Chapter Three

Master Fu's lips were drawn tight and his eyebrows were lowered as he listened to Marinette's explanation of the current situation. The girl opened her hand and showed him that she did indeed have the cat miraculous. "I don't know what to do," she uttered with a mix of sadness and desolation. Up until now, she'd never really considered how fundamental Chat Noir was to her.

"There is nothing we can do. This is Chat Noir's decision and we must abide by it. If anything, this situation illustrates that I was right in the decision to keep his knowledge of the miraculous secrets on a need to know basis." Fu replied as he took the box from her hand.

Marinette's jaw tightened, "But it was the secrets which isolated him and made him feel unworthy."

"He was never unworthy. Immature and not yet ready are better descriptors. It is unfortunate that it has come to this. I can't let you hold onto the cat miraculous, keeping it together with yours could be disastrous."

"I understand, but I need Chat Noir. I need to win him back. He said he'd return if I can prove that I trust him."

Fu shook his head. "You have demonstrated your trust numerous times. We cannot wait around for him to change his mind. A new Chat Noir must be found. Consider those you have already selected to wield the other three miraculous. Are any of them a suitable choice for the cat miraculous?"

Marinette frowned as she looked to Tikki. "I don't know. I've never envisioned anyone else as my full-time partner. The dynamic I have with Chat, I mean Adrien, is unique. I can't image that kind of correlation with anyone else, at least not immediately."

"Then let me worry about finding a suitable replacement. Whoever it may be, they will be a different individual with different strengths and views on things. I'll start searching tomorrow. Who knows, maybe Adrien will have cooled off by then and will be asking for his ring back." Fu told with a touch of positivity.

"Maybe, but he doesn't know my secret identity. How would he even get close to Ladybug?"

"Don't worry about that now, Marinette. Go home and rest. If Hawkmoth strikes you will be fighting alone." Though his words were true, Marinette felt a deep sense of foreboding. While there had been times when she'd taken on akumas alone, she'd always known that her partner would be on his way. With a sombre farewell, Marinette went home.

Dark smudged underscored Adrien's eyes as he wandered into school, flopping down into his chair to stare blankly at the board. In the light of day his anger had waned. As usual his temper had risen fast and fallen just as swiftly. For the umpteenth time he reached for the ring that wasn't there. He hadn't realised how often he'd toyed with his miraculous, spinning it around his finger when he was on edge.

Guilt was starting to replace his ire. He'd reacted without thinking. Ladybug had been right, they should have talked out his problems. Still, his anger wasn't completely gone. All the reasonings he'd given the night before stood. The desolation from displayed caring and trust in his day-to-day life made him insecure. He wanted reassurance that he was important to his partner.

Sighing, the model ran a hand through his hair and his gaze was snagged by the approach of Marinette. Worry lined her face as she stopped before his desk, placing her hand on the tabletop to study him with an intensity he wasn't used to. Marinette was normally shy, barely holding eye contact with him. Heck, even her sentences were filled with nervous stuttering but not today.

"Are you alright?" she asked with an underlying confidence that had him sitting a little straighter.

Adrien shrugged. "I didn't sleep well."

To his surprise, Marinette reached out to brush his fringe away from his eyes. Drawing her thumb across the faint puffiness high on his cheek. "You should wear a mask."

He flinched away at her comment. "What do you mean?"

"A sleep mask," her smile was warm but there was a hint of mischief in her gaze. "Isn't that what the beautiful people use?"

For reasons beyond his understanding, the need to tease her in an utterly Chat Noir fashion was irresistible. "Are you implying I'm beautiful?"

A little of her usual shyness had her ducking her head, but when Marinette looked up there was a shining determination in her stance that had his heart pounding. "Yes, I am."

As Chat Noir he was used to rebuffs to his flirting. To have Marinette flirt back flabbergasted Adrien. He didn't know how to respond. Thankfully she spoke again. "But you're not just beautiful on the outside. It's your kind heart that makes you truly attractive."

Adrien's jaw dropped in shock as Marinette held her tablet to her chest and walked to her desk. Leaving him to digest the bombshell she'd just smacked him with. Any thoughts of his argument with Ladybug were pushed to the back of his mind as he replayed his exchange with Marinette. Heck, he didn't know what to do with that.

Alya was eyeing Marinette with undisguised curiosity. "What was that?" she whispered with an urgent jab of her elbow.

"He was looking depressed. I wanted to perk him up." She informed her friend as she glanced at Adrien.

"But you managed to speak like a normal person."

Marinette arched her eyebrows at her friend and gave her a hard look before they both cracked up. "Call it a break through," she grinned.

"I'll say."

But the conversation was cut short as class started. Throughout the morning Marinette stole glances at Adrien, which wasn't anything new. Yet her reasoning was more than just checking him out. She wanted to make sure he was okay. Her conversation with Master Fu kept repeating in her mind. She didn't want a replacement Chat Noir. Adrien was her Chat and she was determined to get him back. The question was how? How could she prove her trust in him?

He didn't know Marinette was Ladybug. Sweet talking Adrien as her alter ego would only do so much. Though it was better than nothing. That little perk in his attitude was important. She needed to protect him from negative emotions. One of her worst nightmares was having Adrien akumatised and having to fight him, she just didn't expect him to be Chat Noir as well.

