I... have been writing... for THIRTY YEARS! D:
Lol jk it just feels that way.
Hey guys! Sorry about the delay! I had like three different directions I could have this story go, so I had to play around with it and decide which one I wanted. SO I finally did, now hopefully we can get back on track! Soooo if it's riddled with mistakes I missed, I rewrote this a lot, so I apologize. OTL. Now, onward! :D
Lol, snapped a pic of Ladybug carrying someone across the city!
Aw, that's our Ladybug! So sweet and helpful!
OMG is that ADRIEN AGRESTE?!
OMG NO WAY
I THINK IT IS
They look so cute! 3
No way, she and Cat Noir are in love, didn't you see the photo? THEY'RE so cute together 3
omg did they break up?
GASP! Is Ladybug cheating on Cat Noir!?
No way!
How could she!?
Poor Cat Noir!
Adrien deserves better!
"Adrien is it true?!"
"It can't be true!"
"No way, how'd you manage it?!"
"What?" Adrien jumped from one questioner to another, flabbergasted at the sudden swarm and barrage surrounding him. "Is 'what' true?"
"You and Ladybug are an item!"
"What?!"
Alix shoved her phone in his face, where there was an unmistakable picture of Ladybug swinging through the skies of Paris, a common and accepted sight. Save for the fact that she was carrying a lean, blond male with a very signature outfit, and blond hair.
"Oh no," he groaned before he could stop himself.
"So it is true!" she pestered.
"No! No, no, we were just, uh," He grimaced as he glanced between everyone trying to wrack his brain. "She was just giving me a ride home! I was right by where the Akuma attack was and-"
As Marinette came to school, she was surprised by the crowd near the front door. It wasn't the first time she'd seen Adrien in the middle of an overexcited group of teens, but their classmates had stopped being star-struck a long time ago.
"What's going on?" She asked a distressed Alya as she approached.
Just then, nearly all the girls in her class turned with a gasp and suddenly crowded around her. "Nothing!" "Nothing's wrong!" "Nothing's happening!" "Adrien was just telling us about his-"
"No way guys," Nino spoke up suddenly, coming over to put his arm protectively around his friend. "There's no way Adrien is secretly dating Ladybug! Cuz if he was, he would've told me about it, his best bud!"
"Right, of course!" Adrien said quickly, though the agreement seemed a little haphazard.
"ADRIKINS!" Came the distraught wail as Chloe jogged up to him. "Tell me it isn't true! Tell me you're not dating Ladybug!"
"It's not true!" Adrien finally said in exasperation. "I was late for dinner and Ladybug was just giving me a lift home, that was it!"
The girls winced and looked worriedly to Marinette. And somehow mistook her worried expression for disappointment.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Chloe sighed with relief, instantly cuddling his arm, ignoring his leaning away from her. "Not that Ladybug isn't great of course, but she's not the one for you."
His grimace came back, knowing where this was going, and quickly coming up with a distraction. "Right! Because, uh, sheeeee and Cat Noir are a thing, right? Didn't they just become an item?"
Of course, so focused on Chloe, no one noticed the way Marinette grimaced. Ugh, right, that photo! The one of her and Cat Noir kissing! He'd been so eager about it, and Alya had gotten so trigger-happy with it. All her hard work of "rejecting" Cat Noir, down the drain...
...well ok, that wasn't true. Every now and then she still wound up flirting with him back, so maybe her attempts hadn't been that successful anyway.
"Ugh, she can have him if she wants," Chloe waved him off in her typical fashion before clinging onto the reluctant boy's arm. "You're the perfect one for me!"
Marinette crossed her arms. "Oh please, he's hardly "perfect"."
She hadn't realized she'd said it aloud until the shocked eyes rounded on her. Her own eyes widened, especially when she saw Adrien's stunned confusion.
"What was that?" Chloe pressed.
"I mean, uh, no one's perfect, Chloe!" Marinette said, trying to be more confident than she really felt. "And, uh, you shouldn't expect that of people!"
"Ugh, what would you know? You wouldn't know perfection if it hit you in the face," She said airily, flipping her ponytail with a flourish.
Marinette leered.
And then she smiled mischievously. "Actually, Chloe, I always thought you and Cat Noir would make a great couple."
"What?!" She wrinkled her nose in his disgust, while everyone else looked confused. Adrien looked positively alarmed. "Me and that mangy cat? Why on earth would you think that?"
But her cool, easy smile never faltered."You two brag about yourselves so much, you'll be able to keep each other entertained for hours."
Everyone burst out laughing, much to Chloe's anger, and Adrien's embarrassment. She scowled at the laughing faces, and Adrien flushed with a forced embarrassed smile. The warning bell rang, and the others dispersed, though Chloe of course couldn't leave without a threatening point to Marinette. "You'll regret this, Dupain-Cheng!"
