made sense. He was Adrien right now, and while Adrien knew that Marinette was his girlfriend, Marinette didn’t, and, therefore, Marinette thought she’d just made out with a guy who wasn’t her boyfriend.

Adrien bit out a sharp curse under his breath. “Marinette, I am so sorry. I got caught up in the moment and got carried away. When we were separated, I was just so scared that you’d been hurt, so when I saw you were okay, I just…I’m sorry. I forgot that I wasn’t supposed to kiss you. Please forgive me.”

There wasn’t anything else to do but beg for forgiveness, plead with her with his eyes. He was tempted to come clean right then and there, tell her that he was Chat Noir, so it was okay. They hadn’t done anything wrong…but he hadn’t talked to Ladybug yet, and he felt like he really needed her approval; otherwise, she was going to be mad at him for a very long time, and that might mess up their team dynamic and cause problems for all of Paris.

He was stuck.

Marinette shook her head. “It’s fine, Adrien.” She laughed mirthlessly. “Well…it’s not fine, but…I’m not mad at you. I forgive you. I get it. Just…don’t do it again. This can’t happen again.”

“Right.” A second wave of relief rolled over him. “I promise I’ll think before I act next time. Thank you. I…”

She wasn’t looking at him. Her eyes weren’t focused on anything, really. Panic twisted up her face and clouded her eyes as she sank her teeth into the fleshy part of her palm, her thoughts descending into chaos and worst-case scenarios.

Adrien sighed in frustration with himself. He had done this to her.

“Hey.” He stepped in, taking her firmly by the shoulders so that she had to look at him. “Marinette, listen to me. This isn’t your fault, okay? This is totally on me. I kissed you.”

“I kissed you back!” she squeaked, tears on the edge of her voice. “Remind me who it was who pushed you up against a bookshelf and stuck her tongue down your throat. That was me, Adrien. That kiss wasn’t even remotely one-sided. You didn’t force yourself on me. I kissed you back.”

Adrien winced, seeing that he had his work cut out for him.

“Ohime-sama,” he cooed, “please. Don’t beat yourself up over this. It was a mistake. You stopped as soon as you realized it was a mistake, and we’ve already agreed that this isn’t going to happen again, so I think we need to forgive ourselves and move on. I’m sure your boyfriend will agree with me.”

“Ha!” Marinette laughed hysterically. “Ha! No. Do you know how hurt he’ll be? He can never find out. No one’s telling him. There’s nothing to tell. This didn’t happen,” she insisted manically.

“Marinette,” Adrien groaned.

“No,” she insisted, shaking her head resolutely as she pulled away from him. “We’re just going to keep on being just friends, and we’re going to pretend that this never happened, and everything is going to be fine.”

She turned and started to walk away, but he caught her by the shoulder.

“Marinette…please tell your boyfriend and let him tell you you didn’t do anything wrong,” he entreated. “I don’t want you to keep this bottled up only to get akumatized over it from the guilt.”

She seemed to deflate right before his very eyes. Her shoulders sagged, and her head drooped. “Don’t worry about me, Adrien. I’ll be fine.”

He sighed, his heart crumpling up in a guilt all its own. “If you’re not, please talk to him. I’m sure he cares about you very much…. I care about you very much.”

A soft, sad, pastel smile graced her lips. “Thanks, Adrien. I care about you too, so try not to let all this weigh you down either.”

She gave his hand a pat before gently pulling away and walking off.

Adrien slumped against the bookshelf with a heavy sigh. He needed to get his life together. He needed to talk to Ladybug. He needed to cheer up his girlfriend.

Chapter Text

“I see you got the flowers I left on your balcony,” Chat Noir observed as he made himself at home on Marinette’s chaise.

“Hm?” Marinette looked up from the beads she was hand-stitching onto a scarf she planned to give to Alya. “Oh.” She glanced at the flowers in the vase on the desk next to her. “Yes. Yes, thank you, Minou. They’re lovely. That was really sweet of you. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to cheer you up,” he confessed.

She gave a start. “Cheer me up? Why did you think I needed to be cheered up?”

He smiled sheepishly, scratching gently at his cheek with a claw. “I may have dropped by your school to check on you after the akuma attack this afternoon, and you seemed kind of down. I thought the flowers might help until I was able to sneak out to see you tonight.”

Her lips forced themselves into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh, Chat… Minou, you’re so wonderful.”

His stomach turned at the pain and guilt she was trying to keep hidden. He had the feeling that his acting like a good boyfriend had only made her feel worse about kissing Adrien that afternoon.

“Hey,” he called softly. “Come over here for a sec, please.”

She obediently set down the scarf and went to him, sitting down on the chaise at his side.

He pulled her closer, holding her loosely so that she could pull away if she wanted. “Hey,” he cooed. “What’s wrong, Marinette? Talk to me. Let me make it better.”

She choked, and the tears finally broke through her carefully guarded expression. “Oh, Chat N-Noir,” she hiccupped. “I messed up. I really messed up, and I feel horrible. I betrayed someone’s trust, and I can’t make it up to them. There’s no way to make it right.”

“Don’t say that,” Chat admonished gently. “There’s always a way to make it right. I bet you’re catastrophizing again. If you just tell your friend what you did and say you’re sorry, I’m sure they’ll forgive you right away,” he assured, wishing she would just tell him already so he could take away the guilt she was suffering through.

Marinette shook her head, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze. “Chat Noir, what I did was unforgiveable.”

“Princess, no,” he argued. “I’m sure you didn’t kill anyone or torture small animals or anything. You’re being too hard on yourself.”

She shook her head again, refusing to say anymore. She sat there sniffling, averting her eyes.

“Princess…” he whispered, leaning in to press his lips firmly to her cheek, tasting there the salt of her tears. “I would forgive you anything. Whatever you did, I’m sure it’s fixable and your friend will tell you so too.”

She didn’t respond, just sat there looking disconsolate.

He knew he had to do something about this. He couldn’t let her keep feeling this way when he was the one in the wrong.

He sighed and steeled himself before speaking again. “Marinette? I need to tell you something.”

She looked at him then, eyes wide in concern at the serious tone of his voice. “What is it?”

“I need to tell you my identity,” he informed her resolutely, making her eyes go even wider.

She gasped. “W-What?”

“I need you to know who I am,” Chat insisted. “I’m serious about you and this relationship.” He took her hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “I want for us to be able to go out in public together and date openly without having to worry about Papillon targeting you to get to me as Chat Noir. I know revealing my secret identity is a big deal, so I’ve put a lot of thought into this decision, but…ultimately, I know this can’t go on any longer. You need to know who it is you’re dating.”

Suddenly getting over her initial surprise with a jolt, Marinette pulled away, shaking her head vehemently. “Chat, no! You can’t! It’s far too dangerous. I can’t know who you are while Papillon is still at large. For my own safety as well as yours, I can’t know.”

“Marinette,” he cajoled, reaching out for her hand once more.

“No.” She pulled away, standing up and starting to pace. “Chat Noir, I’m not willing to risk it. I’m honored that you want to tell me, and it makes me so, so happy that you’re invested in this relationship and that you want to make things work long-term between us, but…”

She stopped and turned to look at him with a pained, tortured expression. “Chat Noir…there’s too much at stake. Your duty as a superhero, your duty to Paris has to come first, even before me. Please understand that.”

“No,” he responded flatly.

She blinked, surprised by the slight growl of irritation in his voice. “‘No’?”

“No,” he repeated, standing and going to her, one hand on her hip, the other cupping her cheek. “Marinette, no. I can’t do that. If the choice was Paris or you, I’d pick you. No contest. I don’t want to have to choose, but…it’s always going to be you.”

“Minou,” she mumbled, touched yet conflicted.

He placed his thumb over her lips. “Shh. Everything is going to be fine. You’ll see. I won’t have to choose. This is going to work. We’re going to be fine. We’ll be able to date like other couples…go to parks and restaurants and movies and museums together…get lunch at cafés…walk around holding hands…. This is going to be a good thing.”

She shook her head, tears starting to roll down her cheeks afresh. “Don’t you think I want that too, Chat? It just can’t happen right now. I can’t know, even though I want to more than anything. Please don’t tell me. We have to be responsible about this. We have to wait.”

“Marinette,” he whined, resting his forehead on her shoulder. He squeezed her tight. “But I need you to know. I need you to know now.”

“No, Minou,” she whispered, letting her arms wrap around him too. “We have to be patient.”

He heaved an elephantine sigh, letting it go. He couldn’t very well tell her against her will when she was going to be mad enough when she found out anyway.

“Marinette,” he groaned softly.

“Shhh,” she breathed against his neck. “I’m sorry, Chat Noir. People count on you. It can’t just be about us and what we want.”

“You’re such a masochist,” he pouted, pressing kisses to her shoulder.

“Mmhm,” she agreed with a tired sigh. It was so draining, always having the weight of the world baring down on her, always having to be selfless and good.

“You’re going to be mad when you do find out who I am,” he grumbled.

“No, I’m not,” she laughed wearily, letting herself melt against him. “I’m going to be ecstatic to finally meet you.”

He snorted, trailing his hands up and down her back. “You’re going to be livid. You’re going to throw a fit and demand to know why I didn’t tell you before.”

“Shh. You’re making me suspect that we already know each other again,” she scolded without heat. “Don’t give me any hints.”

“Marinette, when you do find out, please, please remember that it was today that I tried to tell you who I was, okay?” he mumbled into her neck, giving it a nuzzle. “I tried to tell you right away.”

“Minou, I’m not going to be mad,” she insisted again, bringing her hand up to lightly scratch behind his cat ear.

He made a vague noise that she couldn’t identify as either assent or dissent.

“Can we go up to your loft and snuggle?” Chat muttered. “I feel awful today.”

“Yeah,” Marinette easily agreed. “I feel pretty awful too. Let’s snuggle.”

Sharing each other’s warmth and breathing in each other’s scent did slowly help to alleviate the sour mood that had fallen upon them.

Chapter Text

“Oeuf,” Adrien grunted as Marinette pushed him roughly up against the wall of the school utility closet, nearly knocking an industrial-size roll of paper towels down on them.

Marinette pulled back just enough to whispered, “You’re sure no one comes in here?” against his lips.

“Positive,” he assured breathily, even though it seemed a little late for her to be asking fifteen minutes in. “It makes a good hiding spot for akuma attacks.” No one had walked in on him transforming yet, and he’d been using the closet periodically over the past three years.

“Okay.” She gulped and started to take her shirt off.

“Whoa!” Adrien’s hands flew out to stop her.

This was not how he first wanted to see his girlfriend in negligée.

Marinette blinked in confusion before her expression quickly evaporated into hurt.

Adrien rushed to explain himself. “Sorry. It’s just…there’s only fifteen minutes left before lunch ends, and I don’t think we have time for…whatever it is you had in mind.”

Marinette’s bottom lip jutted out in a pout. “I want…”

She looked away, shaking her head as she took a step back. “Never mind.”

He advanced a pace, catching her hand. “No. Tell me. Please?” He tipped up her chin with a finger.

She gave him a shy look. “I want…you to kiss me.” She bit her lip and brought his hand up to touch her neck. “Here.” Slowly, she guided his hand down along the curve of her collarbone, down between her breasts, down past her bellybutton, stopping at the top of her jeans.

Adrien gulped. “O-Oh. I…”

She searched his face, anxiously awaiting his response.

“Marinette…” he answered carefully, “I don’t think I’m ready for something like that at this point in our relationship.”

“Right.” She pulled away, avoiding his gaze. “Sorry for jumping the gun.”

Mentally, Adrien cursed at himself for accidentally hurting her.

“Marinette,” he tried again, taking her by the shoulders so she’d have to look at him and see how earnest he was. “Ohime-sama…you are so hot, and I would be delighted to see you topless someday, but not in a utilities closet, okay?”

Finally, she looked at him and smiled tentatively. “Really? You really think so?”

“Yes,” Adrien laughed at the fact that she could ever doubt it. “Yes to all of the above.”

She started to laugh softly too, leaning in for a quick smooch. “Okay. That’s okay, then.”

“Good,” he hummed contentedly, gazing at her lovingly as his thumb stroked her cheek. “So…I’m free this Saturday. Would you want to meet up for lunch and maybe check out that exhibition at the Grand Palais on eighteenth and nineteenth century French and English dresses? And maybe then go for a walk in the Jardin des Tuileries?”

As he spoke, with each phrase, Marinette’s face descended a little bit more into a frown.

“Adrien,” she sighed, stepping back as far as the small closet would allow her.

There was only about a meter between them, but Adrien felt every centimeter of it. His face fell as he realized he was never going to get a real date with her.

“I have a boyfriend,” she reminded needlessly.

He felt ready to scream. He wanted to shake her and shout, “I am your boyfriend! Now, let’s go on a date for the love of God!”

Instead, he crossed his arms and looked away, muttering sullenly, “Yeah, a boyfriend you can’t go out in public with.”

“What was that?” She frowned suspiciously.

He shook his head. “Nothing. Sorry.”

“No. What did you say?” she insisted, hands going to her hips.

“Just…” He swallowed. “That… What use is a boyfriend you can’t go out in public with?”

Her face lost all color. “How do you know that I can’t go out in public with my boyfriend?”

Internally, Adrien cursed up and down the Greek pantheon. “Uh…I…”

“How did you find out? Did he tell you?!” she demanded, cheeks rapidly going from red to white in a fluctuation of fury and fear.

Adrien groaned, giving up any hope he’d had of getting out of this. “No. He didn’t tell me. I…I figured it out…sort of.”

Her eyes narrowed, looking dangerous and dark and almost navy blue in the dim closet. “You figured it out? How?”

Adrien shrugged. “Look. He told you before that he knew me, right? That we’re friends?”

Her pupils shrank to pinpricks as her skin blanched again. “Oh my gosh. Do you know his identity?!” she squeaked.

“No!” Adrien lied. “He…He visits me like he visits you. He showed up at my window one night to check on me. After my father was akumatized,” Adrien invented. “He just kept coming back after that, and we became friends. We’re really similar. Similar background. Similar mommy and daddy issues. We play video games and talk. He helps me sneak out sometimes.” Adrien shrugged again, avoiding her eyes as he lied his way through calming her down. “He got a girlfriend around the same time you told me you’d gotten a boyfriend, and…I don’t know. Things just lined up, so I asked if he was dating you, and he said yes, so…don’t be angry. No one else knows.”

Gradually, she began to nod, her panic receding…until it spiked once more, causing her to gasp in terror. “He doesn’t know about us, does he?!”

“God, no!” Adrien scoffed. “I am taking this secret to my grave.”

Marinette slumped back up against the opposite wall of the closet. “Okay. Okay. Good.”

Adrien groaned, carding a hand roughly through his hair. “…Don’t you get sick of it?”

“Hm?” Her head tipped to the side.

“Having a boyfriend you can’t actually go on a real date with,” he clarified miserably. “Isn’t that frustrating?”

Marinette thought about it for a minute before shrugging one shoulder indifferently. “I mean…I’d like to go on dates like normal couples. That would be nice, but…no. I don’t really mind it that we can’t right now.”

He gawked at her incredulously. “You don’t mind that you can’t actually date your boyfriend?”

She rolled her eyes and waved him away. “It’s not like that. We are dating. I see him most nights of the week. We spend plenty of time together. True, we can’t really leave the house, but there’s plenty to do at home.”

A soft, content look washed across her face as she explained, “I used to daydream about romantic dates when I was younger, but now that I’m actually in a relationship, I realize that all of that isn’t really important. Just spending time with him is enough. We don’t have to do anything special. I’m happy so long as I’m with him.”

The bottom dropped out of Adrien’s stomach right in the middle of it trying to twist itself into knots.

“Oh,” he replied eruditely. “That’s…good.”

Good for her, maybe, but it didn’t help him. In fact, it made him suspect that there might be something wrong because Adrien was definitely not happy with the way things were. Chat Noir had been dating Marinette for several months now, and Adrien was just dying to go somewhere with her. Even getting coffee would be good, but he needed something. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy the time they spent at her house. He really, really did, but…he felt like something was missing.

“…Are you sure we can’t hang out on Saturday?” he pleaded in a small, pathetic voice.

“Adrien,” she groaned.

“Just as friends,” he quickly amended.

“That isn’t a good idea.” She tried to let him down gently.

“Marinette, friends can get lunch and go to exhibitions together,” he argued, beyond desperate. “We’ve hardly spent any time hanging out the past month. Come on. Please? We’re still friends, aren’t we?”

“Adrien,” she sighed, sounding exhausted.

“Aren’t we?” he challenged. “Come on, Marinette. I shouldn’t have to beg you to hang out with me, especially when I know you really do want to check out that dress exhibit. What?” he snapped. “I’m good enough to snog in a janitor’s closet, but you don’t necessarily want to spend time with me otherwise?”

“Adrien,” she chastised, glaring.

He refused to back down. “Don’t ‘Adrien’ me. What am I supposed to think when you’d rather I take your shirt off than take you out to lunch?”

She opened her mouth, but he cut her off.

“—You don’t get it,” he accused. “My whole life people have only wanted me for my looks, my money, or my influence, Marinette. It’s only gotten worse the older I’ve gotten.” He looked away, the fight in his voice replaced by hurt and shame. “The past year and a half, it feels like the media’s been counting down until I’m ‘legal’…. It feels like everyone’s only interested in me for my body…so I’m sorry if I’m a little touchy about you only wanting to be alone with me lately if we’re making out.”

She didn’t reply right away, and he tried to tell himself he was being silly and paranoid, that the reason she was cutting Adrien out of her life was that she didn’t want to be tempted to cheat on Chat Noir.

Adrien was really good at being paranoid.

But then she took his hand, threading her fingers through his as she brought the back of his palm up to her lips.

“I’m so sorry, Beau Gosse,” she whispered against his skin, looking up at him with glistening, wet eyes. “I’m not being fair to you. I’m being a really crumby friend, aren’t I?”

He shook his head, even though she was right.

“We need to stop this,” she said for what was probably the ninety-second time. “What we’re doing isn’t healthy. It’s tearing us apart. We need to stop.”

He didn’t disagree. If she would just let him tell her his identity, there wouldn’t be a problem, but…

“The reason we can’t be alone together is because every time we are, we end up making out,” she tried to straighten out the misunderstanding. “I would love to spend time with you just as friends, Adrien, but we don’t seem to be able to do that at this point.”

“What if we get someone else to come with us on Saturday?” he suggested, willing to compromise so long as it meant he got to spend time with her outside the confines of the Dupain-Cheng abode. “You know. A chaperone?”

Marinette bit her lip, leaning back so that their hands were joined only loosely. “…I suppose that could work.”

“Perfect!” Adrien cheered, mood lightening instantly. “I’ll ask Nino next period. You ask Alya.”

Marinette grimaced. “Adrien…that’s like going on a double date.”

“Fine,” Adrien sighed. “How about…Juleka and Rose? Juleka’s into fashion. She’d probably enjoy the exhibit.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “You know Juleka and Rose are a couple.”

Adrien pursed his lips. “Okay. Fine. How about Juleka and Rose and Mylène and Ivan. I doubt we’ll get up to anything with that many other people around.”

“What? So we can have a triple date instead of a double date?” she snorted.

Adrien groaned, pulling his hand away from her so that he could slide down the wall to the floor and cradle his head in both of his hands. “You are killing me. Don’t we have any single friends? I don’t care, Marinette. Let’s just invite the whole class. If that’s what I have to do to get a date with you, I’ll do it. I’ll buy the whole class lunch and tickets to the exhibit. I don’t care,” he moaned miserably.

“Adrien…” Marinette sighed, sinking to the floor across from him, her feet right beside his in the cramped space. “Oh, Adrien.” Her voice was full of pity. “I’m so sorry I’m doing this to you.”

“You’d better be,” he pouted half-heartedly, reiterating, “You’re killing me, Marinette. I am so romantically frustrated right now I am going insane. I have needs,” he whimpered, “and I can’t take it anymore.”

Marinette blinked at him, wide-eyed. “O-Oh. I’m sorry. I thought… You said you weren’t ready to do anything like that at this point in our relationship, so I thought…” She frowned in confusion. “But…you want to have sex?”

Adrien’s mouth dropped open, and his eyes nearly flew out of their sockets. “What?! No! That’s not what I meant! I don’t want—” He abruptly cut himself off, looking at the floor and trying to get his blush under control.

He took a deep breath. “Okay. I mean… Yes, I’ve thought about making love to you before, and, if it’s something you want, I’d be willing to explore that possibility eventually, but…not right now. Not how things are now. I don’t…”

He bit his lip and looked back up, forcing himself to meet her gaze, even though this conversation was mortifying. He knew he had to be honest with her. “Look. I’m not opposed to sex, but it’s not really up there on my list of must-haves either, okay? I definitely am not interested in sex without a relationship to go with it. I don’t want to actually be friends with benefits with you. The thought horrifies me.”

He shut his eyes and shook his head. “The fact that we sneak away to make out in closets horrifies me, if we’re being honest. I never meant for things to turn out like this.”

“So…what do you want,” Marinette prompted gently, trying her very best to follow.

Slowly, he inhaled and then let the breath out. “When I said I had needs, I meant things like going for walks holding hands and buying each other Valentine’s Day presents and celebrating obscure anniversaries like the first time we went ice skating or the first time we ate ice cream together,” he explained, hoping he didn’t sound ridiculous to her. It was apparent already that they required vastly different things out of a relationship. “I want you to come to fashion events and benefit galas as my date. I want to wear the things you make and be able to say, ‘my girlfriend made this’. I want to be able to tell people I’m in a relationship…that I’m in a relationship with you. I want to be able to show you off, Marinette. I want to be your boyfriend officially. I want this to feel legitimate.”

Marinette let her head drop to the tops of her knees as she forced herself to process everything he’d flung at her. It took a minute, but she finally gathered the words she needed to answer.

“Adrien, unless things don’t work out with Chat Noir, that can’t happen,” she replied patiently, trying to be gentle. “I already have a boyfriend.”

He deflated, curling in on himself with a soft groan.

“What we can do, though,” she hurriedly continued, “is spend more time together as friends. We can hang out as friends. I can come with you to events as your friend. You’re right. I have been neglecting our friendship lately, and I’m sorry. We’ll try to fix it. If we work together, we can make this work again. You’re a really precious friend to me, Adrien, and I don’t want to lose that with you.”

He sucked in a deep breath, straightened up, and nodded. “Okay,” he agreed. “All right. That…That’s just going to have to be enough. Thank you, Marinette. I appreciate you putting up with me.” Tired though he was, he summoned up enough energy for a roguish smile.

She tapped her foot against his. “I like ‘putting up’ with you,” she snorted, using air quotes. “It’s one of my favourite things to do.”

His smile softened, and he nodded. “You know, you actually make me believe it.”

“Because it’s true,” she chuckled, pushing herself up to her feet as the five-minute warning bell signaling the end of lunch rang. She held out her hand to help him up, and he took it happily.

“Hey. Ask Chloé to come with us on Saturday,” Marinette instructed. “I’ll ask Alya, and we’ll all go as just friends, okay?”

“You’re the best,” Adrien sighed, leaning in to catch her lips in one last secret kiss before they had to go back to reality.

Chapter Text

They were lounging on the floor of her bedroom one night, putting together a puzzle, when Chat Noir suddenly remarked, “Adrien said I needed to talk to you.”

Marinette gave a start, fumbling the puzzle piece that had been in her hand as she looked up in horror at her boyfriend.

All she could think was that Adrien had finally felt enough remorse to come clean, and now Marinette was about to lose one of the most important people in her life due to her indecisiveness and infidelity.

“Wh-What about?” she tried to ask casually, as if she were innocent.

He sighed heavily, slotting the piece he’d been holding into its spot in the puzzle. “Needs.”

Marinette blinked, attempting to keep up, but she was feeling a little thrown. “Needs,” she echoed uncomprehendingly, unnerved by the similarity to a conversation she had had with Adrien in a janitor’s closet the week before.

He nodded, looking up at her bashfully. “Yeah. I’m really, really happy with you, Marinette, so don’t think I’m not. I love spending time with you like this. It’s not that I’m bored or unsatisfied or anything. Our relationship is perfectly fine the way it is, so it’s not like I’m unhappy with anything, okay?”

Marinette took a deep breath. “I sense a ‘but’ coming.” She braced for impact.

He shook his head, reaching out and taking her hand.

He’d taken his gloves off to be able to better handle the puzzle pieces, so the feeling of his bare skin on hers was warm and comforting.

“Not a ‘but’,” he assured. “An ‘and’. I’m happy with everything we do, everything we are to one another…and I want more.”

Marinette’s face lit up like a firecracker on the fourteenth of July. She gulped. “More.”

She was ready for more. She’d been itching to take her physical relationship with Chat Noir to the next level for over a month now. If he was finally ready for that too, she was one hundred percent on board.

He nodded, smiling shyly. “Yeah. Like…you know how when we had our first kiss and you were okay with just kissing without it having to be romantic because it was enough for you just to be together?”

Marinette blinked, slightly caught off guard once more. “Yeah?”

“But it was really important for me to have a romantic atmosphere to make things special?” he went on.

She nodded slowly, waiting for the tangents to come together. Was he trying to tell her that he needed their first time to be some romantic production and that he couldn’t just make love with her in her room?

“Well…maybe for you it’s enough to just be together in the evenings hanging out at your house, but, while I enjoy spending time with you like this a lot, I’m feeling really frustrated because I want to take you out on a date. A real date, Marinette,” he stressed, “with handholding and sharing an ice cream at André’s and going for a carriage ride and”

It was then that Marinette realized that this was not about sex. Chat Noir was not ready to take their relationship further physically, and that was fine, and she would not show her disappointment because that might feel like she was pressuring him, and she was not going to pressure him because she had seriously screwed him up as Ladybug, so it was her fault that he needed to take things slowly, and she wasn’t going to hold that against him. She could be patient. She loved this guy, and it was bad enough that she was going behind his back with his friend. She could be patient and at least get this one thing right when it came to him.

“…Ferris Wheel so we can watch the fireworks, and…Marinette, are you listening to me?” He was staring at her with a mildly hurt expression, pouting lip, and drooping ears.

“Yes!” she squeaked, tuning back in. “You were saying you wanted to go on a date. Out in public.”

His lips curled up slightly at the corners, relieved that she had been listening after all. He nodded. “Right.”

She frowned. “But, Minou…we can’t do that. It’s too dangerous for us to be seen together. You’re a celebrity. People will take pictures, and then Papillon will see and start targeting me and my family and friends. We can’t officially date while Papillon is still at large.”

“I know,” he assured, gingerly taking both of her hands in his. “That’s why I think it’s time you learned my identity. Then we can go out, and it won’t matter so much if we’re seen together.”

She pulled back with a jerk. “What?! No!” she yelped, waving her arms wildly. “No, no, no! You can’t tell me, Chat Noir. We’ve been over this. No one can know your identity. It’s not safe. What if I get caught up in a mindreading akuma attack? What if there’s some truth serum akuma?” she demanded.

“Marinette,” he groaned. “Come on. I’ve been mind-controlled by at least two dozen akuma, and I’ve never revealed my secret identity before. It’s fine, so please, please, please don’t be stubborn on this,” he begged, giving her desperate puppy dog eyes. “I need to tell you who I am.”

“No!” she insisted, a little more frustration than she had intended leaking into her voice. “Chat Noir, no. I’m not willing to risk your safety. Or mine or my parents’ or my friends’, for that matter. No. I’m sorry, but no.”

All he could do was stare at her, too stunned to reply.

“I’m sorry, Minou,” she repeated more gently with penitent eyes. “I really, really am.”

He shook his head. “So, what are we going to do? We’re just not going to be able to go out until Papillon is defeated?”

Her gaze dropped back down to the puzzle. She didn’t answer.

“Marinette, I’ve been fighting Papillon for three years now, and I don’t feel like I’m any closer to defeating him than when I started. I don’t know how much longer this is going to go on. It could be another decade, for all I know,” he groaned in exasperation.

“I know,” she muttered sullenly, picking up a puzzle piece and searching unseeingly for its place in the spring garden scene. “I don’t like this any more than you do, Minou, but this is just the way it has to be. We have to think of the bigger picture. It’s not just about us.”

With a heavy sigh, his gaze slid down to her hands, watching them, disheartened.

A minute passed, then two, and then three.

He inhaled slowly. “…I could give up my Miraculous.”

“Don’t you dare,” Marinette snapped, an odd touch of hurt and betrayal to her voice.

“I can’t imagine life without Plagg…” he continued morosely, “…not being able to run away when my everyday life got to be too much…but…”

“Chat Noir,” she scolded. “Stop it. Ladybug needs you. She’d never let you quit.”

“If I explained how my secret identity was getting in the way of being with you,” he suggested, “maybe she’d—”

“—Stop,” Marinette groaned. “I don’t want to fight with you, so just stop. Please.”

He gaped at her for a good minute, lost in hurt and confusion.

She focused her gaze downward at the puzzle, not wanting to see the look on his face.

Eventually, he sighed, giving up and going back to the disjointed fragments of flowers, trees, grass, and sky spread out before him. The various shades all blurred together, devoid of any kind of sense he could grasp.

All kinds of excuses and arguments floated through his head, half-formed retorts and rebuttals.

Marinette, I can’t do this anymore.

You’d like civilian me. You already like civilian me.

Plagg, detransformation.

I’m breaking up with you.

Screw this. I don’t care about the safety of Paris. All I need is you.

Why don’t you understand how important this is to me?

With a sigh, Marinette got up and carefully stepped over the scattered pieces so that she was on his side of the puzzle. She motioned for him to stand up, and when he did, she pulled him into a tight hug.

“Oh, Minou. I do understand. I get that this is important to you,” she whispered fiercely into his neck. “And I’m so, so sorry that I can’t make this perfect for you. I wish I could, and it kills me to see you looking so dejected. I’m sorry, mon cher et tendre.”

He melted into her embrace, gently nuzzling her ear.

“I’d rearrange the universe for you,” Marinette promised, trailing her fingers up and down his spine until he began to purr.

Marinette’s mind started whirring as she held him, flipping through and rejecting idea after idea of how she could make this work. Short of hunting down Papillon and bringing him to justice, she didn’t see how—

“—I just thought of something,” she gasped, cutting herself off.

Chat Noir raised his head to blink down at her. “What?”

She pulled away, nearly tripping in her attempt to avoid stepping on puzzle pieces as she dashed over to her closet. She came out half a minute later wearing a plain, black domino mask.

He blinked at her. “You’re…wearing a mask.”

She nodded enthusiastically. “We could go out if I wear a disguise! Then, no one would know who I was, and we’d be safe from Papillon.”

Chat grimaced. “Princess, I hate to break it to you, but that little mask around your eyes isn’t going to fool people.”

Though…come to think of it, Adrien Agreste was one hundred times more recognizable than Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and he did just fine with a little mask, messy hair, and cat eyes.

Marinette rolled her eyes at him, waving him off. “No, but if I change my hairstyle and put on some makeup to change the contours of my face a little…wear clothes I wouldn’t normally wear…it could work.” She ended on a pouty note.

He hummed thoughtfully, taking a good look at her in the mask, imagining her hair and clothes different. “Maybe…. Do you want to try?”

She nodded rapidly. “How about this Saturday? That’ll give me a few days to practice and try things out.”

“Really?” he replied breathlessly, unable to believe that this was actually happening. “For real?”

She smiled, coming back over to give his hand a squeeze. “Yeah. Let’s try.”

Saturday night when Chat Noir arrived to pick up his girlfriend, he was completely blown away.

She was definitely still Marinette, but with a full face of glamour makeup, she was a much more mature, elegant Marinette. As she’d said, she’d played with the contours of her face, thinning it out a bit, making it less round and highlighting her cheekbones, making them sharper. She’d somehow gotten her lips to look bigger, fuller, and her eyelashes were long and luscious.

She was wearing a poison green babydoll top made of lace with black leggings and a cute pair of black leather ankle boots with two buckles on the side.

Her hair was up in a messy bun, and a small golden bell—the one she’d been wearing the night of their first kiss—rested at the base of her throat.

“Well?” she chuckled nervously when he’d been staring at her for well over a full minute. “Say something.”

“You look amazing,” he quickly spit out. “Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. Like…wow,” he breathed, shaking his head. “How did you…?” He leaned in closer to inspect the line of her jaw and the way she’d blended the makeup down her neck. “I mean, you’re still you close up, but… You look really different. How’d you make your cheekbones look like that?” he demanded, completely in awe.

She burst out laughing, delighted with his reaction. “It’s just makeup.” She shrugged. “Just using different shades and blending. I mean, it’s an involved process. It’s not easy, but…it’s just makeup.”

He shook his head, smiling goofily, still astounded. “Where did you learn how to do that?”

She started to bite her lip but then remembered the makeup and stopped herself. “About two years ago, Adrien showed me a video of Yuya Mika. She’s a young Chinese woman who uses makeup to make herself look like movie stars and singers and even famous paintings. I was kind of obsessed for, like, six months, so I started trying to do what she does. Obviously, I’m nowhere near her level, but…I did learn some basic tricks. I’ve gotten rusty, but…I’ve been practicing all week, so…what do you think?”

She smiled sheepishly, grabbing her domino mask and carefully slipping it on. “Think anyone will recognize me?”

He shook his head, unable to wipe the dreamy look off his face. “No, but after tonight, all of Paris is going to want to know your name and not just because you’re my girlfriend.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, slapping his arm playfully. “Flatterer. Enough of that. Let’s go on our date, shall we?”

They made their way up to her balcony and took off across the rooftops, dropping down a few blocks over by the Place Saint-Michel so that they could walk along the Seine.

Marinette held out her hand, and Chat happily took it, deliriously happy to finally be getting what he’d been craving.

Of course they drew attention as they made their way to the Pont des Arts, but most people respected their privacy. People pointed and whispered or pointed and shouted, and Marinette inched in closer to Chat, obviously uneasy at the attention.

Chat let go of her hand so that he could slide a protective arm around her waist, resting a possessive hand on her hip. “Don’t worry, Princess. I’ve got you. If they get too close, it’s only a matter of launching us up with my staff to escape.”

She nodded, taking a deep breath and snuggling in closer at his side. “Thanks, Minou. Just feeling a little nervous.”

“It’s okay. I’ve got you,” he repeated, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her temple.

Within minutes, the internet was blowing up with news of Chat Noir’s girlfriend.

André and his ice cream cart were stationed at the Pont des Arts, so they were able to check another item off of Adrien’s “real date” bucket list.

When André asked who the lovely lady who had caught the eye of half of Paris’s dynamic duo might be, the couple froze for a moment before Chat smoothly supplied, “Princess. She’s my princess”.

The crowd at the bridge was a little too large for comfort, so Chat propelled them up to a nearby rooftop where they could eat their ice cream in peace.

Afterwards, they continued south across the rooftops to the Jardin du Luxembourg for a starlit stroll complete with more handholding and idle talk of dreams of the future.

Eventually, they ended up at La Méditerranée, a quirky restaurant just off the Place de l’Odéon, across the street from the theatre.

Chat taught Marinette how to eat oysters (which she discovered she hated).

“It’s just the consistency,” she explained, wiping the corners of her mouth. “And the fact that they taste like gooey seawater…. Actually, it’s everything. I hate everything about oysters. Except the shells. The shells are pretty.”

Chat secreted one of the empty shells away to present to her before they parted that evening as a memento of their first date. Upon further reflection, he stashed a second shell for himself.

“I feel bad, though, wasting food,” Marinette sighed guiltily. “I know this place is super expensive.”

With a roll of his eyes, he waved away her concern. “At this very moment, my investment portfolio is generating more than enough to cover tonight’s meal, so don’t even worry about it. Want to try the bouillabaisse? It’s to die for.”

The bouillabaisse, Marinette found, was much more to her taste. So was the crème brûlée they had for dessert, for that matter.

And as they sat there at the comfy corner table, in the soft, orange glow of the lights, Marinette thought that it had been a while since she had last seen her boyfriend that content and at ease. She realized that the tension had been building for a while now. She was grateful they’d found a solution before it had broken them.

She loved him too much to lose him.

Marinette stood, putting her palms down on the table and leaning forward.

Chat Noir’s eyes widened in a mix of surprise and confusion for a second before he realized what she was doing, but as soon as recognition set in, his eyes brightened, and he smiled widely into her kiss.

It was over almost before it began, and she was sitting back down in her chair, looking bashful. “Sorry.”

“Princess, there’s no need to apologize,” he assured with a chuckle. “I am more than happy to have you kissing me whenever you feel like it.”

She smiled tenderly and shook her head. “No, Minou. I meant…I’m sorry I didn’t realize how much we needed to do this before now. I promise I’ll try to be more attentive to your needs from now on.”

“Princess,” he whispered, his voice nearly overcome with emotion, he was so touched by her words. He reached across the table and took her hand. “You’re too wonderful. What did I do to deserve you?”

She squeezed his hand, assuring, “It’s the other way around.”

Chapter Text

The end-of-the-school-day akuma had been brutal.

Adrien was a little surprised that they hadn’t cancelled the rest of it, but he guessed that, after three years, akuma attacks had become almost normal for Paris, so they no longer merited quite so drastic a response as they once had when they were new.

But the akuma battle had been brutal, so when Marinette whispered, “Skip fencing today and meet me at the side door to the bakery in fifteen minutes” as she passed him on her way out of the classroom, Adrien was more than happy to comply.

Fifteen minutes later exactly she opened the side door and motioned him in, putting a finger to her lips to entreat silence.

They snuck up to the apartment where Adrien noticed the PlayStation set up on the coffee table.

“Oh, is that the new Mecha Strike game? I haven’t gotten the chance to play yet,” he explained, making a start towards the living room. “Can we—”

“—Adrien,” Marinette called from halfway up the stairs to her room. “Come on.” Her voice had the odd ring of a mother calling to her child as he strayed too near the edge of a pond where kelpies were known to drown hapless victims.

With a frown, Adrien obediently followed.

“Hey,” he called softly as the trapdoor closed behind him. “What’s wrong?”

In lieu of an answer, Adrien got a mouthful of Marinette’s tongue.

With a start, he sprang back, hands up in defence. “Whoa! Sorry, but could we…just…like, not today?” he implored with pleading eyes. “Can we just hang out, please?”

Marinette shook her head, tears building in the corners of her eyes as she reached out for him, gripping at his shirt, hands shaking. “I need to not think right now. If I don’t stop thinking, I’m going to get akumatized, and I can’t get akumatized. I can’t make Chat Noir fight me.”

“Geez,” Adrien hissed, petting her hair with one hand while the other rested supportively on her shoulder. “What happened? What’s wrong? Marinette, if you ever need to talk about something, I’m here for you. You know that, right? I’ve got you, okay? No matter what, I’ve got you.”

“Please just kiss me,” she whimpered, tears beginning to spill over onto her cheeks.

Adrien pulled her in for a gentle, soothing kiss full of care and comfort.

Marinette quickly escalated matters, guiding him over to the chaise longue without breaking contact and pushing him down so that she could settle in between his legs which fell to either side of the chaise. She didn’t hold back, putting all of her need and anxiety and fears into the kiss.

The akuma attack had been brutal.

Ladybug had screwed up badly, getting both Rena and Carapace captured. They’d later told her not to beat herself up when she’d taken back their Miraculouses, but she couldn’t help but go over and over all the ways she should have reacted faster, spotted the akuma’s object sooner, given directions to her teammates better, figured out her Lucky Charm more quickly.

Maybe she was the only one who would even think to blame herself, but Marinette knew the truth, and that was enough. She wasn’t fit to be Ladybug. She couldn’t cut it as team leader and wasn’t meant to be the Guardian.

She couldn’t do it. She was a failure…but what choice did she have?

There was no one to turn to for help or guidance, no one in whom she could confide. She was on her own. Totally alone with all of Paris counting on her to be perpetually perfect, all of Paris waiting to blame her the second she made a mistake.

It felt like that first akuma fight all over again, screwing up, letting everyone down, proving she couldn’t do it…only there was no option to give up this time, no one to take her place. The burden was hers alone, and she was drowning in it.

“Ohime-sama,” Adrien gasped, turning his head away, breaking the kiss. He gulped, trying to find his breath. “Slow down. You’re panicking.”

“Of course I’m panicking!” she squeaked. “I—”

“—Shh,” he interrupted, placing his fingers over her lips. “Take a deep breath.”

With a put-out huff, Marinette inhaled slowly.

“Now sit up,” he urged.

She acquiesced so that they were both straddling the chaise, facing one another.

“Keep breathing,” he instructed as he took each of her legs, one at a time, and hooked them over the tops of his own. He scooted in closer so that she was effectively sitting in his lap.

Marinette’s breath hitched as he drew her in, pressing her to him as his lips latched onto her neck.

“Keep breathing,” he chuckled airily against her skin.

She moaned, her mind going blank as his teeth carefully nipped at her throat.

He worked diligently, making his way down one side of her neck and then up the other.

She tipped her head back, granting him full access all down the front of her throat.

He kept going, following the line of her sternum down but stopping before he crossed the threshold of her breasts.

“Keep going,” Marinette groaned in protest, reaching down to further unbutton her blouse.

Adrien caught her hand, lightly restraining her. “No, Ohime-sama,” he answered contritely. “I’m sorry, but I’m not ready to go there right now.”

Marinette let out a little moan of frustration, dropping her head to Adrien’s shoulder and nuzzling his neck. “…Are you sure I’m the only person you’ve ever kissed? You’re way too good to be completely inexperienced.”

He chuckled as he started rubbing a hand up and down her back once more. “Other than a handful of akuma kisses that I can’t remember? You’re it. I swear I’ve learned everything I know from anime and fanfiction. Guess I’m a quick study…or it could be that you’re just similarly inexperienced, so you don’t know what’s good.”

She gave a halfhearted snort. “Trust me. You’re good…even if you don’t seem to enjoy this much yourself.”

He pulled back a little and angled his head so that he could see her face more clearly. “Why do you think I’m not enjoying this? I like making out.”

“Pft.” She nuzzled his neck lazily. “Adrien, I might not have much experience with male anatomy, but I’m practically sitting in your lap, and I can feel just how into this you are…or, in this case, how not into it.”

Adrien blanched. “That! …is not an accurate representation of…of anything,” he spluttered.

“Hm,” Marinette responded lukewarmly, mind starting to dip back into dark thoughts.

“Seriously,” Adrien insisted a touch defensively. “I like making out with you. I enjoy kissing.”

“Okay,” she replied as if she had no skin in the game. “Sorry. I just… Not that I know what I’m talking about, but…I always got the impression that guys were always horny. Maybe it’s just a sexist stereotype, but…but if it wasn’t…both you and Chat Noir don’t really seem to want me like that, so I was just wondering if I was doing something wrong,” she muttered, attempting to hide her face in his neck.

Forcefully, he pulled back so that they were an arm’s length from one another, his hands on her shoulders. “Marinette, there is nothing wrong with you, okay?” he stressed, the intensity of his gaze driving home his point, making her believe it. “Okay?”

She nodded, agreeing, “Okay.”

With a sigh, he untangled himself from her and got to his feet, beginning to pace. “Chat Noir wants to make love to you. Eventually. He’s just…” Adrien scrubbed a hand through his hair, trying to find ways to explain both of himselves so that his girlfriend didn’t think that she was undesirable.

He stopped and looked back at her. “He’s still not over Ladybug and how he messed up things with the girl he tried to date after he realized that Ladybug was never going to come around. He doesn’t want to screw up with you, so he’s taking things really slow. It has nothing to do with anything you are or aren’t doing. The issue is one hundred percent his.”

“Oh,” Marinette breathed, some of the melancholy seeming to come out of her with the syllable. “Oh, good. So…it’s really not me?”

“No,” he assured. “Trust me. An uncomfortable number of our schoolmates would sleep with you in a heartbeat. It’s not you.”

“Oh,” she repeated, still processing this information. She frowned, a look of distaste settling between her eyebrows. “Who at school said they’d sleep with me?”

He shook his head. “Don’t think about it. Pretend I never said that. I’m having a hard enough time just competing with Chat Noir here; I don’t need more rivals.”

Marinette pursed her lips, considering for a moment before letting it go. “Okay. So…if I’m not the problem…why don’t you want me?”

Adrien winced, turning away, going back to wearing a path on her area rug with his pacing. “I do want you. In my own way. Eventually. I’m kind of…in the same boat as Chat Noir.”

He peeked back over his shoulder at her.

She was gazing at him attentively, concentrating on his words, trying to understand.

He sighed, averting his gaze once more. “I told you I’d only ever loved one other person, right?”

“Mmhm.” She waited patiently for him to continue.

He went over to the ladder up to her loft, resting his forehead against the handrail as one of his hands tightened around one of the rungs. “She’s also the only other person I’ve even considered in that way…sexually. I don’t…” He bit his lip. “I don’t have much of a libido. So there’s nothing wrong with you.”

“Oh,” she reiterated, not able to come up with a more complex response. It was all she could do to take in what he was saying and try to make sense of it.

He spun around, crossing his arms and leaning back against the ladder defiantly. “And there’s nothing wrong with me either.”

She opened her mouth but then thought better of saying anything. This was obviously a touchy subject, and she didn’t have the resiliency necessary to survive yet another mistake at that moment.

“Luka told me that there are plenty of people who don’t have the desire to express love physically,” he informed as if quoting a vetted authority on the subject.

In the back of Marinette’s mind, she wondered when Luka and Adrien had gotten so close that they would have discussed something like that. She knew they’d been spending time together over the years, but she hadn’t realized how good of friends they’d become.

Adrien continued with his explanation, “It’s called being asexual, and it’s a spectrum, not some kind of binary dichotomy, so…there are varying degrees of… Are you still with me? You look overwhelmed.”

“I…” She bit her lip and decided to go for honesty. “I am overwhelmed. This is kind of a lot.”

With a sigh, Adrien strode back over to the chaise, dropping to kneel at her feet. He took her hands in his, bringing them to his lips for a kiss.

When he was done, he looked back up at her, eyes penitent. “I’m sorry. I had no intention of dropping this all on you. I was waiting until further along in our relationship because I didn’t think sex would even be an issue for another year or two.”

Marinette’s vocal chords spasmed, forming a sound that was somewhere between a cough, choking on air, and a spit take.

Adrien’s eyes widened, and it was his turn to be speechless. “…Oh….”

He licked his lips nervously. “So…I guess our timetables are a little…not in sync.”

She shook her head slowly, looking horrified.

He sucked in a breath. “Oh. Okay. So…maybe we put a pin in the issue and come back to it later. Right now, I just want to explain asexuality to you so that you understand that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You are so hot and so sexy, Marinette. If you just wanted to sleep with someone, you could have that easily. Heck, if you wanted a different boyfriend, you could have that too. You are in no way lacking….”

An impish, self-deprecating smile slid across his lips. “It’s just the guys you’ve picked.”

With a sigh, Marinette tipped to the side, slowly lowering herself so that she was curled up on her side on the chaise, facing him. “There’s nothing wrong with the guys I’ve picked. I have impeccable taste in men.”

Adrien snorted softly, stretching his legs out to one side and leaning over, supporting his weight on his palms. “I’m really glad to hear that you don’t regret your choice.”

A warm, silly smile blossomed like a daisy on her lips. “Never. …So…explain ‘asexual’ to me? That sounds like that would mean no sex, but you were talking like sex would be a thing eventually…but not often?”

Adrien grimaced, reaching out to stroke her hair. “So, it’s not really high on my list of priorities in a relationship…. It’s…not on my list at all, actually,” he confessed. “I mean…we’ve talked a little bit before about how it’s more important for me to snuggle and kiss and organize romantic surprises and go on dates straight out of rom-coms.”

Marinette groaned. “I must have a type or something because your list sounds just like Chat Noir’s.”

“You totally have a type,” he snickered, twisting a strand of her hair around his finger. “…Let’s just say…that when it comes to sex, I’m not going to be the one to start something, but your wants and needs are important to me. I want you to be happy and satisfied with things between us, so, when it comes time to incorporate that into our relationship, I’m more than willing to work with you. We’ll figure this out, Marinette.”

“Okay. That sounds…good. Thank you, Adrien.” She sighed, turning her head to nuzzle his hand affectionately.

His eyebrows pinched together in concern. “You don’t sound happy. What’s wrong?”

She pressed her lips together, studying him for a moment before letting out a little groan of frustration, “What if I’m ready now?”

He couldn’t help but laugh, a short, sharp sound of incredulity. “Now? When you’re dating Chat Noir and won’t be alone in public with me without one or more of our friends along to serve as chaperon so that it won’t count as an actual date so that you’re not technically cheating on your boyfriend?”

Marinette flinched, rolling over onto her back so that she could stare up at the ceiling and not have to face him. “You could have just said, ‘no’,” she grumbled, “or, ‘no, I’m not ready yet’.”

“Marinette, we are a mess,” Adrien retorted, halfway between a snort and a scoff. “We don’t need to further complicate things between us. We’re not going to be ready until we’re in an official relationship, until we can be seen in public and don’t have to hide and don’t have to keep secrets.”

Silently, Marinette lamented the fact that there would always be some secrets she could never tell him.

“Marinette,” he called gently. “There’s a lot that has to change before we’re going to be ready to take that kind of step.”

She sighed again dejectedly, whispering, “All right.”

He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Sorry…but even if everything was perfect at the moment, right this minute still doesn’t work for me.”

She lifted her head and frowned interrogatively at him.

“I’m marginally freaked out about what you said about being afraid you were going to get akumatized,” he confessed. “Marinette, what’s going on? Is there anything I can do?”

She pursed her lips, sitting up and considering him for a minute before replying, “Take your shirt off?”

Adrien blinked, momentarily thrown by the request. Then, to his credit in Marinette’s book, he let go of her hand, stood, and slipped off his shirt, laying it carefully on the back of her desk chair.

“Tada?” he chuckled sheepishly.

She cast him a grateful smile. “And your shoes?”

He toed them off and lined them up neatly at the base of the chair. He looked to her for further instructions.

“I want to snuggle up in my bed under the covers,” she explained, her cheeks reddening. “Have you ever just wanted to feel someone else’s skin against yours? Soak up their body heat?”

Adrien nodded, well acquainted with those particular longings.

She chewed nervously at her lip, continuing, “I’ll keep my bra on, but I’d like to take my blouse off, if that’s okay?”

Adrien gulped and then nodded. “I’ll head up to the loft first, then?”

She smiled shyly. “I’ll be there in a sec.”

Adrien wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting from Marinette’s negligée—This was a lie. He’d always pictured something simple and cute and pastel pink—but it wasn’t black lace with a small green bow and a golden bell at the center of her chest.

“Still breathing?” she giggled, pulling down the covers and joining him underneath.

“Y-Yeah,” Adrien managed. “…I’m a fan of the bell.”

It reminded him of their first kiss and the bell necklace she’d been wearing, the one she’d worn again on their first date.

Her eyebrows arched slightly in surprise, but her expression quickly turned pleased. “Noted. Lie down, please.”

He did and soon found himself being used as a body pillow, her head tucked under his chin, her chest against his, her stomach resting along his side, her top leg hooked slightly around his left one.

“…Do you want to talk?” he asked after a minute or two, breaking the silence. “About what’s bothering you, why you think you might be akumatized?”

She shook her head, effectively nuzzling his collarbone.

He bit his bottom lip. “Okay. That’s okay. You don’t have to talk to me, but…is there anyone else you could talk to? Maybe your parents or Alya or Chat Noir?”

“Adrien,” she replied, sounding fatigued. “This isn’t something I can talk to anyone about. I have to deal with this on my own.”

“No,” he protested. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from attending school and making friends, it’s that you never have to do something alone. There’s always someone who can help if you just ask. There’s got to be someone you can ask, Marinette.”

“No,” she countered, sounding equally as sure as he had.

With a tired sigh, Adrien relented. “Okay. If you can’t talk about your problem, you can at least talk about your feelings.”

“My feelings?” she echoed uncomprehendingly.

“Mmhm,” he encouraged, lightly running his fingers up and down her spine. “Like, for example, today I felt worried and like things weren’t in my control. I felt a little helpless…embarrassed…scared of rejection…scared of letting a person I care about down…guilty. Your turn.”

“Wait.” She tipped her head to look up at him. “Why are you feeling guilty?”

He shrugged. “I always feel guilty. I mean, here I am in my friend’s girlfriend’s bed. Enough said, right?”

She winced.

“Your turn to talk about your feelings,” he repeated.

She sighed, dropping her head back down to his shoulder. She started off slowly, hesitantly, grasping at the words, but as she kept going, she found that they came faster until they were like an unstoppable tidal wave, flowing out of her with a crushing force. “I…feel…overwhelmed…. Like…everyone is always counting on me…and I need, I need to be perfect because I can’t let them down, and failure isn’t an option, but I’m always on the cusp of failing. And I can’t do this. I can’t do this anymore. I need help, but there’s no one to help. I just have to suck it up and figure it out, and it feels so unfair. Like, no one else has to put up with this. No one else has to constantly balance all the things that people need me to balance, and no one even knows I’m doing this. No one knows, so there’s no wiggle room. No one cuts me any slack. No one realizes what a tremendous weight I’m always carrying around, and…I…It’s crushing me,” she petered out into a small voice, closing her eyes and letting herself go boneless against him.

Somehow, it all felt better in his arms. His scent, his heat, the solidity of his body against hers…it all made things feel just a little bit more okay. Even though she was still mentally alone, having him there physically made the difference she needed to keep herself from losing control.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and held her tighter, murmuring, “Oh, Marinette. Why haven’t you ever said anything?”

“What’s the point?” she mumbled, lacking energy. “No one can do anything about it.”

“But sometimes talking makes you feel better, even if there’s nothing you can do to fix the problem. Trust me. I know about problems I lack the power to fix. I mean, case and point: my relationship with my father and my mother’s disappearance. It helps to talk about my feelings,” he confided. “It takes the edge off…. Maybe that’s something you could do too in the future the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed.”

“I don’t want to burden people,” she whispered, feeling guilty for bringing it up.

How could he understand the magnitude of her problems? He didn’t know she was Ladybug. He couldn’t understand the situation. He probably just thought she was whining about stress over insignificant things. Her problems probably seemed small when compared with all he put up with on a daily basis. Adrien had no way of knowing what Marinette was up against.

“It’s not a burden,” he insisted vehemently. “I want you to tell me. I want to hear about your problems. Marinette…don’t you know I love you?” he asked softly, voice suddenly meek. “I want to be by your side, especially when you feel alone and overwhelmed. I want to support you…but if you don’t want me to be the one to do that, please talk to Chat Noir. He loves you too, and if he knew you were struggling, he’d say the same things that I just did. We’re here for you.”

Marinette curled up even tighter against him as the tears started to fall once more. “You both already have so much going on with your own lives.”

“There’s room for you,” he assured in a warm whisper, giving her a squeeze. “We have space. We have time.”

She choked on a sob. “I don’t deserve you. Either of you.”

“Oh, Marinette,” he sighed into her hair. “No. It’s the other way around. We both feel so lucky to have you.”

She pushed herself up on his chest to look him in the face, eyes dull yet intent. “Do you really? You were just talking earlier about all the things wrong between us.”

His brow scrunched uncomprehendingly. “What? What are you talking about?”

“I know you’re not happy with things like this, Adrien,” she replied bitterly and yet resigned. “I know you want a real girlfriend you can take to dinner parties and go on dates with and actually tell people you’re dating. I know you’re not happy being my dirty little secret. I know this whole situation with me is eating away at you.”

He opened his mouth to refute her claims, but he couldn’t think fast enough.

She continued, dropping back down so that her ear rested over his heart and he could feel her tears falling on his chest, “And poor Chat Noir. All he wants is to take me on ridiculously romantic dates. Because of the way things are with secret identities, that can’t happen until Papillon is defeated…and he doesn’t even know that I’m cheating on him. I am the worst.”

“You are not,” Adrien insisted indignantly, all the while thinking, “I am. I’m the worst for getting you into this mess”.

Marinette shook her head. “I never meant for this to happen.”

“Me either,” Adrien sighed, sliding his fingers through her hair, gently pulling out her hair ties so that he could wrap soft strands around his fingers. “Marinette…things can’t go on like this. We need to do something.”

She laughed bitterly. “Like what? Adrien, I’ve been trying to break things off with you for how many months now? …and it just feels like we keep getting deeper and deeper entrenched. What am I supposed to do?”

“Let Chat Noir tell you who he is,” he suggested, internally praying that she’d let him break this hellish cycle they were caught in. “Then you could date openly, and you wouldn’t have to sneak around with me anymore.”

Marinette lifted her head to glare up at him. “You know who he is, don’t you?”

“Haven’t the foggiest.” Adrien managed to deliver the line with a completely straight face. “Please let him tell you.”

She groaned, burying her face in his neck. “Adrien, I can’t do that. The safety of Paris depends on it.”

“Screw Paris,” Adrien scoffed. “I care more about you.”

She blew out a tired sigh. “No. It’s not happening.”

“Okay. Then…you need to break up with him and date me,” Adrien decided, moving down the list of desired outcomes from the most ideal to the ones he could live with.

Marinette flinched, and he could tell she was rejecting the idea outright. “…I couldn’t,” she whispered, exhaustion dripping from the words. “I couldn’t stand not having him in my life.”

Adrien sucked in a deep breath. “Okay…so break up with me.”

She laughed at that, lifting her head to press a delicate kiss to his lips. “I couldn’t,” she repeated, smiling adoringly. “I’ve tried. I’ve tried getting over you so, so many times, Adrien Agreste…. You’re hard to live without.”

He gulped. “Well…you certainly know how to boost a guy’s self-esteem.”

She shrugged, smiling even though it didn’t entirely reach her eyes.

He bit his lip. “Maybe…you need to tell Chat Noir about what’s going on.”

All color faded from her skin, leaving it looking like parchment. “Absolutely not. Adrien, I could never hurt him like that. He can never know.”

“Maybe he wouldn’t mind,” Adrien countered, grasping at wisps of cloud.

She snorted. “Oh, and I suppose you wouldn’t mind if you learned I was secretly making out with-with Luka behind your back?”

Adrien grimaced and had to admit that if his girlfriend really was sneaking around with one of his friends, he would be beyond wrecked.

“See?” It didn’t sound like she derived any pleasure from being right.

“Maybe he’d understand and forgive you at least,” Adrien tried. “Wouldn’t you at least feel better?”

She shook her head slowly. “It’s more important to save his feelings than to assuage my guilt. I couldn’t bear to hurt him.”

“I can’t bear you feeling like this,” Adrien muttered in defeat as he carded a hand through his hair.

Out of the blue an idea occurred to him. “Maybe I should just tell Chat Noir myself. Confess, tell him it was all my fault.”

Marinette gave a start, pushing herself up so that he could see her terrorized expression. “What?! No! Don’t do that! Adrien, we’ll break his heart! He’ll get akumatized!”

“He won’t,” Adrien groaned, going back to feeling defeated because there was no way he could win against this girl.

“He will! And it will be all. My. Fault. Paris will be destroyed! Adrien, I can’t have that on my conscience. You can’t tell him. I will never speak to you again,” she threatened.

“Noted,” he grumbled, going back to playing with her hair.

