This really is utter crap nonsense but I HAD to write something with Adrien/ Chat Noir - I am so completely consumed by Miraculous that I'm just trash...

ugh...

The smell of sweets attacked my nose as soon as I pushed the door open, causing my nose to twitch involuntarily at the overwhelming deliciousness. I blinked, taking a moment to rub my nose against the back of my fist to clear it.

I don't come to the bakery much, to be honest. I've eaten plenty of the confections that have made their way to various parties and on occasion on my own table – my exceedingly long and empty table. I quickly tacked on my picture perfect smile and took a deep breathe, this time to steel my resolve as opposed to just smelling the sweets and breads – that was just a bonus. I wove between a few customers, finally pressing myself up against the front counter where a short woman with chin length black hair was waiting patiently.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice pleasant and reassuring.

"Ah, yes," I responded, adjusting my books as they threatened to slide to the floor. "I'm here to see Marinette? We have a project to work on, but I can't seem to get her to answer her cell – I don't meant to interrupt, but I was in the area –"

She quickly waved her hand as if to shush my incessant rambling, "No worries. She's upstairs in her room. Why don't you go up and knock?" Her attention shifted away from me and onto a customer who was eyeing the bake case with a look of intense hunger. I gave a quick nod, my attention turning to the stairs that loomed before me. I couldn't recall ever having actually been up to Marinette's room, but I assumed it must be at the top. The stairs looped around and I felt my knees groan in protest. I'm in shape – I do way more than the normal amount of exercise – but my knees where still a little stiff after the battle I'd just been in no less than fifteen minutes ago.

Honestly, I had tried to call Marinette right before, but she hadn't answered and I had been sideswiped by an akuma from out of the blue. Ladybug and I had spent at least the better part of an hour chasing her around the city – then my lady had dashed away as she does every time, back to whatever it is she doesn't when she's not out saving Paris and has no real need of Char Noir to help.

I sighed heavily, raising my fist to knock on the door in front of me, only to find myself stumbling forward as it was jerked open just as I was about to make contact. I managed to catch my balance, running my hand through my hair as I let out an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry! Your mom said it was alright if I headed up! I don't meant to disturb, but we have a project..and…Marinette?"

She was staring at me with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open slightly. "No! Ah, yes, that's fine! I was just about to…nevermind, just –wait a second!" I flinched as the door slammed in my face. Alright. There was a small screech and various scraping noise before the door was thrown open once more, the girl in front me looking slightly disheveled and more flushed than before. "Come in!"

"Thanks!" I gave a hesitant grin before stepping into the room. It was large and breezy, surprisingly cozy. I felt my shoulders drop slightly, losing a bit of tension I hadn't realized I was carrying.

"Sorry, about earlier. I just – I thought you were Alya, and I wasn't prepared. About the project," she chirped, much more composed as she gestured for me to take a seat wherever I liked. I obliged, setting down on the lounge by the nearby window. "I have the video clips we've worked on upload to my computer already, so we really just need to cut them together. Sorry about ditching you yesterday at the library, but something came up."

Honestly, her having to run out was perfect timing. Ladybug had called no more than a few moments after, and it had saved me from having to make up and excuse of my own. "Don't worry about it!" I assured her, placing my notebook onto the floor. "As long as we get this done tonight we'll be fine. Editing shouldn't take very long."

"Right," she agreed, seating herself in her computer chair and propelling herself across the floor to sit by her computer. Her face faltered a second before glancing over at me apologetically. "I'm sorry, I only have the desktop. Feel free to move the lounge, if you want…"

"I can stand or use the floor. I've suffered worse," I found myself teasing as I strode over to stand behind the computer chair. I noted she had Alya's Ladybug blog page as on open tab on her browser. "Anything new?"

"Hmm?" she hummed, not making a motion to move anything on the desktop.

"The blog," I repeated, grasping the back of the chair as I pointed to the tab on the screen. I felt Marinette's pigtails brush against my chest as she adjusted to look at the screen.