"I seriously doubt that, Chloe."
"Hmph!" She turned up her nose before marching off to class.
"Shouldn't expect him to be perfect, huh?" Alya raised a brow as she smirked, crossing her arms. "Nice philosophy. Did you decide that in the last five minutes?"
She smiled bashfully with a helpless shrug.
"Marinette?" Came Adrien's voice, making her snap straight.
"Speaking of perfect," Alya muttered with a sly grin, before she stalked off. "See you in a bit, Marinette." She sang.
She looked after her friend longingly before turning with a nervous smile. "H-hey, Adrien!"
He seemed as nervous as she was. "Hey! So, uh," he rubbed at the back of his neck. "You like Cat Noir, huh?"
"No!" She panicked, making him blink. "I mean yes! I mean- I like him! As a hero! But it's not like I like him romantically or anything!"
"You don't?" He seemed genuinely surprised. "But I thought- er, that is, you were uuuh-"
"I did used to have a little crush on him," she said quickly, proud of herself for this brilliant turn around. "But he's in love with Ladybug, so now I'm just a fan!"
"Oh! Great! Glad to hear it." He nodded, half to himself, though he seemed mostly distracted as he fidgeted. "Soooo... do you really think he brags a lot? As bad as Chloe?"
Her lips twitched traitorously, but she managed to school her expression. "That depends. Do you really think Ladybug and Cat Noir are an item?"
He raised a brow, obviously confused as to how those two were connected. "Don't you?"
"Oh, I dunno, I mean it's just one photo," she excused quickly, turning around in pretend thought. If she faced him, she was pretty sure she'd lose her nerve. "Maybe they had another reason for kissing. Maybe Ladybug was saving him again, oooor maybe they thought they were trying to break a spell!"
Of course, not looking at him, she didn't see the sudden flash of worry. "You... think so?"
"Yeah, I mean, who can really say, right?"
He was quiet for a moment as he considered it. "Yeah, I... guess that's true. Ladybug's done it before."
"Exactly!" She agreed cheerfully, finally turning to face him. "I'm just saying, you can't believe everything you-"
She stopped. As she looked at his face, she was stunned by how... down he looked. He was clutching the strap of his bookbag, face to the ground as he hunched over.
"...though I guess they did look really happy together," she finally relented. "I mean, what do I know, I'm just a fan!"
He looked up at her in some surprise, like he had forgotten she was there, and then balked when he remembered how he was supposed to be acting. "Right, of course! We're just fans! I guess only Ladybug and Cat Noir know, right? We should head back to class."
"Oh, yeah," she smiled as she followed him quickly. "Don't wanna be late again!"
Of course, neither of them were aware of their eavesdropper. Lila watched from the shadows, her face turning into a scowl as she gripped the photograph of Ladybug in her fingers.
After that, everyone in school had forgotten about the incident, and took Adrien at his word. He thought that was the end of it.
"ADRIEN AGRESTE!" Cried the angry female akuma from the school rooftop. She was dressed in a garish mockery of a retail worker's uniform. "Where are you!?"
The students ran screaming for safety, trying to hide in some classes and rooms nearby. Adrien was trying to head for the locker room, but he was spotted, and the female akuma dropped down to block his path.
"I don't understand," he said. "What'd I do to you?"
"Nothing, I just know that you're my ticket to Ladybug, Loverboy," she sashayed toward him. "It's nothing personal."
"Uh," He grinned nervously as he tiptoed back. "I would just like it to be known that that photo was taken out of context, and we're not actually-"
"SILENCE!" She shouted, holding up her weapon- a rather formidable looking… coat hanger? Either way it started glowing and he had a feeling he wouldn't like getting hit with it. "I don't care what the rumors say- all I know is that you're enough to make her come running."
There was no where to run, and no where to hide, and as he braced himself for the attack, he silently cursed his need for haste yesterday.
"WATCH OUT!"
And then he was suddenly yanked away, Ladybug's yo-yo wrapping around his waist to pull him toward her.
"HA! I knew it." The akuma sneered. "Attacking your precious lad in distress was the perfect way to bring you straight to me!"
She scowled, holding him protectively close as she rebutted the claim. "Ugh, I'm going to rescue anyone in distress, not just him!"
And while normally Adrien would be thrilled at the close contact, the sight of the smug akuma, and the students peeking through the windows with their phones out, made him clear his throat. "Uh, Ladybug?" He smiled shyly with a blush, pointing to their touching waists.
She blinked at him, then her protective hold, and released him with a squeak and blush of her own, activating her yo-yo. "Sorry!"
"No problem! Uh, thanks Ladybug!" Adrien saluted obligatorily before dashing for cover to transform and join her.
Thankfully, the battle itself was not a difficult one. Cat Noir didn't even need his Cataclysm. The day passed by relatively quickly, leaving the students to finish up their classes and head home. And in Adrien's case, head to fencing.
