Chapter 4: Blindsided

That's right ladies, Adrien Agreste, French model and fashion icon is 18, graduated, and slated to begin a full time career beginning with a series of international engagements across Europe and the US. This European heart-throb is sexy, single, and hitting the open road for the launch of his father's newest line. And now you could have a chance to meet him in our exclusive contest to win 4 day tickets with airfare to New York Fashion Week!

Excerpt- Cosmo-girl (International edition)

{Four Day earlier}

Adrien regretted not springing for the extra shot of espresso as he desperately tried to focus on Francois' rapid instructions.

"No, no, no! I need more longing! More despair! I need to see the burning in your eyes!"

At least Francois was consistent, and consistent usually translated to predictable. Adrien couldn't count the number of hours he had spent listening to the man describe the true importance of a yearning expression when one is doing an ad campaign. At least it had been easy an emotion to relate to. Yearning for freedom, yearning for friends, yearning to just once fall for a girl who was remotely interested in him as more than a friend.

Today though Adrien simply stretched himself carefully into the right position to properly catch the optimal angle of light and thought longingly of his king sized bed.

"Yes! Much better! Now tilt your chin just a bit… no too high… no… up… down… yes! Stay!"

He really was going to have to talk to Natalie about his scheduling. Why on earth had anyone thought it was a good idea to have him fly back the morning after the London run for an 8am photoshoot.

At least his exhaustion didn't seem to be translating onto the camera. Or if it was it coincided with the longing that Francois was so passionate about.

He had been here for 6 hours already and he still needed to go into the main office to review some paperwork for the proposed Salio buyout.

"Alright now we need something in profile! Where is my wind! The hair must flow!"

Adrien sighed.

"I'm home." Adrien muttered as he walked into the darkened mansion 5 hours later.

He trudged up the familiar stairs and wondered for the hundredth time why he never bothered to get his own place.

Even with the amount of time he spent traveling for work it couldn't be any more demoralizing to come home to an empty underutilized apartment than an oversized mausoleum of a mansion. It wasn't like he couldn't afford it.

"This constant travelling is really too much Adrien." Plagg complained, perching on his shoulder. "I am so tired I don't even think I could eat."

"You can always eat Plagg." Adrien grumbled, but he understood his kwami's feelings.

The London campaign had been a brilliant success. His first time not just modeling and assisting, but actually managing and overseeing the entire advertising operation, spearheading the assorted press conferences, and even handling the production of the final runway show.

Adrien may have inherited no design talent from Gabriel, his few horrifying attempts at creative sketches had quickly dispelled any doubt on that measure, but he excelled at managing the business side of the corporation. Unlike his father, he was even genuinely liked by most of the employees despite his age- probably because he was less likely to drive them to tears at any given moment.

His father had been thrilled. Hell, he had even smiled on more than one occasion which was a feat that normally took months of effort on Adrien's part during his school days.

A loud, jarring thump startled him and he spun around the quiet hallway looking for any signs of life.

At the far end of the cavernous hall he could just make out the soft glow of a lit room from beneath the doorway.

"I guess father decided to work from home today." Adrien said, feeling slightly more energetic. It was rare that they were both home at the same time without a pile of work engagements looming for one of both of them. Despite working directly for his father, it was often a chore to have conversations about anything other than distribution lines and stock values without scheduling a 'family meeting'.

"Maybe he remembered that I was scheduled to come back." He said hopefully. The skeptical looking cat on his shoulder merely peered down the hallway with an intense glowing green gaze.

Monday had been his parents wedding anniversary, which was always a dark event in the Agreste household. In general much of the Gabriel staff had learned to coordinate holidays and sick leave with any major anniversaries for fear of crossing the boss's path while he was in one of his moods.

Adrien had gotten better at handling his own grief through the years, though his father had never protested his empty schedule on the day of her disappearance, and more often than not was the only person besides Nathalie who could manage to be in a 10 foot radius of the man without wanting to hurl themselves out of a window whenever another reminder of his wife's continued absence came to pass.

Plagg's ears twitched and the little kwami flew from his shoulder and buried himself into his inside jacket pocket.

"I'm tired. So are you. We should go to sleep instead of suffering through another one of your fathers boring speeches." Plagg called out from his hiding place.

"This will just take a minute Plagg." Adrien said turning and heading in the direction of his father's private office. "Perhaps I can convince him to come out to dinner tonight now that the tour is finally over."

"We can do that tomorrow after we have slept." Plagg argued.

Adrien was surprised to hear voices filtering down the hallway as he quietly approached his father's study. No one in his father's employ was usually careless enough to leave doors open. Perhaps Nathalie had some sort of emergency she needed to discuss? They had been having a lot of issues with distribution out of Florence. But as he drew closer he could distinguish that the other voice in the room while light, was definitely male.

He felt the small prickle of tiny claws digging into his skin.

