"Do you remember our first date?" Adrien asked, sitting next to Marinette and taking a knife to help her.

"Oh, it was terrible!"

Adrien's hand trembled and he almost cut off his fingers.

"Maybe it would be better to put away the knife, Kitty?" Marinette smiled.

"You've never told me that our first date was a nightmare!"

"Apparently, I also have some secrets left for the future." she replied. "Because I like talking to you too…"

"Don't change the subject, Bugaboo." he reminded her. "What did you mean, saying it was horrible? And why are you still with me?"

"I'm with you because I love you. Don't ask stupid questions. And the date was a nightmare, because I suspected who your father was. I shuddered to think he would use our meeting to take over my miraculum. In addition, I was afraid to meet Cat Noir, because if he saw us together, he would immediately figure out that I'd been talking about you after the action with Glaciator."

"You're right, I linked these facts." Adrien grinned at her.

"I had no idea that Cat Noir was you." Marinette reminded him.

"That evening you were everything I'd ever dreamt about." He sighed. "I thought that this evening couldn't be better."

"It could be better, Adrien." Marinette whispered.

"Why?"

"Because everything took place in complete secrecy. In addition, you invited me as Ladybug, not me as Marinette. I didn't mind at the beginning. I was so happy that I'd be on a date with you. But during our date that I realised that it was important to me." She finished quietly.

"So that's why…" he suddenly understood.

"Yes, that's why I broke your heart." she admitted.

x x x

15 years before the present day

They were to meet in the evening at Adrien's house. Ladybug ran there with mixed feelings. Unlike Cat Noir, she hadn't believed so easily that Gabriel Agreste couldn't be Hawkmoth, since he had been the victim of the akuma. She still wasn't convinced of his innocence, so she felt a slight anxiety going straight to his home. In addition, she was aware that the house was surrounded by security systems, monitoring and full control of the master of the house. On the other hand, she couldn't wait to meet Adrien. Actually, to date Adrien…

She jumped into Adrien's room through an open window. He'd been already waiting for her because he was standing in the middle of the room, holding a red rose in his hand. For a moment, she thought that she had just received a similar rose from Cat Noir and suddenly she felt sorry. If her partner caught her on this date, he would find out who she'd been talking about the other day. And she would break his heart again…

"Hi…" Adrien welcomed her shyly.

"Hey." She smiled. "So, where are we going?"

"I invite you to a private balcony." he returned the smile and approached her. He handed her a rose, which she mechanically accepted.

"A private balcony?" she repeated in amazement.

"Up here." He pointed at the mezzanine. "You asked for a secret meeting, and the only secret place in this house is actually my room. Probably the only place without cameras. At least I don't know about any." he added uncertainly after a moment.

Ladybug giggled nervously. If Adrien's father really was Hawkmoth, it would be better if there were no cameras in Adrien's room. Otherwise it would end badly. She looked around attentively but didn't notice any suspicious objects that looked like cameras. And then she climbed the stairs after Adrien.

A real picnic was prepared on the mezzanine. It looked like Adrien had tried very hard. There was even a blanket and a picnic basket full of delicacies. And again, the memory of the surprise prepared by Cat Noir for her, went through her mind.

"Please, sit down." Adrien smiled encouragingly, pointing to the blanket.

She sat there, suddenly intimidated. It was really happening. She was on a date with Adrien. On a date!

"You're very creative." She said, reaching for a snack. "I really wondered if you could find a place where we wouldn't be found. Can you imagine what would happen in media if someone caught us? For example, Alya…"

"You know Alya Cesaire?" He spotted, and she blushed slightly. She knew she unwillingly brought about this subject.

"Sure! Who doesn't?" she equivocated.

"Do you follow her Ladyblog?"

"I'm probably its biggest fan. I just wish Alya didn't try to find out my identity at all costs."

"But why?" Adrien was surprised.

"Because it will put her in danger. My family too. My friends." she explained firmly. "You…" she added softly after a moment.

Adrien blushed when he heard that.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't get a miraculous." Ladybug confessed suddenly. "My life would be much less complicated…"

"And much more boring…" he added somewhat absently.

"You're probably right." she admitted. "I probably wouldn't have so many friends and I'd be locked in the house for days. As Ladybug, I'm a completely different person."

"Yeah, right. You think I'll believe that?" he muttered.

"What?"

"You can't have two personalities. You're not Doctor Jekyll who turned into Mr. Hyde. I won't believe that when you change into Ladybug, you're someone completely different. I'll sooner believe that you have a courage to be yourself then."

She looked at him in amazement. He said something that she only thought about secretly and that she hoped for. Was it so obvious?

And suddenly she thought that if she wasn't Ladybug, she would never be here. In Adrien's room, on a private picnic. On a date. He invited her because he loved her. He loved her as Ladybug. And he thought that in a civilian self she was very similar to Ladybug. But Marinette was a completely different person. Marinette would never agree to spend the first date in the boy's house. She'd rather insist on a neutral territory.

Never? What about the date with Evillustrator? Her conscience whispered.

That was something different. I had to save Chloe that day.

Indeed, that is a very non-Ladybug approach. The conscience replied.

Ladybug ran out of breath. In addition, she spotted Adrien's gaze so much astonished that she felt embarrassed even more. She jumped up from the floor and went to the railing. Why did such thoughts get to her right now, when her dreams finally came true?

But she realised that in fact, they weren't her dreams. Adrien had invited Ladybug. He would never invite Marinette…

Adrien went to the railing and glanced at Ladybug sideways. She suddenly remembered when Cat Noir had visited her once, and they stood by the railing as well. She sighed irritably. Why was she thinking about him when she was on a date with her dreamed boyfriend?

"Something happened?" Adrien asked with tension.

"Everything's fine." she answered. Oh, what a lie! She never lied! And she didn't like liars! She called herself to order. "No, I'm sorry, Adrien. It's not okay."

"But… Is something wrong? Did you expect something more?"

"No." she denied quickly and turned to him. "It's not about that. The point is, I know it won't work." She confessed, not believing that she was doing that.

"What won't work?" He didn't understand.

"This." She repeated, making a clumsy gesture pointing at them. "I… It's not easy to lead a double life, I'd call it. We're from different worlds, Adrien. I can't do it."

"But…" he hesitated. "But you said you loved me."

"Because I love you."

"And I love you too." He assured her, taking her hand.

"It's too dangerous. For you, for my miraculous. I'm sorry." She released her hand from his grip and reached for her yo-yo to escape when Adrien desperately pulled her closer and kissed her.

She melted immediately. All thoughts disappeared from her mind. If that was how the kisses looked like, she wouldn't mind kissing Adrien for the rest of her life. Not that she'd never been kissed before. But the kiss with Cat Noir didn't count.

After a moment, they moved back and looked at each other stunned. Ladybug tried to gather her thoughts, trying to remember why she was going to end this. She touched Adrien's cheek and he already knew he didn't convince her.

"I'm sorry, Adrien. Goodbye." She whispered, kissing him one last time. And after a moment she was gone.

x x x

The present day.

"You didn't break my heart then, Bugaboo." Adrien answered her. "You just created the possibilities to make it happen."

"How?" Marinette was surprised.

"After you kissed me goodbye, I knew I had to find you. You as you." He smiled warmly at her.

Marinette looked at him gratefully and smiled back.