"Hey, Kagami!" He greeted cheerfully.
"Hey," she nodded once in acknowledgment, then readied her stance. He hesitated a moment, curious.
"Sooooo you're not going to ask me about the picture?" He asked cautiously.
"Do I need to?" She asked sharply.
"No! No, no, it's nothing like people are saying," He assured quickly.
"Then there's nothing to worry about. I'm not going to worry about some suspicious pictures anymore. I already know where your affections lie."
He was grateful for the fencing helmet to hide his blush. Because it was true, he had been developing a crush on her lately. Granted he was still falling for Ladybug over and over, but... if Marinette was right, then maybe he really should give up on-
"En garde!"
Her warning snapped him out of it, and he readied his stance. He could think about it later, but for now, he had to try to beat her again.
"Would you care to explain this?"
Adrien had a feeling word of this would come back to his father. So this time, as the man held up his own phone with the incriminating picture, he was prepared.
"Father, that's not me! It's just an excited fan dressed up like me."
"Oh really?"
"My face isn't visible, is it?" He crossed his arms. "Besides, Nathalie saw me before I came down for dinner. I was in my room the whole time."
He glanced at his assistant for confirmation, and she nodded.
"It's true, sir. He was already in there, and there was no sign of Ladybug."
The man studied the boy hard, looked at the photo again, then relented. "Very well, you may go."
Adrien smiled, quite pleased with himself as he made his way back to his room. Today just had a quick battle, a quick evasion, so all was well and good.
But needless to say, things got a little… hectic after that. And not just from akumas.
It happened Tuesday, after the battle when the reporters had to get their 'scoop'…
"LADYBUG! How could you cheat on Cat Noir!"
"Uuugh, I'm not cheating on him! I'm not dating either of them!"
"Can confirm. On both ends."
Wednesday, when there were three akumas in the same day...
"Now that I have super powers, I can be good enough for Adrien!"
"Trust me, with your super powers, you can do so much better."
"Hey!"
Thursday, when they got a nice combo of one of her fanboys, and one of Cat Noir's fangirls…
"I'll take the Miraculouses, then we'll be together forever!"
"An eternity of corny pick up lines and bad jokes? Be my guest."
"For the record, I know you're teasing me, but I'll still stand by the fact that my jokes are hilarious."
And Friday, when it felt like everything was piling up bit by bit.
Lila stared at her phone, teeth clenching harder and harder as the newest news clips came out. Image after image of Ladybug valiantly protecting Adrien only fueled the fans of the assumption of their "secret relationship", giving her plenty of fodder for rumors, which she had been taking. To no avail.
"Why? Why can none of these idiots take out Ladybug?" She ranted. "What else do I have to say?"
She jumped onto her computer, looking up more articles and forums, trying to make as many comments about "secret dates" and "outings" and possible.
'Come on, come on, someone take care of her!'
Because no matter how Adrien tried to deny it, Lila knew the truth.
"Why?! Why isn't Hawkmoth akumatizing me?!" She chucked her phone across her room, and stomped about in rage. Picking up the photograph from her desk, she glowered at the smiling, swinging image of Ladybug, gripping so hard it crinkled in her fingers.
"Just as I planned, her anger is growing with each passing day I "ignore" her." Hawkmoth mused as he sensed her rage tumbling through. "But not yet. Her work in helping spread the rumors is giving me plenty of ammunition to wear them down. And then she'll be ready to be my perfect puppet."
He held out his hand, letting a butterfly land in his glove. He akumatized it, and let it flutter out the window. "Fly away my little akuma, and evilize him!"
Ladybug dropped between a couple buildings, trying to catch her breath against the wall after the latest battle. Cat Noir transformed back first, having to use his power a lot sooner than her. Plagg took the time to zip out and groan in annoyance. "Man, that's the 10th one this week! It's nice being popular with the ladies, but this is ridiculous!"
"If it wasn't for people taking all these pictures it wouldn't be happening so much!" Ladybug groaned in exasperation. "It's not like I'm saving you any different from normal."
"Normally, I might be disappointed, but this time I have to agree. I mean:" He had given Plagg a piece of cheese, then pulled out his phone to pull up the latest "craze". "This one isn't even remotely flattering!"
It had been a picture where Ladybug had just barely caught Adrien mid-fall by the ankle, leaving him swinging precariously in mid-air, and screaming bloody murder. Clearly, the affection was palpable.
"Honestly, I'm gonna need my PR people to get on the ball soon," He mused. "My nose looks way too big in this one."
"This is getting out of hand." Ladybug groaned with her head in her hand. "You've got to go on TV and tell people they're wrong."
"I've been trying! But the more I try to deny it, the more people think I'm trying to hide it!"
