A/N. Hello! The ML Blackout is officially over and I am proud to have participated in raising awareness for the abundance of art theft in this fandom. Always give credit where credit is due, guys, and don't steal other people's ideas.

Anyway, this is the fluffier/alternate version of my previous fic, The Perfect Day. I hope you guys like it!

-Dream a Little Dream of Me-

The moment the akuma struck her with a beam that was supposed to send her to her ideal dreamland, Marinette knew she was screwed. She didn't even think twice before launching herself in front of Chat to shield him from the beam and threw her arms in front of herself defensively. Her eyes screwed shut on instinct and a beat later, she found herself on her balcony, completely detransformed.

She attributed the fact that she was aware of the deception to the fact that she was Ladybug. None of this was real and she needed to find a way to break the illusion. Chat was counting on her.

Still, she couldn't help the tickle of curiosity that made her want to linger. What did her ideal world look like? A world famous clothing line? The defeat of Hawkmoth? Adrien noticing her? She scanned her room quickly, noting how everything looked almost exactly the same. A few minutes of looking around wouldn't hurt, would it? Maybe Tikki scolding her about fulfilling her duties as Ladybug first wasn't part of this dream world.

The glow of her computer screen washed over her shocked expression as her computer displayed a new email from the Agreste office, offering her an internship at their company. Marinette allowed herself to indulge herself for a moment and pretend it was real. Maybe ideal world really meant impossible.

Her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of her trap door opening and Marinette's eyes snapped to the cat creeping into her room. His eyes glowed bright green in the dark of the night and he smirked when he caught her eye. "Fine evening, isn't it, Princess?" he said.

Marinette's heart rate doubled. Did they know each other's identity? Is that what she wanted? Maybe, okay, often she found herself wondering what it would be like to know Chat outside of the mask. Was he the smooth talker her was when he had the mask on? A dozen girls chasing after him and sighing when he sent a smirk their way? Or was he the class clown? The goofball who could diffuse even the tensest situations with a well-timed joke?

And how would he react to her being Marinette? Plain Marinette. Boring Marinette. Painfully shy, stutters-in-front-of-her-crush-and-trips-on-air Marinette.

He walked over to her and leaned close to her face, close enough to make her blush. "Is everything okay, Milady?" he asked.

He knows, she thought and marveled at how he still looked at her the same way that he looked at Ladybug. He knows and he doesn't care, she realized and it was enough to make her tear up. This isn't real. This is the impossible.

"Hey, what's with the waterworks, Marinette?" he asked and damnit, so that's what it would be like to hear her name roll of his tongue, full of affection and fondness and concern.

She shook her head. "Nothing, just happy," she said. It wasn't a lie. She needed to wake up. She needed to leave this fantasy behind. But she didn't want to, she really didn't want to.

Chat's smile was gentle and softened his features in a way that made her blink in surprise. He placed a hand on her cheek and leaned in even closer. "I'm happy, too," he said, and his breath washed over her cheeks. Before she could say anything, his lips were on hers, soft and warm and comforting.

Oh, she realized, so that's what this is. She found herself leaning in before she understood what was happening. Her lightheadedness suddenly cleared and a sharp sense of denial shot through her. No, I don't see Chat that way. I can't. No, no, no! and she forced herself to pull back and take a breath.

Her eyes snapped open once she did, but she was no longer in her room. Chat was gone, replaced by the bright blue sky of Paris. Her arm ached and she was breathing heavily, thought whether it was from waking up or the kiss, she didn't know.

She could hear the akuma battle a few building away and Chat's quips were enough to snap her out of her daze. Picking herself up off the ground, she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Okay, lesson learned. Ladybug duties first, totally nonexistent feelings for her partner later.

And if she fought this akuma a little more aggressively than normal, well, no one had to know the reason behind that. And if Chat found it weird that she blushed and stuttered her way through their usual fist bump, well, no one had to know the reason behind that either.

A/N. Thank you for reading! Leave a review to let me know what you think 3

-Indy