She breathed a sigh of relief and snuggled back up against him.

They lay there for a while in an uneasy silence, each fretting over their own shortcomings in the relationship.

Marinette was right in the middle of mentally berating herself for being ungrateful when Adrien asked, “What if I’m Chat Noir and I’m just trying to make our lives easier?”

He had an odd quality about his voice. It was slightly pinched, a little tight, as if he were verbally walking a high wire.

Marinette’s brain quickly latched onto the idea and had run a mile with it before logic caught up and she groaned. “Adrien, don’t. That’s not even funny. I’ve seen you two together before. You’re not the same person.”

“Yeah,” Adrien sighed. “Sorry…. Sorry for getting you into this mess.”

“Oh, Adrien.” She shook her head. “I helped enthusiastically.”

She leaned in, gently pressing her lips to his.

He kissed back, eager to lose himself in her and forget the complicated situation that was their relationship.

Chapter Text

It was a few months into their relationship when Marinette realized she hadn’t told Chat Noir something very important.

Once she became cognizant of this fact, she immediately realized that she couldn’t just come out and say it any which way at any old time.

Her boyfriend was a romantic, so she had to make it special. Chat Noir deserved special.

“Are you going to let me in on tonight’s itinerary?” Chat chuckled, scooping Marinette—masked and makeuped—into his arms. “It’s a little hard to act as transportation when you don’t know where you’re going.”

She rolled her eyes and hooked her arms around his neck. “Les Halles. We’re having dinner at Au Pied de Cochon.”

Chat’s eyes lit up, and his tail twitched in excitement. “I love their vegetable tarte, and the escargot de Bourgogne are delicious.”

“They have good bread too,” Marinette added with a snicker.

“You would know, My Princess,” he hummed happily, taking off for the restaurant on the Right Bank.

After a few weeks of going out in public in disguise with Chat Noir, Marinette thought she was finally getting the hang of having people gawk at her and whisper to anyone who would listen, “Look. It’s Chat Noir and Princess”. It was still unnerving, and she didn’t necessarily like all the attention, but she was learning to live with it.

Dinner was rather uneventful, all things considered. They got a corner table on a less busy floor of the restaurant where there would be less pointing and staring and whispering. The meal was delicious, and the service was wonderful. Their waiter was a big fan of Chat Noir, so they took a picture with him before departing.

“Where to next?” Chat prompted, opening his arms to pick Marinette back up.

“Louvre. They’re open late tonight,” she announced, wrapping her arms around his neck for the ride to the museum a couple blocks over.

“Oooh,” he sang, eliding the syllable over three different notes. “My princess has a refined evening planned for this common alley cat.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Some alley cat you are, rich boy. …I remembered you saying you’d only gotten to go to the Louvre a couple times when you were little with your mother because it’s too crowded, so your father thought it wasn’t safe. I figured now would be a good time, since there are fewer people at night. We should be able to hit up the highlights rather easily.”

Chat Noir landed on a roof two blocks away from the museum and stopped, turning to stare at Marinette in awed silence.

Marinette took the pause in motion plus the speechlessness the wrong way and immediately started to backpedal. “If you want to. We don’t have to go to the Louvre. It was just an idea. We can do something else.”

“No!” Chat rushed to assure. “No. I do want to go to the Louvre. I was just surprised. What I said about not getting to go to the Louvre unless there was an akuma there…that was a throwaway comment from almost two years ago, but…you remembered.”

He looked at her with big, radiant eyes and a touched expression.

She blushed under all of her makeup and smiled bashfully, shrugging. “Even though you didn’t treat it like it was important, it sounded important, so… You want to go to the Louvre?”

“Definitely,” he laughed like a giddy child. “I’d love to go to the Louvre with you.”

As expected, the crowds were nothing like they usually were during the day, and they were able to hit up the highlights in record time. Afterwards, Chat Noir made Marinette show him some of her favourites.

There were paintings and gemstones and frescos and friezes, but the majority of the items on Marinette’s list were sculptures.

“I have good memories of these,” she explained. “As a young artist, I came here and studied sculptures for hours. Paintings are good for color and styles of dress from different periods, but sculpture is the only way to see things in 3D. Sculpture allows you to see the fabric actually moving. I spent a lot of time learning how to drape from these sculptures.”

Chat Noir shook his head, perpetually in awe of his girlfriend. He leaned in to press a light kiss to her temple, and dozens of cameras caught the gesture.

He ignored all the onlookers, whispering, “You never cease to amaze me, Princess.”

They left the museum a little before close and took to the rooftops once more.

“Did you have anything else planned for our magical evening, My Princess, or is it time to get you back home before you turn into a pumpkin?” he joked, waiting for her instructions.

“One last surprise, Minou. Can you take me to the very top of the Eiffel Tower?” She batted her eyelashes purely for show. “Pretty please?”

“As you wish,” he assured before bounding off towards the landmark.

Chat set Marinette down carefully before turning to take in the impressive view of their city. “You know, I never get tired of it up here.”

“Yeah,” Marinette sighed, going to fetch the picnic basket Ladybug had hidden there earlier that evening.

Chat laughed. “I should hope not. I’ve only brought you to the very top of the Eiffel Tower twice before.”

“Yes, but I don’t imagine I could ever get tired of this,” she covered smoothly, setting out the blanket, flower petals, and battery-powered candles.

He turned to ask her to come to the railing with him but froze when he saw what she was doing. “What’s all this? Where did the basket come from?”

“Your partner might have helped a little with the setup,” she confessed with a sheepish shrug. “Come sit.” She patted a place on the picnic blanket next to her, and, when he did sit down, she tossed a handful of rose petals in the air so that it rained down upon them.

“Princess, you didn’t have to do all this,” he insisted, but Marinette could tell from the tone of his voice that he was oh so happy that she had.

With a shrug, Marinette pulled out a container of little sandwiches on mini croissants followed by a second container with separate compartments for hummus and chopped veggies. A third container of mini pain au chocolat and pain aux raisins followed accompanied by a thermos of Marinette’s Dupain-Cheng Special Hot Chocolate and two mugs.

Chat Noir’s jaw dropped within half a meter of the floor. “Oh, wow…. We’re really having a picnic at the top of the Eiffel Tower, aren’t we? I’ve always wanted to do this!”

Marinette nodded, a calm smile of pride at having gotten it right lighting up her face. “I know. You told me about wanting to do this with Ladybug. I wasn’t sure if it would be okay for us to do it instead, but—”

Chat reached out, catching her hand in his. He squeezed tight. “—Marinette, no. It is fine. It’s-It’s perfect. Every minute I’m with you is perfect.”

She returned his squeeze. “Good. Because I really wanted tonight to be special.”

He arched an eyebrow in confusion. “Why tonight in particular?”

“Because I realized that there’s something really important that I hope you’ve known all along but that I don’t think I’ve ever said out loud to you, and I wanted to tell you tonight, but I wanted it to be really special for you because I know that’s important to you,” she explained.

Chat frowned. “Honey, I’m sorry, but I’m not really following you. What do you need to tell me?”

She licked her lips and took a deep breath. “Chat Noir…I love you.”

The words knocked the air from his lungs for a good fifteen seconds before he was able to respond.

Tears came to his eyes, and he pulled her in close, nuzzling her hair, savouring the moment.

“Thank you,” he whispered, obviously still overcome by the declaration.

Marinette’s heart constricted because he hadn’t known. She should have thought to tell him sooner, but she’d just assumed he’d known when he hadn’t.

“Sorry I’m so late,” she whispered into his neck. “I thought you knew already. I thought that I must have said it before at some point, but… Here. I’ll say it again: I love you, Chat Noir.”

“I love you too, Marinette,” he giggled, giddy with glee.

The only thing that could make it better was if she’d let him tell her his real name so that she could tell Adrien as well, but…

Well, he wasn’t going to let a little detail like that ruin an otherwise perfect moment.

He pulled back so that he could dive in for another kiss.

Chapter Text

“Honey, I’m home,” Chat Noir sang as he dropped through Marinette’s skylight, detransforming as he landed on her bed. “I’ve missed you soooooooo much. I—”

Adrien stopped abruptly when he registered Marinette sitting down on her chaise longue in tears.

“Princess, what’s wrong?” He almost hopped off of the bed to land on the chaise beside her, but, thankfully, he remembered just as he was about to jump that he was no longer transformed and would probably end up breaking most of his bones and some of her furniture.

Marinette shook her head as Adrien clamored down the ladder, rushing to her side.

He wrapped her in his arms, running fingers through her hair, a hand up and down her back, kisses and nuzzles all over her face as he made soothing shushing sounds.

“My Love, what’s wrong?” he pleaded. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head.

“Did someone die?” he worked his way down the list.

She shook her head in the negative again.

“Is someone else hurt?” He was running out of options that he thought would elicit those kinds of waterworks.

“N-No,” Marinette choked. “It’s-It’s nothing. It’s stupid.”

“Baby, it’s not stupid if you’re crying over it. Tell me,” he begged. “Is there anything I can do to make it better?”

“I-I didn’t make it,” she hiccupped in answer. “The contest. My entry wasn’t chosen as a finalist.”

“Ooooh,” Adrien breathed, squeezing her tighter.

His heartrate slowed a bit now that he knew there wasn’t an emergency.

“Oh, Marinette… I’m so sorry, Princess. I know how much this meant to you.”

Her sobs intensified as she sputtered, “I worked so hard. I put everything into that portfolio. My sample pieces were flawless. There wasn’t a string or a sequin out of place. That was my best work…but it wasn’t good enough.”

“Marinette, no,” he cooed. “It was good enough. That was professional quality work. Trust me. You were perfect. It just wasn’t a match for what they were looking for, and there’s nothing you could have done about that. It doesn’t matter how good you are; if you don’t fit the mold, they don’t pick you. Your work was good enough. You are good enough,” he stressed. “They just weren’t a good fit for you.”

She slumped into his embrace, her tears slowing. “I really wanted that internship.”

“I know you did, Love,” he whispered into her hair. “I’m sorry. I know it sucks, and this probably isn’t going to make you feel better right now, but I know you have what it takes, and you will find your place in the fashion industry eventually. You do belong there. You’re going to make it.”

“Thanks,” Marinette sighed. “I…No, it doesn’t make me feel better right now, but…I do appreciate you saying so. I know you’re right. I know you know what you’re talking about, but…right now…rejection hurts.”

He nodded and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Yeah. I know. I’m sorry I can’t make it better. I—” He paused, a thought occurring to him. “Maybe I can make it better.”

She pulled back a bit to arch an eyebrow at him. “How?”

“I’m acquainted with Madame Rosemont. I’ve modeled for her men’s line a couple times. If you want, I could talk to her, call in a favour…” He let the offer hang in the air, awaiting her answer.

Marinette’s eyebrows slowly pinched together, a troubled expression settling onto her features. “But…that would be cheating…and I thought you said they weren’t a good fit for me.”

He shrugged. “Yes, technically it’s quote-unquote ‘cheating’, and, yes, if they didn’t pick you outright, it’s because they don’t see your style as a match for theirs, so it’s probably not a good fit for you, but…you want this. And, besides, in this industry, it’s not about ‘playing fair’. If you have an advantage, you have to press it. If you have strings you can pull, you have to pull them. It’s how you stay afloat in this world. Fashion doesn’t play nice, Marinette. You don’t get ahead by keeping your hands clean. I wish I could tell you that your talent was enough—it might be in the long run…but it’ll be easier if you use my connections. I’m just being honest with you.”

He gave her a contrite look, as if he’d just had to tell her that there was no Santa Claus.

She frowned, carefully considering her options. “…Maybe it would be smarter to use your contacts, but…at least for now, I want to keep trying to get in the door on my own merits. Maybe in a year or so I’ll realize that I’m just being dumb and idealistic, but, for now, I’ll feel better if I just keep trying to play fair and square. Thank you, though, Adrien.” She gave him a tired yet grateful smile. “I really appreciate all that you do for me, all that you try to do for me.”

“Any time,” he assured with another kiss to her temple. “Anything. But is there anything I can do right now to help make you feel better? I know how awful it feels to be told no when you know you’re good enough. Can I buy you some new sewing supplies? Take you out for ice cream?"

An impish smile slowly spread across Marinette’s face. “I have a better idea,” she snickered, taking him by the jaw and guiding his lips to hers.

Chapter Text

Chat Noir landed on Marinette’s balcony at exactly one o’clock, just as Alya and Marinette finished setting up the recording equipment.

“Mademoiselle Césaire,” he greeted cordially, giving Alya a polite, if not somewhat over-the-top, bow.

Alya bowed back playfully. “Chat Noir! Thank you so much for coming. My followers are all really excited for this.”

“Not at all,” he assured, waving away her thanks. “It’s my pleasure. Really.”

Alya gestured toward Marinette. “You remember my friend, M—”

“—Marinette,” Chat trilled with delight (as if he hadn’t just seen her the previous evening…or the one before that and the one before that), sweeping into a low bow fit for nobility.

On his way back up, he snatched her hand and brought it to his lips. “It’s always such a treat to see you.”

“You too!” Marinette laughed nervously. “Not that we see each other often or anything!”

“Of course,” Chat corroborated without missing a beat, charming smile never faltering. “And that just makes each meeting more precious.”

“Not that there have been many meetings,” Marinette added for Alya’s benefit, turning to her friend to assure, “I mean, we hardly know each other. It’s not like we’re friends or anything.” She chuckled in an “isn’t the very idea of me being friends with a superhero ridiculous?” manner.

Alya’s brow furrowed, a suspicious eyebrow slowly starting to make its way up the journalist’s forehead. “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

“What?!” Marinette choked, beginning to wave her arms wildly. “No! It’s not like that at all. I—”

Chat put out an arm and stepped between Marinette and Alya. “—If you’ll pardon me for interrupting, I can explain.”

“There’s nothing to explain,” Marinette squeaked, shooting her boyfriend a dirty look.

Alya grinned widely, ignoring her friend and focusing on the superhero. “You’re pardoned. Do go on.”

“Marinette is afraid that you’re going to discover that she and I are acquaintances and be mad that she didn’t tell you,” he fibbed fluently.

Alya looked at Marinette (who covered her face with her hands and groaned) and then back at Chat Noir, her eyebrow inching up to new heights. “Acquaintances?”

Chat shrugged nonchalantly, playing it off as no big deal. “I was out one night and spotted her on her balcony. I recognized her from some of the akuma attacks, so I went over to say hi, and she gave me some leftover pastries.”

Alya’s intrigued expression became a knowing smile. “And you kept coming back to see if you’d get free snacks again.”

“Guilty,” Chat sighed theatrically, tail and ears wilting before quickly bouncing back. “Marinette’s winning personality didn’t hurt matters either.”

“I’ll bet,” Alya snorted. “How about the fact that she’s not too hard on the eyes?”

Chat held up his hands in surrender. “No comment,” he replied, but his roguish smirk spoke volumes.

“The point is,” Marinette broke in, “I didn’t say anything, Alya, because we decided it was too dangerous for anyone to know I was sort of friends with a superhero, so you can’t tell anyone.”

“Yeah.” Chat nodded, backing her up. “I couldn’t live with myself if Papillon started targeting Marinette and her family to get at me, so I’d appreciate it if you kept our acquaintanceship under wraps, okay?”

Alya mimed zipping her lips. “No worries, guys. No one is going to hear about this from me,” she promised.

Chat gave her a grateful smile while Marinette heaved a gigantic sigh of relief.

“Okay.” Alya clapped her hands, getting them back on track. “Let me just run down to get my notes, and we’ll be all set to get started.”

They watched the aspiring reporter disappear through the skylight back down into Marinette’s room, and then Chat turned a concerned eye on his girlfriend.

“Hey, Princess,” he whispered, reaching out to run a knuckle down her arm. “You okay?”

Marinette shook her head, sinking back against the balcony railing with a sigh. “I’ve been dreading this interview all week. I wish you hadn’t agreed to it.”

“My Love, I’m a celebrity. This kind of thing comes with the territory,” he gently explained. “People’s safety sometimes depends on them knowing that they can trust me, so this kind of marketing thing is important. They’ve seen me destroy national monuments with a single touch, Marinette,” he stressed, running his knuckle back up and down her arm. “They need to be absolutely certain of who I am and what I would or would not do with that kind of power. Publicity events like this are opportunities for them to see who I am as a person and get to know me, see that I’m just a normal guy.”

“Oh,” Marinette breathed, all words feeling inadequate.

She had never stopped to think that her partner’s power of destruction could be something Parisians might worry about. Now that he mentioned it, it seemed rather obvious given that Papillon and Mayura used their Miraculouses for evil.

“I know you’re worried about Princess’s identity being exposed,” he acknowledged, “but that’s not going to happen, okay?” He ducked his head so that he was peering up at her, giving her his most reassuring smile. “I will always protect you.”

“My hero,” she chuckled softly, forcing herself to take a deep breath and calm down.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered with a wink. “I promise I’ll be discreet.”

Before she could protest, he surged forward for a quick kiss, pulling back just as Alya pushed the skylight open to rejoin them on the balcony.

“Okay. Let’s get this interview on the road,” Alya announced, not seeming to notice anything amiss as she pulled herself back up.

Marinette was certain her face was fuchsia, but that had been the shade of Marinette’s skin throughout the first year of Alya and Marinette’s friendship due to all the blushing about Adrien, so Marinette guessed that it wasn’t unusual that the florid state of her skin now hadn’t registered on Alya’s radar.

The majority of the interview went fairly well. Alya asked normal, non-identity-revealing questions like Chat’s favourite colour, favourite school subject, favourite musician, and dream pet.

It turned out that Chat Noir was a dog person. He wanted three: a medium-size dog for normalcy’s sake, a gigantic dog so big that his future children could ride on its back, and a tiny dog so small that he had to worry about the giant dog eating it.

Alya got a kick out of that, but Marinette was too busy thinking about dog names and what her children with Chat Noir would look like. It turned out that they looked remarkably similar to the future children she had imagined having with Adrien.

Marinette’s favourite response was when Alya asked about Chat Noir’s favourite food.

“I actually have a friend whose mother is from Martinique,” he remarked, piquing Alya’s interest.

“My family originally came from Martinique!” she replied in delight.

“Oh, yeah?” he chuckled. “What a crazy coincidence! Well, my friend’s mom makes this amazing Colombo de Martinique, and I’m pretty sure it’s my favourite dish ever.”

Chat turned to the camera and explained for the viewers, “It’s a curry dish. Usually it’s made with lamb or chicken, but my friend’s mom makes a version with fish that I’m crazy about.”

Marinette made a mental note to brush up on her Colombo de Martinique cooking skills. Two years prior, after learning that Adrien loved Alya’s mom’s fish curry, Marinette had learned to make it, but ever since she’d given up on elaborate schemes to confess her love to Adrien, she hadn’t made the dish.

Perhaps she could trot out the recipe the next time Chat ate dinner with her family.

Marinette’s thoughts were quickly interrupted as Alya moved on to more personal questions.

“So, Chat Noir, all of Paris is dying to know about this mysterious ‘Princess’ you’ve been spotted with this past month. Can you shed any light on the situation for your fans?” Alya prompted, leaning in slightly, ready to pounce on the smallest clue.

Marinette tensed, a parade of nightmare scenarios zipping through her mind.

Chat didn’t seem phased at all as he agreed affably. “Sure.”

He turned to the camera and looked straight at the viewers. “First and foremost, I want to be clear with you guys: my girlfriend is a private citizen, and I expect you all to respect her privacy. Do not try to discover her identity. I’m not sure how far Papillon is willing to go, if he understands that love is sacred and some lines shouldn’t be crossed, but he may start targeting Princess and the people she cares about in order to get to me if her identity is discovered, so I’m asking you all to take this very seriously, okay? I love her, and I’m not going to be able to do my best to protect all of you if the woman I love is in danger. We need to work together on this, all right? For the safety of all of Paris.”

Chat looked back to Alya to find her subconsciously nodding. He smiled. “So. With the understanding that Princess’s identity and personal life are off the table, what specific questions do you have for me?”

Marinette relaxed a bit after that.

Chat Noir could be a bit of a rash goofball at times, but he had grown and matured over the past three years. She should have trusted that her boyfriend knew what he was doing. She should have trusted that he would never let anything happen to her.

Hadn’t he proven himself over and over again with every akuma he’d given his life to protect her from?

She should have known that her partner had her back.

Once secure in that knowledge, the anxiety faded, and Marinette was able to enjoy listening to Chat talk about how Princess had been the one to ask him out, even though they had kind of mutually affirmed their feelings for one another at that point. No, she did not know his identity. No, he was not afraid of her only dating him because he was a superhero because they had been friends for a while before they’d begun dating. Yes, Chat Noir did make friends with civilians he regularly ran into on his nights out.

Marinette was a little thrown when Chat Noir gave shoutouts to “Orpheus”, “Pretty Boy”, and “Kunoichi”. Apparently, he really did have more friends whom he visited regularly as Chat Noir besides Marinette. She was fairly certain that “Pretty Boy” was Adrien, but she couldn’t even begin to guess at the other two, and that bothered her somewhat.

There was so much she didn’t know—couldn’t know—about her own boyfriend.

Marinette zoned back in just as Chat Noir was finishing up his comments about how amazing Princess was, how kind and smart and fun and thoughtful, how in love with her he was.

She made a mental note to watch the footage again and maybe save a copy of that portion to listen to when she was feeling down about herself.

She wondered if he would still say those things if he knew about her affair with Adrien, but…at least it sounded like she was doing some things right. He felt loved and appreciated, and that was important. She just had to keep making up for her shortcomings by making him feel truly loved.

“How was that?” Chat snickered as he helped to disassemble the lighting equipment, keeping an ear open for Alya’s return. “Not as bad as you’d feared, was it?”

Marinette shook her head as she wound up the extension cord. “No. You were right,” she admitted. “That…went really well. I’m sorry for not trusting in you, Minou. I should have known better.”

“No worries.” Chat easily shrugged it off. “Now you won’t be so nervous next time, so it’s all good. It turned out for the best.”

“How can you always be so optimistic?” she chuckled, shaking her head even as she smiled affectionately.

“I have good things in my life,” he informed with a broad smile. “It’s easy to be optimistic when you feel so blessed.”

“Oh, Minou,” she sighed, her own lips stretching even wider until he captured them in a kiss.

“Could one of you bring down the boom mic next?” Alya called up to them.

Chat Noir pulled away from Marinette just long enough to respond, “On it!” before diving in to steal yet another kiss.

Chapter Text

The second time Adrien kissed Marinette was, likewise, an accident.

They were in the library where Adrien was helping her with Chemistry (and struggling not to make a pun about it) on their lunch break, going over how to balance equations.

Marinette was hyper-focused on the problem she was endeavoring to solve, and the tip of her tongue poked adorably out at the corner of her mouth, making Adrien chuckle fondly.

“My girlfriend is the cutest.”

The laughter pulled Marinette out of her concentration, and she glanced up to find Adrien staring at her with a soft, affectionate look that made her stomach flip.

She didn’t have time to think as he pressed his lips to hers in an airy kiss.

Her traitorous mouth started to respond before she got herself together enough to push him away with a yip of surprise.

Her chair and textbook clattered to the floor, knocked down in the fray as Marinette scampered to her feet and stared at Adrien with wide, horrified eyes, a hand clapped over her mouth.

“Adrien!” she hissed, prompting a stern “shhh” from the librarian.

The bottom dropped out of Adrien’s stomach as he realized what he had done.

He gasped, one hand going to cover his mouth, the other raising between them in a placating gesture.

He stood and took a step back, stammering, “S-Sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t…I didn’t mean to do that. I just got caught up in thinking how cute you were, and I forgot I wasn’t supposed to kiss you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“—Stop,” Marinette commanded, looking away, down at her book on the floor.

The previously stuffy library suddenly felt as cold as the walk-in freezer in the Mansion’s kitchen as Adrien began to wonder if he’d just ruined his friendship with Marinette.

She righted her chair, pushing it in before bending over once more to pick up her book. She started packing up, and Adrien quickly began to do the same, mentally cursing himself in five languages.

He couldn’t let her leave without fixing things between them. He couldn’t lose her.

“I’m sorry,” he tried again. “Really, Marinette. I—”

“—Let’s go talk somewhere else,” she cut him off in a clipped tone, and it was then that he noticed how everyone was staring.

He silently followed her out of the library and down the stairs, across the gym and out the front door.

She led him to the park next to her house and took a seat on one of the benches, letting her bookbag drop to the ground as she sank onto the seat, elbows on her knees, face in her hands, posture dejected.

“I really am sorry, Marinette,” he repeated softly, taking a seat beside her but not close enough to put her on her guard. “I’ll do a better job of policing myself in the future. This won’t happen again.”

“It’s not that,” she groaned so quietly he needed his enhanced hearing to catch it. “It’s fine, Adrien. I mean, it’s not fine, but…” She shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest and looking down at her ballet flats. “The problem is that I want it to happen again.”

His mouth dropped open. “Sorry. You what?”

She whipped her head around to glare at him, tears beading at the corners of her eyes. “I want you to kiss me,” she practically spat in her shame.

His mouth rounded into a soundless “o”.

“I lied that day when you tried to kiss me the first time. I said that I had liked you, but that wasn’t the truth,” she sighed, looking away once more. “Even though I’d decided that I was going to pick my boyfriend, I never actually got over you, Adrien. I still have feelings for you.”

A fountain of joy welled up in his chest at those words because she liked both of him. He hadn’t screwed things up with her as Adrien. She still liked him.

His happiness only lasted a split second, however, as he realized that his girlfriend was in anguish over this fact.

He searched his brain for something comforting to say, but only an amazed, “You like me?” came out.

He mentally kicked himself for being useless.

She laughed, but it came out sounding more like choking. “I’ve liked you almost as long as we’ve known each other. Remember the first year after we met and how I couldn’t string two sentences together around you?”

“That was because you liked me?” Adrien replied incredulously.

She gave a helpless shrug, her lips tipping up slightly at the corners. “It was a ridiculously embarrassing crush in the beginning. I’d like to think I improved as I got to know you better and realized you were a huge dork with normal-people problems, but…getting to know you only made me like you more, and my feelings haven’t ever gone away, even though I have a boyfriend who I’m crazy about.”

She shook her head and blew out a long sigh. “I don’t know what to do. I’m happy with my boyfriend…but my feelings for you aren’t decreasing at all.”

“It’s possible to have feelings for multiple people at once,” Adrien offered gently, not sure how to help. “Your boyfriend couldn’t fault you for that.”

She shifted uncomfortably on the bench. “I blame me.”

Adrien didn’t know how to respond to that. “Maybe you should talk to him about this, have him tell you that it’s okay because you chose him.”

She shook her head once more. “He has a bit of a jealous streak.”

Adrien was about to contest her assertion when he happened to catch a glimpse of the Ladybug and Chat Noir statue near the entrance of the park and remembered how his jealous behaviour got Théo Barbot akumatized.

Maybe he did have a bit of a jealous streak.

After all, if Marinette were confessing to having feelings for anyone other than Adrien, he most likely wouldn’t take it well. He wouldn’t blame her for it, but…

“Well, you shouldn’t blame yourself,” he doubled down. “I’m saying this as your friend, not as a guy who’s wild about you and benefits from you having feelings for him. Seriously. Blaming yourself for things you can’t control is a one-way ticket to akumatization, and I don’t want that for you.”

“Yeah,” she mumbled, complexion going waxy.

He reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder, grounding her. “Hey,” he called softly.

She looked up, lips slightly parted in surprise as her gaze caught on the jewel-like green of his eyes. No matter how many times she saw the light reflecting off of them, the sight still took her breath away.

“Don’t worry, Ohime-sama. Everything’s going to be all right,” he promised. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay?”

She nodded because it was so easy to believe him.

“I love you.” The way he said it, the words were profound while simultaneously matter of fact. “And I’m going to protect you. I’ll do a better job of keeping my lips to myself in the future so you never have to feel this way again. You just focus on not beating yourself up. You can’t control your feelings, so no one gets to blame you for them, not even you, all right?”

She kept nodding, unable to form words with which to reply.

He was so good, so kind, so loving…and she really wanted to kiss him.

Chapter Text

Marinette gasped. “You brought me a whole bolt of silk taffeta! Minou, you shouldn’t have! This is too expensive,” she insisted, even as she eagerly ran her fingers over the pastel pink fabric, envisaging the ballgown she would make with it.

Chat Noir shrugged, drinking in the sight of his breathlessly happy girlfriend. “What’s the use of being rich if I can’t supply the love of my life with high-end fabric?”

She looked up from the taffeta and frowned. “This feels like a bribe. What did you do that you’re trying to get me to forgive you for?”

Chat winced at how perceptive she was. Just like Ladybug. He definitely had a type.

“Nothing,” he lied. “It’s more that I was trying to butter you up.”

She cocked an eyebrow at him, propping the bolt of fabric against her desk by the sewing machine before coming over to sit on the chaise longue beside him. “I’m listening.”

He inhaled slowly. “So…we know each other.”

She blinked. “Um…yeah? Going on four years now.”

He shook his head, taking her hand in his. “Princess…I mean that…we know each other…when I’m not transformed.”

Her eyes flew wide, and she pulled back, opening her mouth to protest.

His fingertips went to her lips. “Shhh. It’s okay. I’m not giving away my identity without your permission—promise—I just… We know each other, Marinette, and it’s really hard for me when we see each other and you don’t know who I am.”

Her instinct was to look away, change the subject, not deal with the problem, hope that it would go away because she couldn’t handle even one more thing on top of the stack she was already precariously balancing, feeling like she would trip and drop it all at any second.

She didn’t look away, though. She forced herself to meet his gaze and see the hurt and longing in his eyes.

“It’s really hard not being able to be your boyfriend half the time,” he explained. “I’m not saying this to pressure you or try to guilt you into letting me reveal my identity. I’m just trying to be honest with you about my feelings. A friend told me that healthy couples are honest with one another, so…I’m trying to be as honest as I can, Marinette.”

She did avert her eyes then, studying the whorls in the floorboards.

A sharp dagger of guilt ripped through her insides as she thought of all the ways she wasn’t being honest with him. Ladybug and Adrien were only the tip of the iceberg.

“May I please tell you who I am?” he pleaded gently. “I just want us to be able to be together. I want to be your boyfriend on both sides of the mask.”

To her credit, she did think about it.

She thought about it for all of five seconds before her head was filled to bursting with nightmare scenarios of Papillon coming after her parents, Chat Noir dead, her identity exposed, all of Paris underwater, the world in ruins, and Tikki telling her “I told you so”.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Chat Noir. I want us to be together all the time too, but…it’s too dangerous with Papillon still at large. Your life, my life, the lives of our families and friends, the lives of all the inhabitants of Paris could depend on your identity staying safe. It would be irresponsible and selfish for us to disregard that kind of risk.”

“You sound like Ladybug,” Chat sighed, carding a hand through his hair in frustration. “Yes, there’s a slim chance that things could go sideways, but I can’t imagine it ever getting as bad as all that.”

She looked at him and tried not to see flashbacks of him in pure white. She wanted to tell him that she didn’t have to imagine the worst because she had already seen it in another future where something had gone wrong…. Only, she didn’t know what, so she didn’t know what to guard against. Wasn’t it better, then, to guard against everything?

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, feeling lost, not knowing what was right, just feeling the weight of her decision, how it could impact so many people. “Someday, Minou, but not today. I’m not ready.”

He blew out a long exhale, giving his hair a slight pull as he mentally growled at himself to be patient.

She hadn’t said no…just not yet. That was progress, wasn’t it?

He had to respect her feelings, her choice.

…But he didn’t think he could go on as they were much longer. More importantly, he didn’t think that she could go on.

He dropped his hands to the side and sighed. “Okay.”

“Okay?” she repeated, blinking at him in surprise.

He nodded, turning to give her a soft smile. He placed his hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze. “I love you. I would never pressure you on something big like this. If you’re not ready, I’ll deal until you are.”

“…I don’t deserve you,” she chuckled as tears slowly began to drip down her cheeks.

He rolled his eyes. “Princess, we one hundred percent deserve one another. Trust me.”

He wiped carefully at her face with his thumb, mindful of his claws, and then leaned in for a quick smooch.

“Let’s go snuggle,” he suggested as he pulled back, tipping his head towards her loft.

She nodded her assent, and they made for her bed, slipping off shoes and gloves and hair ties respectively along the way.

Snuggling became kissing, but before kissing could turn to making out, Chat disengaged, propping himself up on his elbow to gaze down at her, running a knuckle up and down her jaw.

“Why’d you stop?” she whined, eyes half-lidded.

“I finally got up the courage to say something I’ve been trying to tell you for a couple days now,” he admitted, lips wavering between a sheepish smile and a grimace.

Marinette’s eyebrows converged into a deep v of concern. “What is it, Chat Noir?”

He bit his lip, hesitating yet again. “Don’t freak out.”

“Too late,” she snorted dryly, her anxiety suddenly shooting through the skylight. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “Everything is fine. There’s nothing to get worked up about, so don’t freak out.”

She pushed herself up to sitting, his words having no comforting effect. “Chat Noir, please just tell me.”

He sat up and took her hands in his. “I love you.”

“Chat,” she whined, voice tight and strained.

“Adrien told me,” he blurted out.

She stared at him, trying to derive meaning from his words.

Individually, they made sense, but she couldn’t make heads or tails of them when assembled in that configuration.

“I’m sorry,” he quickly spit out, words flowing from his lips too fast for Marinette to follow. “He only said something because he was worried about you. He’s afraid the guilt is making you physically ill, and he doesn’t want to be the reason you get akumatized, Marinette. He knows you were afraid about how I would react, but he couldn’t stay quiet anymore, so…he told me.”

“Oh.” Marinette tipped over, covering her face with her hands as she lay back down. “What…exactly…did he tell you?”

“That you two have been making out the past few months,” he clarified, wincing.

“Oh,” she whispered, the word a broken, wet sound as her tears began to fall in tandem with everything Chat Noir had ever been to her—partner, friend, soulmate—crashing down around her ears.

It was over.

She’d lost him.

One of the few people who had truly mattered in her life, and she’d messed it all up with her greed and indecision.

It felt like a chunk of her lung had broken off, leaving a sizeable hole.

She couldn’t breathe.

“Marinette, it’s okay,” he stressed, hands stroking her hair and hands and face frantically. “It’s okay. He told me everything. I know this is Adrien’s fault, not yours, so there’s no need to be upset. It’s okay.”

Marinette’s tears instantly dried, and she lowered her hands from her face to frown up at him in confused annoyance. “Chat Noir, it’s not like Adrien tied me up and forced me to kiss him. I don’t know what he said, but I betrayed you, plain and simple. Yes, in the beginning, it was a series of accidents with Adrien kissing me, but…that was just the first month or so. Yeah, I tried to stop, but…sometimes I didn’t try very hard. I chose to cheat on you…and I’m sorry.”

She forced herself to keep meeting his eyes even though all she wanted to do was shrivel up in shame and guilt. “I know those words are probably less than meaningless, but I am sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. That and not wanting to lose you were the main reasons I never said anything.”

She shook her head sadly. “Sorry I screwed up. You deserve better, and I would apologize a million times if I thought saying sorry would mean anything at this point, but I feel like it would just be a bunch of empty words after what I did. It’s not like I can ever make it better, make it up to you.”

“Marinette,” he sighed. “Oh, Marinette. Stop. Look. It’s fine. I’m not mad.”

She blinked up at him for a moment before her surprise gave way to indignation and she pushed herself back up to sitting. “What? Chat Noir, nothing about this is fine. You should be livid. I cheated on you.”

He shook his head, reaching out to capture her hands again.

She pulled them away.

“Marinette,” he groaned. “Seriously. It’s okay. I know this isn’t some random fling, and I know you wouldn’t cheat on me with just anyone. You told me from the very beginning that you had feelings for him. The day we started dating you told me that you’d almost let him kiss you just hours before. You could have so easily been his girlfriend instead of mine, so I understand the temptation when he’s throwing himself at you. A few years ago when I was trying to get over Ladybug, if she had started accidentally kissing me while I was dating my one friend, I don’t know that I would have been able to resist either, so I can kind of understand your dilemma. Can we please just blame Adrien for this and move on?”

Deep trenches plowed their way across Marinette’s brow as she tried to understand what was happening.

“You’re not mad,” she observed in confusion. “Why aren’t you mad?”

“Because I love you and want you to be happy,” Chat responded quickly in a minimal effort to keep his identity secret since she was so opposed to knowing.

“No.” Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not jealous at all.”

A twinge of hurt filtered into her expression.

“You don’t care that I cheated on you,” she deciphered.

“Marinette, of course I care,” he protested weakly, not entirely sure that he cared if this was how she figured him out. “I just don’t…” He bit his tongue. “I’m not angry.”

A troubled look settled upon her features. “But…don’t you love me? This doesn’t make any sense.”

“I’m not mad because I cheated on you too,” he blurted out before she could start to think that he didn’t really love her.

Marinette’s eyes went wide before a wounded expression took over, making her shrink slightly as her shoulders rose and she curled in on herself.

“I kissed Adrien too!” he hurriedly invented, falling back on the one person whom he had free reign to throw under the bus.

Marinette’s rapidly changing emotions instantly went back to bafflement as she gawked at her boyfriend. “You…what?”

“I kissed Adrien,” he asserted, deciding that that was his hill to die on now. “A couple times. He told you that we’re friends, right? That I visit him sometimes?”

She nodded, trying to piece things together so that they made sense. She wasn’t having much success getting the edges to line up.

“Well, I mean, he’s very attractive,” he tried to explain, fearing he was doing a poor job and making himself out to be fickle, “and I feel an emotional connection with him because we’re so similar,” he hastily added.

That was better.

“He gets things that other people don’t really understand, so I can talk to him about anything, and we’re both kind of going through a sexuality crisis, so…” He shrugged helplessly. “It just felt natural to experiment together.”

“O-Oh,” she choked, a red stain spreading over her cheeks not just from her earlier bout of tears.

“I think I’m bi,” his mouth confessed even as his brain panicked, screaming at him that there was too much truth coming out in this lie. “I’m kind of freaking out about it, honestly, because my father’s either going to not care or disown me. The first option hurts, and the second one is terrifying, and I didn’t tell you because, even though I know you have queer friends, I wasn’t so sure you’d want to keep dating a guy who likes other guys, and I am devastatingly in love with you, Marinette,” he laughed mirthlessly, choking as a hardy stream of tears broke free and rushed forth down his cheeks. “I don’t want to lose you, and I’m just so scared of being rejected. I know she didn’t mean to, but the whole thing with Ladybug really messed me up, and I was messed up to start with because of my parents, so—”

She didn’t hesitate any longer, pulling him into her arms and squeezing tight.

“Shhh,” she cut him off gently. “Shhh, Minou. It’s okay.”

She eased him down onto the bed with her, petting his hair, nuzzling his face, and making soothing shushing noises. “It’s okay, My Love. I would never push you away for being who you are. I love all of you. This doesn’t change anything.”

“It doesn’t?” he replied hoarsely.

She shook her head, nuzzling his temple as she did so. “No, Beloved. Nothing is ever going to make me stop loving you. You don’t have to be afraid to tell me something like that ever again. I will never reject you.”

“Oh,” he sniffled, feeling calmer as he listened to the steady thrum of her heartbeat and soaked up the warmth of her skin. “Then, I’m glad that I just blurted that out like that because I’ve kind of been struggling with this for…” He tried to think back and remember when he’d first started to notice that he was noticing other guys, but his memory came up blank. There was the almost-kiss with Luka at Christmas, but that was just when it had all come to a head. It had started even before that. “…it’s been a while,” he concluded with a sigh.

“Oh, Minou,” she whispered, a sick feeling rising up in her gut. “I wish I’d known. I wish I could have done something for you. It hurts to know that you were suffering on your own like that and didn’t feel like you could say anything.”

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled meekly, cat ears drooping as if he’d been chastised. “I mean, I should have known that I could tell you, but I was afraid that—”

“—Chat Noir, no,” she interrupted, cupping his face in her hands. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain. I understand. I just hope that you know now for next time that you can tell me anything and it won’t change how I feel about you.”

“Thanks,” he sniffled, a watery smile slowly forming on his lips. “I’m sorry. I just…I’m not used to the idea of not having to be afraid that someone’s going to stop loving me. I mean, I know you’re supposed to be able to count on your parents always loving you, but…that’s not true in my case, so if not even my parents love me, I don’t know how I’m supposed to trust that anyone else will.”

“And I’m not doing a good job of proving it to you either,” she sighed, the bottom dropping out of her stomach. “I’m sorry for failing you, Chat Noir.”

“You didn’t fail me, Marinette,” he protested wearily, nuzzling her collarbone. “You’re doing your best, and your best is pretty good. I mean, you and Ladybug are probably the two people who have been the most unwavering in your love for me, even when I was being an intolerable brat, so…you haven’t failed me, Princess.”

“Still,” she whispered. “I can do better. I promise I’m going to do better,” she swore resolutely. “I’ll make you believe you’re lovable.”

“Yeah?” he chuckled, blinking away tears. “That’s kind of a tall order. It’s going to take a lot of work.”

“I’ll manage,” she assured, closing the distance between them.

He was more than happy to sink into her kiss and lose himself in her lips.

It started out languid but quickly escalated as they both put all of their stress, fear, frustration, and the intensity of their feelings for one another into the kiss. One kiss became two, and two turned to a dozen until they both lost count, kissing each other breathless as the minutes blurred together.

Chat finally pulled back, and Marinette gave a lusty moan of protestation.

“Oh, were you enjoying yourself?” he chuckled as he propped himself up on his forearms, obviously proud of the effect he had on her.

She gave his arm a light smack. “You’re lucky that smug grin of yours is sexy. …I’m still thinking about kissing it clean off your face, though.”

“Maybe in a bit,” he laughed, dropping his head to nuzzle her shoulder. “I think I need to catch my breath first.”

Marinette took a deep inhale, trying not to squirm as she attempted to calm her raging hormones. A bit of a needy whimper escaped as she breathed out.

He raised an eyebrow in concern. “What’s wrong?”

Her entire face flushed as she gave him a plaintive look, willing him to understand without her having to say anything.

He continued to stare at her obliviously. “Marinette? Are you okay?”

“How are you not as worked up as I am right now?” she groaned bluntly.

His eyes grew to the size of spools of thread. “O-Oh,” he replied dumbly, internally panicking. “I…I’m sorry. I…”

His mind was racing. He didn’t know what to say, how to justify his lack of a physical response to her.

Marinette pursed her lips, trying not to grimace. “Are you…asexual too?”

How believable was it for Adrien and Chat Noir to both be biromantic asexual, he wondered.

“Minou,” she called gently, reaching out to stroke his cheek. “If you are, you can tell me. Or, if it’s something else, you can tell me that too. Whatever it is, it’s fine. It’s not going to make me love you any less, okay?”

He took a shuddering breath and blew it out. “Okay,” he whispered.

“Are you asexual?” she tentatively asked again.

He gulped and nodded.

She patted his cheek and gave him a bolstering smile. “Okay. Thank you for telling me.”

“Marinette, I know that sex is something you want in a relationship,” he rushed to assure her. “I know it’s a big deal, and I know it’s kind of a deal breaker, so I just want you to know that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy,” he stressed, desperate for her to know so that she wouldn’t dump him. “I promise I’ll find a way to make things work.”

“Chat Noir,” she breathed, a darker note of concern in her voice.

Her brow scrunched into a frown.

He tensed.

“I would never make you do something you didn’t want to do,” she explained slowly and solemnly, making sure that he understood. “And this isn’t something you have to figure out on your own. This is something we figure out together as a couple. We’re partners, Chat Noir. We’re in this together.”

He laid his head down on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tight in gratitude. “Thank you,” he choked, trying not to let the tears of relief fall.

She nuzzled and pet his hair, shushing him gently. “You’re welcome, Beloved, but there’s no thanks necessary.”

He melted into her embrace, purring softly as she ran her fingers through his hair. He lay there for nearly a minute, soaking up her affection before a thought popped into his head, and he hastily pushed himself up to look at her.

She jumped, startled by his sudden movement.

“Sorry,” he rushed to explain. “It just occurred to me that you might still be…” A scarlet blush leaked out from under his mask. “…uh…uncomfortable. Sorry. It’s not like with guys where there’s a fairly clear physical indicator, so…” His cheeks turned redder. “What do you need?”

After setting aside how mortified she felt, Marinette decided that she was touched that he cared and had thought to ask.

She was still a little riled up, and the prospect of them doing something about that… She was completely in favour. But she could tell he wasn’t comfortable. He wasn’t ready.

“Sorry,” he added before she could reply, averting his eyes as his blush spread down his neck and disappeared under the collar of his suit. “I have literally zero experience with this. I don’t know how this works for girls. I mean, I’ve seen anatomy drawings before, but—”

“—You don’t have to apologize,” she assured, scratching behind his ear. “It’s okay. I’m fine. I’ll be fine. Thank you for asking. That means a lot to me. I just…need to calm down,” she explained.

“Oh,” he sighed in relief, giving her a nervous smile. “Good.”

There was a beat, and then she gave into her curiosity and asked, “Your parents didn’t ever have ‘the talk’ with you, did they?”

He groaned, looking away as he replied in a resentful mutter, “When I was twelve, they pretty much just threw a book at me, and when I tried to ask questions, Maman told me to talk to my father, but Father was busy, so he kind of gave me the brush off, so…” He shook his head, looking miserable. “I kind of got the impression that sex was gross but you had to do it if you wanted to have children, so people went along with it. But then at school when everyone talked about it, it was clear that it was something they wanted and looked forward to and weren’t weirded out by, so…”

He rested his head on the pillow, his face against her arm, and she could feel his tears.

“I mean…I’ve always been different from other people my age thanks to my upbringing. This was just one more thing about me that was…b-broken.” His voice cracked, and the tears of humiliation and regret began to fall faster.

She wrapped her arms around him again, pulling him back in and just holding him.

“I just kept my mouth shut unless someone asked me why I wasn’t sleeping with anyone. I’ve used pretty much every excuse. I’ve said I was religious, I wanted to wait for marriage so it’d be special, that I’d been touched inappropriately by fans trying to rip my clothes off so I was traumatized, I hadn’t found the right person yet, I had found the right person but she wanted to wait, fears about getting someone pregnant, concern about scandal…I said whatever I had to say to make it socially acceptable for me to still be a virgin. Some people still gave me trouble and called me a prude, but…”

“…When did you find out about being asexual?” she inquired gently.

“About a year ago, I guess?” he mumbled against her skin. “You know Luka Couffaine?”

Marinette blinked in surprise. “Yeah?”

“We’re friends,” Chat explained. “We’ve grown closer over the past two years. You know how some people are, like, the ‘mom-friend’ of the group?”

She nodded.

“Luka’s totally a mom-friend,” he chuckled. “I don’t have people I can talk to at home, but I can talk to Luka. He’s kind of adopted me, so… So, I was telling Luka about something a coworker said about me being a virgin that bothered me, and Luka told me about asexual people…and it just clicked. Things made sense.”

Marinette gave him a squeeze. “I’m really glad you had Luka there for you and were able to figure things out.”

“Me too,” Chat hummed, tears drying. “…Thanks for listening to me talk.”

“Thank you for talking to me,” she countered. “Seriously, Minou. Even though I can’t know your identity, I still want to know everything I can about you. I want to know all the important things, so…please tell me. …If you feel comfortable, that is.”

Slowly, he began to nod. “Okay. I…I’m glad you want to know, that you’re interested in my life.”

“I’m definitely interested,” she laughed, and he chuckled along until they fell into a comfortable silence.

It was a while before Chat Noir spoke again. “…Hey. We’re okay, aren’t we? Things are all right between us?”

He lifted his head to study her face intently.

“Of course,” she hastened to assure, surprised that he’d had any doubt. “I love you, Chat Noir. I’m not upset about the Adrien thing, and it didn’t sound like you were mad at me either, so…I think we’re all right. Do you?”

“Yeah,” he sighed happily. “It’s like a weight off my back finally talking to you about the Adrien thing.”

She bit her lip and reluctantly asked, “So…what exactly are we going to do about the Adrien thing?”

Chat Noir shrugged. “Nothing?”

She blinked, repeating, “‘Nothing’?”

“I’m okay if you keep seeing him,” he clarified. “I know you really do have feelings for him, and I know that he’s crazy in love with you, so…”

Marinette stared at her boyfriend, waiting for his words to suddenly make sense. “You’re okay if I keep cheating on you?”

“It’s not cheating if I say it’s okay,” he rebutted. “Anyone else is off limits, but Adrien is okay.”

She kept staring, not comprehending. “You really don’t mind?”

He winced. “So…I mean…I know it’s not exactly orthodox, but…people can have feelings for more than one person at a time, and there’s nothing wrong with that so long as everyone agrees and keeps on the same page.”

Marinette pressed her lips together into a thin, tight line. “…Chat Noir, there’s a difference between having feelings for two people and making out with two people.”

He bit the inside of his cheek. “Have you ever heard of polyamory?”

“Vaguely?” She waited for him to go on.

“It’s when a group of people sit down and talk and decide to be in a committed relationship involving more than two people,” Chat tried his best to explain, trying to recall how Luka had described it to him. “You have to talk a lot and set ground rules so no one feels left out or neglected or jealous, but… It’s not cheating because everyone agrees about what they’re going to do and what they’re not going to do, so…”

“You’re…suggesting that I date both you and Adrien at the same time?” she summarized, still trying to wrap her head around the idea.

He nodded eagerly. “That way you never have to feel guilty about anything you do with him, and I won’t have to feel guilty either because he’ll be our boyfriend, so it’ll be okay.”

She gave a start. “You’re going to date him too?”

Chat shrugged. “Sure. If he’s interested. I mean, things between us aren’t exactly…you know…like that, but… Is that okay?”

She thought about it for a moment, reasoning that two asexual guys weren’t going to get up to too much she needed to be concerned with and that it wasn’t like Chat Noir was in love with Adrien or anything, so it wasn’t like he was going to leave her, so…

“Okay.” She started to nod. “Yeah. Okay. So…Adrien and I start dating for real, you and I keep dating, and…that’s it?”

“Yep,” he agreed. “Just don’t leave me for him, okay?”

“Oh, Chat Noir,” she cooed, pulling him in for a smooch. “The whole reason we’re in this mess in the first place is that I can’t imagine my life without either one of you. I couldn’t choose…and I don’t foresee that changing anytime soon.”

“Oh,” he hummed contentedly, savoring the cozy warmth of the moment and her words. “Good.”

“Besides,” she snickered. “I am ticked at him. I can’t believe he told you.”

“Princess,” Chat groaned. “Please don’t. He did it because he loves you and couldn’t bear to see you suffering anymore.”

“And that that slut seduced my boyfriend,” she giggled.

“…You’re joking, right?” He couldn’t quite be sure. “The last thing I wanted was to ruin your friendship with Adrien, Marinette.”

“Don’t worry,” she assured. “I’m mostly joking. I am upset with him, but…he’s too important to me to lose.”

Chat’s heart swelled with happiness at knowing that he was so special to her on both sides of the mask.

“I just need to yell at him, talk it out, get it out of my system,” she sighed, “…apologize, beg for forgiveness, make him hummingbird cake pops… Things between me and Adrien are going to be all right, Chat Noir, so don’t worry. I’m through screwing things up.”

“I love you,” he whispered, unable to contain the large grin of adoration that broke out on his lips.

“Love you too.” She punctuated the sentiment with a kiss.

Chapter Text

The next day was a Saturday, and Adrien figured it was as good a time as any to face his girlfriend’s wrath.

He took a deep breath and knocked on Marinette’s skylight.

The steady grumble of her sewing machine stopped, and she called up to him, “Just a minute, Minou!”

Adrien winced, mentally preparing himself for her disappointment.

She poked her head up, saw Adrien, and the bright smile dropped clean off her face to be replaced by a frown.

He smiled nervously, giving her a little finger wave. “Surprise?”

“Adrien…” She blinked, looking around in confusion. “How did you get up here?”

“Well…I mean…you’ve seen the rock-climbing wall in my room. I probably could have scaled the building on my own, but…Chat Noir dropped me off,” he fibbed slightly, rubbing at the back of his neck.

The furrows in her brow deepened. “Why didn’t you just use the door?”

His nervous smile twisted into a grimace. “I was kind of concerned about you slamming the door in my face and banked on you being less likely to leave me stranded on your balcony,” he confessed. “I didn’t think you’d be too happy to see me.”

“Oh,” she breathed, her face returning to a careful neutral.

He bit his lip and observed, “You don’t seem very happy to see me.”

She closed her eyes and took a slow inhale. Letting it out, she opened them. “Why don’t we have this conversation down in the living room? Come on in.”

She disappeared back into her room, and he obediently followed her to the living area of the Dupain-Cheng apartment.

On the way, he saw that she was already working on a dress with the pink taffeta he had brought her as Chat Noir the night before.

Once in the living room, Marinette sank onto the couch where it bent into an L shape, and Adrien took a seat about a meter away, closer to the kitchen.

He could smell the hummingbird cake pops she’d mentioned the previous night cooling. She must have made them first thing that morning. That boded well, giving him a bit of hope that she would forgive Adrien and that things would be all right between them again.

“…So,” he ventured. “Chat Noir came to see me last night on the way home from your place.”

She nodded, acknowledging his words but still trying to process her own thoughts.

“…I’m guessing you’re mad at me?” he prompted when she didn’t say anything.

She grabbed one of the throw pillows, hugging it to her chest and playing with the trim. “It’s complicated. I’m feeling a lot of things right now. I mean, yes, I am ticked at you, but it’s more than that.… There’s a lot to unpack.”

“Okay.” He nodded, accepting the situation for what it was. “So…can we talk this out? If we need to fight and scream at each other, let’s do it and get it out of our systems so we can make up and move on.”

Marinette’s response was to sock him with the throw pillow. “I can’t believe you told him!” she snapped.

“Ohime-sama, I had to,” Adrien protested, putting his hands up to defend himself against her pillow onslaught.

“No, you didn’t,” she retorted.

“I really did,” he insisted. “We couldn’t keep going like we were.”

“What if he’d gotten akumatized?” she demanded, glaring him down.

“He wasn’t going to get akumatized,” he calmly reasoned.

She shook her head, loose hair whipping back and forth around her shoulders. “You couldn’t have known that.”

“I was absolutely positive,” Adrien assured, wishing he could just tell her the truth. “I know him really well, Marinette.”

She pressed her lips together hard as she studied his face. “…You weren’t trying to get him to break up with me…were you?” she asked hesitantly, sounding unsure. “I didn’t think you were. That didn’t feel like something you’d do, but…the thought crossed my mind.”

He shook his head, slowly reaching out to cup her cheek, giving her time to pull away if she didn’t want him touching her.

She stood her ground, even going so far as to lean into his hand.

“No, Ohime-sama,” he assured tenderly. “This wasn’t about me or Chat Noir. This was about you. I was scared out of my mind about what this thing between us was doing to you mentally. The other week…”

He flinched as memories of how terrified he’d been came flooding back, memories of Marinette’s stricken expression, of the things she’d said about how alone and overwhelmed she felt. He shook his head again, trying to clear his mind.

“…I was really scared, Marinette,” he reiterated in a whisper. “Just thinking about the long-term damage that kind of mental strain could do to you…knowing it was all my fault…I couldn’t do it anymore.”

“Oh, My Beau Gosse,” she breathed, dropping the pillow and scooting closer to pull him into her arms. “I’m sorry,” she stressed into his hair, giving it a comforting nuzzle. “I’m so sorry, Adrien. It’s not your fault. My mental issues…you’re just a small part of it. If I ever have a breakdown, it’s not going to be your fault, so please don’t blame yourself for my mental state.”

“Sorry,” he muttered. “…My…my mom…used to have meltdowns sometimes.”

Marinette inhaled sharply and held her breath, too scared to reply, afraid of responding wrong to this delicate show of confidence in her.

Tentatively, Adrien continued. “The other week…you kind of reminded me of that, so…I’m just kind of sensitive about it. There was nothing I could do for my mom, and I felt so powerless,” he sniffled. “I don’t want anything like that to happen to you.”

“It won’t,” she swore, his words galvanizing her into answering.

She didn’t know how she was going to keep that promise as she squeezed him tighter, but she did know that she’d find a way. If Adrien needed her to keep it together, she’d do it.

They sat there like that a while before Adrien spoke up again. “Sorry for going to pieces on you,” he chuckled self-deprecatingly with a bit of a sniffle on the end.

“It’s okay,” she assured, stroking his hair lovingly.

He sighed. “Sometimes my mother’s meltdowns were my fault.”

She pulled back to stare at him. “Adrien…no. I’m sure that’s not—”

“—I upset her sometimes,” he explained. “I’d upset her, and she’d have one of her episodes, and my father would say, ‘Look what you’ve done’. It was my fault. Maybe not entirely my fault, but I was the last straw that pushed her over the edge, so…I don’t want to be your last straw, Marinette,” he stressed pitifully, looking at her with pleading, damp eyes.

“Adrien,” she breathed, pulling him back in. “Your father is awful. Who the hell says that to a kid?”

“He was just telling the truth,” Adrien insisted.

“No,” she responded firmly. “No, he wasn’t. Maybe he was just upset because of your mother, but it was wrong for him to take that out on you. Your mother’s mental illness wasn’t your fault, Adrien.”

He didn’t reply for a while, just soaked up the warmth of her embrace and the gentleness of her caresses.

When he did break the silence again, he did so hesitantly. “Both of my parents were anti-therapy,” he broached the subject cautiously. “I feel like I could really use a therapist, but that’s not going to be an option until I’m out on my own…. How do you feel about therapy?”

“I think it’s a good idea,” she answered without hesitation. “If you want to talk to someone, Adrien, I support you completely.”

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I mean…thanks. That’s good to know, but…I meant…how do you feel about you in therapy?”

Her reply was slower this time. “…I…I mean, I’m not opposed. I just…don’t feel like it would help. My problems aren’t something someone else can help with.”

He shook his head patiently. “Maybe not, but you could talk about how you’re feeling in general without necessarily talking about the problem specifically. Maybe the therapist could help with stress management techniques.”

“You want me to see a therapist,” she intuited.

“You don’t have to,” he was quick to assure.

She pursed her lips. “But you want me to.”

He gave her another pleading look with his big, tearful green eyes. “I love you, and I’m scared that something’s going to happen to you if you stay as stressed as you have been.”

With a long, heavy sigh, she conceded. “I’ll think about it and talk to my parents. …You’re right that some stress management techniques couldn’t hurt.”

“Thank you,” he chuckled in relief, leaning in to place a grateful peck on her cheek. “I just want you to be okay, Marinette.”

“I know.” She blew out another sigh. “I’m sorry, Adrien. I know, and I’m sorry for dragging you through this. I’m sorry I scared you.”

“It’s okay,” he insisted, giving her a nuzzle and a light kiss on her forehead. “…So…what did we need to talk about next?”

She gave a start, pulling back slightly so that they were sitting a more standard distance apart. “I’d almost forgotten that we were arguing our issues out so we could kiss and make up.”

She picked the throw pillow up from where it had tumbled to the floor and hit him in the stomach with it.