"Well there's gotta be some way to stop all these akumatizations." She murmured as she grasped her chin in thought.
He watched her a moment, brow furrowing in worry, before he quickly schooled it to be casual. "Well, what if we pretended we're dating? I mean as Cat Noir!" He said quickly. "Like we did before for the other akumas."
She looked at him sharply, but he searched her face to decipher her reaction, hand at his neck. She seemed less-than-thrilled at the idea, though turned her face away so he wouldn't see. "I-I don't know, wouldn't that be hard for you to-?"
Then the akuma found them, and burst in with a mighty roar, making Plagg have to hide.
"Another one?!" Ladybug complained. "It hasn't even been five minutes!"
"LADYBUG!" He cried angrily. He was a massive, muscular boy with a wrestler's yellow uniform blindingly bright against his purple skin. There were stripped braces on his wrists and calves, with an orange armored helmet, but besides that had nothing else to shield him. "Why, why do you love him? What does that weakling have that I don't?!"
"Oh, one of your fans again," Adrien realized brightly, hands on his hips. "I gotta say this is a nice change of pace."
"Silence, girly boy! You don't have what it takes to make Ladybug happy!"
Both Adrien and Ladybug glared.
And then Adrien sneered. "Well, better a "girly boy" than a toy store reject." He said easily, leaning to one side. "With a paint job like that I'd say a 2 year old could do better."
"Ca- Adrien!" Ladybug snapped, just before she had to dive to snatch him out of harm's way. "Are you insane? Don't antagonize him like this!"
The boy didn't even have the decency to look fazed, simply shrugging as she held him in her arms. "What? He asked," he defended. "Besides, you can't expect me not to feel a little jealous of anyone after you."
Of course, neither of them were aware of Hawkmoth on the other side of the psychic link. "What?!"
"Oh, go "hide" already," Ladybug spat as she dropped him, whirling her yo-yo to life.
"Oh no you don't!" the wrestler shouted. "Come fight me face to face!"
"No!" Hawkmoth interrupted. "Not until you've faced Cat Noir and Ladybug and given me their miraculouses!"
"Hmph, go ahead, girly boy!" the akuma yelled after Adrien as he darted around a building. "Go run an' hide! While I show Ladybug what a real man I am!"
"Real man, huh?" Adrien opened up his shirt to let Plagg out again. "Why don't we go show this guy what a real man can do. Plagg, CLAWS OUT!"
Once fully powered up in his own armor, he came out into the fray, happily jumping in to take a few swipes at the technicolor wrestler.
"Nice moves, Cat Noir." Ladybug praised. "Think you can hold him back for a while?"
"No problem. You just go recharge yourself," he assured with a wink.
"Don't let her get away!" Hawkmoth demanded. "She's about to transform back!"
But of course, the akuma's attempt to go after her was thwarted by Cat Noir jumping between them.
"Ah, ah, ah," he wagged his finger, whirring his pole around himself dangerously before striking a defensive pose. "You'll have to go through me first."
Ladybug dashed around a building, letting herself detransform. "Hurry, Tikki," she whispered, pulling out the cookie. "There's not much time!"
"I don't know how much more I can do this, Marinette," Tikki admitted weakly as she got to eating the macaroon.
"Hang in there just a little longer!"
Cat Noir was quick and agile compared the big, hulking muscle man. His strikes were fast and fierce, and he kept his pole close to his body to keep his control. For once, he was focusing hard on the fight. So much so that he didn't even hear Ladybug when she finally jumped beside him, yo-yo at the ready.
"Alright, I'm ready to-"
He let out a battle-cry and charged at his enemy, going low to try to knock him flat. Ladybug blinked, before chasing after him and trying to join in.
"No, Ladybug, stay back!" Cat Noir grunted. He was on the ground, on top of the wrestler as they pushed against his pole to try to beat the other in brute strength. "I'll handle him!"
"Ha! You don't have what it takes! How'd a puny boy like you get to be the hero of Paris?"
"My charm and sense of humor, of course. You should try it some time- it might make you more tolerable!"
The wrestler managed to switch positions, rolling on top and trying to shove the pole into his throat. "I deserve the miraculous! Ladybug needs a real partner!"
"I'm her partner!"
Ladybug, for her part, let her yo-yo stop its spin. Narrowing her eyes and letting her scowl deepen, she straightened her stance and crossed her arms. She had a feeling of where this was going, and she didn't like it one bit.
"You know what they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall!"
Cat Noir finally kicked out the wrestler's leg, flipping him over and jumping back to his feet. He went on the attack again, the wrestler using his braces to block his moves, and of course throw a few punches, with Cat Noir leaping out of range. They advanced and retreated in an angered dance of showmanship, sparring verbally as well as physically.
"Not bad for a weakling, puny man!"
"You're delusional if you think a muscle-head like you has a chance with Ladybug. I'll take you out using brains as well as brawn."