"Adrien please just go to your room and get some sleep." Plagg begged, and Adrien was dimly aware of the absence of his usual drawling whine. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his entire being tingled with awareness.

His hand, which he had instinctively raised to knock on the partially opened door, was frozen in place. He found himself unable to do anything but eavesdrop on the conversation taking place inside.

"The only reason I am bothering to consult you at all is because there is a lack of experts in ancient Chinese coded manuscripts for me to turn to." His father drawled sarcastically.

"But Master, how many times must I try to explain to you that these powers were never intended to be used in this way?"

"Apparently as many times as I must inform you that your opinion is neither wanted or needed." Gabriel shot back. "Now answer the question Nooroo."

"Yes in theory that would allow you to increase you power base."

"Excellent."

"But Master…"

"Quite Nooroo."

"This can't go on forever!"

"Which is why eventually I will be successful."

"but Master…"

"If I haven't given up after 8 years what makes you think you can change my mind you worthless creature?" Gabriel roared.

Adrien frantically pushed the door open desperate to intervene for whatever poor employee had managed to damage his father's unshakable cool.

An eerie silence settled over the room.

Gabriel looked up, startled by his son's sudden appearance. For a moment he almost looked guilty before his face was once again locked into the expression of calm control that had become his signature.

Adrien simply stared, trying to make sense of the sight that greeted him- His father sitting behind the desk patiently waiting for his reaction. The pile of books and papers spread out in front of him. And the small purple kwami with butterfly wings and a heartbroken expression.

"Father?" Adrien asked, his voice trembling. Gabriel broke the gaze first, clearing his throat and taking a moment to clean his glasses before responding.

"Well this is unfortunate."

Adrien felt his knees going weak. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't possible. His gaze spun wildly around the room, trying to look anywhere but at the small purple creature hovering at his father's shoulder. It didn't work.

There was no one else in the room. No trick. No other explanation.

"That's a kwami." He said at last, pointing at the offending being with a shaky finger.

"That is correct." Gabriel stated lightly.

"But that means that you… you're…"

"I am le Papillion." His father finished for him.

There was no hesitation. No trace of shame. It was as if Adrien had asked him for the time instead of accused him of being a feared criminal.

"How long?"

Gabriel arched an eyebrow. "I think you know the answer to that question."

"Right." Adrien said embarrassed, running his hand through his hair. The he realized, he shouldn't be embarrassed by his stupid question! He had every right to be overwhelmed by the fact that his father was his arch enemy! He clenched his fists at his sides and glared at his father.

"You've been hiding this from me, this whole time?"

"You are hardly one to throw stones Adrien, unless you have been secretly leaving notes around the house every time you disappear to run around Paris in a black leather cat suit."

Adrien staggered back a few steps, the blood draining from his face.

"You knew? But how… I mean… you knew?"
"I am your father of course I knew. What sort of parent would be stupid enough not to recognize their own child behind a paltry mask?"

"You've tried to kill me!"

"Don't be ridiculous I have done no such thing. Although I suppose it is fair to admit that a conversation about your more reckless behavior is long overdue."

"You've been terrorizing Paris for years!"

Gabriel rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the manuscript in front of him. "Again a gross exaggeration. The only thing I have ever attempted is to gather the miraculous. What the akuma's do with the powers I bestow upon them is completely on their own conscience." Gabriel replied, tapping his pencil against the manuscript and jotting down a few notes.

"You've destroyed the city more times than I can count!"

"And yet I see no lasting damage whatsoever." Gabriel didn't even bother to look up this time. "You're little lady friend has seen to that."

The whole scene reminded Adrien of when he was small and he would come into this very office crying that he would die of heatstroke if he didn't get any ice cream, more often than not with his mother as an accomplice.

Gabriel would always react with the same mildly amused exasperation, rolling his eyes and listening unsympathetically to their 'theatrics', refusing to indulge them until they either changed tactics or he finished his work and could afford to simply give in to their ridiculous demands.

The fact that his father could treat a revelation of this scale with the same patronizing humor was horrifying.

"You're insane!" Adrien blurted out stumbling back until he fell against the wall, grateful for the support.

"Adrien," His father stated flatly, starting up at him with a disapproving scowl, "what have I told you about being too emotional?"

"Why are you even… oh my god… you are trying to get mom back aren't you? That's what this is about."

The silence was all the answer he needed.

"Oh my God. Oh my GOD!"

"Go to your room and get some rest, we can talk about this when you are being rational."

"How am I supposed to be rational when my father is a super villain?!"

"I would recommend you start by lowering your voice." Gabriel replied evenly. Putting his pencil down and leaning back in his office chair. Apparently his son's impending breakdown had finally merited his full attention, Adrien thought bitterly.

"Why didn't you just take the ring from me if you've known this whole time?"

"Because that wouldn't have been suspicious." Gabriel drawled sarcastically.

"So what you were just never were going to tell me?"