“Geez. What was that for?” Adrien pouted.

“Kissing my boyfriend,” Marinette snorted.

Adrien winced, averting his eyes, instantly cowed.

If he were Chat, his ears and tail would have been curling up on themselves.

“I really wish he hadn’t said that to you,” he grumbled.

“Well, he did,” Marinette huffed, setting the pillow aside and crossing her arms, looking at Adrien expectantly. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“‘Sorry’?” Adrien tried. “‘Your boyfriend is hot’?”

That got a laugh out of her.

She shook her head, expression softening and arms dropping to her sides as she hesitantly inquired, “…When did you first start thinking you might be bi?”

Adrien inhaled deeply. “…I started putting it together not quite a year ago, I guess? I don’t know. …Maybe you’ve noticed, but I have a hard time understanding my feelings. Like…when I first started going to school and interacting with people my own age, I was so excited to be making friends that I wasn’t really able to differentiate things like, ‘Marinette makes my heart flutter when she pays special attention to me because I’m not used to having such a good friend’ and ‘Marinette makes my heart flutter when she pays special attention to me because I have a ridiculously huge crush on her’.”

Marinette pulled a face, sympathizing with the confusion and embarrassment he must have felt when he discovered he’d been misidentifying and mislabeling his emotions. “Ouch. I’m sorry.”

Adrien nodded. “Yeah. Thanks. I’ve gotten better as I’ve learned more about friendship and how that feels, but…if I had grown up with more exposure to other kids, I think I would have been able to tell sooner that I’ve been interested in you romantically since day one…” He took a deep breath, looking away. “…and that I’ve had a massive crush on Luka since he helped me up when I face-planted into the deck of the Liberty the day we met.”

“Luka?” Marinette repeated incredulously (and a little louder than what was strictly warranted), eyes going wide.

Adrien shrugged, looking back at her with a sheepish smile. “Who else? Nino?” he laughed. “Yeah, okay. Sometimes Nino will do something really sweet that will make my heart flutter, but then, the next second, he’ll do something so…so Nino, and my heart will be like, ‘Oh, yeah. This loser is practically my brother. Never mind.’”

Marinette giggled at the repulsed way Adrien’s nose crinkled.

“My thoughts and feelings about Luka were more like how it was with you,” he confessed. “I thought that Luka was this really cool, older guy, and I was excited that he wanted to be friends with a socially awkward dork like me. We got closer, and I was happy because Luka was a really good friend, and he’d do things that made me feel valued and heard and validated…and I thought the warm feeling in my chest was friendship.”

“What eventually made you think that wasn’t it?” Marinette prompted gently.

Adrien’s face went pink at the recollection, and he averted his gaze once more. “I spent Christmas with the Couffaines this last year,” he murmured. “Father decided that a business trip to Milan was more important than spending time with me, and when Nathalie tried to get him to wait until after the holiday, he decided that he needed her to come with him, so…and my bodyguard Victor was taking time off to go back to Russia to visit relatives, so I was all alone with a substitute bodyguard, and…I snuck out. When I showed up at the Couffaines’, they took me in and made me feel included, no questions asked beyond whether I was okay.”

“They’re good people,” Marinette replied softly, nodding. “I’m really glad you had someone to spend Christmas with, Adrien.”

“Me too,” he whispered, a broad grin spreading across his lips. “I like spending time with Anarka, Juleka, Rose, and Luka. They’re very giving people.” He cleared his throat and shifted in embarrassment. “For example, Luka knows that I’m kind of affection-starved, so he makes a point of showing me affection in little ways like putting a hand on my arm, giving me a nudge with his shoulder, ruffling my hair…snuggling with me.”

“Oh,” Marinette remarked, not quite sure what to say to that. “Like…how Nino and Alya snuggle with you sometimes?”

“Something like that,” Adrien affirmed, face growing a darker and deeper red by the second. “Luka and I were snuggling on the couch Christmas night. We were wrapped up in just the one blanket, trying to get warm. It’s kind of cold on the Liberty in winter out on the water, so…but…I turned to look at him, and his face was a lot closer than I’d anticipated…and I really wanted to kiss him.”

“Then what happened?” Marinette demanded, hanging on his every word.

Adrien shrugged. “Akuma attack.”

Because that was just his luck.

“You’re not serious,” Marinette scoffed, sounding personally offended.

Adrien shrugged again.

They’d run up to the deck to get a handle on where the explosions were coming from. Once that was accomplished, Adrien transformed, Luka told him to be careful with an affectionate tussle of his hair, and Adrien hadn’t returned to the Liberty afterwards. He texted Luka that he was okay so that the Couffaines wouldn’t worry, but he couldn’t go back and face Luka that night.

“I went home after the attack and spent the whole night tossing and turning, thinking, ‘Did I just ruin my friendship with him?’, ‘Did he know I was about to kiss him?’, and ‘Oh, no. I think I like guys. What do I do?’” Adrien smiled helplessly. “That was the beginning of my sexuality crisis.”

“So…what did you do?” she urged him to continue, needing to know how it ended.

He shook his head. “Nothing. I don’t know. There wasn’t anything to do. I just tried to act normal the next time I saw him, and he never said anything, so… And it’s not like I could date him. I’m pretty sure my father would flip, and the press would have a field day, so…” He looked down at his hands, playing with his ring, twisting it round and round his finger. “And it’s more important to keep Luka as a friend anyway. I don’t have anyone to talk to about things at home, and I really miss—” His voice cracked.

He took a breath and peeked up at her, watching her expression as he continued. “I miss my brother.”

Marinette’s mouth fell open, and she blinked several times, leaning in closer as if she wasn’t sure she had heard right.

“If Félix were still here, he’d probably give me a bored look and tell me not to be so emotional and that I was overreacting…but he’d also pet my hair and not make a big deal out of it, so I’d know that it was okay and he still loved me,” he chuckled through another bout of tears, remembering how things were between them before Félix ran away at sixteen, cutting all ties with the Agreste family.

“I miss my brother,” Adrien repeated softly. “Luka is nothing like Félix, but he’s still someone I can go to for advice who knows more about life than I do…whom I can trust because I know he cares about me and wants me to be happy, so…I’m not going to do anything about my feelings for Luka.”

He turned to her and gave a forced smile. “I mean, one of the perks of being bi is that you can pass as straight, so no one has to know. I can still find a partner and be happy. It’s not like I’m doomed to be alone and unloved forever, so…”

“But that doesn’t mean you should suppress a part of yourself just because you can get by,” Marinette argued, a wave of indignation welling up within her, upsetting her on his behalf.

He looked away and shrugged. “I don’t need to date guys, Marinette. I already have you.”

She didn’t respond right away, not sure of the “right” way to answer.

He started to think that he’d jumped the gun, that Adrien didn’t actually have Marinette.

Finally, she reached out and placed a hand on top of his, stilling his fiddling with his ring.

He looked up interrogatively and saw her hesitant smile mixed with concern. “Yes, but I don’t want you feeling like you’ve missed out. I don’t want you wondering what if you’d given things with Luka a chance.”

Adrien’s brow furrowed as he tried to parse out her meaning. “Sorry. Are you trying to tell me to go kiss Luka? I’m kind of confused.”

Her face flushed as she pictured it.

She broke eye contact and withdrew her hand, muttering, “No, but…does he know you’re bi at least? Have you told anyone besides me and Chat Noir?”

“…Plagg,” Adrien admitted. “I think Nino knows or at least suspects. He teases me about my quote-unquote ‘crush’ on Luka, but…I haven’t talked to Nino about it, so it’s just kind of stayed a sort of joke.” Adrien sighed, carding a hand through his hair. “Luka probably suspects. I mean…I don’t think he’s missed the chemistry between us, but we’ve never talked about it, so he probably thinks that I may be bi but don’t know myself or something. He knows about you and me,” Adrien informed, “so he probably thinks there’s no point in bringing it up.”

“And you don’t think there’s any point in talking about it,” Marinette surmised.

Adrien gave his head a toss. “What point would there be? I’m happy being straight, being with you. Why complicate things?”

Marinette pressed her lips together and studied him intently.

Obviously, he was still in the thick of his sexuality crisis and deep in denial. She wanted to tell him that this wasn’t going to go away if he ignored it and that she worried about the long-term issues denying a part of himself might cause, that she worried about him having regrets.

She realized that Adrien probably wasn’t ready to hear what she had to say, though.

“Okay,” she exhaled. “If you’re happy, that’s fine, Adrien. It’s your life, and you get to decide how to live it, but I really do think you should talk about this with some trusted friends. You don’t have to act on your feelings, but maybe it would help if you talked about this with people who you know love you.”

He was quiet for a long minute before agreeing, “…I’ll think about it…. Maybe I’ll talk to Nino. It’s just… It’s a lot easier to pretend that it’s not happening.”

She nodded, leaning in to press a quick kiss to his cheek.

“I mean…it’s not really relevant unless things with you don’t work out and I end up falling for some guy, so…” He sighed, crossing his arms. “…it’s easier not to deal with it right now.”

“But…what about Chat Noir?” Marinette inquired, forehead scrunching up in confusion.

Adrien blinked. “What about Chat Noir?”

Marinette’s frown deepened. “You two are dating now, right? You said that he came and talked to you last night after he left my house?”

Adrien’s eyes widened, and his face went scarlet. “O-Oh. Yeah. Well…it’s… Yes. I mean, we’re technically dating, but it’s not…it’s not like the same way you and Chat Noir are dating. We’re just…”

Not for the first time, he mentally kicked himself for getting involved in a love triangle with himself and telling his girlfriend his selves were involved with one another.

Luka was right. Adrien should have just told her his identity. It would have saved a whole lot of time and energy.

“You know who he is, don’t you?” she whispered, smiling sadly.

Adrien froze, brain whirling for a minute before finally deciding, “Screw this.”

He nodded. “Yes. I do. It was an accident. Plagg’s fault.”

Adrien figured it was high time he threw someone else under the bus.

Plagg sank his claws into his chosen’s shoulder for the trouble.

Adrien decided that that was fair.

Meanwhile, Marinette, oblivious to the exchange, nodded. “I see. I thought so.”

“I’ve known for years,” he added, “and nothing bad has happened yet, so you don’t need to worry.”

She blew out a long sigh. “Luka knows too, doesn’t he?”

Adrien winced and answered defensively, “He figured it out on his own, like, two years ago. I didn’t tell him.”

“Take it easy,” she chuckled, bumping his shoulder with her own. “I know you would never tell someone else’s secret like that.”

He didn’t know whether to be relieved or not that she hadn’t caught his slip.

He bit his lip. “…So…now that you know that other people have known his identity and not caused the end of the world…how do you feel about learning his identity?”

Immediately, she shook her head. “I’m not ready. I still don’t think it’s safe, and I’m not going to take that chance.”

He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair and stopping midway to grip at the roots. “…Okay. If you’re not ready…it’s okay. I don’t want to push you, but…I really want to push you because I think knowing will be a good thing. You need to know, and he needs you to know, but…”

He let go of his hair and let his hand slide down his face. “Sorry. No rush. I’m not pressuring you.”

“You’re such a good friend to him,” she murmured, reaching up to gingerly rub at his scalp.

“I’m really not,” he chuckled ironically.

“I’m kind of jealous of you,” she admitted.

Adrien gaped at her in wide-eyed surprise. “You’re jealous of me?” he laughed incredulously.

She nodded. “Last night, when Chat Noir told me that he’d been cheating on me with you too, he explained that he feels an emotional connection with you and feels like he can talk to you about anything.”

Her sad smile turned into a grimace. “I want that kind of closeness with him. I feel like there’s so much we can’t talk about, so much I don’t know about him, so much he can’t know about me…”

“Oh, Marinette,” Adrien sighed, leaning into her touch as he rested a hand on her knee, giving it a bolstering squeeze.

“I’m jealous that you two are so close,” she confided. “He was afraid to tell me he was bi, Adrien. He thought I was going to reject him. On the one hand, I understand him being scared what with the crappy family he’s grown up with, but…I bet he wasn’t afraid to tell you, so…I’m jealous that you two are closer.”

“Ohime-sama,” Adrien whispered as guilt flooded him.

He snaked an arm around her and pulled her into a loose side-hug, dropping his head to nuzzle her ear.

“Don’t be jealous. Yes, my bond with Chat Noir is…unique, but so is his bond with you. Please don’t stress yourself out about this. There’s nothing to be jealous of. No one could ever replace you in his heart. If he had to save just one of us, he’d pick you. You’re his number one, Marinette, so don’t doubt his feelings for you.”

She snuggled into his hold, chuckling, “So I don’t have to worry about you two getting sick of my crap and falling in love and leaving me?”

“No, My Love,” he stressed, striving to soothe her.

He could tell she was only half joking and that her words were an attempt to cover her very real insecurity.

“Marinette, things between Chat Noir and me aren’t like that. They’re never going to be like that,” he reassured.

“But…you two are dating. Obviously, there’s something between you,” she stressed.

She hadn’t felt threatened the night before by Adrien and Chat Noir’s relationship while Chat was snuggling with and kissing her, but after he’d left, the doubt started to creep in.

She knew that things between her and the boys weren’t perfect. Both relationships had problems, and she knew she wasn’t as good as she could be about meeting Chat and Adrien’s needs.

As she lay awake, she started to worry that Chat and Adrien were more compatible with each other than they were with her.

Adrien took a deep breath, once again internally cursing the idiocy of fake-dating himself.

“Do you know what a queerplatonic relationship is?” he asked, making a mental note to buy Luka a piano or something as a thank-you gift for teaching Adrien about concepts like polyamory and asexuality and queerplatonic relationships because he was getting a hell of a lot of mileage out of his enhanced vocabulary.

Marinette blinked at Adrien for a beat before taking a stab at it. “Is…that the one where you’re not…like…in love with someone, but you’re not just friends, but it’s not romantic either? Sorry,” she quickly apologized. “I did some research on asexuality after you told me about it, and I looked up polyamory this morning, but I feel like I didn’t study for a quiz in a class I didn’t know I was taking,” she laughed nervously.

“Don’t worry about it,” he assured, giving her shoulder a squeeze. “You’re doing pretty well for a straight, cis girl. I appreciate that you’re keeping an open mind. You get points just for trying.”

“Thank goodness,” she chuckled weakly. “So…what is a queerplatonic relationship really?”

“You weren’t wrong,” he replied. “It’s more than a quote-unquote ‘normal’ friendship, but it’s not romantic either. It’s not one-size-fits-all, so it’s different for everyone, but…it’s a really intense emotional connection with someone. There can be physical affection, but it’s not romantic or sexual. There’s no lust or falling in love. It’s just…being really close to someone, being in sync without it having to be…”

He shook his head, at a loss for words.

“It’s hard to explain,” he sighed. “There aren’t really words for it, no examples I could use.”

It was kind of how he felt about Ladybug now. He’d always love her, even if he wasn’t in love with her anymore. She would always be special to him. Their relationship would always be more than just friendship, but he wasn’t interested in her romantically anymore.

He’d been trying to process the intensity of his feelings for her, the specialness of their relationship in the absence of romantic feelings a year prior when Luka had suggested “queerplatonic”.

It kind of felt right.

“I think I get it. Sort of,” Marinette assured. “With Chat Noir, you’re really close, and you share secrets and kiss, but…it’s not because you want to get married and start a family or anything…right?”

“Right,” he affirmed. “So you have nothing to be jealous of, Ohime-sama. It’s a completely different kind of relationship. You don’t have to worry about us running off with one another because that’s not going to happen. You are the one that we love.”

Marinette took a slow breath and started to nod. “Okay. All right. I think I get it. Thanks. I think I feel better about this now.”

Adrien perked up. “So…you think maybe you’re not mad at me for telling Chat Noir about us and for kissing your boyfriend anymore?”

She gave his knee a pat. “Yeah. I’m kind of over it.”

“So, we’re okay now?” He held his breath.

With a frown, she pulled back, and the burgeoning grin at the corners of his mouth slipped off his face.

“Adrien,” she began hesitantly, nibbling at her bottom lip.

He tensed, preparing himself for yet another blow, some kind of chastisement or rejection.

Seeing his reaction, she quickly took his hand with one of her own while the other went up to stroke his hair. “No. It’s okay. It’s nothing you did. You’re wonderful, Beau Gosse. You’ve been nothing but wonderful this whole time. This is my fault. I’m the problem. I’m the reason we’re not okay, all right? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“You didn’t either,” he protested. “Marinette—”

“—Stop,” she interrupted, her hand dropping from his hair to his lips.

He arched an inquisitive eyebrow, and she gave him a sad but reassuring smile in response.

“Adrien, everything that has ever been wrong between us is my fault from assuming you put the gum on my chair to making you feel like I only wanted you for your body. All of it has been on me,” she insisted plaintively, beginning to feel a little better as she confessed to the ways she had wronged him.

Adrien frowned skeptically, gently removing her fingers from his lips. “Okay, that is a huge overstatement and a gross oversimplification. It’s not like I’ve never done anything wrong, Marinette.”

“No,” she conceded, “but—”

“—And I didn’t actually ever think you were just using me,” he cut in. “I thought about it when I was feeling down about how our friendship was deteriorating, but I didn’t ever actually think so little of you, Marinette. You’re not the bad guy here.”

“But I—”

“—No,” he shut down her. “We’re not playing the blame game. I’m at fault too. More than you know, so…thank you for feeling bad about your own shortcomings, but, instead of roasting you for not being perfect, I’d rather talk about what we can both do to be better going forward. Okay?”

She pursed her lips as she considered what he had said. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “Considering that not listening to you when you tried to tell me what you wanted is probably one of my top five regrets about how things have been so far…maybe I should start things off by listening to you.”

“I mean, I do occasionally have good ideas,” he preened, trying to lighten the mood.

She rolled her eyes and poked the tip of his nose. “More than occasionally.”

“Flattery is much appreciated,” he chuckled. “So…without dragging yourself over the coals, what do you think we need to work on in order for us to be okay again?”

She blew out a breath. “Earlier, when I said that things were complicated and that I was conflicted and had a lot of things I needed to unpack, I was mostly talking about how I was mad at myself and ashamed of the way I’ve been treating you these past few months.”

“You weren’t horrible to me all of the time,” he comforted, resting a hand on her forearm and gently rubbing his thumb back and forth.

She shook her head. “I don’t know why you still like me, honestly.”

“You’re just focusing on the bad parts,” he countered. “There were times when you were still the amazing, wonderful, talented, thoughtful Marinette that I know and love.”

“When I felt guilty for the mess our relationship had become,” she muttered cynically.

He clicked his tongue. “Be fair. Things aren’t black and white like that.”

Marinette shrugged.

“Okay. Well, what do you think we need to do differently in the future?” Adrien prompted, trying to be proactive.

Marinette considered for a minute, getting her thoughts together. “I actually think we need to take it down a notch physically.”

Adrien’s eyebrow flew up past his hairline. “You what?”

“I think we need to slow down a bit,” she repeated, cheeks glowing rose. “We need to focus on our relationship more. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying no making out. I would literally die if I couldn’t kiss you.”

“‘Literally’?” he snickered.

“Yes, literally,” she snorted, giving his arm a playful thwack. “I’m just trying to say that we need more balance, more hanging out and snuggling and movie nights and…” She bit her lip, cheeks burning red as her blush spread like a lava flow down her neck. “…and I think I need to take you on a super cheesy romantic date…or, like, a hundred.”

His eyes lit up with joy, and she could practically see cliché date ideas from all of his favourite romcoms compiling into a master list.

She was kind of excited to see what he came up with.

“And I think we need to talk more,” she added, “about a lot of things but especially about relationship wants and needs. I know we haven’t been on the same page in the past, so… We don’t have to talk about everything now, but I think it’s important that we talk about things in the future. Like, what do you need me to do for you to be happier in this relationship?”

She looked at him expectantly, and he froze, unprepared.

There were a lot of things he wanted out of the Adrien side of his relationship with Marinette, but he was a little hesitant to dump the laundry list on her all at once.

He smiled softly and replied, “I think that if we work on our friendship and get to go on real dates, that’s a good start.”

“But you’ll let me know if anything comes up that makes you unhappy?” she pressed. “You’ll tell me if there’s a problem?”

He nodded, making a cross over his heart. “Promise.”

“Okay,” she exhaled in relief, feeling a bit of the stress start to come off. “Good. Because I want to make things better, Adrien. I’m sorry that they got so messed up.”

“The important thing is that we’re fixing them now,” he assured, gently caressing her cheek.

Tentatively, she leaned in, pressing a penitent kiss to his mouth.

“I’m going to make things better,” she promised against his lips.

“We are going to make things better together,” he corrected, lifting his head to give her hair a nuzzle. “Relationships are a team effort, Ohime-sama.”

“Right,” she breathed, nodding. “You’re right.”

“Sometimes I am,” he chuckled. “When it’s important.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” she sighed, shaking her head and ruffling his hair.

He shrugged. “Self-esteem issues.”

Marinette clicked her tongue. “We’re going to have to do something about that.”

“Give me head pats and tell me I’m a good boy?” he suggested teasingly, trying to keep the atmosphere light.

Marinette readily complied, adding in a kiss on his cheek for good measure. “You’re a good boy, Adrien Agreste. Don’t let anyone ever make you feel otherwise.”

“Thanks,” he mumbled as all the blood rushed to his cheeks.

“Thank you,” she countered sincerely. “For talking with me…about everything,” she expressed awkwardly. “I mean everything. Your mom’s struggle with mental illness, your brother, figuring out you were bi… It means a lot to me that you’d talk to me about those kinds of things. I don’t feel like I’ve earned your confidence, but I’m really grateful.”

“Oh, Marinette,” he sighed, giving her another nuzzle. “You forget that we were friends for years before the last few months happened.”

She made a small, uncertain noise, as if she feared that the past few months had invalidated those years of friendship.

“Oh, Marinette,” he repeated with a little huff of exasperation and a kiss to her temple. “Listen. I want you to know that you can talk to me too. About anything…if you feel like sharing. Okay? No pressure, but if you ever feel like talking, I’m here for you.”

She wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. She didn’t think she’d be spilling her guts and revealing her identity anytime soon, but…

“Thank you,” she replied earnestly. “When I’m ready to talk, you and Chat Noir will be the first ones to know.”

“Okay.” He didn’t press, and she was thankful for that. “Whenever that is, I’ll be there.”

“Thanks, Adrien,” she breathed in relief, grateful that he was able to meet her where she was.

She gave him a tight hug for his trouble. “So…I’m making you apology hummingbird cake pops. I wasn’t sure how much groveling I was going to have to do to get you to forgive me, but I decided that bribing you with sweets is never a bad idea.”

He let out a snort of laughter at that. “She knows me so well. But seriously. We both haven’t been our best selves with each other lately, so there’s no groveling necessary. I propose mutual forgiveness and we share the cake pops.”

“All right,” she begrudgingly agreed, allowing a shadow of a smile to curl onto her lips. “But they’re still cooling. I had just taken them out of the oven right before you got here, so it will be just a bit longer before I can frost them.”

“I think I’m going to die of anticipation,” Adrien pouted.

With a roll of her eyes, Marinette got to her feet. “Such a drama queen. Come up to my room. I’ve got a surprise to tide you over while you wait.”

“Surprise?” he echoed as he followed her up the steps and through the trap door.

She went over to the trunk and carefully moved the gramophone sitting on top of it to the chaise longue so that she could get the lid of the trunk open.

With a wistful sigh, she turned back to him and motioned him over to look inside.

“Is that all stuff you’ve made?” he inquired, taking in the shirts, scarves, ties, hats, pants, pyjamas, and other items of apparel.

“Yep,” she chuckled, surveying the horde. “These are for you.”

He blinked at the stockpile and then turned to blink at her. “For me?”

She nodded. “Sorry they’re not wrapped anymore. Originally, I wrapped them all, but then when I decided I wasn’t going to give them to you, I unwrapped them, and they’ve kind of just been taking up space and reminding me that I get a little too carried away sometimes ever since.”

“Back up for a minute,” he entreated. “…What?”

Marinette smiled sheepishly. “I made all of this for you. For your birthdays for the next, like, fifty years.”

His mouth dropped open, and he turned back to gawk at the treasures in the trunk with new eyes.

“Remember the crazy, embarrassing crush I told you I’d had on you?” she sighed. “I got a little too enthusiastic about making you gifts. Once I came to my senses a bit, I decided that I was being a little obsessive, so…I never gave you your gifts. I figured it was a little much.”

Adrien shook his head as he mentally tried to calculate how much time and care had gone into everything he saw before him. “It’s not,” he assured, getting a little choked up all over again. “It would have meant a lot to have known someone was thinking about me that much. It does mean a lot.”

“Oh,” she chuckled. “Well…good. I’m glad you wouldn’t have thought I was a demented stalker or something.”

He shook his head again with more vehemence. “Not at all. I… What made you change your mind? What made you decide to give these to me after all?”

She swallowed hard and forced herself to meet his gaze. “Last night, I was thinking about how I could prove my feelings for you. I know things haven’t been great between us recently, so I was thinking about ways I could show you how much you meant to me. I thought finally giving you your presents might illustrate how I feel about you…or maybe make you think I was crazy, so…”

Adrien didn’t respond. He was too caught up in his emotions as he sifted through the Ladybug pyjamas she’d made him; the nerdy ties made of sleek material but featuring graphics including music notes, Shakespeare’s head, maths formulas, and adorable cartoon kittens; and the mittens she’d knitted that folded back to reveal fingertipless gloves under the finger box part.

“I’m sorry that this isn’t very romantic,” she prefaced, “but I need you to know that I love you, Adrien.”

He snapped to attention and stared at her, completely bowled over. “You…You do? You love…me?”

She nodded, giving him a nervous smile. “I have for a long time. Not always perfectly, but…I need you to know that you’re not just my second choice. I loved you before Chat Noir, and even though things are messy right now, I still love you. I’ve never stopped loving you.”

He pulled her into his arms, squeezing her tightly.

Gradually, they sank to the floor together, Adrien burying his face in the crook of Marinette’s neck.

She could feel his tears against her skin as she ran her hand up and down his back.

Marinette made a mental note to tell him that she loved him more often. She’d never felt able to say it back to him while she’d been cheating on Chat Noir, but now that they were all dating, she needed to be a better girlfriend to Adrien. It was obvious how much the words “I love you” meant to him.

Maybe Adrien, like Chat, didn’t hear those words enough at home either.

“Also,” she whispered gently when Adrien seemed to have regained a hold on his emotions, “just to make this official: Adrien, will you go out with me?”

He lifted his head from her shoulder and gazed at her in damp, starry-eyed amazement for a moment before surging forward to capture her lips in a show of his enthusiasm for the idea.

“Was that a yes?” she giggled when they pulled back.

“Absolutely,” he laughed breathlessly. “Being your boyfriend is all I’ve ever wanted.”

“You’re so easy to make happy.” She grinned teasingly as she shook her head.

“I’m not easy,” he pretended to sulk.

She laughed, stealing another quick kiss. “Want to help me frost hummingbird cake pops and then get your butt kicked at the new Mecha Strike?”

He instantly perked up. “Yes.”

“Easy,” she snickered smugly.

His eyes narrowed as his over-the-top pout returned. “Okay, maybe I was wrong and some groveling is in order after all. Be nice.”

She hummed in thought, as if considering it. “Maybe I’ll let you win a round or two of Mecha Strike and lick the frosting bowl.”

“Throw in a kiss, and you’ve got yourself a deal,” Adrien bargained.

With a laugh, Marinette leaned in, placing a sweet, airy kiss to his lips.

Chapter Text

“Marinette, My Love,” Chat Noir called gently as he frowned at the clock on his staff’s readout. “I think it’s time to call it quits. It’s getting kind of late.”

“What? What time is it?” She didn’t even look up from her sewing machine as she fed the fabric through, hands rock steady.

He propped himself up on the chaise. “One-o-five.”

“Meh. That’s not too bad. I can still get another hour or two of work in,” she replied with a subtle shrug of her shoulders so as not to throw off her stitch. Then she sighed and muttered, “I had hoped to be further along on the dress Clara Rossignol commissioned, but I’m not really used to working with such high-end fabric, so I’m having a little trouble with how it’s behaving.”

Chat made a mental note to bring his girlfriend presents of different types of expensive fabrics more often. If he split the gifts between Chat and Adrien, he’d be able to give her more without her scolding him for spending too much on her.

He’d finally found an upside to her thinking he was two separate people.

“You look like you’re getting the hang of it, though. You’re such a quick learner. I’m sure you’ll be able to finish in record time now that you’ve got some practice with it,” he encouraged, sitting up.

She blew out a breath, her bangs billowing up. “Maybe, but I’m still behind where I thought I’d be, and I need to get to work on my entry for the Dior contest if I’m going to meet the deadline in a month. I need to come up with something that’s really going to wow Maria Grazia Chiuri, so I want to be able to take my time with it.”

Chat got up and went over to her, depositing a kiss to the top of her head. “Tomorrow, Princess. Right now, you need to sleep…and I need to be taking my leave.”

She stopped sewing to turn and gawk at him. “You’re going home? After what your father said to you?” she snorted incredulously.

Chat winced, remembering Gabriel’s scowl and his clipped voice as he’d succinctly raked Adrien over the coals for fumbling an interview question that had caught him off guard.

Apparently, Adrien’s awkward response about his dating life had brought shame upon the family and dishonor to the company.

He only hoped that Gabriel hadn’t guessed the real reason why Adrien had kind of freaked out a little and stuttered for a full ten seconds when asked if there was a girl or guy he was interested in. The possibility of being outted on live, national television was kind of terrifying, so he thought that his reaction was understandable, but, according to Gabriel, Agrestes were prepared for any situation and conducted themselves with poise. No son of Gabriel’s would ever behave in such an undignified manner.

So, that was kind of like getting disowned for being bi, he figured. It felt like it at least.

He’d told Marinette that his father had given him a dressing down and soft-core disowned him for not living up to expectations during a company marketing event. Now he was wishing he would have come as Adrien so that he could tell her the truth, but he hadn’t been thinking straight in his rush to transform and get away.

“No,” he responded quietly. “I’m not going home tonight. Maybe, when I’m discovered missing by his assistant tomorrow morning, he’ll think about what he said to me. For now, I’m going to head over to the Liberty. I kind of want to talk to Luka, and even though your parents said it was okay for me to sleep over when I needed a safe space, I still feel kind of awkward. I don’t want your dad thinking we’re…like…you know.” He cringed.

She gave him a warm smile and a pat on the arm. “If you want, I can explain the asexual thing to them, if that’d make you more comfortable. I want you to feel at ease here.”

“I do,” he hurriedly assured. “I am. I just… Sleeping over would feel different now that we’re in a relationship. I kind of…” He chewed on the inside of his cheek, trying to get his thoughts together.

She waited patiently.

Chat took a long inhale and blew it out slowly. “Thank you. I kind of want sleeping over to be more romantic and special than me running away from my troubled home life.”

“Okay.” She nodded, taking it in stride. “All right. Whatever you need, Minou.” She slipped her hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Why don’t you head out, then, so you get to bed at a decent hour? I’m sure someone’s still up on the Liberty. Text me when you get there, though. I’m just going to get a little further on this dress, and then I’ll turn in too.”

“Marinette, you need to call it a night,” he sighed, mentally shuddering at her idea of “a decent hour”.

“I’ll wrap up within the hour. Promise,” she insisted, an innocent look on her face as if she really believed herself.

His eyes narrowed and mouth tightened into a disbelieving frown. “Princess, I know you. You’ll get caught up in your work, lose track of time, and fall asleep at your machine. Has your therapist talked with you about your self-care habits? What does she say about you burning yourself out?”

She groaned and rolled her eyes, spinning around in her chair to face her sewing machine once more. “She says I need to slow down and not take on so much,” Marinette scoffed. “She says I don’t have to save the world single-handedly because it’s not like I’m Ladybug.”

Chat’s eyes widened as he stared at the back of his girlfriend’s head, suddenly feeling like he was seeing double.

“She doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” Marinette grumbled. “I gave her a piece of my mind about how Ladybug doesn’t save the world single-handedly. She saves Paris, and she’s only able to do it because she has you. There’s no ‘single-handedly’ about it,” she huffed indignantly, completely oblivious to her boyfriend’s internal panic.

Meanwhile, Chat Noir felt like he had been hit with a truck.

Marinette’s therapist didn’t know what she was talking about, and suddenly Marinette’s chart-topping stress levels and unwillingness to talk about her problems made a whole lot more sense.

“Shit,” Chat breathed.

“What? What’s wrong?” Marinette spun around in alarm, eyes scanning for danger.

“Nothing!” He quickly slapped on a neutral smile, hoping it didn’t register on her BS meter. “Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s great. Except for the fact that you’re not getting enough sleep. Let’s fix that.”

In a fluid motion, he scooped her up and slung her over his shoulder.

Marinette gave an indignant yelp as he carried her up the ladder to her loft followed by a squeak as he deposited her onto her bed.

“Chat Noir!” she protested.

He pushed her down, silencing her with his lips.

Quickly, her complaints were forgotten as she enthusiastically lost herself in the kiss.

“P-Please take better care of yourself,” Chat entreated breathlessly when he pulled back.

Some of the haze faded from Marinette’s eyes as her brow furrowed. “Minou?”

“Please,” he begged. “I love you so much, Marinette. You’re the most extraordinary, smart, talented, wonderful, giving person I know. I know you’re tough, but I’m afraid you’re going to break if you keep pushing yourself so hard, so…please try to take care of yourself at least half as well as you take care of everybody else. I’m worried about you.”

“Oh, Minou,” she sighed, reaching up to caress his face. “I’m sorry, Chat Noir. I’m working on it. There’s just so much to do and so few hours in the day. It’s hard to fit it all in.”

“I know,” he whispered tenderly, leaning in to nuzzle her forehead. “Believe me. I know how hard it is to juggle everything, so I get it, but the first item on your checklist needs to be you. You’re too young to abuse your health like this.”

“I’m working on it,” she mumbled self-consciously. “I’m seeing the therapist and trying her suggestions.”

“You’re doing a good job,” he praised, pressing a kiss to her temple. “and I’m so proud of you, Marinette.”

He pulled back to look her in the eye. “How can I help?”

“Help?” she echoed, blinking.

“Mmhm.” He nodded. “Is there anything I can do? Anything I can take off your plate? Like, can I do coffee runs for you or help you study for tests or do homework with you? Maybe we can sit down and look at your to do list and see if we can organize things better. Literally anything you can think of that I could do to make your life easier.”

“Oh, Chat Noir,” she sighed, a grateful smile stretching across her lips. “Thank you, but I couldn’t add more to your load. You’re busy enough with your own stuff.”

“Not too busy for you,” he objected, wearing a serious expression “I’m your partner, My La—Love,” he quickly covered his near-disastrous slip. “I’ve always got your back. We’re a team, so don’t be afraid to lean on me for support. That’s what I’m there for. I want to help.”

She studied his face for a moment, taking in his earnest expression.

She smiled, pressing her lips lightly to his. “Okay. You’re right. You’re my partner, and I shouldn’t be afraid to rely on you. I’ll brainstorm and let you know what you can do.”

A bright, relieved smile exploded onto his lips, rivaling the sun with its radiance. “Thank you, Marinette.”

“Thank you,” she stressed. “…All right. I think the first thing you can do is head out so that I can go to sleep before I lose all self-control and start working on Clara’s dress again.”

“Uh-oh. Can’t let that happen,” he chuckled, stealing a quick kiss for the road. “Night, night, Princess. Love you.”

“Love you,” she giggled, watching him go. “Don’t forget to text me when you make it safely to the Liberty.”

“Will do,” he promised, disappearing up through the skylight.

As he bounded across the rooftops, following the Seine to the Pont de Grenelle near where the Liberty was docked, he muttered to his kwami, “Plagg, remind me to text her when we get there because I think I’m going to be too preoccupied freaking out because my girlfriend is Ladybug.”

Chapter Text

“What did I miss?” Adrien called as he trotted up to his friends waiting at the bottom of the school’s front steps.

“Marinette’s going to win this contest Hermès is holding,” Alya announced with a smirk. “You know. No big.”

“Alya,” Marinette sighed in exasperation. “I haven’t entered yet. I haven’t even come up with a design.”

Adrien gave Nino a fist bump in greeting before turning to beam at Marinette. “Yeah, but you’re going to win once you do.”

“I don’t know about that,” Marinette mumbled, looking back down at her sketchbook.

“I do,” Alya snickered. “Listen to the boy. He knows what he’s talking about. He’s a fashion thoroughbred.”

Adrien blushed, finger going to tug at his collar. “Uh, technically, I think I’m more of a nouveau riche upstart, but I definitely know a thing or two about fashion, and you’ve got talent, Marinette. What kind of contest is it?”

“Ties,” she sighed, trying to hide how red her cheeks had become at his praise. “The artistic director for the men’s line, Véronique Nichanian, is going to be judging the finals herself, so I really want something that’s going to stand out.”

Nino gave Adrien a nudge. “Didn’t you do some modeling for Hermès a year or so ago when your father was pimping you out to other fashion houses to quote-unquote ‘expand your resume and build up the foundations of your career’?”

Adrien sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Yeah. That happened.”

“Well, hook a girl up,” Alya chuckled, giving Adrien a teasing shove. “Not that I don’t think Marinette can win on her own merits, but having an edge never hurt anyone. What kind of insider knowledge do you have?”

“Nothing really,” Adrien admitted shamefacedly. “I wish I could be more helpful, but the only piece of advice I can think of is to do a fun, quirky pattern, but camouflage it so that it doesn’t look tacky. Like, Hermès does have some silly patterns. For example, there’s this one with horses and jockeys up in the clouds, and then on the reverse side it has the horses and jockeys with parachutes.”

Nino cracked up. “Seriously? And let me guess…they want, like, two hundred euros for it, yeah?”

Adrien shrugged helplessly. “It’s hand-sewn silk?”

Nino shook his head sadly. “Mec…no. Two hundred euros for a silly tie? That’s criminal.”

“Okay,” Adrien admitted. “That one’s a little…less sleek, in my opinion, but then they have this one tie I actually really like.”

“Also probably for two hundred euros,” Nino chuckled, elbowing his best friend playfully.

“It’s got a bunch of little blue fish on it,” Adrien explained, giving Nino a light shove. “From afar, it just looks like a normal tie with a small geometric pattern repeating, but when you get up close, you can tell that they’re fish, and it’s kind of funny. It looks professional at a distance, but up close it’s a quirky tie. I think that’s the kind of design the judges will be looking for.”

Marinette, who had been hanging on Adrien’s every word, nodded, making mental notes.

As if coming to an important realization, Adrien gave a start and hurriedly added, “Only if that’s what you’re inspired to do. I don’t want you thinking you have to limit yourself based on what I said. I don’t really know what I’m talking about, and you have such a sharp instinct for this kind of thing, so…just do whatever you think is best.”

“No, I really appreciate your input,” Marinette assured, stepping in across the little circle their group had formed to rest a hand on his forearm. “In the end, I’ll go with my gut, but what you said gave me some ideas, so I think I’m off in the right direction. Do you think there’s anything I should avoid doing? Any colours or patterns or subjects?”

Adrien bit his lip as he considered briefly. “A lot of their products have the H logo all over them. I think they’ve done the H in all the ways it’s possible to turn an H into a design element. I know you’re super innovative, but I think that, since it’s their signature thing, they’ve probably seen pretty much everything and have higher standards for what they want in that kind of design, so it might be really hit or miss. I’m not saying to play it safe, but maybe save tackling a new take on one of the signature elements of their branding for later.”

“Noted,” Marinette affirmed.

“Also, maybe avoid horses,” Adrien added with a grimace. “It’s another one of their things. I’m sure plenty of other people do horses, so if you do horses, you might not stand out unless your design is over and above amazing—which I’m sure it will be anyway, but—and, besides, they already have a lot of merchandise with horses on it, so I don’t know that that’s what they’d be looking for.”

“Why horses?” Nino couldn’t help but wonder aloud…though, he wasn’t sure he actually wanted to know.

“If I remember correctly, the company founder originally made luxury leather goods like saddles and stuff for English nobles for horseback riding. So, yeah. Lots of horses,” Adrien explained with a smile and a shrug.

Nino frowned. “I mean…I guess that’s legit.”

“So, do you have any ideas now?” Alya excitedly inquired of Marinette…who didn’t respond because she was already absorbed in her sketchpad, quickly drafting the beginnings of a handful of possible designs.

The squad watched in awed silence as Marinette’s pencil moved frenetically across the page.

Less than five minutes later, she had three rough sketches and half a dozen other fledgling ideas in the works.

“What do you think?” She flipped the sketchbook so that the others could see the page with her quick sketches and notes on colour.

Adrien’s eyes went wide as he observed that the designs were all Chat Noir-inspired.

The first featured green paw prints on a black ground, spaced close together and turned around anticlockwise on their axis so as to give the impression of cohesive dynamism.

The second was black cat heads on a rose-pink background that had the same effect as Adrien’s fish tie. From a distance, it would look like a respectable, grownup tie, but up close you could see the fun in the design.

The third had miniature Chat Noir batons arranged in staggered, downward diagonal lines that, again, looked like a normal tie design from farther away.

“That’s amazing,” Adrien breathed, looking up at Marinette as she stowed the sketchbook back in her satchel. “Did you seriously just come up with all these right now, in, like, five minutes?”

Marinette smiled shyly, tucking a bang behind her ear as she shrugged. “What can I say? You really inspired me.”

A surge of joy and pride and love welled up in his chest.

His girlfriend was the most talented, incredible woman, and he wanted to put her up on a pedestal so that everyone could see how awesome she was. And yet, she was so humble about her gift and her achievements, going so far as to pretend that he had anything to do with her genius.

He took her by the hands and watched as her eyes went wide, locking with his.

“You are so amazing, Princess,” he cooed, overwhelmed by her greatness and the miracle that a girl so out of his league could be interested in him. “You’re going to win this contest. I know you are. Do you even know how epic you are?”

She opened her mouth to reply but was cut off as Adrien leaned in, catching her lips in a short, sweet, bolstering kiss.

Marinette froze as her brain tried to reboot.

Alya gasped even as she mentally lamented the fact that she hadn’t been recording this momentous occasion.

Nino cursed under his breath, preparing to build his bro back up after Adrien inevitably got shot down.

“I am so proud of you,” Adrien continued obliviously as he pulled out of the kiss. “You’re going to have your own label before you graduate.”

“Adrien!” Marinette hissed as her system came back online, pulling back and turning away.

Adrien blinked, shrinking slightly at her sharp tone. “What? I think it’s true.”

“Adrien, you can’t kiss me like that,” she groaned.

“…Oh, crap,” he breathed, covering his face with his hands. “I did it again. I am so sorry, Marinette. I don’t—”

“—Back up,” Alya interrupted. “‘Again’? As in, this has happened before?”

“Al,” Nino growled warningly.

Alya didn’t seem to hear him. “How many times have you guys kissed behind my back?”

“Three now?” Adrien mumbled miserably.

“Alya, this is serious,” Marinette chided. “I have a boyfriend—a serious boyfriend.”

Alya rolled her eyes. “Who I’ve never met and don’t even know the name of. Girl, you may have given up on Adrienette, but I haven’t. If my ship is sailing, I deserve to know.”

“Alya,” Nino snapped even as he put one arm around Adrien’s shoulders and rested the other hand on Adrien’s forearm. “Situational awareness much?”

To Adrien, he directed a soft, comforting, “Hey, it’s okay, Mec. It’s going to be okay.”

“This is kind of a big deal,” Alya huffed. “My bestie could easily have the man of her dreams, but, instead, she’s insisting on pretending to have some fake boyfriend she made up because she’s afraid to accept happiness and the good things the universe has sent to her. Clearly, an intervention is necessary for the good of both of our best friends.”

“He’s not fake!” Marinette retorted vehemently. “I told you, I met him online. We game together, and I only know his username, but he’s a real guy, and we’re really dating, so I can’t be making out with other blondes behind his back.”

“The good of our best friends?” Nino snorted crossly. “Right now, I think the best thing for our best friends is to keep them from getting akumatized.”

“I am so sorry,” Adrien repeated powerlessly, unsure of what else he even could say.

Nino gave him a squeeze. “It’s okay, Mec. Why don’t we head down by the river and try to calm down, yeah?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Marinette huffed, making a break for it and striding off towards the bakery. “I’m going home.”

“Marinette!” Alya called and started to chase after her.

Nino sighed, briefly watching them go before getting back on task.

“Come on, Adrien,” he gently coaxed, leading Adrien down onto the walkway along the river.

They found an empty bench and sank onto it, Adrien snuggling up against Nino’s side and dropping his head onto Nino’s shoulder while Nino wrapped an arm around his friend and gave another supportive squeeze.

“It’s okay,” he repeated like a mantra, keeping an eye out for purple butterflies. “It’s okay.”

“I think I just ruined things with the person I’m desperately in love with,” Adrien responded blandly. “I don’t think it’s okay.”

Nino was silent, contemplating for a moment before he amended, “It’s going to be okay. I’m going to make this okay for you, all right? Marinette’s still going to be friends with you, and everything’s going to be fine, yeah?”

Adrien didn’t have the energy to engage in optimism. “I royally screwed up, Nino.”

“Yeah, but what you did wasn’t unforgivable,” Nino tried to comfort. “Things can be patched up. You’ll see. Just hang in there for me right now, okay? Try to think happy thoughts.”

Adrien managed an affirmative grunt.

And then his phone chimed with an incoming text.

There on the screen was a short message that restored his strength.

Marinette had written: “I’m not mad at you. <3 Everything’s fine between us.”

Adrien tipped the screen so that Nino could see and then smiled up giddily at his friend.

“There you go,” Nino chuckled. “Everything’s fine.”

Adrien sighed, sinking back into Nino. “No, it’s not. Wanna hear a secret?”

Nino shrugged. “Sure.”

“I’m Marinette’s boyfriend.”

It felt really good to finally get it out into the air.

Nino took a deep breath, schooling his expression into a cautious neutral before responding. “…The one she plays online games with?”

“Yep. She doesn’t know it’s me, and you can’t tell her. She has her reasons, but she won’t let me reveal my identity to her, so…I keep accidentally kissing her because she’s my girlfriend, but she doesn’t know she’s my girlfriend, so…we end up having scenes like the one you just witnessed,” Adrien wearily informed.

“…Dude,” Nino replied poignantly.

“Yeah,” Adrien sighed.

“You have to tell her,” Nino insisted. “No joke.”

“Yeah,” Adrien repeated. “It’s complicated. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Nino pursed his lips, trying to process. He wanted to tell Adrien that nothing too bad had happened when Nino and Alya found out about Rena Rouge and Carapace’s secret identities. (In fact, Alya had seen through Carapace right away, so…) And nothing bad had come of Nino being ninety-nine-point-nine-repeating percent sure that Adrien was Chat Noir, so…

Nino took a deep breath and let it out, giving Adrien’s hair a distracted tussle. “Well…if…when you do want to talk about it, I’ll be here. You know you can talk to me about anything, right? Anything.”

“Yeah,” Adrien breathed, snuggling in closer, resting his head under Nino’s chin. “Yeah, I know. I want to, and I know I can trust you with anything, but…I can’t talk about it right now.”

“Okay,” Nino agreed, letting his chin rest on top of Adrien’s head. “Okay.”

“Thank you,” Adrien hummed, closing his eyes and letting himself relax.

Chapter Text

“I thought only girls went to the bathroom in pairs,” Marinette teased as Adrien and Chat Noir rejoined her at their table.

Gabriel was announcing the winner of their three-piece suit contest as part of their semiannual charity gala, so Marinette (as well as the other five finalists) was in attendance.

Marinette was also there as Adrien’s date, but you wouldn’t know it from how close Chat Noir and Adrien stuck together.

Chat Noir clicked his tongue. “I know you’re not gender stereotyping, Princess.”

“Sorry,” Adrien chuckled, giving Chat’s butt a pat. “We needed a minute. You know how I can’t keep my hands off of him.”

“Dri,” Chat hissed, batting Adrien’s hand away and looking around anxiously. “Stop. What if your father saw?”

Adrien shrugged. “He’s too busy to know I exist.”

“Oh, Adrien,” Marinette cooed, reaching out and taking his hand.

He gave her a weak smile. “It’s okay.” He looked back at Chat and grinned. “Besides, I have a beautiful, talented girlfriend with whom the media has been photographing me for months now. I have a rock-solid alibi as far as my sexuality is concerned.”

Chat rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Until someone catches you two making out in a closet,” Marinette snickered.

Chat and Adrien winced in tandem.

In truth, they’d gone into the closet so that Trixx could recharge and Adrien could have a break. It had gotten easier to coordinate controlling both his own body and his Adrien doppelgänger’s with months of practice, but it was still exhausting mentally to make sure he was speaking out of the right mouth, walking with the right feet, moving the intended hand…

“Yeah,” Adrien sighed, as Chat pulled out his chair so that he could take a seat. “I think we’re screwed as soon as someone gets a picture of us slipping into a closet together, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

“I think they’d probably give us both a pass,” Chat snickered, sitting down on Marinette’s opposite side. “I mean, even if someone weren’t into guys, who wouldn’t make out with Adrien freaking Agreste, supermodel (registered trademark), or Chat Noir, savior of Paris?”

Adrien put a hand over his mouth to cover his giggle fit. “True,” he agreed. “We are kind of irresistible.”

“Get a room, you two,” Marinette snorted in amusement. “All this ego stroking is getting a bit obscene.”

“She’s just jealous because we didn’t invite her to join us in the closet,” Chat observed, waggling his eyebrows.

“All joking aside,” Adrien broke in. “He had to go feed Plagg. I went with him to watch his back.”

“Oh.” Marinette’s eyes went wide. “Well. I guess I forgive you both for abandoning me amidst the wolves of the fashion industry, then.”

“We didn’t abandon you, Princess.” Chat bumped her knee with his under the table. “We were only gone ten minutes.”

“Besides.” Adrien tapped his knee against hers from the other side. “You can hold your own here. You’ve met some of these bigwigs before. You’ve won their contests. People know who you are.”

Marinette opened her mouth to assure Adrien that she was very much a nobody, a squishable bug to these people, but she was interrupted by the emcee getting everyone’s attention to announce that they were about to name the winner of Gabriel’s three-piece suit contest.

She sucked in a breath with all the ferocity of a drowning man getting one last gulp of air. “Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Omigosh.”

“Breathe,” Chat coaxed, resting a hand on her forearm. “You’ve got this.”

“There’s no way you’re not winning,” Adrien affirmed.

“And he’s going to look so hot in that suit you designed,” Chat snickered, getting Marinette to laugh a bit too.

“It’ll go with my lucky tie.” Adrien winked, proudly adjusting the tie with which Marinette had won Hermès’s contest that spring.

She bit her lip, teetering on the edge of the decision to believe in herself. “…What if they all think it’s because I’m dating you? That the contest was rigged?”

Adrien’s mouth stretched into a taut line as a bit of the colour drained from his face. “I’m sure there will be people who say that, but it’s not true, and the people who matter know that.”

“It was a blind judging the whole way through,” Chat reminded. “You won this completely on your own merit.”

Marinette frowned, turning to Adrien. “But your father knows how I sign my work. If he inspected the pieces as closely as they said they were going to, he would have found my signatures and known which entry was mine.”

“And he would have judged your work even more harshly because of that,” Adrien assured. “Yes, he likes you. He likes your work, and it’s true that he does have his eye on you, but the people he associates himself with have to be flawless. I mean, look at what a perfectionist he is with me. You’re winning this because you are just that good, Ohime-sama, not because you’re receiving preferential treatment.”

“You have to believe that,” Chat stressed, giving her arm a squeeze. “Believe in yourself.”

Marinette took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Okay. All right.” She looked back and forth between them with a wide smile. “Thank you, guys. I don’t know what I would do without you to keep me centered.”

“You’re perfectly capable,” they chorused in stereo, making Marinette laugh.

“All right, all right.” She rolled her eyes, still grinning. “You almost make me believe you. Wish me luck.”

Chat cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t think black cats are qualified to do that. Fortunately, I think you already have all the luck you need.”

“Wish me luck anyway,” she pouted.

“If you insist,” Adrien chuckled.

As one, Adrien and Chat Noir leaned in, pressing twin kisses to her cheeks.

“Good luck,” they whispered against her skin, sending the best kind of shivers down her spine.

Chapter Text

Finally, Marinette rolled off of Adrien with a happy sigh, and he was able to grab the washcloth off of the nightstand and clean his fingers.

“Having fun?” he chuckled as he watched her make moonlight angels, wrinkling his sheets.

He couldn’t really make himself care. It was his apartment, and it wasn’t like his father would be coming over to judge the crispness of the folds of his bedding.

And she looked so blissful and beautiful as she moved her arms and legs, laughing and beaming.

“I’d be having more fun if you’d join me,” she tittered, still riding high on hormones.

Obligingly, Adrien moved his arms and legs, making his own moonlight angel. “Too bad you can’t see them like you can snow angels.”

Marinette hummed, limbs coming to a stop.

Adrien turned to look at his girlfriend in concern. “Everything okay?”

“You’re still wearing clothes,” she observed with a scowl directed towards his boxers and the singular sock that hadn’t quite made it off in Marinette’s pressing need to be attended to.

He shrugged and shucked the remaining articles of clothing, tossing them to the floor with the rest. “Better?”

“Much,” she snickered, giving him a slow, appreciative gaze.

Adrien tried not to squirm.

He just couldn’t comprehend what she found so appealing, so it was always a study in insecurity when he was naked with her.

He understood the beauty of the human body in both male and female form: the sleek curving lines, the angles, the intricate way in which it all fit together. He could appreciate the roundness of Marinette’s breasts, the strong line of Nino’s broad shoulders, the supple firmness of Luka’s toned butt.

Topless humans were visually pleasing to him. Pantsless humans is where things fell apart. Sex organs were just…gross, so he couldn’t understand what Marinette was seeing that she found so attractive.

“Do you want to go again?” he offered so that she wouldn’t have to ask.

She always felt guilty for asking, like she was being selfish and making him do something he didn’t want to do, so he tried to make it easier on her by taking the initiative to ask her instead.

She shook her head, smiling in gratitude. “Not right this minute. Now, it’s your turn.”

His eyes widened as she advanced predatorially. “Marinette, I don’t really want—”

“—Relax,” she shushed, leaning in to steal a quick kiss. “Nothing below the belt. I promise. You just always do such a good job of taking care of me. It seems like it’s always about me, so I want to take some time to make it about you. I’m just going to love on you, okay?”

“Okay,” he whispered, letting down his guard and trusting her completely. “Can’t argue with that.”

Lightly, her fingers trailed across his chest, up his neck, and into his hair where they gently began to rub calming circles that had Adrien purring softly in pleasure.

Then, starting at his collarbone and nibbling up his neck, her lips began their ministrations.

She’d gotten as far as the underside of his jaw on the left when she stopped and pulled back.

He gave an unintelligible noise of displeasure, hoping she’d get the point and continue.

“Is that a scar?” She carefully ran her finger along the bone, over the thin, barely-there mark.

It was so light and small, she had almost missed it. She would have missed it if not for the fact that a stray moonbeam was currently providing the perfect lighting.

Adrien’s hand flew up to his face, feeling at his jaw. “I’d almost forgotten about it,” he muttered.

“I’ve never noticed before.” Marinette frowned as she tried to recall even one instance where she could say she’d seen the scar in the past.

“Well, it’s faded, and it’s right there along my jawline but hidden just in the shadow, so… It’s really easy to cover up. It doesn’t draw attention.” He shifted uncomfortably as the memories surrounding the injury came flooding back.

“How’d you get it?” she inquired, deciding that she liked the fact that her boyfriend wasn’t one hundred percent flawless. The small imperfection just made him even more perfect in her eyes.

He shrugged, averting his gaze. “It was when I was really young. Before Félix left. It was an accident.”

“What happened?” she pressed, completely oblivious to his discomfort.

Adrien bit his lip. “I…It was my fault. My mother…”

Marinette’s eyes narrowed.

“I was super annoying and needy,” he admitted, ashamed. “I bothered her a lot. Most of the time she didn’t mind,” he hurriedly explained, not wanting her to think badly of his mother. “but sometimes when she was stressed or in one of her moods, I’d push her over the edge, and she’d snap.”

Marinette drew in a sharp breath. “Adrien…”

“It was my fault,” he stressed, turning to look at her intently. “Things were really hard for her. She didn’t sign up to be a socialite, to be the face of my father’s company when she went out in public. It was really hard for her to go out and put on that kind of act. I know because I feel the same way about it myself. I understand the kind of pressure she was under,” he insisted, willing her to understand. “Plus, she was really struggling with mental health, and she didn’t have anyone to help her. She wasn’t a bad mother. She loved me when I was little. This was my fault.”

Marinette bit her tongue. She wanted to tell him that it wasn’t, but he always got so defensive and tended to shut down whenever she tried to bring up the subject of abuse and neglect. She wanted him to keep talking, to feel like he could confide in her without judgment, so she kept her mouth shut.

He looked away again. “…One time, when she slapped me, she accidentally got me with her fake nails. My father got really mad at her for damaging my face, and I don’t think they spoke for a couple weeks. And she always beat herself up over it afterwards. She was always horrified at what she had done. She was always sorry. She didn’t mean to hurt me. She loved me before she left. She was a good mother.”

Marinette leaned in, placing a feather-light kiss to the scar. “Thank you for telling me.”

She sat up and started pulling the sheets down, motioning for him to get under the covers with her.

They snuggled together, and Marinette returned to rubbing his hair and kissing up and down his neck.

“…Do you ever talk to Dr. Katsuragi about your mother?” she wondered aloud several minutes later.

“…A little,” Adrien mumbled. “…I don’t like talking about my parents. They sound so awful out loud, and I can’t explain how they were good. …And I don’t like being made to feel like I’m a victim. They did love me sometimes. There was a lot of good stuff.”

She wanted to tell him that just because someone loved him, that didn’t mean that they didn’t abuse him sometimes too. That didn’t make him a victim. That made him a survivor, and it didn’t mean he was any less of a person or worthy of love and respect just because bad things had happened to him.

She didn’t know how to make those words come out right, though. It wasn’t the kind of thing she was willing to risk getting wrong.

“I know,” she whispered, nuzzling his ear. “Just…keep trying to talk about them with your therapist, even though it’s hard. I think it’s really important.”

He gave a vague grunt in reply.

“…I love you,” she stressed. It was all she could say, all she could do for him.

He smiled, a genuine, bright smile that lit up the city, rivaling Paris’s famous lights.

“I know you do,” he chuckled, leaning in to take her lips with his. “I love you too.”

Chapter Text

Marinette had been pacing for going on an hour when a timid knock finally came at her skylight.

She rushed up to meet Chat Noir, pulling him into a crushing hug accompanied by a bruising kiss.

“What’s wrong?” he managed to get out as they broke to catch their breath. “Your text just said to come as soon as I could. What happened? Is everything okay?”

She shook her head. “I’ve been so worried about you. I had to make sure you were okay,” she explained, stroking his cheek and hurriedly searching his face. “Have you watched the footage of the akuma attack yet?”