"Hmph, I'll show you and that girly boy! A real warrior is full of strength and power, nothing like your skinny little-"
"Will you two knock it off!?" Ladybug finally snapped, and the pair paused in their fighting. "Did neither of you think that maybe I don't care who's stronger?"
The blinked, and they stared from her, to one another, back to her.
"What are you doing?!" Hawkmoth demanded. "Get his miraculous!"
"You… don't?" Cat Noir asked in confusion.
"No! I'm a superhero for crying out loud!" She said. "I can save myself just fine! I don't need a knight in shining armor to impress me!"
"Then…" the akuma victim lowered his hands in confusion. "What do you need to impress you?"
She glanced to Cat Noir, then sighed as she looked to her clasped hands. "The boy I love is… kind, and sweet. He's helpful to people, and always has a smile for everyone, and it's the most beautiful thing in the world. I don't love him because I think he can "save me", I love him because he's kind to me."
"I can be kind," the wrestler said instantly. "I'm a nice guy!"
"You've been fighting me and Cat Noir to take our Miraculouses and help Hawkmoth. How is that "kind"?"
"She's right," Cat Noir sighed in mock sympathy with a shrug. "Helping the supervillain doesn't usually give you points in the "nice guy" department."
"Don't think you're free from this either, Cat Noir," Ladybug frowned at him, jabbing at his chest. "If we'd been working together instead of you fighting over your ego, we could have gotten his akuma already!"
He flinched, then lowered his head, properly chastised.
Ladybug hadn't really been sure what to expect, but it wasn't the akuma victim willingly handing over his arm brace.
"What?! What're you doing?!" Hawkmoth yelled.
Ladybug smiled up at him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're doing the right thing."
"I guess it's too late to ask you for a date, then."
"Sorry, but I'm in love with someone else," she said sympathetically, taking the brace and dropping it to the ground and stomping on it.
She captured and purified the butterfly, but since the akuma hadn't actually been doing anything but trying to fight Cat Noir, there wasn't any damage to fix.
"Uuuuuugh, ah..." the akumatized victim groaned as he looked around. He was obviously much smaller than his villainous form, though still tall and muscular. With his young face it was clear he was only a couple years older than the heroes. "Ladybug? Cat Noir?!"
"Hey there," Ladybug smiled kindly, ignoring the way Cat Noir wrinkled his nose in distaste. "You feeling alright?"
"Uh, yeah," He shot up to his feet, cheeks pink. "I-I'm great, but what am I…?"
"You were akumatized by Hawkmoth."
"What?! No, that's impossible! I'm not evil!"
"I know, it's Hawkmoth that's evil. He gets into your head and makes you do things you wouldn't normally do. Just be careful from now on."
"I will. I promise I'm stronger than that," he assured, flexing for her.
Cat Noir snorted, and Ladybug sighed. Right, since he was akumatized, he wouldn't remember her "speech".
"Do you need a lift?" She asked instead.
Taken aback by her lack of response, he glanced around the area to get his bearings back, and he smiled in embarrassment as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, actually."
"Sure thing," she threw her yo-yo to catch a perch, and held out her arm.
He looked at her, then balked. "You mean, you want to carry me?"
"Don't worry," she waved off his concern. "I'm much stronger than I look."
He still seemed uncertain, and Ladybug couldn't understand why he seemed hesitant, knowing that she was, well, a superhero.
"Ah, on second thought, I'll be fine walking after all."
"Are you sure? I really don't mind."
"It's not that far, actually."
Cat Noir, who knew instantly what was going on, was leaning on his cane with a slyly amused smirk, before he looked at his hand, and gasped.
"Oh no, I'm about to transform back!" He stole the opened spot, hopping into her arms and holding on with the arm not holding his staff. "Quick Ladybug, you've got to get me out of here!"
"Honestly, Cat Noir, again?" She chastised. "You've got to be more responsible. Sorry," she said to the former victim. "Maybe next time."
Of course, since she was looking at him, she didn't see the way Cat Noir leaned his head toward her to look like he was "cuddling" her, or the way he waved farewell with a smug grin before she pulled them away. She brought them to drop behind a building, and was about to let him down before she blinked, memories rushing back to her.
"Hey wait a second, you're not about to transform back. You didn't even use your Cataclysm."
"I know. I just had to show the guy what he was missing."
"Cat Noir!"
"Look, I already knew he wasn't going to do it. He can't be seen being carried by you, it would ruin his image."
"Oh, but not yours?"
"Of course not. Everyone knows I am still the greatest hero of Paris."
She let him drop with a yelp, dusting her hands off and planting them on her hips as she waited for him to stand. "Well, the greatest hero of Paris can go ahead and walk himself back, then."
