I can't believe I'm doing this. It's the first day of my last undergraduate semester, and I am writing fanfiction for an animated French series. I've been in weirder situations. I drabbled this out while staring at the lake that my dorm room overlooks, and I had to share. I'm excited to join this fandom, and plan to dip my toes in before I write a full-length fic like the overachieving women's college student that I am.

The Officers Aren't Scared

"I'm not scared of that monster, Officer Jones." As robotically as the line was delivered, Marinette leaned her body forward, forcing her arms to grip Adrien's shoulders as though they were not being watched by twelve other adolescents, or recorded by a film camera, or had a boom mike hovering ten centimeters above Adrien's head.

"Cut!"

Somewhere in Marinette's backpack, Tikki was having a field day.

"We need a rewrite," Nino murmured. At the flashing in Alya's eyes, he changed tactics. "Or maybe just a different delivery," he said in his best attempt to not appear frightened of his screenwriter. "Adrien, what about her being afraid makes you want to kiss Marinette at that instant?"

Before Adrien's denials about wanting to kiss Marinette escaped his blushing face, Nino turned to Marinette.

"Same question, 'Nette. Why now?"

Even through her stuttering, Adrien watched as Marinette found her footing and contemplated the true response to their character's affection for the other. He knew that she took her work as producer seriously. She knew this script well, had been there for Alya's brainstorming sessions, sat through all of Nino's cross-examination questions regarding it, and defended their funding proposal before M. Democles. She knew this script. Anxiously, Adrien awaited her answer, knowing it would impact his as well.

Adrien felt Marinette's gaze locked on his.

"Because it's not the monster she's afraid of. She's afraid of losing him." She said quietly.

Eyes widening, Adrien wondered if Officer Smith and Marinette shared the same fear. He felt a shiver travel down his spine and forced himself to not visibly react at the thought that Marinette might feel anything for him. It was a simple question of character development, not Marinette's own private feelings. He smiled at her, letting his hand rest on her shoulder for a moment before a click sounded off to the side, and Nino mouthed 'action' at Adrien, who did his best to recover and restart the scene.

Taking a deep breath, and trying to ignore how soft her sweater felt, Adrien delivered his line with passion and concern.

"Agent Smith, it's too dangerous!" This scene felt too dangerous. Electric. Adrien had always been able to put aside any wandering thought of Marinette, as himself and as Chat Noir. He was a good chaton, he would not allow himself to endanger Marinette's safety. And so Chat Noir kept his distance, always hovering on the line of friend and someone who could be more. Whatever his feelings were for Marinette's blue eyes and their beholder, he had to end them and send them out the window. What was his line again?

"We must evacuate!"

"I'm not afraid of that monster, Officer Jones," Marinette whispered, her hand reaching for Adrien's bicep, sending another wave of goosebumps down Adrien's arms.

Suddenly Adrien wasn't afraid of that monster, either. Somehow, in that moment, he realized he could no longer evacuate any thoughts of Marinette from his head.

His hand moved to cup Marinette's cheek, pulling her up to her toes as he bent his head to reach her lips.

Their first kiss was sweet, with an air of trepidation that encouraged more than warned. Completely in contrast with the ear-piercing scream coming from behind the door, courtesy of Chloe.

But then, Nino already had his footage.