He wilted, ears and tail going limp as he averted his eyes. “Oh. No. I…I’m kind of afraid to,” he mumbled. “Was it bad? Plagg said it was bad. …Did I hurt anyone?”

Hesitantly, he looked back at her, eyes pleading and searching.

She winced. “Everyone’s okay now. Ladybug’s powers put everything back to how it was before the akuma took control of you. Everything is fine.”

His face lost all colour. “Did I hurt a lot of people?” he amended in a pinched tone, afraid to know the truth.

“You didn’t hurt anyone,” she stressed, cupping his cheeks in her hands, forcing him to look into her eyes and see the vehemence and conviction in them. “You would never hurt anyone, Chat Noir. You save people, and you’re damn good at your job. You are amazing, and nothing you did today was your fault. You weren’t the one in control.”

“I think I need to sit now,” he informed weakly before sinking to his knees on her bed.

“Oh, Minou.” She dropped down beside him, pulling him into another tight embrace. “That wasn’t you. You didn’t hurt anyone, and everyone is fine.”

He just sat there for a few minutes, letting her comfort and reassure him, soaking up her warmth.

“…Will you watch it with me?” he finally asked.

She bit her lip and hesitated. “…Chat Noir, I don’t know that you should watch the footage. It was…kind of brutal.”

“I need to know what the akuma made me do,” he replied simply. “Will you watch with me? Please?”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. Of course. If you really want to do this, I am one hundred percent there for you.”

“Thank you,” he breathed, a watery smile of gratitude parting his lips.

They got comfortable on her bed, Chat curled around her, resting his head on her shoulder as she pulled up coverage of the akuma fight on her phone.

He held his breath as the video started to play.

He saw himself get hit, Ladybug shouting to him, a look of horror on her face.

The akuma, Anima-tor, and his growing army of people who now thought that they were various animals stormed their way through the streets to the zoo in the Jardin des Plantes to liberate the animals, Chat Noir in tow.

He cringed as he watched the people Anima-tor was controlling attack anyone who stood in their way. He began to tremble when the footage showed him lunging at people, swiping with his claws, baring his teeth.

It got to be too much when Ladybug got in the way of Anima-tor’s plan, and he sicced his minions on her.

Chat Noir led the pack, unleashing his Cataclysm.

Chat gasped, covering his mouth with a hand as he watched himself.

Marinette paused the video. “You didn’t hurt her. Ladybug is fine. She actually used your Cataclysm to break Anima-tor’s object, so it was okay. We don’t have to watch the rest; it’s clearly upsetting you.”

“No. I need to see how it ends,” he insisted gently.

Marinette took a deep breath and unpaused, tightening her supportive hold on her boyfriend.

Chat Noir gave a little jolt each time his image on screen attempted to hit Ladybug with his destructive power, but, as Marinette had said, it was quickly over, and everything was put back to rights.

As the video ended, Chat slumped against Marinette and covered his face with his hands.

“Minou,” Marinette coaxed. “Look at me.”

He shook his head speechlessly.

She took his hands and pried them away from his face, taking his right hand and drawing it up to nuzzle and press soft kisses to his fingers, knuckles, and ring.

“My Love, there’s nothing to be afraid of. You would never use your powers to hurt anyone. You would never act like that of your own free will, so there’s no need to worry about you becoming a monster by choice. You weren’t in control,” she asserted, taking the fears straight out of his head and smashing them. “That wasn’t you. Everything is fine now. End of story.”

He peered up at her hopefully. “You’re sure that everyone’s okay?”

Marinette nodded. “Everyone is accounted for. Everyone’s healed.”

“And no one is mad at me?” he inquired, venturing to be optimistic.

“If anyone is, I will personally fight them,” she snorted. “That wasn’t your fault. You’re not responsible; therefore, no one should be mad at you because you’re not to blame.”

He gave her a weak but definite smile. “Thanks for always being so willing to go to bat for me.”

She shrugged, a proud smile stretching across her own lips. “You’re my boyfriend. I’d fight Papillon for you and win.”

“I believe it,” he chuckled, a bit of his spirit slowly rallying and making a comeback.

He bit his bottom lip thoughtfully, hesitating before asking, “…And…You’re not afraid of me?”

Her eyes flew wide in surprise. “Afraid of you? Why would I ever be afraid?”

He looked down at his right hand sadly. “I could have killed…Ladybug. You. Anyone.”

She shook her head, picking up his hand and bringing the palm up to her lips.

“Never,” she answered with conviction. “You would never consciously hurt me, Chat Noir. When you’re not in control, you’re not really you, so while it’s important to be careful around you when you get mind-controlled, I never have to be afraid of you.”

She leaned in to take his lips in a languid, reassuring kiss, confirming, “Never.”

He let himself melt into her, let himself believe that what she said was true.

Chapter Text

Adrien was running late, and there was nothing he could do about it but fidget in his seat and wait for traffic to work itself out.

Mid-morning, Marinette’s parents had texted her to say that the letter from Hermès had arrived. It was the letter that would tell her if the judges had selected her tie design to move on to the next round where they would actually be printing her pattern and letting her make a real tie with it.

Sabine asked if Marinette wanted Tom and Sabine to open it and let her know, but Marinette told her that she wanted to wait to open it with Alya, Nino, and Adrien.

The problem was that Adrien had missed lunch and afternoon classes because of a photoshoot, and now traffic was making him late, keeping Marinette in suspense as she dutifully waited on him.

With a sigh, Adrien pulled out his phone and texted the group: “Sorry. I’m stuck in traffic. Go ahead and open it without me. You can tell me the good news when I get there.”

Adrien’s bodyguard Victor raised an eyebrow as his charge sighed heavily yet again.

“Adrianka…”

Adrien looked up. “Hm?”

“You could always get out and run,” Victor suggested in Russian.

Adrien blinked, considering for a moment before responding in Russian. “I could? We won’t get in trouble for you letting me go unsupervised?”

“You’re keeping your girlfriend waiting,” Victor reminded. “Do you really care about getting in trouble right now?”

Adrien pressed his lips together into a thin, pensive line.

Victor turned his head. “Quick. I’m looking away.”

Adrien had his seatbelt off and the car door open in seconds, tossing a quick thank you back over his shoulder as he made a break for it.

Alya, Nino, and Marinette were still waiting at the foot of the school steps when he arrived, slightly winded.

“Well?!” he called as he ran towards them. “Tell me you made it!”

Marinette’s beaming expression said it all. “I made it!” she shouted, still giddy from the good news.

“Oh my gosh! That’s so amazing!” he laughed as he reached her, scooping her up and swinging her around, almost hitting Nino and Alya (who wisely stepped back out of the way, giving Marinette and Adrien some space).

“I knew you would!” he insisted, pulling her into him for what was supposed to be a hug.

Somehow, their lips found one another’s, and before either could stop to think about it too hard, they were kissing enthusiastically.

Alya whipped out her phone and nearly bit Nino’s hand off as he tried to stop her from recording.

“This is for the wedding reception video,” she hissed.

Nino put his hands up in surrender before crossing his arms and leaning back sulkily against the wall, waiting to see if his best bro would have need of him.

Slowly, Marinette and Adrien drew apart, stepping back less than a foot, arms still around one another as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

Adrien gulped. “I-I’m sorry. I… Did I kiss you first, or did you kiss me?”

“I…don’t know,” she replied in a daze as her mental shoulder angel and devil fought a shouting match inside her head. “…I want to kiss you again.”

“Please do,” Adrien whimpered.

She almost did.

She leaned in, but, at the last second, she turned her head, burying her face in his chest instead.

He pulled her in close, holding her tenderly and gently rocking her from side to side as she cried silently. He nuzzled her hair, enveloping her in the embrace, trying to keep the world out for her, trying to make her feel safe.

“Shh,” he cooed. “It’s okay. This isn’t your fault.”

Nino took Alya by the arm and started to tug her away. “Bakery,” he mouthed to Adrien as he dragged his girlfriend away to give their best friends some privacy.

Adrien nodded and mouthed, “thanks,” back.

Nino and Alya left, and then there was the horrible silence filled only by passing cars, chirping birds, and Marinette’s sniffles.

“I’m sorry,” Adrien spoke again when the guilt got to be too heavy. “I shouldn’t have…” He bit his lip, at a loss. “I keep ruining everything.”

She shook her head, finally looking up at him. “You don’t.”

“Maybe…we need to take a break from each other,” he suggested, though it pained him. “Maybe a little time apart would be good.”

She dropped her head to his shoulder and squeezed him to her once more. “I couldn’t stand it, being separated from you. Please don’t leave me.”

He rested his head against hers, reaching up to pet her hair. “I would never leave you,” he swore. “We’re just…going to have to figure this thing out.”

She gave a despondent hum. “…I’m cheating on my boyfriend.”

“No,” he insisted. “You haven’t done anything wrong.”

She laughed bitterly at that.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this, Ohime-sama,” he sighed, feeling stuck.

“…Let’s head to the bakery,” he suggested a minute or so later. “There’s no point in standing around feeling guilty and miserable. We’re supposed to be celebrating how wonderful and talented you are and how smart the judges at Hermès are for recognizing your greatness.”

She laughed again, this time in amusement. “Okay. You’re right. Only purple butterflies can come of standing around dwelling on screwups.”

Adrien winced. “And we don’t want that.”

They broke apart reluctantly and made their way towards the bakery.

As they waited at the crosswalk, Adrien shot a quick text to Nino, letting him know that they were coming and that Alya and Nino were to pretend that nothing had happened and to focus on the fact that they were supposed to be celebrating Marinette.

Surprisingly, when they arrived at the bakery, even Alya let the kiss drop, and they were actually able to have a good time sharing snacks, talking, and losing pathetically to Marinette at Mecha Strike.

Chapter Text

Three-way calls were really difficult when you were two out of the three participants.

Adrien had learned this the hard way when, a week into dating both Chat and Adrien, Marinette had thought it a good idea for all three of them to talk. Regularly.

It was a headache.

He had to switch back and forth between Adrien’s phone and Chat Noir’s communicator, muting and unmuting the lines as he went so that there wasn’t an echo that would give him away.

It was kind of fun roleplaying both Chat Noir and Adrien, though, creating a relationship between them, coming up with pet names and inside jokes, deciding what their dynamic would be, how they interacted with one another.

Flirting with himself was a little awkward at first, but he was a good actor and quickly adapted to his dual roles.

The hardest part was making sure that the right guy responded on the correct phone line. It was such a pain when Adrien and Chat Noir had to talk to one another, and he was kind of worried that he was going to get busted because his voice sounded the same.

Little did Adrien know that three-way calls were only the beginning of his nightmare trip through the land of identity porn.

The three of them had been dating going on three weeks when, one night, Marinette had an idea: “We should hang out sometime. As a couple.”

Adrien blinked at his phones, debating whom he should make field that comment.

“Whom do you mean, Princess?” Chat Noir inquired.

“Haven’t both of us been spending pretty much time with you lately?” Adrien added.

Marinette chuckled as if she thought he were being silly. “Well, yeah. I meant…you know. The three of us.”

“The three of us,” Adrien repeated, brain stalling.

“Yeah. I mean, we are all three dating, so…I was thinking we should spend some time together as a couple.” She said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Adrien had a thing about being fatally oblivious.

“Right,” Chat Noir laughed, managing to sound halfway normal and not like he was internally panicking. “Of course. That would be great. I’d love to have my two favourite people together at the same time.”

“Yeah,” Adrien chimed in, trying to sound enthusiastic. “Cuddling with the both of you would be epic. It might be a little hard to find time in our schedules, though. Chat Noir and I are both kind of overscheduled. We see each other mainly at night when we’re supposed to be asleep, but your parents’ ‘no boys in the bedroom after midnight’ rule would get in the way.”

“Pretty Boy and I will compare schedules and get back to you with possible dates,” Chat promised.

“Okay. Sounds like a plan,” Marinette agreed, the excitement painfully evident in her voice. “I’m really looking forward to this,” she giggled.

Adrien’s plan to not be able to find a date and time that worked immediately crumpled and burst into flames.

He was going to have to come up with some way to be in two places at once…or, rather, the same place twice, because he couldn’t disappoint his girlfriend.

“Sorry, guys. I’ve got to go feed Plagg. I’ll talk to you later?” Chat wrapped up the conversation early, too distracted to continue.

He worried he might slip and speak as Chat from Adrien’s phone or something while in his current state.

“That’s okay,” Adrien replied. “I actually have to go work on Chinese homework anyway. I’ll talk to you soon. Love you guys.”

“Love you both too,” Marinette responded, a big, warm smile still in her voice.

Adrien hung up, detransformed, and slumped back against his bathroom counter.

“You are so screwed,” Plagg snickered, phasing through the door out into the rest of Adrien’s room.

Adrien sighed. “Maybe, but I’m at least going to try.”

He would do anything to keep from letting his girlfriend down.

Chat Noir awkwardly cleared his throat.

Ladybug arched an eyebrow worriedly. “Is everything okay, Chaton? You said you had something urgent you needed to talk to me about?”

It had taken him a week to come up with this plan and convince himself to try to put it into action. Now, as he sat next to Ladybug on the roof of Sainte Chapelle, what had seemed like a genius, foolproof plan before was starting to feel ridiculous and untenable.

He took a deep inhale. “So…” he began but then chickened out, looking away.

“Chat Noir, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?” she demanded.

“Are you still militantly against people finding out our identities?” he finally spit out.

She blinked then nodded. “Absolutely. We don’t know what lengths Papillon is willing to go to. It’s essential to keep our identities safe, Chat Noir. You can’t tell anyone, no matter how much you might trust them.”

He blew out a breath. “Okay. So, here’s the deal. My identity is on the verge of being discovered. If you don’t want that to happen, I have a plan I need your help with.”

She nodded eagerly. “Of course. I’m in. Just tell me what you need me to do, Chat Noir.”

“You’re not going to like it,” he cautioned.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. “I’ll get over it. I’m willing to do anything to keep you safe, so just tell me.”

“Someone is very close to figuring out my identity,” Chat reiterated. “It’s someone close to me, someone who knows both of me, and in order to throw them off, I need them to see both of me together.”

Ladybug nodded, remembering her trick with Multimouse. “And what’s your plan to make that happen?”

He gulped, looking her in the eye with a pleading expression. “I need to borrow the Fox Miraculous. Long term. I don’t know how long this will go on, but I might need to borrow Trixx for weeks or months even.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off.

“I know. It’s dangerous to have the Miraculouses out in the world right now. Papillon could do a lot of damage with the Fox Miraculous in particular, but…you trust me don’t you?”

His eyes bored into hers, and she couldn’t respond. How could she argue when he played the trust card? Of course she trusted him. She trusted him with her life, her heart, her everything.

“I’ve kept Plagg safe all these years. I would keep Trixx safe too,” he pressed. “If we ever needed Rena Rouge for a fight, it would be just as easy for me to go give the Miraculous to Alya and collect it from her afterwards as it is for you to go get the Miraculous and give it to her. It would be faster even because I would already have the Fox Miraculous on me.”

She pressed her lips into a thin line of disapproval. She wanted to tell him why this was a horrible idea, but she couldn’t come up with an argument that held water.

Seeing her hesitation, he went in for the kill. “I mean, I trust you to keep all of the Miraculouses safe without question…maybe you could trust me to protect this one?”

Ladybug sighed sulkily, grumbling, “I don’t like this.”

“I told you you wouldn’t,” Chat snickered.

She shook her head, fixing him with an intent gaze. “Chat Noir, you know I trust you, right? This isn’t about trust.”

He nodded, a sympathetic smile curling up the edges of his lips. “It’s about you not liking to give up control.”

His words were like a physical blow, and she was struck by how right he was.

“I get that,” he continued gently. “Everything is always chaos around you, so you do everything you can to exercise control over everything that you can. I understand, My Lady. I really do. My girlfriend is like that too, and I get that it’s not about me…. So, it’s your call, Guardian.”

Ladybug tensed as she was forced to confront a truth about herself that she wasn’t sure she liked. Was she really that much of a control freak as both Marinette and Ladybug?

She took a long, slow inhale and blew it out. “Wait here,” she instructed, opening the interdimensional pocket inside her yoyo and pulling out the Horse Miraculous.

She slipped on the glasses, combined Kaalki with Tikki, and opened up a portal.

“I’ll be back with the Fox Miraculous in just a minute,” she assured with a smile.

Adrien took a week to test the bounds of how long he could sustain the Mirage and to practice coordinating his eight limbs. Once he felt like he had things under control, he scheduled a Saturday night date at Marinette’s with both Chat Noir and Adrien in attendance.

“Show time,” Chat whispered, back pressed against the little wall of chimneys abutting Marinette’s balcony. “Mirage.”

Adrien appeared, looking like he’d just stepped out of a photoshoot in tight, tan corduroy pants and a wine-red cardigan that made the green of his eyes sizzle.

He looked at Chat Noir and shook his head, chuckling, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

Chat gave a snort. “You and me both.”

“Anything to make our girlfriend happy.” Adrien shrugged helplessly.

Chat winced. “When she finds out, she’s going to be livid…and disgusted by how dumb we are.”

Adrien cringed. “I can just imagine her annoyed face as she flatly demands what we were thinking.”

“Oh well,” Chat sighed, scooping Adrien up into a bridal carry. “We’ll deal with that hurdle when we get there.”

Adrien held on tight, arms encircling Chat’s neck as the superhero jumped up and over the wall, doing a backflip into a ten-point landing on Marinette’s balcony railing.

Unfortunately, Chat’s tail nicked one of the flowerpots, sending it to its doom and getting dirt and azaleas all over Marinette’s balcony.

“Darn,” Adrien and Chat muttered in tandem.

Marinette’s head popped up through the skylight, and both boys smiled sheepishly.

“Sorry! It was an accident,” they explained in stereo.

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Trying to show off for your boyfriend, Minou?”

Chat gulped. “Sorry. He’s pretty, and I want him to think I’m cool. I’ll buy you new azaleas and a new pot too. A better pot.”

“Deal,” Marinette agreed with a grin that revealed how little the broken flowerpot bothered her. “I’ll clean it up tomorrow, so don’t worry about it. Hurry up and get down here.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Adrien snickered. “Let’s go.”

With a nod, Chat Noir followed their girlfriend down into her room and carefully deposited Adrien onto the bed.

“There you go, Pretty Boy. I trust your journey was pleasant,” Chat flirted, laying it on thick for Marinette’s sake as he nuzzled Adrien’s ear.

“I will never get tired of travelling by rooftop,” Adrien informed Marinette in exhilaration before turning to Chat Noir and smiling sweetly. “Thanks, Nyan-chan. You’re my hero.”

He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Chat’s.

It had taken some practice to get the coordination down to be able to make out with himself (Plagg had teased mercilessly and laughed until he cried), but Adrien and Chat were now able to kiss seamlessly without any awkward bumping of heads, unintentionally bitten lips, or injured noses.

Marinette’s eyes widened.

Up until that point, she’d been a little jealous of how in sync Adrien and Chat seemed, but watching them kiss was… She could definitely watch them kiss for a substantial amount of time. Maybe it was a good thing that she’d agreed to share them with one another.

Chat and Adrien’s lips unlocked, and then Adrien was smiling lovingly at Marinette. “I think he deserves a reward. He rescued me from the tower where my evil stepmother was keeping me prisoner. Don’t rescuers usually get to live happily ever after with the princess?”

Marinette gave a half-snorted laugh. “Nathalie isn’t your stepmother, and it’s your father who’s keeping you locked up…. Are you the princess or is that me?” she added curiously.

Adrien’s innocent smile morphed into a cat-like smirk, and he reached out to pull her down on top of him. “Both of us,” he tittered against her skin before pressing his mouth to hers.

Chat Noir joined in, and soon they were a jumble of lips and limbs, rumpled clothing and tussled hair, love bites and swollen lips.

Twenty minutes later found them a breathless heap. Chat’s gloves, Marinette’s sweater, and Adrien’s cardigan had all been discarded, and the trio basked in the skin-on-skin warmth.

“This…was a great idea,” Marinette giggled, pulling her loose hair ties the rest of the way out and tossing them to the floor with their clothing items. “Group make-out sessions need to become a regular thing.”

“That could be arranged,” Chat Noir snickered, nuzzling and nipping at Marinette’s bare shoulder.

Adrien buried his face further into the crook of Marinette’s neck, giving her throat a kiss. “Anything to make you happy, Ohime-sama.”

Chat gave a snort. “You say that like she’s the only one enjoying this. You’re blissed out of your mind right now.”

“Because her fingers are magic,” Adrien moaned as Marinette continued rubbing gentle circles along his scalp. He was on the verge of purring his head off.

“I’m just happy that, for once, I’m not the only one getting worked up,” Marinette laughed, giving Chat Noir’s hair a pet too so that he wouldn’t feel left out.

Chat blinked, lifting his head to inspect the doppelgänger for signs of arousal. It was kind of hard to tell with Adrien’s pelvis pressed up against Marinette’s thigh, but…

In general, Chat was in direct control over the Mirage. It wasn’t like when Rena had used her powers to create insubstantial illusions. The Adrien Mirage was solid and took quite a bit more concentration to maintain. When Chat’s focus wavered (like when he was distracted by making out with his amazing girlfriend), the Mirage continued to operate on its own, sometimes in ways that Chat didn’t necessarily intend…like, apparently, by getting hard.

“Oh?” Adrien hummed, giving Marinette’s neck a lick. “You like it when I go to pieces?”

“Exceedingly so,” she giggled, pressing against him and, inadvertently, away from Chat.

Chat who was suddenly feeling insecure because he was very much not hard, and this was going to be a huge issue in their relationship.

He watched as Marinette and Adrien kissed and wondered if he could keep her happy with the Mirage. If he couldn’t meet her needs himself, maybe she’d work with him. Maybe it would be enough that he loved her. Maybe he would be enough and she wouldn’t leave him for a man who could make love to her as often as she wanted.

Suddenly, Marinette was kissing him, fingers snaking through his hair and massaging his cat ears. “What are you thinking about, Minou?” she whispered against his lips.

“That I can’t make you happy. That this isn’t going to work. That I’m going to lose you and it’s going to kill me.”

“That I’m not good enough,” he replied in a small, scared voice.

“My Love,” she cooed, eyes dark and full of desire. “No. Not at all.” She sighed and shook her head. “I wish you could see yourself the way I do. I wish you could see how amazing you are.”

He smiled sadly. “Sorry. Self-esteem issues.”

“I can relate,” Adrien hummed, carefully climbing over Marinette and Chat to snuggle up against Chat Noir’s other side.

This was a little surprising because Chat hadn’t told the Mirage to do that.

Still, it was nice to have another warm body at his back, wrapping his arms around Chat protectively.

“It’s okay, Minou,” Marinette soothed, lightly caressing his cheek. “Let us love on you, and we’ll see if you feel better afterwards.”

“What if I don’t?” Chat laughed a little as Marinette’s lips tickled his throat.

“Then we’ll love on you until you do,” Adrien informed with a mischievous smirk, tugging down Chat’s bell to unzip the suit and gain access to more real estate.

As he let his eyes slip closed and lost himself in the blur of lips and hands, Chat noted that the warmth and weight of another body against his really was incredibly comforting. It might be beneficial to bring out his doppelgänger to snuggle after a rough day when Adrien needed a hug more than anything but couldn’t escape to seek solace in his friends or girlfriend.

“Feeling better?” Marinette giggled once some time had passed and their kisses grew languid.

“Actually, yes,” Chat purred, giving Marinette’s jaw a fond nip.

“Don’t move,” Adrien pouted against the skin of Chat’s back between his shoulder blades. “I’m not done marking you with my initials.”

Chat’s eyes suddenly flew wide. “Oh, crap. Marks!” he squeaked.

Marinette arched an eyebrow. “What about them? I don’t think they’ll give your identity away; lots of people have hickeys, and the ones we left on you aren’t particularly unique. I mean, besides Adrien’s initials, so maybe don’t go around taking your shirt off, but…”

“No,” Chat groaned turning to Adrien (ruining his masterpiece). “Photoshoots.”

Adrien’s lips rounded into an “o” of understanding. “Shoot. I guess this is what concealer is for?”

Chat clicked his tongue. “Yeah, and you’re going to need a bucket full of the stuff. Your father is going to kill you.”

“Not if my superhero boyfriend saves me.” Adrien smiled innocently, playfully batting his eyelashes.

Chat rolled his eyes with a grimace. “Your superhero boyfriend is going to be busy being murdered by his own controlling father.”

Adrien bit his lip. “So…I guess it’s up to Marinette to save us.”

Chat smirked. “I think we’re in good hands.”

“Not at the moment,” Marinette snorted, rolling onto her back. “I don’t expect my beautiful ace boys to understand, but making out with smoking hot guys is thirsty work, so I wouldn’t trust me with any part of you, least of all your virtue, right now.”

Adrien quirked an eyebrow. “…Is ‘thirsty’ a euphemism?”

Chat shrugged. “I think so, but keep in mind that I’m a sheltered baby too.”

Marinette sat up, shaking her head. “Oh, my sweet dorks. Yes. …Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go refresh myself.” She paused and looked at them tentatively. “…Unless you guys feel comfortable going a little further tonight?”

Adrien and Chat turned to look at one another, a flicker of horrified panic shooting across their faces before they could get their emotions under control enough to put on identical people-pleasing smiles.

Adrien nodded as Chat replied, “Sure. If you want to. I mean, we’d be happy to try, if that would make you happy.”

Marinette’s tentative expression scrunched up into a scrutinizing frown. “Guys. Don’t. Seriously.”

The boys blinked in tandem, sharing a look before turning back to Marinette in confusion.

“Don’t…what?” Adrien inquired cautiously, afraid that he’d messed up and ruined everything.

She shook her head, reaching out to cup Chat’s cheek with her left hand and Adrien’s with her right. She took turns looking them each in the eye. “Don’t ever force yourselves to do something you’re not comfortable with. Please, please, please. I know you guys think it’ll make me happy, but it won’t. If I find out later that you pushed yourselves for my sake, I’m going to feel awful.”

“Oh,” they breathed in sync, shoulders slumping.

“I need to be able to trust you two when you say you’re okay with doing stuff,” she explained patiently, leaning in to give them both a bolstering kiss. “Just tell me the truth. I promise I won’t get mad if you’re not comfortable doing something.”

“Okay,” Adrien agreed as Chat nodded in accord. “Sorry. We—”

“—It’s okay,” Marinette cut him off. “No apologies necessary. I get it. You two meant well, but…”

“…Okay,” Chat sighed, resigning himself to being as honest as possible…and losing her because of it.

Marinette pinched his cat ear. “No feeling bad about yourselves. You’re not disappointing me or not good enough or whatever other negative thoughts are going through your heads.” She gave Adrien a pointed look. “I love you both, and I want to make this work just like I know you guys want to make this work. We’re just going to have to be patient with each other and ourselves, okay?”

“Okay,” they chorused, smiling tentatively.

She leaned in to kiss each of them. “Those are my boys.”

“That’s our girl,” they chuckled in return, Chat nuzzling her ear while Adrien leaned across Chat to kiss Marinette’s nose.

“Thank you,” Chat whispered breathily, touched at her willingness to put her own needs aside for his.

“Of course,” she stressed. “I love you two.”

“And we love you,” Adrien replied, and Chat nodded vehemently. “It means a lot that you’re backing up your words with actions.”

Chat smiled wistfully. “We get told that people love us a lot, but you’re one of the only ones who’s proven it.”

“My boys,” Marinette whispered, a deep sadness in her tone. She wrapped an arm around each and pulled them into a tight hug. “I don’t know that I’ve done a good job of proving it. I feel like I have so much to make up to the both of you…but I’m trying.”

“We appreciate it,” Adrien assured.

They slowly separated, burgeoning smiles on their lips at the sense of serenity surrounding them.

“Okay,” Marinette sighed. “I’ll be in the bathroom just off the kitchen freshening up. I’ll be back in, like, ten minutes, so don’t get into trouble while I’m gone.”

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t knock things off ledges or terrorize your yarn collection,” Adrien promised.

Chat gave his double a solid fwap on the arm. “And I’ll make sure he doesn’t take his clothes off and start posing on anything.”

Adrien gave Chat a dirty look. “I don’t even like modeling.”

“And I don’t like destroying everything I touch,” Chat snapped back.

“Okay. Time out,” Marinette decreed, making a T with her hands. “Why don’t you two just continue making out while I’m gone, and then, when I get back, we can snuggle and watch a movie?”

Adrien and Chat shared a look before answering, “Deal,” in sync.

As soon as he heard the bathroom door on the floor below close behind Marinette, Chat Noir let the transformation drop.

Adrien slumped back against Marinette’s giant cat pillow and sighed.

“I’m exhausted,” he muttered, fishing out two carrot sticks for Trixx and a hunk of Camembert for Plagg, despite the fact that Trixx was the only one doing any work.

“Mentally or physically exhausted?” Plagg snickered. “Making out looks strenuous. Or were you talking about the mental effort of convincing your girlfriend that you’re two different people?”

“Both,” Adrien groaned, throwing an arm over his face. “Leave me alone. I’m just trying to make the woman I love happy.”

“You should tell her the truth,” Trixx advised neutrally as he munched on his carrots. “I mean, I understand why you haven’t, but…this is more than a little bit ridiculous.”

“If Tikki were here, she’d scold you for using the Fox Miraculous for personal gain,” Plagg added in amusement, as if he knew something Adrien didn’t.

“Is it really personal gain when I’d rather reveal my identity to my girlfriend and go on dates like other couples?” Adrien grumbled sullenly.

“He has a point,” Trixx allowed with a shrug. “This charade is only prolonging his suffering.”

Plagg looked at his tired kitten, and the amusement left his eyes. “…The fox has a point, Kid. Maybe you need to tell her before this goes on much longer.”

Adrien shrugged. “She refuses to know my identity, and she’s got valid reasons. Knowing very well could put her and the people she loves in danger. She’s afraid, and she has every right to be. This secret is a huge burden, and I can’t just force it upon her against her will just because it will make my life easier. How selfish would it be of me to do that to her?”

The kwamis fell silent.

When Marinette returned, Adrien and Chat Noir had straightened their clothing and were cuddled up together on top of the covers, Chat purring softly as Adrien petted his hair.

Marinette grabbed her laptop and joined them, and they all snuggled up to watch Porco Rosso.

The next Saturday, Adrien, Chat, and Marinette met for making out, Chinese food, and video games.

Somehow, Adrien neglected to factor in Adrien and Chat Noir having to play against one another, so video games were a bit of a clown fiesta. Marinette had fun laughing and making fun of how bad and uncoordinated Chat and Adrien were, though, so that was a plus.

The boys even joined in the laughter when Marinette cackled so hard that she rolled off the couch and landed roughly on the floor.

The resulting crash brought Sabine up to check on them, and when she caught sight of Adrien and Chat Noir together on the couch, she blinked rapidly, rubbed her eyes, and gawked.

Adrien and Chat grimaced, waving to their (hopefully) future mother-in-law and greeting her in Mandarin.

“How are there two of you?” she returned bluntly, confirming that, yes, Sabine did know.

Marinette stopped laughing and sat up to look interrogatively back and forth between her mother and her boyfriends.

She understood the demanding tone and the fact that Sabine had asked a question, even though she didn’t understand all of the words. She guessed that her mother had asked what the two of them were doing there and answered in French, “Maman, I told you I was having friends over. You said it was okay.”

“It is, Sweetie,” Sabine assured with a warm smile. “I just didn’t know it was Chat Noir and Adrien you had invited.”

“I can explain,” Adrien quickly replied in Mandarin, making Marinette frown.

“It’s magic,” Chat joined in. “I swear this is necessary to protect my identity.”

“It’s complicated,” Adrien sighed. “Please, please, please don’t say anything.”

Sabine pursed her lips but eventually nodded. “All right,” she responded in French. “You kids have fun. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”

As her mother left, Marinette’s frown intensified. “I need to learn Chinese. What were you talking about?”

“Uuuuhhh…” Chat’s brain stalled out.

“Your mother was making sure our intentions were noble,” Adrien jumped in.

Chat really hated the moments when he lost control of the Mirage’s mouth.

“Her daughter’s alone with a leather-clad catboy and a male supermodel; any mother would be concerned,” Adrien explained in a tone approximating that of a reasonable person, thus cementing Chat’s desire to smoother his doppelgänger with the Dupain-Chengs’ tastefully-designed couch cushions.

Marinette burst out laughing again. “Right,” she snorted. “Maybe any mother who didn’t personally know you two dorks.”

Chat turned to Adrien with a hurt pout. “She doesn’t think we’re a threat.”

Adrien smirked. “She will regret underestimating us when we pin her down and tickle her.”

A wide grin slowly took form on Chat’s face. “Have I told you how much I love you lately?”

“Okay!” Marinette sprang to her feet and retreated to the kitchen. “Well, now that that’s settled, why don’t I get a start on those maraschino cherry sugar cookies while you two keep sucking at video games?”

Adrien and Chat Noir stared at Marinette. Slowly, their heads turned, and they shared a look.

“I mean…cookies,” Chat whispered.

Adrien nodded. “We can always pin her down and tickle her later. Cookies are more important.”

Chadrien turned back to Marinette with twin grins and chorused, “Sounds good!”

Marinette’s brow gradually scrunched into a frown of suspicion. “You guys aren’t…like…related or something, are you? I promise I’m not going to judge your incestuous queerplatonic relationship or anything.”

The boys laughed nervously.

“I mean…I already told you about my brother Félix,” Adrien reminded. “Don’t you think having more than one secret brother is a little much?”

“Obviously, we’re the same person,” Chat added jovially, very much wanting the lying to be over with already.

Marinette’s eyes narrowed, her brow crinkling as she really looked at them for a minute.

Adrichat held their breath.

For a second, he really thought she was going to call him on it…but then the moment passed, the look of suspicion faded, and she laughed, rolling her eyes.

“You two are ridiculous,” she snorted. “Fine. Don’t tell me you’re secretly cousins or whatever. I’ll find out someday after Papillon is defeated. Go back to self-destructing at Ultimate Mecha Strike.”

Adrien and Chat sighed in unison, turning back around on the couch to resume their doomed game.

In their defence, it was really hard to keep straight which set of fingers controlled which mech on screen. This was made even harder by the fact that Chat and Adrien had the same favourite character—a fact that Marinette knew from having played with both of them separately in the past.

Add in the fact that he had to strategize for both combatants at the same time…it was like playing chess against yourself. He knew what he was going to do ahead of time, rendering his strategy useless because his opponent was literally inside his head. It went by too fast. He needed to go home and practice just like he’d done with making out. He’d get it eventually, but, as things presently stood, playing against himself took the entirety of his concentration.

Therefore, it was quite understandable that when Marinette asked, “Adrien, how many cookies do you want with cherries, and how many should I make snickerdoodle?” Chat Noir answered, “Um…maybe three of each?”

There was a beat, and then it struck Chat that he’d made a mistake. He turned to look at Marinette who was blinking at him in mild confusion.

Adrien winced and put a comforting hand on Chat’s arm. “I think she meant me.”

Chat bit his tongue to keep from saying, “Thank you, Captain Obvious”.

“Wait,” Marinette breathed. “No way.”

Chat braced for impact.

“You’re both named Adrien?” Marinette gasped.

He wanted to cry.

Adrien laughed unconvincingly. “What? No,” he denied in a manner that clearly indicated he was lying. “I mean…how ridiculous would that be?”

Chat really wanted to smoother his double just to put them all out of their misery.

“I can’t believe this,” Marinette laughed a tad hysterically, struggling to process her new reality. “What are the odds of falling in love with two guys named Adrien?!”

“Not as good as you think,” Adrichat muttered under their breath.

That evening, Adrien collapsed onto his bed feeling tired and resigned.

Plagg and Trixx looked on in pity.

Chapter Text

When the akuma came crashing through the classroom window, Adrien’s first instinct was to grab Marinette and get her to safety.

Safety ended up being a storage closet just off the cafeteria.

He pulled her in after him and hugged her hard to his chest, burying his face in her hair and protectively cradling her head.

His partner was completely forgotten in his desperation to protect the woman he loved.

“Adrien,” Marinette panted, slightly more in the present moment than he was…until she looked up and caught sight of his soft, honey-and-cream-Chapstick-coated lips.

She gulped, heart still pounding from their sprint out of the classroom and down the halls.

He opened his mouth to say something but ended up with her tongue urgently tangling with his instead.

He didn’t complain and happily let her take charge.

She kissed him deeply, her hands everywhere—rumpling his hair, skimming over his shoulder blades, pressing at the small of his back, gripping his clothing.

He decided he loved adrenaline-fueled kisses.

The desperate, animalistic passion just wasn’t there when she kissed Chat Noir. She was more careful with him. Sweet and thoughtful and romantic and gentle and kind. Sometimes their makeouts got a little heated, but it was nothing like the way she’d devoured Adrien’s mouth back in the library, the hot, sloppy way her lips and tongue and teeth attacked him now.

She wasn’t careful with Adrien.

He liked that she didn’t treat him as if he were breakable.

Maybe she was handling Chat Noir with kid gloves because she knew about what a hard time he’d had getting over Ladybug and how he had intentionally not dated for years as he let his heart recover from that experience. Maybe she was being considerate, giving him the space and time she thought he needed.

That was a very Marinette thing to do, holding herself back from something she wanted for the good of someone else.

Maybe he needed to take the initiative for once and turn up the heat as Chat Noir so that she would know he was ready, know he could handle it.

Marinette bit his lip, startling him into the present.

“S-Sorry,” she panted, pulling back.

“N-No.” He closed the gap, kissing her again. “I like biting,” he mumbled against her lips. “I was just…” Another kiss. “…surprised.”

She put her hands on his chest and pushed away hesitantly. “We need to stop,” she informed him without conviction.

“I don’t want to stop,” he whined, leaning in to suck on her neck.

“Adrien,” she moaned, hips pressing forward into his thigh. “I…uh…”

He trailed his tongue up her throat and kissed her jaw at the point just below her ear. “…And you don’t want to stop either.”

She slammed him against the closet wall, knocking the air out of him, and recommenced her onslaught.

Adrien gladly followed her rhythm.

…Until the closet door was pulled open several minutes later by an underclassman looking for a spot to hide from the akuma still raging in the school courtyard.

“Oops. Sorry!”

The door was slammed just as suddenly as it had been wrenched open, leaving Marinette to stare in horror at the dust bunnies in the bristles of the broom hanging on the back of the door.

She released her hold on Adrien and slumped against the opposite wall less than a meter away, arms going to hug herself.

“…Marinette?” Adrien called tentatively. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head slowly and replied in a cold voice right on the edge of calm. “My boyfriend is out there, possibly in danger, and I’m in a broom closet sucking on your tonsils. I am a complete failure as a partner, and there is nothing okay about this.”

“Marinette, no,” he cooed, trying to sooth her. His brain couldn’t come up with the right words to fix this fast enough. “No. This isn’t—” He reached out to pull her into a hug, but she slapped his hands away.

“—I’m despicable,” she spat more at herself than at him. “Who does this, Adrien? What kind of person does this?”

“Marinette,” he tried again. “This isn’t your fault. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I shouldn’t have—”

“—If it’s not my fault, then, whose is it?” she snapped. “You’re not the one with the boyfriend, Adrien. And I kissed you.”

“No,” he pleaded with her, trying to make this impossible situation right. “Ohime-sama, please. You didn’t—”

“—I need to go find my own closet now,” she decreed, shutting down the discussion.

Anguish flooded his face.

He couldn’t let her leave. Things were still ruined between them. He needed to find a way to un-break them before he lost her friendship forever.

His hand shot out, catching her by the arm. “Wait! I—”

She cut him off with a soft kiss to his cheek. “I’m not mad at you.”

He blinked at her in surprise, his hand going to the place she’d kissed as if to verify its existence.

“I’ll see you tonight for DDR at Alya’s,” she informed, sounding exhausted and resigned. “I just really need to get away from temptation right now.”

He nodded, letting her go.

She opened the door and looked back at him, reiterating, “I’m not mad at you.”

His heart cracked at her kindness. It was more than he deserved after everything he’d done. He loved her even more for her innate instinct to reassure him and make sure he was okay in the midst of her broiling emotions.

“Don’t be mad at yourself,” he pleaded as the door closed.

She ignored him. “Stay safe.”

“You too,” he muttered miserably, sinking down to the floor.

He listened to her footsteps retreating into the distance and sighed.

“I’m the despicable partner,” he muttered. “I’m the one leading my girlfriend astray and making out in closets while Ladybug is out there fighting alone…. Plagg?”

“Yeah, Kid?” Plagg came out of his hiding spot in Adrien’s left shoulder and gave his kitten an affectionate nuzzle.

“I’m going to hell for seducing my girlfriend, aren’t I?” Adrien sniffled, feeling like rubbish that had been trampled in the street.

“No, Kid,” Plagg sighed. “I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but everything’s going to be okay.”

As expected, this did nothing to improve Adrien’s mood.

Plagg took a deep breath. “If you need to cry, go ahead and let it out while there’s already an akuma. Ladybug will be okay on her own for a bit. You do what you need to do to take care of you.”

Adrien frowned and started to argue. “But—”

“—No buts,” Plagg cut him off, settling down on top of Adrien’s head and beginning to purr soothingly. “Forget about Paris and Ladybug and akumas for a minute. You are the priority.”

Adrien closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to exorcise all the negative emotions.

“…Plagg, you really think this is going to be okay someday?” he asked several minutes later.

“Mmhm,” Plagg, still purring, affirmed and gave Adrien a nuzzle.

Adrien exhaled slowly. “Okay. Thanks. Plagg, transform me.”

Chapter Text

“So…why are we going on this date as Princess and Chat Noir?” Chat inquired, hanging upside-down off of Marinette’s chaise longue as he watched her put the finishing touches on her chameleon-like makeup. “Wouldn’t it be less fuss to go as Adrien and Marinette?”

“Nope,” Marinette decreed, rubbing her lips to spread her lipstick evenly and letting the word go with a pop. “Reasons. Come help me with my necklace.”

“Yes, My Ladylove,” he chuckled, flipping over the chaise and going to her side.

He grinned widely when she handed him the bell necklace she’d worn for many of their special occasions.

“I’m a fan of the bell,” he purred, carefully working the clasp and slipping it around her neck.

“I know,” she chuckled. “That’s why I’m wearing it.”

Chat pursed his lips, giving his girlfriend a scrutinizing look. “You’re up to something.”

Marinette shrugged.

A wave of dread hit him, figuratively knocking his feet out from under him. “Am I forgetting an anniversary?” He scanned his mental calendar, trying to come up with a significant past event.

“Nope.” She shook her head with a mysterious smile. “Just a regular Saturday in August.”

He frowned, sensing that there was something he was missing. “It’s the eighth day of the eighth month. I’ve heard that the Chinese consider eight a lucky number, so it’s an auspicious day, at least.”

“That’s what my mom said,” Marinette snickered. “Come on. Time for our date.”

Chat quirked an eyebrow in suspicion but obediently followed as she made her way up to her loft and out onto the balcony. “May I know where we’re going, Princess?”

“To get ice cream. André’s waiting for us on the Pont des Arts,” she informed, giving his bell a gentle tap.

People gawked and took pictures much as they had done for the past three and a half years, but, between dating Chat Noir as Princess and Adrien as Marinette, Marinette had long ago gotten used to the attention.

They got their ice cream from André and took it up to the rooftops to eat in relative peace as they watched the sun set in a rolling wave of citrus colours: tangerine, lemon, and grapefruit pink fading into soft lavender and rich indigo.

“You’re planning a surprise,” Chat accused through a wide grin.

Marinette shrugged, leaning in to give their shared ice cream cone a nonchalant lick.

Chat Noir presented his evidence: “You colluded with André so that he’d be waiting on the Pont des Arts for us.”

Marinette smiled enigmatically, refusing to play into his hand.

He pursed his lips and studied her. “So…”

She kept smiling.

He frowned. “Are you going to give me a hint?”

She shrugged again.

His frown morphed into a pout. “Are you at least going to tell me where we’re heading next?”

“Jardin du Luxembourg,” she granted, trying to play it cool, even as the ring box burned a hole through her purse.

They strolled through the garden hand in hand, the shade of the trees combining with the twilight to afford them a little more privacy.

“Do you feel like I love you?” she asked as they approached the Medici Fountain.

He gave her a puzzled look but answered immediately, “Princess, I know you love me.”

She shook her head. “Yeah, but…do you feel like I love you? Do you feel loved?”

“Oh,” he breathed, nodding as he understood what she was really worried about. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry, My Love. I do.”

She blew out a sigh of relief. “Okay. Good. Because you’re always going out of your way to do things for me to make me feel loved, and I just…I worry that I don’t speak your love language. I worry that I don’t say it enough or that I don’t say it in a way you understand.”

She stopped at the thigh-high fence around the fountain basin and turned to look at him. “You’re so precious to me. I want to make sure I’m taking care of you. I want to make sure I’m doing this right.”

“Princess, you are,” he stressed, tugging her over to one of the countless green metal chairs encircling the fountain. He sat, pulling her down onto his lap. “Why so serious tonight?” he whispered, giving her hair a comforting nuzzle.

 “Just…nervous. Doubting myself, I guess. I worry a lot,” she mumbled, resting her head on his shoulder.

“I’ve noticed.” He clicked his tongue and began to purr soothingly. “Don’t worry, My Ladylove. I see the effort you put in, how much you care about getting it just right for me. Most of the time you nail it, but, even when you don’t, I still see how hard you tried, and that means just as much to me as if the romantic gesture you were going for had gone off without a hitch. I feel loved, so don’t doubt yourself.”

She took several deep breaths and let them out slowly. “Okay…. Okay. Good.”

“I knew it,” he snickered when they arrived at La Méditerranée and the server escorted them to their table. “We’re recreating our first date.”

“Maaaaaybe,” she chuckled, cocking an eyebrow nervously. “Is that romantic or cliché?”

“Romantic,” he assured decidedly. “…So long as you don’t feel compelled to order oysters just because we had oysters on our first date. I know you think they taste like seawater snot.”

She covered her mouth to muffle the sound as she burst out laughing. “Your father would have a heart attack if he knew you’d said that out loud in public.”

Chat shrugged, a wide, knife-like grin spreading across his lips. “You see, that’s the perk of being Chat Noir. Father doesn’t get to control or have an opinion on what I say in public.”

She shook her head, setting her menu aside to reach across the table for his hand.

The bell around her neck glinted in the dim restaurant light, and his smirk softened.

“It’s okay,” he assured quietly. “He doesn’t matter. I don’t need him; I have you.”

She nodded, giving his hand a squeeze. “…In all seriousness, I was planning on ordering oysters.”

His eyebrow arched. “You hate oysters. They make you gag.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, obviously, you’d have to eat them, but I want a shell to take home to go with the one from our first date. It’s a memento that I treasure, so…” She smiled shyly, a cherry blossom blush leaking out from under her Princess mask.

“As my Princess wishes,” he replied with as much of a bow as the seating arrangements allowed.

Chat settled the check as they leisurely finished their crème brûlée and he prattled on about the musical about Molière’s life that he had just seen with Nino and Luka.

All of the sudden, it dawned upon Chat that Marinette had been uncommonly quiet, nodding and making little sounds in all the right places to let him know that she was listening but not making any contribution to the conversation herself.

“Is everything all right, Princess?” He peered across the table at her in concern.

“Fine!” she hurriedly assured a little too loudly and then looked around to see if she’d disturbed any of the other diners. “Fine,” she repeated, voice lower. “I was just…”

His head tipped to the side. “Just…what?”

His eyes scanned her face, searching for the answer.

She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I love you.”

The worry faded from his face as he beamed. “I love you too.”

She reached across the table, interlacing her fingers with his. “I love you, and I can’t imagine ever feeling this way about anybody else.”

His eyes widened.

“You’re the one for me,” she stressed, gaze locked with his. “Even though I sometimes doubt whether I’m what’s best for you, I’ve never questioned how I felt about you. Even when things were messy, you’ve always felt right to me. I’ve never been uncertain about you. From day one, you being my partner felt natural. My head may not always have been in the right place, but my heart has never wavered.”

Chat nodded speechlessly, eyes tearing up as he let her words wash over him and tried to absorb them.

She squeezed his hand and then let go, moving to fish the ring box out of her purse as she stood.

Chat gasped, right hand moving to cover his mouth as he gawked at Marinette going down on one knee.

She smiled nervously. “I want us to be partners in everything for the rest of our lives…. Will you marry me?”

With a choked sob, he pulled her to her feet and swept her up into his arms, spinning her around as he pressed his lips to hers.

“Y-Yes,” he laughed as he pulled away, staring into her eyes in love and wonder and joy. “Yes, yes, yes! To be by your side is a dream come true.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” she chuckled, pressing a kiss to his nose. “Wanna head somewhere more private so I can give you your ring? I don’t want to take it out here because it’s kind of unique, and I’m afraid someone is going to get a picture of Chat Noir wearing it and expose your identity.”

“My place okay?” he suggested, and she nodded eagerly.

Later that night as they cuddled in Adrien’s bed, Adrien couldn’t stop playing with his new ring. It was stainless steel with a black band in the center. On the band was an erratic line pattern reminiscent of a heartbeat on an EKG monitor.

He pulled it off his finger and admired the engravings around the inside of the band for the dozenth time.

Home. Love. Family. Forever.

“Explain the inscription again,” he begged like a child desperate to hear their favourite bedtime story one more time.

Marinette sighed, rolling over to nip his shoulder before patiently acquiescing. “‘Home’ because home is where the heart is. My heart is with you, so I’ll always be home by your side, and you’ll always have a home in me.”

He had to hold back tears yet again because her knowing that he needed that promise, that stability meant more to him than words could say. She knew without him ever having to tell her what he needed.

“‘Love’,” she continued, “because that’s what we have in many different forms. Love for one another as friends, as romantic partners, as teammates, as people.”

“And ‘family’?” he prompted.

“‘Family’ because it only takes two people to make a family,” she recited, pressing a kiss to his jaw just above his scar. “So long as you have me, you will always have a family…and, someday, it won’t just be the two of us. Together, we can build whatever kind of family we want.”

“What about ‘forever’?” he whispered, wrapping his arms around her torso more tightly.

“‘Forever’ because that’s how long I’m making these promises for. What we have is permanent. I will never abandon you. I will never stop loving you. I will always fight by your side, no matter what the battle, if it’s dealing with work stress or taking care of sick kids. We’re in this together.”

“Thank you,” he sniffled into her neck. “This…all of this…you really hit it out of the park, Marinette. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more loved and understood than I do right now.”

“Good,” she sighed into his hair. “I really wanted to get this right for you.”

“You shouldn’t doubt yourself,” he encouraged. “You know exactly what I need, and you always take care of me.”

“I’m glad you think so,” she chuckled.

“Hey, I’m the only one whose opinion counts when it comes to deciding whether my needs are being met.” He gave her collarbone a playful nip, making her laugh harder.

“Thank goodness. I would never give me a passing grade.”

“…Hey,” Adrien interjected softly once the laughter had faded into comfortable silence.

Marinette angled her head so that she could look down at him. “Hm?”

“I know we’re already engaged because you asked me to marry you, and I said yes, but…” He chewed nervously on his bottom lip. “Would it be okay if I proposed to you too? Maybe as Adrien and Marinette?”

She took his face in her hands and crushed her mouth to his.

“I would love that,” she assured.

Chapter Text

“I have an idea,” Marinette announced as they sat at the kitchen table staring down at the chessboard between them.

“I should hope so;” Adrien snickered, “otherwise, I’m going to checkmate you in two moves.”

“No.” She looked up. “I meant…about your father.”

Adrien quirked an eyebrow, puzzled. “Ohime-sama, I’m afraid you’re going to have to be a bit more specific. Are we talking about how my father is controlling or how he’s too busy to be bothered with me or the fact that he doesn’t want us to go public about our relationship or that he’s too hung up on my mom still to admit that he has feelings for Nathalie or—”

“—About his opposition to us publicly dating,” she cut him off before he could really get started. “I can see his points about people accusing me of gold-digging and trying to get an advantage in the fashion industry, and I know that he’s right that it will be a lot of unwanted attention for me and I’ll probably get hate mail from your fans and people will invade my privacy and all that, but…I also know how important it is to you for us to be official so we can attend events as a couple and go on over-the-top romantic dates and get some of your rabid admirers to simmer down.”

“So what are you thinking?” he prompted, head tipping to the side in curiosity.

Her mouth stretched into an impish smirk. “We force his hand.”

He went owl-eyed at the thought of getting Gabriel Agreste to do anything he didn’t want to do. “Oh? And how are we going to accomplish that?”

“We get the media to declare us a couple. It’s not our fault if people see us out together and make assumptions,” she reasoned innocently.

A wide grin spread across Adrien’s lips. “Like that time we went to see my mom’s movie together.”

“Only not in my pyjamas this time,” Marinette groaned, remembering the months of humiliation she’d suffered through as a young teen.

“Your pyjamas were adorable,” he assured. “I saved those pictures of us, you know.”

She lost her train of thought as she gaped at him. “You did?”

“Mmhm.” He nodded with an embarrassed smile, cheeks warming. “I mean, it was really a big deal that you ditched your plans with the girls to help me get to the theatre to see the movie. It meant a lot to me, and I enjoyed running around Paris with you. That day was full of good memories, so I wanted a souvenir…. And…I mean…as previously discussed, I think I’ve always been a little bit in love with you, even if I didn’t know it, so…”

He looked up and shrugged, the picture of cherubic wholesomeness.

“You are the most precious,” Marinette cooed, leaning forward to kiss him and knocking over the chess pieces in the process.

When they pulled back, they looked down at the carnage of pawns, rooks, knights, and bishops.

“Well, I mean…you were going to checkmate me in two moves anyway,” Marinette reasoned. “Let’s just say that you won.”

Adrien pursed his lips, deliberating for a moment before deciding, “That’s fair. So what’s your grand plan to get the media to declare us dating?”

“Well…” Marinette quickly set the chess pieces back up in their starting positions and got out her phone. “Take a selfie with me.”

“O…kay.” He shrugged and did what she asked, smiling brightly and wrapping an arm around her, head tipping in towards hers, even though he wasn’t sure what this had to do with the plan.

Marinette quickly uploaded the picture to her Instagram and added the caption, “Hanging out with my good friend @adrienagrestebrand”.

She turned to him and smiled toothily. “We play innocent, but if enough pictures of us in couple-like situations start circulating online, people will talk. If enough people talk, it will eventually become something your father will have to publicly address. Maybe he’ll go on the record as saying that we’re not a couple, but if pictures of us acting like a couple keep popping up, no one will believe him, and we win.”

Adrien’s eyes went as wide as his smile as he shook his head and beamed at his ingenious girlfriend. “You are the most clever, amazing person ever. This is wonderful, Marinette!”

“I’m glad you approve,” she chuckled, looking pleased with herself. “I know it’s been bothering you this past month, us still being a secret and not able to publicly date, so…I’ve been trying to come up with a solution.”

He took her hands in his and gave them a squeeze, staring into her eyes with pure adoration. “Ohime-sama, you are the best. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

A hint of concern came into his gaze, turning his exhilarated expression into a worried frown. “…Are you sure you want to do this, though?” he inquired tentatively, not wanting to dissuade her but knowing that he had to be honest. “My father does have a point about people who are going to invade your privacy and send you death threats and call you an opportunist gold digger. Life in the public eye kind of sucks, and I don’t want you diving into this for my sake thinking that it’s going to be okay because it’s not, Marinette. Dating me and dealing with all of that is going to be awful and scary and—”

“—It’s not dating you that’s going to be bad,” she quickly corrected. “Dealing with your fans and the media is what’s going to be awful. Dating you is a dream come true, Adrien, and definitely worth whatever I have to put up with.”

“Oh,” he breathed, stunned by the certainty of her response.

“I’m sure about this,” she insisted with a dazzling smile. “You are one of the few things in my life I’ve always been sure about.”

“Oh,” he repeated, his face hurting he was smiling so hard.

She leaned in to give his cheek a kiss. “I’m going to work with our friends to make this happen. We’ll hit it really hard throughout the week, and, then, next Saturday we’ll strike the finishing blow. You’re free for the day until your interview with Nadja in the evening, right?”

He blinked at her curiously. “Yeah. Why?”

The following day, Marinette kidnapped Adrien to take Jagged Stone’s crocodile Fang out for a walk around the Square de la Tour Saint-Jacques. They took photos cuddling Fang on one of the blue benches with the tower in the background and Fang licking their faces and them laughing together and posted them on their Instagrams with tags talking about how fun it was spending time with such a good friend.

Jagged took some pictures and posted them on social media too, and the general public got plenty of shots of Adrien Agreste and a girl who looked somewhat familiar even if they couldn’t place her walking a famous crocodile.

Monday, Alya just so happened to take some pictures of Chat Noir for the Ladyblog that captured Marinette and Adrien having a picnic in the Place des Vosges in the background.

That same day, Adrien’s Instagram featured photos of the macarons from the picnic and a shoutout to Tom and Sabine’s.

Tuesday, Marinette and Adrien posted photos of their Chemistry study session along with captions about how learning was more fun with a friend.

Wednesday, Chloé posted photos of her newest Queen Bee-inspired manicure with the Pont des Arts as the background.

Clearly, between Chloé’s thumb and index finger, Adrien and Marinette could be seen standing at the railing of the bridge, laughing and smiling at something one or the other had said.

Thursday, Kitty Section updated their website to include new pictures in their photo gallery. One didn’t have to look all that closely to spot Marinette and Adrien in the background.

He had his arms around her as they stood at the keyboard and he positioned her hands to show her how to play the instrument.

Jagged Stone and Clara Rossignol included links to the Kitty Section site in Twitter posts.

Friday, an anonymous source sent a picture of Adrien and Marinette sitting on the school steps, holding hands to the president of Adrien’s fanclub, and “#Who is Adrien’s New Girlfriend?!” started trending.

On Saturday, Adrien met Marinette at the Trocadero for the grand finale.

“So, what’s the plan, Boss?” he greeted as she came trotting up to him.

“I’m finally going to take you on that ridiculously romantic date you’ve always wanted,” she informed as she touched her cheek to his for the usual air kisses to either side of his face.

“You’re going to what now?” He stared at her in amazement, afraid to believe that the day had actually come.

Just then, a pedicab pulled up to the curb, and Marinette smirked. “Our ride’s here.”

Adrien’s jaw dropped. “We’re going on a romantic rickshaw bicycle ride?”

She laughed fondly at the excitement on his face and nodded. “Yep. Come take a selfie and post it on your Instagram with a caption about how you’re spending the day with one of your best friends and you’re so glad that we’re friends and all that.”

Adrien happily acquiesced.

Their pedicab took them down along the Seine and past the Grand Palais, Petit Palais, Place de la Concorde, Tuileries, and the Louvre on their way to the Pont des Arts.

Adrien took a few more shots for his Instagram en route, including several with his arm around Marinette’s shoulders, their faces close together to fit in the frame.

“You know,” Marinette chuckled as she snuggled up to Adrien, “I’ve had this romantic bike ride scenario planned out for years now.”

“What?” he laughed incredulously. “Seriously?”