"Of course not, what would it accomplish? After all, as we can see you are handling the situation so well."

"Oh because my emotional well-being is such a high priority for you!"

"Adrien!" His father cried, seeming for the first time in the entire conversation to be genuinely concerned, rising up from the desk and approaching his overwhelmed son.

The stress and hurt were too much, and Adrien could weakly feel himself sliding down the wall and landing on the floor.

"I can't believe this. You've hurt people. You've turned my friends into monsters! I don't even know who you are anymore!"

His father sighed, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Adrien, you are my son. Why is it so difficult for you to understand that everything I am doing is for the best?"

"So what are you going to do with me now?"

"Adrien…" Gabriel began reaching out to clasp his son on the shoulder. Adrien sprang to his feet, scrambling away from his father's touch and clutching his ring to his chest. Gabriel let out another sigh of frustration. "I told you before, you are far too emotional for us to have this conversation. Go and get some rest and we will talk about this later over dinner."

Adrien stared wide eyed at his father for a few more seconds before turning and running from the room.

Gabriel walked back to his desk and collapsed into his office chair, his composure finally cracking as he dug his fingers into his hair.

That had not gone well.

"Master?"

"Shut up Nooroo."

Adrien ran to his room slamming the door behind him. For good measure he grabbed his desk chair and wedged it under the door handle.

Not that a barred door would really be all that effective against a miraculous holder.

Plus there were two other doors into the room.

Out of pure childish spite Adrien quickly barricaded the other entrances as well. If his father was going to come after him he would at least have to make the effort of breaking down the door.

"This can't be happening. It can't. Wake up wake up wake up." Adrien muttered, sinking to the floor his fingers digging into his hair and sending the expertly styled locks into disarray.

"Hey, take a deep breath ok kid?" Plagg said worriedly, hovering in front of Adrien's face.

Adrien sucked in air which erupted from his throat in choked hysterical sobs.

"Calm down! Adrien look at me! Breathe ok? In… now out… ok that was good now again." Plagg instructed, his tiny paws clutching Adrien's nose as if to support him.

After several tense minutes Adrien's panic attack had subsided and he had graduated to pacing franticly about the room.

"You're going to pass out if you keep this up." Plagg warned from his place atop the computer monitor. It was a testament to his own worry that he had not yet touched the half eaten wheel of cheese sitting on the desk.

"How did we not see this coming? Was he that good at hiding it or have I just been completely blind this whole time?" Adrien ranted. "I mean shouldn't we have seen something?" He turned at looked at Plagg who stared guiltily out the window. "Plagg?"

Plagg's ears flattened, and for the first time since Adrien had met the small god he looked embarrassed.

"I figured out that Nooroo was here back during your first year as Chat Noir."

"You knew too?! Is there anyone in this house who hasn't been lying to me for the last five years?" Adrien shouted, grabbing a book off of the desk and hurling it across the room, knocking over a vase with a satisfying crash.

"I wasn't lying to you I simply never bothered to inform you of the situation."

"And that somehow makes it better?" Adrien spat.

"What exactly should I have said? By the way you know this evil supervillain I just asked you to defeat? Turns out it's your emotionally repressed father on an insane quest to find your missing mother. Enjoy the next 10 years of therapy."

Adrien wanted to yell back but on some still functioning level he knew that Plagg was right.

He was falling apart over this now, at 15 it probably would have destroyed him.

He settled for grabbing another book off the desk and flinging it as hard as he could.

"As much as I hate to agree with your father about anything, you were better off not knowing. You aren't exactly taking this well." Plagg mumbled.

"What am I supposed to do Plagg?" Adrien asked desperately. "He's my father!"

"You don't have to do this by yourself kid." The kwami said softly, landing on Adrien's shoulder and nuzzling against his cheek. "It might be up to Chat Noir to fight against Papillion, but no one is asking Adrien to turn in his father."

"Wouldn't that be the heroic thing to do? Capture the miraculous and end this fight once and for all?"

"Not if it's going to kill you in the process."

"Thanks Plagg."

"So what do you want to do kid?"

"I don't know. I can't stay here though." He stared around the room, he wondered if he would even miss it when he was gone.

"Can we at least raid the kitchen on the way out?"

"Yeah sure."

It took Adrien about 30 minutes to throw everything he cared about into a few bags and change into something less conspicuous than his hand tailored suit, and another 10 minutes to raid the kitchen of every scrap of Camembert he could find. He left his phone, tablet and computer, saving any important files onto an external drive. It didn't take a genius to know that all of his electronics were more than likely equipped with tracking devices.

It wasn't until he was several blocks from the house that he realized he had no idea where he was heading.

On the few occasions when he had been truly angry with his father, which usually only resulted in a night or two away from the mansion, he would go and crash with Nino. But this time his friend was hundreds of miles away.

