Hello, lovely readers! Once again, thank you for continuing to read "Chat for a Day". This chapter took me a while. It went through a few re-writes, but I think (hope) it's okay now. Enjoy this slightly longer chapter!

Thank you all so much for your comments. It continues to fuel my need to keep writing. Reading your feedback is my favorite part of the day. You are all wonderful!

I cross-post on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog)

AO3: clslovegood47

I own nothing but the plot.

After closing the door behind her, Marinette suddenly felt lightheaded. The adrenaline rush that had accompanied her exchange with Adrien was starting to wear off. That coupled with the exhaustion from her sleepless night were starting to take a physical toll on her body.

The nurse picked up on her distress, and she was immediately offered a place to lay down. Grateful for the opportunity, Marinette climbed onto the bed in the nurse's office and closed her eyes.

Once the nurse drew a curtain around the bed and returned to her desk on the far side of the office, Tikki emerged from her chosen's purse.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" Tikki asked in a barely audible whisper.

"I'm feeling a little sleepy right now. My head kind of hurts, too," Marinette mumbled without opening her eyes.

"You did stay up pretty late last night."

"Yeah, but it was worth it. I was confident today, Tikki."

"Yes, you were. I'm very proud of you, but it probably helped that Adrien turned out to be Chat Noir though."

"True."

"Did I really call Adrien Agreste 'hot stuff' and bop him on the nose?"

"Yes, you did. You also told him that you loved him."

"Hmmmm...yeah I did. I'm definitely going to freak out about that later."

"I wouldn't expect anything less, Marinette."

"I think I'm going to rest my eyes for a little…" Marinette cut herself off as she fell fast asleep.

Plagg was a Kwami of simple pleasures. He didn't require much. All he ever really wanted was some (well...lots of) camembert, a comfortable place to sleep, and something to keep him occupied when he was awake. Usually, finding something to do while Adrien was in school was difficult, and he often found himself getting bored inside of his boy's bag. However, today's little show had been very interesting to watch. It was definitely quality entertainment.

After watching Tikki's bug deliver what had to have been an Oscar-worthy performance, observing his own chosen's internal meltdown was simply icing on the proverbial cake. Before it started, he knew this day was going to be great, but he wasn't expecting it to be this amazing. He knew he would be laughing about this for years to come.

While he would never openly admit it, Plagg really did love and care for Adrien. He didn't want to see his boy feeling hurt; however, watching him have an existential crisis? He was totally on board for that. Not only was it HILARIOUS, but it fulfilled his secret desire to see his chosen happy. Adrien was finally going to get the girl. It was the sappy "happily ever after" moment the kid had always dreamed of.

Despite the incredible stunt that bakery girl had pulled, Plagg knew that Tikki's chosen had a tendency to be a little hesitant around Adrien. He knew his boy wasn't perfect (he was probably the most oblivious human being on the planet), but he was afraid that the little bug might get spooked and start avoiding Adrien. Plagg had seen first hand just how much of a hopeless romantic his holder was, and having Marinette run away would crush him.

While Plagg typically didn't get involved in his wielders' love lives, he refused to see Adrien disappointed...again. The boy had enough people in his life who consistently let him down, and he didn't know Marinette well enough to trust that she wouldn't become one of those people. He didn't blame her for turning down Chat's advances over the past year, but he didn't want that to bleed into the duo's civilian relationship.

In all his years as a Kwami to a miraculous holder, Plagg had never seen two people more perfectly matched. Without each other, this Ladybug and Chat Noir would never grow into the heroes that they needed to be to defeat Hawkmoth. This relationship needed to be protected at all costs. Therefore, as soon as he was able, Plagg zipped out of Adrien's bag, phased through the wall, and flew down to the nurse's office.

Plagg hid in an air vent and surveyed the scene below him. The nurse sat quietly at her desk doing paperwork. She appeared to be blissfully unaware of the world around her. He spotted the curtained off section of the room and prayed that Tikki was hiding there with her chosen.

Plagg zoomed into the secluded space and whispered loudly, "Sugarcube? Are you here?"

Tikki zipped out of Marinette's bag and shushed her counterpart. "Quiet, you'll wake her up."

He looked at the unconscious girl with a confused expression. "What happened to her?"

"She didn't sleep much last night after accepting the challenge from your chosen. Then, once she found out that Adrien was Chat Noir...actually, I'm not sure what happened. I think it was the push she needed to get over her anxiety around Adrien. However, she has a headache now, and she's been sleeping since she got here."

"So, she isn't scared of him anymore?"

"I don't think she was ever scared of him. I think she was scared of being rejected by him, but as soon as she found out that Adrien was in love with her...well, that fear got smaller. I don't think it took away her all nervousness though. It took a lot out of her to confess her feelings."