"Aw, c'mon, bugaboo, I was only joking. You know I think you're the number one hero of Paris," he cooed, leaning sideways to look up at her from under his lashes. Blink blink blink.
"Hmph. Sweet words from someone who wanted to fight all by himself. And haven't I told you not to call me 'bugaboo' anymore?"
He straightened, rubbing at the back of his head worriedly. "Right, sorry, it slipped."
"Just keep it in mind," she said easily, throwing her yo-yo to catch a perch.
"W-wait, Ladybug!" He twisted his pole self-consciously. "Do you… think I brag a lot?"
She blinked.
He darted his eyes away, fidgeting nervously. "It's just a thought I had, lately, for no reason, I just wondered-"
"You mean you hadn't noticed?"
He stared.
"I thought it was just a part of your act as Cat Noir," she stated in incredulity, before pointing at him. "You mean you were serious all those times?"
He hedged and erred, forcing himself to laugh it off. "Act, right! It was! I-I was just worried it was a little too much, you know? I mean I don't want to come off as too annoying."
She facepalmed.
He looked at her worriedly.
She sighed. "Don't worry about it. I'm used to it with you."And then she was gone, flying off to her destination.
"W-Wait! What do you mean "used to it"?" He called after her. "Ladybug? Ladybug!"
He had enough time to leap back to the school, and hid between the buildings across the street before turning back. Plagg zipped around, groaning hungrily, but Adrien ignored it.
"Does she think I'm annoying? Is that why she doesn't like me?"
"She said she's used to it, what's the big deal?"
"The "big deal" is that I probably messed up my chance with Ladybug! What if all those times I was trying to impress her did just the opposite?!"
"Then just stop bragging around her, problem fixed."
"It's not that easy, Plagg. Even if I do, I don't know how to actually win her over after all this time."
"Dude, just be yourself. You're like, the nicest guy I know! She'll go nuts for that."
"And how exactly am I supposed to do that while we're busy saving Paris? Besides..." He almost looked as though he were going to continue, and then the wind whooshed out of him with a long, drawn out sigh. "You heard her. She's already found someone. They're probably already happy together."
His disappointed musings were cut short when a familiar car rolled up to the front of the school. "C'mon, Plagg. Let's go home." He opened his outer shirt up to let him in, and trudged across the street.
When Marinette got in her room, she was distraught. Tikki sighed, plopping down on her bed tiredly.
"Tikki, am I doing the right thing?"
"About what, Marinette?"
"About trying to get Adrien to fall for me! Tikki, what if I came out and confessed to him? Would people react the same way? Would there be akumas, this time coming after me?"
"That's hard to say," she admitted. "Some of these akumas are happening because of Ladybug and Cat Noir. They probably wouldn't care so much about "Marinette".
"But what if they do!?" She wailed. "What if I get hordes of crazy fans coming after me everywhere I go, and all our dates are hounded by the press and even more crazed fans destroy any chances we have at private time together and Adrien decides it's not worth the effort and dumps me and-"
"Marinette, calm down!" Tikki flew into her face to get her attention. "You're worrying too much! It's not going to be as bad as you think."
"...But if I am targeted, that means Chat Noir would have to face them on his own. And I'd have to keep switching between myself and "Ladybug" and I could mess up somehow. I mean, he almost discovered my identity already! If I have to keep changing, things could slip up for sure!"
"You're right, it is a risky plan," Tikki agreed sympathetically. "More than anything, I think other people would start to get suspicious too."
"Tikki, does this mean I… I can't be with him? Not until Hawkmoth's gone?"
"You could still accept his feelings as Ladybug."
"But I want real dates, Tikki! I want us to go to the movies together, go to concerts, and go out for ice cream, and be able to go on romantic outings! We can't do that as superheroes!"
"You're right, you have to do what's best for Paris. But even if you can't go out like you wanted, are you really ok with him never knowing how you really feel?" Tikki asked pointedly. "It's your choice, Marinette. But I think you'll be happier at least letting him know."
Marinette was silent as she looked at her phone, where the smiling face of her love stared brightly up at her. A hero listened to her head, not her heart. The question was, what was the right choice when even your head was a mess?
A few miles away, someone else was wondering the same thing. He was staring solemnly out his car window with a growing ache of disappointment.
I don't love him because I think he can "save me". I love him because he's kind to me.
It just didn't make sense to him. She was brave, and confident, practically a genius in her own creative way, and she just wanted someone "nice"?
Nah, this guy, whoever he was, had to be the most perfect guy on the planet. From the sounds of it he was friendly, kind, and ridiculouslyhandsome, even moreso than him. Not in a "vain" way, but come on, he was a literal model, and she was saying some other guy's smile was the most beautiful thing in the world. And he was helpful and "sweet" on top of everything else. Honestly, how was he ever going to compete with that? He'd love to try to be "kind" and "helpful" to win her over, it wasn't like he didn't know how. The only way would be if they went out somewhere, just to hang out or something. But she never agreed to it every time he tried. More than anything, he really wanted to meet this guy for himself. Who the heck was perfect enough to catch the eye of Ladybug?
