Beep Beep Beep. The few dots on Ladybug's earrings flash. Only two more minutes before she transforms back. A flash of panic crosses her face. "Chat Noir now!"
Chat uses his pole to launch Ladybug towards the villain. She flips gracefully and grabs a hat off of the woman's head. One last dot flashes on her earings. "Here you go Kitty!" Ladybug pitches the hat toward Chat Noir.
His cataclysm makes the construction hat crumble into a hundred pieces. An akuma emerges from the wreckage. Before it can get too far, a yoyo snaches the butterfly and releases it back into the sky, as a white moth. "Miraculous Ladybug!"
A dotted object is thrown into the air. Ladybugs fly through Paris, undoing the damage caused. The super heros smile at another win, "Pound it."
Beep Beep Beep. Ladybug sprints around the corner of a building, and into an alley. "That was a close one!" Tikki squeaks.
"You're tellin' me!"
Marinette hands Tikki a macaroon. "We're to far from home to walk, Tikki."
Chat's green eyes are wide, still staring toward the alley. Before Ladybug left, he saw pink flats, pink pants, and a black jacket. That outfit belongs to Marinette. "Over here, Chat Noir!"
Chat turned and ran to the victim. He took the construction worker back to her sight and transformed back at home.
Marinette is Ladybug? Now that he's realized it, it makes so much sense. She has the same strikingly blue eyes, dark hair, and pale complection. She's always late to class after an akuma attack, and never has a believable excuse. On top of that, Marinette is a million times braver than Chat Noir and Adrien!
"Plagg! My Princess and M'lady are the same person!" Adrien gasp.
"About time!" the laziest kwami groans, swallowing a massive chunk of camembert.
"So it's true!" Adrien exclaims, blushing profoundly and burying his face in a pillow.
"Wait! What am I going to do!?" He sits up suddenly alert, "She's way to good for me! She's brave, beautiful, talented, and the kindest person I know!"
The boy buries his face in his pillow again, "She'll -she'll reject me in a heartbeat," he sobs.
"Probably," Plagg shrugs.
The next day, Adrien walks into class. His eyes go straight to Marinette who's talking to Alya. The room fades until all he can see is his Princess, she's more beautiful than she was yesterday. "Adrien? Adrien!" Nino is trying to get him to go to his seat.
Adrien can feel all eyes on him. His cheeks fill with blood and he awkwardly scratches the back of his head before scurrying to his seat.
How could he possibly admit his feelings to Marinette? He'd freeze up if she'd even look at him.
In P.E. the class begins stretches. Adrien looks in Marinette's direction. She had a tank top on, he'd never noticed how toned her arms were. And she's so flexible. She's doing the splits like it's no problem.
As Marinette and Alya chatted, Alya pointed a finger toward Adrien. Marinette turned to look at him, he'd been caught staring. She smiled awkwardly and waved. Adrien embarrassed, waved back and tried to bring his attention back to the teacher.
At lunch, Adrien watched as his Bugaboo grabbed her lunch tray. As Marinette walked to the far side of the cafeteria, Chloe stuck her leg out. Marinette tripped over it and began to fall. She flailed her arms and her lunch plate clattered to the floor but before she could fall Adrien was holding her in his arms. Good thing he was staring again. "You -um- all right- M'la- Marinette?" Adrien's face was red again.
Marinette was also flushed, "f- fine."
They stayed put for a second too long before breaking apart. Once Marinette got a new lunch, her, Adrien, Nino, and Alya sat to eat together. "I almost forgot!" Marinette gasped.
She reached for her bag by her side and pulled out a box covered in the bakery's logo. She opened it to reveal several Macaroons. "I baked them yesterday with Minol but we had a few left over."
She let Alya grab one, then Nino, then she turned to Adrien. "Want one Adrien?"
He avoided eye contact in effort to talk without stammering. "Y-yes! Thank you."
He grabbed one of the pink treats and took a gracious bite. Her baking is always so delicious. How is she so talented? It makes everyone else look like complete losers, including Adrien himself.
Marinette turned back towards Alya. Adrien noticed a piece of lunch in her hair. "Uh- Marinette, you've got something in your hair," he moved to pick it out but hesitated, "Oh, can I- um- get it?"
"Oh sure, thanks."
Adrien reached and pulled it out. Her hair was so soft. How is she so perfect? The pair awkwardly smiled at each other before turning to talk to the other people at the table.
When Adrien arrived home he couldn't bare being away from his Princess but he had a photoshoot to go to. "Why don't you call her?" Plagg suggested.
"And say what!?"
"I don't know, tell her you love her?"
"I can't just do that! She'd refuse me, and never talk to me again! Then I'd never marry her and have kids, or have a hamster named-"
"Then invite her somewhere as a "friend.'"
A toon plays that takes Marinette's attention. She stops designing and grabs her phone out of her bag. A picture of Adrien is on her phone, he's calling her. "Tikki…."
"What?" Tikki flys over to see what's on Marinette's phone.
"Tikki, what do I do!?"