“Yes.” She gave his arm a light smack. “I seriously have. Remember my ridiculous crush on you?”

“I still can’t believe you liked me,” Adrien snickered, shaking his head in awe. “I could have had you this whole time if I weren’t such an oblivious dimwit.”

“Be nice,” Marinette scolded.

“No,” Adrien pouted. “I’m seriously angry at myself. If I had gotten a clue back then, I could have had the most awesome girlfriend on the face of the planet. Instead, I spent my youth feeling like an unlovable screwup. I will never forgive myself,” he snorted, only half joking.

Marinette leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to his jaw. “You’re very lovable and definitely not a screwup,” she whispered, hoping their cyclist-driver was concentrating on the road and the music playing through his earbuds rather than their conversation.

“Tell me about this romantic bicycle ride scheme fourteen-year-old Marinette came up with,” Adrien entreated. “That will cheer me up and make me forget what a loser I am. I love fourteen-year-old Marinette’s schemes. They’re brilliant. Marino is my favourite so far.”

Marinette cringed. “Fourteen-year-old Marinette’s schemes were horrendous, shameful failures…but if it’ll make you feel better… The plan was for Alya, Rose, Juleka, Mylène, and Alix to help me make it so that your bodyguard couldn’t park where he was supposed to pick you up after a photoshoot.”

Adrien arched an eyebrow and gave her a devious smile. “And then you were going to lie in wait for me to sweep me off my feet with a romantic rickshaw bicycle ride?”

Marinette nodded, shrugging hopelessly. “We were going to ride to the Pont des Arts to get soulmate ice cream from André, and Alix was going to throw rose petals to create the right atmosphere.”

“I would have loved that,” Adrien whispered, touched that she had put so much thought and effort into a surprise for him.

Marinette shook her head. “You would have had fun, but you wouldn’t have appreciated it as much as you do now. You didn’t see me in a romantic light back then, so it just would have been a memorable outing with a friend.”

Adrien reached down and slipped his hand into hers. “You have no idea how special all those times spent hanging out with you were to me. I grew up bored and lonely, so your friendship really was—is—a precious gift. Things don’t have to be seen in a romantic light to be meaningful…and it would have really meant a lot to take a bike ride and get ice cream with you.”

“Oh,” she breathed softly, admiring the soft glow he seemed to emit. She nodded, feeling like she understood better now.

“So what happened with the scheme?” He pulled her attention back to the present. “Why didn’t I get my romantic rickshaw ride and André’s ice cream?”

Marinette sighed. “Oh. I don’t know. Maybe the plan was a little too overly complicated. There was some miscommunication. Things didn’t play out the way I’d planned. There was an akuma attack. You know. The usual.”

Adrien winced. “Ouch. I’m sorry. That really sucks, especially when you put so much effort into planning everything.”

“Oh, it gets worse,” Marinette groaned. “I ran into you after the akuma attack, and you offered to give me a ride…and I told you no because I was going to get couscous.”

He stared at her openmouthed. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” she grumbled bitterly.

He tried not to laugh but ultimately failed. “I don’t remember this at all.”

“Thank God for small mercies,” she mumbled. “I hated myself for days after that.”

“You really couldn’t talk to me at all, could you?” he snickered, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes.

“Nope,” she sighed. “Mere proximity to you made my verbal eloquence plummet. It’s a wonder you didn’t think I was some insane weirdo from all the stuff I said to you.”

He shrugged, pulling her in closer and nuzzling her hair. “I thought I made you nervous because you respected my father’s work. Sure, you seemed a little quirky, but I didn’t really know how people were supposed to behave because I hadn’t been around people my age before. I saw you act normal around other people, so I knew it was a problem with me or something. The Marinette I saw interacting with other people was really cool and selfless and brave. I admired you and wanted us to be better friends.”

Marinette blew out a long breath, shaking her head. “Oh, my sweet, sweet bean. You’re too precious. Too pure for this earth…. Thank you for being you.”

“Right back at you.” He gave her an affectionate squeeze.

The pedicab stopped and let them off at the Pont des Arts so that they could get André’s sweetheart ice cream and take a selfie with it and the love locks secured to the bridge railing and light posts.

Adrien captioned the photo, “There’s nothing better than sharing ice cream with a friend”.

Marinette giggle-snorted. “Yep. Nothing romantic going on here. Just platonic friends who happen to enjoy sharing ice cream intended for couples on the most romantic bridge in the City of Love.”

“I actually think the Pont Alexandre III is the most romantic bridge in Paris, especially at night when it’s all lit up,” Adrien remarked. “The footbridges over the Canal Saint-Martin are really quaint and romantic too.”

Marinette hummed in thought, mentally storing Adrien’s feedback for use at a later date.

“We should get a picture of us feeding ice cream to one another,” Adrien snickered, going to sit on one of the benches. “Do you think that would be laying it on a little thick?”

“No, that’s perfect,” she assured, joining him. “Here. Say ‘ah’.”

It was then that they noticed the passersby documenting the romantic moment and sharing it online for them.

“Want to go someplace more private?” he suggested.

She shook her head. “It’s okay. They’re not hurting anything, and the whole point is to be visible.”

He bit the inside of his cheek. “So long as you’re okay with the attention.”

She smiled, lightly touching his hand. “Thanks, Adrien.”

He returned the smile with a wink. “Any time, Ohime-sama.”

After they finished their ice cream, they headed to the Pont Neuf station and took the Métro, getting off at Jussieu.

They walked hand-in-hand to the Jardin des Plantes, stopping to look in shop windows and browse through the boxes of old books on the tables outside of shops.

When they got to the park, they strolled leisurely, admiring the autumn foliage and enjoying one another’s company.

“I wish our cat were here,” Marinette sighed with a wistful smile as she looked up at the changing leaves.

“Nyan-chan would like today’s date,” Adrien affirmed, giving her hand a squeeze. “He’d be happy to know you’re missing him even though you’re with someone as magnificent and funny as me.”

Marinette broke out in a laugh.

“Did I mention my charming personality?” Adrien added with an eyebrow waggle.

“Are you jealous, Beau Gosse?” she snickered, bumping his shoulder with her own.

“Why would I be?” Adrien pouted. “It’s not like the woman I love is thinking about other men when she’s with me or anything.”

Marinette shook her head, still laughing. “You can whine to your cat boyfriend about it tonight when he comes over for snuggling.”

“Oh, believe me. I will,” he snorted. “Hey. What do you think of a picture of us holding hands? Maybe just a picture of our clasped hands? Is that too heavy-handed?”

Marinette groaned. “You’re just as bad as Chat Noir with puns.”

Their next and final stop was across the street from the Jardin des Plantes at the restaurant attached to the Grande Mosquée de Paris where they ordered vegetable couscous to share along with the restaurant’s famed mint tea and a sampler platter of their savory desserts.

“I think this is the best couscous I’ve ever had,” Marinette moaned happily, shoveling another spoonful into her mouth.

Adrien laughed into his napkin, snapping a picture of her for his own private consumption. “Nino did say that they have really legit food here. He said that his mom’s home cooking is better but that this place tastes like the food he eats when visiting family in Morocco.”

Marinette hummed appreciatively through her full mouth, and Adrien shook his head. “I’m going to post a picture of you pigging out and gush about how radiant my good friend Marinette is while enjoying a good meal.”

She glared at him, her narrowed eyes threatening bodily harm.

“I’m sorry, but you are so cute when you’re stuffing your face. Like a chipmunk,” he defended himself.

Marinette swallowed and replied. “Wow. Way to make a girl feel unsexy, Agreste.”

Adrien winced. “Sorry. I was just playing. You’re adorable, Marinette. Did I ruin everything?”

With a sigh, Marinette got up and went to sit on the bench seat beside him, fishing out her phone. “Smile, Bishi,” she teased, using Chat Noir’s nickname for Adrien, her voice husky in his ear.

Her free hand slipped down to give his knee a squeeze, and the resulting picture showed Marinette smiling puckishly at the camera while Adrien was captured in the middle of his turn to look at her with a flustered expression.

“I like the face you’re making,” she chuckled as she reviewed the photo. “You look like I just made some obscene suggestion and you’re equal parts horrified and intrigued.”

“I’m glad you’re having fun pushing my buttons.” Adrien sighed, shaking his head with a fond smile.

They took another picture, one with them both smiling innocently even though Marinette was practically sitting in Adrien’s lap. They included a few pictures of the food and made sure to rave about how good it was and what a nice time they were having together as friends.

Adrien had barely walked in the door when Nathalie descended upon him.

“Your father isn’t pleased,” she reported blandly, the hint of a grin hovering in the corner of her mouth. “Did you have fun today? You and Miss Dupain-Cheng look very happy together.”

Adrien beamed. “I did. And we are. Thank you, Nathalie.”

A smile flickered across Nathalie’s lips, there one second and gone the next, replaced by her usual impassive expression. “Back to business. Your father isn’t pleased.”

“Where is my father anyway?” Adrien sighed, glancing at the atelier door.

“London,” she supplied. “He had to leave this morning to attend to the closing of a deal in person.”

“He didn’t even say goodbye,” Adrien grumbled, heading for his room to change for the interview with Nadja scheduled that evening.

Nathalie followed to pick out a suitable outfit.

“It was a last-minute trip,” she offered, pretending that that was a sufficient excuse, that this wasn’t just the latest installment in the trend of Gabriel floating in and out of Adrien’s life without stopping to actually be a part of it.

“Oh. I see,” Adrien replied disinterestedly, pretending that it didn’t hurt to be so insignificant.

Nathalie pursed her lips. “…What was your favourite thing that you did today?”

Adrien’s smile came back as he launched into a recap of the pedicab ride and how much it meant to him that Marinette had been planning romantic surprises for him all along.

Nathalie conveniently forgot to bring up the fact that Gabriel wanted to talk to Adrien before the interview. She later apologized profusely to Gabriel for letting it slip her mind. She told him that they’d been in too much of a rush to get Adrien to the studio and get him through hair and makeup.

All the way there, she kept Adrien talking about his eventful day, distracting him from the reality that was his relationship (or lack thereof) with his father.

 “So…Adrien,” Nadja purred toward the end of the interview. “Judging from your Instagram, you had an eventful date today.”

Adrien made his eyes go wide, pretending to be surprised at her word choice.

“Tell us all about your girlfriend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” she prompted, leaning forward in her seat.

Adrien blushed and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Oh, that wasn’t a date. Marinette and I were just hanging out. She’s a good friend; we’re not officially dating.”

Nadja’s perfectly waxed eyebrow inched up, and she shot him a look of clear disbelief. “I don’t mean to imply that you’re lying, Adrien, but we have some candids from your outing.”

Behind them, a slideshow of all the soft looks Adrien had directed Marinette’s way that day began to play.

“Do you look at all your friends with such a gooey, lovesick expression?” she challenged.

Adrien laughed and shook his head. “You misunderstand me. I said that Marinette and I aren’t officially a couple. I never said I wasn’t head over heels in love with her.”

Nadja’s mouth dropped open, and her eyes lit up.

Adrien could practically see her getting ready to pounce on the scoop he’d just served her.

Nadja turned to the camera. “You heard it here first, ladies and gentlemen: Paris’s most eligible bachelor, Adrien Agreste, in love!” She whipped back around to Adrien. “Tell us all about her. What do you like about Marinette? What about her made you fall in love?”

He averted his gaze, smiling bashfully. “Well…I mean…we’ve been friends since I started school, and Marinette has always been…just…wonderful. Everything about her is wonderful. She’s smart, funny, selfless, thoughtful, clever, a good leader… I’ve admired her for a long time. …And, obviously, she’s gorgeous, but, if you’ve got functioning eyes, you can tell that much on your own. It’s her personality that really made me fall for her, her compassion, her enthusiasm, her kindness. I think I’ve been a little bit in love with her from the very beginning; it just took me a while to realize that the way I felt about her wasn’t just admiration and friendship.”

“Have you told her how you feel?” Nadja pressed.

Adrien nodded. “In the spring…but she was seeing someone else at the time.”

Nadja winced. “Ouch.”

“Yeah,” Adrien chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Ouch is right.”

“But what about now?” she prompted. “The way you phrased that she was seeing someone else in the spring sort of implied that she’s free now. Why aren’t you two dating?”

Adrien frowned, his face flipping through a series of conflicted expressions, making it seem as if he were reluctant to answer. “…Well…my father doesn’t think it’s a good idea.”

Nadja’s eyes narrowed. “Your father won’t let you date the woman you love?”

Adrien waved his hands hastily, trying to correct her. “No, no! It’s not like that. My father hasn’t forbidden me from dating her or anything. It’s just…he’s concerned. Marinette has always wanted to be a fashion designer, and she’s a fan of my father’s work, so Father is afraid of what people might say about her for dating me. Marinette is extremely talented, and Father doesn’t want her talent discounted or questioned because people think she’s receiving preferential treatment or using me to advance her career. He’s concerned that overzealous fans might invade her privacy or start sending her hate mail or something crazy like that,” Adrien explained.

Nadja nodded, letting Adrien continue of his own volition, not wanting to interrupt.

“My father cares about me a lot. He’s very protective of me, so…he doesn’t think it’s a good idea for Marinette and me to date, and I can see his reasoning. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to Marinette because of me…but…at the same time…” He sighed and looked away.

“At the same time?” Nadja encouraged gently.

Adrien shook his head and shrugged. “The past few years have been really hard for my family…since my mother disappeared, I mean. My parents were soulmates, so I know Mother’s disappearance was a huge blow to Father. I know it’s been really hard raising me without her. I remind him of her, so it’s difficult for him to be around me sometimes.”

Nadja frowned, heart aching as she thought of her own child.

“I understand, of course,” Adrien stressed. “But even though I understand, it’s still hard. …And Father’s always so busy with work. His company is important to him. He’s really passionate about designing, and I’m happy that he still has something he loves that much, even though Mother is gone…but I’m alone a lot,” he sighed, looking down at his hands.

“That must be rough for you,” Nadja whispered.

Adrien nodded. “It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re lonely…” He looked up and gave her and the viewers a weak smile. “…but I have a lot of really great friends like Marinette now that I attend public schooling. Their friendship helps a lot…. I still would like to try dating, though,” he added sheepishly. “I’ve always dreamed of finding the kind of love that my parents have.”

Nadja gave a little “Aww”, smiling wide because she knew that her viewership would be eating this up.

“I think Marinette might be the one for me,” Adrien confided, and then his expression turned sad with a hint of longing. “…But I know that my father knows best and that he only wants what’s best for me. Maybe there will come a day when Marinette and I can be together, but I can’t ask her to wait for me, so…”

He gave a helpless shrug.

They had scarcely made it home when Gabriel called to give Adrien a dressing down, faulting Adrien for coming across as childish, naïve, whiney, and ungrateful.

Adrien took the chastisement with a bowed head and muttered apologies.

He retired to his room for the night where he showered, changed, and headed out to give Alya an interview with Chat Noir.

“Adrien is the sweetest human being I have ever met,” Chat insisted into Alya’s phone camera. “He’s letting his father control his life, and that’s not okay. He’ll be an adult in six months. He should be free to make his own decisions. If he loves Marinette, he shouldn’t have to have his father’s permission to date her.”

“Ladybug said nearly the same thing,” Alya snickered.

Chat blinked dumbly for a beat or two. “She did? You talked to Ladybug about this?”

Alya nodded, still filming. “She left about fifteen minutes before you got here. I had just posted her video on my blog when you arrived. Ladybug is a staunch supporter of Adrienette.”

“…I did not know that,” Chat chuckled, cheeks heating up in pleasure and embarrassment at the thought of his first love adamantly shipping him and his girlfriend.

By the next morning, #Let Adrienette Date was already trending, and Gabriel was getting strongly worded emails about his interfering with the course of true love.

A protest spontaneously manifested outside the Agreste Mansion.

Adrien’s fanclub mobilized to do anything and everything to ensure that their prince got his happy ending, even if they weren’t entirely certain that Marinette was worthy of him.

Marinette got her first death threat, but the threat was concerning if she ever broke Adrien’s heart and not about her dating him in the first place, so she took cold comfort in that.

Gabriel returned from London Tuesday morning to be met with the madness that was an unstoppable force hell bent on seeing his son in a relationship with the woman he loved.

Gabriel persevered.

Adrien played innocent.

Adrien was grounded.

Chat Noir and Ladybug spoke out about the unfairness of the grounding and Gabriel’s attempts to keep Adrienette apart.

The mob was incensed.

Gabriel stock plummeted.

On Saturday night, Adrien posted a picture on his Instagram of him leisurely kissing Marinette on her living room couch. The caption read, “Look who’s un-grounded and hanging out with his GIRLFRIEND! Thank you all so much for your love and support. #Adrienette #True Love Wins”.

Chapter Text

Chat Noir hadn’t retained even a basic sense of the plot of the movie they’d been watching, so distracted was he by what he had planned for after the film.

Marinette’s eighteenth birthday had been a few days earlier during the week, and now that it was the weekend, they were finally getting a chance to celebrate properly. Though, he wasn’t sure if watching movies and cuddling with Chat Noir and the Adrien doppelgänger was really celebrating a milestone birthday “properly”. It seemed kind of anticlimactic to him, but Marinette had been really excited about marathoning old martial arts movies.

Martial arts films of which Chat remembered exactly nothing because he’d been thinking about seeing his girlfriend naked during the entire marathon.

He tried not to shudder, but…he was kind of grossed out by the prospect. Topless Marinette was lovely, like a classical sculpture. Naked Marinette just wasn’t something he was interested in seeing.

But Marinette had been patient for months now. She’d been so understanding and so considerate about respecting his boundaries. Now, he wanted to compromise a little for her and give her something she wanted.

So when she moved the laptop and DVD cases out of the way after the final movie, Chat and Adrien pounced, Chat pressing a searing kiss to her lips while Adrien came up behind her and latched onto her neck, pressing kiss after ravenous kiss to her shoulders and spine. They worked in tandem to remove her blouse and bra.

“What’s gotten into you guys?” Marinette laughed when Chat freed her lips by moving his kisses down around her jaw and throat.

“Well, it was just your birthday,” Adrien drawled lazily, hands running lightly up and down her arms, caressing her waist and sides and breasts.

“We were planning a bit of a surprise,” Chat confessed.

“Oooh?” she purred and then gasped, the syllable breaking as Chat bit into her collarbone.

“So, you know how we’ve been slowly building up to doing more intimate things while still keeping our pants on?” Adrien segued.

“Yeah?” Marinette arched an eyebrow as well as her back.

“We were thinking…” Chat dipped his head, nuzzling her breast so that he wouldn’t have to look her in the face as he explained his embarrassing plan. “…maybe it’s time for you to take a little more clothing off.”

“Wait.” Marinette pushed them both back so that she could see their faces. “What?”

“We’ve been reading a lot of fanfiction lately about how to give a girl a blow job,” the Adrien Mirage blurted out nervously, cementing Chat’s belief that he really was his own worst enemy. “We thought you might like to try as your birthday present. We’re pretty sure we understand the general mechanics.”

“Or we could just give you the new serger and fabrics we also got you for your birthday and forget that this highly embarrassing conversation ever happened!” Chat hurriedly suggested.

Marinette pursed her lips, ignoring the warm feeling in her gut to study her boyfriends intently. “I’m not going to lie; moving things further along physically is something I’m interested in, but…that’s kind of a big jump from what we’ve been doing. Are you two sure you’re really up for this?”

“We’ve seen you in a swimsuit before,” Adrien reasoned bashfully, looking away with a heavy blush. “There’s not that much difference fabric-wise.”

“And we’ve been doing just fine with touching over clothes and you rubbing on our thighs,” Chat added, averting his eyes as he too turned as red as Ladybug’s suit. “So… We think we can do this. We want to do this.”

“Because it was my birthday and you want to make me happy?” she surmised.

Chat and Adrien continued to avoid eye contact.

“Oh, my beautiful boys,” Marinette sighed, reaching out to ruffle their hair until they looked even more like twins. “Thank you. I really appreciate the thought and feeling behind the offer, but I think maybe we’re not ready to go that far yet.”

“We are,” Chat stressed, finally looking up at her. “Marinette, you’ve been ready to have sex with us for at least a year now.”

“But that’s not something you two are ready for,” she argued. “I don’t want you guys to feel pressured into doing something you don’t want to do.”

Adrien shook his head sadly. “Marinette, that’s not something Chat and I are ever going to want to do of our own volition. That’s kind of what the whole ‘asexual’ label is about for us.”

“It’s something that we want to do because it’s something you want,” Chat added gently, reaching out to stroke her cheek with a knuckle. “If we wait until Adrien and I want to do things, we’re all going to die virgins.”

Marinette’s expression turned dour. “I don’t like this. I feel like I’m forcing myself on you.”

“You’re not, Ohime-sama,” Adrien cooed, leaning in to nuzzle her ear. “Don’t think about it like that.”

With a sigh, Marinette laid back down on her bed and stared at the ceiling, feeling awful.

“We’re sorry,” Chat whispered penitently as he and Adrien curled up on either side of her.

“We didn’t mean to upset you,” Adrien muttered miserably into her shoulder.

“It’s okay,” Marinette assured, reaching up to give each of them a head rub. “This is just hard.”

“I’m sorry,” Chat repeated. “I’d give anything to be normal for you.”

“Shh,” Marinette chided. “‘Normal’ is an ugly word. You’re not abnormal or anything. You’re both perfect just the way you are.”

“I don’t feel perfect,” Adrien grumbled.

Marinette rolled over to kiss Adrien hard, and, once he’d been kissed senseless, she turned to her other side and did the same to Chat.

“I love you two,” she insisted when she was done. “I love you both exactly as you are.”

“We love you too,” they answered in tandem, voices full of emotion, on the verge of tears.

“I have an idea,” she announced. “How about we strip down to our undergarments and make out? That’s kind of a step further physically but nothing too extreme, right? Maybe from there we could eventually work up to touching under clothes. Adrien’ll be moving into his own apartment soon, and we’ll have more privacy to experiment with what works for us there. How does that sound?”

The boys both nodded, giving their girlfriend appreciative nuzzles.

“Thanks for working with us,” Adrien breathed in relief.

“Compromise is what real couples do,” she assured with a quick kiss for each of them.

They hugged her tight, gratitude coming off of them in waves.

“We’re just so afraid of losing you,” Chat sighed, giving voice to the fear, knowing she’d instantly soothe his anxiety.

“Shhh,” she cooed, hands running through their hair. “You two are the only ones for me.”

They began to purr softly, sinking into the calming aura she exuded.

Peace reigned for several minutes until Adrichat was on the verge of slumber.

“…Did you guys really read smut to try to figure out how to give me oral?” The question just slipped out in the silence between them.

Chadrien jerkily pushed themselves up to stare down at her and promptly broke out laughing.

“Yes,” Adrien confirmed once he regained his composure. “Yes, we did.”

“Separately or together? I’m morbidly curious about this,” Marinette snickered.

“Together,” Chat confessed. “We had to use my staff’s phone because our personal phone and internet activity is too closely monitored by our fathers for us to be reading pornographic fiction.”

“We snuggled up under my covers and took turns reading aloud to one another,” Adrien tittered, an impish grin on his face, as if reading raunchy fanfiction was some great act of rebellion and he now considered himself a sort of bad boy.

“And then we analyzed and dissected the text together,” Chat added.

“What? Like some kind of smut book club?” Marinette giggle-snorted, imagining her boys underneath Adrien’s covers, faces pressed close together as they peered at Chat Noir’s phone screen and discussed smutty stories with serious expressions.

“Kind of?” Adrien shrugged.

“Did you guys try any of the moves out on one another?” Marinette couldn’t help but let her imagination carry her away.

Chadrien flinched, chorusing, “Ew. No.”

Marinette sighed and shook her head. “Of course you didn’t.”

“She sounds disappointed in us,” Adrien noted in amusement.

“She likes the idea of us having secret trysts,” Chat hummed.

“Leave me alone,” Marinette whined, averting her gaze in embarrassment. “You’re both hot, and I wouldn’t mind watching. Go ahead and tease me for being a voyeur already.”

“Never,” Adrien promised, giving her earlobe a playful nip. “We’re happy doing whatever makes you happy.”

“He means when we get to that point in our physical relationship,” Chat quickly amended.

Marinette nodded, appeased. “…Do you think the three of us could have smut book club?”

Adrien and Chat shared a look.

“Maybe after I move into my apartment,” Adrien suggested. “We could meet there and make it part of our experimentation.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Marinette smiled brightly, pleased with their progress.

“I feel better when there’s a plan,” Chat confessed, giving the corner of Marinette’s grin a kiss. “Thanks for being awesome.”

“You two are the awesome ones,” she insisted. “…Ready for my happy birthday make out?”

“Ready!” Adrien assured in a singsong.

Chapter Text

“I am so sick of being pregnant,” Marinette groaned, pushing herself up to sitting, her legs hanging over the side of the bed.

“Well, it’s not Loulou’s fault that he’s not ready to be born yet,” Adrien chuckled as he finished repacking the hospital bag and sat it in its place by their bedroom door.

It had become a ritual over the past month that they had been expecting Louis at any time. Every night before they went to sleep, Adrien unpacked and repacked the hospital bag to make sure that they had everything that they needed.

Marinette didn’t comment on it anymore. She had her own weird nesting rituals, and he never gave her any trouble about them, so she decided that it was only fair to leave him alone.

“He’s almost two weeks overdue,” Marinette replied dryly. “He’s overstayed his welcome.”

“I don’t blame him,” Adrien sighed, sinking onto the bed beside her. “The world is a scary place. Given the choice, I’d wait as long as possible to be born too.”

“Well, his number’s up,” Marinette snorted, glaring down at her belly. “Tomorrow, you’re getting evicted, Monsieur Louis Agreste-Dupain-Cheng.”

She turned to her husband and beamed. “Have I mentioned how excited I am about getting induced tomorrow?”

“Only about a dozen times a day,” Adrien snickered, leaning in to give her stomach a kiss. “Don’t worry, Loulou. It’s not that bad out here. Promise.”

Marinette gave her bump an affectionate rub. “And you’ve got a mommy and a daddy who love you very much and who are going to protect you, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Marinette felt Adrien go tense beside her, and when she looked up, his face was pale and troubled. “What’s wrong, Minou?”

Adrien bit his lip and looked away. “I…I don’t think I’m ready.”

“For what?” she prompted gently, resting a hand on his thigh.

He shook his head. “I don’t know. To be a father? I feel like…tomorrow, there’s going to be this little human being who needs me to have my act together because he’s going to depend on me for survival. I couldn’t even keep those fish I got when I moved into my apartment alive. How am I supposed to take care of a baby?” He looked up at her, eyes pleading for her to give him the answers.

She smiled softly, reaching up to stroke his cheek. “You’re more capable than you think, Adrien. You started reading parenting books over a year ago back when we first started trying to get pregnant. You’ve been studying like crazy, and you know what to do. You just need to have confidence in yourself…and in our teamwork.” She bopped him on the tip of the nose. “You’re not on your own here; you’ve got me, and we’re going to get through this together, okay?”

Reluctantly he nodded, not appearing encouraged in the slightest.

“Okay,” she sighed. “Talk to me. What’s going on in your head? Come on. Word vomit. All of it.”

“What if I don’t love him?” Adrien blurted out. “What if I’m a bad dad? What if I’m like my father and I don’t love him but I try but I can’t so he feels like he did something wrong when really it’s me that’s the problem but he doesn’t know that so he thinks he’s unlovable and grows up feeling bad about himself and—”

Marinette shut him up with a kiss, firmly sealing his lips with her own and keeping any more negativity from escaping.

“Adrien,” she sighed sadly as she pulled back. “That’s not going to happen. You’re nothing like your father.”

“But—” he began to protest.

“—No,” she insisted, putting a finger to his lips. “No. Listen to me. You have been talking to this child since the day the pregnancy test came back positive. You kiss him and nuzzle him and read him bedtime stories through my stomach. You already love him, Adrien.”

“But what if I’m not a good parent?” he pressed, letting all of his fears out. “My mom…probably wasn’t a good parent,” he reluctantly admitted. It had taken years of therapy to get to that point. “And my father definitely wasn’t a good parent. I don’t have good role models.”

“That’s why you read all the parenting books,” Marinette rebutted his claim. “Besides. You had Nathalie and Victor and my parents and Anarka and Amina. You’re just panicking, Minou. Deep down, you know what you’re doing. At the very least, you have a good idea of things that you shouldn’t do from your own experience growing up.”

Adrien frowned, looking away again. “But what if it’s genetic. I don’t think anyone in my family had good parents. My brother told me that both of my grandfathers were abusive and both of my grandmothers were useless to the point where my parents had to take care of them. What if I’m genetically cursed to be a bad father?”

Marinette gave his shoulder a supportive squeeze and gently began to rub his arm. “Félix is a good father. Bridgette always talks about how good he is with their kids. Maybe you’ll turn out like Félix.”

Adrien shook his head, laughing at the very suggestion. “Félix is, like, a competent human being. I’m a disaster.”

“You’re competent,” Marinette insisted, knowing she wasn’t going to convince him. He was in his stubborn, pessimistic mood.

“Okay,” Adrien sighed, sounding defeated. “So…what if you’re right and I don’t screw it up and Louis survives infancy…but he doesn’t love me?”

“Adrien, why wouldn’t he love you?” Marinette asked patiently, letting her husband get it all out.

He shrugged, mumbling, “People in my family don’t usually. My grandparents didn’t love my parents, and my parents didn’t love my grandparents either. My father didn’t love Félix or me, and Félix couldn’t stand either of our parents. My mother…I thought she loved me when I was little, but…sometimes I didn’t feel like she loved me, and then she left, and I haven’t heard from her in a decade, so… And Félix left. Félix moved out when I was eight and didn’t talk to me for over ten years, so… What if Louis doesn’t love me either?”

“Then we’ll adopt our next child,” Marinette replied matter-of-factly. “Because if Louis doesn’t love you, there would have to be something genetically wrong with him. You are one of the most easy-to-love people I know, Adrien Agreste-Dupain-Cheng.”

A hesitant smile slowly crept onto Adrien’s lips. “Yeah?”

She nodded, sending an encouraging smile right back at him. “Mmhm. I would know. I fell in love with you twice.”

He laughed at that, the shadows fading from his face. “You did, didn’t you?”

He looked down thoughtfully at her stomach and gave it a tentative pat. “You really think he’ll love me and I’ll love him and I won’t accidentally let him die and everything will be okay?”

“Yes,” she answered with certainty. “I’m never going to get to hold him because you’re going to wear him around in that body sling you bought, and he’s going to like you best and cry when I have to take him away from you for feedings. You’re going to be changing diapers and preparing baby formula like a champ in no time, and I’m going to have to have twins next time so that I get a turn with a baby.”

He snorted in amusement. “If you have twins, I could have one on my back and one in front. Better make it triplets next time.”

Marinette glared at her husband. “If you want triplets, you carry them to term inside of your womb. Let them press on your bladder and make your ankles swell and your back hurt. Triplets,” she scoffed. “Adrien, I’m the size of a horse just carrying the one kid. Triplets will have me balloon to the size of a car.”

“I love you pregnant,” Adrien whined, giving her the kitten eyes. “You look good with a little cushioning. Who cares about a little extra weight?” he teased, egging her on.

Her disgusted glare intensified. “You know what? Shut up,” she commanded, kissing him roughly as he laughed.

It was good to hear him laugh.

She suspected his fears would resolve themselves as soon as Louis was placed into his arms the first time, but she made a mental note to periodically check in with Adrien and maybe suggest he talk to Dr. Katsuragi about his insecurities.

For now, though, all she could do was distract him until Louis was there to reassure him.

Chapter Text

A seismic jolt shook Adrien’s apartment complex, snapping Marinette and Adrien into wakefulness.

“Please tell me that’s just an earthquake,” Marinette groaned, pushing her hair back out of her face.

“Afraid not,” Adrien sighed, looking at the akuma alert on his phone.

She glared at the clock on the nightstand. “At six o’clock in the freaking morning on a Sunday? Who is conscious enough to be upset at the crack of dawn on a weekend?”

“Papillon and at least one other person,” Adrien grumbled, rolling out of bed and quickly exchanging his sleep pants for street clothes.

Marinette let out a growl of frustration. “I’m going to track that crazy psycho down and give him a piece of my mind.”

Adrien frowned, making a mental note to get his girlfriend some coffee and an almond croissant before she took out her hanger and sleep deprivation on the wrong person. “Papillon or the akuma victim?”

Marinette turned her sleepy glare on him.

He put up his hands in a placating sign of surrender. “Okay. But before you go all Rambo on anyone, put some clothes on. The last thing we need is for you to end up stuck naked somewhere if you have to detransform to recharge. It is literally almost freezing out there.”

She gave a grumpy snort but didn’t argue.

“Do you want me to make you some coffee real quick before we go?” he offered, sympathetic to her plight of not being a morning person.

She looked at him with big, misty eyes filled with gratitude. “I love you so much.”

“Love you too, Princess,” he chuckled, heading to the kitchen with a signature wink.

“It looks like one of those jelly-slime monsters from the Legend of Zelda games,” Chat Noir observed, frowning at the towering blob creature from several blocks away. “What are those called? Chuchu? …What do you think?”

“I think the akumatized object is inside of that moving mass of sludge and we’re going to have to fish it out,” Ladybug sighed, resigning herself to the fact that she would not be taking care of this quickly and heading back to bed. “We’ll need to get closer to be able to tell.”

Chat whipped his head around to gawk at Ladybug as if she had just suggested that they give up on being superheroes and go try to make a living selling lemonade in the Sahara instead.

“Closer,” he laughed tightly just as the akuma spat out a stream of corrosive green bile, melting everything it touched be it lamp posts, vehicles, or buildings.

“You want us to get closer to the thing that’s turning everything in its wake to ooze?” he clarified indignantly.

Ladybug nodded. “Yep. Come on. Let’s sneak up on it.”

Chat shook his head but obediently followed her from rooftop to rooftop until they landed in the shadow of a church spire, close enough to smell the acrid fumes of the dissolving pavement.

“There,” Ladybug whispered pointing to where the creature’s brain would have been. “The akumatized person. He’s inside the slime monster. I bet it’s like Glaciator. We just need to get him out and break…whatever it is he’s holding. I guess we’ll figure that out when we get there.”

“Great,” Chat agreed. “So…what’s the plan for getting him out, My Lady?”

“Lucky Charm,” she whispered, getting a diving suit for her trouble. “Huh.” She blinked at her object for a moment before looking around to see what she could pair it with.

She spotted the bell tower across the street and a little ways in front of the akuma.

“I’m going to put the suit on and swing through the monster and grab the victim and pull him out with me,” she announced.

Chat gaped at her. “Wait, wait, wait. You’re going to swing through the slime monster that’s dissolving everything it comes in contact with?”

“My suit should protect me,” she reasoned. “The diving suit will supply me with fresh air and add an extra layer of protection. This should work. I mean, the creature isn’t solid. Look at the things in the street. They pass right through its body. I should be able to pass through too.”

“The things passing through its body come out sizzling piles of goo,” he growled, reaching out and placing a firm hand on her arm. “I can’t let you do this.”

“Chaton,” she sighed, shaking her head. “I have to.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off. “And don’t suggest taking my place. I need you to act as the distraction so that the monster isn’t paying attention when I sneak up on him. Besides, I’m the one with the grappling hook yoyo, and I need to be close to the victim when the object is broken so that I can capture the akuma and purify it. I know you don’t like me taking risks like this, but I honestly think this is the best bet.”

His ears and tail drooped as his face fell and his hand dropped away from her arm. “I don’t like this,” he mumbled helplessly, knowing his protests were futile.

She smiled penitently, reaching up and giving his cat ear a bolstering scratch. “It’s going to be okay, My Love.”

She opened up the interdimensional pocket in her yoyo and pulled out the Snake Miraculous. “Would you feel better with Second Chance as insurance?”

His face brightened, and his tail and ears perked up. He reached for the bracelet.

She pulled it back. “Hold your horses.” She gave him a serious look. “You’ll be careful?”

“Yes,” he swore solemnly. “No endless time loops. It’s okay to fail, admit that something isn’t working, and ask for help to come up with a new solution,” he recited the same thing that they always went over before she would give him the Snake Miraculous.

She nodded, holding the bracelet out to him. “Also, it’s not your fault if something happens to me, and we can fix this if we work together…. Okay?”

“Okay,” he agreed, slipping the bracelet on, combining Sass and Plagg, and activating his Second Chance.

She gave him a small, confidence-inspiring smile. “Ready?”

He caught her hands in his. “It’s going to be okay, right? …You’ll come back to me?”

Her smile grew as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. “Always,” she stressed.

Her certainty made him feel better.

They didn’t end up needing the Second Chance.

Chapter Text

 “Are you sure you want to do this?” Marinette asked for what was maybe the fifth time as she watched Adrien pace the television studio dressing room, waiting for his turn to be interviewed by Nadja. “It’s kind of a big deal.”

He nodded vehemently. “I’m sure. I mean…I’m not, but I am…if that makes any sense. I want to…but I don’t want to. But this is something I have to do, so…”

Marinette pursed her lips, changing the cross of her ankles as they dangled over the side of the countertop she was sitting on with her back to the mirror. “Adrien, coming out isn’t something you have to do…especially not on live television.”

He stopped pacing and turned to face her, anguish clear on his features. “I feel like it is, though. People always talk about what a good ally I am, and I feel like an imposter. What kind of hypocrite am I when I tell the teens I mentor to embrace who they are and not to be ashamed of not being straight? I’m tired of living this half-truth. I don’t want to be an ally on the fringe of things; I want to be an actual, acknowledged member of the community. I want to be able to talk about my own experiences without living in fear of being outted. I want to get this over with on my own terms,” he spit out in his agitation.

Marinette nodded patiently. “Okay. You know I support you and want you to be happy.”

She hopped down off of the counter and went over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him in close. “It’s going to be okay.” She gently touched her lips to his.

He melted into her, letting all of the tension go, knowing that even if everyone else turned on him, he’d still have her.

“Thanks,” he breathed.

The interview went smoothly. Adrien responded to the questions he’d been sent ahead of time with the answers he’d worked with his image consultant to prepare. From time to time, Nadja would throw in something off the cuff, and Adrien would reply with a polished answer.

It was only when Nadja got to the second to last question that Adrien’s calm façade seemed to chip. “So, Adrien, can you tell your fans something they don’t know about you?”

Adrien shifted on the couch, smiling nervously. “Well, my image consultant thought I should tell you that I’m actually a fairly skilled rock-climber, but…I decided I wanted to use this opportunity to talk about something more important. Something my fans don’t know about me is that I’m bi.” He paused to let that sink in and to watch the gaping, startled expression on Nadja’s face before continuing, “Meaning I’m romantically attracted to both men and women. I’ve known for a couple years now, and I decided it was finally time to come out.”

Nadja quickly got over her surprise and jumped back into reporter mode. “What made you decide it was time to share this news?”

Adrien exhaled some of his nerves, and his posture became less rigid as he answered, “I’ve been doing a lot of volunteer work the past few years mentoring queer youth, and I always tell the kids I work with to accept and love themselves for who they are and not to be afraid or ashamed. It’s never really sat right with me that I wasn’t doing what I was telling them to do.”

Nadja nodded sympathetically, letting Adrien talk at his own pace.

Adrien bit his lip. “I used to think that the part of myself that liked guys wasn’t really relevant because I could get by dating girls and just letting everyone think I was straight, but…as I’ve become more involved with the queer community, it started to feel like I was lying to everyone. I’m not just an ally. My work as a mentor is about me trying to make things easier for kids like me. I’m blessed to be able to do a lot for the community in terms of raising funds and awareness because of my fame, first as a model for my father’s brand and now in my own right as a budding actor, but I started thinking, ‘If I can do so much while being perceived as a straight guy, how much more could I do if everyone knew that Adrien Agreste was a queer kid too?’”

“And…what does your fiancée think of this?” Nadja prompted. “Is this something you’ve shared with her?”

“Of course,” Adrien assured with a warm smile. “Marinette is amazing. I told her a few years ago back when we first started dating, and she just took it in stride. She just loves me and supports me no matter what. I feel really blessed to have found such a wonderful partner.”

“Now, your fiancée is actually here in the studio with us tonight, isn’t she?” Nadja asked, looking over to where Marinette was standing next to Adrien’s bodyguard by one of the lights. “Marinette, could you come on out and join us?”

Marinette looked startled at being addressed but quickly regained her composure and made her way onto the set, giving Adrien a hug and a quick, bolstering kiss as she sat down on the couch beside him.

Their arms went around one another’s waists, her head on his shoulder, his cheek resting on her head. They fit together like puzzle pieces.

“Marinette, how are you feeling about all this?” Nadja inquired, greedy for a scoop.

Marinette shrugged, smiling warmly. “I’m proud of him,” she answered simply, voice picked up by the microphone on Adrien’s shirt collar. “I love him exactly as he is, and I want him to be happy. It doesn’t matter to me who he’s attracted to; he picked me, and that’s the important thing. I just hope his fans keeping loving and supporting him too.”

Nadja nodded sympathetically. “Some people aren’t very accepting of people who are different. On behalf of myself and the station, thank you for choosing us for this sensitive announcement.”

Marinette and Adrien both nodded.

“So, Adrien,” Nadja smiled conspiratorially. “have you ever had a boyfriend or maybe a guy you were interested in?”

Adrien blushed, lifting his head to grin down at Marinette. “I’ve never dated a guy before, no. Marinette’s kind of been it for me.” His smile turned sheepish as he looked back up at Nadja. “There is this one guy I have feelings for, but he’s dating someone else, and I already have Marinette…whom I’m super excited to be marrying this coming summer and starting a life with. So, unless she dumps my sorry hide, I don’t foresee me ever announcing that I have a boyfriend.”

He looked back to Marinette, and the cameras captured the glowing, affectionate way they gazed at one another.

“I’ve found my person,” Adrien explained. “I don’t need anyone else.”

“And…what does your father think about your announcement?” Nadja inquired, still fishing for ratings-boosting content.

Adrien paled visibly as his face fell.

Marinette gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I’ve never told him, so he’s finding out right alongside all of you. I don’t think he has a problem with queer people. I mean, I’ve never seen him treat queer individuals any worse than anyone else or heard him say anything that would make me think he had a problem with people who weren’t straight, but…I imagine it’s different working with queer people versus your child being queer. I’m guessing he either won’t care or won’t talk to me ever again, so…we’ll see how that goes.” Adrien gave a tired shrug. “At the very least, I don’t think he’ll be throwing me a coming out party.”

“It’s okay,” Marinette assured confidently, recapturing Adrien’s attention. “My parents will.”

Adrien’s smile came back with a vengeance. He laughed, hugging her to his side as he bragged to the camera, “Do you see how amazing this woman is? Is it any wonder I’m in love with her? Seriously. I’d be lost without her. I’m really lucky.”

Adrien’s bodyguard gave him a fond head pat and a grunt that spoke of pride and unwavering support.

Adrien broke out into a wide smile of gratitude. “Thanks, Vitya,” he breathed in Russian.

Victor nodded ushering Adrien and Marinette towards the car, on the lookout for anyone who might cause trouble.

They made it without incident, and no sooner were they situated in the backseat than Adrien’s phone rang.

He took a deep breath.

Marinette slipped her hand into his, giving him an encouraging smile. “It’s going to be okay. I’m here.”

Adrien squeezed Marinette’s hand and answered Gabriel’s call. “Hello, Father.”

“Adrien,” Gabriel replied, sounding irked.

Adrien winced, bracing for impact. “Yes, Father?”

“The only thing I have a problem with,” Gabriel snapped, “is your propensity to drag private matters out into public view, thereby bringing shame upon me, the company, and yourself.”

“I’m sorry, Father,” Adrien answered meekly.

Gabriel snorted. “Clearly, you are not or else you wouldn’t keep making a spectacle of—”

“—Tell him you’re proud of him,” Nathalie hissed in the background.

There was a beat where Adrien imagined his father gawking at his stepmother.

“No,” Gabriel hissed back, holding the phone away from his ear. “I will not encourage this kind of behaviour. This is not how you discipline a child, Nathalie.”

Nathalie let out a longsuffering sigh. “Gabriel, he’s not a child anymore. Give me the phone. Adrien?”

“Hi, Nathalie,” Adrien chuckled, appreciating her unending efforts to train her former boss.

“Adrien, we’re really proud of you,” Nathalie assured with a touch more emotion in her voice than usual. “We love you very much.”

“Thank you, Nathalie. I love you guys too,” he replied through a smile, getting choked up.

“We are not proud,” Gabriel insisted, taking the phone back. “We are disappointed in your childish behaviour.”

“We’re not disappointed,” Nathalie sighed, shaking her head at her husband’s stubbornness.

“And did you really think I didn’t know about your feelings for that punk boy you’re friends with?” Gabriel ranted. “Furthermore, Tom and Sabine are not throwing you a coming out party. I will be hosting your coming out party. Tom and Sabine may cater, but I will not be outdone by my son’s in-laws. Is that understood?”

Adrien blinked, completely baffled. “Uh…yes, Father. Thank you. I…I understand.”

“Good.” Gabriel cleared his throat and adjusted his ascot. “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

“Yes,” Adrien tentatively agreed, not yet sure of his footing in this strange new world where his father was throwing him a coming out party in an attempt to compete with his future mother- and father-in-law. “I am too.”

“And, Adrien? One more thing.” Gabriel’s voice was suddenly poised and impassive once more.

“Yes father?” Adrien held his breath.

“Your young woman is a very special, rare person,” his father informed him. “Take care of her, and don’t take her for granted.” There was a hint of regret in his words, as if he wished someone had told him that before it was too late.

“I know,” Adrien replied warmly, squeezing Marinette’s hand. “Thank you, Father.”

Gabriel sighed. “Endeavor to keep her. She’s good for you, and I like her.”

“Yes, Father,” Adrien laughed.

“Goodnight, Adrien.” Gabriel hung up abruptly, not waiting for his son’s response.

Marinette gave her fiancé a quizzical look. “What did he say?”

Adrien shook his head and shrugged. “Apparently, he knew I was bi, I’ve brought shame upon the family and the company again, he’s going to disown me if I mess things up with you, and he’s jealous of my bond with your parents, so he’s throwing me a coming out party which your parents will be allowed to cater.”

Marinette nodded, taking the news in stride. “Well. I’m glad he took it so well.”

“So am I.” Adrien slumped against her with a sigh. “…Thanks for everything.”

“Any time,” she promised, pressing a light kiss to his temple.

Chapter Text

“Adrien?” Marinette called sleepily as she tiptoed into the nursery, squinting at the dim light from the lamp on the table between the rocking chair and the armchair.

“Hey. Go back to bed, Buguinette. I’ve got it covered,” he assured softly in an effort not to wake Louis.

Marinette blinked the sleep out of her eyes and frowned at her husband. “Why are you transformed, Chaton?”

“He likes the purring sound,” Chat explained, giving the crown of his son’s head a careful caress. “It’s easier when I’m transformed, so…”

“Adrien, have you been crying?” Marinette, now more fully awake, demanded as she went over to where he sat rocking, their infant resting peacefully on his chest. “What’s wrong, My Love?”

Chat shook his head. “I was just thinking too hard. It’s nothing.”

He still sounded choked up.

Marinette’s eyes narrowed.

“Did you want to talk about it?” she gently pressed.

He blew out a sigh. “I…I love him so much, Marinette. I love him so much it hurts. My chest literally aches. I was just wondering if maybe that feeling goes away when they get older.”

“I don’t think so,” Marinette hummed softly, reaching out to stroke Louis’s dark hair. “Maybe it’s not as intense all the time, but I don’t think that feeling ever stops.”

“O-Oh,” he choked, a new wave of tears catching him off guard.

She gave a start, alarmed at his sudden reaction. “Adrien, what’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “I was thinking about my mother, wondering if she’d ever felt this way about me.”

“Oooh,” Marinette breathed, raising a hand to gingerly run it through his hair. “Oh, Adrien… Honey…”

“I’m still struggling to understand,” he continued through tears. “I thought maybe my parents would make more sense when I had a child, but…I don’t know. Maybe it will make more sense when Louis is older, but…right now, I can’t imagine… The way my father was with me…the way he is with me… And my mother…she abandoned me.”

Marinette winced but kept petting his hair, knowing that all she could do was be by his side.

“She knew my father didn’t love me, but she left me with him. She left me,” he repeated with a shellshocked expression. “I’ve only had Louis a few months, and, already, I can’t imagine giving him up. I could never leave him somewhere I knew he wouldn’t be loved and cared for. I’m trying to understand,” he whispered, voice shaking, “what was so wrong with me that my mother could walk out on me like that.”

“Adrien, no,” Marinette cooed, taking his damp cheeks in her hands. “There’s nothing wrong with you. Trust me. You are the sweetest, most loveable person,” she stressed. “Ask anyone. If there was something wrong with someone, it was your mother.”

His luminescent eyes went wide.

“Hear me out,” she cut him off before he could protest. “You’ve talked to me a couple times about how she had untreated mental health issues. Maybe that had something to do with it. Maybe it wasn’t about you at all. Maybe it was about her.”

Chat’s brow furrowed, his eyes pinching into a frown as he tried to reshape his prevailing worldview of nearly twelve years running.

“Or,” Marinette suggested, “maybe there wasn’t anything wrong with either one of you. You said your mother loved you when you were a child, right?”

He slowly began to nod. “Yeah. She did. Why?”

“Well, maybe she never stopped loving you. You know how parents who can’t take care of their children give them up for adoption so that the kid can have a better life?”

Chat kept nodding, not sure where his wife was going with this.

“Maybe it was like that. You said that your parents’ marriage was rocky at times, right? That they knock-down, drag-out fought a lot?”

“Yes?”

“Maybe she needed to leave the marriage quickly, but she didn’t know where she was going or what would become of her,” Marinette illustrated, and it was hard for Adrien not to get carried away with the picture she painted. “She couldn’t take you with her knowing that she couldn’t provide for you…so she left you with your father where she knew you’d at least have food and clothes and shelter. Maybe she planned to come back for you when she got settled but something happened to her. Maybe something stopped her from coming to get you. Maybe she never stopped loving you.”

Marinette didn’t know what the truth was. For all she knew, Émilie was a self-absorbed witch who had never loved Adrien at all. Maybe she’d run off with a lover, leaving her past life without a glance back. It didn’t matter what the truth was. The important thing was that Adrien needed a kinder reality than being an abandoned child, so Marinette was happy to spin as many pretty stories as her husband needed.

“…Maybe,” Chat replied quietly after a long, contemplative pause. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe…she was planning to come back for me when she felt like she could take care of me.”

Slowly, he began to nod as he mentally tried on the narrative. “That actually feels more like my mom. That’s why I could never understand why she would abandon me. It never felt like her, so…maybe she’s dead. Maybe she still loved me.”

“I think she did,” Marinette added softly, leaning in to kiss his tear-stained cheeks. “You’re very loveable, Adrien. I bet your mom felt the same way towards you as you feel about Loulou.”

Chat let that sink in for a minute and then burst into tears.

Marinette wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling his hair and pressing little kisses to his face and jaw and neck. “Shhh. It’s okay. Let it all out.”

He hiccupped and sniffled and eventually calmed down enough to whimper, “I m-miss her. I wish-sh she could see her grandson.”

Marinette gave him a tight squeeze. “It’s okay, My Love. I’m sorry I can’t make it all better for you, but I promise it’s going to be okay…. Wanna go back to bed and snuggle?”

He nodded, letting his transformation drop. “Thanks for holding me together.”

“Of course. That’s what partners do,” she assured, taking him by the hand. “I feel lucky to be your partner.”

Chapter Text

“Wake up, My Ladylove,” Adrien whispered, giving Marinette’s temple a breathy kiss.

Marinette groaned, rolling to her other side.

“Boys, help me wake your maman,” Adrien called to Louis and Hugo, helping them up onto the bed.

“Maman!” Louis called, bouncing.

“Ma!” Hugo joined in, mimicking his big brother.

“Gently,” Adrien chuckled, urging, “Give her kisses,” as Marinette opened her eyes with a wide smile.

The boys did as instructed, lightly pressing their lips to their mother’s forehead and chin.

“My boys,” Marinette cooed, reaching up to fondly ruffle their hair. “Good morning.”

“Good morning!” Louis cried energetically.

“Morning,” Hugo shyly parroted.

“Where’s my good morning?” Adrien pouted, taking a seat on the bed beside his wife’s legs.

“I’m still mad at you,” Marinette reported. “I’ll wish you good morning when you un-kill those plants I asked you to bring in before it stormed that you forgot about.”

“I’m really sorry, Princess,” he stressed, giving her the kitten eyes. “I’ll buy you new flowers and replace the pots that broke.”

She blew out a sigh and shook her head, tugging her sons in closer. “I know I’m being petty, but just once I would like to have a pot you didn’t end up breaking.”

“I will buy you a pot and keep it in bubble wrap so that nothing bad can happen to it,” he swore, raising his right hand as if taking an oath.

A small smile tugged at Marinette’s lips despite herself.

It was so hard to stay mad at her husband.

“Okay, but if anything bad ever happens to that pot, we’re getting divorced,” she snickered.

Adrien gulped, tugging at the collar of his shirt. “That’s a lot of pressure. I might have to rent a safe deposit box for that pot.”

“Maman and Daddy are fighting?” Louis finally asked, not able to make sense of the conversation and tired of being confused.

“Fighting?” Hugo echoed.

“No,” Marinette assured, nuzzling her boys. “We’re just being silly. See?”

She pushed herself up and gave Adrien a quick peck on the lips.

“Everything’s fine,” she stressed, turning to drop kisses on the tops of their heads.

Adrien arched an eyebrow. “So…I’m forgiven?”

“Provided you buy me new flowers and replace the pots that got broken in the storm,” she agreed.

“I will get right on that after breakfast,” he promised.

Marinette looked to her children. “Have you guys eaten?”

Louis and Hugo shook their heads.

“We brought breakfast up to you so we could eat as a family,” Adrien explained, tipping his head towards the nightstand where a big serving tray was loaded with bread and fruit and yogurt.

“Aww. Thank you, Chaton.” Marinette paused mid-smile as a thought occurred to her. “Are we all eating in our bed?” She flicked her eyes meaningfully at the children who, at four and two years old, were not the neatest of eaters.

“No, I brought in the table from the kids’ playroom for them,” Adrien reassured, inclining his head towards the corner where he had situated it. “Come here, Guys.”

He held open his arms for his sons and helped them down off the bed, shepherding them over to the kiddy table where he partitioned out the food and helped them get started eating.

“How are you feeling?” Adrien whispered as he came back over to Marinette’s side, giving her hair a stroke.

She smiled wanly. “So-so. I can’t believe I’m still getting morning sickness this far into my second trimester. It wasn’t like this with the boys. Tell your daughter to knock it off.”

Adrien leaned over and pressed a kiss to Marinette’s stomach, chiding, “Emma Agreste-Dupain-Cheng. What are we going to do with you? Why are you making your mother so sick?”

He looked back up at his wife. “Do you think you can eat something? I brought toast with almond butter and banana slices. I thought it might be a nice change from crackers and oatmeal and rice congee but still easy enough on your stomach.”

“That sounds good, actually.” She scooted back, propping herself up against her pillows and taking the tray from him. “Have I ever told you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness? Even if you are a plant killer.”

“Hey,” Adrien whined. “I feel really bad about that…especially after Gogo cut himself on the pot shards.”

“Oh, Adrien,” Marinette sighed, shaking her head as she reached out and stroked his cheek. “It was hardly a cut. He scratched himself. It barely bled.”

Adrien pursed his lips. “But it did bleed.”

“Shh,” she coaxed, taking a bite of her toast. “I’m sorry. I’ll stop teasing about it.”

“Thanks,” he sighed, looking over at the boys, making sure they were still managing.

“…Speaking of blood, you know what sounds good?” Marinette remarked after a minute.

Adrien frowned at her suspiciously, slightly disturbed. “I have no idea what’s about to come out of your mouth. Part of me is very concerned.”

She rolled her eyes. “Steak. A nice, rare steak sounds amazing…. Please don’t throw up,” she added as she noted the sick look on her husband’s face.

Adrien winced. “I love you, Marinette, but I don’t think I can cook bloody dead animals for you.”

“We should host a barbeque,” she suggested, deciding that she’d teased him enough for the time being.

At that, he brightened up. “Excellent idea. I’ll ask Luka and Xavier-Yves to come over and cook the meat while I prepare the side dishes. If you get me a list of the cuts you want, I can send Victor to the butcher’s this afternoon.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Marinette agreed, smiling sheepishly. “Thanks for taking my weird cravings in stride.”

Adrien shrugged. “Rare steak isn’t as weird as that time when you were pregnant with Louis and ate almost as much Camembert as Plagg…or that time you were pregnant with Hugo and ate all of my tofu without cooking or seasoning it. That was weird. Bloody steak is a thing that real humans actually eat, though.”

Marinette opened her mouth to reply but then caught sight of her younger son’s antics. “…Hugo is finger painting with his yogurt.”

Adrien whipped his head around to look. Finding yogurt all over the table, his child’s face, and his child’s clothes, he sighed and then shrugged. “Oh well. I’ll clean him up when he’s done eating.”

“The joys of fatherhood,” Marinette chuckled.

“Yep.” He got to his feet and strode back over to his son. “Gogo, Honey, that’s for eating, not for playing.”

Chapter Text

“Princess? What’s wrong?” Chat demanded in a panic as he landed on Marinette’s balcony.

He’d gotten a text reading, “I need to see you NOW” after the akuma battle, and he’d run straight over after giving Plagg a chance to recharge.

In lieu of a response, Marinette pulled him to her, arms vice-like around him as she crushed her lips to his.

He let her push him down roughly onto the snow-dusted deckchair, ignoring the bite of the cold as it melted against his skin.

Her mouth pressed, hot and insistent, against his, and he happily bent to her will…until he felt the tears sliding down her cheeks and onto his.

He turned his head away, calling softly, “Marinette? Why are you crying? Are you okay?”

She pushed herself up, shaking her head and sniffling.

“Hey. Let’s go inside,” he suggested, slipping his hands under her thighs and lifting her up.

She dropped her head to his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him as he carried her down into her room, carefully depositing her on her bed.

“Princess, talk to me,” he coaxed as he curled up around her protectively. “What’s wrong?”

“Y-You died,” she accused through tears. “Again!”

It abruptly occurred to him what an idiot he was. Of course she was upset about him sacrificing himself to save her—or Ladybug, at least—from the akuma the hour before.

“You saw the footage of the fight?” he offered her an excuse, knowing she’d seen things firsthand, seen the life drain out of him as he landed limply beside her.

He was such an idiot. He should have realized she’d need to see him, to make sure he was really okay.

She nodded, body shaking. “I saw you get hit. I saw you go down.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, rubbing his face against her neck and giving her his most soothing purr. “I’m okay, Marinette. I promise.”

“But you weren’t,” she spat, angry at herself, at him, at the world. “For nearly three whole minutes, you weren’t, and I…” She turned in his embrace, catching his lips in another fierce kiss. “…I can’t take you not being okay.”