He knew he could always stay with Chloe at the hotel. She would happily set him up with his own private suite for as long as he wanted. But that would also end up posted all over every bit of social media in existence. Besides, Chloe and her father were friendly with Gabriel and would be unlikely to bar him from the hotel no matter how distressed Adrien may be.

Even an anonymous hotel would host the same problems. He was a celebrity. The minute anyone recognized him it would be all over the tabloids and then he would be facing not just his father but a legion of stalkers and photographers taking advantage of the easy access and "public" location.

He just wanted somewhere to hide. Somewhere he could sort out his jumbled emotions and maybe figure out what he was going to do.

He continued to walk aimlessly for several more minutes before he caught sight of an elderly woman closing up a small local bakery.

A bakery!

Marinette! He could go to her and Alya's place at least for tonight. Hopefully it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience. He desperately wracked his brain in an effort to remember if they would be home from their various classes and jobs yet. Wait! That's right, Nino had filled him in the day before he left for the final leg of the London campaign. Alya had lost her job and…

Adrien felt his whole body sag in relief for the first time all day.

"Taxi!" He hailed, not caring that it was sure to be overpriced.

They were looking for a roommate.

"Ok so bed's there, plenty of food in the kitchen if you get hungry and Mari and I will be right out here if you need us." Alya said with a forced smile. He appreciated the effort even if they both knew she wasn't fooling anyone.

She closed the door behind her and he could hear the faint sounds of a movie in the background.

"OK Plagg you can come out now." A black blur shot out of his shoulder bag whizzing around the room and hissing in agitation.

"I forgot how much I hate being cooped up in that thing." Plagg muttered. "You should have grabbed an outfit with pockets."

"I was in a bit of a hurry." Adrien glowered.

"Well at least we aren't going to be homeless anymore." Plagg joked.

"This was a terrible idea. What if I put them in danger? You know if my father finds out that I am staying here he is going to be furious. They deserve better than this."

"You thought it was a great idea 20 minutes ago."

"Yes but that was before I realized that I was dragging them into my problems!"
"Well what do you suggest then? Grab a plane to Figi?"

"I don't know!"

"You need to relax Adrien. Get some sleep. If you still think this is a bad idea in the morning then we can figure something else out ok?"

"Ok." Adrien conceded, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking several deep breaths.

"We're gonna be alright, aren't we Plagg?"

"Of course we are. You've got me after all."

"Yeah."

"Plus you're little girlfriend seems happy to see you."

"Marinette's not my girlfriend."

"I didn't say which one I was talking about." Plagg said with an infuriating grin.

"But… what… I mean…"

"Oh relax kid, I am just messing with you." Plagg cackled, zipping around the room and exploring all of Alya's various electronics.

"I knew that." Adrien muttered.

He crawled into the bed and tried to relax.

'Think of anything other than the fact that your father is evil.' He told himself desperately. 'Think of puppies… no puppies are loud and obnoxious. Kittens. Kittens are good. Cute adorable fuzzy black kittens. I can't believe he knew that I was Chat Noir this whole time and he never… ok no. Not kittens. Video Games! The new Legendary Heroes of Altea comes out next week, I should grab a copy. I think Ultimate Mecha Strike Extreme+ is out soon too. Too bad Nino isn't around since it seems I'll have a lot more free time. I could always ask Marinette to play.'

Marinette.

For the first time that evening his thought streamlined into one cohesive unit.

She had looked so cute, gaping at his undoubtedly disastrous appearance, her obvious concern written all over her face.

His strange, quirky friend who often stumbled over her words and seemed to change moods and expressions faster than he could follow. No matter how hard he had tried in the past five years he still couldn't figure that girl out.

She was the biggest 'what if' he had ever know.

(2 years earlier)

Chat stared out into the Paris night from his place on the roof of the school.

He was scheduled to leave tomorrow for Milan.

He knew that he would only be gone a few months, it wasn't as though he was leaving Paris for good, and it wasn't like he couldn't get back in a matter of hours if a true emergency called for it. Still he couldn't help but feel heartsick as he stared out across the skyline of the city he had fought to protect for so long.

He wondered again if he was doing the right thing.

Nino thought he was being 'the world's biggest, most masochistic idiot.' True he was fairly indifferent to his modeling career, he had been at it so long it was more of a habit than a passion, but it wasn't as though Adrien hated working in the fashion industry in general. The idea of managing a multi-billion, international business empire someday wasn't the worst way to making a living, he could even see parts of the job being potentially exciting.

Besides, father had agreed that if he continued to model full time while taking on other responsibilities at the company until he was 21 that he could have 2 years completely off to study anything he chose. Of course his father was also fairly well convinced that by that time Adrien would have settled into his new role and wouldn't need to go out of his way to find his ultimate profession.

Adrien didn't really know. Time would tell and all that. What he did know was that it had been years since he had seen his father look as genuinely happy as when he had said he was interested in learning the business side of the industry after he graduated. Adrien had seen more of his father in the last 3 months of prep work than he had in the last 3 years, and as pathetic as it might make him, he couldn't help but hope that this would be a positive change for their relationship.