"Answer it Marinette, he's your friend after all!" she squeaks.
"Hello?" she ask, trying not to think of his face.
"Hey- um- remember that I promised you could come to a photo shoot?"
"Yeah…" Marinette's heart skipped a beat.
"Well, I have one in…" he checks the clock, "A half an hour at the park, want to come?"
"Oh, of course Adrien!"
"See you soon then Prin- no- um- Marinette!"
"Yuh- yeahhh."
Marinette's knees wobble and she melts onto the floor. Soon, she's at the park. She spots Adrien by the carousel. The camera man is setting up still. "Hey Adrien!" she smiles to her ears.
She is the image of beauty. "Hey Marinette, we're about to get started."
The modeling session would be boring for anyone to watch besides Marinette. She can stare at Adrien forever. After about an hour of boring poses Adrien began to lose his touch. "No- no- no- no- no," the cameraman spouts in a strong italian accent, "We need something, new!"
"What about," the golden haired boy looks at Marinette, "A second model?"
"Yes!" the cameraman is ecstatic, "You two could look perfect together!"
Marinette blushes slightly but doesn't hesitate to move close to Adrien. "I need you two to look at each other! I want passion! I want desperation!"
The duo stand close and gaze into each others eyes, perfectly portraying a look of love and desperation. They share mamihlapinatapai. Adrien wished she wasn't acting and that her icy blue stare of love was real, but he would never be good enough for her. "Yes! This is perfect!"
The cameraman then made them pose so that Adrien was carrying Marinette like a princess. They did a million different poses and only stopped when the sun began to go down.
"You shouldn't walk home alone Marinette."
Adrien saying her name was music to her ears.
He walked Marinette back to her house. "That was-" he scratched the back of his head, "fun... We should do it again sometime soon!"
"For sure!"
Adrien leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. Both blushed bright red. Adrien waved goodbye as he got into his limo.
When he arrived home she was all he could think about. He held his Jagged Stone album in his hand and stared at her signature. "She dots her i with a heart! That's so cute!"
He held the cover to his chest. "Plagg, I don't care anymore! She needs to know I love her!"
"And what are you gonna do about it?" Plagg taunts.
"I don't know! She is so good at everything she tries and she puts so much effort in to be a good friend! I need to show her that she means everything to me…" Adrien brainstorms.
"I'll write her a poem!"
Late into the night, Adrien labors away. He pours his very heart and soul into every word until a page is filled with them:
Dear, Marinette Dupan- Cheng
Thoughts of you surround me.
You're the beating of my heart.
The love you give defines me.
My life is no longer dark.
You give your hand so sweetly.
I am lost if you're away.
You have me so completely.
I cherish you night and day.
Without your breath, I cannot live.
I need your lips on mine.
Nothing at all I wouldn't give.
I'll take nothing and be fine.
For next to you I'm always home,
So happy and so proud.
Never a day you'll feel alone,
And I'll yell it oh so loud.
I love you with all my heart.
Love, Adrien Agreste
"Is it to much Plagg?" Adrien doubts.
Plagg isn't a even a line in before he responds, "Ewww, enough of this lovey dovey stuff! I'm goin' to bed!"
Adrien quickly erases his name at the end. "Not yet you're not!"
"Plagg! Claws out!"
Knock Knock Knock. Marinette awakens to rapid knocking on her balcony trap door. Sleepily, she pushes it open to see Chat Noir. "Chaton? What are you doing here? What time is it?"
He hands her the love poem as she climbs onto the balcony. Marinette rubs her eyes and reads every line twice to make sure she's not imagining things. "But Chaton…" she tilts her head in confusion, "Why would you refuse me before? At breakfast?"
He had forgotten about that. He made her so sad. "Because, I am loyal to Ladybug, but I now know that you're my Bugaboo!"
Marinette's eyes go wide, "How did you know?!"
"I saw you detransform Princess," he changes the subject, "Look, I know you don't love me. I couldn't wait any longer to tell you, you are even more amazing and heroic without the mask and I can't believe I didn't see it before."
"I'm sorry Kitty but I- I- still love someone else."
"I know things would be different if he wasn't here and I need to know if you'll accept my love for you anyways. I want you to give me a chance."
Marinette considers this. "Who are you Chaton?"
"I'll detransform if you want M'lady."
"Chat, I'll give you a chance…" she decides it's time to accept Adrien as a friend, to move on, "but only in your civilian form."
"Plagg, claws in."
As green sparks run over Chat Noir's body, Marinette rethinks her decision. At the sight of orange sneakers however, she's too curious to stop him. When she sees Adrien standing before her, she literally pinches herself to make sure she's awake.
Her mouth won't close as she stares into his gorgeous green eyes. He blushes and looks down, "Cat got your tongue?"
She jumps into his arms and he doesn't hesitate to hold her. "Oh Adrien! You're the boy! You're the boy I love!" her eyes are wet with tears.
Adrien can't resist anymore, he puts his lips on hers. They melt into each other like only true lovers would. Both are tearing up with joy.
