Chapter 1
Adrien
Adrien had heard about a new singer at the Jazz Club, so he decided to check it out. When he arrived and got out of his limo, he heard the sweet voice of an angel. He expected a good singer. Geez, he expected a great singer. But this singer's voice was breathtaking. It was hypnotizing. He needed to see who it belonged to. He ran up the steps and burst through the door. Surprisingly, he had not brought any attention to himself. All eyes were glued to the singer..
She was wearing a gorgeous, long red dress. Her long dark curly hair was cascaded over her shoulder like a waterfall. Her shoes were surprising: she was wearing red converse with a black toe. But what really drew his attention was her face. Gorgeous, at least the part he could see. She was wearing a mask over her bluebell eyes. The mask just made her more hypnotizing. He snapped out of his trance just long enough to hear her last verse.
"How miraculous love can be."
She waved and walked off stage. I was ready to wait all night until the next song, when the owner walked up and grabbed the microphone.
"Sorry folks, but we're closing up early tonight. The Crimson Bug will be singing again tomorrow night at 8."
Adrien walked out and found Nathalie waiting for me by my limo.
"Clear my schedule tomorrow night starting at 6." I told her, feeling the anticipation already bubbling inside me.
Marinette
Marinette's shift was finally over and her throat burned. Mainly from allergies, but singing on hours without end didn't really help. And she still had to meet Chat Noir tonight for their weekly patrol. She was exhausted, but it was their duty to protect Paris. Evil never sleeps, so neither should she. It was hard to be the Crimson Bug and Ladybug, but being a superhero doesn't pay well. And neither does her other job. She would just have to tough it out. Later that night… "Don't fall asleep on me, bugaboo. Or I will have to leave you here to sleep on this rooftop. Unless, you wanna tell me your identity, so I could take you home." Chat winked at her. "Not a chance, Kitty." Her voice was raspy from allergies and singing. "Are you ill, My Lady?" He asked looking worried. "No." She said while sitting down on the rooftop. " I have allergies and singing all night, well, let just say it does not help." Realization dawned on his features. " You don't by any chance sing at a jazz club on weeknights and weekends?" "Why?" She inquired scrunching up her face. "Well," He started sitting down next to her, their shoulders brushing. "There was this gorgeous mysterious crimson angel singing at a jazz club. She, like you, also wore a mask. I believe, they call her the Crimson Bug." She thought about it. No one knew the true identity of the Crimson Bug. It wouldn't do any harm to tell him about her paying job. "Yes, I do." She ventured. He dramatically put his hand on his chest and drew back. " My Lady! I am offended. You never told me you could sing. Let alone, better than a disney princess." She blushed. For, she knew that Chat thought very highly of the disney princesses. "Well, anyway, kitty. I should probably get going." she stated. "Then I must bid you ado, my fair lady." He said while he bowed and brushed a soft kiss across her gloved knuckles.
Adrien
Not once during the performance did Adrien expect the Crimson Bug to be Ladybug. The Crimson Bug was just wearing a plastic red mask. If someone else made the connection, like he did, it would be all to easy to find out her identity. And then it would somehow make its way to the news. And then Hawk Moth would find out. And then Ladybug would be in danger, and so would her family. He could never let that thoughts were interrupted by his alarm clock. He had not slept at all. He would have to think about it later. Now, he had to go to work.
He got to work ten minutes early and immediately started working. He was vice president of the French Times newspaper. Five minutes later, Nino (his best friend) and Nino's girlfriend Alya arrived. Nino was incharge of the Sports Section and Alya was incharge of the Ladybug and Chat Noir Section. Right on time, Marinette, the new journalist, arrived. She was holding a bunch of coffees and pastry bags, handing them out to her coworkers and she passed. She did this every morning. As soon as Mari had handed out most of the coffees and goodies, Alya engulfed Mari in a big hug. Alya had kinda taken Mari under her wing as soon Mari got the job.
Mari walked up to his desk, smiled, and placed a coffee and a bear claw (his favorite pastry) on his desk then walked to hers. he didn't know how she knew bear claws were my favorite. Whenever he tried to talk to her she politely excused herself from the conversation. He thought maybe she didn't like him, but she had always been kind to him. He watched as Mari sat at her desk next to Alya's. Alya said something he couldn't hear, and Mari shoved her playfully taking on a severe blush. Mari turned back to her work, smiling as she wrote. Adrien smiled to himself. He liked it when she smiled.
"Dude, you're being weird."
Adrien started. He hadn't realized Nino had walked up.
"Hello to you too, Nino. How the heck am I being weird?" Adrien Asked.
Nino raised an eyebrow. "You have been staring at Mari for twenty minutes. I mean, I know you like her, but you're being seriously weird."
Adrien stared at him for a second before replying. "It has not been twenty minutes!" Adrien exclaimed frustrated now.
Nino gave him a you're a downright dumb donkey look before saying, "Check your watch, bro."
Adrien checked his watch and it had indeed been roughly twenty minutes. Twenty-one minutes to be exact, but he didn't think pointing that out would do him any good. Instead he replied with, " I do not like Mari. I mean, I like her, but I don't like like her."
"Mmhmm," Nino said having a smug look on his face, "Anyway, you should probably get to work the boss is walking over."
Marinette
Now, Mari was at her other job. She loved this job. She was a journalist at French Times. She worked with her best friend and her huge crush Adrian. Alya had just teased her about him and made her blush severely. She had hoped Adrien hadn't noticed. Alya was talking about her new scoop on Ladybug's and Chat's romantic relationship (which didn't exist) but Mari's mind had drifted to other things.
How did Adrien find out that Ladybug was the Crimson Bug? Was he a fan? Was he a critic? No, he couldn't be. He said she sang like an angel. Or maybe that was just him being sarcastic or super flirty. Sure, he was funny sometimes, but other times he had definitely over did it. He definitely had gotten on her nerves. Like, all the time.
"So, what do you think?" Alya's voice snapped me back down to Earth.
"What do I think about what?" Mari asked confused.
"Ugh, Girl sometimes you can really get on my nerves! What do you think of my theory that Chat and Ladybug has been dating a while, but trying to keep it a secret because their scared people will start asking if they know each others identities and such." She explained. Something caught Alya's eye and her head whipped toward Adrian's desk. Mari looked to see what had caught her attention, but she just saw Adrien weirdly staring intently at his desk.
"What?" Mari asked completely in the dark.
Alya's head whipped back to Mari so fast Mari thought Alya's head might pop off.
"Adrien was staring at you!" Alya squealed obviously trying to hide her excitement.
Mari started blushing so severely she thought her head might turn into a tomato.
"What?! Noooooo! Really? No way! He would never! Wait, would he?" Mari squealed.
"Wow, you are really overdoing one look." Alya said looking exhausted.
"Sorry" Mari said trying to calm down.
"Don't apologize, I completely understand. It's your first real crush. He is cute, buuuuuuuuuuuut Nino is cuter." Alya smiled at Mari reassuringly.
"Ugh, I still have to work tonight too." She moaned, remembering her other paying job.
"Yea, you could call in sick. But if you do that so many fans will be disappointed." Alya remarked.
Alya was the only one who knew that Mari was the Crimson Bug. It's not like she knew the Crimson Bug and the Ladybug was the same or anything. So it was safe.
She Hoped…..