He bumped his head against the window, brows crinkling as his jealousy stirred again. This guy sounded too good to be true. Adrien hoped he was secretly a jerk or something.
But even if he was, there was… really no point, was there?
Sorry. But I'm in love with someone else.
Marinette was right. Ladybug hadn't fallen in love with him after all. Maybe it was time he finally switched targets. For good this time.
When they came through the door, he had prepared himself to trudge up the stairs to get started on his homework, but was surprised at Nathalie's voice speaking to him from the door.
"Adrien, your father wishes to see you."
He blinked, wondering why he was breaking his schedule. He knew for a fact that the man was normally finalizing his themes for the upcoming lines around this hour. Yet he followed her into the man's office, looking at his father's back. The man was staring up at the golden painting of his mother.
"Is it true?" He asked. "Are you in love with Ladybug?"
Adrien sighed. He'd gone through this all week already, and it was starting to wear on him. Plus, he thought the man was convinced by now. He let his head drop as he forced himself to speak. "No, father. She's just been protecting me from all the akuma attacks. There's nothing between us."
"I didn't ask if there was anything between you," He said suddenly, curtly as he turned to look at him over his shoulder. "I asked if you are in lovewith Ladybug."
Adrien flinched, both from the question, and the steely tone from the man. It was nothing like the excited barrages all through the week. Those eyes that bore down on him weren't like anything he'd ever seen before on him. And for a weird, strange moment, he felt scared. Not in his usual "respect" of his father's authority, but an honest to goodness fear of the consequences of his answer.
But the fear was pointless, worthless, and he dropped his gaze. "No, Father. Now can I please go?" He asked, voice cracking as he held himself together.
"...Very well. You may go," He said briskly.
The boy gratefully beat a hasty retreat, and the door shut with finality behind him. Nathalie looked up at Gabriel.
"What do you plan to do, sir?"
"Hard to say. I cannot have him admit to anything without revealing who I am."
"And if it's true?"
The silence was heavy, so much so that even Nathalie was worried.
"… This changes nothing. The plan is still the same. Tomorrow, we'll begin."
"We should break up."
Chat Noir, who had just told her that he didn't have much time since his father wanted him for some kind of appearance, stared at her. "...What?"
"With you as "Adrien"." Ladybug explained. "No one believes we aren't a thing. So go on TV, and say that we were secretly dating, but now all the akuma attacks have made you decide dating a superhero is too dangerous. We can't have people talking about us like this if it's causing this much commotion."
She expected his hesitation from her suggestion, and an argument, of course, and was already bracing herself for his rebuttal.
"Uuuum, isn't there something else we could try?"
"Look, Cat Noir, I know this will be hard with your feelings for me, but if we can just convince people that we're not involved, then-"
"It's not that!" He said quickly. "I know we have to do something. I just don't want to say that we've already been dating, since… Well..." He seemed oddly hesitant, nervous, and uncomfortable in a way Ladybug couldn't ever remember seeing him. "I may… want to ask someone out soon, and it would look pretty bad if I said I had just been dating someone."
Ladybug blinked, wide-eyed. "...What?"
"You remember Kagami, right?" He said, cheeks turning a little pink. "She's actually my fencing partner. We've been hanging out for a while. She's pretty cool, and… she told me recently she's fallen for me, so lately I've been thinking that maybe… we should… give it a try?"
He was looking at her, almost… Nervously? Or was it hopefully? Ladybug couldn't be sure, she was too busy trying and failing to make her mouth shut.
"Ladybug?"
"Oh, wow Cat Noir, I had no idea!" She managed to say instead, forcing herself to smile. "Congratulations! But wow I'm sure surprised, I mean… Kagami just seems so, you know, serious! I-I didn't think she was your type!"
"Yeah, but she can be pretty cool at times," He said, and there was an oddly… sad glint to his smile. "She's actually nice once you get to know her. And she's strong, too. She could probably even give you a run for your money," he joked.
But then he fell silent, looking down at his hands on top of his pole. Ladybug did the same, trying to filter through the emotions suddenly tumbling through her.
'He's… he's giving up on me. I mean on Ladybug, and going for...'
"Wasn't…. there someone else?" She asked in a small voice. And she wanted to kick herself, but the words just wouldn't stop, because she had to know, she had to hear for herself. "That- that girl who tried to have a date with you. Maribell or something? She- she said something when I rescued her, and..."
"Marinette? She told you about that?" He winced, rubbing at the back of his head. "Ah, yeah, that was tough. I'm glad she feels better about it now. But she's just a friend. I couldn't ever really see her like that."