He pressed his forehead against hers and rubbed their noses together. “I’m sorry, My Love. I never meant to hurt you like that, and I’ll try not to let it happen again, but…” He pulled back to cup her cheek in his hand and gaze into her eyes. “Marinette, I’ll be as careful as I can, but there are going to be times when I have to take a hit.”

She started to shake her head no, but he stopped her.

“Shh. Yes. Yes, Princess, it has to be me. Don’t you know I would do anything to protect you?” he cooed.

Her brow furrowed slightly. “Me?”

He nodded, tucking a stray bang back behind her ear. “You,” he confirmed. “As long as Ladybug is safe, you’re safe…Paris is safe, I’m safe too. Even if I get taken down, so long as Ladybug is safe, she’ll fix everything.”

Marinette opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off. “I know you don’t always believe in her, Marinette, but I do. Ladybug is brave and selfless and smart and resourceful…just like you. I know she doubts herself, but I’ve never once stopped believing in her. There has never been a problem that she couldn’t solve.”

“…But…what if she fails?” Marinette asked hesitantly, afraid to even voice the unthinkable thought. “What if she can’t do it without you?”

He shook his head, leaning in for a quick kiss. “Don’t doubt. Just believe in her like I believe in her.”

She pressed her lips together, a troubled expression still clinging to her face. “It’s hard to trust like that.”

“You trust me like that, don’t you?” he prompted, a sly smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

“Of course I do,” she answered automatically.

“Okay. So…trust my judgment,” he urged. “Do you think I’d entrust your safety to just anyone willy-nilly?”

“…No,” she realized, more than a little humbled by the huge amount of trust he placed in his partner.

“Okay then,” he replied as if that settled it. “So the next time something like this happens, I need you to trust in Ladybug, okay? So long as she’s safe to fix things, I’m going to be okay, so there’s no need to freak out, even if I’m taken out of commission. Ladybug can handle it. I’m going to be fine.”

“I wish I could trust in her like you do,” Marinette sighed, resting her head on his chest.

He winced, wishing he could say something that would make a real difference. “Are you feeling any better at all?”

Surprisingly, she nodded. “What you said did help. About staying calm because so long as Ladybug was okay, you would be okay too. I just…when you got hit today…I panicked. I kept thinking about what if Ladybug couldn’t save you, what if I’d lost you for good…. Those weren’t very helpful thoughts. It would probably be better to focus on how to fix things without letting all of those negative thoughts flood in to distract me.”

He nodded, nuzzling her hair. “Just keep telling yourself that I’m going to be okay.”

“Hopefully it’s a long time before I have to,” she sighed in exhaustion, sinking into his embrace. “Right now, I think the best thing for me is to listen to your heartbeat and soak up some of your warmth.”

“I’ll even throw in a free purr,” he offered gallantly.

“I’d like that,” she chuckled.

Chapter Text

Marinette crept up to her loft where she found Adrien asleep, just as the note he’d left on her trapdoor had said.

“Hey, Sleepyhead,” she called softly, petting his hair to gently rouse him.

He inhaled deeply and drowsily blinked at her, slowly coming back to wakefulness. “Marinette?”

“Hi there,” she chuckled.

He gave a jolt. “Oh, hey. Sorry. I’m in your bed. I just… You weren’t here, but your parents said it was okay for me to just hang out, so I—”

“—Adrien, it’s okay,” she assured, snuggling up beside him. “You’re always welcome here. You can come nap away the afternoon in my bed whenever. No one minds.”

“Oh,” he exhaled in relief. “Good. Thanks. Sorry. I…” He sighed tiredly, resting his head on her chest.

“Are you okay?” she whispered, running her fingers through his hair.

He pulled out his phone and noted the lack of missed calls and frantic texts and voicemails. He sighed again. “I’ve been gone since lunch, and no one’s missed me. Five hours, and no one’s come to check on me. Sometimes I think I could be bleeding out in a ditch somewhere and no one would…”

He took a deep breath and blew it out, exchanging his anguish for a cheerful tone. “Your parents said you were out with the girls. What did you guys do? Did you have fun? How was your day?”

Marinette bit her lip, unsure whether she should let him change the subject. “…My day was fine,” she offered. “We had fun. We were volunteering at an animal shelter Mylène and Rose help at regularly. We did various things: cleaning, giving the animals baths, playing with the animals, helping them get some exercise…. You and the guys should come with us next time. I think you’d really like it, especially playing with and walking the dogs.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun,” he hummed thoughtfully, imagining playing fetch and tug-o-war with the puppies. “I’d like that.”

A silence fell between them as they snuggled and Marinette continued petting his hair.

After a few minutes, she asked again, “Adrien, are you okay? Do you want to talk about it, or do you want me to leave it alone?”

“It’s nothing,” he sighed. “You know. Just the usual. I don’t know why I’m so upset. It’s just…I was having lunch, and then Father came in, and I let myself get excited because I thought he was going to join me. It’s been a while since we last spent any time together, so…” Adrien’s voice dimmed into a heartbroken mumble. “But he was just there because my grades have been quote-unquote ‘slipping’ because I’ve been missing a few points here and there on quizzes and assignments lately. I’m still far above the class average, but…apparently, anything less than perfect isn’t good enough.”

“I’m sorry,” Marinette offered powerlessly, knowing there was nothing she could do. “Adrien, that’s ridiculous. He should be proud of you. You’re so smart, and you have grades most people are envious of. I’m sorry your father can’t see how amazing you are.”

“Yeah,” he murmured. “…It got worse. Wanna hear?”

She nodded. “I’m always happy to listen.”

“After he got done making me feel bad about myself, I asked if he’d have lunch with me so we could spend time together and maybe talk because it had been a while since we’d last done anything as a family…” Adrien’s voice started to quiver. “…and he said he didn’t have time for trivial matters like that…that I was being childish and needy again, so…that hurt.”

She squeezed him tighter, not for the first time wanting to storm the Agreste Mansion, smack Gabriel, and make him spend time with his son.

“Nathalie sat with me while I pushed the food around on my plate, and she tried to make me feel better, but…I’m trivial and childish and needy,” he chuckled darkly.

“No. You’re not. That’s not who you are,” Marinette stressed.

“That’s what he thinks of me,” Adrien snickered, letting the tears fall, “and I don’t know how to change his mind. I do the best that I can to jump through every hoop he sets up for me. I know I fall short a lot of the time, but I do everything I can to be perfect for him. I try to be the son he wants…but just trying isn’t good enough. I always disappoint him. I think sometimes that if I could just be perfect, he’d love me…but I can’t be perfect, and my best isn’t good enough, so I’m never going to get him to love me, so I don’t know what the point is or why I even care. I don’t know why I care so much, Marinette,” he confessed bitterly. “It’s not like he cares about me, so I shouldn’t care about him either, but…”

“…But you do,” Marinette sighed, giving his hair a nuzzle. “You’re such a loving person, Adrien. You just keep loving people, even after they hurt you again and again and again. Part of me is grateful that you’re so forgiving because you forgave me even after I was so horrible to you, but…part of me wishes you’d stop because you’re only hurting yourself when you forgive your father and let him hurt you again.”

Adrien sniffled. “Yeah, well…I guess I’m just so desperate to have a family that it’s easy to push aside the hurt and loneliness if it means sometimes he’ll smile at me and pat me on the shoulder and tell me I did a good job.”

“You don’t need him to have a family, Adrien,” she informed gently.

He looked up with a puzzled frown. “I don’t?”

She shook her head. “Chat Noir and I are your family. One day, we’ll make it official, and we’ll get married and have children and be the kind of family you’re wanting. I know that future might seem so far away that it doesn’t feel real right now, but—”

“—No,” he interrupted softly, pushing himself up on his elbows. “Marinette, I daydream about a future with you all the time. Knowing that you’ve thought about it too…that means a lot.”

He leaned in, pressing a firm kiss to her lips.

They lay there for some time, exchanging sweet kisses until Adrien had all but forgotten the pain of his father’s rejection in favor of his future bliss with his family with Marinette.

Eventually, they separated, and Marinette gave him a supportive squeeze. “How are you feeling?”

“Less alone and worthless,” he hummed, smiling sheepishly. “Thanks for loving on me.”

“Any time,” she promised. “I’m always here for you…. Are you hungry? Would you feel up to helping me with dinner and staying to eat with us? I know it’s not the same as spending quality time with your father, but…maybe hanging with the future in-laws counts for something.”

“Yeah,” Adrien readily agreed, getting choked up at her willingness to share with him and welcome him into her own family. “I’d like that a lot.”

“I think we have some cookies and macarons that didn’t turn out aesthetically pleasing enough to sell just sitting around downstairs too, so you can snack on those until dinner is ready,” she informed, getting up and making her way down the ladder.

“You’re too good to me,” he chuckled.

She paused and looked him full in the face. “You deserve goodness.”

She said it so matter-of-factly, it caught him by surprise. A lot of the time, it didn’t feel like he deserved anything…but she treated him as if he deserved the world and more. It made him second guess his negative thoughts and wonder if maybe she wasn’t right.

“Thank you for loving me,” he whispered, feeling slightly overwhelmed and very much loved.

“You make it easy,” she assured with a breathtaking smile.

Chapter Text

“Please?” Chat Noir whimpered, eying the almond cookies hungrily.

“No,” Marinette repeated for what felt like the dozenth time.

“Pleeeeease?” He activated his sad kitten eyes, making his ears and tail droop to heighten the effect.

“No, Chat Noir,” Marinette groaned. “I need to make sure I have an evenly divisible number for the kids I babysit. You can have the extras once I’m sure I have enough.”

“Thirty-nine cookies divided by seven kids equals five cookies apiece with four left over for me,” he quickly did the math for her. “So…please?”

“No,” she reiterated, separating them out onto squares of holiday cellophane. “What if one breaks or I drop them or something?” she demanded. “When you’re as big a klutz as I am, you have to be prepared for setbacks like that.”

Chat stuck out his bottom lip in a pout but remained silent for nearly a full minute as he watched her work.

“…Please?” he resumed his campaign as she began to tie up the cellophane with festive ribbons.

“I’m going to strangle you,” Marinette hissed.

“No strangling necessary,” he assure, sidling up behind her and placing a penitent kiss on her neck.

Peace reigned for all of ten seconds before Chat switched tactics, going from trying to elicit her pity with his cuteness to attempting to bend her to his will with seduction.

“…Please?” he whispered against her skin, lips working their way up her throat.

“Chaton,” Marinette gasped as he nipped just under her jaw.

“Please?” he breathed, kissing his way to her mouth. “Please? …Please. Please,” he muttered like a litany between kisses.

Her eyes fluttered closed, and she forgot what she was doing as he pressed her up against the counter and her lips melted against his.

“…Please?” He smiled hopefully as they pulled apart.

Marinette’s pleasantly dazed expression turned into a glare. “Fine,” she grumbled, grabbing a single almond cookie and holding it out to him. “You can have one—just one—for now. You’ll get the rest later, so stop pestering me.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Chat snickered, retreating to the other end of the counter to devour his prize.

Marinette gave a snort, trying not to smile at the pure wonder and excitement on her boyfriend’s face as he savored the cookie.

Chapter Text

“I mean…I get why they chose them, but orange and green aren’t very good wedding colours,” Marinette sighed heavily as she flipped through the wedding planner at her desk.

“I don’t see how orange and green is any different from us picking pink and black,” Adrien hummed as he paced the room, bouncing two-month-old Hugo. “Isn’t the point of wedding colours that they mean something to the couple getting married? Rose and Juleka did pink and purple, Ivan and Mylène chose black and rainbow pastels, and Luka and Xavier-Yves picked purple and blue. I think green and orange make sense for Alya and Nino.”

“Still,” Marinette sighed again. “I’m having trouble finding chair covers and table runners in the right shades. Bridesmaids dresses are going to be difficult to coordinate, I have no idea what colour shoes to tell everyone to wear, and don’t even get me started on the groomsmen’s tuxes.”

Adrien winced, seeing that his wife was at it again, entering super-planner mode. “My Ladylove, I think you need to relax a bit,” he coaxed, coming over to put a hand on her shoulder. “They just got officially engaged three weeks ago, and the wedding date isn’t even set yet. There will be plenty of time to sweat the details.”

Marinette turned to glare at her husband. “Adrien, our best friends are finally getting married. This is a big. Deal. Alya’s trusting me as maid of honor, and everything. Has to be. Perfect,” she stressed, punctuating her words so that he would grasp the magnitude of the duty placed upon her.

“And it will be,” he cooed, beginning to rub her tense shoulders as best as he could one-handed. “But you’re stressing yourself out over a wedding that’s probably still a year or more away. Besides, I got the impression that Nino and Alya just kind of wanted to get married on a beach somewhere, barefoot and in bathing suits. Didn’t Alya say something about the reception being picnic food and coolers full of beer so people could dance and get drunk under the stars or something?”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “She was joking. Trust me, Adrien. Over the years of our friendship, Alya and I have often discussed wedding plans in excruciating detail. I’ve already got several possible wedding dress designs for her. I know what I’m talking about.”

Adrien pursed his lips, thinking that Alya hadn’t sounded like she was joking but not wanting to upset his already tense wife. “I didn’t mean to imply that I thought that you didn’t. I’m sure you do. It’s just…I think it’s a little early to be planning in as much detail as you are. Maybe this is one of those times where you don’t have to have everything under control right this second?” he suggested, trying to be helpful

Marinette rose to her feet, fists balled. “Are you saying that I’m a control freak?” she snarled, hair bristling.

Hugo, who had been contentedly dozing in his father’s arms, stirred at his mother’s terse hiss and began to whimper.

“Shh,” Adrien cooed, bouncing his son, trying to calm him. “It’s okay.”

He looked up at Marinette, assuring, “No. That’s not what I meant at all. I’m sorry it came across that way. Let me go put Gogo down to sleep, and, then, maybe can we talk?”

She crossed her arms and blew out a long sigh. “Fine.”

When Adrien came back some fifteen minutes later, Marinette was lounging on their bed, flipping through their wedding photo album.

“Hey,” he called softly, sinking down onto the bed beside her and reaching out for her hand.

She took his and gave it a squeeze. “Hey,” she answered in a mumble. “Sorry I snapped at you.”

“It’s okay.” He easily shrugged it off, glad that she was no longer angry with him. “I know you can be a little short when you’re stressing, and I didn’t phrase what I was trying to say right. I don’t think you’re a control freak.”

“Some people do,” Marinette muttered sullenly. “…I overhear people at work.”

He shook his head. “My Love, you are very good at what you do, and you want things done up to your standards. That’s not a bad thing. Are you a little intense at times? Yes, but you produce stupendous results. There’s nothing wrong with making sure you produce quality work.”

She hummed as he pulled her into his arms.

“Seriously, your ability to take chaos, parse all the complex details, and come up with a step-by-step plan to turn it into order and beauty has always astounded me. It’s one of the things I admire most about you. Having a firm command of the situation isn’t a bad thing,” he stressed.

She gave a noncommittal grunt, resting her head on his shoulder.

He sighed, leaning back and pulling her down onto the bed with him. “Marinette, for years Paris only survived because you were always in control of the situation. You always had to be in control, otherwise everyone you loved was doomed. That’s a lot of pressure, but you adapted to it, and now it’s pretty much your survival instinct to always make sure you’re in control. I get that. I one hundred percent understand why you always feel like you need to be in control.”

He gave her forehead a kiss and gently started to pet her hair. “…But things aren’t like that anymore. It’s not life or death all the time. I get that you’re still traumatized from your years as Ladybug, but I think it’s time we started working on identifying some old coping mechanisms that aren’t serving you well anymore in your new reality.”

“You sound like my therapist,” she snickered, snuggling into his hold.

“I mean, I have been in therapy for eight years now,” he chuckled, burying his nose in her hair. “I would hope some of their lingo would have rubbed off.”

Marinette took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Okay. Yeah. You’re right. It does make me really anxious when I don’t feel like I have a handle on things. I’m seriously stressing about reception decorations when I don’t even know the location of the reception yet, so…maybe I need to chillax a bit.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” he seconded. “I realize how important this is, but it’s not going to ruin Nino and Alya’s big day if you can’t find the right shade of orange table runner. You’re going to do an epic job as maid of honor, and the wedding is going to be spectacular, but, for sure, no one is going to die if you don’t figure out the groomsmen’s tux situation right this minute, so maybe we can just keep taking deep breaths and calm down and let it go for now.”

“Yeah,” Marinette murmured, matching her breaths to Adrien’s long, measured inhales. “Maybe that can wait until I have more concrete details to work with…but I just worry that if I don’t get a head start, I’m not going to have enough time to iron everything out, and the wedding won’t be perfect, and Nino and Alya will decide they don’t love each other anymore, and then our children won’t be able to get married because Nino and Alya will get a divorce, and Gogo will hate me because it’s my fault the person he was supposed to marry never got to be born because I ruined Alya and Nino’s wedding.”

Adrien did his very best not to laugh.

Marinette’s negative thought spirals were always so interesting and bizarre, but he knew that she one hundred percent believed the nonsense that was coming out of her mouth in that moment, and he had learned not to make light of her fears.

He pulled back and smiled down lovingly at his wife. “Princess, I don’t think anything could make Alya and Nino stop loving one another. As for Hugo’s future spouse, I think we need to let our two-month-old son make his own life decisions…. Do you want me to distract you?”

“Yes, please,” she replied sheepishly, eagerly arching up into his kiss.

Chapter Text

“…so I told him that was never going to work for the quick-change during Let It Go and that we needed to have Aurore wearing her snow queen dress underneath a pull-away shell of a coronation gown so that we could attach wires to the shell and yank off the coronation gown when it was time,” Marinette summarized the results of her costume crew meeting for Chat Noir as they sat on the floor of her room putting together a puzzle.

“That’s a neat trick,” he chuckled, smiling at her with pride. “You’re so clever, Marinette. Where did you get that idea?”

She shrugged, grinning sheepishly as she fitted a variegated tulip together. “The internet. I need to do a little more research, but I think I can make it work.”

“I have no doubt you will,” he encouraged. “I’m kind of jealous. I’d like the opportunity to wear a technical costume like that.”

Adrien would be playing the role of Hans in the upcoming school production of Frozen the Musical. He had originally auditioned for Elsa and stunned everyone with his phenomenal rendition of Let It Go, but his father had intervened as soon as the video of Adrien’s audition started making the rounds on the internet.

Apparently, no son of Gabriel Agreste would be playing a female part, and the roles of Olaf and Kristoff were deemed ‘too buffoonish’, so that really only left the part of the antagonist for Adrien, much to his intense disappointment.

“Are you into acting too?” Marinette inquired curiously, looking up from the puzzle. “I’m sure you know, but Adrien apparently wants to go into acting like his mother.”

Chat nodded. “Yeah. I’m a big fan of the stage. My mother used to take me to the theatre a lot when I was little, so I have a lot of happy memories surrounding plays and musicals and opera. I’d kind of like to try my hand at acting too.”

“Maybe you and Adrien can be in shows together someday,” Marinette suggested with a laugh, trying to picture it.

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Maybe we could play opposite one another.”

There was a brief lull in the conversation as they went back to searching for puzzle pieces with the same hue of pink as the flowers Chat was currently working on, and then Marinette started to fill the silence with more talk of the other sartorial challenges she and the costume crew would be facing such as their interpretations of Sven the reindeer, Olaf the snowman, and the whole host of trolls that appeared in the production.

Chat listened, smiling contentedly as she happily chattered about her ideas.

She was so in her element, and she glowed in her excitement.

He leaned in, kissing her on the cheek while she was in the middle of a sentence.

She arched an eyebrow at him. “What was that for?”

He shrugged. “No reason. You’re just beautiful, and I love you.”

Marinette reflected on this for a moment before moving to reciprocate.

“Right back at you,” she giggled and then went back to recounting the costume crew’s differing opinions on how big Sven’s antlers should be, whether Olaf needed a prosthetic carrot nose, and how they were going to achieve the effect of moss on rocks for the troll costumes.

Chapter Text

 It was bad.

It had been an honest mistake, a simple oversight, but Marinette was now regretting it immensely as an akumatized Adrien fangirl tore the roof off the Gabriel warehouse where Marinette was doing her summer internship like the lid of a soup can.

Two days previously, Chat Noir had rescued Marinette when she got caught in the crossfire of the latest Gabriel Agreste-caused akuma attack. Unthinkingly, Marinette had rung his bell, called him her hero in a flirty, saccharine tone, and kissed him on the cheek.

One of the other interns (Marinette’s rival Benoit) had gotten it all on tape as he took cover behind a clothes rack and posted the video online, the sniveling coward.

Of course, Adrien’s rabid fans were now calling for Marinette’s head on a platter despite Adrien’s insistences that Marinette was not cheating on him.

Clearly this fangirl was a little slow on the uptake if she’d only found out about and gotten akumatized over the quote-unquote “scandal” just then.

“You!” the akuma (Marinette hadn’t gotten her name yet) shrieked like a banshee as she pointed threateningly at Marinette, flapping her harpy-like wings as she slowly descended. “I’ll show you, you little hussy! The penalty for breaking Adrien’s heart is death!”

Marinette groaned, standing her ground and letting herself be a sitting duck to keep the akuma’s attention while the rest of her coworkers fled to safety.

“News flash!” Chat Noir growled as he leapt through the hole in the roof the fury had created, bashing the akuma over the head with his baton like a baseball bat on his way down.

He landed in a crouch in front of Marinette, putting himself between her and the monster. “Adrien’s heart isn’t broken, and he’s pissed that you’re harassing his girlfriend,” Chat snapped as he rose to his full height, teeth bared.

Marinette mentally noted that her boyfriend was really hot when he was worked up over protecting her.

The fury recovered from Chat’s little love-tap faster than expected, hissing like a feral cat as she dropped to the ground, denting the warehouse floor with her clawed, bird-like feet.

“You and your lover will die!” the akuma screeched, pulling a cartoonish gun-apparatus off her shoulder holster and firing it at them.

Acting on instinct, Chat dove at Marinette, pushing her to the ground.

Unfortunately, it was a net gun, and the resulting net got a two-for-one special, trapping both Marinette and Chat Noir in one shot.

The harpy akuma cackled, slowly advancing on her prey. “I will sacrifice you both to Adrien, and then he will realize his love for me!”

“Hate to break it to you,” Chat grumbled as he and Marinette struggled to free themselves and only wound up making it worse. “but Adrien’s ninety percent vegetarian, and he frowns on human sacrifice.”

Checking to make sure Marinette was clear of his right hand, Chat shouted, “Cataclysm!”, and the rope trapping them dissolved away.

“Run!” Marinette yelped, half pulling him to his feet as they took off.

The akuma screamed in anger, folding her wings and giving chase much faster than a bird of prey that large should have been able to on land.

“We need somewhere you can hide while I lead her away,” Chat panted as they raced down evacuated hallways.

“Storage closet,” Marinette agreed, spinning on her heel and going back three doors to where they kept bolts of the three dozen hues of chiffon regularly used at Gabriel.

Just as Marinette managed to yank open the storage room door, the fury rounded the corner and shrieked, “There you are!”

She dove at them, snatching them up in her talons and tossing them into the closet together.

They landed with a thud, bolts of fabric raining down around them.

“Stay put,” the akuma commanded, shutting them in and piling debris up outside the door to make sure that they couldn’t escape. “I have to go get Adrien so he can watch your demise.”

And, with that, the girl flew off to find her idol, certain that her prey would still be right where she’d left them when she returned.

“Marinette? Are you okay? Did she hurt you?” Chat called desperately as he dug himself out of the fabric pile.

“I’m good,” Marinette groaned, shoving the blots of chiffon off of herself. “I’m probably going to be nursing some bruises later, but nothing’s broken or bleeding.”

Chat sighed in relief as he made his way over to her, helping to clear away the last of the fabric before assisting her to her feet. “Thank goodness,” he whispered, pulling her in for a gentle hug. “I kind of flipped when I saw that harpy monster on the news announcing her manifesto to put you to death.”

“My phone is in my purse in my locker, so I didn’t hear the akuma alert,” Marinette sighed, thinking, not for the first time, that she needed to come up with a way to stay on top of akuma notices even while at work because this was becoming a problem.

“I’m just glad you’re safe,” he sighed, nuzzling her hair. “I was really scared.”

He shuddered even as he held her. His first thought had been of Marinette’s lifeless body being presented to him by the akuma, and that was quickly followed up by the terrifying thought that if Marinette was gone, there would be no Ladybug to restore her to him.

“You’re still freaking out, aren’t you?” Marinette realized, wrapping her arms around him tighter and nuzzling him back.

He nodded. “I couldn’t live without you. It would break me.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she promised. “We’re going to get out of here, and then you and Ladybug are going to purify the akuma. Everything is going to be fine.”

He took a deep inhale of her scent, letting it calm him.

“Right,” he breathed. “You’re right. Everything’s going to be fine.”

She held him a little longer until his breathing evened out, and then she pulled back, giving him an encouraging smile. “Are you ready to get us out of here, My Love?”

He returned her smile weakly and nodded. “On it.”

“I’m honestly worried about Adrien,” Marinette sighed as Chat Noir squared off against the door. “He’s probably going out of his mind worrying about the both of us. You and Ladybug need to stop Harpy Lady before she abducts poor Adrien.”

“Won’t be a problem,” Chat assured, raising his right hand and calling out, “Cataclysm!”

Nothing happened.

Marinette and Chat frowned in tandem.

“Not enough juice for a second Cataclysm today?” Marinette hummed.

Frankly, she was impressed with how his abilities had grown over the years. It was a little unpredictable, and it changed from one fight to the next, but sometimes he could get off two or three Cataclysms before having to detransform, and the five-minute timer no longer seemed to apply to him.

Ladybug’s powers, on the other hand, hadn’t seemed to improve or grow at all. She still got one Lucky Charm and then detransformed five minutes later.

She’d asked Tikki about it, but that hadn’t gotten them anywhere. Tikki thought maybe Marinette’s stress was limiting her growth.

Marinette couldn’t bring herself to be amused by the irony.

Chat Noir’s ring began to beep in warning, causing the hero to groan. “Plagg, it hasn’t even been ten minutes. What the heck?”

“Has he not been feeling well?” Marinette inquired, a deep frown of concern etching itself into her brow.

Chat shook his head. “He’s been his same old annoying, cheese-eating self. I don’t know. Maybe I’m the problem. I am kind of off my game because an akuma is trying to kill the woman I love.”

Marinette grinned, stepping in to give him a sweet kiss on the cheek. “Aww. That’s kind of romantic.”

“It’s kind of annoying,” he laughed self-deprecatingly. “Unfortunately, this is my reality.”

She stepped back with an affectionate smile and turned to face away from him, closing her eyes and covering them with her hands. “Go ahead and detransform. I won’t look while Plagg recharges.”

He pressed his lips together, considering as his ring gave another beep.

“I promise I’ll keep my eyes shut,” she insisted, misinterpreting the cause of his hesitation.

He dropped his transformation and tossed Plagg a piece of Camembert.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped in, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend from behind.

She jumped, startled at the contact at first, but then settled back against him, enjoying the feeling of his bare skin on hers. She usually only got so much skin-on-skin contact during intimate moments, and the sensation now lit little flickers in her stomach.

“I love you,” he whispered into her shoulder, pressing kisses like a flower chain up her neck.

“Love you too,” she giggled, hoping Plagg would take his time with the cheese.

“Marinette?” he called tentatively.

“Hm?”

“I love you, and I can’t keep doing this anymore,” he confessed, making her suddenly go rigid as all of the happy, warm feelings vanished.

She swallowed hard. “W-What do you mean?”

“Keeping secrets from you. Lying to you,” he explained, nuzzling her neck and pulling her closer, his hand on her stomach.

“What exactly are you lying about?” she found the words to ask even as they stuck in her throat.

“Who I am,” he sighed. “I can’t do it anymore. I need you to open your eyes and look at me. I need you to know who I am because we’ve been dating a year and a half, and I’ve let this farce go on far too long.”

“Chat Noir, no,” she stressed, pressing the heels of her hands harder to her face. “I can’t know. We’ve been over this many, many times. It’s not safe while Papillon is still at large.”

“Marinette, all the things you’re afraid of aren’t going to happen,” he sighed in frustration. “I know you’re scared, and I’m not saying your fears are unfounded, but…Papillon doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon, and I cannot keep up this act for another month, let alone another year or more. I’ve always respected your wishes because I didn’t want to force this huge burden on you without your consent…but we’ve passed the point of ridiculousness, and I need you to know now. I can’t hide this any longer. I won’t.”

“Minou, don’t be unreasonable,” Marinette coaxed. “I…It’s not safe.”

He turned her around to face him and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Open your eyes and look at me, or I’m breaking up with you.”

Her body gave a jerk, and her mouth fell open in a silent gasp of shock at his harsh words and no-nonsense tone.

“Please,” he returned to pleading, taking her hands and gently pulling them from her still-closed eyes. “Please,” he whispered against her lips, giving them a desperate kiss.

“Please,” he repeated in a tearful, strained voice, getting down on his knees, pressing his face to her stomach and giving it a nuzzle. “Please, look at me.”

He sat back on his heels, looking up at her plaintively, giving her hands an entreating squeeze. “Please, Marinette?”

Her lips were quivering as tears slowly trickled down her cheeks. Her hands too were shaking even as he held them.

Gradually, her eyelids did part, and her gaze came to rest squarely on Adrien Agreste, a supplicant mess at her feet.

She pulled back, falling over backwards as her hands went to cover her mouth.

“A-Adrien?!”

“I’m so sorry,” he rushed to get out. “You didn’t want me to tell you, and then things got so messed up that I didn’t know how to tell you. I’m sorry, Marinette. I’m so, so sorry.”

But she didn’t hear him. She was too busy panicking and shaking her head and trying to come up with reasons why what she was seeing couldn’t be true.

“—No,” she finally responded, cutting him off as he babbled apologies and tried to explain himself. “No,” she laughed just on the right side of maniacal. “I’ve seen you two together. I’ve made out with the both of you. I’ve seen the both of you making out with each other!” she accused, desperate to keep her understanding of reality in one piece.

He shook his head and replied in a very small, brittle voice, “Fox Miraculous.”

She blinked at him, not comprehending.

He gulped and tried again. “I used the Fox Miraculous to create a doppelgänger.”

She stared at him, hurt and betrayal flooding her senses. “You…used the Fox Miraculous…on me?”

Adrien visibly shrank, his shoulders rising up to his ears as he responded with the smallest, most timid of nods. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do. I…” He trailed off as she shook her head, her eyes cutting into him with the depth of their hurt and anger.

“How could you?” she asked quietly, calmly, leaving him wishing that she would just yell and get it over with.

He had nothing to say for himself.

He didn’t think she’d react well to “How could I not?” or “What else was I supposed to do?”

So he didn’t say anything. He just sat there, looking at her penitently, waiting for her to get to the part where she forgave him and told him it was okay. He waited for her to say she still loved him.

He wondered if he should say it first.

That didn’t feel right, though. He knew he still loved her, but he wasn’t so sure that she still loved him. He wasn’t good at fights. When his parents fought, they sometimes didn’t speak for days or weeks afterwards. Adrien had never gotten to see how those fights were resolved, how couples made up.

When Adrien got in trouble with his father, the usual protocol was for Adrien to stand still and take whatever verbal abuse his father threw at him until Adrien was dismissed.

He wondered if that’s what he was supposed to do now. Though Marinette seemed to be done talking. She seemed to be waiting for Adrien to say something.

Adrien had no idea what that something was. He didn’t usually get a turn to speak when his father took him to task.

He’d seen Alya and Nino argue about little things from time to time. They usually apologized, kissed, and made up…but Marinette didn’t look like she wanted a kiss.

“Well?” she asked, voice emotionless…like his father’s.

Marinette wasn’t supposed to make him feel like his father did.

Adrien looked for Plagg, hoping his kwami might offer some assistance, but Plagg was nowhere to be seen.

Adrien was on his own, feeling very tiny, stupid, and not good enough.

“I’m…sorry,” he tried miserably. “I love you.”

She stared back at him and sighed, shaking her head as she got to her feet.

Was she breaking up with him? Did her shaking her head mean that she didn’t love him?

The only thing he truly understood was the disappointment on her face. He was very, very familiar with disappointment.

“We’re wasting time,” she decreed, scrubbing at her face with her hands. “I’m sorry. We’ll have to talk about this later. I’ll come over to your apartment. Right now, there’s an akuma to fight, and you need to get us out of here.”

“R-Right,” he readily agreed, pushing himself up on shaky legs.

He tried to focus on the task at hand and not let himself think about losing Marinette’s love forever.

“Plagg?” he called, uncertainly.

The little deity flew out from behind a stack of chiffon and came up to nuzzle Adrien’s cheek.

The affectionate gesture almost made Adrien cry, it meant so much to him.

“Thanks,” he whispered in heartfelt appreciation before calling on his transformation.

Once the storage closet door and the pile of rubble blocking it was Cataclysmed away, Marinette was on the move, tossing an, “I’m going to find somewhere safe to hide. I’ll drop by your apartment after the attack,” over her shoulder as she went.

He tried to tell himself that her cold, distant behaviour was the result of shock. She was dealing with a lot of emotions, and maybe springing a reveal on her during an akuma attack where the akuma was trying to kill her hadn’t been the best timing.

He tried to tell himself that it wasn’t him. It was just Marinette panicking because that’s what Marinette did.

Somehow, those thoughts didn’t make him feel any less miserable.

The akuma was purified, and, while that was all that truly mattered at the end of the day, the battle had been a clown fiesta that surely left Paris wondering what was wrong with its heroes.

They were a mess. Chat Noir and Ladybug were horribly out of sync, tripping each other up, misreading signals, and getting thrown all over one another by the harpy lady.

Everyone was just happy that they’d somehow pulled it off regardless.

No fist bumps were exchanged at the end of the battle.

This was a little disheartening because Adrien took it to mean that Marinette was so upset with him that she’d forgotten or didn’t care that Ladybug shouldn’t be behaving coldly toward Chat Noir because he wasn’t supposed to know that Marinette and Ladybug were the same person.

Adrien collapsed on his bed, arms spread wide as he let out a long, bone-weary sigh. “Today is the worst.”

Plagg came over and settled on Adrien’s chest, giving his ward a nuzzle and a comforting purr. “At least nobody died,” he offered.

Adrien groaned, throwing an arm over his face as tears began to leak from the corners of his eyes. “I’m such an idiot.”

Trixx poked his head out of Adrien’s right shoulder and flew up to stroke Adrien’s hair. “You’re not an idiot,” he cooed, trying to be helpful.

Usually he left these kinds of interactions to Plagg who knew Adrien better and was, therefore, better suited to providing comfort. Today’s confrontation with Marinette in the storage closet had been particularly intense, though. Trixx could feel the way Adrien’s body had shaken and tensed and braced to be struck. Trixx could smell the stress hormones Adrien gave off, and he could tell that his holder needed more comfort than usual.

“I’m sorry Plagg and I didn’t give you the best guidance,” he whispered his regret. “We didn’t help you handle the situation well.”

Plagg snorted, stopping mid-nuzzle to look up and glare at Trixx. “We didn’t do anything wrong. This is all on Tikki. It’s her fault for filling her girl’s head so full of horror stories of identity reveals that went wrong in the past. It’s Tikki’s fault we got to this point. She knew Adrien and Chat Noir were the same person. She should have said something, told her girl it was okay to lighten up.”

Trixx couldn’t help but think that it was rather ungenerous of him to throw his other half under the bus like that. He would have thought that Plagg would show more loyalty to Tikki. On the other hand, Plagg’s kitten was suffering and had been suffering for quite some time, as the Adrichat charade had been going on for about a year at that point.

Plagg turned back to Adrien, insisting, “Kid, you know this isn’t your fault, right? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I didn’t really do anything right either,” Adrien mumbled despondently.

Trixx kept petting Adrien’s hair in the absence of anything more helpful to do.

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Plagg coaxed.

Adrien only sighed in response. “…Are we broken up now, do you think? I’m not good at fights. That felt like a pretty big fight.”

“That’s not what I took away from the encounter,” Trixx offered, mentally crossing his fingers that his understanding of human interactions aligned with the reality of the situation.

“Kid, no,” Plagg assured, going back to nuzzling. “She’s just upset. She’s not dumping you. She said she’d be by to talk it over later, so—”

“—So she can dump me officially?” Adrien groaned.

“I believe this is what that therapist person we saw the other day referred to as the cognitive distortion of ‘catastrophizing’,” Trixx remarked, trying to be helpful.

“What the fox said,” Plagg seconded. “You’re doing that catastrophe thing. Stop that and go into your talk with your girlfriend with an open mind. Maybe she’ll scream at Tikki first and get all of her anger worked out before she comes here, so she’ll be able to think clearly and see that this is all her own fault.”

Adrien took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yeah,” he replied half-heartedly. “Maybe.”

He felt bad for hoping that Marinette yelled at Tikki because, deep down, he knew he was in the wrong too, but he had a feeling that Tikki could withstand Marinette’s anger better than Adrien could.

“Just try to stay calm,” Trixx coached. “We’ll deal with whatever happens when it happens, so there’s no point in worrying about it now.”

“Okay,” Adrien mumbled, trying to focus on his breathing and the comforting caresses of his kwamis.

Adrien woke to muffled voices coming from the main room about two hours later. Trixx was still curled up beside him, his head resting on Adrien’s shoulder, but Plagg was nowhere to be seen.

Adrien wiped the crusty debris from the corners of his eyes and sat up, trying to make out to whom the voices belonged. He rolled off the bed and onto his feet, going to investigate.

He found Plagg and Marinette in the main room of the apartment, hissing at each other in hushed tones.

Her complexion was splotchy, and her eyes were red. She looked a mess, but his heart still leapt for her.

Sensing their audience, Plagg and Marinette looked to where Adrien stood in the bedroom doorway, and Marinette’s eyes lit up.

“Adrien,” she breathed, rushing to his side, wrapping her arms around him, and squeezing him tight.

Reflexively, he untensed, settling into her embrace and dropping his head to rest on hers, his face buried in her hair.

“I’m sorry,” she stressed into his chest. “I’m so sorry. I’m not breaking up with you. Ever.”

“O-Oh,” he choked, beginning to tremble as an overwhelming wave of emotions washed over him. “Good,” he managed.

“Come here,” she coaxed, tugging him to the couch so that they could sit before their legs gave out.

She pulled back to look him in the eyes, gingerly cupping his face in her hands. “I’m sorry for how I reacted before. I was really upset, and there was a lot going on. There was a lot to think about and digest, and…” She shook her head. “I’m hurt and I’m angry and I’m still upset, but I will always love you, even when I want to scream at you and slap you silly, okay? I can be mad and still love you at the same time, all right? Plagg wasn’t sure if you knew that, so I wanted to make certain we were clear on that point.”

Adrien had to swallow and take several deep breaths before he was able to reply. “…I wasn’t sure,” he admitted. “I’m not good at fights. I don’t know how this works.”

She nodded, stroking his face and petting his hair. “That’s okay. I know you haven’t always had the best examples in your life, so… When my parents fight, things can get ugly. Sometimes they say things they don’t really mean. I think everyone does that. The important thing is that once they cool down, they sit down and talk about what happened and what they were thinking and feeling, and they work together to fix the problem that started the fight. They say sorry, and they remind one another how important they are to each other, and then they try to learn from the experience and not make the same mistakes again. Ideally, that’s how it’s supposed to work,” she explained.

“So…” He frowned as he tried to wrap his head around this new information. “You said sorry and that you still love me. I said sorry earlier. Does that count, or do I need to say it again now?”

Marinette grimaced and had to remind herself that he was struggling to grasp this new concept, so she needed to be patient.

“It’s not quite so formulaic as that,” she informed gently. “Those were more guidelines than a script, but…Plagg told me how torn up you’ve been about keeping secrets from me and how hard it’s been for you not being able to tell me who you were, so…I know you’re sorry. That’s the important part. I believe you’re sorry, so you don’t have to say it again.”

He nodded, tentatively, still not quite sure of his footing. “So…you forgive me? Are we done fighting?”

She bit her lip, dropping her hands from his face to his palms as she looked away. “Yes and no. I’m still…feeling things. This is a lot to process, and I’m still mad and hurt and upset, so…I need some time,” she confessed, looking back up at him imploringly.

He averted his eyes, shoulders inching up towards his ears as he began to curl in on himself defensively.

“Okay,” he mumbled, even though her answer wasn’t the one he’d wanted to hear.

“It’s going to take a while for me to sort through things in my head,” she explained. “I still love you, and I still want to be with you, but…you lied to me.”

He flinched but didn’t bother saying anything to defend himself.

“Like…a huge lie. For a long time,” she stressed. “That isn’t something I’m just going to get over. It doesn’t feel good to be tricked and betrayed like that, Adrien, so it’s going to be a while before I’m able to forgive you. That doesn’t mean I don’t love you anymore, though,” she reiterated, wanting to make sure that he believed her. “Do you understand?”

He nodded, trying to make himself smaller so that he would, hopefully, shrink away and disappear.

This hurt worse than when his father scolded him. When he got in trouble with his father, it was usually for something Adrien had no control over. It hurt worse when he had actually done something wrong and knew his punishment was justified.

“But we’re going to get through this, okay?” She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “This is just a rough patch. We’re going to come out on the other side stronger.”

“Okay,” he whispered, trying to believe her.

It was hard because he had always been a screwup, and he didn’t anticipate that changing anytime soon. He would always disappoint her and make her question the trust she placed in him. He’d been doing it for five years now, and it made him wonder which time would be the final straw. He always felt like he was on the precipice of losing her forever.

When he tuned back in, at least a minute or two had passed, and Marinette was in the middle of saying, “…you ever thought this was a good idea. I just…I don’t understand. How could you trick me like that?”

She stopped talking and looked at him expectantly.

He looked up and blinked at her.

She frowned. “Adrien, are you listening to me?”

“I…” He gulped. “Sorry. I don’t usually get to say anything, so…”

Slowly, her left eyebrow drifted up toward her hairline. “When have I ever not let you talk?” she inquired in honest confusion.

“Not you. My father,” he informed. “When I’m in trouble and he’s yelling at me. I don’t usually get to say anything, so…” he trailed off again with a shrug.

Marinette stared at her boyfriend as a cold chill walked its fingers up her spine. “You feel like you’re in trouble and I’m yelling at you…like your father does.”

His shoulders rose back up to his ears, and his gaze cast around on the floor for something to look at instead of her. “That’s…yeah. I mean…it’s a little different because you said you loved me, and that…that doesn’t happen with my father, but…yeah. …You’d think I would get used to being told what a disappointment I was,” he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

Marinette didn’t laugh. “…You’re not,” she stressed, taking one of his hands in both of hers and squeezing tight. “Just because I’m disappointed in something you did, that doesn’t make you a disappointment.”

Tentatively, he peeked up at her. “Is that anything like the saying, ‘You are not your failures’?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly. Just because you did something that disappointed me, that doesn’t make it a part of who you are. It was just…just a mistake. Human beings make those.”

“Even you?” he ventured softly.

“Especially me,” she agreed. “I’m sorry, Adrien. I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad; I just wanted to understand what had happened, but… What your father does to you is horrible, and I don’t want things to ever feel like that with me. Say something next time.”

Taking a deep breath and finally meeting her gaze, Adrien asked, “When we fight, afterwards, do I get to talk about what I’m thinking and feeling too?”

It hurt her that he even needed to ask.

She nodded, assuring, “I care very much about what you’re feeling and thinking.”

He blew out a long exhale. “Okay. So…I don’t get to make choices often. I mean, I do this past month now that I’ve moved out, but…my whole life, I’ve just kind of had to do what people tell me. This past month is the first time I’ve been able to pick what I wear or what I eat or what I do with my free time, so…thinking for myself and making decisions on my own is a bit of a foreign concept.”

She had known that on some subconscious level, but now that he spelled it out for her, it was horrifying in a whole new way how tightly controlled he had been.

“I know you said you still loved me, even though you were mad,” he continued uncertainly, “but…will you still love me if I’m mad at you?”

She blinked at him in surprise but nodded, assuring, “Of course…but…why would you be mad at me?”

He took a deep breath, gathering his courage. “Usually, when my father is scolding and punishing me, it’s for something that wasn’t my fault. Normally, I keep my head down and take it without protest because I have no control over the situation, no say in what happens to me…but…this relationship isn’t like that, is it?”

Slowly, she shook her head. “No. It’s not.”

He held her gaze as he continued shakily. “You’re not my father. You’re not unfair like that, and you care about what I have to say.”

She nodded vehemently.

“And it’s okay to fight with you because you’re not going to stop loving me,” he added and waited for her to confirm it, needing to be sure.

“Yes,” she promised, internally bracing herself, even as she squeezed his hand tighter.

“Okay,” he breathed out shakily. “In that case…Marinette, I’m kind of tired of always accepting the blame for things that aren’t my fault.”

Her eyebrows drew into a frown of confusion as she tried to parse his words for meaning.

“I’m not trying to say that I didn’t do anything wrong because I know I did,” he rushed to explain. “I never thought it was a good idea to pretend to be two different people. I never wanted to do that, and it wasn’t like it was all fun and games for me. I hated lying to you…but even though what I did was wrong, it wasn’t entirely my fault.”

She pursed her lips, trying to figure out what he meant, if he was trying to blame Plagg for giving him bad advice or what.

“Marinette,” he called imploringly, eyes wet with the start of another round of tears. “You didn’t give me a choice.”

Her mouth dropped open in stunned disbelief.

“What was I supposed to do?” he pleaded. “It all got really messy really fast right from the very beginning. I didn’t mean to fall in love with you as Chat Noir. I didn’t mean for us to get so close, but we did, and that wasn’t something I could give up. You have no clue how horrible it was in that deserted mansion all by myself, always feeling like an impulse buy my father deeply regretted but couldn’t return. I felt safe with you. Your house was always a happy, warm place, and you made me feel like I was worth something. I couldn’t keep away,” he explained, praying that she would understand even a little bit where he was coming from.

He shook his head. “I couldn’t stop coming as Chat Noir…and then I fell in love with you, but that day when I accidentally tried to kiss you as Adrien, you said there was someone else, and, I mean, that someone else turned out to be Chat Noir, so…I was just so overjoyed to have my feelings finally returned that I didn’t stop to think that it was stupid to date you as a masked superhero. I didn’t think,” he sighed, mentally kicking himself for the thousandth time. “And then I accidentally kissed you as Adrien, and you accidentally kissed me back, and…”

He pinned her with an intent gaze. “Remember how I tried to tell you who I was that night? After the kiss in the library with Adrien, I came over that night as Chat Noir, and I was going to tell you everything, but you wouldn’t let me. You said no, and I respected your choice because you were right; it is a really freaking big deal, and knowing my identity could potentially put you and the people you love in danger, and that wasn’t something I could force on you. I respected your choice. Was that wrong?”

He stopped, offering her space in which to speak.

She took a measured breath and blew it out slowly, confessing, “I don’t know. I wasn’t operating with all the facts. I don’t… I think…maybe you should have said something.”

“I tried,” he whined. “I dropped so many hints, Marinette. As things got further and further out of hand, I kept trying to tell you. You always said no, but I kept trying. I let so many things slip, hoping maybe you’d figure it out so you could stop beating yourself up about cheating on me, but… Marinette, I even asked you as Adrien, ‘What if I’m Chat Noir’. I tried.”

“…You…did, didn’t you?” she replied hollowly, image after image of him trying to tell her flashing before her eyes.

He nodded miserably. “The whole dating myself thing was purely idiotic, but I panicked, and I just wanted you to stop being so distraught over quote-unquote cheating on me when that was mostly my fault in the first place for not being able to keep my hands off of you as Adrien. I was stupid, and I messed up, but I was just trying to make you happy. I asked you again and again to let me tell you my identity, and you were aggressively against it…so I just let it go. When you wanted Chat Noir and Adrien in the same room, I figured out a way to make it happen, and that was that.”

He shrugged helplessly. “I was going to say that Chat and Adrien couldn’t find a time in their schedules that worked, but…you were so excited for the three of us to all get together,” he groaned. “I couldn’t let you down, and then when I asked Ladybug for the Fox Miraculous—”

Marinette paled, feeling incredibly stupid as she played the scene over in her mind.

“—I asked her if I could just tell you my identity, and she said no too, so…and then it just kept going for so long it felt like I couldn’t say anything anymore, but today… This has been eating me alive, Marinette,” he sighed, sounding every bit as exhausted as he looked. “I couldn’t do it anymore. I’m sorry. I knew I was in the wrong the whole time, but I didn’t know what else to do. Like I said, I’ve grown up my whole life with very little opportunity to think for myself and make decisions, so those are things I really struggle with. I’m sorry, and I’m working on it.”

“Oh, Adrien,” Marinette cooed, pulling him into her arms. “I’m sorry. I can see why you didn’t feel like you had a choice. I’m so, so sorry.”

She tipped her head up, pressing her lips gently to his.

He leaned into the kiss, his heart fluttering at the contact.

When they pulled back, he gave her a goofy smile. “I was so scared you’d never kiss me again.”

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” she sniffled, stroking his cheek lovingly.

“I’m sorry I lied and tricked you,” he answered, touching his forehead to hers.

“I’m actually really touched that you put that much time and effort into trying to make me happy,” she giggled through the tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

He gently brushed them away with his thumb. “I’m glad that that’s worth something.”

“It’s worth a lot,” she assured. “You’re worth a lot.”

A light blush spread across his face, and he smiled, leaning in to press a kiss to the tip of her nose. “I really, really love you.”

“I really, really love you,” she responded with a giggle.

They pulled back just to look at one another, smiles pulling their mouths wide.

“…Hey,” Marinette remarked after nearly two minutes of gazing softly into one other’s eyes.

“Hm?” he hummed in answer.

“Have you eaten?”

Adrien frowned, trying to recall. “I…Maybe? I don’t remember.”

“He hasn’t!” Plagg and Trixx called out in unison from the arm of the couch where they were watching the scene develop.

Adrien blushed, looking away sheepishly. “Thanks, guys.”

“You’re welcome,” Plagg snickered.

Ignoring the kwami of destruction, Marinette forged ahead with her plan, “We should make dinner. How about I prep some salad for us while you brew two mugs of mint tea? Then we can snuggle on the couch while watching that one anime you mentioned the other day. Maybe even make popcorn. What do you say? I think we could use some low-energy bonding time after the day we’ve had.”

Tears spilled over down Adrien’s cheeks as he nodded enthusiastically. “You know just how to make me feel better.”

Chapter Text

The gigantic porcupine akuma (he was calling himself “Sonic”, but Adrien was pretty sure that he couldn’t do that because of copyright infringement. Besides, the name wasn’t even fitting. For starters, hedgehogs and porcupines were completely different things. Secondly, the porcupine akuma was bumbling and slow and brown and nothing like the speedy, blue video game hedgehog) swung around, swiping at Chat Noir with his massive claws.

The porcupine may have been sluggish and clumsy, but the dagger-sharp talons he wielded were nothing to sneeze at.

“How’s it going, My Lady?” Chat called to his partner as he dodge-rolled out of the way.

“Working on it!” Ladybug called back, searching their surroundings for the answer to her Lucky Charm.

She looked back and forth between the red and black polka-dotted baseball bat in her hand and the objects around her—tree, fountain, rubbish bin, boyfriend, park bench, newspaper stand, lamp post—to no avail.

“Ugh! I’m not getting anything!” she shouted to him in frustration as he dodged another swipe of the porcupine’s claws.

“That’s okay!” he assured, trying to be patient and supportive. “I’m good, so take your time. I’m sure you’ll solve it any minute now.” He jumped back as the porcupine stomped in rage, cracking the plaza pavement.

“I don’t have time,” Ladybug growled down at the baseball bat as her earrings gave a warning beep.

The akuma spun, raising his tail as if to smack Chat Noir with it.

Chat ducked, and the appendage narrowly missed taking Chat’s head off.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the attack. Porcupine quills shot from the tail, launching through the air.

Distracted, Ladybug didn’t see the threat until it was too late. She spun her yoyo to create a shield, but one of the spines got through her defenses, hitting her arm and dissolving on contact.

She dropped like a lead zeppelin, her Lucky Charm clattering to the ground beside her.

“Ladybug!” Chat screamed, heart stopping as he dashed to her side, fearing the worst.

“I can’t move!” she gasped in horror. “The quills must cause paralysis.”

“Thank God,” Chat sighed in relief, scooping her up.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she snorted, glaring at her partner.

“I thought you were dead,” he explained, awkwardly grabbing the baseball bat before leaping up onto a nearby roof. “I’ll take paralyzed over dead any day. Now, let’s get you somewhere safe and regroup.”

“I guess you have a point,” she grumbled as he carried away from the battle, speeding down the banks of the Seine as if he were the wind itself.

Her earrings gave another beep.

“Three minutes,” she hissed, cursing under her breath.

“We’ll be there in thirty seconds,” he promised, hopping down off the rooftop and heading towards the river.

“The Liberty?” Ladybug remarked quizzically as they landed on the deck and Chat Noir carried her down below, through the main cabin, and into Luka’s bedroom.

“Safest place I know besides my girlfriend’s house,” he replied proudly, as if it had something to do with him. “The Couffaines are out having dinner with Jagged Stone and Penny Rolling, so we should be undisturbed.”

It briefly occurred to her to scold him for revealing that he was close enough friends with the family to know that bit of information because that was the kind of careless detail that could get his identity exposed…but they had more pressing issues to attend to.

“What are we going to do?” Ladybug groaned as Chat lowered her down onto Luka’s bed. “I can’t fight like this. I won’t be able to purify the akuma…and I’m going to detransform any minute!”

“No one will see you here,” Chat coaxed, gently running a knuckle along her cheek. “It’s going to be okay. You can still breathe normally, right? It doesn’t feel like the paralysis is spreading to your lungs or heart or anything, right?”

Ladybug pressed pause on all the other worries flying through her head in order to stop and evaluate. “…No,” she replied finally. “My breathing feels normal, and I can still move my head. It seems like the immobilization starts below my neck.”

He nodded, breathing another sigh of relief. “Good. Okay. Now that the important stuff is out of the way…”

“What are we going to do?” Ladybug asked only semi-rhetorically, her voice tight and fragile.

She was doing a good job of holding it together, of not letting on how afraid and helpless she was feeling.

He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “Hey. It’s going to be okay. We’ll figure this out.” Suddenly, it occurred to him to ask, “Can you feel my hand?”

She shook her head.

He let go, moving his hand up to cup her face, running his thumb along her cheekbone, along the edge of her mask. “We’re going to beat this guy, and everything is going to be okay.”

Her frown betrayed her misgivings. “Chat Noir, I can’t fight like this. I’m not going to be able to purify the akuma.”

He bit his lip. “…Then…let me do it. Let me borrow your earrings. I know I haven’t been a very good Ladybug replacement in the past, but please let me try.”

She shook her head vehemently. “We can’t! I can’t remove the earrings myself the way I am now. You’d have to take them off of me. You’d find out my identity.”

His teeth sank further into his lip. “…About that…”

“No!” she insisted, her face awash in terror. “It’s too dangerous!”

He took a deep breath, perching one hip up on the bed beside her. “…Marinette? I already know.”

Her eyes went wide in shock and fear as she stared at him, abashed.

He lowered his head, shoulders scrunching up to his ears. “I’m sorry. I knew you were afraid for me to know, so I didn’t tell you when I figured it out. I didn’t want to take away your peace of mind.”

Her earrings gave a final beep, and, in a flash of pink light, her transformation faded away.

“How did you figure it out?” she whispered, voice glacial and carefully restrained. “What did I do wrong?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. You were just complaining about your therapist telling you that you didn’t have to save the world because you weren’t Ladybug or something like that,” he sighed. “And then it clicked out of nowhere suddenly. It was nothing you did.”

Her brow contorted into a scowl of confusion as she tried to recall the conversation. “When was this?”

He gulped. “About…a year ago? It was sometime in the fall. I think—”

“—A year?!” she exploded. “You’ve known for a whole year?!”

He winced, in the back of his mind worrying about whether this was a fireable offence and if she’d be looking for a new boyfriend after this.

Gathering his courage, he looked her in the eye and pleaded, “Marinette, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to constantly be living in fear.”

“Adrien, I have a right to know I’m in danger!” she snapped back. “You should have told me so I could be on my guard!”

“But nothing’s happened!” he argued, only it came out mostly as a whine. “You’ve been perfectly safe for an entire year.”

“But what if something had happened?” she challenged. “One of these days, there’s going to be a truth-telling akuma, and we’re both going to be screwed.”

“Fine,” he huffed, tail lashing and cat ears flat as he got up and walked over to the desk, his back to her and arms crossed. “Whatever. You’re right, and I’m just a reckless, thoughtless screwup like always. Can we just skip the lecture and focus on beating the akuma now? I don’t want to fight.”

“Adrien,” she sighed, regaining some of her patience as she remembered how much she loved him and didn’t want to hurt him. “You’re not a screwup. You just need to stop keeping secrets from me.”

He snorted indignantly, arms wrapping around himself tighter in search of comfort.

She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Let’s just focus on defeating the akuma. We can talk our own problems out later.”

“So, you’ll let me borrow your earrings?” He peeked over his shoulder at her, turning slowly.

She shook her head. “You can’t use the Black Cat and Ladybug Miraculouses at the same time. It’s too dangerous.”

He rolled his eyes, growling softly. “Marinette, I’m not going to combine them and make a wish that destroys the world or anything. Can you at least pretend that you have a little faith in me, please?”

“I do!” she insisted. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry. I just…” She blew out a long sigh. “Sorry. I’m kind of freaking out right now.”

He dropped his transformation and went back to her side. “Hey. It’s okay,” he cooed, running his knuckle up and down her jawline. “Just take some deep breaths.”

She nodded, closing her eyes as she tried to focus on the flow of air in and out of her body.

He sat with her for nearly a full minute, playing with her hair and stroking her face as she attempted to calm down.

Finally, her eyes opened, and she looked up at him with conviction. “Take the earrings. And the Miracle Box is in my bedroom. Tikki can show you where, if you need backup.”

A bright smile of gratitude spread across his lips. “Actually, I think I have a plan,” he explained as he carefully reached out and removed the Miraculous from her ears. “The akuma is a lumbering oaf. He doesn’t move fast, so if I gang up on him and overwhelm him, I should be able to get the drop on him, clock him over the head with your Lucky Charm, and grab the pendant the butterfly’s possessing.”

Marinette frowned, hung up on one detail. “How are you going to gang up on him?”

He grinned, pulling up his pant leg to reveal the Fox Miraculous wrapped around his ankle like a bracelet. “Oh, I’ve got a whole army of illusions at my disposal. You don’t have to worry about me, My Ladylove.”

She considered him for a moment before nodding her assent. “Okay. Be careful. I’ll meet you at your apartment afterwards to collect my earrings and so we can have our talk.”

Tikki was hanging out in Adrien’s kitchen, perched on top of a plate of gingersnaps, when Marinette reached the apartment.

“They’re in the bedroom,” she advised, taking an enormous bite out of one of the cookies.

Marinette’s eyes narrowed. “‘They’?”