Obviously he had told Ladybug about his plans as soon as his father had announced the 4 month Milan campaign.

Both of the heroes had been gone for small stretches before due to complications with their regular lives, but never more than a few weeks at a time. If his Lady had expressed even the slightest hesitation at his absence he would have dropped his plans entirely. After all, the safety of Paris as well as his partner had and always would trump everything else in his life. But while Ladybug had of course been sorry to hear that he would be away and would miss his help in their ongoing battle against the ever tiresome Papillion, she had seemed genuinely happy for him to pursue his own dreams.

Adrien fought the painful clenching in his chest as he thought about that particular conversation. It had been the final straw in a long overdue realization. No matter how many times he had told himself that he just needed to be patient, that it was destiny, he had finally accepted the truth. Ladybug would never look at him as anything more than a friend.

He knew that he would always love her. She was his partner, his other half and his best friend. But after years of hoping that maybe their relationship would progress to something more Adrien had finally begun to question whether or not it was worth it to continue to hold out for something that was in all likelihood never going to happen. Besides, was it really fair of him to want more from their partnership than what they already had? Shouldn't he be content with the amazing friendship they shared and leave her free to pursue her own ambitions? He knew that she had feelings for someone else. For all her skills, Ladybug's poker face was severely lacking. Maybe he would just end up hurting them both by fighting for something that wasn't meant to be.

He had watched his various friends stumbling in and out of relationships. Alya and Nino, defying the expectations of most of their peers, we still going strong. And as months turned into years Adrien found himself longing for someone that he could truly confide in. Someone to cuddle with and who would steal his shirts (which seemed to be a thing with girls or so Nino had informed him).

Maybe it was selfish, but Adrien was tired of always feeling like he was holding back. As Adrien he needed to be poised and perfect to uphold his name and image, as Chat he could never share the details of his personal life without risking his identity. Was it so much to want one person around whom he could just relax and be himself? Maybe someone who would actually appreciate his terrible jokes.

His steadfast loyalty to a girl who didn't return his affections had left him suffering through a lot of lonely nights.

He had decided that it was time to move on. There were other girls out there, someone was bound to find him at least moderately likeable.

Someone other than Chloe.

True maybe other girls weren't his Lady, but that didn't mean that he couldn't hope to find someone who was still brave and capable and beautiful, and…

"Oh God Dammit!"

His cat ears twitched, latching onto the frustrated cry even from 2 blocks away.

Speak of the Devil.

Chat quickly ran the short distance over to the familiar bakery, hopping silently onto the roof and grinning down at his unsuspecting classmate.

"Something wrong Princess?"

Marinette screamed in surprise, whirling around to glare at her intruder before hastily schooling her features into a look of innocent admiration.

"Chat Noir! I can't believe you've come to visit me again. I must be the luckiest girl in Paris." She cooed.

For once he didn't even bother to suppress his chuckle.

"You do know that I know you are faking right?"

Marinette's face melted into a look of complete shock. "What?"

"Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the attention, but don't you think it's time to come clean?"

"How did you know?" She pouted, seeming genuinely put out by his admission.

"Well for one thing your voice goes about a half octave higher when you lie, and for another I can hear you when you mutter to yourself behind my back."

Marinette's face turned a brilliant scarlet as she stared slack jawed at her feline companion.

"But that means that you must have…"
"Known the whole time? Yeah pretty much."

"But you've never said… you've visited me dozens of times! Why would you do that if you knew I was faking?"

Chat smiled kindly at her. "Well I like to think that we are friends in spite of the teasing."

He saw her expression morph again, this time into a look of genuine affection. "Of course we are friends." She said guiltily. "But why would you let me go on pretending, for years I might add?"

"Well there are any number of reasons. Perhaps I like the attention. Perhaps I just wanted to see the look on your face when I finally told you that I knew you were messing with me, priceless by the way. Or maybe because as my starstruck superfan you were far more likely to bring me cookies." He grinned fiendishly.

"You totally did it for the cookies didn't you." Marinette said flatly.

He laughed again. "Oh come now princess, was it really so painful to act like you adore me?" He teased.

She blushed and looked away, no doubt analyzing every interaction they had ever had and wondering how the whole situation must had looked from his point of view.

Chat smiled to himself.

He always enjoyed getting a chance to know Marinette like this. His clumsy classmate had a terrible habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and he had often found himself carrying her away from akuma attacks throughout the years. Back in the middle of their first year of lycée he had taken to dropping by the check is on her after attacks.

Her continued act of the start struck fangirl had amused him, especially as her acting skills rarely lasted more than 5 minutes into a conversation before she was teasing and sassing him in a way that she never did when he was Adrien. No matter how much closer they had become in their regular lives, Marinette had remained almost painfully nice to him, and he was almost never on the receiving end of her lively wit the way Alya or Nino were. Maybe it was cheating to use his alter ego to experience this side of her, but Adrien had found comfort in knowing that at least in this way he wasn't missing out.