There had been so many times when her partner had been corrupted by akumas and she'd been forced to fight him. But he'd never been akumatised for real. The idea frosted the blood in her veins. Being nervous around Adrien was a luxury she could no longer afford. Ladybug conversed with Chat Noir effortlessly, so there was no reason why Marinette couldn't do the same with Adrien. The only real difference was their attire. If she had to visualise him with his mask and cat ears then so be it.

Adrien had said he wanted affirmation. To know he was important. Yet Chat Noir had always exuded confidence. She'd never considered that his brashness might wane without her praise. As the bell sounded for lunch, Marinette trailed out behind Adrien. His posture was set in an easy swagger but his shoulders were slightly slumped as he walked.

Increasing her pace, Marinette tapped Adrien on the shoulder, bringing him to a halt. "How are you doing?" she asked, hoping it didn't sound like a pickup line.

A half-hearted smiled graced his lips. "Still tired."

"Maybe you should take a catnap."

Those green eyes widened, blinked rapidly for a moment and then he composed himself. "There's nowhere for me to curl up."

Marinette latched onto his wrist and dragged him to the nearest bench. She sat and patted her hands on her thighs. "One lap for a sleepy cat."

Again, Adrien balked but he sat beside her, looking uncertain what to do.

"Come on, Agreste. Your eyes are hanging out of your head. Have a snooze. I'll watch over you." She hoped she wasn't laying it on too thick.

Green eyes scrutinised her lap as he lowered his bag to the ground. "Ten minutes?"

"Ten minutes," she confirmed.

Then the model shifted to his side and laid his head on her thighs. Marinette had to stifle the urge to squeal in delight. Instead she drew in a deep breath and began stroking his hair with gentle hands. Adrien's tense form sagged and his breathing evened out. He adjusted his position after a couple of minutes and his hand curled around her knee. Marinette held back a giggle as his fingers squeezed and relaxed as she caressed his hair. He was kneading her just like a cat.

Impulsively, she brushed her knuckle along his jaw as if stroking a real cat. Adrien cocked his head to the side to give her better access in his sleep, clearly wanting more. Marinette couldn't help smiling but blushed she noticed Alya watching her with a raised eyebrow. So, she went back to stroking his hair instead of his face.

Ten minutes passed far quicker than she'd wanted it to. She gently nudged Adrien's shoulder in attempt to stir him. "Adrien, wake up." He murmured something in his sleep and rolled to his back, exposing his perfect face for her close inspection. Marinette's fingers tingled in their need to explore that face, tracing and worshipping him like the photos on her walls. She really needed to wake him up.

"Enough catnapping," she said in a more forceful tone, emulating her inner Ladybug.

Adrien's hand latched onto her arm, snaking upward to cup her nape. "Milady," he mewed with his eyes closed, urging her head down while he tilted his chin up. Marinette's eyelids snapped open as far as they would go. Her crush puckered his lips and her resistance dissolved. Then Adrien's lips captured hers and she was completely lost.

God, she tasted good. Forget the argument, this is what Adrien wanted. To kiss his lady languidly and unhurried. To slowly explore that soft mouth and show her just how much he loved her. The haze of sleep was beginning to wear off and Adrien's fingers sank into the hair at her nape while his other hand cupped her jaw. Damn, she was amazing to kiss. His whole body was coming alive at the contact and he never wanted to stop.

Why did he give her his ring? Did it matter they weren't equals in secrets? She was kissing him like he was cherished and his heart fluttered with that knowledge. Adrien raised his knees and pushed his feet against the bench to get closer. Wanting to be entangled in her, wrapped up snug in her embrace. He was considering tracing her lips with his tongue when there was a heavy clearing of throat.

The low rumble of Mr Damocles' voice cut though Adrien's lust induced haze. "Mr Agreste, Miss Dupain-Cheng. That is inappropriate behaviour on school grounds."

Green eyes snapped open and stared in shock at the girl he'd been kissing. It wasn't Ladybug. It was Marinette. Holy hell, her lip gloss was smudged and her hair mused. He'd done that. He'd kissed her thinking he was making out with Ladybug. What the heck had he done? Sitting up, Adrien shrunk back at the look on the principal's face.

"This is your first warning. Do it again and I'll be speaking to your parents."

Good lord he didn't want his father knowing about this. Adrien ran an agitated hand through his hair. "It won't happen again," he assured the teacher.

Mr Damocles gave them both a stern look and strode away. Adrien stared at the ground and dug his teeth into his bottom lip. A lip that had been exquisitely smooched by the girl beside him. Sucking in a deep breath, Adrien turned to look at Marinette. Her cheeks were flushed and she seemed just as nervous about meeting his eyes. "I, um…"

Marinette sucked in her bottom lip and his gaze was drawn to her mouth. Then those blue eyes caught his and he was surprised by her mirth. "I guess it really does take a kiss to wake a sleeping beauty."

Adrien almost choked on his own saliva. Then he was laughing with her. "Guess that makes you my Princess Charming."

They continued to grin at each other until Marinette playfully punched the side of his thigh. "We should get some lunch, I'm starving."

"Me too," the model concurred. But his kind of starving was related to the hunger for affection and trust.

Marinette has managed to cheer up Adrien for the moment, but no doubt there will be lots of over analysis later on both their parts.

Will Master Fu find an alternate Chat Noir or will Adrien sort things out with Ladybug? Find out more next chapter ;) Please let me know your thoughts in the review box below.

Oh, and wow! I can't believe this story has over 100 followers after just two chapters. So awesome - thank you!