She pressed her lips together, and her hands wouldn't stop shaking. "Oh..."
"Don't get me wrong, she's really nice!" Ever the nice guy, he was quick to praise and speak well of her. "She's super helpful, and talented! I'm glad to have her as a friend. But we've barely had a real conversation," he finally admitted with a half-shrug that said 'oh well, that's life'. "She's super shy, and so nervous all the time. I try to help when I can, but I think she just flusters so easy it's hard to really get to know her, you know? I kinda worry about her sometimes..."
And as she looked at him, her cheeks grew red until she finally buried her face in her hands. Ugh, she knew it! She knew he couldn't possibly fall in love with her stupid, clumsy self! Not only was her crush getting in the way, but her fear of him "realizing" who she really was just made her more nervous, which made their interactions… well, just as he described. No wonder he never fell for her.
"Ladybug? Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine!" She assured, smiling up at him weakly. "I'm really glad! You finally have a chance to be happy!I'm sure you and Kagami will be great together!"
She could see his face falling, his expressions an open book, as always. But he was quick to smile back, and he reached for her hand. "I'm always happy whenever I'm with you, milady," he assured, bringing her hand to his lips. "You'll always have a special place in my heart."
His attention on her hand, he didn't see the pain on her face, or the longing in her eyes. Only the saddened smile. "...I know, Cat Noir." Then she pulled her hand back. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Of course," he said. Then stepped back to bow low. "Until next time."
And then he was gone, already vanished into the night. She stood under the moonlight, gazing longingly up at the stars.
"This is what's best for Paris… isn't it?"
"Marinette! Why didn't you tell him?"
"You heard him, Tikki. He's already going for Kagami."
"The only reason he's going for Kagami is because he thinks he doesn't know you! But he does!"
"But I can't tell him that! AAAAAAAGH, TIKKI THIS IS THE WORST!" She fell to her knees, grabbing at her head as she cried to the ceiling. "I know he's in love with me but I can't tell him why!"
"Listen to me, Marinette!" She zipped in front of her face, gesturing wildly as she ranted. "Hawkmoth is still out there, and your number one priority is stopping him and all these akumas! But that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your happiness to do it. You can't tell Adrien who you are, but you can still tell him you love him! Even if he can only see a part of you right now, isn't it worth it to be with him, even if it's only to save Paris?"
Marinette looked up at the energetic and emotional kwami, smiling slowly as she started bringing the pieces into place. "You're right… you're right, Tikki! Even if we can't be seen, we can still be together!"
"Yes! Now you have to go to him, tonight, before he talks to Kagami!"
"Tikki, SPOTS-!"
"WAIT! … I'm still hungry."
"Oh, sorry."
A few minutes of eating, and then a transformation later, Marinette was bolting down the rooftops of Paris, sailing and leaping for her destination. Time and time again she had failed to tell Adrien the truth of how she felt, and her clumsy nature and terrible luck just spawned her at every turn. But would it be different as Ladybug? Would she have the confidence and the luck to finally get her feelings across to him?
She stopped outside his house, ducking down to peer over the edge of the roof. Outside his gate was a swarm of reporters and cameras hounding him, and his assistant holding up her tablet device.
"What's going on?" Ladybug wondered out loud, before memory served her, and she answered her own question. "Oh, that's right! Cat Noir said his dad had something planned."
Of course, this far away, she couldn't hear what was being said, so she pulled out her yo-yo and activated the screen.
"Don't be bemused, it's just the news. I'm Nadia Chamack, right outside Gabriel Agreste's mansion, where he's called a press conference in light of the recent events centering around his son, Adrien Agreste."
The camera zoomed in on the pair, Adrien of course appearing taller next to his father on the screen. Adrien smiled at the cameras obligatorily, though seemed just as in the dark as the rest.
"My son has been the center of many rumors lately, which I would appreciate to cease immediately. I cannot bare to see him put in even more danger. That being said, I am eternally indebted to Ladybug and Cat Noir for protecting him from the onslaught of Akuma attacks recently. As a token of appreciation, I'd like to invite them to dinner to the establishment of their choice."
Ladybug gasped, eyes honed in on both the older man, and his young son, who looked down him with equal surprise. "A… dinner?"
Down below, in the center of the hubbub, Adrien's surprise made way for disappointment. "Father, you're wasting your time. Ladybug neveraccepts these invitations, you know that."
"I do," the man assured. "But I don't mind whether she does or not. So long as the sentiment is out there, I'm sure the message will get across."
He raised a brow, a little confused as to how that worked, until a surprised shout from the reporters got his attention. The sea of paparazzi parted before them, showing a familiar red-clad superheroine rising from her three-point landing, and making her way toward them.
Adrien gaped. "Ladybug?"
"Gabriel Agreste," she acknowledged, her lips curling into a smirk. "I accept your invitation."