It had become normal that he would drop by and pester her whenever he was running around the city and caught her out on her balcony. Usually only for a short while, at most an hour if they felt like having a real conversation. Still it had become a comfortable routine, and almost 4 years after that fateful day in the rain he could truly say that she was now one of his closest friends.

It was hard to say when he had first started thinking about her as possibly being more than that.

Of course she had always been cute. Even back in college he had caught himself watching her out of the corner of his eye and even occasionally showing off around her. He was a teenage boy, it happens. Yet in the early days of their friendship he was so blinded to anyone not covered in red and black spots that he had never looked at Marinette as any sort of legitimate romantic prospect.

Now though…

Chat lightly jumped off the roof and came to stand in front of his friend, lifting one of her hands to bow over it dramatically.

"So what seems to be troubling you tonight Princess?"

"Why would you think I am troubled?" She laughed, but her voice trembled and she didn't meet his gaze.

"Well I heard you swearing from the roof of the school."

"I tripped. Besides your cat hearing is ridiculous and we both know it. You could probably hear a pin drop from two floors down if you made an effort."

"There is also the fact that you are wearing your cat pajamas, and you only do that when you have had a bad day." He observed, his eyes trailing up and down her ensemble.

Marinette looked startled and a little impressed.

"How did you know that?"

"You mentioned it the first time I ever saw you wearing them after I asked if they were in my honor, remember?"

"Oh. I had forgotten that." She smiled softly, clearly touched that he had bothered to remember such a trivial detail. "Well I graduated today so of course I am going to be a little melancholy."

"That still doesn't explain why you've been crying." He whispered, reaching up to lightly tap her red and slightly swollen nose.

Marinette seemed to wilt in front of him, stepping forward to wrap her arms around his waist and bury her face against his chest. Chat immediately returned the embrace, letting his head rest atop her own and running his claws carefully across her upper back in a soothing motion.

"I hate how annoying observant you are sometimes." She muttered.

"Now now, no need to be catty." He teased.

"Really? You think now is the right time for puns?"

"It's always the right time for puns."

"You are such a dork." She sighed, but she squeezed him tighter. "Ok you win. I'm upset and it's stupid and I hate myself for it because it's really stupid."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Do you want me to guess repeatedly until I figure it out?"

"No."

"Do you want me to whine at you incessantly until you tell me just to shut me up?"

"No!" She protested, but he could feel her smiling against him.

"Should I just make up a reason why you are upset so that I can tell you that it's all going to be fine?"

"Yeah ok." She said softly.

"Alright then." He bent down and scooped her up, earning a small squeak and carried her over to the pink lawn chair and settling her down. "Many moons ago, a beautiful princess…"

"Chat what are you doing?"

"I am making up my reason why you are sad."

"You know you don't have to say it out loud." Marinette pouted.
"Sure I do, now be quiet this is a very important story." Chat scolded, carefully settling down next to her onto the chair.

"Sorry." She drawled. He decided she couldn't be too irritated with him when she leaned back and began to absently play with his hair.

"As I was saying, many moons ago a beautiful princess was struggling to uphold peace and prosperity in her kingdom. Unfortunately she was plagued by an evil fairy, determined to destroy the princess and rule over the land for herself. The evil fairy, let's call her Chloe,"

"Really pulling out all the creative stops today aren't we?"
"Quiet princess. So the evil fairy Chloe…"

Chat proceeded to ramble on for the next hour, detailing the exciting feud between the brave princess Mari and her rival Chloe. Truth be told he thought the entire tale was fairly well done for being made up on the spot. He had to avoid using too many of their friends and classmates as characters to avoid exposing his identity, sticking instead to people whom she would know he had been in contact with due to the long list of akuma related incidents. Alya was a safe choice given her blogging habits, and Marinette had been delighted when Jagged Stone entered the story as her magical bard companion with his ferocious pet dragon Fang.

"…and so the Princess and the Bard watched on in horror as Lady Alya was whisked away by Chloe's army, the sound of the horses fading into the distance as they desperately struggled against the iron bars of the cage."
"So what happens next?" Marinette asked eagerly, her fingers still dancing across his scalp. She hadn't stopped fussing with his hair since the beginning of the story. He was fairly sure she had tried unsuccessfully to braid it at one point but had chosen not to comment.

"I don't know." He said with a grin, tilting his head up to look at her innocently.

"What do you mean you don't know? It's your story."

"Yeah but that's the end. You are upset because the evil Chloe ran off with the Lady Alya to suffer a fate worse than death."

"And what is a fate worse than death exactly?"

"She has to take Chloe shoe shopping." He shuddered.

Marinette snorted in laughter and Adrien was pleased to find that one good thing had come from the hours he had spent subjected to that particular torture.