"I can imagine. Adrien did it several times."

"Yeah, he did. That will probably come up during her private freak out fest later. At least they found each other. Wait...your boy figured it out right?"

"Oh, yeah. He's already having his own freak out fest. He's been catatonic for the past two hours in class. However, if I know him at all, once he snaps out of it, he will be in full-blown romance mode. Your girl wasn't lying when she said that she loves Adrien, right? Because I don't think he'll be able to handle it if she didn't actually love him."

"She loves him alright. You know, she never actually hated Chat Noir. It's just that she loved Adrien so much. Now that she knows they're the same person, she loves him even more."

Plagg flew close to Tikki and took her paws in her own. "We have to make sure this relationship happens. We can't let the momentum stop. These two need each other."

Tikki giggled. "Awww, Plagg. You're such a big softie."

"You know I care about all my kittens. I mess with them because it makes them better heroes in the end."

"That and you think it's funny."

"Yeah, I do," Plagg said wistfully, "I really do...but that's not the point! You and I both know that they will become stronger once they've worked on their bond as partners. They are two sides of the same coin. Yin and yang. They complete each other."

"I know, I know," Tikki responded, "I was even going to suggest to Marinette that she should reveal her identity soon. Hawkmoth is getting stronger. Now, that he has a partner, these two will need each other more than ever."

"Exactly! However, these two are in love, and that can be a tricky thing. We need to ensure that this works out. Adrien is the most lovesick kitten I've ever had, but I'm worried about your chosen. I know you said she loves him, but can we be sure that she won't turn him down again or let her nervousness get in the way?"

"I don't think we have to worry about that. She seemed pretty determined to get herself a boyfriend earlier today. Marinette also told me that all she wants is for him to be happy. She's still anxious, but I've seen her push away fear many times. Remember how she stood up to Chloe?"

"Okay, that's good...but we should still help them right?"

"Oh, yeah. Definitely."

"Jeez, our kids are a mess this time."

Tikki smiled and looked at her chosen. "Yeah, but they're our messes."

Plagg sighed, "Alright, so your girl is passed out, and once my boy starts breathing again, he will be looking for an opportunity to get back to her. We need to make sure that he has that chance."

"Yes, and we also need to make sure that Alya stays away. They need alone time."

"Agreed...BUT your chosen had a full-blown personality change in front of the nosy girl She was freaking out quite a bit this morning. She's probably calmer now, but still."

"Hmmmm," Tikki said pursing her lips, "That's going to be a problem. Alya is really protective. If she thinks something is wrong, she's going to check it out...unless Marinette herself tells her to stay away. But she can't exactly do that right now."

Plagg thought for a moment. "Wait! I know. Do you know how to text using your chosen's phone?"

"Yes, but using her phone without permission is an invasion of privacy!"

"Puh-lease. You and I both know for a fact that your bug has no boundaries when it comes to cell phones. May I remind you of that little stunt she pulled with Adrien's phone?"

Tikki sighed. "No, you're right. And that wasn't the only time she took someone's phone. She'll forgive us."

"Wait, are you telling me that she's stolen more than one phone?" Plagg did his best to hold back his laughter. (He did not want the nurse to hear him.) "That's hilarious! She is a girl after my own heart. Can you imagine if she got the ring instead of the earrings? She and I would have leveled Paris before Hawkmoth even started sending out Akumas!"

Tikki had already gotten Marinette's phone out of her purse. "Hush, Plagg! I already agreed with you. Let's just get this done. Who are we texting, and what do we want the messages to say?"

Plagg grinned.

Marinette still hadn't come back from the nurse's office. Adrien could feel the emptiness of the seat behind him. It was not helping him calm down.

Physically, he was present in Miss Bustier's classroom that day, but mentally he was gone. Luckily, there was no lecture.

For the rest of the morning, his brain was flooded with panicked thoughts. "Ladybug knows who I am. She knows I'm Chat Noir, and I know that she's Marinette...and Marinette is Ladybug...and I like Marinette and I like Ladybug. So, I like both? No, I only like one girl. THANK GOD. But...I left her in the nurse's office all by herself. She isn't back yet...OHMYGOD. What if something is ACTUALLY wrong? I left her there, and now she's dying...no, that's stupid, Agreste. She's fine...but what if she's not? That means that I abandoned her in her time of need. Now she'll never love me, but wait...no, she already told me that she loved me…"

"She already told me that she loved me," he whispered to himself.

"And he's back! Bro, we thought we lost you!" Nino exclaimed.

"What did you say, sunshine?" Alya asked.

Adrien's eyes locked with Alya's. "Marinette told me that she loved me."

"Yes, she did," Alya responded while nodding her head, "and that's just hitting you now?"