"Oh! I'm not sure. I had just pulled it up, but I haven't really looked yet…"

"Go ahead and give it a look, I'm always curious to check on Cat Noir," I said in a casual tone. I'm probably my own biggest fan.

"Curious like a cat," I heard her muttered as she clicked open the screen. I immediately tensed as a large picture flooded the screen. Uh oh. Uhhhhh ooooh.

There in full 1080p was a picture of I and my lady in a somewhat compromising picture form the day before. But in my defense, I had no idea that anyone was even around that late at night – much less snooping with a camera! And so what if we had happen to bump into each other during our nightly patrol? I felt the heat rise in my cheeks as I recalled the incidents leading up the moment the picture was snapped – and let me be the first to tell anyone that despite the intimacy portrayed in the picture, the actuality was anything but.

The picture was of myself, as Chat Noir, pinning Ladybug against the brick chimney of a building. Our faces, from the angle of the picture, appeared as they only centimeters from a kiss.

And if that was the situation, then by all means I'd be showing this picture to everyone. The actual story was that a large explosion had come from nearby, and a pressure wave had come across the rooftops. I was shielding my lady, and I know the immediate moment following this picture a rather annoying Akuma had spouted up with the most annoying DJ skills to ever play. Ladybug wouldn't be pleased with caption on the picture. "Lovebugs? All signs point to the cat being out of the bag for this power couple."

I cringed. Is that how my puns came off?

"As if," I heard Marinette scoffed rather abruptly.

I felt my defenses flare. "Well why not? What's wrong with Cat Noir?"

"Nothing's wrong with him, he's just….not really Ladybug's type!" she stammered, gesturing to the screen.

"Her type? How would you know her type?" I retorted, my tone a little sharper than intended. "I mean, it's not like we would have a way of knowing."

Marinette crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. "I just – just trust me, okay? As a girl, Cat Noir is a bit too…oh, I don't know!"

"What, are you saying he's not good enough for ladybug?"

"I'm just saying maybe Ladybug already likes someone else!"

My insides knotted at the very thought, an involuntary growl rising in the bag of my throat.

"Did…did you just growl?"

I quickly stepped back from the chair, scratching the hair at the nape of my neck nervously. "I…so about that project."

"You really look up to Cat Noir, don't you?" she asked hesitantly, looking at me curiously with her large blue eyes. Familiar blue eyes. I shook my head.

"I don't know, I just think he sort of gets the short end of the stick. People don't actually know him, and he gets labeled pretty easily. He went out of his way to protect you once, didn't he? I know what it's like for people to just judge you at face value," I commented.

"Oh….no, you're right," she shook her head, her voice softer. "He didn't have to do all of that, though he could have been a little less flirty. But I see your point."

Flirty? What did she mean flirty? Cat Noir was smooth. "If you say so," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Let's just work on the video."

She paused, but then nodded in agreement. I knelt on the floor beside her, and hours ticked on as we shifted and rearranged our footage around. I finally had to stretch my legs as she hit the save button.

"Mind if I go stand on the balcony? I need to stretch my legs."

"Oh, go ahead!"

I nodded, pushing myself up and wincing at the cracking the followed as I moved my stuff muscles out into the twilight.

Oh, twice in one day, really!? I didn't want to just dart away on Marinette! Plagg rose to hover next to my shoulder, peering at the commotion in the distance. "Why don't you call Ladybug? Then we can give a quick excuse to Marinette and meet her!"

I gave a quick nod, ushering Plagg to my ring. I managed a quick transform and flipped up my phone, dialing ladybug.

A responding ring was heard. From inside Marinette's room. I almost choked. No. Way. I flatted myself against the wall, the call being picked up a moment later.

"Chat! What's wrong?"

"We've got a situation," I hissed, voice low. I could just make out the echo of a voice within Marinette's room, syncing up with voice coming from the phone in my claws.

Oh, we've got a situation indeed.