Tikki nodded, pausing in her feast to point to the plain jet earrings on the counter beside her plate. “He left your Miraculous here for you.”

Marinette nodded, coming over to reclaim her earrings. She’d felt so anxious the whole time she’d been without them. “How did the fight go?” she asked her kwami conversationally.

Tikki giggled. “He made the poor akuma think he was under attack by all seventeen heroes at once with Trixx’s Mirage. I have to admit, Marinette, he’s become quite adept at controlling illusions. While his army was keeping the akuma busy, he snuck up from behind and gave the poor porcupine a solid whack. He grabbed the pendant while the akuma was down, and that was that.”

Marinette scrunched up her nose. “He literally hit the akuma with a baseball bat? Talk about inelegant solutions.”

“Yes…” Tikki sighed, “He’s not really suited to complex Lucky Charms. I like Adrien a lot, but he’s not the type of person I typically choose to wield the Ladybug Miraculous.”

Marinette leaned in to press a butterfly kiss to Tikki’s head. “Thanks for keeping him safe for me. …Is he upset about me finding out he knows my identity? Does he still think I’m mad at him? Is he worried I’m going to break up with him?”

Tikki grimaced, gazing up at her chosen sympathetically. “Adrien is a very sensitive boy who doesn’t know how loveable and deserving of love he is. He’s very insecure, so be gentle with him, Marinette.”

“Thanks, Tikki.” Marinette blew out a breath and nodded, giving Tikki’s head a pet with a single finger before making her way across the great-room to Adrien’s bedroom door.

She knocked softly and was answered by a hoarse voice calling out, “Come in!”

She opened the door and stopped short when she found Chat Noir and Adrien curled up on the bed together, Chat lying half on top of Adrien with his back to the doorway and his face buried in Adrien’s chest as Adrien nuzzled and stroked Chat Noir’s hair comfortingly.

Adrien grinned sheepishly. “Please don’t judge our weird coping behaviors. Our parents didn’t hug us enough.”

“No!” she hastily assured, coming over to sit on the bed. “I’m not judging! I just…” She paused in the middle of slipping off her shoes to study them. “Sorry. Which one of you is…?”

Her eyebrows pinched together as looked back and forth between them.

“He’s real,” Adrien informed, motioning to Chat Noir. “I’m the Mirage.”

“You’re real,” Chat croaked in protest, squeezing Adrien tighter. “Don’t try to tell me you don’t have a mind of your own.”

“Shh,” Adrien coaxed, pressing a kiss to the crown of Chat’s head. “I never said I didn’t have a mind of my own. I just meant that you’re the original.”

Chat gave an appeased hum, nuzzling Adrien’s chest.

Marinette’s heart swelled as she watched them, an affectionate smile tugging at her lips.

“I’ve missed this these past two months since I found out you two were the same person,” she confessed as she crawled across the bed to curl up with them.

Chat tensed at the contact at first but then quickly relaxed back against her. “Does this mean you’re not breaking up with me for not telling you I knew your identity?”

“Oh, Adrien,” Marinette sighed, giving the back of his neck a kiss. “I’m not breaking up with you. I’m sorry, but, if you want to get rid of me, you’ll have to break up with me yourself. Otherwise, you’re stuck with me.”

“We’re more than happy to be stuck with you, Ohime-sama,” the Adrien doppelgänger assured, reaching out to run his fingers through her hair. “We’re sorry we didn’t tell you when we found out.” His eyes pleaded for her forgiveness.

“We didn’t want to pile any more stress on you,” Chat added meekly. “We know how you worry yourself sick over everything, and we knew what a big deal revealing identities was for you, so…”

“We thought it was better not to say anything,” Adrien picked up the thread of conversation. “We’re sorry, and we know you have every right to be mad at us for not telling you, but the truth of the matter is that you would have been worrying needlessly if we had told you because nothing has happened this past year since we found out.”

“The most important thing to us was keeping you from having a mental breakdown,” Chat explained. “You weren’t in a good place mentally back then, Marinette. You’re still kind of a wreck, but last year was really bad.”

“We were afraid for you,” Adrien stressed, cupping her cheek and making her meet his earnest gaze. “It’s just like when we told you we were in a queerplatonic relationship so that you could stop stressing about cheating on Chat Noir. We were afraid knowing that we knew you were Ladybug would cause too much anxiety.”

“We didn’t want to push you over the edge like we did to Maman,” Chat concluded in a timid tone.

“Oh, my boys,” Marinette sighed, wrapping her arms around them and pulling them in close.

She gave them a tight squeeze and then let go so that she could tilt her chin up and capture Adrien’s lips, pressing her mouth to his hard. Once done with him, she leaned in and caught Chat’s mouth in an equally firm kiss.

“I’m still mad,” she informed them as she settled back down on the bed, her head on Adrien’s shoulder and an arm draped across both Chat and Adrien. “I mean, you should have told me, but I get why you didn’t…. I know you two are the same person, but your argument feels more persuasive when the two of you take turns laying out your thought process.”

Chat caught Adrien’s eye, and the two shared a puckish grin.

“We should team up on her more often,” Chat snickered.

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Adrien returned with an eyebrow waggle.

Marinette groaned. “No. Absolutely no tag teaming me. Bad boyfriends.”

Chat rolled over a little so that he was more on his back between Marinette and Adrien than on his side. “…Marinette, are you going to be okay now that you know we know?”

She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I don’t know. I had a long time to think while I was lying there immobilized, waiting for the Miraculous Ladybug to kick in. I tried some of the strategies my therapist has gone over with me to deal with stress and anxiety, and I really don’t know,” she replied honestly.

Adrichat nodded, expressions solemn.

She sighed again and shook her head. “I think it’s going to take a while to get used to and adapt. I don’t have any control over it, so I just have to come to terms with it, right?”

“That’s what Dr. Katsuragi tells us,” Adrien affirmed, and Chat nodded in agreement.

“You know we’re never going to let anything happen to you or your loved ones, right?” Chat sought confirmation.

Marinette took his face in her hands. “Chaton, I trust you. I know how capable you are, and I know you’d do anything to protect me. You’ve died for me…. I’ve never doubted you. This is just… This isn’t about you,” she tried to explain gently. “I don’t know how to put what’s going on inside my head into words, but just know that I trust you implicitly, and I believe in you. This isn’t about you. This is about me trying to manage my own thoughts and fears and…and everything.”

Slowly, he nodded, accepting her words at face value. “Okay. Just… If you want to talk about it…”

“I’m concerned that you’re going to get akumatized and destroy the moon and flood Paris,” she blurted.

Chat blinked at her.

Adrien and Chat shared a look and then blinked in tandem before turning back to Marinette with a frown.

She winced. “Okay. I know that sounds crazy, but there was this alternate timeline where that actually happened when you figured out my identity when we were fourteen, and I had to go and fight you and fix everything so you didn’t find out my identity and turn Paris into Atlantis. I’m not being ridiculous. And that’s not even the only thing I’m worried about, so—”

“—Marinette,” Adrien interrupted as both Adrien and Chat reached for her, maneuvering so that she was sandwiched between them.

“We do not think you’re being ridiculous,” Chat assured, trying not to think too hard about alternate timelines and an akumatized version of himself attacking Marinette.

Adrien nodded. “We believe you.”

“We know you’ve got a lot on your plate and that there’s a lot you have to worry about.” Chat gently nuzzled her neck, started to purr soothingly.

“We just don’t think an alternate timeline where we get akumatized because we know your identity is where you should focus your energy,” Adrien coaxed, beginning to massage her scalp.

“Yeah,” Chat seconded. “I don’t think that’s an issue anymore. Knowing that you’re Ladybug isn’t going to get us akumatized. You breaking up with us is what would do it.”

“And you’ve already confirmed that that’s not happening,” Adrien chuckled teasingly.

“…I…guess,” Marinette replied, slowly coming around. “I just…I think it’s going to take a while for me to get used to you knowing and to feel safe again. You’re right that nothing’s happened in the past year, and the things I worry about probably won’t happen—except for maybe Papillon holding my family hostage, but—”

“—Hey,” Adrien cooed as Chat and Adrien nuzzled her and pressed her tight between them. “We’ve got you.”

“Would you feel better if you wrote down the things you’re worried about and then we made plans for every scenario?” Chat suggested. “You always seem to feel better when you have a plan.”

Gradually, she began to nod. “…Yeah. That’s actually a really good idea. That would probably help. Thanks, Minou. Beau Gosse.”

“Our pleasure,” Chadrien chuckled, pressing twin kisses to her cheeks.

“I like this,” she hummed in pleasure. “…Would it be weird to ask you to use the Fox Miraculous sometimes so we could all three be together? I really like snuggle piles.”

“We do too,” Adrien confessed.

“Sometimes I use the Fox Miraculous when I’m feeling really down,” Chat sheepishly admitted. “Trixx said he was okay with it,” he added hurriedly. “He said he was glad his powers could help me. I know it’s kind of bizarre, but…I mean, you know I don’t get much physical affection, so…”

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Marinette agreed, reaching up to pet Chat’s hair. “I mean…my therapist is all about self-soothing techniques and having me use whatever resources are available, so…I can kind of see using the Fox Miraculous as a self-soothing strategy. You’re not hurting anything, and, if it helps, it helps, so I say go for it.”

“Oh good,” Adrien chuckled nervously. “I was sort of worried you’d think it was really weird.”

She shook her head. “No. I mean…I’m just glad you found something that helps you cope and feel better….”

“He does,” Chat affirmed softly. “It’s nice to have someone around who’s loving and supportive when I feel crumby and alone, so…Pretty Boy helps a lot.”

Adrien grinned and then stuck his tongue out, giving his double’s hair a fond tussle. “Glad to hear it.”

“Is it weird at all for you?” Marinette wondered aloud. “I mean, being affectionate with yourself? Not that I think it’s weird,” she quickly clarified. “I just meant, I would think it would be weird for me if I made a Ladybug Mirage and snuggled with her. I was just wondering if it feels weird for you.”

The boys shared a look and then burst out laughing.

“Yes,” Adrien chortled.

“Definitely,” Chat seconded. “At first anyway.”

“It was really, really weird,” Adrien confirmed. “I mean…I’ve never really liked myself, honestly, so…it was hard to be affectionate with someone I didn’t like.”

“Oh,” Marinette replied in a small voice, a deep sadness washing over her as she really took in his words. She loved him so much, and it made her heart hurt to realize that he didn’t see all the good inside of himself that she saw.

“It was actually a good experience, though,” Chat added. “Pretending to like myself actually made me like myself a little more. Thinking of Adrien as my boyfriend and having to be nice to him and treat him well made it a little easier to be nice to myself. I’m still not really good at self-love and self-care, but, in the past year, I’ve been doing a lot better. Pretending to be two different people made me realize how crappy I treated myself. I would never talk to another person the way I talked to myself, so I learned to be a little kinder.”

“I’m really glad,” Marinette cooed, giving Adrien and Chat Noir each an affectionate nuzzle and a peck on the cheek. “You deserve kindness.”

“Thanks,” they whispered, scooting in closer to love on her.

They lay there for a few minutes, soaking up the comfortable warmth of one another until an unsettling thought occurred to Marinette.

“…Adrien…are you mad at me?” she inquired timidly, bracing for his response.

“Why would we be mad?” Adrien replied quizzically.

She took a deep breath and looked back and forth between them. “Because. For the longest time I kept turning down Chat Noir because I was in love with Adrien, but then I went and fell in love with Chat Noir as Marinette and turned Adrien down, so…I don’t know. Don’t you feel a little betrayed? Aren’t you mad that I didn’t tell you I was Ladybug and just started dating you as Marinette? I know you found out a year ago, so it’s been a while, but…”

“It hadn’t actually occurred to me to be upset,” Chat sheepishly admitted. “I mean, I kind of freaked out a bit right afterward because my girlfriend is Ladybug and holy crap and all that, but…” He shrugged.

“I’m just happy to be loved,” Adrien assured. “Life is complicated, and you had your reasons for not telling me. It kind of hurt, you not confiding in me, but I knew it wasn’t about me. It wasn’t like you told anyone else, so… I was just happy that you loved both of me, that I’d somehow managed to win you over.”

Marinette groaned, snaking her arms around the both of them. “Why do you always have to be so good and loving and forgiving? How could I not fall in love with you?”

“I don’t know,” Adrien chuckled. “Like I kind of said before, we don’t really think we’re all that great.”

“And you both always seemed so far out of our league,” Chat added. “Having one of you want us was like winning the lottery.”

“Finding out we had both of you was like a miracle,” Adrien agreed. “How could we be mad when we’d been given such a gift?”

“I don’t deserve you two,” Marinette sighed, suddenly feeling unworthy yet again.

They shrugged in tandem. “I guess it doesn’t matter because you’re stuck with us.”

“I could live with that,” she chuckled, settling back down into their snuggle pile.

Chapter Text

Emma took a deep breath before gently pushing open the door of her father’s study.

Adrien was lounging on the couch, reading over his lines for the production of Our Town he would be starring in as George Gibbs the following month. His mouth moved silently with the words on the page.

He hadn’t seen her yet, and Emma was sorely tempted to chicken out…except…she was at her wit’s end, and she needed her dad.

With conviction, she lifted her hand and knocked.

Adrien looked up and smiled warmly at his daughter, making her feel like maybe things would be okay after all. “Hey, Emmie. What’s up?”

She stepped into the room and blew out a breath as she closed the door.

Adrien frowned. “Something wrong, Honey?”

She nodded as she crossed the room.

He stood, dropping the script and meeting her halfway. “Hey. What is it?”

One hand rested supportively on her shoulder while the other cupped her face, tipping it up so that her peridot eyes met his.

Emma Agreste-Dupain-Cheng was normally tough as granite, but, in that moment, she crumbled, tears spilling down her cheeks. “You’re going to be really mad at me, but I’m seriously freaking out, and I need your help, Daddy.”

“Emma, what’s wrong?” Adrien pleaded, beginning to panic as he wiped away his daughter’s tears.

“I think I’m pregnant!” she squeaked.

He blinked dumbly as her words took a minute to process. When they finally did, the anger, outrage, and disappointment overwhelmed him.

“You what?!” he demanded irately. “Emma Sabine Gabrielle Agreste-Dupain-Cheng, what was the point of us buying you condoms and making sure you had birth control?! How could this happen?! How could you be so…”

Adrien froze as he heard his father’s voice coming out of his mouth.

He took a deep breath and finished without heat, “…irresponsible?”

He looked at his daughter trembling before him, and his heart broke.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, pulling her into a tight hug. “Emma, I’m sorry. A lecture is the last thing you need right now. I love you so much, and I am one hundred percent on your side, okay?”

He pulled back to look her in the eye and cup her cheek once more. “Thank you for telling me. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. Everything’s going to be fine, okay? You’re going to be fine.”

“I’m really scared, Dad,” Emma whimpered.

“Shh. It’s okay,” Adrien shushed comfortingly. “It’s okay to be scared, but you don’t have to be because everything is going to be fine. I’m your father, and I’m going to make it fine, okay?”

Hesitantly, Emma nodded. “O-kay.”

“Here. Come sit down,” he cooed as he gently guided her over to the couch to sit beside him, his arm around her protectively. “Okay. Let’s…Let’s go about this rationally. You said you think you’re pregnant. You don’t know for sure?”

She shook her head.

“Okay.” He nodded, trying to keep his own whirling emotions at bay so that he could be there for his daughter. “Okay. So…why do you think you’re pregnant? Did you miss a period?”

She nodded. “I’m not super regular, so it could be nothing, but…” She shook her head again, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears from flowing.

“But you’re on birth control, right? And you and Michel use condoms?” Adrien verified, trying to cover all their bases.

Emma winced. “Maman told me that the pills only work reliably if you use them one hundred percent right, and I…don’t,” she admitted shamefacedly, averting her gaze. “I forget sometimes. It’s hard to remember to take the pills regularly, so…”

Adrien exhaled slowly, trying to keep from snapping at her about how on earth something that important could be hard to remember. “But you two use condoms, right?” he repeated.

Emma shrank. “I mean…yeah, most of the time.”

“Emma,” Adrien groaned, momentarily forgetting that he was supposed to be supportive and nonjudgmental.

“Come on, Dad,” Emma sighed. “You’re a guy. You know what it’s like. Sometimes you just get caught up in the moment.”

“No, Emma,” Adrien replied firmly. “I don’t know what it’s like because I love your mother too much to put her at risk like that.”

He realized he probably wasn’t being fair to Emma and Michel because he couldn’t understand the experience of people who weren’t asexual, but he figured it was probably better from a parental standpoint to impress upon his daughter how important it was to use protection until she was ready to start a family.

“Michel loves me,” Emma countered defensively.

“I know he does,” Adrien begrudgingly admitted.

He’d watched his best friend’s son fall silly in love with his daughter, and he knew Michel meant no harm. He was just a dumb teenager who’d made a mistake. Adrien himself had made equally dumb, albeit very different, mistakes when he was young.

“…Let’s just focus on the problem at hand,” Adrien gently got the conversation back on track. “We can worry about having the safe sex talk with you again after we make sure you’re not pregnant.”

“What happened to being on my side?” Emma sulked.

“I am on your side,” Adrien stressed, giving her shoulder a squeeze. “Sometimes, part of being on someone’s side is lovingly telling them that they’ve screwed up. Plenty of people have had to do that for me. Emma, you’re old enough to make your own decisions about having sex, but you need to be more careful. What you’re feeling right now, all the fear and uncertainty, I don’t want that for you.”

He gave her hair an affectionate tussle. “Having a kid affects every aspect of a parent’s life, and I have a feeling that you want to do a lot of things before you take the plunge into parenthood, so…let’s just get through this, and then we can figure out a way for you to remember to take your pills and use condoms every time. Okay?”

Emma looked away and grumbled a begrudging, “Okay” in response.

“Okay,” Adrien repeated with a sigh, trying to collect his thoughts.

“…So…what do we do now?” Emma looked expectantly up at her father.

“Tell your mother,” he answered immediately.

Emma shot up out of her seat and waved her hands in protest. “No, no, no, no! No! You can’t tell Maman. She’ll totally flip on me.”

“Emma, I think we need backup on this one,” Adrien tried to persuade her. “I’ll tell her. I’ll make sure she calms down before you have to deal with her, I promise.”

“Daddy, no,” Emma whined. “Please don’t tell her.”

“Emmie, I don’t keep secrets from my wife,” Adrien explained firmly. “Trust me. I learned my lesson years and years ago, and I’m not—”

“—I don’t want to give her more evidence of what a screwup I am,” Emma blurted out, a fresh wave of tears flowing down her cheeks.

Adrien stared at his daughter in surprise, his chest starting to ache as her words struck a chord with him.

He got to his feet and pulled her into a tight hug. “Emma, you’re not a screwup. Not by any means. You’re an amazing, bright, talented young woman, and I am so, so proud of you. Everyone makes mistakes, but your mistakes don’t say anything about who you are as a person,” he assured her, repeating the words Marinette had told him many times over the years.

Emma sank into his embrace, squeezing him back. “Still. Please don’t tell her. I don’t want her to be disappointed in me.”

Adrien pulled back to give her forehead a kiss. “Okay. Tell you what. I’ll make you a deal: I’ll go get you a pregnancy test. If it comes back negative, this stays between you and me and you make sure we never have to do this again. If it comes back positive, I’ll tell your mother. Okay?”

Emma nodded, reluctantly agreeing. “Okay.”

“Adrien,” Marinette greeted as she caught him coming down the stairs. “I was just coming up to get you. I want to rearrange the living room, and I need your help moving the furniture.”

Adrien immediately broke out in a cold sweat, fearing that she could sense the duplicity coming off of him in waves.

He smiled, or, at least, he tried to smile. It came out as more of a cringe. “Oh. Hey, My Ladylove. Can it maybe wait an hour? If not, could you ask one of the boys? I need to run to the store.”

Marinette’s cheerful expression morphed into a subtle frown. “Is something wrong?”

“Nope,” Adrien replied too quickly, and it came out sounding forced. “Everything’s great. Why would you think something was wrong?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Did you break one of my flowerpots?”

“No.” He attempted an innocent smile but didn’t have any more luck than he’d had the previous time.

She crossed her arms, unimpressed. “Adrien Agreste-Dupain-Cheng, what are you hiding from me?”

“Nothing,” he insisted.

“Did Plagg cough up another one of those nasty green sludge balls on the carpet?” she guessed.

“Marinette, My Love, I’m just going to the store. Nothing untoward is happening,” he lied through his teeth.

She wasn’t buying it.

“Fine,” he relented. “I’m going to the store to buy pure, unadulterated garbage because I have a sweet tooth, and I’m really craving those pre-packaged snack cakes.”

Marinette looked at her husband in disgust. “Adrien, just run by the bakery and get something decent, if you want sugar. Don’t you dare bring snack cakes into this house.”

“No, Marinette.” He dug his heels in. “I want to eat rubbish, so I’m going to buy rubbish, and you can’t stop me.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “No need to get all dramatic on me. Just know that I’m judging you. Harshly.”

He shrugged, circling around her so that he could make a break for it. “I’m sure our marriage will survive. Our love has been tested by greater obstacles.”

“Mmhm. Hey, pick me up a pack of those awful chocolate-dipped madeleines while you’re at it,” she called after him.

“Will do!” he tossed over his shoulder as he fled.

He returned twenty minutes later with the pregnancy tests hidden in the bottom of a brown paper pharmacy bag with some low-quality, pre-packaged snack cakes sitting on top.

“In the kitchen!” Marinette called out when she heard the front door close behind him. “Bring me my trashy junk food and tell me if this new dress design is a total dumpster fire or not.”

Adrien smiled fondly when he found her bent over the island in the middle of the kitchen, doodling away on the back of a flyer for a new Chinese restaurant that had come in the mail. She had one pencil tucked behind her ear and another stashed in her bun while she jotted down ideas with a third.

Adrien went to her side to peek over her shoulder at the smart yet stylish business suit she had created. “Hmm. I think jade isn’t a good colour choice. You want to make a statement, right?”

Marinette nodded. “Mmhm. I want it to be bold and daring. I want the woman who wears it to feel empowered.”

“Then jade’s a little too…pastel. Maybe try forest or emerald green,” he suggested.

She turned to give his cheek a quick peck. “I knew there was a reason why I kept you around, even if you break my flowerpots and have a weakness for cheap snack cakes.”

Before he could realize what was happening, she took the bag from him and carefully poured the contents out on the counter.

Adrien sucked in a sharp breath as Marinette stared quizzically at the pregnancy tests and tipped her head to the side.

Her first thought was that her husband thought she might be pregnant. Her second thought was that Adrien wanted another baby now that their three children were well on their way to being grown. Her third thought turned her blood cold.

“Oh my God. I’m going to kill her,” she hissed, rounding on her husband.

“No, no, no!” Adrien protested, catching her by the shoulders. “Marinette, please. Listen to me.”

“No,” she snapped. “Adrien, you had no business trying to hide this from me. I am going to kill her,” she repeated. “How could she let this happen? She never thinks, and now—”

“—Marinette, she didn’t want to tell you because she was afraid you’d be disappointed and think she was a screwup,” Adrien broke in, making Marinette pause and look at him in confusion.

“She thinks you think she’s a screwup,” Adrien stressed, trying to make Marinette understand. “She really looks up to you, and what you think of her is really important. I know what that’s like, Marinette, and it feels really, really bad when people you respect are disappointed in you.”

“Oh, Adrien,” Marinette sighed sympathetically, reaching up to cup his face in both hands, running her thumbs along his cheekbones.

“Please don’t make her feel bad about this,” he pleaded, and the deep, personal hurt in his entreating eyes made her want to cry. “Emma’s already beating herself up enough.”

Marinette leaned in, pressing a reassuring kiss to her husband’s lips. “Okay,” she relented. “All right. You’re right. She’s probably been freaking out for days…. Adrien, what are we going to do?” she groaned, burying her face in his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. “She’ll have to drop out of school, and people will say bad things about her and make her feel bad, and she won’t get to go to university and get a good job, and all her dreams will be ruined, and—”

“—Marinette, it’s going to be fine,” Adrien interrupted, pushing her back so that they could lock gazes. “Plenty of young mothers have very successful, fulfilling lives. If she even is pregnant, it’s not the end of the world. Nino and Alya aren’t likely to let Michel be a deadbeat dad, and we’re both here to support her. Maybe she’ll have to take a little time off school, but we can get her tutors so she doesn’t fall behind. We’re going to make this work, okay?” he coaxed encouragingly, starting to really believe the words himself.

She blew out a long breath and nodded. “You’re right. Of course, you’re right. We’ll make this work.”

He smiled, leaning in to press a quick kiss to her lips. “Okay. I’ve kept Emma waiting long enough. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“No way,” Marinette snorted indignantly. “I’m coming up there with you. I’m her mother. I’m supposed to be there for her for this kind of thing.”

Adrien winced. “She made me promise not to tell you unless the test came back positive.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, drawing away and grabbing the pregnancy tests. “Please. Are you going to show her how to pee on the stick?”

Adrien blanched. “On second thought, go ahead. You are her mother after all.”

“Emma?” Adrien called out as they ascended the stairs.

“Here,” she responded, poking her head out of her room. Her face went from ashen to vermillion as she spotted Marinette. “You told her!” she accused, betrayal coating the words.

“He didn’t tell me,” Marinette explained, holding up her hands in a placating gesture. “I grabbed the bag out of his hands and found the tests because I thought he was bringing home snacks.”

Emma’s gaze dropped to the flooring, and her shoulders scrunched up to her ears.

“Oh, Baby,” Marinette cooed, going to her daughter and pulling her into a bolstering hug. “It’s going to be okay, Sweetheart. We’re here for you, and we love you no matter what.”

Emma started crying again as she rested her head on top of her mother’s. “I’m s-sorry.”

“It’s okay, Emmie,” Marinette assured, all her irritation and anger leaving her in the face of her child’s suffering. “This kind of thing happens. It’s okay.”

Adrien came over and joined in the group hug, assuring, “No matter what, we’re going to get through this as a family.”

They stayed like that for a minute, each gathering courage from the other two. Then they broke away, and Marinette led Emma into the bathroom to go over the instructions with her.

Adrien was sitting on the floor in the hallway with his back up against the linen closet door when Marinette left Emma to take the test.

“How’s she doing?” Adrien inquired pessimistically.

Marinette blew out a sigh and sank to the floor next to him, shaking her head. “She’s freaking out.”

“She’s her mother’s daughter after all,” Adrien hummed half-heartedly. “Usually she takes more after me.”

“Normally I find that charming,” Marinette admitted, “but, today, I’m wishing she hadn’t inherited your recklessness.”

“Me too,” he snorted ruefully. “…So…how long does the test take?”

“Three minutes.” Marinette dropped her head to the side, onto his shoulder. “This is probably going to be the longest three minutes ever.”

“Yeah,” he agreed miserably. “…This is kind of the worst. I remember when we were trying to get pregnant and taking the test was the most exciting part of the month.”

Marinette snickered. “My favourite part was all the sex.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Allow me to respectfully disagree.”

“My poor ace baby,” Marinette teased.

“Actually, I think that’s some of the worst sex we’ve ever had.” Adrien turned his head to nuzzle her hair. “There was too much mental pressure, and it wasn’t even about making you feel good, just about getting you pregnant. I was super stressed out the whole time we were trying.”

“You didn’t say anything,” she chided.

He shrugged. “I wanted children. It was worth it in the end, and having Louis made it easier when we were trying with Hugo and Emma. I had a better idea of why I was doing what I was doing and putting myself through all that.”

“You still should have said something.” She gave his shoulder a light nip.

“Meh. I’m over it,” he replied as his eyes slipped closed and he let himself be comforted by her scent.

A minute and a half later, Emma poked her head out of the bathroom and smiled sheepishly at her parents. “False alarm.”

Marinette and Adrien heaved a huge sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness,” Adrien laughed giddily, getting to his feet and then helping Marinette up.

“Now we can be mad at you,” Marinette informed in a cheerful tone, grinning widely as she pulled her husband and daughter into another group hug.

“I think maybe this experience has been punishment enough,” Adrien interceded with his wife before looking sternly at his daughter. “You’ve learned your lesson about using protection, right?”

Emma nodded vehemently. “Absolutely. This will never happen again.”

“Good.” Adrien smiled softly, leaning in to press a kiss to his daughter’s temple before turning to his wife. “Okay, Marinette?”

Marinette sighed and shrugged, letting it go. “Okay.”

“Hey.” He tugged gently on Marinette’s sleeve as they all pulled out of the hug.

She quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Wanna go call Nino and Alya and tell them what a crappy day we’re having?”

A diabolic grin dashed across her lips. “We should tell them about the pregnancy test and then wait until tomorrow morning to tell them the results.”

“Maman. Dad,” Emma whined, shooting her parents a glare. “No! I don’t want Michel to get in trouble. Besides, it’s not Auntie Alya and Uncle Nino’s business.”

“No,” Adrien argued, “I think a pregnancy scare is just what Michel needs to make him think twice next time about not using a condom.”

“Think of it as a valuable learning experience,” Marinette suggested. “You’ve been worrying about this for at least a couple days now, haven’t you? The least he can do is wait in suspense overnight in solidarity with you. Couples are supposed to go through these kinds of things together.”

“Ditto best friends,” Adrien added, nodding in agreement with his wife.

“Mmhm,” Marinette agreed. “I’ve sat through a couple pregnancy scares with Alya, and now it’s time for her to go through one with me.”

Emma eyed her parents skeptically. “Are you sure that Grandpa Gabriel is the evil one in the family? You two are kind of devious. Are you sure you were superheroes?”

“Positive,” Marinette assured. “Best friends give one another crap. It’s part of being best friends.”

Slowly, Emma began to nod. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt anything if I turned off my phone for the night. Michel couldn’t blame me for being too exhausted to check my messages after the ordeal I just went through.”

“That’s my girl,” Adrien chuckled, patting Emma on the back. “…We should go get ice cream to celebrate!”

“But you already brought home those gross sugar bomb snack cakes,” Marinette snickered.

Adrien stuck out his tongue in disgust. “I didn’t actually want those. Those were just a cover story.”

Marinette shook her head, unable to suppress her smile. “All right. I guess we can get ice cream, then. The boys will probably eat the snack cakes if you leave them sitting out. They weren’t raised in a bakery, so they don’t have such refined tastes.”

“Maman, I’ve seen you eat a whole sleeve of Oreos before,” Emma teased. “I don’t think you have any room to talk about refined tastes.”

Marinette pursed her lips in a pout. “I feel called out. Called out by my own daughter.”

“She does have a point, Princess,” Adrien snickered and got socked in the arm (lovingly) for his trouble.

Chapter Text

“Bien joué!” Ladybug and Chat Noir chorused as they bumped their fists together while a whirlwind of magical ladybugs spread out over the city, fixing the damage Papillon’s akuma-du-jour had wrought.

“Well. I guess I’ll see you later,” Ladybug pulled back, waving as she turned to go.

“W-Wait.” Chat reached out and caught her by the wrist.

She looked back, blinking at him expectantly. “Something wrong?”

“No. I just…” He bit his lip, squirming nervously.

Her earrings gave their penultimate beep, causing her to grimace. “I’m sorry, Chaton, but some of us are fighting against the clock. Can it wait until later?” She gave him her kindest sympathetic smile so that he would know she wasn’t just blowing him off.

“Will you go on a date with me?” he finally found the courage to blurt out.

She blinked, a little stunned at the request. “I mean…we were going to meet at your apartment to make dinner tonight, weren’t we?”

“Yes, but…” He rifled a hand through his hair in frustration with himself. “Sorry. I don’t know why I’m suddenly acting like a shy schoolboy with a crush. I mean, I know you love me, so I don’t know why I’m being so ridiculous, but—”

“—Minou, I’m sorry, but I’m about to detransform out in the open on this rooftop. Can we head for cover and talk about this while Tikki’s recharging?” she inquired pragmatically, already preparing her yoyo to take flight.

He grimaced. “Sorry. Yes. Of course. Lead the way, My Lady.”

She headed for a tall building nearby where no one would be able to look out a window down at the rooftop and see her. She ducked inside the roof access doorway, checking to make sure the coast was clear before letting her transformation drop.

“Whew. Close call,” she chuckled, reaching into her purse for a macaron for Tikki.

Meanwhile, Chat Noir watched, speechless at the transition from superhero to girlfriend.

It was a minute before Marinette realized the way he was gazing at her. She quirked an eyebrow. “Something wrong, Chat Noir?”

He shook his head, blushing even as his goofy smile spread wider. “No. Sorry. Just…you’re so amazing, you know that?”

Marinette scoffed. “I mean, I try, but I don’t know if I quite achieve ‘amazing’ standards. Thank you, though.”

Rolling his eyes, he stepped in to deposit a quick kiss on her cheek. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I know amazing when I see it. You take my breath away when you detransform. I don’t know how I didn’t see my ‘everyday Ladybug’ in my Ladybug for so long.”

Marinette shrugged. “I’d like to think that there’s some kind of magic illusion protecting our identities. It would make me feel better about not being able to tell I was going behind my boyfriend’s back with my boyfriend for months on end.”

Chat returned her shrug with interest as he gazed at her, besotted. “Who knows?”

She laughed, enjoying his lovestruck expression as she leaned back against the wall, bracing one foot up against it. She loved when he admired her. He was always so in earnest, and it inevitably gave her self-esteem a little boost.

“What were you asking me about a date earlier?” she asked as she suddenly remembered their topic of conversation before.

“Oh.” His face flushed, bright red leaking out from under his mask as he averted his gaze, rubbing nervously at the back of his neck. “It’s silly and a little selfish, but…if you’re not doing anything right now, would you go on a date with me? You know I’ve been in love with you for forever, and I just…it would make me really happy if we could go get lunch at a café and maybe walk along the Seine holding hands.”

“Sure,” she easily agreed. “I wasn’t doing anything important when the attack happened. I had actually kind of hit a wall with the design I was working on, so a nice, stress-free break would probably be good for me. But why are you getting all nervous about asking me to lunch, you dope?” she teased, reaching out to give his cat ear a playful tug. “We do that all the time.”

His blush deepened as he looked down at his boots and gulped. “I meant…would you go out with me as Ladybug,” he explained, feeling the heat scorching the back of his neck.

“…Oh,” Marinette replied, taken aback.

“It would mean a lot to me,” he added, trying to defend himself. “I’ve always dreamed of going on a date with Ladybug. I know we had gotten to a point as Ladybug and Chat Noir where things were completely platonic and I loved you without being in love with you because I was in love with Marinette, but as soon as I figured out you were Marinette, I kind of fell in love with you all over again, and—”

She put her fingers to his lips, cutting him off with a soft, “Shhh. It’s okay, Minou.”

“I know that you’re the same person,” he continued against her fingertips. “I know that when I’m with Marinette I’m with Ladybug too. I know it’s the same thing, but…it did hurt all those times you rejected me,” he finally admitted. “I know I told you I was always optimistic and never gave up hope of changing your mind until I decided it really was time to let you go. That wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. There was a lot of pain and suffering right alongside the hope. I just…would really like it if you could go on a date with Chat Noir as Ladybug. Please?”

“Oh, My Love,” she sighed as she affectionately stroked his cheek.

She looked back at her kwami, and Tikki gave her the nod.

“Tikki, transform me.”

In a rush of pink light, Ladybug took Marinette’s place and pulled him by his bell into a firm kiss.

She smirked when she pulled back to find him looking almost drunk with joy.

“Chaton, I’m so sorry I ever turned you down for a rich supermodel. I don’t know what I was thinking,” she snickered, pushing him back against the opposite wall and kissing him again.

He melted at her touch, letting those precious moments finally heal fourteen-year-old Chat Noir’s heartaches.

“So…” Ladybug panted against his neck when their lips finally separated several minutes later. “Where are you taking me for our date, Minou?”

She gave his bell a flick, and he struggled to remember his own name, let alone the names of any nearby restaurants.

Chapter Text

Her skin still glistened with sweat, and her hair was greasy and disheveled, but Adrien had never seen Marinette more beautiful than in that moment as she held their newborn son to her breast and watched him suckle.

A look of satisfied exhaustion and a soft smile made her face seem to glow like a warm summer twilight, even amidst the clinical hospital room lighting…and Adrien fell in love with her all over again.

“You are so amazing, My Ladylove,” he whispered, awed at what she had just accomplished.

She turned her smile on him, and a warmth surged up into his chest.

“Well, I couldn’t have done it without you,” she chuckled tiredly. “Is your hand okay? I didn’t squeeze it too hard, did I?”

He grimaced at the memory of the hours of pain he had endured as his wife clutched at his hand through the labor pains.

“Nothing’s broken,” he sheepishly assured.

Marinette winced. “Oh, Adrien…I’m so sorry.”

“No, no,” he protested. “It’s fine. It was nothing compared to what you were going through. I was actually kind of happy to be able to sort of share the experience with you in a small way.”

She chuckled and shook her head at that. “You’re crazy, and I mean that in the sweetest, most loving way possible.”

“Thank you,” he preened.

She rolled her eyes and then looked back down at their son.

“…He’s perfect,” she breathed, still unable to quite believe he was real.

“You did a really good job,” Adrien praised, heart overflowing with pride.

“We did a good job,” Marinette stressed, reaching out to bop him on the nose. “Like all of our greatest successes and failures, this was a team effort.”

He shrugged. “You’re the one who did all the hard work carrying him, giving birth. Like usual, I just played a supporting role.”

She shook her head and clicked her tongue. “When are you going to finally understand that I am nothing without you?”

His eyes went wide in surprise at the vehemence of her tone. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t come up with the words.

She smiled sadly. “Adrien, I never would have made it this far without your support. Knowing you had my back is the only reason I am where I am today in everything from fighting akumas to making my designing dreams come true to having this gorgeous baby. You may not think you did much, but I promise you that you’ve always made all the difference to me. You think I’m amazing? Well, I wouldn’t be here without my partner…and I think he’s pretty amazing too.”

She held out her hand to him, and he took it, giving it a firm squeeze that said so much more than words. Gratitude, humility, devotion, and love encompassed all in one gesture when speech would not suffice.

He stood, leaning in to kiss her as tears began to flow down his cheeks.

It was a soft, tired kiss, but, for all its chastity, there was so much emotion behind it.

As they broke apart, they rested their foreheads against one another’s and savored the moment.

Tom and Sabine had stepped out to find food and give them some privacy, and it would be a while before Gabriel and Nathalie and other visitors came. For now, they were alone in their own little world, able to cherish their new family.

Neither of them wanted the moment to end.

Adrien sat down on the bed beside his wife, wrapping an arm around her and staring down at the tiny, wrinkly bundle of pink as he dozed.

“Want to hold him?” Marinette inquired gently.

Adrien blinked, looking at her incredulously. “Is it really okay?”

She snorted and shook her head. “Adrien, he’s your son too. Of course you can hold him. Here. Just make sure you keep his head supported, and it’ll be fine.”

Gingerly, she passed Louis to him, and Adrien awkwardly adjusted until the infant was safely supported in the crook of his arm.

“He’s so little,” he whispered, running a finger along Louis’s cheek.

Louis reached up, grabbing Adrien’s finger, and Adrien froze.

Louis blinked sleepily at his father, his baby mouth stretching wide in a yawn.

All at once, Adrien felt overcome, and tears began to flow freely down his cheeks as he cried silently.

Marinette wrapped an arm around her husband and gave him a supportive kiss on the cheek.

“T-Thank you,” Adrien managed to croak.

He looked at her and repeated more strongly, “Thank you.”

For choosing him, for staying with him through it all, for giving him love and support and the occasional kick in the pants.

“I’ve always wanted a family,” he told her, even though she already knew. “I’ve always dreamed of being a part of a happy family. Having you and your parents was everything I ever wanted, but…this…him…” He swallowed, trying to get his emotions under control as he looked at the love of his life in awe. “…I never thought it was possible to be this happy. Thank you.”

She nuzzled his jaw and pressed another kiss to his cheek. “I know what you mean…so thank you.”

In the back of her mind, Marinette knew it wouldn’t always be perfect and magical. She knew there would be diapers to change and that she would soon smell constantly of baby spit up. There would be temper tantrums and sleepless nights and teething and potty training and fevers and colds and plenty of messes to clean up.

But, for now, sitting there with her husband and her son was a precious gift, and, for once, she let all of her worries go so that they could treasure the moment together.

Chapter Text

“Are you okay, Princess?” Chat Noir inquired tentatively, as if afraid to trip the wrong wire and set her off. “You seem kind of quiet tonight.”

They were downstairs in the living room, curled up on the couch and watching Strictly Come Dancing reruns after having helped make dinner with Tom and Sabine.

The whole evening had been a little tense with even Tom noting that something had been off with Marinette. She’d assured them that she was just preoccupied with a design she was hoping to submit for a contest, but Chat suspected that was just a smokescreen so that her parents wouldn’t worry.

Adrien had screwed up big time, and now Marinette was paying the price. He never should have dragged her into that janitor’s closet to hide from the akuma, never should have kissed her, never should have let things get as far as they had. He hadn’t protected her like he’d promised he would in the park weeks ago. He hadn’t kept his lips to himself, and now…

Now, Marinette was mentally raking herself over the coals for what she had done.

“Just tired,” she lied with a reassuring smile. “I went to Alya’s to play DDR with some friends after school today, so, with the akuma attack earlier and everything, my day’s been a little busy.”

He nodded, pretending to buy it. “Do you want me to go so you can turn in early and get some rest?”

“No.” She shook her head vehemently. “I want you here. I just…” She trailed off as her eyes caught on his.

The depth of concern and love in his gaze took her breath away, almost making her choke as a fresh wave of guilt threatened to drown her.

She didn’t deserve him.

He was so good, so loyal, so devoted, and she was an indecisive, weak-willed traitor.

She had the most wonderful boyfriend ever. He’d given his life for her over and over. He’d chosen her twice, falling in love with both sides of her.

Yet he somehow wasn’t enough. She wanted Adrien too, so she’d repaid her boyfriend’s goodness with treachery and deception.

The thought crossed her mind to tell him everything then and there, get it off her chest, hope he wouldn’t get akumatized in a jealous rage and end up destroying Paris, promise him she’d stop fooling around with Adrien.

But she knew that would be a lie. Try as she might, proximity to Adrien was enough to draw her back in and capitulate to her desire. Giving up Adrien would be like giving up a lung. She knew it was the right thing to do, but…she couldn’t force herself to be a good person right now.

“I’m sorry,” she laughed, smiling through tears as she thought about all the things those little words weren’t big enough to atone for.

“Shh,” he cooed, gently brushing the tears aside as he promised, “It’s okay.”

His expression was one of anguish, as if he was feeling her pain right along with her.

“Whatever it is, you can tell me, you know?” Chat coaxed, praying she’d say something so that he could bring their suffering to an end. “You can tell me anything.”

She shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry.”

He opened his mouth to try to press the issue, but she leaned in, catching his lips in a hard, insistent kiss.

She kissed him and silently begged whatever deity might be listening to let him be enough for her. She fervently wished she could give herself completely to the boy who had always given himself wholeheartedly to her.

But, at the same time, the ugly part of herself wished there were some way she could have them both.

Chapter Text

“Am I doing this right?” Adrien looked nervously to Luka for guidance.

“Perfect Fifth, you’re a natural,” he chuckled, grinning fondly as he set the drinks he’d just fetched from the kitchen down on the side table. He sat on the couch next to Adrien and gently nudged Adrien’s elbow a little higher. “There you go. Just like that. Just keep her head supported, and you’re good.”

Adrien frowned uncertainly. “You’re sure? I don’t have much experience with babies, so please tell me if I’m doing something wrong.”

Luka rolled his eyes and tussled Adrien’s hair, causing Adrien to relax a bit. “Don’t worry. You’re not going to hurt her. Xavier-Yves uses her as a free weight sometimes, and if he hasn’t hurt her doing bicep curls, I doubt you’re going to do any damage sitting with her on a nice, safe couch.”

Adrien looked up wide-eyed at XY sitting in the armchair cattycorner to the couch. “Do you really?”

“Hey, she likes it,” XY snorted defensively, jabbing at the air at Adrien. “And I am very, very careful with my daughter.”

Adrien nodded and would have put up his hands in surrender if not for the baby in his arms.

He looked down at little Élodie Couffaine-Roth and smiled as she gave a wide little baby yawn, blinking her enormous aquamarine eyes sleepily.

Adrien chuckled as a surge of warmth welled up in his chest. “She looks a lot like you, Orpheus.”

Luka laughed, reaching out to stroke his daughter’s head with a knuckle. “Technically, she looks like Juleka, but…”

“She looks more like me,” XY corrected brusquely, crossing his arms. His foot bounced with nervous energy as he watched Adrien holding his daughter, Luka hovering with his arm along the back of the couch behind Adrien.

“She definitely has your nose,” Adrien agreed, looking up with a grin that faded as he realized that XY was scowling at him. Adrien’s brow furrowed in worry. “Am I doing something wrong, Xavier-Yves?”

XY looked away, jaw clenched. “Nah. You’re doing it right.”

Luka glanced up from supervising Adrien with Élodie to find his husband pouting and antsy. “…Prune? What’s wrong?”

XY shook his head, trying to play it cool. “Nothing.”

Luka arched an eyebrow knowingly, his expression clearly reading, “Come on. Seriously”.

XY shrugged. “Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s totally dope.”

“Xavier-Yves,” Luka gently pressed, stretching out his leg to tap his husband’s foot with his own. “Talk to me.”

XY pursed his lips, giving Luka and Adrien a gauging look. “…Don’t get, like, all defensive or mad or whatever.”

“I won’t,” Luka promised.

XY let out a weary sigh.

He’d never been good at putting names to his feelings or picking them apart to figure out what they meant. Bob Roth had strongly discouraged his “imbecile son” from thinking too much and had never really cared anyway about what XY was feeling or what was going on inside of his head. It wasn’t until XY met Luka that he’d started to learn that it was okay to express himself. Nearly ten years later, he was still in the process of figuring out how to do so.

“Okay,” he finally agreed, meeting Luka’s eyes with a guilty expression. “I don’t really like it when Adrien holds Élodie.”

Luka’s brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to push down his own hurt so he could focus on XY’s feelings. “What? Why not? I thought you two were friends now.”

“We are,” XY assured, fidgeting under Luka’s searching gaze. “Me and Adrien are cool. It’s just…” He bit his lip and muttered in a rush, “It just makes me uncomfortable watching you go all goo-goo-eyed over your ex with our daughter.”

Luka’s jaw dropped.

Quickly composing himself, Luka slid off the couch and onto the floor to kneel at his husband’s feet. He took XY’s hands in his own and leaned into XY’s space to rest his forearms on XY’s lap.

“Xavier-Yves,” he cooed softly, fixing his husband with an intent look. “It’s not like that. It has never been like that between Adrien and me. You know that, Prune.”

XY looked away, mumbling, “Yeah, but that doesn’t change the fact that you love him.”

“No,” Luka agreed patiently. “It doesn’t, but the important thing to think about is that Adrien and I are both very happily married, and we wouldn’t trade our partners for anything.”

Slowly, XY looked back at Luka, studying his face for even a shred of dishonesty.

“I get why you’re upset, and it’s okay to feel uneasy or insecure, but remember that I picked you,” Luka coaxed, giving XY’s hands a squeeze. “There’s no need to be jealous. I’m yours.”

XY’s shoulders hunched up to his ears as he grumbled, “I know. I know it doesn’t make sense to get all pouty. I don’t really get my feelings; I just have ‘em.”

“It’s okay,” Luka comforted, leaning in to give his husband a quick kiss. “Are we okay?”

XY nodded, relaxing a little. “Yeah. We’re good.”

“Good. Thank you,” Luka breathed with a warm smile, giving XY’s hands one last squeeze before letting go and going back to his place on the couch.

“Xavier-Yves, if you’re not comfortable with me holding Élodie, I won’t hold her,” Adrien offered turning to hand the baby back to Luka as he got settled.

“Nah, it’s cool,” XY assured, pushing himself up out of the armchair and coming over to the couch. He motioned for Luka to get up. (Which Luka did with a puzzled expression.)

XY took Luka’s vacated seat, even going so far as to put his arm along the back of the couch and around Adrien’s shoulders. “The problem isn’t you holding her. It’s him looking at you like he wants to have babies with you when you hold her.”

“Oooooh.” Adrien stretched the word out over three syllables, grinning impishly as he scooted closer to XY until their knees were touching. “Good to know I’m not the problem.”

“Nope,” XY snickered, resting his hand on Adrien’s knee and sneaking a look at Luka’s reaction.

Luka rolled his eyes, crossed his arms, and shook his head as he smiled good-naturedly. “You two are such dorks.”

“He thinks we’re sexy,” Adrien stage-whispered conspiratorially.

XY nodded, giving Adrien’s knee a squeeze. “He has a thing for blondes with daddy issues,” he confided solemnly.

“That explains so much,” Adrien chuckled.

Luka groaned. “Guys.”

“Sorry,” Adrien apologized with an innocent smile. “Is our combined sexiness overwhelming you?”

Luka’s eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. “I hate you.”

“Not in front of the baby, Six Strings,” XY chided. “Don’t be teaching our daughter to be a hater.” He turned to Adrien. “Sorry about him. He gets cranky when he’s all hot and bothered.”

Adrien broke out in a startled burst of laughter.

Luka glared at his husband. He then took a deep breath, went over to the armchair, and decided to be grateful that peace had been restored, even if it had been at his own expense. It was good to see XY and Adrien joking and playing around.

“All joking aside,” Adrien remarked when he’d recovered from his giggle fit, “thank you for letting me come over to learn about babies and letting me hold Élodie. I learned a lot today.”

“Of course,” Luka assured. “Always more than happy to train a willing future babysitter.”

“I don’t get why anyone would want to watch someone else’s kid,” XY confessed, leaning back and removing himself from Adrien’s personal bubble now that the joke was over. “I mean, I like Juleka and Rose, but their kids are little terrors.”

Luka arched an eyebrow as he tried not to smile. “You do remember that you’re the biological father of one of them, don’t you?”

XY shook his head. “Yeah, but I’m not Violetta’s dad. Trust me on this one. Just because a kid is biologically related to you, that doesn’t make you their dad.”

Adrien and Luka both mumbled their assent, thinking of their own experiences with fathers.

“So, yeah,” XY sighed, reaching over to stroke Élodie’s hair gently. “I don’t get why you’re so excited about learning how to make a bottle and change diapers and all the not-fun stuff.”

“Well, it’s never too early to learn,” Adrien responded with a sheepish shrug.

XY tipped his head to the side. “You thinking about having one?”

Adrien blushed, looking down at Élodie thoughtfully. “I mean…I’ve always wanted a family…and I really am jealous of my friends who have settled down and started having babies already, so…”

“So make your own baby,” XY encouraged, gently elbowing Adrien, mindful of Élodie’s position. “If two dudes can do it, you and your wife should have no problem,” he laughed, not seeing the way Adrien’s face lost all colour.

“Prune?” Luka called gently. “You haven’t shown Adrien that new track you made yet, have you? He made this crazy remix of the Promenade theme from Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.”

“Oh, yeah!” XY glowed with excitement as he easily took the bait. “It is mad sick ballin’! Let me go get my laptop. You have got to hear this.”

Without waiting for a response from Adrien, XY was on his feet and heading for the bedroom.

“You okay?” Luka inquired softly when his husband was out of earshot.

Adrien shook his head, gently bouncing Élodie as she began to fuss. “…Just busy wishing I was allosexual. You know. The usual.”

Luka got up and went over to sit on the couch beside Adrien, placing a comforting hand on his back. “Hang in there. You have a wife who loves you exactly how you are, and you guys are going to figure this out together. You’re not alone, Adrien. You two are Paris’s greatest team, aren’t you?”

A small smile peeked out from the corners of Adrien’s lips. “Yeah. Yeah, we are.”

“You are,” Luka confirmed, ruffling Adrien’s hair. “And you’ve got plenty of time, so don’t stress. You guys will make it work, and, someday, you two are going to have beautiful babies. Just hang in there, okay?”

Adrien nodded, beaming with gratitude at his brother-mentor-friend. “Thanks.”

“Any time,” Luka assured, giving Adrien a pat on the back as XY came back into the room.

“Hey. Hands to yourself, Six Strings,” XY pouted. “He’s mine.”

Luka rolled his eyes fondly at his husband’s antics while Adrien got caught off guard by a laugh.

“Oh, really?” Adrien chuckled. “When did this happen?”

XY snorted as he took a seat on the couch on Adrien’s other side. “Dude. Like, five minutes ago. Keep up, Agreste-Dupain-Cheng.”

“I’m home!” Adrien called, locking the front door behind him.

“Living room!” Marinette responded from the back of the house. “Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, I did,” he replied, making his way down the hall. “Élodie is a real cutie, and it was nice spending time with Luka and Xavier-Yves. What are you up to?”

He turned the corner to find her sitting cross-legged on the couch, her sketchpad propped up on her knee and reference materials scattered all over the coffee table in front of her.

She looked up with a wide grin. “I got inspired out on my walk this morning for a new line of autumn smart casual dresses, and I just finished getting my initial ideas down. Wanna see?”

“Sure,” he agreed with a fond grin, loving her enthusiasm.

He went to sit beside her, and she flipped through her designs, chattering excitedly about potential fabrics and colour schemes.

“You’re so talented,” he breathed as she finished explaining her plans for a pumpkin orange dress that zipped down the front with a cute, front-tying cloth belt and zipper pockets.

“I know,” Marinette chuckled, chest puffing up with pride. “That’s why you married me.”

“I married you because I couldn’t live without you,” he corrected, leaning in to capture her lips in a needy kiss.

Marinette hummed in pleasure, setting her sketchpad and pencil down on the coffee table. Her arms wrapped around him, her fingers twining in his hair in encouragement.

He gently pushed her back and down onto the couch, moving with her so that his knees were to either side of her thighs.

He pulled back to catch his breath and steel his nerves. He swallowed. “Marinette…let’s make love.”

She responded with a passionate kiss, pulling him down on top of her.

“I meant…make love for real,” he clarified the next time they stopped for air.

Marinette paused, eyes widening as she understood his meaning. “Really? But you hate sex. Like, you hate sex as much as I hate oysters. Are you leading up to telling me you broke another one of my flowerpots, or did I forget some kind of special occasion or something? Not that I’m complaining,” she quickly added with a coy grin. “I am more than happy to have my husband spoil me, but…”

The teasing tone dropped out of her voice, and she gave him an earnest look as she stroked his face. “You don’t have to do this to make me happy. What we normally do really is enough, so don’t push yourself. I know how uncomfortable it makes you. I know you don’t like it.”

“I want this,” he stressed, voice only shaking slightly. He looked away and sheepishly admitted, “This…This is for me.”

Marinette frowned in confusion, searching his face as she gently pushed his hair out of the way. “You want this?”

He nodded, face reddening not just from the physical exertion of making out.

“I want…I want to have a baby,” he confessed in a whisper.

Marinette’s lips rounded into a silent “o” as understanding hit.

“I know we could pay for in vitro, but it would be a huge hassle, and most of the burden would fall on you, and that’s not fair. This is my problem, and I just want—”

She cut him off with a kiss.

“Adrien,” she cooed lovingly as their lips parted. “This isn’t a problem, and, even if it was, it wouldn’t be yours alone. We’re a team.”

“I know,” he mumbled shamefacedly. “I just…”

“I know.” She gave his cheek a soft peck. “Here. Let me up.”

He quirked an eyebrow but did as requested, backing up so she could get out from under him. “Are we…not making love?”

She shook her head, taking his hand and threading her fingers through his. “There are only a couple days a month I could potentially get pregnant, and I don’t track my cycle closely enough to know where I am because it’s never been an issue.”

Adrien deflated, shoulders slumping and expression turning mopey. “Oh….”

She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll start keeping track so we can figure out what our best window of opportunity is. We can start trying next month.”

His ears perked up as his mood immediately lifted. “Really?”

She nodded, smiling sweetly. “Yep. And, until then, we’ll start researching what we can do to increase our chances.”

He grinned, leaning in to plant a sloppy kiss on her cheek. “You’re the best. Have I ever told you how much I love it when you come up with a plan of action?”

She shrugged, glowing with pride at his praise. “Yes, but I won’t complain if you tell me again.”

“I love it when you come up with a plan,” he sighed, happily, pulling his wife into a hug.

His joy was short-lived as a realization hit him. He pulled back slightly to gaze down at her in concern. “…It occurs to me that I didn’t ask if you wanted to have a baby right now. It’s…kind of a big deal. I mean…I would understand if you didn’t—”

She put her fingers over his mouth to cut him off before he could slip into a downward doubt spiral. “Adrien, I don’t think there’s ever going to be a good time to completely upend our lives and start a family. We’re both always going to be busy with our careers, and nothing is ever going to be ideal, so…and I do want children with you, so let’s just do this now. We’ve been married for about a year, we’ve settled into our new house, our careers are going well, and our finances look good, so…let’s have a baby.”

“Thank you.” His voice almost cracked with emotion as he leaned in to kiss her in gratitude.

Chapter Text

“I can’t believe you!” Marinette shouted, swiping the throw pillow off of her chaise longue and launching it at her boyfriend.

He easily deflected it even as he tried to contain his giggle fit.

She scooped it up off of the floor and hit him in the arm with it. “Don’t laugh! I’m super angry, Chat Noir!”

She hit him again for good measure, but he just kept grinning and chuckling, obnoxiously pleased with himself.

“You’re not angry,” he called her bluff.

“I am!” she insisted. “I am very, very angry! I told you not to spend a fortune on me for my birthday, but-but…just look at all of this!”

She made a sweeping gesture with her pillow-less hand, indicating the new sewing machine and several bolts of pricey fabric that she would have had to have saved up months to afford.

Chat Noir did look at the gifts he’d given her, and his grin only widened. “Marinette, money is nothing to me. You know I’m loaded. Why won’t you let me spoil you?”

“Because this is too much!” she cried in exasperation, throwing the pillow once more.

He effortlessly batted it down out of the air with a single paw.

“Chat Noir, I don’t want you spending this much money on me,” she repeated, all joking gone from her voice. “I really appreciate the thought you put into it, and the fabric and the sewing machine are beyond wonderful. Thank you, but please don’t buy me such expensive things in the future.” Her gaze dropped to the ground where she scuffed the toe of her shoe against the floorboards as she reluctantly admitted, “It makes me uncomfortable,” in a small, apologetic voice.

“What? Princess, why?” he coaxed, taking her hands in his.

“Because,” she muttered, “You deserve nice things too, but I could never give you something this nice. I feel bad that I can never give you gifts as good as the ones you give me, so…”

“Marinette, no,” he cooed, tugging her over to the chaise and making her sit beside him. “Look at me.”

She forced herself to gaze up and meet his eyes so full of affection.

“Marinette, there isn’t much you could buy that would really mean anything to me,” he attempted to explain. “Sure, I would appreciate and treasure it because it was from you, but it would mean a lot more to get something you’d made for me yourself. The time and the effort you put into designing and making something special for me is what really matters. Knowing you were thinking of me the whole time you knitted me a scarf or crocheted me a Ladybug plushie or sewed me a pair of pyjamas…that’s the gift.”