"Does...does Marinette like me?"

"I thought that was already established."

A lovesick smile spread across Adrien's face. "She likes me."

"Ladybug likes me," he thought.

"No, she loves you. The girl is positively head over heels about you."

"OHMYGOD! LADYBUG LOVES ME!" his mind screamed.

His brain started to shut down again. Yes, he had heard Marinette say it earlier, but it was finally hitting him that the girl of his dreams was actually in love with him. He could feel hot tears prickling the corners of his eyes. He sniffled, and the tears threatened to fall. He was at a loss for words.

"Bro," Nino said putting a hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Adrien choked back a sob, "I...I'm so happy. I love her so much. This is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me! I need a minute...I'll be fine!"

He took a moment to compose himself. Words couldn't begin to describe how blissfully happy he was. He didn't know it was possible to fall even more in love with a person, but he was proven wrong.

The world instantly looked brighter. Ladybug had always been a light in his life. However, now that he knew that Marinette was also his lady, it was like having his own personal star, and she was at the center of his universe. He was ready to be with her, but first, he needed to figure out a way to see her again...soon.

"Adrien," Alya began, "This is a pretty long moment. Are you okay? We can't have two friends wind up going to the nurse."

His response came quickly. "I'm fine, but I need to get into that nurse's office after class."

"Why?" Alya questioned.

He smirked, "I'm going to ask out Marinette."

"That's awesome, dude!" Nino laughed.

Adrien and Nino miraculously finished their assignment before the end of class. Finally, it was lunchtime, and Adrien desperately needed to talk to Marinette.

As both boys stood up to hand in their work, Adrien's phone buzzed. He opened his device and looked at the name on his screen. His heart started beating faster.

Marinette- Hey, you! :)

Adrien typed four different responses before hitting send.

Adrien- Hi! Are you feeling any better?

He anxiously waited for a response.

Marinette- I'm fine. My head was hurting, so the nurse let me lay down.

Adrien- I'm just happy you're ok

"What's up, buttercup?" Alya asked, "Is it Marinette?"

"Yeah, she texted me. She told me that she's alright and that she fell asleep in the nurse's office," he explained while looking at the message on her phone.

Alya looked relieved. "So that's why she didn't come back?"

"I guess so," he shrugged.

Adrien's phone buzzed again.

Marinette- Could you do me a favor?

He smiled.

Adrien- Anything for you, Princess. 3

Marinette- Could you bring my backpack down to the nurse's office? I left it by my seat.

Adrien spotted her belongings and slung her bag over his shoulder. As he did so, another message was delivered to his phone.

Marinette- I only want you to come down with my stuff. ;)

He almost dropped the phone. Adrien could feel the heat of a blush creeping up his neck and face. Alya and Nino noticed Adrien's reaction and exchanged worried glances.

"Adrien, dude, what did she say to you?" Nino asked putting a hand on his shoulder.

Alya looked at the phone screen and laughed. "Alone, huh? I can respect that. My girl is on fire today. I still think she hit her head or something, but I guess I can trust you to check up on her for me. Looks like you got your chance to ask her out, loverboy.

Adrien still didn't respond. He stood shellshocked. Ladybug wanted to see him, and she probably wanted to talk to him. He knew this was his chance to tell her how he felt, so he stood up straight and reminded himself that he was Chat Noir. He could do this. She was his partner...his beautiful, amazing partner.

"Is this going to be a regular occurrence from now on? Like, are you going to melt on the spot every time she says something to you? You guys are going to be one of those couples, aren't you?" Nino remarked rolling his eyes.

Alya elbowed him. "Shhhhh! It's adorable. Do you know how long I've waited for this moment? Do not mess up my ship."

Instead of responding to Nino's questions, Adrien shrugged and said, "If you guys don't mind, I'm just going to go see Marinette now."

"Alright, sunshine. We'll see you after lunch. Tell Marinette she needs to call me later." Alya finished her command with a wink. She then proceeded to take Nino's hand and drag him out of the classroom.

Moments later, Adrien left the room and started walking towards the nurse's office. On the way there, he had a strange mix of nervousness and excitement brewing inside of him. It felt like an internal thunderstorm. However, both of those feelings were quickly overpowered by the sheer adoration he felt as he thought about Marinette. He quickened his pace. He couldn't wait to see her again.

Once he arrived, he slowly opened the door, and the nurse greeted him with a smile. "Hello, young man! What brings you here today? Are you feeling well?"

"Oh, yes, ma'am. I feel fine. I'm actually here to bring Marinette her things," Adrien explained politely.

The nurse nodded, "Wonderful. What a gentleman! The poor thing must have been feeling awful. She fell asleep two hours ago, and she hasn't woken up since."

"Wait, she's not awake?"