"Well at least I have a good reason to be upset then." Marinette said quietly.

He hummed in response, not wanting to say anything that might spoil the mood.

"Hey Chat?"

"Yeah Princess?"

"Have you ever wanted something so much that you would do anything to have it, only to realize that nothing you can do will ever make it happen?"

His mind swam with images of red and black spots and a teasing smile. "Yeah."

"What is out of the reach of the great Chat Noir?"

"I am pretty sure the entire city of Paris knows the answer to that question." He replied bitterly.

"Oh. Ladybug." She said quietly.

"Actually I was referring to my ongoing battle to have a nationally recognized holiday for pun appreciation."

"Oh really?"
"Yeah, I submitted a proposal to the mayor and everything, he wouldn't even give me the time of day."

"There is a boy I like. I've pretty much been in love with him forever, and I kept hoping… I just don't think it's ever going to happen and I feel like I wasted all this time…"

"Do you regret it?"

"What?"

"Do you regret being in love with him?"

"No. He's great he just doesn't feel the same way about me."

"Well if you don't regret it than how have you wasted your time? Ladybug isn't about to come swinging onto this balcony to profess her undying love to me but I don't think being in love with her was a waste of time, it simply was how I feel and I don't feel ashamed of that. You shouldn't either. No matter what happens from here on out, even if you never see this guy again don't feel like you have failed by being honest about your feelings."

"I suppose." She said, although she still sounded skeptical.

"And hey for what it's worth you've got me."

"Thanks Kitty." She smiled down at him. "Although you aren't exactly about to grab me up and kiss me either." She grumbled.

Chat chuckled, wondering if she even realized that she had spoken the words aloud.

"I mean if you want me to I am more than happy to oblige Princess."

"What?" She blurted, eyes widening in mortified shock, a charming blush dusting her cheeks.

"I said I would kiss you if you wanted me to." The words came out raspier than he had intended and he could feel his own cheeks flaming beneath his mask.

"You're serious?" She whispered. Chat wasn't sure how she wanted him to respond. Should he play it off as a joke or just go for it?

Honesty usually was the better policy.

"Why wouldn't I be? After all if it was going to be anyone other than my Lady then it would be you."

"You really do like me don't you?" Marinette laughed, a dazzling smile lighting her face like a beacon.

"Well yeah." He muttered embarrassed. "I mean you're nice and you're cute and we get along well. Plus we have a lot in common…"

"Okay. Yes."

"huh?" Chat sat up confused.

"Yes I want you to kiss me." She said coyly.

"Oh! Oh. I guess I should…" He swallowed, awkwardly shifting so that he was directly in front of her. He put his hand on gently on her shoulder and leaned forward so that he was inches away from her lips.

"You sure?" He asked breathlessly.

She nodded, and he could hear her heart racing in anticipation, the rapid beating matching his own.

He leaned forward and hesitantly pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss, pulling back after a mere few seconds to see her reaction.

She blinked her eyes open in surprise, her lips pursing in a confused pout. Chat couldn't help but cringe slightly at his own incompetence.

"Sorry." He said, "I wasn't sure what you wanted me to do."

"Was that your first kiss?" She asked a hint of laughter coloring her voice.

"No. Technically it was my third." He muttered.

"Technically?"

"I was sort of brainwashed for the first one."

"I see." She said, her barely suppressed giggles prickling his ego. "Well that was nice."

Nice? NICE?! Why didn't she just stab in in the heart while she was at it?

"So… did you want to try again?" She asked shyly.

"Really?" Chat grinned, then immediately coughed at the high pitched sound of his own voice.

"I mean if you want…"

He didn't even wait for her to finish the sentence before he was leaning forward to capture her lips with his. This time he didn't allow himself to hesitate. She wanted this too.

It didn't take long for instinct to take over and the kiss to deepen. Their lips coaxed and teased, heads tilting to find a better angle.

Chat tentatively threaded his fingers through her hair and she let out a soft moan as his claws grazed against her scalp.

Chat was just beginning to think that he had a handle on this whole kissing thing when Marinette gently teased his lower lip between her teeth and gave it a soft nip.

His mind went pleasantly blank and he let out a soft growl of pleasure. The kisses turned from soft and innocent to hard and hungry. All sense of self-consciousness was drowned out by the desperate need for more, more, more.

Lips and teeth and tongues danced against each other, locked in a battle of dominance, drawing out ragged breaths and wordless cries- from whom he couldn't have said.

It seemed to go on for hours, perhaps days. Adrien felt drugged with pleasure as he drank in the feeling of the girl beside him. His lips trailed down her jawline to the sensitive skin of her neck, licking and biting and sucking. He thrilled at every gasp and moan, his hands running feverishly down her sides and gasping at her hips as her own hands clutched around his neck, fingernails digging so hard into his shoulders that he could feel the pressure through the layers of his suit.