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She wanted to believe him, but she feared he was just being kind, knowing that her income was meager. “Really?”

He nodded solemnly, willing her to trust him. “My gift to you is the same way. I’m not really good at making things like you, but I thought about what I could get that would be useful to you, what would really make you happy, something that you might not be able to have otherwise. Money doesn’t mean anything to me, Marinette. I’m blessed not to have to even think about it, so your real gift isn’t me spending money on you. It’s me taking the time to figure out what would make you happy…just like you do when you make things to give to your friends. The only difference is that I have a bigger budget. That doesn’t make my gifts better. Your handmade gifts mean every bit as much to me as if you had spent a ton of money.”

She narrowed her eyes, studying him intently. “…You’re really sure?”

He nodded once more. “I’ve told you about my home life, how my father buried himself in his company after my mother left. My father’s secretary picks out my gifts on his behalf, and she tries, but…there’s nothing truly personal about them. They’re fancy, and they’re expensive, but there’s no feeling behind them. Anything you gave me would be a treasure.”

He looked at her so earnestly, so lovingly, it almost overwhelmed her.

“Oh,” she chuckled, blushing and averting her gaze.

“Just being with you is gift enough,” he whispered, leaning in to bump his nose against hers.

“Yeah?” she breathed, looking up and getting lost in his eyes.

“Mmhm,” he assured, closing the distance between them for a languid, luxurious kiss.

When they finally pulled back, Chat Noir smirked. “So…will you please accept my heartfelt gift? I agonized over which fabrics to get, and I even did research on what model sewing machine would work best for you. Please don’t make me return them.” His pressed his palms together in a praying gesture and gave her the kitten eyes.

Marinette heaved a longsuffering sigh. “Oh, all right.”

“Yes!” he cheered, jumping up to punch the air in triumph.

Marinette rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Dork. But just this once. It’s okay to spend a little money on me every once in a while, but this is really over and above. Maybe just one bolt of fabric next time.”

“We’ll see,” Chat responded with a satisfied smirk.

“Minou,” she groaned.

The teasing expression left his face as he confessed, “Honestly, Marinette. I’m the one who feels like whatever I give you will never be enough to match what you’ve given me, you know that?”

She blinked at him, taken aback. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “Even before we were really friends, you let me come over when I was feeling down, you shared your time with me, your family, your food… Maybe it all seemed like little things to you, but having a safe space to retreat to when my life on the other side of the mask got to be too much and having a person I knew truly cared about me…that was everything. You’ve been a lifeline to me these past few years…and then you agreed to go out with me on top of it. You are the greatest gift anyone has ever given me, and I am the one who doesn’t think he could ever manage to give you anything anywhere near that nice.”

“…You stupid cat,” Marinette huffed without heat, rising to her feet to pull him back into her arms.

She looked him right in the eye and pointedly informed, “You are more than enough.”

She kissed him, catching him entirely by surprise.

Once the initial shock passed, he smiled into the kiss, melting into warm contentment.

Chapter Text

They were at a Gabriel charity event, and it had been twenty minutes since Adrien left Marinette talking to one of the lead designers at Chanel to allegedly go get her a drink.

Now, the conversation had ended with the exchange of business cards, and Marinette had no drink and no idea where her fiancé had gotten to.

At five feet, eight inches (ten in shoes, as Adrien always reminded defensively), Adrien was practically impossible to spot among the crowd of gracefully lithe models, tall businessmen, and women wearing ridiculously high heels.

She was just about to pull out her phone and call him when the crowd happened to part enough that the bar suddenly became visible, and she spotted him. She paused mid-step to squint in confusion as a tanned, thirty-something young man leaned into Adrien’s space and said something suavely flirty—Marinette could tell by the way the man’s eyes smoldered.

Adrien laughed, shaking his head as he replied.

The man smiled predatorially and inched in closer, casually placing his hand on top of Adrien’s resting on the bar. He ran his thumb back and forth over Adrien’s knuckle, leaning in some more and seemingly lowering his voice.

That was it.

No one hit on her man like that without getting a piece of Marinette’s mind.

She took a deep breath, composing herself and squaring her shoulders before, head held high, striding confidently over to the bar.

“Adrien!” she called in a factitiously cheery tone. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over.”

Adrien turned at the sound of her voice, opening his mouth to greet her only to be ambushed as she pulled his arm to her chest (nearly causing him to spill his drink all over the slimewad who had been flirting with him) and caught his lips in a territorial kiss.

Adrien blinked, stunned, as Marinette pulled back and grinned widely at Adrien’s equally startled companion.

“I’m so sorry,” she apologized with artificial sincerity. “I hate to be rude, but I need to steal my fiancé for a minute. His father, Gabriel Agreste, needs him.”

Adrien’s eyes flew even wider open, this time in terror. “What?!”

“Come along, Darling,” Marinette cooed, almost making Adrien trip as she practically dragged him away.

“Sorry, Kumar!” Adrien called back over his shoulder as Marinette hauled him over to the far corner of the ballroom.

“What does my father need me for?” Adrien inquired urgently when they came to a stop.

Marinette rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t need you for anything. I made that up to get you away from that creep.”

Adrien blinked uncomprehendingly. “Kumar’s not a creep. He was really nice. He recognized me from my modeling mainly, but he said he’d seen me in a couple of the productions I’ve done while in university too. He really liked me as Viola in Twelfth Night three years ago,” Adrien beamed with pride, and Marinette almost hated to crush the illusion.

Adrien always believed the best about others, always gave them the benefit of the doubt. It was something Marinette treasured about her partner, but sometimes it made Adrien too credulous, too trusting, and that had burned him in the past.

“He’s actually a director, and he wants to do a modern-day adaptation based on the Arsène Lupin books. He wanted me to audition,” Adrien informed with all the excitement of a puppy about to go for a walk. “He gave me his number.”

Marinette smiled patiently, her annoyance subsiding as she reached up and lovingly stroked Adrien’s face. “Oh, My Love…maybe he really is a director and he really does want you to audition, but I know one thing for sure, and that’s that Kumar was coming onto you.”

Adrien blinked, staring at her incredulously. “What? …N-No. No. He wasn’t. Yeah, I mean, he bought me a drink, but it wasn’t like that.”

Marinette pursed her lips but didn’t argue.

Adrien frowned. “Okay. Maybe he was being a little friendly, but he was kind of tipsy. You get super handsy when you’re tipsy. It’s not uncommon.”

Marinette didn’t fight back and, instead, let him put the pieces together himself.

“Though…” Adrien bit his lip. “I mean… He did…”

Mentally, he reviewed the exchange, cringing as he saw things in a new light.

“Okay,” he admitted with a sigh. “Maybe he was trying to pick me up a little bit, but he definitely wanted me to audition for his play too.”

“I’m sure he did, Chaton,” Marinette encouraged, giving Adrien’s arm a pat and leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. “He would be crazy not to want you in his play.”

“I know, right?” Adrien nodded, trying to convince himself of that fact in order to save face a little.

“Mmhm,” Marinette confirmed. “You’re an amazing actor, Adrien. You’re going to be famous all over again in your own right before you know it.”

“Yeah,” Adrien sighed, beginning to look glum.

“You okay?” She took his hand and gave it a bolstering squeeze.

He squeezed back. “Just feeling kind of foolish for not realizing I was being chatted up.”

She shook her head and waved the incident away. “It’s just because you’re so used to it. People hit on you all the time, so flirting doesn’t really register anymore.”

That got a glimmer of a smile out of him. “You’re not wrong. I am in rather high demand.”

“I’m going to have to put a collar and a bell on you so everyone knows without a doubt that you’re taken,” Marinette snorted teasingly, giving her fiancé an impish grin.

His smile widened into a full-fledged beam. “I’d be delighted if you’d make it official and put a collar on me, My Ladylove.”

She bopped his nose playfully, giving him her Ladybug smirk. “The wedding’s not until the summer, Chaton. You’ll have to wait.”

“I can’t wait,” Adrien hummed, pulling her in to rest his forehead against hers. “Seven whole months? It feels like a lifetime.”

“Patience,” Marinette chuckled, giving his shoulder a supportive squeeze. “We’ll get there when we get there.”

Adrien gave a soft grumble, making Marinette laugh harder.

“Come on,” she coaxed, stepping back but retaining his hands in her own. “Let’s work the room and rub it in everyone’s faces how obnoxiously happy we are together.”

Adrien chuckled as he shook his head and gazed lovingly at his future bride. “As my Princess wishes.”

Chapter Text

“Could you hand me the coriander, please?” Marinette requested as she measured out the cumin and added it to the pan.

She and Chat Noir were making an early dinner together and would be joined by Tom and Sabine once they’d finished tidying up the bakery after closing time. Marinette, however, was unusually quiet and seemed distracted…and Chat was pretty sure he knew why.

Earlier that day, she and Adrien had snuck off together for one of their storage closet trysts. She was ready to take things further physically, but he hadn’t gotten around to explaining the whole asexual thing yet because he was pretty sure that the quickest way to get a horny partner to break up with you was to confess that sex really grossed you out, so it probably wouldn’t be a thing that happened very often, even though you were willing to try for their sake.

So Adrien had turned down Marinette’s advances and instead tried to get her to go on a date with him that Saturday to see a fashion exhibition. She’d refused, citing her relationship status as the reason why she couldn’t go on a date with Adrien.

Adrien had called her out on being a bad friend to him lately, and he could tell how much it stung her.

Part of him hated to hurt her, but the ugly part of him really was feeling used and neglected and wanted the source of his pain to suffer too.

He knew deep down that Marinette wasn’t just physically using Adrien. They’d been friends for years, and she had always been the sweetest, most devoted ally and confidant. She always stood up for him, was always thoughtful and kind and supportive. He knew that a couple months of bad choices and heated makeout sessions hadn’t erased everything they’d ever meant to one another over the years.

But it still hurt to feel rejected by the one person whom he expected to be on his side no matter what.

It wasn’t just that she didn’t want to hang out with Adrien alone because she didn’t want to be tempted to stick her tongue down his throat. It was her not letting Chat Noir reveal his identity, her unwittingly keeping them from being everything Adrien had ever dreamed about having in a relationship.

Most of the time he was able to logically sort through his feelings and be reasonable, but, in that moment, he didn’t feel like taking the high road and being a good person. He was hurting, and he just wanted to be petty.

“So, how was school today?” he inquired conversationally, handing Marinette the coriander and taking the cumin to screw its lid back on.

“It was okay,” she replied distractedly as she attempted to level off the teaspoon. “How was yours?”

“Educational,” he answered lightly. “Science was interesting…. Did you do anything fun on lunch break?”

Marinette dropped the measuring spoon into the pan and, cursing, fished it out with a spatula. “Uh…lunch was…fine. I mean…I hung out with a friend.”

She focused very intently on moving the spices around in the pan with the onions and garlic so that they were well mixed. “How about you? Did you have a nice lunch?”

“Not really,” he confessed with a sigh, leaning back against the counter. “I’m having a rough time with one of my friends. She and I had a fight today.”

Marinette looked up from the stove to give him a soft, compassionate look that almost made it impossible for him to stay mad at her. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry, Minou. Do you think you guys will make up? Was it a bad fight?”

He averted his gaze, pretending to study the spice containers on the countertop. “We kind of already made up. On the surface level, anyway. She probably thinks we’re relatively okay right now. She knows we still have a problem, but I don’t think she actually gets how hurt I still am.”

Marinette’s face crumpled in empathy. “I’m so sorry, Chat Noir,” she cooed, resting a gentle hand on his elbow. “I know how much it sucks when the people you care about don’t see how much you’re hurting. I’m sorry your friend doesn’t seem to get it.”

He immediately felt like a bad person for trying to guilt trip her. Here she was listening to him talk about his problems like no one else in his life besides Nino, Luka, and Plagg bothered to do, sympathizing with him and giving him the attention he yearned for, and…

He pointed to the pan. “You might want to stir that. The onions are getting a little burnt.”

“Oh!” She snapped back to the task at hand. “Thanks. Sorry.”

“No,” he sighed. “Thank you. For everything. You’re really great, Marinette.”

She winced as his words went through her like a knife between her ribs.

“I’m not that great,” she mumbled, and he found that her guilt brought him no pleasure.

A silence fell between them as Marinette continued to sauté the onions and garlic.

“…Maybe you should tell her,” she suggested almost a minute later.

“Hm?” Chat tipped his head to the side. “Sorry?”

“Your friend,” she clarified. “You should tell your friend how much whatever your fight was about is still bothering you. She cares about you, right?”

“Very much,” he confirmed, knowing it was true. Even if her present treatment of Adrien didn’t reflect it, Adrien had always been an important friend to Marinette.

“Then she would want to know that she’s hurting you,” she reasoned. “Tell her and give her a chance to fix it.”

“You’re so good,” he chuckled self-deprecatingly.

She turned to cock an eyebrow at him.

He shook his head. “And here I was just planning on being all pouty and passive aggressive.”

She sighed, giving his bell a playful tap. “That’s not going to solve your problem, Minou. It’s not even going to make you feel better.”

“I know,” he grumbled, carding a hand through his hair, repeating resignedly, “…I know.”

She smiled softly, reaching up to scratch behind his ear. “Good boy.”

He leaned in, stealing a quick kiss, humming, “Good girl.”

She looked away, pretending to concentrate on cooking as she muttered, “Not that good.”

“Hey,” he sighed, slipping behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. “Don’t be so down on yourself. No matter what your shortcomings, you’re still an amazing person, Marinette.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled, adding the tomato sauce and kidney beans to the pan, stirring them in. “Thanks. I just…don’t really feel like a good person lately. I’ve been letting others and myself down a lot.”

“Wanna talk about it?” he offered softly, ghosting a kiss to the back of her neck.

She shook her head. “Sorry.”

He deflated, resting his forehead against the back of her head. “No, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me,” he hurriedly assured. “I just want you to know that you can…that I’m here for you, no matter what…. So, whatever it is, you can tell me.”

She turned in his arms, looping her own around his shoulders as she whispered a tearful, “Thanks…. And sorry.”

“Shh,” he comforted, wiping away her tears. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

Suddenly, making Marinette feel guilty was backfiring hard, and he felt sick at seeing her suffering.

“I’m sorry,” he stressed, pulling her in close, nuzzling her hair and pressing butterfly kisses to her ear, cheek, jaw, lips. “I’m sorry.”

Her arms tightened around him, and she hid her face in his neck, whimpering barely audible apologies.

Chapter Text

It was currently not a good day to be Adrien Agreste, he thought as he took a flying leap off the runway and fled amidst the screaming audience from the model who had been akumatized thanks to his father’s pitilessness.

The day of the show, while they were doing their last run-through, Gabriel had decided that one of the model’s gaits was objectionable.

“Stop,” Gabriel called, his voice reverberating throughout the auditorium as the models, technicians, and various crew members held their breath, waiting for hail and brimstone to be rained down upon them.

“You,” Gabriel intoned flatly, indicating Clement, a new model only a few years older than Adrien.

The young man stiffened as if turned to stone by a gorgon, his eyes widening in sheer terror.

“The way you walk is too flouncy. I want you to glide. Try it again,” Gabriel directed.

“Yes, Sir,” Clement gulped, thinking light, diaphanous thoughts as he went back and attempted the walk again.

“No. Stop,” Gabriel growled in irritation before Clement had even made it four steps. “Now you’re too wooden.” Gabriel shook his head in disappointment, bellowing, “Adrien.”

Adrien, who was scheduled to walk last in that grouping and had been waiting in the wings, poked his head out at the summons. “Yes, Father?”

“Come out here and show this amateur how to walk properly. I want him to float weightlessly. Show him how to move gracefully, with dignity,” Gabriel instructed.

“Yes, Father,” Adrien acquiesced, shooting Clement an apologetic look before gliding smoothly down and back up the runway, making it look effortless.

“There. Now that you’ve seen how a professional does it, try again,” Gabriel commanded with a dismissive wave of his hand.

“You’ve got this,” Adrien whispered encouragingly, giving Clement a small smile.

Clement nodded and blew out a determined breath before making his third attempt, trying to reproduce Adrien’s movements.

He’d only made it about a third of the way down the catwalk when Gabriel stopped him again. “That’s quite enough. Marcel.” He turned to the stage manager. “How many looks is he modeling?”

Marcel quickly flipped through the papers on his clipboard. “Uh…Three, Monsieur Agreste.”

“Reassign them to Adrien.” He looked back up at Clement in annoyance. “You have wasted enough of my time. You are fired.”

“Father, no!” Adrien protested. “That’s not fair!”

Gabriel shook his head, unmoved. “Adrien, enough. This is a business, not a charity, and I hired a model, not a marionette. Marcel, have the looks adjusted to Adrien’s measurements. Will the current order allow for enough time for Adrien to change?”

Adrien was, frankly, surprised that it had taken so long for Papillon to akumatized Clement, but now the mistreated model was shooting silk scarves out of his wrists like Spiderman, out for revenge on Gabriel and, by extension, Adrien.

“My father needs sensitivity training,” Adrien muttered bitterly as he dodged around people scattering in all directions.

Plagg snorted. “Understatement of the year.”

Amid the frenzied shouts of the crowd, a yelp of distress caught Adrien’s ear, and he turned to see Elise, a redheaded model he sometimes traded snarky comments with, fall before The Mannequin (as Clement was now calling himself). Elise held her arms up in a futile attempt to defend herself, bracing for the impact.

“Hey!” Adrien called, picking up a folding chair and throwing it at the akuma. “I believe you’re looking for me.”

The Mannequin turned with dead, wooden eyes and stared Adrien down.

Suddenly, playing the hero without the super suit didn’t seem like such a bright idea as The Mannequin shot out a tentacle of silk scarves, wrapping it around Adrien and lifting him off the ground.

Adrien’s panic was short-lived, however, as Ladybug swung onto the scene.

“Hey!” she shouted as she landed in a crouch. She rose to her feet and glared at the akuma, demanding, “Put him down,” in a tone that brooked no objection.

Adrien swooned a little bit at her command of the situation. He’d always had a thing for strong women, and his girlfriend was, unquestionably, the coolest.

His reverie was interrupted when The Mannequin took Ladybug’s instructions a little too literally and sent him hurtling through the air on a collision course with the pavement.

“Adrien!” Ladybug screamed, launching into action.

She scooped him out of the air and made a break for it, determined to get her Miraculous-less boyfriend to safety until she and her superhero boyfriend could take care of the supervillain du jour.

She set him down on the roof of the nearby Le Grand Paris and pulled back, holding him at arms’ length to frantically inspect him for damage.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” she demanded.

“No, no,” he assured. “Not a scratch on me. Promise. I’m just a little shaken. But I’m fine. Honest.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” she sighed, hands coming to rest on his face, gently cupping his cheeks like she did when she was Marinette.

The gesture had a decidedly non-platonic feel to it, causing Adrien to blink, momentarily confused.

Was she going to…?

Before he could react, she pulled him in, pressing her lips to his in a quick but solid kiss.

“Stay safe,” she admonished, not seeming to realize what she had just done. “Chat Noir and I will take care of everything.”

Without looking back, she took off, returning to the fight.

Adrien stared after her for a minute, perplexed, before he burst out laughing. “Oh my gosh, Plagg. Did you see that?”

“Yep,” the kwami sighed, too tired of the identity shenanigans to really be amused. “You’re both idiots.”

“At least now I don’t have to feel so bad about myself for kissing Marinette as Adrien when I was dating her as Chat Noir because it looks like my Lady just made the same mistake herself,” Adrien chuckled.

“Hilarious,” Plagg remarked wearily. “You’re obviously meant for one another. Now, can we transform and defeat the akuma already?”

“Sure, Plagg,” Adrien agreed with an impish smile. “Transform me.”

Later that evening when she finally got away from the wreckage of the Gabriel show, Marinette found Chat Noir and Adrien snuggling on Adrien’s couch.

“What are you, an octopus?” she chuckled, surveying the way Chat Noir had positioned himself around Adrien from behind with Adrien sitting between his legs, Chat’s arms wrapped around Adrien’s torso, his chin resting on Adrien’s shoulder.

“We almost lost him today!” Chat whined like the drama queen he was.

Adrien rolled his eyes. “I was fine,” he sighed. “Ladybug had it under control.”

“The platonic love of my life!” Chat yowled theatrically. “Almost dashed to pieces before my very eyes!”

“You weren’t even there,” Marinette snorted, trying to contain a fond grin. But then a thought occurred to her, and her begrudging grin wrinkled into a frown. “…Were you?”

“He was,” Adrien confirmed just to drive Marinette nuts wondering who her masked boyfriend could be in his civilian life.

“I almost transformed right there in front of everyone when Clement grabbed you,” Chat insisted, squeezing Adrien tighter. “Thank goodness Ladybug showed up when she did.”

“Yeah,” Marinette muttered, distracted.

“Speaking of Ladybug,” Adrien snickered. “You will never guess what happened to me today.”

Chat clicked his tongue. “Pretty Boy, I know you went through a traumatic experience earlier, but try to keep up. We were there when Ladybug saved your toned behind when Clement got akumatized. This isn’t news.”

“No,” Adrien insisted turning to whisper conspiratorially at Marinette. “Ladybug kissed me.”

Marinette’s entire body lost all manner of colour, leaving her bleached like a painted sign left out in the elements.

Adrien could practically see the cogs in her brain turning as she put the pieces together and realized that Ladybug and Marinette were two very different people to Adrien and one of them had overstepped her bounds.

“What?!” Chat Noir gasped, pulling back to get a good look at Adrien’s face. “No! Seriously?!”

Adrien nodded, giggling madly. “Seriously. She set me down on the roof of Chloé’s penthouse suite, told me to stay safe, and kissed me. I barely knew what hit me.”

Marinette made a strangled choking sound (which the boys pointedly pretended not to hear) as the full implications of her mistake hit home.

Meanwhile, Chat slapped Adrien on the arm, giving his boyfriend a heated glare. “Do you know how many years I tried and failed to get Ladybug to kiss me? And you just stumble into danger like the dork that you are, and she just lays one on you unprompted like that?”

“Yep.” Adrien grinned widely, enjoying provoking Chat Noir.

Chat pursed his lips, stewing. “…Darn. Maybe she has a thing for damsels in distress.”

Adrien shrugged. “Maybe. It’s not like I’ve really spent a whole lot of time with her, so… Maybe she’s a fan of my work?”

Marinette winced at the thought of Adrien assuming Ladybug was a crazy fangirl who used her position as a superhero to force herself on unsuspecting models. Her mind whirled as she tried to come up with a way to fix this disaster.

Chat hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t know. She’s not really the type to get sucked into a celebrity crush. She’s a really practical, sincere person, and she feels things deeply. I can’t imagine her acting on shallow feelings, so she must really like you.”

There was a beat during which Marinette mentally commended Chat Noir for knowing her so well before an important realization dawned upon him.

Chat’s eyes opened wide as he gasped, “Oh my gosh…what if she knows you in real life?!”

Marinette almost screamed.

Adrien’s mouth rounded into a little “o” of surprise. “You think so?”

Chat nodded enthusiastically. “That would explain it. Maybe you two go to school together or something?”

Marinette needed to put a stop to this before things got out of control. Unfortunately, things quickly snowballed before she could figure out how to shut the conversation down.

Adrien chuckled softly. “You know, I used to have this crazy theory that Marinette was Ladybug. They’re so similar.”

Marinette felt her soul leave her body.

Then it got worse.

“Really?” Chat laughed at the coincidence. “Me too! They’re just both so amazing and talented and strong and resourceful,” he cooed, delighting in the opportunity to wax poetic about his girlfriend.

“Is there something you’re not telling us, Marinette?” Adrien teased, turning to look at her.

He found her complexion as chalky as skim milk and her eyes blown wide in horror. Her mind was going a mile a minute as she attempted to come up with a plausible explanation all while trying to fend off hyperventilation and a panic attack.

“Hey.” Adrien separated himself from Chat Noir and took Marinette’s hands in his own, coming around to kneel in front of her. “Calm down, Marinette. Deep breaths. I’m so sorry. We were just teasing. We didn’t mean anything by it.”

“We definitely know you’re not Ladybug,” Chat assured, resting one hand on her upper arm while the other rubbed soothing circles on her back. “Just breathe, Princess. It’s going to be okay.”

She nodded, vaguely registering their words amid the cacophony inside her mind.

“I didn’t kiss her back,” Adrien promised, trying to give Marinette some reasonable excuse for flipping out like she was. “I swear I wouldn’t cheat on you guys, not even with a superhero.”

“Don’t worry, Marinette,” Chat coaxed, scooting in to nuzzle her hair comfortingly. “I’ll have a talk with my partner and let her know in no uncertain terms that she’s to keep her hands off of my boyfriend.”

“Be nice,” Adrien chastised lightly. “I don’t want to sow discord in your partnership. You two need to work together to save the day, so don’t say anything you can’t take back.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be nice,” Chat sighed, pressing a kiss to Marinette’s temple and giving Adrien’s hair a playful ruffle. “Now, what do you two say to some dinner? I’m starving.”

“Right!” Marinette spoke up a little too suddenly and shrilly. “Dinner! Cooking. That sounds…uh…wonderful. Let’s…make Indian food?”

“I’m down for anything with Paneer,” Adrien volunteered.

Chat Noir snickered. “Plagg would be so proud that you’ve finally come around to the good cheeses.”

That got a laugh out of both Marinette and Adrien, and they headed to the Agrestes’ kitchen to initiate a hostile takeover and set about cooking several rice, vegetable, and bean dishes together.

That night, Adrien was lounging on his couch in his My Little Pony pyjamas when a rap at the window announced an unexpected guest.

His first thought was that Chat Noir had come to visit him, but then his tired brain remembered that he was Chat Noir.

He looked up from the documentary on Japanese tea ceremony to find Ladybug standing nervously on his window ledge, looking like she’d rather be standing over an open shark tank.

Adrien scrambled to his feet and hurried over to the window to unlock it.

“Ladybug! Hey. Good evening. What a surprise!” he rattled off, mentally rolling his eyes at himself for having no chill.

“Good evening,” she greeted politely, but a pained expression she wasn’t quite able to hide betrayed her unease. “I’m sorry to bother you so late.”

“You’re no bother at all,” he quickly assured. “What can I do for you?”

She shifted anxiously, her left heel lifting so that she could toe at his widow ledge. “I was hoping we could talk?” She bit her lip as she looked at him expectantly.

With a jolt, he realized he was being a clod. He stepped back, out of her way. “Right! Of course. Please come in. Can I get you something to drink?”

She gently lowered herself down into his room and shook her head, polite smile never wavering even though he could tell it took effort for her to maintain. “No, thank you. This should be quick. I just wanted to apologize for—” She looked down to the side, cheeks heating in embarrassment. “—for earlier. For kissing you.”

She forced herself to meet his gaze so that he could see her earnestness. “That wasn’t okay, me…” She turned up her nose in disgust at herself as she thought about what it must have been like for Adrien. “…imposing myself on you like that. I’m so sorry. I had no right, and I—”

“—Ladybug, no,” he cut her off, waving his hands to flag her down before she could tar and feather herself. “It’s fine. It’s totally fine, so don’t worry about it.”

She blinked at him several times, taken aback. “What? No. No, Adrien.” She shook her head, pursing her lips and frowning. “I know you’re a model and you don’t always get a say in the poses you do and the people you pose with, but you have to understand that that isn’t okay. That’s never okay. Not for work, and not when it’s some careless superhero who just rescued you and wasn’t thinking clearly. It wasn’t okay for me to kiss you like that without asking, and I’m truly sorry, Adrien.”

She dropped her gaze again in shame, turning her face from him to hide the disappointment and embarrassment and other conflicted things she was feeling.

“I wish I could give you a reasonable explanation for my actions, but…a heartfelt apology will have to suffice,” she muttered ruefully. “I hope you can forgive me.”

“Hey,” Adrien called softly, stepping in and taking her hands. “Look. It’s really okay, Ladybug. I’m not upset, and there’s nothing to forgive.”

Her brow furrowed as she looked back up, perplexed.

“I talked to Chat Noir about what happened, and he said that you weren’t one for celebrity crushes, so you must actually have sincere feelings for me,” he explained, trying to give her an out because he had caused his girlfriend enough suffering for one lifetime already with all of this identity drama.

Her mouth fell open, and her lips widened.

“We’re guessing that you probably know me in real life, but you can’t explain yourself without endangering your identity, so…don’t worry about the kiss. If you like, we can pretend it never happened,” he offered.

“That… Yes. Please…. Thank you,” she spluttered as her mind struggled to catch up. “Sorry. I can neither confirm nor deny that I know you as a civilian, so…”

“Don’t worry about it,” he reiterated, letting go of her hands to give her arm a comforting touch. “But…if Chat Noir is right and you do have feelings for me, I need to tell you that you are the second most amazing woman I have met in my entire life, and I admire and respect you so much. I wish you nothing but the happiness and love you deserve, but…I need you to know that it can’t be with me,” he informed gently.

Ladybug blinked uncomprehendingly at him for a moment before realizing that her boyfriend was in the process of letting her down easy.

“I’m sorry,” he continued. “A couple years ago, I had the biggest crush on you, and I would have jumped at the chance to stand by your side as your partner, but now…I’ve found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I love her with everything that I am. I don’t think it’s possible for me to ever feel this way about anybody but Marinette. I’ve put everything I have into loving her, so…even if things didn’t work out between her and me, I don’t think I would have anything left afterwards. I wouldn’t be able to be the partner you deserve. I’m really sorry, Ladybug, but thank you for caring about me in the first place. I am beyond honored.”

It took her a moment to wrap her mind around everything he had just said, and, when she finally did find the words to answer, they came out haltingly. “Wow…. You really…You’re really in love with your girlfriend, aren’t you?”

Adrien nodded, a shy smile blooming on his lips. “Marinette is my other half. I’m really sorry, Ladybug.”

“No, no.” She put her hands up in protest. “You’re good. It’s fine. I know Marinette. She’s…” She fumbled for an adequate adjective. “…great. I’m happy for you two. If I had to get beat out by someone, I’m glad it was her. I hope you two are happy.”

His shy smile transformed into a full-on beam. “Thank you very much.”

There was a beat, a small blip in the conversation where neither quite knew what was coming next, that awkward pause between breaths where the uncertainty of whether the next breath would come rushed in.

“Well,” Ladybug remarked succinctly. “Thank you very much, Adrien. Sorry to take up your time, but thank you for hearing me out.”

“Absolutely,” he replied cordially. “It was nice to see you.” He hesitated before deciding just to go for it and see what happened. “Actually…would you be available to stay for a little while longer?”

She arched an eyebrow, slowly loosening the grip she’d had on her yoyo in order to make a quick escape. “Stay?”

“And watch a movie or TV show or something,” he quickly elaborated. “I was getting kind of bored and a little lonely sitting around by myself, but it’s sort of late, and I don’t want to bother anyone, so…since you’re here anyway…what do you say? Maybe we could be friends, if it wouldn’t be too hard for you so soon after I told you I had a girlfriend I was crazy about? I don’t want to be insensitive.”

“No,” she answered hastily. “I mean yes.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, straightening out what she meant to say in her head before giving her lips a crack at it. “Thank you for being so thoughtful. I think I’m going to be fine, actually, knowing that you’re so happy in your relationship with Marinette. Let’s watch an anime or something.”

“Perfect!” he cheered. “How about Cardcaptor Sakura?” He’d been meaning to make Marinette watch it for a while.

“Sure,” she easily agreed, nodding towards his couch. “May I?”

“Go for it. I’ll go get some water and snacks. Make yourself at home.”

Once they were both settled on the couch and Adrien was cuing up the first episode, he paused and pointedly pressed his lips together as if he were debating whether or not to say what he was going to say next.

“Chat Noir actually gave me a message to give to you if I saw you before he did. It’s kind of rude, so I hope it doesn’t offend you, but…I assume you two are on pretty familiar terms with the way he talks about you.”

“What did that alley cat have to say?” Ladybug chuckled, bracing herself for something territorial and ridiculous.

“He said to keep your buggy mitts off of his boyfriend,” Adrien reported, looking away as he feigned embarrassment.

“Oh,” she replied neutrally, trying to act like she was surprised at this news. “…You and…and Chat Noir?”

Adrien nodded sheepishly. “Sort of. Yeah. It’s a bit of an unusual arrangement, but…Chat Noir, Marinette, and I are very happy.”

“Good,” Ladybug decreed with a warm smile. “I knew Chat Noir had found someone, but it makes me happy to know that my partner has the both of you to give him all the love and support he deserves. Chat Noir is really special. Be good to him, okay?”

“I’m working on it. Some days I don’t do a very good job,” he admitted, “but, lately, I’m learning how.”

“Good,” she repeated, sounding satisfied as she sank back into the couch cushions. “Just do your best. He’s one of the good ones.”

Adrien couldn’t quite control the rampant blush that invaded his cheeks from the bridge of his nose to the tips of his ears. It warmed his heart to know she thought so highly of him and wanted the best for Chat Noir. It was good to feel loved and valued.

“I’ll do my best,” he promised, starting up the first episode.

Chapter Text

“Let’s get this over with quickly,” Ladybug grumbled as she landed beside Chat Noir on the upper gallery overlooking Le Grand Paris’s ballroom where a young man who had been in attendance at the New Year’s Eve party had been akumatized because he was upset that he didn’t have anyone to kiss at midnight and was now terrorizing the other guests, shooting them with beams that, when they hit their target, made them partner up and kiss.

“Someone’s in a crumby mood,” Chat chuckled teasingly, raising an eyebrow at his partner. “What’s up?”

“This akuma attack is interrupting a hot date,” she hissed, scanning the supervillain for clues, trying to ascertain a weakness. The wand with a heart at the tip was an obvious candidate for the akuma’s object.

“Tell me about it,” Chat sighed.

Up until the screams had started, he had been enjoying a lovely evening of flirting with Adrien and Marinette and admiring his girlfriend’s latest design in action. Marinette looked like a movie star in her red evening gown with its halter-style top and myriad straps crisscrossing over her otherwise bare back. The slit up the side was just enough to show off her toned legs while still keeping within the bounds of modesty.

“Are you and your…uh…partners doing anything for New Year’s Eve?” Ladybug inquired politely, if not a tad awkwardly.

Chat nodded. “We were actually at this party, so I’m kind of worried.”

“Marinette and Adrien will be okay,” Ladybug replied encouragingly. “They’re more than capable of taking care of themselves.”

“That’s not really the problem,” Chat muttered ruefully. “They have a bit of a thing about playing hero and getting themselves in trouble.”

Ladybug winced. “Oh. Yeah. I guess that would be problematic. Well, let’s get this taken care of before your people have a chance to do anything altruistic.”

“Sounds good to me,” Chat agreed. “What’s the plan?”

“Lucky Charm!” she called out and got a sprig of mistletoe for her trouble.

She pursed her lips, brow furrowing as she inspected the object intently. “What the heck, Tikki?”

“Maybe if we get closer, you’ll see something you can use it with?” he suggested, not sounding all that sure.

She shrugged, willing to give it a try in the absence of other viable options. “We’ll have to be stealthy, though. Those beams he shoots are kind of wide, so I think they’d be a little challenging to dodge. Best to fly under his radar.”

With a nod of accord, they hopped over the side of the railing when Matchmaker’s back was turned, landing softly before scurrying to hide behind one of the pillars holding up the upstairs gallery.

Ladybug sighed in frustration as she surveyed the open area between them and the akuma. If they attempted a charge, they’d be defenseless with nowhere to take cover.

She could send Chat in first as a decoy and let him possibly take a hit while she snuck up on Matchmaker and grabbed the wand, but…the thought of potentially sacrificing him made her feel sick to her stomach.

“How are we going to get close enough without getting hit?” she muttered to herself, desperately searching for something to use with the mistletoe she’d gotten as her Lucky Charm.

Chat’s eyes fell on the mistletoe, and he came up with a stupid idea that just might work. “What if he thinks we’ve already been hit?”

Her brow knit in confusion as her lips parted to ask what he meant.

“He’d have no reason to hit us again if he thought we’d already been hit,” he clarified excitedly. “Maybe we could trick him into letting his guard down by making him think that we’re defenseless.”

She blinked, eyes still narrowed, not getting it. “How are we going to do that?”

“Trust me,” he entreated, taking her hand and tugging her out into the open.

“Chat Noir!” she hissed, eyes wide in panic.

“Keep your eyes open and keep my body between you and him,” he instructed before crushing his lips to hers.

She gave a jolt, startled and confused for a moment before the familiar feeling of his mouth gently moving against hers gradually calmed her down. Slowly, she began to kiss back.

“Ha!” Matchmaker crowed when he spotted them nearly a minute later. “Even Ladybug and Chat Noir have succumbed to my power! Now everyone will have someone to kiss at midnight and no one will ever have to feel lonely or inadequate ever again!”

Chat had positioned them with his back to the akuma so that even as they kissed, Ladybug had a line of vision on Matchmaker.

She watched as the telltale magenta butterfly outline glowed around Matchmaker’s eyes as Papillon gave instructions to his minion—instructions that Matchmaker seemed not to like.

“But I haven’t found a partner for everyone yet, and midnight is only an hour away!” the akuma whined indignantly.

The butterfly outline pulsed as Papillon retorted.

It occurred to Ladybug that now might be a good time to sneak up on Matchmaker while he was distracted, but the way Chat Noir was teasing her bottom lip between his teeth was very preoccupying.

“Fine,” Matchmaker snorted, his attention returning to the snogging superheroes. “I’ll take their Miraculouses now while they’re defenseless, but you’re not getting them until I make sure that everyone has someone to kiss.”

Matchmaker advanced, and it took a little effort for Ladybug to pry her attention away from Chat’s wickedly delightful mouth. She eventually succeeded, but it was a true test of her willpower.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Matchmaker sighed, “but I need to take your jewelry before Papillon takes away my powers. You can go back to making out once I have your Miraculouses.”

As soon as Matchmaker was within range, Ladybug pulled back, and Chat ducked out of the way so she’d have a clear shot at his wand with her yoyo.

In the blink of an eye, she was snapping the wand in half, purifying the akuma, and tossing her Lucky Charm in the air to activate the magical ladybird swarm.

She turned to her partner for their customary fist bump only to find him blushing and sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck, avoiding her eyes.

“Sorry,” he muttered, feeling her gaze on him hot like tongues of fire. “I shouldn’t have kissed you like that without your permission, even if it was to defeat an akuma. I wasn’t thinking, and I’m sorry, Ladybug.”

“Hey,” she called softly, reaching out to rest a supportive hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. It was a good idea, and it worked, so… Don’t worry, Chat Noir. I’ve kissed you before in an akuma emergency, so it’s not like it’s something I wasn’t willing to do. It would have been nice if you’d warned me first, but it’s fine. Seriously. We’re good.”

He tentatively looked up at her then, a hopeful smile waiting in the corners of his lips to come out. “Yeah?”

She nodded, assuring, “Of course. …Um…I mean…so long as you feel like we’re good.” Her face started to burn as she remembered how she’d practically attacked him with her enthusiasm. “I’m sorry I kind of got a little carried away with the kissing,” she chuckled awkwardly, trying not to make things weird. “I know you’re one hundred percent faithful to your partners, so I didn’t get the wrong idea or anything. I hope I didn’t give you the wrong idea. I probably shouldn’t have been so…uh…into it.”

She looked away, unable to meet his gaze any longer as she internally died of embarrassment. She wanted to melt into a puddle and seep into the floor in order to escape this mortifying situation.

“No worries, Buguinette.” Chat gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. “We’re good so long as we both understand that tonight was a one-time deal and don’t let it get in the way of our friendship.”

He held up his fist, offering it to her. “Bien joué?”

Slowly, she looked up, taking in his patient smile.

Suddenly, the embarrassment left her, and she knew she hadn’t ruined their partnership.

“Bien joué,” she confirmed, smiling wide as she tapped her fist against his.

Her earrings gave a telltale beep, bringing them both back into awareness of their surroundings.

“Well. Looks like I need to jet before I turn back into a pumpkin,” she chuckled, fighting a grimace at the fact that her Miraculous still ran on a five-minute timer after all this time. “Have a nice rest of your evening with Marinette and Adrien. Tell them I say hi.”

“Will do.” He grinned as he gave her a salute. “Good luck with your hot date.”

About fifteen minutes later (after giving Plagg and Trixx a quick break to recharge), Adrien and Chat Noir found Marinette leaning on the gallery’s railing, gazing down at the crowd milling on the dancefloor below.

“There you are,” Adrien sighed in relief, running over to his girlfriend and pulling her into a tight hug.

“We were worried, Princess,” Chat informed, letting the doppelgänger have a minute before he cut in to take a turn hugging Marinette. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she replied tiredly, slumping into his hold. “I found a hiding spot and stayed put until it was all over, so nothing to report on my end. Are you two okay?”

Adrien and Chat both nodded.

“I hid out in the coat check with a guy who was convinced he was the next Jagged Stone,” Adrien invented of his own volition, further cementing Chat’s hypothesis that in creating the Adrien doppelgänger he had accidentally tapped into some dark, eldritch power which allowed a wondering soul trapped on the earthly plane to inhabit the Mirage whenever Chat summoned him into being.

Because there were times when the Mirage did and said things that Chat definitely hadn’t instructed or intended, and sometimes he got the feeling like there was a real person in there and not just a projection of his own consciousness.

…At least he seemed to be a friendly, benign wondering soul with a sharp sense of humor. He just said some bizarre things from time to time, but Chat couldn’t fault him for that.

“Was he the next Jagged Stone?” Marinette giggled, already guessing the answer.

“He most certainly was not,” Adrien laughed. “But he was really funny, so it made for an interesting akuma attack experience.”

And then Adrien turned to Chat Noir, eying him knowingly. “How was your akuma attack experience, Nyan-chan?”

Chat mentally recanted the “benign” part. This was definitely an evil spirit he was dealing with.

“Interesting,” Chat allowed, trying to play it off as totally not a big deal. “I ended up kissing Ladybug.”

Adrien gasped, pretending to be scandalized. “You what?!”

Marinette’s eyes widened, surprised that Chat Noir was so forthcoming about it.

Adrien turned to Marinette, feigning hurt. “Are you hearing this? He’s finally leaving us for a superhero.”

“I’m not leaving you, Bishi,” Chat sighed, shaking his head at the double’s theatrics.

Was he always like this when he was Adrien? Marinette didn’t seem to think that Adrien was acting out of character.

“So you’re just cheating on us, then?” Adrien snorted.

“Adrien, it wasn’t a big deal,” Chat coaxed in an attempt to calm his other self down. “It wasn’t even a real kiss. It was a fake-out make-out.”

Marinette quirked an eyebrow. “A what?”

Chat and Adrien stared at her for a beat and then turned to one another to share a meaningful look.

“We’ll make her watch Danny Phantom later,” Adrien decreed, and Chat nodded resolutely in agreement.

“For her own good,” Chat added solemnly.

“Because we’re good boyfriends,” Adrien assured. “Except for some of us who apparently make out with Ladybug?”

“It was a rouse,” Chat explained, rolling his eyes. “The akuma was making everyone kiss, and the attacks would have been really hard to evade. I kissed her because I thought it would make the akuma lower his guard because he would think he already got us. It worked, and now you two are safe and fewer civilians got forced into making out with people against their will. I’m sorry, but it was a good plan.”

“Minou, it’s okay,” Marinette assured, stepping in and resting a hand on his shoulder. She turned to look at Adrien. “It’s okay.”

Slowly, Adrien began to nod. “I guess…if it was an akuma kiss, it doesn’t count.”

Marinette nodded, turning back to Chat Noir. “It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. Good job keeping Paris safe.”

Chat’s expression softened as a small smile slowly spread across his lips. “Thanks. …But you know I chose you, right?”

Her eyes widened in surprise.

“I chose you, Marinette, because with or without a Miraculous, you’re a true hero and the bravest, most amazing person I know. Never doubt that I’d choose you again and again, given the chance.” His voice lowered as he confessed, “I want to keep choosing you every day for the rest of my life.”

There had been a few minutes earlier as she leaned against the railing and waited for him to find her again after the akuma battle when she had reflected on the kiss between Chat Noir and Ladybug and wondered about his feelings for her.

He’d really been kissing Ladybug just like he kissed Marinette, and she’d wondered what that meant, so hearing his earnest reassurances that she was the one he wanted to spend his life with cleared away her doubts.

She surged forward, catching his lips in a quick kiss, pulling away before anyone could see.

“I believe you,” she assured. “…And I like the sound of a future where we both keep picking one another every day.”

“Yeah?” he chuckled, unable to contain a wide grin.

She nodded, beaming back at him. “Yeah…. Would you want to head back to the bakery? I kind of feel up for snuggling…and maybe watching Danny Phantom?”

She looked back and forth between Chat and Adrien.

“Sounds good,” Chat confirmed easily.

“I’m in,” Adrien agreed, “but, earlier, Chat Noir said that he thought you were amazing with or without a Miraculous. When did Marinette have a Miraculous?”

“I wish I had pictures of Multimouse,” Chat sighed, giving Adrien’s hair a playful tussle. “You would love her. Two words: twin buns.”

Adrien’s jaw dropped, and he whipped his head around to gape at Marinette. “Could you maybe wear your hair like that just for fun sometime?”

Marinette arched an eyebrow, an amused smirk twisting up the corners of her lips. “You have a thing for twin buns?”

Adrien looked away, blushing as he gave a nonchalant shrug and quickly changed the subject, “So, now that two-thirds of our members have kissed Ladybug, I guess we need to update the rules of our polycule to include that we each get one freebie kiss with Ladybug?”

Marinette gave a surprised snort of laughter, taken aback. “No thanks. As the only one who hasn’t kissed or gotten kissed by Ladybug, I don’t think it’s necessary to update the rules for my sake. I’m good.”

“Really?” Chat waggled his eyebrows. “Don’t you want to kiss Ladybug, Marinette?”

“Nope,” she chuckled.

“You’re not even a little tempted?” Adrien teased.

She shook her head, rolling her eyes fondly. “No, I am seriously good. My boys are enough for me.”

“Aww,” Chat cooed.

“That’s sweet,” Adrien completed.

“Come on,” Marinette giggle-snorted. “Let’s head back to my place so we can all three kiss away from prying eyes at midnight. We’ve only got about thirty minutes.”

“She drives a hard bargain,” Chat snickered, turning to lead the way.

Adrien, as Marinette’s official date, held out his arm to her with a smile. “Shall we?”

She nodded. “Let’s.”

Chapter Text

“Stop moving around so much,” Plagg grumbled as he snuggled up against the crook of Adrien’s neck.

“Leave him alone,” Trixx admonished groggily, burrowing further into the nest he’d made out of Adrien’s hair. “He’s got a lot on his mind; it’s no wonder he can’t sleep.”

“Thinking about the wedding tomorrow and how you’re going to smooch the love of your life in front of all of your friends and family?” Plagg snickered, giving Adrien’s shoulder a playful nip.

“Thinking about how Marinette is making the biggest mistake of her life,” Adrien snorted, twisting his engagement ring round and round on his finger, watching the EKG heartbeat-like line as it dipped and soared around the center of the band.

“Don’t say that,” Plagg commanded, flying up to stare Adrien down with a scowl.

Adrien shrugged, avoiding Plagg’s gaze. He pulled off the ring and looked at the inscription on the inside of the band: Home. Love. Family. Forever.

“She could do better,” he muttered.

“But she picked you,” Trixx reminded softly, petting Adrien’s hair.

“You’re just psyching yourself out,” Plagg diagnosed. “Stop fretting, Kid. Go to sleep, and things will look brighter in the morning. You’ll marry your girl, have a big party with lots of tasty food, and everything will be alright.”

Adrien hummed noncommittally in response, closing his eyes in order to make another attempt.

Fifteen minutes later, when Adrien was still tossing and turning, Plagg gave a resigned sigh. “Okay. Clearly, this isn’t working. Let’s go for a run and burn off some of your nerves.”

Adrien gave a mirthless chuckle, turning onto his side to gaze at Plagg melancholically. “Man, I must be pretty bad if you’re volunteering your services so willingly.”

Plagg rolled his eyes, waving away the suggestion. “You’re just driving me nuts, and I want to get some sleep. Think of this as a wedding present.”

“Plagg’s really a big softie,” Trixx chortled, tail flicking mischievously. “He just doesn’t want anyone to know, so he puts on the obnoxious, slothful act.”

“Hush, you,” Plagg hissed, his own tail giving an annoyed twitch. “There’s no acting about my sloth. I really am this lazy, thank you very much.”

“I’d believe it,” Adrien snickered, the laughter breaking through his glum mood. “All right. Let’s go for a run. I guess it can’t hurt anything. Plagg, transform me.”

He spent the first ten minutes or so of his run aimlessly leaping from rooftop to rooftop, dodging antennas and hopping over chimney stacks, seeing how fast he could go in an attempt to burn off some energy and tire himself out.

He soon got bored of that, however, and decided to make his way to the Eiffel Tower, a site of various special moments including the time five years prior when Marinette had arranged a picnic and told him that she loved him for the first time.

He bounded to the top of the tower, flying from girder to steel girder until he found himself at the pinnacle of the monument.

Surprisingly, he wasn’t alone.

Marinette’s eyes widened at her partner’s unexpected arrival, but then a warm smile stretched across her lips and all the way up to her eyes. “Good evening, Chaton. What a lovely coincidence meeting you here.”

“Likewise, My Ladylove,” he chuckled, giving her a supernova grin in return. “Though, I think it’s more morning than evening at this point.”

She shrugged, motioning for him to join her.

“Aren’t you cold?” he couldn’t help but ask as he came to stand beside her at the railing, observing her thin, cotton pyjamas and little cardigan that couldn’t be keeping out the slightly chilly breeze. “It’s kind of nippy up here.”

Marinette shook her head as she gazed out at the city sprawling before her. “I like it, actually. It makes me feel alert. I won’t stay up here untransformed long, though, so don’t worry.”

He slipped his arm around her, pulling her into his side to share a little of his warmth. Despite what she said, he could see her beginning to shiver.

“Do you mind me asking what a pretty girl like you is doing all by your lonesome in a place like this at this time of night, or is that being too forward?” he inquired playfully, giving his eyebrows a waggle.

Lightly, she slapped his arm, shaking her head. “I couldn’t sleep. I just had a lot on my mind, so…”

“…Like…what?” he tentatively pressed, the teasing tone gone from his voice now as he wondered if her head was filled with worries like his.

She shrugged. “How everything’s going to be different after tomorrow and how I don’t think I’m ready. Like…we’ll be officially moving in together, and what if the kitchen faucet starts leaking?”

Chat blinked and began to open his mouth to tell her that the building supervisor took care of upkeep and things like that, but she spoke again before he could, her worries snowballing and carrying her away with them.

“I don’t know how to fix a leaky faucet,” she reported anxiously. “I know you call someone, but Maman and Papá are always the ones to arrange for things like that, and I don’t even know how they find the person, so…and there’s grocery shopping and paying bills and keeping the apartment tidy and making all of our own meals and starting a family, and what am I going to do if the kids get sick?” she gasped as if suddenly realizing that this was an important issue that she had failed to attend to.

Chat had to smile at her penchant to get way ahead of herself.

“Don’t worry, Princess,” he cooed, leaning in to press a comforting kiss to the outer shell of her ear. “We’ll figure it out. I mean, we could always call your parents if we have questions, but I’ve been living on my own for almost four years now, and I haven’t died yet, so…I think, whatever comes our way, we can take it on together. We’ve proven ourselves to be a great team over and over again. This is just one more thing where we’ll have to pool our strengths and figure it out together…right?”

Slowly, she started to nod as she absorbed his words.

Her worry receded as she called to mind all the other times they seemed to be facing down unbeatable odds together. They had always made it out so long as they fought side to side, so why should surviving adulthood be any different?

“You’re right,” she realized, her easy smile coming back as she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his torso. “We can do this…. Thanks for talking me down.”

“Any time you need it,” he promised, catching the top of her head in a quick, affectionate kiss.

There was a comfortable moment where they stood there together, looking out at their city and enjoying each other’s solid, grounding presence, before Chat Noir tentatively spoke up.

“…Want to come back to the apartment with me and snuggle?” he inquired sheepishly, a light pink blush peeking out from underneath his mask and coloring his cheeks. “I don’t want you to go, but I don’t want to keep you out either,” he confessed. “I know it’s the middle of summer, but the breeze really is chilly up here, and I don’t want you getting sick.”

“Alright,” she chuckled, easily giving in. “I don’t really feel like going our separate ways either. Carry me? For old times’ sake?” She gazed up at him, batting her eyelashes prettily.

He laughed as he effortlessly scooped her up. “As my Princess commands.”

She held on tight as he bounced back across the rooftops towards the apartment that they would soon officially share.

He let them in through his bedroom window and set her down on the bed, releasing his transformation as he attacked her neck with playful kisses.

Marinette giggled and squirmed as his nips and licks tickled her.

He stopped before long and pushed himself up on his elbows to gaze down at her in adoration as her chest heaved in her attempt to catch her breath.

Her dazzling smile lit up the dim, moonlit room, and she reached up to play with his hair, brushing it out of his eyes and twisting it around her fingers.

She lifted her head to ghost her lips against his and then lowered back down onto the bed, laughing.

“What?” he wondered softly.

“I’m happy,” she explained, smiling wider.

“Me too,” he whispered, leaning in to nuzzle her ear.

“Good,” she hummed contentedly. “So…what were you doing out for a run? Couldn’t sleep?”

He stiffened, knowing she would scold him if she knew why he’d been worrying. “Yeah,” he replied cagily. “Just a lot of stuff on my mind. You know.”

She took his face in her hands to make him meet her eyes. “Anything I can help with?”

He shook his head, averting his gaze as best as he could. “Nah, not really. It’s just silly things. I’m just being silly.”

“It’s not silly if you’re worried about it,” she patiently reminded. “I mean, I was keeping myself up fretting about how to fix a leaky faucet and what to do if our future hamster gets sick, so…whatever you’re worrying about, it can’t be any more ridiculous than my worries. Talk to me. Let me see if I can help you like you helped me earlier. We are a team after all…right?”

How could he argue with that?

With a tired sigh, he turned to meet her gaze, confessing shamefacedly, “I was fretting about what a big mistake you’re making by marrying me.”

She blinked at him uncomprehendingly. “Wait. What? Adrien, what are you talking about?” Her eyes narrowed in concern as she stroked his face comfortingly.

“You could find someone better, Marinette,” he explained as if reluctant to inform her yet duty-bound to make sure she understood all of her options. “I’m sure there’s someone out there better suited to you, and I don’t want to trap you in this relationship with me knowing that—”

“—Adrien, stop,” she commanded gently, pushing them both up to sitting.

He looked at her searchingly. “But—”

“—No,” she firmly interrupted. “Okay. Maybe you’re right that some guy exists out there who would be completely perfect for me in every way, but you know what?”

He cocked his head to the side listening carefully.

“I don’t want him,” she declared resolutely. “I don’t want a perfect life with a perfect partner where everything is always easy and effortless.”

“You…don’t?” He blinked at her, baffled.

“I don’t,” she confirmed. “Adrien, one of the things I treasure most about our relationship is the hard parts, the times when we’ve really struggled to make it work, the things we’ve overcome together. I love that we’ve come together as a team time and again and that we’ve made it through and are still standing after all of that,” she stressed.

“That’s why I calmed down about all the stuff I was worried about when you reminded me that we’d take on whatever problems came up together. I believed you because we’ve gotten through apocalypses together before, so I know we can do it again. We’re tougher because of all the garbage we’ve been through,” she cooed squeezing his hand.

He squeezed back, unable to find his voice to reply.

“Why would I ever pick some seemingly perfect guy over you?” she continued to obliterate his fears, shaking her head at his ever having doubted. “They say you don’t really know a person until you’re buried up to your neck in crap together,” she chuckled at the memories, and he couldn’t help but grin at the past catastrophes that were now comic. “I know you, and you know me, and I know I can count on you no matter what. I wouldn’t trade our partnership for anything, Adrien.”

He nodded, seeing now how ridiculous his worries had been.

“You are the one I want…” She gave his hands another firm squeeze. “…rough edges and all…because your rough edges line up with mine, and I don’t think I could find anyone more perfect for me if I tried.”

He blinked back tears at that, completely overwhelmed by a raging cocktail of emotions. Far too many people had looked at him and declared him perfect without ever knowing about the dark, ugly parts inside of him. Yet, here she was, fully cognizant of the insecurities and the faults, declaring him perfect for her because of the ways in which he was broken.

“Maybe on the surface other people might look better,” she conceded, looking him full in the face and giving him a smile full of acceptance and love. “but you and I have been through fire together, and I know we can make it out on the other side in one piece, so…don’t doubt yourself. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted fighting by my side and having my back…whether that’s battling akumas or changing diapers or paying the bills or succeeding in our careers. You’re the one I love, and you’re the one I want to marry, Adrien.”

With a wordless sob, he pulled her into him, squeezing her close and pulling her down onto the bed beside him so that he could bury his face in her neck.

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him together as he let it all out.

“Shh,” she coaxed. “It’s okay.”

He trembled, overcome by joy and relief and all-encompassing warmth.

“Did you like that little preview of my vows?” she chuckled fondly as she pet his hair.

“You’re going to make me cry tomorrow,” he choked, lifting his head to kiss her cheek. “Thank you.”

“Any time you need it,” she repeated his earlier promise, meaning it wholeheartedly. She knew he had always struggled with self-worth and didn’t always believe that he deserved love and good things, so she had sworn to herself always to build him up and support him.

“I’ll text Alya to remind Nino to have tissues on hand,” she added as an afterthought.

“Please,” he whimpered, loosening his hold on her to shift into a comfortable snuggling position. “I’m going to be a mess tomorrow.”

“You’ll still look gorgeous with tears and snot dripping down your face. Don’t worry,” she assured, breaking away to pull down the covers.

Reluctantly, he got up so that they could settle in for sleep.

Marinette arranged herself comfortably and then motioned for Adrien to snuggle in, resting his head on her shoulder, an arm and a leg draped lightly across her.

Fifteen minutes later, just when Marinette was starting to doze off, Adrien spoke in a timid, quiet voice.

“Are you sure you don’t have any regrets about never dating anyone else?”

His vulnerable tone banished the fog of sleep.

“I’m sure,” she responded decidedly. “I don’t need to date anyone else because I wouldn’t be able to fully be myself with anyone but you. You really know me, both sides of me, the good and the bad, so you’re the only one I can truly be the real me with. You’re not trapping me, Adrien; you’re setting me free. You were always right about revealing our identities. Being able to be myself around you without the masks and the secrets and the lies keeps me sane. Knowing that my partner really gets it makes all the stress and the strain bearable…and I wouldn’t have that with anyone but you. Go to sleep, My Love. You’re stuck with me.”

“Okay,” he chuckled softly, leaning in for a gentle, reassuring kiss. “I’d be overjoyed to be stuck with you for many, many years to come.”

“Same,” she hummed happily, nuzzling his hair and running her hand up and down his back soothingly until they both drifted off to sleep.

The

       End