"No, she's out like a light. I was about to go wake her up. I've already called her parents and told them to keep her home for the rest of the day. They're expecting her soon. She's right over there." The nurse pointed to the curtain and walked back to her desk.

Adrien pulled back the curtain and revealed a still very much asleep Marinette. He looked at his phone to double check that the messages he received were actually from her.

"Perhaps she woke up for a few minutes and then fell back asleep?" Adrien thought.

Plagg then zoomed into view causing Adrien to glare at the tiny being. Tikki joined him shortly after. Upon seeing the two of them together, everything became much clearer.

"Or it was the Kwamis."

Adrien looked at the magical duo. "Now, before I begin, I'm guessing you're Tikki? Ladybug has told me quite a bit about you."

The red Kwami giggled. "Yes, I'm Tikki. It's nice to meet you, Adrien!"

Adrien smiled, but his expression quickly shifted to concern when he looked at Marinette on the bed. "Okay, I just need to ask...is she okay?"

Tikki flew over to Adrien and hugged his cheek. "You're so sweet! No wonder she fell in love with you. She's fine. Marinette had a headache and she's resting now. You can wake her up. I know she'll be thrilled to see you."

Adrien was flooded with relief. "Thanks, Tikki. However, before we let her join our conversation, I need to ask...who texted me?"

Tikki looked guilty and Plagg grinned. "That'd be me, kid. Tikki unlocked the phone, but those messages were all me."

Adrien shot his Kwami an annoyed look. "Okay, two things. One...why are you not in my bag? What if there was an emergency?"

"Kid, trust me. Coming down here was an emergency. You needed help that only we could provide."

"Okay, we will have words about that later...and two...does this mean that I've been flirting with you for the past 15 minutes? You don't think the winking face was a little much?"

"It had to be believable. Look, you should be grateful. I got you some alone time to sort things out with your girlfriend."

Plagg had called Marinette his girlfriend a few times in the past, so out of habit, Adrien responded by saying, "She's not my girlfriend."

Plagg's grin widened, "Yet."

Adrien's expression softened into a lovesick smile. "Yet," he repeated in his mind, "She's not my girlfriend...yet."

"And there's the face. Don't get all mushy yet," Plagg said rolling his eyes, "You still need to get your 'Princess' home."

Adrien's eyes fell on Marinette. Her arms were cradling her head and tendrils of hair had fallen into her face. She breathed softly and steadily. Seeing her under the fluorescent glow of the lights made his heart swell with affection. At that moment, he knew that he would love her no matter the circumstances. She was his everything, and he was never going to take her for granted. If she agreed to be with him, he would do his best to always make her feel loved.

"She still needs to say yes to being with me," Adrien whispered.

"Well, you're never going to find out by standing there!" Plagg exclaimed, "Go wake her up. Talk to her. Be everything she needs you to be."

Adrien knelt next to the bed and gently moved the hair out of Marinette's face. He rubbed her arm until her eyes fluttered open and locked with his. She awoke with a smile.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Did you have a good nap?" Adrien cooed in her ear.

Marinette blinked the sleep away from her eyes. "My Prince Charming came back."

"My lady, I will always come back for you."

"So you figured it out?"

"You didn't exactly make it hard," Adrien laughed, "That was some show you put on."

Marinette sat up and stretched, "Yeah, I was dying on the inside the entire time, but it's okay. Talking to you is much easier now."

Adrien gave her a sympathetic look and reached for her hand. "If it's not too much to ask, what made it hard before?"

Marinette swallowed and maintained eye contact. "I think...I was afraid that if I ever told you how I felt, you would disappear from my life. I don't know if I could have handled that."

He squeezed her hand reassuringly, leaned over, and lovingly kissed her on the forehead. This caused Marinette to giggle and blush. He placed one of his hands on her cheek and she leaned into his touch.

"Marinette, I would have never cut you out of my life. I've always admired you both in and out of the mask. And to top it all off, you told me that you love me. I would be crazy to throw something like that away. I'm never going to leave you. I'm here to stay. I love you so much."

"You do?" Marinette had tears in her eyes.

"Yes, I do," he stood up and pulled her to her feet, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I am deeply and madly in love with you, and it would make me the happiest cat on the planet if you would do me the honor of being my girlfriend."

Marinette laughed, "Always so gallant, Chaton. Yes, I would love to be your girlfriend."

Adrien beamed and pulled her into a tight hug. She pressed her cheek into his chest, and he nuzzled the top of her head.

He eventually pulled away and took her hands in his own. "Now, we are still at school, I'm sure that lovely nurse would like us to leave, and your parents are expecting you to be back any minute now. Would it be okay if I walked you home, Princess?"

Marinette scrunched her nose and giggled again. "Lead the way, kitty."