He couldn't have told you how long they stayed locked in the passionate embrace before finally, regretfully, they pulled apart gasping for air, bodies flush and wanting.

"Wow." Chat said stupidly, a dazed smile plastered on his face.

"Yeah." Marinette grinned in return. "That was…"

"Nice?" He teased.

"Better than nice." She said with a small smirk. "Clearly you are a fast learner."

"I try." He smiled.

"So that just happened." She smiled at him, her fingers coming up to tap against her lips. "Oh my god that just happened."

"Yeah." Chat couldn't fight the massive grin from spreading across his whole face. "So I know that this is probably the worst possible timing ever but I need to tell you that I am going to be gone for a few months. And I swear I am not making this up to run off or anything I was leaving before the whole kissing thing. I mean I really wish I wasn't now but…"

Marinette laughed cutting off his rambling with a laugh. "It's ok Chat, I believe you."

"Oh, good."

"Yeah." She giggled again.

"Well I should probably go." Chat said standing up shakily. She followed suit, reaching up to adjust his hair, not that it did much to tame the mussed locks.

"Hey Marinette?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I could, you know, come and visit you? When I get back I mean! Only if you want me to I don't want to just assume…'"

Marinette put a finger to his lips to stop his babbling.

"Yeah, I would like that."

"Great! Ok so, yeah." He knew that he was grinning like an idiot. "So it's getting late I should probably go."

"I suppose so."

"Right. I'm going." He leaned forward and kissed her again. "Cause it's late." Another quick peck. "And you probably want to sleep." Another on her cheek. "Because… well… it's late."

"You said that twice already." She laughed as he continued to pepper soft kisses across her face.

"Sorry." He said unapologetically, snaking his arms around her back and pulling her in for one last lingering kiss.

"Chat!"

"Ok ok I'm going." He lept up onto the railing of her balcony and turned back to look at her, an idiotic grin stretching across his face.

"I'll see you soon." He said confidently.

"Ok Chat."

"I mean it, I'm going to see you again."

"I believe you! Now Go!"

He gave her a final jaunty salute before disappearing off into the night. For the first time in a long time, Adrien wondered if maybe his luck was finally changing.

Chat ran gleefully through the streets of Paris, ignoring the dark clouds and the distant rumble of thunder that signaled the oncoming storm.

It felt wonderful to be home.

He couldn't wait to reacquaint himself with his familiar city, but not now. Right now there was only one place he wanted to be.

He sprinted over the rooftops towards the bakery towards the girl who had occupied his thoughts during his time in Italy.

Had she missed him?

He had emailed her faithfully once a week, along with Nino and Alya, but his letters had felt bland and impersonal. He couldn't exactly start waxing poetically at her without coming across as a complete lunatic. After all Marinette had no idea that she had been making out with her longtime friend 4 months ago. Still…

Maybe now they could pick up where they had left off. He could ask her out, spend time with her. Obviously if things went well he would eventually tell her his real identity, but wasn't that what he really wanted? Someone who he didn't have to pretend with? And Marinette liked Adrien well enough, they were friends. Perhaps finding out that he was also Chat Noir would finally break down that strange wall of awkwardness that had always existed between them. After all she was never awkward with Chat.

He heard her before he saw her, his sensitive cat ears twitching at the sound of her laughter.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding at his unprecedented good luck. She was home and she was out on her balcony. It was if fate was leading him to her side.

Adrien could imagine Plagg's disgust at his romanticism. The little kwami had banned him from saying Marinette's name a week ago, claiming that he would die of secondhand embarrassment if he had to deal with any more of Adrien's sap.

"No, there is no way, you are lying to me." Marinette said, smiling as she paced her terrace her phone pressed against her cheek. "There is absolutely no way YOU are a dog person."

She laughed again at whatever response she got from the person on the other end of the line. Chat crept along the edge of the roof, landing silently behind her and drinking in the sight of her, clad in shorts and an oversized sweatshirt, her hair piled into a messy bun with a pencil sticking out of it.

Marinette snorted and even with her back turned to him he could feel her rolling her eyes.

"No. I won't believe that until I see it. Uh huh. Oh my God Nick I swear your puns get worse every time I talk to you."

"Well it's good to know that at least one of your friends has a decent sense of humor." Chat couldn't resist teasing.

She whirled around, the hand holding the phone falling limply away from her face as the person on the other end chatted on obliviously.

"Chat?" She breathed.

"Hey Princess." He smiled.

Marinette's eyes went wide, her mouth falling open in clear distress. She didn't say anything, simply stared at him as if she was seeing a ghost.

Adrien felt his gut clench in fear, but he tried to swallow his paranoia.

"I'm back." He said, trying to keep the smile on his face and giving her a small wave.

"No, you can't be here, you can't." She murmured. The phone in her hand dropped to the ground with a soft clank.

"Marinette?" He asked hesitantly reaching out for her only to have her shy away in horror.

"I made a terrible mistake."